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Wolverhampton Wanderers face Fulham tonight in the Premier League, looking to put two consecutive wins together in the top flight for the first time this season, having put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword prior to the international break.

However, one of the stars of Wolves' showing against Spurs will be absent in London as Craig Dawson is suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage for picking up too many yellow cards this term.

In the short term, head coach Gary O'Neil could simply look to make a like-for-like replacement for the ex-West Ham United defender, but the manager could also choose to make a bold tactical decision which would affect the rest of the team.

Craig Dawson's stats this season

Losing Dawson through suspension is a big miss for O'Neil and for Wolves as a whole. The experienced centre-half moved to Molineux back in January for a nominal fee of £3.3m, after spending the last three years with West Ham in what was the most fruitful spell of the Hammers' history since the Premier League began.

Wolves "colossus" who won 100% duels was the hero alongside Lemina

Wolves roared home to a late win at Molineux yesterday, with this player standing out alongside goalscorer Lemina.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 12, 2023

In fact, Dawson even earned himself a Europa Conference League winner's medal in June despite the fact that he hadn't featured for the east London club for five months.

The 33-year-old has been a rock at the back over the past year for the Old Gold and ranks well above average in a whole host of key defensive metrics when compared to all other centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues.

Per 90 Metric

Percentile Ranking

Blocks

94

Shots Blocked

99

% of Dribblers Tackled

81

Clearances

75

Passes Blocked

80

Shots

83

Shots On Target

74

Stats via FBref.

Dawson is particularly efficient when defending in his own box, hence why he ranks in the top 6% for blocks per 90, the top 1% for shots blocked per 90 and the top 25% for clearances per 90.

Against Spurs a fortnight ago, the veteran completed two tackles, competed in four aerial duels and even blocked one of the opposition's six shots on goal as Wolves clinched the victory in the game's dying stages. Nevertheless, the Midlands club will have to make do away at Fulham without Dawson's defensive nous.

Pablo Sarabia's stats this season

Wolves deployed a 5-3-2 formation in the win over Tottenham two weeks ago, with Dawson employed in the centre of the back three, supported by Max Kilman and Toti Gomes either side of him.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, O'Neil admitted that the most like-for-like replacement for Dawson is £8.5m summer signing Santiago Bueno, who has yet to make a single start in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan defender has featured for just six minutes for Wolves this season, coming off the bench during a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town back in September and so it could be seen as a risk to throw the 25-year-old into the deep end this week. However, O'Neil also has the option to change the team's formation completely.

Wolves' 5-3-2 worked wonders against Spurs prior to the international break but O'Neil has also chosen to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 this term. While the former Bournemouth boss may not want to change a winning team, the absence of Dawson could allow O'Neil to revert to a back four by shifting Toti alongside Kilman in the heart of the defence and dropping Rayan Ait Nouri deeper as a left-back, freeing up the wings for Pablo Sarabia.

Sarabia moved to Molineux in January for £4.4m, like Dawson, but has failed to become a regular in the first eleven, having made just two starts in the Premier League this term. Nevertheless, the Spanish playmaker has registered five assists this season in all competitions. Only Pedro Neto has boasted more for Wolves.

The 31-year-old changed the game for Wolves last time out, coming off the bench to score the equaliser and assist the winner, leading Joe Cole to label his leveller as "brilliant". Sarabia starting would also cause Hwang Hee-chan to push over to the right wing in O'Neil's 4-2-3-1, leaving Matheus Cunha alone up top, although this could offer a nice blend of goalscoring and playmaking brilliance on the flanks for the visitors.

While O'Neil may not be keen to change a winning side, it will be difficult for the coach to ignore Sarabia's calls to start after his heroic late display against Spurs.

