Mbaye, who just turned age 16, will immediately join the youth setup of the Rossoneri
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AC Milan sign USYNT defender Mbaye16-year-old joins ranks of rising American stars in ItalyTeen is highly-rated defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
AC Milan have reportedly signed U.S. youth international Astin Mbaye from the New York Red Bulls academy.
The 16-year-old has an EU passport, allowing him to leave at that age for the Italian. Several other teams in Europe were chasing his signature, while RBNY was in talks over a pro contract, but the have secured his services. Current U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both play for the Italian club.
Fabrizio Romano first reported the deal, while confirmed it with additional details.
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The RBNY academy has excelled in recent years, highlighted by the development of USMNT captain and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams, along with U.S. fullback John Tolkin, who plays for Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel.
The Eastern Conference MLS side also boast one of the most talented teenagers in all of MLS in Julian Hall, who is attracting interest from some of Europe's top teams at age 16.
Mbaye, meanwhile, has been a mainstay with the U15 youth national team, representing his nation six times at the U15 level, including at the December 2023 UEFA Developmental Tournament, where he bagged a goal against Scotland. He recently earned his first call-up to the U16 national team.
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The last American defender to play for the senior team of AC Milan was Oguchi Onyewu, who played for the from 2009-2011.
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?
The senior team returns to the pitch on Saturday in Serie A action to take on Lecce. Sergio Conceicao's men sit ninth in the league standings.
Liverpool are planning to offer Conor Bradley a new contract as they see the young defender as long-term replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Bradley set to sign new contractSlot considers youngster as Trent's replacementFull-back's current contract valid until 2027 Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Northern Irish defender penned a new contract only 15 months back, which is valid until the summer of 2027, but the Reds want to offer a fresh long-term deal to tie down the youngster at least until 2030, according to . The Liverpool academy graduate is reportedly ready to commit his future at Anfield, and his new contract will see a significant rise in his wages. The full-back currently earns £10,000 per week, but the figure will increase to £75,000 under the terms of the new deal.
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Arne Slot is known to be an admirer of Bradley and the Dutchman sees him as a potential long-term replacement for another academy graduate, Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international is in the final few months of his contract and is tipped to join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.
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While the Reds have virtually given up on Alexander-Arnold, they remain hopeful of retaining the services of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who are nearing the end of their respective deals.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Arne Slot's side will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture in the French capital.
A “clinical” Chelsea player, who’s already reached double figures for goals this season, could request a January exit as elite clubs come knocking for his signature.
Chelsea back to winning ways with 2-1 victory at Leicester City
Following the conclusion of the last international break, Enzo Maresca’s side made the perfect start to their resumption of Premier League football – beating newly-promoted Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.
"Exciting" young midfielder "set to finally join Chelsea" in 2025
He rejected them years ago.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 23, 2024
Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez secured a solid three points for Maresca’s side, who have started this season in excellent form under their new manager, and the result cost his Leicester replacement, Steve Cooper, his job over the weekend.
Aston Villa (home)
December 1
Southampton (away)
December 4
Tottenham (home)
December 8
Brentford (home)
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Everton (away)
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Chelsea sit third in the table, nine points behind league leaders Liverpool and above Arsenal on goal difference, with the Blues firm favourites to seal a place in the Champions League next season.
A reoccurring theme this season is the stellar form of Jackson, who is leading the line in convincing fashion, as he looks to maintain his place under Maresca amid the Chelsea’s links with a new striker.
“For me, he is doing very well,” said Maresca on Jackson’s performances.
“I have said many times, since we started, he is working hard on the ball and off the ball. He is making an effort to understand the way we want to play. Sometimes we use him almost as a midfielder, dropping. Sometimes we use him attacking in behind. If you remember Brighton, or even today. It depends on the game-plan.
“We are very happy with the way Nico is playing on the ball but especially in the way he is playing off the ball – the way he is pressing. In this moment, we are very happy, and we are sure he is going to get better game after game.”
Jackson is keeping fellow forward Christopher Nkunku out of the starting eleven on a regular basis, despite the France international’s own form when selected.
The £195,000-per-week star has bagged 10 goals in all competitions this season, but Maresca prefers Jackson to spearhead his attack in the top flight, which has apparently left Nkunku unhappy at Chelsea as he becomes linked with a January exit.
Nkunku could ask to leave Chelsea on loan in January
According to TEAMtalk, Nkunku could ask Chelsea to let him leave on loan in January, with both Man United and Borussia Dortmund named as very realistic suitors.
