Category Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Até o momento, o São Paulo arrecadouR$ 23,7 milhões brutos em renda com bilheteria. Ao todo, foram 18 partidas como mandante nesta temporada.

RelacionadasSão PauloDe olho no Brasileirão, São Paulo segue em preparação para enfrentar o AvaíSão Paulo01/06/2022São PauloDiretor do São Paulo diz que renovações de Caio e Beraldo estão encaminhadasSão Paulo01/06/2022Copa do BrasilCopa do Brasil define os 16 classificados para as oitavas; veja os times e data do sorteio dos duelosCopa do Brasil31/05/2022

Galeria
>Copa do Brasil define os 16 classificados às oitavas; veja os times e data do sorteio dos duelos

Tabela
> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro e simule os próximos jogos

Com o último confronto do Tricolor paulista, contra o Ceará, no Morumbi, o clube ultrapassou a marca de meio milhão de torcedores presentes nestas 18 disputas. Ao todo, foram 32.977 presentes no último sábado (28), chegando a511.744 espectadores este ano – ou seja, uma média de28.430 por jogo. Estes números foram informados pelo ‘GE’.

Com a renda arrecada com bilheteria beirando os 25 milhões de reais, o São Paulo já superou a marca total dos últimos dois anos, impactados pela pandemia da Covid-19.

A última temporada que contou com público em todos os confrontos foi em 2019, onde o Tricolor arrecadouR$ 38 milhões em 30 partidas. Em 2022, o jogo que contou com mais torcida, e consequentemente mais renda, foi a final do Campeonato Paulista.

Na vitória contra o Palmeiras por 3 a 1, no Morumbi, estiveram presentes60.383 torcedores, que geraramR$ 5,5 milhões. Agora, a equipe de Rogério Ceni embarca em uma sequência de duas rodadas fora de casa.

O Tricolor enfrentará o Avaí, em Santa Catarina, e o Coritiba, no Paraná. O time volta a jogar como mandante no dia 12 de junho, contra o América-MG.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is personally eager for the club to move for a “versatile” player who’s impressed club scouts, as the Lilywhites continue pursuing their second January signing after missing out on Randal Kolo Muani.

Juventus win race for Kolo Muani as Tottenham miss out

Over the last week and beyond, Spurs and Juventus were reliably believed to be tussling for Kolo Muani’s signature – but a winner of the race has now been confirmed by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

£27m player ready to join Tottenham if clubs can agree January deal

Spurs hold a serious advantage over fellow competitors.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 11, 2025

On Tuesday evening, Romano dropped his famous “here we go” as Juve pipped Spurs in the battle for Kolo Muani’s signature – dealing bad news for Postecoglou, technical director Johan Lange and chairman Daniel Levy, as they are forced to return to the drawing board.

The 26-year-old PSG outcast was deemed by Spurs one of the best attackers available for hire on the January market (David Ornstein), so this news will come as a real blow for the club as they also prepare for a tense North London Derby against Arsenal this evening.

Following their snubbed advances to sign Kolo Muani, Postecoglou’s side remain in the market for a new forward, and the Australian has pleaded for his side to bring in some “help” for striker Dominic Solanke.

“If we can get him some help, yeah. Dom has just been outstanding in the way he’s carried the frontline for us during this period,” said Postecoglou on support for Solanke.

“With Dom being a new player, it probably would have been easier for him to slip in and do his job but he’s taken on the responsibility of helping the whole team. He’s been great for us. I really feel there is more to him and his game. We’ll be able to get more out of him if we can him some help.”

As well as another attacking option, reports suggest they’re in the market for another midfielder. Tottenham are targeting Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi as one option for that role, while it is believed Palmeiras star Richard Rios is on their agenda as well.

Ange Postecoglou really wants Richard Rios at Tottenham

As per CaughtOffside, sharing an update on their links to the Colombia international, Postecoglou is personally “very keen” for Tottenham to sign Rios.

