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Chelsea’s hunt for a striker feels as though it’s never-ending with new boss Enzo Maresca still yet to secure the services of a new centre-forward.

Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are just three players who have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but no moves are yet to materialise for any of the Blues’ transfer targets.

The club do currently have Romelu Lukaku at their disposal, but given his huge £325k-per-week earnings, they would be wise to offload the Belgian this summer with various sides interested in his signature this window.

It’s undoubtedly a frustrating situation to be in for the Italian boss, with the season just around the corner and owner Todd Boehly unable to fulfil his request of signing a striker who can catapult his side back to the top end of the Premier League in 2024/25.

As a result, the Blues could turn to one player who they have previously been linked with, but also previously employed during the early stages of his professional career.

Chelsea could re-sign former talent with £65m clause

In recent months, Chelsea’s striker hunt has seen them linked with former academy talent Dominic Solanke after his 19-goal campaign with Bournemouth during 2023/24.

After joining Chelsea at the age of eight, striker Solanke enjoyed a rapid rise through the club's academy setup, starring for various age categories before signing a scholarship with the club in 2012.

However, it wasn't enough to catapult him into the Blues' first team, with the forward failing to make a single appearance for Chelsea during the 2016/17 season, before departing Stamford Bridge for Liverpool at the end of his deal – with the Blues receiving just £3m for the forward.

Seven years on from his departure from west London, the club’s desperation in their attempts to sign a new striker could see them replicate a deal for Lukaku and pay over the odds for a player they let go at a bargain price.

It’s previously been reported that the 26-year-old has a £65m release clause in his current deal at the Vitality, with Solanke an upgrade on Maresca’s current centre-forward options.

Why Solanke would be an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson

Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson joined the Blues in a deal worth up to £30m last summer, scoring 14 goals in his debut Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge.

However, despite his respectable tally of goals, it may not be enough to secure a regular first-team spot in 2024/25, with Maresca wanting a more senior option for Jackson to learn from.

Solanke could prove to be that type of player for the Blues, whilst also being a cheaper alternative to Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian striker has also been linked with a move over £100m to west London this summer, with FBref claiming Solanke is a similar player to the Napoli forward – understandable given their all-round abilities and similar goal tallies of 19 and 15 last campaign, respectively.

The 26-year-old Cherries attacker has blown Jackson out of the water in recent times, providing that out-and-out centre forward option the club have been craving.

How Solanke & Jackson compare per 90 in 2023/24

Statistics

Solanke

Jackson

Games

38

35

Goals + assists

22

19

Shots taken

2.9

2.6

Aerials won

2.6

1.1

Aerial success rate

42%

36%

Goals per shot on target

0.5

0.4

Stats via FBref

Solanke managed more combined goals and assists whilst also managing a better goal per shot on target ratio than the former Villarreal talisman – undeniably living up to the “deadly” name tag given to him by former boss Scott Parker.

He’s also won more aerials per 90, whilst having a better aerial success rate – providing the option to play more crosses into the box by wingers such as Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.

Given the length of the club’s pursuit to sign a new striker, they can easily bring the hunt to an end with the potential addition of Bournemouth's main goalscorer.

He's consistently demonstrated his goalscoring abilities in the Premier League, handing Chelsea a cheaper alternative to their current transfer targets whilst also improving on the current options at Maresca’s disposal.

Related Chelsea offered chance to sign incredible £75m Isak & Osimhen alternative

The Blues are still looking to sign a new centre-forward this summer.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 18, 2024

Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the rest of India’s tour of Australia. It is understood Shami has suffered a fracture on his right forearm, which was revealed after he underwent scans immediately after the Adelaide Test ended. The news will come as a crushing blow for India, who lost that Test inside three days after being bowled out for their lowest Test total ever.The BCCI is yet to make an announcement on the development. Shami’s absence means the Indian fast bowling attack is now left with only Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj. Both Saini and Siraj are uncapped in Test cricket.As for Shami’s replacement in the squad, the team management has to pick one from the trio of players: Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan and Shardul Thakur. Incidentally neither of these three fast men were part of the original Test squad. Both Natarajan and Thakur stayed back after the white-ball leg of the Australia tour to join Tyagi as net bowlers.Related

