Tag Futebol

West Ham United could reportedly pass up the chance to sign on-loan ‘keeper Alphonse Areola on a permanent deal, owing to the player’s hefty salary.

What’s the word?

According to respected insider ExWHUemployee, (via westhamzone), the Frenchman’s current wage could prove a major stumbling block in the Hammers’ hopes of keeping him at the club beyond this summer, with the 29-year-old reportedly taking home roughly £125k-per-week at parent club Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking about the situation on the West Ham Way Podcast, the trusted source said of the three-cap international that: “The manager likes Areola and it’s just that his wages are £125k/week. This would mean that he would be the highest-paid player and if he’s going to be backup to Fabianski next year, you can’t pay your backup keeper the highest wage at the club.”

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The World Cup-winning stopper made the move to the London Stadium on a season-long loan deal over the summer, although do have the option to make it permanent.

A poor decision?

Although there is a sense in not handing out such a vast wage to a player who hasn’t even been the regular number one in the Premier League this season, it would seem foolish to discard the Paris-born giant at the end of the campaign, particularly following his impressive form in the Europa League.

Dubbed “remarkable” by commentator Peter Drury, the £8.1m-rated man has featured in ten of the club’s 11 games in the continental competition, only sitting out the very first group stage clash away at Dinamo Zagreb.

Since then, he has registered five clean sheets in the Hammers’ surge to the semi-final stage, conceding just 0.7 goals per game and making 2.8 saves per game, while also averaging a 7.12 match rating – the sixth-best among David Moyes’ squad in Europe this term.

In his 17 appearances in all competitions for the club this season he has conceded just 14 goals, while counterpart and rival Lukasz Fabianski has shipped 45 goals in 35 outings across all fronts.

The Poland international has been the undisputed number one over the last few seasons – having joined from Swansea in a £7m deal back in 2018 – although at 37 he is now perhaps coming towards the end, with a younger replacement on the agenda.

There have been rumours of a deal for Burnley’s Nick Pope and West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone, perhaps showing signs that Moyes and co are looking towards the future in the goalkeeping department.

Declan Rice’s future is also of great importance to the club but in Areola, they have someone who they must also do their best to keep in east London.

He is already a man who has shown his worth at the London Stadium and supporters would surely agree that it would be a mistake not to snap him up permanently.

IN other news, “He wants..”: Insider drops big Rice claim that will have West Ham supporters buzzing

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side will make the short trip from north to west London this afternoon as they take on Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium, looking to boost their top-four hopes with a victory.

The Italian’s outfit are currently fourth in the Premier League but have very close competition from arch-rivals Arsenal, who are behind on goal difference alone.

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Spurs had been on a good run of four consecutive victories in the league before last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

Now, they’ll be looking to make amends for that loss by getting back to winning ways against the Bees.

However, after last weekend’s slip-up, Conte could be tempted to make changes to his side and axe some of those who let him down against the Seagulls, with left-wing-back Sergio Reguilon certainly a culprit.

On the chalkboard

Prior to Ryan Sessegnon’s hamstring injury, the Spaniard had lost his place in the side to the 21-year-old with the Englishman offering plenty of attacking flair in the final third.

The 25-year-old was left out of the starting lineup by Conte for six out of seven league matches between late January and early March, only coming back into the side when Sessegnon was withdrawn in the 5-0 victory over Everton.

Ironically, Reguilon did score in that match and has missed just one game since with a knock.

However, Sessegnon has since recovered from his injury and has been on the bench for Spurs’ last two matches. Whether Conte has kept the £68k-per-week Spaniard in the starting lineup for tactical reasons or concerns over the 21-year-old’s fitness is unknown.

What is known though, is that Reguilon is walking on a tightrope in terms of keeping his place in the side after coming back into the starting lineup last weekend for the injured Matt Doherty, who is now out for the season.

The Spaniard, who has made 25 Premier League appearances so far this term, averages just 24.3 accurate passes a match – at an accuracy of 79% – whilst winning just over half of his duels at 52% with 4.6 a game.

However, against Brighton last weekend, the wing-back was well below par for his standards.

The 25-year-old completed just 17 passes with an accuracy of 63% and couldn’t manage to complete a dribble, attempting just one.

