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New Arsenal signing Mikel Merino has been blown away by head coach Mikel Arteta's training and methods since joining the club.

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Merino joined Gunners this summerMade debut against PSG after shoulder injuryEyes opened by Arteta and his methodsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Merino finally recovered from a shoulder injury to make his Arsenal debut in the 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night. The Spaniard has been watching from the sidelines since joining the Gunners but has still been left stunned by what he has seen from Mikel Arteta. Merino even went as far as to describe his injury as a "blessing in disguise" as it allowed him to get up to speed quicker.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MERINO SAID

Speaking after the Champions League match, he said of Arteta: "It’s something that is amazing, to be honest with you,” said Merino, when asked about training under Arteta. They do some things that I have never seen in my career. The methods they use are completely new to me, so obviously it takes some time to adapt.

"I don’t want to tell everything that we do, but there is no rest between one moment and the other. They are always challenging you mentally with different stimuluses. It makes you always all the time aware of what is happening around you.

"I think that when you get it, you are in a different level because they challenge you every single day – not only physically, but mentally. That makes you be sharp mentally and that’s what you are going to find out in the game."

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Merino's return comes at a timely moment for Arsenal, who have been having midfield problems. The absence of Martin Odegaard has since a drop in creativity in the side and it also means less rest for the likes of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Jorginho. With Merino now available for selection, Arteta can rotate his side more.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MERINO?

Having played the best part of 30 minutes for the Gunners in midweek, Merino could be in line to start against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday. The match will also see the return of Aaron Ramsdale, who left for the Saints this summer.

Batsman’s bid to earn a spot in West Indies first-Test line-up hit by washed out first day of final warm-up in Manchester

ECB Reporters Network29-Jun-2020

Jermaine Blackwood believes he has something to prove against the world’s leading bowlers, should he find himself back in West Indies’ line-up for the upcoming Test series against England.A measured 112 not out against England in April 2015, in just his sixth Test, remains Blackwood’s only international three-figure score. Having been dropped two-and-a-half years after that century in Antigua, he was a concussion substitute last August and regained his place in the Test squad to tour England after topping the run-charts in the Caribbean’s domestic four-day competition.Earlier this month, Blackwood told ESPNcricinfo his “new way going forward” was to “bat as long as possible”. Now that he is in a position to make the XI for the first Test at the Ageas Bowl on July 8, Blackwood said that remained the plan, rather than going gung-ho from the off.ALSO READ: West Indies to wear Black Lives Matter logo”Over the years people have got the wrong impression about me, like I’m a ball-beater or whatever,” Blackwood told the Press Association after the first day of West Indies’ four-day intra-squad warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford was washed out on Monday.”But it’s just natural for me, I’m from the Caribbean, it’s only natural for me to score runs. I want to add a little bit more to my game and bat time. I’m really pushing hard for that and I’m really putting the mental work as well in to bat time. Once I bat time, I will score runs.”It’s been two-and-a-half years that I’ve been out of the Test team. This opportunity has come out and I have to grab it with both hands. I have something to go out there and prove against all the best bowlers in the world, I want to score runs against them.”Blackwood’s ton came against an attack featuring James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes, a trio who will almost certainly line up for England in Southampton.A career average of 30.26 in 28 Tests swells to 55.33 in six matches against England, so it is little wonder Blackwood is relishing the chance to face the same opposition.”I always love to play against England because they are one of the best teams in the world and they have one of the best attacks in the world as well,” Blackwood said.”Anderson and Broad are two world-class bowlers so whenever I get the chance, once I bat some time against them I know I will score runs. They are wonderful bowlers but once I can wear them down and let them bowl spell after spell, that is going to be the key thing for me in this series.”Blackwood made 3 and 15 in West Indies’ first intra-squad warm-up last week and his hopes of pressing his claims in the second practice match were dented as intermittent showers conspired to frustrate the squad’s preparations. The match represents the final chance for those on the fringes of the side to push their case for the first Test.Whereas the first practice game between Kraigg Brathwaite’s XI and Jason Holder’s XI was played out amid a heatwave last week, several downpours and a strong gust were the order on a dreary Monday in Manchester.Any prospect of play was officially ended just before 3pm and it is understood that the idea to award the match first-class status has been scrapped, potentially allowing all 25 members of the squad to feature at some point.The initial team-sheet was missing wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich , who hurt his side in the first warm-up match, and fast bowlers Oshane Thomas and Keon Harding, but there is now no reason why any of the trio should be ruled out of contention altogether. Harding suffered a facial cut when he was struck while attempting to field the ball during that earlier game.West Indies have announced that a Black Lives Matter logo will be displayed on their shirts in the series against England but, for this contest, they will line up in the maroon and navy training kit they wore last week.

