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Almost ten years ago, a young Dutch forward – and future Manchester United man – announced himself on the world’s biggest stage.

It was in Group B of the 2014 Brazilian World Cup that Memphis Depay starred as a 20-year-old, scoring and assisting against Australia to overturn his nation's one-goal deficit.

From that point, the attacker didn’t look back, and during his final season at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 28 goals and registered eight assists in 40 matches.

These elite numbers are what made United secure Depay’s signature for £25m in 2015, where he reunited with former Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal. At the time, he was an “outrageous” talent, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

Depay’s record at Man United

Depay’s arrival at Man United made him one of the most talked-about prospects in world football, with all eyes eagerly watching him to see how he would light up the Premier League.

The pressure for him to succeed at such a young age was already on before he kicked a ball, and on his second start at Old Trafford in the Champions League tie against Club Brugge, Depay netted twice and assisted in a 3-1 victory.

On the back of that performance, Netherlands and Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben said:

“He can become one of the top players in the world at Manchester United. He is already at such a high level, but playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world he will only get even better.”

However, Depay never reached the heights he once promised and struggled to adapt to the Premier League, netting just twice in 29 appearances during his debut campaign, with a young Marcus Rashford ultimately eclipsing him that season as the new poster boy at the Theatre of Dreams.

The former PSV ace ultimately played 53 games for the Red Devils, with a meagre record of seven goals and six assists across all competitions.

Depay’s career after Man United

Olympique Lyon handed Depay a route out of United at the start of 2017, when he made the permanent move to France for £21m.

During this spell, Depay rediscovered his form and cemented himself as one of the most reliable goalscorers and creators in Europe, with an extremely impressive record of 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 matches.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Over the years, the 5 foot 10 attacker developed into a centre forward, moving away from the left-wing role he had become accustomed to as a youngster.

When Depay’s contract expired at Lyon in 2021, the Netherlands whizz decided to take on a new challenge, with a move to Barcelona shortly following that decision. His time with the Catalan giants was hindered by injuries, which saw him miss 30 games.

PSV

124

50

29

Man United

53

7

6

Lyon

178

76

55

Barcelona

42

14

2

Atletico Madrid

29

11

2

As you can see by the table above, the 30-year-old still had a respectable output at Barca, but he moved to Atletico Madrid around this time last year, where he is still playing, having enjoyed a fruitful season with Diego Simeone's men.

In fact, the mercurial talent is even outscoring his former teammate, Rashford, having bagged seven goals in all competitions in 2023/24 for the La Liga side, with the Englishman, by contrast, having scored just five goals under Erik ten Hag's watch.

Moving from Manchester to Lyon was the best decision Depay made during his career, which turned out to be successful despite not reaching the potential he showed in his early years.

That said, his goals and assists could have certainly been used at United since his departure, and you have to think of what he could have gone on to become at the Red Devils if he never left in 2017.

Middlesex hope fade despite second-innings resistance as Alex Carey polishes off Sussex run chase

David Hopps at Hove20-Aug-2019As Jofra Archer attracts nationwide acclaim during an exciting debut summer for England, Sussex pulled off a heartening victory on a sunny Hove evening to help them come to terms with the long goodbye.The belief that life largely without Archer can still be worth living will be strengthened by a seven-wicket margin against Middlesex that has kept their hopes of promotion from Division Two burning, a win parcelled up by Ollie Robinson as he returned Sussex’s best match figures in the Championship for more than 50 years.Sussex move fifth, 11 points off a promotion place with three matches remaining. Middlesex are a further five points adrift in sixth and will rue their collapse to 75 all out in the first innings. Little went right for Middlesex right from the moment on the first day when a seagull swooped at third man and stole Tim Murtagh’s banana. A side lower on points and potassium levels than they would wish.Law condemns Middlesex dressing room ‘negativity’

“If you get bowled out for 75 you’re not winning too many games of cricket. We’ve got no-one else to blame but ourselves for getting into that mess,” Middlesex coach Stuart Law said after his side’s heavy defeat.
“The wicket had a bit in it in the first innings – they always do in four-day cricket – but we’ve got to find ways to get through that to negate what was effectively one bowler. He bowled beautifully, Ollie Robinson. But we can’t keep doing it to ourselves and expect good results.
“There’s a lot of language used in the dressing room and I think it borders on negativity. We’ve got to think the positives all the time. Being positive is playing good cricket and having clearer thoughts. Sitting up in the dressing room and waiting to bat and hearing some of the comments that are being made out in the middle I don’t think it’s helping us play the game.”

