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Many Chelsea stars have featured for their countries during this international break, with Noni Madueke making his England debut this week.

The 22-year-old was subbed on in the 66th minute for the Three Lions, providing an assist to Harry Kane in the 76th minute, to put England 2-0 up.

Other Blues stars involved on international duty include Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, João Félix, Filip Jorgensen, and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Enzo Maresca has continued to work with the group that didn’t go on international duty, which could see opportunities for some in the starting lineup against Bournemouth, having impressed Maresca over the past week.

One of those players is a forward who could shine alongside the aforementioned Madueke this weekend.

Chelsea could hand debut out vs Bournemouth

Whilst others have been on international duty, Jadon Sancho – the club’s “future superstar” – has had time to settle in at the club, since joining on transfer deadline day, working with Maresca and already impressing. Maresca is evidently a big fan, saying: “He’s a very good player, a one-v-one player with quality in the last third”.

With the Bournemouth game coming up, and other wingers such as Neto and Mudryk being on international duty, this weekend could be the perfect time for Maresca to unleash Sancho on the left-wing.

Sancho made 24 appearances for Dortmund and Manchester United combined last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

So, why could he be so important? Well, In Maresca’s system, the two wingers are tasked with staying high and wide, looking to pin their full-backs, and get into as many 1v1 opportunities as possible, something that suits both Sancho and Madueke down to the ground.

We have already seen the positive effects this has had on Madueke, who started the season in red-hot form, scoring four goals in his first four games. It is this form that led to Madueke’s first England call up, and his first cap, but how does he compare with their new signing?

Goals

0.17

0.45

Assists

0.11

0.17

Progressive Carries

5.57

6.50

Progressive Passes

5.51

4.44

Shots Total

0.68

3.33

Key Passes

1.99

1.71

Passes into Pen Area

2.39

1.11

Crosses into Pen Area

0.34

0.17

Shot-Creating Actions

4.66

4.36

Successful Take-Ons

3.69

3.16

The dynamic of Madueke on the right and Sancho on the left would give Chelsea a huge 1v1 threat on both sides, and two wingers with different play styles, but similar desires. Both want to affect the game in the final third, but how they do so is quite different.

As can be seen from the stats, Madueke is more direct, looking to beat his man at pace, averaging 6.50 progressive carries per 90, and get shots off when possible, shown by his vastly larger shot volume at 3.33 shots per 90, than Sancho, who averages only 0.68 shots per 90.

The former Dortmund star is certainly more intricate than Madueke, wanting to use feints and slower movements to assess the picture of the pitch, using his creative passing ability to combine and create for himself and others. As such, Sancho averages 4.66 shot-creating actions, 1.99 key passes and 2.39 passes into the penalty area per 90, marking himself as more of a playmaker type.

Having a team with different dynamics could be exactly what Chelsea need to find their rhythm going forwards, with the in-form Madueke offering a more direct and relentless approach on the right side, and their deadline day acquisition offering more creative qualities and associative play on the left.

Better than Mudryk: Chelsea have a teen who could be their next Hazard

He’s already demonstrated his qualities away from Stamford Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 13, 2024

The Blaugrana are unlikely to have any money to spend on new signings, but Joan Laporta & Co. will still be very busy over the next month…

After staving off the threat of bankruptcy by pulling one economic lever after another, Joan Laporta proudly declared in July that Barcelona were "on the road to normality". The Catalans, the club president claimed, were back in a position to sign some of the game's top talent.

However, Barca brought in just one high-profile player during the summer transfer window, Dani Olmo, who was signed from RB Leipzig for €60 million (£50m/$62m), and they didn't even manage to register the Spain international in time for the start of the 2024-25 season because of their ongoing financial problems.

In the end, Barca needed a very timely injury to Andreas Christensen, which freed up some space within their salary cap, and special dispensation from La Liga to field Olmo – but only for the first half of the season while the club continued to work on balancing the books. Olmo's status for the second half of the campaign remains up in the air, however, after Barca's appeal to register the Spain international for the remainder of the campaign was rejected, meaning they have work to do to avoid a seriously embarrassing situation.

