Arsenal are ready to rival Aston Villa boss Unai Emery for a £33 million striker who’s “in the mould” of Man City legend Sergio Aguero, as reports continue to link Mikel Arteta with a new centre-forward.

Arsenal targeting Kai Havertz alternative with Gabriel Jesus out of form

Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday was much-needed for Arteta after their disappointing draw to Fulham last weekend, but it was yet another evening to forget for striker Gabriel Jesus overall.

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The former Man City forward did assist Bukayo Saka with a flash ball across the box for Arsenal’s opening goal of the game last night, but Jesus also missed two gaping one-on-one opportunities in the first half, with Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki denying him on both occasions.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

Ipswich Town (home)

December 27

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

The Brazilian’s poor form continues, and he is still waiting to add to his tally of just one goal in all competitions so far this season, meaning Arteta is quite reliant on makeshift centre-forward Kai Havertz to deliver on a consistent-enough basis.

This has also led to constant rumours that the club’s interim sporting director Jason Ayto, working in tandem with managing director Richard Garlick, could look at new striker options as early as the January transfer window.

There are suggestions that Arsenal are targeting Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as one of the few options on their shortlist, with the Serbian enjoying an exceptional campaign in Turin and attracting interest as his contract is set to expire in 2026.

As well as Vlahovic, Arsenal continue to monitor Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig after failing with an offer to bring him to north London in the summer window.

Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s radar as well, following another sensational few months in the Primeira Liga for Coventry City’s ex-star striker, but it appears they also have a fairly new, more astute option financially to consider – in the form of Bologna’s Santiago Castro.

Arsenal "ready to rival" Aston Villa for Santiago Castro

According to CaughtOffside, the young Argentine is attracting admiring glances from within the Emirates Stadium, so much so that Arsenal are “ready to rival” Aston Villa for Castro next year.

The £33 million centre-forward is also garnering interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Everton, with Serie A champions Inter Milan and Juve also keeping tabs on Castro with a view to potentially moving for him.

The 20-year-old has scored five goals and provided six assists in all competitions this term, with Castro’s most impressive performance this term coming in the Coppa Italia, where his three assists and sole strike helped to knock Monza out with a dominant 4-0 win.

It is worth noting that some media outlets have called Castro a striker “in the mould” of Aguero (Arsenal Insider), and if he’s anything like City’s all-time record goalscorer, the Argentine Under-23 international could prove a snip at £33m.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to make it three wins from as many games under the leadership of Vitor Pereira as they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this afternoon.

Wins over Leicester City and Manchester United have moved the Old Gold out of the relegation zone and hopes are high the club can maintain their top-flight status under the new manager.

Against the Old Trafford side, the majority of the starting XI played rather well as they secured all three points, but there were a couple of players who underperformed.

Goncalo Guedes was deployed alongside Matheus Cunha as an attacking midfielder but didn’t have the same impact as the Brazilian.

Goncalo Guedes’ game in numbers vs Man Utd

The 28-year-old has scored five goals and grabbed four assists in all competitions for the Molineux outfit this season, but his display on Boxing Day wasn’t his best of the campaign.

The Portuguese star failed with both of his dribble attempts, registered just one shot on goal and failed to make a key pass or create a big chance in the final third.

Stat

Highest Ranked

Accurate passes

Matt Doherty and Andre (59)

Key passes

Kobbie Mainoo (3)

Shots on target

Matheus Cunha (2)

Ground duels won

Matheus Cunha (13)

Tackles

Toti Gomes (5)

Guedes also lost nine of the 13 ground duels he contested during his time on the pitch, along with losing possession a staggering 16 times and it is clear Pereira must make a change ahead of the clash against Spurs.

He was replaced by Hwang Hee-chan with just 15 minutes remaining and the South Korean star scored the decisive second goal which wrapped up a 2-0 win for the home side.

With this in mind, Hwang should be unleashed in place of Guedes this afternoon as he could cause the Spurs’ defence plenty of damage.

Pereira must unleash Hwang Hee-chan against Spurs

The forward hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons throughout 2024/25, with his goal against United his first of the season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He has only started three games all campaign, but this should change today, as Pereira looks to continue the club’s impressive momentum of late.

