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Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has thanked Los Blancos fans for their support as the midfielder serves his two-match suspension.

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Bellingham banned for two matchesReal Madrid fans put out banner in supportEngland star thanks fans after Celta Vigo clashWHAT HAPPENED?

The English midfielder received the suspension after reportedly using abusive language towards referee Jesus Gil Manzano in very controversial circumstances against Valenica. The ban means he had to watch Real Madrid's 4-0 rout of Celta Vigo from the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu. During the game fans unfurled and held up a banner in support of the 20-year-old. The banner read "Hey Jude! The Madridismo is with you." Bellingham replied on social media with the message: "Can’t take my smile. Thank you for the love, Madridistas."

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Since his sensational move from Borussia Dortmund to the Spanish capital, the English midfielder has set the league alight as he is currently the top scorer with 16 strikes to his name in 22 games. His goalscoring has slowed down significantly over the last month, however, he remains a pivotal player in Carlo Ancelotti's set up.

(C)Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Real Madrid are currently top of the league and look the most likely team to take home the league trophy this season. They have accumulated 69 points from 28 matches and sit seven points clear of Girona in second and eight clear of Barcelona in third place. They have only lost one game in the league so far and that came against city rivals Atletico Madrid.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

The former Birmingham City midfielder will miss another league game when Real Madrid take on Osasuna on March 16. He will be available when they face Athletic Club on March 31.

ScorecardAt the 24th time of asking Derbyshire have finally won a Championship match at home. When the run was broken, it came in the most unlikely circumstances: Middlesex, the big boys from the smoke, champions in 2016 and the most unlikely relegation victims a year later, vanquished by 101 runs.Derbyshire have got a monkey off their backs, although as it was St George’s Day, it should be conceded that as achievements go that is not quite as exciting as slaying a dragon.When release came at 5.12pm, with 14 overs to spare, a modest crowd let out a brief cheer then got up and went home looking mightily relieved. Middlesex’s last seven wickets had not been relinquished readily.That was particularly true of the ninth-wicket pair of James Harris and Tom Helm who added 106 in 31 overs, taking the game deep into the final session, Helm registering a maiden first-class fifty and Harris, who Middlesex believe can develop into a fully-fledged allrounder, providing evidence for the cause with an unbeaten 62.Although 24 matches might be a long time, Derbyshire have endured worse. Dave Houghton was their coach for the longest unsuccessful home Championship run of all, at the turn of the century, and as fate often has it, he was looking on again in his current role as Middlesex’s batting coach.Then there is always the comparison with Derby County FC. From September 2007, the football club embarked upon a run of 38 league games without a win. During that run they were relegated from the Premier League with a record low number of points and a bookmaker paid out on them being relegated after only six matches.Derbyshire have not remotely reached those subterranean standards. Their home ground has improved markedly in recent seasons, a pleasure to visit, so any sense of better times ahead should be celebrated. And last season they reached the quarter-finals of the NatWest Blast.If they have not yet had cause to move the trophy cabinet out of the Boardroom, where pride of place is given to the 1936 Championship-winning side, at least they have had cause to remember where it is.All in all, they are inured to lean spells in these parts and regard them as good for the soul – something akin to a cricketing diet: you feel all the better when you get the chance to gorge on something tasty. Not many counties have been asked by a senior executive at the ECB: “Why do you bother?” How many reasons did he want? And failure does give the members something to grumble about at the AGM.But things are rarely as bad as they sound. Nearly all bleak runs carry memories of great finishes, of entertainment provided, of chances spurned. Since Derbyshire’s previous home win, against Leicestershire in September 2014, three missed opportunities stand out.Leicestershire might have been beaten at the end of 2015 but when Derbyshire’s eighth wicket fell, with 10 still needed off five balls, the coach at the time, Graeme Welch, insisted that they blocked out because he could not countenance losing to Leicestershire twice in the same season. If only he had known what was to befall them.The following season, they were well placed against Gloucestershire only for the final day to be washed out. And in 2017 most regrets centre around the visit of Northamptonshire when some fine smiting by Richard Levi, who made 99 from 79 balls, enabled their opponents to chase down 326 with three wickets and a ball to spare.Derbyshire had declared on the third evening, setting Middlesex 442 for victory, the highest chase achieved against them in their history. The loss of three wickets by the close had emphasised that the target was purely notional and two wickets fell early on the fourth morning – the nightwatchman, Ollie Rayner, slickly caught to his left at first slip by Wayne Madsen and Max Holden nibbling at a ball from Hardus Viljoen that was angled across him.Derbyshire’s pace bowling stocks are not deep, so it is hard not to watch Viljoen, Duanne Olivier and Ravi Rampaul with a sense of trepidation that they might come to grief at any moment. As lunch approached, Derbyshire were forced to look to more part-time practitioners and it paid better dividends than they would have dared to hope as Paul Stirling, on 42, gave Luis Reece a return catch and Simpson was lbw to Wayne Madsen’s offspin in the final over of the session.Seven down at lunch was a comfortable place to be. Two injured Middlesex seamers, Harris and Toby Roland-Jones, the extent of their injuries not yet known, then resisted until mid-afternoon at which point Roland-Jones’ enterprising resistance was broken by the legspin of Matt Critchley.But the second new ball brought nothing, apart from some playing and missing at wide balls and Derbyshire entered tea still needing two wickets. It seemed to be taking an age. To think that Bob Taylor, one of Derbyshire’s most famous sons, once stood behind the timbers long enough to take 2,069 dismissals: by now two seemed taxing enough.At tea, the Derbyshire photographer, historian and former committee member David Griffin was giving Jigar Naik a mention. “I have nightmares about it still,” he said. Nine years ago, Derbyshire had Leicestershire seven down, and more than 200 behind, entering the final day at Grace Road. They shook hands on a draw that evening as Naik celebrated what remains as his only first-class century.Helm’s previous first-class best was 28, but he made untroubled progress, striking Critchley’s legspin for six shortly before reaching his maiden first-class fifty. He fell lbw soon afterwards, struck on the back leg by the same bowler.Fourteen overs were left when Tim Murtagh, no mug at No. 11 but another Middlesex seamer clearly struggling with injury, was bowled by Olivier as he failed to get in line – the South African’s eighth in the match. Derbyshire had their home win after 1306 days, manufactured by three bowlers with Test credentials;, for Middlesex, it was a reminder that even though they are overwhelmingly fancied to return to Division One at the first time of asking, nothing comes automatically. They know that and they will prosper.