But that aside, what else can Barca actually do in January? Will they be able to strengthen Hansi Flick's squad? Or will their sole objective be holding onto what they've already got? GOAL explains all below…

Getty Images SportRecoup some of the foolish Ferran fee

Ferran Torres has found a little form since returning from injury at the tail end of November, with the attacker on target in both the 5-1 win at Mallorca on December 3 and the 2-2 draw with Real Betis four days later, and he could continue to prove a decent squad player in the second half of the season if he can stay fit.

However, there's no guarantee that he will – he was twice sidelined by hamstring problems in 2024 – and there's also no guarantee that he'll suddenly become a world-class striker now that he's being regularly deployed in a more central position that he says he relishes.

Granted, Ferran has shown flashes of becoming the player that Barca thought they were buying from Manchester City in January 2022, but there's simply no disguising that he's failed dismally to live up to his €55m (£46m/$57m) price tag. It looked like a horribly ill-advised bet for a cash-strapped club at the time – and so it's proved, with Barca still reportedly paying off the foolish fee.

Consequently, Barcelona should make it clear to all of Ferran's suitors – and he does have a few, including Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid allegedly – that they would be willing to accept a lot less money than they paid for him two years ago. Selling the Spain international would both generate some capital and remove a highly-paid but underperforming player from the wage bill.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTie down Pedri & Gavi

Amid all of the uncertainty at Barcelona, one thing is clear: in Pedri and Gavi the Blaugrana have two players capable of running the midfield for the next decade. They are just that good.

Both have had their injury issues – Gavi is still easing his way back to full match fitness after an ACL tear – but their value to the club cannot be overstated.

It’s, therefore, imperative that Barca tie down both to new, long-term contracts – particularly as it's been reported on numerous occasions over the past 18 months that rival European clubs are looking to take advantage of the Catalans' money troubles by swooping for Pedri and Gavi. Indeed, there was a real fear that the latter might leave while Barca were struggling to register the 20-year-old ahead of the 2023-24 season – and they only managed to do so after taking La Liga to court.

The last thing Barca need is another messy legal dispute, so rather than signing new players right now, the focus is on holding onto their existing stars.

According to reports, Lamine Yamal has already agreed to extend his contract from 2026 to 2030 when he turns 18 next summer, but agreements have not yet been reached with Pedri and Gavi, who also have just 18 months to run on their respective deals.

Both Spain stars have expressed their desire to stay at Barca for their entire careers, but until those renewals are official, fans will remain on edge.

AFPFind a new home for Fati

It's not so long ago that Ansu Fati was in Yamal's shoes, the toast of Barcelona and touted as 'The new Lionel Messi'. Sadly, the Spain international is a shadow of the player that exploded onto the scene as a 16-year-old in 2019, breaking one goal-scoring record after another.

Fati has barely featured for Barcelona over the past few years, with incessant injury issues having taken a heavy toll on the forward. He's started just one game this season and it's now painfully clear that there's no future for him at Barcelona.

Last season's loan spell at Brighton may not have gone well at all, but both Barcelona and Fati’s entourage need to work together to find him a new home during the January transfer window. Convincing a decent-sized club willing to take a gamble on a player still plagued by fitness problems will not be easy, though…

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Getty Images SportCash in on De Jong – if they can

Frenkie de Jong has become a major problem for Barcelona. Like Gavi and Pedri, the 27-year-old has still got 18 months left on his current contract but, unlike his fellow midfielders, the former Ajax ace is reportedly reluctant to sign a new one as he's allegedly eyeing a lucrative free transfer in 2026.

Barca, then, simply have to find a buyer in January. Flick is presently doing his utmost to get De Jong back to something resembling his best, but the Netherlands international has been desperately poor since returning from his latest lay-off and has started just two games in 2024-25.

Consequently, De Jong, who is believed to be earning a staggering €23m (£19m/$24m) gross per annum, has been recently targeted by the Barca boos, which is hardly surprising. Given their dire financial situation, the Blaugrana literally can't afford to have such an expensive signing sitting on the bench.

The problem is, though, it's also been claimed that De Jong has no intention of leaving a city in which his family is happy and settled unless any interested party is willing to match his current salary.

So, even if Barca make De Jong available for a knockdown fee – which is imperative – they'll need a top European team to make him an offer he finds agreeable. Otherwise, they'll be stuck paying a poor player a king's ransom for at least another six months yet.

