Tag Futebol

Rangers Face Battle To Sign £5m-Rated Player This Summer

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers face a battle to bring Malik Tillman back to Ibrox this summer, with Rangers Review reporting that there is increasing interest from English clubs in his signature this transfer window.

Are Rangers signing Malik Tillman?

The 21-year-old spent the 2022/23 season on loan in the Scottish Premiership and really impressed for the Gers despite his age. He bagged himself ten goals in the league, with a further four assists in just 28 league games. It wasn't enough to give the Gers the title but he had a career best year.

Only once previously had the player managed a double-digit goal haul during a season and that came back when he played for the Bayern Munich U19 team. Prior to his short-term switch to Scotland, he had struggled to get regular first-team minutes too, with parent club Bayern only giving him one start in the Bundesliga. In total, he has featured just four times in the league for the German giants during his time there.

That led to the player's impressive loan stay with Rangers this season and it had looked like Michael Beale would be trying to bring the midfielder back to Scotland for good. However, according to a report from Rangers Review, there is nothing in place that would suggest a deal will be done between Rangers and Tillman yet and no agreement is in place.

Not only that, but his showings have caught the eye of other teams now too and it looks like the Gers will have to fight off English competition for his signature. Rangers still have the upper hand in that they have a £5m buy option for the youngster, but that hasn't been used by the Scottish side yet and Bayern's own £10m buy-back in that deal is causing more doubt.

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Malik Tillman.

When does Malik Tillman's contract expire?

His current contract with Bayern Munich expires in 2024, meaning that if the German giants have no plans for Tillman, then they may have to cash in this summer transfer window.

It appears the player could certainly have plenty of suitors now too considering his talents. When the midfielder initially moved to Rangers and helped them in Europe vs PSV for example, football talent scout Jacek Kulig called Tillman one of the club's "heroes" that night and added that he is a "very interesting signing" by the Scottish side.

Having gone on to score a double-digit amount from the centre of the field, he has proven his ability in the Scottish Premiership and at a decent level – and could now secure a permanent move away from Bayern.

White 145 sets up huge Victoria win

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Cameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2016
ScorecardCameron White’s 10th List A century helped Victoria amass 343•Getty Images

Cameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth.South Australia’s chase crumbled to 208, propped up only by a maiden List A century by Cameron Valente and a fifty from Tom Cooper. The rest of the line-up could muster only 44 runs between them.White and Marcus Harris gave Victoria a promising start, adding 70 in a little over 13 overs. White then forged two stands of exactly 100 – with Victoria captain Peter Handscomb for the third wicket, and with Marcus Stoinis for the fifth.White’s knock included 12 fours and four sixes and his partnership with Stoinis helped Victoria plunder 109 runs from the last 10 overs. Stoinis finished unbeaten on 59 off 45 balls with four sixes and two fours.South Australia’s chase had fallen apart by the eighth over as strikes from left-arm spinner Michael Beer and fast bowler Jackson Coleman left them at 5 for 35. Beer took a hat-trick spread across two overs in this period, dismissing Jake Weatherald, Jake Lehmann and Sam Raphael. Valente, who had made his List A debut in the tied match against Western Australia last week, and Cooper averted the possibility of the side being bowled out for less than 100, adding 101 for the sixth wicket, but once Cooper fell, South Australia crumbled again. No. 10 Nick Benton struck 21, and helped Valente push the score past 200 before Victoria wrapped up the match in the 43rd over.

