Tag Futebol

Celtic kick off their 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign at home to Ross County at Parkhead on the fifth of August and there could be a few new faces for the crowd to watch.

The Hoops have made two signings so far in the summer transfer window and they still have plenty of time left before the deadline to make further additions to their squad.

Northern Irish tactician, Brendan Rodgers returned to Paradise to replace Ange Postecoglou last month, after leaving Leicester City earlier this year, and has been able to bring in Odin Thiago Holm along with Australian international Marco Tilio so far.

The latter has joined on a permanent deal from Melbourne City and will be hoping to bolster the manager's attacking options over the months to come.

He has the quality to be a goalscoring threat from out wide and Rodgers could get the best out of him by securing a deal to sign reported Celtic target Anastasios Douvikas.

How good is Anastasios Douvikas?

The Greek international, who has been valued at £6.9m by FC Utrecht, is a prolific centre-forward who also has the quality to be an excellent creator for his teammates, which could make him a very good addition to the squad.

Douvikas, who was once hailed as "sharp" by journalist Josh Bunting, showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis as he plundered 19 goals in 24 Eredivisie starts during the 2022/23 campaign.

Kyogo Furuhashi (27) was the only Celtic player to score more league goals than the Utrecht star last season, which suggests that Rodgers could land another excellent goalscoring option to bolster his attack by signing the 23-year-old marksman.

However, his creativity is what could set him apart from the club's current centre-forwards. Douvikas created seven 'big chances' and provided 0.6 key passes per Eredivisie game for his teammates last term.

Kyogo, meanwhile, managed half as many key passes per outing and only created one 'big chance', whilst Hyeon-gyu Oh produced one 'big chance' along with an average of 0.4 key passes per clash across his 16 league appearances.

This suggests that the Greek dynamo would be Rodgers' most creative number nine option, which is why he could be the dream striker for Tilio to be paired with as the Australia international could profit from his chance creation.

The 21-year-old winger racked up ten goals in 25 A-League starts last season, after five goals in 13 starts during the previous term, which – now that Jota has moved on to Al Ittihad – is the second-most goals of any current Celtic player from the campaign just gone, only behind Kyogo's aforementioned 27 strikes

Tilio could, therefore, be one of Rodgers' best goalscoring options in midfield, and playing with a striker as creative as Douvikas could allow the former Melbourne dynamo to thrive, as the Greek gem has proven himself to be far more capable of opening up opposition defences than the club's other number nine options.

This is why the Utrecht finisher could be the perfect signing to complement the left-footed wizard at Parkhead next season, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants will go ahead with a deal to sign the forward.

Arsenal "might look at" Torino centre-back Perr Schurrs "as a backup option for their defence", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Arsenal transfer news – what's the latest on Perr Schurrs?

It looks to be a busy summer for Arsenal this year, with a deal for Jurrien Timber looking more likely as time goes on and the club now all but set to land West Ham United's Declan Rice.

The newest name added to the North London side's ever-growing shopping list is Netherlands U21 international, Schurrs.

In an article for GIVEMESPORT last week, Dean Jones confirmed that at one point, the Gunners had, in fact, 'scouted him' and that if plans for some of their other targets don't work out, Schurrs 'is a left-field name to look out for.'

However, Edu and Co. will want to get a move on if they're serious about landing the former Ajax man, as they aren't the only ones monitoring his situation.

According to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, the 6 foot 3 titan has a few other suitors interested in his services, including Newcastle United, Napoli and Crystal Palace.

The price touted for the 23-year-old is €40-50m (£34-43m) according to Italian publication Tuttosport, which considering the North London club's other spending plans this summer, might just prove to be a bridge too far.

What has Dean Jones said about Perr Schurrs to Arsenal?

Jones quickly highlighted that Arsenal's interest in the player was primarily as a potential backup option for their new defence.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He was talked to me most recently as the type of player that Arsenal might look at as a backup option for their defence if they needed a new centreback."

Would Perr Schurrs be a good signing for Arsenal?

The defender, who played with Jurrien Timber at Ajax, has been hailed as a "mountain".

Hailed as a "great Dutch talent" by former Arsenal star Marc Overmars, Schurrs would make a great backup signing for Arsenal – but not at the price reported.

