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The Argentine national anthem was booed ahead of their Paris Olympics men's football opener amid the racism storm surrounding Enzo Fernandez.

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Argentina's anthem booed in FranceAlbiceleste faced Morocco in their openerTeam targeted post-Fernandez racism controversyWHAT HAPPENED?

Argentina kicked off their journey in the 2024 Paris Olympics men's football on Wednesday as they faced Morocco in the opener in Saint-Etienne. As the Argentina stars stood arm in arm for the national anthem ahead of kick-off they were subjected to jeers and boos from the crowd after Enzo Fernandez filmed himself and his team-mates singing an anti-French racist chant following the senior squad's Copa America triumph.

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The Chelsea star became embroiled in a major controversy after the Albiceleste's Copa America triumph in Miami earlier this month. The midfielder went live on Instagram on board the team bus in the aftermath of their title win against Colombia. Fernandez was one of several culprits singing a song that questioned the heritage of the French national team players and suggested their passports and families were all from Africa. The French Football Federation have since threatened to file a lawsuit for the "abusive remarks of a racial and discriminatory nature". FIFA are also investigating, while Chelsea have already opened an internal disciplinary proceeding against their midfielder for his involvement.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARGENTINA?

An Argentina side featuring Man City's Julian Alvarez would go on to snatch a draw against Morocco despite being 2-1 down deep into injury time. They will be next seen in action on Saturday in their second group game against Iraq.

Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy now want to steal a "world-class" £43m target from Mikel Arteta's title-chasing Arsenal.

Spurs considering another centre-back signing

While a lot of rumours centre around Spurs' chase for a new forward this summer, there have also been suggestions that the Lilywhites want another centre-back despite the signing of Radu Dragusin in January.

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Dragusin's arrival was a welcome boost for Ange Postecoglou, who suffered greatly when Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were ruled out of action over significant periods earlier this season.

The Spurs head coach was even forced to deploy a makeshift centre-back pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies on many occasions, but Dragusin's signing from Serie A means it is very unlikely that Postecoglou will have to resort to such drastic measures.

You'd think Tottenham's hunt for new centre-backs would end with the Romanian, but that apparently isn't the case, as suggested by journalist Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.

“The situation hasn't changed, and Tottenham have always intended to sign two top-level centre-backs across 2024," said Jones.

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

West Ham (away)

April 2nd

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 8th

"They’ve got one through the door, and now, in the summer window, the plan is to go after another. Calafiori and Morato might be mentioned now, but the net is being cast wider than that. They’ve got some interesting options opening up to them. Still, from what I understand, they’re not committing at this stage, even though they want to make early moves in the summer transfer window similar to how they did in the winter market.”

Of the centre-backs linked with moves to N17, there have been many names mentioned – ranging from the marquee to bargain basement.

Tottenham are thought to be interested in the highly-rated Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton, despite claims he could cost as much as £75 million. A far cheaper alternative who the north Londoners are also considering is Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly, with the Englishman's contract set to expire this summer.

Kelly would be free to sign for Spurs on a Bosman deal later in the year, but that hasn't stopped the club from looking at more expensive options abroad.

Tottenham targeting £43 million defender Willian Pacho

One of them, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, is Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho.

The Ecuador international has started 24 Bundesliga games as a mainstay of Eintracht's starting eleven this season, with Dino Toppmoller calling him "world-class".

"Willian is a very clever player," said, Markus Krösche, Frankfurt's sporting director. "Listens well and is quick to implement what's asked of him. His speed and strength in the tackle are what make him stand out."

The South American is well and truly one to watch, and it will be interesting to see if Spurs deem him worthy enough for the investment.

واصل نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، تحقيق الأرقام المميزة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وذلك بعد تألقه في مباراة اليوم ضد تشيلسي.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في قمة لقاءات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز ليفربول بهدفين مقابل هدف.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كورتيس جونز يعلق على هدفه أمام تشيلسي بعد أسيست محمد صلاح.. ويؤكد: لم أغطس

ويعود الفضل في فوز كتيبة آرني سلوت إلى النجم محمد صلاح، الذي سجل الهدف الأول من ضربة جزاء، وصنع الثاني لزميله كورتيس جونز.

وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “أوبتا” العالمية، فإن محمد صلاح سجل وصنع في 34 مباراة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وأوضحت أن هناك لاعبًا واحدًا فقط يتفوق على محمد صلاح في هذا الصدد، وهو النجم السابق لنادي مانشستر يونايتد، حيث سجل وصنع في 36 مباراة.

