After what must have felt like an incredibly long time away from football following their festive season collapse, Arsenal stormed to a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta's men looked like they were getting back to their best, with Gabriel Martinelli picking up a Thierry Henry-esque brace from the bench, although Bukayo Saka left the pitch without a goal or assist to his name.

The talismanic winger has seen his on-field impact dwindle somewhat over the last month or so – one goal in seven games – but with little in the way of genuine competition on the right wing, Arteta hasn't got much of a choice but to start him.

However, the latest player touted for a move to N5 could provide the challenge the Englishman needs, and with comparisons to Mohamed Salah, a challenge it would be.

Arsenal look to Germany for rightwing depth

According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are seriously interested in signing Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane in 2024, with Arteta seeing the German 'as the perfect signing to increase competition on the right wing'.

The report has also revealed that alongside the Gunners, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are keen to land the winger's signature this year.

While the competition from their Premier League rivals is far from ideal for the north Londoners, the fact that Sane's current contract with Bayern is set to expire next summer is.

A potential transfer fee has yet to be reliably reported, but the CIES football observatory values the 28-year-old at around €100m – £86m – and while that is undeniably expensive, it might prove to be value for money if he can replicate his performances in the red of Bayern in N5.

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By
Matt Dawson

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How Sane compares to Saka and Salah

Now, for a modern-day winger, there are few – if any – more flattering comparisons than Liverpool's Egyptian king, Salah. However, according to FBref, the outrageously talented wideman is the third most similar player to the German in Europe's top five leagues.

This conclusion is reached by comparing where players rank for specific important statistics to other players in the continent's top five leagues. Then, those who are in similar percentiles for multiple metrics are placed together.

For example, the "world-class" German, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, sits in the top 2% of wingers for assists per 90, as does Salah. Another example is non-penalty expected goals, with the Bayern star sitting in the top 3% of players and the Liverpool star ever so slightly ahead in the top 1%.

That said, with Arteta's initial interest in Sane stemming from a desire to give Saka more competition and improve his front line, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare?

Well, FC Hollywood's "level raiser", as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, might just help to raise the level at the Emirates as in every attacking metric bar aerial duels won, he emerges victorious.

While the margin of superiority is small in some areas, such as passing accuracy and progressive carries, it is vast for many others, like successful take-ons, shots on target and non-penalty expected goals and assists per 90.

Leroy Sane vs Bukayo Saka
Stats per 90	Sane	Saka
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists	1.11	0.60
Non-Penalty Goals	0.49	0.21
Assists	0.61	0.31
Progressive Passes	4.70	3.61
Progressive Carries	5.37	4.85
Shots on Target	1.52	0.87
Passing Accuracy	80.3%	75.9%
Shot-Creating Actions	6.65	5.81
Succesful Take-Ons	4.09	1.60
Miscontrols	2.56	2.06
Times Dispossessed	2.01	1.75
Ball Recoveries	3.78	4.85
Aerial Duels Won	0.12	0.82
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

In contrast, Saka is the clear winner when it comes to ball recoveries and the number of times each player is dispossessed or miscontrols the ball.

Moreover, if the Hale End star was placed into a team as domestically dominant as Bayern, he might also be able to produce offensive numbers as impressive as Sane. Still, as things stand, the German has him beaten in that regard.

Ultimately, if Arsenal can get a deal for the former Manchester City ace over the line – helped by Arteta's previous relationship with him – they absolutely should, as the potential competition between him and Saka can only make the team stronger.

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais um gringo confirmado no elenco do Fluminense. Neste sábado, o clube oficializou a chegada de Raúl Bobadilla, atacante que pertence ao Guaraní, do Paraguai. Ele desembarca no Tricolor por empréstimo até o fim deste ano, com opção de compra com valor fixado.

Argentino naturalizado paraguaio, Bobadilla, de 33 anos, tem 43 jogos pelo Guaraní e 14 gols, todos na última temporada. Ele se apresentou ao Flu na última sexta-feira, quando assinou contrato e já realizou o primeiro treinamento. O jogador exaltou o Tricolor e disse que está feliz em chegar ao clube.

