ترتيب مجموعة منتخب مصر لكرة اليد في أولمبياد باريس بعد انتهاء الجولة الثالثة

انتهت مباراة مصر وفرنسا بالتعادل 26-26، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم في إطار الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة المجموعات بـ منافسات كرة اليد لدورة الألعاب الأولمبية 2024.

وخطف منتخب فرنسا التعادل مع منتخب مصر في الثانية الأخير بعدما نجح في التسجيل، رغم تقدم مصر في الشوط الأول بنتيجة 15-11.

وقدم لاعبو منتخب مصر مباراة قوية أمام فرنسا صاحبة الأرض ووسط جماهيرها، حيث تقام فعاليات أولمبياد باريس، حتى 11 أغسطس المقبل.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثانية لمنافسات كرة اليد، مع منتخبات فرنسا والدنمارك والأرجنتين والنرويج والمجر.

ويخوض منتخب مصر مباراته المقبلة أمام النرويج في الجولة الرابعة وقبل الأخيرة لمرحلة المجموعات بمنافسات كرة اليد.

طالع | موعد مباراة منتخب مصر لكرة اليد القادمة في أولمبياد باريس بعد التعادل مع فرنسا

ومن المقرر أن يصعد أصحاب أول أربعة مراكز في المجموعة، إلى دور ربع النهائي من منافسات كرة اليد في الأولمبياد. ترتيب مجموعة منتخب مصر لليد في أولمبياد باريس

1- الدنمارك 6 نقاط، من 3 مباريات.

2- النرويج 6 نقاط، من 3 مباريات.

3- مصر 3 نقاط، من 3 مباريات.

4- المجر الرابع نقطتين، من 3 مباريات.

5- فرنسا نقطة وحيدة، من 3 مباريات.

6- الأرجنتين بدون نقاط، من 3 مباريات.

John Harnden, John Warn duel to replace James Sutherland

Cricket Australia could name its new chief executive next week as the race to replace the outgoing James Sutherland heats up

Daniel Brettig20-Sep-2018

John Harnden finds a reason to smile•ICC

One of Melbourne Grand Prix chairman John Harnden or the former Cricket New South Wales chairman John Warn may be named as the new chief executive of Cricket Australia as soon as next week after the race to succeed the longtime boss James Sutherland narrowed to the final preferred candidate stage.ESPNcricinfo understands that two other remaining candidates, one of them the current Cricket Australia chief operating officer Kevin Roberts, were informed they had fallen out of the running at the start of the week, with final presentations by Harnden – also a CA Board director – and Warn believed to have been made on Tuesday.Another senior figure who is thought to have featured in leadership discussions is the former Australian women’s team captain and head of game development Belinda Clark, who is highly regarded within CA and may well be in line to replace Harnden or Warn after their tenure, which is not expected to come close to the 17 years clocked up by Sutherland.Roberts, who had appeared a likely successor for Sutherland from the moment he left the CA Board to join the executive management team in late 2015, raised the ire of the Australian Cricketers Association last year for the way he managed pay negotiations with the players’ union, resulting in a standoff where players went unpaid for almost a month and an Australia A tour of South Africa was cancelled. He was ultimately sidelined from talks that were to be concluded by Sutherland and the team performance manager Pat Howard.However, Roberts is thought to have retained the backing of the chairman David Peever to replace Sutherland until late in the process. Succession planning was one of numerous issues raised by the former Board director Bob Every when he quit CA in protest at Peever being given in-principle approval to continue as chairman for another three years. This decision remains to be ratified by the states at the CA annual general meeting on October 25.When Sutherland replaced Malcolm Speed in 2001, he was only 35 years old and younger than the then Australian team captain Steven Waugh. By contrast Harnden (53, the same age as Sutherland) and Warn (45) are considerably more seasoned. However, CA’s current battle to regain public confidence, bed-down a new $1.18 billion broadcast deal with News Corp and Seven and also make ready for hosting the two separate women’s and men’s world Twenty20 tournaments in 2020 suggests an intensive commission for Sutherland’s successor.Other major issues for CA include efforts to contextualise international cricket via the ICC, with Test and ODI championships due to begin in 2019, and the juggling of the Big Bash League amid an increasingly clogged rota of domestic T20 tournaments, many of which offer considerably greater financial incentives. Equally, the game is in a constant battle for participants and spectators with other Australian sports, as evidenced by the game’s slip to seventh, below basketball, for participation numbers according to Sport Australia’s annual figures.Harnden, who is Melbourne-based, has been considered the most likely candidate for some time, given the breadth of his experience as a former chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix, the South Australian Cricket Association, the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup before replacing Ron Walker as the Melbourne Grand Prix chairman. In particular his record of running major events would be an advantage ahead of 2020, while his work with a variety of state and federal governments provides an indicator of the political skills required at ICC level.Nevertheless, Harnden has also sat on the CA Board since 2016, in that time being a part of flawed decision-making around the MoU. The appointment of an internal candidate, at a time when CA is itself subject to a broad cultural review by the Ethics Centre following the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, would also be a matter for conjecture.Warn, based in Sydney, stepped down from his roles as NSW chairman and also a senior executive at Westfield earlier this year to spend more time with his family, and would need to move south to take up the role heading CA’s operations at their Jolimont headquarters. Known as a highly combative club cricketer for Manly-Warringah in Sydney grade competition, Warn’s corporate career in retail has dovetailed with directorships at Cricket NSW and also the NSW Waratahs rugby union team.He and the NSW chief executive Andrew Jones were widely credited with improving the structure and performance of Australian cricket’s largest state association. However, Warn also presided over a recent downturn in the results of the men’s state team and the failure of its younger generation to develop after the fashion of the likes of Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, which saw the coach Trent Johnston replaced by Phil Jaques over the off-season.Others mentioned as potential candidates included the WACA chief executive Christina Matthews, Jones, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop. At the time that Sutherland announced his impending resignation in June, Peever stated that candidates with a significant knowledge of or background in cricket would likely be favoured.”This is an incredibly complex job, it has many dimensions,” Peever said. “What we must do is find the best person for the role. While I don’t want to put any constraints around it, it is a Cricket Australia role, so we’re probably going to have a little bit of bias towards an Australian, and it is a role in cricket, so we’ll probably have a bias towards someone in cricket.”

