Chelsea owner Todd Boehly completed a deal to take over the football club after Roman Abramovich was forced to sell back in 2022.

The American bought the Blues for £4.25bn at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, investing heavily in the playing squad under various different managers.

Boehly has spent over £1.2bn on new players to try and take the club back towards a Premier League title fight, but so far his efforts have been unsuccessful.

Enzo Maresca is the latest man tasked with the challenge, joining the club from Leicester City this summer – with the Italian hoping to end the club’s eight-year wait for a league title.

He could rely on one talent to help his side end the drought, with his market value soaring as a result of his mesmerising form at Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer’s market value when Boehly took over

Upon Boehly’s takeover in May 2022, Cole Palmer was still a Manchester City player but mainly utilised as an impact player under boss Pep Guardiola.

The Englishman only made 11 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring his first Champions League goal in the victory over Club Brugge – but it wasn’t enough to secure a regular first-team spot at the Etihad.

Given his lack of minutes after breaking through the club’s academy, his market value was still very low – with the youngster valued at just £5m by Transfermarkt.

However, the following campaign would allow for an increase in first-team opportunities resulting in a slight increase in his transfer value.

Cole Palmer’s market value in 2022/23

In his final campaign before his big-money move to Chelsea, Palmer was more frequently used by Guardiola, making 25 appearances, but like the season prior, he was restricted to mainly substitute appearances.

The attacker only featured for 358 minutes in the Premier League, registering just the one assist as City claimed yet another league title under the Spaniard.

His increase in minutes across the board resulted in a huge inc rease in his market value, with the winger valued at £12.6m by the end of the 2022/23 season.

However, it would be his last season in Manchester, swapping the North West for the capital, with his move to Chelsea taking his career to the next level.

Cole Palmer’s market value in 2023/24

In September 2023, Palmer agreed a £40m deal to join Chelsea – a surprise at the time given his lack of first-team action in Manchester.

However, the move would be a huge success for both parties, with the attacker registering some mind-boggling numbers during his first season at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old made 45 appearances in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign – registering 40 goal contributions, with 33 coming in the Premier League.

He finished the season with the most combined goals and assists in the division, looking worth every penny of his huge transfer fee.

As a result of his mesmerising displays in West London, his market value skyrocketed to £46.4m – an increase of 840% from his transfer value upon Boehly’s arrival at the Bridge back in May 2022.

Cole Palmer’s market value in 2024/25

His excellent form from the previous campaign has continued into the 2024/25 season, taking the league by storm once again under new boss Maresca.

The "special" England international, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has registered one goal and four assists in his opening three matches for the Blues, with four of his contributions coming in the 6-2 rout over Wolves last month.

2020/21

2

0

0

2021/22

11

3

1

2022/23

25

1

1

2023/24

48

27

15

2024/25

5

1

4

His excellent start to the term has seen his market value increase once more, with Palmer now valued at a mighty £67.5m as per Transfermarkt – a mammoth increase of 1250% from his value upon Boehly’s takeover.

Although eyebrows were raised at the time given his huge price tag, the youngster has demonstrated his talent – having the potential to further improve at the Bridge in the years ahead.

He has the potential to single-handedly transform the club’s hopes of ending their drought, with his excellent talents in the final third handing Maresca the ammunition needed to succeed in the Premier League.

