Nuno Espirito Santo faces making a dramatic early exit from Nottingham Forest following a spectacular falling out with global head of football Edu.

Nuno revealed change of relationshipMassive falling out with EduNuno future at Forest uncertainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following a dramatic day the the City Ground where boss Nuno revealed his relationship with club owner Angelos Marinakis had collapsed, further revelations have been revealed by involving Forest's global head of football Edu. The relationship is described as 'potentially irreparable' and 'personal, deeply personal.' As it stands it is Nuno who looks most likely to leave with the club looking at potential replacements.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There are politics at play, regarding player procurement, and the subsequent power struggle is being played out in front of a stunned watching public. The next few days and Sunday's clash with Crystal Palace will be vital to what happens next for the Portuguese boss. 

WHAT NUNO SAID

Nuno said: "I always had a very good relationship with the owner – last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well (between us) but I always believe that dialogue is important because my concern is the squad and the season we have ahead of us. Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. I think everyone at the club should be together but this is not the reality."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FOREST?

All parties will be relieved to return to the normality of playing football again on Sunday when they face Palace. But the public nature – and obvious anger of Nuno during the press conference – suggests this one will not end well.

Smith united with Labuschagne, his like-for-like replacement in more ways than one

Daniel Brettig in Manchester04-Sep-2019First, there was Steven Smith. At Edgbaston and Lord’s, through three consecutive innings after his return from the Newlands scandal ban, he drove England’s bowlers to distraction. They tried all manner of plans, field placings, too many really, without much at all in the way of success. Two centuries went by and a third beckoned, even as Jofra Archer cranked up his pace on an up-and-down pitch, angling the ball back down the slope.Watching, waiting, anticipating and perhaps dreaming a little, was Marnus Labuschagne. No-one in the Australian squad more closely resembled Smith’s voracious pursuit of batting knowledge, skill and method, with both as likely as each other to keep teammates awake in the middle of the night with the sound of their bats tapping on hotel room carpet, miming shots for the next day. Labuschagne was watching closely when Archer homed in on Smith, felt the jolt alongside 28,000 spectators, and rushed for a vantage point to see if he was ok.Struck down but not out, Smith returned briefly, distractedly, having passed concussion tests in the immediate aftermath of the blow. He did not fare as well the following morning, and as he netted in reserve on the Nursery Ground ahead of the final day’s play, Labuschagne was given the word from the captain, Tim Paine: he was in as Smith’s substitute. Having removed one obstacle, England found another immediately. Labuschagne, too, was hit by Archer, but only on the helmet grille. His resultant half-century scrounged a draw.More was to come at Headingley, in two innings from Smith’s customary post at No. 4. Thrice Labuschagne passed 50, runs that could have, indeed should have, been enough to secure an Australian victory at Leeds and retained the Ashes there and then. If he was the beneficiary of several dropped chances in a second innings of 80, his first-day contribution of 74 out of 179, when conditions were at their hardest, more than compensated for this good fortune. At the end, cruelly, one of Ben Stokes’ match-winning sixes floated a matter of centimetres beyond Labuschagne’s hands on the boundary.Watching it all was Smith, leavening his pain at the result with appreciation of its extraordinary circumstances. Each day of the Leeds Test he gradually increased his level of activity, batting under the studied eye of the team doctor Richard Saw, before facing pace bowlers and taking part in a tour match against Derbyshire. Throughout, he tried to get used to the addition of a protective stem guard to the back of his helmet, even though it wade him so claustrophobic as to feel as though his head was inside an MRI machine. Nets against throwdowns were deemed, subconsciously, as more useful preparation than match batting against Derbyshire spin.In Derby, Smith and Labuschagne played together and did not bat together, but they did not have long to wait. Chosen and Nos. 3 and 4, displacing Usman Khawaja, they trained together pre-match, Smith sidearming balls down at Labuschagne, who also enjoyed the rare sensation of having Steve Waugh clean mud out of his spikes. “A bit surreal, I had Steve Smith throwing sidearms to me for 30 minutes,” he said. “I love talking to him about the game and learning off him, obviously a great experience and a great player. I’m taking it all in as much as I can.”For all the shuffling of Australia’s top order to try to secure a better start, none could be found at Manchester. Again, the openers were separated before the score was into double figures, David Warner edging Stuart Broad when trying to leave him alone for the second time in the series. Marcus Harris, looking a little more comfortable, was nonetheless figured out pretty quickly by Broad, who quite obviously targeted the line of the stumps and won an lbw verdict before the score had reached 30.Also read: The key to Broad’s edge over WarnerLabuschagne had looked comfortable once more from the moment he arrived, leaving the length ball well outside off stump and scoring from anything that drifted either full and wide or too straight onto his stumps and pads. He had spoken before the series of sculpting a game very much around making lots of adjustments within lots of plans for every bowler in every set of conditions, eschewing the time-honoured Australian line of “playing my natural game” for something more scientific.Smith, of course, had rather pioneered this method among contemporary Australian batsmen, keeping at least one step ahead of the world’s bowlers for most of the last six years. Together, they were a hive mind of ideas, adjustments and tweaks, all done within the context of a moving ball and an English pitch. They have one inbuilt advantage, that of being right-handed and so denying Broad and Archer the chance to bend the ball away from them from around the wicket in the manner Warner, Harris and Khawaja have had to contend with, but the rest is skill and forethought.Perhaps the most obvious counter offered up by Smith was in how he played Archer’s bouncers, choosing to ensure he took evasive action to the off side of the ball, to eradicate the chance of him being hit by a delivery that follows him as he tries to sway back away from it. If the Old Trafford pitch was not yet a speedy one, and Archer was somewhat short of his best, the bouncer caused Smith zero trouble at all, leaving Joe Root and company with yet more thinking to do. At the other end, Labuschagne could only admire it.Steve Smith (right) and Marnus Labuschagne bat together at last•Getty Images

