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Sunderland are likely to miss out on the boat of automatic promotion up to the Premier League, but Regis Le Bris’ first season at the Black Cats helm will still be seen as a success at this point in time.

The Wearside outfit are very much comfortable occupying a playoff spot in the Championship, with the Frenchman on course to steer his high flyers to their 20th league win of the season if Sunderland can get the better of Preston North End on their own patch.

To pick up another three points, Le Bris will know he needs his main marksman Wilson Isidor to be firing on all cylinders, with the 24-year-old a revelation up top.

Isidor's heroics for Sunderland this season

There would have been a worry in the air when Isidor initially entered the building on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg, with Sunderland falling victim to a number of goal-shy centre-forwards last campaign in the form of Nazariy Rusyn and Mason Burstow.

However, there didn’t need to be such concern over the Black Cats’ left-field buys this time around, with Isidor proving himself to be a reliable source of impressive strikes in the second tier since joining.

Sunderland even forked out £3m in the last transfer window to make Isidor’s stay permanent, with the Frenchman repaying his team’s faith with excellent goals such as the one against Leeds United in February.

During that clash, Sky Sports journalist Dougie Critchley referred to the 6 foot 1 attacker as a “one-man machine” for the ease at which he shrugged off Ethan Ampadu to then fire home.

In total, Isidor finds himself on 12 goals and two assists in Championship action, with a hope on the Frenchman’s end that he is Premier League-bound very soon.

But, the promotion candidates might well have saved themselves some hassle if they’d kept a firmer grip on their former striker who left the Stadium of Light in 2019 in premature fashion.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse Sunderland's "special" academy star now better than Isidor

It’s well known to many now that Sunderland have a reputation for producing some top-quality youngsters, with the current crop at Le Bris’ disposal boasting the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, among other standout names.

But, it might be forgotten that Josh Maja’s first big break in the senior game came on Wearside, with the wide-eyed starlet an instant hit in the first team picture when given a shot.

Yet, as Sunderland are all too aware of when it comes to Bellingham and Co in the here and now, it’s hard to keep their best prospects around after they’ve exploded into life, with Maja’s electric return of 17 goals from 49 first team appearances piquing Bordeaux’s interest.

Bordeaux eventually won their man for £3.5m, and whilst the now 26-year-old’s playing days haven’t always been smooth sailing since exiting Sunderland owing to injury concerns, he is still very much a goal machine when at the peak of his powers. That has been seen this season when lining up for the Black Cats’ promotion foes in West Bromwich Albion.

Maja vs Isidior in 2024/25

Stat

Maja

Isidor

Games played

26

33

Goals scored

12

12

Assists

2

2

Shots per 90

1.8

2.3

Scoring frequency

173 mins

207 mins

Big chances created

6

8

Big chances missed

10

16

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, Maja has been even more clinical than Isidor this season arguably, with fewer big chances missed and a faster goalscoring frequency than his Sunderland counterpart on display.

The “special” attacker – as he was labelled by Carlos Corberan earlier this campaign – is currently sidelined with another injury issue, but he might well end up firing the Baggies to promotion if he can recapture his form back at full fitness, with his deadliness in-front of goal reportedly making him a £15m target for some Premier League sides.

Ultimately, Sunderland will regret not being able to keep Maja around for longer, but Le Bris will just pray Isidor has enough in the tank to guide his team up to the top-flight over Tony Mowbray’s challengers.

Related Sunderland chiefs eyeing move to sign "exceptional" in-demand £10m teenager

Sunderland could make a statement at the Stadium of Light this summer.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Mar 7, 2025

حقق فريق بيراميدز، فوزًا تاريخيًا على منافسه صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي انتهت منذ قليل ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، ليتوج باللقب الأول له على المستوى القاري.

والتقى بيراميدز مع ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، ضمن إياب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي.

وأحرز فيستون مايلي هدف بيراميدز الأول في الدقيقة 23 من عمر الشوط الأول، بتسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يعلن سداد مستحقات ياسر حمد ويخطر فيفا لرفع إيقاف القيد

وجاء هدف بيراميدز الثاني في الدقيقة 56 من عمر الشوط الثاني، بعد عرضية من محمد الشيبي قابلها أحمد سامي برأسية سكنت الشباك.

