The Athletic journalist Chris Waugh has revealed on the Tifo Football Podcast (via The Chronicle) that Rogerio is the top left-back target for Newcastle United in the summer transfer window.
Indeed, the Tyneside club are looking to recruit a new player in this position given that Danny Rose and Jetro Willems have both returned to Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively following their loan spells in the North East in the 2019/20 term.
Steve Bruce clearly thinks that Rogerio fits the bill, and it is not hard to see why. The Sassuolo ace won on average four of his duels per game in the Serie A in the last season, and also averaged a relatively impressive two clearances and 1.5 tackles per match, according to Sofascore.
Those are just his defensive qualities, but Rogerio has also shown that he can be useful in an attacking sense as well. In a total of 101 appearances over the course of his club career so far, including at youth level, the Brazilian has scored three goals and made a further six assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Rogerio has also played in midfield before too (via the website), highlighting that he can also be just as effective higher up the pitch.
At just 22 years of age, the full-back still has time to grown and develop in his role, and with the likes of Rose and Willems not being options for Bruce in the new term, perhaps Rogerio has a clear path to make the spot his own for the Magpies.
Geordies, would Rogerio be a good signing? Comment below!
Chelsea are reportedly one of the teams on the market for Schalke’s Weston McKennie this summer.
According to CBS Sports, the 21-year-old is being monitored by the West London outfit as they look to bolster their midfield options. McKennie is allegedly valued at about $25million (£19.7m) but the report claims there has been no official asking price stated by the Bundesliga outfit.
The US international has been compared to Christian Pulisic who also made the move from the States to Germany before attracting a lot of attention. According to the report, McKennie has had offers from England, Spain, France and rival Bundesliga clubs.
This season, the 21-year-old has contributed three goals and one assist in 32 total appearances (via Transfermarkt). He may not have the highest goal creation tally but his versatility makes up for that. The 21-year-old operates primarily as a central midfielder but has been known to play on the right and also drop back into a deeper holding role. McKennie has also made three appearances at centre-back for Schalke this term.
As analysed by football.london, the 6’foot powerhouse is successful in 10 out of 13 defensive actions attempted. He also averages 2.3 successful aerials per 90, which evidences his strong nature and ability to fend off opponents (via WhoScored).
Signing McKennie would be a smart bit of business from Chelsea as it looks almost certain they will part ways with defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante this summer. The Blues will need somebody of similar calibre to help support the defence.
Frank Lampard has been almost continuously rotating his choice of centre-backs this season, with Andreas Christensen looking to be the favoured choice since the restart. The Dane has started every single Premier League match since football resumed and has put in some impressive shifts.
Although he may have contributed to ten league wins this term, Christensen struggled against Sheffield United. The 24-year-old was hauled off at half-time after failing to make a single tackle, clearance or interception (via Sofascore). Adding a strong defensive midfielder to the ranks could help boost Christensen’s performances and tighten up an inconsistent defence.
After rising through the Chelsea ranks, the Denmark international deserves to be the club’s first choice and maybe a little bit of added help can help him keep his place on the team-sheet.
Do you think Chelsea should sign Weston McKennie, Blues? Join the conversation in the comments below…
The Gunners were coming off the back of last season with a Europa League final defeat to Chelsea, and missing out on a top-four spot by one point to bitter rivals Tottenham.
This, therefore, set the Arsenal squad and Unai Emery on a mission of redemption ahead of the 2019/20 season, which saw the North London outfit invest heavily in their defence during the 2019 summer transfer window, as well as breaking their transfer record on Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé.
After just three months into the season, however, Emery was sacked after failing to win a game for almost two months – and was eventually succeeded by former player Mikel Arteta less than a month later.
The club had a strong finish to the season, reaching the FA Cup final in which they will face city rivals Chelsea, but failed to climb their way up the table and finished in a measly 8th place.
Here, we will take a look at Arsenal’s season, with a FootballFanCast review…
Player of the Season – Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Ham United v Arsenal – London Stadium, London, Britain – December 9, 2019 Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative
The Gambian international was incredibly unlucky not to win the Golden Boots this season, finishing just one behind eventual winner Jamie Vardy despite scoring an impressive 22 goals.
