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Jude Bellingham cut a frustrated figure last season for Real Madrid but boss Xabi Alonso has been told how to get the best out of the England star.

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Real Madrid told how to get best out of BellinghamLos Blancos failed to win silverware last seasonXabi Alonso has now taken charge of teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bellingham enjoyed a stunning first season at Real Madrid, winning La Liga and the Champions League, but found his second campaign in the Spanish capital more challenging. The England star saw his role in the team tweaked, due to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, and Los Blancos ultimately ended the season empty-handed.

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Xabi Alonso has now arrived as manager and has told Bellingham he sees him as a midfielder, suggesting he will move out of his No. 10 role. Former Real Madrid Victor Sanchez del Amo is in agreement and says Bellingham must revert to his previous role in midfield if Alonso's side are to thrive next year. Del Amo also thinks the change will help improve Bellingham's behaviour on the pitch.

WHAT SANCHEZ DEL AMO SAID

Sanchez del Amo told The Sun: “I really saw a change in Bellingham in his second season. In the first season he was outstanding, playing in his natural position as a midfielder with a free role to move through the central corridor. But last season, he played many times as a left midfielder. He had a different tactical role and he wasn’t happy there. Real had lost Toni Kroos and didn’t replace his role in the build-up play. They struggled for balance between defence and attack. Bellingham realised that and tried to help the team by dropping his position, but this was also uncomfortable for him.

“You could see that his body language on the pitch was very different. In the first season he always showed a great fighting spirit, helping his team-mates, supporting everyone and leading on the pitch. But in this second season he had different behaviour. He spent a lot of time complaining, got more cards and picked fights with opponents. I felt he was not happy in his new role — and that showed. Last season Real signed Kylian Mbappe but it was difficult to find balance because he and Vini Junior like to occupy the same spaces. They are not natural strikers, so many times Real had nobody in the box. They would get into crossing positions but the box was empty. Bellingham can improve that. He has a huge capacity to score goals."

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Bellingham will be hoping to lift the Club World Cup with Real Madrid this summer. The England international and Los Blancos kick off their tournament on Wednesday against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Meeting at The Oval discusses impact of medical and staffing costs for players heading to global leagues

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2023The directors of cricket (DoCs) at county clubs have called for an “urgent” review into standard contracts to address the “very real challenge” presented by their players representing several franchises during the English winter.The majority of county cricketers are employed on 12-month contracts but the English season only runs from April to September, meaning that an ever-growing number of players are travelling overseas during the off-season to play in franchise tournaments.Some DoCs – most notably Alec Stewart at Surrey – believe that counties are getting a rough deal, particularly for players who are only available for a small proportion of the season due to international commitments and involvement in the IPL and/or the Hundred.”They go away and play elsewhere and when they come back they want time in the indoor centre, the benefit of the best coaches advising them on their game, just to get ready to go off and play in another franchise competition somewhere else,” Stewart told Sky Sports earlier this month. “‘Oh and by the way, I’ve got a little injury so can I get treated by the physio, the doctor, the medical staff and can I get rehab as well?'”The DoCs met at The Oval on Monday and have since circulated a statement calling for representation on “any future performance committees or other appropriate working groups” so that the English game can “take advantage of our many years of amassed experience”.On the issue of player contracts, the statement said: “The current arrangement leaves the clubs with little control over their players’ movements in the off-season, often leading to increased medical and staffing costs to ensure players are suitably prepared and rehabilitated, and there is clearly now the need for more flexibility in this area to suit both clubs and players.”The number of players involved in winter tournaments has risen exponentially in the last four-five years and with the US Major League on the horizon, this is becoming a very real challenge for all involved. The group understands that the ECB, PCA and county CEOs also recognise the need for this review, and we would welcome the opportunity to have a direct input into these discussions.”A number of players are already on white-ball-only deals with counties, but the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has warned that contracting more players only for specific windows will present “a real risk” to the sport. “It will create more white-ball specialists and could have a detrimental effect on the red-ball game and the Test team,” Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s COO, told the . “And the men’s Test team is what underpins the [English] game’s finances.”Take away the care package of coaching and medical support and it becomes very transactional. Players love having a ‘home’, but strip away those benefits and the big career decisions become easier for players – in the wrong direction.”I understand the frustrations of the counties and players need to respect that side of it. We’re also very aware the global landscape has evolved and contracts need to evolve with it. But I don’t think contracting guys for six to eight weeks for specific competitions is the way to go. We have to protect the pathway.”