Bukayo Saka called for more "consistency" from Premier League referees after Declan Rice was sent off controversially against Brighton.

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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 drawRice red card tilted the balance of the matchSaka left unimpressed with the 'harsh' callWHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal looked in control and was rewarded for their efforts when Kai Havertz drew first blood in the 38th minute. However, the marching orders to Rice within five minutes of the second-half tilted the balance of the match in Brighton's favour and just before the hour-mark Joao Pedro equalised, making the most of the numerical advantage over the Gunners.

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Brighton defender Joel Veltman appeared to be preparing for a quick restart, though the ball was still moving, which would have rendered the kick illegal. In an attempt to delay the restart, Rice nudged the ball away, causing Veltman’s kick to strike him instead of the ball. Despite the minimal nature of the infringement, referee Chris Kavanagh deemed it worthy of a second yellow card, resulting in Rice’s dismissal.

WHAT SAKA SAID

After the match, Saka pointed out that Pedro had committed a similar offence in the first half, kicking the ball away in a manner, but went unpunished. He was frustrated with the lack of uniformity in officiating across the match, telling : "I thought it was a bit harsh for us. We just want some consistency. Joao Pedro booted the ball halfway across the pitch in the first half and got nothing for it, and Dec got the slightest touch and was sent off. It is what it is; I don’t want to put the whole game on the referee as we still had chances to win it. It has been a good start. Today is a disappointment, but it is a long season.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The draw against Brighton leaves Arsenal with more than just dropped points to worry about. With Rice now suspended for their next match and new signing Mikel Merino sidelined due to a shoulder injury, Mikel Arteta faces a selection headache ahead of the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15. The manager will now be forced to come up with an alternative blueprint against their bitter north London rivals in the absence of the two key midfielders as they aim to maintain their strong start to the season.

Batsman says he realises his comments could harm the CPL, which he doesn’t intend to do

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2020

Chris Gayle has avoided sanction for his public criticism of Ramnaresh Sarwan and other Jamaica Tallawahs personnel, after the CPL Tournament Committee (CTC) said in a media release on Friday that it was satisfied with the batsman’s statement, even though he stood by his comments – calling Sarwan a “snake” and “vindictive”, and accusing the franchise owners of “playing a game”.A three-member independent tribunal had been looking into Gayle’s comments, made in a YouTube video on April 27, where he had made clear his displeasure at being abruptly ousted by Tallawahs for the 2020 season.In the statement, Gayle indicated that he realised how his words might bring disrepute to the tournament and Cricket West Indies. “I made these videos with one single intention – to explain to the fans in Jamaica the reasons behind what has now become my second departure from Tallawahs franchise,” Gayle’s statement read. “It was my greatest wish to finish my CPL career in Jamaica – playing in front of my home crowd at Sabina Park with the franchise that I had previously led to two CPL titles.ALSO READ: Tallawahs ‘weirdest’ team I’ve ever played for – Andre Russell”In so far as my resentment at the treatment, I stand by my comments in those videos. My words were spoken from the heart. Having said that, I must be honest and say that I now realize how portions of my comments may be viewed as being damaging to Cricket West Indies, and to the CPL Tournament and its brand – a tournament which I have sincerely enjoyed not just being a part of, but also helping to build and promote.”The CTC said it was satisfied that Gayle would continue to act in good faith and the tribunal, set up after a formal complaint on May 6, would no longer be needed, and that the CTC, CPL, and CWI all considered the matter closed.Gayle had returned to Tallawahs – the Jamaica CPL franchise – last season after a stint with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the two seasons. Gayle had been given a three-year contract and said he had always wanted to end his career in the “uniform” of Tallawahs. But in a late development late in April, he ended up signing for St Lucia Zouks. Just about a week after that, he lashed out at Sarwan, who is an assistant coach at Tallawahs, the chief executive Jeff Miller and owner Krish Persaud.With Sarwan, in particular, Gayle had indicated the issue went as far back as to their Under-19 days in 1996, when a complaint about Gayle watching TV late into the night forced head coach Gus Logie to evict him from a camp.Gayle said in his video that Tallawahs had a “good” team last season, but were “traumatised” by Sarwan, who he claimed was close to Persaud. “Sarwan wanted to be the manager, he wanted to be the coach. But Sarwan is like the owner for the team because Sarwan go back and tell the owner what transpired within the team,” Gayle had said. “Sarwan want to put curfew for players when game starts at 8 o’clock. Sarwan, when me and you play for West Indies, we used to party every night, so why you want to put curfew for players, why do you want to tie down players?”Sarwan you are a snake. You are so vindictive. You are still immature. You are still stabbing people in the back. You are still carrying news. When you gonna change, Sarwan, seriously? When are you planning to change?”Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle during their Test-playing days•Getty Images

