Arsenal have now held talks over a move for a new striker, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
Which striker are Arsenal signing?
The Gunners recently conducted a scouting mission on Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, and they will have been impressed with what they saw, as the Mexican scored two goals and bagged an assist prior to the Eredivisie match against Ajax being suspended.
Scouts from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were also in attendance, so there could be stiff competition for the 22-year-old in the January transfer window, while Arsenal may also have to do battle with their Premier League rivals for another key target.
In a report from The Mirror, it is detailed that Ivan Toney has also emerged as a target for all three clubs, while The Express report that Brentford are willing to let the striker leave in the January transfer window, should their £60m asking price be met.
By that point, the England international will have finished serving his ban for breaching the FA's gambling regulations, and he is ready to leave Brentford, having sat down with Thomas Frank to discuss his future in west London at the start of the week.
With a number of Premier League clubs clearly keen on signing the forward, Romano has now spoken about his future at Brentford on CaughtOffside's The Debrief podcast. The transfer expert has confirmed Arsenal have already made their first move to sign the Brentford star, but when asked whether a move to Chelsea is a possibility, he said:
“I think it is a possibility. It is not something guaranteed yet because also for Toney it is time to consider all the opportunities; it is not time to negotiate yet, but Chelsea are among the clubs interested in the situation and informed on the conditions of a deal, so let’s see if it will be Ivan Toney or a different kind of player.
“From what I am hearing, Arsenal have also asked about the conditions of a deal a couple of weeks ago and now with new agents, the player is 100% available to new opportunities.”
When will Ivan Toney be allowed to play?
The 27-year-old is due to return to competitive football on January 17, 2024, but he has already been given the go-ahead to return to Brentford training, having been allowed to make his comeback on September 23rd.
It is no wonder there is such widespread interest in the Englishman, as he was one of the Premier League's most prolific strikers last term, scoring 20 goals, with only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane weighing in with more.
Lauded `as a "monster" by members of the media, the marksman has also drawn praise for the way in which he "occupied" William Saliba last season, and he has been dubbed an "exceptional finisher."
Given that Gabriel Jesus has drastically underperformed his XG over the past year, Mikel Arteta could do with a more clinical option in attack, and Toney could be a fantastic addition to the squad, making this one to keep an eye on over the coming months.
A win for Rajasthan Royals will make them genuine contenders for the playoffs, but a loss will leave them in a similar difficult position to Daredevils
The Preview by Sidharth Monga01-May-20185:55
Last chance for Glenn Maxwell? Or should Daredevils play Jason Roy?
Form guide (most recent match first)
Delhi Daredevils: lost to Chennai Super Kings by 13 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by four runs Rajasthan Royals: lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 11 runs, beat Mumbai Indians by three wickets, lost to Chennai Super Kings by 64 runs
Big PictureWe are reaching a stage in the IPL where a defeat can all but eliminate some of the sides. Barring extreme circumstances, with four points from eight matches, Delhi Daredevils, who will be happier coming back home after their defeat in Pune, need to win all their remaining six matches. Or at least five of them. If they do manage to make this match one of those five or six, it will leave their opponents Rajasthan Royals in a similar situation. They still sit at less than 50% success rate, with three wins in seven matches. A win for Royals will put them at No. 4 alongside Kolkata Knight Riders, and make them genuine contenders to make the playoffs. Needless to say, margin for error for either side is minimal.Daredevils are only just recovering from what turned out to be a mistake: having Gautam Gambhir as captain and opening batsman. The rejigged side after his stepping down looks a bigger threat to the opposition. Royals themselves are benefitting from Jofra Archer’s inclusion two matches ago. Both the sides will love a match-winning effort from their big overseas buys. Daredevils’ Glenn Maxwell and Royals’ Jos Buttler have scored 126 and 120 runs respectively in seven matches, which is not what the sides