وقلص فريق صن داونز الفارق في الدقيقة 75 عن طريق إكرام راينرز، بعد كرة عرضية أبعدها أحمد سامي بشكل خاطئ، فتابعها راينرز بتسديدة سكنت المرمى.

وتأهل بيراميدز إلى نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد الفوز على أورلاندو بايرتس الجنوب إفريقي، بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب لدور نصف النهائي.

ويعد لقب بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا هو أول لقب قاري لفريق بيراميدز في سجلات البطولات الإفريقية لديه.

ويعد بيراميدز من الأندية حديثة العهد في الكرة المصرية، حيث تأسس تحت اسم “الأسيوطي” عام 2008، قبل أن يتحول إلى بيراميدز عام 2018، بعدما اشتراه المستشار السعودي تركي آل الشيخ، ومنذ ذلك الوقت استطاع تحقيق نتائج قوية جعلته أحد الأضلاع الرئيسية في مصر، إلى جوار الأهلي والزمالك، ولم يحقق سوى بطولة واحدة في تاريخه، حيث توج بكأس مصر في الموسم الماضي على حساب زد، علمًا بأن ملكية النادي السماوي انتقلت من تركي آل الشيخ إلى الإماراتي سالم الشمسي، بعد عام واحد من شراء المستشار السعودي للنادي. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز وصن داونز في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

Ruturaj Gaikwad is “waiting for the moment” that Chennai Super Kings return to Chepauk, which is the ground where “it all started” for him.Since Covid-19 hit, the IPL has had to adapt and make do without its usual home-and-away format. In 2020, it took place behind closed doors in the UAE. In 2021, it had to be suspended midway and then shifted overseas. In 2022, all 74 matches were held in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Next year, the BCCI believes the tournament will go back to normal, which means the Super Kings will once again be back at their fortress.Related

• Chennai joins the Sanju Samson fan club

• Thakur: India are looking at me for all three formats

• Ganguly: IPL to return to pre-Covid home and away format in 2023

• 'Rushed' Gaikwad finds his red-ball rhythm to score a fine century

Gaikwad has been in Chennai over the last week or so, playing for India A against New Zealand A. While he has been part of the Super Kings side since 2019, he made his debut only in 2020 and has never had the experience of playing in front of the Chepauk crowd in the yellow jersey.”I had seen the atmosphere, I had seen the electrifying noise. I have experienced everything. So, obviously that was going on in mind when I would practise for two days [with India A in Chennai],” Gaikwad said in a video for the Super Kings website. “I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment. But the first time when I played here was actually special because I feel this is the place where I started my journey. Coming to CSK and getting to learn a lot of things, getting to know the first experience of what it is at the higher level. So this is the place where it all started.”Beyond the fanfare that greets the Super Kings at Chepauk, the ground has played a significant role in the team becoming one of the best in the IPL. Super Kings sides over the years have been built to exploit the spin-friendly pitches here and they’ll be looking forward to that bit of home advantage when the league kicks off again. Plus there’s a small matter of a big farewell (potentially). In 2021, MS Dhoni said he hopes to finish his career at Chepauk.Shardul Thakur got four wickets in the first one-dayer•PTI

Shardul Thakur, who was also part of the India A series, was hit by nostalgia too. Having represented the Super Kings for four seasons, the fast bowler was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 auction. He was a vital cog in the CSK set-up and signed off his stint as their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021.”It feels really great, I mean, the moment I entered the stadium, it felt all nostalgic,” Thakur said. “Yes, I have had my times with CSK, I have played a few games here, but even before that, I have played Ranji [Trophy] games. 2010 was my first game here in Chepauk. The stadium and the ground have changed a lot since then but I would say the weather is still the same. [It’s an] amazing experience, I would always look forward to playing in Chepauk whenever there is an opportunity.”The Chennai crowd really got behind the India A team too. If the first one-dayer had 200-odd spectators, it only grew, in both numbers and noise, until roughly 2,000 people were on hand to watch the home side produce a 3-0 sweep. They cheered especially loudly every time Thakur ran in and pick up a wicket. Chants of “CSK, CSK” rang around the stadium whenever Gaikwad produced a good piece of fielding or whenever he hit those pleasing cover drives.Both players have been in good nick recently with Thakur claiming a four-wicket haul in the first one-dayer against New Zealand A and Gaikwad racking up 108 and 94 against the same opponent in an unofficial Test.”Obviously, I have known him for quite a few years,” Thakur said of Gaikwad. “I actually remember someone telling me about him in 2017. Then, I saw him doing well in the domestic circuit and then India A, and then he came into the CSK set-up. Seeing him do so well, and when he got his real opportunity, I mean when he played a full season in the IPL, he straightaway made a mark [scoring 635 runs in 16 innings]. He had played a few games in 2020 but he played a couple of games in the middle order and opened in one of the games.”It was not a very kind stint towards him. But, in 2021, he made a mark from game one till the finals. He was the top performer of CSK, and he actually delivered to everyone’s expectations. It’s good to see when a youngster comes and delivers for the team and straightaway makes the mark in lifting the trophy I’d say – not only in the league phase or knockouts but to lift the trophy.”

