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After missing a large chunk of the campaign due to a shoulder injury, in his first start since his return, the American scored their third of the day

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• Monaco defeat Saint-Etienne 3-1
• USMNT's Balogun scores first goal since Oct.
• Striker bagged club's third of match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun scored his first goal for Monaco since Oct. 5, 2024 on Saturday as the French club defeated Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 action, 3-1. The forward scored their third goal of the day, a perfectly timed run that saw him slot a low-driven effort into the corner of the net past the goalkeeper.

  A huge three points, the victory saw Monaco climb into second in the league standings, level on points with Marseille at 58 – though, have a game in-hand over Balogun and Co.

  The strike brought the 23-year-old's season total to four goals.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Balogun underwent shoulder surgery in December after suffering an initial injury in October while playing for the French outfit. He returned from injury on March 29 and prior to Saturday, had made five-straight appearances off the bench for the club. Balogun has scored in four out of his last five starts, dating back to September of last year.

  As a result of his initial injury and following surgery, though, the 23-year-old has yet to debut under new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino. His last time playing for the U.S. was in the September international window under interim head coach Mikey Varas.

  His goal on Saturday bolsters his odds of being selected this June for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Monaco striker Mika Biereth was substituted off the pitch after just 14 minutes on Saturday due to injury. In their two-striker system, if his injury forces him out of next weekend, Balogun's odds of earning a second-straight start will increase.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BALOGUN?

  The American and Monaco return to the pitch next Saturday against Lyon, where Balogun will face off against fellow U.S. international Tanner Tessmann.

Crystal Palace suffered their first loss since before Christmas at the weekend, losing 2-1 to Brentford at Selhurst Park. On the bright side, Romain Esse made his debut, marking it with a goal from the bench with his first touch as he gave the Palace fans their first glimpse of the young star.

The Eagles are currently sitting 13th in the Premier League after 23 games played, now 11 points off the relegation zone and only six points off of a top-half spot.

Oliver Glasner will be hoping for some last-minute acquisitions in this January window to give his side a little push heading into the second half of the campaign, looking to continue their strong vein of form from their last six games before Brentford.

Crystal Palace shopping for new left back

According to reports from Football Insider, Crystal Palace are plotting a move to sign Chelsea left-back, Ben Chillwell on loan.

With Trevoh Chalobah being recalled earlier this month by the Blues, Palace now have the opportunity to fill that loan spot with another player.

Transfer Focus

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

Back in November, reports had stated Palace were searching for a new left-back option to compete with Tyrick Mitchell, compiling a list of possible January targets ahead of the window.

Previously lauded as “exceptional” by Brendan Rodgers, Chilwell’s stock has fallen of late, only making one appearance this season for Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca favouring inverted full-backs in his side, therefore not finding a place for Chilwell in the side.

How Chilwell would benefit Eze at Crystal Palace

In Glasner’s 3-4-3 system, Chilwell would suit perfectly, being the left-wing back, providing width on the outside of Eberechi Eze who is in the left half-space playing as a number ten/inside forward.

Eze has made 24 appearances so far this season, scoring six goals, providing six assists and totalling 1,938 minutes played.

Whilst Mitchell can provide that overlapping run, his qualities are more in the defensive sector, meaning Eze can find himself isolated on the left side of attack, allowing defenders to double-team him much easier, which is something Chilwell could perhaps help to prevent.

When comparing the Chelsea defender to Mitchell last term, you can see how the England international provides a great deal more attacking threat, taking more shots per 90, playing more key passes, averaging more shot-creating actions and overall helping in progression more for his side.

Mauricio Pochettino praised Chilwell as “one of the best left-backs in the world” when he is fit and on-form, which was shown in his Champions League winning campaign at Chelsea in the 2020/21 season, making 42 appearances that season, scoring four goals, providing seven assists and totalling 3,358 minutes played.

The addition of Chilwell would allow Eze more support in the attacking third and could even facilitate a move to left centre-back for Mitchell, allowing the manager to play both of them, still getting the defensive qualities of the latter into the team, whilst also adding extra attacking threat out wide with the Chelsea wing-back.

Crystal Palace have struck gold on Eagles star who's worth more than Esse

Crystal Palace have a player who could help Romain Esse.

