All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa have enjoyed a fantastic Premier League campaign so far and have now entered the race to sign a talented young defender, according to a report.

Aston Villa set out their January stall…

Given their start in the English top flight, Aston Villa will likely be an appealing destination for potential incomings as they eye a stunning tilt at Champions League qualification under Unai Emery. Of course, recruiting smartly in the January window will be a key to turning their aspirations into reality in the West Midlands and the Spaniard has given an indication of his approach to the market in a recent press conference, stating:

"Last year was very, very different because we had other circumstances and we had in the squad different circumstances with some players. We decided more to let some players leave than sign players.

Aston Villa could send Duran packing by signing £10m “deadly finisher”

Unai Emery is keen to sign a new forward in January to increase his attacking options.

ByTom Lever Jan 7, 2024

"I am thinking not a lot about it because maybe one or two players could leave, maybe but it's not clear. If we are trying to get someone it is really because we are very convinced he is going to increase our level in the squad. It is not very clear in the January window to get it."

Bringing a striker to Villa Park in the January window has become a priority for the Villans and Leicester City frontman Kelechi Iheanacho is believed to be "among the targets" to help bolster their options in the final third. Nonetheless, a defender has now come onto Emery's radar and Aston Villa have joined the race for his signature, according to a recent report.

Aston Villa join Ronnie Edwards race…

According to The Mail on Sunday cited via West Ham Zone, Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, who is also firmly on the radar of West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

Ronnie Edwards' statistics per 90 minutes in 2023/24 – League One (Fotmob)

Tackles won

0.81

Percentage of attempted tackles won

76.9%

Successful passes

79.76

Passing accuracy

91.6%

Duels won

3.71

Percentage of duels contested won

60.9%

The report claims that Roy Hodgson's Eagles have already seen three bids turned down for the England Under-20 international, who has been a mainstay for the Posh and was previously heralded as a "Rolls Royce" by manager Darren Ferguson.

Harlow-born Edwards has been a constant feature in Peterborough United's starting line-up this campaign, notching two goals in 30 appearances across all competitions (Edwards statistics – Transfermarkt).

In light of interest in Edwards, The Independent indicate that his current employers may hold out for a fee of £10 million before sanctioning an exit for the central defender. Barnet are believed to have a 50% sell-on clause present in negotiations, which explains why the Posh have benchmarked his price tag at such a high going rate.

Nevertheless, Edwards appears to be one of the most talented young players in English football and could potentially be a star of the future at Villa Park.

Looking to finish off a successful January transfer window in style, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a player who could be the perfect partner for James Maddison.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have already signed both Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin this month to hand Ange Postecoglou a major boost at both ends of the pitch. But they might not be done there, with reports linking the North London club with a move for Antonio Nusa. Spurs are reportedly in pole position to sign the young winger this month in a deal that could be worth £25m. Meanwhile, they've also been linked with a move to sign Blackburn Rovers youngster Adam Wharton and Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether Spurs will complete further deals before the end of the window, it certainly doesn't seem like they're shortlist is lacking potential targets. Another new target on that list is now seemingly Sebastian Szymanski, who has played a starring role in his debut campaign at Fenerbahce so far.

According to Turkish outlet Askam, Spurs 'will do everything' they can to sign Szymanski and will send scouts to watch the attacking midfielder against Samsunspor. A player that Postecoglou is reportedly personally very keen on, the North London club may have to pay out as much as around €35m (£30m) if they want to land the Polish midfielder this month or, indeed, in the summer transfer window.

Although links with Ederson and Wharton suggest that Spurs are looking to sign a more defensive midfielder this month, it seems as though they could yet turn to Szymanski to boost the offensive side of Postecoglou's team in the middle of the park in the remaining days of the transfer window. Enjoying an impressive season in Turkey, Szymanski is certainly one to watch in the next week or so.

