All posts by n8rngtd.top

Roberto De Zerbi has explained the reason behind Mason Greenwood's recent slump in form as he vowed to turn the forward into a Marseille great.

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• Greenwood criticised in recent weeks
• De Zerbi explained reasons for his 'difficult time'
• Englishman backed to become club legend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Greenwood excelled right from the off after he joined the French side from Manchester United last summer. His goal in the 3-2 win against Toulouse on Sunday took his Ligue 1 goal tally to 16 in just 28 appearances, but the 23-year-old has faced criticism in recent weeks and there were reports of tension between him and De Zerbi.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Zerbi, though, has reiterated his faith in Greenwood as he outlined his plan to turn him onto a true star for Marseille, saying his recent dip in form is understandable given the recent birth of his second child.

• WHAT DE ZERBI SAID

  "Greenwood is a natural talent. All the credit goes to his mother and father. And I'm here to help him become more complete," the Italian coach told reporters. "When he needs a hug, a word of support, I gladly give it. And when I need to push him to give more, I have to do that too because that's my job.

  "I would especially like to help him be remembered, in this stadium and by these supporters, as one of the greatest players to have played here at the Velodrome. There have been so many great players here, but I think Greenwood has the qualities to be remembered that way. And I'm trying to help him progress.

  "He's had a bit of a difficult time lately because he had a daughter who was born and I also think he's not used to playing such an intense season and being one of the main players. I think he paid for it physically. That is to say, he wasn't pushing and wasn't 100 per cent like I wanted in training, in terms of what I expect from a player like him. If a player doesn't push in training and can't do it in matches either, it's right he stays on the bench."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

  After helping Marseille end their three-game losing run, Greenwood will hope to enhance his goal record further when they face Monaco this weekend.

Celtic are “highly likely” to complete the signing of a “special” player during the January transfer window, according to a claim from former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Latest Celtic news

The Hoops continue to be linked with potential new signings in January, as Brendan Rodgers looks to give his side the best possible chance of glory across all competitions in the second half of the season.

Manchester City youngster James McAtee has been mentioned as an option for Celtic, with the 22-year-old not managing to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s plans in recent months, despite their huge struggles in the Premier League. The attacking midfielder could be a great signing for the Scottish Premiership champions, adding real quality in the final third and making them an even more fearsome attacking proposition.

There are two other Premier League players who the Hoops are eyeing up, too, with Chelsea pair Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka seen as options next month. Both midfielders have found it hard to enjoy regular playing time for the Blues this season, with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia all preferred in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden has also been backed to seal a move to Celtic, potentially coming in and providing more competition in the attacking third.

Celtic "highly likely" to sign "special" ace

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Robinson claimed that Celtic are “highly likely” to seal a reunion with Kieran Tierney in January:

“It’s achievable. That’s probably what both parties would want, even Arsenal wouldn’t stand in his way. Like you say, injuries, not playing, he’s not been part of Mikel Arteta’s squad going forward. [Him leaving] frees that space up in Arsenal’s squad, [and] for Tierney, it’s a great fit. For Celtic, it seems a great fit. That one looks like it’s got highly likely potential of happening in January.”

Bringing Tierney back to Celtic should be seen as a no-brainer, considering the quality he possesses, and what a popular player he was at Parkhead during his first stint there.

Things haven’t quite panned out the way the left-back would have hoped for, in terms of being first-choice, but Mikel Arteta has still heaped praise on him during his time at the Emirates, saying:

“I am really looking forward to working with him and giving him the opportunity to play. His attitude, his commitment, his willingness it’s incredible. I think he’s going to bring something special to us.”

Still only 27, Tierney could remain a key man for Celtic for another five or six years, and he could cement further legendary status if he returns and helps inspire the Hoops to many more trophy wins, after claims he would accept a pay cut to move back to Parkhead.

Celtic make enquiry over signing "outstanding" £20m Premier League player

Brendan Rodgers is eyeing a midfielder this January.

By
Dominic Lund

Dec 28, 2024

The idea of getting more regular football will surely appeal to the Scotland international, too, as he looks to reignite his career and enjoy his peak years, rather than growing stagant at Arsenal.

Carlo Ancelotti admitted Liverpool is his "dream" job as the Real Madrid boss also revealed that he turned down an offer from the Italy national team.

