Tag Futebol

According to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has explained that the club and Daniel Levy will offer to triple Brendan Rodgers’ salary in an attempt to prise him from Leicester City – even despite the northern Irishman publicly distancing himself from the job.

Rodgers, who has guided the Foxes to a highly likely place in the Champions League next season, explained in a press conference that his focus was purely at the King Power Stadium (FourFourTwo).

Tottenham lining up big money Rodgers offer

Regardless, as per this new information from a Tottenham source speaking to FI, Levy is lining up a big money offer to treble Rodgers’ wages in the hope of tempting him away.

This comes nearly a decade after he was allegedly Levy’s ‘preferred choice’ to replace Harry Redknapp but opted for the role at Liverpool instead.

Spurs have not given up hope of landing Rodgers as per this report and are now willing to table a lucrative offer of £15 million-per-year including bonuses.

The source also explains that Levy is looking to ‘offer him the earth’ – and that is bordering on literate given the £15m-per-year wage is even more than previous boss Mourinho, who was on £12.5m-per-year.

Transfer Tavern take

Mourinho is still getting his full base salary whilst on gardening leave according to reports, so we advise to take this one with a pinch of salt.

Amid the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic, news of Levy being willing to offer a Mourinho successor £15m-per-season comes as very surprising – especially considering the club still haven’t found a deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights.

That being said, Rodgers would be a dream appointment for Spurs – with BT Sport pundit Robbie Savage recently dubbing him an ‘elite manager’ (via the Daily Mail).

In other news: Graham Roberts squashes links with this Champions League-winning boss, find out more here.

Reports by Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, earlier this week claimed Everton are monitoring Bologna’s sought-after defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who could emerge as Carlo Ancelotti’s own Virgil Van Dijk if Marcel Brands can seal a deal.

The Toffees are claimed to be keeping track of Tomiyasu’s situation ahead of the summer transfer market, as his services are likely to become available.

Bologna would prefer to retain the 22-year-old but have begun to search for potential replacements, knowing that it will be a challenge to retain the Japan international after his impressive performances under Sinisa Mihajlovic this season.

Bayer Leverkusen have shown a frequent interest in Tomiyasu’s potential as the Bundesliga outfit continue their efforts to bring down the average age of their squad, but they could face competition from AC Milan.

The Rossoneri are believed to have previously lodged a €15m (£13m) offer for the 23-cap centre-half and may return to the negotiating table at the end of the season, with Bologna holding firm at a €20m (£17.5m) asking price.

West Ham and Newcastle United have also previously shown an interest in Tomiyasu due to his ability to play at right-back or in a holding midfield role, and Gazzetta dello Sport noted that it is not out of contention that he moves to the Premier League or the Bundesliga this summer.

Brands meeting Bologna’s valuation and acquiring Tomiyasu ahead of his European suitors could see Everton’s director of football land Ancelotti the Goodison Park natives’ own Van Dijk and reaping similar rewards to their Merseyside neighbours Liverpool.

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Tomiyasu was touted by Football-Italia as a suitable replacement for Van Dijk when it was confirmed that the Dutchman required surgery after damaging anterior cruciate ligaments in October.

The 6 ft 2 Bologna enforcer is regarded as one of the Serie A’s best young players as he is technically gifted and can wisely progress play out from the back, but has the awareness to close down attacking channels without rushing into a challenge.

Tomiyasu also prefers to sit back and assess the opposition’s moves before stepping in as the last man and was backed to become a star when signed from Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truidense for €9m (£8m) in 2019.

“He is a complete player and Bologna got a real bargain with Tomiyasu,” former Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told TuttoMercatoWEB, via quotes shared by Football-Italia, adding: “He’s a good player and was compared to Maya Yoshida, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. He’s got the quality to be a real star.”

Pressure is no issue for Tomiyasu either, but rather a source of excitement for the Fukuoka native, who has aspirations of being a leader.

“Yuto Nagatomo told me that there’s a lot of pressure playing in Italy, but that excites me, as it means the fans are passionate,” he said. “There are organised defences in Serie A and great strikers. I can play as a full-back or in the centre, but my objective either way is to become a leader at the back.”

