Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS group are likely to retain the services of current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag beyond the 2023-24 season.
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One Saudi Pro League club have made contact with the agent of a Manchester City superstar, according to a new report.
Man City transfer news…
The Sky Blues were once again busy in the summer transfer market, despite a historic treble winning campaign last time out. Pep Guardiola’s side brought in the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, Mateus Nunes and Josko Gvardiol from Chelsea, Rennes, Wolves and RB Leipzig respectively, however, there were also a number of players who left the club.
Man City summer exits
New club
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
Riyad Mahrez
Al Ahli
Aymeric Laporte
Al Nassr
Ilkay Gundogan
Barcelona
Joao Cancelo
Barcelona (loan)
James McAtee
Sheffield United (loan)
On the pitch, City have made a solid start to the new season, although back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Arsenal prior to the international break have left them behind Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table after nine rounds of fixtures. One player who City have been without recently is influential midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and it looks as if the Belgium international is a wanted man if a new report is to be believed.
Journalist Rudy Galetti provided a Kevin de Bruyne transfer update in the last 48 hours, revealing that Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, who signed Aymeric Laporte in the summer, have made contact with the player’s agent to set up a meeting where they plan to discuss a potential transfer.
“Al Nassr contacted De Bruyne’s agent to set up a meeting with the player soon. The aim of the club is to explain in details its long-term project to the Belgian, whose contract with MCFC will expire in 2025: evolving situation.”
Is Kevin de Bruyne injured?
De Bruyne started the opening game of the season against Burnley, however, the attacking midfielder suffered an injury setback just 20 minutes into the game back in August and hasn’t featured since. A recent De Bruyne injury update has suggested that the 32-year-old is no closer to returning, with Guardiola saying:
"No problems, except Kevin. No, I don't know. [When Kevin will be back]."
Guardiola is a huge fan of De Bruyne as well, previously labelling the player as the “best in the world”.
“He’s so important. He is the best in the world in this kind of running and transition. He can run and break the space for the opponent. It’s devastating. He is really, really good. Everyone knows it – this isn’t the first season he’s played in the Premier League.”
Therefore, it could be a huge blow if City were to lose their star man to the Saudi Pro League in the future, however, the club’s current priority will be getting him back to full fitness once more, with City looking to defend their Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles.
Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta have been told that they're now reportedly targeting one of the most "underrated" players around.
Who will Arsenal sign in January?
Edu Gaspar and Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs are said to have a fair few targets in mind for 2024, if recent rumours are to be believed. Indeed, reports have suggested that the likes of Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren and Club Brugge top scorer Andreas Skov Olsen are on Arsenal's radar heading into January, with other names like Galatasaray full-back Sacha Boey being mentioned in part too.
However, the real noise on Arsenal's activity has revolved around the signing of a new striker. Brentford star Ivan Toney, who was pivotal to the Bees before his gambling ban, is a player repeatedly linked with a switch to north London. The Englishman scored 20 league goals last season, but he's by no means Arsenal's only priority Premier League target. It's been claimed that Wolves winger Pedro Neto, who's enjoyed a blistering start to the new campaign, is another star generating serious interest.
This week, another target for Arteta has surfaced through the media as well, with some Douglas Luiz transfer news claiming the Spaniard is personally eager to bring him in. 90min reported on Monday that Arsenal are keen to sign Luiz, with both Arteta and Edu also huge admirers.
"Arsenal remain interested in trying to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa following his excellent start to the 2023/24 season," wrote journalists Sean Walsh and Graeme Bailey.
"The Gunners would like to add another midfielder to their ranks during the January transfer window and are looking at options across both Europe and South America."
90min go on to make the claim on both Arteta and Edu's admiration, saying that Arsenal's manager wants to "reunite" with Luiz at his new club.
"Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar are both huge admirers of Luiz. Arteta has known of the midfielder since his days as an assistant at Manchester City, where Luiz spent two years under contract but could not play due to work permit issues.
"Since their career paths split, Arteta has kept a watchful eye over Luiz and would like to reunite with him at the Emirates Stadium."
Douglas Luiz praise
Luiz has started the new campaign excellenty at Villa Park; scoring five goals in nine league starts under Unai Emery while marking himself out as one of their key, key players. The former Man City star, during Villa's 4-1 hammering of West Ham on Sunday, was praised by an Arsenal legend and Sky Sports pundit.
