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Tottenham and sporting director Johan Lange are now "lining up a stunning" bid as manager Ange Postecoglou identifies a new top transfer target.

Spurs prioritising new centre-back in January

As confirmed by Postecoglou this week, Spurs are "working" on January transfers behind-the-scenes and "pushing hard" to strengthen key areas. Reliable news outlets like Sky Sports back that a centre-back is very top of Tottenham's transfer wishlist, with Lange drawing up names to potentially go for when the winter market reopens.

Juventus plot "special" £22m player sale to Spurs, it's not Iling-Junior

Spurs are eyeing yet another player from the Old Lady.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 14, 2023

Postecoglou himself has also publicly admitted that the Lilywhites quite simply need to sign a new centre-half, regardless of Ben Davies' impressive form as their makeshift stand-in for Micky van de Ven.

"Centre-back is still a position where, especially in our structure, it is one of the few positions where you need guys with outstanding attributes in there," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's defence (via football.london).

"We’ve been very fortunate that he [Davies] has been able to fill in for us there.

"He’s really good at taking in information, he really understands the game, not just his own role but how we want to play and that’s helped him.Having Romero next to him helps in that sense and Vic because he’s taken a bit of a leadership role back there as well. Ultimately, we still need to sign another centre-back because at the moment we are a little bit on tenterhooks because if something happens again we are short and we are already short."

A few promising names have been linked to bolstering Postecoglou's backline.

Indeed, when it comes to centre-backs on Tottenham's radar, there is a rumoured long list from this past month which includes Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Genoa's Radu Dragusin, Union Saint-Gilloise centre-back Koki Machida, Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite and a few others.

Tottenham line up "stunning" Morato move

According to The Sun, another highly-rated defender to have caught Spurs' attention is Benfica star Morato.

The Portuguese's contract contains a £68 million release clause, but his form has resulted in Postecoglou personally making him Tottenham's top transfer target.

It is believed Spurs are "lining up a stunning" Morato bid in January as a result. The Lilywhites' scouting department have ran the rule over him four times this season, and they appear to be impressed as Lange and chairman Daniel Levy plot to sign the young centre-back next month.

While his clause stands at £68m, Benfica are cash-strapped and may need to sell for a "bargain" price next month. It's added that Morato is "leading the way" to join Spurs in January, as Postecoglou hopes Levy backs him with new additions.

He could hardly do much better than Benfica's starlet, who's seen as one of the best-rated young defensive talents in Portugal right now.

The 22-year-old was extremely impressive against RB Salzburg in the Champions League earlier this week, helping them on their way to a 3-1 win.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has been able to bolster his playing squad with six new additions during the summer transfer window so far.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops have brought in Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Maik Nawrocki, and Gustaf Lagerbielke to improve the side after the 2022/23 campaign.

That does not appear to be the end of their foray into the market before next month's deadline, though, as they have been touted with a move for one of their former players.

It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops could look to tempt Arsenal into selling former fan-favourite Kieran Tierney back to them after Newcastle United dropped out of the race for the Scotland international's signature.

The outlet did state that they may lack the financial power to secure a deal for the left-back's services but it remains to be seen whether or not a loan deal could be a viable alternative option.

How good is Kieran Tierney?

Tierney would arrive at Celtic as a player who has the quality and experience to hit the ground running due to his first spell at Parkhead after coming through the academy set-up, which could make him a dream partner for Nawrocki.

The Poland U21 international has started on the left of the centre-back pairing in all three of the team's competitive fixtures this season, which means that he would be playing directly next to the Arsenal gem if the club are able to snap him up.

Nawrocki is new to life in Scotland after coming over from his home country and Tierney could help him to settle in with his knowledge of the league and his ability.

The 26-year-old whiz enjoyed a fantastic time with the Hoops and proved himself to be a real attacking threat from left-back as he racked up 25 assists in 97 Scottish Premiership outings before his move to The Emirates.

This means that Tierney registered an assist every 3.88 matches on average. Whereas, current Hoops left-back Greg Taylor has assisted 21 goals in 130 games for the club, which is one every 6.19 clashes on average.