Tomiyasu would have years ahead of him to become the leader of Ancelotti’s backline if Brands can seal a deal for the Bologna defender, in a move which would seemingly have plenty of upside for a smaller fee to what Everton paid Norwich City for Ben Godfrey (£20m) last year.

AND in other news, Everton have landed a huge boost in the race to sign an 11-goal striker subject to a potential £21.5m bid…

Leicester City reached their first FA Cup since 1969 as Kelechi Iheancho’s goal proved enough against Southampton at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

How did we rate the Foxes’ individual performances in the capital?

Starting XI

Kasper Schmeichel – 6/10: His mark cannot be higher simply because he did not have anything to do. The Dane was not forced into a single save by Southampton throughout the entire match.

Wesley Fofana – 7/10: The Frenchman was very impressive and proved a formidable wall for the Saints to get beyond. His anticipation of danger was key in Leicester reaching the final with his highly impressive five interceptions.

Jonny Evans – 8/10: Arguably Leicester’s man-of-the-match, the Northern-Irishman was a huge presence at the back. He produced a tackle, an interception, three clearances and a block throughout the 90 minutes according to WhoScored, earning his £80k per week wages and more.

Caglar Soyuncu – 6/10: Returning after a two-game absence, the Turkish defender was slightly rash. He was booked early in the second-half for a late challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters and was probably slightly fortunate to get away with a couple of mistimed challenges.

Ricardo Pereira – 5/10: Deployed on the left, the Portuguese did not look totally comfortable. He only completed 56.8% of his passes before he was hauled off on the 60-minute mark.

Wilfred Ndidi – 6/10: Whilst not the usually dominant figure in the centre of the park for the Foxes, having provided just one interception, he was still hugely useful in providing a shield in front of the Leicester backline by keeping James Ward-Prowse quiet.

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Youri Tielemans – 7/10: An ever-present in the Leicester midfield, the Belgian’s display at Wembley was impressive in all facets of the game. He was strong defensively whilst contributing four key passes, more than the rest of the players on the pitch.

Timothy Castagne – 6/10: Not a standout performer by any means but the former Atalanta man was solid without being spectacular. The wing-back contributed three tackles throughout the duration of the game.

Ayoze Perez – 6/10: Another to return to the starting line-up, the Spaniard linked play well and got in behind Walker-Peters on occasion but was somewhat wasteful with his opportunities – highlighted by an overhit cross to Vardy in the first period. He was replaced by Marc Albrighton.

Jamie Vardy – 7/10: Whilst not ending his barren run, the striker was a constant threat to the Saints with his runs down the left-flank. He wasted a fantastic opportunity in the first-half as he attempted to chip Fraser Forster but was key in Leicester’s opening goal having been released down the left, then producing a great cross for Iheanacho.

Kelechi Iheanacho – 7/10: The Nigerian simply cannot stop scoring. Whilst he was fortunate in that the ball came back to him for his strike, he stayed cool to slot home at the second attempt for his 15th goal in all competitions. He also teed Maddison up late on, an opportunity that was wasted.

Substitutes

Marc Albrighton – 6/10: Whilst not quite having had the same impact that he had against West Ham United, he was a useful option in closing out the game.

James Maddison – 6/10: His first appearance since breaking guidelines, the midfielder showed he was a threat after coming off of the bench by having two shots but he could get neither on target.

AND in more news, take a look at a 2020 transfer error from the Foxes…

واصل فريق الكرة بالأهلي سلسلة التعادلات خلال مباريات بطولة كأس الرابطة خلال اللقاء الذي جمعه أمام المقاولون العرب مساء اليوم.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من البطولة بجانب فرق الإسماعيلي والمقاولون العرب وسموحة والجونة والبنك الأهلي.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في كأس الرابطة بعد التعادل مع المقاولون وانتهاء مباريات اليوم

وتعادل الأهلي أمام فريق الجونة سلبيًا، بينما انتهت مواجهتي الإسماعيلي والمقاولون العرب بنتيجة 1-1 خلال المباريات الثلاثة الماضية من البطولة المحلية.

