All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ibrahima Konate has revealed that he has been playing with painkillers at Liverpool after "rushing" his comeback from a knee injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Konate expresses commitment to Liverpool
• Has been playing with painkillers
• Suffered knee injury in Real Madrid clash

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Konate did not feature for the Reds for more than a month after being sidelined with a knee injury during the club's 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League in November. He returned to action in the New Year and featured in Liverpool's starting lineup for the first time since regaining fitness in their Premier League clash against Manchester United.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Konate has been included in the starting lineup by Arne Slot in all three of the club's Premier League games in January, the French defender has admitted that he "rushed" his comeback from injury and has been playing with painkillers. The 25-year-old has formed a formidable defensive partnership with Virgil van Dijk and has played a pivotal role in the Reds' rise to the top of the Premier League table.

• WHAT IBRAHIMA KONATE SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the France international said: "I tried to come back 100% but I'm not because I rushed my comeback with my knee. I've done this for my team. I can die for this team, it is fine. My knee will come back 100% soon, it's fine. I still have pain. I play with painkillers and that is enough for me to play.

  "I was very close to coming back anyway. My plan was to train that week but when I saw Joe [Gomez] with his injury I was like: 'Okay, I have to come back quicker.' For sure, the first game I felt my knee a little bit, but it got better day after day. The physios and the medical staff have done a great job for me."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Premier League leaders will be back in action on Tuesday as they host Lille in the Champions League at Anfield, with Konate in line to feature in Slot's starting XI once again.

West Bromwich Albion will be glad that tonight’s encounter against Middlesbrough is happening this mid-week, seeing it as a perfect opportunity to bounce back straight after Saturday’s humbling Championship defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday.

That was the first time Carlos Corberan’s Baggies had tasted the bitterness of a defeat in the second tier this season, as the usually dogged and staunch West Brom defence was regularly opened up by Danny Rohl’s men, leading to a shock 3-2 win in favour of the hosts.

Corberan would have been enraged with his side at the final whistle, which could lead to a number of changes taking place for tonight’s tricky showdown with Michael Carrick’s Boro, who are fresh off a 2-0 victory themselves against Stoke City.

Even still, the Hawthorns has been a fortress for West Brom so far this campaign, with zero goals conceded and zero losses registered from three games so far, which will give the West Midlands side an advantage after their confidence was dented in South Yorkshire.

Regardless of West Brom feeling more confident in front of their own masses, some changes could still take place, with Karlan Grant one figure who might be axed…

1

GK – Alex Palmer

West Brom’s usual number one in-between the sticks had a match to forget against Sheffield Wednesday, having to fish three strikes out of his net, but Alex Palmer is unlikely to be sacrificed for a different option tonight against Boro.

The 28-year-old has only conceded five goals all campaign, away from that rare off-day at Hillsborough, with three clean sheets picked up this season on his own patch.

2

RB – Darnell Furlong

Darnell Furlong didn’t cover himself in immense glory either away at the Owls, as his own goal in the first 45 minutes against Rohl’s buoyed-on hosts gifted Wednesday an early two-goal advantage.

Still, much like Palmer, Furlong hasn’t become a bad player overnight and is likely to be retained, having helped his side pick up a clean sheet and a win last match at the Hawthorns in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

3

CB – Kyle Bartley

Kyle Bartley will also likely remain in the heart of defence for tonight’s game back on home soil, having been everpresent under Corberan this season so far in the second tier.

That’s for good reason too, with Bartley standing out even in the 3-2 loss, with five clearances registered alongside successfully winning eight duels.

4

CB – Semi Ajayi

Semi Ajayi has been Bartley’s main partner in the centre-back spots this season, owing to the departure of Cedric Kipre, but also down to the fact the ex-Rotherham United man has been solid alongside his experienced teammate.

The Nigerian defender is confident playing out from the back, with 48 accurate passes averaged per Championship clash this campaign, whilst also winning 3.9 total duels on average to try and keep opposition attackers at bay.

5

LB – Torbjørn Heggem

Whilst Ajayi stepping up to the mark has made Kipre’s absence feel less noticeable, Torbjørn Heggem has struggled at points in the left-back spot, performing in the arguable shadow of the now departed Conor Townsend.

The 25-year-old full-back did look out of his depth at points away at Wednesday, with just one weak tackle registered, but he has shown signs of his promise down the left in other games away from this disappointing defeat.

