Manchester United and Liverpool have been put on high alert after Julian Nagelsmann revealed when he would likely leave his role as Germany boss.
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Liverpool appear to have returned to their swashbuckling best this season, putting their underwhelming 2022/23 campaign firmly in the rearview mirror.
Jurgen Klopp’s men stumbled last term, finishing trophyless while also missing out on the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season, and it looked as though the German had lost some of his magic.
The Reds underwent a major summer rebuild however, most notably across their midfield as the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner all departed the club. This allowed Klopp to bring in a more youthful contingent, including Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister and this seems to have rejuvenated the side.
Indeed, the Merseyside outfit have lost just one game all season – a controversial 2-1 reverse against Tottenham Hotspur last month – and they currently sit fourth in the Premier League, just three points from the summit.
One of the most pleasing aspects this term is how effective Klopp’s frontline has become. Mohamed Salah has registered ten goal contributions so far – six goals and four assists – while Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz are hitting form at precisely the right time, scoring four and three goals respectively and if they can maintain this excellent run, a trophy or two might not be out of the question.
Despite a fairly low-key start to his Anfield career, Cody Gakpo has also begun the current campaign in solid form.
How has Cody Gakpo performed this season?
Once again, Liverpool pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes by announcing they had signed Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven back in January, despite the forward being linked with a host of clubs.
Following an impressive World Cup where he scored three times for the Netherlands plus a solid start to the season for PSV, Gakpo was looked upon as another smart piece of business by Klopp.
Across 26 matches during the second half of last season, he scored seven goals and grabbed three assists, and has since started the current campaign with the ambition of surpassing these figures before Christmas.
The towering asset has scored three times in eight games for the club so far, yet he fails to rank within the top three across the squad for performance metrics which include key passes per game, big chances created or successful dribbles per game and this could become a concern for Klopp.
With the other wingers and forwards stepping up, this has perhaps been overlooked while the German could still have utilised the services of Roberto Firmino, who left Liverpool before the 2023/24 campaign.
How much did Liverpool sign Roberto Firmino for?
Following a rather woeful 2014/15 season, Brendan Rodgers entered the summer transfer window trying to build a squad that could return to challenging for the league title as they had done a season prior.
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Firmino was earmarked as a player who could take them to the next level, and he joined the Anfield side for a fee of around £29m, becoming the second-highest transfer in their history.
He had netted 49 goals across 153 appearances for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim and this record clearly impressed Rodgers who was desperate for some much-needed firepower.
11 goals in his first season signified decent progress, but he would truly come to life under Klopp, especially once Salah and Sadio Mane were added to the squad.
The great triumvirate was formed and with Mane on the left, Salah on the right and Firmino through the middle, Liverpool reached heights they hadn’t touched since the 1980s.
Klopp led them to Champions League and Premier League glory in successive seasons, while a plethora of other honours were claimed, but like all good things, it had to come to an end sometime.
Mane left in the summer of 2022, joining Bayern Munich and this left a gaping hole in Klopp’s attack, which perhaps led to their poor campaign last year.
Following eight productive seasons in Liverpool, the Brazilian decided to leave the club following the expiration of his contract this summer and chase a new challenge.
He was even hailed as a “stalwart” by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, and it clearly shows how much he had impressed during his time in England.
The 32-year-old ended his career on Merseyside having registered 190 goal contributions – 111 goals and 79 assists – and ended up joining Saudi side Al-Ahli on a free transfer.
He doesn’t seem to be slowing down however, and is even outperforming Gakpo this season, showing how much he is enjoying life in the Middle East.
What happened to Roberto Firmino?
Firmino made an immediate impact at his new club, scoring a hattrick on his debut, and he has even grabbed a couple of assists for good measure.
He currently ranks second across the squad for shots on target per game in the Saudi Professional League (one), while also ranking fourth for key passes per game (1.3) and for successful dribbles per game (1.4) and it showcases that he still has the attributes which allow him to shine at the highest level.
His five goal contributions this season is more than the three that Gakpo has registered, suggesting that Firmino may still have had plenty to offer Liverpool this season, even in a slightly different role.
There is no doubt that the Dutchman will eventually showcase the form which he displayed every week in the Eredivisie over the course of the next few months and this will give Klopp’s side a boost.