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann has opted to stay at the Spanish club, spurning interest from MLS side LAFC

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Antoine Griezmann opted to stay at Atletico MadridPenned a deal to keep him at club until 2027LAFC still expected to make a designated player signingGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

LAFC's transfer hopes have been dealt a significant blow, as Antonie Griezmann elected to pen a two-year deal to stay at Atletico Madrid, the club announced on Monday. The former France international had been linked with a move to MLS for some time, and LAFC was assumed to be among his favored destinations. However, his decision to stay in Spain would appear to delay any potential move.

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LAFC are still expected to be active in the transfer market in the coming months, and will be in the hunt for a designated player, according to . Striker Olivier Giroud's current deal ends in December 2025, although the club has an option to extend his stay for one year. It was assumed that he would be a selling point for Griezmann, as the two enjoyed a successful partnership in the French national team.

WHAT ANTOINE GRIEZMANN SAID

Griezmann released a statement expressing his satisfaction at penning a new deal: "I'm very happy to keep wearing this amazing jersey for many more years, and I hope to bring [the fans] a lot of joy."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GRIEZMANN?

The attacking midfielder will remain at Atleti for at least another two years. Although his minutes declined slightly last year, he still managed 16 goals and nine assists in all competitions for the Spanish giants.

With 11 games to go this season, Manchester City face a real fight to get into next season’s Champions League.

Having beaten Tottenham last time out, Erling Braut Håland the only scorer in North London, Pep Guardiola’s team sit fourth, but six clubs, down to Aston Villa in tenth, are five points or fewer behind.

Next up, on Saturday lunchtime, the Sky Blues will face the side one place and one point above them, namely Nottingham Forest, and if the Citizens are going to collect three points at the City Ground, it might be time for Guardiola to unleash his relentless attacking star.

Jack Grealish's continued underwhelming form

Jack Grealish started last weekend’s FA Cup victory over Plymouth Argyle, but has not started a Premier League fixture since before Christmas, and his statistics underline why.

Sam Lee of the Athletic has described his performances this season as ‘underwhelming’, caveating that by adding his campaign has been ‘hampered by injuries’.

Nevertheless, it’s now 448 days, and counting, since the 29-year-old’s most recent Premier League goal, having scored twice so far this season, converting a penalty during the 8-0 demolition of Salford, also on target in defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, both in January.

In total, Grealish has scored just 16 goals in 151 appearances for the Sky Blues, an underwhelming return for someone who cost £100m, at the time a British transfer record.

Grealish has himself admitted this has been the “most difficult year of my life”, with Richard Jolly of the Independent believing he is ‘wasting his talent’, while Oliver Kay in the Athletic labels him ‘beyond disappointing’.

Chalkboard

So, instead of starting Grealish, Guardiola should include Man City’s more recent big-money arrival in attack on Saturday.

Manchester City's perfect Grealish replacement

Manchester City signed Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of £63m in January, but the Egyptian striker has already, in only eight appearances for the club, started to prove his worth.

The 26-year-old scored the first-ever senior hat-trick of his career against Newcastle last month, after which strike partner Håland labelled him “something special” and “a fantastic player”.

Prior to his move to Manchester, Marmoush had been on fire for Frankfurt this season, scoring 20 goals in just 26 appearances, averaging a goal every 103 minutes, leading to analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as “relentless”.

So, let’s see how his numbers compare to Grealish.

Statistics

Jack Grealish

Omar Marmoush

Appearances

26

34

Minutes

1,319

2,630

Goals

2

23

Assists

5

14

Goals – xG

-0.8

+7.7

Shots on target per 90

1.92

4.31

Shots on target %

30.8%

44.8%

Take on success %

52%

42.9%

Shot-creating actions per 90

5.9

5.21

Touches per 90

64.56

41.73

Unsurprisingly, Marmoush comes out on top for most attacking metrics, albeit Grealish ranks higher for creative statistics per 90, namely take-on success percentage, touches per 90 and shot-creating actions per 90.

