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أثنى محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا قائد فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك، على حمزة المثلوثي زميله بالقلعة البيضاء، مشيرًا إلى أن الفريق يحتاج للتدعيم بعدد من اللاعبين في فترة الانتقالات الجارية.

وقال شيكابالا في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “المحور”: “حمزة المثلوثي كابتن من كباتن الفريق، وكان قائد نادي الصفاقسي، تعرض لانتقادات في البداية وحاليًا الجمهور كله يحبه، ظل لمدة 9 أشهر لا يشارك في المباريات، حاليًا أصبح من أفضل اللاعبين ونبني عليه الفريق، المثلوثي أخذ وقتًا لكي ينسجم معنا”.

وبسؤاله ما الذي تتمناه لمستقبل الزمالك؟، أوضح: “نتمنى أن نضم لاعبين يليقون بالزمالك في الفترة المقبلة، ويكونون على مستوى قميص الزمالك، نريد الناس يقفون مع الفريق أكثر من ذلك”.

طالع | حمزة المثلوثي: حققت مع الزمالك أصعب دوري في تاريخه.. وشيكابالا أسطورة ومحبوب في تونس

وأضاف: “الفريق يحتاج إلى لاعبين أكثر من ذلك، لدينا مشاكل في النادي، نحاول حل المشاكل بالعقل، إن شاء الله نمر من هذا الموسم على خير ونحصد بطولة أو بطولتين على الأقل”.

واستطرد: “بطولة الكونفدرالية نضعها كهدف واحد لنا، وحتى الآن نحن في منافسة على الدوري، قبل ذلك كنا بعيدين وفي النهاية حصدنا اللقب، الحديث عن الدوري مبكر”.

وأتم: “أمامنا مباراة ببطولة في نهائي كأس مصر، على المدى البعيد نحتاج إلى أشياء كثيرة، والداعم الأول والأخير هو جمهور الزمالك، نحتاج الدعم من قبل جماهير الزمالك، وهو رقم واحد بالنسبة لنا”.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Who could Tottenham Hotspur sign this summer?

Tottenham will undoubtedly look at bringing in a new goalkeeper this summer, having been linked with replacements for Hugo Lloris for quite some time now, and they are already said to have spoken with the representatives of Giorgio Mamardashvili.

Given that Spurs have a poor defensive record, conceding over 40 goals in the Premier League this season – in and around the number of relegation-threatened West Ham – a new option at centre-back may be required and Alessandro Bastoni is on the radar.

Maddison has been a long-term target for the Lilywhites, having seriously considered signing the midfielder last summer, and it appears as though he will be looked at again in the upcoming transfer window.

Tottenham are now leading the race for the Leicester City star, having leapfrogged Newcastle United into pole position, according to a report from Football Insider.

Spurs are said to be long-term admirers of the Englishman, and they are keen to seal deal to bring him to north London as their marquee summer signing.

However, the Lilywhites will not be the only Premier League club vying for the 26-year-old's signature, as Newcastle, as well as Liverpool, have also shown an interest, and a bidding war is to be expected at the end of the season.

Should Tottenham Hotspur sign James Maddison?

Hailed as an "elite baller" by members of the media, the playmaker is having a fantastic season, despite Leicester's struggles, weighing in with nine goals and six assists in 23 Premier League appearances.

Recording those numbers playing in a team that are in a relegation battle poses the question of how well he could do in a team that are competing at the other end of the table, and at 26-years-old, the maestro is likely to be entering his prime years.

Given the level of interest in the £110k-per-week earner, a deal may set Spurs back a lot of money, with Leicester setting an asking price of £60m in the January transfer window.

That said, Maddison is a proven player in the Premier League, which makes signing him less of a risk compared to some of the other players Tottenham have been linked to, including Atletico Madrid ace Rodrigo De Paul.

Tottenham's aim must now be to finish in the top four, to give them the best possible chance of signing the England international, as well as players of a similar ilk this summer.

Matty Longstaff looked set for a huge future when he marked his Newcastle United debut with the winning goal against Manchester United but Eddie Howe must now look to get rid of the academy graduate after a woeful three years at St James' Park.

Should Newcastle get rid of Matty Longstaff?

