Premier League: Biggest Hits and Misses from the Summer Transfer Window

Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah. (AFP)
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Premier League: Biggest Hits and Misses from the Summer Transfer Window

Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah. (AFP)

From a bargain triumph at Brighton to a costly success at Manchester City, and from a struggling £25m Leicester striker to an unseen defender at Southampton, we assess how last summer’s transfer business looks so far:

Best summer signings

Pascal Gross (Ingolstadt to Brighton, £2.6m)

The money Brighton paid to bring Gross from Ingolstadt already appears to have paid off handsomely. Chris Hughton has fashioned a hard-working team – of the eight players who have covered the greatest distance in the Premier League this season three play for Brighton, a list on which no other side have more than one representative – and Gross is the most energetic player he has. He has the quality to match his industry, proving influential from set pieces and from open play. Brighton have scored 11 league goals of which Gross has scored two and assisted five (plus Tomer Hemed’s goal against Newcastle United came when one of Gross’s free-kicks was headed down by Dale Stephens). It took until October 20 for Brighton to score a goal in which he did not play a crucial role.

Aaron Mooy (Man City to Huddersfield Town, £8m)

Mooy’s 574 passes make him Huddersfield’s most influential player by a huge margin (their next, Christopher Schindler, has made 416, followed by Mathias Zanka with 415). He has also tackled more than any of his team-mates – indeed, only Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi has out-tackled him in the league this season – and his two goals make him their joint top goalscorer. He counts as a summer signing only on a technicality, having spent last season at Huddersfield on loan before making the move permanent in June, but however impressive his displays in the Championship had been, the level of his performances in this campaign has been greater still. “Aaron is the heart of our game,” David Wagner said in June. “He is able to decelerate when necessary, or accelerate the game if you need it. You don’t often find a player who is so comfortable on the ball and has such a great fighting attitude.”

Mohammed Salah (Roma to Liverpool, £36.9m)

Four goals in four Champions League games plus seven in 11 league matches and a match-winning two-goal turn in Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Congo equals a phenomenal season for Salah. Somehow he still often ends up being remembered for his misses – at a crucial, early stage against Manchester City, for example, or from the penalty spot against Huddersfield – but using the expected goals metric he is statistically very much in credit, his chances being considered worth 6.18 goals. He has had more shots on target than any other player in the Premier League, despite being fourth on the list of shots overall: 65 percent of his efforts are accurate, compared with Harry Kane’s 37 percent and Romelu Lukaku’s 47 percent. Neither Fernando Torres nor Luis Suárez had scored as many goals at this stage in their Liverpool careers, and they weren’t wingers.

Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester City, £50m)

“Kyle Walker becomes the world’s most expensive defender at £50m plus” wrote Gary Lineker on Twitter after the deal was completed. “Imagine how much he would cost if he could cross the ball.” It seemed a reasonable point: he had averaged 2.8 league assists per season in his last five years at Tottenham, despite sending over, on average, 85 crosses. It took him, in other words, a little more than 30 crosses to create a goal. This season he has attempted 20 crosses and has four assists, meaning one in five has been converted, and is second on the list of the league’s most creative defenders (level with his replacement at Tottenham, Kieran Trippier, and one behind César Azpilicueta). It helps that he is crossing from a different location – low, from the byline, often inside the penalty area, rather than more speculatively from wherever on the right flanks looks promising – but he suddenly seems a creative force, and a key component of the most irresistible attacking side to grace the Premier League for many a year.

Richarlison (Fluminense to Watford, £11m)

Richarlison’s arrival in Hertfordshire attracted little attention but Watford always had high hopes for the callow Brazilian, who was busy excelling for Fluminense during England’s summer break. “I remember, many times when we were in Austria [during pre-season] we watched full games and we analyzed really well the player,” Marco Silva said in September, “and in that moment I took the decision and when I met the board I said: ‘We need to buy this player.’” He had agreed to join Ajax and was only hours from boarding the plane to Amsterdam when a phone call from Silva convinced him to reroute. His impact has been impressive: the 20-year-old started the first game of the season on the bench, and came off it only because of an injury to Roberto Pereyra. But since that moment he has played all but 10 minutes of Watford’s league campaign, showing a combination of pace, trickery and unstinting effort. He is currently sixth in the league for completed dribbles and has already contributed four goals – all scored away from home – and three assists.