– Estou muito feliz. Cheguei há dois dias para assinar os papéis e encontrei uma cidade muito bonita, que é o Rio de Janeiro, e agora estou num clube grande do Brasil. É um orgulho e uma alegria enorme representar esse time. Tenho as melhores expectativas para o que está por vir. Estou muito feliz e vou aproveitar. Só falta entrar em campo e jogar – disse o atacante ao site oficial do Fluminense.

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O nome do jogador ainda não está no BID, mas pode ser publicado até às 15h de segunda-feira caso ele esteja na lista de jogadores pendentes do clube na Libertadores. Se isso acontecer, o atleta fica disponível para a estreia contra o River Plate (ARG).

O ataque era o principal alvo da diretoria do Fluminense no mercado, tentando Willian Bigode, do Palmeiras, e Matheus Babi, do Botafogo, que já foi para o Athletico. Pesa a favor do atleta a experiência em competições sul-americanas. Nesta temporada, inclusive, Bobadilla viu o Guaraní ser eliminado pelo Atlético Nacional (COL) ainda na segunda fase da Libertadores. Ter atuado em quatro partidas do torneio não o impede de ser inscrito pelo Flu.

– Eu sei o que é a disputa de uma competição como uma Libertadores. Sei da importância que a competição tem para o clube e para a torcida. Temos um bom time, com excelentes jogadores, um grupo muito bom e que quer competir. Sei a importância que tem, não só a Libertadores, mas todas as outras competições, porém, a Libertadores é o objetivo mais importante – afirmou o jogador.

Além do atual clube, o atacante que começou nas categorias de base do River Plate (ARG), fez carreira em times da Suíça – FC Concordia Basel, Grassshoppers, Young Boys e FC Basel – e da Alemanha, como Borussia Mönchengladbach e FC Augsburg, onde teve seu auge.

Bobadilla era o último reforço que faltava ser anunciado. Ele se junta a Samuel Xavier e Wellington, há mais tempo com o grupo, além de David Braz, Manoel, Cazares e Abel Hernández como contratações para a temporada.

Edgbaston innings was one quite a lot of prominent judges in Australian cricket would not have allowed him the chance to play

Daniel Brettig at Edgbaston04-Aug-2019Matthew Wade’s Edgbaston century, a sparkling collection of attacking shots with a sturdy enough defence to survive, was an innings played unashamedly on his own terms. It was also an innings that quite a lot of prominent judges in Australian cricket would not have allowed him the chance to play.One of the curious things about the rash of changes in Australian cricket following the Newlands scandal was the return of a couple of very recent national selectors to commentary roles. Mark Waugh, via Fox Sports, and Darren Lehmann, via the same network and also Macquarie radio, have been very outspoken in close proximity to their former spots alongside Trevor Hohns and Greg Chappell – Lehmann succeeded as coach by Justin Langer, and Waugh not replaced.Among the strongest opinions expressed, via these outlets and also social media, was Waugh’s that Matthew Wade’s time as a Test cricketer for Australia was over. Wade hadn’t made anywhere near enough runs for Australia in his most recent stint, the theory went, and he was too vulnerable to the moving ball. He should be considered for limited overs games, on the strength of his BBL displays for Hobart Hurricanes, but not the Test team.

You seriously think Matthew Wade is a test match no.4 or 5 at 31 yrs of age. Has had a very good season and should be in the frame for white ball cricket but not red ball cricket. Has played 22 tests with a batting average of 28.

— Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) February 20, 2019

This view did not change even as Wade was regenerating himself as more of a specialist batsman than a utility gloveman, making technical and tactical changes in Tasmania through the help of the noted batting coach Jeff Vaughan, and also reassessing his personality and mentality through the prism of fatherhood and a growing maturity. Why there was such fixed opposition to Wade, with references made to him being too old at 31 to make a return, has been a source of curiosity.But what is far less debatable is the fact that when Waugh and Lehmann were on the panel, they were part of a decision to choose Wade that had less to do with how the left-hander was performing at the time, and more to do with the state of panic in which Australian cricket then found itself. In November 2016, when the call was made to drop Peter Nevill and replace him with Wade, Australia had lost five Tests in a row, the selection chairman Rod Marsh had resigned, and the strong suggestion was that under a new captain in Steven Smith, Australia needed to be louder and more aggressive as a team, taking any means necessary to win.Wade’s recall, having not played a Test since 2013, epitomised this attitude shift more than anything, but it rather ignored the fact that in terms of performance, he was in the midst of the worst batting slump of his career. In the preceding Sheffield Shield season, Wade had made 167 runs at 27.83 with a top score of 41 not out, and in the one in which he was recalled, he returned just 113 at 28.25. These two seasons remain the least productive of Wade’s first-class tenure since his very first all the way back in 2007-08.So when Wade was thrust into the spotlight of Australian duty he was battling his own method and enthusiasm for the game, in the process of realising that a technique he had honed for years on the predictable MCG drop-in pitch was in need of augmentation if he was to be the high performing Test batsman that his talent always suggested he might be. Two centuries in his first international stint – against the West Indies in Dominica in 2012 and against Sri Lanka in Sydney in 2013 – both showed how good Wade could be, but they were displays he struggled to replicate in 2016 and 2017. Lehmann has, in recent times, conceded that Wade was not in a great frame of mind when chosen.”In his last 10 Tests he did not have a great output but we played on some difficult wickets in the subcontinent,” Lehmann told News Corp last month. “The big thing is he now believes in himself. He is playing more shots. (Previously) he was probably too fearful of getting out. Now he has released the shackles and said ‘I am just going to play’. That is what happens when you get older. I remember Steve Waugh went for three or four years and did not want to get out but at the back-end of his career he played with more freedom.”That’s not to say that Wade’s performances were completely without merit – 196 runs at 32.66 in four Tests in India were creditable in a series Australia battled right to the finish. But when he offered only slim pickings in Bangladesh later in the year, Wade was discarded and clearly marked, by some at least, as never to play again. It was a decision compounded by the ructions of the Newlands scandal, for there had been few Australians more likely to agitate opponents than Wade had been.But it was in accepting that he might not get another chance to play for Australia that Wade found the clarity he needed, something he spoke about eloquently on the day the Ashes squad was named in Southampton. All those who have seen Wade batting up close in recent months, scoring century upon century, have invariably reached the conclusion that he had to be included in Australia’s best six batsmen for the Ashes, and he arguably sewed up a spot by making a century opposite Travis Head against the England Lions in Canterbury.And it was in a similarly muscular, sure of himself vein that Wade played alongside Smith and Tim Paine on day four in Birmingham, clouting 17 boundaries and monstering anything that fell even remotely into his cover driving zone. On reflection, Wade was in no doubt that it had helped to be chosen when feeling sure of himself and his game.Matthew Wade celebrates reaching his century•Getty Images”Weight of runs and time in the middle is everything for a batter so I certainly felt that my game was at a stage where I could perform at this level,” Wade said. “It’s as confident as I’ve been coming into a Test match for sure.”That’s the way we want it to be in Australia, we want guys piling on a lot of runs at first-class level to get an opportunity to play Test cricket, and when you get that opportunity you try and take it. So I felt confident in my game coming in, I’m at the age now where I know my game better than I did back then and playing as a specialist batter makes a difference as well, it takes a lot of pressure off you, you can chill a little bit more in the field and you’re not concentrating for that long stretch of time like you do as a wicketkeeper. I’ve found that really good for my game.”I’m confident in my game and if it doesn’t work like it did in the first innings I still feel that on my day I’m good enough to score runs and I’m not chasing my tail as much as what I did when I was a younger player. I back my game now. Yeah, you’ve got to tinker a little bit here and there, but I certainly don’t change too much.”While Smith’s genius is beyond all dispute, there was far more conjecture to be had about the best players to keep him company and find runs in his slipstream. Perhaps the most telling description of Wade came not from a former selector, but a current one: Langer emphasised that Wade had done the time-honoured thing and simply made a truckload of runs, allied to a fighting countenance.”I saw it during the summer, and we thought a real reward was being picked in the Australia A side because there was a lot of talk about Wadey and his form, and where he was batting and wicketkeeping,” Langer said in Southampton. “And he just keeps doing it. He’s got three hundreds on this tour already and I think he’s batted six or seven times. He’s doing everything that we’ve asked of Australian cricketers. He’s making runs, he’s making big runs, he’s knocking that hard and he’s got that look in his eye. Coming into a tough series like this, you like to see those sort of fighting instincts.”England saw those instincts on day four at Edgbaston, and they did not have much of an answer.