Not since 1964 when James Bond came into contact with Goldfinger, Milton Keynes was just a plan on a Government drawing board, and the Great Train Robbers were found guilty, has a Sussex bowler made such an impact: Ian Thomson including a ten-for in his analysis of 15 for 75 against Warwickshire at Worthing.Robinson’s exertions did not quite deliver a formality: Sussex’s pursuit of 145 on the third evening was an awkward one, even if the pitch remained sound. Australian Alex Carey signed on for Twenty20, but happily added a Championship match to his duties and imposed himself on the run chase with an unbeaten 69 from 54 balls. He will soon be joined for the Blast by his fellow Australian, Jason Behrendorff.Carey played with authority from the outset and had a run-a-ball 26 when Middlesex gambled on the legspin of Nathan Sowter at 88 for 3. Carey spotted his moment, blasting three successive sixes over the leg side arc with consummate self-belief. A fourth followed against the last ball of an over that cost 24.Sussex initially lost three wickets for 44 with most misery heaped on Harry Finch whose 14-ball duck – caught at first slip when Murtagh made one bounce – gave him pairs in his last two Championship matches, against Durham and now Middlesex.Without Robinson’s heroics, Sussex could have sunk because their attack was a thin one. In fact, even with his match aggregate of 14 for 135, including his 6 for 101 in Middlesex’s second innings, there were fleeting moments when their first-innings lead of 234 was not quite invulnerable.Robinson took four of the six wickets to fall on the third day, the best of them a booming inswinger from around the wicket which crashed into John Simpson’s off stump as he succumbed to a leave-alone on 89.Middlesex were still 85 behind when they resumed their second innings on the third morning at 149 for 4. Much rested upon the initial joust between Robinson and Sam Robson, who had made a considered 61 not out the previous evening. Half an hour into an excellent contest, Robinson got his man for 68, a defensive push that flew to second slip.John Simpson raises his bat on reaching fifty•Getty ImagesSimpson carried the fight, however, supported by James Harris in a sixth-wicket stand of 87 in 18 overs. Simpson played conservatively against Robinson and met the rest of Sussex’s attack with crisp strokeplay. Jared Warner, a Yorkshire loanee, was sharp yet short; Elliott Hooper, a slow left-armer on debut, as dishevelled as a scruffed-up bed with shirt hanging loosely around his trousers.Twenty minutes before lunch, Simpson’s straight drive against legspinner Will Beer gave Middlesex the lead and caused Sussex brief alarm when Beer, in his efforts to prevent the boundary, left the field for treatment on a bruised finger. Sussex began to anticipate the second new ball indecently early.They were helped by a quicksilver stumping by Ben Brown off Tom Haines; Toby Roland-Jones must have lifted his back foot only for a millisecond but it was long enough for umpire Ben Debenham to adjudicate in Sussex’s favour.If Haines had held a simple catch from Harris, which looped to gully off bat and pad, when he was only 5, Sussex’s chase would have been so much easier. Harris was let-off again by Haines on 41 and was eventually ninth out for 66 when he attempted an ambitious step-away pull against Robinson.Even then, Middlesex’s lead was only 65, but Steve Finn and Murtagh enjoyed some last-wicket malarkey as they added another 79 in 16. Finn’s 56 from 65 balls equalled his career-best first-class score in a Test in Dunedin six years ago.On that occasion, he batted for nearly five hours and, at one point, was strokeless for so long that a single was marked by a celebratory toot from the Barmy Army trumpeter Billy Cooper.On this occasion, his long limbs flailed in all directions as if he was Benjamin Zander conducting Beethoven’s 9th at breakneck speed, but there was not a sound to be heard, only the shuffling of chairs on the Middlesex balcony as they contemplated the likelihood of a defeat that has severely dented their promotion chances.

