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Exciting La Liga stars Lamine Yamal and Arda Guler clashed on the pitch during Sunday's World Cup qualifier between Spain and Turkey.

• Youngsters face off during Spain vs Turkey
• Guler's frustrations boil over late on
• Yamal gets two assists in impressive win

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Spain thrashed Turkey 6-0 in World Cup qualifying in a match that saw the Barcelona wonderkid come up against rising Real Madrid star Guler. Yamal enjoyed himself on the night, grabbing two assists as La Roja crushed the hosts. It was a tough night for Turkey, and Guler, with the Real Madrid youngster's frustrations boiling over at one point as he clashed with Yamal.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After Spain had netted their sixth goal, Guler was seen giving Yamal a hefty push. The Barcelona teenager did not appear to take too kindly to the gesture and immediately moved forwards again, only to receive another push from his opponent. 

• WHAT GULER SAID

  Guler had spoken about Yamal before the match and had been full of praise for the Barcelona forward. He told reporters: "I’m not surprised by what Lamine Yamal is doing because he has a lot of talent. He will do everything to make things difficult for us, but we also have a lot of potential and will play with great confidence."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The two youngster don't have too long to wait until they meet again on the pitch. The first Clasico of the 2025-26 season is scheduled for October 26th at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Newcastle United had scored through Alexander Isak's penalty. Nottingham Forest, without a win in seven matches and losing lionised manager Steve Cooper as a result, were surely headed for further misery.

But Newcastle's faltering form proved to unravel what promised to be a triumphant day at St. James' Park, and Chris Wood came back to haunt his former club with a well-taken hat-trick to offer some respite.

PIF eyeing Newcastle deal to sign "great" goalkeeper in January

This could be a shrewd move by the Magpies…

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 28, 2023

The Magpies, having qualified for the Champions League last season, have now lost six matches from their past seven across all competitions and are in dire need of some reinforcements, having been decimated by injuries across the campaign.

Eddie Howe will remain convinced of his squad's ability to succeed in the Premier League, but there is no disputing the fact that something needs to change in January, with recent rumours suggesting that a summer transfer target could now make the move to Tyneside.

Newcastle transfer news – Kalvin Phillips

According to the Daily Telegraph, Newcastle bosses are confident that a deal can be struck to sign Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips on loan for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Magpies are desperate to fortify their squad with impactful signings this winter but are constrained by Profit and Sustainability rules, effectively restricting the options available in the transfer market.

Phillips would be allowed to depart the Etihad Stadium on loan and would bring industriousness and Premier League experience, with Howe and United's technical director Dan Ashworth hoping to agree a deal swiftly.

Transfer specialist Rudy Galetti has confirmed that the club are "set to open talks" to sign their number one target, but with Juventus also pushing for a deal, it's right that efforts are made early to secure his services.

Kalvin Phillips' Manchester City career in numbers

Having dazzled with Leeds United and played an instrumental role in his boyhood club's rise from the Championship and sublime return to the Premier League, Phillips turned the heads of more than a few top European outfits.

And when Manchester City came calling in 2022, the 28-year-old couldn't resist the allure of English football's standout side and completed a £45m transfer.

However, a dream move turned into a nightmare when injuries precluded a chance at wedging his way into a prominent position, and the £150k-per-week ace would ultimately only start four matches across the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign as the Sky Blues won the treble.

Despite a full pre-season under his belt this summer, Phillips' fortunes have not turned any brighter and he remains marooned on the fringe of one of English football's greatest squads.

Often, pragmatism is a virtue and it seems that all parties have accepted that a change of scenery would be apt for Phillips' future, and Newcastle are only too happy to accommodate.

Kalvin Phillips' style of play

At his best, Phillips is a tenacious and cultured midfielder with a wealth of tools fit to serve a squad like Newcastle's challenge for continental qualification.

The 31-cap England star was fantastic as Leeds recorded a ninth-placed Premier League finish in 2020/21, on their return, captivating with their offensive efforts and winning over supporters through their energy and expression.

