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An update has come to light on the future of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso with Real Betis making a late move for him.

Who will Spurs sell?

New manager Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, candidly admitted that Spurs may need to trim their bloated squad numbers before making any further signings this summer.

"The reality of it is we can't just keep acquiring players," said Tottenham's head coach.

"We've got too big a squad as it is. It affects the training, the players themselves because they all want to play and be involved.

"It's not so much one has to happen for the other but our focus at the moment is trimming the squad down and seeing where that takes us in terms of reinforcements. We're assessing that on a daily basis. There's still two weeks to go in the window and I'm sure you'll see some movement."

Exits will, therefore, be absolutely key at Spurs in the final days of the transfer window, but they're running out of time with just nine days remaining to conclude all of their business before January.

There have been many players linked with a move away from Spurs, including Tanguy Ndombele, Lo Celso, Djed Spence, Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who are all on the chopping block with moves away.

Young striker and Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott is another to be mentioned, and could be set for a shock move to the Eredivisie after Postecoglou's cold shoulder (TEAMtalk).

The aforementioned could join Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Lucas Moura and Joe Rodon out of the exit door, but it's Lo Celso who is central to a new claim.

Indeed, it is now believed the Argentina international is "pushing" for a move away from Spurs this summer, as his former side Real Betis attempt a late transfer.

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who took to X with what he's heard on Lo Celso and where he may go.

"Lo Celso, Real Betis are still trying to understand if there’re margins for a loan move with buy option," said Galetti.

"Talks with Tottenham are on: Giovani is pushing for his return at Betis. THFC are open to let him go but – to date – only including a buy obligation."

How good is Giovani Lo Celso?

The South American hasn't quite lived up to his price tag in a Spurs shirt, but has thrived on loan at Villarreal under Unai Emery on previous loan spells.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, speaking to Super Deporte in 2022, even branded Lo Celso a "top player in the world".

"He gives us a plus as a team," said Rulli.

"He helps us improve and I don’t discover anything by saying that he is a top player in the world. I know him well as a player and a person, so I hope he does very well."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

While he may not be a match made in heaven for Spurs, Lo Celso can turn it on when at his very best, and perhaps a move back to Spain would suit all parties.

Manchester United have laid out a proposal on the table to an experienced individual as Erik Ten Hag looks to put the finishing touches to his transfer business at Old Trafford.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils have made positive inroads in the transfer window and will be set for a busy final week of action in the market following the additions of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana, as per FootballTransfers.

Manchester United are also close to securing Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans on a longer contract after he initially joined up with Ten Hag's men for the duration of pre-season, as per Telegraph Sport.

Harry Maguire could now face an even more uncertain future at Manchester United if Evans is to finalise a move back to Old Trafford. The 30-year-old looked set to leave for West Ham United earlier in the window; however, his £30 million move to the London Stadium collapsed for now.

Fiorentina enforcer Sofyan Amrabat is a target for Manchester United and was left out of his current employers' squad for their Europa League play-off round match on Thursday owing to speculation surrounding his situation with La Viola, as per Sky Sports.

Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo has emerged as a leading target for Manchester United between now and the end of the window; nevertheless, any chance of the former Barcelona ace turning up at Old Trafford is contingent on player sales.

Scott McTominay and Dean Henderson could leave the club before the close of play, with the latter attracting interest from Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and another unnamed Premier League club.

Who else could Manchester United sign?

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has issued an update regarding Manchester United's search for a new goalkeeper on social media platform X, stating: "Understand that Odysseas Vlachodimos has received an official offer from Man Utd. He could sign a contract until 2028. It’s a verbal agreement in principle. Price valuation: Around €15m. Ten Hag wants him but there’s no final decision as Altay Bayindir is also in the race. Vlachodimos would be ready to challenge Onana."

Manchester United are said to want a backup goalkeeper to challenge Onana between the sticks as their current second choice, Henderson, continues to hold talks over a move to Crystal Palace, as per The Daily Mail.

Vlachodimos has been a mainstay during his time at Benfica up until recently, having made 225 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese champions, keeping 94 clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Last term, the 33-cap Greece international excelled as he helped Benfica to claim the Primeira Liga title, maintaining a save percentage of 75%, as per FBRef.

