تحدث أحمد سامي المدير الفني لنادي سموحة، عن خسارة فريقه أمام بيراميدز، في المباراة التي استكملت بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، على ملعب برج العرب بالإسكندرية.
واستكملت مباراة بيراميدز وسموحة، التي لعبت ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 28 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري، بعد أن توقفت يوم الجمعة الماضي بسبب حريق في أحد مدرجات استاد الإسكندرية.
وفاز فريق بيراميدز على سموحة، بنتيجة 3-2، ليحصد 3 نقاط جديدة تضاف إلى رصيده في صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز.
طالع.. فيديو | بيراميدز يفوز على سموحة في المباراة المستأنفة ويبتعد بصدارة الدوري
وقال سامي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة أون تايم سبورت بعد المباراة: “هدفا بيراميدز اليوم أخطاء مننا، وكان لدينا فرصة لـ حسام حسن سهلة جدًا، لكن لا يوجد توفيق”.
وأضاف: “جربنا أشياء جديدة لعبنا 41 دقيقة اليوم، الأمر انتهى ولن أقدر على الحديث، نريد أن يمر الموسم بعد كل ما مر به”.
وأكمل: “أتمنى أن يحدث نظام جديد ومختلف في الموسم المقبل، المسؤولون يأخذون قرارات، لا يقلقون من شيء ونحن داعمين لأي قرار”.
وأتم: “أتمنى أن اللائحة تكون واضحة ولا يكون هناك أحاديث أو بيانات، أتمنى الدوري المصري يعود لقوته في الموسم الجديد”.
Manchester United have become synonymous with missing out on star players on the cheap in recent times, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe having been just two of the high-profile names that could have ended up at Old Trafford for next to nothing.
The Red Devils' inability to pull the trigger with regard to signing up-and-coming talent has certainly come back to bite them more than once, with that having been evident with regard to a player who has already impressed against Erik ten Hag's side this season, in the form of Pedro Neto.
Why didn't Man United sign Pedro Neto?
The current Wolverhampton Wanderers star – who has spent the last four years in English football – could have arrived in the Premier League much sooner had United not foolishly passed up the chance to sign him back in 2016, with the then-teenager having been taken on trial during Jose Mourinho's time at the helm.
As it proved, however, the young Portuguese sensation seemingly did not do enough to impress the powers that be in Manchester as he promptly returned to Primeira Liga side, Braga, missing out on a potential dream move to the Theatre of Dreams in the process.
It did not take long for Mourinho and co to realise their mistake, however, with reports in the summer of 2017 indicating that the club were interested in making a move for the emerging talent, following his fine start to life in his homeland.
Pedro Neto and Max Kilman
It was Serie A side Lazio who ultimately won the race as Neto made the move to Italy on a two-year loan deal in that same window, prior to joining Wolves alongside Bruno Jordao for a combined fee of just £18m.
That figure was soon dwarfed amid reports that United were among the clubs keen on signing the £50m-rated winger in 2021, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer viewing the 5 foot 8 speedster as an alternative option to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish – while a £50m move to Arsenal was also mooted last year.
That valuation has since dropped to £9m – according to CIES Football Observatory – following an injury-hit last few years for the 23-year-old, yet on the evidence of his form so far this season, the four-cap international is looking back to his best.
How has Pedro Neto performed this season?
Although the Old Gold currently find themselves in 16th after picking up just four points from their opening six league games, the fleet-footed "superstar" – as hailed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher – has been a real shining light on the flanks, scoring once and registering four assists already this term.
The player with the second-most chances created in the division, Neto was particularly impressive in the defeat to Liverpool earlier this month, producing a simply 'majestic showing' – as per 90min's James Cormack – after running the Reds ragged in the first half.
Such devastating quality was also on show at the weekend as the £50k-per-week asset produced a breathtaking solo goal against newly promoted strugglers, Luton Town, helping almost single-handedly earn a point for the ten-man visitors at Kenilworth Road.
