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Jose Mourinho became ‘The Sleepy One’ after Fenerbahce’s defeat to Rangers, with the Portuguese boss dozing off during a journalist’s long question.

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• Gers secured 3-1 victory in Turkey
• Fener have it all to do at Ibrox
• Coach hoping to dream up a plan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss was not in the best of moods after seeing his side suffer a Europa League loss on home soil. Fener did restore parity against Rangers on the half-hour mark, but went on to lose the game in question 3-1.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho’s men now have a continental mountain to climb ahead of a trip to Ibrox next week. Their hopes of booking a quarter-final berth are hanging by a thread, with there much for their manager to mull over. That process will have already begun.

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  WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID

  With that in mind, Mourinho was eager to complete press duties as quickly as possible after coming unstuck against the Gers. One member of the media did, however, have an epic question up his sleeve, which led to Mourinho jokingly falling asleep before saying: “This is too much for my head. I’m tired, man. Ninety minutes, not to listen to all of this, I’m too tired for that.”

Southampton are interested in signing a £16 million+ player who has the same agent as Adam Armstrong, according to a recent report from a Sky Sports journalist.

The Saints return to Premier League action this weekend as they welcome leaders Liverpool to St. Mary’s Stadium, looking to bounce back from their defeat to Wolves last time out.

Southampton hit the jackpot selling a star who's now worth £18m less

Southampton sold on this former striker at the best possible time.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 18, 2024

Latest Southampton news

As their game against Liverpool approaches, one concern that will be on Russell Martin’s mind is who plays in goal for his side. That is because Southampton suffered a major injury blow at the start of the international break, as Aaron Ramsdale withdrew from England duty as he suffered a suspected fractured finger and is now looking at a spell on the sidelines.

But this international break wasn’t all doom and gloom for Southampton and some of their players, as defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis scored on his England debut against the Republic of Ireland. He described it as a “magical” night at Wembley on Sunday as England won 5-0.

He said: “It is every young kid’s dream to make their debut for England, but to get a goal was magical. I was given a few hints on Saturday that I would be needed at some point, so I was just getting myself ready for that, but you also don’t believe it until it happens. When I got the nod to come on, I was over the moon. I fancied myself in the box as I like scoring headers.

“They have always spoken about how there is a pathway [from under-21s to first team], even when Gareth Southgate was in charge. We know the door is open if we take our chances. Playing for my country at every level is something I take great pride in. To play for the seniors is what dreams are made of. It is the pinnacle of football.”

So, as Martin prepares his side for their important winter run of games, the club have their eyes on a player who they could look to sign in January.

Southampton eye move for £16m+ gem with same agent as Armstrong

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Southampton are interested in signing Hertha Berlin’s Ibrahim Maza. The Algerian international has been with the German side from an early age but has only just recently broken into the first-team set-up.

The 18-year-old has performed very well for Hertha Berlin in Bundesliga 2 this season, as he’s got three goals and two assists to his name in 12 games. Maza is more known for being an attacking midfielder, but he also has the ability to play as a winger, as well as a striker if needed.

Plettenberg reports that Maza is being scouted by a number of Premier League clubs, with Southampton making regular checks on him, as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers. But they are not the only teams interested from England, as Fulham, Leicester City, Newcastle United, and West Ham are also keeping a close eye on the midfielder.

Hertha Berlin want Maza to be part of their promotion push this season, so a move in January could be difficult for the Saints to complete. However, should they fail to be promoted, Maza will likely leave the German side and would be available for a fee of £8-16.7 million. It will obviously depend on where Southampton are playing their football next season, but they could have an advantage in the race, as Maza has the same agent, CAA Stellar, as current Saints striker Armstrong.

The two forwards got badly-needed goals to earn the Red Devils a fourth victory of the season over the hapless Foxes

Rasmus Hojlund gave Manchester United a long-awaited reminder of his inner-striker's prowess while Alejandro Garnacho also ended a long wait for a goal as the Red Devils earned a confidence-boosting 3-0 win at struggling Leicester City on Sunday.

Hojlund produced a confident and lethal finish into the bottom corner to put United in front in the first half, striking for the first time in 21 games in all competitions, and for the first time since December.

