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Chelsea fell to defeat in the Premier League for the first time since the opening day of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The Blues had not lost since they were beaten by Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in their first league game of the campaign, and had not lost a game in any competition since their 2-1 loss to Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off in August.

Goals from Mo Salah and Curtis Jones either side of half-time were enough to secure all three points for the home side in the clash on Merseyside, as Enzo Maresca’s team failed to offer enough in front of goal.

Nicolas Jackson struck his side level just after the break with a composed finish after being sent through on goal by Moises Caicedo, and he hit the post with his only other effort.

The Senegal international has now scored five goals in eight Premier League matches for the Blues this season, after a return of 14 goals in 35 outings in the division during the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite his strong start in the top-flight this term, Chelsea are reportedly looking to potentially bring in another centre-forward to compete with him.

Chelsea's interest in Serie A star

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are interested in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as they eye up targets ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues have already made contact with the Old Lady to ensure that they are kept informed about his situation heading into the new year.

It states, however, that Premier League rivals Arsenal are also keen on the Serbia international and that they have also been in touch with the Serie A side to keep tabs on the attacker.

The outlet reveals that Juventus are in talks over a new contract with the striker but that they would be open to cashing in on him in 2025 if they cannot reach an agreement to extend his deal, which is currently due to expire in the summer of 2026.

CaughtOffside recently claimed that there is a feeling that Juve could be tempted to sell him for around €60m (£50m) if he does not put pen to paper on an extension.

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However, it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea or Arsenal are willing to put that kind of money on the table to secure his signature when the January transfer window opens for business, or at the end of the campaign.

Why Chelsea should sign Dusan Vlahovic

Maresca should push for the club to secure a deal for Vlahovic because he is a proven goalscorer who has been a lethal finisher in Europe in recent years.

Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the Serbian marksman has scored 82 Serie A goals from an xG tally of 81.16, for Fiorentina and Juventus combined, which shows that he has been efficient in front of goal given the quality of chances created for him.

Whereas, Jackson has scored 34 goals from an xG tally of 34.94 in LaLiga and the Premier League for Villarreal and Chelsea combined, which shows that he has not made the most of the opportunities that have come his way.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the Senegal international only scored 14 goals from 19.86 xG – underperforming his expected tally by almost six goals.

Vlahovic, therefore, could come in and offer more efficiency in the final third, due to his superb all-round finishing quality that has been on show in Italy in recent years.

23/24 Serie A

Dusan Vlahovic

Starts

27

Goals

16

Free-kicks scored

2/7

Left foot goals

8

Right foot goals

5

Headers scored

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star scored a wide range of goals in the Serie A last term, with two free-kicks, three headers, five weak foot goals, and eight on his strong foot.

Teammate Teun Koopmeiners claimed that Vlahovic “lives for goals” and his impressive record in front of goal, and the versatility with which he scores goals, backs up that claim.

With this in mind, the Juventus sensation could arrive at Stamford Bridge as a dream signing for current Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, due to his creative genius.

Why Dusan Vlahovic would be a dream for Cole Palmer

As shown by his statistics for Fiorentina and Juventus, Vlahovic is a lethal and versatile scorer who can consistently find the back of the net in a variety of ways.

That makes him a dream for a creative midfielder or winger because they know that they can provide him with service in a multitude of ways and know that he can make the most of it, rather than needing a specific type of chance – a cross to his head, a through ball, or a cut-back – to score.

Palmer is a sensational creative threat who can consistently provide his teammates with high-quality chances to find the back of the net, which means that he could give Vlahovic plenty of opportunities to score.

23/24 Premier League

Cole Palmer

Appearances

34

Goals

22

Assists

11

Big chances created

17

Key passes per game

2.1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the England international only registered 11 assists from 17 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League last season, as his teammates did not make the most of his creativity.

He ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.38) and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.57).

This season, Palmer, who has created nine ‘big chances’ in eight games, ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.51) and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.65), which shows that he has upped his creative quality slightly on current form.

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These statistics suggest that Vlahovic and Palmer could combine to make a lethal pairing at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea, which is why the £50m-rated striker could be a terrific signing for the Blues in January.