In the 1-0 home win over Plymouth, the Nordic defender would only misplace two of his 34 passes, whilst also shining when rolling up his sleeves with three tackles won on top of four successful duels.

6

CDM – Jayson Molumby

Jayson Molumby has been out of the main XI recently due to injury setbacks, but could be thrust back into the lineup for today’s game at the expense of new recruit Uros Racic.

Racic struggled in South Yorkshire, with just 18 accurate passes registered before leaving the field of play, after playing a key role in West Brom beating Plymouth the match before by assisting an on-fire Josh Maja.

It could well be time for West Brom’s number eight to come back into the main team, therefore, if he can pass a late fitness test.

7

CDM – Alex Mowatt

The second change to the XI that lost at Wednesday feels like an obvious tweak, with Alex Mowatt dropped back into the first-team fold, after being demoted to the substitutes bench away at Wednesday owing to his own slight injury concern.

Corberan must have been cursing that decision – regardless of the condition of his star midfielder – with the former Leeds United man managing to get his team back on level terms at 2-2 after a top second half showing.

Ousmane Diakite will be the casualty here, who was hauled off at half-time at Hillsborough for Mowatt to then work his magic.

8

RM – Tom Fellows

Tom Fellows will retain his spot, despite all the changes in the holding midfield positions, with the homegrown Baggies product bright in spurts at Wednesday.

Despite only managing a poor 28 touches of the ball, Fellows would assist Maja’s header that gave the away side a way back into the contest, whilst also registering three efforts of his own on James Beadle’s goal.

9

CAM – John Swift

John Swift was also a nuisance for the Owls defence to contain, with most attacking moves on the day from the Baggies going through the ex-Reading man.

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder – who could have walked away from the West Midlands outfit this summer to their mid-week opponents – amassed a ridiculous 105 touches of the ball at Hillsborough, with four key passes also registered to try and unlock a tetchy Wednesday back four.

Also winning eight duels, Corberan will hope Swift can be instrumental in his side bouncing back with a win tonight over a tricky Boro team.

10

LM – Mikey Johnston

The third and final change to the XI that struggled away at Wednesday could see Mikey Johnston get his first start back at the promotion chasers, with an underperforming Karlan Grant dropped.

Johnston would fire home an mightily impressive seven goals last campaign when on loan at Corberan’s men – with his manager even labelling him as “special” in the process – and will be raring to reach those heights again, but is currently being kept out of the side by the former Huddersfield Town attacker.

His display against the Owls suggests a change could be required, with Grant only managing 19 touches of the ball on a quiet day at the office for the 27-year-old.

Football has evolved a lot over the last few years, with the game seemingly becoming more technical than ever before. Players with brute strength are no longer commonplace, but rather a priceless commodity these days.

That means there are more players famed for their speed at the top level of the game. But who is the fastest player out there? Unfortunately, data collection for this is not exactly widespread, but we have scoured databases and websites from a variety of locations to discover who has recorded the fastest speeds this calendar year.

For this list, we’ve looked at the top 15 players in football. Leagues such as the English Premier League and German Bundesliga have this data easily accessible, so it may be skewed in their players’ favour for the moment. However, with a bit of digging, we have still determined a top 15 featuring players from across Europe and beyond.

All stats correct as of 15th October 2024.

The best strikers in the world right now (Ranked)

These players all know where the back of the net is – but who can claim to be the best in the world?

By
Lewis Thompson

Jul 25, 2024

15

Harry Wilson (Fulham)

Top speed: 36.23 km/h

Harry Wilson was Fulham’s fastest player in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, posting a top speed of 36.23 km/h during their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United in April.

This wasn’t enough to rank among the highest speeds reached in the league last season, but given only a handful across some of Europe’s top leagues managed to reach 36 km/h, it’s still mightily impressive.

14

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Top speed: 36.32 km/h

Finding out Erling Haaland was Manchester City’s fastest player is no real surprise, more perhaps that quite a few are capable of topping the Norwegian’s electric speed.

He recorded a top speed of 36.32 km/h last season during a 5-1 drubbing of Wolves where Haaland scored four – including two from the penalty spot.

13

Ansgar Knauff (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Top speed: 36.38 km/h

Frankfurt winger Ansgar Knauff became one of the fastest players in Bundesliga history when he posted a lung-busting speed of 36.38 km/h towards the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Knauff placed third overall last season in the German top flight, with the former Borussia Dortmund youngster now strutting his stuff for Dino Toppmoller’s impressive outfit.