By
Connor Holden

Jan 23, 2025

Manchester United are reportedly scouting 17-year-old Serbian wonderkid Ognjen Ugresic, who has been likened with Jude Bellingham and Paul Pogba.

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• Man Utd scout Serbian wonderkid Ugresic
• Will continue to scout the 17-year-old
• Ugresic likened with Bellingham and Pogba

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As evidenced by their summer acquisitions of Chido Obi Martin and Sekou Kone, United have been heavily concentrating on youth recruitment since INEOS' takeover. As seen with Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven this season, Red Devils have been signing young players with a view to making an impact on Ruben Amorim's squad, as well as adding to their pool of talent in the youth academy.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As such, has reported that 17-year-old midfielder Ugresic of Partizan Belgrade has been recognised by United's scouts as an eventual prospect deserving further consideration. Since he made his first appearance in the Serbian Super League in early April, Amorim's side's scouts reportedly went to watch him live in recent weeks, which was confirmed by his agent.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ostoja Stjepanovic has also claimed that his client, Ugresic, has a playing style that can be compared to the likes of Bellingham and Pogba. He told : "His style is similar to Jude Bellingham or to some extent Paul Pogba. His technique is exceptional, but he also has speed, despite his height. "He plays behind the strikers, has good vision, participates in actions, is intelligent…

  "He has developed a lot under the leadership of Srdan Blagojevic, but he still needs time. We have been working together for three and a half years, I see huge potential in him. His parents and he made a lot of sacrifices to get to the Partizan first team, they travelled three hours by car and back every day to training."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The Red Devils are unlikely to make Ugresic's signing this summer as they believe he is more of a prospect for the future. However, they will continue to scout the Serbian through next season.

The Catalan coach bypassed midfield with an ultra-attacking formation at Wembley which under-estimated Oliver Glasner's streetwise Eagles

Pep Guardiola has had a long and passionate love affair with Wembley Stadium, winning the Champions League as a player and manager there with Barcelona, as well as four League Cups and two FA Cups with Manchester City. A third FA Cup really should have followed on Saturday, too.

However, the serial-winning coach underestimated Crystal Palace in the final with a naive starting line up that overlooked the midfield, the area of the pitch Guardiola used to value more than any other. He paid a heavy price for his oversight, losing a second consecutive cup final as Palace edged out City 1-0 to lift their first-ever major trophy. Guardiola is now set to finish a season without lifting major silverware for only the second time in his coaching career, and for the first time since his first year in England back in 2017.

Guardiola was missing Mateo Kovacic and of course Rodri, but he still had Ilkay Gundogan and Nico Gonzalez available, plus Rico Lewis and James McAtee, neither of whom made the bench. Instead he chose to field Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne as holding midfielders, which was no way to treat the legendary playmaker in his last final in a blue shirt.

Ahead of them was a glittering cast of forwards in Omar Marmoush, Savinho, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland, but they all failed to score – and that was despite being awarded a penalty which Haaland mistakenly let Marmoush take before man of the moment Dean Henderson got the better of the Egyptian from the spot to preserve Palace's narrow advantage after Eberechi Eze had given them the lead with their first foray forward.

Henderson also played his role in the most controversial incident of a match that had it all, and likely breathed new life into the sport's oldest competition, showing that hard-working and humble teams can still have their day of glory.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Wembley Stadium…

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  WINNER: Eberechi Eze

  For the last three rounds, Eze has put the ‘magic’ in the ‘magic of the FA Cup’. He came up with a stunning brace against Fulham in the quarter-finals and got the Eagles soaring with a peach of a volley on their way to romping past Aston Villa in the semis.

  So who had the final say in the, well, final? Of course it was Eze. Palace’s tactics meant it was a matter of picking and choosing their moments, taking the sparing chances that would come their way. City’s squad didn’t only cost several times more than the Eagles', but they boasted the wealth of experience having played so many of these grand occasions together before.

  But when Daniel Munoz swept a low cross towards Eze after a quarter of an hour, one not too dissimilar to the ball played in for that semi-final corker, the England midfielder made no mistake. It was a move they were used to, a finish completely familiar and in-keeping with the story of Palace’s run.

