Tag Futebol

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins features on Tottenham Hotspur’s list of transfer targets, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.

The lowdown

Villa paid what was a club-record fee of £28million to sign Watkins from Brentford in September 2020 (via BBC Sport).

He’s gone on to score 16 goals in his first 44 appearances for Dean Smith’s side (via Transfermarkt).

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer, who knows a thing or two about sticking the ball in the back of the net, has described the Englishman as ‘magnificent’.

He still has four years left on the £75,000-per-week contract he signed upon his arrival in the Midlands.

The latest

Spurs are said to be in the process of a devising a ‘template’ to turn the team into title contenders from next season.

They see a need for reinforcements at the top end of the pitch, either as support or a replacement for Harry Kane.

Watkins is on their ‘list of options’ because his profile ‘fits perfectly with the sporting plan that the team has’.

Villa, though, are described as ‘a complicated club to negotiate with’ and will demand a hefty fee.

The verdict

Watkins is a 25-year-old, excellent all-round striker with multiple years to run on his deal. Villa should be slapping a price-tag of more than £50million on his head.

It’s also worth noting that he probably wouldn’t view Spurs as much of an upgrade right now. After a run of three straight defeats, they look in a bad way, while there’s a sense of an upward trajectory at Villa Park.

In other news, this three-word message saw Villa fans erupt. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Lucas Pratto completou sete partidas sem fazer gols neste domingo, exatamente o tempo que o São Paulo está sem vencer no Campeonato Brasileiro, torneio em que termina a 12ª rodada na penúltima posição. O atacante argentino, entretanto, teve boa chance de encerrar o jejum no momento em que o Santos vencia por 3 a 0, mas desperdiçou uma batida de pênalti sofrido por ele mesmo aos 25 minutos do segundo tempo e lamentou.

-Eu como capitão não posso perder um pênalti assim – desabafou o camisa 14 do São Paulo, que ainda explicou o nível de desempenho da equipe na derrota por 3 a 2 na Vila Belmiro.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoATUAÇÕES: Copete sobra, faz três gols e garante vitória no clássicoBrasileirão09/07/2017BrasileirãoPanela de pressão! Copete faz três e deixa São Paulo em penúltimo lugarBrasileirão09/07/2017

-O time joga bem em alguns momentos. Não dava para acreditar no 3 a 0 porque o Santos não foi melhor que o São Paulo. Temos de ter melhor sorte, porque temos muita entrega durante o jogo.

Prattoé o artilheiro do São Paulo no Brasileiro, com três gols (todos no Morumbi), e o segundo jogador que mais balançou as redes pelo São Paulo na temporada: são dez gols em 25 jogos, atrás dos 12 que Gilberto fez nas 23 partidas que realizou neste ano.

Neste domingo, ele cobrou na trave um pênalti já aos 25 do segundo tempo e atrasou a reação do Tricolor contra o Santos, que vencia por 3 a 0 na ocasião. Depois do pênalti perdido, Shaylon marcou aos 30 e Arboleda aos 41 da etapa complementar.

The Sind High Court has temporarily lifted a ban on Pakistan’s ICL players from competing in domestic cricket

