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Antonio Conte was manager at Tottenham Hotspur for around 16 months, but it did not quite go how people may have hoped. The Lilywhites first appointed the experienced Italian coach in November 2021, but he left in March of 2023 by mutual consent.

He had a respectable record as manager of the club, despite never really challenging for any trophies. He coached Spurs for 76 games, winning 41 times and losing 23.

In the domestic cups, he failed to get the North Londoners to any finals, reaching the Carabao Cup semi-final in his first season and the FA Cup fifth round in both campaigns.

The second season was particularly disappointing, given the money Conte had to spend in the summer of 2022.

Spurs’ 2022 summer transfer window

The Lilywhites’ summer transfer window in 2022 was certainly a season in which they were well-backed. They made eight signings, although one of those was a loan deal which saw Clement Lenglet join the club from Barcelona. Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster also joined on free transfers.

There were five other major signings made that summer, although one of those, Destiny Udogie, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Udinese, from where he joined Spurs. Another player also moved from Serie A. Cristian Romero joined the Lilywhites on a permanent deal for £42.5m, after joining the club on loan the previous season.

There were also two deals made for players within the Premier League. One of those saw Everton striker Richarlison make the move from Merseyside to North London.

He cost the club £60m, although he has struggled to make a real impact so far. He did score twice against the Toffees in February 2024 in a 2-2 draw.

Yves Bissouma also joined Spurs in 2022, signing from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee in the region of £25m up front and a further £10m in add-ons. He is still an important player in Ange Postecoglou’s side today.

The eighth signing made under Conte that summer has not really worked out for either party, although he does still play for the club. That player is Djed Spence.

Djed Spence’s Spurs career

After an incredibly successful 2021/22 campaign on loan with Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, Spurs took a punt on Spence ahead of Conte’s first full season in charge. He cost £12.5m up front and a further £7.5m in add-ons from Boro.

The right-back was fantastic in Forest’s promotion success in 2021/22. He was an influential member of Steve Cooper’s squad, playing 39 times in the Championship, scoring twice and grabbing five assists.

He also played every minute in the play-offs as Forest beat Sheffield United in the semi-final and Huddersfield in the final.

Spence’s Lilywhites career has been incredibly tough so far. He has played just 11 games for the club across two seasons, having gone on loan in the 2023/24 campaign to Leeds United for the first half of the season and Italian outfit Genoa for the second half.

Season

Competition

Games

Minutes

2022/23

Premier League

4

5

2022/23

Carabao Cup

1

25

2022/23

FA Cup

1

13

2024/25

Premier League

4

64

2024/25

Carabao Cup

1

45

Just weeks after the former England under-21 international made the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Conte revealed it was not a signing he wanted to make. The Italian manager said the “club decided to buy him”, but explained that he hoped he would “become a good, important player” for the club. Sadly, it has not quite worked out like that for the wing-back.

It remains to be seen where Spence’s future lies. Postecoglou may well decide to keep the wing-back at the club, but at this stage it does not seem like he is in his plans.

Once touted as “Premier League quality” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he will surely be desperate to get his career back on track, be it at Spurs or a different club.

He's outscoring Son & Kulu: Spurs must rue losing their own Saka for £0

The incredible talent is now tearing it up for one of Spurs’ biggest rivals.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 30, 2024

Liverpool are believed to have sent scouts to watch a young player with a big future in the game, according to a fresh transfer report.

Liverpool transfer news

Life under Arne Slot couldn’t be going much better for the Reds currently, having opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, following Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa. It is crucial that Liverpool don’t get too comfortable and rest on their laurels, though, and it is important that new signings come in, having had a largely quiet summer transfer window that left plenty of supporters frustrated.

Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush has emerged as arguably the Reds’ primary transfer target and Michael Edwards is reportedly now preparing a £58m offer for the Egyptian. The 25-year-old was again in devastating form over the weekend, scoring and assisting in his team’s 3-2 victory away VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.

