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West Indies crumbled in their chase after the home side had put up a massive 200 for 6

Shashank Kishore13-Dec-2021

Haider Ali goes square•PCB

Pakistan were provided a peek into their middle order future in the absence of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. Haider Ali showed why he’s the next big thing, overcoming a slow start before springing the innings to life with a robust 39-ball 68 to set the tone for a dominant batting display. Pakistan’s 200 for 6 was more than sufficient as West Indies unravelled easily against spin. The Karachi faithful went home perhaps wishing for a more even contest.An eventful start
Babar Azam was out second ball after West Indies elected to bowl. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein got one to spin sharply to take the edge to Shai Hope, the wicketkeeper. Then, Fakhar Zaman fell to Romario Shepherd’s change of pace as he toe-ended a slog to long-on. Inside the powerplay, Pakistan were two down and sputtering like a two-stroke engine running on kerosene.Rizwan and Haider’s recovery
Mohammad Rizwan kept the runs ticking along with timely boundaries, extremely quick on the pull. His picking of lengths against pace was immaculate as he raised a 34-ball half-century. However, he had to hold his end of the bargain against spin, especially off Hosein, who finished his four overs with 1 for 19 by the 11th over. At that stage, Haider was on 12 off 14, looking for the big hits without being able to hit them clean. Then, like a flick of a switch, it all turned around.Off the 12th over, he climbed into Odean Smith’s medium pace, hitting him for three fours and six to get his innings going. It proved to be the trigger for a run-surge from there. Under his bus were debutant Dominic Drakes, who also struggled for consistency, as Haider raised his half-century with an 83-metre six. It had come off just 28 balls, with Pakistan at 140 for 2 at the 15-over mark. Off the first ball of the 16th, Rizwan was out as Odean’s running catch around the ropes at deep midwicket sent him back for 78. A 105-run third-wicket stand had been broken.Nawaz’s finish
Rizwan’s exit gave six-hitter Asif Ali the platform to launch into an inexperienced attack, but he managed just 1. With Iftikhar Ahmed too failing, Pakistan needed someone to side with Haider. As it turned out, Mohammad Nawaz did more. His three fours and two sixes blindsided the visitors, who until then were hoping to restrict Pakistan to 180. That was to change, however, as the 19th over by Romario Shepherd went for 21, thereby allowing for a massive finish.Wasim’s rip-roaring spell
First ball: a glorious cover drive on the up. Third ball: a short-arm jab for six. Enough to demoralise a rookie 20-year old wanting to impress the team management? Not Mohammad Wasim. He responded with pin-point yorker to flatten Nicholas Pooran’s off-stump as he was late on the shot. Perhaps he underestimated Wasim’s pace. Then, off the second legitimate delivery off his next over, the sixth of the innings, he struck comeback man Devon Thomas flush on his boot. Gone, he didn’t even bother reviewing. West Indies were 46 for 3 inside the Powerplay.Nawaz, Shadab apply the choke
With the target already looking beyond reach and the asking rate spiralling by the minute, Nawaz and Shadab Khan spun a web around the batters, using the crease and variations in length superbly to tie the batters down. Hope was out lbw sweeping, Shamarh Brooks bowled trying to heave into the leg side and Rovman Powell caught brilliantly by a diving Nawaz at long-on. At 88 for 7, West Indies were in danger of being bowled out well inside 20 overs. However, Odean (24 off 16) and Shepherd (21 off 16) got together to swing their bats for some powerful blows. although they merely served to reduce the margin of defeat.

Rio Ferdinand has expressed his belief that Cristiano Ronaldo is “disrespected on a regular basis” while defending the Al-Nassr star’s GOAT claim.

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• Ronaldo considers himself to be more 'complete'
• Still going strong at 40 years of age
• Achievements talked up by ex-United colleague

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As someone that has never lacked self confidence, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has billed himself as the greatest player of all-time. He considers himself to be more “complete” than fellow icons such as Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona.

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  Ronaldo boasts the numbers to support those claims, with countless major honours and entries in the history books to his name, but has faced criticism from some for giving himself top billing. Former team-mate Ferdinand cannot understand why anyone would question CR7.

