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With Christmas approaching, there are still two winless teams in Europe's 'Big 5' leagues. That one of them is Wolves is arguably unsurprising. The Fosun International-owned Premier League club sold two of their best players during the summer and squandered the proceeds on sub-standard signings. However, the fact that Fiorentina have yet to win a single game in Serie A is shocking.

Even if we ignore the fact that the Viola were one of the seven sisters of Italian football during the club's heyday, they finished sixth last season – above current table-toppers AC Milan. The expectation was that Fiorentina would be even more competitive in Raffaele Palladino's second year at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Palladino, though, quit at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, his replacement, Stefano Pioli, has already been sacked and results have yet to improve under new coach Paolo Vanoli. Consequently, the situation in Florence has turned toxic, with some players and their families being subjected to death threats.

So, what on earth is going on at Fiorentina? And do they have any hope of avoiding relegation to Serie B? GOAL breaks it all down below…

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  From an extension to sacked in three weeks

  On May 7, Fiorentina revealed that Palladino's contract with the club had been extended for an extra year until 2027. The news did not come as a surprise. Fiorentina were in the semi-finals of the Conference League and on course to qualify for the same competition via Serie A.

  Less than three weeks later, though, Palladino was gone, having parted company with the club by "mutual consent" – despite leading the Viola to their best league finish for nine years.

  While it was true that not all of the supporters had been convinced by the 41-year-old and his style of football, an alleged falling-out with sporting director Daniele Prade was believed to be the real reason for his unexpected exit.

  "I see football as a puzzle; all the pieces have to fit together to work," Palladino explained in an interview with the in September. "I'm proud of the work we did in Florence, but the conditions for moving forward together were no longer there. The ideas and visions were too different."

  Although he refused to get into specifics, it was abundantly obvious that Palladino had not wanted to walk away. Doing so clearly hurt him. But his departure also hit the players hard too.

  Palladino had formed a strong bond with his team and his appointment had proven a godsend for the likes of Moise Kean, who had hit a career-high 25 goals in all competitions across the 2024-25 season, while Manchester United outcast David de Gea had also got back to his brilliant best during a remarkable run of form in Florence that sparked giddy talk of a title challenge this time last year.

  As a result, the squad was stunned by Palladino's dramatic U-turn. "I have to say, the video calls and messages from the guys made me cry," the Neapolitan admitted. "I've experienced some great moments with them, and some very difficult ones, so something special was created. In fact, we still keep in touch today."

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• 'Get the f*ck out!'

  By time of Palladino's interview, it was already clear that Pioli didn't have anything like the same rapport with the players, with Fiorentina having picked up just two points from his first four games in charge.

  Europe provided some relief, with the Viola winning their first two matches in the Conference League, against Sigma Olomouc and Rapid Wien, but they continued to struggle horribly in Serie A.

  The  majority of the fans' fury focused on Daniele Prade rather than Pioli and his ever-changing system, with stickers being placed in and around the Artemio Franchi featuring images of the sporting director's face on the body of a pig, accompanied by the word 'Vattene' ('Leave').

  The club's ultras had wanted him out for a long time, too, as they saw him as "the symbol of a sporting failure that has gone on for years".

  Enraged by the sale of top players (most painfully to hated rivals Juventus), a controversial logo change and an alleged lack of engagement with the club's staunchest supporters, The had actually called for Prade to follow Palladino out of the club back in June.

  "Prade: All roads lead to Rome… Take one and get the f*ck out!" read one banner hung outside the club's training ground.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Prade & Pioli pay price for rotten results

  In Prade's defence, he repeatedly insisted that he – and not Pioli – was responsible for Fiorentina's worst start to a Serie A season for more than 50 years, not least because relatively expensive signings such as Roberto Piccoli hadn't worked out at all.

  "If there is anyone who can get us out of this situation, it is Stefano Pioli," Prade told after the 2-1 defeat at AC Milan on October 19. "The rest is my fault, the protests from the fans are against me, and it is because the club put the strategy in my hands.

  "There were also other elements that haven’t helped: our stadium is a building site and we cannot have all our fans there, while we have three tournaments to play in. I feel bad for the fans, for the President (Rocco Commisso), and the coach. If there is anyone who should be fired or resign, it is me."

