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Manchester United haven't had the greatest recent history when it comes to transfers, with Antony's stats representing a player who is yet to get going at Old Trafford, whilst Andre Onana's mistakes have stolen the headlines at times this season. It is a recruitment issue that the Red Devils must solve if they are to take their place among the Premier League's best sides every season.

When the January transfer window swings open, Erik ten Hag could once again welcome changes when it comes to both departures and incomings. And that could see one particular player depart after his most recent admission regarding game time at Old Trafford.

Man Utd transfer news

Lying outside of the Premier League's top four and on the brink of a Champions League group stage exit, United haven't had the greatest start to the season, with off-field issues such as Jadon Sancho's falling-out with Ten Hag playing a part. Heading into the festive period, the Manchester club will be well aware of the need to pick up some consistency before the January transfer window arrives to potentially deal them a frustrating blow.

Man Utd could ease Eriksen blow by unleashing their "new Van de Beek"

This £250k-p/w midfielder has already been called the “new Donny van de Beek”.

ByAdam Scully Nov 12, 2023

Speaking to De Telegraaf recently, Donny van de Beek admitted his need for minutes on the pitch and hinted at a potential winter exit, saying: "I have to start playing matches very soon, if not at Manchester United, then at another club. I think this is a healthy ambition.

“I’m excited to play matches again. The manager now makes different choices. We have a great selection and I’m not the only one knocking on the door. We’ll see what happens in January.”

"Fantastic" Van de Beek needs move

It just hasn't happened for the Dutchman at Manchester United, as Van de Beek's stats at the club show. The former Ajax man has made just 62 appearances since joining the club in 2020, scoring and assisting just twice each. Van de Beek's price tag of £35m put instant pressure on his shoulders, but whether it's been through not receiving the opportunities or failing to perform, he has not reached the standards that Ten Hag demands.

A move away could revive the midfielder, who earned praise from Frank Lampard while on loan at Everton. Speaking after a clash against Leeds United in 2022, the former manager said (via Manchester Evening News): Him [Van de Beek] and Allan were fantastic, also Donny on the ball giving us a sense of calm and intelligence, and a nice rhythm in the team, and he’s going to get better and better."

The proposed takeover of Everton continues to be a big talking point at the moment, and now a new update has emerged regarding 777 Partners and the current situation.

Everton's takeover talk

The Blues picked up a hugely impressive and much-needed Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a 1-0 triumph away to a good West Ham, thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal. It was one of Everton's best results of the season so far, and it steadied the ship greatly after some poor matches recently, as Sean Dyche continues to improve in the Goodison Park hot seat.

Away from the pitch, there has been a period of grieving, following the sad passing of legendary chairman Bill Kenwright at the age of 78 earlier this month, while the constant talk surrounding the takeover of the club has also carried on. Many Everton supporters are desperate for a deal to be struck as soon as possible, bringing an end to the Farhad Moshiri era on Merseyside, but it is clearly not going to be easy for 777 Partners to come in.

Everton takeover latest

Speaking on the Sport Unlocked podcast [via Goodison News], reporter Tariq Panja provided an update on Everton's takeover and explained how 777 Partners' payments could be made if the Blues suffer relegation from the Premier League to the Championship:

"From what I hear from the 777 deal, that will still go ahead with a bunch of contingencies in that contract based on Everton being relegated.

"If this deal goes through, these guys will still pay a similar amount, but slightly less if Everton do not come back up within two years, over a staggered payment scheme."

The idea of Everton being relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history doesn't bear thinking about for supporters, especially with the exciting move to Bramley Moore Dock happening at the end of the season, as the Blues plan to move into a wonderful new stadium.

On the plus side, it is at least good to know that some planning is being done should the worst-case scenario happen next May, ensuring that Everton are hit as little as possible in a financial sense, should 777 Partners' takeover be completed in the coming months.

Sunday's aforementioned triumph at West Ham was a timely reminder of what this Blues side are capable of, however – they have also won away impressively at Brentford this season – and they should be looking for more of a mid-table finish in the league than worrying about going down, assuming Everton's potential 12-point deduction doesn't happen.

In Dyche, they appear to have a good manager who has made Everton difficult to break down, with even Liverpool struggling to break the deadlock in the Merseyside derby at Anfield prior to a penalty decision, and it would be a big surprise if they fared worse than they have in the past two seasons, just avoiding relegation each time.

