Category Uncategorized

Everton have got off to a terrible start this campaign, only picking up one point in their opening five Premier League games, losing their first four before drawing 1-1 with Leicester City last weekend.

This leaves the Toffees 19th in the Premier League, and therefore, Sean Dyche could find himself in a spot of bother, with incoming owner Dan Friedkin already looking at alternatives. Everton face Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this weekend, and another loss could spell the end for Dyche.

Everton have conceded 14 goals this season, only scoring five in their opening five fixtures, but one name in imparticular on their shortlist has Premier League experience, and could really turn things around for the Toffees.

Everton searching for Dyche alternatives

According to GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is one of the main names being ‘discussed’ by Friedkin if Everton are to part ways with Dyche.

Potter has managed Brighton and Chelsea before in the Premier League and could help change and establish a new identity at the Merseyside club.

Praised as being “fantastic” for his job at Brighton by Wolves boss Gary O’Neil in the past, Potter’s success with the Seagulls earned him a big move to Chelsea back in 2022. The Englishman took charge of 31 games for the Blues, winning 12, drawing eight, and losing 11, averaging 1.42 points per match.

Potter suffered from Chelsea going through a big overhaul at the time, with new owners, lots of players both joining and leaving the club and many instances both on and off the field for him to deal with.

However, by stepping back into management at Everton, he could help steer them away from relegation, improving their terrible possession average, and giving them a new identity.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Potter to revitalise Calvert-Lewin

Everton have struggled to create xG this season, only generating 6.29 over their five games so far this season – the fourth lowest in the league).

Their direct approach under Dyche is not allowing them to create high-value chances, and score enough goals to win games, especially with their leaky defensive record.

Potter has always had teams that generate decent xG values, with his Brighton side creating 49.57 xG in their 2021/22 campaign, and his Chelsea side generating 51.89 xG in 2022/23.

An improvement in xG creation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s main responsibility being to finish chances in the box, and make life tough for defenders in the penalty area, could see him revive his best numbers, which Everton fans haven’t seen since 2020/21.

Calvert-Lewin G/A seasons
Year	Goals	Assists
17/18	8	5
18/19	8	3
19/20	15	1
20/21	21	3
21/22	5	2
22/23	2	1
23/24	8	3
Stats taken from Transfermarkt

In the 2019/20 season, when Calvert-Lewin scored 15 goals – 13 coming in the Premier League – Everton generated 53.71 xG, giving the Toffees’ star forward more chances in and around the box to finish off attack, and put the ball in the back of the net.

In comparison, during the 2021/22 season, Everton only generated 44.47 xG in the league, with Calvert-Lewin only managing five goals.

This then led to his worst season, despite Everton generating better xG numbers with 48.65 xG, his confidence was low, injuries were hampering him, and the striker was missing his clinical nature in the box.

However, as Calvert-Lewin is starting to find his mojo in the penalty area again, and will have confidence in his finishing ability, having scored two goals already this season with only 6.29 xG generated by the team, adding Potter who could help Everton keep more of the ball, and create higher value chances.

In turn, this could allow the attacker to explode again with another 15 + goal term, potentially firing Everton away from the relegation zone.

DCL would love him: Friedkin considering amazing Dyche successor at Everton

He could bring the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 25, 2024

Sri Lanka batter Dinesh Chandimal has asked SLC and its technical committee for clarity about his future in the national team.In a letter addressed to the head of the technical committee Aravinda de Silva, which also has several SLC officials copied, Chandimal asked for “an opportunity to meet with you and the respected committees to discuss my future, in playing cricket for Sri Lanka”. This letter comes in the wake of news that Angelo Mathews is considering retirement, and only months after Thisara Perera announced his own retirement.Essentially, this is more of a fallout from the recent contracts saga. SLC’s technical committee – which comprises de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Roshan Mahanama – had been instrumental in devising a new contracts scheme, which proved to be unpopular with the senior players in particular. After a long contracts stand-off, though, SLC withdrew the annual contracts they had offered basically as a punishment for rejecting the contracts in the first place, which means that cricketers who mostly play Tests – such as Chandimal or Dimuth Karunaratne – would be left without income from the board for the majority of this year.Related

• Dinesh Chandimal to appear for Bhairahawa Gladiators in Nepal's Everest Premier League

