Tag Futebol

كشفت فريدة الشرقاوي المنتقلة حديثًا إلى نادي الزمالك، من الأهلي، سبب الرحيل عن المارد الأحمر، وكواليس الانتقال إلى القلعة البيضاء خلال الفترة الماضية.

وقالت فريدة خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت” لبرنامج “ملعب أون تايم”: “أنا مضيت يوم 15 يوليو للزمالك، ورحلت عن الأهلي وكنت موقعة على 4 سنوات”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لي الاحتراف أهم شيء، كان لدي عروض خارجية كثيرة، لم أوفق، وتعرضت لإصابة، وتأهلت فترة طويلة، والنادي الأهلي قرر سفري إلي قطر للعلاج هناك في أكبر مركز في العالم وأجريت عملية جراحية، ثم رجعت إلي نادي الشمس ولعبت وجاءت لي عروض أخرى من الخارج، ولم أوفق أيضًا، لذلك قررت أن أخوض تجربة جديدة وثقافة جديدة وألعب في الزمالك، أريد أن ألعب للقطبين (الأهلي والزمالك)”.

وأكمل: “النادي الأهلي قرر سفري إلى قطر بعد فشل العملية الجراحية التي أجريتها في مصر، ركبتي كانت ليست سليمة”.

طالع.. خاص | الزمالك يفاوض كريم هنداوي لضمه في الموسم الجديد

وواصل: “عدت إلي نادي الشمس بعد العملية وليس الأهلي، لأن الأهلي كان لديه سياسة، أن لا بد اللاعب يوقع على عقد 4 سنوات، وهذه كانت بالنسبة لي فترة طويلة جدًا، كنت أريد الاحترف، لذلك كنت أبحث عن نادي أوقع معه سنة واحدة”.

وأردف: “الأهلي بيتي تربيت فيه ولعبت 18 سنة داخل جدران القلعة الحمراء، وله فضل كبير علي ولعبت للمنتخب من خلاله، الأهلي لا أنسى أفضاله وعالجني من الألف للياء، والزمالك أيضًا نادي كبير، والناس تحدثوا معي باحترافية، واللاعبات هناك زملائي لعبنا في المنتخب، وارتحت نفسيًا في الزمالك”.

وأتم: “الأهلي أهلني بشكل جيد وعرفني للجمهور وأعمل على نفسي في الفترة الحالية وإن شاء الله الناس ستري الفترة القادمة”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had an encouraging run of results of late under Gary O’Neil, as the Old Gold continue to navigate their way around their depleted squad.

It was a difficult summer for those at Molineux, as the club battled financial woes which were aided by making lucrative sales of some star talents in the squad.

While the sales lifted the weight of the financial constraints, it left the team short of quality, “£80m short” to be precise as O’Neil quoted earlier this campaign.

There could, however, be a positive solution to the squad shortages, with Wolves knowing all too well just how beneficial unearthing an academy prodigy can be in the long run.

As the season runs its course, O’Neil could be tempted to rotate between his first-team squad and some fringe players on the cusp of a breakthrough from the academy set-up, with one name recently tipped to have a bright future.

Who is Fraser Harper?

17-year-old Wolves U18’s midfielder Fraser Harper was chosen as the Old Gold’s representative by the Guardian in their prestigious list of ‘Next Generation 2023’.

The publication selects an academy prospect from each Premier League club to showcase, with Harper the chosen one for the Midlands club this week.

It’s unsurprising that the 2006-born marvel was included in the column, with him already featuring for the U21s on occasion, years above his age group to highlight the quality he is showcasing so early into his career.

Described by journalist Ben Fisher as being 'most dangerous as a No 8 or No 10' the midfielder has been identified as the one to 'kickstart attacks' and use his 'explosive pace' to cause a threat from the middle of the park.

To add to his on-pitch quality, the teen is living his dream in sporting the Old Gold, coming from a family of Wolves season-ticket holders, explaining why he was pinpointed by Fisher to have an 'exemplary attitude'.

For his future, and for his heart, Harper is desperate to make it at his beloved club, which he could do so by following in the footsteps of those before him.

What path could Fraser Harper follow at Wolves?

As mentioned, the Midlands club are well aware of just how fundamental it can be to unearth an upcoming prospect into the first team.

In the summer of 2022, Fosun made a fortune by generating a £42.5m profit from the sale of academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, selling the skilled starlet to Nottingham Forest as he aimed to seek consistent minutes in the Premier League.