ويتصدر ليفربول حاليًا جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 21 نقطة، بفارق نقطة عن غريمه مانشستر سيتي.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة لايبزيج يوم الأربعاء المقبل في الجولة الثالثة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، قبل صدام آرسنال في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي يوم الأحد على ملعب “الإمارات”.

Arsenal are rampant. 25 goals. 6 games. 6 wins. The Gunners are well and truly up for the fight in this Premier League title race.

Mikel Arteta’s men have come back from some fun in the Dubai sun to revive their season after a torrid New Year period where not only could they not win, but they couldn’t even score a goal either.

There were relentless cries for a new striker in January and although that point may well still be true, they certainly don’t have any problems finding the net.

In the last three games they have beaten West Ham 6-0, Burnley 5-0 and now Newcastle United 4-1. They are the second top scorers in the Premier League and the best defensive side; if that isn’t title-winning form then we’d like to know what it is.

But who was key to that win? A certain bargain buy in Jorginho shone once more.

Jorginho’s performance in numbers

The Italian was criticised and questioned, perhaps rather maliciously after he was signed in January 2023. Why was Arteta signing a Chelsea player whose best years were behind him?

A fair enough question, but Jorginho has answered his critics and has become one of the most liked players in this Arsenal team over the last year.

He’s a player that doesn’t start every game but when the going gets tough and the difficult fixtures come around, the midfielder is always there.

He won the Man of the Match award in the 3-1 win over Liverpool a few weeks ago and stepped into the centre of the pitch with ease this time too.

Playing at the base of the midfield, it allowed Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard the freedom to play further forward.

The Champions League winner walked away with TNT Sports’ Player of the Match award once more having taken 108 touches of the ball, more than anyone else on the field.

Jorginho also completed 91 of his passes at an 89% success rate. He was fouled twice in his attempts to evade the press and played a key role in Arsenal’s second goal of the game, scored by Kai Havertz.

The former Chelsea man played the ball in behind for Gabriel Martinelli who then laid it on a plate for the German to roll home.

That said, there were a few others who were arguably just as impressive as Jorginho. One of those players was Rice.

Declan Rice’s performance in numbers

Arsenal’s £105m summer signing has been simply sensational since arriving from West Ham. He’s scored big goals, notably against Chelsea and Manchester United and now he’s become a wizard from set plays.

In that 6-0 drubbing over his former club a few weeks ago the midfielder created two goals from a set piece and also found the net with a rasping drive from range.

Rice may not have found the net on this occasion but he registered another assist, supplying the corner which led to a rare strike for the ever-improving Jakub Kiwior who made it 4-0.

It took his tally for the campaign to five assists in the league. However, it was a display that was filled with even more quality elsewhere.

Minutes played

90

Assists

1

Touches

60

Accurate passes

45/48 (94%)

Key passes

4

Crosses

3/6

Aerials won

1/1

Interceptions

1

The club’s record signing completed a staggering 94% of his passes, the best of any side at the Emirates on Saturday evening, with four of those proving to be a key pass.

Furthermore, the England international won 100% of his aerial duels during a dominant display that saw him handed an 8/10 match rating courtesy of Football.London's Kaya Kaynak.

Arsenal have fielded a number of different combinations in midfield throughout 2024, with Havertz lining up alongside Rice but in Jorginho there is a balance in the ‘bigger’ games that looks far better. On Saturday night the pair of them were both phenomenal.

Remember, this is a team still missing Thomas Partey too. Imagine what Arsenal’s central area will look like once he’s back. For Rice, it’ll only be even more beneficial.

While Leeds were in an FA Cup action against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon, they will resume their bid for Championship promotion on Friday with a trip to Bristol City. As it stands, the Whites are sitting in fourth place, one point behind Southampton in third and two back from Ipswich in the automatic promotion spots, albeit having played a game more.

There's still a real possibility that Daniel Farke could strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline on Thursday, with plenty of talk around the possibility of a move for Bournemouth's David Brooks. The Cherries weren't sure on their plan for Brooks earlier in the window, but there was a feeling that he may become available in the last few days of trading.

Speaking after he scored in Bournemouth's 5-0 FA Cup win over Swansea on Thursday night, Brooks said that he'd "love" to stay at the Vitality Stadium but confirmed that he's willing to "explore the opportunities elsewhere" if football isn't "guaranteed".

