Wrexham co-owner and Hollywood star Rob McElhenney showed off Welcome to Wrexham star Wayne Jones' sunburn in California.
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British actor Danny Dyer has shared a beautiful tribute to his daughter Dani's relationship with West Ham star Jarrod Bowen.
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Despite experiencing a rocky patch of form recently, Russell Martin's Southampton are still very much in the running to win automatic promotion from the Championship.
Three defeats from their last four games made for grim reading before the Saints travelled to Birmingham City, the South Coast entertainers then putting on a show at St Andrew's for their away supporters in a barnstorming 4-3 win.
That dramatic win was pulled off courtesy of second half substitute Joe Aribo instinctively finishing off a chance at the death, with another of Martin's bench players given far less time to make an impact against the Blues.
Once costing an extortionate fee to get him to relocate to St Mary's, the lacklustre player in question is continuing to look like a transfer miss-step on Southampton's end.
Joining from Stade Rennais FC right towards the end of Nathan Jones' doomed time in charge of the Saints, Kamaldeen Sulemana's ex-employers would demand a bumper fee to allow him to leave France behind for pastures new.
The relegation-threatened side forked out a club-record fee of £22m to land the exciting attacker in a bid to re-energise the downtrodden Southampton camp.
|
Southampton's most expensive signings |
|
|---|---|
|
1. Tino Livramento |
€26.2m (£22.4m) |
|
2. Danny Ings |
€25.1m (£21.48m) |
|
3. Jannick Vestergaard |
€25m (£21.4m) |
|
3. Kamaldeen Sulemana |
€25m (£21.4m) |
|
4. Sadio Mane |
€23m (£19.6m) |
|
5. Romeo Lavia |
€22.3m (£19m) |
|
Sourced by Football Transfers |
|
It didn't prove to be smooth sailing for Sulemana on his introduction to Premier League football, helping himself to two goals and an assist from 18 games with both of those strikes coming on the final day of the season against Liverpool when the Saints were already certain of their relegation fate.
Once described as possessing "incredible speed" by Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag when the Dutch boss commented on Sulemana back during his Ajax days, the Ghanaian attacker hasn't been able to kick on and show off his best even in the drop-down to the second tier.
It's resulted in Sulemana's transfer value taking a significant dent, with the 22-year-old now worth significantly less than he once was when joining Southampton just last year.
Sulemana now comes in with a value of €11.9m (£10.1m) next to his name which means his worth has plummeted by roughly £12m in such a short span of time.
The 22-year-old hasn't been helped by a number of Southampton's reserve faces stepping up to the mark over him this season, resulting in the Saints number 20 finding himself further down the pecking order.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
Sulemana has made 19 appearances in the Championship so far this season for Martin's promotion hopefuls, with the 38-year-old boss only starting his potentially explosive winger nine times.
The former Rennes man has often been used as an impact option late on in games by his manager, when he hasn't been in and out of the treatment room on the South Coast.
The Ghanaian forward hasn't been helped by injury setbacks whatsover, but did shine earlier this month when Southampton travelled to Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Gifted a rare first-team chance by Martin, Sulemana would come away from the 3-0 defeat at Anfield with his head held high – the Saints number 20 completing three successful dribbles on the night, alongside clattering the post with one effort on the Reds goal.
With Martin calling on Sulemana to be more of a "killer" off the back of his bright display against Jurgen Klopp's Reds, there's still plenty of time for the 22-year-old winger to turn his Saints career around and justify the excessive millions spent to land him.
At present, his costly addition looks like something of a blunder as far as the Saints – and former boss Jones – are concerned.
Leeds United head into the international break at the top of the Championship table after their 2-0 win over Millwall at Elland Road on Sunday.
The Whites moved above Leicester City in the rankings, as the Foxes were in FA Cup action against Chelsea, but have now played one more game than their rivals.
Daniel Farke's side are averaging 2.1 points per game in the second tier. This would see them finish the season with a staggering 99 points if they continue that average across the final eight matches.
Wilfried Gnonto opened the scoring against Millwall with a stunning left-footed strike from the edge of the box during the first half, before Dan James made sure of the three points with a composed finish off the bench.
Gnonto scored, Georginio Rutter assisted both goals, and Crysencio Summerville created five chances during the game to ensure that they remain undroppable within the starting lineup.
However, centre-forward Patrick Bamford struggled throughout the match and has now made himself droppable as his poor display could open the door for Mateo Joseph or Joel Piroe to come in, having been on a fantastic run of form prior to Sunday's clash.
The former England international had made 13 appearances for the Whites in all competitions since the turn of the year before the game against Millwall.
In those 13 outings, Bamford plundered an eye-catching eight goals and two assists. He had produced seven goals and one assist in nine Championship starts in that period.
That superb run of form came after he had made 16 appearances as a substitute without getting on the scoresheet in the second tier during the first half of the season. The low point of his campaign came during that run of cameos as he missed a penalty off the bench in a 1-0 defeat away at Stoke City.
