Arsenal are set to sign goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea in a shock £5 million deal, per a new report.
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As Michael Edwards returns for his second stint at the club, Liverpool are reportedly leading the race to sign a fresh face to lead their attacking line at the start of a new era after Jurgen Klopp.
Reports suggest that the Reds aren't messing around ahead of this summer. FSG have already confirmed the appointment of Edwards as CEO of Football and look destined to confirm Richard Hughes as their new sporting director, as per Fabrizio Romano's latest report.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the dugout, Xabi Alonso has reportedly been offered a contract and remains the leading candidate to become Klopp's successor in Merseyside. If it is to be the Spaniard, then it will be interesting to see which direction the Reds' transfer plan goes.
They've already been linked with one Bundesliga star in Jamal Musiala amid doubts over his future at Bayern Munich, and now reports have tipped those at Anfield to move for another talent in Germany's top flight.
Liverpool could replace Szoboszlai with a "Gazza" like teenager
Jurgen Klopp should unleash the “exciting” young midfielder from the start over the former RB Leipzig star.
By
Dan Emery
Mar 14, 2024
According to Sport Bild, via Sport Witness, Liverpool are leading the race to sign Maximilian Beier ahead of Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest this summer. The Hoffenheim forward will reportedly cost £30m in what could prove to be a bargain deal for a player who Alonso is apparently a fan of, likely boosting the Reds' interest even further.
Of course, it was a former Hoffenheim forward who led Liverpool's last era, with Roberto Firmino now an Anfield great. So, it would be fitting if Beier stepped into their next chapter to lead the line on Merseyside.
It's difficult to pick out a weak point in a stacked Liverpool frontline, but Cody Gakpo is the one who stands out as a struggling option at times. Whilst Darwin Nunez has seemingly found his best form, the Dutchman has struggled to make an impact in recent times and Liverpool's next manager could make a ruthless decision by welcoming a replacement in Beier.
The 21-year-old has statistically outperformed Gakpo in a number of areas so far this season, which should create doubts if the Reds pursue their reported target this summer.
|
Domestic league stats (via FBref) |
Maximilian Beier |
Cody Gakpo |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
12 |
5 |
|
Assists |
1 |
3 |
|
Progressive Carries |
44 |
27 |
|
Key Passes |
14 |
13 |
|
Expected Goals |
8.8 |
6 |
Beier certainly has plenty of fans in Germany too, having been praised by Christian Falk, who told Caught Offside, via TeamTalk: “I heard Liverpool are watching him but they’re not sure whether he would help them immediately. So, I think Brighton’s interest is comparatively more concrete, and there’s interest from Brentford and Nottingham Forest on top of that.
“He can play on the flanks as well as centrally, he’s done it already. It’s a little bit like Thomas Muller in the sense that he’s not exactly a winger or central striker; he can also play behind the No.9, so he’s quite a versatile footballer. He’s very, very fast as well, so that would suit Liverpool, but he’s not the first choice.”
Graeme Smith says six weeks preparation needed if men’s tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies are to go ahead
Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2020Cricket South Africa will advertise the positions of convener of selectors, national women’s coach and support staff, men’s under-19 coach and support staff, South Africa A coach and chief medical officer imminently – with current contracts coming to an end on April 30. All the incumbents will be able to apply to continue in their positions.That means Linda Zondi, currently the independent selector but previously the selection convener, Hilton Moreeng and Salieg Nackerdien, women’s head and assistant coach respectively, Lawrence Mahatlane, the under-19 coach, and Shuaib Manjra, the current chief medical officer, could all be replaced. The South Africa A job has been vacant since Russell Domingo left to take up the role with Bangladesh and had been filled by Ashwell Prince, the Cobras coach, and Malibongwe Maketa, the former national assistant coach, in interim capacities this summer with permanent appointment to be made in the next few months.Similarly, acting director of cricket, Graeme Smith, is set to be confirmed in the role, whether or not he needs to take time off to commentate on the IPL. Smith was appointed in December on a short-term deal because of his prior commitment to the IPL and had indicated his desire to sign with CSA on his return. With the IPL start-date uncertain and no international cricket for South Africa until at least June, Smith is ready to continue in his current role and an announcement on his position is expected next week.Zondi and Mahatlane confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they intend to apply for the convener and under-19 roles respectively while, at the time of writing, Moreeng had not responded to requests for comment. Zondi was South Africa’s convener of selectors from June 2015 until June 2019, when CSA sought to restructure under Thabang Moroe. When Moroe was suspended in December last year, Zondi was reappointed as an independent selector. His role in bringing through the bulk of the current squad and identifying talent such as Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram stand him in good