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Thomas Tuchel shared a 'nervous' message for England fans after being appointed as the Three Lions' new head coach.

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• Tuchel shares message for English fans
• Signed an 18-month deal with the FA
• Will take charge of the team from January 1, 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Football Association confirmed on Wednesday that the German coach has been appointed as the new manager of the England national team. He has penned an 18-month deal that runs until the end of the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach will assume duties with the England squad from January 1, 2025.

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• WHAT THOMAS TUCHEL SAID

  After being named as the Three Lions' new boss, Tuchel shared a video message for the English fans from Wembley as he said: "Hi guys, Thomas here. Quite a bit nervous, it's my first message as the English head coach. I'm at Wembley, where else? And there's also reason to be a bit nervous. I think that's a good thing.

  "I can promise you I'm very excited. I'm very honoured and I will do everything to ensure that we can qualify for the World Cup first of all, and then we have a successful World Cup, try to get a second star on our shirt. All the best and see you soon in the stadium."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The FA faced criticism for choosing Tuchel from former Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp who felt that the appointment of a German over an English candidate was unfair. He also raised questions over Tuchel's track record at the highest level.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  Interim coach Lee Carsley will manage Harry Kane and Co. for two more matches, which are against Greece and Ireland on November 14 and 17, respectively in the Nations League, before Tuchel officially takes over in the new year.

The Copa America is South America’s quadrennial international football tournament. The continent’s answer to UEFA’s European Championship, the competition has thrown up some dramatic finales over the last few years, with a centenary edition adding to the chaos.

The 48th edition of the Copa America saw the United States of America host the tournament. Usually contested between 12 teams, which include invitees from other confederations, the tournament had six nations joining the South Americans for the first time since 2016 – which was the previous time the US were hosts.

The competition, which was established in 1916, was initially a round-robin format until 1975, when it was changed to its current format of a group stage followed by knockout football.

But who has won the event more than any other country? Football FanCast has taken a look back at the list of previous Copa America winners over the last 108 years.

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By
Brogan Clasper

Jun 11, 2024

8

Bolivia – 1 win

1963

Bolivia’s one and only Copa America triumph came in 1963 where they also played hosts. They finished top of the seven-team round-robin which included a dramatic 5-4 win over Brazil in the final game.

They won five and drew one of their six games, with Maximo Luis Alcocer the hero after scoring the winner against Brazil to ensure they would finish above runners-up Paraguay.

7

Colombia – 1 win

2001

Also winning one Copa America title is Colombia, who, like Bolivia, also hosted the event in their only tournament triumph to date. Under newly appointed manager Francisco Maturana, they progressed out of Group A by winning all three games without conceding a goal, before beating Peru in the quarter-final, Honduras in the semi-final and Mexico in the final.

Ivan Ramiro Cordoba was the match-winner in the final, and Colombia astonishingly went the whole tournament without conceding – a record that still stands today.

6

Peru – 2 wins

1939, 1975

Peru are one of three countries to win the Copa America twice, with their first coming in 1939, taking full advantage of home comforts as they won all four of their games.

They were also the first winners of the tournament which had a knockout stage in 1975, coming out on top against Brazil in the semi-finals and then Colombia in the final. In the two-legged final, both teams won a game each, meaning the final required a replay, where Peru came out on top 1-0, with Hugo Alejandro Sotil Yeren the match-winner.

5

Chile – 2 wins

2015, 2016

Before 2015, Chile had never won the Copa America, coming close on four occasions as runners-up. However, a maiden tournament win quickly brought another, with Chile lifting the trophy in successive years.

Jorge Sampaoli was the manager to lead Chile to their first-ever Copa America triumph in 2015, defeating Argentina in the final on home soil in a penalty shootout.

Then, a year later, in a centenary edition of the tournament, Juan Antonio Pizzi was the man in charge of Chile, who once again came out on top against Argentina in the final. Eduardo Vargas, Alexis Sanchez and Claudio Bravo were just some of the standout stars during the memorable two years.

Perhaps the most iconic moment would be Alexis Sanchez’s winning penalty in the 2015 final, as he showed nerves of steel to nonchalantly pass the ball in, handing his nation a first major honour.