A completed takeover would only make things easier for Dyche and his players, bringing more of a settled feeling to the club and also potentially generating more funds for transfer further down the line, but 777 Partners are putting contingency plans in place.

Nottinghamshire 210 and 37 for 1 trail Surrey 592 (Burns 153, Clarke 111, S Curran 70) by 325 runs
ScorecardFor an hour or so during the morning session, Nottinghamshire seemed to have it in them to put behind them their dismal showing on the opening day and battle their way back into this match. With Stuart Broad and Luke Fletcher at last able to apply sustained pressure, Surrey lost four wickets for 62 and their dominance looked at risk for the first time.In the end, though, it was an effort Nottinghamshire could not sustain as Surrey, with a relentlessness to match the heat of the afternoon, simply reimposed their superiority.Rory Burns consolidated his position as the Championship’s leading run-scorer with a superb 153, the rejuvenated Rikki Clarke made his first Championship hundred for six years, and with Morne Morkel and Jade Dernbach responding to Sam Curran’s 10 fours and a six by inflicting further pain on a wilting Nottinghamshire attack, Surrey comfortably exceeded the largest total of the season.Three Nottinghamshire bowlers went for 100 or more runs, the left-armer Harry Gurney conceding 119 off just 16 overs. He did claim the wicket of Ollie Pope, thus restricting the second-most prolific batsman in the Championship to only 30 runs, but his excitement as Pope carelessly flailed at a wide one to give him his 300th first-class wicket passed quickly. Collectively, the home attack did not help themselves by handing Surrey 30 runs in no-balls.Fletcher was the worst offender in that respect, overstepping six times, although by all other measures he was Nottinghamshire’s best bowler, going for only a little more than three an over when the collective went at almost six. He tested Burns time and again during that opening session to the extent that the Surrey captain not only had to draw deeply on his skill and patience but also needed a bit of luck as the ball several times almost found the edge of his bat. When Fletcher did get his reward, as Scott Borthwick nicked one, it was the most deserved wicket of the day.Burns, 97 overnight, needed 26 deliveries to complete his hundred, at last pushing one firmly towards the vacant long-off boundary off Broad and running three. It had been the most challenging passage of his innings by far.Broad, playing in this match to measure his fitness and sharpness ahead of the first Test against India, bowled with pace and hostility and picked up wickets in consecutive overs. Aaron Finch helpfully chipped straight to mid-on but Broad then produced a ball that was too good for Ben Foakes, taken at first slip at the second attempt by Riki Wessels.After Pope’s moment of instantly regretted rashness, Surrey were 297 for 5, their lead healthy at 77 runs but not yet grounds for thinking the match was in the bag.Rory Burns acknowledges his third hundred of the season•Getty Images

Burns moved to 153 by sweeping Samit Patel for his 23rd four soon after lunch but the sense that Nottinghamshire were not quite out of it returned with the next ball, when the left-arm spinner hurried one through and the Surrey captain, taken by surprise, edged it to slip. The feeling did not last. The fall of Burns merely introduced Clarke, a man of 16 first-class hundreds, one on this ground, coming in at No. 8. He was into his stride quickly, collecting five boundaries from his first 20 balls.He and Curran added 125 in 26 overs before the latter, whose 70 from 101 balls was a solidly accomplished effort, was leg before on the back foot to Patel. Clarke’s century, his first since his unbeaten 110 against Sussex for Warwickshire in July 2012, was one of joy and adventure, completed when he pulled Jake Ball behind square for his 19th four.For the second day running, there was a unexpected postscript as Billy Root, whose offspin has been employed in only six first-class matches so far, took three wickets for the second time, his first when Clarke’s attempt at a reverse-sweep went horribly wrong.Nottinghamshire faced 16 overs to the close. They lost Jake Libby, trapped in the crease when Morkel came up with a toe-crusher second ball, but young Will Fraine showed some bottle for the second time in the match to help skipper Steven Mullaney limit the damage. A lot more grit will be needed if this match is to need a fourth day.

