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Newcastle United are reportedly in a battle with another club in the Premier League to try and sign Jason Knight before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Knight impresses

Despite a very disappointing 2020/21 season for Derby County, who barely survived relegation from the Championship, Knight had an impressive individual campaign.

Described as a ‘manager’s dream’ by Wayne Rooney back in January, the versatile player won six of his duels per game in the division and also averaged 1.5 tackles per match, scoring two goals (Sofascore).

The Latest: Knight monitored

As per The Irish Examiner, Knight is being monitored by both Newcastle and Burnley ahead of a potential move.

He has emerged as a target for the Tyneside club as Steve Bruce looks to strengthen his squad before the new season starts.

The Verdict: Sign

The Magpies simply need to get bodies in before the deadline given that they have one of the smallest squads in the Premier League, and Knight could prove to be a valuable player for them.

Given that he would be coming up from the Championship into the top flight, the Republic of Ireland international should not cost too much, and at 20 years of age, he still has a lot of potential while also being entrusted as Derby captain on a handful of occasions last term.

However, with the Clarets also interested in his signature, the Magpies need to act fast in order to get their man.

In other news, find out which Premier League club have agreed a fee for this NUFC target

A lingering heel injury has forced Matthew Hayden to consider his limited-overs future, but he says he still has the desire to continue in the format

Cricinfo staff25-Aug-2008
Matthew Hayden: “I won’t be ruthless about trying to push on. I don’t want to hang on too long” © Getty Images
A lingering heel injury has forced Matthew Hayden to consider his limited-overs future, but he says he still has the desire to continue in the format despite having to pull out of the series against Bangladesh. Hayden, who picked up the problem in April, said he was keen to keep appearing in coloured clothes – “at least for this summer”.”I really enjoy it so providing I can hold my spot I will definitely be playing more one-day cricket,” he told the Australian. “It’s not like I’ve played 300 games. I came late to one-day cricket and have played about 150 [161] games.”Hayden was the player of the 2007 World Cup and is the ICC’s one-day player of the year, but he will turn 37 in October and knows time is running out. “I want to finish off the desire I have to play one-day cricket without being selfish because it’s important the team has plenty of time to prepare for the next World Cup,” he said. “That’s still a long way off, but I won’t be ruthless about trying to push on. I don’t want to hang on too long.”Australia will have another look at the future during the three matches against Bangladesh in Darwin, starting from Saturday. Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin are contenders for the opening spots while David Hussey and Cameron White may also receive significant game time. The cancellation of the Champions Trophy has disrupted Australia’s pre-season, but given Hayden a greater opportunity to recover from the Achilles problem.”In the short term it’s disappointing, but in the longer term it’s really good because it gives me extra time to get right for India,” Hayden said. “India is a hugely challenging and iconic series. There have been a lot of distractions lately with the rise of Twenty20 cricket but the premium product is still Test cricket and one of the premium events is playing India.”

Former Leeds United star David Norris is disappointed that the club missed out on the signing of Rodrigo De Paul in the summer transfer window.

The midfielder was long touted as a target for the Whites, with the club even tabling a bid for the star when he was at Udinese last summer.

The Serie A club rejected that offer and instead sold him to La Liga champions Atletico Madrid this summer.

De Paul moved for a fee of €35m (£29.6m), with Atletico looking to strengthen as they bid to retain the title this term.

The Argentine has been in fine form for Udinese in recent seasons and scored nine goals in 36 games in Serie A last term, while also laying on 11 assists, and he can play in a variety of positions, including attacking midfield, on either wing, or in central midfield.

And Norris has expressed his disappointment that Leeds did not manage to do a deal for the 27-year-old in this transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Obviously, it’s not ideal because it sometimes doesn’t look great. I think De Paul would have been a statement signing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Desfalques diante do Goiás, Richarlison e Gustavo Scarpa deram continuidade às respectivas recuperações na manhã desta sexta-feira, no CT Pedro Antonio, enquanto a delegação do Fluminense retornava de Goiânia, aonde o Tricolor foi derrotado por 2 a 1, na quinta-feira, na ida da quarta fase da Copa do Brasil.

O camisa 10 ainda não tem previsão de volta dada pelo departamento médico do Flu. Fora desde o dia 25 de fevereiro, Scarpa recupera-se de uma fissura no pé direito, sofrida em partida contra o Madureira. A expectativa da comissão técnica é que o meia retorne aos trabalhos em campo nos próximos dias.

