Beth Mead volleyed home from a stunning Chloe Kelly cross to achieve WSL milestone for Arsenal against Crystal Palace.
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Mead achieved WSL milestone for ArsenalScored a brilliant volley from Kelly's crossGunners next face Lyon in Champions LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kelly received a pass on the left flank and did well to go past her marker before floating in a brilliant cross. Mead met the ball on the edge of the box and found the back of the net with a juicy volley. With the 14th-minute strike, the English forward completed his 50th Women's Super League goal for the Gunners in her 142nd league appearance.
AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Alessia Russo soon doubled her team's lead as the North London club went two goals up even before the half-hour mark. Renee Slegers' girls will now aim to hold on to their lead and pick up a crucial win, which will allow them to maintain pressure on league leaders Chelsea. If Arsenal manage to win today, they will successfully reduce the gap with the Blues to five points.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
The WSL side will be back in action after the international break as they are scheduled to take on Lyon in the first leg of the Women's Champions League semi-final fixture on April 19.
Manchester United fell to their second consecutive defeat under the new reign of boss Ruben Amorim with a 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
That defeat leaves United in 13th place in the table and a gap of six points has already opened up from the European spots.
The Red Devils dominated the game at Old Trafford: they had 71% of possession, 17 goal attempts and more corner kicks than their opponents Forest.
Yet, despite their dominance, the Red Devils went on to lose the game and it once again highlighted a glaring hole in the centre-forward position that Amorim needs to fill if he is to turn around United’s fortunes.
Current centre forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have scored just five Premier League goals between them this season and despite Hojlund bagging on Saturday night, many believe the lack of quality in this area is costing United points.
Zirkzee and Hojlund upgrade being lined up
According to TBR Football, Dusan Vlahovic is a striker that Manchester United are keeping tabs on and remain interested in should any potential deal arise.
Serie A’s highest-paid player at £200k-a-week, is currently stalling on a new contract with his current deal running out in 2026.
Juventus want their frontman to take a pay cut to reflect his underwhelming performances since joining the Bianconeri, something Vlahovic is reluctant to do.
United are one of many clubs remaining attentive to the situation and could swoop if Juventus decide to cash in on the striker in order to recoup as much of their £70m outlay as possible.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
How Vlahovic compares to Zirkzee and Hojlund
Vlahovic has been in decent form for Juventus this season, scoring six goals in 13 Serie A appearances and adding a further three goals in the Champions League.
The Serbian striker has scored more than Zirkzee and Hojlund combined this term, however, it is not just goals where the Juventus man would be an upgrade on United’s current attacking duo.
Minutes played
1065
594
607
Expected Goals (xG)
8.3
3.0
1.8
Progressive passes received (PrgR)
53
26
26
Progressive carries
10
4
10
Touches
277
247
165
Aerial Duels won
46.2%
34.3%
25%
Set-piece clearances
8
2
2
From the above table, it is clear that Vlahovic would be better suited to playing the number 9 role at Old Trafford. From these stats, you can begin to see why Vlahovic has been labelled as “more complete than Haaland” by Serbian FA president Nenad Bjekovic.
Vlahovic has played more minutes than both Zirkzee and Hojlund this season and leads the way on expected goals (xG) with 8.3 for this season.
Being that focal point is something that United have been looking for in their striker so with Vlahovic coming out on top in progressive passes received and aerial duels won, he is proving that he may be more of a handful for Premier League defenders.
In addition, the Serbian has had more touches than both his United counterparts this season and would be an ideal linkman for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to bounce off and link with.
Furthermore, the Juve star seems to also add value in United’s own box with their recent set-piece troubles being highlighted; the Serb having made eight set-piece clearances this season.
It remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck between the two clubs but it is evident that Vlahovic would be that focal point that Amorim is desperately craving at the start of his Manchester United reign.