England and New Zealand played out an entertaining series, although the decider was one-sided. What stood out over the five matches?

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton11-Mar-2018

England’s batting can adaptThere was little doubt about England’s prowess on true batting pitches, but questions remained how willing they were to curb their natural instincts with the Champions Trophy semi-final against Pakistan and two startling collapses against the swinging ball, at Lord’s and in Adelaide, as examples. The victory in Wellington on a grubby, uneven drop-in pitch was, therefore, significant with them having to assess that it wasn’t even a 270 wicket and dig their way to a defendable score. In fact, the major collapse which came in this series was a new variety: losing 8 for 46 in Dunedin having been 267 for 1. But to knock off the runs in Christchurch in such domineering fashion meant that the batting bandwagon continued to role.Liam Plunkett plays a vital roleLed by Man of the Series Chris Woakes, England were outstanding with the new ball – never letting New Zealand get off to a flyer and twice keeping them to under three-an-over in the first 10. In three of the matches that was backed up very effectively by the spin pair of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. However, the contrast between spin and pace in the middle overs was stark: between overs 11 and 40, the spinners took 11 wickets and conceded 4.50 per over, the quicks took three wickets and conceded 5.96. Partly, that can be attributed to the spinners bowling extensively in that period, but it also highlighted the crucial role that Liam Plunkett has played in extracting life when the two new balls have become a little softer and before ‘death’ skills take over. In 2017, Plunkett was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs. He is in that World Cup starting XI, fitness permitting.New Zealand have a problem at the topNew Zealand’s opening partnership had a shocker. The highest stand between Martin Guptill and Colin Munro in five matches was 12. It meant, in the four matches he played, Kane Williamson was exposed early. He is good enough to overcome that, but it’s an added pressure on the captain. Barring his 49 in Wellington – a worthy if lucky innings – Munro was batting in single digits. It appeared to have a knock-on effect on Guptill who, even in his two more substantial innings, could not break the shackles. Munro had showed some promise when pushed up to the opening role but against high-quality seam and swing he is vulnerable. With the 2019 World Cup in the first part of the English season, that could be a problem.Ross Taylor brings out the trademark hundred celebration•Getty Images