This follows reports that Spurs had an official bid rejected for Rios very recently, and while it is unclear how much they offered, he could actually be snapped up for much cheaper than his £84 million release clause.

The 24-year-old signed a new contract in October 2024, including the seismic clause, but reports in South America claimed soon afterward that Palmeiras won’t sell for any less than £13 million (Hoy Diario del Magdalena via Sport Witness).

Rios is said to have really impressed N17 scouts as well. However, Spurs face stiff competition from Everton and Nottingham Forest, who are pushing hard to land the South American.

“Richard is a versatile player who can fit into several roles in midfield,” said Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira. “His ability to both defend and attack makes him a valuable asset for any team. We are excited to see what he brings to our squad.”

Arsenal have had to deal with plenty of setbacks this season, but after their win on Wednesday night, there is a sense of positivity around the club.

Mikel Arteta’s side knew it was a must-win game against Tottenham Hotspur, and instead of crumbling under pressure, they rose to the occasion and came back from a goal down to win 2-1, which is even more impressive considering the absence of star attacker Bukayo Saka.

The Englishman is undoubtedly the Gunners’ most important player, but fortunately, his partner in crime and club captain, Martin Odegaard, looked back to his very best and helped run the show from midfield.

Arteta will be hoping that he can continue that form into the rest of the campaign now, but he could soon have some fresh competition, as recent reports have linked the club with a sensationally talented midfielder who could be the Odegaard to Ethan Nwaeri’s Saka a few years down the line.

Arsenal chase midfield gem

According to a recent report from the Telegraph, Arsenal are one of several sides incredibly interested in signing Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan.

The 18-year-old talent is already a mainstay in Rosenborg’s first team, shares an agent with Erling Haaland, and according to the report, a decision on his future will be made in ‘the coming weeks.’

If the Gunners want to secure the phenom’s services this month, they’ll need to stump up around £10m, which might not be a lot in the grand scheme of modern football, but it is undoubtedly significant for a teenager outside of the top five leagues.

That said, it could well prove to be a bargain a few years from now, especially if the sensational midfielder can form a brilliant partnership with Nwaneri in the mould of Odegaard and Saka.

Why Arsenal should sign Nypan

It would be fair to say that in this Arsenal team, the most important attacking partnership is between Saka off the right and Odegaard playing his hybrid ten/eight role, which Arteta could recreate a few years from now with Nwaneri and Nypan.

We have already seen this season that, in the absence of the Gunners’ number seven, the manager prefers to start the 17-year-old off the right due to his ability to cut inside and fire off a shot with his left or go on the outside and lay off the ball from the corner.

So, if the young Englishman is already being used as a backup for his older compatriot, there is no reason to think the same couldn’t happen with the two Norwegians, if the Rosenberg ace signs, that is.

In fact, he played a similar role for the Norwegian side last season, starting 22 games in central midfield and, as his heat map shows, floating out wide during games.

Now, he did favour playing on the left-hand side last season, but as analyst Ben Mattinson says, he’s “completely ambipedal,” meaning he favours neither foot and could therefore dictate play from practically anywhere on the pitch with no problem at all.

On top of that, Mattinson actively describes the teenager as an “all-phase midfielder with the ability to control the pace of the game” which, again, at his very best is what the Arsenal captain can do.

With that said, there is every chance that the “elite level talent,” as Mattinson dubbed him, could end up being even better than his national team teammate, as despite being so young, he’s already racked up 60 senior appearances in which he’s scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists, which is incredibly impressive.

Appearances

60

Goals

13

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.40

Ultimately, £10m is a lot to spend on a teenager, but based on his performances in Norway, the way he is spoken about by those in the know and the prospect of seeing him develop alongside Nwaneri, Arsenal should be doing all they can to bring Nypan to N5 this month.

