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Barcelona have released stunning new images of their €1.5 billion Camp Nou redevelopment project, amid hopes of returning home in 2026.

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• Catalan giants had hoped to be home by now
• Reduced capacity possible early in 2025-26
• Still work to be done on stands & roof structure

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The initial plan was for La Blaugrana to be back in familiar surroundings by now, but completion dates in Catalunya have been revised on a regular basis. That means Hansi Flick’s side continue to turn out at the iconic 1992 Olympic Stadium.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Work at Camp Nou began in the summer of 2023, with the capacity of that venue being raised to 105,000. It is still yet to welcome any spectators through the doors, with a lot of work yet to be completed.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Positive progress is, however, being made. There are now suggestions that Barca could play home games at Camp Nou from September 2025, albeit with a reduced capacity in place. The entire project could be signed off in early 2026.

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• TELL ME MORE

  Barcelona have revealed that the grass on their new pitch is nearly fully laid. More seats are now in place, as the famous stadium is brought back to life, but the installation of an eye-catching roof is yet to begin – and it is that which will further delay a return to a completed structure.

Manchester United could see at least one member of Ruben Amorim’s squad depart before the winter transfer window closes on Monday after a European giant came forward to try to take one of their stars on loan for the second half of the season.

Manchester United transfer news

Amorim is closing in on the first signing of his United tenure after it emerged that the Red Devils had reached a verbal agreement to sign Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu. United have agreed to pay an initial €30m plus a further €5m in bonuses for the Danish international, who was also wanted by Chelsea and Tottenham in recent transfer windows.

His arrival will solve a problem position for Amorim, with Dorgu likely to take up the left wing-back role for the former Sporting boss in a move that in turn could see Tyrell Malacia leave Old Trafford on loan before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Man Utd make first contact to sign "magnificent" bargain Nkunku alternative

They’ve made their first move…

2

By
Tom Cunningham

Jan 29, 2025

There is scope to make further signings, but they may well depend on exits from the Theatre of Dreams, with Alejandro Garnacho on the radars of both Chelsea and Napoli and any deal with the Blues potentially including a move for Christopher Nkunku.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford could also leave the club after being frozen out by Amorim, though the Red Devils are still struggling to find a club to match his massive wages, believed to be as high as £300,000 per week. Now, another star could be out of the club by the time the window shuts, but it may require Manchester United to get creative.

European giants want midfielder on loan

That comes as a report from The Daily Mail, backed up by claims in Italy, suggests that Roma are keen to sign midfielder Casemiro on loan for the remainder of the campaign. The Giallorossi have stabilised after a difficult start to the season, and are looking to add to their ranks after parting ways with Enzo Le Fee earlier in the transfer window.

And they have identified Casemiro as the man to help them, with the Brazilian having been dubbed “magnificent” by former boss Erik ten Hag but Amorim having largely frozen him out since his arrival.

Though he started the first two Premier League games of his reign, he has since been reduced to two substitute appearances in the top flight.

In his place, Amorim has turned to young talent Toby Collyer, who has impressed in his limited opportunities to date in a Manchester United shirt. But Casemiro remains the club’s highest earner taking home a massive £350,000 a week for his time on the bench.

This is well beyond Roma’s scope, and it is reported that “United would have to subsidise his wages” for a move to happen, which could be problematic. For his part, “Casemiro is said to be open to the move”, but Manchester United are not actively looking to move him on unless a significant offer arrives, with previous reports suggesting that Saudi Arabia could be his most likely destination but those links since having gone cold.

As a result, a move is unlikely barring a late change of heart from the Red Devils, which is likely to revolve around sourcing a replacement for the Brazilian. Though clearly not part of Amorim’s plans, his departure would further vacate an already depleted midfield at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has warned Manchester United that their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club is not over despite a 3-0 win in the first leg.

