Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Mikkel Damsgaard this week, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Club Doria 46 claimed that the north Londoners are ‘always watching him with interest’ ahead of the summer transfer window and, whilst Sampdoria have no intention of selling the winger, the player himself would like to play in the Premier League.

It’s also suggested that Damsgaard’s value has already tripled from €6m (£5m) to €20m (£18m) in the space of a year.

In the past, Spurs have been said to be ‘crazy’ about the 20-year-old sensation, as per La Repubblica (via Sport Witness).

Forget Bale

Speculation surrounding the wide positions at Spurs is only going to increase as we head towards the end of the season. Jose Mourinho could lose two players in the position, in Real Madrid loanee Gareth Bale as well as Erik Lamela.

The latter has been linked with a return to the Serie A, with Bologna confirming their interest in the past week, whilst Bale’s future is a little more unclear. He has one year to run on his current contract at the Bernabeu and cast doubt over a potential return to Spurs next season.

“My plan is to go back, that’s as far I have planned. I think the main reason I came to Spurs this year was to play football first and foremost. Going into the Euros I wanted to be match-fit,” said the Wales international.

Damsgaard would be an intriguing contender to sign instead. Under the guidance of Premier League-winning manager Claudio Rainieri, the Danish dynamo has thrived and emerged as one of the most promising attackers in Italy right now.

In just 13 starts, the 20-year-old has delivered six direct goal contributions (two goals, four assists) and sits amongst Sampdoria’s highest-rated players (6.67), as per WhoScored.

The former Leicester boss believes his winger has a “big future” in the game, whilst he’s not the only fan – international teammate and ex-Spurs star Christian Eriksen collared him after their encounter with Inter Milan for a chat.

Damsgaard revealed in an interview with TV2: “We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist. He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”

The 20-year-old gem has a nice skillset which should fit Mourinho down to a tee. Not only is he a threat against the opposition in the final third, where he averages a squad-high 2.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, he can also contribute defensively, managing an average of 2.6 completed tackles per 90, via WhoScored.

TV2 SPORT’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen lauded such ability, claiming Damsgaard was a “magical” player who is “dynamic and can go both ways,” and is “creative.”

You can forget about a return for the £600,000-per-week Bale – Spurs chairman Daniel Levy should pull out all the stops for the Sampdoria hotshot instead.

AND in other news, Sold for £17m, now worth just £1.8m: Levy played a blinder over 26 y/o Spurs disaster…

James Rodriguez claims he will be back fit for Everton’s next Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace, saying “I’ll play again for the next game” during a Twitch stream.

The £27million-rated (Transfermarkt) Colombian has missed the last four league games through injury and was also absent for Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal defeat against Manchester City.

Everton have suffered back-to-back league losses without the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich man, falling five points back from the top four.

Relief for Everton as Rodriguez says he’s ‘very well’

But Rodriguez, speaking on a Twitch stream, delivered a welcome update for Everton fans.

“I’ll play again for the next game,” he said, as quoted by native outlet Caracol. “I’m very well, thank God, and I want to play again.”

The 29-year-old had explained to viewers earlier this month that he had been feeling ‘discomfort for many months’ before he was withdrawn from the side.

Rodriguez has scored has been directly involved in 13 goals in all competitions since his arrival last summer (five goals, eight assists).

He tops the Everton rankings for key passes per game (1.7) and is in the top four for successful dribbles, crosses, long balls and through balls (via WhoScored).

Transfer Tavern verdict

Everton have taken short-term pain without Rodriguez, but they will hope for long-term gain in the form of a injury-free run to the end of the season after his recovery period.

They still won’t quite be at full-strength, though, with Abdoulaye Doucoure sidelined indefinitely by a foot injury. Doucoure had started all but one game before sustaining the fracture.

Nonetheless, having their most creative player back in the team will be a big boost for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

In other news, Everton have reportedly made this defender their top summer target.

لمحت صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية لمفاجأة بشأن أزمة تجديد جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، عثمان ديمبلي، مع اقتراب عقده على الانتهاء في يونيو المقبل.

