برشلونة يعلن إنهاء عقد لاعب الفريق ورحيله رسمياً

أصدر نادي برشلونة الإسباني، بيانًا رسميًا قبل قليل، يتعلق بأحد لاعبيه، معلنًا إنهاء مسيرته مع البلوجرانا.

وكان برشلونة أعلن قبل أيام، رحيل اللاعب أليكس فالي إلى الدوري الإيطالي، وتحديدًا نادي كومو.

وفي بيان رسمي اليوم، أكد برشلونة توصله إلى اتفاق مع لاعبه الفرنسي كليمنت لينجليه لإنهاء عقده ورحيله.

وانضم لينجليه إلى برشلونة عام 2018 من إشبيلية، وشارك في 160 مباراة رسمية لمدة أربعة مواسم، وسجل سبعة أهداف وقدم ثلاث تمريرات حاسمة.

اقرأ أيضًا | مهمة سرية في ميونخ.. لابورتا يحاول إنقاذ برشلونة من عقوبة يويفا

وشارك في تحقيق لقب الدوري الإسباني موسم 2018-2019، وكأس الملك موسم 2021-2022، وكأس السوبر الإسباني موسم 2018-2019.

وقام برشلونة بإعارة لينجليه لصفوف توتنهام الإنجليزي في موسم 2022-2023، ثم لعب معارًا لأستون فيلا في موسم 2023-2024.

ولاحقًا انتقل لينجليت على سبيل الإعارة إلى أتلتيكو مدريد، وخاض معهم موسم 2024-2025، وكان لاعبًا أساسيًا في تشكيلة سيميوني، وشارك في 34 مباراة مع الفريق، وسجل ثلاثة أهداف.

He’s Cobham’s finest: Chelsea’s 17-year-old superstar must replace Nkunku

Chelsea fell to defeat at Aston Villa last weekend but have the perfect chance to turn things around on Tuesday night as Enzo Maresca’s men host lowly Southampton in the Premier League.

Though the Blues started on the front foot against Unai Emery’s side and were rewarded for their initiative through Enzo Fernandez’s close-range finish – shout-out to Pedro Neto – the visitors failed to get a firm grip on the match and succumbed to second-half pressure.

Filip Jorgensen’s error in the dying embers allowed Marco Asensio to claim a brace after earlier finishing inside the area, but goalkeeping woes are not the extent of the issues Maresca is currently beset with.

Chelsea have shouldered a tonne of injuries in recent weeks but still need to restore some positive momentum with the business end of the campaign looming large. Indeed, the Blues are only four points off third-place Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea's latest injury news

Trevoh Chalobah was forced off in the early stages against Villa with an apparent back injury but Maresca has allayed fears of a long-term layoff – though Tosin Adarabioyo may have to deputise in his stead against the Saints.

However, the frontline is still going to be depleted for a while, with Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson not expected back until after the March international break and 18-year-old striker Marc Guiu also sidelined indefinitely.

Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile’s respective return dates are also unknown, but star centre-back Wesley Fofana still faces up to two months on the sidelines.

The most pressing concern is who Maresca will stick at number nine against Southampton. Chelsea simply have to get three points against the Premier League’s bottom-placed team at Stamford Bridge, but Christopher Nkunku isn’t cutting it.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Who Maresca should start at centre-forward

With Jackson and Guiu both sidelined, Maresca has been forced into drafting Nkunku into the focal striking role. The France international is tactically versatile and prefers to play between the lines, feeding off the centre-forward.

Admittedly, Chelsea played him off the left flank against Villa, with Neto deputising in a dynamic middle role and achieving some measure of success, but Nkunku was branded with a 4/10 match rating by GOAL after the match all the same, criticised for his anonymous performance.

Indeed, while he attempted five dribbles (completing two) and made two key passes for his teammates, Nkunku only managed to fire one shot at Emi Martinez all evening, and Maresca may now want to turn toward a more naturally suited option at number nine, even if that means conceding some experience in the process.

Premier League

22

2

1

Conference League

5

5

3

UECL Qualifiers

2

2

0

FA Cup

2

1

0

Carabao Cup

2

3

0

He’s not been nearly clinical enough in the Premier League, and with that in mind, Maresca might want to turn to the youth to spark some inspiration back into his flagging frontline.

