Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is determined to add plenty of quality to his team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign starting in a few weeks.

There is pressure to repeat their fourth-place finish in the Premier League from last term, while plenty of challenges will come in the revised Champions League group stage.

The club have finally brought in Amadou Onana from Everton and in the attacking areas, have been linked with moves for the likes of Nico Williams, Viktor Tsygankov and Jesper Lindstrom recently.

Though, for their next move, could Emery turn closer to home again?

Aston Villa showing interest in Premier League star

According to Ben Jacobs last weekend – who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Midlands side are interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, with his arrival more likely than Williams.

The former Wolves starlet could cost around £50m should Emery go ahead and make a more concrete move to sign him in the coming weeks, which may prove to be a stumbling block depending on who else the Spaniard wants to sign.

There is no doubt that he would be a wonderful signing, taking no time to settle in due to his Premier League experience of recent seasons with Nottingham Forest.

Why Morgan Gibbs-White could be Villa’s next Watkins

Villa have signed their fair share of English players from Premier League and Championship sides in recent years, but Ollie Watkins has to go down as one of the finest.

Last season saw the striker score 27 goals in all competitions as he propelled Villa to fourth spot and a place in Europe’s premier club competition.

From a personal point of view, his goalscoring exploits saw the 28-year-old secure a spot in the England squad for Euro 2024, where he scored a wonderful winner against the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Gibbs-White may play slightly deeper as an attacking midfielder, but the Villans would be acquiring another homegrown talent from a fellow English club, as they did with Watkins.

He might not be as prolific as Watkins, but he does have a keen eye for goal, netting six goals while grabbing ten assists for Forest as they retained their top-flight status.

Among his teammates, not only did Gibbs-White record the best average Sofascore rating in the Premier League (7.26), but he also ranked second for goals and assists (15), first for big chances created (16), key passes per game (2) and second for shots per match (1.9), clearly impressing in the final third.

Goals

5

5

Assists

8

10

Big chances created

9

16

Key passes per game

1.9

2

Successful dribbles per game

1.4

1.2

U23 scout Antonio Mango previously hailed the Englishman as being “incredibly underrated” towards the end of 2023, and it is clear he is ready to make the step up to play for a team like Villa next season.

Splashing in excess of £50m for the current Forest sensation may seem like a lot at the moment, but if he joins and immediately hits the ground running, there is no doubt the Villa faithful will get right behind him.

His stats in the Premier League since the start of the 2022/23 season – ten goals and 18 assists – would certainly give Emery more goals from the midfield area, taking some pressure off of Watkins next season.

The next few weeks could see some more developments with this transfer.

Imagine him & Williams: Aston Villa could sign a "clinical" star for £0

Unai Emery is in the market to sign a striker this summer…

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 22, 2024

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Newcastle United have completed two incoming signings already.

Lewis Hall has joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea after his initial loan spell and Lloyd Kelly has agreed to join on a free transfer from Bournemouth, once his contract with the Cherries expires at the end of this month.

Eddie Howe and his team now have around two months left to complete any more business that they would like to do to bolster the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Newcastle will not be competing in any European competitions next season and, as a result, may want to carry a smaller squad to concentrate on the Premier League.

Despite that, the Magpies must opt to replace centre-forward Callum Wilson if they decide to cash in on him before the end of the summer transfer window.

The club have already been linked with moves for Serhou Guirassy and Dominic Calvert-Lewin this month but they are now reportedly eyeing one of the stars of the 2024 Euros.

Newcastle eyeing up Euros sensation

According to Football Insider, the Magpies are considering a swoop to sign FC Metz centre-forward Georges Mikautadze to bolster their frontline.

The report claims that Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Napoli, Lyon, and Monaco are among a clutch of clubs interested in snapping up the Georgia international this summer.

Metz only just signed the striker on a permanent deal after he had spent the second half of last term on loan from Dutch giants Ajax, but they are prepared to instantly cash in on him.