stead for the position in future. Mahatlane, on the other hand, has had a tough time with the under-19 side, who exited at the group stage of the World Cup, hosted in South Africa this year.”It was always going to be the case that positions would be advertised in April when contracts came to an end,” Smith told the media during an online press engagement on Tuesday. “We’re busy drawing up the under-19 and women’s management and coach positions. It’s not stopping any of the people currently in those positions from putting their names into the hat, but those positions will all be advertised.”Smith confirmed that South Africa’s Test captain will be discussed following the appointment of the selection convener and that the women’s game will require increased emphasis with preparations for the 2021 World Cup front and centre of CSA’s agenda. “That is going to be a huge focus going forward especially with the World Cup coming up.”Mignon Du Preez and Dane van Niekerk lead their team in celebration after defeating England•AFP via Getty Images
The women’s team reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last month and narrowly missed out on a place in the final in a rain-reduced affair in the knockouts. They also got to the semi-finals of the 2017 ODI World Cup and have been mapping out a seven-year plan since professionalisation in 2014, which is aimed to culminate with success at the 2021 World Cup. Moreeng is a key part of that plan and given the timing of the tournament early next year, and the dearth of cricket expected between now and then, it is not unrealistic to imagine he will be retained, especially as the team qualified for the World Cup with a series to spare.The women’s team were due to host Australia this month but the matches were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. They are also scheduled to travel to West Indies and England over the South African winter, but whether those tours go ahead will depend on how soon international travel resumes. Similarly, the men’s team’s tours to Sri Lanka (a white-ball visit scheduled for June) and West Indies (July-August for two Tests and five T20Is) are also hanging in the balance with final calls to be taken in the next two to three months.Smith explained that CSA and the players would like at least six weeks to prepare for tours which means a decision on Sri Lanka will need to be made around the third week of April, and on West Indies by early June. “We need plus-minus six weeks to have our players fully ready for tours. Financially, with stuff like holding flights, around that six-week mark is the time away from the tour when decisions need to be made,” Smith said.Apart from logistics, the six-week period is also necessary to have players match fit, something which is impossible at the moment. South Africa is five days into a 21-day nationwide lockdown which prohibits, amongst other things, outdoor exercise. Players have been given individual training programs to follow at home and Smith emphasised that they need to take charge of their own conditioning. “A lot of it is going to be their own responsibility to maintain those levels through the lockdown,” he said.Meanwhile, South African cricket continues to prepare for a domestic season that will not start for at least another six months. As CSA table the fixtures for franchise and provincial matches, they also provided an assurance that the Mzansi Super League, the T20 tournament which has been played for the past two seasons, will go ahead, although it is not known whether it will be broadcast on the free-to-air provider SABC, as was the case previously, or if CSA have been able to secure a television deal.”We’re still in the final negotiations, but I can confirm that there will be MSL 2020. We’re working through the details and the final contracts. We cannot give too many details other than stating that a third edition of the MSL will take place,” Jacques Faul said.
Birmingham City co-owner Tom Brady sent out a message to Rob McElhenney and Wrexham as his side won the 'Hollywood derby' 3-1 on Monday.
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Sitting fourth in the Premier League, few can contest Aston Villa's success this season. Unai Emery's men have defied the odds to keep pace with the big boys whilst continuing to compete in Europe. Now with the transfer window on the horizon, NSWE are desperate to make sure this season is not a one-off.
After acquiring 46 percent of Vitoria Sport Clube back in February 2023, Portuguese football is far from unchartered territory for the Villa owners. With a keen interest in the region, it is now suggested that club officials have made the journey south to watch one of the league's top sides and keep an eye on potential signings.
Reporter issues update on Aston Villa's chances of sealing £64m swoop
The duo have impressed this season.
By
Tom Cunningham
Mar 4, 2024
According to Sport Witness, Villa are interested in signing players from Portugal with club officials attending multiple FC Porto games in recent weeks. Whilst extensive scouting networks are nothing new in the modern game, the report claims NSWE have someone specific in mind – although they could not identify who.
Reports out of Portugal state that officials from the West Midlands outfit watched Porto's recent victories over Arsenal and Benfica. The former saw the home side cause a 1-0 upset against the Gunners, whilst Sunday's top of the table clash with Benfica saw Porto run away 5-0 winners.
With little certainty as to who Villa officials are keeping tabs on, reports out of a local outlet in Porto have suggested a couple of names that could be on their radar.
