Titular do Confiança na última temporada e confirmado no clube para 2022, o meia-atacante Willians Santana quer um ótimo ano no clube sergipano. Segundo o jogador, seu desejo é buscar números expressivos no Azulão.
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– Estou muito motivado para essa próxima temporada. Tenho certeza que será um grande ano para mim e para todos no elenco. Vou trabalhar muito para melhorar ainda mais meus números neste ano de 2022 – disse.
Segundo Santana, o grupo que vem sendo formado é muito forte e tem tudo para ter uma grande temporada.
– Tenho certeza que o elenco vai fazer uma grande temporada em 2022. Vamos batalhar para ter um ano positivo e que termine com o acesso do clube para a Série B – completou.
Real Madrid have made somewhat of a habit of buying Tottenham’s star players over the years, having previously splashed out on both Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
Now, they’ve got their eyes on more Spurs stars. One of those is defender Cristian Romero, according to reports last month. A Spanish outlet reported that Madrid had sent their chief scout Juni Calafat to watch both Romero and Arsenal defender William Saliba play in the North London Derby.
The Frenchman came out on top, with Mikel Arteta’s side winning 1-0 on the day thanks to a second-half goal from Gabriel. The Spanish giants consider both Romero and Saliba to have “enormous potential” and believe they “could fit into the Real Madrid project.”
Real Madrid interested in Porro as well as Romero
Romero isn’t the only Spurs player Madrid currently have their eyes on. According to The Mirror, the 15-times European Champions are also interested in signing full-back Pedro Porro. The Spanish defender joined Spurs from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth around £40 million in January 2023 and has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s top full-backs and a key player in Ange Postecoglou’s side.
The Mirror add that Porro “remains a focal part of Postecoglou’s plans and Daniel Levy is expected to drive a hard bargain, should Los Blancos come calling”.
The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana previously stated that while Madrid admire Porro, Spurs chairman Levy could be a roadblock in luring the former Manchester City defender to the Spanish capital in the near future.
“The most significant obstacles to any potential move are that he has a contract until summer 2028 and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is known to be a tough negotiator — something executives at the Bernabeu are well aware of, with Madrid having previously signed Luka Modric and Gareth Bale from the north London club,” he explained.
Porro open to Real Madrid move
While Spurs fans will no doubt be hoping they can keep hold of Porro, comments from the player himself suggest that they might not be able to if Madrid came knocking. Speaking with Relevo last week, Porro was asked how it feels to be linked with Madrid.
He replied: “It fills you with excitement, doesn’t it? You have to focus on your work, but the fact that Real Madrid is interested in you is because you are doing things well. That’s how I think about it on a day-to-day basis.”
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“Well, if that moment has to come, it will come. And if it doesn’t, well, I’ll just keep working as I have been doing,” he added.
Asked if he sees himself playing for Los Blancos one day, Porro, on £85,000-a-week with Spurs, said: “Yes. Obviously, because as I told you, I try to work and give my best every day. If I get the chance to make that leap tomorrow, I’ll be prepared.”
أعرب وائل جمعة، نجم النادي الأهلي السابق، عن مشاعره تجاه استاد الأهلي الجديد، مؤكدًا أن أول اسم يستحق أن يُخلَّد على جدرانه هو أسماء شهداء النادي الذين قدموا أرواحهم حبًا في الكيان الأحمر.
وقال جمعة في تصريحات خلال كواليس تصوير إعلان الاستاد الجديد: “إذا أتيحت لي فرصة كتابة اسم على جدار استاد النادي الأهلي الجديد، فسيكون لشهداء الأهلي، فهم الأحق بالتخليد”.
محمد بركات: الأهلي المرشح الأول في الدوري وأبطال إفريقيا.. ويجب الحذر من الهلال
وتحدث مدافع الأهلي التاريخي عن احتفاله حال أتيحت له فرصة تسجيل هدفًا على الاستاد الجديد: “بطبيعة مركزي في الملعب، احتفالاتي لتسجيل الأهداف تكون نادرة، لذا عندما أسجل أريد أن أفعل كل شيء دفعة واحدة”.
كما أعرب جمعة عن أمنيته في حضور لحظة تتويج الأهلي ببطولة داخل استاد النادي الجديد، موضحًا أن هذه اللحظات هي الأكثر سعادة لأي لاعب، وأضاف: “كنت أتمنى حضور لحظة رفع كأس البطولة في استاد الأهلي الجديد، فتلك هي اللحظة الأسعد دائمًا”.