Australia seal nervy chase after Chandimal ton

by csb10.top Uncategorized


Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:48

By the Numbers

There were reasons for Sri Lankan fans to cheer at the third ODI in Dambulla. But the result wasn’t one of them. On a day when Tillakaratne Dilshan was farewelled from one-day international cricket, and Dinesh Chandimal scored his fourth ODI hundred, Australia held on for a tense victory that gave them a 2-1 series lead with two to play – and gave David Warner a 100% success rate as an international captain.Not that it was all smooth sailing. Chasing 227, Australia relatively cruised most of the way. At 187 for 4 they needed only 40 more runs, with George Bailey and Matthew Wade both well set, but suddenly Sri Lanka’s spinners came into the game. Four wickets fell in quick time and it was beginning to look like Australia might find a way to throw it away. It was Adam Zampa who struck the winning runs, a boundary behind point off Amila Aponso, and a single five balls later.It wasn’t any old single – it was cut in the air towards extra cover, where Dilruwan Perera hurled himself into the air to try for a one-handed catch. The ball didn’t stick, and the result was sealed: a two-wicket win, though with four overs remaining. That Sri Lanka came that close to pulling the rug out from under Australia was a fine effort, given the solid way the chase unfolded through two key partnerships.In the absence of captain Steven Smith, who had flown home for a rest, Australia needed a leader to steer the chase. It would not be Warner, who fell in the fifth over to a terrific diving catch from Dilshan at point off Mathews. Nor would it be Aaron Finch, lbw to Aponso for a brisk 30, nor Shaun Marsh, caught by a diving Chandimal at mid-off off Mathews for 1.The man was Bailey, the most experienced ODI player in the side. He set about building a 62-run partnership with Travis Head, and then an 81-run stand with Wade that took Australia to within sight of their victory. It wasn’t always easy; Sri Lanka’s spinners were always a threat, but they needed more runs to defend, their own batting having been disappointing earlier in the day.Head played a mature innings of 36 that ended when he went back to cut Dilruwan, only to see the ball skid on to his stumps. And Wade, a consistent performer this series, contributed 42 before he missed a sweep and was stumped off the same bowler. That was the wicket that precipitated Australia’s collapse, though as it happened they were by then just close enough to get over the line.The Sri Lankan crowd came alive as the spinners crowded Australia’s batsmen. Bailey simply missed a legbreak from Seekkuge Prasanna and was bowled for 70, then in the next over James Faulkner holed out to deep square leg off Aponso. The Finisher was finished, but Australia weren’t quite yet. Mitchell Starc sent Prasanna over long-on for six but was caught in the next over trying for another off Dhananjaya de Silva. Zampa walked to the crease with five runs still needed, and he got them, with John Hastings unbeaten at the other end.Sri Lanka’s own innings – all out for 226 in the 50th over – never quite looked like enough. Wickets fell regularly throughout the innings, the only half-century partnership a 73-run combination between Chandimal and Dilshan. Zampa was again a key weapon, collecting 3 for 38 from his 10 overs, and there were two victims each for Starc, Faulkner and Hastings.The innings was built around Chandimal’s fourth ODI hundred. Of late in one-day cricket, Chandimal has been batting like he’s Keanu Reeves in , afraid something terrible will happen if he drops below 50. He did so, marginally, in the second ODI in Colombo, where his 48 ended his hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan to make six consecutive one-day international fifties. But in Dambulla he was back. His last seven ODI innings now read: 52, 62, 63, 53, 80*, 48 and 102.Chandimal’s approach was simple: push the ball into the gaps and rotate the strike. Repeat, and repeat. That method brought him 56 singles, although he managed seven boundaries as well, driving when the fast men overpitched or punishing them for bowling too straight. His half-century came up with a deft dab for four wide of the wicketkeeper off Hastings from his 66th ball.His primary support came from Dilshan, the retiring hero who struck five fours on his way to an enterprising 42. But the dream of a big farewell innings ended when Dilshan whacked a Zampa full toss to midwicket and was well caught by Bailey. To the applause of players and fans, Dilshan walked off with a bow fitting for the entertainer that he was, the owner of 10,290 ODI runs, the 11th-highest tally in history.Sri Lanka’s other batsmen were disappointing. For the second time in the series Starc struck in the first over of the innings, bowling Danushka Gunathilaka, and the total wobbled to 23 for 2 when Kusal Mendis edged Josh Hazlewood to slip for 4. The wickets fell with regularity again after Dilshan departed.Mathews was lbw for 2 to Zampa, who had pitched the ball on leg and straightened it just enough. Marsh ran and jumped to his left at mid-on to snare de Silva for 12 off Faulkner, and also held one in the deep when Thisara Perera holed out off Hastings for 9. In between those takes, Starc’s brutal inswinging yorker accounted for Kusal Perera, who kept one out but could not manage two and saw his stumps rattled on 11.Prasanna picked out deep midwicket off Zampa and Dilruwan added 17 before chipping a catch to midwicket off Hastings, which left Chandimal nervously hoping the No.11 Aponso could help him reach triple figures. He did so, and the Sri Lankan fans roared. The final result was not so pleasing for them.