Likes to shoot from distance
Plays the long ball
The ex-Gunner professsed his admiration for Luiz, who Arsenal are reportedly targeting. Taking to X, he even called the 25-year-old one of England's most underrated players right now. Paul Merson, thrilled by Luiz's performance against David Moyes's side, stated:
The South American, if he continues this fine form, could be a very hot commodity next year.
MatériaMais Notícias
O Palmeiras bateu o Bragantino por 3 a 1 na partida de ida das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil, no Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista, e encaminhou a vaga para as quartas de final da competição. Com gols de Raphael Veiga, Wesley e Luiz Adriano, o Verdão saiu em vantagem no confronto. Hurtado descontou para o Massa Bruta. O Palmeiras agora decide em casa, na próxima quinta-feira (5), a vaga nas quartas de final da competição.
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Palmeiras pressiona e abre o placar logo no começo
A partida começou com o Palmeiras tentando pressionar a defesa do Bragantino, estratégia que deu certo ao longo do jogo. Zé Rafael e Rony criaram duas chances de gol nos primeiros cinco minutos. Com domínio, parecia que o gol palmeirense não ia demorar.
E ele veio logo aos quatro minutos.Zé Rafael passou pela marcação, invadiu a grande área e cruzou para trás. Raphael Veiga chegou batendo e ainda contou com o desvio na zaga para abrir o placar em Bragança Paulista. O Bragantino assustou em uma cabeçada de Ytalo, que acabou indo para fora, aos nove minutos.
Verdão não tira o pé e amplia o marcador
O gol não relaxou os comandados de Andrey Lopes, que continuaram pressionando a defesa da equipe do interior paulista. Aos 17, Felipe Melo acertou um lindo lançamento para Wesley, que invadiu a área, ganhou de Ligger e bateu forte, estufando a rede de Cleiton.
Só dava Palmeiras no jogo. Com tanto domínio, o Verdão acabou fazendo o terceiro com 27 minutos de jogo. Veiga lançou para Rony,que cruzou rasteiro. Léo Ortiz cortou mal e a bola sobrou no pé do centroavante Luiz Adriano, que mostrou oportunismo para ampliar ainda mais o placar. Weverton ainda fez uma grande defesa em cabeçada de Ryller, antes de terminar a primeira etapa.
Bragantino volta tentando pressionar
Em desvantagem no placar, o Bragantino tentou voltar do intervalo pressionando. Aos dois minutos, Bruno Tubarão bateu de fora da área e Weverton fez a defesa. Ytalo e Lucas Evangelista também tentaram nos quinze minutos iniciais da segunda etapa, mas sem sucesso.
Sob forte chuva, a pressão do Massa Bruta continuou. Aos 26 minutos, Evangelista subiu sozinho, mas cabeceou na mão de Weverton. A grande chance do Bragantino veio dois minutos depois, quando Luis Phelipe bateu colocado de fora da área, assustando o goleiro do Palmeiras. Aos 30, Hurtado teve a chance de descontar, mas foi travado na hora por Lucas Lima.
Palmeiras recua e Bragantino diminui o placar
Após tanta pressão, era natural o gol do Massa Bruta. Aos 37 minutos,Morato recebeu na entrada da área e deixou Hurtado livre, que dominou e bateu firme no canto do goleiro Weverton. Aos 40, Luan saiu jogando errado mas Luis Phelipe não conseguiu aproveitar o vacilo da zaga palmeirense.
O Bragantino ainda teve uma última chance aos 48, quandoMorato recebeu a bola na grande área, girou e bateu firme, mas Gustavo Gómez travou na hora certa. Fim de jogo em Bragança e o Palmeiras mais perto das quarta de final na Copa do Brasil.
