Gossip: Saints duo set to head overseas
Southampton have agreed terms for striker Paul Onuachu, 31, to join Trabzonspor, ending his two-and-a-half year stay at St Mary's. (Sky Sports)
Atalanta have also agreed an £18.3m (€21.5m) deal with the Saints for Kamaldeen Sulemana. (Sky Sports)
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New York Times
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- New York Times
Club World Cup odds: Manchester City move up to become favourite after dominant group play
A divisive Club World Club has seen smaller crowds than might have been expected as a result of a heady mix of dynamic pricing and oversized stadia. Some of the star names have not been involved, and the European teams, in particular, seem exhausted after a long and gruelling campaign. The end is in sight, however, as the tournament reaches the knockout stages. Advertisement Manchester City, perhaps unsurprisingly, are favourites to lift the trophy on Betfair. After a disappointing campaign that saw Pep Guardiola's team uncharacteristically fail to pick up a single piece of silverware, these City players will be determined to prove that was a mere blip. The manager has fielded 25 different players thus far and has been rewarded with goals from all over the pitch. City have waltzed through the competition thus far and did not even concede a goal until an impressive 5-2 victory over Juventus. Al-Hilal are up next and should pose no great threat to a team that, prior to the season just gone, won four successive Premier League titles. They have missed Rodri, who played 125 minutes in group play, but it's not hard to see why the bookmakers still believe Guardiola's side is the one to beat. Paris Saint-Germain are second favourites to go all the way after an extraordinary season that saw them dominate the Champions League like few teams have managed in the modern era. They began the CWC with an excellent 4-0 trouncing of Atletico Madrid before a surprising 1-0 loss to Botafogo. The French giants were back on track with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders that sets up a round of 16 clash against Inter Miami and a certain Lionel Messi. Messi will come up against his former employers retaining his remarkable record of having never been eliminated at the group stage of a tournament for club or country in 21 years and 33 separate group stages. PSG will surely have too much for Miami as they look to become club champions of the world as well as Europe. Real Madrid are third favourites after a disappointing season by their own impeccably high standards. Carlo Ancelotti's side were runners up in the league and Copa del Rey, losing out to arch rivals Barcelona in both competitions in a turn of events that would have stung players and fans alike. Their clash with Juventus in the last 16 could be an epic with these two European heavyweights looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons. Advertisement The bookmakers are of the belief that Bayern Munich are the fourth most likely team to emerge triumphant in the United States. They started out with a stunning 10-0 win over Auckland City before an edgier 2-1 defeat of Boca Juniors followed by a shock defeat at the hands of Benfica. By way of mitigation, though, Vincent Kompany did rest several key men for the Benfica match and one senses it would have been a different story with a full-strength team on the pitch. Harry Kane finally got over the line and won a trophy when Bayern secured the Bundesliga, and he will be eager to double his haul. He was not involved against Benfica, but the England man will surely play a major role in the knockout stages. It seems likely Munich, like the other big hitters in the competition, will be taking no chances with team selections going forward. Chelsea are not short odds to go the distance, but the bookmakers are not ruling them out of contention entirely. It was a strange first season for Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, but they were ultimately good enough to qualify for the Champions League and win the Europa Conference League. The manager has fielded a plethora of different players across the CWC so far, one advantage of such a massive squad. Maresca's side won twice in the group stage but suffered a defeat when they came up against Brazilian giants Flamengo. Benfica are up next, and the Blues will have to do without the services of the suspended Nicolas Jackson. Finally, Inter Milan are not dissimilar odds to Chelsea when it comes to securing the crown. This seems pretty unfair on a side that has reached two Champions League finals in the last three seasons, thus showing know-how when it comes to knock-out competition when faced with the world's very best teams. They started this tournament slowly (with a 1-1 draw against Monterrey), but so often that seems to presage a team going all the way. Advertisement The Italian giants have been without several big names, including defenders Yann Bisseck and Benjamin Pavard, while new manager Cristian Chivu experiments with his options. Marcus Thuram picked up an injury in that draw with Monterrey, so it will be an unusual team that takes on Fluminense at the start of the week. While European clubs take up the top six spots in the odds, clubs from outside Europe occupy the bottom four spots. The longest odds belong to Messi's Inter Miami. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Savinho and Phil Foden: Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
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Why Newcastle want Anthony Elanga: Rapid dribbling, decision-making at pace and crossing with either foot
An important question asked during recruitment is how the profile of the player fits the team. Quality and output aren't the only measurements. How the player fits the team's style and principles is as important. Even when targeting a set of players who play in the same position, understanding their profile is vital because one player could be totally different from another. Advertisement For the last year, Newcastle United have been searching for a right-winger and that search has continued this summer, even after Jacob Murphy's excellent displays. Eddie Howe already wanted another option on the right flank following Miguel Almiron's departure in January. The additional Champions League fixtures coming next season mean a right-winger has become a necessity. This week, Newcastle had a bid of approximately £45million ($62m) for Anthony Elanga rejected by Nottingham Forest. He is a logical target, registering six goals and 11 assists to help Forest finish seventh in the Premier League and reach Europe for the first time in 30 years. The 23-year-old's output and impressive displays encouraged Newcastle to return for the Sweden winger after a failed move last summer. Elanga's profile is interesting because of how it could translate to this version of Newcastle. The right-winger can play on either flank, has shown defensive discipline under Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, and has the pace and ball-carrying ability to be a menace on attacking transitions. Under Howe, Newcastle have been a team who thrive on the transition, with the physicality of their midfielders and the speed of their front line essential. The data illustrates their focus on getting the ball forward. 