Daniel Farke has urged Leeds United to "prove the doubters wrong" in a defiant message following the club's disappointing end to the summer transfer window.
Farke urges Leeds to prove doubters wrongLeeds failed to sign attacker before deadlineWhites have secured four points from three gamesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Farke, 48, was pushing for the Whites to sign a new attacking option on deadline day. However he was left empty-handed after Brighton and Hove Albion's Facundo Buonanotte opted to complete a season-long loan move to Chelsea instead, while a late attempt to sign Fulham's Harry Wilson also fell through.
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But despite Leeds' failure to land a new attacker, Farke insists he has already moved on from the frustration, issuing a rallying call to his squad as they fight to stay in the Premier League following last season's promotion from the Championship.
WHAT FARKE SAID
When asked about the disappointing end to the summer transfer window, Farke said: "It's fair to say we [Leeds] are not dancing on the table. But you won't hear one bad comment from me [about transfer deadline day]. My job is to adapt to the reality. I don’t need to feel sorry for myself. We need to earn the right to stay up.
"After we failed to bring an offensive option in, it’s important for us not to be too much of a victim. I’m not too angry that everyone writes us off. Let them [pundits] write us off, no problem. They say we had the same attackers, plus Rutter, Sinisterra and Rodrigo in 2023. So we will not be big favourites [to stay up]. But we will stay humble and we will look to prove the doubters wrong."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Leeds have made a solid start to life back in the top flight. Farke's men have collected four points from their first three league games, defeating Everton 1-0 in their opener before securing a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United on August 30. The Elland Road club also lost 5-0 to Arsenal on August 23.
Western Australia, the three-time reigning champions, haven’t lost a game this season so far
AAP16-Nov-2024
Xavier Crone struck a quick half-century•Getty Images
Stumps Lower-order resistance helped Victoria claim a 206-run first-innings lead in their Sheffield Shield clash with three-time reigning champions Western Australia.After being skittled for 167, WA appeared to be containing Victoria at the Junction Oval when the hosts were 207 for 6 on Saturday. But No. 9 Xavier Crone hit an unbeaten 62 from 65 balls, smashing three sixes to help Victoria reach 373.Fellow lower-order batters Fergus O’Neill (44) and Sam Elliott (26) also chipped in to make WA’s bowlers toil in hot conditions for most of the day.Opening bowlers Joel Paris (3 for 44) and Cameron Gannon (3 for 59) as well as spinner Corey Rocchiccioli (3 for 115) took all but one of WA’s wickets.WA had to bat for the last hour before stumps on Saturday, reaching 33 for 1 with Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin at the crease. Opener Cameron Bancroft, who has endured an unfortunate form slump after dominating the Shield for the past two seasons, struggled again. After recently being overlooked for a call-up to the Test team for the first time since the 2019 Ashes, Bancroft fell to O’Neill for 11. In the first innings on Friday, Bancroft could only manage 12, also losing his wicket to O’Neill.Victoria have set themselves up nicely to become the first team to beat WA in the Shield this season. WA are aiming to claim a fourth straight title, and were undefeated after three matches before they headed to Melbourne.
Birmingham City and minority owner Tom Brady want to seal a double deal for two players from the same cub, and they have had an offer accepted for one.
Brady wants Birmingham to keep spending to compete with Wrexham
The Blues are preparing for their immediate return to the Championship after a record-breaking League One title-winning campaign.
So far this summer, Brady, Tom Wagner and co have made 10 new signings, splashing the cash on striker Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes.
Kyogo Furuhashi
Rennes
£10m
Alfons Sampsted
FC Twente
£1.7m
Taylor Gardner-Hickman
Bristol City
£1.5m
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Fenerbahce
Free
Kanya Fujimoto
Gil Vicente
Free
Demarai Gray
Al-Ettifaq
Free
Phil Neumann
Hanover 96
Free
Tommy Doyle
Wolves
Loan
Eiran Cashin
Brighton
Loan
James Beadle
Brighton
Loan
Brady doesn’t want to stop there, though, and in recent comments relayed by PA, said Birmingham have to keep spending to complete with the likes of Wrexham and Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Now, an update has emerged on two targets who those at St Andrew’s and Chris Davies will already know well.