  Truth be told, Eze wasn’t too involved after scoring, but he didn’t need to be. Palace’s objective was to win, and Eze’s own mission was to be additive to that cause. That’s all that mattered.

  Wilfried Zaha is widely considered by Eagles fans to be their best player of all time, but he failed to get his hands on the FA Cup when forming part of the 2016 team that lost to Manchester United at Wembley. Eze may have just snatched that championship belt from the Ivorian.

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  LOSER: Pep Guardiola

  Guardiola had talked up the importance of the FA Cup the day before the final, but his starting line-up almost looked like him showing a lack of respect for the competition as he seemed to think he could win it without a midfield and by playing all his attackers, like an inexperienced Football Manager player.

  His formation, which at first glance looked like 4-2-3-1 but at times felt like a 4-0-6, completely stifled Guardiola's players. Yes, City had 78 percent possession and 23 shots to Palace's seven, but their efforts on goal were largely desperate attempts and they never played with fluidity.

  De Bruyne was playing far too deep, often looking like a quarter-back, while Haaland was given no decent service. Most managers would have corrected their tactics at half-time, but Guardiola made no changes until the 76th minute and still did not bring on a competent midfielder. Most baffingly, he unleashed 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri, who had never previously even been named as a substitute, for his debut on the biggest stage.

  The coach stood by his tactics, explaining: "I think we didn't suffer. I expected the game in that way and wanted Kevin to deliver some balls. but we could not find the positions we wanted. The gameplan didn't work because we didn't win, but I didn't [regret] anything. At Southampton I had a bad feeling, but today we are sad because it's the FA Cup and it's such a beautiful day."

  This defeat, however, can now be filed alongside City's 2021 Champions League final loss to Chelsea, another day when Guardiola went into battle with no specialist holding midfielders and paid the price.

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  WINNER: Dean Henderson

  Oh, how this final could have gone so differently for Henderson. He was embroiled in some early controversy when he swatted a long ball over the top away from Haaland with his hand – only this came outside the penalty area. Referee Stuart Attwell did not punish the Palace goalkeeper, but VAR took an in-depth look at the incident. After several minutes, it was decided that while Henderson did illegally handle the ball outside his own box, it did not deny Haaland an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and so was spared a red card.

  That was undoubtedly a turning point. Even when City were awarded a penalty soon after, Henderson stood tall and thwarted Marmoush, diving low to his right to deny the Egyptian. That was one of six saves the England international made, but each of them were vital to ensure Palace left Wembley with the cup.

  As a former Manchester United player, Henderson must have enjoyed twisting the knife in to City and Guardiola, who, he got into afters with following the full-time whistle. Once a Red Devil, always a Red Devil, eh?

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  LOSER: Erling Haaland

  Haaland has now played six matches at Wembley and still hasn't scored under the arch, while he has just two winners' medals to show for his five appearances in finals.

  The Norwegian returned from his six-week injury lay off just in time for this year's showpiece, and last week's match at Southampton was his tune-up game. But when it came to it, Haaland was rusty, as he failed to beat Henderson from close range early in the game and then missed the target with his later opportunities.

  But worst of all, he did not want to take City's penalty. True, he had missed his last attempt from the spot against Bournemouth, but he should have backed himself to score. That was certainly what ex-England captain Wayne Rooney thought.

  "Erling Haaland is a world-class forward, but when we're talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no way they're giving that ball away," Rooney said on . "That's what separates them two players from Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe and these players. They are selfish and they want to score every game. When he misses chances, I think you can see it gets to him and it does affect him. Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him."

Manchester United could now agree to let one star leave immediately after it emerged that a fresh club had made an approach to sign him, despite the English transfer window being closed.

Man Utd and INEOS making cuts to squad

January only saw Manchester United bring in two new faces, but much of the discussions surrounded who would exit Old Trafford as Ruben Amorim looked to turn around the dreadful start to his tenure in charge of the Red Devils.

Arriving with the club firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League, the Portuguese coach has seen his side win just four of his first 13 top flight games in charge, a run of form that leaves them sitting 13th and with any dreams of European football next season all but over.

The key focus of the winter window therefore was on trimming down the squad and the wage bill, something that the club did to good effect.

