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A “brilliant” 31-cap international could now be set for a move to Leeds United this summer, with it becoming increasingly likely he leaves his current club, according to a report.

Leeds on track for promotion

Leeds squandered the opportunity to move five points clear of third-place Burnley by losing 1-0 at Portsmouth last time out, but they remain in a strong position to win promotion from the Championship.

With just 10 games left to play, the Whites are at the top of the pile, and they have some relatively kind fixtures on the horizon over the course of the next few weeks, with the majority of their upcoming opponents in mid-table or near the bottom of the standings.

Leeds United’s upcoming Championship fixtures

Date

Millwall (h)

March 12th

Queens Park Rangers (a)

March 15th

Swansea City (h)

March 29th

Luton Town (a)

April 5th

Middlesbrough (a)

April 8th

It can be difficult for clubs to make plans for the summer transfer window when it is unclear which division they’ll be in next season, but Daniel Farke has now started to identify potential targets.

According to a report from The Sun, a familiar face could be set to return to Elland Road, as Leeds have been tracking the progress of former player Kalvin Phillips, who has spent the current campaign on loan at Ipswich Town from Manchester City.

Farke is looking to build a squad capable of surviving relegation in the Premier League, and Phillips has now emerged as a target, with the midfielder likely to leave Man City at the end of the campaign.

Alongside the Ipswich loanee, the Whites have also been linked with a move for AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham, while Manor Solomon’s future at Elland Road is also deemed to be a top priority.

"Brilliant" Phillips could reignite career at Elland Road

The Leeds-born midfielder impressed enough during his first spell with his hometown club to earn 31 Three Lions caps, forming a memorable partnership with Declan Rice at Euro 2020.

Since then, it would be fair to say the 29-year-old’s career has gone downhill, having never really managed to establish himself as a first-team regular for City after his £45m move, before ending up at relegation-threatened Ipswich on loan.

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Although the Tractor Boys look likely to be relegated from the Premier League, there are signs the Englishman is getting back to his best, having received high praise from Kieran McKenna.

“I think he’s had a really solid first half of the season to be honest. There will always be a different perception of Kalvin because he’s come from Manchester City but he’s a normal person and a very good player who’s trying his best.”

However, a move back to Leeds could be exactly what Phillips needs to fully reignite his career, and back to being the “brilliant” player the central midfielder is capable of being when he’s at his best.

Lancashire allrounder gets nod above Will Jacks, Ben Duckett confirmed as opener for first Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20221:56

Why Livingstone could play ahead of Jacks vs Pakistan

Liam Livingstone will make his England Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday.Livingstone, 29, will be one of two new faces named by skipper Ben Stokes for the first Test from the team that ended the English summer. Ben Duckett will partner Zak Crawley at the top of the order, replacing Alex Lees who was dropped for this tour, adding to his four Test appearances from 2016-17, against Bangladesh and India. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook keeps his spot at No. 5, having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow at the Kia Oval in the final match of the South Africa series.Livingstone, picked on this tour for his capabilities as a spinner along with his ball-striking which has made him a go-to signing on the Twenty20 circuit, last played a competitive red-ball match at the end of the 2021 summer for Lancashire. Both of his first-class averages are in the high 30s: 38.36 with the bat and 36.13 with the ball.Related

