Page 107 – The Pulse of Football

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Diaby, Barnes, Henderson and more

With pre-season now well underway, most teams are wanting to get their business done as soon as possible. With this in mind, it has been a fairly busy week in the transfer window with some big moves finalised.

By Sam McGuire

Valentín Castellanos

New York FC to Lazio

Fee: £13million

The 24-year-old really caught the eye while on loan at Girona last season. The Argentine scored 13 goals in LaLiga and became the first player since 1947 to find the back of the net on four occasions in a game against Real Madrid.

A lot of clubs were interested in the on-loan NYFC centre-forward but it was Lazio who won the race to sign him, parting with £13million to secure his services. With the Serie A side back in the Champions League, Maurizio Sarri’s men need depth in attack so they aren’t overly reliant on Ciro Immobile and Taty Castellanos provides that.

Victor Boniface

Union St.Gilloise to Bayer Leverkusen

Fee: £17million

A little over 12 months ago, Boniface was turning out for Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt. He’s now potentially leading the line for Bayer Leverkusen after an impressive spell in Belgium.

The 22-year-old spent a season with Union St.Gilloise, scoring nine goals, before his £17million move to the BayArena. The 6ft2 centre-forward has all of the tools to succeed in the German top flight and if he’s able to deliver on his potential, he will soon be a full international for Nigeria.

Moussa Diaby

Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa

Fee: £47million

Diaby had previously been linked with moves to Arsenal and Liverpool, with some even claiming he could be a successor to Mohamed Salah at Anfield.

After a strong season for Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso, a campaign in which he finished with a FotMob rating of 7.26, the 24-year-old has been signed by Premier League team Aston Villa for a fee believed to be close to £50million. It is a huge outlay but there is a huge upside to the Frenchman. He is adept at playing anywhere across the forward line and he finished last season with nine goals and eight assists in his 2,700 Bundesliga minutes. If he can replicate that in England, it will be money well spent.

And he has started well, linking up with his new teammates on their US tour, and scoring against Fulham in his first game.

Noah Okafor

Red Bull Salzburg to AC Milan

Fee: £12million

Another who was linked with a Premier League move during a hot streak in front of goal. The 23-year-old ended up with 10 goals across all competitions last season, including one against AC Milan in the Champions League. He will now be turning out for the Rossoneri following his £12million move. He’s had a few injury issues over the past 12 months but if he’s able to shake them off, the Serie A side have a talent on their hands who could lead their line for the next decade.

Arnaut Danjuma

Villarreal to Everton

Fee: Loan

This might be one of the more bizarre moves of the window. During the January transfer window, Danjuma was set for a loan move to Everton but he reneged on the deal at the last minute to join Spurs.

His loan with Tottenham didn’t really go to plan and he scored just two goals during his time with the club. The 26-year-old has now joined Everton on a season-long loan. If he can rediscover his 2021/22 form, the Toffees have a genuine game-changer on their hands. During his debut season with Villarreal, he was one of the best forwards in LaLiga and there was even talk of a £60million move to the Premier League as well as interest from Barcelona.

Harvey Barnes

Leicester City to Newcastle United

Fee: £37million

This move felt like a matter of when and not if it would happen. The 25-year-old was linked with Newcastle earlier in the year and a joint bid for him and James Maddison appeared to be on the cards for the Magpies.

Maddison ended up at Spurs but Newcastle were able to bring in Barnes. The versatile forward scored 13 times last time and performed well, despite Leicester’s relegation. He is primarily a left-sided attacker but can play on the right and it will be interesting to see how Eddie Howe gets both Barnes and Anthony Gordon into his XI on a weekly basis.

Marcel Sabitzer

Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund

Fee: £17million

Sabitzer is now the latest player to make the move from Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund to rekindle his career. It worked for Mats Hummels and, to an extent, Mario Götze. The 29-year-old spent the latter half of last season on loan with Manchester United but the Red Devils decided not to make it a permanent switch. The former RB Leipzig midfielder decided to call time on his Bayern career in a bid to get regular first-team football with last season’s Bundesliga runners-up.

Ismaïla Sarr

Watford to Marseille

Fee: £11million

Not so long ago, Sarr was viewed as a £50million player. Yet Marseille have managed to sign him for just £11million. It could turn out to be one of the signings of the summer if the 25-year-old is able to rediscover the form that convinced Watford to part with a reported £30million.

Sarr scored 10 times in England’s second tier last season and his departure now means the Hornets have lost two key attackers after João Pedro joined Brighton earlier in the summer. The Championship club are going to feel those losses.

Anthony Elanga

Manchester United to Nottingham Forest

Fee: £15million

The 21-year-old, linked with Everton earlier in the summer, is now a Nottingham Forest player following his £15million move. The Sweden international saw his minutes decrease under Erik Ten Hag having racked up 1,214 minutes during the 2021/22 campaign but managing just 422 minutes last season.

This move could rejuvenate his fledgling career and could form a decent attacking unit alongside the likes of Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi.

Igor

Fiorentina to Brighton

Fee: £15million

Despite retaining an interest in Levi Colwill, Brighton have signed someone who could be viewed as an alternative to the Chelsea defender, in Igor. The 25-year-old left-footed centre-back is composed in possession, completing 88% of his passes in Serie A last term, and he’s also fairly dominant in duels, winning 67% of his tackles.

If reports are accurate, Brighton are still trying to sign Colwill but if they are unable to make it happen, the signing of Igor could prove to be a shrewd one, both in the short-term as well as in the long-term.

Jordan Henderson

Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq

Fee: £12million

The Liverpool captain finally completed his move to Saudi Arabia after a drawn-out process. The 33-year-old left the Reds after 12 years with the club having been told by manager Jürgen Klopp that his minutes would be reduced in the upcoming season following the midfield overhaul. Henderson will be playing under former teammate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.

Samuel Chukwueze

Villarreal to AC Milan

Fee: £17million

This could be one of the signings of the summer. Milan already have a potent threat on their left flank in Rafael Leão, they now possess someone who can do similar things from their right hand side following the arrival of Samuel Chukwueze. The 24-year-old left footer involved himself in 11 goals for Villarreal last term, chipping in with six goals and five assists across 2,346 LaLiga minutes.

His performances earned him a FotMob rating of 7.16. If he hits the ground running, he could form a deadly partnership with Leão.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Messi’s debut, Women’s World Cup, and big pre-season friendlies

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Cruz Azul

Friday night sees the start of Project Messi in Miami, aka the mission to rescue Inter Miami’s dire season. Rock bottom of MLS’s Eastern Conference and 29th out of 29 in the league-wide race for the Supporter’s Shield, the club will be glad of a break, with the regular campaign now on hold for the duration of the Leagues Cup.

In previous years this has been a short form tournament pitting the best performing sides from MLS against their counterparts from Mexico’s Liga MX but it has now been expanded to include all teams from both leagues and will be run as a full-blown international cup competition over the next month. For Inter Miami, it’s a great opportunity to start afresh, and bed in a new look squad – the international stars, Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, being joined by fresh talent such as young Paraguayan midfielder, Diego Gómez.

Their opening tie comes against Cruz Azul, who won a title in Liga MX as recently as 2021, and made the play-offs of the recently completed Clausura season, but have started the new campaign with three straight defeats.