Across 29 appearances that season, he made 2.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game and completed 85% of his passes, leading The Times' Henry Winter to marvel over his all-encompassing skill set.

As per FBref, Phillips ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 9% for shots taken, the top 7% for clearances and the top 19% for aerial wins per 90.

While he has only received limited action over the past 12 months, such statistics do highlight the crispness and composure that Phillips holds within his skill set.

Once described as a “monster” of a midfielder by former Crystal Palace maverick Yannick Bolasie, Phillips' struggle to make an impact under Pep Guardiola's tutelage does not define him as a player, and he would be a credit to Newcastle's impressive team, perhaps even merging with Bruno Guimaraes in the centre to revive the squad's success.

Imagine Kalvin Phillips & Bruno Guimares

Howe is the mastermind behind Newcastle's stunning rise to the fore since the PIF takeover in 2021, but the £40m acquisition of Lyon midfielder Guimaraes has proved to be one of the most influential additions to any Premier League side in recent memory.

Having now amassed 84 displays for Newcastle, scoring 11 goals and supplying nine assists, the Brazilian is regarded as one of the division's standout stars, with teammate Dan Burn even dubbing him "world-class" for his performances.

Ranking among the top 16% of midfielders for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, the 26-year-old is the perfect orchestrator in the centre, but Sandro Tonali was signed in the summer to complement his style, and after struggling to acclimatise the Italian was banned from football for ten months in October for breaching betting rules.

Once hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Josh Bunting, Phillips is composed and assured in his passing and could offer the kind of style to allow Guimaraes to assume an even more remarkable role.

While Newcastle probably need to make several signings to combat the injury problems, Phillips' availability on a loan deal marks an excellent opportunity to complete an astute move, and Howe must ensure that this one gets over the line.

Three-member panel that picked Ravi Shastri as head coach asked to respond by October 10

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Sep-2019BCCI ethics officer, Justice (retd.) DK Jain, has served a notice to all three members on the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) led by Kapil Dev, asking them to explain the alleged conflict of interest charge pressed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.Justice Jain has asked all three CAC members to respond to the charge by October 10, failing which he would be forced to draw his own conclusions on the matter.In his complaint to Justice Jain, Gupta has alleged that all three CAC members have multiple points of conflict. Kapil is part of the steering committee of the newly formed, BCCI-funded Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA). He is also one of its directors. Kapil also works as an expert for Indian television channels. As for Anshuman Gaekwad, it is alleged that in addition to working as a pundit on TV, he is also part of the BCCI’s Member Affiliation Committee, which grants membership to state associations. Gaekwad, too, is part of the ICA’s steering group, as is the third member, Shanta Rangaswamy, who is also an ICA director.Gupta had sent his complaint to Justice Jain immediately after the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had appointed former Indian cricketers Kapil, Gaekwad and Rangaswamy to the CAC to shortlist and appoint a head coach for the Indian men’s team. The CAC has since re-appointed Ravi Shastri in that position till 2021 T20 World Cup.Gupta had pressed similar charges against the members of the previous CAC – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – for carrying out multiple roles in Indian cricket, when the rules dictate that one person can hold just one position. During the hearing of the case, Tendulkar submitted that he had decided not to be part of any BCCI committee, so Justice Jain let him off. But he did uphold the charges against Ganguly and Laxman.Even the appointment of the Kapil-led CAC had not been straightforward. It was assembled for the first time late last year to pick the Indian woman’s head coach, with former Tamil Nadu captain and India opener WV Raman eventually taking charge.However, Diana Edulji, former India woman’s team captain, who is part of the CoA, had expressed her dissatisfaction with the entire process and asked the BCCI ombudsman – also Justice Jain – to intervene. There has been no final verdict on that matter as yet.Once Gupta had filed conflict charges against Kapil, Gaekwad and Ramaswamy, Edulji told her fellow CoA members – Vinod Rai and Ravindra Thodge – that all three CAC members should first give a written undertaking before proceeding to pick the men’s head coach.

