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A new Tottenham Hotspur partnership may be brewing under Ange Postecoglou, one that could even match the deadly duos of James Maddison/Son Heung-min and Micky van de Ven/Cristian Romero.

Spurs player ratings 2023/2024

Pretty much every member of the first team has played a major role in Spurs' climb to the top of the table. Winning eight out of a possible 10 league games while remaining unbeaten – the best start made by any new manager in Premier League history – Postecoglou has guided the north Londoners through an absolutely rip-roaring first two months of the campaign.

In terms of standouts, it's hard to ignore a select few, with Son and Maddison's form being praised. The pair have formed an incredible understanding in the forward areas; grabbing a combined total of 11 goals and six assists in the top flight alone so far. Maddison is looking like one of the bargains of the summer transfer window after a £40 million move from Leicester City, while Son is rediscovering his very best after a regrettable 2022/2023.

Meanwhile, the defensive partnership of Romero and van de Ven has been pivotal. The latter has just joined Spurs from Wolfsburg but already looks like he's been donning Lilywhite for far longer. Speaking on his YouTube channel this week, TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand praised the pair for what has been an excellent start to this new season.

“Romero and Micky van de Ven are arguably the best pairing at the moment in central defence in the Premier League on form. They’ve been immense," said Ferdinand on van de Ven and Romero.

“This Micky van de Ven, bro, he is the real deal. He’s the real deal. I saw his debut the other day for Holland. I’ve seen him right up close twice this season. And he looks supremely comfortable for a young centre-back that’s come into a new league. So watch this space for this kid.”

It would seem Postecoglou is spoiled for choice when it comes to understandings all over the park, but journalist Dean Jones believes a new partnership could emerge.

Bentancur and Bissouma could form best Spurs partnership

Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur returned from his long-term injury against Crystal Palace in what was a big, big boost for Spurs. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have been thriving as part of Postecoglou's new-look, dual midfield pivot, but Jones believes both Bentancur and Bissouma may thrive together for Spurs.

“I think when you look at van de Ven and Romero, Tottenham already have an argument to say that they've got the best defensive pairing in the league," said Jones to GiveMeSport.

"If Bentancur and Bissouma can keep going this season across the entire campaign, I think they can put up a fight and say they’ve got one of the best midfield partnerships around as well. This was a situation we didn't expect to see. Still, even if we throw Pape Matar Sarr into this conversation, the revival and the way that these guys have been able to progress under Postecoglou has been superb. The ceiling has just been lifted.”

Athletic Club fans packed out their home ground to watch their side lift the Copa del Rey following a penalty shootout win over Mallorca.

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• Athletic beat Mallorca on penalties
• First Copa del Rey title in 40 years
• Fans celebrate win in home ground

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Athletic ended their 40-year wait to lift the Copa del Rey trophy following a 4-2 shootout win over Mallorca at La Cartuja. Dani Rodriguez gave Los Piratas the lead in the 21st minute before Oihan Sancet equalised just after half-time. After neither side could be separated after 120 minutes of football, Alex Berengue scored the winning penalty to end their title drought. Then, video footage soon surfaced of tens of thousands of Bilbao fans celebrating the victory from their San Mames Stadium.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

  The clip shows supporters wildly celebrating their side's win on Saturday night, with multiple giant screens placed on the pitch for those present to watch the contest.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Bilbao won the Supercopa de Espana in 2015 and 2021, they had not triumphed in the Copa del Rey since 1984 – the same year they won La Liga for the last time. After final losses in this competition in 2021, 2020, 2015, and 2012 in recent years, this victory will taste all the sweeter.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bilbao, who sit fifth in La Liga at present, are next in action at home to Europe-chasing Villarreal on Sunday, April 14, followed by another match on their own patch five days later against relegation-threatened Granada.

Harry Kane has passed a half-century of goal contributions at Bayern Munich in 2023-24, allowing him to post a new personal best.

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• England ace in impressive form
• Reached 51 goal contributions
• Still chasing major silverware

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international has maintained impressive personal standards during his debut campaign at the Allianz Arena. Bayern have struggled for consistency at times as a collective, leaving the Champions League as their only route to major silverware.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane, though, has been a revelation and has registered 40 goals in all competitions. He has also contributed 11 assists, allowing him to pass a notable landmark. It is only the second time in his remarkable career that the 30-year-old frontman has reached such a milestone.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There is the promise of more to come, with Bayern still having four Bundesliga fixtures to take in this season. They are also counting down the days to a Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid, and Kane will fancy his chances of adding to an impressive goal contribution haul.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  His efforts this term have seen him emulate Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe – the only other man in Europe’s top five leagues to reach 50 goal contributions. Kane last hit that mark in 2020-21, while still on the books of Tottenham, and will believe that elusive major silverware will come his way if such standards can be maintained.

