Category Uncategorized

As INEOS look to hand Ruben Amorim the squad he needs to finally help the club turn back towards the top of English football, Manchester United are reportedly weighing up a move to sign an Andre Onana heir.

Man Utd transfer rumours

Such is the complexities of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, Manchester United must get things right in the transfer market, especially after Erik ten Hag’s reign arguably left their squad in a worse place than when he initially arrived. With that said, the transfer rumours have, of course, already been coming thick and fast ahead of the January transfer window.

Man Utd sold "one of the best", now he's outscoring Amad in the PL

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing him to depart Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 14, 2024

Names such as Xavi Simons and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson have already been mentioned, with both stars capable of transforming Manchester United’s fairly blunt frontline for years to come. Simons, in particular, would slot straight into one of the two number 10 roles in Amorim’s system to hand the Red Devils an instant boost next to Bruno Fernandes.

The difficulties of the new manager’s system were on show for all to see in midweek when Onana was asked to play from the back only for his pass to fall short of the poorly set Matthijs de Ligt to hand Viktoria Plzen an opening goal.

The mistake once again sparked doubts over Onana’s reliability with a potential heir to his number one role now emerging. According to Alan Nixon, relayed by Give Me Sport, INEOS and Manchester United are now weighing up a move to sign John Victor, who was voted the best player in Brazil after winning the Brazilian title and Copa Libertadores with Botafogo recently.

Impressive Victor could replace Onana

At 28 years old, Victor could finally get the biggest move of his career if Manchester United come calling, before he potentially gets the chance to steal in ahead of Onana and become Amorim’s undisputed number one. Whilst the current Red Devils shot-stopper is still stealing the headlines for all the wrong reasons, the door will certainly be open for another option.

Statistically speaking, it’s no surprise that Victor was voted the best in Brazil either. The goalkeeper kept the most clean sheets and crucially maintained the highest pass accuracy compared to other goalkeepers in a trait that Amorim needs his shot-stoppers to have in abundance.

Victor would be an unexpected arrival, but one that Manchester United would arguably be wise to pursue if Amorim wants a goalkeeper capable of playing the football that he desires on a consistent basis at Old Trafford.

Carlos Corberan steered West Bromwich Albion to their first win in nine away at Hull City on Sunday, as a quickfire Baggies double in the first half secured a 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t the most vintage display from the visitors – who only mustered up five shots all game to the hosts’ superior 13 – but it was a win nonetheless. That would have been a relief for Corberan who was starting to feel the weight of pressure in the dug-out.

Thankfully for the Spaniard, and the travelling contingent who made the journey to the MKM Stadium, a clinical first-half showing ensured a rare win was forthcoming, as Josh Maja and Karlan Grant delivered the goods.

Maja & Grant's important goals

Maja will hope another purple patch in front of goal is coming his way after another goal on the road versus the Tigers, after he also instinctively flicked home his side’s only strike away at Luton Town recently.

The former Sunderland striker scored his team’s second of the day, powering home a header that was put on a plate for him by defender Darnell Furlong, taking his Championship goal tally for the campaign up to nine strikes as a result.

Grant also celebrated a goal of his own on Humberside, with a deflection helping his powerful effort beat Ivor Pandur in the Hull net, before the Baggies number 9 delivered another sucker punch shortly after.

Both players didn’t last the full 90 minutes, but the attacking duo would be well aware come full-time that their efforts were key in a much-needed victory coming home to the Hawthorns.

However, it wasn’t exactly the most jaw-dropping display from the Baggies, who struggled in attacking areas as much as they excelled, with Tom Fellows out-of-sorts throughout.

Fellows' performance in numbers

Fellows started this second-tier campaign like a runaway train, with his performances inevitably going to tail off at some point.

Picking up three assists during his side’s opening four games in the league, only two more have come Fellows’ way since, with the West Brom academy prodigy in no danger of adding to his assist collection away at Hull.