• Umesh Yadav ruled out of Test series with calf injury

• Overseas debuts: Saini, Siraj better placed than their predecessors

• Kohli says lack of intent, dropped catches led to Adelaide defeat

• India await Shami's scan results after blow to forearm

• 'Stunned' Hazlewood lauds Cummins

Shami, who batted at No.11, sustained the injury while fending awkwardly at a short delivery from Pat Cummins on Saturday. After being taped on his right forearam Shami decided to bat on, but then signalled he could not continue and walked back to the dressing room. He didn’t return to bowl either in the fourth innings.At the post-match presentation, India captain Virat Kohli said Shami was in “pain” and could not even raise his bowling hand. In addition to Shami’s absence, India will be without Kohli, who will miss the rest of the series as he returns home on paternity leave.Mohammed Shami was struck on the hand while batting and had to retire hurt•Getty Images

Who should replace Shami in the Test squad?
The Indian team management has a difficult choice to make on who should replace Shami in the Test squad. Thakur, who plays for Mumbai, is the most experienced seamer among the reserves, with 206 wickets at an average of 28.55 in first-class cricket. Natarajan, a left-arm seamer, forced his way into India’s limited-overs squads for the Australian tour on the back of his impressive performances in the IPL for the Sunrirsers Hyderabad. In first-class cricket, Natarajan, who represents Tamil Nadu, has limited experience having picked up 64 wickets in 20 matches at 27.03.Twenty-year-old Tyagi was part of the India Under-19 side that made the World Cup final in South Africa earlier this year. A right-arm fast bowler, Tyagi played for the Indians in the first warm-up match against Australia A recently, going wicketless. He has played two matches for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, picking up three wickets.The Ishant Sharma question
Shami’s injury might also force the selectors and the team management to reflect on their decision to not to include Ishant Sharma in the Test squad despite him being declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in November.Sharma, who picked up an injury during the IPL while playing for the Delhi Capitals, went to the NCA in Bengaluru in September and was ruled fit around November 19. However, in its assessment report to the BCCI and team management, the NCA noted that Sharma would need to build on his bowling workload in order to be completely fit to be selected for the Test series.In his first media briefing on the eve of the Australia tour, in November, even Kohli wondered why Sharma was not completing his rehab with the rest of the squad which would have kept him in contention for the Test series.It is understood the BCCI wanted to ensure Sharma was completely fit and ready in the long-term as India are scheduled to play a four-match Test series against England at home soon after the Australia tour. India will then tour England for another five-Test series in mid-2021.On November 26, the BCCI said although Sharma had “completely recovered” from the side strain he sustained during the IPL, he “is building up his workload in order to achieve Test-match fitness” and he was “ruled out” of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Meanwhile, Southern Punjab fell to their third successive defeat