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His selection in the XI is ultimately for his potential, bombastic upside. As head coach Brendon McCullum put it on Monday: “He bowls offspin, legspin, fields well and smacks the ball out of the park – it’s hard not to get around a player who plays like that.” Ultimately, the call was between him and Surrey’s batting allrounder Will Jacks, who bowls offspin. Livingstone got the nod on account of offering both wrist and finger spin.”The only real discussion we thought was worth having was whether we go with Jacksy or Livi,” Stokes said. “I think given the place where Livi’s going to play and as that third spinner role, it’s quite nice to have someone who turns it both ways. And quite nice the way he applies himself with the bat – very similar to Jacksy, but having that legspin and offspin possibility with Livi was a big plus for us.”Stokes referring to Livingstone as a “third spinner” is down to wanting to utilise Joe Root’s offspin alongside the left-arm orthodox of Jack Leach, who is regarded as the frontline spinner. Livingstone will supplement both.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“With Livi he’s one of those cricketers who can come on from anywhere and take a wicket when the ball’s flowing a bit the opposition’s way. I’ve already spoken to Rooty as well. I’m going to try to use him quite a lot. I think he underuses himself. He’s actually got some very good assets as an offspin bowler. He’s been working very hard on his bowling.”The presentation of a maiden Test cap this week will round off a special month or so for Livingstone, who was part of England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. As a verified specialist in the shortest format, notably from an English perspective when he carried the first edition of the Hundred in 2021, it perhaps bodes well that someone like him would relish the chance to play the longest format.Stokes revealed he spoke to Livingstone about the prospect of playing a part in these Test matches a couple of months ago. The response he got back was encouraging. His lack of first-class action has featured less as a worry and more as a punchline over the last fortnight. Stokes joked that Livingstone “will probably try to hit a few over this media centre, no doubt”.”It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him, actually before we went out to Australia for the World Cup. I obviously told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.”With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat, [he] is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity. I don’t necessarily think that not playing a red-ball game is going to be too much of a thing for him. He’s a very natural cricketer, he’s going to go out there and really express himself. So yeah looking forward to seeing him in the whites. He did say when he got his white pads out of the bag ‘what are these?'”Duckett, while also selected on style of play, has earned a recall on an impressive showing last season with Nottinghamshire. He struck 1012 runs at an average of 72.28, at a rate of 76.09 – that last figure as much a pro for this management group as the three centuries. He underlined his expansive play in the T20 series in Pakistan a few months ago with 233 runs at 46.60 (strike rate 159.58), which gave Stokes in particular a nudge he was the man for the job ahead of the other opener in the squad, Keaton Jennings.Liam Livingstone has been picked in England’s Test XI for Rawalpindi•Getty Images

“Ducky showed out here in the T20s just how good he is against spin bowling,” Stokes said. “To have someone at the top like him who can mess around with the fields and make it a captain’s nightmare because he sweeps both ways, and we know how much of a part spin plays out in this area. Excited to have him at the top.”Brook’s selection, meanwhile, is a continuation from the summer in which he carried drinks before making his bow in the format in the final South Africa Test. He scored 12 in his only innings of that match but comes off the back of a stellar season with Yorkshire: a monster average of 107.44, with three hundreds – including a career best 194 against Kent – and a final tally of 967 from just eight matches.”The way in which Harry’s gone about his first-class cricket over the last year, we won’t see much difference out here in the subcontinent,” Stokes said. “Another one who’s a perfect like for like in the way they play for Jonny. He [Bairstow] is a big miss in this Test team out here, but very blessed to have someone like Brooky to replace him.”Stokes also discussed the importance of approaching this tour of Pakistan with an understanding life is more important than cricket. On Monday, the England captained revealed he would be dominating his match fees, understood to be approximately £50,000 (US$60,000) for this tour to the Pakistan flood appeal.”Coming here is a monumental time for English cricket and for Pakistan as a nation. There are bigger things to life than cricket. The floods were devastating to the country, and me coming out here and representing my country, bringing the sport back to the nation. There are things that go on in life that are bigger than sport and I felt compelled just to give something that is bigger than cricket.”Donations to the appeal can be made via the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Where on earth do Manchester City go from here?

On Tuesday night, despite leading twice, the Sky Blues were beaten 3-2 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League tie, with Jude Bellingham bundling home a stoppage-time winner at the Etihad.

As noted by OptaJoe on Twitter, this is the fifth time the Citizens have lost a game this season in which they were in front, more than across the previous four campaigns combined.

Thus, this leaves Pep Guardiola’s team with a mountain to climb at the Bernabéu next Wednesday, reaching, at least, the Champions League quarter-finals in each of the last seven seasons, a streak that appears set to come to an end.

Man City’s continued poor form means their transfer decisions are coming under ever more intense scrutiny, especially considering a former player was key to their downfall this week.

Brahim Díaz: Man City's forgotten former man

When Brahim Díaz equalised for Real Madrid and did not celebrate, this was the moment the majority of onlookers remembered he used to be a Man City player.

Former Manchester United, Wimbledon and Coventry forward Terry Gibson described Díaz’s decision not to celebrate as “bizarre”, suggesting most supporters inside the stadium would not have known who he was.