FICHA TÉCNICA
BRAGANTINO 1 x 3 PALMEIRAS
Local: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, Bragança Paulista (SP)
Data/Hora: 29de outubro de 2020, às 19h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima (RS)
Assistentes:Leirson Peng Martins (RS) e Lucio Beiersdorf Flor (RS)
VAR: Daniel Nobre Bins (RS)
Cartões amarelos: Aderlan, Edimar, Claudinho (Bragantino); Felipe Melo, Raphael Veiga, Wesley (Palmeiras)
Gols: Palmeiras: Raphael Veiga (04’1ºT), Wesley (17’1ºT), Luiz Adriano (27’1ºT)
BRAGANTINO:Cleiton;Aderlan, Léo Ortiz, Ligger e Edimar; Ryller, Lucas Evangelista (Uillian Correia, aos 41’2ºT), Claudinho (Cuello, aos 41’2ºT); Artur (Morato, aos 20’2ºT), Ytalo (Hurtado, aos 20’2ºT) e Bruno Tubarão (Luis Phelipe aos 12’2ºT). Técnico: Mauricio Barbieri
PALMEIRAS: Weverton, Gabriel Menino, Luan, Gustavo Gómez e Viña; Felipe Melo, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga (Lucas Lima, aos 27’2ºT); Wesley (Gustavo Scarpa, aos 42’2ºT), Rony (Willian, aos 27’2ºT) e Luiz Adriano (Ramires, aos 38’2ºT). Técnico: Andrey Lopes
Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke was slammed by one reporter for his performance against Rangers this afternoon, and the journalist also disagreed with the VAR decision to disallow Kemar Roofe's goal.
Celtic picked up a 1-0 victory away against their bitter rivals this afternoon, with Kyogo Furuhashi's goal on the stroke of half-time proving to be the difference between the two sides, but Rangers may feel a little hard done by to not have picked up at least a point.
In the 30th minute, Roofe thought he had opened the scoring for the hosts at Ibrox, but after a VAR check the goal was ruled out, with Cyriel Dessers being adjudged to have fouled Lagerbielke in the build-up, which will have been a huge relief for the defender.
Taking to X, Josh Bunting expressed his shock with the decision to overturn the goal, while also taking aim at the centre-back for his actions in the build-up to the goal. The journalist said:
"The technique on the Kyogo goal is so good, to hit that first time and place it like that is outstanding. Rangers disallowed goal is a horrendous decision it’s just dreadful defending from Gustaf Lagerbielke, how has the referee looked at that and decided it was a foul?
Bunting was not the only member of the media to disagree with the contentious decision, with Scottish SunSport columnist Jim Delahunt saying:
"For the record, dozy Lagerbielke dodged a bullet. Also, welcome to VAR for everyone who couldn't have given a toss about Aberdeen's two-footed penalty at St Mirren and countless others."
Regardless of the decision, however, Rangers still had plenty of time to get back into the game, but failed to do so, with the Hoops' opener in the first half proving to be decisive.
It was a very dubious decision to rule out the goal, but Brendan Rodgers' side will not care one bit, having now returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership table, after sealing a victory in one of the biggest games of the season.
However, the manager may be a little concerned by Lagerbielke's performance, considering he got caught out in possession far too easily for the goal, which could have stood on a different day, meaning the complexion of the game would have changed completely.
Aside from his role in the disallowed goal, the 23-year-old's performance was not too bad, winning all three of his ground duels, and achieving a SofaScore match rating of 7.2, although he did lose possession on 14 occasions.
Having gotten away with his error today, Lagerbielke may need to put in a much-improved performance in Celtic's next match, with the Hoops set to face Dundee FC at home after the upcoming international break.
Karachi is set to become the second Pakistani city to play host to a major cricketing nation in recent times, with West Indies playing a series of three T20Is there starting on April 1. High-profile cricket is becoming slightly more commonplace in the country, something head coach Mickey Arthur believes is “very special”.West Indies are set to land in Karachi on Saturday to play three back-to-back-to-back T20Is at the National Stadium, which recently hosted the Pakistan Super League final. It will be the first time international cricket will be played in Karachi since 2009, and the first T20I to ever be played at the venue. “We are all extremely excited and the buzz around Karachi when we arrived today was amazing,” Arthur said after a training session at the ground. “We are very excited to see some new faces within our Pakistan team. These young guys are bringing fresh energy into the squad and they are incredibly talented.”For the young guys, there is nothing like playing at home. I know that they have been very excited about the opportunity and I just can’t wait to see the stadium full of green flags with “Dil Dil Pakistan” [a popular patriotic song] playing and our boys performing. This will be fantastic and they are very happy to be where they are at the moment. We have got a squad of 15, it’s a very strong squad, and it’s a squad of players that are all in some sort of form as well.”Pakistan will line up without Imad Wasim or Rumman Raees, with both failing to recover from injuries in time. Mohammad Hafeez was axed for the home games, while Kamran Akmal, the second-highest runscorer in the PSL was overlooked. Arthur said neither player fulfilled the requirements of the team. “We laid down a marker. If we look at the squad we’ve got, the doors are not closed on Mohammad Hafeez at all and he knows it. I had a chat with him about it, and if he is bowling, he becomes a very good option for us. If he isn’t bowling, it becomes a problem. Hafeez is still a quality cricketer.”[About Kamran] we often said that we are not going to pick players who just do well in one discipline. We want players who are able to excel in all disciplines and fielding is a non-negotiable point. If you can’t field, you can’t play for Pakistan. It’s as simple as that. Kamran is a very good batsman but he can’t field and Sarfaraz Ahmed is our wicketkeeper. So I qualify this by saying that we gave him a go in the West Indies and he didn’t perform as well as he could have. He tried hard, as he does in domestic cricket all the time, but unfortunately as I said earlier if you can’t field, you can’t play for Pakistan.”