Garnacho, who had last scored against Bodo/Glimt in November, ended his own goal drought to put the result to bed in the second half, after having had a goal ruled out for offside a few moments before. Bruno Fernandes had set up both goals, and capped yet another fine individual display by scoring an impressive third in added time.

It was not all good news for United though, as impressive teenager Ayden Heaven suffered an agonising injury in what was an excellent first Premier League start. He had to be carried off on a stretcher and Ruben Amorim was seen shaking his head as he digested the latest in a long line of injuries since the start of February.

The coach could at least take solace in his side earning a second-successive victory by three goals, which lifts them to 13th in the Premier League table.

GOAL rates United's players from the King Power Stadium…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (7/10):

  Made a smart save from Vardy after a slip from Lindelof and denied the veteran striker again with his legs late on.

  Matthijs de Ligt (7/10):

  Made a super block on Buonanotte in the second half, crowning a solid and reliable display.

  Victor Lindelof (5/10):

  Struggled against Vardy, twice letting him through towards goal. Feels like the weakest link of United's few fit defenders.

  Ayden Heaven (7/10):

  A confident and classy full Premier League debut that was cruelly ended by a serious-looking injury, forcing him to be carried off on a stretcher.

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  Midfield

  Diogo Dalot (5/10):

  Solid defensively, although let down by a couple of stray passes in the first half. Finished well by setting up Fernandes' goal.

  Manuel Ugarte (6/10):

  Made a lung-busting run back to stop Ndidi getting on the end of a cross. Broke up the play well throughout.

  Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

  Another decisive display. Controlled United's tempo and set up the first two goals before deservedly getting one for himself.

  Noussair Mazraoui (6/10):

  Another demonstration that he is improving as a wing-back. Delivered a fine cross in the first half which Hojlund should have done more with.

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  Attack

  Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

  Another productive display against Leicester, as he scored his third goal against the Foxes this season after having one ruled out for offside. Didn't just run at defenders, his link-up play was also encouraging.

  Rasmus Hojlund (7/10):

  Delivered the perfect finish to get his first goal in 22 hours of football. Had missed a good chance before then, but a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

  Christian Eriksen (5/10):

  Hit the post with a shot from wide. Didn't do a whole lot else and replaced in the 69th minute.

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  Subs & Manager

  Toby Collyer (6/10):

  Played his part in Garnacho's goal, slotting comfortably into the midfield.

  Joshua Zirkzee (6/10):

  Some more impressive hold-up play and had a scrap with Faes.

  Harry Amass (6/10):

  Made his long-awaited professional debut.

  Casemiro (6/10):

  Put himself about and used his physical prowess to contain Leicester.

  Chido Obi (N/A):

  Got a 10-minute run out and saw little of the ball.

  Ruben Amorim (6/10):

  A comfortable performance and much-needed first away win since January, with the caveat that Leicester made things easy for them.

Everton are believed to be interested in signing a “very intelligent” player who is admired by Jose Mourinho, according to a new transfer update.

Latest Everton news

There continue to be incoming and outgoing transfer rumours regarding the Blues, with Michael Keane linked with a move away from Goodison Park in recent days. The veteran defender is said to be wanted by Serie A clubs, with his current deal expiring at the end of this season.

Another player who could be on the move from Everton soon is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who remains an injury-prone player not enjoying his best season currently. Like Keane, his contract expires in the summer of 2025, which is why the Merseysiders could entertain offers for him once the January transfer window opens, instead of losing him on a free transfer.

The future of Sean Dyche as the Blues’ manager also continues to be a big talking point at Goodison, and individuals are being mentioned as potential replacements, should he be relieved of his duties soon. One such figure is Sergio Conceicao, who was most recently in charge of Porto, leaving earlier this year.

Edin Terzic has also emerged as a possible option for Everton, having guided Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season, where they were beaten by Real Madrid. He is still without a club after departing the Bundesliga giants in the summer.

Everton eyeing move for "very intelligent" ace

According to Sabah [via Sport Witness], Everton have sent scouts to watch Fenerbahce winger Oguz Aydin in action, seeing him as a potential signing in the New Year. The 24-year-old has also been linked with Arsenal, among others, with Lille and Lazio among those to have representatives to view him for his current club.

