Category Uncategorized

With just three recognised senior centre-backs to call on this season, to say that Ange Postecoglou needs to add depth to his Tottenham Hotspur side this month would be an understatement. The Lilywhites, when everyone was fit and firing, snuck into conversations about the Premier League title race and looked on course to at least secure a place inside the top four. Now at the halfway mark, those in North London sit fifth, albeit just one point adrift of rivals Arsenal in fourth with key men to return soon.

What should help to keep Spurs in the race for a Champions League place and in touching distance of the likes of Arsenal is one particular reinforcement who has already agreed personal terms, and now looks increasingly likely to complete a move to North London this month.

Tottenham transfer news

Whilst Spurs may not have welcomed enough depth during the summer transfer window, the players they managed to bring in have proved to be instant hits. James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario particularly found their feet quickly for the Lilywhites, before the outfield duo suffered untimely injuries in a frustrating blow for Postecoglou. And with the winter window now open, Spurs could repeat their transfer genius.

Trevoh Chalobah

20th December

Jean-Clair Todibo

31st December

Morato

19th December

Ko Itakura

2nd January

Sebastian Caceres

14th December

Jarrad Branthwaite

1st January

According to Rudy Galetti, Spurs are set to complete an agreement with Genoa to sign Radu Dragusin, who has already agreed personal terms and is keen on a move. Talks are reportedly at an advanced stage with Daniel Levy willing to up their bid to €27m (£23m) to get the deal over the line this month.

The central defender would provide the London club with a much-needed boost at the back after injuries to Van de Ven and Cristian Romero left them worryingly short, forcing Postecoglou to form some makeshift backlines.

"Dominant" Dragusin's versatility the key

Dragusin's versatility may prove to be his greatest trait should he complete a move to Spurs this month. His ability to play in every position across the backline will help put an end to the Lilywhites' depth problem in defence, and also mean there is a place for him in the XI even when both Cristian Romero and van de Ven are fit.

Still just 21-years-old, the Romanian could prove to be one of the bargains of the season if he goes on and eventually realises his potential. Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig is certainly a fan of the defender, previously posting on X:

With Spurs' next Premier League game not until January 14, Dragusin could yet feature if the North London club can get the deal over the line in the next week or so. If that game is to be the defender's debut, he will square off against a struggling giant in the form of Manchester United. If Dragusin helped secure all three points in a game against a top four rival, it would go a long way in instantly endearing himself to the Spurs fans, that's for sure.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has a lot to ponder as his side return to Premier League duty this weekend against Everton.

A win for the club would go a long way to alleviating the pressure which has piled on the Dutchman as of late and with the Toffees still reeling from their ten point deduction, there might not be a better time to play them.

While the Old Trafford side have won just nine of their opening 18 matches so far this term, it isn’t just their performances on the pitch which will be worrying the former Ajax manager.

With the January transfer window looming on the horizon, he will be keen on bolstering his squad ahead of the second half of the season.

His summer business hasn’t exactly been a success, however, and this could turn the winter window into a pressurised situation for the Red Devils, especially as several players have been linked with moves away.

Casemiro is among the standout figures who have been mooted for a departure, according to recent reports.

Casemiro faces uncertain Man Utd future

The midfielder hasn’t even been at the club for 18 months, yet it looks as though his future lies away from Manchester.

A few weeks ago, 90min reported that there were a few clubs from Saudi Arabia showing interest in the Brazilian ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Real Madrid star cost a staggering £70m last summer and still has over three years left on his current contract.

This suggests that Ten Hag should be able to recoup a decent transfer fee for the 31-year-old, but it was their mistake to spend that sort of money on a player who is clearly approaching the end of his career.

The Brazilian has missed seven matches this term having suffered an injury on international duty in October and it remains to be seen when he will be back in the first-team fold.

With the vast riches on offer in the Middle East, the 53-year-old could certainly flog the midfielder for a fee which would allow him to bring in a replacement during the same window.

Who does he have in mind, however, as there have been a few names linked with a move to Old Trafford recently.

Man Utd transfer news

Sir Jim Ratcliffe – Utd’s prospective new investor – looks set to bring a few players to the club in the coming months, giving Ten Hag’s side a major boost.

