Wolverhampton Wanderers are back in action this afternoon, as the Old Gold travel to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town in their sixth fixture of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

In their previous game, Gary O’Neil’s side lost 3-1 to Liverpool in what was an impressive first-half display before the Reds hit top form and the hosts' hard work was undone.

With just one win on the board so far for the Midlands club, it’s imperative that they take their chances against Luton, who are the only team remaining in the league without a single point.

The Hatters have had a tough start to life in the top flight, form that Wolves must exploit in order to begin to work their way up the table after an equally as disappointing start.

What is the latest Wolves team news?

Speaking ahead of the game, O’Neil revealed that he expects Rayan Ait-Nouri to feature against Luton, despite leaving the pitch during the Liverpool defeat limping.

The Algerian had an impressive game against the Merseyside outfit, and could be a useful player for Wolves to have fit against today's opponents due to his devastating link-up play with Pedro Neto.

Playing 90 minutes against Jurgen Klopp’s side, the 23-year-old continued his impressive form this season with an assist, earning himself a 7.4 Sofascore ranking, higher than anyone else in his team on the day.

The Portuguese ace continually threatened Liverpool’s defence with his searing pace and ball-carrying skills, as highlighted by him completing four out of six of his dribble attempts in the game.

While Neto could hurt Luton from the wide areas, he wasn’t the only player that stood out for the Old Gold against the Merseysiders, with one player showing he has all the tools to leave Rob Edwards’ side with another upset to swallow.

How did Jean-Ricner Bellegarde play against Liverpool?

After signing for Wolves on deadline day from Strasbourg for £12.8m, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was handed his Premier League debut against the Reds at his new home last weekend.

Lauded as being “incredibly direct and uncomplicated” when in possession by The Athletic’s Thom Harris, the 25-year-old maintained an 85% passing accuracy rate in central attacking midfield against Liverpool’s high-profile personnel.

As per Sofascore, the £35k-per-week Frenchman recorded one key pass and attempted five dribbles in the middle of the park, showing energy and skill that could damage this afternoon’s opposition if he’s given the room to roam.

Prior to his move to the Midlands, Bellegarde was in fine form for Strasbourg, having claimed two goals and two assists in just three appearances in the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season.

His numbers in his homeland reinforce just how dangerous he can be in the final third, supported by his general gameplay against Jurgen Klopp's men on his first appearance, having done "very well" on the day – according to his manager.

After a difficult start to this season, this afternoon could be the perfect opportunity for O’Neil’s side to build some form, against a Luton squad that looks far from being at the level required to compete in the top-flight.

With Neto and Bellegard in tow, Wolves' hopes of victory are only set to be bolstered even further…

Manchester United have lost their previous three matches and Erik ten Hag now finds himself under serious pressure to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Losing narrowly to Bayern Munich was perhaps expected, but the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend meant that the Red Devils have won just two of their opening five Premier League fixtures, hardly the mark of potential champions.

Ten Hag’s summer business has yet to truly deliver either. Mason Mount has made only two appearances, while Andre Onana was at fault for Bayern’s opening goal, failing to save Leroy Sane’s shot which gave the German side the lead.

Big-money signings who have arrived at Old Trafford haven’t done too well in the past, with the club having a rich history of paying overinflated transfer fees for a selection of stars, only to watch them severely underperform.

Think to the likes of Paul Pogba (£93.2m), Fred (£47m) and even Romelu Lukaku (£75m) as players who arrived with much fanfare, only to largely disappoint during their time spent in Manchester.

Another key example is that of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined United from Crystal Palace back in the summer of 2019 when they were managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, yet his value has declined rapidly since.

How much did Manchester United sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka for?

Having enjoyed a decent start to life in the United hotseat, the Norwegian boss aimed to strengthen his squad during the summer transfer window as he looked to challenge Manchester City for domestic prizes.

In came a handful of signings such as Harry Maguire and Daniel James along with Wan-Bissaka, and all three were perhaps slightly surprising signings.

The defender cost the Old Trafford side a staggering fee of £50m and his new boss lavished praise on him the moment he stepped through the door, saying he was “one of the best upcoming defenders in the Premier League.”

He also said: "He has the right work ethic, talent and mentality to play for Manchester United and he fits exactly the type of player that we are looking to bring into the squad to help us improve and push on further.”

