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One Rangers player who only touched the ball 18 times against Benfica will "never" be good enough to be a regular, according to journalist Jonny McFarlane.

Rangers crash out of Europa League

Philippe Clement's side suffered a hugely dispiriting loss on Thursday night, as Benfica came to Ibrox and sealed a 1-0 victory, sending them into the quarter-finals in the process.

Having drawn 2-2 in the first leg in Portugal last week, there was genuine optimism that Rangers would progress, but they failed to hit top gear on the night and were ultimately beaten by a superior side.

It means that the Gers' attention can now return to the priority of the Scottish Premiership the title race, ahead of Sunday's crucial trip to Dundee. They could be one point behind Celtic in the table at that point, assuming their rivals win at home to St Johnstone on Saturday, and another negative result would raise some alarm bells.

The Benfica game saw too many players fall below their usual level, picking a bad match in which to do it, and one individual has come under scrutiny.

Rangers star slammed for anonymous display

Taking to X, McFarlane didn't hold back in his criticism of Cyriel Dessers, saying he can't ever see him being the answer leading the line at Ibrox:

"Rangers go out. Not sharp enough at the top end of the pitch. I will say it again – Dessers not, and never will be a Rangers no.9. That said, very little between the two teams over the ties. Parochialism alert: might not be the worst result for Ibrox club’s domestic ambitions."

According to Sofascore, the 29-year-old only had 18 touches of the ball at Ibrox, highlighting his lack of involvement, and he also didn't register a single shot in the game. For a player leading the line and arguably his team's main goal threat, that isn't good enough.

Minutes played

77

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0

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0

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18

Aerial duels won

1/5

Ground duels won

3/6

In fairness to Dessers, a tally of 12 goals in 26 Scottish Premiership appearances this season is still perfectly reasonable, but when the level goes up in a big European game, his limitations are exposed, as was the case against Benfica.

Thursday night showed the need to bring in a new striker during the summer transfer window, with recent reports suggesting that Rangers are keen on making Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva's loan moves permanent. Both represent good options, so it would be a shame not to see at least one stay on beyond the end of the season.

Wow: Rangers now planning exciting summer transfer alongside Silva

The club’s owners could be eyeing a bold transfer window.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 15, 2024

A separate update has also suggested that the Gers will be willing to go big on a striker even if Silva's switch is made permanent, further showing the desire to add attacking firepower to the squad this summer.

Wrexham were welcomed back to the United States in style as the club's co-owner put on a fancy party for the men's and women's team this week.

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Wrexham getting ready for pre-season USA & Canada tourCo-owner McElhenney threw a big party in Beverly HillsWill face Bournemouth, Chelsea & Vancouver WhitecapsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons arrived in Beverly Hills, California for their pre-season tour of the USA and Canada and enjoyed a launch party together before their opening game. Manager Phil Parkinson was in attendance as his players enjoyed the festivities alongside the women's side.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Hollywood actor McElhenney rolled out the red carpet to welcome his players to the shindig and enjoyed a laugh as he posed directly in front of the squad while photographers took pictures.

DID YOU KNOW?

Parkinson's team are gearing up for their first season back in League One after earning a second consecutive promotion, finishing second in League Two last season. The Welsh club are looking to pull off a sensational third straight promotion to reach the Championship.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham will kick their pre-season tour off in California with a match against Premier League team Bournemouth this weekend before they come up against Chelsea. Their tour will end with a trip to the home of their Canadian co-owner Ryan Reynolds to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Manchester United have had an abundance of players come through the doors at Old Trafford over the last decade, with it fair to say that while some have worked out for the better, others have seemingly flopped.

A recent example of this is that of Jadon Sancho, the winger signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £73m back in 2021.

Although for his first couple of seasons, the Englishman put in solid numbers by being involved in eight goals during the 2021/22 campaign and then a further ten in the following term, he was hardly a pivotal player within the Red Devils' squad.

Those woes culminated in his decline during the early stages of 2023/24, as the wideman was isolated from Erik ten Hag's squad and shipped back to Dortmund in January on a loan move until the end of the season, where, in just seven games, he has managed to assist his teammates twice.

Another of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's signings who can be included in the same sort of category as Sancho is that of Daniel James. The one-time Swansea City attacker joined the club in 2019 for a fee worth up to £18m after add-ons, before leaving just two years later.