Sources close to the former RB Leipzig star view Old Trafford as an ideal landing spot, but a move to the Bundesliga is seen as more realistic, considering BlueCo are unlikely to entertain the idea of strengthening a direct rival.
Those within the game are apparently bemused over Nkunku’s lack of minutes at Chelsea, and his permanent exit in the summer is very possible as well, with a host of top sides purposely saving their funds for heavy investments later in 2025.
Called a “clinical” forward by the Bundesliga’s official website, Nkunku’s exit appears to be one to watch.
Glasgow Rangers recorded a confidence-boosting victory over Real Betis in the Europa League group stages last night, netting a second-half winner which Michael Beale will hope kick-starts the club into gear.
The win means the Gers have won two from two since returning from the international break and if they have any ambition of claiming domestic prizes and embarking on a deep run in Europe, then this form must be continued over the coming months.
It’s fair to say that some of Beale’s summer signings haven’t quite bedded in, yet Jack Butland was in excellent form against the La Liga side, making four saves while taking 45 touches of the ball, proving that he is getting back to the form which saw him capped for England.
A deep continental run will also improve the finances, with the club failing to offload a player during the summer for a substantial fee, especially compared to 2022, when three players all left for extravagant amounts.
Nathan Patterson (£16m), Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) all raked in major profits for the club, yet these were the first big player sales for a long time.
Indeed, the last player to be sold for a truly substantial amount was Alan Hutton back in 2008, and he broke the club record upon his departure. It wasn’t until Patterson left 14 years later did that record get smashed.
How much did Rangers sell Alan Hutton for?
In January 2008, the Light Blues were still in four competitions, and although they didn’t know it at the time, the season would become one of the most dramatic in recent history.
Alan Hutton for Rangers
Hutton had been in impressive form and was attracting interest from the Premier League, most notably Tottenham Hotspur, and they eventually got their man, signing the right-back for a fee of £9m, breaking Rangers transfer record, which had been held by Giovanni van Bronckhorst since 2001.
The late Walter Smith was clearly disappointed with his departure, but wished him well, saying: "The clubs agreed a fee a couple of weeks ago and it was up to Alan to decide what he wanted to do.
"He took his time as he has told me that he was enjoying his football here and he wasn't in too much of a rush to go anywhere. But, as the weeks have gone on, he has decided it was the right time for him and we wish him well in that respect.
"Throughout the club there is disappointment that he's leaving, but clearly it was an offer we couldn't turn down.”
Captain Barry Ferguson also lauded Hutton. He said: "Hutts has been a tremendous player for us and I'm sad to see him go.”
How many appearances did Alan Hutton make for Rangers?
The full-back broke into the first team setup during the 2003/04 season under Alex McLeish having made his senior debut during the treble-winning campaign the season before, and he was looking to follow in the footsteps of Ferguson as a talented youngster who could make an impression in the first team.
He made ten appearances in the league in 2004/05 and was beginning to emerge as a player who would cement a regular spot in the starting XI before disaster struck against Kilmarnock in February 2005, when he broke his leg and missed the remainder of the season.
Not to be deterred, he came back even stronger and went on to play 60 games in the subsequent two seasons before really coming out of his shell under Smith during 2007/08.
Hutton, who was regularly dubbed the ‘Scottish Cafu’ loved getting forward as much as possible, and he registered five assists across 29 matches that term, which clearly impressed Spurs, and he went on to make 112 appearances for the club.
Although disappointing to see him leave, Smith had just netted the Glasgow side a profit of £9m as Hutton had come through the academy, and it was clearly too high an offer to reject as the Gers struck gold on the Scot.
What happened to Alan Hutton?
Hutton was just 23 when he moved South of the border and arguably hadn’t even hit his peak yet. Under Juande Ramos, Spurs were looking to move in a positive direction and after just a few weeks at the club, he played a part in their League Cup victory over Chelsea. So far so good.
Unfortunately, this was to be his highlight during his time in London as the former Gers defender went on to make just 66 appearances for Spurs before going on to join Aston Villa on a permanent basis in the summer of 2011.
Following several loan spells, it looked as though Hutton’s time in England was going to be seen as a major failure, yet he signed a new contract in September 2014 and this revitalised the defender as he went on to make more appearances for the club, while he continued to star for Scotland, going on to win 50 caps for his country.