According to RMC Sport (via TEAMtalk), Ratcliffe is aiming to bring two AS Monaco players to the Premier League in the next few weeks.

Defender Vanderson is one of the names mentioned in the report. However, it is the interest in midfielder Youssouf Fofana which could be of much importance to the manager, especially if he loses Casemiro to the Middle East.

The Frenchman would only cost in the region of €30m (£26m) and there is no doubt he would make for an excellent replacement for the Brazilian at the heart of United’s midfield.

With Ratcliffe set to invest around £1.4b into the club, Ten Hag may feel like he can add a few players during the winter window, and Fofana must be one of them.

Youssouf Fofana’s career statistics

Born in Paris, Fofana spent his younger years playing for amateur side JA Drancy after he was dropped from the France national academy at Clairefontaine.

The youngster even spent time working in a pizzeria in order to keep himself going during his amateur days between 2014-2017.

Some dreams never die and Fofana eventually worked his way up through the Strasbourg youth sides and made his debut against Lyon during the 2018/19 campaign – and he hasn’t looked back since.

He secured a move to Monaco in 2019 and has since made over 150 appearances for the club, emerging as one of their brightest stars.

44.5

50.7

1

2

0.9

1.3

0.6

1.3

5.3

3.9

The 2022/23 season proved to be one of his most productive to date, as Fofana registered four goal contributions across 38 Ligue 1 matches while he ranked second in the squad for accurate passes per game (39.3), along with ranking third for key passes per game (0.9) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.3), excelling over a range of metrics.

His vision in the middle of the pitch is exemplary, evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 (7.89) when compared to his positional peers across Europe, suggesting he loves to move the ball into the final third as often as possible.

Fofana also ranks in the top 7% for interceptions per 90 (1.75) and these attributes would enable him to become an ideal heir for Casemiro.

The 24-year-old has also shone on the international stage for France. He featured in six matches for his country as they reached a second successive World Cup final, although they couldn’t claim back-to-back victories as they were defeated by Argentina.

More recently, the in-demand ace was in wonderful form during the European Championship double-header against Gibraltar and Greece, making seven key passes in both matches and finding the back fo the net in both outings.

These performances for club and country over the previous 12 months have clearly garnered plenty of attention for the Frenchman’s signature and, for a fee of just £26m, it looks like it could prove to be a stunning bargain.

Not only is he available for a good price, but Fofana has yet to hit his peak years and Ten Hag could develop him into a potential world-class midfielder in Manchester.

With Casemiro’s future up in the air, the Dutchman will need a replacement sooner rather than later, especially with many of his squad either underperforming or injured.

Fofana has served his apprenticeship in Ligue 1 and now is the time to try a new challenge at Old Trafford, and he has the ability to thrive in the Premier League.

The next few weeks promise to be an intriguing one from a United standpoint. Will they negotiate the busy festive period while also making inroads into their current transfer targets?

Only time will tell.

Tottenham have had their fair share of high-profile blunders in the transfer market, notably their summer transfer window business on the eve of the 2013/14 season kicking off saw Spurs spend their newly obtained Gareth Bale millions poorly – splashing £120m on flops such as Roberto Soldado, Vlad Chirches and Paulinho with Christian Eriksen the obvious exception.

Other faces that will remembered as duds when pulling on a Spurs strip over years gone by are Moussa Sissoko, David Bentley and Clinton N'Jie, the last of that forgettable trio never scoring for the north Londoners after the striker was tipped to have the potential to be a future bright spark for Tottenham.

Another stand-out transfer mishap was Vincent Janssen, the Dutch striker electric in his native Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar before uncharasterically turning goal-shy when relocating to England.

It's a transfer that had so much potential, squashed within a lacklustre first season as Janssen would then be sold on to Mexico.

Burning a hole in Spurs' pocket, the now 29-year-old's transition to the Premier League was bumpy after leaving the Eredivisie for a sizeable transfer fee.

The cost of Vincent Janssen's move to Spurs

In 2016, Tottenham must have thought they'd struck gold by signing Janssen for a reasonable £18.6m transfer fee considering the then 22-year-old's exploits in the Eredivisie before signing on the dotted line at White Hart Lane.