Despite the Welshman's mixed fortunes at Old Trafford, he certainly had his moments at the club, with his strengths making him the type of player who could have thrived in tomorrow's eagerly-awaited Manchester derby.

Dan James' stats whilst at Man Utd

Whilst he only spent a couple of years in Manchester before joining Leeds for £25m, James certainly wasn't a complete disaster as he played in a total of 74 games and managed to contribute to 18 goals and assists.

That record holds up well in contrast to current flop, Antony, for instance, with the Brazilian having contributed just 13 goals and assists in 71 games in all competitions for the club to date, following his arrival on a mammoth £86m deal.

With the trip to the Etihad on the horizon, Ten Hag may wish he had a figure like James to call upon instead of the struggling Antony, with the Leeds man having that willing work ethic to be a useful asset in a one-off game like the derby.

Man Utd's Solskjaer signing with “no desire” is now worth less than Antony

The star has been unable to live up to his huge price tag.

ByTom Lever Mar 1, 2024

That can also be seen in his potential likeness to a certain, Park Ji-Sung, with South American journalist Leo Escudeiro making that comparison between the pair due to James being "technically limited, mega-fast and very dedicated".

Park, of course, may not have been the most high-profile of players, but he cemented cult hero status at United due to his hard-working nature and ability to deliver the goods on the big occasion, with former teammate Wayne Rooney stating that the South Korean was "almost as important to our success" as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and 'Wazza' himself.

In moments, James could offer something similar, with Solskjaer previously saying of his talents: "Dan with the energy he has, the X-factor and the pace, he gives us something that must be hard to play against if you are a defender."

This level of praise from the treble-winner outlines how well the Wales international played whilst at the club and shows that he could've given the Red Devils something extra to offer against the reigning Premier League champions on Sunday.

Dan James' record against Man City

As aforementioned, United are set to face Manchester City tomorrow afternoon and will be looking to try and get one over their imperious arch-rivals.

The club currently find themselves residing outside the top four after winning four of their last five top-flight games, albeit while slipping to a meek defeat at home to Fulham a week ago.

Blast from the Past

Football FanCast's Blast from the Past series takes a trip down memory lane. Do any of your classic icons of days gone by fit into a modern-day starting XI?

With Rasmus Hojlund currently sidelined, Ten Hag may have to select a forward line of Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and the aforementioned Antony, although there may be a sense that a talent like James would've been far more useful.

The 26-year-old's ability to hurt the Cityzens was notably laid bare following United's 2-1 triumph away from home back in December 2019, with James playing so well that United legend, Peter Schmeichel described his performance as "unbelievable".

As Gary Neville stated in commentary at the time, the hosts were simply "battered" on the counter-attack with the speedy winger central to that game plan, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst writing for Manchester Evening News that 'City could not keep up with his blistering pace' while awarding him an 8/10 match rating.

While James has played against City a total of ten times in his career and only managed one goal involvement – that assist coming in that 2-1 triumph in 2019 – he certainly provided Solskjaer's side with a real outlet that Ten Hag is currently lacking.

One thing is for sure, most United supporters would rather see James lining up on the right flank, ahead of the hapless Antony…

