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Glasgow Rangers star Tom Lawrence suffering an injury setback will be a ‘massive blow’ to the Scottish Premiership side, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lawrence suffers fresh blow

The 28-year-old joined the Light Blues on a free transfer from Derby over the summer and enjoyed a promising start to life at the Ibrox, though this came to an end after sustaining a knee injury during the 4-0 victory over Ross County in August.

The forward did recently make a return to training, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst has since delivered an update revealing that he’s been the subject of a fresh blow and could potentially be ruled out until after the World Cup.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones admitted that Lawrence’s new injury will be a setback for the Glasgow giants due to already being affected by problems to other players. He said:

“It’s a massive blow and for Rangers fans they must be sick of injury news at this point. It seems to really have come out of the blue, which is probably most disappointing of all.”

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The Verdict: Disappointing setback

Rangers losing Lawrence for longer than originally expected will be hugely disappointing news, especially with the important Champions League fixtures coming up.

The Welshman has scored three goals and registered two assists in nine outings across all competitions this season, highlighting the difference he can make in the final third (Transfermarkt).

That being said, Lawrence should be able to use the international break to his advantage and make sure that he’s back to full fitness by the time league action starts again in December.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters will need no reminding just how poor Daniel Levy’s £63m signing of Tanguy Ndombele back in the summer of 2019 has panned out for the club, with the 25-year-old arguably having proven to be one of the biggest errors in the transfer market made by any club in the Premier League era.

Indeed, while many involved with Spurs were incredibly excited about their side landing the France international a little over three years ago – something that was hardly surprising after the central midfielder enjoyed an impressive campaign with Olympique Lyon the season prior – this early anticipation quickly turned into disappointment.

Having said that, after bagging a goal on his Premier League debut in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, as well as registering an assist in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the very next fixture, it initially appeared as if Ndombele and Tottenham were something of a match made in heaven.

However, with a series of knocks seeing the Frenchman start just 14 further league fixtures in 2019/22, as well as the 25-year-old scoring just one further goal and providing one more assist in the top flight that year, Spurs’ huge outlay on the midfielder was already beginning to look like a big mistake.

Things slightly did slightly improve for the £200k-per-week talent over his 33 Premier League fixtures in 2020/21, scoring three goals, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing Ndombele earn a respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.90 – ranking him as Spurs’ joint ninth-best player in the league that term.

However, the seven-cap international’s displays over his nine league appearances in 2021/22 appeared to well and truly put the final nail in the coffin in his career at Spurs, with the £26m-rated man averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.58 – ranking him as Tottenham’s second-worst performer in the top flight last time out.

This led to Spurs’ newly appointed manager, Antonio Conte, shipping the player who Jamie Carragher dubbed “like an old man” out on loan to Lyon for the second half of the 21/22 campaign, before once again loaning the Frenchman out to SS Napoli for the duration of the 2022/23 season.

However, if the £32.8m Ndombele has cost Tottenham in wages over the 164 weeks he spent in north London between his July 2019 signing and his August 2022 move to Napoli was not bad enough, as a result of his astronomical salary, Levy is still reported to be contributing £89k-per-week in order for the 25-year-old not to play for the club.

This means that, over the course of his season-long loan in Italy, Ndombele will have cost Spurs a further £4m in wages, despite having not kicked a ball for Conte’s side for 45 weeks – taking his total cost in salary to a staggering £36.8m by the end of the campaign.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, while Ndombele’s arrival in north London was very much Levy’s own doing, the 25-year-old midfielder has been rinsing the club’s chairman for 209 weeks – all with two years set to run on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Life after Steven Gerrard got off to a superb start for Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon as they thrashed Brentford 4-0 at Villa Park.

Leon Bailey opened the scoring in just the second minute before Danny Ings’ brace had the home side 3-0 up before there were 15 minutes on the clock.

Ollie Watkins made it 4-0 against his former club in the second half to ensure that Villa moved away from the bottom three under the guidance of interim manager Aaron Danks.

Considering Villa had scored just seven goals in the top flight prior to today, it was a hugely impressive performance from Danks’ side and there were plenty of man-of-the-match contenders.

While Ings grabbed an important brace, it was arguably Bailey who stole the show, as he produced arguably his best performance in a Villa shirt.

The Jamaica international kicked things off with a well-taken finish from Douglas Luiz’s pass inside two minutes, before picking up an assist for Ings by cutting the ball back for the former Burnley man to slam past David Raya.