Matt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-20181:13

Somerset silence stubborn Worcestershire

ScorecardMatt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham. The left-arm seamer finished with 4 for 31 from 16 overs to help bowl out the visitors for 298, chasing a victory target of 340.Cameron Steel and Tom Latham gave Durham a promising start, but they wilted against Taylor, Craig Miles and Ryan Higgins on another sweltering afternoon and Mark Wood’s unbeaten 61 proved in vain.Gloucestershire took 23 points from their first Championship win since the opening round of fixtures, while their opponents had to be content with five after four days of tough and competitive cricket.Durham began the day on 35 without loss and enjoyed the better of the morning session. Latham and Steel took their opening stand to 94 against some accurate Gloucestershire bowling before Latham fenced at a ball from Matt Taylor and edged through to Gareth Roderick.Steel was unbeaten on 57 at lunch, with the total 121 for 1, but he when he perished in the second over after the interval, lbw to Miles falling across his stumps, it signalled a transformation in fortunes. Taylor and Higgins settled in to bowl probing spells from the Chapel End and College Lawn End respectively, tying the batsmen down and making vital breakthroughs.Higgins removed Graham Clark and Will Smith during a six-over spell that brought him 2 for 23, Clark falling to a fine full-length diving catch by Roderick and Smith pinned lbw.Taylor was equally impressive and claimed the key wicket of Ben Stokes, who had begun positively, but moved to only 9 before being bowled on the back foot. The same fate befell Stuart Poynter, on 8, and at 201 for 6, Durham still required a further 139.They were given renewed hope by Wood and Michael Richardson, who took the score to 226 for 6 at tea and continued to bat solidly in the final session. Wood was dropped on 18 by Miles Hammond at cover off Kieran Noema-Barnett and responded by hitting four fours in an over from Miles just before the second new ball.Richardson had helped add 59 when falling lbw for 26 looking to work Miles through the leg side. Soon it was 267 for 8 as Matt Salisbury was bowled on the back-foot by Miles for a single.Gloucestershire had their tails up, but while Wood was there Durham had a chance. He began to run out of partners when George Harding chipped a tame catch to midwicket off Taylor and departed for 7.Wood, who was able to bowl only six overs in the match because of a sore heel, moved to a defiant fifty off 74 balls, with nine fours. But when Chris Rushworth was caught behind to give Higgins his third wicket, Gloucestershire had won with 11 overs left in the day’s play.

They played key roles in Sri Lanka not taking the field for two hours on the third day of the St Lucia Test and were hit with a Level 3 charge

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and manager Asanka Gurusinha have admitted to breaching the ICC Code that relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” and could be suspended for two to four Tests, or between four and eight limited-overs internationals.They were charged with a level 3 offence by ICC chief executive David Richardson, after Sri Lanka refused to take the field on the third morning of the second Test against West Indies in St Lucia and delayed the start of play by two hours. Sri Lanka did this after the on-field umpires had informed them ten minutes before the start of play that they were changing the ball because they suspected its condition had been illegally altered.”This action was alleged to amount to a serious breach of the Laws of Cricket and to be contrary to the spirit of the game,” the ICC said.The ICC appointed Michael Beloff QC as the Judicial Commissioner to hear the case against Chandimal, Hathurusingha and Gurusinha to determine the appropriate sanction.Among the points the Sri Lanka camp is likely to make to Beloff is that the entire two-hour delay was not exclusively down to their reluctance to play. It is possible Sri Lanka’s team management believe that roughly midway through the scheduled morning session, they felt they had come to an agreement with the match officials, wherein although Chandimal would still have to face a ball-tampering charge at the end of the Test, the officials would refrain from imposing the five-run penalty and changing the ball. In fact, on the basis that there would be no immediate penalties, the Sri Lanka side did take the field at 10:50 am, an hour and 20 minutes past the scheduled start. However, to Sri Lanka’s surprise, the umpires changed the ball at this stage. It was at this point that the Sri Lanka team dug in its heels again. They left the field, returning only forty minutes later, to actually start play.It must be stressed, however, that there is strong disagreement about this sequence of events. There is another suggestion that no deal was actually struck; such a deal, it is felt, would effectively mean there was no charge to be laid, and that umpires were not following playing conditions. In this version of events, the false start is blamed on a misunderstanding between the match officials and the Sri Lanka team.When play did eventually begin on day three, Sri Lanka Cricket issued a release denying wrongdoing and said they were playing “under protest”. The Sri Lanka captain later pleaded not guilty to the charge of ball-tampering, but video footage suggested he had taken something from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and applied saliva to the ball only a few seconds later.The ICC match referee Javagal Srinath found Chandimal’s explanation unsatisfactory and gave him two suspension points – meaning he would miss the third Test against West Indies – and fined him 100% of his match fees. Chandimal, however, appealed the ball-tampering verdict and his case will be heard by Beloff on June 22.The ICC said Beloff would use Chandimal’s appeal hearing to “establish the procedural schedule on the Level 3 charges.” A person guilty of a level 3 offence could get between four and eight suspension points.