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• Man Utd win 3-0 against Athletic Club
• Casemiro goal followed by Bruno brace
• Amorim warns tie 'is not done'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United travelled to San Mames to take on Athletic Club for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final expecting a difficult outing. However, the Red Devils cruised through Los Leones as they took a three-goal lead before half-time, with centre-back Dani Vivian was sent off controversially.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United were faultless throughout the clash at San Mames, as a goal from Casemiro followed by a brace from Bruno Fernandes helped them secure a crucial 3-0 win away from home. The two sides will lock horns next Thursday at Old Trafford, and Amorim has fired a warning to his players that the tie is not yet over despite their massive win.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim said: "The result is really good, but we have to understand the result at the same time. We struggled a lot at the beginning and the sending off changed the game. Any game can change with one situation. We had an opportunity to score one more. This is not done and they can do the same at Old Trafford. They're really strong and intense. We need to be prepared. Manuel Ugarte with a lot of experience was a little nervous, Patrick [Dorgu] was nervous. Players like Casemiro, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes help a lot."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Amorim has admitted that United 'have an advantage', when they host Athletic Club at Old Trafford on Thursday, May 8, as they continue their hunt to qualify for the Champions League. The Portuguese coach said: "Of course we are have an advantage. We have our fans, but again this could change. Anything can happen in one game. We need to be really careful with our players against Brentford. Noussair Mazraoui is dead, Patrick Dorgu is tried – we have to manage the players."

Jose Mourinho claimed that Galatasaray's impending Turkish Super Lig title success was pre-determined after Fenerbahce lost to Besiktas on Sunday.

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• Mourinho claims Galatasaray success pre-determined
• Fenerbahce lost to Besiktas on Sunday
• Gala lead by eight points with four games left

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Besiktas beat Fenerbahce 1-0 on Sunday, meaning Mourinho's team are now eight points off leaders Galatasaray with just four matches remaining at the top of the Turkish Super Lig. Mourinho claims poor refereeing has let his team down and that they never stood a real chance of lifting the trophy.

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  WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  Mourinho said after losing the battle against fellow ex-Manchester United boss Solskjaer: "When some of your players don't perform well enough, it affects your collective performance as well. The outcome of the league was determined before the league even started. The games we lost at home were decisive. VAR decisions, referee decisions. I am so tired of talking about these. I have no power, nothing changes, but this is the situation, this is the truth."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho has regularly complained about refereeing this season, forcing the Turkish FA to appoint Slovenian referees in charge of Fenerbahce's game against Galatasaray in February. That game was the beginning of a new row, when Galatasaray accused Mourinho of making racist statements about their staff.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

  Fenerbahce still have four matches to play this season, beginning with Istanbul Basaksehir on Friday. They must win to delay Galatasaray's official crowning as champions. It has been reported that Mourinho won't stick around in Turkey for the final year of his contract, and he did little to silence speculation over his future after Fenerbahce's latest defeat.

  "I am not speaking about next season," he said. "I will speak internally, not to the media.
  If there is something, out of respect to the president and the board, I will not bring it into the public."

Manchester United have now cut their asking price for one of their top young stars after all but completing a deal for full-back Patrick Dorgu, according to a new report.

Patrick Dorgu deal to go through this weekend

Manchester United fans were given some good news to brighten what has been an otherwise disappointing season this week as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that the club have reached a “verbal agreement” to sign Dorgu from Leece.

“Patrick Dorgu to Manchester United, here we go!” Romano wrote on X, using his trademark catchphrase to confirm the news. “Verbal agreement in place with Lecce, documents to be checked in next 24h.”

Romano said that the fee for Dorgu, who has been on United’s radar since the turn of the year, will be £25 million with £4 million in add-ons not guaranteed, while the player has already agreed personal terms.

Man Utd now reach verbal agreement with one step left in Patrick Dorgu deal

He will be Ruben Amorim’s first new signing at Old Trafford.

By
Ben Browning

Jan 29, 2025

On Thursday, Romano then provided another update on Dorgu’s move to Old Trafford, revealing that there had been a delay in his medical, but that the move will still go ahead as planned.

With Amorim’s first signing on the way however, it looks as though INEOS are going to be forced to balance the books in the closing days of the window.

United lower Garnacho asking price

In light of Dorgu’s move to Manchester, United have now reportedly lowered their price for Alejandro Garnacho, who has been widely linked with a move to Chelsea. According to Corriere dello Sport, the Red Devils had previously wanted £60 million for the Argentine, but would now be willing to accept an offer in the region of £45 million.

The publication claims that with United signing Dorgu, they now have to make a big sale in order to remain in compliance with the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Garnacho has also been linked with Serie A club Napoli, who are reportedly eyeing the young winger as a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was sold to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month.

Amid the rumours that Garnacho could be set to leave Old Trafford, United boss Amorim recently spoke of his pleasure of having the 20-year-old in his squad.

