Leeds United may be without two of their wide options when they face off against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this weekend.

Head coach Daniel Farke has revealed that both Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James may not be available to take part in the trip to the Molineux Stadium.

This means that Brenden Aaronson seems likely to keep his place on the right flank, unless the German boss decides to go with Jack Harrison ahead of the USA international.

The American flop, who is an attacking midfielder by trade, has scored one goal in 40 appearances in his Premier League career, per Sofascore, whilst the English winger has scored one goal and failed to provide any assists in 37 outings in the division since the start of last season.

These statistics do not make for great reading and do not suggest that Aaronson or Harrison are likely to come up with a moment of magic to win the game for Leeds against Wolves this weekend.

The Whites have failed to score a goal from open play in the Premier League this season, partly because of their lack of quality out wide, and they may still rue the fact that they were unable to land Igor Paixao.

Why Leeds failed to sign Igor Paixao

Leeds put a £30.5m offer down on the table for the Brazilian forward during the summer transfer window, only for the attacker to turn down a move to Elland Road to sign for Marseille.

Feyenoord, per the Yorkshire Evening Post, were willing to accept the club’s offer for Paixao, which meant that they left it up to the player to decide where he wanted to go next in his career.

Unfortunately, for Leeds and Farke, the left-sided attacker opted to sign for Marseille because they are a stable top-flight side and had Champions League football to offer him, which the Whites were unable to compete with in the end.

Missing out on Paixao was a frustrating blow for the Championship champions because he had the potential to be an exciting addition to the squad after an impressive campaign in the Netherlands.

The 25-year-old star, who is in the prime years of his career, racked up 18 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord last term, per Sofascore, which convinced Leeds to put a bid of more than £30m in for his services.

xG

10.56

Top 2%

xG on target

16.25

Top 2%

Goals

16

Top 2%

Shots on target

43

Top 2%

xA

6.71

Top 4%

Chances created

70

Top 1%

Assists

10

Top 3%

As you can see in the table above, Paixao was one of the most productive forwards in the Dutch top-flight with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Given the options currently at Farke’s disposal for this weekend’s clash and how the games have gone so far this season, missing out on Paixao was a big blow for the Whites.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

However, Leeds were brewing their own version of Paixao, and potentially their next Raphinha, at Elland Road in Largie Ramazani before Farke ditched him in the summer window.

Why Ramazani could have been Leeds United's own Paixao

The Belgian winger could have been a hybrid of both Paixao and Raphinha in West Yorkshire if the club had kept him and continued his development in England, instead of allowing him to join Valencia on loan.

Supporters will, of course, remember how exciting Raphinha was to watch when Leeds were last in the Premier League, after his move from Rennes in 2020.

Well, Ramazani played in LaLiga at the same time as the Brazil international in the 2023/24 campaign and they were listed as similar players, statistically, by FBref. The then-Almeria star averaged 0.33 xAG per 90 compared to the Brazilian’s 0.38 xAG per 90, as they both ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in LaLiga for creating high-quality chances.

After his promising form in LaLiga for Almeria, Ramazani completed a £10m move to Elland Road in the summer of 2024 to sign for Leeds in the Championship.

The left-sided attacker, who was described as a counter-attacking “weapon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, only started seven matches in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but delivered six goals and two assists in his limited minutes on the pitch for the Whites.

Non-penalty xG

0.54

Top 2%

Shots on target

1.84

Top 2%

Goals

0.69

Top 2%

Assists

0.23

Top 20%

Chances created

1.50

Top 32%

Dribbles completed

2.07

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, Ramazani ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers for goals and assists when filtered into per-90 metrics, which illustrates how efficient he was in the minutes that Farke handed him.

Fuelled by those performances in the Championship, FBref list Paixao as one of the most similar players to the Belgian forward over the past 365 days based on their statistics per 90.

The chart above shows that the £10m Leeds forward even outperformed the Brazilian in a host of statistics, but it is worth adding that he only started seven games whilst Paixao was a regular starter for Feyenoord.

What these statistics do show, though, is that Leeds had an exciting left winger who has been comparable to both Raphinha and Paixao on their hands, yet they allowed him to leave on loan.

It is a decision that seems more bizarre with each passing game that the Whites do not score an open play goal in, particularly when you consider that Ramazani already has an open play assist in two appearances for Valencia in LaLiga.

