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Liverpool’s defence of the Carabao Cup continues with a semi-final showdown against Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal face Newcastle United after the draw for the last four was made on Thursday night.

The semi-finals are played over two legs, with the first games scheduled for the week beginning January 6, and the return fixtures in the week beginning February 3.

That first week will be a busy one for north London, as both Arsenal and Spurs were drawn to play their first legs at home.

Arsenal have lost to Newcastle already this season – a 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park in the Premier League, after suffering the same scoreline in the North East last term.

Liverpool and Spurs collide in the league before their next cup exploits, as they clash this weekend at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Record 10-time winners Liverpool are looking to retain the trophy, with the 2023/24 EFL Cup having been Jurgen Klopp’s final piece of silverware as Reds boss.

Arne Slot will now hope it is his first, though he will be confident of potentially bagging silverware elsewhere as Liverpool sit top of both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League standings.

Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, is eyeing a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. The Spaniard has, however, been keen this week to remind people that he has lifted the Community Shield twice as manager.

Tottenham want to end a 17-year trophy drought, having last won this competition in 2007/08 under Juande Ramos, and give Ange Postecoglou a first Wembley appearance.

Eddie Howe is trying to end an even longer wait for a major trophy, with Newcastle’s last moment of glory coming 70 seasons ago in the FA Cup.

Arsenal confirmed their spot in the final four with a comeback 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Gabriel Jesus, who had not scored at home in over a year, netted a second-half hat-trick after Jean-Philippe Mateta had given Palace an early lead. Former Gunner Eddie Nketiah struck late on in vain.

Liverpool joined Arsenal by defeating Southampton 2-1, in a battle of the clubs currently top and bottom of the Premier League table.

The gap did not show too much on the evening, as Liverpool were made to sweat after taking a lead through Darwin Nunez, and Harvey Elliott extending it. Cameron Archer’s goal made it a nervy affair.

Newcastle United progressed with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Brentford, as Sandro Tonali scored twice in the first half. Fabian Schar added some gloss, before Yoanne Wissa grabbed a consolation.

Brentford’s horrendous away form has seen them win just once on the road all season across all competitions – in August, against fourth-tier Colchester United.

Spurs completed the line-up with a 4-3 victory against Manchester United on Thursday. Dominic Solanke’s brace sandwiched a Dejan Kulusevski goal, and Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back.

Amad Diallo continued his strong form and threatened a fightback by punishing a Fraser Forster error, but Son Heung-min saved then-struggling Spurs’ blushes by scoring directly from a corner. It was much needed, as Jonny Evans headed in another deep into added time.

A Paris court convicted a brother of French international footballer Paul Pogba and five others on Thursday (Dec 19) of attempting to extort the World Cup winner, French media reported.

Mathias Pogba received a three-year sentence, with two of them suspended, after being found guilty of organised extortion and attempted extortion, the daily L’Equipe said.
He will not serve time behind bars but must wear an electronic bracelet for a year, it said.

The other five defendants, some of them childhood friends, were handed sentences ranging from three to eight years.

Paul Pogba, who played for English club Manchester United and Italy’s Juventus, said he had been the target of extortion in March 2022 and that he had handed over 100,000 euros (S$141,000) to those who had threatened him.
Mbeko Tabula, a lawyer for Mathias Pogba, was quoted by RMC Sport as saying his client was in shock and would appeal.

Mathias Pogba, 34, played football for Guinea and lower division clubs in Europe.

Paul Pogba, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, is banned from playing until March after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels.

Now 31, he hopes to revive his career after Juventus announced last month that he and the club had mutually agreed to terminate his contract. He last played for France in 2022 and knee surgery prevented him playing at the World Cup in Qatar.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pumped £79million into Manchester United to increase his stake in the club – but that won’t aid Ruben Amorim’s January plans.

The INEOS chief paid around £1.2billion for 27.7 per cent of the club earlier this year and agreed to invest £237m as part of the deal. It has now been confirmed that a final payment of £79m has raised his shareholding to 28.94 per cent, which is detailed in a filing listed on the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The investment of nearly £80m had been earmarked for infrastructure but will be used across the club, but not necessarily as part of the transfer budget for the New Year.

Amorim arrived several weeks ago and has had to work with the squad he inherited from Erik ten Hag. The Old Trafford hierarchy opted to back the former manager and gave him well over £100m to spend in the summer, which saw the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee arrive.

