While the recent early exit from the Carabao Cup will no doubt have stung for Tottenham Hotspur, it has largely been a positive start to life under new boss Ange Postecoglou so far, with two wins and a draw from the club's opening three Premier League games.
Despite that solid opening to the new regime, it looks as if the former Celtic boss is still keen to further strengthen before the end of the window, with Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo a player of particular interest to the Lilywhites.
How much would Tosin Adarabioyo cost?
Following reports linking Spurs with a move for the 25-year-old earlier in the summer, 90min has reported in recent days that the north Londoners still hold a strong interest in the 6 foot 5 titan, with the player 'set to move on' before the close of the window.
Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…
As per the piece, Postecoglou and co are believed to have offered Eric Dier to the Cottagers as a potential sweetener in the deal, albeit with it yet to be seen whether the 29-year-old will move on this summer, after spending the last nine years at Tottenham.
With just a year left to run on his contract, Adarabioyo is likely to be available for something of a bargain fee if he is to depart any time soon, with a €15m (£13m) fee having previously been suggested.
How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?
Previously dubbed "immense" by former boss Tony Mowbray during his time on loan at Blackburn Rovers, it is fair to say that the current Fulham man has particularly blossomed since making the move to Craven Cottage back in 2020, having begun life on the books at Manchester City.
Adarabioyo's Career History
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Fulham
108
3
2
Blackburn Rovers (loan)
35
3
1
West Bromwich Albion (loan)
36
0
2
Manchester City
8
0
0
The towering asset was particularly impressive last term as the then newly-promoted side comfortable mid-table finish, notably averaging a solid 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 25 league outings – a better return than Dier achieved for instance (two tackles and interceptions per game from 33 appearances).
Tosin Adarabioyo for Fulham
While, as stated above, Dier may be keen to stay put beyond the deadline, the signing of a figure like Adarabioyo could well help to nudge him out the door even if the Englishman does not head in the other direction to Fulham, with Bayern Munich having been touted as a possible option of late.
As per journalist Ryan Taylor, the former Sporting CP man is arguably "nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve", hence why he has found himself out of the picture under Postecoglou thus far.
One particular benefit of bringing Adarabioyo into the fold would be his ability to play out from the back as he notably ranks in the top 18% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes, while Dier ranks in just the bottom 40% in that regard.
With the latter man having potentially outstayed his welcome – as pundit Frank McAvennie previously suggested that "Tottenham will not succeed with Dier in the team" – the signing of a standout replacement could well be what is needed for Postecoglou to finally send him packing.
Um dos principais destaques da Chapecoense neste início de Série B, o atacante Anselmo Ramon elogiou o desempenho da equipe na disputa até aqui. Segundo o jogador, a meta de todos é continuar com a mesma intensidade para o grupo crescer em 2020.
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‘Vamos continuar trabalhando muito para que a equipe possa melhorar ainda mais seu desempenho em campo nas próximas semanas. Estamos fazendo um bom início de campeonato e isso é importante’, afirmou.
Para Anselmo, o duelo com o América será muito importante para todos na sexta-feira.
‘Vamos procurar fazer um grande jogo para vencermos e continuarmos firmes no G4. Nossa meta será jogo a jogo, sem ansiedade. Temos que manter essa regularidade para continuarmos crescendo na disputa’.