He had a strong season for Turin's second team last year, averaging a decent match rating of 6.67 across his 30 Serie A games, even picking up a couple of assists along the way, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are also respectable, if not outstanding.

According to FBref, the player averages 1.97 tackles, 1.08 interceptions, 1.08 blocks and 3.95 clearances, all per 90.

However, the Gunners already have a defensive unit packed with stars, and with the potential addition of fellow Dutchman Timber in the coming weeks, dropping another £34-43m on a player that might not start and hasn't got outstanding numbers to back him up might not be the best use of money.

That said, if Overmars rates him as highly as he appears to, there might just be something there for Mikel Arteta to work with.

South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler.Rabada, who took 2 for 31 in Hamilton, missed the match in Christchurch due to a slight problem with his left knee, but had an extensive bowl at the Basin Reserve on Friday with the knee taped. He has been carefully managed in the early days of this tour, also sitting out the T20 at Eden Park, having played all five matches the preceding one-day series against Sri Lanka.There will be a significant number of overs for Rabada in the months ahead. After this one-day series there are three Tests against New Zealand, followed a by the IPL for which Rabada landed a INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) deal with Delhi Daredevils. Then comes the Champions Trophy and a marquee four-Test series against England. Throwing further ahead, South Africa’s 2017-18 home season will their busiest ever.If South Africa had managed to haul themselves over the line at Hagley Oval there is a decent chance Rabada would have been wrapped in cotton wool for the remainder of the one-day series. That could still be the case, with South Africa keen to assess their other bowling options before the Champions Trophy, but his cutting edge would be missed.”He has been stalwart for us for a while now,” JP Duminy said. “He has been our main strike bowler in most formats and it’s always a great strength for us to have him in our attack. It will be good to see him back.”In 2016, Rabada sent down almost two hundred overs more than any other South Africa bowler across all formats – 431.3 overs, with Kyle Abbott next on 239.1 – and made the joint-most appearances with 32 alongside Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis.South Africa also have to meet quota targets over a season which includes an average of two Black African players in an XI. Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo are part of the one-day squad, while Temba Bavuma will be alongside Rabada in the Test side.Although Rabada’s return would strengthen South Africa’s attack, they have pinpointed the batting – and a failure of anyone to play a major innings – as the reason they could not chase down 290 in Christchurch. The top six all reached double figures, but de Kock’s 57 was the top score and he fell to an ill-judged leg-side heave.Dwaine Pretorius, at No. 7, almost turned the game with his 27-ball 50 and with Phehlukwayo down at No. 10 there was enviable depth to the order, but Duminy said that does not always translate into success.”It can sometimes be a bad thing. Even though we bat deep it doesn’t mean the top order shouldn’t take responsibility. It’s a great thing to have but there’s still a lot of responsibility from the top six or seven to make sure we put in those performances for the team.”However, he was not overly concerned about South Africa’s first reversal in 13 ODIs and suggested it was a timely reminder of the level of performance they need to achieve.”It was kind of inevitable at some point we’d lose a game. It’s something we have spoken about, that it doesn’t put us in any different situation in terms of where we’re trying to go as a team, our preparation and our goals. We’re trying to work towards the Champions Trophy and it’s probably a good thing to go through a few losses along the way to bring us back down to earth and understand there are certain things we still have to improve on.”

Arsenal are eyeing Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams and have held a long term interest in his signing, according to 90min and journalist Graeme Bailey.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

Mikel Arteta and co must now prepare for what will be a crunch, all important transfer window. The Gunners missed out on their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years to treble-winners Man City last season, meaning this summer is a chance to both improve and strengthen in key areas.

Sporting director Edu has long been preparing, recently admitting as much to ESPN (via 90min), with plans already put in place as far back as April.

"Our planning has already been done," said the Brazilian.

"It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."

Midfield signings are thought to be a real priority for Arteta, leading to serious interest and talks to sign West Ham star Declan Rice. Other targets for the position are Brighton star Moises Caicedo and Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal.

In terms of forwards, Arsenal are thought to be keen on strengthening that area, with Chelsea star Kai Havertz becoming a serious target lately.