Umar Farooq03-Oct-2020

Shadab Khan played a good all-round hand in Northern’s win•PCB

Northern beat Central Punjab by 35 runs
Defending champions Northern continued their ominous start to the National T20 Cup with a third straight win, besting Central Punjab by 35 runs. CP lost seven wickets for 30 runs in the space of 41 balls while chasing a moderate total of 155, ending up being bowled out for 120 with nearly two overs to spare.No batsman other than Abid Ali (36 off 33 balls) was able to establish control during the chase. The innings broadly centred around the opener, who hung around until the 13th over, but when he edged behind to fast bowler Mohammad Musa, CP began to run into trouble. Abdullah Shafique (20 of 12 balls) and 14 apiece by Rizwan Hussain and skipper Saad Nasim kept them afloat, but when the side failed to keep up with the asking rate while wickets continued to fall, the equation quickly became insurmountable. Three wickets each for Haris Rauf and Mohammad Musa were centrally responsible for Northern’s successful defence.Asked to bat first, Northern didn’t enjoy the best of starts, scoring at just over four for the first half of the innings. But once captain Shadab Khan arrived at the crease, all that changed, his brisk 17-ball 30 turning the tide in Northern’s favour. Umar Amin and Asif Ali combined for 45 off 25, but Abdul Qadir’s three wickets looked to have kept the defending champions in check. Northern’s bowlers, however, ensured the total was more than enough in the end.After the game, Northern batsman Haider Ali was fined for a breach of the PCB Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel. Haider was fined 30% of his applicable match fee for a Level 1 offence relating to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match.The incident occurred in the ninth over of Northern’s innings when Haider showed his bat to the umpire, which was deemed as a disagreement over the decision, after being adjudged LBW on an Usman Qadir’s delivery. Haider was charged for the violation of Article 2.8 by on-field umpires Aftab Gillani and Faisal Khan Afridi. Haider pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Iftikhar Ahmed.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Southern Punjab by 6 runs
In the evening game, half centuries by Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Hafeez set up a six-run win for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over Southern Punjab. Southern Punjab needed 22 off the final over and six off the last ball to tie the game, but when Saif Badar failed to deliver, it condemned South Punjab to their third straight defeat.Chasing 201, Southern Punjab began crisply with 14 off the first over, but regular wickets hampered their cause. None of the top three managed 20, with Shan Masood, Zeeshan Ashraf and Umer Siddiq falling early. But Hussain Talat’s 22-ball 38 and Sohaib Maqsood combined for a 78-run partnership to keep the chase on track. Maqsood – hitting his second fifty in his third game – smashed 77 off 40 balls, but once Wahab Riaz cleaned him up, the wickets continued to fall and the game began to slip away from the home side.Put in to bat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings was set up thanks to a 100-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Hafeez, which came off just 55 balls. It was followed up by a blistering cameo from Iftikhar Ahmed at the death, his 20-ball 45 ensuring KP managed to get to 200. Southern Punjab’s bowlers found it hard work, with the exception of Mohammad Irfan, who gave away 29 in his four, but for the third game in a row, the home side ended up on the wrong side of a high-scoring fixture.

Barcelona have reportedly set a new target for their Camp Nou return after their ambitious stadium redevelopment suffered a setback.

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Camp Nou undergoing a major renovationLikely to miss previous 2024 deadlineReturn maybe possible in February 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Work to modernise the legendary Camp Nou began in June 2022. The project was aimed at transforming the stadium into the largest in European football with a capacity of 105,000, and the goal was to partially re-open the ground in time for the club’s 125th anniversary on November 29, 2024. However, that plan has now been adjusted, with the latest club statement indicating that a return will only be possible during the “second half” of the 2024/25 season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT BARCELONA'S VICE-PRESIDENT SAID

At a press conference on Monday, vice-president Elena Fort provided an update on the situation, emphasising that the club is making progress, though there are no confirmed dates.

"There are no exact dates to return to the stadium. We can’t say right now, but we are on the correct path," she said.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

reportthat the new target for the club’s return to Camp Nou is in late January or early February 2025. One critical factor influencing the timeline is the requirement set by UEFA, which prefers teams competing in the Champions League to hold all their group stage home games at the same venue. Barcelona's last home match in the league stage is scheduled for January 29, 2025, against Atalanta. Any request to switch venues before the league phase concludes would require UEFA’s approval, which may further complicate the return timeline.

Barcelona’s next domestic home game after that will take place during the first weekend of February when they are set to host Deportivo Alaves in La Liga. This match could potentially mark the club’s long-awaited return to their refurbished stadium.

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Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona have already extended their rental contract for the Montjuic until March 31, 2025, which further indicates that they intend to use the facilities beyond 2024. However, the shift to the smaller stadium has had financial implications for the club. Last week, Barcelona released a statement confirming that the move has resulted in a revenue loss of over €100 million (£84m/$110m) from matchdays and their popular club museum.