Minutes played

54

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Accurate passes

6/8 (75%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

3/7

It was a sorry outing for the youngster at the weekend, managing to accumulate just 17 touches of the ball and six accurate passes before Corberan substituted him early into the second half, for Everton loanee Lewis Dobbin to gain a run-out.

Also failing to complete a single successful dribble, or even test Pandur with a shot, the England U21 international might well find he’s out of his manager’s first-team plans for West Brom’s next league encounter with Norwich City after the lengthy break.

There isn’t an overwhelming abundance of options at Corberan’s disposal down the right flank, however, with Dobbin notably underwhelming in Fellows’ place with just one accurate pass registered from his 38 minutes on the pitch. Thus, the ex-Huddersfield Town manager will be left scrambling over who he could pick here.

He could unleash Grady Diangana down the wing again, who is capable of playing down either channel, or he could also give Jed Wallace more minutes, as the ex-Millwall man is equally versatile enough across the midfield to slot in here on request.

Whatever he does decide to do with this area of the pitch, Corberan will just hope more wins are notched up moving forward away from falling victim to another poor run of form, with the Spaniard celebrating his 100th game in charge of the Baggies in a victorious manner at Hull.

West Brom wasted £10.6m on Hawthorns flop who earned more than Maja

West Bromwich Albion fans won’t look back on this flop’s time at the club with much fondness.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 8, 2024

Stumps Bangladesh blended smart bowling with patient batting on the second day of the Mount Maunganui Test to keep things in their favour against New Zealand, who wouldn’t be too pleased with their first-innings score of 328, their lowest at home against Bangladesh. But what would have frustrated them more was seeing the visitors reach 175 for 2 at stumps, with Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudul Hasan Joy bringing up half-centuries.Bangladesh became only the second visiting team in the last eight years to bat more than 50 overs for the first two wickets in New Zealand. And by the end of the day, they were just 153 behind.The Bangladesh openers, under fire after a poor Pakistan series, predictably began circumspectly.Shadman Islam’s only forceful shot early on was an authoritative pull off Tim Southee, while Joy struck both his fours before the tea break behind the wicket. They lasted an hour together before Shadman fell for 18 off the first ball after the drinks break, when he chipped one back at Neil Wagner, who had to dive forward to complete the catch.Shanto made a nervous start to his innings, getting struck on the stomach first ball before edging one, which fell short of first slip. At the other end, Joy struggled too, especially against the moving ball. He had luck on his side when Wagner chose not to review an lbw call that ended up showing three reds, perhaps believing it had taken the inside edge.Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up three wickets on the second day•Getty Images

“It was quite windy today. There was a good noise. It sounded like an inside edge. I asked if he nicked it. The guys behind the stumps said no. Two guys from my end of the stumps said they heard a noise. They said he hit it,” Wagner explained after the day’s play. “I thought if he didn’t hit it, it was dead (plumb). We all made a collective decision. I think it is part of the game. The umpire also thought there was a noise so didn’t give it out. Unfortunately, from what I heard, it is the other way. I guess that’s how it goes.”But Joy was solid with his defensive work, hardly playing at anything outside the off stump, and focusing on picking up runs on the on side whenever the bowlers strayed.Shanto was the busier of the two batters, hitting 64 off 109 balls. He struck seven fours and a slog-swept six that brought up his half-century. He drove the ball well on both sides of the wicket, and his best shot was possibly the cut he played against Wagner, when he moved well outside his leg stump and threaded the ball through gully and point.He fell in the last hour when Wagner got rid of him with a conventional outswinger coming from over the wicket. Shanto’s uppish drive was well caught at gully by Will Young.Earlier in the day, New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 70 runs, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz picking up three of those. He had Kyle Jamieson caught at long-on, Southee at short midwicket, and Wagner caught behind in a burst that kept the home side on the back foot.Henry Nicholls, who made 75 off 127 balls, struck 12 fours in a bid to counter-attack as wickets fell at the other end. He was the last man to go when he fell reverse-sweeping Mominul Haque, caught at short third-man.

Sean Dyche will hope his Everton troops come back from the international break with the bit between their teeth, as the Toffees hunt down more points to push away from the dreaded relegation spaces.