Firmino, while on the wrong side of 30, is still performing fairly well in a different environment and Klopp may be slightly regretting not trying to tie him down to another year on his previous contract.
If the Anfield side continues this impressive start to the season heading into the festive period, then not many supporters will bat an eyelid with regard to Firmino outperforming Gakpo this term.
It is still early doors, yet the Brazilian could have bolstered the squad depth as the club are looking to challenge on all fronts throughout the remainder of the campaign.
Newcastle United are believed to be in the race to sign a highly rated prospect from Dortmund's fabled youth ranks, and he's been called "one of the best" at beating defenders one on one.
The Magpies have enjoyed a highly impressive few weeks of action, having recovered from an iffy start to the season to show their mettle once again. Granted, two points were dropped late in the day at West Ham last weekend, but the 2-2 draw was still a perfectly respectable result, and the 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League is still fresh in the memory of many Newcastle supporters, in what was a legendary night at St James' Park.
What is clear is that Eddie Howe has gradually built a fantastic squad since taking charge, adding quality and depth in all positions, which helped his side finish fourth in the Premier League last season. That's not to say that new faces don't need to be added once the coming transfer window opens, with an opportunity to sign players arising in January.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions however mean that Newcastle can't simply spend whatever they like – Lewis Hall's deal was even intentionally structured to prevent further stress on their finances – and while it is clear that they are in a strong financial position, they will need to be shrewd in the markets once again in 2024.
That shrewd outlook appears to be targeting up and coming players with potential to grow huge sell-on values, as according to Bild [via Metro], delivering a transfer update on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the Magpies are one of the clubs who are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund's latest hot prospect.
Chelsea are also mentioned as potential suitors for the 18-year-old, but it is Arsenal who are the overriding favourites to snap him up, according to the report. Bynoe-Gittens only signed a new deal with Dortmund last week, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028, so it isn't going to be easy to prise him away.
It is exciting to see Newcastle be in the conversation for the teenage winger, especially from a club so renowned for producing top talents, and it shows how far they have come in recent years, in terms of being in the picture to sign such players against the likes of the Gunners and Blues.
Dortmund teammate Karim Adeyemi has spoken highly of Bynoe-Gittens' playstyle in the past, describing him as "one of the best" when it comes to taking on defenders in isolation: "He has no fear. For me, he is one of the best players one-against-one I have ever seen, to be honest. He will be a really good player."
This illustrates what an enormous talent Bynoe-Gittens is, and the hope is that he will enjoy a similar trajectory to another fellow English player who shone at Dortmund in Jude Bellingham.
It seems clear that Arsenal are leading the way to sign the former Manchester City youth team ace – who has won one cap for England's Under-21s to date – but the lure of St James' is clear these days, with that stunning aforementioned win over PSG showing what a top side Newcastle are and what a fantastic following they have.
Pakistan’s international players are set for a significant earnings rise after a fresh three-year remuneration agreement saw salary increases between 25% and 30% for players across the central contract spectrum. The earnings ratio will apply to centrally-contracted players in each of the four traditional categories, A to D. Players’ match fees will also go up by 20%.In addition, a new category ‘E’ has also been introduced, which a PCB media release said was to “recognise performers on the domestic circuit as well as to encourage the continuing development of emerging cricketers from the junior cricket level”.
