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.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
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.
Amid the at-times turbulent nature of Leeds United in the modern era, one constant at Elland Road has been the impressive production of young talent, with the club regularly churning out exciting assets from the academy ranks.
In the not-too-distant past, the Yorkshire giants notably reaped the rewards of promoting the likes of Alan Smith and James Milner, while more recently, a new local hero was born in the form of England international, Kalvin Phillips.
The 27-year-old racked up 234 appearances in all competitions for the Whites prior to signing for Manchester City on a £45m deal last summer, having previously been hailed as a player who "always plays well" by former boss Marcelo Bielsa.
Among the current crop, manager Daniel Farke has the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Sam Byram to call upon – two further academy graduates – with the latter man having returned to Elland Road earlier this year following spells with West Ham United and Norwich City.
That duo are also joined in the first-team ranks by arguably the most exciting young talent at the club at present in the form of Archie Gray, with the 17-year-old – who has been dubbed "phenomenal" by ex-Leeds man Jermaine Beckford – having started nine Championship games already this season.
Archie Gray's 2023/24 Championship season by numbers
11 games
9 starts
0 goals/assists
1.5 tackles per game
5.0 balls recovered per game
81% pass accuracy rate
60% aerial duels won
54% total duels won
6.75 average match rating
Stats via Sofascore
The rise of the precocious playmaker is not only a sign of the faith Farke is willing to put into the youth set-up, but it also indicates the benefits of looking closer to home to find potential diamonds, rather than seeking out costly mistakes in the transfer market.
Who are the best young talents at Leeds United?
While not an academy product himself, one teenager who has sparked much excitement over the past year or so is Italy international, Wilfried Gnonto, with the 19-year-old having joined the club from FC Zurich on a £3.8m deal back in the summer of 2022.
Having been something of an unknown quantity at the time, the one-time Inter Milan asset quickly blossomed into a real fan favourite among the Leeds faithful, earning praise from pundit Noel Whelan, who dubbed him a "firework" for his explosive displays.
The diminutive forward ended the 2022/23 campaign as the real shining light at Elland Road with four goals and four assists in all competitions, memorably scoring in the 2-2 draw away at Old Trafford back in February.
The Verbania-born marksman has since netted once in five league appearances this time around, although that injury-hit start to the season had come after the teenager had angled for a move during the summer, after even submitting a transfer request in his attempts to force an exit
With rumours rife that a January departure could also be on the cards, it remains to be seen how long Farke will have Gnonto at his disposal, hence the need to look elsewhere to help bolster his attacking unit.
With that in mind, one emerging sensation whom the German tactician should look to promote is 19-year-old, Keenan Carole, with the versatile talent seemingly a real "star in the making", as previously described by journalist Pete O'Rourke.
Who is Keenan Carole?
The fleet-footed winger – who can also operate at left-back if required – is seemingly "one to watch" in the youth set-up, according to O'Rourke, as he possesses that knack for beating his man with ease down the flanks, while having the end product to boot.
Son of one-time Leeds man, Seb Carole, the dazzling youngster boasts a respectable tally of five goals and ten assists in 50 games for the club's U18 side, while the left-footer also has two assists from 14 outings in the U21 ranks.
As for the current campaign, the Frenchman has provided one assist from his six Premier League 2 appearances, indicating the type of threat he can pose with his "real pace" – as previously noted by BBC Sport journalist, Adam Pope.
While frustratingly hampered by a knee injury last season, the hope will be that Carole can kick on this time around, having already trained with the first-team in recent times as an indication of how highly-rated he is at the club.
The teen whiz was also handed his first professional contract at the club last year, with his father stating at the time just what a talent Keenan is – both in and out of possession:
“I had talent, yes, but I didn’t really like getting hurt. Let’s say that I was not a hard worker. On the other hand, Keenan, one of my three sons, is quite the opposite. He has crazy energy on the pitch, can do a lot of things, with and without the ball."
Such impressive work ethic, mixed with his direct nature and dribbling prowess should make the prodigious starlet a real star of the future as far as Leeds is concerned, with the hope being that a first-team opportunity arises before too long.
What does the future hold for Keenan Carole?
If the all-action dynamo is looking to cement a place for himself in Farke's side on a permanent basis, one man that he could look to dethrone is Daniel James, with the Wales international currently the man lining up in that right-wing berth.