Thre is also a huge amount going on behind the scenes regarding new contracts for Liverpool players currently, even away from the much talked-about trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Both Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate could also sign extensions at Anfield, as the club look to tie down their most influential figures.

Liverpool send scouts to watch £25m teenager

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in action for the Ligue 1 club, but other top clubs are also eyeing him up. The other teams in question are AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal and Chelsea, with the 17-year-old considered a player with a massive future in football.

He is “highly rated across Europe”, and while he could cost as much as £25m, it is stated that FSG “could certainly afford him”, as could all the English clubs mentioned.

Bouaddi is understandably not yet a household name, given his age, but while Liverpool fans may not be overly excited about this rumour, his long-term potential makes him a hugely eye-catching option. Despite only being 17 years of age, the Frenchman has already made 30 appearances for Lille, assisting twice, with 18 of those games coming in Ligue 1, showing that he is being trusted at the highest level.

Bouaddi has been hailed as a “10/10 talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while he wouldn’t be arriving at Liverpool as an immediate key starter, given the depth that Slot has in his midfield, he would be one for the future.

Ayyoub Bouaddi’s Ligue 1 stats this season

Total

Appearances

9

Starts

3

Minutes played

308

Goals

0

Assists

1

Pass completion rate

90.3%

Tackles per game

1.6

A midfielder more of the ilk of Martin Zubimendi is arguably needed moving forward, in terms of a No.6 who excels sitting in front of the defence and keeping possession ticking over, and Bouaddi ticks that box, not only completing 90.3% of his passes this season, but also averaging 1.6 tackles per game.

Southampton manager Russell Martin appears to be on the brink of losing his job after another weekend of disappointment for the Saints, according to a new report. Martin has been in charge for over a year now, and while he guided the club to promotion last season, the start to the 2024/25 campaign has put him under pressure, so much so that he could be about to lose his job.

Concern for Southampton after "disappointing" injury news on £25k-p/w star

Another blow for the Saints…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 20, 2024 Martin under pressure as Southampton bosses prepare for change

Southampton have yet to win a game in the league this season, picking up just one point from a possible 24, and that came against fellow promoted side Ipswich Town. Martin’s men did look on course to end that run on Saturday, as they cruised into a 2-0 lead against Leicester City, but they were unable to hold on and in the end were beaten 3-2.

That is a result that has cranked up the pressure even more on Martin, as his job has been under threat for a few weeks now, after it was reported that Dragan Solak was considering replacements. Solak wants the Saints to establish themselves in the Premier League, and given their start to the season, he has been left “reeling”.

There have also been reports that Southampton’s hierarchy have wanted to see a change in approach to matches, as the risky, possession-based football hasn’t worked for them so far in the Premier League.

When Southampton will sack Russell Martin according to reports

According to Football Insider, Martin is on the brink of being sacked by Southampton after their disappointing result against Leicester. It is now eight league games without a win, and that means they sit joint bottom of the Premier League table, three points adrift of safety.

This report states that some at Southampton believe the “writing is on the wall” for Martin even though he will remain in charge of their game against Manchester City at the weekend. It goes on to add that Martin is “expected” to be sacked if Southampton’s poor run of form continues into November, which essentially means after the trip to the Etihad Stadium, which takes place on October 26.

Defeat to Leicester now means the Saints are on an unwanted club record of 21 matches without a win in the top flight. Furthermore, this report adds that while Martin remains in the job, they have drawn up a list of potential replacements.

Games

64

Won

32

Drawn

12

Lost

20

One name that Solak could be looking at is West Brom boss Carlos Corberan, as back in September it was reported that the Saints are continually monitoring the Spaniard, and given the Baggies’ dip in form in recent weeks, he could jump at the chance to move to the St. Mary’s Stadium and manage in the Premier League. It is believed that Corberan has a £2 million release clause in his West Brom contract, which would likely be affordable for Solak.

