تحدث الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن أزمة انضمام لاعبي نادي بيراميدز إلى صفوف منتخب مصر، وذلك في ظل مشاركتهم المنتظرة مع فريقهم في بطولة كأس القارات (الإنتركونتيننتال)، مؤكدًا أن الموقف يحتاج إلى تنسيق واضح بين اتحاد الكرة وإدارة النادي.
وقال شوبير في تصريحاته الإذاعية: “لدينا مشكلة فيما يخص لاعبي بيراميدز، فهناك حديث مستمر حول انضمامهم من عدمه، سيضم المنتخب أحمد الشناوي ومحمد حمدي ومهند لاشين ومصطفى فتحي، لكنهم سيشاركون أولًا مع فريقهم في مباراة نصف نهائي كأس القارات (الإنتركونتيننتال) أمام الفائز من مباراة كروز آزول وفلامينجو البرازيلي، المقرر إقامتها في ملعب أحمد بن علي بقطر. وإذا فازوا فسيتأهلون لمواجهة باريس سان جيرمان في النهائي”.
وتابع: “سيكون هناك تنسيق بين المهندس هاني أبو ريدة وإدارة بيراميدز، لكن سنرى اليوم ما إذا كان اللاعبون سيسافرون أم لا، وعندما تسألني، أقول نعم، يجب أن يسافروا ويلعبوا مع فريقهم”.
وأضاف: “تخيلوا لو كان النادي الأهلي في الموقف نفسه! الأهلي شارك في كأس العالم للأندية دون لاعبيه الدوليين، ومع ذلك فاز على مونتيري المكسيكي وحصلنا في تلك البطولة على المركز الثالث، لكن وقتها كانوا في منتصف بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية، وكان هذا خطأ متكررًا من الفيفا”.
طالع أيضًا | شيكابالا: أنتظر تكرار سيناريو الأرجنتين مع منتخب مصر في كأس العرب
واستكمل: “لكن هنا الوضع مختلف؛ فمباراة المنتخب الودية مع نيجيريا ليست رسمية، ومن حق لاعبي بيراميدز أن يذهبوا مع ناديهم لأنه في مهمة تاريخية، يجب أن يسافروا ويشاركوا، ثم يعودوا للانضمام إلى المنتخب الأول، خاصة أن النهائي – إذا وصلوا – سيكون قبل دخول المنتخب في إطار المباريات الرسمية”.
وواصل: “أتمنى أن يسافر لاعبو بيراميدز بسلام، وأن يشاركوا بنجاح، ثم ينضموا بعدها مباشرة إلى المنتخب الوطني، مباراة مصر ونيجيريا في النهاية ليست سوى مباراة ودية، ولا يجب أن تتعارض مع مهمة رسمية يخوضها نادٍ يمثل الكرة المصرية”.
واختتم: “ذكرت لكم من قبل أننا كنا نستعد لمباراة فاصلة بين الأهلي والزمالك في ختام الدوري، لكن اتحاد الكرة أصر على سفرنا لمعسكر في يوغسلافيا، وذهبنا ولم نجد فرقًا نخوض أمامها مباريات ودية، ولعبنا ضد فرق ضعيفة للغاية وفزنا بنتائج مبالغ فيها، كانت معاندة لا داعي لها، وفي النهاية فقد الأهلي اللقب، والمنتخب خسر البطولة العربية، لذلك، أنا مؤيد تمامًا لسفر لاعبي بيراميدز، وأن يشاركوا في مباراتهم أو المباراتين ثم يعودوا للانضمام لمنتخب مصر”.
As Sabrina Ionescu tried to help the New York Liberty stay undefeated in the regular season and win their second Commissioner's Cup game, she set a franchise record along the way.
She entered Thursday night's game against the Washington Mystics at 399 career three-pointers—one short of a milestone three that would also tie her for the most in Liberty history. Two minutes into the game, she made the 400th three-point field goal of her career, tying Crystal Robinson for the most in a Liberty uniform. Four minutes later, she broke the tie on a fast break off a dish from Natasha Cloud.
Here are both record-setting treys in order:
Robinson's record has stood for 20 years—she played for the Liberty from 1999 to '05. New York is one of just three original WNBA franchises (Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury) that remain active in their original location.
According to the team, Ionescu also became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 400 three-pointers. She reached the feat in her 151st career game, beating the record previously set by the league's all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi by seven games.
Through seven games this season, Ionescu is averaging 17.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7% from three on eight attempts each contest. Now, she can widen the gap as the Liberty's leading three-point shooter.
