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LAFC may have the formula when it comes to shutting down Lionel Messi, with a clean sheet secured in Champions Cup action against Inter Miami.

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Argentine GOAT handed starting berthDrew a blank in 1-0 defeat for HeronsLAFC taking aim at a semi-final spotFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The California-based outfit headed into a continental clash with the Herons fully aware of the attacking threat that they were facing. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was handed a starting berth alongside the likes of Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

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Inter Miami’s collection of Barcelona legends were, however, to draw a blank at BMO Stadium as the hosts ran out 1-0 victors on the day. Few sides in MLS have been able to keep Messi quiet, but LAFC have shown what can be achieved with the right game plan.

WHAT STEVE CHERUNDOLO SAID

Head coach Steve Cherundolo told reporters: "I think [Messi] always had a black jersey in front of him and that's the point. You can't defend him, nor can you always shut down Jordi Alba, Busquets [or] Suarez.

"Those guys are going to get a chance or two and the only way to defend players of that quality and teams with that quality is with the collective effort. The collective effort and getting numbers around their players in the critical areas was important and we did a good job."

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LAFC do, however, only have half the job done in their quarter-final encounter. They will need to contain Messi and Co again when visiting Chase Stadium on April 9. Sergi Palencia said of that challenge: "Just be aggressive, be ourselves, don't be afraid, don't be shy. Let's just, let's go.

"We know [it is] so difficult if we sit in a low block and we want to maintain this 0-0 and get past the round; it's going to be a long, long night. We have to press them, we have to be brave and we have nothing to lose. We are in a good position, but we have to confirm that."

Newcastle United have now made contact with the agents of a “phenomenal” £25 player, and he is open to a move to St. James’ Park, according to a report.

Newcastle keen on a defender

Newcastle’s search for a new defender continues as we enter the second week of the January transfer window, and they remain in the race to sign Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, with reports revealing they are now among the frontrunners for his signature.

Khusanov is not the only Lens centre-back of interest to the Magpies, however, as they are also in the running for the 20-year-old’s teammate, Kevin Danso, who could be brought in to play alongside Sven Botman.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Eddie Howe’s side are leading the race to sign AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, who could be targeted as a cheaper alternative to Marc Guehi.

Newcastle want to sign "outstanding" £58m star who's been better than Isak

Newcastle United will have a contingency plan in place in case Alexander Isak does leave.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 6, 2025

Milan would be looking for a fee in excess of £25m to part ways with Tomori, making him a far more affordable option than the Crystal Palace defender, who has a price tag three times higher at £75m.

According to a report from Football Insider, Newcastle have now made contact with the AC Milan defender’s camp to see whether he will be available this month.

Last summer, the former Chelsea man resisted a return to the Premier League, but he is now more open to the move, having fallen down the pecking order at the San Siro.

The Englishman has barely received any game time in the Serie A since October, although he did return to the starting XI for the Italian Super Cup semi-final and final, with his side prevailing 2-1 against Inter in the final.

As such, it remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old pushes to leave Milan, having forced his way back into starting contention over the past week.

What Tomori could bring to Newcastle

The centre-back has some Premier League experience, having previously played for Chelsea, and he was lauded as “phenomenal” by members of the media during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Since making the move to the Serie A, the five-time England international has also impressed, with journalist Josh Bunting previously stating he should be in contention for a call-up to his national side due to his positioning and reading of the game.

Newcastle are not expected to be in a financial position to make expensive signings this month, so a £25m deal for Tomori could make sense.

The only concern is the fact the AC Milan man has fallen out of favour at San Siro, but his recent reemergence in the starting XI could be a sign he has started to rediscover his best form.

Mic'd Up: The Apple TV+ analyst talks 2026 World Cup, Club World Cup and passion for his beloved Aston Villa

The Club World Cup certainly has its critics. How can this tournament even exist in a 32-team format? Will fans show up? Will the players care? How much will a reported $1 billion pot serve as a point of motivation?