4

Paraguay – 2 wins

1953, 1979

Paraguay are the only previous winners who didn’t win the competition on home soil. In 1953, Paraguay and Brazil required a play-off after they were tied for points in the round-robin format. Paraguay would come out as 3-2 winners in Peru.

Paraguay would lift their second Copa America title in 1979, when there was no host nation, with games simply played home and away. They defeated Brazil in the semi-final and then Chile in the final, which required three games.

The two-legged final was decided on points rather than goals scored over the two matches. Both sides finished with a win apiece, which meant a play-off was required. After the third game ended 0-0, Paraguay were only then crowned champions by virtue of their 3-1 aggregate scoreline across the three games.

Paraguay have also been runners-up on four occasions, most recently in 2011 when they were beaten by Uruguay.

3

Brazil – 9 wins

1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019

Third on the list is Brazil, which may come as a surprise to some. Their tally of nine Copa America titles could be many more, but they have finished as runners-up on 11 occasions, with the most recent of those heartbreaks coming in 2021 against Argentina.

Their first title came in 1919 on home soil, as did their last in 2019, with the wins in 1922, 1949 and 1989 also coming when Brazil played hosts.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 15, 2024

2

Uruguay – 15 wins

1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011

The first-ever World Cup and Copa America winners were Uruguay, who have lifted the latter of the two competitions 15 times. Their last triumph came back in 2011, and the longest they have gone without a CONMEBOL title is 16 years.

Now under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay had to settle for third place after a penalty shootout victory over Canada in the bronze-medal match.

1

Argentina – 16 times

1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024

Defending champions Argentina edged ahead of Uruguay after their triumph in 2024, which was secured after an extra-time victory over Colombia.

Argentina have finished as runners-up on 14 occasions, with La Seleccion suffering a number of heartbreaks in recent years prior to their 2021 triumph.

Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the trophy after a 1-0 win over Brazil in the final, 100 years after they first won the tournament on home soil in 1921 – before doing it all over again three years later thanks to substitute Lautaro Martinez’s 112th-minute winner.

Their recent triumphs are made all the sweeter as Argentina had lost four of the previous six finals before 2021, which included two penalty-shootout defeats to Chile in back-to-back championships. They also hosted and lifted the trophy in 1925, 1929, 1937, 1946 and 1959.

Ranking the 10 best Argentinian football players ever

Football FanCast has ranked the top 10 football players to come out of Argentina.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 16, 2024

Jordan Henderson's future has been "resolved", Ajax coach Francesco Farioli says, amid reports he could leave to return to former club Sunderland.

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• Henderson unsettled at Ajax
• Linked with England return
• Coach expects him to stay

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Less than a year since joining the Dutch side from an ill-fated spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, the former Liverpool captain has been linked with a return to England. The midfielder has not yet found a home in Amsterdam and reportedly misses his family.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Henderson is said to be open to a move back to Sunderland in the Championship, the club where his career began, but Farioli believes he will finish the season with Ajax as they attempt to compete for the Europa League and Eredivisie titles under their new boss.

• WHAT FARIOLI SAID

  "I chose Jordan as captain and he is our leader. I don’t think I have to explain how important he is to our team," the Italian said at a press conference. "I am not his agent. But if all goes well, that has now been resolved. Henderson wants to bring Ajax back to where the club belongs, at the top."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR HENDERSON?

  While Farioli is under the impression Henderson will stay, the 34-year-old could still explore his options if he cannot find some stability at Ajax in the coming months.

The striker scored for the first time in four Premier League games in a slender win but also missed a slew of huge chances

Erling Haaland's domestic goal drought is over, but even though he proved the difference in an unexpectedly tight 1-0 win for Manchester City over Southampton, this was not a performance that banished any recent doubts. If anything, his blunt display confirmed the notion that the Norwegian is an enigma, capable of ridiculous athletic feats in one game and woeful misses in the next.

Haaland struck for the first time in four Premier League matches to give City an ideal start in what many people expected to be a bloodbath against the division's second-bottom team, sliding in to net a Matheus Nunes cross in the fifth minute. But he couldn't build on his fast start, despite having eight attempts on goal.

