فاز نادي الهلال السعودي على الدحيل القطري، بنتيجة هدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.
الهلال واجه الدحيل، على ملعب المملكة أرينا بالسعودية، في إطار الجولة الأولى من مرحلة الدوري لمواجهات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.
وتقدم نادي الدحيل، بواسطة لاعبه الجزائري عادل بولبينة في الدقيقة 37، وعاد فريق الهلال وسجل هدفين متتاليين، عن طريق ثيو هيرنانديز وداروين نونيز في الدقائق 57، 67. أهداف مباراة الهلال والدحيل اليوم في دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة
أهداف المباراة | الهلال السعودي 2 – 1 الدحيل#دوري_أبطال_آسيا_للنخبة#قنوات_الكاس | #منصة_شوف pic.twitter.com/UKBDBEUacu — قنوات الكاس (@AlkassTVSports) September 16, 2025
وبتلك النتيجة، يحصد فريق الهلال، 3 نقاط أولى في دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا ويحتل المركز الثالث في ترتيب مجموعة الغرب، ويتساوى مع الثنائي المتصدر بنفس عدد النقاط الأهلي السعودي والشارقة الإماراتي.
بينما فريق الدحيل القطري، يحتل المركز العاشر في ترتيب نفس المجموعة لأنية “غرب” في دوري أبطال آسيا بدون نقاط.
طالع.. فيديو | الأهلي السعودي يحقق ريمونتادا مثيرة أمام ناساف الأوزبكي بمستهل مشواره في دوري أبطال آسيا
بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة، تقام بنظام مرحلة الدوري (دور المجموعات) من 24 فريقًا مقسمين إلى 12 فريقا لأندية الشرق ومثلهم لأندية الغرب (التي تمثل المنطقة العربية).
ويخوض كل فريق 4 مباريات على أرضه و4 مباريات خارج ملعبه، في مواجهة ثمانية أندية مختلفة، وتتأهل 8 أندية من كل منطقة (شرق وغرب) إلى دور الـ16، والذي تقام مبارياته من ذهاب وإياب، لتتأهل الأندية الفائزة إلى ربع النهائي.
واعتبارًا من دور الثمانية (ربع النهائي) تلعب مباريات البطولة بنظام التجمع (التأهل من مباراة واحدة) في دولة واحدة تم اختيار دولة السعودية لاستضافة تلك المباريات.
Shamar Joseph could play his first Test in his home nation while Nandre Burger could return for South Africa
Firdose Moonda14-Aug-2024
Rain didn’t allow a result in the first Test at Trinidad•AFP/Getty Images
Big Picture: West Indies, South Africa look to go back to winning waysThat competitive edge we were hoping for in the series opener showed itself on the last day of the rain-affected match, where both teams did all they could to avoid a draw. In the end, too much time was lost to rain and they had to settle for Test cricket’s first draw in 28 matches. The teams will want to get back to winning ways in Guyana.Happily, the elements are not expected to have as much of an impact and more play should be possible. Both teams have plenty of things to work on. At the outset: getting a batter (or two) to convert a start into a three-figure score will be top of mind. Three South Africans – Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs – and one West Indian – Alick Athanaze – scored half-centuries in Trinidad and there were nine other individual scores in the 30s, which suggests that getting in was less of an issue than staying in. The placidity of the pitch aside, batting in this series appears to be a test of patience and the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite and David Bedingham, who are known for their ability to hold vigils in the middle, could be among those to watch out for.For bowlers, the challenge of Test cricket is always time-based as they seek to stay disciplined for long periods. This series appears to demand more than most as Jayden Seals – who bowled eight spells in South Africa’s first innings in Trinidad – and Keshav Maharaj – who sent down 40 successive overs in West Indies first innings – showed. We’ve seen excellent examples of persistence and quality of skill which should continue into the second Test, where there’s plenty at stake.Keshav Maharaj put in long shifts during the first Test•AFP/Getty Images
West Indies remain rooted to the bottom of the World Test Championship points table and are seeking their second win. Their next assignments are against Bangladesh in the Caribbean followed by a tour to Pakistan, and they will want to maximise all the home advantage they can. The drawn first Test means South Africa will face each of their next seven Tests in this World Test Championship cycle as a must win. If they manage a perfect record, their chances of qualifying for the final will be almost certain. If they slip up somewhere, they could still get to Lord’s but will have to rely on other results, among teams who play far more than they do, to go their way.Form GuideWest Indies: DLLLW () South Africa: DLLLWIn the Spotlight: Alick Athanaze and Kyle VerreynneAlick Athanaze fell eight runs short of a first Test hundred in Trinidad, helped save the Test and looked comfortable against the short ball, and used the sweep shot well. His composure against South Africa’s more experienced players – Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – was also impressive. He has already been identified as a key cog in the revival of West Indies’ long-format fortunes and could underline that with another big performance at a place in which he has historically done well: Guyana. Athanaze has played two first-class matches in Providence and crossed fifty three times. He scored 66 against Guyana in 2019, and 81 and 97 against Jamaica in March 2023.Kyle Verreynne will hope to find form in Guyana•AFP/Getty Images