The Englishman had only played 46 games for Palace since emerging from their youth academy during the 2017/18 season, and although he clearly had plenty of promise, spending £50m on someone with just 42 Premier League appearances represented a massive gamble.

What is Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s market value now?

United evidently overpaid for the right-back in the first place, as his value upon joining the club was only €12.9m (£11m) and although it rose to a high of €57m (£49.5m), it has declined rapidly since then due to a lack of consistency.

The £90k-per-week dud is now only valued at €14.7m (£12.7m) – according to Football Transfers – and this represents a staggering 284% decline from his original transfer fee of £50m four years ago.

The defender is still only 25 years old, indicating that he may still have his peak years ahead of him, but It's fair to say that he hasn’t quite lived up to his extravagant fee in a United shirt.

Why is Aaron Wan-Bissaka worth this much?

Across his first season at United, the Englishman seemed to enjoy a decent start, ranking fifth in the squad for big chances created (four) and fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.5), suggesting that he was a regular fixture in the opposition half, trying to create as many chances as possible.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka statistics per game	Season 2023/24
Match rating	7.08
Key passes	0.8
Successful dribbles	One
Tackles	2.4
Total duels won	4.4
Stats via Sofascore

These numbers dropped during the 2020/21 campaign however, with Wan-Bissaka creating only two big chances and succeeding with just one dribble per game, only good enough to rank him tenth and ninth across the squad.

Despite a positive start to his career in Manchester, the former Palace academy graduate looked like he was going backwards and was clearly struggling during his third season.

He did rank first across the squad for both tackles (2.5) and interceptions (1.7) per game, yet his attacking metrics continued to decline as he created just one big chance throughout the whole season, clearly suggesting that he wasn’t improving in this area.

Jamie Carragher even dubbed the defender as “reckless” after he gave away a penalty against Chelsea in November 2021 and when it was announced that Ten Hag would be the new manager from the start of the 2022/23 season, Wan-Bissaka’s future appeared to be in question.

Indeed, he failed to start one game up until the hiatus for the 2022 World Cup, as Ten Hag favoured Diogo Dalot in the right-back slot and with the January transfer window fast approaching, a move seemed inevitable.

However, an injury to the Portuguese defender gave him a lifeline, and he certainly grabbed it with both hands as he eventually finished sixth across the squad for overall Sofascore match rating.

Does Aaron Wan-Bissaka have a future at Manchester United?

Although the club have had a nightmare with the player, especially considering they shelled out a fortune for him, only for his value to decrease by 284%, his recent performances indicate that this may soon begin to creep back up.

According to FBref, when compared to positional peers, Wan-Bissaka ranks in the top 14% for interceptions (1.53), blocks (1.53) and clearances (2.89) per 90 across Europe's big five leagues, demonstrating that he has improved substantially since January.

If these performances continue, then his value will surely rise higher and higher, although it remains to be seen whether it will ever reach the £50m mark again.

However, if his performance levels dip, Ten Hag may move him on, and it looks like the club won’t receive anything close to the fee that they spent on him four years ago.

He has missed the previous two games – first through illness and then after suffering a hamstring injury – and with United shipping seven goals during these encounters, could Wan-Bissaka be more important than people are led to believe?

While he has divided opinion at times, his sharp decline in value suggests that United did have a shocker with his transfer and overpaid for a promising player yet again.

Chelsea have been linked with marquee striker signings like Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney, but it's not only household names on the agenda in 2024, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who have Chelsea signed?

The Blues have another busy transfer window last time around, spending huge amounts of money in the summer and strengthening across various positions. Axel Disasi was an expensive signing from Monaco, bolstering the defence in the process, while both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were added to the midfield, arriving from Brighton and Southampton respectively. Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson came in from Villarreal, while Cole Palmer was arguably a surprise addition from Manchester City.

As of yet, those signings have failed to work out, however, with Mauricio Pochettino's side languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, and they need things to turn around sooner rather than later, or they could find themselves way out of the top four battle very quickly.

The January transfer window will give Chelsea the chance to bring in more new faces, assuming owner Todd Boehly provides them with the funds to make reinforcements, and it looks as though a little known new face could come in, following a new claim.