"Superb" Szymanski is a star on the rise

Szymanski's stats paint the picture of a player at the top of his game and one who could quickly become the perfect partner to Maddison at Spurs. The Fenerbahce midfielder has already been involved in 26 goals this season, scoring 12 and assisting 14 in all competitions to more than earn the interest of those in North London. It is a rise that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig will be proud of, that's for sure, having praised the midfielder during his Dynamo Moscow days. Kulig posted on X:

Szymanski's versatility is also an impressive trait. The 24-year-old can play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder and a right-winger in what could hand Postecoglou a boost across three different positions. With time running out in the transfer window, though, the Lilywhites have it all to do if they are to land the Fenerbahce star this month.

Having endured a season to forget on the pitch, which has so far seen Eddie Howe's side fail to replicate the form that saw them qualify for the Champions League last time out, Newcastle United now face problems away from St James' Park. The Magpies could soon have no choice but to bid farewell to some key players, perhaps even in the January transfer window.

Newcastle's FFP situation explained

The Premier League's profit and sustainability rules have left Newcastle walking a fine line when it comes to Financial Fair Play sanctions. According to The Guardian, the rules state that over the course of three seasons, a club is only allowed to record a loss of £105m. Newcastle's in that time period stands at a reported £155m, but the Magpies are safe from any punishment for now due to investment into the women's team, academy or charity foundation.

PIF will likely have to sell before they can think about spending big once more though, with chief executive Darren Eales saying earlier this month: "If we’re going to get to where we want to get to, at times, it’s necessary to trade your players. It’s a counterintuitive part of the PSR system that there is an incentive to trade players if you want to reinvest.”

That said, reports suggest that the Magpies could be set to lose a key player before the end of the month. According to Football Transfers, Chelsea are considering matching Newcastle's £18m asking price for Callum Wilson, who has also been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in the winter window.

The forward has been at the club since 2020, but could now leave amid Newcastle's FFP fears in a deadline beating move, with the Blues themselves in desperate need of a truly clinical number nine who won't break the bank.

Newcastle must keep "excellent" Wilson

Given that Chelsea sit ninth, two points and one place above Newcastle in the Premier League, it wouldn't exactly be wise for those at St James' Park to sanction Wilson's exit to the London club this month, or to wherever else for that matter. The former Bournemouth man holds the experience that Alexander Isak lacks and is still going stride for stride with the Swede, who is not ready to take up the goalscoring mantel on his own just yet. Here's how Wilson's stats compare to Isak's in the Premier League this season…

Callum Wilson

7

7

1

7.2

Alexander Isak

13

10

0

10.1

After working with Howe at Bournemouth and now Newcastle, Wilson is certainly one of Howe's favourites, with the manager full of praise for the forward back in their days on the South Coast, telling Sky Sports: "Callum was excellent today, as was Josh King – they caused lots of problems today. It is testament to Callum's professionalism that he is able to play 90 minutes, he has worked hard on his comeback. It was great to see him score and the team were boosted by his return."

West Ham United supporters might feel a bit gloomy following Manchester United's comprehensive victory at Old Trafford, but the Hammers' defeat was actually the first in seven Premier League matches.

Nonetheless, David Moyes' side have yet to taste victory in 2024 and crashed out of the FA Cup at the hand of Bristol City in January, with Lucas Paqueta's injury compounding the woes, the Brazilian not expected back for several weeks still.

Moyes attempted to sign a new forward in January but failed in that endeavour, and while his side did pull off the loan signing of Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, the 28-year-old might not have been the perfect player to have pursued.

West Ham missed out on Morten Frendrup

West Ham wrapped up the short-term signing of Phillips last month in what has added some mettle and experience to the centre of the park.

The east London outfit are seventh in the Premier League and awaiting the last 16 of the Europa League; there is much on the line for last term's Europa Conference League champions.

However, West Ham seem to have prioritised the England international over Genoa star Morten Frendrup, said to be among a host of English outfits interested in a deal for the Dane, with a figure of €10m (roughly £9m) mooted.

Earlier in January, there were reports that City had slapped a £6m loan fee on Phillips' signature, and given that West Ham are also covering the entirety of his £140k-per-week wages, it's certainly one of the more expensive loan deals in recent memory.

