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Leeds United are looking to return to winning ways this evening as they play host to Swansea City in the Championship at Elland Road.

The Whites went into the gameweek seven points behind Ipswich Town in second place and will be hoping to gain ground on them if the Tractor Boys fail to pick up all three points against Millwall.

Daniel Farke's side head into this clash with the Swans off the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw away at relegation-threatened Rotherham United last Friday.

Crysencio Summerville opened the scoring with a fine finish for the Whites in the all-Yorkshire clash but a strike before half time from Hakeem Odofin secured a point for the hosts.

The German tactician could make some changes to his side after that draw and one that he could make is to finally unleash Ian Poveda, whose last start came against Birmingham in August, ahead of Daniel James on the right flank.

Dan James' performance against Rotherham in numbers

The Wales international has enjoyed a solid season so far, with four goals and four assists, but he produced a sloppy display against the Millers.

James struggled in possession as he only found a teammate with 59% of his attempted passes (16/27) and failed with all four of his attempted dribbles, to go along with zero goals and zero assists, in 70 minutes on the field.

Appearances

15

Sofascore rating

7.35

Goals

Four

Assists

Four

Big chances created

Eight

The former Swansea forward also lost all seven of his duels, including his three aerial battles, and did not make a single tackle, interception, block, or clearance to help the team out from a defensive perspective.

It was a disappointing performance from James on and off the ball and, with three games in a week, this clash with the Swans is an opportunity for Farke to rest him and unleash Poveda in his place.

Why Poveda could start against Swansea

The former Manchester City starlet caught the eye in his cameo off the bench against Rotherham and Farke revealed that he trusted the gem due to his "good" performance levels in training.

Leeds' head coach claimed that Poveda has the ability to provide a "touch of magic" with his "crazy" movements to make something happen on the ball.

The former Norwich boss said that he was pleased with the young talent's display as the winger completed 100% (8/8) of his attempted passes and completed one dribble in 20 minutes.

The 23-year-old whiz has, however, yet to translate his youth team form with Manchester City to senior level and is still waiting for his breakthrough moment.

Poveda racked up 15 goals and 13 assists in 69 appearances for the Cityzens at U23 and U18 level combined but has zero goals and one assist in 27 first-team matches for Leeds.

This suggests that the 5 foot 6 winger, who predominantly plays on the right and cuts inside onto his favoured left foot, has more to offer than he has shown so far.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the English maestro can carry his academy form over to the senior game, Farke could unearth a productive and exciting forward if he can get Poveda to hit his stride in the first-team – starting with an inclusion in the XI tonight.

Chelsea have continued to fulfil their status as a big spending juggernaut since the arrival of Todd Boehly in May 2022.

During his time at the club, the American businessman has attempted to take a shortcut in their pursuit of success by arming the Blues with a war chest of funds to spend on emerging young talents.

Whilst accruing over £1bn across three transfer windows hasn't brought the requisite success, the recent 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and the captivating 4-4 draw with Manchester City implies that their plan is slowly coming to fruition.

Mauricio Pochettino is beginning to get the best out of a few of his summer arrivals, including Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, who have contributed to 15 goals between them this season.

The Argentine has also been responsible for breathing confidence in and getting high-level performances out of Raheem Sterling following the Englishman's struggles at Stamford Bridge.

That said, the Blues boss is still on the lookout for more talented youngsters to add to their plethora of attacking options.

Unsurprisingly, one of their targets is Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson, who they've raided in the past for Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez and record-signing Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea transfer news – Evan Ferguson

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are huge admirers of Brighton striker Ferguson, despite the talented teenager recently signing a lucrative contract that will keep him at the Amex untill June 2029.

The report states that the Blues could use the connections they have towards the Seagulls following their raid of the club last year.

It is believed they are monitoring his situation with a view to using that inside knowledge to seal a potential deal in the future.

Director of Global Talent and Transfers Paul Winstanley and chief analyst Kyle Macaulay are among the ex-Brighton staff to hold a key role behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.

Despite having the edge over any other club in that regard, Brighton did slap a £120m price tag on his head previously to warn off interested clubs in the summer.

With financial fair play (FFP) breathing down their necks, it's unlikely the Blues are going to break the £100m mark on one player for the third time in the space of a year, however, the 19-year-old has already shown he's supremely talented, hence why a three-figure sum has been touted.