The differing progress of the Longstaff brothers across the last three years has been a disappointing one for the Toon, who at one point looked as if they'd have a family connection in their midfield for another decade.

While Sean has established himself as a regular under Howe at St James' Park, making 26 appearances in the Premier League so far this campaign, his younger brother has endured a disappointing spell with League Two strugglers Colchester United.

Despite The U's battling out at the bottom of the fourth tier, Longstaff would manage just seven appearances in the first half of the season, failing to contribute a single goal or assist before returning to Newcastle in January.

His form represents a far cry from the player that broke into Newcastle's first team in the 2019/20 season, making 20 appearances in total under Steve Bruce, scoring home and away against Manchester United.

The Chronicle's Lee Ryder would sing his praises in December of that year, with the young midfielder impressing in a 0-0 draw against Liverpool.

He wrote: "No nonsense stuff from Matty Longstaff so far. Incredible work-rate and #nufc 's pass master with 15 so far."

Few would have predicted at that point that Longstaff would never appear in a Newcastle shirt again but that now appears to be the case, as he has endured a woeful three-year spell after re-signing for the club in the summer of 2020.

A contract dispute has seemingly brought an end to his chances of making it as a regular with his boyhood club, as he was reportedly close to joining Udinese on a free transfer in 2020, before eventually committing his future to the Toon two weeks after his previous contract had expired.

The 23-year-old will perhaps now be wishing that he hadn't, as he hasn't made a single first-team appearance since then, and has spent most of his time in League Two with Mansfield Town and Colchester, as well as a brief, unsuccessful stint in Scotland with Aberdeen.

Given that it has been 944 days since Longstaff signed that new deal and he hasn't been featured in the first team in that time, it seems clear that Howe must end the boyhood Newcastle fan's dream this summer, as he clearly isn't good enough for what the club has become since the takeover.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has admitted to being wrong about Alexander Isak after he starred in Newcastle United’s win last weekend.

The Lowdown: Proving the doubters wrong

After arriving in the summer for a club-record fee of £63m, a lot may have been expected of Isak to take Newcastle to the very top, but with just a handful of league starts under his belt, it certainly hasn’t been easy for the Sweden international.

Isak has had to deal with several injury setbacks during his short spell on Tyneside thus far, but he’s still been able to showcase what he’s capable of despite his limited minutes, having netted four goals within his six starts in the Premier League.

He was given the nod ahead of Callum Wilson against Wolves and he certainly didn’t let Eddie Howe down, earning the Player of the Match award and netting the first goal of the match with a brilliant header.

The Latest: Isak could now be the man for Newcastle

After taking in Isak’s stunning St James’ Park display on Sunday, Waugh admitted on Pod on the Tyne that Isak has proved him wrong in terms of what he’s capable of against teams who will naturally sit deeper against the Magpies.

He said: “It was an excellent performance. I’ll hold my hands up – I doubted last week whether this was the game for Alexander Isak; I thought that to get him in so he could play the runs down the channels that he does, one of the recent away games was maybe the time to do that.

“But I didn’t know if Wolves at St James’ would be; I thought that they would sit deep and he would maybe struggle in that regard, and I was completely wrong and he was excellent.”

The Verdict: Huge selection dilemma for Howe

The fact that Wilson has been the undisputed first-choice striker since he walked through the doors at Newcastle may well have led to his recent slump in form, as he’d perhaps got complacent, though he has arguably not had competition as good as Isak on Tyneside.

But after being dropped against Wolves, it may well make Wilson realise that he’s indeed competing against an international striker in the form of Isak, who can perform against the bigger teams such as Liverpool as well as lesser teams such as Wolves and Bournemouth.

Isak will be hoping that he can build on his monster performance against Wolves, where he looked ‘razor-sharp’, this Friday away from home  – while there should be no doubt about him starting, or it could shatter his confidence.

Arsenal made it successive victories in the Premier League after securing a dogged three points against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium today, diverging from the recent wobble which threatened to derail their title charge.

It was a vintage display of grit and verve from Mikel Arteta’s men, and it stretched the advantage over second-placed Manchester City to five points prior to their clash at Bournemouth this evening.

Gabriel Martinelli, who Football FanCast predicted could have a telling impact on the game, scored the solitary goal after a well-worked move and some scintillating build-up play from Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian was signed for £27m last month from Brighton & Hove Albion to bolster the offensive ranks and provide some respite from the lofty goal contribution workload that Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have burdened for much of the campaign.