How Frendrup compares to Phillips

While Phillips eclipses Frendrup in terms of experience, product, and silverware, he has not started life in London well and has been at fault for two goals across his two Hammers appearances thus far.

Frendrup, in comparison, is 22 years old and has been sensational in Serie A this season, averaging four tackles and six ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, while winning 66% of his contested duels and succeeding with 65% of his dribbles.

As per FBref, Frendrup ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for tackles and the top 22% for blocks and interceptions per 90, dubbed a "midfielder destroyer" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his work. It's evident that, unlike Phillips, this master of his craft has all the tools to go on and still become an elite talent.

Fulham's tough-tackling machine Joao Palhinha averages 4.7 tackles per fixture in the Premier League this year, so it's clear that Frendrup could be shaped into a star of similar stature.

With age on his side and an affordable price tag, it's possibly a mistake that West Ham did not forge ahead with a deal before he likely rises to the fore and attracts more lucrative attention down the line.

Phillips could yet cement himself as a starring member of Moyes' side but his maladroit rustiness over the past two matches has hardly evoked confidence from the Irons faithful.

Jhon Duran stayed at Aston Villa during the January transfer window, but his future at Villa Park remains uncertain. Early in the window, it emerged that both Milan clubs were in talks over signing Duran on loan until the end of the season amid Unai Emery's concerns over his attitude on the training ground.

Then, as we crept closer to the deadline, it was revealed that Chelsea had held discussions over a move for the Colombian, aware that Emery isn't the "biggest fan" of the 2023 signing.

Elsewhere, Villa are set to part with Nicolo Zaniolo at the end of the season despite agreeing to a conditional obligation to buy when they signed him on loan from Galatasaray last summer. The club have been disappointed with his performances, and the Italian is preparing to leave this summer.

Like Duran, Zaniolo has appeared as a centre-forward this season, while also featuring as a second striker, and the exit of one or both players could force Villa into the market for a replacement to provide cover and competition for Ollie Watkins.

Villa in David race

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League clubs to have made contact with Lille to register their interest in Jonathan David, alongside Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is described as a big admirer too.

Lille are demanding €50m (around £43m) for David, who's "desperate" to play in the Premier League. It's worth noting that his contract is due to expire in 18 months' time, which could put the Ligue 1 club under pressue to sell him this summer.

"Insane" David would be Champions League-level signing

Having joined Lille from Gent in 2020, David has gone on to either score or assist 86 goals in 166 appearances for the club, including 68 in 133 in the league. In the club's entire history, only Andre Strappe (82) has scored more than David's 71, and he was playing in the mid-20th century. No wonder, then, that European football writer Antonio Mango has called his output "absolutely insane".

Aston Villa may have already signed a bigger talent than Philogene-Bidace

Aston Villa may have a bigger talent than Jaden Philogene-Bidace in their current squad

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 14, 2024

The 2022/23 season was David's best to date as he struck 26 times in 40 games, including 24 in Ligue 1. As you can see in the table below, only Kylian Mbappe and Alexandre Lacazette scored more in the French top-flight, and only five players across the big five leagues posted a higher tally.

Rank

Player

Club

Goals

1

Erling Haaland

Man City

36

2

Harry Kane

Spurs

30

3

Kylian Mbappe

PSG

29

4

Alexandre Lacazette

Lyon

27

5

Victor Osimhen

Napoli

26

6

Jonathan David

Lille

24

7

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

23

8

Folarin Balogun

Reims

21

=8

Lautaro Martinez

Inter

21

=8

Lois Openda

Lens

21

David will do well to match those figures this season, with 13 under his belt so far, but there's no doubt that this would be a Champions League-level signing for a side that is desperate to return to Europe's premier club competition.

It's been an undeniably positive couple of weeks for Chelsea amid a season that has been tough to endure for fans.

A convincing win at Villa Park in the FA Cup was followed up by a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace and then, perhaps most impressive of all, a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City.

However, while things are certainly looking up for Mauricio Pochettino and his team, there's no escaping from just how poor this season has been on the whole.