Despite those investments there are still serious areas of the team that need addressing. Amorim though will have to be shrewd in the market if he wants to bring in new faces come January with a lack of funds available.
Amorim’s time at Sporting Lisbon has meant that their star marksman, Viktor Gyokeres, has been among those linked with a move to Manchester. The frontman will come at a serious cost with United more likely to pursue him in the summer, not next month.

The new Red Devils boss will be tasked with getting the most from his current crop of players, several of whom are performing below their best levels. Amorim has also maintained that his first priority won’t be centred around who will come and go.

He said: “We have international players, they are good players and we need time to teach our idea and then we will see. Because this is a massive club. If you don’t win, the coach goes, the players go. We have to improve as a team, we have to arrange a lot of things in our club before thinking about just buying or selling players. There’s a lot to do, so let’s focus on improving our players.”

Ratcliffe himself has also put in a number of measures that have been geared around raising money for the Manchester outfit. The 72-year-old made the unpopular decision to raise matchday ticket prices to £66 per game – with no concessions for children or pensioners. That came after he made more than 250 of the club’s staff redundant and ended Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassadorial contract.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee (EXCO) has approved the 2025 competition calendar.

The EXCO also revealed that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final will take place on 27 January 2025, in Rabat, Morocco.

Morocco were also announced as the host of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations finals, while Ivory Coast will stage the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

CAF issued the following statement;

Key dates:

TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: Opening Match will be played Sunday, 30 March 2025; Final Match will be played Saturday, 19 April 2025

TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2025 – Opening Match will be played Saturday, 26 April 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 18 May 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 17 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 25 May 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 24 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 1 June 2025

CAF Women’s Champions League 2025: Opening Match will be played Saturday, 8 November 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 23 November 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: Opening match will be played Sunday, 21 December 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 18 January 2026.  

As the top three finishers in the 2022 edition, these teams have earned automatic qualification under the tournament’s current format. They join host nation Australia in what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of women’s football, featuring exceptional talent, storied rivalries, and passionate supporters that will make the tournament a landmark event for football fans.

From 1 to 21 March 2026, the competition will ignite three iconic Australian cities—the Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney— with matches being played across five world-class stadium venues, cementing Australia as a premier destination for global football events.

James Johnson, Football Australia CEO, reflected on the tournament’s significance: “Securing the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ further solidifies Australia’s reputation as a premier destination for global football events. Welcoming powerhouse teams like China PR, Japan, and Korea Republic is not only a testament to the strength of this competition but also an incredible opportunity to showcase Australia’s commitment to growing the women’s game,” Johnson said.
“For the CommBank Matildas, it will mean challenging some of the best teams in the world on home soil, creating unmissable moments for fans and helping to inspire the next generation of players across the country,” he concluded.

Each of these teams brings a rich legacy to the tournament. China PR, the record nine-time champions, are a symbol of dominance and grace on the field. Known as the “Steel Roses”, their disciplined and technically refined gameplay has inspired generations, and their dedicated supporters bring an unmatched energy to every game.

Korea Republic, with their dynamic and progressive approach, made headlines with their thrilling journey to the 2022 Final. Backed by an ever-growing and enthusiastic fanbase, they are set to be a formidable contender.

Japan’s Nadeshiko, celebrated for their strategic brilliance and artistry on the field, hold a 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ title and a 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ trophy, ensuring their matches are a masterclass in football excellence.

The remaining eight slots will be confirmed after the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Qualifiers which are scheduled to take place from 23 June to 5 July 2025.

With the match schedule for the tournament to be finalised in early 2025, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ is set to be a groundbreaking celebration of Asian football, inspiring the next generation and showcasing the sport’s unifying power

Real Madrid won their second trophy of the 2024/25 season today as they defeated Mexican club CF Pachuca 3-0 in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

The competition, formerly known as the FIFA Club World Cup, saw Los Blancos enter right into the finals courtesy of their UEFA Champions League triumph last season.

Pachuca, on the other hand, had to go through three rounds to set up a date with the reigning European champions.

In what was always likely to be a one-sided affair, Real Madrid took the lead in the 37th minute in the first half courtesy of Kylian Mbappe, who returned from a thigh injury to start the game at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Mbappe then turned provider eight minutes into the second half as he set fellow forward Rodrygo Goes, who made it 2-0.