That’s because, despite being on Man City’s books for four years, the Morocco international made just 15 senior appearances, totalling a mere 415 minutes, all four of his starts for the club coming in the Carabao Cup, before joining Real Madrid for a reported £15.5m in 2019.

Still only 25-years-old, Díaz is yet to establish himself as a regular at Madrid either, 16 of his 30 appearances this season coming as a substitute, although Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show believes he is under-utilised by Carlo Ancelotti given that, when he is given an opportunity, he adds “cohesion” to Real Madrid’s often chaotic forward-line.

Diaz’s cameo vs Man City
Minutes played	10
Goals	1
Touches	5
Accurate passes	3/4
Key passes	1
Shots	1
Duels contested	0
Stats via Sofascore.

While Guardiola may have been regretting his decision to sanction Diaz’s exit last night, nevertheless, there is another former Man City winger shining right now and it’s likely the manager will rue this one just a little bit more…

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Man City made a mistake selling their superstar winger

Having been a key part of Leicester City’s title-winning team, Riyad Mahrez joined Manchester City for a reported £60m in 2018, a club-record fee at the time, and he would go on to make 236 appearances in Sky Blue, scoring 78 goals and winning 11 major honours.

His former teammate at Leicester Kasper Schmeichel described the Algerian winger as “incredible” but, after five seasons in Manchester, Mahrez was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for a reported £30.4m in July 2023.

Playing alongside Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney and Galeno in Jeddah, Asian football expert John Duerden for the Guardian notes that Mahrez has not been at his best this season, having racked up more assists than anyone else in the Saudi Pro League during his first campaign in the Middle East, accumulating 13.

Nevertheless, his form has picked up in recent weeks, taking his tally to nine goals and 12 assists for the season by bagging one of each against Al-Sadd in the AFC Champions League during a 3-1 victory, meaning he ranks joint-first in that competition for assists, alongside Oscar.

So, let’s assess how his numbers compare to Man City’s current forward options.

Mahrez vs Man City attackers 2024/25
Players	Games	Goals	Assists
Riyad Mahrez	27	9	12
Phil Foden	31	10	5
Jérémy Doku	22	6	7
Bernardo Silva	34	3	4
Kevin De Bruyne	26	3	6
Savinho	32	2	8
Jack Grealish	24	2	5
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Mahrez is outperforming all of Man City’s wingers and attacking midfielders in terms of pure goals and assists, with the obvious caveat that he is playing at a lower level; Global Football Rankings believe the Premier League to be the strongest in the world, with the Saudi Pro League ranked at 31st, just below France’s second-tier Ligue 2, for context.

Pete Hall of the i Paper labelled Savinho “the new Mahrez” following Man City’s 4-1 win over West Ham, although the Brazilian is not putting up Mahrez-esque stats just yet, so were the Sky Blues right to cash in when they did? Would they be in a better place if they still had him?

It’s hard to say but it was certainly a bigger blunder than Diaz, who he is outperforming even at the age of 33.

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Duo put on 311 together in only 53 overs as Sussex, following on, forge ahead without loss

