James McClean sent out a heartfelt message to team-mate Andy Cannon after the Wrexham star ruptured his ACL.
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Everything you need to know about Sadio Mane's salary playing for Saudi side Al Nassr
Ever since his move from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Sadio Mane has become an important player at the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr.
The former Liverpool star has developed a lethal partnership playing alongside Real Madrid and Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo and just like the Portuguese attacker, Mane is on incredible wages playing in Saudi.
But exactly how much does the Senegalese earn playing for Al Nassr? Let's find out!
GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!
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Still over a week until Arsenal can hurl themselves back toward the ascendency in the Premier League. The international break has taken centre stage, and the best that fans across the world can do is watch various Gunners perform for their countries.
Not all within Mikel Arteta’s squad have jetted off to compete for their nations for the third of such pauses since the season began three months ago – almost to the day.
In fact, some pretty salient names have been kept back.
There’s been a degree of frustration within the Three Lions camp concerning the spate of absences in the build-up to the November international break. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are among those to have opted against the call-up, citing injuries.
Elsewhere, Martin Odegaard made his anticipated comeback last time out and proved crucial in the draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, arcing the delivery for Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.
However, after such a long layoff, the skipper’s decision to stay in north London, instead of linking up with the Norwegian national team, was one of great prudence.
As the dynamic midfielder recuperates, another Arsenal star has found an opportunity to step up this week and put in a top showing ahead of the next round of gruelling domestic action.
Indeed, Mikel Merino ran the show for Spain.
Arteta was bound to have taken note of Merino’s display against Denmark on Friday evening. Arteta, after all, is Spanish, and his compatriot is starting to grow into his skin after an injury-affected start to life in the English capital.
Merino joined the north Londoners from Real Sociedad this summer in a deal worth £32m but found himself languishing in the infirmary until October, having picked up a shoulder injury before he could make his competitive debut.
The 28-year-old has since completed nine appearances and scored during the draw against Liverpool. His combative and silky style brings much to Arteta’s squad, and he showcased such qualities superbly on the international stage this weekend.
|
Mikel Merino – Spain Stats vs Denmark |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
80′ |
|
Shots (on target) |
1 (0) |
|
Touches |
60 |
|
Accurate passes |
35/44 (80%) |
|
Long balls (completed) |
4 (3) |
|
Possession lost |
13x |
|
Dribbles (completed) |
5 (4) |
|
Tackles |
3 |
|
Ground duels (won) |
13 (9) |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
Not only was Merino one of the steeliest figures on the field, winning a whopping nine ground duels and making three tackles, but he also completed four of five attempted dribbles, highlighting a mobile edge that, when enforced under Arteta’s wing, keeps things fluid for Arsenal.
Spain defeated Denmark to extend their lead in League A Group 4 of the Nations League, of which they are the holders, and Merino’s performance was crucial – especially as he was performing in another man’s boots, so to speak.
Indeed, Barcelona superstar Pedri was left on the bench for this one and introduced for Merino with ten minutes left to play. It was a big show of faith from Luis de la Fuente, whose team needed to avoid defeat against the Danes to secure top spot and confirm a place in the title play-offs.
Pedri, 21, has been hailed as “one of Europe’s best young players” by journalist Sam Dean, and despite suffering adversity throughout his fledgling career, the £67m-rated talent is one of the most promising players on the globe.
His technical prowess wasn’t preferred to Merino’s dynamic command of the central circle, however, and Arsenal must rejoice at the quality of midfielder they have brought in this season.
A long season stretches ahead, and duel-winning stars like Merino could make all the difference when the business end draws near.
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Newcastle United are actively working on a deal to sign an “elite” £84 million player in January, according to a new report.
The winter transfer window is a chance for the Magpies to strengthen their side in any way they can, as Eddie Howe looks to return his side to Europe next season.
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Howe and co could be extremely busy in the New Year, as they already have their eye on a few players, who all play in different positions. PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani is a player who is being talked about heavily in recent weeks, as he looks set to be made available on loan in January.
