All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds could be looking at another summer clear-out should they get promoted back to the Premier League.

Leeds' loan army expected to be sold for good

After being relegated to the Championship last season, Leeds have found themselves fighting for the top spot in England's second tier once again. Obviously, after being relegated, a plethora of players chose to leave the club in an attempt to keep their careers from dwindling.

Players such as Luis Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison all left the Yorkshire club on loan deals in order to get playing time at a higher level. In the case of Sinisterra, his move has been made permanent by Bournemouth, who have chosen to activate their option to buy, which was worth around £20m.

For Aaronson, things haven't gone quite so smoothly. The USA international's impact whilst representing the Whites was minimal, to say the least. He appeared a total of 40 times for the Yorkshire-based club and only managed to make a total of four goal contributions.

Despite his poor performances, he did enough for Bundesliga club Union Berlin to take a chance on the 23-year-old and take him on loan. Again, his campaign has been far from mesmerising.

Even though he has been deployed in a predominantly attacking role during his time in Germany, he has only managed to score one goal throughout the entirety of his stint. The American, along with Harrison and Marc Roca, are expected to be players Leeds will look to raise funds by selling this summer, and it looks like another one has just been added to the list.

Forward with "unbelievable skills" set to leave in the summer

Despite Aaronson's loan ending up as something of a horror story, there have been the odd one or two loans which have worked out. In particular, Sam Greenwood's spell at fellow second-tier side Middlesbrough has been quite beneficial for all three parties.

Michael Carrick has heavily involved the striker in his plans during his stint with the club – he has often been chosen to lead the line and has seemingly reaped the rewards from the extra playing time.

Prior to one of Leeds' games against Boro this season, Daniel Farke even claimed that the attacker had "unbelievable skills".

"We are happy that he is progressing in the right way. When you send someone out on loan either he comes back or he increases his value and I think it was the right decision to send him out," he said. "He is one of the best set-piece takers I have worked with, and I've worked with some terrific players, such as James Maddison and Mario Vrancic. He has unbelievable skills."

With receiving this level of praise from Farke, it's no surprise that Middlesbrough are looking to activate their £1.5m option to buy. That is according to Pete O'Rourke from Football Insider, who says that Greenwood is 'unlikely to rejoin Daniel Farke’s squad' upon the end of his loan spell. The report goes on to say that the youngster is 'set to be sold' by his parent club despite his good run of form.

Arne Slot explained why he wasn't completely happy with Liverpool's performance during their pre-season tour in the United States.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Liverpool beat Man Utd 3-0 on Sunday
• Slot yet to be completely satisfied
• Reds play final pre-season game against Sevilla

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds capped off their pre-season tour of the United States with a convincing 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United on Sunday courtesy of goals from Fabio Carvalho, Curtis Jones and Konstantinos Tsimikas.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, despite winning all three of their pre-season games in the US, manager Arne Slot was not completely happy with his team's performances as he pointed out the areas where his players need to improve ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.

• WHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

  Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com after the United clash, the Dutch coach was asked if he was satisfied with the team's performance to which he replied, "Yes, I was – but not with all of them. We are very happy with the result, we scored some really nice goals. But I don't think we had enough control over the game because United were threatening us more than a few times. It's a 3-0 win but the score could have been different tonight as well."

  When asked about his overall impression of the US tour, Slot added, "Very positive, I think. Of course the results, that's where everybody is looking at. But players stayed fit and they are able to perform in the way we want, so [a] high-intensity game.

  "We saw some great goals during this tour, some great build-up situations and I see them working really, really hard not to concede. Like I said, today I think we gave away too many chances, United deserved more than a 3-0 loss. But it's also our quality that we do score our own chances."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Merseyside club will play their final pre-season friendly at Anfield on August 11 against Sevilla before kicking off the new season on August 17 against newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Rangers are bracing themselves for a busy summer of ins and outs and one journalist has now delivered the latest news on the future of James Tavernier.