Century opening stand lays base but visitors fight back following rain interruptions

ECB Reporters' Network04-Jul-2021Devon Conway marked his first-class debut for Somerset with 88 on a rain-affected opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Leicestershire at Taunton. The New Zealander faced 146 balls and hit 15 fours, sharing an opening stand of 143 with Steven Davies before Will Davis and Gavin Griffiths led a spirited Leicestershire fightback, which saw the hosts close on 242 for 7.Davis ended the day with 2 for 40 and Griffiths 3 for 48. Play was interrupted three times by rain and it certainly worked in the visitors’ favour after Conway and Davies had dominated the opening exchanges.Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann took the obvious decision to field after winning the toss on a heavily overcast morning at the Cooper Associates County Ground. Davis caused Conway problems early on and looked unlucky not to dismiss the New Zealander with the closest of several lbw appeals.The seamer’s initial spell of seven overs cost him just ten runs. But there was little support as Conway and Davies assumed control. The pair had put on 44 when the first shower caused a very brief interruption and 83 by the time more rain brought an early lunch at 12.45pm. Davies looked in good touch from the outset, appearing to have plenty of time to play his shots. He was unbeaten on 32 at lunch, with Conway 43 not out.Both batsmen moved to half-centuries on the resumption, Conway first to fifty, off 82 balls, with 10 fours, while Davies followed, off 79 balls, with five boundaries. They took the score to 134 with few alarms before the rain turned heavy at just after 2.15pm. Play resumed at 4.20pm, an early tea having been taken, and the complexion of the innings was soon transformed.Davies fell to Davis, bowled playing an indeterminate defensive shot, and Lewis Goldsworthy quickly followed, edging the same bowler to Ackermann at second slip.Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson was struck for successive boundaries by Conway, but responded immediately by beating the batsman’s defensive push and bowling him in the 45th over. James Hildreth, on 5, survived a sharp chance to Rishi Patel at short leg off Parkinson. When George Bartlett fell lbw to Ben Mike playing no shot, Somerset had lost four wickets for 39 runs.Leicestershire’s fight back continued as Tom Lammonby edged a loose drive off Griffiths to second slip where Ackermann took another catch. Griffiths, whose first five overs had cost 38 runs, had Hildreth and Craig Overton, captaining Somerset for the first time in red -all cricket, caught behind off outswingers to leave Somerset 224 for 7.Roelof van der Merwe, who lofted a six off Parkinson, and Josh Davey saw the hosts through to the close of a day restricted to 74 overs.

After seeing Rangers refuse bids for James Tavernier, one European club whose transfer window is still open have reportedly turned their focus towards another Gers star, with a last-gasp offer being prepared.

Rangers transfer news

It was a transitional summer for the Gers, who showed the door to the likes of John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe in favour of a fresh reset ahead of Philippe Clement's first full season in charge. The refresh, itself, focused on young players who should grow with Clement's project, with Hamza Igamane, Jefte and Clinton Nsiala among those to arrive.

Rangers thought they had a bigger talent than Kent, now he can't get a game

The Light Blues are in a difficult position with the talented midfielder.

ByDan Emery Sep 12, 2024

Those changes have so far failed to change anything in the Scottish Premiership, however, given that Celtic remain favourites for the title and a step above their Old Firm rivals, who they eased past in the first derby of the season.

As things have failed to change on the pitch too, concerns began to creep in over the future of club captain Tavernier. After much toing and froing, however, Rangers finally came to the decision that any offers for Tavernier would be refused, dealing the likes of Besiktas and Fenerbahce a frustrating blow in the process.

Keeping hold of the veteran defender should have been seen as a priority amid such drastic change at Ibrox in the summer. But it is still a decision that could have consequences.

According to Kibris Turk via Sport Witness, Besiktas are now preparing a last-ditch offer for Ridvan Yilmaz after Rangers refused offers for Tavernier. Yilmaz, currently out injured, has been linked with a move away from Scotland in the last year or so and may now finally get his move in the final two days of the transfer window in Turkey.

Alas, any deal will have to take place as soon as possible with the window officially slamming shut on September 13 to create an interesting saga to watch between Rangers and Besiktas.

Rangers should cash in on Yilmaz

After adding Jefte to their ranks and deciding to keep hold of Tavernier, Rangers now seemingly have the opportunity to cash in on Yilmaz in what is likely to be their final transfer of the summer. The left-back is still only 23 years old, but his place in Clement's side has already been thrown into doubt by Jefte's emergence coupled by his own injury struggles.