Ben Stokes can keep his focusThe start of the series marked the big comeback. Five months after the incident in Bristol that led to a not-guilty plea to a charge of affray, Ben Stokes returned to international cricket. In truth it was a soft landing, a world away from the reception and scrutiny he would have received in Australia. Still, Stokes has had a lot on his plate so it wasn’t a given how seamlessly he would slot back in. Parking the debate about whether he should have been on the tour, it was a successful series for him. He almost turned the opening match with two wickets and was Man of the Match in Mount Maunganui. He was never used for his full 10 overs – and his Test workload will be interesting to watch – but he hit good pace, looked in decent nick with the bat (his determination in Wellington was impressive) and was a livewire in the field.Ish Sodhi makes his caseAt the beginning of the series, Ish Sodhi was effectively included in the squad as cover for fellow legspinner Todd Astle who was carrying a niggle. He quickly became the first-choice. Hamilton was Sodhi’s first ODI since last May, when New Zealand took a second-string side to Ireland, but was preferred throughout when the XI wanted two spinners and his career-best 4 for 58 helped turn the match in Dunedin. There was some severe tap for him in Christchurch courtesy of Jonny Bairstow and there remained plenty of loose stuff thrown in, but he is a wicket-taker. Continuing to work on his batting and fielding could be key to whether he makes the 2019 World Cup squad.Ross Taylor on one leg is better than some on twoIt’s a decent pub debate: was New Zealand’s greatest ODI innings played by Ross Taylor in Dunedin? He is batting on another level at the moment, the unbeaten 181 followed another matchwinning hundred in Hamilton, and New Zealand will be desperate that his body stands up for at least another 18 months. Alongside Williamson he is irreplaceable in this current New Zealand era. The match he was run out in and the two he missed, New Zealand lost. Though Tom Latham showed development in the middle-order role – combining with Taylor for stands of 178 and 187 – the loss of either Taylor or Williamson is too great a burden for the team to cover.

Everton are in the middle of a huge club takeover saga, and reliable journalist David Ornstein has revealed a significant development at Goodison Park.

Is the Everton takeover happening?

Farhad Moshiri made his first investment in the club back in 2016, but having faced lots of criticism from supporters, some of which held protests during games last season, fans were calling for him and the board to step down from their positions, as per BBC Sport.

The Toffees owner had reportedly been in talks with 777 Partners ever since the news broke that New York group MSP Sports Capital had ended it’s exclusivity agreement, and last week, Sean Dyche’s side finally announced what everyone had been patiently waiting to hear.

On Friday 15th September, it was made public that the Miami-based investment firm had agreed a deal to buy Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in the club following lengthy negotiations. In their multi-club portfolio, the group are in charge of the likes of Sevilla, Genoa, Hertha Berlin and Standard Liege, and if the following update is to be believed, they appear deadly serious about adding the Merseyside outfit to that list in what would be their first ever business venture in the Premier League.

What's the latest takeover update?

Taking to X, The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed that Everton have been presented with a huge loan from 777 Partners to help supply funds for the problems that need addressing in the here and now. He wrote:

“Everton receive sizeable loan from prospective owners 777. Payment worth tens of millions for working capital + stadium build. US firm to provide EFC multi-club model expertise & join board in observer role during approvals process.”

In the Premier League, Everton have had a massively disappointing start to the new season where they find themselves in the relegation zone after suffering four defeats and securing just one draw from their opening five matches, meaning they have only a single point on the board, but whilst things aren’t looking positive on the pitch, this could be the start of an exciting new era off it.

Following the lack of success and achievements in recent years, it’s about time that the hierarchy started building towards the future, especially with their new stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock, edging ever closer to completion having been in progress for the last two years, and this is a project that is expected to be wrapped up in the closing stages of 2024.

Alongside the ground, Dyche is likely to be backed a lot more when it comes to securing his transfer targets as a result of sufficient funds being available which would allow his side to be seriously competitive in the market rather than having to pursue players on loan or free agents all the time, so there's no doubt that everyone associated with the club will be hoping that everything goes through smoothly.