The 25-year-old – who joined Leeds from Manchester United in 2021 – had been cast aside by Jesse Marsch last season after spending the year on loan at Fulham, although since returning to Yorkshire, he has become a regular fixture under the new regime.
The one-time Swansea City man already has one goal and four assists to his name in nine Championship outings so far this term, proving that the drop into the second tier has been beneficial in helping him recapture his best form.
Dan James
That being said, however, the jury is out on whether James is a long-term solution at the club, having previously been described as "headless" by pundit Darren Bunt for his at-times erratic displays in attack.
Club legend Ian Harte has also stated in the past that he is "not a massive fan" of the wideman despite his "raw pace", with it potentially not set to prove too difficult for a figure like Carole to take his place in the near future.
With the aforementioned Gray already having established himself under Farke, the wait is now on to see when Carole will also be able to shine against senior opposition for Leeds.
أعلن فينتشينزو مونتيلا، المدير الفني لمنتخب تركيا، تشكيل اللاعبين لمباراة جورجيا، في منافسات بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.
ويواجه منتخب تركيا نظيره جورجيا، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات بكأس أمم أوروبا في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة”، على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك”.
وتشارك تركيا ضمن منافسات المجموعة السادسة في بطولة أمم أوروبا 2024 بجانب كل من، جورجيا والتشيك، بالإضافة إلى البرتغال.
اقرأ ايضاً.. الاتحاد الفرنسي يصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن حالة مبابي
ويشارك أردا جولر لاعب ريال مدريد أساسياً، في تشكيل منتخب تركيا أمام جورجيا اليوم. تشكيل تركيا أمام جورجيا في يورو 2024
حراسة المرمى: ميرت جونوك.
خط الدفاع: كان أيهان، ديميرال، عبدالكريم بارداكسي، فردي أوجلو.
خط الوسط: هاكان تشالهانوجلو، أوزكان، كينان يلدز.
خط الهجوم: أردا جولر، كيريم أكتوركوغلو، باريس ألبير يلماز. تشكيل جورجيا أمام تركيا في يورو 2024
Manchester United’s recent defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League saw them enter the international break occupying 11th spot in the league table, already six points behind Manchester City.
Erik ten Hag would have been hoping the momentum that was gathered during the final few months of the 2022/23 campaign, which saw the Red Devils win their first piece of silverware in six years combined with Champions League qualification, was going to enable them to begin the current season in a productive manner.
The Old Trafford side made seven new signings during the summer transfer window, bringing in Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Jonny Evans, Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon, and it’s fair to say it wasn’t quite the window many of the supporters were anticipating.
Only Onana has made an impact thus far, with Mount playing only twice and Hojlund making his first appearance against Arsenal. Ten Hag will be hoping it is money well spent following years of big-money signings letting the club down.
One name that immediately springs to mind is Jadon Sancho, who has endured a poor start to the current campaign and has failed to live up to the staggering amount that United shelled out on him just two years ago.
What is Jadon Sancho’s salary at Manchester United?
The Englishman had emerged as one of the most talented youngsters on the continent during his spell at Borussia Dortmund, registering an impressive 114 goal contributions – 50 goals and 64 assists – across just 137 games for the club, winning the German cup too in what was a highly productive four-season spell.
jadon-sancho
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed the winger in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £73m and this was a lot of pressure to heap on a player who was only 21-years-old.
That pressure and expectancy were likely only heightened by the reported £250k-per-week wage that the fleet-footed trickster has been on since his arrival two years ago, according to Capology.
How much has Jadon Sancho earned so far at Manchester United?
The youngster has been at the club for a total of 111 weeks and during that time, he has roughly earned an eye-watering £26m in wages alone at United.
Combine this with his transfer fee of £73m and Sancho has already cost the Old Trafford side just shy of £100m at £99m and judging by his form for the club since arriving, this has turned out to be a colossal waste of money.
The winger has a contract until 2026, meaning he still has three years to continue rinsing the club unless they move him on.
Jadon Sancho
A move to Saudi Arabia fell through at the last minute earlier this week, and he will remain in Manchester until January at least, ensuring Ten Hag will need to find a way to get the best out of him.
Does Jadon Sancho deserve £250k-per-week?
Upon his arrival, it looked like United had signed a player who has the potential to turn into one of the next big superstars, especially going by his record in Germany and his meteoric rise since leaving Man City in 2017 to take a chance at the Bundesliga outfit.