If South Africa want the option of playing only six batters, they will have to believe Kyle Verreynne can score big runs when needed. He’s had a stop-start time in the Test squad, was dropped for the now-retired Heinrich Klaasen, and faces some competition from Ryan Rickelton. So, Verreynne will want to make use of the opportunities he gets quickly, he has not gotten past 39 in his last five innings. But he will want to draw from his first-class success, where he averages almost fifty, to find form in Tests.Team News: Burger, Shamar likely to returnIt would seem amiss not to play Shamar Joseph at home, especially as he is yet to play an international at Providence. After Gudakesh Motie went wicketless in Trinidad, Shamar may be in, leaving Jomel Warrican as the primary spinner.West Indies (Probable XI): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Jayden Seales, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shamar JosephSouth Africa were comfortable going into the first Test a bowler short but with the series on the line, they may have to sacrifice the length of their line-up to equip themselves with enough firepower to push a win. That could mean benching Ryan Rickelton and choosing between left-armer Nandre Burger or an extra spinner in Dane Piedt to give them a 6-5 split.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder/Dane Piedt, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Nandre BurgerPitch and Conditions: Tough outing for the batters?With only two Tests played at this ground, and the last of those 13 years ago, there is scant data to go on for what to expect here, but the first-class numbers may tell us something. In 2023, it hosted three red-ball matches and the average first-innings score of 206, which suggests that batters are in for another tough outing. The venue seems to offer enough for both seam and spin with quicks taking 67 wickets in 2023 at 20.20 and an economy of 3.35 and spinners 49 wickets at 21.20 with an economy rate of 2.55.There are some afternoon thunderstorms forecast throughout the match, but the outlook is mostly sunny and dry. The players may need a few extra drinks breaks, though as temperatures will hover in the upper-30 degrees range but with humidity above 90%, so the real feel will be closer to 40 degrees.Stats and Trivia: There have only been two Test matches played at Providence before and West Indies have a 1-1 record. They lost to Sri Lanka by 121 runs in 2008 and beat Pakistan by 40 runs in 2011. Aiden Markram had never been part of a drawn Test before the Trinidad match. He was part of a 37-game streak in which games have either been won or lost by South Africa. Kagiso Rabada needs five wickets to get to 300 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he could be the fastest South African to reach the landmark by number of balls. Rabada has bowled 11,596 balls in Tests so far. Dale Steyn, the quickest South African to 300 wickets by number of matches, got there in 12,605 balls. That gives Rabada 168.1 overs to get to 300 quicker than Steyn. In 15 home Tests between 2018 and 2021, Jason Holder took 64 wickets at an ave of 16.4. Since 2022, in six home Tests, he has seven wickets at 58.85.Quotes”On the previous game, there was obviously a little bit of frustration. We felt that with a little bit more time, a result could have been possible. Games ending as draws are few and far between and it wasn’t the case of both teams playing super well over five days. I’m yet to be in that situation. It would be nice to be involved in a test where both teams play at their best and at the end of the day, you can’t get a winner. Test cricket has become attacking. That’s an obvious thing because of T20 cricket. But in these conditions, I think it can be a bit tough to be overly attacking in slow wickets.” “Batting-wise, in the first innings we could’ve put more runs on the board. I think that’s a big focus of ours and bowling-wise, the pitch didn’t offer much, especially the fast bowlers. They [the bowlers] didn’t get much spin in the first innings as well, but we were quite disciplined.”