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• Ancelotti wanted to manage the Reds
• However, he ended up on the blue half of Merseyside
• Also reveals Italy job offer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following Brendan Rodgers' dismissal in October 2015, Ancelotti was reportedly in discussions about potentially stepping in as Liverpool’s next manager. However, the club ultimately appointed Jurgen Klopp in what proved to be a defining moment for the Reds. Shortly afterwards, Ancelotti agreed to succeed Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, a role he officially began at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Though he never got the opportunity to coach the Reds, Ancelotti eventually found his way to Merseyside when he accepted the Everton job in 2019. Speaking with Italianjournalist on Swiss station , the veteran coach expressed admiration for the Toffees and also reminisced about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.

• WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

  Ancelotti said: "My dream was to coach Liverpool, but then I found myself at Everton and I experienced their rivalry, and now I am absolutely an Everton fan. I really liked the environment, because there is a spectacular passion for the colours. You also notice the suffering that the fan has for Liverpool, which for many years and still today is the best in the Premier League."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Real Madrid boss also shared that he turned down an opportunity to manage the Italy national team in 2018 before Roberto Mancini was ultimately appointed.

  “I said no to the Italian national team because I didn't feel like it," he said. "I really like being on the pitch every day preparing for training, and the national team seemed like a part-time job that made me lose a bit of passion. Just for this reason”.

Leeds United extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in the Championship with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road on New Year’s Day.

It was a match devoid of any real quality for the most part but the hosts appeared on course to snatch all three points after Pascal Struijk opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 88th minute.

However, poor defending from a corner just 90 seconds later allowed Danny Batth to smash home from close-range after several opportunities for Leeds to clear the danger.

There were a number of underwhelming performers across the pitch for Daniel Farke in the game, particularly in the forward line, and Manor Solomon is one star who failed to shine.

Manor Solomon's performance against Blackburn

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee was brought into the starting line-up after he came off the bench and created two ‘big chances’ for his side against Derby County at Pride Park in the previous match.

Unfortunately, however, the Israel international was unable to display that kind of creative quality again, as he failed to create any ‘big chances’ in his 70 minutes on the pitch, with just one key pass in total.

The 25-year-old dynamo lost possession ten times, and lost five of his six duels, but did complete 90% of his attempted passes, which shows that he was relatively reliable with the ball at his feet.

Ultimately, though, Solomon did not have the required impact in the final third and that is why he let Farke down with his underwhelming display on the left flank.

One Leeds star who was even worse than the Premier League loanee, however, was the winger on the other side of the pitch – Wales international Dan James.

Why Dan James should be dropped

With the attacking options that Farke has at his disposal, including Largie Ramazani and Wilfried Gnonto on the bench, the Whites wide men cannot afford to have bad games if they want to start regularly.

James, who did not start at Pride Park, came into the starting XI with a chance to nail down a place in the line-up moving forward into the rest of this month, and failed to take it.

The Welsh winger played the full match, including around 16 minutes of stoppage time across both halves, and was not directly involved in a goal, with just one shot on target – that was saved – and zero ‘big chances’ created.

As you can see in the table above, James was very wasteful with the ball at his feet, losing possession a staggering 24 times, and had little impact at the top end of the pitch.

He was even worse than Solomon, who created as many chances (one) as James and lost possession 14 fewer times to do so, and should be ruthlessly dropped from the team.

Big Rodon upgrade: Farke considering Leeds bid for "incredible" £10m star

Leeds United are reportedly keen to add a new central defender to their squad this month.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 1, 2025

Farke needs more from his wide players if Leeds want to push on and secure an automatic promotion place in the second half of the season, and James did not do enough on Wednesday, which is why the forward should be ditched.

That’s two successive Premier League draws for title-chasing Liverpool, and though it can feel frustrating to have ceded ground once again, it was an electrifying contest between the top-placed sides.

Liverpool still have a sizeable lead at the top of the table. Second-placed Nottingham Forest stay six points behind and while Arsenal, one point further behind, host Tottenham this evening, they have played an extra game.

Arne Slot’s second-half changes proved to ignite a ferocious Reds comeback save for Matz Sels’ incredible preventive display between the sticks.

The Tricky Trees goalkeeper was a redoubtable wall in front of goal, with broadcaster Jamie Martin even hailing him as “the best goalkeeper in the league” after five spectacular stops.

That said, it was a pretty dismal display as far as Mohamed Salah was concerned, especially when considering his outrageous standards.