Nine-wicket match haul leaves Scarborough faithful with a midweek to kill

David Hopps06-Sep-2021Yorkshire 308 (Brook 118, Thompson 57, Davey 4-72, de Lange 4-55) beat Somerset 134 (Fisher 5-41) and 141 (Fisher 4-23, Thompson 3-32) by an innings and 33 runsYorkshire are top of the Championship, albeit only briefly, Somerset dispensed with in two days at Scarborough. Victory was secured with the penultimate ball of the day with the pavilion clock showing five to seven after Yorkshire had claimed the extra half hour. The final blow was landed by Jordan Thompson, a slower ball which defeated Marchant de Lange’s leg-side smite on the full toss and spread-eagled the stumps. De Lange is not a batter who plays for the morning.It was the Festival Dinner in the Scarborough marquee immediately afterwards and the MC for the evening had been stricken by sciatica and feared that he might have to do his duties sitting down. That at least was an improvement on Somerset, who have spent the entire week in a state of collapse.To scores of 107 and 181 against Nottinghamshire, can now be added 134 and 141 against Yorkshire, an innings-and-160-run defeat followed by an innings and 33. Title challengers a week ago, the task of their captain, Tom Abell, is now to rally spirits so the canker does not spread to Finals Day in the Vitality Blast. “Our skill levels aren’t up to it at the moment,” said Abell. “The manner of the defeat is unpleasant. But this is where it’s important to stick together.”Yorkshire’s stand-out bowler was Matt Fisher, who returned a career-best 9 for 64 in the match, and their slip catching was exemplary: eight caught, none spilled. The premature win might disappoint the Festival crowd with two days of glorious sunshine forecast and no cricket to watch, but they should be placated by further proof that in Harry Brook, Yorkshire possess one of the best young batters in the country. And, if that doesn’t do the trick, well, there is always the crazy golf at Peasholm Park.The game was as good as up for Somerset when they resumed their second innings 174 behind, but with 44 overs to bat on a sunny evening (plus at least eight more in the extra half-hour) but they should have had the wherewithal to take the game into a third day.Instead, after 10.1 overs, they were 18 for 5. Fisher wreaked havoc in a new-ball burst of 4 for 2 in six overs and, if he swung the ball away appreciably at a little above 80mph (around 130kph), and was again backed by sharp-as-a-tack Yorkshire slip fielding, Somerset were enervated.Tom Lammonby determinedly rehearsed shots of grim defence at the non-striker’s end, but then fell for nought, undone at third slip by David Willey’s outswinger. The rest fell to Fisher. Azhar Ali was plucked at second slip in his third over; James Hildreth and George Bartlett, both lbw, bookended his fifth. Abell attempted a streetwise leave-alone and lost his off stump.It looked as if the match would slide into a third morning when Somerset finally fashioned resistance from their eighth-wicket pair of Jack Leach and Ben Green, but offspinner Dom Bess had Leach caught at slip in the penultimate over and Yorkshire claimed the extra half hour. Thompson yorked Green and then fell de Lange – although not before he had hit Bess out of the ground.The match won, a man who had climbed out of a first-floor window of a time-worn boarding house behind the arm to sit on a flat roof, picked up his chair and clambered back through the window again, presumably content with the outcome.At 159 for 5 overnight, Yorkshire’s lead was a paltry 24 runs and there was a sepulchral feel to the morning. Somerset’s head coach, Jason Kerr, had given it the speech about the big first hour, and that the ball would swing felt inevitable, but the envisaged recovery never materialised – Brook was just too good.Related