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2022

Tom Haines scored twin unbeaten tons in a day•Getty Images

Captain Tom Haines completed two unbeaten hundreds in the same day and opening partner Ali Orr thrashed a magnificent 185 not out to transform Sussex’s fortunes and end Glamorgan’s promotion hopes in the LV= County Championship.Haines, who had resumed on 34, became the first Sussex batsman since 2014 to carry his bat with 108 but Sussex were still bowled out for 258 in their first innings and followed on 275 behind at the 1st Central County Ground.At that stage of the third day Glamorgan were firmly on course for the victory that would have kept their hopes of climbing out of Division Two alive.But as it emerged that rivals Middlesex were getting themselves into an unbeatable position against Worcestershire to claim second spot, Glamorgan spirits seemed to sag and after tea and Orr and Haines took full advantage.By stumps they had put on a magnificent 311 together in only 53 overs, with 190 of their runs coming in boundaries. Orr finished 185 not out (163 balls, 18 fours, nine sixes) and Haines will resume on 121 (157 balls, 16 fours) with Sussex now 37 runs in front after a remarkable day produced 481 runs.Earlier, Haines and 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Charlie Tear had provided the only resistance as Sussex twice collapsed, losing three wickets for 18 runs in the first hour before their last four went for six runs in just four overs.James Harris sparked the first collapse when he picked up two wickets in four balls when Tom Clark was caught behind off a flat-footed waft and Dan Ibrahim unwisely tried to pull a ball outside off stump which cannoned into his stumps. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was also guilty of a poor shot as he gave Ajaz Patel an easy return catch before Haines and Tear came together.They added 95 for the seventh wicket with Haines reaching his second hundred of the season, having made 234 against Derbyshire back in April.Tear caught the eye too, and at one stage he hit six successive balls from New Zealand Test spinner Patel to the boundary as he made his maiden half-century in only his second appearance.But when Tear played back to Tim van der Gugten Sussex folded again with the last three batters all out for ducks. Haines, who offered one sharp chance to David Lloyd at slip, walked off to a standing ovation having faced 169 balls and hit 14 fours.Ten minutes later he was walking out to bat again and soon he and Orr were hurtling along at seven runs an over as Glamorgan’s five-man attack toiled for a breakthrough.Orr reached his fifty by hoisting Patel out of the ground for six and he needed just 38 more balls to get to his century, hitting Patel for three successive sixes at one stage. Just 41 deliveries were needed for his next 50 runs and the next milestone ticked off was his career-best 141 which he passed with a reverse sweep to the boundary off Patel, whose eight overs so far have gone for 78.He wasn’t the only bowler to suffer on a pitch offering little assistance. Orr passed 1,000 runs for the season when he got to 153 and shortly afterwards Haines was raising his bat for the second time in the day to acknowledge a standing ovation after reaching his century. He is the first Sussex batter to score two hundreds in the same match since Mike Yardy against Yorkshire in 2011.At stumps the two left-handers had set a record partnership for any wicket against Glamorgan after passing Luke Wells and Ben Brown’s 294 at Hove in 2016 while there have only been three bigger opening stands in the county’s history.

Will Manchester City continue their January spending spree?

So far, the Sky Blues have spent around £130m on a quartet of new recruits: Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush both made their debuts from the start against Chelsea on Saturday, Vitor Reis was an unused substitute, while Juma Bah has arrived from Real Valladolid, albeit he will spend the rest of the season on loan at Lens.

However, Pep Guardiola’s team are not done there, currently in a battle to sign one of Europe’s hottest prospects.

Man City chasing 18-year-old star

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Manchester City, as well as Arsenal and Aston Villa, are all attempting to sign Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Nypan was reportedly in attendance at the Etihad on Saturday, but Miguel Delaney of the Independent believes Arsenal are currently “leading the race” to sign the 18-year-old after an update on Monday evening.

James McNicholas and David Ornstein of the Athletic report that the Norwegian is yet to make a “firm decision”, albeit Ed Aarons of the Guardian claims this decision is “close” to being finalised, adding a fee of £10m is expected.

So, who is Sverre Nypan, and why are some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs after him?

How Sverre Nypan compares to Kevin De Bruyne

Back in November 2022, at the age of just 15 years and 322 days, Nypan became the youngest player to ever feature for Rosenborg and the youngest player to ever play in an Eliteserien match, before becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer, on target against champions Bodø/Glimt at Aspmyra in the Arctic Circle in May 2023.

Despite having only just celebrated his 18th birthday as recently as the week before Christmas, he’s now made 60 appearances for the Troillongan, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists, bagging a first-ever senior hat-trick against Lillestrøm back in August.

Given the way he’s adapted to senior football at such a young age, it’s hardly a surprise to note that Nypan’s performances in Norway have led to him receiving widespread praise and admiration.

James Westwood of Goal described him as “extremely exciting”, Jacek Kulig from Football Talent Scout claims he has a “huge future ahead”, while Ben Mattinson on Twitter believes he possesses “world-class potential”.

Meanwhile, in the Guardian’s Next Generation of 2023 series, Michael Yokhin praised Nypan’s “superb ability to read the game and vision”, which was on display when Rosenborg beat Heart of Midlothian 2-1 in a Europa Conference League qualifier at Lerkendal Stadion in August 2023, with the teenager providing both assists.

So, whoever does manage to snap up Nypan this month will have a gem on their hands, with Man City’s plan, as outlined by Gary Jacob of the Times, to loan him out to Girona, also owned by CFG, before integrating him into the first team at a later date, so will the teenager choose to join the Premier League champions?