The January transfer window has seen very little activity from Manchester United, but that could change during the final week before the deadline.

Erik ten Hag is keen to reinforce his squad, which has been far from consistent this season. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may want to start his Man United adventure with a statement next summer.

Man United's search for a new attacker

According to a report this week from Spanish news outlet Sport, Real Madrid are willing to sacrifice Vinicius Junior in order to fund a move for PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

This has led to reports via Football365 suggesting that United could look to offer a whopping £172m for the Brazilian in the summer.

Although the move occurring is more than unlikely, Ineos could look for a world-class player to rebuild their Red Devils project around.

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

ByCharlie Smith Feb 1, 2024 The stats that show Vinicus would boost Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and the pressures of leading the line for Man United since joining from Atalanta for £72m in the summer, with the 20-year-old scoring two goals and providing one assist in 16 Premier League appearances.

However, the Dane has shown plenty of promise, with his finishing letting him down at times, as shown by his nine big chances missed this season.

On the other hand, the striker has been excellent in the Champions League, scoring five goals, and he has now bagged in his last two Premier League games against Aston Villa and Spurs.

The potential signing of Vinicius Jr would boost Hojlund's output massively, and the table below shows a handful of the Real Madrid star's stats from the past year that serve as evidence of that.

Goals

0.42

Top 10%

Assists

0.42

Top 2%

Shot-creating actions

5.21

Top 10%

Touches (Att pen)

9.52

Top 1%

Successful take-ons

4.28

Top 1%

Carries into penalty area

4.97

Top 1%

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has previously described Vinicius as "unstoppable" and based on the stats above, it is extremely difficult to disagree with that statement.

The number seven is a dribbling demon whose creativity is infinite, as he is untouchable when weaving through the opponent with his direct approach and insane agility, as highlighted by his carrying and dribbling statistics.

The sheer amount of creation coming from Vinicius would provide Hojlund with more opportunities in front of goal, as he is currently living off scraps, underlined via his xG ranking in the bottom 13% for Premier League strikers.

Furthermore, opponents would have to change their game plan to deal with Vinicius, doubling up on him at times, and his ability to drag players out of position would give the Dane much more space to work with in the box.

Vinicus is also among the best goalscorers in the world, as per his rank in the top 10% for goals scored. Although indirectly, the 23-year-old would become the main focal point of Ten Hag's side, ultimately taking the pressure off Hojlund to score all the goals in a similar way to how Mohamed Salah took the responsibility off Roberto Firmino at Liverpool.

Overall, United wouldn't only be signing a star who would improve them instantly, but they would also be acquiring a future "legend in the making," as per the aforementioned Kulig, which could make the £172m a superb investment.

Inter Miami continue to push for inclusion in the Copa Libertadores, with Argentine talisman Lionel Messi having never graced that competition.

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• Argentine left his homeland at 13 years of age
• Spent time in Spain, France & America
• Herons trying to earn invite to major competition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite being a South American native, Messi headed to Barcelona at the age of 13. He was forced to sever ties with the Catalan giants in 2021, but is yet to return to his roots – with a move made to Paris Saint-Germain before linking up with David Beckham in Florida during the summer of 2023.

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  WHAT MAS SAID

  Jorge Mas is the majority shareholder at Inter Miami and has reiterated his desire to see Messi given a chance to savour a historic Copa Libertadores triumph while plying his trade in MLS. Mas has told : “We aspire to one day participate in the Libertadores. I think it is an important goal, it is a tournament that Leo has never participated in. We also want to elevate the league to have participation and would love to see if we are given the opportunity, the possibility of participating in the Club World Cup next year, and obviously again in four years for 2029. We aspire to a lot.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mas has also pointed out that Inter Miami will do all they can to ensure that Messi is not the last modern day legend to grace their books, with big plans for the future being drawn up. He added: “There will always be talk of an era of before and after Messi in the development of soccer in the United States, it is the largest market in the world but it is in its soccer infancy. But I think that we are going to continue aspiring to have a team, a squad that can compete in international tournaments. We are going to continue dreaming big, always wanting the best footballers in the world to play for Inter Miami. Having Lionel here has been a blessing for the club, for football in this country. I think he is having an extremely good time, his family is happy here and we are very happy.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Messi is tied to a contract through the 2025 MLS campaign, but has the option of a 12-month extension. Triggering that clause would keep him in America for a World Cup in 2026 that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Arsenal's focus is fully on the Premier League title race in this current moment, as they look to leapfrog both Manchester City and Liverpool to secure the silverware. Off the pitch, however, they could be ready to splash the cash again after a quiet January transfer window. And that could see them take full advantage of a dilemma facing another top flight side.

