AC Milan are rumoured to be formalising their longstanding interest in Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.

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AC Milan in contract with Chelsea

Chukwuemeka talks ongoing

Blues seeking transfer with guaranteesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Milan are in talks with Chelsea, "negotiating" over a potential deal for Chukwuemeka after first taking an interest in the 20-year-old last summer.

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But the clubs are yet to agree on how a deal might look. Milan seemingly want Chukwuemeka on an initial loan, but Chelsea don't appear interested in sanctioning anything that has a non-binding option to buy at the end of it. As a counter, Milan are said to be proposing an obligation to buy linked to appearances. In other words, once Chukwuemeka plays a predetermined number of games, the transfer would have to become permanent.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea paid £20 million ($25m) to sign Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022 and tied the then teenager to a six-year contract. But his time at Stamford Bridge has been ravaged by injuries, limiting him to 27 total appearances across two seasons and only four Premier League starts during that time.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHUKWUEMEKA?

Chukwuemeka's future will depend on how talks between Chelsea and Milan unfold. From the latter's point of view, it could be a good opportunity to raise some cash to allow Todd Boehly and co. inject some fresh energy into the squad for new boss Enzo Maresca, who is a rookie as a top flight manager.

Rangers and Philippe Clement are interested in making a move for a "great finisher" whose father was once a renowned goalscorer in the Premier League, according to a new transfer rumour.

Rangers transfer rumours

The Gers continue to be linked with new signings, even though they won't be able to bring in contracted players until the summer transfer window. Dwight Gayle is a free agent who has been backed to join Rangers, however, with the 34-year-old leaving Stoke City on deadline day and is now able to talk to other clubs.

He is someone with so much experience down the years, making his mark in both the Premier League and the Championship, and he could come in as an effective squad player for Clement, as they look to edge Celtic in the battle for Scottish Premiership glory.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is another individual who was continually linked with a move to Rangers during January, but he ended up staying put. A new update suggests that the Gers could still snap him up this summer, along with making Abdallah Sima's loan move a permanent one, assuming Clement's side get Champions League football.

It looks as though the Scottish giants are targeting another attacking player, however, following a new update.

Rangers eyeing Tyrese Campbell move

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Rangers are interested in signing Stoke City forward Tyrese Campbell, "keeping close tabs" on his current situation.

"Rangers are keeping close tabs on Stoke City ace Tyrese Campbell, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed that the Gers have revived their interest in the left-footed Championship forward, who is set to become a free agent in the summer.

"The club were very interested in a move for Campbell four years ago, with Football Insider revealing at the time that they held talks with him to try and lure him away from the bet365 Stadium. Now, Philippe Clement’s side could make a fresh attempt to secure the services of the 24-year-old, who is the son of former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell."

Campbell could be a great signing by Rangers, and the fact that they have rated him for some time suggests he really is a strong target, having rejected a move to Ibrox back in 2020.

The 24-year-old, who is the son of former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, has only made 12 Championship appearances this season, so a move away from Stoke could appeal to him at the end of the season, at which point he may well be a free agent. Former Stoke manager Michael O'Neill is someone who has spoken of Campbell in glowing terms in the past, saying of him:

"Tyrese is a great finisher. If you are a good finisher you have to get in the positions and he did that today."

Rangers gem who lost the ball 17x shone alongside Fabio Silva vs Livi

Rangers cut the gap at the top of the table to just three points with a win over Livingston today

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Ross Kilvington

Feb 3, 2024

A tally of 34 goals and 20 assists in 153 appearances for Stoke is a good return that highlights Campbell's end product, as does two in as many caps for England's Under-20s, so he could be a shrewd free signing by Rangers this summer.

West Brom have been dealt a huge blow with the news that a "very important" player has suffered a major injury setback, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed the likely timeline for a return to action.

West Brom news

The Baggies look set to be right in the Championship playoff mix in these final few months of the season, with Carlos Corberan's side fifth in the table, as things stand. There is also hope that the takeover of the club will be completed soon, with a recent report claiming Dr Shilen Patel is lining up Torino manager Ivan Juric to replace the current boss.