If he does, he could well be the dream long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne. That said, with former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp believing the Belgian is the “Premier League’s best-ever midfielder”, there would be big shoes to fill.

Though, he is out of contract in the summer so a replacement will be needed. Nypan could be that man. Let’s see how the duo compare.

Nypan vs De Bruyne comparison (2022-present)

Statistic

Sverre Nypan

Kevin De Bruyne

Appearances

53

112

Minutes

3,789

7,878

Goals

13

25

Goals per 90

0.31

0.29

Assists

7

55

Assists per 90

0.17

0.63

Shots

85

238

Shots per 90

2.02

2.79

Shots on target %

34.1%

35.3%

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

Obviously, comparing Nypan to De Bruyne is holding him to an astronomically high standard, but he does compare favourably, racking up higher goals per 90, albeit the Belgian’s assists per 90 is almost four times as high.

Nevertheless, only 14 players scored more Eliteserien goals than the 18-year-old last season, while he ranked sixth for assists in Norway’s top-flight, as well as 13th for shots.

Everything you hear, read and see about Nypan suggests he is a future superstar in the making, suggesting he would be an excellent signing for Man City as they attempt to replace the goals and assists of De Bruyne.

The teenager has already shown he can score and assist regularly so it’s certainly worth exploring a move.

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Chelsea are trying to sway Manchester United sensation Kobbie Mainoo to Stamford Bridge amid his contract standoff, and it is believed that a deal for the rising star could even happen in January.

Chelsea emerge as favourites to sign Mainoo from Man United

On Tuesday afternoon, The Daily Mail’s Chris Wheetley broke news that Chelsea are currently seen as favourites to secure a deal for Mainoo, if he were to decide on leaving Old Trafford for pastures new.

Chelsea entering pole position to sign £38m midfielder after making contact

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The 19-year-old, who has burst on to the scene as a mainstay star of United’s midfield – earning a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024 and starting in the final – is currently in the midst of stalled talks over new and improved terms.

Mainoo is on around £20,000-per-week right now, which could be seen as a shockingly low figure considering his status and potential to become a world superstar.

Bournemouth (home)

January 14

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

January 20

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

The teenager is after a new contract to reflect his status as a pivotal United player and Three Lions international, with his demands to extend reportedly set at around £200,000-per-week – 10 times what he earns at the moment.

United, according to The Mail, are struggling to agree on a new deal for Mainoo due to their PSR status – as they try to flog high-earners like Antony, Marcus Rashford and Casemiro this window to balance their salary sheet.

This situation has alerted Chelsea to a potential opportunity, and they’re in pole position to steal away United’s latest young prodigy above other suitors.

Following this report, reliable journalist Simon Phillips has shared an interesting update on Mainoo via his Substack.

Chelsea told Kobbie Mainoo stance after making contact with his camp

As per Phillips, Chelsea are trying to sign the homegrown ace, and it could even happen in January if all goes to plan. That being said, the club have also been made aware of Mainoo’s current transfer stance – and it is believed he’d ideally prefer to stay in Manchester as things stand.

Chelsea have reached out to Mainoo’s agents and told them that they’re interested in signing him, and to gauge whether a deal is indeed possible. A top Chelsea source is also quoted by Phillips’ website, saying: “We are trying to turn Mainoo’s head.”

This will be a notoriously challenging move to pull off, especially mid-season, but the midfielder’s quality indicates he could be worth the effort, even if Mainoo is valued at around £70 million.

”He’s not only the future, he’s the present already,” said former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas to BBC Sport (via The Mirror).

“He’s got a fantastic personality [it’s] like he’s been playing for a long time. To help him in the summer, they need to recruit players who can gain this quality on the pitch to make him more brilliant than what he is.

“He plays without fear, and this is what I love about him. He just wants the ball, wants to make things happen.”

Whilst West Bromwich Albion’s main priorities at this moment in time rest on appointing a new manager, the January transfer window will also obviously be on the club’s mind.

After all, the Baggies will need some new recruits here and there to ensure they can sustain a battle for the rest of the season to be in and around those Championship playoff spots, regardless of who Carlos Corberan’s successor ends up being.

