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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Manuel Pellegrini would have been looking for his first-team players to bounce back following a dreadful display by a largely second-string XI against Oxford United during the week.

There were changes aplenty at the Vitality Stadium, but one man who did keep his place in the side was summer addition Pablo Fornals.

The £24m man hadn’t impressed at the Kassam Stadium in a humiliating 4-0 defeat, and was handed a 3/10 rating by Football London for his performance – it was certainly concerning that he wasn’t able to make an impact against League One opposition.

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Part of the reason the Spaniard got the nod again against the Cherries may well have been the fact that Manuel Lanzini wasn’t fit enough start on his return from injury, with the Argentine only named among the substitutes.

The former Villarreal man is taking time to acclimatise to English football, with no goals or assists to show for his seven Premier League outings to date.

He actually came under criticism from some Irons supporters on Twitter for his showing against Eddie Howe’s men, but the statistics suggest he did a much better job than they think he might have done.

For example, the 23-year-old completed all 26 of the passes he attempted, according to SofaScore, while he also made an impressive three key passes on the south coast.

Fornals also saw four shots blocked by the opposition, and showed that he is willing to put the work in from a defensive viewpoint as well by winning one tackle.

His positive display has certainly made Pellegrini’s life difficult ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace to the London Stadium this weekend, with the decision on who to pick in his midfield surely one of his hardest right now.

Felipe Anderson is clearly a quality player who can make a difference, Andriy Yarmolenko is in form, Declan Rice and Mark Noble are almost un-droppable, and Manuel Lanzini has been one of the Irons’ most talented individuals in recent times.

With Fornals showing signs he can be a Premier League success it may give his Chilean manager a headache, although it has to be seen as a positive one because after all he’d rather have more quality available than not.

Choosing between Lanzini and Fornals is tough, and one is sure to be left disappointed when the team-sheet is announced on Saturday.

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Ousmane Dembele has made just one appearance for Barcelona thus far this season and has been injured for the last four encounters.

He featured in the curtain-raiser against Athletic Bilbao but that game left him with a hamstring injury. He has been out ever since.

But according to the latest reports coming from Catalunya Radio, the Frenchman is already back in training with the first-team and could soon make his return to action at Camp Nou.

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And a number of the club’s fans are now excited to see the attacker make his return, with some hoping he will take the place of Luis Suarez in the starting XI.

Indeed, Barca face Granada on Saturday before further league clashes against Villarreal and Getafe. They return to Champions League action on October 2nd, hosting Italian giants Inter Milan at Camp Nou. The Catalan giants drew 0-0 with Borussia Dortmund in their opener.

You can see some of their replies and comments down in the collection of tweets below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Optus Sport, Le Havre’s Head of Recruitment Franck Sale has revealed Paul Pogba is “ready for a new challenge”.

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner has been linked with a move away all summer, and did little to silence the rumours by admitting there is still a question mark over his future.

Now, Sale, who recruited Pogba as a teenager, has suggested the 26-year-old needs to leave Manchester United for a new challenge.

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He said: “When he left for Juventus a few years ago, with Alex Ferguson that was very complicated too. Paul didn’t concede because he has such a strong character. So when he says, ‘I’m leaving,’ he’s leaving.

“Paul is a man who needs to be challenged. I think he is becoming too comfortable at United. It’s not as demanding for him as it was a few years ago. I think he is ready for a new challenge, that’s obvious. I can see him leaving for another big club searching for this new challenge.”

Inevitable

In one of the most drawn-out transfer sagas of the summer, Pogba’s ‘will he or won’t he’ drama has overshadowed United’s opening to the Premier League campaign. The Frenchman’s future has had plenty of twists and turns, with background characters, like his brother Mathias, fuelling the flames with sly comments to the media.

The whole charade makes it feel inevitable that the midfielder will eventually leave Old Trafford for pastures new, but whether that is to be this summer remains to be seen.

That said, Sale’s words that he feels Pogba has become “too comfortable” certainly raise a few eyebrows.

Comfortable in what sense? United haven’t exactly been walking through the Premier League like a doddle, and his relationship with the club’s fanbase is anything but comfortable.

If anything, this summer has been the most demanding on the Frenchman since his return to the side, and leaving now would really raise questions over his mentality.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Everton are in danger of missing out on two of their reported attacking targets following fresh developments in the market, with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and Barcelona forward Malcom the players in question.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Toffees had been linked with a move for 22-year-old Malcom as Marco Silva looks to add another forward to his ranks – the likes of Nicolas Pepe, David Neres and Bertrand Traore are also on their list.

Now, however, that particular target looks to have been made even harder to acquire after Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund got involved in proceedings – the Germans have reportedly submitted a £38m offer.