Following on from a positive playoff finish last season in the Championship, Tony Mowbray's Black Cats coming unstuck at Kenilworth Road in the semi-final second leg versus Luton Town to lose 3-2 on aggregate, Sunderland currently find themselves competing for the same coveted positions again after 15 second tier matches played.

Mowbray's men have experienced up-and-down form of late in the division, wins versus recent Premier League sides Watford and Norwich City at home have been dampened somewhat by defeats to Stoke City and Middlesbrough with the latter exposing the Black Cats' defensive frailties in a dreadful 4-0 defeat.

Last time out away at Swansea City, the Tyne and Wear-based outfit were left frustrated from their trip to Wales – registering 25 shots on goal and accumulating 71% possession versus the ten-man Swans, only for the game to end as a 0-0 stalemate.

It could lead to Mowbray chopping and changing his starting eleven for his side's contest against Birmingham City this Saturday lunchtime, with new recruit in attack Nazariy Rusyn fearing the worst.

Rusyn's performance vs Swansea

Joining Sunderland from his native Ukraine, featuring for FC Zorya Luhansk before a move to the EFL presented itself this September, Rusyn has underwhelmed in a Black Cats strip to date.

Scoring an impressive 21 goals from 49 appearances for his former employers, the 5 foot 10 forward was also previously on the Dynamo Kyiv books early into his career before joining Sunderland recently.

He hasn't been able to translate this blistering goalscoring form he managed for his former Ukrainian employers to the demands of the Championship, netting zero times for Sunderland from seven games with his performance versus Swansea bemusing.

Playing for 56 minutes – 26 of those up against a Swans side missing a man – Rusyn only mustered up one off-target attempt on goal, per Sofascore, with the 25-year-old pedestrian-like throughout the encounter in Wales.

He would touch the ball 11 times in total before being put out of his misery by his manager when Luis Semedo replaced him just shy of the hour mark.

It sums up Rusyn's time in England to date, anonymous up top when he should be the forward player the Black Cats are relying on to kickstart a winning run.

Rusyn's general performances

Used mainly as a late impact substitute so far at Sunderland, a rare start for Rusyn last match and the subsequent performance he offered up won't have his manager scrambling to accommodate him in future first-team plans.

Offering up a weak 0.4 shots on goal per game when utilised sparingly so far via Sofascore, the misfiring striker could do with a sustained period in the team to learn the ropes of what's required of him in the hustle and bustle of a new, challenging league.

Still, for the visit of Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City to the Stadium of Light, Mowbray could be forced into switching up who starts as his lone striker with Luis Semedo and young Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow other potential options – the latter assisting Jack Clarke's eighth-minute strike away at Sheffield Wednesday in a 3-0 victory back in late September.

Sunderland will just pray that Rusyn starts firing goals in soon for the second-tier outfit, or the club could run the risk of the ex Dynamo Kyiv man flopping completely. For now, perhaps some more cameos from the bench could do the trick.

Arsenal seem to have picked up where they left off last season, as Mikel Arteta’s side sit one point below the summit having lost only one Premier League game in 12 so far in the 2023/24 campaign.

While it’s been a strong start for those at the Emirates in the first team, there has been plenty to celebrate elsewhere, with the next crop of stars also excelling this term at Hale End.

The manager is already reaping the benefits of Arsenal’s academy graduates through the likes of Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, however one player nearing an emergence is up there with the best in the first team in terms of goal contributions this season.

Charles Sagoe Jr’s career so far

The name of Charles Sagoe Jr has become one more known this campaign in north London, after Arteta handed the academy star his senior debut in the Carabao Cup against Brentford back in September.

In 2015, the Gunners swiped the Englishman from Fulham’s academy at U12 level, where he has since excelled through the ranks at Hale End to find himself becoming a fringe player around the first team.

As well as his senior debut, the 19-year-old has been named in the squad in both the Champions League and Premier League this season, where he was an unused substitute on both occasions.

Once lauded as “unpredictable” for his actions on the wing by fellow graduate Reiss Nelson, it’s clear to see why Arteta is keeping close tabs on the teenager’s progression following his impressive tallies in the academy over the past few years.

With nine goal contributions across the entire 2022/23 season, the forward seems to be on an upward trajectory, having already recorded nine contributions in only 13 appearances this term with the U23’s.