The Red Devils are also keen on Fenerbache goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and even took the first steps towards securing that signing by having the Turkish shot-stopper undergo a medical in case a deal goes through.

It will be intriguing to see who Ten Hag elects to bring in to bolster his goalkeeping ranks.

Glasgow Rangers head into the international break off the back of a disappointing week as they lost the Old Firm clash 1-0 on Sunday after their 5-1 defeat to PSV their Champions League qualifier in midweek.

How did Rangers lose to Celtic?

The Light Blues were on the back foot for the majority of the first half as Michael Beale's tactic appeared to be to sit back and soak up the pressure at Ibrox.

Kyogo Furuhashi had a glorious chance to open the scoring as Matt O’Riley sent him one-on-one against Jack Butland down the right channel but the Japan international saw his effort blocked by Connor Goldson.

The home side then thought they had the lead as Cyriel Dessers squared for Kemar Roofe to slam the ball in, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul in the build-up by the Gers number nine after a VAR check.

Kyogo then found his shooting boots just before halftime as a mistake from Goldson at the back allowed him to rifle a terrific half-volley into the bottom corner.

That said, the Gers centre-back wasn't the only underperformer as £4m signing Cyriel Dessers was also below par.

How did Cyriel Dessers perform against Celtic?

There were a number of disappointing performances on the pitch for the Gers and Dessers was arguably the worst of the lot as he struggled badly at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst Goldson was caught out with a poor header that led to Kyogo's goal, the English central defender also made a number of vital interventions, including his heroic block to deny the Japanese forward earlier in the match, and recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.5 – the highest of any Rangers player.

The Nigeria international, however, did very little to redeem himself in a lacklustre display in his first experience of the Old Firm clash due to a lack of physicality and quality on the ball.

Chris Sutton bemoaned the lack of bravery in possession by Rangers during the Sky Sports commentary of the game but the midfield and full-backs were not helped by a lack of movement ahead of them at times.

Dessers did make a few interesting runs in behind to stretch the Celtic defence but did not do it often enough to forge any real chances and looked far too isolated at times due to his failure to pick up intelligent positions to receive the ball and link up the play.

This was reflected in his passing numbers as he ended the match with a meagre six completed passes out of 13 attempted, which is a success rate of just 46%, as per Sofascore.

With those touches, the 6 foot 1 flop managed to complete one of his two attempted dribbles and missed one 'big chance' as he failed to make the most of a creative pass from Todd Cantwell into the box.

He also lost six of his eight ground duels as the Nigerian frontman allowed Gustaf Lagerbielke and Liam Scales to dominate him on the deck with ease, which meant that the ball continually came back towards Rangers' goal as he was unable to retain possession or hold it up to help out his teammates.

Evidently, Dessers was the Old Firm villain for Beale as his poor performance, on and off the ball, played a significant role in their struggles going forward, whereas Goldson had one dreadful moment but fortunately regained composure to put in a solid display.

Liverpool may be impressing on the pitch at the moment, but an "embarrassing" incident has occurred away from the pitch, according to a fresh update.

What's the latest news at Liverpool?

Going into the new Premier League season, Jurgen Klopp's side felt like something of an unknown entity, having disappointed so much last time around, finishing fifth after originally being seen as title challengers.

Huge changes have happened within Liverpool's squad since the end of 2022/23, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all added to the midfield, with the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson moving on, as well as several others.

It has been a strong opening to the campaign for the Reds, however, who have won three and drawn one of their first four fixtures, having already made trips to Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Later this month, Liverpool will also get their Europa League campaign underway, and while they would much rather be plying their trade in the Champions League this season, it is still a good chance of sealing yet more silverware under Klopp – a Dublin final next year makes it even more inviting.

One of the sides who the Reds will come up against in their group is Austrian outfit LASK, who may not be a world-renowned team, but still have the potential to cause them problems if they are not fully switched on. Unfortunately, a new update suggests that a big error from Liverpool could hurt relations between the two club before they meet on September 21st.

What off-field error have Liverpool made?