It's an excellent time to be an Arsenal fan at the moment.

Mikel Arteta's side are on a roll in the Premier League, are well and truly back in the title race and are set to play their first Champions League knockout game for seven years when they take on Porto tonight.

One of the players likely to make it into the starting XI will be Belgian international Leandro Trossard, who's been in fine form last month, with four goals in five games.

However, another attacker at the club didn't cost a penny, is now worth more than the 29-year-old and could be set for a profitable move in the summer.

Eddie Nketiah's academy record

The player in question is 24-year-old Eddie Nketiah, who joined Arsenal as a youth player after being released by cross-city rivals Chelsea at age 14.

The Lewisham-born striker later claimed that the experience of losing his place at Cobham gave him "that extra motivation and resilience when times are hard", which could explain how he has been able to fight for his place in the Gunners' squad.

In his 60 appearances for the various youth sides at Arsenal, the young poacher scored 46 goals and provided 11 assists, meaning he averaged 0.95 goal involvements per match for a considerable period.

Following this success, he was sent on loan to Championship side Leeds United in the 2019/20 season, although he only spent half a season in West Yorkshire and returned with five goals and one assist in 19 appearances.

Away from club football, the 5 foot 11 frontman was prolific for the England youth sides and is still the top goalscorer for the U21s, as he racked up 16 in 17 games.

Eddie Nketiah's market value

Nektiah's first team debut for Arsenal came back in September 2017, when Arsène Wenger brought him on for a minute of action against Bate Borisov in the UEFA Europa League, with his Premier League debut coming six months later, as the Frenchman gave him another short cameo, this time against Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, his first real stint with the senior squad came under Arteta in the 2019/20 season, when he made 17 appearances and picked up four goals.

The "monster" forward, as described by The Athletic's Aaron Catterson-Reid, has since gone on to play 162 games for the north Londoners, in which he has scored 38 goals and provided ten assists, which isn't too bad for a backup striker.

However, it's his new valuation that will really please the Arsenal board, as the CIES Football Observatory values him at around €50m or about £43m, which is £9m more than they value Trossard – who has ten goals to his name in all competitions this season.

162

38

10

This price discrepancy is most likely due to the age difference between the pair, as at 29 years old, the Belgian has fewer years in the game remaining than the Englishman, even though he has been more effective in recent months.

It appears as if Stan Kroenke and Co are looking to cash in on this new valuation of Nketiah this year as well, as it was reported earlier this month that his exit this summer is a genuine possibility.

Arsenal played a blinder selling gem whose value has plummeted by £15m

The highly-rated youngster hasn’t had the best of seasons this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 20, 2024

Ultimately, the academy graduate has been a useful player for the club at times, but perhaps his greatest contribution to Arsenal could be a hefty payday when he moves on, which can hopefully allow him to reach his full potential as well.

South African bowling allrounder set for his first stint in the BBL while English batsman returns after a successful spell last season

Alex Malcolm18-Sep-2019Sydney Thunder have signed South Africa bowling allrounder Chris Morris for BBL09 while England batsman James Vince has re-signed for with Sydney Sixers.Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond was delighted to secure Morris for the BBL. He has extensive T20 experience globally and has been a valuable commodity in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and, most recently, Delhi Capitals. Bond has watched Morris closely whilst serving as Mumbai Indians bowling coach over recent seasons.”Chris is someone who I had my eye on,” Bond said. “It’s always great to have a player who can change the game with bat and ball. He’s an experienced, hardened cricketer who bowls 90mph and smacks it with the bat. Those players are very rare, so he brings a unique skill set.”I’m looking forward to welcoming his personality and competitiveness to the team as well.”Morris will join the Thunder after his commitments with Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in the Mzansi Super League in South Africa end. The MSL final is set for December 16, and the Thunder play the opening game of the BBL on December 17 in Brisbane. Morris’ early availability will be tested further given the Thunder play three matches in the first five days of the tournament.James Vince brought up his half-century off 36 balls•Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Vince returns to Sydney Sixers after playing eight matches last season coming in as a replacement for countryman Joe Denly. Vince will return to Sydney alongside another Englishman Tom Curran as the Sixers’ two overseas players.Vince was instrumental in helping the Sixers to the semi-final, making 75 off 46 balls against Brisbane Heat and then 74 not out from 50 balls in a record-breaking partnership with Josh Philippe to beat competition leaders Hobart Hurricanes.”James made a huge impression within our group through his consistent performance in the vital No.3 position that assisted the team reaching the semi-finals,” Sixers coach Greg Shipperd said. “As captain of his county Hampshire, and an England player, he brings great knowledge, leadership and calm to our group.”He is one of the sweetest strikers of the ball in the world, with a rare purity of strokes on both sides of the wicket making him tough to contain. Who can forget his breathtaking unbeaten partnership with Josh Philippe at the SCG. He will compliment beautifully our opening duo of Philippe and Daniel Hughes.”Vince is keen to atone for last year’s semi-final loss. “Having lost out in the semis in BBL 08 I’m hoping we can go all the way this time around,” he said. “There is a huge amount of talent in the squad and some great people at the club. I’m looking forward to contributing to what is hopefully going to be a great BBL for the Sixers.”