That much is unclear. However, it will serve as a barometer for just how much soccer matters in America, especially as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, due to kick off in 14 months in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. At least, that's what Apple TV+ soccer analyst Kevin Egan thinks.

"Given the stadia around the country, given the ones also in Mexico and Canada too, the 48-team World Cup, the amount of flavor and color that's going to come to this country and beyond, you know, it's going to live up to it. It's going to be absolutely epic," he tells GOAL.

Egan would know. He has been around the game in the states for 10-plus years, and seen it in Europe before that. He knows how big this sport can be, and has watched it grow exponentially.

"This is the golden era for American soccer," he says, "with the Club World Cup, the World Cup coming to the Women's World Cup few years down the line. Like, there's an awful lot here to ensure that it thrives. I just have never seen it happen yet."

It should make for compelling viewing – and Egan will play his part. He discussed the World Cup, the Club World Cup, his beloved Aston Villa and more in Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

Getty ImagesON THE 2026 WORLD CUP

GOAL: In 2026, you have the World Cup in America. What does it mean for the sport here? Are people going to care?

EGAN: Without a doubt, without a doubt people are going to care, because they did in 1994 and the game wasn't even close to the level of popularity as it is now. It was the best World Cup on record back in 1994 attendance-wise. Given the stadia around the country, given the ones also in Mexico and Canada too, the 48-team World Cup, the amount of flavor and color that's going to come to this country and beyond, you know, it's going to live up to it. It's going to be absolutely epic.

What happens to the game of football after the World Cup? I'm not so sure. I look at the great stuff that CBS are doing on a daily basis, yeah – they're going all in on soccer, and in the hope that, you know, this is the golden era for American soccer, with the Club World Cup, the World Cup coming to the Women's World Cup few years down the line. Like, there's an awful lot here to ensure that it thrives. I just have never seen it happen yet. So I want to truly see this develop and happen. And I hope the US men's national team and Canada, for that matter, and Mexico, can really produce at the World Cup, and give us that sense of belief that this team can go and challenge.

AdvertisementGettyON THE CLUB WORLD CUP

GOAL: The summer before that, in a couple of months, you have a couple of MLS clubs in the Club World Cup. What do we what do we make of that as a competition? Because it's had its critics. Are the MLS clubs going to do all right?

EGAN: I honestly think Inter Miami will do well. This team has enough youth built around the stars. They need to blend in Allen Obando, the striker, because Suarez is going to need a break at some point. They need to get production out of someone other than Suarez further forward. Now look, they can also play Messi as a false nine. They can also build around him.

But Seattle, they've got a lot to figure out before the Club World Cup. Traditionally, under Brian Schmetzer, they have started slow. This is a team that has started slow in recent seasons and rallied and done really well toward the latter stages. But Jesus Ferreira has not produced, yet, for this team – a big signing for them. Pedro de la Vega has not produced, another big signing. So they've got to get it right and quickly, Seattle. They head to a Club World Cup with a lot of pressure on them, and they've got the squad to do it, but they've fallen so short of the expectations to start the season.

Getty Images SportON ASTON VILLA

GOAL: What does it mean, as an Aston Villa fan, to see the team succeeding under Unai Emery?

EGAN: I was talking to a colleague at Apple, Cal Williams. And he said something that resonated big time. He said, "I don't know how to act because we've never been here before. Should we be bullish about it? Should we be saying, of course, we're going to go after PSG, a a club that uno Emery knows well? Should we be kind of happy to be there and happy to get cast aside by PSG?" It's a weird one. And I became a Villa fan because of Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton, and Andy Townsend. They were all Irish internationals playing for Villa at the time, and I didn't want to be a United fan or a Liverpool fan, so I gravitated towards Aston Villa.