Nevertheless, the Egyptian is far superior in terms of shots, shot accuracy, assists and goals, with Marmoush massively overperforming his xG this season, racking up a figure of +7.7; for comparison, the player in the Premier League this season with the highest figure is Chris Wood on +7.4, who he’ll be facing on Saturday.

So, up against a Forest team who rank fourth in the Premier League this season for both goals conceded and xG allowed, as well as second for clean sheets, goals will not be easy to come by, hence why Guardiola must start his superstar new attacker.

Sold for just £750k: Man City could regret losing the next Morgan Rogers

Man City may have cashed in on another rising English star on the cheap

ByRobbie Walls Mar 6, 2025

DCMS hearing set to go ahead despite suspension of parliamentary committee chair

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2022Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, has acknowledged that the scale of English cricket’s problem with discrimination is likely to prove “challenging for the sport” when the full findings of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) are published early next year.However, writing in the introduction to the ECB’s 12-month review into its game-wide Action Plan, Thompson insisted that the progress outlined in three of its own equity, diversity and inclusion reports demonstrates the sport’s clear aim to be “more open and inclusive”.”We know cricket at its best is a game for everyone, no matter what their background,” Thompson wrote. “We also know the difficult truth: that for too many people, that hasn’t always been the case. We know we are at the start of the journey and we will continue to work to reach a place where cricket is the most inclusive sport.”Among the findings in the board’s updates are a 32% increase in the number of women’s and girls’ teams across England and Wales in 2022, and a £17.5million investment into more than 1600 facilities projects since 2021.In November 2021, the ECB adopted a 12-point Action Plan at a game-wide meeting at The Oval, in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony at the DCMS select committee hearings in Westminster, at which the extent of English cricket’s institutional racism was laid bare.Rafiq and other figures within English cricket – including Yorkshire’s chairman, Lord Patel – are due to give further evidence to the DCMS committee next week, a process that is set to go ahead in the absence of the committee chair, Julian Knight, who has been suspended from the Conservative Party following an allegation of sexual assault.Responding in a statement on Twitter, Knight insisted that the withdrawal of the whip was “wrong and unjustified”, but added that he would be recusing himself from parliamentary business until the matter is resolved.

India could manage only 168 for 6, before the England openers took charge

Alagappan Muthu10-Nov-20222:41

Moody: ‘India lacked intent in the first half of their innings’