Who else are the Blues after?

Taking to X, Romano reports that Chelsea have made a move to scout exciting young Brazlian starlet Lorran, who is currently plying his trade at Flamengo, and his release clause is also revealed:

"Understand Manchester United and Chelsea scouts recently tracked Lorran, Brazilian top talent born in 2006. Release clause included in his Flamengo deal: €50m. He signed with Roc Nation Sports Brazil, the agency of JayZ — with Vinicius Jr, Paquetá, Martinelli, Endrick."

There is no question that Chelsea need to be signing players who can make an immediate impact in their squad, but it is also key that they plan for the future, rather than simply focusing on the here and now.

For that reason, Lorran should be viewed as an extremely exciting long-term acquisition who can develop greatly at Stamford Bridge, having already made a name for himself in his homeland of Brazil – evidenced by the type of talent also being recruited by the same agency.

At just 17 years of age, the Flamengo man has already made four appearances at senior level, scoring once in that time, making him the youngest goalscorer in club history in the process, which as only enhanced his reputation.

Lorran hasn't looked out place in his attacking midfield role and is also a two-cap Brazil Under-16 international, and will no doubt have aspirations of shining for his country in older age groups over the coming years. The fact that Manchester United are also in the hunt for the teenage Brazilian speaks further volumes about his talent, and if Chelsea could pip their rivals to his signature, it could feel like a real coup.

Granted, Lorran wouldn't be seen as a player who could come in and change the Blues' issues from the off, but they could be signing a potential future superstar – one who could eventually become one of the first names on the team sheet over time.

The Red Devils' Women's Super League campaign has been disappointing, but the England playmaker's fantastic form could help them respond in the FA Cup

Fans of Manchester United’s women’s team aren’t exactly filled with optimism right now. Out of the Women’s Super League title race, facing a nigh-on-impossible battle for a Champions League spot and in danger of losing more star players this summer, it’s hard to see this season as anything but a failure at this moment. But there is still the chance of them having something to shout about before the campaign comes to a close.

On Saturday, the Red Devils will be the favourites as they take on Brighton in the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup, a competition they reached the final of last year. Just two wins from Wembley, there could yet be something to celebrate in a difficult season.

It won’t be easy. After all, even if they overcome a Brighton side that held them to a draw in a four-goal thriller earlier this season, Chelsea or Manchester City, the top two in the WSL, could be opponents in the semi-finals. But, as the old saying goes, anything can happen in the cup, and this United team still has plenty of talent to boast about, players who can produce match-winning magic.

Right now, few fit that description better than Ella Toone, who since opening her account for the season in that 2-2 draw with Brighton back in November, has found the kind of form that is responsible for the iconic status she already holds in English women’s football.

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  'Difficult' spell

  If 2022 was Toone’s break-out year, owing to her performances for United but most notably her key role in England’s triumph at the European Championship, then 2023 was a tricky one. From late March to early November, until an incredible strike against Brighton, Toone didn't register a goal or an assist in the WSL for her club.

  "I always want to contribute goals and assists, it's what I pride myself on as a No.10. It was quite difficult having a few games without them,” Toone said in December. “But I just had to make sure I was not putting too much pressure on myself to force things.

  “I always set myself targets [before a season], but this term I've learned I can't think about them too much. There are other things I can do to help the team. If I put that pressure on myself, the goals and assists are not going to come because I'm forcing things I normally wouldn't. When I play with freedom, it all comes more naturally."

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• Getty Images
  

  Breaking out of a rut

  During that "difficult" spell, though, there were always glimpses of Toone’s undeniable talent, moments that made it clear – if it wasn’t already obvious – that she would rediscover her form sooner rather than later, such as her wonderful strike in England’s Women’s World Cup semi-final win over Australia.

  And so it has proved to be. Since hitting the back of the net against Brighton, Toone has racked up five goals and eight assists for the Red Devils in just 17 games. She’s also scored twice and assisted another in four games for England in that time.

  Her performances for the Lionesses last month were particularly impressive. Competition for the No.10 role with England has never been greater for Toone, but she certainly made a statement and reminded Sarina Wiegman just what she can bring to the table, with a wonderful volley against Italy her most eye-catching contribution.