12

Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

Top speed: 36.41 km/h

One of only two players to run faster than Knauff in Germany last season was Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

His 36.41 km/h run in May was the joint-fastest in the Bundesliga last term. Only Heidenheim’s Eren Dinkci could keep up with Davies, though his effort came before the turn of the year.

Interestingly, Davies has previously run faster – he clocked 36.51 km/h back in 2020 during a game where Bayern secured the title.

11

Moussa Diaby (Al-Ittihad)

Top speed: 36.42 km/h

Moussa Diaby may well be one of the quickest players currently in the Saudi Pro League, having made a summer switch to Al-Ittihad just a year after joining Aston Villa.

He made his mark in his one full Premier League season by running defences ragged with genuinely frightening pace – his 36.42 km/h clocked up against West Ham back in March has only been topped by two top-flight players in the current PL campaign.

10

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Top speed: 36.5 km/h

Kylian Mbappe was almost always going to feature at some point – even if reliable Ligue 1 data is hard to come by when it comes to top speeds.

Luckily, the Real Madrid star showcased his quick-footedness during the summer’s European Championship, where he was the fastest player at the tournament.

His 36.5 km/h was comfortably higher than his closest competitor, Ferran Torres of Spain.

9

Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

Top speed: 36.5 km/h

Paris Saint-Germain may have bid farewell to Mbappe in the summer, but they still have some serious speed demons at the Parc des Princes.

Achraf Hakimi has recorded the fastest speed so far in this season’s Champions League, and only two players were able to better his run of 36.5 km/h in the entirety of last year’s competition.

8

Nathan Ngoumou (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Top speed: 36.53 km/h

Nathan Ngoumou’s lightning run earlier this season was the fifth-fastest in Bundesliga history, edging out the likes of Davies, Diaby and Hakimi from their respective stints in Germany.

The Frenchman has the second-fastest run in the Bundesliga this term at the time of writing, and given who he’s up against, that’s some considerable running power.

7

Carlos Forbs (Wolves)

Top speed: 36.6 km/h

At Molineux for this season on loan from Ajax, Portuguese winger Carlos Forbs has literally hit the ground running at Wolves.

According to the Premier League, his 36.6 km/h run from earlier this season is the second-fastest since the start of the campaign.

6

Sirlord Conteh (Heidenheim)

Top speed: 36.67 km/h

Sirlord Conteh has had a rapid rise not too dissimilar to his own team. Just two years ago, Conteh was playing third-tier football for Magdeburg, and has recently featured in the Conference League for Heidenheim.

He also began the campaign by recording the fastest-ever speed by a Bundesliga player – 36.67 km/h – during a 4-0 win over Augsburg, pipping Karim Adeyemi’s record by 0.02 km/h.

Leny Yoro has revealed he is in a Manchester United WhatsApp group predominantly used to help improve their defending.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Yoro in first season at Man United
• Part of WhatsApp group to improve defending
• Trying to bounce back from criticism

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United centre-back Yoro explained how Ruben Amorim's coaching staff have been sending his fellow defenders clips about opponents they are facing and mistakes they themselves have made this season. After the teenager was criticised for his display in the win over Southampton in January, he wants to kick on from these setbacks.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT LENY YORO SAID

  He said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: "When I was playing against strikers every week, on the Thursday or Friday before the game, I said to the analyst, 'Fill the iPad up with the strikers that I'm playing against, and I want to see their best clips and their moments—goals and assists, etc'."

  Ferdinand then asked: "Is that what you're doing?"

  To which he replied: "Yeah, yeah, of course. It's important. We have a group on WhatsApp. With all the defenders, they send clips of the strikers, their movements, their runs. And outside of that. I have one person who's doing really a lot of clips on the striker for me to know. I had already someone in Lille, so I keep working with him. [I am] especially looking where to run, for example if the defender has the ball, for a long pass. Or for a cross with the first or second ball, everything is really important."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yoro swapped Lille for United in a £52 million ($68m) deal last summer but he has, arguably, been a tad underwhelming so far. At a time when the Red Devils have been accused of having players with big egos and not trying hard enough, the 19-year-old, who snubbed interest from Real Madrid, appears to have the right attitude to improve his game.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Yoro could feature for United in their fourth round FA Cup clash at home to Leicester City on Friday night.