Top of the flops

Jan Bednarek (Lech Poznan to Southampton, £5.7m)

“I have heard Southampton is such a good club for young players,” said Jan Bednarek after he completed his move from Lech Poznan. “It was key for me that the young players are playing here. That was most important, that young players are getting the chance here and can improve themselves.” Bednarek has yet to play a single minute of league football and was last glimpsed on the substitutes’ bench back in August. The highlight of the 21-year-old Pole’s season so far is his full international debut, against Kazakhstan in September, and even that only lasted one minute. Not so much a bad signing, perhaps, as an unnecessary one: instead of getting the chance Bednarek had been led to expect he is engaged in a personal battle with Florin Gardos for the title of Southampton’s fifth-choice center-back.

Davy Klaassen (Ajax to Everton, £23.7m)

Klaassen’s Everton career to date can be split into three distinct parts: the one when he was on the pitch for at least part of every match, the one when he was on the bench for the entirety of every match, and the one when he was neither in the team nor on the bench at all. Under David Unsworth he has made the match-day squad only once and never got as far as the pitch. He has one assist to show for his troubles, at Ruzomberok at the start of August, while in the league he has won two of five attempted tackles and completed 54 of 68 passes. This from the man who was named Holland’s player of the year in 2015-16 and who got nine assists from Ajax’s midfield in the Eredivisie last season (joint fifth in the league) while scoring 14 goals (joint eighth), counts as rank under-performance, even allowing for his team’s travails.

Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City to Leicester, £25m)

Not only has Iheanacho failed to score a Premier League goal for Leicester, he has only had three shots, and none of them was on target. This was not what Leicester thought they were getting for their £25m investment, although the Nigerian remains a rough diamond, having only turned 21 last month, and he hardly lacks experience, having played 64 times and scored 21 goals for Manchester City before his move. Having had his pre-season curtailed by a toe injury and the confusing and drawn-out nature of his transfer, he has played only 233 minutes of league football and rather than becoming Jamie Vardy’s regular foil remains in the shadow of the 31-year-old Shinji Okazaki. In Manchester his goals came at the rate of one every 106.5 minutes, making him at the point his transfer was confirmed statistically the most prolific striker in the history of the Premier League; already he has dropped down to sixth, just ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooy – and he’s falling fast.

Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich to Swansea, loan)

When the magazine FourFourTwo listed its top-20 deals from the summer window – not only in England, mind, but in the whole of Europe and therefore the world – Swansea’s swoop for the 20-year-old Portuguese midfield tyro was its No1. It was certainly among the biggest surprises of the summer but so far it has been a disappointment. Sanches has appeared in five league games, from which Swansea have taken one point; he gave the ball away 14 times in the first half hour of his debut, against Newcastle in September; he has an average WhoScored rating of 6.55. “He’s a really good player, it’s about getting him up to speed,” Paul Clement said last month. “He’s missed a lot of football and his confidence has been damaged. I think his performances are picking up.” He is not Swansea’s only disappointing summer recruit: Wilfried Bony has started two games, made two appearances off the bench, had two shots on target and neither scored nor assisted a goal. The only players to have played as many as his 170 minutes and passed so unsuccessfully (his success rate is a meager 53.2 percent) are goalkeepers, who do a lot of optimistic hoofing, and Burnley’s Sam Vokes.

Jairo Riedewald (Ajax to Crystal Palace, £7.9m)

The versatile 20-year-old was very much the choice of Frank de Boer, who had given him his Ajax debut in 2013 and looked on him as something of a protégé, welcoming him as “a player I know well” who “will be an excellent addition to our squad”, while Riedewald said that he “chose Crystal Palace because of De Boer”. But there is a downside to being the manager’s favorite, particularly if the manager involved is sacked after only four matches. Since playing the entirety of Palace’s season-opening home defeat by Huddersfield, Riedewald has been used for only 34 league minutes, across three matches. There have been glimpses, particularly in the Carabao Cup victory over Huddersfield, of his quality, and perhaps he suffers from his versatility: as if unsure whether to play him in defense or in midfield, he is currently being fielded on the substitutes’ bench instead.

