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كشفت تقارير صحفية رفض لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة المشاركة في مباراة إنتر ميلان بدوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم الماضي.

وكان برشلونة قد واجه إنتر ميلان في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم الماضي وخسر لقاء العودة بنتيجة 4/3 وحُرم من الذهاب إلى نهائي البطولة الغالية.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “سبورت” المقربة من نادي برشلونة، قد نقلت جزءًا من كتاب سيباستيان ستاشيفسكي، الخاص بالسيرة الذاتية لـ روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، الذي كشف أنه في آواخر دقائق المباراة أراد هانز فليك، مدرب برشلونة، أن يُشرك المدافع أندرياس كريستنسن بديلًا حتى يؤمن دفاعه لكن الأخير رفض.

رأي فليك أن لاعبي إنتر ميلان اندفعوا في الهجوم حتى يحرزون هدف التعادل ويلجأ الفريقان إلى الأشواط الإضافية، وقام الفريق الإيطالي بإرسال العديد من العرضيات، ولاحظ الألماني أنه يجب إدخال مدافع طويل ليمنع الكرات العالية من تشكيل أي خطورة على المرمى.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد تكرار إصابة العانة.. برشلونة يجهز خطة قوية بشأن لامين يامال

لكن فليك لم يتمكن من تنفيذ الخطة، حيث أبلغ مساعد فليك كريستنسن أن يستعد للنزول لكن الأخير رفض بحجة أن ظهره يؤلمه، لم يكن فليك مقتنعًا بأن الدنماركي كان مصابًا حقًا لكنه لم يكن لديه وقت للتفكير، لأن إنتر كان يبذل كل ما في وسعه ويقاتل، كل ثانية كانت مهمة خاصةً وأن الدقيقة كانت 89 وكان التوتر في ذروته.

وأردفت أن فليك حافظ على هدوئه وبما أنه كان يعلم أن فريقه سيتعرض للكثير من العرضيات، وبعدما رفض كريستنسن المشاركة، أجرى تغييرًا آخر ليعالج مشكلة طول القامة في خط الدفاع، أدخل روبرت ليفاندوفسكي إلى الملعب بدلًا من فيران توريس في الدقيقة 90 بهدف زيادة القوة الدفاعية لكن في النهاية لم تسر الأمور على ما يرام.

أحرز أتشيربي الهدف الثالث لصالح إنتر في الدقيقة 93 من عمر اللقاء من عرضية مميزة، ثم تكرر الأمر وسجل فراتيزي الهدف الرابع في الأشواط الإضافية والذي صعد بإنتر إلى نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

MatériaMais Notícias

LaLiga, BundesLiga, Serie A do Calcio, EFL Championship, Premier Legue, Brasileirão e Brasileirão – Série B são os principais destaques desta sábado (4) de futebol. Confira com o Lance! onde assistir ao vivo e os horários das partidas.

Arne Slot believes he will be criticised whether or not he looks to rest players after Ibrahima Konate limped off with a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s last-gasp defeat to Chelsea.

The 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge, sealed in dramatic fashion in the fifth minute of stoppage time when substitute Estevao Willian slid in at the far post for his first Blues goal, was a third in eight days for the champions who slipped from the top of the table for the first time since August.

Slot brought back Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak, all of whom were on the bench for Wednesday’s defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul, but it was at the other end of the pitch where he was forced to make adjustments, sending on Curtis Jones for £70,000-a-week Konate in the 56th minute.

A high-octane game in west London culminated in a breathless finale. Chelsea – who had eight players missing through injury and suspension – ran Liverpool all over the pitch in the first half, taking the lead through a sublime long-range strike from Moises Caicedo.

Later on, after Cody Gakpo had pounced on Isak’s lovely controlled flick-on to equalise, they battled to close off avenues of attack as the champions found their confidence and their rhythm, before remarkable late drama.

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Marc Cucurella got in down the left channel and crossed low to the far post where the 18-year-old Brazil international Estevao slid in to squeeze it home and spark uproarious scenes.