Shumaira Mheuka is only 17 years old but he’s proven himself to be an able goalscorer for the U18s and U21s this season, posting eight goals and two assists from 22 matches (14 starts).

Moreover, the 6 foot 1 prospect was handed his professional debut during Chelsea’s Conference League match against Astana in December, coming on for roughly 13 minutes during the 3-1 away victory in Guiu’s stead.

He didn’t have much time to assert himself but the teenager did showcase some exciting physical attributes and his eye for goal, unleashing one wayward shot while winning two of his three contested ground duels and also making two tackles, as per Sofascore.

With fixtures passing Nkunku by at the moment, Chelsea may well want to consider making this tweak. No Premier League side have conceded more goals than Southampton’s 61 this term, and Mheuka’s off-the-ball movements, his link-up play, could be exactly what the Stamford Bridge side have been lacking since Jackson picked up an injury.

It would be a bold move – but one which might just pay off given the circumstances. Southampton’s threat has been negligible under Ivan Juric and indeed they have fallen to defeat in eight of their past nine Premier League contests.

Mheuka is the cream of the crop within the west Londoners’ academy set-up at centre-forward, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing the teenager as one of “Cobham’s finest” as he continues to press against the first-team squad.

Maresca is seemingly open to finding alternative means to combat the club’s current injury problems and Mheuka might just fit the bill – named in the matchday squad for the first time in the Premier League during the Villa clash after indeed making his debut in the Conference League.

The natural goalscorer wouldn’t be the first to emerge from the academy and forge a name for themselves at Chelsea, and the timing and opponent up ahead couldn’t be more apt for his manager to unleash him from the outset.

If Cole Palmer can return to his finest form and bounce off the likes of Neto and Fernandez, Mheuka could find himself supplied with plenty of quality as he provides a striker’s take and maybe even pops up with a significant contribution.

Cole Palmer in action for Chelsea

Beyond Southampton, Chelsea only face Leicester City and Arsenal in the top flight before next month’s international break passes into April.

If Chelsea can weather the current storm, they will be in a good position over the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign. And if Mheuka is given a shot and takes it, the Blues fans might be filled with quite a bit of optimism for the future.

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'Nothing wrong with our ability but we need to be more gritty' – Rangana Herath

Bangladesh’s spin-bowling coach urged the batters to build partnerships like how India did

Mohammad Isam15-Dec-20221:30

Jaffer: ‘Bangladesh batters need to value their wickets’

Being four down for less than 100 has been a recurrent theme for Bangladesh’s batting line-up this year. In response to India’s 404 in Chattogram, Bangladesh slumped further to 97 for 6 and ended the second day on 133 for 8. A rejigged top order had given Bangladesh some hope, but it evaporated quickly, leaving them facing a battle for survival for the rest of the game.Najmul Hossain Shanto’s selection ahead of Mahmudul Hasan Joy put the team management in the spotlight. Mominul Haque, who has six centuries and averages 62 in Chattogram, continued to warm the bench. Shanto’s record this year isn’t much better than that of Joy or Mominul and his overall batting average has nosedived to 19.62 from 40.50 in January.Shanto’s golden duck exposed Bangladesh’s batting line-up. Yasir Ali and Litton Das, who batted at No.3 and No.4 respectively for the first time, were immediately under pressure. Debutant Zakir Hasan (20 off 45 balls) lasted the longest among the top four as Bangladesh collapsed to 56 for 4 by the 18th over.Related

Domingo hints Shakib could play as pure batter in Dhaka Test

Allan Donald: Bangladesh fast bowlers 'have established the pack mentality'

Can Bangladesh's batters take a leaf out of their bowlers' book?

Despite series win, batting continues to be a concern for Bangladesh

The unpredictable Chattogram pitch: will it get better or worse?