Click the link in the heading above and make sure you follow along as Messi makes his debut in the US.

🏆 FIFA Women’s World Cup: USWNT vs. Vietnam

Saturday’s early kick-off on Day 3 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament is no doubt timed for a Friday TV slot back in the home country of the favourites, and two-time defending champions, the United States.

The USWNT start as the overwhelming favourites for the game against World Cup debutants Vietnam, as you’d imagine (ranked 32nd in the world to their no.1 status.) And as such, we could see a similar dominant performance to that we got from Spain, who racked up over 40 efforts on goal in their 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Friday. Or that time when the US put 13 past Thailand at the 2019 World Cup.

The US squad is an exciting one: A solid blend of household names from past wins – players such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Lindsey Horan, mixed with tournament debutants such as the trio of young forwards, Sophia Smith (pictured above), Trinity Rodman, and Alyssa Thompson, from all of whom we’re expecting big things.

There is stiffer opposition to come for the reigning champions, Netherlands and Portugal are next up in the group, but this game should give us a good indication of just how strong this particular set of players is.

🏆 FIFA Women’s World Cup: England vs. Haiti

European Champions England also start their World Cup campaign on Saturday, with a late kick-off time more suited to morning TV viewers in the UK. And they too face a nation making their first appearance on the world stage. Haiti however, do boast some players who ply their trade in the biggest women’s leagues – Nérilia Mondésir and Melchie Dumornay, for example, both play in France.

That said, this is a game that Sarina Wiegman’s more experienced Lionesses side should win. Nine of our predicted line-up for this game featured in last year’s extra-time victory over Germany in the final of the Euros. And England have only lost once (to Australia) in the 12 games they’ve played since then, a run that includes a 2-1 win over the US when they last met, back in October 2022.

This will be England’s sixth World Cup finals appearance and Wiegman is determined to go one step further than she did in 2019 when she finished as a runner-up while coaching her native Netherlands.

🤝 Manchester United vs. Arsenal

The importance of pre-season friendlies, especially those played relatively early on in the summer, is negligible at best. But for those of you, and us, that do care, they do at least provide a first glimpse of your club’s new summer signings, that new kit that you’ll soon be wearing with pride, and perhaps even a new style of play if your coach is looking to stamp fresh authority on the side.

That is our justification for selecting the US tour match between Manchester United and Arsenal for this column. The game takes place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home to NFL sides New York Jets, and New York Giants.

Both United and Arsenal have already started their summer programme – Eric Ten Hag selecting a mixture of youth team and first team players for wins over Leeds United and most recently, Lyon, on Wednesday afternoon. Arsenal, on the other hand, drew with German outfit FC Nürnburg before heading over to the States to take part in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge and consequent exhibition match against an All-Stars side managed by DC United coach Wayne Rooney. That game ended in a comfortable 5-0 win for a strong Gunners line-up that featured goals from Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli and perhaps most notably, new signing Kai Havertz.

Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana is expected to feature for United in this game despite only travelling to meet up with his new side on Thursday.

🤝 Barcelona vs. Juventus

Over on the west coast of America, also on Saturday night, there’s another match between European giants – this one pitting Xavi’s La Liga champions Barcelona against Juventus, who presumably, are still smarting from the saga surrounding the various points deductions enforced against them in Serie A last season.

As has been typical in recent windows, Barcelona have been heavily involved in the transfer market as they look to overhaul their squad and reduce a bloated wage bill. Without a game since their regular commercially driven end of season match against Japan’s Vissel Kobe at the start of June this will be a first opportunity for fans to watch new signings like İlkay Gündoğan and Iñigo Martínez.

Juve ended the last campaign in seventh, outside of the Champions League places, and therefore unlikely to face this calibre of opposition in their upcoming tilt at the Europa Conference League. But nevertheless, Maxi Allegri’s largely unchanged squad – bar the signing of US international Timothy Weah – should provide a worthy challenge for Barça, along with Milan, and Real Madrid, who they also face while on tour in America over the next week.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

🇧🇪 Belgium Super Cup: Royal Antwerp vs. KV Mechelen

Last weekend, there were signs of life across European football as the winter leagues started in various countries. And this weekend, that smattering of games expands westwards to include this fixture taking place on Sunday – the traditional season opener in Belgium.

As covered extensively in this column, and on our various social channels, Royal Antwerp won their first league title in 66 years thanks to a last minute goal on the very last day of the season from local boy Toby Alderweireld. And they also lifted the Croky Cup after a 2-0 over KV Mechelen just a few weeks earlier.

This game therefore sees the double winners take on the side they defeated in the final. Nothing much has changed at either club in the interim with both still managed by the same coaches as last season – former Dutch international Mark van Bommel at Antwerp, and ex-Belgium midfielder Steven Defour in the dug-out for Mechelen.

🇩🇰 Danish Superliga: Lyngby vs. FC København

The new Danish season got underway on Friday evening with Midtjylland’s 1-0 home win over newly promoted side Hvidovre. And on Saturday, we’ll get a first look at how reigning champions FC København are shaping up for 2023/24.

The capital club don’t have far to travel, as they head to Lyngby, situated in the northern suburbs of the city. The Royal Blues only avoided relegation on goal difference back in May and they haven’t beaten Denmark’s biggest side since back in 2017.

København will need to start strong though as they also begin their Champions League campaign with a second round qualifying match at Icelandic side Breiðablik this coming Tuesday.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Threads, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Rice, Onana, Kim, and more

We did say it was the calm before the storm last week and I think we’ve been proven right. The last seven days has seen a whirlwind of transfer activity, so here’s a look at some of the biggest movers.

By Sam McGuire

André Onana

Inter to Manchester United

Fee: £49million

Manchester United made the bold decision to part ways with David De Gea at the end of the season having opted not to renew his deal at Old Trafford.

Reports suggested Erik Ten Hag wanted a better ball-player between the sticks and so the Red Devils have brought in one of the best in the business in Onana. It doesn’t always work out for the 27-year-old but his style is much better suited to the way United want to play. The Premier League side paid a big fee to secure his services but if the 2022/23 Champions League finalist works out as expected, he’ll be worth every penny.

James Trafford

Manchester City to Burnley

Fee: £15million

Trafford was the hero for the England under-21 team in the European Championship final as he saved a penalty in added time against Spain to give Lee Carsley’s side the win. The 20-year-old didn’t concede a goal during the tournament.

It was a season to remember for the 6ft6 shot-stopper and he impressed enough while on loan with Bolton to get a big money move to Burnley. He will be Vincent Kompany’s first choice goalkeeper in what is his first campaign as a Premier League manager.

Xavi Simons

Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig

Fee: Loan

It was a busy week for Simons. Paris Saint-Germain opted to bring him back to the club, making use of the clause inserted into the deal to take him to PSV last summer.

He was then immediately sent out on loan to RB Leipzig for the season. The German side have been busy in the market this summer bringing in Christoph Baumgartner, Fabio Carvalho and Benjamin Sesko, but the addition of Simons could be the best piece of business they’ll do. He scored 19 times in the Eredivisie last season and finished the campaign with a 7.91 FotMob rating.

