Category Uncategorized

Liverpool should focus on bringing in two more midfielders whose main attributes are their dynamism and athleticism according to Redmen TV presenter Ste Hoare.

The club recently confirmed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, and will now push to bolster the midfield further ahead of the next campaign.

Liverpool transfer news – midfielders

Liverpool is set for a major midfield overhaul after a disappointing season which resulted in Europa League football for the first time in eight seasons.

The club has already completed the signing of Mac Allister on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, but reports state the fee is around £35m as the Reds activated a clause in the Argentines contract.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool is set for talks with the agents of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone following the completion of the Mac Allister transfer.

There have also been reports on the Red's interest in Southampton's Romeo Lavia, Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga.

It is clear based on the reports and rumors that the Merseyside-based outfit is targeting young midfielders who can come into the current squad and play their part whilst also having the potential to grow into a regular starter.

What does Hoare think of Liverpool's midfield situation?

When asked on the midfield situation, Hoare told Football FanCast: "In terms of who is next, I think they probably need two more midfielders.

"The one thing Mac Allister doesn’t offer that we are probably still in need of is more dynamism and athleticism. He’s a very good player, and he puts in a lot of work, but I think Liverpool probably lacks a bit of physicality still in the midfield, and we saw that at times last season."

Who should Liverpool sign for midfield?

As the Redmen TV presenter stated, Liverpool needs to bring in midfielders that offer more "dynamism" and "athleticism" than the current options at the club, and both Thuram and Kone fit those descriptions.

The 22-year-old from Nice made 35 appearances in Ligue 1, scoring two and assisting four en route to averaging a rating of 6.91 according to WhoScored.

The 6 foot 4 midfielder is a fantastic creative force, averaging 0.18 xAG as well as 3.25 progressive carries and 1.63 successful take-ons per 90, which ranks him alongside some of the best midfielders in Europe, according to FBref.

Kone is a more defensively dynamic option, with the man who was dubbed a "one-man army" making 30 appearances for his club last season and averaging a rating of 6.81 according to WhoScored. The French youth international averages 2.55 tackles per 90 as well as 1.10 interceptions per 90 showcasing his defensive prowess, as per FBref.

If Liverpool are able to bring in both French youngsters, their midfield will arguably be as dynamic and athletic as ever.

Australia A’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Swepson and David Moody, restricted India A to 230 with the pink ball after Manish Pandey’s 76-ball 77 on the first day in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:25

Watch: India A bundled out for 230

Australia A’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Swepson and David Moody, restricted India A to 230 with the pink ball after Manish Pandey struck a 76-ball 77 to get his side off to a good start on the first day of the first unofficial Test in Brisbane.After opting to bat, India A began promisingly when openers Faiz Fazal and Akhil Herwadkar added 65 in a wicketless first session. However, Australia A struck back after the lunch break, removing both of them in quick succession.Pandey shared a 70-run, fourth-wicket stand with Karun Nair to stabilise India A after they stumbled to 3 for 118 from 0 for 74. Pandey’s brisk 77, which included 13 fours and a six, helped India A to 3 for 188 at the tea interval.Seamer Chadd Sayers had Pandey caught off the first ball after the break to spark India A’s collapse. Legspinner Swepson removed Nair and Pandya off consecutive overs as India A fell away dramatically.Swepson finished with figures of 4 for 78, while David Moody took the last two wickets in three balls to return 3 for 26. India A lost their last seven wickets for 42 runs.Joe Burns and Cameron Bancroft struck five fours between them in six overs to cut Australia A’s deficit to 205 at stumps.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly already turning their attention to the summer transfer window, as Julen Lopetegui’s first spell at Molineux is nearing a close.

The 2022/23 campaign has been a tough one for Wolves, who suffered a testing time under Bruno Lage at the start of the season before the Portuguese manager’s dismissal in October.

Lopetegui has been a shining light for his ability to turn fortunes around at Molineux, with survival confirmed and a host of impressive displays showing the squad’s progression under the Spaniard.

This summer, the former Real Madrid boss will have the chance to put his own stamp on the team he inherited from Lage in the bid to make improvements ahead of his first full campaign.

One area to strengthen this window is the club’s strike options, with Wolves being the lowest scorers in the league this season, netting just 30 goals in 36 games.

Lopetegui could fix his side’s woes in front of goal with a single signing, a player that’s potentially Premier League bound with almost as many goals as the entire Midland’s side this season.

What’s the latest on Viktor Gyokeres to Wolves?

As reported by Sky Sports earlier this month, Wolves are the 'leading club' in the pursuit of snatching Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer.

The news was relayed by Bela Shah on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily) stating that there have been “no ongoing negotiations” as of yet.