Hwang was hailed by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright back in 2021, who said: “He has got everything [Hwang], he has got pace, skill, touch and awareness and he’s always driving to get into the box.”

These attributes were on show last term, as the South Korean maestro ended up scoring 13 goals for the Old Gold while also creating four big chances, averaging 0.6 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.2 dribbles each match in the Premier League.

When compared to his positional peers in the top flight last season, Hwang even ranked in the top 9% for successful take-on percentage (52.2%) per 90, showcasing his dribbling skills.

If unleashed against Spurs, he will be keen to carry on where he left off against the Red Devils. Another goal or assist would certainly give him a great chance of forcing his way into Pereira’s starting XI, and he might just help move Wolves further away from the drop zone.

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Wolves are showing interest in a German international…

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 28, 2024

The captain of the Mexican national team chose the best players to have worn the team's jersey

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• Javier Hernández Mexico's all-time top scorer

• The Chivas player also played in Europe

• Álvarez chose one of Mexico's best goalscorers

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a TikTok challenge, current Mexican National Team captain Edson Álvarez ranked the best players to have worn jersey. Everything seemed fine until the West Ham player placed Chicharito at the bottom of his 10-player ranking.

  Javier Hernández remains Mexico’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals in 109 matches. The former América player punished Chicharito, the current Chivas striker – archrival of in Liga MX. The midfielder reserved the top spot for Hugo Sánchez, a five-time top scorer in LaLiga.

  However, Sánchez's performances with the Mexican National Team have been questioned, as many believe he fell short of expectations. It's important to highlight that the names of historic players such as Rafael Márquez and Carlos Vela were not included.

  Here is Álvarez's ranking:

  1. Hugo Sánchez

  2. Claudio Suárez

  3. Jorge Campos

  4. Cuauhtémoc Blanco

  5. Guillermo Ochoa

  6. Luis Hernández

  7. Jared Borgetti

  8. Pavel Pardo

  9. Andrés Guardado

  10. Chicharito Hernández

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the final hours before facing Canada, the Mexican national team has appeared to be under no pressure, even taking the opportunity to share challenges on social media.

  Rafael Márquez, assistant to Javier Aguirre, also took part in a TikTok challenge. Meanwhile, Santiago Giménez posted a meme on his social media featuring himself and Jesús Gallardo, both wearing the new jersey.

  Mexico is aiming for its first Nations League title.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Álvarez assumed the captaincy of the Mexican national team in May 2024, with an eye on the Copa América. He has worn the captain's armband four times.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ÁLVAREZ AND MEXICO'S NATIONAL TEAM?

  El Tri faces Canada in the semifinals of the Nation's League. Edson Álvarez will play his 84th match with the Mexican national team.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah among the premier players rested for the series

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-202211:36

Shastri: On current form, India might just play Malik against SA

Rohit Sharma, the designated all-format captain, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are among the senior players to be rested for India’s five-match T20I series at home against South Africa next month. KL Rahul has been named the captain of the 18-man side, which welcomes back Hardik Pandya, and has maiden call-ups for Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh.Also missing from the squad are Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav, who are all carrying injuries. Chahar, of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, has a back injury, and played no part in the tournament. Jadeja, also of Super Kings, left the IPL with a bruised rib that he picked up earlier this month, while Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar also left the IPL earlier this month because of a left-forearm injury.Related