Whilst the rumour mill is very active in throwing out names in that regard, it is also going into overdrive with some rumoured incomings on the pitch at the Hawthorns, with this exciting loanee touted to make a move to the West Midlands.

West Brom make enquiry over Championship star

As per a fresh report by the Daily Mail Online, West Brom have made an enquiry about snapping up Liverpool youngster Lewis Koumas, who is known to Championship fans already for some standout moments on loan at Stoke City this season.

Sheffield United are also named as an onlooker keen on adding the 19-year-old winger to their ranks this month, but the Baggies could hold an advantage in this tussle.

Koumas’ father Jason was a beloved figure for the promotion candidates when he dazzled defences on a regular basis as a maverick in the middle, with those at the Hawthorns now hoping his son can be equally as spellbinding in attack if a move does materialise.

It remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool will cut short the Stoke deal to allow West Brom to swoop in, but if a deal were to happen, Koumas’ addition might well have the same impact as Mikey Johnston’s arrival in through the door last January conjured up.

What Koumas can offer West Brom

The teenager will obviously hope he has a bright future at Anfield ahead, but in the here and now, the 19-year-old would love to make a step up the division and show the Baggies what he’s made of in the midst of a promotion push.

In a Stoke camp that has underperformed to the point where a managerial dismissal took place, the raw Welshman has still managed to stand out with an encouraging four goals and two assists tallied up from 29 appearances, which included this acrobatic effort against Bristol City sailing in back in October.

Club played for

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Stoke

29

4

2

Liverpool (first team)

1

1

0

Liverpool U21s

21

9

5

Liverpool U18s

24

18

6

Liverpool (youth league)

6

2

0

Koumas could also take to the pressure of playing for a team near the top of the Championship table in his stride, having scored on his senior debut for the Reds after lighting up many a youth pitch for his boyhood employers, with Jurgen Klopp labelling his contribution as “wonderful” to watch.

Of course, he won’t walk straight into the side, with the likes of Johnston shining in recent weeks in attack after he was once just a loan punt himself.

Now, he’s a consistent performer for his side week in week out after penning a permanent deal last transfer window, with nine goals and four assists amassed from 42 games.

There would have been some anxiety in the air that the Republic of Ireland international would be a flop, having put in some solid but unspectacular numbers for Celtic with 13 goals and 12 assists tallied up in Glasgow, but he would ultimately explode into life in England.

At least in this instance, it’s known that Koumas can perform at the level – and with the added plus that he can play all across the attacking positions – this will surely be an addition the new West Brom boss will love working with.

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INDIVISA looks at 14 athletes that are leading the way in the 2025 NWSL season

The 2025 NWSL season is here, and with it some key players looking to make major contributions for their squads, both on and off the field. There is a palpable momentum across all of women's sports, with female athletes being celebrated simply as athletes – no qualifiers, no limits.

INDIVISA looks at 14 athletes – all of which were part of Nike's 2025 NWSL kit release – that are leading the charge.

• Getty Images
  

  Ally Watt: Orlando Pride

  Ally Watt already has one goal in the 2025 NWSL season, coming in a 6-0 onslaught the Orlando Pride brought on Chicago in the season opener. She started, building off of a season in which she came on strong down the stretch and finished with three goals and one assist.

  With each season in the NWSL, Watt is improving her play, and she provided three postseason assists en route to the Pride winning the NWSL championship in 2024. With her speed and defensive work rate, Watt provides value on the wing and as a backup to Barbra Banda at striker.

  If Orlando wants to look to repeat this season what they did last year, Watt will need to continue her steady improvements and truly establish herself as one of the team’s best players.

  “To score more goals, just have the confidence in the box,” Watt told INDIVISA of what she’s done in the offseason to increase her output. “And just be hungry. I think that’s what we’ve as the Pride have been, is putting in our minds we’re always going to stay hungry. So I need to have that mindset to be a hunter in the box.”

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• Imagn Images
  

  Racheal Kundananji: Bay FC

  Commanding one of the highest-paid transfer fees ever, Racheal Kundananji is one of Bay FC’s top players alongside Asisat Oshoala, with the duo leading the front line. With her four assists and five goals, Kundananji led Bay last year.

  But five goals on 81 shots is a low percentage, and Kundananji wants to be more efficient with her finishing this year.

  "I feel like I missed a lot of chances. This year, I won't promise anything, but just watch out,” the forward told ESPN.