“One thing he’s very good at [is problem solving], I see that at the other end but I think you can see that as a spectator,” he said. “When different guys come on, how he changes, different guards, the way he bats, different pre-movements and I think that’s what makes him the best in the world. He’s always one step ahead and thinking ahead, not waiting, not being reactive, he’s being proactive, which makes him very hard to bowl to because he’s always thinking ahead.”We were constantly talking out there about what the bowlers are trying to do, what he’s trying to do and we’re thinking similarly and trying to think about where they’re trying to get us out and stuff like that. Always trying to learn off everyone really, it doesn’t matter whether your’e a batter or bowler, just trying to learn different things off different people and trying to make sure you’re always open to learning off anyone.”It was good fun, good to have some time. I’d never batted with him before so it was a good experience to see how he goes about it and learn from him out there.”Late in the day, heavy winds swept through a shower that was intense enough to have the umpires virtually suspend play, only for the same wind to have it disappear so quickly that Craig Overton, having twice stopped in his run to the wicket due to the rain, ended up bowling uninterrupted. So stop – start was the day that it looked made to ruin a batsman’s concentration, but Labuschagne’s well is clearly deep. When Overton did finally bowl, he dabbed the resultant delivery neatly down through third man to the boundary, and at the end of the over walked down the pitch gesticulating repeatedly how the ball had skidded off the surface.It was a mannerism instantly familiar – not from Labuschagne, but from the man at the other end. Amid the broken nature of this wet and windy day, Labuschagne and Smith were the ideal men for Australia to have in the middle, not only as their leading run-makers this series but as two cricketers never happier than when cocooned at the batting crease. And even though Labuschagne did allow one through his guard in the closing overs, granting Overton access to the top of the off stump, Australia had the platform for the 300-plus score coach Justin Langer has so craved this week.A deal reportedly struck between Labuschagne and Smith after Edgbaston – for the younger man to clean up Smith’s bag at the end of each Test in return for a couple of the former captain’s bats – may need revision should this century stand be the bulwark of the victory Australia need. There will be a few other members of the Australian top six who, on the basis of their runs together, might do well to clean up the bags of Smith and Labuschagne both.

da aposte e ganhe： Dropping from a side on course to gain a place in the Championship's top six to a side who now find themselves behind the chasing pack, Sunderland's decision to sack Tony Mowbray in favour of Michael Beale looks more and more regretful by the day. But the former Rangers boss could yet turn things around with some offers reportedly tabled for crucial reinforcements this month.

Sunderland transfer news

da luck： After a start to forget under Beale, Sunderland fans have at least received the positive reports of a potential new contract at the club. According to club sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, Alex Pritchard has been offered a new contract by the Black Cats and could yet put pen to paper on a deal to extend his stay. When it comes to fresh faces, however, the news hasn't been so positive, with those at The Stadium of Light yet to welcome a single reinforcement for Beale. With just under a week remaining in the January window though, that could still change.