Forty-over Zimbabwe Premier League announced

by csb10.top Uncategorized

In a bid to revive a club system that has become crippled with inactivity, Zimbabwe Cricket have announced a Premier League, but not of the twenty-over variety like many other countries. The Zimbabwe Premier League (ZPL) will be a forty-over competition involving eight clubs and will be played as a conventional league, with no final, and a winner declared after seven rounds.The bulk of the teams come from Zimbabwe’s two main cricketing centres, Harare and Bulawayo. Takashinga Cricket Club, famed for being the breeding ground of some of Zimbabwe’s most notable players, including Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda, will have two teams called Patriots 1 and Patriots 2, while Rainbow are the club from the capital. Bulawayo’s metro and northern areas will be represented by the Amakhosi and Inkatha teams respectively, and Masvingo’s Southern Lions make up the other standalone side. Manicaland and Mashonaland East will have one team between them, the Eastern Lions, while Mashonaland West and Midlands will play as the Muzvezve Tigers.The league kicks off this Saturday and will continue through Zimbabwe’s Tests against New Zealand in Bulawayo and beyond, as a precursor to the summer. All players not featuring in the internationals but who are part of the national and domestic set-up in Zimbabwe are expected to take part in this competition, which ZC is hoping to use to increase the player pool and grow depth.”The ZPL is a very important competition involving Zimbabwe’s top clubs fighting it out for the national honours,” Givemore Makoni, ZC’s head of cricket affairs, said. “It’s top-notch cricket with all national team players not in the Test side expected to turn out for clubs in the league. This means youngsters will get the chance to play with and against experienced international players, which will quickly bring them through.”Apart from the ZPL, Zimbabwe’s domestic structures continue to include first-class, fifty-over and twenty-over competitions.

Tasamul century lifts Kalabagan out of relegation zone

by csb10.top Uncategorized

A superb unbeaten 126 by Tasamul Haque lifted Kalabagan Krira Chakra out of the relegation zone and into contention for the Super League, guiding the team to a six-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club.Kalabagan climbed to eighth place with ten points, level with three other teams, while Mohammedan went down one place to third after their fourth defeat in the competition.In a high-scoring encounter at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Kalabagan lost Jashimuddin off the the second ball of their innings while chasing 291. But Tasamul and opener Hasanuzzaman added 140 for the second wicket in under 18 overs to bring them back into the contest. Hasanuzzaman blazed to 95 off 53 balls with eight sixes and four fours.Paras Dogra, their new Indian recruit, and Mehrab Hossain jnr fell cheaply but Tasamul and Tanveer Haider sped from the 24th over, adding an unbroken 129 for the fourth wicket. Tanveer finished not out on 52 while Tasamul, who struck eight fours and two sixes, ended on 126 off 129 balls. Tasamul struck his second six to take Kalabagan home, the win coming with 6.5 overs to spare.Mohammedan virtually had no reply with the ball, with most of their in-form bowlers like Subashis Roy, Naeem Islam jnr and Habibur Rahman going for plenty.They had a better time with the bat. Bipul Sharma, who played for the IPL-winning Sunrisers Hyderabad side, struck his maiden List A hundred as Mohammedan piled up 290 for 6 in 50 overs. Dewan Sabbir bowled Bipul after he had made exactly 100, with six boundaries and eight sixes.He came to the crease with Mohammedan in trouble at 69 for 3, and went on to add 171 for the fourth wicket with captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who chipped in with a 71-ball 75.Victoria Sporting Club crushed Brothers Union by 112 runs in Mirpur, after Abdul Mazid’s first century of the competition lifted them to a formidable 302 for 9. Mazid dominated the 170-run opening stand with Fazle Mahmud, which lasted 33.3 overs. Mazid cracked eleven boundaries and four sixes in his 118 off 117 balls, his highest List-A score.Though they lost Mazid and Mominul Haque in the space of three balls, and Mahmud – for 71 – in the 39th over, Victoria didn’t lose much momentum, taking 84 runs off the last ten overs with Al-Amin, Chaturanga de Silva and Dhiman Ghosh making rapid contributions. Left-arm spinners Nabil Samad and Asif Hasan took four and two wickets respectively, while offspinner Iftekhar Sajjad bagged two.Brothers Union collapsed in their chase, with only their captain Tushar Imran standing firm, scoring his fifth half-century of the season. The other five members of their top six, however, fell single-figure scores as Brothers Union slipped to 92 for 8 in the 27th over.Tushar and Asif then added 97 for the ninth wicket, but it only delayed the inevitable. Brothers Union were eventually bowled out for 190 in 45.3 overs. Tushar made 93 off 126 balls with eleven fours. Pace bowler Mahbubul Alam took three wickets while there were two each for offspinner Al-Amin and paceman Kamrul Islam Rabbi.Legends of Rupganj trounced Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by seven wickets at the BKSP-3 ground. It was a fine effort for a side that was without their captain Mosharraf Hossain and their in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun, both serving one-match bans.Nahidul Islam made 92 and Junaid Siddique was unbeaten on 53 as Rupganj completed a chase of 185 with 17.1 overs to spare. Nahidul, who earlier took 2 for 38 with his offspin, struck nine fours and three sixes during his 99-ball innings. He came to the crease after Jahurul Islam was given leg-before off the first ball of the innings.He added 46 for the second wicket with Soumya Sarkar, who was also out leg-before, and another 125 for the third wicket with Junaid. Nahidul’s end also came through a leg-before decision, though by then the win was only 13 runs away.Sent in to bat, Dhanmondi lost wickets regularly. Left-arm spinners Murad Khan and Taijul Islam took three wickets each after seamer Alauddin Babu struck twice in the fourth over to remove the big-hitting Mahbubul Karim and the steady Marshall Ayub. Abdullah Al Mamun (24), Mahmudullah (35) and Nazmus Sadat (41) steadied Dhanmondi’s innings, but they collapsed thereafter, losing their last six wickets for just 28 runs to slump from 156 for four in the 36th over to 184 all out in 45.