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Western Storm opener Georgia Hennessy hit a run-a-ball 62 to lay the foundation for a five-run victory over Sunrisers at Fenner’s in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Victory though was bittersweet for Storm who narrowly missed out on qualification due to an inferior run rate despite finishing level on points at the top of their group.Showing controlled aggression, Hennessy was severe on anything wayward. With Fi Morris initially playing the junior partner role, the opening pair put on 68 in the first 10 overs. Skipper Sophie Luff chipped in with a quickfire 34 as Storm closed on 147.In reply, Cordelia Griffith hit five boundaries to keep Sunrisers well ahead of the run rate during the first 10 overs, but Nicole Harvey took three wickets to arrest the momentum and dry up the scoring rate, as the hosts finished six runs short.Morris was content to let Hennessy play the aggressor during the early overs but took a brace of boundaries in the final over of the Powerplay. When the field spread Hennessy drove through extra cover for four before clipping one off her legs to bring up the 50 at the end of the eighth over.Grace Scrivens made the breakthrough in the 11th when Morris top-edged behind square for 21, but Hennessy kept up the attack. She clubbed Gayatri Gole back down the ground to bring up her half-century off 51 balls and smashed a wide ball from Naomi Dattani through extra cover for another boundary.Luff made her intentions clear clipping Sonali Patel off her legs behind square and then deftly cutting her for four more before taking two boundaries through extra cover off Gole. The pair shared a half-century stand before Hennessy holed out to Dattani who took a well-judged catch at long-on to give Scrivens her second wicket. Luff fell shortly afterwards, bowled by Dattani in the penultimate over.Despite two further wickets, Danielle Gibson finished the innings in style, scooping over the keeper’s head for four and hitting the last ball for a huge six.Griffith and Alice Macleod kept Sunrisers well ahead of the run rate initially, taking 47 from the Powerplay, 11 ahead of Storm at the same stage.Griffith set the pace with a boundary off the first ball, the first of five in a knock of 32 off 25 deliveries. Macleod too located the ropes and despite some energetic fielding from Storm, Sunrisers kept up the scoreboard pressure. It took a sharp catch off her own bowling by Harvey to break the momentum when Macleod chipped one back to her on 17.Griffith brought up Storm’s 50 in the eighth over, but she gave Harvey her second wicket when she pulled one high over midwicket where Morris took an excellent catch.Storm built the pressure as the next four overs elicited just 10 runs. With Sunrisers falling behind the required rate, Scrivens drilled Harvey straight to Gibson at extra cover who took an excellent diving catch.Harvey conceded her first boundary when Dattani drove forcefully through the covers and then drilled another straight down the ground for four more. The next over from Hennessy went for 13 to keep Sunrisers interested, despite the run out of Katherine Speed.With 50 needed off the last five overs, Dattani kept busy but when two wickets fell in successive overs, 14 required off the final over proved too many.

A number of clubs are believed to be interested in completing the signing of a “smashing” 21-year-old Sheffield Wednesday gem on loan as soon as possible, according to a new report.

Sheffield Wednesday struggling for form

The Owls have found life tough so far this season in the Championship, suffering a sobering run of form after thrashing Plymouth Argyle 4-0 on the opening weekend of the campaign, when there was huge positivity in the air.

Since that enjoyable afternoon at Hillsborough last month, Wednesday have only picked up one point from their last four league matches, with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers hugely frustrating for one key reason.

Just when it looked as though Danny Rohl’s side had picked up a precious victory in the Championship, thanks to Barry Bannan’s stoppage-time strike, the visitors equalised seconds from the end, following an almost comical goalmouth scramble inside the Owls’ penalty area that eventual saw the ball fired into the net.

The draw means that Wednesday are currently 20th in the Championship table, which given some of the positivity that existed surrounding Rohl back in the summer and after the Plymouth game, is a disappointing position to be in.

Sheffield Wednesday gem wanted on loan

According to a fresh claim from The Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday youngster Sam Reed is wanted by a host of National League clubs, with players able to move to the division straight away, which isn’t the case with Premier League and EFL clubs.

The report states that a loan move could appeal to the Owls, in order to “aid his development elsewhere”, rather than struggling for playing time at senior level at Hillsborough, and he is a player who Rohl is a fan of after including him in first team training.

A loan switch for Reed does seem to make plenty of sense for Wednesday, in terms of allowing him more regular playing time, instead of featuring for the Owls at youth team level.

At 21, the left-back isn’t a kid anymore, and needs to kick on in his career, but he is a big talent, with Neil Thompson lauding him in the recent past, saying: “He’s done really well. He’s got a great attitude, and he’s a local lad. He’s been playing for a team in Leeds and he’s been smashing. He’s a great kid to have about, left-footer, and does what it says on the tin. I thought he was really steady today.”

Reed has only made one senior appearance for the Owls to date, coming in the FA Cup away to Coventry City last season, which highlights what a lack of experience he has so far.

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Granted, moving to a National League club for the rest of the 2024/25 season wouldn’t necessarily be giving him the same level of experience as he would at a League One or League Two side, but he could still mature in a physical sense and thrive by being a regular, before returning to Wednesday next summer as a more rounded footballer.