He even drew praise from Sir Alex Ferguson just months after joining Spurs, who said: “He's without doubt as good a full-back as there is in Britain. He's got great attacking qualities.”
By the time he retired in 2020, Hutton had made over 200 appearances for the Midlands outfit and while he didn’t quite live up to the vast promise that he displayed at Rangers during the early stages of his career, there is no doubt Hutton sparkled at times down South.
Alan Hutton
Rangers hit the jackpot with the player and his sale allowed Smith to further strengthen his squad during the summer of 2008, despite suffering the agony of losing the UEFA Cup final and the league title on the final matchday of the season.
Not to be deterred, the Gers went on to win the next three Scottish titles and establish themselves as the dominant force in the country.
Hutton enjoyed a wonderful spell at the club between 2003 and 2008, and his sale remained a record for the club for 14 years, before Patterson shattered it last January.
This is the moment that fans from India and Pakistan recall whenever the two teams meet in one-day cricket
05-Apr-2018Javed Miandad The Indians were together, excitedly talking strategy. The whole contest had been reduced to getting four from the last ball. I came up with my own strategy. I was certain Sharma was going to attempt a yorker and aim for my legs. So I decided to stand well forward of the batting crease. My plan was to lean back, make room for myself and give it everything I had.It was going to be a slog. I was not out on 110 from 113 deliveries and was seeing the ball extremely well. I had confidence that if the ball came on to the bat, it would reach the boundary. I surveyed the field again. I knew exactly where every fielder was, but still I took another look around, counting off the fielders one by one. Nothing was going to be left to chance. I took my time, calmed my nerves, settled into my stance, and said a prayer.Poor Chetan Sharma. They say he did try for a yorker, but the ball slipped out of his hand. Or perhaps it was the fact that I was standing well forward of the batting crease that threw him off his length. Whatever the mysterious origins of that last delivery, it ended up being the perfect ball for me and for Pakistan – a full-toss at the right height, slightly towards leg, all I had to do was take a swing and it sailed out of the ground.After that, it was pandemonium. We had won, Pakistan had won, Tauseef had won, I had won. What a match! It is one of the best memories of my life.Chandrakant Pandit I remember almost everyone came up to the pitch to discuss who should bowl the last over. We finally decided that Chetan’s extra pace and swing would prevent the batsmen from getting the runs. Tauseef Ahmed walked in and I heard Javed telling him: ‘Whatever happens, we have to run. Hit or miss … just run.’The entire over was chaotic. Javed kept swinging wildly, and Mohammad Azharuddin missed a simple run-out. On the second-last ball, Javed got an inside edge and Roger Binny pulled off a superb stop down at short fine leg.They needed four to win off the last ball. I still remember how Javed looked up at the sky and prayed to Allah.Chetan’s plan was to bowl a yorker but it was a waist-high full-toss. None of us expected Javed to hit it out of the ground.And then we all felt a sort of blackout. It was like a funeral in the dressing room afterwards. Chetan was on the floor. None of us knew what to do for nearly an hour. Nobody looked at anyone; we all just sat with our chins down, thinking about the possibilities. We could hear the celebrations outside but it was extremely depressing inside.
The arrival of the South African fast bowler on a two-year Kolpak deal will invite hopes of a Championship challenge
Subhankar Bhattacharya10-Apr-2018Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has signed a two-year contract with Surrey. Morkel will slot into Surrey’s setup as a Kolpak registered player and will be available to play in all three formats of the game.Having retired only a few weeks ago from international cricket, several English counties had expressed their interest in roping in the big South African, but Surrey possessed the most financial muscle and his presence will encourage hopes that they can press for their first Championship since 2002.Morkel called time on his international career at the end of what was a controversial Test series against Australia, but one in which he became only the fifth South African bowler to bag 300 Test wickets. He also took the Man of the Match award in his penultimate Test, fittingly on his home ground at Cape Town, for his match-winning figures of 9 for 110.Known for generating genuine pace and bounce, Morkel is likely to extract the best out of The Oval’s otherwise gentle surface. The presence of another South African Kolpak in county cricket will invite criticism, but Surrey are rightly proud of their largely homegrown staff.”It is a real honour that Surrey asked me to join after my retirement from international cricket,” Morkel said. “I’ve got fond memories of playing at the Kia Oval and am looking forward to settling into London with my family for the summer.”Although he arrives on Wednesday, Morkel is not expected to take to the field in Surrey’s opening home fixture against Hampshire which begins on April 20. With his deal with Surrey confirmed, the paceman joins a list of current South African cricketers who will feature in this year’s county season, including Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.