According to Bailey and 90min, though, the north Londoners are also eyeing a move for Bilbao forward Williams, and are thought to hold a long-standing interest.

The 20-year-old, who has already been capped at international level for Spain, is also attracting attention from Aston Villa with Unai Emery's side apparently opening talks.

It's clear Williams is a man in demand, as it's understood both Man City and Newcastle have enquired over the player in recent months too.

Who is Nico Williams?

Coming as a player of real potential, members of the media have heaped praise on Bilbao's starlet for his form last season, with journalist Zach Lowy listing him among his "breakout stars" of La Liga.

He is also "considered one of the top young attacking prospects in Europe", according to 90min again, with Williams' brother, Inaki, heaping praise on the winger back in September.

"[Nico] is a great player, he is in incredible shape and I think he can give a lot to Spain. He has shown it by giving Morata a good pass and I am very happy for him.”

Manchester United's takeover situation is still ongoing, and it will not be resolved before they appear in the FA Cup final, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

What's the latest on Man United's ownership situation?

There is still a lack of clarity over what Man United's current owners, the Glazers, will do moving forward, following multiple bids for ownership from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's consortium and a Qatar-backed group led by Sheikh Jassim Hamad Bin Al Thani.

Ratcliffe's bid will likely see the Glazers keep some of their shares in the club, whilst Jassim's latest bid, which falls short of the asking price, is for a full takeover.

The situation has dragged on for months, and manager Erik ten Hag will have been hoping for a resolution before the end of the season. However, speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs revealed that there is to be no answer ahead of United's final match, the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

“It's still fluid. There are still less formal talks taking place behind the scenes," he stated.

"Unfortunately for all parties, nothing has moved, and it may not move until after the FA Cup Final.”

What could happen next for Man United?

Man United's current focus will be on the cup final, which could play a crucial role in stopping their local rivals from completing a treble, a feat only achieved by United in English football.

The lack of progress on a deal may cause frustration, but with no resolution in sight, the Glazers may be waiting until the season ends before any announcement, given the potential for protests at the cup final if an unfavourable decision is reached.

There have been protests from sections of the United fanbase calling for a full sale of the club, rather than a takeover which will see the Glazers remain in any capacity.

The American family have been heavily criticised since taking over United in 2005, having seen a large buildup of debt and a steady decline in on-field performance since. The Red Devils have not won a league title in ten years, and have had to watch their biggest rivals in City and Liverpool consistently compete for major honours since.

A resolution will be necessary soon to allow Ten Hag to operate in the transfer market, following a promising first season of progress under the Dutchman. United secured a third-placed finish and won the Carabao Cup, their first piece of silverware in five years, and will be hoping to challenge for the title next season.

Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, one year after missing out on the prodigious talent.

What's the latest on Aurelien Tchouameni?

That's according to reports from Spain, who claim that the Reds have already had an opening offer of €60M (£52m) for the 23-year-old rebuked by Los Blancos as they look to fortify their midfield with first-rate new signings.

The Frenchman was integral for Monaco in the 21/22 campaign and left observers awestruck with the level of his displays, earning an £85m transfer to Carlo Ancelotti's outfit despite intense attempts from Jurgen Klopp's side to clinch his services.

Tchouameni's maiden campaign in Madrid has not played out seamlessly, however, and the ace has been restricted to just 24 starts in LaLiga after struggling to quite reach the same imperious heights he forged in his homeland, and Liverpool will be sure to lurk waiting to pounce if an opportunity arises.

Could Liverpool really sign Aurelien Tchouameni?

Liverpool supporters watched with gritted teeth as their hopes of signing Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham slipped away over the past few months, with Real Madrid adding the coveted ace to their jaw-dropping collection of central stars for an agreed initial sum of £88.5m.

The move could play into Liverpool's hands, however, in pushing for a deal for Tchouameni, who might see his playing time impacted further by the arrival, with Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Fede Valverde already occupying midfield roles at the Santiago Bernabeu – not a bad crop.

And despite not quite reaching the desired heights in Spain thus far, the 22-cap gem is a phenomenal talent with a proven pedigree on both the European stage and at international level, where he played an important part in France's World Cup campaign in Qatar, scoring a marvellous goal against England in the quarter-finals and recording an average rating of 7.07 – as per Sofascore – as he started all seven matches, completing 90% of his passes and averaging two interceptions per game.

