Tag Futebol

Manchester United made ‘last-minute’ enquiries over potential striker signings as a Deadline-Day contingency plan, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

The Red Devils have two centre-forwards at their disposal in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial.

The former pushed to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window in the hope of securing Champions League football, while the latter’s prospects at the club appeared bleak after he was loaned to Sevilla last season.

At least Erik ten Hag did manage to strengthen his frontline, with the £86m signing of right winger Antony confirmed on the final day of the transfer window.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said that United weren’t actively looking to sign another striker but did make contact over some potential options ‘just in case Ronaldo left’.

He stated: “They were happy with the Antony signing once they could announce that. Once it was clear that Ronaldo was staying, nobody was going to be coming in.

“Obviously, they made enquiries just in case Ronaldo left last minute, but none of that came to anything.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

United probably will need another striker next summer.

Even if he changes his mind about wanting to leave, Ronaldo will be 38 by the end of the season, leaving the Red Devils in need of a long-term successor.

There must also be doubts about Martial’s capacity to play in that role regularly after he was deemed surplus to requirements in the second half of last season, being loaned out to Sevilla.

Who might they be looking at as a successor to that duo?

One potential option is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. Sky Sport Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg recently reported that the Nigerian has been placed ‘on the list’ because Old Trafford officials see ‘a lot of quality and development potential in him’.

It may be that the 23-year-old is their ‘top target’ in future windows, and having hit double figures in each of his last four league campaigns, he could be an astute option to bring in.

Manchester United have been linked with Barcelona right-back Serginio Dest recently and the USA international could allow Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be ditched from Erik ten Hag’s side.

Recent reports from Spain have claimed that United are willing to accelerate the Englishman’s exit as they seek to sign Dest, who played under Ten Hag in a spell at Ajax.

The young full-back contributed two goals and six assists in 38 appearances for the Eredivisie side before joining Barcelona, where he has gone on to make 72 appearances.

Wan-Bissaka’s time at United has been something of a disaster, and his attacking deficiencies perhaps always meant that he was likely to be axed by Ten Hag this summer, as the Dutch manager expects a lot of attacking output from his full-backs.

The former Crystal Palace man has managed just two goals and ten assists in 126 appearances since his £50m switch from Selhurst Park and has always struggled on the ball.

Former United legend Paul Scholes emphasised this after Wan-Bissaka’s display in last season’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester City.

He said: “Wan-Bissaka is useless on the ball — brilliant defender but useless on the ball at right-back.”

Last season saw the 24-year-old average an 84.9% pass accuracy in the Premier League, compared to Dest’s impressive 92.4% average in La Liga, so it is clear that the American is much better technically.

WhoScored suggests that his strengths include passing, dribbling, concentration and holding onto the ball, which again emphasises his technical ability and attacking threat.

Xavi was full of praise for Dest after he starred in a 4-1 win against Valencia earlier this year, saying:

“I thought he was spectacularly good [against Valencia], both with the ball and without it. I am really happy with his progress.”

Defensive reinforcements are clearly needed after United shipped four goals against Brentford last weekend, and Dest could take United one step closer to the sort of team Ten Hag wants at Old Trafford, as right now the manager is clearly not happy with his options.

Therefore, he will be desperate for Wan-Bissaka to be ditched by the hierarchy and for Dest to arrive before the transfer window shuts later this month. On the evidence above, the American would certainly be an upgrade.

Liverpool are set to launch a bid for AC Milan star Ismael Bennacer in the coming days, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Liverpool Echo)

The Lowdown: Thiago’s injury

The Reds suffered a tough start to the Premier League season on Saturday as they drew 2-2 to newly-promoted Fulham, twice having to come from behind.

To make matters worse, Thiago Alcantara limped off the pitch just six minutes into the second half after what appeared to be an innocuous incident.

This adds to Liverpool’s extensive injury list, which includes the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Ibrahima Konate.

The Latest: Interest in Bennacer

According to a report by Calciomercato (via Liverpool Echo), the Reds will launch a €40m (£33.75m) bid for Bennacer in the coming days after Thiago suffered his hamstring injury against Fulham.

It is reported that the 24-year-old Algeria international has a £42.2m release clause in his Milan contract.

This contradicts the widespread news which claims that Jurgen Klopp is holding out until the summer of 2023 to bolster his options in midfield.

The Verdict: Ideal target

Bennacer’s underlying statistics illustrate why Klopp could be interested in bringing the player to Anfield this summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 24-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed, the 94th percentile for interceptions and the 93rd percentile for tackles.

Former Milan star Giuseppe Bergomi has been full of praise for the midfielder in the past, having proclaimed: “Bennacer dominates in the middle on the pitch due to his personality and technical qualities. He finds his team-mates in perfect positions.”

