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With that, Liverpool’s hopes of winning the treble are done and dusted. It was agonising. Everything about this season had gone right for Arne Slot since taking over from Jurgen Klopp. It was remarkable really.

That was, however, until they faced Luis Enrique’s PSG side. Most Reds will note that they were lucky to win the first leg 1-0 last week but they did not find such fortune on Tuesday evening. In fact, they lost in the cruellest of ways.

Taken to penalties following the dazzling Ousmane Dembele’s first-half goal, the lottery worked out in the Parisien’s favour instead.

Darwin Nunez saw his spot-kick saved, hardly surprising, and then Curtis Jones met the same fate. PSG, on the other hand, did not miss. They rose to the challenge and look like genuine contenders to go all the way and win the Champions League now.

For Liverpool, they will still likely claim the Premier League title in May and have the Carabao Cup final to look forward to on Sunday.

It could be the last two chances of silverware a lot of these Liverpool players have at the club, notably Mohamed Salah who was on the verge of tears at full-time.

Should he go, then they may well sign their very own Dembele.

Liverpool's transfer plans in 2025

Last summer was a strange one for FSG and Slot. Only Federico Chiesa arrived through the door and he’s barely kicked a ball at Anfield all season long.

Yet, with the fear of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all potentially leaving, contingency plans must be put in place.

That explains their interest in another of the Champions League’s star players this term. Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Liverpool are one of the clubs monitoring the progress of Barcelona superstar Raphinha.

Once of Leeds United in the Premier League, the Brazilian has taken his game to new heights this season and is attracting the interest of Newcastle and Arsenal too.

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While the Gunners hold a long-term interest, it’s stated that Liverpool are ‘better equipped financially’ to bring the forward back to English football as they weigh up whether to make a move.

So, what’s he all about?

Why Liverpool need to sign Raphinha

Whether Salah decides to leave Anfield behind, Raphinha would be an extraordinarily good signing by the recruitment team.

Not only does he boast experience of English football but most importantly, he’s a pretty damn good player, a versatile one at that.

Raphinha was largely used off the right-hand side at Leeds but has shown at Barca that he can play on either flank or through the middle. In that sense, he’s a bit like Dembele, the man who terrorised Liverpool over the two legs.

Dembele has been a man-possessed this term, notably scoring 29 goals in all competitions, seven of which have come in ten Champions League ties.

That said, the man who Liverpool want to sign isn’t too far behind for goal involvements throughout 2024/25. In comparison, he’s found the net on 27 occasions, 11 of which have come in Europe.

He’s also provided his teammates with a staggering 19 assists, 13 more than Dembele. It’s hardly a surprise that Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley heralded the 27-year-old as “Europe’s best player in 24/25”.

So, where do the comparisons lie between the two? We’ll let the numbers do the talking here.

Raphinha vs Dembele: League stats in 24/25
Stat (per 90 mins)	Raphinha	Dembele
Goals	0.55	1.29
Assists	0.30	0.32
Progressive carries	3.09	6.77
Progressive passes	4.70	6.90
Key passes	3.14	3.35
Shot-creating actions	5.51	5.87
Goal-creating actions	0.85	0.77
Succesful take-ons	1.69	2.39
Stats via FBref.

While Dembele is ahead of Raphinha in a number of the metrics analysed here, it showcases their high level of productivity in similar areas.

For example, they’re both extremely progressive, whether it be through passing and carrying, while they’ve both registered a near-identical rate of shot-creating and goal-creating actions this term.

In summary, the duo are two of the most dangerous forward players in Europe at this moment in time.

When the time comes for Salah to leave Merseyside behind, it will be no easy task, but in Raphinha, “the best player in the world this season” in the eyes of Spanish football expert Neal Gardner, they’d be signing a man with the minerals to live up to his spellbinding performances.

Not just Nunez: Liverpool star who lost the ball every 3 mins let Slot down

Liverpool exit the Champions League in the last 16 after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 12, 2025

Arsenal are now preparing an £83m offer for a midfielder, who has been identified as a potential alternative to Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, according to reports from Spain.

Gunners linked with Zubimendi move

Zubimendi has been a well-known target for the Gunners for quite some time now, with journalist Steve Kay at one stage suggesting a summer deal is almost inevitable, given that personal terms were agreed a long time ago.