Before the break, the Toffees had begun to turn their fortunes around slightly, with no defeats in their last three Premier League contests, which included picking up a crucial 2-1 win over Crystal Palace to secure their first three points of the campaign.

Dyche will definitely want more from leading man Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has seemingly now managed to wrestle free of his injury demons but hasn’t quite been able to recapture his goalscoring best this season just yet.

Calvert-Lewin's form this season

The injury-prone 27-year-old can at least hope that tag is less spoken of as he moves forward, with the Toffees number nine yet to miss a league clash this campaign.

That doesn’t mean he’s firing on all cylinders, however, as the 6 foot 2 attacker has only bagged two goals so far from seven league clashes, as Dwight McNeil leads the way as Everton’s top scorer with three, over his Sheffield-born teammate.

With Calvert-Lewin now being remarkably linked with a transfer switch to Juventus, owing to his contract coming to an end at Goodison Park next year, it will be intriguing to see if the Merseysiders are tempted to part ways at all, having had to be extremely patient with the 27-year-old’s injury issues over the years.

It is also being reported that the long-standing Toffees servant is in talks over putting pen to paper on a new deal too, with Calvert-Lewin hopeful he can help himself to more strikes as the games drag on this campaign.

Whilst Dyche’s men pray that Calvert-Lewin can enter into a rich vein of goalscoring form after the break, one former Everton flop is currently outscoring the Toffees number nine, despite exiting Goodison Park as a major dud.

The player now outscoring Calvert-Lewin

The player in question is former Barcelona youth player Sandro Ramirez, who joined Everton in the summer of 2017 as a flashy and exciting new purchase.

Now, however, Toffees supporters will want to discard any memory of the Spanish striker from their minds, as the Merseyside outfit endured a nightmare when it came to the goal-shy forward.

Ramirez would only make 16 forgettable appearances in England in total, helping himself to just one paltry goal during his cursed stint at the club, before returning permanently to more comfortable shores in Spain with SD Huesca in 2020 on a free transfer.

The Toffees dud has managed to resurrect his playing days back in his native country, and when it comes to the infancy of this campaign in particular, the ex-Everton number nine is starring in attack for Las Palmas.

Amazingly, the Las Palmas number 19 boasts one more goal in league action playing in La Liga than Calvert-Lewin and he’s scoring a goal every 134 minutes, far better than Everton’s leading man.

Far outperforming his xG too which comes in at 1.22, Ramirez has been a constant source of entertainment for his current employers this season so far, with a sensational free-kick against Athletic Bilbao the pick of the bunch from his early catalogue of strikes.

Of course, it’s all about whether the 29-year-old can keep up this form over the course of an entire season, but he will be relieved that he is starring for Las Palmas in the here and now, after bruising his ego significantly during his switch to England.

Calvert-Lewin will hope he can pick up his third goal of the early campaign when the Toffees travel to Ipswich Town when the international break concludes, as Dyche’s men aim to rise up the league standings away from any talk surrounding transfer misfires.

Everton wasted £30m on Silva signing who earned far more than McNeil

Everton threw away so much money with this unsuccessful signing.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 13, 2024

Openers Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad hit aggressive fifties, while Andre Russell returned to action