The immense amount of money spent in the summer has not translated into any real success on the pitch, which must be all the more frustrating for the club considering they once lost a youngster for just £180k who'd surely be one of the first names on the teamsheet today.

Chelsea's Mona Lisa

Cobham has produced some brilliant players in recent years who have gone on to excel at other clubs, such as Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Declan Rice, but there is one who looks destined to have the most extraordinary career of all, Jamal Musiala.

The young German joined the Blues' youth setup from TSV Lehnerz in 2011 and remained in West London for eight years before he opted to join Bayern Munich on July 7 2019, after turning down a long-term offer from Chelsea.

It was a significant loss for the Pensioners, as, despite being so young, his talent was evident to see, and just a year later, he was being described as "ice-cold" by Bayern's then reserve team manager, Sebastian Hoeneß.

However, it was the creator of the Golden Boy award, Massimo Franchi, who described Chelsea's loss the best when last year he claimed: "It would be like the Louvre losing the Mona Lisa!”. This big claim has since been backed up by his performances on the pitch for Bayern's first-team.

The worst part of it all, from the West Londoner's point of view anyway, was that they were only given £180k in exchange, which is only just enough to cover Marc Cucurella's wages for a week.

Why Jamal Musiala would star for Chelsea

So, unfortunately for Pochettino, with how the season has gone for Chelsea so far, it doesn't look like it would take all that much to improve the team, but even if they were playing to their maximum potential, there is no doubt that Musiala would still get in.

For example, across 47 appearances last season, the "incredible" German, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists, meaning he averaged 0.68 goal involvements per match, which for someone who started the campaign as a 19-year-old is remarkable.

His rate of return has slowed somewhat this season, but considering he's still just 20 years old, the fact that he has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 26 appearances is out of this world.

It's not just at the club level where he has impressed either, as the Stuttgart-born gem has already won 25 senior caps for the German national team and was even referred to as the "Messi of the future" at the 2022 World Cup by Die Mannschaft legend Lothar Matthäus.

So, he's already got an impressive record and glowing endorsements from some of the best in the game, but how are his underlying numbers?

Well, rather unsurprisingly, they are fantastic. According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues in the last 365 days, Musiala ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders for successful take-ons, the top 4% for pass competition, the top 9% for interceptions, the top 14% for progressive passes and many more, all per 90.

Percentile

2%

4%

9%

14%

15%

16%

16%

20%

Finally, away from just his pure talent, if the Blues still had Musiala on their books and decided for whatever reason that they wanted to sell him today, they'd make a fair whack more than they did in 2019, as according to the CIES Football Observatory, the Bayern gem is now worth in the region of €150m, which is about £128m.

Chelsea once lost £3m gem who's outscoring Palmer this season

The former youth player is tearing it up in the league this season for another club.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 19, 2024

Ultimately, there is no doubt that had the 20-year-old dynamo accepted the Blues' long-term offer in 2019, Pochettino would have a terrific talent on his hands to lead the attack.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in excellent form as of late, winning three of their last four matches in the Premier League.

Last weekend, Gary O'Neil's side narrowly overcame bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United, beating them 1-0 at home, with the three points pushing them into ninth in the table.

However, their attention will turn to the FA Cup this week as the Wanderers welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Molineux.

Not many changes will be made or needed from the weekend, but it is expected that a strong team will be fielded – with just three potential alterations in store. Therefore, let’s take a look at the starting lineup that could see Wolves progress to the next round.

1 GK – Jose Sa

Jose Sa is the number one shot-stopper for Wolves, and he is expected to start once again, just like he did in the previous round against West Bromwich Albion.

2 RCB – Max Kilman

Max Kilman’s leadership will be important on Wednesday, and he has started every single game bar one this season.

3 CB – Santiago Bueno

Santiago Bueno hasn’t been handed a real opportunity yet by O’Neil, starting just twice in the league, but he should feature in the lineup tomorrow ahead of an ageing Craig Dawson.