In a recent report, it was claimed that the Magpies are “open” to signing Kolo Muani on loan in January. The striker looks to have fallen out of favour in France, and a temporary move away seems to suit all parties involved. But the Magpies face two potential hurdles – first, Manchester United have also been linked with the Frenchman in recent weeks, and second, Kolo Muani himself has said he hasn’t thought about leaving PSG.
The striker recently said: “No, I never thought about it. You have to keep the mentality. It’s up to me to keep working so that the coach trusts me.”
But Kolo Muani is not the only high-profile player on Newcastle’s radar for January, as they are also interested in a deal to sign an £84 million defender.
According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Newcastle are working on a deal to sign Tomas Araujo from Benfica in January. The 22-year-old has been with the Portuguese giants for a few years now, but it is only recently that he has been playing in the first team and performing on a consistent basis.
Araujo, who has been dubbed “elite” by football analyst Jack Fawcett on X, played 13 times in Liga Portugal last season, but he looks on course to pass that comfortably in this campaign, as he’s already played eight matches, as well as three games in the Champions League.
The Magpies have been linked with a move for Araujo recently, but this new report states that Newcastle are continuing their search for a centre-back and are now working on a deal to sign the Portuguese player from Benfica. Howe and co are keen to strengthen their backline in January, as they failed to do so in the summer, and Araujo is a player they have kept their eye on.
|
Tomas Araujo’s 2024/25 Liga Portugal stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Apps |
8 |
|
Clean sheets |
2 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.1 |
|
Tackles per game |
2.3 |
|
Possession won |
0.1 |
|
Clearances per game |
1.6 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.6 |
There are a number of top teams keeping an eye on the defender, who has a release clause of £84 million. That is a fee that Newcastle are not interested in paying, but that isn’t stopping them from working on a deal, as he’s seen as the ideal option for Howe’s team.
Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has advised Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck to reject a potential move to Bayern Munich if Dayot Upamecano remains at the club. The pundit believes the centre-back would struggle for game time in Bavaria and suspects that Schlotterbeck is currently stalling on a new contract because he is holding out for a lucrative transfer to the Premier League.
Sports media in Mexico are divided – some believe that Canada will defeat El Tri in the Nations League Finals. Gimenez's father disagrees
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Mexico is slightly favored in the betting odds over Canada for Thursday's match.
The Mexican National Team has been unable to defeat Canada in their last three encounters.
is looking to win the Nations League for the first time since the tournament was introduced.
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With the January transfer window now fast approaching, Glasgow Rangers are now being linked with a potential Ibrox free transfer in 2025.
Philippe Clement’s side have been struggling for goals this season, finding the net just 16 times in 11 Scottish Premiership games, which is almost half as many as league leaders Celtic have scored and eight less than second-placed Aberdeen.
Among those thought to be catching the eye of the Bhoys are Peterborough United forward Kwame Poku, who has been described as “unplayable” by Posh manager Darren Ferguson, as well as Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland.
Ryan Kent has also been linked with a return to Ibrox, having had his contract with Turkish side Fenerbahce terminated by mutual consent last month.
Not every player Rangers are keen on is a forward, however. According to TBR Football, the 55-time Scottish champions are also interested in signing Burnley captain Josh Brownhill.
The English midfielder, who is Burnley’s top scorer this season in the Championship with five goals, is in the final year of his contract at Turf Moor and free to start negotiating with new clubs in January.
Celtic are also interested in the 28-year-old too but TBR Football claims that they and Rangers will struggle to compete financially with the long list of other clubs also eyeing a move for the Burnley skipper.
The publication reports that West Ham United, Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion are all in contention to sign Brownhill, while clubs in Italy, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are circling as well.
According to TBR Football, Serie A trio Torino, Fiorentina, and Lazio are all ready to offer Brownhill a contract, and the former Manchester United academy player is now “giving serious consideration to a fresh start outside of the UK.”
Last month, Brownhill spoke about his Burnley future with BBC Radio Lancashire. Asked if he’d like to stay at Turf Moor, he said, as relayed by the Burnley Express: “Yeah of course. It’s one of them where my contract is coming to an end, is it in the club’s best interests to sort me out or is it mine?