And it's been like one of those journeys as a fan over the years that and I think my fandom has lessened over the years, working in TV and just maybe getting older with kids and stuff like that. I'm always watching the games, but it doesn't ruin my day if Villa don't win the game. I don't think about it five minutes later. That's just the way life goes, I suppose. But I'm fascinated by how it's going to play out, and what Unai Emery has managed to do taking over from Steven Gerrard, the state of the team at the time. And given where he's got this team now, competing in the for the FA Cup, for a top-four finish in the Premier League and a Champions League trophy. It's remarkable.

GOAL: It's about consistency as well, right? You're not just a one season wonder.

EGAN: One of the big keys is (Club President) Monchi. He's unreal. How did Villa get him? Like I knew all about Monchi from, from my days of covering La Liga with BEIN sports for years. And, he's just a fascinating guy and how he manages to produce at every club he goes to… the trophies, the success stories, the relationships he built. He seems to be in sync with Unai Emery, and they go out and they get a transfer window done, like Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford. Andres Garcia has even added, you know, at times, when he's needed to at right back, a young player coming across from Levante. So it's just been really cool to see, as a Villa fan, that the club is managed so well right now.

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Apple TVON MLS 360

GOAL: What's it like to be part of MLS 360? It looks chaotic in the best possible way.

EGAN: I love the energy you can bring to that show. You welcome people into a show like you'd welcome them into your house for a party. Like you decide how you're going to open the door, the energy you give, the music, the food you put on, all those things every time you host a party in your house. And I feel the same way with 360, I need to bring that high octane energy. So if you look at Soccer Saturday, and what Jeff Stelling does, and the way he opens the show, the way he keeps that high octane energy that you absolutely need going from game to game. I'm trying to look at different shows and figure out, "OK, what makes that show work?" And Jeff Stelling's energy on soccer Saturday is infectious. What NFL do with Red Zone, you know, you've got to look at all these different shows and figure out why it works, what you could take from certain hosts, but then also just be yourself.

I love the fact that you could tune into MLS 360, not know anything about the league or what's going on with the league, and hopefully myself and the analysts will give you enough knowledge and entertainment throughout. The first few hours are wild, because we could have eight games going on at the same time, even 10 games going on at the same time, and you're bouncing from match to match. You're dropping, hopefully, tidbits of knowledge and stats, information that you can then take to the local pub with your friends, if you're chatting about the games, or just for chatting with your buddies online, whatever it is. And it's so much fun, man, I'm loving every second of it.

Everton have finally managed to put some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three, with David Moyes getting his first victory against Tottenham at the weekend, with a 3-2 win at Goodison Park.

The Toffees now sit 16th in the Premier League on 20 points, with Wolves and Ipswich below them on 16 points in 17th and 18th place.

The biggest problem for Everton this season has been sticking the ball in the back of the net, scoring just 18 goals in 22 games, making them the second-lowest scorers in the division, only Southampton scoring fewer with 15.

Everton are currently averaging 11.3 shots per game (6th lowest in the division for this metric), which shows their shot creation could be far better in attacking areas, meaning a January addition could be on the cards in order to give Moyes the tools required to avoid that relegation battle.

Moyes chasing exciting winger at Everton

According to reports from a journalist working with Caught Offside, Everton have enquired about Sporting CP star, Marcus Edwards.

The 26-year-old has just 18 months left on his current deal, which is raising eyebrows at Everton as a potential opportunity to sign the English ace.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The English winger predominantly operates as a right-winger, looking to cut inside on his stronger left foot, but has also shown the ability to play off the left, taking it to the byline and delivering crosses to his teammates. Edwards has, of course, played in England before, coming through the academy ranks at Tottenham.

Edwards has only made ten appearances for Sporting in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and totalling just 346 minutes. His lack of game time could provide the opportunity for Everton to strike, obtaining an extremely talented player for a fair price.

How Edwards compares to Everton target Nuamah

Another name Everton have been linked to in the window, is Olympique Lyon winger, Ernest Nuamah.

The 21-year-old winger has made 19 appearances for the French outfit in all competitions this season, scoring one goal, providing one assist and totalling 763 minutes played so far.