Bailey also played a huge role in Villa’s fourth and final goal of the game, as he went on a storming run from essentially his own corner flag before crossing for Watkins, who was able to find the net on the third attempt after being initially denied by Raya and then the post.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man, who cost a whopping £30m, was very consistent with his passing at Villa Park, completing 14/15 passes to register a 93% success rate, which is a significant increase on the 70.7% he has averaged in the Premier League so far this season.

The Villa winger also contributed two key passes and two dribbles, which again is an increase on the 0.9 key passes and 1.3 dribbles he has averaged in the top flight so far this campaign.

Gerrard hinted at the 25-year-old’s quality earlier in the season but he was never really able to produce Sunday’s level of performance under the Liverpool legend.

He said:

“We’ve signed a talent who has produced at his previous clubs and he’s shown flashes. Leon’s focus has to be on staying fit, getting himself in the best physical condition and allowing his talent to flourish. He’s a fantastic player and we need to see more of it.”

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Therefore, while Ings may dominate the headlines after his double, Bailey’s role in three of the four goals suggests that he should be recognised as Danks’ star performer on Sunday.

The actual cricket looks to have taken a back seat, but Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is eager to push it back into focus, looking to maintain Pakistan’s T20 ranking by winning games

Umar Farooq in Lahore11-Sep-2017

The emerging theme from the series between Pakistan and the World XI is that it’s more than just cricket, with the feeling that this is the first time real, high-profile international cricket returns to Pakistan. The actual cricket looks to have taken a back seat, but Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is eager to push it back into focus, looking to maintain Pakistan’s T20 ranking by winning games.The players comprising the World XI hail from seven different countries, and landed in Lahore with a view to reviving cricket in Pakistan. It is a series being celebrated around the country as the future of Pakistan as viable host hinges on the success of the series, which has been ratified by the ICC and holds T20 international status.”I think the burden of responsibility has been increased because we are playing at home but we take every series seriously,” Sarfraz said ahead of the first T20. “This might be a series for a great cause to revive cricket but we have to watch out for our T20 ranking as well. Our ranking is quite high (No. 3) and we want to maintain it so the series is equally important. We will try to win every game one-sidedly. But obviously, they are a strong team on paper and we will have to fight to win.”Sarfraz grew up in an era when Pakistan used to host international teams frequently. He played in the 2008 Asia Cup and was part of the Pakistan squad when Zimbabwe toured the country in 2015. He had also captained Quetta Gladiators in the PSL final earlier this year, but this will be the first instance of him captaining Pakistan on home soil in an international game. Apart from Sarfraz, as many as 10 players out of the 16-man squad have never played an international game at home.Amir debuted in 2009 but has never played at home while Babar Azam, Ahmed Shehzad, and Imad Wasim played their first international in 2015 against Zimbabwe. “I am very excited to have cricket back home after a long time and it is a moment of joy,” Sarfraz said. “Since the incident (Sri Lanka team attack in 2009) this is my third event in Pakistan.”As captain it’s my first, so for me, it’s a proud moment, as well as for all those who have been selected to play against World XI. I think nothing is more joyous for them than to be playing cricket in Pakistan and we are hopeful that after this series, cricket will be regularly played in the country. We have a young team building up and we are fully prepared ahead of the game. We played with a blend of young player in West Indies, as we are now, but at the same time, we have the likes of Ahmed Shezhad, with ample experience along with Shoaib Malik, so there isn’t any worry at all. We are actually trying to play young players who will step up to the plate.”

علق كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني الإيطالي لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد الإسباني، على امكانية معاقبة فينيسيوس جونيور بعد الطرد أمام فالنسيا.

وتعرض فينيسيوس للطرد في مواجهة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا مساء الجمعة الماضية، في مباراة مؤجلة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وفاز ريال مدريد مساء اليوم الإثنين، على حساب ديبورتيفا مينيرا بخماسية نظيفة، ليتأهل إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا.

طالع أيضًا.. مدافع مايوركا يستفز فينيسيوس: بإمكاني الإطاحة به في 10 ثوانٍ بالضربة القاضية

وفي تصريحاته بالمؤتمر الصحفي، قال أنشيلوتي: “نعتقد أن فينيسيوس لن يعاقب، فيني لا يحتاج للمودة، يستطيع فعل المزيد، وقد أعطانا الفرصة للفوز بدوري الأبطال، وأحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم”.