ظهر ميكيل أرتيتا المدير الفني لفريق آرسنال الإنجليزي، متوترًا بعد المباراة أمام مانشستر يونايتد، خاصة حين سُئل عن صراع اللقب مع ليفربول.

وتعادل آرسنال مع مانشستر يونايتد بهدف لمثله، ليصبح الفارق بينه وبين ليفربول المتصدر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 15 نقطة.

وقال أرتيتا في تصريحات لـ “سكاي سبورتس” “قدمنا ​​أداء استثنائيا في الشوط الأول، لم نختبر حارس المرمى، واجهنا بعض المواقف التي لا تصدق لكننا لم ننجح في التسديدة الأخيرة أو التمريرة الأخيرة”.

وأضاف: “لم نستغل الفرصة، وتسرعنا في المباراة، وبدأنا نخسر المواجهات الثنائية”.

وعن كفاح أرسنال لاستغلال فرصه، أفاد: “في بعض الأحيان هذا هو ما ينقصنا، يجب أن يكون التنفيذ من خلال اللاعب المناسب، واللاعب المناسب للتسديد”.

وأشار: “لم يكن من المقبول كيف استقبلنا الفرص في لحظات معينة، لديهم الكثير من الجودة ويختارون اللاعب المناسب وعادة ما ينتهي ذلك بهدف”.

وأردف: “فتحنا الباب لخسارة المباراة، لم تكن هناك فرصة لخسارة المباراة وفتحناها بأنفسنا، سأدافع عن لاعبي طوال الوقت ولكن في تلك اللحظات يتعين علينا أن نؤدي بشكل أفضل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ديكلان رايس يوجه رسالة تهديد لـ ليفربول بعد تعادل آرسنال مع مانشستر يونايتد

وأستطرد أرتيتا: “من المحبط للغاية أننا لم نفز رغم الهيمنة والفرص التي سنحت لنا في الشوط الأول، فقدنا الكرة من لا شيء، وارتكبنا خطأ، وتفوقنا عليهم في الشوط الثاني، وشعرنا أنهم كانوا مرهقين للغاية”.

وأكمل: “كان التهديد في آخر 25 مترًا هو ما دفعهم إلى فعل شيء، لم يرغبوا في اللعب، أنت تأتي إلى هنا وتريد الفوز بالمباراة، اليوم، كان الأمر محبطًا”.

عندما سُئل عما إذا كان السباق على اللقب قد انتهى الآن، قال أرتيتا: “لا أريد أن أقول ذلك، الإحباط اليوم هو أننا لم نفز بالمباراة، نحن نعلم مدى الإلحاح ونحن ملزمون بالفوز في كل مباراة إذا أردنا أن يكون لدينا أي فرصة للقيام بذلك، لا أعتقد أن هذه هي اللحظة المناسبة للحديث عن ذلك”.

وفي حديثه، بدا أن أرتيتا بدأ يفقد هدوءه عندما سُئل عما إذا كان يندم أم لا على عدم التعاقد مع مهاجم، في ظل عدم تشكيل الفريق لتهديد هجومي أمام مانشستر يونايتد، ورد: “لا، الأمر لا يتعلق بذلك”، قبل أن يبدأ في الابتعاد.

ورفض أرتيتا الإجابة على المراسل حين سُئل عما يعنيه التعادل في ظل الصراع على اللقب مع ليفربول، وأنهى الحديث باقتضاب: “شكرًا لك”، وترك المقابلة عائدًا إلى غرفة الملابس.

Sunderland sit top of the Championship table going into the next round of second-tier fixtures, with Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats hopeful that another three points will be forthcoming.

The Wearside outfit might well be knocked off their perch momentarily by the time their game with Hull City kicks off on Sunday, however, having had to wait an extra day to get back into the swing of things.

Sunderland have managed to pick up some top wins in the division even with Daniel Ballard being missing for a string of matches, with the ex-Arsenal man a star performer for his side when at full sharpness.

