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Everton are interested in signing a new talisman before the transfer window closes next week, with the side's start to the Premier League season and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fresh setback exacerbating the issue.

What's the latest on Mama Balde to Everton?

According to respected journalist Alan Myers, Everton are considering a move for Bissau-Guinean striker Mama Balde, though he did stress that the interest is currently not advanced.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Toffees are closing in on the signing of Che Adams from Southampton for £15m, though Calvert-Lewin's unreliability and Neal Maupay's woeful efforts on the pitch – scoring just once from 31 games for Everton – could force the hand of director of football Kevin Thelwell.

Balde, who plies his trade for French Ligue 2 side Troyes, would be available for just £7m following ESTAC's relegation from Ligue 1 last term.

How good is Mama Balde?

While some might feel that Troyes' plummet from the French top-flight last year should dissuade Thelwell and co from furthering their interest in Balde, aged 27, he did plunder 12 goals and supply four assists from 30 league starts.

As per FBref, the £13k-per-week ace also ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles, the top 13% for interceptions and the top 12% for blocks per 90, which highlights his robustness and physicality, as well as his tenacity and defensive application.

Such attributes are paramount to Everton in their current situation, having lost their opening two matches of the 2023/24 campaign and looking particularly discordant and wayward against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, where Sean Dyche watched his side slump to a 4-0 defeat.

FBref also lists West Ham United talisman Michail Antonio as a comparable player to the 20-cap international, and if Balde could possibly emulate the veteran Hammer's role at Goodison Park, Dyche could have his hands on a trustworthy and reliable threat in the central attacking position.

Signing for West Ham from Nottingham Forest for roughly £7m in 2015, Antonio has scored 76 goals and supplied 43 assists from 278 appearances, notably instrumental in gleaning the Europa Conference League last term, scoring six goals from nine games.

At 33 years of age, Antonio ranks among the top 14% of forwards for progressive carries and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90, with his physicality and driving force in the West Ham attack integral to his success, having also been hailed as a "complete monster" by journalist Paul Brown.

Balde has earned praise to confirm the similarities between his game and Antonio's, with teammate Tristan Dingomé saying:

"In training, he's difficult to handle. He's really strong and is the archetype of the modern striker" – very much a similar description to what you'd read about Antonio.

Ostensibly in his prime, the 5 foot 9 striker might prove to be an astute piece of business for Dyche's side; while he is not the salient name Everton supporters might crave, he could bolster the attack and provide a consistent goal threat when called upon, and therefore, the Goodison Park side would benefit from his arrival.

The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been set for November 29 and 30, with Rawalpindi playing host

Danyal Rasool in Rawalpindi27-Nov-2017The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been rescheduled for November 29 and 30 after they were postponed by the PCB due to religious unrest in the country. The venue for the three games has not changed, with Rawalpindi playing host, just like it has for the rest of the tournament. The four remaining teams – Lahore Whites, who play Faisalabad, and FATA, who face Lahore Blues – are already in Islamabad, Rawalpindi’s sister city.The tournament had been set to conclude in the weekend, but an unrest that began when police tried to disperse a sit-in by a religious gathering at an interchange in Rawalpindi forced the PCB to postpone the event. With protests turning violent and escalating throughout the country, Islamabad had been in a state of effective lockdown over the weekend, with all roads leading to Karachi and Lahore closed off. Teams had found themselves confined to their hotels, and roads leading to the Rawalpindi stadium had also been blocked. Private news channels were taken off air for most of Saturday and Sunday, while access to social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was also suspended. All educational institutions in Lahore, which hosted the recent World XI series, as well as the third T20I against Sri Lanka, were closed on Monday, and will remain shut on Tuesday.But the situation has been defused for the most part, with life returning to some semblance of normality in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. That enables the postponed games in the National T20 Cup to be held earlier than what may have been expected on Monda or Tuesday. The decision to play these matches on Wednesday and Thursday, as opposed to the weekend, may be down to a religious holiday throughout Pakistan on Friday, with the PCB keen to avoid further hindrances to their premier domestic T20 tournament.The National T20 Cup faced several hindrances this year. Earlier, it had clashed with the ICC World XI’s trip. The rescheduled dates clashed with the Bangladesh Premier League and the now-postponed T20 Global League in South Africa. Even then, smog in Faisalabad and Multan forced a relocation to Rawalpindi once and for all.The scheduling of the National T20 Cup created uncertainty on other fronts as well. In August, the board revoked the No-Objection Certificates of 13 players participating in the Caribbean Premier League and the English domestic season, asking them to return home and fulfill national and domestic commitments. However, a few days later, PCB chairman Najam Sethi said the National T20 Cup had been postponed and the players could return to their franchises and counties after undergoing fitness tests.The tournament will also mark the end of Saeed Ajmal’s career, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Pakistan have, unsurprisingly, kept faith with much of the squad that won them the Champions Trophy but with a couple of notable changes. They have left out former ODI captain Azhar Ali for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE and included the uncapped batsman Imam-ul-Haq. Imam is the nephew of former captain and current chairman of selectors Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Pakistan squad

Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Imad Wasim, Shahdab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammed Amir, Ruman Raees, Junaid Khan, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq

Relieved of the captaincy, Azhar played some of his most assured ODI innings in the tournament, including fifties in the semi-final and final. But the knee problem that almost ruled him out of the Test series is one selectors want to rest. That is one of the reasons Imam, an opener, has been brought into the squad.Imam, 21, has been on the selectors’ radar for a few seasons now, especially when he was selected in the Islamabad side for the 50-over Pakistan Cup in 2016 – filling in for Misbah-ul-Haq. He scored a century in his first game. But questions will be asked about his inclusion on the back of what has been, at best, lukewarm form in the 50-over format. He played four games in the National One-Day Cup in January this year for Lahore Whites and scored only 96 runs (including an innings of 49). A month earlier in a National One-Day Cup for department sides, he scored 318 runs at 35.33 for Habib Bank. Over the last three years, Imam has played 24 List A games; in the last 10 months, he has played 13 matches, scoring 414 at 31.84.According to some board officials, in the past Inzamam had expressed reluctance in pushing Imam into the national fold – in one of his first selections ahead of the England tour last year, he said: “I’ve seen his [Imam’s] first-class record, he hasn’t scored many runs in this season and I have not selected him. That should be the way.”It would seem that has changed over the last year. “If you say he is my nephew then it was difficult,” Inzamam said of the selection in Dubai on the first day of the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. “But if you look at his performances then I thought it’s ok. We wanted to keep the Champions Trophy team, to continue that, but unfortunately Azhar has a knee injury through which we had to bring an opener up. In my view, of all the openers who have performed recently, he was pretty good in that and deserves the pick.”The performances Inzamam spoke of have mostly been in the four-day game. Imam scored 848 runs at 49.88 in the last Quaid-e-Azam trophy, with three hundreds, including a double-century, for Habib Bank Limited. He has opened this season with a hundred for Habib Bank as well, against FATA at the end of last month.”We have to see what the talent is, what he can do,” Inzamam said. “His performances in the QeA everyone can see. He scored two hundreds in an U-23 tournament. Then recently in Sialkot he scored a hundred, so we look at performances but also how much talent a player has. Mickey [Arthur] and Sarfraz [Ahmed] and others were also involved in this decision. We give all the names but there is a discussion. So it would be better to not look at this selection in that way.”

Chelsea will 'have an eye' on Kylian Mbappe's precarious situation at Paris Saint-Germain as co-owner Todd Boehly won't want to miss out on a 'golden nugget' in the market, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Which clubs are keen on Kylian Mbappe?

According to 90min, Chelsea, alongside other clubs in Europe, have been offered the chance to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer as Paris Saint-Germain try to facilitate a sensational exit from the Parc des Princes for the France international.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool would be open to bringing Mbappe to the Premier League; however, there is no indication that the £1.1 million per week ace would like to take his next career step in England. Real Madrid are believed to be his favored destination as his contract at Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain ticks closer to expiration next year.