4 LCB – Toti Gomes

Toti Gomes has been excellent this campaign, and his performance against the Blades will guarantee him a place.

The Portuguese defender won 11 duels while also having 102 touches on Sunday.

5 RM – Matt Doherty

Nelson Semedo is the player to be replaced by Matt Doherty, who has started all three FA Cup games this campaign.

6 CM – Mario Lemina

Mario Lemina should keep his place in the side after impressing at the weekend, making four tackles and two key passes.

The midfielder has also been immense all season, starting 23 times in the league.

7 CM – Tommy Doyle

Tommy Doyle has performed incredibly well when called upon this campaign, and he should return to the side in place of Joao Gomes.

The 22-year-old scored a worldie against Brentford in the first FA Cup tie, helping Wolves progress.

He was also a "stand-out" against West Brom in the Black Country derby, as per journalist Liam Keen, taking 87 touches and controlling the tie from the first whistle to the last.

8 LM – Rayan Ait Nouri

Rayan Ait Nouri was the creator of Wolves' only goal on Sunday, and he will keep his place in the left-wing back role.

9 RF – Pablo Sarabia

Pablo Sarabia was the player who headed home the Algerian’s sublime cross, and his threat in the final third will be needed against Brighton.

10 LF – Pedro Neto

Wolves’ biggest creator in the Premier League with nine assists will continue to prove to be undroppable, and he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

The Portuguese ace also scored the opener against West Brom in the previous round.

Aston Villa finally returned to the Premier League in the summer of 2019 after they spent three seasons down in the Championship following their relegation to the second tier in 2016.

The Villans decided to bring lifelong fan Dean Smith to the club to lead their promotion charge towards the start of the 2018/19 campaign, and he led the team back to the top-flight via the play-offs, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham at his disposal.

Villa made a number of signings throughout that season in an attempt to win promotion back to the big time, including current first-team star John McGinn.

However, not all of their additions during that campaign turned out to be a success on the pitch, as goalkeepers Orjan Nyland and Lovre Kalinic both failed to impress.

How much Villa paid to sign Lovre Kalinic

After Nyland started 23 of the club's Championship matches during the first half of the 2018/19 campaign and saved 67% of the shots on his goal, Villa decided to go in a new direction between the sticks.

Smith swooped to sign Croatian shot-stopper Kalinic from Belgian side Gent for a whopping fee of £7m during the January transfer window in 2019, and this move turned out to be a nightmare.

That came after the giant had kept three clean sheets and conceded 24 goals in 14 Pro League appearances during the first half of the term for his former club.

He had kept 29 clean sheets in 79 matches for Gent in total during his time with Genk, and his performances in Belgium were seemingly good enough to convince Villa that there was value in spending a significant fee – in Championship terms – to bring him in to replace Nyland.

Unfortunately, for all parties involved, Kalinic did not hit the ground running in England as he struggled badly in the second tier before being displaced by Jed Steer.

The left-footed shot-stopper started seven matches in the Championship and only saved 61% of the shots against his goal, which was 6% lower than Nyland's success rate.

He conceded a whopping 12 goals in those seven games, which illustrates how weak his displays were between the sticks, and struggled in possession with a pass success rate of 49%.

As you can see in the chart above, Kalinic did not stack up well against his positional peers in the Championship during the 2018/19 campaign.

He fell short when it came to stopping crosses, which meant that the goalkeeper did not alleviate much pressure off his defence, and saving shots – two of the core elements of goalkeeping.

The Croatian flop also ranked within the bottom 8% of Championship goalkeepers for defensive actions outside his penalty area (0.31) per 90, which shows that the former Gent star was not a proactive player who came out to bail out his backline on a regular basis when the ball was played in behind.

How much did Lovre Kalinic earn at Aston Villa

According to Spotrac, Kalinic earned roughly £817k-per-year throughout his time at the club. However, he was not always with Villa before his permanent exit in 2022.

The Smith flop spent the first year with the Villans, which suggests that the side paid the full £817k of wages during that period, but he was then sent out on loan to Toulouse for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, and it remains unclear as to how much of his wages they contributed to.