The January transfer window officially slams shut on Monday of next week and Everton manager David Moyes could look to bolster his squad before the deadline.

He came in to replace Sean Dyche in the Goodison Park dugout earlier this month and has won two of his three Premier League matches in charge so far, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Scottish boss, who is in his second spell at the club, is yet to make his first splash in the market since making his return to Merseyside, but still has a few days left to do so.

In fact, the Toffees are reportedly looking to bolster their squad before the end of the window and they have a Premier League player in their sights.

Everton's interest in Premier League defender

According to Turkish outlet Star, Everton are one of the teams plotting a deal to sign Kyle Walker-Peters from relegation-threatened Southampton.

Transfer Focus

Expand Collapse

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and the Star claims that the English right-back does not want to stay at St. Mary’s beyond the end of that deal.

It states that the Toffees are already in contact over a possible swoop for the former Tottenham Hotspur man, who would be available on a free transfer in the summer.

The report claims that Super Lig side Galatasaray are also interested in the defender and have already submitted an offer to sign him for a fee of £5m.

This suggests that Everton may have to push to sign the 27-year-old star in the current window, to avoid losing out to the Turkish giants, and they should do exactly that because he could come in as a big upgrade on Ashley Young.

Why Walker-Peters is an upgrade on Young

The Southampton defender, who can operate at right-back or left-back, has been a star for the strugglers in the Premier League this season, after he created 12 ‘big chances’ in 43 outings in the Championship during their promotion campaign last term.

Young has started 17 of his 19 appearances in the top-flight for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign and the former England international turns 40 in the summer.

Everton and Moyes could land his long-term successor by signing Walker-Peters, who is 12 years younger, either this month or in the summer window on a free transfer.

24/25 Premier League

Walker-Peters

Young

Appearances

21

19

Big chances created

4

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

0.2

Assists

2

3

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

0.9x

Duels won per game

4.4

3.8

Possession lost per game

9.9x

12.9x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Saints full-back has outperformed Young in a host of defensive and attacking metrics, despite playing for a team that has amassed just six points.

Walker-Peters, who was described as a “beautiful” footballer by ex-boss Russell Martin, has the dynamism and ability to offer more in transition, as shown by his dribbling numbers, whilst also being harder for opposition players to get past.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jan 28, 2025

He could come in as a big upgrade on Young, by winning more duels and being dribbled past less frequently, whilst also providing more quality offensively and as a ball carrier, which is why Moyes should push to bring him in as soon as possible.

قرر وائل القباني، مدير الكرة بنادي الزمالك، بالتنسيق مع أيمن الرمادي المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم، إحالة محمد عواد حارس مرمى الفريق إلى التحقيق أمام الشؤون القانونية بالنادي.

وبحسب المركز الإعلامي لنادي الزمالك، فإن وائل القباني قرر إحالة الحارس محمد عواد للتحقيق، على خلفية التصرفات التي صدرت منه خلال مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا الأخيرة في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع أيضًا | الزمالك يُعلن حضور زيزو لجلسة التحقيق في مقر النادي

ومن المنتظر أن تُتخذ القرارات المناسبة بحق اللاعب بعد الاطلاع على نتائج التحقيق، وفقًا للوائح المعمول بها داخل النادي.

