In recent years, Liverpool have produced a lot of talented youngsters who have made a positive impact on the Reds' first team. Jürgen Klopp has been crucial to the development of multiple youngsters who are now thriving at Anfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot are just three of the youngsters that the club have progressed during their time at the academy or since their arrival at the club earlier in their careers.

Conor Bradley is the latest youngster to benefit from first-team game time under Klopp, with the 20-year-old featuring in the Premier League this season and scoring his first goal for the club in the 4-1 victory over Chelsea last month.

However, despite the Reds' brilliant record of producing youngsters, the club may have let a major talent slip through the net.

Dominic Solanke's time at Liverpool

Dominic Solanke joined the Reds for a deal in the region of £3m from Chelsea back in 2017 – after the deal went to tribunal due to the fact the striker was under 24 when he moved to Anfield.

The striker found opportunities hard to come by at Liverpool, due to the calibre of players also in forward areas. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané all occupied the three main attacking roles, with Solanke limited to just substitute appearances.

During his one-year stint in the Reds' first-team, the forward made 27 appearances – 23 of which came from the substitutes bench.

His only goal for Liverpool came in the 4-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on the final day of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign. The game against the Seagulls would be his last for the club, before departing on a permanent basis in January 2019.

Solanke swapped the North West for the South Coast, joining Bournemouth for a fee worth £19m in a deal that made him the second most expensive signing in the club's history behind Nathan Ake.

Dominic Solanke's stats this season

Even though he only managed three goals in his first Premier League season for the club, Solanke has been a brilliant signing for the Cherries – with rumours about a potential exit in the air ahead of the summer.

This campaign has been his best in England's top flight, scoring 13 times in his 23 appearances – including a hat-trick away at Nottingham Forest in December.

Remarkably, Solanke's tally of 13 this season, is higher than that of current Liverpool number nine Darwin Nunez, who has only managed to find the net on eight occasions in the Premier League this campaign.

Nunez can play across the frontline, often drifting to play out on the left of the front three. However, Bournemouth's talisman is their focal point and will always remain centrally – a key factor in his record in front of goal.

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.

This season, Nunez has averaged 4.2 shots per 90, with Solanke trailing the Reds' striker averaging just 2.9. However, his tally of 1.3 shots per 90 less than Nunez is an indication that the Cherries' striker is a great deal more clinical with his chances than the Uruguayan.

Solanke also beats Nunez when it comes to aerial duels won, with the Englishman a real threat in the air – with his total of two aerials won per game nearly double that of the former Benfica striker who averages 1.2.

Liverpool undoubtedly did the right thing at the time by selling Solanke, in a deal that resulted in a £16m profit margin. However, in recent times, the 6 foot 2 forward has proven himself to be a brilliant Premier League striker who would bolster Klopp's already outstanding forward line.

MatériaMais Notícias

Maior artilheiro estrangeiro do Vasco no século XXI, o argentino Germán Cano decidiu leiloar três peças autografadas para agradecer o carinho da torcida e comemorar a marca alcançada. Vale lembrar que o atacante chegou a 29 gols com a camisa do Gigante da Colina e ultrapassou o sérvio Dejan Petkovic ao balançar as redes em duas oportunidades diante do Resende.

> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro – Série B

RelacionadasVascoDe cara nova, equipe sub-20 do Vasco encara o São Raimundo-RR pelas oitavas de finais da Copa do BrasilVasco04/05/2021VascoIgor Guerra, técnico da equipe sub-17 do Vasco, fala sobre preparação para o início do Brasileirão da categoriaVasco04/05/2021VascoMarcelo Cabo analisa preparação do Vasco para a Série B e afirma ter encontrado seu meio de campo idealVasco04/05/2021

A iniciativa é em parceria com a plataforma Play for a Cause. Nela, Cano irá leiloar um par de chuteiras (valor inicial – R$680), um uniforme de jogo branco (valor inicial – R$ 580) e uma jaqueta corta vento (valor inicial – R$ 520). Com isso, toda renda será revertida em cestas básicas, que serão distribuídas no Morro do Tuiuti, comunidade vizinha a São Januário. Confira mais informações ao clicar aqui.