Birmingham want double deal for Rangers duo
According to GiveMeSport, Birmingham City are interested in bringing Rangers duo Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell back to the Midlands before the September 1 deadline.
Davies, on £27,000-a-week, played 44 times for the Blues last season on loan from Ibrox but hasn’t featured under Russell Martin so far due to an injury.
Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Dowell, who picks up £16,000-a-week, contributed to 10 goals in 23 Birmingham appearances last season and has played some part in Rangers’ pre-season.
Both players are out of contract at Ibrox in 12 months time, and according to Football Insider, Birmingham are in advanced talks over a £750,000 transfer for Davies.
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FI add that a ‘deal is expected to be finalised when Davies has recovered from a minor injury’, so Davies and Birmingham could be delighted if they managed to bring Dowell back down south as well.
GMS say that ‘Rangers are holding out for fees for a couple of players who may or may not form part of Martin’s plans’, so Birmingham and Brady may need to get the chequebook out for Dowell as well.
Manchester United are now genuinely planning to break the bank for a £100m+ “beast”, having already held talks over a potential deal, according to a report.
Man Utd vying to sign midfielder amid Casemiro concerns
Casemiro was subjected to a lot of criticism last season, with Gary Neville criticising the Brazilian’s ability to get around the pitch after a 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle United.
Referring to Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, Neville said: “When I saw the team sheet I thought it would be difficult for Man Utd to play well. [They have] two centre midfield players who can’t run.”
Consequently, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new, much younger midfielder this summer, and there have been widespread reports they have now submitted a bid for Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez.
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However, there is also an option from much closer to home, namely Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, and it has been suggested that an offer could be made for the 21-year-old imminently.
According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Man United are now planning to break the bank to secure Baleba’s signature, with Brighton set to hold out for over £100m.
There is now a genuine desire to go all out for the central midfielder, despite executives being aware that a deal would blow the budget, as they believe he possesses rare qualities, and could provide long-term value to Ruben Amorim’s squad.
Brighton & Hove Albion's CarlosBalebacelebrates scoring their first goal with Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley
Talks have already been held over a deal for the Brighton star, and there is a feeling that another approach could be made before the weekend, although there is an awareness the Seagulls will drive a hard bargain.
"Beast" Baleba could be statement signing for Man Utd
There have been reports that Manchester City have been left shocked by United stepping up their interest in the Brighton maestro, given that Pep Guardiola’s side were planning to launch an offer next summer.
Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race for the Cameroonian’s signature, displaying just how highly he is rated by some of the Premier League’s top clubs, and Amorim’s side would be making a statement if they were able to pull off a deal.
Not only did the starlet impress with his dribbling and tackling ability, but he was also praised by teammate Matt O’Riley, who said: “He is strong. To put it simply he is an absolute beast. It’s nice to play alongside someone like that because he just smashes everyone and makes my life quite easy.”
As such, it could be worth taking a gamble on Baleba, but it would be disappointing if doing so means Man United are unable to compete for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s signature.
It’s hard to predict how this season is going to go for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
On the one hand, Vitor Pereira proved himself to be a more than competent manager last year, and someone capable of getting more out of his players than you’d expect.
Yet on the other hand, the Old Gold have sold their two best players in Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha this summer, massively weakening both ends of the pitch.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as the club has made a couple of interesting signings themselves, and if reports are to be believed, they could be about to bring in a young phenom who could be the heir to Cunha.
Wolves target their new Cunha
While losing both Ait-Nouri and Cunha could be hugely detrimental to Wolves’ chances this season, the Old Gold have at least added a number of exciting talents to the squad who could be enough to keep them away from a relegation scrap.
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Jhon Arias, for example, managed to rack up 17 goal involvements in 35 games last season, Fer Lopez racked up 11 in 37, and Jorgen Strand Larsen, whose loan has now been made permanent, scored 14 goals and provided five assists in 38 games during his debut campaign at Molineux.
Moreover, while some clubs would stop there, it appears as if the West Midlands outfit want to make at least one more signing before the window slams shut next month and bring in someone who could be the heir to Cunha.
At least that is according to a recent report from the Daily Mail, which claims Wolves are interested in Ben Doak.