'Direct attacks' are defined as possessions that start in a team's own half and result in a shot or a touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — in other words, a counter-attack. Newcastle's rate of 3.9 direct attacks per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season was only second to Liverpool, and was the team's highest rate under Howe. Newcastle's tendency to attack quickly on the transition plays to Elanga's strengths. The right-winger's ability to dribble at a high speed while making wise decisions makes him a threat when his team wins the ball and attacks an unstructured defence. Elanga's prowess on the transition was visible in Forest's winner against Manchester United in April, when he collected Ryan Yates' clearance and carried the ball forward from his own half and score past Andre Onana. Anthony Elanga's sensational goal against Manchester United is up for the @PremierLeague Goal of the Month award. 👏 Vote below. ⬇️ — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 1, 2025 If you watch the goal again, you can spot Elanga using both feet to dribble forward. When he is near the opponent's penalty area, Elanga pushes the ball with his right foot… … and because he is proficient in using the left, he can quickly strike the ball into the bottom corner without needing to adjust his body shape. In another example, from the 7-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in February, Forest are attacking on the transition and Elanga uses his left foot to dribble past Lewis Dunk… … before using the right on the next action. This allows Elanga to carry the ball faster — using the same foot twice would have delayed him for a fraction of a second. Elanga's pace and comfort with both feet allow him to speed past Dunk… … and set up Chris Wood on another Forest goal. Elanga's other valuable asset on counter-attacks is his decision-making at high speed, usually taking the right amount of time to choose the best option. In this example, against Tottenham Hotspur in December, Forest are attacking on the transition when Morgan Gibbs-White puts Elanga through on goal. Elanga doesn't rush and shoot with his right foot. Instead, he waits until goalkeeper Fraser Forster commits and curls the ball into the far bottom corner with his left. A different example is his assist to Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 1-0 victory against Liverpool in September. Here, Elanga is carrying the ball forward on the counter, and there's space to test himself against Virgil van Dijk. However, Elanga sees that Hudson-Odoi is in a better position and switches the play towards the other side… … putting his team-mate in a position to dribble inside and curl the ball into the back of the net. Another part of Elanga's game that fits Newcastle's attack is his crossing ability. 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Alternating his moves between his right and left feet speeds up his second action, as illustrated below in the 2-2 draw against Leicester City in May. Last season, Elanga had the most assists from crosses (six) in the Premier League, and he only drops to second place when the stats are adjusted to a per-game basis for players who played at least 900 minutes. Meanwhile, his expected assists (xA) from crosses per 90 (0.12) was the 12th highest in the league in 2024-25, suggesting he overperformed his data slightly but that he was still one of the league's leading threats. Those numbers are influenced by set pieces, which are usually disregarded when measuring creativity. In our context, they are important to include because they showcase Elanga's excellent delivery from dead-ball situations, another area where his skills align with Newcastle's strengths. In the wide areas, Newcastle's passing combinations have been a staple of their attack in recent seasons, and despite Forest not using it as frequently, Elanga has a profile that fits this attacking method. His pace and off-ball runs are transferable to Newcastle's wide combinations, especially with Bruno Guimaraes operating as the right-sided midfielder. Elanga's rapid acceleration in one-two passes, illustrated below from Tottenham Hotspur's 3-1 win against Forest in April 2024, suits Newcastle's wide combinations. Defensively, Elanga showed discipline and understanding of his positioning when Forest defended in medium and low blocks. However, the unanswered question is about how he will fare in the high-press phase. His pace and acceleration will help, but adapting to Newcastle's front-line pressing also requires an understanding of the timing and angles of the runs. All in all, it's understandable why Newcastle want to sign Elanga. His profile suits the team's style and his strengths are transferable to Newcastle's principles.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
NFL will not hold Supplemental Draft in 2025: Sources
The NFL informed teams that for the second consecutive year, there won't be a Supplemental Draft this summer, sources informed on the decision confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. The Supplemental Draft is an option for draft-eligible players who did not declare for the regular NFL Draft for various reasons. In most cases, that's due to a player having unexpected eligibility issues in college (academic or otherwise). Advertisement A player seeking to enter the Supplemental Draft must apply and be approved by the league office for eligibility. If there are players ruled eligible for a Supplemental Draft, then the league will conduct one. The last Supplemental Draft was held in 2023 with two eligible prospects, though neither was selected. A player hasn't been selected in the Supplemental Draft since 2019 — the longest drought since its inception in 1977 — when the Arizona Cardinals selected defensive back Jalen Thompson. In total, 46 players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft. Notable selections include quarterback Bernie Kosar (1985), receiver Cris Carter (1987) and receiver Josh Gordon (2012).