Shanto and Zakir edged Mohammed Siraj’s outswingers, while Litton and Yasir played on. Kuldeep Yadav then took care of Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was the player of the series in the preceding three-match ODI rubber, is unbeaten along with No. 10 Ebadot Hossain.Rangana Herath, Bangladesh’s spin-bowling coach, expressed his disappointment at the batting collapse.”Losing eight wickets is disappointing, but you know this is Test cricket; another three days to go. We need to hang in there and we need to fight hard,” Herath said. “Test cricket is not easy, always testing your skill, testing your temperament, your patience and there always is a situation, so in that case, you need to fight hard and have to have that gritty attitude.”We are getting some momentum at some stage, but somehow we are losing that momentum. I don’t think it’s about technique but more about getting those decision-making right in certain situations.”There will be some discussions around the batting promotions. Shanto had been Bangladesh’s No 3 for almost three years, but was asked to open for only the second time in his Test career. He was bumped up to the top in place of Joy, who was tipped to be a long-term opener. Zakir’s 173 against India A earned him the other opener’s slot, but that meant there would be no room for Mominul. Yasir, playing his first Test in eight months, was pushed up to No.3 and he got out playing away from the body. A lot was expected of Litton, but he seemingly lost his concentration after Siraj had passed a comment about his aggressive approach.Do Bangladesh’s batters have a psychological weakeness? “When it comes to cricket, you always have to be a tactical guy,” Herath said. “You can be a bowler or a batsman but to be in the middle you have to have that temperament, it should always come from your heart and mind.”There is nothing wrong with the ability or skill, but we need to be more gritty on that and fight hard in the middle. Once you spend some time in there, you get kind of an easy situation. So we need to stay and wait for that time and that’s what I expect from our guys.”Herath also urged Bangladesh to build partnerships like how India had done on the second day. Despite losing Shreyas Iyer early, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav put on a 92-run eighth-wicket stand to frustrate Bangladesh and help drag India up to 404.”There partnerships were well executed. They were 50 for 3 [48 for 3] at one stage,” Herath said. “There was one partnership with Rishabh [Pant] and [Cheteshwar] Pujara, then [Shreyas] Iyer with Pujara. You need to have that kind of partnership in Tests. If you look at Pujara’s innings, he scored 90 but played a lot of balls with his gritty attitude so we need to have bigger partnerships.”

Unrest at Real Madrid? Rodrygo did not feel strong enough to play Clasico against Barcelona as Los Blancos blew 2-0 lead

Rodrygo was reportedly not feeling strong enough to feature in Real Madrid's 4-3 loss to Barcelona amid reports of his unhappiness with Los Blancos.

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Rodrygo losing interest at Real MadridRefused to play in Clasico loss to Barca Likely set to leave Real Madrid this summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rodrygo has been a pivotal and underrated star in Real Madrid's spoils over the last few years as Carlo Ancelotti has led Los Blancos to two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles over the last five years. However, since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, the Brazilian has been losing importance in the squad and is considering leaving the club.

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Rodrygo has not featured for Real Madrid since their Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona after he had been subbed off at half-time by Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazilian has been declared fit since last week; however, he told the staff that he 'didn't feel strong or up to playing' in the La Liga Clasico, as per Marca.

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Marca also added that the substitution in the Copa del Rey final was a major blow to his morale, which has added to the numerous rumours that have appeared about his future, which has led to a situation that the Brazilian is not happy with.

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WHAT NEXT FOR RODRYGO?

It remains uncertain what the future holds at Real Madrid for Rodrygo, as a move away from Los Blancos is the likeliest option. Whether he will play again in the white shirt this season depends on how he feels.

Barcelona wonderkid once touted as the 'next Lionel Messi' reported to police over wild, late night parties as fears grow over out-of-favour star’s future

Ansu Fati, who was once hailed as Lionel Messi's Barcelona successor, has been visited by police after complaints over noisy parties at his apartment.

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  • Parties at Fati's penthouse spark complaints
  • Police reportedly called multiple times
  • La Masia graduate's future at Barca uncertain
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Fati is under scrutiny after his neighbours reported him to the police for hosting late-night parties at his penthouse on General Mitre Street in the Sarria district. The Barca forward is said to have hosted large crowds of revellers, with loud music being played deep into the night – and some gatherings starting as late as 3am. Despite multiple calls to the police, no formal action against Fati has been taken, as per reports.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The 22-year-old forward, who was once seen as the heir to Messi's throne at Barcelona, has struggled with regular injuries and inconsistent form. Moreover, his off-field behaviour, including these reported parties, is beginning to affect his reputation.

    Head coach Hansi Flick is also said to be disappointed with Fati's attitude, both on and off the pitch, casting doubts over his future at the Camp Nou. The Spaniard has only managed 298 minutes across 11 matches in all competitions this season, including recent appearances against Mallorca and Valladolid. 

