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The role and importance of a modern-day fullback is very much changing before our eyes, with quotes such as “no one wants to be a Gary Neville” beginning to lose their meaning.

Top sides and coaches, largely because of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, are beginning to use their full-backs in a variety of ways both on and off the ball, often becoming wingers, central midfielders or even attacking midfielders (number 10s) on the ball to aid their team.

Tactical flexibility is becoming more important, and with this, the importance of having high-quality and versatile fullbacks is becoming a key factor for elite sides to operate.

Guardiola has led the charge for using his fullbacks in midfield, and he could well be getting another special player this month with the skill set to do this.

Man City looking at their new Cancelo

According to reports from Football Insider, talks have been advancing in recent days between Manchester City and Juventus for their versatile defender, Andrea Cambiaso.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The feeling is that an agreement for the 24-year-old will be reached either this month or in the summer.

The Italian can play a range of different positions, playing as a right and left fullback, inverting into midfield zones from this position, and even starting as a right-winger on a few occasions this season for Thiago Motta’s Juventus side.

Cambiaso has made 26 appearances for the Italian giants this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, contributing to 12 clean sheets and totalling 1,859 minutes played.

Cambiaso vs Cancelo comparisons

One player Guardiola has had in his time at Manchester City who played a similar role to Cambiaso, is João Cancelo. The Portugal international signed for City in 2019, joining from Juventus for a fee of around £60m.

Cancelo made 154 appearances for City in his time at the club, scoring nine goals and providing 21 assists. Whether he started at left-back or right-back, the Portugal international offered Guardiola tactical versatility, tweaking his position on the ball in order to set his team up as he liked.

That’s exactly what he could now with Cambiaso, a player who has been compared to Cancelo by Peter Young of Football Italia.

When analysing both players (Cancelo’s 2020/21 season at City) you can see both players ooze class on the ball, offering excellent progressive numbers, being key creators despite being fullbacks for their sides, and still making high numbers of defensive actions per game.

Cambiaso has been described as “uber-press resistant” by Ben Mattinson, due to his ambipedal qualities (two-footed) and small turning radius. This allows him to receive the ball in all zones of the pitch, playing line-splitting passes with both feet, having no angle bias and therefore making it hard for defenders to trap him to one side.

City could finally replace Cancelo with an extreme technician in the form of Cambiaso, who, alongside Rico Lewis, could give Guardiola the wide defensive pairing he wants in order to dominate games and make tactical tweaks at his own leisure.

Worth way more than Marmoush: Pep has struck gold on Man City "superstar"

Man City have a youngster in the squad who is worth more than Omar Marmoush

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 18, 2025

Cody Gakpo faces an FA reprimand after copying Kaka's iconic 'I belong to Jesus' celebration during Liverpool's win over Tottenham.

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• Gakpo wore a “I belong to Jesus” shirt
• Was yellow-carded for removing his jersey
• Might be served a notice for putting up a religious message

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gakpo found the back of the net to make it 3-1 during Liverpool’s emphatic 5-1 dismantling of Tottenham at Anfield. The result effectively sealed the Premier League title for Arne Slot’s side, who only needed a draw to officially claim the trophy with four fixtures remaining.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gakpo celebrated his crucial strike by lifting his jersey, which resulted in an immediate yellow card for breaching standard uniform rules. Moreover, the celebration sparked instant comparisons to Kaka’s memorable gesture in 2007 when the Brazilian midfielder famously lifted his AC Milan shirt to display the same "I belong to Jesus" slogan after defeating Liverpool in the Champions League final.

• TELL ME MORE

  Football’s global rulebook leaves little room for ambiguity when it comes to displays of religious sentiment. According to Law 4 of the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game, players are strictly prohibited from showcasing any political, religious, or personal messages on their clothing.

  The Law reads: “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo. For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by Fifa.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GAKPO?

  Per the , the FA is all set to send a warning to the Reds and Gakpo and remind them of the global football body's rules, which the FA follows.

The last couple of years have been a real roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners have seen Ange Postecoglou take the reins and turn the club from one of the more boring teams to watch in the Premier League to arguably the most entertaining, and as things stand, they’re the third-highest scoring team in the competition this year.

What makes that fact even more remarkable is that they are so dangerous in attack despite being down in 15th place and are in the midst of an injury crisis that has seen them lose their starting number nine and second top-scorer in Dominic Solanke.