After the Tim and Trent show on the first day, it was the turn of Neil Wagner and Todd Astle to impress on the final day at Eden Park

Andrew McGlashan27-Mar-2018The Tim and Trent show stole the early headlines at Eden Park, but for New Zealand coach Mike Hesson there was huge satisfaction in his side showing they are an attack for a variety of conditions as they put in the “grind” to bowl England out a second time and secure an innings victory.There were still four wickets shared by Southee and Boult in England’s second innings but the other six went to Neil Wagner and Todd Astle. For Wagner it was just another example of his match-seizing capability when the going gets tough, but for Astle his 3 for 39 was his first significant intervention in Test cricket five-and-a-half years after making his debut.”I think we’ve got first-innings bowlers and second-innings bowlers which is what you need,” Hesson said. “Neil Wagner is testament to that and I thought Todd Astle did a great job.””The balance of the attack allows Neil to play that role, particularly in the second innings. When not a lot is happening he can make things happen. It was such a good surface we needed something special and Neil provided that again.”In just his third Test, and having waited until the 69th over for his first bowl, Astle dragged a few down in his first spell – although it didn’t stop him picking up Jonny Bairstow at midwicket – but in the evening session produced a teasing display where his googly caused a number of problems. He trapped Craig Overton lbw before claiming the final wicket when James Anderson spooned to mid-off.A couple of days earlier, fellow legspinner Ish Sodhi had claimed a career-best 7 for 30 in the Plunket Shield and there were a few murmurings about why he had not been preferred to Astle. Partly, New Zealand will have wanted to cover for the loss of an allrounder in Mitchell Santner but Hesson said Astle’s position in the side was no less than he deserved.”A lot of the selection debate comes from people who don’t watch first-class cricket,” Hesson said. “Todd has been amazing in first-class cricket for three or four years and is a fine bowler. He probably just hasn’t got the opportunities that he’s earned over time because we’ve had Dan Vettori and Mitchell Santner in that role. Todd has good variation, he brings the stumps into play. We thought the lbw and bowled would be crucial.”Victory in Auckland has put New Zealand on the brink of just their fourth series win over England heading into the final match of their season in Christchurch as the format switches back to the red ball. There have been results in all four Tests at the ground with New Zealand winning three and there will be no thoughts of playing it safe.”This is a huge opportunity, you don’t go in thinking about drawing,” Hesson said. “It’s been a big series, we’ve been planning for the last six months and need to make sure we use the next few days wisely.”

The dissolution of SLC’s interim administration under Arjuna Ranatunga was widely expected following a constant difference of opinion with the sports minister

Sa'adi Thawfeeq24-Dec-2008
Relations between Arjuna Ranatunga and the Sri Lankan national team weren’t always as cordial © Getty Images
The dissolution of Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim administration under Arjuna Ranatunga was widely expected following a constant difference of opinion between the former World Cup-winning captain and the sports minister, Gamini Lokuge. The decision comes in the backdrop of a tumultuous year that featured more controversies than cricket.The situation, which was constantly deteriorating, eventually came to a head after Ranatunga decided to sack 16 employees of Sri Lanka Cricket last week. The aggrieved employees approached the Minister, who ordered that no decision should be taken without first consulting him.Ranatunga was appointed to the post in January 2008 after former chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa decided to step down. Ranatunga said then that he was taking over to set things right in cricket but he leaves having done more wrong than right.Ranatunga tried to run Sri Lanka Cricket in the same autocratic and ad hoc way he captained the cricket team. But the circumstances are different, and what worked for him as captain has clearly backfired in his term as administrator. He has come across as obstinate and impulsive, and his refusal to involve his committee members in the decision-making process has earned him constant criticism. Worse, most of his decisions have turned out to be counter-productive.Incredibly for a player-administrator, he has managed to alienate the majority of Sri Lanka’s international players. The relationship, already rocky, virtually broke down when he unilaterally committed Sri Lanka to a tour of England in April-May 2009 despite being fully aware that a majority of the Sri Lankan players were contracted to play in the IPL in the same period. The England tour was not part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme but hastily organised to fill a gap in the English summer that arose due to Zimbabwe’s withdrawal.Ranatunga justified his decision saying that the cash-strapped Sri Lankan board badly needed the US$2 million guarantee money the tour would bring. But the tour fell through when the sports minister sided with the players.Ranatunga, who began his tenure by appealing to the Indian cricket board to bail out Sri Lanka Cricket, is now seen as the biggest obstacle in the relationship between the two boards.Ironically, Ranatunga, who began his tenure by appealing to the Indian cricket board to bail out Sri Lanka Cricket, is now seen as the biggest obstacle in the relationship between the two boards. The Indian administrators haven’t taken kindly to the Ranatunga’s constant jibing – he has emerged as a strong opponent of Twenty20 cricket and in fact blamed India’s loss in the first Test against Sri Lanka earlier this year to the after-effects of the IPL – and made it clear there could be no relationship between the two boards as long as Ranatunga was in charge. Consequently, the Indian board withdrew an offer of a US$70 million bailout package for Sri Lanka over a ten-year period in return for a commitment to Twenty20 tournaments organized by the BCCI.It is speculated that Ranatunga – who met President Mahinda Rajapakse after his removal – will be offered a ministerial post; those in the running to replace him include a former cricket board president, a former interim committee chairman and a current interim committee member.Whoever takes over the job, though, is likely to inherit a mess.