He would net 32 goals from 49 games for ex-employers AZ Alkmaar in total, including a terrific 27 goals in his final full season in the Dutch top-flight which saw the deadly striker win the golden boot beating PSV Eindhoven sharp shooter Luuk de Jong to the prize by a solitary goal.

Janssen would have first come onto the radar of English football fans a couple of months before this move to Spurs was completed however, scoring a penalty against England at Wembley Stadium when featuring for the Netherlands in the March before he joined in 2016.

The allure of joining Tottenham at the time came from Mauricio Pochettino transforming Spurs into an easy-on-the-eye team to watch, the Argentine boss steering his team to a third placed finish during the 2015/16 season which meant the Lilywhites now had Champions League football to savour.

READ MORE: The starting lineup at Spurs if they never sold Gareth Bale

After signing for his new team, Janssen revealed – when speaking to Spurs TV per the Guardian – that it had always been a dream for him to play at that elite level which made the switch to Tottenham a simplistic move to make.

He said: "When I was a little child I watched every game in the Champions League and now I can play it for myself. It’s a beautiful club, a traditional club in England.”

Monterrey

94

24

Almere City

74

32

Royal Antwerp

63

27

AZ Alkmaar

49

32

Tottenham

42

6

Fenerbahce

18

5

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, the goals would dry up for Janssen when he made the move to England with the ex-AZ man never living up to this billing of being a commanding and potent striker he had garnered in the Eredivisie in his new home.

Janssen's numbers for Spurs

Signed to give Harry Kane competition, the Englishman must never have really sweated about the potential of being dropped by Pochettino with a goal-shy Janssen waiting in the wings.

The Dutch attacker would have to wait nine whole games to get his first Premier League goal, scoring a penalty against Leicester City on the stroke of half-time in a 1-1 draw.

After this strike against the Foxes, Janssen would only muster up one more top-flight goal for Spurs – leaving it until April of the same campaign to net again, rounding off a comprehensive 4-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth with a simple tap-in after an initial Cherries block.

In total, he would manage six goals for the Lilywhites with the domestic Cup competitions more fruitful for the 22-time Netherlands International – even scoring against Liverpool in the EFL Cup in a much-changed starting XI.

His poor stint in a Tottenham shirt even saw ex-Blackburn Rovers striker and football pundit Chris Sutton at the time comment on the situation, with Sutton feeling sorry for Janssen when speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.

He said: "You have to say you feel a bit sorry for him because it is hard to step into Kane’s shoes, but he hasn’t delivered.”

The disastrous move was put to one side in Tottenham quarters when Janssen left the club permanently in 2019 for Monterrey in Mexico, Spurs recuperating £8m in the process.

But, as much as Janssen did flop in English football, he has turned his career around since departing Spurs and is now the star man for Royal Antwerp out in Belgium.

Janssen's numbers since leaving Spurs

Outscoring Tottenham's shining light in James Maddison this campaign so far – Janssen hitting the back of the net six times in all competitions compared to Maddison's lesser three – the forward has undergone a career revival which has seen the 6 foot striker get back to his goalscoring best.

Scoring seven times from nine games played in the Copa MX in his first season out in Mexico was the confidence booster Janssen needed to shake off any doubts that he'd never recapture that deadly goalscoring streak he lost at Spurs again, eventually leaving Monterrey with 24 goals to his name for pastures new in Belgium.

Since joining Royal Antwerp in June last year, Janssen has already eclipsed his Monterrey total for Mark Van Bommel's outfit – netting 16 goals from 30 games in his debut campaign with the Reds, with Van Bommel's overperformers going on to lift the Jupiler Pro League title.

His goal output for Antwerp continues to flow, scoring a hat-trick in September versus Belgian opponents KV Kortrijk to help his side win emphatically in a 6-0 drubbing.

Janssen's first goal in that match at the Bosuilstadion saw an attacker brimming with confidence, connecting with a cross into the box first time to guide the ball effortlessly into the back of the net.