A major row has broken out in English cricket, with T20 freelancers claiming they have been blindsided by a new ECB policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs). Players have requested an emergency meeting next week as they work out the implications of changes that ECB chief executive Richard Gould says are designed to “protect the integrity of our sport”.A group of England’s leading T20 freelancers – players without national contracts who are on white-ball-only deals with their counties – feel the move is designed to restrict their opportunities, with a handful of them said to have reacted furiously to the new policy. They are discussing their options both with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), and among themselves in a WhatsApp group chat.These could include a legal challenge, citing restraints of trade. “The PCA’s legal team is currently completing a thorough check of the implementation of the policy,” Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’ s interim chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “The PCA is continuing to source considered opinions and potential consequences of this policy from players and player representatives.”The PCA was aware of potential changes in how counties and the ECB would approach the granting of NOCs, but Mitchell said there was “clear frustration at the lack of time given for consultation, discussion and debate” before the ECB published the policy on Thursday. He added that players had “strongly expressed their concerns” over elements of the new NOCs policy, including “the inconsistencies [at the way] in which players are likely to be treated.”The ECB’s new policy, which was granted board approval on Wednesday, comes in response to the proliferation of new franchise leagues during the English season. The most significant among these is Major League Cricket (MLC), but English players have also featured in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), T10 competitions in Zimbabwe and the Cayman Islands, and the long-established Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Next year, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has shifted its usual dates and will be held in April-May, clashing with the early months of the County Championship season. The ECB’s move is designed to avoid a significant talent drain away from English domestic competitions, and players with standard all-format county contracts will not be granted NOCs to play in the PSL.Most significantly, the ECB’s new approach will be to deny NOCs for any league that overlaps with the T20 Blast or the Hundred on the basis that granting them could “compromise the predictability, stability and consistency of the ECB competitions.”The move would affect players such as Jason Roy and Alex Hales, who skipped parts of the Blast in 2024 to instead feature in MLC and the LPL respectively. One UK-based player agent told ESPNcricinfo: “The problem is that everything clashes with the Blast, because it’s so bloody long.”Some players feel as though the changes are designed primarily to protect the Hundred during the ongoing sales process, with the tournament’s salaries seen as uncompetitive. The ECB is planning significant wage hikes in the 2026 season once deals to sell stakes in the eight teams to private investors are fully signed off, with smaller increases expected ahead of the 2025 edition.The IPL will retain its outlier status, with the ECB continuing to issue NOCs for English players unless they are centrally contracted and having their workloads managed. Twelve England players were signed in last weekend’s mega-auction, including two — Moeen Ali and Jamie Overton — without any form of ECB contract, while others could yet sign replacement deals.Several players who either went unsold in the auction, such as Adil Rashid and Tymal Mills, or did not register for it, like David Willey and Dawid Malan, could instead play in the PSL, though players are awaiting details over the recruitment process for the 2025 season. These could be determined at an upcoming meeting in early December.The ECB also intends to avoid granting NOCs in situations which it feels could compromise the integrity of overseas leagues, under their new policy. ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this year widespread concerns around the scenarios emerging during the packed franchise calendar in February, which saw some players standing to earn more money if their teams were eliminated early than if they reached the knockout stages.Players without England contracts must have NOCs signed off by both their primary domestic teams and the ECB. Under the new policy, the ECB will not grant an NOC if it has “any concerns that the [relevant] overseas tournament poses or may pose a risk from a corruption perspective, or may put… the integrity of the game at risk.”Gould said: “There’s never been a better time to be a cricket player, with more opportunities than ever for players to compete in competitions around the globe and be well paid for it. But we need to protect the integrity of our sport and the strength of our competitions in England and Wales as well.”This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No-Objection Certificates. It will enable us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to take up opportunities to earn and gain experience, while also protecting the integrity of cricket globally, ensuring we don’t undermine our own ECB competitions, and managing the welfare of centrally contracted England players.”There are also concerns that several players will seek to renegotiate their county contracts as an unintended consequence of the new policy. Some players may consider moving from all-format deals to white-ball deals which contain a ‘pay-as-you-play’ red-ball element to them – similar to those signed by Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood at Lancashire.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, it could well prove to be a nervy month for those of a Celtic persuasion, with talk already rife regarding significant interest in emerging superstar, Nicolas Kuhn.
Reportedly on the list for the likes of Premier League side Brentford – amid suggestions of a £25m price tag – the German has caught the attention after a stunning start to the campaign, scoring ten goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 17 games in all competitions.