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2021Afghanistan combined a belligerent batting performance with tight bowling to stomp to a 56-run win against a somewhat lethargic West Indies in both teams’ second and final warm-up match for the T20 World Cup 2021. Mohammad Nabi opened the bowling for Afghanistan and bowled his four overs straight through to return figures of 4-2-2-3, completely stifling West Indies’ chase. Nabi bowled 22 dot balls out of 24, conceding only two singles off the bat all through.Nabi’s effort came after both openers hit fifties for Afghanistan, off the blocks with a tear right from the first over. Hazratullah Zazai made 56 off 35, while Mohammad Shahzad hit 54 off 35, as the opening stand realised 90 runs in 8.5 overs when Zazai fell. Afghanistan didn’t let up after that, as Shahzad then took charge.Shahzad, who had last played a competitive senior-level game more than a year ago in the Shpageeza Cricket League final in 2020, showed no signs of rustiness.The Afghanistan batters were helped by some wayward bowling by West Indies, with the innings having seven wides and four no-balls, along with a smattering of hittable deliveries. New-ball bowlers Obed McCoy and Oshane Thomas – who are likely to compete for one spot in the playing XI – were particularly loose, giving up 71 runs in the six overs they bowled. The West Indies’ fielding was also lacklustre, with overthrows, catches put down and moments where they didn’t commit fully to chasing or stopping the ball – perhaps mindful of any injury possibilities.Afghanistan’s momentum slowed only after both openers had gone, with West Indies slowing things up a bit through spin. However, they still built a formidable total.Hazratullah Zazai hit 56 in 35 balls•ICC via GettyWest Indies’ chase was in early trouble with Nabi establishing a stranglehold over the run rate. He bowled all his overs at a stretch, and when he was done, West Indies were 27 for 3 in seven overs.Nicholas Pooran rode his luck early on via a dropped chance and some edges, but got the run rate moving for West Indies. However, with the required rate having ballooned early on to more than two runs a ball, West Indies needed all their big-hitters to come off, and that didn’t happen.The one positive for West Indies was the return of Andre Russell from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the best part of IPL 2021’s second leg in the UAE and the first warm-up match. Russell bowled two overs, including the final one of the first innings, in which he conceded just four runs with a tight display. Russell was sent in to bat at No. 6, but while his bowling rhythm showed signs of having returned, he couldn’t find his timing with the bat.The frugality of the early overs meant Afghanistan could keep Rashid Khan back for the second half of West Indies’ innings, and as always, Rashid proved tough to get away. Roston Chase, who is likely to be the batter around whom a big-hitting line-up does its work, stayed the course of the innings after walking in to bat on the third ball of the innings, ending with 54 not out off 58 balls. The lack of pace and wickets early on meant a very slow start for Chase, but he picked up some pace in the second half of the innings, taking 35 runs off the last 25 balls he faced.However, with the big-hitters who got some time in the middle not really coming off, that was never going to be enough.Defending champions West Indies will thus enter the tournament proper with losses in both warm-up games, this defeat coming on the back of one against Pakistan. Afghanistan had lost against South Africa in their opening warm-up game, but will be pleased with how their overall game came together in this one.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do União Suzano na estreia do time na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior não veio, mas o empate em 1 a 1 com o time do Ituano, nesta terça-feira, no Estádio Francisco Marques, teve um sabor especial para o jovem atacante Vitinho.

RelacionadasVascoCom dois de Figueiredo, Vasco tem boa atuação e goleia o Lagarto (SE) na estreia da CopinhaVasco05/01/2022FlamengoSaiba como ir aos jogos do Flamengo na Copinha na Arena BarueriFlamengo05/01/2022PalmeirasCom cinco casos de Covid-19, elenco do Palmeiras se reapresenta na Academia de FutebolPalmeiras05/01/2022

Em sua estreia oficial pelo Javali das Palmeiras, o atacante teve uma boa atuação ao protagonizar jogadas ofensivas importantes e, por conta disso, acabou saindo aplaudido pelos torcedores do União Suzano.

+ Confira a classificação final do Campeonato Brasileiro 2021

O camisa 11 analisou a partida e aproveitou a oportunidade para fazer uma projeção do confronto desta sexta-feira, diante do Concordia, que foi goleado pelo Fortaleza por 6 a 0 nesta terça.

+Com cinco casos de Covid-19, elenco do Palmeiras se reapresenta na Academia de Futebol

– O time do Ituano se defendeu bem e aproveitou um contra-ataque que teve logo no início e saiu na frente, mas nossa equipe não se desesperou e conseguiu um empate importante. Agora é manter o foco e se concentrar para o próximo jogo. Pelo resultado que teve hoje, o Concordia, assim como o nosso time, precisará da vitória na próxima rodada. Precisamos entrar em campo com atenção redobrada – afirmou.