According to Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo, Sunderland have tabled four offers for potential arrivals before the end of the month, with two of those being loan deals and the other two being permanent. Speakman confirmed the news that the Black Cats are still seeking additions, saying via The Northern Echo: "We've definitely got a couple of priority positions that we've spent a lot of time and focus on, and you've referenced a couple of them there (left-back and striker).

Related EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

Posts ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

"We’re always looking across the squad as you have to do in every window, both for who can complement the team and be in the squad, and those who can come in and complement what we’re trying to do as a football club.

"Everyone recognises that the market is slow at the moment, there’s been a very small number of deals in the Championship. We’ve got a couple of permanent offers on the table, a couple of loan offers. We’re waiting on other clubs and that's slightly frustrating, but you have to respect that if players are registered to other clubs, it’s their decision.

"It’s not in our control, it’s about timing and squad management for other clubs. At the minute, finances aren’t stopping us doing anything. It’s about needing the market to free up and players to become available – that’s where we sit.”

Players Sunderland could sign in January

Whilst Speakman failed to give away any hints regarding just who those reported four offers are regarding this month, Sunderland have been linked with a number of players. Among those mentioned in reports have been Skelly Alvero, Callum Styles and even a shock move for Amad Diallo, who previously starred at The Stadium of Light.

As the days tick by, Sunderland fans could get more of a clue as to who will arrive to steer Beale's tenure in the right direction. It certainly looks as though the new manager will be backed this month, perhaps only piling on the pressure for him to finally make an impact.

The allrounder has been named in Test squad after months out with back injury and hopes to help turn England’s fortunes around

Valkerie Baynes17-Jul-2019Georgia Elwiss is determined to mark her international return by helping England make a “special” comeback of their own when they face Australia in this week’s Test with the Women’s Ashes on the line.Elwiss, the 28-year-old allrounder who has played the past two WBBL seasons with Melbourne Stars, was named in England’s 13-strong squad for the four-day match starting at Taunton on Thursday after being sidelined for more than four months with a back injury.”Injuries are never nice and I think it’s just made me really hungry to be able to contribute to hopefully us pulling off something special for the rest of this series and regaining the Ashes,” Elwiss said.England trail Australia six points to nil after losing all three of their ODIs and must win the Test, worth four points, to remain in the contest for the Ashes with three T20s worth two points each to follow.Also read: ‘The beauty of the red ball is bringing it back to life’ – SchuttElwiss admitted it had been difficult having to watch her team rather than taking part after she felt pain while playing England’s one-day series in India in February and scans revealed a small stress fracture in her back, which then ruled her out of the tour of Sri Lanka, plus a home series against West Indies.”Unfortunately I had to get shut down for a fair few months, so I’m on the comeback trail now and fit and raring to go,” Elwiss said. “Hopefully I can contribute to the girls this week and bring some energy and bring something new to the dynamics of the team.”It’s been not very nice watching the girls out there playing while I’m stuck in the gym but I think that’ s made me really hungry to do everything really well and properly and diligently and so I know that now I’m back I’ll be back better than ever.”Elwiss has played two Tests, in the 2015 and 2017 Ashes, batting at No.4 in the latter where she made a second-innings 41 not out off 190 balls to help England hold out for a draw after Australia’s Ellyse Perry had notched an unbeaten double century.Also read: Perth glories inspire Cross to hit her markElwiss struck an unbeaten 44 batting at No.4 and 36 opening for England in a three-day tour match against Australia A, which finished on Sunday, and said while she enjoyed batting in the upper middle order, she was feeling good with bat and ball and was happy to do “whatever job is asked of me”.”I’ve got to break into the XI first and then see where we go from there,” Elwiss said. “The ODI series was disappointing. We need to remember that we’re not a bad team and we’re not actually that far away from the Australians.”They’ve played some good cricket, probably by their admission not the complete package in terms of their ODI game either. We’ve played some good cricket at times and I think we need to keep remembering that they’re humans as well and they’re going to make mistakes and we’re ready to pounce.”Elwiss comes into the England squad alongside youngster Kirstie Gordon and Katherine Brunt, the 34-year-old fast bowler who is a veteran of 11 Test matches. Brunt, who is no stranger to back injuries with disc problems that require ongoing management, returns having missed the third ODI against Australia after hurting her ankle while leaping in the air to celebrate taking a wicket in the second match of the series.Katherine Brunt turns her ankle celebrating the wicket of Meg Lanning•Getty Images