يأمل نيكولا كاتيتش، لاعب فريق بليموث، مواصلة مفاجآتهم السارة في بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، موسم 2024/25، عن طريق الإطاحة بخصمهم مانشستر سيتي.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي مع بليموث، مساء يوم السبت، في إطار منافسات دور الـ16 من كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وتأهل بليموث إلى تلك المرحلة من البطولة بعدما حقق فوزًا مفاجئًا على ليفربول في دور الـ32، بهدف دون رد.

وفقد نيكولا كاتيتش إحدى أسنانه، في مباراة ليفربول وبليموث، بعد اصطدامه بزميله آدم راندل.

وعثر أحد أفراد طاقم بليموث على السن المفقود، خلال تنظيف أرضية الملعب، وأعاده إلى اللاعب حيث قام طبيب أسنان بترميمه من جديد.

وقال كاتيتش، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية: “أنا سعيد بالعثور على سني، ورغم أن طبيب الأسنان أعادها إلى فمي، فأنا لست متأكدًا من مدة بقائه في مكانه”.

وأضاف: “لكنني سأستبدل كل أسناني بفوز آخر على مانشستر سيتي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | من أجل عمر مرموش وآخرين.. تطبيق استثناء خاص في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

وواصل: “بصفتي لاعبًا محترفًا، فإن وظيفتي هي أن خوض أصعب المعارك وأتأكد من حماية مرمانا، من الأفضل أن تكون فائزًا مع بعض الأسنان المفقودة من أن تخسر بابتسامة مثالية”.

وأكد: “أشعر أن هناك احترامًا أكبر للمدافعين الذين يتسمون بهذا الموقف في بريطانيا مقارنة بأوروبا، يقدر المشجعون ذلك عندما تلعب بلا خوف”.

وشدد: “بالنسبة للأشخاص خارج المملكة المتحدة الذين لا يعرفون التاريخ والتنافس، فليس من السهل فهم شدة المنافسة، ولكن بمجرد أن تختبر ذلك، فأنت مستعد لأي شئ”.

وأفاد: “سيكون من عدم الاحترام للنادي وجماهيرنا والمنافسة إذا لم نذهب إلى ملعب الاتحاد معتقدين أننا نستطيع الفوز”.

واختتم: “مانشستر سيتي أحد أفضل الفرق في العالم، وربما يكون الأمر أكثر صعوبة من الفوز على ليفربول لأننا سنلعب خارج الأرض، لكن عليك أن تبذل قصارى جهدك وكل ما لديك”.

“I’ve been having to fight hard for the last couple of months to get in that space.”

Valkerie Baynes05-Sep-2021Flaying England’s bowling over the fence repeatedly at Hove felt “like home” for Sophie Devine.Devine, the New Zealand captain and opener, cleared the rope four times – twice onto the roof of the hospitality boxes – on her way to a half-century which secured a series-levelling victory for her side in her 100th T20 international.”The way I describe it is it just feels comfortable and it feels like home in a sense,” Devine said. “It’s what all batters, it’s what all cricketers, it’s what all athletes, aim to achieve – that real Zen headspace where you’re not thinking of anything, there’s nothing in your mind, there’s clarity, and you really know what you’re out there to achieve.Related

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“I had to fight hard and I’ve been having to fight hard for the last couple of months to get in that space. Not playing and not playing as well as I would like with the bat, today it was about getting in the scrap and putting myself in a position where, when the ball was in my slot, being able to put it away.”It was a welcome return to form, given that playing such a milestone match – only Amy Satterthwaite and Suzie Bates among New Zealand women have played as many T20Is – wasn’t even on Devine’s mind when she took a mental health break in March.Saturday night marked just her second match back after Wednesday’s clash which England won emphatically by 46 runs.Devine took the important wickets of Nat Sciver and Amy Jones to help restrict England to 127 for 7 at Hove before her boundary-laden fifty took the White Ferns within 28 runs of the target with enough wickets in hand to prevail despite a late wobble by the middle order.”It’s hard to put into words how I was feeling at the start of the year,” Devine said. “Mentally I was nowhere and to try and play international cricket when mentally you’re not at the top of your game, let alone 50 percent, it’s always going to be bloody hard.”Looking back on it, I was nowhere near my best with the bat and mentally I wasn’t in a position to produce my best either. It’s nice to have been able to step away and to put some things into place around that.”I think we all know the environment that we find ourselves in now is bloody challenging. I’m extremely grateful that we’re able to continue to play cricket because I know people are doing it really tough around the world.”Devine spent time working with White Ferns head coach Bob Carter, making technical changes to help her improve and now she is seeing results in an innings like her latest one which she said “certainly helps the confidence levels”.Also of help was the support she received from team-mates, staff and her national board when she decided to take time out.

