Botafogo alcança marca histórica no dia seguinte ao lançamento de sua nova linha de uniformes

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo alcançou um feito histórico no dia seguinte ao lançamento da sua nova linha de uniformes. Nesta sexta-feira (28), o clube informou que em 24 horas foram vendidas cerca de 15 mil camisas do Glorioso da marca Reebok.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Líder!

Nesta sexta, o quiosque da Botafogo Store abriu às 10h no Estádio Nilton Santos, com entrada pelo setor Oeste Inferior. Desde então, torcedores do Glorioso foram ao local para adquirirem as novidades. A loja ficará aberta até as 21h.

Neste sábado (29), as vendas prosseguirão. Os quiosques dos setores Camarote / VIP serão abertos para o atendimento exclusivo a sócios Camisa 7. O setor Oeste Inferior será disponível para o público em geral.

Além disso, os torcedores podem adquirir os uniformes no site da Botafogo Store.

+ Veja quais são as perspectivas do Botafogo para a nova linha de uniformes do clube

Nesta sexta-feira (28), os jogadores realizaram atividade no CT Lonier com as novas camisas de treino.

Em entrevista no dia do lançamento do novo uniforme, o CEO da SAF, Thairo Arruda, traçou uma meta para os novos uniformes:

– A gente tem sim uma projeção de vendas. A gente espera atingir 150 mil camisas vendidas em um ano – disse.

Kohli: Experienced the 'most intense disappointment' after Australia tour

Kohli also revealed how Dravid helped bring perspective about “when the right time is”

Shashank Kishore15-Mar-2025

Virat Kohli scored just 190 runs in nine innings in the recent tour of Australia•AFP via Getty Images

The recent Australia tour left Virat Kohli experiencing “the most intense kind of disappointment” he had previously only felt in the summer of 2014, after he went through a wretched tour of England without a single half-century in 10 innings.Like he was all those years ago in England, Kohli was frustrated by his vulnerability outside the off stump during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After starting the series with an unbeaten 100 in India’s win in Perth, eight of his other trips to the crease ended with his outside edge being snaffled up by the wicketkeeper or in the slips. In all, he managed just 190 runs in nine innings at 23.75.”If you ask me the intensity of how disappointed I’ve been, the most recent Australia tour would be the one that’s most fresh. So it might feel the most intense to me,” Kohli said at an event moderated by Isa Guha at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru.Related

Virat Kohli tells BCCI that he wants to retire from Test cricket

India's white-ball wizards need a new cheat code for sustained excellence

Kohli bats for families' presence on India's tours

RCB hope 18 is the charm as hunt for IPL glory continues

“For a long time, the tour of England in 2014 bothered me the most. But I can’t look at it that way. I might not have an Australia tour again in four years. I don’t know. You have to make peace with whatever’s happened in your life. In 2014, I still had the chance to go in 2018 and do what I did. It might not have been the case. It might have been another blunder. But it didn’t turn out that way.”So, there’s no such guarantees in life. I think when you are at a stage for a long period of time, when you perform, people get used to your performances. They start feeling for you more than you feel sometimes. This has to be corrected.”Kohli revealed he had moments in Australia where the lack of scores made him over-eager to correct things with every ticking innings. However, he understood the importance of soaking in the disappointment, before making a hasty decision.”Once you start taking on the energy and the disappointment from the outside, then you start burdening yourself way more,” Kohli said. “And then you start thinking about things, like ‘I’ve got two or three days left on this tour, I need to make an impact now.’ And you start getting more desperate. That’s something I’ve surely experienced in Australia as well.”Because I got a good score in the first Test. I thought, right, ‘let’s go.’ There’s going to be another big series for me. It doesn’t turn out that way. For me, it’s just about the acceptance of, ‘okay fine, this is what happened. I’m going to be honest with myself. Where do I want to go? What are my energy levels like?'”I’m not sitting here in 48 hours or 72 hours-time to make a decision like ‘let me go.’ Spend time with family. Just sit down. Let everything calm down. And see how I feel in a few days. And within five-six days I was excited to go to the gym. I was like, okay fine. It’s all good. I don’t need to tweet anything right now.”In saying everything he did about overcoming disappointments and facing challenges, Kohli also stated the “joy, enjoyment and love for the game” was still intact. But a recent conversation with former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid helped bring perspective about “when the right time is.””Me playing the game is not for achievement,” he said. “It pretty much comes down to just the pure joy and enjoyment and love for the game. And as long as that love is intact, I will continue to play the game. I have to be honest about that with myself. Because the competitive streak doesn’t allow you to find the answer.”Recently, I had a very interesting conversation with Rahul Dravid when he was our coach. He said you always have to stay in touch with yourself. Figure out where you are placed in your life. And the answer is not that easy, because you might be going through a lean phase and you feel like ‘this is it.’ But it might not be.”But then when it was time, he said my competitive streak would not allow me to accept it. Maybe one more. Maybe six more months, whatever. So, I think it’s a fine balance. And you have to just pray and hope that you get clarity when it comes. At this point in my life, I feel pretty happy. I still love playing the game. Don’t get nervous, I’m not making any announcements, as of now, everything is fine.”