Some key January transfer business was conducted, in order to bolster West Brom's squad, with the likes of Mikey Johnston and Andreas Weimann arriving on loan until the end of the season, coming in from Celtic and Bristol City respectively.

There are more established current players who also remain key to the Baggies' hopes of returning to the Championship, however, and keeping them fit is going to be so important. That isn't the case with everyone at the moment, unfortunately, with Daryl Dike going off the pitch in tears in last Saturday's 2-2 draw away to Ipswich Town, having picked up what looked like a serious issue.

Daryl Dike set to return in early 2025

Taking to X, Romano confirmed that West Brom and USA striker Dike has ruptured his achilles, acting as an enormous blow for the injury-plagued attacker, revealing a probably return date of early 2025.

"Bad news again for Daryl Dike. It's a ruptured achilles, the second he has suffered in under a year. Dike will miss the majority of the remainder of 2024, expected to be back in 2025. Wish you all the best and speedy recovery."

This is such a tough one to take for Dike, not to mention being a hugely upsetting update for West Brom supporters, with the American's career at the Hawthorns constantly affected by the type of injuries that badly affect a player's abilities on return.

The 23-year-old arrived at the Baggies two years ago now, but in that time, he has been limited to just 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals along the way. That highlights just how little action Dike has enjoyed, and to suffer a second achilles problem in a short amount of time will raise concerns about how much he is affected in the long-term.

He is such an exciting prospect, which only makes it harder to take, with Corberan someone who has waxed lyrical over him in the past, saying: "The fitter he is, the better it is for the team. The more he trains, the better condition he’s in to perform. So there isn’t any doubt that he’s one very important player for us that we need to keep controlling, because he’s one player that we need in the box."

Brandon Thomas-Asante

10

John Swift

7

Grady Diangana

5

Matt Phillips

3

Jed Wallace

3

Tom Fellows

3

Realistically, West Brom will have to accept that Dike will play no part in the remainder of the year, and not having him around could have such an impact on their promotion hopes between now and May.

Admittedly, he has only featured for 49 minutes in the Championship this season and they are still flying high, but his quality in the final third could have been so important when the crunch matches arrive in the spring.

Joe Denly is set to open the batting for England in the fourth Test in Manchester. While Denly has opened in first-class cricket just three times in the last four years – two of those occasions coming when he made his Test debut in Antigua earlier this year – he is poised to swap places in England’s Test team with Jason Roy, who is expected to bat at No. 4.Roy has averaged just 8.85 in his four Tests as opener. His one substantial innings, 72 against Ireland, was made when he came in at No. 3.It is likely neither Denly nor Roy relishes the prospect of opening the batting at Test level. Neither fulfil the role at county level – though both have in the not-so-recent past – and stepping up against this Australia attack is fiendishly tough. Indeed, you could argue it’s unreasonable even to ask it of them. You wonder, for example, if Roy’s long-term viability as a Test player has been damaged by the recent experience. It can have done little for his confidence.ALSO READ: Anderson ruled out of Ashes, Craig Overton called upDenly, meanwhile, has made one century at the top of the order in first-class cricket – and that in a Division Two Championship match against Gloucestershire in 2015 – in the last eight years. He hasn’t reached 50 in any of his most recent 14 attempts.You can, to some extent, sympathise with the England selectors. They have tried more than a dozen options at the top of the order over the last few years and could almost be forgiven for reaching the conclusion that the county game simply hasn’t produced any suitable candidates.Almost. For it seems increasingly odd that Dom Sibley remains surplus to requirements by England. He has scored seven first-class centuries in the last 12 months, all of them as an opener, and has many of the old-fashioned skills required for the role. He is patient, he is disciplined and, most of all, he does the job on a regular basis. One hopes he has not missed out due to his aesthetics. He is not a batsman who is especially pleasing on the eye. But nor was Alastair Cook or Gary Kirsten or Graeme Smith. And how England would dearly love a player of such class right now.All of which leaves you wondering if the selectors are not being a little stubborn. Reluctant to admit they were wrong to ask Roy to open – and they were, very clearly, wrong – they are now shuffling their pack in the hope they may chance upon an ace. But there are legitimate concerns over Denly’s suitability to open and Roy’s suitability to bat even as high as No. 4.Perhaps they did not want to make too many changes ahead of such an important game. Such a move could have destabilised the dressing room, it is true – though little more than watching your side bowled out for 67 – and might have also produced a scent of panic for Australia to seize upon. Jos Buttler, now 34 Tests into a career that has produced one century, may count himself especially grateful for that continuity of selection policy. You wonder how many centuries Ollie Pope, for example, may have scored given the same opportunities.With Denly and Roy set the swap positions, it seems the only possible change in the England team might be to see Sam Curran or Craig Overton replace Chris Woakes. While Overton’s bowling average of 42.28 from three Tests is unexceptional, it does not quite reflect the positive impression he made.Not a bad first Test wicket: Craig Overton celebrates removing Steven Smith•Getty Images

