Tag Futebol

Leeds United are interested in signing Hertha BSC starlet Matheus Cunha in the summer.

What’s the story?

With the future of Helder Costa at Elland Road uncertain, it seems as though Marcelo Bielsa has his sights set on signing a new star winger for his side ahead of next season in the Premier League.

According to German publication SportBILD (via Leeds Live), the Whites made an enquiry to sign the Brazilian back in the January transfer window, and are now ready to reignite that interest in the summer.

The report adds that interest in the 21-year-old is becoming more concrete, and Cunha is keen to explore new opportunities too.

Julian Nagelsmann rates him

The £35m-rated Cunha has enjoyed an impressive campaign with Hertha in the Bundesliga this season, netting seven goals and providing another six assists in just 27 games in the competition.

Prior to starring for Hertha however, Cunha was on the books at RB Leipzig, and worked under Julian Nagelsmann, and the German was quick to hail the kind of ability the Brazilian youngster has, and the progress he has made since leaving them.

He said: “Matheus Cunha is playing really well at the moment – he’s a huge talent and possesses so much skill.”

And, his former manager at Hertha, Bruno Labbadia, said that Cunha has got the kind of ability and talent to be a real game-changer, and can decide games on his own with a piece of magic.

He said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

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Described as having speed, skill and intelligence by Bundesliga.com, the 21-year-old seems exactly like the kind of exciting winger that could really set Elland Road on fire, and it’s no wonder Leeds are after him this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds United handed a huge boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

Southampton target Arnaut Danjuma has responded to reported interest from the south-coast outfit.

Danjuma discusses future

The Saints have previously been linked with a move for Danjuma (The Sun), who has enjoyed a good season in the Championship with the Cherries.

Speaking to Voetbalzone.nl, Danjuma said when asked about interest from Southampton:

“That is always an option. As long as we get promoted to the Premier League, it will be beneficial for the club and for me. I’m not working on that yet. It is important that we go to the Premier League because I have not set my sights on an extra year in the Championship. When we get a PhD, we then see what will happen.”

Exciting player

Danjuma has enjoyed a fantastic term in the second tier. He has managed 15 goals and eight assists in 34 matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt), and was even recently named in the Championship Team of the Season (via The Bournemouth Echo). He now seems to be settling in at Dean Court and indeed English football.

Bournemouth’s place in the play-offs is already confirmed, so they are in with a chance of returning to the Premier League. Should they achieve that goal, it appears unlikely that Danjuma will leave. Fail to earn promotion, though, and the Saints could be in with a chance of signing him. Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will therefore have a close eye on the £10.8m-valued Netherlands international (Transfermarkt) between now and the end of the season.

In other news, Southampton fans are gutted at this “terrible” news.

Marcel Brands must seal a summer swoop for rumoured Everton target Adrien Rabiot of Juventus after Kevin Campbell identified a major flaw with Carlo Ancelotti’s current squad.

Campbell has claimed that competition for places is the main factor standing between the Toffees and qualifying for Europe, after seeing Ancelotti being forced to name several academy players on the bench against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ancelotti was without Andre Gomes (hamstring), Allan (knock), Abdoulaye Doucoure (foot), Fabian Delph (tendon) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (knee) at the Amex Stadium, leaving Tom Davies as his only natural central midfield option.

Among those named on the bench against Brighton included goalkeeper Harry Tyrer, Kyle John, Reece Welch and Isaac Price, all of whom are yet to make their senior debuts, and the latter two’s inclusions were their first in a senior squad.

Campbell believes that Ancelotti’s thin squad has played a key role in Everton’s hopes of qualifying for Europe subsiding, after Monday’s goalless draw left the Goodison Park natives eighth in the table and six points down on the guaranteed UEFA places.

“I think Tom Davies has done pretty well most of the time, but Everton just don’t have the squad,” the 51-year-old told Sky Sports, via quotes shared by the Daily Mail. “They need to fatten that squad up, so you can play like for like, make different changes, because if you’re looking to step up, you’ve got to rotate your squad.”

Doucoure had started 25 of 26 available Premier League games following a £20m summer switch from Watford before fracturing his foot, while Allan opened 15 of 16 available top-flight fixtures either side of a lengthy hamstring injury.

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Allan has so far only failed to see the final whistle on one occasion when he has started a league game for Everton, while only Michael Keane (2,450), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (2,246) and Richarlison (2,171) have played more minutes for Everton than Doucoure (2,137).

Gbamin’s return from 19 months of injury hell with quadricep and Achilles problems would have provided Ancelotti with some welcome support in the engine room, but the Toffees are now set to be without the Ivorian for the remainder of the season due to his knee injury.