According to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung [via Sport Witness], the Reds have been made to look "weak and embarrassing" because of numerous mistakes made on the club's official website when it came to providing a report on LASK, including saying they were in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa Conference League last season, when in fact it was the year before.

It is claimed that "false information" was posted regarding them – including the "nonsense of listing former players who never actually played for them – which is seen as unforgivable given the "huge PR and media department" that Liverpool have. It is even angrily stated that LASK will beat Klopp's side in both group stage meetings in the Europa League should they show a similar level of incompetence on the pitch.

This is not a good look for Liverpool, who have largely been seen as such a well-run club since Klopp arrived at Anfield in October 2015, with everyone pulling the same direction and doing their jobs impressively.

LASK have every right to feel disrespected by the Reds, at a time when they will be looking forward to coming up against one of world football's most famous names, and while mistakes are only human, to have the official club website make such an amateur error is not a good look for the club at all.

The hope is that apologies have been made to the right people and that the relationship is not damaged too much before the two sides meet later this month, but this isn't an incident that anyone of a Liverpool persuasion will feel particularly proud of.

With the dreaded international break currently underway, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is likely to use this current halt to proceedings to take stock of his squad, following what has been a summer of upheaval at Elland Road.

Off the back of a miserable 2022/23 campaign that saw the Yorkshire giants slip back into the Championship – just three years on from sealing promotion – there was no doubt an expectancy that the club would struggle to keep hold of their star assets, particularly those with relegations clauses built into their contracts.

The Whites may not have been anticipating quite such a sizeable mass exodus following that return to the second tier, however, with 15 players having been moved on elsewhere amid the desire to continue competing in Europe's top leagues.

Despite managing to keep hold of Italy international, Wilfried Gnonto – even after the teenager put in a transfer request amid interest from Everton – there were few others who did not see their wishes granted, with Farke now in charge of an almost wholly refreshed and refurbished outfit.

That is not to suggest that every unwanted asset was moved on during the recent window, however, with underwhelming left-back, Junior Firpo among those who were unable to find a new home, despite struggling to perform in recent seasons.

In truth, on the evidence of his on-field woes and hefty financial burden, the former Barcelona man has simply rinsed Leeds since his arrival back in the summer of 2021.

How much did Leeds pay for Junior Firpo?

At the time, it may have looked like something of a coup for Marcelo Bielsa and co to have snapped up the defender from Camp Nou, with the former Spain U21 international having previously shone during his prior stint at Real Betis – for whom he scored five goals and registered seven assists in just 43 appearances.

Signed for a relatively minimal fee of £12.8m, the attacking full-back was acquired amid the need to find a long-term solution on the left side of the defence, following the departure of Ezgjan Alioski on a free transfer.

With Stuart Dallas having also been something of a makeshift option in that role during the 2020/21 season, there was evidently a desperate need for reinforcement at left-back, with Bielsa's side looking to build upon a solid ninth-place finish following their return from the Championship.

As it has proved, however, Leeds may be wishing they had invested their funds elsewhere rather than on the one-time Dominican Republic international – who was dubbed a "defensive liability" by journalist Juan Arango in Catalonia – such have been his woes in recent seasons.

How much does Firpo earn for Leeds?

While a victim of numerous, unfortunate injury setbacks in recent times, the 6 foot dud has hardly helped himself when he has taken to the field, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting earlier this year that he has had "had some difficulties in the Premier League".

Pundit John Newsome has also been particularly critical of the defender's performances during his stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Leeds man stating back in December:

“They signed Firpo, they put a lot of money into him. I don’t think he’s anywhere near good enough,”

With just two goals and four assists to his name in 52 outings to date, Firpo has hardly proven value for money in an attacking sense, while defensively he has also proven rather costly, in truth, notably giving away a penalty at the tail-end of last season in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United following an "idiotic" handball – as per 90min's Graeme Bailey.

Such lapses of concentration having seemingly been commonplace for the former Barca man of late, with it hard to justify handing him a rather hefty £60k-per-week wage, particularly when he can't even stay fit long enough to be able to make an impact on the pitch.

How much has Firpo cost Leeds?