Ballard's time at Sunderland

The 25-year-old has been absent for five of his high-flying team’s eight Championship clashes to date, leading to Le Bris having to think on his feet over who he should select at the heart of the defence.

It hasn’t been too much of an unwelcome set of circumstances, however, with the Black Cats picking up three clean sheets in those games Ballard has had to unfortunately sit out from.

That shouldn’t take away from his important role over the past couple of seasons though, with the imposing centre-back a joy to watch last campaign even when results weren’t always at their best, helping himself to an impressive three goals from 43 league contests.

His importance to the cause is reflected in his hefty pay packet, with the Northern Ireland international raking in a weighty £25k-per-week salary, as per Capology.

Therefore, although he is in and out of the first-team fold currently owing to injury setbacks, he will no doubt still play a big role for his side in their ongoing hunt for promotion.

Le Bris will just be thankful he has a long list of reliable defenders at his disposal, with Sunderland falling foul of having some calamitous performers at the back in their recent past, especially when they used to splash the cash on a regular basis in the Premier League.

The big-money signing who earned more than Ballard

Sunderland rather rashly splurged out £8m to win Chelsea flop Papy Djilobodji in 2016, who never settled in well to his Stamford Bridge surroundings, making just one appearance for the Blues before the Black Cats haphazardly welcomed him to Wearside.

His time in England wouldn’t get any better at the Stadium of Light, with the Senegalese dud going on to line up for Sunderland a disastrous 24 times in total with 18 of those coming in the top-flight during the 2016/17 campaign, which culminated in his new employers suffering relegation.

Djilobodji’s PL numbers at Sunderland

Stat

Djilobodji

Games played

18

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Total minutes played

1577 mins

Clean sheets

1

Wage

£35k-per-week

Sourced by Sofascore/Capology.

The defender only picked up a meagre one clean sheet in the Premier League donning a Sunderland strip, as the Black Cats leaked a depressing 69 goals in total in the league, with his wage very high for a player who constantly let his teammates down under pressure.

Djilobodji pocketed a steep £35k-per-week when on the books of the Wearside strugglers, with Ballard earning £10k-per-week less currently, despite valiantly battling well for his side during their own troubles last season.

Amazingly, the error-prone defender earned £22.5k more per week than Jobe Bellingham who earns a £12.5k-per-week salary, with the sparkling 19-year-old another presence Le Bris will know can deliver moments of quality.

His regular poor showings for Sunderland even saw football journalist James Hunter describe Djilobodji as “awful” during that relegation campaign.

This period in Sunderland’s bleak recent history will feel like a lifetime ago for many supporters in the here and now, with other notable flops at the time such as Didier NDong and Wahbi Khazri also helping themselves to excessive salaries at £30k-per-week and £40k-per-week respectively.

When all added up, the Black Cats flop cost the club around £10m overall, taking into account his £8m transfer fee and his wages.

The group at Le Bris’ disposal aren’t all motivated by earning a pretty penny however, unlike faces such as Djilobodji, as the likes of Bellingham aim to finally steer Sunderland back to the big time after years in the wilderness.

Related Di Canio let Sunderland star go for £1m, now he’s outperforming Bellingham

Sunderland fans will be intrigued to see how well this former player is now doing.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 16, 2024

