Leeds United’s recruitment team are running out of time to do some business before the winter window officially slams shut on Monday night.

The Whites are yet to make a single signing in the January transfer window but they have little over 24 hours left to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Southampton centre-forward Cameron Archer is one player who has been linked with a late move to Elland Road on loan from the Premier League side.

However, a new number nine is not the only position on the agenda for the West Yorkshire outfit, as they are reportedly keen on another attacking midfielder.

Leeds eyeing late deal for midfield maestro

According to Russian journalist Ivan Karpov, on his Telegram channel, Leeds United are one of the teams interested in signing Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan.

The report claims the Whites and fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Sunderland are eyeing up the Armenia international in a last-gasp move before the deadline.

It states that Daniel Farke worked with the 24-year-old magician during his short spell in charge of Krasnodar earlier in his career and would like a reunion with the playmaker this season.

Karpov’s report does not, however, reveal how much money it would take for the Russian side to consider cashing in on their star midfielder in the next day or so.

Why Leeds should sign Eduard Spertsyan

The Whites should, now, push to win the race for the Armenian wizard before the deadline passes because he could come in as a dream signing for Joel Piroe.

Farke’s current centre-forward took his tally to 12 goals for the season, from an xG of 8.36, in the Championship with a brace against Cardiff on Saturday.

The Dutch centre-forward has proven his ability to consistently find the back of the net at an efficient rate, given the quality of chances created for him.

In Spertsyan, Leeds could sign an attacking midfielder with the quality to create even more opportunities for the former Swansea man to score goals.

After Ajax once failed to sign the Armenia international, the Dutch side’s technical director Sven Mislinta compared him to Kevin De Bruyne. He said: “It wasn’t about his abilities but that he plays in Russia. He could’ve been at Ajax similar to what Kevin De Bruyne is at Man City. A special player, you can’t find someone like him for this amount of money.”

That was incredibly high praise, given that the Belgian star has 104 goals and 173 assists for Man City, but his form in recent seasons for Krasnodar explains the comparison.

Appearances

28

29

18

Goals

10

11

6

Key passes per game

2.2

1.9

2.6

Big chances created

8

8

3

Assists

11

3

3

As you can see in the table above, Spertsyan may not be on de Bruyne’s sensational level but he is an attacking midfielder who can score goals and create chances on a regular basis in a number ten position.

Meanwhile, no current Leeds player has managed more than 1.7 key passes per game in the Championship this season, which suggests that Spertsyan, who has averaged 2.6 key passes per match this season, could come in as Farke’s best creator.

Their next Chris Wood: Leeds step up move to land “ball-striking monster”

Leeds are looking to add attacking firepower

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 1, 2025

That would, therefore, make him a dream for Piroe in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, as they could form a terrific partnership in the final third.

MatériaMais Notícias

Recentemente, os torcedores do Internacional foram surpreendido com um suposto boicote dos jogadores a um treino da equipe. Segundo veiculado, o motivo seria o atraso do pagamento de direitos de imagem. Taison, o capitão do time, foi apontado como o possível líder do movimento.

Contudo, horas depois, após o acerto do pagamento, o camisa 7 se pronunciou e explicou que não foi o cabeça da ação dos jogadores. O clima segue tenso entre o atleta e os torcedores do clube, que não gostaram da atitude do camisa 7.

Agora, após a vitória do Colorado, por 3 a 1, diante o Flamengo, Taison voltou a desabafar sobre os últimos dias. Em uma publicação em seu perfil oficial do Instagram, o atacante abriu o coração sobre os acontecimentos:

– Ao Clube do Povo, parabéns pela noite de ontem, vocês foram fo**! Depois de algumas semanas difíceis, onde algumas pessoas de má coração tentaram apagar ou diminuir uma história, com mentiras e fake news, eu sigo trabalhando e agradecendo aos que me conhecem, acreditam e sabem do meu caráter e do meu amor pelo meu clube de coração! Gratidão ao Clube do Povo. – escreveu ele

RelacionadasBotafogoErison, imposição e Luís Castro: o que ficar de olho no Botafogo contra o Avaí pelo BrasileirãoBotafogo12/06/2022Fora de CampoNeymar posta foto com Bruna Biancardi no Dia dos NamoradosFora de Campo12/06/2022Futebol InternacionalJornal coloca Lewandowski no PSG e simula possíveis escalações com o centroavante, mas sem NeymarFutebol Internacional12/06/2022