Football Insider reveals that the Ligue 2 outfit are willing to sell the impressive marksman for a fee of around £21m, after they were relegated from Ligue 1 at the end of last season.

Newcastle may need to move quickly to beat off competition from other teams, though, as Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Monaco's pursuit of the forward.

The Italian journalist claims that the Ligue 1 side have agreed personal terms with the young star and have sent an offer in with the hope of agreeing a deal with his club, as they would like to wrap up a move before the end of the Euros this summer.

Howe and his staff must now swoop in to get a deal over the line before Monaco can sign him as he could come in as an upgrade on Wilson for the Magpies ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Callum Wilson's uncertain future at Newcastle

TEAMtalk recently reported that the club are 'keen' to sell Wilson as they are 'under pressure' to generate funds this summer for financial reasons.

The outlet claimed that teams from England, Germany, and Saudi Arabia are all interested in a possible deal to sign the England international.

It stated that they hope to rake in a 'decent' fee for his services, although it remains to be seen exactly what that means, and that Howe is prepared to allow him to leave.

TEAMtalk added that the Magpies have already had preliminary discussions with teams, including some from the Saudi Pro League, but nothing has been agreed as of yet.

Moving him on this summer could be a shrewd decision due to his contract situation and his unreliable fitness record during his time at St. James' Park.

He only has one year left to run on his current deal on Tyneside and this window could be their last chance to recoup some money for him, rather than allowing the striker to leave for nothing next year.

2020/21

4

18

2021/22

2

30

2022/23

2

9

2023/24

5

28

As you can see in the table above, Wilson has also missed 18 or more matches in all competitions in three of his four seasons at Newcastle since his move from Bournemouth in 2020.

The 32-year-old striker was absent with hamstring, calf, and chest injuries during the 2023/24 campaign, which caused him to miss 28 games, which limited the impact he could have on the pitch for Howe.

Given his age, consistent injury issues, and contract situation, this appears to be the perfect time for Newcastle to sell Wilson, and Mikautadze could come in as an upgrade on the former Cherries star next season.

Why Newcastle should sign Georges Mikautadze

Firstly, the 23-year-old marksman is currently flying at the European Championship in Germany with Georgia, which means that he would arrive at St. James' Park on a high.

The Euros sensation has scored three goals from 2.26 xG and created two 'big chances' for his teammates, to go along with 1.7 key passes per game, in just three appearances in the tournament so far.

His impressive start to the competition is not a flash in the pan for the Georgian ace, however, as he was also on fire in Ligue 1 for Metz this year, after the Magpies target had only played six Eredivisie games for Ajax during the first half of the campaign.

Appearances

20

20

xG

9.54

8.87

Goals

13

9

xG differential

+4.46

+0.13

Assists

4

1

Key passes per game

1.1

0.4

As you can see in the table above, Mikautadze outperformed Wilson in the final third with significantly better finishing and far more creativity for his teammates, as he scored over four more than expected based on xG.

The £21m-rated star also completed 2.1 dribbles per game in Ligue 1, compared to the Englishman's 0.7 in the Premier League, and this suggests that his ability to beat defenders in transition or to open up space in a low block could be very useful to Newcastle.

Mikautadze, who was once dubbed "deadly" by manager Laszlo Bolini, also fired in a staggering 23 goals in 35 starts in Ligue 2 during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows that the forward has consistently scored goals at an impressive rate over a significant period of time.

Newcastle make approach for £40m dream Botman partner

He used to play in the Premier League

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 28, 2024

The Georgia international appears to have the quality, as a finisher, creator, and dribbler, to be an upgrade on Wilson for Newcastle, whilst also having the potential to develop further at the age of 23, and that is why Howe must swoop to sign him this summer.