In those games, two on the Ashes tour of 2017-18 and one in Auckland shortly afterwards, he proved himself a brave and committed all-round cricketer who would not be overawed by the opposition or the situation. He played on gamely in Australia despite a broken rib – well, until he worsened it with a typically whole-hearted dive on the boundary in Perth – and batted as well as anyone in top-scoring in England’s first innings in Adelaide. He is not swift – he has been timed at 85mph in recent days – but he is tall, he hits the seam and he has good control. He won’t let England down.Whether he plays ahead of Woakes – or any of the other seamers in the event of injury – remains to be seen. Woakes endured an off-colour game in Leeds. His worst, perhaps, since the tour to South Africa in 2015-16. He has not been especially sensitively handed by his captain, however – Joe Root has looked as if he’d rather bowl Ben Stokes or Jofra Archer into the ground than trust Woakes with another spell – and you wonder if that apparent lack of confidence has had a knock-on effect into his performance.Either way, James Anderson’s unavailability – though most unfortunate – does solve one problem for the team management. Had he played, England faced the prospect of a diplodocus length tail featuring Archer at No. 8, Stuart Broad at No. 9 and Jack Leach and Anderson at No. 10 and No. 11. The involvement of Woakes or Overton will stiffen that a little.And what of Anderson? Under normal circumstances, you would presume this is the end of the line for him. He is 37, after all, and has nothing more to prove. This winter’s Test tours are to New Zealand – where he might have been rested, anyway, as the series is not part of the World Test Championship – South Africa, where he had a tough time on England’s last tour four years ago, and Sri Lanka, where he claimed one wicket in England’s 2018-19 Test series victory. The following winter England travel to India. None of those tours offer the prospect of much joy for a seamer of reduced pace and with a lot of miles on the clock.But you don’t earn Anderson’s Test record without possessing remarkable levels of resilience and determination. He has come back from stress fractures, poor tours, being dropped and countless other setbacks. And, while the pace maybe reduced, the skills have continued to mitigate. He really has been bowling as well as ever in recent times. He deserves not to be ruled out of contention just yet.

Celtic needed two late goals in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

Brendan Rodgers brought Norwich City loanee Adam Idah on for Kyogo Furuhashi at half-time and the Ireland international scored twice put the Hoops in front, having been 1-0 down.

The 23-year-old marksman has already scored four goals in four league appearances for the club, and appears to be on course to become one of the manager's best signings of the season.

Most of the boss' key players – including Matt O'Riley, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Kyogo Furuhashi – were brought to the club by his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian tactician rarely missed in the transfer market with some fantastic signings in his two years at the club, with O'Riley, Kyogo, and Jota among the most impressive moves.

However, Postecoglou did not always get it right and Argentine left-back Alexandro Bernabei is one example of that, as the flop has endured a tough time in Glasgow and is worse than current first-choice Greg Taylor.

How much Celtic paid for Alexandro Bernabei

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the defender from Lanus, in his home country, for a fee within the region of £3.75m in the summer of 2022.

Upon signing for the Hoops, Bernabei revealed that the manager had faith in him and his ability to adapt to life in Scotland quickly to make an impact on the pitch.

It was a significant fee to pay for a young left-back, particularly when you consider that the club paid £3m to sign Taylor from Kilmarnock back in 2019, who had yet to reach 100 first-team appearances.

