Team news has come out of West Ham United ahead of their trip across London to face Fulham this weekend, as manager Julen Lopetegui faces the prospect of being without one player in particular.

Fulham vs West Ham – team news and injury updates

Lopetegui's side have started the new Premier League season in mixed fashion, winning one and losing two of their opening three games under their new manager, but the defeats have come against top-four opposition in Aston Villa and English champions Man City.

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By contrast, Fulham have begun 2024/2025 with a win, draw and defeat – so the two sides head into Saturday's 15:00 kick off on a similarly split run of opening form. West Ham will be hopeful of coming away from west London with all three points, as Lopetegui has a near-fully fit squad to choose from.

While some out-of-window transfer work has still been going on in the background, with West Ham holding talks to sign free agent defenders like ex-Liverpool star Joel Matip given their shortage of senior centre-backs, Lopetegui will be pleased about the options at his disposal overall.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Max 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

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

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

Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been passed fit to play Fulham this weekend, so there is good news for the Hammers, but the West Ham player who's been dominating headlines in the build-up to their next game has been summer signing Niclas Fullkrug.

The Germany international picked up an Achilles tendon injury on international duty, forcing him to return to Rush Green early. Reports have even claimed that West Ham have considered bringing in a free agent striker after Fullkrug's knock, with an update now coming out of the London Stadium.

West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug a doubt for Fulham this weekend

Lopetegui, speaking in a pre-match press conference, has confirmed that Fullkrug is a doubt for West Ham's match against Fulham this weekend, but hasn't completely ruled out his inclusion either.

“Let’s see what happens. He has a little problem, which is a pity, but we will evaluate him, as we are with everyone else," said the West Ham boss.

“Yesterday [Wednesday] he was a bit better, and we just need to keep an eye on him. I think we will make a final decision on him tomorrow [Friday].”

The £100,000-per-week forward appears touch-and-go, but Lopetegui's update also suggests that Fullkrug's injury is by no means serious if there is still a chance he could play.

Fellow new arrival Carlos Soler could also make his Claret and Blue debut tomorrow afternoon, with Lopetegui claiming the Spaniard has been getting up to speed behind the scenes.

“It’s been good working with Carlos since he came in, and helping him understand the way we want to play," said Lopetegui on Soler's imminent West Ham debut.

"He’s a good player, at a good age, and he can help us in a different position.

“We’re looking forward to our last couple of sessions before the Fulham game, because we’ve been waiting for a lot of the players to come back from playing for their countries. We’ll evaluate everything and then make a decision about how we’re going to set up.”

The only sure-fire absentee for West Ham appears to be left-back Aaron Cresswell, who has been ruled out with a thigh injury.

Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong’s agent is reportedly exploring a transfer to Saudi Arabia.

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De Jong has a contract with Barca until 2026Future seems to lie away from Camp NouMidfielder's agent exploring Saudi moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to AS, De Jong's agent Ali Dursun has begun probing Saudi clubs regarding the league's stability and long-term prospects. With the Saudi Pro League gaining momentum and credibility, especially after securing the 2034 FIFA World Cup hosting rights, it has become an attractive destination for top players seeking lucrative deals. These exploratory conversations reportedly included lifestyle and cultural considerations, though no formal negotiations have taken place.

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For De Jong, whose contract with Barcelona runs until June 2026, these developments hint at the possibility of a future away from La Liga. Meanwhile, the Catalans face a challenging decision with De Jong's contract. They are keen to extend his deal but at a significantly reduced salary. Currently earning a net income of €9 million per season, De Jong also benefits from a €4.2 million loyalty bonus and stands to receive an additional €2 million if he features in 60% of the season’s matches. Such figures are increasingly untenable for Barcelona as they work to manage their financial constraints.

