O Rio Grande, clube localizado no sul do país, é considerado o time de futebol mais antigo do Brasil ainda em atividade.
O Vovô (apelido da equipe gaúcha) foi fundado em 19 de julho de 1900, por um grupo de imigrantes europeus, que buscavam implementar a prática do esporte no país. Na data de sua fundação, inclusive, é comemorado o dia do futebol.
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DISPUTA PELO POSTO DE CLUBE MAIS ANTIGO DO BRASIL
A Ponte Preta, fundada apenas 23 dias depois da equipe gaúcha, reivindica o posto. O clube paulista sustenta que o Rio Grande interrompeu suas atividades em três ocasiões distintas: 1972, 1974 e 1976.
O Veterano levou o caso à justiça, e venceu em primeira instância uma ação movida contra a Macaca pelo uso da alcunha de “clube mais antigo do Brasil”. A decisão prevê retratação pública e pagamento de multa. A Ponte recorreu da decisão.
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Clubes fundados antes, como Flamengo, Vasco e Vitória, não foram instituídos como times de futebol, mas de outras modalidades. Germânia, Mackenzie College e SPAC interromperam suas atividades ou fecharam.
TÍTULOS DO RIO GRANDE
1x – Campeonato Gaúcho: 1936 2x – Campeonato Gaúcho 2ª Divisão: 1962 e 2014 2x – Campeonato do Interior: 1936 e 1941 1x – Torneio Centenário da Independência: 1922 2x – Torneio da Morte: 1962 e 1964
MI are currently placed second and a win will get them a direct final berth
Sruthi Ravindranath10-Mar-20254:59
Can RCB finish their season on a high?
Who’s playingMumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 11, 2025Big picture: RCB look to end on highMumbai Indians almost secured a direct spot in the final on Monday. They needed to keep Gujarat Giants to 156 or fewer but a spirited Bharti Fulmali innings did not allow that. The chance was missed but they will not be worrying too much: they not only won the match against Gujarat Giants and kept their perfect record at the Brabourne Stadium intact but also have one more shot at finishing on top of the table. They are on par with table-toppers Delhi Capitals on points. The only point of concern, if at all any, would be that they have to be back within 24 hours to achieve that.Though the move to make Amelia Kerr open hasn’t made much of a difference with the allrounder falling cheaply in both games, MI will be happy Nat Sciver-Brunt did not have to do the heavy lifting once again. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made a fifty and there were handy contributions from the middle order. Their bowlers were excellent up front and even though they lost the plot in the second half of the chase, they kept their cool to defend 179 on a batting-friendly surface.RCB, meanwhile, will rue what could have been. The defending champions were unlucky with the toss in all four games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which meant they had to do the difficult task of batting first on a ground where seven out of eight matches were won by the chasing team. They still had a tiny chance of making the playoffs which they let go of in a high-scoring thriller against UP Warriorz and are now coming into this contest on the back of five consecutive losses.RCB also had similar issues from start to finish, including playing this season with a weakened bowling attack and depending on a couple of players to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. In their previous match, it was the out-of-contention Warriorz who took RCB down with them, and now RCB will look to ruin MI’s chances of wanting to finish on top.Form guideMumbai Indians WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)Royal Challengers Bengaluru LLLLLTeam newsMI are unlikely to change their winning combination.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Amelia Kerr, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amanjot Kaur, 6 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 7 G Kamalini, 8 S Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika SisodiaRCB made two changes for the previous match, bringing in S Meghana and Charlie Dean for Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ekta Bisht. While Dean had a tough outing, conceding 47 in her four overs of offspin, Meghana got off to a rapid start.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 S Meghana, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bisht, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Charlie Dean, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Renuka SinghPlayers to watch: Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh RanaHarmanpreet Kaur returning to form is great news for MI. Coming into the game against Giants with scores of 4, 22 and 4*, she scored a crucial 54 to power her side to 179. She has three fifties in four innings at the Brabourne Stadium in WPL and will want to make the most of the home advantage to secure a second title for her team.Sneh Rana will be key for RCB•BCCI
Performances like the one she put up against UP Warriorz make one wonder why Sneh Rana isn’t in the T20 scheme of things for India; she last played a T20I for India in 2023. Against UPW, Rana plundered Deepti Sharma for 25 off five balls, giving RCB a chance to hunt down 226. In her first game for RCB this WPL, Rana returned with 3 for 27 but she has been underutilised with the ball in this edition. She has bowled her full quota only once in the four games.Stats that matter This is the second time in the WPL that RCB have lost five matches in a row, the first time being in the 2023 season Sciver-Brunt and Kerr, both from MI, occupy the top of the run-getters and wicket-takers charts, respectively
A “terrific” Premier League player sees Newcastle United as his preferred destination this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim from The Athletic.