Following the outburst, Sarwan had “categorically” denied any hand in Gayle’s ouster from the team and said that decision had come from the owners and management.”In that video, he has levelled false allegations and tarnished the good name and reputation of a series of persons,” Sarwan had said. “I was the focus of most of the onslaughts. I reply, not because I feel that Gayle’s rantings are worthy of it, but because I feel that the public’s record must be set straight and also, to protect the character and careers of so many people, whose image he sought to besmirch.”On Wednesday, CWI president Ricky Skerritt had hinted on a Trinidad-based radio station that Gayle’s comments might draw sanctions for bringing the game to disrepute, given that he was still active in the league and not a retired player speaking as an outsider.The CPL, independent from the CWI, was satisfied with the statement, which went on to say: “It was never my intention to damage the T20 Tournament, as playing in the CPL has guaranteed an opportunity for the past 7 years to play in front of the great fans of the Caribbean. This is a privilege which I genuinely appreciate and have never taken for granted.”Right now, my eyes are fixed firmly on the season ahead, and the new challenge which playing for the St. Lucia Zouks franchise will bring. I hope to see you there.”The tournament is scheduled for August-September this year.

Slonina was part of the USMNT Olympic team in Paris and joins the League One side on a season-long loan.

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Slonina joins Barnsley on loan from ChelseaJust returned from Olympics with USMNTSpent 2023/24 on loan at Eupen in BelgiumWHAT HAPPENED?

After spending the 2023-24 season on loan at Eupen in the Belgian first-division, U.S. international Gaga Slonina has joined League One side Barnsley FC for the 2024-25 season on loan from Chelsea.

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Slonina suffered relegation with Eupen last campaign, but made 34 appearances for the Belgian side in his first full-season in Europe.

The 20-year-old joined the Blues in August 2022 from MLS side Chicago Fire, but has yet to appear for Chelsea's senior team. He was loaned back to the Fire for the remainder of the MLS season in 2022, finishing the season with 22 matches played. He would join Chelsea's academy side through the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign before being sent on loan to Eupen. Slonina has one senior appearance with the U.S. Men's National Team.

Posting on social media, Slonina exclaimed his excitement to secure the move, saying he's "happy to be here," while posing at Oakwell Stadium in a series of photos.

DID YOU KNOW?

Slonina spent his summer in Paris with the U23 U.S. men's national team at the Olympic Games. He, however, did not make an appearance as he was deemed second-string in net by manager Marko Mitrovic.

The U.S. were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Morocco.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SLONINA AND BARNSLEY?

The 2024-25 League One campaign for Barnsley began Friday against Mansfield. Slonina's first match, where he could debut, will arrive in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Aug. 13 against Wigan.

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared the "important" signing he thinks Tottenham will make this summer, and it could be "something special".

Lange making Spurs transfer plans ahead of summer window

The next transfer window will be an all-important one for Spurs, as technical director Johan Lange gears up to back manager Ange Postecoglou after what has been a successful debut season at the club for him.

Player has told his agents he wants to be a Tottenham player next season

He’s informed his entourage behind-the-scenes.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 20, 2024

Spurs supporters have been reinvigorated by the Australian's electric brand of football, and while a place in next season's Champions League group stage pot is still under contention, that isn't the be-all and end-all of Postecoglou's goals from 2023/2024.

"I don't see fourth as the prize," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's European hopes.

"This club has finished fourth before. It's finished second before. You can throw all types of things at it, it's reached the Champions League final, you can throw all sorts of things but this club has achieved things. So fourth is not my end goal.