The midfielder’s latest issue, sustained in a training ground collision with Lucas Digne, may instead see Everton target other options in the summer market, following reports by The Athletic claiming that Brands’ work could hinge on Gbamin staying fit and finally proving his worth.

Everton have been linked with a move for Rabiot since Ancelotti’s arrival at Goodison Park, and France Football [via Sport Witness] claimed earlier in the year that the Italian was urging club figures to sign the Juventus midfielder, who Andrea Pirlo believes is a “complete player”.

It could take as much as €30m (£26m) to sign Rabiot, although Tuttosport noted last month that Juventus are willing to listen to offers for the Toffees target, for whom Ancelotti has never lost his fondness.

Ancelotti gave Rabiot his debut for Paris Saint-Germain aged 17, and ESPN have claimed that he considers the £187,000-per-week maestro to be an upgrade on Gomes as the Frenchman is a great box-to-box option who has talents which may suit the Premier League.

With Campbell now questioning the depth of Ancelotti’s squad and seemingly urging his former club to spend in the summer, Brands should be doing all he can to see that Rabiot is an Everton player next season.

AND in other news, Everton have been tipped to sign a £25m star once dubbed “a freak of a talent”…

Leeds have been handed a major boost in their chase to sign AZ Alkmaar captain Teun Koopmeiners this summer.

What’s the story?

In a list of options suggested by The Athletic’s Phil Hay as potential cover for Kalvin Phillips, the Dutchman’s name came into the discussion, with the news that he could be set for an exit from Alkmaar when the transfer window opens.

Spanish publication AS have claimed that, as well as fellow Premier League side Liverpool being interested in Koopmeiners, AZ could be willing to let him go for a fee of around £14.5m.

Better bargain than Meslier

Given just how cheaply Leeds bought Illan Meslier on a permanent deal last summer (£5.85m, according to Transfermarkt), that deal is surely up there with being one of Victor Orta’s biggest masterclasses at Elland Road.

In the 1.83m-tall (6 foot) Koopmeiners, the Whites could arguably secure an even better bargain. The valuation on the Dutchman is a major boost for Leeds given what Hay had previously suggested about the midfielder:

“The indications from Holland are that the 23-year-old, who won his first Holland cap in October, is ready for a move and his agent, Bart Baving, told Italian media last month that ‘the time has come for the next move’. However, he will not be cheap and several Italian clubs are monitoring him.”

Described as a “leader” by his former coach Koen Stam, Koopmeiners is AZ’s captain; and as well as being a talented footballer, would be another important voice in the Leeds dressing room if he comes to Yorkshire.

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In some player analysis done by The Athletic, it was suggested: “Koopmeiners has more of an attacking profile than Phillips (something that might fit with Bielsa’s standards of versatility) and there is a lot to like about him. He stands out as a very good all-rounder in top-flight terms: an extremely strong tackler who mirrors Phillips in his constant attempts to look for forward passes rather than lateral balls.

“While the match with Phillips is not perfect, it is close enough to suggest that Koopmeiners is an asset Bielsa could refine with coaching.”

Given the position he plays, and that he appears to be coming in at a much cheaper price than perhaps initially would have been expected, this has all the potential of being another Orta masterclass if Leeds can pull it off.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this 6 foot 3 powerhouse…

كشف المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول يورجن كلوب عمن سيحرس مرماهم خلال نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية أمام فريق تشيلسي.

وكان ليفربول قد تأهل إلى نهائي كأس كاراباو بعد تغلبه على آرسنال بهدفين دون رد، كمجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب.

ويلتقي ليفربول مع تشيلسي في نهائي كأس كاراباو على ملعب ويمبلي، وذلك يوم 27 فبراير المقبل.

ورغم إنه يتبقى أكثر من شهر على تلك المباراة، إلا أن كلوب تحدث عن الأمر قائلًا: “كيليهر سيلعب في النهائي إذا كان لائقًا، بصفتك مدربًا عليك أن تفكر بوضوح في الكثير من الأشياء، وأحد تلك الأشياء هو أننا نعتبر كيليهر حارس مرمى رائع”.

وأضاف في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “إنه ليس حارس مرمى جيد، إنه رائع، ونريد إبقائه هنا، وللاحتفاظ به هنا عليك التأكد من بعض الأشياء، قبل الموسم عليك التفكير والتحدث عن المباريات المختلفة التي سيخوضها”.

وواصل: “الأمر كله يتعلق بالأداء بالطبع، إذا لم يقدم أداءً بالمستوى الذي كان يؤديه عندما لعب ، فربما سأفكر بشكل مختلف، ولكنه أظهر أنه يستحق كل الثقة والإيمان الذي نشعر به تجاهه، هذا هو الوضع”.