Tijani Reijnders

AZ Alkmaar to Milan

Fee: £17million

Milan are spending the Sandro Tonali money. The Serie A side have replaced their former midfield general with 24-year-old Reijnders.

The versatile midfielder impressed last season, playing over 3,000 minutes in the Eredivisie and finishing the campaign with a pass success rate of 89%. He also created 62 chances in 34 appearances on his way to an average FotMob rating of 7.62. He has some big shoes to fill but the ability is there.

Zeki Amdouni

Basel to Burnley

Fee: £13million

Amdouni could prove to be a shrewd signing for Burnley. The 22-year-old is exceptionally versatile and starred in a number of roles last year. He appeared as a left winger, a left midfielder, an attacking midfielder and even as a centre forward on his way to 12 goals and four assists across his 2,193 minutes in the Swiss top-flight.

He is a varied finisher too with five of his goals coming via his right foot and four via his left foot. That level of unpredictability will cause Premier League defenders a problem or two.

Kim Min-Jae

Napoli to Bayern Munich

Fee: £43million

Bayern Munich have made their annual centre-back signing then. Last summer it was Matthijs de Ligt and the season before that it was Dayot Upamecano.

Kim comes in to fill the void left by Lucas Hernandez having had a season to remember with Napoli.

He made the switch last summer to replace Kalidou Koulibaly and he played a key role in their title success.

The 26-year-old was reportedly a target for Manchester United but it was the Bundesliga giants who made the first move, getting the powerhouse defender in early for Thomas Tuchel.

Seko Fofana

Lens to Al Nassr

Fee: £16million

After claiming the runner-up spot in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League, Lens have been raided. Star midfielder Fofana has joined the exodus of players to make the move to Saudi Arabia and he will be playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo next season.

The 28-year-old played his part for Lens last term, chipping in with seven goals and five assists from midfield to make it the most productive season of his career.

Declan Rice

West Ham United to Arsenal

Fee: £101million

Declan Rice is now the most expensive British player in history. After weeks of negotiations and a number of rejected bids, Arsenal got their man.

It is going to be interesting to see how Rice copes with the pressure of having every movement scrutinised as is the case with every big transfer. The Gunners will be hopeful the 24-year-old can help them get over the line this season after a second place finish. For the sort of money paid, they will be expecting a game changer and a difference maker. He was exactly that for West Ham.

Jurrien Timber

Ajax to Arsenal

Fee: £34million

This one caught a lot of people off guard. Timber was previously linked with Manchester United and Liverpool but he’s now an Arsenal player.

The 22-year-old can play at centre-back and at right-back and his arrival gives Mikel Arteta a number of options going forward. Timber could fill in at fullback and this would allow Ben White to move back into the centre of the pitch, as a centre-back or even as a midfielder.

Arsenal now have even greater depth and this should ensure they don’t run out of steam again towards the end of the campaign. Another title challenge does appear to be on the cards.

Loïs Openda

Lens to RB Leipzig

Fee: £36million

Losing Fofana was a blow for Lens but losing Openda could well be disastrous for the Ligue 1 side.

The 23-year-old scored 21 goals meaning he was directly responsible for 30% of their 2022/23 tally. RB Leipzig needed to add goals to their team after the sale of Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea and his compatriot more than fits the bill.

All eyes will be on Marco Rose to see how he gets the best out of all of his new attacking talents.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 26

It was a goal-filled Matchday 26 in Major League Soccer, with five games featuring four or more goals.

Much of the attention this weekend was on Inter Miami’s official unveiling of Lionel Messi and his mate Sergi Busquets in Fort Lauderdale, but the round of games leading up to it witnessed numerous impressive performances from existing MLS stars.

It was the final matchday before the league takes a break for the World Cup style tournament involving clubs in MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX, the Leagues Cup.

No doubt many of the names to have been featured in our Player Power rankings will star in that tournament too.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps)

The 27-year-old Scotsman continued to prove he is one of the best players in MLS with another headline-grabbing display for the Whitecaps.

Gauld scored twice in a 4-2 win against LA Galaxy on Matchday 26, giving him seven goals and five assists – 12 goal contributions – in his last eight games.

These goals came from a total of seven shots as he continued to show his positional versatility, playing almost as a striker in this game.

The first goal was blasted in with his right foot as the ball rebounded to him in the area off a defender, and the second was slotted in from the penalty spot with his favored left.

He also created three chances against the Galaxy, with an xA (expected assists) score of 0.44 – a reminder, among the goals, of his creative talents.

Ian Harkes (New England Revolution)

Outshining Carles Gil takes some doing, but Harkes arguably managed it in the Revolution’s 4-0 dismantling of DC United.

This was Harkes’ third appearance for New England since his arrival from Scottish Premiership side Dundee United this summer, and just his second start. He wasted no time showing what he could bring to his new club.

DC United’s risky approach is now well documented, thanks in part to high-profile comments from head coach Wayne Rooney who said he expects his goalkeeper Tyler Myler to get chipped once in a while.

Harkes took advantage of one such situation with Miller in no-man’s-land, getting enough dink on the ball to see it sail over the keeper and into the net. A quality finish.

He netted a second from Gil’s deft pass, scooped over a DC defender, to round off a performance that will certainly please his new fans.

Emanuel Reynoso (Minnesota United)

Minnesota United are a whole different prospect with the recently returned Reynoso in their line-up.

He arrived back at the club last month after some time off and has three goals and an assist in five starts.

He has already featured in the Player Power rankings during that time, on Matchday 22, and in this latest round of games was once again one of the best players

He finished the game against Los Angeles FC with a remarkable single-game xA score of 1.34, ten chances created, and his side’s goal in the 1-1 draw against the defending champions.

He started the move himself on the edge of the box, making a run towards goal before receiving it back from Kervin Arriaga who was also instrumental in what was an outstanding piece of build-up play, and one of the goals of the round for that reason.

Lucas Zelarayán (Columbus Crew)

What’s this? Another Argentine attacking midfielder shining in MLS?

Yes and no.

Though he hails from Córdoba, Argentina, Zelarayán represents Armenia at international level via his father’s Armenian roots.

He scored twice against Wales in a Euro 2024 qualifier last month, shortly after having scored a goal-of-the-season contender for Columbus on Matchday 18.

The Crew didn’t manage to get the win in Matchday 26, falling to a 3-2 defeat against the Timbers in Portland, but Zelarayán scored both his side’s goals in impressive fashion as well as creating five chances.

Carles Gil (New England Revolution)

The final place in the Player Power rankings was a tough call (it often is), especially between Carles Gil of New England, FC Cincinnati’s Lucho Acosta, Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake, and Dairon Asprilla of Portland Timbers.

Acosta netted from the penalty spot after his side went behind to a Nashville team that eventually went down to nine men, also adding a nice assist to ensure Cincy remained on course for a Supporters’ Shield triumph.

New England looks set to chase them all the way. Having one of the league’s in-form players in Gil is handy, and the Spaniard is coming into potentially MVP-level form at the right time.

He floated a cross for Gustavo Bou to open the scoring in Foxborough, and then neatly scooped the ball into the path of Harkes for the third goal of four. Gil also created five chances throughout the game with an xA of 1.01.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Gold Cup Final, MLS, Super Cups and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 Gold Cup Final: Mexico vs. Panama

The 17th Gold Cup tournament held in the CONCACAF region comes to a close, on Sunday, with something of a surprise final. The bracket suggested nothing but the coming together of the federations two biggest sides – Mexico vs. the United States, but unlike the last two editions of the finals, that wasn’t to be the case this year.