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The Whites, therefore, must regret ditching him in the summer window, even if it was only on loan, because he has the quality to provide an attacking spark in the final third, like Raphinha and Paixao, and that is something that they desperately need right now.

Big picture: Rajasthan Royals are running out of chances

One team is fine-tuning, the other is still mixing and matching. One team can’t win at home, the other can’t seem to win at all.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) remain winless at home in IPL 2025 – a curious blemish in a promising campaign. Unbeaten on the road and sitting comfortably in the top four, their struggle for a ‘W’ at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is a riddle they must solve quickly because two of their next three games, including Thursday’s against Rajasthan Royals (RR), are at home.Related

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• Teams face up to home truths in first half of IPL 2025

The latest visitors to Bengaluru might be the best opponents for RCB at this stage. RR are on a four-match losing streak, and are stinging from back-to-back heartbreaks – twice failing to score nine runs in the final over, against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). To compound matters, they are without regular captain Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag, standing in as leader, hasn’t looked the same force with the bat that he did last season.While RCB’s home form has been poor, their unbeaten run on the road speaks of a team that’s found balance and belief – settled players who know their roles. They also know “The Chinnaswamy deserves some wins as well”. RR, in contrast, are still tinkering. Questions about their combination continue to linger; their batting often lacks depth despite the Impact Player rule; a misfiring middle order has too often left them chasing games they have controlled up to a point.They will want to get things right with their playoffs chances fading fast. RCB would hope that doesn’t happen just yet.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru WLWLW
Rajasthan Royals LLLLW27:55

Gut feel or analytics? How tactical decisions are made during T20s

In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Riyan Parag

When Jofra Archer and Phil Salt last crossed paths in Jaipur, it was a fiery duel. Archer laid the trap – short, sharp and relentless – and Salt, ever the aggressor, took the bait more than once and took Archer down. Since then, Salt has twice fallen in the first over to the short ball, both times to Arshdeep Singh. As round two with Archer looms, the question lingers: will Salt back himself to go for it despite those two reversals against Arshdeep?Returning from shoulder surgery and rehab, Riyan Parag hasn’t been in anywhere near the form he exhibited during a breakout IPL 2024. And he has had more than just that to wrestle with: captaincy duties in half of RR’s matches so far have added another layer of weight. His 39 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) nearly saw RR home, but his dismissal with 19 needed off 12 proved costly in a crushing loss. With six games to go and playoffs hopes hanging by a thread, Parag must find that spark again – not just for himself, but for a team in need of a lift.

Team news and likely XIIs

RCB are unlikely to change their combination, barring last-minute niggles or injuries.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma.Samson hasn’t travelled with the squad to Bengaluru as he nurses a side strain. With the ball, Sandeep Sharma has been off-colour in the last two games. He conceded 19 in a momentum-turning final over against DC and then went for 55 in four overs in their game against LSG. If RR want to look past him, there’s Akash Madhwal waiting in the wings.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Deshpande, 12 Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal.

The big question

Pitch and conditions

The skies over Bengaluru have cleared, and the city has experienced harsh sun most days. The ground staff has covered the Chinnaswamy pitch with two layers of hessian over the past two days, shielding it like a secret. Conditions here this season have been a bit like 2017, when a drainage overhaul brought slow surfaces and low-scoring games. All told, both camps arrive armed with deep local intel, and in RR’s corner is head coach Rahul Dravid, a man who knows this ground as well as anyone. Now, it’s a question of who can read the signs best.1:01

Rayudu: Suryavanshi has a lot of talent

Stats and trivia

• RCB’s spinners have struggled at home, picking up just one wicket in 15 overs at an average of 144 and an economy of 9.6. Away, they have been far more effective, claiming 15 wickets at 35.1 with an economy of 8.5.
• Virat Kohli has hit unbeaten half-centuries in each of RCB’s three successful chases this season, living up to his chase-master reputation.
• RCB are the only team who have gone at an economy rate of under eight in the powerplay this season.
• RR’s economy rate of 12.5 in overs 17-20 is the second-worst of all teams this season.
• Archer has single-handedly owned RR’s powerplay while bowling, picking up six wickets in 17 overs at an economy rate of 8.2. The others have picked up three wickets in 31 overs.
• After a slow start to the season – 34 runs in his first three games – Yashasvi Jaiswal offers hope for RR, having hit four quick half-centuries in his last five innings.