• WHAT RIO FERDINAND SAID

  Using enigmatic Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an example of how bold statements can often be applauded, the ex-United defender has told his podcast: “Everyone champions Zlatan for saying stuff like that and goes, ‘oh what a guy, I love his personality and character’. When Cristiano says it, they’re like, ‘oh he’s so arrogant. How could he say that?’

  “If anyone is in a position to talk like that, it’s him. You know what’s crazy, he’s been top scorer of his team for the last 18 years. Since 2007 probably, he’s been top scorer for every team he played in. Just let that sink in. It’s unbelievable. Ronaldo is disrespected on a regular basis.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo helped United to Premier League and Champions League titles during his first stint at Old Trafford, while also claiming his first Ballon d’Or. He is now Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer, a Serie A champion with Juventus and a man maintaining remarkable standards at 40 years of age with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Chelsea have one of the best academy systems in world football, with Cobham notably producing a plethora of talent either shining at Chelsea or for a host of other clubs both in and outside of England.

The likes of Reece James and Levi Colwill are two currently at the club, seen as key first-team figures. James is now the club captain and Colwill has become a consistent starter, making 40 appearances for the Blues now.

Some others who have left the club in recent years include Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Lewis Hall, and Ian Maatsen. But who are some of the others that got away?

Cobham stars that got away

Two players who left at very young ages, never made an appearance for the Chelsea first team, and have gone on to play big parts for their respective Premier League clubs after earning big money moves are Declan Rice and Michael Olise.

Rice was part of Chelsea’s academy from 2006-2013, being released by the club at 14 years old. He then joined West Ham, breaking through their academy into the first team, playing 245 games for the club, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists, subsequently earning a £105m move to Arsenal.

Olise was part of the Chelsea academy system from 2009-2016, leaving the club aged 14 (just like Rice), before joining Manchester City for one year, and then joining Reading in 2017.

From this point, the Frenchman made 73 appearances for Reading, before earning his move to Palace, where he spent two seasons. He then headed to Germany in a £50.8m move to Bayern Munich.

Two players that did make it at Chelsea, before being sold for big fees as they entered the last year of their Chelsea deals, were Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher. The former played a massive part in the Blues’ Champions League success in 2021, and the latter captained the club for much of the 2023/24 season in the absence of skipper James, and vice-captain Ben Chilwell.

Mount made 195 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 33 goals, providing 35 assists, and totalling 13,959 minutes played, before leaving to join Manchester United in 2023 for around £55m. Gallagher made 95 appearances for the Blues, finding the net ten times and registering ten assists before leaving this summer to join Atlético Madrid for around £33m.

Yet, they aren’t worth quite as much as another of Chelsea’s amazing Cobham stars…

Dominic Solanke's meteoric rise after Chelsea

Dominic Solanke is another name who falls into the category discussed above; a Chelsea academy prospect who left the club and has gone on to achieve things elsewhere.

However, whilst Rice and Olise exited before ever breaking through, and Mount and Gallagher were sold for decent fees, Solanke was let go for a tiny £3m fee, joining Liverpool in 2017.

The Englishman made 45 appearances for various Chelsea youth teams, bagging 35 goals and providing six assists. Scout Jacek Kulig described Solanke as “simply superb” during his teenage years, referencing his 2014/15 season, where he scored 31 goals in 33 games, and was awarded Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year.

After heading to Anfield, Solanke only made 27 appearances in his two years there, often turned to from the bench, scoring just once in 727 minutes played. However, Bournemouth saw enough in the talisman to spend £19m on him back in 2019, where he went on to make a real name for himself.

In his time for the Cherries, Solanke made 216 appearances, netting 77 goals, providing 31 assists, and totalling 16,746 minutes played. It was this five-year period that shaped his career, with his best campaign coming in the 2023/24 season, racking up 19 Premier League goals and earning him a mega £65m move to Tottenham this summer.

The 27-year-old has now made nine appearances for Spurs this season, scoring three goals, providing two assists, and totalling 685 minutes played.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

How Solanke compares to Chelsea's current strikers

The two players that have played up front for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea this season are Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. The former has made nine appearances, scoring five goals, while, Nkunku has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals in 444 minutes played.

But, how do they compare to Tottenham’s new star signing?