On one side of the draw, Mexico did their bit – albeit they started the group stages with unconvincing but ultimately winning performances against Honduras and Haiti before suffering a lacklustre defeat to Qatar. In the knockout stages they did for Costa Rica, and in Wednesday’s semi-final, Jamaica, by three goals to nil. They now have a chance to extend their record number of wins (eight) on what is CONCACAF’s biggest stage.

The nation standing in the way are Panama who over came the odds to beat the US by virtue of a penalty shootout in the other semi-final. They were good value for the result too, frustrating the hosts and defending champions in normal time before taking the lead, through Ivan Anderson, in the first period of extra-time. In the shoot-out, both sides missed one of their initial five kicks but Orlando Mosquera saved the sixth from the US and Adalberto Carrasquilla, who plys his trade in MLS, cooly converted to send his nation to the final.

This is just Panama’s third appearance in the final having finished runners-up back in 2005 and 2013. A win would be a major coup for the side currently 57th in the world (according to FIFA).

🇺🇸 MLS: St. Louis City vs. Inter Miami

For Inter Miami, and indeed a lot of casual MLS observers, it’s all about the impending arrival of Lionel Messi, one of the greatest ever to play the game. But without his contract formally signed (at the time of writing) and ahead of Sunday’s massive unveiling event that the club have been trailing all week, there’s the small matter of an away fixture at new franchise club St. Louis City.

This is a cross-conference raid as far as Miami are concerned but one that they might not expect to get anything from, even if new manager Tata Martino has stopped the rot, in terms of defeats with draws in each of their last three outings. St. Louis, the new boys in the Western Conference, sit top of the table after 22 games – pretty much unprecedented stuff for a new club and they’ll be keen to bounce back from the midweek defeat to second placed LAFC when they come up against the Eastern Conference’s bottom club.

Ultimately, the season is going to be a case of pre-Messi and post-Messi for Inter Miami, plus the impact that the other big stars that follow him to Florida will bring to the line-up.

🇺🇸 MLS: FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC

At the other end of the Eastern Conference, Saturday also sees a meeting between two of the sides who’ve been faring a lot better so far this season: leaders Cincinnati against third placed Nashville.

Cincinnati are currently on a run of games where they have lost just once in 18 across all competitions. And they boast a healthy eight point lead in both the Conference, and across MLS as a whole, sitting pretty in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. That’s a position that backs up last season’s 5th placed finish and run to the quarter-finals of the play-offs – the club’s best performance since joining the league in 2019.

The club have managed to maintain that form despite missing key striker Brandon Vazquez, who has been away representing the USMNT at the Gold Cup. In fact, a lot of the responsibility has fallen on Argentine no. 10, Luciano Acosta, who has weighed in with 11 goals and five assists so far this season. And with an average rating of 7.79, he’s currently our fourth best rated player in the league.

Nashville do have a star player of their own, of course, with 2022 league MVP Hany Mukhtar leading the way in terms of individual stats again this season – the German already has 13 goals and 7 assists to his name.

As a club, Nashville come in to the weekend’s game on a poor run with just one win in their last five. In fact, they’ve lost the other four games without scoring a goal.

🇧🇷 Brazil: Fluminense vs. Flamengo

The Fla-Flu, or for this week, the Flu-Fla is one of the biggest derbies in the Brazilian league, it being between two Rio sides based at the mythical Maracanã.

You might think familiarity will have dulled this rivalry but that doesn’t appear to be the case – Sunday’s meeting in the 15th round of the new Brasileirão season might be the first derby in the league, but it’ll be the sixth in 2023, after previous games that came in the various Rio state competitions that run for the first part of the year.

On the year, the head-to-head record is even. But with Flamengo’s strength in recent times (they won the league in 2019 and 2020, the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Libertadores in 2022) that should tell you that Fluminense are in something of a renaissance. Indeed, they go in to the weekend sitting fourth, just two points and two places down on the South American champions who, in turn, trail runaway leaders Botafogo by 10 points.

Flamengo’s defence of the Copa do Brasil continued during the week, with Gabigol on hand to wrap up a 4-1 aggregate win over Athletico Paranaense, in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

🏆 U19 Euros Final: Portugal vs. Italy

Following swiftly on from the U21 European Championships, won by England’s Young Lions last weekend, the tournament for the next age group down is also coming to a head – with the final due on Sunday.

And over the last 10 days or so, it’s Portugal’s youngsters who have dominated proceedings, scoring nine goals across the groups stages, plus another five in the solitary knock-out game that sees them line-up as the favourites in the final. Those five semi-final goals came against Norway and included a third goal of the tournament for Benfica’s Hugo Félix, the younger brother of João.

In the other semi-final, Italy, who finished second in Portugal’s group, won a five-goal thriller against Spain, a game in which they had to take the lead three times before it finally stuck.

And the Italians will surely be on the hunt for revenge after the shellacking that Portugal dished out to them in the group stages just a week ago.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

This week, various Super Cup finals tell us that football in the European ‘winter’ leagues is about to spring back to life!

🇭🇷 Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb vs. Hadjuk Split

There can’t be a more fitting way to start the new campaign in Croatia than a meeting between the country’s Eternal Rivals.

Dinamo Zagreb come in to Saturday’s Super Cup as the six-time reigning league champions having finished the last campaign 10 points clear of Hadjuk Split. But, for their part, Hadjuk will be participating as the two-time defending champions of the Croatian Cup!

All that means this is, of course, a repeat of last year’s season opener, a game that remained scoreless after 120 minutes and was decided by penalties, in favour of Dinamo. In fact, Hadjuk haven’t beaten their northern rivals in six meetings dating back to April last year.

🇵🇱 Poland: Raków Częstochowa vs. Legia Warszawa

Kicking off at roughly the same time on Saturday night is the Polish version of the Super Cup. Here, first time league champions, Raków Częstochowa are looking to win this particular title for the third consecutive year. They had previously only qualified by virtue of their back-to-back wins in the country’s main cup competition.

Their opponents, Legia, unsurprisingly have a stronger Super Cup legacy due to their position as Poland’s most decorated club, but they haven’t actually lifted the trophy since 2008.

The two clubs dominated last season – Raków beating Legia to the Ekstraklasa title by nine points but Legia coming out on top in the Cup final, again, by way of a penalty shootout.

Raków’s status as league champions means that their season has already started – they were 1-0 winners over Estonian club Flora in the first leg of the first round of Champions League qualifiers during the week.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Threads, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Pulisic, Milinkovic-Savic, and a bumper week for PSG

It feels like the calm before the storm. It is very much a case of when and not if this transfer window will burst into life again. For now though, a round-up of some of the biggest deals this week.

By Sam McGuire

Robin Koch

Leeds United to Eintracht Frankfurt

Fee: Loan

With Leeds United looking to trim their squad following their relegation to the Championship, versatile defender Robin Koch has returned to Germany. The 26-year-old centre-back-cum-defensive-midfielder has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan and will likely fill the void left by Evan Ndicka.