Aston Villa have told a first-team squad member that he is free to leave today, and a fresh report has revealed the club that are looking to make a late move to secure his services.
How have Aston Villa started the season?
In the Premier League, Unai Emery’s side have had a mixed start to the new campaign where they currently find themselves sitting tenth in the table on six points having secured two wins but also suffered the same number of defeats during their opening four games.
Having signed Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet over the summer transfer window, via Transfermarkt, the excellent competition for places has meant that some of the existing players have been pushed further out of the picture, one of those being Leander Dendoncker.
The Belgium international has only made 22 appearances since joining from Wolves last summer and he is still yet to feature in the top-flight this term, and the fact that he’s so low down in the pecking order has already seen him linked with an exit.
Fabrizio Romano previously reported that the Midlands outfit were open to offers for the defensive midfielder despite being rated by the manager, and whilst a departure failed to come to fruition before September 1st, there’s still a chance that he could be on the move.
Is Leander Dendoncker leaving Aston Villa?
According to Football Insider, Fenerbahce are "readying a last-gasp move" for Dendoncker, who is "free to quit the club" having been told by chiefs that he has no long-term future at Aston Villa.
The Turkish transfer window closes on Friday, September 15, and the player's admirers have added him to a shortlist of options, with the hierarchy open to either a loan or permanent departure.
The Super Lig outfit have already held initial talks with their target's camp, and whilst an official offer is yet to have been tabled, it's stated that a "deal is possible" before the end of play this evening.
Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker.
Aston Villa recently named Dendoncker in their Premier League 25-man squad for the remainder of the season, but due to him being a “rash” player, as labelled by members of the media, not to mention that he’s on the fringe of the action, the board would be making the right decision to let him go.
The Wasserman client ranked as Emery’s overall 21st best-performing player out of 26 squad members last season, alongside listing 13th defensively, via WhoScored, whilst he’s also failed to make an impact at the opposite end of the pitch, recording zero goals or assists since his arrival.
Furthermore, Passendale’s native, who is sponsored by Nike, currently pockets £90k-per-week which is more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz, as per Capology, so Villa chiefs need to get him off their wage bill as soon as possible and use this money to generate funds towards bringing in potential fresh faces in the new year.
The South Africa quick lost 15% of his match fee over the incident, and gained one demerit point, taking his overall tally to five; eight points within a specified period mean a weighty suspension
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2018South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has picked up a fine and a demerit point for giving India opener Shikhar Dhawan a send-off in Port Elizabeth. He lost 15% of his match fee over the incident, and gained one demerit point, taking his overall tally to five.Each demerit point stays on a player’s record for a period of 24 months. Four demerit points warrant the first suspension, and eight lead to another longer suspension. Rabada was already suspended for one Test against England in mid-2017, for having accumulated four demerit points. He picked up the first three of those on February 8, 2017, following an ODI against Sri Lanka.If Rabada reaches eight points before the second week of February, 2019, he will receive a weightier penalty – a ban of two Tests, or one Test and two ODIs/T20Is, or four ODIs/T20Is – whichever comes first for the player.Rabada had dismissed Dhawan in the eighth over the India innings, caught at deep-square leg off a bouncer, then waved at the batsman, pointed him to the dressing room and, according to an ICC release, “made a comment which could have resulted in a reaction from the batsman”. Rabada admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft, so there was no formal hearing.
Glasgow Rangers were humiliated earlier this week as Dutch side PSV Eindhoven thrashed them 5-1 in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie.
The Light Blues will now compete in the Europa League this season instead of Europe's premier cup competition after losing 7-3 on aggregate to the Eredivisie outfit.
Michael Beale's side do, however, have a chance to bring the feelgood factor back to Ibrox today as they face off against Celtic on home territory this afternoon.
Where are Rangers in the Scottish Premiership?
The Gers are currently fourth in the Scottish Premiership table after three matches and are one point behind their Old Firm rivals heading into this clash in Glasgow.
Rangers have the opportunity to move to the top of the league before the international break gets underway whilst beating Celtic in the process, which could help to wash away some of the disappointment from the club's failure to secure Champions League football.
In order to secure all three points, Beale could need to make some big selection decisions after the loss to PSV and one change he should make is the removal of Cyriel Dessers from the starting line-up.
How has Cyriel Dessers performed this season?