The Athletic's Chris Hamill claimed that Nawrocki showed great tempo and acceleration in his passing out from the back for Celtic, which suggests that he will be able to get the ball out to the Scotland international quickly before the opposition defence can settle into a low block.

He has completed 71% of his attempted long passes this season so far and could, therefore, excel at being able to clip the ball over the opposition's press to set Tierney away down the left channel.

This could provide the current Gunners defender, who teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko lauded as "amazing", with ample opportunities to bomb forward in order to make the most of the attacking threat he can provide from left-back.

Tierney's statistics from his first spell at Celtic suggest that the £120k-per-week warrior has the potential to offer far more than Taylor does at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Nawrocki and the Scottish gem could be a dream pairing as the former's passing ability could unlock the left-back's attacking potential and the latter's knowledge of the club and experience of Scottish football could help the Polish titan to settle in.

Wilfried Mbappé, father to Paris Saint-Germain superstars Kylian and Ethan, is a very private man and tries to remain outside of the public eye.

He isn't on social media which leads people to want to know more about him, so, Football FanCast has decided to answer some of the most googled questions about the father of one of the most famous footballers in the world.

Who is Wilfried Mbappé?

Wilfried Mbappé is the proud father of PSG duo Ethan and Kylian. The latter is widely considered as one of the best footballers in the world.

Whilst Ethan, who is eight years younger than his older brother Kylian, is yet to make his senior debut for The Parisians but is a regular for the under-19s despite being just 16-years-old, so clearly a very talented player himself.

Wilfried also has an adopted son called Jires Kembo Ekoko, who was also a professional footballer for Stade Rennais, amongst other clubs. Ekoko was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was sent to Bondy as a young child by his parents in order to further his education.

According to reports, Wilfried did play football himself but decided to take up coaching and became the Bondy youth leader, helping players to develop their talent but also careers.

He played a role in the development of Arsenal defender William Saliba and Fiorentina winger Jonathan Ikoné, to name a couple, during his spell at the Paris-based club.

What nationality is Wilfried Mbappé?

Wilfried Mbappé was born in Douala, Cameroon and later moved to France, where his two biological sons Kylian and Ethan were born and raised whilst his adopted son Jires was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Wilfried also has Nigerian roots.

What is Wilfried Mbappé's height?

Wilfried Mbappé is 5 ft 10 which is the exact same height as his son Kylian, although, 16-year-old son Ethan is already 5 ft 9, so he could overtake the pair.

What is Wilfried Mbappé's age?

Wilfried Mbappé was born on the 11th of October 1970.

He is 52-years-old.

Where is Wilfried Mbappé now?

Wilfried Mbappé lives a low-profile life and is rarely pictured, but one would assume, like his son, he spends much of his time in Paris.

He is the agent of Kylian and likely works around the clock to help him in his business ventures, PR duties and negotiating contracts with Paris Saint-Germain.

He certainly would've been busy this summer with all the transfer speculation linking Kylian with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, who had a bid accepted worth £259m.

Though, that move ultimately failed to come to fruition after the French superstar rejected the colossal one-year contract offer from the Saudi side.

Wilfried would've been tasked with the difficult job of rekindling the relationship between Kylian and the club after his son was banished from first-team training due to a contract stand-off.

The 2018 World Cup winner is now back training with the squad and has enjoyed a terrific start to the season, scoring five goals in three games.

He and his father are in talks to extend his deal, with the forward's current contract due to expire next year, thus making him available to leave on a free transfer.

What is Wilfried Mbappé net worth?

As of 2022, it was reported Wilfried Mbappé had an estimated net worth of $5m (£4m).

Although, only he himself will know the accurate number. Much of the figures on the web will be very rough estimates.

But with the sizable responsibility of being Kylian Mbappé's agent, he likely gets well looked after financially by his superstar son, who is reportedly worth $180m (£144.7m).

Who is Wilfried Mbappé's wife and family?

Wilfried is a father of three children who are married. He is married to Fayza Lamari, and has been for about two decades. His wife was a former handball player who was also active in football.