“If you play the style we play, a high press, and with the style Chelsea play with a high press, it would be a complete surprise if neither team ever played through the press,” said Slot. “That would be unrealistic.

“We came to Stamford Bridge with them having eight injuries, we’re thinking this can be positive, they don’t have the options from the bench. But they did have a few good options from the bench to impact the game.”

There was plenty that Maresca needed here from his team after a difficult month. What they gave him was a fresh, gutsy display that brought resounding affirmation his work with this young squad is on track.

Most importantly, he got three points that hauled Chelsea to within one win of the top four and put momentum back into their season after successive league losses to Manchester United and Brighton.

“For a few weeks we’ve been holding our emotions,” said assistant coach Willy Caballero, who spoke to the media after Maresca was dismissed for his wild celebrations following the winner.

“We finished today with a back four of all full-backs. The players from the bench were ready to go and play. They didn’t ask questions, they just went on the pitch and did fantastic.

“The goal gave the emotions to Enzo to run. Today is a great victory. The whole crowd was living the game. That’s we want to create, an environment that is nasty for the away team.”

For the second successive game in the Premier League, Chelsea have been defeated. After last week’s defeat against Manchester United, Enzo Maresca’s side lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to South Coast outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.

The first half went the way of the home side. After plenty of early pressure, the Blues finally found the back of the net. Enzo Fernandes was the man to break the deadlock, firing his side into the lead with a header from inside the six-yard box.

However, things started to go wrong for Chelsea in the second half. Just eight minutes into the second 45 minutes, Trevoh Chalobah saw red. He was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity after he brought down Brighton attacker Diego Gomez.

Down to ten men for the second time in as many games in the top flight, the Blues needed to try and hold onto their lead. Unfortunately for Maresca’s side, they failed to do that. It was Danny Welbeck who equalised, also scoring a header from close range.

Maxim De Cuyper fired the Seagulls ahead in the 2nd minute of stoppage time, yet again heading home from inside the six-yard box. To cap it off, Welbeck slotted home from close range in the 100th minute.

It was a calamitous collapse from the Blues, with Chalobah one of the men who put in a disappointing performance.

Why Chalobah was one of Chelsea's worst performers

Normally one of Chelsea’s most consistent players, it was a day to forget for centre-back Chalobah. The England international made a costly mistake, which led to his side being reduced to ten men once again.

In terms of the foul, it was not great defending from Chalobah. The Cobham academy graduate brought down Gomez on the edge of the penalty box, which, after a review by the VAR officials, was deemed to be a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.

What is most frustrating is the fact that the centre-back had played well up until his sending off. Chalobah had once again shown great quality on the ball and had a 92% passing accuracy, completing 36 out of 39 attempted passes.

Yet, the red card put his side in trouble. Football London journalist Bobby Vincent gave the defender a 3/10 rating for his efforts, and admitted that it was a ‘clear foul’ by the Blues number 23.

However, the defender is not solely to blame for the defeat. There was another Chelsea player who performed below the level you might expect.

The Chelsea player who was as bad as Chalobah

Overall, Chelsea’s afternoon at Stamford Bridge was one to forget. Despite the control they had in the first half, largely thanks to Fernandez’s header, the Blues let things slip, and, from the 53rd minute, always had an uphill battle to hold onto their lead.

Well, another player who struggled against the Seagulls was 21-year-old Brazil international Andrey Santos. The former Strasbourg loanee was making his first start in the Premier League, but played a part in the red card.

Unfortunately, it was Santos’ poor pass back to Chalobah, which meant the England star was chasing Gomez back towards his own goal. Santos, under pressure, looked to play the ball back in the direction of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but misplaced it and put Gomez in on goal, putting Chalobah in a position where he could only foul the attacker.

Like the Chelsea number 23, it was not the worst performance overall from the Brazilian wonderkid. He completed 94% of his passes, created one chance, and won 100% of both his duels and tackles.