A £150,000-per-week ace could now reportedly leave Arsenal this summer after being left unhappy behind the scenes at Hale End, with the Gunners open to doing business over him.

Arsenal players who could leave before next season

There are many current squad members who are potentially facing their last few months as Arsenal players.

Arsenal hold talks with PSG and Simeone target who's also spoke with Arteta

The Gunners have reached out to him.

ByEmilio Galantini May 31, 2024

Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Kieran Tierney are all likely to depart the Emirates Stadium after spending last season on loan deals away from the club. Lokonga has even admitted he's likely to quit Arsenal, while there isn't much room for the likes of Tierney and Tavares in Mikel Arteta's star-studded eleven.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

Aaron Ramsdale, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah have also been named by various reports as players who could leave Arsenal this summer, as sporting director Edu Gaspar plots a mini-overhaul of the squad.

Now, according to Football Insider, another player who Arsenal could look to offload is defender Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukraine international came under criticism last term, and has fallen down the pecking order behind both Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Zinchenko unhappy with Arsenal now open to selling

The outlet also claims that Zinchenko is "unhappy" at Arsenal and the club are open to selling him. The former Man City ace, on a reported £150,000-per-week, wants regular first-team football moving forward.

While the 27-year-old becomes linked with the exit door, some members of the media have rushed to his defence, and believe he could still fight his way back into Arteta's plans.

“Some of the criticism (of Zinchenko) is justified, but some is a bit harsh in my opinion," said journalist Charles Watts after one of Zinchenko's performances last season.

"When you look at what went wrong for Arsenal on Sunday for example, I’m not really sure Zinchenko was at the heart of it. But, judging by the amount of criticism that has come his way over the past few days, you would think he was. Yes, there were a few errors of judgement in the second half, one of which could easily have been very costly. But there were also good points in the first half which could easily have led to Arsenal opening the scoring.

"There are undeniable positives, but there are also obvious negatives. The thing is that right now, probably for the first time since he joined, the negatives are starting to outweigh the positives. Arsenal’s side has evolved at pace under Arteta. Last season Zinchenko was an essential part of it, but now his place in the starting XI is up for debate.

“I wouldn’t say we are definitely approaching the end of Zinchenko’s time at Arsenal. I still think he could have a key role to play in this squad, potentially even higher up the pitch where his defensive deficiencies could leave the team less exposed. He’s a quality footballer who is having a difficult period, but Arteta believes in him and it’s far too early to write him off as an Arsenal player.”

Reliable journalist Charles Watts says it is inevitable that a £30 million Arsenal player will pack his bags and leave the Emirates this summer.

Arsenal squad set for mini overhaul

Many fringe members of Mikel Arteta's squad face being sold ahead of next season, where the Gunners will be looking to contend for another Premier League title after coming within a whisker of Man City.

£200,000-a-week Arsenal star holds pre-summer talks to join European club

There’s been a meeting behind-the-scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini May 22, 2024

Indeed, to bolster Edu's transfer kitty, it is believed Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah are up for sale at Arsenal, while doubts surround the futures of both Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey.

The latter two earn a combined £465,000-per-week at Hale End, with Jesus' role in the first team somewhat diminished by Kai Havertz's exceptional form lately. Partey also has just one year left on his contract, and following a season of fitness issues/general lack of involvement compared to previous years, the Ghanaian could well depart.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

Another player linked with the exit door is keeper Aaron Ramsdale, coming after a season on the bench and David Raya taking his number one spot. Signed for around £30 million from Bournemouth, the time for his departure may well be nearing.

Watts says Ramsdale is certain to leave Arsenal

Sharing news on the Englishman's future to CaughtOffside, Watts says Ramsdale is certain to leave Arsenal this summer, and it is a "matter of when". However, talk of a Newcastle agreement to sign Ramsdale is wide of the mark.

“The whispers around Aaron Ramsdale and Newcastle have been circling for some time now," said Watts, sharing a detailed update on Ramsdale's future.