The promising wideman had also looked rather electric prior to that against the Red Devils on the opening weekend, with opposition full-back Luke Shaw having had 'his work cut out' due to Neto's pace, as per 90min's Jamie Spencer.
The latter man was a constant thorn in the side of the Englishman as he attempted 15 crosses on the day down the right flank, registered four key passes and completed four of his six dribble attempts, as 'some of Wolves best chances came down [Shaw's] left side' – according to GOAL's Richard Martin.
With Ten Hag currently without the likes of Anthony and Sancho, having a figure like Neto on the right flank would have been a perfect fit due to his creative quality and relentless, direct nature, with it looking like another case of 'one that got away' for those at Old Trafford.
It is hard to think of too many undoubted transfer success stories at Manchester United in recent times, with the Red Devils having far too regularly been made to pay for their seemingly scattergun approach in the transfer market.
A club with the highest net spend in Europe across the last decade, United have regularly sought out the marquee, big-money arrivals in their quest to close the cap on rivals Manchester City, albeit with those expensive outlays regularly coming back to bite them.
Among the current crop of first-team assets, for example, the Old Trafford outfit are now stuck with £80m dud Harry Maguire – despite Erik ten Hag's apparent desire to sell the Englishman – while £73m enigma Jadon Sancho also faces an uncertain future at the club after publicly biting back at his manager.
With exorbitant wages also dished out to boot on such underwhelming figures – with Maguire and Sancho raking in £190k-per-week and £250k-per-week, respectively – the United hierarchy have simply been bled dry far too often in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
That is also no doubt the case with regard to polarising midfielder, Paul Pogba, with the World Cup-winning Frenchman having arguably been something of a disastrous addition such were his on-field woes, controversies and overall cost throughout his time at the club.
Why did Pogba leave Man United in 2012?
It is almost easy to forget that the 6 foot 3 menace had begun his senior career on the books at Old Trafford after joining from Le Havre as a teenager, with the all-action maestro notably part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2011, alongside the likes of Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison.
As club legend Paul Scholes has stated, the then-youngster had hoped to kick on in the following season and force his way into the first-team reckoning – particularly with Ferguson's side enduring something of a midfield injury crisis – yet the towering asset simply "wasn't doing well enough", hence the Englishman himself stepping out of retirement instead.
That may have been a final straw for Pogba as he subsequently opted to depart on a free in the summer of 2012 after making just seven first-team appearances, with a disappointed Ferguson stating that the emerging talent had shown "a lack of respect" amid his move to Serie A side, Juventus.
The legendary Scotsman was also seemingly furious at the time with the player's agent, Mino Raiola, for helping to engineer the switch to Turin, with the 13-time Premier League winner stating that he and the Italian were like 'oil and water' such were their differing views.
That somewhat controversial and sour exit should well have been the end of Pogba's association with United, yet the powers that be deemed it wise to bring him back to England just four years later…
How much did Man United pay for Pogba?
There was likely a sense of widespread frustration among those back in Manchester that the blossoming talent had managed to adapt so quickly to life in Italy, with Pogba going on to win four successive Scudetto's – notably registering 18 goals and assists in Serie A in 2015/16.
That standout form subsequently led then-boss Jose Mourinho to sanction the £89m return of the playmaking powerhouse in the summer of 2016, with that having been a world-record transfer at the time.
Max-Meyer-tussling-with-Paul-Pogba
To have had to fork out so much for a player previously on the books at United represented something of an embarrassment, although those blushes were spared initially amid a strong debut campaign for the midfielder as the club won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Those early highs were as good as it got for the 91-cap international, in truth, with it quickly descending into a toxic period over the next few years as the player – and Raiola – regularly angled for a move away from the Theatre of Dreams.
How much did Pogba earn at Man United?
Reports as early as 2018 indicated that the enigmatic asset was intent on leaving the club in the hope of joining La Liga giants Barcelona, with things coming to a head with Mourinho after the pair were captured in a heated training ground bust-up in the early knockings of that 2018/19 campaign.