Therefore, with Klopp’s team short of options in midfield, Bennacer – who has been dubbed an ‘absolutely unbelievable’ player by journalist Sam Tighe – could be the man to solve Liverpool’s issues in the middle of the park if he can be lured to Anfield.

A major update has emerged on the future of Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The England international has been the subject of interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in recent weeks, with their manager Julian Nagelsmann speaking publically about the striker.

“He’s very expensive that’s the problem – but a brilliant player,” the German said (via Sky Sports), before later adding: “He could score a lot in the Bundesliga, I don’t know the price, but it’s really tough for Bayern Munich. We’ll see what happens in the future.”

Those remarks have left Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte rather angry, though Fabrizio Romano’s latest update should alleviate any fears of the talismanic centre-forward leaving anytime soon.

When asked about the potential of Bayern signing Kane, the Italian transfer guru claimed it would be “impossible.”

“Kane is untouchable and will play for Tottenham next season. Never been in doubt,” he further reiterated.

Great news for Spurs fans

This claim from Romano will have supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium absolutely buzzing as it seems that there will be no saga this summer, as there was last year with Manchester City.

Spurs are arguably in their strongest position in terms of squad depth in several years, so they could probably deal with Kane’s exit – to an extent. Richarlison is capable of playing through the middle, as can Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

But, of course, his absence would be a killer blow in the long run as he has finished as their top goalscorer in all competitions for the last eight campaigns, scoring 24 or more goals in the process.

Back in April, Conte heaped praise on his star man, claiming (via the Daily Mail):

“To have a player like this in your team is very important. He can score goals and create chances. I like him as a person.

“Talented players don’t always want to work hard but from the first day I arrived here, he set an example. You think that’s normal but it’s not. Great players are sometimes lazy and that’s not him. He’s a big example for his teammates. He’s encouraging us to be competitive.”

With Spurs under something of an exciting renaissance under the trophy-hungry Italian, keeping Kane around will only bolster their chances of ending that near 15-year wait for silverware.

Therefore, this update is great news for Tottenham and their fanbase heading into the new season, which gets underway in less than two weeks. Whisper it quietly, but the Lilywhites could well be back.

AND in other news, Big boost: Paratici can now seal “extraordinary” Spurs signing, Conte badly needs him…

Arsenal are nowhere near finished in the transfer market as they look to conduct more business before deadline day on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That is according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, who delivered a short but exciting claim during a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, where he said:

“They’re definitely in the market for more players.”

The Gunners have already signed four players this off-season, the latest of which being Gabriel Jesus in a £45m deal from Premier League champions Manchester City.

He joins Fabio Vieira, an attacking playmaker from FC Porto, backup goalkeeper Matt Turner and young Brazilian prodigy Marquinhos from Sao Paolo.

Supporters will be buzzing

After narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur last season, it’s no surprise to see technical director Edu Gaspar be so busy in the transfer market.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been in need of reinforcements right across the pitch, particularly up front, where he was going to be short on options following the departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In Jesus, he has found a new no.9.

Elsewhere, the north London giants have been linked with a move for Lisandro Martinez from Ajax, a defender capable of playing at centre-back and on the left.

The Spanish head coach had problems whenever Kieran Tierney was absent through injury, so the Argentine makes sense as a viable and affordable target at around £43m.

Arteta could also do with further reinforcements to the engine room and further cover at full-back wouldn’t go amiss either.

Therefore, Brown’s eight-word claim that the Gunners are in the market for more players will be music to the ears of many supporters around the Emirates Stadium.

AND in other news, Arsenal submit bid for £47m animal who’s “one of the best”, he’s way better than Xhaka…

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bring in a new forward in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Express reporter Ryan Taylor has suggested that they are more likely to go for Leeds star Raphinha than Everton’s Richarlison in the coming weeks.

Fabio Paratici is looking to add to Antonio Conte’s attacking unit and Taylor believes that the former Rennes magician is the main target.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Spurs are edging slightly more towards Raphinha at the moment.

“I think if you look at Richarlison’s profile, my personal view is he’s mainly better centrally and if you look at Tottenham’s side, he won’t have many opportunities through the middle. Outside of that, he sometimes plays off the left, and Son plays there as well.”

Supporters will be excited

Spurs supporters will be excited by this claim as Raphinha would be a sublime addition to Conte’s squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

Since arriving in England, the Whites gem has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League – including 11 goals last term – whilst playing out wide on the right.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In that time, Richarlison has managed 17 goals and eight assists whilst playing on the left and through the middle as a centre-forward.