The striker has been Arsenal’s go-to for goals since joining the club at the beginning of 2018 and has scored 22 goals in two consecutive seasons in the Premier League.
The 31-year-old is a massive influence on Arsenal’s attacking outlet, with a lot of their forward play being emulated through him – the Gunners will need to tie him down to a contract extension and Arteta could do with keeping hold of a player of his ability.
Goal of the Season – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang vs Man City, Jul 18th ’20
Soccer Football – FA Cup Semi Final – Arsenal v Manchester City – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – July 18, 2020 Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Justin Tallis/Pool via REUTERS
Initial thoughts went towards Alexandre Lacazette’s effort against rivals Tottenham on the 14th July – but this unbelievable team goal against that Manchester City side in an FA Cup final takes the pickings.
A total of 18 passes between ten different players, including a sumptuous first touch and pass wide to Bellerin from the aforementioned Frenchman, led to a fantastic cross towards City’s back post that was pocked in oh so acutely by Aubameyang – a goal fit for the start of Mikel Arteta’s reign at the club.
Breakthrough Player – Bukayo Saka
Soccer Football – Premier League – Southampton v Arsenal – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Britain – June 25, 2020 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates with Bukayo Saka after the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Mike Hewitt/Pool via REUTERS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No u
The Arsenal faithful would all agree, the fans of other clubs would all agree, even Saka himself would probably agree. There is no other player to take this accolade at Arsenal apart from him – the 18-year-old has been a breath of fresh air for the Gunners, and alongside Mikel Arteta, it seems like a match made in heaven.
Having played 26 games in seven different positions in the league this season, Saka is as versatile as you could ask – and his ability with the ball at his feet is as good as they come, especially for a player of his age.
The Gunners have made the right move too and tied the young England international down on a new ‘long-term’ contract, meaning the North London outfit have plenty more years to come watching this fantastic young talent.
Flop of the Season – David Luiz
The Brazilian defender signed for the club before the start of this season from city rivals Chelsea, for a fee of just under £8million.
It seemed at the time a smart piece of business from the club, an experienced head with years of experience at all levels of competitive football, but for some reason, it just hasn’t quite clicked for him yet.
The 33-year-old has made two errors that have led to goals in the league this campaign, as well as only managing a 57% tackle success rate.
Overall, it hasn’t quite been the debut season that many would have expected from Luiz, and there is hope that next season will be different for the Brazilian.
Defining Moment – FA Cup Semi-Final victory over Man City
If you were to say to Arsenal fans at the end of November that they could finish this season having won the FA Cup – they would have laughed in your face.
Since Arteta has come into the fold, there has been a real change in the belief and ability of this Arsenal squad, so much so that they pulled off a fantastic victory over Arteta’s former side Man City with a comfortable and professional 2-0 win.
This game alone could define the whole of the club’s season – initially many would feel that Arteta’s appointment defined the rest of their season, but to be in this position with the chance to win a trophy just seven months since he joined is phenomenal considering the state that this Arsenal team was in prior to Christmas.
Signing of the Season – Kieran Tierney
Soccer Football – Europa League – Group F – Arsenal v Vitoria S.C. – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – October 24, 2019 Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney applauds the fans after the match REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
The Scottish left-back joined the club during the Summer of 2019 for a fee of £25million, making him the most expensive Scottish footballer in history.
The 23-year-old has brought his determination and professionalism with him to the Emirates, with some Arsenal players even reportedly complaining about how intense the Scotsman trains.
He has been a welcome addition to the side and provides a fight and desire to win that the Gunners need desperately if they want to contend with Liverpool and Manchester City again. Tierney will likely be the club’s first-choice left-back from now on given that he is finally fully fit having experienced injury setbacks in his first half of the season at the club.
Hit Expectations? – NO
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Given the amount of investment into the side at the start of the season, as well as coming off of the back of a Europa League final and finishing just one point outside of the top four, there should have been hunger and desire for the Gunners to make the top four this season – as well as contending for a piece of silverware.
Although the club still has an FA Cup final to play – the sacking of Emery and poor finish in the league means the club would have nowhere near met their expectations for the campaign and will have time now to look towards the new season in September to right those wrongs.