Leeds United have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to secure Premier League survival.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Leeds Live, Frank Lampard revealed that he will be able to call upon each of Michael Keane and Donny van de Beek – both of whom missed the 3-2 defeat against Brentford last weekend due to injury – for Everton’s fixture against Crystal Palace on Thursday evening.

The 43-year-old also revealed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ben Godfrey will be available for selection at Goodison Park, however, the former Chelsea boss claimed that it is currently unclear as to whether Godfrey will be fit enough to feature from the off.

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Concerning the current state of his squad, Lampard said: “Ben may be in the squad and that more a testament to him as he’s striving to get fit. He is in the squad but I will make a decision on whether he is involved at all. Michael Keane has recovered and Donny van de Beek will also be in the squad. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fine too.”

Supporters will be gutted

With Leeds’ hopes of securing survival on the final day of the season – something which FiveThirtyEight predict there is currently a 40% chance of – being severely dented should Everton pick up all three points against Palace tomorrow evening, the news that Lampard looks set to have all of Keane, Van de Beek, Calvert-Lewin and Godfrey available is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful gutted.

Indeed, according to SofaScore data, Keane, Calvert-Lewin and Godfrey currently rank as the Toffees’ fifth, ninth and 14th-best performers in the top flight of English football, while Van de Beek proved during his time at Ajax – scoring 41 goals and registering 34 assists over 175 appearances in the Netherlands – that he is a talent who can always provide a moment of inspiration for his team.

As such, the news that the quartet all look as if they will play some sort of role on Thursday night is undoubtedly awful news for the Whites’ survival hopes this season – as an Everton win, coupled with a Burnley victory over Aston Villa tomorrow evening, would all but represent the final nail in the coffin for Jesse Marsch and his side this term.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “incredible” £40m target, he’s “one to keep an eye on”

The fast bowler said he had been available for the T20Is, but the acting director of cricket said they couldn’t select him

Liam Brickhill14-Aug-2019Cricket South Africa have said that Dale Steyn was not “medically ready” to be selected for South Africa’s upcoming tour to India. Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket last week, turning his focus entirely to limited overs cricket, but was one of the notable absentees when the T20I squad for the trip to India was announced on Tuesday.Another player missing from the T20 squad was allrounder Chris Morris, whose national contract expired after the World Cup and who did not make himself available for selection for the tour. But it appears that Steyn thought himself available for selection, taking to Twitter to write: “I did … obviously lost my number in the reshuffling of coaching staff.”Responding to a tweet from journalist Neil Manthorp, who dryly suggested that the selectors might be saving Steyn for “big” games, Steyn responded: “Apologies to Virat and a billion people for thinking they not.”

However, CSA acting Director of Cricket Corrie van Zyl has suggested that Steyn was not yet fit enough to be selected for the tour. “He is not yet medically ready and our information makes that very clear,” van Zyl told Sport24. Steyn aggravated an old injury in his right shoulder while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore – Kohli’s team – in the IPL in May, and though he was named in South Africa’s squad for the World Cup subsequently, he failed to recover in time and was ultimately ruled out.Unlike Morris, Steyn is still contracted by CSA, having retained his national contract for the 2019-20 season in limited overs cricket. After the trip to India, South Africa’s next limited overs engagements come at home against England in February 2020, with the limited overs leg of England’s tour including three ODIs and three T20Is.Steyn is not the only player upon whose fitness CSA are sweating, with Vernon Philander and Theunis de Bruyn – both named in the Test squad – currently recovering from injuries, Philander to his hamstring and de Bruyn his back.”Both are on track, but they will have to play one match before the tour to prove that they are fully fit,” van Zyl said.

Ruben Amorim has insisted he will not stray from his 3-4-3 formation even as he continues to struggle in charge of Manchester United.