The Englishman – who made 88 appearances for the club – spawned from the academy at Molineux before impressing momentarily to warrant a multi-million-pound move to the City Ground, steps that will inspire the likes of Harper who continue to grind in the youth sides.

While it seems as though the 17-year-old sees his future at the club he loves, he could take a lot of inspiration from Gibbs-White’s story, a player whose hard work has resulted in him being a renowned threat in the top flight – having been hailed as "the difference" for his side by BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas.

After signing his first professional contract last week, academy manager Jon Hunter-Barrett lauded the teen for his journey and quality, dubbing him “extremely quick” to reinforce just how much excitement the youngster could one day give Wolves.

While there is still a long way to go in his career, Harper could take advantage of the weaknesses in the squad at Molineux in his bid to excel in the first team, with plenty of doors there to be opened by the lightning midfielder.

The list of talent being churned off the conveyor belt at Southampton is never-ending, with the South Coast club providing the platform for several players in their rise to stardom.

Of course, the academy graduate that every Premier League club will know in recent times is James Ward-Prowse. The creative maestro who boasts a wand of a right foot was integral to the Saints keeping their top-flight status for almost a decade before departing for pastures new, completing a £30m transfer to West Ham United this summer.

The Englishman has since become an instant revelation in east London, chalking up three goals and two assists so far, but he isn't the only academy player to have departed Southampton and risen to prominence elsewhere.

Gareth Bale is the biggest icon in the world of football to have been unleashed from the academy at St Mary's, but the likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Theo Walcott have had or are having illustrious careers at the top of world football and in the ever-changing nature of the modern game, the Saints continue to unearth the next stars in the making.

17-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw is right at the summit of that list.

Who is Samuel Amo-Ameyaw?

He only turned 17 in July, but Amo-Ameyaw is carrying the torch for the next generation of academy stars.

The pacey and direct winger, renowned for leaving defenders in his wake and gliding across the pitch in a perpetual motion, has made a sharp rise towards the first-team picture, enabled by Southampton's relegation to the Championship.

After signing his scholarship with the club last year, the teenager said: “My aim is to get into the first team as quick as possible, but first I’ve got to do well with the 18s and progress," and he's already ticked off that box.

Impressing in the Premier League 2 last season, scoring four goals in 12 appearances, the winger was rewarded with his first competitive start for the club in the EFL Cup defeat against Gillingham and impressed on the night.

Although Southampton bowed out against lower-league opposition, Russell Martin was encouraged by what he saw from his youthful side and Amo-Ameyaw was at the forefront of the praise having recorded more successful dribbles (4) than any other player on the pitch.

Speaking after his mature display, Martin said: "Sam Amo was outstanding, really pleased with him. Kami Doyle when he came on was great, Jayden [Meghoma] was fantastic, so that probably sums the night up, that those three were the real standouts for me."

The "talented" youngster – as dubbed by journalist Alfie House – clearly has a lot of healthy competition in the underage groups but having appeared on three occasions in the Championship this term, the teenager is competing for a place in the senior setup.

In his most recent Premier League 2 match, Amo-Ameyaw scored and assisted against West Ham, perhaps using the distaste in his mouth after being left out of the first-team as fuel to show Martin what he's capable of.

Southampton are enduring a torrid run in the Championship, losing four consecutive matches, while their wingers, including club record signing Kamaldeen Sulemana, have dramatically underperformed in recent weeks.

How has Kamaldeen Sulemana performed this season?

Since completing a £24.6m move from Rennes in January, Sulemana has only recorded three goal contributions in three goal contributions in 21 appearances, failing to make an impact so far in the Championship.

The Ghanaian winger has made three substitute appearances this season, averaging a lowly Sofascore rating of 6.3 and only recorded an xG of 0.12, losing possession on nine occasions and completing 42% of his dribbles, emphasising the minuscule threat he's had on the pitch when given the chance.

It's fair to say that more is expected of a club-record signing, especially after dropping to Championship level, but he is currently being kept out of the team by Samuel Edozie and Ryan Fraser while his frustrations were topped off in the 4-1 defeat to Leicester following a red card, although it was later overturned.

When he arrived in England, Sulemana was expected to be "unstoppable" in the Premier League – as dubbed by journalist Adam Bate – who compared him to some of the best dribblers in the world upon arrival.

While he is yet to live up to that hype, he could soon spring to life and start delivering match-winning displays but until he does, Amo-Ameyaw will feel he deserves more chances to impress in the first-team, especially given their current faltering approach.