Goals

0.38

0.74

1.36

Assists

0.38

0.44

0.00

xG

0.65

0.81

0.68

Progressive Carries

2.03

2.35

1.60

Progressive Passes

2.46

1.62

2.80

Shots Total

2.05

3.09

2.73

Shots on Target

1.28

1.62

1.82

Goals/Shot

0.19

0.24

0.50

Key Passes

0.72

1.03

1.60

Shot-Creating Actions

2.46

2.21

4.40

Aerials Won

1.74

0.44

0.80

Chelsea have a good mixture of traits with their two striking options currently. Jackson produces the most assists, generates the most xG, completes the most progressive carries, and takes the most shots, whilst Nkunku has the best goals per 90, the best conversion rate, the most progressive and key passes per 90, the most shots on target, and the most shot-creating actions.

However, Solanke clearly offers something the other two do not, winning 1.74 aerial duels per 90 minutes. Standing at 6 foot 2, the English striker uses his body well to attack the ball, bully opposition defenders, and carve out opportunities for himself and others by doing so.

Whilst Chelsea will be happy with their investment in Jackson and Nkunku, they are continuously looking to bring in another striking option, one who can offer more box threat and aerial prowess to the side, and Solanke could have become just that for the Blues, had he never left.

Imagine him & Palmer: Chelsea make contact to sign £50m striker

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing up a potential transfer for the Juventus star.

ByDan Emery Oct 22, 2024

Leeds United took another step towards the top two places in the Championship with a convincing 3-0 win over Coventry City at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have now recorded successive wins without conceding a goal, having beaten Cardiff City 2-0 in their previous match, and are one point behind Blackburn Rovers in second place.

Daniel Farke is looking to plot a promotion to the Premier League for the third time in his career, having won the division twice with Norwich City, after his side failed to get out of the second tier last season.

The West Yorkshire outfit finished third in the Championship, just behind Ipswich Town and Leicester City, and went on to lose 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May.

That was in their first year back in the league after they were relegated from the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, under Sam Allardyce, who had arrived in the dugout after Javi Gracia and Jesse Marsch were both dismissed.

That relegation from the top-flight came after a number of pieces of poor recruitment by former sporting director Victor Orta but things could have gone differently for him, had he signed the centre-back Leeds reportedly wanted before they landed Diego Llorente.

Diego Llorente's Leeds career

In the summer of 2020, the Whites reportedly splashed out a fee of around £18m to sign the Spanish central defender from Real Sociedad to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s backline.

At the age of 27, Leeds ended up signing an experienced centre-back who did not have much room left to develop and grow in value during his time at Elland Road.

His first season with the club was disrupted by multiple injuries. The former LaLiga ace missed 23 matches in all competitions for club and country with groin and hamstring issues, which limited his involvement on the pitch for Bielsa.

He only made 15 appearances in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, winning 57% of his defensive duels, as Leeds avoided relegation back to the Championship.

Llorente did avoid any major injury blows in his second season at Elland Road, however, as the Spanish defender went on to play 28 games in the division under Bielsa and Marsch.

22/23 Premier League

Diego Llorente

Appearances

8

Sofascore rating

6.68

Dribbled past

4x

Error led to goal

2

Clean sheets

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Real Sociedad star endured a dreadful start to the 2022/23 campaign under Marsch in the first half of the season.

He made more errors that directly led to goals for the opposition than clean sheets won in his eight appearances, which led to a loan move to Roma during the second half of the season – as Leeds were relegated from the division.

Llorente spent 18 months on loan with the Italian giants before Real Betis swooped to sign him for a reported fee of £2.5m this summer – a significant loss on the £18m Leeds paid for him.

Whilst the Whites made a huge loss on the Spanish flop, things could have been so different for the club if they had landed Josko Gvardiol instead.

Leeds United's pursuit of Josko Gvardiol

Following on from the promotion from the Championship under Bielsa in the 2019/20 campaign, Orta looked to bolster the squad with a host of new signings.

The likes of Raphinha and Robin Koch arrived, alongside Llorente, but the West Yorkshire outfit were also reportedly eyeing up a deal for Gvardiol that summer.

At the start of September in 2020, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Leeds were close to reaching an agreement with Dinamo Zagreb to sign the versatile central defender.

The Daily Mail then went as far as to say that the club were ‘set to sign’ the 18-year-old starlet from the Croatian outfit for a fee of around £17.6m.