While Pogba outlasted the Portuguese tactician – memorably posting a cryptic Instagram post following the former Chelsea's man sacking – rumours of a possible departure continued into 2019, while Raiola again publicly stated in 2020 that a move away would be best for his client.
Such controversies off the field were not helped by the player's woes on it, with Pogba failing to inspire the club to further silverware as he proved a "big disappointment" overall, as per the aforementioned Scholes.
Although the Lagny-sur-Marne native did score 13 goals and register nine assists in the league in 2018/19 after finding a new lease of life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that hot streak was not maintained across an injury-disrupted final few years.
2011/12
3
0
0
2016/17
30
5
4
2017/18
27
6
10
2018/19
35
13
9
2019/20
16
1
4
2020/21
26
3
5
2021/22
20
1
9
Stats via Transfermarkt
Things notably came to a head as the under-fire dud was booed off during the 3-2 win at home to Norwich City in April 2022, while his time at the club ebbed out with a whimper as he limped off in the eventual 4-0 defeat at Anfield at the tail-end of that miserable campaign.
Despite reports that United were bizarrely keen to hand him a new deal, Pogba returned to Juve that summer following the expiry of his contract, having hardly justified the £290k-per-week wage that he was taking home for much of his time in Manchester.
What was the total cost of Pogba's time at Man United?
Not only did United have to suffer the embarrassment of twice allowing the 30-year-old to leave on a free, the club were also forced to cough up a sizeable salary to a player who seemingly didn't want to be there for much of his six-year stay.
As per Capology, the experienced asset was a true financial burden as he commanded roughly £85.1m in wages prior to departing last year, which when added to his initial £89m transfer fee makes for an eye-watering total of £174.1m.
With just a Europa League and a League Cup to show for that investment, it is easy to suggest that such funds were rather squandered – particularly with the all-round baggage that Pogba provided – with former boxer and United fan Anthony Crolla describing the saga as "one of the worst pieces of business financially in history".
Paul Pogba plays for Juventus in Serie A.
Now back in Italy, that return to the Allianz Stadium has not proven a happy one, however, as the under-fire figure has barely featured due to persistent injury woes, while he is also facing a potential ban from the game amid reports that he allegedly failed a drugs test last month.
For an undoubted "world-class", albeit problematic talent – as described by Scholes – that would be a sad way to bow out, yet for those of a United persuasion, they will likely just be thankful that he is no longer their problem.
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.
New Zealand opener Colin Munro is set to return for the first T20I against Australia on February 3 in Sydney, following his recovery from a hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the series-deciding T20I against Pakistan. The tri-series that also features England, starts in Australia but concludes across the Tasman sea in New Zealand.Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell got the nod ahead of Glenn Phillips, while fast bowler Lockie Ferguson – who was part of the squad for the last two T20Is against Pakistan – missed out on a spot in the 14-man squad.
Squad for first T20I against Australia
Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler
Munro, who was bought by Delhi Daredevils in the IPL auction on Saturday, suffered the injury during the second game against Pakistan and was rested for the final match of the series, with selector Gavin Larsen citing, “a busy schedule” as the reason behind his omission. With Munro at the top, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will drop back down at No. 3.”Colin has been assessed and we’re optimistic he will be fine by Sunday,” Larsen said. “We’ve seen how big an impact Colin has in white-ball cricket, so we’re looking forward to having him back.”Keeping the Sydney surface in mind, New Zealand packed their squad with four spin options, with part-timers Williamson and Anaru Kitchen to assist Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner. “Historically we’ve seen that the SCG can spin a little bit, so it’s important that we have options in that area,” Larsen said. “Mitchell and Ish are our key guys, but having the likes of Anaru and Kane to do a job if need be is important as well.”New Zealand return home following their first T20I match, and will play the remainder of the series at home. Their second game of the series, against England, is on February 13 in Wellington.