وعن أبرز ذكرياته في مسيرته الكروية، أكد وائل جمعة أن لحظة الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا عام 2006 من قلب تونس أمام الصفاقسي كانت من المحطات التي لا تُنسى في مسيرته، إلى جانب الفوز بنسخة 2012، التي وصفها بأنها “بطولة الشهداء” ولها مكانة خاصة لدى جميع لاعبي وجماهير الأهلي.
ويُعد وائل جمعة أحد أساطير الدفاع في تاريخ الأهلي، حيث ساهم في تحقيق العديد من الألقاب المحلية والقارية، وكان ركيزة أساسية في الإنجازات التاريخية التي حققها الفريق خلال حقبة ذهبية.
When it rains it pours is definitely the sombre expression to sum up the sorry state of affairs at Wolverhampton Wanderers currently, as Gary O’Neil’s men battled with Manchester City well last time out, only to end the tight contest with nothing to show for their determined efforts.
A late John Stones goal for Pep Guardiola’s visitors would swing the Premier League contest in City’s favour by two goals to one, with the winner initially ruled out for offside before being controversially overturned to the dismay of the home masses packed into Molineux.
O’Neil will have bought himself more time with this promising display you imagine, with the Wolves boss under increasing pressure to turn around the fortunes of the basement club, as the likes of Matheus Cunha try to continue to shine for the former AFC Bournemouth boss during bleak times in the West Midlands.
Cunha's form this season
The Brazilian has been a source of positivity for Wolves fans to latch onto long before this campaign, with the entertaining 25-year-old enjoying his best time as an Old Gold player last season.
Cunha would help himself to a mightily impressive 14 goals and eight assists across the course of 36 games, cementing his reputation as a firm fan’s favourite in the process, which has only increased this season as Wolves find themselves rock bottom of the Premier League pile.
He has three goals from eight Premier League games so far, with the Old Gold even more reliant on the firepower of their South American ace, knowing the likes of Pedro Neto are no longer present.
Regardless of Cunha reaffirming his importance to the cause, his wage isn’t the heftiest in O’Neil’s camp by any means, with the former Atletico Madrid man earning a reasonable £60k-per-week pay packet currently, according to reports.
Cunha
In contrast, this ex-Wolves ace is absolutely swimming in cash in his new location, after lining up alongside the Brazilian during the start of his playing days in England.
The player now earning way more than Cunha
When on the books of Wolves still in the top division, midfield star Ruben Neves would only pocket £50k-per-week, with that salary actually coming in as being less than Cunha’s.
Now, however, the Portuguese midfielder has won himself a gigantic pay increase playing for Al-Hilal out in Saudi Arabia, with the former Wolves number eight now on an outrageous £277k-per-week salary.
Top five highest earners at Al-Hilal (24/25)
Player
Wage per week
Wage per year
1. Neymar
£1.6m
£83.3m
2. Kalidou Koulibaly
£555k
£28m
3. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
£400k
£20m
4. Aleksandar Mitrovic
£400k
£20m
5. Malcom
£288k
£14.9m
Sourced by Capology
Amazingly, that steep wage doesn’t see Neves even enter into the top five highest earners bracket at the Middle East outfit, with Neymar taking home a mind-boggling £83.3m per year when scanning the table above.
Still, Neves’ extortionate pay packet for Al-Hilal means he takes home £217k more per week than Cunha does battling it out for the Old Gold, but nobody back at Molineux would accuse their former midfield star of throwing in the towel prematurely to chase down these riches.
Long before a lavish move to Riyadh was even on the cards, the midfielder would score screamers like this one against Derby County on a regular basis for his ex-employers, with Neves even playing for Wolves in the Championship before their triumphant return to Premier League in 2018.
It wasn’t quite the same bumper £277k-per-week wage for him back then – with Neves pocketing a far more modest £30k-per-week – but his former club won’t bother themselves too much thinking about his lavish salary for Al-Hilal, as more pressing relegation concerns are surely on their mind.
Wolves have a dream Kilman replacement in "quality" star who's out on loan
Com o departamento médico quase vazio, o Corinthians segue os preparativos para o duelo de sábado (4), contra o Santo André, pela rodada final da fase de grupos do Paulistão.