This means that Raphinha has been more productive than him in the final third, despite the Everton man spending time as a number nine, and this suggests that he would be the better signing.

There is little between them in terms of their scope for development. They are both 25 and heading toward the peak years of their respective careers, which means that they would both come in with the potential to improve in the years to come.

Therefore, it should be a matter of current ability and suitability for the team. Taylor explained why Raphinha suits Tottenham’s team more than Richalison and the statistics suggest that the Leeds man is also the better player with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from out wide.

The Spurs supporters will be excited by the prospect of the ex-Ligue 1 attacker coming through the door as he will provide another big attacking threat in the final third. He can support the likes of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski to form a mouth-watering attack in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…

Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign Joao Palhinha this summer, with the Sporting CP midfielder increasingly likely to leave the club.

The Lowdown: Never-ending Palhinha links

It feels as though barely a day goes by without the Wanderers being linked with a move for the 26-year-old, as they eye up possible Ruben Neves replacements.

The Wolves fan favourite looks nailed on to leave Molineux summer, leaving a gaping void in the middle of the park, and it appears as though Palhinha is viewed as the man to fill it.

It certainly seems likely that the Sporting man will have plenty of suitors this summer, and now a fresh report from his homeland has offered a boost to any and all interest parties…

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-8/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Palhinha will move

According to O Jogo [via Sport Witness], Palhinha will definitely move on and ‘change air’ this summer, with an ‘intense’ battle for his signature ongoing.

It is claimed there is ‘hardly’ a chance he stays at Sporting for another season, although he is focusing on international duty with Portugal for the time being.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Sign him up

In terms of a Neves replacement, Palhinha ticks so many boxes, so he really should be seen as Wolves’ number one transfer target.

Similarly strong on the ball, he enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga in 2021/22, also averaging three tackles per game in the competition – that’s actually better passing and tackling than Neves managed this term.

That highlights how impressive his all-round game is and he has the potential to be a great signing if Wolves get it done, having been described as ‘special’ by manager Ruben Amorim.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly in the race to sign a striker. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Takumi Minamino to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Italy (via TEAMtalk), which claims that both Leeds and Lazio are keen on a move for the Liverpool winger this summer, with further reports suggesting that the 27-year-old is open to the idea of leaving Anfield in a bid to secure more regular first-team football.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

It has also been reported that Jurgen Klopp could be convinced into parting with the Japan international in the off-season, as long as the Reds were to receive an offer in the region of £17m for the former RB Salzburg sensation.

Raphinha heir

While it is true that Minamino has failed to hold down a starting spot in the Liverpool side following his £7.25m move to Anfield back in January 2020, it is nevertheless easy to see why Victor Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to LS11 this summer.

Indeed, despite his lack of minutes, FBref rank the £12.5m-rated attacker in the top 3% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 5% for npxG, the top 13% for npxG+xA, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 1% for pressures, the top 8% for tackles and the top 15% for aerial duels won over the last 365 days.

For comparison, FBref rank £25m Leeds winger Daniel James in the bottom 27% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 44% for npxG, the bottom 27% for npxG+xA, the bottom 8% for pass completion, the top 8% for pressures, the bottom 47% for tackles and the bottom 42% for aerial duels won over the past year.

As such, it is clear to see just how exciting a signing the £72k-per-week talent who David Lynch dubbed “unreal” would be for the Whites to get over the line this summer, with the “frightening” forward appearing to be something of a perfect heir for Raphinha – who looks set to seal a big-money move to Barcelona in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Respected journalist drops huge 49ers takeover update that Leeds supporters will love

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may look to sign Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn this summer, according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn hints at Old Trafford move

Ten Hag was announced as Manchester United’s new manager last month, penning a deal through to 2025.

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

He looks set to make final decisions on transfer targets ‘in the coming weeks’, with numerous players linked with a move to Old Trafford.

One of those has been Bergwijn, who hinted earlier this month that a move to United could be on the cards.

Labelled as an ‘important player’ with ‘good fitness’ by Antonio Conte, the Dutch winger can play anywhere across the front three but has made just four Premier League starts this season.

The Latest: Eccleshare’s claim

Reliable reporter Eccleshare shared a story for The Athletic regarding Bergwijn on Thursday. One source believes that Bergwijn will “100%” leave north London at the end of the season, with Eccleshare stating that a possible solution could be a move to Manchester United.

Ten Hag is thought to be a fan of the 24-year-old and made multiple attempts to bring the forward to Ajax, however, Eccleshare added that there is nothing concrete from Old Trafford as of yet.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Ten Hag wants to be heavily involved when it comes to signings, sales and new contracts, so if he personally wants to bring Bergwijn to Manchester, it could be a deal to keep a close eye on.