Já Richarlison, destaque do Tricolor em 2017, só foi baixa diante do Goiás em virtude de um edema na coxa direita. No entanto, após a partida no Estádio Serra Dourada, Abel Braga confirmou a volta do camisa 70 no jogo de volta, no Maracanã, na próxima quarta-feira. O Fluminense precisa vencer por 1 a 0 ou por dois gols de diferença para avançar na Copa do Brasil.

RelacionadasFluminenseDourado é dúvida para jogo de volta e Abel pode testar Richarlison no lugarFluminense14/04/2017FluminenseJogadores do Flu criticam Aylon, do Goiás, por pênalti sofrido: ‘Se jogou’Fluminense14/04/2017FluminenseAbel vê 1º tempo ‘fantástico’ e planeja revanche: ‘No Maraca vai ser pior’Fluminense14/04/2017

Quem também apareceu no CT foi o atacante Robert, que disputou o Carioca emprestado ao Boavista #lanceFLU pic.twitter.com/g1dK9F1jc4

— Matheus Dantas (@matheusdantasfr) 14 de abril de 2017

Quem também apareceu no CT Pedro Antonio nesta sexta-feira foi o atacante Robert, que foi emprestado ao Boavista e disputou o Campeonato Carioca. O empréstimo do jogador vai até o dia 8 de maio, mas com o fim da participação do Boavista no Estadual, Robert deve ser reintegrado ao elenco do Tricolor. A sua utilização durante a temporada dependerá do treinador Abel Braga.

Sri Lanka completed formalities shortly before the scheduled luncheoninterval on the fourth day, bowling out Bangladesh for 184 to secure theirtenth consecutive victory on home soil; and their first win without theservices of Muttiah Muralitharan

Charlie Austin30-Jul-2002Sri Lanka completed formalities shortly before the scheduled luncheoninterval on the fourth day, bowling out Bangladesh for 184 to secure theirtenth consecutive victory on home soil; and their first win without theservices of Muttiah Muralitharan since the off-spinner started his career in1992.The tourists, led by 17-year-old Mohammad Ashraful, who confirmed hispotential after a lean period since becoming the youngest ever Testcenturion last September, kept the Sri Lankans at bay for the first hourbefore a collapse that saw six wickets fall for 17 runs.The right-handed Ashraful scored 75 from 120 balls, hitting 12 boundaries,adding 68 runs for the fifth wicket with Alok Kapali (23), whose all-roundperformance on his debut Test drew praise afterwards from coach MohsinKamal.But mid-way through the morning off-spinner Thilan Samaraweera dismissedboth players within the space of eight minutes: Kapali was brilliantlycaught by Jehan Mubarak diving to his right at short leg off bat-pad, whilstAshraful was unfortunate to have also adjudged to have been caught at shortleg off pad only – the luck, not for the first time in this game, not goingBangladesh’s way.Left-armer Sujeewa de Silva, replacing Chamila Gamage, who beat the batrepeatedly during his brisk opening five burst, quickly nipped out TapashBashar (3), courtesy of a stunning airborne catch by Upul Chandana in thegully, and then Fahim Muntasir (1) with a curling yorker.Samaraweera wrapped up proceedings, as the close in fielders snapped up twomore catches: Manjural Islam (0) and Talha Jubair (0) both completing apair.Sri Lanka’s celebrations were muted at the end, the captain and coachadmitting that the victory, though a welcome after a series of defeats, wasof little relevance; the most important aspect of the series being theemergence of fast bowler Chamila Gamage and the batting of Michael Vandort,the Man of the Match here after scores of 61 and 140.”The results from England are still fresh in the mind and it was importantto comeback against Bangladesh as strongly as possible,” said coach DavWhatmore. “A lot of people will say that this is what we are expected to doagainst Bangladesh, and we are painfully aware of that, but you have to pickup the pieces somewhere.”Sanath Jayasuriya, back smiling again, said: “We may have won this seriesbut you can’t say that everything is going our way yet. In these conditionswe know we can do it, but we need to prove ourselves outside Sri Lanka andthere is a lot of hard work to be done in all departments of our game.”He admitted that defeat in England had affected morale: “The truth is thatEngland badly affected our confidence – we didn’t perform up to our ownstandards and it was very disappointing for the whole team. Slowly we haveto get back our old confidence.”The captain, originally uncomfortable with the selector’s experimentation inthis series, was especially delighted by Gamage’s bowling: “Chamila (Gamage)has shown his potential in this match – I think he can compete on theinternational stage.””I’m also impressed with the performance of Michael Vandort,” he added. “Hegrabbed his opportunity in this game and showed that he can score runs inthe top order.”For Bangladesh it was a familiar tale, coach Mohsin Kamal admitting that itwas hard to keep the players positive as the defeats stack up. This wastheir 12th loss in 13 Tests and the 11th consecutive innings in which theyhave failed to pass 200.”It is hard to lose continuously as half of cricket is played in thedressing room,” said Kamal, after his first series in charge, “but the guysjust have to be positive when they are there preparing themselves.”But he remained upbeat about the future: “We got some youngsters in the sidefor this match and they showed that they have a lot of talent – they justneed more experience in Test and four-day cricket.”He singled out the bowlers for special praise: “The bowlers did well, especially yesterday when they were under pressure – they bowled beautifully inthe morning, restricting the Sri Lankan batsmen.”I was also really pleased with the performance of Ashraful. He was under alot of pressure to score runs after not getting runs in the side matches andnot playing in the first Test. He has shown his ability.”Bangladesh can, at least, seek some comfort in the fact that they are notalone in finding it difficult to adjust to the demands of Test cricket: SriLanka had to wait 14 matches before their first victory, Zimbabwe took 11games, India 25 and New Zealand a staggering 45 – Bangladesh will surely notwait that long.