Once again Trossard popped up with the goods, creating the goal shortly after half-time and painstakingly seeing his emphatic first-half strike ruled out due to an infringement in the build-up from Ben White.

Was Trossard Arsenal’s real hero today?

While Martinelli will earn the headlines for finishing the move, it was Trossard’s “absolute filth” of a nutmeg – as lauded by Alistair Coleman – leading to the pass which was the most impressive aspect of the decisive goal.

Given that his previous key moment – seeing his goal ruled out – was the Gunners’ only other strike to bulge the back of the net, the 28-year-old’s impact on this title-chasing team may be surpassing the expectations of even Arteta and co.

The “incredible” assist was a “beauty”, in the words of The Athletic’s Bob Sturm. It was Trossard’s fourth of the campaign and the first for Arsenal, with eight goals from just 18 Premier League starts to match, and he certainly appears to be the perfect figure to elevate the Gunners’ collective attacking drive.

As per Sofascore, no player on the pitch surpassed the 24-cap Belgian’s 7.5, with his assist complemented by a 100% dribble success rate, along with winning one tackle and seven of his 11 ground duels, illustrating the robust and vibrant presence that he injected into the fold today.

According to analyst Statman Dave, who dubbed him “effective”, the 28-year-old now has four goals and two assists from his appearances as a false nine this season. That bodes well for his future inclusion in the absence of the brilliantly dynamic Gabriel Jesus, who is still sidelined after injuring his knee at the 2022 World Cup with Brazil.

While the title race is far from over, the signing of Trossard appears to have been a shrewd and prudent move indeed, especially given that Arsenal were in pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk, who was swiped from under their noses by Chelsea at the 11th hour. The £88.5m Ukrainian is yet to register a direct contribution from five outings for the Blues.

Arsenal needed immediate firepower, and that’s what they have received from Trossard. After plying his trade impressively with the Seagulls, the £40k-per-week ace now looks set to play a big part in his new team’s surge towards potential Premier League glory; and with more performances like his display against the Foxes, such silverware might just be procured.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman was a busy man during the January transfer window as he made a number of additions to Tony Mowbray’s squad.

Pierre Ekwah, Joe Gelhardt, Joe Anderson, and Isaac Lihadji all arrived at the Stadium of Light to bolster the team heading into the second half of the campaign, although they also lost Ellis Simms as the centre-forward was recalled by Premier League side Everton.

The Black Cats chief may already have one eye on business he would like to do in the summer transfer window to continue shaping the side and one target the club should push to sign is central defender Charlie Cresswell.

In January, The Sun reported that Sunderland and Middlesbrough were both interested in signing the England U21 international, who could be available for a fee in the region of £4m.

Mowbray and Speakman must reignite their interest in the young defender in the summer as they could repeat the blinder that was played with Daniel Ballard by snapping up the Leeds United prospect.

Ballard was brought in on a permanent deal from Premier League side Arsenal at the start of the season after impressing on loan at Millwall in the Championship last term – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.95 across 31 outings for the Lions.

His form for Gary Rowett’s side convinced Sunderland to sign the gem and the youngster has been a solid performer, winning 61% of his duels and averaging a rating of 6.87, in ten appearances either side of a 21-game spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Cresswell, whose ability in the air was described as “powerful” by journalist Josh Bunting, could follow in Ballard’s footsteps – once again – as the 20-year-old joined Millwall to replace the former Gunners man and has been excellent in the second tier.

The Leeds United brute has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in 17 matches for the Lions – winning 59% of his individual duels – and shown that he can deliver consistently brilliant performances at that level.

Ballard went from being a Premier League prospect to impressing on loan at Millwall, to then joining Sunderland on a permanent deal and Cresswell could follow that pathing by securing a move to the Stadium of Light in the summer.

A score of 7.03 in the Championship would place him second in the current Black Cats squad, behind only Ross Stewart, and this suggests that starlet could be an excellent signing for Mowbray if the 20-year-old can maintain, or improve upon that form in the coming seasons.

Therefore, Sunderland could replicate the masterclass they played with Ballard by reigniting their interest in Cresswell and signing him on a permanent basis in the summer.