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It’s over now. Football matches are ephemeral, coming and passing like so many leaves in the wind, but Liverpool will remember this one for a while alright. The Reds have ended their hoodoo. Real Madrid have been defeated.
And how they were bested. Carlo Ancelotti’s imperious outfit have been out of sorts this season but there is still nothing that can detract from Liverpool’s utter domination over the La Liga and Champions League holders, who even squandered their one flicker of hope when Kylian Mbappe, the personification of his side’s struggles, was thwarted by Caoimhin Kelleher from the spot.
Eight matches and 15 years had come and gone since Liverpool last tasted victory against their nemesis from overseas. Jurgen Klopp tried and failed, tried and failed, but suffered separate Champions League final losses against Los Blancos and a host of knockout defeats besides.
The curse is over, the chains snapped. Arne Slot’s flawless start on the continent continues, with Liverpool eight points clear at the summit of the Premier League too. Are we dreaming, Liverpool seems to ask. Did it happen? Yes, it did. This is not a fantasy, conjured up to mitigate the weight of Klopp’s departure.
Liverpool are real and alive. They are thriving. Rivals cower. Onlookers applaud. A shame Liverpool failed to sign Jude Bellingham though, eh? Ah well.
Jude Bellingham misses the mark at Anfield
Bellingham was reduced to a portion of the generational quality that has seen him become one of the most famous footballers in the world. The 21-year-old was breathtaking across his maiden year in the Spanish capital, hitting 36 goal contributions across 43 matches and lifting the La Liga and Champions League trophies.
This year, the goals have come at a trickle but the Three Lions superstar should not be judged from that angle, for he has been shifted into a more reserved midfield role. He has endured a regression though and that’s a fact.
GOAL even branded the prodigy with a 5/10 match score during his Liverpool clash, simultaneously praising Mac Allister for marshalling and negating his forward-thrusting brilliance, typically a marvel in driving forward and influencing attacking sequences to devastating effect.
Jude Bellingham looks dejected for Real Madrid
Bellingham missed the mark at Anfield, but it all could have been so different. In the build-up to the European spectacle, the £333k-per-week talent claimed that a move to Liverpool “was not as close as the media made out,” before he left Borussia Dortmund to sign for Real in 2023.
The deal worth £115m has been nothing short of a bona fide success, but the Reds support will have relished the success in nullifying him under the Anfield lights nonetheless.
It would have been wonderful to have one of the game’s foremost talents plying their art at the club, for sure, but Liverpool are hardly missing him this season, right? After all, Slot’s engineering his own version in Curtis Jones.
Curtis Jones could be Slot's own Bellingham
Jones is going from strength to strength for club and for country at the moment, and he continued his stunning run of form with a dominant display against Real Madrid. In the words of writer Dan Austin, he and young Conor Bradley “made a mockery of the most prestigious team in world football”. Praise indeed.
Bellingham, the ostensibly superior player, was dwarfed by his compatriot. Jones proved that he can throw down with the best of them in the Champions League, and though he wasn’t awarded Man of the Match, there’s a compelling case to be made that he was deserving of such.
Bellingham, so often the unstoppable driving force, was unable to complete either of his attempted dribbles, indeed quieted by Mac Allister. But Jones, his opposite number, thrived in Liverpool’s midfield.
The newly-blooded England international completed four of six efforts and won seven of 11 duels too. Bellingham only won five despite challenging three more times.
Much of this is down to the fluency of Slot’s system, of course. In an alternate world, Bellingham could have been operating in red and producing a show-stopping performance.
But he wasn’t. Bellingham is one of the best players in the world but he’s not the only midfielder with dynamic skills and transitional prowess.
Liverpool star Curtis Jones celebrates
Jones, while not of the same calibre as Bellingham, is industrious and hugely disregarded when assessing Liverpool’s most technically proficient players.
He excelled against Los Blancos, awarded for his all-encompassing performance with a 9/10 match rating, bestowed by The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle.
