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Former Leeds United full-back Danny Mills has said that he would be ‘very surprised’ if Helder Costa played for the club again. 

The lowdown

The 27-year-old secured a season-long loan move to La Liga outfit Valencia on the final day of the transfer window. The agreement contains an option, rather than an obligation, to buy come the end of the season.

Costa made only 13 Premier League starts last season, and the £25m arrival of Dan James could limit his long-term Elland Road prospects even further.

In total, he has contributed seven goals and seven assists across 65 appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side between the Championship and the Premier League (via WhoScored).

The latest

Mills believes that the loan move to Valencia suits both parties,and fully expects Costa to move on permanently come next summer.

The 44-year-old told Football Insider: “He’s done OK but you can’t look at it and say it has been a hugely successful time for him at Leeds United.

“On the basis of that, it works out for both. The club needed to move him on and he needed a new challenge. That’s what has happened.

“I would be very surprised, especially with the arrival of Dan James, if he was to come back and feature again for Leeds.”

The verdict

It’s probably fair to say that Costa’s move to Leeds hasn’t exactly worked out how either party would have wanted.

The Whites paid £16m for the permanent signing, and you’d think they’ll make a considerable loss if Costa is to leave. Indeed, he is now rated at just £9m by Transfermarkt.

With Ian Poveda loaned to Blackburn, it’s clear that Marcelo Bielsa was anything but happy with his reserve options out wide. As Mills has said, James’ big-money arrival could well be the death knell for Costa’s future at Elland Road.

In other news, David Norris says Leeds have pulled off a ‘huge’ feat.

Lee Ryder has criticised the performance of Jacob Murphy as Newcastle United lost 2-0 away to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Another loss

The Magpies slumped to their second defeat in two games at the hands of Dean Smith’s team, with a stunning goal from Danny Ings and a penalty from Anwar El Ghazi enough to give the hosts all three points at Villa Park.

After the 4-2 home defeat at the hands of West Ham United last weekend, Steve Bruce is now under pressure to try and get his first points on the board in the new season.

The Latest: Murphy criticised

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder criticised Murphy’s performance, claiming that the 26-year-old found it ‘a real struggle’ for long periods in the match, and that his yellow card added to a ‘tough’ afternoon.

The journalist gave him a mere 4/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest out of anyone in the Newcastle line-up.

The Verdict: Must do better

If Murphy is to cement the starting place at right wing-back as his own, then he must perform better than he did at Villa Park yesterday.

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The Englishman lost out on four of his duels in the game and also failed to record a single shot, dribble, interception, key pass, accurate cross or long ball. He lost possession no fewer than 15 times, the joint-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Getting a yellow card on top of all that really summed up his afternoon, and he will be hoping for better displays over the rest of the season.

In other news, Newcastle have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of this youngster

It was supposed to be a season full of fresh hope and optimism for Crystal Palace supporters, but after only three games of the 2020/21 campaign, an all too familiar concern has already reappeared.

What’s the story?

Former Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira succeeded Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park over the summer after four years of pragmatism under the Englishman’s reign.

His arrival saw the beginning of a new chapter in south London, one that promised to move away from their previously mundane existence in the Premier League, to one full of excitement, goals and entertainment.

However, it’s been anything but. An opening-day 3-0 defeat in the Premier League by Chelsea has been followed up by a goalless draw with Brentford before they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup 1-0 by Watford on Tuesday evening.

Although conclusions cannot be drawn after only 270 minutes of action, it’s clear Vieira is going to need some attacking reinforcements before the transfer window shuts.

Three blanks in a row to kickstart the new era is not the beginning anyone had planned at Palace, but the solution could be a relatively simple one.

Crystal Palace fans would love him

Several strikers have been linked with a move to Selhurst Park in the current window, including Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah, who now appears to be the capital club’s number one priority.

A recent report on Sky Sports claimed the two Premier League sides were someway apart in their valuation of the player, though, with the Gunners putting a £20m price tag on their academy graduate.

Although that figure may seem steep for a player who is yet to start over seven top-flight fixtures in a single campaign, his arrival could be vital if Vieira is to successfully implement his plans and not fall foul to the same obstacles that saw Frank de Boer last just 77 days in the Palace dugout.