Aydin is an exciting attacking player with the ability to make a real difference at Everton, providing healthy competition for the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil.

The one-cap Turkey international has scored three goals in as many Turkish Super Lig starts this season, while his manager, Mourinho, has heaped praise on him, saying: “He is a good player physically and tactically and very intelligent.

“With all due respect to (Vincenzo) Montella (Turkey manager), he should be happy. I suppose the team that did not sign him will be unhappy. We brought him in at the last minute. I asked him to give me time. He was not ready, but, after 4-5 months, he has reached an optimal level. I am very happy for him.”

Aydin is a left winger by trade, but his versatility allows him to do a job on the right flank, too, meaning he could be an option to replace either current starters Ndiaye and McNeil.

"Calm" £80k-p/w Everton ace at centre of Serie A interest ahead of 2025

He’s on course to leave at the end of the season.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 8, 2024

At 24, he is still a maturing player in the final third, too, and he would be brought in to spend the peak years of his career at Everton, adding an extra spark to their struggling attack.

Morgan Gibbs-White has revealed what he told Thomas Tuchel after finally being called up to the England team as a replacement for Cole Palmer.

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• Gibbs-White interacted with Tuchel
• Was omitted from initial England squad
• Forest star replaced injured Palmer in the team

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gibbs-White's initial omission from Thomas Tuchel's first-ever England squad created quite a stir among Nottingham Forest fans, who had even abused the German coach online. The Forest captain, however, was later included in the squad after Chelsea's Cole Palmer pulled out of the team due to an injury. The attacking midfielder has enjoyed an impressive run of form in the 2024-25 campaign and has been an integral part of Nuno Espirito Santo's side, who are pushing for a Champions League slot.

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• WHAT MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE SAID

  After joining the Three Lions squad on Monday at St. George's Park, Gibbs-White had an awkward conversation with the head coach. Recalling his interaction with Tuchel, the midfielder told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Obviously I was upset. Yeah, a little bit disappointed. But when he told me, I respected his decision. The standard of players is top-level.

  "I said to him back like ‘I feel like I’ve done enough to get the call-up, considering the form level that we were in, but obviously you’re the manager, you make the decisions, and I respect that totally’. So, obviously, it was disappointing but then Sunday I got the call, so I was straight here."

  He added: "It was about 4 or 5 o’clock. He sent me a message to say ‘Are you free to talk?’ And I think I replied within like 30 seconds. He phoned me up and said ‘Are you still upset with me, or do you want to come and join us and fancy training tomorrow?’ Obviously, there’s no question there. I said I’d obviously love to come and join and train with the boys, so, yeah, found out Sunday late afternoon and I was just smiling from ear to ear."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the initial disappointment over the rejection, Gibbs-White spoke highly of the new coach as he said: "To be fair, he’s been incredible. I think he’s done it with most of the players. As soon as he got the job, he’s been in contact with quite a majority of the players. He’s a really easy-going sort of guy, nice to speak to and he just says things like he’s coming to watch everyone play games and stuff.

  "I feel like it was, for him, important to try and get that bond straight away with players because he’s used to club football, so he’s used to spending time every day with players. I felt like it was top from him, really good that he sort of started that relationship before even meeting us, which is really good. So, yeah, just delighted to be here now."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  England are set to meet Albania on Friday night before facing Latvia on March 24 in Tuchel's first pair of 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

Thomas Tuchel has reportedly left fringe members of his England squad feeling they need summer transfers to nail down a spot at next year's World Cup.

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• Tuchel ready to make big selection calls
• Grealish under the microscope amid a dismal campaign
• Branthwaite and Ramsey could look for new opportunities

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German kicked off his tenure with back-to-back victories at Wembley, securing a 2-0 win against Albania before defeating Latvia 3-0 in their opening World Cup qualifiers. After making a successful start, Tuchel has sent a strong message to several players, making it clear that their World Cup aspirations could be in jeopardy unless they secure more playing time at the club level, as reported by A total of six players – four who were initially left out of the squad and two who were included – are now said to be exploring potential transfers in order to strengthen their chances of making the final squad for the global showpiece.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  One of the biggest names facing an uncertain future is Jack Grealish, who has struggled to establish himself at Manchester City this season. He has been a peripheral figure at the Etihad, managing just six Premier League starts. After being dropped by Gareth Southgate for Euro 2024, he remains on shaky ground under Tuchel as well. Reports suggest that the England boss has urged Grealish to take more responsibility off the pitch if he hopes to regain a key role in the national team setup.