Arsenal tasted defeat for just the second time in the Premier League, losing 1-0 to Everton at the weekend but in the midst of the disappointment, some eagle-eyed supporters would have seen the no.85 listed on the bench.

Indeed, it’s also the second time that academy starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry has featured amongst the first-team substitutes for a top-flight clash, with the other coming on Boxing Day, where the Gunners enjoyed a better time by beating West Ham United 3-1.

Mikel Arteta is certainly light on attacking options, given the continued troubles of fellow Hale End gem Emile Smith Rowe and the long-term absence of leading striker Gabriel Jesus but the 17-year-old prospect is there on merit, having impressed the Spaniard during the World Cup break.

The teenager is arguably the current jewel of the youth setup, with scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as “Hale End’s finest”, and has been likened to another graduate in the form of Bukayo Saka – both combining pace and agility with an eye for goal, amongst other things.

Cozier-Duberry earned minutes against both AC Milan, Juventus and Lyon during the enforced mid-season break and now he could continue to rise up the ranks at the Emirates Stadium, just as the England regular has done ever since his emergence in 2019.

Capable of playing on either flank – also like Saka – the wide man has already delivered seven goals and six assists across the Premier League 2, EFL Trophy and the FA Youth Cup, which adds to his eight goal contributions last season, via Transfermarkt.

The England U18 international signed his professional contract during the summer, so it’s evident that he’s well thought of by the club and in particular, Arteta, who hasn’t been afraid to throw the youngsters into the deep end despite a potential Premier League title being at stake.

Fellow teen, Ethan Nwaneri, 15, became the club’s youngest-ever debutant back in September and Cozier-Duberry could be the next name to make his senior bow in the coming weeks, particularly when the Europa League returns and the Spaniard looks to rotate his fairly threadbare attack.

Also able to play at left-back and in attacking midfield, the versatile teenager has been described as “very direct” and “skilful” by Arsenal youth writer Jeorge Bird, who more recently hailed him as “excellent” in the young Gunners’ 4-2 win over Watford in the FA Youth Cup this week.

Meanwhile, as a player that can cause “lots of problems” – in the words of football.london writer Kaya Kaynak – it’s easy to see why Arteta has been taken aback by such a talent.

As such, he could well unearth Saka 2.0 should he choose to deploy him in their coming matches, if not a little later down the line.

AND in other news, Edu could land Arsenal a dream Caicedo alternative in move for £36m-rated “dominator”…

Pundit and former striker Frank McAvennie believes Thomas Tuchel would be interested in the Tottenham Hotspur job if the role became available amid speculation linking him with Spurs and the uncertainty over Antonio Conte’s future.

The Lowdown: Tuchel at Spurs chatter

According to Sky in Italy, there is a ‘feeling’ that Antonio Conte could leave the club this summer when his deal expires.

Meanwhile, a recent report has claimed that former Chelsea boss Tuchel, who has been hailed as ‘unbelievable’, would be interested in taking over.

Following his appointment last season, Conte has been at the helm as Tottenham’s boss for 64 games, winning 35 times and losing on 19 occasions. And despite securing Champions League qualification last term, the Lilywhites are currently six points off the pace and have only won once in the league since the turn of the year.

The Latest: No sense in Tuchel appointment

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said that while Tuchel may well be interested in succeeding Conte, the fact he is out of a job at present makes it no surprise he is being linked as rumours surround the Italian.

He stated: “I think Thomas Tuchel would be up for any job because he is unemployed at the moment.

“I thought he did well at Chelsea. He won trophies, he did well and spent money, then they sacked him. It does not make any sense to me.

“He is a good manager. I hate talking about people when they are still in a job and Conte is still there.

“It will be Conte’s decision, but I do not think he is safe. Conte calling them out might just be the trigger for that.”

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The Verdict: A potential Pochettino return

We believe that should Conte part ways with Spurs this summer, as a familiar face could well make a return in the form of Mauricio Pochettino.

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has claimed recently that the Argentinian is on the list of potential candidates to be the next Tottenham manager.

Pochettino has made it no secret that he would be open to a return to Spurs in the future, and with him out of a job and Conte potentially out of the door this summer, the stars may have aligned perfectly.

There’s no doubt he was a success during his time there, achieving top-three finishes in three straight Premier League campaigns and taking them to a Champions League final in the 2018/19 season.