The franchise that signs the England allrounder at the auction can seek a replacement player if he is not available for the entire 2018 season due to the legal proceeding concerning the charge of affray against him
Nagraj Gollapudi20-Jan-2018
BCCI
The IPL will allow a franchise to seek a replacement Ben Stokes in the event that the England allrounder is not available for the entire 2018 tournament due to the legal proceedings concerning the charge of affray against him.However, should he miss only part of the tournament, no replacement would be sanctioned.Stokes is expected to appear in Bristol Magistrates’ Court on February 13 to answer the charge of affray, which was levelled against him by the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) earlier this week.Affray, depending on the circumstances, can be prosecuted at either Magistrates Court or Crown Court. At a Crown Court, the maximum sentence is three years imprisonment, but if tried in a Magistrates Court it is only six months. Stokes was arrested in September by the police after a dead-of-night incident outside a nightclub in Bristol.Apart from some domestic cricket for Canterbury in New Zealand in December, Stokes has not featured in any competitive cricket since his arrest on September 25, missing the entire Ashes series as the ECB awaited the outcome of police investigations. Nonetheless, his IPL value does not seem to have diminished.The IPL announced the final auction pool of 578 players on Saturday and Stokes’ name featured among the 16 marquee players who will kick off the two-day mega auction on January 27 and 28 in Bangalore.Stokes was one of the 36 players to list the highest base price of INR 2 crore (USD 315,000 approx) when the IPL released the longlist earlier this month.Last season, Stokes started his maiden IPL as the most expensive overseas buy in the tournament’s history when he was signed by Rising Pune Supergiant for INR 14.5 crore (USD 2.16 million approx). He finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.Although he missed the final because he had to report back for England duty, he overshadowed IPL heavyweights in his team such as MS Dhoni to help Pune reach the final. Stokes scored 316 runs at a strike rate of 142.98, including an unbeaten century while chasing down 162 against Gujarat Lions. He also picked up 12 wickets with an economy rate of 7.18 in the 12 matches he played.Various IPL franchises told ESPNcricinfo that Stokes would once again be among the most attractive buys, but said they would need clarity on his availability. Their main question was whether the IPL would allow a replacement in case they paid big money to buy Stokes and he had to return to England due to the court case.On Saturday the IPL clarified its position. In a note to the eight franchises, the IPL said the ECB had granted the player a No Objection Certificate. The ECB, the franchises were informed, would consider any disciplinary action against Stokes once the court had delivered its verdict.”The ECB have confirmed they will issue an NOC for Ben Stokes and advised that the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) will wait for the conclusion of all criminal proceedings relating to the charge against Ben before it runs its independent process,” the IPL advisory said.According to the IPL Stokes’ legal team had “advised” the ECB that the court case would not hamper his participation.”Ben’s legal advisors have advised that they think it highly unlikely that the criminal proceedings will conclude before the end of IPL 2018,” the IPL told the franchises. “They have advised that they do not expect the criminal proceedings will have any impact on Ben’s availability for IPL 2018.”Due to the uncertainty regarding court dates and therefore his availability for the IPL 2018 season, BCCI confirms that if he is completely unavailable in advance of the season he may be replaced under section 6.1 (e) of the 2018-20 IPL Player Regulations.”However, if Stokes were to be available even partially, the IPL told the franchises that no replacement could be sought. “In the event of his partial unavailability due to the court process then he may not be replaced. Player replacements for partial unavailability during the IPL Season are only allowed in relation to player injuries as prescribed by section 6.1 of the 2018-20 IPL Player Regulations.”
Aston Villa have enjoyed a thrilling time under Unai Emery, who has transformed the club since his arrival in the winter of 2022.
The Spaniard has guided the Midlands side from a relegation-threatened state to a squad challenging in Europe in less than a year since taking charge, providing a contrast to the lack of development under Steven Gerrard.
An impressive start to life under the former Arsenal boss was added to in his first summer transfer window in charge of the Villans, in which he broke the club's transfer record fee to bring in some outstanding talent.
Capturing Moussa Diaby for £51.9m was an electrifying piece of business by Emery and Monchi, with the Frenchman having already netted twice in the Premier League.
Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby.
Clement Lenglet, Nicolo Zaniolo, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres joined Diaby in making the move to Villa Park, signing off from a positive summer of business in the Midlands.
Despite claiming the signatures of such talents, the club were linked to a host of quality stars throughout the window, as expected considering Emery’s pull and the involvement in Europe in 2023/24.
One name in particular alerted those associated with the club to the prospect of pulling off a sensational feat, with an English superstar in Jadon Sancho linked with Villa Park on numerous occasions.
Did Aston Villa nearly sign Jadon Sancho?
