ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2016Stiaan van Zyl had to fend off a few short deliveries early on•AFPBen Stokes broke the opening stand when he struck in his first over•Getty ImagesHe thought he had another wicket but his call to review an lbw shout against Hashim Amla did not pay off, but it was mighty close•Getty ImagesMoeen Ali did what England’s quicks couldn’t and broke the second-wicket stand by removing Dean Elgar•Getty ImagesSteven Finn produced a magnificent spell which included the wicket of Hashim Amla•Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis lazily flicked a catch to deep square leg•AFPJonny Bairstow, who had an excellent day, did superbly well to gather the throw to complete Temba Bavuma’s run out•Getty Images
Questions have been asked of whether Erling Haaland will honour his contract at Manchester City, with it pointed out that “10 years is a long time”.
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Norwegian tied to deal through to 2034Could break countless records in that timeLa Liga transfer talk seemingly never far awayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Premier League champions City have moved to tie their prolific Norwegian striker down to a deal that is due to run until the summer of 2034. Haaland is considered to be a key part of present and future plans at the Etihad Stadium.
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It is easy to see why City would want such terms in place, with the 24-year-old frontman hitting 118 goals through 136 appearances. Haaland has collected major honours at home and abroad, but has also generated plenty of transfer talk when it comes to supposed interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
WHAT RICHARD DUNNE SAID
Quizzed on whether Haaland will see out a decade-long deal in Manchester, former City captain Richard Dunne – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It’s unheard of, a contract that length. It’s exceptional that he’s got something like that.
“I suppose the couple of seasons that he’s had have proven what he can do. It’s a case of can he do it for that length of time? I’m sure he can, but things change an awful lot in football and 10 years is a very long time.
“If he’s still there, brilliant. At the moment he’s the No.1 striker in world football. If City can keep him, that’s amazing. But also for the Premier League, to have him for that amount of time. Whether he actually goes and sees that deal out remains to be seen.”
Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?
If Haaland were to hang around at City, then he will likely rewrite the history books. Pressed on the possibility of every record being broken if 10 more years are spent at the Etihad, Dunne added: “You would imagine. On paper, yeah. Given what he’s done so far, yes. But, he still has to score nearly 30 goals every season. It’s still a huge ask and an incredible achievement what he’s doing at the moment.
“It looks like he’s the one that would break [Alan] Shearer’s record and set records that would never be beaten again. To keep that consistency over a period of time isn’t the easiest. We have seen it this season, where he has probably not got the goals that he expected. Man City haven’t had the season that they would’ve expected.
“It will happen over the course of the next 10 years and might not happen again. It’s hard but any man playing football at the moment that you thought had a chance of breaking all the records, he is certainly the one. Given the amount of time that he is hopefully going to be there, he’s got a real opportunity to do it.”
More joy for Conners after his Lions debut completed South Africa rout
ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2022Luis Reece hit his List A best score of 136 as Derbyshire kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup with a 47 run success over Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.The Derbyshire opener surpassed his previous best total of 128 – also against Worcestershire at Derby three years ago – in a perfectly paced innings which helped his side amass 312-9 on a hybrid pitch.He was given excellent support by Shan Masood and Anuj Dal in stands of 137 and 91 respectively.Reece also chipped in with two wickets after Sam Conners’s new ball blast had reduced the Rapids to 35-3. It was more joy for Conners after he ripped apart the South Africa tail on his England Lions debut at Taunton less than a week ago.Worcestershire captain, Jake Libby, responded with his maiden List A century to bring some respectability to his side’s reply although they were realistically never in the hunt as Derbyshire secured their second victory in the competition.The Peakites will probably have to win their final three games to have a realistic chance of progressing through to the next round.Related