  After making the playoffs in their first NWSL season, Bay FC will look to continue to contend in the postseason. Kundananji will be a key player. She finished 2024 in fine form, scoring twice and adding two assists in her team’s final three regular season games en route to the playoffs. Look for that only to build in her second NWSL season.

• Getty Images
  

  Ally Schlegel: Chicago Stars

  With Mallory Swanson unavailable to start the season, Ally Schlegel will be a key player for Chicago this season. Last year she had six non-penalty goals, tying Swanson for the most on the Stars, and her 13 chances were good for second-most.

  Her 0.49 goals per 90, meanwhile, was good for third on the team. She excels in clearing the ball and had 3.67 aerials won per 90 last season, making her particularly useful in the midfield, and her being a threat in the attack helps open up options for Chicago’s front line.

  In her third NWSL season, Schlegel will take on an even bigger role. She totaled just 19 shots last season, including eight shots on target. Scoring seven goals on those shots made her one of the team’s most efficient players. She also completed 261 of 387 passes, right up there with Swanson for percentage.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Michelle Alozie: Houston Dash

  Michelle Alozie is a player who can do it all, on and off the field. She made headlines in recent years for spending her time researching pediatric cancer when not on a soccer pitch. But when she is playing, she’s one of Houston’s more dynamic stars.

  Alozie excels at carrying the ball forward, having completed 67.9 percent of her passes last year, and her defensive abilities as a forward and defender make her one of the team’s better players when it comes to interceptions and recovering the ball.

  Her versatility will allow her to open up gameplay more for Houston in 2025, which will be a year of growth after the team finished last in 2024.

MatériaMais Notícias

No duelo de ida da final do Paranaense, o Coritiba venceu o Maringá por 2 a 1, de virada, fora de casa, na noite desta quarta-feira (30), no Estádio Willie Davids. Com o resultado, o Coxa abre vantagem para a decisão no Couto Pereira.

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INTENSIDADE E PRESSÃO!

O jogo começou bastante movimentando, com as duas equipes se estudando e pressionando a todo momento. No entanto, tanto o Maringá quanto o Coritiba demoraram a criar alguma chance de real perigo. A primeira oportunidade foi aos 20. Em jogada individual, Saraiva colocou Guilherme Biro para dançar e bateu cruzado. O Coxa respondeu na sequência, com um chute de Alef Manga na trave.

Depois das chances, o gol saiu aos 29. Mirandinha arriscou da intermediária, mas Alex Muralha soltou. Com isso, Alemão aproveitou o rebote dado pelo goleiro e abriu o placar. O Coritiba até tentou, ainda na primeira etapa. No entanto, Dheimison defendeu a finalização de Igor Paixão.

VIRADA

Assim como os primeiros 45 minutos, a segunda etapa começou bastante truncada, com poucas chances. A primeira grande criação resultou no gol do Coritiba. Aos 20, Guilherme Biro bateu lateral na área, e Matheus Bianqui não conseguiu tirar. Léo Gamalho, então, girou na marcação e chutou na saída do goleiro.

Cinco minutos depois, mais um gol do Coxa. Na jogada, Warley tabelou com Thonny Anderson, cruzando para o meio da área. Com isso, Igor Paixão aproveitou e pegou de primeira, colocando a equipe visitante em vantagem. O Coritiba seguiu tentando ampliar ainda mais. Aos 48, Andrey acertou o travessão.

DECISÃO NO COUTO PEREIRA

O jogo de volta entre as equipes será no próximo domingo (03), às 16h, no Couto Pereira, estádio do Coritiba.

FICHA TÉCNICA
MARINGÁ 1 X 2 CORITIBA

Local:Willie Davids, em Maringá (PR)
Data: 30/03/2022 – 20h07 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Leonardo Ferreira Lima auxiliado
Assistentes:Wagner Junior Bonfim Ledo e Bruno Fernando Aparecido Rohling
Cartões amarelos: Ronald e Alemão (Maringá); Guilherme Biro e Val (Coritiba)
​Cartões vermelhos: –

GOLS: Alemão (29’/1ºT) (1-0); Léo Gamalho (20’/2ºT) (1-1); Igor Paixão (25’/2ºT) (1-2)

MARINGÁ (Técnico: Jorge Castilhos)
Dheimison;Marcos Vinícius,Gustavo Vilar,Ronald eRaphinha;Parrudo (Guilherme Castro, aos 39’/2ºT),João Denoni eMatheus Bianqui; Mirandinha (David Ribeiro, aos 41’/2ºT), Felipe Saraiva (Lucão, aos 41’/2ºT) eAlemão (Robertinho, aos 29’/2ºT).