Of course, Mbappe rejected the chance to speak to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal after Paris Saint-Germain granted permission for Mbappe to speak to the club following a monster £259 million bid for his services, as per L'Equipe via The Guardian.

Mbappe, who has been labelled as an "alien" by Marca, does not intend to extend his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and his current employers hold belief that he has already shook on an agreement to join global superpower Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024.

RMC Sport via The Daily Mail claim that Paris Saint-Germain expect Real Madrid to make an 'extremely low and insulting' offer for Mbappe between now and the transfer deadline.

Last season, Mbappe recorded some extraordinary numbers, scoring 41 times and laying on ten assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Chelsea co-owner Boehly will 'know the terms needed' to bring Mbappe to Stamford Bridge.

Jones stated: “I would be amazed if Liverpool got Mbappe to be honest and I’m sure I’m not alone on that. And I have heard a few whispers that Real Madrid will get involved in this very soon.

“Chelsea for sure know the terms needed and that’s just Todd Boehly making sure he doesn’t miss out on a golden nugget.”

What next for Chelsea?

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino will be aiming to tie up his final loose ends in the transfer market as he gears up for the excitement of his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

In an unexpected turn of events, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku could be involved in a player-plus-cash swap deal that could see Serbia international Vlahovic arrive in west London for £38.5 million, according to The Daily Mail.

The Blues have been swift in their transfer business this window, which is a trend that has continued with regard to AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi, who looks like he is on his way to the club in a deal worth £38.57 million after both parties came to an agreement, as per BBC Sport.

Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is in discussions with Chelsea and could be brought in as competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga between the sticks, talkSPORT understands.

Liverpool are pulling no punches in their pursuit of prominence after falling flat last season and failing to qualify for the Champions League and could look to sign Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure to continue the summer rebuild.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominick Szoboszlai have both been signed already after James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain departed upon the expiry of their contracts, while Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are both looking to complete moves to the Saudi Pro League.

The departure of Fabinho in particular would leave a hole in the midfield department, and Doucoure would be a worthy successor after an exemplary maiden campaign in English football that saw the Mali international secure the Eagles' Player of the Season award.

Are Liverpool interested in Cheick Doucoure?

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast last week, the 23-year-old is a player that the Anfield chiefs 'love' after his strong performances in the Premier League.

He said: “Palace don’t need to sell and he’s an important player for them. From what I’m told in the [Liverpool} analytics department he’s a real highlight. They love him.”

The Daily Mail have reported that Palace have placed a £70m valuation on one of their most coveted assets, and while this is certainly a staggering sum, if Liverpool decide to push for the crème de la crème, they should head towards south London.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

After a year of foiled ambition, Jurgen Klopp's Reds will be pushing to return to the forefront of English football and fight for the league title as opposed to scrambling – unsuccessfully – for a place in the top four.

The midfield's inability to effectively protect the backline was one of the chief reasons behind Anfield's seasonal demise, and for all the work plied on the transfer front to remedy this problem thus far, a top-class pivot is still required to knit the centre together with steel thread.

Enter Doucoure; praised as a star capable of "destroying everyone" in his path by one journalist, the £60k-per-week ace ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions, the top 19% for blocks and the top 18% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

A veritable machine in the midfield, Doucoure's role would consist of industriously sweeping up danger and instigating promising forward transitions, something that could bring the best out of Mac Allister, who is raring to go after his £35m move from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 24-year-old "golden boy" – as he has been called by content creator Ryan Adsett – was immense last term, recording an average Sofascore rating of 7.21 in the English top-flight as he scored ten goals from 31 starts, averaging 2.5 shots and two tackles per game, and succeeding with 67% of his dribbles and 57% of his ground duels.

Truly an all-encompassing phenom, and one who could genuinely reignite the fire that has been missing from Liverpool's belly, but he cannot effectively ply his trade with a gaping hole in the defensive midfield behind him.