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888casino： O Cruzeiro irá decidir uma vaga na final da Copa do Brasil na noite deste domingo (14), contra o Corinthians, na Neo Química Arena. Para a partida, o técnico Leonardo Jardim terá que decidir quem escalará nos lugares de Lucas Romero e Lucas Villalba.

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da winzada777： O volante, apesar de ter viajado junto com o elenco para o confronto contra o Timão, não irá jogar porque está suspenso. Para a posição, o comandante celeste chegou a pautar duas opções na coletiva após a derrota por 1 a 0 no Mineirão.

Na zaga, depois da lesão ligamentar no tornozelo esquerdo de Lucas Villalba, a tendência é que Jonathan Jesus ganhe outra oportunidade. João Marcelo também é opção.

continua após a publicidade

– Temos alguns jogadores que vão jogar, diferente dos de hoje. Temos um elenco, Walace, o Matheus Henrique, que podem fazer a função. No lugar do Villalba temos o Jonathan. Não preocupa porque o elenco ao logo da temporada mostrou que temos saídas. Eu achava que teríamos o apoio na Toca para esse jogo. Peço aos torcedores que nos deram apoio nos outros jogos, que nos façam uma visita para motivar esses jogadores. O trabalho que fizeram durante a temporada é importante para chegarmos a mais uma final – comentou Leonardo Jardim.

➡️Tudo sobre o Cabuloso agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Cruzeiro

Sendo assim, uma provável escalação do Cruzeiro vem com: Cássio; William, Fabrício Bruno, Jonathan Jesus, Kaiki; Lucas Silva, Walace (Matheus Henrique), Christian, Matheus Pereira, Kaio Jorge, Arroyo.

continua após a publicidadeDespedida com apoio da torcida do Cruzeiro

Antes da viagem do elenco celeste para São Paulo na noite de sábado, torcedores se concentraram na entrada da Toca da Raposa II e foram convidados a ver o final do treino e ter contato com os jogadores.

O Cruzeiro enfrentará o Corinthians na noite deste domingo (14), às 18h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena. Para se classificar para a final, os mineiros precisam de uma vitória por dois ou mais gols de diferença, ou por um para levar a disputa para os pênaltis.

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilCruzeiroFutebol Nacional

Ask an Everton fan what their club’s priority should be as they step into the looming summer transfer window, they will tell you that David Moyes’ side need more quality in the final third.

Recent losses in the Premier League have highlighted the Toffees’ deep-rooted offensive issues that need sorting out if the 2025/26 season is to promote a new breed of success.

New owners, The Friedkin Group, ran the gauntlet when bringing Moyes back to the club in January, but it certainly seems to have worked out, Everton leaping away from the relegation fodder.

The seeds have been planted, but Everton need to fix some playing-squad issues in offence. However, defensive problems also simmer under the surface, with plenty set to change this summer.

The state of play in Everton's defence

Last time out at Goodison Park, Everton fought hard to get something from their match against Manchester City but ultimately fell short in the second half, losing 2-0.