• Disillusioned Mathews considers international retirement

• Sri Lanka players agree to tour England without contracts

• Mathews only one to decline contract offer for India series

• SL players 'not in agreement to sign unfair contracts'

They are also not contractually bound to the board at present, and several of those uncontracted players are understood to be considering opportunities overseas.In his letter, Chandimal outlined his playing statistics across all three formats, and compared his numbers with those of former greats before the age of 30, though he is himself 31. He then made the point that “the past greats of Sri Lanka cricket have shown that 2nd half of the career is where greater performances are made”, before asking “why are those very people not seeing the value at this juncture, in me?””My performance statistics and my health statistics indicate I am more than capable of performing at the highest level at the moment,” the letter said.At present, Chandimal’s place in any of Sri Lanka’s XIs is not assured. Under Mickey Arthur, Sri Lanka have tended not to pick him for limited-overs cricket due to his modest strike rate. His overall Test numbers are better than most of his team-mates’, but even in that format he had been dropped from the XI for Sri Lanka’s most recent series against Bangladesh. Chandimal last made a Test century in mid-2018, and has averaged 22.43 across 25 innings since.Excerpts from Chandimal’s letter:

MatériaMais Notícias

Leila Pereira se tornou a primeira mulher presidente do Palmeiras com 88,6% dos mais de dois mil votos na eleição realizada nesta sábado (20). Candidata única no pleito, ela não mediu esforços para incentivar os sócios a comparecerem na sede social do clube entre 8h e 17h (de Brasília), horário da votação.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira admite resultado ruim, mas ressalta melhor atuação do Palmeiras: ‘O futebol é assim’Palmeiras20/11/2021PalmeirasGómez explica discussão com Weverton e ameniza situação: ‘Nos resolvemos no vestiário’Palmeiras20/11/2021PalmeirasApós eleição, Leila fala de contratações e planejamento: ‘Aproximar Palmeiras do torcedor’Palmeiras20/11/2021

A candidata disponibilizou táxi grátis de ida e volta para os eleitores. Já aqueles que foram com veículos próprios apresentavam o comprovante de votação para terem anistia do estacionamento. O modelo foi o mesmo quando Leila concorreu ao conselho e, por duas vezes consecutivas, teve recorde de aceitação.

Os sócios puderam aproveitar ainda de um espaço montado para massagem rápida, além de diversas brincadeiras para crianças, regadas a pipoca, algodão doce e sorvete. Os serviços se estenderam durante todo o período de votação com repetição à vontade.

Logo depois do anúncio, a nova presidente fez um discurso para os torcedores organizados na Rua Palestra Itália e distribuiu camisas oficiais enquanto era ovacionada ao som de fogos de artifícios e fumaça verde.

A festa que começou do lado externo do clube, se estendeu para dentro da área social. Em novo discurso, a presidente agradeceu nominalmente as pessoas que a ajudaram a chegar até o posto e, na sequência, os sócios tiveram um show da escola de samba Mancha Verde com distribuição de cerveja e refrigerante, além de muito assédio dos sócios para um registro com a primeira mulher presidente do Palmeiras.