The Norwegian missed a near-open goal in the second half and then, receiving a dream cross with the net gaping in front of him, managed to head the ball backwards. Haaland was not the only one to have a bad day at the office, as City faced the unusual situation of seeing less of the ball than their opponents.

Southampton did very little with their possession, aside from attempts from Cameron Archer, who struck the bar, and Adam Armstrong at the end of each half. But they used holding on to the ball as a defensive mechanism and City were at a loss to know what to do. Still, Pep Guardiola's side recorded their seventh win of the season and extended their unbeaten home run to what is fast-approaching an incredible two years.

GOAL rates City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ederson (6/10):

  Only had one save to make, parrying an Adam Armstrong shot, and rarely had to use his feet.

  Rico Lewis (7/10):

  Another assured performance, continuing to make Kyle Walker's absence go unnoticed.

  Manuel Akanji (5/10):

  Reliable for most of the game although lost track of Archer on a couple of occasions.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  Sat the deepest of City's defenders and rarely troubled by Saints' shy attack.

  Josko Gvardiol (8/10):

  Used the ball very well to create attacks and shut them down, always looking composed.

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  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (7/10):

  Very aggressive with his pressing in the first half, repeatedly winning the ball back in the final third.

  Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

  Looked rusty, losing the ball too often. Had a hit-and-hope shot that Aaron Ramsdale pushed away.

  Matheus Nunes (8/10):

  Enjoying his new lease of life on the left wing, getting his third assist in two games and now understanding exactly what Guardiola wants from him.

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  Attack

  Savinho (8/10):

  Carved the visitors open on numerous occasions and looked like being the best source of the second goal.

  Erling Haaland (5/10):

  Got off to an ideal start but should have done far more with his seven shots, missing two sitters and having one cleared off the line.

  Phil Foden (5/10):

  Had a frustrating afternoon, getting very few shooting opportunities and often under-hitting passes.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ilkay Gundogan (N/A):

  Introduced late in the game to see it out.

  John Stones (N/A):

  Came on in the 95th minute.

  Pep Guardiola (5/10):

  Unexpectedly met his match in Russell Martin. Would have expected a far bigger win but the three points are worth the same and it will be at least two years without losing a home game in any competition.

We all know Todd Boehly loves a transfer so it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that Chelsea have been one of the most active clubs in the summer transfer window to date.

It was only last night that Jonathan David was confirmed as a target for the club, news that broke just hours after the official arrival of Brazilian sensation Estevao Willian, who will join the Blues next year.

Departures should be rife too with the exit of Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa now all but done. However, it's not all been rosy for new boss Enzo Maresca.

On Friday evening, one of their number one targets, Michael Olise, was ruled out of a move to Stamford Bridge. Where is he heading instead? Well, Bayern Munich have swooped in.

This was seen as a market opportunity for Boehly and Co so with Chelsea having plenty of wingers, it's unlikely they'll now go out and acquire a ready-made first-team wideman as an alternative.

So, what is next on the agenda? Well, after Estevao, they're closing in on another young talent.

The latest on Chelsea transfer plans

Missing out on Olise will undoubtedly be a gutting blow, notably for supporters who were keen to see one of the Premier League's most exciting young wingers play in blue next season.

Instead, Boehly is set to put his plan of buying academy talents into action again. Who is the player? Well, in a repeat of the move that saw Chelsea bring Carney Chukwuemeka to the club a few years ago, they're set to raid Aston Villa again for Omari Kellyman.

In fact, it's believed that a deal is as good as done. Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday morning that 'Chelsea are planning to seal the agreement for Omari Kellyman to join from Aston Villa today.'

It's believed a fee of £19m has been agreed between the respective parties.

The Telegraph's Matt Law has claimed separately that a medical is due to happen on Monday as the finishing touches get put on a move.

How Olise compares to Kellyman

Well, if you can't sign Olise, how about finding a player with similar traits and vast potential? That's what they'd be getting in Kellyman.

Firstly, you may well wonder why on earth Chelsea are signing a player with such little experience for a rather hefty sum.

The 18-year-old has only played six times for Aston Villa's senior team, with just two of those outings coming in the Premier League. Still, this isn't the first time we've been left rather bamboozled at their transfer business.