> Confira mais notícias sobre o Vasco da Gama

Aos 33 anos, Cano foi o artilheiro do Vasco na temporada passada com 24 gols, com vinte a mais que os vice-artilheiros (Ribamar e Fellipe Bastos, que já deixaram o clube). Neste novo ciclo, o argentino marcou cinco gols (contra Flamengo, Fluminense, Resende (dois gols) e Boavista) e é o maior ídolo da torcida do elenco atual do Cruz-Maltino.

Por fim, cabe salientar que o Vasco volta a campo no próximo sábado, no jogo de volta da semifinal da Taça Rio diante do Madureira, às 16h, em São Januário. No jogo de ida, o Tricolor Suburbano venceu por 1 a 0, e o Vasco necessita vencer para avançar às finais.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن تقدم نادي مانشستر يونايتد بطلب غريب إلى جاره مانشستر سيتي، قبل حفل الكرة الذهبية يوم الإثنين المقبل.

وتُقيم مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الشهيرة حفلها السنوي المعتاد، مساء الإثنين القادم، للإعلان عن هوية الفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية، كأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2024.

وذكرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية أن مانشستر يونايتد طلب من منافسه مانشستر سيتي، أن يتمكن الثنائي أليخاندرو جارناتشو وكوبي ماينو من السفر رفقة لاعبي بطل الدوري الإنجليزي، على متن الطائرة الخاصة.

وأوضحت أن مانشستر سيتي استأجر طائرة خاصة، لنقل وفدهم الكبير إلى باريس لحضور حفل توزيع جوائز الكرة الذهبية.

ويتواجد 8 من لاعبي مانشستر سيتي ضمن المرشحين لجائزة الكرة الذهبية، وإن كان فينيسيوس جونيور نجم ريال مدريد هو الأقرب للتتويج بها.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فينيسيوس: أتمنى أن يدعمني الجميع للفوز بالكرة الذهبية.. لقد عانيت كثيرًا في مسيرتي

وأفادت أنه في خطوة قد تثير الدهشة، سأل مانشستر يونايتد جاره مانشستر سيتي عما إذا كان لديهم أي مكان على متن الطائرة الخاصة، لنقل ثنائي الشياطين الحمر.

وأشارت إلى أن مانشستر سيتي أبلغهم بعدم إمكانية حدوث ذلك لعدم وجود مكان متوافر على متن الطائرة، وكان لابد من إجراء ترتيبات بديلة.

ويواجه مانشستر يونايتد سلسلة من تدابير خفض التكاليف بعد وصول السير جيم راتكليف إلى النادي في وقت سابق من هذا العام.

ومن المفهوم أن احتمال إرسال لاعبين على متن طائرة خاصة لم يكن جيدًا في ظل الظروف الحالية لـ مانشستر يونايتد.

ويُعتقد أيضًا أن مانشستر يونايتد كان حذرًا بشأن البصمة الكربونية (التقليل من الانبعاثات التي تؤثر على البيئة)، فقد سبق للأندية أن تقاسمت الرحلات الجوية عندما يحتاج اللاعبون إلى العودة من واجب دولي من أماكن مثل أمريكا الجنوبية.

وتضم قائمة مانشستر سيتي المتجهة إلى باريس كل من روبن دياز، فيل فودين، إيرلينج هالاند ورودري في قسم الرجال، إلى جانب يوي هاسيجاوا ولورين هيمب وخديجة شو في قسم النساء، إلى جانب سافينيو في جائزة كوبا لأفضل لاعب شاب.

Derby County have quite the reputation for giving their young starlets an opportunity to impress on the first-team stage, with a number of their star performers this season once just emerging academy prospects.

Both Max Bird and Eiran Cashin came through the youth ranks in Derbyshire, with the duo now some of the first names on Paul Warne's teamsheet at Pride Park this season and for good reason.

Bird in particular has impressed this campaign in League One – picking up five goals and seven assists in the third tier – which has seen the promising central midfielder win a move up to the Championship in the summer with Bristol City.

Derby will be planning for the long-term now knowing Bird will pack his bag for pastures new in Bristol soon, with one exciting Rams prospect nearing more senior minutes potentially when the 23-year-old star does inevitably up and leave.