Osman Samiuddin02-Feb-2009
Imran Farhat: “It is a massive relief for us and we have known all along that we are right in our fight” © ICL
The Sind High Court has temporarily lifted a ban on Pakistan’s ICL players from competing in domestic cricket. Effectively, the order means the group of 19 cricketers in the league can – and some will – take part in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the domestic first-class competition. The ban on their participation in international cricket, however, remains since it is not yet a point of argument in the legal proceedings.A letter had initially been sent by the legal firm representing the players to the Pakistan board last week to enquire about the ban. It was thought then that the matter would not be immediately be taken to court, but the players’ lawyer Zahid Ebrahim said subsequent PCB prevarication over the response and another fruitless bout of discussions at the ICC board meeting in Perth prompted the legal action. “We waited for the ICC meeting and nothing happened there. The PCB wanted a month to respond to our queries and as the domestic season is already on, we decided to move,” Ebrahim told Cricinfo.The matter appeared at the High Court today and immediately an interim order was passed, lifting the ban until further notice. The court has called the PCB for a hearing on February 10.”An interim order was passed today, by a single bench High Court judge, staying the ban on these players,” Ebrahim said. “The court has suspended the operation of the PCB’s playing condition 2.2 which bans these players from domestic cricket. A notice has been sent to the PCB to appear on February 10. The restriction was on domestic cricket only.”Eleven players are behind the motion, including Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed and Hasan Raza. Understandably, there was relief, even if it is temporary. “This is like someone has pumped life back into us,” Farhat told Cricinfo. “It is a massive relief for us and we have known all along that we are right in our fight.”Farhat will now appear for his employers Habib Bank Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from the next round of matches. “My bank have been great. Unlike other organisations, they supported me throughout this. They paid my salary every month and benefits and they really have been great.”Though there has not been active support from the present administration of the PCB, Farhat acknowledged that a more flexible stance on the matter has helped. “The statements this board has made have been favourable to us generally and certainly they have handled it far better than the last administration and government,” Farhat said. “The chairman was also in Australia discussing the case and they are behind us. We haven’t been in touch with them at all, but you can sense that this administration wants to help. Cricketers know how cricketers feel. It is in the interests of Pakistan.”Ironically, deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan mean that a cloud hovers over the very future of Pakistan involvement in the ICL, which currently involves a team consisting of only Pakistan players, Lahore Badshahs, besides players in other teams. But Farhat is optimistic it will be sorted out. “I think they [ICL] are looking at options to make it work, different venues maybe. But I am hopeful something good will come of that.”The key to this case now may well be the stance and slant of the board and their policy. In the early days of the present PCB administration, officials such as Javed Miandad openly argued for the bans to be removed. But Miandad has now gone and Ijaz Butt, the chairman, has struggled to properly grasp the nuts and bolts of the issue. He had been extensively briefed by the board’s legal team about the case before the ICC meeting in Perth. Whether or not the issue was brought up there is not currently known.No immediate statement of any intent was forthcoming from the board. “Let us receive the copy of the order and study it first,” Saleem Altaf, chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. “But a court order is a court order and we will have to respond accordingly.”The ICC will also be interested in studying the details of the order, as the case may well have repercussions for ICL players around the world. It is understood that the PCB will contact the ICC as soon as the order has been examined.

Serie A side Venezia have had a bid accepted for reported Celtic transfer target Thomas Henry, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Henry links

Henry, who was hailed as a ‘complete striker’ by Lokeren boss Karel Fraeye, was first linked with a move to Parkhead earlier this month, with reports suggesting that the Hoops were on the brink of winning the race for the Frenchman.

Rumours then cooled, before resurfacing after a move to Gent stalled, with reports suggesting that a move to Glasgow could be back on.

However, Celtic – who have also been linked to Georgios Giakoumakis and Kevin Nisbet – may now miss out on the OH Leuven marksman following a weekend development.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider, who were informed by an industry source, claimed on Saturday that Henry was flying to Italy after Venezia had an offer accepted for his services.

Henry has also agreed on personal terms with the Serie A outfit, who look set to pip both Celtic and Rangers to a deal for the 26-year-old.

The Verdict: Giakoumakis or Nisbet now?

With Celtic now seemingly set to miss out on Henry, it could be a case of looking at Giakoumakis and Nisbet. Should they bring in either of the two on a permanent deal, it may then allow the club to look to cash in on Odsonne Edouard, who is into the final 12 months of his Parkhead contract.

Giakoumakis is valued at £3m, whereas Celtic are thought to be weighing up a player-plus-cash move for Nisbet, so the Hoops could be busy in the final days of the window. Either way, it’s time to move on from Henry now that he’s seemingly Venezia-bound.

In other news: Celtic set to sign another defender, find out who it is here. 

Taking to Twitter, reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared what the Tottenham Hotspur board are now planning in regards to midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Ndombele unrest…

Football Insider first broke news of Ndombele’s unrest in north London as revealed his conversation with Spurs club chiefs.

The Frenchman informed Tottenham hierachy of his desire to exit N17 and that news was backed by other reliable outlets like The Athletic and Sky Sports (via Football Daily).

Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo even hinted upon it somewhat in his latest press conference, explaining to reporters that it is his not his job to make people play for the club.

The Latest: Romano shares Ndombele claim…

Writing on his social media, Romano has now explained what the Spurs board are planning to do next in regards to their club record signing.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He says that, over the next week or more, Tottenham chiefs will be actively scouring for formula to offload the Frenchman before August 31.