وعن مودريتش الذي سجل هدفًا في مباراة اليوم، قال: “إنه هدية لكرة القدم، ربما يكون أكثر من ذلك بالنسبة لأولئك الذين مكنهم الاستمتاع باللعبة، الجميع يستمتع به، الجمهور واللاعبين والمدرب، يلعب مثل هذه المباريات كما لو أنها مباراة نهائية”.

وعن الانتقادات التي يتعرض لها: “هذا أمر طبيعي، خاصة عندما تكون مدربًا لـ ريال مدريد، كل شخص يرى بأن رأيه هو الأفضل، ولكن في كرة القدم لا توجد مثل هذه الأشياء”.

وشارك إندريك أساسيًا في مواجهة ديبورتيفا حتى نهاية المباراة ولم يسجل، وهو ما جعل أنشيلوتي يدافع عنه: “لقد كان جيدا للغاية، أتيحت له العديد من الفرص، ولكنه افتقر للتسجيل، يجب أن يتحلى بالصبر، ويواصل النمو والتحسن، والأهداف ستأتي”.

With Arsenal flying high in both the Premier League and Europa League this season, there are genuine hopes that Mikel Arteta is building something special at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners haven’t won the league title since 2004, but having lost just once in 11 top-flight matches so far, they could give Manchester City a run for their money this term.

The Spaniard is also looking ahead to the future, aiming to tie down young trio Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba with extended contracts.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke gave his thoughts on the situation to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “Yeah, I think it’ll be in Arsenal’s plans to get those players sorted out and tied down to new contracts.

“Bukayo Saka, obviously he’s been in superb form for Arsenal this season, as have Martinelli and Saliba, so I’m sure Mikel Arteta will be demanding that the club secure these players new contracts, but it does seem there is interest from other clubs in the players. So that’s something that Arsenal need to be worried about.”

This could be a massive boost for Arteta if he does manage to tie them all down to new deals, especially given their performances this season.

All three players are ranked among Arsenal’s top eight league performers this season (as per SofaScore) while they have collectively scored 11 goals between them in all competitions, contributing heavily to the club’s excellent start to the campaign.

Furthermore, extending the trio’s current deals could work out extremely well in the future.

The CIES Football Observatory has valued Saka at €100m (£86.2m), Martinelli at €70m (£60.3m), and Saliba at €60m (£51.7m). Collectively, the three are valued at £198.2m, and Arteta could generate some high transfer fees if he decides to sell them in the future.

Of course, the manager isn’t thinking like that at the moment, but excellent performances in the English top flight carry a risk of potential big-name suitors sniffing from the continent.

The next few weeks before the World Cup could be a crucial time for the 40-year-old Arsenal manager, especially if he wants his future ambitions to be realised by securing the futures of three hugely important young players.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly have an interest in signing Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Junior Traore. 

The Lowdown: Shopping in Italy

Since Antonio Conte took charge of the north London club back in November last year, the 53-year-old has not been shy in terms of signing players from his homeland.

Under the guidance of Conte and Fabio Paratici, Spurs have secured deals for the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Ivan Perisic and Destiny Udogie from clubs across Serie A.

Looking ahead to the next January and summer transfer windows, it seems as though Traore could be the next player to join Conte’s ranks from Italy’s top flight.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing Traore

According to a recent report from MilanLive, Spurs are one of the clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old Traore, alongside West Ham United, AC Milan, Napoli and Juventus.

The report also adds that Sassuolo would be looking for a transfer fee of at least €30m (£25m) to sell the midfielder.

The Verdict: A worthy investment?

After scoring 20 goals and providing 14 assists in 110 appearances for his previous club, FC Empoli, across their senior and youth sides, the Ivorian joined Sassuolo back in the 2021 summer transfer window.

Since then, Traore, who was previously described by Brighton & Hove Albion manager, Roberto De Zerbi, as a “pure talent”, has gone on to score 18 goals and provide nine assists in 102 appearances across all competitions.

Traore ended his previous Serie A campaign, which was labelled as “magnificent” by talent spotter Jacek Kulig, with more successful dribbles (61) than any other player at the club as well as the second-highest number of passes into the 18-yard box (35).

This highlights how tricky he can be to play against and how much of a creative threat he can provide in attacking areas.

Moving forward, despite potentially having to battle numerous clubs for the player’s signature, this is a move that could be well worth the effort and money for Spurs.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring Theo Walcott back to Southampton on a permanent basis has massively backfired, as he is burning a wage with the Saints.

The experienced winger originally joined the Saints on loan from Everton for the 2020/21 campaign, in what was a homecoming for the former Arsenal man after he began his career at St Mary’s.