His ball retention is incredible. His composure and control is a thing to behold. Doyle wrote that his ball-carrying triumphed too, praising him for ‘leaving much-vaunted opposing midfielders in his wake.’
Goals scored
0.10
0.31
Assists
0.21
0.31
Shot-creating actions
2.84
3.61
Pass completion
91.2%
88.7%
Progressive passes
5.06
7.14
Progressive carries
2.12
2.91
Successful take-ons
1.45
1.68
Ball recoveries
5.63
4.08
Tackles + interceptions
2.38
2.77
Blocks
1.65
1.40
Is it any surprise that Jones is Bellingham’s most statistically similar midfielder in the world right now, as per FBref, with both blending the various elements of the craft together to serve a distinct and dynamic role?
As the underlying data tells you above, Bellingham outstrips Jones across most metrics, but Liverpool won’t care a jot about that. Curiously, though, Jones is in the same ballpark and can play the role that, perhaps, was envisaged for the Birmingham-born maestro.
Bellingham’s the better player and so on, but he wasn’t on Wednesday evening. Jones stepped up, and he’s tall and he’s proud.
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He was serving in the role on a temporary basis for over three months and was officially handed over the responsibilities on Monday
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2022Former middle-order batter Noor-ul-Haq has been named chief selector of the senior national team by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). He was serving in the role on a temporary basis for over three months and was officially handed over the responsibilities on Monday, an ACB statement said.Related
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“Malikzai has had quite an impressive tenure as the acting chief selector and has shown great spirit during the selection of the teams for the U19 Asia Cup & World Cup as well as for our recent squad selections for the Netherlands and Bangladesh series,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement. “I would like to congratulate him and wish him all the very best for the future.”The most recent squads Afghanistan’s selection panel picked was for the T20Is and ODIs in Bangladesh. They left out some big names like Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi for the T20Is. For the ODIs, they left out Sharafuddin Ashraf and Usman Ghani, who were part of the squad for the series against Netherlands in January.Noor said he would be keeping an eye on both the short-term and long-term needs of the team.”We have a busy 2022 year ahead and as a team, we will be working on to not only address our short-term needs but also achieve our long-term goals,” he said. “We have enormous talent in the country and it is important that they are provided with proper opportunities.”Noor played two ODIs for Afghanistan in 2010, one against Scotland and another against Kenya, but scored only 12 runs overall. He also featured in two editions of the Under-19 World Cup, in 2010 and 2012. Through his career, Noor played 18 first-class matches, 13 List A games and eight T20s.The ACB had also named Stuart Law as their interim head coach for the Bangladesh tour. The board has started the recruitment process for hiring a new permanent head coach.
Perhaps more than any other team in the traditional ‘big six’, Tottenham Hotspur seem to have had the most mixed fortune in the transfer market over the last decade or so.
For example, for every incredible player they’ve signed, like Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son, they have signed several unmitigated flops, like Tanguy Ndombele, Vincent Jansen and Ryan Sessegnon.
However, the North Londoners have also welcomed in a number of stars who don’t quite fit into either camp, including one signed by André Villas-Boas, who was at one point compared to the iconic Paul Gascoigne, only to leave for free years later.
Gascoigne's Spurs career
After growing to prominence with Newcastle United in the mid-1980s, Gascoigne secured a £2.2m move to Spurs in the summer of 1988, which was both a British record fee and a shock for Sir Alex Ferguson, who thought the talented Englishman would be coming to Manchester United.
In his debut season for the Lilywhites, the Gateshead-born star made 36 appearances across all competitions, in which he scored seven goals, provided one assist and entertained fans up and down the country with his mercurial ability before scoring another seven goals and producing one more assist in his second season in North London.
However, it was in his third and final campaign with the club that the former Newcastle ace cemented himself in Spurs history, as despite going off injured in the 16th minute in the final, he played in every round up to that point and racked up six goals in the process, including an iconic free-kick against fierce rivals Arsenal in the semi-finals.