The start of Celtic’s competitive season is right around the corner.
A week on Sunday, the Hoops begin their Scottish Premiership title defence when they welcome St Mirren to Parkhead.
Celticmanager BrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
After that, they’ll travel to Pittodrie for a Scottish Cup Final rematch against Aberdeen, while there’s plenty more for supporters to get excited about throughout August, with an Old Firm derby at Ibrox and a Champions League play-off tie to come later in the month.
Thus, with the new season rapidly approaching, Brendan Rodgers is doubly eager to get his new recruits over the line.
Celtic's search for a new centre-forward
Ever since Kyōgo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £10m in January, the Hoops have been in the market for a new striker.
Following last mid-week’s pre-season friendly victory over Stade Rennais, Rodgers stated that he wants “to add to our front line” having “lost a lot of goals” in recent months, given that Nicolas Kühn has also departed for Como for around £16.5m.
In terms of pure centre-forwards, Shin Yamada has arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for around £1.5m, so will challenge Adam Idah for the starting number nine spot, but Rodgers will still want more.
Mathias Kvistgaarden appeared to be their top target since January, but he has instead decided to join Norwich City from Brøndby for a reported fee of £6.9m, leaving the Scottish champions searching for an alternative.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, Rodgers does have previous when it comes to unearthing unknown strikers as Celtic manager, namely signing Moussa Dembélé nine years ago, so could he be about to do something similar?
Could Celtic sign a highly-rated young striker?
As Celtic scour far and wide for a new striker, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman claims they should go all in and sign Richard Kone from Wycombe Wanderers.
He believes, should he make the move to Glasgow, Kone “would thrive massively at that level” adding, given that Celtic “dominate games and create chances”, he would score plenty of goals.
Back in January, Luton Town had a £6m bid rejected by the Chairboys for Kone, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, likely to cost even more than that now.
To support this, a week ago, it was documented that Celtic have an interest in Kone, with the young marksman believed to be worth around £7m.
Richard Kone
Speaking on CBS’ Morning Footy, Wycombe legend Adebayo Akinfenwa noted that “if Hollywood was going to have a script for a story, this would be it”, given that Kone arrived in England to represent Côte d’Ivoire at the Homeless World Cup in 2019.
He then represented Athletic Newham in the Essex Senior League, England’s ninth tier, for five years, before being scouted and signed by Wycombe in January 2024, following an extended trial.
Richard Kone
Well, what a find this has proved to be, with the 22-year-old scoring 25 goals in 73 appearances for the Buckinghamshire-based EFL League One outfit, named both the division’s Player and Young Player of the Season, having netted 18 times in the league.
Let’s assess his statistics from League One last year to underline why he scooped up both accolades.
Richard Kone 2024/25 EFL League One statistics
Statistics
Kone
League 1 rank
Goals
18
3rd
Shots
100
5th
Shots on target
40
5th
Shots per 90
3.28
3rd
Successful dribbles
44
16th
Big chances missed
16
6th
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore
As the table notes, only two players, Charlie Kelman and Jay Stansfield, both of whom were playing for clubs who got promoted, scored more goals than Kone, while he ranked highly for every attacking metric included.
His performances certainly impressed writer Kai Watson, who labelled him a “mentality monster”, adding that “aggression, positioning and work rate” are amongst his strengths.
So why could he be a repeat of Dembélé’s arrival from 2016?