Given Spurs’ current position in the league, perhaps Daniel Levy will want to bring back Pochettino to ensure Spurs can get themselves firmly back in the running for top-four finishes on a consistent basis from next season onwards.

Alternatively, he could turn to a Champions League winner in Tuchel, so if the German is indeed interested, it does appear as though Spurs would be able to bring in a high-calibre replacement as and when Conte departs.

Newcastle United’s hopes of ending their 54-year wait without silverware were dealt a hefty blow on Saturday evening, as Eddie Howe’s side crashed out of the FA Cup following defeat to League One outfit, Sheffield Wednesday.

Just a year on from having suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Cambridge United in the Third Round of the competition, the Magpies were again undone at the same stage by lower-league opposition yesterday, having suffered just their second defeat of the season in all competitions.

A deadly double from one-time Rangers man Josh Windass ultimately proved the difference for the Owls on the night, with a late strike from substitute Bruno Guimaraes ultimately proving a mere consolation for the Premier League high-flyers.

That surprise result may well have left Howe questioning his decision to rotate his charges for the clash, with a handful of the northeast side’s peripheral figures having failed to make their mark against Darren Moore’s men.

One such asset who endured a particularly grim outing was forgotten man, Jamal Lewis, with the Northern Ireland international having been hooked after 69 minutes on what was just his third appearance of the campaign thus far.

The once-promising left-back – who joined the club on a £15m deal back in the summer of 2020 – illustrated just why he has slipped down the pecking order in recent times, having looked particularly “rusty” prior to his withdrawal, according to journalist Craig Hope.

The 24-year-old was unable to make his mark in an attacking sense as he failed to provide a single cross nor provide any key passes from his left-sided berth, while also losing possession on 13 occasions from his 52 touches as a sign of his struggles.

Not only something of a liability going forward, the former Norwich City man also proved ineffective defensively after winning just 17% of his total duels, having made just a solitary tackle.

That limp showing saw the £38k-per-week dud record a match rating of just 5.6, as per Sofascore, with that figure by far the worst of any player for either side – further illustrating just how disappointing he was.

Having been a ‘bag of nerves’ – in the words of Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin – Lewis simply did little to warrant further game time in the second half of the campaign, with it unlikely that he will be involved in Tuesday’s pivotal, Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Leicester City.

With Dan Burn having nailed down the left-back berth in the Premier League – after starting 17 games in the top-flight this term – it is hard to see the former Carrow Road starlet forcing his way into contention, with yesterday’s meeting having been a rare chance to impress.

Amid reports that the Luton-born dud could be one of those moved on by the Tynesiders this month, it is not too hyperbolic to suggest that it could well have been Lewis’ last appearance for the club, with it hard to justify another run-out.

A player who is clearly not high on Howe’s priority list – having been left out of the Englishman’s Premier League squad for the second half of last season – it should well be time that the 5 foot 10 defender is finally moved on.

Leeds United are unsure when Patrick Bamford will return from his latest injury setback, Adam Pope has reported.

The Lowdown: Groin surgery

The 29-year-old has missed 31 games since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign due to ankle, hamstring and foot problems.

He now appears to have a groin issue and underwent surgery earlier this month, missing the club’s training camp in Spain as a result.

Reports stated that the procedure went well, and Bamford was expected to return to training before the New Year, although he missed the 2-1 friendly win against Real Sociedad on Friday.

The Latest: Pope’s update

Leeds assistant boss Rene Maric was on media duties following the win against the La Liga side. He answered a question regarding Bamford’s condition, admitting that he wasn’t sure when the striker will return.

Pope relayed the news via Twitter late on Friday night, stating: “It’s not clear on how soon Bamford will be back, says Maric.”

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The Verdict: Striker desperately needed

Bamford hasn’t scored a competitive goal in 2022 and can’t seem to remain fit for any consistent period of time, so it is vital that the club land a new centre-forward in the January transfer window.

Rodrigo has stepped up to the mark with nine goals in 13 Premier League games, while youngster Joe Gelhardt is also capable of leading the line.

However, you’d expect that Elland Road officials will be evaluating Bamford’s long-term future due to his injury problems, so all eyes may well be on recruiting a proven first-team forward over the coming weeks.