And we have lift-off. West Ham United claimed the statement victory of the Julen Lopetegui era on Sunday, defeating Manchester United and sending Erik ten Hag packing.

It’s been an uninspired start to post-David Moyes life, but West Ham carry some of the finest talents in the Premier League and can now rise through the gears to place themselves inside contention for a European spot.

The grass has not been green though, with much criticism being had about Lopetegui’s side’s failure to produce exciting football or indeed maximise the qualities of the highest-class players – having spent over £120m on new players this summer too.

Mohammed Kudus has been below his best, and so has Lucas Paqueta. The latter, in particular, has really struggled to get going, and it’s no coincidence that the Hammers’ struggles have coincided with the Brazilian playmaker’s indifferent performances.

Lucas Paqueta's performances this season

The prospect of a lifetime ban from football still looms over West Ham’s club-record acquisition, with alleged betting breaches leading to him being charged by the FA. That said, the protracted proceedings will not be wrapped up any time soon.

But if Paqueta’s days in the Premier League are numbered, he’s hardly going about his business with a sense of urgency, having toiled throughout the first few months of the 2024/25 campaign.

Perhaps the foiled bid from Manchester City, stemming from last term, has played its sticky part in the Brazil international’s regression, but a star of his calibre must surely be capable of producing finer fruits than this.

He’s started eight of West Ham’s nine matches in the top flight this year but was hooked at half-time against Manchester United, having been torn to shreds (alongside his peers, in fairness) by a beleaguered Red Devils unit that can’t seem to score.

West Ham went on to win the game, with the Brazil star’s importance seemingly diminished. Luckily, Lopetegui has plenty of alternative options; he can, and must, shuffle the pack.

It’s just a shame that James Ward-Prowse was handed to Nottingham Forest on loan this summer, for the 29-year-old has properties that might have made him a good replacement for the underperforming superstar.

Ward-Prowse could have been perfect for Lopetegui

In August 2023, West Ham completed the signing of Ward-Prowse from relegated Southampton for a £30m fee, bulking up their unit with a host of additions after Declan Rice moved to Arsenal for a club-record price.

A long-time Premier League star, Ward-Prowse has been hailed for his “magic” ability with the ball by journalist Benjy Nurick, but after just one year in east London, was allowed to join Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan move.

He averaged 5.67 crosses per game in the Premier League last year, putting him in the top 5% of positional peers, as per FBref. Given that West Ham spent £27m on target man Niclas Fullkrug and employ a more direct strategy than many in the division, it’s somewhat perplexing that he was shipped out.

Neither player has started the current campaign with aplomb, but let’s compare their numbers last season, with both on the Hammers books, and see how technical director Tim Stiedten might have made a bit of a mistake with this one.

Last season, Ward-Prowse managed to match Paqueta’s accuracy in the duel, though recorded 2.8 duels won per game compared to the South American’s absurd rate of 7.6 per outing.

It’s important to note that Paqueta was oft-found on the left flank, operating in a robust hybrid-like role that bore dividends for the Hammers. Still, his erstwhile teammate proved that he could maintain slick and crisp passing passages while simultaneously creating with regularity – albeit from principally dead-ball situations.

Look, Paqueta is obviously a more naturally talented player than Ward-Prowse, whose technical quality is something noteworthy in its own right, but he’s clearly suffering from the setbacks of recent times, and it’s somewhat perplexing that the former Southampton man was offloaded after just one campaign.

For sure, Ward-Prowse’s impressive numbers were borne from his set-piece speciality, and there was something to be said for the England international’s open-play ability, but there was enough roundedness there last season to point toward a place in Lopetegui’s system.

Carlos Soler may well be an upgrade, but the Spaniard has so far struggled to find his feet in east London and, though it’s a new system, ‘JWP’ has completed 385 appearances in the Premier League.

Moreover, though set-pieces are clearly the finest element of his skillset, oh how brilliant they are. Sure, he last scored from a direct free-kick with Saints, but Ward-Prowse is only behind the Premier League’s highest-scoring free-kick taker, David Beckham, by a whisker.

With a player like Paqueta, who brings purpose across myriad facets of the midfield role, defining his brilliance is difficult; it isn’t quantifiable.

But in Ward-Prowse, West Ham had something efficient, and though he hasn’t quite hit his stride at Nottingham Forest, the £115k-per-week talent has entered an exciting project that could see him bloom as the months go by.