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From the squad that took on Sri Lanka in their T20I series, also in India, in February this year, Mohammed Siraj and Sanju Samson have been left out. Kohli, who last played a T20I in February, against West Indies, had been rested for the Sri Lanka series as well. In fact, since stepping down as India’s T20I captain after the 2021 T20 World Cup, Kohli has played only two T20Is.As such, both Kohli and Rohit have been in patchy form at the IPL. Rohit, whose Mumbai Indians finished last on the points table, had a best score of 48 and tallied 268 runs overall from 14 innings, scoring at an average of 19.14 and a strike rate of 120.17. Kohli’s run was arguably even poorer, but he has shown signs of returning to form of late, hitting 73 in 54 balls in Royal Challengers’ last game, against Titans, which gave them an eight-wicket win and helped them stay in contention for the playoffs. Overall, Kohli has 309 runs from 14 innings, at an average of 23.76 and a strike rate of 117.93.IPL form is likely to have played a part in the Hardik and Dinesh Karthik recalls too.ESPNcricinfo LtdKarthik, one of the top finishers in the competition this year, last played a T20I – or a match in any format for India – in 2019, but forced the selectors to turn to him after hitting 287 runs at a strike rate of 191.33 in the IPL 2022 league stage. He has also been the best Indian batter in the death overs this season [min 30 balls faced], striking at 226.37.Hardik, meanwhile, last turned out for India at the 2021 T20 World Cup, but played primarily as a batter, bowling only in a couple of games in the group stage. But he has bowled a lot more in IPL 2022 – 24.3 overs across eight innings – where he has led Titans to the top of the points table. With the bat, he had an excellent start to the tournament, but then tapered off before smashing 62 not out in 47 balls in their last match, against Royal Challengers Bangalore.His international appearances have been sporadic of late, especially since back problems, which necessitated a surgery, cropped up in 2019. But Hardik has always remained a part of India’s plans, which was evident when he was asked by the BCCI to take the fitness tests at NCA days before the IPL began. It is understood that the national selectors wanted to be sure that Hardik can consistently bowl at least a couple of overs in every match.Arshdeep and Malik, meanwhile, have been among the most exciting young Indian quicks at the IPL. Malik has consistently bowled at speeds upwards of 150kph, and has 21 wickets to show for his efforts even while he has, at times, been expensive. Arshdeep has been the go-to bowler for Punjab Kings at the death, his yorkers reaping great rewards for him on most occasions. He hasn’t always been a big wicket-taker, though, with ten strikes in 13 outings, but has an overall economy rate of 7.82 this season, and an impressive death-overs economy of 7.31, the best among all bowlers to have sent down at least 50 balls in that phase.The players to retain their places in the squad were Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda and Shreyas Iyer in the batting line-up, wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan, allrounder Venkatesh Iyer, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, the Purple-Cap holder at the IPL at this stage, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, and seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan.But two of the names that had been discussed during IPL 2022 after making big impressions – batter Rahul Tripathi and quick bowler Mohsin Khan – didn’t get a look-in.

Manchester City’s miserable run of form continued on Saturday afternoon, with Crystal Palace claiming a point against the four-in-a-row Premier League champions.

It means that Pep Guardiola’s typically imperious outfit have secured just one win from nine matches in all competitions, and hands first-placed Liverpool an eight-point lead – with Arne Slot’s side holding a game in hand.

It’s patent that the Cityzens need to complete a rebuild across the coming transfer windows, and there’s one man above all else who is facing a pile of detractors after a spate of wretched performances.

Kyle Walker struggles once again

One of the greatest right-backs in Premier League history, it would appear that Father Time is starting to catch up with Kyle Walker, whose pace has deserted him as he continues to move toward his 35th birthday.

He’s been singled out for criticism on numerous occasions across the past few months, and rightly so. The Manchester Evening News could only provide the veteran with a 4/10 match rating, correspondent Simon Bajkowski noting that ‘the miserable season continues.’

Though the Three Lions star managed to make three tackles and win three of his four ground duels, as per Sofascore, his positional sense, or lack of it, played Daniel Munoz onside for the opening goal of the game. Moreover, he was easily beaten for the Eagles’ second.

You’d imagine that when Guardiola turns to address his side’s need for incomings, signing a new right-back will be the first port of call.

Honestly, though, the entire right flank failed to produce against a voluble Selhurst Park that proved well worth the point gained. Savinho is a talented young winger with plenty of room for growth, but it’s hard to argue that he’s at the requisite level for Guardiola’s project as things stand.

Why Pep must brutally drop Savinho

Savinho is electric-paced and creative too, but he’s yet to find his feet in Manchester. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of wingers in the English top flight this season for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, so there’s clearly some wonderful quality there.