Compounding the defeat, James Tarkowski was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury, since confirmed to be a muscular tear that will require surgery. The unflappable centre-half will miss the rest of the season, his recovery creeping into pre-season.

With Jarrad Branthwaite’s future reportedly not necessarily at Bramley Moore, there’s plenty of uncertainty around Moyes’ backline.

Furthermore, Everton’s contractual situation is going to have a marked impact on the defence, with Michael Keane, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young all out of contract this summer.

Moyes recognises skipper Coleman’s value and would allegedly like to extend his deal for the leadership and experience benefits, but Young is not a spring chicken anymore and must leave, having become the Scotsman’s new version of Phil Neville.

Moyes must ditch Moyes' new Phil Neville

Neville is fondly remembered for his time at Everton, and Young will depart with a similarly positive legacy, having arrived as an ageing veteran – previously of Manchester United’s parish – but putting in a shift and a half during his time.

However, the 40-year-old needs to leave when his contract expires in the coming months.

Like Neville, Young formerly played for United and was capped by England, working industriously even earning praise from Antonio Conte for being a “machine” of an athlete when plying his trade with Inter Milan.

The 48-year-old completed 385 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Everton for a fee in excess of £3m. He was 28 at the time, a further similarity to Young given he spent a good chunk of his prime years in red before moving to Inter Milan, then back to Villa, then finally settling at Goodison.

Man United

261

19

33

Aston Villa

247

38

53

Watford

110

22

9

Everton

66

2

4

Inter Milan

59

5

9

Not just walking the same pathway toward Merseyside as Young, Neville was also a versatile defender, chiefly placed as a right-back but wandering over to the alternate side and even featuring in a deep-lying midfield position.

Since starting Moyes’ first game of the (second) Moyes era, a home defeat against Aston Villa, Young has been consigned to cameos ever since.

Young has earned his keep at Everton over the past few years, but he’s now 40 years old and must not see his contract renewed ahead of the new chapter at Bramley Moore.

He was worse than Harrison: 5/10 Everton dud proved that TFG need to spend

Everton have lost back-to-back matches in the Premier League.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 28, 2025

West Ham are now targeting one of Europe's top ten goalscorers of 2023, as manager David Moyes and technical chief Tim Steidten hunt for signings.

West Ham transfer plan takes turn after injuries

As Moyes and the Hammers face a real squad shortage, it is now believed their transfer plans for January have taken a turn. Star midfielder Lucas Paqueta looks set to be out for around two months, dealing a hammer blow to West Ham, with star winger and makeshift centre-forward Jarrod Bowen also set for a spell on the sidelines.

The pair limped off during West Ham's 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup last weekend, alongside defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The trio join striker Michail Antonio on the sidelines, who recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

Coupled with Mohammed Kudus being at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, the aforementioned absences have put Moyes in a desperately precarious situation.

As a result, West Ham are looking to make signings in January, and especially in the attacking areas. Led by technical director Steidten, the club have been working on a deal for Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy among others (ExWHUemployee).

West Ham also hold an interest in Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, according to Sky Sports, as both Moyes and Steidten scour the market for goalscoring wide players alongside a new number nine.

Other reports suggest Moyes has been working overtime to sign a new striker for West Ham, coming after they failed to replace Gianluca Scamacca in the summer window.

West Ham targeting Vangelis Pavlidis

As the Irons search for a proven attacking threat, a report by journalist Graeme Bailey and HITC has lifted the lid on a pretty promising new name on West Ham's radar. According to their information, West Ham are now targeting AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis and a January move could be on the cards for him.

The club have sent scouts to run the rule over Pavlidis this season, alongside both Crystal Palace and Fulham, with all three sides now shortlisting the Greek as a target for the winter.

The international has been in fine form for Alkmaar this season, scoring 18 goals in 16 Eredivisie appearances, but what's more impressive is that he was one of Europe's top ten scorers in 2023.

Football Transfers also say Pavlidis is "similar" to ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino, but it is unclear how much he'll cost at this time.

Manchester United face a hectic run of fixtures before Christmas that could make or break their season depending on their success or failure in those matches.

The Old Trafford side have two vital Champions League ties against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray to come, while they also have to face Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League.