Sonny Baker awarded England Men's development contract

Sonny Baker, Hampshire’s 21-year-old fast bowler, has been awarded an England Men’s development contract by the ECB after impressing for the Lions.Baker, a former England Under-19, came through at Somerset before joining Hampshire over the winter. He was called up for the England Lions tour of Australia, making his first-class debut against Australia A in the final tour match and finishing with figures of 3 for 60.His performances, which also included a match haul of 5 for 71 against a Cricket Australia XI, caught the eye of Lions head coach, Andrew Flintoff, with the ECB subsequently putting him on contract until September.”It has been an absolute pleasure to see Sonny thrive over the winter,” Flintoff said. “He and I are very different in character and personality, but it has been a delight to see the pride he takes in wearing the Three Lions, the energy he brings to every ball, and the theatre and magic he creates on the pitch.”His professionalism and dedication to every aspect of his game are an example to all. Sonny has a bright future ahead, and we look forward to continuing to work with him and Hampshire over the coming years.”

'Something happened I couldn't have imagined' – Strasbourg president hits back at club's own fans after Emanuel Emegha abuse following Chelsea transfer confirmation

Strasbourg president Marc Keller has come out swinging after furious supporters turned on him and club captain Emanuel Emegha in the wake of the striker’s confirmed transfer to Chelsea. The fallout reached boiling point when fan groups unfurled hostile banners aimed at both men, sparking a fiery response from Keller during an emergency press conference on Thursday.

  • Chelsea transfer fuels fan fury

    The anger stems from the growing influence of Chelsea owners BlueCo, who purchased Strasbourg back in 2023. Since then, a section of the fanbase has voiced loud opposition, repeatedly accusing the hierarchy of turning their club into a satellite project for Stamford Bridge. The official announcement of Emegha’s seven-year Chelsea deal, set to begin in 2026, poured petrol on the fire. Although the Dutch striker will remain in France for one more campaign, ultras singled him out alongside Keller, labelling both as “traitors” to the cause.

  • Advertisement

  • AFP

    A longlist of BlueCo flashpoints

    The Emegha saga is only the latest chapter in a running battle. Fans were already incensed when Ishé Samuels-Smith returned to Chelsea just 34 days after signing for Strasbourg, reportedly for ten times his value. Then came the controversial move of youngster Mamadou Sarr, who joined Chelsea on trial during the Club World Cup. For the die-hards, each case has been a stark reminder of what they see as BlueCo’s overreach. And for many, the Emegha deal was simply the final straw.

  • Keller assures fans

    Keller insists the deal with Chelsea was the best possible outcome for everyone. He claims Emegha had major interest from top European clubs and stresses that Strasbourg would have struggled to hold on to him without BlueCo’s backing.

    “We were able to bring him (Emegha) in thanks to BlueCo two years ago; many big clubs approached us this summer," he said. "Our priority is to keep our striker and leader. We found the best balance with this agreement, which allows us to keep the player, then let him leave for Chelsea in a year.”

    He added, "Something happened that I couldn’t have imagined. I saw a minority of people in the West Stand attacking the institution, the project, and our captain. It’s unacceptable; these are not our values. Attacking our captain is not right. The fans support us. We used to communicate a lot, including in the National League. But that’s changed over the past two years; it’s sad. And what happened on Sunday no longer respects our club’s rules; we don’t accept it."