The former Bournemouth star doesn’t have much competition for a starting place in the squad, as while Richarlison is back fit, his overall record of 18 goals and nine assists in 77 games is simply not good enough.

Fortunately, recent reports have touted a forward who’d be the perfect rival for the Englishman for a move to N17 this month, a forward who has previously been compared to Harry Kane of all people.

Tottenham target Premier League striker

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham are one of multiple clubs interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson this month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Bournemouth, Everton, Fulham, Celtic and West Ham have all asked about signing the Irish ace on loan. The Hammers are said to hold an advantage thanks to Graham Potter managing the youngster during his time on the south coast.

While this level of competition is far from ideal, the good news, for Daniel Levy and Co at least, is that the Seagulls are reportedly happy to let the exciting striker leave the club on loan, meaning that there is minimal financial downside to securing his services for the North Londoners.

It looks like it could be a challenging deal to get over the line, but given Ferguson’s raw ability and sky-high potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an ideal rival for Solanke and has been compared to Kane in the past.

Why Ferguson would be a dream Solanke rival

Okay, so there are several reasons why having Ferguson in the squad would be good for the team as well as Solanke, and the first is that it would give Postecoglou the chance to rest the latter.

So far this season, the former Bournemouth star has played 29 games for the Australian, 24 of which have been starts, and while he hasn’t traditionally suffered from too many major injuries in the past, he’s also not got the cleanest of records, with nine injuries keeping him out of 40 games since the start of the 18/19 campaign.

So, if the manager knows that he has a young hungry striker who was previously tipped to reach the very top in his squad, then he can start him in some of the less important matches and allow his star poacher to rest more often, which in turn should hopefully minimise the chance of him being forced to sit out.

The second reason the Irish international would be a great rival is that he’s still the same player who was blowing people away a couple of seasons ago, and in the right environment, with the right coaching, there is no reason to suspect he couldn’t get back to that sort of form.

For example, it was only in March 2023 that former Liverpool and Ireland striker John Aldridge described the then 18-year-old centre-forward as “an Irish version of Harry Kane” and then just four months later, former Spurs star Gary Lineker mooted the idea that the club should sign the young phenom “as Kane’s replacement.”

Now, that all might sound a little hyperbolic today, but at the time, it really did look like the Bettystown-born gem was going to be the next superstar striker, as in just 25 first-team appearances across the 22/23 season, totalling 1345 minutes, the “phenomenal” striker, as dubbed by teammate James Milner, scored ten goals and provided three assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.92 games, or every 103.46 minutes as an 18-year-old, which is unbelievably impressive, and were it not for a number of unfortunate injuries, then he might well have carried that form into the following seasons.

Ultimately, Spurs need another centre-forward to genuinely rival Solanke once he’s back from his injury, and while there is an element of risk around how good Ferguson still is, it’s a risk well worth taking, as if he can recreate anything close to his form of a couple of years ago, then Postecoglou will have another extraordinary striker in his squad.

He could dethrone Son: Spurs plot move for incredible £49m speedster

The impressive international could be the future of Spurs’ left wing.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 27, 2025

Everton are keen on signing a “brilliant” Rangers star in the January transfer window, according to a new update from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Everton transfer news

Life under David Moyes has started in promising fashion at Goodison Park, with the Scot winning two of his first three Premier League games in this second spell in charge. Despite Everton’s improved form under their new boss, it is still important that fresh faces arrive in the current window, with Rangers striker Hamza Igamane linked with a move to the club.

Another transfer rumour has claimed that the Merseysiders are closing in on the signing of Angelo Preciado, who is currently playing for Sparta Prague, making three appearances in the Champions League this season. A right-back by trade, he is also capable of thriving as a winger.

Everton have also reportedly been offered the opportunity to complete the signing of Botafogo defensive midfielder Danilo Barbosa, should Moyes feel the need to strengthen in the middle of the park.

Everton keen on signing "brilliant" attacker

Speaking to Everton News, Bailey explained that Everton are interested in signing Rangers attacker Igamane as well as potentially another addition, but face competition for the Ibrox star.

“Igamane is a player of real interest to a number of Premier League clubs as the window closes. Everton still like him, they have done a work on him. It remains to be seen if they make a push, Tottenham have joined the hunt for him but a host of clubs are now looking – he is one to really keep an eye on the final week or so of the window.