“I’ve got a year left and I just want to keep focusing on performing very well, winning games and scoring goals.”
Despite initially claiming he wants to stay at Burnley, however, the midfielder, who joined the Clarets in a £9 million deal from Bristol City in 2020, went on to suggest that he could in fact leave the club come the end of the campaign.
“When it comes to the end of the year the decision has to be made. Is it the right thing for me to stay? Is it the right thing for the club to want me to stay? A lot can change in that time.
“While I’m playing well, enjoying my football and scoring goals I want to focus on that and see where it takes me until the end of the year.”
Liverpool’s victory over Real Madrid in midweek was their first over the Spanish side in eight games, stretching back to the stunning 4-0 thrashing of Los Blancos in 2009.
Despite their strong start to the campaign, many had claimed the Anfield side had yet to defeat a genuine world-class team. The 2-0 victory in midweek will surely put that argument to rest.
Ending this winless run against the 15-time European champions will also give them a psychological boost, especially if the two sides meet in the latter stages of the Champions League this season.
The barren spell started way back in 2014 when Brendan Rodgers was in charge. Having finished second in the 2013/14 Premier League table, the Reds qualified for the group stages, drawn in the same group against Madrid.
A 3-0 loss at Anfield was followed by a 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu as Rodgers’ side struggled in the competition.
Despite coming so close to the league title just months before, Rodgers failed to truly improve his squad during the summer transfer window.
Rodgers had money to spend ahead of the 2014/15 campaign and with the prospect of playing against Europe’s elite, the supporters looked forward to an exciting summer.
Southampton were targeted, as Adam Lallana, Ricki Lambert and Dejan Lovren made the move to Merseyside. Lazar Markovic was one of the more exciting signings, as the Reds splashed out £20m on exciting Benfica winger Lazar Markovic, while Mario Balotelli returned to the Premier League.
A couple of interesting signings for sure, but they weren’t quite of the required quality to fire the club to glory during the 2014/15 season.
While money was available due to Champions League qualification, Rodgers secured a financial windfall for one of his key players – Luis Suárez.
The 2013/14 season was a remarkable one for the Uruguayan as he scored a staggering 31 goals in the Premier League while registering 13 assists. This was made even more special considering the striker missed the first five matches of the season due to suspension which had carried over from the previous campaign.
These performances under Rodgers were bound to attract attention from elsewhere and when the summer transfer window opened, it was clear Suarez would be leaving Anfield.
Indeed, when Barcelona came in with an offer of £75m, Suarez left for La Liga, linking up with fellow South Americans Neymar and Lionel Messi.
He is still remembered fondly among the Anfield faithful and if he remained at the club, just how many goals would he have scored?
The centre-forward signed for the club in January 2011 with Kenny Dalglish spending around £22.7m to lure him from Ajax.
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He signed alongside Andy Carroll and he went slightly under the radar due to the Reds spending £35m on the Englishman. This new strike partnership looked like it could fire Liverpool to glory in the future, especially given both players were under the age of 24 at the time.
Only one left their mark at Anfield, however, as Saurez became one of the best strikers in the world.
He netted 17 times during the 2011/12 campaign as the Reds won the League Cup while reaching the FA Cup final, before adding another 30 goals the following season – although this was marred towards the end when he was given a suspension due to biting Branislav Ivanovic in a tie against Chelsea.
Despite this, 2013/14 was incredible for the player. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher lavished praise on the Uruguayan for his exploits at the club, saying:
|
Luis Suárez’s career statistics |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Barcelona |
283 |
195 |
113 |
|
Ajax |
159 |
111 |
68 |
|
Liverpool |
133 |
82 |
34 |
|
Atlético Madrid |
83 |
34 |
6 |
|
Gremio |
53 |
26 |
17 |
|
Inter Miami |
37 |
25 |
10 |
|
FC Groningen |
37 |
15 |
12 |
|
Nacional |
20 |
8 |
3 |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|||
Despite leaving Liverpool more than a decade ago, the 37-year-old is still going strong.