The Saudi Pro League stands as one of the few leagues capable of matching De Jong’s current salary demands. The league’s financial resources have attracted high-profile players in recent years, making it a plausible destination for the Dutch international.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona’s sports committee, led by Deco and President Joan Laporta, reportedly plans to take a firm stance. If De Jong does not agree to a contract renewal this summer, the club is prepared to exclude him from Hansi Flick’s plans for the upcoming season. This echoes a similar scenario in 2022 when Barcelona sought to sell De Jong and had even identified Carlos Soler as his replacement. Should De Jong decide to run down his contract until 2026, Barcelona risks losing him on a free transfer, which will be a major financial shock for the club.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR DE JONG?

The coming months will be pivotal in determining De Jong’s fate. Whether he secures a renewal at a reduced rate, makes a high-profile move to Saudi Arabia, or chooses to stay at Barcelona until his contract expires, each scenario carries significant implications. For now, De Jong’s limited impact on the field and Barcelona’s financial prudence make this an unpredictable chapter in the midfielder’s career.

As a club, Arsenal haven’t always had the best of records when it comes to the transfer market.

The North Londoners have spent their fair share of money on players who were never worth their initial price tags, like Nicolas Pepe, simply not good enough, like Shkrodan Mustafi, and while he was a loan signing, they also brought in a player with a broken back in Kim Kallstrom.

However, in the last few years, under the leadership of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar, the Gunners have become shrewd operators in the market and, as a whole, have seen their signings work out.

For example, one of their additions last season, who received plenty of criticism early on, has since become one of the most essential starters in the team.

David Raya's first season

Yes, the player in question is Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, who was a surprise loan signing last summer, and we say surprise as going into that window, there was minimal discussion about Arsenal needing a new number one to replace fan favourite Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.

In fact, many in the fanbase and media believed it was an utterly unnecessary addition to the team at the time, so both Arteta and the former Brentford ace came in for plenty of criticism and scrutiny.For example, former Manchester City and Newcastle United keeper Shay Given claimed that it looked like the manager was “signing a problem” at the time.

It was a mixed start to life in the team for the Barcelona-born shot-stopper as well, as even though he made a stunning save against Spurs in just his third appearance, he didn’t look entirely comfortable early on in the season and made some relatively high-profile and costly errors in the games away to Chelsea and Newcastle United.

In fact, despite finding his feet in the second half of the campaign, former professional and pundit Gary Neville found another way to criticise the 29-year-old, as he described his kicking in the 0-0 draw away to City as “terrible”, which, given the final result, felt quite nitpicky.

However, despite the outside noise and the occasional errors, Arteta could see what Raya brought to the team and stood by him, and after the start of this season, it just looks like another thing he’s got right.

Raya this season

Unsurprisingly, Raya has started all four of Arsenal’s games this season, and to say he’s been sensational would be downplaying it.

For example, he made a fantastic reaction save to keep the Gunners in the lead against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the club’s opening match.

The 29-year-old then took things a step further and kept this team in the game against Aston Villa by pulling off the save of the month to deny Ollie Watkins what looked to be a guaranteed goal.

He made five saves and won 100% of his duels against the Seagulls. Then, against Spurs on Sunday, he remained alert to the danger throughout the 95 minutes of action, and when he was called upon, he made several brilliant stops, and as fans have now become accustomed to, was a monster in the air.

Overall, the “outstanding” international, as data analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed him, has firmly established himself as one of the most important players in the Arsenal squad and has become utterly undroppable.

Appearances

45

Clean Sheets

23

Goals Conceded

32

Goals Conceded per Game

0.71

Points per Game

2.20

Ultimately, the questions surrounding Raya’s signing last summer weren’t crazy at the time, but in the year since, they have been made to look so, and once again, Arteta has been proven right.

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Premier League leaders Liverpool are reportedly set to make a move for Sheffield United wonderkid Ryan One after being impressed by the teenager.

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Reds have been monitoring OneImpressed by young star, 18Want to add powerful profile to the squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

One has caught the eye of Liverpool scouts after forcing his way into contention at the Championship side, according to The Sun. The Reds are now said to be "poised" to make a move for the teenager as he has the sort of "powerful" profile that is currently missing from the team's attack. Sheffield United are well aware of their young star's potential and will therefore demand a large fee for the attacker.