The statement is expected as the Swede continues to push for promotion with his current club, with their position next season being a potentially defining factor to the potential move.

Meanwhile, it's thought that the Championship playoff outfit will demand in excess of £20m, according to The Sun.

What could Viktor Gyokeres bring to Wolves?

The 24-year-old is the Championship’s second-highest goalscorer this season, having scored 21 goals in 46 appearances, following Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom who leads the race with 28.

Most impressively, goals aren’t the only thing the City striker has contributed to, having registered 10 assists in the Championship taking his goal contribution tally to 31 in the league alone this campaign.

Lauded as “unplayable” by teammate Maxime Biamou, the young forward could have a similar impact on Lopetegui’s goal-hungry side as the introduction of Erling Haaland had on Manchester City.

Before the signing of the Norweigan, City’s top scorer was Kevin De Bruyne who netted 15 times last season, Haaland has scored 36 so far as the treble is in sight for Guardiola’s formidable squad.

While the treble is a slight reach for Lopetegui, the general impact of signing a natural goalscorer can transform a side at any level or aspiration.

It simmers down to basics, and Wolves have to get scoring if they are to progress in the Premier League next season.

Having also averaged 0.40 non-penalty goals per 90 – as per FBref – Gyokeres would be the perfect man to lead the line in the Spaniard’s project.

حسم منتخب العراق تأهله بالعلامة الكاملة إلى دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس آسيا 2023، بعد فوزه في الثلاث مباريات بدور المجموعات.

وتواجد منتخب العراق ضمن المجموعة الرابعة، والتي ضمت معه اليابان وإندونيسيا وفيتنام.

وكان العراق بدأ مشواره في البطولة الآسيوية بالفوز على إندونيسيا بثلاثة أهدافٍ لهدف، تابعها الفوز على اليابان بنتيجة 2-1، وأخيرًا فاز على فيتنام بثلاثة أهداف مُقابل هدفين.

طالع أيضًا | ترتيب مجموعة فلسطين والإمارات في كأس آسيا بعد نهاية الجولة الثالثة

وتنص لوائح البطولة على صعود متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 4 منتخبات أصحاب المركز الثالث، إلى دور الـ16 الذي يلعب بالنظام الإقصائي.

وتأهل حتى الآن 11 منتخبًا إلى دور الـ16 مع بداية مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة المجموعات بكأس آسيا. منافس العراق في دور الـ16 من كأس آسيا بعد تصدره للمجموعة

بعد تصدر العراق لمجموعته، فسوف يواجه في دور الـ16، منتخب الأردن ثالث المجموعة الخامسة.

وتقام المباراة على ملعب استاد خليفة الدولي (الدوحة)، يوم الاثنين الموافق 29 يناير، وتنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة الثانية والنصف عصرًا بتوقيت مصر والثالثة والنصف بتوقيت السعودية والعراق والأردن.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has replaced injured seamer Dhammika Prasad in Sri Lanka’s Test squad and will travel to England as soon as “visa formalities are taken care of”, SLC announced.Perera had been the Test side’s wicketkeeper and No. 7 batsman before he was provisionally suspended for failing a doping Test, in December. The charges against him have since been withdrawn by the ICC, and he has been eligible to play international cricket since May 11.Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said his committee had chosen Perera to replace a bowler because Sri Lanka “have enough bowlers in the squad”. In addition to the four frontline bowlers and two allrounders who played in the Headingley Test, seamer Suranga Lakmal and offspinner Dilruwan Perera sit in reserve.”Kusal will join the team as soon as possible and acclimatise so he can do some serious work with the bat,” Jayasuriya added.It is unlikely – though not impossible – that Perera will be available for the Test at Chester-le-Street which begins on Friday. He will almost certainly be in contention for the third Test at Lord’s, which does not begin until June 9.Perera has been training at SLC’s national academy at Khettarama since May 13. Having begun his career as a limited-overs specialist, Perera had made a bright start to his Test career, hitting two rapid fifties in five innings so far. If he is selected, Sri Lanka also have the option of relieving Dinesh Chandimal of the gloves.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford "can leave" in the summer should the club get relegated from the Premier League, according to CBS reporter and journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest on Pickford's future?

The England international first arrived at Goodison Park in July 2017 and has since gone on to establish himself as the first-choice shot-stopper between the sticks having made 231 appearances to date, and he has only continued to impress since the arrival of Sean Dyche.

Back in February, the Toffees talisman signed a new long-term deal which keeps him at the club for at least another four years, but with him currently pocketing £125k-per-week, making him the highest earner in the squad, the board will be aware that their most prized assets will have to be sold to free up the wage bill should they fail to avoid the drop at the end of the season.