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+ Renato Augusto é novamente o destaque do Corinthians; Giovane destoa contra o Santos
Além de Gustavo Mosquito, que se recupera de uma lesão no ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito, Júnior Moraes é o único desfalque no Timão. O centroavante segue cronograma de treinos individuais no campo, e deve ficar de fora da partida contra o Ramalhão.
Como informado pelo LANCE!, o meia Ruan Oliveira está em reta final de recuperação e mais uma vez apareceu nas fotos divulgadas pelo clube, treinando com bola. O atleta pode reforçar a equipe nos próximos confrontos do estadual.
+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!
Na atividade desta quinta-feira, o técnico Fernando Lázaro organizou um trabalho tático de enfrentamento. Após a atividade, alguns jogadores fizeram trabalhos complementares de finalizações e lançamentos.
Cinco jogadores das categorias de base completaram as atividades do dia: o goleiro Kauê; o meia Guilherme Biro, que encaminhou a renovação com o Timão, e os atacantes Arthur Sousa, Pedrinho e Wesley. Mais cedo, o técnico Danilo antecipou que Biro e Pedrinho agora fazem parte do “time de cima”, enquanto o trio vai alternar entre o profissional e Sub-20.
+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Campeonato Paulista
Nesta sexta (3), no período da manhã, o Corinthians realizará o último treino de preparação para a partida diante do Santo André, que acontece no sábado, às 18h30, na Neo Química Arena.
يستعد منتخب مصر للعودة إلي خوض منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم 2026، خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الخاص بشهر مارس الحالي.
منتخب مصر يستعد لخوض مباراتين خلال توقف شهر مارس الجاري، الأولى أمام إثيوبيا، يوم 21 مارس، في الجولة الخامسة، الثانية ضد سيراليون، 25 مارس بالجولة السادسة، ضمن منافسات مرحلة التصفيات المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.
وعلم بطولات، أن منتخب مصر سيدخل مواجهة إثيوبيا في الجولة الخامسة بتصفيات كأس العالم في مارس بلا غيابات بسبب الإيقاف.
طالع | خاص.. لاعب جديد يدخل حسابات حسام حسن لضمه في معسكر منتخب مصر
وأوضح مصدر داخل المنتخب المصري أن اللاعبين الذين تحصلوا على إنذارات خلال الـ 4 مباريات التي خاضها منتخب مصر الأولي في تصفيات كأس العالم، وهم مروان عطية وحمدي فتحي ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه ومحمد عبدالمنعم وأحمد أمين قفه وعمر كمال عبدالواحد، حصلوا على إنذار واحد فقط، لذلك سيكونوا متاحيين حال تم استدعائهم من قبل الجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن.
ويتصدر منتخب مصر، جدول ترتيب المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 10 نقاط، بعد خوض 4 مباريات، مُحققًا 3 انتصارات وتعادل وحيد.
ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، مع منتخبات بوركينا فاسو، إثيوبيا، غينيا بيساو، سيراليون وجيبوتي.
Former WI fast bowler cited the example of Makhaya Ntini and how even though he was a world-class player he is sometimes viewed as a statistic
Firdose Moonda29-Oct-2021
Michael Holding was invited as a special guest to close off the proceedings at the SJN hearings•Getty Images
The term “quota” is an unnecessary burden for players of colour to carry and they should instead be recognised for their abilities and excellence. That was Michael Holding’s message to Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) commission, where he was invited as a special guest to close proceedings.Holding, who authored the book , has been outspoken on issues of race and inequality and called for a shift in mindsets about who is capable as South Africa’s seeks greater inclusion.”The quota system – I have heard that used on so many occasions when referring to South African cricketers of colour, that they are only there because the regulations say they have to be there,” Holding said. “They are never given full credit for their abilities. That is something I have spoken to (former UCB managing director) Dr Ali Bacher about.Related
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“I spoke to Ali Bacher about it in 2003 when I came to do [commentary in] the World Cup. I suggested then that is an unnecessary burden for players of colour in South Africa to carry. When you pick someone just because you think you have to have certain boxes ticked, whether they are good or not. They are carrying an extra burden because there will always be people who say they are only there because regulations say they have to be there.”Despite his critique of the word ‘quota’, Holding understood why South Africa, a country where white minority rule ended just 27 years ago, needs targets to rectify the wrongs of its segregated past but hopes they will give way to organically demographic representation.”I understand initially why that was done. South Africa wanted to see a team and society that represents all of South Africa. And people in South Africa are in a hurry to see that. I suspect that people