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Leeds United are interested in making a move for a "flair" player who has broken Whites hearts in the past, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Leeds transfer news

Leeds could delve into the transfer market in January, as they look to give themselves the best possible chance of making a quickfire return from the Championship to the Premier League.

Fenerbahce's Bright Osayi-Samuel is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, with the full-back also wanted by Crystal Palace and Wolves, while AFC Wimbledon's Ali Al-Hamadi is another who is seen as a possible transfer target for Daniel Farke.

In terms of potential outgoings, Crysencio Summerville is one player who could leave Leeds, and Aston Villa are believed to be a possible destination in 2024. The Whites will no doubt want to retain his services, however, given the quality he could provide between now and the end of the season.

Leeds want to sign David Brooks

Taking to X, talkSPORT's Alex Crook claimed that Leeds are keen on signing Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks on loan, with rivals Southampton also in the mix to acquire his signature next month.

"Understand both #LUFC and #SaintsFC would like to sign #AFCB winger David Brooks on loan. More on the @talkSPORT transfer notebook later today."

Brooks could be a great signing by Leeds in the January window, adding the technical ability and end product that could give them that extra bit of guile in attacking areas. The 26-year-old could also be open to the idea of moving on, considering he has only started two Premier League games this season, meaning it could be a transfer that suits all parties.

The Englishman was once lauded by former manager Eddie Howe during their time together at Bournemouth, with the now Newcastle boss saying:

"It has typified his introduction to the club. He has played ever so well for us, he has got a creative flair, non-stop energy and he took his goals really well today. He is a player that can do a little bit of everything, he is very good offensively, is creative, turns well with the ball and is very intelligent."

Brooks' level of character has been highlighted by the incredible bravery he has show in overcoming cancer, and his arrival could be met with such positivity by Leeds supporters. They have also felt his wrath in the past when he scored a late winner at Elland Road during his time with Sheffield United.

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He is someone with proven Championship expertise, having scored nine goals and registered 11 assists in 69 appearances in the competition, so there shouldn't be an issue with him adjusting to life there.

In fact, he has 15 goal contributions in 59 Premier League outings, also showing that he can impress at the top level, so there are few reasons why a move would be a negative, especially as it would only be on loan, and it could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

West Ham manager David Moyes has put his personal employees into action as the club eye a "strong" star to potentially replace Nayef Aguerd.

West Ham chiefs eye new defenders in January

The Hammers currently have a few players mid-way through the final year of their contracts, a list including the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson.

Related West Ham signing said to be all but done, but Moyes unlikely to benefit

He apparently looks set to join them.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 16, 2023

Both full-backs look likely to depart in 2024, with West Ham said to be interested in replacements for the outgoing duo. Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters is a target for Moyes and co as one option, as the club also look to sign alternatives to Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri.

Meanwhile, there are some suggestions West Ham could also move for a centre-back ahead of what looks to be a busy January transfer window.

Fabrizio Romano is one of many media sources tipping the east Londoners to be one of the more active sides next month.

“I expect West Ham to be busy in January as they’re looking at opportunities around," said Romano to Caught Offside.

"Though it’s still too early to say anything about specific names. Nothing is advanced, but the owners and directors are working on it.”

While Romano suggests it's still too early to mention names, that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from churning, and a new report has claimed that West Ham have their eyes on Stuttgart defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.

Moyes puts West Ham employees into action over Zagadou

According to an update by journalist Alan Nixon, writing on his personal Patreon, West Ham could replace Aguerd with Zagadou and Moyes has put his personal "spies" to work on analysing him.

“West Ham are checking on Stuttgart’s French defender Dan-Axel Zagadou – and could move out Nayef Aguerd,” Nixon claims on his Patreon page (via Hammers News).

“Hammers boss David Moyes has spent his spies to look at the 6ft 6in centre half in case Aguerd leaves in the window.

“Lyon are keen on a loan to buy deal and that would happen if Moyes found a replacement in time. Zagadou was on the West Ham watch list a year ago when he was with Borussia Dortmund and is back on.”

Zagadou's last five matches for Stuttgart

WhoScored rating

Bochum

7.97/10

RB Leipzig

6.23/10

Freiburg

7.44/10

Mainz 05

7.52/10

Darmstadt

6.75/10

The 24-year-old has made 15 Bundesliga appearances so far this season as a mainstay of Stuttgart's backline, with his former manager at Borussia Dortmund Marco Rose once seriously praising Zagadou's potential.