Unfortunately, however, the Whites were unable to get a deal over the line for the centre-back and he went on to sign for RB Leipzig in Germany a year later instead.

Gvardiol later revealed, in an interview with The Athletic, that Leeds sent representatives to map out a plan for him at Elland Road but he decided that it was not the right time for him to make the move to the Premier League, which is why he joined Leipzig instead.

Josko Gvardiol's current market value

The left-footed star, who was described as the “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is one that got away for Leeds because his value has soared since Orta attempted to sign him for less than £18m in 2020.

In the summer of 2023, Premier League champions Manchester City swooped to sign the versatile star for a reported fee of £77.6m, after an impressive time in Germany with Leipzig.

The central defender, who has operated in an inverted left-back role for the Cityzens, made huge progress during his spell in the Bundesliga, as shown by his rise in value from almost £18m to £77.6m.

This shows that Leeds missed out on potentially making a huge profit on Gvardiol, as they could have brought him in and helped the youngster to develop into a significant asset – as Leipzig did.

The Croatia international played 87 matches in two seasons with the German outfit. This shows that they offered the youngster plenty of opportunities to shine and thrive, which then allowed him to catch the eye of Manchester City ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Pep Guardiola has since used him in 51 matches in all competitions since the start of last season, including in all six Premier League matches this term, which shows that the Spanish head coach trusts the 22-year-old ace.

23/24 Premier League

Josko Gvardiol

Appearances

28

Goals

4

Pass accuracy

88%

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Duel success rate

60%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Gvardiol enjoyed an impressive debut season in the English top-flight for City, scoring four goals in 28 matches and winning the majority of his physical duels.

It is a huge shame that the defender ultimately decided not to sign for Leeds for £17.6m as he has turned into an elite defender, whilst their alternative signing – Llorente – plummeted in value during his time in England.

Related £12m wasted: Farke must sell Leeds man who earns more than Gnonto

The Whites loanee must be ditched from the squad in one of the next two transfer windows.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Luiz Eduardo Baptista foi eleito, nesta quarta-feira, presidente do Conselho de Administração do Flamengo. Candidato único, Bap recebeu 66 votos. – seis votos foram em branco e cinco foram nulos. Foram 77 votos no total do pleito realizado na Sede da Gávea. O vice-presidente eleito é Theophilo Miguel.

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Aliado do atual mandatário do Flamengo, Rodolfo Landim, Bap, agora, deixará a vice-presidência de relações externas do clube. Na terça, a chapa de Landim já havia emplacado o seu candidato também na eleição do Conselho Deliberativo: Antônio Alcides da Silva foi reeleito para o cargo com 490 de 890 votos totais.

Glasgow Rangers were meant to overhaul the playing squad in the summer window by selling various first-team players while adding in high-quality replacements.

Philippe Clement did manage to offload high earners such as Sam Lammers, John Lundstram, Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic, but the reality is, the incomings have been fairly underwhelming as a whole.

Clement is certainly going for a youth-based transfer policy, as evidenced by the signings of Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Hamza Igamane and Oscar Cortes.

A few experienced arrivals joined, with Vaclav Cerny proving, in the first few weeks of the season anyway, that he could be an inspired signing for the Light Blues.

Vaclav Cerny’s statistics for Rangers

The winger joined on a season-long loan deal from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg and has impressed so far.

In just six games this term, the Czech dynamo has scored once while grabbing two assists in the process. He has started just three of those matches, however. Once the 26-year-old manages to establish regular appearances in the starting XI, his output will only increase.

The player was only signed by FC Twente last summer for £6m, hence why the Light Blues opted for a loan move rather than a permanent one, as Wolfsburg would likely have held out for a fee in this region.

Clement does have a player he signed in the squad who is worth more than Cerny, however, in the form of Mohamed Diomande.

Mohamed Diomande’s market value at Rangers

The Ivorian initially joined the Ibrox side in January on a six-month loan, before making the move to Scotland permanently in the summer for a fee of £4.6m.

A tally of two goals across 19 appearances during the second half of last term showcased his talents early on in his spell and hopes were high for the current season.

Diomande may not have scored this season in the Premiership, but the dynamic midfielder has already grabbed an assist, created two big chances, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game – a success rate of 57% – which shows how effective he has been going forwards in the league this term.