Howe discusses Isak's Newcastle future
The future of Alexander Isak has been the summer’s main talking point at St James’ Park, with the Swede pushing for a move to Liverpool ahead of the new season.
Isak has been made to train away from his Newcastle teammates by Eddie Howe, with the manager no doubt not wanting an unhappy player around, and he spoke about the saga over the weekend.
“I think everything is in play. I’ve said many times he is contracted to us. He is our player. The club make the decision on his future. I don’t know what that will be. Of course I have a preferred outcome. I want the best and the strongest squad possible, but I also want players that really want to play for this football club.”
Newcastle United manager EddieHowebefore the match
Regardless of what happens with Isak, more signings are needed for Newcastle before the summer transfer window reaches its conclusion, and they have been boosted by the news that one individual would like to play for the club.
Aston Villa star Ramsey keen on Newcastle move
According to a new update from The Athletic, Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey sees Newcastle as his “preferred destination” this summer.
The report states that the Magpies “made an approach for the former England youth international in January 2024”, with Howe described as a “big fan” of his. While West Ham are also keen on signing the 24-year-old valued at £40m, “Newcastle’s project and the chance to work under Howe are thought to carry the greatest appeal” to him.
Jacob Ramsey in action for Aston Villa in pre-season.
This is a big positive for Newcastle, should their interest in Ramsey be as strong as it was last year, with the Villa ace a hugely talented footballer.
Granted, he arguably hasn’t quite kicked on as much as some predicted, but Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has hailed his ability, having managed him when he was at Villa Park.
“He’s not following in anyone’s footsteps. Jacob Ramsey is Jacob Ramsey. He will be a terrific player. It won’t be long before the whole country is watching him I’m sure. He is right up there, let me tell you.”
He'd replicate Isak: Newcastle make enquiry to sign "complete" £80m striker
With Alexander Isak still hoping to force a move to Liverpool, could Newcastle target a “complete” striker valued at £80m who’d replicate the Swede?
ByBen Gray Aug 12, 2025
Ramsey only started half of Villa’s 38 Premier League games last season, and he could feel that a new challenge is needed at this point in his career, seeing Newcastle as the ideal next step.
Derby County have made a seven-figure offer to sign a versatile new player for John Eustace and the Rams have received a response.
Derby’s summer signings so far as Brewster arrives
It has been a productive summer transfer window for those at Pride Park so far ahead of the new Championship campaign. Eight new signings have been made, with former Sheffield United forward Rhian Brewster the latest to arrive.
Patrick Agyemang
Charlotte
£5.8m
Carlton Morris
Luton
Undisclosed
Andreas Weimann
Blackburn
Free
Danny Batth
Blackburn
Free
Rhian Brewster
Sheffield Utd
Free
Richard O’Donnell
Blackpool
Free
Owen Beck
Liverpool
Loan
David Ozoh
Crystal Palace
Loan
The forward left the Blades following the expiry of his contract this summer and has chosen Derby as his next move. Talking after signing, Brewster revealed his excitement to get started.
The striker joins Patrick Agyemang, Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell, Carlton Morris, Owen Beck and David Ozoh ahead of Eustace’s first full season in charge, and Derby don’t look to be showing any signs of stopping.
Derby make £1m+ bid to sign Sunderland player
According to reports from The Daily Record, relayed by EFL Analysis, Derby County have made a bid worth £1.2m to sign Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis.
However, Sunderland have actually turned down Derby’s offer for Triantis, who is under contract with the Black Cats until 2027.
The Australian has spent the last 18 months on loan at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian and appears to be surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light.
Hibernian actually wanted to keep Triantis at Easter Road, with manager David Gray praising the player for his “fantastic season”.
Nectarios Triantis
“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill.”
A versatile player capable of playing as a holding midfielder or centre-back, the 6 foot 2 Aussie is valued at a career-high €1m by Transfermarkt, and it’ll be interesting to see if Derby go back in with an improved bid.