It certainly wasn't pretty, but Lionel Messi and the defending champions were able to escape with three points against a fierce rival

It's been eight years since Argentina played Chile in this very building in this very tournament. On Tuesday night, the two South American heavyweights returned to MetLife Stadium outside of New York, the site of one of Lionel Messi's biggest heartbreaks. On that night eight years ago, he temporarily retired from the national team. It was arguably his lowest low.

On Tuesday, though, Messi and Argentina exorcised whatever demons were left over from that 2016 World Cup. They've won the Copa America and World Cup since then but, make no mistake, this was still personal. Eight years after Messi's biggest Copa America heartbreak, Argentina are marching through the tournament again behind a narrow win.

In front of more 81,000 fans, Argentina picked up their second win in as many group games, edging Chile 1-0 with a late goal. It wasn't pretty in the slightest. It was physical, dirty and, at times, downright ugly. Argentina survived, though, as they have just about every time over the last three years.

Messi wasn't the hero this time. That title goes to Lautaro Martinez, who came off the bench to bail out Argentina. Through 88 minutes, Argentina had failed to break down a resolute Chile team. The Chileans, though, couldn't quite stop Martinez.

It required luck, the bounce of a corner kick to the Inter man on the backpost. But in a game with fine margins, that's what it so often takes. Argentina didn't always have that luck in past years, but the sure do now.

Next up is a group stage finale against Peru, but their spot in the knockouts is already assured. Their Copa America defense hasn't been perfect, but their record has been. Messi and co. are onto the next one.

GOAL rates Argentina's players from MetLife Stadium.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Emiliano Martinez (7/10):

Made a massive save in the 72nd minute, his first of the night, before making another one two minutes later. He didn't have much to do overall, but he stepped up in the moments he did.

Nicolas Tagliafico (6/10):

Combined really well with Nico Gonzalez on that left-hand side. Did his thing defensively, too, which was key in this physical battle.

Cristian Romero (8/10):

Absolutely monstrous in defense. Swatted everything Chile could throw at him away, and he did so with ease.

Lisandro Martinez (7/10):

Not nearly as dominant as his partner, but this game was one made for "The Butcher." Battled all night long, as he always does.

Nahuel Molina (7/10):

Had one really good chance just after halftime, but that was pushed away by Claudio Bravo. Was the more attacking of the two fullbacks as he had a few good moments going forward.

AdvertisementMidfield

Alexis Mac Allister (7/10):

Incredible on the ball throughout. His passing was fantastic, but he also had a few chances of his own. Unlucky not to score what would have been a deserved goal.

Rodrigo De Paul (6/10):

Let a few shots rip from range on top of his usual bodyguard duties. Was lucky not to be punished early, though, for stepping on Gabriel Suazo's ankle.

Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Quietly did a lot well before being taken out in the 64th minute. Argentina's midfield looked worse after his departure, which is something of a compliment to the Chelsea star.

