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Everton have been dealt a “fresh injury concern” regarding a “monster” figure at the club, according to a new update from reliable journalist Lewis Steele.

Big day for Dyche as Everton host Newcastle

The Blues got some much-needed respite last weekend, having won 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace to secure their first Premier League win of the season. For Sean Dyche, the result was particularly important, with the Englishman under significant pressure to keep his job leading up to the match and new owners likely to have their own opinions about his position.

For now, it looks as though the Everton manager is safe, having enough credit in the bank after keeping his side in the top flight last season, but he will know the importance of now kicking on and not facing another relegation battle.

Next up for the Blues is Saturday’s visit of Newcastle United in the league, which represents another chance for them to pick up valuable points before the international break. Granted, the Magpies are the superior team, but all is not going too swimmingly there currently, with injuries in Eddie Howe’s defence and some shocking away form handing the Toffees a serious chance of another positive result.

Another win for Everton at Goodison Park would leave the fans in far more positive spirits heading into the break, suggesting that a massive corner has been turned. That being said, a resounding home defeat would once again raise question marks about Dyche’s long-term future.

Everton suffer injury blow to "monster" figure

According to Steele on X, Everton centre-back Jarrad Banthwaite has suffered a “fresh injury concern” with a quad problem, making him a doubt to face Newcastle this weekend.

Not having the £35,000-a-week-earning Branthwaite available for the showdown with the Magpies would be such a big blow for Everton, considering his only Premier League appearance of the season came against Palace last weekend, coinciding with his side’s first win of the season.

The England international may only be 22 years of age, but he has already become one of the first names on Dyche’s team sheet, with Ian Wright waxing lyrical over him last season.

“He has got everything. You watch how he plays, left-sided as well, he plays out well. Very brave. And then when you listen to his interview he sounds like somebody who is like yeah, I’m there, I’m here. He should be called up. And not only that, he should be played. Let’s have a look at him. I’m telling you we have a monster on our hands at left-sided centre-half. A monster.”

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Angus Sinclair

Oct 3, 2024

As Steele alludes to, Everton’s record with Branthwaite is far stronger than without him, so the hope is that he overcomes this issue and starts at home to Newcastle. Should he be out, the chances of defeat are immediately increased.

Gary Neville has slammed Arsenal defender Gabriel for screaming into Erling Haaland's face during Sunday's win over Manchester City.

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• Neville slams Gabriel for behaviour against Man City
• Brazilian defender trolled Haaland after Odegaard's opener
• Arsenal thrashed Man City 5-1

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard opened the scoring for his side in the second minute of the match as he took advantage of a bizarre mix-up in the City defence. The Gunners celebrated wildly, and Gabriel also made time to troll Haaland, running up to the Norwegian striker and brutally laughing right in his face before joining the rest of his teammates.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Brazilian's over-the-top celebration has not gone down well with ex-Manchester United star and pundit Neville. The former England right-back slammed Gabriel's behaviour on the pitch and labelled his gesture as disrespectful.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  Speaking on after the match, Neville said: "I want to mention Gabriel and what he did to Haaland. It happened to me here, actually. Not here, it was at Highbury many, many years ago. Where a player came up and screamed in my face. We actually won the game 4-2 that day. I actually don't like it. I think it's a bit disrespectful.

  "I get the fact that Haaland's sort of Pantomime villain here today, but there's something about it that I didn't like about it. I was many things but I never did that. I never went and screamed in a player's face. I don't know, I just felt there's something about that I thought made me feel a little bit uneasy, a little bit disrespectful."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GABRIEL?

  The 27-year-old centre-back will be back in action for Mikel Arteta's side on Wednesday as they take on Newcastle United in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, trailing 2-0 from the first fixture.

Arsenal fans have been handed a much needed fitness update on Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori after speculation swirled on social media suggesting he had picked up a knock against Leicester City.

Arsenal leave it late to beat Leicester City

Mikel Arteta’s side needed two stoppage time goals to claim all three points against a resolute Leicester City side at the Emirates Stadium, despite leading 2-0 at half time and seemingly comfortable. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard put them in the driving seat to continue their unbeaten start to the Premier League, but a complacent second half saw them pegged back to 2-2 thanks to two goals from Leicester defender James Justin.

Heroics from Mads Hermansen threatened to deny Arsenal, with the Foxes goalkeeper making 13 saves to keep his side in the game.

However, he was eventually beaten as a set-piece took a deflection off Wilfred Ndidi deep in stoppage time, before Kai Havertz added a fourth with the last kick of the game to ensure all three points for Arsenal, which moved them within a point behind league leaders Liverpool after six games.