Pakistan secured their first win in four meetings against Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka and opened their campaign with a win at T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka had been riding a wave of success since the last T20 World Cup, winning three out of six bilateral T20I series and 22 out of 32 games, but Pakistan, who had lost four out of their last six series and 16 out of 27 games, had the measure of them on a slow, low Sharjah pitch.Run-scoring was laboured on the opening day of the tournament and scoring rates did not get above six an over but Pakistan’s 116 still looked well below par. None of their top six scored more than 23, there were no partnerships in the top eight of over 25, and captain Fatima Sana, batting at No. 7, was the top scorer with 30. For Sri Lanka, left-armer Udeshika Prabodhani, left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari and captain Chamari Athapaththu, with her offspin, picked up three wickets each.Buoyed by their efforts in the field, Sri Lanka would have fancied their chances of pulling off victory but fared the worst of the four teams in action today with the bat. They were tied down by spin, particularly Omaima Sohail’s offspin and lack of pace. With the ball moving slowly through the air and keeping low, the Sri Lanka batters were often far too early into their shots. They were reduced to 52 for 5 in the 13th over and there was no coming back from that.
The tournament’s first six
It took until the third over of the second match before the World Cup saw its first six and it came from Pakistan’s only centurion in the format: Muneeba Ali. She advanced down the track against Sri Lanka’s only seamer, Prabodhani, and sent her 63 metres over midwicket boundary. On a day when boundaries were particularly scarce, there were two more sixes in the Pakistan innings to go with five fours. Sri Lanka’s innings featured only three fours. There were no sixes in the earlier game between Bangladesh and Scotland and just 15 fours across both innings.Chamari Athapaththu belts out a successful appeal for the lbw of Aliya Riaz•ICC/Getty Images
(Almost) three cheers for ChamariAfter doing an excellent job in keeping pressure on Pakistan by taking the wicket of Sidra Amin and with her bowling changes, Athapaththu brought herself on for a second over in the 14th. Her second ball was full outside off stump and took Tuba Hassan’s outside edge as she camped on the back foot and was caught behind. That brought Pakistan’s last recognised batter, finisher Aliya Riaz, to the crease with plenty of time to cash in but she missed the line of the next ball and was hit on the front pad. Riaz was walking off as she reviewed and the ball-tracking revealed it was hitting middle and leg stump. Athapaththu was on a hat-trick and came oh-so-close to getting it when Diana Baig edged the next ball but wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani could not hold on. Athapaththu finished with 3 or 18 from her four overs.
Sana saves the day
It could be argued that Sana made a tactical blunder by batting herself at No. 7 but she scored 30 off 20 balls, which ended up changing the game, and then took great responsibility with the ball. Baig only bowled one ball before she pulled up with what looked like a calf injury and Sana decided to take over immediately. She finished Baig’s over and kept herself on for more, when she took out her opposite number. Athapaththu was leaden-footed when she drove Sana to extra cover where Sohail took a good catch to her left. Athapaththu understood the magnitude of the moment and punched her bat as she walked off the field. Her dismissal sent Sri Lanka into a shell, and they finished the powerplay on 26 for 2, with the required rate already up at 6.50.
Gunaratne and gone
It was game over, in theory, when Vishmi Gunaratne hit Nashra Sandhu straight down the ground and into the hands of Amin to leave Sri Lanka 52 for 5. But this is not to put the blame on the 19-year-old. Instead, it’s an illustration of the kinds of shots that were being played in frustration as the Pakistan spinners became more and more difficult to get away. On a big outfield, Sri Lanka scored 47 singles but only nine twos and while Pakistan were only marginally better with 51 singles and 11 twos, it’s those tiny margins that make a difference.
Sunderland are on the hunt for Premier League-level reinforcements and have entered the race for a prolific striker from one of Europe’s top five leagues, according to a report.
Sunderland set out stall to consolidate in the Premier League
Beating the drop will be the immediate priority for Regis Le Bris on Wearside, who will have to plan for life without duo Tommy Watson and Jobe Bellingham following their moves to Brighton & Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.
Despite receiving criticism, Kristjaan Speakman has explained that playoff final hero Watson’s departure being public was to promote transparency with supporters following the club’s decision to speak openly about his move to the South Coast.