The former SC Freiburg man started 36 matches for Leeds last term, six more than he managed across both of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns combined. He will be a big loss for Daniel Farke as he looks to get them back into the Premier League.

Manuel Ugarte

Sporting to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £52million

Paris Saint-Germain finally completed the signing of the highly-sought after midfielder. Ugarte once looked set to join Chelsea following a staggering offer from the Blues but the Uruguayan destroyer opted for the French capital. The 22-year-old has had a meteoric rise over recent years.

After an impressive campaign with Portuguese side Famalicão, Sporting signed him as an understudy to João Palhinha. He eventually replaced him in the team and was one of the key reasons for his departure to Fulham. Ugarte is a pitbull without the ball, forever hunting down opponents in a quest to regain possession. He’s much more than just a destroyer though and his passing ability is underrated. Luis Enrique could do a lot of good with him.

Enzo Le Fee

Lorient to Rennes

Fee: £17million

This is something of a surprise move. Le Fee was linked with Bournemouth in January and it appeared he would be plying his trade in the Premier League. He rejected the Cherries and despite reported interest from elsewhere, he remained in Ligue 1. He did, however, say he wanted a new challenge.

Few would’ve expected to see him move to a rival French team in Rennes but that is exactly what happened. It is a bigger platform for the 23-year-old to star on and positive performances there could see bigger clubs make their move.

Kang-In Lee

Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £19million

Another move that few would’ve pictured. The Ligue 1 champions have been busy in the transfer window and the capture of the former Mallorca man has the potential to go under the radar.

The 22-year-old scored six times and assisted a further six goals in LaLiga last season. Used across a number of positions, the versatile attacker racked up a FotMob rating of 7.19 for the 2022/23 campaign. He has the potential to improve under Enrique and at just £19million, he could turn out to be a bargain in the long term.

Lucas Hernandez

Bayern Munich to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £40million

The Frenchman has had a strange career. He was a starlet at Atlético Madrid and was tipped for greatness following his £75million move to Bayern. To this day, he is still the record signing for the Bundesliga giants.

The 27-year-old played as a full-back on occasion but would get opportunities at centre-back, however, he wasn’t ever able to make either position his own. Bayern spent more money on centre-backs every summer, highlighting the fact they didn’t have complete faith in him. PSG clearly feel as though there is some value there as they parted with £40million to bring him back to his homeland. It will be interesting to see how he slots into the backline there.

Manor Solomon

Free Agent to Spurs

Fee: Free Transfer

Having caught the eye in glimpses for Fulham last season, Solomon bagged himself a move to Tottenham Hotspur. His situation was a tricky one given he was a Shakhtar Donetsk player but FIFA ruled he could suspend his contract following the Russian invasion.

The 23-year-old scored four times in 563 minutes while on loan with Fulham and many thought they would turn the move into a permanent one. However, Spurs swooped and managed to sign him for nothing. A real coup in the current market and someone who could play a significant role for Ange Postecoglou this season.

Shea Charles

Manchester City to Southampton

Fee: £14million

Last summer, Southampton raided the Manchester City academy for a number of players. They brought in Gavin Bazunu, Roméo Lavia and Samuel Edozie for a combined £32million. If reports are accurate, they are set to sell Lavia for £50million this summer. So it is safe to say it was a successful trip to Manchester. With that in mind, it is no surprise to see them looking to repeat that trick this summer. The Saints parted with £14million to bring Shea Charles to the South Coast. He could eventually replace Lavia in Russell Martin’s midfield.

Sergej Milinković-Savić

Lazio to Al Hilal

Fee: £34million

The powerhouse Serbian has been linked with a move away from Lazio every summer for the past six years. Despite interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, he always stayed put in Rome. There was even some talk that the 28-year-old might retire at the club. But then Saudi Arabia came calling.

He notched nine times for Lazio last term as they claimed a surprising second place finish in Serie A. Milinković-Savić was a key player for Maurizio Sarri and earned himself a FotMob rating of 7.44.

Christian Pulisic

Chelsea to AC Milan

Fee: £14million

There had been interest from Lyon but the 24-year-old opted to make the switch to Milan. Depending on what the plan is, the 2021/22 Serie A champions have the opportunity to field Pulisic on one flank and Rafael Leão on the other in what would arguably be one of the quickest pairings in Europe.

The former BVB winger had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign with Chelsea, appearing in just 812 minutes and scoring just one goal. He isn’t the first player to leave Stamford Bridge looking to restart his career and he definitely won’t be the last.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 25

As the United States men’s team was being knocked out of the Gold Cup semifinals by Panama, its domestic league, Major League Soccer, continued apace, with a midweek round of fixtures being played at the same time.

Midweek matches can be unpredictable, and with some players still away on international duty and new arrivals looking to make their mark following the opening of the transfer window, such a round of games at this stage of the season brings added intrigue.

There were standout players across the field in Matchday 25, and here are the five who made our Player Power rankings at the final whistle.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

José Cifuentes (Los Angeles FC)

LAFC’s Ecuadorian midfielder isn’t quite performing to the levels of previous seasons so far in 2023 but gave a reminder of how influential he can be as he helped his side to a 3-0 win against Western Conference challengers St. Louis City.

It required an almost acrobatic movement to play the ball over the top from inside his own half for Carlos Vela to open the scoring for LAFC in the 72nd minute, and from there, the floodgates opened.

Cifuentes was then on hand to score his side’s third in added time. Still with enough energy in the tank, he burst forward through midfield and was ideally positioned on the edge of the area to receive a pass from wide by Nathan Ordaz before finishing convincingly into the bottom corner.

Add to this 11 passes into the final third, four out of four tackles won, and seven defensive recoveries, and you get a complete performance from the midfielder. A reminder of why there is still interest in him from Europe during this summer transfer window.

Obinna Nwobodo (FC Cincinnati)

In a league full of creative and attacking midfielders, sometimes the more defensive or box-to-box players in the middle of the park are overlooked.

But this week, a late game-winning volley from FC Cincinnati’s Nigerian midfielder Obinna Nwobodo against New York Red Bulls gives us a chance to sing his praises.

Nwobodo has been one of the best players on this Cincy team that has stormed to the top of the Eastern Conference and also leads the overall standings.

This position sees the team remain the favourite to claim the Supporters’ Shield at the end of the 2023 regular season and puts it in a good place ahead of the playoffs.

Per the FotMob overall player ratings, Nwobodo is the third-best Cincinnati player this season, behind star attacker Lucho Acosta and standout wing-back Alvaro Barreal, with an average rating of 7.52.

Nwobodo makes the Player Power rankings this week thanks to his late goal, but he also won four out of four tackles, made two interceptions and ten recoveries, demonstrating the work in midfield that has been so important to his team’s success this season.

Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes)

San Jose’s Argentine winger Cristian Espinoza has been one of the best players in MLS so far this season.

He has played a big role in the Earthquakes’ newfound ability to stay in touch with the leading teams in the Western Conference.

His goal from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win against west coast heavyweights Seattle Sounders means he has now scored three in his last three games following something of a lull after his MVP-level early-season form.

He then provided the assist from a corner for Miguel Trauco’s volley which was one of the goals of the round.