Category A: Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Hasan Ali
Category C: Wahab Riaz, Shan Masood, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Shinwari, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Abbas
Category D: Rumman Raees, Asif Ali, Usman Salahuddin, Hussain Talat, Rahat Ali
Category E: Bilal Asif, Saad Ali, Mir Hamza, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Rizwan, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Big demotions: Mohammad Hafeez (A to B), Rahat Ali (C to D), Imad Wasim (B to C), Ahmed Shehzad (omitted)
Big promotions: Babar Azam (B to A), Faheem Ashraf (D to B), Fakhar Zaman (C to B), Shadab Khan, (C to B), Imam-ul-Haq (D to C)
The PCB also announced the list of 33 players who had been awarded central contracts – down from 35 last year. It sees very little change in terms of personnel from 2017’s list of the players with category A contracts. Babar Azam, who was in category B last year, has been promoted to the top bracket, while Mohammad Hafeez, who didn’t feature in any of Pakistan’s five ODIs against Zimbabwe despite being part of a much-rotated squad, drops down to category B. Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Amir retain their places as category A players.Most of Pakistan’s young crop of players, arguably pivotal to their resurgence in the shorter formats over the past year or so, find themselves in category B. Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were both promoted from category C, while Faheem Ashraf jumped two places, getting into category B after being in the category D list last year. Hasan Ali retained his category B slot, with Asad Shafiq and Hafeez rounding off the category for 2018.Three players who were in category C the previous year were omitted from the centrally-contracted list of players altogether. The biggest casualty was Ahmed Shehzad, who is currently suspended for a doping violation and awaits a hearing. Sami Aslam, who found his Test place usurped by Imam-ul-Haq in Ireland and England earlier this year, is also out of a central contract. The same fate befell Sohail Khan, who has dropped significantly down the pecking order over the past year or so.Mohammad Rizwan, who was named in category D last year as Sarfraz’s deputy behind the stumps, drops down to the newly-introduced category E. He is the only wicketkeeper in the list of 33 players besides the captain. It serves to reinforce Pakistan’s lack of options in that department; Sarfraz has played every single Pakistan game in all formats since being rested for the limited-overs leg of Pakistan’s tour of Australia over 18 months ago.
Everton could be set to lose one of their most integral first-team players in January, with a fresh report revealing that he is being targeted by an extremely wealthy club overseas.
What players are set to leave Everton?
The Goodison Park outfit sanctioned the sales of nine players over the summer, whilst sending Neal Maupay and Mason Holgate both out on loan for the remainder of the season to Brentford and Southampton respectively, but the departures might not stop there. Ahead of 2024, Amadou Onana is on the radar of Premier League rivals Newcastle United, not to mention that he was previously a target for Manchester United, and should he complete an exit at the start of next year, he might not be alone in heading for the door.
Sean Dyche’s centre-forward talisman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, has made 216 senior appearances since putting pen to paper from Sheffield United seven years ago (Transfermarkt – Calvert-Lewin stats), but he’s caught the eye with his strong start to the season.
England’s former international has established himself as the second best-performing offensive player so far this term on Merseyside (WhoScored – Everton statistics), and therefore, the 26-year-old has attracted interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by none other than Steven Gerrard.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin transfer update
According to Football Insider who have delivered a transfer update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton are worried the striker could quit if an off-field takeover fails to go through.
"Everton are concerned by Al-Ettifaq’s reported interest in striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin as their takeover uncertainty continues, sources have told Football Insider.
"However, it is believed Everton have no plans to lose Calvert-Lewin in the coming months – but could have their hand forced if the 777 Partners takeover does not go through. A well-placed source has told Football Insider that he is seen as a big player for the future and a key man for Sean Dyche."
How many goals has Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored?
During his time at Everton, Calvert-Lewin has racked up 82 first-team contributions (63 goals and 19 assists) in 216 appearances, with his prolific form and threat he poses in the final third having previously seen him dubbed a “monster” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Sponsored by Nike, Dyche’s £100k-per-week earner (Everton salaries), is also an ideal target man where he’s currently averaging four aerial wins per top-flight game (WhoScored – Calvert-Lewin stats), with his height causing a problem for the opposition's defence, standing at 6 foot 1.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Style Of Play
Likes to do flick-ons
Likes to do layoffs
Does not dive into tackles
Commits fouls often (Data via WhoScored)
Furthermore, Calvert-Lewin is a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so chiefs need to do everything they can to fend off interest and try to retain the services of their prized asset beyond January.