“I would very much welcome it if Daxo decides to stay on at Borussia Dortmund," said Rose in 2021.

"He is a young, excellent central defender with very good ability. He is physically strong, has a lot of speed, has a good left foot. First and foremost, I hope that he stays healthy. I see him as a very important part of our team.”

USMNT starlet Paxten Aaronson scored a brace for Vitesse on Sunday as the already-relegated side beat Fortuna Sittard 3-2.

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• Vitesse relegated after points deduction
• Pick up rare win to move onto two points
• On loan Aaronson bags brace

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vitesse fans had reason to cheer on Sunday after seeing their side secure a rare victory in the Eredivisie. An entertaining game saw the hosts prevail 3-2 over Fortuna Sittard, with USMNT starlet Aaronson scoring twice. The win comes in the wake of Vitesse's relegation from the Dutch top flight after the club were docked 18 points amid an investigation into ties with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The victory means that Vitesse now have two points from 31 games played.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aaronson moved to Vitesse on loan in the January transfer window from Eintracht Frankfurt after struggling for game time with the Bundesliga club. The 20-year-old has gone on to make 11 league appearances for his new club, scoring four times for Edward Sturing's side.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Paxten is the younger brother of Union Berlin and USMNT midfielder Brendan Aaronson, who is on loan at the German club from Leeds United. The two siblings faced each other earlier this season in the Bundesliga when Union Berlin beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AARONSON

  Aaronson will finish the season with Vitesse, who conclude their campaign with games against Utrecht, Heerenveen and Ajax. The youngster is then expected to play a key role for the USMNT at the Paris Olympics.

It’s fair to say David Moyes divides opinion in East London. Some West Ham fans love him for leading them to their first European trophy in decades after winning the Europa Conference League in 2022/23, and some just don’t rate him.

Regardless, he has done a good job of steadying the ship at a time when the club looked destined for the drop, and the 2023 summer transfer window looks like it has been a massive success. Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus are two great deals, with the latter certainly starting to settle at the London Stadium.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Moyes and West Ham in the transfer window, however. Football FanCast takes a look at the Scottish manager’s ten worst West Ham signings.

10 Patrice Evra (Free)

Free transfer, 2018

Veteran leftback Patrice Evra was signed in the summer of 2018 to bring his invaluable experience to the club. His time at Manchester United had proven he was one of the best in his position in the world, but he was known to be a little unpredictable.

By the time he joined West Ham, he had stopped caring. He may constantly be telling people how much he “loves this game”, but it’s clear he didn’t care for the club. Evra would make just five appearances for the Hammers.

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His contract expired the next summer and he left. After no satisfactory offers for his services were received, he decided to retire from football.

9 Joao Mario

Loan from Inter, 2018

It may have only been a loan, but Moyes’ signing of Joao Mario was hailed by many as a real coup. He was impressive during his time at Sporting CP and had secured a move to Inter.

Unfortunately for him, opportunities in Italy dried up and it was decided he had to go out on loan. West Ham were amongst a number of clubs looking to secure his signature, and in January 2018, he put pen to paper.

He made his debut just two days later, coming on as a substitute against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup – a game West Ham would lose 2-0. After that, he never really made a mark. He did score in a 3-0 win against Southampton, but he returned to Inter the following summer after an underwhelming spell. He has since become a massive player for Benfica.

8 Alex Kral

Loan from Spartak Moscow, 2021

Following the huge success of the signing of Tomas Soucek, Moyes once again fancied a look at the Czechia national squad. This time he came across central midfielder Alex Kral, who had just signed for Russian side Spartak Moscow.

He wasn’t a goalscorer; in fact, he’s only scored a single league goal throughout his entire career, but he was a runner. West Ham signed him on loan with the option to make it permanent.

Kral would go on to make six appearances for the club before the loan ended. He’s still technically contracted to Spartak Moscow but has been on loan in Germany since his West Ham move, firstly with Schalke, and now with Union Berlin.

7 Jordan Hugill

£10m from Preston North End, 2018

West Ham have had some awful luck with strikers. In recent years they’ve had to deal with Simone Zaza, Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate, just to name a few. Jordan Hugill has to be counted among them.