Way better than Wissa: Arsenal target £361k-p/w star who can leave in Jan

The incredible international would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 17, 2025

If there is one thing Wolverhampton Wanderers need for their ongoing relegation battle, it is a sense of commitment to their fight for survival within their squad. That seems like something Vitor Pereira has looked to maintain during his short time at the club so far, and it was something former boss Gary O’Neil instilled.

In his first six games across all competitions, the Old Gold boss has overseen three wins, one draw and two losses. They were back-to-back defeats in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. It has been a solid start to his tenure at Molineux.

Almost all of the squad seems to be on board and ready to fight for survival. However, former club captain Mario Lemina seems destined to leave the West Midlands.

Lemina’s 2024/25 season

It has been a very strange season for Gabon international midfielder Lemina. He began the campaign as a key player for the Old Gold and has played 19 times across all competitions. At the beginning of the season, he was also club captain, although was stripped of that title.

During mid-December, O’Neil confirmed that the captaincy had been passed from Lemina to experienced full-back Nelson Semedo.

That came after a fight with West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen after their game at the London Stadium. O’Neil confirmed that “sparked the conversation” for a change in the captaincy.

Now, the West Midlands outfit might lose the midfielder altogether, in a situation that has escalated fairly quickly. After their 3-0 defeat away to Newcastle United, which Lemina was not part of, Pereira confirmed he “wants to leave” Molineux this month.

The new man in the hot seat at Wolves explained “with this energy and this mentality, I don’t need him”. It seems certain that the former captain will leave Molineux just one month after being relieved of his duties as skipper.

Indeed, the Old Gold may well have their replacement in mind already and could make a move before the end of the January transfer window.

Wolves’ dream Lemina replacement

The player in question here is Chelsea youngster Renato Veiga, with reports earlier in the window suggesting that Wolves had enquired about a potential loan move, which was rebuffed by the Blues. Perhaps, however, going in for another approach would be a wise choice for the Old Gold.

The 21-year-old has been impressive for Enzo Maresca’s side so far this term, having made 18 appearances across all competitions for the Blues.

He has scored twice and grabbed one assist, registering a goal and assist against Gent in the Conference League.

He has clearly made a lasting impression on Blues fans so far, with Alex Goldberg full of praise for the Portuguese star. He explained that “anything he touches turns to gold”, a metaphor of course, but still something that shows just how well he has played.

One of the biggest advantages of signing Veiga would be the fact Wolves have something of a utility man in their squad. Described as a “Swiss army knife” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he can play in multiple positions in defence and midfield.

Indeed, this certainly rings true when looking at the positions he played for former club Basel, and, of course, Chelsea. The Portuguese starlet has been trusted across the defence, at full-back and centre-back, and in the midfield.

Position

Basel

Chelsea

Centre-back

4

2

Left-back

0

13

Defensive midfield

14

2

Centre midfield

6

2

Left midfield

0

1

This must be an appealing factor for Wolves, and one reason why Pereira might want to sign his countryman. Not only would they be bringing in a Lemina replacement in midfield, but also someone who can play at left centre-back in his back three system.

This certainly seems like the perfect deal for Wolves. It might be tough to convince Chelsea to part ways with their versatile star, but if it is possible, then it could be a fantastic piece of business for the Old Gold.

Imagine him & Larsen: Wolves can land their own Bowen by signing "monster"

Wolverhampton Wanderers remain interested in signing this attacking gem.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 15, 2025

West Ham United are in need of potential reinforcements as we fast approach the January transfer window, especially going forward, with manager Julen Lopetegui setting his sights on an intriguing option for the winter.

West Ham target new forward in January as Julen Lopetegui buys more time

Up until very recently, Lopetegui was a man facing intense scrutiny in the Hammers dugout, but West Ham’s small unbeaten run of four consecutive Premier League games has seemingly bought the Spaniard more time.

West Ham have put "quick" £17.5m player up for sale after recall decision

The Irons are making key calls ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 27, 2024

The east Londoners have won two and drawn two over their last quartet of domestic matches – building upon their 2-1 ‘El Sackico’ win over Wolves at the start of December – and most recently downed Southampton 1-0 courtesy of Jarrod Bowen’s strike on the hour mark.