ScorecardUntil he turned up in Cardiff last week to be introduced as a Glamorgan player, Usman Khawaja’s knowledge of Wales did not extend much beyond the sitcom Gavin and Stacey. It has become one of his favourite TV shows, so much so that top of the list of places he wants to see while in the principality is not Cardiff Castle or the Snowdonia National Park but Barry Island.It is quite likely Wales will take to him, too, after he marked his Glamorgan debut with a century that has given them a chance of achieving their first Championship win at Edgbaston since 1988, when the sometime England fast bowler Greg Thomas took six wickets and Warwickshire, needing 194 to win on the final afternoon, were bowled out five runs short.In doing so Khawaja emulated his compatriot, Shaun Marsh, whose place in the side he has taken, who also made a hundred on his county debut in April. They will play together in the Vitality T20 Blast later in the summer.For now, Marsh is preparing for Australia’s ODI joust with England, which begins on Wednesday. It was Marsh’s call-up that led Glamorgan to ask Khawaja if he wouldn’t mind playing in two or three Championship matches ahead of the T20, an arrangement he is more than happy with, given there is an Ashes tour looming in 2019.Not that he is unfamiliar with English conditions. Indeed, he has made centuries here before, two for Derbyshire – Glamorgan’s opponents in Swansea next week – and one for Lancashire. But he does not have one in a Test match in England, which is another thing on his to-do list following his 171 against Joe Root’s hapless boys at Sydney in January.His 125 here, spanning almost three-and-a-half hours on a slow, used pitch now effectively four days old, ensured that the good work of openers Nick Selman and Jack Murphy against the new ball on the second evening was not wasted, even after Selman had clipped Keith Barker straight to short midwicket in only the fifth over of the morning.It might have been. Murphy added only eight to his overnight score and both Connor Brown and Owen Morgan went cheaply but Khawaja found an ally at last in Chris Cooke, his captain in this game in the absence of an injured Michael Hogan. They shared a partnership of 115 that ended with his own dismissal, lbw playing back to Jeetan Patel, whose offspin to that point he had countered pretty well.There has not been much turn so far and Josh Poysden, who did so well to take five wickets in the first innings, was wicketless this time. Yet it is a surface that needs to be treated with respect, nonetheless, one on which a batsman can become tentative. Not so Khawaja, who paced his innings evenly, scoring his first fifty off 58 balls with seven fours, his second off 63 with another seven.Once he had gone and Cooke followed, gloving a catch as he tried to withdraw the bat against the impressive 18-year-old quick Henry Brookes, the innings did fall away yet Warwickshire, needing precisely 100 more runs than were required 30 years ago, were left with a tall task to extend their winning run and those padded up in the dressing room will have been pleased to see Will Rhodes and Dom Sibley negotiate 13 overs to stumps unscathed.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي مواجهة يوفنتوس وتورينو بهدف لكل منهما، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإيطالي لكرة القدم “سيريا أي”.

وواجه يوفنتوس نظيره تورينو، ضمن منافسات الجولة العشرين من الدوري الإيطالي، على ملعب “تورينو الأولمبي الكبير”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. أتالانتا يفشل في استعادة صدارة الدوري الإيطالي بتعادل مخيب مع أودينيزي

في الشوط الأول وعند الدقيقة الثامنة، أحرز كنان يلدز هدف يوفنتوس الأول، وذلك بمجهود فردي رائع بعد أن راوغ مدافعين من خارج منطقة الجزاء ومن ثم التسديد بقوة على مرمى الخصم.

وعند الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع عن نهاية الشوط الأول، تمكن نيكولا فلاسيتش من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح تورينو من تسديدة يسارية قوية اصطدمت بالعارضة ثم هزت الشباك.

في الشوط الثاني ومع الدقيقة 56، أشهر حكم المباراة البطاقة الحمراء في وجه مدربي الفريقين، تياجو موتا وباولو فانولي، بعد حدوث اشتباك بين الطرفين حول الاعتراضات المتكررة على قرارت حكم المباراة.

وكاد نيكولاس جونزاليس أن يحرز هدفاً لـ يوفنتوس بحلول الدقيقة 75، لولا تألق سافيتش حارس مرمى تورينو.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد يوفنتوس إلى النقطة 33 في المركز الخامس بترتيب الدوري الإيطالي، بينما ارتقى رصيد تورينو إلى النقطة 22 في المركز الحادي عشر. اهداف مباراة يوفنتوس وتورينو 1 1 الدوري الايطالي

Leeds United will hope 2024 is the year the Whites return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, triumphantly re-entering the top flight under the expert guidance of Daniel Farke after a disastrous relegation had killed the feel-good mood around Elland Road.

Farke could well need to add positive reinforcements to his squad this transfer window to aid this promotion push, adding in fresh blood to complement the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James already firing on all cylinders in West Yorkshire.