Indeed, Romano stated that the Spurs board are now ‘looking for a solution’ in order to sell Ndombele ‘in the next 12 days’.

The Verdict: Big priority?

If the Lilywhites can manage to offload Ndombele in quick time, depending on the deal they strike, it could significantly boost managing director Fabio Paratici’s hopes of adding to Spurs’ squad.

The club are in a sell-to-buy situation this summer so selling the 24-year-old for a significant fee could provide Tottenham fans with a very entertaining last stretch of the transfer window.

In other news: Contact made: Tottenham offer now expected for 6 foot 4 powerhouse who Nuno personally wants to sign, find out more here.

As Celtic gear up for a crucial European qualifying fixture on Thursday evening, they will do so knowing their transfer business has nearly been completed to perfection.The Hoops have made some outstanding improvements in the window with Ange Postecoglou and Dominic McKay bringing in a host of their number one targets.Celtic’s offensive line looks sharp and free-flowing while there are signs that their defence is beginning to get better too.What’s the word?One area that Postecoglou is still unsure of is in attack. Although he’s added Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada to his ranks, he wants to sign another striker.The Bhoys missed out on Thomas Henry as he headed to Italy but they are intent on not losing Giorgos Giakoumakis.He has fielded interest from Celtic for a number of weeks now but he’s got a further suitor in Werder Bremen.However, according to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, Celtic have now actually agreed terms in principle with VVV-Venlo to sign the player.That said, they are yet to settle on personal terms with Giakoumakis.Postecoglou delightedIf the Australian manager can secure a deal for the Greece international then it would be the cherry on top of the cake for Celtic this summer.As the window commenced a few months ago it took the board a considerable period of time to back Postecoglou sufficiently.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/postecoglou-hoops-bhoys-jenz-larsson-nisbet” title=”Check out the latest Celtic transfer news!”]He’d been left with the signings of Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, two players who are still yet to earn first-team debuts.Yet, after the Hoops crashed out of the Champions League to Midtjylland, it became apparent that this Celtic side really wasn’t good enough.Postecoglou called on those upstairs to give him more to work with and thankfully, they’ve listened.Since that defeat to Midtjylland, Joe Hart, James McCarthy and Josip Juranovic have all been signed, while Carl Starfelt has made his debut.However, with more money to spend from the Kristoffer Ajer sale, Giakoumakis looks like a wise addition.The head coach isn’t entrusting Albian Ajeti or Leigh Griffiths and if Furuhashi was to get injured or if Odsonne Edouard finally packed his bags, they’d be incredibly light in offensive areas.Therefore, bringing in someone who scored as many as 29 goals last term would be a superb piece of business. The 26-year-old has been described as “very special” by Dutch reporter Rik Elfrink and would offer a different threat to Furuhashi with his height and bullish nature.Postecoglou will be delighted to get his man if it goes through.AND in other news, Forget Hjelde: Postecoglou has Celtic’s next big star in “fantastic” rarely-seen 18 y/o…

Forget Odsonne Edouard because Celtic have a brand new hero in the form of Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Hoops recorded an emphatic 6-0 victory on Sunday and in the process, Ange Postecoglou was left revelling in his Japanese gem.

Furuhashi scored a quite brilliant hat-trick but he could still be joined by another attacking recruit at Paradise.

What’s the word?

Edouard’s fate has now surely been sealed. He has been dropped to the bench for the last two games and even if he did score from the spot against Dundee, Furuhashi’s form has shown there’s no need for him anymore.

The Frenchman has been linked with the Premier League but if he does exit, they will need cover in offensive areas.

One man mooted with a switch to Parkhead in the last few weeks is M’Baye Niang. The Rennes forward has spent time in the UK before with Watford but could be set for a move further north this week.

Speaking to This is Futbol, it was a move that Ligue 1 expert Adam White seemed to think would pay off.

“He could be a great signing for Celtic,” White began.

“He’s proven in Ligue 1. He got double figures the season before last when he was first choice and Rennes had a decent season.

“He’d score goals basically in any team, I think to some extent, and given the opportunities. He’s kind of a finisher, holds the ball up nicely and is good in the air. I think he’d be a real handful for Scottish Premiership defences.”