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The 18-year-old joined the Blades last year after coming through the academy at Hamilton Accies and has gone on to make 10 appearances for Chris Wilder's side. He's already opened his account for Sheffield United, scoring against Bristol City in November, and was called into Scotland's Under-21 squad back in October for games against Belgium and Kazakhstan.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Sheffield United starlet is the son of Armand One who endured a colourful career playing for clubs across Europe including Cambridge, Wrexham, Partick Thistle and Stranraer.

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Fans will have to wait and see if and when Liverpool make a move for One. In the meantime he will continue to try and impress with Sheffield United who are currently battling for top spot in the Championship with Leeds United and Burnley.

Over recent years, as Manchester City have dominated the Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne has gone from strength to strength. He has quickly risen to the top, becoming not only one of the best players in the top flight of English football but all of Europe.

His journey has been a curious one, after he failed to make it at Chelsea, before really making a name for himself in Germany at Wolfsburg. Since he joined the Cityzens in 2015 for a then-club record of £55m, he has become an all-time great of the eight-time Premier League winners.

Kevin de Bruyne’s Manchester City record

When looking at the Belgium international’s record at the Etihad Stadium so far, he is a cut above the rest when it comes to pure goals and assist numbers. The former Chelsea man has played 386 games for the Cityzens, scoring 103 goals and registering a whopping 171 assists.

When comparing those numbers to his peers, his quality shines through. According to Transfermarkt, no player in the history of Man City has more assists than him, with David Silva in second, 41 behind the Belgian’s 171.

Player

Games

Assists

Kevin De Bruyne

368

171

David Silva

436

130

Raheem Sterling

339

73

Bernardo Silva

359

68

Sergio Aguero

390

65

Riyad Mahrez

236

56

Phil Foden

271

53

Not only that, but the attacking midfielder is sixth on their all-time top goalscorers list. His century of goals makes him one of only six to achieve such a feat, a list that includes former teammates Sergio Aguero, who sits top of the pile, and Raheem Sterling.

33-year-old midfielder De Bruyne might be on the decline compared to previous seasons, but that does not mean that he was underperforming last campaign. The Man City number 17 played 26 times in all competitions in 2023/24, with injuries hampering his season. However, he still notched up six goals and 18 assists, with 14 of those 24 goal involvement coming in just 18 Premier League appearances.

Not only does the midfielder have stats to show just how good he has been at the Etihad Stadium, but trophies, too. Among others, he has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League once, part of that famous treble in 2022/23.

De Bruyne is arguably City’s greatest-ever player, but the time may come soon when they need a replacement for him. Frustratingly, that man may have been in their academy before they sold him a few years ago.

Where is Felix Nmecha now?

The player in question here is Borussia Dortmund and Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha. The 23-year-old came through City’s esteemed academy but departed the club in 2021 after struggling to break into the side.

Interestingly, he also moved to Wolfsburg, just as De Bruyne did after leaving Chelsea, after being released on a free transfer by the Premier League giants.

Now, the German international, who has one cap for his country, plies his trade for Borussia Dortmund and impressed there last season. He has played 32 times for the German giants, scoring and assisting two goals apiece.

He was compared to City’s legendary number 17 by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also noted his strengths include vision and creativity, much like the Belgian stalwart has shown over the years for the Cityzens.

The 23-year-old made three appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side before he departed for Germany in 2021. Although he played just 73 minutes of first-team football for the Premier League champions, he did manage to register an assist, in the Champions League against Olympiakos, with a simple pass to Joao Cancelo.

Football scout Antonio Mango described the 23-year-old as a “terrific talent”, and perhaps City might well regret letting the youngster leave rather than give him first-team chances or merely loan him out.

With De Bruyne linked with a move away over the 2024 summer transfer window, there is every chance he could depart next summer instead. Whilst they will now need to go and sign a replacement for the legendary midfielder, they may have had the ideal answer at home, in the form of Nmecha.