A move back to boyhood club Besiktas makes perfect sense on paper for a player looking to discover his best form away from Scotland. Former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson would certainly be among those happy to see the Gers show the full-back the door, having called for his sale at the end of August.

Ferguson told Ibrox News: "I think they’ve missed a trick with Yilmaz. They should have tried to sell him in the summer, to be honest. Had a good look at Yilmaz over the course of the last two or three years. He ain’t robust enough for this league. Doesn’t play a lot of 90 minutes."

The next 24 hours will now be an interesting watch on the transfer front, as Besiktas and former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst look to finally end their search for a full-back.

Ruben Amorim responded sharply to criticism of his treatment to Marcus Rashford after the forward was left out of Man Utd's defeat at Tottenham.

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Man Utd crashed out of Carabao CupRashford left out againAmorim defends decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford revealed that he is ready for a "new challenge" after he was dropped from United's 2-1 derby victory over Manchester City on Sunday. This was followed by another omission in Thursday’s 4-3 defeat at Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, igniting suggestions of a rift with Amorim.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT AMORIM SAID

Despite the controversy surrounding Rashford's absence, Amorim maintained that his choices were in the best interest of his United squad.

When asked if it was a mistake to leave Rashford out, Amorim told reporters: "No, it is not. I feel that I do the right thing for the team so it’s never a mistake. We have to make a selection. Sometimes, like in the game, you feel that some of the guys go inside of the pitch and change a little bit of the game. Sometimes it is like that. I think it was not a mistake because I feel I am always doing the best for the team in my way of seeing things."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Amorim reiterated his belief in Rashford's talent, stating on Wednesday that he wanted the player to remain at Old Trafford, recent events have raised doubts about their working relationship. The United academy graduate has faced criticism for his lack of form after signing a lucrative contract extension in 2023 that ties him to the club until 2028. Over the past 18 months, the England international has managed only 15 goals in 67 appearances.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

The coming weeks are likely to determine Rashford’s future at United. If the forward continues to be sidelined for upcoming fixtures against Bournemouth and Wolves on December 22 and 26, the possibility of a January exit will become increasingly likely.

Several senior players who are not part of the white-ball set-up are now without deals after SLC withdrew offer of annual contracts

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jul-2021Sri Lanka’s men’s limited-overs cricketers have signed tour contracts that cover the forthcoming series against India. But Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision to withdraw its offer of annual contracts had caused substantial dismay among players.Angelo Mathews, who was offered a tour contract for the India series, is the only member of a group of 30 who declined to sign. Although an SLC release said Mathews had asked to be relieved from national duties owing to “personal reasons”, Mathews’ disillusionment with the contract offer and the general situation within Sri Lanka Cricket is understood to have informed his decision.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the board would only offer a succession of tour contracts until the end of the year, because “the players had enough time to sign the central (annual) contracts but they didn’t”. Essentially, this is the board’s way of penalising players for making demands over their central contracts.Related

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Players 'not in agreement to sign non-transparent contracts'

Unsurprisingly, this decision by SLC has caused significant distress among players. Firstly, those players who are not within the limited-overs frame have been left without contracts of any sort. Senior players such as Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal and Dinesh Chandimal may not see a contract from SLC until November, when they are next due to play Tests.Secondly, players who were holding out for better central contracts are now unhappy with those who agreed to sign SLC’s temporary tour contract – a move that essentially ended the contracts negotiation, because to sign the tour contracts was to concede to SLC.”I don’t know how there can be unity in the team while all this is going on,” one player told ESPNcricinfo. “Some players are being blamed for being the first to sign the tour contracts, and others are defending themselves for doing that.”Part-way through the England tour, the players had apparently decided to sign the annual contracts that SLC was offering. This was after SLC had provided the methodology on how the new contracts scheme was drawn up – the players’ main objection always having been the lack of transparency in the new scheme. However, by the time the team returned from the UK on Monday, SLC had already made the decision to withdraw the central contracts it had offered. A first group of players then signed the tour contract for the India series on July 6, before the remainder of the squad followed.de Silva said SLC would revisit the men’s central contracts again in 2022.