Newcastle can solve Tonali conundrum by signing "incredible" star who’s like Rice

Newcastle United's meteoric rise has continued into this campaign and Eddie Howe's side look well-equipped to throw down the gauntlet on the Champions League spots once more, having qualified for Europe's elite competition last term.

The Magpies are currently six points off fourth-place Liverpool and have given a solid account of themselves in the Champions League, with the highlight so far being their 4-1 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain.

While their prospects domestically and in Europe are looking prosperous, the Toon have been hit with some bad luck off the field and their £55m summer signing, Sandro Tonali, is currently awaiting a ten-month suspension after breaching betting rules in Italy.

Following this devastating news for the club, Newcastle need to use the January transfer window to bolster their midfield options and fill the void that he'll leave behind in the middle of the park.

Several names have been touted, including Scott McTominay, Kalvin Phillips and Conor Gallagher, while Ruben Neves has also been linked with a move back to England after joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal for £47m in the summer.

Newcastle transfer news – Ruben Neves interest

According to talkSPORT, Newcastle are considering a loan move for Ruben Neves to replace Tonali in January.

The Portuguese maestro is currently plying his trade for Al Hilal, the club owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), who of course, also own a controlling stake in the Magpies.

The Premier League giants could use this situation to their advantage by luring the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man back to England, both fixing their need for a world-class operator and doing it in a cost-efficient way.

Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.

In many ways, targeting the 44-cap international makes sense as it plugs a temporary void in central midfield and saves them from splashing the cash on someone else.

The loan market could also be a favourable avenue for the club as the reported financial fair play (FFP) restrictions could prevent Newcastle from signing a permanent replacement for the 23-year-old in the winter window.

Indeed, it could be a wise decision from Howe to loan Neves, who displays similar attributes to the former, and then return him once Tonali's ban is up at the end of next season.

How Sandro Tonali compares to Ruben Neves

Lauded as "incredible" by former Wolves teammate Hugo Bueno, Neves would supply Newcastle with the requisite Premier League pedigree and exceptional technical attributes that could see him become a revelation at St James' Park.