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Brook’s rich vein of form, across all formats, has come too late for Ashes consideration, but when it comes to Lions squads, or young player of the year awards, he surely has few equals. He appears to be a much calmer player than he was in April, and is all the better for it and has modified his trigger movement which had previously seen him lurch back and across onto off stump. He has said his improvement in white-ball cricket came from studying Joe Root’s method, and there is a touch of Root, too, about his tempo in four-day cricket where he seeks positivity without undue risk.If Brook’s first-day 79 from 86 balls had been impressive for its enterprise – a flood of impeccable drives and cuts – his continuation to 118 was just as notable for a different reason. In challenging conditions, he hunkered down and also left the ball impressively on a Scarborough surface with an occasionally steep bounce that many found disconcerting. It was the 13th over of the morning before he reached his century with successive fours against Abell, the first driven through the legs of de Lange at mid off, the second a wide half-volley which he drilled square to the popular banking.He departed with the second new ball just one ball away, a splendid catch low to his right by Abell when he cut at Green, but even then, with the lead 96, Somerset found nourishment hard to come by. Thompson, too, dubbed The Man Who Makes Things Happen in these parts, made very little happen for much of the morning before he made good his time at the crease by taking toll of the second new ball with some lantern-jawed aggression.Somerset’s batting travails of late have been well documented and there is no doubt that the highly-talented crop of young batters coming out of the Taunton schools do appear to better designed for T20. This might well be the way of the world, although the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, could easily be persuaded to address it with the rigours of Latin and the reapplication of the cane.But a lack of pace bowling resources is Somerset’s most glaring weakness. The loss of Craig Overton to England and Lewis Gregory to injury has exposed their slender resources. Jamie Overton left for Surrey and Jack Brooks’ future, at 37, is uncertain. They took the second new ball with Josh Davey, a consistent performer who at that point had 4 for 58 but who had a right to be weary after 23 overs, and Lammonby, who did not find the swing his captain had hoped for and who – like the other options, Abell and Green – is a fourth seamer at best. That is where a reinforcement is sorely needed.

“We, as CSA, literally killed the careers of these two gentlemen”

Firdose Moonda03-Aug-2021

Paul Adams along with Geoffrey Toyana were in line to succeed Russell Domingo•Getty Images

Cricket South Africa is to blame for the decline in the coaching careers of Geoffrey Toyana and Paul Adams, who were both on the radar to take over the national team in 2017, but missed out in favour of Ottis Gibson. Former CSA CEO Thabang Moroe, speaking at the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings, detailed how Toyana and Adams were overlooked and held CSA’s administration responsible for their fate, saying the pair should have been involved at international level.”It is testament to how we, as administrators, have behaved over the years. This is how people of colour have kept missing opportunities that could have been afforded to them by us,” Moroe said. “We, as CSA, literally killed the careers of these two gentlemen. These are the inequalities that are glaringly there if you look at the landscape of South African cricket.”Moroe, who served as CSA’s vice-president from 2016 to 2018, revealed how the board agreed that after Russell Domingo, who was South Africa’s first head coach of colour from 2013 to 2017, South Africa would have another head coach of colour. A sub-committee on the board, the cricket committee, earmarked Toyana and Adams as candidates to succeed Domingo.Related

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“When Russell’s tenure ended, CSA’s cricket committee identified two coaches we would need to look at to replace Russell as the coach of the national team. Those were Geoffrey Toyana and Paul Adams. They were the two most successful coaches in the country,” Moroe said. “It was a no-brainer that either both would be hired, with one as an assistant, or one would definitely be made coach. At board level, we discussed the cricket committee’s paper and the one thing the board agreed on was that we would hire a black coach.”An adhoc committee, which did include Moroe, was instated to advertise, shortlist and interview candidates and make a recommendation on Domingo’s replacement. “During that period, even at board level, we were talking about how Geoffrey Toyana was head and shoulders above other coaches, purely because of his performances,” Moroe said. “When the chairperson of the adhoc committee announced that they preferred Ottis Gibson to be the coach, it came as a surprise to us because we were talking about the short period the coach would have before the next World Cup and how we wanted a coach that was familiar with all our players in the system, with the South African environment and somebody who was going to be able to hit the ground running. Choosing somebody who didn’t even live in this country came as a surprise given all these things we had listed as concerns.”It also raised questions specifically about Toyana, who was the first black African coach in the franchise system. He had overseen the Lions to four trophies in as many seasons and was considered the frontrunner to succeed Domingo.”Some board members, including myself, asked where Geoffrey Toyana’s shortcomings were because we were all sure Geoffrey would be the coach,” Moroe said. “The chairperson of the adhoc committee then told us they were not happy with how he articulated himself and they were not happy with his presentation skills. That was concerning feedback because we were not hiring him to do presentations or public speaking. We wanted somebody who knew how to coach the crop of players we had at the time and somebody who could give us good results. Although we were going through the formal process, we all felt Geoffrey was the guy, only to be told he would not be the guy.”Although unhappy, the board accepted the recommendation to appoint Gibson but, “we said we should ensure Paul Adams or Geoffrey Toyana becomes the assistant,” Moroe said. “The majority felt Geoffrey should be the one we push for with Paul Adams coming in as a spin-bowling coach.”Moroe was tasked with welcoming Gibson into the country and informing him about the board’s decision on the assistant coach position, which Gibson did not support. “Immediately Ottis Gibson raised concerns and one of the concerns he raised was that we were specifically hiring him to win the World Cup and if we wanted him to win the World Cup, we needed to give him leeway to choose his support staff,” Moroe said. “He felt he can only win the World Cup with a support staff that believed in him which, we felt, was a fair point.”According to Moroe, Gibson wanted to hire someone, whose name Moroe could not recall, who was demanding a salary higher than Gibson’s. CSA refused. Then, Gibson asked for Dale Benkenstein, but CSA refused again. “Benkenstein was a high school cricket coach at the time and did not have the necessary qualifications to be coaching in the national team, let alone being assistant coach,” Moroe said.Thabang Moroe: We, as CSA, literally killed the careers of Geoffrey Toyana and Paul Adams•Getty Images