  • WHAT NEIGHBOURS SAID

    According to , one of the neighbours said: "We have recorded images of them coming and going. We're desperate, we can't rest like this." Another resident expressed his concern, saying: "With his nighttime attitude, Ansu is not only bothering us but also letting the club down."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR ANSU FATI?

    As the summer transfer window approaches, Fati's future at the club looks increasingly uncertain. With his off-field issues and limited on-field impact, it has been reported that Barcelona might look to offload him permanently following a largely unsuccessful loan at Premier League side Brighton last season.

£35,000-p/w West Ham star steps up recovery as fresh return date now eyed

As West Ham United prepare to face Leicester City in pursuit of back-to-back victories, one key man has stepped up his road to recovery with a fresh return date now eyed.

West Ham injury news

West Ham’s 1-0 victory over London rivals Arsenal came out of nowhere. The Hammers entered The Emirates off the back of four games without victory in what has, in truth, been a relatively poor start under Graham Potter. But the Premier League is rarely predictable at this stage of the season and Jarrod Bowen ensured that the Gunners were dealt arguably their biggest blow yet in pursuit of leaders Liverpool.

West Ham, meanwhile, kickstarted the Potter era and will no doubt be looking to make it back-to-back victories against struggling Leicester on Thursday evening.

Victory could see those at the London Stadium move up to 12th if results elsewhere go their way in what would represent improvement from the struggling side they became under Julen Lopetegui. And although they’ll be without both Lucas Paqueta and Vladimir Coufal against the Foxes, Potter did provide a positive update on the latter.

When asked about the duo, Potter shared a fresh date when Coufal could return, telling reporters: “Both progressing. Both won’t make the squad on Thursday but are making progress. Probably Vladimir (Cofual) certainly has a chance for Newcastle. Lucas (Paqueta) we will have to see how he responds but for Leicester, no.”

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Having missed the last two games through injury, which will become three following Leicester, Coufal’s return will be a welcomed one if he makes the Newcastle game.

In his absence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has certainly given Potter plenty to think about with the battle over the starting right-back role set to commence once Coufal is back fit and fighting for the Hammers.

Coufal must fight for West Ham place

There may have been a time when Coufal’s place in West Ham’s strongest side was guaranteed, but Wan-Bissaka has brought an end to those days. The former Manchester United man has looked a surprising threat going forward whilst also completing his usual impressive defensive in what marks major improvement since Old Trafford days to forget.

So, to say that Coufal must fight for his place would be an understatement. The £35,000-a-week right-back may have experience on his side, but Wan-Bissaka is at the peak of his powers and getting better and better under Potter.

West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal

At 32 years old, the West Ham man may be forced to settle for a place from the bench when he potentially returns from injury against Newcastle United this weekend. Wan-Bissaka, meanwhile, looks likely to only kick on even further and cement his role as Potter’s starting right-back at the London Stadium.

Man City now battling to sign another £50m+ midfielder after Gonzalez

After a hectic January transfer window saw them welcome as many as five arrivals, Manchester City are now reportedly plotting a summer move to sign another midfield reinforcement for Pep Guardiola.

Man City transfer news

The Cityzens were in desperate need of a rebuild and commenced that construction during the winter window, adding another goalscorer in Omar Marmoush, three future star defenders in Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Juma Bah, before saving a defensive midfielder until last to cover for the injured Rodri – welcoming Nico Gonzalez on deadline day.

Speaking to the club website for the first time, Gonzalez expressed his delight over the move, saying: “This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career. I am 23 and I want to test myself in England. There’s no better club than Manchester City for me to do that.

“Look at the squad they have here. It’s unbelievable, full of world-class players. There isn’t a footballer in the world who would not want to be part of this set-up. I know the reputation Pep has and I cannot wait to work with him. In fact, I am honoured he wants me to play in his team.”

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Out of the five fresh faces, the £50m midfielder arguably has the most difficult task given that he’s job will be to replace Rodri and fix what has been a disastrous midfield without the Spaniard in the current campaign.

He may yet receive some help in that department in the summer too. According to Caught Offside, Manchester City are now battling Real Madrid and others to sign Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt, who value their midfielder at a hefty €60m (£51m) this summer. Possibly splashing the cash once again, City could solve their midfield problem once and for all.

"Brilliant" Larsson is a rising star

Even when Rodri is crucially back fit and firing, Manchester City could do with some fresh faces in the middle of the park. The ageing stars in their current midfield have been exposed at times this season, with the Blues often overrun and the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva all struggling to keep up.