Attack

Nicolas Gonzalez (7/10):

Smashed the crossbar with one of Argentina's best chances. Even outside of that, he was dangerous throughout his time on the field. He's struggled a bit at times with Argentina, but this was a good performance.

Julian Alvarez (6/10):

Didn't really get enough service. Was actually dangerous the few times he did get the ball, but it wasn't often enough.

Lionel Messi (7/10):

The playmaking was there, but it felt like he could have, and should have, been more selfish. Messi created a few good chances that faded away, but this game was calling for him to do something magical. His corner kick did lead to Martinez's goal, to his credit, but this was still far from Messi's best day.

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Subs & Manager

Giovani Lo Celso (6/10):

Replaced Fernandez midway through the second half, but wasn't nearly as good during his time on the field.

Angel Di Maria (7/10):

Nearly drew a penalty a few minutes after coming on. Argentina were looking for the wily veteran to provide a spark and he did provide a small one.

Lautaro Martinez (8/10):

For the second straight game, the Inter man came on and made a huge difference. Argentina has waited for him to bring his club form to the national team for years – is it happening this summer? For the second straight match at Copa America 2024, scored in the 88th minute.

Gonzalo Montiel (N/A):

Came on to provide fresh legs at fullback late.

Marcos Acuna (N/A):

Same as above.

Lionel Scaloni (7/10):

It wasn't working, but Scaloni wasn't afraid to shake things up. Some fans will be frustrated with some of his choices but, thanks to Martinez, it ultimately worked out in the end.

As Jurgen Klopp prepares to depart on the ultimate high at the end of the Premier League season, Liverpool have reportedly already turned their attention towards summer reinforcements with another midfield addition targeted.

Liverpool transfer news

The headlines surrounding Liverpool have unsurprisingly been centred around Klopp's replacement this summer, with Xabi Alonso seemingly the leading candidate. According to reports the Reds have already made an offer to Alonso in an attempt to secure his signature ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

The former midfield star has caught the attention of European football this season for his work with Bayer Leverkusen, who sit top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten in an extraordinary campaign.

If it is to be Alonso, then those at Anfield will need to turn their attention towards reinforcements who could slot into his 3-4-2-1 system. And that's where Teun Koopmeiners could come in. The Atalanta attacking midfielder has been linked with the Reds in recent days ahead of a potential summer move and could take up the role that Florian Wirtz has thrived in under Alonso, should Liverpool secure both moves.

Meanwhile, FSG have been tipped to move to hand their next manager an in-demand star. According to Foot Mercato, Liverpool are chasing Alan Varela and sent a scout to watch the Porto midfielder in his last outing – a stunning 5-0 thrashing of title rivals Benfica.

Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool are "super happy" with "incredible signing"

He has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 7, 2024

However, if the Premier League giants do want to secure the defensive midfielder's signature this summer, not only will they have to trigger his reported release clause of €70m (£60m), but they will also have to beat the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund in a busy race to get their deal over the line in the coming months.

"Rolls-Royce" Varela can unleash Mac Allister

Anfield has seen in recent weeks just how good Alexis Mac Allister can be in a more advanced role, with Wataru Endo's return playing a large part in accommodating that. At 31-years-old, the Japan international is not a long-term solution to unlocking Mac Allister's best traits, however. And that's where Varela should come in.

The Porto midfielder, at 22-years-old, is already impressing and has even outperformed Endo in several areas so far this season, as the numbers show.

Progressive Carries

18

6

Progressive Passes

105

54

Blocks

28

15

Interceptions

18

10

Given that Varela is Mac Allister's Argentine compatriot too, Liverpool could form an ideal partnership at the heart of their next manager's midfield. If the Porto man did arrive, he'd become the Reds' fifth South American in and around the current squad, adding to Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez, Alisson Becker and Luis Diaz.

What's more, Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig is someone who will certainly back Varela to succeed wherever he ends up, having praised the Argentine by describing him on X as a "Rolls-Royce" when detailing his ability.