The captain said that tension can be “amplified” when a team is losing

Alex Malcolm18-Aug-2021

Intense scrutiny surrounds coach Justin Langer•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has conceded reports of tensions coming from inside the dressing room regarding Justin Langer’s coaching style are “disappointing” and “not a great look.”Langer has come under intense scrutiny in recent days following Australia’s 4-1 T20I series defeat to Bangladesh which followed the same scoreline against West Indies. Finch was absent from the Bangladesh leg having flown home for knee surgery.During the Bangladesh series, Australia team manager Gavin Dovey was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia’s digital journalist who was inside the Australian team’s bio-bubble as part of the touring party. Langer, a close confidant of Dovey’s, spoke briefly but firmly to the journalist in the immediate aftermath before the pair cleared the air the following day.The incident, first reported in the , has sparked further debate about Langer’s coaching style. Finch was asked about the tension around Langer’s position and cited the team’s recent poor form as partly to blame.”There’s always tension when results don’t go your way in all sports,” Finch said on radio. “Wins and losses are what count. I think anytime that doesn’t happen, that all gets amplified. It’s just one of those things. It’s disappointing that things are coming to the front the way that they are, that’s never ideal. It’s just one of those things that keeps popping up, which is disappointing.”Related

Defeats, bubbles and absent players: how Australia threatened to unravel

Paine vows players will work with Langer following emergency talks

Cricket Australia give backing to under pressure coach Justin Langer

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Men's T20 World Cup: India vs Pakistan in Dubai on October 24

Langer had led Australia to No. 1 in both the ICC Test and T20I rankings in May 2020 after just two years in the job. But since then Australia have lost five T20I series in a row, one of which was coached by senior assistant Andrew McDonald, and lost a home Test series to India to miss out on the World Test Championship final.Reports regarding tensions between Langer and the playing group emerged following the loss to India at the Gabba. Those tensions were followed up in a wider post series review conducted by leadership consultant Tim Ford. Langer took on board the feedback and addressed the team at the pre-tour camp prior to the West Indies and Bangladesh tour.”The camp we had on the Gold Coast, to go through our culture and values and things like that, especially from a playing group, was really important, and one that I think players got a lot out of,” Finch said. “But when things are being leaked out from inside, that’s not a great look.”All of this has emerged as Langer and new national selector George Bailey finalise Australia’s T20 World Cup squad this week. Australia are set to welcome back David Warner, Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, and Glenn Maxwell who all missed the tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh.Finch believes Australia’s full-strength squad can win the title despite their recent form.”Absolutely,” Finch said. “I’ve got no doubt that our best is as good as or better than anyone in the world. There’s a lot of experience there. There’s firepower, there’s class. I think that our best team covers all bases. And that’s what I’m really excited about.”Australia have not played a T20I with all their best available players to choose from since September 2020 against England. They may only get two practice matches ahead of the World Cup to prepare, with some players set to play in the IPL while domestic cricket in Australia remains in limbo due to heavy Covid-19 restrictions in New South Wales and Victoria, but Finch does not believe a lack of recent cricket together will affect his group.”I think with the way the side will most likely structure up, when you bring back Warner, Maxwell, Smith, we’ve played together a lot over the last eight years,” he said. “I’m not too bothered about that. I think guys who are going to the IPL are going to have that opportunity to prepare in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I think the continuity of selection won’t play as big a part purely because we’ve played a lot of cricket together.”Finch is confident he will be fit for the opening practice matches despite having knee surgery to repair cartilage damage just five days ago.”It’s looking on track,” Finch said. “Obviously it’s hard to know until you get deep into your rehab but at this stage it’s just about trying to ice it and get as much swelling down as possible. That’s coming down. I’m walking around fine. There’s no pain. At this stage everything is looking really positive and having a little bit of time up my sleeve at the back end will be really important.”The plan is to be batting in four weeks and fully running and in full training in six to seven weeks. From the day of surgery it was 10-and-a-half weeks to that first World Cup game. That’s still really positive.”

West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui has kept close tabs on a £25 million player – and the Hammers are prepared to bid for him in the new year.

West Ham's transfer plans for 2025

Centre-back Maximilian Kilman, winger Crysencio Summerville, striker Niclas Fullkrug, Brazilian Luis Guilherme, defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, Guido Rodriguez, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler all put pen to paper on moves to east London before deadline day on 30th August, with technical director Tim Steidten spending £120m in the process.

West Ham see "quality" £23m forward as "key" possible signing for Lopetegui

The Hammers think he’s a great option.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 28, 2024

However, it is believed that the Hammers already have one eye set on the January window, and reports suggest that a new attacking player is very much on the cards for Lopetegui.