وأعلن نادي برشلونة أمس، الإثنين، أثناء مؤتمر تقديم فيران توريس أن هناك صعوبات في المفاوضات مع وكيل ديمبلي وهناك عرض مقدم من طرف العملاق الكتالوني وفي انتظار الرد النهائي.

ونشرت صحيفة “ليكيب” صورة كاريكاتيرية للظروف المحيطة باللاعب الفرنسي في برشلونة، ويظهر ليوناردو المدير الرياضي لنادي باريس سان جيرمان وهو يحقق في احتمال التعاقد مع ديمبلي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: أليجري يُخبر موراتا بموقف يوفنتوس من رحيله إلى برشلونة

إذا قرر ديمبلي الرحيل عن برشلونة، فإن باريس سان جيرمان قد يكون الوجهة المحتملة والمطروحة أمام الفرنسي لأنه من الصعب الاحتفاظ بخدمات، كيليان مبابي.

سيحاول باريس سان جيرمان تعويض رحيل مبابي بجناح برشلونة وهناك أسماء أخرى على قائمة ليوناردو مثل بول بوجبا وإيرلينج هالاند.

في الصورة، يظهر ديمبلي محاط بالعكازات وقطع البيتزا وألعاب الفيديو وخزائن الأدوية، وهذا ما يشير إلى أن تفكير باريس سان جيرمان في اللاعب الفرنسي ليس الحل المثالي لكثرة مشاكله.

When West Ham brought Tomas Soucek to East London last January, it’s safe to say that not many eyebrows were raised.

The Irons were creeping into a relegation dog fight so on paper, signing an unknown quantity probably wasn’t the best of ideas.

However, the Czech Republic international has turned into a star and has cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Indeed, it’s a testament to his play that he’s managed to secure that tag, especially when the Hammers have Declan Rice at their disposal too.

Soucek was signed on an initial loan deal but after scoring three goals in the second half of last season, David Moyes made the move permanent.

The fee West Ham paid was a mere snip, as they splashed out £15m on a midfielder who has become one of the most dominant in the Premier League. After bringing him back to the London Stadium, Soucek has racked up five goals in 19 top-flight outings this term.

It’s a brilliant record for a player in his position but it’s not just his goals that have made this a dream deal.

The 25-year-old has nearly doubled his value in the space of six months and is now rated at £27m via Transfermarkt, putting in combative performances from West Ham’s central areas.

He is a rampaging force, using his wiry frame to hurdle towards the penalty area for a late arrival, or just race back and recover possession for his team.

In 2020/21, Soucek has won a colossal 6.1 aerial duels per game. That’s a tally that usurps every single player at West Ham. Furthermore, he’s strong in the challenge and has won 1.7 tackles a match. For context, only Rice, Vladimir Coufal and Fabian Balbuena have won more.

For a modern midfield player, he is perfect. The Czech born star finds himself all over the pitch, sweeping up loose balls before setting up an attack.

Based on his performances, it’s hardly a surprise to see he’s earned some rave reviews. Danny Mills typified his qualities earlier this term, saying: “I think we’re starting to see a real top-quality midfield player who gets into the box.”

Alex McLeish issued similar sentiments, claiming: “There has been some fantastic recruitment, Soucek has been an absolute steal.

“Soucek is playing out of his skin, he came from Czech Republic, Coufal too – two great acquisitions and with the other players West Ham have got, Moyes has done a great job there.”

It’s hard to argue with those assessments. He has the highest expected goals tally of anyone in the squad – 4.6 – and he makes the most ball recoveries in the side – 12.3 per game.

Soucek also ranks third-highest for progressive passes in the side (2.89 per game) while he presses the opposition 14.3 times a match – again the third-highest tally when assessing Moyes’ players.

The midfielder was nowhere close to being a marquee addition but he has turned out to be one of their most important acquisitions in years.

He is imperative to their play and has been vitally important to their turnaround this season.