Lancashire’s players agree to take 20% pay cut for May

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2020Lancashire have become the latest county to cancel their overseas signings for the summer, pulling out of deals for BJ Watling, Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner after discussions with the players’ agents.New Zealand wicketkeeper Watling had been due to feature in Lancashire’s first nine Championship games, on their return to Division One, while the Australia pair of Maxwell and Faulkner were signed for the Vitality Blast. However, with the English season in limbo due to the coronavirus outbreak, those plans have been scrapped – although options remain for them to be contracted again in 2021.”I would like to thank BJ, Glenn, James and their representatives for their total understanding of the current situation and full agreement of this decision,” Lancashire’s director of cricket, Paul Allott, said.”These are clearly very uncertain and challenging times for all counties, both financially and operationally, and it’s clear the issues we face at the moment will have an impact on the way we prepare for the domestic season. The overseas player situation is a policy that has been discussed nationwide and we think it’s prudent to mutually come to an agreement with the players we had originally signed.”We will keep in touch with the players and their representatives, and as part of the agreement we’ve come to, we do have an option to sign them for the 2021 campaign.”Clearly, we are looking at a condensed and truncated season, and whilst it is of course disappointing not to have any overseas players at our disposal, it does mean that we will be able to give our young, and homegrown players increased opportunities.”Several other overseas moves have been called off in recent weeks, including Nathan Lyon’s stint at Hampshire, Michael Neser at Surrey, Cheteshwar Pujara at Gloucestershire and Matt Henry at Kent.Lancashire’s players, meanwhile, have agreed to take a 20% pay cut for May. While the club’s non-playing staff have already been furloughed on 80% of their wages, the players have not – meaning they can still access medical and psychological support – but they unanimously backed the cost-saving move.”I would also like to thank the current Lancashire squad for agreeing to a 20% salary reduction for the month of May,” Allott said. “The players were very keen that any salary reductions for them should be in line with the rest of the club’s staff. It has truly been a unified approach to what is a very difficult situation we currently find ourselves in.”We have been really pleased with the application shown by the players over the past month in what is a completely unprecedented situation. What has impressed me most is their willingness to get involved and help out in any way they can whether it be calling our older members and creating content for the club’s digital channels.”They have supported with fitness tips and coaching videos for recreational clubs and players, involved themselves with the Lancashire Cricket Foundation and have also assisted the club from a commercial perspective, whilst continuing their fitness programmes set out by the sports science and medical team.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has landed the unwanted “biggest flop” tag at Euro 2024, but the all-time great is being backed to make the 2026 World Cup.

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Superstar forward drew a blank at EurosNot planning retirement any time soonCould grace 12th major tournamentWHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo headed into an 11th major international tournament buoyed by a 50-goal season at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. He was, however, to draw a blank in Germany – with an extra-time penalty miss in a last-16 showdown with Slovenia leaving him in tears.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT GALLAS SAID

Ronaldo will not grace another Euros, as he will turn 40 in February 2025, and former France international William Gallas says he bowed out in forgettable style. The ex-Chelsea defender, who has previously faced CR7 in Premier League action, told when asked to name his biggest flop: “I’m going to get in trouble for saying this, and before I do, I have to state that this is a player who I completely respect. For his last Euro I wanted Ronaldo to shine in this competition because he deserves it after what he has done in football and for the example he has set for the younger players. Unfortunately, this time, it didn’t happen for him. Listen, I love him as a professional. I love his attitude and his desire. I love what he has achieved in his career, so it’s really difficult for me to label him the biggest flop at Euro 2024, but the performances just haven’t been there.

“It's difficult for me to single him out. Everybody will say he's 39, but I think football fans from around the world expected more from him at this tournament. We wanted to see him do something special at his last Euros, and it would have been a brilliant story and a brilliant way to celebrate his legendary career. Unfortunately, he didn't score one goal and it looked like he was playing with too much pressure on his shoulders. In the end, it was really hard for him. He wasn’t the only star that didn’t shine brightly at this tournament. [Kylian] Mbappe hasn’t performed. Harry Kane hasn’t been at his best.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Ronaldo is approaching the end of his remarkable career, Gallas believes that he has one more tournament left in him. He added on the Portuguese GOAT making more history: “I think that Cristiano Ronaldo will still go to the World Cup in 2026, but whether he is a starter for Portugal is a big doubt. After his performances at the Euros, I think it will be very difficult for him to be in the starting eleven of Portugal’s best team. I can definitely see him there. I think he wants to finish his career as the only player in history to have played at six World Cups and six European Championships, he’s done the last bit and I expect him to do the first. After he struggled at this tournament, it would be very difficult for Roberto Martinez to persevere with him as Portugal’s leading striker.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo has already shattered records by earning 212 caps for Portugal and scoring 130 goals. There is no suggestion of him considering retirement any time soon, which means that more outings on domestic and international stages should be expected.

USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman found the net as Bayer Leverkusen battled Borussia Monchengladbach to a 1-1 draw in a Bundesliga clash on Sunday. The former PSV man broke open an otherwise drab affair with a tidy finish inside the box after 70 minutes. Fellow midfielder Gio Reyna came off the bench for Gladbach but was largely ineffective.