Charles Sagoe Jr’s season in numbers

Away from his slight involvement with the first team, Sagoe Jr has been one of the shining lights in Arsenal’s U23 side, scoring three goals and contributing to six assists so far this campaign.

To put into perspective how impressive the 2004-born ace’s numbers are so early into the 2023/24 calendar, in the first team, only Saka has more goal contributions, scoring six and assisting eight in all competitions.

After granting the teenager his debut against the Bees, Arteta dubbed the young forward as being one of the “most consistent players” in the U23s squad, reinforcing how highly the Spaniard regards the academy hopeful.

Already this season, Arsenal have suffered from questionable squad depth as injuries continue to have a detrimental impact on team selection, ensuring players on the cusp such as Sagoe Jr can potentially see more first-team activity in the near future.

It’ll be interesting to see just how the Londoner’s career will unfold if his form this term remains consistent, with Saka being a prized asset to aspire to follow, having made the exact steps that those in Hale End dream of only four years ago.

The 6-0 rout of Everton could have served as a turning point in Chelsea's season, but instead it was marred by a needless fracas

Chelsea's penchant for chaos this season seems to be inescapable. Things could not have been going much better against Everton on Monday night as the Blues were awarded a penalty shortly after the hour mark, already four goals to the good courtesy of an outrageous first-half hat-trick from Cole Palmer and a fine strike from Nicolas Jackson. What a time, then, for all hell to break loose.

With the match already won and only goal difference at stake, both Jackson and Noni Madueke seemed to believe they had a God-given right to take the meaningless spot-kick, racing to snatch the ball before engaging in a very public argument over who should have the responsibility.

After an excruciating few moments, designated-taker Palmer and captain Conor Gallagher stepped in, looking to pull rank, but that still wasn't the end of the matter as Jackson and Madueke continued to argue their cases vociferously, even resorting to shoving their own team-mates. Once the debacle finally subsided, Palmer stepped up to slot the ball away and Chelsea added another in a 6-0 win, but the damage was already done.

"It is impossible to have this type of behaviour after this performance," Pochettino said to Sky Sports after the game. "If we want to be a great team, we need to change and think in a collective way. They’re all involved in this situation. Next time they’re all out. This is not a joke."

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  Not the first time

  Embarrassingly enough, this is not even the first time Chelsea's players have rowed over a spot-kick this season. Back in October, Raheem Sterling tried to wrangle the ball from Palmer during the Premier League clash with Arsenal, with Enzo Fernandez forced to step in as adjudicator. Palmer eventually took it and, of course, scored.

  A repeat of that incident was threatened in March, but on that occasion Palmer willingly handed the responsibility over to Sterling in the FA Cup tie with Leicester, only for the 29-year-old to see his tame effort saved.

  Addressing the October incident after the game, Pochettino was vague in terms of who held the responsibility: "There are a few players who can take the penalty. It’s about their feelings. As a coaching staff we give them the responsibility to decide on the pitch," he said.

  "It’s not only one player, that this player is going to be in charge. It shows that Cole was ready to take the two penalties he took. Normally it is going to be him if he is on the pitch. But if not I’d be happy with Raheem, with Nico (Jackson). For me the most important thing is to have the decision and the personality to go."

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  'You cannot behave like kids'

  The Argentine took a far dimmer view of the squabble this time around, however, labelling his players 'kids' in a departure from the ambiguity of his previous answer and making it abundantly clear that Palmer is the designated taker when he is on the pitch

  "The players know, the staff know, the club know that the penalty taker is Cole Palmer. All that happened after is a shame. I am so, so upset about this situation.

  "We cannot send this type of image. It's a shame. I want to apologise to the people and to our fans because that is unacceptable.

  "The discipline is the most important thing for the team. Of course the players need to show that they have the hunger to score goals and everything but this type of situation, we were talking in a very good way because we need to make the situation clear.

  "But I am not going to accept again this type of behaviour. I am going to be very strong if something like this happens again. I was telling them and I promise this is not going to happen again. It is type of the process that we need to learn when you have a young squad that sometimes the personal aims are in front of the collective."

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  Desire to succeed?

  It could be viewed as a positive thing that, even at 4-0, Chelsea's somewhat less prominent players are still desperate to make an impact and show their manager they have the cajones to step up to the plate, albeit the pressure was well and truly off when Paul Tierney pointed to the spot.

  Winger Madueke has been peripheral all season despite some impressive cameos, including a fine goal in the draw with Sheffield United in the previous fixture. There is no doubt he will have been keen to prove a point to Pochettino on what was the first occasion he has started two league games in a row in 2023-24, with a regular wide role potentially up for grabs as Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk struggle to lay any serious claim.