Moreover, it was a timid performance defensively, offering 0 clearances, blocks or interceptions whilst making just one tackle. The only positive was a 70% duel win rate.

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs insider John Wenham recently labelled the wing-back as “average” whilst also stating that “he’s the worst of the bunch.”

With Reguilon’s popularity amongst the Tottenham faithful at a low, now is the time for Conte to axe the Spaniard with the Italian unable to make mistakes if his side are to secure Champions League football for next season.

AND in other news: Conte must finally unleash “absolutely fantastic” Spurs sensation, he’s a “big talent”

Ruben Vinagre’s loan move from Wolves to Sporting Lisbon is to become permanent, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Vinagre out on loan

The 22-year-old joined the Portuguese champions on a temporary basis last summer, with Bruno Lage seemingly not considering the left-back part of his plans.

Vinagre has only featured sparingly for Sporting this season to date (albeit partly due to injury), only making six Primeira Liga starts and also appearing twice in the Champions League.

However, it now looks as though the youngster has played his final game for Wolves, in light of a significant development from his native Portugal.

The Latest: Sporting move to be made permanent

Speaking to A Bola [via Sport Witness], Sporting manager Ruben Amorim confirmed that Vinagre’s move had become permanent.

The 37-year-old said of the defender: “He’s part of our project. We have young players we want to bet on. We really believe in Ruben. The situation was already thought of at the beginning of the season, but the purchase is now official. He had an injury that limited him.”

Sporting will reportedly pay €10m (£8.33m) for Vinagre’s services, with some reports also suggesting that Wolves could possibly receive 50% of a future sell-on fee, potentially pushing the Old Gold’s total income from the deal into eight figures.

The Verdict: Good move for Vinagre

The move makes perfect sense for Vinagre, allowing him to flourish at a club where he is clearly valued and kick on further in his career by settling permanently in Lisbon.

The left-back did his best for Wolves, scoring three times in 70 appearances, but the emergence of Rayan Ait-Nouri had pushed him down the pecking order at Molineux.

Assuming it goes through, it is a good piece of business by Wanderers, with Lage now hopefully able to use the funds from the sale towards new signings in the summer transfer window.

In other news, one Wolves player has been linked with a move to another Premier League club. Read more here.

Scorecard
Scotland clinched the 2010 European Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier with a convincing allround team display which saw them beat Jersey by 109 runs at Stormont.Batting first, wicketkeeper Matthew Cross (33), Aman Bailwal (28), Peter Legget (26), Anjan Luthra (21), Sam Page (21), and Tom McBride (20) were the top scorers as they batted with purpose and intent, safe in the knowledge that it would have taken something extraordinary for Jersey to overhaul them, given their vastly superior run rate.Jersey’s fielding and catching has been a feature of their play all week, but today half chances went to ground, and tiredness crept in as the effects of five games in seven days took their toll on the young island side. Charles Perchard (3 for 54), Aidan McGuire (2 for 26), James Faudemer (2 for 30) and Ben Stevens (1 for 23) were best with the ball for Jersey as Scotland finished on 208 all out in 49.5 overs.The Jersey reply got off to a disastrous start when pinch-hitter William Falle was run out before the lunch break. Scotland captain Paddy Sadler’s impressive tournament continued as he bowled with great pace and control to finish with the impressive analysis of 4 for 22. Fellow opening bowler Stan Shillington (2 for 17) was also among the wickets, as were Scott McElnea (1 for 5), Aman Bailwal (1 for 18), and Peter Legget (1 for 34).Corey Bisson provided the only real semblance of resistance for Jersey in a fluent and entertaining 32. In the end Jersey were dismissed for 99 in 40.3 overs, leaving Scotland victors by 109 runs and worthy champions.