Why is this relevant? Well, it could be a sign of things to come moving forward, which will hopefully lead to news surrounding incomings sooner rather than later.
Sunderland now want "exceptional" £37k-p/w star who could cost £30 million
The Black Cats are probing on the market.
By
Sean Markus Clifford
Jun 13, 2025
Ishe Samuels-Smith is said to be on the Black Cats’ radar following his rise to prominence in Chelsea’s youth ranks. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Tommy Doyle could also pitch up in the North East, circumstances permitting.
Millwall defender Japhet Tanganga has a £1.2 million release clause Sunderland are keen to take up. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest Le Bris may be looking to add to his pool of offensive options rather than prioritising a move for a defender.
Sunderland eyeing move for Sassuolo star Armand Lauriente
According to AS Roma Live, Sunderland are in the race to sign Sassuolo striker Armand Lauriente, and it would cost around £17 million to bring the 26-year-old to Tyneside.
Roma, Bologna, Fiorentina and Marseille are also interested in the former France Under-21 international, who will find himself playing Serie A football once again next season after his side claimed the Serie B title.
Armand Lauriente in 2024/25 – Serie B (Fotmob)
Shots
81
Shots on target
43
Successful dribbles
31
Chances created
37
Touches in opposition box
152
Labelled “amazing” by Jacek Kulig, Lauriente registered 19 goals and six assists in 34 appearances across all competitions and is now regarded as a hot property across Europe.
Intriguingly, the versatile forward has previously worked with Le Bris at Lorient, which may explain why the Black Cats have come to the table despite stiff competition from elsewhere.
The Premier League is the toughest in the world to crack, especially as a newly-promoted side, so it is interesting to see Sunderland set the bar high in their search for attacking potency.
Now, it remains to be seen whether they can tempt Lauriente with the prospect of starring for a returning force in the top-flight.
Ange Postecoglou cemented his legacy at Tottenham Hotspur when he led his side to glory in the Europa League last season, ending 17 years of searching for silverware down N17.
However, Spurs’ 17th-place finish in the Premier League pass judgment on Postecoglou’s tenure, ending his time in the dugout after two campaigns that were fraught with setbacks but charged by excitement.
Now, with Thomas Frank at the helm, Tottenham will hope to build on last year’s success and establish themselves as one of the most dangerous clubs in England once again, having sealed their place in the Champions League too.
Matches
76
152
Wins
31
54
Draws
11
38
Losses
34
60
Goals scored
138
228
Goals conceded
126
224
Points
104
200
PPG
1.37
1.32
Daniel Levy will no doubt be doing some soul-searching after making the contentious call, but in Frank, the Londoners have bagged a manager capable of shaping talented players into shining stars.
The Danish tactician will relish the chance to work with Tottenham’s crew, but he will need to be backed this summer, strengthening the squad with one or two attacking additions.
Spurs lining up attacking signings
Sure, Tottenham need reinforcements across the park, but with Heung-min Son entering the autumn of his career and attracting interest from suitors in the Middle East, fresh recruits are needed.
The 20-year-old Mathys Tel’s loan move has been wrapped up for £30m, which could prove a shrewd deal indeed, but there’s little question that more is needed, both out wide and as support for striker Dominic Solanke.
Looking at the flanks, West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus is available after a difficult campaign in east London, while L’Equipe have recently reported Lilywhites interest in AS Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, who is valued at around €60m (£51m).
Bryan Mbeumo has also been at the centre of talks, and Frank would love nothing more than a reunion with his Brentford talisman. However, the prolific Cameroon international’s preference is to sign for Man United this summer.
No matter, Tottenham appear to have found their dream alternative.
Spurs make contact for Premier League star
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has confirmed that Tottenham have made an official enquiry for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. However, Daniel Levy has no intention of meeting the £70m asking price.
AFC Bournemouth's AntoineSemenyolooks on
Man United are also keen but are in the same camp as Spurs, albeit they are leaning toward Mbeumo. With Semenyo thought to be keen on the move to north London, though, this one’s hardly dead in the water.
Saying that, the Cherries are under no pressure to sell after offloading Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez.
Why Spurs should sign Antoine Semenyo
Bournemouth signed Semenyo from Bristol City for a smart £10.5m fee in January 2023, and has since gone from strong to stronger under the wing of Andoni Iraola.