Meanwhile, manager Andoni Iraola sounded open to letting the player leave, provided that Bournemouth can find a replacement and the finances involved "work for everyone".

"Unplayable" Brooks the subject of Leeds interest

Writing on Twitter, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook reported that along with Southampton, Leeds are showing an interest in Brooks as we approach the deadline.

He noted that Brooks was "unplayable" against Swansea and had shown his suitors that he would be a "great addition" for a side looking to climb back into the Premier League.

Leeds have extra incentive to win Brooks race

Brooks was indeed the star of the show for his side in their meeting with the Swans as they netted five times inside the first half, as you can see in the table below. In addition to his aforementioned goal, he laid two more on a plate for his teammates and created three chances overall.

Goals

1

Shots

3

Assists

2

Key passes

3

Big chances created

2

Brooks looked too good for Championship opposition, and he has enjoyed success in the second tier in the past, having represented both Sheffield United and Bournemouth at that level. In the 2020/21 season, he notched 11 direct goal contributions in 32 league games to fire the south-coast club into the play-offs, and with 0.21 expected assists per 90 minutes, he was one of the best playmakers in the division going by the underlying numbers.

Brooks, of course, would then miss virtually the entirety of the season that followed after his cancer diagnosis, but has thankfully returned to playing. His comments above show that he remains as ambitious as ever, and you can see why he may feel limited by his current situation. Iraola has only named him in the starting lineup for two league games so far, and he's left him unused on the bench seven times.

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It's worth noting that there's an added layer to this particular transfer battle given the relative positions of Southampton and Leeds in the table, so the outcome could be particularly significant in shaping this season's promotion race.

Erik ten Hag and Manchester United made significant changes to their goalkeepeing ranks in the summer, allowing David de Gea to leave as a free agent at the end of his contract and shelling out over £47m on a replacement in Inter Milan's Andre Onana.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils banked up to £20m from the permanent departure of Dean Henderson, who joined Crystal Palace, and they sold youngster Matej Kovar to Bayer Leverkusen for just under £8m. Altay Bayindir came in from Turkish club Fenerbache in a £4.2m deal to fill the void.

Now, it's emerged that a surprise name is working with Onana and Bayindir behind the scenes at United's Carrington training ground after Ten Hag granted a request.

Joe Lewis steps up to first-team Man Utd training

As reported by The Mirror, 36-year-old Joe Lewis is training with United's first-team to keep up his fitness levels. Lewis, a free agent, had been taking part in under-21 sessions, but he asked Ten Hag whether he could step up to the senior side, and the Dutchman gave him the green light.

There's "no indication" at this stage that Lewis will be offered a permanent deal by the club, but it's noted that Jonny Evans' second spell at the club began as an informal training arrangement, so we can't rule it out entirely.

Lewis never truly realised potential after England call-up

Lewis graduated from the Norwich City academy but never made a senior appearance for the club, spending time on loan at Stockport and Morecambe before a permanent switch to Peterborough in 2008.

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He spent four years with the Posh, making nearly 200 appearances, before joining Cardiff City, where he played his only-ever Premier League game – a 1-1 draw with Hull City in September 2013.

The next two seasons saw him make temporary moves to Blackpool and Fulham, and he then joined Aberdeen on a free transfer in 2016. The Dons are the team he's represented the most, but his time there came to an end last summer.

Joe Lewis clubs

Joined

Left

Apps

Norwich

–

2008

0

Stockport (loan)

2007

2007

5

Morecambe (loan)

2007

2008

22

Peterborough

2008

2012

189

Cardiff

2012

2016

5

Blackpool (loan)

2014

2015

36

Fulham (loan)

2015

2016

9

Aberdeen

2016

2023

272

At the international level, meanwhile, Lewis played five times for England's under-21 side but never truly lived up to the early potential he showed. Fabio Capello did call him up to the Three Lions' senior squad at one stage, but he didn't get the chance to make his debut.

A number of top Premier League teams have seen the benefit of keeping a vastly experienced stopper around as their third-choice, be it Adrian at Liverpool or Scott Carson at Manchester City, but United already have 37-year-old Tom Heaton to play that role, so unfortunately it seems there isn't a first-team opening Lewis. Realistically, his main hope will be that the teams further down the football pyramid take note of the fact that he's been training with Ten Hag's side, and make him an offer.

