O Palmeiras iniciou sua trajetória no Brasileiro Feminino 2023 com grande goleada contra o Real Ariquemes, pelo placar de 9 a 0, no último domingo (26), no Allianz Parque.
> Confira tabela e simulador do Brasileirão Feminino clicando aqui
O jogo foi marcado também pela estreia de atletas que chegaram para reforçar o atual campeão da Libertadores Feminina na nova temporada. A atacante Letícia Ferreira foi uma das estreantes com a camisa alviverde no início do Brasileirão.
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O seu início foi ainda mais especial, já que a jogadora marcou um dos gols na partida, seu primeiro pelo Palmeiras. Ela celebrou o momento especial.
– Esse gol foi muito importante para mim por poder fazer minha estreia no palmeiras com vitória e ainda poder ter oportunidade de marcar o meu primeiro gol, espero que seja o primeiro de muitos – disse.
A atacante de 22 anos atuava anteriormente pelo Fluminense, além de também já ter atuado no tradicional PSV, da Holanda.
> Palmeiras inicia caminhada no Brasileirão Feminino; confira chegadas, saídas e calendário dos jogos
Letícia ressaltou também a sensação de iniciar sua trajetória pelo Palmeiras.
– O sentimento é inexplicável, não tem como ser outro, e a torcida nos apoiando do começo ao fim, isso fez a diferença para essa grande vitória – finalizou.
Na segunda rodada, as Palestrinas visitam o Real Brasília no próximo domingo (05).
O São Paulo fechou as receitas de 2022 com um saldo positivo, superando o valor dos últimos três anos. Ao que tudo indica, teria sido uma das maiores receitas da história do Tricolor.
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A informação sobre o balanço foi adiantada pelo ‘Globo Esporte’ e confirmada pelo LANCE!. No total, na última temporada, o clube teria arrecadado cerca deR$ 660,5 milhões. Um dos principais pontos foi a venda de alguns atletas.
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Inclusive, um dos principais influenciadores deste superávit teria sido a venda de Antony – do Ajax para o Manchester United. Este superávit giraria em torno dosR$ 37,4 milhões, o que permitiu que o São Paulo fechasse o ano de 2022 em azul após três anos – superando também alguns prejuízos causados pela pandemia da Covid-19.
Para contextualizar melhor, no caso da venda de Antony, por se tratar do clube revelador do jogador, o Tricolor teve direito a cerca deR$ 100 milhões da negociação. Além disso, o recorde de público nos estádios também contribuiu para o aumento da receita.
Por conta das restrições na pandemia, os estádios sem direito a torcida prejudicaram as metas relacionadas à bilheteria. Na última temporada, portanto, o São Paulo chegou a bater recordes de público – o que foi de grande valia para recuperar este prejuízo.
No total,1.245.901 marcaram presença no Morumbi, número que superou um feito que perdurava 42 anos: em 1980, o local recebeu 1.194.361 torcedores. Assim, em um ano, a receita relacionada a este quesito foi deR$ 8,4 milhões para R$ 64,4 milhões.
Desta forma, a dívida do São Paulo teria caído deR$ 37,4 milhões. A dívida caiu de R$ 642,4 milhões para R$ 586,5 milhões.
Atraso em direitos de imagem
Mesmo tendo fechado o último ano no ‘azul’, o São Paulo tem enfrentado um problema neste ano. Como o LANCE! adiantou, o Tricolor atrasou dois meses de direitos de imagem dos jogadores do elenco.
Para contextualizar, os direitos de imagem representam uma boa parcela do valor que cada jogador recebe por mês. Este atraso teria dois meses completos, mas perto de encaminhar para o terceiro. Recentemente, o Conselho Deliberativo também aprovou quatro novos empréstimos, que como o LANCE! também informou, eram esperados para quitar algumas dívidas com a equipe.
Porém, segundo o diretor de futebol Carlos Belmonte, em entrevista à ‘ESPN’, um destes meses já estaria pago e o clube pretende quitar logo estas dívidas com os atletas.
O lateral-esquerdo Caio Roese é um dos atletas com mais tempo no Concórdia. Natural da cidade e torcedor declarado, o defensor está na sua quinta temporada no clube entre a base e profissional.