Having been signed for roughly £3m back in January this year, the Hoops look set to make a significant profit on the 24-year-old in the near future, albeit amid the hope of keeping the wing wizard on board for a good few years yet.
Debate over whether or not the former Rapid Vienna star will leave in the winter is perhaps for another day, with it instead best to celebrate the impact that Kuhn is making in the here and now.
Celtic – Top scorers by season
Season
Player
Games
Goals
2024/25*
Nicolas Kuhn
17
10
2023/24
Matt O’Riley
49
19
2023/24
Kyogo Furuhashi
50
19
2022/23
Kyogo Furuhashi
50
34
2021/22
Kyogo Furuhashi
33
20
2020/21
Odsonne Edouard
40
22
2019/20
Odsonne Edouard
47
29
Stats via Transfermarkt
Praise should most certainly be directed toward the recruitment team and manager Brendan Rodgers, with the club having enjoyed a fair few hits in the market of late, despite some early misses…
Rodgers' recent Celtic signings
The Northern Irishman’s second stint in charge at Parkhead began in auspicious fashion, with the summer window in 2023 going down like a lead balloon.
Among those signed, Gustaf Lagerbielke has since been shipped on loan to FC Twente – with Hyeok-kyu Kwon also now at Hibernian – while Marco Tilio returned to Australia faster than you could blink.
Equally, both Maik Nawrocki and Odin Holm have still yet to settle after making just four appearances combined this term, while Luis Palma has also tumbled down the pecking order after starting just two games so far in 2024/25.
Those may be the negatives, but it has been a largely positive tale since then, with Kuhn arriving in January, before the likes of Kasper Schmeichel were added in the most recent window.
The experienced Dane – who was acquired on a free transfer – has since kept 11 clean sheets in just 18 outings in all competitions, while ahead of him, young loanee Alex Valle has slotted in smoothly, with three assists to his name already.
More will be expected of £9.5m man, Adam Idah, in attack, after a return of just five goals thus far, although in the midfield ranks, the Matt O’Riley void has been somewhat filled with the additions of Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan.
One further capture that certainly raised a few eyebrows was that of Auston Trusty, but the former Sheffield United man is swiftly repaying his £6m transfer fee.
The Celtic star who's on par with a £68m sensation
Celtic supporters may have been fearing a Lagerbielke or Nawrocki repeat when Trusty rocked up in Glasgow over the summer, with the centre-back ranks having endured something of a merry-go-round of late.
Auston Trusty
Early performances were hardly too inspiring either, with the United States international looking uncomfortable lining up in a right centre-back berth, in the absence of compatriot Cameron Carter-Vickers, having notably been part of the side that shipped seven away in Dortmund.
That said, ever since the heroic performance in Bergamo against Europa League holders, Atalanta – which pundit Frank McAvennie described as his “best game for Celtic” – the lanky left-footer has looked far more composed, having ousted the reliable Liam Scales as the starting partner to Carter-Vickers.
The Premiership may not always provide the strongest test, but Trusty has shown his class, and then some, on the Champions League stage, having also been “phenomenal” in the deserved 3-1 win over RB Leipzig earlier this month, as per Chris Sutton.
It is performances like that which have ensured that the one-time Arsenal man – who notably shackled a certain Benjamin Sesko when facing the Bundesliga side – now ranks as the top defensive centre-back outside of Europe’s top five leagues, as per the great minds at CIES Football Observatory.
Interestingly, that top ten list also includes Sporting CP sensation, Ousmane Diomande, with the Ivorian starlet placing just behind Trusty in third, having also dazzled in Portugal of late under Ruben Amorim’s watch.
Why is this important? Well, it is worth noting that Diomande – like Kuhn – is courting the attention of clubs across Europe, with the likes of Arsenal and Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur both chasing the 20-year-old, who boasts a £68m release clause in his contract.
Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande.
Again, it is not as if the Old Firm side will – or should – be contemplating making a possible profit on Trusty so soon into his Parkhead stint, yet that comparison to Diomande illustrates the impact he is making in his new surroundings.
A £68m valuation is fanciful for the American machine, but what can be said is that perhaps the centre-back’s £6m fee no longer looks that hefty. Instead, if current performances are anything to go by, it could prove a bargain.