Tavernier closing in on Gers records

Now 32 years old, James Tavernier's exploits in the Scottish Premiership have written him firmly into the Rangers history books and means that he has already acquired legendary status at Ibrox.

Signed in 2015 from Wigan Athletic for a measly £250k, the rampaging right-back has made a name for himself at Ibrox as one of the most deadly defenders on the planet when it comes to producing goals and assists.

£35m Wolves flop will "do everything" to leave Molineux this summer

Wolves may have to accept a heavy loss though.

By
Ben Browning

Mar 11, 2024

Set to surpass 450 appearances for the Glasgow giants this season, the Englishman has scored a massive 122 goals and grabbed an equally impressive 127 assists in that time, meaning that he is contributing a goal or an assist every other game on average. From right back, that is an immense return.

Though unlikely to ever catch Ronald Koeman at the top of the goalscoring defender charts, Tavernier has a strong chance of finishing his career just behind the iconic Dutchman should he continue his impressive returns. With 14 Scottish Premiership goals so far this season, he is showing no signs of slowing down. But are pastures new beckoning?

Tavernier's future in doubt after latest update

According to a report from transfer journalist Pete O'Rourke, Rangers are bracing themselves for interest from Saudi Arabia in Tavernier, and sources claim that the club would be 'powerless to resist' if the right offer were to come in.

A series of PIF clubs, led by Steven Gerrard's side Al-Ettifaq, are keen on adding the veteran defender to their ranks this summer, and while Rangers are 'not ready to allow Tavernier to leave the club', it is added that a 'well-placed source' at Ibrox has told the outlet “money talks”.

The full-back is under contract at Ibrox until 2028 as things stand, and is a key cog in Philippe Clement's side, but there is a possibility that 'a huge fee' could change that, though it is likely to have to be a record sale (which currently stands at the £20m received for Calvin Bassey). Speaking on his future earlier in the week, Tavernier admitted he doesn't know what is next.

“I love it every single day. When I wake up, I’m doing something that I love to do. I’ve always wanted to be a footballer and I’m still a kid at heart when it comes to playing this game.

"But when pressed further, he added that it 'is obviously down to Rangers. There are plenty of moving parts but I’m enjoying my football here, I’m loving been here and so do my family. I still feel young at heart. I still feel 21 but I’ll keep moving forward and keep working hard.”

In an ideal world, it seems as though all parties would like to continue at Ibrox. However, PIF may make an offer that just can't be refused.

Bayern Munich are closing in on the signing of Desire Doue from Rennes despite rival interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Doue wanted by various clubs
• Has exploded at Rennes
• Bayern closing in on signing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , Bayern have the edge over PSG in the race to sign the sought-after Doue. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham have also been linked with the 19-year-old, who has developed into one of the most exciting wingers in European football.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Doue scored four goals and registerd five assists last season in 31 Ligue 1 games at the age of just 19. He is a France Under-23 international and is currently representing his country at the Olympics, and 's report claims he is hoping to make a move to Germany. He would cost around €60 million (£51m/$65m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Doue has scored once at the Olympics, showing his mettle at the U23 tournament. It remains to be seen if Bayern can strike a deal with Rennes given the sheer amount of rival interest.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Formal bids are likely to follow before the transfer deadline, given that several of Europe's top clubs appear to be employing a watching brief on Doue's progress.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to build on their 2-1 home victory against Luton Town at the weekend, following what was a frustrating display last night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to the London Stadium, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by stubborn West Ham United.

It was an evening where both defences got the better of the attackers despite both teams conceding, as shown by the Hammers’ 1.16 xG and Spurs’ 0.96.

Nevertheless, Spurs took the lead early on, but they were back to square one just fifteen minutes later, with Kurt Zouma converting from a corner before the 20th minute.