Durante a base, Caio ajudou o Concórdia sendo campeão catarinense no sub-17, além de conquistar uma vaga para a Copinha enquanto esteve no sub-20.
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– Sentimento único em defender o Concórdia, pois também sou da cidade. Jogo no time do meu coração e isso é muito satisfatório. Sempre é bom defender aquilo que gostamos – afirmou o jogador.
Ainda vivo no Catarinense, o Concórdia enfrenta o Brusque, nesta quinta-feira, às 19h, Augusto Bauer. A partida de ida terminou em 0 a 0.
– É essencial essa classificação, queremos fazer história na competição, pois ainda teremos o Brasileiro Série D no segundo semestre. Temos boas chances de nos classificar, vamos em busca disso -finalizouCaio.
England captain not fussed about follow-on tactic gone wrong, says knee will be fine for Ashes in June
Andrew Miller28-Feb-2023Ben Stokes, England’s captain, insisted that his team’s pride at playing a part in one of the most gripping Test matches of all time outweighed their disappointment at the final result, after their run of six Test wins in a row came to an end with an incredible one-run loss against New Zealand in Wellington.A packed crowd at the Basin Reserve had been invited in for free by Cricket New Zealand in expectation of a gripping finale, and the two teams did not disappoint. In a thrillingly fluctuating final day, England lost four quick wickets in the first hour before settling into a seemingly match-turning sixth-wicket stand between Stokes himself and Joe Root, only for Neil Wagner’s short-ball approach to break the game open in a scintillating finale.”It’s right up there,” Stokes said. “Going down to the last day, being in the situation of that last half an hour … it’s everything you wish for. Even though we came out on the wrong side of it, you can’t help but feel blessed that we’ve managed to be a part of that incredible game.”It’s disappointing to not win, obviously. But we look at the bigger picture of what everyone’s enjoyed and seen here today. It’s probably bigger than the disappointment at the moment.”One of Stokes’ stated aims since taking over the England captaincy has been to max out on entertainment, and risk losing games in order to win them. That policy has paid handsome dividends over the past year, most especially in Pakistan before Christmas when England’s attacking instincts broke open the series, most memorably in the first Test at Rawalpindi.”That’s obviously a huge objective of ours,” he added. “I don’t want people to get mixed up, [because] that doesn’t mean that we’re not fussed if we don’t win or lose. Obviously, we always want to win. It’s very disappointing to lose, but you can’t help but be excited that we’ve been a part of a game like that.”Related
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'No better game in the world than Test cricket'
Besides being only the second one-run win in Test history, after West Indies’ victory over Australia at Adelaide in 1992-93, this was the fourth time that a side has won a Test match despite being asked to follow-on – and like the most recent occasion, the Kolkata Test in 2000-01, the turning point of the match was arguably Stokes’ decision to enforce the follow-on, after New Zealand had been bowled out for 210 on the third morning.The man himself, however, had no regrets about his call, even though New Zealand’s second innings of 483 – built around a doughty century from the Player of the Match Kane Williamson – meant that his bowlers spent more than 215 consecutive overs in the field.”Imagine captaining in hindsight?” he said. “That’s nothing that I would ever do.”It was always our game to lose once we enforced the follow-on,” he added. “But the logic behind it was that our opening bowlers have ripped through their top-order for three innings in a row. We knew that New Zealand had to pretty much play the perfect game to put us in a situation like this.”In England’s home summer, Stokes’ men had chased consecutive targets of 277, 299 and 296 against New Zealand, followed by a hefty 358 against India, and so despite their tough grind in the field, Stokes insisted that the target this time around, 258, had not left his team daunted.Winning after following on in Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“Batting in the last innings, chasing 250 is something that we were never worried about,” he said. “But give huge credit to New Zealand, not only to the way that they played in the second innings, but also the way that they bowled and managed to get very early wickets with not too many runs on the board.”So in terms of looking back and making my decision around the follow-on, No, I don’t regret it. Other teams are allowed to play better than us and New Zealand have played better than us this week.”England’s next Test assignment is the one-off four-day Test against Ireland – starting June 1 – followed by the Ashes and while they are bound to head into the series with confidence after four wins in five this winter, one area of concern is Stokes’ own fitness. His troublesome left knee was causing him visible pain, both during a curtailed two-over spell in the second innings, and for long periods of his own second innings, a dogged 33 from 116 balls that ended with an off-balance pull against a Wagner short ball.Before the series begins in June, Stokes is due to play a season of IPL with Chennai Super Kings – which he may leave early to prep for the Ashes – but he said he had no plans to withdraw at this stage, instead hoping that the less intense workload of T20 cricket would give him more time to get it right off the field.Ben Stokes batted within himself while managing a knee issue•Getty Images
“I’m not sure exactly,” he said, when asked how his knee was feeling. “There’s maybe three or four months before we get to the Ashes and we’ve worked incredibly hard with our physios and medics to get everything right strength-wise.”But it’s been very difficult out here, especially once the Tests have started, because the games came thick and fast. But it’s a good opportunity out in India to get myself into a position that I feel like I don’t have to worry about my knee anymore.”I’m not going to lie. It is very frustrating knowing that I’ve got something holding me back in terms of my body. It’s been around for a while. It is frustrating, but we’re doing everything we possibly can to allow me to fulfil that fourth-seamer role, like I was able to do two or three years ago. Hopefully, come the Ashes, I don’t have to worry about it.”