bargained for.In the newsMahipal Lomror played ahead of Shreyas Gopal – who has five wickets this season at a decent economy of only 7.06 – in Royals’ last game. It will be interesting to see if they persist with the combination.Previous meetingTheir last meeting was the first time a side successfully defended a total this IPL. It was a rain-shortened game, and Daredevils failed to chase 71 in six overs.ESPNcricinfo LtdLikely XIsDelhi Daredevils: 1 Colin Munro, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Vijay Shankar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Liam Plunkett, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Trent BoultRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Jaydev UnadkatStrategy puntRoyals could think of playing two legspinners: Maxwell has had his share of troubles against that variety of bowling, including against Ish Sodhi, who has dismissed him twice in 28 balls for only 31 runs.Expect Daredevils to hold back spin until they dismiss Ajinkya Rahane, whose strike rate against pace this year has been 117.2 as opposed to 143 against spin.Stats that matter Daredevils last beat Royals in 2012, and have lost to them seven times since then Royals’ specialist overseas batsmen have the worst strike rate among all teams this year: 116.4 Amit Mishra has bowled almost exclusively in the middle overs, going at an excellent economy rate of 6.7 Avesh Khan has bowled only seven Powerplay overs so far, but he boasts a good economy rate of 7.1 Jofra Archer comes into the match with a death-overs economy rate of 4.8 in this IPL. He has bowled only four overs in the stage, but in finding a way to score runs off him lies a big challenge for DaredevilsFantasy pickColin Munro looks like he is hitting form after a slow start to the tournament. He has batted 16 and 18 balls in his last two innings; if he goes on to face 30, his strike rate should get you enough points.Quotes”We need to win six out of six, which is the only motivation we can take into the remaining games. We are really effective in home games and, if we can keep the team stable, that should serve us well.”
Malaysia suffered a nine-wicket defeat – their third straight loss in the tournament – after managing only 36 for 8 in 20 overs
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2018Sornnarin Tippoch hits her delivery stride•Getty ImagesThailand romped to their first win of the 2018 Asia Cup by consigning hosts Malaysia to a nine-wicket defeat after restricting them to 36 for 8 in 20 overs. Offpsinner Wongpaka Liengprasert’s 2 for 10 headlined Thailand’s victory, while opener Naruemol Chaiwai’s top score of 20 helped them seal the chase with 11 overs to spare.For the third time in a row, Malaysia scored under 50 runs in all, as none of their batsmen got into a double-digit score. Having elected to bat, Malaysia lost a wicket off the very first ball of the match, and their highest partnership amounted to only 12 runs. Liengprasert’s two strikes and two run-outs propped up an overall disciplined bowling performance by Thailand, where five of the six bowlers snared at least one wicket.The only hitch during Thailand’s chase came via Malaysia’s leading wicket-taker of the tournament, medium-pacer Sasha Azmi, who trapped opener Nattakam Chantam in front for a 12-ball 6 in the fourth over. An undefeated 21-run, second-wicket stand between Chaiwai and Sirintra Saengsakaorat thereafter took Thailand to 37 for 1 in the ninth over.
Those of a Leeds United persuasion will reflect on the prior Marcelo Bielsa reign with particular fondness despite the Argentine's eventual dismissal, with the current Uruguay boss having transformed a club that was going nowhere fast into a respectable top-flight outfit.
With a free-flowing and an at times kamikaze style of play, the experienced coach certainly brought a sense of excitement to Elland Road prior to his sacking in February 2022, with few figures having made such an impact on a club or its fanbase.
For all the 68-year-old's heroics of leading the Yorkshire side back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence – and their subsequent ninth-placed finish in 2020/21 – that's not to suggest that he got everything right during his turbulent tenure.
In the transfer market, in particular, the one-time Marseille boss didn't always pull off particularly astute dealings, with Junior Firpo, for instance, having been somewhat "chaotic" since his £12.8m arrival from Barcelona back in 2021, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.
The injury-prone full-back is not alone in having underwhelmed since being plucked from La Liga by Bielsa, with Diego Llorente – who is currently out on loan at AS Roma – having flattered to deceive following his arrival from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2020.