Sir Kenny Dalglish stole headline after headline during his playing days, so it is no surprise his managerial career featured several world-class stars who did the exact same. As a legendary goalscorer himself, it only seemed right that he worked with the likes of Luis Suarez and Alan Shearer from the technical area – even winning the Premier League title with the latter at Blackburn.

The same can be said for Steven Gerrard. The former Liverpool midfielder would have caught a glimpse of Dalglish’s incredible Anfield legacy as a young boy and if you told that same young boy that he’d one day captain the Scot’s Reds, then it would have sounded more like a fantasy world. In reality, however, the Gerrard and Dalglish link-up did happen and even featured a trophy.

Gerrard’s not the only Liverpool icon that featured during Dalglish’s second reign, however. In fact, King Kenny was partly responsible for welcoming Suarez to Anfield in 2011.

After losing Fernando Torres, the Reds swiftly reacted by splashing out £22m to welcome Suarez on deadline day. And soon enough, Dalglish was pictured standing next to both the South American and fellow new arrival Andy Carroll. Of course, what makes that picture all the more iconic is the fact that Carroll cost Liverpool £15m more than Suarez.

Suarez under Dalglish	Stats
Appearances	52
Goals	21
Assists	9

The 30-goal involvements in 52 games was just a preview of what was to come from Suarez at Liverpool. The former Ajax man soon reached a new level entirely under Brendan Rodgers, but not many will forget that it was Dalglish who introduced him to the Premier League for the first time.

As good as Suarez and Gerrard were, however, Dalglish snubbed both of them when asked to name the best player that he managed.

Dalglish names "brilliant" Lucas Leiva as best player he coached

Not Suarez, not Gerrard, not Shearer, but Lucas Leiva was the name mentioned by Dalglish when asked to name the best player that he worked with. The Brazilian midfielder clearly had a fan in the Liverpool legend and the Scot made sure to hand him the highest possible praise when speaking to reporters.

Leiva, to his credit, is still a cult hero at Anfield for the many years of service he gave to Liverpool during some of their most frustrating times in the Premier League.

Ultimately, injuries prevented him from truly realising his potential at the club, but there’s a very good reason why the midfielder kept his place for 10 years on Merseyside and remains a popular figure to this day.

Hosts in strife in limited play at Old Trafford, as former Hants allrounder makes inroads

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025

Ian Holland claimed two wickets on the first day at Old Trafford•Luke Adams via Lancashire Cricket

Lancashire batsmen might be grateful that only one session of play was possible on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Leicestershire at Emirates Old Trafford.After being asked to bat first in cloudy conditions, Keaton Jennings’ side had proceeded uncertainly to 61 for three at lunch before the light showers that prevented a resumption coalesced into the steady drizzle that caused play to be abandoned at 4.30pm.In the first hour of play, the former Hampshire all-rounder, Ian Holland, got plenty of help from the pitch and removed both Michael Jones, bowled between bat and pad for ten, and Keaton Jennings, caught at first slip for nine in an eight-over spell that cost only 13 runs.Lancashire were 19 for two when Jennings was out and the third-wicket pair, Josh Bohannon and Marcus Harris, then batted with understandable caution, only six runs being scored in the first seven overs of their 25-run stand.But having made nine in nearly an hour, Bohannon was caught down the leg side by Ben Cox off Ben Mike and the session could have gone even better for Leicestershire had not Cox and third slip, Rehan Ahmed, dropped Matty Hurst twice in his first nine balls.As it was, Lancashire reached lunch on 61 for three after 31 overs and might well have reflected that the session could have gone much worse for them. Harris was 19 not out after facing 54 balls in 88 minutes and Hurst was unbeaten on 13 after his two escapes. It is doubtful whether the home batsmen were sorry that no further play was possible.However, this session maintained Leicestershire’s fine start to the campaign. Handscomb’s team came into this game at the top of the early-season table whereas Lancashire, the pre-season favourites for promotion, are fourth, 16 points behind their current opponents and without a win from their matches against Middlesex and Northamptonshire.

Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.

Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.

Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.

Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.

Why Ndiaye is so important to Everton

Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.

Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.

Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.

With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.

Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.

Everton's homegrown Ndiaye

Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.

Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.

The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.