Mohamed Salah's performance vs Forest

Salah was silenced by Nottingham Forest for the second time this season. The Egypt star has only failed to register a goal contribution in three Premier League matches this year, with two coming against Nuno Espirito Santo’s resilient side.

Liverpool toiled through the first half without threatening the City Ground’s goalmouth, skewing a series of shots wide. Salah was culpable throughout, forcing Sels into two expert saves but also wasteful with a host more.

Moreover, the 32-year-old lost each of his eight contested ground duels while also failing with all four of his dribble attempts. He’ll see better games ahead, but Salah will want to bury this one swiftly.

The same could be applied to Andy Robertson’s performance, although the Scotland left-back has flattered to deceive all term and might need to be dropped going forward.

The Liverpool star who was worse than Salah

Robertson has been a faithful servant for Liverpool over the most illustrious period in Anfield’s modern history, but every dog has his day and this one appears to have run his energy tank into the ground, with the Scotsman’s 323rd Reds appearance one to be forgotten.

As per Sofascore, Robertson only won a single duel all match, not even attempting a dribble as his developing weaknesses were brutally exposed by a Forest side riding the crest of a wave under Nuno.

Liverpool World could only give the veteran a 4/10 match score as he failed to inspire confidence – for Slot’s side anyway, for Antony Elanga seemed to fancy his chances with each exchange.

The 30-year-old’s struggle was perfectly illustrated by Slot’s decision to withdraw him after just 65 minutes, recognising the difficulty he was having.

Kostas Tsimikas’ instant impact with a corner-swept assist for Diogo Jota to restore parity will have given the Dutch tactician food for thought, to be sure. Chatter has simmered away around the need to replace Robertson this season, and this might just have been the final nail in the coffin with the January market in swing.

It’s harsh and poignant to watch Robertson, one of Liverpool’s greatest left-backs, struggle to scrape the vestiges of his one-time quality together, and Slot must surely propose a winter transfer to FSG now.

Too much hinges on the next few months. Liverpool are still in the driving seat, but it’s clear that Robertson could hinder the title charge on more than a few occasions, and he needs to be replaced.

Huge Nunez upgrade: Liverpool eyeing "one of the best CFs in the world"

Liverpool are ready to hijack a big rival in order to sign this Darwin Nunez upgrade.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 14, 2025

Declan Rice has been told how he can become one of the all-time great midfielders after his Champions League heroics against Real Madrid.

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• Rice told how he becomes all-time great
• Won Player of the Match twice against Real Madrid
• One thing missing from his career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Premier League midfielder and current pundit Jamie O'Hara believes the Gunners midfielder is "world class" but that he must win the Premier League title to be considered among the greatest players in the division's history.

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  WHAT O'HARA SAID

  O'Hara told Grosvenor Sport: "Declan Rice needs to win the Premier League. He is a world-class midfielder, he proved that against Real Madrid. If you want to be classed as an all-time great, like Frank Lampard and Kevin de Bruyne, you have to win Premier League titles. I love watching him, I think his anticipation of danger is excellent, the way he reads the game is brilliant. He's also proven he's a big game player, but if you want to be considered with the likes of N'Golo Kante and Paul Scholes, you have to win the league title."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rice took his reputation to a new level across the two-legged Champions League tie with Real Madrid, scoring two sensational free-kicks in the first leg before helping to shut down the La Liga giants at the Bernabeu in the second. He won Player of the Match in both games.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RICE?

  Rice is pivotal to Arsenal's hopes in the semi-final against PSG, while the Gunners are still aiming to finish their Premier League campaign as strongly as possible. They have Ipswich and Crystal Palace to play in the league before they welcome their Ligue 1 opponents to the Emirates.

Nottingham Forest fans must be in dreamland whenever they take a brief gander at the Premier League table, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side above Chelsea and Manchester City at this current point in time.

It’s not as if the tricky Trees have fluked this high-up position either with consistent top-drawer displays seeing them win four of their last five league outings, with the only game that didn’t end in victory being a hard-fought draw against Arne Slot’s frightening Liverpool side.

Whilst the Forest players, staff and fans alike will be loving every minute of their unexpected rise this campaign, they won’t want to fall down the league anytime soon, with some statement January buys perhaps in the pipeline.