continua após a publicidade

England completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka in the T20I series with a crushing 89-run victory at the Ageas Bowl. It was the fourth-largest victory margin in terms of runs England have achieved in the format.Despite the loss of both regular openers to injury, England posted a century stand for the first wicket to grasp a firm hold on the match which they were never to relinquish. Dawid Malan was named Player of the Match for a fluent innings of 76 that belied the slow nature of the pitch. Jonny Bairstow made 51. Nobody in the rest of the match passed 20.England lost their way a little towards the end of their innings. An excellent spell of death bowling from Dushmantha Chameera, a bright spot amid the rubble of a bitterly disappointing Sri Lanka performance, saw England lose five wickets for 19 runs between the 16th and 19th overs. Chameera finished with career-best figures of 4 for 17.Chris Jordan, however, helped England plunder 17 from the final over of the innings to take them to a total that was always likely to prove beyond the reach of a side that had failed to reach 130 in either of the first two games in the series.So it proved as England’s seamers, gaining a degree of lateral movement that is unusual with the white kookaburra ball, combined to bowl Sri Lanka out for just 91. It was the fourth lowest score Sri Lanka have made from a completed T20I innings.Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Jordan took 4 for 36 from their 12 overs combined, while David Willey picked up three wickets.With Jason Roy suffering from a tight hamstring, Moeen Ali was recalled to the T20I side for the first time since September 2020. But he was consigned to a peripheral role by the dominance of England’s opening batters and the excellence of their seamers.Sri Lanka also made a couple of changes. But Oshada Fernando, who took 27 balls over his 19 runs and seemed preoccupied with trying to hit almost everything through the leg side, underwhelmed and Lakshan Sandakan was unable to make any inroads with his left-arm legspin. Avishka Fernando was absent through injury.Given that England went into this series without two first-choice players (in Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer) and lost Jos Buttler to a calf injury along the way, this result would seem to confirm their place among the favourites for the T20 World Cup in a few months. It is harder to find room for optimism for a Sri Lanka side that succumbed to their first clean-sweep defeat in any limited-overs series (of at least three matches) against England.Top heavy
Malan, who has been batting at No. 3 of late, and Bairstow, who has been at No. 4, put on 105 for the first wicket in 11.4 overs. After taking a couple of overs to size up the bowling and the conditions, they attacked with calm precision to define the rest of the game. Their stand was 14 more than the entire Sri Lanka side managed.It was England’s first century opening stand against Sri Lanka in T20Is and their fifth in total. Underlining that strength in depth is the observation that Alex Hales, another man who is currently deemed surplus to requirements, was involved in three of those five century stands and was busy scoring a century for Nottinghamshire while this game was being played. Realistically, Malan and Bairstow are likely to be shunted back down the order when Buttler and Roy return.Some cheer from Chameera
This has been, in many ways, a chastening series for Sri Lanka. But the performance of Chameera, at least, has been encouraging. With his pace, control and variations, he challenged the batters in each game. Over the series, he had an impressive economy rate of 6.26 per over.Chameera began by conceding just three from the first over of the match, demonstrating an ability to gain a little movement and a sharp short ball. But it was when he returned towards the death that he excelled: mixing his quicker deliveries – he can exceed 140kph – with some well-directed slower balls, he took four wickets for six runs in those two overs and dragged back a runaway England.Malan makes a statement
He batted both beautifully and at an impressive tempo. His first boundary, from his sixth delivery, was a clip for six off his legs that was timed to perfection and it was followed by a succession of reverse-sweeps, drives and slog-sweeps that provided a reminder of his range and class. One lofted drive over extra-cover might have been the stroke of the day. He beat Bairstow to fifty (30 and 41 balls respectively) and demonstrated his ability as a power hitter by heaving Wanindu Hasaranga for two vast sixes in an over.Don’t fret about his having ‘only’ scored 76 by the time he was dismissed in the 19th over: he had been starved of the strike. On another sluggish surface, his strike-rate – 158.33 – was significantly better than anyone else who faced 10 deliveries in the match.Sri Lanka Battered
With scores of 111 for 7, 129 for 7 and now 91 all out, Sri Lanka’s batters have looked strangely impotent. They were never able to register a total that threatened England and only one of them could get up to a score of 40 all series. With time running out ahead of the T20 World Cup, it’s an area that will have to improve if Sri Lanka are to challenge.Woakes’ happy return
It had been almost six years since Woakes had played a T20I before this series. But, in conceding just 3.28 runs per over in the two games he played, he must have earned himself a chance of a longer-term recall. His control, skills, and variations – which seems, on this evidence, to include a new slower ball which is delivered with no change of seam position and appears tough to pick-up – and his ability to contribute with the bat, would appear to render him an attractive option.

Newcastle United somehow secured all three points in their first Premier League match of the season, despite playing against Southampton with ten men for nearly an hour.

Fabian Schar was sent off after just 26 minutes following a controversial decision, but Eddie Howe’s men took the lead through Joelinton just before the break as the Brazilian sent a neat finish into the Saints' net.

The Magpies were under the cosh throughout the second half, but they held on to start the 2024/25 campaign with a win, which will bolster confidence around St James' Park.

Despite the victory, several players failed to perform well, which could see Howe making a few changes ahead of their next match.

One player who was disappointing against the Saints was Lewis Hall, as he struggled to cope before being subbed with 20 minutes to go.

Lewis Hall’s game in numbers v Southampton

The defender started the game on the left of a back four, but he failed to impress against the south coast side, struggling to cope with Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton Diaz during his time on the pitch.