Luton-born teenager Tyler Onyango is a life-long Everton fan that was scouted and signed by the club at the age of just eight. And even though he has been at the club for a really long time now and his talents were never really a big secret, he started to get everyone’s attention only in recent times.
The now 17-year-old midfielder is Kenyan but was born in England and has been long touted as one of the next big things to come out of the Blues’ academy. Even since his arrival, he was always among the best and most valued performers, clawing his way up the ladder and through the youth ranks with ease.
So much so that in October 2019, when he was aged only 16, Everton decided to fast-track and promote him to their U23 side and he made his grand debut in the Toffees’ 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the Premier League International Cup.
Still, the exceptional gem would first tally 16 appearances for the U18s before joining up with the older squad, tallying five goals and one assist there in the process as well. So far, he could also muster nine appearances for the U23 squad and has one assist under his belt along the way.
Needless to say, these are impressive stats for a young 17-year-old midfielder who’s mostly been playing with lads older than himself. But despite his obvious talent and quality even at such an early stage of his career, Onyango is still patiently waiting for his senior team call-up.
But with all the potential hiding behind the rough edges of the midfield gem, that should just be a matter of time by this point.
Transfer latest
Whenever there is an update on Onyango out there in the media, it’s almost always some really exciting Everton news for the fans. The youngster has been tipped for greatness on multiple different occasions and seems to be on the right path towards potential stardom in the not so distant future.
As of right now, there are no transfer rumours or transfer news that should be concerning the Toffees as Onyango doesn’t seem to be on the radar of other big teams that could potentially make a swoop for the young talent.
Both Paul Tait and David Unsworth heaped praise on him, highlighting his abilities and both his on and off the ball contributions to the team. With that in mind, his senior call-up should be just around the corner. If he can keep developing properly, that is.
Even though it’s really difficult to make such huge claims for a 17-year-old player, Onyango definitely seems like one of the stars in making and Everton should ensure his talents are further developed at Goodison Park and not somewhere else.
Only time will tell, however.
Player profile
The thing that stands out the most about the young midfielder is definitely his imposing physique and presence he brings onto the pitch. Standing at 6ft 3in, Onyango usually makes quick work of the opposition’s attackers, utilising both his great sense of positioning and pure physical strength to shrug them off the ball.
But it’s not just the things the does out of possession but also when he has the ball at his feet and Everton are on the attack. Even though it’s not always his primary task nor does he perform it brilliantly every game but the 17-year-old has the ability to receive in tight spaces, pass when under pressure and switch the play when necessary.
This makes him a great modern defensive midfielder in making and once these things get polished enough, he should be ready for his big step-up. With that being said, however, Onyango can and sometimes does struggle in tight spaces and when he’s not given the time and space he needs to do his thing.
At the moment, there’s still a long way for him to go but the foundations are certainly there and if he can work on his shortcomings while also highlighting his strengths, the future will certainly look bright for both him and the Toffees.
Wolves have taken to life in the Premier League very well, and continue to look a threat to most teams in the top flight.
Nuno Santo’s men have made their system work after romping home in the Championship last time out, and they are looking like being ready to make a fist at being a regular Premier League outfit for years to come.
Of course with becoming a top team comes expense, and Wolves will need to make sure they keep adding to their squad over time to continually improve the squad and show the fans they do indeed mean business when it comes to competing at the top level.
And one man we here in the Tavern feel would be a superb addition is Belgian midfielder Thorgan Hazard, who has quietly gone about his business over in Germany while brother Eden takes the main spotlight.
Hazard has been superb this term, knocking in 12 goals in all competitions while also adding some seven assists, and the £38m-rated star could fit in nicely at Wolves.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Hazard has developed his career well, and the time could be right to see him move back to England and prove himself at the highest level possible.
Wolves are a good fit, where expectation would not be too high, and he would no doubt be given the freedom to play under manager Santo, who is keen to encourage his players to do what they do best and express themselves.
While he will cost a fair amount, he still has his prime years ahead of him, and for Wolves, the signing of Hazard would send a big statement to the rest of the league.
Wolves fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
Aaronson could only watch on as Real snatched a last-minute win thanks to Bellingham's tap-in.
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Union Berlin beaten by MadridAaronson came on in second halfUSMNT man unable to influence match
Union Berlin made a strong impression in their first ever appearance in the Champions League, despite losing 1-0.