One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2017One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.Mitchell’s departure marks the second retirement of an Australian Test curator this winter, after Tom Parker announced in June that he was stepping down after 20 years of preparing the SCG’s pitches.Mitchell has been in charge of the Gabba playing surface for 27 years, having started as assistant curator under his father and predecessor, Kevin Mitchell Sr, in 1984.”In the ’80s we had the really good West Indies teams touring with the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and the big four fast bowlers and that was an eye-opener for me, I thought what a great place to work,” Mitchell told the . “Then in 1995 we won our first Sheffield Shield final and that was really game-changing for Queensland cricket.”The Gabba pitch has typically been regarded as one of the best in Australia, offering seam movement and spin, but also opportunities for big totals. The ground has been nicknamed the “Gabbatoir” for Australia’s dominance in Test cricket at the venue in recent decades: the last team to beat Australia in a Gabba Test was West Indies in 1988. Only two of the past 13 Tests at the ground have been drawn.”Kevvie Mitchell has meant so much to the Gabba and his work on the playing surface has really been instrumental in a lot of our success as a venue,” Gabba manager Blair Conaghan said.”It’s been a fantastic journey for him, from the days when it included the old greyhound track to its transformation into the more modern facility it is today and to consistently deliver over such a long period of time is an incredible achievement.”

The 19-year-old centre-back, renowned for his speed and leadership qualities, is the fifth academy graduate to make his debut under Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have had to make a few unorthodox selections this season due to their injury crisis, but none of the surprises Erik ten Hag has pulled this season can rival fielding 19-year-old Willy Kambwala away to West Ham on December 23.

Kambwala was so obscure that his name could not be found on the matchday programme at the London Stadium. He had only once before been named in the matchday squad, the previous week at Anfield, and wasn't part of United's main group on their pre-season tour to the United States, while many other youngsters featured.

So who is the defender that Ten Hag has thrown into the deep end? GOAL has all you need to know…

Where it all began

Kambwala was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 25 August 2004 and moved to France with his family at the age of five. He was raised in the town of Les Ulis in the southwestern suburbs of Paris and got his footballing education with French side Sochaux.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

Kambwala made a stir in French youth football and captained the France side at Under-16 level, which attracted the attention of United. Just a few months later, aged 16, he joined the Red Devils for a fee of £3.5 million on transfer deadline day in October 2020 amid reported competition from Liverpool as United moved to sign a host of young stars from abroad, including both Alejandro Garnacho and Alvaro Fernandez as well as Kambwala.

How it's going

After a decent first season in England, Kambwala was forced to sit out the majority of his second campaign after suffering a serious ankle injury in October 2021 that forced him to miss 11 months of action, including United's FA Youth Cup triumph in 2022.

He returned the following season and began to make his mark on the U21s side, with whom he travelled to the U.S. separately from Ten Hag's squad, and he featured for just 17 minutes against Wrexham during the trip.

Then, having trained alongside the first-team squad for a short period, he was included in the matchday squad against Liverpool on December 17. With Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane all ruled out due to injury or illness, he was handed his debut six days later against West Ham as he partnered Jonny Evans at the heart of the United defence.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Despite his age, Kambwala is very strong physically and is remarkably tall, measuring 6'4. On his debut for the U18s team against Derby County, his speed and intelligence shone through. He is also known for his leadership qualities and has given motivational speeches to younger players, advising them on how to make it as a footballer.

Newcastle United have already made a few big money signings this summer and if reports are to be believed, they may not be done yet. Transfer insider Dean Jones has spoken to GIVEMESPORT about the centre-back situation at St James’ Park and what could transpire between now and the beginning of September.

What is the latest in Newcastle United’s centre-back hunt?

This time last year, Newcastle brought in Sven Botman from Lille, a man who helped the French side to a shocking Ligue 1 title.

The Dutchman was then a mainstay at the heart of the Magpies’ defence, amassing over 3,100 minutes in the Premier League. He appeared in 36 of the 38 fixtures and only once was he used as a substitute in that period.

Botman is just 23 and was primarily partnered with the more experienced Fabian Schar. As strong as that duo was under Eddie Howe last term, Newcastle may not be resting on their laurels with reports suggesting a new defender could soon arrive on Tyneside.

The Daily Mail have reported that Crystal Palace’s defensive rock Joachim Andersen is one of those admired by the Newcastle hierarchy and another is Benfica teenager Antonio Silva. The pair are thought to be worth too much in comparison to what Howe is wanting to spend on his defender.