Bruno Lage wrapped up the transfer of Trincao on Sunday morning in what was a huge boost to Wolves’ chances next season.

That being said, bad news could be on the way with Conor Coady, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore all linked with the exit door.

What’s the word?

If Coady does leave, Wolves will have a challenge on their hands to replace him.

They’ve already been touted with Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski but Old Gold legend Steve Bull is entertaining the idea of another English defender heading to Molineux.

Speaking to This is Futbol over the weekend, the club’s all-time record scorer commented: “I want to see experience come into Wolves and someone like Tarkowski from Burnley or Lewis Dunk at Brighton, just somebody who has been there and done it in the Premier League.”

The Brighton defender was the subject of interest from Leicester a few years ago as they weighed up a whopping £40m offer.

Dunk is now valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Bye-bye Coady

Should the Wolves skipper depart this summer they’d be foolish to ignore Dunk.

After all, the central defender bullied Nuno Santo’s men on two occasions last term, as he scored in back to back games against the Midlands side.

He was a menace from set-piece scenarios when the two clubs drew 3-3 with each other back in January.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-ceballos-zinchenko-euros-felix-lage” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer news!”]

Bizarrely, it was diminutive midfielder Ruben Neves who was marking the 6 foot 4 frame of Dunk during that encounter, as the Englishman got the better of him to find the back of the net.

Dunk was a huge threat when the two teams played each other in May as well. Wolves came from behind to win following a red card to the 29-year-old but before then, he caused chaos from corners.

Neves was charged with marking him again in a rather naive move from the manager as he was beaten in the air to score in successive games versus the Old Gold.

The Brighton star was described as “outstanding” last season and it’s clear to see why. Dunk scored five goals on his way to winning 2.4 aerial duels per match.

That not only equals Wolves’ top scorer last season in Pedro Neto, but in terms of aerial battles, only Willy Boly, Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker won more.

After Wolves shipped 52 league goals last term, they will desperately need defensive recruits. Dunk can be erratic at times but would undoubtedly add more physicality to their backline.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Trincao: Wolves must sign “remarkable” 22-goal beast with “magic” feet…

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos deixou o gramado do Estádio Nacional do Peru para o intervalo perdendo por 1 a 0 para o Sporting Cristal e sem amostras de que poderia igualar o placar. Porém, os 15 minutos de descanso foram essenciais para o Peixe mudar sua postura.

Os primeiros minutos de intervalo foram tensos entre os santistas. Thiago Maia e Lucas Lima chegaram a discutir no vestiário, ante do técnico Dorival Júnior tomar a frente da conversa com o grupo. No entanto, o gol que recolocou o Alvinegro na partida foi justamente com uma assistência do camisa 10 e com a bela conclusão do volante.

-Abafei muito, discutimos no vestiário e acabei dando passe para ele. Pegamos confiança no jogo e a equipe subiu o nível – disse Lucas Lima ao Fox Sports, antes do complemento de Thiago Maia:

-Foi um momento de sangue quente, falamos besteiras, mas acho que isso fez ele dar o passe para mim (risos). Ele e o Renato são insubstituíveis – pontuou o camisa 29.