Farke could even boldly go back in for this failed summer buy this month, with former Leeds target Nadiem Amiri itching for a move away from Bayer Leverkusen now.

Leeds transfer latest – Amiri pursuit

Leeds felt sick to their stomach when Amiri refused to join the Whites late on in the summer transfer window, the deal all but done before the German attacking midfielder spectacularly pulled the plug last second.

The Championship promotion hopefuls could well go back in for the Leverkusen man this month despite this humiliating rejection however, TEAMtalk reporting in November that a deal could be back on with Amiri pushing for a move away from his current Bundesliga club after limited game time this season.

Leeds wouldn't be alone in their pursuit however, with German football website BILD further adding fuel to the fire by stating that French clubs Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon are also interested in signing the unsettled midfielder in an article last month.

The Whites will hope that potentially signing Amiri – who they could land at a bargain £5m price-tag – can supercharge Georginio Rutter's goal numbers, the Frenchman taking a back-seat with his assist output for the new 5 foot 11 arrival to shine instead.

Amiri's style of play

Frozen out of Xabi Alonso's plans this season – the ex-Liverpool player turned successful Leverkusen boss starting the 27-year-old in zero games this season in the league – Farke could well see something in Amiri that he can reignite on his arrival to Elland Road.

In his prime for the current top-flight leaders in Germany, Amiri was a dangerous attacking midfield prospect to contain – notching up 15 assists across his first two seasons at the BayArena, before experiencing a dip in form.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig even described the nimble midfielder as "superb" when Amiri starred for the German U21s back in 2019, further praising the now 27-year-old's "versatility" with Amiri capable of playing as a more traditional central midfielder too if needed.

Skilful and silky at his best for the German giants, the fringe figure of Amiri now did manage to pick up an assist in DFB-Pokal action recently when given a rare start – helping Leverkusen convincingly beat SV Sandhausen 5-2 at the start of November.

Amiri could well give Joel Piroe healthy competition if the 27-year-old did finally put pen to paper on a Championship move, the former Swansea star fading in and out of games in the last few weeks with zero successful dribble attempts managed away at West Brom to close out 2023 for Leeds.

Whereas, his slick counterpart excels in carrying the ball forward with intricate deftness – Amiri completing 2.78 progressive carries per 90 minutes over the last year according to FBRef, with 1.71 successful take-ons another stellar statistic sticking out.

Amiri could well be the creative maverick Leeds need in that attacking midfield spot to begin catching teams out more regularly, instead of settling for goal-shy performances seen in back-to-back 1-0 defeats on the road before a big win against Birmingham City was secured.

Rutter could also explode into life in front of goal and begin to add more strikes to his slim season tally of four goals as a direct consequence of this move, knowing he doesn't have to do the heavy lifting anymore and constantly be a focal point to create openings for other teammates.

Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the 2023/24 campaign as they remain in the race for the title alongside the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal after 13 matches.

The Reds are only two points off the top of the table and have lost once in their opening 13 Premier League games, to go along with eight wins and four draws.

Jurgen Klopp has reacted brilliantly to the disappointment of missing out on a top four finish, which resulted in no Champions League football this season, last term and his side are on course to challenge for silverware this time around.

Mohamed Salah has been in top form with a fantastic return of ten goals and five assists in 13 appearances for the Reds, whilst none of his teammates have managed more than four goals or four assists in the top-flight.

Whilst they have also played out wide, Liverpool's two centre-forward options – Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota – have combined for eight goals in 24 league matches.

Klopp's main goal threat comes from the right wing with Salah and he does not have a consistent number nine who he can rely upon to find the back of the net on a regular basis, which was also the case last season as Nunez plundered nine league goals.

That could change in the future, though, as the Merseyside-based outfit are reportedly interested in a swoop for a prolific teen striker…

Liverpool transfer news – Francesco Camarda

According to 90min, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs interested in signing 15-year-old AC Milan centre-forward Francesco Camarda.

The report claims that Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain are all keen on a deal for the teenage sensation.

It states that the Reds, alongside Premier League rivals City and Chelsea, have made contact with the player's family as they look to convince him to ditch Italy and secure a move to English football to continue his development.

He is not eligible to sign a professional contract with Milan until his 16th birthday in March and this means that clubs have the opportunity to snap him up before then.