Antoine Semenyo in Premier League action for Bournemouth.
Indeed, across the past two Premier League campaigns, the versatile winger has scored 19 goals and provided nine assists, underlaying his output with sharp, dynamic movements and a tenacious defensive attitude.
His completeness suggests Semenyo could even prove an upgrade on Brennan Johnson, 24, who is one of Tottenham’s most prolific players but is guilty of drifting in and out of games, waning at points.
Two seasons into his career down N17, the Welshman posted 18 goals and seven assists last term, the most notable of which was the bundled-in winner to seal the Europa League title.
But he needs to do more across the wider game. As per Sofascore, Johnson averaged just 0.6 dribbles, 2.8 successful duels, and 0.6 key passes over last year’s top-flight season, also creating just four big chances across his 33 appearances (24 of which were starts).
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Semenyo, however, is far more complete. Not only did he score 11 goals and add five assists in the league (Johnson’s haul was as follows: 11 goals, three assists), but the forward also averaged 1.9 dribbles, 6.1 duels, and 4.3 ball recoveries per game.
This suggests that the Cherries sensation could offer more to the team with his all-round game on the flank in comparison to Johnson’s limited performances.
Described as a “duel monster” and a “workhorse off the ball” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Bournemouth man is perfectly aligned with Frank’s vision, especially when considering he plays in a similar fashion to Mbeumo.
Indeed, FBref record the Englishman to be of a statistical likeness to the Bees star, ranked as he was among the top 5% of the Premier League’s attacking midfielders and wingers last year for shots taken, the top 20% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.
Right winger
46
13
3
Left winger
29
7
5
Centre-forward
6
1
0
Semenyo’s versatility has seen him provide a potent output both on the left and the right wing for Bournemouth, with his teammate Lewis Cook hailing his “aggressive” and “clinical” qualities.
Such praise underlines the Ghana international’s suitability for a place in a Tottenham team hoping to cement themselves among Europe’s elite for years to come while challenging for major honours with a newfound taste for triumph.
Of course, Johnson is hardly allergic to playing a definitive role in sealing silverware – just hark back to the Europa League final – but across the wider span of the campaign, Tottenham supporters cannot contest the fact that there was a consistent lack of consistency and fluency that led to the lowly Premier League finish.
Semenyo would change that, dovetailing into Frank’s new Spurs system and rising to become the astute manager’s new version of Mbeumo.
This wouldn’t necessarily relegate Johnson to the backbenches, for the transfer target is competent across both wings, but there’s no doubt that he would add a dimension which his counterpart has yet to unlock in its entirety.
Much depends on whether Levy can whittle down Bournemouth’s hefty £70m fee. If the shrewd businessman can do so, he would strengthen the new Tottenham project and then some.
Dream Son heir: Spurs set to enter bidding war for "generational" £50m star
The talented youngster could be a superstar at Spurs.
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign an Arsenal icon who he thought was “absolutely perfect” for the Red Devils.
The iconic Scottish boss transformed Man Utd in an Old Trafford tenure that lasted more than 26 years, and in that time worked with a plethora of academy graduates, such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Gary Neville, turning them into first-team stars.
Arguably the best manager of all time, Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles and regularly shook up his United squad in the transfer market.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s best signings at Man Utd in pictures
As well as bringing through the famous Class of 92, Ferguson would also make a number of shrewd signings in Manchester, with one of his last being Robin van Persie from Arsenal.
The Gunners captain swapped north London for Old Trafford in 2012 and fired Man Utd to the Premier League title in his debut season. Ferguson’s assistant in Manchester, Mike Phelan, recently named Van Persie as one of Ferguson’s best signings as Man Utd boss.
“Well, obviously, Van Persie was an interesting one, because he took us to the title in Sir Alex’s final season. [He] made the difference.”
Phelan named Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and Park Ji-Sung alongside Van Persie as Man Utd’s five best signings under Ferguson, but if the manager had his way, he would have signed an Arsenal player shortly after arriving at Old Trafford in the 1980s.
Ferguson tried to sign Arsenal star Tony Adams
That man was Tony Adams, with the centre-back going down as one of the greatest Premier League centre-backs of all time after his 19-year career with the Gunners.