  Jackson, meanwhile, seems hell-bent on winning over the Chelsea fanbase, having failed to convince certain sections of his qualities despite a creditable return of 13 goals in his debut season in English football, which he has complimented with five assists. He is volatile at the best of times, and in the past fiery players like Diego Costa and Didier Drogba have endeared themselves to the Blues faithful with shows of passion.

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  Or youthful petulance?

  However, Pochettino is right that there is a way you must conduct yourself and there is an obligation to control your emotions in that situation – especially with the score at 4-0, with 40,000 people watching on inside the stadium and millions more at home.

  The scenes were nothing short of embarrassing – tarnishing what was otherwise the Blues' best performance of the season by some stretch; Madueke and Jackson racing to snatch the ball from bystander Malo Gusto, the pair's impassioned argument over who should be taking the penalty, Palmer and captain Gallagher taking an age to pull rank and demand the former assumed the responsibility, and Jackson's ill-advised decision to rush back in to try to grab the ball. Shameful, the lot of it.

  This was a real show of immaturity and a lack of progress, despite the fact there is a little over a month left of the season. Although Thiago Silva did his best to act as peacemaker, this flare-up had Chelsea's young players at its heart, with none of Jackson (22), Madueke (22), Palmer (21), or Gallagher (23) covering themselves in glory. It is unsurprising that the manager has suggested he wants to bring in more experienced players in the summer.

Ollie Palmer has grown accustomed to life on the small screen in Welcome to Wrexham, but has he also been cast in Deadpool 3 by Ryan Reynolds?

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• Hollywood star is co-owner at SToK Racecourse
• About to release another Marvel blockbuster
• Red Dragons striker appears to have cameo role

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hollywood actor Reynolds is preparing for the big release of the latest offering from the Marvel film franchise in which he stars, with Deadpool and Wolverine due to hit cinemas on July 26. He has been teasing trailers for that production on social media.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alongside one of those clips, Reynolds has said: “Found the guy who killed Bambi’s mom.” That comment drew an “if you squint” response from Wrexham striker Palmer – with it now being suggested that the 32-year-old striker enjoys a cameo appearance.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In one scene, a tall man with dark hair and a distinctive beard can be spotted in the bar being attended by Deadpool. The character in question bears a striking resemblance to Wrexham frontman Palmer – who has grown close to Reynolds since moving to SToK Racecourse in January 2022.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Palmer can often been seen laughing and joking with Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary and may have been rewarded for his efforts on the field with a blockbuster movie role – with the Red Dragons heading to League One in 2024 after securing back-to-back promotions.

Manager Ange Postecoglou has shared that one Tottenham player is just waiting to go and prove himself after working very hard in training recently.

Spurs gearing up for Villa clash on Sunday

The Lilywhites, after a third international break in as many months, are gearing up to take on in-form Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow.

Amid an injury and suspension crisis sweeping N17, Spurs could hardly have asked for a more tough next few games, with Premier League champions Man City awaiting Postecoglou after Villa.

Tottenham star now back from injury in December after training return

He’ll be available soon.

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Emilio Galantini

Nov 21, 2023

It's one game at a time for Spurs, though, and Unai Emery's side are next in line to face a Tottenham side who are currently suffering with various absentee issues.

Star defender Cristian Romero will serve the second of a three-game suspension and is set to be unavailable, while Postecoglou is unable to reintroduce star summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until after the new year.

Ashley Phillips, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison and Ryan Sessegnon are also unavailable, with Pape Matar Sarr also a doubt to play against Villa (Postecoglou's latest press conference).

The good news is that left-back Destiny Udogie is back and ready to play, easing the burden somewhat, but a win against Emery's men is now looking like a pretty almighty task.

Spurs come in to the game off the back of two consecutive losses in the Premier League, while Villa have lost just once in their last five with three victories in that time.

Skipp aching to prove himself at Spurs

A lot of the noise before this clash has centred around how Postecoglou will line up without an array of key players.

Tottenham's last shaken-up eleven fell to a dramatic 2-1 defeat away to Wolves, and their manager will be determined to set things right against a much tougher opponent on paper.

Midfielder Oliver Skipp, who's started just one league game all season, hasn't exactly been able to get a look-in ahead of Sarr or Yves Bissouma.

However, Postecoglou's woes appear set to hand Skipp a potential opportunity, especially considering Bissouma will be suspended as well.