The Argentina U23 international had played 88 senior games for Lanus prior to Celtic deciding that they wanted to bring him over to the Premiership.

He had established himself as a regular starter for his former club in the Liga Profesional during the 2021 campaign, though, with 23 league starts that year.

Appearances

24

Goals

Zero

Assists

Two

Dribbled past

34 times

Duel success rate

48%

Sofascore rating

6.64

As you can see in the table above, there were some warning signs for Celtic in his performances in his home country as opposition players found it a little bit too easy to get the better of him at times.

He was dribbled past 1.4 times per game and lost more than half of his physical duels across those 24 league outings throughout the 2021 season.

These statistics did not suggest that Bernabei was set to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch as an attacking left-back, with a lack of goals and assists, or that he would be able to deal with the physicality of Scottish football.

Of course, the young full-back was signed at the age of 21 and Postecoglou may have viewed him as a long-term signing who could develop his game in and out of possession.

Alexandro Bernabei's Celtic career in numbers

It has not gone to plan for the now-23-year-old defender, though, as he has struggled badly in the Premiership and failed to establish himself as a regular option for either of his managers.

Postecoglou handed him 15 appearances and nine starts in the Scottish top-flight during the 2022/23 campaign as Taylor retained his place as the first-choice at left-back.

The Argentine dynamo did provide an attacking threat down the left flank with one goal and three assists in those nine league outings, which is a return of one assist every three starts on average.

However, Bernabei struggled out of possession as he failed to step up to the level of physicality required of a left-back in the Scottish league.

The 23-year-old dud lost 60% of his duels, including 63% of his battles on the deck, in his 15 Premiership appearances, which shows that opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of him.

He was also dribbled past 14 times and gave away a penalty in those nine starts as the young flop failed to provide a solid defensive presence at the back for Postecoglou.

Appearances

Eight

Starts

Three

Goals + assists

Zero

Dribbled past

Five times

Duel success rate

47%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Bernabei has also struggled to find his top form under Rodgers in the Premiership so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

The Argentine defender, who was recently criticised for his "weak" defensive work by ex-Hoops full-back Mark Wilson, has not offered much in an attacking sense and has still been poor off the ball as the opposition have got the better of him too easily.

Put simply, Postecoglou endured a rare transfer howler by signing him as he cost more than £750k more than Taylor, yet is worse than the Scotland international.

Greg Taylor's season in numbers

The former Kilmarnock star has been the first-choice option for Rodgers in the number three position and been an excellent performer for the Hoops.

Only Luis Palma (12) has created more 'big chances' for their teammates than Taylor (eight) in the Premiership so far this season, which highlights the impressive work the Scottish ace has done at the top end of the pitch.

The 26-year-old whiz, who has scored two goals, has produced 1.9 key passes per game and produced the assist for Idah's equaliser against Motherwell on Sunday with an excellent left-footed cross.

Defensively, Taylor has only been dribbled past 19 times in 24 league starts, which is less than once per start on average. Whereas, Bernabei has been dribbled past 19 times in 12 starts since the start of last season in the top-flight.

He has also won 54% of his duels on the ground in the Premiership this term, which shows that the current first-choice left-back can hold his own on the deck and deal with the physicality of the division.

Therefore, Taylor is a better option for Rodgers than Bernabei as opponents find it harder to dribble past him, win a lower percentage of their duels against him, and the Scottish gem has the quality to offer more in possession.

Therefore, Postecoglou had a howler with the signing of the Argentine dud as he cost more than the Scotland international, despite currently being worse than the ex-Killie ace.

أعلن أمير توفيق مدير التعاقدات السابق في الأهلي والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة الأهلي لكرة القدم، عن تقدمه ببلاغ للنائب العام ضد اللاعب الجزائري أحمد قندوسي بعد تصريحاته الأخيرة بشأن فرض وكلاء في صفقات القلعة الحمراء.

وكان أحمد قندوسي تحدث عبر إحدى البرامج التلفزيونية، عن فشل صفقة انتقال مواطنه زين الدين بلعيد لـ الأهلي خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، موضحًا أن إدارة الأهلي فرضت وكيلاً معيناً على بلعيد.