That said, his numbers are considerably worse than Edwards if we compare them across the last two campaigns.

Goals

0.23

0.12

Assists

0.23

0.12

xG

0.30

0.24

xAG

0.41

0.16

Progressive Carries

5.21

4.94

Progressive Passes

4.88

3.61

Total Shots

2.19

2.82

Key Passes

3.07

1.20

Passes into Pen Area

2.51

1.81

Shot-Creating Actions

5.77

4.46

Successful Take-Ons

2.05

1.45

When comparing Edwards’ metrics from last season due to lack of minutes this term with Nuamah’s numbers in 2024/25, you can see Edwards ranks ahead in all but one of the metrics analysed.

Now, this isn’t to say Nuamah’s numbers are poor, as most of them rank very closely, but the extra experience of Edwards does shine through in his underlying numbers and output.

Mauricio Pochettino said back in 2016, that Edwards plays like “the beginning of Messi” with Rob Daly then further reporting this and labelling one of Edwards’ runs against Tottenham as “Messi-like”.

That’s certainly evident in the stats as the English winger is a brilliant dribbler, completing 2.05 take-ons per 90 last season, also completing 5.21 progressive carries per 90, showing his quality to dribble and carry the ball out.

As we mentioned at the beginning, Everton lack shot-creation and whilst Nuamah also has brilliant metrics in these departments, and would prove to be an excellent addition to the Everton squad, Edwards offers a more experienced and ready profile to join and make an instant impact, which could be the difference between Everton’s Premier League survival chances.

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New Everton manager David Moyes is seeking reinforcements this month, so could the Toffees sign a multiple-Premier League winner on a free?

ByBen Gray Jan 21, 2025

The reason for the BCCI’s decision, it is understood, is their stance that Indian players should not play overseas T20 tournaments

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2022Bengal have withdrawn from the Global T20 Namibia tournament, where the Indian domestic team was expected to go up against the Namibia national men’s team, a representative team from the PSL’s Lahore Qalandars, and a South African domestic team. The reason, ESPNcricinfo has learnt, is the BCCI’s refusal to allow Indian cricketers to take part in a T20 tournament outside India.”There seems to be a problem because of the format, it appears that had it not been T20s, there wouldn’t be an issue,” a senior Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) functionary told ESPNcricinfo. The BCCI has traditionally denied its assets – the players – from playing in leagues overseas to protect the value of the IPL.Though there has been no official word on the development, Cricket Namibia is understood to have informed the Qalandars management that the tournament would go on as planned, but now feature three teams instead of four.On July 22, the CAB had named a 16-man team for the tournament, to be led by regular captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, and featuring prominent players like Shahbaz Ahmed, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep and Writtick Chatterjee. At the time, CAB joint-secretary Debabrata Das had told ESPNcricinfo, “The broadcasters for the tournament came before our president [Avishek Dalmiya] and invited us. We took the opportunity to play six-seven games before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy [India’s domestic T20 tournament for men], because we can get to play against a World Cup team.”For Namibia, the tournament is a chance to finetune their preparations for the men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November. At the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Namibia finished fifth in Group 2 after making it from the preliminary round to the Super 12 stage. Namibia will play an ODI tri-series in Papua New Guinea after this T20 tournament before leaving for Australia, where they are grouped with Sri Lanka, Netherlands and UAE in the first round.When it was scheduled to be a four-team tournament, it had been slotted from September 1 to 9 in the Namibian capital city of Windhoek. It could be a shorter tournament now, with Bengal’s withdrawal.

Manchester United are reportedly the frontrunners to sign Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo this summer.

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Semenyo starring for BournemouthMan Utd frontrunners for winger£70m-rated man is in demandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sky Sports claims that while United are at the front of the queue for the 25-year-old, Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested in the Bournemouth winger, along with the rest of the top six. Interestingly, Sky do make it clear that Arsenal are not interested in Semenyo at this stage.