Though far from their fluent best and still without several first team options including talisman Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal’s start to the season suggests that they should be firmly in the mix for the title come the end of it.

However, there was concern on the injuries front after Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all missed the clash with the Foxes, leaving Calafiori and Jurrien Timber as the only options for Mikel Arteta at full back.

Calafiori concern and latest injury news

And in the aftermath of the game, Arsenal insider TeamNewsandTix set alarm bells ringing by telling his followers of “unconfirmed reports that Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury”, which left him “apparently in tears after the game”.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted the moment that he appeared to suffer an issue when challenging for the ball late on, before photos surfaced of the Italian defender with his left knee in a compression sleeve in the aftermath of the win.

Having suffered a horror injury to that knee during his time at Roma, and with Timber having suffered a serious knee injury in August last year, there were fears that history may be repeating itself. However, the same source has now since confirmed that Calafiori’s scans have shown no sign of a major injury, which will come as a major relief to Arsenal fans, while Fabrizio Romano has shared an update directly from the manager on Monday morning.

“Calafiori? We’ll see how he feels today, he was a bit emotional after the game,” Arteta has admitted about the Italian’s injury scare.

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It may also mean that Calafiori keeps his place as the Gunners welcome PSG to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, looking for their first win in the Champions League this season after drawing with European Champions Atalanta in Bergamo last week. That news will come as a major boost to Arteta, who is already a big fan of his latest defensive addition.

“He’s really good. He’s adapted really well to the group, his understanding is exceptional and you see he’s a player with an enormous courage and personality to play, so he’s going to give us a lot”, he told the media after he scored in their draw against Manchester City.

With left-back options at a premium in north London, his fitness could be key across the course of the season.

David Beckham’s son Brooklyn and Manchester City icon Sergio Aguero are among the 11 personalities preparing to take on a new adventure in Formula E.

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• Beckham & Aguero getting behind the wheel
• Have six weeks to prepare for race in Miami
• Documentary to be streamed later in 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ‘Formula E Evo Sessions’ are giving prominent figures from the worlds of sport, technology and entertainment the “unprecedented opportunity to get behind the wheel of the world’s fastest electric race car – the GEN3 Evo – and understand what it takes to reach the pinnacle of motorsport”.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Beckham, Aguero and their fellow racing rookies will be “paired and embedded within Formula E’s elite race teams and drivers” as they spend six weeks getting to grips with life behind the wheel. All of those involved will receive “an intense training programme that includes simulator sessions, physical conditioning, driver coaching, hardware customisation and engineering briefings”.

• THE GOSSIP

  After discovering what it is like to perform at the very top of motorsport, their skills will be put to the test during a track event at the Miami International Autodrome (Hard Rock Stadium) on March 5-6 – as they race electric cars that are capable of doing 0-60mph/100kph in just 1.82 seconds, making them 30 per cent faster than Formula 1 cars.

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  WHAT BROOKLYN BECKHAM SAID

  Brooklyn Beckham, the oldest son of Manchester United legend and current Inter Miami co-owner David, has said of the Formula E experience: “I’ve loved motorsport all my life, so when the opportunity came to be a part of Evo Sessions with Formula E, I jumped at the chance. I love it as a sport, but it’s an incredible opportunity to actually get behind the wheel and experience what it takes to compete at the top level of motorsport. The performance of the cars is insane, so I’m pleased I’ll be learning from the best in how to get the most out of them.”

The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual honour in football, and the 2024 winner will be announced on Monday 28th October at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

One player who could be in line to become the latest winner of the award is Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior. The attacker is among the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees, and we have looked at reasons why Vini Jr is among the frontrunners to be crowned in France and become the first Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner since Kaka in 2007.

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1

By
Luke Randall

Sep 4, 2024

1

Another La Liga title

The left-winger helped Real Madrid to yet another La Liga title during a phenomenal 2023/24 season, with Vinicius picking up his third Spanish title.

He chipped in with 15 goals and 6 assists, bettering his tally of 20 goal contributions in 2022/23 in seven fewer games.

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Champions League glory

It was in the Champions League where Vinicius really starred, with Real crowned kings of Europe for a record-extending 15th time with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley.

Vinicius impressed and scored against Dortmund, scoring six goals and registering five assists in 10 Champions League appearances across the campaign. Champions League winners tend to have a greater chance of lifting the Ballon d’Or, so Vinicius’ performances in Europe’s greatest club competition would have caught the eye.

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Huge praise from stars including Neymar

Vinicius has come in for plenty of praise in the media over the last 12 months, establishing himself as one of Real Madrid’s most important players.