Sophie Devine started and ended the Super Over with sixes as New Zealand hunted down 16 to seal the series and break West Indies’ hearts in the fourth T20I in North Sound. Devine faced all but one ball in the Super Over, bowled by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, and ushered New Zealand home under pressure.How did it even come down to a Super Over? West Indies were cruising 52 for 2 in the tenth over chasing 112. Wicketkeeper-batter Rashada Williams’ run-out triggered a collapse as the hosts lost their last seven wickets for 59 runs to level the scores in regular time. Hayley Jensen, who was also recently in action in the Caribbean for Trinbago Knight Riders Women, took the wickets of Chedean Nation and Afy Fletcher in a three-run final over to drag the game into overtime.Super Overs are a familiar territory for Devine. She has hit 87 runs off 26 balls in Super Overs being dismissed. Devine had also contributed handsomely with the ball by removing West Indies’ top three.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Much like Devine, Matthews had played a role with both bat and ball – she even did the dual job in the Super Over. She helped West Indies score 15 in the Super Over, bowled by Jensen, but her all-round effort went in vain.After having been asked to bat, New Zealand had lost both Devine and Suzie Bates early. However, Amelia Kerr’s unbeaten 49 off 47 balls hauled them to 111. Amelia and previous match-winner Maddy Green (14 off 13 balls) were the only New Zealand batters to strike at over 100. Fletcher was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, returning 2 for 16 in her four overs.Amelia’s sister Jess and Jensen picked up two wickets each to assist Devine pull off a stunning win.The fifth – and final T20I – will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Liverpool are believed to have made contact with a key figure at a huge club as they seek to secure the signing of a “world-class” midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool transfer news

After two quiet windows for Arne Slot, which have seen Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili the only players to come in, a far busier summer is expected at Anfield next time around.

One player who has been linked with a move to Liverpool at the end of this season is Netherlands and RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons. The 21-year-old has only recently signed for the German side permanently from Paris Saint-Germain, but they will reportedly look to move him on in the summer for a handsome profit.

Another player who has been mentioned as an option for the Reds is Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson, who is a hugely exciting young player. The Merseysiders are reportedly ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid in the race to snap up the 20-year-old Swede.

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future still isn’t sorted, with a new deal not yet signed, so potential replacements will need to be eyed up, should the worst-case scenario happen. West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen has been backed to come in, with the England international enjoying another impressive season in the Premier League, scoring six goals and registering four assists in the competition.

Liverpool make contact over signing "world-class" ace

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have been in contact with Barcelona sporting director Deco over the signing of Frenkie de Jong this summer.

Richard Hughes has talked about a move for the 27-year-old midfielder, with Barca thought to be willing to sell him at the end of the season.

De Jong has been mentioned as a target for Liverpool for some time now, with a transfer not yet materialising, but it is easy to see him thriving for the Reds in the middle of the park.

The Dutchman possesses the technical expertise to slot right in alongside the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. He has a 94.6% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig calling him “world-class” back in 2019. Former manager Xavi also once said of him:

“Frenkie de Jong is playing at a spectacular level, he gives us a lot. I think he’s one of the best midfielders in the world right now.”

However, there is a reason why Liverpool may have reservations about signing De Jong, if Barca are so willing to let him move on to pastures new in the summer.

At 27, he arguably hasn’t kicked on like many expected he would since his Ajax days, at which point he was seen as one of the future star midfielders of his generation.

Forget Quansah: Liverpool have already sold a "complete" Van Dijk heir

Liverpool still haven’t reached a positive conclusion to their long-dragging contract issues.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 8, 2025

That’s not to say that Slot wouldn’t necessarily like to have a player of De Jong’s class in his squad, but there would be risks when it comes to signing him, so a younger alternative may make more sense this summer, as well as a more naturally defence-minded option in order to add balance to the squad.

Jimmy Peirson is a player to keep an eye on should Australia need wicketkeeping cover

Andrew McGlashan04-Oct-2022Captain Usman Khawaja
Coach Wade SeccombeSquad
R=Rookie, CA=Australia contract
Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne (CA), Mitchell Swepson (CA), Joe Burns, Michael Neser, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Jimmy Peirson, Xavier Bartlett, Bryce Street, James Bazley, Gurinder Sandhu, Matthew Kuhnemann, Jack Clayton, Kane Richardson, Max Bryant, Liam Guthrie, Sam Truloff, Connor Sully, Blake Edwards, Hugo Burdon (R), William Prestwidge (R), Jackson Sinfield (R), Matthew Willans (R)Winter moves
Billy Stanlake was the major departure with the tall quick bowler hoping to revive an injury-hit career with Tasmania. Kane Richardson has moved from South Australia but will be on national duty until late November and it remains to be seen whether he plays any red-ball cricket. Liam Guthrie, who has played for Brisbane Heat, was the other interstate acquisition with the left-armer coming from Western Australia.Related