This ties into what Dean Jones has said to GMS below, with the budgeting on this target being a sticking point at the time of writing.

What has Dean Jones got to say?

When speaking with GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones indicated that the transfer exploits for Newcastle in the defensive third will depend largely on the prices of players.

“I’ve always been told that the centre of defence is something to look out for. Newcastle United aren’t finished in this transfer window is what I’m led to believe. It’s really always been a case, though, of what level of spending are they willing to go to here.

“Is it going to be that they want to find good value for money, and we find someone coming in between £10-£20m? Or are they going to go out and cement their case as proper Champions League contenders again by spending upwards of £30m? I wouldn’t rule it out at all. It’ll be very interesting to see what they do.”

Who are Newcastle trying to sign?

Having already acquired fullback Tino Livramento from Southampton for a sizable fee following their relegation to the Championship, Howe and co are reportedly interested in out of favour Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.

It is currently said to be La Liga outfit Real Sociedad leading the charge to obtain the services of the Scotsman. The one issue that could make all the difference though is that Mikel Arteta wants to strike a permanent deal for Tierney whereas the Spaniards are keen to bring him in on loan.

This is clearly a position of interest for the Magpies’ as Chelsea and Spain’s Marc Cucurella has been linked with a season-long loan at St James’ Park as reported by Felix Johnston.

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino seemingly favours Ben Chilwell and so Cucurella may go in search of game time, Champions League game-time at that, further north.

Bangladesh scored 116 runs in boundaries to India’s 114, but they played out 38 more dot balls

S Rajesh12-May-2007Bangladesh finally fell short by 46 runs, but there was one aspect in which they trumped India: they scored 116 runs in fours and sixes – admittedly thanks to Mashrafe Mortaza’s blitz at the end – compared to India’s 114. That stat also means, though, that they fell behind in something more basic – and less glamorous – than dismissing deliveries over and beyond the ropes.The stats analysis after the World Cup had revealed that among all the teams that reached the Super Eights, Bangladesh played out the highest percentage of dot balls, and they repeated it today: of the 297 deliveries they faced, 190 produced no runs off the bat; that translates to nearly 32 overs, or 64% of total deliveries faced.

How India and Bangladesh scored their runs

Team Dot balls 1s/ 2s/ 3s 4s/ 6s Dot ball %

India 152 110/ 16/ 2 24/ 3 50.84 Bangladesh 190 77/ 11/ 2 14/ 10 63.97 The Indians themselves aren’t known to be the best runners between the wickets, but Bangladesh’s batsmen could start by taking inspiration from some of them: in the first game, Dinesh Karthik scored a 60-ball 58 with only 16 runs in boundaries, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brisk 91 had 28 runs in fours. Today, Rahul Dravid’s 42 had just one four, and yet he scored his runs in 47 balls.In contrast, Bangladesh’s batsmen relied almost entirely on the boundaries to score quickly. Aftab Ahmed made 40 off 41, but with 26 runs in boundaries; Habibul Bashar wasn’t quite as successful with the big hits – and he admittedly batted after Bangladesh had lost lots of wickets which allowed India to attack more – and he struggled, getting to 43 from 88 deliveries, with 62 dot balls.Gambhir stands outFor India, the performer of the day was Gautam Gambhir. He has often frittered away starts in the past – in eight out of 21 innings he has fallen between 15 and 40 – but today he didn’t make that mistake, getting to his second ODI century. The feature of his innings was the manner in which he paced it – the first 25 runs came off 39 balls, the next 25 took 26, the third 25 came in just 18, while the last 26 took slightly longer – 30 balls – primarily because of the stifling heat. The knock also took his average against Bangladesh beyond 50 – he now averages 51 against them in four innings. The challenge will be to keep up this level consistently, and be among the runs against all kinds of bowling attacks. (Click here for Gambhir’s career summary.)More stats India’s 284 for 8 is their second-highest total in an ODI against Bangladesh. The highest is 348 for 5 at Dhaka in 2004-05. Enamul Haque, a former left-arm spinner and an umpire in this game in which Dinesh Mongia was smashed for 26 in an over, was himself at the receiving end in an ODI: Shahid Afridi smashed him for 28 in an over – including four sixes – at Dhaka in 2001-02. The 26 runs that Mashrafe Mortaza and Abdur Razzak scored off Mongia is the most runs scored in an over in an ODI between India and Bangladesh. (Click here for the list of most number of runs scored in an over.)