Moises Caicedo, touted with a £100m move to Chelsea, held the thriving Seagulls ship together last term and left manager Roberto De Zerbi saying that he could "become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and in Europe."

Doucoure could emulate the impact the Ecuadorian had on Mac Allister, and Klopp must think hard about the best course of action to complete his summer revival and chart a course for success once again.

أعرب تامر مصطفى، المدير الفني لفريق فيوتشر، عن سعادته بالفوز الذي حققه أمس على المصري البورسعيدي بهدفين مقابل هدف، وذلك ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وأقيمت مباراة المصري وفيوتشر على أرضية استاد برج العرب، في إطار مؤجلات الجولة الثامنة من المسابقة المحلية.

وقال تامر مصطفي في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “مكسب مهم ولكن توقيته أهم، أبارك لمجلس إدارة فيوتشر وخصوصًا وليد دعبس لأنه دعمني بصورة شخصية بشكل كبير جدًا، ويقف في ظهري طوال الوقت”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | فيوتشر يفوز على المصري بثنائية في الدوري

وأكمل: “ودعنا بطولة الكونفدرالية، كان مهم أن يكون لدينا رد فعل مختلف، ونظهر بصورتنا الحقيقة، ونعود للدوري مرة أخرى وأمامنا مباريات كثيرة جدًا مؤجلة”.

وأتم: “الفوز على المصري بعد خسارة إفريقيا من المكاسب الكبيرة جدًا اليوم، وتوقيتها أهم بكثير جدًا من الفوز”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers losing Max Kilman this summer would be a 'bizarre' situation amid interest in his services from Napoli, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Max Kilman and Napoli?

According to 90min, Wolves are open to letting Max Kilman go this summer despite rejecting an opening bid of around €35 million (£30 million) for the 26-year-old from Serie A champions Napoli.

The report states that Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is set for Bayern Munich, which looks to have stemmed their interest in taking Kilman, who could be tempted to leave Molineux on a personal level if an agreeable fee arises between both parties.

Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam via Football Daily gave an update on the state of play surrounding Kilman's future, stating: "The spotlight is on another defender in Max Kilman, they have rejected an offer from Napoli for Kilman; we understand the offer to be around £30m, Wolves value him at £35m plus. So Napoli not far away, they're losing Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich, so they need to replace him, and they have identified Max Kilman as the one to do that."

As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Wolves are set to demand £34 million for Kilman as they look to maximise their profit this summer on key assets.

Defensive duo Conor Coady and Nathan Collins have already left the building this window at Molineux to join Leicester City and Brentford, respectively.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has stated his belief that the notion of Kilman leaving the Old Gold is a 'bizarre' prospect for him to comprehend.

He said: "It is a bit of a bizarre bid; I really wouldn't expect them to be looking to do that. Kilman has obviously had interest in the Premier League as well, but the fact that Wolves fans don't seem that fussed about losing him suggests it would be quite a strange transfer."

Should Wolves look to sell Max Kilman this summer?

Wolves find themselves in a strange situation this summer with Financial Fair Play; however, Sky Sports News have reported that the Old Gold are now not in a position where they are desperate to sell players, with their official account on Twitter stating: "Wolves are now under no further financial pressure to sell any more players this summer, following Nathan Collins' £23m move to Brentford."

Nevertheless, Napoli don't seem to be budging in their interest surrounding the talented Englishman, leaving Julen Lopetegui with a big decision to make heading into the new season over whether Kilman is kept or sold.

Last campaign, the 26-year-old was virtually ever-present for his current employers, making 41 appearances in all competitions for his side, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Kilman excelled in sniffing out danger in 2022/23, completing an average of 4.4 clearances per match in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen what the future may hold for Kilman as both he and Wolves evaluate his next career steps ahead of 2023/24 commencing.