Across 38 games during his first season, he scored just five goals and grabbed three assists, which was a large drop-off from the 26 goal contributions he had recorded during his last season in Dortmund.
His form may have been down to the fact he was a newcomer in a league which he hadn’t played in before and while the massive transfer fee may also have played a part, it was clear that things weren’t going as anticipated and perhaps Ten Hag had a solution.
Indeed, Sancho scored winning goals against Liverpool and Leicester City as he played the full 90 minutes in Ten Hag’s first seven league matches in charge, while also scoring in the Europa League, and it appeared as though progress was being made.
As the World Cup loomed on the horizon, Sancho began to lose some of his earlier momentum and was even dubbed as United’s “weak link” by Tom McDermott in October last year.
After the match against West Ham United on 30 October, Sancho didn’t turn out for the club again until the following February, even missing a place in the England squad for the World Cup.
It wasn’t due to an injury however, but more so a lack of form which meant he was dropped, and then he subsequently lost his fitness in the process.
Aerial duels
Crossing
Defensive contribution
All stats via WhoScored
The winger finally made his comeback and netted four goals before the end of the season, but he still came under some criticism from former United star Paul Scholes following the defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League, who said:
"During the warm-ups we were eulogising about the crowd and saying how aggressive and hostile it was.
"When the United players see and hear that, they need to go into the dressing room and think, 'I need to be ready for this and my first touch has got to be ready.
"You see Jadon Sancho in the first five minutes tonight, the ball bounced off him three times, terrible weight of pass, too. I’m a big fan of the lad, but you’ve got to liven up and be ready."
Does Jadon Sancho have a future at Manchester United?
The 23-year-old has failed to start a league match so far this term, coming on as a substitute in three of their four games, and it looks as though Ten Hag may be utilising other options across his frontline.
The international break has come at the right time for the Red Devils, and it could give the Dutchman a chance to discuss Sancho’s future.
Jadon Sancho
The 5 foot 10 dud has rinsed the club spectacularly since the summer of 2021 and with his extortionate wages, the manager won't want him picking up a pay packet from the sidelines.
This could suggest a move away from Old Trafford will come sooner rather than later and what looked like a deal which could’ve turned out to be a wonderful piece of business by the club has descended into a nightmare for all involved.
Kenya’s fiery start was put on ice by the spin duo of Bernard Scholtz and Petrus Burger as Namibia secured an eight-wicket win before lunch. It was Namibia’s third victory in as many days, and a fourth on Wednesday over UAE would put them in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.Kenya had been eliminated from contention for the Qualifier a day earlier, but they were now looking to avoid relegation to WCL Division Three. After Irfan Karim fell on the second ball of the match to Sarel Burger, Dhiren Gondaria torched the medium-pace trio of Burger, JJ Smit and Craig Williams. Gondaria smashed five sixes on his way to 60 off 46 balls as Kenya motored to 77 for 1 in 12 overs.But after an early crest, the trough came just as quickly for Kenya when Petrus and Scholtz entered the attack. Gondaria’s innings came to an end when he holed out to Jan Frylinck at long-on off the first ball of the 13th over. Two balls later, Collins Obuya attempted a paddle sweep only to pop a catch to wicketkeeper Zane Green. The downward spiral continued to twist through Kenya’s scorecard.Scholtz struck with his first balls in the 16th and 18th and over the next eight overs Kenya managed to add just 10 runs. The pressure created panic and resulted in the run out of Rakep Patel. The left-arm spinner struck two more times to bowl Kenya out 90 minutes before lunch.Stephan Baard got Namibia’s chase rolling to make sure the match would not suffer the same fate as the first replay, washed away after five overs in the second innings with no result after Kenya had been bowled out for 83. The opener spanked 37 off 39 balls before retiring hurt with a muscle strain in his left shoulder. He is expected to be available for Wednesday’s match against UAE.After Lohan Louwrens and Zane Green fell off successive balls, Williams came out and settled the nerves with an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls. All but two of those runs came in the last over of the match in which Williams slugged Nehemiah Odhiambo for two fours and two sixes, including the match-winning boundary off a free hit.On the final day of the group stage, Namibia and UAE will play a de facto semi-final at Affies Park while Canada and Nepal will do likewise next door at Wanderers. Both Canada and Nepal have three wins and one loss in four matches, and the winner of this match will clinch a spot in the Qualifier. Namibia also have three wins in four matches and will face UAE who have two wins and two losses. A win for Namibia will also clinch a promotion berth. A win for UAE, on the other hand, will create a three-way tie for second with Namibia and the loser of the Canada v Nepal match. However, UAE’s net run-rate – the tournament tiebreaker – is superior to the three other teams, none of whom can improve their net run-rate through a loss, meaning a UAE victory would clinch their spot in the top two.