Adebayo Fapetu's statistics at youth level

Adebayo Fapetu – who was previously on the books at Arsenal as a youngster – has excelled in the youth set-up at Derby ever since leaving north London behind in 2021.

For the Derby U18s before being bumped up to the U21 fold, the teenage starlet managed to amass six goals and six assists from 43 appearances.

Nine of those goal contributions would come in one single season for the youthful Rams, Fapetu taking the U18 Premier League by storm during the 2022/23 campaign with five goals and four assists notched up.

Able to play in an attacking midfield spot and further back in a holding role on top of gliding around the pitch in a conventional middle-of-the-park role, Fapetu has gone on to make three senior Rams appearances.

Highly thought of in Pride Park quarters, it could be argued that the exciting 19-year-old has shades of Will Hughes' game in his locker who has gone on to have an established career in the Premier League after making a name for himself in Derbyshire as a homegrown talent.

Derby could have their next Will Hughes

Current Crystal Palace midfielder Hughes would fill in wherever necessary for Derby in midfield during his celebrated time with the club, even playing down the right and left channels on occasion to plug gaps.

Fapetu has given the Derby U21s this season a similarly adaptable presence to rely upon, even featuring as a second striker in one Premier League 2 encounter against Nottingham Forest U21s.

Fapetu's appearances by position this season
Position played	Games played
Central midfield	6
Attacking midfield	2
Defensive midfield	2
Second striker	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The teenager has also worn the captain's armband at U21 level this campaign twice, with Hughes going on to be a leader in the middle of the park for Derby without ever having that honour at 187 first-team appearances.

With Bird off in the summer, Warne could do a lot worse than to try and start bedding Fapetu into more games to see what he's made of in the hustle and bustle of League One.

The Rams boss would hope that Fapetu could spark a formidable partnership with new fan's favourite Ebou Adams in midfield, with the Pride Park faithful already wanting the Cardiff City loanee to stick around permanently after impressing early into his Derby loan spell.

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

Winning an impressive 12 duels in Derby's 1-0 win against Stevenage last time out, the battling presence of Adams could see the promotion-seeking Rams grind out more wins.

If that was the case and Fapetu did begin to blossom alongside Adams, the decision to offload Bird could be stomached more easily by Warne and Co.

With Derby's conveyer belt for producing top young talents showing no signs of slowing down, and as fears begin to grow that Cashin could follow Bird out of the building, there will at least still be some positivity that emerging starlets such as Fapetu are being produced who could go on to become Hughes 2.0.

Whilst Sunderland's focus will be on finding a new manager after Mike Dodds' interim spell at the end of the season, the Black Cats have been mentioned among potential suitors for an ideal Jack Clarke replacement.

Sunderland transfer news

Since parting ways with Tony Mowbray, Sunderland have endured a nightmare spell. First, in came Michael Beale in what proved to be a disastrous and short-lived tenure. Now, choosing to stick with Dodds on an interim basis until the end of the season, Sunderland are on a run of six straight defeats in the Championship.

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Hardly advertising themselves well in the shop window for new managers, the Black Cats have been linked with the likes of Paul Heckingbottom, Steve Cooper and Marek Papszun, but are yet to get any closer to finding a permanent solution. Meanwhile, what hasn't helped is speculation over the future of Jack Clarke.

With West Ham United, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur all linked with moves for the winger, Sunderland could be forced to sell in a deal reportedly worth over £20m. Potentially needing to replace the winger, Carlton Palmer has tipped Sunderland to be among the clubs chasing Mikey Johnston.

Currently starring on loan from Celtic at West Bromwich Albion, Johnston may well end up staying in England's second tier. Palmer told Football League World: "He’s had a fantastic time since joining from Celtic on loan.

“Yes, a lot of clubs will be taking note of the way that he’s playing, so you will be looking at clubs who will be looking at players moving on, Jack Clarke will be moving on, [Jon] Rowe will be moving on, and people will be looking at Mikey Johnston as a possible replacement. But certainly, Norwich and Sunderland, and other prospective Championship clubs will be monitoring the situation given his outstanding form for West Bromwich Albion.

“With Sunderland’s policy of trying to buy young players, and get them in cheap, I don’t think Johnston will fall into that because I think Celtic will be looking at least £2m or £3m given his form in the Championship.