He's outscoring Kuhn: Rodgers could land his next Dembele at Celtic
Celtic are believed to be in the market for another centre-forward
Captain Ashton Turner and Cameron Bancroft combined for a blistering partnership to power Perth Scorchers into the BBL grand final with a seven-wicket victory over arch-rival Sydney Sixers at a hostile Optus Stadium.Chasing 152, Scorchers were in major trouble at 22 for 3 before Turner and Bancroft mowed down the target with ease much to the delight of a rowdy crowd of 41,126.After a sloppy performance, Sixers host the winner of Sunday’s knockout final between Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat.Turner and Bancroft smash SixersChasing 152 was not going to be easy on a two-paced surface, where batting has generally been quite difficult this season. That proved the case when Scorchers were reeling before Turner and Bancroft came to the rescue.As former coach Justin Langer noted on the Seven broadcast, the pair are close friends and have lived together previously. They also run between the wickets well as they showed early in the partnership to knock the ball around to dig Scorchers out of trouble.Related
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Not for the first time this season, Turner was at his best in a tricky chase and he calmly overwhelmed the Sixers bowlers with a career best 84 off 47 balls.Bancroft also hit a half-century and has enjoyed a strong campaign after struggling for a regular spot earlier in the season. They had some luck along the way, but it was a belligerent display that was lapped up by an increasingly vocal crowd as the match finished before sunset.Sixers rue selecting spin-heavy attackSixers made a selection gamble by dropping quick Jackson Bird even though he had taken 2 for 26 last start against Hurricanes and bowled well at Optus Stadium in the season opener.It didn’t seem to matter when spearhead Sean Abbott ripped the heart out of Scorchers batting, including the big wickets of in-form duo Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis.But after his devastating burst, Sixers lacked options with spinners Steve O’Keefe, who replaced Bird, and Izharulhaq Naveed ineffective and juxtaposed with a Scorchers attack that didn’t use spin in the Sixers innings.O’Keefe in the 13th over should have claimed the wicket of Bancroft, whose skied ball fell in the middle of three Sixers fielders who looked at each other puzzled. It was the last chance for Sixers, who will have to lick their wounds quickly.David Payne’s acrobatic caught-and-bowled effect got Steven Smith out•Getty Images
Payne steps up, Hardie has mixed bagThere were doubts whether left-arm quick David Payne was going to take his place after struggling with flu-like symptoms and he had to be isolated from his team-mates.But Payne was well enough to play in a major boost for Scorchers attack missing quicks Jhye Richardson and Matt Kelly. He proved his worth with the key wicket of Steven Smith in a spectacular return catch and he also snared Moises Henriques and Hayden Kerr in consecutive deliveries to end his spell.Englishman Payne has proven a vital recruit for Scorchers as underlined in a starring role against Sixers, where he hit the pitch hard and bowled slower short-pitched deliveries forcing batters to hit to the longer square boundaries.It was a see-saw of an innings best exemplified by Hardie’s mixed bag, where he snared a brilliant leaping one-handed grab to dismiss Kurtis Patterson only to drop Smith with a sitter.He also dropped a tough return catch off a high hit from Abbott as Scorchers finished satisfied with their efforts restricting Sixers but they knew it could have been better.Smith has rare failure, Henriques rallies SixersSmith hoped to finish his whirlwind BBL stint in style, but this loomed as his biggest challenge of the season. He received a hostile reception from the Scorchers faithful when he was jeered during the pre-game announcement of teams and Smith was left frustrated by being devoid of the strike.In the second over, Smith top-edged a short delivery from speedster Lance Morris into the crowd but he faced just two balls in the first 17 balls of the innings.Smith was unable to find the rhythm which lit a fuse under the BBL and he struggled against the pace of Morris during a mouth-watering contest. He received a big reprieve when Hardie dropped a sitter at mid-off but Smith couldn’t capitalise and he fell for 18 to a superb return catch from Payne after mistiming a drive.It was left to skipper Henriques, who cashed in on being dropped on 18 to steady Sixers alongside veteran Jordan Silk in an 88-run partnership. But Sixers fell away and their total was not nearly enough.
da 888casino： Leeds United are set to be without winger Dan James for their clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the last Premier League match before the international break on Saturday.
da pinup bet： The Wales international has suffered an ankle injury and is now set to be out of action for “weeks”, per reporter Graham Smyth, which is a blow for Daniel Farke.
James has yet to deliver a goal or an assist in the Premier League in four appearances so far this season, but he was a key player for the Whites in the Championship.
The 27-year-old speedster ended the 2024/25 campaign with an eye-catching return of 12 goals and nine assists in 36 appearances in the second tier, as Leeds racked up 100 points to win the title, per Sofascore.
His absence in the coming weeks means that Farke will need to find solutions in the right-wing position to make sure that Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have enough support at the top end of the pitch.