However, it soon became clear that Hasenhuttl was thinking with his heart rather than his head when bringing Walcott back, as he has struggled immensely in his time at the club.

During a loan spell, the 33-year-old would manage three goals and three assists in 21 Premier League appearances, averaging a solid, if unspectacular, 6.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was enough to convince Hasenhuttl that he was worth signing on a permanent basis, as he joined on a free transfer from Everton in the summer of 2021 but it seems as if that was done for sentimental purposes, as he has made just ten Premier League appearances since then.

Walcott’s role as a bit-part player and someone who is perhaps slowly transitioning into more of a coach and influencer in the dressing room would perhaps be justifiable if it weren’t for the huge wage he earns in comparison to the rest of the squad.

According to Capology, the former England international earns £75k-per-week at St Mary’s, which remarkably makes him the top earner at the club.

Considering Walcott’s first and only appearance in the Premier League this season came last weekend against his former club Arsenal, it is impossible to justify Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring him back and hand him such a large contract, as his form on loan hardly justified that.

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As the winger has been at Southampton on a permanent basis for 69 weeks, as his move became permanent on the 1st of July 2021, the Saints have paid out £5,175,000 in wages for a player that has barely featured.

It is clear that the veteran Englishman is not going to play much of a part this season so Hasenhuttl must look to move him on in January or risk wasting even more money on his wages, only for him to sit on the bench.

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon at Molineux, with three points a must if the Old Gold are to move out of the relegation places in the Premier League.

Steve Davis looks set to remain in charge for the weekend fixture, although it could prove to be his last as interim manager if a deal can be completed to bring Julen Lopetegui to the club before the World Cup break.

Wolves halted their recent rut with a 1-1 draw against Brentford last weekend but will need to be at their best if they want to take three points a Brighton side which will be full of confidence after demolishing Chelsea 4-1 last time out.

If the Old Gold are to stop the Seagulls then they will need to find a way to limit star performer Leandro Trossard, with the Belgian continuing to catch the eye after notching seven goals and one assist in 12 Premier League appearances so far this season.

The left-winger could cause all sorts of problems with his trickery at Molineux and for that reason, Davis should drop Nelson Semedo, as the Portuguese defender has proven himself to be a defensive “liability” – in the words of The Athletic’s Tim Spiers- on a number of occasions since joining the club from Barcelona.

While Semedo can offer Wolves something in attack, the prospect of him going up against the dangerous Trossard will no doubt be a frightening one for Davis, and he might be better selecting the more defensively aware Jonny on the right-hand side, with the Portugal international admitting during his time at Barcelona that he preferred attacking to defending.

The Belgium international has scored highly in terms of dribbles, key passes and shots per game in Brighton’s squad, so the Old Gold can be sure that a lot of the opposition’s attacks will come down the left-hand side at the weekend, which could leave Semedo in real trouble.

The 28-year-old was arguably at fault for both of Crystal Palace’s goals in the 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park recently, with Birmingham Live awarding him a 4/10 for his performance after he lost Eberechi Eze for the first before failing to track Wilfried Zaha for the winner.

Therefore, it seems risky to start him against such an in-form player in Trossard, so Davis should ditch Semedo from the starting team on Saturday.

Sky Sports’ northeast reporter Keith Downie claims that Newcastle United signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk would be a ‘real statement’ by the Magpies.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interest

It was reported last month that the 21-year-old is ‘open’ to a move to St James’ Park in the January transfer window after scouts were sent to watch him in action in the Champions League.

He is ‘keen’ on a move to the Premier League in January, and Eddie Howe is believed to have given the green light for the Tynesiders to pursue a deal.

The Latest: ‘Real statement’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Downie has claimed that Mudryk’s potential move to Newcastle ‘really stands out’, and that it would be a ‘real statement’ if Howe’s team are able to sign him.

The Sky Sports reporter said: “That one really stands out. If they were to bring someone like him in, that would be a real statement.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as ‘absolutely unreal’ and ‘undefendable’ in explosive bursts by football presenter and pundit Jack Collins, Mudryk is having somewhat of a breakthrough season with eight goals and eight assists in 16 appearances in all competitions, including five goal contributions in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

He has been linked with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal as well as the Magpies, and due to them being in the top two in the Premier League and the general size and stature of those clubs, Mudryk could well choose them over Newcastle.

Therefore, the Tynesiders signing the Ukraine international would be a ‘real statement’, as Downie claims, and would be another sign of ambition from PIF at St James’ Park.