However, there is reason to be concerned by West Ham’s lack of attacking output. Michail Antonio was recently in a horrific car crash, which will keep him out for at least a year, and Danny Ings appears out of favour under Lopetegui.

Liverpool (home)

December 29

Man City (away)

January 4

Fulham (home)

January 14

Crystal Palace (home)

January 18

Aston Villa (away)

January 26

Summer signing Niclas Füllkrug is still working to find his feet again after recovering from a persistent Achilles tendon problem that kept the German out for months, with Lopetegui often utilising Bowen in a makeshift striker role over the last few weeks.

West Ham are widely reported to be after a new number nine in January, but will have to operate a sell-to-buy policy after a summer of heavy spending (Daily Mail).

As well as a potential fresh striking option, reports continue to link West Ham with a move for Real Sociedad’s Brais Mendez.

The four-cap Spain international has entered technical director Tim Steidten’s radar ahead of the winter window, and there are suggestions that Lopetegui personally wants West Ham to strike a mid-season deal for Mendez.

The 27-year-old has bagged three goals and three assists over 22 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad this season, and has played in a variety of midfield roles, including as a deep-lying midfielder, traditional centre-midfielder and in attacking midfield.

West Ham "bid for" Real Sociedad attacker Brais Mendez

Now, Spanish newspaper AS has shared an update on their rumoured pursuit of the former Celta Vigo star.

The outlet suggests in its printed headline, via Sport Witness, that West Ham have “bid for” Mendez – but doesn’t detail the offer or financial conditions they’ve allegedly approached Sociedad with.

However, AS does back other reports that Lopetegui is personally keen on bringing his compatriot to the London Stadium. Mendez’s contract at Sociedad is said to contain a £50 million release clause, which could be used as a yardstick to determine an appropriate asking price for interested clubs.

Aston Villa are also contending for Mendez, but the report hints that West Ham are ahead of Unai Emery’s side in the race for his signature.

Called a “sensational” wide player by Breaking the Lines editor Zach Lowy, Mendez boasts 35 La Liga goals and 27 assists across his appearances in the division.

The U.S. international's season is effectively over after sustaining a torn ACL in his left knee midweek

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Paul Arriola suffers torn ACL vs. Cruz AzulWinger moved to Seattle ahead of 2025 seasonU.S. international's season effectively overGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

The Seattle Sounders have announced that U.S. international Paul Arriola suffered a torn ACL midweek in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Liga MX side Cruz Azul.

The Mexican side knocked Seattle out of the tournament with a 4-1 victory across two legs, while Arriola suffered the injury in the 46th minute of the second leg just seconds out of the halftime break.

Arriola is set to miss an extended period of team, and likely the entirety of the 2025 season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arriola arrived this offseason in the Pacific Northwest after the Sounders acquired him via trade from FC Dallas. After arriving, he sat down with GOALto talk about his national team career, the move itself, and his ambitions to win silverware with Seattle. However, his debut campaign with the Western Conference side is now effectively over due to the injury.

Meanwhile, it's just the latest blow for Brian Schmetzer's squad, who have had one of the unluckiest starts to 2025 across the league.

On MLS Matchday 3, winger Pedro De La Vega suffered a quad injury and will be sidelined for four to six weeks. Meanwhile, in the same match where Arriola tore his ACL, striker Jordan Morris suffered a hamstring injury later in the game and will be absent for four to six weeks as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Sounders are the only MLS team to ever win the Champions Cup, lifting the trophy in 2022.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SEATTLE?

The Sounders return to the pitch this weekend for MLS Matchday 4, where they will travel to take on St. Louis CITY SC looking for their second win of the regular season.

After a stellar end to last season that saw Crystal Palace beat Manchester United 4-0 and climb up the Premier League table under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, there was an expectation that the South Londoners would be just as potent this season.