The Guardian Sport



Who Can Stop Man City? Challengers Need Big Offseason to Set up Premier League Title Shot

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
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Who Can Stop Man City? Challengers Need Big Offseason to Set up Premier League Title Shot

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)

Who can stop Manchester City?

That’s the question being asked at the end of another Premier League campaign when Pep Guardiola’s team proved too strong, winning the title for a fifth time in six years.

A look at who might be best-placed to bring down City next season:

ARSENAL (2nd place)

Juggling another run at the title with the demands of playing in the Champions League looks to be Arsenal’s biggest problem. Squad depth became a growing issue at the end of this season — look at the collapse in the defensive stats following the injury to center back William Saliba, for example — and it will be even more stark when the team has to play high-level games twice a week.

Reinforcements at left back, center back and central midfield are needed, especially if Granit Xhaka leaves. However, Mikel Arteta’s squad — the youngest in the Premier League — will be better for the experience of going toe to toe with City before eventually falling short.

“We understand where the level is,” Arteta said. “If we want to be the real deal, we can’t be happy with what we have, and we have to be next season much better. I think we have some great foundations, that is true but in sport you have to prove it again.”

MAN UNITED (3rd place)

In Erik ten Hag, United appears to finally have the manager to build a longer-term project after he led the team back into the Champions League as well as into two domestic cup finals. The Dutchman will need further backing in the transfer market, though, which is why it’s crucial that the sale of the club goes through sooner rather than later. The Glazer family is currently weighing up offers from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and others, though could yet stay in control and get external investment.

Amid the uncertainty, Ten Hag gave a warning on Sunday after United’s final league game. “The club knows if you want to play top four and compete for trophies in this league, then you have to invest,” he said. “Otherwise, you don’t have a chance, because other clubs will.”

Top of the list of requirements is a striker, with England captain Harry Kane a potential option now that he has just one year left on his Tottenham contract.

NEWCASTLE (4th place)

Newcastle has arrived and the Saudi-controlled northeast team is probably here to stay. Will this summer see the club really flex its financial muscles for the first time since the 2021 takeover, having spent sensibly rather than lavishly in the intervening 20 months?

The likes of Callum Wilson, Dan Burn, Miguel Almiron, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock have been dependable squad members this season as Newcastle secured a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, but they might be unsure of their futures if the ownership want to bring in some higher-profile names. Central midfield and wide forwards are areas that needs to be strengthened. The likelihood for the foreseeable future is that Man City and Newcastle will occupy two of the four Champions League qualification spots.

LIVERPOOL (5th place)

A strong end to the season saw Liverpool go unbeaten for its final 11 games and was a sign that Jurgen Klopp might have found a formula that can drive another title push. Trent Alexander-Arnold looks at home in his new hybrid defender-midfielder role, Cody Gakpo appears a natural replacement for Roberto Firmino in the deep-lying striker role and the promise of strengthening in central midfield with younger, fresher legs should address the team’s biggest weakness.

However, the big question remains: by not qualifying for the Champions League, will Liverpool be able to attract the type of quality players needed to challenge Man City? Jude Bellingham has been a long-term target, for example, but is likely to choose a team in the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton might prove to be a more realistic option.

CHELSEA (12th place)

Chelsea is the great unknown because who really knows what its American owners will do next? Having spent more than $600 million on players in their first two transfer windows in charge, will Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital go big again this offseason after an unacceptable 12th-place finish?

They may not even afford to do that, with the priority likely being trimming a large squad to adhere to financial regulations and give incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino a tighter group of players to work with.

Romelu Lukaku’s return from a loan spell at Inter Milan gives Chelsea another option up front, while the futures of midfielders Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are uncertain amid the rebuild.


Mauricio Pochettino Hired as Chelsea Manager to Lead Rebuild After Turbulent Season

Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
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Mauricio Pochettino Hired as Chelsea Manager to Lead Rebuild After Turbulent Season

Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)

Chelsea hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on Monday, tasking the Argentine coach with getting the best out of an expensively assembled squad that has underperformed at the start of a new era for the English club.

Pochettino will take up the role on July 1, Chelsea said, after agreeing to a two-year contract, with the club having the option of keeping him on for a further year.