Brenden Aaronson has shown some promising signs this season as a right winger, but it is now time for the USA international to step up and prove his worth.
Why Brenden Aaronson needs to step up for Leeds
The American attacking midfielder has started the club’s last three matches in the Premier League on the right flank, and is yet to deliver a goal or an assist in the division this season.
Aaronson’s lack of quality in the final third is a cause for concern for the West Yorkshire outfit, because it was a big problem for him and Leeds in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
The Whites were relegated from the division that season after Jesse Marsch brought the American in from RB Salzburg, and his struggles in front of goal played a role in that failure.
22/23 Premier League
Brenden Aaronson
Percentile rank vs AMs
xG
3.87
Top 37%
Goals
1
Bottom 21%
Assists
3
Top 36%
Dribble success rate
41.5%
Bottom 23%
Duel success rate
39.8%
Bottom 33%
Aerial duel success rate
17%
Bottom 12%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Aaronson underperformed in front of goal as a finisher, scoring between two and three fewer than expected, whilst he was also a liability out of possession.
The 24-year-old lightweight, who has lost 67% of his aerial duels this season (Sofascore), needs to show that he can be relied upon physically and technically, because his Premier League career to date has been underwhelming.
Aaronson, who failed to provide a single goal contribution against the top six in the Championship last season, has created three ‘big chances’ in the top-flight this term, but he needs to add a greater goal threat and more reliability physically to his game.
With James out for weeks with an ankle injury, the USMNT star may get a few more opportunities to prove his worth from the start in the Premier League.
Chalkboard
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Whilst Aaronson is looking to change his reputation at Elland Road, there is another player in the squad who is on the opposite path and is in danger of becoming the next version of the American.
Ao Tanaka was a certified star for Leeds in the Championship last season as part of Farke’s dominant possession-based side that stormed the league. The step up to the Premier League, however, has come as a bit of a culture shock to the central midfielder.
Why Ao Tanaka might become the new Brenden Aaronson
The Japan international won the Players’ Player of the Year award for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows what his teammates thought of his exceptional performances in the second tier.
Tanaka, who was described as a “tiger” by Farke, won 55% of his duels across 43 appearances in the Championship. He was dominant in his physical battles, per Sofascore, whilst also providing quality at the top end of the pitch.
The 27-year-old midfield maestro scored five goals and provided two assists in the division for the Whites, to go along with his tigerish play out of possession.
However, the step up in physicality in the top-flight has left Tanaka struggling to break his way back into the team ahead of Sean Longstaff, Ethan Ampadu, and Anton Stach.
Journalist Graham Smyth recently raised concerns over the midfielder, saying: “My concern with Tanaka was physicality in the Premier League. He got run over a few times towards the end of the last season. I worried a little bit, against the most elite athletes in the Premier League.”
The central midfielder has played four times in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and he has struggled to deal with the ‘most elite athletes’ that he is now up against in the top-flight.
25/26 Premier League
Ao Tanaka
Percentile rank vs CMs
Tackles
1
Bottom 5%
Duels won
3
Bottom 3%
Duel success rate
16.7%
Bottom 3%
Ball recoveries
8
Bottom 28%
Dribbled past
6x
Bottom 5%
Fouls committed
2
Bottom 25%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Tanaka ranks incredibly poorly among his positional peers in a host of defensive and physical metrics, which illustrates how difficult the adaptation to the league has been for him, winning just 17% of his duels.
Per Sofascore, the midfield star has not won a single aerial duel in 169 minutes of action in the Premier League, whilst he has also lost 80% of his duels on the ground in that time.
Tanaka lost four of his five duels in a ten-minute cameo against Bournemouth on Saturday, per Sofascore, which led Smyth to express his concerns over the midfielder’s struggles with the physicality of the Premier League.
Of course, he has only played four matches in the division, and there is still plenty of time left for him to adapt to the physical nature of the league, but his performances so far have been concerning.
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Therefore, Tanaka is in danger of becoming the next Aaronson at Elland Road, as the American lightweight has struggled with the physicality of the division throughout his career in West Yorkshire.
Michail Antonio will go down as one of West Ham United’s modern-day greats.
Earlier this week, the club confirmed that the Jamaican international had left the club following the expiration of his contact.
Thus, in need of a new striker, has Graham Potter identified his top target?
West Ham's search for a new striker
Antonio joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest a decade ago for a reported fee of £7m, initially signed as a right-back, but ultimately transformed into their best centre-forward of the 21st century, scoring 83 goals in claret and blue, making him the club’s record scorer of all-time in the Premier League.