  Meanwhile, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is another player assessing his options. The young centre-back has been in impressive form for the Toffees but was overlooked in favour of Newcastle’s 32-year-old Dan Burn, who earned his first England call-up. Branthwaite is reportedly considering whether a move to a more prominent club could boost his international prospects.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jacob Ramsey of Aston Villa is another talented player who narrowly missed out on Tuchel’s squad. Although he remains a fan favourite at Villa Park, he has struggled to secure consistent playing time under Unai Emery. With competition for places in England’s midfield heating up, Ramsey may be tempted by a move that guarantees him regular starts.

  Similarly, Morgan Gibbs-White has been performing well for Nottingham Forest but was still left out of England’s initial squad selection. He eventually received a late call-up following Cole Palmer’s injury but did not feature in either match. He is now believed to be considering a switch to a more established club to improve his chances of making the final squad for the World Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Two players who did make the recent squad but are still contemplating transfers are Marcus Rashford and Aaron Ramsdale. Rashford, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, finds himself in an uncertain position. Despite showing flashes of form, he does not appear to have a future at Old Trafford, and his long-term place at Villa remains unconfirmed. With his England spot far from secure, Rashford may seek another club where he can be guaranteed a starting role.

  As for Ramsdale, the goalkeeper is facing an almost certain departure from Southampton, whose relegation to the Championship is nearly sealed. With Tuchel likely to prioritise goalkeepers playing in the Premier League, Ramsdale is expected to push for a move to ensure he remains in contention for one of the three goalkeeper spots in the World Cup squad.

The frustration pervading Tyneside right now is indicative of the raised expectations at Newcastle United. Recent results against West Ham United and Crystal Palace, a defeat and a draw, have prevented the Toon from breaking into the European zone.

Newcastle scarcely lose on their home patch and fail to score even less, but goals are in short supply and the attacking synergy that Eddie Howe so finely crafted in the opening period of his reign is not quite there anymore.

Alexander Isak was forced off in the first half against Crystal Palace on Saturday, bitterly exacerbating Newcastle’s attacking troubles. Howe sought to allay concerns by claiming the Swede was forced off with a “contact injury.”

Frontal problems are not the only issue, with the engine room failing to purr at full throttle too. It’s frustrating, and similar to last season, when injury problems hampered Howe’s men. So, he might need to turn to the youthful Lewis Miley to help knock his midfield back into shape.

What makes Lewis Miley so special

Miley has yet to feature for Newcastle in the Premier League this season, though he has sat as an unused substitute across four of his club’s past six top-flight outings.

The 18-year-old talent suffered “a freak accident” to his metatarsal toward the end of pre-season and has been thrown to the sidelines after such an immense breakout campaign last year.

Last season was a difficult one for the Magpies, whose hard labours the year before were unable to be reaped as anticipated due to a catalogue of setbacks throughout the season.

Miley, though, stepped up in age-belying fashion. Racking up 28 appearances last year, scoring one goal and adding four assists, the teenage midfielder earned praise for his

Having signed a long-term deal with the St. James’ Park side in January, he’s gone from strength to strength and it’s frustrating that the rangy ace has been unable to build on such firm foundations over the past several months.

Bruno Guimaraes has described him as a “star,” while his manager has dubbed him an “unbelievable athlete.” Is it any surprise that he ranks among the top 8% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 16% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, denoting his roundedness?

Newcastle’s academy has long failed to reach the level to produce a steady stream of youth quality across the past few decades, though that has changed with the PIF takeover.

Miley is the spearhead of this new era, endowed with a level of skill that could easily see him surpass the likes of Sean Longstaff.

However, there’s another young star soon to join the Magpies nest who may eclipse Miley: his name’s Vakhtang Salia.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Vakhtang Salia could be Newcastle's biggest talent

Last month, Newcastle signed 17-year-old Salia from top-level Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi, loaning the dynamic forward back to the club for the remainder of the current campaign.