Arsenal’s £60k-p/w Star Has Gone From Hero To Zero

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Arsenal might have counted a draw at Anfield as a success, given their troubles at that ground in the past, but to relinquish another 2-0 lead at West Ham United is not quite as understandable.

David Moyes’ men had been hammered 5-1 in their last home encounter against Newcastle United, and when the Gunners scored twice inside ten minutes, the home fans must have feared another drubbing.

However, whether it be through complacency or a mentality issue, Mikel Arteta had to watch his team throw it all away, thus handing Manchester City a golden opportunity to reclaim the Premier League crown.

The contrast between the two games was mainly down to just how busy Aaron Ramsdale was in the clash on Merseyside compared to his return to the capital, as a draw arguably flattered the title-chasing outfit in the former.

Many rushed to laud the former Sheffield United shot-stopper as the sole reason for picking up a vital point after his stunning succession of saves from Mo Salah and Ibrahima Konate. However, as is always the way with players in such an important role, one mistake can so easily see your stock plummet.

From being their Anfield hero one week, the 24-year-old did not take long to be dragged down to a zero at the London Stadium.

How did Aaron Ramsdale play vs West Ham United?

With a 6.91 average rating this season, Ramsdale has held himself to impressively high standards across a campaign that could still end with the ultimate silverware.

It marks a meteoric rise from back-to-back relegation with the Blades and AFC Bournemouth. Despite that, at £24m Arteta saw value in the youngster, and he has been the number one at the Emirates ever since.

Upholding an average of 2.4 saves per match, whilst keeping 12 clean sheets in the league, few could question his dependability as the last line of defence. However, against the Hammers that was unfortunately not the case.

arsenal-west-ham-united-premier-league

Earning a 6.3 rating, of which only two others on the field recorded lower, the goalkeeper was surprisingly unconvincing at the back for his side. He would make just one save and one punch all game, and yet when truly called upon, the £60k-per-week ace went missing.

With Arsenal on the back foot as West Ham pushed for an equaliser, Jarrod Bowen’s volleyed snapshot should have been a comfortable effort for Ramsdale to push aside. However, it instead squirmed in at his near post, leaving him remonstrating with the linesman for respite that would never come.

Journalist Josh Bunting then suggested that: “Aaron Ramsdale has to do better there at his near post though.”

From last game’s four-save display, many of which were truly outstanding stops, yesterday marked a vicious downturn.

As aforementioned, the goalkeeping position will always remain as such, where one mistake can define a performance; no other role on the pitch warrants that kind of scrutiny.

However, when fighting for elite honours, everyone has to be faultless. They cannot afford to switch off, and given that Arteta’s number one clearly did at this moment, it cements his fall from hero to zero in the space of just one week.

