Sunderland U-23 boss Elliott Dickman has confirmed that the club have turned down signing former Burnley prospect Tinashe Chakwana.

The youth manager admitted to the Sunderland Echo that the 20-year-old striker impressed on trial for the northeast club, but they turned down signing the youngster as Chakwana was too similar to options already available to Dickman in the U-23 side.

Chakwana would have been the fourth youth player to join Sunderland this summer, joining the likes of Ruben Sammut, Michael Collins and Ahmed Abdelkader this window.

Burnley Academy manager Jon Pepper once compared Chakwana to former England international Jermain Defoe (per the Zimbabwe Standard), and this high praise alone could be enough for Sunderland to regret signing the 20-year-old attacker.

As is stated in the aforementioned report, Chakwana is a natural-born goalscorer. Lightning fast and intelligent to spot the right areas of the pitch to get into and exploit, and these attributes were a contributing factor to the striker being Burnley’s U-23 top goalscorer last season (per BSS Fan Forum).

With Will Grigg failing to make much of an impact since his move to Sunderland last January after scoring four goals in 18 League One appearances for the Black Cats last season (per Transfermarkt), Chakwana could have been a different option for Sunderland to utilise heading into the new season.

Jack Ross has already shown in the past that he is willing to give exciting youth players a chance in the first-team, with former striker Josh Maja proving to be one of Sunderland’s most consistent players last year before his move to Bordeaux after scoring 16 goals in 30 appearances (per Transfermarkt) , and Chakwana could have provided something similar.

The Wigan-born Zimbabwe youth international has proven to both his former coaches and supporters of the U-23 game that he is a striker who could make the jump to senior football this season, and Sunderland might have missed a trick in not taking Chakwana on a free this summer.

Sunderland fans, will the club regret not signing Chakwana? Let us know!

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Losing to a fellow ‘big-six’ rival is never great news, but when Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in May 2017, a silver lining seemed to emerge for the Red Devils.

Then only 19, Axel Tuanzebe was handed a surprise start in an unfamiliar right-back role and came up against the talismanic Alexis Sanchez. Despite not being able to prevent his side’s defeat, his performance was singled out for some glowing praise by Jose Mourinho.

The then United boss said: “I think he did an amazing job and I think Alexis knows his name because the kid played very well.”

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Two years later however, Tuanzebe hasn’t quite seen his United career kick on, and amidst the club’s big-money pursuit of Leicester centre-back Harry Maguire, this summer feels all the more pivotal for the young defender.

Make or break

Despite enjoying a rather impressive campaign on loan at Aston Villa last season, which culminated in the side earning promotion to the Premier League, there appears to be no guarantees that Tuanzebe will be plying his trade at Old Trafford for the upcoming year.

Indeed, The Telegraph claim that whilst the 21-year-old will be given a chance on the Red Devils’ pre-season tour, Villa are waiting in the wings to see if he will be made available for loan again.

If United are successful in their chase to sign Maguire, then Tuanzebe will likely fall even lower down the pecking order. The Englishman is already seemingly behind the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and even Marcos Rojo, and the arrival of another centre-back would be a massive blow.

Despite signing a new and improved contract this summer, Solskjaer’s comments left little to believe Tuanzebe might be given a legitimate chance at playing in the first-team next year.

The Norwegian simply said: “He had a successful time on loan with Aston Villa and has gained a lot of experience from that spell, which ended in promotion to the Premier League. He will come on the pre-season tour with us which will help his development further.”

So whilst he might only be 21, Tuanzebe will likely need to produce some exemplary performances over the course of the summer in order to force himself into his manager’s thinking. If not, another year on loan would see him be out of sight and out of mind. And in this cut-throat world of instant success, his time at United may already be over.

Liverpool will be able to take heart from the fact they worked out how to beat Manchester City despite their penalty shoot-out Community Shield defeat, according to ESPN FC pundit Alejandro Moreno.

Moreno was commenting on the meeting he effectively described as a game of two halves, in which City dominated the first half before Liverpool took control in the second.

Despite City handing Liverpool an early blow in the annual curtain-raiser, Moreno felt that Jurgen Klopp’s side could take some positives despite missing out on success at Wembley.

Moreno said: “What you saw from both teams is the fact that they both got a clear idea as to how they could beat the other. Manchester City in the first half, doing the things that they were doing, were creating chance after chance – and with better delivery, it would have been a different score by half time.

“Then you go into the second half, and Liverpool then showed a very clear picture as to how they can beat Manchester City.

“When you press them, and you force turnovers, Manchester City have difficulties recovering. And the reason they have difficulties recovering is because they are used to having the ball, they commit those numbers forward, [and] by the time they lose the ball, there is no chance to recover – and now you’re defending in 1-v-1 situations with guys who are not comfortable doing it.

“Manchester City will take positives, Liverpool will take positives, and in the end, all of us benefitted from what was a very good game.”