Espinoza had more touches of the ball than any other player on his team with 69 and finished the game with a pass success of 90%, which is impressive for a winger who tries to make things happen in the final third.

The assist was his 51st for the club and means he passes Shea Salinas as the all-time club leader for that particular stat.

“It makes me feel very happy because I can see all the effort and sacrifices that I made in every single training session since I arrived here paying off now,” said Espinoza.

“At the same time, I try to keep the focus on trying to help the team. I think that is the most important thing for me.”

Đorđe Petrović (New England Revolution)

There were a collection of good goalkeeping performances during these midweek games, including Chicago’s Chris Brady making the team of the week for his clean sheet against Montreal and Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair putting in a good display against Houston.

Kendall McIntosh of Sporting KC and Gavin Beavers of Real Salt Lake also made good saves in the meeting between their respective teams to make sure each claimed a point.

There weren’t the only ones, either, but the standout once again was in New England.

Despite not keeping a clean sheet, Petrović’s performance between the sticks played a key part in securing the win for his team, as is so often the case, this time against Atlanta United.

The Serbian who remains on the radar of European clubs made an MLS personal best ten saves to keep Atlanta out for much of the game, and wasn’t beaten until Machop Chol scored a consolation goal in the 93rd minute.

The 2.69 expected goals on target he faced in this game is an indicator of how many saves he had to make and how difficult some of them were.

A save from Juan José Purata following a corner kick routine was a particular highlight, while even an impressive Thiago Almada couldn’t find a way past him.

Jack Elliott (Philadelphia Union)

His Philadelphia Union teammate and centre-back partner Jacob Glesnes may be the player who more regularly gets nominated for end-of-season awards, and is also the one called up to the MLS All-Star game this month, but Jack Elliott remains one of the best defenders in this league.

He proved as much once again with a display that was as key to Philadelphia Union’s 2-0 victory against Nashville as the two penalty goals scored by Daniel Gazdag.

Elliott made numerous key interventions in defence throughout the game. With star goalkeeper Andre Blake away on international duty with Jamaica, this was a valuable contribution to help backup keeper Joe Bendik.

This included two goalline clearances as part of nine total clearances, as well as important blocks.

To win a game like this you sometimes need a bit of luck, but being in the right place at the right time to intervene, as Elliott so often was, is a skill in itself.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 24

It was a great week for LA Galaxy and Riqui Puig as they built on a 2-1 win against LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek with another fine outing in Matchday 24 of Major League Soccer.

There were several other notable performances in the Western Conference this week, and a few of the individual displays within teams from that side of MLS have made a mark at the top of the Player Power rankings.

The majority of teams in the league will still believe they have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and some star players appear to be stepping up at just the right time for their clubs

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Pablo Ruiz (Real Salt Lake)

All eyes were on RSL’s new signing up top, former LAFC striker Cristian Arango who joined this month as a designated player, but it was Argentine midfielder Pablo Ruiz who stood out in a 4-0 win against Orlando City.

It took Arango just 23 minutes to open his account for his new club, but the goal was also the first of three assists on the night for Ruiz.

The first two came via pinpoint set-piece delivery which Orlando couldn’t defend. The third was a clever ball played through a busy defence to send Anderson Julio through for RSL’s fourth goal.

There was some defensive work from Ruiz, too, including 4/6 tackles won and 15 ball recoveries, in what was an outstanding all-round display.

Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

LA Galaxy has turned a corner after a poor and troubling start to the season during which fans were boycotting games due to unhappiness with the front office.

The team only won twice in 14 games, losing nine of them, and this led to the departure of president Chris Klein.

Since then, there has been a better feel around the place. The team is unbeaten in seven games and a 3-1 win against Philadelphia Union in Matchday 24 gave them back-to-back wins for the first time this season after they also defeated LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek.

Back-to-back wins against two of the most difficult teams to beat in the league, no less.

This upturn in form has also seen Puig begin to show his class in MLS.

The former Barcelona midfielder ran the show against the Union, touching the ball 109 times and creating four chances for his teammates.

His performance was capped off by one of the goals of the round, fired in from outside the box to make sure of the win.

It was another man-of-the-match contribution following on from his goal and assist in El Tráfico in midweek which gave his side a 2-1 win against their rivals.

LA Galaxy has gone from having the worst record in MLS at one stage of this season, to now having an eye on qualifying for the playoffs. If Puig carries on like this, you wouldn’t bet against the Galaxy adding their name to the post-season bracket.

Sebastián Driussi (Austin)

As the Galaxy have shown, it only takes a short burst of good results to see a team move up the table in a tight Western Conference, and Austin FC has experienced something similar lately as they put themselves right in the mix.

Austin have won three of their last four games, drawing the other, meaning they’ve now won six of their last ten.

Just as Puig has been driving the revival for the Galaxy, Austin’s own star, Sebastián Driussi, has himself started to step up.

The captain scored twice and assisted another in a 4-1 win against Minnesota in this latest matchday. It was his first multi-goal game of this season and gives him six goal contributions in the last seven.

Having already scored a penalty, his second goal was an excellent finish on the volley as he glided in at the far post to get on the end of Ethan Finlay’s cross.

Driussi rounded off his performance with a well-worked assist for Emiliano Rigoni as Austin moved up to fifth in the table.

Karol Świderski (Charlotte)

Over in the Eastern Conference, two well-taken goals from their Polish designated player gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead in the first half against table-toppers FC Cincinnati.

The first was scored at the near post from a near-impossible angle but the striker did well to get something on Kerwin Vargas’s cross ahead of two Cincinnati defenders, and somehow direct it goalward.

The second came in a similar manner but this time more centrally. Świderski created some separation between himself and Nick Hagglund as a cross came in from Jaylin Lindsey before showing good agility and technique to get good contact on the ball from an awkward position.

These were the finishes of a striker hungry for goals, looking to score in any way possible and getting in the best positions to do so.

They weren’t long-range thunderbolts or mazy runs taking on numerous defenders, but they were high quality finishes in their own way.

Świderski went on to miss an easier chance for a hat-trick in the second half having gone through one-on-one with the keeper, and also hit the post with an effort from outside the box.

Charlotte were not able to hold on to the 2-0 lead, though, conceding twice in the second half as Cincinnati showed why they have been so difficult to beat this season, and why they’re still leading the race for the Supporters Shield.

Frankie Amaya (New York Red Bulls)

The 22-year-old American midfielder was heavily involved as the Red Bulls eventually took advantage of a New England red card to record a 2-1 win.

Amaya created five chances throughout the game and opened the scoring himself with a header after making a good run into the box from midfield.

He also drew the foul which led to Latif Blessing being sent off for New England, and though the visitors did manage to score, despite being a man down, a late strike from Wikelman Carmona gave the Red Bulls the win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: U21 Euros Final, Gold Cup quarter-finals, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 U21 Euros Final: England vs. Spain

The biggest international tournament taking place in Europe over the summer has, fittingly, seen both of the strongest competing sides reach Saturday’s showpiece final, being played in the Adjarabet Arena, in the Georgian city of Batumi.

On one side of the draw, England’s Young Lions have dominated, scoring 10 unanswered goals as they’ve topped their group, and then overcome Portugal and Israel in the knockout stages. Lee Carsley’s side have looked inspired, with standout performances coming from the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White (3 assists, one goal) and Cole Palmer, who was involved in all three goals in Wednesday’s semi-final against Israel.