Michail Antonio.
His final appearance for West Ham came in December, suffering a life-threatening car crash soon after, stating himself “I was close to dying”, before returning to competitive football earlier this summer, featuring in all three of Jamaica’s matches at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.
Even at 35, Antonio will take some replacing, but have the Irons identified their man?
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, according to French outlet wiw Sports, West Ham have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms to sign Idrissa Gueye from Metz, adding that negotiations have reached the final stages.
Elsewhere, a report by Foot Mercato claims that the deal will cost €15m (around £13m), adding that both Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund had previously been interested in the youngster.
Well, if his West Ham career turns out to be even half as successful as the aforementioned Antonio, that’ll prove to be a bargain.
What Idrissa Gueye will bring to West Ham
Given that he is just 18 years old, not a lot is widely known about Gueye, so what do we know?
Well, he came through the famous Génération Foot academy in Senegal, before following the familiar pathway from there to Metz, a path trodden by Sadio Mané, Papiss Cissé, Ismaïla Sarr, Pape Matar Sarr and former hammer Diafra Sakho, as well as many others, in recent years.
What makes Gueye interesting is that he only made this jump in January, scoring five goals in 17 regular-season Ligue 2 games, thereby averaging a goal every 222 minutes.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio
This saw les Grenats finish third, subsequently beating both Dunkerque and then Stade Reims in the play-offs as they won promotion back to Ligue 1.
Speaking to French outlet Lesoleil, Metz sporting director Frédéric Arpinon stated that Gueye “reminds me a little” of Olivier Giroud, adding “I hope for him that he will have the same trajectory”.
Elsewhere, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider labels him ‘one of the hottest properties’ in European football, while Sébastien Denis of Foot Mercato asserts that he is a “diamond” of a striker.
Gueye won Metz’s player of the month, as well as Ligue 2 young player of the month during an eye-catching February, so let’s assess his statistics.
Idrissa Gueye Ligue 2 statistics
Statistics per 90
Gueye
Ligue 2 rank
Goals
0.41
14th
Shots
2.53
18th
Goals-per-shot on target
0.45
18th
Big chances missed
0.4
54th
Average Sofa Score rating
6.97
20th*
*amongst strikers only.
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore
As the table emphasises, Gueye is a player of enormous talent, but one who is still very raw, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering, as recently as January, he was plying his trade in the Senegalese Premier League which, according to the CAF association rankings, is the 17th strongest league in Africa.
So why will he be the ideal Antonio replacement?
Michail Antonio.
Well, West Ham already boast Niclas Füllkrug and have also signed Callum Wilson on a free transfer, both of whom are vastly experienced, allowing Gueye to learn from them, and not demanding that he is a starter from day one.
According to Global Football Rankings, Ligue 2 is the 30th strongest league in the world, making it the fifth best second-tier on the planet, behind the EFL Championship (11th), the Zweite Bundesliga (17th), Serie B (19th) and the Segunda División (24th).
Thus, Gueye has already proven he can score goals at a relatively high level, Ligue 2 is one place above the Saudi Pro League interestingly, and he appears to have all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
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The T20 finisher has not played 50-over cricket since his four ODIs in 2023 and has no plans to play any this year despite opportunities being available in a new-look Australia ODI team
Alex Malcolm08-Jul-2025The retirement of Glenn Maxwell and a rebuild of Australia’s ODI team ahead of the World Cup in 2027 has left the possibility open for Tim David to be considered, but he says he has no immediate plans to play any List A cricket to push his case for an ODI recall.David, 29, is globally renowned as a T20 finisher and has been a mainstay of Australia’s T20I team since 2022. Australia’s selectors believe that he could translate those skills to ODI cricket and picked him for four ODIs in South Africa in 2023 ahead of the World Cup in India, when Maxwell was out injured.He was selected then having not played a single List A 50-over game since 2021, which was the year he made twin centuries for Surrey in the Royal London Cup in England.David has recommitted to Hobart Hurricanes for a further two seasons in the BBL but does not hold a domestic contract in Australia. He played one game in Australia’s domestic One-Day Cup in November 2021 for Tasmania but has not held a domestic contract since being listed as a rookie with Western Australia in 2017-18 prior to representing Singapore. He has not played a 50-over List A game anywhere since his last ODI in 2023.Related