Santos key stats vs. Brighton
Stat	Number
Touches	22
Pass accuracy	94%
Passes completed	16/17
Ground duels won	2/2
Tackles won	2/2
Number of times ball lost	2
Key passes	1
Stats from Sofascore

Vincent highlighted that good performance early on from Santos. Although he gave him a rating of 4/10 for his efforts, he said he “played well in the first half”, but did point out the “costly mistake” he made for the red card.

That moment showed his inexperience and perhaps suggests he is not ready to start in the top flight. There is no doubt that Santos is a wonderful talent, but perhaps the intensity of the Premier League got to him. Over time, he will surely become a key player at Stamford Bridge, but that may not be just yet.

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Sep 26, 2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are out of the IPL 2025 playoffs race, leaving Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) fighting for the last remaining slot in the top four.LSG made a storming start to their 12th match, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram putting on 115 at close to 11 runs an over. But Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)’s bowlers hit back with clever use of the old ball and limited them to 205, a total that proved inadequate in the face of a thrilling display of six-hitting from Abhishek Sharma.Related

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SRH were already out of contention for the playoffs when this match began, but they showed – even without Travis Head, who missed out after a bout of Covid-19 delayed his return to India, that they remain a batting line-up with an immense ceiling, even if the vagaries of form have ensured that they have only reached it sporadically this season.Abhishek hit six sixes in a 20-ball 59, turning his team-mates’ task straightforward; with Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen and Kamindu Mendis also getting past 30, SRH reached their target with ten balls remaining.LSG’s batting, yet again, was over-reliant on their big three, with Nicholas Pooran scoring 45 off 26 balls on the back of the openers’ half-centuries, and no one else reaching double figures. Having scored 108 for no loss in the first ten overs, LSG only managed 97 for 7 in the back half, as SRH’s bowlers pulled them back with their changes of pace.It’s hard to say if conditions changed during the chase, making batting a little easier for SRH. But LSG’s attack certainly made it appear so; it was an indictment of their resources that the bowler they kept turning to in search of inspiration, Digvesh Rathi, is an uncapped player in his debut IPL season.1:42

Abhinav: Abhishek an unbelievable hitter of pace and spin

Rathi picked up the wickets of Abhishek and Kishan, but SRH were well in control by the time of those strikes. The match officially ended in the 19th over, but its symbolic end came in the 14th, when Kamindu hit Rathi for three clinical, back-to-back fours in his final over.

Marsh and Markram dominate the new ball

For the first half hour or so of LSG’s innings, after Pat Cummins sent them in, this appeared to be one of the flattest surfaces Ekana has yet produced. When Cummins aimed at a hard length and erred on the shorter side in the first over, the ball sat up for Marsh to slap and pull him for a four and a six. When the debutant left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey landed the ball a touch too close to Marsh’s hitting arc in the second over, there was no grip off the pitch to endanger the step-hit over long-on.LSG rushed to 69 for no loss in their first six overs, with both openers striking the ball authoritatively. If Marsh dominated the stand, it was only because he had more of the strike. At the six-over mark, he was on 41 off 22 balls, and Markram on 26 off 14.

SRH strike back with the old ball

At the halfway point of their innings, LSG were 108 for no loss. But the last ball of the 10th over gave a clue as to how the last 10 overs would play out. This full ball from Harshal Patel didn’t quite come on to Marsh’s bat, and a low caught-and-bowled appeal ended up going in the batter’s favour because replays suggested the ball had been momentarily grounded.SRH were certainly finding more grip with the old ball than the new one. Marsh fell in the 11th over, with Dubey getting one to turn sharply and cause him to slice a catch to short third. In the next over, Rishabh Pant, who had promoted himself to No. 3, fell for another low score, chipping back a slower ball from Eshan Malinga, who took a superb return catch diving full-length to his left.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Malinga, Harshal and Cummins began to use the slower ball with greater frequency, and began getting telling results. The best of the lot didn’t even need the help of the surface: a dipping slower yorker bamboozled Markram in the 16th over and brought Harshal his 150th IPL wicket.The challenge of the conditions was evident in the fact that Pooran began the final over without having hit a single six despite having faced 24 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled the 20th over – his second, in his first bowling innings of the season – and it turned out to be an eventful one, with Pooran and Akash Deep hitting sixes either side of three wickets including two run-outs when LSG’s batters attempted to steal byes. In all, 20 came off that over, taking LSG past 200.