At the age of 23, he still has plenty of time to develop and shine, as de Bruyne did after initially struggling at Chelsea in his younger days, and City may hope that he does not continue to grow into a player they will regret having released.

Tottenham Hotspur have been approached by representatives over signing a free agent attacker who featured for his country at Euro 2024, and who also finished the 2020/2021 campaign as the Europa League's top goalscorer.

Spurs preparing for all-important Arsenal clash after international break

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou got his first defeat of the new Premier League season out of the way early, having fell to a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United at St. James' Park last Sunday.

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Alexander Isak's winner in the 78th minute was all that split the two teams, with Dan Burn's own goal cancelling out Harvey Barnes' opener beforehand and giving the Lilywhites brief hope they could take a result away from where has been an unhappy stomping ground for Spurs in recent years.

However, Isak ensured it wasn't to be, and Postecoglou now turns his attention to one of Tottenham's biggest matches of the season. The north Londoners take on Arsenal at home in their first match after the international break, and it is a clash which they will be desperate to win.

Arsenal (home)

September 15

Brentford (home)

September 21

Man United (away)

September 29

Brighton (away)

October 6

West Ham (home)

October 19

Speaking to the press after Spurs' defeat in the North East, Postecoglou still praised Tottenham's performance against Newcastle, insisting their opening three performances of the new season have been encouraging.

"Yeah, obviously, very similar I guess to our first away game when we controlled it for the most part, nullified most of the threats that Newcastle have," said Postecoglou.

"It's obviously a difficult opponent here at home. The crowd create a pretty strong atmosphere for the home side, little things go their way but I thought for the most part we handled that really well. Then we gained the ascendancy in the game and we just needed to kill it off and we didn't and a disappointing second goal. I thought we switched off a little bit but the game should have been well over by then. So, another sore one unfortunately where we haven't got the rewards for our play, but ultimately it's three strong performances from the first three games. The results don't reflect it in that way."

It's set to be a long and interesting campaign at N17, especially considering their involvement in the new Europa League format, and tough tests like Arsenal soon await.

Tottenham reportedly wanted to strengthen in midfield before the summer transfer window closed, and to reinforce Postecoglou's squad further ahead of a congested fixture calendar.

With the UK window shut, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange can only dip into the free agent market if they wish to make further additions, but they'll have to do so before September 14, which is the Premier League's full squad submission deadline.

Tottenham offered chance to sign free agent Yusuf Yazici

According to HITC, the club have now been contacted over the availability of former Lille star and 45-cap Turkey international Yusuf Yazici.

The 27-year-old, who finished the 2020/2021 season as the Europa League's top goalscorer, was also called up to represent Turkey at the Euros this summer. However, that wasn't enough to convince Lille to offer him a new deal, and the attacking midfielder left the Ligue 1 side after six years in June.

Their loss could be Postecoglou's gain, though, as it is believed Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Yazici on a free transfer, as have other English top flight clubs.

The Turk also helped to spearhead Lille to an unlikely Ligue 1 title in 2021, boasting a career total of 64 goals and 39 assists in all competitions across spells at Lille, Trabzonspor and CSKA Moscow.

Shubman Gill has a stress related injury in his left leg and could be in danger of missing the entire five-Test series against England, beginning in August. ESPNcricinfo has learned that as per the initial prognosis, the Indian medical staff suspects Gill is likely to take a minimum of eight weeks to get back to fitness.Related