RW

9

4 + 2

LW

7

3 + 0

CF

3

6 + 0

LM

1

0

The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.

Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.

But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.

Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.

As bad as Beto: Moyes must finally ditch 6/10 Everton man after Anfield

David Moyes must now ponder whether this Everton star is worth keeping in the starting XI.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 20, 2025

Lionel Messi has admitted it will be “strange” not playing alongside Jordi Alba in an emotional tribute to his Inter Miami team-mate following the defender’s decision to retire from professional football. The Argentina star took to social media to hail his close friend and former Barcelona colleague after he announced he will hang up his boots at the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.

Alba announces decision to retire

Alba announced on Thursday that he will call time on his legendary playing career following the conclusion of the current MLS season. In a video on Instagram, the 36-year-old – who lifted several major honours with Barcelona and Spain – said: "The moment has come to close a truly meaningful chapter in my life. I've decided to bring my professional football career to an end at the conclusion of this season.

"I do so with complete conviction, peace and happiness. Because I feel I've walked this path with every ounce of passion I had and now it's the right time to open a new chapter and close the previous one with the best possible feeling.

"Football has given me absolutely everything. Thank you to my teammates, coaches, staff, club workers and rivals who pushed me to give my very best. I want to specially thank the clubs that have shaped my life."

AdvertisementMessi issues emotional response on Instagram

And in an emotional response on Alba’s social media post, Messi – who played alongside Alba at Barcelona between 2012 and 2021 before the pair reunited at Inter Miami in 2023 – wrote: "Thanks to you, Jordi. I am going to miss you a lot. After many things together, it's going to feel strange to look to my left and not see you there.

"It's crazy how many assists you've given me over all these years. Who is going to give me those passes from behind now?”

Ex-Barca duo Neymar & Luis Suarez also pay tribute

Messi was joined by his and Alba’s former Barcelona team-mates Neymar and Luis Suarez, who also paid tribute to the left-back’s incredible career.

Also commenting on Alba’s social media post, Brazil superstar Neymar wrote: "You are huge, brother. Big hug folleti."

And Uruguay legend Suarez, who also plays for Inter Miami, added: "Brother, what to say. You're a crack, to enjoy what's left."

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AFPAlba regarded as one of greatest left-backs in history

Widely regarded as one of the greatest left-backs to ever grace the game, Alba first made an impression at Valencia, where he quickly became one of La Liga’s best players in his position. After three years at the Mestalla Stadium, Alba joined Barcelona in 2012 and – alongside Messi – lifted countless honours in a remarkable period of domestic dominance for the Spanish giants. Alba lifted 17 major trophies with the Blaugrana, including six La Liga titles and five Copa del Rey crowns. He was also part of the famous Barcelona side who won the treble in 2014-15 under Luis Enrique, with the full-back getting his hands on the Champions League title alongside Messi, Suarez and Neymar, who were colloquially called ‘MSN’.

Mason Greenwood snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo for another former Manchester United team-mate when naming the best player he's worked with and chose Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate. While Greenwood briefly played alongside Ronaldo during the Portuguese striker's ill-fated second stint at Old Trafford, tensions reportedly ran high between the two as they struggled to build a successful playing relationship.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A tense relationship with Ronaldo

  Reports from inside United’s dressing room during Ronaldo’s second coming painted a picture of a frustrated superstar. Without specifically naming Greenwood, Ronaldo, always known for his meticulous approach to football, expressed his dissatisfaction with the club's younger stars in public. He once said: "I don’t mean only in football, this new generation since probably 1995 they are thinking different. The life, the football, the struggles, this has to come from inside of you. You have to accept some times that you don’t agree with."

  Meanwhile, Greenwood was spoken to by United officials for allegedly claiming behind the scenes that Ronaldo's career was "dead", according to .

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• AFP
  

  Greenwood picks Bruno over CR7

  With manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggling to get both players on the same page, it seemed inevitable that their partnership at United wouldn’t last. Ronaldo left the club in November 2022, while Greenwood was sold to Marseille last year after a loan spell at Getafe. United decided to part ways with Greenwood after an internal investigation into his conduct off the pitch, despite criminal charges against him being dropped in February 2023.

  In a rapid fire with Marseille's media team this week, Greenwood was asked to name the best player he’s ever shared a pitch with. He didn’t even flinch and answered Bruno Fernandes, another of his former United team-mates, who has been a constant creative presence on the field.