Abhishek puts SRH on their way

Atharva Taide, coming on as Impact Sub and making his SRH debut, gave his new team early impetus with three fours in his first eight balls. Two of them were straight out of the middle, and one off an edged swipe that raced to the deep-third boundary. A similarly-edged swipe ended his innings, giving LSG debutant Will O’Rourke his first IPL wicket.Then Kishan walked in and creamed his second ball for a gloriously-timed six over the covers. SRH were 23 for 1 in two overs, and Abhishek had only faced one ball.All that early excitement, however, would pale against Abhishek’s onslaught. He launched a six each off Akash Deep and O’Rourke – the second an open-faced loft over cover point – and moved to 35 off 15 by the end of the powerplay. By the end of the seventh over – the most expensive seventh over in IPL history – he was batting on 59 off 19.Abhishek only faced four balls in that over, and he hit all four over the boundary. Ravi Bishnoi is a terrific bowler against left-hand batters, using his angle across them and his wrong’un to hide the ball away from their hitting arc. But he could do nothing to stop Abhishek, who used his eye and reach to launch him for three successive sixes down the ground before pulling a short one just beyond reach of the leaping Pooran on the leg-side boundary.SRH were 98 for 1 in seven overs, and entirely in control of their chase.

Rathi strikes, but it’s all too late for LSG

The umpire separates Digvesh Rathi and Abhishek Sharma•BCCI

Abhishek’s attempt to go after Rathi in the eighth over cost him his wicket, as he ended up losing his shape while making too much room against a wrong’un. Rathi gave Abhishek an old-fashioned send-off, pointing him to the dressing room, before launching into his notebook celebration; all this sparked a confrontation that needed the umpires to pull Abhishek and Rathi apart.Three more overs went by before Rathi came back into the attack, and he struck in that over too, the 12th, bowling Kishan when he missed a reverse-sweep. Kishan fell for 35 off 28, having struggled for timing after hitting that early six.By this point, Klaasen was already up and running, having hit two fours and a six in getting to 24 off 11 balls. Kamindu joined him now, and the two put on 55 in 36 balls to shut LSG out of the game.There were a couple of nervy moments late on, with Klaasen feathering Shardul Thakur behind for 47, and Kamindu retiring hurt after appearing to tweak his hamstring while completing a single. SRH only needed nine at that point, however; they took just three of the remaining 13 balls to finish the job.

Manchester United scouts have now reportedly been spotted watching one of the most reliable defenders that Serie A has to offer ahead of a potential 2026 move.

Man Utd's early 2026 targets

There’s still a lot of work to be done at Manchester United even after spending around £200m on reinforcements in the summer. As highlighted by their poor start, Ruben Amorim’s side could particularly do with strengthening their backline and in midfield. Whether the January transfer window presents an ideal time to do exactly that is the big question.

To that end, several potential targets have already emerged. Reports earlier this week linked both Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde with moves to Old Trafford in what would be incredibly ambitious deals for the Red Devils to pull off. However, there’s no doubt that both would be instant upgrades on Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro.

There could also be change in the dugout if Ruben Amorim fails to turn things around sooner rather than later. Reports earlier this week claimed that INEOS are already looking at the likes of Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva as potential candidates to replace their struggling manager.

The manager, himself, has since reiterated that a meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe was nothing more than routine this week, but the pressure is certainly building.

If the former Sporting Club boss keeps hold of his position until 2026, then he could once again receive some much-needed investment from INEOS. With scouts already spotted watching one impressive defender in Italy too, it looks as though the Red Devils are ready to welcome more fresh faces when the time comes.

Man Utd send scouts to watch Bremer

According to TeamTalk, Man United scouts have been spotted watching Gleison Bremer ahead of a potential 2026 move. TeamTalk were full of praise for the Juventus defender, dubbing him one of the most reliable defenders that Serie A has to offer. If that is the case, then it’s hard to argue that United shouldn’t be going all in on the Brazilian.