In regards to the pursuit of Zaha, Chelsea have joined the race for the Ivorian’s signature along with Arsenal – both Dortmund and the west London outfit’s offers could place the Toffees’ chances of landing either of the pair in doubt.

Why are they in danger of missing out?

Ignoring that fact that Dortmund and Chelsea are simply bigger clubs than Everton (with all due respect), there are more precise details as to why their respective offers are more attractive than the Merseysiders’ bids.

Firstly, Dortmund’s offer for Malcom is already higher than what Everton are willing to offer – this report states that the Toffees are ready to offer €35m (£31.3m) for the former Bordeaux man, which is lower than Dortmund’s £38m bid.

Lucien Favre’s side can also offer Malcom Champions League football.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

In the race for Zaha, Everton’s reported £60m + Cenk Tosun deal seems fairly reasonable, but selling to Chelsea would suit Crystal Palace more and would also appeal to the 26-year-old’s desire to play Champions League football.

The Blues are currently under a transfer ban, so any potential deal would see Zaha remain at Selhurst Park for the time being – presumably, the Eagles wouldn’t mind that as they get to keep hold of their talisman for a little longer.

Frank Lampard is also armed with a war-chest from the £58m sale of Alvaro Morata and the initial £89m earned from Eden Hazard’s Real Madrid move, a transfer which could eventually exceed £150m – meeting Palace’s £80m valuation of Zaha shouldn’t be an issue as a result.

Everton are showing great ambition, but they are certainly in real danger of missing out on the pair.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Liverpool stars Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker took a major step towards winning another piece of silverware just weeks after lifting the Champions League final yesterday evening.

The pair were on top form as they helped Brazil beat South American rivals Argentina 2-0, putting them in the final where Peru await them after dispatching Chile by a 3-0 scoreline.

Alisson kept his ninth successive clean sheet by shutting out the likes of Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi, but it was Firmino who proved to Liverpool supporters and Jurgen Klopp that he can offer a different option in attack.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

Currently at Anfield, the former Hoffenheim forward plays in a ‘false nine’ role, starting deeper in more of a centre attacking midfield position and distracting the opposition centre-backs and defensive midfielder in doing so.

This tends to help wide forwards Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah get in behind the opposition backline, but Firmino showed to Jurgen Klopp that he could potentially be used in a two-man attack thanks to his partnership with Gabriel Jesus.

Against Argentina, the Liverpool No.9 scored a goal and recorded an assist for Jesus, who returned the favour with a set-up for Firmino’s strike; the pair ran their opponents ragged throughout.

Firmino has never really played in a two-man attack under Klopp. He has played behind Salah at times when the Egyptian was thrust into a central role, but never alongside a fellow striker like he did with Jesus on Wednesday evening.

But now, he has proved he can be effective alongside a partner. This could offer Klopp the chance to play him up top with the likes of Divock Origi and Rhian Brewster, instead of choosing just one of them.

This gives Klopp license to switch it up. He could play a 4-4-2 with Firmino alongside Mane, Salah, Brewster or Origi, whilst fringe players such as Xherdan Shaqiri could also come into the side either on the flanks of the midfield four, or just behind the attacking two – it has been noted that the Swiss star needs to step up.

The free-flowing, efficient football on show between Jesus and Firmino should have had Klopp salivating at just how much his Brazilian No.9 can do in attack, and the 5 ft 11 forward has truly proven he can offer the Reds something different in attack with his newly discovered weapon.

شهدت الـ20 دقيقة الأولى من مباراة فريقي الإسماعيلي وبيراميدز المقامة حاليًا على ملعب استاد الإسماعيلية، تسجيل هدفين في ثلاثة دقائق.

المباراة تقام في إطار منافسات الجولة الثامنة من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

تشكيل بيراميدز أمام الإسماعيلي.. رمضان صبحي وعبد الله السعيد والجباس يقودون الهجوم

وتقدم الإسماعيلي عن طريق محمد عادل في الدقيقة 14، برأسية رائعة مستغلًا عرضية محمد الشامي المتقنة، ليسددها على يسار شريف إكرامي الذي يفشل في التصدي لها. هدف الإسماعيلي أمام بيراميدز

وذلك قبل أن يعود رمضان صبحي في الدقيقة 17 ليسجل هدف التعديل بتسديدة من خارج منطقة الجزاء. هدف بيراميدز أمام الإسماعيلي

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Speaking to a talkSPORT broadcast on Thursday 13 June at 16:10, Adrian Durham has given his say on West Brom’s appointment of Slaven Bilic, revealing his disbelief that the Croatian has ended up at the Hawthorns.

What’s he said?

After three arduous months, Albion finally have a new manager. Was it worth the wait? Only time will tell.

However, the fact they’ve finally managed to appoint someone is a step in the right direction as the club bid to return to the Premier League.