Given his previous comments about the fixture, the German boss won’t be losing too much sleep over the result, with the Premier League getting underway at Anfield this Friday.

And with the Reds not necessarily at full strength on Sunday (with Golden Boot holder Sadio Mane out of the squad), there is even more of a reason to be positive about that result, as they managed to take last season’s treble winners all the way without one of their star players.

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Thursday’s Aston Villa transfer roundup explained the confirmed arrival of an England U21 international, talks for a 24-year-old defender and interest in a Championship goalkeeper. Today’s edition features an agreement reached for a Brazilian, eyes on a 19-year-old and a bid accepted for a Super Lig winger.

Villa agree Douglas fee

It is being reported that Aston Villa and Manchester City have agreed a fee for Douglas Luiz. The Villans will pay £15m for the 21-year-old midfielder, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Girona and has never played for the Citizens.

Enquiry made for Sessegnon

According to The Telegraph, Villa are interested in signing Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon this summer. The Midlands club have apparently already made an enquiry for the teenager along with Serie A side Inter.

Trezeguet bid accepted

Aston Villa have had a bid for winger Mohamed Trezeguet accepted by Kasimpasa according to Turkish outlet Hurriyet. The offer is worth €11m (£9.9m). The 24-year-old will soon sign for the Premier League outfit the report adds.

أحرز لويس ريوخا، هدف ديبورتيفو ألافيس الأول في شباك برشلونة بمنافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وجاء هدف ريوخا في الدقيقة 57، بعدما استغل خطأ دفاعي من لاعبي برشلونة، وانطلق بسرعة بالكرة حتى وصل داخل منطقة الجزاء، وسدد في مرمى مارك أندريه تير شتيجن.

وكان فرانسيسكو ترينكاو أحرز هدف برشلونة الأول، وأضاف ليونيل ميسي الهدف الثاني.

ويستقبل البارسا نظيره ألافيس على ملعب “كامب نو”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثالثة والعشرين من الليجا، ويمكنك مطالعة أحداث المباراة لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط. هدف لويس ريوخا في مباراة برشلونة وألافيس

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

149 games. 15 goals. 23 assists. Since breaking into the Arsenal first-team, Alex Iwobi didn’t necessarily set the world alight in his time at the Emirates. The Nigeria international had come through the Gunners academy and there was understandably an element of goodwill there, but his numbers never really stacked up to some of the more illustrious names in the Premier League.

Unai Emery revealed that following discussions with his left-backs over who they preferred playing with on the flank, Iwobi was the man they all unanimously pointed to. But in a team attempting to compete for titles both domestically and abroad, to not even break past the five-goal mark in the Premier League as one of the side’s attacking players is nothing short of an abject failure.

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So for the Gunners to fleece Everton out of a reported £34m for the 23-year-old is excellent business. And perhaps even more so than the financial element of the deal, it smacks of a ruthlessness the north London side have been needing for so long. Getting rid of players who simply didn’t perform at a high enough level and not constantly handing them chance after chance to redeem themselves.

It was common knowledge Arsenal wanted a new winger for the season and they duly got one with the arrival of Lille star Nicolas Pepe. The Ivory Coast international’s arrival upgraded the Gunners’ attack no-end, and perhaps added a sense of perspective on the lack of progress Iwobi had made since his breakthrough into the senior side in the 2015/2016 season.

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Losing one of the club’s academy products is always a difficult thing to do, but the Gunners’ ruthlessness in shipping Iwobi out on deadline day is a refreshing act of brutal honesty and decision-making.

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[ad_pod ]Fernandinho is back up and running.The veteran midfielder, who turned 33 this year, has enjoyed an extended break over the summer having helped Brazil claim their ninth Copa America title.He missed City’s Community Shield win over Liverpool at the weekend, which is a frightening testament to just how good Pep Guardiola’s side are.However, with the start of the new campaign fast approaching, and student Rodri eagerly awaiting his first lesson from the master tactician, Fernandinho has put down his flip flops, waved goodbye to the sun, packed his jumpers and returned to Manchester.

It’s not yet clear where the Brazilian will operate in City’s lineup or how prominently he will feature.

Rodri seems like the new obvious choice for the defensive midfield spot as he prepares for his long-term future at the club, while he could play a sporadic role at centre-back following Vincent Kompany’s departure.

Wherever he plays, however, he’ll inject a healthy dose of experience and quality to proceedings.

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Manchester United have been linked with a move for Harry Maguire all summer long, and have even had a bid rejected for the 26-year-old.

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Leicester City are said to value Maguire at close to £85m, with Manchester United’s city rivals Manchester City also said to be interested in the England international.

The Red Devils are also said to be interested in Napoli and Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly, however, will only consider the 28-year-old if they fail in their pursuit of Maguire.

Maguire has featured heavily in Leicester City’s pre-season fixtures so far, captaining the side, as well as scoring in their 3-0 win over Cambridge United.