Worcestershire’s director of cricket has left the club with immediate effect, in the wake of an internal investigation
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2017
Steve Rhodes is accused of a cover-up•Getty Images
Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, has left the club with immediate effect, in the wake of an internal investigation into the circumstances of the arrest of allrounder Alex Hepburn, who was charged with two counts of rape last month.Rhodes, a legend of the club with more than three decades of service as a player and coach, was put on indefinite leave by Worcestershire (and relieved of his duties as head coach of the England Under-19 squad) after it emerged that he had fail to report Hepburn’s arrest in a timely fashion.The club said in a statement: “We thank him for his 33 years as a player, coach and Director of Cricket. We wish him well in the future.”It is alleged that, when Hepburn was first arrested on April 1, he approached Rhodes for assistance. Rhodes agreed not to pass on details of the allegation to the club’s board and, while the investigation continued, Hepburn was selected for the first team (in T20 cricket) and signed a one-year contract extension with the club.Alex Hepburn has been charged with two counts of rape•Getty Images
News that he had subsequently been charged resulted in the matter coming to the attention of the club and the ECB. It is understood they were told on November 9 and 10.Hepburn, who is suspended on full pay, appeared at Worcester Crown Court on December 7, where he was released on unconditional bail until his hearing commences at 9am on January 4.Rhodes, who kept wicket for England in 11 Tests, had been in charge of Worcestershire since 2006, having played for the county from 1985 to 2004.The club will be making no further comment.
Jake Ball said he hopes he “can bounce a few Aussies out” if he wins selection for the first Test in Brisbane
George Dobell in Brisbane20-Nov-2017Most players on the verge of their first Ashes Test might be hoping to emulate their heroes, but Jake Ball is hoping for the opposite. In one respect, anyway.Ball grew-up idolising Steve Harmison. Inspired by Harmison’s pace and hostility in the 2005 Ashes, Ball would take to the garden with his brother and “try to bounce him out”.But while he will not want to replicate Harmison’s infamous first delivery at the Gabba at start of the 2006-07 Ashes – the ball that went to second slip, a harbinger of doom for a grim series from an England perspective – he is still hoping to emulate the Harmison of 2005. And that means looking to bounce out the Australian batsmen.Broad hit by golf ball
Stuart Broad escaped serious injury after he was hit by a golf ball while playing at Brisbane Golf Club on Monday. Broad was on the putting green when he was hit on the lower back by a stray ball hit by a member of the club. He did not require treatment and is not in any way an injury doubt ahead of Thursday’s first Ashes Test.
“I hope I can bounce a few of the Aussies out,” Ball said as he visited the Gabba for the first time on Monday. I have the height and bounce.”I showed in the first couple of games on the tour that I can extract extra bounce and the Gabba is renowned for being a bouncy pitch. Hopefully I can show that and nick a few of the Aussies off.”I’m in a really good position at the minute. I think we’re going to hit the ground running and I hope to surprise a few people. I think we’ve a really good chance.”Ball has emerged as a near certainty to play in the first Test over the last few days, which may surprise a few. He has a Test bowling average of 114, after all – he has only played three Tests and two of them were in India – and he has been limited to just 22 first-class deliveries on tour to date after spraining his ankle in Adelaide.But the spells he did bowl clearly made a strong impression. Trevor Bayliss rated Ball as the side’s “best bowler” in the warm-up match in Perth, while Jonny Bairstow reckoned he was the quickest of England’s seamers. At every state, the management have said they wanted him to play in Brisbane where his height and ability to hit the seam could be an asset.”I’m really confident in what I’m doing,” Ball said. “I’ve played club cricket in Australia. I’ve always had in the back of my mind that these pitches can really suit my style of bowling and bowling in Perth and Adelaide reinforced that.”He admits, however, that there was a moment when he feared for his Ashes prospects in the immediate aftermath of sustaining the injury.”There was a split-second where I felt something wasn’t quite right,” he said. “I had my eyes closed and I was thinking ‘Does it hurt?’ All sorts of thoughts go through your head.”It was a bit gutting, especially with bowling so well in the first couple of games.”But the medical staff have been amazing. The last couple of days in Townsville went really well and I got through 17 overs at full pace and a couple of sessions of fielding. I’m now 100% confident that I can get through a five-day Test. I’m in a really good position.”You dream about playing in the Ashes. To be here and have a chance of playing is amazing and if I do get the nod, I’ll go out there and give 100%.”We’re not intimidated. All the batters have dealt with 90mph pace before and they will deal with it again. They can talk it up, talk about their pace, but it’s nothing that we haven’t faced before. We’ll look to put the pressure back on them.”