"There has certainly been an expectation for the past couple of months that this is a move that could happen come the summer window, but I haven’t heard that anything has been agreed yet.

“Ramsdale was quick to rubbish talk of any agreement last week, but I do think he will be on the move at some point over the next couple of months. Obviously we have the Euros coming up and he will be away with England, so that could delay things and Arsenal also need to be confident that they can land a replacement before sanctioning any exit.

“But I do think both things will happen. It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if.

“The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then.

“He’s still young, he’s homegrown, an established England international and has a long-term contract. Yes, interested clubs will know that Arsenal’s stance in any negotiations will be weakened somewhat given he is now clearly behind David Raya in the pecking order, but that shouldn’t mean the club should basically give him away. Ramsdale is a top class keeper and he’s shown that at Arsenal. When you look at what other keepers have moved for in the last couple of seasons, a bid of £15m shouldn’t even be one that Arsenal entertain.”

Leeds United face one of their biggest matches of the season so far as they prepare to travel away to play Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday.

The Whites come up against David Wagner's side in Norfolk in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals before welcoming them to Elland Road next Thursday.

Daniel Farke's men come into this double header in poor form after they missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League, finishing third in the Championship after four losses in their last six games.

They were beaten 2-1 by Southampton, who they could potentially face at Wembley in the final of the play-offs, at Elland Road on the final day of the league season last weekend.

The German head coach may now look to make changes to his starting XI from that game to give his side the best possible chance of securing a first leg victory against his former side.

1 Illan Meslier

Farke has backed Illan Meslier throughout the season, starting him in 44 of the 46 league matches, and it seems unlikely that he will now decide to switch him out for Karl Darlow.

The French goalkeeper has conceded 4.49 more goals than expected based on the xG (Expected Goals) against him, which suggests that he has let his team down with weak shot-stopping this term.

2 Connor Roberts

The first change to the starting XI could come at right-back as Burnley loanee Connor Roberts could slot into the back four in place of Sam Byram.

LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross claimed that he could wake the team up by starting on Sunday, as he "loves a scrap" and "cracks skulls" on the pitch.

He could inject the team with some fresh determination and drive to get the job done against the Canaries, whilst Byram could drop to the bench to offer depth at left-back and right-back.

3 Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon should keep his place at the heart of the defence and could have a good battle with Norwich centre-forward Josh Sargent, who has been in lethal form this season.

The USA international has plundered 16 goals in 24 Championship starts this term and the Welsh colossus could relish having a fight with the striker this weekend.

4 Ethan Ampadu

Alongside Rodon, Ethan Ampadu should continue on the left side of the defensive pairing as he continues to fill in away from his natural defensive midfield role.

Pascal Struijk has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a groin injury and this has left Ampadu as the main partner for his compatriot at the back.

5 Junior Firpo

Junior Firpo is the club's only left-footed option at left-back and should keep his place to offer a natural balance down the left flank, as he can open out onto his favoured foot.

The former Barcelona full-back could be up against the likes of Jonathan Rowe and Jack Stacey down Norwich's right-hand side, and will need to be switched on to avoid being caught too high up the pitch when the Canaries wide men bomb on.

6 Archie Gray

The second alternation to the starting XI could come in the middle of the park as Farke could ruthlessly drop Ilia Gruev from the team to unleash Archie Gray from the start.

FFC published an article after the 2-1 defeat to Southampton urging the manager to move the Bulgaria international to the bench due to his recent poor form.

Gruev has lost nine of his ten ground duels in his last two appearances and Gray, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has "phenomenal" stamina, could be brought in to take his place in midfield for this clash in Norfolk.

7 Glen Kamara

Alongside the England U21 international, Glen Kamara could retain his position at the base of the midfield to provide a metronomic presence.

The Finnish maestro has completed 93% of his attempted passes in the Championship so far this season, which shows how efficient he is with the ball at his feet.

8 Wilfried Gnonto

On the right side of the attack, Wilfried Gnonto should keep his place and will hope to provide strength, pace, and attacking thrust down the flank.

