Tag Futebol

Josko Gvardiol has fully agreed personal terms with Manchester City and negotiations between the clubs over a fee are now very advanced as well.

How much will Gvardiol cost?

Gvardiol won't be cheap due to him showing outstanding ability at the highest level of the game at just 21-years-old. With a market value of €75million (£64.5m), even a deal on the low end of what RB Leipzig could ask for will require City chiefs to open their wallet.

While the higher reports have seen the German side asking for around €100m (£86m), a figure that would make him the most expensive defender ever, any sale would represent a huge profit on the €18.8m (£16m) which Leipzig spent on the Croatian in the summer of 2021.

It has previously been reported that Gvardiol is "keen to join" the treble winners according to journalist Rudy Galetti, and according to CalcioMercato, via Sport Witness, he is now a step closer to the move transpiring.

The report discloses that the versatile centre-back has a total "agreement" with the Blues over personal terms. Adding to this, all that is needed now is to complete the negotiations over a fee, which are said to be "already very advanced".

This likely means a transfer for Gvardiol should be expected sooner rather than later as Pep Guardiola looks to continue his incredible success for the blue side of Manchester.

How good is Gvardiol?

Being a young player who is already playing at such a high level, Gvardiol has had his flowers given to him multiple times already.

BBC Sport's Zach Lowy labelled Gvardiol as a "Rolls-Royce of a defender" at the World Cup last year, continuing: "20 years old and the best player on the pitch in a match that featured Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modrić…sensational center back."

This wasn't the only example of high praise, with Gvardiol's national team boss Zlatko Dalic singing his praises throughout the winter tournament.

Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best centre-back in the world. To play this maturely, it’s amazing. The way he plays, with what elegance he carries the ball.”

Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the 6 foot 1 Croatian as the "[Erling] Haaland of defenders", likely due to his mixture of physical dominance, technical ability, promising potential and already demonstrated his class at a high level.

Should City complete a deal for Gvardiol, he would definitely be of the required standard to slot in and improve Guardiola's champions – a scary prospect for the rest of the league.

All the transfer speculation surrounding Wolverhampton Wanderers at the moment seems focused around those who could be on their way out rather than those arriving.

Joao Moutinho is moving on following the expiration of his contract, while Adama Traore has been tipped to depart and speculation surrounding Raul Jimenez refuses to go away.

On the back of a frustrating couple of years for the Mexico international following a long-term head injury lay-off, it has been reported he is weighing up a big-money offer on the table from Saudi Arabia.

Rather than seeing that as a blow, however, it could well prove to be a transitional moment should the club bring in an exciting replacement.

The Express & Star recently reported that Wolves remain interested in signing talented young Chile international Dario Osorio, who would very much fit into the category of an exciting signing to plug the gap left by Jimenez.

Who is Wolves target Dario Osorio?

Osorio only made his senior bow for Universidad de Chile in April last year, but he has certainly caught the eye across his 44 appearances for the club.

Indeed, aged just 19, the teenager has already earned a couple of caps for Chile's senior side and has been linked with Serie A quartet Udinese, Bologna, Sassuolo and Atalanta.

The youngster scored seven goals in 27 league appearances last season and, while he has yet to find the net in nine outings this campaign, he remains hot on the lips of transfer experts.

ESPN reporter Luis Miguel Echegaray has described Osorio as a 'quality prospect' and one of the 'brightest' players to emerge from Chile, a nation that has produced the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal in recent times.

Osorio is said to be 'fast, brave and a headache for defenders', which would make him a great fit for Julen Lopetegui at Wolves.

As well as attracting interest from Italy, ex-Universidad de Chile ace Johnny Herrera (as quoted by Bolavip), claimed last year that West Ham had made a £5.5m offer for the Chilean, with Leicester City also making a formal approach.

Osorio will need to improve his scoring output, which can come more naturally with age and experience, but he has already showed plenty of potential and is also not afraid to put himself about, as shown by the eight yellow cards he has collected in his short career to date.

The "flamboyant" youngster – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has also won 2.68 tackles per 90 minutes this year, as per FBbref, compared to 0.64 for Jimenez, who often appears to lack the fight for a battle.

Osorio – who has also been labelled the "jewel of Chilean soccer" by former boss Raul Torro – is not necessarily ready to be thrown straight into the first team, but with a valuation of a reported £6.7m, he is a smart option for Wolves and will offer something different to Jimenez, who has simply – rather unfortunately – failed to reach his previous heights since returning to action.

Jimenez has scored just six goals across 39 appearances in the past two Premier League campaigns – a far cry from his peak in 2019-20 when scoring 17 goals in 38 games.

On wages of £100,000 a week, according to Capology, and with his valuation diminishing, it now makes sense to turn a new page without Jimenez in the squad.

Following a couple of rather hectic transfer windows, things are expected to be slightly quieter at Nottingham Forest this summer as they aim to strengthen what they have, rather than completely overhaul a squad that performed well in avoiding Premier League relegation.

That is not to say a number of talented players will not be arriving at the City Ground in the coming months, with Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams the latest to be linked with the Reds.

How did Tyler Adams perform for Leeds in the Premier League?

According to the Daily Mail, Forest are hoping to poach Adams from managerless Leeds, though they may yet face competition from Premier League heavyweights Manchester United for the 24-year-old's signature.