The 20-year-old Brazilian joined the Sky Blues from French club Troyes this summer for about £31m, but he’s struggling to get to grips with the rigorous Premier League and lacks bite in key moments.

Premier League

12

0

3

Champions League

4

0

1

Carabao Cup

2

0

1

Community Shield

1

0

0

This was certainly the case against Palace, for he was hooked after 79 minutes having failed to stamp his authority on the match, taking just 34 touches – less than shot-stopper Stefan Ortega (42) – losing four duels and registering only one key pass.

It’s hardly surprising that MEN gave him a 5/10 match rating and rebuked his ‘anonymous’ showing. Given that he’d been reduced to cameos across City’s previous two top-flight clashes, it’s done him no favours as Guardiola desperately plots for a revival.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whichever way you look at it, Man City have got problems, and need to turn the ship around quickly if they are to salvage their season.

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Ligue 1 heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain could now be tempted by the prospect of selling a “key” player to Chelsea, with BlueCo apparently prepared to bid £50 million for his signature.

Chelsea targeting new centre-back for Enzo Maresca

Despite their abundance of talent in central defence, Enzo Maresca’s side are believed to be in the market for a new option in that position as we fast approach the January transfer window.

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While Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi make up the crop of senior centre-backs at Maresca’s disposal right now, there is some uncertainty over Disasi, who has failed to make the last few Premier League matchday squads.

The Frenchman has been primarily used as a makeshift right-back this season when selected, a role which was most recently taken up by Moises Caicedo in the absence of Reece James, and it doesn’t appear there is much room for Disasi in Maresca’s long-term plans.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see reports linking the defender with a move away from Stamford Bridge as the winter window looms, and reports have suggested for a while now that Chelsea could sign a new centre-back to potentially replace Disasi.

A few very noteworthy options have been mentioned as possible centre-back targets for Chelsea in the last few weeks, including RB Leipzig sensation Castello Lukeba, Nottingham Forest star Murillo and Bournemouth’s Ilia Zabarnyi.

Reliable journalist Simon Phillips has also stated that Chelsea could address the centre-back position “very soon”, so this could be one to watch at Stamford Bridge, despite those within the club seriously rating Benoit Badiashile as a back-up option.

This week, a report from Spain has now shared news that Chelsea have PSG star Willian Pacho on their radar as well.

Chelsea prepared to bid £50m for PSG defender Willian Pacho

Indeed, Spanish media claim that Chelsea are prepared to bid £50m for Pacho, who has become a “key” player for Luis Enrique since making the move to France from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer.

For their part, PSG, while preferring not to part company with the Colombia international, could be tempted by an offer of that ilk.

Pacho, who’s started 10 Ligue 1 matches for the French side, has averaged a cool 7.04 match rating out of 10 on average and an impressive 95 per cent passing accuracy from the back (WhoScored) – leaving little wonder Chelsea are now keen on the South American.

It is added that the 23-year-old has become their “top priority” for the central defensive area as a result, with Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche calling him an “exceptional” defender.

“Willian made a major contribution to our successful season last season,” said Krosche after Pacho’s exit to PSG.

“He is an exceptional defender whose rapid development is no surprise to us. We wish him all the best. He will always be a welcome guest here in Frankfurt.”

Following an initial solid start to the campaign on a personal note, Andre Onana has endured a turbulent couple of weeks to ignite reports that Manchester United could yet look to sign a replacement.

Man Utd transfer news

If the Red Devils were hoping to benefit from a new manager bounce under Ruben Amorim, they’ve been handed a rude awakening.

With Marcus Rashford cast aside and the former Sporting CP boss sticking to his guns on the tactical front, Manchester United have managed just two wins in their last five games and welcome Newcastle United on Monday off the back of defeats against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and an impressive Bournemouth side.

Like the rest of Old Trafford, Amorim will be desperately waiting for the January transfer window to swing open. The new manager is currently stuck using square pegs in round holes in a system that his squad simply aren’t capable of playing as of yet. Not for the first time at Manchester United, reinforcements are a must in the new year.

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With that said, according to The Telegraph, Manchester United are now targeting a move to sign Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in 2025 as a “long-term” option.