If Erik ten Hag can get through this tough run, and it is a big if, it might just be the catalyst the club need to improve during the second half of the campaign and challenge for a top four spot in the table.

Having won just nine of the first 18 matches in the current season, Ten Hag may look to strengthen his faltering side during the January transfer window, especially as some of his players are attracting attention from elsewhere.

Casemiro is reportedly being targeted by clubs in Saudi Arabia according to 90min and this could leave a big void in the centre of United’s midfield.

The riches offered by the Middle East could tempt the Brazilian into making the move to Asia and this may mean Ten Hag delves into the transfer market.

Man Utd transfer news

While their midfield options could be lighter with Casemiro potentially departing, Ten Hag will also be keen on strengthening his defensive options ahead of the second half of the season.

The Red Devils have conceded 30 goals in just 18 matches this season already and something needs to be done to fix this leaky defence.

According to German outlet Bild (via TEAMtalk), United are keeping tabs on young French defender Castello Lukeba ahead of the January window with hopes of luring him to England.

The 20-year-old secured a move to RB Leipzig from Lyon in the summer, despite United showing interest in the youngster earlier this year.

Scouts from Old Trafford, according to the report, have been monitoring the centre-back this season, although a move might be deemed slightly unrealistic in the next few months given that he has only been in the Bundesliga since the summer.

He could emerge as a dream heir to Raphael Varane should he make the move to Manchester, especially as the former Real Madrid defender has been linked with a move away.

Raphael Varane’s future at Man Utd

At the beginning of November, TEAMtalk revealed that Varane was attracting attention from clubs in Saudi Arabia, and they were looking to make a move for the defender in January.

With just 18 months left on his current contract, the next transfer window could be the ideal time for Ten Hag to cash in on the 30-year-old and recoup a fee similar to the one they shelled out for him just over two years ago.

Having established himself as one of the finest centre-backs on the continent during his spell with Madrid, Varane has become more and more injury-prone since arriving in Manchester.

Indeed, since the beginning of the 2021/22 season, the Frenchman has missed 38 matches due a variety of injury issues and he as not quite been at his brilliant best, with his absences not allowing him to find his rhythm on the pitch.

This season, the 30-year-old has started just four Premier League matches while he fails to rank in the top ten in the squad for accurate passes per game in the league (30.4) along with ranking in the 15th spot for tackles per game (0.6) and 19th for interceptions per game, clearly proving that he has not been an outstanding contributor offensively or defensively.

Injury problems could be catching up with the French titan as, even when he is fit enough to feature, Varane has not been quite at the same level which saw him win four Champions League crowns with Madrid along with securing a World Cup winners medal for France in 2018.

By signing Lukeba, Ten Hag could unearth a natural heir to the United defender at the turn of the year.

Castello Lukeba’s career statistics

The young gem made his debut for Lyon during the 2021/22 season, eventually featuring 30 times in what was a breakthrough season, and his performances were widely praised.

Journalist Josh Bunting waxed lyrical about the defender in December 2021 following a match against Metz, saying: “Castello Lukeba again impressive for Lyon at Metz , really sharp young player not just getting the goal but he’s slotting into that back 3 very well, he’s a very accurate passer of the ball,gets on it and can move it quickly. Also has a good pass selection about him. Big prospect.”

30.4

57.5

0.6

0.7

0.1

0.3

2.5

2.5

1.8

3

As you can see within the table above, Lukeba has outperformed Varane at league level this term due to the defensive impact he has had on the pitch.

Another 38 appearances followed last term before he secured his big move to Leipzig in the summer and with his recent performances in Germany, Lukeba is beginning to look like the real deal.

The 20-year-old ace has already made 16 appearances, including four in the Champions League, and is looking settled at his new club this term.

Not only does he rank second among his teammates for accurate passes per game in the Bundesliga (57.5), but the defender also ranks in the top ten for tackles (0.7) and interceptions (0.3) per game, demonstrating how impressive he has been in defence.

Not only is he adept at passing and dictating the play from the heart of the defence, but he has impressive physicality for someone so young. Lukeba has won 63% of his total duels – three per game – in the German top flight this term and his ability to get the better of opposition players in one one-on-one battles is excellent.

The Leipzig sensation featured for the France U21 side on 14 occasions before finally making his debut against Scotland last month in a 4-1 victory, coming on with just three minutes left.