Well, before joining Celtic, the Frenchman had made just 64 senior appearances for Fulham, the vast majority of which had come at Championship level, so few could’ve forecast that he burst onto the scene as he did, scoring 32 goals during his first season at Celtic, five of which came in the Champions League.
Thus, there is certainly precedent for a young, inexperienced striker joining Celtic from the EFL and exploding into a top-class centre-forward.
If you’re not yet convinced by the déjà vu, listen to this; Kone’s non-league Athletic Newham are based on Atlético Madrid, they wear the same kit and their badge is nigh on identical, and with whom did Dembélé win La Liga? You guessed it!
Celtic now submit £1.5m bid to sign 17 G/A forward, they've had a response
The Hoops have made a formal approach for an attacker, who was regularly among the goals in the 2024-25 campaign.
He underwent scans after reporting soreness following the third ODI, where he bowled a spell of sustained short balls
Andrew McGlashan27-Sep-2024
Cameron Green underwent scans following the third ODI in Durham•Getty Images
Australia face a nervous wait on the fitness of allrounder Cameron Green after he was ruled out of the final two ODIs against England with a back injury.Green underwent scans after reporting soreness following the third ODI in Durham, where he bowled a spell of sustained short balls, and will undergo further assessment on returning home to understand the full extent of the injury. He has already left the tour.”Cameron Green has sustained a back injury and will play no further part in the ODI tour of England,” a Cricket Australia statement said. “Scans in London overnight revealed the injury after Green reported soreness following the third ODI against England in Durham. He will return home for further assessment where his return to play management plan will be determined.”Green has previously suffered stress fractures of the back as he was coming through the domestic system and again in 2019, the year before he made his Test debut.”Obviously disappointing for him,” Travis Head said after the Lord’s ODI. “He’ll go home and get things sorted. I don’t know a hell of a lot of details but he’s been through these things before, Cam, it’s disappointing but he’ll know the way to get back.”While no timeline has yet been laid out for any potential layoff, if Green was sidelined for an extended period, it would have various knock-on effects to Australia’s planning for their home summer, and particularly the Test series against India, beyond the fact Green was appearing to re-establish himself in the Test side after the 174 not out in Wellington.Related
Green in doubt for India series with surgery on the table
Australia sweat on Green as selection for India becomes complicated
In spite of injuries and illness, inevitably Australia find a way
Cummins: Having allrounders in the top six 'huge'
If not Steven Smith, then who? Australia's opening debate
He is currently a key figure amid the debate about the structure of Australia’s top order and where Steven Smith bats. If Green wasn’t available there would be a middle-order vacancy which would allow Smith back to No. 4 and the potential of a specialist opener coming in alongside Usman Khawaja.Earlier this month, head coach Andrew McDonald said the incumbent top six of Australia’s Test side would, barring injury, be the players who start the series against India but whether Smith will open was up for debate.If there was a need to bring in a player from outside that group it would open the door for the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris. Renshaw was the reserve batter during the series against West Indies and New Zealand earlier this year following David Warner’s retirement.Then there would be the loss of Green’s overs. Last month Pat Cummins talked about his expectations that Green and Mitchell Marsh would have a vital role to play in sharing the workload with Australia’s frontline attack during the Tests. If it was only bowling that proved an issue for Green there would be the option of playing him as a specialist batter.”We know with Cameron Green, he has had stress fractures in his back in the past. Let’s hope it’s not that,” Ricky Ponting said on . “They still have the option of playing him as a batsman if it’s not too bad.”Without Green’s bowling it would put the spotlight back on Marsh’s role. He had not bowled since picking up an injury during the IPL until taking the ball at Lord’s where he removed Will Jacks in his second over. Marsh’s lack of recent bowling had not been a significant concern for the limited-overs teams with a number of pace-bowling allrounders available.Green had been expected to feature in at least one Sheffield Shield match in October before the start of Australia’s home international season. Pakistan visit for T20Is and ODIs ahead of the Tests against India which start on November 22 in Perth.
