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أعلن نادي بيراميدز رسميًا عن إتمام صفقة التعاقد مع اللاعب البرازيلي إيفرتون داسيلفا، في إطار خطة الإدارة التنفيذية برئاسة المهندس ممدوح عيد، لتعزيز صفوف الفريق استعدادًا للموسم الجديد، الذي سيشهد مشاركات محلية وقارية ودولية مكثفة.

وجاء التعاقد مع جناح بانيك أوسترافا التشيكي السابق، إيفرتون داسيلفا، البالغ من العمر 28 عامًا (مواليد 28 ديسمبر 1996)، ليعزز الخط الهجومي للفريق الأزرق، حيث يمتاز اللاعب بمهارات فنية عالية، وقدرة كبيرة على التسجيل وصناعة الأهداف، فضلاً عن تنوعه في اللعب في مركز الجناح الأيسر والهجوم.

طالع أيضًا | فيفا يجتمع بمسؤولي بيراميدز قبل مواجهة أوكلاند سيتي في كأس إنتر كونتينينتال

وسبق لـ إيفرتون أن خاض تجربة مع أندية مثل سلافيا براج وبانيك أوسترافا في الدوري التشيكي، حيث قدم مستويات لافتة، إذ شارك في 70 مباراة مع ناديه الأخير، سجل خلالها 30 هدفًا وصنع 13 هدفًا آخر، مساهمًا في 43 هدفًا خلال مختلف المسابقات.

ويقود ملف التعاقدات في بيراميدز الكابتن عمرو بسيوني، الذي نجح في إنهاء الصفقة ضمن استعدادات الفريق لخوض تحديات الموسم المقبل بقوة.

She admits captaining in the Ashes brought new challenges which she hopes to learn from

AAP11-Sep-2023Declaring herself reinvigorated by captaining Australia in the Ashes, Alyssa Healy has halted any talk of retirement by signing a three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers.Off contract since the end of last summer, AAP can reveal Healy has agreed a contract extension to keep her in the WBBL with Sixers until the end of 2025-26.Leaving the club was never realistically an option for Healy, with the main decision for Australia’s stand-in skipper being how much longer she wanted to commit for.The 33-year-old has spoken in the past about considering her future, with an ongoing joke between her and husband Mitchell Starc that she has changed her mind multiple times.Related

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Lanning ruled out of West Indies series but Healy and Perry return

Australia's preparation for India day-night Test to begin during WBBL

Players often continue in franchise cricket after the end of their international career, but Healy’s long-term deal is an indication she is not planning to walk away any time soon.After taking the reins with Meg Lanning unavailable for Australia’s retention of the Ashes in England earlier this year, Healy will start the summer captaining the side against West Indies.And the she said her leadership role in England had rejuvenated the way she thought about cricket, with a multi-format tour of India and a T20 World Cup in Bangladesh to come in the next year.”The only thing we pondered was how long we wanted the deal to be,” Healy told AAP of her Sixers contract. “The beauty of the situation is I have had an exciting opportunity to captain the side in the Ashes.”Whether that is something that will happen moving forward or not doesn’t matter. It has reinvigorated the way I think about the game and the way I am enjoying it.”There is an exciting 12 months ahead with World Cups and trips to Bangladesh. I am still loving playing for Australia, but the WBBL is great to be part of.”Elevated to the captaincy a week before the Ashes tour when Lanning was ruled out, Healy had one of the tougher series of her career with 126 runs at 15.75 across all formats.She is desperate to rebound, and be better prepared to juggle the captaincy and her own game at short notice.”It’s made me think about what I need as an individual,” Healy said. “Throughout my whole career it has just been ‘do my job for the team, do what the team needs’.”I have always enjoyed being vice-captain because that is the way you think; you are in the right position to read the game and help the captain out.”But being skipper you don’t have time to think about anything. You are focusing on the game and tactics, and I forgot to think about what I need to make sure I perform. It has made me think about my game and what I can do to be better.”

The Herons will kick off the tournament this Saturday against Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium.