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Details of the injury, including its exact nature, remain unclear still. Throughout the World Test Championship final, Gill, who opened and even took a spectacular diving catch in New Zealand’s first innings, showed no discomfort. Although it could not be confirmed, it is believed that Gill is likely to have picked up the injury during a recent fitness training session.This is Gill’s first injury since he made his Test debut on the tour of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in 2020-21, where he had impressed the team management with a bold attitude while opening the batting. At present, Gill is staying with the rest of the Indian squad in London. He is believed to have expressed a desire to play in the latter half of the England tour, but the team management is expected to take a final call shortly.The BCCI has not sent any update on Gill’s fitness. Currently, the Indian squad is on a three-week break which started from June 24. The contingent will reassemble in Durham from July 15 and train, including playing two warm-up matches. It is understood that the BCCI recently put in a fresh request with the ECB to organise a practice match against one of the counties so that the Indians would get some quality match training before the Test series which begins from August 4 at Trent Bridge.The second Test will be played at Lord’s (August 12-16), the third at Headingley (August 25-29), the fourth at The Oval (September 2-6) and the fifth at Old Trafford (September 10-14). Immediately after the final Test, the Indians will fly out of Manchester directly to the UAE to participate in the remainder of IPL 2021.It is believed that Gill will be fully fit in time for the IPL, where he plays for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership this weekend, as they look to continue their 100% record, with a clash with Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday.

The Hoops have won all four of their games in the division without conceding a single goal, beating Kilmarnock, Hibernian, St Mirren, and Rangers.

Brendan Rodgers' side also came out on top with a 3-1 win over Hibernian in the League Cup, with Daizen Maeda scoring twice and Nicolas Kuhn getting on the scoresheet.

It has been a fantastic start to the season for the Hoops and one of the team's top performers in the Premiership has been right-back Alistair Johnston.

Alistair Johnston's fine form

The Canada international, who started 32 of the club's 38 league games in the 2023/24 campaign, has started all four of Celtic's league matches this term.

Johnston has been in fine form down the right flank with his ability to remain solid and reliable out of possession, whilst also providing an attacking threat.

24/25 Premiership

Alistair Johnston

Appearances

4

Sofascore rating

7.88

Goals

1

Assists

1

Big chances created

4

Duel success rate

69%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old star has contributed to five goals and 'big chances' created combined and won the majority of his physical duels, to help his side keep four clean sheets.

Whilst Celtic do have a terrific right-back on their books, in Johnston, they may still rue the error they made in releasing Aaron Hickey from their academy.

When Celtic fumbled Aaron Hickey

The full-back spent four years in the academy system in Glasgow before joining Hearts on a free transfer in the summer of 2018, which he later revealed was due to a lack of game time with the Hoops.

Celtic's coaches did not do enough to convince him that it was the right club for him to continue his development and breakthrough at first-team level at.

That turned out to be a howler by the Scottish giants, as Hickey, who was dubbed "amazing" by Steven Naismith, went on to play 34 first-team games for Hearts before his transfer to Serie A side Bologna in 2020.

The Scotland international scored five goals in 48 outings for Bologna and that attracted interest from Premier League side Brentford, who swooped to sign him for a reported fee of £14m in the summer of 2022.

Since his move to England, the 22-year-old starlet has made 37 appearances for the Bees and is currently out with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him sidelined until April 2025.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt has his current market value at a staggering €28m (£24m), which illustrates his rise since moving on from the Hoops for nothing back in 2018.

His value is particularly impressive when you consider that Transfermarkt has Johnston's at €8.5m (£7m), despite his sublime form for the Bhoys.

This means that Hickey is worth significantly more than Johnston, whilst being three years younger, and that suggests that Celtic fumbled when they failed to convince him to stay as a teenager in 2018, as his career has gone from strength to strength since then.

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It has been a busy summer so far for Aston Villa. The Midlands club have a big season ahead in 2024/25, as they return to the Champions League and will play in the competition for the very first time since its rebrand.

Indeed, they have so far made eight summer signings, although Cameron Archer has since left the club, and Samuel Iling Junior is set to depart on loan. However, Unai Emery has still brought in six main additions to his squad, notably signing Amadou Onana from Everton in a deal worth £50m. The Belgian got the dream start to his Villa career, with a debut goal against West Ham United.

There have also been some major outgoings at Villa Park. Two key men have left the club, with French winger Moussa Diaby joining Saudi side Al-Ittihad and midfielder Douglas Luiz making the move to Italian giants Juventus.