  There was an air of inevitability, then, about Prade's decision to step down on November 1 – the day before a vital relegation battle with fellow strugglers Lecce. However, his exit didn't alleviate any of the tension at the Artemio Franchi. On the contrary, it only intensified after a 1-0 loss that prompted a media blackout from the club before Pioli was eventually put out of his misery two days later with Fiorentina bottom of the league with just four points to their name.

  Despite initial reports that the Viola considered re-hiring Palladino – that weren't denied by director Alessandro Ferrari – they ultimately turned to former Torino coach Paolo Vanoli to try to save their season.

  "I'm proud to be back in Florence," the ex-Italy international said, "a city where I've already played and know what it means to win here." Unfortunately for Fiorentina, he seems to have forgotten how to win there – at least in Serie A.

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• Dzeko calls out fans on lack of support

  Vanoli has already become the first Fiorentina coach since Ottavio Bianchi 23 years ago to fail to win any of their first four league games. Things had actually started reasonably well, with back-to-back draws away to Genoa and at home to Juve. However, after a dismal 1-0 loss to AEK Athens in the Conference League, veteran striker Edin Dzeko took aim at the negative atmosphere inside the Artemio Franchi.

  "You can say that we suck, that we don’t deserve to wear the shirt, that’s all fine, no problem," the Bosnian summer signing told . "However, if we are playing at home, then we need the fans to help us, not jeer at every misplaced pass.

  "We’ve got to get out of this situation together, this is not right. If you need to jeer, do it after the final whistle, but during the match we need your support. It’s all true, we are not playing well, but we still need your help.

  "We can’t seem to string two or three passes together, and that is not normal for a team like ours. The moment a player makes a mistake, the jeers start coming down, so then the next time he will feel anxious and perhaps not try to risk the pass, or he doesn’t want the ball at his feet. It all becomes more difficult.

  "We need more support from the stands. I understand it’s difficult at the moment, and the stadium situation is a bit strange (certain sections of the Artemio Franchi remain closed due to ongoing construction work), but we've got to have more support when we are playing at home. Otherwise, the negative energy just keeps spiralling."

  Dzeko's impassioned plea upset some supporters and led to the extraordinary sight of the striker grabbing a megaphone after the 2-0 loss to Atalanta three days later to address the away end at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo.

The inaugural elections of the new board, initially slated for May 18, has gone through a series of delays

Peter Della Penna13-Jul-2018The inaugural USA Cricket elections, which were originally announced to be held on May 18, will now begin on July 20 according to an announcement from the board. The elections have gone through a series of delays, including being postponed indefinitely after a series of challenges were made during a peer-review process regarding the legitimacy of voting members.Full list of candidates

League director: Mark Demos, Shuja Khan, Sushil Nadkarni, Atul Rai
Club director: John Aaron, Ajith Bhaskar, Jag Poosarla, Maq Qureshi, Aziz Savul
Individual director (3 positions): Avinash Gaje, Ramesh Immadi, Ajay Jhamb, Jatin Patel, Venu Pisike, Shantha Suraweera, Suraj Viswanathan, Brian Walters
Female player: Nadia Gruny, Erica Rendler
Male player: Usman Shuja

Five of the original 25 candidates have also dropped out of the elections for the seven constituent board-member positions. Lesly Lowe, president of the Commonwealth Cricket League in New York – the largest league in the country with 81 clubs – has withdrawn from the race for the league director position. Biju Nair and Masaood Yunus have officially withdrawn their names as candidates for club director. Both roles are to be voted on by eligible leagues and clubs respectively.The other two candidates to drop out came from the individual director pool. Kiran Manchikanti and Ramu Parupalli are no longer in the running. The remaining eight candidates will be voted on by the approximately 5000 eligible USA Cricket members who registered by the April 24 voting-registration deadline. Three individual directors will be voted in through the electronic voting process, which will remain open until July 29.The other two candidates to be voted in will be the male and female elite athlete representatives on the board. There are no changes to the originally announced candidates in each category: Usman Shuja, who is running uncontested in the male elite athlete category, and a two-player race for the female representative between Nadia Gruny and Erica Rendler.After the seven constituent members have been elected, USA Cricket has announced that the final three independent director positions on the board will be appointed by the nomination and governance committee by mid-September. It is then expected that the full 10-person board will be presented to the ICC at the next board meeting in October.The delayed elections timeline also means that the current ICC Americas caretaker administration, known as Project USA, will remain in charge of the administrative process of organising and selecting USA squad for the World T20 Regional Qualifier to be hosted by USA from September 16-24, as well as a squad for ICC WCL Division Three, which is expected to be held in October or November of 2018.