وبناء على ذلك قررت إدارة النادي الأهلي، إحالة تصريحات اللاعب الجزائري إلى التحقيق ومواجهته لمعرفة صحة تلك التصريحات.

وأعلن الأهلي، نتائج التحقيقات في ذلك الشأن، حيث قرر عرض اللاعب الجزائري أحمد قندوسي للبيع مع إعادة تشكيل إدارة التعاقدات التي يترأسها أمير توفيق.

وقال توفيق خلال تصريحات عبر قناة إم بي سي مصر 2 لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق”: “موقف النادي أعلنه في بيان واضح، لكن موقفي بصفتي العملية راض عن قرار النادي”.

وأضاف: “موقفي الشخصي فأنا وكلت المستشار أشرف عبد العزيز بأن يتم اتخاذ كافة الإجراءات القانونية وسأقدم بلاغ للنائب العام، ضد كل من إدعى علي بكلام بدون أي مستند، تطاول وقال كلام بدون إثبات ومس سمعتي وكرامتي وذمتي المالية بحرف سيتم اتخاذ كل الإجراءات القانونية ضده”.

طالع | أمير توفيق يروي كواليس وتفاصيل أزمة تصريحات أحمد قندوسي

وأكمل: “كان يوجد انهيار في أسرتي خلال الأيام الماضية، أنا أعمل في الأهلي منذ 2013، أبرمت 39 صفقة، الناس القريبة مني تعرف سمعتي، والحديث عن التشكيك في ذمتي المالية جعل والدتي وزوجتي في حالة انهيار، أنا أقترب من 40 سنة وبعد هذا الكلام أجد مستقبلي يضيع، أنا لا أعلم لما قال هذا الكلام، (هل عشان الفلوس والسبوبة؟ أين الضمير؟)”.

وواصل: “أحمد قندوسي كان يريد أن يرحل عن الأهلي ببلاش في بداية الموسم، تم رفض طلبه، أنا ليس لدي تفسير في الذي حدث، كلها استنتاجات، هو طلب من خلال وكيله الرحيل بدون مقابل ورفضنا ذلك”.

وعن قرار إدارة الأهلي بإعادة تشكيل إدارة التعاقدات بعد نهاية التحقيقات مع قندوسي، أوضح: “البيان قال لا توجد مخالفة وأخذ قرار في حق اللاعب، كنت أعلم قرار الأهلي بإعادة هيكلة إدارة التعاقدات قبل البيان”.

وأردف: “في فبراير 2024، عدلي القيعي أخبرني بتواجدي في شركة الكرة، كنا نخطط لخروجي من إدارة التعاقدات، ونسلم الملف خطوة بخطوة لشخص آخر”.

وأكمل: “اليوم الكابتن محمد رمضان هو المسؤول عن الاسكاوتنج والتعاقدات، أمير توفيق الآن مدير شركة الكرة، فكيف أكون متوجدا مديرا للتعاقدات في النادي؟، أنا كنت أقوم بمهام المنصبين حتى يتم تعيين شخص آخر، الآن جاء الكابتن محمد رمضان”.

وأتم: “الكابتن محمود الخطيب ومحمد رمضان قاما بتبرئتي وهذا يكفيني لأنني ظُلمت وهما وقفا بجانبي وساعداني”.

Promotion-chasing Gloucestershire dismiss the hosts for 221 before limping to 87 for 4 in reply