The 22-year-old is still learning and developing with every passing game, but the consensus is he will be sold for a substantial profit in the coming years if he manages to keep up these levels of performance.

Goals

0

Assists

1

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

1

Shots per game

1

Total duels won per game

3.3

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the young gem is currently worth €12m (£10m) and this value will continue to rise if he continues to shine in Scotland.

Cerny has proven his worth thus far at Rangers, but Diomande is still worth far beyond the £6m-rated Czech wide man, indicating that the Belgian manager struck gold on signing the Ivorian midfielder at the start of the year.

He won't be at the club long, that’s for sure, as his ceiling appears to be limitless. Diomande will be one of the club’s key players this season, no doubt about that.

Rangers struck gold on "high quality" gem who's worth more than Propper

Philippe Clement has a player in his squad who is worth more than a new signing

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 3, 2024

It's been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year. While performances on the pitch have been impressive, the work off of it has left a lot to be desired.

At this point in time, the only new face added to the first team is Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, and while he looks to be a quality addition, it doesn't feel like enough in the face of Manchester City.

What has made this lack of activity more frustrating for fans is the incredibly drawn-out saga around Mikel Merino, who has been touted for a move to the club for well over a month now.

The Real Sociedad star was first named as a player of interest during the Euros, and since then, there have been a number of updates about the potential deal, but it feels like little has actually happened.

However, there could be a reason for that, as based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co could have their eyes on another superstar midfielder this summer.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Sam C, Arsenal are one of several "top clubs" still interested in Newcastle United's Bruno Guimarães.

Alongside the Gunners, the update names Manchester City as another interested club but does not mention how much the move could cost the club.

However, reports from earlier this month claimed that the Toon values the Brazilian international at around £100m, which could prove a stumbling block for any potential deal.

That said, Guimarães has proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons, and while it would be costly, bringing him to the Emirates this summer could help the Gunners get over the line come May.

This update could also explain why a move for Merino has taken such a long time to materialise, as Edu and Co may have been looking towards the Magpies star.

Why Guimarães would be a brilliant signing

There are several reasons why Guimarães would be an exceptional signing for Arsenal this summer, so it's not surprising that Newcastle value the midfielder highly.

The first reason is that, like Declan Rice, the former Lyon ace is reasonably versatile in that he can play as either a six or a central midfielder.

For example, across his career to date, he has started 160 games as a defensive midfielder and 63 in the eight position. However, while he has officially started more games at the base of midfield, he tends to play in more central positions once the game has started, as evidenced by his Premier League heatmap from last season.

This preference to operate slightly further up the pitch brings us to the second benefit of signing the 26-year-old, which is that he'd allow Rice to move back into defensive midfield.

The former West Ham United captain performed well in several areas of the pitch last season but admitted that the six was his "best position," which is easy to understand given that it's the area of the pitch he has started in for the majority of his career.

Lastly, while the Rio de Janeiro-born ace would bring some more solidity to the midfield thanks to his time playing slightly deeper, he is also a serious goal threat.

For example, in 50 appearances last season, the "world-class" dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored seven goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.94 games, which is impressive for someone in his position.

Appearances

50

Goals

7

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per match

0.34

Ultimately, while he'd cost a king's ransom, Guimarães would be an incredible signing for Arsenal and undoubtedly improve their chances of winning the league this season.

Moreover, if the club have been looking at signing him in recent weeks, it's no wonder the Merino deal is taking an age to get done.

Imagine him & Toney: Arsenal could sign £22m "monster" who's like Martinelli

The impressive youngster shares a few similarities with the Brazilian talent.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 14, 2024

Todd Boehly and the wider recruitment team are ready to sell an expensive Chelsea player for £15 million, which would see the west Londoners take a big £57 million loss off his transfer.

Gallagher agrees Atletico move as Lukaku attempts Chelsea exit

It's been a little while since Chelsea had any confirmed departures out of the door, with the latest being Malang Sarr, who agreed to terminate his contract with the club and join Ligue 1 side RC Lens on a free transfer.

Chelsea could sign £162,000-per-week ace and Omorodion after Gallagher sale

Enzo Maresca’s side have been very busy this window.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 6, 2024

Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, Michael Golding and Ian Maatsen all departed Stamford Bridge before Sarr, bringing in around £89 million in total to balance Chelsea's books and ease some pressure in regard to PSR.