Scotland captain Coetzer said that his team lost due to their failure in capitalising on the opportunities offered by Singapore

Peter Della Penna in Dubai18-Oct-2019With 19 runs to get off two overs and a well-set Calum MacLeod at the crease, all signs pointed to Scotland holding their nerve and avoiding slipping on a first-day banana skin at the T20 World Cup Qualifier. But Singapore captain Amjad Mahboob had other plans and got a little help from his friends to spark the tournament’s first upset on Friday at the ICC Academy.”Before the second-last over, we had 19 to defend,” Mahboob said after the two-run win over Scotland. “I told [Janak Prakash] if you give me eight to ten runs, I am definitely going to win the match for Singapore. I had self-belief, confidence in me that I could do it and God helped me, and I did it.”While Mahboob got most of the limelight for defending eight off the final over, Prakash’s role in the denouement was no less significant. The 19-year-old allrounder had scored a vital 20 off 11 balls at No. 6 to bolster Singapore late in the first innings. On the first ball of his second over, Kyle Coetzer’s straight drive pinged Prakash just over the right eye, splitting open a sizable gash as blood poured onto the ground and physios from both teams ran out to assist.But Prakash was able to get to his feet with a towel pressed against his head and walked off on his own power. It looked like he might not take any further part in the match, yet he was back on the field just 17 balls later with his head stitched up and wrapped in bandaging. Then he bravely came back into the attack and conceded 11 off the 19th. It set the stage for Mahboob to deny Scotland by claiming MacLeod and Safyaan Sharif to brilliant catches at deep midwicket by Tim David before a last-ball run out ended the match.”I was very confident because this ground is not easy to hit boundaries,” Mahboob said. “So I just bowled in the right areas. The first three balls I bowled with variations and that helped me. The last ball, I knew only if they hit a six, they could win. I bowled the leg-stump yorker and the result was in our favour.””When the batsman hit the ball, some of the boys had started celebrating already. I was shouting at my keeper to throw the ball to me, the batsmen are still running. The fielder threw the ball again to the keeper end. Aritra [Dutta] was there and he took off the bails and the result was ours. It’s a great feeling. Beating Scotland is not an easy thing. We know they are one of the strongest teams and we are very happy. We want to carry on with the same momentum in the tournament.”David’s placement at deep midwicket was not the original plan either. It took some prodding from Manpreet Singh behind the stumps to reposition David on the boundary into the area where Manpreet felt Scotland were most likely to target.”I think he is an all-round package,” Mahboob said of David, who only made 1 but was instrumental in the field with four catches and a runout. “If he never clicks with the bat, he can do well in the bowling and the fielding. Thanks to my keeper, he asked me to put Tim David on the leg side. I listened to him and I think that helped me.”On the flip side, Scotland’s fielding cost them badly as several missed stumpings and a drop on the boundary resulted in bonus runs for Singapore. Coetzer said his side needs to be more clinical when opportunities in the field present themselves.”I guess it’s about being a little bit more ruthless in terms of taking our opportunities,” Coetzer said after his side’s loss. “In T20 cricket, it’s fine margins sometimes. I think both sides missed opportunities at key times in the game. We missed a couple in the first half, which possibly could have put them on the back foot, with three-four wickets down. But that’s how the game goes. We seemed to have it under control towards the end. As we all know, there is no team you can underestimate in this tournament and Singapore are a very good side. In the end, they deserved their win.”

Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough admits his team were blown out of the water by League One rivals Wrexham for defender in transfer market.

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Mansfield boss discusses Wrexham's powerLewis Brunt chose Red Dragons over StagsOther League One clubs lack same resourcesWHAT HAPPENED?

Nigel Clough has spoken openly about Mansfield missing out on the signing of Lewis Brunt to Wrexham, who are already showing clear ambition to make their presence felt in the third tier following promotion, after being outbid at the last minute.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mansfield had Brunt on loan from Leicester last season, with the versatile defender helping them earn automatic promotion to League One just behind Wrexham and Stockport County. But rather than being able to sign him permanently, there was a bigger offer from SToK Cae Ras and he went there instead. The Red Dragons have otherwise brought in goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and midfielder George Dobson on free transfers from Arsenal and Charlton respectively.