In good news, the report has revealed that Liverpool are willing to sell the teenage sensation for a relatively reasonable fee of around £20m.
However, the less good news is that there could be quite a battle to land the Scotsman’s signature, with Leeds United, West Ham United, and Everton all credited with an interest.
It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Doak’s ability and massive potential, one worth fighting for, especially as he could be an heir to Cunha at Wolves.
Why Doak could be Cunha's heir
Now, the first thing to say here is that we are not suggesting that Doak is anywhere near the level of Cunha at the moment, nor will he likely be there within the next season or two.
After all, the mercurial Brazilian managed to score 17 goals and provide six assists in just 36 appearances for the Old Gold last season, and was arguably one of the most dynamic players in the Premier League.
However, just because it’s unlikely that the young Scotsman would be able to replicate the new Manchester United star’s output from the word go, it does not mean he couldn’t still be his long-term heir at Molineux.
We say this because the 19-year-old has shown plenty of potential over the last year or so, and has got plenty of people in the know very excited about the player he could become.
For example, while on loan with Middlesbrough in the Championship last season, the “explosive” ace, as dubbed by Danny Murphy, was able to score three goals and provide seven assists in just 1789 minutes across 24 appearances.
That means the potentially “generational” talent, as dubbed by analyst John Walker, averaged a goal involvement every 2.4 games, or every 178.9 minutes, in what was his first full season of senior football.
It’s not like he just got lucky either, as his underlying numbers are utterly superb.
According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the next best 14 competitions for carries into the penalty area, the top 2% for progressive carries and touches in the opponent’s penalty area, the top 6% for non-penalty expected goals per shot and more, all per 90.
Doak’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Progressive Passes Received
12.65
Top 1%
Carries into Penalty Area
4.05
Top 1%
Progressive Carries
6.78
Top 2%
Shots on Target %
51.9%
Top 2%
Touches (Att Pen)
6.12
Top 2%
Progressive Carrying Distance
160.46
Top 3%
Average Shot Distance
13.60
Top 4%
npxG/Shot
0.16
Top 6%
Touches (Att 3rd)
30.93
Top 7%
Assists
0.35
Top 8%
SCA (Live-ball Pass)
3.34
Top 11%
Penalty Kicks Won
0.05
Top 11%
Total Carrying Distance
246.56
Top 12%
GCA (Live-ball Pass)
0.46
Top 14%
Passes into Penalty Area
1.87
Top 17%
Carries into Final Third
2.58
Top 17%
Pass Completion %
79.1%
Top 18%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.56
Top 18%
Key Passes
2.23
Top 20%
All Stats via FBref
Ultimately, while there is still some way to go in his development, it’s clear that Doak is an immensely talented player, and in time could become as crucial to Wolves as Cunha once was.
Therefore, while it’s going to be a tough transfer to get over the line, the Old Gold should be doing everything they can to bring the young Scotsman to the West Midlands this month.
Wolves make formal approach for £45 million pair in potential double deal
The Old Gold could look to initiate two deals to bolster the ranks.
Manchester City have confirmed that Omar Marmoush will miss his side's clash with rivals Manchester United after picking up a knee ligament injury.
Marmoush suffers knee ligament injury
Forced off in ninth minute for Egypt
Ruled out of Manchester derby
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Marmoush, who scored in Egypt's 2-0 win over Ethiopia last week in a World Cup qualifying game, hobbled off the pitch in the ninth minute of their latest clash against Burkina Faso on Tuesday after suffering a knee injury. He continued for a short while after picking up the knock, but was eventually replaced by Osama Faisal.
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WHAT EGYPT'S FA SAID
The Egyptian Football Association delivered an update on their star forward's condition, as they shared photos of him leaving the pitch and wrote: "Omar Marmoush suffers a bruised knee ligament. The player will undergo an X-ray upon his arrival to Cairo [on] Wednesday morning."
WHAT MAN CITY SAID
City themselves have now said the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt star is set for a spell on the sidelines.
A club website statement reads: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Omar Marmoush has sustained a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt. The City striker suffered the injury in the early stages of Egypt’s World Cup qualifying match with Burkina Faso on Tuesday evening. Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation. Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery."