Maximilian Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Mohamadou Kante

Paris FC

Undisclosed

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

Carlos Soler

PSG

Loan transfer

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

James Ward-Prowse

Nottingham Forest

Loan

Maxwel Cornet

Southampton

Loan

Nayef Aguerd

Real Sociedad

Loan

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Angelo Ogbonna

Watford

Free transfer

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St Patrick’s Athletic

Free transfer

West Ham are planning a move for Besiktas playmaker Ernest Muci among their targets, according to some media sources, while Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze is also on Steidten’s radar heading into 2025.

The Irons will see both Danny Ings and Michail Antonio leave when their contracts expire next year, so it would make perfect sense for West Ham to bring in a striker at the turn of the year – or fresh forward options at the very least.

Lopetegui’s side have been sporadically linked with a move for Lyon star Rayan Cherki, with an update coming to light on the Frenchman and West Ham’s rumoured interest.

West Ham prepared to bid £25 million for Cherki

According to reports from Spain, West Ham are prepared to bid £25 million for Cherki, who is valued at around that amount by the Ligue 1 club. It is also believed that Lopetegui has personally been watching the player closely and views him as an ideal potential squad upgrade.

The 21-year-old made 33 French top-flight appearances last season, bagging six assists and a goal, with 10 goal contributions coming the season before that. Still very young, Cherki has plenty of room to develop, making him a pretty astute addition for his reported asking price.

“He’s really an attacking midfielder, although he can also play as a left-winger,” said Eurosport reporter Martin Mosnier last summer.

“Cherki is an exceptional dribbler, one of the first things one notices when watching him is that he appears to be ambipedal, as he can seemingly utilise both feet equally well.

“His strengths are as follows: key passes, dribbling and his ability to create something out of nothing. But, because there’s always a but, he’s not a great defensive contributor and he’s still very inconsistent – but he’s still only 19.”

A European outfit have made contact with Everton over the potential signing of their £70,000-week player, according to a new report.

The Toffees have made a very poor start to this Premier League season, as it is two heavy defeats in their opening two games of the campaign. This will be disappointing for Sean Dyche, as his side have been busy in the transfer market, but as of yet, it hasn’t made a difference in the opening few games.

Deal agreed: Dyche and Everton now on the verge of signing £30m+ midfielder

Sean Dyche and Everton are on the verge of adding to their squad.

ByBrett Worthington Aug 28, 2024 Everton transfer news

So far in this transfer window, Everton have added six players to their squad, with one of those additions being Jack Harrison returning to the club from Leeds United. But given how the season has started, Dyche may be keen for one or two more arrivals between now and 11 p.m. on Friday.

Jack Harrison

Leeds United

Tim Iroegbunam

Aston Villa

Iliman Ndiaye

Marseille

Jesper Lindstrom

Napoli

Jake O'Brien

Lyon

Asmir Begovic

QPR

While Everton may be about to see a player leave Goodison Park in the shape of Neal Maupay's imminent move to Marseille, the Toffees appear to have their eyes on a couple of transfers before the window closes. The Merseysiders are closing in on the signing of former Nottingham Forest and now Lyon midfielder Orel Mangala.

Everton are said to have agreed a deal with the French side that will see them sign Mangala on a loan deal, with the option to buy the player for €40 million, which is roughly £33 million. The player was expected to have his medical on Wednesday, and it is now just about waiting for the confirmation of the deal.

While they are on the verge of signing Mangala, Everton are also said to have Chelsea striker Datro Fofana on their radar in what remains of this transfer window. The Toffees are believed to have held talks with the Blues over a possible loan deal, with work now being done behind the scenes to replace Maupay.

There could be two arrivals at Goodison Park shortly then, but there also may be at least one more departure given the latest news.