Mayhem erupted after Liverpool's late win against Nottingham Forest, with the home team's owner seen on the field and a coach given a red card.

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• Liverpool scored controversial winner
• Forest furious with referee at full-time
• Owner reacted angrily towards officials

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Darwin Nunez scored a 99th minute goal to secure a vital 1-0 win for the visitors at the City Ground on Saturday. The home team were not happy about the manner of the goal and confronted the referee after the final whistle. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the pitch while first-team coach Steven Reid was shown a red card for remonstrating with the officials.

  It has been reported that Marinakis had to be held back as he chased referee Paul Tierney down the tunnel.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Forest were angry at the officials' decision to let Liverpool's goal stand. The referee had stopped the game when Ibrahima Konate sustained a knock to the head in the Liverpool box. When the game was ready to resume, the official gave the ball to the visitors to start play again, beginning the attack that resulted in the goal. Forest felt there should have been a contested dropped ball instead.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Many at Forest may face sanctions for their treatment of the referee after the final whistle. In the meantime, Forest will hope to boost their hopes of Premier League survival when they meet Brighton on March 10. Liverpool, meanwhile, will turn their attention to their Europa League clash against Sparta Prague on Thursday.

Sussex have strengthened their middle order for the Vitality T20 Blast by securing New Zealand batsman Tom Bruce for the entire tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2018

Tom Bruce pulls the ball away•AFP

Sussex have signed New Zealand international batsman Tom Bruce for the duration of their 2018 Vitality T20 Blast campaign.Bruce, a T20 specialist with 14 caps, will be available for all 14 of the team’s matches in the South Group, as well as the knockout stages should the Sharks progress.Sussex supporters will have a sneak preview of Bruce in a Sussex shirt on Friday when he forms part of the men’s side that takes on a touring Aboriginal XI at Hove.Sussex’s move for Bruce has come because of a knee injury for their South African batsman, Stiaan van Zyl, which is expected to rule him out of much of the tournament.Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie said: “The injury to Stiaan forced us to reassess our squad for the Vitality Blast and we’ve decided that we need to bring in a quality overseas batsman for the duration of the tournament.”Tom has experience on the biggest stage with New Zealand and is exactly the type of dynamic middle order strokemaker we’re looking for.”To have him available for the entirety of the competition will offer us continuity, which is very important in tournament cricket.”The extent of Van Zyl’s absence is not yet known but Sussex have suggested that he needs “an extended period of rest and rehabilitation”.Bruce’s most recent international appearance came during the tri-series between New Zealand, Australia and England earlier this year.He burst onto the New Zealand domestic T20 scene in the 2015-16 season when he finished that year’s competition as his side’s second leading run-scorer behind the Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene.In his 41 career T20s so far, he has scored 958 runs at an average of 28.17. His career strike rate of 150.39 puts him in 26th place on the all-time list.Sussex begin their Vitality Blast campaign on July 4 against Essex at Chelmsford.

Thanks to the Impact Player rule, CSK could be tempted to have him on field for 20 overs, and use him as a batter when his impact can be maximum

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-20244:52

Is this the right time for Gaikwad the captain?

MS Dhoni has done it again. Yet again, he has stepped away from a role without an announcement, forget fanfare. Right from his Test retirement back on December 30, 2014, Dhoni has once again caught everyone by surprise. Nobody outside Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seemed to have an inkling until Ruturaj Gaikwad turned up for the captains’ photoshoot a day before the first match of this edition of IPL: CSK against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).Minutes later, the CSK management confirmed the development with a cursory one-line press release, which chose to omit Dhoni’s role as a player now that he is not captain. Given nothing has been said, it is safe to assume Dhoni will continue playing as a wicketkeeper and occasional batter.It is possibly the Impact Player rule that allows Dhoni to step down from captaincy while still letting him shepherd the new captain into his role. It opens up interesting possibilities for CSK to have him on the field for the whole 20 overs but use him as a batter when his impact can be maximum.It is no secret Dhoni preferred to bat only a few number of deliveries and certain match-ups last year, which happened to be the introductory year for the Impact Player. Now he can almost formalise that arrangement.If CSK bat first, they can start off without Dhoni in the XI. If wickets fall and match-ups allow for it, Dhoni can be substituted in while the batting innings is on. If he is not required at all, he can substitute a batter and keep through the defence.If CSK are chasing, Dhoni can keep through the fielding innings and make way for a batter during the chase. Of course Dhoni could be used as a batter in some games where the match-ups suit him and CSK fancy bringing in an extra bowler for a specialist batter.Whichever way it turns out, Dhoni has opened up a lot of talking points and tactical possibilities right on the eve of what was proving to be an uneventful start to the IPL. And he has done so without warning.

Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger are starting to form a particularly useful bowling combination

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG28-Dec-2009While families all around Australia continue to enjoy their Christmas leftovers, the country’s cricket team is filling up on left-arm overs. For most of the past two decades, Australia have relied heavily on right-arm fast men but Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson, who combined for six wickets in the first innings at the MCG, are starting to form a particularly useful left-arm combination.Johnson is the leading Test wicket-taker in 2009 and, as Australia’s spearhead, he continues to tally up victims with speed and unpredictability. Bollinger is a new man in the Australian team but has rapidly bowled himself into a position from which the selectors will find it hard to drop him.Bollinger’s 13 wickets in two Tests against West Indies, and then 3 for 50 at the MCG, means he might not be the one to make way once Ben Hilfenhaus recovers from his knee problem. Today, he was again the catalyst for a run of wickets after the nightwatchman Mohammad Aamer, a promising left-armer himself, frustrated the Australians for more than two hours.When the new ball arrived, a well-rested, fired-up Bollinger found the outside edge from Aamer. Such was the pace and bounce that Marcus North at first slip did well to snare the chance in front of his face, which was a surprising result given the general deadness of the pitch had caused several edges to fall short of the cordon.All of a sudden Pakistan lost 4 for 17 including two more for Bollinger, as his angle across the right-handers drew edges that were taken behind the wicket. Having earlier had the dangerous Umar Akmal caught at slip, Johnson then finished the task by coming round the wicket and rattling the off stump of the No. 11 Saeed Ajmal.Before Johnson and Bollinger came together for the first time in Sydney last summer, Australia had not played two left-arm fast men in a Test for more than 20 years, since Bruce Reid and Chris Matthews joined forces in 1986-87. Other countries haven’t had the same predilection for right-armers and various combinations of Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra have worked well together for India, while Sri Lanka have regularly used Chaminda Vaas in concert with Nuwan Zoysa and Thilan Thushara.Part of the attraction towards Johnson and Bollinger lies in their contrast. Both men are very quick but that’s where the similarity ends. Bollinger is all aggression, loud and brash, and sprints in like he’s racing against Usain Bolt. He has control over his swing and enjoys reverse when the ball gets older, but equally loves to dig in short ones.Johnson is quiet and sensitive, ambles in off a short run-up and generates his pace with his slingy action. He too can swing the ball but just as often the seam is scrambled, angling across right-handers and in towards left-handers. His unpredictability is one of his biggest weapons, because occasionally he’ll unexpectedly curve a delivery in to a right-hander or bang in a nasty bouncer lethal enough to injure or dismiss.He has taken 60 wickets at 28.03 this calendar year and was named the ICC’s Cricketer of the Year, and is already the third-most successful Australian left-arm fast bowler in Test history. But then, with the exception of Alan Davidson, Bill Johnston and the injury-prone Bruce Reid, the team has rarely had a quality left-armer on a permanent basis. They might now have two for the foreseeable future.

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan have watched West Indies sink to awful depths in recent years, but now they can help claw the team back towards respectability