For six successful years and 253 appearances at Molineux, he was the conductor in their midfield, dictating possession with his phenomenal passing range while displaying his ability to serve up the spectacular, becoming widely recognised for his outrageous technique and superb ball-striking abilities.

In the Premier League last term, the 26-year-old's performances were similar in profile to the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, according to FBref, having also showcased his defensive nous by placing in the top 19% against his positional peers for tackles in the attacking third, top 14% for interceptions, top 4% for shots blocked and top 3% for clearances.

Tonali was signed to have an impact at the other end of the field which means his defensive attributes fall short, ranking within the bottom 16% across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for interceptions, bottom 18% for aerials won and bottom 29% for blocks.

Sandro Tonali

By contrast, the Italian's attacking attributes, including his exceptional vision, ability to drive forward and provide telling quality, have all seen Tonali rank high, placing in the top 21% for progressive passes, top 13% for assists and top 9% for key passes.

Although Neves, who is valued at £26.2m (€30m) as per Football Observatory, can't eclipse the former AC Milan midfielder for the aforementioned statistics, his quality defensive attributes paint a picture of an individual who could further solidify a Newcastle defence that ranks third for expected goals against (9.79) and fifth for goals conceded (11).

'He's made of steel' – Mathews on Akila

He conceded 81 runs in the third ODI, went at 10 and over in the next one, and yet, claimed 6 for 29 in the fifth ODI, in Sri Lanka’s 178-run victory over South Africa. So emphatically did Akila Dananjaya bounce back from those Pallekele pastings, that Angelo Mathews has declared him to be “made of steel”. Not only did Akila finish the series in possession of the best match figures for a Sri Lanka bowler against South Africa, he was also the series’ best bowler, having taken 14 wickets at an average of 17.85. Despite the expensive outings at Pallekele, his economy rate also finished at a respectable 5.95.

Quinton de Kock

On Akila
“We’ve picked him really well through the whole series, but tonight it was really difficult to pick him initially, in the night. He performed really well and bamboozled us.”
On SL’s batting improvement through the series:
“In the first two games we didn’t have the biggest targets to chase. In the last two matches the Sri Lankan batting lineup batted with a lot of freedom. They put a lot of pressure on us. They set us big, challenging totals. In the fourth ODI we batted really well but didn’t manage to finish it. Tonight, Akila just bowled really well.”

“Akila’s made of steel – going for runs in the last couple of games and coming back with a six-for in this game was fantastic,” Mathews said. “He has been bowling so well for us over the past year and a half. You can have a couple of off days but he has been consistent with his performances over the past year and a half. He showed once again what he’s capable of.”At Khettarama, it was the googly that was Akila’s most destructive delivery, claiming the wickets of Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks in consecutive balls, before dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock as well. It is, of course, unusual that someone who primarily bowls offbreaks has a googly and a legbreak in his repertoire, but an unusual bowler is what Akila has always been. It was on the basis of that unorthodoxy that he made his debut for Sri Lanka way back in 2012, as a 17-year-old. Though largely ignored by the selectors between early 2013 and the middle of last year, Dananjaya has become a more refined bowler over the past six years, and Mathews – who is also a teammate at Colts Cricket Club – has watched him grow.”There is a big difference when you consider his debut, and you look at him now,” he said. “He bowls with a lot of confidence. He’s not afraid to bowl his variations. And those variations are now also bowled with a lot of control. So those add up to a big difference.”As Sri Lanka attempt to nail down their World Cup combination, Akila is imposing himself as the team’s lead spinner – a position Sri Lanka have struggled to fill in limited-overs cricket since the declines of Sachithra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis. Despite some expensive outings, Akila has at least been reliably penetrative, claiming at least one wicket in each of his last six matches. Though the offbreak has always been his stock ball, the wristspin deliveries are proving effective for him, he said.”I got most of my recent caught-and-bowled wickets with the googly, and I’ve got a lot of wickets with the legbreak as well. In this series I’ve also been trying to turn the legbreak as much as I can. The googly and the legbreak need to get better, so I’ll keep working on those.”

Injury crisis for Barcelona! Fresh setback means Xavi only has three midfielders fit to start vital Champions League second leg against Napoli

Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has added to Xavi's injury problems ahead of Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie with Napoli.