The former Ajax gem spent six seasons at Barcelona, finally getting his hands on the Champions League trophy while scoring 195 goals for the La Liga side.
A spell at Atlético Madrid saw Suarez secure yet another league title, before he had spells at Club Nacional in his homeland and Gremio in Brazil.
It was his move to MLS side Inter Miami in December 2023 which has seen him enjoy an Indian summer to his impressive career. Linking up with former Barcelona teammate Messi in Florida, the duo aimed to fire the club to glory.
Across 30 MLS and MLS Cup Playoff games during the 2024 season, Suarez scored 21 goals along with grabbing nine assists as Miami ended the regular campaign with a points total of 74, the highest in the history of the league.
They were surprisingly defeated by Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs, but for his performances, the striker was rewarded with a new one-year contract extension.
“I’m very happy, very excited to continue for another year and to be able to enjoy being here with this fanbase, which for us is like family,” Suarez said.
His exploits for Miami have even seen the player nominated as one of the best attackers at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2024, ranking him alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland to name just a couple of stars.
He might not win the title, but just being named alongside some of these players is a testament to Suarez’s amazing longevity and the fact he is still scoring regularly for his club side.
Forever a Liverpool icon, the Uruguayan will be aiming to finish his career on a high next term by leading Miami to MLS glory, that’s for sure.
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The Seattle Sounders' forward received a special halftime tribute during the club's match against Houston Dynamo
Arsenal are now considering a winter bid for one £80 million Premier League forward, as his club apparently refuse to rule out selling him in January.
The north Londoners have struggled to break down teams in the low-block on consistent occasions this season, which was on full display when Arsenal dropped points away to Fulham in the title race on Sunday.
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Arsenal’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw, courtesy of star defender William Saliba, came from yet another set-piece – with the Gunners not scoring a single goal from open play since their 5-2 win at West Ham in late November.
Both of their strikes in the 2-0 win over Man United last week came from dead-ball situations, and while their ruthlessness from set plays are a serious weapon at their disposal, Mikel Arteta will be eager to see his side end their recent reliance on them.
|
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Everton (home) |
December 14 |
|
Crystal Palace (away) |
December 21 |
|
Ipswich Town (home) |
December 27 |
|
Brentford (away) |
January 1 |
|
Brighton (away) |
January 4 |
The mis-firing form of Gabriel Jesus is also a real concern for Arsenal, with the £265,000-per-week striker bagging just one goal and one assist across 18 appearances in all competitions under Arteta so far this season.
Some concerns also surround the form of Gabriel Martinelli, and Charles Watts believes that Arsenal could certainly do with an alternative to the Brazilian on that side.
Arsenal expert Watts, in a piece for CaughtOffside this week, relayed what many believe – that there are clearly attacking concerns at the club amid Jesus’ really poor campaign and the lack of quality out wide.
The journalist urged interim sporting director Jason Ayto and the Emirates hierarchy to consider bringing in fresh forward options, with reports in the last few weeks suggesting that they’re doing just that.
It is believed Arsenal hold a significant interest in Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, among other attacking targets, and one very interesting name to be linked is West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus.
According to The Boot Room, Arsenal are considering a January move for Kudus, Julen Lopetegui’s side actively refusing to rule out his sale mid-season as they look to raise funds and strengthen their own squad.
It is believed that, if the Ghanaian were made available next month, Arsenal would be in the mix for his signature. However, they would have to pay a pretty penny, specifically the value of his £80 million release clause.
Kudus is one of West Ham’s most potent attacking threats, averaging more shots at goal and successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in their squad this season (WhoScored), and he’s been called a “top, top” Premier League forward by teammate Aaron Cresswell as a result.
“I’ve just trained with him and you don’t want to go anywhere near him,” Cresswell told the Iron Cast: Official West Ham pdcast (via BBC).
“I’m up against him all the time and I’m like: ‘Mo, go on over to the left! He’s a top, top talent and I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I won’t go near him in training because I know if I’m going to try to knock him off the ball I had better make sure he’s not looking and doesn’t see me coming.
“You just can’t get near him. He’s so strong, so quick, so sharp.”