Getty Images SportTillman breaks open the game

It seemed that Monchengladbach and Leverkusen were heading for a scoreless draw until Tillman broke the game open in the 70th minute. The U.S. midfielder needed a stroke of luck to score, but did so all the same.

Striker Patrick Schick fluffed his lines inside the box, and the ball fell kindly to Tillman, who sent it home via the thigh of an opposing defender. It was his second Bundesliga goal for his new club.

AdvertisementLeverkusen throws away a late lead

It seemed that would be enough for Leverkusen, who defended admirably after going ahead. However, they let the 1-0 lead slip late.

Veteran striker Haris Tabakovic was allowed to ghost into the box late on, and nodded home a corner in the 92nd minute to grab an equalizer that wasn't quite deserved. Still, Leverkusen fell asleep, and failed to track the big Bosnian .

Getty Images SportReyna nothing more than late sub

After starting last week – and appearing to gain the trust of former manager Gerardo Seoane – Reyna had few opportunities under interim boss Eugen Polanski. The former Hoffenheim head coach left Reyna on the bench, and granted him just 10 minutes of action. 

Draw in battle of new managers

Both sides will likely take the point after a tense clash. Leverkusen made headlines two weeks ago when they elected to fire former Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag after less than two months in charge. Monchengladbach followed suit soon after by letting Seoane go after just three games. 

Leverkusen's fixture list gets slightly easier, with St. Pauli, Union Berlin and Mainz all to come in the Bundesliga. Monchengladbach's slate is less kind. They play surprise Champions League contenders Frankfurt next week. 

With the wounds still fresh from Sunday's 1-0 loss in the League Cup final, Chelsea have put yet another disappointing Premier League season behind them and have started to look towards the summer.

Chelsea's search for a striker

Whilst few things are going right at Stamford Bridge at the moment, many Blues' fans have taken particular issue with the lack of action on the goal-scoring front. Cole Palmer has shone for his new side in a hybrid forward role, but hardly any of his teammates have been able to help contribute.

The only regular out and out striker by trade in the Chelsea squad this season has been Nicolas Jackson, who has battled issues with fitness and form and hasn't really found his feet at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea dud with 31 touches was one of their 'billion pound bottle jobs'

Chelsea suffered a disappointing defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final yesterday

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 26, 2024

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With Chelsea's struggles in front of goal this season clear, there is no doubt that at the top of Todd Boehly's to-do-list this summer will be to find a new number nine for his team. Many names have been floated as potential solutions to the vacancy and reports now suggest that the Blues are in pole position to sign their number one target.

Chelsea lead race for Osimhen

As if to soften the blow of Sunday's loss, Sport Witness are reporting that word from Naples based journalist Emanuele Cammaroto is that the Blues are now front runners to secure the services of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

The West London outfit had been engaged in a close battle with PSG for the signature of the 25-year-old, however the outlet suggests Chelsea are now in pole position and "want to close the operation quickly". The Premier League side have been in talks with Napoli over this deal for some time now and look to have finally broken away as favourites to get the transfer over the line.

Some fears had grown over recent weeks that Kylian Mbappé's move to Real Madrid would see PSG up their offer. This news out of Naples put this theory to bed and will be a cause for celebration in West London.

Osimhen penned a new deal with the Italian side back in December 2023 however, it is evident that it is not Napoli's intention to keep him if the right offer comes in. The fresh contract runs until 2026 and will see the Nigerian earn a staggering £8.7million a season. The deal also includes a release clause in the region of €130million which will have to be matched in order to pry him away from Italy.

We all know that Boehly is not afraid to splash the cash and it is likely that the Chelsea owner would not be put off by these figures. Whilst the American's time at the helm at Stamford Bridge has seen extortionate fees thrown around, securing Osimhen for the figure cited would be a good deal for the club.

Two men stood head and shoulders above everyone else on an attritional day as Zimbabwe compiled 228 for 6 in Mirpur.