England haven’t won this tournament since 1984 and they’ve not made a final since a 4-0 defeat to a Mesut Özil-inspired German side back in 2009.

In contrast, Spain have the best record in the history of the U21 Euros having lifted the trophy five times (most recently in 2019) and finished runners-up in a further three finals. And on the opposite side of the draw this time around they also topped their group – beating Romania and Croatia, but then drawing 2-2 with Ukraine. They did need extra-time to edge past Switzerland in the quarter-finals but then showed their mettle after going down 1-0 to Ukraine when they met them again in the final four – going on to score five goals in reply.

Their tournament stars to watch out for include Barcelona academy product Abel Ruiz, who now plays for Braga in Portugal, and Manchester City’s Sergio Gómez who both have five goal contributions.

🏆 Gold Cup: United States vs. Canada

Over in the CONCACAF region, we’ve reached the quarter-finals in the 17th edition of the Gold Cup. And on Sunday night, there’s a massive clash between two of the favourites – defending champions, the USMNT, and Canada.

The US will be on home soil, with the game played in Cincinnati, and also have the recent form that suggests they’ll be favourites for this game. Despite beating their North American rivals in qualifying en route to their first World Cup Finals in a generation when the two met in early 2022, it’s been somewhat of a downwards spiral for Canada, since that trip to Qatar.

Amidst disputes with the federation, the Canadian squad at this tournament is also seriously depleted by injuries – missing star names including the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, who were ruled out ahead of time, but also long-term goalkeeper, Milan Borjan, who dropped out after disappointing draws in their opening two games of the group. After failing to overcome non-FIFA nation Guadeloupe and Guatemala, Canada required a morale-boosting 4-2 win over Cuba in their final game to see themselves through to the knockout stages, and even then they were kept on their toes.

In contrast, the US came in to the tournament having beaten both Canada and Mexico in the finals of the CONCACAF Nations League a week beforehand but were then temporarily brought down to earth by Jamaica as their Gold Cup started with a 1-1 draw. Since then, though, the stars and stripes have done exactly what is expected of them – they’ve thrashed St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago, by matching 6-0 scorelines. FC Dallas forward, Jesus Ferreira has looked inspired, becoming the first player to score consecutive hat-tricks in the history of the competition.

🏆 Gold Cup: Mexico vs. Costa Rica

Ahead of the big showdown between the North American rivals, there’s Saturday’s quarter-final between Mexico and Costa Rica, on the other side of the draw.

El Tri haven’t been setting the tournament alight, frustrating fans with their displays in wins over Honduras and Haiti, before going on to lose to Qatar in their final group game. The positives of scoring seven goals in those two wins has been outweighed by the perceived lack of a cutting edge, something that was compounded by the stats against Qatar. Mexico had 25 attempts on goal to Qatar’s one and bossed the possession with 77% of the ball but still succumbed to a 1-0 defeat.

But, we should never rule out the tournament’s record winners.

For their part, Costa Rica looked to be going home after defeat to Panama and a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Honduras. But their campaign sparked into life during a crazy 6-4 win over Martinique, a result that ultimately decided second place in the group. They were 5-1 up and seemingly cruising in that game until an exciting last quarter that saw four goals exchanged. As always, Los Ticos could depend on former Arsenal man Joel Campbell, who was directly involved in three of the goals.

🇺🇸 MLS: Charlotte vs. Cincinnati

While the Gold Cup rages on for the men’s national team, the MLS season continues, business as usual. And after a lot of our focus in recent weeks has been on the Western Conference, where we’ve suggested watching out for games involving the likes of high-flying newcomers, St. Louis City, or the struggling LA Galaxy, this week we thought we’d turn our attention to the East.

Here, FC Cincinnati maintain pole position despite a recent slow down in results that has seen them win just one of their last four. Their current four point lead was built during a 14-game unbeaten run between April and June that has also seen them qualify for the semi-finals of the Open Cup.

On Saturday they visit Charlotte FC, who currently sit 10th and just outside the play-off positions by a point. The Conference is fairly tightly packed, with eight points separating 2nd down to 9th. The Crown have drawn each of their last four games and haven’t tasted victory since facing the Galaxy seven rounds ago.

🏆 Women’s International Friendly: United States vs. Wales

As thoughts turn to the Women’s World Cup, which starts in just over a week’s time over in Australia and New Zealand, it’s probably worth checking in on the overwhelming favourites for the tournament, the USWNT.

Ranked no.1 in the world by FIFA and defending back-to-back World Cups won in 2015 and 2019, the US bid farewell to their home crowd on Sunday, with a last warm-up match to be played against Wales, in San Jose.

The US come in to this game having won their last eight, a run that includes friendly series against Ireland and New Zealand, as well as the triumph in the SheBelieves Cup where they conceded just once in three matches. Wales missed out on World Cup qualification but by being ranked no.30 in the world, they probably offer up one of the stiffest tests that the US could want before they depart for the main event.

Whilst we’re here, why not try your hand at our tournament predictor game for the Women’s World Cup. You can find this in the More tab in the app, or enter by clicking the link – here.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

This week, it’s top of the table clashes in two of the leagues currently running around the world.

🇧🇷 Brazil: Grêmio vs. Botafogo

Heading in to the 14th round of games in the Brasileirão we have two surprise leaders at the top of the table. Botafogo already have a seven point cushion on Grêmio, their nearest chasers, and the two meet in Porto Alegre on Sunday evening.

The Rio-based club haven’t finished a season in the top 10 since 2016 and they finished 11th last term having been promoted back to the top flight as Serie B champions in 2021. In the recent past, the club has drawn attention with the signing of ageing international stars like Salomon Kalou and Keisuke Honda, but their success this season appears to be built on a Brazilian backbone, and the goals of Tiqunho Soares, who has returned to the country after notable spells with the likes of Porto and Olympiacos.

But Botafogo have, this week, been rocked by the departure of coach Luís Castro. The Portuguese-born manager has been lured away by the prospect of linking up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi club Al Nassr.

Grêmio have only just returned to the top flight this year but have settled spectacularly well, spearheaded by the infatigable Luis Suárez, who has four goals and three assists in 11 appearances so far this season.

🇯🇵 Nagoya Grampus vs. Yokohama F. Marinos

In comparison, the top of the J-League looks a lot more familiar. Current Japanese champions, Yokohama F. Marinos, coached by former Socceroo Kevin Muscat, are again leading the way. They have a four point advantage on Nagoya Grampus, their opponents on Saturday, having scored a whopping 42 goals in their 19 games to date.

Muscat was appointed as the successor to new Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou, when he left for Celtic, and Muscat led the side back to the championship in 2022 having finished runners-up the previous season. The Marinos also won the Super Cup back in February so are now well accustomed to starting games as the overwhelming favourites.

For anyone wondering, Nagoya Grampus are indeed the club formally known as Nagoya Grampus Eight, made famous by the fact that both Arsene Wenger and Dragan Stojković have managed them, and players such as Gary Lineker turned out for them in the 1990s. Their current showing is a big improvement on last season’s eighth placed finish.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Threads, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Mount, Tonali, Güler, and more

Well, the transfer window has really come to life over the past week, hasn’t it? You may have missed a few, so we’ve got you covered.