Fellow countryman Neymar is certain Vinicius will lift the Ballon d’Or, saying in the summer: “As for Vini, obviously I think the Ballon d’Or is his today. I sent [him] messages before and after the [Champions League final] game. He’s a boy I love with passion, a great friend that football gave me. He will certainly be crowned with the Ballon d’Or.

“He’s incredible. Carrying our country’s flag around the world and we’re really rooting for him.”

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand’s reaction to Vinicius’ Champions League final goal said it all.

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Picking up where he left off in 2024/25

After a hugely successful 2023/24 season with Real and representing Brazil at the Copa America, Vinicius would have been forgiven if he made a relatively slow start to the current campaign.

However, he has carried on his excellent form, and had contributed to 10 goals prior to the October international break, all in just nine La Liga appearances. This included providing an assist in all five league games during September.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 1, 2023

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Market value at a career high

Vinicius’ starring displays on the pitch for Real Madrid and Brazil have resulted in his transfer value increasing to a career-high figure, as per Transfermarkt.

It did sit at €150m (£126m) during the 2023/24 season, but increased to a whopping €180m (£151m) back in June after the Champions League final triumph. As a result, he’s the highest-valued player in Brazil, joint-highest at Real Madrid alongside Jude Bellingham and second-highest in the world behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Harry Kane has revealed the 'special' match he is looking forward to playing in for Bayern Munich at the Club World Cup.

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• Kane eager to compete at the Club World Cup
• Excited to face Boca Juniors
• Bayern face Celtic next in the Champions League

• FIFA
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern Munich have been placed in Group C in the new format of the FIFA Club World Cup, which will kick off in the USA this summer. The Bundesliga side are alongside Auckland City, Portuguese giants Benfica and iconic Argentine club Boca Juniors in the group. They will begin their journey in the Club World Cup against Auckland City on June 15 and on the next day they face Boca in Miami.

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• WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  Bayern's star forward Harry Kane is looking forward to facing the Argentine giants in the Club World Cup as he labelled the encounter as a 'special' match. Kane said: "Yeah, that’ll be a special match. I think it’ll be one of the stand-out matches in the whole of the group phase and in the whole tournament, to be honest. I think it’s a great experience for the players to play against different teams around the world.

  "Of course, we’re so used to playing in Europe and, yeah, it’s good to have those experiences against different types of teams, different atmospheres. I think that game is in Miami, which will be pretty special, as well, with the fan base there. So, again, another experience to look forward to. It’ll be a really tough game but one we’ll enjoy."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The England captain is also looking forward to playing in the global competition in the US as he is excited by the prospect of facing teams from across the globe. Kane added: "Yeah, I think it’s going to be great. I mean, it’s going to be unique, playing this type of major tournament with your club is different to what’s been done in the past but I think it’s going to be a great experience.

  "Going out to the US, as well, a year before the (FIFA) World Cup itself will be a great chance to get to know some of the stadiums and get to know the fans out there. And, yeah, it’s going to be a really great tournament. As always, when it’s the first of any type of tournament, people are wondering how it’s going to go but I’m really excited for it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Vincent Kompany's side will be back in action in the Champions League on Wednesday as they take on Celtic in Glasgow.

A few weeks ago it looked as though Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea had turned a corner. Long gone were the messy days of Mauricio Pochettino, the turbulent times of Graham Potter. No, Todd Boehly had finally found his man. The good times were returning.

Well, perhaps we better pause for a second. The Blues had won five games on the spin in all competitions before they were halted in their tracks by Nottingham Forest prior to the international break.

They then suffered their first Premier League defeat since the opening weekend against Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

It wasn’t a great afternoon for the Londoners. Tosin was perhaps fortuitous not to see red in the first half, Robert Sanchez was suspect again and Cole Palmer was not at his fluid best.

An interesting statement was made before the game too by Maresca who left Mykhailo Mudryk out of the entire squad.

Why Mudryk missed out against Liverpool

Since moving to English football in January 2023 it has not been plain sailing for the Ukrainian winger. Far from it in fact.

Brought to the club in a mega £88.5m deal, he has thrilled supporters with his incredible speed but he is such a raw talent who currently lacks the tools to register consistent goal contributions.

Mudryk has scored just seven times in 66 games for Chelsea and is struggling big-time. There was no injury this time around. Maresca just left him out.

Their squad is still sizeable but the Italian boss clearly felt the likes of Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku and Pedro Neto were better options on the bench.

It should be a rather large worry for the attacker who could well be considering his future at the Bridge ahead of January. How he must wish he’d joined fellow suitors Arsenal instead.