WHAT NIGEL CLOUGH SAID

Clough told Mansfield's club media: "It was us and Peterborough, I think, neck and neck for [Brunt's] signature. I think we put an offer in slightly more than Peterborough's. As is the way, Wrexham come in and blow us both out of the water, and pay quite a bit more than the two of us had bid. Personal terms as well, the likes of us and Peterborough can't compete with that.

"There's nothing you can do about it. If you lose players for £50 ($64) or something like that…but when somebody blows you out of the water financially, there's absolutely nothing you can do."

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ultimately want to be in the Premier League, with executive director Humphrey Ker stating in May the ambition for thay is "as quickly as possible". That means they hope their stay in League One will be brief, with eyes on the Championship in 2025-26. The new season will open with the visit of Wycombe Wanderers to north Wales on August 10. Before the, pre-season will take the squad on tour to the United States and Canada.

Lionel Messi and Argentina have the full support of Conor McGregor at the 2024 Copa America, with the UFC icon placing a £365,000 bet.

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Portuguese star backed for Golden BootEternal rival competing for continental crownBoth have the support of MMA legendWHAT HAPPENED?

The Irishman is partial to splashing the cash, with celebrities such as rap star Drake having led the way when it comes to elaborate wagers on sporting events. McGregor has already put £60,000 on Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Euro 2024 Golden Boot.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

He appears destined to miss out there, with the Portuguese superstar going goalless through four games in Germany – having been the top marksman three years ago with five efforts to his name. McGregor is now siding with CR7’s eternal rival Messi.

THE GOSSIP

World Cup winners Argentina are in continental action on U.S. soil. They have eased into the Copa America quarter-finals after winning all three of their matches at the group stage. McGregor has revealed that he has a £365k stake on the Albiceleste going all the way – which could land him over £1 million in winnings.

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WHAT NEXT?

Argentina are favourites to defend their Copa crown, with talismanic captain Messi leading from the front, and they will face Ecuador in the last eight. Over in Europe, Ronaldo will need a flurry of goals from the quarter-final stage of Euro 2024 in order to deliver for McGregor – who he has mingled with of late when attending high-profile boxing events in Saudi Arabia.

A club are expecting their star striker to leave this summer, coming after a claim that Tottenham could look to sign him for Ange Postecoglou this summer.

Spurs set sights on Harry Kane replacement

While Spurs want to add a new winger to their ranks in the next transfer window, according to reliable media sources like Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick, the north Londoners are also said to be contemplating an out-and-out replacement for club-record goalscorer Harry Kane.

BBC pundit says "astonishing" forward may decide to join Tottenham

He’s been on fire for his club this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 5, 2024

Postecoglou's side have coped very well in their first full season without Kane, who completed a blockbuster move to Bayern Munich last summer, but it is believed they could look to bring in a natural number nine despite Richarlison's exceptional form recently.

Following a difficult first 16 months in north London, the Brazilian has come into his own, but that hasn't stopped Spurs from being linked with Brentford striker Ivan Toney among other centre-forward options.

Aston Villa (away)

March 10th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

West Ham (away)

April 2nd

As well as Toney, the likes of Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez and Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy have been mentioned as potential summer targets in recent months.

In terms of the latter, he's a very interesting option, as his contract is widely rumoured to contain a very affordable and tantalising £15 million release clause.

The Guinea international, as a result, could emerge as one of Europe's most sought-after strikers later in the year. Tottenham could well be in the mix for Guirassy among a host of other clubs, with journalist Dean Jones telling GiveMeSport that technical director Johan Lange might try to steal him away from Stuttgart.

Guirassy has bagged 20 league goals so far this season, a stat made all the more impressive by the fact he was injured for a period and also jetted off to AFCON.

Stuttgart anticipating Guirassy exit this summer

As per Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, taking to X, Stuttgart are anticipating Guirassy's departure with a decision expected in the next couple of months.

The 27-year-old is a real one to watch it would seem, with Plettenberg also shedding light on his dressing-room personality which could be appealing to Postecoglou at Tottenham.

"He is very strong physically," said Plettenberg to Sky Germany.

"He knows how to score and he is known as a leading figure in the dressing room."

If Spurs do end up making a move for the player, Guirassy's leadership qualities could be a real plus point alongside his obvious goal threat, making this one to watch.