The Hammers paid £10m for his services, potentially predicting that they were going to go down and would need a solid Championship striker, which Hugill was at Preston North End. It was a move that infuriated fans, just when they needed someone to lead the line.

It’s not his fault he’s on this list, though. Hugill was given just 22 minutes throughout the entire second half of the 2017/18 season to prove to the fans that he was the man to lead them – an almost impossible task.

After numerous Championship loans, he’s now found a home at Rotherham United.

6 Nikola Vlasic

£34.5m from CSKA Moscow, 2021

This transfer just goes to show that one good international tournament does not a good player make. Vlasic impressed for Croatia at Euro 2020 and had a number of teams after him. West Ham finally got him for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £34.5m once add-ons had been factored in.

Throughout his career, he had played regular football, and although he did have the opportunity to prove himself, he was never consistently in the first team. His first goal contribution came in the form of an assist in the Europa League, and his first goal came in the Premier League in a 4-1 win against Watford.

Vlasic was then sent out on loan to Torino, a move that the Italian club would make permanent in August 2023 for an undisclosed fee. Perhaps West Ham didn’t want the world to know how much money they lost on him.

5 Gianluca Scamacca

£35.5m from Sassuolo, 2022

Young Italian forward Gianluca Scamacca came to West Ham with a big reputation. He was, and still is, one of Italy’s best young forwards. Since bursting onto the scene at Sassuolo, the hype began to generate, he just wouldn't live up to it at West Ham.

Injuries were the main reason he didn’t make it in east London, despite looking like someone who would love it there. He only scored eight goals in 27 appearances for the club, with a lot of them being as a substitute.

Both parties decided to call it quits after a single season. He’s now back in Italy with Atalanta and has gotten off to a fine start. Perhaps, like Sebastian Haller, he’ll be one that got away for West Ham.

4 Danny Ings

£15m from Aston Villa, 2023

Consistently scoring goals in the Premier League is a very hard thing to do, and Danny Ings deserves a lot of credit for doing just that, but at West Ham, it’s been disappointing. The form he found at Burnley and Southampton seems to have escaped him.

West Ham bought him for an initial £12m, which rose to £15m after avoiding relegation in the 2022/23 season. Ings played his part – he scored twice against Nottingham Forest to help secure top-flight football.

Without going as far as saying that Danny Ings has been a flop, he certainly has the ability to turn it around, he’s just unlikely to be given that chance. He’s still at West Ham, but they’re reportedly looking to move him on.

3 Flynn Downes

£12m from Swansea City, 2022

It's pretty heartbreaking to be putting Flynn Downes on this list. The midfielder is a massive West Ham fan, he’s living the dream he had as a young lad in playing for the club. Sadly, he hasn’t had much of a chance to represent them.

Downes made a name for himself with Swansea City in the Championship, and West Ham came knocking. A reported £12m fee was agreed, and he put pen to paper, just as any fan would.

He made 21 league appearances for the club he loves, and helped them to their first trophy in 43 years. If you’d have told him he’d do that at the start of his career, he’d have surely snapped your hands off.

He’s currently on loan at Southampton, and will no doubt be hoping he’s given another opportunity soon enough.

2 Maxwel Cornet

£17.5m from Burnley, 2022

Players need time, and Maxwel Cornet will surely get that, but his West Ham career has been underwhelming thus far. He signed in the summer of 2022 from Burnley for a fee thought to be around £17.5m, and has since failed to impress.

He’s the type of player that is always going to have moments. A piece of skill here, beating a player there – he just needs to do it more often. To be fair to Cornet, Moyes isn’t exactly known for letting his attacking players express themselves.

Cornet is perhaps best known for his controversial disallowed goal against Chelsea last season. VAR deemed Tomas Soucek’s very slight touch on Mendy to be a foul, and denied him what would have been his first and only league goal for West Ham.

1 Thilo Kehrer

£10.1m from Paris Saint-Germain, 2022

There is a bit of a running theme here; most of the players on this list just haven’t been given much of a shot. Moyes is an old-school manager, he knows his best XI and he sticks to it. It’s an important thing to do when you’re fighting at the bottom of the table more often than not. Kehrer is another player that’s happened to.