When taking into account that £60k-per-week salary – totalling roughly £6.2m to date – and his initial £12.8m transfer fee, the forgotten man has cost the club in the region of £19m over the last two years, with that likely to be viewed as money wasted by both the club and supporters.

The desire will likely be to get the 27-year-old off the books as soon as possible, with Capology revealing that he currently accounts for 11% of the total wage bill, due to his place as the third-highest earner among his teammates:

While that has been somewhat distorted due to the string of players who were shipped off to new homes this summer, it serves as yet another reminder of just how poorly run the Elland Road outfit has been in recent times – with the sooner Firpo moves on the better.

When does Junior Firpo's contract expire?

Frustratingly, not only is the transfer window now at a close, but Firpo still has two years left to run on his existing deal at the club, ensuring it won't be straightforward if Farke and co are to attempt to move him on in the near future.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano had indicated back in June that the Santo Domingo-born talent was in line to join the likes of Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson by sealing a move away this summer, albeit with no such exit having occurred.

That failure to secure a move was likely impacted by the player's current injury woes, with recent reports indicating that he is still facing two more months on the sidelines, having yet to feature so far this season.

Amid that spell on the treatment table, Firpo has revealed his desire to contribute to the team once he is back fit and firing, although, with the likes of Sam Byram and Leo Hjelde already at Farke's disposal, a January sale should be the first consideration for the Leeds hierarchy.

It is fair to say that the 2021 arrival has rinsed the club for long enough…

Leeds United made big changes over the summer as there was a change in ownership, a removal of the sporting director, and a new manager came through the door.

Victor Orta ran the footballing operations prior to May of this year, when former owner Andrea Radrizzani and the Spaniard agreed to a mutual termination of his contract.

The 44-year-old chief, who is now with Sevilla in his home country, played his part in the club's relegation to the Championship last season as his signings and managerial appointments did not come together to avoid the drop.

However, the Spanish sporting director was not without his highlights during his spell with the Whites as he did produce a number of impressive pieces of business.

One player Orta did play a masterclass with was central midfielder Kalvin Phillips as he raked in a huge transfer fee for the England international, who has struggled since moving on from Elland Road.

How many appearances did Kalvin Phillips make for Leeds?

The 27-year-old ace came up through the academy system at Leeds, having been born in the city, and ended up playing 234 times for the first-team in total before his move to Manchester City in 2022.

Phillips made his senior debut for the Whites during the 2014/15 campaign as he featured in two Championship matches and scored one goal. He then played ten league games and failed to contribute with a goal or an assist for the club throughout the following season.

His first year of regular first-team football came in the 2016/16 campaign as the defensive anchor played 40 times in all competitions and scored once from the middle of the park.

Phillips, who was once lauded as a "monster" by former Crystal Palace star Yannick Bolasie, became a fixture in the Leeds midfield over the subsequent years and eventually played a crucial role in their promotion back to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020.

The talented ace averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 7.28 across 37 Championship matches as the Whites went on to win the title and finished ten points clear of second-placed West Bromwich Albion in the 2019/20 season.

His performances in midfield were consistently impressive as only Pablo Hernandez (7.35) averaged a higher Sofascore rating for the Whites throughout the term, which shows that he was one of Bielsa's standout performers on the way to promotion.

Phillips provided a constant defensive presence for Leeds as he made an eye-catching four tackles and interceptions per game, alongside a duel success rate of 54%, which was more than any other midfielder at the club that season.

He was then able to carry over his form to the Premier League as the England international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.21 across 29 top-flight outings for the Whites. No player averaged a higher Sofascore rating than the academy graduate as he stood out for Bielsa at the top level.

The outstanding titan, who made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game in the league that term, earned himself a call-up for his country for the European Championships in the summer of 2021 after his debut Premier League campaign.

Phillips started seven matches for England as they made it all the way to the final against Italy at Wembley, only to lose on penalties to Roberto Mancini's side despite taking the lead through Luke Shaw in the first half.

His 2021/22 campaign, however, was then disrupted by a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for 16 competitive matches and the central midfielder only played 20 Premier League games for Leeds.

How much did Leeds sell Kalvin Phillips for?