Jon Culley at New Road16-Sep-2019Gloucestershire 87 for 4 (Barnard 3-16) trail Worcestershire 221 (Wessels 72, Higgins 4-55) by 134 runs
Only Leicestershire have endured a longer exile from county cricket’s first division than two of the contenders for promotion this year. Gloucestershire and Glamorgan were both relegated in 2005, the last season of three up and three down before it was decided that the clubs in the upper tier should feel a little more secure.The converse of that has been an increased degree of difficulty for the teams trying to make the transition in the opposite direction. Clearly, the change has disadvantaged this trio in particular, in which case Gloucestershire, in third place going into the final two rounds, will feel they ought not to miss the opportunity.They meet second-placed Northamptonshire at Bristol next week, which might yet have one promotion place riding on it depending on how the table looks in a few days. Win this one first, however, with Northamptonshire and another contender, Durham, locking horns at Wantage Road, and the prize could be within touching distance.Momentum is said to count for a good deal at this stage of the season and although they were beaten by Sussex last week, Gloucestershire had won three matches in a row before that one. They defeated Worcestershire by 13 runs in a thrilling finish at Cheltenham in July, a result which ended any lingering hope that Worcestershire themselves might still sneak into the race.Yet after an opening day largely dominated by seamers under a cloudy sky, Gloucestershire had control for a while only to have it taken from them in a difficult final session in which Ed Barnard undermined them three times by taking wickets with the last ball of an over. Any optimistic notions entertained in the visitors’ dressing room that the home side might have been distracted in their anticipation of defending their Vitality Blast crown at Edgbaston on Saturday, a date that Gloucestershire had pencilled into their diary before Derbyshire surprised them in the quarter-final at Bristol, proved without foundation.Gloucestershire’s bowlers had given them the upper hand in the first session, delayed by one hour after a damp morning, to the extent that when Ben Cox was out four overs after lunch, falling to the second of two fine catches by Tom Smith at third slip, Worcestershire were 71 for 5. Ryan Higgins, the allrounder whose runs and wickets are a large element of why his side are in contention, had taken three, going round the wicket to pin the left-handed Hamish Rutherford leg before and two balls later bringing one back sharply to bowl Alex Milton, who shouldered arms.Without Moeen Ali, taking time out to nurse some minor “niggles” ahead of Saturday, Worcestershire’s often fragile batting appeared in danger of caving in rather rapidly.That they did not was down to Riki Wessels, whose approach to batting is consistently to attack. It comes off less frequently in the red-ball game than it did in white-ball cricket in his pomp but on this occasion it did, bringing him a 58-ball half-century and 72 off 89 deliveries before, attempting the reprise the slog-sweep that had brought him six off Higgins earlier, he found Ben Charlesworth on the square-leg boundary.After a brief experiment opening, Wessels is back in the middle order and looks more comfortable there. His sixth-wicket partnership with Barnard (30) gave the innings some substance. With the game evolving quickly, Gloucestershire had their three bowling points – their first objective – in the 48th over, but Joe Leach and Adam Finch built on the impetus provided by Wessels enough to ensure it was the basis of a genuine recovery. Higgins, with 4 for 55, had been Worcestershire’s most dangerous opponent with the ball. Shannon Gabriel, the West Indian Test fast bowler brought in for the final push, proved as ineffective as he had against Sussex.The downside for Gloucestershire of bowling the home side out by tea was two hours of batting in light that did not really brighten until the last throes. James Bracey and Chris Dent weathered the new-ball threat but when Barnard came into the attack as first change, he immediately broke through as Bracey was caught behind and Dent edged to third slip.Mitchell took his first Championship wicket of the season by having Smith leg before and Barnard combined again with Cox to leave Gloucestershire four down for 56, before Gareth Roderick and Charlesworth survived until the close.Umpire Nick Cook, who was suffering from a sore knee, was replaced by Mike Burns mid-way through the afternoon session.

Tottenham Hotspur finished the 2022/23 campaign as 5-1 victors at Elland Road, with Leeds United relegated and Spurs finishing eighth in the Premier League. No European football and plenty of concerns coming right up.

It was the nadir of a series of years that have failed to deliver, the promise of Mauricio Pochettino's sculpted squad flaking away since his dismissal back in 2019, months on from an agonising Champions League final defeat.

Ange Postecoglou, fresh from impressive dominance with Celtic, was appointed in June and his first campaign in London has been filled with promise, though fifth-placed and fluctuating in form, there is much still to do.

In fairness, the Australian did have to contend with the sale of club record scorer Harry Kane, and while a direct replacement was not signed, certain players have stepped up to fill some rather large boots.

Heung-min Son & Richarlison's season in numbers

Heung-min Son has long been regarded as one of the Premier League's deadliest goalscorers but he was guilty of poor performances last season, bagging just ten league goals as his side trundled to an unsatisfying conclusion.