For all of England’s game-breaking talent, this win that takes them into the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup final was all about doing the basics right.They protected the short square boundary in Adelaide, giving away only two sixes until the start of the death overs.They saw a chance to break open a chase of 169 in the powerplay, when the ball was coming on nicely under the lights, and seized it, smashing 10 boundaries while the field was up.A score 63 for 0 in six became 170 for 0 in 16. Jos Buttler became a supernova. Alex Hales became a dream come true. became .The Hales gamble
One horrid rain-soaked night at the MCG, England played the way they swore they never would. The captain then came out and said “let it hurt”.Pain is powerful, but just as well as it disorients, it brings clarity. In that it forces people to do everything possible to never feel it again. And that’s what’s happened.Since that defeat to Ireland, where they kept second-guessing themselves, England have batted and bowled with ultimate clarity. The selection of Hales was one of ultimate clarity. He came with solid experience in Australian conditions. They needed that experience. Buttler made the call. And now here is the payoff.A player who, for a long time, came to be known as a disruptive force within the England team was given a second chance. And he’s repaid their faith with an innings that broke the biggest superpower in the world of cricket.Hales equalled India’s tally of sixes all by himself – seven – reducing their bowlers to rubble. He even backed himself to clear Adelaide’s massive 88-metre straight boundaries.India played a hand in their own undoing as ESPNcricinfo’s Karthik Krishnaswamy notes here. They had batted against a bowling attack that allowed them to score a mere 64 runs off 46 balls square of the wicket in the first 15 overs. England though had no such restrictions. Their batters were given all the room they needed to access the short boundary. Hales and Buttler amassed 98 runs off 54 balls square of the wicket in their first 15 overs.Jos Buttler and Alex Hales soak in their unbroken 170-run stand•Getty ImagesButtler’s brilliance
This is how you break a match-up. Coming into this game, Buttler had fallen to Bhuvneshwar Kumar five times in 32 balls in T20I cricket.He must have known this because first ball he charged out of his crease, intent on negating the India bowler’s biggest strength. His swing.These were the kinds of moves Buttler was making all night as he finished on 80 off 49.He front-loaded Adil Rashid against India’s right-hand heavy top-order. And the legspinner took out Suryakumar Yadav.He reaffirmed Chris Jordan’s faith in his yorkers. One of those toppled Virat Kohli off his feet.Virat Kohli stumbles trying to play a Chris Jordan yorker•AFP via Getty ImagesHe silenced a crowd of 40,094 – getting all revved up thanks to Hardik Pandya – with one single shot. A pull for four off Axar Patel.Buttler was at the centre of a lot of good things – but most of them probably date back to the drawing board.England won this game in the backroom. They contained a 360-degree player by taking pace off, because at least that way, you’re only defending one side of the pitch. The one in front of the batter.Buttler backed Rashid to pull off this heist, and this was even after the legspinner had been punished for a boundary first ball all because he had dared to toss it up.Rashid could easily have protected his figures tonight. Sat back and pointed people to his tournament economy rate (6.25). But no, he didn’t. He bought into the plan and picked up perhaps the most important wicket for England. Just his second of the World Cup.Suryakumar is the man India look to for acceleration through the middle and the death. With him gone for 14 off 10, the game had changed.Hardik rising
There was only one phase of play that England lost in this game. And that was when Hardik decided enough was enough.He was 13 off 15 at the start of the 17th over. India were 110 for 3. They had tried to disrupt England.Rohit Sharma hit one of the shots of the night – a one-bounce four over extra cover off a near Jordan yorker – but he fell three balls later.Suryakumar succumbed after hitting Ben Stokes for a six and a four.All of this prompted Kohli to go into anchor mode, which meant the other guy had to go big.Hardik Pandya hit five sixes in his 33-ball 63•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd Hardik did. He brought out the helicopter shot against Jordan. He escorted a wide yorker for four past short third off Sam Curran. He flat batted short balls all around the park.India made 58 runs in their last four overs. Fifty of them came off Hardik’s bat. This was his scoring sequence from the 18th over: 6, 6, dot, 1, 1, 4, 6, 4, 1, 6, 4, out (having trodden on his stumps while whipping the ball for what would have been another four). Five of those 12 balls were attempted yorkers. Many of them landed pretty close to the perfect spot. But Hardik stands so deep in his crease and brings so much of his wrists into his strokeplay that even they became boundary-scoring opportunities.From looking like they’d be lucky to get to 140, India had 168. India had hope.And then nothing. Or maybe its worse than that because now there will be questions about the way they played their first 10 overs (62 for 2 with only seven boundaries) against a team full of power-hitters.England chasing history
They invented the game. They hosted each of the first three World Cups. They absolutely loved cricket. And there were a few nice moments.A passion-filled night in Karachi. Several glorious weeks in Australia. An unforgettable adventure in India.But there was also, “I intend… to make them grovel”. And, “We’ll have a bowl.”England + Cricket = broken-heart emojiBut then, on a fine summer’s day in 2019, they got their “I love you” back. And It. Meant. Everything.Now they want “I love you more”. Maybe even “I love you most”. Because England, through all the twists and turns and tragicomedy, are now just one win away from being the first men’s team in history to hold both World Cups at the same time.It’s taken a lot of effort to get here. A complete rewiring of DNA, in fact. Seriously, if you take one of Buttler’s cells and put it under a microscope, you’ll just see a scoop over fine leg for six.This is England now. This is the revolution that Eoin Morgan began and Buttler sustains. It got its validation at Lord’s on that fine summer’s day in 2019. But you know the thing with these things. Once is never ever enough.