From 182 for 8, the India captain dragged his team to 274 limiting England’s lead to just 13 at Edgbaston
Sidharth Monga02-Aug-2018Virat Kohli was booed by the Edgbaston crowd when he walked out to bat during an England surge, but by the time he was done – 149 out of 220 scored while he was at the wicket; the next-best score was 26 – the crowd stood up as one to applaud one of the great ugly-but-beautiful innings. Not just the crowd, the England team were perfect hosts for the second day in a row: after the run-out and soft dismissals when they batted, they dropped three catches – two of those Kohli’s – and then looked clueless when the India captain turned it on with the tail. Just like on day one, Kohli was waiting to accept the gifts, this time turning what at one stage looked like a 150-run deficit into just 13.A standout feature of Kohli’s innings was his manipulation of the strike towards the end of the innings. He faced 3.1 times the deliveries faced by Nos 9, 10 and 11, comfortably the best effort by anyone who has batted 100 balls with the tail since 2001. In the process, he scored 92 of the 105 runs added by the last three wickets. And all of this was after weathering a spell from his great nemesis James Anderson; there were only two scoring shots – both off edges – in 43 balls and a dropped catch when the batsman was only 21.Poor fielding aside, it was a glorious day of Test cricket on which Kohli should at least be nice and write an apology to Sam Curran for stealing his thunder. India had got off to an excellent start, putting on their first fifty-run opening stand in England in 18 innings, when the 20-year-old Curran struck with beautiful left-arm swing. M Vijay was caught plumb in front, but when he was not given, the youngster had the gumption to insist on a review. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan then put on a manual on how not to play swing bowling: 50 for 0 became 59 for 3, and every ball seemed to be doing something.The relief for India was lunch, but even before that Kohli survived by the skin of his teeth with a thick edge not carrying to gully and also hurting Jos Buttler’s finger. Things went crazy when play resumed. Anderson was after Kohli. Ben Stokes after everyone else. There was intense scrutiny on the Indian batsmen’s technique and resolve. Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik failed. India were 100 for 5; could have been 100 for 7. But in successive balls, Dawid Malan at second slip and Alastair Cook at first slip dropped Kohli and Hardik Pandya. England are better than only India and Bangladesh when it comes to slip catching currently and here, with their bowlers creating more chances than India’s, their cordon was being badly exposed.2:04
Where does Kohli’s 149 rank among his best innings?
Those reprieves resulted in a 48-run stand, which Curran ended with a searing yorker moments before tea. Soon after that, Malan dropped Kohli again, this time on 51. Still, Anderson got rid of Ashwin with India only 169 for 7 and trailing by 118.The spotlight shifted to Kohli again. Until now he had played a responsible Test innings, swallowing his ego to come out alive from his battle with Anderson. Now that he was batting with the tail, he had nothing to lose. Now he was free to display his repertoire of shots. No sooner than Kohli opened up a little did England beat the retreat. A catcher came out to midwicket. A sweeper slowly went out. All of a sudden, England were not actively looking for Kohli’s wicket. If it comes, great; if it doesn’t, let’s take the tail out.But that plan rarely works against Kohli. He has, time and again, made a mockery of restrictive fields in one-day cricket. His mental strength, physical fitness and temperament are beyond doubt and he uses all of them to put the entire opposition under pressure. He stole singles from under the fielders’ noses, Root fumbling three times when the ball came his way as a clear winner emerged in the contest between the two captains. Kohli was outdoing Root with the bat, in the field, and with ideas when on the field. He also made boundary-riders look obsolete and had no trouble keeping the ball down when England went short at him, which was always likely on a slow pitch.England had to finally go to Adil Rashid with Kohli on 96. Kohli took a single third ball, and Rashid got Ishant with the next. The No. 10 was lbw to a wrong ‘un but he could have overturned that decision had he gone for a review. Nevertheless, he played with commitment that some of his batting mates could learn from. He defended resolutely and even used DRS to save himself twice.Now Kohli was on 97, India 70 behind, and there was only No. 11 for company. Umesh Yadav played out the last two balls, and Kohli took his game a notch higher. A square cut brought up the hundred. He jumped for joy, kissed his wedding band, saluted the dressing room and possibly also pleaded his team-mates to help him out. The odd ball still kept beating him – these instances increased as he began to play more shots – but England just weren’t bowling to get him out.Finally Rashid got him on the square cut with India just 13 behind. To rub it in for England, in the 3.4 overs possible before stumps, R Ashwin, India’s best new-ball bowler in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, produced an action replay of the jaffa to dismiss Cook in the first innings: drifting in, pitching on middle and off, and then turning past the slightly closed face of the bat to knock the top of off stump. As the players walked back, Kohli allowed himself another fist pump. Nobody was booing him now.
Patrick Mahomes, accompanied by his wife Brittany, graced the opening of the Kansas City Current's state-of-the-art stadium on NWSL season opener.
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MatériaMais Notícias
A segunda-feira é especial para Renato Portaluppi. Diante do Goiás, o comandante chegou a marca de 384 jogos pelo clube, algo que nenhum outro comandante conseguiu na história do Tricolor.