The Englishman captained Arsenal to two Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger and made more than 650 appearances for the club in all competitions. Going down in history known as ‘Mr. Arsenal’, things could have been a lot different for Adams if Ferguson was successful in his transfer attempt.
Inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, Ferguson previously hailed Adams, admitting he saw the defender as “a United player in an Arsenal shirt” and revealed he tried to sign Adams when he was a teenager.
Tony Adams’ Premier League stats
Games
255
Goals
12
Clean sheets
115
Assists
9
Titles won
2
Still the only player to captain a team to a league title in three different decades, Adams was also hailed by Arsene Wenger.
Adams was one that got away from Ferguson, although the defenders he had through the years at Old Trafford, such as Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, served him pretty well themselves.
Big summer ahead for Everton, and no mistake. David Moyes transformed the Merseyside mood when replacing Sean Dyche in January, but results in the Premier League have lulled of late.
This is understandable, but it does shine a light on the urgent need for impactful first-team additions, especially with so many players approaching the end of their Toffees contracts.
Everton manager David Moyes
While fans are hungry to see attacking additions, Everton aren’t restricted in their scope for signings, with one of the Championship’s finest midfielders recently added to The Friedkin Group’s shortlist.
Everton chasing EFL star
As per TEAMtalk, Everton have added Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer to their shortlist of summer targets as Moyes looks to strengthen his midfield.
Joining United from Coventry City for a reported £15m fee in 2023, the 27-year-old has showcased sustained quality as a playmaker and a combative midfield presence besides.
Striking a deal with the third-place Championship side will be more difficult if they are promoted to the Premier League, but if not, Everton will be sure to make their move.
What Gustavo Hamer would bring to Everton
Five days ago, Hamer was named the Championship Player of the Season for 2024/25, a worthy winner after a fantastic campaign as the centrepiece of the Blades’ promotion push.
Though a late-season dip has pulled Chris Wilder’s team away from the automatics, they are well placed to triumph through the play-offs, especially with Hamer pulling the strings, having scored nine goals and supplied seven assists in the second tier this term, playmaking from deep or out on the left.
Hailed for his “unbelievable” quality by former teammate Oli McBurnie, Hamer ranks among the top 1% of positional peers in the Championship this year for progressive passes, the top 6% for passes attempted and the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
Gustavo Hamer for Sheffield United.
He’s also Prem-proven, having held his own for United in the Premier League last season, posting four goals and six assists across 34 matches, averaging two key passes per game and creating ten big chances, as per Sofascore.
A dead-ball specialist but so much more, Hamer could even shape into Everton’s next version of Ross Barkley, blessed with the same kind of robustness and gifted ability that the former Toffees youth graduate produced in his early years as a senior star on Merseyside.
Barkley left Everton for Chelsea way back in January 2018 for a £15m fee and he’s since been on something of a rollercoaster, but the argument’s there for Goodison Park remaining his most prosperous ground to this date, with former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger claiming in 2014 the rising talent was “one of the best” he had ever seen.
Still having devoted more time to Everton than any other club – by far – Barkley carried the kind of X-factor that Hamer would restore to Moyes’ team, combining with the likes of Iliman Ndiaye to create something special.
Everton
179
27
25
Chelsea
100
12
11
Luton Town
37
5
6
Aston Villa
50
7
2
OGC Nice
28
4
2
Sheffield Wednesday
13
4
0
Leeds United
4
0
1
Abdoulaye Doucoure, who is out of contract this summer, would likely need to leave to make way for Hamer, but this would be a trade-off worth committing to, with the Malian 32 years old and Everton’s highest earner at £130k per week.
Hamer’s capacity to play off the left, something Barkley has done at times throughout his career, only strengthens the case for his transfer to Bramley Moore.
Everton have some exciting attacking midfielders in their ranks, but Hamer might just take the cake if he’s welcomed to the fold this summer.
In talks to stay: Everton star is becoming more important than Branthwaite
Not all of Everton’s veterans are going to be part of the exodus this summer.
Celtic are on course for yet another impressive domestic campaign, despite losing 1-0 at the weekend, as Brendan Rodgers’s side close in on a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title at Parkhead.
The Hoops have already won the League Cup trophy, beating their fierce rivals on penalties in the first half of the season, and are in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup, which means that they are still on for a domestic treble.
Rodgers, however, will know that success at Paradise comes with a price in the summer transfer window, as their star performers garner interest from elsewhere.