Arsenal transfer news

Whilst signing a replacement for the potentially departing Thomas Partey and finally finding a solution to their striker problems seem to be Arsenal's two priorities when it comes to future incomings, Mikel Arteta could yet look to improve other aspects of his squad. In a long summer window, those in North London will likely be linked with moves for Martin Zubimendi, Amadou Onana and Ivan Toney once more in a repeat of previous windows. This time, however, they could yet step up their chase.

The Gunners could be in their best position to land the world's best players since the glory days of Arsene Wenger if they secure the Premier League title this season – something their recent victory over Liverpool could go a long way towards.

On top of targets such as Toney and Zubimendi, the Gunners could also finally move for another long-term target in Pedro Neto. According to TeamTalk, Arsenal are ready to pounce should Wolves need to sell Neto this summer.

As per Football Insider, via TeamTalk's report, the Midlands club must sell before they can buy again in the summer window, with their price to sell the Portugal winger likely to be around the £60m mark as they face a desperate situation to recoup some spending power in the face of Financial Fair Play problems.

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Arteta reportedly wants to add more competition to his wide players and Neto could be the perfect player to do exactly that, given how he's starred for Wolves this season.

"Special" Neto can compete with Martinelli

Finally back to his best after some frustrating spells on the sidelines, Neto has been a key part of a Wolves side taking the fight to the Premier League's top six this season – beating Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. By welcoming Neto, Arteta will get competition for wide places, and specifically for Gabriel Martinelli, who the winger can go stride for stride with.

Goals

2

5

Assists

8

2

Take-on Success

42.6%

36.6%

Ball Recoveries

63

62

Progressive Carries

67

96

Arsenal legend David Seaman is certainly a fan of Neto too, saying via TeamTalk: “He’s special. He’s a special player. He seems to have that low centre of gravity where he can move both ways. That makes him harder to read, because you don’t know which way he’s going to go.”

When the summer arrives, The 23-year-old could be one to watch, with his form so far this season that of a player who is on course to reach the very top of European football.

كشف حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة الجديد، فوتشيك تشيزني، عن الموعد المحتمل للمشاركة في المباريات.

ووقع تشيزني يوم أمس الأربعاء، على عقده مع برشلونة حتى 30 يونيو 2025، من أجل تعويض إصابة مارك أندريه تير شتيجن بقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

ومنحت لوائح الدوري الإسباني برشلونة القدرة على التعاقد مع لاعب بديل للألماني الذي سيغيب لنهاية الموسم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رافينها يوضح أسباب رفضه الانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي

وتحدث البولندي عن إمكانية ضمانه المشاركة الأساسية مع برشلونة خلال لقائه مع المركز الإعلامي لناديه، وقال: “لا توجد أي ضمانات بأنني الحارس الأول”.

وتابع: “عليك أن تثبت نفسك وتحافظ على مكانك، لم أتحدث مع أي أحد عن دوري مع الفريق”.

واستمر: “لا أستطيع أن أخبركم الآن عن موعد جاهزيتي للمشاركة مع برشلونة، ربما سأعرف خلال أسبوعين، لكنني أشعر بأنني أستطيع، لأنه لو لم يكن لدي ثقة في قدراتي، لما قبلت هذا التحدي”.

وعن المنافسة على حراسة مرمى برشلونة: “بالطبع، سأفعل كل شيء لأن إينياكي بينيا يلعب بشكل جيد هذا الموسم، لن أشعر بالحزن، لقد طلب مني النادي المساعدة وسأفعل ذلك”.

Lionel Messi’s son Thiago has made his choice between Argentina and Spain while revealing which Barcelona star that he hopes to play alongside.

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Youngster was born in CatalunyaHas followed his father to the United StatesBig ambition for future football careerWHAT HAPPENED?