Australia’s vice-captain David Warner has conceded England caught the hosts “off-guard” in the opening ODI match after the Ashes, but denies he was unready for the pace of Mark Wood, who dismissed him cheaply to set the tone for Eoin Morgan’s team.Pace and wicket-taking threat with the ball, combined with a hyper-aggressive batting approach, has been the hallmark of England’s limited-overs approach since they were swiftly eliminated from the 2015 World Cup, and Warner complimented the tourists on creating what he described as a “great balance” in their side.He also echoed Glenn Maxwell’s criticism of the MCG, arguing that the pitches for Sunday’s ODI and Tuesday night’s Big Bash League match between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers were less suited to the short forms than the lifeless surface prepared for the Boxing Day Test.”Obviously they came out and played fantastically,” Warner said of England in Brisbane. “Sometimes when you walk out there after a long summer, you put your best foot forward and try your heart out but they caught us a little bit off guard. They played aggressive cricket and were the better team on the day.”Any loss basically spurs you on. Coming here it’s a different wicket, I think Glenn Maxwell said it right the other day that they got the Test wicket, the one-day wicket and the T20 wicket mixed up. It’s always a nice wicket here at the Gabba, we’re expecting to come out here as we always do and put our best foot forward.”
Hazlewood, Paine down with sickness bug
Josh Hazlewood is a doubt for the second ODI against England at the Gabba after being laid low by a sickness bug while Tim Paine, the wicketkeeper, has also suffered although is less of a concern. Hazlewood, who was rested from the opening match of the series in Melbourne, had yet to join the squad in Brisbane on Wednesday. He was set to take the place of Pat Cummins who has been rested after playing in the first game of the five-match series. If Hazlewood doesn’t recover it could mean a debut for 21-year-old Jhye Richardson.
In assessing his duel with Wood, which ended swiftly and very much in favour of the England fast man, Warner said the pitch had also been a factor, while Aaron Finch, playing in the BBL, had been facing faster bowlers than Australia’s Test team did in the Ashes. “I think the wicket helped that as well,” he said. “A bit of unevenness, a bit of grass coverage, it got us a bit quicker than you expect. It’s the same as our bowlers, they did the same job as well. With a bit of pace, facing what we have in the Test match and on wickets that weren’t as lively, it’s a different mode to get into.”But you saw someone like Aaron Finch, who’s been facing guys in the high 140s in the Big Bash, getting exposed to white-ball stuff before us, it shows when you’re used to that you can come out and play the way you do. There’s no excuse from a batting perspective, we should be on all the time. I expected it from Woody. He’s always up in the high 140s, I expect nothing less from him, he’s always been an aggressive bowler. I faced him before so didn’t expect anything different.”Steven Smith has suggested that Australia should learn from England’s limited-overs approach, and Warner concurred, describing Morgan’s men as “setting the benchmark”. “They’ve got a great balance and then you add Ben Stokes to the mix as well,” Warner said. “They have incredible depth with the batting and plenty of bowling options as well. They went in the other day with three quicks and two spinners, if you add Stokes to that line-up it’s an extra quick. They’re in a great space with their one-day team.”They’ve had it for the last two years, the same team, led fantastically by Eoin Morgan. He knows his players and they know their role in the team. You know what they’re bringing to the table. They’ve played a different brand of cricket over the last 12 months, they’ve been aggressive up top and with the ball a bit of pace as well. They’re setting the benchmark at the moment and we’ve gotta come out and start well.”These comments were met with some interest from the England opener Jonny Bairstow, who said it took more than a few public words to change the way a team went about its game. “It’s an individual team thing, isn’t it,” he said. “They can go out and copy what we do but it might not work for them. There’s people you’ve also got to have in your team to play around in order for you to score those 300s, 350s, 400s that we have done.”So just saying ‘oh we’re going to try and do that’, that’s something that we’ve been working on for the last 18 months. So it’s a good thing that they’re looking at the way we’re playing because that means we’re obviously doing something right, and long may that continue with the group of players that we’ve got. We’re pushing each other at training every day, saying ‘how can we get better?’ With the line-up that we’ve got, we’ve got Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett coming in at nine and 10, there’s firepower all the way down.”Australia have only lost once to England at the Gabba in seven ODI meetings. “You’re always confident as an Australian batsman when you come and look at this wicket. It’s always got good bounce and carry for the bowlers as well,” Warner said. “You’ve got big square boundaries which the bowlers can use to their advantage as well. It’s a lot of running for the batsman. You try to keep in your mind that this ground has worked well in Australia’s favour, but we’ve got to be on the money.”