When the German centre-back made a big money move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, it was for a fee of around £32m. After four years at the club, West Ham signed him for £10.1m.

He was meant to be their centre-back for the future, and since he remains at the club, he still could be. He’s just fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd.

Kehrer is now 27 years old, so he’s entering his prime as a defender. At some point, he’s going to want to be playing more regular football, whether that’s with West Ham or not.

The Premier League is harsh, most of Moyes’ signings at West Ham have actually proven to be very good deals – Jarrod Bowen and Jesse Lingard, for example.

Moyes knows the club inside-out, but the grass isn’t always greener.

Several familiar faces could really benefit from a trip to France as the U.S. looks to map out a busy summer

If you want to have some fun, choosing a fantasy U.S. U-23 men's national team squad for the upcoming Olympics is an entertaining exercise. There are simply so many options and so many good players that could feature in Paris this summer.

Yunus Musah has said he wants to play at the Olympics. So too has Folarin Balogun. Gio Reyna is also age-eligible and there's room for three overage players that could be used on, say, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. In an ideal world, the U.S. could bring one heck of a squad to France this summer.

It isn't an ideal world, though. The USMNT's priority is the Copa America, the big test on the road to the 2026 World Cup. That's not diminishing the Olympics by any means but, generally, the U.S. focus will be on competing against South America's best this summer as hosts of that tournament.

Players could pull double duty, but those will be special cases. By and large, it's expected that the U.S. will work with two different squads: one for the Copa and one for the Olympic Games. That Olympic squad, though, could have plenty of familiar faces as there are players both young and old that could really benefit the U-23 team.

From veterans who can provide leadership to rising stars who can use the minutes, the U.S. can go any number of ways. And, with that in mind, GOAL takes a look at which USMNT stars would be better off joining the U-23s this summer.

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  Those already involved

  The most recent U.S. U-23 camp was filled with players who have already earned senior caps. It's logical, then, that most, if not all, of those players would continue through the Olympics if everything goes to plan.

  Fullbacks John Tolkin and Kevin Paredes have very real cases to be the USMNT's backup left-back, but both are better served with the U-23s. So too are goalkeepers Patrick Schulte and Gaga Slonina, although the latter wasn't involved in the most recent camp due to injury.

  Gianluca Busio, Cade Cowell, Aidan Morris and Bryan Reynolds all have legitimate U.S. experience, but all will likely start for this team in the Olympics. Paxten Aaronson, Caleb Wiley, Diego Luna and Esmir Bajraktarevic have all earned senior looks, too.

  It's a good thing, really. Years ago, a U.S. U-23 team would have been littered with college kids. These days, it's a group with real senior experience for club and country as they head towards the Olympic Games.

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  Ricardo Pepi

  Pepi's agent is already speaking of a big summer. He's made a fuss of Pepi's lack of playing time at PSV and, if nothing changes, Pepi could be on the move yet again this summer.

  Well, if Pepi wants to be in the shop window, scoring boatloads of goals at the Olympics would be a good way to attract potential suitors.

  Pepi has been good for PSV this season, albeit in a bench role behind Luuk de Jong. He's a fantastic striker who has a case to start for the USMNT. The big problem is that he isn't the only one with a case, as Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright can also make a very real argument to be the U.S. No. 9.

  Of that foursome, only Pepi and Balogun are age-eligible for the Olympics and, of those two, Pepi makes the most sense. He seems like he'd be, at best, a bench option for the senior team at the Copa. With the Olympic squad, he could be one of the better strikers in the whole tournament.

  It may be a tough pill to swallow, particularly after missing the 2022 World Cup, but a dip down to the U-23s could do wonders for Pepi's development.

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  Brandon Vazquez

  If Pepi doesn't go, the U.S. could use an overage spot for a striker. As things stand, Duncan McGuire is the guy at the U-23 level, but you'll almost certainly need two strong strikers to really compete for this thing.

  Vazquez seems like a perfect option, should it come to that. He's lighting it up at Monterrey, having scored nine goals in 18 games. He's a big, physical presence with plenty of touch. At this U-23 level, he could be a legitimate bully.

  Right now, Vazquez seems locked into that second tier of strikers behind those mentioned above. It's hard to imagine him making it to the Copa America unless there are a few injuries in front of him. An Olympic run, then, could be his best chance to impress the USMNT brass.