“We call her the grandma of the group – she hates it,” Elwiss said. “She’s got all the experience but she’s still got the heart and the drive and the fight of a 19-year-old coming in and that’s testament to her.”She’s played a lot of Test matches and a lot of Ashes Test matches. She’s been through a lot in her career and has got plenty of battle scars and things like that so she’s a great person to have around the group. She’s great for giving advice.”She does waffle on a lot so you have to pick your moments to get advice from her because you could be sat there for half an hour listening to her answer, but she’s great,” Elwiss added with a laugh. “She’s a great person to have around and she’s great with the youngsters because she’s always willing to offer that advice.”

Warner and Joe Burns believe their opening stand at the Gabba will be the resumption of a beautiful friendship

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane22-Nov-2019David Warner and Joe Burns believe their commanding 222 opening stand against Pakistan at the Gabba will be the resumption of a beautiful friendship, after a previously promising union was effectively broken up by the wiles of Sri Lanka’s spinners as far back as 2016.Always comfortable in each other’s batting company, Warner and Burns were strong partners in 2015-16, including another major stand against New Zealand in Brisbane, before they were split up and left with plenty of challenges, culminating in Burns’ extended time out of the team and Warner’s ban in 2018. They were almost reunited for this year’s Ashes series, but the belated union at the Gabba instantly showed why they had so enjoyed providing starts for Australia in the past.Warner was hopeful that this time around he and Burns would be given an extended run as partners, both for this home summer and the challenges beyond it.Getty Images”Yes is the answer. I reckon I threw the toys out of the cot a lot there as well, that was a challenging series for a lot of us,” Warner said of Sri Lanka in 2016 when Burns was dropped. “But look the success we’ve had together, especially here at home has been fantastic, and as Joe said before, we just have this energy about us when we’re out there, we communicate a lot, we’re always talking about cricket, even though we probably wouldn’t want to talk about it but we do.ALSO READ: Warner thrives on home comforts and positive thinking”But the most important thing is rotating strike. When we do that well, it’s hard for bowlers to put it on the spot all the time when you’re doing that. I know I try to achieve that when we’re out there, if I can’t get the ball away or it’s got to be respected, I try and tuck it in on the leg side or we drop and run. A lot of the fielders hang [back] a little bit, especially when I’m on strike, so I’m always looking around for that drop and run, and I know he looks to get off strike as well. Knowing each other’s roles when we’re out there, we do that very well. We did it the other day in the nets, we had a good half-hour session where we said we’re going to run if we think there’s a run and rotate it six balls.”For his part, Burns stated that the combination of a left-hand batsman and a right-hand batsman was always useful, in addition to a good feel for each other’s batting tendencies. “I think the left-hand, right-hand certainly helps, and I’ve always said batting with Dave is really easy,” Burns said. “You get down the non-striker’s end, you look up and the scoreboards’ ticking along, there’s no pressure to score. I think the biggest thing for me is just the engagement we have, we’re always talking about how the bowlers are trying to bowl, where we can score, where the threats are.”When you have a combination like that with your partner, you lean on your partner during the tough times, and as the innings develops there’ll be scoring opportunities for each of us. I think we saw that today, the Gabba can be a great place to bat once you get in, and if the bowlers are missing their areas, and left-hand, right-hand certainly helps with that.”The way we prepare as well, having someone who’s been there and done it, someone to talk to about how they’re going to go about their preparation and walking out into battle with them makes it a lot easier. You’d be silly not to lean on guys in our team who have the experience and success that guys like Davey has had.”Reflecting on his time out of the team, Warner noted how it had given the likes of Burns, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne the start to gain a foothold in the team, while also granting him a physical and mental break from the treadmill of international cricket.”It was obviously fantastic [to be back] – on the other hand it was a great opportunity for other guys to step up and show what depth Australian cricket has and I was chuffed for this guy next to me to get some runs and play the way he did,” Warner said of Burns. “He was unlucky not to get selected in the Ashes touring group, but to come out here and put that on the board and have that time off to reflect, and just get away from the game.”There’s a lot more to life than just cricket and I really loved the time I spent at home with my family. You don’t get that when we’re travelling all the time. You come home, sometimes you’re not in form and you can throw the toys out of the cot and that can hinder your relationships. But for me it was a level grounding and I really enjoyed that time off. Obviously I’m back now and I’ve got to keep working hard and keep being respectable of the game, because it can bite you in the backside very fast.”Burns, too, had faced time away from the national team, and had won respect from several key observers by responding to his omission from the Ashes squad by taking a European holiday and returning fresh and ready for the home season. His northern summer and a contract with Lancashire had been broken up by a case of post-viral fatigue.”I don’t think you really have much choice,” he said of not sulking over his non-selection. “Selections come and go in this game, there’s so many games you play these days that you’ve just got to make sure you’re making runs. There’s always a training session around the corner, always a game to play around the corner. I came home, got stuck into pre-season with the Queensland boys and wanted to hit the ground running with three Shield games at the Gabba, which I knew was going to be tough work and just wanted to be batting well.”I knew if I was batting well there’d be opportunities there. It was great to watch the boys on TV playing in the Ashes, obviously you get left out and of course you want to be there trying to help out in any way you can, but I knew my job was to make sure if I was called upon in the home summer that I was ready to go. Tried to use that as my motivation and get stuck into it.”It’s a very bitter feeling getting bowled around your legs on 97 by a legspinner at the Gabba. But I was really satisfied with how I batted, felt like I did a lot of things right and I know if I bat more often than not, hopefully it equates to plenty more runs. I’ll just try to be better in the 90s next time and go and bat all day and come out tomorrow and do it all again. Look at Davey, he finished 150 not out, those are the sorts of innings that win Test matches.”