Nottingham Forest readying bid for £60m PL star

The Tricky Trees have recently submitted a £22m bid to sign Yoanne Wissa from Brentford, one that was sadly swiftly rejected.

So, as a result, Nuno are Co are turning their attention to another club in the top flight to boost their attacking ranks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, as per a recent report from the Daily Mail in recent days, Forest are preparing to go all out to splash the cash on Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Matheus Cunha, with the Brazilian looking unlikely to extend his contract at Molineux.

That’s where the Premier League high-flyers come in, with Sky Sports stating that a bid in and around the £60m mark could be enough for Vitor Pereira’s men to consider parting ways with their exceptional talent.

Of course, Forest are not alone in their pursuit of the sublime South American with Arsenal also reportedly keen, but Nuno’s outfit will want to speed to the front of the queue to really show to the rest of the league that they mean business in sticking it out in the top four positions.

Why Forest should prioritise Cunha over Wissa

A move getting over the line for Cunha would see any potential deal for Wissa to move to the City Ground surely become redundant, with the current Wolves star a definite upgrade on the £22m target.

It goes without saying that Cunha has been a scintillating player to watch this season in the Premier League even as his Wolves team have been deep in a battle against relegation.

Despite his Old Gold side finding themselves in a dire 17th spot currently – with their goal difference being the only reason they’re not swamped in the bottom three positions – the ex-Atletico Madrid attacker has managed to be a constant bright spark with an exceptional 14 goal contributions tallied up from 21 league contests.

It’s even led to calls from his own manager recently that he is a “special” player, hence why Forest have singled him out as their main statement buy before the window slams shut.

Wissa was also another attacker that was being eyed up, but the Brentford forward finds himself one goal contribution short of Cunha’s impressive numbers starring in the Premier League for the Bees, with their comparative numbers also strengthening the idea that the Brazilian should be hunted down with more fervour than the 28-year-old.

Indeed, it’s clear when glancing at the table above that Cunha would offer Forest a lot more than just a goal-and-assist machine, with his overall attacking play also standing out far more than Wissa’s.

After all, the in-demand attacker trumps the Brentford man in every single area of their respective attacking games when looking at FBref, with Cunha able to gift Nuno a far more varied option up top away from the poacher-like abilities of 14-goal striker Chris Wood.

Wissa would no doubt have fitted in nicely at the City Ground with his numbers impressive in their own right for Thomas Frank’s men.

But, if a deal can be secured for Cunha to join instead, Forest would be able to send shockwaves through the league in their bold attempts to firm up a Champions League place.

"Superstar" Wood backup, £135k-p/w PL reject: 5 players Forest should sign

Nuno Espirito Santo may be looking to add to his Forest squad as they eye Champions League football.

By
Brett Worthington

Jan 21, 2025

Losing the cup final to Barcelona was embarrassing enough, but Madrid went several steps further with their childish behaviour

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In Japan, there is a philosophy that every person has three faces. The first is the one you show to the world, the one to be judged and build a public image upon. The second is what you portray to those closest to you. The third is who you keep to yourself, your true essence and personality, never to be cast upon by outsiders.

On Saturday in Seville, Real Madrid ripped off their third face like a mask and held it aloft, proudly or otherwise, as if it were Simba being raised up by Rafiki in the opening sequence of 'The Lion King'. Years, months, weeks and days of petulant nonsense came spewing out all ends before, during and after losing to Clasico rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.

It's bad enough being beaten by their nemesis from Catalunya on a normal day, but this was far from normal, even by these two raging crybabies' standards. What occurred in southern Spain this weekend will live on as infamous for Los Blancos, irrespective of how they will inevitably try and whitewash it from history.

• The disgrace of Cartuja

  Taking the final alone in isolation, Madrid still managed to soil themselves on international television. Proceeding to wipe their backsides along the relaid turf of the Estadio La Cartuja should only add to the hangxiety-like embarrassment they need to feel.

  There's never been a quiet Clasico on record, and those contested in knockout competitions are often the ones where tempers boil over. That's fair and part of football – we don't want to lose that emotion, we want players to care the way fans do. But this was a whole new level of ridiculous.

  If it were only Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham's red cards for us to divulge, that would have been reason alone to lambast Madrid. Antonio Rudiger's antics are what will likely ensure this match is remembered as 'The disgrace of Cartuja', one which should boast its own special Wikipedia page.