Reports have claimed Tottenham Hotspur have identified the 29-year-old as their number one target to replace Hugo Lloris during the upcoming window with a £35m price tag having been placed on his head, though it's worth noting that this could decrease even further should relegation occur.

According to Jacobs (via CaughtOffside), Everton are indeed in danger of losing the services of Pickford as a result of an in-house agreement being in place, with Ryan Mason's side very much in pole position to sign him. He said:

“I still wouldn’t rule out a Premier League club moving for Jordan Pickford, even though he’s signed a new deal until 2027 with no relegation clause in it. There is still an informal agreement if Everton go down that Pickford can leave. Spurs were always a frontrunner, but we’ll have to wait and see now what their new manager thinks.”

Should Everton keep or sell Pickford?

Pickford has undoubtedly been one of Everton's standout performers over the years having kept 61 clean sheets in 231 appearances at Goodison Park, and with his form for England also having seen him dubbed a "monster" by journalist Joe Crann, Dyche needs to do everything he can to retain his side's top-flight status and hang on to his goalkeeper.

The Puma-sponsored athlete has recorded 108 saves from 154 shots on target against this season and provides a strong outlet with his range of passing from the back, having completed 141 of 142 short passes and 214 of 218 medium passes since the start of the current term, as per FBRef.

Finally, Pickford has twice been the recipient of Everton's Player of the Year award which just goes to show how much he's appreciated and individually recognised for his efforts by the supporters, so even the thought of losing him will be a huge blow.

Everton have had another difficult season in the Premier League and Sean Dyche has been tasked with the challenge to secure survival from relegation over the remaining fixtures.

The Toffees have only avoided a drop into the bottom three by goal difference following their defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend, however, there has been promising signs that Dyche could be the manager to lead them to safety.

The former Burnley boss has picked up 11 points from his first ten games in charge at Goodison Park, which is an incredible achievement given the form the squad were in when he inherited the burden from Frank Lampard.

Indeed, there is still a long way to go for the Merseysiders before they are comfortable in retaining their Premier League status with just eight games left to repair the damage already done at Goodison, however, should the manager save Everton at the end of the campaign, there will need to be serious recruitment done in the summer.

Whilst finding the perfect striker will be a key focus for the Everton hierarchy, it will also be important to clear out the players in the squad who are either not providing the squad with the quality needed to comfortably compete in the top flight or just not contributing at all.

The very first of Lampard's transfer disasters that Dyche should seek to repair is that of Portuguese left-back Ruben Vinagre, who has become a forgotten man for many at Goodison Park.

Will Everton permanently sign Ruben Vinagre?

There is no doubt that there are several players that will need to be moved on from the blue side of Merseyside this summer with Dele Alli, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes springing to mind, but there is a very telling decision made by Dyche clearly demonstrating that Vinagre is not in his plans whatsoever.

Mykolenko missed out on the Nottingham Forest clash through illness, and the Everton boss leaned on centre-back Ben Godfrey to take the starting spot in the left-back position, which has further raised questions about the point of Vinagre even being at the club and not being selected to compete for the position with his Ukrainian teammate.

Everton correspondent for the Liverpool Echo, Joe Thomas, raised a point about Vinagre's absence ahead of the Forest clash:

"Penny for Ruben Vinagre's thoughts as Vitalii Mykolenko misses out through illness and Ben Godfrey starts ahead of him. Not saying it is the wrong call, but that is a loan move that gets increasingly baffling as the season goes on."

In fact, the 24-year-old full-back has only made four appearances since his arrival on a season-long loan last summer, with just 204 minutes tallied up in all competitions and just 24 minutes in the Premier League so far.

With that being said, it would make no sense for Everton to trigger their £17m option to buy this summer as the money would be better invested in other areas of the pitch that are in desperate need of improvement.

Newcastle United have "long admired" Liverpool's Joe Gomez, and they are interested in a summer move for the centre-back, according to agent Haydn Dodge, who recently spoke to CaughtOffside.

Who could Newcastle sign this summer?

It is fair to say Eddie Howe's side have surpassed expectations this season, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League, two points off the top four with two games in hand, but the manager still wants to strengthen in multiple areas this summer.

In terms of attacking options, Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson has recently been scouted, while Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips could be brought in to bolster the midfield, amid a lack of game time with the reigning champions. There has been less talk about new signings in defence, given that Newcastle have the best defensive record in the top flight, however they could target a player from a rival top flight club…

According to Dodge, Howe is a big fan of Gomez, and is looking to bring him to St. James' Park ahead of next season. In an interview with CaughtOffside, the agent said:

“It is quite well known that Newcastle United have long admired defender Joe Gomez as they look to bolster their centre-half options ahead of several players being out of contract this summer.”