Vinicius Jr., who was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2024 this week, then applied the finishing touches with a late penalty to secure the trophy for Real Madrid – for the ninth time.

The campaign so far has been up and down for the Merengues, with their form in the UEFA Champions League, in particular, drawing a lot of criticism. The plethora of injuries have not helped matter either.

As such, Carlo Ancelotti & co. will hope that this trophy – their second of the season after the UEFA Super Cup – can act as a springboard for them to turn things around and add more silverware in 2025.

Crystal Palace are now reportedly keen to throw their hat in the ring to sign a new face who is struggling for game time at his current side, according to a fresh report.

It was a tough start to the season for Oliver Glasner’s side, but their form has dramatically picked up in recent weeks. Winless in the Premier League until a win over Tottenham in their ninth game of the season, the Eagles have since lost just one of their last nine games, and thrashed Brighton 3-1 at the AMEX stadium in their latest top flight outing.

Now up to 15th and four points clear of the relegation zone, Glasner’s side are looking to make up for lost time and push into midtable across the remainder of the campaign, and are set to use the January transfer window to give them a boost in that pursuit.

Last month, a report from Football Insider claimed that Palace were “set to be among the busiest clubs in the January transfer window”, while Glasner himself stressed the importance of doing business early, explaining: “The goal of all of us is that if we sign a player, we sign him on January 1 and he starts training with us.”

As a result, they are expected to be busy in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window, with a new attacker and wingbacks likely to feature highly on their wishlist. Now though, they are reportedly eyeing a move to bolster their backline.

That comes as The Boot Room report that Crystal Palace are among the sides interested in signing Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey in the January transfer window.

The defender only joined the Bergamo side over the summer, but has seen his game time limited for the Serie A leaders, making just a single substitute appearance in the top flight so far.

Though he still has nearly five years left to run on his £73k a week deal with La Dea, it has been reported that the club are already open to his departure in the January window, with a loan move being the most likely solution.

That has caught the eye of several Premier League sides, and the report claims that the Eagles are “fans” of the 26-year-old and “would be interested in pursuing a January deal” should he become available.

Though Godfrey has struggled in recent seasons, he was praised by Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti when the pair worked together at Everton, with Ancelotti singling him out for praise.

“He was a signing from the club, from our scouts, and he has been really good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions,” Ancelotti explained. “I think the best quality that Ben Godfrey has is the speed, he’s really fast and really aggressive with or without the ball.

“He’s tactically good, he can play in all of the positions without any problems, he’s played two months at left back. He’s always good.”
Were Godfrey to arrive, he would likely be viewed as an option in the heart of Glasner’s three-man defence, which has been beset by injuries to summer signing Chadi Riad and Chris Richards so far this season.

Harry Kane may have risked the ire of his England team-mates after not selecting Jude Bellingham as his first choice in the FIFA Best awards.

Bellingham finished third in the voting on Tuesday evening, trailing second placed Rodri and Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Jr. The 21-year-old was selected second by Three Lions captain Kane, who opted for Rodri as his top choice and eventual winner Vinicius Jr in third.

The Brazilian winger was a five-point victor after earning most captains’ and fans’ points, though Rodri claimed success from coaches and media. Bellingham was someway behind in each category.

The former Borussia Dortmund star could be disappointed to learn of Kane’s decision, however. Spain’s Alvaro Morata vote for international colleagues Dani Carvajal, Rodri and Lamine Yamal, while Brazil captain Danilo opted for Vinicius Jr.

Joshua Kimmich looked to strike a balance as he opted for Rodri in his primary position before selecting Toni Kroos and Florian Wirtz. Bellingham did earn Lee Carsley’s first vote however, as the ex-interim England boss also selected Rodri and Lamine Yamal as his second and third place options.

Vinicius Jr took the win ahead of Rodri after the Spaniard claimed the Ballon d’Or earlier this year. That saw Real Madrid refrain from showing up for the award and saw their star make a pointed dig after being declared the world’s best on this occasion.

Marcus Rashford was sent home from Manchester United training the day after his Manchester derby omission – as the forward admitted he is seeking a new challenge away from Old Trafford.
Forward Rashford has been on United’s books since the age of seven, but the 27-year-old is eyeing the exit door after being ruthlessly axed by new boss Ruben Amorim for the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Amorim left out both Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the matchday squad for the derby clash, citing their behaviour and attitude around the squad as not being up to scratch as he seeks to make his mark the club’s new boss.