In June, a report from Football Transfers named Aston Villa as a club potentially eyeing the availability of Manchester United outsider Jadon Sancho.
The links came with a suggested price tag of £60m for the winger, who had ‘keen’ interest from the Villans at the time.
Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho.
Such rumours resurfaced just prior to the final week of the market, as CaughtOffside suggested that the Midlands side were considering a late move for the forward, with his future at Old Trafford in doubt.
With attacking players Diaby and Zaniolo added to the mix, nothing concrete was reported following the suggestions that the 23-year-old was of interest.
What is Jadon Sancho’s market value?
A reported price tag of £60m would be a fair estimation to indicate a viable transfer for United to sanction.
As per CIES Football Observatory, the Englishman is currently valued at €60m (£51m), a drop-down in his price that the Red Devils signed him for back in 2021.
Jadon Sancho
The former Manchester City academy star was purchased from Borussia Dortmund to make a dramatic return to the northwest for £73m, penning a contract lasting five years at Old Trafford.
When weighing up the three years, plus an additional year, remaining on his current deal, an asking fee of £60m is understandable, and a deal that Villa in hindsight could have benefitted from exploring deeper.
What is Jadon Sancho doing now?
Making the move back to England from Dortmund was a bold, but expected move for the Londoner, who had exceeded expectations during his short time in Germany.
There was speculation whether the winger would have to take the time to adapt his game to the demands of the Premier League, considering that he had learned the art of football through the traits of the English game.
Footballing culture altogether is contrasting in Germany as it is to England, which has arguably been one of the faults to Sancho’s move back to Manchester, with suffocating pressure placed on his back by those watching on.
jadon-sancho
A £73m price tag and the form displayed in Dortmund made the expectations of the 23-year-old of a gargantuan magnitude, leaving him no option but to deliver at such a level to prove his worth back in his home country.
Things have not gone to plan for the 23-capped England international, making 58 appearances in the league for the Red Devils, scoring just nine goals in the process.
It was evident that the Londoner had fallen out of favour with Erik ten Hag, with tensions reaching an all-time high last weekend as he wasn’t selected to even feature in the squad for United’s visit to Arsenal.
The Dutchman went public with his decision to not select the 23-year-old, saying that based on his “performances in training”, he was not in contention to travel to north London for the highly-anticipated fixture.
After the Red Devils’ dramatic 3-1 loss to the Gunners, Sancho came out and spoke in retaliation to the manager’s public claims of his lack of performance saying he’d been a “scapegoat for a long time”, and branded Ten Hag’s comments as “untrue”.
At just 23-years-old, it’s as easy to sympathise with the public slander from his manager as it is to question his decision to give a public response.
Now that recent dramas have unfolded between player, manager and club, a potential move away from Old Trafford could have been a fundamental career change for the winger.
What could Jadon Sancho have offered to Villa?
A story of what could have been is the narrative regarding Sancho, but Villa posed as being the perfect club to have signed for.
Despite scoring just nine goals during his league career at United, the talent the winger has seen him previously described as a “phenomenon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
That was certainly seen in Germany where in 104 Bundesliga appearances in yellow, Sancho contributed to a mammoth 89 goals, scoring 38 and assisting 51 from the flank.
The 2019/20 season signified an individual season high for the dynamic star, as he recorded 17 assists and 17 goals in the league, contributing to 34 goals in 32 games, via Transfermarkt.
Jadon Sancho Bundesliga record
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
2017/18
12
1
4
2018/19
34
12
18
2019/20
32
17
17
2020/21
26
8
12
A dip in form following a change in scenery at such a young age is somewhat admissible, considering the levels the 23-year-old is capable of hitting.
Emery could have utilised Sancho’s talent to get him to past heights, making him the star of the show and nurturing his talent away from the high expectation and high criticism that comes with representing United.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the Spaniard has guided a widely renowned up-and-coming English talent, with the former Gunners boss being responsible for unearthing Bukayo Saka.
jadon-sancho-bukayo-saka
Despite securing a reunion with former player Pau Torres during the window, a debate to be reunited with Saka at Villa is not on the cards by any means, however, the 51-year-old could have had a replica of the Arsenal sensation in Sancho.