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • Getty Images Sport

    Emegha's promise to Strasbourg

    Despite the storm, Emegha himself has vowed to keep his focus firmly on the job at hand. The 22-year-old, named captain this season after his breakout campaign, has already scored three goals in Ligue 1 this term and insists he won’t be distracted by talk of Stamford Bridge. He will be back in action against Paris FC on Sunday. 

Not Isak: Club eye move for £120k-p/w Newcastle star who Howe sees as "key"

A foreign club are “weighing up an approach” for an “incredibly strong” Newcastle United player this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.

Shearer bemoans "nightmare" summer at Newcastle

The Magpies have had a summer to forget, with the Alexander Isak saga looming large over them, and many transfer targets moving to other clubs instead.

It has been a period that has sapped the life out of Newcastle supporters, with club legend Alan Shearer admitting it has been a “nightmare” in his column for BBC Sport.

“So far, Newcastle’s pre-season has been a nightmare. There is no other way of describing it. They have had a disastrous transfer window, missing out on every one of their top targets they went for, and on top of that they have got Alexander Isak’s situation hanging over them as they get ready for the opening weekend.

Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal

“One way or another they have to resolve it, but that won’t be easy. Isak clearly wants to leave St James’ Park and join Liverpool, but he cannot be sold if they don’t get anyone in to replace him.It’s not just one new striker Newcastle need, either. Callum Wilson moved on earlier in the summer so the reality is that if they don’t get two centre-forwards in, Isak does not go anywhere.”

While much focus is on keeping hold of Isak this summer, it now looks as though another Newcastle player is the subject of strong interest from another club.

"Incredibly strong" Newcastle ace wanted by Monaco

According to Downie on X, Monaco are “weighing up an approach” for Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier, with the Ligue 1 side “very keen” on signing him this summer. The Magpies want him to stay, though, seeing him as a “key player” for Howe.

At 34, Trippier isn’t quite the force of old, but he still has plenty to offer Newcastle, which is why losing him to Monaco this summer would be a blow.

The Englishman can continue to be a good backup option to Tino Livramento, battling him for minutes, and Eddie Howe loves him as a player, hailing his character.

“Tripps is an incredibly strong character,. As I’ve said many times he’s a transformative signing. Someone that’s taken the group onto a totally different level. He’s been the heartbeat of that. So when he’s given us so much now it’s our turn to support him and look after him the other way and that’s what we’ll do.”

He'd replicate Isak: Newcastle make enquiry to sign "complete" £80m striker

With Alexander Isak still hoping to force a move to Liverpool, could Newcastle target a “complete” striker valued at £80m who’d replicate the Swede?

ByBen Gray Aug 12, 2025

Hopefully, the £120,000-a-week Trippier turns down any potential advances from Monaco and sees his future at Newcastle.

Their own Rice: Man Utd submit bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Manchester United have been synonymous with having some of the best midfield players in top-flight history in their ranks throughout the years.

From the likes of Nobby Stiles and Bryan Robson to modern-day greats in the form of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, the engine room has always been one of the strongest areas of the Old Trafford squad.

United now have captain Bruno Fernandes running the show from central areas of the pitch, but it’s safe to say he’s not getting much help.

Keane is only too keen – pardon the pun – to get stuck into the current crop and given they finished 16th in the league last term, that is hardly a surprise.

Jamie Carragher has already told Casemiro to give up football or head to Saudi Arabia, while Manuel Ugarte endured a topsy-turvy first year in England.

It says it all that a certain Scott McTominay, once of United, was the MVP in Serie A with Napoli last season. Perhaps they should have kept him?

Well, while Ruben Amorim and Co are desperately trying to fix a toothless attack with signings like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, they should not ignore the midfield either.

Man United make bid for new midfielder

“Leave the football, before the football leaves you”. Those were the famous words muttered in the direction of Casemiro by Carragher in 2024. Harsh words, but perhaps fair ones.

The Real Madrid great has been far from great in United colours, with fellow holding midfielder, Ugarte, also singled out, most notably in the 4-1 defeat to Newcastle.

Indeed, Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst wrote during that game that Ugarte was ‘a mismatch against Tonali, Joelinton and Guimaraes’. United would do a lot for any of those players.

Well, they could sign one of the best around if reports from Spain are to be believed.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Claims were made midweek that Man United have cast their eyes in the direction of Madrid again and have lodged a bid for French star Aurelien Tchouameni.