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Evin Lewis’ 73 in vain as hosts fold for 124 in pursuit of 225 at Warner Park

Danyal Rasool04-Sep-2021
Faf du Plessis’ first franchise T20 hundred saw the St Lucia Kings end St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ perfect start to CPL 2021, crushing them by 100 runs. After they were put in to bat, the Kings produced a near-perfect T20 innings, losing just two wickets as they amassed 224, thanks chiefly to a 60-ball 120 from du Plessis – the third-highest score in CPL history – and a 64 off 31 from Roston Chase. The Patriots never really got into the chase and were skittled for 124, despite the best efforts of Evin Lewis, who smashed 73 off 42 to keep the score line somewhat respectable.The first innings saw the Kings refuse to let Patriots bowlers settle, allowing just 26 dot balls across the entire innings. The tone was set at the top by du Plessis when he whacked Naseem Shah for two fours and a six in the second over, while Andre Fletcher was canny enough to allow him the lion’s share of the strike. While Fletcher holed out shortly after the powerplay and Fawad Ahmed outfoxed a stuttering Keron Cottoy, it allowed du Plessis and Chase to come together for a blistering partnership.The last eight overs produced 116 runs, with Dwayne Bravo coming in for heavy punishment. Chase and du Plessis began the late assault with three fours in his 13th over, before Chase hit full tilt and smashed Bravo for three more fours and a six. The most prolific wicket-taker in T20 history conceded 50 in 3.2 overs before leaving the field with a groin injury. Dominic Drakes completed the over but he was expensive as well, leaking 40 runs in 2.4 overs. Naseem was then dispatched for 21 in the final over as the Kings piled up 224.The Patriots needed all their big guns to fire, but were hampered through the first five overs, during which just 28 were scored. By this time Devon Thomas and Chris Gayle had both perished, without making a significant dent in the target. There was enough time for Chase to bowl a maiden over to Evin Lewis, but in the end, the opener was the only one who kept the flame flickering for his side.He caught fire around the sixth over, and in no time at all, a combination of ordinary bowling and searing ball-striking saw him bring up his half-century in 25 balls – as many as it had taken du Plessis. The asking rate, though, never really came down below 12 and support from the other end was lacking. Ravi Bopara scored just 4 off 13 balls in a 60-run partnership, while Sherfane Rutherford and Fabian Allen didn’t hang around long enough. Once Lewis fell, Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph ran through the lower order, taking three wickets each as the Kings gave their spirits – and their net run-rate – a huge boost.

أرسل نادي الزمالك خطابًا رسميًا إلى هاني أبو ريدة، رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، يعرب فيه عن استيائه الشديد من الأخطاء التحكيمية المتكررة التي تعرض لها الفريق خلال منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم 2024/2025.

وأكد الزمالك في خطابه أن الفريق كان الأكثر تضررًا من قرارات الحكام، ما أثر بشكل مباشر على نتائجه في المباريات، وانعكس ذلك على ترتيبه في جدول الدوري بعد مرور 17 جولة.

طالع.. لتكافؤ الفرص.. الزملك يطلب تأجيل مباراة مودرن سبورت في كأس مصر

وشدد النادي على أن لجنة الحكام لم تتخذ أي خطوات فعلية لمعالجة هذه الأخطاء، وهو ما يثير القلق بشأن نزاهة وعدالة المسابقة.

وطالب مجلس إدارة الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، اتحاد الكرة بالتدخل العاجل لضمان عدم تكرار هذه الأخطاء، مؤكدًا ضرورة استبعاد الحكام الذين تسببوا في الإضرار بالفريق من إدارة أي مباراة قادمة للزمالك في الدوري أو بطولتي كأس مصر وكأس عاصمة مصر.

كما أشار النادي إلى أن الخبير الأجنبي أوسكار جوليان رويز، رئيس لجنة الحكام الجديد، مطالب بإعادة الأمور إلى نصابها الصحيح بعد فترة من الأزمات التحكيمية التي شهدتها البطولة منذ انطلاق الموسم الحالي.