While the Hale End graduate’s career has rocketed and Sancho’s has stalled, the two are still comparable in their approach to play, as highlighted by statistics.
Over the past year, FBref identified Sancho as being comparable to Saka based on his averages per 90, suggesting just the calibre of player Emery could have guided at Villa Park.
As per FBref, the margins were not as extensive as the two wingers’ goal contributions, with the United dud averaging 5.08 progressive carries and 1.95 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year.
Saka mirrored the former Bundesliga star’s rate of 1.95 successful take-ons per 90, and just tipped the 23-year-old to average 5.27 progressive carries per 90, communicating the similarities to their strengths as wide forwards.
When revising the demographic of player that Emery wanted this summer, as highlighted through recruiting Diaby, Sancho would have fitted the mould perfectly in the squad.
Hindsight is a great thing, and looking back it’s questionable that the Londoner would have taken a move to the Midlands to escape the pending conflict between himself and Ten Hag.
Despite the strong recruitment this summer, Emery missed a trick by failing to capture Sancho, who could’ve been elevated under the Spaniard and given the four-time Europa League winner his next Saka-like presence on the flanks.
واصل منتخب تونس الأول لكرة القدم، مشواره بالتصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026، بفوز على غينيا الاستوائية.
جاء ذلك في المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد حمادي العقربي (الأولمبي) برادس، في ثالث جولات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026.
منتخب مصر يختتم تدريباته استعدادًا لمباراة بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كآس العالم
وحقق منتخب تونس انتصاره بهدف نظيف سجله محمد علي بن رمضان عن طريق ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 82 من عمر اللقاء.
وفي خضم منافسات الجولة ذاتها للمجموعة نفسها قد تعادل منتخبا ناميبيا وليبيريا بهدف لكل فريق.
ونجح منتخب مالاوي في تحقيق فوز على ساوتومي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف وحيد، ليرتفع رصيده إلى 6 نقاط.
ويتواجد منتخب تونس في المجموعة الثامنة، التي تضم إلى جواره منتخبات غينيا الاستوائية وناميبيا وليبيريا ومالاوي وساوتومي.
وتقام تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم بشكل جديد بعد زيادة عدد مقاعد منتخبات إفريقيا لـ9 ونصف، إثر ارتفاع عدد المنتخبات المشاركة في المونديال المقبل.
وتم تقسيم الـ54 منتخبًا إفريقيًا على 9 مجموعات بواقع ستة في المجموعة الواحدة، ويتأهل متصدر كل مجموعة مباشرة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، فيما يتنافس أفضل أربع منتخبات أصحاب المركز الثاني على النصف مقعد المتبقي بنظام الملحق القاري ومن ثم الإقليمي.
وكان منتخب تونس قد استهل مشوار التصفيات بانتصارين متتاليين في الجولتين الأولى والثانية أمام ساوتومي (4-0) ومالاوي (1-0).
وحقق منتخب غينيا الاستوائية انتصارين أيضًا في الجولتين الأولى والثانية علي حساب ناميبيا وليبيريا بهدف لكل فريق في المواجهتين. ترتيب مجموعة تونس في تصفيات كأس العالم
Má notícia para a torcida do Santos. O meia uruguaio Carlos Sánchez teve constatado o rompimento no ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo. Com isso, o uruguaio passará por cirurgia. O tempo de recuperação não foi estimado, mas o camisa sete deve perder o restante do ano.
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Sánchez foi um dos destaques da equipe na vitória sobre o Olimpia, por 3 a 2, fora de casa, marcando um gol e dando uma assistência. Porém, ele acabou se machucando no segundo tempo e deu lugar a Alison.
O Santos desejou forças ao meio campista
Após a realização de exames nesta sexta-feira, em Goiânia, o meia Carlos Sánchez teve constatado o rompimento do ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo.