Links with Maguire and Koulibaly make sense after a less than impressive season in the centre of defence for Manchester United. The club conceded the most goals they ever have in the Premier League last season (54), as they finished in sixth place.

Manchester United’s chase of Maguire is most likely due to the 6 foot 4 defender’s ability to carry the ball out of defence. Last season Maguire averaged 0.5 dribbles per game, which is more than all of Solskjaer’s current centre-back options  (via WhoScored).

Despite the positives surrounding both players, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should prioritise a move for Koulibaly over Maguire. While the 26-year-old is good with the ball at his feet, Koulibaly has mountains of experience in European competition. He would be a valuable asset for the club in being able to reach the latter rounds of the Europa League next season.

Koulibaly has played 58 games across the Champions League and Europa League. Meanwhile, Maguire has never featured in European competitions so far in his career.

Koulibaly’s experience is a key reason why he should be considered as the main centre-back target ahead of the Leicester City star. He would be a perfect fit for the club as they look forward to another season in the Europa League.

Manchester United fans, Maguire or Koulibaly? Tell us who and why below!

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Monday’s Premier League transfer roundup focused on Arsenal’s rejected bid for Celtic’s Kieran Tierney, Tottenham’s offer for Nicolo Zaniolo and Liverpool’s interest in taking Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield. Today’s edition discusses Spurs’ interest in a former star, West Ham agreeing a deal for a Bundesliga striker and Everton’s new signing.

Spurs eye Bale

When Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid in 2013, he was the most expensive player in the world and was on the verge of becoming a superstar. His time in Spain has been successful, with him scoring in two out of the four Champions League finals he was won with Los Merengues. However, the 29-year-old could be on the move this summer, according to reports, and it is Spurs who are being named as an interested party. According to Marca, Daniel Levy and co have told Real that they are willing to pay between €50m (£45.1m) and €60m (£54.1m) for the Wales international. In terms of wages, though, they have made it clear to the former Southampton man’s representatives that they will not be able to afford to pay him the €17m (£15.3m) a season he currently earns.

Haller fee agreed

Since Marko Arnautovic departed for Shanghai SIPG, West Ham’s desire to sign a striker has been clear for all to see. Maxi Gomez, Andrea Belotti, Diego Costa and Neal Maupay are amongst those to have been linked to the Hammers. However, it seems that they may finally have a new man to lead their attack. Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed that they have agreed a fee with the Irons for the sale of Sebastien Haller. He is now on his way to London for a medical, with the fee believed to be within the region of £45m. The 25-year-old Frenchman scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga last season and also provided nine assists.

Everton sign Delph

Everton have already signed one midfielder, albeit one they had on loan last season, in Andre Gomes. Now, they have brought in a second one. It has been confirmed that Fabian Delph has joined the Toffees from Manchester City for a fee reportedly worth up to £10m. The 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Goodison Park outfit. During his time with the Citizens, the England international made 89 appearances, scoring five goals. Upon the completion of the switch, the former Aston Villa ace told Everton’s official website, “I’m really happy to be here, I’m going to give absolutely everything – nothing less than 100 percent. Hopefully, we can push together, fans and players, to do something special.”

أعلن النادي الأهلي، مدة غياب ظهير الفريق علي معلول، بعد إصابته في مباراة بايرن ميونخ الألماني بكأس العالم للأندية.

وكان معلول تعرض للإصابة خلال مباراة الأهلي وبايرن ميونخ، في دور نصف نهائي كأس العالم للأندية، الذي أقيم في قطر.

وقال أحمد أبو عبلة، رئيس الجهاز الطبي بالفريق خلال تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للأهلي، أن علي معلول لاعب الفريق سيغيب لمدة أسبوعين، بسبب الإصابة بشد في العضلة الخلفية.

طالع | علي معلول عن اتهامه بالهروب أمام بايرن ميونخ: “مش أنا اللي أمسك رجلي وأدعي الإصابة”

وأضاف أن اللاعب أجرى آشعة رنين اليوم فور الوصول من الدوحة، بعد أن تعذر ذلك بسبب الإجراءات الاحترازية ووجود البعثة داخل كبسولة طبية في مقر إقامتها في الدوحة.

وأثبتت الآشعة إصابته بشد في العضلة الخلفية يستوجب العلاج لمدة أسبوعين. وأوضح أن اللاعب يبدأ تنفيذ برنامجه العلاجي من أجل تجهيزه للمرحلة المقبلة.

وأشار إلى المحاولات الحثيثة التي بذلها الجهاز الطبي من أجل لحاق معلول بمباراة بالميراس البرازيلي أمس، ولكن آلام الخلفية للاعب حالت دون ذلك.

وعادت بعثة الأهلي إلى القاهرة عصر اليوم، الجمعة، من قطر بعد الفوز بالميدالية البرونزية لكأس العالم للأندية.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة المريخ السوداني، يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات لدوري أبطال إفريقيا.