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Roberto unlikely to start against NapoliMidfielder lacking match sharpnessClub only has three midfielders availableWHAT HAPPENED?

Roberto had been tipped to start in midfield against Napoli as Barca are without Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi due to injury. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the plan will not be actualized when the Blaugrana take the field on Tuesday evening due to the Spaniard lacking match sharpness. The situation means Xavi only has three fit senior midfielders available in Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Barcelona have struggled all season long with fitness problems, particularly in midfield. The club has only seen four players avoid any injuries so far this season in the form of Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Fermin Lopez and Inaki Pena.

Only recently, the club suffered a double injury blow when they lost De Jong and Pedri in the first half of their clash against Athletic Club at San Mames.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Roberto received the green light from the medical team before the first leg against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, however, the 32-year-old hasn't actually featured yet due to a lack of sharpness.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO?

The lack of match sharpness may force academy graduate to stay on the bench at least for the start of the game on Tuesday, March 12. However, Xavi may look to bring on the experienced midfielder in the clash in the second half depending on the context of the game.

Newcastle: PIF battling Premier League rivals for exciting new attacker

Newcastle United will be eyeing up new signings ahead of upcoming transfer windows, and they are battling with Premier League rivals for one exciting young player, according to a new update.

The Magpies enjoyed a good summer in the transfer market overall, strengthening their squad after a superb 2022/23 season that saw them return to the Champions League.

Granted, it has been a poor start to the campaign by Newcastle, but Sandro Tonali has looked the part from the off, scoring in the 5-1 win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend, and Harvey Barnes has added squad depth out wide.

It is important that the Magpies continue to look at potential new signings moving forward however, in order to not rest on their laurels and find themselves going backwards. January will be the next opportunity to bring in new faces, and it looks as though they have identified one possible target already.

callum-wilson-eddie-howe-newcastle-united-premier-league

Will Newcastle sign Ibrahim Adel?

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are interested in signing Pyramids winger Ibrahim Adel in the future, but they are far from alone in the Premier League:

"Scottish giants Rangers failed in their attempts to sign Egypt star Ibrahim Adel during the summer, TEAMtalk understands – while the 22-year-old is also picking up interest from a host of Premier League sides.

"Adel is currently representing Pyramids in the top flight of Egyptian football. He has emerged on the radars of plenty of teams around Europe after being named Player of the Tournament at this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations U23 Championship, during which Egypt lost in the final to Morocco.

"Chelsea, Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Burnley have all checked in on the left winger’s progress. Belgian sides Anderlecht and Club Brugge have expressed an interest in him, too."

Adel may not exactly be a world-renowned name at the moment, but he is a young player who could have a big future in the game, already impressing for Pyramids, who ply their trade in the Egyptian Premier League currently.

Ibrahim Adel's strengths

Ibrahim Adel's weaknesses

Can play on the left and centrally

Lacks physical strength

Tenacious off the ball

End product can be mixed

Strong positional awareness

No experience in top league

The 22-year-old has four caps to his name for Egypt, playing alongside Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, and he has scored 26 goals in 110 appearances for Pyramids, also notching nine assists.

Primarily a left winger, Adel is also capable of playing in a central attacking role, while his tenacious style out of possession is something that Eddie Howe likes in his players, in terms of pressing the life out of the opposition. He has also been described as a "huge talent" by Pyramids' director of football Mahmoud Fathallah.

It clearly won't be easy for Newcastle to get their man, should they show genuine interest in signing him, but the hope is that their current trajectory is something that would appeal to the Egyptian, even if things have started slowly at St James' Park this season.

Tottenham’s £15m Gem Showed Why He’s "Sickeningly Good" Vs Burnley

Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten start to the new Premier League season with a rampant, 5-2 victory away to newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday afternoon, with Ange Postecoglou's side surging to second in the table following a third successive win in the top-flight.

Just a few days on from their early Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Fulham, the Lilywhites were dealt a further blow after conceding inside four minutes following Lyle Foster's early strike, albeit with a clinical comeback – including a stunning hat-trick for new skipper Heung-min Son – helping to power the visitors to a deserved three points at Turf Moor.

Who impressed for Tottenham against Burnley?