  After Kylian Mbappe was judged to have fouled Eric Garcia by flailing a hand in the defender's face, the Madrid bench combusted in fury, and no one more so than their overly-emotional centre-back. The Germany international began hurling what appeared to be ice on the pitch towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. As the official came over to brandish the red card, Rudiger completely lost control and had to be restrained by a member of Madrid's coaching team, his eyes bulging in maniacal fury.

  It's an infamous picture that will stay with Rudiger for the rest of his career, one which encapsulates Madrid's utter rejection of sporting respect, and his apology is effectively worthless. No wonder he is now facing a ban of up to 12 games.

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  Pre-match antics set the tone

  The probability of Saturday's final going down as anything other than outrageous was near zero considering how Madrid handled the build-up, which began with a dressing down of referee De Burgos Bengoetxea on their in-house TV channel. The club, not for the first time, assembled a video package of supposed errors and hinted at bias against them. Madrid later asked for the officiating team to be replaced just days before kick-off and had to refute claims they were considering a boycott.

  De Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears pre-match when he revealed how Madrid's campaign against him had affected his personal life. "When your child goes to school and is told his father is a 'thief' and comes home crying, it's really tough," he said.

  "What I'm doing is trying to educate my son, to tell him that his father is honest, that he makes mistakes like any other athlete. It's a real pain, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The day I leave here, I want my son to be proud of what his father was and what refereeing is, which has given us so many values.

  "What many of our colleagues are going through, not just in professional football but also in grassroots football, is unfair. Everyone should reflect on where they want to go, what they want from sports and football."

  Naturally, Madrid's actions were widely condemned, yet there's no doubt De Burgos Bengoetxea would have been in mind to officiate the game a little differently than he had planned, and no one would be able to blame him. Even despite that, Carlo Ancelotti's side lost fair and square, and still accumulated three red cards. Nice one, lads.

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  Ballon d'Or whinging

  The pent-up pettiness ready to burst at the seam had been brewing within Madrid for a while, it's worth noting. There have been week-to-week grievances which have long alluded to this, but the most notable flashpoint over the last 12 months was their handling of the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

  Off the back of winning a Champions League and La Liga double last season, Vinicius Jr was the frontrunner to take home the Golden Ball. There appeared to be brief competition from team-mate Bellingham, though England's defeat to Spain in the final of the European Championship seemed to have ended his hopes.

  The stage seemed set for Vinicius to be crowned as the world's best player; it was, many believed, a formality. And then, with under 48 hours before the ceremony in Paris, the whispers began. Rodri, fresh off another Premier League win with Manchester City and having formed a core part of that Spain side which ousted Bellingham and Co, was in the frame. His importance in victories for club and country would have been the top line of his press release for any sort of campaign.

  On the morning of October 28, news began to circulate that Rodri had indeed been voted into first place ahead of Vinicius. Madrid made their minds up pretty sharpish – their entourage would no longer fly over to France for the event. Of course, the footballing world didn't look too kindly upon their childish behaviour, with comparisons to Donald Trump among the most pointed judgements.

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  Karma comes back around

  What's happened to Madrid this season feels a lot like the entire club getting their just desserts. They have already finished as runners-up to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana, while they trail their Clasico foes by four points in La Liga with five games to go.

  Their Champions League demolition at the hands of Arsenal, who are still relatively unexperienced at this level, had the rumblings of an era shift, and the club's longstanding support of the European Super League has lurked in the background like a malignant tumour, too. The late goals which have bailed them out of trouble so many times before have dried up, even despite their increased firepower.

  "We put in many crosses, but this year we don't have a pure striker like Joselu, a guy that can win those kind of duels," was Thibaut Courtois' recent assessment of their tactics. Trying to assemble football's Avengers has come at the cost of building a coherent team with structure and purpose (taking Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool won't help this problem, by the way).

  There were already more than enough reasons to feel a lack of sympathy for Madrid heading into the Copa final, and now they've made it totally impossible to have any sort of remorse for how their campaign has unfolded.

Pep Guardiola says it will be "almost impossible" to replace Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City but stopped short of calling for a U-turn on his exit.

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• De Bruyne set to leave Man City
• "Almost impossible" to replace him
• Guardiola addresses chances of exit U-turn

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Belgian international announced that this season at City would be his last and that he would run down his contract this summer, something he was not entirely happy with. Some fans have hoped that his recent upturn in performances, including the winner against Wolves on Friday, would make the club change their minds. And while manager Guardiola talked up the 33-year-old, it seems a new deal will not be in the offing.