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in ongoing "negotiations" regarding a summer deal to bring Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez to the Premier League, according to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo.

Who is Guido Rodriguez?

Rodriguez is naturally a defensive midfielder who has played his football at the Benito Villamarin Stadium for the past three years since joining from CF America back in January 2020, and during that time, he’s become a regular feature of Manuel Pellegrini’s side having started 33 out of 38 La Liga matches last season.

However, the 29-year-old’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that there’s a strong chance he could be sold for a decent fee before the end of the current transfer window, and should he depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors waiting to snap him up.

The Argentina international firmly established himself as the Spanish outfit’s both defensive and overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98 during the previous campaign, and it appears that his high standard of displays have caught the eye of Fosun and Julen Lopetegui at Molineux.

Are Wolves signing Guido Rodriguez?

Taking to Twitter, Merlo revealed that Wolves are currently in talks for Rodriguez, though at this stage, it doesn't sound as if a deal is anywhere close to completion between the two parties. He wrote:

"Wolves is interested in signing Guido Rodriguez, a Betis midfielder whose contract ends in June 2024. There are negotiations underway between the clubs, but for now nothing close to being finalised."

Wolves recently lost their talisman in Ruben Neves, who has completed a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, so Lopetegui will need to enter the market for a suitable replacement in that defensive midfield position, and having been lauded a “creative” number six by journalist Josh Bunting, Rodriguez could be the perfect heir.

Last season he ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles and the 98th percentile for clearances versus other players in his position, form which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, highlighting his desire to get stuck in and clear the danger to protect his backline.

Real Betis’ £28k-per-week earner, however, is also capable of contributing to efforts in the final third having scored seven goals and provided three assists since joining, so the fact that he’s impactful at both ends of the pitch will be yet another attractive attribute to those at Molineux.

Furthermore, the Betis star has the flexibility to operate in four different positions across the pitch, including three roles in the midfield and even at centre-back, so he would be an excellent versatile option for the manager to have at his disposal.

Finally, Rodriguez already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured eight pieces of silverware since the start of his career, the most notable being when he was crowned 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina, so he could instil a much-needed winning mentality into the rest of the squad in the Midlands.

The summer is looking up for Somerset’s young captain Tom Abell as his side hint at a September revival