Valencia make enquiry for Everton defender

According to Pete O’Rourke, La Liga side Valenica have made an approach to Everton over the possible signing of defender Mason Holgate. The report doesn’t state whether the Spanish side are looking to sign the £70,000 per week player on a loan deal or permanently, but Holgate is in the final year of his contract at Goodison Park, so it is more likely the latter.

Since Dyche arrived at Everton, Holgate has fallen out of favour at the club. Before the player joined Southampton last summer, he admitted that the Everton boss was open with him and that he wasn’t his style of player.

It was also reported at the end of last year that while Dyche remains manager of Everton, Holgate has no future at the football club. That has been shown this season already, as Dyche decided to play the inexperienced Roman Dixon against Tottenham and Holgate remained on the bench for the entire game. The 27-year-old has appeared for the Toffees this season, playing five minutes against Brighton in the opening game of the campaign.

Essex 16 for 1 trail Warwickshire 166 (Bresnan 50, Siddle 6-38) by 150 runsHuddled beneath a flimsy canopy at the Hayes Close End, in a poised-for-action outline uncannily similar to that of Scrat, Ice Age’s perma-frozen sabre-toothed squirrel, there would appear to be some long-lost lumps of immoveable organic matter at the Cloud FM County Ground.Forgotten by the winds of time and the rains of desolation, outnumbered by Chelmsford’s overkill of underemployed stewards, and undeterred by the futility of the long-range forecast, they cling instead to cricket’s oldest adage, that the umpires’ decision about the likelihood of a resumption of play is final.And so, with “Gunner” Gould still hedging his bets at 5pm on the second afternoon, after more than four hours of inactivity and with winter coming so fervently that Jon Snow was already deep in hibernation, still they loitered, stretching for that elusive shaft of sunlight that would allow them to break their icy bonds and resume their quest for that one perfect nut. As it were.Rarely has the lot of a county supporter seemed so lonely. Chelmsford’s concourse right now is a maze of futile detours, the sort of forest of deserted roadworks that once persuaded John Major to set up a national cones hotline. Endless channels of crowd-control barriers, syphoning the non-existent hordes to their various and inviolable destinations – and who knows to what end, given that some of us have traversed entire capital cities and mingled with all manner of be-plagued masses, to get to the gates of the Fortress.Fans? Turn right. Media? Straight ahead, but filter to your left as you do so. Players? Plough on through the middle but don’t dare touch the sides. It’s impractical, unworkable, and entirely out of keeping with the bucolic traditions of county cricket. Oh, and don’t forget your picnic because you’re a prisoner for the rest of the day, and the tea-bags are already rationed. God forbid you should be allowed out at lunchtime to cross-pollinate in the Moulsham Street farm shop, and render your morning temperature tests redundant.None of this is Essex’s fault, clearly. They cannot be blamed for the cramped dimensions of their venue, nor for the nonsensically confused Covid policies that have allowed snooker’s crowds to share the same canned air at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield before any outdoor gatherings, let alone Parkrun. And they certainly can’t be blamed for possessing antiquated architecture that has scarcely altered in the 50-odd years since Warwickshire’s Supporters Association (no, really) lent the club the funds to buy their own ground after years of nomadic penury.This lack of overheads has, for the most part, played to Essex’s favour in these locked-down times. Not for them the sort of eye-watering losses that Surrey reported earlier this week – £1.2 million in the red for 2020-21 with an eight-figure collapse in turnover, thanks to the reallocation of a Test match and the closure of their myriad banqueting suites. By contrast, the cancellation of a few nets sessions in Goochie’s indoor school and the lost revenue from a few speed-awareness courses in the Scrutton Bland Premier Suite was never going to make much of a difference to the bottom line of county cricket’s premier red-ball outfit.The inability to bring back a workable crowd, on the other hand… well, that is a different matter. Who knows what awaits come June 21 and the prospective lifting of the government’s remaining Covid restrictions. But right at the moment, Chelmsford’s crowd of 200 – less than a quarter of the capacity at Derbyshire, the next least-workable venue, and barely a graze on Surrey’s welcome-home figure of 4,000 – is a slow puncture of a scenario.It costs the club more to marshall their hardy few than they can ever hope to recoup on either the gate or their one desultory snack stall. And have any of these patrons actually enjoyed their return to the county plein air after 600 days of stasis? Your guess is as good as mine, as we can’t even get within hollering distance. And I’ll bet the wifi in that far-distant corner of the ground wasn’t strong enough to support live streaming either. I doubt they even had Darren Stevens’ Canterbury tonkings to raise an envious grin.Still, at least the Essex faithful had their 15 minutes in the morning session. A passage of play as distant and discombobulating as a fever dream, in which Tim Bresnan made his second fifty of the season, Peter Siddle celebrated his county cap with his county-best figures of 6 for 38, and Warwickshire lost three wickets for no runs in seven balls to tumble from 159 for 7 overnight to 166 all out.It wasn’t the ideal scenario for a side that had elected to bat first, and some way short of Dom Sibley’s bullish insistence that 200 could be a competitive total if “Bressie Lad” was able to land a few blows upon the resumption. Unfortunately he was out of support almost before he could get going.Siddle needed just four balls to bring up his five-for, as Paul Walter’s dive at point scooped up a limp back-cut from Danny Briggs, and he had six in the same over, as Liam Norwell lost his off stump first ball. And before Bresnan himself could take the Stevens route, he was gone as well, supremely dispatched for an even fifty, twice Cook-ed like a biscuit as Alastair clung at first slip, on behalf of the little chef, Sam.There was time before the apocalypse for Olly Stone to crank down four overs of Test-ready #wheels, and for Norwell to atone for his batting by nicking Nick Browne’s outside edge for 4. Oh, and Sir Alastair served up that perfect nut – a glorious cover drive, more perfect in its functionality than anything we’ve witnessed all week, most particularly the return-to-stadium provisions. The fact that the shot rolled out towards his smattering of diehards was an added bonus. There was little else to warm their frozen cores.