It's a sign of an attacker who has matured and learnt valuable lessons in the aftermath of his disappointing days at Spurs, the Dutchman often critiqued as being too static and passive when playing under Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

Now, he's found his goalscoring groove again and has been able to rebuild his career to the point where his time at Spurs just reads as a blemish on his otherwise impressive CV.

Newcastle United have enjoyed drastic transformation over the past two years, going from strength to strength and now a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League, having previously struggled against the incessant threat of relegation from the Premier League.

It had been a dark, protracted period for the Magpies, under the shadow of despised owner Mike Ashley after once fighting for glory at the right end of the spectrum with regularity.

But the Saudi-led consortium that lodged an enticing offer set a new era in motion in 2021, with the moves made now systematically rewriting Newcastle's future, and while there has been so much to wax lyrical over, Wednesday night's 4-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League stakes a pretty compelling case for the finest night under Eddie Howe's management.

Those former times under Ashley are now but a forgotten memory, a smear in the club's distinguished history no doubt, but now in the past and fuel to ensure that the fruitful present period is cemented and solidified into something permanent.

There were so many negatives over the interminable years of mediocrity, but one of the biggest positives is surely the success of Ayoze Perez, who captured the Toon faithfuls' awe before ultimately leaving for a lucrative fee.

Why did Newcastle sell Ayoze Perez?

"It was a big factor, but also I felt it was time for a change and a new challenge," Perez remarks pensively following his departure from St. James' Park, where he was held in such high regard.

He's talking about the loss of manager Rafa Benitez, who himself left the club in the summer of 2019 – shortly before Perez – after expressing concerns about trust in the ownership and the direction the club was headed.

Perez had been a central star on Tyneside since signing from Spanish side Tenerife for a bargain £1.5m in 2014, when he was just 20 years old.

Upon his departure to Premier League rivals Leicester City, the Spaniard revealed that his thoughts mirrored his former manager's, and he made his move just days into Steve Bruce's reign of the club.

How much did Newcastle sell Ayoze Perez for?

Newcastle did not want to sell an exciting attacker they had nurtured to the fore, but were left with little choice when Leicester met his £30m buy-out clause, snapping up his signature on a four-year contract.

A host of top European outfits were rumoured to be interested, but the Foxes were on the rise and it was a project to get behind, with Newcastle showing little sign of breaking free from midtable, having finished 13th in the 2018/19 season, regressing from tenth the term before.

Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin was signed from OGC Nice for an initial £16m soon after, a mercurial replacement who certainly captured the awe on Tyneside, but there was undoubtedly disgruntlement that a player who had been so important during the progress under Benitez had been sold to a rival.

How good was Ayoze Perez at Newcastle?

Having made 195 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 48 goals and supplying 17 assists, Perez was a valuable and clinical member of the squad, praised for his "unbelievable" performances by Matt Ritchie.

Across his final two Premier League campaigns at St. James' Park, the 30-year-old would finish as Newcastle's top scorer on both occasions, bagging eight in 2017/18 and 12 in 2018/19.

He was an impressive player capable of thriving both as a centre-forward and on the left wing; during those final two seasons for United, Perez had 115 shots in 73 Premier League appearances – averaging 1.57 per game.

Colourful and confident, he was efficient and often popped up at the right times to inflict damage on opposition, with Benitez even remarking that a goal scored in a 3-2 comeback victory over Everton would have left Lionel Messi feeling proud.

He is remembered endearingly at Newcastle, but the fact that such a lofty fee was received for the gem, who has since languished, it's certainly one to recall with fondness after maximising his potential before reaping the lucrative rewards.

How much is Ayoze Perez worth now?

He's never really returned to the kind of form that earned him that big-money move to Leicester, and while he scored eight times during his first Premier League season at the King Power Stadium, he followed that up with just four goals across the following three seasons in the English top-flight.

According to Football Transfers, Perez – now playing for Real Betis in his homeland – is valued at just £8m, which is a staggering 167% decrease from the price that Leicester paid Newcastle.

This can only be regarded as a major win for the Magpies, who have since risen to prominence unheard of for many years and are in good stead to continue their climb right to the forefront of the European game.

Since joining Betis, Perez has only scored five goals and supplied three assists across 30 outings, which is further evidence that, now 30, his once impressive cutting edge has been dulled and shows little sign of rekindling its former intensity.