“We need to really speak up. We’re no different to anyone else in the public it just so happens that we’re scrutinised so heavily in the media and the public and that’s part of the job.”

“It’s becoming a lot more common, which I think it needs to be,” Devine said. “We saw it with Naomi Osaka, we’ve seen a lot of athletes back in New Zealand actually stepping up and being really honest around how they’re feeling and the mental space that they find themselves in, and I think we need to normalise that conversation.”We need to really speak up. We’re no different to anyone else in the public it just so happens that we’re scrutinised so heavily in the media and the public and that’s part of the job – absolutely I put my hand up and acknowledge that that’s part of it – but we’re no different, we still suffer and go through challenges like everyone else.”I’ve been lucky to say I’ve been so well supported by the board, the players’ association, family and friends and I think it is really important that anyone that is in that space has the opportunity to talk up and feels that way too.”Given what she has been through and the rarity of reaching 100 games, there was a sense that her team wanted to lift for their captain after a ragged and, in Devine’s words, “rusty” performance in the series opener at Chelmsford. Speaking after Saturday night’s match, her voice wavered as she reflected on their effort.”That’s a great thing about this group, I feel so well supported,” Devine said. “In my milestone game, there were some beautiful words spoken by Amy and Suzie, who I’ve played a lot of cricket with.”It was quite tough to hold back the tears around that because it was quite emotional thinking about it but this group is so special, and the amount of care that is within this group is unbelievable.”That’s what’s going to hold us in really good stead moving forward, when we care about each other as people I think it really shows out that they’re on the park and, absolutely, I think everyone probably gained another five percent for a milestone match.”It’s tough being away from home – we become each others’ family – so I certainly feel very loved and very well supported from this group.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos avanços da chamada Lei Pelé, promulgada em 1998, durante o governo Fernando Henrique, foi a extinção da lei do passe. Até então, os clubes eram de fato proprietários dos jogadores. Independentemente de haver ou não um contrato em vigor, compravam, vendiam, trocavam a seu bel prazer, levando em conta tão somente o interesse dos cartolas. A vontade dos atletas, tratados como mercadoria, não pesava nessas negociações, num regime quase escravocrata.

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Houve alguns casos de rebeldia. Afonsinho, um meio-campista, hoje médico, que jogou nos quatro grandes do Rio, no Santos e no América-MG, talvez seja o mais marcante. Depois de uma disputa com o Botafogo, que o manteve oito meses com o contrato suspenso porque não o queria com a barba grande – sim, isso era possível – recorreu ao STJD e conquistou o passe livre, adquirindo o direito de jogar onde queria e receber o quanto achava que merecia, pelo tempo que desejasse. Sofreu discriminação, até perseguição por conta disso. Mas foi pioneiro na busca pela liberdade.

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Na verdade, a Lei Pelé colocou o Brasil na mesma página do futebol europeu onde as negociações baseadas no direito esportivo e no direito econômico já imperavam. Contratos passaram a ser vinculados à itens da legislação trabalhista, como qualquer outra atividade, com prazos estipulados e rescindíveis com o pagamento de multas pré-fixadas e que permitem a livre negociação do seu destino, pelo jogador, seis meses antes do fim.

Críticas existem. Há quem alegue que jogadores e clubes tornaram-se reféns de empresários, por vezes inescrupulosos, oportunistas e tão escravizantes quanto os cartolas. São exceções. Não há como contestar a alforria que a Lei Pelé proporcionou à categoria.

Tudo isso para falar de dois Diegos. E desse direito de jogar onde bem entender. É o que se vê na janela de negociação. Rebeldes, mercenários, mimados? Ou apenas donos do próprio nariz, senhores do próprio destino?

Diego Souza saiu do Grêmio. E voltou para o Grêmio, duas semanas depois. Frustrou dirigentes e a torcida do Sport onde é tido como um dos maiores ídolos da história. Frustrou a torcida do Vasco que via em seu faro de gol, apesar da idade, um reforço importante na briga para voltar à elite. Diego Souza é um exemplo da liberdade possibilitada pelo fim do passe. Já jogou em 13 clubes. E mais uma vez fez o que quis.