• Coach sticking with 3-4-3 shape
• Still believes it can bring Man Utd success
• Will not blame system for Grimsby defeat

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese is facing his most difficult period yet after United failed to win either of their first two Premier League games of the season and then suffered one of the most embarrassing results of their entire history when they exited the Carabao Cup at the hands of fourth division Grimsby Town. But despite the problems he is encountering Amorim will not use an alternative to the tactical shape he has used throughout his coaching career.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Antonio Conte is the only manager to win the Premier League playing a 3-4-3 formation and although Oliver Glasner has had success with the shape at Crystal Palace and Vitor Pereira got good results playing in the same style with Wolves last season, the coaches, like Amorim, are outliers. Amorim has won just seven of his 29 league matches and the terrible display at Grimsby showed the limits of playing it even against lower league opposition. The coach, however, said that he told United's hierarchy he could make the system work when he was interviewed for the job last year and insisted he still feels that way.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  "They asked me, before I arrived can you play this system? I will say, I will do my system no matter what," Amorim told a press conference. "If it's okay for you, it's okay. And then in the future, I could change. I could wake up in one morning and say, I understand that for my idea of football, it's better to change right away. I just want to win. But if I'm going to change because something is not working and I don't believe, players will understand. This guy is telling you one thing, he's not believing in the other thing. So it's not about the system. We lost against Grimsby about the system? In the first half, I didn't know the system. So, it’s not the system."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amorim revealed that he had never played in a 3-4-3 formation during his playing career, either at club or international level. But he said it was not an inflexible shape and explained it can be tweaked to suit different scenarios. He said: "I played all my life in the 4-4-2, 4-3-3. The only system that I didn't play one minute was 3-4-3. So I know all the systems. I just have one idea that we need to be so good in this way of playing, then we are going to adapt. It's like some coaches have a mentality that I'm going to put this system, and then I'm going to change. What I'm thinking is that we have one system that is going to adapt to different systems, and then when everyone is doing this with his eyes shut, I'm going to change a lot of things."

The ACB has said the wicketkeeper did not adhere to a policy that requires players to seek the board’s permission before travelling out of the country

Umar Farooq10-Aug-2019The Afghanistan Cricket Board has suspended Mohammad Shahzad for an indefinite period due to a breach of the board’s code of conduct.According to an ACB release, Shahzad did not adhere to a policy that requires players to seek the board’s permission before travelling out of the country.In addition, the ACB said Shahzad had been summoned to meet the board’s disciplinary committee on July 20 and 25, “in relation to a disciplinary matter during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019”, and had failed to show up. The disciplinary committee, the release stated, would meet after the Eid holiday to decide on further sanctions.ESPNcricinfo understands that Shahzad is based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and was recently seen practising there. Last year, the ACB had fined Shahzad and asked him to relocate to Afghanistan permanently or risk having his contract terminated.Shahzad spent his early years in a refugee camp in Peshawar, but his parents are originally from Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Like many of his Afghanistan team-mates, Shahzad grew up near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; he also got married in Peshawar. A significant number of Afghans, once refugees, now reside in Pakistan, mainly in Peshawar, registered in the country as temporary residents.The suspension is the latest development in a testing phase in Shahzad’s career. In June, he was sent home early from the World Cup in England and Wales, ostensibly with a knee injury, but the wicketkeeper-batsman insisted he was fit and claimed he had been unfairly left out.

David de Gea is reportedly open to plying his trade in Serie A as he continues to search for a new club amid MLS rumours.

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• De Gea ready to join Genoa
• Has been a free agent since leaving United
• Keen to rekindle his career with a top-flight outfit

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Genoa, one of Italy's oldest football clubs, has presented De Gea with a transfer opportunity during the current summer window. At 33, De Gea is considering this offer seriously as he looks to rekindle his illustrious career in a top-flight league in Europe.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Genoa seek to strengthen their goalkeeping options following the sale of Josep Martinez to Inter Milan. The manager Alberto Gilardino is convinced that De Gea could provide stability as the last line of defence as they look to break into the top half of the standings after finishing 11th in 2023-24.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  De Gea's departure from Manchester United marked the end of a remarkable 12-year period during which he established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. His tenure at United was decorated with numerous accolades, including eight major trophies and 545 appearances. Even in his final season with United, he made 58 appearances and secured the Premier League Golden Glove award.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA?