“It’s very close, Arsenal will sign him, they will trigger his release clause in the summer of €60m. Personal terms were agreed in March, but that is a normal thing with the player, that’s the first thing you do. That was done long ago.

Club chiefs are hoping to have the move fully wrapped up prior to the summer transfer window, but it is still yet to be made official, and there are now indications the north Londoners could move on to alternative targets.

Arsenal now scouting former Real Madrid prospect who Cesc Fabregas loves

Fabregas has called him “special” and now the Gunners are keeping an eye…

ByBarney Lane Mar 3, 2025

Last week, it was revealed Arsenal are looking at Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios, who may be brought in instead of Zubimendi, and there has now been a major update on their pursuit of the midfielder.

According to a report from Spain, the Gunners are now preparing a €100m (£83m) offer for Barrios, having identified him as their main target if a move for Zubimendi alludes them.

The Sociedad midfielder is still attracting attention from Real Madrid and other European clubs, so it is by no means a certainty the Spaniard moves to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

There is a belief Barrios could fit perfectly into Mikel Arteta’s team, indicating he is an ideal alternative target, but there may be competition from a number of other Premier League clubs, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool expressing interest.

Barrios could be a suitable Zubimendi alternative

Zubimendi seemingly remains Arsenal’s top target in midfield, but there are signs the 21-year-old Atletico man could also be a solid signing, having established himself as a key player for the Spanish side at a young age.

The Madrid-born midfielder has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season, providing two assists, and he has received high praise for his dribbling ability by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also dubbed him a “future legend”.

The Spaniard is also extremely adept defensively, ranking in the 90th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Barrios is a well-rounded midfielder, who would be useful for Arteta at both ends of the pitch, but he is not yet showing “world-class” signs, unlike Zubimendi, who should remain the top target.

The Pakistan legspinner will provide cover for Tanveer Sangha as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2022

Usman Qadir will be back in the BBL•Associated Press

Sydney Thunder have signed Pakistan legspinner Usman Qadir to bolster their bowling attack for the BBL.He will chiefly provide cover for Tanveer Sangha who has yet to play this season due a stress fracture of his back. Qadir is the fourth overseas player on Thunder’s list alongside Alex Hale, Rilee Rossouw and Fazalhaq Farooqi with a team able to field three in an XI.Farooqi, the Afghanistan quick bowler, was a recent signing after David Willey withdrew from his deal having been Thunder’s platinum signing in the overseas player draft earlier this year.Related

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Qadir, who has played 23 T20Is for Pakistan, has previous BBL experience having played for Perth Scorchers and three years ago had declared an ambition to play for Australia before pursuing his international career with Pakistan.His record for Scorchers was modest with six wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of 8.45. He was a reserve player for Pakistan at the recent T20 World Cup in Australia.”Usman joins us with plenty of experience, having represented Pakistan, and playing in T20 leagues around the world,” Andrew Gilchrist, the head of Sydney Thunder, said. “Importantly, he has firsthand knowledge of Australian conditions, he played for Western Australia and South Australia’s Futures League, so he knows what to expect.”Thunder begin their BBL campaign on the opening day of the tournament against Melbourne Stars in Canberra.Qadir’s father, Abdul, who died in 2019, was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.Sydney Thunder squad Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Usman Qadir, Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner.

Manchester City are now considering an “incredible” manager to replace Pep Guardiola, but there may be competition from Real Madrid, according to a report.

City showing signs of improvement

A 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League back in November consigned Man City to five losses on the bounce, but there have since been signs of improvement, with a top-four finish still very much on the cards.

City avenged their loss against Spurs with a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night, with Erling Haaland striking early in the first half to secure all three points, moving Guardiola’s side above Chelsea and into fourth place.

Although the reigning Premier League champions are still some way off their best, the uptick in form should give them renewed hope of qualifying for the Champions League, before Guardiola continues to rebuild the squad in the summer.

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The 54-year-old signed a new two-year contract to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2027 earlier this season, but there have now been suggestions the Man City hierarchy are looking at potential replacements.

According to a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness), City are considering Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as a heir to Guardiola, should the former Barcelona boss decide to walk away.