It is Pochettino’s first coaching role since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July last year and marks his return to the Premier League, where he had an impressive 5 1/2-year spell with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final.

Pochettino had been widely expected to take the Chelsea job, which is considered one of the most high-profile positions in European soccer.

He is the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired in March after nearly seven months in charge. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has led the team on an interim basis since then and it finished the Premier League in 12th place — in the bottom half for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

That was despite Chelsea spending around $630 million over the last two transfer windows as the club’s new American ownership — led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital — made a whirlwind start to their reign.

The unprecedented heavy spending hasn’t immediately translated into success, though, with Chelsea amassing its lowest number of points — 44 — during the Premier League era.

Pochettino has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in European soccer since leaving Tottenham in 2019, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.

He won the French title with PSG, but left last year and has been out of work until now.

“Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea well as we move forward,” Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a statement. “He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.”

Chelsea described Pochettino as a coach who is “renowned for his sides’ high-energy and eye-catching style.

“He has built a reputation for helping young players realize their full potential within a strong squad ethos,” the club said.

Lampard used his final news conference as interim manager — after the 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Sunday — to speak bluntly about what Pochettino can expect upon taking over.

Lampard said he saw immediately after taking charge that “standards collectively have dropped.”

“We are not physically competitive enough — that’s a strong opinion I have,” Lampard said. “Also, we’ll have the capability now to get the squad in the place he wants it to be. That’s going to be some work as well.

“The squad has been too big and that the biggest challenge I have found day to day is coming in and trying to work with big numbers and players who, for whatever reason, are disillusioned that they are not playing or they might be leaving. Those situations can be sorted out now — and they need to be.”

While Pochettino coached some of the world’s most high-profile players in Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG, he’ll have a less celebrated squad at Chelsea that is nevertheless full of talent and mostly young, such as Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, wingers Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, and defender Wesley Fofana.

They are among those players who joined for massive fees and on long-term deals over the past year but have lost their way amid a turbulent season at the club.

Chelsea’s appointment of Pochettino, meanwhile, will be a tough one to take for many Tottenham fans, who still idolize the former Argentina defender for briefly turning their team into one of the best in Europe.

Tottenham is currently without a permanent manager following the departure of Antonio Conte, and the outside possibility of a sentimental return for Pochettino has now been dashed.


Alcaraz, Djokovic ‘Not Otherworldly’ in French Open Wins Over Foes Making Slam Debuts

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
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Alcaraz, Djokovic ‘Not Otherworldly’ in French Open Wins Over Foes Making Slam Debuts

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)

You might assume that the opponents for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the French Open’s first round would come away from their straight-set losses Monday feeling too overwhelmed by the play of the two tournament favorites.

You would be wrong.

Forget the scores and the point-by-point particulars on a windy day at Roland Garros for a moment. Of course, it turned out that No. 1-seeded Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion, beat 159th-ranked qualifier Flavio Cobolli, a 21-year-old from Florence, Italy. And of course, it turned out that No. 3 Djokovic, a 22-time major winner, got past 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic, a 24-year-old who grew up in New York City and is now based in Florida.

And naturally, both Cobolli and Kovacevic acknowledged feeling a bit jittery at the outset of what were their Grand Slam debuts in huge arenas against a couple of elite players.

“I started in a bit of a daze,” Cobolli said after his 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 loss, “because of the emotions.”

“A couple of times there, I did look up and take it all in. I made sure of that, because this is the kind of experience I’ll definitely hold onto forever,” Kovacevic said after his 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1) loss. “It’s not the best thing in the world to get lost in the crowd. You start to really look at everyone that’s there — and that’s when the nerves hit.”

But what both of them wanted to make clear afterward was that, yes, Alcaraz and Djokovic are exceptionally talented, but, no, it did not seem to be impossible to find openings to exploit.

“It’s definitely intimidating. Watching him on TV growing up, it’s hard not to look past that and knowing what he’s accomplished. But from a tennis standpoint, it’s not otherworldly,” said Kovacevic, who was 7 when he first met Djokovic and later practiced with him during the 2021 US Open after playing college tennis at the University of Illinois.