AND in other news, “Another Antonio” – Exclusive: Harewood backs potential West Ham move for £13.3m beast…

Steve Bruce must axe Jeff Hendrick from his Newcastle United starting line-up after the midfielder’s midweek horror show in Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

The 28-year-old was given what has now proven to be a rare Premier League start for the trip to Bramall Lane, having featured in just two of the Magpies’ prior eight top-flight fixtures.

It was the first time since November’s 2-0 defeat at Southampton that Bruce also fielded Hendrick in a central position, yet he was only made to regret his decision to leave Matty Longstaff on the bench for the first time in a month in favour of the former Burnley man.

Hendrick proved an invisible figure throughout his time on the field in South Yorkshire, where it was miraculous Bruce never chose to withdraw the £8m-rated midfielder who lacked any real urgency and often struggled to cope with any pressure from the Blades.

It was not until the closing stages of the second period that Hendrick managed to leave even a slight mark on proceedings when his whipped cross found Callum Wilson in the box, only for the £20m summer signing to head straight at Aaron Ramsdale and squander a second big chance of the night.

Hendrick’s performance was a distant cry from the levels expected of him when he was unveiled in the summer as a free transfer following his Burnley exit, with Bruce backing the £40,000-per-week Republic of Ireland international to be a valuable player.

“He’s an experienced international footballer who can play all across the midfield, so we welcome him aboard. He’ll be a big asset to us on and off the pitch,” Bruce said at the time (Belfast Telegraph).

“He’s a great pro, down to earth, and at the age of 28, it’s a wonderful time to get somebody. It is the peak of his career – he’s a really fit boy who has played 122 times in the Premier League for Burnley over the last four years, and I’m sure he’ll be a great addition to the squad.”

Bruce, despite those comments at the time of his arrival, cannot have taken any pride in the performance of Hendrick at Sheffield United, and he must now axe the Derby County product once again when Newcastle visit Arsenal on Monday night, where they’ll be looking to end a six Premier League game winless run.

It proved a major flaw to start Hendrick at Bramall Lane, where he could only offer one key ball from 32 accurate passes, make no successful tackles, attempt no shots and he delivered a single cross, per SofaScore, even after Ryan Fraser saw red to leave the Magpies starved of width on his side of the field.

Quite simply, the eye test showed that the Irishman had a poor game in Sheffield and the stats back that up.

If Newcastle are to now upset the odds and claim a rare win at Arsenal on Monday, after the FA Cup exit earlier this month made it 15 defeats in their last 18 meetings against the Gunners across all competitions, Bruce must chase the result without Hendrick in the side.

If he can’t play well against a team who hadn’t won a single game all season, then the chances of him doing well against Arsenal just a few days later are very, very slim so Bruce needs to put him back on the bench.

AND in other news, forget Ryan Fraser: a £46k-p/w Newcastle man who lost 63% duels seriously betrayed Steve Bruce vs Sheffield United.

Ben White would be a great signing for Liverpool, Rob Lee has told The Transfer Tavern, after reports emerged once more about a possible move to Anfield for the Brigton man.

Ben White still on Anfield wanted list?

The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool for a number of months now, after returning from his successful loan spell at Leeds United.

White has started all 19 Premier League games this season for the Seagulls but the South Coast side are still struggling down the bottom end of the Premier League table.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Lee explained why he believes that White would be a good addition to Klopp’s team.

“There’s no secret they need a centre-half,” he said. “It’s a case of ‘can they get who they want in this window?’ Which I doubt.

“Ben White, I think would be a very very good signing for them, can play with Van Dijk when he’s fit. They’ve had horrendous injuries at centre-half and it affects everything.

“Van Dijk not being in there affects the fullbacks. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and [Andy] Robertson have been nowhere as good as they were last year – for whatever reason.”

Lee’s comments came aftet the Liverpool Echo suggested that the Merseysiders may consider making a summer move for the young Englishman, despite the current fitness issues in their defensive department.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We agree with Lee on this one. White could have the opportunity to flourish alongside the Dutchman in defence. The only issue is that he would likely come at a hefty price due to being a promising young English player.