CORITIBA (Técnico: Gustavo Morínigo)

Alex Muralha;Warley (Matheus Alexandre, aos 37’/2ºT),Guillermo de los Santos, Guilherme Biro eLuciano Castán;Matheus Sales (Andrey, aos 24’/2ºT),Val (Bernardo, aos 36’/2ºT) e Robinho (Thonny Anderson, aos 24’/2ºT);Igor Paixão, Alef Manga (Egídio, aos 42’/2ºT) eLéo Gamalho.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa just about got the better of RB Leipzig away from home in a thrilling 3-2 victory on Europe’s biggest stage.

The enthralling contest thankfully saw the Villans pick up their fourth overall win in the new Champions League format this season come full-time, after a late deflected Ross Barkley effort proved to be the crucial difference maker between the two entertaining sides.

Away from the obvious ecstasy at the end – with a win in Germany meaning Villa are third in the overall league standings – it was a night ridden with anxiety, as for all of the top performers that shone for the away side there were also some notably shaky displays.

A mixed night for Villa

Emiliano Martinez definitely slots into that latter category after falling victim to a major blunder for Leipzig’s opener on the night, as the World Cup winning goalkeeper clumsily came off his line to retrieve a long ball, only for Lois Openda to swoop in and confidently score at his expense to make it 1-1.

It was the Villa defence in front of him that would be more at fault for Leipzig’s second, with another punt up the pitch catching the away side off-guard, before lax defending from the likes of Pau Torres and Diego Carlos allowed the hosts to craft out an opening for Christoph Baumgartner to convert from.

Of course, it wasn’t all bad on Villa’s end in the back-and-forth affair, as the attackers regularly tore the home side’s defence to shreds to pick up the win, especially after super sub himself Jhon Duran had entered the fray.

In total, the Villans registered 19 shots on the busy home goal, with one of those efforts sailing past Peter Gulasci after the potent Colombian had only been on the pitch a matter of seven minutes.

John McGinn and the aforementioned Barkley shared out the other strikes away from this spectacular effort from the 20-year-old, whilst Morgan Rogers was also at his captivating best in attack with a stunning six dribbles successfully completed.

But, it was another under-the-radar showing in the middle of the park from Boubacar Kamara that won many a plaudit after the dust had settled on the thrilling Tuesday night game, as the Frenchman continues to establish himself as a must in Emery’s XIs.

Emery's next Douglas Luiz

It could even be argued that the 25-year-old is slowly morphing into Emery’s next Douglas Luiz, in the fact he is a reliable head his manager can rely on centrally after the South American’s exit to Juventus in the summer.

Not quite as high-octane as Luiz – who bagged 22 goals from the holding midfield positions at Villa Park – the new Villa revelation still allows his side to tick with stylish displays in the middle like Luiz was capable of, alongside also showing off a level of forcefulness when needed.

Kamara’s performance in numbers

Stat

Kamara

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

77

Accurate passes

53/60 (77%)

Key passes

2

Successful dribbles

2/2

Interceptions

2

Tackles

2

Total duels won

7/12

Stats by Sofascore

It’s clear to see from his numbers at the Red Bull Arena that Kamara put in a very solid display all-round, with two key passes and two successful dribbles notched up, alongside also getting stuck in with seven duels won on top of two tackles being amassed.

His top displays of late have even kept Amadou Onana out of the team, which is a big compliment to the Villa number 44, considering Onana cost a bumper £50m to obtain just this summer.

He’s also had to battle back from his own injury demons, but with 8/10 displays like the one he put in against Leipzig – as was handed out to him by Birmingham Live journalist John Townley – he is a shoo-in for many a Villa lineup moving forward.

With three wins on the bounce now, Villa look to have recaptured their mojo, with Kamara hoping he can reach even loftier heights past this standout showing in Germany to reinforce his label as the club’s next Luiz.

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