Joey Evison falls for heroic 99 after putting up stern resistance with Ben Compton and Conor McKerr
ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-2023
Chris Woakes celebrates a wicket•Getty Images
Warwickshire 453 for 4 declared (Hain 165*, Yates 128, Mousley 94) beat Kent 158 (Bell-Drummond 40, Hasan 3-36) and 281 (Evison 99, Compton 88, Rushworth 3-58, Woakes 3-59) by an innings and 14 runsWarwickshire overcame a superb Kent rearguard action to claim a thrilling LV=Insurance County Championship victory with six overs to spare in the final-day gloom at Edgbaston.The home side won by an innings and 14 runs when Joey Evison edged Hasan Ali behind to fall heartbreakingly for 99 having taken his side so close to salvaging an unlikely draw.When the visitors, having followed on 295 behind, declined to 99 for 7 in their second innings, an ignominious defeat beckoned. But opener Ben Compton (88) and 21-year-old all-rounder Evison added 100 in 25 overs to hoover up much of the afternoon session. Then, after Compton fell in the first over after over tea, Evison and Surrey loanee Conor McKerr added 74 in 27 overs.Kent were within touching distance of a great escape when, with the light fading fast, Oliver Hannon-Dalby returned to have McKerr brilliantly caught by Will Rhodes at fourth slip and then Hasan sealed the win with a luscious outswinger to the heroic Evison.Warwickshire deserved the win, having dominated the match, and their vibrant start to the season hints at a potential title challenge to follow their dismal 2022 campaign. For Kent, the final-day fighting spirit offered some consolation but the thrashing came as a major jolt after their opening-round victory over Northamptonshire.They are at least likely to be boosted by the return from injury of seamer Grant Stewart when they face Essex at Canterbury next week. Whether Matt Quinn recovers in time from a groin injury sustained in this match remains to be seen.Kent resumed on the final morning 27 for 1, needing to bat out the day, but plummeted to 51 for 5 in the first 12 overs. Warwickshire’s seamers continued where they left off the previous day when they took 11 wickets in 52 overs.Compton applied himself assiduously but saw a string of partners perish. Nightwatchman Quinn had his off stump flattened by a Chris Woakes inswinger before four wickets fell to smart work by the slips.Rob Yates took two superb low catches to remove Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning, Rhodes made no mistake to oust Joe Denly and Jordan Cox, having defied for just over an hour for 29, edged to Sam Hain. When skipper Sam Billings decided too late to leave a ball from Hannon-Dalby and deflected it on to his middle stump, it was 99 for 7.Compton and Evison dug in deep, the former enhancing his remarkable first-class batting average of 58, but were parted in the first over after tea when Compton edged Chris Rushworth and Yates took yet another excellent slip catch, this time fast and high and particularly impressive as he saw the ball very late with wicketkeeper Michael Burgess standing up to the stumps.That left Kent’s last two wickets with 36 overs to survive, and they came gallantly close to achieving it before the depth and quality of Warwickshire’s refurbished seam attack had the final say.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Asitha Fernando have been key figures for their teams in red-ball cricket, but are missing from this contest
Madushka Balasuriya21-Mar-2024
Captains Dhananjaya de Silva and Najmul Hossain Shanto pose with the Test series trophy•BCB
Big picture – Key players missing for both sidesIt’s been nearly two years since these two sides faced each other in the longest format of the game. Such is the paucity of Test cricket on offer for teams outside of the Big Three these days – Bangladesh have played eight Tests to Sri Lanka’s 11 since their last contest – there’s not much by way of a body of work to discern any emerging trends in these sides.For Bangladesh, the most recent series at home was against New Zealand – which they drew 1-1, courtesy an emphatic 150-run victory in the first Test – and it offered up perhaps the biggest indicator of their upward trajectory in the red-ball format. The manner of the victory, one that came on a Sylhet surface that offered something for both bat and ball, would have been encouraging, particularly against one of the stronger Test nations.Related
