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Burnley didn’t blow anyone away in attack during their recent promotion-winning feat out of the Championship as their rock-solid defence instead stole all the plaudits.

That is understandable considering the Clarets only leaked a seriously impressive 16 goals all season long, but only 69 goals would actually be scored by Scott Parker’s men on the flip side.

To add context, Leeds United were crowned champions ahead of Burnley purely because of their heftier goal difference, helped by their mammoth 95 strikes.

Therefore, upon their re-entry into the top division, Burnley could be on the hunt for a new, potent attacker to call their own, with Parker praying he can uncover his next Aleksandar Mitrovic in the process, having worked alongside the lethal Serbian at previous employers Fulham.

Mitrovic's potency under Scott Parker

Mitrovic is the very definition of a modern-day legend at the Cottagers, having ended his 206-game association with the West London side by bagging a ridiculous 111 strikes.

30 of those would come under the bumpy reign of Parker, before the now Al-Hilal attacker became an even more ice-cold finisher of chances when Marco Silva took on the managerial reins after the 44-year-old’s dismissal.

Still, the deadly 30-year-old first kicked on donning Fulham white under the guidance of Parker with the Clarets boss arguably also playing a key part in Dominic Solanke’s development at AFC Bournemouth prior to his major switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

Off the back of this, Burnley could be tempted to go after an experienced striker to lead the line next season, knowing he has been as clinical as Mitrovic when previously performing at the peak of his powers.

Parker could sign his new Mitrovic

Most of the chatter involving Burnley this summer has honed in on the alarming amount of potential outgoings as both Maxime Esteve and Josh Brownhill reportedly continue to be eyed up by higher up suitors.

Thankfully, rumours involving who they could add to their promotion-winning squad are also now coming to the surface, with former hero Danny Ings being lined up for a stunning Turf Moor return.

Before the “phenomenal” veteran – as he’s been previously labelled by pundit Noel Whelan – would go on to cement himself as a Premier League distinguished striker for the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton, the 32-year-old first burst onto the scene as a dangerous goal machine in Lancashire.

After ripping up the Championship with Burnley by firing home 21 goals – much like Mitrovic had shown on the books of Fulham – Ings would get his first big break in the Premier League with the Clarets during the 2014/15 season, with a temptation surely on the ageing attacker’s end now to return to his ex-side shortly to try and recapture his frightening best and help Parker’s underdogs beat the drop.

24/25

West Ham

15

1

2

23/24

West Ham

20

1

1

22/23

West Ham

17

2

2

22/23

Aston Villa

18

6

0

21/22

Aston Villa

30

7

6

20/21

Southampton

29

12

4

19/20

Southampton

38

22

2

18/19

Southampton

24

7

3

17/18

Liverpool

8

1

0

15/16

Liverpool

6

2

0

14/15

Burnley

35

11

4

As can be seen looking at the table above, when Ings isn’t in and out of the treatment room with injuries, he is a reliable goalscorer at Premier League level which is what Burnley are crying out for after a mediocre campaign in front of goal in the league below.

It will all just rest on whether Ings can break free of his recurring injury issues, but with Parker’s track record with Mitrovic, he could well be an ideal figure for the 32-year-old to shine under.

The nervous Clarets will also be able to land their ex-number ten on a free transfer, meaning it could go down as a very shrewd deal if he rolls back the years on his return.

Their best ST since Wood: Burnley could now sign "clinical" PL star

Burnley could pick up their best striker purchase since Chris Wood with this summer deal

ByKelan Sarson May 25, 2025

Mitchell Starc stayed away from the IPL for the best part of his peak years, but after winning the title with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will consider dropping one format from his life, and that might be ODI cricket.”The last nine years, I’ve prioritised Australian cricket. I have given myself a chance to give my body a break and spend some time away from cricket with my wife as well, so that’s certainly been where my head’s been for the last nine years,” Starc said at a press conference after the IPL 2024 final in Chennai, where KKR steamrolled Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to win their third title, with Starc playing a starring role.”Moving forward… look, I am certainly closer to the end of my career than the start. One format may drop off. There is long time before the next one-day World Cup and whether that format continues for me or not… it may open doors for more franchise cricket.”Related