Andrew McGlashan in Jamaica06-Feb-2009

	Ramnaresh Sarwan: a newly converted fan of the referral system © Getty Images

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan have watched West Indies sink to awful depths in recent years, but now they can help claw the team back towards respectability. They have shared many batting partnerships together and if their unbeaten stand of 142 is transformed into something even more substantial, maybe the Caribbean public will start believing again.Sarwan is back in the ranks these days having lost the captaincy in 2007 and giving up the vice-captaincy for “personal reasons” last year. He went through a lean run on the recent tour of New Zealand and has begun this home season with a few mutterings over his form. Those mutterings could have turned louder if he hadn’t been reprieved on 5 when Tony Hill reversed his lbw decision on the basis of advice from the TV umpire, Daryl Harper.”I did say a couple of days ago that I needed a bit of luck on my side and today I was fortunate enough to get that,” he said with a grin. “I’m not a big fan of it [the system], we played with it in New Zealand and it was a bit confusing, but today I’ll take it.”It was 50-50 to be honest, I felt the pain in my knee and that is why I asked Chris about it, how it looked, and he said it was a bit close. I thought I would try [to refer it] because in my mind it was a bit high.”Gayle took over the captaincy from Sarwan during the last tour of England in 2007, after Daren Ganga’s brief inter-regnum. Sarwan was injured during a record innings-and-283-run hammering at Headingley – arguably the lowest of West Indian lows – but since then fortunes have begun to improve.While most people involved with the England team were losing their heads during the Stanford week in Antigua, Gayle was exuding calmness and composure. It was a trait that won his team the jackpot of US$20 million. He admitted after the Stanford final that he’d actually been a bag of nerves with so much money at stake, but the key was he kept all that hidden and on the outside appeared in complete control. England have not yet been beaten in the same way at Sabina Park – they have three days to turn their fortunes around – but Gayle’s performance over the opening two days has set a perfect tone for West Indies.He was quick in the field to spot a slow pitch and introduce his spinners into the attack and then he was even quicker to take the initiative with the bat, driving Andrew Flintoff’s second ball back over his head for a breathtaking six. Two more maximums followed in what was a curious innings of extremes, ranging from mighty blows to studious defence. But it was the fact that he married the two successfully which was the noticeable factor, because control at the crease has not always been Gayle’s forte.The captaincy, though, has brought out a new, mature side to Gayle, which was on show during the Stanford tournament and has brought a sense of stability back to the team. And if he can bring the best out of his team-mates his job will be made that much easier. An in-form Sarwan would be a major step.”Since I came back from injury I’ve had two series, one against Sri Lanka and one against Australia and I thought I did pretty well,” said Sarwan. “Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up the pace and I thought it was a bit of a backward step. I’ve had two weeks to reflect on my game after coming back from New Zealand. I tried to put in a bit of work although I couldn’t do much because of the rain. I just wanted to start the series really well and hopefully carry on the same sort of form I’ve started with here.”Sarwan, though, did sound a cautionary note that will ring true with many West Indies fans. “I think we are in a pretty good position but we have seen before that we have collapsed. It is important that myself and Chris go on and get big scores and also important that whoever follows try to form partnerships. That is going to be the key for the rest of the innings.” A success-starved region watches in anticipation.

South Africa greats hail triumph in Australia

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Dec-2008
Mike Procter (centre): “After the victory I told Graeme [Smith] ‘you must be very, very proud'” © PA Photos
Mike Procter, I might have been one of the only few to have witnessed both of South Africa’s series victories over Australia. This victory will rank as one of the greatest sporting moments in South African history. The two Test matches South Africa won have been incredible. It just showed the tremendous character of the team because in both the Tests there was no way they could win the game and they ended up winning both matches very comfortably.Chasing 414 [in Perth] was a monumental effort and winning by six wickets was incredible. And then when South Africa were seven down for 180-odd on the second day, there was only going be one result at the MCG. And the team changed that round and won by nine wickets. Absolutely incredible.I know this team will be measured against the 1970s’ side. Back then, we won every game pretty comfortably and there were no major problems. In these two Tests South Africa were almost staring at defeat on the second or third day and they turned that around and won convincingly. After the victory I told Graeme ‘you must be very, very proud’. He is a very tough guy, highly respected and the team would do anything for him. The way the bowlers handled the situation in the second innings in Perth and Melbourne was very special and very disciplined and the batters came to the fore, too. It was just amazing.Ali Bacher, The one moment I, and all South Africans, will always cherish is JP Duminy’s 160-odd. His second Test match, we are into our tail at 180 for 7, playing at the famous MCG in front of a huge crowd, huge pressure, and the youngster plays like he has been around for ten years. His inspirational performance in the midst of some very fine performances by our guys will be remembered for years to come.This is history in the making. How good is the South African team? Certainly after our return to international cricket, the two best teams we had in Test cricket was the one led by the late Hansie Cronje in the late 1990s and this current one. But the records will show this team is better. They started by beating Pakistan in Pakistan, beat England in England, drew with India in India and now Australia in Australia – there can be no question they are the No. 1 in world cricket today.Peter Pollock, When I was in Australia in September I told the media that for the first time after readmission a South African cricket team would arrive believing that they could beat the Aussies. Jacques Kallis said during the Perth Test when South Africa were not in a good position, that they could still win the Test. For a team to be a good cricket team, you need some players who are bit above the rest. We have certain cricketers who are really good cricketers.The potential of young guys like [Dale] Steyn, [AB] de Villiers, Duminy is really big and they are going to be more than just ordinary Test players. That is what makes the difference at the highest level – I am not talking about playing Test matches, I am talking about winning Test matches. We also have to acknowledge the Australian side was pretty poor and they have not done well of late. We have won the rugby World Cup twice and that was huge, but we are country that is going through transition so every time we do something good we really hang on to it. This series victory is one of the better moments of South African sport , no question about it.Barry Richards, Obviously I’m very proud of the victory. It is a great thing to do it in Australia. Our side was scheduled to tour Australia in 1971 and we would have defeated them easily but it is great that Graeme Smith has done it. He has shown a lot of maturity as a skipper and as a player he really has come to the fore. He has led by example and he has kept a cool head all the way through. I hope this victory now encourages a lot of people to take up the game in South Africa. Obviously with Duminy coming through it is a real plus for South Africa.Comparing the side I played and the present South African one is like comparing Ben Hogan to Tiger Woods. You just can’t do that. They are so far apart: the bats are different, the size of the fields were bigger in the old days and the wickets were little bit friendly towards the bowlers in the old days.