• Greenwood has his say on GOAT debate

  Greenwood also didn’t hesitate to choose Lionel Messi over Ronaldo in the ultimate “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) showdown. When asked to choose between the two legends of the game, he sided with the Argentine maestro. He then named his main idol as the Brazilian Ronaldo, a player whose brilliance in the late 1990s and early 2000s clearly left a lasting impression on Greenwood. When asked to name the best finisher he has seen, though, Greenwood opted for Harry Kane.

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• Greenwood’s flourishing career in France

  Greenwood’s move to Marseille has proven to be a game-changer for the young forward. In his first season in Ligue 1, he netted 21 goals and provided six assists, finishing as joint-top scorer alongside Ousmane Dembele. This season, Greenwood hasn’t slowed down, already contributing three goals and four assists across nine matches in all competitions. His decisive goal in the Champions League against Real Madrid has only added to his growing reputation as a player capable of making a difference on the big stage.

The BCCI will express its condolences to the families of the Pahalgam victims in various ways during the IPL 2025 game in Hyderabad tonight

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2025The players of the two participating teams – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) – will observe a minute of silence before the start of their IPL 2025 game in Hyderabad later today and also wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the victims of Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir.There will also be no cheerleaders or fireworks at the ground, as has been the norm in the IPL.The BCCI will express its condolences to the families of the victims in various ways during the game. It will start with the minute of silence, which will begin following an announcement over the ground’s PA system, to “ensure the in-stadium audience and broadcast viewers are aware and can participate in the tribute”.Following this, at the toss, both the team captains will pay respect to the victims and condemn the terror attack, and black armbands will be worn by all the players, match officials, commentators and support staff. Broadcast commentators have also been instructed to “inform viewers about the significance of the black armbands and speak about the tragic incident and its impact”.On Tuesday, a terror attack in the hill station of Pahalgam claimed the lives of many people – 26 by the last count – and injured many others.Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, has said in a statement on Wednesday, “The cricketing community is deeply shocked and anguished by the tragic loss of innocent lives in the gruesome terror attack at Pahalgam yesterday. On behalf of the BCCI, while condemning this ghastly and cowardly act with strongest possible words, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the departed souls. In sharing their pain and grief, we stand hand in hand at this hour of tragedy.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians deve mesmo fechar a janela de transferências somente com os reforços do zagueiro Lucas Veríssimo e do meia Matías Rojas. Mesmo com o interesse na contratação de um lateral-esquerdo, a direção corintiana não deve ter tempo hábil para efetuar um possível negócio.

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O Timão chegou a se movimentar pela aquisição de Alan Rodríguez, paraguaio que defende o Rosario Central, da Argentina, e atua na ala esquerda. Porém, a pedida do clube argentino foi considerada alta. Os Canallas querem receber algo em torno de 2,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 11,8 milhões) pelo atleta, comprado do Cerro Porteño no início do ano por 750 mil dólares (R$ 3,5 milhões).

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

A avaliação positiva no campo técnico e a possibilidade de revenda futura empolgaram o departamento de futebol corintiano, que até tentou ver formas de se aproximar da pedida do Rosario. No fim, a situação ficou apenas no campo da sondagem, sem envio de proposta oficial.

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O Corinthians também chegou a monitorar a situação do brasileiro Paulinho, que atua no Midtjylland, da Dinamarca. No entanto, o time europeu também acenou que só liberaria por uma quantia considerada alta pela diretoria do clube alvinegro: 2 milhões de euros (R$).

Em ambos os casos dos laterais monitorados, um atrativo foi a parte salarial. O vencimento de ambos nos clubes em que atuam é bastante aquém até mesmo do ‘piso’ corintiano.

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Houve também a movimentação do Corinthians por um volante no mercado da bola, mas isso deixou de ser prioridade após a ascensão do garoto Gabriel Moscardo ao time profissional.

O Timão ficou próximo de contratar o colombiano Gustavo Cuéllar, que estava no Al-Hilal. Existiam conversas avançadas para que o clube saudita liberasse o meio-campista por 3 milhões de dólares (R$). Porém, quando as coisas estavam bastante avançadas para o time do Parque São Jorge, o Al-Shabab se mostrou disposto a pagar 5 milhões de dólares (R$), valor pedido pelo Hilal no início da janela de transferências.