Imagine him and Kyogo

With the ability to play through the middle or out on the flanks, there is a possibility that Furuhashi and Niang could play in the same side together.

If that prospect does become a reality then they have the potential to cause plenty of damage in the SPFL.

Furuhashi has electric pace and has shown remarkably clever movement and game intelligence in his two starts so far.

He occupies clever areas and also seems to know how to get across his marker in order to give himself the best possible chance of scoring.

The Japanese dynamo has relished lining up alongside two direct players in the form of Ryan Christie and Liel Abada who helped to supply his stunning hat-trick against Dundee.

Throw Niang into the equation and he could score even more goals. They may even become a devastating two-prong attack for Postecoglou to utilise.

Niang only found the net on one occasion last term but during his Rennes career, the 26-year-old has scored 30 goals in 92 outings.

That’s an impressive tally for a player who has pace, drive and an aerial ability that could prove pivotal for a smaller player like Furuhashi.

Standing at 6 foot 2, his ability when the ball is off the ground is arguably better than any other forward player in Celtic’s ranks. He won 3.4 aerial duels per game during his final full season for Rennes, a number that usurps every Bhoys striker by some margin last term.

With that in mind, a classic little and large partnership could be established here. It would be an exciting one for supporters too.

They must sign Niang in order to boost their hopes this season.

AND in other news, 121 touches, 104 passes: Ange’s “outstanding” Celtic beast ran the show on Sunday…

Everything went Yorkshire’s way on the second day of the Scarborough Festival – and in truth they deserved it

John Ward at Scarborough28-Aug-2008Yorkshire 409 for 7 (Rudolph 146) lead Kent 227 by 182 runs
ScorecardEverything went Yorkshire’s way on the second day of the Scarborough Festival – and in truth they deserved it, because they played much the better cricket. They batted well, led by a fine century from Jacques Rudolph, while Kent will have been disappointed by their mediocre bowling and fielding. Somebody will have to turn in a sterling performance for Kent if they are to escape this match with a draw.The day opened in bright sunshine and continued that way almost throughout, giving rise to veiled sniggers from the locals pretending sympathy for ‘poor old Blackpool’. With the pitch, as expected, now a beauty, it was to be a day of unremitting toil for the visitors. Anthony McGrath set the pattern with two of his favourite cover-driven boundaries in the third over, off the pacy, promising but erratic Robbie Joseph.His partner Rudolph took longer to get going, until after 15 minutes he got under way for the day with a perfectly timed straight drive for four off Ryan McLaren. He soon completed his 1000 championship runs for the season, in the course of taking two leg-side fours off Joseph, and ran to his fifty off 103 balls, leaving McGrath virtually becalmed in his wake. In fact McGrath was still only on 44 when his partner brought up three figures with a dab for two to third man; next ball Rudolph offered a fairly straightforward return catch – which was floored by the unfortunate James Tredwell.McGrath just reached his fifty by lunch, taking 165 balls over it. Afterwards he appeared to lose concentration, caught at second slip off McLaren with a loose shot for 52. It was a strangely laborious innings after such a good start to the day, but fortunately for Yorkshire it was not a serious problem with Rudolph going like a train at the other end.In the 76th over another fine cover-drive by Rudolph took Yorkshire into the lead, with seven wickets in hand. His new partner, Adam Lyth, was very wary at the start, but then two off-side boundaries finally got him going, and from then on he blossomed. He too is very strong through the covers, a favourite left-hander’s stroke. He finally lost Rudolph for 146, to a rather undignified dismissal: Joseph bowled a ball almost a yard outside the off stump, but Rudolph went for it and somehow still managed to drag it on to his stumps. Rarely is a batsman dismissed ‘bowled’ by a delivery that would almost have been called a wide! Still, he left Yorkshire at 273 for 4, a great deal better placed than he had found them.Gerard Brophy came and went, caught at second slip off the medium-paced Darren Stevens for 14, while Lyth continued to prosper. Unfortunately he has a habit that hopefully he will outgrow, that of throwing his wicket away when seemingly well set, and a wild slash off Martin Saggers to the keeper did for him when he had 68. His cover drive can bring back memories of David Gower; so too can some of his dismissals.Another to play a magnificent cover drive was Rana Naved, but he only managed one before, with 10 to his credit, he slashed at a ball from Amjad Khan and was superbly caught by Tredwell at first slip. This brought Darren Gough to the wicket, and was the signal for Adil Rashid to open up, with two quality boundaries off Tredwell. It appeared a good policy, as Gough was in all sorts of trouble against Khan, the best but least-used of Kent’s rather erratic seam attack, and twice offered difficult slip chances that went down. But he survived to the close with 12, Rashid on a precocious 43, and Kent still have three wickets to remove in the morning.Kent’s seam attack, generally speaking, was innocuous and often inaccurate, and the best bowling was done by Tredwell, who found little in the pitch to help him but kept the scoring in check by line, length and skill. Stevens, another bowler of no great speed, conceded just 16 runs off 10 overs, perhaps an indication of how this pitch is playing.