Peirson's unbeaten tour: 'I'm not even meant to be here'

Swepson on red-ball ambitions: 'I've had one eye on the India tour for a while'

Tremain's long wait: 'I contemplated retirement quite frequently'

Last season
It was a mixed bag for the defending champions who could not back up their 2020-21 title. After conceding 500 against Tasmania in the opening match, they fought back well to have the better of a draw against South Australia in their second game. Their first victory came against Tasmania in Townsville, but that was followed by a heavy defeat to Western Australia. After a win against South Australia before the BBL break, a narrow loss to New South Wales and a pair of draws ended their title hopes. The season ended with them bowled out for 104 and 87 by Tasmania, who they played for a third time, in a two-day thrashing by an innings and 231 runs.Queensland Shield fixtures

October 6-9: vs Tasmania, Allan Border Field
October 18-21: vs New South Wales, Drummoyne Oval
October 31-November 3: vs Western Australia, WACA
November 10-13: vs Victoria, Allan Border Field
November 20-23: vs South Australia, Adelaide Oval
December 1-3: vs Western Australia, Gabba
February 9-12: vs Victoria, MCG
February 21-24: vs New South Wales, Gabba
March 2-5: vs South Australia, Gabba
March 14-17: vs Tasmania, Hobart

Player to watch
Jimmy Peirson impressed for Australia A after a late call-up to the Sri Lanka and while Josh Inglis is currently the No. 2 to Alex Carey, Peirson should certainly be in the conversation if a replacement was needed at any stage. All four of his first-class hundreds (three for Queensland and one for Australia A) have come in the last two years. He will also captain when Usman Khawaja is away with Australia. It also feels like there is still time for Matt Renshaw to come again as an international cricketer, but he will need to improve significantly on an average of 29.28 from last season.Australia radar
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne are not in Australia’s T20 plans so will be available early season, although Labuschagne may miss a few games after the birth of his first child and could get pulled away for the ODIs against England unless the selectors think another red-ball outing is more value before the Test summer.With bubbles a thing of the past, Queensland should see more of Michael Neser who has been overtaken in the Test pecking order by Scott Boland and Mitchell Swepson will be available for the first part of the Shield unless called up as injury cover to the T20 World Cup. However, he will be in India after the BBL. There is a chance that left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann could be there, too, after coming into contention in Sri Lanka. Mark Steketee, who took 32 wickets at 17.93 last season, featured for Australia A in the winter and has been in Test squads over the past two years but, like Neser, will now be behind Boland.

Netflix drop new trailer of Vinicius Junior's documentary as they confirm premier dates of 'Baila, Vini'.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Vini Jr's documentary to premiere on May 15
• Netflix dropped a new trailer
• Madrid star idolises CR7 and LeBron

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In November 2024, Netflix announced that they will release a new documentary celebrating the journey of Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior this year. The streaming giants have now dropped a new trailer of the documentary while announcing that it will premiere on May 15.

Advertisement

• Getty Images/Goal
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the latest trailer, several present and former Real Madrid stars like Thibaut Courtois, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema can be seen speaking highly of the Brazilian winger. Selecao legends like Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo also feature in the documentary. In one of the clips, Vinicius was heard saying: "I have Ronaldo and LeBron James as examples. I do everything I can to play at my best."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Fans will be able to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the charismatic Brazilian's life and how he made it all the way from Sao Goncalo in Brazil to the most successful club in Europe.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JUNIOR?

  The 24-year-old will be back in action for Los Blancos on Wednesday as they take on Getafe in a La Liga clash before meeting rivals Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey on April 26.

“I expect all countries to come and compete,” says Anurag Thakur on Pakistan potentially having issues with touring India for 2023 World Cup

PTI and ESPNcricinfo20-Oct-2022 • Updated on 08-Aug-2023

India and Pakistan are scheduled to face each other in Melbourne this weekend at the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images

India’s sports minister Anurag Thakur said on Thursday that the country’s home ministry will take a call on the men’s team travelling to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. Thakur also said he is “expecting” Pakistan to play the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.His comments come after the BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, who is also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, suggested that next year’s Asia Cup would have to be played somewhere other than Pakistan, given India “can’t go there”. In reply, the PCB had put out a statement saying Shah’s comments were made “unilaterally” and raised the prospect of an “impact” on Pakistan’s participation in the 2023 World Cup.Related