Entre o Corinthians e Cuéllar estava tudo acertado para a contratação.

Houve também um contato com o Fortaleza para tentar a aquisição de Zé Welison. Mas o contato foi prontamente descartado pelo Leão do Pici.

Durante o mês que antecedeu a janela de transferências, foi discutida a possibilidade de contratação de um atacante que atue pelos lados do campo. Porém, com a contratação de Rojas, o entendimento é que o argentino atenda às funções tanto na parte central quanto pelas pontas.

Agora, com a saída de Róger Guedes para o Al-Rayyan, do Qatar, a necessidade de um ponta voltou a ser falada no clube do Parque São Jorge. No entanto, o fechamento da janela é um impeditivo para que dificilmente alguém chegue para repor a saída do camisa 10.

A única possibilidade é a contratação de algum jogador livre no mercado, o que é o caso do chileno Alexis Sánchez, que não renovou com o Olympique de Marseille, da França, clube que tinha contrato até o fim de junho.

Sánchez foi oferecido ao Corinthians, que chegou a colocar a possibilidade de contratação no radar, mas avalia o atleta com características de centroavante, função diferente da procurada pelo clube.

Other Premier League sides did more business, but Chelsea still had a busy end to the summer transfer window.

The club finally got their hands on Alejandro Garnacho, opted against signing Fermin Lopez, and made a surprise move to bring in Facundo Buonanotte on a season-long loan – without an option or obligation to buy.

Additionally, the Blues decided to cancel Marc Guiu’s loan to Sunderland following the recent injury to Liam Delap.

However, that’s a decision they might not have needed to make, as they’ve already got an incredibly talented youngster who could’ve filled in.

Chelsea's striker situation

There is plenty of optimism around Chelsea and what they could achieve this season, and rightly so, but things are currently far from ideal in the striker department.

In the win over Fulham on Saturday, Liam Delap started up top, and while he looked lively in the opening exchanges, he had to come off in just the 14th minute with a hamstring injury, which will keep him out of the action for eight to ten weeks.

The sudden setback for the Englishman caused the club to momentarily stop Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich, only for the Senegalese striker to make it quite clear he wanted to go.

Now, Maresca does still have a fit Joao Pedro to call on, but until Cole Palmer is fit enough to come back into the side, the Brazilian is likely to continue as the team’s ten or second striker.

So, with there being minimal options on the market, the West Londoners decided that the best route to take was to cancel Guiu’s loan to Sunderland.

After all, the young Spaniard did score six goals in 16 appearances for the side last season, and had already bagged one in three games for the Black Cats.

However, while that might serve Maresca in the short term, it could limit the 19-year-old’s long-term development, and it might not have even been necessary, as there is a youngster in the academy who deserves a chance to fill in.

The Chelsea youngster who should be in the squad

Few, if any, top academies can match Cobham for the sheer number of quality players it produces, and it looks like the next success of the production line could be Shumaira Mheuka.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

It’s almost certain that fans outside of Chelsea have little to no idea who the 17-year-old gem is, but fans of the club would have seen him make several first-team appearances last season.

Maresca trusted the Birmingham-born gem to come off the bench four times in the Conference League and even once in the Premier League, at home to Southampton.

He might not have got onto the scoresheet in any of those cameos, but do not get it twisted, the youngster looks to be a lean, mean goalscoring machine.

For example, in 53 appearances for the West Londoners’ youth sides, the young ace, whom one analyst has dubbed one of the “brightest young strikers in England,” has scored 26 goals and provided six assists.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games, which is a more than encouraging rate of return.

It’s also better than Guiu managed in his youth team days, as in 25 games for Barcelona’s junior sides, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.08 games.

Appearances

53

25

Goals

26

8

Assists

6

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.56

Now, it would be absurd to expect the youngster to come into the side and make loads of appearances, but he could certainly fulfil the role as a backup and someone who plays in the less important games.

After all, how is he going to take the next step unless he is exposed to more senior football, and with respected talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing him “the future of Chelsea and English football,” Maresca might want to get him in the squad as soon as possible, in case another team comes along and offers him just that.

Ultimately, while it would have been something of a risk, the Blues should have let Guiu remain out on loan for his own development, and used Mheuka as the backup option – he deserves a shot.

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ByDominic Lund Sep 2, 2025