And while he still boasts a defensive application to be proud of, ranking among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 5% for interceptions and the top 14% for blocks per 90, he ranks among the bottom 55% for goals and the bottom 21% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

Good business was not a phrase used regularly before the change of ownership at St. James' Park, but signing Perez for a paltry fee as a youngster, channelling the best of his talents on the major stage and then selling him for a 1900% profit is pretty sensational stuff.

They really did hit the jackpot with this dynamic forward, with his sale bringing in Saint-Maximin for half the price, who was integral in the future fight against relegation and the maiden period of Howe's managerial reign.

The bowlers also contributed greatly to fashion a 97-run win for Ireland in their first game of the World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Andy Balbirnie in action at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe•Getty Images

Ireland opened their World Cup qualifiers campaign with a 93-run win against Netherlands in a rain-affected game in Harare. After a fifty from Andy Balbirnie – who anchored the full 50-over innings despite being struck on the helmet by Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands fell nearly nine overs short of batting 41 overs in their hunt for a revised target of 243. Seamers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin were Ireland’s most effective bowlers.Balbirnie said he was struck fairly early in his innings – “I must have been on 30” – but continued batting and finished with 68 off 75 balls. But once he returned to the change room, things started to go wrong. “I didn’t field. I obviously got hit in the head while I was batting. Didn’t feel it that much batting. Came off. Sat down. Had a break, and then got a bit dizzy and a bit of blurred vision. So saw the doctor, did a concussion test, it was okay, but he wanted me to get a scan. Scan was clear so it’s gradually got better as the day’s gone on.”Ireland began with a series of contributions from their top order, most notably a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien. Their partnership followed stands of 59, 35 and 24 respectively for the first three wickets before Netherlands staged a comeback in the slog overs, picking up 4 for 49 in the last 7.2 overs.Netherlands, meanwhile, did not find partnerships from their top order. Inside 16 overs, they’d lost five wickets and any chance of recovery was regularly thwarted by Ireland’s bowlers. Timm van der Gugten’s 33 off 25 at No. 9 was their most significant contribution as they folded for 149.

History was made on Thursday, as Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani enjoyed a monster evening against the Miami Marlins, stealing two bases and launching two home runs in order to set himself apart in MLB lore.

Ohtani became the first player ever to record 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season, and he reached the half-century mark in both categories during Thursday's beatdown of the Marlins.

It's a feat that fans have been waiting for as the season inched closer towards its end. Ohtani nipped the suspense in the bud by getting it done Thursday with nine games left in the regular season. Now, he'll have some time to pad those record-setting stats.

And what better way to make history than during a 6-for-6 day at the plate? Ohtani reached base every time he stepped into the batter's box, launching three home runs, lacing two doubles and driving in 10 RBIs while also swiping two bases. Have yourself a day!

Such a degree of dominance both at the plate and on the base paths has never before been achieved, and his accomplishment left baseball fans bewildered, as they saluted his greatness on social media.

Sunderland are aiming for a return to the Premier League, the Black Cats hopeful of completing this mission after a positive start in the Championship this season after 16 games played.

Winning eight of their 16 contests so far, Tony Mowbray's youthful side have the ability in their ranks to brush aside opponents with relative ease – beating Birmingham City 3-1 in their last match at home, 18-year-old midfield sensation Jobe Bellingham leading from the front with a goal against his former boyhood club.

In that same win at the weekend just gone, a cameo appearance from another exciting young talent off the bench helped the Black Cats get over the line and secure a convincing three points at the expense of Wayne Rooney's dire Blues.

Adil Aouchiche wowed home supporters with his electric 16-minute spell on the Stadium of Light turf when introduced into the contest, the young French midfielder now pushing for more immediate first-team opportunities subsequently.

Adil Aouchiche's game vs Birmingham in numbers

Substituted onto the pitch by Mowbray to replace the flagging midfield presence of Bellingham who was exhausted after running himself into the ground for the Black Cats, Aouchiche was just the injection of freshness Sunderland needed to ensure Birmingham didn't get back into the contest and instead romped home to a 3-1 victory.