As the Spaniard's plummetting market valuation would indicate – as well as his lack of impact in a Leeds shirt – he has proven something of a nightmare signing as far as the Championship side are concerned.
How much did Leeds pay for Diego Llorente?
Despite having finished 2019/20 with the best defensive record in the second tier, Bielsa and co were seemingly intent on bolstering their backline amid the return to the promised land that is the Premier League, having brought in Llorente alongside Germany international, Robin Koch.
With the Whites forking out around £13m in order to sign the latter man from Bundesliga side Freiburg, a further £18m was then spent by the club in order to acquire Llorente from San Sebastian, with the experienced centre-back having racked up 88 appearances for his previous employers.
Leeds defender Diego Llorente.
The 6 foot 1 asset had previously been on the books at Real Madrid – for whom he made three first-team appearances – with Bielsa stating at the time that he had the "ability to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League", prior to his eventual debut.
As Leeds supporters have come to learn, however, that statement has proven somewhat false, with the ten-cap Spain international having been unable to keep up with the rigours of English football due to his regular stints on the treatment table.
How many appearances has Diego Llorente made for Leeds?
Injuries ensured that the central defender was able to make just 15 league appearances during his debut campaign at Elland Road, with pundit Frank McAvennie questioning in 2021 just how he had been able to pass a medical, after repeatedly being ruled out of action.
Even when the struggling asset did feature – after starting 28 league games in 2021/22 – it was not as if he particularly impressed, with talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor having said of his shortcomings earlier this year:
"Llorente wasn’t good enough for the Premier League. He’s sluggish, slow. He just doesn’t have the pace for the Premier League."
Leeds defender Diego Llorente.
The Madrid native was particularly poor in the early knockings of last season – despite earning a contract extension – with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth having stated back in December:
“His form has just been a little patchy, and there have been times when you think it’s not really working out for him or his confidence isn’t there.”
Having been moved on loan to Roma, initially in January, it remains to be seen if Llorente has a future at all back at Elland Road, having thus far made just 59 appearances in all competitions over the past three years or so, scoring four goals.
How much is Diego Llorente worth now?
Still technically on the books at Leeds – despite his temporary move to Serie A – the one-time Malaga man has seen his value plummet in recent times, with it looking as if Bielsa made a real mistake by splashing the cash on his capture back in 2020.
According to CIES Football Observatory, the 30-year-old is now said to be worth as little as €5m (£4m), with that representing a decline of £14m in relation to the £18m that the club initially forked out to prise him from Sociedad.
Player
Market Value
Wilfried Gnonto
€40m (£35m)
Georginio Rutter
€30m (£26m)
Illan Meslier
€30m (£26m)
Pascal Struijk
€20m (£17m)
Crysencio Summerville
€20m (£17m)
Joel Piroe
€15m (£13m)
That decline has come despite the fact that the forgotten man still has three years left to run on his existing deal back at his parent club, with it potentially set to prove difficult to shift the defender if he does not impress under Jose Mourinho's watch this season.
How has Diego Llorente performed this season?
Much like numerous others who were part of Leeds' relegation last season, Llorente has been able to avoid plying his trade in England's second tier by returning to the Stadio Olimpico, joining a side that includes the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Chris Smalling and Paulo Dybala.
It hasn't exactly been a smooth ride so far this term for the Spaniard and his teammates, however, with Mourinho's men having won just two of their opening seven league games.
Llorente started the first six of those Serie A meetings – keeping just one clean sheet – although typically the £58k-per-week dud has missed the last two games in all competitions due to an injury setback, thus once again proving something of a liability.
On reflection, Leeds may deem it £18m wasted such have been the one-time Rayo Vallecano man's woes over the past few years, with it hard to see a way back for the unreliable talent at Elland Road when he does ultimately make his return next summer.