England secure victory in final over after wobbles against spin in their chase

Danyal Rasool20-Jul-2021Watching international cricket at Old Trafford, it’s easy sometimes to forget you aren’t in the subcontinent for the atmosphere Asian fans bring to the stadium. But it was the surface upon which England scraped to an achingly tense three-wicket victory over Pakistan which made you feel they might as well have been back playing cricket in the UAE.A whirlwind half-century from Jason Roy helped England grab the momentum in a game that went to the final few deliveries, but his wasn’t by any means the only star contribution to a thrilling contest. Adil Rashid had set up a chase of 155 for the batsmen with a career-best 4 for 35, picking off the Pakistan top three early in the first innings. At that stage, it looked below-par, but a slow burn of a classic was only just beginning to reveal its hand.The visitors, who had opted to bat first after winning the toss, appeared always off-balance, behind the par score, and under pressure, even as they got off to a solid enough start, bringing up the 50 inside the Powerplay for the loss off just Babar Azam. On a pitch that was taking more turn than any previously this series, that was more than good enough, with this never likely to be the sort of run-fest Headingley and Trent Bridge habitually play out. The boundaries, too, were larger at Old Trafford than anywhere else in this T20I series, and both sides knew anything above 170 could become tricky to run down.But once Rashid ploughed through Pakistan, they slumped into consolidation mode, which, in England, seems like a losing strategy. The irrepressible Mohammad Rizwan carried his bat and dragged his side past 150, but the fireworks Pakistan might have been banking on at the death never quite materialised. Moeen Ali played a quiet but vital support act at one end, allowing just 19 in his four, and when Roy and Jos Buttler came out to bat, the spectre of a routine, one-sided chase hung gloomily over the contest.Roy did little to alleviate that impression in a supreme assault on Shaheen Afridi first up, smashing, caressing and placing him for four fours in an over, before taking the attack to Imad Wasim and Usman Qadir. His reputation against spin bowling stands significantly rehabilitated, and soon enough, the asking rate had been brought down below seven.But England began to lose regular wickets to the spinners, and once Mohammad Hafeez was belatedly thrown into the mix, the asking rate crept back up, and Pakistan crept back into the contest. Dawid Malan struggled to keep the runs flowing, and it wasn’t until Eoin Morgan clobbered Hasan Ali at the top and tail of the 18th over that the hosts climbed back into the ascendancy. Pakistan continued to chip away with the wickets, but when Chris Jordan squeezed one into the leg side and hared back for the second, Pakistan had run out of runs to play with.Rizwan’s radiant form
When might it be fair to stop calling whatever Rizwan is doing in T20I cricket a purple patch and just accept he’s rather a good batter in the format? Months ago, most likely. He has now gone past 50 in eight innings in 2021, the joint-most in a calendar year, batting through an innings unbeaten four times: a T20I career record. On another two occasions, he was not out in a successful chase.He carried on that rich vein of form, holding Pakistan’s innings together even as England wreaked havoc at the other end. He was the one who got Pakistan’s innings up and running with successive boundaries off Saqib Mahmood in the second over and a six off the first ball of the fourth. But Rizwan, as has been the case all year, isn’t interested in cameos; he’s more into innings building and – given this this is Pakistan – innings rebuilding. After Rashid knocked both Sohaib Maqsood and Hafeez out in three balls, there was plenty of the latter in evidence.He played second fiddle to Fakhar Zaman while the left-hander stroked a breezy 24, bringing up his own half-century in 38 balls. When Zaman fell, Rizwan took control once more, and Rashid was clobbered for six off the first ball of his final over as Pakistan desperately tried to scrape to a total their bowlers would have a hope of defending. It looked as if Pakistan might have fallen just short, but with 76 off 57 Rizwan had done his best for the cause.Rashid’s record-equalling night
Rashid was instrumental in derailing Pakistan’s chase in the second T20I, and equally detrimental to their hopes of piling on the runs here. The pitch helped, of course; only one T20I has seen more overs of spin than the 26 Old Trafford witnessed, and that came in Dhaka in 2011.The googly that had a lacklustre Azam stumped was a harbinger of how much turn the surface would offer the slower bowlers, but ironically enough, the double-strike in his second over had less to do with Rashid’s guile than poor Pakistani execution. Maqsood holed out to long-on off one that was tossed up and right in his arc, with Hafeez then sending a long hop down deep square leg’s throat. But the pressure Rashid built up over his spell forced errors from the batters, and off the final ball of his spell, he got what he hadn’t yet achieved in his international career: a T20I four-for. His dismissal of Shadab Khan took the legspinner level with Stuart Broad with 65 wickets in the format, behind only Jordan.More importantly, it kept slowing Pakistan down, and in a game that went to the 40th over, that might have made all the difference.