"I don't want to finish fourth if we haven't grown as a team and developed as a team. If nobody believes me then that's fine. Part of the narrative is to push you in these kind of positions where you think that fourth is some kind of achievement that gives you something for next year. It doesn't give you anything unless… fourth would be great if I feel like we're growing as a team and we're creating something that is going to bring us success next year.

"But fourth is not our goal."

While securing Champions League qualification, and all the riches that come with it, is seen as important by many – it appears the overall project is what matters to Postecoglou.

Lange, meanwhile, will be looking to support in the best way possible – by facilitating moves for some of Postecoglou's top transfer targets. It is believed that Tottenham are keen to bolster key areas of the squad, namely by bringing in a new winger, midfielder and centre-back this summer.

Fabrizio Romano shares "important" signing he thinks Spurs will make

Speaking to JD Football this week, Romano has shared the "important" signing he thinks Tottenham will make.

Indeed, according to the respected journalist, Spurs are likely to move for a star midfielder in an effort to hand Postecoglou a new option in that position – coming amid repeated links to Atalanta star Ederson and Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.

“I see Tottenham signing an important midfielder in the summer transfer window," said Romano.

“But a really important one. I think they want to do something special in that position.”

Uncertainty surrounds the future of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has barely started a game for Spurs this season and is out of contract in 2025 – which is perhaps why they want to reinforce in this position.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nos últimos dias, o jornal argentino “Olé” promoveu uma enquete para ter uma noção a respeito da Libertadores. A pergunta foi a seguinte: “Com qual time você gostaria que o River Plate jogasse nas oitavas de final?”. Com cerca de 16 mil votos, a opção “Flamengo” ficou à frente, com 25% da votação.

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A segunda opção mais votada é a “argentinos”, com 16%. O rival local Racing está na terceira colocação neste quesito, com 15% da preferência dos “hinchas” do River.

+ GALERIA: Veja os potes para o sorteio das oitavas da Libertadores 2021

A reportagem do tradicional veículo aponta que o motivo para o Flamengo liderar a enquete “só se explica de uma maneira: desejo de uma espécie de revanche”, tendo em vista que o Rubro-Negro foi campeão da Libertadores de 2019 justamente em cima do River Plate, na final única de Lima, por 2 a 1.

O “Olé” lembra ainda que o sentimento de revanche também se justifica pois o elenco do Flamengo ainda possui diversos jogadores que estavam há dois no Peru, citando Diego Alves, William Arão, Filipe Luís, Everton Ribeiro, Arrascaeta, Diego, Gerson, Bruno Henrique e, é claro, Gabi, autor dos dois gols na decisão.

+ Veja a tabela completa do Brasileirão

O duelo é possível pois o River Plate (pote 2) ficou em segundo lugar, enquanto o Flamengo terminou a fase de grupos na primeira colocação. O sorteio das oitavas de final da Libertadores vai acontecer nesta terça-feira, às 13h (de Brasília), na sede da Conmebol, em Luque, no Paraguai (saiba mais aqui).

Ange Postecoglou was tasked with leading the revival at Tottenham Hotspur last summer and so far the Australian manager is rooting north London with much promise.

Spurs languished to an eighth-placed Premier League finish last season and the culmination of that miserable campaign led chairman Daniel Levy to a critical juncture, with a palpable sense that resurgent Arsenal and usual suspects Manchester City and Liverpool were going to pull further away.

While the current season has seen its share of ups and downs for Tottenham, there's no question that the club are heading in the right direction, recruiting shrewdly in the transfer market and displaying an attractive new brand of football.

It's certainly not been easy for Postecoglou, inheriting an outfit that had flatted to deceive last year and contending with the £100m sale of Harry Kane to German giants Bayern Munich.

While Kane's departure felt inevitable, it would have been lovely to have kept him down N17.

What Harry Kane achieved at Spurs

Kane did not slot right into the Tottenham first-team, with his latent ability leaving him well regarded but not at the requisite level for a starring spot, spending a few itinerant years enjoying a series of loan spells with lower-league sides such as Leicester City and Leyton Orient.

He did make his Premier League debut way back in 2012, coming off the bench in the late stage of the campaign's opening fixture as his side were defeated at St. James' Park.

Kane returned to make his mark at the end of the following season, 2013/14, scoring three goals and supplying two assists across the final six outings of the term to announce himself to the division, a portent of the riches to come.