With the transfer window set to shut on Friday, the Villans might yet look to add to their squad ahead of their huge season amongst Europe’s elite. They have recently been linked with one player who could add quality and European pedigree to their side.

Aston Villa target Premier League defender

The player in question here is Chelsea’s English centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. The 25-year-old has been made into something of an outcast under new Blues boss Enzo Maresca and it seems likely that he will depart the club before the deadline at the end of the week.

Now, according to a report from Ben Jacobs, in conversation with GIVEMESPORT, the Villans are one club that could swoop in and look to sign the Chelsea academy graduate. Jacobs reports that Emery’s side are one of the ‘more viable destinations’ for the 25-year-old to end up at this summer.

However, they will not be alone in their quest to sign him. Jacobs also names Crystal Palace as another option for Chalobah, which could see him link up with a fellow Cobham graduate Marc Guehi. However, whether he ends up at Villa Park, Selhurst Park or elsewhere, Jacobs does confirm he will likely stay in the Premier League.

In terms of a price, the 25-year-old is believed to be valued at around £35m, according to a report earlier in the window. However, with a sale needing to happen fast, the Blues could well drop their price to ensure he definitely leaves the club this summer.

Why Chalobah would be a good signing

Since breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge in 2021/22, the 25-year-old has made 80 appearances for his boyhood club, although last term he featured for the Blues just 13 times in the Premier League.

Frustratingly, this is due to a long-term injury, which kept Chalobah out between the start of August and the 10th of January. He missed a total of 192 days and 32 games with that injury, although it is the only long-term injury of his career, and should not be too much of a concern to Villa.

The Villans would also be adding European pedigree into their squad, ahead of their exciting European venture next term. The 25-year-old, who has had three loans including one at Ipswich Town, has won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup with the Blues.

Although he was not part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2020/21, Chalobah has still been involved in a squad with the majority of those players and likely will have picked up invaluable nuggets of experience which could be helpful in claret and blue. He has played in Europe’s premier competition, featuring nine times and getting on the scoresheet once.

Should the former England youth international make the switch from Stamford Bridge to Villa Park, it could be a repeat of Villa’s recent signing Ian Maatsen. Like a proposed move for Chalobah, the Dutchman was bought from the West London outfit, having also come through the esteemed Cobham academy. He cost £37.5m from Chelsea.

Not only that, but he also has Champions League experience, like the English defender. During a loan to Borussia Dortmund last term, he was part of the side that reached the final at Wembley before they fell to defeat at the hands of Real Madrid.

Not only would there be similarities between the signing of Chalobah to that of Maatasen, but he could also be a perfect partner for Ezri Konsa. The England international has become a key player under Emery and has featured 78 times under the tutelage of the Spaniard.

Why Chalobah would be perfect alongside Konsa

The pair are very similar when it comes to their stats via FBRef, with both defenders excellent on the ball and good defensively, too. For example, last season, the Chelsea defender averaged 4.34 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, with Villa’s number four averaging slightly less at 4.16.

They are also neck and neck when looking at the tackles and interception stats from the 2023/24 campaign. The Cobham graduate averaged 2.26 per game, although the Villa defender averaged slightly more, at 2.4.

Ball recoveries

4.34

4.16

Tackles and interceptions

2.26

2.4

% of dribblers tackled

66.7%

85.2%

Clearances

4.81

2.14

In terms of their numbers on the ball, Chalobah averaged 2.92 progressive passes last term, which is far fewer than Konsa, who averaged an impressive 3.99 each game. Aside from being progressive on the ball, the pair look after the ball well, with the Chelsea defender averaging an 89.4% pass accuracy, and the Villa defender a 91.1% pass accuracy.

It certainly seems as those they would be two complementary defenders in Emery’s Villa system, which requires his centre-backs to be good on the ball and progress play forwards. They could become a dream pairing for the Spaniard.

Chalobah was described as a “seriously talented” defender by football scout Antonio Mango and given the Champions League pedigree he would bring, combined with the fact it would replicate the Maatsen move, which has already shown to be a good value-for-money signing, this could be a shrewd addition for from Villa.