He hasn’t had the best of times in the Premier League with Spurs, scoring just eight times in 80 games, but Ten Hag will know all about his qualities after coming up against the winger at PSV.

Bergwijn is still just 24 years of age, and with Spurs seemingly looking to offload the player, United may well be able to secure his services for a relatively low fee which would bolster Ten Hag’s attacking ranks.

In other news: Ten Hag wants Man Utd to hijack Spurs move for ‘difference maker’; could replace ‘useless’ flop. 

In averting the kind of slip-ups made by Bangladesh, in backing the hitting power of their middle and lower-middle order, Afghanistan prove they know how to win and are ready for a bigger challenge

Sidharth Monga in Dehradun06-Jun-2018Twenty20 is too unpredictable a format to term unexpected results as upsets, but one of the traits of better, more fancied sides is that their cricket is more deliberate when things get tight. On a difficult pitch, during a spell of good bowling from the opposition, they appear more in control, unhurried even if it might seem to those outside that time is running out. The better sides target the weak bowlers in these situations. Those who don’t trust themselves go after the good bowlers. It can come off at times, but it is low-percentage T20 cricket in tight situations.In winning the second T20I against Bangladesh, and with that the series, Afghanistan have left no doubt over who the better, the more fancied team was. They faced two maiden overs from left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam at the start of the innings, went 33 balls without a boundary in the middle, but rarely played shots that they are not comfortable playing. The slightly desperate sixes were straight hits and not slogs across the line. In a similar scenario, having gone 39 balls without a boundary, three of Bangladesh’s left-hand batsmen got out trying to hit Rashid Khan for a six.The situation in both the innings was pretty similar. Rashid came on to bowl in the 11th over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi soon bowled out, and Bangladesh had to know they were going to get three overs of pace towards the end that they could target. Afghanistan also got stuck against the spin of Nazmul, Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain, but they also knew Bangladesh couldn’t forever continue bowling spin.Bangladesh didn’t wait for the overs of pace. Imagine a batsman like MS Dhoni in this situation. Bangladesh were 101 for 4, Rashid’s third over was the 16th of the innings, the other two spinners were bowled out, and you have three overs of pace to target. Dhoni is not always the best example on flat pitches, but in this situation, what would he do? He would not even mind as few as eight runs off Rashid’s two overs as long as he doesn’t get a wicket, which in turn leaves them in a position to gather 40 off the other three. That is an effort that takes them to 150, which is what Bangladesh felt was a winning total on this pitch.Instead, Shakib, Rashid’s team-mate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, went to hit six off the first ball, and Tamim Iqbal – who must have felt the pressure of having faced 47 balls for 43 – off the fourth. The next ball, Rashid got Mosaddek with a wrong’un. Soumya Sarkar soon became the fourth batsman to get out trying to hit Rashid out of the ground.There can be two explanations for this approach. Bangladesh didn’t have the luxury of knowing what they were chasing, which must have made them feel they were going under par. Having got the match-ups right – they had stacked left-hand batsmen against Rashid, who went at close to 10 runs an over against left-hand batsmen in the IPL as compared to under a run a ball against the rest – they possibly felt obliged to chase the match-up and attack Rashid.However, Bangladesh need to ask themselves if the third one was true: that they failed to judge the pitch and back themselves against the quicker bowlers. Even if you get historical match-ups right – and they do tell you a lot – you have to sometimes respect the conditions, and this has not been the pitch to be going after the spinners. In this series, the quicks have gone at 9.75 an over and spinners at 5.29. One of the two senior batsmen – Shakib and Tamim – should have taken it upon himself to be there against the returning quicks.In contrast, Afghanistan made sure they had set batsmen when the quicks returned. Shafiqullah later said the captain and the coach had told the batsmen going out that if they had five wickets in hand in the last five overs, they would win. The confidence comes from their faith in the hitting power of the middle and lower-middle order. While a tiring Samiullah Shenwari kept going for his hits, Mohammad Nabi took no risk at all against spin. Bangladesh played it well by continuing with spin till the 18th over but Nabi knew he still had time. Nabi was telling Shakib he is not going anywhere, that he will be there to see the spinner should he still fancy bowling the last over.Shakib eventually gave in and went to Rubel Hossain in the 19th over, and clinically, without fuss, Nabi ended it in the that over itself. This is a team that has come a long way from being the emotional side that coaches wanted to calm down. This is a side that is extremely good at T20 and knows it. They have two of the best spinners going around, they have experience in the batting, they are all naturally strong batsmen who have now honed their techniques to hit sixes efficiently. They know how to win. They are now waiting for bigger prey.