O camisa 7 passará por cirurgia em breve. Força, meu uruguaio! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mbxB9KXZdS
— Santos Futebol Clube (@SantosFC) October 2, 2020
Pakistan have the opportunity to secure the world number one T20I ranking with victory in the decider against New Zealand
Preview by Danyal Rasool27-Jan-2018
Trent Boult tumbles in his follow-through as Babar Azam and Sarfraz Ahmed sneak a single•Getty Images
Big PictureLet’s begin with the facts: New Zealand have outplayed Pakistan along the length and breadth of the country. They have batted, bowled and fielded better, with the results bearing that out. Six of the seven games played have seen New Zealand emerge comfortably on top, while Pakistan trumped them on an off day in Auckland in a result that, in the context of this tour, could only be called an upset.But move on to the PR spin Pakistan will want to put on this tour, and you could paint a very different picture. Pakistan are one win away from returning to New Zealand having won one of the two series, and thus being able to claim parity. One game away from beating the world’s best T20 side in their own backyard, and wrenching that accolade from them and claiming it for themselves. They could claim to have taken on arguably the world’s most modern side in their approach to limited-overs cricket, and a victory for Pakistan would prove, in their eyes, that Sarfraz Ahmed’s men aren’t so far off from matching those heights either. They are three hours, and 40 overs, away from this.All of that rests on this game. Defeat for New Zealand will put a dampener on what has been a magnificent home season for them, one that’s well on its way to being considered one of their best ever. It will draw away momentum before the all-important visit of England, who have spent the last fortnight burnishing their limited-overs credentials with an impressive series win in Australia. It will undo a lot of their good work against a side that, for six games, frankly didn’t offer New Zealand the kind of competitive cricket they would have liked before England’s visit. Relinquishing their top spot in T20I cricket to that sort of team may almost be considered ignominious.For all those reasons, a lot more rests on this third T20I at Mount Maunganui than most bilateral T20Is have to shoulder. Victory for New Zealand, and the narrative of the tour is preserved. Defeat, and Pakistan begin to write a script of their own.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand LWWWL Pakistan WLWWWIn the spotlightKane Williamson was sold at the IPL auction for a cool $635,000, but his T20 numbers of late haven’t quite dignified a man of his stature. He has managed just 97 runs in his last seven innings, never once crossing 30, and only once exceeding a strike rate of 135. He’s not a typical T20 player, but his reputation has been enhanced by his ability to adapt to both conditions and format, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who snapped him up, clearly still have faith in the New Zealand captain. His dismissal for a golden duck in the second T20I put Pakistan in firm control of the match, when a big innings from him was desperately needed. He was in form during the ODI series but if he wants to display his skills in the shortest format in a high-pressure encounter, Mount Maunganui has set the stage for him.Ish Sodhi may be ranked the world’s best T20I bowler – although that didn’t help him on the opening day of the IPL auction – but it feels inevitable that Shadab Khan will be ranked there someday. He’s already mixing it with the best and holding his own, and the final T20I gives him an excellent platform to showcase that again. He has blown a little hot and cold on this tour, following up a superb performance with an indifferent one. Consistency is arguably a legspinner’s biggest challenge, but Shadab has the confidence and ability to rise to it. Pakistan will consider tomorrow’s decider a fantastic place to start building towards it.Team newsRoss Taylor and Tom Blundell – who scored a hundred on Test debut against the West Indies – have been called up for the final game. Colin Munro misses out with a slight hamstring strain, while Glenn Phillips has been released back to his domestic side, Auckland, where Mike Hesson wanted the wicketkeeper to “evolve” his game. Tim Southee, who was rested for the second game, returns.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Bruce, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Colin de Grandhomme, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ben Wheeler/Anaru Kitchen, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish SodhiPakistan are likely to go with the same eleven that produced their best performance of the tour at Eden Park. That may mean Sarfraz persists with batting at No. 4, given the success of the strategy in Auckland.Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 5 Faheem Ashraf, 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Umar Amin, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Rumman Raees, 11 Mohammad AmirPitch and conditionsRain is not expected to be a factor in Mount Maunganui, a surface which takes a bit more spin than the average New Zealand ground. That may prompt both sides to go with two spinners, though a batting friendly deck is expected.Stats and trivia In four T20I series between these two sides, New Zealand have won two, and Pakistan one, with one drawn. If Pakistan win, it will be their first T20I series win in New Zealand New Zealand have never lost a T20I at Mount Maunganui. In five previous matches, they have won four, with the game against West Indies earlier this season washed outQuotes”The boys have played well there and the crowd’s always good as well. Hopefully they turn out and we can put on a good performance for them”
Southampton have played numerous blinders in the transfer market over the years as they have been able to turn profits on the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento, and Sadio Mane, among others.