Marcus Rashford joined Aston Villa in a loan move that will see the midlands outfit pay a minimum of 75% of his wages, a sum that could rise to 90% based on performances, while they also have an option to buy Manchester United’s highest earner for £40m this summer.

Meanwhile, Antony completed a loan move to Betis, where they are also thought to be paying in excess of 80% of his wages, with the pair saving Manchester United significant sums in the second half of the season.

And the cut-throat decision-making could be set to continue despite the transfer window having now shut.

INEOS willing to let Casemiro leave Man Utd immediately

That comes according to a journalist in Brazil [via Sport Witness], who points to a potential Man Utd exit for midfielder Casemiro in the coming weeks.

The Brazilian was hailed as “magnificent” by former manager Erik ten Hag, but has hardly featured for Amorim. He has not started a game in 2025 and has been an unused substitute on 12 occasions across all competitions, underlining his mammoth fall from grace.

Though he did not depart in January, a move could still be on the cards thanks to the fact that Brazil’s transfer window remains open until the end of February. That has allowed Flamengo to make a late approach to sign the decorated midfielder, and it is claimed that manager Filipe Luis “has given his approval to sign the Brazil international”.

INEOS are willing to let him depart and to make it easier to complete a deal, it is added that Manchester United are “ready to cover a large part of his salary to send him out on loan”, with Casemiro currently among the club’s highest earners on a mammoth £350,000 a week as things stand.

Man Utd have set sights on signing "world-class" 5x league champ – report

He has matched Amad Diallo for goals this season.

By
Henry Jackson

Feb 9, 2025

Though it is unclear how much the Red Devils would be willing to cover, it would likely have to be a significant sum to tempt Flamengo into trying to complete a deal for Casemiro, despite him being clearly unwanted by Amorim, who has recently taken to throwing young talent Toby Collyer on instead of his five-times Champions League winning midfielder.

Could a loan move be the best solution for all parties ahead of a permanent departure this summer?

Paris Saint-Germain keeper Mary Earps donned an Arsenal shirt to support her Lionesses team-mate, Alessia Russo, in the Champions League final.

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• Earps travelled to Lisbon to support Russo
• Gunners edged out Barca to win the UWCL
• It was their first European triumph in 18 years

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a heartwarming show of solidarity, Earps arrived at the stadium wearing Russo’s Arsenal jersey, sharing the moment in a video that quickly went viral on the internet. The duo share a close-knit bond and the keeper's tribute showcased her unwavering support for her compatriot, even when club allegiances differ.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT EARPS SAID

  Earps shared the video on Instagram and wrote: "@ALESSIA YOUR BIGGEST FAN IS HERE".

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In what proved to be one of the biggest surprises in recent women’s football history, Arsenal toppled Barcelona in a fiercely contested final in Lisbon, clinching their first UEFA Women’s Champions League title since 2007. Super substitute Stina Blackstenius stepped up in the second half to score the decisive goal, handing the Gunners a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

Tottenham Hotspur play host to Manchester United in the Premier League’s afternoon kick-off this Sunday, in what could be a game of huge significance to under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs headed into the weekend 14th in the Premier League with almost two-thirds of the season gone, and they have now crashed out of both domestic cup competitions, leaving the Australian under considerable pressure.

Sunday’s fixture offers Postecoglou’s side an opportunity to overtake a struggling Man Utd side, who have collected just two points more than the hosts, in what has been an extremely disappointing season.

Tottenham's 10 best victories against Man Utd

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side have plenty of inspiration to take from these previous Manchester United clashes.

By
Barney Lane

Feb 13, 2025

Tottenham vs Man Utd team news

Tottenham

Tottenham have been in an injury crisis this season, which can be partially blamed for their disappointing campaign up to this point. Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Timo Werner and Richarlison all remain unavailable, while Micky van de Ven is also likely to miss out again.

James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie are in contention to return, though, in a much-needed boost for Spurs.

Man Utd

Lisandro Martinez is set to be ruled out for the foreseeable future due to an ACL injury, joining fellow defenders Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans along with Mason Mount on the injury list.

Ruben Amorim was then hit with several pieces of bad news on Saturday afternoon, as Kobbie Mainoo is facing a few weeks out, Amad Diallo could miss the entire season with an ankle injury, while Toby Collyer and Manuel Ugarte are also doubts for Sunday.