The Report by Liam Brickhill22-Feb-2020On an attritional first day’s play in Mirpur, two men stood head and shoulders above everyone else on the field as Zimbabwe compiled 228 for 6. Craig Ervine was the glue in Zimbabwe’s middle order, compiling the fourth hundred by a visiting captain at this ground,and one that mixed studied defence with some exotic strokeplay. For Bangladesh, Nayeem Hasan twirled tirelessly through 36 overs to take 4 for 68, repeatedly pegging Zimbabwe back whenever they threatened to take control.Both men were somewhat fortunate to find themselves in their respective positions: Ervine is captaining Zimbabwe for the first time in this game only because regular skipper Sean Williams stayed at home to be present for the birth of his daughter, while an out-of-sortsMehidy Hasan’s absence from the playing XI opened the door for Nayeem to seize his opportunity.Mehidy has been off-colour since taking 15 wickets against West Indies at home in 2018, after which he took six wickets in four Tests last year. He missed the Rawalpindi Test earlier this month due to an injury, and was subsequently dropped for the first time in ahome Test since he made his debut against England in 2016. This gave, Nayeem, who took 13 wickets last week in a first-class match, his chance. His second delivery dipped and gripped to beat a groping Ervine’s outside edge, and he troubled everyone in Zimbabwe’s top order with fizz, bounce and an unerring line almost throughout.It was a sharp piece of fielding from Nayeem that brought Ervine to the crease this morning, Abu Jayed finding reward during a disciplined opening spell with the dismissal of opener Kevin Kasuza in the eighth over after Zimbabwe had won the toss. Three overs later,Nayeem started a spell that would stretch on for a full 36 overs through the day, and an absorbing battle between the offspinner and the left hander began to unfold.Ervine certainly didn’t have it all his own way, Nayeem teasing his outside edge on several occasions early on, with leading edges flying through – and over – cover and point. Between times, however, Ervine held firm and his response to the sight of significant turnand bounce even from a fresh, uncharacteristically grassy track was to unfurl a succession of sweeps both orthodox and reverse.Taijul Islam bore the brunt of his early strokeplay, leaking 43 runs from his first seven overs, and Zimbabwe surged ahead as Bangladesh turned ragged in the field, missing three chances – one of them very tough, but two clear drops – in the space of three overs.With Prince Masvaure well set at the other end, having compiled a competent half-century, Ervine sensed an opportunity to go on the offensive, slashing Abu Jayed for three boundaries, some more convincing and deliberate than others, in the space of an over.The quick runs pushed Ervine and Masvaure’s partnership beyond 100, but Nayeem struck back with the vital dismissal of Masvaure, bending low to hold a drive slammed firmly back at him. Yet another sweep off Taijul took Ervine to fifty at the other end, but Nayeemonce again put the brakes on Zimbabwe by dismissing Brendan Taylor via a slightly fortuitous inside-edged reverse sweep.At 134 for 3, the innings was in the balance, and Nayeem kept threatening further breakthroughs, with iffy strokes aplenty against his probing bowling. While Taijul continued to mix tight deliveries with freebies, failing to bowl a single maiden throughout theday, Nayeem changed his line of attack to a settled Sikandar Raza. Coming around the stumps, he had Raza playing for turn as the ball rushed on with the arm, a thin edge being safely snaffled by Liton Das behind the stumps.With Timycen Maruma focused on survival, Ervine continued to take the attack to the bowlers, stepping out to crunch Nayeem back over his head and cruising through the 80s with a pair of bruising thumps through the covers off Jayed. After a brief rest, Nayeemresumed his battle with Zimbabwe’s captain, drawing some fidgety pokes outside off as he entered the 90s.Having used one review to good effect, Maruma wasted another when he was trapped plumb infront by Jayed shortly before Bangladesh took the second new ball. Ervine, meanwhile, was equally at home against the new pill as he was the old, flaying Abu Jayed once again through the covers and then moving to 99 with a pair of sweeps off Nayeem.A glance off Ebadot Hossain took Ervine to three figures, but it was Nayeem – who else? – who finally won the battle. In the penultimate over of the day, he followed up a loopy floater with a zippy quicker one that rushed through Ervine’s tired defence, castling him for 107.While the teams had stayed pretty much neck and neck throughout the day, with the advantage shifting back and forth, Nayeem’s late strike tilted the balance in Bangladesh’s favour. Just one frontline batsman, Regis Chakabva, remains for the visitors. Bangladesh willgo into day two fancying their chances of quickly rolling the tail over, while Nayeem while have his eye on a five-wicket haul and a milestone of his own to match Ervine’s.