However, they also had a number of expensive flops throughout their most recent stint in the Premier League before their relegation to the Championship earlier this year.
Who are Southampton's most expensive signings?
Top five signings
Fee paid (via Transfermarkt)
Tino Livramento
£22.6m*
Danny Ings
£21.7m
Kamaldeen Sulemana
£21.6m
Jannik Vestergaard
£21.6m
Sadio Mane
£19.8m
*Includes the sell-on fee that Chelsea received from his move to Newcastle United this summer.
FFC recently published an article detailing Mauricio Pellegrino's blunder in signing Argentine forward Guido Carrillo from Monaco in 2018 but he is just one of several examples of lacklustre recruitment over the last five years or so.
Indeed, another player who turned out to be a poor addition to the club was Norway international Mohamed Elyounoussi, who arrived at St. Mary's in the summer of 2018.
How much did Southampton pay for Mohamed Elyounoussi?
The Saints reportedly splashed out a sizeable fee of £16m to secure the winger's services from Swiss side FC Basel ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.
Mark Hughes was the club's manager at the time and described him as an "exciting" signing after the forward had enjoyed a terrific time in Switzerland.
The talented winger appeared to be a promising addition for Southampton on paper as he had produced goals and assists on a regular basis for Basel throughout the previous two seasons.
In the 2016/17 campaign, Elyounoussi caught the eye with ten goals and 13 assists in 32 Super League outings for the Swiss outfit, although he did fail to chip in with a single goal or assist in three Champions League matches.
He followed that up with 11 goals and 15 assists in 33 top-flight games during the 2017/18 season and stepped up his game in Europe's premier cup competition.
The Norwegian ace racked up two goals and two assists in eight Champions League appearances and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 as his side were eventually knocked out by Manchester City in the last 16.
His impressive spell with Basel came after he started his career in his home country with 36 goals and 13 assists in 108 Eliteserien matches for Molde and Sarpsborg combined.
These statistics show that Elyounoussi had proven himself to be a reliable attacking outlet out wide in both Norway and Switzerland by that point in his career, which convinced Southampton and Hughes to lavish a £16m fee out to secure his signature in the summer of 2018.
How many goals did Elyounoussi score for Southampton?
However, the now-29-year-old dud was unable to carry his form over to English football as he struggled to deliver consistent performances out wide at St. Mary's.
Elyounoussi ended his Southampton career with nine goals in 90 appearances in all competitions across his five years on the south coast, although he did spend time away on loan at Celtic in Scotland.
The Norway international's first season with the club was a disaster as the £16m signing failed to score or assist a single goal in 16 Premier League appearances for Hughes and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 – the 14th-highest within the squad.
He lost 53% of his physical duels, as opposition players found it too easy to knock him off the ball, and missed four 'big chances' in front of goal, as per Sofascore, indicating that he did have the opportunities to find his first goal in English football.
Southampton then opted to send him out on loan to Celtic and he ended up with the Scottish giants for two seasons, in which time the ex-Basel star racked up 24 goals and 14 assists in 67 outings.
Former Celtic forward Mo Elyounoussi.
His solid form at Parkhead convinced Ralph Hasenhuttl to reintegrate him into the first-team set-up at St. Mary's in 2021 but Elyounoussi was unable to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.