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But Worcestershire remained rooted in bottom spot after a fifth successive setback in what has been a miserable summer of white ball cricket for the Rapids after picking up the wooden spoon in the Vitality Blast North Group.Hundreds of spectators took advantage of Worcestershire giving away tickets, to families affected by Storm Dennis 2020.Libby, elected to bowl first and Ben Gibbon was rewarded for a tight opening spell when Harry Came was caught behind after an expansive drive.Masood joined Reece and instantly got off the mark by leg glancing Gibbon to four to set the tone for his innings.Reece had played himself in before ramping Gibbon for six in the final over of the initial powerplay and the second wicket pair gradually flourished.A straight drive for four by Reece off Dillon Pennington enabled him to complete 5,000 runs in all cricket for Derbyshire.Reece completed an 82-ball half century with Masood needing only 46 deliveries to bring up his fifty.Derbyshire raced onto 163-1 in the 31st over before Adam Finch, the pick of the Worcestershire attack, struck twice in the space of three balls.Masood, on 63, was undone by a ball which bounced on him and edged through to keeper Ben Cox and Brooke Guest hooked his second delivery straight to Gibbon at deep square leg.Reece needed only a further 45 balls to move to three figures and he accelerated even further during the initial stages of the final 10 overs.Successive overs from Libby and Gibbon both yielded 20 runs before Reece’s excellent knock ended tamely on 136 when he struck a Taylor Cornall full toss straight to long off. His 142-ball innings contained three sixes and 15 fours. There was a further success for Cornall when Dal, having raced to 46 off 34 deliveries, picked out Ed Barnard at deep cover.Worcestershire collected a flurry of wickets in the closing stages of the innings. Mattie McKiernan (16) sliced Pennington to third man and the pace bowler accounted for Ben Aitchison and debutant Archie Harrison in his final over while Alex Hughes was bowled by Finch.Conners immediately had Worcestershire on the back foot with a three wicket burst with the new ball. Cornall was strangled down the leg side and Ed Pollock, recalled to the side in place of the injured Kashif Ali, drove to mid off. Azhar Ali gave keeper Guest a second catch off Conners at 35-3 in the ninth over.Reece came into the attack and struck in successive overs with Ed Barnard also nicking through to Guest and Ben Cox (12) bowled through the gate.Libby batted with plenty of fluency and reached an excellent half century off 52 balls with six boundaries. Henry Cullen chopped on when Aitchison returned to the attack, Joe Leach swung across the line to Dal and was lbw and Pennington (35) was bowled by McKiernan.Libby went past his previous List A best of 76 against Durham at New Road last summer before reaching three figures off 115 balls with one six and eight fours. Potts accounted for Finch and Gibbon to round off the innings and leave Libby unbeaten on 126.
Manchester City will be hoping to repeat their treble heroics of the 2022/23 campaign, after what was ultimately a disappointing last term for Pep Guardiola’s men. They won just the one trophy on this occasion and failed to defend their crowns in either of the other competitions they won two seasons prior.
The Citizens were once again victorious in the Premier League and sealed their fourth consecutive league title on the final day. That is the first time in the competition’s history that any side has managed to achieve such a feat.
However, the defence of their FA Cup crown failed at the hands of their biggest rivals, Manchester United. Guardiola's side also struggled in the Champions League. The Blues were eliminated at the hands of Real Madrid on penalties, who went on to lift the trophy once again.
Next season, City will be hoping to bounce back and reclaim all three of their titles. They will no doubt need to strengthen their squad over the summer and have already been linked with one player who could add excellent depth to their side.
Man City target Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England international attacker Eberechi Eze. It was once again another very impressive season for the 26-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move away from Selhurst Palk this summer.
At least, that is according to a report from journalist Ben Jacobs, who claimed earlier this week that Guardiola and his staff “like this player”, and could decide to make an offer over the course of the summer transfer window.
Eberechi Eze celebrates for Crystal Palace
However, there are other sides aiming to bring Eze to their club this summer. Jacobs believes that North London duo Tottenham and Arsenal are also interested in the player. However, he does note that Spurs are slightly ahead in the race when it comes to agreeing a deal with Palace.
In terms of price, City will have to pay a fairly hefty fee in order to bring Eze to the club. The 26-year-old has a £60m release clause, and it seems unlikely Palace will negotiate any less, given they have already sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich this summer.