Coming up against the kings of the competition in the Santiago Bernabeu in their debut was a massive task, but the visitors held tight and came excruciatingly close to earning a point.
After handling the immense pressure from the Spanish side for 90 minutes, the visitors' hopes were destroyed by Jude Bellingham, whose wonderful start to life in Madrid continued with his sixth goal for the club right at the death.
The goal will come as a devastating blow to Union Berlin, who had done so well to keep the score level until stoppage time, but they can take a lot of pride from the performance.
Among those who dug in and came close to pulling off a historic upset was Aaronson, who came on in the second half and looked lively for the visitors, but it was not to be for the USMNT man and his co-stars.
GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Leeds loanee came on midway through the second half, replacing Aissa Laidouni. Aaronson almost got a sniff at goal when Berlin managed to whip it into the box in a rare venture forward, but Madrid managed to clear the danger.
Laidouni had been active for the visitors until his replacement, getting a decent amount of touches, though his passing was certainly not good enough. Aaronson, meanwhile, was lively as soon as he came on, always looking to rush forward but holding his position as his side tried to soak up the pressure from the dominant hosts.
He was energetic and moved into space to receive a pass as he looked to instigate an attack for Berlin, but there were not many forward options as Madrid marked the Berlin players well. The American appeared to have a chance of creating something outside of the home team's box but he fell under the challenge from Toni Kroos.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Considering the strength of the opponent, Aaronson looked bright for Berlin despite not being able to create any direct threat on Kepa Arrizabalaga's goal.
Given he has started just one of the five matches in which he has featured for the Bundesliga side, he will hope that he was lively and a positive enough figure to convince Urs Fischer to give him another chance in the first 11.
The pressure is on him to prove his worth in the German top-flight, especially after he was sent off with two yellow cards in just his second match of the season for Berlin.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
Aaronson came off the bench in both of the recent international friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman and he will be hoping to convince Gregg Berhalter that he is worthy of a chance in the starting XI for next month's matches against Germany and Ghana.
He showed some positive signs against a strong opponent but it will require consistency, a regular starting spot and a lot more strength on the ball if he is to succeed in his battle to become a key figure for the national team.
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GOAL'S RATINGS
Brenden Aaronson (6/10):
The 22-year-old tried his best to get on the ball in the 25 minutes or so that he was on the field. He tracked back, made himself available for passes and tried to move the ball on to boost Berlin's chances of threatening the Spanish giants before the game's heartbreaking conclusion.
Folarin Balogun was among those to pay the price for Monaco’s sloppy start against Lille, with the United States international hooked at half-time.
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Striker included from the offFailed to make an impactUnable to add to goal tallyWHAT HAPPENED?
The 22-year-old frontman was included from the off by Monaco boss Adi Hutter, but saw his afternoon cut short after just 45 minutes. That is because a forgettable performance saw the USMNT star struggle to make any kind of impact.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Monaco trailed by two goals at the break and the decision was taken to mix things up during the interval. Balogun was replaced by Myron Boadu, while former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino made way for Maghnes Akliouche.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hutter saw his side dominate for long periods against Lille, with 16 efforts on goal fired in compared to seven from the hosts. Monaco were unable to find the back of the net, though, with Balogun drawing a blank alongside his attacking colleagues.
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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Balogun has registered two goals through seven appearances for Monaco following his summer transfer from Arsenal, but faces fierce competition for places when it comes to starting berths and will need to raise his game in order to nail down a place in Hutter’s plans.
Sergino Dest has had a “busy” few days after leaving Barcelona, with the USMNT star explaining why he has chosen to link up with PSV.
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Defender bid farewell to Camp NouReturned to the NetherlandsAlready involved in European competitionWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international defender finds himself back in the Netherlands – the country of his birth – after agreeing a season-long loan switch to Eindhoven. The former Ajax star has bid farewell to Catalunya after struggling to prove his worth at Camp Nou.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Dest was handed an immediate debut by PSV in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying clash with Scottish giants and, after helping them to a 2-2 draw at Ibrox, is happy to be playing football again. Dest has said of returning to the Eredivisie: “I want to play more, develop myself and get better. Sometimes you have to make certain decisions in your career. PSV gave me the best feeling. We can definitely become champions of the Netherlands and we know that we have to win next week. because everyone wants to play in the Champions League.”