There is doubt about whether the Spanish coach will see out his new contract, and if he chooses to move on, the board could make a move for Alonso, who is highly sought-after, with Real Madrid also keen.

However, the Leverkusen manager is not currently interested in leaving the German club, where he has done a stellar job, winning a domestic double last season, while also guiding his side to the final of the Europa League.

"Incredible" Alonso could be a fantastic Pep heir

The former Liverpool player, who earns around £5.12m a year (£98k-per-week), has done a stellar job in his first senior managerial role, receiving high praise from the media for the way in which he has transformed Leverkusen.

As such, Alonso could be a fantastic long-term heir to Guardiola, but City fans and the board alike will no doubt be hoping the manager sees out his contract, despite the drop-off this season, given everything he has achieved at the Etihad Stadium.

The former Bayern Munich boss led City to a famous treble and four Premier League titles on the bounce, and he has maintained an incredible record in the league at every club he’s managed.

Competition

Matches

Guardiola’s points per match

Bundesliga

102

2.52

La Liga

152

2.45

Premier League

331

2.31

As such, while this season has been far from ideal, there is no manager better suited to orchestrating the summer rebuild than Guardiola.

Tottenham may have to sell some of their players if they are to bring in new signings in the summer transfer window.

Article continues below

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• Spurs need to sell to buy this summer
• Atletico Madrid target Romero on chopping block
• Levy warned against club overspending

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Spurs are in a position to splash £200 million ($267m) on new signings without breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), reports, but the likes of Cristian Romero, Richarlison and Yves Bissouma may have to be sold to generate funds.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The north London side spent heavily last summer as they bought Dominic Solanke in a club record deal alongside Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert. Their last set of accounts showed their net transfer debt to be almost £280m ($373m), leaving them in a precarious situation as they plan to strengthen the squad in the transfer window.

  Chairman Daniel Levy said when the figures were released: "We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club – indeed, our off-pitch revenues have significantly supplemented the lower football revenues this year, testament to our diversified income strategy."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Argentine centre-back Romero is in talks over a move to Atletico Madrid after suggesting he is open to leaving the Premier League club. Richarlison has struggled with injury for much of the season and was the subject of a bid from Flamengo in January, while Bissouma has been linked with a switch to Aston Villa.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SPURS?

  Ange Postecoglou's team have endured a woeful domestic season, but they could still qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. They face Athletic Club in the first leg of the semi-final tie on Thursday and success in the competition would boost Postecoglou's hopes of avoiding the sack.

Chelsea are in active talks to seal their first signing of 2025, as BlueCo and Todd Boehly set their sights on a versatile forward for manager Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea target new forward as Christopher Nkunku eyes January exit

The west Londoners could be forced to push for a Christopher Nkunku replacement pretty soon, as the Frenchman is reliably believed to have agreed personal terms on a switch to Bayern Munich.

Sky Sports react as Chelsea target striker who can bag "40 goals a season"

The west Londoners have made contact.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 16, 2025

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has reported that Nkunku is Bayern’s top target for the winter, and the 27-year-old has reached a verbal agreement on his potential contract at the Allianz Area. The Bavarians are also looking to snap him up for Vincent Kompany as soon as possible.

Credible media sources closer to home indicate that Chelsea will push for a Nkunku replacement if the striker does depart, leacing to their widely reported interest in one of Bayern’s young stars in Mathys Tel, who has struggled for game time under Kompany.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

January 20

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (home)

February 22

That being said, a Sky panelist claimed earlier this week that it will be very difficult for Chelsea to get Tel out of Bayern, and their sporting director Christoph Freund has attempted to pour cold water over the prospect of him leaving before February 3.

“He is a very important player for us,” said Freund. “He’s a great talent. Our clear goal is for Mathys to make his breakthrough with us.

“We are very happy with our squad, both quality and quantity wise. Of course, if a player is unhappy, we can talk about it. But the clear plan with Mathys is for him to make his breakthrough here.”

Chelsea have made another approach to Liam Delap’s agents as an alternative option to succeed Nkunku (Simon Phillips), while Bundesliga insider Christian Falk of Sport Bild now claims they’re actively pursuing Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi.

Chelsea in talks to sign Karim Adeyemi for this summer

The German was sporadically linked with Chelsea in the build up to January, and Falk says that the 22-year-old remains a serious transfer target for them.