“The things he does well, he does unbelievably well, but the ball that he hits — it’s not blowing me completely off the court, which was honestly somewhat surprising.”

Other seeded men advancing on Day 2 in Paris included No. 8 Jannik Sinner, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe, No. 14 Cam Norrie and No. 15 Borna Coric. Among the seeded women moving into the second round: No. 5 Caroline Garcia, No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 20 Madison Keys and No. 22 Donna Vekic.

Seeds on the way out included No. 10 Petra Kvitova, No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 16 Karolina Pliskova in the women’s bracket, along with No. 10 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 25 Botic Van de Zandschulp in the men’s.

With 14-time champion Rafael Nadal sidelined by a hip injury, Alcaraz and Djokovic are considered the favorites for the men’s title and could meet in the semifinals. If Djokovic wins the trophy, he would earn his 23rd at a Slam and break the tie for the men’s record he and Nadal currently share.

Cobolli’s first career match on the lower-level ATP Challenger Tour was a loss in qualifying against Alcaraz in Italy in August 2000. Cobolli chuckled Monday while recalling that encounter and pointing out that, while both have grown as players since then, “He’s grown more.”

“It’s impressive how he handles himself on important points. That’s one of his best qualities. His ball speed is faster than most players in this tournament. It’s so difficult to get him in trouble,” Cobolli said. “But like all of us human beings, he does have his weaker aspects.”

Which, perhaps, was why both of these contests were lopsided at the beginning — “At the start of the match,” Alcaraz said, “I felt invincible — and included a bit of intrigue down the stretch.”

Alcaraz held three match points to close things at 5-3 in the third set but couldn’t convert, then found himself at 5-all minutes later. Djokovic served to end his match at 5-4 in the third but got broken there to also sit at 5-all.

“Made me work for my victory,” Djokovic said.

In both instances, to the surprise of no one, the higher-rated player steadied himself and sealed the deal.

Before coming to Paris, the last tournament entered by both Cobolli and Kovacevic was an ATP Challenger Tour event in Turin. Cobolli made the case that the talent there was not all that different from what his first foray in a Grand Slam bracket presented.

“I don’t think there’s a ton of distance between us and them. They have something extra, so in the end, they do take home the win,” he said. “But we can play with them.”


Maguire Has Decision to Make About Man United Future, Says Ten Hag 

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 28, 2023, Manchester United's Harry Maguire during the lap of appreciation after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 28, 2023, Manchester United's Harry Maguire during the lap of appreciation after the match. (Reuters)
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Maguire Has Decision to Make About Man United Future, Says Ten Hag 

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 28, 2023, Manchester United's Harry Maguire during the lap of appreciation after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 28, 2023, Manchester United's Harry Maguire during the lap of appreciation after the match. (Reuters)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he is happy to have Harry Maguire in the squad, but the center back will have to make a decision about his future after losing his spot in the side.

The England international has fallen down the pecking order behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof, with even left back Luke Shaw having played in central defense, leaving Maguire with eight starts in the league this season.

Maguire became the world's most expensive defender when United signed him from Leicester City for 80 million pounds ($100.97 million) in 2019. His contract is due to end in 2025.

Asked about Maguire's future, Ten Hag told the Times newspaper: "Let's say I'm happy he's here and when we needed him he did his job. But it's also a decision he has to make."

The Dutchman said Maguire was putting in 100% effort in training and had played an important role as club captain but acknowledged the player would not settle for a place on the bench going forward.

"No one would be happy with this situation. He is not as well," he added.

Ten Hag added that goalkeeper David de Gea will remain at the club next season but said the Spaniard, who kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season, would face competition for the gloves.

"... I will not say he'll always be my number one because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions," he said.


African Players in Europe: Ghana’s Sulemana Stars for Doomed Saints

Football - Premier League - Southampton v Liverpool - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - May 28, 2023, Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Southampton v Liverpool - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - May 28, 2023, Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Ghana’s Sulemana Stars for Doomed Saints

Football - Premier League - Southampton v Liverpool - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - May 28, 2023, Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Southampton v Liverpool - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - May 28, 2023, Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Ghana international Kamaldeen Sulemana scored a stunning goal for relegated Southampton as they bowed out of the Premier League after a thrilling 4-4 draw with Liverpool at the weekend.