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They share Group A with Al Ahly, Palmeiras, and PortoLuis Suárez spoke to the media ahead of the matchYannick Bright and David Ruiz are likely ruled outWatch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowAFPWHAT HAPPENED?

One day before his debut in the Club World Cup with Inter Miami against Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium, Luis Suárez spoke to the media during training session on Friday.

"Expectations are very high because of what a Club World Cup represents, because of the teams that come to compete," said the Uruguayan on Friday, ahead of the MLS side’s debut Saturda. "But for us, it's about staying calm, enjoying it, and making the most of this beautiful opportunity we've been given. It's important for the young players to take advantage of this chance to experience a Club World Cup. A lot of people will be paying attention to what Inter does."

Inter Miami share Group A with the Egyptian team Al Ahly, Palmeiras, and Porto, which makes Saturday’s match crucial for Javier Mascherano’s team in terms of their aspirations in the tournament.

"We’re going to try to do our best with the tools we have and aim for a positive result. Obviously, we know about the restrictions MLS imposes that don’t allow us to compete at the economic level we would like, but we have to go into tomorrow's match and give it our all with the players we have," he said. 'Even if one team is more favored than another, it's still 11 against 11, and that’s where matches are truly decided."

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could be dealing with several absences for their debut in the summer tournament, and they haven’t made any new signings apart from goalkeeper William Yarbrough. Yannick Bright and David Ruiz are almost certainly ruled out for the match against Al Ahly. David Martínez was absent from the first part of training, which could open the door for youngster Tomás Avilés to start. Lionel Messi trained with his teammates without any issues. Jordi Alba, Baltasar Rodríguez, Gonzalo Luján, and Allen Obando were not on the field, so their availability for Saturday’s match remains in doubt.

Getty Images SportWHAT WILLIAM YARBROUGH SAID

Meanwhile, William Yarbrough, who will compete for the starting spot with Óscar Ustari, shared what his days as an Inter Miami player have been like ahead of the Club World Cup debut:

“Everything has been wonderful since Day 1. From the moment you land, the club staff is there making sure you have everything you need. They helped me settle in quickly, so I only had to focus on coming in, training, integrating with the team, and competing," he said.

He added, "You notice it in the facilities, the tools we have to work with – ensuring our nutrition is 100 percent, the physios taking care of our bodies, the ice baths, the excellent training fields. All those little things add up and reflect the great teamwork that starts with the groundskeepers keeping the facilities in top condition, the physios, and the equipment staff. You realize it’s like a family, and that makes it easier and more motivating for us to come to work every day.”

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

will open the tournament this Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, then face Porto on June 19, and close out the group stage against Palmeiras on June 23.

The former USMNT striker has called out the Real Betis midfielder for his inability to replicate his impressive club form for his country

Gomez questions why Cardoso can't replicate club formSays mental blocks appear to prevent Cardoso from playing for USMNTRepeated national team opportunities have yielded disappointing resultsAFPWHAT HAPPENED

Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez recently expressed frustration over Johnny Cardoso's inconsistent performances between club and country. The American midfielder enjoyed a standout season for La Liga side Real Betis and was expected to be a key figure for the USMNT at the Gold Cup. However, he struggled against Turkey, and Gomez pointed to a possible mental block that's preventing Cardoso from replicating his club form on the international stage.

“But not like this, not like this Cris [Cristina Alexander] and not like spot on,” Gomez said on ESPN's when asked if there’s a pattern of players excelling for their clubs but underperforming for the U.S. “He’s in his own head, and you don’t have other players who are – in their own league right now – one of the best players and constantly being highlighted as one of the best. And you have a team like Atletico, who is known for their defensive posturing, and [Diego] Simeone saying, ‘That’s the guy I want, that’s the key, I want him in the center of the field.’”

He added, “For whatever reason [with the national team], he’s in his own head and he makes things so complicated. He’s a player that’s supposed to be cerebral, he’s a player that’s supposed to link from A to B but when he goes to the USMNT, there seems to be some this sense that he can’t do it, but he’s the only one that believes that. Because he keeps getting opportunities, and he keeps letting himself down."