According to the reliable reporter, Chelsea are in talks to sign Adeyemi right now, but there is a catch, as this would be for the summer and he wouldn’t arrive this month.

Adeyemi boasts 10 goal contributions from 11 appearances in all competitions (five goals, five assists),including a hat-trick in the Champions League, and can play anywhere across the front three, even as a centre-forward. Other reports have stated he could cost up to £30 million, with his deal expiring in just over two years.

Celtic suffered their first defeat of the Scottish Premiership season and their first defeat of 2025 with a 3-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox on Thursday.

The team’s only other loss in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign came at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, a 7-1 defeat, in the Champions League in Germany.

It was a game that the Hoops never really got going in and they never seemed to recover from the early setback they faced when Ianis Hagi planted a shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards in the seventh minute.

There was never a sustained spell of pressure from the away side to get an equaliser, with Celtic having one shot on target in the 90 minutes, before they allowed Robin Propper to score, unmarked, in the 66th minute after a scramble from a corner.

The match was all but over at that point and Danilo wrapped up the win for the hosts by sliding the ball past Kasper Schmeichel for the third in the 81st minute.

It was a disastrous performance from the Hoops and one that included a number of players not living up to their usual high standards for the Hoops.

Celtic's worst performers against Rangers

Firstly, there is no getting away from the error that Liam Scales made in the build-up to the opening goal from Hagi, with a stray pass into midfield that was jumped on by the Gers – directly leading to the opening goal.

The Ireland international was selected on the left side of the defence, next to Cameron Carter-Vickers, ahead of Auston Trusty and let his manager down with that mistake.

Scales was far from the only Celtic player to make an error on the pitch at Ibrox, though, as central midfielder Reo Hatate also endured a frustrating afternoon on the other side of Glasgow.

The Japan international ended the match with zero chances created, zero ground duels won, zero tackles, zero interceptions, and two errors that directly led to shots for the opposition.

Right-back Alistair Johnston had similar issues to Hatate in the game, winning two of his nine duels and failing to make a single tackle or interception, whilst also giving the ball away a whopping 20 times.

Another player who struggled at Ibrox was centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi, as the Japan international failed to get involved in the match for most of his performance.

Minutes

64

Shots

0

Big chances created

0

Passes made

5/8

Duels won

0/1

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic forward carried little threat, with his only shot in the match ultimately ruled out for offside, and did not compete with Dujon Sterling or Robin Propper in physical battles to hold the ball up.

Another player the Scottish giants must ditch from the starting XI for the clash with St Mirren at Parkhead on Sunday is left winger Daizen Maeda.

Daizen Maeda's performance against Rangers

The Japan international started on the left flank for the Hoops and failed to make the desired impact in or out of possession, despite playing against a player out of position.

With James Tavernier injured and Sterling required at centre-back for Rangers, left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, who started for just the fourth time this season in the Premiership, started on the right side of the backline for Philippe Clement.

This meant that Maeda was directly up against a left-footed right-back who was not fully match sharp, yet failed to get the better of him physically or technically.

The Japanese lightweight lost 83% (5/6) of his duels and 100% (5/5) of his ground duels in the match, which shows that Yilmaz dominated him from a physical perspective.

He also lost possession of the ball 12 times in total, without scoring or assisting a goal, as the forward was wasteful with his use of the ball on the flank.

Minutes

90

Shots on target

0

Key passes

0

Duels won

1/6

Possession lost

12x

As you can see in the table above, Maeda offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch for Celtic, with zero shots on target and zero chances created.

His performance was summed up by him missing a good chance to get a headed shot on goal at the back post, heading the ball down onto his own foot and out of play. During Sky Sports’ live coverage of the match, pundit Chris Sutton described his display as “very clumsy” after that incident.

Why Daizen Maeda should be dropped

Brendan Rodgers must, now, ruthlessly ditch the Japanese winger from the starting XI after his disappointing performance against Rangers, that lacked physicality and technical quality.

A lack of quality in the final third has been a consistent issue for Maeda throughout the Premiership season, although he had scored in successive matches in the two games before the trip to Ibrox.

The 27-year-old has only produced four goals and three assists in 18 appearances in the Scottish top-flight, less than one goal contribution every other game on average.