The 21-year-old forward ran from inside his own half at Saint Mary's Stadium before firing into the bottom corner from outside the area.

Sulemana twice came off the bench at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, helping Ghana beat South Korea but unable to prevent them losing to Uruguay and being eliminated after the first round.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton)

Sulemana scored his first two goals for the Saints in a thriller against Liverpool. Signed in January from Rennes, his impact came far too late to save the club from relegation. He gave a glimpse of what could be a promising future against the Reds. After slotting past Caoimhin Kelleher to open his account for the club, he scored a spectacular second goal.

Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest)

Awoniyi continued his sparkling end-of-season form as the Nigerian struck for the sixth time in four games in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Awoniyi became the first Forest player since Stan Collymore to score in four consecutive Premier League games as his hot streak kept Steve Cooper's men up.

GERMANY

Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund)

Borussia striker Sebastien Haller had a day to forget as his side drew 2-2 at home to Mainz, gifting Bayern Munich an 11th straight Bundesliga title. Haller, who had scored five goals in his previous three games, stepped up to take a penalty early in the first half with his side one goal down. He hit a tame effort at Mainz goalie Finn Dahmen, and the visitors doubled their lead soon after. Haller scored in injury time but had his goal chalked off for offside as Dortmund threw away a chance of breaking Bayern's decade-long title stranglehold.

Ilhas Bebou (Hoffenheim)

Hoffenheim striker Bebou scored a second-half goal as his side drew 1-1 at Stuttgart, snuffing out any chance of being drawn into a relegation battle. Hoffenheim came into the final round facing a slim mathematical chance of being demoted to the second division for the first time in their history. Bebou headed his side in front with 15 minutes remaining, his seventh goal in 19 league appearances this season.

ITALY

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

The star Nigerian forward took his chart-topping Serie A goal tally to 25 -- four more than closest rival Lautaro Martinez of Inter -- by scoring twice for champions Napoli in a 2-2 draw at 11th-placed Bologna. There has been constant speculation that Osimhen will make a close-season move to the Premier League.

SPAIN

Amath Ndiaye (Real Mallorca)

A tough task for mid-table Mallorca at La Liga champions Barcelona became even more difficult when Senegalese winger Ndiaye was red-carded after only 14 minutes. The visitors were already one goal behind and went on to lose 3-0 with Guinea-Bissau-born Ansu Fati scoring twice.


Racist Abuse of Players Is Getting Worse, Says Stephens

Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates winning her first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in two sets, 6-0, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP)
Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates winning her first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in two sets, 6-0, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP)
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Racist Abuse of Players Is Getting Worse, Says Stephens

Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates winning her first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in two sets, 6-0, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP)
Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates winning her first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in two sets, 6-0, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP)

Racism behavior directed at athletes is getting worse and even software designed to protect them from it has little impact, world number 30 Sloane Stephens said on Monday.

The American, speaking after her straight-sets victory over Karolina Pliskova in the French Open first round, said she had had to endure it her whole tennis career.

"Yes, it's obviously been a problem my entire career," said Stephens, who is Black. "It has never stopped. If anything, it's only gotten worse."

She did not go into specific details but said even software such as the one available for players at the French Open, which that is designed to block racist comments, could not stop it.

"I did hear about the software. I have not used it," Stephens said.

"I have a lot of obviously key words banned on Instagram and all of these things, but that doesn't stop someone from just typing in an asterisk or typing it in a different way, which obviously software most of the time doesn't catch."

Professional athletes in all sports are regularly confronted with racist comments and behavior with Real Madrid soccer player Vinicius Jr. the most notable recent case.

He was on the receiving end of racist chants at Valencia's Mestalla stadium last week and his complaints about Spain and LaLiga not doing enough to fight racism sparked a worldwide wave of support and a national debate in Spain.

Tottenham Hotspur were working this month with the Metropolitan Police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse towards South Korean striker Son Heung-min.

Stephens said the racism had reached a worrying level.

"I mean, obviously when there is FBI investigations going on with what people are saying to you online, it's very serious," she said.

She did not say whether she was referring to a specific case.