For such a talented pivot, he could quite easily assume a starring role with Klopp's side and perhaps displace Anfield's holding midfielder Fabinho, who has been a shadow of his former self this season, right at the kernel of the club's midfield problems this season, branded "awful" by Jamie Carragher for his performance – or absence of it – earlier this term as the Reds meekly lost to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

The 29-year-old Brazilian has remained a crisp distributor of the ball but has lost his fiery tenacity this term, ranking among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 18% for passes attempted per 90 but failing to rank among the top 30% for any other metric, as per FBref.

Tchouameni, despite his stop-start first year with Real, ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 22% for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions, the top 8% for clearances and the top 11% for aerials won per 90.

The £209k-per-week Madrista has left the likes of Rio Ferdinand waxing lyrical, with Manchester United legend saying: “Listen Tchouaméni is a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes but he’s a superb talent, he produces moments out of nowhere, incredible player.”

At Real Madrid, Tchouameni is a gem within a gilt-laden box of sparkling stones, but on Merseyside, he could be a jewel to captivate all who observe, standing out as the superlative star for one of the Premier League's most prestigious outfits.

حصل إبراهيم دياز، لاعب فريق ريال مدريد، على جائزة رجل مباراة الأمس ضد أتلتيكو مدريد في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الفريقين في قمة منافسات الجولة الثالثة والعشرين، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وحسبما كُشف منذ قليل، فإن إبراهيم دياز لاعب ريال مدريد هو من حصل على جائزة رجل مباراة الديربي.

كان إبراهيم دياز قد شارك في المباراة خلفًا لـ فينيسيوس جونيور الذي عانى من إصابة خلال الإحماء، وقرر المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي الدفع باللاعب الإسباني.

وتمكن إبراهيم دياز من تسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح ريال مدريد، في الدقيقة 20 من عمر الشوط الأول، وقدم أداءً جيدًا حتى لحظة خروجه في الدقيقة 71.

Sam Allardyce has not had long with the Leeds United squad but has already begun integrating new tactics to try and keep the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League.

Last weekend's draw with Newcastle United saw the experienced Englishman utilise Sam Greenwood in midfield alongside natural centre-back Robin Koch and Weston McKennie.

However, perhaps the most unorthodox decision has seen Rasmus Kristensen feature as a centre-back in each of the last two fixtures, which is a mistake that Allardyce cannot repeat if Leeds are going to pick up the win needed to keep them in the Premier League this season.

How has Kristensen performed as a centre-back?

Considering Leeds' woeful defensive numbers under Javi Gracia, which saw them set a new unwanted record for most Premier League goals conceded in a calendar month, many fans will have been relieved to see the Whites ship just two in the away defeat against champions-elect Manchester City.

The Danish defender, who joined for £10m last summer, would earn a disappointing 6.4/10 rating from Sofascore for his performance that day, however, and it was something of a miracle that Erling Haaland didn't find the back of the net, as he spurned a number of chances to extend the Citizens' lead at the Etihad.

Kristensen's goal in the 2-2 defeat against Newcastle United last time out would arguably obscure another underwhelming display from the former RB Salzburg man, as he earned a 6.7/10 rating from Sofascore on that occasion.

However, this game would also see him register a woeful 63% pass accuracy, win none of his four ground duels and be dribbled past four times, which suggests that the Newcastle attackers well and truly had the better of him.

For context, the Denmark international has averaged a 67.4% pass accuracy and has been dribbled past 1.3 times on average per game in the top flight this season, indicating that he hasn't grown accustomed to his new centre-back role.

It seems a strange decision by Allardyce to trust Kristensen at centre-back given he has looked suspect defensively throughout the campaign, with Leeds journalist Leon Wobschall lamenting his "appalling defending" in the recent 6-1 home thrashing at the hands of Liverpool.

Leeds will find themselves up against two physical, in-form strikers in the shape of Michail Antonio and Harry Kane in each of their next two top-flight fixtures and with survival on the line, Allardyce must surely consider a more natural centre-back option such as Koch or Pascal Struijk. Indeed, this has been nothing short of a terrible experiment from the stand-in boss.