The rest of the tie saw the Lilywhites dominate the ball, and Brennan Johnson prove to be a handful once again, but there was one individual who was even better than the forward.

Brennan Johnson’s performance in numbers

Welsh star Johnson proved to be the difference-maker in the Spurs attack once again after essentially setting up both goals against the Hatters at the weekend, which earned him a place in the starting lineup.

Clearly, the 22-year-old didn’t disappoint, scoring the opener within five minutes, drifting inside from the right to tap home a Timo Werner low cross into an open net.

Johnson was a threat throughout, having two shots, completing two dribbles, and making one key pass, while also producing some dangerous crosses that a true centre forward would have taken advantage of.

The Evening Standard handed Johnson a 7/10 rating for his 89-minute performance, stating that he 'continued his hot streak' but despite all the above, he wasn’t the most influential on the field.

Spurs ace is now well and truly undroppable after 9/10 Luton display

The Spurs ace has been fantastic under Ange Postecoglou this season.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 31, 2024

Destiny Udogie’s statistics against West Ham

Destiny Udogie made his 26th Premier League appearance of the season last night against David Moyes’ side, where he played a key role in nullifying the hosts' attack.

It was yet another complete showing by the Italian left-back who was tasked with keeping Jarrod Bowen quiet, which he did rather successfully based on the fact that the winger only won three of his ten duels.

Just like the number 22, The Evening Standard also gave Udogie a 7/10 rating, which was the joint-second-best score in the entire team.

However, as you can see from the table below, it could be argued that Udogie was worthy of the Player of the Match award, with his complete skillset on display.

The number 38 provided defensive security on the left flank from the first minute to the last, making four clearances and three tackles, but what was most impressive was the fact that he wasn’t dribbled past once, unlike Pedro Porro, who was dribbled past three times.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old won eight duels, including seven of his ten ground duels, which proves that he won his individual battles frequently and dealt with the physicality of West Ham.

Udogie was also technically secure, taking 82 touches and making 47 passes with an accuracy of 89%. The former Udinese ace also won three fouls and completed one dribble, with his ability to get out of tight spaces helping the side maintain control.

Overall, it was nearly the perfect night for Udogie, with only a win missing from a very complete performance, which has just become the norm for the youngster.

Inter Miami boss Gerardo 'Tata' Martino has admitted that he and the Herons still do not know when Lionel Messi will return to action.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Messi still out after Argentina injury
• Martino unsure on Messi's return
• Still not back in full training

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi became a two-time Copa America champion against Colombia last month while on duty with Argentina. However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner went off injured during the clash and has yet to return to action with Inter Miami. Herons boss Martino has admitted that he does not know when Messi will be able to return to the field.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT MARTINO SAID

  Speaking to the media, Martino said: "Leo is progressing as expected, but there’s still no precise date for when he might rejoin the group. He continues to work separately.

  "Leo’s absence affects us in different ways. At times, his absence is compounded by the absence of other key players. But even when it’s just him missing, it’s a significant factor. We’ve aimed to build not only a competitive team but also a competitive squad.

  "When everyone is available, we are much more reliable and capable of truly competing. Our priority is to resolve the situation with Leo as quickly as possible while maintaining our competitiveness in his absence.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Inter Miami are currently in the process of defending the Leagues Cup title that they won last year thanks to Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba's experience along with Robert Taylor's exquisite form. However, despite their star Argentinian being out injured, the Herons have fared fairly well in both the Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer. Inter Miami lead the MLS's Eastern Conference and are in the last-16 of the Leagues Cup.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Messi has reportedly returned to the training field but has only been training privately and has not been introduced to the team's squad training sessions. It is unlikely that the Argentine will be able to return until the end of the month.