think that if it is not regulated it will happen very, very slowly and they want to see it happen quicker. I hope that eventually it will not be necessary.”He singled out Makhaya Ntini, the first black African player for South Africa and who has featured in Holding’s book, as carrying the quota label throughout his 11-year international career.”That is a burden that Makhaya Ntini carried throughout his career,” Holding said. “He spoke about it when I spoke to him for the book and I think it is unfair. He was a fantastic cricketer, his record proves that, everybody knows that, and not just in the latter stages of his career. From the early stages of his career he proved his worth and that he belonged there but kept on carrying that burden of being pointed out as being there only because regulations said he should be there.”Ntini finished his career with 390 Test wickets, the third-most for South Africa after Dale Steyn and Shaun Pollock, but Holding said he was never considered a senior player in the national side and was often lonely. Last year, Ntini told on national television that he would run from the ground to the team hotel, and vice versa, to avoid being on the team bus, where no-one would sit next to him. Holding repeated and added to that story.Makhaya Ntini earlier revealed that none of his team-mates would sit next to him in the team bus•AFP
“That is something Makhaya Ntini explained to me. We all know he was extremely fit. We all know the stories of him running to the ground. A lot of people thought it was part of his training regime. When he spoke to me, he explained to me the reason that he ran to the ground and did not take the bus. Because when he went on the bus, he felt as though he did not belong because he was treated as though he did not belong.”He would go for breakfast in the morning, he would sit at a table and his team-mates would come in and sit at another table and leave him by himself at his table. Other team-mates would come in and go and join their other team-mates and leave him at his table. He was trying to comfort himself by saying maybe they just have things they need to discuss among themselves. Later it grew on him that that was not really the reason. He was not considered one of them. He was not considered a full-fledged member of the team. I played cricket. I know about committees that are formed within teams, I know about senior members within teams. There were committees formed within the team, supposedly senior members of the team to discuss things, and he was never called to be a part of that committee. People who joined the team long after him automatically became senior because of the colour of their skin.Although Ntini did not make a submission to the SJN, Holding hopes there are lessons to be learned from Ntini’s anecdotes.”Makhaya Ntini suffered all that. I am thankful to him to bear it out and still be so successful. That shows the strength of character of the man. Hopefully people will recognise, even those who did things like that perhaps did not recognise the hurt and the harm they were doing and the attitude that they had wasn’t right, hopefully they will all learn and recognise their faults and their mistakes and they will be willing to learn and willing to change.”While a shift in mindset is what has dominated discussions around South African cricket culture throughout the SJN, Holding also advocated for a shifting procedure, specifically the scholarship system which takes children out of disadvantaged areas and into elite schools. Ntini was one child, removed from Mdingi where he grew up and taken to Dale College, where he was forced to fit in despite not being able to speak English or having the same socio-economic background as his peers. Holding would prefer that growth happens in the areas where people are to avoid putting them in challenging situations and expecting them to prosper.”What I would like to see is opportunities being equal and everyone being given an opportunity to develop,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of scouts going out and handpicking people and taking them out of their comfort zone, somewhere else for them to try and develop. I would like to see the development process start from where that person is from. Go there and put the infrastructure in place. If you are not as strong a person as Makhaya Ntini, if you don’t have that strength of character, I am absolutely sure he would have fallen by the wayside.”When I talk to him and hear what he went through – going to a school where he could not speak the language – he had to be a strong person of character to go through all that. Not everyone can manage that. I would love to see opportunities given to everyone all over, and not to put them in a foreign environment and hope that they develop, because that is what you are doing. You are hoping.”