The 23-year-old American midfielder played a key role for Real Betis, making 46 appearances across all competitions as the La Liga side finished sixth in the league and reached the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Gomez added that Cardoso should, theoretically, be able to translate all that skill and talent for the U.S. side and needs to start by playing simple football.

“There’s no reason on earth that good at the La Liga level and can’t do it at the CONCACAF level…I don’t know if I buy this as a USMNT problem, I think this is strictly Johnny Cardoso here," Gomez explained. "He’s just got to play simple, play to his strengths, play to his attributes."

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With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the USMNT desperately needs players who can perform consistently at both club and international levels. Cardoso's inability to translate his La Liga success to the national team represents a concerning pattern that affects the team's midfield stability and overall performance.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Cardoso will need to address his mental approach to international matches if he hopes to secure a starting position for the 2026 World Cup. The 2025 Gold Cup kicks off on June 15 for the USMNT, but before that, they face Switzerland on June 10 in a friendly game.

Win takes CSK to the top of the table, while KKR are pretty much done for the season if they lose this one

Vishal Dikshit13-May-20233:36

Can KKR’s spin attack get the better of Super Kings at Chepauk ?

Big picture – Tall ask for KKR in ChennaiOn the list of most successful spin attacks in IPL 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings rank up there, at second and third with 37 and 35 wickets respectively, just behind Rajasthan Royals’ tally of 40. That’s pretty much the same, but CSK’s economy rate of 7.52 compared to KKR’s 8.14 gives them an edge, apart from the massive backing of the home crowd where the fans will come out in huge numbers.More than spin, what separates the two teams is their batting. CSK’s top order has given them fiery starts in the powerplay, while KKR have struggled with their opening combinations before finally settling on Jason Roy and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.Related

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In Chennai, usually considered a spin-friendly track, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have registered two half-century and one century partnerships this season. Ajinkya Rahane’s new avatar has added a different dimension to the batting, and Shivam Dube’s hitting against spin (strike rate of 177.10) only adds to KKR’s worries for Sunday.KKR have largely relied on their middle-order muscle for wins this season, and even left a few of those finishes too late. That may not work against CSK because their new death-overs specialist Matheesha Pathirana has given away only 8.28 runs an over on average in the last phase this IPL, while also striking 12 times in eight innings, with his mixed bag of tricks delivered with a slingy action.In a must-win game to stay alive in the playoffs race, KKR will have to be at their absolute best against the red-hot CSK, who had hammered a record 235 in the earlier fixture between the two teams in Kolkata.Ben Stokes has been on the sidelines for a while now•Getty Images

Team news – can Ben Stokes break into the CSK XIDube is carrying a finger niggle and is likely to be subbed in or out again purely for his batting like CSK did in their previous game against Delhi Capitals. Ben Stokes is fit for selection but is finding it tough to break into the XI because of the limit of the four overseas slots.The Big QuestionForm guideChennai Super Kings WWLLW
Kolkata Knight Riders LWWLWImpact Player strategyKKR are likely to be unchanged, ready to bank on their spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma, who is likely to be subbed in or out for one of the batters, along with Anukul Roy.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable XII): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 , 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Andre Russell, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Dube is likely to be subbed in or out with one of the frontline bowlers, depending on whether they bat or bowl first.Chennai Super Kings (probable XII): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 , 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 , 12 Tushar DeshpandeMS Dhoni’s cameos have lifted CSK in the death overs•BCCI

Numbers that matter CSK have to be wary of KKR’s six-hitting prowess. They have struck the most sixes in IPL 2023, the most sixes against pace this IPL, and second-most sixes in death overs too this season. Pathirana has taken the most wickets (12) at the death this edition of the IPL and Tushar Deshpande has taken the joint third-most (eight). How KKR use Narine will be interesting because he has an impressive record against many CSK batters. Opposite Rahane, Narine has conceded 73 off 58 balls with four dismissals. Against Ambati Rayudu, Narine has done even better: 51 off 59 balls with three dismissals. And against Dhoni, Narine’s record is most interesting of the lot: 39 runs off 74 balls with one dismissal. KKR’s opening pair of Roy and Gurbaz have the best strike rate against spin this IPL (minimum 30 balls faced): 231.81 and 191.6 respectively. Dhoni has hit the most sixes in the 20th over in the IPL (59) and is miles ahead of the second batter on the list – Kieron Pollard (33).Pitch and conditionsWith the day temperature expected to touch 40 degrees Celsius, the evening will be extremely hot and humid. It remains to be seen if they dish out another black-soil pitch because of the spin resources in KKR, but it is expected to be slow again.