Scorecard
Ireland made sure of second place and a vital Under-19 World Cup Qualifier place when they beat Netherlands by 82 runs at Waringstown.Batting first, Ireland posted a competitive 238 all out. They lost Jason van der Merwe and Adam Berry early, before the Donemana pairing of Andy McBrine (34) and Ryan Hunter (28) started a recovery. However when they and George Dockrell fell in quick succession, the game was in the balance at 91 for 5.However Shane Getkate (47) and his Malahide team mate Adam Coughlan (40) added 69 for the sixth wicket, to put Ireland back in control. Graeme McCarter provided some late fireworks as he hit 46 from just 40 balls to take Ireland to 238 in 46 overs. Philip van der Brandeler (4 for 30), Sebastiaan Braat (2 for 40), and Robert van der Harten (2 for 55) were the most successful with the ball for the Dutch.In reply, James Gruijters (29) continued his consistent batting form this week, and opener Sverre Loggers (20) gave his side a decent platform. However Barry McCarthy (2 for 21) and Getkate (2 for 39) both made sure wickets fell at regular intervals.It was the introduction of Dockrell which proved the downfall for the Netherlands, as the left-arm spinner showed just why he is so highly rated in cricketing circles. He finished with 5 for 34 as the Dutch finished on 156 all out in 38.4 overs. Ireland’s 82 run win confirmed their second place in the group, and they now go into the World Cup Qualifiers, hoping to reclaim the title they won last year in Canada.

Scorecard
Guernsey won the battle of the bottom two teams when they inflicted a six-wicket defeat upon Denmark at the picturesque Laurevale ground.Batting first Denmark rallied from a precarious 58 for 6 to post a respectable 139 all out in 43.3 overs. The batting honours went to wicket-keeper Vijayasai Sasitharan who top scored with an undefeated 28. The Danish total was boosted by 23 extras. In the bowling department, Dale Mullen (3 for 30), Guy Batiste (2 for 4), Thomas Kirk (2 for 28), Andrew Hutchinson (2 for 34), and Glenn Le Tissier (1 for 12) were the wicket-takers for Guernsey.Chasing the modest total, Guernsey were given a perfect start when Adam Martel (21) and Isaac Damarell added fifty for the first wicket. Thomas Kirk made 28 from 30 balls, while Glen Le Tissier blasted 19 not out from 11 balls. It was Damarell who did the real damage, though, as he recorded a superb unbeaten 57 from just 63 balls to steer Guernsey to the win with six wickets and 24.3 overs to spare.

Cheteshwar Pujara led from the front with an unbeaten double-century to set India A to an imposing 543 for 8 in Croydon

Cricinfo staff18-Jun-2010
ScorecardCheteshwar Pujara led from the front with an unbeaten double-century to set India A to an imposing 543 for 8 in Croydon. It was another tough day in the field for West Indies A, whose bowlers struggled to contain the Indians, save for Andre Russell, who took a second five-for in as many first-class games.Pujara resumed his innings on 111 with Wriddhiman Saha, and the pair ensured India held the advantage early on. Saha fell for 62, caught by the wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton off Russell. Jaskaran Singh provided valuable support to Pujara as he neared a double-century. Jaskaran too helped himself to a half-century, hitting nine boundaries in his 58. Pujara declared the innings when on 208 and his knock included 34 fours and a six. Russell finished with 5 for 97.West Indies however lost the early wicket Kraigg Brathwaite for 3 to their nemesis on tour, Jaidev Unadkat. West Indies will look to bat out the third day and not let India retain the edge.

Sri Lanka were splendid today; they hustled on the field, the spinners kept hauling them back when India threatened to break free, and Dinesh Chandimal made the chase look ridiculously easy with a charming ton