Minutes

270

360

Progressive Passes

4

9

Tackles Won

0

5

Ball Recoveries

14

14

Whilst the immediate numbers reflect harshly on Bremer, it’s worth noting that Juventus have kept 46 clean sheets in Bremer’s 93 appearances. With a record of almost one clean sheet for every two games, the Brazilian’s reliability is there for all to see.

The 28-year-old has also earned plenty of praise during his time in Turin. Analyst Ben Mattinson even went as far as to describe the defender as a “monster” in 2023 and has watched on as he’s only improved ever since.

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With their scouts in place, Man United would be wise to fend off any competition and welcome the South American in 2026.

Nottingham Forest are now willing to make a serious offer for a “super” striker, and they have already started preparing the groundwork for a transfer.

Forest keen on signing new striker after slow start

Although we are just four games into the new Premier League campaign, Forest have already changed their manager, with Ange Postecoglou taking charge for the first time against Arsenal last time out, but it was far from the ideal start for the Australian.

The Tricky Trees suffered their second straight 3-0 defeat in the Premier League, following on from the battering at the hands of a struggling West Ham United side before the international break, with Ange’s side looking pretty toothless going forward.

Although going to the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a difficult test, it has been a slow start for Forest, following on from a concerning pre-season, during which they scored just one goal in seven friendly games.

Consequently, there may be some concerns surrounding Ange’s forward line, meaning the new manager may want to bolster his attacking options in the January transfer window, and the Europa League side have now joined the race for a new striker.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Nottingham Forest are now the club best-positioned to sign Sevilla striker Isaac Romero, and they are willing to make a serious bid for the 25-year-old’s services.

The Tricky Trees are already laying the groundwork for a deal, that could amount to around €25m (£22m), which would be an affordable fee for a Premier League side.

Ange’s side believe the Spaniard has all the qualities to succeed at The City Ground, and the door could be open for a deal, given that Sevilla need to sell to balance the books.

"Super" Romero has made impressive start to the season

The Sevilla star has made a solid start to the campaign, scoring two goals in his opening four La Liga games, meaning he is already half-way to matching his league goal tally from the 2024-25 season.

Former teammate Oliver Torres has also raved about the forward in the past, saying: “More than just a good player, Isaac is a good teammate, a good lad, super humble, super hard-working and in the end fortune smiles on people like that.”

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Forest made major improvements to their attack in the summer, bringing in the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa, Dan Ndoye, and Arnaud Kalimuendo, so there are doubts over whether they need to bring in another forward imminently.

However, with Chris Wood now 33-years-old, the New Zealand international could be in the twilight years of his career, so it may be worth bringing in a long-term replacement, and Romero is showing promising signs at Sevilla.

Tottenham Hotspur kicked off life under Thomas Frank with a 3-0 win over Burnley this afternoon, hopefully being the first of many during the Dane’s tenure.

The Lilywhites produced a magnificent display, blowing away the opposition in the second half, restricting the visitors to just four shots on target throughout the 90 minutes.

In their 17th-placed Premier League finish last campaign, the backline held the side back massively, conceding 65 times in their 38 outings under Ange Postecoglou.

However, it was the perfect start to life under the new management team, keeping a clean sheet – something which they only managed on six occasions throughout 2024/25.

It was an afternoon to remember for numerous players in North London, undoubtedly staking their claim to the new boss over a regular starting role throughout the new season.

How things played out in Spurs’ win over Burnley

In his first league game in charge, Frank decided to operate with Richarlison in the number nine role – a decision that proved to be a masterstroke given his performance.

The Brazilian put the Lilywhites ahead just ten minutes into proceedings, with his superb first-time finish beating debutant Martin Dubravka in the Clarets’ goal.

However, his second effort was also a thing of beauty, acrobatically turning home new signing Mohammed Kudus’ cross – an effort that will certainly be one of the goals of the season.

Brennan Johnson added a third in the closing stages, breaking through one-on-one, before poking home and securing all three points in North London.