Tottenham Hotspur could strike a pretty cheap move for a defender who's been starring for his country this year, according to reports this week.

Postecoglou demands early Spurs signings in January

Following a series of injuries and suspensions this season, manager Ange Postecoglou has told Spurs to make early signings in January.

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Defence is a particular weak spot, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both out injured. Indeed, manager Postecoglou's continued lack of faith in Eric Dier has forced the Australian to use makeshift pair Emerson Royal and Ben Davies once again.

Spurs' winning streak came to an end on Thursday night, losing 4-2 to Brighton, and it was their first match without Romero since Postecoglou ruled him out for five to five weeks.

"It's another challenge for us, with two games in a short space of time and a smallish squad available," said Postecoglou on Romero's injury, later insisting Spurs need to seal early January signings amid their squad shortage (via The Mail).

"Obviously if we can do business early it's great, not just because of losing Romero, but there's a whole month there – why waste it?

Spurs rumoured centre-back targets for January	Latest update
Trevoh Chalobah	20th December
Jean-Clair Todibo	20th December
Morato	19th December
Radu Dragusin	16th December
Sebastian Caceres	14th December
Jarrad Branthwaite	13th December

"Even if they don't play, you can bed them into training and our style of football, because it's not like we're going to sign somebody and they'll hit the ground running. Whereas if you leave it towards the end of January, it's potentially not until the middle or end of February when they get up to speed, depending on the league they're coming from.

'I'd love to do something early, but even me saying that puts a challenge on us. Other clubs know we want to do something early, but I'm hopeful it will be much earlier than the end of the window before we bring someone in."

Tottenham have been linked with a host of centre-backs as we approach the winter transfer market's reopening, and one of them is Club America defender Sebastian Caceres.

Spurs could strike really cheap Caceres move

The Uruguay international has been a star for his country under former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa this year, with Caceres attracting serious interest from Spurs as a result.

His Club America contract expires in December 2024, meaning the Mexican side either have to agree a new deal for Caceres or sell him sooner rather than later.

Now, according to journalist Jonatan Pena, Tottenham and other interested sides could strike a deal for Caceres at under £8 million – which would come as a pretty affordable fee where chairman Daniel Levy is concerned.

Caceres has been praised by members of the media in his homeland as an "untouchable" star of his national team, making that fee seem like a price worth paying.

Kieran McKenna edged out Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to the top LMA award amid rumours he is in line to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.

• McKenna fired Ipswich to the Premier League
• Beat Guardiola & Arteta to prestigious individual accolade
• Chelsea want him as their new manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  McKenna has achieved remarkable success with Ipswich, leading them back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence. Under his guidance, Ipswich finished second in the Championship, just one point behind Leicester City, securing back-to-back promotions. This season, Everton's Sean Dyche, Aston Villa's Unai Emery, and Portsmouth's John Mousinho were also shortlisted for the LMA's Manager of the Year prize. Although Guardiola lost out in the overall category, he bagged the Premier League Manager of the Season award, while Liverpool's Matt Beard received the Women's Super League Manager of the Season prize.

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  WHAT MCKENNA SAID

  "This award is one of the most humbling and proudest moments of my life," McKenna said after winning the award.

  "It's the best thing in the world and I've had good experience as a first-team coach, but to be a manager in the Premier League and go up against great managers is going to be a great challenge and something I can't wait for."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKenna's reputation has grown rapidly amid his incredible stint with the Tractor Boys. According to Chelsea are keen to secure McKenna’s services after they parted ways with Pochettino by mutual consent. Since being acquired by Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital group two years ago, Chelsea has aimed to operate collaboratively, seeking a young, progressive coach who aligns with their vision. McKenna fits this profile, and Chelsea have been in talks with his representatives for several weeks. Brighton are also interested in McKenna to replace Roberto De Zerbi, but have seen their negotiations slow due to Chelsea’s involvement.

  report further mentions that despite the initial promise of stability under Pochettino, Chelsea had concerns about his tactical approach, with some sources describing his training methods as outdated. Furthermore, Pochettino’s desire for greater control over signings was not to be accommodated.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  While McKenna is a leading candidate, Chelsea are considering other options as well. Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Girona’s Míchel, Leicester’s Enzo Maresca, and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness are all on their shortlist. Vincent Kompany, despite Burnley’s relegation, is also being viewed as a potential dark horse.