Where to watch Tottenham vs Man Utd on TV

Viewers in the UK will be able to tune in on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and NOW TV, with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm (GMT) on Sunday 16th February.

Tottenham vs Man Utd referee & VAR

The referee appointed for Sunday’s fixture is Peter Bankes, who will be assisted by Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh. The fourth official in north London will be Michael Salisbury and, at Stockley Park, Paul Tierney is on VAR duty, assisted by Gary Beswick.

Tottenham vs Man Utd form

Tottenham

Consecutive defeats against Liverpool and Aston Villa have seen Spurs crash out of both domestic cup competitions, and given that they are just 14th in the Premier League table, there is seemingly a real threat Postecoglou could soon lose his job.

Results have been particularly poor since the turn of the year, suffering defeats against the likes of Leicester City and Everton, although the Lilywhites did manage to win their last league match, prevailing 2-0 away at Brentford.

Man Utd

Man Utd have also been extremely poor in the Premier League this season, and there is real danger they will record their lowest-ever finish since the competition began, having never previously finished below eighth.

The Red Devils lost 2-0 at home against Crystal Palace in their last league outing, but they may be able to take some confidence from winning their most recent game on the road, defeating Fulham 1-0, before beating Leicester City 2-1 at home in the FA Cup.

Tottenham vs Man Utd head-to-head

Historically, Man Utd have a solid record against Tottenham, but results have been much more mixed in recent years, with the Red Devils failing to win in the last four matches between the two sides in all competitions.

Despite their injury woes, Spurs should be confident heading into Sunday’s game, given that they have already triumphed over United twice this season, most recently winning 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the EFL Cup quarter-final.

The Crew shotstopper suffered an injury in warmups against Charlotte FC over the weekend, per head coach Wilfried Nancy

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• Crew goalkeeper Schulte suffers injury
• Ruled out for multiple weeks
• Gold Cup spot in jeopardy with USMNT

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Patrick Schulte suffered an oblique injury during warmups for the Columbus Crew on Saturday and will be sidelined for two to six weeks, head coach Wilfried Nancy confirmed.

  Schulte, who was named to the USMNT training camp for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, will now be in a race against time to be fit for this summer's international competition.

  He was replaced by Nicholas Hagen Saturday evening in the starting XI for Columbus, and Nancy confirmed Tuesday that until Schulte returns for the club, Hagen will be the starting goalkeeper for the Eastern Conference side. Charlotte won Saturday's match 3-2.

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  U.S. Soccer has yet to release a statement about Schulte's status for the upcoming training camp, which features international friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland. The pair of matches serve as the warmups for the Gold Cup, but with the goalkeeper now unexpectedly sidelined, he looks set to miss both games in early June.

  Schulte was named to the roster as one of four goalkeepers alongside Colorado Rapids shotstopper Zack Steffen, NYCFC's Matt Freese, and Nottingham Forest's Matt Turner, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Crystal Palace. In 13 matches for the Crew so far this season, Schulte has two clean sheets and has made 32 saves, with an average save percentage of 69.6 percent.

  The only other two goalkeepers named to the 60-man USMNT provisional roster for the tournament were Chicago Fire's Chris Brady, and FC Barcelona's Diego Kochen

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Schulte started all four matches for the U23 USMNT at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, keeping one clean sheet in a 3-0 victory against Guinea. With the senior team, he has made three appearances.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SCHULTE?

  The severity or exact nature of Schulte's injury has not been revealed, but with a vague timetable of return, it's uncertain if he will be fit for the 2025 Gold Cup. In the meantime, the 24-year-old will be undergoing a brief spell of recovery.

Chelsea have now expressed “concrete interest” in signing an “amazing” striker, who could have a release clause of around £66m this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Maresca's striker search

Enzo Maresca praised Nicolas Jackson for his contribution in front of goal back in January, saying: “He has already scored nine goals and last year he scored 14, so he’s on course to score more goals than he scored last year. Hopefully he can score more goals, he can help us, but we are completely happy with Nico.”