Elation turned to deflation as Liverpool conceded a last-gasp goal in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday evening, James Tarkowski firing beyond Alisson to salvage a point in the final clash between the Reds and Everton at Goodison Park.

However, that was Liverpool’s game in hand, originally slated for December but called off due to Storm Darragh, and so the point gained moved Liverpool seven points clear of second-place Arsenal, who closed the gap to four points on Saturday after beating Leicester City.

Liverpool can restore their commanding lead at the summit of the Premier League with an Anfield victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon. On paper, this is a winnable fixture for the hosts, but the Old Gold are only marginally above the drop zone and defeated Aston Villa in their last top-flight outing.

While Liverpool will be confident that they have enough to turn their guests over, Arne Slot does have to contend with a number of injuries.

Liverpool expecting absentees

Wednesday’s frenetic Merseyside clash could call for Slot to make one or two alterations, especially with a quick turnaround needed ahead of the coming midweek trip to Villa Park.

Curtis Jones is ineligible for this one after his part in the post-match ruckus at Goodison, resulting in a second booking from referee Michael Oliver. Slot has been charged, but the ongoing judiciary process means that he’s expected to be in the dugout this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold will be looking to return to the starting line-up after a fitness issue, replacing Conor Bradley.

Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton remain sidelined, though the former isn’t too far away from returning to first-team training.

Should Gakpo be sidelined for this one, Slot will need to find a way to maintain the overall fluency of the thriving frontline. Luckily, Liverpool aren’t exactly bereft of options.

The players who could replace Cody Gakpo

The most obvious pick to replace Gakpo on the left flank is Luis Diaz. After all, the Colombian is a winger, only featuring in a false-nine kind of focal role this season due to Slot’s dissatisfaction with the likes of Darwin Nunez, who has six goals from 33 matches.

Whether Nunez is presented with a starting berth remains to be seen, but the Uruguayan has suffered patchy form throughout the whole of the campaign and Slot seems more at ease unleashing the 25-year-old in the late stages, using his pace and energy to pick leggy defences apart.

Diaz is a player who goes through waves of potent form, but he has demonstrated through multi-goal performances against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League that he can bag from the middle. The Colombian’s game is also more than just that of a goalscorer, with slick movement and intelligent decisions enabling the free-scoring success of the likes of Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.

Slot knows what he’s doing, and if he wishes to keep Diaz at centre-forward, an interesting change might be to unleash Diogo Jota on the left flank with the view toward emulating Gakpo’s prolificness.

While Salah is tearing Europe apart with so many goals and assists, there’s a sense that the 32-year-old talisman is shouldering a heavy burden. Diaz, for example, has gone five Premier League matches without a single goal involvement.

However, Gakpo has been thriving, bagging in seven straight Anfield appearances.

This is why Jota could be so important for the home side, especially with the added incentive to impress against his former outfit, who Liverpool paid £41m for in 2020.

A “deadly” finisher in the final third, as has been said by BBC analyst Raj Chohan, Jota ranks among the top 13% of Premier League forwards in 2024/25 for goals scored (0.71), as per FBref, also among the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90.

This perfectly illustrates the Portugal international’s innate goalscoring sense and his athleticism, deceptively tricky on the ball and endowed with the positional sense that the likes of Salah and Diaz can use to find him with crisp passes or confusing movements, creating space.

One of Jota’s superpowers is his effortless ability to provide across the frontline. He’s capable with both feet and surprisingly adept in the air too. Slot tends to deploy him up front but with 85 goal involvements from 178 matches on the left wing, Jota is hardly untested in that area.