Indeed, Hall was dribbled past on three occasions, won zero of his seven contested duels and lost possession a staggering 16 times throughout the game.

Accurate passes

12/20

Touches

42

Total duels (won)

7 (0)

Possession lost

16

Key passes

1

Dribbled past

3 times

Via Sofascore

The defender also took 42 touches along with completing just 12 of his 20 attempted passes – a success rate of 60% – as he could count himself lucky that Newcastle managed to finish the game with all three points.

He did clear an Armstrong shot off the line, but that was about the only positive during his spell on the field, with Newcastle World giving him a match rating of 6/10.

Howe’s men take on Bournemouth next Sunday in the league. Will Hall start that match, or could he be replaced by another left-back in the squad following his poor performance?

Players who could replace Lewis Hall

Dan Burn is currently having to deputise at centre-back due to injuries, and with Schar likely missing a few games due to suspension, he won't be moving to the left side of the defence anytime soon.

This leaves Matt Targett as the obvious option to come in for Hall next week. Last season, the Englishman made only seven appearances for the club due to a hamstring injury, so he may be eased back in gently.

Kieran Trippier may be a wildcard option for that spot, especially considering he played there during England’s run to the Euro 2024 final in the summer. However, this would perhaps be more of a last resort for Howe.

It might not have been the performance that the supporters or Howe would have expected, but starting the new season off with a win – especially with having to play the majority of the game with ten men – will stand them in good stead as they head into the clash against the Cherries next week.

The next Ben Arfa: Newcastle could land "world-class" £13m sensation

He would be a huge coup for the Magpies.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 14, 2024

While the Premier League starts on Friday night, Manchester United's season began on Saturday with a closely fought loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Erik ten Hag's side may have come out of the match empty-handed, but they looked competitive, and with several signings expected to join in the coming weeks, they could be in for a successful campaign.

The biggest name set to join Sir Jim Ratcliffe's revolution is Matthijs De Ligt, but another name recently touted for a surprise transfer to Old Trafford is Sander Berge.

The Norwegian midfielder is a talented player, but it could be argued that he's not of the level to help take the club forward, which is why fans should be excited about recent reports which have now linked a far more impressive midfielder with the Red Devils.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Insider, United are now targeting AS Monaco's Youssouf Fofana.

The report claims that Ten Hag is now prioritising a move for a new number six, and one of the players the club is looking at is Fofana, who has been impressing for Les Monégasques for years.

However, Ratcliffe and Co will need to present a compelling case to the 25-year-old, as the report has revealed that he is currently leaning towards a move to Italian giants AC Milan.

The potential price is not mentioned in the story, but reports from last week revealed that a fee of around £30m should be enough to complete the deal. While that's not an insignificant amount of money, if the club could bring in Fofana over Berge, it would be worth it.

How Fofana compares to Berge

Okay, so while both players are primarily central and defensive midfielders, let's kick off this comparison by looking at their raw output, as while their main job will be to help out with defensive work and breaking up the opposition's attack, in the modern game they'll be expected to help out in attack themselves at points.

In this battle, it's an easy win for Fofana, as in his 35 appearances for Monaco last season, he scored four goals and provided four assists, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.37 games.

In contrast, Berge could not provide much attacking impetus for Burnley last year, scoring just two goals and providing two assists in 40 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every ten games.

Okay, how about their underlying numbers, then? When we compare what's going on under the hood, is the Frenchman again the clear winner?

Unsurprisingly, in practically every relevant metric, the Paris-born "monster," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, comes out ahead, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shots and shots on target, key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area and shot and goal-creating actions all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.28

0.13

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.27

0.09

Progressive Carries

1.77

1.92

Progressive Passes

8.30

4.91

Shots

1.74

0.75

Shots on Target

0.43

0.09

Passing Accuracy

81.2%

88.1%

Key Passes

1.33

0.87

Passes into the Final Third

6.47

3.86

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.43

0.48

Shot-Creating Actions

3.34

2.01

Goal-Creating Actions

0.33

0.24

Tackles Won

1.30

1.38

Blocked Passes

0.93

0.87

Blocked Shots

0.23

0.60

Interceptions

1.23

0.69

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.03

0.06

Successful Take-Ons

1.30

0.60

Aerial Duels Won

0.57

1.92

Ball Recoveries

7.67

6.05

Moreover, even in the slightly closer fought defensive metrics, the former Strasbourg ace does well, blocking more passes, making more interceptions, completing more ball recoveries and making fewer errors that lead to an opponent's shot, also per 90.