“So whether Sunderland have the money to pay that, Norwich do have the money to pay for Mikey Johnston, so we’ll have to see come the end of the season, but he’s certainly done great things at West Brom and [is] attracting a lot of attention.”

"Fantastic" Johnston is a ready-made Clarke replacement

As Clarke heads for the exit door, Johnston would be a ready-made replacement despite being outside the club's usual target age range, having enjoyed an excellent season at the Hawthorns. The Celtic loanee has scored six goals in just nine Championship games, whilst providing one assist.

Clarke, meanwhile, has scored 15 goals in 33 Championship games in what will be a difficult output to replace in the summer transfer window, especially if it's not Johnston that those at the Stadium of Light turn to. What's more, for around £3m, Sunderland would be getting themselves a bargain deal for the West Brom loanee.

Leeds United may have just been handed a major boost in their transfer pursuit of one star this summer, with his club being urged to sell him for almost any decent fee.

Leeds eyeing up summer revamp

No matter how their impressive Championship campaign concludes, Daniel Farke's side are seemingly set for major change this summer.

The futures of plenty of loanees need to be decided, including Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson and Marc Roca. Meanwhile, there will almost certainly be interest in the likes of Archie Gray and Crysensio Summerville, both of whom have enjoyed memorable second-tier seasons.

"One day" – Leeds United star reveals La Liga dream

The Yorkshire side could lose a key man if they get promoted.

ByBen Browning Feb 9, 2024

Though promotion may encourage them to overhaul their squad, Farke is likely to want to keep the core of his squad together as best as he can, in order to try and hit the ground running in the top flight and hand the Yorkshire side the best chance of survival for another season.

One of those that they are thought to be most keen on keeping is Joe Rodon, who is currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur but has been a vital part of Leeds' promotion push and has slotted perfectly into Farke's backline, helping Leeds boast the best defence in the division.

Tottenham told to accept 8-figure offer

Now the Elland Road outfit may have been dealt a major boost, with one club insider urging Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to "learn from his past mistakes" and "just accept any deal" over £10m for the Welshman.

Rodon has been impressive during his season in the Championship, showing signs of why Tottenham initially took him to north London across his 34 appearances for Leeds this campaign. But it is clear that his future lies away from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium after two successive loan spells away from the club, and plenty of defensive cover having been bought in in his absence.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Spurs insider Jon Wenham has revealed that he would accept any deal for Rodon over £10m, and has urged Levy to do the same.

“Tottenham’s decision to sell Rodon this summer will be down to whether or not Levy has learned from his past mistakes", he explained.

“Do Spurs want to actually continue with this rebuild or do they want to dig their heels in and try and get more money for Rodon?

“I think they would be doing well to receive a fee of anywhere between £10-13million, and should just accept any deal in this range.

“It is a far higher fee than they would have got last summer after Rodon’s unsuccessful loan spell in France with Stade Rennais F.C.”

Tottenham players on the chopping block

Player

Contract expires

Joe Rodon

2025

Sergio Reguilon

2025

Japhet Tanganga

2025

Tanguy Ndombele

2025

Djed Spence

2027

Giovanni Lo Celso

2025

With Spurs keen to continue to splash the cash this summer and looking to build on an impressive first season under Ange Postecoglou, preparation for a return to the Champions League is likely to take centre stage, which could leave Leeds free to grab a bargain and make Rodon's loan move permanent at a cut-price fee.

Aston Villa cruised into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League last night with a huge 4-0 victory over Ajax.

Villa Park was bouncing from the first minute until the last, and the atmosphere was only enhanced after Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the 25th minute.

However, shortly after, Unai Emery’s star striker was forced off with an injury, which certainly dampened the mood slightly.

Nevertheless, a Leon Bailey goal on the hour mark gave the hosts some breathing room, before a late flurry extended the lead.

With that excellent performance in mind, let’s take a look at two players who excelled under the pressure to progress.

Moussa Diaby’s stats versus Ajax

Moussa Diaby started the evening in his usual second-striker role behind Watkins, and he had one of his best games in a Villa shirt.