Craig Overton has described a ban handed to him for using abusive language in 2015 as “the turning point” of his career

George Dobell in Perth03-Nov-2017Craig Overton has described a ban handed to him for using abusive language as “the turning point” of his career.Overton has emerged as a genuine contender for a place in England’s team for the first Ashes Test at Brisbane in three-weeks’ time. But he admits the wake-up call of the ban – the result of an incident in a game in September 2015 – forced him to reflect on his behaviour and led to his maturing both on and off the pitch.Overton was accused by one of the umpires, Alex Wharf, of having told the Sussex batsman Ashar Zaidi to “go back to your own f***ing country”. While Zaidi, Pakistan-born but a British citizen, did not hear the comments and Overton denied any memory of having made them, he did admit his behaviour had become unnecessarily cantankerous. He was subsequently banned for two games for using abusive rather than racist language and later admitted the verdict was “fair enough, really”.As a result of the incident, Somerset arranged for Overton to see a psychotherapist. And, as a result of those sessions with Abbie Kench, Overton has emerged as a far more mature cricketer who, aged 23, has developed into Somerset’s attack leader. Only two England-qualified bowlers (Jamie Porter and Ben Coad) claimed more Division One wickets in 2017 – he took 46 at a cost of 22.39 apiece – and where once a promising spell might be spoiled by a frustrated barrage of short-balls and abuse, he now has the discipline to retain his control and his composure.”That’s not how you behave on a cricket field,” Overton admitted, reflecting on the Zaidi incident. “You can’t act like that. It was not just that incident. The whole summer there were a few instances.”I’ve calmed down the last couple of years and I think what happened has made me realise you can’t go on acting like that. I don’t want to lose the edge. It’s just finding the right balance and not going too far. That incident matured me a little bit which I’m really happy with and I’ve moved on from that. It was massively a turning point.”Craig Overton waits to bowl in the nets•Getty ImagesSo much of a turning point, that Overton has a good chance of forcing his way into the Test team over the next few days. While he isn’t the quickest – his natural pace would probably be in the mid to low 80s mph – he has a good range of skills, gains sharp bounce from his height and has the ability to deliver a sharper spell when required. Crucially, despite failing to make a half-century in the 2017 season, he also offers more with the bat than Jake Ball – his rival for the fourth seamer’s spot – and he has developed into a decent slip catcher off the spin bowlers at Somerset. With Ben Stokes absent, that remains another hole for England to fill.”I try and work on my slip catching as much as possible,” Overton said. “Someone has got to field there. I’ll put my hand up if I have to.”My batting is one thing that maybe I see where I have an edge over the others. Growing up, I always wanted to be an allrounder. I’ve still got that skill with the bat so I’ll make sure I use the coaches here to get the most out of my batting and score a few runs if I play.”But for injury to his twin, Jamie, it is entirely possible both brothers could have made the tour. Jamie is, by some distance, the quicker of the two and, in the brief moments he was fully fit during the 2017 season, looked as good a prospect as any fast bowler in England. As it is, though, his role on this tour could well be limited to that of net bowler.”Jamie is here for Christmas,” Overton said. “He says he might bowl at us a little bit. He’s getting back to full fitness now which is really nice.”We were very competitive growing up. But I think that’s very normal for twin brothers. They want to get the best out of each other. He’s happy for me. We work pretty well together. He’s been through a pretty tough few years and he’s really happy with the way I’ve gone. Hopefully he’ll be following in my footsteps.”

Zimbabwe captain feels situational awareness which they lack at the moment will only come if they play more Tests