وسيخوض فريق الكرة بالأهلي مواجهة صعبة أمام سموحة في الجولة الرابعة ضمن منافسات المجموعة الثانية من كأس رابطة الأندية.

طالع أيضًا.. كاف يعلن تأجيل مباراة الأهلي والمريخ السوداني في دوري أبطال إفريقيا ويحدد موعدها الجديد موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة في كأس الرابطة

ويلاقي الأهلي منافسه سموحة، يوم الخميس المقبل 27 يناير الجاري، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo conquistou uma vitória na Justiça contra a Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Ferj). Nesta semana, o clube ajuizou uma ação contra a entidade para que ela deixede realizar qualquer contratação ou negociação para exploração comercial das placas de publicidade nos jogos do Rubro-Negro, na próxima edição do Campeonato Carioca. A liminar foi concedida a favor do clube. A decisão cabe recurso.

De acordo com comunicado publicado pelo Flamengo, a Justiça ainda determinou quea Ferj pare de criar obstáculos à exploração comercial clube, sob pena de multa de R$ 50.000,00 (cinquenta mil reais) por descumprimento.

Nesta semana, o Flamengo também entrou com outra ação contra a Ferj, exigindo a prestação de contas da entidade. O clube e a Federação vêm travando uma queda de braço há alguns meses. A situação está longe de ser resolvida e promete novos capítulos em breve.

Sobre o processo no qual houve decisão liminar, a Ferj, em nota, afirmou que “esse contrato está em vigor. Além disso, a publicidade estática é uma propriedade da Federação de Futebol do Rio de Janeiro por força de estatuto e decisão de assembleia. O caso está entregue ao departamento jurídico e não é motivo de preocupação por estarmos amparados legalmente”.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has already confirmed that he will be starting veteran centre-back Toby Alderweireld in the second leg of his side’s Europa League Round of 32 clash with Wolfsberger AC this evening.

But who will partner the 31-year-old Belgian?

Joe Rodon isn’t registered for the competition, so it’s between Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, who both started their last two league defeats against West Ham (2-1) and Man City (3-0).

The latter could be in the most danger of losing his place, and quite rightly too…

On the Chalkboard

It’s been quite surprising to see the former club-record signing back involved amongst the starting XI in the Premier League.

He’s only started ten of their 24 outings, three of which coming in their last three matches, while across a nine-game period between the end of October and Christmas, he was snubbed entirely in the top-flight, via Transfermarkt.

At one stage, it seems as if Spurs weren’t against him leaving during the January transfer window – according to The Athletic correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, they would have considered offloading him if they could have found a viable replacement.

His long absence from the squad was a mere consequence of a calamitous afternoon against the Hammers, in which he conceded an own goal and endured a torrid time, and that has now come full circle.

The 24-year-old received his second-lowest rating (5.82) of the season that day – the worst coming only two games ago in that City defeat (5.57), where he made another error leading to a goal, via WhoScored.

And after the return fixture against their London rivals, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara urged the club to get rid of Sanchez, he told talkSPORT:

“I look at the team and the back-four is just an absolute shambles. I don’t know why Jose keeps playing [Davinson] Sanchez and [Eric] Dier because it’s probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League!” before adding: “Get rid of them!”

No Spurs defender lost possession more times than the 6 foot 2 colossus, while he was dribbled past more times (three) than any other visiting player too, as per SofaScore.

Supporters have often dubbed him a liability, as seen in post-match reaction against Brentford in the Carabao Cup semi-final, and in response to a transfer report ahead of the January window.

Sanchez, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt and earns a reported £75k-per-week in north London, was identified as a “weak link” by Mourinho during a Europa League final between Man Utd and Ajax, according to Tony Cascarino, so the Spurs boss knows all too well about his faults.