While new boss Xabi Alonso deems the midfielder to be ‘untouchable’, the Red Devils are willing to pay up to £77m to secure Tchouameni’s services.

How Tchouameni could be Man United's own Declan Rice

What United would do for a player of Declan Rice’s calibre, eh? The Arsenal star has made his £105m price tag look like a bargain over the last year, scoring that belting duo of free-kicks against Real Madrid and running the show inside the Bernabeu.

United legend Rio Ferdinand said at the time that the England international has now “put himself in another bracket” of midfielders, having “run the show” in both matches against the Spanish giants.

Amorim’s men certainly lack that presence right now but in the form of Tchouameni, they could find their own deep-lying midfielder capable of becoming a star alongside Fernandes.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni

Notably described as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” by analyst Raj Chohan, the France international feels like he’s been around for a while now, but he has truly cemented himself as one of the most noteworthy central players in Europe.

Playing for one of the best teams on the globe in the form of Real, the 25-year-old started 31 of the 32 games he was available for in LaLiga and also started ten of the 12 Champions League ties he was available for.

On that evidence, getting him away from the Spanish capital would be tricky but United must fight hard for this one. He could well be their answer to Rice.

Goals

0.06

0.16

Assists

0.02

0.22

Pass success %

92%

87%

Passes into final 3rd

6.35

5.61

Progressive passes

5.10

6.99

Tackles won

0.88

1.13

Blocks

1.06

0.95

Interceptions

1.42

1.03

Successful take-ons

0.31

0.52

Carries

49.8

40.3

Ball recoveries

4.65

4.97

Aerials won

2.40

1.13

Analysing the data, the Arsenal sensation has clearly developed his game superbly well in the last two years and now predominantly features as a more advanced no.8 in Mikel Arteta’s system.

As a result, he’s impacting play more regularly than Tchouameni in the final third, scoring more goals and registering a greater number of assists.

That being said, their games are certainly comparable when it comes to their defensive work, getting through a similar number of ball recoveries, tackles and interceptions.

What might appeal to Amorim is that Madrid’s French superstar is also better in the air than Rice. He may not have the ability to pop up very often in offensive phases of play, but with United boasting Fernandes in their lineup, that’s absolutely fine.

So, with upgrades arguably needed on the likes of Casemiro and Ugarte, signing their own Rice in the form of Tchouameni would certainly go down a treat at Carrington.

The dream squad Man Utd could build: £152m trio & "mini-Salah" all sign

It’s not just the starting XI that is in need of a rebuild at Manchester United…

ByRobbie Walls Jul 6, 2025

Yastika Bhatia returns as India name tried and tested 15 for T20 World Cup

India have named a familiar-looking squad for the women’s T20 World Cup 2024 retaining the bulk of the side that qualified for the final of the women’s T20 Asia Cup in July this year.Fourteen of the 15 players in the World Cup squad were also part of the Asia Cup side, with only Uma Chetry missing out. India have instead picked Yastika Bhatia, but her inclusion is subject to fitness, and so is Shreyanka Patil’s, after she suffered a fractured finger in her left hand during an Asia Cup game against Pakistan.Bhatia, the wicketkeeper-batter, was Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-scorer in WPL 2024 with 204 runs in in eight outings. She played the first T20I against Bangladesh in Sylhet in April but has been out of action since. She is currently recuperating at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for an injury in her left knee.Tanuja Kanwar, who replaced Patil in the India squad for the Asia Cup, has not been included, but has been named among the travelling reserves. Along with Kanwar, Chetry, also a wicketkeeper-batter, and fast bowler Saima Thakor have been named in the reserves. Batter Raghvi Bist and legspinner Priya Mishra, who were both part of the India A squad that travelled to Australia recently, have been named non-travelling reserves.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Harmanpreet Kaur will continue leading the side, with Smriti Mandhana the vice-captain. Along with the two, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma are expected to form the spine of the batting. Renuka Singh will lead the fast-bowling unit alongside Pooja Vastrakar. Deepti, Radha Yadav and Patil are the main spinners.India are placed in Group A at the World Cup along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and are targeting their first women’s T20 World Cup title.The tournament was originally set to be played in Bangladesh, but was shifted to the UAE last week in the aftermath of the countrywide anti-government agitations in Bangladesh, with a number of countries issuing travel advisories to their citizens against travelling to the country..The tournament gets underway on October 3 in Sharjah with the final slotted for October 20 in Dubai. India begin their campaign against New Zealand in Dubai on October 4 in an evening game and will play Pakistan on October 6 at the same venue.