While not yet official, it has been widely reported by the national press that midfielder Conor Gallagher looks set to follow them out of the door, coming after Atletico Madrid agreed a £34 million deal to sign the England international.

Gallagher's 23/24 Premier League Stats vs Chelsea Squad
Metric	Output	Squad rank
Minutes	3,137	1st
Goals	5	=4th
Assists	7	2nd
Pass success rate (%)	91.5	3rd
Tackles per game	2.3	3rd
Interceptions per game	1.2	1st
Overall rating	7.13	2nd
via WhoScored

In what has been a hugely popular move among the fanbase, considering the Cobham academy graduate started 37 Premier League games as a star player under Mauricio Pochettino last season, Chelsea chiefs opted to make the transfer after Gallagher rejected their proposal of a two-year contract, plus the option of a further season.

"Chelsea have given him permission to travel and undergo a medical after clubs agreed a €40m fee," said journalist Ben Jacobs earlier this week.

"Both #CFC and Atletico had given Gallagher until the end of the weekend to make a decision. Understand two other top six clubs made enquiries in the last few days, but Gallagher wanted to either move to Atleti or extend at Chelsea. 2+1 extension remained on the table. With only one year left, Chelsea intent on resolving Gallagher’s future this window."

Napoli are still in talks to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea as well, who's said to have agreed a three-year contract to work under Antonio Conte again, so the Belgian's transfer could well be concluded after Gallagher officially seals his move to Atletico.

Chelsea ready to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga for £15 million

Uncertainty also still surrounds the future of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined from Athletic Bilbao in a £72 million deal six years ago.

The £150,000-per-week player spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, but that door appears closed, with Andriy Lunin apparently signing a new contract and Thibaut Courtois back from injury.

There is, however, still interest from the Saudi Pro League, and Chelsea are ready to sell Kepa for around £15 million – which would mean they take a big £57 million loss to get him out the door.

This is all according to GiveMeSport, who suggest that Chelsea still hope to part ways with the 29-year-old before deadline day.

Pep Guardiola has explained that he has not been sacked by Manchester City because of his achievements over the past eight years.

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• City in dismal form
• Have not won any of their last six games
• Face Liverpool in title showdown this weekend

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City have been in dire form and have not won any of their last six fixtures in all competitions. In the Premier League, they have lost all of their past three games, culminating in a 4-0 thumping by Tottenham. This weekend, they play league leaders Liverpool, and a loss would see the Reds open up an 11-point gap at the top of the table.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City fans took to social media after their draw with Feyenoord in the Champions League – they threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 – to beg for Guardiola to be sacked if they lose to Liverpool. However, the defiant former Barcelona boss insists that his achievements with City grant him plenty of leeway; he has won six Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups and the Champions League in a glittering spell at the Etihad. He also recently signed a contract extension.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Speaking ahead of this weekend's crunch clash, Guardiola said: "At this football club you have to win and if you don't win, you will be in trouble. I know the people say why is Pep not in trouble, why is Pep not sacked? What we have done the last eight years is why I have this margin.

  "The people rely on me, the hierarchy, the people. It is not normal in the big clubs to do the results we have but we have to accept it. What's for sure I want to stay. I want to do it. But the moment I feel I am not positive for the club another one will come. It has to be.

  "But I want the opportunity. I want the opportunity to try. I don't want to run. I want to be there and rebuild the team in many aspects from now on until the end of the season and next season. I want to continue up there. I asked for that challenge and I asked for this opportunity to do it because I feel it. I know what we want to do, I know what we need and what we have to do, knowing in that moment that we don't have that consistency that we had, obviously, we don't have it right now.

  "But which team around the world in 10 years is consistent? Tell me one. It doesn't exist. In NBA, not even in tennis, not even in any sports. Not in golf. In a decade of time, we have been here in a decade. We don't find it. Be as consistent as we have done, you don't find it. I'm sorry, we don't find it.

  "It's not nice to live, of course it's not nice, but what do you expect? That everything is red carpet? That everything is nice and easy? It's easy when you are 10, 12 games in a row, everyone is fit and everyone is in their prime and everyone is 26, 27, 28. Everything is going well. That is easy. Now, no. I have to prove myself now.