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For Sri Lanka, they recently embarked on a new era with Dhananjaya de Silva taking over the captaincy from Dimuth Karunaratne, with the first and only Test under Dhananjaya a comfortable victory over Afghanistan. Though the sample size is small, Dhananjaya’s proactiveness with both field placements and bowling changes offered a glimpse into what we might expect going forward.Both sides, though, come into this series missing key cogs in their respective wheels.Mushfiqur Rahim’s absence with a thumb fracture would have been a hammer blow, and one that significantly weakens the Bangladesh middle order, while Asitha Fernando’s hamstring injury means Sri Lanka are without a potent and tireless exponent of short-pitch bowling – something that was key in their series win back in 2022, when he grabbed 13 wickets across two Tests.And yes, the recent back and forth stemming from timed-out celebrations and helmet shenanigans also provides a spicy backdrop to the contest. But the less said about that the better.Recent formBangladesh LWWWL Sri Lanka WLLWWThe Tests against Bangladesh will be Prabath Jayasuriya’s first in the subcontinent outside home•AFP/Getty Images
In the spotlight – Najmul Hossain Shanto and Prabath JayasuriyaWhen Sri Lanka last toured Bangladesh in 2022, it was left to Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das to hold fort as the rest of the batting unit largely crumbled. Since then, the likes of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque have begun to step forward more frequently, but with Mushfiqur out injured, this will a rare occasion in recent history that none of Mushfiqur, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah feature in a Bangladesh Test XI.While Towhid Hridoy – one of three uncapped players in the squad – offers unproven excitement, the experience in Bangladesh’s middle order pales in comparison to that of Sri Lanka. With Litton also in the middle of a lean stretch of form, skipper Shanto will lead a side where be Mominul will be the only player with over 50 caps. But with three centuries in his last six innings, and a Player-of-the-Series award in the recent ODIs against Sri Lanka, Shanto is a leader very much capable of leading Bangladesh from the front, in the field and with the bat.For Sri Lanka, with their batting more or less settled, it’s the bowling where there might be some concerns, particularly the absence of Asitha, who has been key to their recent Test successes. While they still boast a good seam attack, much will depend on how left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya fares. Aside from three Tests in New Zealand, Jayasuriya has exclusively operated in home comforts – where he has been hugely effective, grabbing 63 wickets over eight Tests. But this tour of Bangladesh offers him a first opportunity on a subcontinental surface away from home. Spinners have traditionally ruled the roost in Sylhet and Jayasuriya will be aiming to do the same.Team newsBangladesh are likely to hand debuts to middle-order batter Hridoy and uncapped tearaway Nahid Rana. Litton also returns after he missed the New Zealand Tests owing to personal reasons. Mushfiqur and Nurul Hasan are missing from the last team, while Nayeem Hasan could give away his spot to Rana.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Zakir Hasan, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Shahadat Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Nahid RanaAn impressive white-ball show could see Towhid Hridoy make his Test debut•AFP/Getty Images
Sri Lanka’s batting line-up is quite settled and so there are unlikely to be any surprises on that front. The only point of contention will be whether they opt for two or three seamers. Chamika Gunasekara, who suffered a concussion against Afghanistan, is back in contention. If they opt for an extra spinner, Ramesh Mendis could find his way into the side.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis/Chamika Gunasekara, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Vishwa FernandoPitch and conditions – Rain expected in SylhetSylhet is once again expected to be good for batting, but Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe has spotted a green tinge on the pitch, which makes it different from the slightly more barren look from the Test match against New Zealand in November. The Sylhet weather, though, isn’t great: there’s likely to be rain on days two to five.Stats and trivia Mominul is 117 runs off 4000 in Tests. He will be the fourth Bangladesh batter to achieve the feat if and when he gets there Bangladesh are yet to beat Sri Lanka in a Test match in Bangladesh The Sri Lanka trio of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne have more Test caps (273) than the entire Bangladesh squad (271)Quotes”Shoriful played a lot of white-ball cricket so we are giving him time off. He doesn’t need to bowl because he bowled a lot of overs. He is ready to play.” “In any format of cricket, I think experience will be valuable for the side. We have more experienced players in our side like Angelo, Dimuth, Chandimal. So I think yeah, we have a good side.”