Birmingham World reporter Charlie Haffenden handed the French forward an 8/10 in his post-match player ratings, commenting that Diaby put in a "much-improved display" and "was far better with his decision-making." The winger's statistics from the tie certainly mirror that rating.

With Ajax having more of the ball, it suited Diaby’s strengths perfectly, providing the 24-year-old with the opportunity to use his ball-carrying skills and pace on the counterattack.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star completed 100% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, made two key passes, and had three shots on target throughout the tie.

Diaby also grabbed the fourth goal with a lovely, composed finish into the near post, which rounded off an almost perfect night for Villa, but there was one player who really stood out in particular once again.

Douglas Luiz’s game in numbers

It’s no surprise to see that Douglas Luiz was once again instrumental in a Villa win, with that being a common occurrence this campaign.

The Brazilian also received an 8/10 rating from Birmingham World in what was yet another confident and dominant performance from the midfielder, where he displayed his complete skillset under extreme pressure after that tough defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Luiz was in control throughout, regardless of whether his side had possession of the ball or not, with the table below proving why he was absolutely immense.

Douglas Luiz vs Ajax

Stats

Luiz

Minutes

83

Assists

2

Pass accuracy

85%

Possession lost

6

Key passes

4

Duels won

2/2

Tackles

2

Dribbled past

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see, not only did the number 6 retain the ball well, as shown by his pass accuracy and possession lost stats, but he also displayed his creativity.

The former Manchester City man took the corner for the Watkins goal and also set up Bailey for the second, with his two assists and four key passes making him a class above the other midfielders on the field.

Luiz also won 100% of his ground duels, made two tackles, and wasn’t dribbled past once, which highlights the defensive security he brought to the team.

Overall, it was a perfect night for Villa and a perfect performance from Luiz, who continues to perform to such a high standard.

Leeds United are already setting up their plans to bolster the squad in the summer, eyeing up a long-term signing to improve their defensive ranks.

Leeds' January business opens door for defensive signings

German head coach Daniel Farke, who had signed nine players last summer, only made one senior addition to his side by deadline day last month. Wales international Connor Roberts was snapped up on loan from Premier League side Burnley, with no option to make the move permanent.

The 28-year-old full-back has registered one goal – against Leicester City – and one assist – against Plymouth Argyle – in five appearances as a substitute in the Championship thus far.

Farke also allowed Luke Ayling, Darko Gyabi, and Ian Poveda to go out on loan, whilst Leo Hjelde was sold to league rivals Sunderland on a permanent basis.

Right-back Djed Spence, who had spent the first half of the season on loan at Elland Road, was sent back to Tottenham Hotspur after reported punctuality issues during his time in Yorkshire, and there is now a clear need to reinforce the defensive ranks come the summer, regardless of what division the club finds itself in.

Latest Leeds transfer news

Journalist Graeme Bailey has dropped an exciting line on the club's interest in a summer move for a new full-back. He reports that Leeds are "doing work" on a deal to sign KAA Gent left-back Archie Brown at the end of the season.

The writer claims that Premier League sides West Ham United and Chelsea are both monitoring his progress in Belgium as they also eye up a potential swoop for the former Derby County youngster.

He reveals, in the accompanying article on HITC, that Brentford and Fulham, alongside a number of unnamed foreign suitors, are keeping tabs on him.

Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Gent value Brown at a fee within the region of £15m. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds would be willing to pay that much for his services.

A left-back could be a shrewd addition to the squad in the summer as the Whites currently only have one naturally left-footed player in that position.

Sam Byram and Junior Firpo are Farke's only left-back options at senior level, and the former is a right-footed defender who came through the ranks at Elland Road as a right-back earlier in his career.

Appearances

19

15

Big chances created

Six

Five

Assists

Two

Four

Dribbles completed per game

2.3

0.3

Duels won per game

6.6

3.9

As you can see in the table above, Brown has provided an attacking threat down the left flank for the Belgian outfit this season, as the ex-Barcelona full-back has for Leeds. The former is clearly superior at taking players on with the ball at his feet though, completing over seven times more take-ons per match, while also winning nearly twice as many duels.

At the age of 21, the former Derby starlet could come in as a project player who Farke can work with to develop and eventually emerge as the long-term replacement for Firpo, while also adding depth in several other positions given his ability to player further up on the left side of midfield or at centre-back.