How Eze could benefit Erling Haaland
Eze has been one of the most important players for the Eagles. The attacker, who can play in a multitude of positions across the frontline, played some of his best football under Oliver Glasner.
He scored 11 goals and grabbed four assists in the Premier League in 27 games last season, with six goals and three assists coming in just 11 games under the Austrian.
Roy Hodgson
66
15
10
0.37
Mark Warburton
48
14
10
0.5
Patrick Vieira
46
5
4
0.19
Steve McClaren
40
4
4
0.2
Gareth Ainsworth
22
5
0
0.22
Ian Holloway
18
2
1
0.16
Oliver Glasner
11
6
3
0.81
John Eustace
6
0
0
0
Patrick McCarthy
3
0
0
0
The England international’s teammate at Palace, Joel Ward described him as “mesmerising”, and when watching him, it is easy to see why. He glides with the ball at his feet, slaloming in and out of opposition defenders with ease. Eze loves to operate in the half-spaces, getting on the ball between the lines and driving forward.
When in full flow, the 26-year-old is electric, and this is also highlighted in his stats courtesy of FBRef. He attempts an average of 6.13 take-ons per 90 minutes and completes 3.02 of those. He ranks in the top 10% and 9% of positionally similar players in Europe or those metrics.
Should he join Guardiola’s side, the attacker could form a dream partnership with City’s talismanic striker, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian has taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water, having already scored 63 goals in just 66 games in the competition.
Eze is a wonderful creator, averaging 2.37 key passes which ranks him in the top 17%, and 1.97 passes into the penalty box, placing him in the top 19%. Of course, given Haaland is deadly in the area, the amount of balls he could get on the end of from the Palace sensation could see them form a deadly partnership.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson called the 26-year-old an "entertainer", and adding Eze to the abundance of creative players City already have would be outrageous depth for Guardiola. Not only that, the partnership he could form with Haaland could take the Norway international’s goalscoring record to new heights, and help bring City back to the top of Europe.
The reported £60m fee is expensive, but for the quality of the player the Citizens would be adding it could be an excellent piece of business this summer.
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Captain hopes that fans can inspire team after criticism for negativity at Lord’s
Andrew Miller09-Jun-2021Joe Root, England’s captain, hopes that the return of a near-capacity crowd for the second Test at Edgbaston can inspire his players to find their inner “showman”, and scotch suggestions that they are a negative team, in the wake of their final-day go-slow in the opening match at Lord’s.Root’s team has been embroiled in controversy since the emergence of historic offensive tweets from a number of squad members, most notably Ollie Robinson, who has been suspended by the ECB pending an investigation. And in the eyes of some of their critics, they missed an opportunity to get their fans back onside in the Lord’s Test, as they declined to take on a 273-run fourth-innings chase, and chose instead to block out for the draw.But Root, who confirmed that the team would once again stand for a “moment of unity” before the start of the second Test, hopes that the return of 17,000 fans a day at Edgbaston may provide an opportunity for a change of narrative – even in the absence of their most proven crowd-pleaser Ben Stokes, who has been at the heart of most of England’s most thrilling victories in recent times.”We’re all very aware we’re in the entertainment business,” Root said. “We all want to be part of those games, those special games that provide that entertainment. They’re the ones that you remember.”The ones that stick in my mind are the World Cup final, Headingley, Cape Town … the ones that go to the wire, they’re the ones you remember as a player, and want to have big contributions in. Of course if there are chances to go and win Test matches, we want to go and take them, if we feel like that’s a realistic possibility.”However, with an unproven batting line-up in this series – one that had made four ducks in the first innings at Lord’s – Root still believes that discretion was the better part of valour in the first Test, after Kane Williamson’s lunchtime declaration had left England needing 273 in a minimum of 75 overs. Dom Sibley led the rearguard with an unbeaten 60, spanning more than five hours, as England closed on 170 for 3.Dom Sibley dug in for the draw on a dour final day at Lord’s•AFP/Getty Images”I’ve had some time to think about that,” Root said. “I look at the situation we found ourselves in and I still feel we made the right decision. We’ve turned up here with an opportunity to win the series, albeit it is not part of the Test championship, but it is a Test match and that means a hell of