Erik ten Hag will be hoping for a much better performance from his Manchester United side as they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Red Devils have lost their previous two league matches and are currently sitting just one point ahead of Liverpool in the hunt for the final Champions League spot, albeit with a game in hand over their rivals.

United weren’t quite at the races in their defeat to West Ham United last weekend, despite dominating the lion's share of possession (65%) yet they failed to take any of their chances, and if they aren’t careful, this defeat may prove to be very costly indeed.

There will no doubt be changes to the starting XI ahead of the visit of Wolves, with a few players failing to impress against the Hammers.

Christian Eriksen was uncharacteristically quiet, making zero key passes and losing possession seven times, while David de Gea must be worrying about his long-term future after making yet another mistake. However it is Wout Weghorst who must be ditched ahead of the crucial tie today.

Will Wout Weghorst be dropped for Manchester United against Wolves?

Against West Ham, Weghorst was deployed in an unfamiliar attacking-midfield slot, where he has played just twice before at United, with both games resulting in zero goals or assists, and it was yet another poor performance in this position last week.

The Dutchman played just 57 minutes, and failed to display any sort of attacking intent, taking one shot and making just one key pass, while he achieved a rating of just 6.5/10 as per Sofascore – the lowest out of the United starting XI.

The 30-year-old took just 28 touches and played 16 passes, suggesting he couldn’t get into the game whatsoever, and it’s evident that this position isn’t suited to his strengths.

The £35k-per-week flop has managed to score just two goals for the club since joining in January and Ten Hag may be better off going with someone like Marcel Sabitzer directly behind the striker as opposed to Weghorst.

Richard Keys branded him as the “worst player” he’s ever seen in a Man United shirt, and it looks abundantly clear that Ten Hag won’t be pursuing a permanent deal for him come the summer.

Whoever plays in that role today, they must be looking to supply Marcus Rashford as much as possible in order to secure another three points which may prove crucial in the hunt for Champions League football in 2023/24.

Tottenham Hotspur will make an offer to sign Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, and there has already been an approach behind-the-scenes.

Who could Spurs sign to replace Lloris?

Spurs number one Hugo Lloris is slowly heading into the final season of his contract, prompting chairman Daniel Levy and club chiefs to weigh future replacements for the France international.

The 36-year-old, who signed for Tottenham over 10 years ago in a deal from Lyon, has been an ever-faithful servant between the sticks – making 446 appearances for the north Londoners in all competitions.

However, as he enters the twilight phase of his career, Spurs simply must look beyond Lloris and there have even been concerns over the star's form this season.

In terms of who Spurs could sign to succeed Lloris, there have been links to the likes of Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, Leeds United's Illan Meslier and Valencia shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Meret is also among the keepers who could be targeted by Tottenham, with a report by La Repubblica (via Area Napoli) sharing the latest on their pursuit.

According to the Italian newspaper, an offer 'will arrive' for the 26-year-old who has been one of the 'protagonists' of Napoli's title-chasing season. Tottenham have already made a behind-scenes approach for Meret, asking for information on the player.

After this contact, Napoli asked for more time to consider Meret's future – postponing discussions until the end of this Serie A campaign.

Now, there are apparently two possibilities – either Napoli's keeper extends his deal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium or Luciano Spalletti's side 'evaluate' every offer.

Should Tottenham sign Meret?

As per WhoScored, only Giovanni Di Lorenzo has featured over more Italian top flight minutes than Meret, highlighting just how crucial he is for Spalletti's side.

He has been consistently billed as one of the club's shining lights this season and is about to make history as a member of Napoli's first title-winning squad in over 30 years.

Meret has also been showered with praise by members of the media in recent years, with journalist Roberto Rojas calling him a 'stellar goalkeeper' for his efforts.

The shot-stopper has also been likened to Gianluigi Buffon by Udinese legend Antonio Di Natale, who said this to Radio Kiss Kiss (via SportStar) back in 2018:

"I saw him grow in all aspects, both technically and in terms of character. Napoli have secured a goalkeeper for the next 10 years. For me, he's the new Buffon."