Rashford then reported for duty at United’s Carrington training ground on Monday morning, as per the Daily Mail, but after being assessed by a doctor he was deemed to have a high temperature and was sent home.

Rashford then spent Tuesday at his old primary school where he handed out 420 Christmas presents to local children, but it was there that he told the journalist Henry Winter than he would like to leave United for pastures new.

“For me, personally, I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” said Rashford. “When I leave it’s going to be no hard feelings. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me. I will always be a Red.”

Rashford still has over three years remaining on the £315,000 a week contract he signed last year, and it remains to be seen if any potential suitors will be willing to offer him a deal that would satisfy his demands.

It is thought that United would be willing to accept offers of around £40m for the England international, whose exit is beginning to be seen as essential as Amorim makes his mark on the squad.

Explaining his decision to omit Rashford and Garnacho against City, Amorim said: “(It was) selection. We try to evaluate everything – training, performance, game performance, engagement with the teammates, push the teammates up.

“Everything is on the line when we analyse and try to choose the players, so it was my selection. Simple. I don’t want to send a message (to the dressing room with this). It’s simply an evaluation, and they know it.”

REAL MADRID attacker Vinicius Junior won the Fifa Best Men’s Player of the Year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women’s prize for the second time.

The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d’Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy.
But the Brazilian was this time on hand to collect the prize in person as he is in Qatar with his club ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final clash with Mexico’s Pachuca on Wednesday.

“Thank you very much. I don’t know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It’s for all the children who grow up in that world.

I thank everyone who voted for me,” Vinicius said on stage.
“(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me.
“To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my teammates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work.”
Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi as the Fifa Best Men’s Player after the Argentinian scooped up the last two editions of the award.

The live wire forward scored 24 goals and laid on 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions as he led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.
Having already wrapped up his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career as Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on 1 June.

Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a pinpoint finish inside the final 10 minutes to make the game safe for his team.
If Vinicius at times played second fiddle to clubmate Jude Bellingham in La Liga, he was undoubtedly the main man for Madrid in Europe once the going got serious.

He was the top scorer for the Champions League winners with six goals in the competition, including the strike in the final and a brace in Madrid’s 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory in the final of the Supercopa against arch-rivals Barcelona in January. But it was not all plain sailing last season for Vinicius as he endured a disappointing Copa America with the Brazilian national team over the summer.

He scored two goals in a group-stage win against Paraguay, but his side ultimately crashed out on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

Serial winner Bonmati-The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati picked up the Best Women’s Player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d’Or trophies she already boasts.
“I’m grateful, I’m proud to receive this award,” Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona’s Olympic stadium.

Last term, Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claimed the Nations League with her national team.

She won every trophy available to her in club football in 2023/24 — the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women’s Champions League.
Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons.

Manchester United’s Argentine forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year for his spectacular bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League.

Super League promoter A22 Sports said on Tuesday that it had submitted a proposal to UEFA and FIFA, asking football’s governing bodies to formally recognise its right to organise a new European competition.

The move follows a ruling by the European Court of Justice in December 2023 — after the Super League sought protection for its plans under EU law — which held that UEFA and FIFA had been “abusing a dominant position,” calling their rules governing new formats “arbitrary.”

UEFA then said it believed rules brought in since the Super League’s attempted launch in April 2021 had ensured it now complied with EU law. On Tuesday, A22 said it had applied to UEFA and FIFA for “official recognition for its new cross-border European club football competitions,” arguing that the ECJ ruling meant that “any competition where qualification is inclusive and meritocratic, and which complies with the overall match calendar can be officially established.”

A22 said its latest proposal included changes to its model — which was most recently set out hours after the December 2023 ruling — after consulting with football clubs, leagues and other groups.

“A key feature is a revised qualification system in which club participation is based on annual, domestic league performance,” the A22 statement said.

“Our extensive engagement with key stakeholders revealed a number of pressing challenges facing the sport including increasing subscription costs for fans, an overloaded player calendar, insufficient investment in women’s football, and dissatisfaction with the format and governance of the current pan-European competitions,” A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said. “Our proposal is designed to directly address these challenges.”

A22 has said Super League matches would be broadcast on a new streaming service, Unify, which would offer a free-to-air model supported by advertising.

On Tuesday, the firm said the Super League would now be known as “Unify League” to reflect that.