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The former Bristol City ace is reportedly valued at a whopping £70m ($93m) by Bournemouth, just over two years on for the Cherries signing him for £10.5m. Semenyo is clearly a man in demand but it remains to be seen if anyone will lodge a big bid for him.

DID YOU KNOW?

The former Sunderland loanee, whose contract runs until 2029, has scored eight goals and bagged five assists in 31 Premier League games this season.

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Transfer speculation aside, Semenyo could feature for Bournemouth away to Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League.

“Let that [women’s IPL] announcement happen officially, and then I will decide,” she says of the future

S Sudarshanan23-Sep-20223:23

Goswami: 20 years, 350-plus wickets, countless memories

It was a press conference unlike any other in Indian women’s cricket. Jhulan Goswami, who is set to play her last international match on Saturday, had more than the usual handful of journalists there to meet her, virtually, of course. The questions ranged from her favourite memories and regrets to the big one: what next. And Goswami showed the patience of a fast bowler who has run in hard for 20 long years while tackling them.”For the last two years, I was thinking every series could be my last, especially with Covid-19 postponing cricket to 2021,” Goswami said. “I was going through a lot of injuries. I was taking it series by series. After the [2022 ODI] World Cup I thought maybe the tour to Sri Lanka would be my last. But during the World Cup, I got injured and I was not fit enough to tour Sri Lanka. This is the last ODI series before the T20 World Cup (in February 2023), and so I thought I will go to NCA [National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru], do a lot of rehab, and come to England for my last series.”Related

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Celebrating Jhulan Goswami, from Lord's to Eden Gardens

The link between two ages of Indian women's cricket

Goswami's career is ending, but her intensity is still at max

Archives: Fast train from  Chakdaha

Goswami was part of two 50-over World Cup finals – in 2005 and then in 2017, when India lost by a mere nine runs. The veteran fast bowler said not winning a World Cup was a regret but was hopeful of the current bunch of players going the distance.”If we would have won one of those [two World Cup finals], it would have been great for Team India and women’s cricket,” she said. “That is the ultimate goal for every athlete. When you put so much hard work, you prepare for four years and if you win the trophy, it is a dream come true. Unfortunately we played three finals including T20 [World Cup in 2020] but were not able to win the final. It has hurt feelings and that is one regret.”Goswami has been a constant feature despite the changing landscape of Indian women’s cricket, and will finish her two-decade-long career at Lord’s.She is not yet sure about playing the women’s IPL, which is expected to take place in March 2023.”Let that [women’s IPL] announcement happen officially, and then I will decide,” she said. “At this moment, I am ending my career from international cricket.

“You will get injured and that is when your character is required for you to come back every time you fall down. I felt then that it would have been better if I had not been a fast bowler. I wished then that I should have been a batter. I would not have had so many injuries”Jhulan Goswami

“When I started, I never thought about playing for so long. Those days we used to represent WCAI (Women’s Cricket Association of India), and after 2006, we [have been] in the umbrella of BCCI. I used to undertake a two-and-a-half-hour one-way train journey from Chakdaha, train and go back home and then go back for practice the next day. [But the] best memory was when I represented India… getting my India cap from my captain [Anjum Chopra] and bowling the first over in my career. That was the most important moment in my life.”As a ball girl in the 1997 Women’s World Cup, I saw the final at Eden Gardens between Australia and New Zealand, and that day I dreamt that one day I might represent my country. That is how I started and put in a lot of efforts just to represent my country.”She made her international debut in Chennai in 2002 in an ODI against England, and her aim was to “just bowl fast”.”Nineteen-year-old Jhulan, when she was debuting in 2002 in Chennai, was absolutely raw,” she said. “She just wanted to bowl fast and wanted to take one wicket because she didn’t know if she would be able to continue or not. She didn’t know if her performance could be maintained or not. Her aim was to just represent India and bowl fast. That desire to bowl fast remained with me forever.”11:53