Former Australia ODI captain and current Tasmania batsman George Bailey is set to become the third member of the national selection panel alongside chairman Trevor Hohns and head coach Justin Langer, adding the contemporary voice that Cricket Australia has been searching for in their deliberations for the national team.Bailey, who is widely respected in Australian cricket circles, will be a departure from tradition by taking on a selection role while still a player, though numerous cricketers have been selectors either as captain or in the summers immediately after retirement, including Hohns, Peter Taylor and Greg Chappell. It was Chappell’s retirement from his role as selector following the Ashes series this year that opened up the place taken by Bailey.CA had previously flirted with the concept of having a current player as a selector when Hohns floated Darren Lehmann as a candidate prior to his retirement, before the concept was thwarted at board level. Usman Khawaja, the Queensland captain, spoke favourably of the prospect of choosing a current player as a selector when asked about it on Monday.”I think there is always an option there. I think there is no one more involved and more relevant in the game than people who are actually playing the game,” Khawaja said. “I think players are one of the biggest stakeholders, sometimes the most under-utilised and undervalued stakeholders in the game. I think it’s always important to have someone in the skin of the game.”Communication between selectors and players has improved over the years, but it is believed that the players have suggested it can get better still, something that Bailey will be keenly aware of. Equally he will bring along the perspective of a cricketer who has played more or less his entire career in the Twenty20 era, leading Australia to the global tournament in Sri Lanka in 2012 when they reached the semi-finals.Other candidates to make the final three included the former Victoria and South Australia batsman Michael Klinger and also Greg Shipperd, presently the coach of the Sydney Sixers. Langer had also spoken positively of wanting to find a role in Australian cricket for Trevor Bayliss after the conclusion of his time as England coach this year.”Really pleased with the people who put their hat in the ring for that role,” CA’s head of national teams Ben Oliver said on Monday. “There will be some people who are really disappointed no doubt [at missing out on the role] but they should all take great encouragement and they all have a lot to offer. Really looking forward to getting to the end of that process. Not quite there yet, but we’re not far away.”The panel, and all three, will be responsible for all Australian men’s teams. What we’ve tried to achieve in this recruitment process is adding in some complementary skills to support Trevor and Justin, and one of those is a consideration around short-format cricket.”Oliver explained that the national pathways manager Graham Manou, who had previously worked closely with Chappell in his role as national talent manager, would have a major linking role to keep the selectors abreast of developments in junior and pathway competitions, though like the national captains Tim Paine and Aaron Finch he will not be formally added to the panel.”It’s important for our selection panel to be across the talent that’s emerging through domestic cricket,” Oliver said. “Graham Manou as the national talent and pathway manager has a key role to play in connecting the domestic system but certainly we’re looking for this particular role that we’re recruiting for now, to have a close connection to Graham and to our domestic teams and our domestic coaches.”Sticking with three and Graham’s an important conduit between the panel and domestic cricket. He’s been helping throughout this period as well. At the moment sticking with three [selectors].”Bailey has retorted to questions about bias by saying “I’m not going to pick myself”, while Paine revealed during the Gabba Test against Pakistan that he was firmly in favour of the appointment. “In last week’s Shield game he was batting at five, I was batting at seven, so we were both sitting in the change rooms and set up a mock interview,” Paine told ABC radio. “He’s ready to go, so hopefully he gets the nod, I think he’d be ideal.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk shared 'good vibes' with NBA legend LeBron James at a special event in London.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Van Dijk rubs shoulder with megastars
• Liverpool captain on summer break
• Will return to training in due course