  "It's not an excuse that Rodri is not there. What are we going to do, cry all the time that Rodri is not there or that the four central defenders have not been there for a long time in the last month? I have to find a solution and the way to do it. I'm trying every day."

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MatériaMais Notícias

Em duelo válido pela 25ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro 2021,Palmeirase Red Bull Bragantino se enfrentam neste sábado (09), às 21h (horário de Brasília), no Allianz Parque, emSão Paulo-SP.

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Na terceira colocação do Brasileirão com 39 pontos conquistados, onze atrás do líderAtlético-MG, o Verdão vem de derrota para o América-MG por 2 a 1 na Arena Independência, em Belo Horizonte.Já o Red Bull Bragantino, por sua vez, está na sexta posição do torneio nacional com 35 pontos e, na última rodada, empatou por 1 a 1 contra oFlamengo,no Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista-SP.

Uma das novidades durante os treinamentos do Palmeiras, em preparação para o duelo pelo Brasileirão, foi o retorno de Willian. O atacante desfalcou a equipe nas últimas duas rodadas (Juventude e América-MG) por conta do falecimento do seu filho, Antônio Miguel.

Victor Luis avançou na recuperação e deu sequência ao processo de transição entre a parte física e técnica. Marcos Rocha, Mayke, Zé Rafael e Danilo seguiram com o Núcleo de Saúde e Performance para o trabalho de recuperação após lesões.

Gabriel Menino e Felipe Melo receberam o terceiro cartão amarelo na partida contra o América-MG e, por isso, são desfalques certos. Sem um lateral-direito de origem disponível, Abel Ferreira deve recorrer ao jovem Garcia, destaque da equipe sub-20.

O zagueiro Léo Ortiz pode desfalcar o Red Bull Bragantino na partida contra o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque. O atleta foi substituído no segundo tempo do empate contra o Flamengo e reclamou de dores na parte posterior da coxa. Na última quinta (07), se reapresentou e será reavaliado antes da partida. Caso o atleta não fique em condições, o zagueiro Natan deve começar o duelo.

Outros desfalques certos para o confronto são o meia Lucas Evangelista (em tratamento de uma lesão no adutor da coxa direita), Vitinho (com edema na coxa), Rafael Luiz (lesão na coxa direita) e Leandrinho (desconforto muscular na coxa), que também continuam em tratamento.

Horário, transmissão, arbitragem, prováveis escalações: os dados de Palmeiras x Red Bull Bragantino

Data: 09 de Outubro de 2021, sábado;
Horário: 21h (horário de Brasília);
Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo-SP;
Árbitro: Rafael Traci – FIFA/SC;
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia – FIFA/SC e Johnny Barros de Oliveira – SC;
VAR:Rodrigo Dalonso Ferreira – VAR-FIFA/SC, Helton Nunes – SC e Giuliano Bozanno – MG.
Onde acompanhar: Premiere e em tempo real no LANCE!/Voz do Esporte

Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

PALMEIRAS:Jailson; Garcia, Luan, Renan e Jorge; Danilo Barbosa (Matheus Fernandes), Patrick de Paula e Raphael Veiga; Rony (Wesley), Dudu e Luiz Adriano.Técnico:Abel Ferreira.

Desfalques: Weverton (Seleção Brasileira); Gustavo Gómez (Seleção Paraguaia); Piquerez (Seleção Uruguaia); Victor Luis (em transição física); Danilo, Zé Rafael, Marcos Rocha e Mayke (lesionados);
Suspensos:Felipe Melo e Gabriel Menino (Ambos por 3º cartão amarelo);
Pendurados:Zé Rafael e Deyverson;
Voltam de suspensão:Ninguém.

RED BULL BRAGANTINO:Cleiton; Aderlan, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Ortiz (Natan) e Luan Cândido; Jadsom, Eric Ramires e Praxedes; Artur, Cuello e Ytalo.Técnico:Maurício Barbieri

Desfalques: Lucas Evangelista, Vitinho, Rafael Luiz, Leandrinho, Raul e Bruno Tubarão (lesionados);
Suspensos:Ninguém;
Pendurados:Jadsom, Gabriel Novaes, Cleiton, Cuello, Weverton, Léo Ortiz, Artur, Ytalo e Edimar;
Voltam de suspensão:Ninguém.