واختتم الزمالك خطابه بتحذير الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم من تصعيد الأمر إلى جهات دولية، بما في ذلك محكمة التحكيم الرياضية (كاس)، في حال استمرار الظلم التحكيمي، مؤكدًا أن النادي لن يتنازل عن حقوقه المشروعة وجماهيره التي ترفض هذه “المهازل التحكيمية”، على حد وصفه. نص خطاب الزمالك إلى هاني أبو ريدة

“من غير المقبول أن يتعرض نادي الزمالك لكل هذه الأخطاء من حكام مباريات الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي في الدوري هذا الموسم ۲۰۲٤/٢٠٢٥ دون أي تحرك من مجلسكم الموقر لمحاسبة لجنة الحكام التي لم تنجح في ضمان العدالة والنزاهة من قضاة الملاعب في عدد ليس بالقليل من مباريات الزمالك هذا الموسم، كما أن اتحاد الكرة وتحديداً لجنة الحكام لم تقم بأي خطوة تهدف إلى محاولة السيطرة على الأخطاء الكارثية التي جعلت الزمالك النادي الأكثر تضرراً من القرارات الغريبة للحكام بين جميع أندية الدوري هذا الموسم مما أثر بشكل واضح للعيان على نتائج المباريات ومن ثم ترتيب الفريق بجدول الدوري بعد انتهاء ۱۷ جولة.

ونظراً لتكرار أخطاء الحكام ضد الزمالك، فإن مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة كابتن حسين لبيب، وفي إطار حرصه على حماية الحقوق المشروعة للنادي وجماهيره، يتقدم بهذه الشكوى ويطالب خلالها من اتحاد الكرة القيام بواجبه والتعهد بعدم تكرار مثل هذه الأخطاء الكارثية التي حدثت في عدد من مباريات الزمالك.

كما يطالب النادي بعدم إسناد أي مباراة قادمة بالدوري وكأس مصر وكأس عاصمة مصر لأي من الحكام الذين تسببوا في الحاق الضرر بفريق الزمالك هذا الموسم، وفي حالة تعيين أحد هؤلاء الحكام في مباراة الزمالك سيكون على اتحاد الكرة تحمل تبعات الاختيار من لجنة الحكام التي أصبحت مطالبة أكثر من أي وقت مضى بتطبيق العدالة بين جميع الأندية دون تمييز أو محاباة لناد على حساب الآخر خاصة مع قدوم الخبير الأجنبي أوسكار جوليان رويز الرئيس الجديد للجنة الحكام الذي نتعشم أن يعيد الأمور الى نصابها الصحيح بعد فترة سوداء في مسيرة التحكيم منذ بداية الموسم الحالي، وفي حالة عدم الاستجابة لهذه الشكوي ، فان مجلس ادارة الزمالك سيصعد الأمر الي جهات أخرى خارج منظومة كرة القدم المصرية للحصول على حقوق النادي والجماهير حتي لو وصل الأمر الي اللجوء إلى محكمة التحكيم الرياضية ( كاس ) ، و هو أمر لا نتمني حدوثه ولكن النادي سيضطر للجوء إليه في حالة استمرار المهازل التحكيمية في مباريات الزمالك”.

Two heavy defeats in the group stages have exposed flaws that the players are keen to work on ahead of bigger tests that lie in wait

Firdose Moonda25-Oct-20253:06

Review: South Africa undone by the ‘King’ of Indore

If South Africa hoped they could move on from 69 all out against England in Guwahati, their Indore implosion against Australia has ensured that they can’t. Especially not now that they will play England in Guwahati again.The two blowouts that have bookended South Africa’s World Cup group stage essentially ask the same question: how will this team perform on a big occasion?Within that are smaller, and perhaps more significant questions: do South Africa have the technique and the patience to play different kinds of spin, is their batting line-up organised correctly and are they championship material? So far, the jury’s out on whether they are those things consistently enough.Related