“Absolutely dreadful” (Sky Sports, via HITC) and “disgraceful” are just two other phrases used to describe Sanchez and his defending since the turn of the year alone, only proving that he’s continuously let the club down for weeks, if not months, on end.

On the above evidence, the Mauricio Pochettino flop has no business being involved in the starting XI tonight – or in the near future either. Mourinho must be ruthless and axe him over Dier this evening.

AND in other news, Better than Dier: Levy could land Spurs a massive upgrade in £22.5m-rated “machine”

حدد لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر يونايتد، بول بوجبا، 3 وجهات حال الرحيل المجاني عن قلعة “أولد ترافورد” في نهاية الموسم الحالي 2021/2022.

وينتهي عقد بوجبا مع مانشستر يونايتد في يونيو 2022، وبالتالي، سيرحل بالمجان إذا لم يجدد خلال الأشهر الستة المقبلة وهناك أكثر من نادٍ يريد التعاقد مع الفرنسي على رأسها باريس سان جيرمان، ريال مدريد وبرشلونة وكذلك يوفنتوس.

اقرأ أيضًا | ميرور: تحذير صارخ.. فينالدوم يهدد طموح محمد صلاح ويمنح الأمل لـ ليفربول

وبحسب صحيفة “توتو سبورت” الإيطالية، أن الفرنسي قد أعطى موافقته على الانتقال إلى باريس سان جيرمان أو ريال مدريد أو يوفنتوس.

هناك شعور بالحماس من قبل بوجبا على الانضمام إلى متصدر الدوري الفرنسي أو ريال مدريد أو حتى العودة إلى يوفنتوس بعد الرحيل عن صفوفه في يونيو 2016 والعودة إلى مانشستر يونايتد.

وسيحسم بوجبا قراره النهائي خلال الأشهر القليلة المقبلة خاصة وأنه سيبدأ التفاوض مع أي نادٍ يرغب فيه بداية من يناير 2022 وفقًا للوائح الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”.

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers target Jack Simpson has agreed a Bosman move to Steven Gerrard’s side, which could spell bad news for George Edmundson in regards to his future prospects.

What’s the word?

The Rangers centre-back has struggled for game time this season having fallen out of favour with Gerrard after he served a lengthy suspension for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

Gerrard is currently blessed with great defensive options again, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander jostling for the position alongside Connor Goldson, so it’s no surprise that Edmundson finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, as he has made just one substitute appearance in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, averaging a miserable 5.52 rating overall.

Following the news that Rangers have agreed a pre-contract deal with Simpson, it is within the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old could find himself heading for the Ibrox exit, considering the Gers also have Nikola Katic on their books, with Gerrard recently confirming that the Croatian is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.

When one door opens, another closes

Rangers signed Edmundson from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £700,000 in 2019.

Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, scoring twice and supplying an assist in all competitions.

Gerrard had insisted that Edmundson could still find a way back into the first team in the future, saying:

“I think the important thing here was to get the players out of the isolation period, first and foremost. Then it was about sitting down with the players face-to-face to gauge a reaction to how they feel and where they were at.

“I spoke to them both individually and they were both very sad over the incident, they were remorseful, apologetic and full of regret. They first and foremost wanted to apologise to the supporters and their team-mates for their actions.
“In my position, it was time to support these two players once I saw that reaction. It was the reaction I wanted to see.
“Now it’s about me giving them the support and managing them to come back to top players because they are good players, we need them here to help and support us moving forward.”

However, reports in recent weeks have revealed Rangers will consider a January loan exit for Edmundson as he hasn’t played despite returning from suspension.

Having excelled for Bournemouth, the Scottish giants have taken a gamble on Simpson and it’s fair to say that they could be duly rewarded. He is currently averaging more tackles and clearances per game than Edmundson, which suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on the Rangers outcast. He’s currently valued at £1m but Rangers are getting him for free.

If Edmundson can’t re-establish himself in the first team at all between now and the end of this season, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him leave for pastures new in the near future.

AND in other news, Filip Helander proved a point to Steven Gerrard with his performance against Ross County…

Southampton look to have been handed another big injury blow, with Kyle Walker-Peters expected to miss Tuesday’s game with Arsenal after picking up an injury.