Bahawalpur Royals carved their name on the inaugural Pakistan Junior League (PJL) trophy by beating Gwadar Sharks by 86 runs in the final, in Lahore on Friday. Shawaiz Irfan smashed 79 off just 32 deliveries and Tayyab Arif hit a quick fifty to set the platform for an imposing total of 225. In the chase, Sharks were bowled out for 139, thanks to Mohammad Zeeshan and Nangeyalia Kharote’ three wicket-hauls.Sharks won the toss and elected to bowl, but the decision backfired. The damage inflicted by Irfan, Arif, Basit Ali and Kharote was massive for Sharks. While Arif made a 34-ball 56, Kharote remained unbeaten on 47 off 30 balls to help the Imran Tahir-mentored side post the highest total of the season.The Lahore-born Shawaiz, who was promoted up the batting order, was crowned Player of the Match after he thumped the fastest half-century of the tournament. His innings had seven fours and six sixes. His glovework has also been impressive throughout the PJL, drawing praise from Rashid Latif as well.Sharks never got a sniff while bowling as Arif and Afghanistani southpaw Kharote teed off and added 87 runs for the third wicket. Arif scored his first fifty of the PJL and his innings was laced with seven fours and one six, while Kharote hammered two sixes and three fours in his unbeaten knock.Sharks finished the group stage at the top of the table and beat Royals in the Qualifier 1 but on Friday, they were outclassed in all departments. Royals brought their A game in the all-important final and went in with an attacking mindset right from the start.In reply, Sharks did manage a flying start in the powerplay and got to 103 for 4 in the first ten overs, but the innings nosedived after the dismissal of their captain Shamyl Hussain, who notched up 67 off 34 balls. In the end, the team was skittled for 139 in under 16 overs.Their innings was a story of two halves as Sharks were meeting the asking rate in the first ten overs with Hussain leading the charge. But the moment Zeeshan was introduced into the attack, he removed Hussain and the floodgates were opened. Thereon, the wickets fell at regular intervals as the spinners applied the choke and the equation became tougher with each passing over.Sharks’ overseas signing Luc Martin Benkenstein has been in good nick in this competition and even guided his side to the doorstep of victory with a well-crafted 71 in Qualifier 1, but he couldn’t get going in the final and holed out to long-on off Sajjad Ali’s bowling. Another lynchpin of Sharks’ batting line-up Mohammad Zulfikal was snared by Kharote early on. Eventually, Sharks lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs.Sharks will rue the missed opportunities, overthrows and losing their composure when Arif and Shawaiz went berserk with the bat.Basit Ali, who hails from a remote city of Pakistan – Dera Murad Jamali – finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 379 runs at a strike rate of 150.39. He struck one century and two half-centuries in the PJL and a crucial 35 in the final. Zeeshan ended the tournament as highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps at an economy of 7.25 from eight matches.

أعلن روبرتو مارتينيز، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال الأول لكرة القدم، قائمة معسكر يونيو، من أجل مواجهة نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية 2024/25.

ويلاقي منتخب البرتغال خصمه منتخب ألمانيا، ضمن منافسات نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية 2024/25، الأربعاء 4 يونيو، على ملعب “أليانز أرينا”.

يذكر أن الفائز من هذه المواجهة، سيضرب موعداُ مع الفائز من مباراة فرنسا وإسبانيا، في نهائي البطولة، والمقرر إقامتها يوم 8 يونيو القادم، في تمام العاشرة إلا ربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

والخاسر من كلا المواجهتين، سيلتقيان في مواجهة حسم المركز الثالث والرابع، في تمام الرابعة عصراً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة، الأحد الموافق 8 يونيو.

وشهدت قائمة منتخب البرتغال تواجد القائد كرستيانو رونالدو، استعدادًا لمواجهة ألمانيا.

طالع أيضًا | عرض مُغر لـ كريستيانو رونالدو للمشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية قائمة البرتغال لـ نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية أمام ألمانيا

حراسة المرمى: ديوجو كوستا، روي سيلفا، خوسيه سا.

خط الدفاع: ديوجو دالوت، نيلسون سيميدو، نونو مينديز، نونو تافاريس، جونسالو إيناسيو، روبن دياز، أنطونيو سيلفا، ريناتو فيجا.

خط الوسط: لاعبو الوسط : جواو بالينيا، روبن نيفيز، جواو نيفيز، فيتينيا، برونو فيرنانديز، بيدرو جونسالفيس، برناردو سيلفا، جواو فيليكس.