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Against England, South Africa were flummoxed by Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin where they failed to pick up the deliveries that held their line and were done by drift. Against Australia, they were bamboozled by Alana King’s legspin but again, it was less about the turn and more about the bounce and line. The difference between the two is that while South Africa hung back a touch against England in what appeared a more conservative approach, they showed intent against Australia albeit that it caused their downfall.South Africa were 32 for 0 in the seventh over, and 28 of Laura Wolvaardt’s 31 runs had come in boundaries. Then they lost their way. Of course, that makes it worse. It means all ten wickets fell for 65 runs, but look at the shots South Africa played and there was something of a (perhaps misguided?) plan. Sune Luus slog swept, Marizanne Kapp tried to slice one over point, Annerie Dercksen wanted to hit down the ground, Chloe Tryon attempted a flick off her pads and Sinalo Jafta swiped across one and missed.South Africa’s aggressive intent against Australia did not pan out well•Getty ImagesEssentially South Africa seemed to have decided this was a free hit for several reasons. Their place in the semi-finals was already confirmed, and it was also certain they would not have to play Australia – the team everyone wants to avoid in a knockout. Though topping the table would have meant they also avoided England, maybe South Africa don’t mind facing Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side, who are unbeaten but have shown weaknesses in the middle order again.Perhaps it was more important to experiment various game plans in case they come up against Australia again. It didn’t work but it may still have been important for them to have tried. “Coach Mandla (Mashimbyi) has given me a task to go 100% or nothing. That actually makes me just watch the ball and hit the ball regardless of what happens,” Sinalo Jafta, who top-scored with 29, said at the post-match press conference.

“To lose like that, it does hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t mean anything.”Sinalo Jafta

She, and the rest of the line-up, seemed to adopt the same approach. Instead of doing what England did, which was to survive and stonewall against Australia, before reaching a total that wasn’t enough anyway, South Africa tried to attack. It’s admirable in intent but the execution needs work and Jafta conceded that. “If we just go forward, play straight, I think we should be good. A lot of times we play with a cross bat, and we’ve seen it in these conditions, it doesn’t work.”That’s what South Africa will remember going into the knockouts. Everything else, including the humiliation of being bowled out inside 20.4 against England and 24 overs against Australia, they will forget. “It’s disappointing to lose the way we did but coach Mandla always says to have the chicken brain,” Jafta said. “Obviously, we will assess where we went wrong and then by the time we get on the plane tomorrow to go to Guwahati, we will know what’s at stake. It gives us a great opportunity to search, reflect and just see where we went wrong. So it’s literally just going out there, forgetting what happened and just focusing on what works for us. I mean, we’ve proved right before. So what’s stopping us from doing it again?”That’s where the personnel question comes in and Jafta’s spot is one of those under scrutiny. Batting at No. 6 seems a place too high for her, though she has demonstrated a vastly improved technique since being pushed up the order. Dercksen’s place is the other under the scanner, with only one score in double-figures at this World Cup. The more experienced Anneke Bosch, who also only has one double-figure score at this event, could come into the mix instead. Chiefly what South Africa have lacked so far is reliability from their batters and they also carry far too long a tail. Can a title-winning team only bat to No. 8? They’ll test that this week, in the semi-final for sure and then again if they get further and apart from the obvious outcome of winning, they’ll also want to show that they’ve learnt something from their two big defeats in the group stage.”To lose like that, it does hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t mean anything,” Jafta said. “But these are great opportunities to actually get better. We obviously played England in the first game and it didn’t go out the way we wanted. But I think going into that match, we knew exactly what to do, we prepped and one game doesn’t makes us a bad squad. Our culture has been brilliant and we’ve got that bounce back ability.”Wednesday will tell.

da brdice： Leeds United are preparing a bid for a "very intelligent" player who is seen as Glen Kamara's replacement at Elland Road, according to a new transfer claim.