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And franchise cricket could mean two months of the IPL, a tournament he had played just twice in the past, for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and 2015, but usually skipped to be fit and fresh for international cricket.In fact, in all these years of playing top-level cricket – he made his international debut in 2009 – Starc has only played 137 T20s.”I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season,” he said. “It’s been great, it leads into the World Cup, that’s the other side of the benefit of being here against some amazing players in an amazing tournament. It’s a great lead-up to a World Cup.”Next year – I don’t know the schedule exactly – but I’ve enjoyed it, I look forward to being back next year and hopefully be seen in purple and gold [KKR’s colours] again.”Starc, the most expensive IPL auction buy ever when KKR splurged INR 24.75 crore (US$2,982,000 approx.) had a terrible time of it to start with, going wicketless in his eight overs in the first two games while conceding 100 runs. He took time to get it right, picking up a three-for against Lucknow Super Giants and a four-for against Mumbai Indians, but really came into his own in the playoffs, with 3 for 34 and 2 for 14 against SRH in Qualifier 1 and the final.”I’ve played a lot of cricket, so I know how to manage myself,” Starc said. “I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket in the last few years, so for me, it was trying to find that rhythm of [the] T20 format, and trying to stay ahead of batters.”

Danni Wyatt blazed her way into form with 87 from 48 balls to set England on their way to a 3-0 sweep against Pakistan. Wyatt made the most of being dropped on 12, 79 and 81 to help power England to their highest score of the series before the bowlers comfortably kept Pakistan in check in front of a sizeable crowd basking in the Leeds sunshine.Without Wyatt, England’s efforts would have looked a lot less convincing. On a true Headingley surface with a fast outfield, Amy Jones’ 26 was the next-highest score and they were eventually bowled out from the final ball of the innings – albeit with more than enough on the board. Diana Baig picked up 3 for 26 as well as running-out Maia Bouchier for the second match running, and contributing several athletic stops in the field.Pakistan also produced their best showing with the bat but could not match England’s power. The openers, Sidra Ameen and Gull Feroza, equalled Pakistan’s highest T20I partnership against England by putting on 60, but a collapse of 4 for 13 put paid to any thoughts they might have a tilt at a record chase. Aliya Riaz and Nida Dar stopped the rot and then struck some defiant blows during a stand that eventually eclipsed that of Ameen and Feroza to ensure respectability.High Wyatt act
Wyatt managed seven runs from nine balls in her two previous innings – having made a highest score of 21 on the recent tour of New Zealand – and was clearly eager to make a significant contribution this time out. Her sixth and seventh balls were crunched to the boundary, although that should have been the end of her fun, as she pushed tentatively forward to Baig and sent a thick edge towards first slip. However, wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali couldn’t cling on diving across to her right and Wyatt survived.She ensured that Pakistan would pay dearly for the miss. Her ball-striking was as crisp as ever, and she rattled the scoreboard along almost single-handedly during her time at the crease. With Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt falling cheaply, at the halfway mark Wyatt had scored 42 out of England’s 69 for 2; she then kicked up a gear, clouting Dar for a six and three fours in an over that cost 20, before adding back-to-back boundaries off Sadia Iqbal in the next.Wyatt was then dropped twice in the space of three balls – Riaz and Sadaf Shamas the culprits – before the latter was presented with a chance to make amends. With Wyatt closing in on a third T20I hundred, she again sliced Baig high into the off side, only for Sadaf to cling on running in off the rope. England were 118 for 3 in the 14th over, with Wyatt having scored three-quarters of the team’s runs and struck 13 out of 15 boundaries.Go hard, stumble harder
With Wyatt’s bit done, England’s attempt to “put on a show”, in the words of captain Heather Knight, began to go awry. Knight chipped tamely to short extra cover at the start of the next over and then Alice Capsey was run out by a direct hit from Ameen at point. England had lost 3 for 4 in the space of six balls and it could have been worse had Waheeda Akhtar not overstepped with the first delivery of the 16th – but Danielle Gibson was reprieved after top-edging to short third and helped add 27 in 16 balls alongside Jones.Jones looked in good nick, finding the boundary four times in her 26 from 15. But after Gibson mishit a Dar full toss to short fine leg, Jones spooned a Fatima Sana slower ball to be caught by Waheeda at point (at the third attempt). England kept coming, nevertheless, and the wickets continued to fall – three of them in Baig’s final over – as they signed off their 20 overs with a scruffy slide of 8 for 58.Opening gambit
Pakistan’s struggles in the series could be summed up by all out scores of 110 and 79 in the first two T20Is – with a highest partnership of 30. Ameen and Feroza doubled that effort here as they looked to gain a foothold in their chase, picking off five boundaries apiece during an increasingly confident stand. They were 45 for 0 after the powerplay – bettering England (40 for 1) on both counts – and only came unstuck when Ameen was given out lbw against Sophie Ecclestone and failed to realise that contact with her glove would have saved her on review.Feroza departed in the next over, having surpassed her previous T20I best of 21 not out, but the innings did not fall away. As in Northampton on Friday, Riaz showcased her long levers, while Dar thumped Charlie Dean for six and four – their unbroken partnership of 65 setting a new mark for Pakistan against England in women’s T20Is.Filer makes mark
England’s one change was to bring in the extra pace of Lauren Filer for her third T20I cap. The speed gun was immediately pushed up to 75mph during a two-over spell in the powerplay, although she discovered the challenge of dealing with the Headingley slope when overstepping with her second ball. She returned to claim her maiden T20I wicket in the 12th over, Sadaf unable to live with a short ball that grazed the top edge as it flew through to Jones. At 73 for 4, the Pakistan innings became an exercise in damage limitation.