وأردف: “أنا مندهش قليلا من السؤال لأنني لم أفكر في الأمر بشكل صحيح، لكن فكرتي في هذه اللحظة هي أن أشركه في المباراة، لكن دعونا نرى حتى ذلك الحين، لا أرى أي سبب يمنعنا من القيام بذلك، هو يستحق ذلك، لقد تسبب في الوصول بالفريق إلى هنا”.

وتابع: “في الأسبوع الماضي كان عليّ أن أشرح لـ كيليهر لماذا لم يلعب أمام آرسنال (في مباراة الذهاب حيث شارك أليسون)، عادة لا أفعل ذلك في الدوري الإنجليزي، ولكن كأس كاراباو كانت بطولته، وفكرت أن أليسون بحاجة إلى المشاركة في تلك المباراة لأنه كان عائدًا من كورونا وافتقد إلى الإيقاع بعض الشيء”.

وأوضح: “ما أعجبني حقًا هو أن كيليهر لم يقل لي (أوه نعم أفهم)، ولكنه قال (ماذا؟ لماذا؟)، لقد نضج وهذا أمر جيد”.

واستمر: “هذا هو الحارس الذي نريده، لقد قلت من قبل أن هذا هو مشروع رئيس حراس المرمى لدينا، جون أتربيرج، لم يكن أحد يفكر في البداية في أن يكون كيليهر هو الحارس الثاني في النادي، والآن لدينا أفضل حارس في العالم، وآخر جيد حقًا، هذا وضع جيد”.

With Wolves’ season as good as done, they can already start preparing for next term.

Considering they currently sit in the bottom half of the table, it will be a pivotal summer for Jeff Shi and Nuno Espirito Santo.

What’s the word?

Wolves’ main ambition during the next window looks as though it’ll be to add to their forward line. Lucas Ocampos and Goncalo Guedes have both been linked with moves but it’s another La Liga forward who is now the subject of their attention.

According to El Confidencial, Wolves are interested in bringing Barcelona’s young sensation Trincao to Molineux. They state that clubs with close ties to Jorge Mendes are keeping an eye on his situation and it’s the Midlands outfit who are looking at him keenly.

Any thought of a permanent switch is likely to be out of the question, with Trincao’s release clause sitting at an almighty €500m (£427m).

Traore upgrade

Wolves’ need for more forwards couldn’t be more apparent. With Raul Jimenez missing since November because of a fractured skull, their attackers have been struggling significantly.

Fabio Silva has only found the net twice since his record-breaking move from Porto last summer while Willian Jose hasn’t scored at all. As for Adama Traore, he hasn’t beaten the goalkeeper either in Premier League action this term.

Traore was sensational in 2019/20, scoring four goals and setting up nine in the top flight. This season, however, he is yet to register a single goal involvement in the league.

A move for Trincao, therefore, could represent an upgrade. The 21-year-old has only started twice in La Liga for Barca but has three goals and two assists. He has also proven to be a rampant livewire in terms of his dribbling.

Speaking about the youngster previously, former Benfica star Nuno Gomes said: “You can never expect what he’s going to do. It’s similar to what happens with Neymar. The Brazilian is also unpredictable with the ball. Trincao looks a bit like him, they both play on the sidelines.”

You can certainly see why that assessment has been made. For Braga last season, Trincao amassed 2.3 dribbles per game. He has stood out in a similar regard in the Champions League, completing two per match.

It might not be the dizzy heights of Traore’s 4.2 dribbles per game, but the Portuguese forward evidently has more end product; last season he scored eight times and provided six assists in Liga NOS.

Even if it was only on loan, he would add undoubted quality to this Wolves side next season. Shi must use Mendes to his advantage once again.

AND in other news, Shi must axe £35k-p/w Wolves flop this summer, his value has plummeted by 80%…

A football finance guru has dropped a claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kieran Maguire has claimed that Mike Ashley would have to peg down his initial asking price to sell the St. James’ Park club if they were to see themselves relegated from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship:

“The price that has been discussed with regards to the PIF takeover was £300m.

“Mike Ashley was originally asking for about £350m but on the back of Covid, he’s had to drop the price. If they are out of the Premier League, there’s no guarantee you’re getting back first season.

“Anybody buying the club this summer if Newcastle were in the Championship is immediately looking at £60m less in broadcast money and no guarantee the club is going to return the following season.

“I think he would have to knock off around a third of his asking price, to about £200m. The reason I say that is because if I was a buyer then why would I buy Newcastle in the Championship when I can buy Derby County who are allegedly going for £60m?

“I think the chances of being taken over in the Championship would be hurt. In the Championship, you’d pay a big premium because it’s Newcastle but you’d be thinking why not buy Derby for a fraction of what I could spend on Newcastle.”