“I’m happy to have Garnacho here,” he told TNT Sports. “He’s improving a lot. He’s a young talented guy.”

The mood around Arsenal might not be ideal at the moment, but in the grand scheme of things, the club are in a far better position than they were when Mikel Arteta took charge.

The Spaniard took the reins in December 2019, when the team were languishing in midtable, and while it took a few years of finishing outside the top four, he’s now turned them into contenders in the Premier League and Champions League.

A significant reason for the team’s uptick in fortunes has undoubtedly been his leadership and tactical approach, but his signings have been just as important.

Not only has he been able to spend big on established stars, but he’s been able to sign underappreciated players who have since become integral to the side, including one whose value has exploded in recent years.

Arteta's best Arsenal signings

While the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz are often the first players people think about when the topic of Arteta’s signings comes up, understandably so, there are a couple of other stars now of the team who were signed for significantly less.

For example, in the same summer that the club spent £105m on the Englishman, they also spent around £38m on then-Ajax star Jurrien Timber, and while he missed practically all of last season with an ACL injury, he’s been integral to the team this year.

In all, the Dutch international has made 33 first-team appearances this term, and what’s so impressive is that ten of those have come at right-back, ten at left-back and three at centre-back, highlighting how versatile he is.

The same summer the Utrecht-born defender made his way to N5, the club made the surprise decision to add another goalkeeper to the squad in David Raya, who joined on a season-long loan with a £27m option to buy, which was activated last summer.

There were plenty of detractors at the time who could not understand why the manager wanted another shot-stopper when he already had Aaron Ramsdale in the side, but over the last campaign and a half, the Spaniard has shown the doubters exactly why the manager wanted him.

He’s incredibly calm on the ball, sits in the top 4% of keepers across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, for percentage of crosses stopped and won the Premier League’s Golden Glove award last season.

Both Timber and Raya have become key parts of Arteta’s title-challenging squad, but there’s another player who was signed a few years ago who is arguably even more important and has a lofty valuation to suggest as much.

The Arsenal star whose valuation has exploded

There are a few of Arteta’s signings who could fit the bill here, from Gabriel Magalhaes to, once again, Timber and Raya, but in this instance, the star in question plays further up the pitch and has a lot more responsibility on his shoulders.

The player in question is, Martin Odegaard, who joined the club on a permanent deal worth up to £34m with add-ons in August 2021, following a reasonably successful short-term loan the season prior.

Since then, the “sensational” Norwegian maestro, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, has become an incredibly important member of the team, as demonstrated by Arteta handing him the captaincy at just 23 years old and his lofty valuation of up to €140m from Football Transfers.

That converts to around £117m, which is a staggering increase of around 244% from the price the Gunners paid for him just three and a half years ago.

Now, it has to be said that so far this season, the former Real Madrid prospect has not played anywhere near his best, and while his ankle injury certainly hasn’t helped in that regard, a return of three goals and six assists in 25 games just isn’t good enough.

That said, fans shouldn’t turn their backs on the Drammen-born magician just yet, as last season, he ended up with a haul of 22 goal involvements in 48 games while winning the club’s Player of the Year Award for the second campaign running.

Moreover, the year before that, he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 45 games.

Ultimately, while Odegaard is having a campaign to forget this year, he has been one of Arsenal’s best players for a few years now, and for that, it’s hard to argue against the increase in his valuation.

Better than Havertz & Watkins: Arsenal must rue losing amazing star for £0

The sensational talent would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 10, 2025

Manchester United keeper Altay Bayindir has been accused of celebrating a West Ham goal during their 2-0 defeat to the Hammers on Sunday.

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• Man Utd lost 2-0 to West Ham
• Bowen scored second
• Fans believe Bayindir celebrated goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The incident that triggered the outrage came during West Ham’s second goal, which was netted by Bowen, following an assist from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, ironically, a former Manchester United player. While the Hammers wheeled away in jubilation, cameras caught Bayindir reacting in a way that has only now drawn suspicion.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Footage posted on West Ham’s official TikTok account showed Bayindir turning toward the stands behind him, clenching both fists and letting out a roar, behaviour that many interpreted as celebratory rather than dejected. Given the context, fans were quick to question his motives, sparking a wave of backlash online.