In December 2023, Reichart said the new format would involve a three-league, 64-club men’s competition and a two-league, 32-club women’s competition — with promotion and relegation between leagues — to replace the UEFA Champions League and Women’s Champions League.

On Tuesday, A22 said the latest plans for the Unify League would see 96 clubs take part in the men’s competition in four leagues. The top two leagues, “Star” and “Gold,” would each include 16 clubs, divided into groups of eight. The “Blue” and “Union” leagues would host 32 clubs each, also in groups of eight.

Super League promoter A22 Sports said on Tuesday that it had submitted a proposal to UEFA and FIFA, asking football’s governing bodies to formally recognise its right to organise a new European competition.

The move follows a ruling by the European Court of Justice in December 2023 — after the Super League sought protection for its plans under EU law — which held that UEFA and FIFA had been “abusing a dominant position,” calling their rules governing new formats “arbitrary.”

UEFA then said it believed rules brought in since the Super League’s attempted launch in April 2021 had ensured it now complied with EU law. On Tuesday, A22 said it had applied to UEFA and FIFA for “official recognition for its new cross-border European club football competitions,” arguing that the ECJ ruling meant that “any competition where qualification is inclusive and meritocratic, and which complies with the overall match calendar can be officially established.”

A22 said its latest proposal included changes to its model — which was most recently set out hours after the December 2023 ruling — after consulting with football clubs, leagues and other groups. “A key feature is a revised qualification system in which club participation is based on annual, domestic league performance,” the A22 statement said.

“Our extensive engagement with key stakeholders revealed a number of pressing challenges facing the sport including increasing subscription costs for fans, an overloaded player calendar, insufficient investment in women’s football, and dissatisfaction with the format and governance of the current pan-European competitions,” A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said.

“Our proposal is designed to directly address these challenges.” A22 has said Super League matches would be broadcast on a new streaming service, Unify, which would offer a free-to-air model supported by advertising.
On Tuesday, the firm said the Super League would now be known as “Unify League” to reflect that.

In December 2023, Reichart said the new format would involve a three-league, 64-club men’s competition and a two-league, 32-club women’s competition — with promotion and relegation between leagues — to replace the UEFA Champions League and Women’s Champions League.

On Tuesday, A22 said the latest plans for the Unify League would see 96 clubs take part in the men’s competition in four leagues. The top two leagues, “Star” and “Gold,” would each include 16 clubs, divided into groups of eight. The “Blue” and “Union” leagues would host 32 clubs each, also in groups of eight.

In the league stage, teams would face the others in their group, home and away, before qualifiers progress to the knockout stage. The semifinals and final would be one-off matches, played at neutral venues. Clubs would qualify based on annual domestic performance, with matches taking place in midweek.

The Super League project was initially backed by 12 member clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the Premier League clubs soon distanced themselves from the plans under pressure from fans and the U.K. government.
After the December 2023 ruling, the Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga and Serie A — as well as a number of top clubs and the European Club Association — all reiterated their opposition to the Super League, and their support for competitions organized by UEFA

Atalanta and Nigeria striker Ademola Lookman has officially been named the 2024 CAF African Player of the Year after a remarkable year for club and country. ‘Four years ago, I failed in front of the world.’

The London-born wide forward had been the hot favourite, especially after becoming the first ever Atalanta player to be in the short-list for the Ballon d’Or award, finishing 14th.
Lookman scored a hat-trick in the Europa League Final, giving Atalanta the trophy against Bayer Leverkusen.

He was also named in the Europa League Team of the Year, contributing 27 goals and 12 assists between club and country in 2024.

“I want to thank almighty God for everything that He’s been doing in my life He’s been blessing me with,” said Lookman from the stage.
“I want to thank the Presidents, all my teammates, club and country, for their support and the love that they give me.

“This award is for me, my family, my nation and to be recognise as the best player in Africa is something incredible. I am extremely proud.
“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa.

“I want to say to all the young children and people watching this, don’t let your failures weigh you down or break your wings. Turn your pain into your power and continue to fly. God bless.”

Lookman follows in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won in 2023 thanks to his performances for Nigeria and Scudetto-winning Napoli.

The 27-year-old started out in the Charlton Athletic academy, moving on through Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City.

It was when he was sold to Atalanta in 2022 for €9.35m plus bonuses that he truly flourished, working with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.