وفي السياق ذاته، وجه القباني لفت نظر للحارس محمد صبحي بسبب تصرفه خلال المباراة، حيث أكد اللاعب خلال جلسة الحديث معه أن رد فعله جاء نتيجة شعوره بالضيق بعد الإصابة، مشددًا على احترامه الكامل للنادي.

وتأتي هذه الخطوات ضمن سياسة الجهازين الفني والإداري بفرض حالة من الانضباط والالتزام داخل صفوف الفريق، خاصة بعد انتشار مقطع فيديو يظهر إلقاء محمد صبحي قميصه عقب خروجه مصابًا، فيما أشارت تقارير إلى أن قرار إحالة محمد عواد للتحقيق جاء نتيجة رفضه المشاركة أثناء المباراة وتعامل غير لائق مع مدرب الحراس عماد المندوه.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer delivered a hilarious "just a Sunday League player" response to claims that his dad taught him everything he knows.

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Manchester native showed early potentialLeft City for Stamford Bridge in 2023Now an award-winning England internationalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In his early years, Palmer spent many happy hours working with his father in their family garden. It was there that he honed the skills that would one day make him a Premier League hero and senior England international.

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Natural ability obviously played a part, with the Manchester native showing enough potential to join the academy ranks at City from Under-8 level. He went on to take in 41 appearances under Pep Guardiola, before heading to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

DID YOU KNOW?

Palmer has become a talismanic presence in west London, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in his debut campaign, and the plan is – at just 22 years of age – to take his game to even greater heights.

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WHAT COLE PALMER SAID

While enjoying another kickabout with his father, smirking Palmer said on the ‘The New Generation’ documentary series from Amazon Prime after learning that his dad was claiming to have taught him how to become a star: "Nah, he did teach me but… he’s just a Sunday League player, it’s not like he was good."

Bayern Munich could recall Mathys Tel from his loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

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• Tel could return to Bayern in the summer
• Bayern planning to recall all of their loanees before Club World Cup
• Tel joined Spurs on loan on deadline day

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mathys Tel completed a dramatic transfer deadline-day loan move to Tottenham Hotspur in the January window after he initially rejected their permanent transfer offer. The deal between Bayern and the Spurs, however, had a purchase option set at €55million (£45.7m; $56.9m).

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  reports that Tel could be on his way back to Munich in the summer as the Bavarian club are considering calling back all the players who are out on loan ahead of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in the US. Tel's current contract with the North London club expires on June 30, but FIFA has opened up a new transfer window between June 1 and June 10, when Bayern can terminate their existing agreement with the English team and bring back the Frenchman.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since moving to England, Tel has appeared in seven matches across all competitions, where he has scored one goal. His only strike was in the club's 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Vincent Kompany's side, for now, will aim to win both the Bundesliga and the Champions League titles in the 2024-25 campaign. They will be next seen in action on Saturday as they host FC St. Pauli in a league clash.

Former India head coach agrees with Daniel Vettori that Kohli is coping with captaincy withdrawal