MatériaMais Notícias
O clima esquentou no Moisés Lucarelli. Durante o jogo entre Ponte Preta e Operário-PR, as duas diretorias se desentenderam nas cadeiras do estádio e por muito pouco não aconteceu algo pior.
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Segundo o repórter Gustavo Biano, a confusão iniciou após uma provocação do diretor do Operário-PR. Ao ver João Brigatti elogiando Ivan, o cartola gritou ‘ex-seleção’, fato que irritou a diretoria da Ponte.
Incomodados, os campineiros foram ao ataque da diretoria rival e a turma do ‘deixa disso’ teve trabalho para acalmar os ânimos.
Dentro de campo, Ponte Preta e Operário ficaram empatados por 1 a 1, em jogo válido pela 10ª rodada da Série B.
أكد الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، أن الفريق أصبح لديه عقلية الفوز، مشيرًا إلى أن التفوق في مباراة الإسماعيلي اليوم، شيء جيد، في ظل المنافسة بقوة على لقب الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وفاز بيراميدز على الإسماعيلي بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الأحد، بالجولة الـ 24، ليحقق الفوز الثامن على التوالي خلال منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.
طالع.. فيديو | بيراميدز يفوز على الإسماعيلي بثنائية في الدوري وينفرد بالصدارة
وقال يورتشيتش خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “نحن فريق جاد، يجب أن أهنئ اللاعبين، قدموا مباراة كبيرة، الجو كان حارًا بالأخص في الشوط الأول، لم أكن راضيًا بنسبة 100% عن الشوط الأول، ارتكبنا أخطاء تكتيكية، الشوط الثاني كان أفضل بكثير، ولكن في المجمل قدمنا مباراة جيدة جدًا”.
وأضاف: “حاليًا أصبح لدينا عقلية الفوز وهذا بالنسبة لي شيء مهم جدًا”.
وأكمل: “لدينا وقت كبير لإجراء استشفاء للمباراة المقبلة بعد ثلاثة أيام، هذا مهم جدًا لأن الفترة الماضية خضنا مباريات كثيرة في وقت قصير”.
وأتم: “منذ أول يوم توليت فيه المسؤولية، طالبت الفريق بأن يثق في وسنفعل كل شيء كبير، الآن يفعلون شيئا كبيرا وهذا شيء يسعدني جدًا”.
ويتصدر فريق بيراميدز ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 50 نقطة من 21 مباراة.
Manchester United should consider reviving previous interest this summer in one of the most dynamic forwards in Europe, as Erik ten Hag weighs up his options for the remainder of the transfer window.
The Dutchman’s side got off to winning ways, however the narrative of the game was far from the three points, with club in crisis Wolves outplaying the Red Devils for the majority of the fixture.
With other clubs around United continuing to be active in the market, Ten Hag could take his side to the next level by exploring rumoured targets of the past that are still available to chase.
Who could Manchester United sign this summer?
After acquiring the talents of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans, United could seek further firepower by dipping back in the pool of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.
Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…
Reported in Spain earlier in the summer, the Red Devils had interest in the 23-year-old, who has become an outsider in Madrid due to a frail relationship with Diego Simeone.
After a half-season loan in the Premier League at Chelsea, Felix returned to La Liga however, the transfer window has been full of speculation regarding his future, with his price tag said to be set around £80m.