Upon his arrival, the former Nice boss outlined his intentions to get the Eagles playing a vibrant brand of football built on possession, something the club’s supporters haven’t witnessed in many years.

“My hope is to get the best of the players,” Vieira said. “What I really want is to put a philosophy in place that my players understand really well so that when they go on the field they can express themselves.

“Because there is talent, and my responsibility will be to make that talent work well together. I want to see a team who is on the front foot.

“I want the team to score more goals, to have more shots on target than we used to, but at the same time to keep this kind of mental strength that the team has created in the last couple of years – to become even stronger.

“I have a really good idea about the team that we have. I think what we will need is to bring players who can create chances; players who can score goals,” the Frenchman concluded.

But Vieira needs to be backed in the transfer market if he’s going to fulfill his ambitious plans. The defensive acquisitions have provided a solid base to build from, and now chairman Steve Parish must sanction a move for Nketiah to provide the finishing touches.

The highly-rated former England Under-21 international was labelled “extraordinary” by current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, and the Palace supporters would surely love to see him swap north for south London this summer.

And, in other news, Lost 58% of his duels: £8.1m-rated Palace lightweight let Vieira down vs Watford…

Lionel Messi has become “like Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps” for MLS, says Inter Miami’s chief business officer Xavier Asensi.

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• Argentine icon moved to America in 2023
• Made stunning impact on & off the field
• Attracted new audience to game in USA

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine icon has attracted more attention to the domestic game in America following his stunning move to Florida in 2023. A mad scramble for tickets is sparked every time that he takes to the field, with A-list guests falling over themselves in a bid to catch a glimpse of the all-time great in action.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi is the biggest draw in MLS, with history being made on and off the field, and those pulling strings behind the scenes are determined to maximise a unique opportunity. Few figures in world sport boast the global appeal of Messi, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner forming part of an exclusive club.

• WHAT ASENSI SAID ABOUT MESSI

  Asensi has said in the of MLS enjoying the kind of boom that the NBA once did when a certain Chicago Bulls legend captured the imagination of a new audience: “The arenas were not full pre-Michael Jordan. That has changed completely. It’s like Tiger Woods in golf or Usain Bolt in track and field, Michael Phelps in swimming. He’s the greatest of all time in the biggest sport worldwide in terms of viewership. It’s an opportunity we have to seize.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, who will be lining up against Messi and Inter Miami on Sunday, agrees. He played in David Beckham’s MLS debut in 2007 and added on a new superstar taking the game to even greater heights in the United States: “The greatest player of all time is now in our league. And it’s pretty exciting. We’ve really entered the global market of the sport. It drives more attention to our league. People will watch and they’ll understand that the league has a higher level than maybe they perceived. It just continues to help the league grow. With the arrival of David and then the eyeballs that came on the league, the sport started to become a business. It started to transform and cross different avenues.”

Alisha Lehmann is enjoying time away with the Swiss national team and has been showing off her skills in an impressive ball-juggling act.

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• Forward away on international duty
• Looking to reach half-century of caps
• Big games to come back in England

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa forward is taking a break from WSL duty as she prepares for an international friendly double-header with Poland. The 25-year-old has earned 48 caps for her country, meaning that she could hit a notable landmark over the course of the next week.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If Lehmann were to figure in both meetings with Poland, then she would reach a half-century of appearances for Switzerland. She is doing her best to catch the eye of national team coach Pia Sundhage during pre-match training sessions.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While being focused on ensuring that the Swiss squad are in the best possible shape as a collective for the immediate challenges to come, Lehmann has been displaying her personal skill set during a showboating routine that saw her keep the ball off the ground using her heel, neck and feet.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

  Lehmann, who has rekindled her relationship with fellow Villa star Douglas Luiz, will be hoping to impress for her country before returning to England for crucial outings for Villa at the start of March that will see them face Liverpool in the WSL and Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals.

Lionel Messi’s memorable goal for Inter Miami versus Nashville in the Leagues Cup final is being used to inspire the club’s next generation of talent.