That’s where Gonzalez should immediately make an impact and where Larsson could eventually arrive to help. The 20-year-old Swede is a rising star, scoring four goals and assisting another two from midfield for Frankfurt this season and earning the praise of Jacek Kulig as a result. The football talent scout dubbed the Frankfurt star a “brilliant signing” last month.

Up against Real Madrid both on and off the pitch, Manchester City should be desperate to win the race and secure the arrival of Larsson this summer.

J Arunkumar's tenure as USA men's head coach ends

J Arunkumar’s tenure as USA men’s head coach has come to an end after just under three years following a decision by the board to not renew his contract. USA Cricket announced on Wednesday that Arunkumar’s time with them had concluded following the tour of Namibia in November, where they played the last of their 36 ODIs in ICC Cricket World Cup League Two.Arunkumar, who was hired in early 2020, had to wait more than a year to actually preside over a match due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last 16 months, his USA teams produced a series of historic highs on the field. But they also suffered a series of lows. The lack of consistency ultimately contributed to Arunkumar’s departure, something he acknowledged in his farewell statement.”I am very thankful for my time as head coach of the USA Men’s National Team and will leave with plenty of fond memories from nearly three years in charge,” he said in a statement that the board issued. “I am pleased with the individual and collective progress of the team throughout my time but also disappointed that we couldn’t quite take our opportunities to qualify for a World Cup for the first time or perform more consistently in Cricket World Cup League 2.”The biggest win under Arunkumar came during his first series on home soil when USA beat Ireland in December 2021. It was their first ever T20I win over a Full Member, as part of a 1-1 series draw in Florida.However, USA’s failure to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2022 left the administrators frustrated. Due to their cash-strapped position, it was unlikely that USA Cricket would fire Arunkumar for this, and be stuck having to pay him while also needing to hire a new coach, however, it became clear that his contract would not be renewed at the end of the year.The team’s ODI results were a mixed bag under Arunkumar. USA achieved victories both home and away against Scotland in 2022. But they also had a disastrous tour of Papua New Guinea in September in which they went winless. It included a tie and a loss to the hosts (PNG’s second win out of 28 ODIs so far in the league). The top three teams in the seven-team league are guaranteed places in the 2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier, but USA’s poor string of results means they are likely to finish outside that cut-off. So now, they will have to go into a six-team tournament early next year, where they must finish in the top two to advance to the Qualifier to be played in Zimbabwe.Arunkumar gained a reputation early on as a player’s coach who was more a man-manager than an outright tactician. His influence helped renew confidence in veteran players like Malhotra, who was one of Arunkumar’s first recalled players having been dropped from the USA squad in 2019 and Monank Patel, who took over as USA captain from Saurabh Netravalkar under Arunkumar in 2021.Arunkumar’s tenure was also marked by handing out a significant number of debuts to younger, often homegrown talents. But the overwhelming majority have largely failed to develop successfully into becoming USA regulars under his watch. Abhishek Paradkar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Kyle Phillip, Yasir Mohammad, Ritwik Behera, Vatsal Vaghela, Sai Mukkamalla and Rahul Jariwala all received ODI or T20I debuts for USA since 2021. Yet all but Mukkamalla played a handful of games – the 18-year-old played eight ODIs – before being dropped as USA’s management soon defaulted back into the habit of preferring former overseas professionals.Shayan Jahangir was the latest of those to make his debut in November, with more similar selections expected to occur in 2023. Ex-New Zealand international Corey Anderson is part of a wave of players that will become eligible for USA early next year under the ICC’s three-year residency criteria.USA Cricket has already begun its recruitment process to find a replacement for Arunkumar.”Jak’s time at the helm began just as the world was going through the huge difficulties of the Covid pandemic and it wasn’t easy throughout the initial stages of his time in the USA,” said Atul Rai, USA Cricket interim board chairman. “However, he always carried himself professionally and put the best interests of the team first and we would like to wish him well for the future as [he] moves on to new coaching opportunities.”

Alerrandro vira o jogador com a melhor média de gols por minutos em campo no Brasileiro

MatériaMais Notícias

Contratado em 2020 pelo Red Bull Bragantino por cerca de R$ 14 milhões, Alerrandro vive a sua fase mais artilheira desde que chegou ao clube. Neste domingo, o centroavante marcou duas vezes na vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o América Mineiro e chegou a oito gols no ano. O número é quase igual a soma das duas temporadas anteriores, quando balançou as redes em nove oportunidades – cinco em 2020 e quatro em 2021.