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  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  He said about De Bruyne on Sky Sports: "Just thank you. His contribution in the game against Crystal Palace when we were 2-0 down and he delivers and today the goal again. I'm happy that it is finishing that way, and we have one more game in the Etihad."

  On whether his stay could be extended, he replied: "I want the best for Kevin so it cannot be possible to have done these many years without him. He has been an incredible player but the situation is what it is. It's almost impossible to replace this kind of player. It is not just the performance, it is what he means to the heart for our fans for many, many years. The success we have belongs to the players."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Bruyne will go down as City's greatest-ever player and will make it into many all-time Premier League XI's because of what he's done at City over the past decade. But time waits for no man, with the ex-Chelsea player increasingly struggling with injuries, and his consistency is, arguably, not what it was. He is on a huge salary, and as a result, there will be a parting of the ways but there could be one last hurrah this term via the FA Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  De Bruyne's next City game could be away to already relegated Southampton next Saturday in the Premier League.

Manchester City are already the biggest spenders in world football this January, but are showing no signs of slowing down.

The Sky Blues have already splashed over £125m this month, with Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush thrown in from the start of their debuts against Chelsea on Saturday, while we’re yet to see either Vitor Reis or Juma Bah; the latter will spend the rest of the season on loan at Lens.

However, Pep Guardiola is not finished yet, so could the Citizens re-sign a midfielder you may not even know was once at Man City?

Manchester City seeking a new midfielder

According to a report by Dean Jones for GIVEMESPORT, Manchester City are ‘planning to explore the possibility’ of re-signing Douglas Luiz from Juventus.

Earlier in the window, David Ornstein of the Athletic reported that Man City were interested in taking Luiz ‘on loan until the end of this season’, but la Vecchia Signora would only agree to such a deal if an obligation to buy was included.

Luiz only joined Juve last summer however, as described by Adam Digby of Forbes, his time in Turn has gone disastrously, with the front page of Gazzetta dello Sport labelling him ‘a flop’ as quickly as October.

This came after the most high-profile of his missteps, giving away a penalty for handball mere seconds after being introduced as a substitute against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, luckily spared further scrutiny because ten-man I Bianconeri scored not once but twice late on to snatch a memorable victory at Red Bull Arena.

In total, Luiz has made only 18 appearances this season, starting four times, thereby totalling a mere 566 minutes, which accounts for just 20% of Juve’s total minutes to date, hence why Thiago Motta is willing to let him go.

Nevertheless, the reason the Serie A giants spent a reported £42.4m on the Brazilian’s services in the first place is because of how impressive he had been at Aston Villa.

How Douglas Luiz would fit in back at Manchester City

It wasn’t long ago that Luiz was thought of as “one of the best sixes in the Premier League”.

Comparisons were being drawn to a certain former Manchester City target in Declan Rice with the likes of Paul Merson, Owen Hargreaves and Jermaine Pennant all stating that the Brazilian was actually better than Rice. It’s a bold claim considering the Gunners spent an enormous £105m to prise the midfielder away from West Ham in 2023.

So now, almost eight years after first arriving in Manchester, could the Brazilian finally feature in sky blue for the very first time and how does he actually compare to that man Rice?

With neither İlkay Gündoğan nor Mateo Kovačić living up to the high standards set by the sidelined Rodri, it’s easy to understand why Man City are in the market for a midfielder this month.

So, let’s assess the statistics to see if they corroborate the claim that Luiz is better than Rice.

As outlined in the table, since the start of the 2022/23 season, Luiz and Rice’s per 90 minute statistics are remarkably similar, but it is the Brazilian who largely comes out on top.

Luiz has racked up more assists, touches, attempted passes, tackles and blocks per 90 during this timeframe, also winning a higher proportion of aerial duals.

Thus, this suggests Luiz could be Man City’s own version of Rice, exactly what they’re looking for given Rodri’s injury, underlining that, even if he’s endured a rotten time at Juventus, this would be an astute piece of business.

Awful Palmer repeat: Man City at risk of losing a "top talent" this week

One of Manchester City’s most highly-rated youngsters could join Bayer Leverkusen in search of more game time, in a repeat of Cole Palmer’s exit.

By
Ben Gray

Jan 29, 2025