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The injury comes as a huge blow for Pep Guardiola's side, who are looking to bounce back from consecutive losses against Tottenham and Brighton. If Marmoush is out for the long term, team-mate Erling Haaland will be under extra pressure to provide the goals City need to compete on multiple fronts.
An “interesting” striker is now a top target for Glasgow Rangers in the summer transfer window, with Gers manager Russell Martin personally green-lighting the move.
Rangers need response after Martin criticism
It’s fair to say that Martin has already made his presence felt as Gers boss, producing some stinging criticism of his players after last weekend’s 1-1 draw away to Motherwell on the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership season.
“Some of them have to drop their ego, I’ll look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it. But today, it’s not really tactical, it’s a mentality problem, and we got more than what we deserved actually.
Rangers managerRussellMartinapplauds fans after the match
“We need work out who really wants to be all in and who doesn’t. But Europe is not an excuse. This club demands to play in Europe. We’ve qualified for that, so we’re going to be playing in Europe a lot and we’re going to have games after the European games a lot, and we have to manage them way better than today.”
Granted, Rangers did bounce back in midweek with a 3-0 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in Champions League qualifying, but a response is still required in the league on Saturday, as Martin’s side host Dundee.
The draw with Motherwell was further proof that additional firepower is needed for the Gers before the transfer window closes, and a key update has now emerged regarding one target.
Martins green-lights Rangers' move for striker
According to TEAMtalk, Macca Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman has now “emerged as one of Rangers’ top targets” in the current window, with a move for him being approved by Martin.
The 21-year-old is mentioned in the report as “one of the best strikers in the Israeli Premier League”, but the Gers “will have to sell players before committing to new signings”, amid doubts over the futures of the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane.
Turgeman was linked with a move to Rangers last month, and it is easy to see why the Premiership side are such admirers of him, given his status as an exciting young player.
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The youngster has scored 32 goals in 113 appearances for Tel Aviv, while at international level, he has one goal to his name in 10 caps for Israel. Scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Turgeman as an “interesting” striker, while journalist Kai Watson has heaped further praise on him.
“If you’ve followed me for any length of time you won’t be surprised to see Dor Turgeman here. The 21-year-old Israeli international is great with both feet, a strong carrier of the ball and lethal inside the box. He has all the tools to go to the top.”
As mentioned, Rangers’ pursuit of Turgeman could ultimately be dependant on what happens with other strikers at the club this summer, but he stands out as a talented long-term option who could be a star at Ibrox.
Passada a euforia após a vitória do São Paulo contra o Vasco por 4 a 2, agora o Tricolor se prepara para uma maratona intensa até chegar no estádio Misael Delgado, na Venezuela, onde será o palco da partida contra o Puerto Cabello, pela Copa Sul-Americana. Porém, o que complicou toda a logística é o fato do jogo já ser nesta terça-feira (23).
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Assim, o Tricolor não deve realizar praticamente nenhum trabalho em campo antes da partida. O voo com a delegação partirá na madrugada desta segunda-feira (22), aproximadamente 3h20 da manhã (de Brasília), rumo ao Panamá – o que dá, mais ou menos, sete horas de viagem.
Depois desta escala, aí sim a equipe seguirá rumo à Valência, cidade venezuelana onde fica localizado o estádio em que acontecerá a partida. Assim, a delegação deve chegar – de fato -, na Venezuela aproximadamente 15h (no horário local). A chegada no hotel está prevista para uma hora depois.
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Desta forma, é possível que não exista nenhum intervalo de tempo propício para a equipe realizar, pelo menos, um treinamento antes do confronto – que pode ser importante para encaminhar a classificação do São Paulo para a próxima etapa.
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A ideia é que, mesmo sem treinos, as orientações para a partida sejam feitas pela comissão técnica na base da conversa. O São Paulo enfrenta o Puerto Cabello às 21h30 (de Brasília), na terça-feira (23).
Will Aston Villa soon make their maiden first-team signing of the summer?
So far, teenager Yasin Özcan has arrived from Kasımpaşa for a reported fee of around £5.8m, albeit he was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht, while veteran goalkeeper Marco Bizot and 19-year-old winger Zépiqueno Redmond have both joined on free transfers.