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Dijk shared snaps on Instagram of himself with James, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, looking firmly at home alongside megastars of sport and music.

Advertisement

• WHAT VIRGIL VAN DIJK SAID

  Van Dijk captioned his post: "When worlds collide! Good vibes, good people."

• THE GOSSIP

  Van Dijk was invited to attend the UK launch of Dre and Snoop's Gin & Juice drink, named after the duo's 1994 single, at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace in west London. The rappers performed together on a London stage for the first time in 30 years and were even joined by surprise guest Eminem.

• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Van Dijk was in action at Euro 2024 for Netherlands until July 10 and is currently taking a break before he resumes training with Liverpool. His team-mates were beaten by Preston in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday before they head off to the United States for their pre-season tour. Three games will see the Reds take on Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United between July 26 and August 3.

Manchester United will trim their squad this month and could be about to let one gem leave Old Trafford, following on from already being in the final stages of losing another talented youngster this window, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Man United's outgoings…

In terms of players coming through the door at Old Trafford, there really isn't that much to discuss as Manchester United are yet to finalise any signings this month. Outgoings have been the main focus so far at the Premier League giants and it is likely that Erik ten Hag will be keen to reduce his squad size further over the next few weeks.

Manchester United ready to trigger release clause to sign new midfielder

He’s piqued the interest of Old Trafford chiefs…

BySean Markus Clifford Jan 7, 2024

Speaking at an official Fans Forum last month, Red Devils' football director John Murtough hinted that several fringe players would leave to receive regular game time elsewhere, as he stated: "There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like."

Eintracht Frankfurt moved swiftly to sign Donny van de Beek on by the time January rolled around and his teammate Jadon Sancho has already departed to join Borussia Dortmund on a similar deal, notching an assist in his first appearance against Darmstadt.

Now, Romano has let it be known that Manchester United could now be set to let a prodigious talent walk through the exit door as Ten Hag's squad cull continues.

Mateo Mejia set to leave Manchester United…

According to transfer guru Romano, Manchester United's young winger Mateo Mejia is set to join Sevilla on a free transfer and official documentation of the deal will be processed next week. Taking to social media platform X, the Italian journalist has indicated that the Red Devils will insert a 25% release clause into his agreement.

Of course, Alvaro Fernandez is also nearing a loan move to Benfica, which will include an obligation to buy, a sell-on clause and an option to purchase him again from the Portuguese giants at some point in the future.

Zaragoza-born Mejia has made 12 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United's development side this campaign, registering three goals and five assists (Mejia statistics – Transfermarkt).

10 Manchester United prospects who could break through in 2024

FFC takes a look at the best talent coming out of Carrington.

ByMark Marston Dec 5, 2023

Despite the Red Devils' plight in the Premier League this campaign, Ten Hag doesn't seem too keen to introduce an influx of young stars and Mejia will now try to kickstart his senior career in Andalusia.

The Premier League's short winter break could not have come at a better time for Arsenal, as after a positive lead-up to Christmas that saw them top the table on the day itself, three losses on the bounce have left them scrambling for answers.

The defeats against West Ham United and Fulham saw the Gunners drop to fourth place, while the home loss to Liverpool saw them booted out of the FA Cup in the third round.

While those teams were probably worthy of their wins, there was one constant in Arsenal's performances: abysmal finishing.

Mikel Arteta's men had so many chances to put the ball in the back of the net in each game, but none of their attackers could rise to the challenge, and the latest player linked with the Emirates, Alexander Isak, could spell the end for Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal transfer news – Alexander Isak

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal have 'reignited' their interest in Newcastle United's star striker Isak and remain 'huge admirers' of the Swedish hitman.