Birmingham City have confirmed that Dion Sanderson will be playing his football at St Andrew’s next season.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the club website, the Blues announced that they were “delighted” to confirm the signing of the Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back, who will be joining Lee Bowyer’s side on a season-long loan deal.

The statement continued by saying that the 21-year-old was very much a player “in demand” this summer, with Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Sunderland all reported to be keen on the defender.

Finally, the club relayed the comments of Sanderson speaking in reaction to his switch to St Andrew’s, with the centre-back stating: “I am delighted and so excited. Once I heard the news, I couldn’t wait to get it done. As soon as I came in today, I have just had a big smile on my face. It’s unbelievable to be here.

“I think they have a great team [here] and it’s a big club. Hopefully, it’s a chance for me to play, to impress the head coach and help the team out and fight their way up the table.”

Bowyer surely buzzing

Considering just how impressive Sanderson had been while on loan at Sunderland last season, along with the significant amount of interest in his services from a number of clubs in the summer transfer window, the fact that the Blues have managed to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old can easily be viewed as a massive coup for Birmingham, with the signing sure to have left Bowyer buzzing.

Indeed, over his 26 League One appearances for Lee Johnson’s side last term, the £135k-rated defender helped his side to keep eight clean sheets, along with averaging 0.9 interceptions, one tackle and 2.7 clearances and winning 4.3 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Kevin Phillips dubbed a “superb” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Black Cats’ 13th-best performer in the third tier of English football.

His displays played a key role in helping Sunderland reach the League One play-off semi-finals, as well as seeing him pick up the club’s Supporters Young Player of the Year award.

As such, it would very much seem as if Sanderson is yet another fantastic addition to Bowyer’s side ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, with the 44-year-old having already secured the arrivals of Jordan Graham, Chuks Aneke, Juan Familia-Castillo, Tahith Chong and Ryan Woods this summer.

Indeed, with Birmingham very much appearing to be a club on the up under the leadership of Bowyer, it is looking increasingly unlikely that the Blues will be facing a relegation fight once again next season, with the signing of Sanderson perhaps even creating the possibility of the club mounting a push for a top-six finish.

In other news: Bowyer drops 17-word transfer hint that will surely leave Birmingham City fans buzzing

Aston Villa are set to make an offer of more than €10m (£8.5m) for River Plate’s Julian Alvarez, according to Argentine outlet TNT Sports, and a number of Villa supporters have been reacting to the update on social media.

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young this summer and were linked with a move for Alvarez last month.

The 21-year-old made one appearance in Argentina’s Copa America triumph, and according to TNT Sports, his representative is in England. The report suggests that an offer of more than €10m is set to be tabled in the next few days.

Alvarez, who has 16 goals and 17 assists in 69 appearances for River Plate, is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt but has just 18 months left on his contract for Los Millionarios.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news regarding Villa’s planned bid for Alvarez on Twitter. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with some relieved that the reported pursuit of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe seems to have died off.

“Thank heavens. No ESR”Credit: @ViIlaI_”finally”Credit: @Jake__avfc”Let’s go!!!”Credit: @LoveMcGrathpod”W”Credit: @KONSAISTHEGOAT”Got the impression a few weeks ago that he was a contingency should we fail in our attempts to sign Smith Rowe. Alvarez, Jack and Buendia all interchanging behind Ollie UTV”Credit: @JamesCourten”Thank god this ESR saga is over”Credit: @pubIad

In other news: ‘Really are making moves’, ‘Insane’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as ‘tasty’ news emerges.