John Textor claims to have settled the differences with Paris Saint-Germain counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi after Botafogo's Club World Cup win.

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• Textor dismisses any bad blood
• Jokes about "cowboy" tag pinned on him by PSG owner
• Claims match result doesn't reflect reality

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Botafogo owner Textor had a rift with Al-Khelaifi in February regarding the Ligue 1 streaming rights deal. However, the two appear to have resolved their issues after Textor joked about the PSG owner's leaked remark, tagging him as a 'cowboy'.

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• AFP
  

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  The Qatari owner called Textor a 'cowboy' as Al-Khelaifi argued that the American didn't understand the dynamics of the business. However, with Textor's joke about the matter, everything seems to be okay between the two football executives. Textor's Botafogo pulled off a shock win against PSG on Thursday, earning a 1-0 win in their second Club World Cup game.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• WHAT TEXTOR SAID

  Textor sought to cool the reports of tension between the two after the game, going on to sing Al-Khelaifi's praises. He said: "Nasser did some very important things. The unity we have is not fake. There is a crisis in French football and it is important to be together. He is a man with a great knowledge of the game, in France and around it. He has a good sense of humour, he liked my cowboy hat. I told him: 'In real life, I never wear a cowboy hat'. Now we are together for the good of French football and we need it to be like this."

  The Eagle football company owner further said: "I didn't play against Nasser tonight. I was sitting on a chair, I wasn't on the pitch. Nasser was sitting on a chair next to me and he wasn't on the pitch. Our Botafogo team beat that team, but I didn't beat Nasser, and Nasser wasn't trying to beat me."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TEXTOR?

  With multi-club ownership also come multiple problems. Textor might be elated with Botafogo's win over PSG, but bigger issues need to be solved at another one of his teams, Crystal Palace, in which his Eagle Football company holds a 43 per cent stake. The club is due to play in the Europa League after winning the FA Cup. However, with Textor owning a majority stake in Lyon, and the French club also playing in the Europa League, UEFA rules do not allow the same ownership to have influence over two teams in the competition. Earlier, Drogheda United from Ireland was expelled from the Conference League because of a similar ownership issue.

Real Madrid are interested in signing towering Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, amid rival interest from Chelsea.

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Real eye WoltemadeHaving standout Under-21 EurosChelsea also linked with strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Woltemade has emerged as a standout talent at the European Under-21 Championship, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Slovenia. In the Bundesliga, for Stuttgart, the striker scored 12 league goals in 28 games as they finished ninth.