  The viral TikTok clip was captioned provocatively: "Did the goalkeeper celebrate?" and in the comment section, supporters of both clubs weighed in, some demanding answers from the Turkish goalkeeper.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  The clip then reached X, formerly Twitter, where more fans reacted to Bayindir's actions.

  One fans, @FPLOlympian, suggested: "Bayindir definitely captained Bowen in his FPL team."

  While @Summerville_fan seconded and wrote: "I’m trying to think of an excuse for him but can’t. He actually celebrated. 🤣😭😂."

  Meanwhile, @TabloideGunner said: "Bayindir bet his entire salary on Bowen to a goal. MASTERCLASS."

  Whereas @UtdPrince0_0 wrote: "I can't even fathom an excuse for Bayindir here wtf😂😂."

  And a West Ham fan @WhufcSloth wrote: "Celebrated more than Kudus… 😂."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ruben Amorim's men now face a daunting run of fixtures. Next up is a clash with Chelsea, who are fighting for a Champions League place. Following that, United head to Bilbao to face Tottenham in the Europa League final, a match that could determine whether the club salvages silverware from an otherwise dismal campaign. The Red Devils will conclude their season at home against a resurgent Aston Villa side.

The Premier League's two worst teams this season who haven't been relegated will meet in Bilbao with a place in the Champions League also on the line

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October 30, 2021. Tottenham hosted Manchester United in a match dubbed by the media as 'El Sackico'. New Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo had made a poor impression after accepting the job that summer, while Red Devils legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had taken the team backwards despite a promising 2020-21 campaign and the additions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho to his squad.

The premise was simple: If there were to be a loser in north London, they would inevitably be fired and replaced by Italian coach Antonio Conte, who was keen to return to the Premier League. United ran out 3-0 winners and Nuno was given his marching orders.

Nearly four years on, a somewhat similar but completely different scenario is in play. Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham and Ruben Amorim's United will face off in the Europa League final on Wednesday in what has been billed as one of the lowest-quality European showpiece events of all time. They sit 17th and 16th in the Premier League, respectively, heading to the Estadio San Mames in Bilbao and would be facing far more scrutiny had their continental exploits been less fruitful and fortuitous.

Postecoglou, irrespective of what happens in Bilbao, ought to be a dead man walking, while Amorim has minimal excuses left to lean on to keep himself in the Old Trafford job.

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  Bounce that never came

  Amorim officially took the United gig on November 11 having failed to delay his arrival from Sporting CP until the end of the season. The Portuguese's impressive European form, including a 4-1 thrashing of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, gave the Red Devils hope that his skillset would be transferable into a Premier League setting. Caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy also left the team in a better place after leading them through an unbeaten four-match stint, building some momentum heading into an international break.

  A 1-1 draw at a dogged Ipswich Town was Amorim's first taste of English football, and given the Tractor Boys' limp relegation back to the Championship since, it's a result that has not aged particularly well. In their next home league game, United breezed past Everton 4-0, but that remains their most convincing win of the domestic season by miles. They went to Manchester City and won 2-1 with a smash-and-grab comeback late on, while they held both Liverpool and Arsenal to draws and knocked the Gunners out of the FA Cup on penalties, but that's all there's been to shout about from the Stretford End.

  There is little to suggest Amorim's methods are effective despite United's European run. They have taken only 24 points from his 26 Premier League games at the helm – extrapolated over a 38-match season, that works out at 35 points, four fewer than their current tally.

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  Out of chances

  After smashing City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium back in November, Tottenham sat sixth in the Premier League table, but were only three points off the top five and four off second place. Fresh out of the blocks from the final international break until March, the feeling was they had finally discovered the momentum needed to kick on and find some consistency.

  Then everything came crashing down. A couple of days later, it emerged goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario played much of that seismic victory with a fractured ankle, which required surgery and around two months of recovery. The bodies started to drop like flies – pretty much no one in the entire first-team squad was spared from injury over the winter, with the most notable absentees being starting centre-back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

  Spurs failed to win any of their next five games, setting the tone for the long winter ahead. They progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup – knocking out United along the way – but won only one of their 11 league matches after seeing off City, and that came against rock-bottom Southampton.

  For the most part, Postecoglou was given grace by supporters, critics and Spurs personnel alike due to an unprecedented injury crisis as he regularly leaned on young players and teenagers to plug gaps in the squad. Tottenham's thrill-a-minute principles didn't wane and the expectation was once key members returned to fitness that results would improve. Alas, that has not happened, and if anything performances have only worsened to the point of no return, even with silverware hanging in the balance.