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Varun Shetty14-Jun-2021

Ifthikhar Ahmed was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 71 off 39 balls•PCB

Colin Munro and Iftikhar Ahmed pulled off a stunning turnaround in the second half of the innings as Islamabad United sealed a comprehensive victory over Karachi Kings. Overcoming a sluggish start, the pair finished unbeaten on 150 off 79 balls as they won with eight balls to spare. Munro finished with a 56-ball 88, while Iftikhar delivered the knockout punches at the end with a 39-ball 71 as the Kings came apart in defence.Dropped catches, extras, and visibly flustered bowlers were the picture for the Kings who had earlier put up 190 on a true surface. Babar Azam’s 81 and Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 71 had ensured that; it didn’t prove to be enough.Karachi do it smartKings were put into bat and went off to a decent start. While Azam took some time to suss the pitch out, they had the insurance of Sharjeel Khan, who managed to hit two sixes in the powerplay in an opening stand of 37. Once he fell, Babar opened up to find some boundaries. It was a role reversal, with No. 3 Martin Guptill struggling for timing during his brief stay before eventually chopping on.However, the steady start to the innings meant they were still going at nine an over. From there, Babar and Zadran kept the rate up, finding the pitch to be conducive to driving on the up. Babar used the bounce and lift in the surface to bring out some delightful flicks, and drives through extra cover, with the occasional indulgence of hitting fast bowlers straight over their heads. He took a liking to Hasan Ali, but did end up falling to him on 81 in the 19th over.Zadran outlasted Babar, with whom he had put up 117 in just over 12 overs, and came into his own with confident aerial shots towards the end. He was lethal with the cut shot early on, and particularly took a liking to Shadab Khan off whom he hit sixes off consecutive deliveries in the 14th over – one over midwicket, one over extra cover. That 14th over was the start of a phase in which they score more than 15 an over on four occasions. It hauled them to 190, which didn’t prove enough.A slow start to the chaseUnited had a streaky, ungainly start to their chase. Amir had Usman Khawaja in knots in the first over with outswing, and Waqas Maqsood kept Munro reasonably quiet at the other end too. In their first three overs, United had only three boundaries. At Khawaja’s dismissal in the fifth over, they had only 28 on the board, and a brand new No. 3 in Muhammad Akhlaq lasted only two balls, losing his off stump comprehensively to Maqsood.The pattern would hold – much like the pitch seemed to be. Munro and Iftikhar had scarcely any scoring opportunities on a pitch that suddenly seemed to have slowed. On the occasions Munro seemed to have bludgeoned the ball, he unfailingly found the fielders as well. At 72 for 2 in 10 overs, they didn’t look healthy in the chase – like a wicket would open up the gates for the Kings.Maqsood and Perera live the horrorThat wicket never came. But it could have. At the start of the 12th over, Munro toe-ended a pull shot in the direction of mid-off, having charged down the track at Abbas Afridi. A simple catch was presented to Maqsood, who didn’t have to move too much, but ended up dropping that.In the span of one over from there, Munro managed to hit four boundaries, including the one that took him to fifty. Iftikhar heaved one into the grass banks over square leg too. It was the start of the end for the Kings. United needed 80 off seven at that point, and Thisara Perera was handed the ball after the strategic break. Imad Wasim had suffered a finger injury trying to take a return catch, and couldn’t finish his overs.Munro sent the first ball for six, the second for four, and then dispatched a waist-high full toss – Perera’s second of the evening – over cover. His next ball, also a high full toss, was clubbed straight to long-off by Munro. But the third umpire intervened to rule it above waist height, and the resulting free hit was launched into the leg side by Iftikhar.Seventeen had come off the previous over, 23 came off Perera’s 14th. That was the pivot – Munro and Iftikhar unleashed a force that proved too much for the Kings; Munro ended having hit ten boundaries and two sixes, and Iftikhar five fours and five sixes. It was an indication of just how much Kings’ bowling fell apart in the final quarter of the game.