"Obviously it's been something that I have dealt with my whole career. I think that, like I said, it's only continued to get worse, and people online have the free rein to say and do whatever they want behind fake pages, which is obviously very troublesome."

"It's something I have had to deal with my whole career and something I will continue to deal with, I'm sure. That's that."


PSG Keeper Rico Remains in Intensive Care After Riding Accident 

Paris St Germain Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico smiles as he warms up before the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 3 group H football match between SL Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
Paris St Germain Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico smiles as he warms up before the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 3 group H football match between SL Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
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PSG Keeper Rico Remains in Intensive Care After Riding Accident 

Paris St Germain Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico smiles as he warms up before the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 3 group H football match between SL Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
Paris St Germain Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico smiles as he warms up before the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 3 group H football match between SL Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on October 5, 2022. (AFP)

Paris St Germain goalkeeper Sergio Rico remained in intensive care on Monday after being involved in a riding accident while participating in an annual pilgrimage in southern Spain.

Rico suffered "a serious mishap due to a mule cart and a horse that hit him", his family said in a statement late on Sunday. Spanish paper Marca reported that Rico had been riding a horse himself.

The Spaniard was given permission by PSG to take part in the pilgrimage.

"Sergio is in good hands, fighting to recover while receiving the best care from the medical team at the Virgen del Rocio Hospital. We must exercise caution, especially during the next 48 hours," his family said.

"We are now awaiting medical results, which we hope will be positive, so that we can inform you of his improvement as soon as possible," they added.

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of devotees converge on a shrine to pay homage to the Virgin of the Rocio.

Rico, 29, joined PSG in 2020 after a season-long loan at the capital club. He started his career with Spanish club Sevilla.


Manchester United Boss Ten Hag Calls for More Investment 

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag speaks to his players at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag speaks to his players at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
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Manchester United Boss Ten Hag Calls for More Investment 

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag speaks to his players at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag speaks to his players at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has called for more investment in the club so they can challenge for trophies after the team finished third in the Premier League this season.

United sealed the third place, finishing the season with 75 points, after they came from behind to defeat Fulham 2-1 in the last game of the league season on Sunday.

The Old Trafford club, which won the League Cup in February, has the chance to add to their silverware when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

"We are in the right direction, but we are not where we have to be, there's still a long way to go, there's potential in this team and individual players," Ten Hag told reporters on Sunday.

"We showed during the season we made progress, that's a compliment to the players and the coaches, we worked really hard, but we have to make an investment.

"The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league then you have to invest otherwise you don't have a chance because other clubs will do."

United last won the league title in 2012-13 under Alex Ferguson.


Alonso Feels He’s Far from Catching F1 Leader Verstappen Despite His Own Remarkable Form 

Second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso holds up his trophy on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP) 
Second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso holds up his trophy on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP) 
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Alonso Feels He’s Far from Catching F1 Leader Verstappen Despite His Own Remarkable Form 

Second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso holds up his trophy on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP) 
Second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso holds up his trophy on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP) 

Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.

Next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix is where Verstappen won his first race as an 18-year-old in his Red Bull debut in 2016.

It's also where Alonso last won a race in 2013, so it would be the perfect place for the 41-year-old Spaniard to end his winless run.

"Yeah, but I will not put any pressure on my team or myself," Alonso said after finishing second behind Verstappen at Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix. "I will not get into Barcelona thinking that I will win, and (then) disappoint anyone. We have to have (our) feet on the ground."

Verstappen's win seven years ago in Spain was a performance of stunning audacity. It showcased a raw ability that has since carried him to two world championships, the second secured with a record-breaking 15 F1 wins last year.

Yet the 2016 win in Spain also came in exceptional circumstances, after both Mercedes crashed into each other and out of the race amid a feuding rivalry between then-teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Alonso believes only a similar mishap can stop Red Bull's unrelenting run this season stretching to seven straight wins. Verstappen has won four races while teammate Sergio Perez has the other two victories, although Perez scored no points in Monaco after starting last following a mistake in qualifying.

"We will need weekends where Red Bull has some issues like Sergio had here with zero points. And if Max has one or two of those, we will be a little bit closer in the championship," Alonso said. "But on pure pace, I think we don’t have the chance yet."