O outro Diego, o Costa, já demonstrou sua insatisfação no Atlético-MG. Pretendido pelo Corinthians, negou a intenção de pagar do próprio bolso a multa em torno de R$ 16 milhões para rescindir seu contrato. Mas tirou a foto com a camisa do Galo do perfil de suas redes sociais. Deu um recado.

A escolha do novo treinador pode ser determinante para o final da novela. Mas negociar Diego Costa já é a opção de boa parte dos dirigentes alvinegros. Não por uma decepção pelo futebol que apresentou até aqui – fez gols importantes que ajudaram o Atlético a quebrar o jejum de 50 anos no Brasileirão. Mas porque, sabedores que são, manter o atacante amarrado contra a sua vontade pode não ser uma boa saída.

Isso até é verdade. Mas, se adquiriram direitos, jogadores continuam a ter deveres, é preciso ficar claro.

No fim das contas, o profissionalismo, o bom senso e a ética é que devem reger a relação clube-atleta. Direito de pagar a multa e se liberar para jogar em outro lugar, é claro que Diego Costa tem. Contudo, continuar a jogar o que sabe e o que pode, se não o fizer e não conseguir quem o faça, mais do que um dever, uma obrigação, é uma questão de caráter.

Cesc Fabregas has admitted that a special clause could allow Real Madrid to sign Nico Paz, but has denied the club want to consider selling him.

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Paz thriving since joining Como from Real MadridHas three goals and assists to his name in Serie AFabregas won't sell despite his 'specific clause'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Paz joined the Italian side in the summer following their promotion to Serie A and has quickly established himself as a key player, registering three goals and assists in 18 matches.

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The 20-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Lombardy club but his form has sparked reports they could end up losing him to a bigger club. Fabregas, though, insists there is no way the club will let him go.

WHAT FABREGAS SAID

"There’s a specific buy back clause for Nico Paz for Real Madrid, but he’s Como player," he told reporters. "If Como have no plans to sell Nico, it won’t happen. We have an agreement with Nico. It’s impossible for us to think about selling Nico Paz."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR COMO?

Instead of losing their star player, Como look set to add another name to their squad as Dele Alli has reportedly agreed to join on an 18-month contract.

Celtic were thoroughly beaten by German giants Borussia Dortmund as they lost 7-1 in the Champions League against the Bundesliga outfit on Tuesday night.

The Scottish giants had won their first nine matches of the season in all competitions, including a 5-1 win over Slovan in their first European game, but fell to defeat in dreadful fashion this week.

Brendan Rodgers’ side shipped five goals in the first half, including a hat-trick from Karim Adeyemi, despite bringing it back to 1-1 thanks to a goal from Daizen Maeda early on in the match.

Celtic invested in their attacking options during the summer transfer window in an attempt to compete in Europe, as they swooped to sign Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, and Adam Idah on permanent deals.

The Hoops reportedly splashed out a club-record fee of £11m to sign Engels from Augsburg and a fee of up to £9.5m to sign Idah from Norwich City, after his loan spell from the Canaries during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Those moves came after Celtic dipped into the market to sign Nicolas Kuhn in January. The German forward came in to replace Liel Abada, who was sold to the MLS.

Liel Abada's time with Celtic

In the summer of 2021, the Premiership giants reportedly spent a fee of around £3.5m to sign the Israel international on a permanent deal from Maccabi Petah Tikva.

It was claimed that clubs from Greece, France, and Belgium were also keen on the 19-year-old attacker but Celtic won the race for his signature ahead of the 2021/22 campaign under Ange Postecoglou.

The teenage sensation quickly showed why so many teams were wanting to sign him. He racked up 15 goals and 11 assists in all competitions in his debut season in Scotland, which included ten goals and seven assists in the Scottish Premiership.

Abada’s output in the final third dropped slightly in the following term, however, as the speedster recorded 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, with zero goals and zero assists in five Champions League outings.

The winger then struggled in the first half of last season, with one goal and two assists in 11 matches under Rodgers, and his manager confirmed that it was a tough time, mentally, for the player amid the hostilities in his home country.