With just 14 touches on the ball as per Sofascore, Aouchiche was levels above the hapless Birmingham defenders trying to contain him – the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder taking the Blues backline by surprise, especially when he scored just two minutes after being afforded a chance to positively impact the game with the clock ticking down.

Getting on the end of a Jack Clarke driven pass into the area after Sunderland's star-man had got the better of the opposing full-back, the ex-PSG midfielder tapped home into an empty net to consolidate the three points for his new employers and excite the home supporters with his short but sweet cameo appearance.

Aouchiche could be an effective calling card from off the bench by Mowbray in these crunch contests when the opposition are tiring, Sunderland's new number 22 an instant hero with this game-clinching contribution which saw the Durham-based club enter the playoff picture as a result – climbing up to sixth spot on goal difference off the back of the win, with West Brom and Hull City lingering just below.

This wasn't just a promising performance in isolation however for Aouchiche, with the 21-year-old equally as impressive off the bench this campaign in other Championship encounters for his promotion-chasing side.

Adil Aouchiche's season in numbers

Only averaging 22 minutes per game according to Sofascore this campaign having not started a single game, Aouchiche is the very definition of an impact player for Sunderland and has even been labelled as a "special talent" by football journalist Josh Bunting despite not cementing himself into the first team fold just yet.

Up against Stoke City before the victory at the Stadium of Light against Birmingham, the Frenchman nearly played the role of saviour again for his team but to no avail.

The Black Cats would lose out to the Potters 2-1, but Aouchiche would attempt three shots on Mark Travers' goal from just 15 minutes on the pitch via Sofascore – amassing an overall 7.3 Sofascore rating as a result, the new Black Cats recruit then bettering this display with a goal versus the Blues.

His midfield teammates in Alex Pritchard and Pierre Ekwah will be sweating about their first-team futures if the 21-year-old keeps this up with Sunderland striking gold by signing this 21-year-old brimming full of swagger and confidence.

Liverpool have long been linked with Brazilian midfielder Andre, but they are also eyeing a move for another exciting South American prospect, according to a fresh transfer update.

Andre to Liverpool update

It was obvious that huge changes were needed to the Reds' midfield at the end of last season, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson performing way below their usual standards. The trio of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all out of contract, too, and it became clear that none of them would be retained.

With those five players all departing, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all came in, and Liverpool immediately looked much better for it, mounting a Premier League title challenge currently.

There are still many Reds supporters who believe that another defensive midfielder needs to arrive in the January transfer window, however, and Andre to Liverpool is a transfer saga that has gained momentum in recent months. The Fluminense youngster continues to be linked with a move to Anfield at the start of 2024, having already become a dominant presence in the No.6 role for his current club.

While plenty of focus appears to be on Liverpool getting a deal over the line for the 22-year-old, it looks as though the Merseysiders are also keen on another highly-rated player from the same region.

Ezequiel Fernandez to Liverpool

According to a new transfer update from Gazzetta dello Sport, Ezequiel Fernandez is a target for Liverpool, with the Reds seeing him as an exciting option alongside Andre. They are not the only club showing an interest in the Boca Juniors midfielder, however, with European powerhouses AC Milan and Benfica also believed to be in the running.

Fernandez may be relatively unknown to fans who predominantly watch European football, but he is someone who could be such an exciting signing by Liverpool, given his long-term ceiling as a player and the fact that football talent scout Jacek Kulig has called him "really interesting".

Fernandez's stats show that he has already become a vital performer for Boca, with 43 appearances coming his way to date, as well as winning 13 caps for Argentina's Under-17s. Mac Allister has even spoken of his admiration for Fernandez recently, saying of him:

"If you ask me a little more about my style, there is a player that I really like and that is Equi Fernández. He is a player who has all the conditions to reach Europe one day and I hope that can happen to him.

"He is a player that I like a lot, he understands the game a lot. He is always prepared to receive the ball, he plays with both legs, he can play as a five, as an inside player… he is a player who has certain very good conditions and, if Brighton asked me, I would say his name."

There is an argument to say that Liverpool don't need both Andre and Fernandez to come in, considering they are similar players in defensive midfield – Endo is also there and Stefan Bajcetic could be seen as a future starter in that position – but if Jurgen Klopp sees Fernandez as a great long-term option, then FSG should pursue a move for him.