“Irreplaceable, role model, a once-in-a-generation player”

When Goswami was starting out, Indian women primarily played 50-overs cricket and four-day first-class cricket. However, with T20s being used as the vehicle to drive women’s cricket around the globe, days’ cricket gradually went out of the calendar. As a result, the way bowlers prepare now is vastly different from how she did.”As a bowler, cricket is changing day by day and there is more pressure on the bowlers because of the restrictions and how you prepare is the important thing,” Goswami said. “You have to be skillful and it requires effort from the player as well as team. You can’t decide you will play for next 10-12 years. You have to go season by season. You have to be fit, you have to be very strong to take the mental and physical pressure, and have to deliver in crunch situations. Now the girls are very professional and there are decent enough bowlers in this team. I am hopeful of the current bunch playing for a long time.”Goswami’s career had its share of injuries. She joked that she could have been better off had she been a batter.”Whenever I got injured, I realised I will be missing the series, [and some] matches [and] had to sit back and not participate,” she said. “But that is what a fast bowler is all about. You will get injured and that is when your character is required for you to come back every time you fall down. I felt then that it would have been better if I had not been a fast bowler. I wished then that I should have been a batter. I would not have had so many injuries.”With India having sealed the three-match ODI series against England – registering their first series win over the hosts in England since 1999 in the process – the stage is set for Goswami to have a grand exit. A good individual show will be the icing on the cake.

Newcastle United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign a “tricky” attacking player who has been compared to Arjen Robben in the past.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies are believed to be pushing to beat Tottenham to the signing of Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling, who has been a breath of fresh air in a struggling Saints side in the Premier League this season. He would be an exciting long-term addition for Eddie Howe, having such a high ceiling in the game.

Illia Zabarnyi is enjoying an outstanding season at the heart of Bournemouth’s defence and Newcastle are reportedly eyeing a move for him, as they look to strengthen their centre-back options. He has started all 23 of the Cherries’ league games in 2024/25 to date, excelling alongside the equally impressive Dean Huijsen.

AC Milan wide man Noah Okafor has been linked with a move to the Magpies in the past, and the Serie A giants would be willing to allow him to leave in the January transfer window, due to their financial restrictions. He isn’t the only one of their players in that position, however, with another individual also linked with a switch to St James’ Park for the same reason.

Newcastle given chance to sign "tricky" Milan winger

According to Calciomercato, Milan have offered Newcastle the opportunity to sign winger Samuel Chukwueze, as they look to drum up funds for new signings. He is believed to be happy where he is, though, which could make it a tricky deal to agree for the £82,000-a-week man.

Not only that, but the Magpies are not alone in being given the chance to sign the Nigeria international, with fellow Premier League trio Everton, Crystal Palace and Tottenham also in the same boat.

With Miguel Almiron completing a move back to Atalanta United this week, Newcastle are in need of a new right winger, both in terms of squad depth to help Jacob Murphy, and to bring in an upgrade on both he and the departed Paraguayan.

Chukwueze could be ideal in that respect, proving to be a hugely exciting winger capable of creating and scoring with his left foot, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig comparing him to Robben and calling him “tricky”.

At 25 years of age, Newcastle wouldn’t be taking a risk on a player whose peak isn’t far away either, and they could even get the best years of his career, with plenty of time to still mature.

Villarreal

207

37

31

AC Milan

57

7

4

Villarreal B

20

4

2

The fact that Chukwueze reportedly doesn’t want to leave Milan is a clear stumbling block, but if Howe feels he is a perfect option to replace Almiron with, the hope is that he can sell the Nigerian the idea of moving to St James’.

Leeds United have garnered a reputation for not being flash spenders during the winter transfer market in recent years with this quiet window being no exception to that rule.

This time last year, the promotion-chasing Whites only welcomed Connor Roberts through the door on a disappointing loan switch.

In 2025, no deals were clinched by Daniel Farke and Co ahead of the crucial Championship promotion run-in to follow.