The aim at that stage will likely be to move him on as quickly as possible, although the £4m-rated flop is unlikely to command too great of a transfer fee if his current market valuation is anything to go by.
The case involving Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Getafe loanee Mason Greenwood and an alleged slur has reportedly been dismissed by La Liga.
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England internationals clashed in FebruaryBlancos star caught mouthing something on cameraNo disciplinary action will be taken by La LigaWHAT HAPPENED?
Two men with England caps to their name met in Spanish top-flight action back on February 1. Their paths crossed at various points during that encounter, with Bellingham putting in one particularly full-blooded challenge on Greenwood.
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He was caught on camera mouthing something after making that tackle, with the incident reported by Getafe amid allegations of Bellingham calling Greenwood a “rapist”. As part of the subsequent investigation, La Liga drafted in a lip-reading expert.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to the case in question has been dropped – meaning that no disciplinary action will be taken – as it is impossible to determine with 100 per cent accuracy whether Bellingham said “rapist” or “rubbish”. Manchester United-owned Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour in January 2022, but saw those charges dropped in February 2023.
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Jose Breton/APWHAT NEXT?
Bellingham and Greenwood are now free to focus on their football once more. Greenwood is expected to complete a permanent transfer away from Old Trafford this summer, while Bellingham – who has registered 20 goals during his debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu – is about to serve a domestic ban for the red card that he collected after the final whistle had blown in a controversial clash with Valencia.
Newcastle United are enjoying plenty of success at the moment, but one "excellent" fan favourite has been urged to "find a new club" while on international duty this week.
Newcastle form and fixtures
The Magpies may have made a disappointing start to their Premier League season in 2023/24, in what was an admittedly a tough run of games, but they have overcome that blip in highly impressive fashion.
A legendary 4-1 win at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and impressive victories against Sheffield United and Burnley have corrected their form, while they also knocked Manchester City out of the EFL Cup. Next up comes home clashes with Crystal Palace and Dortmund before visits to Wolves and Man United in the league and cup respectively.
This is a formidable Newcastle squad that Eddie Howe has built, with the likes of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento added to the squad during the summer transfer window, and there are important players everywhere you look.
There are some individuals who aren't earning as much game time as they would like, however, which could lead to them looking for a move away in the near future, potentially when the January transfer window opens.
One of those is Martin Dubravka, who has had to accept that he is now very much playing second fiddle to Nick Pope between the sticks.
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Newcastle transfer news – Martin Dubvraka
Speaking to Sport24.sk [via Sport Witness], former Slovakia attacker Robert Vittek has urged Newcastle goalkeeper Dubravka to leave Newcastle, as he looks to enjoy more regular football elsewhere:
“With his performance against Portugal, he certainly caught the attention of several interesting clubs. If he doesn’t get an opportunity at Newcastle, I wish him to find a club in January where he will play regularly.
In truth, it makes complete sense for Dubravka to look for a fresh challenger sooner rather than later, having already spent a spell on loan at Manchester United last season.
The 34-year-old's squad status seems unlikely to change moving forward so Dubravka leaving Newcastle would still be the right outcome for all parties moving forward, with Pope such a key man in goal for Magpies.
That's not say that he can't be a success elsewhere, with Dubravka called "excellent" by Tom Heaton, who said of his fellow 'keeper back in 2020:
"I don't think he is underrated at all, actually. He has had an excellent season. He has been good for Newcastle over a long period of time now and and he has been a massive part of their unbeaten run.
"Some of his saves have been excellent, his all round-game has been really impressive. Certainly from my point of view he hasn't been underrated, but whether the wider public don't give him enough credit, possibly."
Dubravka's stats speak for themselves in his career, with a tally 34 caps for Slovakia coming his way, and while allowing him a route out of the club would be the right decision by Newcastle, there's no question fans will remember that debut against Man United for a long time.