The former Zimbabwe captain replaces Lakshmipathy Balaji, who has taken up a similar role with Chennai Super Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2018Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe coach, will return to the IPL after being appointed bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. Streak joins Simon Katich and Jacques Kallis in KKR’s backroom staff, and replaces Laxmipathy Balaji, who has taken up a similar role with Chennai Super Kings.Streak was previously bowling coach of Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017, the experience of which he feels would come in handy as he teams up with former Lions player and current KKR captain Dinesh Karthik.”DK is a lovely guy and he’s got a very astute cricket brain,” Streak told . “He is a very open-minded guy, and is open to listening. The best thing is he loves the game, loves talking about it and he was a good friend in the two years we had spent at Gujarat Lions.”Streak was also “excited” to work with India’s Under-19 fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi and hoped to ease their transition into the big leagues.”They really look technically sound, so for me, it is about giving them good tactical support and helping them out,” Streak said. “Playing at the U-19 World Cup is very different from playing in the IPL against highly-experienced players.”They have got the skills and resources to be able to do that; it’s just helping them make smart decisions, especially under pressure. That’s what it is all about — playing in the big league.”KKR, however, have other questions to address, like the fitness concerns over Andre Russell and Chris Lynn. Russell left his PSL duties for Islamabad United midway after suffering a hamstring injury, while Lynn’s dislocated right shoulder – suffered while fielding in the T20I tri-series final – ruled him out out the PSL completely.ESPNcricinfo understands that KKR’s management are fully confident of the full availability of these two players come April 7. Another concern for KKR from the PSL was the reporting of Sunil Narine’s bowling action.In the past, Narine has been reported in the IPL as well and his offbreaks were banned by the BCCI in IPL 2015. The latest report, however, does not affect Narine’s bowling in the IPL immediately, unless he is called for a second time in the PSL, or CWI runs tests that find his action to be illegal.

Sheffield United may not be the biggest club in Yorkshire but they certainly boast a notable number of celebrity supporters. It’s a club that generates local passion, after all – and that’s seen in those who grew up there.

Athletes, actors, musicians, and one Argentinian footballer all feature on a list of those struck by the Blades. Here is our pick of the bunch for Sheffield United’s most famous supporters.

8 Juan Sebastián Verón

Let’s get the strangest one out of the way first. Former Argentina international Juan Sebastián Verón was a Sheffield United fan in childhood and openly admitted wanting to play for them.

There’s a good reason for it, too. Verón’s uncle, Pedro Verde, spent time there at the tail-end of his career and it sparked interest in the young footballer-to-be.

“I was a fan of Sheffield United but I sadly never had the chance to play for them, but I would have wanted to!” Verón went on to say. Oh what could have been…

7 Jessica Ennis-Hill

An Olympic champion and a three-time World champion – Jessica Ennis-Hill is one of the most successful individual athletes to come out of Britain in recent years. She’s also born and raised in Sheffield.

Ennis-Hill is a Blades fan, too, and even had a stand named after her post-Olympic gold. However, that did change in 2015 when it was instead named after a sponsor.

6 Kell Brook

Sticking on the wildly successful athlete theme, Kell Brook is a Sheffield native who went on to hold the IBF Welterweight title for nearly three years between 2014 and 2017.

Brook is a lifelong fan of the Blades, as with just about everyone on this list, and even fought at Bramall Lane back in 2017.

“I’ve imagined this for weeks and I’ve dreamt about this since being a young kid,” he said ahead of that fight.

“I never thought I’d see a boxing ring on the pitch at Bramall Lane, but I’m ready and I’m determined and I’m excited. I’ve got a lot of memories of watching the Blades, my uncle used to throw me up in the air when we scored and at the weekend I want to be throwing my belt above my head once again.”

5 Joe Elliott

Joe Elliott, as the lead singer of Def Leppard, is in the discussion for the most successful person on this list. The band was formed in Sheffield back in 1976. Elliott is from the city and has called United his team all his life.

Sheffield has had more than their fair share of world-renowned music acts and Def Leppard are arguably the biggest. That other group that has an argument are all Wednesday fans, if you’re wondering.

4 Paul Heaton

Paul Heaton was born on the Wirral but moved to Sheffield when he was very young. He and his brothers all struck up an interest in football but while they all went with Wednesday, Paul followed United.

Heaton would go on to form the Housemartins and The Beautiful South, with massive success in the ’80s and early ’90s. And in terms of Blades fans, he might be one of the biggest on this list.