Despite his lack of football that season, Orta was able to sell the homegrown talent for a reported fee of £45m to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

This was a significant amount of money for a player who came through the academy system at Elland Road and did not cost a penny for the club to sign. It represented an outstanding piece of business as they were able to develop a local player and turn him into a £45m asset whilst benefitting from his performances on the pitch for a number of years.

The move has also turned out to be a blinder from Orta as Phillips has gone on to struggle with the Cityzens over the last 12 months or so and has seen his value plummet.

At the time of writing (19/09/2023), FootballTransfers has his Expected Transfers value at €22.5m (£19m) and this is a staggering drop of £26m from the £45m deal that City agreed with Leeds to secure his services little more than a year ago.

Phillips only started two Premier League games for the Manchester-based outfit last season and played 12 matches in total in the division. He also only made three appearances, all of which came off the bench, in the Champions League as City went on to win the competition.

In December of last year, Guardiola claimed that the central midfielder came back from the break for the Qatar World Cup "overweight" and not in the right condition to train and play matches for his side.

The former Leeds star, who has been an unused substitute in six of City's seven games this season, has been unable to break into the team on an even semi-regular basis as the likes of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, and now Mateo Kovacic, have dominated the midfield spots.

This has resulted in his value plummeting over the last 12 months and that has, in turn, made the £45m deal that Orta struck for him look like a masterstroke from the Spaniard.

He appears to have struck gold with that piece of business as Phillips has not been able to prove his worth at The Etihad as of yet. Although, there is still plenty of time for him to turn things around as his contract does not expire until the end of the 2027/28 campaign.

There will be questions over how Orta used the money that the club received for the England international, as Leeds were ultimately relegated from the Premier League last term, but this transfer in isolation was a terrific deal for the Whites based on his career at City to date.

Everton are enjoying a mini resurgence of late, with Sean Dyche having masterminded back-to-back away wins against two tough opposition.

First toppling Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Toffees were good value for their 3-1 victory and brushed aside an outfit who lost just twice at home throughout all of the last Premier League season.

Then, a trip to the Midlands saw them return to the scene of last month's 4-0 demolition, and come away with a 2-1 result that could and arguably should have been much more.

Two formidable grounds have been conquered against all the odds, and they will now return to Merseyside hoping to translate that form to Goodison Park, as they welcome relegation-favourites Luton Town.

For once Dyche will boast a selection headache going into this clash, given the number of impressive performances. However, there were a few true standouts.

Who played well for Everton vs Aston Villa?

Having been deservedly awarded Everton's Player of the Match award following the clash, it was certainly a night to remember for young James Garner, who once again showcased what damage he can do when deployed in his favoured position.

Having assisted their third against the Bees, he popped up at Villa Park with a goal this time as he ghosted into the box, took a neat touch and lashed home a left-footed shot at Robin Olsen's near post.

That was not all the Manchester United academy graduate achieved though, with his energy arguably setting the tone from midfield, leading the press on Leander Dendoncker in particular, and subsequently winning 11 of the 13 ground duels he competed in.

Alongside the 22-year-old was a similarly cultured performer too, with Amadou Onana also impressing as the lead defensive anchor. Although he took some time to warm up, once he got going he was unstoppable, and actually assisted that Garner strike with a cute inside pass to bypass the opposition's backline.

He too would enjoy great defensive success, winning four of the six duels competed in and making two tackles, but also added two key passes to that display, via Sofascore. It was also nearly capped off with a fierce long-range effort, which appeared to kiss the crossbar on the way out for a goal kick.

Dyche has some serious decision-making to do upon their return home, as the 5-2-3 formation worked a treat to nullify the threat of their hosts. However, facing the Hatters poses a completely different threat altogether.

He will surely want to press them into mistakes to get the Goodison Park crowd on their side, with these two midfielders surely guaranteed their spots after such a solid night's work.

However, it could prove a step too far for Jack Harrison, who despite making his debut and first appearance in Royal Blue, worked tirelessly to prove exactly why he could be the perfect player for both Everton and his new boss.

How did Everton sign Jack Harrison?

Capitalising on the mass exodus following Leeds United's relegation, the Toffees swooped late after they had first shown major interest in his teammate.