“Everton losing McNeil to injury points towards more of a wide player – but David Moyes and Everton are trying, they would like a couple in before the end of the window, although most likely loans at this point, but don’t rule anything out.”

Firepower has been a real issue for Everton all season long, with only 19 goals scored in 22 matches in the Premier League this season, and there is now the added concern of an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Their top scorer in the competition is Iliman Ndiaye with just five goals, highlighting why a player of Igmane’s calibre is needed, with Derek Ferguson recently heaping praise on the Rangers man.

“The manager said he was trying to get him up to speed, but in the last few games he has been nothing short of brilliant. He is off the cuff and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon – and took his goal brilliantly. I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn, but Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”

Duncan Ferguson 2.0: Everton keen on signing "outrageous" new striker

Everton are showing interest in a striker who is shining in Scotland

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 28, 2025

The 22-year-old Igamane has netted nine times in just 13 league starts this season – with four more scored in Europe – and at just 22 years of age, there is so much time for him to improve further under Moyes.

Rob McElhenney says he and Ryan Reynolds have the greatest job in the world after watching Wrexham win promotion to the Championship.

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• Wrexham win promotion
• McElhenney in reflective mood
• Must now prepare for the Championship

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reynolds and McElhenney were both present at the SToK Cae Ras as Wrexham beat Charlton 3-0 to confirm promotion to the Championship. It is their third promotion in three seasons and has capped a remarkable rise from the National League.

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  McElhenney and Reynolds will now attempt to forge a way out of the Championship and into the promised land of the Premier League. The club have already been linked with multiple big names and both Jamie Vardy and Kevin De Bruyne have been touted as potential targets. Signing either would be a remarkable show of strength for the club, although a deal for the Belgian may well be a fantastical concept.

• WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

  McElhenney wrote on X: "I have the greatest job in sports. All I have to do is sit back, watch the game and be eternally grateful. I’ve been blessed to meet the greatest people in the world."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Wrexham play Lincoln City in the final game of their League One season. They will then say goodbye to League One and prepare for the Championship.

Liverpool have been warned injuries will prevent Conor Bradley from fulfilling his potential as he has been tipped to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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• Alexander-Arnold to leave Liverpool
• Bradley has been viewed as club's future
• Injury expert has doubts

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool’s preparations for life after Alexander-Arnold are underway, but questions remain over whether 21-year-old Bradley is ready to fill the significant void left by the departing right-back. While Bradley has stepped in admirably on occasion – most recently playing the final 30 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea – the step up to being a weekly starter is a considerable one.

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  Despite showing flashes of potential since making his debut in 2021, Bradley’s progress has often been disrupted by injuries. Out of his 51 senior appearances, only 14 have come as Premier League starts. A hamstring problem sustained against Real Madrid last December resurfaced earlier this year, and a minor training ground knock also sidelined him from Liverpool’s recent clash with Tottenham.

  Fitness issues remain a significant obstacle in Bradley’s development. Though he returned to action against Chelsea, his limited availability raises concerns about how dependable he can be over a demanding season, especially if tasked with filling one of the most crucial roles in Liverpool’s system.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Ben Dinnery, a respected football injury analyst, has advised caution over pushing Bradley into Alexander-Arnold’s shoes prematurely. Speaking to , he said: "I think putting Conor Bradley straight in to replace Trent Alexander Arnold at right-back would be a big decision from Arne Slot. It’s a lot to ask to rely on the young lad to deliver performances week-in, week-out. I think Slot is smarter than that, though, you have a duty of care as a manager to look after the players in the here and now, but also to maintain that upwards trajectory in their long-term careers."

  Dinnery acknowledged Bradley’s talent but urged Liverpool to manage his minutes and avoid overburdening him. "From what we’ve seen from Bradley, he’s a player with lots of potential and can deliver at the highest level, but you need to temper those expectations given his young age," he said. "We’ve already heard about the latest hamstring setback he’s had, and they’ve got to be acutely aware of that and understand that there are psychological demands as well as physical, especially when playing at a stadium like Anfield in front of the Kop. Liverpool play on the biggest stage in the world in the Champions League, too, against some of Europe’s greatest opponents. If Trent were to leave, I’m sure Slot has identified targets for that position."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool are also believed to be exploring other options to strengthen the left side of their defence. One name that has emerged is Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson. Although Robinson has also struggled with minor injuries recently, Dinnery believes his situation is far less concerning.