3 Joe Root

Former England Test Cricket captain Joe Root is another from Sheffield and has made no secret of his love for United. In fact, Root has appeared on the club’s social media channels several times, while one of the first interviews he gave after receiving the captaincy was at Bramall Lane.

His support runs through the family, too, it seems. “I’ve always been a Blade,” Root told the Athletic in 2020. “There were three generations of Roots there when I watched my first game. Myself and my brother, dad and grandad.”

Root, of course, will go down as an all-time great Test batsman – yet one more wildly successful name on this list, then.

2 Michael Palin

Michael Palin might be a bit of a controversial one on this list as he’s very openly talked about also wanting Wednesday to do well. The comedy legend is from Sheffield and grew up supporting the Blades – but he’s a little bit more about the city doing well than his club.

Here’s what he told When Saturday Comes back in 2000:

“United were the club I supported when I was growing up, mainly because their ground was the nearest to our house. I used to see Wednesday supp­orters as a different type of person, just… deeply dis­turbed. But then I was always excited when either club was involved in a big game and Wednesday tended to be involved in bigger games. When I first came to London, it was 1966 and Wednesday were in the Cup final, so I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested because they were from my city. Eric Idle was a big Chelsea fan and I used to go there to see either Sheffield team play. I found myself being sucked in as a sort of associate Wednesday fan, though I would have been disem­boweled in Sheffield if they’d known that.”

Fans can make their own minds up whether they’re accepting that one or not.

1 Sean Bean

We thought we’d save the most famous Sheffield United fan until last. Sean Bean isn’t just the most famous person on this list, after all, but he’s also incredibly public with his love for them.

Bean has tattooed his support on his shoulder, while he’s also competed in charity matches and above all, served on the club’s board in the 2000s. He als, chewed-out manager Neil Warnock after the club were relegated from the Premier League back in 2007 – though, Bean claims this wasn’t as aggressive as the manager claimed in his book.

“Yes, I was looking for him after we were relegated – and I wasn’t the only one,” he said, per the Mirror. “We were all devastated. But I didn’t storm into Warnock’s office and confront his wife as he claims in his book. I was outside in the corridor when I told her what I thought of him.

“What I didn’t know was that his kid was behind the door and when someone pointed that out to me, I immediately apologised.”

Tottenham Hotspur have commenced the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with promise, having defeated Manchester United after drawing away to Brentford, but are still hoping for one or two more signings before the transfer window closes next week.

A raft of signings have been made already since Ange Postecoglou took the helm in June, but despite the arrivals of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and defenders Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro (the latter's loan move made permanent), the work still feels incomplete.

Indeed, Spurs shipped 63 goals last term – conceding more than all but the three relegated outfits and newly-promoted sides Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest – and as such, one more move to strengthen the backline further would surely be worthwhile.

What's the latest on Tosin Adarabioyo to Tottenham?

That's according to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins, who claims that while Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo wishes to be sold to Monaco this summer, the Cottagers hope for Spurs to launch a bid and offer Eric Dier in return.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Hawkins revealed earlier in the window that Fulham would hope to recuperate around €15m (£13m) for the 25-year-old, who has entered the final year of his £37k-per-week contract at Craven Cottage.

How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?

The Manchester-born defender has been instrumental for Marco Silva's side since signing from Manchester City in 2020, having made 107 appearances, guiding the club up from the Championship and cementing their position as an established top-flight outfit.

His performances over the past several seasons – showings that have left the likes of writer Muhammad Butt hailing him as "magnificent" – are evidence enough that he would improve Tottenham's defence, and he would undoubtedly be an upgrade on the struggling Davinson Sanchez.

Spurs' Colombian centre-half signed from Ajax for £42m in 2017, which was a club record at the time, and arrived with a weight of expectation, with former manager Mauricio Pochettino even proclaiming that he could become one of the world's best defenders.

It's safe to say that he has flattered to deceive, with pundit Jamie O'Hara even branding the 27-year-old "one of Tottenham's worst ever players", having also compounded his situation by recording an average Sofascore rating of just 6.75 last term, very much at the epicentre of the club's defensive woes and keeping only two clean sheets from 18 outings.

Adarabioyo, comparatively, has been thriving; last term the Whalley Range-born titan recorded an average league score of 6.89, completing 82% of his passes and making a staggering 5.5 clearances per game.

In fact, he ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances per 90, which underscores his impressive robustness and athleticism, batting away danger and protecting the goalkeeper's net.