استكملت اليوم السبت منافسات الجولة الثالثة من بطولة دوري روشن السعودي، وذلك بعدة مباريات قوية أبرزها الاتحاد والنجمة، والنصر ضد الرياض.
والتقى النصر مع الرياض، على أرضية ملعب “الأول بارك”، واستطاع الفوز بخماسية مقابل هدف.
وفي مباراة أخرى أقيمت اليوم بين الاتحاد والنجمة، نجح الأول في تحقيق الفوز بهدف دون رد، على استاد مدينة الملك عبد الله الرياضية.
فيما شهدت الجولة أمس الجمعة مواجهات، القادسية والخليج، والفيحاء ضد الشباب، وكذلك الأهلي ضد الهلال في قمة نارية.
طالع أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري السعودي بعد ثنائية مالكوم وإيفان توني في مباراة الهلال والأهلي
وتعادل الهلال مع الأهلي، بنتيجة 3-3 على أرضية استاد مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية في جدة، بينما فاز القادسية على الخليج بهدفين مقابل هدف.
ويتصدر النصر جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 9 نقاط، بينما يأتي الاتحاد في المركز الثاني متساوياً مع النصر بنفس عدد النقاط، بينما يأتي القادسية في المركز الثالث بـ 6 نقاط. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي
1- النصر: 9 نقاط.
2- الاتحاد: 9 نقاط.
3- القادسية: 7 نقاط.
4- الخليج: 6 نقاط.
5- نيوم: 6 نقاط.
6- التعاون: 6 نقاط.
7- الهلال: 5 نقاط.
8- الأهلي: 5 نقاط.
9- الاتفاق: 4 نقاط.
10- الشباب: 4 نقاط.
11- الفيحاء: 4 نقاط.
12- الخلود: 3 نقاط.
13- الرياض: 3 نقاط.
14- الحزم: نقطتين.
15- ضمك: نقطة واحدة.
16- الفتح: نقطة.
17- النجمة: بدون نقاط.
18- الأخدود: بدون نقاط.
يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي محدث باستمرار من هنا
Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, but NZ eased their way to the target of 107
Sidharth Monga20-Oct-20242:01
Manjrekar: Rachin looking like one of the best overseas batters in India
The exhilarating Bengaluru Test got the climax it deserved, with New Zealand made to work hard to complete their first Test win in India in 36 years. Under overcast skies, the ball seamed around appreciably, Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, and the crowd appealed almost every ball, but New Zealand absorbed it all to ease their way to the target of 107 once things settled down a touch.Will Young was the calming influence after Bumrah got Tom Latham second ball of the day, but Devon Conway did his bit – jumping around, wearing blows on the body, but not playing loose shots. By the time Bumrah finally got Conway for 17 off 39 balls, he was at the fag end of his spell and New Zealand had scored 35 already. The fielders did their bit, having saved at least 11 runs by then.But once again India’s misreading of the pitch came back to hurt them. They didn’t have a third seamer to exploit the conditions, and Young and Rachin Ravindra knocked off the remaining runs with relative ease.4:44
Rohit: ‘Except the first two-three hours, we played very good Test cricket’
While Bumrah bowled, though, you struggled to see where the next run would come from. He drew 22 false shots in eight overs, consistently drawing movement off the surface. Latham might have thought he had the accurate inswinger covered, but the ball pitched and nipped in even further to get him. Conway thought he had the angle covered from around the wicket, but this one swung after pitching, beginning to change its path halfway between pitching and reaching Conway, beating the outside edge and trapping him in front.Bumrah was in his seventh over now, and Ravindra, the first-innings centurion, all but sealed the deal when he got two boundaries off the first three balls he faced. He steered the first one behind square, and then got the rare loose ball from Bumrah – a full one on the pads.Young then paddled and punched Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries in his first over to get the package ready. Not trusting the Bengaluru weather to hold up after lunch, the two batters attacked the spinners to put a nice little bow on the top. Young’s drop-kicked six off Kuldeep Yadav was even Mark Waugh-like.India made a remarkable comeback from being bowled out for 46 in the first innings, but in the end, New Zealand hung in long enough to seal only their third Test win in India and their first since 1988.