It has been reported that Dan James may be fit enough to feature but will not be able to play the full 90, which could make him an ideal super substitute at this point, leaving the Italian whiz as the starter.

9 Joel Piroe

In the number ten role, Farke must ruthlessly drop Georginio Rutter from the starting XI and move Joel Piroe back into a deeper role, which he played in the first half of the campaign.

Rutter has failed to register a single goal or assist in his last eight league matches for Leeds and dropping him for this clash could motivate him to return to his best at Elland Road for the second leg.

10 Crysencio Summerville

There is little to no doubt that Crysencio Summerville will start on the left of the attack if he is fit enough to feature, given his sensational form this season.

The Dutch wizard has racked up 19 goals, nine assists, and 17 'big chances' created in 41 Championship starts for the Yorkshire-based outfit, which shows that he can make a big impact as both as scorer and a creator of goals.

Manchester United have finally broken their rule that saw them refuse to sign players from Bayern Munich.

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• Ed Woodward previously refused to buy Bayern players
• Jose Mourinho denied Jerome Boateng when in charge
• Red Devils broke rule with De Ligt and Mazraoui signings

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward put a rule in place during his time at the club that meant no players would be purchased from Bayern Munich. This was due to the signings of Owen Hargreaves and Bastian Schweinsteiger failing to live up to expectations after the club spent hefty transfer fees on the midfielders.

  It was revealed by ESPN that ex-head coach Jose Mourinho wanted to sign defender Jerome Boateng in 2018 but was denied by Woodward, who at the time played a key role in squad planning. That rule has finally been broken after Erik ten Hag finalised the signings of Mattijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui this summer.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT WAS SAID?

  ESPN revealed how Mourinho was denied his dream signing six years ago. They said: "In the summer of 2018, Jose was keen to sign another centre-back. There was a warm-up match against Bayern. There were only a few journalists there. Jose took a few of us aside and said he wanted to sign Jerome Boateng from Bayern. A player who was getting on in years but was still a good player.

  "On deadline day that summer, there was a press conference at United. We were sitting in the small press room at Carrington and Ed Woodward came in. He told us that the club would not sign a new center back, not even the one Jose wanted. The reason he gave was that they had learned their lesson from signing players from Bayern."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is a positive sign that Man Utd have moved away from their previous superstition surrounding Bayern Munich and will hope that both De Ligt and Mazraoui can repay their transfer fees swiftly.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Having utilised both De Ligt and Mazraoui in Man Utd's Premier League win against Fulham last week, Ten Hag will be keen to push on with his strengthened squad when they visit Brighton this weekend.

أعلن جوزيه جوميز، المدير الفني لفريق الزمالك، التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة النصر الليبي بعد قليل، ضمن مهرجان اعتزال خالد حسين.

ويواجه الزمالك، نظيره النصر الليبي، ضمن مهرجان اعتزال خالد حسين، نجم الأخير.

طالع.. مدرب الزمالك: نشكر النصر الليبي على الاستقبال.. ونفتقد اللاعبين الدوليين

وكان النصر قد طلب من الزمالك خوض مباراة ودية في مباراة اعتزال خالد حسين نجم منتخب ليبيا وفريق النصر، ووافق الأبيض على خوض اللقاء.

ومن المقرر أن يبدأ اللقاء بمشاركة خالد حسين مع فريق النصر، على أن تتوقف المباراة في الدقيقة الثامنة، والتي تحمل نفس رقم قميص اللاعب، قبل أن تُستكمل بصورة طبيعية.

يذكر أن الزمالك افتتح موسمه الجاري بالتأهل إلى دور المجموعات ببطولة الكونفدرالية والفوز بالسوبر الإفريقي وخسارة السوبر المصري، وانتصر في أول جولتين من مسابقة الدوري المصري.