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera05-Jun-2010Sri Lanka 270 for 4 (Chandimal 111) beat India 268 for 9 (Kohli 68, Yusuf 44, Thushara 3-57) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outDinesh Chandimal’s 111 steered Sri Lanka to a comfortable victory•Associated PressIt’s a script that never seems to go stale. Sri Lanka have yet again disposed India from a multi-nation tournament. They were splendid today; they hustled on the field, the spinners kept hauling them back when India threatened to break free, and Dinesh Chandimal made the chase look ridiculously easy with a charming ton.Sometimes desperate situations, like the must-win situation for India, force one to make the right decisions. India made two shows of intent: Yusuf Pathan was promoted to No. 4 and the batting Powerplay was taken in the 18th over. Sometimes the best intentions may not be enough.Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted: If India were to get the bonus point that would have helped them in the quest to enter the final, they had to restrict Sri Lanka to 214 but for a while it appeared that it was Sri Lanka who were going for the bonus point, with Chandimal going on to become their youngest ODI centurion.Sometimes an unknown like Chandimal pulls off a blinder of an innings. When Tillakaratne Dilshan fell after a breezy 21, Sri Lanka were at 29 for 1 and you wondered whether they might slow down, if not stutter, but Chandimal unfurled an attractive innings to ensure that the run-rate never dropped. He impressed with his shot selection, his footwork and his aggressive bent of mind: he walked down the track to lift Pankaj Singh over mid-on, welcomed Pragyan Ojha into the attack with a six over long-off and later smashed him over long-on and crashed R Ashwin over long-off and long-on. And all these sashays down the track were made possible because he used the crease well, often dropping well back to create his own length for his cut shots against the spinners. And, so when the spinners tried to correct the length by hurling it fuller, he responded with his more adventurous hits. And he looked pretty secure in defense too. Unlike Upul Tharanga, who often groped outside the line, Chandimal offered the full bat-face in defense. It took a lovely carrom-ball from Ashwin to get him stumped but by then he had put the issue beyond doubt.Sometimes you should ask for the stars. Suresh Raina had said after losing the toss that he was looking to reach around 270-280 and he got what he wanted but it didn’t prove enough. His team made a steady start, reaching 46 for 2 in 10 overs, and collecting 27 runs in the bowling Powerplay. They shifted the gears gradually and hit 39 runs in the final Powerplay, courtesy some big hits from Yusuf, to reach a healthy position by the half-way mark but Sri Lanka clawed their way back in style.Sometimes if you remain tenacious enough, you will find a way to break down the spirit of opposition. Two instances stood out for Sri Lanka’s tenacity: Ajantha Mendis bowled two overs that yielded just six runs in the batting Powerplay; and Suraj Randiv removed both Yusuf and Rohit Sharma to pull India back from a comfortable situation. Even the third spinner Jeevan Mendis bowled a tight spell in the middle as India, who were at 125 for 2 in 23.5 overs struggled to 187 for 5 in 37.1 overs. Only 52 runs came in this crucial period of 13 overs and importantly three big wickets of Yusuf, Kohli and Rohit went down.Sometimes disciplined bowling is enough. It was Randiv who did all the damage, not with anything spectacular but with his steady supply of loopy offbreaks. He beat Yusuf in flight and lured him to hole out to long-on and did Rohit in with a big-spinning off break that breached the defences. In between, Kohli, who had until then crafted a responsible innings, had lifted Thushara straight to long-off. And when Raina fell to a stunning catch – Chamara Kapugedera flung himself to his left at short extra cover- off Dilshan’s bowling, India were wobbling at 204 for 6 but were saved by Ashwin’s cameo.Sometimes the catalyst comes from the least expected quarter; Ashwin pulled off a gem in the end overs to push India from 204 for 6 in 41.1 overs to a respectable total. Ashwin pinged wide long-on for a six and a four against Mendis in the 47th over and lifted Nuwan Kulasekara for successive fours in the 48th, with a paddle-swept boundary being the highlight. However, Sri Lanka struck in the last couple of overs, via Thilan Thushara, to prevent India from reaching a big score. It was the pattern of the day – India kept threatening to get ahead, and Sri Lanka kept pulling them back till India caved in under the relentless pressure.

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, has been cleared to resume training for the ICC World Twenty20 after recovering from the finger injury

Cricinfo staff13-Apr-2010

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, has been cleared to resume training for the ICC World Twenty20 after recovering from the finger injury that forced him to return home mid-way through the ongoing Indian Premier League.”Cricket South Africa’s medical team is satisfied that Graeme has made a complete recovery from his finger injury,” South Africa’s team manager Mohammad Moosajee said. “He has been given the all clear to resume training in preparation for the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean and the South African tour of the West Indies that follows. Graeme did pick up a slight fever last week but he should be ready to start practising on Wednesday.”Smith broke the middle finger of his right hand while taking a catch in Rajasthan Royals’ match against Delhi Daredevils on March 15 and had to return to South Africa. It was the second finger injury Smith had picked up in little more than a month. He had hurt his little finger on the left hand during the build-up to the Eden Gardens Test in February, which kept him out of the one-dayers against India.South Africa will play World Twenty20 warm-up games against Sri Lanka and England, before beginning their campaign against India in St. Lucia on May 2 and Afghanistan in Barbados on May 5.

Heart & Hand’s David Edgar has shed some light on the kind of player Rangers might target to replace Nathan Patterson. 