Hibernian suffered the indignity of losing to Andorran side Inter Club d'Escaldes during the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, and although they have the home leg to come, manager Lee Johnson needs something to click.
The Easter Road outfit sold Kevin Nisbet to Millwall, and despite adding Adam Le Fondre and Elie Youan to his attacking options, they need another striker.
Will Hibs sign Dylan Vente?
According to reports in The Netherlands (via The Edinburgh Evening News), Hibs are close to securing a move for Roda JC striker Dylan Vente in the coming days.
There was interest from Championship sides Sunderland and Swansea City, while Italian outfits Palermo and Pisa were also keeping tabs on the Dutchman, yet it appears he is set to move to the capital.
By securing £2m from the sale of Nisbet, Johnson is expected to splash £700k of that on Vente according to the Dutch media (via The Edinburgh Evening News) and there is no doubt that another forward is desperately required, especially with the Premiership season less than a week away.
Could Dylan Vente replace Kevin Nisbet at Hibs?
The departure of the former Raith Rovers striker was inevitable, especially considering his success at the club over the previous few seasons.
Since arriving from Dunfermline Athletic in 2020 having netted 18 goals in the second tier, Nisbet took to the Premiership like a duck to water, settling in with ease.
Across 101 matches for Hibs, he scored 39 goals and grabbed 12 assists, and this meant he scored or assisted once every two games for the club.
Kevin Nisbet
There is no doubt he will be missed, but if Johnson wishes to improve on the fifth-place finish from last term, he will have to bring someone in who could match Nisbet’s clinical nature. Vente may be the ideal candidate.
The 24-year-old has played in his homeland for his entire career, representing clubs such as Feyenoord, RKC Waalwijk and now Roda, even winning a Dutch Cup and two Super Cup medals during his time in Rotterdam.
His spell at Roda has been the most productive of his career thus far, scoring an impressive 51 goals in just 96 matches, and he shone during the 2022/23 campaign.
Although he was playing in the Dutch second tier, Vente ranked third across the squad for overall Sofascore match rating (7.29), while also finishing top of the pile for goals and assists (27), shots on target per game (1.5) and second for goal frequency (a goal every 160 minutes), suggesting that he was a key attacking outlet for the side.
His figures were so impressive that he would have ranked as Hibs’ joint-best performer alongside Joe Newell while ranking first for goals and assists, shots on target per game and second for scoring frequency, indicating that he would significantly improve the attacking options at the club.
With Johnson needing a win in their upcoming European second-leg encounter, plus a decent start in the league, the former Sunderland boss will be hoping the move for Vente goes through ahead of schedule to help ease the loss of Nisbet.
Everton are still in the hunt to sign Almeria forward El Bilal Toure in the summer transfer window, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Do Everton want to sign El Bilal Toure?
The Blues are in desperate need of a positive summer when it comes to incoming business, in order to avoid yet another Premier League relegation battle next season. They stayed up on the final day last time around, following a 1-0 victory at home to Bournemouth, and while there was obvious happiness and relief from supporters, it is a situation that cannot afford to keep happening.
Everton struggled in various areas of the pitch in 2022/23, but they were arguably at their most disappointing in attack, with a lack of quality and firepower on show far too often, scoring only 34 times. The need to bring in at least one new forward this summer is plain to see, and one player they have been linked with signing is Toure.