The Nigeria international, who was signed from Cremonese on a permanent deal this summer, has struggled since he made the move to Scotland and the head coach must brutally ditch him from the starting XI as Sam Lammers has emerged as a better option.
Dessers has played seven Champions League and Premiership matches for the Scottish giants to date and produced one goal and one assist for the side.
His domestic performances have been particularly concerning. The 28-year-old dud has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.83 across three appearances in the league, which places him 17th within the squad – out of 20 players – and lost a staggering 89% of his ground duels.
The £28k-per-week hitman also averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.45 over the two legs against PSV, which was the 14th-best score on the team, as he lost 83% of his battles, including 87% of his contests on the deck.
Rangers forwards Danilo and Cyriel Dessers.
Lammers, on the other hand, has shown promise in his displays for the Light Blues. The Dutch attacker averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 in the two games against PSV as he registered an assist and won 67% of his duels in just 40 minutes of action.
He has also recorded a Premiership Sofascore rating of 7.03 over three appearances, with one goal and a duel success rate of 50% so far in the Scottish top-flight.
These statistics suggest that Dessers, who is yet to notch his first league goal for Rangers, does not offer as much as Lammers at the top end of the pitch on or off the ball.
The 6 foot 1 marksman's staggering lack of physicality has made him a liability in recent weeks, as defenders have been able to dominate him on the deck with ease, which means that the ball does not stick up front and the opposition are able to regain it too easily.
Whereas, the former Atalanta man has showcased his strength out of possession and shown glimpses of quality, with one strike in three league outings, in front of goal.
Therefore, Dessers appears to be a worse option than the 26-year-old dynamo and that is why Beale must brutally ditch him for the big clash at Ibrox today.
At the beginning of the transfer window, West Ham United’s task of replacing Declan Rice looked impossible.
How would any player replicate his consistency, reliability, loyalty, and relationship with the fans?
But, the Hammers' hierarchy have done a superb job of ushering in the new era of the club’s midfield.
Mohammed Kudus has been added to the offensive segment, James Ward-Prowse will adopt a box-to-box role, whilst Edson Alvarez will be tasked with the more conventional Rice duties, sitting rigidly in front of the defence.
However, the 2023 Europa Conference League winners are still looking to bolster his area…
What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?
Football Inside reported late last week that West Ham had joined Nottingham Forest in the race to sign PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare, who has a £32m release clause in his contract.
Forest had been the leading contender for the midfielder’s signature, but they chose to not activate the release clause and instead offered to take the player on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy set at £21.3m.
Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…
This has offered West Ham a chance to make a late move for Sangare, with PSV having reportedly lined up a replacement for him should he leave in this window.
However, the 25-year-old’s future is also dependent upon Champions League qualification, which will be settled on 30 August following the pulsating 2-2 draw with Rangers in the first leg at Ibrox.
What are Ibrahim Sangare's strengths?
The Ivorian has been at PSV since 2020 and has made 139 appearances in all competitions, scoring 15 and assisting ten.
Sangare’s strength will be of particular interest to David Moyes due to his accomplished profile. Last term in the Eredivisie, the 6 foot 3 titan netted five times, averaged 1.3 shots per game, 2.3 tackles per game, completed 77% of his dribbles, and won 63% of his aerials duels, as per Sofascore.
To place these numbers in a wider perspective, and to underline his well-rounded style, Sangare ranks within the highest 14% outside of Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty xG per 90, progressive passes per 90, successful take-ons per 90, clearances per 90, and aerials won per 90.
ibrahim-sangare-psv
The 31-cap international seems to embody Ward-Prowse’s offensive threat and Alvarez’s defensive solidity. A possible West Ham line up could see the Englishman deployed as an advanced eight, with Sangare operating in a similar role and Alvarez sitting as a lone pivot.
Ranked among his positional peers outside of Europe’s top five leagues, the Mexican sits within the highest 8% for interceptions per 90, clearances per 90, and aerials won per 90.
In last weekend’s hard-fought victory over Brighton, Alvarez played for 84 minutes, winning four duels, and registering seven clearances and two tackles.
However, he only managed 53% pass completion indicating that if he was paired with a more technical influence that could also dig into the defensive effort, such as Sangare, then West Ham’s midfield could perform at even more impressive levels.
Described as “extraordinary” by former PSV and Ajax manager Aad de Mos, Sangare would be an excellent transfer for the Irons, as he could well take his potential new colleague to the next level.