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Woltemade stands at 6'6 tall, and along with the Blues and Los Blancos, he has also been linked with a potential move to Bayern Munich. He would be seen as a potential back-up option for the super-clubs, were he to move.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 23-year-old has only been with Stuttgart for a season, having spent four years at Werder Bremen. In his time at Bremen, he only managed to score two senior goals.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Germany will face England Under-21s in the final of the European Under-21 Championships this weekend. The Young Lions beat the Netherlands on Wednesday in their semi-final.

The Todd Boehly regime has been littered with high-profile signings and marquee additions, but are Chelsea actually any closer to competing once again at the top of the domestic and European game?

The wait goes on for silverware to be claimed in the new Clearlake era, with the Blues’ only hope this season now resting in Conference League success, having gone two years without tasting Champions League football.

Even amid the at-times chaotic nature of the Roman Abramovich days, the west London side still remained a real force both in the Premier League and on the continent, a fact epitomised by their two Champions League triumphs.

In 2020/21, for instance, Thomas Tuchel – who only replaced Frank Lampard in January 2021 – steered the club to European glory just six months into his spell at Stamford Bridge. Less than a decade earlier, interim boss Roberto Di Matteo had achieved the same feat, at the end of another chaotic campaign for the club.

A central figure in that glorious 2012 triumph was, of course, Juan Mata, with the Spaniard having made an instant impact following his arrival from Valencia a year earlier.

How Juan Mata compares to Cole Palmer

Signed from Valencia on a £23.5m deal in August 2011, the diminutive playmaker was an integral part of Chelsea’s success that season, having chalked up a remarkable tally of 32 goals and assists in all competitions during his debut campaign.

Perhaps the key contribution that the then 23-year-old made that season was whipping in the corner which led to Didier Drogba’s crucial bullet header late in normal time, with that marking the 20th and final assist of the campaign for Mata.

A stunning first year at Chelsea was followed by an even more impactful second season in 2012/13, with the silky star registering a mammoth total of 50 goal involvements in 60 games in all competitions.

To put that into context, not even man of the moment, Cole Palmer, has hit such heights as yet, with the Englishman having reached 40 goals and assists last term, following his £40m switch from Manchester City.

As for the current campaign, the Englishman has slowed down after a dazzling start, with ‘just’ 14 goals and six assists to his name thus far, with the 22-year-old having failed to score since mid-January.

Palmer vs Mata – first season at Chelsea
Competition	Mata (2011/12)	Palmer (2023/24)
Premier League	19 G/A	33 G/A
FA Cup	8 G/A	3 G/A
EFL Cup	0	4 G/A
Champions League	5 G/A	N/A
Total	32 G/A	40 G/A
	Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, Palmer has registered 60 goal involvements in his first 78 games for the club, while Mata, meanwhile, registered 82 goal contributions across his first two campaigns at the club – albeit with that coming from 114 games.

As a creative left-footer with an eye for goal, Palmer – who has also showcased a similar free-kick prowess – has certainly shown shades of Mata to date, although Boehly and co might well be brewing another version of the now veteran Spaniard.

Chelsea's next Juan Mata

The common theme of the Boehly era has been the desire to scour the globe for the next big thing, a fact epitomised only recently with the surprise signing of reported Manchester United target, Geovany Quenda, from Sporting CP.

The £40m teenager will have to wait to feature for the Blues, however, as he is set to spend the 2025/26 campaign back in Lisbon, ahead of linking up with Enzo Maresca’s side next summer.

In the meantime, Chelsea’s squad will be bolstered by the belated arrivals of two other teenage talents in the form of Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez, with the pair set to join from Palmeiras and Independiente del Valle, respectively.

It is the latter man who perhaps could emerge as the second coming of Mata for the Blues, either in a central role or on the flanks, with the Ecuadorian sensation also a creative, “left-footed magician”, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson.

Also described as “one of the most exciting talents in world football” by Jacek Kulig, Kendry – who turns 18 in May – has already caught the eye at senior level despite his youth, scoring and assisting 19 times in 70 games in his homeland.

Much like Mata – who is only 5 foot 7 – the 5 foot 9 sensation is small and slight in stature, but makes up for that with his creative spark and ability to “play a killer pass”, in the words of Mattinson, with it already looking like the Blues have a real gem on their hands.