That said, this could actually end up being a rather shrewd purchase for new boss Maresca.

The fact of the matter is that Kellyman is a very exciting young player. Like Olise, he possesses a "left foot made of gold", and like Olise he also plays largely off the right-hand side.

So, there are the first two comparisons but there must be more, right? Well, he's also pretty decent from set-pieces, scoring a sumptuous free-kick like the one below. The Crystal Palace star has been renowned for that too, notably scoring a delightful effort from range against Manchester United last season.

So, what else is similar? Well, they're both particularly fleet-footed, skipping past players with confidence that you can tell simply oozes from their veins.

Only this weekend, scout Antonio Mango took to social media to say: "He actually reminds me of Olise the way he dribbles and moves with the ball."

Also possessing great creativity, ball control and vision, this is a signing who could make a remarkable impact on Chelsea's first team in the years to come.

It may not be the swanky signing of Olise but he has immense potential. Only time will tell whether the teenager lives up to his billing.

Chelsea must sell £50m star who earns more than Sesko & Olise combined

The Chelsea player started nine Premier League games last season.

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

The Man City-bound midfielder found the net from distance to secure an Eastern Conference championship for the Union's MLS Next Pro side

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• Sullivan scored from 35 yards out in 4-0 win
• Has found the net five times in MLS Next Pro
• Reportedly set for big-money move to Man City in 2027

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• USA Today Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In the 41st minute of the Union II's Eastern Conference Final, Cavan Sullivan received the ball 40 yards from goal, with space to run into. The 15-year-old took two touches – one to get the ball out of his feet, a second to knock it forward – before bashing the ball up and over a helpless goalkeeper.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The strike was the second in a 4-0 rout for the Union II over Columbus. Sullivan has played a crucial role for his MLSNext Proside throughout the campaign, tallying nine goal contributions in less than 1400 minutes – averaging a goal involvement every 150 minutes.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sullivan made his first MLS appearance in July, becoming the youngest debutant in major U.S. sports history in the process. He was youngest player to ever play in the league by smashing Freddy Adu's youth age record.

  “It was like… I've never been on the field with noise like that,” Sullivan told GOAL earlier this summer. "Obviously, I've been to European Games where the stands are cool and all, but especially hearing it … it was pretty cool. And having my name being the chant was even better.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SULLIVAN?

  The teenager will likely feature for the Union II in the MLS Next Pro final when they take on North Texas SC on Nov. 9. Sullivan's future lies overseas, though, with Man City agreeing a deal to sign the teenager once he turns 18.

Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar are expected to launch their opening bid for an in-demand £42 million star, coming after a pretty quiet transfer window so far.

Arteta looking at signing new defenders for Arsenal

The north Londoners finished 2023/2024 with the best defensive record out of any Premier League side, conceding the fewest goals over a campaign where they fell just short of their first title in 20 years.

Edu prepared to make Arsenal bid for £102m star as cut-price move possible

The Gunners think he’s ideal.

2

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 2, 2024

Despite this, it is believed Mikel Arteta is pursuing more strength in depth for his back line. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have shone at the heart of Arsenal's defence for nearly two years, but a prolonged absence for either player would surely spell trouble for Arteta.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Ben White have featured more predominantly as full-back options for Arsenal, meaning the Gunners could be after a different star centre-half option who can provide back up for Saliba and Gabriel.

Arsenal are considering talks to sign Guehi from Crystal Palace as one target, but have also been linked with Barcelona star Jules Kounde and Bologna sensation Riccardo Calafiori as well.

The latter has emerged as one of Europe's most sought-after defenders, following a brilliant Serie A campaign at Bologna and promising showings for Italy at Euro 2024. Calafiori, who made 30 league appearances and impressed under former boss Thiago Motta, is also wanted by his ex-manager at Juventus.

Calafiori is open to joining Juve, according to Fabrizio Romano, and some reports have even claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is a fan as well. Real Madrid are apparently targeting Calafiori among the plethora of sides taking an interest, with Bologna director Giovanni Sartori recently admitting that he's likely to move abroad over Turin.