By Sam McGuire

Granit Xhaka

Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen

Fee: £22million

Xhaka’s Arsenal career has been something of a rollercoaster. He was stripped of the captaincy in 2019 and it appeared his time at the Emirates would be coming to an end. There was interest in him from Roma and yet a move never materialised. The Switzerland international then played his way into Mikel Arteta’s plans and had the best season of his career during the 2022/23 campaign, netting seven Premier League goals.

With the Gunners looking to revamp their middle third options, the 30-year-old has decided to return to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen paying £22million to secure the signature of the experienced midfielder.

Arda Güler

Fenerbahçe to Real Madrid

Fee: £17million

Güler has been a revelation for Fenerbahçe since breaking into the first team during the 2021/22 campaign. The 18-year-old, dubbed the Turkish Lionel Messi due to the wand of a left foot that he possesses, has been linked with a host of top European clubs over recent weeks and it did appear as though he would be heading to Barcelona. However, it was LaLiga rivals Real Madrid who made the first move and tied the talented teen down to a long-term contract

It is going to be fun to see how he links with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo over the coming years. The potential there is scary.

Mason Mount

Chelsea to Manchester United

Fee: £55million

Manchester United finally got their man. After seeing a number of bids rejected for the England international, the Red Devils had a bid accepted by Chelsea for Mount.

The 24-year-old is the first new face through the door at Old Trafford and having been given the iconic No.7 jersey, it is safe to assume he will play a key part in Erik ten Hag’s plans. It will be intriguing to see where the versatile midfielder is used and whether he can rediscover his 2021/22 form when he involved himself in over 20 goals for the Blues. He had a forgettable 2022/23 season, scoring on just three occasions in the Premier League. Mount has the potential to play in the middle or final thirds.

Vitor Roque

Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona

Fee: £30million

All of the focus, in Brazil, had been on Endrick but once it was confirmed he was moving to Real Madrid, the focus soon pivoted to Roque. The 19-year-old had been in the spotlight for some time having made the move from Cruzeiro to Athletico Paraenese for a club record fee. It was a controversial move at the time and it heaped even more pressure on the explosive forward. He dealt with it. In fact, he dealt with it so well that a number of European clubs were queuing up to sign him. In the end, Barcelona triumphed – with Roque set to link up with the Spanish giants later in the season.

All eyes will yet again be on him when he turns out for the Catalan side. He could follow in the footsteps of Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar.

Nathan Collins

Wolves to Brentford

Fee: £23million

Brentford parted with a club record fee to sign Collins. The transfer also made the 22-year-old centre-back the most expensive Irish footballer ever.

The Bees are one of the smartest clubs in the Premier League when it comes to transfers, so they will have a clear plan in place for the former Wolves defender. He is actually deceptively good in possession, finding a teammate with 88% of his attempted passes and ranking in the 78th percentile for completed dribbles by centre-backs in the Premier League.

Felix Nmecha

VfL Wolfsburg to Borussia Dortmund

Fee: £27million

Borussia Dortmund are finally starting to spend some of the Jude Bellingham money. Earlier in the summer, it appeared as though Nmecha would be joining Newcastle United but the former Manchester City youngster made the move to Bundesliga rivals BVB in a deal worth £27million.

The versatile 24-year-old bolsters Eden Terzic’s options. They lacked depth during the final stages of the 2022/23 campaign as they lost out on the title on the final day despite being favourites with just a couple of games remaining. BVB will be hopeful Nmecha’s injury woes of last season are behind him – he missed 16 matches.

Bart Verbruggen

Anderlecht to Brighton

Fee: £15million

Brighton needed a goalkeeper this summer. It was obvious that Roberto De Zerbi didn’t fancy Robert Sánchez while Jason Steele, despite impressing, had his limitations and at 32 he wasn’t a long-term option for the Seagulls.

They moved swiftly to bring in highly-rated shot-stopper Verbruggen from Anderlecht in a deal believed to be in the region of £15million. The Dutchman impressed in Belgium last season and was tipped for a big summer move with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all interested. Brighton got there first though and have one of the most sought-after young goalkeepers in world football now. Watching him develop under De Zerbi will be fascinating.

Sandro Tonali

AC Milan to Newcastle United

Fee: £60million

This one was a bit of a shock. Newcastle seemingly had an interest in Nicolo Barella before pivoting to compatriot Tonali. Given he was the beating heart of the Milan team, a move seemed difficult and yet in the blink of an eye, it happened.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder posted a FotMob rating of 7.33 last season for the Serie A side and captained the Italy Under-21 team at the recent European Championships. His experience will be important to the Magpies this season as they play Champions League football. Tonali could strike up quite a well-balanced midfield partnership with Bruno Guimarães. Eddie Howe will be banking on that duo to deliver.

Dominik Szoboszlai

RB Leipzig to Liverpool

Fee: £60million

Another move that arrived out of nowhere.

There had been no links to the Hungary captain before David Ornstein published a piece claiming he was liked by the Reds but a deal would be difficult. A couple of days later, he was named as Liverpool’s new No.8 after the Merseysiders agreed to pay his £60million release clause. He is a final third threat, chipping in with goals and assists for RB Leipzig over the past two seasons – he’s averaged 16.5 per season. The reds will be hoping for a repeat performance from the 22-year-old.

Nicolas Jackson

Villarreal to Chelsea

Fee: £35million

Not long after formalising Christopher Nkunku’s move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea parted with another £35million to bring Nicolas Jackson to the club. The 22-year-old has a strange season for Villarreal and a purple patch towards the end of the campaign changed the narrative. The Senegal international finished with 12 goals and four assists in LaLiga but nine of those goals and two of those assists arrived in the final eight matches.

He is incredibly raw but the talent is there. Mauricio Pochettino has a history of developing young centre-forwards *cough* Harry Kane *cough* so the 6ft2 striker is in good hands. It could prove to be a match made in heaven but patience is going to be required.

Fabio Carvalho

Liverpool to RB Leipzig

Fee: Loan

Liverpool fought off interest from big clubs last summer to convince Carvalho to move to Anfield. His career with the Reds started off well with him scoring the winner against Newcastle United in August but that was the highlight of his season. He wasn’t given many opportunities and it comes as no surprise to see him going elsewhere on loan in search of regular football. With RB Leipzig losing Nkunku and Szoboszlai, there was a void to be filled and this has given the former Fulham youngster an opportunity and a platform to thrive. Let’s see what he does with this chance.

Pau Torres

Villarreal to Aston Villa

Fee: £34million

It always felt like a matter of when and not if Torres would end up in the Premier League. Linked with Spurs, Manchester United, Liverpool and even Chelsea over recent summers, the Spain international made the move to Aston Villa to reunite with former manager Unai Emery.

The left-footed centre-back would replace Tyrone Mings in the starting XI, something Steven Gerrard attempted to do with Diego Carlos last summer. The 26-year-old is impressive in possession and coming in at 6ft3, he should be able to adapt to the rigours of the English top-flight. It is a statement signing for Villa as they look to build on their 7th-placed finish last season.

(Images from IMAGO)

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