Manchester United are back in action this weekend as the Premier League returns from the international break, but the Red Devils could be about to lose a first-team player before their encounter with Southampton, according to a recent report.

It has been a frustrating start to the new season for Erik ten Hag’s side, as despite having a strong summer of transfer activity, his side have won just one of their opening three league games.

Man Utd flop sold by Van Gaal is now outscoring both Rashford & Garnacho

The incredible talent just couldn’t get to grips with life in Manchester.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 9, 2024

Manchester United transfer news

Manchester United brought in five new players during the summer, but the Premier League side are already getting their plans in place for the January transfer window and next summer.

The club has already been linked with a number of players, despite the transfer window shutting over a week ago. The Red Devils are said to have watched defender Ali Sahin Yilmaz in action during the last week for Turkey’s under-20s, and the scouts present at the game were said to have been left impressed.

As well as looking at Sahin Yilmaz, it has now been reported that Man United are also interested in signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. The 26-year-old is said to be among the players that United are monitoring ahead of next summer, as they look to strengthen in defence, midfield, and out wide.

Eze remained at Selhurst Park this summer and has already impressed, grabbing one goal in three Premier League games. Eze’s arrival at Old Trafford may depend on what happens to winger Antony, as the Brazilian has been linked with a move away from the club in recent days.

£200k-a-week ace pushing to leave Manchester United

According to The Sun, Manchester United’s Antony is pushing to leave the football club this week, as he has interest from Turkey. The report states that the Brazilian is keen to leave United this week, with José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe in pole position to sign the attacker on loan for the remainder of the season and the Turkish transfer window closing on Friday.

As well as Fenerbahçe, he is also being monitored by his former club Ajax, as well as teams from Spain, France, and Saudi Arabia, though it is only the Turkish outfit who could get a deal done in the next 72 hours.

The 24-year-old has reportedly told the Red Devils that he wants to leave, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co are seemingly happy to cave, with United themselves said to be keen on pushing through a loan deal.

Antony signed a £200,000 per week deal two years ago after leaving Ajax, but has struggled to adapt to life in England. The Brazilian played 44 times in his first season at the club, scoring eight goals and grabbing three assists, but that was as good as it got, as last season he played 34 times in all competitions and scored just three times. This season, Antony has featured just once, and it was a short cameo in the game against Brighton.

In the last four to five years, Arsenal have been utterly transformed, both on and off the pitch.

The North Londoners have gone from languishing down in eighth and breaking their transfer record on players like Nicolas Pepe to fighting for the title and bringing in stars like Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have been instrumental in this overhaul, and as such, their signings in recent windows haven’t been met with too much scrutiny, but that cannot be said for their business a few years ago.

In fact, back in 2021, one of the club’s newest players was torn into by Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville following his debut, and to say he has since proven them wrong would be an understatement.

Ben White's debut

Yes, the player in question is right-back extraordinaire Ben White.

The 26-year-old played as a centre-back in his first season at Arsenal following his £50m move from Brighton & Hove Albion and made his debut in the club’s opening game of the 21/22 season away at the then newly promoted Brentford.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, he struggled during the match and was one of the more disappointing players in what was an embarrassing 2-0 defeat for the visitors.

Following the game, Sky Sports’ Carragher and Neville then analysed the performance, going particularly hard on the new signing, focusing on his height, lack of experience, and naivety at the back.

Now, while the pair were indeed right to label it as a disappointing debut from the Pool-born ace, the suggestion that he would continue to struggle for the North Londoners has since been proven very wrong.

Moreover, while fans might point to his positional switch as vindication of the criticism, that was mainly down to the arrival of William Saliba, as in March 2022, he played 90 minutes for England as a centre-back, and losing your place in the lineup to the sensational Frenchman is nothing to be ashamed of anyway.

White's Arsenal career since

So, while Sky’s punditry tag team was certainly right to flag some issues with White’s debut back in 2021, it would be fair to say that in the three years since, he has wholly quashed any concerns people might have had about his ability to play for a top team.