At the start of March, MLS side Charlotte FC swooped in to sign the forward for a reported fee of £10m, which represented a significant profit on the £3.5m that the club had paid for him just under three years previously.

However, things could have been very different for Celtic if they had signed a different winger instead of Abada, as they were reportedly interested in Spanish wizard Rodrigo Riquelme ahead of that transfer window in 2021.

Celtic's interest in Rodrigo Riquelme

In the summer of 2020, it was reported that the Scottish giants were one of the teams interested in a deal to sign the youngster from Atletico Madrid, where he was playing in their B team at the time.

Mundo Deportivo claimed that Celtic and Real Betis both made enquiries about a potential move for the whiz, who was described as a “flamboyant” talent by scout Jacek Kulig, as he was set to become a free agent the following summer.

Atletico wanted to extend his contract with the LaLiga side but the Hoops, and Real Betis, were seemingly lurking in the hope that they could convince him to ditch his current club on a free transfer in 2021.

Premiership rivals Rangers had also been linked with the winger and it was suggested that one option could have been for him to sign a new deal with Diego Simeone’s team before going out on loan to Scotland.

Unfortunately, however, the attacking midfielder eventually opted to put pen to paper on a new long-term contract with Atletico Madrid, where he remains in the current day, and Celtic missed out on a chance to land him on a free – or at least for compensation – in the summer of 2021.

The Hoops did not sign an out-and-out winger in 2020 but did move to sign Abada to strengthen their options on the flanks in 2021, when Riquelme could have arrived if he had not extended his deal with the Spanish giants.

Rodrigo Riquelme's current market value

At the time of writing (03/10/2024), Transfermarkt has his current market value at €25m (£21m), which is significantly more than the £10m Celtic raked in for Abada from Charlotte earlier this year.

It is also a staggering £19m more than the £1.9m he was valued at by Transfemarkt in the summer of 2020, amid Celtic’s initial interest in signing him. This shows that the Scottish giants missed out on the opportunity to sign a player with the potential to grow in value even more than the Israel international did during his time in Glasgow.

Riquelme went on loan to Bournemouth in England during the 2020/21 campaign and scored two goals in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries, before an impressive haul of seven goals and 12 assists in LaLiga 2 for Mirandes on loan the following season.

Starts

25

Goals

4

Big chances created

7

Key passes

34

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, the Spaniard then joined Girona on loan in LaLiga and showcased his creative quality in the top-flight, with seven ‘big chances’ created in 25 starts.

His form for Girona earned him a place in the first-team squad at Atletico for the 2023/24 campaign and the 24-year-old star created ten ‘big chances’ in 17 LaLiga starts for Simeone’s side last term.

The right-footed magician, who played against Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday night, has proven himself to be an incredibly creative attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or out wide.

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ByDan Emery Oct 2, 2024

Celtic may rue missing out on a deal to sign him, landing Abada instead in 2021, as his career has gone from strength to strength, and he is currently worth more than twice as much as the Charlotte forward.

An integral member of the Arsenal squad isn’t set to return until the “best part of four weeks” through injury, and there could be an even longer wait than that depending on his rehabilitation.

Arsenal's injury concerns over international break

Mikel Arteta’s side were given a brief scare against newly-promoted Southampton over the weekend, with Cameron Archer handing the Saints a shock lead before Arsenal swiftly responded.

Media in £27m Arsenal star's homeland are saying he'll leave the Emirates

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Goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka sealed a 3-1 win for the Gunners after Archer’s 55th-minute opener, ensuring that the Premier League title hopefuls maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Now, Arteta and co have the international break to regroup behind the scenes and prepare for Arsenal’s next encounter – a trip to Bournemouth before taking on Ukrainian heavyweights Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

However, Arteta also has a fair few injury concerns to contend with going into the contests. Ben White’s groin injury has ruled him out of Arsenal’s previous four matches, while defender Jurrien Timber is nursing a muscle problem.

Oleksandr Zinchenko won’t be back for weeks after suffering his own injury, with Arsenal pretty light in terms of full-back options right now when also factoring in Kieran Tierney’s absence.

Arsenal supporters were dealt very worrying news when in-form forward Kai Havertz, who has been pivotal over these opening weeks of the campaign, pulled out of international duty with Germany.