David de Gea says he felt a lot of "emotions and feelings" as he made his return to football with Fiorentina after over a year out of the game.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• De Gea joined Fiorentina as free agent
• Made debut in 3-3 draw in Conference League
• Shared emotional message after match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After more than a year as a free agent following his departure from Manchester United, De Gea made his return when he joined Fiorentina in the summer. De Gea was left on the bench as they kicked off their Serie A campaign last week, but was trusted to start in the Conference League qualifying tie against Puskas Akademia on Thursday.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fiorentina found themselves two goals down within 12 minutes of the first leg at the Stadio Artemio Franchi against the Hungarian side. The Italian team fought back to go 3-2 up, but De Gea conceded a late goal to see the game end 3-3. Despite the underwhelming result, the Spaniard shared an emotional message on social media afterwards.

• WHAT DE GEA SAID

  "What a feeling to be back, incredible but with lots of emotions and feelings," he wrote on Instagram. "I want to thank my family, friends and supporters of Fiorentina for the reception and look forward to the upcoming season to see what we can achieve together."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA?

  The 33-year-old will hope to keep his place in the Fiorentina starting XI when they come up against Venezia in Serie A on Sunday. Otherwise, he will likely be back in the team for the return leg against Puskas Akademia.

Portugal have had one of the greatest players of all time representing their nation in recent memory in Cristiano Ronaldo, with the forward breaking a number of records.

He is Portugal’s top goalscorer of all time, and it’s no surprise that CR7 also tops the charts for appearances. But who is behind Ronaldo when it comes to caps? Football FanCast has taken a look at the top 20 Portuguese appearance-makers, with a detailed view of the top 10.

All information correct as of 16th May 2025.

Here is a detailed look at Portugal’s 10 most-capped players:

10

Rui Costa

94 caps

Also one of Portugal’s top 10 goalscorers of all time, attacking midfielder Rui Costa ended his international career with 94 caps.

He made his senior debut for Portugal in 1993 a few days after his 21st birthday and would go on to play until 2004. Unfortunately for Rui Costa, his last appearance for Portugal would come in the final of Euro 2004, suffering heartbreak against Greece.

9

Bruno Alves

96 caps

Centre-back Bruno Alves represented Portugal at the 2004 Olympic Games, but didn’t make his full international debut until 2007 at the age of 25.

Alves quickly made up for lost time, though, becoming a key member of Portugal’s defensive setup for the next decade. A European Championship winner, Alves called it quits in 2018, four appearances shy of triple figures.

8

Bernardo Silva

100 caps

Bernardo Silva has had a glittering international career for Portugal despite missing out on being a part of their triumphant Euro 2016 squad.

Entering triple figures for caps in March 2025, Silva won the inaugural Nations League in 2019, setting up the winning goal in the final.

A regular at tournaments since the 2018 World Cup, he is now one of eight Portugal players to reach 100 appearances.

7

Rui Patricio

108 caps

The highest-capped goalkeeper for Portugal, Rui Patricio made his debut for his country at the age of 22 in 2010 and was an ever-present figure over the next decade.

The former Wolves shot-stopper, who is still available for selection now, won 10 or more caps for Portugal in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. He is no longer first-choice, but will go down as a Portugal legend after helping them win Euro 2016.

6

Fernando Couto

110 caps

Regarded by many as one of Portugal’s greatest defenders, Fernando Couto’s international career lasted 15 years.

It began back in 1990 at the age of 21 after he helped Portugal win the FIFA World Youth Championship a year prior. He was part of the “Golden Generation” and became the first-ever Portugal player to win 100 caps.

5

Nani

112 caps

Former Manchester United winger Nani scored 24 goals and provided 24 assists in his 112 appearances for Portugal.

The first of his caps came in 2006, with his last in 2017, as Nani played in five major tournaments for his country. The last of those, Euro 2016, was certainly the most memorable for the winger, with Nani taking over the captaincy following an injury to Cristiano Ronaldo in the final.

4

Luis Figo

127 caps

Unfortunately, despite winning so much at club level, legendary winger Luis Figo never won a major tournament with Portugal.