Aston Villa are one of a few Premier League clubs looking to sign a player who remains a free agent after the summer transfer window, according to a new report. The Villans got their Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday night in style, as they beat Young Boys 3-0.

Emery must instantly drop Aston Villa ace after 6/10 UCL display

He had fewer touches than Martinez in Switzerland.

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 18, 2024 Rogers continues excellent start to the season in Bern

Villa were very busy during the summer, adding several new players to the squad, their most high-profile being Amadou Onana, but it is a player from the January transfer window that is really excelling in the early stages of this campaign.

Morgan Rogers joined in the winter window from Middlesbrough, and while he has yet to get on the scoresheet or grab an assist this season, the midfielder has been really impressive, starting all five of their games so far.

The midfielder has impressed so much that he has been labelled as being “underappreciated” and “one to watch” by football pundit Robbie Mustoe, while Tony Cascarino is excited about what the future holds for him and has compared him to Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.

Cascarino said on Rogers: “I really like Morgan Rogers coming in. He scored a couple in the Under-21s against Austria. I think he’s going to be a player. He really looks; there’s something about him; he reminds me a little bit of Jamal Musiala.

“He’s that guy that picks up the ball, and he’ll just make runs, and he’ll create problems for others. He’s got a lot about him.

Apps

21

Goals

3

Assists

1

“Comparing him to Musiala, well, that type of player, that’s a really big praise because Musiala’s a real talent. But I do see something in Morgan Rogers where he’s got that ability.

“He gets in his stride, and he’s going quick, but he doesn’t look particularly quick, and yet people don’t get to him. He just seems to ride the tackles and not get phased.”

But Villa don’t want to just rely on Rogers, and the Premier League side are now looking at the free agent market to help ease the burden on the young star after another quality display in Switzerland this week.

Aston Villa considering move for free agent

According to HITC, Aston Villa are considering whether to make an offer to free agent Yusuf Yazici. As well as the Villans being interested, AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Brentford are also keen on signing the experienced attacking midfielder.

Yazici has been without a club since the end of last season, as he left French side Lille following the end of his contract. The Turkey international was in Lille for five years, during which time he scored 29 goals and recorded 15 assists in 135 games.

The 27-year-old would be unlikely to start a lot at Villa, but the report claims he would be brought in to provide depth and cover behind Rogers, given the similarities of both players being versatile enough to play across the attack, allowing the youngster to develop without the burden of playing two games every week.

The news of Villa weighing up an offer for Yazici comes after his agents were said to have offered the midfielder to them earlier this month – it seems they were at least a little bit enticed by those talks, and could now make their move in the coming days and weeks.

Jose Mourinho has expressed his desire to make an "incredible" move into national team management amid Fenerbahce's faltering title bid.

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Mourinho wants national team jobTitle bid faltering at FenerbahceHas been linked with Portugal postFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After being sacked by AS Roma in January 2024, Mourinho returned to management this summer as he took on a fresh challenge with Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig. The legendary manager has faced some adversities in his journey in Turkey so far, with Fenerbahce trailing league leaders Galatasaray by eight points after 16 matches. Fener are also down in 21st in the Europa League table, and Mourinho has faced criticism for his controversial comments on the state of Turkish football amid his team's patchy form.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Amid a faltering title bid in Turkey, the former Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United boss has admitted that he plans to take charge of a national team in the future and compete in the European Championship and World Cup, having long been linked with the top post for his native Portugal. He also revealed that he would "certainly" consider managing in Serie A again, too, but has not watched Roma play since leaving the club.

WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID

In an interview with , the 61-year-old said: "I’ve never watched Roma play again, but I’ve watched Inter. I want to play a European Championship or a World Cup and unite a country around a team, as I have already done many times with the clubs. I want to do it for football and what this sport represents. It will be incredible."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

The Turkish giants will be back in action after a short winter break this Sunday as they take on Hatayspor in a league clash, which Mourinho will be desperate to win in order to close the gap on Galatasaray.