Ultimately, whether by pure output or their underlying numbers, it's clear that Fofana is a vastly superior midfielder to Berge. Therefore, if United have the opportunity to sign him for around £30m this summer, they must take it, as he'd be a brilliant addition to Ten Hag's side.

After Mazraoui: Man Utd in talks to sign "electric" upgrade on Luke Shaw

Manchester United could solve their ongoing left back issues with this buy.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 11, 2024

Paul Scholes believes Harry Kane is at the "beginning of the end" of his England career, after he was left out of Lee Carsley's side to face Greece.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Kane dropped in last international break
• Scholes believes end could be near
• Bayern Munich striker not planning to retire

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former England star Scholes believes that Kane's time playing for his country is coming to an end after he was left out of Lee Carsley's side to face Greece in the Nations League. England won the game 3-0 and his replacement, Ollie Watkins, scored within seven minutes. Kane did play against the Republic of Ireland, scoring in the 5-0 win from the penalty spot, but Scholes believes he looked "out of place".

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carsley picked a number of youthful players in his squad, and Scholes thinks that Thomas Tuchel, his replacement, may look to scale back the Bayern star's involvement internationally. Kane has said that he has no plans to retire after the 2026 World Cup in North America but Scholes believes the decision may be taken for him.

• WHAT SCHOLES SAID

  Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Scholes said: "It felt like the end of Harry Kane – the beginning of the end. He looked out of place in the team. When you get older you feel like everything happens a bit quicker around you and it looked a bit like that. But I don't know how we'd replace him."

  Roy Keane did present a counter-argument, insisting that Kane is only 31, but Scholes pointed out that was the exact age that Alan Shearer was when he retired from England duty.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Kane will next be in action when Bayern face Augsburg in the Bundesliga this weekend. He has scored 17 goals in 16 games in all competitions for the club this season.

The duo added 216 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s first-innings ton and two four-fors went in vain

Hemant Brar07-Feb-2021Debutant Kyle Mayers scored a magnificent 210 not out as West Indies pulled off the fifth-highest successful chase in Test cricket, and highest in Asia, nailing down 395 for a miraculous three-wicket win on the final evening in Chattogram.In a display of exemplary temperament and power-hitting, Mayers struck 20 fours and seven sixes during his 310-ball stay at the crease. When he hit the winning run, a hurried single to mid-on, only 15 balls were left in the Test. During the course of his innings, he became only the sixth batsman to score a double-century on Test debut, and also the sixth overall to score a double-ton in the fourth innings of a Test. Unsurprisingly, Mayers is the only one on both lists.Related

History-making Mayers looking for more and more glory

At no point did I think we would lose the game – Mominul Haque

A bolt from the blue – Kyle Mayers takes Test cricket by storm

Kyle Mayers: 'I hope this inspires all youngsters to work hard'