The ICC board has ‘agreed a package of measures’ that will allow ZC to pay its debt while still receiving funding ‘on a controlled basis’
Firdose Moonda02-Jul-2018Zimbabwe Cricket has given a lifeline by the ICC, whose board “agreed a package of measures” that will allow ZC to pay its debt while still receiving funding “on a controlled basis”. The ICC has also offered to work with ZC “to develop a plan for managing its cricketing, management and financial structures which will be reviewed on an ongoing basis”.The decision came at the ICC’s annual conference in Dublin where ESPNcricinfo understands Zimbabwe were at risk of suspension unless they were able to provide proof of reduced or restructured debt. ZC, through working with the Zimbabwe Asset Management Corporation, has been able to renegotiate its debt, which totalled around USD 18 million, and will be able to service this debt even though it will not receive its scheduled July payout from the ICC.Instead, a plan of action will be put together to ensure ZC is drip-fed funding via a more regulated process to ensure it can meet its committments in paying staff and players – who are owed two months’ salaries – as quickly as possible. Already, players have received the match fees they were owed from their tour to Sri Lanka last July/August, and all outstanding salaries are expected to be paid by the end of this month.As a result of these collective actions, ZC was deemed to have complied with a number of conditions set by the ICC, which has committed to assisting ZC in getting back on its feet.”I am satisfied we have mapped out a way forward to enable Zimbabwe Cricket to get back on track,” Shashank Manohar, the ICC chairman, said. “It will require significant change to their financial, managerial and cricketing operations, along with support from the ICC, but we saw the latent potential of cricket at the recent ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe and this gives us the opportunity to build on that.”All this takes place as Zimbabwe take the field without five big-name players in the ongoing T20 triangular series against Australia and Pakistan, and while the organisation is without a Managing Director. Former captains Brendan Taylor and Graeme Cremer, allrounders Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams, and senior batsman Craig Ervine all opted to sit out the matches after the non-payment of the monies owed to them while Faisal Hasnain, who left the organisation at the end of April, has not been replaced. ZC have appointed Vince van der Bijl, the former ICC umpires and referees manager, as a consultant on a short-term basis.Player representative Gerald Mlotchwa has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Leeds United brought in Daniel Farke to be their new manager after the club were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Whites opted to back the German head coach in the transfer market as he was able to bolster his squad with a host of new signings.
Joel Piroe, Karl Darlow, Djed Spence, Ilia Gruev, Joe Rodon, Jaidon Anthony, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Sam Byram were all signed either on loan or on a permanent basis.
Leeds defender Joe Rodon.
Those additions have played a part in Leeds' strong start to the 2023/24 Championship campaign as Farke has managed to excite supporters with his attacking brand of football.
The Yorkshire-based outfit are third in the table and six points off the automatic promotion places, with 20 goals scored in their opening 12 matches.
However, their most recent win – against Norwich City – provided Farke with another reminder of why he wanted to sign Kenny McLean, who has outperformed Kamara this term, during the summer transfer window.
Were Leeds interested in McLean?
Sky Sports reported (28/08/2023) that the Whites had an offer of £4m turned down by the Canaries as the German tactician attempted to secure a reunion with his former midfielder.
The Scotland international then revealed that the interest was 'put to bed' quickly and that he wants to be part of a third promotion to the Premier League with Norwich.
Shortly after Leeds' failed pursuit of his services, McLean put pen to paper on a contract extension at Carrow Road. His new deal is due to expire at the end of the 2025/26 season, with the option to extend it a further 12 months.
However, the Yellows have lost five of their last seven games in all competitions and Farke could look to test his former club's resolve again during the January window.
If Norwich's form does not improve then a promotion tilt could be out of the question and that could place McLean's future in doubt if Leeds remain on current form and are able to offer a realistic chance of promotion back to the Premier League.
Why were Leeds interested in McLean?
The £25k-per-week maestro played 114 matches in all competitions in four seasons under Farke's management during their time together in Norfolk.
This shows that the German boss relied upon the central midfielder as he was a regular fixture in his team, which led to the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach boss dubbing him as "irreplaceable".