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  Back to business

  Given her natural ability, it’s perhaps no surprise Toone has kicked on in the manner she has since opening her account for the season with a wonder-strike, considering the confidence she will have felt off the back of that. With all she has achieved in her career already, there’s always that extra pressure, and that goal will have no doubt relieved some of it.

  Toone’s also had some rare, and well-earned, chances to rest. In October, she started on the bench in a WSL game for the first time in over three years, ending a run of 64 straight games in United’s starting XI. Throw in a genuine Christmas break and to see her looking fresh again makes sense.

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  'Zoned right back into performance'

  But when asked by GOAL about the 24-year-old’s fantastic form last week, United boss Marc Skinner was also keen to point to some of the extra work that Toone has been doing over the last few months that has contributed to her racking up such productive numbers.

  “She came back in and me and her had a conversation around the final part of the assist and goal, and she's worked so hard, and she's continuing to work hard, at the contact she gets on the ball, whether that be how it is or her body shape before, so she's really gone back into the detail of what her performance looks like in the finishing phase. That's why you're seeing [those numbers],” he explained.

  “We often talk about players technically and tactically, but if you watch them just as they're about to make the final action of whatever they're doing, an assist or a strike, you can actually see if they're zoned into it, and I feel that Ella is zoned right back into her performance. She's had lots and lots of things thrown at her and yet she's got straight back into performance. I'm really proud of her because I think she's coming back into form that everybody wants at Manchester United, but I've always seen it. I think she's got right back into the detail of her game and I'm really pleased with that.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Conselho Deliberativo do Santos manteve o afastamento do presidente José Carlos Peres da presidência do clube. Em reunião virtual realizada nesta quinta-feira (05), 127 (88%) conselheiros foram favoráveis, sete (5%) contrários e 10 (7%) se abstiveram em relação ao pedido de impeachment de Peres.

O Egrégio já tinha aprovado o parecer da Comissão de Inquérito e Sindicância que previa a abertura do processo de impedimento e consequente afastamento no dia 28 de setembro, dando ao presidente a possibilidade de apresentação e ampla defesa, o que não ocorreu.No dia 28 de outubro, José Carlos Peres enviou à Mesa Diretora do Conselho Deliberativo um informe onde diz não ter sido notificado do prazo de 30 dias para apresentação do seu resguardo.

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Com a manutenção da decisão do Conselho Deliberativo, José Carlos Peres segue afastado do comando santista até a Assembleia de Sócios, prevista para o dia 22 de novembro. Caso os associados sigam a decisão dos conselheiros, Peres será sumariamente impedido do seu cargo no clube, além de não poder concorrer a atos eletivos no Alvinegro durante 10 anos.

José Carlos Peres foi convidado pelo presidente do Conselho Deliberativo, Marcelo Teixeira, para participar virtualmente da reunião, mas não ingressou na videoconferência.

Enquanto isso, Orlando Rollo segue no exercício da presidência santista e permanecerá até o fim da gestão caso os sócios optem pelo impeachment de José Carlos Peres.

Uma nova administração iniciará no Santos em janeiro. No dia 12 de dezembro está previsto o pleito eleitoral para o próximo triênio. Rollo não se coloca como candidato e nomeia o seu tempo à frente do Peixe como “gestão de transição”, onde ele tem buscado a aproximação dos oito pré-candidatos, Andrés Rueda, Daniel Curi, Esmeraldo Tarquínio, Fernando Silva, Ricardo Agostinho, Rodrigo Marino, Milton Teixeira Filho e Vágner Lombardi.

Os membros o Comitê de Gestão, Anilton Perão, Estevam Juhas, Fábio Gaia, José Bruno Carbone, Matheus Rodrigues, Paulo Shiff e Pedro Doria também foram afastados dos seus cargos no Peixe, mas para serem impedidos do quadro associativo santista precisarão ser acionados em processos específicos.