He then spent the next six months with Villa before going out on loan to Hajduk Split. This means that the shot-stopper may have earned around £408k between his loans with Toulouse and Split.

The 33-year-old dud was on loan to the Croatian side for 18 months before the Villans opted to allow him to join them on a permanent basis on a free transfer in 2022, despite his contract in England still having 12 months left to run on it at the time.

Given that it is unclear how much of his wages Split and Toulouse covered, Villa paid Kalinic a minimum of £1.25m in wages during his time with the club before letting him leave for nothing.

This means that the goalkeeper drained them of at least £8.25m, and only made eight competitive appearances for the first-team, without making a positive impact on the pitch, which is why Smith had a mare with that signing.

The fee Villa paid for John McGinn

Meanwhile, Villa swooped to sign Scottish central midfielder McGinn from Hibernian during the 2018/19 campaign for a reported fee of £2.75m on a four-year contract.

Signed in the same season as Kalinic, the impressive maestro has provided far more value for money over the years as he has established himself as a regular starter for the club over a number of seasons, despite being signed for £4.25m less than the shot-stopper.

McGinn started 39 of Villa's matches in the Championship as they won promotion to the Premier League that term, and contributed with six goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

Since the club's ascent to the top-flight, the left-footed dynamo has made 162 appearances for the club at the top level of English football, with 16 goals and 19 assists to his name to date.

This season, the 29-year-old star has been an influential figure in midfield for Unai Emery's side as they compete to secure Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

28

Starts

28

Goals

Six

Big chances created

Nine

Assists

Three

Dribbles completed

43

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international has provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch with his quality as a scorer and a creator from midfield.

In fact, McGinn has a reason to be frustrated with his teammates as they have not made the most of his outstanding creativity, with three goals scored from the nine 'big chances' that he has created for his fellow attackers.

Overall, the Scottish ace has been a fantastic signing for Villa as he remains a key player for the club almost six years on from his arrival in 2018, whilst Kalinic barely got on the pitch before being let go for nothing after being brought in for more money than McGinn under Smith.

Sunderland limped to a 0-0 draw against Queens Park Rangers last weekend, with the likes of Luis Semedo and Romaine Mundle lacklustre up top for the Black Cats in an instantly forgettable contest.

Those in Wearside will have to be patient and hope all the young talent at Mike Dodds' disposal comes good eventually, Semedo and Mundle are both just 20 years of age after all and still trying to acclimatise to the cut and thrust of the Championship.

There will be very real fears already that they will both flop at the Stadium of Light and never truly live up to their promise, much like one loaned-out winger who has made just two appearances for his new club.

Jewison Bennette's time at Sunderland

Dubbed as being a "star boy" by football journalist Josh Bunting on his arrival to England from far-away Costa Rica, there was a lot of hype that Jewison Bennette would hit the ground running at Sunderland instantly as an enigmatic and skilful attacker.

It hasn't really ever gone to plan for the 13-time Costa Rica international in his new Wearside surroundings, however, making just 20 appearances over two seasons showing his unpredictability here and there as an exciting winger but never consistently.

Bennette's audacious flicks and tricks paid off earlier this campaign when he notched an assist in his side's big 5-0 win over Southampton, which remains the 19-year-old's only appearance this season in the second tier before a loan move away ended up materialising.

The slick teenage forward has impressed in the U21 set-up for the Black Cats on occasion away from the spotlight of the senior side – picking up a respectable two goals and four assists from ten appearances in this age bracket – but it was still deemed in Bennette's best interests to cut his teeth with a loan deal out in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki in January.

That loan deal has been somewhat disastrous so far for the forgotten Costa Rican man, who could well suffer the same fate that ex-Black Cats youngster Joel Asoro succumbed to.

Asoro would join Sunderland with an equal amount of hype next to his name, only to fade into obscurity before ultimately picking up the pieces of his career away from the Stadium of Light.