Qais Ahmad of BBL fame and Azmatullah Omarzai, who was part of the U-19 squad which made the 2018 semi-final, are also in

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2020Shapoor Zadran’s time away from the game comes to an end having been named in the Afghanistan squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against Ireland. The 32-year-old left-arm fast bowler is one of the most recognisable faces in Afghanistan cricket, gaining cult-hero status when he starred in their first-ever World Cup win back in 2015. But he hasn’t played for them since March 2019.That too was a game against Ireland – an ODI, though Zadran’s career, over the last five years has largely been limited to T20I appearances. He sticks to the shortest format in domestic cricket as well and was a notable performer in the final of Shpageeza Cricket League in October 2019. He picked up 4 for 31 for Amo Sharks but ended up on the losing side. Zadran then played T10 cricket in Abu Dhabi in November, picking up three wickets in six matches for Karnataka Tuskers. That was his last piece of top-flight action.Afghanistan will face Ireland over three T20Is to be played in Delhi on March 6, 8 and 10 with Asghar Afghan back as full-time captain across formats.The Afghanistan captaincy hot potato•ESPNcricinfo LtdThere are a couple of new faces in the squad as well. Qais Ahmad, the 19-year-old legspinner who shocked Andre Russell with a bouncer and subsequently took the Big Bash League by storm, gets a chance to play T20 internationals. So does Azmatullah Omarzai, who was part of the Under-19 team that made the semi-finals a couple of years ago. The 19-year-old seam-bowling allrounder has not played any T20 cricket since October 2018, but he has been moving up the ranks in regional 50-over cricket. In the September tournament, he emerged as Speen Ghar’s leading wicket-taker with eight strikes at an average of 17.50.Afghanistan T20I squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Najib Zadran, Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Shapoor Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Usman Ghani.

Newcastle United have enjoyed a period of success under current boss Eddie Howe, with their achievements in recent time nothing short of remarkable after a turbulent few years which saw the club drop into the Championship.

Since Howe's appointment in 2021, he's dragged the Magpies away from potential relegation and transformed the side, resulting in a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season.

The club also reached the Carabao Cup final last season, with the Tynesiders falling at the final hurdle after a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley.

The club's finish in the Premier League's top four allowed them to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years – unthinkable when Howe took over with the Magpies looking perilously close to relegation back to the second tier.

During this time period, the club has been backed heavily after the takeover by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) with players such as Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali joining for fees over £30m. However, the club may have missed a trick by selling a midfielder in 2018, with a former Magpie now worth over three times the price they sold him for.

Mikel Merino's stats at Newcastle United

Mikel Merino joined the Magpies back in 2017 for £7m from German side Borussia Dortmund – with the club having high hopes for the midfielder.

However, the deal for Merino at St James' Park was unsuccessful, with the Spaniard only spending one season in the North East – making 25 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder only scored once for the Magpies, with his solitary goal coming in the 1-0 top-flight victory against Crystal Palace – a goal that would see the Magpies jump off the bottom of the table.

Merino subsequently left Newcastle, then managed by Rafa Benitez, in the summer of 2018, joining Real Sociedad in his homeland for a fee in the region of £10m – a deal that would become a potential bargain for the Spanish side.

Mikel Merino's stats since leaving Newcastle

Since leaving the Magpies in 2018, Merino has gone on to make a name for himself in Spain, with multiple sides around Europe having been interested in signing the now 27-year-old of late – as per reports back in 2022.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Merino's excelled at Sociedad, making 230 appearances, scoring 24 times whilst assisting a further 30 for his teammates. The midfielder's transformation is remarkable, with fellow Sociedad player – and on-loan Arsenal man – Kieran Tierney branding the Spaniard as "world-class".

The former Magpie now has a market value of €40m (£34m), according to CIES Football Observatory, an increase of 240% compared to the fee that the club sold him for just under six years ago.

No Newcastle fan – nor likely Benitez – would've predicted Merino's rapid rise to becoming one of Europe's most underrated midfielders given his unsuccessful stint at St James' Park. However, given his success in Spain, questions could be asked as to why the club sold him so early on in his career at the club, with the midfielder needing time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.

Had they kept hold of the 27-year-old, the Magpies' midfield would be up there with some of the best in England's top flight. Unfortunately for Newcastle, it's a case of one that got away – with the club pulling the trigger on his time at the club too early.