India are yet to work out a “settled” middle order in ODIs and they do not have the “depth” in their lower order. With the World Cup a year away that might seem to be a matter of concern, but batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that India had enough time, options and “fluidity” in their batting order to plug any weakness.India’s middle-order woes were exposed at Lord’s on Saturday, as the second half of their innings was subdued and they stuttered to a virtual standstill in the final hour. It was the first instance since the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup that India failed hit a single six in an ODI. India didn’t score more than 10 runs in an over during in the final 15 overs, and only 42 runs came off the last 10, which is the fewest scored by India in the last decade.The lack of intent did not sit well with the Indian fans at Lord’s. They did not spare MS Dhoni, who was booed at various times during an innings where he ran out of partners and eventually lost rhythm. Although it would be easy to blame Dhoni, you could understand why he did not want to press the accelerator with the other members of India’s middle order – KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya – found wanting.Bangar said that India were not sweating because they had enough options to work out a World Cup middle order. Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane could all still be viable options if the current occupants did not make an impact. Rayudu failed the yo-yo fitness test and Raina was called up as his replacement. Pandey and Rahane have been tried at different times in the past, but left behind more questions than positive impressions.Although India have not tried it yet, one way the middle order could be strengthened would involve pushing Rahul to No. 3 and having Virat Kohli bat at four. That way India can retain their authority in the top order while having their best batsman at the controls in the second half of the innings. This way Kohli would not only act as a cushion for the top order, as he showed during the T20s in Ireland and England, but also ease the pressure on Dhoni, who can play with more freedom at Nos. 5 or 6.But India are not ready yet to change the default settings. “We did change a bit [the batting order], certainly in the T20 format where KL played at three and Virat batted at four,” Bangar said in Leeds on the eve of the final match of the ODI series and the limited-overs leg of their tour. “But looking at this series and the performances that Virat has got at No. 3, especially in the last series when he scored three hundreds against South Africa in five games [we won’t alter the batting order].”Bangar, though, did not rule out a change of strategy, keeping in mind India have 21 matches before the World Cup, good enough time to figure out a solution. “We are looking at, in terms of the games remaining, where we could look at settling the middle-order slots. We will see as to players available, the fitness of the players. So a lot of spots are open. The good thing about that is the bench strength we have in a Rayudu, or a Manish Pandey or Ajinkya Rahane. There are enough spots for each and every eventuality that we might face leading up to the World Cup.”MS Dhoni buckles on his pads at India training•Getty Images

Bangar also defended Dhoni and said that there was nothing else India’s most senior and experienced batsman could have done. “When the team loses four wickets, the lower order – at least with the combination we are playing at the moment – we do not really have the depth at Nos. 8, 9, 10 wherein the batsman at Nos. 6 or 7 could play with that sort of a freedom. It was purely because of that that we kept on losing the wickets and the set batsmen could not really exploit [the situation].”He [Dhoni] was just hoping that somebody would stick with him. There was a chance when he and Suresh were batting together, we were just hoping they could bat through till the 40th over and they could take the bowlers on. But every time he looked to do that he first lost Raina and then he lost Hardik so there wasn’t too much batting to follow for him to play in the usual fashion that he does.”Bangar felt that some of the India batsmen, like Raina, who featured in just one format and have come back to international fold after a while, would need more time to settle down. Bangar said that it was also difficult for the middle-order batsmen, who were often padded up but did not have much to do as all the good work had been already done by the top order, which has played a dominant role in Indian victories in the last few years.”The way our top order is batting, generally our middle order hasn’t got the number of opportunities that you would expect because the top order does the bulk of the scoring. And at times the middle order have to straightaway walk into a game situation. Not all of the players are playing all formats of the game. You also have to give some weightage to do that – coming back straight to international cricket, and doing the kind of things that are expected of you, especially in this format. So the continuity factor also plays a part, but we are trying to balance each and everything that we could possibly do.”

Still early days in the Daniel Farke era at Leeds United, the former Norwich City boss is still getting to know his squad, and has only just guided them into form, winning three of their last five Championship games. We are now beginning to find out the manager's preferred side, and any player outside of that may just begin to worry about their future at Elland Road.

If the Whites do earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, some big decisions could be needed from not only the management, but the players, too, particularly those struggling for minutes. And that could include one particular youngster, who reportedly wants to sign a new contract.

Leeds United contract news

The international break came at a frustrating time for Leeds, given that they were finally showing signs of life in England's second tier and now momentum is halted. On their return, Farke's side square off against his former club Norwich City in a crucial promotion six-pointer – these are the games that Leeds should be winning if they want to mark themselves out as promotion favourites.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, a report has claimed that Jamie Shackleton wants to sign a new contract at Elland Road, but an exit hasn't been ruled out. Graham Smyth wrote in The Yorkshire Evening Post: "Shackleton would clearly love nothing more than to remain at Leeds beyond the end of his current contract next summer but if the Whites are to be promoted will he play in the Premier League?