India squad for Women’s T20 World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia* (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajeevan Sajana

Charl Langeveldt takes charge as Zimbabwe bowling coach

Stuart Matsikenyeri, who was recently interim head coach, is now the fielding coach

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2024Former South Africa quick Charl Langeveldt has been appointed bowling coach of the Zimbabwe men’s national team. Stuart Matsikenyeri, the former Zimbabwe batter who had been the side’s interim head coach prior to the full-time appointment of Justin Sammons, remains part of the coaching staff as fielding coach.Langeveldt and Matsikenyeri will join Sammons and newly appointed assistant coach Dion Ebrahim ahead of the five-match T20I series against India, which begins in Harare on July 6. South Africans Ravish Gobind and Curtly Diesel will also join the backroom as strategic performance coach and strength and conditioning coach respectively.Related

Justin Sammons appointed Zimbabwe head coach

Dave Houghton resigns as Zimbabwe head coach

The appointments were approved by the Mhishi Committee of Inquiry, which was formed to study the team’s failure to qualify for the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.A near full-strength Zimbabwe were pipped by Namibia and Uganda, who took the two available spots from the Africa Region Qualifier in November 2023. The setback prompted Dave Houghton’s resignation as head coach, with the former Zimbabwe captain suggesting players were “not responding to my voice anymore.”In his absence, Walter Chawaguta had then taken over as head coach in an interim capacity, before Matsikenyeri stepped in to oversee the team’s preparation ahead of their tour of Bangladesh in April.Langeveldt’s most recent stint with an international side was with Afghanistan until the end of last year’s ODI World Cup in India. He has also been part of the coaching set-ups of Bangladesh and South Africa.

He'd be amazing with Tierney: Celtic are now in talks to sign £7m "artist"

Celtic have finally confirmed that Kieran Tierney is set to officially join the club at the start of next month after his contract with Arsenal expires.

The Scotland international is returning to Parkhead for a second spell as a player, joining on a free transfer, to start at left-back for Brendan Rodgers next season.

Tierney left the Scottish giants in the summer of 2019 to sign for Arsenal after coming up through the youth ranks in Glasgow before thriving as a young talent.

The experienced defender, as shown in the graphic above, provided a big creative threat from a left-back position for Celtic, with 37 assists in 170, and Celtic are reportedly eyeing a star who could be amazing with the full-back down the left flank.

Celtic in talks to sign new winger

The Scottish Premiership champions are aiming to bolster their options in the left wing position and are eyeing up a star who could play ahead of Tierney next season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are in talks with Sarpsborg over a deal to sign Norway youth international Sondre Orjasaeter in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops have ‘re-opened talks’ with the Norwegian outfit, having made contact with the Eliteserien side, after they failed to get a deal done for him in January.

It states that the Scottish giants had an offer of £4.6m turned down for the winger at the start of the year, as Sarpsborg want a fee of £7m, but the club have yet to make a new bid for his services as of yet.

Why Celtic should sign Sondre Orjasaeter

Celtic must now ensure that these fresh talks end with an agreement between all parties, because Orjasaeter could be an exciting addition to start on the left wing ahead of Tierney at left-back.

The 21-year-old starlet, once dubbed an “artist” by Havard Flo, would be a good stylistic fit ahead of the Scottish full-back, as he is a right-footed left-winger who likes to dribble infield to cause havoc in the final third.

This means that Tierney’s overlapping runs down the left, which led to him racking up 37 assists during his first spell, could create space for Orjasaeter to cut in on his favoured foot by dragging opposition full-backs wide and towards the touchline.

This could help both players to thrive because Tierney’s movement down the left could create space for the winger, whilst the Norwegian star’s dribbles infield could draw attention away from the full-backs overlaps to provide him with more chances to send crosses into the box.

Appearances

28

7

Goals

5

1

Big chances missed

5

2

Big chances created

12

7

Key passes per game

1.9

2.0

Assists

5

2

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

2.7

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has caught the eye with his performances in the Eliteserien since the start of the 2024 campaign, with six goals and 19 ‘big chances’ created, which shows that he could make an immediate impact in the final third if Celtic get a deal over the line.