تقارير: منافسة تركية سعودية على ضم محمد النني من آرسنال

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن لاعب فريق آرسنال، محمد النني، يستقطب اهتمامًا مختلفًا من قِبل عدة أندية، للظفر بخدماته من النادي الإنجليزي.

وسينتهي العقد الحالي للاعب المصري صاحب الـ31 عامًا مع آرسنال، في صيف 2024، أي نهاية الموسم الحالي.

ويمكن لـ آرسنال الموافقة على رحيل محمد النني في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي، مطلع العام الجديد، بدلًا من رحيله مجانًا في الصيف إذا لم يكن هناك نية لتجديد عقده.

وحسبما ذكر الصحفي الشهير فابريزيو رومانو، فإن هناك اهتمامًا جادًا من قِبل نادي طرابزون سبور تركي بضم محمد النني، الذي يلعب في صفوفه المحترف المصري محمود حسن تريزيجيه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أرتيتا بعد الهزيمة أمام فولهام: قدمنا أسوأ مباراة لنا هذا الموسم

وأشار إلى أن الأمر لا يقتصر على طرابزون، حيث هناك كذلك اهتمامًا من قِبل بشكتاش، جالطة سراي، إلى جانب أندية سعودية دون الكشف عن هويتها.

وسبق لـ النني اللعب في الدوري التركي وتحديدًا لدى فريق بشكتاش، حيث لعب 36 مباراة وسجل هدفًا وصنع 4.

ولا يُعد محمد النني جزءًا من خطط المدرب ميكيل أرتيتا في الموسم الحالي، حيث لم يشارك إلا في 4 مباريات في مختلف المسابقات، أغلبها من دكة البدلاء.

Chelsea given second chance to sign Alvarez

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Chelsea have been given a second chance to sign Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez after missing out last summer, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing Alvarez

Chelsea have been eyeing Alvarez for quite some time, with journalist Ben Jacobs claiming they ‘came close’ to signing the midfielder last summer, a move that the player himself was said to be keen on.

The 25-year-old has admitted that he ‘grieved’ when the proposed £43m switch to Stamford Bridge fell through, indicating that he is ready to leave the Dutch club, where he is currently contracted until the summer of 2025, and he may now have the perfect opportunity to do so…

The Latest: Second chance for Chelsea

According to a report from De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness), Ajax have now promised the central midfielder he can leave in the summer transfer window, having already started work on signing a replacement.

It is, as yet, unclear whether Chelsea will look to renew their interest, but the fact they were willing to spend as much as €60m (£52.8m) on the maestro is said to be a clear indication of how highly they rate him.

The player himself has also confirmed that he wants out, saying: “Of course my focus is one hundred percent on Ajax at the moment. But if something nice comes along next summer that is good for Ajax and for me, then I want to seize that opportunity.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Graham Potter may well need to look at strengthening in central midfield this summer, given that Mason Mount’s father is now said to have mandated an agent to sound out interest in the 24-year-old, amid stalling contract talks.

The Cobham academy graduate has attracted interest from fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester United, and while Potter will be hoping an agreement can be reached, Alvarez could be a fantastic replacement.

Lauded as ‘sensational’ by members of the media, the Mexico international is assured in possession, ranking in the 92nd percentile for his pass completion rate per 90 in the past year, while he is also solid defensively, placed in the 91st percentile for tackles when compared to other midfielders.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea are willing to spend big on another midfielder, having brought in Enzo Fernandez for £106.8m in January, but if Potter does enter the market again, Alvarez would be a very good addition to the squad.

Chelsea must ditch their big ‘transfer calamity’

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Chelsea are at the inception of a new era, with owner Todd Boehly replacing long-time proprietor Roman Abramovich last year after the Russian oligarch was forced to sell in the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It has been imperfect, to say the least, with Thomas Tuchel sacked in the early phases of the campaign after a discernible and steady decline in 2022 and replacement Graham Potter failing to provide the results on the pitch during the foundation of his reign in west London.

Indeed, Chelsea currently languish in tenth place in the Premier League, also falling in both domestic cup competitions prematurely, bested by Manchester City on either occasion.

But there is now light at the end of the tunnel, with four successive victories and qualification to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where holders Real Madrid await.