O jovem volante, que só tem três gols na carreira, ainda revelou que sonhou com o gol.

-Eu tinha sonhado com o gol. Fiz um gol para a minha namorada. Sonhei que fiz um gol por cima do goleiro – confessou.

Em campo, outro fator que fez a diferença além da injeção de ânimos foi o dedo do técnico Dorival Júnior. Vitor Bueno e Copete deram lugar a Vladimir Hernández e Bruno Henrique, respectivamente.

As alterações, anteriores ao gol de empate, ocorreram pois o Santos buscava velocidade pelos lados. Hernández, que estreou pelo Peixe na quinta-feira, participou da troca de passes na jogada do gol.

Bruno Henrique teve tudo para deixar o dele. O camisa 27 venceu a marcação de dois adversários, roubou uma bola, mas perdeu a passada ao se adiantar.

O Peixe volta a campo no domingo, contra o São Bernardo, fora de casa, pelo Paulistão. O técnico Dorival Júnior ainda não confirmou se vai mandar a campo o time titular no Estadual.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Sornoza, Gustavo Scarpa, Wellington, Marcos Junior, Henrique Dourado… Abel Braga não pode reclamar de poucas opções para o ataque do Fluminense. Nos últimos dias, o técnico ainda ganhou Richarlison, de volta da Seleção Brasileira Sub-20. E o atacante voltou com dois gols diante do Volta Redonda, no sábado.

Agora, o camisa 70 do Tricolor mira a titularidade e está ansioso para formar o setor ofensivo ao lado de nomes já conhecidos, como Scarpa, e outros novos companheiros. Do Equador, Richarlison já observou a qualidade de Sornoza.

-Vi alguns jogos do Equador e deu para perceber que o Sornoza é muito bom jogador. Serve os atacantes bem. Agora é confiar nele que a bola vai chegar toda hora. Temos que aproveitar bem – comentou Richarlison, após o treino de terça-feira, antes de completar com uma provação aos rivais do Rio de Janeiro:

– O Fluminense está melhor servido.

Se o Fluminense apostou nas chegadas dos equatorianos, os rivais cariocas não ficaram atrás. O Flamengo, que já contava com Diego e Willian Arão, reforçou o meio-campo com o argentino Darío Conca e Rômulo. O Botafogo, de Camilo, trouxe outro velho conhecido dos brasileiros: Montillo, ex-Cruzeiro e Santos. O meia Wagner, campeão brasileiro pelo Flu em 2012, acertou com o Vasco.

Dos reforços cariocas para 2017, certamente Orejuela e Sornoza são os que tiveram as adaptações mais rápidas e já são figuras fundamentais no Tricolor. Os dois são titulares absolutos com Abel Braga, que é só elogios aos gringos.

Ao “El Telégrafo”, portal equatoriano, Junior Sornoza comentou o início no Fluminense e as expectativas para a sequência da temporada no Brasil.

– Me sinto muito feliz no clube, me adaptei muito rápido. O professor me deu muita confiança, sou responsável pelas bolas paradas com outro colega (Gustavo Scarpa) – afirmou o meia, antes de complementar:

– Queremos seguir ajudando o clube a conquistar vitórias. Estamos muito contentes de estar aqui. É muito importante a presença de Jefferson – finalizou Sornoza, referindo-se ao volante que foi seu companheiro no Independiente Del Valle, do Equador.

RelacionadasFluminensePara Henrique, bom momento do Flu é mérito de Abel: ‘Mudou o ambiente’Fluminense21/02/2017FluminenseRicharlison deixa Europa para depois: ‘Quero fazer história no Fluminense’Fluminense21/02/2017FluminenseFlu conta com ‘ajuda fundamental’ da torcida em acordo com Under ArmourFluminense20/02/2017

Bom dia, tricolor! Flu inicia hoje a campanha pelo bicampeonato da Copa do Brasil. Será vai ter dancinha da dupla Scarpa-Sornoza? pic.twitter.com/JNZjaMeBeS

— Matheus Dantas (@matheusdantasfr) 15 de fevereiro de 2017

Artilheiros do Fluminense na temporada: Henrique Dourado (6); Gustavo Scarpa (4); Wellington Silva e Richarlison (2); Henrique, Pedro, Marquinho, Marcos Junior, Léo, Osvaldo, Lucas e Reginaldo (1)
Assistências no Fluminense na temporada: Sornoza (4); Gustavo Scarpa, Wellington Silva, Lucas, Léo e Douglas (2); Renato Chaves, Marquinho e Marcos Junior (1)

Alan Hutton believes that Barcelona defender Junior Firpo would be an ‘excellent signing’ for Leeds United, following news that he is scheduled for a medical at Elland Road later this week [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Leeds United gear up for 2021/22

As the Whites get their ducks in a row ahead of 2021/22, many onlookers will be fascinated to see how Marcelo Bielsa goes about improving his side’s impressive ninth placed finish last time out.