Skipp has actually been working very hard in training in an effort to impress, with Postecoglou saying as much in his latest press conference.

"Skippy has been working hard in training," said the Spurs boss (via football.london).

"He’s obviously one of the guys who has stayed back with us — we’ve had four or five. He’s done a lot of good work, the last couple of weeks. He’s working hard, waiting for his opportunity. But that doesn’t mean he can’t make an impact — and he has made an impact coming on during games and helping us.

"The challenge for him, for all the guys, is there’s no doubt the way we are at the moment with the numbers, they’ll all get an opportunity to play. It’s about what they do with that."

The 23-year-old started 18 league games last season, playing fairly regularly under Antonio Conte, but his campaign was during a loan spell at Norwich City in 2020/2021.

Skipp started 44 Championship matches and played a key role on their way to promotion.

Manchester United clearly have the need to strengthen their ranks in the winter transfer market.

The Red Devils have endured a puzzling season to say the least in 2023/24, with obstacles seemingly permanently standing in the way of Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman has had to deal with behind-the-scenes matters concerning Antony and Jadon Sancho while his summer recruits are yet to pull up many trees.

Andre Onana hasn't looked the part since replacing David De Gea, proving to be notably poor in the Champions League during the 3-3 draw with Galatasaray. As for Rasmus Hojlund, he is yet to find the net in the Premier League, even if a handful of European goals have been forthcoming.

The real issues, however, perhaps lie at the back. With Lisandro Martinez unfit and Raphael Varane not trusted, Ten Hag has had to turn to the likes of Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire. Yeah, not great.

Man United's January transfer plans

It won't come as a surprise to see that many of the rumours heading into the January transfer window revolve around defenders.

One target for the club, as per Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenburg is Jean-Clair Todibo. However, their top target is Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva.

It's thought the Portuguese youngster possesses an £88m release clause in his contract which could make any deal an easy, but costly one to wrap up.

Antonio Silva's best qualities

After a Champions League game last season, Jamie Carragher only had praise for a central defender who looks as though he's going right to the very top.

“I mentioned his defensive prowess. But goalscoring there as well. He is going to be a superstar," the former Liverpool star stated.

It's hard to disagree with that viewpoint, particularly when analysing the qualities that make the 23-year-old standout.

According to FBref, Silva ranks in the top 5% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues and continental competitions for short-range pass success with 95.5%. To put that into context, Ruben Dias is the best on the continent in this department over the last year with a 97% accuracy.

Silva is no slouch when it comes to longer passing either, ranking in the very best 1% for medium passes between 15-30 yards. That modern approach will clearly appeal to Ten Hag but the defender is also up for the battle at the back.

He is in the top 3% for percentage of dribblers tackled in Europe and notably, hasn't made a single error leading to an opposition shot on goal.

Antonio Silva's most comparable players

As per FBRef, one of the most similar players to the Benfica star is Arsenal sensation WIlliam Saliba.

The Frenchman has been one of the stars of recent times for Mikel Arteta's men and is a huge reason behind their title-challenging form over the last year.

Evidently, they both boast brilliant progressive attributes, whether it be through passing or carrying the ball, but they very rarely get beaten by their marker when it comes to a one-versus-one duel either.

With the United defence proving to be too much of a pushover without Martinez in the side, adding someone of Silva's calibre to their ranks will no doubt do wonders to help Ten Hag's project at Old Trafford grow.

Giorgio Chiellini has revealed the “mad desire” that fuelled Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, with the Portuguese out to prove a point to Real Madrid.

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• All-time great moved to Italy in 2018
• Spent three seasons in Turin
• Demands highest standards of himself

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blancos did not force the five-time Ballon d’Or winner out of Santiago Bernabeu and were a little surprised to see him leave for Turin in the summer of 2018. The money on offer could not be turned down, though, while CR7 was willing to take on another challenge.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo would go on to spend three years with Juventus, registering over 100 goals while helping them to two Serie A titles. The all-time great was never going to take his foot off the gas in Italy, with relentless ambition ensuring that he is always striving for perfection.

• WHAT CHIELLINI SAID

  Chiellini claims that Ronaldo was determined to get a message across to those in Spain when he joined the Bianconeri, telling the podcast of what drove the Portugal international to perform at his best: “In his first year at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo had a mad desire to prove that he was stronger than Real Madrid.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo hit 28 goals in his debut campaign with Juve, and went on to record 37 and 36 in the next two seasons respectively. He left for Manchester United in 2021 and is currently showing no sign of slowing down at the age of 39 with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr – with the target being found on 47 occasions this season.