At 11 years of age, Thiago – the oldest of three boys parented by Lionel and his wife Antonela – was born during his father’s legendary spell at Camp Nou. As a Catalan native, he will be eligible to play for Spain if forging a professional playing career of his own.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT THIAGO MESSI SAID

He does, however, boast dual nationality courtesy of his Argentine parents. The youngster currently favours the reigning world champions over those that landed a global crown in 2010, telling of his plans for the present and future: “Playing makes me more nervous than watching my father play. I'm not doing well with my left foot. I want to play with the Argentine team and I don't think there is any way the Spanish team can convince me.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While planning to follow in his father’s footsteps at international level, Thiago has also stated a desire to grace the same domestic stage at Barcelona. He said when asked which current star he would like to become a team-mate of: “I would like to play with Lamine [Yamal].”

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Getty/GOAL/Twitter:M30XtraWHAT NEXT?

There is every chance of that happening, as Yamal is only 16 himself and continues to shatter records with Barcelona and Spain. For now, Thiago Messi forms part of the academy system at Inter Miami – with his dad turning out for their senior side in MLS.

Darwin Nunez is maddeningly inconsistent, but the maverick forward will need to find some form if La Celeste are to make a run

The picture has gone viral. In it, Darwin Nunez stands beaming next to Luis Suarez, a striker 13 years his elder. Suarez has one hand on the number 19 emblazoned on Nunez's kit. The symbolism is clear here; Uruguay have two number 9s, a blend of new and old ahead of the Copa America.

And both forwards are flawed in their own ways. Concerns around Suarez come from his old age and creaky knees. Nunez, meanwhile, is an erratic striking presence, often brilliant while also consistently frustrating.

But the pressure lies on the younger player. Nunez is no longer a raw youngster. He has played two full seasons of Premier League football, and at nearly 25, is approaching what should really be considered prime age of a top-level athlete. For all of his talent, Nunez is an exciting enigma, a footballer equally likely to frustrate as he is to surprise. It's a fascinating duality for Marcelo Bielsa' Uruguay, who seem better positioned than ever to win South America's landmark competition – but are relying on the erratic boots of a puzzling entity to do so.

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  A difficult first season in red

  Nunez arrived in Liverpool in 2022 with a massive price tag and even greater expectations. The former Benfica striker had impressed at Benfica the season before – most notably tearing up the Reds in a Champions League contest. He was a different kind of forward to the inverted wingers that Jurgen Klopp tended to deploy at the time, but that mattered little to the wider footballing world – which swiftly billed the season as a race between Nunez and Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot.

  In reality, Nunez got nowhere near Haaland. While the Man City striker smashed the Premier League's single season goal-scoring record, Nunez was in and out of the Liverpool side, struggling to carve out a niche in a misfiring team jammed full of left sided forwards. His manager preached patience throughout – and Nunez managed a respectable 15 goals in all competitions – but the Uruguayan was better known for the chances he missed than the ones he smashed home.

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  Finding his form

  Liverpool underwent significant change prior to the 2023-24 season. Long-time centre-forward, and the man keeping Nunez out of the side, Roberto Firmino departed for the Saudi Pro League. Meanwhile, a midfield that had effectively collapsed at the end of the previous campaign was replaced entirely. Throw in a refreshed system, more chaotic setup, and Nunez had the kind of stage he needed to build on his mixed debut campaign.

  In the early goings of the season, he did just that. Nunez still wasn't the clinical presence many fans hoped he would be, but the Uruguayan started to find the net with more regularity. There was a memorable brace in the final minutes to beat Newcastle at St. James Park, a dominant showing against LASK in the Europa League, and an emphatic strike to send Bournemouth out of the Carabao Cup. He still provided some signature misses – enough to fill YouTube highlight reels. But this was certainly a more clinical finisher – "captain chaos" had added the goals.

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  Slowing down

  A clinical finisher, that is, until he wasn't. Nunez scored eight goals and added seven assists in his first 24 games of the Premier League campaign. His numbers dropped off a cliff after that. He still appeared in all of the big games for Jurgen Klopp's side, but the goals dried up. A couple of knocks certainly didn't help. However, more broadly, Nunez was just repeatedly missing chances. He blew efforts against Luton and Manchester United, and squandered a crucial opportunity against Manchester City in what could have been a pivotal win in the title race.