Unfortunately, that just hasn’t been the case, and after 11 games, the Eagles are down in 18th place with just seven points to their name.

Worse yet, summer signing Eddie Nketiah is now out injured with a hamstring issue he supposedly picked up in external training sessions.

The former Arsenal ace hasn’t quite hit the ground running at Selhurst Park, and he’ll have to up his game when he returns, as the club could already have the ideal Jean-Philippe Mateta heir in one of their academy youngsters.

Nketiah & Mateta's form in 24/25

So, following his £30m move from the Emirates in the summer transfer window, there was a lot of hope and an element of expectation that Nketiah would come in and help elevate Palace’s attack.

While he has certainly looked good here and there and shown his undeniable quality in glimpses, he has been underwhelming in front of goal, which is ultimately a striker’s bread and butter.

In his nine appearances for the Eagles, he has scored just a single goal, a single goal that came in the League Cup against Queens Park Rangers, and not in any of his seven Premier League appearances.

However, while this lack of goals is a concern, the good news is that the club are not overly reliant on their summer signing, as Mateta is still seen as the first choice number nine by many.

The Frenchman hasn’t been quite as lethal as he was in the latter half of last season this year, but he still has a tally of five goals and one assist in 14 appearances across all competitions, which isn’t dreadful considering the form Palace are in overall.

Furthermore, should Nketiah continue to underdeliver on the goals front, the club could have their own answer down the line in an exciting academy gem.

Crystal Palace's exciting academy gem

Now, while Palace are blessed with an abundance of talented youngsters in their academy, from Franco Umeh-Chibueze to Jemiah Umolu, the gem we are talking about is 19-year-old Zach Marsh.

The promising teenager joined the Eagles youth setup as a 16-year-old in February 2022, and in the two and a bit years since, he has become an incredibly exciting prospect, as evidenced by the club giving him his first professional contract in October last year.

It’s easy to see why the club would want to keep him in South London, as in just 50 appearances across the U18s and U21s, the goalscoring “monster”, as dubbed by content creator HLTCO, has found the back of the net 31 times and provided 19 assists to boot.

Zach Marsh’s youth record
Team	U18s	U21s
Appearances	37	13
Goals	29	2
Assists	16	3
Goal Involvements per Match	1.21	0.38
All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the teenage dynamo has averaged a goal involvement every single game for the Eagles youth teams, and while his rate of return has slowed slightly with the U21s, that’s easily explained by it being his first season with them and the fact he turned 19 just last month.

Ultimately, it’s probably too soon in his development to be moving him up into the first team and throwing him right into the deep end.

However, given how well he has played over the last year or so, it does feel more like a matter of when and not if, he gets his chance with the senior side, and then, Nketiah will really have to start looking over his shoulder.

Crystal Palace hit with another blow as £90k-p/w ace suffers muscle injury

Palace have suffered a few injury blows in the last week and the bad news just keeps coming.

By
Brett Worthington

Nov 7, 2024

Axar Patel is back in India’s squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka, which is set to begin on March 12 in Bengaluru. The left-arm orthodox spinner has replaced the left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been released from the squad.Axar was unavailable for the first Test in Mohali – which India won by an innings, wrapping up the match inside three days – with ESPNcricinfo learning he was recovering from a shin injury as well as a recent bout of Covid-19. The BCCI’s release announcing the squad for the first Test had mentioned that Axar’s fitness would be “assessed later to ascertain his selection for the second Test”.Kuldeep did not feature in the first Test, with India preferring Jayant Yadav as their third spinner. Jayant went wicketless in both innings, while his spin partners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dominated the match with a combined 15 wickets.Axar is likely to slot straight into the XI in Jayant’s place if India persist with a three-spinner attack, given his outstanding record over his first five Tests, in which he has picked up 36 wickets at an average of 11.86. The fact that the Bengaluru match is a day-night Test involving the pink SG ball will strengthen Axar’s case for selection; in India’s last day-night Test in Ahmedabad last year, he picked up match figures of 11 for 70 to help blow England away in just two days and pick up the Player-of-the-Match award.Kuldeep has slid down the pecking order of India’s red-ball spinners over the last three years, playing just the one Test since picking up a five-wicket haul in the New Year’s Test of 2019 in Sydney. One reason for this has been a preference for spin-bowling allrounders such as Axar, Jayant and Washington Sundar, who have contributed to India boasting formidable batting depth in home Tests.