This is why a move for the English whiz could be an exciting one at the end of the season as the Yorkshire-based outfit could land an excellent young player with the scope to become a fantastic performer in multiple positions.

Chahar’s record six-for has put him at 42nd among bowlers, while Oman’s Zeeshan Maqsood is now the sixth-best allrounder in the world

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2019Twin half-centuries in the first two T20Is in Australia helped Babar Azam consolidate his position at the top of the men’s T20I rankings for batsmen. There was major movement just below him with Dawid Malan moving up all the way to No. 3 and Aaron Finch jumping from No. 4 to No. 2 in the latest update.Among bowlers, Deepak Chahar was the toast of town after recording the best figures in men’s T20Is – 6 for 7 – in the third T20I against Bangladesh, and while that helped him move up 88 spots to No. 42, it remains a list dominated by spinners: Rashid Khan is still at the top and only two quicks, Andile Phehlukwayo at six and Chris Jordan at ten, are in the top ten.Malan has made a brilliant start to his T20I career, scoring 458 runs at a strike rate of 156.31 in his nine games to date, with the 51-ball 103* in the fourth T20I against New Zealand his best so far. But Malan, and Finch – 37*, 17 and 52* against Pakistan – remain well behind Azam, who has 876 points to the Australian’s 807 and the Englishman’s 782. Below them in the top ten are Colin Munro, Glenn Maxwell, Hazratullah Zazai, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Martin Guptill and Eoin Morgan.Chahar’s upward movement, or the performance of the other bowlers in that series, haven’t impacted the top of that list, with Mitchell Santner, Imad Wasim, Adam Zampa and Shadab Khan below Rashid and ahead of Phehlukwayo, and Adil Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ashton Agar also in the top ten. Santner, who picked up 11 wickets in New Zealand’s series of five matches against England, has reached the second place for the first time since climbing to the top in January 2018.The update includes the recent men’s T20 World Cup qualifiers, and his 12 wickets in the competition has lifted Scotland left-arm spinner Mark Watt 13 spots to No. 15. Among batsmen, Papua New Guinea’s Tony Ura has moved up to No. 37, one spot above Jonny Bairstow and Mohammad Naim, the Bangladesh batsman who made a name for himself after hitting a quick 81 in the last game against India. Also within the top 50 were Scotland’s Calum MacLeod (No. 44), UAE’s Muhammad Usman (No. 45) and Oman’s Jatinder Singh (No. 46).With Glenn Maxwell having taken an indefinite break from the game, Mohammad Nabi has moved to the top of the allrounders’ rankings, while in a big development, Oman’s Zeeshan Maqsood has jumped to No. 6.In the team rankings, Pakistan’s 2-0 series loss in Australia hasn’t cost them the No. 1 spot, but the difference between the two sides has been trimmed to just one point.

Kylian Mbappe is already proving his ‘Galactico’ status at Real Madrid, with the Blancos struggling to deal with demand for his new No.9 shirt.

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• French superstar heading to Spanish capital
• New shirt met with unprecedented demand
• Fans excited by arrival of World Cup winner

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The World Cup winner is heading to Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent, having reached the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. He is severing ties with the Ligue 1 giants as the club’s all-time leading scorer, but with Champions League glory having proved elusive.

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  Mbappe will be hoping to break that trophy duck after linking up with the current kings of Europe, with the 25-year-old ready to embrace a new challenge while still approaching his peak. His arrival in Spain is generating unprecedented excitement, with supporters around the world clamouring to get a Madrid jersey.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  On the opening day of sales, with it confirmed that Mbappe will be taking on No.9 for Real as Vinicius Junior already fills his favoured No.7 spot, the Blancos had to contend with an overwhelming surge – with sales far exceeding expectations.

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• WHAT REAL MADRID SAID

  Real were forced to put out the following statement, with Mbappe’s instant popularity suggesting that he will quickly become a fan favourite: “Due to current high demand, items in this collection may experience a delay in delivery of up to 4-6 additional weeks, regardless of the shipping method selected. This delay will affect both orders exclusive to the Mbappe collection and those that combine products from the Mbappe collection with other products from the online store.”