Nagraj Gollapudi19-May-20226:02

Shastri: Difficult for an all-format player to maintain form, hunger and passion

Ravi Shastri and Daniel Vettori believe that Virat Kohli needs a break, not because of his batting form, but to recharge himself mentally.Both ESPNcricinfo experts agree that having been “consumed” for seven years leading India and also being their best batter for several years across all formats, Kohli is still coming to terms with transitioning into the background as one of the players.Vettori and Shastri were reacting to Kohli’s statement about him intending to talk to the Indian team management, led by head coach Rahul Dravid, about taking a break in the near future and why he felt that was a “healthy” option. Kohli made those remarks in his chat with Star Sports, which was aired on Thursday.In the chat, Kohli also spoke to former India team-mate Harbhajan Singh. Kohli said he was going through one of the “happy” phases of his career and was totally unperturbed by his batting struggles, which has seen him clock three golden ducks this IPL and not score a century since November 2019. Kohli stressed there was nothing wrong with his batting, but he was keen to take a break to refresh himself.Vettori, who worked with Kohli for several years while serving as head coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore, said the senior Indian batter might be experiencing withdrawal symptoms from captaincy.”I don’t associate his lack of form with a mental break,” Vettori said on the T20 Time Out on Thursday. “He is working hard and he knows exactly what he needs to do with his game. We underestimate how consuming captaincy is and for a player who was seven years in the job, in all three formats, who meant so much to the team from a batting perspective, from an emotional perspective, from the leadership perspective and the captaincy. That’s overwhelming.”Vettori, himself a former international captain for New Zealand, admitted he “hated” being at the helm as it was a 24×7 job.”You don’t realise how consuming it is when you are in it and as soon as you are out of it, it almost estranges you completely,” Vettori said. “You are gone from talking to Ravi 24×7 to potentially no one consulting for a lot of things. So you actually get left in the background a little bit because the team moves on and the captain-coach relationship starts again with other people. So it’s a funny time.”A break could be the best thing, who knows, but Virat knows himself so well that he’ll understand exactly what he requires and what he needs to get himself back to his best.”Shastri, who was the head coach for the majority of Kohli’s captaincy reign, which ended earlier this year, agreed completely with Vettori.Virat Kohli has not scored a century in any format since November 2019•BCCI”The fact that suddenly there is no one asking him for a press conference, who should play, who should not play, this time is the team meeting, you got to be there. You suddenly go to the other end of the spectrum, so it is very difficult to handle that for any human being, leave alone Virat Kohli.”So, it’s not a question of him batting badly. He must be ticking all the boxes in the nets, striking it beautifully. (But) mental fatigue creeps in, that’s the time you need a little bit of a break to just rejuvenate, to recharge the batteries and come back refreshed. It’s not a break because of form like Danny mentioned. It’s nothing to do with it. It’s just that little bit of overload that he’s had over the last few years – for that reason give him a break.”Shastri reckoned it would not surprise him if the Indian selectors were to rest senior players like Kohli, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and few other all-format players for the five-match T20I series at home against South Africa in June, only to have them fresh for the England tour comprising a one-off Test and a six-match white ball series.Shastri agreed that players like Kohli would do well and need such short breaks more frequently to keep “optimum form.””Absolutely no question about it,” Shastri said when asked if managing the workloads of key senior players was necessary. “Very difficult for a player to maintain optimum form, hunger, that passion if you are going to play all three formats constantly. And he is the one player amongst all Indian players who has done exactly that.”

Manchester United are already planning ahead for the upcoming transfer window and are now keen to add yet more bite to their side with a move for a tough-tackling star.

Amorim draws first game at Manchester United

After only an international break to get his side ready, United were held to a 1-1 draw by Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town at Portman Road in Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge.

The Red Devils got off to a perfect start when Marcus Rashford opened the scoring within two minutes, but it was the hosts who were the better outfit from that side, and they deservedly equalised just before half-time via a deflected Omari Hutchinson effort.

With neither side able to find a winner in a low-key second half, Amorim was forced to settle for a point to kickstart his Premier League career in charge of the Old Trafford side.

“I know it is frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games,” Amorim explained after the match. “We are going to suffer for a long period. We will try to win games, but this will take time.

“We have to risk it a little bit [now] and in the next year we will be better [otherwise] next year at the same stage we will be here with the same problems.”

The Red Devils now face a favourable run of fixtures in which Amorim will be hoping to implement his ideas more effectively, while they will be looking to string together a run of form to propel them up the Premier League table.

Opponent

Competition

Bodo/Glimt (Away)

Europa League

Everton (Home)

Premier League

Arsenal (Away)

Premier League

Nottingham Forest (Home)

Premier League

Viktoria Plzen (Away)

Europa League

But signings will also be needed to make Manchester United competitive at the top once more, and they are eyeing up another big signing in the months ahead.

Manchester United want to sign "tough tackler" Amorim loves

That comes as CaughtOffside reports that Ruben Amorim has made “some contact” with defender Ousmane Diomande as he looks to raid Sporting for some of his former stars.

The 20-year-old defender is considered among the brightest young talents in Europe, and it is added that “the Portuguese tactician is keen to work with him again” at OId Trafford.

He has been dubbed a “class act” on X by U23 Football Scout Antonio Mango, who added: “Aggressive, tough-tackling, comfortable with the ball at his feet, progressive in possession… all the hallmarks for a modern-day defender.”