With his impressive performances this term, however, he could potentially sneak into the Euro 2024 squad next summer, and this would be the catalyst for him to really show his worth on the big stage.

Lukeba is certainly following in the footsteps of Varane and, if given continued exposure at the highest level, he may eventually reach his level.

United need another centre-back desperately and Lukeba is a fascinating prospect. While a move in the next few weeks might be out of the question, the Dutchman should be doing everything he can to lure the youngster to Manchester sooner rather than later.

Leicester City supporters have been through all levels of emotions in recent years, from the highs of winning the Premier League title in 2016 to the lows of being relegated to the Championship in 2023.

The Foxes defied all odds in that 2015/16 campaign and were written off from the get-go having survived relegation by the skin of their teeth in the season prior.

Despite being tipped for the drop, the industrious and energetic performances of midfield duo N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater as well as the formidable attacking partnership of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy dragged Leicester to England's top prize.

Throughout that campaign, that unplayable attacking pairing were involved in a whopping 59 of Leicester's 68 Premier League goals, etching their name into Foxes folklore in the process.

While Vardy is still plying his trade in the Championship at the age of 36, Mahrez has achieved world domination since departing the East Midlands.

How much did Leicester City sign Riyad Mahrez for

In January 2014, Leicester captured a 22-year-old Riyad Mahrez for around £400k from Ligue 2 side Le Havre, a fee which turned out to be one of, if not, the biggest bargains in the club's history, aside from Vardy's £1m move from Fleetwood Town in 2012.

A skilful right winger, who possessed incredible attacking attributes, including his precise ball control, ability to manipulate the ball in tight areas and his wand of a left foot – all combined together to produce countless match-winning moments.

In his first 18 months at the club, he helped Leicester win the Championship title in 2014 and then consolidate in the Premier League in 2015, but in 43 appearances across those campaigns, he only managed to post seven goals and eight assists.

While he showed glimpses of his world-beating class during the early stages, the true potential of his talents were showcased in the following campaign as Leicester scooped the Premier League and the Algerian startled defences with his fleet-footed dribbling and ruthless finishing.

As previously mentioned, his indispensable partnership and telepathic understanding with Vardy was instrumental in their success and Mahrez had the season of his life, plundering 17 goals and supplying ten assists in the top flight.

Those tremendous returns saw him get shortlisted for the 2016 Ballon d'Or alongside world-class players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

In the 2016/17 season, Mahrez tailed off in the top flight, only recording six goals and four assists, but did play a vital role in Leicester's run to the Champions League quarter-finals with six contributions in nine appearances.

The 5 foot 10 whiz used the allure of Champions League football as fuel to earn a move to an elite European club and on the back of his 12 goals and 11 assists in 2017/18, Manchester City came calling.

How much did Leicester sell Riyad Mahrez for

Man City smashed their transfer record at the time to capture Mahrez for £60m from Leicester and the rest is history.

Across his five-year spell at the Etihad, which came to an end in the summer as he completed £30m move to Al-Ahli, the 83-cap Algerian was instrumental to City's trophy-laden period, winning the Premier League title in all but one of his seasons at the club.

Dubbed by Pep Guardiola as "exceptional", Mahrez had to contend with a whole host of star-studded competition in Manchester, battling it out with Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva among others for a spot on the right flank.

Despite falling victim to the Spaniard's rotation policy, he was still adored by his former teammates and centre-back Aymeric Laporte was one of many who showered him with praise, labelling him as "unbelievable" for his performances in a City shirt.

He may have bid farewell to Manchester this year, but he capped his time at the club in the best way possible by playing a crucial role in their treble-winning campaign, scoring three times in the Champions League, five times in the FA Cup – including a hat-trick in the semi-final against Sheffield United – and posting 15 goal contributions in the Premier League.

15 goals / 13 assists

24 goals / 9 assists

14 goals / 9 assists

13 goals / 16 assists

12 goals / 12 assists

In 236 appearances for the Citizens, he plundered 78 goals and supplied 59 assists – not bad for someone who was originally discovered by Leicester in the French second division and cost them a measly £400k.

Now currently ripping it up for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli with four goals and six assists in 11 matches, Mahrez will always be remembered by the Foxes faithful for dragging them to an unthinkable title win, yet what could have been had he remained at the King Power instead…