Given West Ham hope to become a more expressive and control-focused team under Lopetegui than they were performing for the Spanish tactician’s predecessor, a cultured passing option in Ward-Prowse might have been the perfect fit, if not expected to start every single match.

Lost the ball every 3.3 touches: Lopetegui must now axe 4/10 West Ham star

Lopetegui must drop 4/10 West Ham star after another poor performance.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 28, 2024

AC Milan have a pair of CONCACAF stars, but there's a long list of U.S.-Mexico tandems who have starred at the club level

The moment Santi Gimenez's goal hit the back of the net, social media went into a frenzy. Not only had he just scored his first Milan goal, but the assist came from none other than Christian Pulisic. North America's fiercest rivalry had made its way to one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the U.S. men's national team and Mexico's most discussed players were thriving alongside one another.

The social fun started immediately. Was this an olive branch between the two teams? How would this impact March's CONCACAF Nations League? Could these two unite the American and Mexican fanbases behind one Milan banner?

Jokes aside, it was a cool moment, one that had both American and Mexican fans excited about the futures of their stars. Pulisic has been thriving with Milan, playing the best soccer of his career. Mexico fans will hope Gimenez can get there, too, after seeing him dominate the Eredivisie. Maybe the two can work together to reach a new level. Maybe this is the start of a wonderful partnership.

That said, it's not the first time American and Mexican stars have played together on the club level in Europe. It hasn't been common, but there have been plenty of cases of the two countries uniting through players in top leagues.

GOAL takes a look at some of the most notable U.S.-Mexico tandems in Europe.

• Getty Images
  

  PSV: Ricardo Pepi, Sergio Dest, Richy Ledezma, Malik Tillman and Hirving Lozano

  You can take your pick of combinations here, as PSV has established itself as a home for both USMNT and Mexican stars.

  Most recently, Hirving Lozano played alongside Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman for an extended period of time before making his move to San Diego FC ahead of the 2025 MLS season. The partnership was good, although it is often defined by one negative moment in which Lozano went go toe-to-toe with Pepi for the right to take a penalty. Even so, you can't boil their time as teammates down to that one moment, as PSV ran rampant through the Eredivisie during the season-and-a-half that group was together, winning the league in 2023-24.

  Of the Americans at PSV, Ledezma was the first to arrive, and he's been there long enough to play with another American. PSV was also home to midfielder Erick Gutierrez from 2018-2023, so he overlapped with Ledezma's arrival back in 2019. The young midfielder-turned-right-back was largely with Jong PSV during the Mexican midfielder's stint, although he did make several appearances for the first team before Gutierrez headed back to Liga MX.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Ajax: Sergino Dest and Edson Alvarez

  Dest also had a breakout 2019-20 season with Ajax. The run lifted him to prominence with the U.S. as well as on the club level, earning his move to Barcelona. He often lined up alongside one of Mexico's biggest stars in both the Eredivisie and Champions League.

  Dest made 35 appearances in all competitions for Ajax that season, and Mexico star Edson Alvarez made 23 in what was his first season in Europe. He went on to become an Ajax regular over the next few seasons before making a big-money move to the Premier League in 2023.

  Ajax were on atop the Eredivisie that season, fighting with AZ for a league title, but their hopes of claiming that trophy were dashed after the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dest was off to Barcelona that October, ending any chance of him and Alvarez achieving glory together in Amsterdam.

  Dest and Alvarez have faced off on big stages at the international level, but their true rise began together in the Netherlands while playing for one of the world's best talent developers.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fulham: Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Raul Jimenez

  This one is still going strong, with Robinson and Jimenez arguably Fulham's two best players right now in the Premier League. Robinson is second in the league in assists, trailing only Mohammed Salah of Liverpool, while Jimenez is cruising as the club's leading scorer with 11 goals in all competitions, including nine in the Premier League.

  Fulham are eighth in the Premier League and pushing for a European berth; if they get there, it will be Robinson and Jimenez who they can thank. Those two weren't alone, though, as they said goodbye to another longtime Fulham star, Tim Ream, last summer. Jimenez arrived in 2023, catching the tail end of Ream's extended stay with Fulham. The American defender played at Craven Cottage from 2015-2024, seemingly getting better every year before making the call to head home and join Charlotte FC.

