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Aiden McGeady’s Sunderland spell has been a crazy affair.

After initially signing for the club, he was on a weekly salary of around £31k-per-week. It’s hard to suggest he merited that as the club fell into League One.

Though, now on £19k-per-week, he’s more than earning his money at the Stadium of Light. Before Lee Johnson walked into the club, McGeady hadn’t played all season.

An incident where he was pictured alongside Chris Maguire at McDonald’s after a defeat in December 2019 saw him alienated from the side and transfer listed.

He signed for Charlton on loan but then returned to the north-east, again alienated by Phil Parkinson. Though, Johnson clearly recognised he still had something to give and it hasn’t taken the Irishman long to rekindle his fire.

The winger has been phenomenal in recent months, becoming the club’s chief creator. He assisted all four of Charlie Wyke’s goals in the 4-1 win over Doncaster and has ten assists in just 14 outings this term.

He has been running riot down the left-hand side but his contract expires in just a matter of months. If you told McGeady, and indeed the club’s supporters, that he’d stay beyond the summer at the beginning of the season, they’d have laughed.

Though, the reality is that he’s now one of Sunderland’s most important players again. The veteran hinted last week that he wanted to stay in the north-east and according to Kevin Phillips, he more than deserves a new deal.

He told Football Insider: “Why would you not offer him a contract? Whether they go up or not.”

Phillips continued: “It is hard to find players of McGeady’s calibre. He can create goals. It is just a question of whether he has the hunger and desire to do it week in, week out and McGeady has shown recently that he has that. He has been outstanding.”

Kyril-Louis Dreyfus finalised his takeover of the club in the last few days and he will have a whole list of priorities to address. Though, he can start his tenure at Sunderland with a bang by tying down McGeady.

No player has more assists than the 34-year-old in League One this term, and despite his age, he is still as valuable as ever.

McGeady may have lost a yard of pace but creatively, he is still magic. Dreyfus simply has to ensure that his future lies at Sunderland, not elsewhere.

AND in other news, Forget Power: SAFC star who won 6 aerial duels was Johnson’s true hero on Tuesday…

How have football stars such as Paulo Dybala, Mikel Arteta and Paolo Maldini been affected by the virus?

The coronavirus pandemic has swept the world and a number of footballers have been confirmed as having contracted it, forcing leagues everywhere to a standstill.

As well-paid athletes, elite-level footballers are ostensibly in a much better position to fight off the virus, but some have reported feeling serious pain and being scared.

There are a few commonly reported symptoms, but those who are asymptomatic can also be carriers and unknowingly spread it.

Some of the main symptoms include:

• Fever 
• Tiredness 
• Dry cough 
• Loss of smell & taste
• Aches & pains
• Sore throat

Goal takes a look at some of the symptoms and experiences reported by footballers who contracted the coronavirus.

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  Mikel Arteta | Arsenal

  Symptoms: temperature, dry cough, chest pain

  Arteta explained: "In terms of symptoms, it was a normal virus for me. I had three or four days which were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature and a dry cough, and some discomfort in my chest. That was it."

  'That's when the fear comes' – Arteta details coronavirus experience

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  Callum Hudson-Odoi | Chelsea

  Symptoms: "similar to a mild cold"

  Chelsea and England star Hudson-Odoi recovered from the virus after spending a week-long period in self-isolation. The winger reported symptoms "similar to a mild cold".

  Hudson-Odoi reveals he has recovered from coronavirus symptoms

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  Daniele Rugani | Juventus

  Symptoms: mild fever

  Rugani tested positive for the virus, but was ostensibly asymptomatic. In a message posted on his Twitter page, he said: "You will have read the news and that's why I want to reassure all those who are worrying about me, I'm fine."

  His girlfriend Michela Persico told: "Daniele recorded three mild fever lines, he was at a temperature of 37.5.

  "He asked to be checked and, the next day, the test was positive, but he already had no fever, nor did he have or had a cough or something else. So we didn't expect it. We don't have a clue how the infection happened."

  Juventus defender Rugani tests positive for coronavirus

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  Luca Kilian | Paderborn

  Symptoms: sore throat, fever, headache

  "On March 12 I had the first of my hot flushes and a day later they were really strong. Fever and strong shivers. It was then I started being really scared for the first time," Kilian told .