Maeda has failed to provide regular contributions as a scorer or a creator of goals down the left flank, despite starting 15 of those games, and has struggled in other areas of the game.

Appearances

18

Goals

4

Big chances missed

9

Assists

3

Dribble success rate

28%

Duel success rate

33%

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic attacker has been incredibly poor at taking on opposition full-backs this season, completing just 28% of his attempted dribbles.

His lack of quality in that respect was on show at Ibrox on Thursday as the rarely-seen Yilmaz, playing out of position, had an easy afternoon against the Hoops wide man, who offered very little at the top end of the pitch.

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Celtic were brought crashing back down to earth on Thursday afternoon

3 ByRobbie Walls Jan 2, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers, particularly with the game coming just a few days later, should drop Maeda from the starting XI and hand an opportunity to another player to shine, whether that is James Forrest, Luis Palma, or Hyun-jun Yang.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após inúmeros casos de racismo no futebol sul-americano recentemente, o presidente da CBF,Ednaldo Rodrigues, decidiu propor à Conmebol punições mais severas como a retirada de pontos. Segundo o “ge”, a entidade brasileira vai enfiar um ofício ao órgão da América do Sul nesta sexta-feira.

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-Não concordo com apenas multa financeira ao clube que tiver um torcedor racista. Não se combate a discriminação apenas aumentando a multa. Tem que ser de forma mais dura. O clube precisa sofrer uma punição esportiva. Quero que o time do torcedor identificado cometendo um ato racista perca pelo menos um ponto na tabela do campeonato. Só assim acredito que vamos pacificar os estádios – declarou Ednaldo Rodrigues.

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Na semana passada, depois de uma semana marcada por pelo menos quatro casos de racismo contra clubes brasileiros na Copa Libertadores, a Conmebol afirmou que iria ser mais rigorosa. A entidade, entretanto, não citou quais medidas iria tomar.

-O clube tem que ser punido por não ter conseguido educar o torcedor que entra no seu estádio. Com a punição esportiva ao clube, conseguimos envolver o torcedor nesta luta antirracista. O torcedor seria um fiscal contra o preconceito na arquibancada – completou o presidente da CBF.

+200 dias para a Copa do Mundo: veja os jogadores praticamente certos e os que estão na briga por vaga

Além de tentar mudanças junto à Conmebol, Ednaldo Rodrigues declarou que irá implementar novas sanções em casos que acontecerem no Brasil. Como o regulamente de competições de 2022 já foi aprovado, as medidas deverão ficar para 2023.

-Quero propor uma ampla discussão aqui no Brasil para a próxima temporada. Vou pedir a perda de pelo menos um ponto a partir do ano que vem. Essa discussão vai ser boa para ver quem realmente quer combater o racismo no futebol – citou.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Poker, marca especializada em luvas para goleiros e artigos esportivos, anunciou nesta quinta-feira a renovação de contrato com o goleiro Weverton. Atual bicampeão da Libertadores e campeão paulista, o craque do Palmeiras e da Seleção Brasileira seguirá como parceiro da marca até o final de 2024.

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– Se eu pudesse resumir a parceria com a Poker ao longo de todos esses anos, seria ‘vencedora’. São mais de 10 anos de parceria e 10 anos de evolução e títulos. Ganhei Olimpíadas com a Seleção (2016), também fiz grandes jogos pela Seleção e pelo Palmeiras. A Poker sempre esteve ali, me ajudando. Fico feliz por mim e também por expor a marca assim – comemora Weverton.

+Morte de Freddy Rincón ganha repercussão na imprensa internacional

A Poker é a principal marca de esportes do país, com mais de 35 anos de história e 4.000 lojas atendidas pelo Brasil. São nove linhas de produtos, divididas em 4 grandes focos estratégicos: futebol, natação, ciclismo e fitness. A meta é oferecer produtos diferenciados e competitivos no mercado.

– A luva é o principal companheiro de um goleiro. É importante você ter em suas mãos algo que você confie 100%. É muito bom saber que vou poder continuar usando produtos de qualidade. Para mim, o grande diferencial da Poker é ter variedade, são inúmeros modelos. Isso nos dá muita segurança antes dos jogos. Fico feliz com o crescimento da marca. Sou muito grato por fazer parte deste grande time – completou o experiente atleta, de 34 anos.