Benkenstein was later brought on as a batting coach, and split those with his responsibilities at Hilton College. Gibson, meanwhile, went on to ask for “one-on-ones with all professional coaches in the country so that he could choose who he felt was the guy who could take over as assistant,” Moroe said.”He met with all the coaches in the franchise system, had one-on-ones with them, watched them coaching their teams and some during live games and he had come to a conclusion in terms of who he felt was suited to be assistant coach. He said he would prefer Malibongwe Maketa to be his assistant. That surprised me. At the time we had Paul Adams and Geoffrey Toyana and Malibongwe had only been a franchise coach for one season. He hadn’t really been tested in the system to say he has got what it takes. He hadn’t built [up] enough track record. I told Ottis of my concerns but supported his decision.”Maketa, who was the Warriors coach at the time, went on to work as Gibson’s assistant coach but lost his job when Gibson was fired after the 2019 World Cup. Maketa is now the South Africa A coach. At the time of Maketa’s appointment, Toyana and Adams continued as franchise coaches, but not for much longer.”If you look at Geoffrey Toyana and Paul Adams’ careers, immediately after the announcements were made of appointing Ottis and his support staff, they somehow started having misunderstandings with their own players in their franchise teams, started fighting with their own boards and then they were not coaching in franchise cricket.”Toyana was moved sideways at the Lions after 2017-18 season and then replaced by Enoch Nkwe. His most recent work was as assistant coach for the Titans. Last year in a radio interview, former CSA president Chris Nenzani said Toyana being overlooked for the national job was “unfortunate.” Moroe said it was “just wrong,” for Nenzani to say that when he was in charge of the board at the time. “We had an opportunity as a board to do what we knew was right at the time,” he said.Adams lost his job at the Cobras to Ashwell Prince and has since been appointed head coach of Border, who will play in the second division of the restructured domestic scene. Adams has also given testimony at the SJN, in which he spoke about being nicknamed, “brown s***” by his team-mates, while Toyana is due to appear at the hearings later this week.Moroe moved on from vice-president of the board to CSA CEO, and it was under him that Gibson was dismissed and Nkwe made interim team director. When Moroe was suspended for misconduct, CSA underwent an administrative overhaul and Nkwe was replaced by Mark Boucher. Nkwe is now Boucher’s assistant, while Moroe was sacked last August after being found guilty.

West Ham United’s academy has developed numerous star talents over the years, many of which have had a huge impact on the club’s first team.

Mark Noble, who’s arguably one of the club’s greatest modern-day icons, spent many years in the youth setup before making the step up into the senior ranks.

He spent 18 years as a player with the Hammers, making 472 appearances for the club, before retiring in 2022 and taking up a role behind the scenes as a Sporting Director.

Declan Rice is another talent who made a huge impact, featuring 245 times over a seven-year spell – helping the club win the Europa Conference League back in 2022/23.

However, he left in a £105m deal last summer, joining Premier League rivals Arsenal – in an all-round excellent deal for the club, despite the disappointment from the fanbase over his departure.