The club confirmed earlier this week that the right-back would miss the game against the Gunners after he picked up a muscle injury in training.

It comes as a huge blow to Ralph Hasenhuttl, as the 23-year-old has played every single minute in the Premier League so far this season, having established himself as a key player in the Austrian’s squad following his permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer.

The young defender has been one of the Saints’ star performers so far this season, having averaged a strong 7.03 rating across his 18 appearances in the top-flight, which is enough to see him ranked as the fifth-best performer in the Premier League.

He has certainly had a big impact on Southampton’s defensive performance since joining, as they have already earned eight clean sheets in the Premier League this season, the third-most in the division, meaning they are just one away from the total they managed in the entirety of the 2019/20 season.

Only Oriol Romeu has averaged more tackles than the right-back this season, whilst he also scores highly on the number of interceptions, blocks and clearances, emphasising how important he has become in this Southampton side.

Walker-Peters was excellent in Southampton’s 1-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday, providing the assist for the only goal of the game, so it is undoubtedly going to cause Hasenhuttl some frustration that he is unavailable for Tuesday’s Premier League fixture, especially in a time where the Saints are going through an injury crisis.

It looks as if Yan Valery is likely to step up in his place, and considering his lack of game time this season, he could well be exposed by Arsenal’s in-form youngsters Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe on the Southampton right-hand side.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl will be praying that Walker-Peters’ injury is only a minor one and that he will be back in time for the home game against Aston Villa at the weekend.

And, in other news… “What a player” – Exclusive: Pundit claims he is “surprised” Hasenhuttl fave is still at Southampton, and it isn’t Ings…

Glasgow Rangers have received a major boost as Steven Gerrard revealed that both Filip Helander and Ryan Jack could return to action ahead of the Europa League clash with Lech Poznan on Thursday night.

Rangers defender Helander has been forced to self-isolate after testing positive, whilst Jack has been sidelined after he picked up a muscle injury in the Premiership win over Aberdeen.

In his most recent press conference, the Ibrox boss admitted that he is hopeful that both players will be available for selection, which will be welcome news for Rangers fans.

Gerrard said (via The Glasgow Times): “I need to do the right thing for the squad. So let’s see how we recover from here.

“I’m hoping to have Ryan Jack back and available, I’m hoping Filip Helander will be available again. I’m hoping they will both play some part.”

Huge injury boost for Rangers

Jack has been in great form so far this season, although he has suffered his fair share of injury problems, as he faced a race against time to feature in the first Old Firm derby of the season after pulling out of the Europa League squad in September with a calf injury.

The Rangers central midfielder then replaced Scott Arfield with 28 minutes left to spare as Gerrard’s side stunned Celtic in their own back yard.

The Scotland international has excelled for club and country and played his part as Steve Clarke’s side ended 22 years of hurt, before he sustained yet another injury against his former club.

Gerrard heaped praise on Jack after Scotland qualified for the European Championships, saying: “His consistency has been fantastic to see and it’s no surprise with the way he goes about his daily routine and business.”

Per WhoScored, in 13 appearances in the Premiership this season, Jack has made 1.1 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, whilst he is averaging 79.5 passes per game – the second-highest amount of passes of all the Rangers players behind Connor Goldson.

In his absence, Steven Davis has further cemented his place in the starting line-up, having started four of the past five games in a row.

However, Jack could be called into action should the Northern Ireland international suffer an injury or need a rest, and he is expected to start from the bench.

There’s no doubt the timing couldn’t be better for Gerrard as Rangers must match or better Benfica’s result against Standard Liege to be crowned Group D winners as his side boast a better head-to-head record against the Portuguese giants.

Jack’s display against Aberdeen in league action was further proof he adds some much-needed dynamism to the Gers midfield, as he took 64 touches of the ball, provided 52 out of 61 passes (85%), made one key pass and one tackle, as per SofaScore.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers forward Kemar Roofe was the man of the hour against Ross County…