Amid Enzo Fernandez’s recent struggles, Chelsea are now reportedly battling to replace the World Cup winner by winning the race to sign a Real Madrid target in 2025.

Chelsea transfer news

As the months tick by under Enzo Maresca, the reported £107m that Chelsea paid to sign Fernandez looks more and more like another transfer mistake. The midfielder has struggled to break into the Italian’s side ahead of both Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, who have formed the foundation behind the Blues’ return to form since the beginning of the current campaign.

Approach made: Chelsea now serious about moving for £66m "elite talent"

The Blues have their sights set on a new centre-back.

2 ByDominic Lund Nov 9, 2024

It perhaps speaks volumes that Fernandez has instead found himself starting games in the Europa Conference League, recording three assists in a ruthless 8-0 thrashing of Noah in mid-week.

Recent transfer rumours suggest that the London giants are ready to cut their losses and swap their big-money midfielder in pursuit of Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni. And if it’s not to be the Frenchman, meanwhile, the Blues could turn their attention to beating Real Madrid to a Serie A target in 2025.

According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are now battling to sign Samuele Ricci ahead of Real Madrid and Manchester City in 2025 in a deal that would see Fernandez replaced.

Ricci has impressed at Torino in the current campaign and at 23 years old could reap the rewards for such form by swapping the Serie A for the Premier League. As for Chelsea, as they continue their recent turnaround back towards Europe’s elite, it would represent quite the statement if they managed to beat rivals City and Champions League holders Real Madrid.

Given Lavia’s injury struggles too, adding depth to their defensive midfield role would certainly be a wise move.

"Excellent" Ricci would add depth behind Lavia

The difference that Lavia has made to the current Chelsea side – particularly alongside Caicedo – has been clear to see, but the Blues must add depth and in doing so, cast Fernandez aside on a permanent basis. And that’s where Ricci could come in. Had the London giants signed a player of Ricci’s quality last summer, as Lavia sat sidelined for the majority of the campaign, then Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure may have ended in contrasting fashion.

Progressive Passes

40

35

10

Key Passes

5

10

3

Tackles Won

6

7

4

Ball Recoveries

40

34

14

Unsurprisingly, Ricci has been at the centre of significant praise throughout the current campaign, including from analyst Ben Mattinson, who dubbed his understanding of tempo “excellent” back in September.

When the battle for his signature commences in 2025, Chelsea will be desperate to be front of the queue ahead of Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Manchester United have produced some stellar players from their academy during the Premier League era. Of course, the most famous group is the esteemed Class of ‘92, featuring the likes of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes among others. They were a key part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side for years, winning the treble as their greatest achievement.

In the more modern era, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay have flown the flag for Carrington academy graduates, with the Scot moving on over the summer, joining Italian giants Napoli.

Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are the most recent academy products to thrive in the first team under Erik ten Hag. Both youngsters scored in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City last season.

Another United academy graduate, who is no longer at the club, has had a strange career but certainly left his mark at Old Trafford. That man is Paul Pogba.

Pogba’s United career

In August 2016, the Red Devils broke the then-world record transfer to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford. He cost a whopping £89m, having left for nothing in 2012, joining Italian giants Juventus.

His time at United has certainly split opinion over time. The Frenchman, who won the World Cup in 2018, played 233 times in that famous Red shirt, initially playing seven times in the 2011/12 season before his departure. In that time, Pogba scored 39 goals and grabbed 48 assists.