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The retirements of Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis from ODI cricket creates a need for Australia to develop some finishing power in a team that is set to be revamped over the next two years after also losing Steven Smith to retirement.David said he has been talking to his personal mentors about the next phase of his career and does not seem to have ruled anything out, but has no immediate plans for ODI selection.”Definitely having conversations in the background with my coaches, and people that I want to talk to about my game at the moment,” David said on Tuesday. “I’m not too sure, to be honest. It’s not the immediate plan. We’ve got such a busy year, to be honest, leading up to this T20 World Cup.”The winter actually looks quite different for me this year. Previously, I would have been away for four or five months in a row over the winter playing competitions. And now we’ve got so many T20 series that there’s not much time to think about much else. So we’ll see how that develops. But, at the moment, no plans.”Tim David will be part of Australia’s T20I squad in West Indies•Getty ImagesDavid is currently rehabbing a hamstring injury in Perth and preparing for Australia’s upcoming T20I tour of the Caribbean, which starts on July 20 in Jamaica. He has had a rare month at home after picking up the injury in the IPL, where he was a significant contributor to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden title despite missing the playoffs.David was initially going to make his playing return in the Global Super League for Hurricanes, which starts on Thursday, but his rehab has taken slightly longer than expected.”Initially, that was the plan, especially once the Hurricanes had a team in the GSL,” David said. “Unfortunately, the injury and just the nature of it [meant it] was going to be a pretty tight time schedule. And I’ve probably got a couple of things that I need to tick off with the CA guys when I get over to Jamaica just before they’re fully comfortable, but I’m feeling confident. Unfortunately, just the timeframe of what those recoveries look like, it was tough for me to get up [for the GSL].”The series against West Indies kicks off a run of eight straight T20Is for Australia. After the five-match series in the Caribbean they return home to face South Africa in Darwin and Cairns in a three-match series ahead of three ODIs against South Africa. Australia will also play three T20Is in New Zealand in early October before five home T20Is against India in late October-early November.In between times, David won’t play in the Hundred because of the overlap with the South Africa series, but is set to go back to the Caribbean for the CPL, where he is a part of St Lucia Kings.Mitchell Owen is likely to make his T20I debut for Australia later this month•Sportzpics for MLCThe squads for the South Africa series are yet to be announced. But David has been joined in the Caribbean by fellow BBL title-winning Hurricane in Mitchell Owen, who looks set to make his T20I debut for Australia after his heroics in the BBL and some red-hot form in Major League Cricket for Washington Freedom.”Excited to see him go,” David said. “He’s been playing very well over there in the US. We’ve obviously seen what he did last year for the Hurricanes, and that’s an exciting period for him. He’s playing confident cricket. And as a teammate and someone who’s seen him growing, we want to keep encouraging that. So exciting time for him.”David will link up with Owen again at Hurricanes after re-signing for the next two years. There was some speculation during the BBL finals and beyond that he may head elsewhere after not being part of Hurricanes’ ten mandatory pre-signed players ahead of the free-agency period earlier this year. But David said he was never going anywhere despite a lengthy delay in confirming a new deal.”The biggest reason for the delay is the new ten-player rule,” David said. “So that obviously just added a little bit of complexity to getting that done with our ten spots fully filled.”There wasn’t any uncertainty [for me]. There was a little bit of uncertainty in the fact that there were media articles saying that I was leaving and I was copping from the hill a little bit. That’s just the nature of how it is. You’ve got to keep it to yourself. But there was always good communication throughout that period with people making decisions at Cricket Tasmania and the Hurricanes. So a little bit frustrating that that was kind of the narrative around the period of finals when it wasn’t really a starter for me.”
Chelsea sensation Estevao Willian has been told how to become a Ballon d'Or contender like Lamine Yamal after his game-changing display against Liverpool. The 17-year-old Brazilian, affectionately dubbed “Messinho” in his homeland, has taken to English football like a natural, blending flair, courage and creativity in a way few foreign youngsters ever manage. Signed for €34 million (£30m) from Palmeiras plus a hefty €23m (£20m) in add-ons, Estevao is already looking like a bargain for the Blues.
A star is born at Stamford Bridge
In a thrilling showdown with Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday, Estevao announced himself on the biggest stage, striking a 95th-minute winner that sent Stamford Bridge into absolute pandemonium. It was a moment of magic that etched his name into Chelsea folklore and proved that the hype around “Messinho” is no exaggeration.
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Eyes on the Golden Ball
Yamal, the Barcelona wonderkid who finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting, has set the benchmark for the next generation. But Estevao’s rise in London has sparked talk that he could soon rival, or even surpass, the Spanish prodigy.