The 22-year-old would likely replace Altay Bayindir immediately if he decides to depart next year, whilst also putting Onana under pressure and perhaps even eventually taking the shot-stopper’s No 1 spot, with United clearly looking to the future.

Onana is already under pressure after conceding straight from Matheus Cunha’s corner last time out as well as making a mistake when attempting to play out from the back in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen earlier this season.

If Lammens did arrive, it would certainly be interesting to see who Amorim prefers.

Lammens is one to watch

As Manchester United continue to struggle, welcoming a younger goalkeeper to build alongside Amorim’s project could quickly prove to be key.

At 28 years old, question marks remain over Onana’s ability to take the Red Devils forward in the No 1 role, especially when it comes to executing Amorim’s risky demands when playing out from the back as we saw against Plzen not so long ago – and that should open the door for Lammens.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Senne Lammens

Andre Onana

Starts

20

18

Save percentage

80.6%

68.1%

Saves per 90

4.10

2.44

Clean sheets

5

6

Passes attempted

676

686

Lammens’ stats highlight just how excellent he has been for Royal Antwerp so far this season. Not many goalkeepers in European football can boast such a save percentage whilst maintaining over four saves per 90. The young shot-stopper looks destined for the top.

And while Onana has improved, he remains replaceable. The Red Devils may well have other priorities in a squad full of issues, but that does not mean that Onana is not on the list of players who could find themselves watching on from the reserves in the near future.

How ESPNcricinfo recorded a remarkable assault on Worcestershire’s bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2022

Ben Stokes marked his first first-class innings since being appointed England captain with a breathtaking innings of 161 from 88 balls for Durham against Worcestershire at New Road, including five sixes in an over, and 17 all told – a new record for county cricket. Here’s how ESPNcricinfo recorded his return to action.98.6
Gibbon to Stokes, FOUR, full face of the bat, punched clean through the covers to open Stokes’ account101.2
Leach to Stokes, FOUR, round the wicket, outside off, and bludgeoned hard and straight, almost through Leach’s outstretched right hand as Stokes heaves through the length ball107.1
Barnard to Stokes, SIX, that’s just dismissively huge! A stand-and-deliver swing through the line, pinging out of the screws high over wide long-on107.2
Barnard to Stokes, FOUR, back of a length, on the pads, flicked up and over square leg108.1
Finch to Stokes, SIX, a stride to meet the length ball outside off, and monstered high over long-off! I think he’s got his eye in now…109.1
Barnard to Stokes, SIX, leg-sided, and that’s flat and violent, picked up with murderous power off the pads, clean through wide long-on!111.2
Barnard to Stokes, FOUR, outside off, and panned through the covers, not until that winning stroke at Headingley, a full unleashing of the levers through the wide line111.3
Barnard to Stokes, (no ball) FOUR, two in two balls, back of a length from round the wicket, and dispatched through midwicket with a powerful swing112.1
Finch to Stokes, SIX, kneels into a lofted drive, inside-out, and high and mighty over extra cover!Ben Stokes made a 47-ball fifty … and then cut loose•Getty Images