The former captain of the “Golden Generation” made his debut for the national side in 1991 and announced his initial retirement in 2004. However, Figo reversed that call a year later, turning out in the 2006 World Cup before once again hanging up his boots.

3

Pepe

141 caps

Centre-back Pepe finally called time on his international career after Euro 2024 at the grand old age of 41.

On the international stage, Pepe, who could have represented Brazil, made his Portugal debut in 2007 at 24 and went on to become an important part of the national side.

He has turned out in nine major tournaments, becoming the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout game back in 2022.

2

Joao Moutinho

146 caps

A name which may come as a surprise to some, Joao Moutinho sits second in the all-time appearance chart for Portugal, ending his career with 146 caps.

The former Wolves midfielder made his senior debut for Portugal at 18 and would go on to be a regular until 2022, turning out on 10 or more occasions in eight separate calendar years.

1

Cristiano Ronaldo

219 caps

A record that will arguably never be beaten, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have made more than 200 appearances for a senior international side.

Ronaldo’s career for Portugal began in 2003 at the age of 18, and 21 years later, the iconic striker is still going strong. He’s scored a whopping 136 goals during that time, winning Euro 2016 and captaining his country for large parts of his international career.

Fabrizio Romano has refused to rule Tottenham out in the race for a £56 million defender this summer, coming after he was actually "in talks" to join last year.

Postecoglou admits Spurs could sign another centre-back

Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the press last month, admitted that his side could actually end up going for another centre-back when the window reopens.

Tottenham may have tabled a bid for £24m Kane replacement in recent days

Spurs are eager to bring in his successor.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 20, 2024

While the Lilywhites are thought to be after a new striker and potential Harry Kane replacement, as well as Spurs targeting a new winger and centre-midfielder, it is believed another central defender is high on the agenda despite Radu Dragusin's arrival.

The Romanian arrived from Genoa for around £25 million in the January window, and has provided back-up to star defender Micky van de Ven at the heart of Postecoglou's defence. However, some believe van de Ven may well be used as a wildcard left-back option after Destiny Udogie's season-ending injury, so perhaps we could be seeing more of Dragusin in the final few games.

In any case, Postecoglou was forthright in admitting to Tottenham's desire to sign yet another new centre-half later this year: “If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, the Tottenham manager said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Before Spurs completed a deal for van de Ven last summer, they were heavily linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, who supporters may well remember. The Burkina Faso international, now fresh off the back of a title-winning season at Leverkusen, was "in talks" to join Spurs last year according to Fabrizio Romano at the time.

Romano teases potential Spurs move for Tapsoba

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano has teased that Spurs could be back in the running for Tapsoba after scouts from England were sent to watch the "frightening" defender recently – rumoured to cost around £56 million.

“Scouts from three top clubs were in attendance to watch Edmond Tapsoba in yesterday’s [Mondays] game for Bayer Leverkusen away to Borussia Dortmund," said Romano.

"The centre-back looks like he could be one to watch for this summer as he’s attracting interest, though it’s still early in this story. Tottenham also showed an interest in Tapsoba in the past, but let’s see if they enter the running again."

Rasmus Hojlund is working up a sweat as he prepares to return to action for Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Hojlund sustained injury in pre-season
• Yet to play for club this season
• Aiming to make an impression on return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hojlund sustained a hamstring injury in pre-season and has not played for the club since his substitution against Arsenal in their friendly. Without him, United have scored two goals thus far in the Premier League; Joshua Zirkzee netted the winner against Fulham, while Amad Diallo scored in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton. Now, though, United have published a video of Hojlund going through his paces as he steps up his recovery.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hojlund has shown flashes of his ability during his time at Old Trafford and scored 16 goals in all competitions last season. As a result, United will be desperate to see the Denmark international back to his best once he returns to full fitness.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  United face Liverpool this weekend but it is unlikely Hojlund will be involved. Nevertheless, his comeback is clearly loading.