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Djibril Cisse: 'He changed the game'
Former Liverpool and France striker Djibril Cisse is among those to have been blown away by Estevao’s early impact at Chelsea. Speaking to , Cisse claimed the Brazilian is one of the most gifted youngsters in the world, but warned that raw talent alone won’t win him a Ballon d’Or.
“It is really good to see Estavao playing so well in the Premier League at the moment at such a young age,” he said. “He has put in some really strong performances this season. I thought he changed the game against Liverpool.
“There are a lot of talented young players at the moment like him and Lamine Yamal, but their careers will depend a lot on how they grow up. Yamal was second in the Ballon d’Or, but to win big awards like that you need more than talent. Estevao will need to be mentally strong and consistent at the top level with more big moments, but the goal against Liverpool will certainly help him a lot.”
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Estevao's future locked in until 2033
Chelsea wasted no time in securing their golden boy for the long term. Estevao’s contract runs until 2033, ensuring that the west London club can fully reap the rewards of his potential for the next decade.
The latest summer transfer window saw the rise of the Saudi Pro League.
Known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, the division has seen several high-profile players join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East, and it is quickly becoming one of football's biggest talking points.
DAZN recently secured the rights to broadcast the league's matches for a two-year period on a multi-territory basis, which will undoubtedly continue to raise the profile of the rapidly rising division.
Football FanCast brings you the lowdown of all the latest information and news regarding the competition.
Saudi Pro League transfer news: Salah tipped to leave, big Chelsea rumour & Everton star eyed
Eyes are on the Saudi Pro League once again as the summer window gets closer. Here are the latest big transfer rumours from the Middle East…
By
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Apr 19, 2024
Latest Saudi Pro League results
Cristiano Ronaldo Saudi Pro League Al Nassr
With the league title wrapped up for some time, Al-Hilal just needed to avoid defeat once more to complete an unbeaten season. They did so with victory at Al-Wehda, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The two remaining places for the revamped AFC Champions League were also secured before the final day, but Al-Taawoun made sure of their place in the AFC Champions League Two, which will be Asia's answer to the Europa League next season.
Al-Ittihad's tumultuous campaign saw them fail to secure continental football for next term, with Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking double consigning them to fifth place. Ronaldo set a new Saudi league record with his goal tally – details of which can be seen below.
There was also drama at the bottom, at Al-Okhdood escaped relegation with a 2-0 win at Al-Tai, who were fighting against the drop themselves. They stayed up at the expense of Abha, who were unable to beat bottom club Al-Hazem to secure the result they needed.
Saudi Pro League Latest Results
27th May
Al-Shabab
3-2
Al-Fateh
Al-Wehda
1-2
Al-Hilal
Al-Ahli
1-0
Al-Fayha
Al-Nassr
4-2
Al-Ittihad
Damac
1-1
Al-Raed
Al-Taawoun
1-0
Al-Ettifaq
Al-Hazem
2-1
Abha
Al-Tai
0-2
Al-Okhdood
Al-Khaleej
1-2
Al-Riyadh
Final Saudi Pro League standings
#
Team
P
W
D
L
F
A
PTS
1
Al-Hilal
34
31
3
0
101
23
96
2
Al-Nassr
34
26
4
4
100
42
82
3
Al-Ahli
34
19
8
7
67
35
65
4
Al-Taawoun
34
16
11
7
51
35
59
5
Al-Ittihad
34
16
6
12
63
54
54
6
Al-Ettifaq
34
12
12
10
43
34
48
7
Al-Fateh
34
12
9
13
57
55
45
8
Al-Shabab
34
12
8
14
45
42
44
9
Al-Fayha
34
11
11
12
44
52
44
10
Damac
34
10
11
13
44
45
41
11
Al-Khaleej
34
9
10
15
36
47
37
12
Al-Raed
34
9
10
15
41
49
37
13
Al-Wehda
34
10
6
18
45
60
36
14
Al-Riyadh
34
8
11
15
33
57
35
15
Al-Okhdood
34
9
6
19
33
52
33
16
Abha
34
9
5
20
38
87
32
17
Al-Tai
34
8
7
19
34
64
31
18
Al-Hazem
34
4
12
18
34
76
24
Top goalscorers in the Saudi Pro League
Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record for goals scored in a Saudi Pro League campaign, with his second goal against Al-Ittihad putting him clear of previous record holder Abderrazak Hamdallah, who netted 34 goals in the 2018/19 season.
His goals weren't enough to steer Al-Nassr towards the title, but it has still been a dazzling campaign for the 39-year-old on a personal level, with the Portugal forward netting 44 goals in 44 games in all competitions.