He produced five goals and three assists in 63 Premier League games over his last two seasons with the club and struggled badly last term as the club were relegated to the Championship.
Elyounoussi averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.64 across 33 top-flight outings, which included 27 starts, and that was the 20th-highest score within the squad of a team that was not good enough to avoid the drop.
The 29-year-old contributed at the top end of the pitch with one goal and one assist to go along with just 0.5 key passes per match, which to put that into context, was less than nine of his teammates managed per game.
His former assistant coach at Sarpsborg, Ian Burchnall, once claimed that the winger "frustrated" supporters with his one-dimensional player and lack of positional discipline. That is very hard to argue against.
How much did Southampton receive for Elyounoussi?
Southampton did not receive a single penny in transfer fees for the Norway international as they decided to release him upon the expiry of his contract at St. Mary's earlier this year.
This meant that the attacker left the club for £0 after a disappointing five-year spell with the Saints, in which time his best form came during a loan with Celtic in Scotland.
Former Southampton winger Mo Elyounoussi.
Therefore, Hughes had a howler with the former Basel marksman as Elyounoussi consistently failed to do enough to impress on the pitch with his poor performances and lack of a cutting edge in the final third.
He did not provide goals or assists on a regular basis and ended up being an expensive flop for the Saints as they spent £16m and did not receive much back in the way of quality on the pitch to go along with allowing him to leave for nothing this summer.
Elyounoussi was not cut out to play at Premier League level, based on his poor form for Southampton, and impressed when playing in Switzerland, Norway, and Scotland.
Unfortunately, Hughes and the club were not able to predict that he would not be able to translate his form for Basel over to England.
Hopefully, the Saints will have better luck when plucking a player from a league outside of the major European divisions in the future, particularly when they they spend a significant fee to secure their services on a long-term deal.
كشف المدير الفني لمنتخب إنجلترا، جاريث ساوثجيت، عن مستقبله مع الأسود الثلاثة حال فشله في التتويج ببطولة كأس أمم أوروبا هذا الصيف.
وتنطلق منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024 في ألمانيا، يوم الجمعة المقبل.
ويبدأ منتخب إنجلترا مشواره في البطولة بمواجهة صربيا يوم الأحد القادم، قبل مواجهتي الدنمارك وسلوفينيا.
اقرأ أيضًا.. منتخب إنجلترا يتلقى دفعة إيجابية قوية قبل بداية مشواره في يورو 2024
ومن المقرر أن ينتهي عقد ساوثجيت مع منتخب إنجلترا في ديسمبر المقبل، ويسعى الاتحاد الإنجليزي إلى الاحتفاظ بخدماته لما بعد ذلك.
ودامت فترة تدريب ساوثجيت لمنتخب إنجلترا لمدة 8 سنوات تقريبًا، وهي أطول فترة تدريب في إنجلترا منذ أن تولى السير بوبي روبسون هذا المنصب بين عامي 1982 و1990.
ولكن ساوثجيت تحدث بشكل صريح عن إمكانية رحيله بعد يورو بشكل فوري.
عندما سئل عما إذا كانت هذه البطولة – الرابعة له في منصبه – ستكون فرصته الأخيرة للفوز بالألقاب مع إنجلترا، قال: “إذا لم نفز، من المحتمل ألا أكون هنا بعد الآن”.
وأضاف في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية: “ربما تكون تلك هي الفرصة الأخيرة”.
وواصل: “حوالي نصف المدربين الوطنيين يتابعون البطولة، هذه هي طبيعة كرة القدم الدولية، لا يمكنك أن تقف باستمرار أمام الجمهور وتقول (من فضلك أكثر قليلاً)، لأنه في مرحلة ما، سيفقد الناس الثقة في رسالتك”.
وأردف: “إذا أردنا أن نكون فريقًا كبيرًا وأريد أن أكون مدربًا كبيرًا، فعليك أن تقدم أداءً جيدًا في اللحظات الكبيرة”.