The Hoops are no strangers to cashing in on their top talent and have extracted excellent value out of their key men over the past decade or so in particular, most recently cashing in on Kyogo Furuhashi in January.
As you can see in the graphic above, the Scottish giants have sold three players for £25m – including current star Jota, who returned to the club from Rennes in January – and have sold nine players for more than £10m.
One of the players they have made more than £10m from by selling has been Dutch full-back Jeremie Frimpong, whom the Bhoys played a masterstroke with.
Why Celtic hit the jackpot with Jeremie Frimpong
The Premiership side swooped to sign the young defender from Premier League outfit Manchester City in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of just £350k.
Whilst a lot of clubs may focus on signing proven, experienced, players to come in and almost have a guaranteed impact on the team, Celtic are willing to gamble on young talent in the hope that it pays off in the long run.
Former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong.
Frimpong had not made a single first-team appearance for Manchester City, or any club, by the time that the Hoops signed him, which meant that they did not know what to expect from him on the pitch in the Premiership.
The Dutchman went on to play 51 times, scoring three goals and providing seven assists, in all competitions for Celtic in just 18 months at the club, as he hit the ground running in Glasgow to become a regular at right-back.
The young starlet’s impressive form for the Hoops led to interest from elsewhere, and Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen swooped for his services in the January transfer window in 2021.
Celtic reportedly raked in a fee of £11m for his services, as shown in the earlier graphic, to make him one of the most expensive sales in the club’s history, just 18 months on from being signed for a measly £350k from Manchester City.
This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with Frimpong because they turned an unproven academy talent, worth just £350k, into an £11m player who was wanted by one of the biggest sides in Europe.
Celtic may, now, have unearthed their next version of the Dutch defender ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, but it is not the team’s current right-back Alistair Johnston.
Alistair Johnston's current market value
The Canada international joined the club from CF Montreal at the start of 2023, under Ange Postecoglou, and has been a regular starter at right-back ever since, racking up 105 appearances in all competitions to date.
Johnston has started 27 of his 28 appearances in the Premiership so far this season, scoring four goals and creating 13 ‘big chances’, after he started all 32 of his outings in the division in the 2023/24 campaign.
Despite his impressive form at right-back for the Scottish giants over the past two-and-a-half years, his current market value – as per Transfermarkt – stands at €10m (£8.5m).
This means that, at his current value, Johnston would not be sold as one of the top ten biggest sales in the club’s history, and is currently worth less than what Frimpong was sold to Leverkusen for.
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There is another Celtic defender, however, who is currently worth more than £10m and could be the club’s next star to be sold to the Bundesliga for big money.
Celtic have unearthed their new Jeremie Frimpong
Cameron Carter-Vickers is on course to become the club’s new Frimpong as his value has soared during his time at Parkhead, and he has been linked with a move to Germany.
American journalist Larry Henry Jr reported earlier this season that ‘multiple sources’ confirmed that Bayer Leverkusen hold an interest in the Celtic central defender, although no offer had been made at that time.
This suggests that there is the potential for him to follow Frimpong to his new club in the upcoming summer transfer window if Leverkusen decide to act on their interest in him by making a bid for his services.
His value has doubled since signing for Celtic on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022 from Tottenham Hotspur, at which point he was valued at €7m (£6m) by Transfermarkt.
At the time of writing (08/04/2025), Carter-Vickers is valued at €14m (£12m) by Transfermarkt, which is double what it was when he joined the club and more than the amount the club raked in for Frimpong from Leverkusen.
Appearances
33
29
25
26
Clean sheets
17
13
8
14
Error led to shot
0
0
0
1
Error led to goal
0
0
0
0
Ground duel success rate
59%
59%
62%
64%
Aerial duel success rate
73%
74%
71%
75%
As you can see in the table above, the USA international has built that value by delivering consistently impressive performances in the Premiership for the Hoops over several seasons, with zero errors that have led to opposition goals in four league campaigns to date.
The dominant defender, who has never won below 71% of his aerial battles in a season, is currently the most valuable player at the club, per Transfermarkt, at £12m and that means that he could be the next star to be sold for big money in the off-season.
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Therefore, Celtic have unearthed their next Frimpong in Carter-Vickers because he could be sold to the Bundesliga, and Leverkusen in particular, for more than £10m in the next window.