Evan Ferguson's goalscoring record

Brighton captured Ferguson from Irish club Bohemians in January 2021 and the striker quickly established himself as a goal machine in the underage groups.

With an impressive 18 goals in 39 appearances for the Seagulls U23s, the Republic of Ireland international was ready for a shot in the senior side and he took that chance emphatically.

Having become the club's fifth youngest-ever player when he made his debut in the Carabao Cup in August 2021, Ferguson made his Premier League debut in February 2022 against Burnley before becoming a key figure in the 2022/23 campaign.

Dubbed by Robert De Zerbi for his "incredible" impact in first-team last term, his rise – like his valuation – was rapid, and the teenager demonstrated that between December 2022 and January 2023 where he bagged three goals in two assists in four matches, including his first Premier League goal in a 4-2 defeat against Arsenal.

A record of ten goals in 25 appearances for Brighton across that season unsurprisingly warranted interest in the 18-year-old from several big clubs, who witnessed the world-beating talents of the youngster unfold before their eyes.

After watching the Irishman score a delightful hat-trick against Newcastle in September – and become the most prolific teenager in Europe at the time – interest in Ferguson reached an all-time high.

This is mainly down to the fact there isn't a goal he cannot score: outpacing and bullying William Saliba before slotting underneath a despairing Aaron Ramsdale, the touch, turn and finish against Grimsby in the FA Cup, towering headers and accurate low finishes.

Ferguson has every type of goal in his repertoire and he's proven that he's a more complete forward than most – despite his tender age – including Chelsea's Jackson.

Nicolas Jackson's Chelsea statistics

Jackson took his goal tally for the season from three to seven – in the space of two matches – after scoring a fortuitous hat-trick against nine-man Tottenham Hotspur and a rebound goal against the reigning champions, Manchester City.

Prior to those two matches, the 22-year-old's confidence was on the floor, missing gilt-edged opportunities and crumbling under the weight of expectation on his young shoulders.

Yet, the Senegalese striker now boasts a respectable record of seven goals in 14 appearances this term and his previous struggles in front of goal have all been forgotten about.

Despite his upturn in goal-scoring form, Ferguson has still shown how supremely clinical he is when the opportunities arise in contrast to Jackson.

Statistic

Evan Ferguson

Nicolas Jackson

Goals scored

5

6

Expected goals (xG)

2.71

7.79

Mins per goal

118

142

Goal conversion %

28%

18%

Big chances missed

2

8

Shots per game

1.6

3.0

All stats via Sofascore

Whilst Ferguson is outperforming his xG by 2.29 and scoring at a rate of 118 minutes per goal, Jackson has underperformed by a whopping 1.79 and is only scoring once every 142 minutes.

Despite his age, it is remarkable how composed and clinical the Irishman is in front of the goal, drawing comparisons to arguably the best finisher on the planet, Harry Kane.

The future Harry Kane

Whilst goalscoring is any striker's bread and butter, one of Ferguson's great strengths has been the variety in his game, stemming from learning different positions in his formative years with a special focus on midfield.

This is why the Irishman has been compared to Kane. He possesses exceptional link-up play and passing vision, akin to the Englishman, which allows him to drop deep and impact the build-up phase of attacks.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, Ferguson underscored the importance of being comfortable at receiving the ball in a midfield position, admitting that he moulds his game off the sensational marksman.

He said: "I think it's helped me sort of just be more natural as a modern striker. You see strikers now, like Harry Kane, the way they drop in… I wouldn't be surprised if he played midfield as a kid.

"I can understand the kind of run to make or when to delay a pass. It's helped me be more complete."

A complete striker in the modern game is a necessity and the three-figure sum being planted on Ferguson's head reflects his true value and incredible potential.

At the age of 19, he's demonstrated physicality and technical brilliance well beyond his years, which is why Chelsea should empty their pockets and raid Brighton once more for their brilliant striker.

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, thanks to a late goal from club captain Bruno Fernandes. However, it was far from a vintage performance from the Red Devils.

Erik ten Hag's men failed to control the game, despite having 55% of the possession share, and found it difficult to break through Fulham's compact 4-4-2 defensive block. The English giants resorted to pumping it long time and time again, ending the game with 64 long passes, according to FotMob.

A lack of balance in the middle of the park was the primary reason behind United's struggles against the Cottagers, as has become a common theme this season, and one man in particular could find himself out of the starting lineup following his below-average display in London.