“At some point, if Shackleton wants to be as ever-present in a team as Phillips was at Leeds prior to his exit, then following his old pal out the door might be a necessary step."

How has Shackleton performed for Leeds this season?

As things stand, Shackleton's game time is inconsistent at Elland Road. The midfielder has featured in seven of Leeds' 11 Championship fixtures this season, starting in six, and that could get worse if the Yorkshire club earn promotion back to the Premier League this season. At 24-years-old, too, he is at an important stage of his career, when minutes on the pitch matter more than anything.

When Leeds were in the top flight last season, of course, Shackleton was on loan at Millwall, where he was a consistent starter. Eventually, Farke may just fall back on his midfielder's Championship experience to help his side, especially given the fact that he previously admitted his love for the 24-year-old.

When at his best, the Leeds man has earned plenty of praise, including from Danny Mills at the start of his career, who told Football Insider: "Shackleton has done very well when he’s played for Leeds. He’s quick, tenacious, drives forward with the ball and can see a pass. He can slot into the midfield area next season, no problem. If you have him and Kalvin Phillips, you need someone creative alongside them.”

With that said, whilst it remains to be seen whether Shackleton puts pen to paper on a new deal, with his current contract expiring next summer, his focus will be on earning a consistent place in Farke's side.

Aston Villa made their return to European football this season as Unai Emery's side qualified for the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

The Villans are competing in Europe after solidifying their status in the Premier League following their promotion back to the top-flight in 2019.

Former Villa boss Dean Smith deserves a lot of credit for the part he played in the club's route back to the big time as the ex-Brentford boss led the team to promotion during the 2018/19 campaign and then achieved survival in the 2019/20 season.

Emi Buendia

£33m

Ollie Watkins

£29m

Leon Bailey

£27.5m

Danny Ings

£25m

Wesley

£21.5m

The English head coach, as shown in the table above, was backed in the transfer market by NSWE throughout his time at Villa Park, as he was able to splash the cash on a number of attackers to bolster his squad at the top level.

There is one player, however, that Smith may look back on and be thankful that he did not spend big money on to bring to the club as they have since gone on to flop in England – Milot Rashica.

Were Aston Villa interested in Rashica?

Deich Stube reported, via Sport Witness, that Aston Villa were prepared to meet Werder Bremen's €25m (£21m) asking price for the Kosovo international in the summer of 2020.

The outlet, however, claimed that the player was not convinced that a move to Villa Park was the right one for his career as he wanted to play Champions League football, rather than compete in a relegation battle for Smith's side.

Rashica ended up staying with Bremen and did not complete a transfer to the Premier League that summer, with Deich Stube's report suggesting that the reason may have been down to the player's reticence to fight relegation.

Villa's interest in the exciting winger came after his impressive performances for the German side in the Bundesliga throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 28 top-flight outings and contributed with eight goals and five assists from a wide position. That came after his return of nine goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances during the 2018/19 season for Bremen.

Rashica had proven himself to be a reliable provider of goals and assists in a major European league, without playing for one of the biggest German clubs, and that left Villa and Smith willing to pay around £21m for his services.

Who signed Rashica from Bremen?

The Kosovo star stayed with the Bundesliga outfit for another season before he finally completed a move to the Premier League to join newly-promoted Norwich City in 2021.

Daniel Farke's side reportedly spent £9.4m to sign the winger after Bremen were relegated from the top-flight of German football at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

This, immediately, showed that Villa had a lucky escape as his value plummeted by £11.6m within the space of a year, thanks to his team's relegation and his poor performances on the pitch.

Rashica scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 Bundesliga matches throughout the 2020/21 season after Villa's initial interest in him.

This led to a move to Carrow Road to join Norwich, who had just been promoted from the Championship, and his performances for the Yellows left a lot to be desired.

How many goals did Rashica score for Norwich?

Rashica went on to score two goals in 40 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions before his eventual exit from England earlier this year.