Kane would bag 21 goals the following Premier League season, and then 25, and then 28, then 30. The sensational Englishman aimed and fired and scored and scored and scored. Once notoriously tagged a 'one-season wonder', his country's record goalscorer defied critics with the devastating constancy of the game's great centre-forwards.

In the Champions League, for both Tottenham and Bayern Munich, the 30-year-old has 25 strikes and eight assists from 39 fixtures, praised for his "world-class" qualities by former Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte.

That first elusive slice of silverware continues to sit tantalisingly out of reach, but anyone worth their salt would look at Kane and conclude that he is a player defined not by a cabinet of metal but by his merit, his world-class shooting skills and his unwavering leadership and commitment on the pitch.

The 6 foot 2 star might not have lifted a trophy with Spurs but he has written his name on the walls, with only Alan Shearer's 260 Premier League goals above second-record scorer Kane's 213, with the latter boasting a superior goal-to-game consistency too.

He might have moved to Germany to spearhead Bayern, but he is a Tottenham legend, one of the greatest goalscorers to have graced English shores.

How Harry Kane is performing at Bayern Munich

In fairness, while Bayern Munich are not enjoying the best campaign by any stretch, Kane has hardly struggled to settle in, having scored 31 goals and provided eight assists for his teammates across 31 appearances in all competitions.

In the German Bundesliga, as per Sofascore, the "phenomenon" – as he was described by Bayern sports director Christoph Freund – has posted 27 goals and five assists from just 23 matches, complementing this absurd rate of success with 3.3 successful duels per game and creating a total of nine big chances.

He was always considered one of the best around and while he has moved to an ostensibly inferior division in quality, Kane is now the focal point of one of Europe's pre-eminent clubs in Bayern Munich.

As such, his market value reflects his standing: one of the finest football players on the continent.

Harry Kane's market value in 2024

Bayern Munich forked out around £100m for Kane's arrival, and while Football Transfers' valuation model actually projects his true transfer value at £93m, he is considered to be the fourth most valuable player in the world, ahead of fifth-placed compatriot Bukayo Saka.

Interestingly, Kane is not the most valuable Englishman on the block but then he will not contest with the prodigious Jude Bellingham's crown in that regard, the 20-year-old utterly mesmerising in his age-belying dominance since moving to Real Madrid last summer.

Still, one of the most coveted assets around, Kane's creativity, link-up and build-up play, artfulness in possession and control in attacking sequences are almost tantamount to his world-class striking ability, but not quite.

At his core, Kane is a centre-forward, one of the very best. He's a deadly marksman and the fact that he is on the wrong side of 30 does not allow Saka to edge him in the list of football's most valuable players.

The Arsenal phenomenon, in fairness, is one of the Premier League's standout stars and he continues to improve with each passing month, having posted an incredible return of eight goals and one assist across his past seven league appearances.

As Mikel Arteta's Gunners chase down the title, Kane's compatriot is probably his side's most important member, having complemented his deadliness in front of goal with an elite playmaking edge and tenacity in his defensive duties, averaging 2.5 key passes, 2.0 tackles and 6.0 successful duels per league match.

At 22 years old, Saka has age on his side and will undoubtedly go down as one of English football's contemporary greats, barring any unforeseen external hindrances, but he is not yet his nation's cream of the crop.

That tag lies with Kane, who might sit behind Bellingham monetarily but is unquestionably his country's star.

Tottenham can't exactly rue the day he departed for Germany, with one year left on his deal, a lucrative compensation flung toward north London and a career of staunch servitude that handed him the keys to unlock his own path, but it remains a bitter pill to swallow nonetheless.

Kane didn't close the door conclusively; a return to his endearing outfit may yet emerge down the line. But, in the present, just imagine the success that Postecoglou would find with the Tottenham and England men's record goalscorer leading the line, leading the very club toward an exciting future.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última sexta-feira (30), o presidente do São Paulo, Julio Casares, deu entrevista coletiva para falar dos 100 dias de gestão no Tricolor. Entre os assuntos abordados, esteve a questão financeira do Tricolor e possíveis vendas de jogadores do elenco de Crespo.

Cotia em alta: veja até quando vão os contratos dos jovens revelados no São Paulo

Casares afirmou que saídas podem acontecer nesta temporada, sendo inclusive parte do orçamento previsto para esse ano. A diretoria pretende cortar cerca de 15% de gastos no departamento de futebol.