One other player also came through the academy but was sold way before he could make his own mark at the London Stadium.

The player who West Ham may have sold too soon

As previously mentioned, the club have enjoyed success with midfielders coming through within the youth setup before making the jump into the professional game.

However, the Hammers offloaded Irish international Josh Cullen prematurely back in October 2020, selling him to Belgian side Anderlecht – allowing him to gain valuable game time away from the London Stadium.

The now 28-year-old only made ten appearances for West Ham before departing the club on a permanent basis – unable to fulfil his potential at the club after coming through the ranks.

He’s since moved to Burnley, featuring over 80 times for the Clarets since his transfer in the summer of 2022, playing a crucial role in the Premier League despite their relegation at the end of last season.

Josh Cullen’s Premier League stats for Burnley (2023/24)

Statistics

Tally

Games played

25

Minutes played

2059

Goals + assists

5

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

26

Tackles won

69%

Duels won

113

Stats via FotMob

Cullen made 25 appearances, with his market value soaring as a result of his consistent performances under Vincent Kompany during the 2023/24 campaign.

Josh Cullen’s market value in 2024

Despite the drop back into the Championship, the Irishman has maintained his market value – making three appearances under new boss Scott Parker so far this season.

Four years on from his departure from the Hammers, the midfielder has seen a huge jump in value after his £500k transfer away from his boyhood club.

Cullen is now valued at £8.5m as per Transfermarkt, an increase of 1600% – demonstrating that the club may have offloaded the talent way too cheaply.

Although he may not have the talent to be a regular starter under new boss Julen Lopetegui, his time in the Premier League in recent years could’ve made him a solid squad player for the Spaniard as he aims to endure an impressive first campaign at the helm.

On the other hand, Cullen may have benefitted from a loan spell before his permanent move to Anderlecht – which could’ve allowed the club to have made a greater profit margin than they did when they sold him a handful of years ago.

However, that being said, West Ham must use this deal as a reminder to avoid offloading youngsters on the cheap, potentially losing themselves a bunch of talented players in the process.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo empatou com o Desportivo Brasil na manhã desta quinta-feira (18), por 1 a 1, em Porto Feliz, pela ida das oitavas de final do Campeonato Paulista sub-20. O Tricolor saiu atrás do placar e empatou com Palmberg, já na etapa final.

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O primeiro tempo foi equilibrado. mas com o Desportivo Brasil criando melhores oportunidades. Aos 28 minutos, a equipe do interior abriu o placar, com Marcelo, após rápida jogada de ataque do Desportivo.O Tricolor também teve oportunidades, com Juan e Samuel, mas a bola foi para fora e o goleiro defendeu.

Já no segundo tempo, o São Paulo foi melhor, pressionou e conseguiu empatar aos 22 minutos.Pagé cruzou rasteiro e Palmberg apareceu para desviar e deixar tudo igual. No final do jogo, o Desportivo quase fez o segundo, mas o goleiro Felipe salvou, deixando o resultado empatado.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021

Com o resultado, o Tricolor precisa apenas de uma vitória simples para garantir a classificação. Se a partida terminar empatada no tempo regulamentar, a disputa será nos pênaltis.

Antes de decidir a vaga no estadual, o São Paulo volta a campo no domingo, para enfrentar o Internacional, às 16h, no Beira-Rio, no primeiro jogo da final do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Leeds United have endured a difficult start to the season on the pitch in the Championship and League Cup, and off the pitch in the summer transfer window.

Off the field, Daniel Farke has had a lot to contend with as some of his key performers from last season have either left or are about to leave.

Glen Kamara, Archie Gray, and Crysencio Summerville, who were all regular starters last season, have moved on to Rennes, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United respectively.

The German head coach is now set to lose Georginio Rutter as well, after Brighton activated a £40m release clause in the French wizard's contract.

Meanwhile, the Whites are chasing their first win of the 2024/25 campaign after two draws and one defeat in their first three matches of the season.

They lost 3-0 to Middlesbrough in the League Cup last week and that was sandwiched by draws with Portsmouth – 3-3 – and West Bromwich Albion – 0-0 – in the Championship.

The summer transfer window is still open until next Friday and this means that there is still time for Leeds to make further additions to bolster their squad.