The 57-capped international was then sold to Serie A side Lazio for around £5.5m that summer, with a final tally of 33 goals and six assists in 111 appearances for the club. While Gascoigne wasn’t a Spurs player for long, he remains a legendary figure among the fans, so eyebrows were raised when someone was compared to him in 2018.
Erik Lamela's Spurs career
Yes, the former Spurs player who was once compared to Gascoigne was Erik Lamela, and before the pitchforks come out, we weren’t the ones that made it. That honour belongs to another former Spurs great, Glenn Hoddle.
Erik Lamela
Surprisingly, the former England manager made the comparison quite late into the Argentine’s stint in North London, as he argued that the way he held off defenders in 2018 was similar to Gascoigne’s sometimes combative nature.
However, that is where the comparison ends, as while the former Roma star showed real moments of quality during his time in North London, like that Puskas winning goal against Arsenal, he was far too injury-prone and inconsistent to go down as a great.
That said, despite costing around £25m in 2013, he probably did just about enough during his eight years at the club to not go down as a flop either.
In those eight seasons, before he joined Sevilla for free in a deal that saw Bryan Gil go the other way, the Carapachay-born ace scored 37 goals and provided 44 assists in 257 appearances, which equates to a rather middling average of a goal involvement every 3.17 games.
Lamela’s senior career
Club
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Tottenham
257
37
44
0.31
Sevilla
92
16
7
0.25
AS Roma
67
21
14
0.52
River Plate
36
4
6
0.27
AEK Athens
8
0
1
0.12
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Ultimately, while he cost a lot of money for the time and didn’t quite live up to expectations, it would be rather unfair to label Lamela as a complete flop, but one thing we can be sure of is that the comparison to Gascoigne was way off the mark.
Move over Sarr & Werner: Spurs star put in a monstrous 9/10 display vs City
The incredible international was instrumental for Spurs.
Crystal Palace have a major adantage in the race to sign a new forward in January, it has emerged, as the Eagles look to bolster the ranks of Oliver Glasner after a wretched start to the Premier League season.
Crystal Palace ready to back Oliver Glasner
After winning six of the final seven Premier League games in the 2023/24 campaign, big things were expected of Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace this season. However, their season is yet to really get up and running, with the Eagles having just a single win to their name (Against Tottenham) and currently sitting in the relegation zone, a point behind newly promoted Ipswich Town and safety.
A major part of their problem has been finding the back of the net; they have scored just eight times in 11 games despite the arrivals of big-money signing Eddie Nketiah and former Watford attacker Ismaila Sarr, neither of whom have got off the mark for their new club in the Premier League so far.
In fact, the only summer signing to find the back of the net in Crystal Palace colours so far this season is centre-back Trevoh Chalobah, and only three other players across the whole squad have registered a goal this season.
Crystal Palace’s top goalscorers 24/25
Jean Philippe-Mateta
3
Marc Guehi
2
Trevoh Chalobah
1
Eberechi Eze
1
Own Goal
1
It is clear that more quality is needed in the final third in the wake of Michael Olise’s departure from south London over the summer, and now Palace may well be in pole position to deliver just that for Glasner.
Palace have advantage in attacker race
That comes with Crystal Palace one of several sides in the Premier League wanting to sign Botafogo talent Luiz Henrique, according to a report from CaughtOffside. The Brazilian, who operates largely on the right-hand side of attack, has impressed South American football fans this year and his form was rewarded with a Brazil debut in September, a spot he has kept since and gone on to make four appearances for his country.
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Henrique, who has 16 goals and assists combined this year, is thought to be keen to move to the Premier League, and Palace are one of three Premier League sides who “have had scouts at the recent Botafogo matches against Cuiaba-MT and Vasco da Gama”, where Henrique managed to get himself on the scoresheet.