  For years, Fulham has been referred to as "Fulhamerica" due to the club's willingness to welcome U.S. internationals with open arms. That welcome extends to players from Mexico, too, with Jimenez just the latest example.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fulham: Clint Dempsey and Carlos Salcido

  Dempsey is as competitive as it gets. He always meant business on the field, particularly against Mexico. However, when going toe-to-toe with Carlos Salcido, Dempsey always had a little bit of a smile on his face.

  The two were teammates at Fulham were teammates at Fulham for one full season, with Salcido even assisting Dempsey for several goals during their time at Craven Cottage. Their time together coincided with the best version we saw of Dempsey in Europe, as the American star scoring 36 of his 60 Fulham goals over his final two seasons with the club before heading to Tottenham.

  Salcido, who coincidentally also played for PSV, made 23 appearances in his debut season before heading to Tigres on loan, ultimately heading back to Liga MX permanently shortly after.

  Even when the USMNT-Mexico rivalry was at its fiercest, the two remained friends while starring on either side of North America's biggest battles.

The Argentine maestro and Premier League victor Wright collaborate in a star-studded Adidas and Major League Soccer commercial

• Messi and Wright appeared in new MLS and Adidas commercial
• The Argentine has shined during Inter Miami’s preseason tour
• The Herons kick off their 2025 MLS season against NYCFC

Shop kits at the MLS Store nowBuy here

• EA SPORTS
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  Arsenal legend Ian Wright and Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi collaborated in a new commercial that plays up the Argentine’s popularity and legacy ahead of the 2025 MLS season.

  The Premier League winner has been an ardent supporter of the MLS in the past, which may have been influenced by the fact that both his sons played in the league. He has now teamed up with Adidas and the MLS in a series of commercials as part of the season build-up. The latest one stars Messi as Wright plays up the World Cup winner’s prowess and legacy, even calling the 36-year-old the “GOAT” of football.

Advertisement

• WHAT IAN WRIGHT SAID

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lionel Messi’s arrival in the MLS shocked the world but the Argentine has more than lived up to his reputation since arriving at Inter Miami. The Argentine only played 19 league games but still finished the regular season with 36 goal contributions, leading the club to Round of 16 of the Leagues Cup last season. Miami also finished at the top of the Eastern Conference, winning the Supporters’ Shield in the process.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT’S NEXT?

  Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, completed an unbeaten 2025 preseason campaign, showcasing their potential for the upcoming season. The team embarked on a tour across the Americas, facing tough competition and emerging without a single loss. That includes wins over Club America, Sporting San Miguelito, and CD Olimpia amongst others. kick off their 2025 MLS season against New York City FC before going on the road against Houston Dynamo in their second game of the season.

West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui could wave goodbye to one high-earning member of his squad in the January transfer window, according to a report this week.

Players who could leave West Ham in 2025

Tim Steidten and co have a few key decisions to make in regard to certain players as we approach 2025, with a fair few out of contract next summer.

Star set for West Ham recall as worry kicks Lopetegui and staff into action

The Hammers need to turn things around.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 24, 2024

Striker Danny Ings, defender Vladimir Coufal, forward Michail Antonio, left-back Aaron Cresswell and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will all leave for nothing next summer, with many players currently out on loan also facing uncertain futures.

James Ward-Prowse, Maxwel Cornet, Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma are currently away on temporary spells at Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Real Sociedad and Al-Shabab respectively, and it remains to be seen whether the quartet have a long-term future at the London Stadium.

One player who is certainly happy to have left West Ham is Aguerd, who recently thanked the east Londoners for green-lighting his temporary deal at Sociedad, so perhaps a permanent exit is inevitable for the Moroccan.

“Thanks to the club (West Ham) for giving me the opportunity to leave,” said Aguerd on his West Ham exit.

“Because I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to play in LaLiga and doing so in a club like Real is perfect. That’s why I speak Spanish so well, because since I was little, I wanted to learn it to play in LaLiga one day.”

As West Ham look at signing a striker in January, it is now believed new signing Niclas Fullkrug could depart the club, amid a lacklustre start to his Hammers career blighted by an Achilles tendon injury.

West Ham could now sell Niclas Fullkrug in January

Fullkrug is currently in Germany for treatment on his injury, and a report from Kicker (via Sport Witness) claims Lopetegui’s side may opt to cut their losses on the £100,000-per-week forward already.

It is believed West Ham could look to sell Fullkrug in January already, and the player himself is contemplating a “fresh start” away from the Premier League.