A no-nonsense central defender, Adarabioyo would evidently bolster Postecoglou's backline in an instant and would do so for a bargain fee, and with the increments being made for the side's resurgence this term, the Fulham ace would prove to be a major success story if Spurs do ward off the competition to secure his signature.

تحدث محمد السليتي لاعب منتخب تونس الأسبق عن مباراة فريقي الأهلي والترجي التونسي في نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2024.

وقال السليتي في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الحياة” عبر برنامج “كورة كل يوم”: “شرف كبير للكرة العربية أن يتواجد فريقين عربيين في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، هناك اجتهادات من إدارة الفريقين للوصول لمرحلة التكامل”.

وأضاف: “لكن بالرغم من ذلك توجد نقائص في الفريقين، الترجي يمتلك نقاط قوة يفتقدها الأهلي، فالأهلي يفتقد رأس الحربة، موديست لم يكن على قدر التوقعات”.

عصام الشوالي: ثنائي الأهلي الأخطر أمام الترجي.. و”القاضية ممكن” قد تكون من نصيب هذا اللاعب

وواصل: “الأهلي يمتلك لاعبين مميزين لا يمتلكهم أي فريق عربي مثل إمام عاشور وعلي معلول، لكن أتحدث عن نقطة محددة وهي الهجوم، الترجي يتفوق في هذه النقطة، لكن أطراف الأهلي هي الأقوى”.

وأردف: “الترجي حقق نتائج سلبية في الدوري، وقد يكون له رد فعل أمام الأهلي، خاصة أنه أمام النجم الساحلي استعاد الروح، وإن شاء الله سنشاهد مباراة بقدر قيمة الفريقين لأن لديهما مدربين مميزين، رغم أن كولر يتفوق من ناحية الإنجازات”.

وتابع: “إن كان الترجي لديه نقاط قوة وضعف، فهو استطاع إرسال رسالة تهديد إلى الأهلي عندما فاز على صن داونز أقوى فريق في إفريقيا، لأن لو الأهلي والترجي اجتمعا في فريق واحد لن يتفوقا على صن داونز”.

واستكمل: “مدرب الترجي يعتمد على الخروج بالكرة من الخلف، ويعتمد على الأطراف كلاعبي وسط، ويلعب بهجوم، والمدرب أدرك أن صن داونز أقوى منه، لذلك لعب بخطة دفاعية أكثر منها هجومية، وعندما يعود الترجي لطريقته المعتادة الهجومية سيهدد مرمى الأهلي”.

وأتم: “جماهير الناديين تعطي الإضافة، لأنهم جماهير غفيرة ومعلوم انتماء الجماهير للناديين، لكن الترجي سيحاول أن يغتنم الفرصة في المباراة الأولى وتكون له أسبقية”.

ومن المقرر أن يحل الأهلي ضيفًا على الترجي يوم 18 مايو الجاري على الملعب الأولمبي برادس في ذهاب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، قبل أن تقام مباراة الإياب يوم الخامس والعشرين من الشهر ذاته على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

تأهل جيرونا رسميًا إلى بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة في تاريخه، بعد الفوز على برشلونة برباعية مقابل هدفين، ضمن الجولة 34 من الدوري الإسباني.

فاز جيرونا على برشلونة بعدما كان متأخرًا بهدفين مقابل هدف، ليتوّج مجهود الموسم الخرافي مع المدرب ميجيل سانشيز، بالتأهل لدوري الأبطال.

طالع أيضًا.. أنشيلوتي: مواجهة بايرن ميونخ تهمنا أكثر من الاحتفال بلقب الدوري الإسباني

جيرونا بوصوله للنقطة 74، ضمن التأهل بشكل رسمي لـ دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث إن الفارق مع المركز الخامس أتلتيك بلباو وصل إلى 13 نقطة قبل 4 جولات من النهاية.

هذا التأهل يعتبر الأول لـ جيرونا لدوري الأبطال، حيث لم يسبق للفريق المشاركة في أي بطولة أوروبية سواء الدوري الأوروبي أو دوري المؤتمر.

هذا الموسم هو الرابع فقط لـ جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني، بعدما شارك في موسم 2017\2018 و 2018\2019 وهبط للدرجة الثانية.

بعد العودة في موسم 2022\2023 الماضي، تمكن جيرونا من بناء فريق تمكن من خلاله من تقديم مستوى استثنائي هذا الموسم 2023\2024، ليتأهل رسميًا لـ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that he can get his team firing straight from the word go as the Premier League season looms ever closer.