With the Brazilian season coming to an end ahead of the January transfer window, a midseason move could be a strong possibility, though Botafogo are reportedly holding out for £25m to let their talented forward leave.
Nonetheless, Palace have a clear advantage in the race for his signature thanks to part-owner John Textor, who owns 46% of Crystal Palace but is the majority shareholder of the Brazilian side too, which could make negotiations relatively simple between the two sides.
A left-footed right-winger, Henrique could return balance to Glasner’s side and, though he may lack Olise’s elite end product, he could prove to be a shrewd piece of business as Palace look to avoid dropping back down to the Championship.
Crystal Palace reportedly rejected Tottenham Hotspur's mammoth bid for defender Marc Guehi on January transfer deadline day and here is why.
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Spurs make mammoth bid for GuehiCrystal Palace reject deadline day dealBelieve it would be too late to find replacementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
To say 'Tottenham Hotspur are struggling' would be undermining how underwhelming their season has been so far as the Lilywhites are currently 14th in the Premier League as injuries have snacked through Ange Postecoglou's squad. As such, the North London side have been keen on making moves in the winter transfer window and made a move for Crystal Palace's highly-rated centre-back as they made a £55 million ($86.1m) bid with £15 million ($18.4m) in add-ons. However, the Eagles have turned down the mammoth bid for a move on deadline day as per The Athletic, with Spurs then signing Kevin Danso on loan from Ligue 1 side Lens.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION
As per The Guardian's Ed Aarons, Crystal Palace decided to reject Tottenham's mammoth bid for Guehi as they felt the departure of their captain would be too late in the transfer window. The Eagles believe that they will not be able to sign a replacement this late for Oliver Glasner's squad as they have not had a lot of targets on their shortlist.
DID YOU KNOW?
Guehi was also at the centre of a lot of transfer rumours last year with Newcastle United having seen major bids rejected. Crystal Palace have been determined to keep the England international at the club until bigger bids arrive.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GUEHI?
The highly-rated 24-year-old's contract at Crystal Palace runs until the summer of 2026 and with their club captain unlikely to extend his contract further at Selhurst Park, the Eagles may be open to bids next summer as they will be keen on not losing Guehi on a free transfer in the summer of 2026.
In a move that would finally provide Mikel Arteta with backup for Bukayo Saka, Arsenal now reportedly have one Borussia Dortmund star firmly in their sights after sending their scouts to watch him in action.
Arsenal transfer news
When looking for a weakness in the current Arsenal side, their frontline instantly stands out. Whilst Saka and Kai Havertz ensure that Arteta’s attack is far from blunt, the Gunners still lack a ruthless goalscorer to lead the line, having failed on the transfer front in the summer. When 2025 arrives, the rumours look set to pick up where they left off on that front though. But whether the Gunners finally solve their problem remains to be seen.
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The likes of Jonathan David have already been linked to the Emirates, with the Lille striker set to leave the French club as a free agent at the end of the campaign. An out-and-out striker, David would potentially transform Arsenal from title contenders into a side capable of finally dethroning Premier League champions Manchester City, especially if another star arrives alongside him.
According to Caught Offside, Arsenal now have Jamie Bynoe-Gittens firmly in their sights after their scouts returned from Borussia Dortmund impressed by the Manchester City academy graduate.
Reportedly valued at €60m (£50m) by Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Edu Gaspar will have to splash the cash if they are to beat the likes of Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur to hand the Englishman the chance at Premier League redemption after rising to stardom in the Bundesliga.
Still just 20 years old, the winger is certainly one to watch and a player who may even follow the same path as Jadon Sancho from Dortmund back to the Premier League as a City academy graduate. Of course, however, he’ll want to avoid the disaster that Sancho endured by picking what proved to be the wrong move to Manchester United.
"Superb" Bynoe-Gittens could provide cover for Saka
Whilst he’d eventually be vying for a starting place, £48,000-a-week Gittens could first provide the perfect and much-needed cover for Saka at the Emirates. It’s there that the Englishman could even learn from his more experienced countryman on his way to becoming one of the standout stars, himself.