113.2
Leach to Stokes, FOUR, too much width, walloped with a free swing of the blade through the covers115.4
Leach to Stokes, SIX, sits back in the crease, picks up the not-terribly-short length, and piledrives it over long-on once more!116.1
Baker to Stokes, SIX, blasted back over the bowler’s head, clearing the front dog and it clangs off the seating!116.2
Baker to Stokes, SIX, round the wicket, into Stokes’ arc on the pads, and hoisted over deep midwicket!116.3
Baker to Stokes, SIX, improvises as Baker fires it in flatter outside off, and launches down the ground over long-off116.4
Baker to Stokes, SIX, pongoed over the ropes once more… now this is getting interesting…116.5
Baker to Stokes, SIX, leans back, and battered violently over long-on, and Stokes reaches his hundred, though that’s not the story of this over…116.6
Baker to Stokes, FOUR, round the wicket… hacked down the ground… but it’s only a four! It travelled hard and flat, but Stokes thumps his pad in annoyance!117.5
Leach to Stokes, SIX, pirouettes into a pull, down the track, almost pulling himself off his feet in the process! Another six, through midwicket117.6
Leach to Stokes, SIX, splatted over wide long-on, a fuller length into the pads, and deposited with disdain! Seven sixes and a four in eight balls!119.5
Leach to Stokes, SIX, banged in short, and Stokes swings into another lusty pull! It’s a brave effort on the edge of the rope at square leg, but the ball plops into the pile of covers behind the rope!119.6
Leach to Stokes, SIX, mashed high and hard down the ground! A golf swing through the line, and bouncing back off the sightscreen!121.1
Gibbon to Stokes, SIX, bludgeoned off a good length, across the line and high over deep midwicket! One more to equal Symonds’ sixes record122.1
Barnard to Stokes, FOUR, gallops down the track, another dismissive battering through the covers, and Stokes is a blow away from 150 before lunch!123.1
Gibbon to Stokes, SIX, smashes the first ball back over the bowler’s head! Sixteen sixes equals the record held by Symonds and Napier, and brings up his 150.124.6
D’Oliveira to Stokes, SIX, massive! Unfurls the levers, out of the blockhole, high over the bowler’s head, and that’s the record! 17 sixes in a county innings!126.5
D’Oliveira to Stokes, OUT, another massive hack to the leg side, but this time he can’t connect perfectly, and the fun is over! A stunning display from England’s new captain ends with a well-judged take from Haynes, two metres in from the ropeBA Stokes c Haynes b D’Oliveira 161 (126m 88b 8×4 17×6) SR: 182.95

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (5), o Ceará recebe o Independiente, na Arena Castelão, em sua estreia oficial na Copa Sul-Americana. A partida será válida pela primeira rodada do Grupo G da competição.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Opção para a lateral-esquerda, Bruno Pacheco falou sobre a expectativa do elenco do Vozão para o primeiro grande desafio da equipe na competição.

– Estamos preparados para fazer uma grande estreia. Sabemos que a competição é bastante difícil, mas queremos começar com o pé direito ao lado do nosso torcedor – destacou.

A partida de hoje também marcará a estreia do técnico Dorival Júnior, que dirige o time cearense pela primeira vez. De acordo com o atleta que emenda a sua terceira temporada no Alvinegro de Porangabussu, o comandante vai somar e ajudar bastante o time brasileiro na competição:

– O Dorival é um grande treinador e tem bastante experiência. Tenho certeza que vai agregar muito em nossa equipe e junto com ele vamos evoluir dentro da temporada.

Gary Lineker fears one of his "silly jokes" may have sparked a shock feud with Jose Mourinho, as the Portuguese coach has been behaving "offish".

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MOTD presenter was in regular contactPortuguese has taken to snubbing himLineker unsure what caused differencesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former England captain Lineker, who is preparing to step down as Match of the Day host after 25 years in that role, once enjoyed a positive professional relationship with ex-Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager Mourinho.

AdvertisementGetty THE GOSSIP

Much to his surprise, there has been a breakdown of sorts in more recent times. Lineker was snubbed for presenting duties when Mourinho was lined up for a GQ award. Contact has been made since then, but "there’s definitely something" that is still not right.

WHAT GARY LINEKER SAID

Lineker has told the of falling out of favour with the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’: "He doesn’t love me anymore. I’ve definitely upset him, I don’t know why. He used to text me saying he loves the show and he watches the show. But then GQ got in touch with me to give him an award, and then the day before GQ messaged me saying he’d prefer to get it from someone who isn’t in football.

"I asked him and said ‘are we ok?’ He was offish, and I thought there was something wrong. He stopped talking to me after that. Then he went to United and he was offish. Maybe I did one of my silly jokes. I tried to kiss and make up recently, I got his number and sent him a message, he didn’t blank me, he replied with a hug, but there’s definitely something."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Lineker, who went his entire playing career without receiving a yellow card, is considered to be one of the nicest men in football. Mourinho clearly has a bone to pick, though, with the outspoken 62-year-old now working in Turkey with Super Lig giants Fenerbahce.