  The player added: "It took four days for the fever to drop, and after that I felt better every day.

  "I'm a sportsman and in form, but I had to fight a lot against the virus. For the people who already have health issues, it could put their life in danger."

Gareth Crooks believes Tottenham Hotspur should have moved to sign Jesse Lingard from Manchester United in January.

Spurs should have made Lingard move

Lingard made the switch to West Ham on loan last month, and has since scored three goals in four games (Transfermarkt) – one of which came against Spurs on Sunday in a 2-1 win.

Crooks included the England international in his BBC Team of the Week, and he suggested Jose Mourinho should have made an approach. He said:

“I find it particularly interesting that it is Moyes who has given Lingard a chance to rejuvenate his career, when it was Spurs who desperately needed him. Lingard is playing out of his skin.”

Hard to agree

Hindsight is a wonderful thing – it is very easy for Crooks to now say that Mourinho should have moved for £9m-valued Lingard (Transfermarkt) when he is impressing at another club. The fact of the matter is, he had managed just four goals since the start of the 2019/20 campaign before leaving Old Trafford for the Hammers on a temporary basis and it looked like his best days were behind him.

Tottenham have their very own Englishman who has fallen on hard times in Dele Alli – the last thing they needed was to bring in another such player. Lingard is doing fantastically well at the London Stadium, and David Moyes deserves credit for that, but it may not have been the case elsewhere.

In other news, Tottenham are said to be interested in this Champions League midfielder.

With the Blancos poised to get rid of €31.5 million flop Danilo, Goal looks back at other players who failed dismally at the Santiago Bernabeu

Real Madrid have never been afraid to splash the cash. This, after all, is a club responsible for half of the eight most expensive transfers of all time.

However, the capital club haven't always spent their money wisely. Indeed, for every Cristiano Ronaldo or Sergio Ramos, there's a Kaka or Jonathan Woodgate.

Below, Goal runs through the worst transfers that Real have ever made…

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  NICOLAS ANELKA | From Arsenal | €34.5m | 2009

  Real took a massive gamble when they signed a talented but temperamental French striker who had already earned himself the nickname ' Le Sulk ' in the English press. It did not pay off. Nicolas Anelka lasted just one season in Spain – but it was an eventful campaign.

  His first goal came in the Clasico, while he netted twice in the Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich. However, there were just seven goals altogether, not least due to the fact that the forward was suspended for 45 days at one point for refusing to train, with Anelka accusing his Spanish employers of treating him "like a dog".

  "Something does not turn around properly in his head," Real president Lorenzo Sanz countered, shortly before selling his  to PSG.

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  ELVIR BALJIC | From Fenerbahce | €26m | 1999

  Real have John Toshack to blame for the waste of money that was Elvir Baljic, as it was the Welshman had been impressed by the Bosnian during his time working in Turkey and, consequently, persuaded Real president to pay a shockingly large fee for the forward.

  Baljic's hopes of making an impact in Spain were hardly helped by a knee injury shortly after his arrival but even when fit, he did not look like he belonged at the highest level and he was loaned back to Fenerbahce after just one season, and one goal, in La Liga. He later mused: "It doesn't hurt me to see media listing me among Real's biggest flops; I don't see myself that way." Unfortunately, Real's fans do.

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  ANTONIO CASSANO | From Roma | €5m | 2006

  The fee may have been small but Antonio Cassano was a colossal waste of money. His goal return was dismal (just one in seven appearances), his attitude dreadful and his diet even worse.

  "In Madrid, I had a friend who was a hotel waiter," the enigmatic Italian later revealed. "His job was to bring me three or four pastries after I had sex. He would bring the pastries up the stairs, I would escort the woman to him and we would make an exchange: he would take the girl and I would take the pastries. Sex and then food, a perfect night."

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  DANILO | From Porto | €31.5m | 2015

  Danilo has openly admitted that it is difficult to deal with the amount of scrutiny players are subjected to by the media in Madrid. "An error, no matter how small, goes viral," he lamented. "A mistake becomes very great even if it is small. But, of course, when you do something good, it is also very great."

  Unfortunately, the Brazilian has rarely done anything good since joining from Porto two years ago – he played every minute of every defeat Real suffered during the 2015-16 campaign – and is now set to be sold, with both Chelsea and Juventus inexplicably interested in signing Dani Carvajal's understudy.