However, waiting until the summer to sign a new defender will not do much to appease the restless supporters at the minute, as many of them are desperate to see someone brought in before Monday’s deadline, especially after yet another injury for Joel Matip against Tottenham.

Time will tell what Liverpool choose to do – and what consequences that their actions, or lack thereof, have on the rest of the season.

In other news, Paul Robinson criticises Liverpool following David Ornstein update.

David Moyes must wield the axe on Issa Diop and bench the French defender for Craig Dawson when West Ham United visit Chelsea on Monday night.

The Hammers won on their last trip to Stamford Bridge but have found results hard to secure in south west London in recent years, with last season’s victory snapping a run of 14 winless visits.

Chelsea will be expected to put up a firm defence of their record when the two sides meet to round off the pre-Christmas fixtures, as Frank Lampard’s men strive to avoid a third-straight Premier League defeat that has seen the Blues fall outside of the guaranteed European positions and sit just a point above the Hammers.

Moyes fielding Diop at Stamford Bridge would threaten West Ham’s chances of taking a result on Monday night, after the 23-year-old struggled on his return to the starting line-up in place of the injured Fabian Balbuena at home to Crystal Palace.

It was the first time since September that Diop opened a top-flight fixture having lost his place in the side after testing positive for coronavirus, and showed clear signs of rustiness as Christian Benteke had his way before being shown a second yellow card.

Chelsea forwards Olivier Giroud, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic would be licking their lips at the prospect of attacking Diop, should he produce a similar affair, with their pace and knack for attacking the box enough to leave the Frenchman in a spin.

Moyes can ill-afford to see a key piece of his plans be targeted in such a way, and must unleash Watford loanee Dawson for his West Ham debut to bring a sense of leadership into the line should Balbuena not be passed fit with further checks needed.

Dawson has been named among the substitutes for the Irons’ last two top-fight fixtures after being overlooked in the opening months of his time in claret and blue, but is yet to step foot onto the field since penning a one-year loan deal that features a £2million option to buy.

Moyes favoured Dawson on the bench over Diop against Leeds United last week before Balbuena’s injury, as he sought to offer the Watford man his first experience of being in a West Ham matchday squad.

“Dawson’s more vocal than Diop,” ExWHUemployee explained on the West Ham Way Podcast. “[Moyes] thought, if he needed a centre-back to come on, he could have put [Ben] Johnson on and put [Aaron] Cresswell at centre-back.

“He obviously had [Declan] Rice that could play there as well. So he only wanted either Dawson or Diop and he went to give Dawson a bit of experience of the first-team.”

Moyes must now go one step further and bench Diop to field Dawson, who helped Watford keep four clean sheets in his 29 Premier League appearances last season thanks to 3.8 clearances, 1.2 interceptions, 1.0 successful tackle and 5.0 duels won, while being dribbled past just 0.5 times a game, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, a £67k-p/w West Ham dud’s torturous midweek display proved why he cannot be trusted vs Chelsea.

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Danilo foi o escolhido para substituir Vagner Love, vendido ao Monaco (FRA), no primeiro jogo do Corinthians em 2016. Diante do Atlético-MG, neste domingo, na estreia do Timão na Florida Cup, em Boca Raton, nos Estados Unidos, o veterano de 36 anos atuará mais avançado do que de costume, no comando de ataque da equipe.

Danilo chegou a exercer a função algumas vezes já na última temporada, inclusive em alguns momentos da goleada por 6 a 1 sobre o São Paulo. Ele, contudo, não ficará fixo na área, mas alternará de posição com o paraguaio Romero, que iniciará aberto pelo lado direito.

O técnico Tite já vinha ensaiando a formação e a confirmou em atividade tática, na manhã deste sábado, a última antes da viagem de Orlando a Boca Raton.

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Na partida deste domingo, às 17h de Brasília, o Timão irá a campo com: Walter, Fagner, Gil, Felipe e Uendel; Bruno Henrique, Romero, Elias, Rodriguinho e Malcom; Danilo.