a lot to the players and the group.”We’re very keen to put in five days of strong cricket this week and win the series. If the opportunities arise, we’ll definitely look to be aggressive. I don’t want us to be considered a negative team who play a boring brand of cricket. We have some very exciting players who are capable of some wonderful passages of cricket and hopefully that will come to light this week.”Edgbaston has traditionally been a favoured venue for England players, with the crowd’s close proximity to the playing surface, and the habitually rowdy support from the Hollies Stand in particular. Australia’s victory in the Ashes opener in 2019 was only the second by a visiting side in the last 20 years, and Root said he was thrilled at the prospect of feeling that support again.”It will be great to have [that many] people in, enjoying the sport again in pretty much a full house,” he said. “We know Edgbaston in particular provides a wonderful atmosphere, you feel like there’s 12 players on the pitch and you’ve got that extra man.”We’re very aware how lucky we are and how well we’re supported. It’s something we’ve missed as a side and are very much looking forward to. We can’t wait to experience five good days of cricket along with everyone else in the crowd.”Every individual takes it in slightly differently,” he added. “For me, it’s the excitement of it… there’s a showman in everyone, if you like, you want to go out there and put on a show for everyone and it’s an opportunity to do that in your own way.Related
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“We’ve all missed that interaction with the fans and the crowd. There’s certain bowlers – you look at Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad – they respond to that atmosphere in the ground in a really positive way. It could be a real boost for us and play into our hands.”Root also urged his young batter to park the anxieties that they showed in the Lord’s Test, and put their focus into the occasion of representing England in a Test match, rather than worry that, with Stokes and Jos Buttler likely to return for the India series, they are already playing for their places.”I see it as an opportunity to go out and score Test runs for their country and I hope they view it like that,” Root said. “They have an opportunity, but also a responsibility to play the situation in front of them to the best of their ability, and to try and eradicate any other thoughts, other than getting absorbed in that moment and get ready for that next ball.”That’s the mindset we want to create,” he added. “Guys come into this team and can seamlessly fit in and do their roles. Hopefully guys will feel like that tomorrow and take their chance. The lads are fully aware of that and are talented enough to make big contributions.”
Everton are eyeing up a fresh face to lead their line for the new Premier League season, according to a recent report.
Toffees yet to settle on a striker
Goalscoring has been one of Everton's achilles heels for several seasons now, and despite their efforts to address it every season Sean Dyche seems unable to find a solution as of yet.
Their 40 goals scored across the 2023-24 campaign was the second worst in the division with only Sheffield United managing fewer, while expected goals suggested that the Toffees scored 20 fewer than they should have according to the model.
No one has managed more than seven Premier League goals in an Everton shirt in a single season since Richarlison's departure two years ago, and the Brazilian was the only one to hit double figures in his final term at Goodison Park.
The injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not managed 10 or more since the 2020-21 season, in which he scored 16 times, more than he has in the three seasons since.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's struggles for fitness and goals
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
Appearances
33
17
17
32
Minutes played
2876
1287
1175
2186
Goals
16
5
2
7
Minutes per goal
180
257
588
312
Beto was signed last summer, but he failed to have an impact and started just nine Premier League games, while Youssef Chermiti remains a work in progress.
This summer, they have already made one move to sign a new striker, with Iliman Ndiaye arriving from Marseille after a tough season in Ligue 1, where he found the net four times for the French outfit. But now, reports claim that they could be set to move for a more natural goalscorer.
Toffees among sides interested in PL outcast
That comes with Everton named as one of the sides in the running to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer. The England international struggled for game time at the Emirates Stadium last season, starting just ten games but failing to be named in a starting XI in 2024.
Despite this, he found the net on five occasions, including a hat-trick against Sheffield United, and Mikel Arteta spoke highly of the 25-year-old Englishman.