VEJA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA

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– As vendas dos jogadores estão previstas no orçamento, e estão previstas no orçamento deste ano. O ideal é que a gente não precisasse da venda de jogador, mas acontece ou pode acontecer. Se você pegar um co-irmão, ele vem há um ou dois anos vendendo um jogador importante por ano – disse o mandatário do clube do Morumbi.

Casares exemplificou a questão com a veda do atacante Brenner ao FC Cincinnati, dos Estados Unidos. Nesta semana, o L! mostrou quanto o São Paulo vai receber pela negociação do jovem revelado em Cotia.

– O São Paulo não vai fugir: alargamos o elenco, temos até um grupo de dois times e meio com muitos jogadores da base. Estão lá o Talles Costa, o Gabriel Sara, o Igor Gomes, o Diego Costa, o Luan, o Vitinho, o Liziero e outros que estão chegando. Com elenco largo, você pode ajustar quando a proposta é boa, como fizemos com Brenner – afirmou.

Um dos atletas ventilados para sair é o meia Igor Gomes. No mês passado, o empresário do jogador, Wagner Ribeiro afirmou, em entrevista ao ‘Blog do Menon’, que ele pode sair em junho, na próxima janela de transferências europeias, em uma proposta que gire em torno de 25 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 163 milhões).

Vale ressaltar que ainda não há propostas pelo jogador e nenhum atleta do São Paulo. Resta saber como serão os próximos meses.

Leeds United are a frightening prospect to come up against in the Championship at the moment, seven wins on the bounce for Daniel Farke's self-assured Whites in the second tier seeing them shoot up to second in the division at the expense of Southampton.

Barely having to break a sweat last match to dispatch of Swansea City 4-0, Leeds will just want the victories to keep flowing on their travels down to Devon this Saturday against Plymouth Argyle.

Yet, the confident Whites could be even stronger currently if they'd just held on to this exciting left-back instead of binning him off in 2022.

Leif Davis' time at Leeds United

Nobody could have quite predicted what Leif Davis would go on to achieve with Ipswich Town when looking back at his humble beginnings in West Yorkshire, the now explosive 24-year-old unremarkable playing for Leeds after stepping up from the academy into the first-team mix.

The current Tractor Boys number three would only manage to pick up a solitary assist from 14 first-team appearances at Elland Road, before being chucked out to AFC Bournemouth on loan during the 2021/22 season.

After this loan switch to the Cherries – which saw Davis register similar forgettable numbers to his time in the senior fold with Leeds at one assist from 15 appearances – Leeds would cut ties with the dynamic defender which has proven to be a foolish move in retrospect.

Victor Orta wouldn't let Davis go for cheap however at the time, managing to at least get a respectable £1m to allow the 6-foot full-back to exit West Yorkshire.

Now, with Davis' transfer value coming in at a far greater €4.6m (£3.9m) according to Football Transfers, this is a deal Leeds will regret signing off on regardless of any money entering their bank.

Despite Junior Firpo coming into his own with four assists in a much-improved 2024 for the second-tier side, Davis could well have been an even more impactful assist king for Farke's men this season over the former Barcelona man.

What Leif Davis has achieved at Ipswich

Davis has become a man-possessed since making the switch to Suffolk, a crucial cog in Kieran McKenna's machine at Portman Road when it comes to Ipswich devastating teams with their full-throttle attacking play.

Since leaving Leeds behind, Davis has notched up 31 goals and assists combined with 30 of those coming at Ipswich across two unbelievable seasons for the 24-year-old.

Described as an "animal" by former Bournemouth manager Scott Parker despite never really showing his full potential on the South Coast, Davis is now living up to Parker's words with 13 assists managed this season in the second tier from just 28 games.

Season

Games played

Goals

Assists

2023-24

28

0

13

2022-23

43

3

14

In stark contrast, Firpo – over his entire career to date – has only accumulated 16 assists with Davis only three off that total unbelievably in just one season.

With Leeds having troubles in the left-back spot this season owing to injury issues amongst many other dilemmas, it does feel like a case of what could have been if the promotion-chasing Whites had stuck by Davis instead of offloading him.

Leeds could well still have the final long-standing triumph over Davis at Ipswich this season regardless, however, as Farke and Co eye up consolidating an automatic promotion spot whilst Ipswich linger below in fourth.