Bamford worked his way into the starting XI at the start of this year and had not looked back with his sublime run of eight goal contributions in nine league starts for the Whites, which is a return of one goal or assist every 1.13 starts on average.
He appeared to be undroppable with that level of production in the final third. However, his poor performance against Millwall may have just made him droppable ahead of the clash with Watford after the international break.
The 30-year-old marksman was selected, once again, to lead the line for Leeds as they had the chance to move to the top of the division on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Whites leapfrogged Leicester in spite of Bamford's performance against Neil Harris' side, rather than because of his display.
|
Patrick Bamford |
Against Leicester |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
89 |
|
Shots on target |
0 |
|
Big chances missed |
1 |
|
Duels won |
3/9 |
|
Dribbles completed |
0/2 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the experienced attacker was a no-show at the top end of the pitch as he failed to create a chance for his teammates or work the goalkeeper with a shot in 89 minutes on the pitch.
He was also beaten in 67% (6/9) of his physical duels throughout the clash at Elland Road, which suggests that Millwall's players were – simply – too strong for him.
The former Chelsea academy graduate, who made just nine passes in total, was handed a rating of 6/10 by LeedsLive's Beren Cross, who stated that the attacker went 'quiet' as the match went on.
He did have a huge opportunity to make an impact on the game during the first half as he closed down a poor backpass to the last-man and appeared to be clean through on goal.
However, his touch did not allow him to create separation from the defender and he was forced to play a pass to Gnonto, who looked to be clear through against the goalkeeper, but the pass was overhit and the Italy international was then too wide to get a shot away.
Thankfully, Leeds went on to win the match in the end but that moment could have cost the Whites on another day, which is why Bamford's position in the team may not be as nailed on as it was ahead of the game.
The former Middlesbrough star may now be sweating on his pace in the starting XI as Joseph and Piroe are both viable alternatives to come in and lead the line with Rutter behind them.
Firstly, last summer's signing from Championship rivals Swansea – Piroe – would be the obvious and experienced option to come in and start upfront.
The Dutch marksman has produced 11 goals and two assists in 28 league starts so far this season, after a return of 19 goals in 43 second tier outings for the Swans during the 2022/23 campaign.
These statistics show that the left-footed whiz is a proven goalscorer in the Championship, having scored goals at an impressive rate for two clubs at that level, and that is why he would be a fine replacement for Bamford, should Farke decide to drop him from the starting lineup against Watford.
However, Joseph could also come in and lead the line as a wildcard alternative. The academy graduate is yet to start a league game, or score a goal in the division, but his performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup suggests that there is more to come from him.
|
Mateo Joseph |
Against Chelsea |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Sofascore rating |
8.0 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
81% |
|
Dribbles completed |
1 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old centre-forward, who qualifies to play for Spain or England at international level, produced a fantastic display against a Premier League side.
He scored the first two goals of his senior career against the Blues at Stamford Bridge, with a composed early right-footed finish and a clever header at the back post in the second half.
Therefore, the quality is there for him to make a big impact in the final third but he has not been provided with the opportunity to showcase his skills from the start in a league game.
Whether or not Farke will drop Bamford to unleash Joseph or Piroe against Watford remains to be seen. However, the English striker's poor display against Millwall has opened the door to it being a possibility.
Lionesses defender Jess Carter is the latest addition to the star-studded roster of NWSL champion Gotham, leaving Chelsea to sign a two-year deal.
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Daniel Farke has shown this season, even with all the pressures on his back of having to manage a Leeds United team expected to win promotion back up to the Premier League, that he doesn't hesitate when it comes to gifting youngsters chances to impress.
Archie Gray has notably benefitted from his manager's forward-thinking approach to throw starlets straight into the first-team mix unfazed, with the 18-year-old now a fully-fledged senior face at Elland Road by amassing 38 Championship appearances this campaign.
Mateo Joseph has also found his minutes increased in recent weeks, with the German boss even allowing 17-year-old Charlie Crew a spot on the Leeds substitutes bench in his side's last two second tier games.
Farke won't just make do with the crop of talented youngsters he has at his disposal currently, however, as Leeds look to tie down this prolific teenager to a permanent deal soon.
The Championship title-chasing Whites clearly see a lot of potential in young Sunderland attacker Mason Cotcher, having had the 17-year-old attacker on trial at Thorp Arch for the last two months.
It's now believed that the West Yorkshire titans are scrambling to sign Cotcher on a permanent deal and have made an offer to do just that according to Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath, with the Sunderland homegrown product leaving behind his boyhood club in the process.
Formerly on trial at both Arsenal and Manchester United – the latter of whom he spent time with in January – before Leeds came calling, the teen sensation has clearly left more of a lasting impact on his third suitor if rumours are correct.
Cotcher will view Leeds as an attractive destination to stay put in, having seen what Farke has managed to achieve with Gray in a staggeringly short amount of time.