It had looked to be an uncomfortable afternoon for the north London outfit amid their early setback, although the aforementioned Son took charge to help steer his side to victory, with the South Korean sensation notably producing a delightful dinked finish over the onrushing James Trafford to draw the away side level on the 16-minute mark.

Having failed to score or register an assist in the league this season prior to the trip to Lancashire, the 31-year-old certainly made up for lost time after producing two more ruthless finishes after the break, with the decision to deploy the experienced ace in a number nine role having certainly paid off for Postecoglou.

It is fair to say that Son wasn't alone in sparking that brutal rout for the visitors, however, with summer signing James Maddison – who was dubbed a "joy to watch" by The Athletic's Tim Spiers – pulling the strings effortlessly in the centre of the park, while getting in on the act himself with a curling finish from range.

That stellar strike epitomised a performance of sheer class from the Englishman as he also registered one key pass and completed three of his four attempted dribbles, proving a real thorn in the side of Vincent Kompany's men, while defender Cristian Romero also got in on the act with a sensational finish on the stroke of half-time.

Destiny Udogie

Aside from those who got themselves on the scoresheet, one man who also proved just why he is "sickeningly good" – in the words of footballJOE's Hunter Godson – was promising full-back, Destiny Udogie, with the young Italian simply shining down the left flank.

How did Udogie perform against Burnley?

Signed from Udinese on an initial £15m deal last year, before instantly returning to the Serie A side on loan, the 20-year-old had been something of an unknown quantity to most when he arrived back at N17 over the summer, although both fans and pundits alike are now seemingly fully aware of his talents.

A player who could well get "into nearly every team in the world already" – in the words of Godson – the Verona native notably helped to tee up Maddison with an assist after winning back possession high up the pitch, showing great composure to pick out the former Leicester City man who seemingly had the freedom of Turf Moor in the centre of the park.

That was also evidence of the youngster's battling nature and determination to reclaim the ball for his side as he won eight of his nine ground duels on the day, while also making five tackles, three clearances and two interceptions as a marker of his ability to sniff out the danger.

As his assist also illustrated, the exciting left-back has that much-needed composure to boot when he himself gets on the ball, having enjoyed a standout pass accuracy rate of 93% from his 66 touches, with his match rating of 7.8, as per Sofascore, behind only that of Son, Maddison and Manor Solomon among his starting teammates.

Of course, it is still early days in Udogie's time in England and in Tottenham's season, although it will be hard for Spurs supporters to not get carried away about the quality that they have seen so far under the new regime.

Rangers manager news: Is John Eustace replacing Michael Beale?

Glasgow Rangers are considering a managerial swoop for Birmingham City’s John Eustace, as a new report has delivered an update on the future of Michael Beale.

Where is John Eustace from?

Eustace was originally born in Solihull and started his coaching career as an assistant at Kidderminster, before moving on to accept the same role alongside the caretaker's job at Queens Park Rangers, later followed by being the number two for Ireland’s national team, as per Transfermarkt.

St. Andrews chiefs only appointed the 43-year-old last summer so he still has another two years to run on his contract with the Championship outfit, but that doesn’t have to stop the Light Blues from entering the market to assess their options in the dugout.

With Beale seeing pressure mount just a handful of matches into the new season, The Aussie Scout recently claimed that the Teddy Bears were considering a move for Yokohama F. Marinos’ Kevin Muscat, though The Daily Record's Andy Newport quickly dismissed the possibility of these rumours being true.

Now though, if the following update is to be believed, the hierarchy appear to have set their sights on a different target who they believe matches what they are looking to bring into the building should they decide to make a change at the helm.

Are Rangers sacking Beale for Eustace?

According to The Daily Mail, Eustace is “emerging as an early candidate” to replace Beale should he leave Rangers.

The Scottish Premiership side have made a disappointing start to the season, and therefore, “names are already being pushed forward” to the board as to who they could look to appoint as their next long-term boss.

Ibrox chiefs would want to recruit an “up and coming” manager to ensure their profile is still met, and the Blues coach has “caught the eye” with his impressive CV.

Birmingham City manager John Eustace.

What is Eustace's record at Birmingham?