Also capable of operating all across the midfield, much like Mata, the 17-year-old has also already made 17 senior appearances for his country, scoring twice, with that seemingly further evidence of just what a high-potential star he truly is.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Perhaps, while it is still early days, Kendry can emulate the likes of Mata in helping to steer the Stamford Bridge side to Champions League glory in the coming years.

Best signing since Hazard & Kante: Boehly struck gold on Chelsea's "genius"

Chelsea struck gold signing this “world-class” ace who’s their best signing since Hazard & Kante

By
Connor Holden

Mar 22, 2025

Joe Root’s reliance on his two best seamers demonstrated how England had erred in their selection

George Dobell at Kensington Oval25-Jan-2019At least with batting collapses the pain is over quickly. At least with batting collapses, the dismissed batsman can escape to the dressing room to lick their wounds and nurse their regrets in private.There’s no hiding place for bowlers. No hiding place in the field. So while England’s suffering on the third day might not have been dramatic as their suffering on the second, it was every bit as brutal.Here England’s pain was endless. As the runs and records mounted – never before have England conceded such a large seventh-wicket stand, never had they conceded such a high score to a No. 8 batsman and never had they been hit for eight sixes in an innings by a West Indies player – the holes in the England team and the errors in their selections were laid bare. This was torturous and inexorable.It is understandable in such circumstances that Joe Root should rely on James Anderson and Ben Stokes. They are, by a distance, his most reliable bowlers. So it was not surprising that he turned to them when he needed a wicket, when he needed control and when he didn’t know what else to do.But he has to look after them. And the sight of them starting new spells long after West Indies’ lead passed 500 was worrying. By the time he took his fourth new ball in two-and-a-half days, Anderson was reduced to bowling in the mid-70s mph. And while Stokes’ pace and energy remained high – really, you couldn’t fault either man for their efforts – you wondered at what cost: he is as precious an asset as England possess; it would be a mistake to ask him to carry too onerous a burden.The game, by that stage, was gone and the damage limitation should have been done by the spinners and support bowlers. Instead Anderson bowled 48 overs in the match and Stokes 50.3; only the second time in his career he had bowled 50 in a Test. By the end, they had spent 14-and-a-half hours in the field, broken only by England’s own two-and-a-half hour innings.Perhaps history offers us a lesson here. In the first year or two of the 1980s, Ian Botham – as a swing bowler not so different to Anderson and as an allrounder not so different to Stokes – found himself bowling in a game against Oxford University. He should never have been required to do so but, at some stage during it, he sustained a back injury. Some believe he was never quite the same again.The decision to bowl Anderson and Stokes for long might also have encouraged Holder to bat on. If he could exhaust England’s best bowlers it was not impossible he could rule them out of the rest of the series and he later admitted he saw a chance to “grind them down and keep them out in the heat”.It is, remember, just six days until the start of the second Test. Anderson is 36 and managing a shoulder problem that may well be causing him more pain than he makes out. Stokes, too, has undergone an operation on his left knee and suffers from ongoing back pain. There was no game at stake here; no hope that a magical spell could make the difference.Long before the end of West Indies’ second innings, factory-farmed chickens were getting together and muttering about the appalling conditions in which Anderson and Stokes are expected to work. Asking them to bowl in these conditions is like asking Picasso to pop round and paint your bathroom ceiling; like using a Ferrari to deliver rubble to the dump; like using Pegasus as a pit pony.Ben Stokes endured a frustrating morning•AFPPart of Root’s problem was the performance of his other bowlers. Sam Curran, for all his youthful promise, is not a Test opening bowler at this stage of his career. Perhaps, one day, he may be. But at present he is too reliant on swing and not quite able to compensate with control or other skills. He may well have a role to play in a four-man seam attack but, as one of three, he leaves too much required of his colleagues.The performance of the spinners was more worrying. They should have taken the main bowling workload, but Root didn’t seem to feel he could trust either of them. Moeen Ali’s first over of the day saw Holder thrash him for three successive boundaries, while Adil Rashid struggled with both his length and his pace in conceding nearly seven an over including five sixes. For him to bowl only nine overs in the innings – fewer than Root – is a damning indictment of his performance and the confidence the captain had in him.Rashid didn’t impress in the field, either, with Trevor Bayliss seen slapping his leg in frustration after a misfield gave away a single. It will be a surprise if he plays in Antigua.So it was understandable that Root didn’t trust some of his bowlers much. But he was party to the decision to pick two spinners. And he was party to the decision to prefer the wicket-taking potential of Rashid to the reliability of Jack Leach. He was also party to the decision to pick a left-arm swing bowler instead of a hit-the-deck seamer. In asking Stokes and Anderson to carry so much of the burden, he was tacitly admitting he and the other selectors had erred.There were some encouraging moments for England. Even towards the end, Jos Buttler and Root pulled off fine stops in the field. After every wicketless over, Anderson was applauded back to his position on the boundary by spectators who recognised his hard work. And despite his own disappointments, Curran made some diving stops on the boundary to save a run or two. There’s no faulting the spirit or the efforts. The opening batsmen started well, too. The weekend brings them opportunity.And there, perhaps, is the mitigation for England. For this pitch that looked so troublesome when 18 wickets fell on day two, suddenly appeared becalmed. Local knowledge suggests it may remain becalmed for much of day four, too, though some deterioration is likely on day five. It will be interesting to see if West Indies bowlers – faster or taller though most of them are – will be able to coax any more life out of it.But days like this expose holes. And West Indies have found a few in this England side.