Reports of his potential winter sale just over two months into his West Ham career are perhaps premature, and if that does come to fruition, the £27 million paid to sign him from Borussia Dortmund would be seen as a real waste of time – despite Fullkrug’s quality when available.

“I’m a fan of Niclas Fullkrug,” said pundit Ally McCoist told TNT Sports.

“Nothing wrong with an old-fashioned centre forward that can play. Every time I’ve seen Fullkrug, he’s impressed me. His game knowledge is good, his touch is excellent, he can finish, he’s aggressive. I think he’s a good player.”

Arsenal, a team once known for penny-pinching and refusing to spend too extravagantly under the management of Arsène Wenger, have since become far more liberal in their spending in recent years.

However, while the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have seen their enormous spending sprees amount to nothing, the Gunners have been transformed from a team fighting to finish eighth to one in their third Premier League title race in as many years.

Moreover, the North Londoners are still not quite as happy to splash the cash as some of their nearest competitors, as this summer they spent under £100m, which was a dramatic reduction in their spending compared to last summer.

In 2023, Arsenal went all out to secure the services of several top-class players, including Jurrien Timber, but before they settled on the Ajax star, they were reportedly keen on another defender who would go on to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal's 2023 summer transfer window

Last summer, Arsenal spent over £200m on transfers for the first time in their history, £105m of which went towards the capture of West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

The Englishman is far and away the Gunners’ record transfer, but that pressure hasn’t impacted him, as in the year and a bit since his arrival, the 25-year-old has shown just why he was worth every penny, making 63 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals, providing 12 assists and making it into the PFA Team of the Year.

The second most expensive addition last summer, Kai Havertz, cost about £65m, and while he struggled early on, he has also become an integral part of Arteta’s team.

For example, while he’s scored just six goals and provided no assists in 33 midfield appearances, the German has been incredibly effective up top, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in 29 games, equating to a goal involvement every 1.38 games.

Lastly, Timber joined Arteta’s North London title chasers from Ajax for around £38m following a brilliant campaign with the Amsterdam club in which he made 47 appearances, scored two goals and provided two assists.

However, following an impressive preseason, the Utrecht-born defender suffered an ACL injury in the season’s opening game against Nottingham Forest and wouldn’t return to the team until the final match of the campaign against Everton.

Fortunately, while he’s suffered a few minor knocks this year, the “elite” international, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has remained relatively fit and, in his ten appearances thus far, has shown the supporters how effective he can be across the backline.

However, before the club settled on signing Timber in 2023, they were supposedly keen on another Dutch defender, someone who went on to play for Spurs.

Arsenal's interest in Micky van de Ven

Yes, it might surprise some, but in early 2023, Arsenal were supposedly keen on then-Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

In fact, according to a report from German journalist Christian Falk in March of last year, the Gunners were one of many clubs scouting the Dutchman, alongside Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma.

However, as we all know, the Wormer-born “freak”, as podcaster Michael Caley dubbed him for his outlandish pace, went on to join the other team in North London for around £43m: Spurs.

Since then, the 23-year-old has established himself as arguably the most crucial defender at the club.

His sensational speed, which saw him break the Premier League sprint record last season, has allowed Ange Postecoglou to persist with his aggressive high-line.

However, the “dominant” centre-back, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has one significant issue that could hamper his career in the long term: injuries.

Since the start of the 21/22 season, the ten-capped international has injured his hamstring on four occasions – including against Manchester City this week – and while that could be chalked up to bad luck, it does seem like his explosive pace makes him susceptible to such issues.

Ultimately, Van de Ven is an undeniably talented player and someone who would probably have helped make Arsenal even stronger thanks to his unique skill set, but considering how well Timber has played for the Gunners and his compatriot’s worrying hamstring problem, Arteta probably signed the right Dutchman in 2023.

Exit "planned": Arsenal target Havertz upgrade in "unplayable" £59m monster

The sensational goal machine would make Arsenal even more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 31, 2024

Ella Toone, Alessia Russo & Chloe Kelly made huge impacts at Euro 2022, but no one has stepped into their effective roles from the bench since

When England went ahead early in their first fixture of the new Women's Nations League campaign on Friday, they seemed to be in a strong position to come away from Portugal with all three points. The Lionesses were dominant for a good hour and always looked the most likely to score next, with their hosts lacking any significant moments in attack. That was until Francisco Neto made game-changing substitutions and Sarina Wiegman didn't react.