How many goals has Joao Felix scored?
At just 23, the dynamic and versatile striker has netted 72 domestic goals, as well as scoring on five occasions for his country.
Described as “exquisite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Portuguese sensation was snatched by Atletico at just 19-years-old, with the Spaniards paying a blockbuster fee of £113m to obtain his talent.
The season prior to his arrival in Spain, the teenager contributed to 24 goals in 26 Primeira Liga appearances for Benfica, showcasing to the world just how prolific he can be with the ball at his feet.
Now, Felix finds himself searching for a new challenge, with his future far from Madrid despite him being under contract with the club until 2027.
In capturing the 23-year-old dynamo, Ten Hag could significantly improve the attack on show at Old Trafford, with the striker’s versatility making him such an interesting acquisition for many.
Deployable on either flank, leading the line or most prominently as a second striker with a partner, the former Chelsea loanee could be the perfect capture for the Dutchman to play alongside new signing Hojlund.
Arriving from Atalanta for a bumper fee of £72m, the 20-year-old has a weight of expectation on his shoulders, with the move questioned due to him scoring just nine goals in Serie A last term.
In signing Felix, Ten Hag could not only gift the Denmark international an intricate striker partner, but a player that could ease the pressure from the youngster, in a partnership that could blossom at Old Trafford.
A keen creator, the Portuguese talent is accustomed to playing alongside a main striker, doing so expertly with Atletico behind the likes of Alvaro Morata, who dubbed the youngster as “special”.
It’s an extensive job to be expected to lead the line for a club such as Manchester United, even more so in the Premier League, and even more so as a 20-year-old with a £72m price tag on your head.
Felix could encourage the raw talents of Hojlund to perform with the help of his experience in playing the league already, paired with his knowledge in forming relationships with lead strikers throughout his impressive career so far.
Chelsea have approached the summer transfer window with a completely different strategy compared to the one they utilised during the January window.
Mauricio Pochettino has so far moved on 13 players permanently, with David Datro Fofana departing on loan, yet the Argentinian has signed just four players.
The main reason for this is to balance their spending so they don’t fall foul of the financial fair play rules, yet Pochettino knows that keeping a squad littered with unhappy players is a recipe for disaster.
Who will Chelsea sign next?
The Blues have recently made an offer for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, while Mohammed Kudus has also been linked with a move to the Premier League side.
With Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departing, the club are short on strikers and Pochettino could alleviate that by making a move for Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins.
According to Journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, the Englishman has become a player who is wanted by Pochettino this summer in an effort to bolster his attacking options.
The £75k-per-week hitman still has two years left on his contract and this means Chelsea will need to stump up a big fee in order to lure him to London.
Will Armando Broja leave Chelsea?
Phillips also states via his Substack that Armando Broja could leave the Blues on loan this summer amid interest from West Ham United.
Following a successful spell at Southampton in 2021/22, where he scored nine goals, Broja returned to his parent club that summer, aiming to become a first team regular under Thomas Tuchel.
The youngster ended up playing just 17 matches due to suffering a serious knee injury in December, scoring only one goal and it’s clear that Watkins could be a major upgrade on the Albanian international.
Despite struggling under Steven Gerrard during the embryonic stages of last season, netting only once in the league, Watkins hit his stride under Unai Emery.
A stunning spell between January and April saw him score 11 goals in just 12 matches, and he finished with 16 goals and six assists across all competitions.
Not only did the former Brentford striker register more shots per 90 (2.34 to 1.75) than Broja, but also more shot-creating actions (2.27 to 1.22) and a higher percentage of aerial duels (41.2% to 30%), indicating that he posed more of a threat in front of goal than the Chelsea gem, whilst also offering a better physical presence in the air.
The Stamford Bridge side scored just 38 league goals last season and this will need to be vastly improved if they are to challenge for honours. Replacing Broja with Watkins – who was dubbed “lethal” by Trevor Sinclair – would give Chelsea a significant boost in their hunt for more Premier League goals.
The seven-cap machine has scored 40 goals in the top flight from 109 appearances and playing in a side containing players such as Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Enzo Fernandez suggests there will be plenty of chances that he could get on the end of.
It may cost Pochettino a big transfer fee, yet Watkins would be more than worth it, especially after his exploits last term.