Many Sunderland fans are over the moon after seeing tweets from the club announcing that they have managed to sign attacking player Ross Stewart.

Stewart has penned an initial two-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light, with the club having an option for a further year, as he arrives from Scottish Premiership side Ross County. One fan said they were ‘delighted’ after seeing the announcement.

The 24-year-old featured 19 times in the SPFL, picking up two goals and one assist (WhoScored). Albeit this is not the best tally for an attacker, his in-game stats show he can be a huge threat for the League One side. Stewart has managed on average 2.1 shots and 1.2 key passes per game this season.

An attacking signing is always a good thing, especially with Sunderland right in the thick of the play-off race. Manager Lee Johnson bringing in another forward to bolster the squad as they push for promotion has rightfully excited a lot of the Black Cats fan base.

Here is what these Sunderland fans had to say following the signing:

“Delighted with this signing, welcome to Sunderland mate”

Credit: @mackem4900

“And suddenly a shocking transfer window has turned into a credible one. Depth at left-back? Pace out wide? Progressive passer in midfield? Added goals upfront? Hopefully Stewart can help Wyke with the goals and fire us to the Championship. #SAFC”

Credit: @MattyCritchon

“Love that lads, now announce takeover”

Credit: @dannysafc73

“Let’s go baby”

Credit: @SamLucas__

“Welcome aboard the crazy train that is SAFC! Good luck fella”

Credit: @notch_32

“As long as this lad puts the effort in and plays for the shirt, I will be happy with the signing.”

Credit: @deangt

“Some solid signings, got a whole new left side. Let’s go on a run and we can make top 2!”

Credit: @flowerpotman98

In other news, Sunderland fans react to this Lee Johnson injury update.

Sam Allardyce will surely be overjoyed after he picked up his first three points as West Brom boss with a come-from-behind victory over arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

However, once he and his side come down from the euphoria, he’ll be hit by the fact that he still has it all to do if he’s to turn around the Baggies’ fortunes.

After all, Albion remain three points from safety after picking up just their second win all season, and they certainly had the rub of the green with two penalty decisions – the first of which looked to be outside the box.

The home side dominated possession (68%) and recorded 11 more attempts at goal than West Brom, per SofaScore, so they can count their lucky stars that decisions went in their favour.

Big Sam’s side were rather ineffective in attack once again, only further exposing the need for a new striker this January transfer window.

Unlike last weekend, the 66-year-old turned to a player who has played the role before in Callum Robinson, but that only proved to be another failed experiment having deployed Matheus Pereira as a false nine last weekend.

This whole situation will have Allardyce fuming as there’s very little he can do – Karlan Grant is absent for the foreseeable future with a broken foot whilst Charlie Austin has been sent to QPR on loan.

Their attempts in the market thus far have fallen short, as per Sky Sports, their bid to sign Hoffenheim striker Ishak Belfodil stalled earlier in the week.

He needs a new striker this month.

Robinson had fewer touches (26) than nine of the Baggies’ starting XI, including the goalkeeper David Button (43) which only goes to show just how little he was involved throughout the 90 minutes he was on the pitch.

The 25-year-old, who is valued at £9m, was also rather weak against Wolves’ suspect backline, meaning the particularly error-prone Willy Boly and Conor Coady had the better of the forward despite the pair conceding the two dubious penalties.

He won just three of his nine duels (33%), including zero aerially, per SofaScore. He was simply dominated by the Old Gold duo.

Indeed, in Joseph Chapman’s post-match ratings for BirminghamLive, he claimed that the 15-time Ireland international ‘had a tough time of it’ upfront on his own.

With Grant expected out for another five weeks at least, the need to bring in a new forward is only going to get more and more desperate as the month goes on.

At the end of the day, Albion may have put three past Wolves, but none of those goals came from open play and that still ranks them as the third-worst in the division for such a metric, per WhoScored.

Robinson, a natural winger given he’s played 42% of Transfermarkt recorded matches in the role, isn’t the long-term striking solution and that showed tenfold at Molineux.

AND in other news, Dowling heading for an unforgivable West Brom disaster over £30k-p/w monster…

Manchester United “missed the boat” by not signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, according to Carlton Palmer.