Will Joe Gomez sign for Newcastle?

The bad news for Newcastle is that Liverpool are under no real obligation to sell the defender, given that he is contracted until the summer of 2027, meaning that it may take a huge bid to prise him away from the Merseyside club. There are some indications that the Englishman could be worth it, as a result of his performances for Liverpool across a number of seasons, making 28 appearances in the Reds' title-winning 2019-20 campaign, achieving an average match rating of 6.92.

The current campaign has been far more of a struggle for Liverpool, but Gomez has still managed to impress at times, being hailed "sensational" by the media back in October, after a dominant performance in Jurgen Klopp's side's 1-0 triumph against Man City, making six clearances and winning three tackles.

Even so, centre-back should not be a priority position for Newcastle to upgrade in the summer, considering Fabian Schar and Sven Botman are among the best-performing players in the squad, and the £85k-per-week Liverpool defender would be likely to cost far too much money, given his contract situation.

Tottenham Hotspur have become predictable and one-dimensional under the stewardship of under-fire Antonio Conte but the north London outfit have long suffered from negative and dull defensive football.

The tactical approach at the club went from a progressive and exciting style under Mauricio Pochettino to more dogmatic systems under the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and now Conte.

Spurs look for counter-attacks at every opportunity under the Italian, yet it’s not paying off as they rank among the bottom three for counter-attacks per 90 in the whole of the Premier League.

One major problem, aside from their predictability in the transition, is the lack of creativity in midfield, where there is no presence of a no.10 with players like Dele Alli and Tanguy Ndombele things of the past.

Meanwhile, you could only dream of having a player like Christian Eriksen among the squad right now – someone that chairman Daniel Levy let go far too easily, and cheaply.

What is Christian Eriksen worth?

The Denmark maestro was sold to Conte’s Inter Milan for £17m in January 2020, just six months away from his contract expiring and initially, it had looked to be a decent bit of business, given his desire for a new challenge.

However, several years later it certainly seems as if Spurs gave up one of their most gifted talents for a little pittance. The truth is, Eriksen’s time at the club was always ‘on the clock’ given he knew how the club operated behind the scenes and their lack of financial backing in the transfer market.

At one time, Transfermarkt valued the former Ajax star at a whopping €100m (£90m) and just two months before his departure, this still stood at €90m (£80m), meaning the Lilywhites may well have missed out on £63m, which is some 370% more than what they actually received.

Of course, Eriksen had shoehorned Levy into making such a decision but it was the Spurs supremo’s past dealings in and around the club that clearly put the playmaker – who was once hailed as a “magician” by analyst Statman Dave – from tying his long-term future to north London.

Even today, now plying his trade for Premier League rivals Manchester United, the 31-year-old remains more valuable than that £17m fee, with Transfermarkt estimating his worth to be €25m (£22m) – that’s with a substantial lack of game time since leaving Spurs and considering his age too.

It only compounds the mistakes that Levy has made in recent times, especially because the side could really do with a player of his creative quality.

The 120-cap Danish “wizard” – as once lauded by Matchroom’s Josh Wright – scored 69 goals and laid on 90 assists across 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, having also averaged at least 2.1 key passes per top-flight outing too.

No Spurs player has bettered that since his exit.

Conte’s side are struggling to convert their counter-attacks into any sort of success, so you could only imagine what a player of Eriksen’s calibre could do for this team; hitting teams on the break with the Dane feeding in the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

Alas, it’s evident that both Levy and Spurs were robbed by Inter back in early 2020.

AND in other news, A mix of Pep and Klopp: Spurs could forget Poch by hiring 52 y/o who’s loved by Messi…

Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk looks set to be available against Everton this weekend, Adam Pope reports.

The Lowdown: Struijk’s absence

Struijk sat out the return fixture against Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday due to concussion protocols.

The Dutch defender was replaced early on at Old Trafford after taking a powerful Marcus Rashford shot to the head, with Junior Firpo filling in at left-back. However, it looks as if Struijk will make a swift return in what will be a boost for Michael Skubala.

The Latest: Pope’s post

Pope took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to relay news from Thorp Arch from Skubala’s pre-Everton press conference.

He said that Marc Roca and Liam Cooper remain doubts, but both Struijk and youngster Sonny Perkins are back involved after concussion and injury respectively.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-copy-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates (Copy)” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good news

The Whites have relied on Struijk heavily this season, with the 23-year-old making 22 appearances in all competitions. He has actually been the club’s best-rated performer this season with an average match rating of 6.90/10, as per WhoScored, so knowing he could be back is good news.

It’ll be interesting to see where Struijk may turn out, though, especially with centre-back Cooper a doubt, meaning he may feature in his natural central role, with Firpo continuing at left-back.