  In the Europa League, Spurs have developed a streetwise savviness that has served them well, yet they look a million miles off the pace domestically. 'Ange-ball' doesn't work on a week-to-week basis, and if they head coach won't change his ways, the head coach must be changed.

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  Too stubborn for the wrong reasons

  "It's just who we are mate," were the unforgettable words uttered by Postecoglou after nine-man Tottenham lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea in one of the craziest and most chaotic London derbies in the Premier League era back in November 2023. Spurs had tried to squeeze the Blues so high at their two-player disadvantage that they played an offside trap on the halfway line, and this gung-ho approach has largely been the story of the Australian's reign.

  Meanwhile, Amorim has routinely insisted that he will not change his methodology or practicality of his own approach, despite it barely getting off the ground domestically and often having to fit square peg player profiles into round hole positions.

  Both Tottenham and United have been Jekyll and Hyde like this season, however. Postecoglou and Amorim have shown tremendous in-game adaptability during their European runs, only for this to act as a safety blanket over their job security, and they play fast-and-loose football in the Premier League like a testing arena for their mad scientist experiments. If they had shown any sort of desire to tweak tactics domestically, they certainly wouldn't be hovering directly above the drop zone.

  The two-sided question hanging over Postecoglou and Amorim then is do you stick with them because they have shown this tactical nous, or get rid because they have actively chosen to ignore that aspect of their coaching?

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  Overplaying the sympathy card

  Many of Amorim's press conferences this season have seen him figuratively pulling his hair out. The most infamous came back in January when United were beaten at home by Brighton: "I am not naïve. We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United. We have to acknowledge that and change that. In 10 games in the Premier League we won three, I know that. Imagine this for a fan of Man United, imagine this for me. You are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. Imagine that. We need to survive this moment. I know that."

  While Amorim hasn't totally stooped to such self-deprecation since, he has not been afraid to make a bleak picture appear even bleaker. He most recently had to walk back on claims he could quit due to bad results, though did admit he is wary he would be sacked instead if there is no uptick in form.

  Postecoglou coasted through the middle third of the season in large part thanks to that aforementioned injury crisis, and the majority of Spurs' defeats this season have actually only come by one goal, suggesting in the long run there is scope for these results to be flipped back the other way with a bit more nuance. He hasn't, however, helped himself with his intense approach that didn't lend itself to the scarce resources at his disposal.

  What's been difficult for both managers is that the only way to silence doubters and negativity in sports is through results, but they've barely given themselves a chance at success in the Premier League. If they were mid-table, they could be excused, but neither United or Spurs can even luck their way to points anymore.

Leeds United took another big step towards the Premier League with a huge 2-1 victory over promotion-chasing Sunderland at Elland Road on Monday night.

The Whites were up against the fourth-placed side in the division and had the chance to move seven points clear of third place, after Burnley’s 0-0 draw with Preston North End at the weekend.

A first-half strike from Wilson Isidor put the away side 1-0 up heading into the break and it looked like Daniel Farke’s side were on course to pass up their chance to extend their lead at the top.

As you can see in the highlights above, however, substitute centre-back Pascal Struijk came up with two headers to turn the game around and secure all three points for the hosts on the night.

The West Yorkshire outfit are now well on course to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League as they sit seven points clear of third place with 13 matches left to play in the Championship.

Leeds were last promotion to the top-flight under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2019/20 campaign, and Kalvin Phillips was integral to their success the next season.

Kalvin Phillips' step up to the Premier League

The Whites academy graduate was a pivotal figure in the Bielsa era at Elland Road because of his performances in both the Championship and the Premier League.

Phillips, who currently plays for Ipswich Town, started 37 of the club’s 46 league matches in the 2019/20 season to help his side to promotion to the top-flight.

It was then down to the England international, and his teammates, to make the step up to the Premier League to ensure that they did not drop straight back down to the Championship in the following season.

The defensive midfielder went on to play 29 of the club’s 38 top-flight matches in the 2020/21 campaign as Leeds finished inside the top ten, avoiding relegation by a mile.

As you can see in the table above, Phillips was an outstanding defensive force in the middle of the park for the Whites in comparison to his fellow midfielders in the Premier League that term.