يعاني مهاجم منتخب مصر الأول، مصطفى محمد، من أزمة داخل نادي نانت في الموسم الحالي وتحديدًا بسبب مدربه، أنطوان كومباريه، قبل ساعات قليلة من انتهاء الميركاتو الشتوي.

ولا يشارك مصطفى محمد إلا قليلًا مع كومباريه، الذي صرح في أحد المؤتمرات الصحفية بأن هناك من هو أفضل منه لذلك لا يشارك في المباريات إلا كبديل وفي أحيان أخرى يتم استبعاده.

ظهر مصطفى محمد هذا الموسم مع نانت في 18 مباراة بإجمالي 602 دقيقة وسجل 3 أهداف وصنع هدفًا آخر، لكنه لا يزال في أغلب المباريات حبيس مقاعد البدلاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقييم مصطفى محمد بعد هدفه القاتل في مباراة نانت وليون

وبحسب مصادر بطولات داخل نادي نانت فإنهم يرغبون في بيع مصطفى محمد بالفعل ولكن هناك أكثر من عقبة قبل أيام قليلة من انتهاء سوق الانتقالات الشتوية في فرنسا يوم 3 فبراير.

وأفاد المصدر أن نانت لا يجد المهاجم المناسب لتعويض رحيل مصطفى محمد في هذا الوقت من الموسم، بجانب أن النادي الفرنسي ليس لديه سوى عروض لاستعارة اللاعب فقط وهو يريد بيعه نهائيًا.

وبالتالي، إذا لم يجد نانت البديل المناسب سيستمر مصطفى محمد حتى نهاية الموسم، لكن إذا كان هناك إمكانية للتعاقد مع مهاجم جيد قد يسمحون لرحيل مهاجم منتخب مصر في الساعات الأخيرة بالميركاتو الذي يبحث هو الآخر عن فرصة للمشاركة أكثر في المباريات.