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo25-Oct-2017Graeme Cremer, the Zimbabwe captain, rued his team’s batting failures after West Indies completed a 117-run win in the first Test in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe collapsed from 91 for 1 to 159 all out on the second day at Queens Sports Club, and crumbled again in similar fashion on the fourth day. Cremer suggested “we couldn’t quite work out how to score against their bowlers on this wicket”.”I thought on day one we were excellent with the ball and in the field,” Cremer said. “We had a really good opportunity there to go and put some runs on the board and put them under pressure, but we had too many soft dismissals on day two. For me it comes down to that first innings. Even if we had got 250, in their second innings they would have been under a bit more pressure.”Zimbabwe’s lapses on the second day allowed West Indies a 60-run first innings lead, and the visitors built on that thanks to patient innings from their top five. Their batsmen were, perhaps, helped by the fact that they have seven Tests to Zimbabwe’s two this year.”It makes it easier when you are playing a lot more Test cricket, because you learn how to play different situations and you realise how much time there is in the game,” Cremer said. “I thought West Indies did it really well in the second innings – they slowed the whole game down and never looked rushed. It’s something we need to learn to do a bit more, in those periods that are tough just soak up the pressure. Then the opposition search for wickets and you get to score. The more we play I’m sure we’ll get better at that.”Zimbabwe were eventually set the monumental task of scoring 434 or surviving six sessions to avoid defeat. “We thought we would just play normal, positive cricket, and if we batted out today we could assess where we were at and whether we needed to try and survive the day or go for it,” Cremer explained. “It wasn’t to be. To chase down 434 is always going to be tough, especially on a wicket that was starting to deteriorate. The West Indies were just a bit better.”One clear positive for Cremer was the return of batsman Brendan Taylor and new-ball bowler Kyle Jarvis. Though neither could affect the outcome of the game, both players put in telling performances. “They came in and it was like they never left,” he said. “Guys accepted them straight back in. It was great to see Jarvy with the new ball again – I thought he was good on a tough wicket. BT obviously didn’t score in the first innings but we saw in the second innings how good he is and how good he can be. It was just a pity he got out when he did.”Cremer also paid tribute to fellow legspinner Devendra Bishoo, who spearheaded West Indies’ attack with nine wickets in the match, without denying that there was a bit of friendly rivalry between the two. “Bish bowled really well,” Cremer said. “I thought I went okay, I lost rhythm now and again but that can happen. But there’s definitely that competition between legspinners, but Bish is a good guy and we’re mates. We will probably exchange tips after the series, but not now.”

An update has emerged on Liverpool's search for further reinforcements in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Reds are exploring the possibility of a swoop to sign Crystal Palace central midfielder Cheick Doucoure during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Jurgen Klopp could snap the impressive battler, who joined the Eagles from Lens for £21m last year, as a replacement for Fabinho.

Liverpool's Brazil international has been the subject of a £40m offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad Club and The Guardian have claimed that it is 'likely' the former AS Monaco star moves on from Anfield.

The Mersey giants have already made two additions to their midfield ranks this summer, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister both having been signed on permanent deals to bolster the manager's options in that area of the pitch.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

Klopp could secure a masterstroke by selling the ageing Fabinho and replacing him with Doucoure heading into next season as the Palace titan's performances last term suggest that he has the quality to be a big upgrade on the Brazilian.

Liverpool would be signing a player who has already proven themselves in the Premier League, as opposed to someone from a foreign league who may or may not be able to adapt to English football. This could allow him to hit the ground running in August instead of needing a period to adjust to the division.

Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 top-flight matches for Roy Hodgson's side last season, which placed him fourth within their squad.

Fabinho, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 over 36 league matches for the Reds, which was the 13th-highest score in the team.

Defensively, the Mali international came out on top with an impressive 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match, compared to the former Ligue 1 ace's 2.8 per outing. In fact, no Liverpool player – in any position – made more than Doucoure's 1.6 interceptions per game.

This suggests that the Palace enforcer, who was once hailed as a "complete" player by his former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, has the defensive quality to be a destroyer in midfield for Liverpool.

He can constantly disrupt the play by cutting out opposition attacks on a regular basis, which means that the talented ace can protect the back four.

The 23-year-old tank could ease some of the pressure on the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate by winning possession back for the Reds before the ball gets that far. Whereas, Fabinho made interventions less frequently throughout the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which suggests that he is not as effective in such a role.

This is also backed up by the fact that the Brazil international was dribbled past more times per game (1.1) than Doucoure was for Palace (0.7).

Opposition players found it easier to bypass the Liverpool defensive midfielder whilst the Palace powerhouse was able to put his foot in to stop them from going past him.

Therefore, Klopp could land a big upgrade on Fabinho by signing Doucoure before the end of the summer transfer window.

Under Roman Abramovich, the openness of the Chelsea hierarchy to allow Cobham’s most eye-catching talents to so easily depart the club has been one of English football’s greatest myths.