Seeing bids pushed back and transfer requests demanded, a deal for Wilfried Gnonto could not be struck, and they had to settle for the Englishman on loan.

However, it was nearly a venture that failed at the final hurdle, as the Villans of all sides showed late interest as Kevin Thelwell sought to tie the deal up.

Fabrizio Romano offered the damaging news to Evertonians, writing on his Twitter: "Understand Jack Harrison has decided to join Aston Villa after direct call with Unai Emery. Despite medical tests at Everton, he’ll now prepare travel for medical at Villa — been his first choice. Villa already agreed loan deal with Leeds by activating relegation clause."

However, qualms regarding his availability invoked red flags, as they sought an immediate replacement for Emi Buendia, who had just recently suffered an ACL injury.

Dyche, however, was willing to wait, knowing how important the 26-year-old could prove to be once he returned to fitness.

The winger would make Emery rue that decision last night with an outstanding debut display, bringing huge promise for the rest of his time with the Toffees.

How did Jack Harrison play vs Aston Villa?

Starting on the right flank alongside Arnaut Danjuma and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it was a potent front three boasting immense physicality and incredible goal threat.

However, Harrison's work rate arguably shined above all else, as he occupied a similar role to Garner in that he led the press from the front. Although he did not enjoy huge amounts of possession, when on the ball he was efficient and cut-throat. Then, off it he recorded two interceptions and one tackle, winning a further four total duels, via Sofascore.

The £90k-per-week star had warned Evertonians that his work rate would never falter upon first signing, telling Everton's official website that he will "give everything" for the club, whilst also claiming: "From the beginning, the manager expressed how much he wanted me."

Dyche would then note his starring assets, which were shown for the first time last night: "He is a proven Premier League performer who provides a goal threat and assists, is technically very good, and works hard for the team."

He would nearly cap off his debut with an assist too, as he ghosted infield and played a delightful ball through for Calvert-Lewin, who could only fire into the arms of the goalkeeper.

It seems like the former Burnley boss is slowly putting together a side moulded in his image, filled with workmanlike assets willing to fight for him and the shirt. Fortunately, when compared to other wingers across Europe, Harrison just so happens to sit in the top 17% for interceptions per 90, the top 8% for blocks per 90 and the top 14% for clearances per 90, via FBref.

The former Manchester City whiz is the quintessential Dyche footballer, boasting a touch of class to match hard-working grit. Should he remain available now, with his fitness carefully managed, the speedster could prove to be an integral part in not just surviving the drop, but starting to push in the right direction.

Jude Bellingham teed Vinicius Junior up perfectly to give Real Madrid the lead against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.

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• Bellingham assists Vinicius Jr
• Madrid take 2-0 lead on aggregate
• Leipzig score three minutes later

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 20-year-old England international picked the ball up in his own half, before driving Los Blancos forward and playing a through ball to Vinicius Jr – who was through on goal. The Brazilian made no mistake as he fired Madrid ahead on the evening with a cool finish, giving his side a 2-0 lead on aggregate over Leipzig.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 2-0 lead on aggregate was short-lived for Carlo Ancelotti's side, after Willi Orban equalised just three minutes after Vinicius scored. Leipzig continued to push for another goal in the moments that followed, with Andriy Lunin being called into action on several occasions. However, the game finished 1-1, with Real progressing to the quarter-finals.

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• GOAL AR / Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Following the Champions League clash against Leipzig, Madrid will host Celta Vigo on Sunday in a bid to extend their seven-point lead at the top of La Liga table.

Neymar's Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal made football history by notching a 28th straight win on Tuesday, with a 2-0 victory over Al-Ittihad.

• Al-Hilal beat Al-Ittihad 2-0
• Pick up world-record 28th straight win
• Injured Neymar forced to watch on

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal wrote their names into the history books by recording a 28th straight win with a victory over Al-Ittihad in the AFC Champions League. The victory means Jorge Jesus's side are on the longest winning streak in football history, beating the record previously held by Welsh team The New Saints. Neymar has been forced to watch his team from the sidelines for the majority of the season after seeing his campaign ended prematurely by an ACL injury.