Lancashire will look to Hartley and Lyon after succumbing to visitors’ spin pairing
Vithushan Ehantharajah06-Apr-2024
Dan Lawrence had an unexpected impact with the ball on his Championship debut for Surrey•Getty Images
The emergence of Tom Hartley on the Test tour of India months after the acquisition of Nathan Lyon gave us a new slant on a timeless conversation about the domestic game’s duty to English spin. As everyone had their go – while Hartley and Lyon maintained sensibility – all eyes were fixed on Lancashire’s teamsheet for the 2024 county season. Fingers on triggers, hot takes in the chamber.Just over 26 hours later than anticipated, an XI landed with Hartley and Lyon alongside one another, as head coach Dale Benkenstein had indicated on Tuesday, particularly with the Kookaburra ball in use. They ended the first day of County Championship cricket at Emirates Old Trafford bowling in tandem. See? Nothing to worry about.Unless, at this juncture, you are a Lancashire fan. That spell “in tandem” was merely an over each to close out a day’s play that began at 1.10 pm. Surrey had already dismissed Lancashire for 202, with skipper Rory Burns and Dom Sibley seeing out five overs to go in at 11 for no loss. Despite rain scuppering the opening day and first session of day two, the two-time defending champions have wrestled time back. And the irony of ironies was they did so with their own pair of complementary twirlers.Cameron Steel bagged a maiden five-wicket haul of 5 for 25, blazing through Lancashire’s lower order like legspinners are supposed to, but few would expect of him. Dan Lawrence’s offspin exposed the tail, marking his Surrey debut with career-best figures of 4 for 91 from 28 overs delivered at the James Anderson End. The unlikely duo was responsible for the cascade that saw the hosts’ last seven wickets fall for just 42, vindicating Burns’ decision to bowl first.Lawrence triggered that collapse with the vital wicket of Josh Bohannon, surprising the 2023 Division One top-scorer with a bit more turn and bounce than anticipated. The fend to short leg, as straightforward as it was, required two grasps from Jamie Smith under the helmet. Bohannon’s slow departure was of a man dismayed about falling 16 short of a 12th first-class century and irked at succumbing to a bowler who he had struck down the ground with ease for his two sixes.That irritation was compounded when Matthew Hurst was lbw without playing a shot off the next delivery, underestimating the turn to make it 150 for 6. Hartley had to face Lawrence’s hat-trick ball – which he defended soundly – and it was hard not to consider the peculiarity of their respective England careers as they faced off in that moment. They are both, in their own ways, embarking on similar journeys.You could argue Lawrence’s quest in India to add to the 11 caps amassed over the last three years was the collateral for Hartley’s performances. Once the left-arm spinner had shown enough aptitude with the bat while picking up 22 wickets, what compulsion Ben Stokes’ had to pick Lawrence, who has three Test dismissals, dulled.Surrey head coach Gareth Batty made a point of talking up Lawrence’s all-round skills, partly out of necessity with Will Jacks at the IPL. Lawrence’s introduction in the 10th over showed that was not an empty sentiment.With his 10th delivery, he had a maiden dismissal for the club since moving from Essex; a smart return catch diving to his left to remove Keaton Jennings, which got Surrey up and running. He was in the scorecard once more when Luke Wells flicked Tom Lawes lazily out to deep square leg. But it was only when Steel spun a beauty through the bat and pad of left-hander George Balderson from over the wicket that, at 150 for 3 in the 55th over, Surrey really turned the screw.A sharp delivery taking the inside edge of Kiwi Tom Bruce’s bat – cooly pouched by Ben Foakes – was Lawrence’s classiest dismissal of the day. It also paved the way for Steel to remove the final four, all caught by Jamie Overton at first slip except for Tom Bailey, who scuffed high to cover.Though Steel had the honour of leading the team off and keeping the ball, Lawrence would have been nourished by the quality and scale of his work. This was the most he has bowled in an innings, beating a previous high of 24.3 overs – the only other time he has bowled more than 20 – in April 2022 for Essex against Kent, which produced his previous best of 3 for 98. This was only the sixth time he has bowled in 42 red-ball innings since.Steel, while acknowledging “one of his best days”, reserved special praise for his partner’s workload “into a gale-force wind”. At times they seemed to exaggerate Lawrence’s windmilling action to resemble the chaotic flailing arms of those inflatable men found in front of American used car lots.A 15-minute delay when the makeshift tarpaulin sightscreen hung on the pavilion blew off and umpire Peter Hartley’s hat flying off most of the way to the boundary were reminders conditions might have the final say in this encounter. That being said, a tacky pitch has already shown enough for the spinners in its first 76 overs.At the very least, Hartley and Lyon should get the chance over the next two days to construct their own riposte to Steel and Lawrence, as well as the discourse.
It’s hard to think of too many positives from this season for Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have been diabolically bad in the Premier League and crashed out of both domestic cup competitions, leaving their campaign hinging on winning the Europa League.
With that said, there has been a shimmer of hope to come out of the club’s disastrous season, which has been the development of their youngsters like Mikey Moore, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
It looks like the Lilywhites want to add to their array of talented prospects by signing Southampton’s Tyler Dibling in the summer as well, but they might be able to save millions by trusting another of Postecoglou’s young signings.
The latest on Dibling to Spurs
Tottenham’s interest in Dibling has been long-established now, with reports on the topic emerging as far back as October last year.
Southampton'sTylerDiblingcelebrates scoring their third goal
However, things picked up in the winter transfer window and have not quieted down since, with reports from late last month claiming that the club were doing the ‘groundwork’ necessary to facilitate a possible move in the summer.
However, it could prove challenging to get their man once the window reopens, as reports from earlier this week revealed that Manchester United and Chelsea are also keen to land the exciting prospect.
On top of that, it could prove an expensive deal, as the same report claimed that it would require a fee of around €40m to get him out of Southampton, which is about £35m, and could be seen as too dear by some for a player who’s scored two goals and provided one assist in 27 Premier League games this season.
Moreover, if the Red Devils and Pensioners are genuinely interested in signing the 19-year-old, there is every chance that the price will increase further.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
In all, while Dibling is an undeniably exciting prospect, it might not be in Spurs’ best interest to splash the cash on him when they need more first-team-ready stars and when they already have another promising winger coming back to the team next season.
The Ange signing who could save Spurs millions
So, with Brennan Johnson still finding the back of the net on a somewhat regular basis, it seems likely that if Dibling is signed in the summer, he’d be used as a rotation option off the right, which seems unnecessary when Yang Min-Hyeok will be back in North London next season.
The North Londoners signed the South Korean winger last summer from Gangwon FC, but due to the K League running from February to November, he didn’t move to England until the end of last year.
It’s easy to see why his team wanted to keep him in South Korea for their entire campaign, as even though he was just 17 at the start, he was incredibly important.
Yang’s 2024/25
Team
Gangwon
QPR
Appearances
38
10
Minutes
3050′
448′
Goals
12
1
Assists
6
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.47
0.20
Minutes per Goal Involvement
169.44′
224′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, he racked up a seriously impressive haul of 12 goals and six assists in just 38 appearances, totalling 3050 minutes.
That means the dynamic teenager, who analyst Joel Kim claims is blessed with “power and pace”, averaged a goal involvement every 2.11 games, or every 169.44 minutes.
After officially joining up with the North Londoners at the end of last year, the Gwangju-born gem was sent out on a short-term loan to Championship side Queens Park Rangers, where he has since impressed.
In ten appearances, five of which have been starts, the “underrated” 18-year-old, as dubbed by Kim, has scored once and provided one goal, which must’ve turned heads back home, as he won his first senior cap for South Korea in late March.