It becomes even more questionable when considering how this money has been reinvested. Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech are all massive names who have been funded in this manner and arguably failed to deliver consistently.

With this backdrop, the sale of Tino Livramento to Southampton in the summer of 2021 is one of the club’s strangest ideas. The right-back was named Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year at the time and a failure to strike an agreement with the youngster was viewed as a dramatic failure.

Two years later, the Blues are linked with a sensational return for the 20-year-old.

Does Tino Livaremento have a buy-back clause?

According to the Daily Mail, the West London outfit has shown a “surprise interest” in re-signing Livramento from the south coast.

Alongside Chelsea, who reportedly have a £40m buy-back clause, high-flying Newcastle have made several bids but none have yet convinced his parent club to do business.

The outlet details that Livramento supposedly prefers a move up north, but he is “relaxed” about the situation, respecting that his current deal with the Saints runs until 2025, and he has no plans to push for a move.

Should Tino Livramento return to Chelsea?

During his stint in the English capital, the £8k-per-week star emerged as one of the club’s most revered and talented youngsters. In the 2020/21 season, Livramento made six appearances for the development squad, who were crowned as Premier League 2 champions, and helped the youth team reach a 13th FA Youth Cup final.

His 30 outings for both sides made him the top appearance-maker across all competitions and the star recorded ten assists to seal the award as the academy’s best product.

Livramento’s move to Southampton initially started in an empathic fashion – in 28 Premier League matches in the 2021/22 campaign, he averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, and 1.7 clearances to underline his supreme defensive solidity.

However, his impressive term prematurely ended when he suffered an ACL injury against Brighton in April 2022, which ruled him out for over a year.

A return of a familiar face to the Chelsea ranks could instil more stability and fits in with the club's policy of targeting the world’s brightest prospects. Levi Colwill also slots in this bill, and he could form a formidable partnership with his former teammate in the future for Mauricio Pochettino.

The centre-back is currently away on international duty with the England U21s at the European Championship and has been in scintillating form. He has played in four of his team’s five games and is yet to concede a goal at the tournament.

The star has displayed a masterful merge of defensive solidarity and ball-playing competence, as he’s averaged 93% pass accuracy, 3.8 clearances per game, and has won 77% of his aerial duels at the competition.

At no cost can Chelsea allow this imperious homegrown asset to depart this summer and the prospect of him starting with the “fantastic” Livramento – as dubbed by Darren Bent – is an exciting prospect.

كشفت تقارير صحفية، أن نيمار دا سيلفا، قد يعود إلى سانتوس خلال العام المقبل، بعد انضمامه في الصيف الماضي إلى الهلال السعودي من باريس سان جيرمان.

لاعب باريس سان جيرمان السابق وقع على عقد لمدة عامين مع الهلال، ينتهي في صيف 2025، ولكنه لم يتمكن من خوض أكثر من 3 مباريات في الدوري قبل أن يتعرض لإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير: 3 أندية سعودية كبيرة مهتمة بضم تريزيجيه في الصيف

وحسب ما أفادت وسائل الإعلام البرازيلية، من خلال شبكة “UOL” أن نيمار يفكر في العودة إلى سانتوس، كما هي العادات للاعبين البرازيليين، الذين يحاولون إنهاء مسيرتهم في الدوري البرازيلي.

سانتوس البرازيلي هو من شهد بزوغ نجم نيمار دا سيلفا، وأفضل فتراته قبل الانضمام إلى برشلونة كانت معهم، قبل أن يرحل في 2013 نحو النادي الكتالوني.

وقام نيمار بزيارة قصيرة إلى فيلا بيلميرو لمشاهدة مباراة سانتوس وبالميراس في نهائي باوليستا، وانتهز الفرصة ليكون قريبًا من المشجعين الذين رأوه ينمو كلاعب محترف، ولم يتردد الجمهور في الهتاف بأسمه، “أولي أولي، عد إلى المنزل يا نيمار”.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season's successful promotion-winning campaign.

With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.

Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.

It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.

Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?

City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.

Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.

"I consider myself versatile. I'm available for whatever the coach asks," he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. "At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I'd always played right wing, and he likes me to play there."

It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.

Indeed, FBref's comparison model lists Liverpool's Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.

The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).

Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.

With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.

But as someone described as "a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.