The former England international, speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, has praised the 20-year-old’s performances for club and country since he first arrived at Borussia Dortmund.

As revealed by The Athletic back in October, the Red Devils were embroiled in a hopeless pursuit of Sancho over the summer, as Dortmund refused to budge on their £108m valuation.

The London-born right winger has become an integral part of the Bundesliga giants since his move to Germany, whilst he was also selected as part of the front three for England to face the Republic of Ireland during an international friendly last month.

Palmer was effusive in his praise for Sancho and suggested United could have done with signing a speed demon like him in the summer. However, he also added a note of caution, as he questioned whether he would have been given enough game time to merit such a move.

He told FFC:

“They’ve missed the boat with Sancho, he’s a top player.

“But I mean, where were they going to play him? They’ve signed Donny van de Beek and he’s only played a handful of games since they signed him for big money – what was it, £40m, £50m?

“You don’t want to just sign players for the sake of signing players. You’ve got to sign the right players.”

As Palmer rightly pointed out, it’s worth remembering that although summer signing Donny van de Beek has played eight games in the Premier League so far this season; the majority of these appearances have come as a substitute from the bench.

Whether or not Sancho would have suffered the same fate is certainly up for debate, as Mason Greenwood sent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a timely reminder of his obvious talents with a fine finish during the 3-1 win over West Ham at the London Stadium last night.

Sancho has bagged 30 goals and 41 assists in 86 Bundesliga games with Dortmund, whilst he has netted three times in 18 caps for his country, which is an impressive return.

Valued at €150m (£135m) via the CIES Football Observatory, in four appearances in the Champions League this season, the versatile midfielder has scored twice and supplied an assist, whilst he is averaging 1.5 shots, 2.8 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Whilst some may point towards the emergence of Greenwood on the right wing over the past year or so as he found himself on the scoresheet against West Ham, there’s no doubt that Sancho would have been welcomed with open arms by Solskjaer at Old Trafford, who made him his top priority in the summer, but to no avail.

AND in other news, Forget Rashford: Paul Pogba steals the show as Manchester United fight back to beat West Ham…

Carlo Ancelotti must get ruthless and sever Jonjoe Kenny’s 14-year association with Everton after being urged to solve a “very apparent” lack of depth in defence.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Ancelotti to delve into the mid-season transfer market to sign new full-backs after witnessing Everton struggle without Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne.

Coleman initially sustained an injury in October’s Merseyside Derby draw with Liverpool that forced his withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland squad to face England, but provoked his hamstring problem again after returning to action against Manchester United.

Ancelotti’s injury crisis worsened with Digne having to undergo surgery after suffering ankle ligament damage in training last month, which could rule the Frenchman out of action for up to three months.

Digne has provided more assists (4) than any other Everton player in the Premier League thus far this season, while also delivering a higher number of accurate crosses (17) and ranks second to James Rodriguez (23) for key balls (16), per WhoScored.

Ancelotti called on midfielders Alex Iwobi and Tom Davies to slot in at full-back for Saturday’s defeat to Championship title-holders Leeds United, something Robinson is adamant the Italian cannot persist with having urged Everton to spend on their defence this winter.

“Everton need to address the depth of their squad in January,” he said. “We saw against Leeds United that they lack squad depth, it was very apparent.

“The fact that Ancelotti had to play Iwobi at left wing-back and Tom Davies at right wing-back speaks volumes. When Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne are missing, they are significantly weakened. It is something that has to be addressed in January. A stronger squad is needed.”

End of the road for Kenny

Ancelotti favouring Iwobi against Fulham last month would have raised alarm bells over Kenny’s future at Goodison Park, having been overlooked at Craven Cottage despite travelling with the squad to west London.

Davies then featuring in his position for Saturday’s clash with Leeds after Ancelotti stated the Blues product was fit and ready to feature again hammered home the sense that Kenny has reached the end of his road on Merseyside.

The challenging afternoon Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds dealt Davies has now only highlighted Everton’s lack of top-quality depth in full-back, too, leading pundits to urge Ancelotti and Director of Football Marcel Brands to splash the cash this winter to solve a “very apparent” problem.