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> GALERIA:Revisão histórica em pauta: saiba os clubes do Brasil com mais títulos continentais

Apesar do número positivo, o atacante não vem sendo titular absoluto da equipe. No Campeonato Brasileiro, esteve em campo 12 vezes, no entanto, em apenas seis iniciou entre os 11 selecionados pelo técnico Maurício Barbieri. Ainda assim, é o principal goleador do time com 5 gols marcados.

O camisa 9 agora é também o jogador em atividade no campeonato que precisa de menos minutos em campo para marcar: 114. Entre os atletas com mais de um gol no campeonato, quem mais se aproxima de Alerrandro é Luciano. O atacante do São Paulo, que marcou no empate em 2 a 2 com o Fluminense, tem seis tentos nesta Série A e uma média de uma bola na rede a cada 129 minutos em campo.

TEMPO PARA MARCAR UM GOL
– Jogadores em atividade no Brasileirão com mais de um gol

1º – Alerrandro – Red Bull Bragantino – 114 minutos
2º – Luciano – São Paulo – 129 minutos
3º – Adrian Martinez – Coritiba – 132 minutos
4º – Cano – Fluminense – 134 minutos
5º – Pedro Raul – Goiás – 139 minutos

He earns more than Cunha: Pereira must sell "lightning quick" Wolves flop

It is fair to say that this season has not gone to plan for Wolverhampton Wanderers as they continue to fight against relegation from the Premier League.

The Old Gold started the campaign with Gary O’Neil in charge and dismissed him from his duties in December, bringing in Vitor Pereira as his replacement.

Wolves are currently five points clear of Ipswich in 18th place, with 11 matches to play, and were dealt a blow at the weekend when Matheus Cunha was sent off for violent conduct on Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Wage Burners

The Brazilian is set to miss three Premier League games due to his suspension, and potentially more pending the FA’s investigation that must be concluded by the close of play on Wednesday, which comes as a big blow given his form this season.

Matheus Cunha's form this season

The former Atletico Madrid attacker has been a shining light in a dark season for Wolves with his fantastic performances at the top end of the pitch.

Cunha, who racked up 14 goals and eight assists in all competitions for the club last season, has already scored 15 goals for the Old Gold in the 2024/25 campaign.

The Brazil international, reportedly on £79k-per-week, has scored 13 goals from 6.72 xG and racked up four assists from 12 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League this term.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhareacts

In his absence, Pereira will need other forwards to step up and Goncalo Guedes is one star who needs to do just that, as his form this season suggests that the manager must finally ditch him from the club in the summer window.

Why Wolves should sell Goncalo Guedes

The Portugal international, who was signed from Valencia for a reported fee of £27.5m in 2022, has not done enough on the pitch this season to justify his reported wages at the Molineux.

Goncalo Guedes for Wolves

Contracted till 2027, Guedes is reportedly on £91k-per-week – over £10k more per week than Cunha – but he has not secured a regular place in the starting XI, despite being the second-highest earner behind Pablo Sarabia (£110k-per-week).

The 28-year-old flop, who was described as “lightning quick” by talkSPORT’s European expert Andy Brassell, has only started seven of his 22 appearances in the Premier League this season and has been fortunate to record four assists, from two ‘big chances’ created and just 0.61 xA.

Goncalo Guedes

Appearances

Goals

Assists

24/25 Premier League (Wolves)

22

2

4

23/24 Liga Portugal (Benfica – loan)

9

0

0

23/24 LaLiga (Valencia – loan)

17

3

2

22/23 Liga Portugal (Benfica – loan)

12

1

1

22/23 Premier League (Wolves)

13

1

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Guedes has consistently failed to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis, at Wolves or out on loan, since his move to England in 2022.

Therefore, given his reportedly huge wages – particularly in comparison to the far more productive Cunha – and lack of end product in the Premier League, Pereira must finally sell the winger in the summer transfer window, if there is any tangible interest in his services.

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That is, unless Guedes can take advantage of Cunha’s latest suspension to emerge as a key man for Wolves between now and the end of the campaign to prove that he still has a future at the club. The evidence of his career at the club to date, however, suggests that is an unlikely outcome.

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