No Celtic player managed more than Nicolas Kuhn’s 1.9 dribbles completed per game in the Scottish Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, which illustrates how impressive the £7m-rated star’s dribbling numbers in the Norwegian top-flight are.

Orjasaeter could be an incredibly exciting player for supporters to watch at Parkhead, due to his dribbling skills and his offensive output, and he could help to bring the best out of Tierney’s attacking talents on top of that.

Therefore, Celtic must work hard to agree a fee with Sarpsborg in the coming days and weeks because it could provide Rodgers with an amazing left-hand side of Tierney and Orjasaeter next term and beyond.

Sinclair 2.0: £4.6m star who "wins games on his own" is Celtic's top target

Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

Man City sold arguably the "best forward in the world", now he's like Wirtz

Manchester City aren’t exactly the most conservative club when it comes to splashing the cash, with their business back in January showing off a club that’s still unafraid to flex their muscles in the transfer market.

Omar Marmoush would join the elite Premier League side’s ranks for a whopping £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt, with his unbelievable goal return of six strikes from 13 league outings already justifying the excessive spending.

Omar Marmoush

Moreover, both Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov would relocate to Manchester for a combined £83.6m, with City’s notable transfer activity showing no signs of slowing down as we head towards the dramatic summer window reopening.

Manchester City's pursuit of Florian Wirtz

Already, Pep Guardiola’s men have been linked with a barrage of exciting names to improve their midfield options, with Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White reportedly attracting the attention of those at the Etihad.

Other midfield targets on City’s radar include ex-Norwich City ace Gabriel Sara and Newcastle United fan’s favourite Sandro Tonali, but the main superstar that is dominating most of the conversation in this regard is Bayer Leverkusen hero Florian Wirtz.

The FA Cup finalists have been linked frequently with the electric German, with a wild price-tag of £101m allegedly above the 21-year-old’s head amidst growing interest.

The latest on any such deal is that Man City are still in the conversation for his signing, but according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich are ‘continuing to work on a deal behind the scenes.’

City will still hope they can power ahead to the front of the queue to land the much-talked-about Leverkusen number ten, but they could have avoided another splurge in the transfer department…

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.

Man City sold their own Florian Wirtz

City have dropped the ball a few times in recent years when letting some top talents depart the Etihad, with the example of Cole Palmer no doubt stinging to this very day.

Julian Alvarez is another sale that will hurt Guardiola and Co.

Across 103 games donning City sky blue, the explosive Argentinian would notch up a sturdy 36 strikes and 19 assists, with Alvarez adept at either leading the line for his ex-employers or slotting in as an option just behind the lone striker.

As it happens, his form since leaving Manchester behind has seen him compared to Wirtz, with data-led website FBref determining that the German is the third most similar player in this season’s edition of the Champions League.

Why? Well, Wirtz also boasts similarly devastating numbers for Leverkusen – seen in his ever-growing count of 56 goals and 63 assists from 194 clashes.

Julian Alvarez for Manchester City.

But, sticking with Alvarez, not allowing him to leave for pastures new at Atletico Madrid would have saved Guardiola’s men a lot of hassle and cash in their ongoing pursuit of a new classy performer in attack.

Alvarez’s G/A numbers for Atletico

Competition

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

La Liga

33

15

2

Copa Del Rey

7

5

2

Champions League

10

7

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, the 25-year-old is now tearing it up in his new Spanish location as a force to be reckoned with, seen in his mightily impressive tally of 27 goals and five assists from 50 appearances at Atletico.

This amazingly betters Wirtz’s own total for the season under the tutelage of Xabi Alonso who has 28 goal contributions next to his name, culminating in Alvarez being heralded as the “best forward in the world” at the moment by journalist Roy Nemer.

City won’t be plagued with regret for too long if they do end up winning the services of their £101m-rated target, but in an alternate reality, Guardiola’s men wouldn’t need to flex their muscles again, knowing they had a Wirtz-like talent already at their disposal.

Better than Sara: Man City keen on signing "world-class" £55m star

Manchester City might well have an upgrade on Gabriel Sara up their sleeve.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 1, 2025

Game
Register
Service
Bonus