A semana começou mais leve no Náutico. Após participarem de uma festa e serem afastados pela diretoria, Camutanga, Diego Silva, Thiago e Kieza estão reintegrados ao elenco.
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Nesta segunda-feira, o quarteto foi submetido a teste de Covid-19 e o resultado foi negativo, o que deu o aval para todos trabalharem com os companheiros.
Vale lembrar que, além do afastamento, os jogadores sofreram punições administrativas da diretoria do Timbu.
Jorginho made the move across London from Chelsea to Arsenal back in January. There have been rumours of him moving on from the Emirates already but Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT.
Will Jorginho stay put?
Since arriving in North London, Jorginho, who was hailed for being a "top guy", has hardly had the smoothest of journeys. Arsenal may have enjoyed a successful 2022/23 season but the Champions League winning midfielder remained on the outskirts of the team.
As a result, there have been rumours swirling that point towards his imminent departure. The most likely destination is said to be Turkey with Fenerbahce leading the charge.
Granit Xhaka already left the club though, returning to the Bundesliga to join Bayer Leverkusen and Thomas Partey also faces an uncertain future as well. This means that Mikel Arteta can hardly boast loads of midfield depth and will need contributions from as many players as possible as they take on European football in the coming season, after they of course came second and secured a Champions League spot.
What is Ryan Taylor's update?
"I expect him to stay 100%. I think the only way that would probably change is if Arsenal decided they wanted to bring in another midfielder.
"But even still, I can't really see Jorginho leaving, he's only just joined. I think long term, he will probably depart in the next year or so.
"But I think it seems to have been quite settled in pre-season and there's not really anything concrete.
"There's talk of interest from Fenerbahce, but from what I understand that's not genuine at the moment and his agent has ruled out a return to Italy on a lot of occasions this summer.
"So unless something changes, I think he'll be remaining with the club."
What else is going down at the Emirates?
The Arsenal starting XI was more or less perfect last year and so a lot of the transfer business this summer was geared towards adding further depth.
One position of note is in between the sticks where Aaron Ramsdale thrived last term. USMNT number one Matt Turner was his deputy but, as per Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, a move to Nottingham Forest is “advanced and progressing” for him. Brentford’s David Raya is the man being touted as the next goalkeeper to join Arsenal although given the fee and his ability, he is more likely to push than Ramsdale for the starting spot as opposed to settling for the rotation role.
Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz are the notable new arrivals already through the Emirates’ door and they all started the Community Shield success over title rivals Manchester City. Rice and Timber in particular played really well and have showed positive signs of what Gunners’ fan can expect from them this season.
Folarin Balogun is a final name worth mentioning when it comes to his potential departure from Arsenal. Turner’s international teammate excelled on loan with Stade Reims in Ligue 1 last season and, according to reports from The Daily Mail, a sizable offer has been rejected by Arsenal from another French team. The English side are holding out for £50 million which is more than Monaco are willing to offer at the time of writing.
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho managed to lure Cesc Fabregas back to the Premier League in 2014, with the Spaniard cutting his stay in Barcelona short in the hope of winning the league title.
It turned out to be an inspired move by the Portuguese manager, with the former Arsenal starlet eventually making 198 appearances for the Blues across four and a half seasons and registering 80 goal contributions in the process.
He even won two league winners medals at Stamford Bridge as they proved elusive at Arsenal and there is no doubt his spell at Chelsea was fruitful.
Could Mauricio Pochettino repeat their Fabregas masterclass by securing a deal for another creative Spanish midfielder?
What are the latest Chelsea transfer rumours?
Celta Vigo gem, Gabri Veiga, was initially linked with Chelsea back in June, as Pochettino aimed to sign a new attacking midfielder to take over the reins from Mason Mount, who soon departed for Manchester United.
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…
Liverpool are also showing interest in the youngster, and they have even tabled a bid of €25m (£21m) in order to secure his signature, yet this is some way short of the €40m (£35m) valuation of the midfielder by the La Liga side.