Jon Culley at Edgbaston08-Sep-20171:35

Highlights from the final day of the Specsavers Championship

Somerset 282 (Abell 82; Singh 5-72) and 265 for 4 dec (Trescothick 119*, Hildreth 68, Abell 51) beat Warwickshire 146 (Barker 52; Leach 5-50, Overton 4-33) and 232 (Trott 74, Groenewald 5-58) by 169 runs. In the end, after a morning of frustration followed by a good many anxious skywards glances as a convoy of dark clouds loomed one after another over the roof of the pavilion, Somerset needed 85 uninterrupted minutes to finish the job and claim the win that had looked theirs for the taking ever since they won the toss, at once keeping their own survival prospects intact and killing off Warwickshire’s, in realistic terms if not mathematically.Dom Bess, whose penultimate over on Thursday evening had claimed the wickets of Jonathan Trott and Keith Barker to push Warwickshire to the brink, wrapped up what is only a second win of the season for last year’s runners-up by bowling the rookie spinner Sunny Singh just as the ground staff were preparing to power up the hover cover. In the celebrations that followed, the relief was palpable.”In the context of the season it is a huge win for us and we’re absolutely delighted,” their young captain, Tom Abell, said. “We asked for the effort and the character to come to the fore and we certainly saw that.”From the great start we were given by Tres (Marcus Trescothick) and Eddie Byrom on the first morning we performed well in all disciplines throughout the game. As a batting unit we established those partnerships we have been striving for all season and with the ball we were very patient. There was a bit in the wicket for all concerned and when we created chances we took them.”It still might not be enough, of course, to keep Somerset out of Division Two themselves next year. They remain second bottom, 30 points clear of their beaten opponents here but with still work to do if they are to catch Yorkshire or Middlesex and only three matches remaining. In their favour, though, two of them are at home, where Bess and Jack Leach, the most successful spin combination in Division One this year, can expect every bit of assistance possible from the wicket.”Yes, we still have a lot of work to do,” Abell added. “It is a boost to our confidence to get this win and play so well but we are still down there at the foot of the table and we have a massive three games ahead of us. We will be trying to win all three and if we could get two wins, that would be great. It is a very strong division with strong teams but we think we have enough in our dressing room to do it.”It has been the collective failure of the batsmen that has been Somerset’s downfall this year, putting them in a predicament few could have foreseen when they went so close to winning the Championship 12 months ago. No one has felt the weight of responsibility more than Abell himself, who had been so out of touch with the bat recently he had no sensible option other than to give up his own place in the side – winning it back, with some irony, only after the controversial move to Warwickshire of Adam Hose created a vacancy.Is the season turning for Somerset skipper Tom Abell?•Getty ImagesAbell paid generous compliments to Trescothick, his second-innings centurion, James Hildreth, with whom the veteran opener shared the key partnership of the match to take the game out of Warwickshire’s reach, and to the 20-year-old opener Byrom, who played nicely in both innings. Yet his own contributions – a half-century in each innings on a difficult, turning track – were equally significant.”It has been difficult,” he said. “I went through a patch where I didn’t know where my next run was coming from and that spell in the Seconds trying to find some form did me the world of good.”Now I’m starting to find some enjoyment batting again and the confidence in my game that I had lost.”The key to winning here was that every passage of play saw one Somerset player or another produce a performance at a key moment, ensuring that Warwickshire were never on top, even briefly. After the combination of Leach’s left-arm spin and Craig Overton’s pace had bowled out Somerset for 146 in the first innings, it was the off-spinner Bess and the big-hearted Tim Groenewald who landed the blows second time around.Once the final exchanges began after a two-hour delay, Overton claimed his fifth victim of the match as Tim Ambrose was leg before and then Groenewald, with new ball in hand, bowled Chris Wright and saw Jeetan Patel brilliant caught by Bess at point to complete a deserved five-wicket haul, his first of the season.There seems no escape now for Warwickshire, whose relegation may well be confirmed next week, on live television, when the Sky cameras turn up in the hope of seeing Essex, the champions-elect, strut their stuff.It was a long time after the finish before anyone emerged from the home dressing room, where one can only assume that the atmosphere match the colour of the sky. The bowling coach, Alan Richardson, was ultimately designated to offer words of explanation for a performance that lacked conviction at the moment it was most needed.”It was highly disappointing,” Richardson said. “We had four massive games, starting with one against the team immediately above us, and to not really show up is hugely disappointing.”

Jordan Henderson is already breaking records at Ajax, with his No.6 jersey becoming the fastest-selling in the club’s long and distinguished history.

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England international bid farewell to Saudi ArabiaFormer Liverpool captain now back in EuropeArrival in Amsterdam has caused quite a stirWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international midfielder finds himself in the Netherlands after bringing an unhappy six-month spell at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq to a close. The former Liverpool captain has returned to Europe and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in Amsterdam.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

His arrival at Ajax has caused quite a stir, with fans scrambling to claim a piece of official merchandise. Henderson's new No.6 jersey tops that wish list, with previous sale records posted by Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind being smashed. Henderson has shifted more shirts in 24 hours than the aforementioned duo managed in a week.

DID YOU KNOW?

The only Ajax jersey that has outperformed Henderson’s is the Bob Marley special edition shirt from 2021-22. When it comes to an individual player, the latest recruit at the Johan Cruyff Arena now stands in a league of his own.

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WHAT NEXT FOR HENDERSON?

It is not only in the Netherlands that Henderson has proved popular, with his past ties to Premier League giants Liverpool ensuring that he is also a big draw in Asia. He has taken the No.6 vacated by Davy Klaassen and, if he is registered in time, will hope to make his debut in Sunday's Eredivisie clash with RKC Waalwijk.