PCB could pull out of 2023 Asia Cup if tournament is moved out of Pakistan

India can't travel to Pakistan for 2023 Asia Cup, says Jay Shah

Shah statement could 'impact Pakistan's visit to India' for 2023 WC

“All teams who qualify for [the World Cup] are invited [to India],” Thakur told a select gathering of journalists, when asked about the events around Shah’s statement. “Many times Pakistan teams have come to India and played. I feel India is not in a position to be dictated [to] and there is no reason for anyone to do that. I expect all countries to come and compete.”Later in the day, the newly appointed BCCI president Roger Binny reiterated what Thakur pointed out suggesting the decision about India travelling to Pakistan was not entirely BCCI’s alone but reliant on the Indian government. “That’s not the BCCI’s call,” said Binny. “We have to get clearance from the government. Once we get clearance, we give a go-ahead. We can’t take the decision on our own.”Asked about India travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, Thakur said, “It’s a decision that will be taken by the home ministry. Overall, players’ safety and security is an important matter.”It was pointed out that international teams have started touring Pakistan of late, but Thakur deflected the question.Incidentally, Jay Shah is the son of India’s minister of home affairs, Amit Shah.

This season is going from bad to worse for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were knocked out of the League Cup in emphatic fashion on Thursday night, which only placed more importance on their FA Cup Fourth Round game against Aston Villa yesterday evening.

Unfortunately, instead of witnessing a response from their team, the Spurs faithful had to watch a dire first half, and while there were about ten minutes of fightback in the second, it was too little, too late.

2

Score

1

52%

Possession

48%

4

Big Chances

3

16

Total Shots

11

7

Shots on Target

5

1

Hit the Woodwork

0

13

Shots Inside the Box

6

442

Passes

412

88%

Tackles Won

64%

The North Londoners still have a chance of winning silverware in the Europa League, but that feels like an incredibly distant possibility, so it may well be time for Daniel Levy and Co to axe the boss and one of his starters, who was particularly poor at Villa Park.

Why it's time for Spurs to sack Ange

So, when talking about Spurs’ form under Ange, you cannot ignore the fact that he has been incredibly unlucky with injuries.

For practically the entire season, he has been without his first-choice backline, and recently, he’s been without a number of his first-choice attackers to boot.

However, while the injuries have undoubtedly been a massive part of the team’s poor form, there comes a point in which the displays are so dismal and the results so unforgivable that blame once again has to fall squarely on the shoulders of the manager.

Games

24

8

5

2

Wins

8

5

4

1

Draws

3

2

0

0

Losses

13

1

1

1

Points per Game

1.13

2.13

2.40

1.50

For example, out of the 24 Premier League games the Australian has managed this season, the North Londoners have won eight times, drawn three games and lost a staggering 13 times, meaning they’re averaging 1.13 points per match.

Things were going far better in the League Cup, where his side were averaging 2.40 points per game.

However, while there is no shame in going out to Liverpool, there is in the manner in which they went out,, with former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp describing the team’s display as “abject.”

Yesterday’s performance against the Villans was not much better, as they were 1-0 down within a minute of kick-off, and for all the talk of Postecoglou playing exciting and attacking football, the team were unbelievably passive for much of the game and could easily have lost by four or five.

However, while the manager got a lot wrong, much of the blame has to fall on the players who started the game, including one international star who shouldn’t start the next game.

The Spurs ace who mustn't start the next game

Unfortunately for Postecoglou, and the fans for that matter, there were a number of players who could justifiably be dropped from the starting lineup following yesterday’s defeat, from Son Heung-min up top to Antonín Kinský between the sticks.

However, in this instance, the starter in question is Rodrigo Bentancur, who was once again poor in the middle of the park and should be nowhere near the starting XI for the game against Manchester United on the weekend.

The Uruguayan international is a brilliantly talented midfielder who, at his best, can influence proceedings all over the pitch.

However, it has been some time since we have seen that player, and like his teammates, the Nueva Helvecia-born ace seemed all over the place at Villa Park.

Instead of controlling the pace of the game from the middle of the park, the former Juventus ace was constantly being bypassed as if he wasn’t even there, and then the few times he was able to get a hold of the ball, he’d make a wrong decision, or play it back.

While this might sound harsh, it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Alasdair Gold who awarded him a 4/10 match rating and accurately described him as ‘anonymous,’ while The Athletic’s Alex Barker described the midfielder’s tracking for the second goal as “shocking.”

Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old’s statistics do nothing to help his case, as in 72 minutes of inaction, he took 44 touches but played one key pass, failed to have a single shot on or off target, misplaced 50% of his long balls, lost four of five ground duels and one of one aerial duels, lost the ball four times, committed two fouls and was dribbled past twice.

Minutes

72′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

44

Key Passes

1

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

4

Fouls

2

Dribbled Past

2

Ultimately, yesterday’s game was one to forget for the entire Spurs team, but given how diabolically poor the results have been all season, Postecoglou must be on incredibly thin ice, and for his part in the defeat, Bentancur has to miss out on the next game.

He's now better than Son: Spurs must regret offloading "big-game monster"

Tottenham have a number of problems that need to be addressed at the end of the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 9, 2025

Antonio Rudiger will serve a six-match ban for his furious outburst in the Copa del Rey final, but Jude Bellingham's red card has been rescinded.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Rudiger banned for six matches
• Vazquez handed two-match suspension
• Bellingham escapes punishment

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• X
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tempers boiled over towards the end of the Copa del Rey final between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona as Rudiger burst into a fit of rage and launched a projectile towards the referee, and then had to be held back by multiple staff members as he was shown a red card. Rudiger was one of three Madrid players to be sent off during Barcelona's 3-2 extra-time win, with Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez also being shown red on the grounds of 'aggressive behaviour'.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Spanish Football Federation has now disclosed their final decision on the punishments for the Blancos stars on their official website. Rudiger has been handed a six-match ban, and Vazquez will serve a two-game suspension. Bellingham, on the other hand, has escaped punishment as his red card has been reversed.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vazquez will miss the club's first two Copa del Rey clashes in the 2025-26 campaign, however, Rudiger's punishment is applicable across all competitions in Spain as the number of matches of suspension is more than four. This means that the German defender will miss the club's last five La Liga games and then will remain sidelined for their opening fixture of the new season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR?

  Earlier on Tuesday, Madrid had put out an official club statement to confirm that Rudiger has undergone surgery on his left knee after picking up an injury in the Copa del Rey final. In essence, the ban will not have much impact on the player as he would have remained out of action for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign following the surgery. He will, however, miss the opening La Liga game of 2025-26.

In the chase against New Zealand on Saturday, Sri Lanka had lost their top three for five runs, inside two overs. By the halfway stage they had lost six. Against Namibia, early in the tournament too, their top order had fallen in a heap. The key for Sri Lanka, assistant coach Naveed Nawaz said, was to keep wickets in hand through the early overs, even if they didn’t score many runs.Because that’s exactly the strategy that helped them overcome Afghanistan on Tuesday. After six overs, Sri Lanka were only 28 for 1, hitting just four fours in the powerplay. After 10 overs, Sri Lanka were scoring at barely 10 an over but had lost only two wickets.The remaining 82 runs required for victory then took only 51 balls to get – Dhananjaya de Silva in particular raising the tempo, after the foundation had been laid. Sri Lanka strolled to a target of 145 with nine balls, and six wickets to spare.”We’ve been talking about losing less wickets during the powerplay as well as the first ten overs,” Nawaz said after the match. “If you look at the pattern that’s building in most teams, the number of runs that you get in the first ten overs has been far less than in the subcontinent. And the number of runs you get at the bottom end has been quite a bit.”That’s been our plan during this World Cup. Whenever we had a good opening stand, or someone taking responsibility from the top, we’ve done well.”Against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka were especially wary of losing wickets to Mujeeb Ur Rahman. He dismissed Pathum Nissanka with a near-unplayable delivery, but Sri Lanka were clearly happy to play him out and wait for easier overs down the line. Mujeeb took 1 for 11 in his three powerplay overs, but his last over went for 13 runs.”We knew that Mujeeb’s going to bowl at least two overs in the powerplay,” Nawaz said. “So the plan was, even if we got less runs – somewhere around 25 to 30 in the first six overs – not to panic, and to keep wickets in hand. Once their main bowlers were bowled out, there were many bowlers we were thinking were gettable. We knew we were chasing 140, which is not a big total, and we could always get there.”De Silva, who guided Sri Lanka through the chase with his 66 not out off 42, made his first half-century of the tournament. In fact, it was his third T20I fifty, despite his having batted mostly in the top four (23 previous innings). De Silva is in the team because of what he adds with the ball, as well as in the field. But Sri Lanka hope this was a breakthrough innings. It was his highest score in this format.”Yes, I think it’s a relief that Dhananjaya is coming into runs,” Nawaz said. “He’s always shown potential, hitting 30s, 40s, and 20s all the time. But I think it’s good to see him finishing a game and coming through that game, 60-plus not out.”