Kamara set to leave Leeds

da wazamba： The Whites are once again getting ready for another season in the Championship, as they look to go one better than last season's playoff final heartbreak, sealing a return to the Premier League in the process.

It looks as though Kamara won't be a part of Daniel Farke's plans at Leeds, however, with the midfielder expected to seal a move to Ligue 1 side Rennes. The Championship club are believed to have sanctioned the transfer, as the Finn brings an end to his time there, just one year after arriving from Rangers.

When it comes to incoming transfer news, Sheffield United defender Jayden Bogle has been linked with a summer switch to the Whites. He is viewed as someone who could help make up for the loss of Archie Gray to Tottenham, improving the full-back options at Farke's disposal.

Meanwhile, St. Pauli centre-back Eric Smith has been earmarked as a potential replacement for former captain Liam Cooper, who departed Elland Road after his contract expired earlier in the summer. Now, a new update has emerged regarding a replacement for Kamara, in what could be an exciting piece of business.

Leeds prepare bid for "very intelligent" midfielder

According to Planet Sport, Leeds are readying a fresh offer for Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, as they look to snap him up and fill the void left by Kamara in the middle of the park. It is reported that Skipp could move to Leeds on loan with a view to a permanent deal, should Spurs bring in a replacement.

The Englishman was initially almost part of the deal that saw Gray head to Spurs, but that failed to materialise, and the Whites still want him at Elland Road ahead of next season.

Skipp could feel like a statement signing for Leeds, considering he has been playing for a huge Premier League club for a number of years now, picking up 77 appearances in England's top flight and making a total of 106 outings for the north London side to date. He has also been lauded by former academy coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who has said of him:

“Skipp was always one of the strongest in the group. He had great technical skills, was very intelligent and has a really high football IQ, and a generally high IQ as well. He’s a very clever young man. He definitely stood out and worked really hard."

While the £40,000-a-week midfielder may arguably not be at the level required to be starting for Spurs every week, he could be one of the standout midfielders in the Championship at Leeds, not only proving to be an upgrade on Kamara, but playing a big role in Farke's side getting back into the Premier League.

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An industrious presence who is also neat and tidy in possession, the 23-year-old worked under Farke at Norwich and has so much to offer, and his 91.7% pass completion rate in the league last season sums up his technical expertise.

Gudakesh Motie and Odean Smith kept the Tallawahs batting line-up tied down in the 170-run chase

Peter Della Penna12-Sep-2021

Nicholas Pooran was the cornerstone of Warriors’ innings•Getty Images

In a must-win encounter to control their own playoff destiny, Guyana Amazon Warriors got a crucial innings from captain Nicholas Pooran, who lifted his side with an unbeaten 75 off 39 balls that included four fours and seven sixes to set an easily defendable total in a 46-run win over Jamaica Tallawahs on Saturday in St Kitts. Pooran arrived in the ninth over at 63 for 3 and scored the lion’s share of the runs the rest of the way to get his side to 169 for 6 before impressive spells from Gudakesh Motie and Odean Smith kept the Tallawahs batting line-up tied down in the chase.After smothering two balls defensively from Chris Green upon his arrival to the crease, Pooran went into attack mode against Veerasammy Permaul in the following over, heaving him over the leg side rope to get off the mark and then followed it up with another swat over cow corner for six two balls later. The biggest fireworks though came in the final two overs as Pooran started the 19th against Andre Russell by carving out a wide yorker in elegant fashion over short third man for a boundary to bring up a 30-ball fifty. Another attempted wide yorker on the next ball disappeared over extra cover for six.Tallawahs ended the 19th and started the 20th missing consecutive chances to dismiss Pooran. A lofted drive off Russell was heading straight for Haider Ali on the cover boundary but he lost the ball in the sun only for it to land just to his right and bounce over the rope. Carlos Brathwaite then misfired on a point blank runout chance fielding off his own bowling to begin the next over and Pooran made him pay by clobbering two of the next three balls over midwicket and long-on for the final two of his seven sixes to put an exclamation mark on the Warriors innings.Tallawahs looked in a very good position at 63 for 1 in the ninth over before Smith disrupted the chase with his medium pace. Haider Ali tried to heave Smith over the leg side but could only top edge a swirler taken by Shoaib Malik tracking back from short third man. Chandrapaul Hemraj then took a tremendous low catch at short extra cover off a scorching drive from Kirk McKenzie next ball to remove both set batters following a 41-run stand.But Smith’s signature moment came in the 15th when he bowled a wicket maiden that included the scalp of Russell mistiming a heave to long-on. Motie got the ball to grip and turn sharply in the following over to claim Shamarh Brooks and Brathwaite with a stumping and a leading edge to extra cover, completing a collapse of 4 for 3 that began when Motie had Rovman Powell punching to Smith at mid-off at the end of the 14th. From 98 for 3 to 101 for 7, Tallawahs had little fight left and eventually subsided for 123 with five balls left unused.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah admits to taking inspiration from the “insane” dedication that Cristiano Ronaldo shows to football.