Leeds' interest in £8.5m centre-forward

It should come as no surprise to learn that the West Yorkshire outfit are interested in adding more firepower to their squad, with Summerville and Rutter moving on from Elland Road this summer.

Journalist Marc Mechenoua recently claimed that Leeds are one of the teams eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Hammarby IF centre-forward Jusef Erabi.

The reporter stated that the Whites and fellow Championship side Norwich City, who just sold Adam Idah to Celtic, are both keen on signing the talented young striker.

It was revealed that the Swedish club are set to demand a fee of €10m (£8.5m) for the talented marksman, but it remains to be seen whether or not either of the English teams are prepared to pay that.

Mechenoua added that discussions are ongoing between the clubs and that Norwich and Leeds have both been informed of the price that they will need to pay to take him to the Championship this summer.

The Whites have also been linked with Sunderland star and former academy graduate Jack Clarke and Burnley gem Manuel Benson but Erabi is the only out-and-out centre-forward who appears to be an active target for the club.

If Leeds can strike a deal for him ahead of Norwich before the end of the summer transfer window then they could ruthlessly ditch Patrick Bamford.

Why Leeds should part ways with Patrick Bamford

The 30-year-old attacker has found himself behind Mateo Joseph, 20, in the pecking order at the start of this season and the addition of another striker would leave him as the third option in that position.

Per Capology, the former Middlesbrough star is the highest earner in the squad on £70k-per-week and that would not appear to be value for money if he is rarely contributing on the pitch, due to Joseph and Erabi possibly being ahead of him.

Top five earners at Leeds (2024/25)

Player

Wages per week

Patrick Bamford

£70k

Junior Firpo

£60k

Pascal Struijk

£50k

Dan James

£50k

Brenden Aaronson

£45k

Wages per Capology

Despite his hefty wage packet and vast experience, at the age of 30, the former England international has not been a reliable performer on the pitch for Leeds.

Stretching back to last season, Bamford has now produced one goal and zero assists in his last ten appearances for the club in all competitions.

The left-footed marksman has not contributed with a goal or an assist in three outings so far this term, with his only start coming in the 3-0 defeat to his former club Boro.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Bamford made 33 appearances in the Championship for Farke and racked up eight goals and one assist, which means that he averaged less than one goal contribution every three matches on average.

The English centre-forward scored those eight goals from an Expected Goals tally of 9.52 and missed nine 'big chances', as he failed to make the most of his opportunities in front of goal.

Farke could now ruthlessly ditch Bamford, whether that is from the matchday squad or from the club completely if a team is willing to take him before the end of the window, by signing Erabi as his replacement.

Why Leeds should sign Jusef Erabi

The Whites should swoop to sign the Swedish youngster ahead of Norwich this month because he is a talented young player with potential, who could also make an immediate impact on the pitch.

Firstly, Erabi is a 21-year-old striker with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come, which means that Farke could work to improve his performance and increase his value in the future.

Whereas, Bamford is at the other end of his career – at 30 – and it does not appear as though he has much, if any, development left to go through.

Despite being 19/20 throughout the 2023 season, Erabi showed plenty of promise in his first season of regular first-team football in the Allsvenskan – scoring seven goals in 23 appearances and 13 starts.

2024 Allsvenskan

Jusef Erabi

Appearances

12

Starts

9

Goals

5

Big chances missed

3

Conversion rate

28%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish ace carried that form over to the current campaign, with a return of five goals in nine starts in the division.

This means that the 21-year-old marksman has plundered 12 goals in 22 league starts in the Swedish top-flight since the start of last year, which is an impressive return given his age and inexperience.

Erabi, who was described as "powerful" and "clinical" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has yet to prove himself in England or in the Championship but his form for Hammarby is promising and suggests that he has the potential to be an excellent signing for Leeds.

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Farke could bring him in to compete with Joseph for the starting centre-forward position and then free up the space to ruthlessly ditch Bamford, who would then be the third-choice.

Leeds United fans would have accepted the odd departure here or there this summer, knowing that it was a likely outcome that their squad could be picked off bit by bit after not winning promotion to the Premier League.

Yet, with Georginio Rutter now expected to head for the exit door for £40m to move to Brighton and Hove Albion, Daniel Farke's men are set to lose Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and their sensational Frenchman all in the space of the same catastrophic transfer window.