In fact, the Gunners’ defensive “warrior”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, hasn’t just become an important player for the club; he’s become practically undroppable.

According to the Standard, his form has forced Jurrien Timber to play more on the left this season, when the initial plan last summer was that he would offer the Englishman more competition on the right.

White’s Arsenal career

Appearances

138

Goals

6

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, the fan favourite, who isn’t so well-liked by other fanbases for his on-field antics, has now played 138 games for the North Londoners, starting 39 at centre-back and 94 at right-back, with the other five being substitute appearances.

He has also become more of an attacking threat alongside Bukayo Saka and Odegaard down the right flank and has ten assists and six goals to his name, including the club’s 10000th in all competitions.

Ultimately, while his start to life as an Arsenal player was shakey, White has since more than justified his original price tag and new £150k-per-week deal while establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the country.

Related Arsenal teen who's "the fastest star at Hale End" could replace Martinelli

The promising 18 y/o has a bright future ahead of him.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 17, 2024

The deal, which sent eight future draft picks to Colorado, reflected a change in emphasis for one club, evolved approach for another

Zoom out, and it seemed like a bit of an absurd trade. Last week, Philadelphia and Colorado came to an agreement that would see the Union send eight MLS draft picks, spread out over three years, to the Rapids for an initial $350,000 in general allocation money. To the outsider, the Union were parting with up to eight valuable assets, for a middling financial return.

But what the trade really did was tell the story of the differing schools of thought around the MLS draft. Since its advent in 2000, the annual SuperDraft has been a reliable method for bringing in talent. But in recent years, with improving MLS academies and the increasing appeal of the league – both at home and abroad – the way teams have approached it has changed.

The transaction, then, was indicative of a far bigger picture.

"Philly have decided it's strategically not worth their while to dedicate resources to the collegiate draft because we're spending so much time and energy on our academy," Rapids Sporting Director Fran Taylor told GOAL. "We're just not in the most talent rich area. So we are open to recruitment opportunities at different parts of our development pathway."

• Getty
  

  The Colorado perspective

  For the Rapids, this all made a lot of sense. For some time, they have used the SuperDraft more efficiently than most sides. That can come in multiple ways. In some instances, its the acquisition of high level talent that can make an impact in the first team – immediately or a few years down the line.

  "I think it comes from a belief that there's just inefficiency in player development. It's hard to predict outcomes," Taylor said. "We live in a on a huge continent with 30 professional clubs, and we're all running around trying to find the best players…. and so you have these inefficiencies that are out there for teams to take advantage of."

  This is a geographic issue, too. Colorado is, in the broader scheme of things, an isolated MLS club with a less rich talent pool to dip into than most. And while Taylor insisted that the Rapids have made strides in improving their academy setup, college soccer is vital for their improvement as a club.

  "If it's not in our local market, we got to get on minimum two-and-a-half-hour flight to find a decent game of football someplace. It's just hard. So that makes it a challenge to keep tabs and properly evaluate and track talent across the U.S.," Taylor said.

  And that's where the draft comes into play. Most of the players the Rapids bring in are known quantities. Sometimes Colorado has tracked them since their youth or club soccer days. In some cases, they have tried to sign them to academy deals, only to see them choose the college route instead.

  "We might have tried to recruit in the academy space and they don't want to relocate for whatever reason, and they don't go to an MLS Academy, and then they go to college. So we have information on some of those guys," Taylor said.

  But college consolidates all of them. There are very few surprises these days. The Rapids tend to keep tabs on all of the top freshmen. Older players are either siphoned out of the system, or too far down the line in their development to be worthy of a pick or roster spot, Taylor admitted.

  Still, there are some gems. Colorado knows this well. They executed one of the best value-for-money moves in recent memory with the signature of Moise Bombito in 2023. The Canadian center back had an unusual career path. After spending his youth career in Montreal, he went to junior college, before rounding out his collegiate career in New Hampshire.