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  Joe Scally

  Scally is almost certainly not going to start at the Copa America. Sergino Dest is entrenched on the right, as Antonee Robinson is on the left. When given chances to really make his case, Scally has fallen somewhat short. Right now, he's a backup.

  He's also age-eligible for the Olympics. The U-23s already have Reynolds as a starting right-back, but could Scally benefit more from getting those minutes in France?

  Borussia Monchengladbach may not release him, but it's certainly worth considering. Another tournament on the bench may not do too much for Scally. He played zero minutes at the World Cup and, if all goes to plan, there won't be many minutes on offer at the Copa either.

  A significant runout with the U-23s could be a good confidence boost for a player who is thriving in the Bundesliga. Best of all, there's no real downside due to his age, making this something of a no-brainer.

Manchester United could now part ways with one first-team star in January, who they hope to recoup a big transfer fee for once the window re-opens, according to a report.

Man Utd's room for improvement…

Undoubtedly, Manchester United have had a campaign that has presented its fair share of challenges for Erik ten Hag, who has had to fight fire on and off the field at Old Trafford. Away from the action, Jadon Sancho has been embroiled in a public spat with the Dutchman that has seen the England international placed into exile since early September.

At the same time, Brazilian winger Antony has also spent time away from the first team due to an off-field investigation, while the Red Devils came under fire earlier this year due to their handling of events involving controversial loanee Mason Greenwood.

In the Premier League, the Red Devils have lost five out of their opening 12 fixtures. However, seven victories, including four in their last five matches, have elevated them to sixth in the divisional standings and five points away from Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. Nevertheless, room for improvement is needed if the Red Devils are serious about qualifying for the Champions League in 2023/24.

Of course, United are present in the competition this year and to put it lightly, their start has been sub-par, with one victory and three losses putting them bottom of Group A, which contains Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Copenhagen.

This weekend, the Red Devils face a difficult test away to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday before clashes against Galatasaray, Newcastle United and Chelsea, which could go a long way to determining the direction they are headed under Ten Hag's leadership.

Casting an eye to January, the Dutchman could now be set to get rid of one player once the window opens as he continues to shape his squad.

Jadon Sancho up for sale

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are ready to accept an offer for Sancho in January to help bolster their budget for potential incomings, which will also be aided by not having to pay his £250,000 per week wage.

The report states that Manchester United hope to land a considerable fee for his services, with an exit either on a permanent basis or a loan deal now believed to be a certainty in the New Year. Serie A giants Juventus have been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old alongside his former club Borussia Dortmund and several Saudi Pro League sides.

Sancho, who was previously labelled a "brilliant footballer" by Manchester United boss Ten Hag earlier this year, has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford, registering 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances for the Premier League giants across all competitions (Sancho statistics – Transfermarkt).

Now out in the cold at Manchester United, it may be a wise move from both parties to cut his time at the club short to remove the attention caused by his prolonged absence from first-team duties.

Chelsea could offer defender Trevoh Chalobah in potential talks to sign a marquee player for manager Enzo Maresca this summer, with a part-exchange bid apparently on the cards.

Chelsea face Southampton after Aston Villa defeat

The Blues have now lost six of their last 11 games in all competitions, including three consecutive Premier League defeats, as Chelsea slip to seventh in the table after their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Midlands on Saturday.

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A brace from Marco Asensio cancelled out Enzo Fernández’s opener to hand Chelsea yet another disappointing loss amid a torrid run of form, as Maresca also deals with injuries crippling his Chelsea squad right now.

Marc Guiu, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Chalobah are all being treated right now, but Chelsea’s boss is attempting to find the positives.

“It’s like this,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

“We ask for a better performance compared to the Brighton one. I think the performance was there, we didn’t deserve the final result but we need to accept that. In this moment, it is not enough. We need to find something extra to get results but for sure, we are going to be there. The performance was very good, to go to Villa Park and play the first-half we played is an important statement. The problem at the end was the result, the result was not good for us. It was a tough one in that moment, also because we are in a bad run of results, so that is also the reason why.”

Chelsea now prepare to face Southampton this evening at Stamford Bridge, and nothing but a win will do for Maresca as he looks to turn their fortunes around. Meanwhile, BlueCo and Todd Boehly are already planning for next season in terms of bolstering the squad.