“We only signed Calafiori 12 months ago, so we’ll see what happens, but in our minds we want to keep him,” he told reporters at a recent event (via TEAMtalk).

“There has been talk of Juventus, but also many other clubs. If we were to receive big offers, we’d have to think about it. I don’t think he will go to Juventus, it will probably be abroad, but I repeat we will try to keep him.”

Edu expected to launch opening Arsenal bid for Calafiori

TEAMtalk have an update on Arsenal's pursuit of the former FC Basel starlet this week. It is believed that Edu is expected to submit an opening Arsenal bid for Calafiori soon, but face competition from rivals abroad and domestically in the Premier League.

A key attraction in terms of moving for the Italian is his versatility. The left-sided centre-back can also feature at left-back, meaning Arteta could kill two birds with one stone and sign cover for two areas of his defence.

However, given the 50 per cent sell-on clause Basel agreed to sell Calafiori to Bologna, the Serie A side could demand a premium. Some reports suggest this could be as high as £42 million.

Despite growing into one of the world's most devastating players at Real Madrid, the winger has failed to replicate that form for his country

Just over two weeks removed from Real Madrid dramatically boycotting the Ballon d'Or ceremony after it emerged that overwhelming favourite Vinicius Jr had not, in fact, won the award, we now know that the race for the Golden Ball was extremely close. Rodri won by a mere 41 points, which given the points are allocated within France Football's confusing voting system is about as close as it can get. It now seems even sillier that Los Blancos recused themselves from football's biggest awards ceremony over such fine margins.

But perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from Vinicius' second-placed finish. This was an extremely tight decision, and we will never truly know what, exactly, swayed voters to pick Rodri over Vinicius. But a fair guess would be that Spain's success at Euro 2024 played a pretty big role. Rodri was named Player of the Tournament as La Roja triumphed in Germany, seamlessly transferring his imperious club from Manchester blue to Spain red.

Vinicius summer, meanwhile, did not go as well. There were stretches of the season – certainly the last few months – where you could argue that his club performances were better than Rodri's. But he was ultimately let down by a fairly morbid showing in a Brazil shirt, which was capped by him being suspended as the Selecao crashed out of the Copa America at the quarter-final stage.

This is nothing new for Vinicius. He is five years into his Brazil career, and three years into being a consistent starter, with 35 caps to now to his name. Over that period, he has found the net just five times – a startlingly poor record for a player of his quality.

Starring for Brazil, then, was not only the missing ingredient from Vinicius' Ballon d'Or argument, but remains the final boss of his footballing career. He has just over 18 months to figure things out on the international stage, or when the world is watching in 2026, he could be set for more embarrassment on the global stage.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Madrid parallels

  There are some parallels to be drawn across Vinicius' club and national-team careers. After moving to Madrid for big money as a teenager in 2018, the winger famously struggled. He was, in fairness, put in a tough spot. Cristiano Ronaldo had left, Gareth Bale was always injured and Eden Hazard, who arrived a year later, was a pale imitation of his former self. Vinicius was expected to immediately step up, but he was also unbelievably raw, and nowhere near refined enough to even be a regular at Santiago Bernabeu.

  And of course, he was made to hear it. Madrid fans, for some time, openly loathed him as they grew frustrated with Vinicius' poor finishing, while Karim Benzema infamously encouraged other Madrid players not to pass the ball to the young Brazilian. A top talent became a laughing stock far too quickly.

  Things have since turned around, of course. A Ballon d'Or, even if it wasn't won this year, is certainly in his future. Despite Kylian Mbappe's arrival, Vinicius remains the best forward at Madrid, and perhaps, by extension, the most effective attacking player in the world.

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  Slow Selecao start

  Perhaps it is natural, then, that Vinicius would struggle to adapt to a new environment with his national team. That was certainly the case early on. He was called up to three camps to open up his Selecao career, but only appeared once, playing 16 minutes in a loss to Peru in September 2019. He wasn't entrusted with a start for two years, and didn't play a full 90 until his ninth cap in November 2021.