It goes to show that Liverpool have such impressive strength in depth and surely have enough to put this afternoon’s visitors to the sword. Jota, for sure, will be eager to make his mark after missing much action over the past few months due to injury.

The caveat to all this is that the 28-year-old, who was hailed as one of the team’s most “clinical” players by Jamie Carragher, doesn’t boast the finest of records against the Molineux side. He’s won all seven of fixtures against Wolves but has only scored once, supplying two assists.

However, with 64 Liverpool goals and 21 further assists from just 104 starting appearances since making the move to Merseyside, Jota is an invariably dangerous presence in the final third with the ball-carrying skill and sharp awareness to step into Gakpo’s boots and provide the left side with the assuredness needed to lessen Salah’s load.

Liverpool need to bounce back from the setback at Everton, and with a victory over Wolves, fans will be excited by having stepped one place closer to lifting the Premier League title for the first time under Slot’s wing.

Wouldn’t it be quite something?

Slot has already found Luis Diaz 2.0 in Liverpool's "frightening" 17 y/o

Liverpool believe they have one of Europe’s biggest talents in this forward.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 15, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Em confronto direto contra o Z4 do Campeonato Brasileiro, Goiás e Cuiabá entrarão em campo neste domingo (26), pensando somente na vitória. O Verdão, que empatou com o Atlético-GO em 0 a 0, na quarta-feira (22), pelo primeiro jogo das oitava de final da Copa do Brasil, agora vira sua chave. Por conta da derrota sofrida para o Corinthians, por 1 a 0, pela 13ª rodada, na Neo Química Arena, acabou ficando na 17ª colocação com seus 14 pontos.

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Diante do rival mato-grossense, o técnico Jair Ventura terá dois desfalques. O lateral-direito Maguinho, suspenso por conta do terceiro amarelo, e o zagueiro Da Silva, este lesionado, serão substituídos por Diego e Yan Couto.

Já a equipe do Dourado não sabe o que é vencer há três jogos. Em seu último compromisso na competição nacional, acabou empatando sem gols com o Ceará, na Arena Pantanal, resultado esse que o fez chegar aos 13 pontos, mas que o manteve na 18ª posição.

Sem poder contar com António Oliveira, suspenso por receber três cartões amarelos, o time ficará sob os olhares dos auxiliares Bruno Lazaroni e Bernardo Franco. Entre outro desfalque, o volante Pepê ainda segue de fora por conta de uma pancada na cabeça na partida contra o Red Bull Bragantino.

Por outro lado, o Cuiabá terá a volta de Alan Empereur. Após ficar longe do time por três jogos por conta de uma lesão, o zagueiro volta a ser relacionado.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GOIÁS x CUIABÁ

Data e hora: 26 de junho de 2022, às 18h (horário de Brasília)
Local: Estádio da Serrinha, em Goiânia (GO)
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR)
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia (PR) e Ivan Carlos Bohn (PR)
Árbitro de vídeo: Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos

Como e onde assistir: Premiere e Tempo Real do Lance!

GOIÁS: Tadeu; Yan Souto, Reynaldo e Caetano; Diego, Matheus Sales, Caio Vinícius, Elvis e Dadá Belmonte; Vinícius e Pedro Raul. Técnico: Jair Ventura.
Desfalques: Maguinho (suspenso); Da Silva (lesionado)

CUIABÁ: Walter; João Lucas (Daniel Guedes), Alan Empereur, Marllon e Uendel; Camilo, Rafael Gava e Kelvin Osorio; André Luís, Felipe Marques e André (Elton). Técnico: Bruno Lazaroni (Bernardo Franco).
Desfalques: António Oliveira (suspenso); Pepê (lesionado)

There are rumours that Everton could be re-signing Richarlison right at the end of the January transfer window.

Everton transfer news

It looks as though the Blues will complete the permanent signing of Carlos Alcaraz from Brazilian side Flamengo before deadline day reached its conclusion, with Fabrizio Romano taking to X to report the news.