Newcastle in danger of relegation

After their 1-1 home draw against Wolves on Saturday night, in where an opener from Jamaal Lascelles was cancelled out by Ruben Neves, Steve Bruce’s men found themselves dangerously lingering just above the drop zone in 17th spot on 26 points, before Fulham’s away trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday lunchtime.

If the North East club were to find themselves relegated, then a Championship team would surely be less attractive to the prospective buyers than an EPL one.

It may also be a question for Ashley as to whether he would want to sell the Tyneside club for potentially much less than his asking price as well, and whether he would then hold off until the Magpies were back in the top flight again.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what does happen with the potential bid if the Toon were to find themselves relegated.

In other news, find out whose display was slammed by Lee Ryder versus Wolves here!

MatériaMais Notícias

O elenco do Vasco se reapresentou nesta terça-feira em São Januário e se os titulares fizeram apenas um trabalho regenerativo, os reservas foram a campo suar a camisa. Eles participaram de um jogo-treino contra o São Cristóvão e venceram a partida por 1 a 0, gol do atacante William Barbio, de cabeça.

A partida amistosa serviu para o técnico Jorginho observar e dar ritmo de jogo a alguns reservas que vem recebendo poucas oportunidades nesta temporada. Um jogador recebeu atenção especial do treinador: o volante Diguinho. Ele iniciou a temporada realizando um tratamento de equilíbrio muscular com o Caprres (Centro Avançado de Prevenção, Reabilitação e Rendimento Esportivo) e já está liberado para atuar, mas o treinador ainda pretende dar um pouco mais de ritmo ao jogador.

Em campo, Diguinho teve uma boa atuação como primeiro volante. Firme na marcação, mostrou desenvoltura e nenhuma limitação de movimentos durante o jogo-treino. Quem deixou a desejar foi Yago Pikachu, muito discreto durante toda a partida.

Os reservas entraram em campo com Jordi, Bruno Ferreira, Rafael Vaz, Jomar e Henrique; Diguinho, Bruno Gallo, Yago Pikachu, Mateus Pet e Matheus Índio; William Barbio.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a fourth defeat in five league outings on Saturday night after they were well-beaten by Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Jose Mourinho’s men were more than holding their own until the 23rd minute and once again, a defensive mistake swung the game against them completely.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg brought down Ilkay Gundogan inside the area before Rodri stepped up to slot home the opener despite Hugo Lloris getting a palm to it – the German would go onto complete the rout with a second-half brace.

The Spurs boss kept his faith in Erik Lamela after an encouraging pair of matches in the past week – indeed, the Argentine had been a rare positive amid their rotten form but the 28-year-old winger failed to repay his manager as he put in an abysmal showing in Manchester.

Lamela drew the second-lowest rating of any player to feature in the match, being graded a 6.1 by SofaScore, and it’s easy to see why.

No Spurs player lost as many battles as he did.

The €30m (£26m) ace could only win three of 11 duels at a success rate of 27%, which means he was largely dominated by the City midfield as he was initially deployed in the no.10 role before switching to the right at half-time.

Every City player on his side of the pitch was graded at 7.5 or better by SofaScore and that tells the whole story.

Though he wasn’t just lightweight and weak – at times, you could be forgiven for thinking that Lamela was playing in blue instead of Spurs’ dodgy undertones of green.

Lamela committed four fouls, which was double what anyone else on the pitch could manage, meaning he proved to consistently be a liability as he was handing City golden opportunities from set-pieces.

As described perfectly by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, it was a ‘typically chaotic and infuriating Lamela display’ – both he and football.london’s Alasdair Gold rated him a measly 5/10.

Given the 25-time Argentina international is among the club’s highest earners at a whopping £85k-per-week, he really should be doing better, especially as he was trusted to start only his fourth league game of the campaign.

Lamela badly let Mourinho and Spurs down on the night with an absolutely shambolic display.

AND in other news, £60k-per-week Spurs calamity endured nightmare display vs Man City…

MatériaMais Notícias

Fora dos planos do técnico Dorival Júnior para esta temporada, o meia Pedro Castrou acertou empréstimo com o Botafogo-PB até o fim da atual temporada. Sem nem sequer ter sido inscrito no Paulistão, o jovem não chegou a ser testado pela comissão técnica.

Pedro Castro foi revelado nas categorias de base do Peixe e foi integrado aos profissionais do Alvinegro em 2013, após ter sido titular do time campeão da Copa São Paulo daquele ano.

Com Claudinei Oliveira, técnico do clube à época, Pedro Castro teve algumas oportunidades, inclusive como titular da equipe. O meia, aliás, integrou a equipe que foi à Espanha encarar o Barcelona, em amistoso.

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No ano passado, sem muitas oportunidades, o meia foi cedido ao Santa Cruz para a disputa da Série B do Brasileirão. Como fim do empréstimo, o meia retornou à Vila Belmiro, mas será novamente emprestado.