  He then signed a Generation Adidas contract, and went 3rd overall to Colorado. After impressing in MLS, the Rapids sold him to Nice in a deal worth up to almost $11 million. Eight figures came off a player they had spent next to nothing on.

Advertisement

• IMAGN
  

  Philadelphia and their academy

  The Philadelphia approach is markedly different. Look at the outgoing transfers from MLS clubs to Europe – which tends to be a solid indicator of player pools – and the results suggest that the Union academy is an excellent developer and exporter of talent. Brenden Aaronson, Paxten Aaronson, Cavan Sullivan, Mark McKenzie and others all came out of Philadelphia. Each of them routinely nets them a handsome transfer fee – which can then be reinvested.

  "If we want to also drive our revenue concept by capitalizing on the investment we are doing in the academy with player sales. Then we need to adjust a little bit to what the transfer market requires from us," Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said.

  And more importantly, they can be embedded into the first team. Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn are just recent examples of academy talent who have made an impact at the top level. Others will undoubtedly come. A look at the Union's success in youth tournaments also paints a valuable picture. They have won two straight U17 Generation Adidas Cups. Their teams routinely beat top academies in Europe and South America. Piece it all together, and the picks simply aren't worth it.

  "The answer is quite simple, because we have so much academy talent coming up that we almost don't have any place or any roster spots for additional players," Tanner said. "And we are of the opinion that our academy boys are superior."

  And for the young players, the ones with resale value? The Union would rather them come out of their own academy, coached in their way, at the right age, to move on.

  "The transfer market is getting younger and younger, and the main targets right now are somewhere in between 20 and 24 and that's a little bit late when you get the player for when he is already at 21 or 22," Tanner said. "You are losing a lot of development time because what you want to sell."

  Still, Tanner admitted that this remains something of a wager. There is, he insisted, talent to be found coming out of the collegiate ranks.

  "It's a gamble, a little bit. You can get a decent player, that's for sure," Tanner admitted.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  How others treat the draft

  But those two aren't the only MLS clubs with differing approaches. Charlotte FC, which came into the league in 2022, lies somewhere in the middle. They are perhaps more talent-rich than Colorado. But they have also used their draft picks in smart ways, rounding out their first team with a number of faces from the college ranks.

  "[College has] been a key part of our roster build," Charlotte FC assistant GM Bobby Belair said. "We came in three years ago, and we found it really difficult to find domestic players… so our strategy was, 'Look, let's go out and be really good in the college game.'"

  It has helped Charlotte become more sustainable, too. At first, Belair said, the club relied heavily on significant investment in international talent to compete. And while their expansion draft allowed for them to pick up a few pieces – and trade for some GAM cash – the selections from their early days in the college draft are starting to come good.

  "Now we have starters that are coming through such as Andrew Privett and Patrick Agyemang," Belair said.

  And perhaps more importantly, Charlotte are comfortable letting their college talents take time to develop. It's a question of patience.

  "Ultimately, we just have to admit that our development system here in America is completely different than the rest of the world. And if people can't get through that idea that some of these players are just going to be a few years behind normally when players would be coming out and making their professional debuts, then it's OK," Belair said.

  It comes down to more than just the draft, but Charlotte has steadily improved over its trio of campaigns in MLS. Last year, it made the playoffs outright for the first time. In 2025, there will be other moves – a transfer for Newcastle winger Miguel Amiron is rumored – but perhaps another draft prospect could put them over the edge.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Imagn
  

  The next frontier

  Still, there remains the question of what's next. MLS is becoming more relevant on a global scale, academies are growing, and youth investment is only going to increase. There is talk of the college system switching to a fall-spring calendar to mimic the sport worldwide. At his pre MLS Cup state of the league address, commissioner Don Garber admitted that the draft might be less relevant going forward. The trade between Philadelphia and Colorado suggests that some clubs are thinking that way.

  But there are others who insist otherwise. For Colorado, that means looking beyond U.S. borders and into Canada. The Northern neighbors have just three MLS clubs, a far less-developed professional league, but deep roots in the college soccer system. Bombito, who started for Canada in the Copa America semifinal, stands as evidence that there is still value to be found through the draft.