  Most glaringly, it took him almost three years to find the net for the first time – and even that came in a meaningless game against Chile in which Brazil had already secured the top spot in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying ahead of Qatar 2022. There were some good bits in between, and Vinicius wasn't necessarily bad in a Brazil shirt for three years. His manager at the time, Tite, also voiced his confidence.

  "Obviously, Vinicius has to improve a lot of things, his anxiety when he gets on the ball, his defensive work," Tite said in 2019. "But his natural talent is greater than these things. You have to understand that we are speaking about a kid of 19 years of age. You have to be careful and you have to work on the emotional part, look after him. Because he has charisma that is second to none."

  The broader issue, though, was that no end product ever really emerged, regardless of the faith that was shown in him.

• Getty Images
  

  In Neymar's shadow

  The good news for Vinicius was that he wasn't expected to be Brazil's leading light during those early years. That role was left to Neymar. There has been a lot of convenient revisionism around the most-expensive player in the history of the game, but zoom out, and Neymar's Selecao stats are immense.

  In 128 national-team appearances, Neymar has notched 79 goals and 59 assists. He is averaging well over a goal contribution every 90 minutes. No one, not even Pele, has ever found the net more for the Selecao. And even if Neymar has never achieved the kind of success to befit his attacking production, his very presence took the heat off Vinicius. After all, Neymar was the main man, the centre of everything. Stop him – by fair means or foul – and you would likely stop Brazil (something that was proven at the 2014 World Cup).

  Vinicius was not the only beneficiary. A litany of attacking players – Rodrygo, Raphinha, Antony and others – all benefitted from the spotlight being shone so brightly on one individual. Their job basically became to do the bits in between and chip in where possible. Very few talked about Vinicius' lack of output because it was more or less irrelevant.

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  Nowhere to hide

  That all changed just over a year ago. Neymar tore his ACL in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay last October, and suddenly the onus fell on Vinicius to step up and lead his country. Suddenly, his damning statistics came into sharper focus.

  Vinicius started at centre-forward – a massive misuse of his talent – in the next World Cup qualifying fixture. Brazil fell 2-1 to Colombia, and he limped off with a thigh injury after just 27 minutes. He was, therefore, out of action for a heavyweight clash against Argentina, when the Selecao lost a home World Cup qualifying match for the first time ever.

  Since then, things have been patchy. Four friendlies after a return to fitness saw mixed results and just one assist. Vinicius was effective against England in March without making any material impact (although he did celebrate feverously with Endrick when the teenager marked his third Brazil appearance with a goal).

  Copa America, however, was when things turly turned. Vinicius was expected to come good, find form, and lead his nation to tournament glory (Brazil are, in fairness, expected to win pretty much every game they play). But in the opening group fixture, a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica, he was double-teamed at every possibility. He failed to complete a dribble, had just five touches in the Costa Rica box, and cut a frustrated figure after being substituted on 71 minutes.

  Redemption of sorts was achieved to the tune of two goals in the second group game – a 4-0 win over Paraguay – but the third only brought trouble, as a stray elbow that caught the face of Colombia's James Rodriguez earned Vinicius a suspension for the quarter-final. The Selecao lost to Uruguay without him: Mission failed.

Newcastle United have ramped up their transfer efforts in recent weeks, looking to make a push towards a return to a place within the Premier League’s top four, securing an automatic Champions League spot.

However, if Eddie Howe’s side are to achieve that feat, they will need to invest into the current playing squad, with players such as Crysencio Summerville being linked with a move to Tyneside this summer.

The attacker wouldn’t be the only Dutchman currently plying their trade at St James’ Park, potentially linking up with defender Sven Botman should any deal be completed.

Botman, who is currently sitting on the sidelines after ACL surgery a few months ago, had an immediate impact under Howe for the Magpies, featuring 66 times since his move in 2023, playing a huge role in the club’s recent success.

However, despite the recent links to Summerville, the club are also eyeing one player who could make a huge impact under Howe during the 2024/25 campaign.

Newcastle hold talks over new transfer

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Newcastle are in talks with Juventus winger Federico Chiesa over a move to St James’ Park this summer.

The 26-year-old has struggled to regain his form following his serious knee injury, with new boss Thiago Motta making the attacker free to leave should anyone pay £21m for his services.