Tottenham Hotspur are a side that have fallen below the expectations set for them in the Premier League in recent years, as seen by their standings last campaign.

The Lilywhites ended the year in a measly 17th position, only one place above the relegation zone and becoming the first side to survive in the division after losing 22 matches.

As a result, Ange Postecoglou lost his job, with Thomas Frank the man tasked with building on their European triumph and transforming their league form.

The Dane has already wasted no time in the role in North London, targeting countless players who could help improve the current situation at the club.

Whilst no first team additions have yet been agreed, work has been conducted behind the scenes, in an attempt to catapult the side to added success in 2025/26.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Mohammed Kudus has been a player firmly on their radar in recent days, even making a £50m offer for the West Ham United star, but the offer was swiftly rejected.

The Ghanaian was said to be wanting a move to join Frank’s men this window and The Athletic’s David Ornstein has since revealed that a £55m total agreement has now been struck for the 24-year-old.

However, despite the interest in the former Ajax star, moves have been made elsewhere, with Southampton star Tyler Dibling once again in their sights, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.

He claims that the Lilywhites have made an approach for the 19-year-old star, despite suffering relegation back to the Championship with the Saints last season.

He also claims that Nottingham Forest and West Ham are other teams keeping tabs on the teenage star, who could be available for around £55m this summer.

Why Spurs’ £55m target could be a bigger talent than Kudus

Over the last couple of months, Spurs have showcased the attacking threat they possess, registering 64 goals in their 38 league outings last season.

Brennan Johnson ended the year as the club’s top scorer, notching 18 goals across all competitions, including in the Europa League final, subsequently ending the club’s 17-year drought.

Other players such as Dominic Solanke and James Maddison also managed to achieve double figures, highlighting the strength in depth currently at Frank’s disposal.

However, such depth clearly isn’t enough, especially considering the rumours around moves for Kudus and Dibling over the last couple of weeks.

Both would represent impressive options for the Dane, but given the nature of the fees touted for each player’s signature, it is crucial they land the right one during the off-season.

When comparing their respective stats from the Premier League last time out, the Saints’ youngster managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, despite the relegation – highlighting why he’d be a better addition.

Dibling, who’s been labelled “incredible” by former boss Ivan Juric, managed to register a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, whilst matching the Hammers star for goals per shot on target – showcasing the clinical edge he possesses.

Games played

33

32

Goals & assists

2

8

Shot on target accuracy

32%

28%

Goal per shot on target

0.2

0.2

Progressive passes

3.1

2.7

Passes into final third

1.9

1.6

Carries into final third

2.4

2

Fouls won

2.4

2.2

He also managed to register more progressive passes per 90, and more passes into the final third, subsequently having the tools to provide some of the aforementioned talents with added opportunities in front of goal.