A triple-change with half an hour to go saw Portugal switch shape and introduce Barcelona starlet Kika Nazareth, who scored a superb equaliser 15 minutes later. It was a goal that felt like it had been coming for at least 10 of those minutes, with the home team turning the screw, taking over the game and eventually getting what they deserved.

As Portugal continued to come forward and trouble the England defence, all eyes were on Wiegman and how she would counter this. A substitution was surely needed, at least to kill some of the opponent's momentum, but it wasn't until nine minutes after Kika's goal that one came.

It sparked a lot of criticism of the coach in the moment, but it also highlighted a wider issue: England have still not established a 'super-sub' formula like the one that led them to European glory three years ago, despite this being an obvious problem for most of that time.

• Getty Images
  

  Title-winning changes

  When England lifted that European Championship title at Wembley back in 2022, they did so thanks to the incredibly reliable impact of players from the bench. Ella Toone, a substitute in all six games, scored the opener in the final against Germany, that her third direct goal involvement of the tournament, while Chloe Kelly, introduced in the second half, bagged the iconic winner in extra-time.

  Toone had also performed heroics in the quarter-final against Spain, scoring an 84th-minute equaliser to send the game to extra-time, where England prevailed, while Alessia Russo scored her fourth goal of the Euros in the semi-final win over Sweden, a memorable backheel that would be crowned Goal of the Tournament.

  Wiegman nailed down the substitute formula to lead England to glory. It was almost always that Toone replaced Fran Kirby, Russo came on for Ellen White and Kelly granted Beth Mead her rest, with Jill Scott also a regular off the bench for Georgia Stanway to add experience in seeing games out. It was a huge factor in the title win.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  New formula needed

  A lot changed after that tournament. White and Scott retired while Kirby and Mead faced significant time on the sidelines due to injuries, which meant Russo, Toone and Kelly moved into the starting XI more prominently, and Wiegman needed to figure out who would be best to come into this new-look team from the bench and make an impact. As of yet, she's not really done so.

  Since the start of the 2023 Women's World Cup, substitutes have contributed just two goals and one assist in England's 20 competitive fixtures. Only one of those was a result-altering contribution: Toone's match-winner against the Netherlands at Wembley in December 2023. The other goal and assist came in the Lionesses' 6-1 thrashing of China in the World Cup group stage, a game that was decided well before any changes were made.

  Moreover, only once in those 20 games – and that's the Netherlands game again – has a match turned into a more positive result for England after Wiegman has made her subs. The impact from the bench just isn't there anymore.

• Getty Images
  

  Options aplenty

  And that's not because Wiegman doesn't have great options. Yes, game-changing players like Kirby, Mead and Lauren James have missed time due to injury, with Stanway and Lauren Hemp also currently out, but England have plenty of depth.

  On her bench on Friday, among others: Kelly, not at her most sharp right now but with a history of big moments; Aggie Beever-Jones, who has five goals in five league starts for Chelsea this season; Jessica Naz, a player Wiegman started against the United States at Wembley in November; and Nikita Parris, who has four goals in her last four games and 71 caps for her country. The former two were the only players introduced, and with just six minutes of normal time remaining. Kelly had seven touches, while Beever-Jones managed five.

  That it took so long for Wiegman to make any changes at all in Portugal was a real surprise. After all, the last time she turned to her bench as late as that in a competitive fixture was at the 2023 World Cup, when England had convincingly gone 3-1 up in their semi-final win over Australia. Changes weren’t really needed on that occasion, but that it took so long this time around highlighted a lack of an effective formula when it comes to subs.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Not everyone's problem

  In stark contrast to events in the Algarve on Friday were those that took place in Belgium, just before England kicked off. It was there that Spain, the Lionesses’ opponents on Wednesday in their second game of this new Nations League campaign, used their bench perfectly to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win.

  The world champions were still in need of all three goals with less than 15 minutes remaining but, after Claudia Pina pulled one back, stoppage-time strikes from two substitutes – Lucia Garcia and then Cristina Martin-Prieto – sealed a dramatic victory. Martin-Prieto wasn’t even in Montse Tome’s initial squad, and was only called up after injury to Amaiur Sarriegi. Yet, winning just her second cap, she was trusted to come on and make a difference – and she duly delivered.

  Tome certainly has her critics and some of the faults found in her decisions are fair. However, she will certainly use the breadth of her squad and so she should, because it is brimming with talent.