With four goals and three assists in 10 games so far this season, Bynoe-Gittens is proving the opinion of U23 scout Antonio Mango, who dubbed the winger “superb” last season and claimed that he should be starting at Borussia Dortmund.
The rest of the Premier League watched on as Arsenal were exposed to life without Saka last time out of course, as they suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Bournemouth. It’s an experience that the Gunners will not be keen to experience again anytime soon, making a move for the likes of Bynoe-Gittens in 2025 all the more important.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is earmarking a “quality” teenager from the N17 academy for his first team, with the north Londoners having produced a host of exciting young players over the years.
Postecoglou says Spurs need multiple transfer windows to challenge for title
Speaking earlier this year, Postecoglou was forthright in explaining that Spurs may need three or four transfer windows before they can be considered genuine Premier League title challengers.
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Postecoglou did appear to promise supporters silverware during his second season in charge over the summer, but back in March, his consensus on a potential league crown was that chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange would need “more than three windows” to get anywhere close.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don’t think we’re anywhere near where we want to be,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s squad in March.
Tottenham vs West Ham
October 19
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham
October 27
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
November 3
Tottenham vs Ipswich Town
November 10
Man City vs Tottenham
November 23
“It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure. Just in terms of the robustness, adaptability and compatibility of the squad, I think there’s still a fair bit of change we need to do. I certainly don’t think we’re one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution.”
Since that statement, Tottenham sealed a £65 million deal for striker Dominic Solanke, moving to replace club-record goalscorer Harry Kane, and also struck summer moves for Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert and English sensation Archie Gray in a show of intent.
It is also believed that they’re willing to strengthen Postecoglou’s ranks further in January. Spurs are considering a winter move for Javi Puado, who is currently in fine form for newly-promoted Espanyol in La Liga, and Tottenham also have their eyes on Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens.
Mikey Moore tipped for first team role at Tottenham
However, they could also have real quality closer to home as well. Indeed, teenage forward Mikey Moore has stood out at academy level, with Postecoglou recently handing him chances at academy level.
Indeed, the 18-year-old impressed during their Europa League win at Ferencvaros recently, and would’ve got on the board with an assist if it wasn’t for Werner squandering a chance through on goal.
The English youngster could be an ideal long-term replacement for Son, with pundit John Wenham telling Tottenham News that Postecoglou could be about to hand Moore a regular first-team role at Spurs.
“Moore already has a full 90 minutes under his belt in the UEFA Europa League this season,” Wenham said.
“Tottenham have played 10 games and Moore has featured in half of those. He has made fantastic progress. You can see that the club are earmarking him for a permanent first-team role next season. I suspect he will be battling it out with Son to be the starting left-winger next year.
“That is exciting to see. We would have a homegrown, club-trained player of Moore’s quality, who is just 18 years old, starting regularly next season. I think we can see that is what is going to happen.”
Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over BSC Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday evening was certainly no fluke, especially considering how well the club have performed since Unai Emery took over.
It was a just reward for their form and the fact they managed to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League last term to reach the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition.
The Spaniard made some tweaks to his side over the summer, selling a few first-team players, while also bringing in several new signings to bolster his senior squad.
It looks as though these moves have paid off handsomely. Might the manager have landed another one or two players, however? There were a few names linked who ended up elsewhere.
The players Aston Villa wanted to sign this summer
The lure of Champions League football enabled the club to sign the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen, who could have moved somewhere else.
João Félix was one name that was linked with a move to the Midlands, especially as the window was entering into the final few weeks.
Joao Felix for Barcelona.
Emery was reportedly plotting a swoop for the Atlético Madrid gem, who had spent last season on loan at Barcelona.