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• All-time great has starred in the United States
• Delivered historic trophy triumph to Florida
• Setting perfect example to stars of tomorrow

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner lit up the first tournament that he graced after making a stunning move to the United States, with his exploits delivering a historic trophy triumph for David Beckham and Co in Florida. Messi netted 10 goals en route to claiming the 44th title of his remarkable career, with one of those efforts breaking the deadlock with major silverware up for grabs.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Said effort, which saw the mercurial Argentine suddenly burst into life before hitting the back of the net, now forms part of the lessons being handed out in Inter Miami’s academy system. NEXT Pro coach Federico Higuain has told : “He started moving from midfield and ended up scoring next to the box. So, I asked the guys, particularly those who play the number 10 position, to look at what he did and realize that in that role you can create plays but you can also finish them. The question we asked them was ‘Who scored and where did that play begin for him?’ Well, it started in the middle of the field. A 16-year-old can understand and try that.”

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Higuain – the brother of former Argentina and Inter Miami star Gonzalo – went on to say of Messi’s impact on American soccer as a whole: “Everything has changed, not only our club but the entire league. For us, it represents what perfection is inside the field and outside of it. He gives those of us who are educators an opportunity to have the best soccer has to offer and also the possibility to use his presence to explain to players what it takes to play professionally.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Inter Miami’s academy director, Victor Pastora, has echoed those sentiments when saying of how special it is to have a character like Messi around – with the all-time great having brought his latest Golden Ball trophy in to show the youngsters looking to follow in his footsteps: “It was an incredible gesture. A clear reflection of the way he carries himself every day in the club. As extraordinary as he is, the gesture didn't surprise us because he is very accessible. He comes almost every afternoon to watch them in training. It’s just the way he is. As normal as he acts and as nice as he is, it’s still every day for the players and everyone here a big shock that, yeah, he’s there. It was his initiative to come and share with the academy players. He knows he inspires and he knows the effect he has on the kids.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Santo is wanting to raid his former club before this month’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim Spurs have opened preliminary talks to sign Wolves captain Conor Coady as the Portuguese coach looks to secure at least two senior central defenders this window.

It’s claimed that Nuno is pushing hard for the club to seal the 28-year-old star and that was originally discussed as a potential target before he was even appointed as Jose Mourinho’s successor last month.

Spurs appear to be closing in on the signing of Atalanta’s Cristian Romero, whilst talks have also been held with versatile Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has been away on international duty at the Tokyo Olympics.

Dier upgrade

One thing that Coady does possess over Fabio Paratici’s other targets is Premier League experience and that could be crucial in turning around Spurs’ struggling backline.

The Lilywhites sanctioned the departure of Belgian veteran Toby Alderweireld last week, leaving Nuno with just three centre-backs, in which the inexperienced Joe Rodon is included.

His other two options, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier, are far from convincing after ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara dubbed them “one of the worst partnerships” in the English top-flight back in February.

Dier’s poor form throughout 2020/21 meant that he missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad, whereas Conor Coady was called up – but did not feature at the tournament as England made the final.

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The Merseyside-born colossus has the advantage of being a player that Nuno knows very well. Indeed, according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield, “He’s certainly a player Nuno likes.”

During an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, he added: “He was vital for Nuno at Wolves and if he wants to play the 3-4-3 we saw at Wolves so often, particularly in his first couple of years in charge, then there are few better than Conor Coady in that position in that central role.”

191 of his 275 appearances for the Old Gold came under Nuno as the Portuguese transformed the former Liverpool youth product from a midfielder into an impressive ball-playing defender.

Across all three of his Premier League campaigns, Coady has never dropped below a passing accuracy of 84.3%, even when averaging at least 6.4 long balls per outing in each season too, via WhoScored.

Dier, however, has struggled to surpass the 84% accuracy mark, nor does he manage to ping as many long balls per game, having not exceeded a total of four since 2017/18.

Spurs have also suffered from a severe lack of leadership since Jan Vertonghen’s departure, a role that the Englishman has arguably failed to step up into despite the faith put in him by Mourinho and then interim boss Ryan Mason.

Coady has been described as a “lieutenant” and a “leader” by those around him, so he certainly ticks plenty of more boxes.

Valued at just €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory and earning lowly wages around the £55k-per-week bracket, Paratici could reunite a very successful partnership in a bid to turn around Spurs’ fortunes.