  He said: "Liverpool have been linked with Antonee Robinson, who’s been affected with this injury for the last month or so. That said, if you ask any Premier League player at this stage of the season how they’re feeling, none of them are going to say 100%! When the games are coming thick and fast, it’s difficult to get that rest from those knocks and niggles.

  "This is why I don’t think it’d be an issue for Liverpool looking at him, it’s just indicative of how players are towards the latter stages of the season. These players do go through rigorous pre-screening to identify any underlying problems, but these medicals aren’t straight yeses or no’s."

After confirming the arrival of Stefanos Tzimas, Brighton & Hove Albion have now reportedly agreed a deal to sign their first summer arrival a matter of days following January’s transfer deadline.

Brighton transfer news

Whilst’s it wasn’t a hectic window for Brighton, they saved their best move till last to welcome Tzimas on a permanent deal before loaning the forward back to Nuremberg for the rest of the season. With Evan Ferguson heading out on loan to West Ham United at the same time, the Seagulls’ transfer business will certainly be interesting to watch when both young forward re-enter The Amex in pre-season.

Welcoming his new striker with open arms, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler told the club website: “Stefanos is an exceptional young talent, an out-and-out centre-forward with a natural ability to score goals, and we are absolutely delighted to have signed him.

“He will join up with us in the summer, ahead of next season, but we are really looking forward to working with him, and feel he has a very exciting future ahead.”

Brighton submit £13m bid to sign "exciting forward", they've had a response

The Seagulls are looking to bolster their squad before the transfer deadline.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 3, 2025

Tzimas’ arrival may yet be a sign of things to come too. According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Brighton have now reached an agreement to sign Clement Bischoff in a deal worth €8m (£7m).

In what will reportedly be the Seagulls’ first summer transfer, the versatile midfielder will arrive and join up with Tzimas in the hope of turning Hurzeler’s side back into one vying for the European places.

Following a dip in form since November – culminating in a 7-0 humiliation at the hands of Nottingham Forest – Brighton will be hoping to turn a corner under their young manager and then welcome two young additions when the summer arrives.

"Excellent" Bischoff is a rising star

Such is their reputation for signing the Premier League’s next stars, Brighton fans have every reason to be excited once again in the case of Bischoff. The Brondby teenager can play both as a left-midfielder and as a left-back in what should offer Hurzeler key versatility and has even earned the praise of Ben Mattinson this season.

The analyst described the midfielder’s two-way dribbling as “excellent” and his crossing ability as “well-weighted in an early-season review of his potential and what could come next.

Having had a hand in as many as 10 goals so far this season, with two goals and eight assists, it’s clear that Bischoff is a threat on the left-hand side whether that is in midfield or from within the backline.

A rising star and another youngster that Brighton have seemingly identified, Bischoff should be one to watch when the summer arrives.

Gianni Infantino has said that there are ongoing discussions to have Cristiano Ronaldo play at the Club World Cup this summer.

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• Infantino speaks on Ronaldo's future
• Tells news on IShowSpeed YouTube show
• Ronaldo future up in air amid exit rumours

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Giving a bizarre interview on the IShowSpeed YouTube channel, Infantino was attempting to promote the Club World Cup being held in the United States this summer. The FIFA President was questioned by the Ronaldo-fanatic streamer about the prospect of the Portuguese forward playing in the tournament, which Infantino suggested could be possible. He added that there have been discussions already between clubs in the tournament and Ronaldo about a potential move.

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• WHAT INFANTINO SAID ABOUT RONALDO

  In the video, Infantino says: "Cristiano Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well. There are discussions with some clubs. So, if any clubs is watching are interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows. There are still a few weeks."

• WATCH THE CLIP

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This expanded version of Club World Cup has been Infantino's project for a number of years. The promotion of the tournament has had mixed success, however, and the tournament was only saved by a $1 billion deal struck with broadcaster DAZN to showcase the games. The appetite for the tournament still remains rather small, despite the presence of some of the world's biggest clubs and players, and Infantino is seeking to boost the hype before it kicks off next month – even jumping on Ronaldo exit rumours.

Everton have languished for far too long, and David Moyes decided that enough was enough.

The purple patch that has followed the Scotsman’s galvanising return to Goodison Park will not be maintained in its total fluency. There will be twists and turns.

Sean Dyche deserves credit for steering the Toffees away from danger, keeping them afloat last season despite an eight-point deduction – and comfortably at that.