Unfortunately, the club missed out as Felix chose to sign for Chelsea instead, proving that money does talk. Emery was also keen on securing moves for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Raphinha and even Nicolas Jackson during the final few days of the window, yet nothing materialised.
On the pitch, it appears that missing out on Felix and a host of other names hasn’t bothered Emery considering how impressive a start to the season they have made.
He isn’t the only manager to miss out on a big name, however, as Paul Lambert will certainly testify…
Paul Lambert’s Villa signings
When the Scot took over the club in the summer of 2012, he went about making a few changes to his side, bringing in Christian Benteke, Ron Vlaar and Matthew Lowton, among others.
It was a deal to sign Crewe captain Ashley Westwood which turned heads, as Lambert shelled out around £2m to lure the player to the Premier League.
He went on to make over 150 appearances for the club between 2012 and 2017, scoring five goals and grabbing 12 assists, but Westwood was hardly a marquee name which the supporters expected during Lambert’s first transfer window in charge.
Christian Benteke
Genk
Ron Vlaar
Feyenoord
Matthew Lowton
Sheffield United
Joe Bennett
Middlesbrough
Karim El Ahmadi
Feyenoord
Ashley Westwood
Crewe
Jordan Bowery
Chesterfield
Brett Holman
AZ Alkmaar
Villa finished 15th in the top flight that season, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup, but could it have been better if the manager had managed to secure one of his transfer targets during the summer? A certain Kevin De Bruyne was linked with a move at the same time fellow midfielder Westwood arrived.
When Aston Villa missed out on Kevin De Bruyne
At the time, the Belgian was just at the start of what would turn out to be an extraordinary career, with his talents earning him a move to Chelsea.
Lambert wasn’t exactly blessed with a financial war chest; therefore, he was keen on utilising the loan market ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.
“When I came into Villa it was clear the loan market was going to be a requirement for us if we wanted to bring quality in,” Lambert said (as relayed by the Birmingham Mail).
“Prior to signing [Christian] Benteke, I spoke to [Romelu] Lukaku, and we also looked at signing [Kevin] De Bruyne on loan – when they were both kids at Chelsea.
“Look at De Bruyne now – he’s one of the best in the world. That’s what happens in football, you get so many you pursue but who slip through the grass for whatever reason.”
Whatever happened to the Belgian midfielder next?
Kevin De Bruyne’s statistics at Manchester City
His spell at Chelsea was unsuccessful, going on to join Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga two years later. It was in Germany that he finally began to showcase his true talents and this caught the eye of Manchester City, who paid a then club-record fee of £55m to prise him away from the continent and back into the Premier League.
During his first two seasons, the club won just one League Cup, but it was the arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2016 which was the catalyst the former Chelsea sensation needed to take his game to the next level.
The 33-year-old helped lead the club to the Premier League title in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons, with a further four league titles coming in a row from the 2020/21 campaign.
During his time at City, the Belgian has made a total of 387 appearances, registering 274 goal contributions – 103 goals and 171 assists – across all competitions, winning six league titles and the Champions League.
Former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers even hailed De Bruyne as “world-class” back in 2019, and he has been arguably one of the finest attacking midfielders in the world since then.
While his market value may have dipped recently, this is due to age and not performance. According to Transfermarkt, he reached a peak value of £126m in December 2019 and De Bruyne is still valued at £42m, which isn’t bad considering he turned 33 in June.
Even though it would only have been a temporary move, if Lambert had signed the midfielder all those years ago, he could have changed the trajectory of his career, no doubt about that.
Instead, the Villa faithful had to settle for someone like Westwood. He didn’t do too badly during his spell in the Midlands, but missing out on De Bruyne is definitely a major what-if moment in the club’s recent history.
Emery’s transfer strategy appears to be paying off so far and the fans will be hoping this can continue for the duration of his stay at the club.
Emery must instantly drop Aston Villa ace after 6/10 UCL display
He had fewer touches than Martinez in Switzerland.