The English brute consistently made tackles and interceptions to win possession back for his side, which prevented the opposition from creating chances whilst also creating opportunities for the likes of Raphinha and Rodrigo to cause problems on the counter-attack.

As shown in the highlights above, Phillips was far more than just a destroyer, as he also provided quality on the ball as a dribbler and a passer in the 2020/21 campaign.

He ended that Premier League season with five ‘big chances’ created and a pass accuracy of 85%, showing that the midfield star provided quality in and out of possession for Bielsa.

Farke may have his own version of Phillips brewing at Leeds in the form of central midfielder Darko Gyabi, who is currently out on loan at Plymouth Argyle.

Darko Gyabi's progression at Plymouth

The former Manchester City prospect initially joined the Pilgrims on loan from Leeds for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, before returning for a season-long loan this term.

Gyabi has made 30 appearances in the Championship so far this term and has shown potential to be a future star for Leeds if he can continue to progress and develop as a player.

Analyst Ben Mattinson once described him as a “dominant” force in midfield due to the physicality that he can provide, and added that the midfield whiz “glides through games” because of his athleticism and ability on the ball.

As you can see in the table above, Gyabi has shown progression from his first six months at Argyle to his current form for the Championship side, as he has improved his effectiveness in duels and his efficiency as a passer.

It remains to be seen whether or not the 21-year-old starlet will be able to make the step up to the Premier League next season if he returns to Leeds upon promotion to the top-flight, but his performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup recently suggests that the potential is there for him to do so.

Darko Gyabi's Premier League potential

The England youth international had a huge chance to showcase his quality against a Premier League level side when Liverpool came to Pride Park in the fourth round of the FA Cup earlier this month.

Gyabi lined up in the middle of the park against the experienced Wataru Endo and England U21 international Harvey Elliott and caught the eye with a fantastic performance in a historic 1-0 win for the Championship strugglers.

The Leeds United loanee played the full 90 minutes of the impressive result for Plymouth and his performance suggested that the potential is there for him to be Farke’s own version of Kalvin Phillips.

As aforementioned, the England international was a well-rounded midfielder who could offer quality as a passer, dribbler, and defensive force for Bielsa in midfield.

As you can see in the table above, Gyabi produced a dominant midfield display against the Premier League leaders, winning the vast majority of his duels without being dribbled past a single time.

He also showcased his ability on the ball by being reliable with his passes and getting his team up the pitch by completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

These statistics, alongside his progression at Plymouth in the Championship, suggest that Farke could unearth his own version of Phillips by offering Gyabi a chance in the first-team next season, whether that is in the Premier League or not.

He is a physically and technically gifted central midfielder, with plenty of years left ahead of him to develop, and could be a future star for the Whites in midfield.

73% duels lost: Leeds lightweight may be on borrowed time under Farke

The Leeds United attacker may not have a future in the team if they are promoted to the Premier League.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 18, 2025

Mohamed Salah has admitted that he came very close to moving to the Saudi Pro League before he signed a new Liverpool contract.

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• Salah opened up on Saudi offer
• Signed a new Liverpool contract last month
• Finished the 2024-25 campaign with Golden Boot

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Earlier this year, Salah was closely linked with a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia as he was nearing the expiry of his Reds contract. The winger, though, eventually put pen to paper on a new deal and extended his stay at Anfield until 2027.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Egyptian talisman ended the 2024-25 campaign on a high with multiple awards. He won the Golden Boot and Playmaker of the season awards in the Premier League for scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists. He was also named the Football Writers' Association (FWA) men's player of the year for the third time in his career.

• WHAT MOHAMED SALAH SAID

  Speaking to Egyptian TV channel after the club's final game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Salah opened up on the Saudi Pro League offer as he said: "It was a good opportunity to me, if I hadn't renewed with Liverpool it would have happened. My relations with SPL officials are very good, we talked a lot, and the negotiations were serious."

  He added: "The negotiations were long, I know the club's policy [in negotiations], we reached a middle ground that made us all happy. Part of the pressure on the club came from the fans, I know from the start that they wanted me to continue, and they played their role in all of this."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MOHAMED SALAH?

  The 32-year-old remains committed to Liverpool until 2027, but it sounds likely he would consider accepting a move to the Middle East if a similar offer crops up in the future.