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Portuguese icon sets the standardEgyptian forward boasts similar mindsetBelieves Reds can do the quadrupleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Portuguese icon CR7 has spent two decades at the very top of his chosen profession, collecting five Ballons d’Or and breaking countless records along the way. Alongside eternal rival Lionel Messi, he is considered to set the standard for others to try and achieve.

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Salah is among those that look to Ronaldo for guidance when it comes to maximising their own potential, with the Egyptian forward telling of the all-time greats that he admires most: “I love the way Ronaldo [of Brazil] was playing and [Zinedine] Zidane and [Francesco] Totti. These guys, I always looked at them and they just enjoy the game. Cristiano was also the one when I started playing in Europe more, you see the way he dedicated everything to football is insane, the way he looks after himself. You can see everything, his numbers.

“But these guys I looked at when I was young and I just wished to play one game with them, or to be like them one day. I had a good opportunity to play with Totti and I played with him for two years in Rome. It was an incredible time, I just loved it. He was incredible to be fair and his technique was insane. Very, very good person as well.”

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Salah has emulated many of his idols when it comes to collecting major honours, with Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals sitting among his collection. Liverpool are back in the hunt for more success in 2024-25, with Salah seeing no reason why they cannot sweep the board. He added on collective ambition at Anfield: “Win it all. In my opinion, I work so hard every day, I hate the idea that we are underdogs. No, we have an incredible group, one of the best in the world. In each position, you're going to find players that are really one of the top three in the world. So, why don’t we win it? This city and this club has to always fight for everything.”

WHAT NEXT?

Liverpool, who are into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, have opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. They have also taken maximum points from four Champions League games this term – heading into a meeting with Real Madrid – and will begin another quest for FA Cup glory in January 2025.

Lamine Yamal slammed Barcelona's critics after starring in El Clasico as he contributed with a goal in their sensational win.

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• Barca beat Real Madrid 4-0
• Yamal hits back at critics
• Scored third goal in El Clasico

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• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona ran riot against rivals Real Madrid on Saturday as they registered a comprehensive 4-0 win in the season's first El Clasico. After a drab first half, Robert Lewandowski spiced things up with a two-minute brace before Yamal and Raphinha scored a goal each. Spain and Barca star Yamal then took a dig at the club's critics.

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• WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the mega encounter in Madrid, the 17-year-old said, "We believe we are the best team in the world. They said we were beating only normal teams… now we beat Real Madrid 4-0 at their home. We've proven that we can beat anyone."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After scoring the third goal for his team with a thunderous strike, the young sensation emulated Cristiano Ronaldo's famous "Calma" celebration as he tried to silence the home crowd.

• WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  After registering back-to-back wins over Bayern Munich and Real, the Barca players have earned themselves a much-needed two-day break. The team will return to training on October 29 to prepare for their upcoming La Liga encounter against Espanyol on November 3.