“Everton are completing all details of Charly Alcaraz deal from Flamengo, it will get done tonight. €15m plus add-ons on loan with obligation to buy to be activated only in case of high number of starts.”

Everton also made a move to sign West Brom midfielder Tom Fellows on Monday, bidding £15m for his services. The Baggies have held firm, however, not wanting to allow one of their most influential players to leave midway through the season. The 21-year-old could now be a summer target instead, but he is going nowhere for now.

The Blues were also thought to be pursuing a move for Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi, seeing him as a player who could give David Moyes more attacking quality in the Premier League, but that ship appears to have sailed.

Sky man drops Richarlison to Everton reaction

Writing in response to a fan on X on Monday evening, Alan Myers claimed that “anything is possible” when quizzed about rumours of Richarlison joining Everton at the eleventh hour.

It goes without saying that it is unlikely that Richarlison will be back at Everton late in the day, but it is interesting to see Myers fail to completely rule it out. With Tottenham suffering huge injury problems all over the pitch this season, it would make little sense allowing the Brazilian to move on, weakening their squad further.

A return to Goodison Park would likely be met with some positivity from many Everton supporters, however, considering he was a popular figure during his first stint there, scoring 53 goals in 152 appearances – an impressive return in a team that was often struggling in the Premier League.

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the leading managers of his generation and he was always an admirer of the 27-year-old during his time in charge at Goodison Park, saying: “He is a modern and complete forward, not very sharp on his feet but coordinated and with great synchronization in the area. He is also strong with his head, although he is not a giant. For me, he is among the best forwards.”

Everton make late £15m move to sign "unbelievable" player on deadline day

A bid has been tabled and they’ve received a response.

1

By
Henry Jackson

Feb 3, 2025

In Alcaraz, Everton look set to make an exciting signing, with the 22-year-old a long-term addition who could add quality and energy in the middle of the park, and bringing back Richarlison would be a surprise bonus but perhaps a move to look forward to in the summer.

It’s been no great covered-up secret this January transfer window that Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris is looking to sprinkle in some more quality to his Sunderland side in the attacking positions.

Indeed, the Black Cats were pursuing the services of Tom Cannon as a statement buy up top, only for the ex-Stoke City loanee now said to be closing in on a move to promotion rivals Sheffield United instead.

Other names in the striker department continue to be linked with a move to Wearside, but it isn’t just in the centre-forward areas where the Frenchman will want to improve in attack, with an exciting winger now on their radar.

Sunderland chasing signature of new winger

As per a report by Football Insider this week, Sunderland are very much locked in a race this window to try and snap up Celtic winger Luis Palma, with a whole host of other Championship clubs sniffing around alongside the Black Cats.

Football Insider reveals that Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers are also eyeing up the Bhoys forward, with Palma presumably keen to leave the Glasgow giants behind owing to his game-time depleting this season under Brendan Rodgers.

Of course, the promotion chasers have struck absolute gold in the past when recruiting attackers that have called Scotland home briefly, with Patrick Roberts entering the building in 2022 after a memorable loan stint at Celtic Park.

What Palma could offer Sunderland

Whilst Palma’s time at Celtic has begun to fizzle out, he could go on to be the second coming of Roberts if a move was sealed, as the Honduras international has shown in the past that he can dazzle down the left wing for his current employers.

After all, the 25-year-old did put together some promising numbers during his debut season donning the iconic green and white hoops of Celtic.

Across his explosive 2023/24 campaign, Palma would help himself to a mightily impressive ten goals and ten assists in all competitions, with two of those strikes even coming in the Champions League as the wantaway attacker showed off his quality on Europe’s grandest stage.

Roberts would equally thrive at Celtic Park before taking the leap to join Sunderland permanently down the line, with his own impressive goal and assist haul of 18 strikes and 26 assists tallied up during his two-season loan spell at the club.

He would never look back when securing a deal to join the Black Cats for good, with the 27-year-old up to two goals and five assists this season down the right wing as one of the more experienced heads in the youthful Stadium of Light dressing room.