Chiesa only has one year left on his current deal in Turin, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also in communication over a deal to bring the winger to the Premier League.

Whilst Newcastle would undoubtedly face tough competition for his signature, he would be a phenomenal addition, potentially having a greater impact than Summerville would on Tyneside.

Why Chiesa would be a better option than Summerville

Whilst Summerville is still a young talent finding his feet in the professional game, he still managed to post an impressive tally of 28 goals or assists in the Championship for Leeds United last season.

However, he’s struggled to beat the Italian forward in multiple other key areas, with Chiesa demonstrating his experience in the attacking third for Juventus.

Just a handful of years ago, the “sensational” Chiesa, as dubbed by journalist Adam Digby, was lighting up the Euros for his nation, producing performances that made him one of the most productive forwards in Europe and earned his place in the competition's team of the tournament as a result.

Whilst he’s failed to match those levels in recent years, he’s still produced some impressive stats, including a tally of 18 crosses into the box, a figure that is six times higher than the Leeds ace could manage last season.

The Juve forward has also averaged a six per cent better long pass completion rate, demonstrating his ability to find a teammate on either a counter-attack or a switch of play – a playstyle that could be useful to Howe’s side with the pace of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Despite scoring ten goals fewer than Summerville in 2023/24, the 26-year-old averaged the same amount of goals per shots on target, making him a more clinical option than Summerville.

Both are huge talents that would undoubtedly improve Newcastle’s attacking department.

However, given his achievements and experience in Europe’s top five leagues, Chiesa would be the better option for Howe’s side – with the Magpies getting an absolute bargain should they agree deal for his asking price of just £21m.

Imagine him & Gordon: Newcastle battling PL giants for "monster" signing

He has a whole host of Premier League sides after him this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 17, 2024

Manchester United are ready to let one of their first-team squad leave for just £4m this summer as they look to rejuvenate Erik ten Hag's side ahead of the new Premier League season, it has been reported.

Man Utd in midst of clear out

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival has coincided with the aim of a major clear out at Old Trafford, with high-earning pair Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane both having already left as free agents after their contracts expired at the end of the season. Two years on from Ralf Rangnick revealing that United needed "open heart surgery" to improve, the current United boss echoed those comments.

"Rangnick was absolutely right", Ten Hag told the media. "We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."

More players are expected to depart this summer as they look to continue their overhaul, with reports at the end of last season revealing that only Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo were guaranteed to still be at Old Trafford for 2024/25, with everyone else free to leave for the right price.

Heading that list is right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose departure should facilitate the arrival of Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, while there are also question marks over the futures of Casemiro, Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay. And another man within the Man Utd ranks has been up for sale this summer by INEOS.

Man Utd midfielder on the move?

That comes in the form of midfield veteran Christian Eriksen, who is reportedly unhappy at Manchester United given his lack of game time at Old Trafford.

The Danish midfielder joined the Red Devils in 2022 and made 28 Premier League appearances in his first campaign in a Manchester United shirt. However, that number dropped to 22 in the most recent season and the 32-year-old was increasingly an unused substitute for Ten Hag.

He was dubbed a "class" player by compatriot Hojlund during the March international break, who urged Ten Hag to offer him more opportunities.

"He holds his head high and he is a class player. There is absolutely no doubt about that," the United no.9 told TV2. "He is a good player, so you would like to see him on the field, but we have many good players. So it must be the coach’s decision whether he plays or not."

But he is now into the final 12 months of his £150,000 a week deal at Old Trafford, and Caught Offside report that United "are ready to part ways" with the midfielder this summer.

Man Utd battling to land "genius" who's a Simons & Bellingham hybrid

Manchester United looking to add creative star in attacking midfield

By
Connor Holden

Jul 28, 2024

They add that Eriksen will be allowed to leave for just €5m (£4.2m), which would still represent a profit given that they signed the Dane for free. However, they will not listen to loan offers given his contract situation, with INEOS "in no mood" to allow Eriksen to leave on a free transfer, meaning that they want to sell either this summer or in January.

Given his lack of gametime, a departure makes sense for all parties, while getting his wages off the books will allow Man Utd more flexibility to agree more signings before the transfer window slams shut.