Unfortunately, things could get even harder in 2025 due to the arrival of a Ballon d’Or winner in waiting.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Chelsea's future Ballon d'Or winner

Back in June Chelsea confirmed the arrival of Estevao Willian from Palmeiras. However, he won’t officially join up with the first-team squad until he turns 18.

He’ll be registered next summer and will finally take part in training, moving from Brazil where he has been a sensation.

Still only 17 years of age, the winger has been staggering in his homeland, registering 15 goals and ten assists during the 2024 season to date.

You can see why he’s being admired by many from afar but it’s Chelsea who will get to enjoy the fruits of his labour from next campaign.

Hailed as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the incredible teenager is already held in extremely high regard. Mattinson has declared that he boasts the ‘same level of talent to early Santos Neymar’ and that he is a ‘better prospect than Endrick’, the Real Madrid superstar who also moved to Europe from Brazil.

So, there’s a great song and a dance being made about him, but why? Well, Estevao is already proving himself to the one of the most dangerous wingers in the world.

Although a right winger by trade, you sense that he will eventually learn to play off both flanks and why not? This is a player who when compared to players in 14 leagues similar to the Brazilian Serie A, ranks inside the top 8% of wingers for progressive carries and the best 4% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes.

On that evidence, he is an exceptional dribbler and manipulator of the ball. Unlike Mudryk, he’s also got the end product at the end of it all to back up his talents.

For context, while Estevao has 25 goal involvements for Palmeiras in 2024, at the same age, Endrick had just 15 contributions in his final full season with Palmeiras.

As for Neymar, he was amassing some totally ridiculous numbers, scoring 44 goals and assisting 17 throughout 49 matches in his final full year with Santos.

Estevao may not be touching those sorts of figures yet but he’s somewhere in the middle of both Endrick and Neymar. That’s certainly not bad company, is it?

Chelsea are already blessed with a number of high-quality players on the flanks but the Brazilian could well be their most exciting yet. While the likes of Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho will back themselves to fight off the competition, you can’t imagine Mudryk having a similar level of confidence.

Perhaps once the Brazilian wonderkid does arrive, the former Shakhtar star will find himself on the scrap heap.

Chelsea nearly signed PL ace who's now worth £100m, they got Mudryk instead

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By
Connor Holden

Oct 12, 2024

Ex-Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has hit out at the club's youngsters who did not take advantage of Cristiano Ronaldo's return in 2021.

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• Ronaldo rejoined United in 2021
• McCarthy criticises youngsters not following his example
• Club have been on the decline since

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo rejoined United after 12 years away when he signed from Juventus, having won three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League during his first stint with the club between 2003 and 2009. His second spell at Old Trafford was less successful, failing to win any silverware in his one full season with the club, and McCarthy believes his star quality was not put to best use off the pitch either.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo's return as one of the greatest goal-scorers ever came during an unhappy period for the club, who have not won the title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement as manager in 2013. He joined a squad featuring Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and other promising forwards, none of whom have significantly improved the team's fortunes since.

• WHAT MCCARTHY SAID

  McCarthy, who was a coach at the club during Ronaldo's second spell, told at the Gaffer of all Accas launch: "You know what, it was brilliant working with Cristiano Ronaldo. You've got a guy who knows football inside out. It was genuinely so nice to just see the drive and determination he still had at his age, especially compared to the younger players around him. If I were them, I would have smothered him with questions, asking this and asking that and wanting to know everything. His regime, his methods, his approach to staying as sharp and in shape as he is. What does he do? How does he live his life? I would have asked all those things. And it's a shame that our players never, ever latched on to him in that sense."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND MAN UTD?

  Things have gotten worse for United since Ronaldo's second departure to Al-Nassr in December 2022, with 10 wins from their final 13 league matches required simply to avoid suffering their worst ever Premier League campaign in terms of points. Ronaldo is less than 80 goals away from notching the 1,000th of his career and seems set to be part of Portugal's efforts to win the 2026 World Cup.

Chelsea's incoming winger Estevao Willian smacked one in off the bar as Palmeiras beat San Bernardo in the Paulista on Sunday.

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• Estevao scores stunning goal for Palmeiras
• Struck twice in 3-0 Paulista victory
• Teenager will join Chelsea in the summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 17-year-old, nicknamed Messinho in comparison to Lionel Messi, brought down the ball and lashed it in off the bar with a stunning effort from outside the box, giving his team the lead after 16 minutes. On the cusp of half-time, he brought the ball in from the wing and again sent it beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The four-time Brazil international has now scored five goals in 11 Paulista matches. The youngster has already agreed to join Chelsea this summer after he turns 18, with the Blues agreeing to pay £56 million ($71m) to Palmeiras.