For the most part of the final day, Mayers was accompanied by fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who himself struck a gritty 86. The duo added 216 for the fourth wicket and kept Bangladesh wicketless for the first two sessions of the day.That left West Indies needing 129 in a minimum of 33 overs in the final session. Bonner, who had survived a stumping chance against Nayeem Hasan before tea, hit Taijul Islam for a six in the first over after the interval but was lbw on the very next ball. Jermaine Blackwood too fell soon after. After slog-sweeping Taijul over long-on for six, he went for another big hit against Hasan, only to be bowled for 9.With West Indies 292 for 5 and the target still 103 runs away, Bangladesh had their hopes renewed. Suddenly there were four men close to the bat. But it also meant there were many gaps in the outfield and Mayers and Joshua Da Silva took advantage of that, hitting a four each in one Hasan over. A few minutes later, when Mayers pulled Hasan over deep midwicket for a six to bring the target down to 76, Bangladesh were forced to spread the field once again.Mayers was at his striking-best when the last hour commenced. With 61 required at that stage, he backed himself to clear the boundary-riders and scored 49 by himself, in just 40 balls, bludgeoning five sixes and a four. Taijul, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, no one was spared. In a 100-run stand with Da Silva for the sixth wicket, Mayers’ contribution was 80.The credit must go to Da Silva as well who played a perfect foil to Mayers and must have calmed the nerves in the dressing room. He was eventually bowled for 20 when the target was just three runs away. Kemar Roach also fell on the same score – caught at leg slip off Miraz, who ended with a hundred and eight wickets in the match – but by then the result was sealed.Bangladesh, however, will rue the chances they missed and the reviews they didn’t take, apart from losing Shakib Al Hasan to a thigh injury on the second day of the Test.West Indies started the day on 110 for 3, and in the first hour alone there were at least three opportunities Bangladesh should have been converted into wickets. Mayers was on 47 when Taijul got one to straighten from around the wicket to hit the batsman on the pads. There was a loud appeal for lbw but umpire Richard Illingworth deemed it not out. Bangladesh didn’t opt for the review but replays showed Mayers would have been out had they done so.Shortly afterwards, Miraz induced an outside edge off Mayers bat but this time Najmul Hossain Shanto put it down at first slip. The resulting single took Mayers to his fifty.Bangladesh missed another opportunity to overturn an on-field decision when Hasan got one to turn sharply from outside off and ping Bonner’s pads. Illingworth once again ruled it in the batsman’s favour. Replays, once again, confirmed he was wrong. Bonner was on 25 at that point.Kyle Mayers gets a hug from fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner during their double-century stand•BCBThe Bangladesh spinners were also guilty of not bowling enough full-length deliveries, allowing Bonner and Mayers to wait on the back foot and adjust to whatever turn and bounce the pitch offered.Mayers was the aggressor right from the start, cutting and pulling spinners to the square boundaries. When Rahman was brought into the attack, he welcomed him with a four and six off successive deliveries. Bonner, meanwhile, was happy to keep his end occupied. By lunch, their contrasting approaches led to the comparisons with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant’s knocks in India’s win against Australia in Brisbane last month.The two, however, seemed to have switched roles in the second session. In the second over after lunch, Bonner cleared his front leg and lofted Taijul over mid-on. It fetched the batsman four runs but the impact was such that Bangladesh went on the defensive after that shot. For the next few overs, they had just one close-in fielder, either a slip or a short leg, for spinners.With a single off Hasan, Bonner brought up his half-century, in 164 balls. Bangladesh opted for the second new ball after the 81st over and seemed to have found success immediately when umpire Sharfuddoula gave Bonner lbw off Taijul. Bonner, though, knew he had got an inside edge and got the decision reversed.But Mayers found himself stuck. Having reached 90 in 146 balls, he took another 32 balls to bring up his maiden Test hundred. And it was a streaky boundary between slip and gully, via an outside edge off Rahman, that took him to the landmark.What followed was a slew of loose shots from Mayers, all in that Rahman over. He was beaten outside off twice in the next two balls and, a ball later, miscued two consecutive lofted attempts. Luckily for West Indies, both fell away from the fielders. It took a message from the dressing room at the end of the over for Mayers to regain his composure, which he didn’t lose till the end of the match.

Over the last few weeks, Manchester United have been linked with plenty of players as they look to bolster the squad ahead of next season.

However, it’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Joshua Zirkzee that look to be the two most concrete targets, with the latter being the most attainable of the two.

Yet, it seems that the centre-back spot will be the main priority, especially due to the exit of Raphael Varane and the number of injuries suffered in that spot.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a defensive target for the Red Devils, who has the potential to be an even better signing than Zirkzee.

Man Utd will look to sign a centre back

According to reports from Spain, via The Faithful MUFC, Man United are interested in signing Ronald Araujo.

It’s said that the Red Devils have intensified their efforts to sign the Uruguayan rock, and they’re ready to go ‘all out.’

The reason for this is due to Araujo and Barcelona not currently being on the same page regarding a contract renewal, which could provide an opportunity for United.

It’s mentioned that a £64m fee will be enough to secure Araujo’s signature if he does decide to depart, and Man Utd will increase his wage dramatically.

Why Araujo would be a better signing than Zirkzee

It’s a known fact that over the last couple of seasons, Araujo has played a huge role in the success of Barcelona.

The versatile defender was once again a consistent performer last season, even though he missed eight games through injury.

In La Liga, the 25-year-old started just 21 matches, but during those games he proved he was elite, also netting once and picking up two assists.