Ultimately, we are not necessarily claiming Yang is a better player than Dibling, but like the Englishman, he’s showing plenty of potential.
So, if Spurs want a backup to Johnson who could develop into something special, promoting the South Korean gem and using the money saved on another area of need seems sensible.
An Eriksen repeat: World-class Spurs star will be "interested" in leaving
The incredible international would be a massive loss for Spurs.
Chelsea has a huge fixture in the UEFA Conference League coming up on Thursday night. Enzo Maresca’s side face Polish side Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their quarter-final clash away from home.
It has been a flawless campaign in the Conference League for the West Londoners. They have played eight games and won them all, scoring an impressive 29 goals and conceding just six. In the last round, they knocked out Danish giants FC Copenhagen.
Chelsea'sEnzoFernandezcelebrates scoring their second goal with Levi Colwill
One of the key players in the Conference League for Chelsea this season has been Christopher Nkunku, although his form across all competitions has not been as consistent.
Nkunku's form in 2024/25
It has certainly been an indifferent campaign so far for France international Nkunku. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has played 39 times across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and grabbing five assists in that.
Christopher Nkunku scores for Chelsea
The Conference League has really been where he has done his best work. In seven appearances so far in the competition, the former RB Leipzig star has scored five goals and registered three assists. That included two goals and one assist in the 8-0 thrashing of FC Noah at Stamford Bridge.
However, it has not been plain sailing for the Chelsea attacker in the Premier League, where he has just five goal involvements in 26 appearances. He has struggled to break into the starting lineup under Maresca, having played 907 minutes and the equivalent of ten full 90-minute games.
Manchester United legend turned pundit Gary Neville has been critical of the Frenchman this term. After Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat away to Brighton in February, Neville described his performance as “useless” and said it is “time now for him to step up”.
Who knows what the future holds for the Frenchman, with GiveMeSport recently reporting that he could be “plying his trade elsewhere” next season. If this is the case, perhaps the Blues have the perfect replacement waiting in the wings.
Chelsea’s in-house Nkunku replacement
Chelsea’s esteemed Cobham academy has produced some extraordinary footballers over the years. Perhaps the next player from Cobham who could break into the first team at Stamford Bridge will be striker Donell McNeilly.
It has been a sensational season for the London-born 19-year-old. In 19 games for the Blues’ academy this term, he has scored 12 goals and grabbed two assists. That includes 11 goals in 17 Premier League 2 appearances.
There was a spell between the end of September last year and the middle of January when McNeilly simply could not stop contributing to goals. In fact, he had ten goals and assists in an eight-game spell in the Premier League 2.
The teenager’s goalscoring run has continued, and he now has two goals in his last two games in the Premier League 2. One of those was a sweetly struck volley against Aston Villa, which he hooked back across goal with an outstretched right leg.
McNeilly has also impressed for Chelsea in the EFL Trophy in which he scored once against Bromley. As per Sofascore, he won four ground duels and completed 80% of his passes in the same game. It was a similar story against Cambridge United, in which he won seven from ten ground duels.
McNeilly stats per game in EFL Trophy
Stat
vs. Bromley
vs. Cambridge
Mins played
72
60
Touches
29
32
Pass accuracy
80%
75%
Duels won
5/9
8/11
Tackles won
2/2
3/3
Shots
4
3
Goals
1
0
Stats from Sofascore
Football scout Antonio Mango described McNeilly as “the most inform youth Striker in England” in 2024, and it certainly seems like that is still the case. He has been on fire at youth level and has continued to impress outside of his goal-scoring prowess.
If Nkunku is to depart Chelsea this summer, they might well have his replacement waiting in the wings, just ready to explode at the highest level.
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Liverpool have defied expectations to move within an inch of the Premier League title, Champions Elect, after the ruling of the majority consigned the Reds to a fight for top four before a ball had been kicked.
How wrong we all were. Even the most optimistic Liverpool supporters will have harboured doubts after Jurgen Klopp shocked the world and stepped down from his throne after nearly nine years, Arne Slot replacing him last summer.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot
It’s remarkable that he’s done it without making any meaningful first-team investment, dealt with contractual problems and managed a squad bearing weaknesses across several areas.
Centre-forward Darwin Nunez’s woes have been at the forefront of the drama.