Yet, speaking during a broadcast on talkSPORT on Thursday 13 June from 16:10 onwards, the controversial Durham has revealed his dismay at the appointment, making reference to some of the problems facing the Baggies. He said:

“I can’t believe it, if I just tell you this fact, three years ago he took West Ham to a position where they were four points off the top of the Premier League.

“What is he doing in the Championship? What on earth is he doing at a Championship club that are stripping back everything, Jay Rodriguez may go, Gayle isn’t coming back.

“It is an amazing appointment for West Brom.”

Dowling now getting things right?

In many senses, the fact West Brom have managed to get in someone of Bilic’s stature is remarkable. Highly renowned for his work with Croatia in the past, the former West Ham boss’ time in England hasn’t been too convincing.

He did superbly well in his first year with the Irons before he witnessed inconsistent performances during the rest of his stay.

However, Durham’s comments are indicative of the good work Technical Director Luke Dowling has done in terms of bringing the 50-year-old to the Midlands.

It may have been a drawn-out process but being able to attract a manager like Bilic proves that their meticulous search may well be worth it.

As another cracking Championship season draws to a close, check out the top 5 fan chants from 2018/19 in the video below…

Bearing in mind the problems that Durham lists, it’s quite amazing that he’s willing to take over the managerial hot seat at West Brom. That’s especially if you consider the amount of recruitment that’ll have to be done if Albion are to challenge next term.

Dowling may not have got everything spot on in his time at the Hawthorns but Bilic’s arrival is a sign he may now be finding his feet.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أنّ لوكاس فاسكيز، جناح فريق ريال مدريد، قد حدد شرطًا من أجل تمديد تعاقده مع النادي الملكي.

فاسكيز لديه عقد مع النادي الملكي، ينتهي آخر الموسم الجاري، في الثلاثين من يونيو 2021.

وكان النادي الملكي، قد قدم عرضًا لـ فاسكيز من أجل التمديد على عقد أطول، ولكن الجناح الإسباني، رفض العرض المبدئي من جانب إدارة اللوس بلانكوس.

اقرأ أيضًا.. اشتباه في إصابة ناتشو بـ فيروس كورونا واستبعاده من قائمة ريال مدريد ضد ألكويانو

وبحسب شبكة “ABC” الإسبانية، فإن وكيل فاسكيز أبلغ إدارة النادي الملكي، أنّ صاحب الـ”29″ عامًا، يريد زيادة في راتبه 15% من أجل الموافقة على التمديد.

وأوضحت الشبكة أنّ ريال مدريد عرض على فاسكيز التجديد لـ ثلاث سنوات أخرى حتى 2024، ولكن مقابل نفس الراتب.

وقالت الشبكة إنّ فاسكيز لا يمانع التمديد على العقد الجديد، ولكن يرغب فقط في زيادة راتبه بنسبة 15%، مُشيرة إلى أنّ إدارة اللوس بلانكوس لا تزال تدرس الأمر.

أنهى أحمد كابوريا لاعب الزمالك علاقته بالنادي بعد الاتفاق على فسخ تعاقده مع القلعة البيضاء، وخروجه من حسابات الفريق للموسم المقبل.

وكان أحمد كابوريا قد تواجد في صفوف طلائع الجيش الموسم الماضي على سبيل الإعارة من نادي الزمالك.

طالع | باسم علي يعلن عبر “بطولات” انتقاله إلى المقاولون العرب نهائيًا

وعلم “بطولات” أن أحمد كابوريا غادر نادي الزمالك بعد الاتفاق مع مسؤولو القلعة البيضاء على إنهاء عقده وعلاقته بالنادي.

واستقر كابوريا على اتمام انتقاله بشكل رسمي لصفوف المقاولون العرب، في عقد يمتد لـ3 مواسم.

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Harry Kane has delighted Tottenham Hotspur fans by declaring himself fit to play in the Champions League final this weekend, per The Guardian.

Spurs face Liverpool in Madrid on Saturday as they bid to win the competition for the first time in their history.

Kane, of course, has not featured for the club since their first leg win over Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having sustained ankle ligament damage during a clash with Fabian Delph.

He subsequently missed the dramatic away goals triumph over City at the Etihad Stadium prior to the miraculous comeback against Ajax in the Netherlands.

Kane, however, insists that he is ready to go for the biggest game in Spurs’ history.

He said: “If the final was tomorrow, I would be fit to play. I feel good. I’m back [training] with the team and there have been no problems so far. I’ve been in full training, doing everything. I’m at a place now where I’m ready to go for any game. The manager will assess it and decide. But so far I feel good and ready.”

And fans have been left thrilled by the news, though it remains to be seen if Mauricio Pochettino will choose to start the England captain after such a long period out.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!