Hashim Amla said he has not noticed any change in approach from the South Africa coaching staff since the news that positions will have to be reapplied for

Firdose Moonda31-Jan-2017

News that South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo will have to reapply for his job if he hopes to continue in the role after the team’s tour of England in August resulted in “a few sad hours in the changeroom” according to ODI captain AB de Villiers but fellow senior figure Hashim Amla said he has not noticed any change in approach from the coaching staff.Domingo has a support staff of five: assistant Adi Birrell, bowling coach Charl Langeveldt, batting coach Neil McKenzie, spin consultant Claude Henderson and fitness trainer Greg King, whose deals are tied to his and as a result, they will also face contract renegotiation later this year, but none of them have appeared distracted.”It hasn’t affected the coaches too much. They still seem extremely motivated, which is brilliant. They have been professional in everything they have done,” Amla said ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Durban. “Don’t forget it’s still six or seven months away, which is a long time. In between that, we have so many different challenges to keep our focus on.”Chief among those is the Champions Trophy, which will doubtless have some bearing on whether Domingo wants to stay on and whether Cricket South Africa’s board will be keen on keeping him. If South Africa win the competition, it is almost a given Domingo will be in demand, especially as he is already the man who has achieved the most with the team at a major tournament.He was the first coach to oversee a South African victory in a 50-over World Cup knockout match, when they beat Sri Lanka in the quarter-final in 2015, and even though Domingo has not had the same success at World T20s with the 2019 World Cup looming, a strong showing at the Champions Trophy could stand him in good stead for a new two-year term.But the trophy drought has proved a nemesis for so many and no-one has yet come up with the answer to break the hoodoo. Like his predecessors, Domingo’s plans are focused on meticulous preparation – South Africa are regularly the team who have played the most matches in the months leading up to a major tournament – and so far, they seem to be working.”If you look at the build-up we have had as a team, winning the last series [against Australia] as convincingly as we did and being 1-0 up here, it’s building very well,” Amla said. “The coaches and the captains have tried to put the structures in place for us to succeed and it’s really pleasing that everything is working really well.”Amla has been part of all this before though, and knows that even the best laid plans can be derailed on the day, when pressure takes hold. In South Africa’s case, the major tournament bug has most often bitten their batsmen, who have botched modest chases – think Dhaka 2011. Then, South Africa’s line-up contained at least some inexperience. This time, it is unlikely to have any with all of the top six senior figures and all of them in decent nick.”The batting line up looks really solid. Quinny is one of the best, Faf has been in very good form, AB is a legend, JP is batting well, everybody has been contributing,” Amla said.However, even with things go as well as they could, South Africa have every reason to be cautious and not to get ahead of themselves. “Nobody is under the illusion that everything is hunky-dory and things are just going to keep going up and up. There will be some challenges inbetween here and the Champions Trophy and if that comes, we’ve got to be patient with it go through it,” Amla said.The waiting game is something Amla was forced to become well-versed in over the last few months when he went through a rare lean patch in the lead up to his 100th Test. Amla went 13 Test innings without a century before bringing up three figures in his milestone match to end speculation that the end was nigh. He has since topped up on that with a 57 in the first ODI and is feeling like his old self, with no intention of slowing down.”Sometimes you go through those patches. If I can think back, there are other players, much better players, Tendulkar, those guys, they have been through similar. That’s the nature of the game,” he said. “I take it as it comes. I try not to plan too far ahead. Whether its 100 Tests or 50 Tests, the fact that I am playing international cricket is what motivates me. I enjoy batting and I enjoy playing for the country. I feel very fresh. I still feel 18.”

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez wants to talk to Mauricio Pochettino about playing in a more attacking role next season.

What's the latest on Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea?

Last January, fresh of the back of winning the World Cup with Argentina, the 22-year-old was snapped up by the Blues in a British transfer record.

Indeed, Todd Boehly and co splashed £107m to land him from Benfica but the deal hasn't necessarily worked out at this moment in time.

While Enzo hasn't necessarily been that poor, he has been part of a terrible Chelsea side that finished 12th in the Premier League – a club-record low.

Graham Potter was sacked not long after the Argentine arrived and Frank Lampard's unsuccessful spell as interim has now finished with Pochettino set to take charge next season.