Ancelotti must certainly get ruthless and end Kenny’s association with Everton if he is to strengthen at full-back as the 23-year-old, who first signed with the Toffees’ academy in 2006, is clearly not the Italian’s favoured option is far from proving himself to be Coleman’s long-term successor.

With no new contract agreed, it is looking increasingly likely that Georginio Wijnaldum will leave Liverpool in the summer, with foreign clubs able to negotiate with the Dutch international from January. Fortunately for the Merseyside club, they look to have a ready-made replacement for the former Newcastle man in Curtis Jones.

The academy graduate has established himself as a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.68 rating. He has also appeared four times in the Champions League for the Merseyside club, in which he has averaged a superb 7.33 rating.

The 19-year-old has three goals to his name this season, which takes his tally to six goals in 30 first-team appearances for the club.

Klopp is certainly a fan of the academy graduate too, having been full of praise for the youngster earlier this season after his two goals against Lincoln City in the League Cup, saying:

“There is still space for improvement but everyone knows my opinion of Curtis Jones, he is an exceptional talent and we will have some fun with him I am pretty sure in the future.

Whilst Wijnaldum has been a hugely important part of Liverpool’s success in recent seasons, he has never been a prolific goalscorer with the Reds, with just 20 goals to his name in the 208 appearances he has made for the club thus far.

Therefore, from a goalscoring perspective, it certainly seems as if Jones can replace, and even surpass, the numbers Wijnaldum has contributed if the 30-year-old does end up departing when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Of course, playing in midfield is not just about the ability to score goals, as Wijnaldum is also an excellent passer of the ball, whilst his defensive contribution has also been impressive since joining, with the Dutchman having completed an impressive 1045 recoveries during his time in the Premier League with the Reds.

This season has seen the Dutch midfielder average 48.8 passes in each game in the top-flight, resulting in a pass success rate of 92.3%.

Jones, meanwhile, has averaged 58.1 passes per game in the Premier League, with a success rate of 92.9%, which again gives him the edge, and suggests that he is more than capable of stepping up to replace Wijnaldum.

Whilst the 19-year-old is perhaps seen as more of a creative attacking midfielder, he has impressed with his tackling at times this season, averaging 1.1 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game, whilst the 30-year-old has averaged 0.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions.

Therefore, it can definitely be argued that Jones can be Klopp’s replacement for Wijnaldum in midfield, and if he continues to improve, there seems no reason why he can’t surpass the Dutch international’s legacy with the Merseyside club.

And, in other news… Jurgen Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w beast vs Newcastle; he can provide the missing spark

Southampton will be hoping to cause Chelsea an upset at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to guide his side to their third win of the season. The Blues are just one point ahead of the travelling side and will not want to be humiliated on home soil.

But for the Saints, they will be looking to utilise some of their new signings after enjoying a fruitful transfer window. Football FanCast has predicted how they might set up to take on Chelsea…

With no real need to change up his defence, Hasenhuttl will more than likely leave things as they were against West Brom. Southampton were able to secure a 2-0 win after an all-round solid performance. Particularly with the boss’ recent comments on Jannik Vestergaard’s role at the club, there’s not much chance of him dropping the Danish centre-back.

In midfield however, Hasenhuttl’s hand has been forced due to injuries. Nathan Redmond could slot into the far left role due to the absence of Moussa Djenepo, who will be a big loss after scoring against the Baggies last time out. The former’s previous Premier League start was against Crystal Palace last month in a rather quiet display, which he will be hoping to improve on. Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Redmond only managed 73% accurate passes and failed to make a single successful cross (via Sofascore).

Loan signing Theo Walcott could start on the opposite flank to support regular strike partners Danny Ings and Che Adams. The 31-year-old is yet to feature for his new side and could make a full debut this afternoon against Chelsea, a side he will know well from his regular playing time with Arsenal. Similarly, Ibrahima Diallo may replace Oriol Romeu alongside James Ward-Prowse in order to freshen up the Saints midfield and potentially catch Chelsea off-guard.

A win at Stamford Bridge will put Southampton two points ahead of the Blues, who haven’t started the season in the spectacular fashion many expected. Hasenhuttl will hope this rare tactic of throwing new signings straight into the action – something he hasn’t done with the likes of Mohamed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo previously – will pay off.

In other news, Jannik Vestergaard prioritised Southampton amid West Ham interest…