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Antes de a bola rolar na Arena, Portaluppi recebe uma camisa comemorativa das mãos do presidente Romildo Bolzan com o número 384. Além do manto, o treinador recebeu uma placa e assistiu um vídeo no telão do estádio.
Ídolo do Grêmio, o comandante colecionou taças ao longo da sua trajetória, entre eles, a tão cobiçada Libertadores da América.
Former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie has outlined his big transfer wish as he urges one £40 million man to make a London Stadium move.
West Ham form this season
The Hammers started somewhat brightly, but in the past week, they've tailed off. A 4-1 thumping at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend was soon followed by a Europa League defeat to Greek side Olympiacos, who resultingly ended their impressive 17-game unbeaten streak in Europe.
Heading into their battle with Everton at the London Stadium on Sunday, West Ham must resurrect their form and quickly, as David Moyes has just one win to show for his last five Premier League games. Speaking after his side's 2-1 loss to Olympiacos on Thursday, the Scotsman defended his decision to make a series of changes to his starting line up ahead of Everton.
“Look, we changed a lot of players tonight, we’ve got the Premier League coming up and we’ve got a League Cup game next week and we’d won the first two games in the group, which gave us leeway to make changes tonight,” said Moyes on Olympiacos.
“But maybe I have to recognise that while we didn’t win the Conference League games easily, as they were all tough games, coming to Olympiakos after winning away in Freiburg – which was a good result – this wasn’t a good result and wasn’t a good performance. In our heads we certainly had a bigger picture in our heads and that was going into Sunday."
McAvennie urges West Ham move for McTominay
You could make a case that West Ham are still deprived of real quality in certain areas. The January transfer window is slowly approaching, and reports suggest Moyes is keen to sign a new striker. West Ham are interested in Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy as a target, while Man United's Harry Maguire could join Moyes to reinforce his backline.
One player also targeted over the summer was Man United midfielder Scott McTominay. The Scotland international, despite his lack of chances, is currently the Red Devils' top Premier League goalscorer. Erik ten Hag has called upon McTominay sparingly over 2023/2024, with Newcastle tipped as suitors for the 26-year-old.
However, former Hammers striker McAvennie believes that West Ham would perfect for McTominay. Indeed, the pundit tells Football Insider that he'd be an excellent signing and wants to see McTominay in Claret and Blue.
"But I think Man United will bring players in with Casemiro, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen,” said McAvennie.
“Steve Clarke’s turned this player into an attacking midfield player. He’s been playing as a holding midfield player but he’s not a holding midfield player.
“He was never any good at it. He’s a good tackler but he’s not a great stopper. He’s moving forward and scoring goals. I’d be concerned if he went to Newcastle. I’d much rather he play at West Ham, he can do a brilliant job there, what a signing he would be”.
McTominay could cost around £40 million if West Ham do indeed decide to reignite their interest.
تحدثت تقارير صحفية فرنسية، عن تلقى المدير الفني لمنتخب سيدات فرنسا، هيرفي رينارد، عرضين من أجل العودة إلى القارة الإفريقية من جديد.
وسبق للمدرب الفرنسي أن تولى القيادة الفنية لمنتخبي زامبيا وكوت ديفوار، بالإضافة إلى أسود الأطلس المنتخب المغربي.
اقرأ ايضاً.. اتحاد الدراجات لـ”بطولات”: حالة واحدة لاستبعاد شهد سعيد من أولمبياد باريس
وأشار موقع فوت ميركاتو الفرنسي إلى أن هيرفي رينارد تلقى عرضين لتدريب منتخب مصر بالإضافة إلى وصيف أمم إفريقيا 2023 منتخب نيجيريا.
وأضافت الشبكة أنه وبالرغم من تعيين حسام حسن لتدريب منتخب مصر منذ فبراير الماضي، إلا أن رينارد تلقى عرضاً لتدريب المنتخب المصري في الفترة المقبلة.
وتشير التقارير الإخبارية إلى أن مصر قدمت عرضًا للمدرب الفرنسي هيرفي رينارد بقيمة 2 مليون دولار سنوياً، وهو نفس العرض الذي قدم له من قبل الاتحاد النيجيري لكرة القدم.
يذكر أن المدرب الفرنسي أعلن في وقت سابق أن منافسات الألعاب الأولمبية والتي ستقام في باريس نهاية الشهر الجاري، ستكون آخر منافساته مع المنتخب الفرنسي للسيدات.