That's still a somewhat respectable return, however, and far better than the ignominious efforts of Richarlison, who scored one Premier League goal all season following his £60m transfer from Everton in the summer of 2022.

Tottenham Top Scorers 23/24 (all comps)

#

Player

Stat

1.

Heung-min Son

12

2.

Richarlison

11

3.

Dejan Kulusevski

6

4.

James Maddison

3

4.

Brennan Johnson

3

4.

Pape Matar Sarr

3

4.

Cristian Romero

3

Source: BBC Sport

The dynamic duo – both effective on the left or up front – have succeeded in wreaking dejection through their clinical finishing, adversaries of true strength for opposing backlines.

They are doing a brilliant job and have kept Tottenham in contention for an emphatic return to the Champions League, the London club five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa but with a game in hand.

However, neither will serve as the true centre-forward to succeed Kane in the long term, and while speculation throughout January suggested that the end of the campaign will see the signing of a first-rate striker, Postecoglou might just have the perfect heir already within his grasp.

Alejo Veliz could be Harry Kane heir

Indeed, Kane was sold to Bayern Munich in a reported £100m deal back in August, a move that came as a surprise to no one given Spurs' issues and the England captain's burning desire to end a career-long trophy drought.

Just days earlier, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had finalised the £13m signing of teenage centre-forward Alejo Veliz from Argentinian side Rosario Central, with the talented player hailed for his "fearsome" performances in his homeland by former youth coach Adrian Dezotti.

Intelligent, energetic and clinical, the 6 foot 1 Veliz has the makings of a classic Premier League forward and could match Kane in his world-class finishing and decision-making down the line, if not so creative and effective in his playmaking.

Now 20 years old, Veliz has moved on loan to Sevilla for the latter half of the 2023/24 season, having made two substitute appearances so far.

He did actually find the back of the net for Tottenham despite playing just 42 minutes of Premier League football since his arrival last summer, finishing true with a bouncing effort off the bench in a winter cameo against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Described as a prospect with a "complete" skill set by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Veliz ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for goals scored, the top 1% for clearances and the top 10% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, which certainly does speak of a burgeoning roundedness.

And it is this ability, an inclusion of many different facets, that could allow Veliz to succeed Kane not only as Tottenham's most reliable and destructive source of goals, but as a player who can transcend the role of centre-forward to enhance and polish the performance of those around him.

Kane, for example, might be one of Europe's superlative marksmen but he also ranks among the top 21% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.

Given the fluency of Postecoglou's set-up and the requirement for dynamism – Son is a good example of this in that he shines both as a focal point and through his creative support – it might be worth entrusting Veliz with increased responsibility next season, instead of initiating an expensive outlay.

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Francisco Canepa, an Argentine presenter and commentator for ESPN, has spent much time observing the rise of this exciting ace, saying: “He has that characteristic of a player that’s quite rare. There aren’t many No 9s like that now — a tall, very strong guy that knows how to play in the box. He can run and press. He’s not so good with the ball at his feet, but he’s good at taking defenders into areas they don’t want to go and attacking the empty space. He’s really smart at doing that.”

Stretching defences with his brutish presence can only further the case that he is the perfect Kane heir, consequently allowing teammates such as Son and Richarlison to weave into openings and find the back of the net themselves.

While Son and Richarlison are the tried and tested goalscorers of Postecoglou's reign, the Spurs skipper will turn 32 during the off-season and Richarlison's track record in front of goal at the club speaks of a rise and fall in form.

Football likes to live in the present but it's important not to forget that Postecoglou is striving to build a sustainable title-chasing outfit, and Veliz could rise to become the spearhead.

He's not a factory-built heir for a player of Kane's distinctive quality, but he has all the trappings of a successful Premier League striker.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Subprefeitura da Grande Tijuca, órgão da Prefeitura, e o Flamengo selaram uma parceria em que o clube vai selecionar, por meio de testes, crianças e adolescentes de oito comunidades da região: Andaraí, Borel, Casa Branca, Chácara do Céu, Formiga, Morro do Cruz, Salgueiro e Turano. O projeto, apadrinhado pelo ídolo Andrade, contará com jovens de 5 a 15 anos e terá o pontapé inicial nesta semana.