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： O brasileiro Erik é uma das novidades do projeto do Machida Zelvia, que luta para conquistar o acesso à elite do futebol do Japão. O atacante de 28 anos de idade, com passagens por Palmeiras, Atletico-MG e Botafogo, se disse empolgado com a oportunidade de voltar ao país. Na J-League, Erik foi campeão na temporada de 2019, pelo Yokohama Marinos, fazendo o gol do título.

– Estou extremamente empolgado com essa nova oportunidade e projeto. Fui muito feliz no Japão. Foram dois anos atuando em alto nível e agora surge essa nova chance. Estou muito motivado com o projeto apresentado e principalmente pela confiança depositada em mim e no meu futebol. Vamos seguir o planejamento traçado para esse primeiro ano e com a certeza teremos sucesso. Vencemos o nosso primeiro jogo no Campeonato e isso vai trazendo confiança a equipe – disse.

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da heads bet： Erik atuou pelo Changchun Yatai, da China, nas últimas duas temporadas e teve números de destaque. Foram 17 gols e 11 assistências em 50 jogos. O atacante acredita em um 2023 ainda melhor.

– Foram dois anos que me fizeram crescer e em um projeto parecido com esse atual que estou abraçando. Objetivo de crescimento e consolidação do time na elite do país. Meus números pelo Changchun comprovam minha importância para a equipe e mostram que tive sucesso por lá. Fizemos uma boa pré-temporada e a tendência é de crescermos como equipe ao longo do ano. As expectativas são as melhores possíveis – revelou.

O Machida Zelvia, com o atacante Erik, volta a campo pela J-League 2 neste domingo, às 2h de Brasília, para enfrentar o Zweigen Kanazawa. O time está na quarta posição após duas rodadas.

أثار اقتراح رابطة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “الليجا” بنقل مباراة فياريال وبرشلونة إلى ميامي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية جدلاً واسعاً.

وأبدى كل من برشلونة وفياريال انفتاحهما على الفكرة بدعم كامل من رئيس رابطة الليجا خافيير تيباس، وقد أبدت فرق أخرى معارضتها كما أعربت رابطة لاعبي كرة القدم الإسبان والمجلس الأوروبي عن مخاوفهما.

وأعرب ألكسندر تشيفرين رئيس الاتحاد الأوروبي “يويفا” عن رأيه بشأن نقل مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في الليجا إلى الولايات المتحدة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. رسمياً.. برشلونة يعلن رحيل لاعبه في صفقة انتقال نهائية

وقال تشيفرين في مقابلة لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “يجب أن تلعب الفرق الأوروبية في أوروبا”.

وأضاف: “سنفتح هذا النقاش أيضاً مع الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم الفيفا وجميع الاتحادات لأنني لا أعتقد أنها فكرة جيدة”.