He also played a big hand in winning two trophies during his second spell at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old scored in the 2016/17 Europa League final against Ajax, which the Red Devils won 2-0, and played 90 minutes against Southampton in the Carabao Cup final that same season.

The former United number six scored some crucial goals during his time for the club. Aside from his strike against Ajax, Pogba found the back of the net twice against Man City in 2017/18 to help his side come down from 2-0 down and win 3-2.

He evidently had a big influence in the dressing room, and those who managed him at Old Trafford clearly viewed him as a leader. The 91-cap French international was United’s captain on 11 occasions during his time at the club.

Whatever the general opinion of Pogba’s spell at United is, there is no doubt he was a maverick on the pitch, a genius player who possessed incredible skill with the ball at his feet and sublime passing ability. Losing him for free was a big mistake from United, and is something they will be hoping to avoid with Mainoo, who seems to be getting a new contract soon enough.

However, the Red Devils are linked with another academy player who they lost on a free, and could end up buying him back like Pogba.

Man United target former academy star

The player in question here is Lille and England international midfielder Angel Gomes. The 24-year-old left Old Trafford in 2020, joining the French side where he has excelled and has since played for the Three Lions.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, the Red Devils are among several Premier League sides who are ‘continuing to track’ the midfielder. A price tag has not been named, and whilst the midfielder’s contract expires next summer, he would still cost a fee in January. He is valued at £24.3m as per Transfermarkt.

Indeed, this would certainly be similar to the Pogba situation; losing a highly-rated academy graduate midfielder for free, who was described as a “danger-man” by football statistician Statman Dave back in his academy days. The main difference between the two deals would be the fee, with Gomes set to cost far less than the Frenchman.

The London-born midfielder played ten times for United, largely as an attacking midfielder. When he made his debut, he was their youngest-ever Premier League player and the first player born in the 2000s to make their English top-flight debut. He was just 16 years and 263 days old when he came on against Crystal Palace in 2017.

Since his move to France, via a loan to Portuguese outfit Boavista, Lille’s number eight has played 123 times for the club and has seen a redefinition of his role. He could now be considered a versatile midfielder capable of playing as a number six, a number eight or a number 10.

He is a controller in the middle of the park, possessing great technical quality and a high footballing IQ. The former Boavista man has worked on becoming a first-phase specialist, receiving the ball from the defenders and progressing play forwards.

Should the United academy graduate return to the club, he could form a superb partnership with 19-year-old Mainoo. Playing together in a double pivot, the duo could enhance United’s midfield quality and strike up a good balance between attack and defence.

Neither are a natural defensive midfielder, but both have defensive capabilities which means they can hold down the fort, allowing the other to foray forwards.

Indeed, both players excel in the final third, with Gomes creating an average of 2.4 chances per game this season, and Mainoo completing more forward passes, with 12.8 each match, as per Squawka.

Stat (per 90)

Gomes

Mainoo

Chances created

2.4

0.5

Long balls completed

1

1.8

Through balls

0.5

0.2

Passes completed in opposition half

24.3

20.7

Forward passes

8.7

12.8

Take-on success

75%

73.68%

Duels won

3.6

7.1

There might be a concern with lack of balance should this midfield pair ever form in that famous Red Devils shirt. However, against teams who are likely to sit deep and allow Ten Hag’s side to have the ball, it could certainly work.

The pair are yet to play together for England, with Mainoo missing the most recent squad due to injury. However, the United number 37 made way for the Lille man for his Three Lions debut, in the Nations League against Ireland.

Should the Red Devils get this deal over the line, it would be a huge statement of intent. Their former academy midfielder would certainly enhance the quality of their midfield and could form a deadly partnership with Mainoo, which would be one of the most technical midfield duos in Europe.

INEOS must axe Man Utd star who earns more than Mainoo & Garnacho combined

Man United paid £70m for the player but now they must get rid.

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 17, 2024