Richarlison certainly proved some of the doubters wrong with his showing against Scott Parker’s side, deserving of a consistent run in the side under the new boss, but he’s certainly not alone in that regard.

The Spurs player who should be a regular starter under Frank

The appointment of a new manager always brings about new ideas, changes to the system and the opportunity for players to stake their claim for a regular starting role.

As seen by his two-goal haul this afternoon, it’s safe to say Richarlison has demonstrated to Frank the talent he possesses when given the chance to operate in his natural position.

However, numerous other players appear to have done just that, potentially stopping the manager from making wholesale changes before the end of the transfer window.

After utilising a back five in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG on Wednesday, the Dane reverted to the Lilywhites’ more familiar 4-3-3 system – a decision which allowed Pape Sarr to impress once more.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed rapid development in North London over recent seasons, having the ability to be a key member of the 51-year-old’s squad if he can replicate such a display.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, completing three dribbles and winning ten duels – with both figures the highest of any player on the pitch for either side.

Sarr also managed to complete 83% of the passes he attempted, with six of which being into the final third – helping him grab the assist for Johnson’s second-half strike.

Minutes played

90

Touches

66

Distance covered

10.7km

Passes completed

83%

Dribbles completed

3

Duels won

10

Passes into final third

6

Tackles made

2

Clearances made

4

Recoveries made

4

The youngster’s all-round excellence is further highlighted in his tallies of two tackles, four clearances and four recoveries made, arguably being one of the standout performers in the win.

As a result of his showing, Sarr was handed an 8/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold – with the journalist suggesting he could be a key member of Spurs’ squad this campaign.

Such a showing will certainly highlight to Frank the talent the Senegalese star possesses, having the chance to improve further under his guidance, given his tender age.

The midfielder and Richarlison were certainly the shining lights during the opening-day victory – hopefully creating many more moments of magic between them in the remaining 37 outings.

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Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been involved in one the biggest transfer sagas of the summer, refusing to play for the Magpies as he looked to push for a move to Liverpool.

The Swedish striker has been training on his own for the majority of the summer transfer window, with the Reds having a £110m bid rejected for Isak’s services.

Under contract at St James’ Park, Isak has refused to play for Newcastle, but isn’t the first Premier League star to do so.

10 Premier League stars who refused to play for their clubs 10 Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Man Utd in 2021 didn’t exactly go to plan, as 18 months later he signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

In the final days of Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford, he was an unused substitute at home to Tottenham Hotspur. It later emerged that the Portuguese superstar refused to come on under Erik ten Hag and was demoted to train with the youth side.

9 Raheem Sterling Liverpool

After coming through Liverpool’s academy and impressing at Anfield for the first team, Raheem Sterling wanted to leave the Reds in 2015.

Manchester City wanted to sign the winger and eventually did so for close to £50m, but it took Sterling to refuse to go and play for Liverpool in their pre-season tour. Sterling turned down numerous contract offers to stay with Liverpool and would go on to win four Premier League titles with City.

8 Paul Scholes Man Utd

Paul Scholes has gone down as a Man Utd legend, however, the former Red Devils midfielder actually refused to play a game under Sir Alex Ferguson.

He was dropped for a clash with Liverpool in 2001 but was set to play the next match, a League Cup fixture against Arsenal. Scholes refused to show up, though, and was fined heavily by those at Old Trafford.

7 William Gallas Chelsea

William Gallas didn’t just refuse to play for Chelsea when he was looking to leave Stamford Bridge, he also threatened to score an own goal, get himself sent off, or make deliberate mistakes if he was forced to play.

After five years with the Blues, the French defender was eventually sold to rivals Arsenal, although Chelsea did end up signing star left-back Ashley Cole from the Gunners.

6 Riyad Mahrez Leicester City

Riyad Mahrez signed for Man City from Leicester City in the summer of 2018, but in the January, the winger went on strike and refused to play for the Foxes as he pushed for a move to the Etihad.

The Algerian was fined by Leicester but did eventually return after going on strike and was welcomed back by both team-mates and supporters.