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• WHAT JORGE JESUS SAID

  Al-Hilal's manager played down the record ahead of the game. He told reporters: "It's a world record but it's not a title. Titles are the league, the cup and the Asian Champions League. It's true that the more you win then the closer you are to achieving your objectives, and we welcome that."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Al-Hilal's latest victory keeps the team on course for silverware. Jesus's men are now safely into the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League and currently sit 12 points clear at the top of the table in the Saudi Pro League. Losing Neymar has been a blow, but former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been a huge hit, scoring 29 goals in 28 games for his new club.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR AL-HILAL

  Al-Hilal will continue their march towards the title on Saturday when they take on Damac. The game offers Jesus's side the chance to extend their winning run to 29 matches.

Nottingham Forest are the kings when it comes to flexing their muscles in the transfer market and their return to the Premier League in 2022 only accentuated that claim.

To readily equip themselves for a battle against relegation, the Reds sought to sign 30 new players across the summer and January window.

Although there were some success stories, namely Morgan Gibbs-White, Taiwo Awoniyi, Serge Aurier and Keylor Navas, most of their signings have rarely featured since joining the club, or have already departed.

Jesse Lingard, for instance, was Forest's third-highest earner on £80k-per-week, as per Capology, but the hype surrounding him proved to weigh too heavy on his shoulders as he failed to register a single goal contribution in the Premier League and has since been released by the club.

While the careers of centre-back Guilian Biancone and Andre Ayew followed a similar narrative on Trentside, there were a few big money deals who haven't repaid that price tag with their performances and are still on the books at the club.

Emmanuel Dennis is the biggest name that springs to mind.

How much did Nottingham Forest sign Emmanuel Dennis for?

Watford were relegated from the Premier League in 2022, but Emmanuel Dennis did his best to keep the Hornets afloat, chalking up an impressive ten goals and six assists in the 2021/22 campaign.

While his efforts to single-handedly rescue the Hertfordshire side would ultimately be in vain, the Nigerian did draw superlatives from all corners of the footballing world, as Michael Owen praised the clubs' hierarchy for unearthing him from Club Brugge following their 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.

He said: "Dennis, what a player, what a signing he’s been in the Premier League this season, great finish again from him.”

The plaudits didn't stop there as his own manager, Claudio Ranieri, previously confessed to the club's official website that they had missed the qualities of the Super Eagle during his suspension.

“[Dennis] is a very talented player. He’s fast, has good skill, always runs straight to the goal – I love these kinds of players.”

On the back of his impressive debut season in the top flight and the heaps of praise directed towards him, several clubs were interested in his signature – including Brentford and Crystal Palace – but it was Nottingham Forest who managed to win the race and land him for a fee believed to be in the region of £20m.

Forest acquired Dennis when his stock was at its highest and therefore paid him £40k-per-week in wages, accumulating to just over £2m across his first year at City Ground.

How many goals did Emmanuel Dennis score for Forest?

When combining his wages with his transfer fee, the Reds shelled out £22m in one season for Dennis, and it's fair to say – they would want to recoup that money in a heartbeat.

With Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Awoniyi predominantly occupying positions in the forward areas, the 25-year-old was instantly frozen out of Cooper's plans, but he still had a chance to feature for the club regularly if his effort and application was there. Unfortunately, it was severely lacking.

Accustomed to being the main man at Watford alongside Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro, Dennis wasn't used to being an outcast and having to work hard for his placing in the starting XI, so when his opportunity eventually did arise, he didn't take his chance and was slammed for his performance after a 3-0 defeat against Manchester United.

In a particularly toothless display against the Red Devils, in which Awoniyi and Dennis failed to register an attempt on goal across the match, the latter's 27-minute cameo was criticized by journalist Lee Clarke who said in an article: "Dennis shouldn't play for Forest again".

Across his debut campaign on Trentside, the former Watford man featured on 25 occasions for Steve Cooper's side, but he only managed to score two goals, costing the club a staggering £12.5m per goal.

Currently on loan at Turkish Süper Lig outfit Istanbul Basaksehir, he is on a path to resurrect his career as he aims to put an end to his disastrous spell at the City Ground. That said, it would be surprised if we ever saw him in Garibaldi Red again.