“When he comes off like today, it’s very difficult to stop him,” says captain Morgan after Buttler’s 32-ball 71 against Australia
Matt Roller31-Oct-20214:00
Jayawardene: Batting depth allows Buttler, Roy to go hard in the powerplay
There have been higher scores by England players in T20 World Cups but few innings have felt as clinically destructive as Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 71 off 32 balls against Australia in Dubai on Saturday night.Buttler had made nine runs off his first ten balls, watching Jason Roy take the attack to Australia’s new-ball bowlers, when he skipped down the pitch and launched Ashton Agar over long-off over his head. That shot made everything click: from then on he was in the zone, leaving his team-mates in the dugout to marvel at his effortless power and wonder if they had ever seen him play so well.Watch highlights on ESPN+
If you are in the USA, watch the Australia vs England highlights on ESPN+ here in English, and here in Hindi
“There was actually a game that we were talking about while he was going bananas out there – back in 2016, where he scored a 46-ball hundred against Pakistan in a 50-over – where very similarly, he just seemed to hit the middle of the bat over and over again,” Eoin Morgan, his captain, said afterwards. “He’s obviously one of the best players in the world and when he comes off like today, it’s very difficult to stop him.”Related
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Three of Buttler’s sixes stuck in the mind: his one-two off Mitchell Starc, sitting deep in his crease and sending consecutive 89mph/144kph length balls into the stands with a snap of the wrists, the first measured at 94 metres and the second 95, which was quickly followed by a straight hit while skipping down the pitch to Adam Zampa, launching him 102 metres into the second tier.”Every single six that he hit was 15-20 rows back – some 50 rows back,” Liam Livingstone told Sky. “I’ve said it all along: he’s the best hitter of a white ball in the world, and when he gets on a roll like that, there’s no stopping him. That was pretty much the perfect innings, a clinic of white-ball power hitting. It was a pleasure to just sit there and watch a genius at work.”But perhaps Buttler’s most skilful shot was not one that brought him a boundary. In the penultimate over of the powerplay, Josh Hazlewood landed an inch-perfect yorker, homing in on the base of off stump, but Buttler gave himself some room outside leg stump and used his supple wrists to steer the ball into a gap in the covers. Hazlewood could hardly have bowled a better ball, yet conceded three runs.It was a reminder of why Buttler is so valuable as an opening batter, on a night where it seemed far-fetched to think that there had ever been a debate about his best role. His average opening the batting for England in this format is 54.88, with a strike rate of 149.01 to boost; for all the value that he might add to their middle order, it is rare for a player to combine consistency and quick-scoring to the extent that Buttler has.”It’s very minimum movement,” Mahela Jayawardene, who first promoted Buttler to open for Mumbai Indians in 2017, told ESPNcricinfo. “He just hits straight. When you have the option of the scoop, the bowlers are always under pressure with which field to go to.”At the same time, he’s probably one of the best players through the off side as well: he opens himself up and the hands come through. He’s a good player of spin: he has the reverse-sweep, he comes down and hits – we saw the way he controlled Zampa [and how] he never let him settle into that line and length.”It was an innings that will be remembered as one of the best by an Englishman in T20 World Cups, with perhaps only Alex Hales’ 116 not out against Sri Lanka in 2014 and Joe Root’s 83 off 44 in the Mumbai heist of 2016 rivalling it. Buttler’s final strike rate, 221.87, was his highest in an innings of 30 balls or more across his entire T20 career – for club or country.”I think he’s certainly one of our players – and there are a few of them – that are at the forefront of changing the game,” Morgan added. “He’s one of the best players in the world but yet he’s still trying to improve his game and get better against every single bowler that he faces.”It’s not just targeting bowlers that might suit him, it’s every bowler. When you’ve got guys that are at the forefront of change within the game – and positive change, taking the game forward type stuff – it says a lot about the guy.”This was the night that Buttler arrived at the T20 World Cup and announced his intentions for the rest of the tournament. A similar knock in a semi-final or final might just confirm his status as England’s greatest white-ball batter.
Victor Luis está de volta ao Ceará. Sem espaço no Palmeiras, o lateral-esquerdo acertou com o Alvinegro e vai incorporar o elenco de Tiago Nunes em 2022.
+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
Experiente, o jogador espera desempenhar um excelente papel ao longo do ano e entende que está preparado para desempenhar um bom jogo.
‘Estou feliz com essa volta. É uma cidade que eu gosto, e pelas características do grupo também, eu me identifiquei e por isso fiz essa escolha de voltar. O primeiro passo é estar feliz e satisfeito no lugar onde está. E eu estou. Me sinto preparado fisicamente, tecnicamente e psicologicamente. Sempre trabalhar com pé no chão, mas almejando coisas grandes. Acho que é o melhor momento da minha carreira’, destacou.
Competição
No Ceará, Victor Luis terá a concorrência de Bruno Pacheco, titular ao longo dos últimos anos.
‘O grupo é muito qualificado, aguerrido. Um grupo onde a competição interna por posição vai ser forte. Nós temos diversos jogadores qualificados’, afirmou.
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Although Enzo Maresca appears to be building a promising squad at Chelsea which could see them challenge for trophies this season, how much would he love to call on several Stamford Bridge icons from years gone by.
José Mourinho’s squad from 2004-2007 is arguably one of the finest in the club’s history, featuring the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole to name just a few.