Na segunda etapa, porém, Tite mudará todos os jogadores, a fim de fazer observações e dar ritmo de jogo a todo elenco. Nos treinos, a equipe reserva foi escalada com: Douglas, Edílson, Yago, Pedro Henrique e Guilherme Arana; Cristian, Marciel, Moisés, Marlone, Lucca e Mendoza.

Os recém-contratados Alan Mineiro e Vilson realizaram trabalho físico separadamente e não devem estrear contra o Galo.

Kai Kennedy has been in such fine form for Inverness Caledonian Thistle that Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard may be forced to make a big decision over his future in January.

It was something of a surprise when the young left winger joined the Scottish Championship club on loan in the summer after falling down the pecking order with the 54-time Scottish champions.

Gerrard has heaped praise on the Scotland U21 international in the past, calling him a “fabulous little player” after he first burst onto the scene.

He made his first-team debut at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup win over Stranraer earlier this year but appeared to be heading for the exit after being told he could find a new club having failed to agree a new deal with his boyhood club. He signed for Inverness on a loan deal until January in the end instead, which cast doubts over his future at his parent club.

But Kennedy has been decent during the current campaign so far this season, which seems to suggest that Ross Wilson made the right decision in the end.

In seven appearances for Caley Thistle this season, the 18-year-old has already contributed to two goals in all competitions, including scoring a stunning opening goal against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park on Friday night.

The winger gave John Robertson’s side the half-time lead before Roddy MacGregor and Miles Storey both scored in the second half to secure the victory.

Robertson recently reserved special praise for his young charge after he admitted he is pleased with Kennedy’s progress at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. He said: “I’ll show my age – I think he goes back to the tanner ball player we know in Scotland, such as Jimmy Johnstone, Willie Johnstone and Davie Cooper. He beats people for fun and gets out of tight situations – he’s a crowd-pleaser.”

According to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, talks between the club and the youngster’s representatives are still ongoing as they are trying to reach an agreement before the winter transfer market opens in just a few weeks’ time.

European heavyweights Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Roma have all been linked with a move for the teenager in the past.

However, Gerrard may be forced to swallow his pride and recall the academy product, as he has proven that he is able to hit the ground running at a good level of the game.

With Ryan Kent’s future far from certain, Kennedy could be another exciting option on the left-wing and still has room to improve at the age of 18.

AND in other news, Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield can fulfil the role Gerrard has wanted for so long…

Aston Villa could secure Dean Smith one of his old Brentford favourites before October’s transfer deadline, according to latest reports…

What’s the word?

No, it’s not Said Benrahma but rather Rico Henry.

The Sun claim the Midlands outfit are tracking the 23-year-old left-back ahead of a potential switch to Villa Park. It would be yet another raid on the manager’s former club after signing Ollie Watkins earlier this month.

However, several Premier League teams also hold interest in the 5 foot 7 speedster, including West Ham United.

The next Cole?

Henry has emerged as one of the Championship’s best defenders in recent seasons and is, of course, a player that Smith knows more than anyone else.

He brought him to the Bees a year after leaving Walsall in 2015 and paid just £1.5m for his signature. It remains to be seen how much a move this summer would command as last summer their asking price was £7m. That’ll have risen substantially since.

Per WhoScored, the English full-back averaged 1.9 clearances, 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions from 49 appearances last season. He featured in every single one of Brentford’s matches.

Smith clearly is a huge fan and John Terry would be too, going by previous remarks. The Villa boss likened him to fellow Chelsea legend Ashley Cole.

Henry is also “fearless” and has a “good engine and pace,” according to the 49-year-old, so he could fit right in at Villa along that left flank.

Current first-choice Matt Targett only managed to contribute to three goals all season and could probably do with the competition to push him onto the next level.

Nor is he particularly known for his rapid speed, so Henry would certainly add a different dimension – one that could allow Jack Grealish to cut inside more.

AND in other news, Villans may have missed out on their next Gareth Barry…