This might well have been an easier reality to stomach from the point of view of the Championship promotion challengers if they all moved on gradually over time, but the sudden nature of all of their top talents leaving the building will be a hard one to take if you're an ardent Leeds fan.

The latest on Rutter's future at Leeds

The 2023 signing featured during Leeds' dismal League Cup defeat to Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening but that is likely to be the last we see of him at Elland Road.

Just hours after the game had finished, reports emerged that Brighton had activated Rutter's £40m release clause, an exit fee that was due to expire at midnight on Thursday.

Since then, Farke has all but confirmed the attacker will be on his way out, with the player saying his goodbyes to the club.

Despite this setback, the Whites have bounced back from bigger departures in the past and will strive to do the same here, with Raphinha's exit to Barcelona in 2022 another soul-sapping loss of personnel at the time.

Raphinha's time at Leeds

The entertaining South American attacker would swap Rennes for Leeds before the 2020/21 season, becoming a statement capture after Marcelo Bielsa's Whites had finally returned to the promised land of the Premier League.

He would be an instant success wearing Leeds white, with six goals and nine assists registered during his debut campaign, before taking it up a notch during his second, and final season with 11 goals fired in from 35 games, even as his side tried to keep their heads above water at the foot of the league.

That would signal the end of Raphinha's fleeting, but meaningful, love affair with the West Yorkshire titans, with a bumper move to Barcelona sealed that summer.

The Whites finally suffered relegation without their Brazilian "magician" – as he was labelled by former Leeds teammate Daniel James – when the pair played alongside each other at Elland Road.

Leeds didn't let their star man exit without getting a pretty penny out of the Catalonian giants first, however, with £55m sent the way of his former employers, making him the most expensive sale in the club's history.

Archie Gray's sale of £30m to Tottenham Hotspur this summer feels miniscule in comparison, whilst those at Leeds will be cursing the decision-making of those formerly trusted with overseeing proceedings that allowed a £40m release clause to be placed above Rutter's head, that now sees him set to move away to the Seagulls.

Raphinha's transfer value in 2024

Leeds will hope that they end up winning in terms of the major move, as £40m is still a sizeable amount of money to work with when it comes to luring new incomings through the door.

Moreover, Raphinha has struggled to settle in Spain since exiting Elland Road, so it could be said that the Championship outfit cashed in at the best possible time in that regard, instead of allowing his value to potentially deteriorate if he wasn't let go in his prime.

Therefore, the same could be true for Rutter, who might well be a flash-in-the-pan signing by Brighton, considering his past woes in the division with the Whites.

23/24

37

10

13

22/23

50

10

12

Finding himself in and out of the Barca first team ranks owing to recurring injury issues last season in LaLiga, Raphinha could now welcome a return back to England according to reports, with Transfermarkt speculating that his valuation for a club to snap him up would still be in the region of £42m.

That's £2m more than what Leeds are managing to get out of Rutter, despite the former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim attacker setting the second alight last campaign with six goals and 15 assists collected from 45 contests.

Leeds will just hope Rutter doesn't go on to become an established top performer moving on up a league, resulting in his value going up and up, way above the £40m that has resulted in the 22-year-old star departing Elland Road prematurely.

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Leeds United fans wouldn’t be too sad to see the back of this dud away from Georginio Rutter’s expected exit.

1 ByKelan Sarson Aug 15, 2024

Leeds United have had to deal with losing some of their top talent since they failed to secure promotion back to the Premier League last season.

Academy graduate and Championship Young Player of the Year Archie Gray was the first major exit from Elland Road, as he moved to Tottenham Hotspur, and Glen Kamara soon followed with a permanent switch to Rennes.

Now, the Whites are set to cash in on the Player of the Year from the second tier as Crysencio Summerville has agreed to join West Ham United in the top-flight for £25m.

The Dutch forward's expected exit is set to leave Daniel Farke's side short of options in the wide areas and Leeds are reportedly looking at one winger from the Premier League.

Leeds eyeing Premier League winger

According to Sky Sports transfer centre (01/08/2024), the Whites are one of a number of teams interested in a swoop for Crystal Palace gem Jesurun Rak-Sayki.