The Wolves centre-back must be considered as a viable target before the end of the month.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs transfer update, fans will love it…

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has opened up on the possibilities of him replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss next season.

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• Frank tipped to replace Klopp at Liverpool
• Opened up about joining Liverpool next season
• Brentford currently 14th in the Premier League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Several top managers, including Xabi Alonso and Frank, have been linked with the job at Liverpool ever since Klopp made it public that he would leave the Merseyside club at the end of the ongoing season.

  Now the Brentford boss has finally addressed the rumours of him potentially taking charge of the Reds as he stated that he is happy to continue with the London club for the long term.

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• WHAT THOMAS FRANK SAID

  Speaking to Sky Sports, Frank said, "There’s a lot of rumours out there. I think we all have kind of an ego and the ego likes that little bit of sugar but at the end of the day, I’m at Brentford. I’m very happy here.

  "Do I have ambitions? Yes. Am I going to stay at Brentford forever? Maybe but probably not. So who knows what’s going to happen in the future? What I know is that I’m here at Brentford and I’m very happy with it."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While The Bees head coach might have made it to Liverpool's shortlist, Bayer Leverkusen's Alonso remains favourite to take charge of the club next summer. Under Alonso's tutelage, the German club has performed exceptionally well this season. They are currently unbeaten in the Bundesliga and have a healthy five-point lead at the top of the table.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THOMAS FRANK?

  The 50-year-old for now remains focused on his club, who currently find themselves 14th in the Premier League. They will be next seen in action on Saturday against league leaders Liverpool.

In 2022, Gotham finished bottom of the NWSL table, now, they're competing for a Championship title one year later courtesy of an offseason overhaul.

The 2023 NWSL Championship match, set to take place this Saturday in San Diego, will pit OL Reign against Gotham FC. The NY/NJ based side snuck into the playoffs in sixth place before beating two of the league’s best—North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns FC – to reach the final. What’s even more surprising is that last year, the Bats finished dead-last in the league with just four wins on the season.

Now, fast forward to present day, and they’re competing in the NWSL Championship game.

The first step in the club’s dramatic turnaround was tapping Juan Carlos Amorós as head coach, who then undertook a revamp of the beleaguered team’s roster and built a new culture and on-field identity. Total buy-in from his players allowed the Spanish manager, who had served as an interim head coach for Houston Dash in 2022, to implement a fluid, possession-based style few other NWSL teams have attempted.

GOAL digs into how Amorós and his team completed the turnaround.

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  Appointing a new coach with an identity, a vision and a dream

  Amorós, who was appointed in November, has been one of the best coaching hires in the NWSL in recent memory. After taking charge of the Houston Dash midway through the 2022 season and leading the team to their first-ever playoff appearance, the Madrileño got to work immediately at Gotham, hiring an almost entirely new technical staff and working with General Manager Yael Averbuch to overhaul the roster.

  In addition to the new tactical system Amorós masterminded, he instituted a cultural shift that’s gotten the most out of every individual on the team—one where every player knows their role and everyone from the first to the 27th player on the team sheet gets a fair crack at the starting lineup each week.

  “Even the day before the game, matchday-minus-one training, somebody can play really well and they could be in the starting lineup,” says defender Ali Krieger.

  That dynamic both gets the best out of players by making them feel valued and raises the level of competition in training, and the buy-in from the team has been complete. Forward Taylor Smith calls Amorós “one of the best coaches I’ve had,” saying, “he's instilled so much discipline into the team.”

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  Implementing a system for success

  The NWSL has long been a fast, physical, transition-heavy league where pace and strength tend to be rewarded above technique. Amorós has implemented a more European-style possession-based system arguably with more success than any previous coach, although North Carolina—who finished in third place but were beaten by Gotham in the playoff quarterfinal—employed a similar style this season.

  It’s only North Carolina, in fact, who outranked Gotham in three key stats over the regular season: total passes, successful passes, and average possession. The team plays with a high line, an aggressive press, and a fluid attacking style that often sees forwards Lynn Williams and Esther González drop deep to connect with Yazmeen Ryan or Delanie Sheehan in the midfield.