The teenager’s dominance doesn’t end there, producing a higher tally of carries into the final third, whilst also drawing more fouls – showcasing the threat he poses to the opposition at any given time.

Whilst £55m may appear to be a huge risk for such a young talent, he’s already showcased he can thrive despite featuring for a side who fell well below the expectations set in 2024/25.

There’s no denying that Kudus would also represent an excellent pickup, but ultimately, Dibling has already outperformed him and has the tools to rapidly develop further, given his tender age.

Spurs eyeing "immense" £40m Kudus alternative who'd be their own Rodrygo

Spurs are looking at a £40m alternative to Kudus.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 9, 2025

West Bromwich Albion are struggling for consistency during this gruelling winter period. The side's narrow 1-0 win at home to Norwich City on Boxing Day was just their second in five Championship matches, having also lost twice and drawn once.

Additionally, the only goal of the game came through Brandon Thomas-Asante, who found the net for the eighth time this campaign and is leading the Baggies' goalscoring charts.

West Brom could sign £1m-rated "huge talent" to improve Thomas-Asante's fortunes

West Brom could get the best out of Thomas-Asante this winter by signing this £1m-rated “huge talent”.

ByAdam Scully Dec 20, 2023

The Midlands club have been quite reliant on the former Salford City man's goals this season but with the January transfer window quickly approaching, head coach Carlos Corberan could look to sign one player that West Brom have been previously linked with to bolster his side's attacking department.

West Bromwich Albion transfer news – Ben Brereton Diaz

One player that West Brom have been linked to in recent months is Ben Brereton Diaz, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Baggies are keeping tabs on his situation at Villarreal. The outlet are claiming that both Leicester City and Southampton are also eyeing up the Chile international ahead of the January transfer window.

Brereton Diaz spent the last few seasons at Ewood Park with Blackburn Rovers, scoring 47 goals and registering 16 assists in all competitions for the Lancashire club. However, 38 of these goals came in his final two campaigns with the Riversiders, with journalist Alan Nixon describing him as a "goal machine".

During the summer, the attacker moved to La Liga side Villarreal on a free transfer but has struggled for game-time since joining The Yellow Submarine on a £29k-per-week deal.

The Chilean has seen just 544 minutes of action for the Spanish outfit since the beginning of the campaign which has been spread across 19 appearances in total and he has failed to bag a single goal or assist in his time at the club. Now, a move back to England looks to be on the cards and West Brom should try to shove themselves to the front of the queue for his signature.

How Ben Brereton Diaz compares to Romelu Lukaku

West Brom have been starved of a consistent goalscorer for some time now. In fact, last season, Thomas Asante finished level with Daryl Dike on seven goals in the Championship as the duo shared the club's top goalscorer award.

This term, Thomas Asante is leading West Brom's charts once more for the club and has already beaten his tally from his debut season. However, Corberan's second-most prolific player has been midfielder John Swift.

West Brom's last prolific goalscorer, in truth, was Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian titan found the net 17 times in 35 appearances on a season-long loan at the Hawthorns during the 2012/13 campaign before eventually returning to Chelsea, having had a great career since. Nonetheless, Brereton Diaz's most potent season in English football was even better than Lukaku's record with West Brom, having converted 22 times from 37 league appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

Additionally, that season, the ex-Nottingham Forest attacker massively outperformed Thomas Asante's numbers from this current term.

Goals

0.61

0.38

Expected Goals

0.36

0.59

Assists

0.11

0.08

Expected Assists

0.07

0.04

Shots

2.91

2.30

Shots On Target

1.25

1.04

Goals Per Shot

0.14

0.17

Progressive Passes Received

5.81

4.30

Key Passes

0.67

0.45

Stats via FBref

Corberan could also play the pair together. In his career, Brereton Diaz has been deployed all along the frontline, including from the flanks. In a wide position, he has bagged 27 goals and registered 13 assists in 122 appearances. The Spanish coach can potentially use Brereton Diaz off the left in the absence of Matt Phillips, who is out until near the end of the season, while keeping Thomas Asante up top.

This is a move that could revolutionise West Brom's forward line ahead of what will be a gruelling second half of the campaign and should certainly be considered by the coaching and recruitment staff.

Having been without a reliable presence through the middle over an extended period – stretching back to the days of Lukaku – snapping up the former Rovers man could prove a real statement signing for those at the Hawthorns.