Whilst the Sunderland stalwart continues to excite on his familiar right channel, the options on the opposing flank aren’t exactly endless for Le Bris when looking at the table above, with Enzo Le Fee drafted into this position in the past couple of weeks owing to both Romaine Mundle and Tom Watson nursing worrying injury knocks.

That’s where the “magic” Celtic attacker – as he was once labelled by former Bhoys great Peter Grant – could come in and save the day, with a new striker perhaps also joining him through the door very soon.

Sunderland just won’t want to be left behind in the ongoing automatic promotion race, with signings such as Palma no doubt boosting their attack ahead of some crunch months to come in the intense Championship.

Could be better than Isidor & Frigan: Sunderland eyeing up "phenomenal" ace

Sunderland are now looking at a new striker target.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 23, 2025

Chelsea have been known to conduct numerous high-profile deals through January transfer windows in the past, not being afraid to splash the cash in the winter months.

Rewind just a couple of years, Enzo Fernández joined the Blues in a £106.8m deal from Benfica – a deal which at the time broke their club-record transfer fee.

Mykhailo Mudryk also arrived during the same transfer window from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee in the region of £88m, looking to provide added quality in wide areas under then-boss Graham Potter.

However, the Ukrainian has been unable to make any form of positive impact at Stamford Bridge since his big-money move, scoring just ten times in his 73 appearances.

Such form has led to the club dipping into the transfer market this month to try and improve the options available at Enzo Maresca’s disposal for the rest of the Premier League season and beyond.

Chelsea’s hunt for a new winger in January

Alejandro Garnacho has been one name that has been mentioned over a move to West London in recent weeks, with current side Manchester United open to parting ways with the Argentine this month.

The 20-year-old has made 32 appearances throughout 2024/25, scoring eight times, leading to interest from the Blues and Napoli, with the Red Devils demanding a fee in the region of £55m to sell their star youngster.

Another name that has been thrown into the mix is Borussia Dortmund’s English attacker Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, but Maresca’s side would face huge competition from Liverpool for his signature.

Both sides have sent scouts to watch the talented youngster, but neither have yet made an offer to prise the former Manchester City academy star away from the Bundesliga outfit.

With no progress yet to be made on either of the two deals, time is ticking with the window having less than two weeks left until it slams shut, which could see the club target alternative options.

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Chelsea could land winger who’s better than Gittens

Given the nature of the targets which have regularly cropped up in recent weeks, it’s evident that Maresca and the hierarchy feel as though a winger is needed between now and the end of the month.

Garnacho and Gittens have emerged as two of the leading candidates to fulfil the positions in wide areas, but with time running out in the window, other players may need to be considered over a move to West London.

The Blues have been the home to numerous attacking stars and could land themselves another one in the form of Atlético Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has previously been of interest to Maresca.

The Spaniard was linked with a move to the Bridge at the start of January, but no progress has been made in a deal to land the 22-year-old who currently has a £50m release clause in his contract.

However, when delving into his figures from the ongoing campaign, Williams has produced numerous stats that are better than Gittens highlighting what a phenomenal addition he would be to the Blues in their hunt for a top-four spot.

Games played

18

18

Goals & assists

4

10

Progressive passes

3.2

1.8

Shot-creating actions

5.2

3.1

Carries into the final third

2.8

2.7

Crosses completed

5

2.8

Aerials won

0.5

0.2

The Bilbao star, who’s been dubbed “one of the best wingers” by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but he’s certainly a complete package when it comes to beating a player and producing a high volume of scoring opportunities. He has registered more progressive passes and more carries into the final third per 90 – highlighting his attacking threat.

Williams has also managed to achieve more shot-creating actions, along with a higher tally of crosses completed per 90, handing other players in the squad the ammunition needed to succeed in the final third.

Given his impressive form for Bilbao in recent times, the youngster would be a superb player for Maresca’s squad, offering the added threat he’s so desperately been hunting for in recent weeks.

His release clause could be a potential bargain – particularly as Gittens has reportedly been valued at £85m – and if he is to carry over his superb form from LaLiga to the Premier League, it could be a wonderful piece of business.

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