The ex-Chelsea star is carrying a knee problem, but the consensus has been that Arsenal are confident Havertz won’t be a long-term injury absentee. While the 25-year-old won’t be featuring for his country in their Nations League fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands, there is hope that he won’t be out for much longer than that.

Arteta is still minus his club captain and chief creator Martin Odegaard as well, following the Norwegian’s ankle ligament damage he picked up during the last international break.

Odegaard won't return for "best part of four weeks" at Arsenal

Speaking to GiveMeSport this week, reliable journalist Ben Jacobs has shared an update on the £240,000-per-week midfielder’s condition as he continues rehabilitation.

Jacobs says that Odegaard won’t return from injury for the “best part of four weeks” at Arsenal, and it could be even longer, as the club won’t want to rush him back, even if their desire is for him to be fit for Liverpool.

“Martin Odegaard remains weeks away from being physically fit,” said Jacobs.

“And then, of course, you’ve got to get him match fit in addition to that. So I’m told at this stage that there’s no rush to get Odegaard back, despite his clear importance to Arsenal, but they want him involved and fit and influencing the Liverpool game in the Premier League, as opposed to Shakhtar in the Champions League, and that comes at the end of October.

“So that’s what the player and club are looking towards to try and get him sharp 100% and ready for that Liverpool game, which still gives him the best part of four weeks.

“But if he needs longer, no undue risk will be taken.”

Odegaard returning for their face-off against Arne Slot’s side would be an undoubted boost for Arteta, especially considering how the former Real Madrid ace was their most influential player last season in terms of key passes completed per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

Crystal Palace are plotting a 2025 move to sign one of the stars of the Championship, but face competition from elsewhere in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace start season slowly

After a strong end to the 2023/24 campaign under Oliver Glasner, expectations were high for the 2024/25 season despite the loss of Michael Olise over the summer.

They strengthened in key areas with the arrivals of Eddie Nketiah, Daichi Kamada, Trevoh Chalobah and Ismaila Sarr, while they also kept hold of England duo Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi – with the latter subject to strong and persistent interest from Newcastle United.

However, the season has not yet gone to plan; six games into the season, they are yet to taste victory, and threw away a 1-0 lead against Everton to fall to a 2-1 defeat in their latest outing, dropping to just above the relegation zone in the process.

With three draws and three defeats to start the season, the feel-good atmsophere at Selhurst Park has disappeared, and they need to rediscover some momentum in their games to come.

Crystal Palace’s next 5 Premier League games

Liverpool (H)

Nottingham Forest (A)

Tottenham (H)

Wolves (A)

Fulham (H)

“We lost the momentum. At the end of the first-half, I could hear the crowd a little bit booing, and they were not really pleased with the performance of the home team, but we gave the momentum to Everton straight after half-time with an easy goal,” Glasner explained after the latest defeat.

“It was a long ball from [Jordan] Pickford, a stupid foul and then they got the second phase. Our players did everything at 2-1, you could see Everton were a little bit nervous, they celebrated every clearance.

“We have to stick together. You can roll your sleeves up. Our mentality is great, character is great, we have to get the momentum back and we will try next week against Liverpool.”

Crystal Palace in hunt to sign Championship star

Now, it has emerged that Crystal Palace are among the sides showing a strong interest in Championship star Anthony Patterson, who has been the subject of speculation in recent transfer windows.

The Sunderland shot-stopper, who has kept four clean sheets in seven games so far this season, has been impressing for the Black Cats for the last two years, and has pulled off some “unbelievable” saves in that time.

“I’ve got to praise Patta [Patterson] because that’s an unbelievable save. I think that justifies our belief that he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the league,” caretaker Sunderland boss Mike Dodds after their draw against Queens Park Rangers back in March.

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Now, clubs are circling, with transfer insider Alan Nixon revealing on Patreon that Crystal Palace were showing “a big interest” in Patterson as they seek competition for current No 1 Dean Henderson.

He won’t come cheaply, though, with Patterson still having four years left to run on his £10,000-a-week deal at the Stadium of Light, and Sunderland thought to be demanding around £20m to let him leave next summer. Matters are also complicated by interest from Manchester United, who are seeking cover for Andre Onana.

Palace have a strong reputation for developing Championship talent, with the performances of Eberechi Eze perhaps the clearest example of that after picking him up from QPR in 2020.

They will be hoping that reputation hands them an advantage in the race to sign Patterson.