The Gunners tried to sign the former Borussia Dortmund star in the summer of 2022 but considered the price that Real Sociedad were asking for to be high. However, any move away from the Toon will likely cost significantly more than the £63m they paid the Spanish side, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing the talented striker at €100m, or about £86m.

While that is undoubtedly a lot of money to spend on a player that you could have signed for considerably less money just a few years prior, it could still be value for money if it helps Arsenal score the goals that end their two-decade title drought.

Plus, it should be relatively straightforward for Arteta to integrate him into the side, as FBref consider former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette to be the most similar player in Europe's top five leagues.

Alexander Isak could replace Gabriel Jesus

Now, some may see that comparison to Lacazette and start to worry given the Frenchman's middling goal return in north London – having scored 71 goals in 206 games for the Gunners – but the comparison from FBref is a recent one, and over the last two years, the former Arsenal forward has been on fire for Ligue 1 side Lyon.

Last season, he found the back of the net 27 times, and this season, he has seven goals in 13 starts, so if the Gunners want a clinical striker, it's really not a bad comparison.

Position

Player

Club

1.

Alexandre Lacazette

Lyon

2.

Nicolas Jackson

Chelsea

3.

Jonathan David

LOSC Lille

4.

Cody Gakpo

Liverpool

5.

Eddie Nketiah

Arsenal

However, Arteta already has a recognised starting striker in his side, Jesus, and as convincing as the Spaniard might be, the "outstanding" Swede, as described by his manager Eddie Howe, is unlikely to join unless he is guaranteed minutes and a lot of them at that.

So, who comes out on top when comparing the two number nines? Well, unfortunately for the Brazilian, Isak's nine goals in 12 league starts this season comfortably beat his three goals and one assist in 11 league starts.

When comparing the pairs' underlying numbers, things only get worse for the former Manchester City ace.

Stats per 90

Isak

Jesus

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.74

0.60

Shots on Target

1.37

1.35

Goals per Shot on Target

0.44

0.21

Passing Accuracy

78.5%

80.6%

Successful Take-Ons

1.90

1.73

Aerial Duels Won

0.26

0.96

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

The "unplayable" 24-year-old, as described by journalist Dean Jones, produces a more impressive non-penalty expected goals and assists number per 90, takes more shots on target, scores from more of his shots on target and even – somewhat surprisingly – completes more take-ons per 90 than Jesus – including this fantastic one at Goodison Park.

The only areas in which the Arsenal man comes out on top are passing accuracy and the number of aerial duels he wins per 90.

Ultimately, the Gunners are still in this season's title race, and if they want to end their lengthy wait for domestic dominance, then they will probably need a more clinical striker leading the line, which, unfortunately, could spell the end of Jesus' time as a starter in N5.

Australia will hope to attack down the Headingley hill and keep things tight going up it as they continue their attempts to ‘win boring’

Daniel Brettig in Leeds21-Aug-2019″Take back control” has been a pretty loaded phrase in this part of the world ever since its co-option by Dominic Cummings and the Vote Leave campaign that successfully won Britain’s EU referendum in 2016.It is also a highly relevant one to Australia’s Ashes campaign, which began so brilliantly at Edgbaston but was stifled somewhat at Lord’s, not only by Jofra Archer and the concussion inflicted on Steven Smith, but also the inroads England made on the touring team’s clear plan to cut down the flow of runs, build pressure and reap wickets from a home batting lineup always eager to impose themselves.Pat Cummins will continue as the “ironman” in an attack that has otherwise required careful workload management•Getty Images