Eddie-nketiah-arsenal-hattrick
“Well to me he is top level,” Arteta said via arsenal.com. “He’s started nine out of our ten Premier League games, so that tells you how much we trust him and the importance he has in the team. I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience a Premier League hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment, he fully deserves it, and hopefully there are many more to come.”
Despite this praise, his time in north London appears to be over, with Arsenal ready to let him leave this summer should someone meet his £50m price tag amid interest from the Premier League and abroad.
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As per CaughtOffside, Everton are one of five Premier League sides keen on the Englishman, though his future could well be tied to that of Calvert-Lewin amid previous interest in the ex-Sheffield United man from Newcastle United.
They suggest that a fee closer to 40m euros (£33m) may be more accurate for Nketiah, which is the same fee as Joshua Zirkzee is moving to Manchester United for.
For Everton, there may well be more pressing areas of need, but Nketiah's impressive goal record could be a tempting option for a side that notoriously struggles to find the back of the net.
Liverpool-linked Omar Marmoush has equalled an incredible free-kick record that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi last posted back in 2019.
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Egyptian star shining in GermanyPosing a serious threat from free-kicksBeing linked with teams in EnglandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Egypt international Marmoush is seeing a transfer to England speculated on that could see him link up with fellow countryman Mohamed Salah at Anfield – if the current Reds star agrees an extension to his contract on Merseyside.
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Marmoush is attracting plenty of admiring glances after becoming a prolific presence for Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. He registered 17 goals for them last season, and is already up to 14 this term through just 16 appearances.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 25-year-old forward has often displayed his clinical finishing prowess, but is also becoming a serious threat from dead-ball situations. He has fired home a free-kick in his last three appearances in the German top-flight, becoming the first player since Messi in March/April 2019 to achieve that feat in European football’s “big-five leagues”.
WHAT NEXT?
Manchester City are another heavyweight outfit to have been linked with Marmoush, but any of his suitors in the Premier League will need to dig deep in order to get a deal done. It is being suggested that Eintracht will demand between £50-60 million ($64-77m) from any sale.
Old-school knock steers tricky chase and makes it goodnight, Bangladesh
S Sudarshanan07-Oct-20253:25
Knight to the fore as England overcome spirited Bangladesh
Heather Knight was drenched in sweat. Two days in a row. Once under lights, once under the hot, baking afternoon sun.In each of the two training sessions England had before their Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh, Knight batted long and worked particularly hard on getting her sweep shots right. She faced a mix of throwdowns and net bowlers bowling left-arm spin, offspin and legspin. All that effort culminated in her Player-of-the-Match effort of 79 not out off 111 balls on Tuesday, which headlined England’s jailbreak.On match eve, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana had called upon her team to “show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”. It was only the second time Bangladesh were playing England in an ODI. Her team-mates responded by reducing England to 78 for 5 and 103 for 6 in defence of 178. Marufa Akter once again set the tone with a fiery new-ball spell, accounting for both the English openers. She had Knight twice but the DRS came to the former captain’s aid on both occasions. Then the spinners, led by leggie Fahima Khatun, applied the squeeze.Related
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The track at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati wasn’t the most batting-friendly. It had a darkish look to it, played a little slow and aided spinners without really turning square. In Knight’s words, it was the “inconsistency of the turn” that made life tough for the batters. The wickets were proof, in that none of the England batters actually fell for spin.Nat Sciver-Brunt shunted a full toss straight to midwicket. Sophia Dunkley played down the wrong line, was beaten on the inside and out lbw. Emma Lamb was done in by the dip and miscued one to mid-on. Alice Capsey missed her shot across the line with an angled bat and was trapped leg before.Only Knight was able to apply what she thoroughly practised. This was Knight’s first international innings after returning from a hamstring injury and first in ODIs since January. She was in at the start of the second over and, understandably, a bit slow to start off. The hallmark of her innings was that