Even though Alonso almost took the pole in Monaco, with Verstappen edging him by just .084 seconds, that didn't raise his hopes.

"(Saturday) was very close in qualifying, but in the race we saw Red Bull again very dominant," Alonso said. "So we have to accept that next weekend will be maybe (like) any other race this year, where Red Bull is untouchable."

The mutual respect between Alonso and Verstappen is considerable, with the normally reserved Verstappen even joking he might try to help Alonso win a race.

"I’ll think about it. I’d like to see Fernando win," Verstappen said Saturday. "I love watching his style."

Perhaps because it reminds him of his own: single-minded, dynamic, lightning-quick, nerveless in difficult conditions.

By winning in Monaco, Verstappen broke Red Bull's record for most wins with his 39th — one more than Sebastian Vettel managed on his way to four straight F1 titles from 2010-13.

Verstappen is only two behind the late Ayrton Senna's total of 41 wins and is well placed to equal Senna's three world titles. Verstappen leads Perez this season by 39 points and Alonso by 51.

Alonso finished as the F1 runner-up in 2010 to Vettel by four points and by three points to Vettel in 2012. But Verstappen seems on another level even to Vettel.

"Now there is Red Bull and Max dominating every race and even with great results, you’re just stepping behind them, every race," Alonso said. "But we will not give up."

Alonso motivates himself by looking at the podium after each Red Bull win.

"I will always take a picture (of first place) at the end, after the celebration," he said. "I will love to receive the trophy from there."

Verstappen was asked at which track he could next be vulnerable.

"It’s difficult to say," he replied ominously.


Verstappen Wins Monaco GP to Extend F1 Championship Lead; Alonso 2nd Ahead of Ocon

Winner Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (C) holds up his trophy, flanked by second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (L), third-placed Alpine's French driver Esteban Ocon (R), Prince Albert II of Monaco (2nd R) and Princess Charlene of Monaco (2nd L) on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
Winner Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (C) holds up his trophy, flanked by second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (L), third-placed Alpine's French driver Esteban Ocon (R), Prince Albert II of Monaco (2nd R) and Princess Charlene of Monaco (2nd L) on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
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Verstappen Wins Monaco GP to Extend F1 Championship Lead; Alonso 2nd Ahead of Ocon

Winner Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (C) holds up his trophy, flanked by second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (L), third-placed Alpine's French driver Esteban Ocon (R), Prince Albert II of Monaco (2nd R) and Princess Charlene of Monaco (2nd L) on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)
Winner Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (C) holds up his trophy, flanked by second-placed Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (L), third-placed Alpine's French driver Esteban Ocon (R), Prince Albert II of Monaco (2nd R) and Princess Charlene of Monaco (2nd L) on the podium after the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (AFP)

Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory win at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and extended his championship lead on Sunday.

Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso was a season's best second for Aston Martin as he collected a fifth podium in six races, while Frenchman Esteban Ocon secured third place and a rare podium for Alpine.

For most of the race, Verstappen coasted on a dry and narrow track where overtaking is the hardest in F1.

But an incident-free race in Monaco is rare and heavy rain played havoc with about 20 of the 78 laps left. Some drivers had pitted for the wrong medium tires shortly before the downpour and slid around.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. glided sideways into the barriers and was lucky not to damage his Ferrari. Kevin Magnussen lost control of his Haas and Lance Stroll retired after damaging his Aston Martin.

Red Bull had wisely put Verstappen on the versatile and more suited to the wet conditions intermediates on Lap 56 and they carried him to his second win in Monaco. The first was in 2021.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Mercedes and picked up a point for fastest lap. His teammate George Russell was fifth, having earlier almost slammed into Sergio Perez's Red Bull as visibility worsened. A serious crash was somehow avoided in a hectic few minutes before the rain eased off.

On Saturday, Verstappen just edged out Alonso to deny the 41-year Spaniard his first pole for 11 years.

Perez, who won the race last year, started from last after a clumsy crash in qualifying and finished 16th.

Verstappen’s 39 F1 wins have all been with Red Bull since his first on debut for the team at the Spanish GP in 2016 when he became the youngest F1 winner at 18 years old.

He set a team record for wins as he passed former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel’s previous tally of 38 victories for the team when he won four straight titles from 2010-13.