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Os escolhidos vão treinar no Ninho do Urubu. O projeto tem nome e sobrenome: Campo dos Sonhos. Serão ao todo oito etapas seletivas, uma em cada comunidade.A primeira acontece nesta quarta-feira, na Chácara do Céu.

O coordenador do projeto da Chácara do Céu, Nilo Matos, enxerga a parceria não apenas como uma esperança de um futuro melhor para a garotada. O mais importante, em sua opinião, é formar “bons cidadãos”. O mesmo pensa o subprefeito da Grande Tijuca, Wagner Coe.

– O objetivo do projeto vai muito além da captação de talentos ou do surgimento de um novo craque. Pretendemos fomentar o esporte, estimular a adesão de jovens aos projetos esportivos desenvolvidos nas comunidades e contribuir na formação de bons cidadãos tijucanos – afirma Wagner Coe.

Os jovens participantes do Campo dos Sonhos recebem formação no esporte, orientação educacional e de cidadania, além de estímulos à autoestima por parte das equipes de coordenadores.

– Temos uma bandeira que pode ajudar muito as comunidades a dar maior visibilidade aos projetos sociais desenvolvidos e a manter essas iniciativas. Há intenção de encontrar e colher um novo talento e também de dar oportunidades de outras formas. Não importa se o atleta vai jogar pelo clube ou por outro, mas ele será exemplo para outros meninos da sua comunidade. Não é só questão de buscar novos craques, temos o objetivo maior de transformar vidas e fomentar sonhos – declara o vice-presidente da base do Ninho do Urubu, Vitor Zanelli.

+ Veja a tabela completa da Libertadores

Com a participação do Flamengo nos projetos já existentes, calcula-se que mais de 1.200 famílias sejam beneficiadas. Em março, um evento na Gávea marcou o lançamento da parceria, que também foi comemorada pelo clube rubro-negro.

Veja mais sobre o projeto em vídeo divulgado pela FlaTV:

USMNT star Tim Weah opened up in an interview to share his feelings on his harrowing red card incident against Panama on Thursday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Weah goes in-depth on red card incident
• Pledges support to USMNT teammates
• U.S. take on Uruguay in group finale

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In their 2-1 Copa America loss to Panama, USMNT star Tim Weah was sent off 19 minutes into the match for striking an opposition player in the head. The egregious foul put the U.S. at a massive disadvantage and has put them in a win-or-go-home position heading into the third match of their Group Stage.

  CONMEBOL has since suspended the winger an extra match, too, meaning Weah will be our for the quarterfinals if the U.S. qualify as well.

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  WHAT WEAH SAID

  "I'm good, just a little bit down obviously with the circumstances. I think putting the team in that situation [down to 10 men] was never my intention. I think I'm getting painted to be a violent person – which I'm not – and I think that hurts a lot," Weah aid. "Seeing my brothers kind of have to go a different route to get to our main goal, it really hurts a lot, but the objective stays the same.

  "We have a lot of goals set as a team, and I believe in the guys, they're going to get to that final (Copa America) and I'm just here to push them, do the same thing I was doing before, give that energy for the team, make sure the vibes are right, keep everyone smiling. I think that's the most important and I wish them the best, I'm gonna be with them through everything, supporting them and making sure they keep their heads on their shoulders.

  "I'm just happy to be in the situation with my brothers and obviously it's a difficult one but being around this team, being around our staff, this group has always pushed me to be my best. This is my muse, this is my escape from the world – I enjoy being here and I'm just going to do my best to make sure I'm here present for the team and am intentional with the way I support the guys – I think that's the most important. I just pray they get the job done, obviously."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the loss against Panama, the USMNT cannot falter against Uruguay on matchday three. They will need to defeat their opposition, or earn a draw and rely on a result from Panama vs Bolivia to go in their favor, as well.

  Without Weah available, here is how the USMNT can advance to the Copa America knockout stage.

  Defeat Uruguay AND…	Defeat Uruguay AND…	Draw Uruguay AND…
  Have a higher goal-differential than Panama, assuming they defeat Bolivia.	Bolivia defeat OR draw Panama.	Bolivia win OR draw vs Panama.