The lowdown

The 20-year-old completed his move to Everton on Tuesday, with Rangers set to receive a £16m fee. That would make it the most lucrative sale in the club’s history, surpassing the £12.15million departure of current manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst in 2001.

Patterson has been playing second fiddle to captain James Tavernier, but he has still made 11 appearances this season, including two Premiership starts and one in the Europa League.

The latest

Writing on the Heart & Hand Twitter account, Edgar said: “I’d expect a young promising player as backup to replace Nathan.”

He thinks the signing ‘will be a bit like [Calvin] Bassey’, who arrived from Leicester City as a 20-year-old ahead of the 2020/21 season.

The verdict

It’s hard to say if this is the right move for Rangers. If they bring another top prospect, then the problem they faced with Patterson could repeat itself.

Tavernier is effectively undroppable given his level of performance and output. According to WhoScored metrics, he has been the Gers’ top player this season, recording four goals and 10 assists. At 30 years of age and under contract until 2024, he could feasibly have that spot tied down for another few years yet.

Perhaps it would be better to go the opposite way and sign a veteran who can accept limited game-time but deliver dependable performances whenever called upon.

In other news, Van Bronckhorst has said something ‘concerning’ about transfers

Leeds United would be making a major howler by signing Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are eyeing up a swoop for the English midfielder, and now, journalist Pete O’Rourke has delivered an update on the situation.

He said: “They do like him (Barkley), but I don’t think it’s a major priority for Marcelo Bielsa to bring in another attacking midfielder.”

Massive howler from Leeds

While Leeds undeniably could do with some reinforcements in the January transfer window – injuries have more than taken their toll on Bielsa’s side – a swoop for an injury-prone ace who has played just 51 Premier League games in the last three years doesn’t seem like the best fit.

Earning a reported £100k-per-week, Barkley endured a woeful campaign while on loan at Aston Villa last season, managing only three goals and one assist in the top-flight – in fact, following the end of January, the midfielder netted no goals whatsoever.

And, speaking on The Athletic’s 1874 podcast, Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans slammed: “He doesn’t do enough for me now. I’ve seen enough of Ross Barkley now to realise that he’s becoming a bit of a liability for Villa. He’s not helping out enough as he should, really.”

Barkley has faced numerous injury problems that have really plagued his career since really making his breakthrough at Everton, and given his big wages too, he doesn’t scream a player who could really take Leeds to the next level.

The last thing the Whites need in January is another player to sit on the treatment table and barely make it onto the pitch, in what could be a crucial second-half of the campaign given the kind of season they’ve had thus far.

Barkley hasn’t proven himself to be a reliable performer who Bielsa could count on week-in and week-out, and that’s not even to mention the lack of end product when he does actually get himself on the pitch either – he’s scored just seven goals in the Premier League in the past three seasons.

Victor Orta would be heading for a significant Leeds nightmare with a swoop for Barkley and fans would surely be fuming.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Uruguayan star…

أراد جول كوندي إرسال رسالة تهدئة إلى جماهير برشلونة، رغم غيابه المرتقب عن المرحلة المهمة التي سيواجهها الفريق في أكتوبر المقبل، بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها الفرنسي.

وتعرض كوندي لإصابة إثر مشاركته مع منتخب بلاده فرنسا أمام النمسا، ليلة الخميس في منافسات دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وأعلن برشلونة تشخيص إصابة كوندي بعد عودته وخضوعه لفحص طبي، واتضح إصابته في العضلة ذات الرأسين للفخذ الأيسر.

اقرأ أيضًا | أراخو يحسم موقفه من الخضوع لجراحة قبل مونديال قطر

من الممكن أن يظل كوندي خارج الملعب لأكثر من شهر بقليل بعد استبعاد إصابته في العضلة ذات الرأسين الفخذية في فخذه الأيسر.

من خلال منشور على حسابه الرسمي على “إنستجرام” كتب كوندي رسالة أفاد خلالها أنه يعمل للعودة في أسرع وقت ممكن.

كما تمت الإشارة في الساعات الأخيرة، سيغيب قلب الدفاع الفرنسي لمدة أربعة أسابيع تقريبًا، وسيكون جاهزًا للمباراة ضد بايرن ميونخ في دوري أبطال أوروبا المقرر إجراؤها في 26 أكتوبر المقبل.

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