A marca busca satisfazer as necessidades dos esportistas em suas diversas modalidades. Por isso, além de Weverton, patrocina outros grandes goleiros e goleiras no campo, nas quadras e nas areias do Brasil, além de dois grandes nadadores: Fernando Schefer e André Pereira.

Everson e Jandrei renovados

A Poker patrocina mais de 60 atletas em 14 estados. Outros grandes nomes são Hugo Souza, do Flamengo, e Everson, de volta ao time da Poker. Atual campeão brasileiro, da Copa do Brasil e da Supercopa, o defensor do Atlético-MG está de volta e assinou contrato até o final de 2024. Outro que renovou o vínculo com a Poker foi Jandrei, do São Paulo.

A marca tem parcerias ainda com outros grandes goleiros das Séries A e B, como Brenno, Daniel, Danilo Fernandes, Fernando Miguel, Júlio César, Cleiton, Muralha e Jailson.

Just as Wolverhampton Wanderers fans must have thought their relegation-threatened side had turned a corner, a 4-2 defeat at the hands of AFC Bournemouth would grimly greet them.

Gary O’Neil would have been doubly upset at the outcome of the Cherries encounter having previously managed the away side before taking up the Old Gold vacancy.

A number of the Wolves first-team failed to spark into life in this action-packed defeat, as relegation concerns overwhelm the West Midlands outfit once more.

Wolves' underperformers vs Bournemouth

It wasn’t a display that was completely devoid of any positivity, however, with Jorgen Strand Larsen impressing again for the Old Gold in attack with two strikes in the high-octane contest.

But, it was the defenders that really struggled to keep tabs on the confident Bournemouth attackers, away from any plus points involving the Nordic forward.

Toti Gomes would, in particular, stand out as a notable underperformer at the back, with the out-of-sorts centre-back gifting Bournemouth their first penalty of the day after he rashly tangled with Justin Kluivert after only three minutes.

Moreover, Jose Sa between the sticks would be at fault for the other two penalties in the frantic clash, as the Portuguese goalkeeper had to fish the ball out of his net a depressing four times.

Away from the defenders, midfielder Joao Gomes would likely have trudged off the Molineux turf frustrated with his performance, which saw the usually forceful number eight only win five of his 13 duels, on top of surrendering possession a costly 13 times.

With their form in mind this term, O’Neil and Co would surely love to turn back time and have this player at their disposal in the centre of the pitch…

Wolves loan flop is now a European sensation

The player in question here is Vitinha, who joined Wolves in the midst of the Portuguese invasion that engulfed the Premier League side in the summer of 2020, with Fabio Silva and Nelson Semedo also joining the Molineux ranks around this time.

Whilst both players remain on the books of the top-flight strugglers to this day, Vitinha walked away from Wolves after an unmemorable loan stint, having only played 22 times for the club with just one goal and one assist registered next to his name.

His only strike for the West Midlands side would amazingly come away at non-league Chorley in the FA Cup, with the slick 5 foot 8 ace now front and centre of Luis Enrique’s new-look Paris St. Germain, away from playing against obscure teams from England.

The PSG number 17 is 109 games down at the Parc Des Princes after a bumper £35m move from Porto took place in 2022, with the 25-time Portugal international stunning last time out in Ligue 1 action versus Nantes, whilst Wolves stumbled to defeat in the Premier League.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

3

Big chances missed

1

Touches

183

Accurate passes

158/169 (93%)

Key passes

6

Staggeringly, Vitinha would end up amassing a ridiculous 183 touches of the ball up against Antoine Kombouaré’s visitors, with 158 accurate passes also managed as a constant livewire attempting to make things happen for his French employers.

Wolves would love to have their former flop back if he could dazzle in the top flight in a similar manner, as opposed to the uninspiring displays he conjured up during his brief spell at Molineux, with the Old Gold even deciding against buying him outright at the end of the loan.

That might well be a decision that they now regret, with Vitinha aiming to keep these stylish displays for PSG coming all the whole O’Neil’s men anxiously battle against relegation back in England.

86 touches: Wolves star has just given O'Neil a big selection headache

Wolves ace has given O’Neil a big selection headache in new position

ByConnor Holden Dec 1, 2024