McLean won two Championship titles with the Leeds manager and started 45 league matches across those two campaigns, which came in 2018/19 and 2020/21.
Appearances
105
Goals
Six
Assists
15
Promotions
Two
This shows that the former Aberdeen star knows what it takes to get promoted from this level and, crucially, is able to excel within Farke's system and would be able to hit the ground running as he already knows the division and what the manager wants from him in his position.
His quality in the Championship was on full display at Carrow Road on Saturday as the Scotsman outperformed Kamara in the middle of the park.
How did McLean perform against Leeds?
The 31-year-old ace caught the eye with a fantastic display against Farke's side over the weekend as he showcased his ability in and out of possession.
Norwich's captain anchored the midfield for David Wagner and his defensive presence allowed the impressive Gabriel Sara to venture forward and trouble Leeds, which led to a goal and an assist from the Brazilian whiz.
As per Sofascore, McLean ended the match with seven tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances for his side. No other midfielder on the pitch, for either team, made more than seven combined tackles and interceptions throughout the game.
The left-footed ace also created one chance and completed 82% of his attempted passes, which included six of his ten long pass attempts, as he displayed his quality on the ball.
These contributions earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.6, which was the fourth-highest of the match – behind Georgino Rutter (7.8), Sara (8.6), and Crysencio Summerville (9.4).
How did Glen Kamara perform against Norwich?
Kamara, on the other hand, recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.7 for his display against the Canaries as the summer signing from Rangers struggled to impress as much as the Norwich star.
The Finland international played 70 minutes and was substituted with the score at 2-1 to the Yellows as he failed to make a significant impact at either end of the pitch.
Finland international Glen Kamara.
As per Sofascore, the central midfielder only won three duels – in comparison to McLean's 13 – and made one tackle and zero interceptions or clearances during his time on the pitch.
Kamara did complete 92% of his attempted passes but only two of them were long pass attempts. He also wasted a 'big chance' in front of goal as Rutter played him through only for the ex-Gers star to blaze wide of the post from the right side of the box.
These statistics show that the Finnish gem, who was beaten far too easily by Sara for Norwich's second goal, was outperformed by McLean on Saturday.
Should Leeds sign McLean?
Farke must now reignite his interest in the Canaries skipper as his performances, including the one at the weekend, have been more impressive than Kamara's at this level throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Kamara has played six times for the Whites this term and averaged 1.3 tackles and interceptions along with 1.3 ball recoveries per match and a duel success rate of 56% for his side, as per Sofascore.
Norwich midfielder Kenny McLean.
McLean, on the other hand, has started all 12 of Norwich's games and caught the eye with his defensive presence in the middle of the park.
The experienced Scotsman has made 3.7 tackles and interceptions alongside 7.5 ball recoveries per outing, with a duel success rate of 66%, as per Sofascore.
These statistics suggest that McLean could be a big upgrade on Kamara due to his superior work out of possession, alongside his pre-existing knowledge of what Farke wants his midfielders to do on the ball.
Therefore, Leeds should attempt to snap the Scotland international up from Norwich during the January transfer window if the Canaries slip away from the promotion race.
Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah struggled to make an impact in Juventus' draw with Genoa on Sunday afternoon.
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Juventus host GenoaMcKennie subbed after an hourVlahovic sent offWHAT HAPPENED?
Juventus took some time to grow into the fixture in the first half, with McKennie playing a limited role in the opening stages. However, not as limited as Weah – who was once again on the bench to start this clash.
Neither side carved out any real goal-scoring opportunities before the break, and a degree of angst grew amongst the crowd as they watched their side head down the tunnel.
It was much of the same in the second half, too. Sloppy passes, a lack of cutting edge in the final third and no real cohesiveness – from both sides. As the game ticked past the hour mark, Massimiliano Allegri made a flurry of changes in an attempt to find an attacking spark for his side, which almost arrived as Samuel Iling Junior hit the post shortly after coming on.