The 27-year-old whiz's crack at Premier League football did not go to plan as he faced back-to-back relegations, with Bremen and then Norwich, after seemingly turning down a move to Villa in fear of a possible relegation battle before those two seasons.

Ironically, he did end up working with Smith as the ex-Villans boss replaced Daniel Farke in November 2021, which meant that the ex-Bundesliga star endured a fight against the drop in England with the former Bees boss as his manager, one year after he turned the prospect of that exact scenario down.

Rashica played in 31 of Norwich's 38 Premier League matches as they were demoted to the Championship and failed to prove himself to be a consistent performer at the top end of the pitch at that level with one goal and two assists in total.

How much is Rashica worth now?

Besiktas swooped to sign the Kosovo international from the Canaries for a fee of €5.25m (£4.5m) during the recent summer transfer window.

This means that he is currently worth around £16.5m less than the initial £21m that Villa were prepared to spend on his signature three years ago under Smith.

His value dropped after a dismal season of Premier League football with Norwich and then a year on loan with Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Rashica scored four goals and assisted six in 26 league matches throughout the 2022/23 campaign with the Super Lig side but that was not enough to convince in any teams from a major European division to snap him up.

Norwich lost £4.9m on the £9.4m they spent to sign him from Bremen in 2021 and had a big howler with the former Vitesse star as his performances on the pitch were not good enough to keep them in the Premier League and they lost out on millions overall.

Therefore, Smith, who could not avoid Rashica with the Yellows, managed to dodge what would have been a big blunder for the Villans by failing to convince the forward to join his team in 2020.

The 27-year-old dud flopped in England and his displays for Norwich suggest that he would have struggled on the pitch for Villa if they had managed to sign him for £21m, which would have made him a terrible signing for the club.

Smith also went on to sign Bertrand Traore from Lyon to bolster his wide options for the 2020/21 campaign and the Burkina Faso international produced seven goals and seven assists in 36 league outings for the Villans.

This suggests that the club ended up with a superior option on the flanks as the ex-Chelsea man contributed to far more goals than Rashica did in his season in the top-flight with Norwich.

Liverpool have completed background checks on a deal to sign a new defender next year, alongside their interest in Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie, according to an update from a reliable correspondent.

Liverpool's form, results, fixtures

In the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s side have made an impressive start to the new campaign having won five, drawn two and lost just one of their opening eight fixtures, and this is how that first group of matches have played out so far…

Bournemouth (3-1)

Chelsea (1-1)

Tottenham (2-1)

Newcastle (2-1)

Brighton (2-2)

Aston Villa (3-0)

Wolves (3-1)

West Ham (3-1)

FSG currently have 16 players away on international duty, including the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold with England, Virgil Van Dijk with the Netherlands and Alexis Mac Allister with his World Cup winning nation Argentina.

Next up comes home clashes against Everton and then Toulouse, but this break in domestic action has allowed club chiefs to start assessing their transfer options ahead of 2024.

The Reds will no doubt be keen to improve their centre-back ranks, and one candidate that they have turned their attention towards is Benfica’s Antonio Silva, who has worked his way up through the club’s academy to get promoted to the first-team, where he’s made 53 senior appearances (Transfermarkt – Silva statistics).

Portugal’s international still has another four years remaining on his long-term deal (Benfica contracts), but having emerged as Roger Schmidt’s top-performing defensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Benfica statistics), the 19-year-old has been added to the radar on Merseyside.

Antonio Silva transfer update

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Liverpool journalist Neil Jones shared a transfer update on Antonio Silva and confirmed that he is being closely monitored alongside Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie and Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio.

He said: “I think it’s clear that centre-back is an area that Liverpool need to look at in 2024. Both Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie have been looked at by Liverpool, as has Benfica’s Antonio Silva, but any move in January would depend, I think, on two factors.

“One is whether Liverpool’s current centre-back's are fit (at the moment, they are), and two is whether those players are available and affordable, mid-season.

“Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Benfica all have designs on challenging for league titles, remember, so obtaining key players from them in January won’t be easy. Next summer would be more likely, unless circumstances change.”

Does Antonio Silva have a release clause?

At Benfica, Silva’s contract is indeed believed to include a release clause of £88m, so he won’t come cheap for Liverpool (The Athletic), but if he was to put pen to paper at any stage next year, it would certainly be a massive coup considering what he could bring.