With Patrick Bamford also not getting any younger at 30 years of age, and his dismal display against Hull City still stinging, Cotcher could send tremors through the Leeds first team soon up top if he continues to impress those at Thorp Arch.
From just four starts in the Leeds youth set-up to date, Cotcher has proven himself to be a prolific finisher and even made the step-up to Premier League 2 action last time out.
The 17-year-old has also proven himself to be a flexible figure, slotting in to play at attacking midfield for Leeds and not finding this position switch to be troubling in the slightest.
Cotcher has bagged both of his Leeds goals from this spot actually, which included a winner against Sunderland U18s when facing off against the familiar Wearside opponent.
|
Mason Cotcher's numbers for Sunderland by position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position played |
Games played |
Goals scored |
|
Left winger |
8 |
2 |
|
Centre forward |
6 |
5 |
|
Right winger |
3 |
1 |
|
Left midfield |
2 |
0 |
|
Stats by Transfermarkt |
||
Scanning the table above though, it's obvious that Cotcher's most dangerous position is as a striker leading the line with five of his Sunderland youth strikes coming from that role.
However, as has been seen with Gray slotting in at right-back regularly despite being more of a natural in the middle of the park for Leeds, Farke will love Cotcher's adaptability and value it as a worthwhile trait.
Cotcher is some way off making waves in the Leeds senior side just yet though, but with Gray taking to men's football like a duck to water and others knocking on the door for more first-team opportunities springing up from the youth structure in West Yorkshire, it won't be viewed as a major shock if the 17-year-old becomes Leeds' next Gray over time.
What a treat it would be to see a player who had come close to linking up with those at Old Trafford then go on to sparkle at Elland Road…
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Newcastle United have suffered massively under Eddie Howe of late, with the Magpies' squad depth becoming apparent after the recent injury crisis at St James' Park.
The club's Premier League position has taken a massive hit as a result, with Howe's side currently 13 points off the top four and highly unlikely to secure a Champions League place for the second season running.
The Magpies have been so unfortunate this campaign, with multiple first-team regulars nursing injuries and missing the vast majority of the current season.
The likes of Nick Pope and Joelinton haven't featured for Newcastle in 2024 after the pair had surgery on their respective issues, with the latter having a slim chance of returning before the end of the campaign in six weeks.
After their awful luck on the injury front, the Saudi PIF will have to work tirelessly to improve the club's squad depth whilst trying to remain within the limits of the Premier League's strict PSR rules.
However, Howe and the club have already identified one target, with the club facing competition from another Premier League side for the talented youngster's signature.
According to Football Transfers, Howe's side are battling Liverpool and AC Milan for the signing of Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville.
The 22-year-old has been exceptional this season and has become a vital player for Leeds, playing a massive role in their Championship promotion push, scoring 17 goals and registering eight assists in the competition.
His tally of 25 goals and assists this campaign ranks him fourth in the division for most combined goal contributions, with Summerville enjoying his most successful spell during his time at Elland Road.
The report also goes on to state that Daniel Farke's side are looking to offer the winger a new deal if they achieve promotion, but he could still be available for around the £45m mark this summer.
Despite playing in a lower-quality division this season, the Dutch winger has blown Newcastle's Miguel Almiron – who boasts just eight goals and assists this season – out of the water in a whole array of areas.
Summerville has averaged 2.6 successful take-ons per 90 in the Championship for Farke's side, whilst the Paraguayan could only manage one per game, with the youngster averaging 1.6 more – proving he's more direct than Almiron with the ball at his feet.
The 22-year-old "monster" as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, also trumps the 30-year-old for shots per game, with the current Magpies forward trailing the Leeds attacker by 1.4 per 90 in their respective leagues during 2023/24.
|
Summerville v Almiron 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Summerville |
Almiron |
|
Progressive carries |
5.1 |
3.8 |
|
Successful take-ons |
2.6 |
1 |
|
Shots |
3.4 |
2 |
|
Shot creating actions |
6.2 |
2.4 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
As seen in the table above, Summerville also dominates when it comes to shot-creating actions, with his ability to create opportunities in the final third a very useful asset to Howe, given the firepower his side already possesses with the likes of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.
Despite featuring on the left for Leeds this campaign, the youngster could be the perfect replacement for Almiron on the right-hand side and potentially benefit from Kieran Trippier's service at right-back.
The experienced defender averages 86 passes per game this season, with the 33-year-old achieving a tally of 6.3 progressive passes per game – with Trippier's eye for a forward pass allowing the 22-year-old to play to his strengths and drive at defenders should he arrive at St James' Park.
The pair could form an exciting partnership down the Magpies' right-hand side and, given their record of developing youth, as seen with Lewis Miley this season, it could allow Summerville to develop his game to the next level and thrive in the Premier League.
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Declan Rice's controversial red card against Brighton has been explained by a VAR expert.
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