However, 90min do add that it is currently likely that Camarda will opt to commit his future to his current side and sign a deal with the Italian giants, who are still concerned about the interest in his services.

This means that it could be difficult for Liverpool to persuade the 15-year-old and his family to make the decision to uproot and move to the Premier League side.

If they are able to do so, though, then the teenage marksman could be a sensational addition to Klopp's squad for the future as he appears to be an outstanding young talent with the potential to develop into the club's next version of Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez's Liverpool goal record

The Uruguay international, who currently plays for Gremio in Brazil, enjoyed a goal-laden spell in England after his move from Dutch giants Ajax at the start of 2011.

He went on to plunder 82 goals and 46 assists in 133 appearances for the club in all competitions as he proved himself to be a reliable attacking threat for Brendan Rodgers.

Suarez really hit his stride in a Liverpool shirt during the 2012/13 campaign as the talented finisher produced an eye-catching 23 goals and five assists in 33 Premier League matches.

His best season in England, though, came during the following season. The outstanding number nine fired in a sensational 31 goals and assisted 12 for his teammates in 33 top-flight appearances – 43 goal contributions in total.

He completed 2.8 dribbles and made 2.7 key passes per game that term as the wonderful technician excited supporters with his terrific forward play, as the gem was able to beat opposition players, score goals, create chances, and assist his fellow attackers on a regular basis.

Liverpool's current centre-forward options are yet to prove themselves to be reliable outlets in the same way that Suarez was for the club in the past but Camarda is a young talent who has the potential to develop into that calibre of marksman.

Of course, this means that the Reds would be bringing in someone who is not likely to hit the ground running as he is still a youth team player who has not proven himself at first-team level.

That should not put them off swooping for his services, though, as the Milan teenager could be a terrific investment who goes on to be a huge success.

The statistics that show why Camarda could be Suarez 2.0

The 15-year-old ace has already broken a record at senior level for the Italian giants as he became the youngest player in Serie A history with an appearance against Fiorentina at the age of 15 years, 8 months and 15 days on Saturday.

They trusted him to make his debut before even being old enough to put pen to paper on a professional contract with the club and the teenager played 15 minutes of the 1-0 win for Milan.

As you would expect at the age of 15, Camarda struggled and lost all four of his duels whilst he also failed to complete his one attempted dribble in those 15 minutes. It was more about the experience for the young striker and the confidence that could come from being trusted at that age.

He has been a prolific scorer at youth level for Milan and looks to be a sensational prospect who could develop into being a lethal number nine.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as an "unbelievable" talent and, as of the 7th of November, relayed the striker's return of 11 goals in 17 matches at U17 and U19 level combined this season.

90min claimed that the 15-year-old ace has already scored over 400 goals at academy level for the Italian side, despite still having over four years of his teenage years left, and this highlights his remarkable scoring talent.

Camarda has racked up six goals and one assist in four appearances across the Coppa Primavera and UEFA Youth League so far this term, which speaks to his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

His incredible academy goalscoring record, with over 400 strikes, his goal return this season, and his emergence at first-team level at the age of 15 all suggest that he is a supremely talented young number nine with the potential to be a star.

Therefore, Liverpool could unearth their next Suarez and reliable goalscoring centre-forward – for the future – by winning the race to land the record-breaker's signature before March and helping him to develop and hone his skills as an evidently prolific striker.

Aston Villa have found phenomenal form in 2023 under Unai Emery. The wins have arrived, and, therefore, so has a place in the Europa Conference League, leading to an exceptional summer landing players like Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo. It has been a near-flawless tenure for Emery, but success is not without its negatives in football, and when the transfer window swings open, the Midlands club may find that out the hard way.

Whilst players continue to reach new heights at Aston Villa, other clubs, be it in the rest of Europe or in the Premier League, will begin to come calling, with one top manager already setting his sights on one particular star player.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans did well to not only recruit the right players during the summer, but also keep hold of those who earned a place in Europe in the first place. The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins stayed put, rightly convinced that Emery's project is the place to be. They may not be so lucky when the January transfer window opens, however, given the latest Douglas Luiz transfer news.

According to reports in Spain, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has never been so interested in Luiz, and believes that the addition of the Brazilian would strengthen his squad in January. It won't be an easy deal, and Villa are in a strong position with Luiz's contract not expiring until 2026, but the Villans will be on high-alert.