AND WHAT'S MORE
Dest was thrown in at the deep end by PSV against Rangers, with the 22-year-old full-back being given little time in which to adjust to life in new surroundings. He has no complaints, though, and added on being rushed into competitive action: “We were unfortunate not to get the win against Rangers, but I am confident we will get the victory we need in the home game. It was a busy time for me, but that is what modern football is all about. I would have preferred to have a little more time so I could have adapted quicker. Usually when you join a club as big as PSV the day before the game you don't go straight into the match of this importance. But I was grateful for the opportunity.”
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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Dest has taken in 72 appearances for La Liga giants Barcelona, but he struggled to nail down a regular starting berth across two seasons with the Blaugrana and spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Serie A heavyweights AC Milan.
GOAL asked the AI to choose the best United States Women's national team XI of all-time – from Abby Wambach to Joy Fawcett, here's the results!
Have you ever thought of picking the all-time best XI for the USWNT? Well, ChatGPT is here to help! GOAL asked the artificial intelligence chatbot that the world is talking about to come up with a combined XI featuring the greatest players to have ever played for the U.S. Women's national team.
Did the AI chatbot include your favorites?
Let's start with the query we put to ChatGPT. We asked, to begin with: "Which eleven players would ChatGPT select for the best all-time women's United States national team for soccer?" We also asked the AI to select the manager that would take charge of the best XI.
Check out the full ChatGPT XI below and let us know what you think in the comments section!
Getty ImagesHope Solo – Goalkeeper
USWNT career: 2000-2016
Total USWNT caps: 202
AdvertisementGetty ImagesJoy Fawcett – Defender
USWNT career: 1987-2004
Total USWNT caps: 241
Total USWNT goals:27
Getty ImagesBrandi Chastain – Defender
USWNT career: 1988-2004
Total USWNT caps: 192
Total USWNT goals:30
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has some selection decisions to make ahead of facing PSV in the Europa League.
Arsenal return to Europa League action on Thursday night knowing that victory against PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium will guarantee them qualification through to the knockout stages with two games remaining.
The Gunners go into the match sitting two points clear at the top of Group A, having won each of their first three group stage fixtures.
So how are Mikel Arteta’s side shaping up ahead of Thursday night’s clash? GOAL takes a look.
Getty ImagesArsenal team news
Oleksandr Zinchenko will miss out once again for Arsenal.
The Ukraine international hasn’t featured since the north London derby win against Tottenham on October 1.
He is still struggling with a calf injury and has not yet returned to training with Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Gabriel Martinelli also sat out Arsenal’s final training session on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the PSV game.
Like Zinchenko, the Brazil winger has also been struggling with a slight calf issue, but he has also not been feeling well this week.
Arsenal will make a late call on his availability on Thursday.
Long-term absentees Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remain on the sidelines.
AdvertisementGettyTalking point
All eyes will be on Cody Gakpo on Thursday when the PSV winger steps out at the Emirates.
Several Premier League clubs were linked with the 23-year-old during the summer, including Arsenal, and it feels like a matter of time before he makes the move to England.
Southampton had agreed a fee with PSV for the Dutch international, only for the Dutch outfit to pull out of talks in favour of keeping him for another year.
So far this season he has 14 goals in 20 appearances for club and country and he will be desperate to add to that tally on Thursday night.
GettyKey man
If he starts, it has to be Bukayo Saka.
The Arsenal star has found his best form in recent weeks after a slightly slow start to the season.
In seven days last week he scored the winning goal in three different games, including the Europa League game at Bodo/Glimt.
No matter what competition he plays in, Saka continues to step up for Arsenal.
And he will be looking to do that again on Thursday night when PSV visit the Emirates.
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Getty Images What has Arteta said?
Speaking ahead of Thursday night’s match, Arteta said it was vital that his side consolidated their position at the top of the table in Group A and open up a five-point gap over PSV ahead of next week's return game in Holland.
"Really important," said the Arsenal boss. "In Europe when you have the chance to take an advantage you have to do it because it’s always very unpredictable what can happen in the next game.
"Having watched them [PSV], what they are doing domestically and internationally is top notch."