Miley is the cream of the teenage crop on Tyneside at the moment, but that could indeed change when this crackling talent arrives on English shores, having scored six goals and provided two assists across Erovnuli Liga outings this term.

Like Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, he’s a versatile forward with properties that allow him to flourish both out on the left wing and in a more conventional striker’s role.

Given Newcastle’s struggles for goals, this could be a marvellous addition to Howe’s system, perhaps tackling two quandaries in alleviating Isak’s role as the chief goalscorer while also proving Gordon with some dynamic competition out on the flanks.

The Athletic have revealed that those close to Salia view him as Georgia’s best player within his age bracket by a country mile, and when joining a Newcastle youth set-up that continues to go from strength to strength, he may well explode and actually leapfrog the talented Miley.

The praise flows freely, and Newcastle might have secured a real coup with this one. Rival interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City magnifies his quality, with transfer insider Graeme Bailey also claiming that the youngster is “one of the best teenage prospects in the world.”

Might they have another Gordon on their hands here? So far, the winger has failed to match the same results that earned him Newcastle’s Player of the Season for 2023/24. Perhaps he’s struggling to carry the weight of being his side’s chief ball-carrying specialist, with little support from other members of the team.

Moreover, Howe has shuffled him across the pack with regularity. This is nothing new, but it’s only natural that frequent repositioning would threaten to stifle a forward’s form.

Salia is of course not ready for Premier League action but he’s demonstrating rapid signs of growth in his homeland and could make a marked improvement on Newcastle’s attack next season, supplementing the likes of Gordon with impactful foils.

He’s been heralded as the new version of Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and with such monstrous dribbling budding skills, might just prove to be the perfect addition to help the likes of Gordon in operating at their apex.

New role: Howe can replicate Joelinton success with Newcastle sensation

Howe should unleash a rising Newcastle star in a new role to create Joelinton 2.0

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 29, 2024

Everton would have walked away from their Premier League stalemate with Arsenal as the far happier side, having frustrated the Gunners all afternoon by putting in a defensively dogged display.

Mikel Arteta’s men would only muster up one big chance all contest consequently, as Sean Dyche’s visitors intentionally sat back in order to pick up a share of the points, with Arsenal even amassing a whopping 77% possession.

The Everton defenders certainly earned their praise come the full-time whistle, therefore, with the likes of James Tarkowski battling hard throughout the 90 minutes to keep stars such as Kai Havertz at bay.

How Everton's defence performed at the Emirates

The aforementioned Toffees captain led by example at the Emirates Stadium alongside his centre-back partner Jarrad Branthwaite, as the ex-Burnley man successfully won four duels alongside making seven clearances to preserve his resolute side’s clean sheet.

Branthwaite also put his towering 6 foot 5 frame to good use with three duels of his own won, whilst Jordan Pickford had to stay alert throughout with five saves tallied up which would constantly frustrate faces such as Bukayo Saka attempting to beat the clued-up 30-year-old.

Whilst Pickford would rightfully win a lot of plaudits at the full-time whistle for some top-notch stops, Ashley Young also put in a gritty display at the back to ensure a draw was sealed, with the ex-Aston Villa man winning a sublime seven duels to routinely thwart Gabriel Martinelli bombing forward.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Everton's very own Alexander-Arnold

It wasn’t just in north London that Young has shone this term. For his relegation-threatened side this campaign, he has starred as an attacking menace, with the 39-year-old rolling back the years to become his side’s answer to Liverpool phenom Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Often operating as a winger during his hay day in the Premier League, Young’s creativity from this more forward-thinking spot is still managing to come to the forefront as he now regularly lines up in a back four.

This season to date, the top-flight veteran has amassed an impressive one goal and three assists, with that solitary strike coming against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a comprehensive 4-0 win just one match before the shut-out at Arsenal.

This resurgence is even more admirable considering there were shouts for Young to be axed from Goodison Park this summer, with his high £40k-per-week wage the topic of many a discussion on Merseyside.

Now, he is more than justifying this steep pay packet, with his numbers not too dissimilar to that of Alexander-Arnold – according to FBRef.