The report claims that Championship rivals Burnley and Sheffield United are also keen on a loan deal for the young Eagles whiz this summer.

It states that Premier League side Southampton are in talks to secure a permanent deal for the left-footed star's services, but Palace would like to send him out on loan to continue his development next season.

If Leeds win the race for his signature for the 2024/25 campaign then Rak-Sakyi could help Farke to forget about Summerville with his potential attacking quality on the flank.

Why Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be a good signing for Leeds

The 21-year-old is a right winger by trade and could line up on that side of the attack, which would then allow Wilfried Gnonto to play on the left – cutting inside onto his favoured right foot.

It will take a lot to replace Summerville, who produced 19 goals and nine assists in the league last term, but Rak-Sakyi's form at youth level and for Charlton on loan in the 2022/23 campaign suggests that he has the potential to be a fantastic replacement.

Starts

40

41

Goals

15

19

Conversion rate

17%

15%

Assists

8

9

Dribbles completed per game

1.8

2.3

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi caught the eye as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the third tier during his time with Charlton.

The English ace also racked up an eye-catching 24 goals and eight assists in 40 outings at U21 level for Palace, as well as eight goals and eight assists in 17 games at U18 level.

These statistics show that the £5.1k-per-week wizard has the potential to replace Summerville's goals and assists, or at least come close to doing so, if he can translate that form over to the Championship next term.

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Rak-Sakyi, who was described as "remarkable" by Roy Hodgson, could then help Farke to forget about the Dutch magician by coming in and providing an exciting attacking spark alongside the likes of Gnonto, Dan James, Mateo Joseph, and Georginio Rutter next season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Chegou ao fim a série invicta de oito partidas do Internacional. No Mineirão, o Colorado não segurou a pressão do Atlético-MG e saiu derrotado por 1 a 0.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Na coletiva de imprensa, o técnico Diego Aguirre lamentou a falta de efetividade do seu time, que encaixou diversos ataques, mas não soube definir.

‘Se você não mata o jogo, pode perder. O primeiro tempo do Inter foi espetacular. Me sentia identificado. Que o time brigou, estava com personalidade. E superando um adversário muito forte. Eles foram para cima e encontraram o gol. Não repetimos o futebol no segundo tempo, faltou alguma coisa a mais. Faz parte do que pode acontecer. Quando se enfrenta um time deste nível, também pesa a qualidade individual dos jogadores do adversário’, declarou o comandante.

Com o revés no Mineirão, o Colorado fica na 7ª posição do Campeonato Brasileiro, com 32 pontos.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Na fria tarde desta terça-feira, no CT Joaquim Grava, o Corinthians realizou o segundo treinamento preparatório para o clássico diante do Palmeiras, que acontecerá no próximo sábado, às 19h, na Neo Química Arena, pela 22ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Adson novamente fez um trabalho de transição.

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TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

GALERIA
> Relembre a estreia de grandes jogadores do Corinthians na última década

No Campo 4, os atletas realizaram o aquecimento sob as orientações da equipe de preparação física. Depois, no Campo 3, o técnico Sylvinho promoveu uma atividade de passes e marcação pressão em espaço reduzido.

Em seguida, ainda pensando no clássico contra o Verdão, o técnico Sylvinho dividiu o grupo em três times. Enquanto dois faziam jogos em campo reduzido, a outra equipe praticava cruzamentos e finalizações com os goleiros.

Os atletas que atuaram por mais de 45 minutos na última partida do Timão, diante do América-MG, participaram da atividade inicial do treino e, depois, foram para a parte interna do CT para trabalhos regenerativos e de força.

Além deles, o meio-campista Adson, em transição, participou do aquecimento e da primeira parte do treino. Depois, permaneceu no campo para um treinamento físico com o preparador Leandro da Silva.

Vale lembrar que os jornalistas não podem acompanhar as atividades in loco por conta dos protocolos de saúde em decorrência da pandemia de Covid-19. As informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.

O elenco volta a treinar na manhã desta quarta-feira, no CT Joaquim Grava. Serão mais três dias de preparação para o clássico. Atualmente, o Corinthians ocupa a sexta colocação na tabela do Brasileirão-2021 com 30 pontos.

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