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has been nominated for the PFA League Two Fans' Player of the Year after another exceptional campaign.

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Star striker up for another awardScored 24 goals in League TwoSigned new contract back in JanuaryWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old striker played a pivotal role in 2023/24 as the Red Dragons secured back-to-back automatic promotions. Mullin suffered a punctured lung and three broken ribs in a pre-season match against Manchester United but returned in early September and went on to bag an impressive 24 goals in 38 league games.

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Mullin finished second in the League Two scoring charts, four goals behind fellow award nominee and Notts County star Macaulay Langstaff. Newport's Will Evans, Stockport duo Ben Hinchcliffe and Issac Olaofe, Mansfield's Davis Keillor-Dunn, Salford's Matt Smith and Notts County's Jodi Jones make up the rest of the eight contenders for the accolade.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mullin's dazzling displays under Phil Parkinson saw him named Wrexham's Player of the Year for the third consecutive season – a new club record. He also brought up his 100th goal for the Red Dragons in April's 2-1 win at Colchester.

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Getty/GOAL compositeWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN AND WREXHAM?

Wrexham and Mullin are currently in the process of relaxing ahead of their League One adventure next term. The striker penned a new contract until 2027 back in January and is firmly set to continue his starring role for Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Manchester United are already 24 matches into the new season, but they are yet to wake from their pre-season slumber. The Red Devils are currently in sixth place in the Premier League, yet they have been dumped out of the EFL Cup and the Champions League already.

Erik ten Hag’s side lacks a clear identity, and that was on display against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford this week, with the hosts losing 1-0 in a must-win match.

We witnessed that Ten Hag had very few attacking options on the bench to change the game, therefore, he will look for a versatile forward this window to bolster his squad.

Man Utd transfers latest – Mathys Tel

As per Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg via X, Man Utd have inquired about loaning the French attacker, who is worth £26m as per CIES Football Observatory, in an attempt to bolster their attack.

However, both Bayern and Mathys Tel have declined any approaches for the time being, and a move is extremely unlikely.

The reason for this is that the youngster aims to develop his game by learning from the very best, Harry Kane, and he believes he will continue to get more minutes under Thomas Tuchel.

Kane is a notable admirer of the young talent, previously saying: "He’s started the season really well. I like the way he trains. He’s always pushing himself and is fully committed. Every time he came in he made a difference and is very confident."

How Mathys Tel compares to Antony

Tel has previously been described as a “pure talent” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and the forward has notably been influential off the bench for Bayern this campaign, contributing to a handful of important late goals already.

Despite only starting four games across all 19 appearances, the 18-year-old has scored six goals and registered three assists, with five of those coming from zero Bundesliga starts.

The Bayern attacker is also extremely versatile, which means he can be counted on in multiple scenarios. He has played as a centre-forward, a left winger, and a right winger this season, with the latter being particularly important to Manchester United.

Indeed, Red Devils winger Antony has failed to live up to his high expectations since joining the club, and after 16 matches this season, he is without a single goal contribution. It is clear that the duo’s profiles differ, with Tel possessing more pace, natural goal-scoring tendencies, and directness.

Below is a table that compares some of their most important stats from the last 365 days across Europe's top five leagues.

Tel vs Antony stats

Stats (per 90)

Tel

Antony

Goals

1.06

0.11

Shots total

4.83

3.21

Successful take-ons

3.93

1.71

Touches (Att pen)

10.57

4.06

Carries into penalty area

2.87

1.46

Stats via FBref.

Although his sample size is much smaller, you can see that Tel is far more direct than the Brazilian, using his taller frame and skilful technique to take on opponents and make things happen in a similar way to how Alejandro Garnacho performs on the left. The Frenchman is also a more “exciting” attacker who has a bright future, according to Jacek Kulig.

Antony is also often found on the touchline, which is perfect from a build-up, possessional perspective, but he is rarely found in the box, with his touches in the opponent’s penalty area much lower than Tel’s.

The difference is that in a scenario where the ball is on the left in attack, Antony would look to hold the width, whereas the Bayern star would be looking to get in the box at the far post, in a similar way to how Sadio Mane used to operate at Liverpool.

Overall, Tel would bring more output to the United side than Antony currently does, but there seems to be no movement whatsoever regarding this deal, which means Manchester United may have to turn their attention elsewhere.