وواصل: “إذا كان استثناء فلا بأس وإذا كان هناك سبب فلا بأس، ولكن من حيث المبدأ يجب أن تلعب الأندية الأوروبية في أوروبا لأن جماهيرها هنا، إنه تقليد عريق”.

ويأتي هذا بعد تقارير ظهرت في وقت سابق اليوم تشير إلى أن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم غير مقتنع بإعطاء الضوء الأخضر لمباراة فياريال ضد برشلونة المقرر إقامتها في 20 ديسمبر في ميامي.

وستجتمع اللجنة التنفيذية للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “اليويفا” في 11 سبتمبر في ألبانيا لاتخاذ قرار بشأن مباراة برشلونة ضد فياريال ومباراة ميلان ضد كومو في 6 فبراير في أستراليا.

Over the years, Leeds United has been the home to numerous attacking talents, many of whom have captured the hearts of the fanbase as a result of their impressive stints at Elland Road.

After joining as a teenager, last season Crysencio Summerville burst into life, playing a huge role under boss Daniel Farke, notching 20 goals and nine assists in his 46 Championship outings.

However, the Whites would be unable to keep hold of him after their failure to secure promotion, joining West Ham United in a £25m deal – banking the club a hefty profit in the process.

Jack Clarke was another player capable of getting supporters off their seats with his dribbling ability, making just 27 appearances for his boyhood side before making a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, fast-forward nearly six years on from the youngster’s move to the North London outfit, Farke’s side currently have one player on loan from the aforementioned side, following in the footsteps of the two players and already being a success in Yorkshire.

Manor Solomon’s stats for Leeds United in 24/25

After the high-profile departure of Summerville during the off-season, it was pivotal that the hierarchy provided Farke with the tools to claim promotion at the second attempt.

They dipped into the market and secured a loan move for winger Manor Solomon from Premier League side Spurs, moving to Elland Road until the end of the current campaign.

The Israeli forward has impressed beyond anyone’s imagination, registering seven goals and seven assists in his 26 league outings, registering the third most contributions of any player in the first-team squad.

Solomon’s efforts in the final third have aided the Whites massively, helping them boast the best-attacking record in the division, subsequently allowing them to sit top of the table with 13 games left.

However, despite his impressive form in Yorkshire, he could’ve been further aided with his efforts had the club kept hold of one player rather than prematurely offloading him.

The player who would’ve been perfect for Solomon

Junior Firpo has been a player who has divided the fanbase in recent years, but when given the opportunity this season, the Spaniard has impressed under Farke for the Whites.

The 28-year-old has registered seven assists in just 20 Championship matches, a phenomenal record for a full-back, but he’s out of contract in the summer, with no more deal yet to be agreed.

As a result, it leaves the club potentially facing a dilemma at left-back, something which they would not have faced had they kept hold of Leif Davis a couple of years ago.

Davis joined the club as an 18-year-old from Morecambe, rapidly developing and making the jump into the first team – featuring twice in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign.

However, he would join Bournemouth on loan for the following season, but would not return to Leeds after joining Ipswich Town on a permanent deal ahead of 2022/23.

Since his move to Portman Road, Davis has taken his career to the next level, registering three goals and 14 assists in League One, helping the Tractor Boys secure promotion back to the second tier.

He continued his excellent form under Kieran McKenna last year, with 20 combined goal contributions and helping the club make it back-to-back promotions, preventing the Whites in the process.

The full-back, who’s previously been dubbed “sensational” by journalist Stuart Watson, has seamlessly made the jump into the top flight, producing numerous impressive stats that would’ve aided Solomon in attacking areas.

Games played

24

Goals & assists

3

Shot-creating actions

3.1

Key passes

1.8

Passes into final third

1.2

Crosses completed

4.7

Progressive passes

1.9

Given his meteoric rise to the top of the English game, there must be an ounce of regret from the Whites’ hierarchy in allowing him to depart the club back in 2022.

At the age of just 25, he has the potential to improve further in the years ahead, but unfortunately for the supporters, it’s a case of what could’ve been had they kept hold of the defender.

Leeds must rue offloading "sensational" talent who's outperforming Tanaka

Leeds United may have made a mistake in allowing one former star to depart Elland Road.

1 ByEthan Lamb Feb 20, 2025