Christian Eriksen's stats vs Fulham

Christian Eriksen started as a single pivot in Man United's midfield on Saturday afternoon. Sofyan Amrabat dropped to the bench, while the manager has confirmed that £70m signing Casemiro will be sidelined until after Christmas, following an injury he sustained in the first half of the team's EFL Cup exit against Newcastle United last week.

While the 20-time champions did walk away with all three points, it was yet another unconvincing showing from Eriksen from the deepest midfield position.

After the game, the Manchester Evening News handed the Denmark international a 4/10 rating, claiming he was "careless with the ball" and "positionally awry". Meanwhile, Sofascore rated Eriksen's display as 6.7 out of 10. Only Antony managed a lower score for the visitors out of the starting eleven.

Eriksen's statistics during the game back up these ratings. According to Sofascore's data, the 31-year-old had 55 touches of the ball but completed just 76% of his passes while losing possession 14 times. Furthermore, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur star failed to register a single shot on goal during his 79 minutes on the pitch.

The midfielder's defensive stats don't make for great reading either, having been dribbled past twice throughout proceedings and winning merely 25% of his total duels. Eriksen also made just one tackle, one interception and blocked one shot against Fulham despite the hosts having 18 attempts on goal.

Christian Eriksen's stats comparison – 2022/23 vs 2023/24

Eriksen became a fan-favourite at Old Trafford last season after arriving on a free transfer in the summer, primarily playing alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the midfield.

The trio blended really nicely together and Man United even went on a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions in the previous campaign with all three in the side, which included 15 wins and two draws.

However, in the current campaign, Eriksen's performances have taken a nose-dive compared to his debut season at the club. Last term, the former Serie A champion averaged 0.28 assists per 90 in all competitions for Man United which has dropped to 0.16 per 90 this time around. Eriksen was also averaging an xG of 0.22 per 90 compared to 0.07 in the current season, as per FBref.

Eriksen's ability to progress the ball further up the pitch has also taken a hit, having averaged 7.19 progressive passes per 90 throughout the 2022/23 season which has now fallen to 4.92 per 90.

In addition, Eriksen's overall pass completion has dipped to 78.8% from 81% while he now averages 4.13 passes to the final third per 90 and 1.27 key passes per 90 compared to 6.54 balls to the attacking third per 90 and 1.58 key passes per 90 last season.

Right now, Manchester United don't have another player in the mould of Eriksen in the first team and so Ten Hag has been forced to perserve with his number '14', but tonight's game away at Copenhagen in the Champions League offers the perfect opportunity for the Dutchman to try someone different in his place.

Thierry Henry hailed Kylian Mbappe as a "monster" while claiming "everyone envies" France because of the Paris Saint-Germain star's presence.

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• Henry hailed Mbappe as a "monster"
• Says other teams envy France for having Mbappe
• Mbappe unlikely to participate at Olympic Games

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  France U21 coach Henry, who will coach the U23s at the Paris Olympics this summer, spoke highly of Mbappe as he claimed that the Paris Saint-Germain star is a "monster" on the pitch. He went on to suggest that every other team "envies" the French national team for having the superstar forward in their ranks.

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• WHAT THIERRY HENRY SAID

  Speaking to , Henry said: "We’re speaking about a monster here. Let’s be happy that Kylian is French. Everyone envies us. Every time I go abroad, people tell me, ‘You’re so lucky in France to have a player like him.’ Here, even if we talk about his qualities, there is always a negative remark because he lifted his little finger because he’s done this and not that. But abroad, they really envy us!"

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe has expressed his desire to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games, but his proposed move to Real Madrid is likely to scupper his chances. Los Blancos have made it clear that none of their French players will be released for the tournament, with Mbappe set to join the club after his contract at PSG expires on June 1. Henry appears to have made his peace with that, as he added: "The only thing that we know about Kylian is that he’s leaving [PSG]. It doesn’t matter where he goes, but if he goes to Real, we know that they won’t let their players leave."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE?

  The 25-year-old will be next seen in action for Didier Deschamp's France side, who are scheduled to face Germany and Chile in a couple of friendly matches on March 23 and 26 respectively.

Chelsea and Todd Boehly could tempt a big name European club into selling one of their "main players" with a big bid, and he may even join in January.

Will Chelsea sign a striker in January?