Consequently, this could well leave the West Yorkshire side a little short on numbers in some positions of the pitch, with a lack of depth perhaps hurting them moving forward in the number ten spot.

Leeds were interested in adding some more personnel to this area according to reports…

Leeds' chase of Emiliano Buendia

Indeed, Farke would have loved for a reunion to take place for Emiliano Buendia to move away from Aston Villa to the high-flying Whites, having been a transformative figure for the Argentine attacker at Norwich City.

Across their celebrated time together in Norfolk, the South American ace picked up a stunning 24 goals and 41 assists in total, culminating in two promotion successes up to the Premier League.

Therefore, it would have been a no-brainer for Farke to try and get his hands on Buendia again, with reports linking him with a move throughout the window. The 28-year-old’s uplifting presence alongside the likes of Joel Piroe and Wilfried Gnonto would no doubt have helped Leeds seal a return to the top flight.

But, in the end, Buendia joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan instead, as the Whites boss was left with a feeling of what could have been.

Frustratingly for the promotion-chasers, they could have already had their own version of the ex-Norwich star…

The player who could have been Leeds' very own Buendia

Even the most ardent Leeds fan might struggle to remember Mateusz Bogusz’s stop-start time at Elland Road looking back, considering the Polish midfielder only ever made three first-team appearances.

Often chucked out on loan instead of being given his big break in the Whites senior fold, there will be a slight regret in the air now that Leeds didn’t try a bit harder to gift him more chances to shine before offloading him for good, especially when you look at how he’s developed since exiting the club.

Year

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

2024

48

20

11

2023

42

4

8

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Bogusz would become a different beast altogether when signing for LAFC in the MLS straight after his underwhelming stay in Yorkshire, with a staggering 31 goal contributions coming his way last season from 48 clashes.

Capable of playing all across the forward positions too – with one of his preferred spots being that number ten spot Buendia has thrived in – the 23-year-old could well have been an ideal alternative for Farke to rely upon.

After all, the exciting 5 foot 9 talent was labelled as a “dangerous” attacker by football journalist Greg Beacham during the peak of his powers in Los Angeles, with Bogusz now moving on to Cruz Azul to further advance his career.

Of course, the gulf in quality is there between the American game and the high-stakes pressures of the English game, but there will be a lingering regret still that Bogusz wasn’t given a fair crack of the whip.

With no Bogusz or Buendia to call upon, Farke will just have to keep everything crossed that Brenden Aaronson doesn’t fall victim to fatigue as his team’s only out-and-out number ten.

Leeds struck gold on “electric” star who's worth millions more than Archer

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Cesc Fabregas has been touted as a potential successor to Claudio Ranieri at Roma after his impressive work at Como.

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Fabregas hitting the right notes at ComoRoma wants him to take charge in the summerThe capital side have already made contactFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Roma are preparing for life after Ranieri, as the veteran coach will retire at the end of the season. The 73-year-old tactician, who previously announced his retirement after guiding Cagliari to safety last season, was convinced to step back into management for a third spell at Roma. Under his leadership, the Giallorossi have climbed to sixth place in Serie A and are firmly in contention for a Champions League spot.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to one of the standout names to replace Ranieri is Fabregas. Since taking charge of Como, the former star midfielder at Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea, has guided the club to a stable mid-table position in what is their first campaign back in Italy’s top division. His impact has not gone unnoticed, and Roma have already initiated contact with him regarding the potential vacancy.

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Roma are not the only club tracking Fabregas’ progress. AC Milan, Juventus, and German side RB Leipzig have also been linked with interest in the 37-year-old. However, Como are adamant that their coach will remain with the team, despite mounting speculation.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ROMA?

While Fabregas may be among the frontrunners, he’s not the only name under consideration. Roma are also exploring other managerial options, including Stefano Pioli, who currently manages Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. Francesco Farioli, currently managing Ajax, and Genoa’s Patrick Vieira are also reportedly being evaluated.