وكان من المقرر أن يبدأ أحمد عبد الرحيم إيشو، لكن الجهاز الفني قرر استبداله بـ شيكابالا، بعد طلب من خالد حسين، برغبته في اللعب مع شيكابالا خلال الوقت الذي سيشارك فيه باللقاء. تشكيل الزمالك اليوم أمام النصر الليبي

حراسة المرمى: محمد صبحي.

خط الدفاع: محمد عاطف – جيفرسون كوستا – أحمد رفاعي – أحمد محمود.

خط الوسط: زياد كمال – سيف فاروق جعفر – مهاب ياسر.

خط الهجوم: شيكابالا – حسام أشرف – كونراد ميشالاك.

Arsenal are flying this season, and it looks like they have just one thing on their mind: trophies.

Mikel Arteta's side are back atop the Premier League table and through to the Champions League quarter-finals to boot.

The Spaniard seems to be getting everything right at the moment, and his decision to sign Kai Havertz is looking better with every passing game.

Although, for as good as the German has been, a former academy gem who left for nothing has actually outperformed him over the last two years and is now worth a lot of money.

Kai Havertz performances for Arsenal

The Gunners completed the £65m signing of Havertz from Chelsea last July, and while Arteta was delighted, describing the German as "top quality," there were plenty of detractors in the media.

In fact, talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor was still firing shots at the Spanish manager earlier this year, criticising him for "spending money very stupidly" and arguing that he had "cost Arsenal the title" by signing the former Bayer Leverkusen ace. However, the Arsenal boss has had the last laugh.

In the last four league matches, his £65m ace has scored four goals, including the winner against Brentford, and provided two assists to help the team reclaim top spot ahead of the international break.

So far, the 24-year-old has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances this season, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 3.25 games. That isn't too bad for a player who's primarily played in midfield and was cast aside as a flop before he even had a chance to prove people wrong.

What's even more impressive is that the Aachen-born dynamo has already surpassed his tally of nine goals and one assist that he registered with Chelsea last season, and he still has at least 12 more games to add to his tally this season.

Kai Havertz recent record
Season	2022/23	2023/24
Appearances	47	39
Goals	9	9
Assists	1	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.21	0.30
All Stats via Transfermarkt

While he hasn't been a world-beater, it would be hard to call Havertz's first season at the Emirates anything other than a success, although a former academy gem has outperformed him over the last two years. The player in question is Crystal Palace sensation Eberechi Eze.

Why Arsenal released Eberechi Eze

Eze played in Arsenal's academy between the ages of nine and 13 before being released. Why? Well, he was allegedly too small.

Opening up on such a cruel period in his development as a teen, the now Palace star once told the press: "It started at Arsenal. I was 13 [when I was released]. That was the worst one. I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it’s going to be OK but not being able to get over it."

This setback was followed by spells in Fulham and Millwall's youth setups before he finally found a more permanent place to settle at Queens Park Rangers.

The Greenwich-born gem spent four years with QPR, making 112 appearances across three and a half seasons, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists.

Eberechi Eze's transfer valuation in 2024

His impressive form and silky skills subsequently saw Palace spend £20m to sign him in August 2020.

In the seasons since, the twice-capped international has made 115 appearances for the Eagles, in which he's scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists.

However, 23 of those goal involvements have come since the start of the 2022/23 season, coincidentally just edging out Havertz's return of 22 in the same period.

Eberechi Eze's Crystal Palace Career
Season	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
Appearances	36	17	40	22
Goals	4	1	10	6
Assists	6	1	4	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.27	0.11	0.35	0.40
All Stats via Transfermarkt

This impressive form from the 5 foot 10 dynamo has understandably caught the attention of some of the biggest teams in the world, including Manchester United.

The Red Devils were reportedly interested in signing the Palace star in January, but it would have cost them around £77m, which might just make the person in charge of releasing him at Arsenal wince a little.

Ultimately, clubs release talented youngsters all the time in football, and while Arteta may wish he could call upon the mercurial brilliance of Eze at the Emirates, he seems happy enough with his new German goalscorer.