Chelsea and Arsenal's Women's Super League meeting at Stamford Bridge was delayed for half an hour on Friday due to a rather bizarre kit clash.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arsenal's trip to Stamford Bridge delayed 30 minutes
• Gunners wear red and Chelsea wear blue
• Bizarre kit clash resulted in an even odder solution

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  All was about to get underway in the battle between two of the league's top three, separated by just three points ahead of the game, when kick-off was delayed for seemingly unknown reasons. It soon became apparent that the reason was a kit clash, despite the two London rivals having rather opposing kit colours of blue and red.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE EXPLANATION

  How can a clash between a team in blue and a team in red cause a kit clash? Well it soon became apparent that the issue was the socks. Arsenal had been warming up in the white socks that go with their home kit, but are the same colour as the socks that go with Chelsea's home kit.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The whole thing became even more bizarre when Arsenal re-emerged for a short warm-up before the revised kick-off time of 7.30pm. With the team having only travelled with their white socks, the Gunners had to borrow some from their London rivals and came out of the tunnel wearing black socks with a blue trim, those which go with Chelsea's away kit.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT JONAS EIDEVALL SAID

  Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall revealed after the game that the Gunners learned that the socks would not be acceptable for use as they were preparing to walk out for the game. Asked whether the replacement footwear had been bought for the Chelsea shop, the Swede told reporters: "I was not involved in that process, how that was resolved. We had other people doing that. I know we eventually had kit on that was approved to allow the game to go ahead. The only thing I’ve been told is there’s a clash of colours. I have no idea why that was."

Joe Denly and Sean Dickson both it hundreds and to make matters worse for Warwickshire Keith Barker ran foul of the umpires

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2018
ScorecardSecond-innings centuries by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly helped Kent to build a potentially game-defining lead of 431 runs as the hosts closed on day two of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship clash with Warwickshire on an impressive 359 for 6.Kent’s position is especially strong because Keith Barker has been forced out of the attack by the umpires after two warnings for running on the pitch.In a complete volte face to the opening day when 20 wickets fell, Kent’s third-wicket pairing found batting at The Nevill in Tunbridge Wells a pleasurable pastime once the shine went off the new ball and the wind and sunshine took effect in helping to harden the top surface.Earlier, opener Daniel Bell-Drummond had succumbed cheaply to Keith Barker – the clear pick of Warwickshire’s attack first time around with 5 for 32. Barker saw two worthy leg before decisions turned aside before running one across the right-hander and enticing him to nick one to the keeper.Barker also accounted for in-form Heino Kuhn, moving one back in through the air to snare the former Proteas Test opener flush in front to bring acting captain Denly and Dickson together.The pair, who had notched Kent’s only other championship centuries of the summer at Bristol during the previous round of matches, combined to add 208 trouble-free runs and set a Kent third-wicket record against Warwickshire, surpassing the 186 made by Bill Ashdown and Les Ames at Edgbaston in 1934.Jeetan Patel, the Warwickshire captain might have made life tougher for the pair by posting a third man when something like 25 per cent of their runs came through the gap, but instead they were allowed to bat through the middle session unfettered.Patel made amends by removing both soon after tea with his off-spinners. Dickson’s 229-ball stay for 133 ended when he played across a quicker ball to depart lbw. Then, turning one in from well outside off, he won an ambitious lbw shout that ended Denley’s 88-ball stay for a polished 119.Patel mystified some pundits later on by delaying taking the second new ball for five overs before finally throwing the new cherry to Keith Barker, comfortably his most potent threat in taking five for 32 in Kent’s first innings.When Barker did get the new ball he quickly removed Darren Stevens, following one outside off to be caught behind, before trapping Rouse leg before with a full in-swinger.With Kent six down and already leading by 410 runs, Barker blotted his copybook by running on the pitch for the second time to be taken out of the attack by umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy.With Barker out of their attack, Kent rookie Zak Crawley reached an eye-catching 47 through to stumps to deepen Warwickshire’s parlous position.The visitors will know they will have to bat superbly to save this game, let alone win it.