Around £600m has been pumped into the club since last summer, but one area yet to find lucrative replenishment is the talismanic position, with 33-year-old striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring three times all season and omitted from the club's Champions League squad for the latter phase.

With Romelu Lukaku out on loan at Inter Milan, some might call for the 29-year-old powerhouse's return amid the changing cogs at the club, but Potter must stick to his guns and search for a fresh face, with Lukaku's time at the helm of the Stamford Bridge ship surely over.

How much did Chelsea pay for Lukaku?

When Lukaku signed for Chelsea for £97.5m from Inter Milan – the club's record transfer until the British-record £107m acquisition of Enzo Fernandez in January – optimism was rife that a devastating forward would rain goals down on opposing forces in destructive and unrelenting fashion.

Indeed, the Belgian holds his own in discourse detailing the most prolific modern strikers, scoring 68 goals from 104 international appearances and boasting 271 goals and 88 assists from 571 outings at club level, including 121 goals in the Premier League.

However, his stint at Chelsea last season was a dismal failure; scoring just eight times in the top-flight and leaving the Blues fan base incensed after an explosive and damaging interview at the season's midpoint.

The "woeful" – as once branded by Samuel Luckhurst – £185k-per-week ace was pushed back out on loan to Serie A with I Nerazzurri, where he has scored just five times from 19 outings during an injury-stricken year.

Romelu Lukaku in World Cup action for Belgium.

Wedged in the centre of this term, Lukaku infamously suffered an ignominious performance at the 2022 World Cup, missing four glaring opportunities and recording a shambolic 5.6 match rating – as per Sofascore – in the group phase against Croatia and crashing out of contention prematurely.

The signing has been such a profound catastrophe that journalist Chris Deerin even labelled it a "transfer calamity", and Potter must indeed target a new talisman if he wants to ensure Chelsea to not stagnate in their endeavours.

It's been a stark plummet from prominence for the towering Belgian powerhouse, with injury and the taint of a woeful World Cup indeed inhibiting his fortunes with Inter, so much so that he's now worth only £48m, via Transfermarkt, a staggering 51% decrease in such a short space of time.

With Chelsea transitioning to a new phase this season, the next chapter at the illustrious Premier League outfit must not be hindered by the return of Lukaku, perhaps reaching the end of his imperious best. Indeed, they must finally call time on his second spell at the club this summer; it has been a shambolic transfer all round.

Newcastle Shelvey transfer criticised

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Journalist Liam Kennedy has shared his frustration at Newcastle United’s decision to sell Jonjo Shelvey without signing a replacement in the January transfer window.

What’s the situation with Newcastle’s midfield?

Newcastle went into the transfer window light in midfield, with Joelinton, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes the main options for the midfield three, and Shelvey playing a backup role.

Shelvey then departed with no new central midfielder coming in, and with Joe Willock picking up an injury and Bruno Guimaraes serving a three-game ban after his recent red card, they have been left light in the middle in recent weeks.

Kennedy, speaking on the NUFC Matters YouTube channel about Newcastle’s January activity amid their bid for Champions League football and silverware, bemoaned the decision to sell Shelvey with no one coming in.

He said: “The biggest problem, like I said earlier, was the business that they didn’t do. Letting Jonjo Shelvey go was problematic in many ways.

“It was a deal that most people, financially, when presented with [it], would have done the same deal; they would have signed it off.

“But it’s the fact they didn’t bring anybody in to replace him, in a department where Newcastle United already felt light going into that January window that was the biggest concern.”

Do Newcastle miss Shelvey since his transfer?

The Englishman has made just one substitute appearance for Forest so far, after only appearing five times in all competitions for Newcastle this season.

The 30-year-old was a good servant during his time at the club, making 202 appearances and helping them return to the top flight from the Championship immediately after their relegation in 2016.

Willock’s injury in the recent draw against Bournemouth meant he was replaced by new signing Anthony Gordon, but the arrival from Everton is naturally a winger rather than a central midfielder, and Shelvey could have been useful to cover in this instance. Meanwhile, Elliot Anderson was selected to start as Guimaraes served the final game of his suspension.

However, with Willock’s injury reportedly a short-term one and Guimaraes set to return next weekend, it seems unlikely that Shelvey will have played much beyond this recent set of fixtures, and youngsters such as Anderson or even Lewis Miley could be of more use to Newcastle than Shelvey given his injury struggles.