In the Championship this season, Eustace has taken charge of the first five games of the new term, and from that, has secured three wins and two draws, and this impressive form sees his side sitting fourth in the second tier table.

The ex-midfielder, who has a preferred formation of a 3-5-2 flat midfield, has also been recognised for his individual efforts from the sidelines because he’s today been nominated for his division’s Manager of the Month award, with the winner set to be announced imminently.

Furthermore, Rangers’ target has previously been praised by journalist Josh Bunting for getting his team to play “easy on the eye” football, with his positive thinking, front foot style tactics being an attractive prospect to the hierarchy north of the border.

Finally, Eustace has actually already come up against Beale during his managerial career – and was able to beat him – so it looks like he could be an upgrade on the man in the dugout.

Diego Alves testa negativo para Covid-19 e dá sequência a tratamento no CT

MatériaMais Notícias

Afastado das atividades do grupo principal do Flamengo há 10 dias, Diego Alves realizou novo exame na terça-feira e, nesta tarde, o clube informou que o goleiro testou negativo para o novo coronavírus. Agora, o camisa 1 retornará gradualmente às atividades, no CT do Ninho do Urubu, para dar sequência à recuperação de uma lesão no ombro esquerdo.

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Sem Diego Alves, Pedro Rocha e João Lucas – também lesionados -, o Flamengo chegou nesta manhã ao Equador, onde fará duas partidas pelo Grupo A da Copa Libertadores: contra o Independiente Del Valle, nesta quinta às 21h, e contra o Barcelona de Guayaquil, na próxima terça-feira, dia 22, às 19h15.

Newcastle Could Sign £175k-p/w Star To Improve Barnes

Newcastle United could be set to complete their summer spending spree by swooping for a struggling Premier League star, with Eddie Howe's side returning to European competition this year.

What defenders could Newcastle sign?

According to the Telegraph's Luke Edwards, Chelsea's Marc Cucurella is being considered for a loan move to St. James' Park alongside Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, with the respective left-backs currently on the periphery at their London clubs.

Cucurella signed for the Blues from Brighton & Hove Albion one year ago for no small sum of £63m, but has largely flattered to deceive at Stamford Bridge and does not look set to usurp Ben Chilwell from his position in the Chelsea defence.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Howe stated last week that he hopes for one more signing this month after completing deals for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, and as per the Telegraph's report, Cucurella could indeed complete the business.

How good is Marc Cucurella?

The 25-year-old joined Brighton from LaLiga side Getafe in the summer of 2021 after the Seagulls matched his £15m release clause, proving to be an incredible piece of business following his extravagant sale to Chelsea one year on.

He was hailed for his "brilliant" performances by former Brighton teammate Leandro Trossard, and earned an average match rating of 7.17 – as per Sofascore – during the 2021/22 campaign, completing 82% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.7 tackles and 1.9 clearances per outing.

Despite failing to reach the same lofty heights at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella remains an impressive player and still ranks among the top 8% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 3% for tackles and the top 11% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

marc-cucurella-newcastle-united-transfer-news-premier-league

The £175k-per-week gem would be the perfect option to share the workload with Dan Burn, who is solid and dependable for the Toon but offers a very different skill set to the marauding Cucurella.

Indeed, standing at 6 foot 6, Burn is not the most mobile but is resilient, and the variegated approach from the Spaniard could pay dividends as Newcastle look to compete across multiple fronts.

Such is his athleticism and attacking ability, therefore, that Cucurella could well prove to be the perfect option to bolster Barnes, who scored and assisted on his debut following his £39m transfer from relegated Leicester City.

Barnes' goal typified the best of his qualities and underlined just why Howe wanted his signature, darting past the shambolic Villan backline to latch onto Jacob Murphy's through ball and smack the ball past Emiliano Martinez, and with Cucurella's presence behind him, he could unlock the full scale of his potential.

Indeed, praised as a "livewire" by pundit Alan Hutton, Barnes scored 13 goals in the English top-flight last season despite Leicester's woes and ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals per 90, and Cucurella's crisp passing, assured presence down the left flank and intelligent overlapping runs could well be crucial.

If Newcastle can wrap up a loan deal for the Spaniard, it would only enrich the pool of talent at the club, and the Magpies' chances of eclipsing last season's resounding feats could well be realised.

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