Standing 6 foot 1, Viseu’s native is currently recording a 94.2% pass success rate, which highlights his calmness and composure in possession, but he’s also a rock at the heart of the backline, where he’s averaging four clearances and 3.6 tackles per league game (WhoScored – Silva statistics).

Benfica’s “hero”, as described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also received recognition for his individual high standard of performances having been named Liga Portugal’s Defender of the Year for 2022/23, and the physical, athletic presence he would provide is exactly what supporters have been calling out for.

Ahead of Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match, their captain, coach and other players spoke to ESPNcricinfo to share their views on their gifted spin attack

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-20182:03

‘Tests a new frontier for world-class Rashid’ – Simmons

Afghanistan are about to experience Test cricket for the first time, and are up against the world’s No. 1 side in that format, but they certainly aren’t lacking in confidence. A week ahead of his team’s inaugural Test match in Bengaluru, Asghar Stanikzai raised the volume of pre-match exchanges with the claim that Afghanistan’s spinners are better than India’s.Yes. Better than Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, ranked No. 4 and 5 among the world’s Test bowlers.”The whole world knows that [we have very good spinners in] Rashid Khan, Mujeeb [Ur Rahman], [Mohammad] Nabi, Rahmat [Shah], Zahir [Khan],” Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, told ESPNcricinfo. “In Afghanistan, the brilliant thing is that a lot of the young talent that is coming through are spinners, because they all follow Rashid, they follow Nabi, so because of that our spin department is very strong from below.”In my opinion, we have good spinners, better spinners than India.”Afghanistan’s first ever Test squad contains frontline slow bowlers of every variety – legspinner Rashid, mystery spinner Mujeeb, left-arm wristspinner Zahir and left-arm orthodox spinner Amir Hamza – as well as spin-bowling allrounders in Nabi and Rahmat. The limited-overs exploits of Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi have earned them recognition in T20 leagues around the world, and Zahir – uncapped in ODIs and T20Is but with an outstanding record in the Intercontinental Cup – would have joined them in the 2018 IPL if he had not picked up an injury before the tournament.These spin resources, according to wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad, would help Afghanistan push India hard in Bengaluru. An upset, he said, wasn’t inconceivable, taking the example of Ireland, who gave Pakistan a scare in their inaugural Test last month in Dublin.”It can definitely happen,” Shahzad said. “You know what our spinners have been doing of late. Ireland played their [first Test] match against Pakistan, in Ireland’s conditions, and gave them a tough time. We are coming here and playing in India’s conditions, and that too against a team that plays spin very well. We will have a tough time, for us and for them too. It won’t be easy for either team. It will be a good match, .”Shahzad said Afghanistan’s spinners, particularly Rashid – ranked No. 1 and 2 in T20Is and ODIs respectively – were as good as any in the world.”Not just India, but even if you look at the whole world, our Rashid Khan is the No. 1 spinner,” Shahzad said. “You can match him up against any bowler, and you’ll say, ‘yes, he’s better than him’, or ‘he’s as good as him’.”Mujeeb, Rashid, Nabi … we also have Zahir Khan, who didn’t get to play for Rajasthan [Royals], but he’s also one such bowler – you’ll see next year [in the IPL], so we have very good spinners.”Phil Simmons, Afghanistan’s coach, hailed Rashid, Mujeeb and Zahir for their talent and capacity to work hard and improve, though he sounded a more cautious note than his captain while assessing them vis-à-vis India’s spinners.”I don’t know about better than India,” Simmons said. “I think Rashid is at a different level now, if he keeps improving, but we haven’t seen him that much in Test cricket. Well, we haven’t seen him at all in Test cricket, but in four-day cricket we haven’t seen him that much. So it’s a new frontier for him. I’m sure he will conquer it, but whether he will conquer it in the first game, we’ll have to see.”Having been his team-mate in both international cricket and the IPL, Nabi summed up what made Rashid stand out from other legspinners, and why he might give India some problems when he dons Test-match whites for the first time.”He’s totally different from other legspinners,” Nabi said. “He’s quicker in the air. When he bowls the wrong’un and the legbreak, it looks same when you play, and the most important thing is that the hand is very quick. Can’t judge easily.”