New manager Mauricio Pochettino and his tenure at Stamford Bridge hasn't exactly got off to the flying start he'd have hoped for. The west Londoners have won just two out of a possible seven league matches so far this term, and went from late August to last Monday without scoring a single top flight goal. This is despite creating a fair few chances in a couple of their Premier League encounters over that period, leading up to their eventual 2-1 win over Fulham at the start of this week.

Goals from Armando Broja and a first ever in Chelsea blue for marquee January signing Mykhalo Mudryk ended their barren run without scoring, but all signs suggest they're in dire need of a world-class striking option despite spending nearly £400 million over the summer transfer window. Boehly, joined by co-directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, moved to provide Pochettino with an array of major signings – but it appears they are taking some time to gel.

The Argentine hasn't exactly been helped by Chelsea's injury woes, either, with Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka, Marcus Bettinelli and Benot Badiashile all finding themselves on the treatment table recently. Chelsea, as a result of their goalscoring problems, are reportedly targeting the likes of Ivan Toney (Brentford) and Victor Osimhen (Napoli).

Will Dusan Vlahovic leave Juventus?

Another option who Chelsea could turn to is Serbia international striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has scored a brilliant four goals in six Serie A appearances so far this season. After a difficult debut season for the Old Lady, Vlahovic appears to be finding his groove again.

As a result, Chelsea's heads have apparently been turned, according to a report in the Italian press this week. Indeed, Calciomercato.it state that Boehly could tempt Juventus to sell Vlahovic with a £69 million bid. The 23-year-old, depending on certain conditions, could even join Chelsea as soon as January – but a 2024 summer move isn't ruled out either. The report calls Vlahovic one of Juve's "main players", and it will take a convincing offer of around the £69m mentioned to sway Juve into a deal.

Vlahovic strengths	Vlahovic weaknesses
Direct free-kicks	Offside awareness
Long shots	Defensive contribution
Finishing	Discipline

The former Fiorentina striker is back in good form, perhaps justifying Sky Sports pundit and former Man City defender Micah Richards and his past praise for Vlahovic. Richards called the £215,000-per-week star "lightning" in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live two years ago, and it would appear that that tag is proving evident by Vlahovic's return to scoring.

“I have watched him a couple of times now,” Richards said (via The Independent).

“He is lightning. It’s ridiculous. He has got 16 in 18 this season. His left foot is like a wand. I am telling you now, he is everything, he is everything you need.”

يواصل مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب سعيه لتدعيم صفوف فرق الألعاب الجماعية، سواد بإبرام صفقات جديدة أو تجديد عقود نجوم الفرق.

وأعلن نادي الزمالك عن نجاحه في تجديد التعاقد مع محمود خليل “فلفل” لاعب فريق كرة اليد بالقلعة البيضاء.

أسباب غياب 8 لاعبين عن قائمة الزمالك أمام فاركو

ووقع فلفل على عقود تجديده مع الزمالك، خلال الجلسة التي جمعته مع هشام نصر نائب رئيس مجلس الإدارة، ونيرة الأحمر ورامي نصوحي عضوا المجلس، حسن يسري رئيس جهاز كرة اليد بالقلعة البيضاء.

ويعد فلفل من العناصر الأساسية لفريق كرة اليد بنادي الزمالك، وحصد مع الفريق 14 بطولة.

واستطاع فلفل الفوز بـ 4 ألقاب لدوري المحترفين، و3 ألقاب لبطولة إفريقيا للأندية، و3 ألقاب للسوبر الإفريقي، ولقبين لكأس الكؤوس، ولقب للسوبر المصري، ولقب سوبر دوري محلي.

When he was first announced as Daredevils’ captain, you might have missed Shreyas Iyer in the room till pointed his way. Out in the middle, however, he just aced the spotlight