  The former United star has remained active during his time as a free agent, training at the facilities of non-league club Altrincham. This commitment to his craft has kept him in peak condition, ready for the right opportunity to return to the game. De Gea had reportedly received interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United States, but the talks fell through and now he appears to be intrigued by the possibility of playing in Serie A.

According to a report from Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias (via Sport Witness), Wolverhampton Wanderers are now in a three-way battle for Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha. 

The lowdown: Replacements needed…

Wolves could be in the market for at least one central midfielder as experienced star Joao Moutinho fast approaches the end of his contract at Molineux (Transfermarrkt).

As things stand the 35-year-old will move on this summer, whilst Leander Dendonker has been linked with a move to SS Lazio and talismanic star Ruben Neves continues to be indexed with a big-money departure.

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With doubts lingering over the aforementioned trio, it’s no surprise that Wolves are already being touted with possible successors…

The latest: Premier League transfer battle

As per Jornal de Notícias, translated by SW, Wolves are one of the ‘main interested’ clubs in Palhinha alongside Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s claimed that Sporting will listen to offers of around €30-40million (£25-34million) for the 26-year-old Portugal international.

The report states that Palhinha – who was described as ‘brilliant’ and the ‘most underrated player in Portugal’ by journalist Zach Lowy – is a personal priority for Bruno Lage this summer.

The verdict: Make it happen

As the Wanderers prepare for life after at least one of their current midfielders, ready-made additions will be a necessity if Lage is going to push the side forwards once again next term.

Albeit the 2021/22 campaign has been a success overall, the heavy defeat at the hands of Manchester City and the recent form moreover has acted as a stark reminder as to how far away Wolves are from the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Predominantly operating as a defensive-minded midfielder, Palhinha has a Sofascore rating of 7.11 this season in the Primeira Liga, winning an impressive 7.1 duels and making 3.0 tackles on average per game.

Those combative attributes would suggest that the 12-cap international ace could be the ideal candidate to replace Moutinho or Dendonker in the Molineux ranks, particularly at the lower end of the mooted valuation.

In other news, Wolves have been backed to sign a Premier League attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged regarding Manchester United and soon to be free agent Paulo Dybala.

The Lowdown: Old Trafford meeting

Dybala is out of contract with Juventus at the end of June and looks destined to leave the Italian giants for nothing over the summer.

Reports last month suggested that new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was pushing for a move for Dybala, with the forward’s representatives already meeting with Old Trafford chiefs regarding a potential move.

Ten Hag has been told to scour the free transfer market, and it looks as if one of the most valuable soon to be free agents could be on his way to England.

The Latest: Agent in London

Sports Witness relayed an update from Sky Sports Italia regarding Dybala on Friday. They claimed that the Argentine’s agent, Jorge Antun, ‘is in London’ to ‘test the waters’ and ‘listen to proposals’.

Manchester United were name-checked in the report, saying it is ‘possible’ an €8m-a-year salary at Old Trafford could be offered.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Ten Hag looks certain to be short of central attacking options over the summer, with Edinson Cavani set to leave on a free transfer. Therefore, bringing in Dybala, valued at £36m, for nothing would be a shrewd move. The 28-year-old can play anywhere in a front four and has scored 115 times for Juventus in 291 games.

He’s also been in fine form in 2021/22, contributing to 21 goals in 37 games, and with United keen to explore the free transfer market, now could be the best time to act by securing a pre-contract agreement.

An €8m-a-year salary would work out at around £130,000-a-week, which would put him on less than both Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof, so you could argue that the Red Devils could even comfortably up that offer with no transfer fee involved.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd have now agreed key deal for ‘important’ Old Trafford move.