The Australian blueprint to maintain control over the scoring rates of the hosts, block off the boundaries and prosper through patience has been adhered to so rigorously as to rule out Mitchell Starc from selection so far. The coach Justin Langer’s words two days out from the Headingley Test, about not getting caught up into a bouncer war begun by Archer, seemed to strongly indicate that this pattern of selection would continue. “What we’re not going to do is get caught up in an emotional battle of who’s going to bowl the quickest bouncers,” Langer had said. “We’re here to win the Test match, not to see how many helmets we can hit.”ALSO READ: Here to win Ashes, not engage in bouncer war – LangerBut this plan, of course, has two sides to it. England were not only better able to find scoring avenues off the likes of Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon at Lord’s (both were taken for more than 3.5 runs per over), they also succeeded in keeping things exceedingly tight when Archer and Jack Leach had the ball. Where Australia’s batting at Edgbaston had taken on an air of freedom, at Lord’s it was always a slog, even without accounting for the short-pitched stuff from Archer that claimed most of the headlines.”You look back at that period before the second new ball, Jack Leach bowled 10 overs for 12 runs at the other end to Jofra,” England’s captain Joe Root said. “It’s important that you dovetail well as a bowling group and that you continue to keep applying pressure from one end if you’re attacking at the other. I thought we got the balance of that exceptionally well and right last week.”Lyon’s inability to put the clamp on England’s scoring made for quite a contrast. In fact, in all the 20 Ashes matches he has played, Lyon has never been more expensive than the 3.76 an over he conceded at Lord’s when bowling more than 25 overs in a Test. Root, certainly, was happy to see Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow find their ways into the series.”The most pleasing thing from my part was seeing Ben, Jos and Jonny sending good time at the crease,” Root said. “I feel like they really got themselves into the series in that Test match, and it’s a big engine room for us that middle order, they’re some high quality players who can go up and down the gears and really change the momentum of a game. To see them starting to hit some form at what seems like a really poignant time in the series is a really impressive thing for us and a huge confidence boost for the whole batting group.”Australia’s captain Tim Paine, too, acknowledged the shift. “I think Ben Stokes played a pretty good innings as well, I think you’ve got to give him credit there,” he said. “But Lord’s can be a fast scoring ground and so can this one and it just happened to be that the rain pushed the game forward really quickly and almost turned day five into a one-day game, and we know that England are the best in the world at that game, so we thought that really suited them.”We thought we could have handled things a little bit better, but at the same time we had them 6 for 130 in the first innings and 4 for 60 in the second so we still thought we had some opportunities there to break the game open. But as the game played out, we know when they’re in that sort of mood particularly Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow, they’re hard for anyone to stop. If we get in that situation again we’ll do some things slightly differently.”So what must Australia do to improve on their control of proceedings at Headingley? Precise lines and lengths are a given, but so too is awareness that the ground an allow for quick scoring if bowlers are too attack-minded. Darren Lehmann’s wildly successful stint as Yorkshire’s overseas professional in the late 1990s and early 2000s was epitomised by how he often turned favourable bowling conditions on their head by going after the opposition, taking advantage of the quick, short square boundaries not a million miles removed from his Adelaide Oval home.Nathan Lyon leaked more runs than usual at Lord’s•Getty Images

Additionally, the slope across the ground at Lord’s has now been replaced by a gradient from the Kirkstall Lane End down to the Rugby Stand End. Plenty of rapid-fire spells have been delivered down that hill, from Bob Willis in 1981 to Jason Gillespie in 1997. A serviceable, accurate and uncomplaining seam and swing merchant pushing up the hill can also enjoy success: Peter Siddle claimed 5 for 21 here on the first day in 2009 when the Australians set the game up by rolling England for just 102.”We’ve had a couple of days here now for the bowlers to come in and have a bit of a bowl,” Paine said. “Granted it’s not on the centre wicket, but out on the wicket block. You get guys playing in different conditions with different run ups and different surfaces all the time, that’s part and parcel of being a professional cricketer and whatever lineup we pick, we expect that guys will be able to handle it or adapt to it really quickly.”Most capable and flexible for the Australians is Pat Cummins, who can be expected to turn out for the second of back-to-back Tests as the “ironman” of a bowling attack that is otherwise rested and rotated carefully. There will be times during this Test where Cummins may be asked to do either job, attacking down the hill or pushing tightly up it, and it will be critical that the Austrlaians are able to prevent England’s middle order from getting as comfortable as they did at Lord’s.”He’s pretty good. No complaints from him so far,” Paine said. “I think in the last 12-18 months his body’s really matured and he can handle a really big workload and not only do you see a high level of skill from Pat all the time but he’s highly competitive as well. So he’s a great weapon for us, and someone we certainly need to look after, but at this stage he’s handling the workload really well, he’s a super professional in the way he prepares himself, the way he looks after his body. So at the moment he’s going really well.”As a county, by the way, Yorkshire voted to leave in 2016, though the city of Leeds was a remain hold-out, both by narrow margins. Taking back control has proven more complicated than the slogan suggested: Australia will hope their task at Headingley is a little more straightforward.