Sidharth Monga28-Apr-20182:55

‘I was ready for Narine’ – Iyer

On the day Gautam Gambhir announced his resignation as Delhi Daredevils captain, he did so sitting next to coach Ricky Ponting and CEO Hemant Dua. Only when Gambhir said he had endorsed Shreyas Iyer as captain as his last call of duty did you realise that Iyer had quietly slipped into the press conference room. Dua called him up to the dais, and Iyer spoke the routine stuff about being thankful to the team management and owners, and to Gambhir.Sharing the space with Gambhir and Ponting, two guys known for speaking a million words a minute and imposing themselves on any situation, Iyer was a quiet counterpoint. On the field in his first match as captain, though, Iyer hogged the limelight. He scored the highest score for man captaining his first match in the IPL, he became only the third Indian batsman to hit 10 or more sixes in an IPL innings, and ended up with the Man-of-the-Match award, only the second man to do so on captaincy debut in the IPL.As Iyer revealed later, he always wanted to impose. The first call was to get the better of the wristspinners and Sunil Narine. Iyer said he wanted to be a little watchful against Narine, but he was clear in his mind he was not going to let the other two Indian spinners call the shots. He was 7 off 9 when Kuldeep was called back, and he welcomed the left-arm wristspinner with a slog-swept six. Two overs later, Chawla came back for another spell, and his first ball was sent into the second tier right behind him.”Playing Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla wasn’t that difficult for me because I have played them in domestic circuit as well,” Iyer said matter-of-factly. “But Sunil Narine I had prepared for. Majority of his deliveries nowadays is offspin. I was prepared for it. I wouldn’t say I picked him properly but I did execute [against] him the way I wanted to. Yeah, he is that kind of bowler who could change the game. Back-to-back wickets could have put us in trouble.”Shreyas Iyer lofts one over the covers•BCCIWhen asked if attacking the wristspinner is the way to go, Iyer said he was waiting to do exactly that in this match. “Depends, batsman to batsman,” Iyer said. “If he feels he can back his instinct and can go after the bowler, and if he feels he can easily clear the boundary… I was feeling that at that time. I waited for them to come on to bowl. Because the way I started was really slow. I just waited for them, and took them on.”All told, Iyer took 29 off the 14 balls of spin dished up to him. The knockout blow, though, was reserved for the last over, bowled by fresh Under-19 graduate Shivam Mavi, who has impressed observers with his pace and inswing. Here, though, Mavi began the last over around the wicket, and Iyer immediately knew he was going to try yorkers, which also meant lower margins of error.”It [that last over] was really important, especially on this [batting-friendly] wicket,” Iyer said. “I hadn’t played him before. So it was important. I knew he was going to try something. He was going to try yorkers. I was ready for the half-volleys. And hit straight. Luckily I could execute properly. I was timing the ball really well, so you know the last over was really important in terms of setting up the total.”You would have expected Iyer to have had a tough call to make even before going out to the toss for the first time. He had to take a call on Gambhir’s place in the side. Luckily, he said, the call was made by Gambhir himself, which opened up a place for Colin Munro, who provided them with just the start they needed.Daredevils now have two wins, which barely lifts them from the bottom of the table. Iyer knows there is a lot of work to do.”It is a really satisfying win,” he said. “Saying this, we need to continue the momentum and not get complacent at any point of time. We will obviously cherish this victory but looking forward we need to follow the process we have been following for the last few days. Practice has been amazing.”

يبدأ منتخب إيطاليا، مساء اليوم السبت، حملة الدفاع عن لقب كأس أمم أوروبا، بمواجهة ألبانيا في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات.

وانطلقت مساء أمس الجمعة منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024، حيث فاز منتخب ألمانيا على نظيره اسكتلندا بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف.

ويلتقي منتخب إيطاليا، مساء اليوم السبت، مع خصمه ألبانيا على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك”.

ويتواجد المنتخبان في المجموعة الثانية، والتي تضم كذلك من إسبانيا وكرواتيا.

ونجح منتخب إيطاليا في التتويج بالنسخة الماضية من كأس أمم أوروبا، وذلك على حساب إنجلترا، عن طريق ركلات الترجيح. موعد مباراة إيطاليا وألبانيا اليوم في يورو 2024

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة إيطاليا وألبانيا اليوم في يورو 2024

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 1 Max. معلق مباراة إيطاليا وألبانيا اليوم في يورو 2024

سيعلق عصام الشوالي على أحداث المباراة اليوم.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

نجح الفريق الأول لكرة السلة سيدات بالنادي الأهلي، في التتويج بلقب بطولة دوري السوبر للمحترفات، وذلك بفوز على سبورتنج.

جاء ذلك في المباراة التي أقيمت بين الأهلي وسبورتنج في ثالث مباريات النهائي ‏الذي أقيم بنظام ‏best of 5‎‏ والتي انتهت بفوز المارد الأحمر بنتيجة 79-75.