Aston Villa managerUnaiEmeryduring a lap of honour after the match
Thus, right now, ahead of their Premier League opener against Newcastle United, Unai Emery will not have any high-profile new signings to showcase, but could that be about to change?
Aston Villa transfer news latest
Speaking on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, Dan Bardell notes that Aston Villa have so far been unable to spend money in this summer window due to their lack of PSR headroom, but forecasts that they will be active and “opportunistic” in the coming weeks, having to date kept their powder dry.
This was exactly the strategy that saw the Claret and Blue Army land both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan in January, but the pair will need replacing, with the Englishman having joined Barcelona, while it appears unlikely that the Spaniard will return to Villa Park either.
Thus, as they target attacking reinforcements, with Alan Nixon revealing on his Patreon that Aston Villa had joined the race to sign Evann Guessand, and were willing to outbid Crystal Palace, who have long been viewed as the front-runners to secure the Ivorian’s signature.
That has since been followed up by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that the Midlands has reached a “verbal agreement” with Nice, having lodged a bid of around €30m (£26m), plus add-ons.
That comes after it was previously noted that the forward was valued at around £22m by the Ligue 1 outfit.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
So, Guessand looks set to become just the second player from Côte d’Ivoire to call Villa Park home. Jonathan Kodjia is the first, and so far only, in case you were wondering!
What Evann Guessand would bring to Aston Villa
Guessand, who is still only 24 years old, joined Nice at the age of 15, but only became an outstanding figure in les Aiglons’ first-team as recently as last season.
He spent time out on loan at Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland and then Nantes in Ligue 1, scoring five goals for la Maison Jaune, most notably bagging a stoppage-time winner against Olympiacos in the Europa League, sparking wild scenes of celebration at Stade de la Beaujoire.
He has returned to Nice for the last two seasons, very much a key figure for his boyhood club, scoring six goals in Ligue 1 in 2023/24, before bagging 12 during the most recent campaign, firing Franck Haise’s side to a top four finish and possible Champions League qualification; they face Benfica in the first leg of a qualifier this week.
The table below emphasises Guessand’s impressive form in Ligue 1 last season.
Evann Guessand Ligue 1 statistics 2024/25
Statistics
Guessand
Ligue 1 rank
Goals
12
10th
Assists
8
6th
Shots
27
10th
Goals – xG
+2.8
9th
Shot-creating actions
91
23rd
Goal-creating actions
17
8th
Attempted take-ons
103
15th
Progressive carries
87
19th
Average SofaScore rating
7.23
7th*
*among forwards only.
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore
The table outlines that Guessand is an all-round attacker, ranked highly when it comes to both goals and assists, but also chances created and dribbling, overperforming his expected goals figure by almost three, underlining his clinical edge.
Alex Barker of The Athletic is certainly a fan, labelling him a “real physical handful” as well as being an “agile” forward who is capable of creating “high-quality chances” too, concluding that his ability to do it all makes him “Bruno Fernandes-esque”.
Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis agrees, noting that he is a ‘good dribbler’, which is surprising given that he is 6 ft 2 in (188 cm).
Meantime, Mohamed Fathall of Breaking the Lines states that he thrives when able to ‘support a central striker’, adding that he is ‘constantly looking to take on defenders’, using his ‘intelligent movement’ to get into goal-scoring positions.
Nice winger Evann Guessand
Well, this makes him the ideal strike partner for Ollie Watkins who, as documented by Ahmed Walid of The Athletic, only truly started scoring goals with impressive regularity at Aston Villa after Emery had coached him to remain within the width of the penalty area.
Watkins has reached double figures for goals in each of his five Premier League campaigns, although such consistency could be maintained if fed by the Fernandes-esque talents of Guessand, considering he created 12 ‘big chances’ in Ligue 1 last term, as per Sofascore.
For context, Manchester United’s skipper was only just ahead with 16 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League.
With Villa’s number 11 thus able to pounce on regular, quality service, Guessand and Watkins could form a deadly attacking partnership, as Villa target a top five finish and Europa League glory in the season ahead.
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