Two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup were won during those three fantastic years. Yes, future teams have claimed the Champions League and countless other silverware, but it was Mourinho’s first team which proved to be the catalyst for future success.
Being able to call on players such as Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, Maresca is forming a solid English contingent to have at his disposal.
In terms of attacking talent, the Italian has enough players to fill three teams. Defensively, however, there could be some improvements, especially considering the Blues have conceded 15 goals in all competitions this term.
Imagine if Maresca had someone of Cole’s ability at left-back for the Stamford Bridge side? As the former English defender was certainly one of the finest players in the club’s recent history.
Ashley Cole’s Chelsea statistics
The defender began to make waves with Arsenal around the turn of the century. Under Arsène Wenger, Cole made his senior debut during the 1999/00 season in the League Cup before establishing himself as a first-team star the following campaign.
Cole helped the Gunners win the Premier League in 2003/04, with the club going unbeaten in the process. In the summer of 2006, however, Chelsea were beginning to show interest, and it was clear the Englishman wanted to move.
Ashley Cole’s Chelsea statistics
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2013/14
26
0
2
2012/13
51
1
5
20111/12
48
0
9
2010/11
48
0
5
2009/10
35
4
6
2008/09
49
1
4
2007/08
41
1
2
2006/07
39
0
4
Via Transfermarkt
After 228 appearances for the North London side, Cole joined the Blues for £5m with William Gallas going the other way, not a bad deal.
Over the next eight seasons, Cole would win the Champions League, another Premier League title and a host of FA Cups during his time at Stamford Bridge. More than that, however, was that the defender firmly established himself as one of the best left-backs in the world due to his performances.
Known for his ability to bomb down the left flank with ease, Cole was an attacker’s dream, registering 37 assists during his time at the club. Overall, he made 337 appearances for Chelsea before leaving ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, but it was clear that the Blues managed to have the best years of Cole’s career.
Over the years, many youngsters were hailed as the ‘next Ashley Cole’, yet none of them ever proved they had what it took to succeed the defender.
One of those talents is currently a free agent, having never made the grade at Chelsea, despite spending seven years at the club, making only eight first-team appearances in that time.
Chelsea's next Ashley Cole
The Dutchman played twice for the Blues during the 2009/10 campaign under Carlo Ancelotti, before featuring another six times the following season, with the Italian manager giving the youngster some experience.
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Before that, he spent time on loan with both Newcastle United and Coventry City, playing seven and 20 games respectively for the Championship sides.
He was hailed by Clinton Morrison during his time with the Sky Blues, who said that he could be “the next Ashley Cole” after he shone during a performance against Ipswich Town in 2009.
This should have been a confidence booster, but aside from those appearances under Ancelotti, Van Aanholt never played another first team game for the Blues again, spending time out on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.
Two and a half seasons back in his homeland saw the left-back make nearly 100 appearances, and it was clear he needed steady football to fulfil his potential.
Sunderland swooped in the summer of 2014, finally luring Van Aanholt away from Chelsea on a permanent deal for a fee of just £1.5m.
What Patrick Van Aanholt is doing now
Three seasons at Sunderland saw the former Chelsea starlet finally make some progress, missing just 32 Premier League matches across his three-year spell in the north-east.
While not exactly reaching the heights of Cole, Van Aanholt’s career did begin to blossom. First, he made the move to Crystal Palace, spending a total of four and a half seasons back in London for the Eagles, before making the move to Galatasaray in 2021.
Last term, he made 24 appearances for PSV Eindhoven as they claimed the Eredivisie title, yet he currently finds himself without a club three months into the new season having been released from his contract at the Dutch side.
Patrick Van Aanholt
Aged 34, the left-back is entering his final few years as a professional player and his next move might just be his last.
Once touted as the next Cole, it didn’t quite work out for the player at Chelsea, failing to live up to this earlier potential which had been placed on him by fellow players and supporters.
It is a testament to his character that Van Aanholt still made a solid career for himself, featuring over 200 times in the Premier League along with playing 19 times for the Netherlands at senior level, making the squad for Euro 2020.
In the current team, Levi Colwill appears to be the defender with the highest potential, especially with his current performances despite only joining in the summer.
There will never be another Ashley Cole, as the former England international was a generational talent.
Chelsea wasted £48m on Conte flop who earned 2x more than Madueke does
Chelsea certainly wasted a huge amount on the disappointing big-money transfer.