Whilst local paper O Jogo has no concrete information on who Villa were scouting, they do suggest that Porto talents Galeno and Alan Varela could be on the club's radar. Varela is a midfielder who is at his best with the ball at his feet. A passing maestro who puts in the dirty work too, he could be the perfect replacement if Douglas Luiz is to depart this summer.
|
Alan Varela Stats 2023/24 |
Total Per 90 |
Rank vs midfielders in comparable leagues |
|---|---|---|
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.12 |
74th percentile |
|
Passes Attempted |
66.65 |
89th percentile |
|
Pass Completion % |
87.3 |
90th percentile |
|
Interceptions |
1.11 |
64th percentile |
|
Blocks |
1.73 |
86th percentile |
Whilst Varela's quality is clear, Galeno was arguably the stand out of the two games, scoring the only goal in the win over Arsenal as well as a brace at the weekend.
Galeno's stats for season have seen him provide 12 goals and 10 assists in just 35 games. With five of his goals coming in the Champions League, he is clearly a player built for the big stage that could be a huge asset to Emery's side. A winger with an eye for a goal would shift some of the scoring onus off Ollie Watkins and benefit the entire team as a result.
Whatever Villa's Portuguese excursion may bring, they are not watching these games for no reason and fans can expect the Villans to continue to pursue their targets.
‘I am talking more about off-field stuff than on-field performance,’ he said looking ahead to the one-off ODI in Pakistan next month
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2020Improving Bangladesh’s team culture will be of top priority for newly appointed Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal. The 30-year old has called for greater discipline and collective effort after taking over from Mashrafe Mortaza, whose five-year stint ended earlier this month.The BCB’s top brass had convinced Iqbal to succeed Mortaza as captain although the cloud of Shakib Al Hasan’s comeback hangs over his new job. Shakib is BCB’s preferred long-term captain across formats, despite being suspended till the end of October this year.”I want to take small steps to improve ourselves,” Iqbal said. “How we can improve our training, how much better can we play as a team, how can I contribute to someone else’s process, and vice-versa. This is my starting point. We will take it one step at a time. Without focusing much about the long process of everything, we should break it down into small steps. On the field, a lot of things remain out of control but the team culture is within our control. How we think off the field, how professional we are.”I want to improve on our team culture, so that with time, you can see results in that aspect. We get more disciplined and work harder, minimise our mistakes. When I think how I will take this team forward, the first thing that comes to mind is that we have to fix all our off the-field issues. I think we are one of the most disciplined teams in world cricket, but we can get better. If I can get to work there and we start seeing it reflected in the field, we are good.”ALSO READ: Life in the time of Mashrafe Mortaza, by Tamim Iqbal and MahmudullahBangladesh’s next assignment is a one-off ODI in Karachi on April 1, but that is in doubt, like all other international fixtures, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Iqbal, though, said that a win over Pakistan in Karachi will boost the confidence of the current group. “When we beat Pakistan under Mashrafe Mortaza in 2015, we started to believe as a group that we can beat bigger teams,” he said. The current squad, which has a lot of young players, needs to win against a big team as soon as possible, to bring back that belief.Mashrafe Mortaza played a key role in reviving the careers of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah•AFP via Getty Images
“This is a different team than 2015. There are a few key players missing. Form is also different. We have at least four or five new players. We are the type of team that needs five or six people performing to beat good teams, so we need that one big win to break the ice. They need the confidence.”Iqbal also spoke of his challenge to bring the best out of each player. He reserved special praise for Liton Das, who forged a strong partnership with Iqbal at the top and amassed 311 runs of his own in the recently concluded three-match ODI series at home against Zimbabwe.”There is a difference between how Liton thinks now to how he thought six months ago,” Iqbal said. “You can see the reflection in the field. I think the young players are positive towards their cricket. They want to do well. But everyone needs improvement in those areas, including myself.”We are all professional cricketers. You have to treat each individual differently. There are different ways to treat Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim) and Riyad (Mahmudullah) , for example, to get the best out of them. I am talking more about off-field stuff than on-field performance. The sooner, as a team, we can come back into the right track, better for us.”Mortaza ended his ODI captaincy tenure with 50 wins and while it would be difficult for Iqbal to emulate his predecessor’s success, the new captain said that his “close relationship” with Mortaza will hold him in good stead.”I am not an experienced captain. You have to give me time for anything,” Iqbal said. I don’t know what my performance is going to be in six months’ time. Our fans have to be a little patient. I will do for the best interest in the team. You also have to remember that it will be very hard to reach the level of the previous captain. We have achieved a lot under him, but you have to give me some time to reach his level.”I am lucky that I have a close relationship with him. I saw him from close quarters, and we have played a lot together. I know how he thinks and I can take as much as I can. But, those are very difficult shoes to fill straightaway. I hope that I will take the positives from him. If I face trouble, he will be the first person that I will call to take advice.”