According to reports, a centre-back is high on Chelsea’s transfer agenda for the summer, and they could even look to re-sign former defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

Chelsea could offer Trevoh Chalobah in part-exchange for Marc Guehi

The England international, who commanded an £80 million-plus price tag in the January window, was subject to a rejected £70 million offer from Tottenham, and it is believed that Chelsea were debating a winter deal for Guehi before recalling Chalobah instead.

Now, according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Guehi very much remains on Chelsea’s shortlist, and they could even offer Chalobah as a makeweight any deal for the “sensational” centre-back.

“On centre backs, Marc Guehi is still a player high on Chelsea’s centre back shortlist, and again, if they could have got him for a better fee in January then they absolutely would have signed him,” wrote Phillips, via his Substack.

“So returning for him in the summer when he is expected to be cheaper as he nears the end of his contract, is certainly going to be something we expect to happen. Keep an eye on Trevoh Chalobah being used as a make-weight for this potential deal.”

Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson no doubt been an exhausting ride for Red Devils supporters.

Where once a great legacy was forged in the 'Theatre of Dreams', proceedings have at times felt more aligned with a B-list pantomime. A new manager arrives a heroic figure of hope and then plot twist – he's the villain, with the players enduring mediocre form, his sniveling underlings.

Erik ten Hag came in with an air of heroism. After delighting Ajax fans in the Netherlands, his continental efforts brought him to Old Trafford. He initially spoke of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola and the whole 'eras coming to an end' lark. However, his era has struggled to really take form, with the club currently languishing five points outside the top four.

One particular problem has been the Dutchman's penchant for signing players whom he has previously worked with, including Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat, with the addition of his one-time Ajax asset, Antony, proving especially disastrous.

The reasons Manchester United signed Antony from Ajax

That 'manager's favourite' dig is, on second thoughts, a little harsh. Yet, with Ten Hag's often dynamic, and title-monopolising Ajax – a formative Antony was a twinkling star in a progressive galaxy that the Amsterdam club are renowned for creating over the years. Brought in from Sao Paulo in 2020, the winger enjoyed a brilliant two years in red and white, winning back-to-back Eredivisie titles (2020-21, 2021-22) and one KNVB Beker (2020-21).

In that time, and in all 82 all-competition outings – the tricky Brasileiro totted up a direct goal involvement in basically every other game. He scored 24 goals and got 22 assists in his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

While the numbers and performances were impressive, of course the football itself and the way in which it was played, was front and centre. At Ajax, the winger was a beacon of creativity and arrived on European radars as a call back to Jogo Bonito-pushers of yesteryear.

Exploits in Amsterdam saw Antony follow his former boss to England

Admittedly, Antony's raw talent was a little bit of a gamble for Manchester United, yet Ten Hag was convinced his winger could make the step-up when he sealed an £86 million five-year-deal in August 2022.

What fans saw were mere glimpses of a talent more effective in the Dutch first division. Antony could make the 'step-up' in a way. But he could also make the step-over, random flick and then a bizarre spinning top move.

Losing half his value and finding an unwanted nickname

Antony won the 2023 EFL Cup with United, yet steadily, standards began to slip as the Premier League especially wasn't as accommodating to his flair-driven style compared to the Netherlands.

His near-€100 million tag started to look ever-steeper with every lacklustre outing. In his first Premier League season, Antony's return for 25 games was a mere four goals and two assists. This was especially underwhelming considering his last Eredivisie season saw him score eight goals and supply two assists in 23 games.

Now, as the 5 foot 9 trickster looks to better his previous term, he faces the prospect of having lost nearly half of his transfer value.

Where he once moved on for that £86 million, now, his value sits at £44 million (or €50 million) – representing a decline of £42m in just over 12 months. If that wasn't bad enough, the wideman's lack of end product leading to dwindling value also found him with the newfound nickname of "YouTube footballer" – courtesy of talkSPORT's Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent.

While time is still on his side to turn things around, the £200k-per-week enigma needs to start delivering the goods sooner rather than later.

Aaron Ramsdale had an absolute howler after being handed a rare start against Brentford, as he gifted Yoane Wissa the equaliser on Saturday.