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  WHAT NEXT

  Before he heads to the Premier League, Estevao will start preparing for the Paulista semi-finals, having helped his side progress with a double at the weekend.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O’Neil made some positive signings during the summer transfer window, but he has yet to see the fruits of his labour.

After nine Premier League matches this term, the Old Gold have drawn two and lost seven, failing to win a single game as they currently occupy 19th place in the table.

In fairness, the club faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City during the opening period of the campaign. A tough start indeed.

The Molineux side did show plenty of fight to rescue a point against Brighton and Hove Albion on the weekend, scoring twice in the dying minutes and this should give O’Neil some confidence that they are on the right path, even if results don’t necessarily show it.

Despite the influx of players during the summer, it was one of the stars from last season who came up with the goods against the south coast side last week – Matheus Cunha.

Matheus Cunha’s season in numbers for Wolves

Last season, the Brazilian was arguably Wolves’ key player as they managed to avoid a relegation battle, finishing in 14th place, although they did secure wins over Man City and Chelsea throughout the campaign.

Cunha scored 14 goals for the Old Gold to end 2023/24 as the club’s highest scorer, and he is carrying that form into the current campaign.

Despite the Midlands side struggling domestically, the former Atlético Madrid star has scored four goals in the opening nine league matches of 2024/25, including the late equaliser against Brighton last weekend.

If the forward can continue to score over the next few weeks, Wolves might secure their first three points of the season, especially with a run of slightly ‘easier’ fixtures to come against Crystal Palace and Southampton before the next international break.

It isn’t just his goals which make Cunha a vital cog in the Wolves’ machine, as the Brazilian loves to create chances for others, as evidenced by the fact he has already created five big chances and averages 1.7 key passes per game in the top flight.

The 25-year-old also succeeds with 1.7 dribbles per game – a success rate of 58% – allowing him to get the better of the opposite defence, thus creating space to generate either a scoring chance or to assist a teammate.

His contribution to the club since August 2023 cannot be underestimated and it Wolves do suffer relegation at the end of the season, he will surely have no shortage of potential suitors looking to snap him up next summer.

Now, if goals can come from other sources, the Old Gold may just move away from the drop zone in the coming weeks. If only they had a striker who was able to chip in with goals on a regular basis. Someone like Raul Jimenez, for example…

Raul Jimenez's record at Wolves

The Mexican striker emerged as somewhat of a cult figure during his spell at Wolves, especially with the form he displayed across his first couple of seasons.

Having joined the club from Benfica in the summer of 2018 on a season-long loan deal, Nuno Espírito Santo agreed a £30m deal with the Portuguese striker ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Over those two seasons, Jimenez scored a total of 40 goals for the club, including ten in the Europa League, as the Old Gold reached the quarter-finals of the competition.

This was as good as it got for the Mexican star, however, as the following three seasons saw him score just 13 goals in all competitions as he bravely battled back from a skull fracture, among other ailments, which saw the 33-year-old miss 54 games in total.

It was clear his future at Wolves was bleak, and he was sold to Fulham for just £5m in the summer of 2023.

Considering he was entering the final few years of his career; it looked like a decent decision by the club. 18 months later, however, could the Old Gold regret letting him leave for such a small fee considering how impressive he has been in London?

Raul Jimenez’s stats for Fulham

It took a while for the player to get going at Craven Cottage, but he ended up netting seven times in 24 Premier League games last term. A hamstring injury meant he missed a chunk of the campaign.

It now looks as though he has put all his problems behind him, enjoying a wonderful start to the current season for the Cottagers. Indeed, five goals across 11 games in all competitions suggest there is life in the old dog yet.

With Cunha having scored four times for Wolves, Jimenez is even outscoring the Brazilian. Might the club rue letting him leave last year?

Like the current Wolves centre-forward, Jimenez has also contributed in other areas. Not only has he created four big chances, but the Mexican international averages 0.9 key passes per game while grabbing an assist.

Jimenez is also still shining for his country, scoring against the USA in a recent friendly between the two nations, and he was praised by coach Javier Aguirre in the process.

“He came back very well [from his injury], very well. He’s scored goals, he’s made assists. He looks mature and in good form, having completely overcome his injury. I think he is definitely a leader for us.” Said the manager post-game, and it looks as though Jimenez is enjoying an Indian summer.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

If he carries on his current form over the next few months, Fulham could secure a top-half finish in the Premier League for only the second time since 2012.

Wolves’ loss has very much been Fulham’s gain, especially with the striker going through a purple patch right now.

Wolves wasted £26m on Nuno flop who earned way more than Cunha does

Wolverhampton Wanderers wasted lots of money on this dud.

By
Kelan Sarson

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