However, the 23-year-old has failed to score this calendar year, and Christopher Nkunku hasn’t exactly been prolific since Jackson was sidelined with injury, despite breaking his nine-game goal drought in the Premier League against Southampton last time out.

As such, the Blues look set to pursue a new striker in the summer transfer window, and they have been linked with moves for a number of exciting options, including Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

Maresca driving Chelsea move to sign "unbelievable" £50m+ Brighton star

The Blues’ boss has set his sights on a new signing ahead of the summer transfer window.

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By
Dominic Lund

Mar 5, 2025

However, Isak’s huge asking price could pose a problem, and the west Londoners have struggled to get a deal for Osimhen over the line in the past, so they have also identified other alternative targets.

According to Plettenberg, in a recent update on X, Chelsea have now “expressed concrete interest” in signing RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has now been confirmed to have a release clause included in his contract.

The release clause may rise to €80m (£66m) by the end of the campaign, at which point a number of Premier League clubs could make moves, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen, although the latter club have “little chance” of winning the race.

"Amazing" Sesko impressing in Germany

The Slovenian striker is averaging a goal every other game with RB Leipzig this season, netting 17 goals in 34 games in all competitions, including four in the Champions League prior to his side’s exit.

As such, the Leipzig star is just one goal away from matching his goal tally from last season, showing signs of development, having regularly been amongst the goals since making his breakthrough with RB Salzburg.

Not only is the 6-foot-5 forward a goal threat, but he is also imposing physically, as pointed out by Matej Orazem, the sporting director of NK Domzale, who Sesko played for at youth level.

“The physicality was the defining factor. He was amazing. With some young talents, you want them to play with the older guys but if they are not physically ready then you are a little more wary. With Beny, there was no doubt because of his physical presence.”

Sesko’s goal record, coupled with his physical presence, indicates he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, at which point it is evident Maresca will need to sign a top striker, given Jackson and Nkunku’s struggles.

Ajax star Brian Brobbey was the victim of an extortion plot which resulted in explosive attacks and a near-fatal shooting for his friend.

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• Ajax star victim of an extortion plot
• Refusal to pay led to attacks and a friend being shot
• Club unaware for a long time

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per Het Parool, Brobbey was being blackmailed under the "Holleeder Method," a scheme in which criminals fabricate problems for wealthy individuals and demand hefty payments for their resolution. This tactic, perfected by Dutch criminal Willem Holleeder, subjected Brobbey to years of sleepless nights. The ordeal tragically escalated, leading to his friend being shot and left fighting for his life.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The plot reportedly began when Brobbey was approached by Jeymon A., a notorious Antillean-Amsterdam criminal known in the underworld as 'Piccalo'. On the night of December 17-18, 2022, A. met with Brobbey at a concert at Valhalla – a music festival. A. asked Brobbey to step aside for a private conversation, claiming that "Moroccan criminals from Utrecht" were looking for him. A. assured the Ajax star that he had already solved this fabricated problem, subtly suggesting that a "generous compensation" would be a reasonable exchange.

  When Brobbey didn't adhere to A.'s demands, a series of planned attacks began. On the night of 15 January 2023, heavy fireworks were thrown through the letterbox of Brobbey's mother-in-law's house. Two months later, on the night of 18 March 2023, an explosive detonated in Brobbey's car, and his sister-in-law's car was set on fire a month later.

• TELL ME MORE

  The matter dramatically escalated when Brobbey's childhood friend went to meet A. During this meeting, A. shot Brobbey's friend three times, rupturing his intestine. A week later, Brobbey received a text message demanding €150,000, threatening that A. would "handle things differently" if he didn't pay. Text messages between Brobbey and his friend provided the gist of the situation to the detectives investigating the shooting. However, Brobbey initially denied everything, wanting to keep it confidential and to avoid further escalation.

  A. was eventually arrested by the police for a different matter and, on 21 November 2024, he prosecutor demanded an eight-year prison sentence for him. Importantly, the details of Brobbey's blackmail have been provided to the court for a more thorough analysis of the case against A.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BROBBEY?

  This ordeal arguably impacted Brobbey's performance, as his form notably dropped from 18 goals in the 2023-24 season to only four in 2024-25. Despite his personal struggles, Brobbey has consistently shown loyalty to the club and always aimed to keep these matters private.