Liverpool's striker conundrum
Liverpool signed Nunez from Benfica three years ago. He was 22 at the time, giddy from a clinical season in Portugal and arriving off the back of a staggering £85m transfer fee that, with all clauses met, would make him the most expensive player in Liverpool’s history.
Darwin Nunez for Liverpool
But it hasn’t worked out. Nunez is heading toward the end of the season, having made just eight Premier League starts under Slot’s wing, lacking the streamlined potency that the Dutch tactician seeks out.
In fact, Nunez has only scored 25 Premier League goals across his three years as a Liverpool player, playing 90 times and missing 53 big chances across the time span.
While Liverpool are expecting to break the bank and sign a new number nine this summer, it’s frustrating that Nunez was ever signed in the first place. The passion’s there but he hasn’t made it work.
You almost think that, with Diogo Jota in the mix, his signing could have been avoided altogether if Liverpool had invested more time in Dominic Solanke, who left at the start of his pro career to join Bournemouth for £19m in 2019.
Given that he’s now Tottenham Hotspur’s star striker and record signing too at £65m, Liverpool must harbour some level of regret that they didn’t keep the faith, especially given that Nunez has failed to impress.
Tottenham's Dominic Solanke
It’s a cautionary tale, one that Liverpool might want to bear in mind as they shuffle through their summer plans. Indeed, FSG are in danger of repeating their Solanke blunder.
Liverpool's new Solanke
Liverpool are planning to bolster Slot’s squad with several new parts this summer, but exits will also be considered.
The transfer chiefs will need to ensure they get it right, though, and avoid a repeat of the one-time Solanke sale through the potential departure of Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool player Harvey Elliott
Elliott has been on Liverpool’s books since he was 16, poached from Fulham. Now 21, the Englishman has racked up a considerable number of senior appearances for the Reds, 141, having clinched 33 goal involvements and won a host of major honours besides. He’s a super-talented young star.
And the data really does speak for itself. As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for all of goals, assists and shot-creating actions recorded per 90.
A slick passer and able ball-carrier, Elliott also ranks among the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
Despite his limited involvement this term, the England U21 star has enjoyed some rather standout moments, further illustrating his natural prowess in attacking situations, his ability to spark something out of nothing.
That goal against Paris Saint-Germain will gather more dust than perhaps it deserves in the sprawling library of Champions League history – for Liverpool were defeated in the return leg at Anfield – but there’s no denying it was a seismic strike, his third on Europe’s elite stage this season.
Oh, if FSG and Slot were to convene and conclude that Elliott’s future is best served away from Merseyside, Liverpool would no doubt be able to bank a decent sum, as the club did with Solanke way back when.
Newcastle United are among the early contenders, report The Chronicle this month, and Liverpool have thus slapped a £40m price tag on their young playmaker.
But, looking at Solanke’s journey since, it might be a little frustrating that he wasn’t kept on the books, or perhaps loaned out across a string of seasons to foster his natural ability.
Tottenham might be in a pit of despair at the moment, but the England striker has proved himself a talented and dynamic frontman for a forsaken outfit, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists across 31 starts in all competitions.
However, Solanke scored 21 goals across 42 matches for Bournemouth last season and is effectively playing a hopeless part for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs.
In any case, given that he’s risen to be one of England’s top strikers who fetched a large sum last summer, Liverpool might want to think long and hard about letting Elliott leave as he’s just starting out.
Harvey Elliott in the Premier League (LFC)
Season
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
24/25
12 (0)
0
1
23/24
34 (11)
3
6
22/23
32 (18)
1
2
21/22
6 (4)
0
0
20/21*
0 (0)
0
0
19/20
2 (0)
0
0
*Spent season on loan at Blackburn
Stats via Transfermarkt
The previous two top-flight campaigns have seen the talented midfielder make real headway under Klopp, whose regrets over not playing him more were made clear when he left last year.
If Newcastle offer Liverpool £40m, it would be a financial boost but one which could definitely come back to bite the Reds down the line.
Former Liverpool U18s head coach Neil Critchley once praised Elliott for his ability to create “magic” for his side, for his teammates. Liverpool won’t want to lose that magic element as they venture into the unknown, especially since Slot’s set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity this summer anyway.
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