Southampton breathed a major sigh of relief getting back to winning ways against West Bromwich Albion, the Saints not allowing the blip of losing away at Bristol City to overwhelm them on their travels to the Hawthorns.
It ended up being a rather routine Championship win against Carlos Corberan's playoff hopefuls on their own patch last Friday night, with Southampton confidently winning 2-0 courtesy of a Ryan Fraser strike on top of a first goal for David Brooks in Saints red and white.
Still, with tonight's game against Hull City looming large and Russell Martin needing his troops to be fresh against the potentially tricky Tigers, the former Swansea City boss could look to drop Shea Charles in the centre of the park after an unmemorable showing versus the Baggies.
The former Manchester City midfielder has found himself back in the central Saints midfield trio owing to Flynn Downes being sidelined through injury, but could now find himself out of the starting lineup again.
Whilst the likes of Stuart Armstrong stood out centrally as a creative force, the experienced Scotsman notching up an impressive five key passes, with one of those resulting in an assist, Charles was more quiet and reserved in his approach, making just 43 touches in total – fewer than teammate Gavin Bazunu (62) in the sticks.
The Northern Ireland international would win just above half of his duels against the Baggies, coming in at a 55.556% win percentage, whilst only notching up one key pass in the contest compared to Armstrong's glowing numbers.
Giving up possession seven times in the middle of the pitch also, with Smallbone squandering the ball just three times in contrast, the promising 20-year-old could be dropped to the bench against Hull after an unnoteworthy 58-minute spell at the Hawthorns.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Joe Aribo could well benefit from Martin axing Charles, with the ex-Rangers man showing glimpses of his quality going forward when the Saints boss decided to bring the 27-year-old on for a run-out last time out.
Martin remaining hush about Downes being potentially fit and ready for a return to action against Hull could see Aribo benefit from the West Ham United man's continued absence also, the Nigerian attacking midfielder raring to go if selected against Liam Rosenior's visitors tonight.
The Saints' number seven stood out when introduced late on against West Brom, Aribo attempting to drive his promotion-chasing team forward more in pursuit of a fantastic away day win.
Successfully completing all of his dribbles from an impactful 32-minute cameo to unnerve the Baggies, Aribo was also solid in nullifying Corberan's hosts when tracking back to help out defensively.
The former Rangers man would win 100% of his ground duels on the night, giving the Saints more bite as well as more of a direct presence foraying forward.
|
Aribo's numbers vs West Brom |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
32 |
|
Touches |
24 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles |
2/2 (100%) |
|
Ground duels won |
3/3 (100%) |
|
Possession lost |
2x |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
After coming on and shining against West Brom, Martin might well be intrigued to see how Aribo would fare from the get-go against Hull tonight.
As games become more and more pressurised and intense with the season gradually nearing towards its conclusion, Martin will need to utilise all of the squad at his disposal effectively which could see Charles make way for Aribo to have a chance to impress again at St. Mary's.
Harry Kane said he's "enjoying every moment" of his Bayern Munich career as the England striker received the European Golden Shoe on Tuesday.
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GOAL takes a look at the craziest transfers in football history, beginning with West Ham United's signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
When Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano signed for West Ham in August 2006, it felt like a brave new dawn for the Hammers. Under the management of Alan Pardew, the east Londoners had convinced two of Argentina’s most promising talents to head to England; not to a top-four club, but to a side that had finished ninth in the Premier League the season prior.
Tevez had impressed at the 2006 World Cup and was briefly linked with a move to Chelsea, while interest from Arsenal and Manchester United was also rumoured. That he and Mascherano, a midfielder who would go on to play for the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona, were being photographed holding up the claret and blue shirts at Upton Park felt otherworldly.
There were plenty of eyebrows raised when the pair, who were both 22, arrived from Corinthians for undisclosed fees, with West Ham seemingly attempting to keep the minute details of the deal under wraps. Given what transpired thereafter, it has to go down as one of football's craziest ever transfers.
Hayley Jensen put in another Player of the Match display after Ritu Moni career-best 4 for 18 set up the chance of an upset
Report by Alex Malcolm at Junction Oval29-Feb-2020Tournaments are all about surviving and advancing.New Zealand survived an almighty scare against Bangladesh at the Junction Oval, setting a new Women’s World T20 record for the lowest total defended, but will need to play much better to beat Australia on Monday advance to the semi-finals.They were bowled out for just 91 having won the toss. It was their sixth-lowest score in T20 internationals and second-lowest total at T20 World Cups, with Ritu Moni taking a career-best 4 for 18 in her first game of the tournament while the skipper Salma Khatun bagged 3 for 7 including the prized scalp of Sophie Devine.But Bangladesh imploded in the chase under the weight of history and an experienced and disciplined New Zealand attack. They failed to find the boundary or rotate the strike. Two calamitous run-outs triggered a collapse before Hayley Jensen strangled the tail with some wonderful stump-to-stump bowling to take 3 for 11 from her four overs and claim Player of the Match honours. Nigar Sultana fought bravely making 21 in an innings where she was forced to retire hurt for a period after a blow to the face but they came up short.The result sets up a virtual quarter-final against Australia at the Junction Oval on Monday, with the winner to progress to the semi-final alongside India from Group A.Priest dries up DevineHaving started the tournament with an unbeaten 75 to register a world record sixth consecutive T20I score of 50 or more, Devine’s run of form has come to a grinding halt, but her opening partner Rachel Priest was partly responsible. Bangladesh’s bowlers kept Devine from the strike in the powerplay just as India did in the previous game. She faced just 15 balls in the first 6.5 overs as Priest chewed up deliveries at the other end without doing any damage to the scoreboard. Panna Ghosh, who was strangely omitted from the game against Australia, Fahima Khatun and Salma Khatun bowled superbly to their fields on a surface that had plenty of grass. Priest and Devine could not find any timing against the slow pace and spin. Priest faced 15 dot balls while Devine was at the crease and the skipper eventually succumbed slicing a catch to point. Priest then fell lbw to Salma Khatun attempting a sweep, and burnt New Zealand’s only review as well, having made 25 from 32 with 18 dots.Moni causes mayhemMoni had not played in Bangladesh’s opening two matches and had not played an international since taking 3 for 1 against Maldives in December last year. But she immediately made an impact castling the world’s number one T20 batter in Suzie Bates with outstanding delivery that nipped back through the gate. New Zealand’s collapse then featured all the stereotypical panicked dismissals. Maddy Green was stumped trying a wild slog having not found the boundary in 15 balls, Hayley Jensen was run out in ridiculous circumstances next ball and Katey Martin offered a return catch to Rumana Ahmed which was dropped, but it bounced off her hands onto the non-striker’s stumps with Jensen unable to get back to safe ground. Moni then forced mistake after mistake through disciplined lines and lengths and her fielders backed her up with Fahima Khatun taking two more sharp chances at point while Fargana Hoque took a phenomenal diving catch running in from deep midwicket to dismiss Anna Peterson. New Zealand folded to be bowled out with 10 balls left in the innings.Dots build pressureBangladesh’s required run-rate was just 4.55 for an historic victory. They started the chase well thanks to two classy strikes down the ground from Murshida Khatun, a dropped catch at slip from Amelia Kerr and a wayward over from Lea Tahuhu that featured four wides. At 0 for 17 from 2.5 overs, Murshida fell to a top edge trying to sweep Leigh Kasperek. Devine and New Zealand then squeezed Bangladesh over the next six overs. Devine took all the pace off turning to Hayley Jensen and her spinners. Ayasha Rahman holed out trying to clear the infield off Jensen. Devine attacked with her field, posting a catching cover, a short leg and a slip at different stages. Bangladesh faced 41 dots in the first nine overs and did not find the boundary in the first three overs after the powerplay. The rate slowed so dramatically that equation reached more than a run-a-ball in the 10th over.Salt in the woundsSultana held the key as Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, but she was forced to retire hurt in the 10th over after being hit in the face attempting to sweep Peterson. She got a top edge that ricocheted into her jaw, just underneath the grill of the helmet and she was driven off the ground on a cart. Bangladesh then did their own damage with two horrible run-outs. Hoque attempted to drop and run to cover but Moni called no and Devine swooped to leave Hoque stranded. She gave Moni a verbal spray on her way off for not responding, which was ringing in Moni’s ears two overs later when she over-committed anticipating a tight drop and run from Rumana Ahmed. The call to run never came despite Moni running halfway down and she was left stranded and staring at a dumbfounded Rumana. Devine turned the screws. Jensen pinned Rumana plumb in front and Sobhana Mostary holed out as the rate got out of hand. Kerr then produced a stunning wrong ‘un to clean bowl Jahanara Alum for a first-ball duck. Sultana returned to bat with Bangladesh eight wickets down and 35 runs needed from just 20 balls. She found the boundary twice but picked out Devine in the last over with all hopes dashed.