خط الهجوم: الهجوم : فرانسيسكو ترينكاو، فرانسيسكو كونسيساو، بيدرو نيتو، رودريجو مورا، رافائيل لياو، ديوجو جوتا، جونزالو راموس، كريستيانو رونالدو.

Os 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗦 para a Final Four da #NationsLeague! 📃✍️

🔗 𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗦 👉 https://t.co/4jTFuCsPX7#FazHistória | @UEFAEURO pic.twitter.com/xCg5akEqj7 — Portugal (@selecaoportugal) May 20, 2025

The NWSL’s custom crystallized soccer ball continues it's tour across the NWSL, amazing various celebrities along the way

Bespoke crystal-encrusted ball travels to major NWSL gamesCelebrities and players pose with the ball to raise awarenessAuction proceeds to benefit Athlete AllyGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

The NWSL's unique, crystal-adorned soccer ball is touring the country, making appearances nationally televised matches. A number of celebrities and athletes, have been photographed with the ball, including Chris Paul, Issa Rae, Aaliyah Edwards, Sam Mewis, Trinity Rodman, Michele Kang and Anthony Hill.

The soccer ball, made with Swarovski crystals, will eventually be auctioned off with the proceeds going to Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality in sports.

AdvertisementWHAT THE NWSL POSTEDGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The crystal ball tour reflects the NWSL's growing influence and its commitment to social causes. As women's soccer continues to gain popularity in the United States, initiatives like this help to bridge the gap between sports, entertainment, and social advocacy. The involvement of celebrities and athletes from different sports underscores the universal appeal of the NWSL.

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WHAT’S NEXT?

The ball will continue its journey to NWSL matches throughout the remainder of the 2025 season, with more celebrities and influential figures expected to participate. At the season's conclusion, the ball will be auctioned off.

In what could be a repeat of Michael Olise’s departure to Bayern Munich last summer, Barcelona have held talks to sign a Crystal Palace star who’s yet to sign a new deal at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace transfer news

It took a couple of months for the Eagles to adjust to life without Olise, but Oliver Glasner can now say with confidence that their season is well and truly underway, albeit with one cautious eye on the dropzone. The summer transfer window, in the face of such a departure, proved to be a difficult one even as the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Maxence Lacroix arrived.

Now, with the January transfer window approaching and a few too many question marks surrounding their ability to stay afloat in the Premier League, it will be interesting to see if Palace welcome a number of reinforcements. Already, they’ve been linked with the likes of James McAtee and Romain Esse – two midfielders who would add an injection of quality in Glasner’s side.

As reinforcements potentially arrive, however, the exit door could swing open once more to deal those at Selhurst Park another blow in 2025. According to Caught Offside, Barcelona are now plotting a move to sign Tyrick Mitchell alongside the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, having already held talks with the left-back.

With his contract set to come to an end in the summer and reports suggesting that he’s not keen to commit his long-term future in South London, Mitchell’s departure seems an inevitability – handing Palace quite the decision to make.

Crystal Palace chiefs in talks to sign "exceptional" new target in January

He was recently called up by his country for the first-ever time.

ByBarney Lane Dec 23, 2024

If Palace decide to wait until the summer, then they will lose Mitchell for free unless anything changes on the contract front. So if clubs come calling as early as the January transfer window, then the Eagles may well be wise to cash in on their defender.

"Consistent" Mitchell would be a frustrating loss

For Mitchell to reach this point in his contract is a failure in itself for Crystal Palace, who simply did not commence talks early enough to avoid the panic that they now find themselves in. An important player under Glasner and a rising star who the Eagles would usually be guaranteed to at least cash in on, they’ll likely be left with no choice but to watch one of their prized assets leave as a free agent when the summer arrives.

Glasner will be among those most frustrated if that does prove to be the case, having praised Mitchell earlier this month. The Palace manager told reporters as relayed by BBC Sport: “The biggest potential he has is in possession.

“Entering the final third, I think he can be involved more and have quicker solutions. This is what we are working on daily with him. He is very consistent, he is always available and plays to a high level.”

It’s consistency that Barcelona have seemingly taken notice of too and as Mitchell’s contract continues to run down, he looks like a player to watch when 2025 arrives.