But Dyche and his team had run out of steam, falling into a state of discordancy that effectively precluded any impactful attacking style.

Farhad Moshiri’s dysfunctional rule came to a head in the overtures, with The Friedkin Group completing their much-anticipated takeover in December and quickly realising that change was needed at the Premier League club.

One of the core cruxes of the issue stands as the countless transfer blunders in recent years. There have been many misfired signings, but what about the sales that should never have been?

Everton's biggest transfer blunders

There have been several bitter sales for the Merseysiders in recent years, but the decision to sell homegrown star Ross Barkley to Chelsea for only £15m in 2018.

He’s been through the ebb and flow of a football career but has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, a valued member of Aston Villa’s squad right now after being hailed as “not far off player of the season” by pundit Paul Merson when Luton Town were in the big time.

Ademola Lookman would certainly add to the frontline, with the Atalanta forward understood to boast a £50m price tag as Arsenal weigh up a bid later this year, having been sold as a flop for £22.5m, a decent figure at the time but it hardly scratches the surface now.

More recently, Everton have been searching for a new centre-forward and appeared to shortlist Tom Cannon in January, looking to sign the Championship goalscorer for £10m after cashing in on him in September 2023, sold to Leicester City for about £7m.

Selling a rising talent before their time is a blunder that the Toffees have suffered before – perhaps Moshiri should have learned his lesson after getting rid of a young Antonee Robinson for a paltry fee.

Everton must regret selling Antonee Robinson

This season, Robinson has been one of the standout full-backs in England, perhaps Europe. The Fulham star is firing on all cylinders, blending attack with defence with athleticism.

The 27-year-old has been on fire this term; Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley has even gone as far as to describe him as “one of the best left-backs in the world.”

The USMNT international cut his teeth with Everton, awarded the club’s U18 Players’ Player of the Season in 2015. He never actually made his senior debut for Everton, instead transferring to Wigan Athletic for a nominal £2m figure in 2019 after a loan spell with the Latics.

Now a fully-fledged sensation with Fulham, Jedi has proved that he can throw down with the best of them, certainly head and shoulders above Everton’s current left-back: Vitalii Mykolenko.

Mykolenko hasn’t been disastrous at left-back this season, but he’s not set the division alight. By contrast, Robinson has showcased incredible pace, power, and potency up and down the flank, moving to and fro, to and fro, with such skill and assuredness that it’s perfectly understandable why outfits like Liverpool have been gearing up to make a potential summer bid.

Even from a defensive standpoint, Mykolenko’s domain, Robinson is more active and decisive in winning balls and making crunching challenges. The Everton man makes more clearances, but this is indicative of his shoed-in nature.

The fact that Wigan paid just £2m to snap him up speaks volumes, especially with Liverpool’s aforementioned interest leading to a reported valuation of up to £50m, which marks an incredible 2400% rise from his value when last on Merseyside.

With ten assists from 25 Premier League matches in 2024/25, Robinson is proving to be a player of many parts, each slick and stylish and significant. No defender has claimed more assists. He’s also won 62% of his aerial battles and has yet to make a single mistake, as per Sofascore.

Everton must curse the day Marco Silva sold him.

Moyes has hit the jackpot with Everton ace who's giving "Pienaar 2.0 vibes"

David Moyes is righting the wrongs at Everton.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 20, 2025

Outgoing Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo has been pipped to the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Season award by Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema.

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• Ronaldo set to leave Al-Nassr
• Veteran still has stellar season
• Benzema beats him to award

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite Ronaldo scoring 25 Saudi Pro League goals this season, compared to old Real Madrid team-mate Benzema's 21, the Frenchman has picked up this honour after playing a key role in their title triumph. His 30-goal contributions, to Ronaldo's 28, appear to have given the 37-year-old the edge.

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  Ronaldo, who effectively confirmed he will leave Al-Nassr this summer when his contract expires, earned a second-straight Golden Boot but his team finished third – 13 points behind league champions Al-Ittihad. The 40-year-old still has an eye for goal but Benzema's all-round game may have tipped the balance in his favour.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Former France international Benzema scored 23 goals and bagged nine assists for Al-Ittihad in 32 games in all competitions this season, whereas Ronaldo scored 35 goals and turned provider on four occasions in 41 outings.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Benzema, whose contract at the Saudi outfit expires in 2026, could finish the season with more silverware if his Al-Ittihad side can see off Al-Qadsiah in the King Cup of Champions final on Friday night.