While the Everton veteran is understandably still ranking behind Trent for a host of numbers, you can see the similarities between the two in the way they progress the play via their passing.

Unsurprisingly, Young has more defensive know-how than the Real Madrid-linked 26-year-old too, with more tackles and clearances averaged when glancing at the above table, albeit the Toffees are more defensively active than Liverpool.

It’s been quite the sharp turnaround for the ageing full-back, who will hope these stellar performances keep coming in order to see out the twilight of his playing days in style.

Dyche does have a reputation for getting the most out of experienced heads at his disposal, with the Toffees boss keeping his fingers crossed that Young and Co can continue picking up results like the draw at Arsenal to push further away from the dreaded relegation spots.

Rooney 2.0: Dyche must ditch DCL for teen outscoring every Everton player

Everton could do with some academy inspiration up front, and might just have their next Rooney brewing.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 13, 2024

FIFA had issued a statement confirming 'it is considering' a playoff match between LAFC and America to replace Leon

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• América and LAFC could play for León's vacant spot

• América would receive the opportunity as highest-ranked CONCACAF team

• The MLS representative could be their opponent

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  América released a statement Monday saying they have not been contacted by FIFA about potentially playing a match against LAFC to replace León in the Club World Cup. Leon was expelled for violating the multi-ownership rule and will appeal to the CAS on April 23 for a resolution.

  América said of reports linking them to a match against the MLS team for a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup: "América has not been formally notified by FIFA or any other sports authority regarding a possible participation. If any relevant information arises, we will be the first to share it with the public."

  FIFA had released a statement Sunday saying, "FIFA can confirm it is considering one playoff match between LAFC and Club America for the right to participate in the Fifa Club World Cup 2025."

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The saga surrounding the spot left by Club León in the 2025 Club World Cup continues, and now América has issued a statement denying any information about a potential match against LAFC to determine who will take the place of the Esmeraldas in the tournament, which begins on June 14.

  América wants to remain on the sidelines, but the team's coach, André Jardine, has already spoken on the matter, despite the club's claims of no contact with FIFA.

  "My position is this, I think León deserves all the credit," he said. "I'm sad for León. I followed that closely, I remember well, Dávila is here because he impressed me in that tournament. I would like a solution to be found, and if León doesn't go, we'll see."

• AFP
  

  WHAT CLUB AMÉRICA SAID

  Las Águilas also said that they are focused on two current competitions: Liga MX, where they are aiming for a fourth consecutive title, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they will face Cruz Azul Tuesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals.

  "The team is focused and working to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Clausura 2025 tournament of Liga MX."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CLUB AMÉRICA?

  The Águilas del América will face Cruz Azul Tuesday in the Champions Cup quarterfinals. It is the only tournament that André Jardine has yet to win in his successful era with the team.

Ryan Reynolds has jetted into Wales for Wrexham's League One fixture against Burton as Phil Parkinson's side aim to continue their promotion push.

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• Reynolds has been a regular visitor to North Wales since 2021
• However, visits have been less frequent recently
• Back in the stands at the SToK Racecourse on Saturday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The club, co-owned by Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, has garnered global attention since the duo took over in 2021, and Reynolds' presence once again ignited excitement in the stands. He was spotted greeting players inside the tunnel as they headed towards the dressing room after getting off the team bus.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Though the owners have made several appearances over the past few seasons, especially during key fixtures, visits to North Wales have been more sporadic in recent months. That changed this weekend as Reynolds joined fans in the VIP box to cheer on the Red Dragons in a game that could play a significant role in the club’s ongoing promotion charge.

• WATCH THE CLIP

  Reynolds was spotted in the tunnel chatting with former Wrexham player Anthony Forde ahead of kick-off. Forde left the club in the winter by mutual consent and joined Burton.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  The Red Dragons are chasing a remarkable third consecutive promotion, a feat that would etch their name into the English Football League record books. Since their National League title triumph in 2023, Wrexham’s momentum has shown little sign of slowing. With six matches remaining this season, they are well-positioned to claim an automatic promotion slot to the Championship. A victory over Burton would not only increase the pressure on the chasing pack but would also help Wrexham maintain momentum heading into the business end of the campaign.