حددت الجهات الأمنية، عدد جماهير مباراة منتخب مصر أمام نظيره غينيا بيساو، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026 في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.
ويلتقي منتخب مصر، مع غينيا بيسارو، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأخيرة من التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 على استاد القاهرة يوم 12 أكتوبر المقبل.
طالع.. حكم مباراة منتخب مصر وجيبوتي في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026
وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن اتحاد الكرة تلقى خطابًا رسميًا من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم بشأن إقامة المباراة يوم الثاني عشر من أكتوبر على استاد القاهرة.
وحصل اتحاد الكرة على موافقة مبدئية من الجهات الأمنية لحضور 50 ألف مشجع في مواجهة مصر وعينيا بيساو.
وينتظر اتحاد الكرة، التأهل إلى كأس العالم خلال مباراة جيبوتي المقبلة يوم 8 أكتوبر في المغرب حيث يحتاج الفراعنة الفوز للتأهل رسميًا.
While they might not have spent the truly vast sums of money they have in windows past, Chelsea have still been busy in the market this summer.
As things stand, the Conference League champions’ standout signings are Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, and they are set to secure the highly rated Jorrel Hato any day now.
However, for all the brilliant deals they’ve been able to get over the line, they had to watch Liverpool get their hands on the free-scoring Hugo Ekitiké, who was touted for a move to Stamford Bridge earlier in the window.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike
Fortunately, if reports are to be believed, the West Londoners could be closing in on a player who could be their own version of the French attacker.
Chelsea target their own Ekitike
Now, while plenty has already happened this summer, and it is often hard to keep track of every deal and rumour, it’s true that Chelsea were linked with Ekitike at several points towards the start of the window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, with the Blues clearly focusing on other, more pressing targets, and likely not being quite as interested as some stories suggested they were, Liverpool stole a march on them and secured the Frenchman’s services for a fee of around £69m.
Interestingly, while the former Eintracht Frankfurt star is now obviously no longer available, the West Londoners do appear like they are closing in on another attacking gem who could be their version of him.
Hugo Ekitike.
At least that is according to a recent report from German outlet Bild, which reaffirms Chelsea’s intense interest in the talented Xavi Simons.
The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have now reached a broad agreement on terms with the player himself, and while they’ve not made an official offer to RB Leipzig just yet, it’s believed the German outfit are holding out for a fee of €70m, which is about £61m.
It would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ ability and potential, it would be worth it, especially as he could be their own Ekitike.
Why Simons could be Chelsea's own Ekitike
Now, the first thing to say is that while Simons is an incredibly versatile player and someone who has made a few appearances up top, he is not a centre-forward like Ekitike, but there are still several reasons the former could be Chelsea’s version of the latter.
Firstly, the young Dutchman would also be making his way to a ‘big six’ side in the Premier League from a Bundesliga side outside the traditional big two in Leipzig, similarly to how the Frenchman’s moving to Merseyside from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Second, both players are making their moves at similar ages, with the midfield maestro being just 22 and the exciting centre-forward just turning 23 years old.
The last somewhat surface-level similarity is the fact that both of them spent time playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
Simons joined the French side’s youth system in 2019 and then left and rejoined over the following years until his move to Leipzig was made permanent this January, while the new Liverpool star joined the Parisians in July 2022, and then left for Germany on a permanent deal two years later.
Finally, while the former PSV Eindhoven dynamo is unlikely to match the 22 goals in 48 games Ekitike scored last season at Stamford Bridge due to the position he tends to play in, he still has the ability to be an attacking tour de force, and could help flip games on their head for Maresca and Co.
For example, in just 33 appearances last season, totalling 2763 minutes, the Amsterdam-born “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.
Simons in 24/25
Appearances
33
Minutes
2763′
Goals
11
Assists
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvements
144′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In other words, the sensational talent, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes.
Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Chelsea should be doing what they can to bring Simons to West London this summer, as he could add some real quality to their attack and be an answer to Ekitike.
Sancho 2.0: Chelsea now "pushing" to sign "electric" £40m star after Hato
Manchester United are set to go all out in their pursuit of a midfield general and could now be set to raid one of Europe’s top-five leagues to land their man, according to a report.
Manchester United pull out of Carlos Baleba deal
In recent days, Carlos Baleba had become Manchester United’s main target as Ruben Amorim looks to find someone to set the tone in the engine room, but the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder would cost a club record fee and INEOS have since pulled out of a deal, as per David Ornstein.
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The Cameroon international has remained in training with the Seagulls throughout the short saga and his boss Fabian Hurzeler is ‘very confident’ he will stay on the South Coast, with Brighton’s lofty 9-digit valuation seemingly turning away United’s advances, at least for this summer.
While that pursuit looks to have faded away, Manchester United also have Sevilla star Lucien Agoume on their radar as they look to build a side worthy of competing against the Premier League elite.
To raise financial capital, sales may also be necessary at Old Trafford to generate funds to sanction incomings. In unusual fashion, there is even talk that Jadon Sancho could be used as a makeweight to land Baleba before the close of play.
Carlos Baleba.
Lessons appear to be learned from Manuel Ugarte’s frustrations since moving to the Red Devils. There is still a major appetite for arrivals at the club, but INEOS are adopting a policy of recruiting the best in class to help their mission.
Despite being some way below their former glories, Manchester United are a club that will always hold appeal to the world’s finest stars, and they could now be about to use that charm in their quest to bring in an all-action midfielder who could be an alternative to Baleba.
Manchester United turn attention to Mikel Jauregizar
According to reports in Spain, Manchester United have identified Athletic Club midfielder Mikel Jauregizar as a target. The Spain international is valued due to his versatile nature and ability to cover ground, which led Ben Mattinson to label him “Mr Consistent” last season after a return of three goals and three assists in 48 appearances across all competitions.
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Of course, he scored a stunner at Old Trafford as his side lost 7-1 on aggregate in the Europa League semi-final. However, his contribution to the tie will definitely be remembered by supporters.
Agoume is mentioned again, and so is long-term Manchester United target Javi Guerra, illustrating that INEOS are putting in the leg work to find an exciting midfield addition for Amorim.
After a dreadful campaign last term, exciting times are on the horizon at Old Trafford and there is plenty of anticipation over who could be set to sign on the dotted line.
كشف صابر زكي شقيق عمرو زكي مهاجم الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق، عن حقيقة تدهور حالة “البلدوزر” الصحية خلال الأيام الماضية.
وكان الإعلامي أحمد شوبير قد طالب الجماهير في تصريحات له عبر برنامجه الإذاعي، بالدعاء لعمرو زكي مهاجم الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق، مما أثار جدلًا واسعا حول تدهور الحالة الصحية لعمرو زكي.
وقال زكي خلال تصريحات لبرنامج “الماتش” المذاع على قناة “صدى البلد”: “عمرو زكي بالفعل مريض جدًا من كثرة الكلام الذي يقال، أحاديث غريبة جدًا لا أساس لها من الصحة كل ما أشيع أن حالته الصحية المتدهورة لا أعرف ما الغرض من هذا الكلام”.
طالع | عمرو زكي: هدف ناصر منسي أمام الأهلي “أوروبي”.. ونصيحة للاعبي الزمالك
وأضاف: “لماذا الزج باسم عمرو زكي دائمًا في هذه النوعية من الشائعات وهو مستاء جدًا من الأنباء التي خرجت، ووالدتي حالتها الصحية ليست أفضل شيء وتعبت جدًا وبكت بعد شائعة مرضه”.
واختتم تصريحاته: “شقيقي بدأ الاتفاق مع عدة برامج وخلال العشرة أيام الماضية اتفقنا مع برنامج في أحد القنوات العربية للظهور من خلاله”.