Along with Mount, Kai Havertz has also left the Blues, leaving them short of creative midfield options, hence the interest in Veiga.
How good is Gabri Veiga?
The 21-year-old shone for Celta during what was an incredible breakthrough season in Spain last time out.
Across 39 appearances in all competitions, he registered 11 goals and four assists and the player also demonstrated his positional versatility, featuring both as a central or an attacking midfielder throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Despite his tender years, Veiga not only shone in his homeland, but his talents also made him a hit across the whole continent.
Indeed, the Spaniard ranked in the top 2% across Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals (0.43) and total shots (2.43) per 90, suggesting that he provides a dangerous attacking threat form the centre of the pitch.
He also ranks in the top 13% for progressive carries (2.67), touches in the attacking penalty area (2.63) and successful take-ons (1.53) per 90, indicating just how effective the youngster has been at taking the ball deep into the opposition half, and he clearly isn’t fazed by taking on opposition defenders.
Lauded as a “wonderful talent” by journalist Josh Bunting during a tie against Barcelona last season, there is no doubt he deserves to play in Europe and should he join Chelsea, Pochettino could make him a focal point in his starting XI.
Fabregas was more experienced when he joined the Blues back in 2014, having made his senior bow for Arsenal 11 years prior, yet his signing was a key catalyst in the club winning just their fifth-ever league title.
Veiga would arrive under slightly less pressure, yet he could follow in Fabregas’ footsteps as an exciting Spanish midfielder who has an eye for goal while also proving to be a danger to the opposition defence via his creative talents.
The Argentinian would regret missing out on the starlet, that’s for sure.
Fifties for Rob Newton, Richard Levi and Ben Duckett helped Northamptonshire enjoy the better of the opening day against Gloucestershire at Wantage Road
ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2017Ben Duckett took his T20 form into the four-day game•Getty ImagesFifties for Rob Newton, Richard Levi and Ben Duckett helped Northamptonshire enjoy the better of the opening day against Gloucestershire at Wantage Road as they were bowled out for 343 but they should have been in a more dominant position.It was a solid day for the hosts but the top six all got set only to fall in series of poor dismissals with several catches in front of the bat. Having been 153 for 1 and later 269 for 4 four overs before the second new ball, they slid to 315 for 9 before debutant Simon Kerrigan made an unbeaten 26.Gloucestershire picked themselves up after a very poor morning session and could have faced a far more punishing day in the field. But their three seamers, David Payne, Liam Norwell and Craig Miles, made a smart comeback sharing seven wickets.Duckett was the first of the half-centurions. Making the quick transition from Saturday’s T20 where he made a career-best unbeaten 92, he made a 46-ball fifty here. He flicked two boundaries through square leg off David Payne before imperiously driving him through extra-cover.Another leg-side flick, this off Craig Miles, brought his side’s 50 up in just the ninth over of the morning. Duckett helped himself to 10 boundaries before lifting a drive from Miles to extra-cover to fall for 52. But his bright start saw Northants rattle to lunch 153 for 1.Duckett’s opening partner Newton was badly dropped at point on 30 off Jack Taylor shelled an easy chance but went on to drive the offspin of 18-year-old debutant George Drissell through the covers for his eighth boundary to raise fifty in 80 balls. Newton went to lunch 70 not out but was caught at short-midwicket second over into the afternoon.Alex Wakely, also badly dropped – by Iain Cockbain at mid-off on 45 – added four more before pushing at a ball from left-armer Payne that slid across him and he got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. Wakely fell just after the first hour after lunch where 16 runs came in 16 overs.A stand of 68 between Levi and Rob Keogh put Northants into a good position after tea at 269 for 4 in fairly benign conditions against the older ball. Keogh played a perfectly-timed flick through midwicket to bring up the second batting bonus but when he lazily chipped the part-time offspin of Taylor to short midwicket, the innings fell away.Levi was the third player to pass fifty, playing very smartly for his 59-ball half-century including a cover drive that was perhaps the shot of the day. But he was well caught at slip trying to run Payne to third man, Adam Rossington pulled Liam Norwell straight to midwicket for just 5 and Rory Kleinveldt and Richard Gleeson were both caught at the wicket driving loosely outside off stump.Just when Northants were about to be rolled over Kerrigan slapped Kieran Noema-Barnett down the ground and over midwicket for boundaries and smashed Payne over long-on to almost deliver a fourth batting bonus point.