  By April, Nunez had effectively fallen out of the XI for good, watching from the bench for long stretches – despite suffering no apparent injury. Klopp insisted that his absence was part of normal rotation, but it was clear that something had gone awry.

  Jamie Carragher, a long-time backer of Nunez, speculated that it might be time to move on from the Uruguayan: "You are looking at it now and after two years, I don’t think there is going to be a massive improvement in him. What we have seen in the last two years is what he is. He can cause trouble, he can be erratic with his finishing. I don’t think it is going to be enough to win you the biggest trophies so I think there is a big decision to be made on him in the summer."

  Nunez, in a little attempt to throw cold water on the speculation, removed all Liverpool content from his Instagram. His time at Anfield may genuinely be up.

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  Performing under Bielsa

  Still, despite all of his struggles at a club level, Nunez has always managed to perform for his national team. Such has been the case under Marcelo Bielsa. Since taking the job in May 2023, the outspoken manager has reformed the way La Celeste play.

  Gone are the lethargic, predictable patterns that came towards the end of the Suarez-Edison Cavani strike partnership era. Instead, this team is far more expansive and exciting. They press high, attack down the wings, and stretch the field. The result is a fluid but fiercely direct system – one that gives Nunez plenty of grass to scamper into. It's all geared towards the striker.

  "(Bielsa) showed me some of my matches, he corrected some things I’d done. For example, there’s a play where all of the opposition team are back, (where he says) 'Don’t run in front of the second centre-back, run in behind'. So that the centre-back loses me," Nunez revealed in September 2023.

  His numbers, and performances, improved accordingly. Nunez played a pivotal role in Uruguay's World Cup qualifying fixtures at the end of 2023, scoring five goals in four games. During that spell, Uruguay battered Brazil at home, beat Argentina on the road, and managed a hard-earned 2-2 away draw with an ever-improving Colombia side.

  More recently, things look the same. Nunez started La Celeste's Copa America warmup game against a languid Mexico, and ran rampant. He scored three of his side's four in a convincing victory.

West Ham United need some respite from what has been a shocking start to 2024, with the chastening 6-0 home defeat against Arsenal leaving a pall of black smoke in east London.

It's a peculiar position; West Ham are outside of European contention in the Premier League only on goal difference, topped their Europa League group back in December and won the Europa Conference League last summer.

David Moyes is under fire and it would have been a bitter pill to swallow that it was Declan Rice, sold to Arsenal for £105m in the summer, who produced last weekend's talismanic performance at his old stomping ground.

It wouldn't be a bad move for Moyes to revisit his past success and promote a talented academy star to the first team, following in Rice's footsteps, with George Earthy producing some high-class performances this term.

West Ham's next Declan Rice

At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, homegrown talent Earthy penned a long-term contract with the Irons, clearly viewed by the club's powers that be as a future star in the first team.

A creative and attack-focused midfielder – who is also capable on the right flank – Earthy has been a prolific figure throughout his United youth career and has posted 37 goals and 25 assists across 102 matches, lauded for his "brilliant" displays by club insider ExWHUemployee.

This season, he has been in emphatic form, scoring nine goals and supplying six assists across 19 matches in all competitions and notably thriving in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, the 19-year-old's three goal and one assist return from five matches in the EFL Trophy is an attractive tally but does not tell the full story of a remarkably rounded skill set, having completed 90% of his passes and averaged 1.4 goals and three ball recoveries per game.

He will definitely need to improve the defensive side of his game, making just 0.2 tackles and winning two duels each outing, but there is no questioning the thrilling quality woven into his core.

Indeed Rice was once at that stage, before going on to enjoy such glittering success rising through the ranks to the apex of Moyes' reign, completing 245 appearances, winning the club's past two Player of the Season awards and bringing riches – both monetarily and from a footballing standpoint – to the fore.

Having crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship outfit Bristol City last month and still seeking a maiden victory of the calendar year, Moyes needs to fashion some renewed positivity from somewhere and unleashing a talented academy member might be the perfect way to sway the fans back on his side.

Lucas Paqueta remains convalescent on the sidelines and will not return to action for several weeks, so a playmaker of Earthy's precocity could be the perfect tool to rekindle the feel-good factor that was so prominent at the London Stadium only a matter of months ago.