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Rice had put Arsenal in frontBrentford were chasing shadowsRamsdale clanger helped them get back into matchGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Emirates stood stunned and Ramsdale clutched his face in disbelief after the goalkeeper offered a lifeline to the Bees, who were second-best in every department in the opening 45 minutes. The English 'keeper took too much time on the ball inside his own penalty area after receiving a backpass from Gabriel Magalhaes and was made to pay dearly!

An alert Wissa closed him down immediately, threw himself in front of the goalkeeper and tackled in the nick of time to get the ball into the back of the net just before half-time. Nightmare for Arsenal fans and Ramsdale, who was handed a rare start due to David Raya's ineligibility against his parent club.

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Magalhaes and William Saliba rushed towards Ramsdale as he headed down towards the tunnel with his head down and a distraught look on his face. The Gunners' support also applauded him off to lift his spirits ahead of a crucial second half where the two teams started on level terms. Declan Rice had put the hosts in front with a brilliantly taken headed goal in the 19th minute.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT

The spotlight will be firmly on Ramsdale in the remaining 45 minutes and it remains to be seen if the Arsenal No.2 manages to redeem himself after a massive blunder that could have greater ramifications in a closely fought title race.

Form guide (most recent match first)

CSK: lost to KKR by six wickets, beat Daredevils by 13 runs, lost to Mumbai by 8 wickets
RCB: beat Mumbai by 14 runs, lost to KKR by six wickets, lost to CSK by five wickets

Big Picture

Royal Challengers Bangalore could probably afford one more loss. But only if they get very lucky with other results going their way.They came away from the IPL auction like a tourist with a detailed itinerary: allrounders, check; big-hitters, check; KKR’s bowling attack that knocked them over for 49, double check. But one month in, all they have is a bag full of knock-off merchandise. Five defeats in eight matches with a squad that Virat Kohli thought was the most balanced is, essentially, like being stuck with t-shirts that say Wrong instead of , right?But some innocent bystanders have given them a helpful tip, at least with respect to their next adventure. It is hard to compete with Chennai Super Kings’ batting line-up. So make fools of their bowlers.Target scores well above par if batting first. Forget about the run-rate and safeguard wickets for the death if chasing. Basically, RCB have to figure out a way to beat a monstrous batting team with virtually the tournament on the line.It seems karma wants them to learn how everyone that faces RCB feels.

In the news

AB de Villiers has been declared fit after viral fever ruled him out of RCB’s previous two games. Quinton de Kock, however, has flown back to South Africa for a wedding.

Previous meeting

A high-scoring affair when RCB posted 205 and CSK chased it down in a blaze of sixes in Bengaluru. De Villiers made a rip-roaring 68.

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ambati Rayudu, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Imran Tahir, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 KM AsifDe Kock’s absence may see Parthiv Patel getting his first game of the season.Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Manan Vohra/Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Brendon McCullum 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Strategy punt

Imran Tahir has taken 15 wickets in Pune, the most among anyone in the CSK squad, and he has taken out AB de Villiers two times in three IPL innings. This head-to-head can be quite compelling for the viewer as well because the batsman also strikes at 185.7 against the legspinner.

Stats that matter

• RCB have four wins in five games in Pune, and de Villiers was Man of the Match in three of those games. He has made 211 runs at a strike-rate of 177. Viral fever, begone.
• CSK have rarely had a phenomenal bowling line-up. But they mask that problem with their spinners and Dhoni’s ability to use them. In each of their eight years, their economy rate had always hovered around 7 and strike rate around 25. In 2018, those numbers have risen to 8.49 and 34.50.
• Before Tim Southee was brought in to the XI, RCB were conceding a six every six deliveries in the death. Now, that figure is a far more respectable 18.3.
• Dhoni has scored 329 runs at a strike-rate of 169.6. That’s his best tally after nine matches in any season of IPL.

Fantasy pick

Ambati Rayudu. He’s the highest scorer of the IPL this season with six scores of 30-plus in nine innings. He’s also been hitting at a strike-rate of 153 with 56 hits to and over the boundary.

Quotes

“The last four days have been a blur I have been suffering from severe viral flu, one of the most debilitating illnesses I have ever experienced. Aside from one visit to the hospital, I have barely left my hotel room. Sleep has been almost impossible, and the migraine headaches have been extreme.”