From Emery's perspective, he will surely be desperate to keep hold of his defensive midfielder, who would be hard to replace mid-way through the campaign, with fixtures coming thick and fast, including a potential European knockout tie. The winter window could certainly test the resolve of the star players currently plying their trade at Villa Park.

Douglas Luiz's stats

It's been another impressive season when it comes to Luiz's stats. The midfielder has played a vital part, helping Villa get off to a strong start, leaving them fifth in the table and just four points adrift of table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur. Compared to current Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Luiz stands out even more, as per FBref.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Blocks

Interceptions

Douglas Luiz

13

46

13

10

4

Rodrigo De Paul

9

26

6

4

0

The former Manchester City man has earned plenty of praise during his time at Villa, too, including from Emery, who said, via The Birmingham Mail: “His improvement is to be strong in the structure I am creating. Offensively, strong structure trying to occupy good spaces, trying to take passion to get the ball to them.

"Don’t lose this structure offensively then, when we have to react defensively as well, he’s in very good positions to start pressing against them. Of course, sometimes we can have more possession of the ball, sometimes less.

“The idea is to try and keep ball possession for a long time. If we are not doing it, we have to keep our structure defensively strong. We’re being very competitive starting in our structure. Away from home we’re showing it. At home, there’s not the balance I want.”

Newcastle United will travel to Bramall Lane on Sunday to face Sheffield United in the Premier League before welcoming Burnley to Tyneside the following weekend.

Forthcoming fixtures against newly-promoted opposition; a chance – with victory clinched against Brentford last time out – to put together a three-match winning streak to fully restore the feel-good factor on Tyneside after a challenging start to the campaign that left Eddie Howe's side nursing three successive defeats after a 5-1 win over Aston Villa hinted at such promise.

That's not to say the Magpies are in the mud, far from it. A minor blip does not erase the remarkable feats of the past 18 months or so, with Howe lifting the club away from relegation danger and now fighting for silver-laden success, having defied expectations with a top-four finish last term, despite the lucrative PIF club takeover.

AC Milan presented United with their first continental test of the season, with the Premier League outfit emerging from the San Siro with a point to start off their group phase.

It was an impressive result, all things considered, but the performance itself left little to be admired from an attacking standpoint, with £63m club-record signing Alexander Isak flattering to deceive.

How did Alexander Isak play against AC Milan?

Newcastle, frankly, got battered for large portions of the affair in Italy earlier this week. Despite demonstrating their quality on the ball and definitely proving to be the more energetic and high-octane team, Milan unleashed 25 shots on Nick Pope's goal compared to just six strikes from Howe's men.

Isak led the line for all of 89 minutes but was not among those to test Mike Maignan between the sticks, nullified by a resolute and solid home defence, who left him "knackered" by the time of his withdrawal, according to presenter Kev Lawson.

Isak game vs AC Milan by numbers

Statistic (Sofascore)

Match score

6.5

Goals

0

Assists

0

Total shots taken

0

Key passes

1

Pass completion

89% (17/19)

Dribble success rate

20% (1/5)

Duels won

42% (5/12)

As clearly delineated by the 24-year-old's listed metrics on the night, he endured a forgettable affair and found very little success, effectively marshalled.

While he did drop deep and look to influence the play from the centre of the pitch, he failed to do anything of note with his possession – which is why his pass success rate, which looks impressive on face value, actually doesn't work in his favour given that he failed to carry the ball into positive openings and didn't strike on goal himself.

Should Eddie Howe start Alexander Isak?

Isak was impressive last season and tantalised a future of prolific success on Tyneside, and that's despite suffering an injury-hit campaign.

Indeed, the £120k-per-week phenom posted ten goals and two assists in the Premier League despite only starting 17 times, heralded for his "complete" attacking abilities by former Willem II coach Adrie Koster.

Blighted by issues that sidelined him for 16 matches, the 6 foot 3 machine looks to have found his full fitness this season, and while he scored twice on the opening day of the term, against Unai Emery's Villa, he has yet to net again, starting four times since.

Undoubtedly, the goals will come sooner rather than later, but it might be wise for Howe to remove him from the starting line-up and offer someone else a chance to impress.

The same could be said for £55m summer signing Sandro Tonali, with the Italian midfielder – who was signed from AC Milan – "struggling to impact" the contest against his former side in the Champions League, according to Craig Hope.

A talented playmaker – who ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for assists per 90 – he has not quite hit the ground running despite scoring on his debut, and might also receive a relegation to the bench in the short-term.