she was willing to bide her time. She was willing to go old-school since the conditions demanded. For a large part of her innings, her strike rate hovered under the 50 mark; she did not score on 24 of her first 26 balls and on 65 of her 111.Heather Knight uses the sweep against spin•Getty Images”[I] didn’t find it my most fluent [knock], particularly at the start,” Knight said. “It was just a case of trying to get through. The conditions were tricky; obviously. Marufa got a huge amount of swing at the start. She was really tricky and [I] just tried to find a method just to get through the period.”I knew that if we had a set batter that was able to bat through, I probably had to be a little bit more attritional than I would have liked. I started to find my feet and my rhythm in that middle period, which was really nice. The hardest thing sometimes coming back from injury is that the rhythm of batting in the middle can take a little bit of time to get back. Delighted that I was able to spend a little bit of time out there, get through that pressure.”Since they played Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, England had not played an ODI in the subcontinent up until this World Cup. It was down to Knight’s experience and muscle memory: it was her 28th ODI in this part of the world. She used the sweep to telling effect to score 14 off five balls using the traditional sweep, and a four with the one reverse sweep when England were in sight of their target. A couple of fours she hit against legspinner Shorna Akter stood out – when she rolled her wrists to get the ball behind square and then when she used her reach to nail the shot in front of square. When the sweep was out of question, she charged down the track to launch the bowler in the ‘V’.”It was really hard to pierce the off-side ring,” Knight said. “[It] felt like I had to take a few risks and get the feet going. The sweep shot is obviously one that’s really strong for me and when the bowling is a little bit slower, not a huge amount of pace on the ball, it can be one that I go to. Picking what works for which bowler [matters], so some of the left-armers it felt a lot easier to go down the ground. Being really clear on what I was going to sweep, what I was going to hit down the ground and when I had to soak up pressure and trust my defence as well [was important].”England had an inkling of what to expect after flexing their spin mettle in the afternoon. Their spinners, led by Sophie Ecclestone, had picked up nine of the ten Bangladesh wickets and Knight knew it was “going to be hard work”. Yet, it came down to a good Knight knock for England to have a good night in Guwahati.
Sheffield Wednesday will look to improve on last season's finish in the Championship, thankful that they managed to keep their heads above water, but wanting to push on and finish higher up the table this forthcoming season.
The Owls will also look to work some magic in the transfer window again, which saw the likes of Ike Ugbo join in the January market and become an instant fan's favourite at Hillsborough, with the former Chelsea youth player netting some vital goals, bagging seven times from 19 Wednesday appearances.
Canada international Ike Ugbo.
Already purchasing the likes of Yan Valery and Max Lowe, the South Yorkshire titans will look to add more firepower to their attacking positions away from just adding numbers in defence soon, with it looking difficult for Wednesday that their Canadian star will return for the 24/25 season.
Wednesday setting sights now on former target
With the Athletic stating that Wednesday could be priced out of a deal for the current Troyes man amidst major competition for his signature, Rohl and Co could turn their attention back to trying to sign Orlando City centre-forward Duncan McGuire, who had a turbulent transfer deadline day to say the least.
A move to Blackburn Rovers fell through right at the death for the American attacker after being touted to sign on the dotted line for Wednesday before attempting to get a deal through at Ewood Park, with McGuire having to then return back to MLS action after a disorientating time in England.
This week, The Athletic has further reported that Wednesday look to be going back in for McGuire, offering him a platform finally to strut his stuff in the Championship in a bid to try and mend the still-fresh scars of his Blackburn fiasco.
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ByStephan Georgiou Sep 18, 2024 What McGuire can offer Wednesday
A potent goalscoring machine playing for Orlando, the 23-year-old could make those at Wednesday also forget about Ugbo if he doesn't come back, as well as offering the Owls another body up top with Lee Gregory no longer on the books.
Labelled as being a "lethal" finisher by his Orlando boss in Oscar Pareja last year, McGuire hasn't stopped being a dependable source of goals for his MLS employers as of late, despite the disappointment of a move to the Championship not materialising.
The lofty 6 foot 1 forward has six goals in his last 16 MLS appearances, taking his goal tally overall for Pareja's men to 22 strikes from 56 contests.