The 21-year-old scored seven goals in just 15 La Liga starts for Almeria last season, also chipping in with two assists, and he looks like a young player with plenty of potential. His current contract runs out in the summer of 2028, however, so his current club are in no rush to sell him at all, and can instead demand a healthy amount of money for his services.
While Everton are yet to seal the signing of Toure, hailed as a "major talent" last summer by 90min's Graeme Bailey, in the current transfer window, it is a rumour that is refusing to go away, as things stand.
What's the latest on El Bilal Toure to Everton?
Taking to Twitter, Romano gave an update on the current situation surrounding Toure, saying Atalanta are eyeing a move for him but that Everton are also still in the mix:
"Atalanta are pushing to sign El Bilal Toure from Almeria, revealed as top target one month ago. Negotiations are ongoing but Everton interest remains.
"Atalanta want Toure as priority but new striker has to join ASAP in any case because Man Utd will bid for Hojlund soon."
It clearly isn't going to be easy for Everton to sign Toure this summer, with Atalanta an attractive proposition who are superior to the Blues currently, but there is always the lure of the Premier League that can be great for any player, given its reputation as the best and most competitive division in world football.
The 15-cap and five-goal Mali international is someone who could be such an exciting addition to Sean Dyche's squad next season and beyond, given his age, and he could help solve the goal-shy issue that held Everton back too often last season, and arguably has done for a lengthy period of time now.
Admittedly, it would be unfair to expect fireworks from Toure every week, considering he is still an emerging talent who is honing his skills, but his young energy and eye for goal are both things that could help take the Blues up a much-needed gear moving forward, as they look for a far better campaign this time around, pulling away from the relegation zone in the process.
West Ham United are now confident about signing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez for a fee of around £35m – £40m, and talks are currently ongoing with his representatives, according to a report from Football Insider.
What's the latest West Ham transfer news?
With Declan Rice joining Arsenal in a £105m deal earlier this month, West Ham have significant funds to spend on a replacement for the England international, however journalist Dean Jones does not believe they will spend big on one player.
When asked about the Hammers' interest in Joao Palhinha by GiveMeSport, Jones said: “Fulham absolutely don't want to lose him. He's probably the best out of the lot, if I'm honest.
"That’s in terms of what you're getting straight out of the tin and particularly on the pitch, Palhinha is the best you could hope for.
"But you're looking at at least £60 million and I don't think they intend to put that much of the Rice money into one player.”
Journalist Ben Jacobs has also recently confirmed that the Irons "like" Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, who is viewed as a "dream" target, but at this point there has been no formal approach made for the German.
It seems unlikely that Goretzka will be on his way to the London Stadium, but West Ham now fancy their chances of being able to sign Ajax midfielder Alvarez for a fee of around £35m – £40m, according to a report from Football Insider.
Talks are currently ongoing with the Mexican's representatives, who have indicated that he would be open to a move to the Premier League, potentially opening the door for a move to the London Stadium.
David Moyes is seeking a replacement for Rice, and the Ajax star has emerged as a major target, but the Hammers are set to face competition for the 25-year-old's signature, with Borussia Dortmund also being named as potential suitors.
What type of player is Edson Alvarez?
The Mexico international is primarily a defensive midfielder, however he is also able to slot in at centre-back, indicating he could be a like-for-like replacement for Rice, who is also capable of playing in both of those positions.
Lauded as "sensational" by members of the media, the maestro is fantastic in possession of the ball, ranking in the 95th percentile for his pass-completion per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
The 6 foot 2 midfielder is also very strong in the air, averaging 3.38 aerials won per 90 over the same time period, which indicates he could be an upgrade on Rice in that regard, given that the England international has averaged just 1.02.
Of course, it will be very difficult to find a suitable replacement for Rice, but Alvarez has all the attributes to be a success at the London Stadium, having also averaged more tackles per 90 than the 24-year-old in the past year.
Around £35m – £40m seems like it would be a fair price for the Ajax midfielder, and it is exciting news that West Ham are now confident about completing a deal.