Already active in the transfer market, the Yorkshiremen have completed a deal for ex-Birmingham City starlet Amari Miller, whilst they have also been linked heavily with a move for Hertha Berlin forward Matheus Cunha [Leeds Live].

However, they now look set to acquire Dominican Republic left-back Firpo, something that the BBC pundit has greeted with extreme positivity.

The Latest: Hutton lavishes praise on ‘excellent’ Firpo as he gets set for medical

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the former Tottenham Hotspur man claimed:

“He was at Betis before he joined Barcelona. He’s an outstanding player.

“I was reading quotes by Abidal, who signed him, some of the stuff he was saying about him. How he could be one of the best left-backs in the world, he just has to be patient and learn.

“I think this move just shows you what type of player Leeds are trying to attract. Reading about the style of player that he is, I think he’d definitely fit into a Bielsa side.

“It’s a position where they need someone in. It’s as simple as that and I think they’re aiming high. It obviously shows you where they’re trying to go with this squad.

“It’s only going to be exciting for the league if they come back even stronger because I thought they were excellent last year.

“I think that’d be an excellent signing.” [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Leeds United should look to get the Firpo deal over the line ahead of pre-season

Correctly, the 36-year-old points out that the qualities the 6ft ace possesses are in sync with the high-octane style of football Bielsa likes his sides to operate in – pace and versatility.

In 2020/21, Firpo made 18 appearances for Blaugrana, notching one goal alongside a solitary assist [Transfermarkt].

Advantageously for the Elland Road club, he is also adept at moving the ball quickly and effectively. Throughout last season, he averaged a commendable 89.7% pass accuracy, which would suit Leeds and Bielsa.

Moving towards pre-season, the Whites should look to finalise a deal for the 24-year-old full-back ahead of time so he can get bedded in to Bielsa’s high-intensity style as quickly as possible.

In other news, Leeds United are set to miss out on a reported signing target.

Sourav Ganguly has waited long for his eighth Test century

Special Correspondent03-Mar-2002Sourav Ganguly has waited long for his eighth Test century. When he finally raised it after 28 months, he was obviously mightily relieved and delighted. His unbeaten 135 off 279 balls, an innings that included 21 fours and six, on the rain-interrupted third day has not just put India on course for the first-innings lead, it has also probably ensured that Kolkata’s favourite son would remain the captain for India’s away series against the West Indies. Excerpts from his press-conference on Sunday:Are you relieved at finally getting a century?Of course, yes, obviously relieved. But I knew I had to concentrate and the runs would come. It was just a question of sticking there.Did you change your batting style?There was a little change in the style. But it had a lot to do with my concentration. I had been getting out in 30s and 40s, though I had been batting well. In fact, I got out four times between 35 and 47, so it was all about being able to concentrate more and luckily I did that today. I had worked on my pull and cut strokes. I knew the wicket didn’t have too much pace and the ball was coming at a convenient level. I am happy these two shots gave me some runs.But so many rain interruptions must have made it difficult for you?It isn’t very easy under those conditions, when you are going in and coming out so much. But you can’t really help such things. You have got to cope up with these difficulties and try your best.Is this your best knock?I won’t say so. I have played better knocks but this one was also important, both for me and the team. Besides getting back some form I also contributed to the team.Batting at number three seems to get the best out of you. You seem to enjoy batting in that position…It could be co-incidental but yes, having opened in one-dayers for India makes me more comfortable when the ball is hard and new. I am used to facing the new ball though it has got its advantages and disadvantages. The bowlers look fresh and keep attacking the batsman constantly. But one thing, it also gives you more opportunities to score boundaries. You have to wait for the loose ball and play accordingly.So you would continue to bat at this position?No, it’s not a permanent slot for me. Rahul (Dravid) has done very well at that place and he is the rightful claimant to that slot. It was a good gesture by him to allow me to come at number three when I asked for it but he will be back in that place from the next series.And how would you plan tomorrow’s play?We have to take lead first and then we can put pressure on them. About a 100-run lead would be good on this wicket.