Games played
16
38
Goals scored
6
11
Assists
0
2
Expected goals (xG)
4.38 xG
9.87 xG
Scoring frequency
184 mins
204 mins
Shots per game
1.9
1.3
Although Ugbo managed to beat McGuire's total for goals across the full 23/24 campaign, playing for Cardiff City as well as under Rohl, the table above suggests the American striker could be as lethal, or even more lethal than his Canadian counterpart, if he comes into his own putting on a Wednesday strip.
Scoring every 184 minutes during last season, compared to Ugbo's 204 minutes, alongside averaging more shots per game, McGuire will hope he can terrorise second-tier defences if he does join, causing many a back four issues alongside the likes of Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl.
In an ideal world, Wednesday would have been frontrunners to sign Ugbo again this window, but if there's a possibility that McGuire could join instead, the Owls would be fools not to test the waters again.
Sheffield Wednesday now plotting move for in-demand £2,700-p/w wide player
His versatility is a huge plus, playing every position up the left flank.
The Norwegian striker wasted numerous chances in Lisbon, including a missed penalty, but his fellow Scandinavian showed no mercy
Ruben Amorim won the hearts and minds of Manchester United fans a week before taking charge at Old Trafford as he masterminded an incredible 4-1 win over Manchester City in his final home game with Sporting CP before heading to England. Amorim's coaching quality could be witnessed in the stupendous second goal his side scored on Tuesday, but this was also a night when Viktor Gyokeres demonstrated his striking prowess to the world, embarrassing Erling Haaland in the process.
An alert Phil Foden robbed the ball high up the pitch to fire City into a third-minute lead and the visitors could have put the game beyond doubt in the opening half an hour. Bernardo Silva went close and Haaland had three opportunities, shanking a volley off target and being thwarted by both goalkeeper Franco Israel and his nemesis Gyokeres, who cleared the Norwegian's header off the line.
City paid for their wastefulness as Gyokeres made amends for missing an earlier sitter by equalising before the break. City were then blown apart by two incisive moves within moments of the second half starting, as Maximiliano Araújo completed a ridiculous team move and Gyokeres bagged a penalty.
City were given a spot-kick of their own for an accidental handball by Ousmane Diomande which was harsh on Sporting to say the least. Haaland, however, hit the bar and then Sporting won another penalty, allowing Gyokeres the chance to complete his treble. He duly took it.
GOAL rates Man City's players from Estadio Jose Alvalade…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Ederson (6/10):
Stood his ground against Gyokeres at the first attempt but then left shell-shocked by Sporting's flying attacks.
Rico Lewis (4/10):
Eaten alive by Araujo on a night when City missed Walker badly.
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (4/10):
A daunting occasion for the 19-year-old to make his full debut and so it proved. Destroyed by Gyokeres for the equaliser, though made an important tackle on the striker later.
Manuel Akanji (4/10):
Couldn't cope with Gyokeres.
Josko Gvardiol (3/10):
Beaten for pace by Trincao and pushed him over in frustration, giving away the first penalty.
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Mateo Kovacic (4/10):
Kept getting overwhelmed.
Bernardo Silva (6/10):
Went close to scoring and was influential when City bossed the first half.
Matheus Nunes (5/10):
Decent in the first half but then lost his head amid Sporting's intensity, giving the second penalty away.
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Phil Foden (7/10):
Approaching his best form in the first half
Erling Haaland (3/10):
His dismal night was summed up when he crashed his penalty against the bar. Five shots, no goals
Savinho (5/10):
Probed a lot in the first half but didn't track back when Sporting kept pouring forward.
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Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):
Wasn't the player needed at this moment.
Jeremy Doku (6/10):
Gave City a tiny bit of belief going forward.
Kevin De Bruyne (N/A):
A terrible occasion to make his comeback from injury.
Pep Guardiola (4/10):
A good start but clueless to halt Sporting's resurgence. His changes came too late and the personnel made little sense, especially De Bruyne. A bad start to what should be a fascinating rivalry with Amorim.