وواصل الفريق تفوقه في سلسلة النهائي، بعد أن قدم أداءً مميزًا وسيطر على مجريات اللعب، وتميزت لاعبات الفريق بالدفاع المنظم ‏والهجوم السريع والرميات المتقنة.‏

نقل نهائي دوري السوبر لكرة السلة بين الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري إلى استاد القاهرة

تقدم الفريق في الفترة الأولى بنتيجة 19-12 ثم انتهت الفترة الثانية بتأخر الأهلي بنتيجة 31-28، وفي الفترة الثالثة تعادل الفريقان 45-45، وفي الفترة الرابعة عاد التعادل ليفرض نفسه في الثواني الأخيرة لتنتهي بنتيجة 66-66، ليحتكم الفريقان إلى شوط إضافي انتهى بفوز الأهلي بنتيجة 79-75.

وكان سيدات سلة الأهلي قد حقق الفوز في المباراة الأولى على سبورتنج بنتيجة 83-68، وأكد تفوقه في المباراة الثانية بنتيجة 89-‏‏79، قبل أن يفوز في المواجهة الثالثة ويحسم اللقب لصالحه.‏

وخلال الموسم الجاري، توج فريق سيدات السلة ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري، وكأس مصر، قبل أن يتوج بلقب دوري السوبر ‏للمحترفات.‏ الخطيب يهنئ سيدات سلة الأهلي

‏وعبر محمود الخطيب، رئيس النادي، عن تقديره الكبير للفريق الأول لكرة السلة “سيدات” وجهازه الفني والإداري والطبي، بعد الفوز ببطولة دوري السوبر مساء اليوم.

وأعرب الخطيب في تصريحات رسمية عن سعادته بالأداء المتميز والروح العالية للاعبات الفريق على مدار الموسم، ونجاحهن أيضًا في التتويج ببطولتي السوبر المحلي وكأس مصر.

وقال إن منظومة العمل بالكامل كانت على قدر المسئولية وقدمت كل الجهد والعطاء من أجل تحقيق الانتصارات والبطولات.

كما هنأ الكابتن محمود الخطيب جماهير الأهلي الداعمة لفرق النادي في كل المناسبات محليا وقاريا.

Aston Villa have enjoyed a solid start to their 2023/24 campaign, losing just once across their opening four games and while that defeat was a heavy one – going down 5-1 against Newcastle United – Unai Emery will use that as a lesson going forwards.

The Spaniard has enjoyed a productive summer transfer window, signing players such as Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo as he aimed to improve the quality of his squad.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

With just a few days left before deadline day, Emery still has the chance to bring in another player or two while moving on some deadwood, and it could be a frantic few days at Villa Park.

Who will Aston Villa sign next?

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Villa are showing interest in Barcelona winger Ez Abde ahead of deadline day, although they could face stiff competition from German side Bayer Leverkusen for his signature.

The Catalan giants value the youngster at around €30m (£26m) and much will depend on whether Emery is willing to stump up this type of fee in order to lure him to the Premier League.

Could he replace a current Villa player who appears destined for the exit door before Friday?

Is Philippe Coutinho leaving Aston Villa?

It certainly appears as though the Brazilian star is edging closer to a move away from the club, with The Daily Mail claiming that he has an offer to join Qatari champions Al-Duhail.

Having cost Steven Gerrard €20m (£17m) last summer following a loan spell where he scored five times and grabbed three assists in 19 games, the 2022/23 season was less impressive.

Indeed, he managed to score just once across 22 matches in all competitions, and it appears as though he has fallen down the pecking order under Emery, giving the manager a licence to ditch him for someone like Abde.

The 21-year-old made his Barcelona debut during the 2021/22 season, and he was lauded by coach Xavi after he netted his first goal for the club in December 2021, hailing him as “extraordinary” along with a host of other young talents including Gavi.

He spent last season on loan at Osasuna and suitably impressed, scoring six goals and registering two assists in all competitions.

The youngster ranked fifth across the squad for goals and assists in the top flight (six), while also ranking third for shots on target (0.6) and first for successful dribbles per game (2.1) as he showcased his attacking talents away from the pressures of life at Barcelona.

Coutinho in comparison, ranked 12th among those at Villa for goals and assists (one), fourth for shots on target (0.4) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.7), failing to have any sort of impact on the team when he did play.

These statistics clearly show that the Moroccan gem had a more productive campaign than the Villa dud and given that he has yet to turn 22 means there is plenty of time for him to continue his development in England.

It could be a wonderful piece of business should Emery convince him that playing at Villa is a better proposition than starring for Barcelona, but stranger things have happened.