The Dutchman lost his opening two league games last season, and it could have threatened his tenure before it even began, yet the club bounced back and secured Champions League football via a third-place finish while even winning the League Cup.

Andre Onana and Mason Mount have joined the Old Trafford side and now the onus is on Ten Hag to improve his squad for the challenges ahead.

Could Manchester United sign Joshua Kimmich?

According to reports in Spain, the Red Devils are keen on signing the German international from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With two years left on his current contract, Thomas Tuchel may feel that this is the last big chance to secure a major transfer fee for the 28-year-old, thus allowing United to potentially swoop in for him.

He currently earns £322k-per-week at the Bundesliga giants and this type of wage would certainly put him among the top bracket of earners should he join United.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

Having joined the club in 2015, Kimmich has since gone on to make close to 350 appearances for the Bavarian side, winning eight Bundesliga crowns while lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020 and there is a reason why he is being courted by United.

Kimmich has become an integral part of the Bayern juggernaut over the years, and he is also statistically similar to Toni Kroos, suggesting he could be a wonderful addition at Old Trafford.

According to FBref, the Real Madrid star is the first-most similar player to Kimmich across Europe’s top five leagues in terms of statistical profile, and considering how revered Kroos is due to his longevity and success at the highest level, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

The previous 365 days have seen the two midfielders register similar statistics when it comes to pass completion percentage (90.9% to 84.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.3 to 4.55) and progressive passes (319 to 315), demonstrating just how effective they are at constantly circulating the ball, and they try and create plenty of chances for others to score.

Kimmich ranks in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (9.87), while Kroos also ranks in the top 1% for the same metric, achieving 12.22 progressive passes per minute and the similarities don’t end there.

WhoScored states that Kimmich and Kroos both list passing and key passes as major strengths, while they both exude similar styles of play in that they enjoy shooting from a distance, also playing long balls often during matches.

Legendary manager Jose Mourinho once lauded him for his positional versatility, saying:

"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there.”

If Ten Hag manages to get this move done before the end of the transfer window, it could turn into a resounding success, especially with the similarities to Kroos, who has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the previous decade.

Chelsea have been fairly ruthless with their transfer business so far this summer, having brought in a couple of top talents in Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku while at the same time offloading plenty of deadwood.

However, the Blues are seemingly stalling over whether to bring in another forward – and if so, what type of player exactly should they be going for?

Who are Chelsea's current strikers?

Nkunku and Jackson will battle it out to be Mauricio Pochettino's go-to man up top next season, though there is also a chance that both could be shoehorned into the side.

Assuming Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are each moved on, as is widely expected, the Argentine head coach would be left with Noni Madueke, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk to choose from in the attacking areas.

Signing another forward would not be the worst decision, then, though Chelsea do not necessarily need to spend big on another player who will only be happy if playing every single match. After all, that will just cause disharmony in the squad, as was the case last season.

As rumours linking Premier League heavyweights Chelsea with Juventus ace Dusan Vlahovic refuse to go away, ESPN reports that the Blues are also now monitoring highly rated Montpellier centre-forward Elye Wahi.

Is Elye Wahi a good player?

Wahi is far from an unknown player given that he has played 84 times for Montpellier in Ligue 1, including 33 appearances last season as La Paillade finished 12th.

The 20-year-old whiz scored 19 goals and assisted a further five in those 33 outings.

Those 24 direct goal involvements put Wahi on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar, while only six others in the French top flight Kylian Mbappe (34) and Lionel Messi (32) among them – were involved in more.

As per The Analyst, the Montpellier goal machine ranks in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues for goals scored last season – and all this while still aged just 20.

For context, Vlahovic – who it is looking increasingly likely is a major target for Chelsea – ranks only in the top 26% in that same metric.

The Serbia international scored (10) and assisted (two) 12 goals in 27 Serie A appearances for Juventus last time out.

ESPN reports that Wahi could be available for £26m this summer, which is under half the amount Juventus want for Vlahovic, according to Foot Mercato.

Vlahovic would of course be a huge asset for Chelsea, but his numbers have steadily declined since he joined Juve from Fiorentina in January 2022.

The 23-year-old recorded 0.92 goals or assists every 90 minutes in the first half of the 2021/22 season with Fiorentina, as per FBref, but that dropped to 0.67 in the second half of the same season whilst with Juve, and to 0.56 in his only full campaign at the Allianz Stadium.

Wahi's numbers are only getting better with time, meanwhile, with the French youngster – described as "powerful, athletic and fast" by ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo – surely the better fit as part of Pochettino's Chelsea revolution.