Forget Garnacho: Amorim has already found his new starboy at Man Utd

Ruben Amorim started his Manchester United tenure with a draw against Ipswich yesterday.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 25, 2024

Though there is plenty of interest elsewhere in the Ivorian defender, the report claims “it’s now felt that Amorim’s presence at Man Utd will put them in pole position” to sign him should they stump up the cash.

That could be problematic, with Diomande having a £66.7m release clause in his contract and still having two and a half years to run on his £24,000-a-week deal in Portugal, meaning that Sporting are under little pressure to sell immediately.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils have already signed several defenders in recent seasons and are in need of strengthening in other areas, which a large outlay on Diomande may well impact.

Manchester City’s academy has produced some fantastic players over the years. Some of those are members of Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

Of course, Phil Foden is the most prominent of those, and he has become one of the best players in the Premier League, having been named the PFA Player of the Year last season. The likes of Rico Lewis and James McAtee are also playing for City’s first-team, with Lewis especially a key player.

However, Cityzens academy graduates also go on to have good careers away from the club. Morgan Rogers is a prime example of this, and he is thriving under Unai Emery at Aston Villa. However, perhaps the best City academy star who is now shining at another club is Cole Palmer.

Palmer’s City career

Palmer’s rise over the last 18 months or so has been absolutely phenomenal. At present, there is arguably “no better player in the Premier League”, according to pundit Jamie Carragher, while he is also now an important player for England, scoring in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.

He did not really get the chance to show what he could do during his time at the Etihad Stadium. After graduating from the academy of the club for at under-18s and under-23s level, the 22-year-old managed just 41 appearances for the club in total.

Palmer scored six times and grabbed two assists, including a strike in the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield against Arsenal.

He left the club to join Chelsea in September 2023 for a fee of £42.5m, and the attacker has been simply sensational at Stamford Bridge. Palmer has scored 32 goals and grabbed 20 assists in just 59 games for the Blues so far.

Last season, he managed 33 goals and assists in as many Premier League games, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Guardiola admitted that he wanted Palmer to stay at the club last season, but could not convince the talented winger to remain at the club. He was full of praise for the City academy graduate, calling him “an incredible threat” before the FA Cup semi-final between City and Chelsea last term.

Looking back on it, selling Palmer certainly seems like a blunder by City. However, given the attacking talent City have, the likes of Foden for example, it might not be too costly. There was another former player who they may regret selling more, especially given the issues in the side this season.

The former player City may regret selling

The player in question here is Spanish right-back Pedro Porro. The 25-year-old joined the Cityzens in 2019 for a fee in the region of £5.5m from Girona. However, he never played for the club and made a move to Sporting after a loan spell at Real Valladolid.

He spent a year on loan in Portugal before joining the club permanently, costing just £7.2m, and thrived in Lisbon. In 98 games for the club, he scored 12 goals and grabbed 20 assists. Tottenham Hotspur signed him in the 2023 winter window, on a loan deal with an obligation to buy him for £39m.

The Spaniard has dazzled for the Lilywhites so far, playing 68 times for the club. He has scored nine goals and grabbed 12 assists, with one of the goals coming away to the Cityzens, in Spurs’ recent 4-1 thrashing of the Premier League champions.

City could certainly have done with Porro this season. They are having issues at right-back, with Kyle Walker looking a shadow of his former self. In fact, as the stats from Squawka show, the Spaniard is bettering the City number two in several key metrics.

That includes the number of chances created per 90 minutes, with 1.7 compared to one, and the number of duels won per game, with 3.9 to Walker’s 3.3. As football statistician Statman Dave described him, Porro is a “complete” player.

Stat (per 90)

Porro

Walker

Chances created

1.7

1

Take-ons completed

0.4

0.2

Duels won

3.9

3.3

Ground duels won

3.6

2.5

Clearances

2.3

0.7

Interceptions

1.3

0.5

Ball recoveries

5.2

4.7

Looking back on the deal to sell Porro to Sporting in the first place, it might be one City regret more than the decision to let Palmer go. Whilst they have plenty of competition in those attacking areas, the Cityzens are short of numbers defensively, and given Walker’s performances this season, could have done with reinforcements.

Guardiola may well wish he had Porro available to him now because his fellow Spaniard could have been incredibly useful to help fix what has been a poor season so far.

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