  That’s a style that takes time for a team to build into, and it was only possible due to Amorós’s clear vision and player-centric philosophy. “For [the coaching staff] it’s about making sure that [the players] understood that we had a plan, that it was going to be a journey,” he says. “And from day one, we wanted to be, you know, defensive, solid, aggressive, versatile. So we started giving them the foundation they needed to be successful, because we knew what we wanted. From day one, they said, ‘okay. We’ll try it.’”

  “We don’t really have positions, we have roles,” explains Smith. “Watching the [semifinal against Portland] I think one thing that was really noticeable was the organization. Like, there's a throw-in and we're immediately ready and shifting, everybody knowing exactly their role.”

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  Acquiring an NWSL superstar and the eventual Rookie of the Year

  Obviously, it’s only possible to employ a given style with the right players on the field, and Amorós made big moves in the offseason.

  The splashiest signing was bringing in two-time NWSL champion and three-time Shield winner Lynn Williams, one of the top forwards in the league, at the beginning of the season. Williams was a staple for North Carolina during the 2017–2019 stretch where they dominated the NWSL, as well as winning the Golden Boot and MVP awards in 2016 with the Western New York Flash.

  The club had a successful 2023 NWSL Draft as well, bringing in midfielder Jenna Nighswonger—the eventual Rookie of the Year winner—from Florida State with the fourth overall pick. Nighswonger, an NCAA champion in 2021 with the Seminoles, was moved to left back at Gotham, a position she thrived in.

  “She subbed into the [season opener against LA] because Krieger went down,” says forward Midge Purce. “I was on the left wing and had not seen her play a lot of left back. And I said, ‘oh, my god. Here we go.’ And since then, she just took the league by storm.”

  Midway through the season, Amorós made more moves, bringing in Spanish center back Maitane López in June, and 2023 World Cup champion Esther González at forward after that tournament ended.

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  'From worst to first:' a veteran-led squad reinvented

  Ending a season in last place is obviously dispiriting, but—provided necessary changes are made in the offseason—it can also be freeing, allowing a group of players to head into the following year with nothing to lose. “We jokingly say from worst to first,” says Purce, “but I don't think we ever really looked at ourselves as the worst.”

  Purce, who has been with Gotham since 2020, adds that this season felt like a fresh start. “This is a new group,” she says. “It's a new coaching staff. It's completely new. So we feel like we have nothing to lose and something to bring.”

  Gotham’s current group has brought a range of different experiences with them, from youngsters like Nighswonger to veterans like Kelley O’Hara and McCall Zerboni; some have no playoff experience, while Williams has been on the roster for playoff teams in seven different years.

  And then of course, there’s USWNT legend Krieger, who will hang up her cleats after this match. For her teammates, Krieger’s upcoming retirement has been one more reason to push for victory Saturday. “I think Ali's been an extra motivation, not because of who she's been, but for who she is for us,” says Amorós. “She's taught me a lot. She showed me what a true leader of a changing room is. She is a role model for all the players, for coaches, and for us to be able to tell her goodbye in this last game, in the Championship, was our target, but our target now is to win for her. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her lifting that trophy on Saturday.”

Rodrigo De Paul admits that Argentina “always miss” Lionel Messi when he is unavailable, with “everything always better” when he is clear of injury.

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• All-time great has been nursing a knock
• Limited game time for Inter Miami
• In qualification action against Paraguay

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner sat out a 2026 World Cup qualifying clash with Bolivia back in September after picking up an untimely knock. That problem restricted him to just 72 minutes of game time for Inter Miami in MLS before heading off with the Albiceleste once more.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi was kept on the bench for 53 minutes of a meeting with Paraguay, but made an impressive cameo as he struck the woodwork on two occasions and tangled with Antonio Sanabria – who spat at him – in a hard-fought 1-0 win for the 2022 World Cup winners.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  De Paul, who is a close friend of the all-time great, is delighted to have Messi back alongside him, telling of how the mercurial 36-year-old makes life easier for everybody when he is on the field: “Although we play at a very high level, we always miss him, we always want to have him in. I hope he can come back in the next game because with him everything is always better. For me it is a pleasure to turn around and see him.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Argentina, who sit at the top of the CONMEBOL qualification table after taking maximum points form three qualifiers so far, will be back in action next Tuesday against Peru – with it yet to be determined whether Messi will play more of a prominent role in that contest.