Jewison Bennette's time out on loan

Bennette has managed to make just two appearances for his short-term Greek employers since making the switch, with the 19-year-old now finding himself in his new club's treatment room as opposed to setting the world alight.

The 5 foot 8 winger hasn't even lasted a full 90 minutes for his new Greek first-tier team since relocating, managing only 45 minutes in those two fleeting appearances before injury issues began to trouble him.

It's led to Bennette's omission from the recent Costa Rica squad, a worrying timeline of events for the 19-year-old whose future at the Stadium of Light could begin to look bleak very soon.

Dodds wasn't too keen on the idea that Bennette could have been a help for Sunderland's own injury worries currently involving Jack Clarke – "that was the right decision at that time" – and so it will be intriguing to see whether or not the young winger has a long-term spot in the Black Cats first-team mix going forward when he returns from this loan excursion.

Bennette, if he was to walk away from the Wearside club this coming summer, would take some comfort from Asoro's unfolding story since exiting.

Going on to become a star in France with FC Metz, with the failed Sunderland wonderkid notching up five goals and assists this campaign in total with Metz and ex-club Djurgårdens IF, Bennette will hope he can reinvent himself in a similar fashion if he ends up walking away.

With just eight matches left to go in the Premier League, finishing in a Champions League spot is almost entirely beyond the reach of Manchester United.

This was all but confirmed on Thursday night, as the Red Devils suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Chelsea, despite having the lead in the 99th minute.

Even though the Blues had 28 attempts – and ten on target – Erik ten Hag still seemed content with the way his side played, but in truth, a victory would have only masked another unconvincing performance.

However, there are certainly some positives that can be taken from the tie, with Alejandro Garnacho starring and one other player impressing even more than the Argentine.

Alejandro Garnacho’s performance against Chelsea

19-year-old Garnacho was yet again one of Man United’s most important players last night, and he so nearly became the match-winner.

In truth, the number 17 was rather quiet for his standards in spells, failing to retain the ball, as shown by his 71% pass accuracy and the fact he lost the ball 14 times.

That said, he came up with two important goals, two of which displayed different skills that the winger is slowly developing, with the first highlighting his anticipation and ability to press, and the second showing excellent movement and desire.

To further support the influence he had on the team, Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst handed Garnacho an 8/10 rating for his performance, but he still wasn’t the best on the field.

Man Utd star who earns more than Garnacho & Hojlund needs to be replaced

The United star has barely played over the last month.

ByTom Lever Mar 15, 2024 Antony’s stats against Chelsea

Since moving to United from Ajax for a whopping £86m last summer, Antony has received lots of criticism, particularly for his performances this campaign – previously dubbed "frustrating" by club legend Gary Neville.

The Brazilian has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season, starting just his 12th time last night, when he finally ended his terrible drought in attack.

Against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, Antony put on a show of intent, and despite giving away a penalty in the first half, he certainly made up for his mistake throughout the rest of the game.

Just like Garnacho, Luckhurst gave the winger an 8/10 rating, stating that 'this was one of his best performances for United', which the table below also indicates.

Assists

1

Shots

3

Key passes

2

Pass accuracy

86%

Successful dribbles

6/6

Ground Duels won

9

Tackles

2

As you can see, Antony was incredible and impactful down the right, dominating Marc Cucurella from minute one, who was dribbled past on four occasions.

The 24-year-old showed signs of the player the United faithful thought they were signing, completing six out of six dribbles and playing with the freedom to express and entertain.

Nothing provides more evidence for that than his first goal contribution of the Premier League campaign, which was an absolutely beautiful outside-of-the-foot cross that landed on a plate for Garnacho to finish.

On top of that assist, the number 21 played a huge role in the first two goals, and it’s fair to say that he was United’s most threatening attacker on the evening.

Antony was also strong in his duels and put a shift in defensively in what was a complete performance from the winger, who needed just that to revive his United career.

After that showing, Ten Hag will find it extremely difficult to put the former Ajax ace on the bench, which may indicate that as long as he continues to perform, Antony could once again cement himself as the first-choice right winger.