Despite the changes making Juventus slightly more threatening, their frustrations ultimately boiled over as Dusan Vlahovic was shown two quick-fire yellow cards for his reaction to a decision made by the referee. A frustrating afternoon for Allegri's side, who were forced to settle for a draw.
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Juventus had an opportunity to leap-frog Christian Pulisic's AC Milan in the Serie A table in this early fixture – with just a one-point gap separating the two sides heading into the game. While they did manage to jump into second place with a draw due to goal difference, the fixture marked a missed opportunity to put pressure on Milan ahead of their clash against Verona.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
The Old Lady struggled to gain sufficient control of the fixture during the first half, meaning McKennie was not given the opportunity to show his quality in possession as much as he would've liked. The midfielder was also lucky to escape a booking for a cynical shirt pull, as his frustrations built towards the interval.
He did attempt to take a more hands-on approach after the break, although was often frustrated by the deep-lying defence of Genoa. McKennie was eventually substituted in the 60th minute, along with Federico Chiesa and Filip Kostic, as something had to change for Juventus. His USMNT teammate Weah was brought on with just over ten minutes to go but met the same frustrating fate in this fixture.
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Getty ImagesGOAL'S RATINGS
Weston McKennie (4/10):
Not a lot for fans to cheer about regarding his showing. He didn't do anything wrong and didn't get the time on the ball to have any say going forward. In search of a spark, he was substituted just before the hour mark.
Timothy Weah (5/10):
Brought on as a substitute in the dying embers of the game and didn't have much to do. Tough day for the USMNT duo and their Juventus team as a whole.
Newcastle United have joined the race to sign an exciting young player with a "big future" in the game, according to a new transfer update.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies have been going through something of a rocky period in recent days, and while part of that is down to a few iffy results against Borussia Dortmund and Wolves, it is more to do with Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban. The Italian will now miss the rest of the 2023/24 season because of breaching betting rules as an AC Milan player, acting as a big blow to Newcastle's chances of once again finishing in the top four in the Premier League.
The search is now on to find a perfect replacement for Tonali in the January transfer window, with lots of names already being mooted as potential targets. The likes of Kalvin Phillips, Ruben Neves or N'Golo Kante are all linked with joining Newcastle, while Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay is a Magpies target, too, with Eddie Howe reportedly seeing him as a dream signing.
While bringing in someone to make up for the loss of Tonali clearly takes precedence at the moment, that's not to say that the Magpies, and by extension owners PIF, couldn't do with strengthening in other areas as well, in order to increase their chances of once again qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Marcos Leonardo
Newcastle want Marcos Leonardo
According to a new transfer report from UOL [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are interested in signing Brazilian youngster Marcos Leonardo, who is currently plying his trade at Santos, and have even made first contacts over a possible deal. It is claimed that the Magpies are the "newest" club to join the race to sign the 20-year-old, with Santos seeing it as a "dream" to make around €20-25m (£17.4m-£21.8m) for their player's services eventually.
Leonardo nearly moved to Serie A side Roma during the summer transfer window but ended up staying put there because of other players leaving, such as Deivid Washington heading to Chelsea. The young attacker may not yet be a household name to the mainstream footballing public, but he is someone who could be such an eye-catching signing by Newcastle, with young Brazilian forwards often bringing an element of intrigue with them.
Leonardo's statistics show just how big an impression he has already made in a Santos shirt, considering he has scored 54 goals in 161 appearances, also chipping in with 11 assists overall. He netted seven times in as many caps for Brazil's Under-20s, too, showing what an exciting prospect he is at international level.
Appearances
161
Goals
54
Assists
11
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical over the attacker in the recent past, too, saying he is a "natural goalscorer", as well as adding that he is "another Menino da Vila with a big future ahead." Primarily a centre forward, Leonardo could come in and provide immediate competition for Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson in attack, and the fact that the latter is now 31 years of age means the Brazilian could also be viewed as an eventual replacement for him in the team, making this one to watch.