  "You got to pay attention to the Canadian Premier League and players coming out of clubs like St Laurent or Vaughn FC, because there's good players there… Toronto and Vancouver and Montreal cannot capture all of the players in their markets. That's why you see so many top college players being Canadian," Taylor said.

  And perhaps that's what really defines it all. Colorado views this aging system through a proactive lens – a means for value when others have turned in a different direction. Philadelphia have all-but shunned it altogether. Other clubs, such as Charlotte, are somewhere in between. Either way, there is still talent. It's just a question of whether clubs choose to use it.

  "There are still players to be found. And until there ceases to be players to be found in the collegiate draft, we will continue to pay attention," Taylor said.

Chelsea have spent £252m on a midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Roméo Lavia, with all three joining the club during 2023.

Fernandez (who joined first in January) made 40 appearances for Chelsea last season in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing three assists while Caicedo made 48 appearances last campaign, scoring one goal and registering four assists. He also played a part in the club keeping 11 clean sheets.

Lavia spent the entire season out through injury, missing 43 fixtures through various problems including hamstring and ankle issues, only managing one appearance in the 2023/24 season which lasted 32 minutes.

It's evident the future of Chelsea's midfield looks bright, however, and in Andrey Santos they have another option to slot in before too long.

Andrey Santos' loan spell so far

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has returned to Strasbourg on loan for the 2024/25 campaign following a successful loan spell there for the 2023/24 season. Santos made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, scoring one goal and contributing to two clean sheets.

The 20-year-old midfielder was signed from Vasco for around €20m (£16.8m) in January 2023, with the deal being agreed the month prior. The Brazilian youngster had already impressed, captaining his youth national team, and earning a senior call-up.

Impressively, Santos has scored two goals in his first two games this campaign, playing 180 minutes and proving to be a key figure in the Strasbourg side.

Santos vs Fernandez & Caicedo

Both Caicedo and Fernandez could be in trouble as Santos goes from strength to strength and offers an extremely complete midfield profile, described as a "superb" box-to-box midfielder by scout Jacek Kulig.

FBref's "similar players" feature compares Santos to Fernandez, as well as Arsenal midfielder, Declan Rice, which just shows the complete nature of this midfield profile.

So, how do they all compare? We've got the answer.

Goals

1.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Progressive Carries

2.00

0.67

1.07

1.60

Progressive Passes

5.50

3.67

3.57

7.20

Shots Total

1.50

1.00

0.36

1.20

Shots on Target

1.00

0.33

0.00

0.40

Key Passes

2.50

1.00

0.36

0.80

Tackles

5.00

3.00

3.21

0.40

Blocks

1.00

0.67

1.79

0.80

Interceptions

0.50

0.00

2.14

1.20

These metrics are from the 2024/25 season so are based on minimal data so far. However, this really shows the strong start Santos has made in Ligue 1, coming out on top in six of the nine metrics assessed.

Santos has scored one goal per 90, scoring two in two so far, while also recording 1.50 shots, with one of those shots on target per 90 minutes. This goal threat is far superior to any of the other midfielders here, who haven't scored yet and also aren't known for their goalscoring qualities.

An area these midfielders are known for is their progressive passing and Santos is right up there for those metrics too, averaging 5.50, bettering the numbers of the Chelsea pair, and only 1.70 less than Rice.

Rice and Caicedo are well known for their defensive abilities, and Santos is actually averaging more tackles than both, with five per 90, compared to Rice's 0.40, and Caicedo's 3.21 per 90.

Mix this defensive output with his passing progression (also making 2.50 key passes, the most of all the midfielders here), and you can see why Santos is a hybrid of Fernandez and Rice, which could spell trouble for Caicedo if his form continues.

Chelsea already had their answer to Osimhen in Mourinho's "big-game player"

Chelsea already had box dominator who was their answer to Osimhen

2 ByConnor Holden Sep 4, 2024