The former PSG manager will have a big task on his hands trying to get the best out of his underperforming players and we can expect to see plenty of changes when the side next play a competitive game.

Perhaps one notable difference could be Enzo operating further up the pitch. After all, his father seems to think that's what his son wants.

Speaking to The Chelsea Spot (via Evening Standard) Raul Fernandez said: “He was happy about the arrival of Pochettino. Next season? My son wants to be a champion.

“I think [we will see Enzo play further forward]. He was going to ask [Pochettino] to play further advanced.”

Who will play in midfield for Chelsea next season?

It will certainly be interesting to see if Pochettino entertains this idea with Enzo playing a pretty central role for the Blues since arriving in the Premier League – as you can see on his SofaScore heat map.

However, perhaps he will feel as though he can move further up the pitch if Chelsea can make the right sort of signings in the summer window.

One player who could sit in a deeper midfield role is Moises Caicedo. As things stand, Pochettino's side are "frontrunners" to land the Brighton star but it remains to be seen if the two clubs can agree upon a transfer fee.

However, the club will still likely have to deal with the expected departure of N'Golo Kante – who is poised to seal £86m-a-year move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad (via The Guardian).

With that in mind, it might take more than just the one signing of Caicedo before Pochettino allows Enzo to play a more attacking role.

Aston Villa are eyeing an audacious swoop for a Premier League ace, if latest reports are to be believed.

The Villans are expected to have a busy summer both on and off the pitch, with Sevilla sporting director Monchi set to join Unai Emery to bolster the business side of things at the club.

A host of talent has been linked with a move to Villa Park already, with the latest name being one of high potential.

What’s the latest on Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa?

As reported by FootballTransfers earlier this week, Aston Villa have emerged as a potential candidate to sign Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho.

The report claims that Villa are ‘keen’ on the Englishman, who is valued at £60m by his club.

It’s added that, at present, the Midlands club are ‘not willing’ to spend such a figure on the 23-year-old, who has struggled since arriving at Old Trafford.

What could Jadon Sancho offer to Aston Villa?

Despite not thriving as dangerously as he did at Borussia Dortmund, the former Manchester City academy starlet has built a huge reputation due to his thunderous form displayed in Germany.

The left-winger contributed to a monstrous 89 goals in 104 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, scoring 38 himself and assisting 51 in just under three and a half seasons, via Transfermarkt.

Once lauded as being an “insane talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Londoner could be an emphatic name for Emery to introduce to Villa Park and integrate into his free-flowing attack.

This campaign has been tough for the Englishman, who took some time away from activity earlier in the season due to being not “physically or mentally” fit to be among his teammates, as revealed by Erik Ten Hag.

Ending the term with 26 appearances, the 23-year-old contributed six goals and three assists for the Red Devils, showing the gap he finds himself at to being close to his best.

The youngster could reach such levels once more if given the chance to thrive, something he could do by joining Villa, who have been presented with an exciting project thanks to the work of Emery.

Deployed on the left flank, the right-footed ace could be provided with a strong outlet in new arrival Youri Tielemans, who has been praised as a “phenomenon” for his play-making ability by former Anderlecht midfielder Par Zetterberg.

The two could form a dangerous combination in Emery’s attack, as suggested by their statistics gathered, piecing them together as the perfect pair to partner at Villa Park this off-season.

As per Sofascore, the Belgian created 10 big chances, as well as averaging one key pass per game in what was a hugely underwhelming Leicester City side that was relegated from the Premier League.

Most notably, the 26-year-old dynamo averaged 6.95 progressive passes per 90 which when paired with Sancho’s average of 9.23 progressive passes received per 90, proves for exciting potential between the two.

The numbers show both the Englishman’s ability to be progressive in his play through movement and positioning to get into intricate areas in the final third, as well as Tielemans’ own ability to pick and execute a pass from a deeper role.

With a hefty price tag and a long way to go in the summer transfer window, only time will tell if Villa decide to flex their financial strengths to snatch the 23-year-old but given the evidence above, it could well be a risk worth taking for Monchi and co.