Araujo was also handed the captain’s armband at stages, which just shows how highly rated he is as not just a player but also a character.

Araujo vs Varane 23/24 League Stats
Stats (per game)	Araujo	Varane
Touches	73.8	43.5
Passes completed	56.9	31.4
Pass accuracy	90%	89%
Dribbled past	0.2	0.2
Duels won (%)	4.2 (65%)	2 (68%)
Balls recovered	4.1	3
Via Sofascore

Nonetheless, as you can see from the stats above, Araujo is the definition of a complete centre-back that’d improve the United backline significantly.

Regardless of whether he’s under pressure or against a low block, the Uruguay international is fantastic on the ball, showing great composure, vision, and progression, as shown by his passing stats and touches.

On the other hand, he’s an absolute monster of an athlete, having extreme speed and physicality, which makes him incredibly difficult to play against.

This athleticism and reading of the game is why he’s such a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, with his duel win rate and dribbled past proving that.

Furthermore, Araujo has also displayed that he’s a versatile asset by playing at right back, which would give Erik Ten Hag much more tactical flexibility and the team more depth in multiple positions.

Now the question that still remains is: why would Araujo be better than Zirkzee? Well, the answer is rather simple.

To begin with, the centre-back spot at Man United is arguably the weakest in the squad, not necessarily because it lacks quality but because of the lack of reliability, as highlighted by veteran hero Jonny Evans making 23 Premier League appearances last season.

Therefore, a player of Araujo’s quality would simply walk into the starting eleven, whereas Zirkzee would have to compete with Rasmus Hojlund for the lone striker spot in Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1.

In an ideal world, both players would join the club and bolster the squad, but the Barca man truly has the potential to have more of an influence at Old Trafford.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Manchester United have been handed a positive boost in their chase of Ruud van Nistelrooy this summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to secure his backroom staff target ahead of the new Premier League season.

Ten Hag set to be offered new Man Utd deal

An FA Cup win followed by two weeks of Manchester United interviewing multiple other candidates for the role eventually culminated in the Red Devils deciding to keep the faith with Erik ten Hag heading into the 2024/25 season.

The Dutchman oversaw one of the worst seasons in Manchester United's Premier League history, finishing eighth and conceding as many goals as 16th-placed Brentford, while his side faced the second most shots per game of any side in Europe's top five leagues, behind only Sheffield United and behind relegated Luton Town.

However, there were mitigating circumstances, most significantly a lengthy injury list which led to defenders being played out of position and Casemiro ending the season at centre-back, making up the 14th different Red Devils centre-back pairing of the season.

According to Opta, the Dutchman was only able to call upon his first-choice pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane for 11% of his side's Premier League games, while his most used pairing of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane started just six games together.

Manchester United's centre-back crisis (via Transfermarkt)

Player

Starts at centre-back PL 23/24

Jonny Evans

15

Victor Lindelof

8

Harry Maguire

18

Lisandro Martinez

8

Raphael Varane

16

Willy Kambwala

3

Casemiro

6

Perhaps with this in mind, the Dutchman was granted a stay of execution and is set to be offered a new deal, with ESPN reporting that the Red Devils are hoping that they can reach an agreement over a new contract "before their pre-season tour of the US", which begins on July 27th when they face Arsenal.

Though it is claimed negotiations are "complicated", it is added that talks have "progressed well" and a deal is now thought to be close. There could also be another new face in the dugout by then too, if all goes to plan.

Romano provides positive Van Nistelrooy to Man Utd update

That comes as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Van Nistelrooy is "tempted by Man United" as they look to make him a part of the club's coaching staff.

The ex-Manchester United striker was understood to be the subject of interest from Championship side Burnley, who were looking at the Dutchman to potentially replace Vincent Kompany in the Turf Moor hot seat.

Man Utd willing to bid for £50m+ winger alongside Zirkzee

The Red Devils have been linked with a mega-money move.

ByBen Browning Jun 25, 2024

However, any hope of that seems to have gone up in smoke, with Romano explaining that a move to Old Trafford is "advancing fast", which could see him turn down the change to manage his own side and instead join compatriot Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 times in 219 appearances for the Red Devils, and United fans will be hoping that his arrival will allow them to get the most out of young talent Rasmus Hojlund, who blew hot and cold last season.