Leicester City

Man City

Games

139

145

Goals

39

43

Assists

26

37

Titles

1

4

5 Dimitar Berbatov Tottenham

Man Utd eventually signed Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham on deadline day in 2008, however, the move wasn’t without controversy.

The Bulgarian striker got wind of Man Utd’s interest, however Spurs chairman Daniel Levy didn’t want to sell which ended up with Berbatov not playing for Tottenham against rivals Chelsea.

Levy and co complained about Man Utd’s move for the forward, but Ferguson got his man for £30m.

4 Dimitri Payet West Ham

After starring at Euro 2016, West Ham rewarded Dimitri Payet with a new contract and Irons supporters loved him during his time at Upton Park.

That was until the beginning of 2017 when Payet refused to play for West Ham as he tried to force a move back to Marseille. He got his wish, with the Hammers bringing in £25m, but his West Ham mural was quickly removed.

3 Kieron Dyer Newcastle

During his time at Newcastle, Kieron Dyer was involved in numerous controversies, including refusing to play under iconic manager Sir Bobby Robson.

Dyer didn’t play on the right side of midfield against Middlesbrough in 2004 and Robson was sacked by the Magpies weeks later. Dyer has since called that decision his “greatest regret” and admitted he “let Bobby Robson down”.

2 Carlos Tevez Man City

After swapping Man Utd for Man City, Carlos Tevez would win the Premier League at the Etihad, however, it wasn’t without drama.

He refused to come on in September 2011 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, with Roberto Mancini banishing him from the squad. Tevez did return months later and helped City win their first ever Premier League title.

1 Leonardo Ulloa Leicester City

Shortly after winning the Premier League with Leicester City, Leonardo Ulloa refused to play for the Foxes again under Claudio Ranieri and felt “betrayed” by the Italian.

Ulloa was desperate to join Sunderland but didn’t get his wish, and after Leicester sacked Ranieri a month later in February 2017, the forward would return to the squad, even signing a new contract that summer.

Nottingham Forest are now reportedly willing to pay as much as £26m to complete the signing of a “superb” midfielder this summer.

Nottingham Forest confirm exit & Sels up for award

The Reds are preparing for the new Premier League season, but one player who has sealed a move away from the club is youngster Dale Taylor.

The 21-year-old attacker has completed a permanent move to Blackpool from Forest, with Head of Football Development & Talent Management, Craig Mulholland, wishing him well upon his departure.

“We are delighted to see Dale get such a positive move. His development journey at Forest has been strong and it is credit to Dale, and all of the excellent staff who have worked with him along the way. We have agreed a deal which is great for Dale, Blackpool and also provides us with a positive return on the investment the club has made over many years.”

In other Forest news, goalkeeper Matz Sels’ superb 2024/25 campaign has been rewarded with a nomination for the prestigious Lachine Trophy – an award given to the best ‘keeper in Europe over a 12-month period. The likes of Alisson and Gianliugi Donnarumma are also up for the prize, among others.

Nottingham Forest eye £26m move for midfielder

In terms of transfer news, Sky Italia [via Sport Witness] claim that Nottingham Forest are happy to pay £26m to sign AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah this summer.

The Reds are intending to “close the deal quickly”, securing the services of the 22-year-old in time for the start of the 2025/26 season.

Musah has the ability to be a brilliant signing for Forest if they agree to sign him, with the USA international already achieving so much in his career.

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The midfielder has already made 153 appearances in La Liga and Serie A combined, as well as winning 47 caps for his country, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “superb” in the past, too.

Forest need to add depth in the middle of the park, as they look to tackle both Premier League and European commitments this season, and Musah could be ideal, providing strong competition for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Nicilas Dominguez.

Yunus Musah’s international stats

Caps

Goals

USA

47

1

England Under-18s

8

2

England Under-17s

9

2

England Under-16s

8

0

England Under-15s

7

0

The American is still so young, despite already picking up a huge amount of experience, and he would feel like a statement signing by Nuno’s side, having made seven Champions League appearances for Milan last season.