Who could replace Alexander Isak?

Clearly, if Isak doesn't start as Newcastle's focal point up top then there is only one man tailor-made to lead the line and do so with a flourish.

Callum Wilson has been superb since joining Newcastle from Bournemouth for £20m in the summer of 2020, scoring 41 goals and supplying ten assists from just 81 matches since his arrival.

Last season, he scored no less than 18 goals from just 21 starting appearances in the Premier League, also registering five assists and earning praise for his "clinical edge" by editor Andrew Musgrove.

And after bagging three times in the Premier League already this term – despite only starting the recent win over Brentford, where his penalty proved decisive – the 31-year-old does indeed appear to have that sharpness to propel the Toon back into form.

As per FBref, Wilson – who just recently signed a contract extension with the St. James' Park side – ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 9% for assists per 90.

When comparing that with Isak, who ranks among the top 25% of forwards for goals and the bottom 21% for assists per 90, it's clear to see who offers the more clinical attacking edge.

Of course, the Swede is far more dynamic and boasts a higher ceiling, not just because of his youth but the range of his talents – also ranking among the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

But given that Wilson has yet to receive successive starts in the Premier League this season and boasts an impressive record against both Burnley and the Blades – with eight goals and an assist from 16 matches against the two teams combined – Howe might be wise to offer him a shot as the star man up front.

Isak might be a formidable force but he has not quite clicked into gear this season, and with Wilson possessing that Midas touch in attack under Howe's stewardship, he must be provided with a starting berth going forward.

Notes from India’s training session in Manchester

Nagraj Gollapudi in Manchester01-Jul-20181:09

Watch – Kohli’s bat makes the noise

India arrived at Old Trafford early in the morning on a sunny Sunday in Manchester, for their first competitive training session two days out from the first of the three Twenty20s against England. Training sessions might never be the perfect lens to zoom in on who might make the XI or what the players and team think tank have in mind, but it offers glimpses all the same. Here are some happenings from India’s training session.Kohli’s bat makes a noise
When a batsman is hitting the ball fluently, there are a few things that stand out. His stance is usually upright, he maintains his shape as he strikes the ball, and, then, there is the sound his bat makes when he hits the leather. Virat Kohli might not have made too many runs in the short jaunt to Dublin, but today he struck the ball with intent. The noise resounded in the empty stadium. To the untrained eye, Kohli’ stance seems more upright compared to when he played in England last year during the Champions Trophy. There seemed to be just one instance where Kohli possibly moved a bit slowly today: facing a throwdown from India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar, he stayed in his crease, trying to tap a length ball, and it took the bottom edge to hit the base of his stumps. Kohli moaned “aah”, disappointed at his mistake.Dhawan boxed by Bhuvi
“Cannon” thundered Ravi Shastri, India’s head coach, as Shikhar Dhawan was beaten by the pace of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the ball hit him where it matters the most. Done with the local net bowlers, Dhawan had requested Bhuvneshwar to have a bowl at him. That ball aside, though, Dhawan remain unruffled and handled both pace and spin with firm hands and good technique – especially against the short ball.Later, he faced fast volleys, fired at him from a short distance with a tennis racquet by India’s fielding coach R Sridhar. An interesting way to practise playing the pull as well as leaving real fast balls that climb to the throat.Raina fiddles with bats and technique
Suresh Raina has always been a bat lover. He carries several bats in his kit bag. During the second T20 against Ireland, MS Dhoni ran with Raina’s bag, loaded with bats, as the left-hander kept replacing one every over. Today Raina walked in with two bats to take throwdowns, and it came in handy. Having dug out a a fuller-length delivery near his toes, Raina let out a sigh as he looked at the bottom of the bat; he seemed to have cracked it.Reacting to the news, Dhoni, in a matter-of-fact tone, muttered that now Raina could get three or four more new bats. For the moment, though, Raina has a bigger concern: his technique against the ball that comes to his hips. He struggled against the shorter ball in the Ireland T20 series, and even today, against a ball with spongy bounce, he played such deliveries in ungainly fashion. Bangar suggested to Raina that he unlock his back elbow while playing his shot to such balls, which would allow him to play the stroke freely instead of being cramped. Raina might be one of the most experienced players in the India squad, but he still remains a work in progress.PS: Having watched that nets session, here’s our prediction for India’s XI two days out from the match – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal