Nottinghamshire confirmed their status as the dominant force in English T20 cricket, sealing a second Blast title in four seasons by chasing down 128 with 16 balls to spare in a 16-over final against Surrey.Fittingly, Ben Duckett and Dan Christian were their stars on the night: after his semi-final nightmare in 2019, Duckett leapt into the freezing Birmingham air to celebrate heaving Gareth Batty through straight midwicket for the winning boundary, before Christian, the club’s overseas player since 2015 and one of the format’s best captains worldwide, lifted him off his feet with a heartfelt embrace.Notts have won more games that anyone else in the last four seasons of the Blast, and have reached the quarter-finals every year since 2015. They were the competition’s oldest side with an average age above 30 and more than 1700 T20 appearances between them – confirming captain Christian’s pre-tournament proclamation that “old blokes win stuff” – and the only team to field two overseas players throughout.Their triumph this year came despite the injury-enforced absence of Harry Gurney for the whole competition; Jake Ball, the Blast’s leading wicket-taker, might not have got a game had Gurney been fit. While Surrey had been earmarked as favourites by some after a nine-game winning streak, Notts were the rightful victors.Roy, Evans lead recoveryAfter being asked to bat first, Surrey struggled to find their gears. Hashim Amla, recalled after being left out of their semi-final win, eked out 3 off 10 balls, surviving a stumping chance only to hole out to cover immediately after, while Jason Roy was dropped by Peter Trego on 2. When Will Jacks skied a catch to Christian, running back at mid-off, Surrey were 24 for 2 after their 4.5 overs of Powerplay; Samit Patel, who took 1 for 25 from his four overs, was particularly frugal.But Roy and Laurie Evans counterpunched, adding 90 in a violent third-wicket stand that lasted only 8.4 overs. Perhaps unexpectedly, it was Evans who was the main aggressor, scoring heavily through wide mid-on and extra cover and finding the middle of the bat almost every ball.Roy, meanwhile, was more sedate, but still accelerated up to a strike rate of 140, tucking into Nottinghamshire’s spinners and pounding boundaries over the off side. With the two of them set heading into the final four overs, 160 was on the cards.Christian pulls it backAfter Imad Wasim’s final over went for only eight runs, Evans holed out to deep midwicket off Christian, and Surrey’s lack of middle-order hitters became apparent. Jamie Overton was promoted to No. 5, but felt first ball courtesy of a superb flying catch by wicketkeeper Tom Moores, before Ball went round the wicket to trap Roy lbw.In Christian’s final over, Ben Foakes picked out Duckett at deep midwicket, and when Liam Plunkett – strangely batting below Foakes and Rory Burns – holed out to Alex Hales at long-on, Surrey had managed 24 for 5 in the final four overs, without hitting a single boundary.Notts’ shaky startFollowing an underwhelming run in the Blast, Hales had signalled his intentions to finish with a flourish ahead of the quarter-finals. But after being bowled by the Parkinson twins in the quarter and the semi, he pulled the first ball of the chase to deep square leg to give Reece Topley an early breakthrough.Joe Clarke slog-swept Will Jacks straight to deep backward square leg in the second over, and Samit Patel, promoted to No. 4 after languishing at No. 8 for most of the tournament, holed out to Burns at long-on twice in three balls: the first chance was spilled, the second gobbled up.That left Notts in a hole at 19 for 3 after 3.3 overs, with Trego – 14 months after his last Blast appearance and in his first T20 for his new club at the ripe old age of 39 – striding out at No. 5.Duckett rights a wrongDuckett sank to his haunches on Finals Day last year, failing to lay bat on ball needing only a single off the last ball of the semi-final against Worcestershire. Here, promoted to open after Chris Nash’s injury and with wickets tumbling around him, he continued to attack Surrey’s spinners in particular, pulling powerfully to keep things ticking.As Trego freed his arms, flaying a 21-ball 31 and cashing in against Overton and Plunkett’s wayward middle overs, Duckett happily ticked over, taking responsibility in a way that he had failed to last season. After Trego was incorrectly given out lbw to Daniel Moriarty, Duckett and Christian came together and decided not to risk taking the game into the last over, as they had in the nerve-jangling quarter-final against Leicestershire.Instead, they added 47 in 26 balls for the fifth wicket, punishing drag-downs and slot balls in ruthless fashion. With seven to win from the final three overs, Duckett nailed Batty for two boundaries through the leg side and set off in celebration. With the government’s 10pm curfew in place, celebrations will be confined to the dressing room, but it seems unlikely that Notts will care.

Michael Carrick is arguably one of the most underrated players to have ever graced the Premier League, let alone Manchester United.

The artist playing in the defensive midfield role made 464 appearances for the Red Devils before leaving in 2018.

For context of just how unbelievably talented he truly was, even Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said, “He’s one of the best holding midfielders I’ve ever seen in my life.”

So, have they replaced him? Arguably not. Let's take a look at a defensive midfield target who could fill the void left by Carrick, a player who has has plenty of similarities to a certain Declan Rice.

Man Utd’s quest to find a defensive midfielder

According to a report from journalist Shaun Connolly, Man Utd are interested in signing Ben Sheaf from Coventry City.

The midfielder joined the Championship club permanently in 2021 after coming through the ranks at Arsenal.

It’s mentioned that the Englishman “impressed” all season, as well as against the Red Devils at Wembley in the FA Cup.

Sheaf wouldn’t exactly break the bank, as a fee of £21m would secure his services this summer, which is an indication of the type of signing Ratcliffe will look to make.

How Sheaf compares to Carrick and Rice

Six years on from his exit, Man United still haven’t been able to acquire a midfielder of a similar class and standard to Carrick.

Even The Athletic produced an article on the absence of a replacement for the former United icon, saying that a whole host of attributes have been missing since his departure.

Those were listed as: “Passing ability, vision, controlling of the tempo, understanding of the game, and positioning in and out of possession.”

It’s quite clear that almost every attribute mentioned above is key for a number six, and Sheaf could just serve as the solution to United’s Carrick dilemma.

As you can see below, Sheaf has plenty of characteristics that mirror those of the current Middlesbrough manager.

Sheaf & Rice 23/24 League Stats vs Carrick 15/16 PL Stats
Stats	Sheaf	Rice	Carrick
Touches	76.5	71.8	64.7
Passes completed	49.9	53.1	48.4
Pass accuracy	85%	91%	86%
Passes completed (Opp half)	28.3	31.2	29
Tackles	3.4	2.2	1.5
Interceptions	1.4	1.2	1.6
Duels won	6.4	4.1	2.9
Via Sofascore

Firstly, they are both extremely technical players who are able to dictate the tempo of play and control a game with ease, whether that’s using one-touch passes or baiting a press with touches.

The duo also retain the ball brilliantly, as shown by their pass accuracy, and they’re not afraid to step further forward to make their team more dominant and even serve as a threat from range, as shown by their completed passes in the opposition half and the clip below.

On the other hand, Sheaf and Carrick also provide plenty of defensive security, not only because of their ability to execute defensive actions but also because of their reading of the game.

Another vital aspect of the Coventry midfielder's game is that he is a “monster” when it comes to winning the ball back, as per football writer Raj Chohan.

He also said that Sheaf is “Rice-esque” in terms of his ability to cover ground with ease, and the statistics further highlight their similarities, in terms of defensive dominance and technical class.

This in particular has been a huge issue at United this season, with Casemiro lacking the athleticism to match the speed of the Premier League, as shown by the fact he was dribbled past 2.2 times per game last season.

Overall, Sheaf would be a fantastic signing, and he has everything that a Premier League side would want in a defensive midfielder. Could he just become the new Carrick and United's very own Rice?

Man Utd eyeing Casemiro replacement who’d be a "monster" next to Mainoo

The Man Utd target is now a “priority.”

By
Tom Lever

Jun 5, 2024

Looking for more summer arrivals after securing another loan deal for Timo Werner, Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly turned their attention towards Euro 2024 and one particular in-demand star.

Tottenham transfer news

The rumours have been coming thick and fast regarding potential incomings at Spurs this summer, which has seen the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Jonathan David and Marcus Edwards all linked with a move. David would be a particularly interesting watch and an arrival to possibly finally replace Harry Kane a year after his departure to star for Bayern Munich.

The Lille forward enjoyed yet another excellent campaign in Ligue 1 last time out, scoring 26 goals in all competitions, and could now help Ange Postecoglou bridge the gap on the Premier League's top four, freeing Heung-min Son from the role of leading the line in the process. Only time will tell whether the Lilywhites manage to seal such a deal before their opening-day game against Leicester City.

It's not just David that the North London club have their eye on either. According to The Mirror, Spurs are in pole position to sign Lutsharel Geertruida ahead of Liverpool this summer in a deal that could be worth £25m. What's more, Caught Offside have claimed that the Lilywhites have now offered the right-back a contract in a vital step towards a possible move.

Tottenham now prepared to pay £38 million asking price for Euro 2024 star

Spurs have accelerated their move in “recent days”.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2024

Geertruida came from the bench to help the Netherlands earn a 0-0 draw against France recently and will hope to play more of a part as the tournament goes on, before sealing his future. Given that Postecoglou's side suffered without squad depth last season, Geertruida's ability to play as a right-back, centre-back and defensive midfielder makes him an ideal option to turn to this summer.

"Amazing" Geertruida could be an upgrade on Hojbjerg

Whilst much of the focus has been on potential incomings, Spurs look likely to be bidding farewell to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer in a move that will leave a gaping hole in their squad that Geertruida can instantly fill.

Such is the 23-year-old's versatility, Postecoglou would be getting three options in one, whether that be cover for Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven or, indeed, a replacement for Hojbjerg.

Goals

8

0

Assists

5

0

Tackles Won Per 90

0.92

1.23

Ball Recoveries Per 90

5.38

8.29

Minutes

3,038

1.311

Whilst Hojbjerg outperformed his potential replacement off the ball, it's clear that Geertruida's hand in goals is an element that would only benefit Spurs, especially if they remain without a replacement for Kane this summer.

It's a rise that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig has seen coming since 2022, when he was full of praise for the Feyenoord star, dubbing a particular week in Geertruida's career as "amazing" and the right-back a "gem". Now, it's Spurs who could benefit in abundance. Still just 23 years old, Geetrruida is certainly one to watch this summer.

The star allrounder, returning after a year-long ban, will arrive in Dhaka from Minnesota this week

Mohammad Isam04-Nov-2020Shakib Al Hasan, whose international ban ended late last month, is among 113 cricketers who must pass a fitness test – to be conducted on November 9 and 10 – before making it to the draft of the upcoming Bangabandhu T20 tournament.A total of 80 cricketers, including Shakib, will be tested on the first day at the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s indoor facility, supervised by the board’s strength and conditioning coaches. None of them need to undergo a Covid-19 test, though they have been asked to follow health protocols.The 12-month ban on the star allrounder, for failing to report corrupt approaches, ended on October 29. Shakib is currently in Minnesota, but is expected to arrive in Dhaka later this week.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said last week that the board wanted Shakib to play the T20 tournament, the second event in the 2020-21 domestic season, which doesn’t have too much cricket as Bangladesh is recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 situation.ALSO READ: The coaches behind the success of Bangladesh’s best playersIn October, the BCB held a three-team President’s Cup, where 46 cricketers – from the Bangladesh preliminary squad for the postponed Sri Lanka series and from the high-performance set-up – were picked. The Bangabandhu tournament is likely to be a five-team competition, beginning in late November, with the BCB, which has been trying to bring cricket back in the country slowly, managing the bio-secure bubbles.It is the board’s continuous attempt to slowly bring back all the domestic competitions one by one, but not without managing the bio-bubble on their own in these two tournaments.Apart from Shakib, 31 Bangladesh internationals have been called up for the tests, including Nasir Hossain, Sohag Gazi and Shahriar Nafees, who haven’t been in the scheme of things for the national team for a long while – 35-year-old Nafees last played internationally in April 2013.The rest of the group is made up of first-class or club-level cricketers who played in last season’s National Cricket League, the Bangladesh Cricket League, and the Dhaka Premier League. Many of these cricketers have been training in the nets and gyms, and some have even participated in small T20 tournaments around the country to stay fit, as they haven’t played any competitive cricket since mid-March.

Robin Van Persie, Thierry Henry and Ian Wright are just three of the iconic forwards that have starred during their respective spells with Arsenal, all becoming fan-favourites during their time with the Gunners.

However in 2024, despite the emergence of talents such as Bukayo Saka, the club are desperately lacking that focal point at the top end of the pitch that can catapult Mikel Arteta’s side to the Premier League title.

His side came within touching distance of success last season, finishing just two points behind eventual champions Manchester City, despite having the best defensive record in the division.

Erling Haaland undoubtedly proved to be the difference in the title race, with his 27 league goals leading the blue half of Manchester to a fourth league triumph in the last five years.

He's like Haaland: Arsenal want £42m star who outscored Havertz & Jesus

The goal-scoring “sensation” could fire the Gunners to the Premier League title.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 17, 2024

Arsenal’s top scorer was the aforementioned Saka who managed to find the net on 16 occasions, with Arteta crying out for the one striker who can deliver 20+ to boost their efforts of ending the 20-year drought without a league title in North London.

The club have constantly been linked with numerous forwards, but they appear to have narrowed it down to one target after missing out on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal prepare bid for talented striker

According to Area Napoli, Arsenal are preparing a bid to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen this summer to try and combat their lack of presence in the central forward role.

The 25-year-old, who has a £102m release clause, could be set to depart the Italian side this summer, with interest from Arteta’s side as well as French outfit PSG.

However, it’s thought Osimhen would cost no way near his exit clause, with Napoli looking to offload the forward. The striker, who scored 15 goals in Serie A last season, allegedly wants a move to the Premier League.

He would certainly provide a presence that Arsenal have been missing and prove to be an upgrade on one player who is currently a part of the Gunners’ squad.

Why Osimhen would be an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus

Current Gunners' striker Gabriel Jesus has struggled with injuries at the Emirates in recent months, missing 16 games in the 2023/24 campaign with various knee and hamstring problems.

He still managed to score four goals in the Premier League, but he was unable to get anywhere near Osimhen’s tally, who found the net on 15 occasions in two fewer outings.

The Nigerian has averaged 0.7 goals per 90 over the last 12 months – a figure that is nearly four times higher than the Brazilian who lacks the clinical nature needed by a striker under Arteta.

Games

25

27

Goals

15

4

Goals per 90

0.7

0.2

Shots per 90

3.9

3.4

Percentage of shots on target

42%

35%

Aerials won

44%

28%

He’s also managed more shots per 90, putting 42% of his efforts on target – giving Arsenal the added threat they desire and proving to be a more clinical alternative to the former Manchester City attacker.

Arsenal have also enjoyed success with crosses and set pieces, with Arteta’s side averaging 4.6 crosses per 90, at a success rate of just 26%, with Osimhen’s tally of 44% aerial duels won adding the threat in the air the Gunners have been crying out for in the attacking third.

Although he would be a hefty investment, the Nigerian "monster" as described by analyst Raj Chohan, would provide a different dimension at the top end of the pitch, with his qualities dramatically improving Arsenal’s already potent attack.

He would prove to be a huge upgrade on Jesus, as backed up by the table above. Would it be worth spending as much as they did on Declan Rice? With Osimhen having the ability to hugely bolster Arsenal’s chances of ending their drought without a Premier League title, of course it would.

What Arsenal’s starting XI could look like after £300m spending spree

Arsenal could have a massive summer ahead of them if they are to finally overtake Manchester City.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 16, 2024

The European Championships may have grabbed the footballing world's attention over the last week or so, but like the rest of the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur have a busy summer of transfers to prepare for.

The Lilywhites enjoyed a bumpy first season under Ange Postecoglou that ended in Europa League qualification, but if the Australian is going to succeed in taking the club back to the top, he'll need to have the best players at his disposal.

So, it's good news that, based on recent reports, he could soon have a new clinical number nine in his squad who could form a deadly partnership with Son Heung-min.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed personal terms with Brentford striker Ivan Toney ahead of a potential move.

However, the report has also claimed that the Bees have turned down the Lilywhites' initial £40m bid and that while they value the Englishman at £65m, an offer of around £55m should be enough to seal the deal.

It won't be a cheap deal to complete, but given how impressive Toney's goalscoring record was before this season, it's probably one worth pursuing, especially as his link-up with Son has the potential to be brilliant.

Why Toney would be a great teammate for Son

Now, the elephant in the room is Toney's record this season following his return from his eight-month football ban for betting offences.

In 17 appearances, the 28-year-old managed a reasonable if unspectacular return of just four goals and two assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.8 games.

Appearances

37

35

17

Goals

14

21

4

Assists

6

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

0.74

0.35

However, it would be incredibly unfair to judge him solely on those 17 games, considering the incredibly unusual circumstances that came before them, especially when, the season before, he managed to return 26 goals and assists in 35 games for the Bees and the campaign before that, it was 20 goals and assists in 37.

When looking at his output since winning promotion to the Premier League with Brentford as a whole, it becomes impossible to deny that the three-capped international is an excellent striker, and as such, he would help improve Postecoglou's attack in N17.

Specifically, though, his ability to finish chances would surely help club captain Son reach another level, as according to Understat, the South Korean underperformed his expected assists figure by 3.34.

Richarlison might have ended the campaign with a respectable tally of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, but he has never managed to reach 20 goal involvements in a single season.

In contrast, the "unplayable" Brentford ace, as dubbed by Alan Shearer, has managed to do that twice in his last two full campaigns.

Therefore, while the Brazilian is a valuable player to have in the squad, he's never going to be the sort of nine who could help Son reach 15 plus assists in a single campaign, whereas the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by his manager Thomas Frank, certainly is.

Tottenham look to £50 million Premier League star as possible Hojbjerg heir

The Denmark international is expected to leave.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 15, 2024

Ultimately, it won't be a cheap deal to complete, but with how effective Toney has been when he's been given a full season to play, Tottenham cannot afford to miss out on his signature this season, and neither can Son, for that matter.

يرى آلان شيرر، النجم السابق لنادي نيوكاسل يونايتد والدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بأن ليفربول محظوظ بتواجد لاعب معين في صفوفه، وذلك بعد أدائه أمام توتنهام.

وخاض ليفربول مباراة في الجولة السابعة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد توتنهام، في ملعب الأخير، يوم الأحد الماضي.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا كبيرًا بستة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة، ليعزز صدارته لجدول الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 2024/25.

وأثنى آلان شيرر على لاعب ليفربول، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، حيث يرى أن مهاجمي ليفربول محظوظون بتواجد الظهير الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: ليفربول يحدد لاعب مانشستر سيتي السابق لخلافة محمد صلاح

وقال شيرر، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية: “أشاهده وأفكر، كم عدد الأهداف التي سيسجلونها مع ألكسندر أرنولد في الفريق”.

وأضاف: “تمريراته وعرضياته رائعة بشكل لا يُصدق، إنه أمر رائع بالنسبة لمهاجم مركزي يلعب في هذا الفريق معه (أرنولد) وبقدراته، لقد قلت ذلك من قبل”.

وواصل: “أرنولد يمنح ليفربول بالضبط ما يمنحه كيفين دي بروين لـ مانشستر سيتي، عندما تريد عرضية أو تمريرة، فإنهم في أغلب الأحيان يقومون بذلك”.

وأردف: “مهاجمو ليفربول محظوظون لأن لديهم أرنولد يمرر لهم كل أسبوع”.

Big picture

It’s time, once again, for the most lopsided clash in IPL history to commence. Irrespective of Kolkata Knight Riders’ form in years gone by, when they face Mumbai Indians, they simply crumble. The data reads 20-6 in favour of Mumbai, and when history combines with form, it’s only fair to say that the defending champions start as favourites against a team that will have a new captain following Dinesh Karthik stepping aside.ALSO READ: Fantasy Picks: Here’s why Suryakumar Yadav and not Rohit Sharma should be your captainRohit Sharma’s men are hunting for their fifth straight win, having cruised to victory in all four games since October began. All the batsmen have raised their hands across different matches, their fast bowlers have the most wickets among all teams, the spinners have regained their mojo after a sluggish start, and with half the league stage left, they already have one foot in the playoffs.The Knight Riders have been fairly successful this season, even winning a few games they had no business of winning, but their losses have often been blowouts. And that means while the Knight Riders are in the top four, their net run rate is well into the negatives. With Mumbai up next, and three teams just two points behind them, the pressure is on Eoin Morgan’s men to ensure they don’t slide further. They come into the contest following a heavy 82-run loss, and with the status of Sunil Narine still up in the air, they’ll need to pull something out of the ordinary to beat the team they have failed the most against.

In the news

Narine did not play the Knight Riders’ game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and talk from their captain and coach Brendon McCullum to the broadcasters in that match suggested it had to do with the warning he received for a suspect action. In a separate statement, the franchise had said they are working closely with the IPL authorities to address the issue, and it remains to be seen whether that is now behind them.

Previous meeting

Sharma tore into the young Knight Riders with 80, Pat Cummins conceded 49 runs in three overs and the three Mumbai seamers shared six wickets to seal a comfortable 49-run win in match five of IPL 2020. That, however, was Knight Riders’ first match of the season.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Trent Boult, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Jasprit BumrahKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Pat Cummins, 8 Lockie Ferguson, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Prasidh Krishna 11 Varun ChakravarthyRohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik at the toss•BCCI

Strategy punt

• The Knight Riders may want to bring in Lockie Ferguson, the fast bowler, in place of top-order batsman Tom Banton. Ferguson is known to be a tight death-overs bowler, and enjoys that short/back of a length area to bowl at, which will work well against Pollard and the Pandya brothers, who all enjoy the ball pitched up in the death overs.
• If the Knight Riders choose to persist with Banton, they should look to ensure it doesn’t affect Tripathi’s favoured position as opener. Tripathi thrives in the top two, averaging 32.8 as opener, including five IPL fifties, while averaging only 18.4 with no half-centuries in other positions. Banton, too, enjoys opening and if Gill can adapt, he should be the No. 3 instead. Banton has a strike-rate of more than 150 as a T20 opener but when he doesn’t open, not only does his strike-rate fall but he also averages less than 20. It will also set Gill up to face more overs of spin, which he strikes at 125 against compared to 115 against pace this season.
• Mumbai should try to dominate Cummins’ spell in the powerplay. In games that the Knight Riders lose, Cummins’ powerplay economy has been 9.2. When the Knight Riders win, it’s because Cummins has set the tone in the first six overs, where he has an economy of 5.2 in their victories.

Stats and trivia

• With a minimum of five overs, Cummins has the worst economy (13.1) among fast bowlers between overs 7 to 20.
• Gill averages 61.7 in games that Knight Riders have won in IPL 2020.
• Mumbai is one of only two teams to have five batsmen with 150+ runs this season, and five bowlers with 5+ wickets. They have also made just one change all season: Kishan for Saurabh Tiwary in match three, and have fielded the same team ever since.
• Rohit’s 904 runs against the Knight Riders is the most for any batsman against a single IPL team.
• Mumbai’s Boult has taken the same number of wickets (6) in the Powerplay as the whole Knight Riders bowling unit in the same period.

*9.45am GMT – the preview was updated after news broke that Morgan replaced Karthik as Knight Riders captain for the season

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco acertou a contratação do segundo reforço da era Lisca. Trata-se do zagueiro Walber, do Cuiabá, que pertence ao Athletico-PR. No início da semana, o clube anunciou o atacante equatorianoJhon Sánchez, que será apresentado no fim da tarde desta quinta-feira. O jogador chega ao Rio de Janeiro no próximo domingo e assina contrato de empréstimo até dezembro deste ano. A informação foi inicialmente divulgada pelo portal “GE”

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

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A negociação se alongou, já que no primeiro momento a equipe mato-grossense não pretendia liberar o defensor alegando que só contava com quatro zagueiros em seu elenco. Porém, com a chegada deAlan Empereur, ex-Palmeiras, e a recuperação deAnderson Conceição, Walber será liberado pela direção e pelo técnico Jorginho para assinar com o Gigante da Colina.

+ Vasco terá reencontros com velhos conhecidos e seis jogos pela Série B; veja o calendário de setembro

Em seguida, o Dourado anunciou em sua rede social, que Walber não é mais jogador do clube após onze jogos disputados. Em eu site oficial, o Cuiabá agradeceu o jogador, que fez parte do elenco que conquistou o título Mato-grossense deste ano, pelos serviços prestados.

O defensor, que atua pela direita, sempre teve interesse em ser emprestado para o clube de São Januário. Aos 24 anos, o zagueiro acredita que atuar pelo clube carioca seria um salto em sua carreira e mais minutos em campo, já que atualmente estava na reserva do Cuiabá, sem ter entrado em campo nesta edição do Brasileirão. Nesta edição do Brasileirão, ele atuou apenas no empate com o Fortaleza por 0 a 0.

+Próximo adversário do Vasco, Brasil de Pelotas não venceu fora de casa e tem o pior ataque da Série B

Na temporada passada, o zagueiro foi titular na defesa do Guarani na disputa da Série B. Ele ficou fora em apenas três partidas por suspensão e na época em que a Covid-19 atingiu o elenco do Bugre com 17 atletas infectados pela doença.

Walber é um desejo antigo de Lisca desde a época em que o treinador comandava o América-MG. Na época, o profissional deixou claro que queria contar com o paraibano, que chamou atenção quando o Coelho enfrentou o Bugre em janeiro de 2021.

After falling at the final hurdle in their pursuit of the top four of the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur now look set for a major rebuild this summer with a number of players set to be shown the door in N17.

Spurs braced for big changes this summer

Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium saw his side come agonisingly close to a return to Champions League football, ultimately finishing two points short of fourth placed Aston Villa. By no means a failure of a season, Daniel Levy now looks set to use the transfer window to bring new faces into North London and allow some of those deemed surplus to requirements a route out of the club.

Spurs make early move to sign £60m "superstar" who's like Saka

Spurs are plotting an early move in the summer window.

By
Tom Lever

Jun 2, 2024

As far as incomings are concerned, a striker remains at the top of Levy's wishlist. Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez has been linked with a move to England with Spurs eager to secure a deal for the 26 goal centre forward. Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has also been on the radar of the North London outfit with the Guinean scoring 28 times in his side's impressive second placed finish in the Bundesliga.

In regard to those departing this summer, it seems almost inevitable that Joe Rodon will make a permanent move to Leeds United despite their Championship status. It has also been reported that Giovani Lo Celso will push for a move away from Spurs this summer despite talks over a new deal taking place.

Emerson Royal set to be next Spurs star out of the door

Reports out of Turkey via Sports Witness have suggested that Emerson Royal is a target for Galatasaray this summer. The outlet has stated that manager Okan Buruk has requested a new right-back and the Brazilian is a "surprise name" for the club's attempts to fill this void.

The 25-year-old has long been linked with a move away from North London with both Bayern Munich and AC Milan appearing interested in securing his services. Whilst the price tag cited for the defender is around £25.5million, the expected offer from the current Turkish Champions is in the region of just £8.5million.

This £17million difference in price will test Levy's negotiating skills, especially if he is keen to get the outgoings sorted quickly so they can move on with other plans. With Emerson commanding a wage of £40,000 per week, getting this figure off the books early into the window could be a wise move from the higher ups at Spurs.

During his time in England, he has struggled for consistent minutes with the traditional right-back often deployed in both the centre and left side of defence. Pedro Porro's excellent displays in Emerson's natural position saw the Brazilian benched for much of last season, only making 22 appearances in the league.

With the former Barcelona man's departure a near certainty this summer, agreeing a deal early would allow Levy to turn his attention to more important targets even if it means accepting a cut-price deal.