Adams was brought to Leeds from RB Leipzig by Jesse Marsch last July for a reported £20m, but his first season at Elland Road did not exactly go to plan as Leeds dropped out of the top flight.

Not helped by the departure of American compatriot Marsch in February, Adams was unable to entirely replicate the form that saw him emerge as one of the hottest talents around during his time at Leipzig.

However, the United States international still showed signs of promise in his first season in English football, as reflected by his seasonal rating of 6.6 by WhoScored last season – a higher rating than Ryan Yates and Danilo at Forest.

What can Tyler Adams bring to Forest?

Having also caught the eye for his country at the World Cup last year, with football reporter Wes Rucker describing him as a "machine" for his group-stage performances, it seems increasingly likely Adams will not be plying his trade in the Championship next season.

That could be good news for Forest boss Steve Cooper, who will no doubt see plenty of potential in a possible midfield pairing of Adams and Morgan Gibbs-White, who is coming off the back of a hugely impressive season.

Adams, who at a cost of around £13m – as per Football Observatory – would be considered a low-risk transfer in the current market, showed in his first Premier League season that he can more than hold his own in the centre of the pitch.

Indeed, with 89 tackles, he ranked fourth in the entire division in that metric. To put that figure into further context, Remo Freuler was the highest-ranked Forest midfielder on the list with 43, placing him down in 110th.

Adams (50) also ranked second, behind only Joao Palhinha (71) for dribblers tackled in last season's Premier League, while he ranked tenth among players for tackles and interceptions combined (129).

There is a clear need for someone at Forest who can break up attacks and get the ball into the feet of the highly talented Gibbs-White, who was named the club's Player of the Season after scoring five goals and delivering eight assists last season. That is where Adams comes into the equation.

Not only is Adams a gifted footballer, he also showed during an awkward news conference in Qatar last year that he can hold his own off the field just as much as he can on it, earning praise from Gary Lineker for being an "exceptionally bright young footballer" who handled the line of questioning "intelligently and gracefully."

If a calmer transfer window is what Forest are after this summer, they should look no further than Adams to help provide further ammunition for star man Gibbs-White.

Arsenal aren't worried about having a potential fight on their hands to sign Declan Rice this summer as speculation continues to grow over his future, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Declan Rice?

According to Football Insider, Rice had 'verbally agreed personal terms' with Arsenal over a prospective move to the Emirates; however, the Gunners and West Ham United are yet to agree a fee for the England international.

The report states that the Hammers are holding out for around £100 million to sanction the departure of Rice, though Arsenal value the 24-year-old at around £80-85 million.

As per journalist Jose Felix Diaz via METRO, Bayern Munich are also keen on signing Rice and their manager Thomas Tuchel believes that he can be a star at the Allianz Arena.

It is believed that the German champions will have held talks with the £60k-a-week ace and may be willing to shatter their transfer record to bring him to the Bundesliga in the summer.

Sky Sports detail that Rice is a target for Manchester United in the off-season, something which could potentially create a tug-of-war race to sign the West Ham United captain.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones doesn't think that Arsenal will be particularly worried about interest from other quarters in Rice.

Jones said: "They're not that worried about the interest from Bayern Munich from everything I hear. Arsenal have been in this conversation behind the scenes using intermediaries for a while now. They are in the best position to move things forward."

Would Declan Rice be a good signing for Arsenal?

Rice, who has been described as a "great coup" for whoever gets him out of Bayern Munich and Arsenal, is an excellent all-action midfielder and has been a key player for West Ham United this campaign due to his consistent level of performance throughout.

In 2022/23, before West Ham United's Europa Conference League final tie against Fiorentina on Wednesday, the Englishman has made 49 appearances in all competitions, registering five goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Rice has also been an extremely reliable presence in possession this term, as he managed to record a pass success rate of 88% in the Premier League.

One of Rice's main qualities is being able to drive his side forward from the middle of the park, something which he has shown in abundance this campaign, recording 111 shot-creating actions in the English top-flight and Europa Conference League combined, as per FBRef.

Interest in his services is vast at present and Arsenal will need to pull out all the stops to ensure they don't miss out on Rice this summer.

James Sutherland was left mystified after Australia’s Test team performed so poorly in the recent Sri Lanka series despite spending more time in Asia than just about any generation of cricketers before them

Daniel Brettig23-Aug-2016

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia CEO, wants to know why Australia’s Test team performed so poorly in the recent Sri Lanka series despite spending more time in Asia than just about any generation of cricketers before them.In a pointer to the lines of enquiry to be pursued following the 3-0 defeat to an unfancied opponent that cost Australia the No. 1 Test ranking, Sutherland said he was somewhat mystified as to why ever more frequent visits to India in particular had not translated into better displays in the region. The loss of the third Test in Colombo meant Australia have now lost nine Tests in Asia in a row over three series.”If you have a look going back in time over recent years, some of our Test cricketers are playing more in India than they’ve ever played before,” Sutherland said in Melbourne. “They’re used to subcontinental conditions through their experiences in the IPL and on other tours representing Australia. These are conditions we are more familiar with perhaps than we have been in decades gone by, and it comes back to the ability to adapt. That’s something I’ll be interested to hear more about.”It’s probably a whole lot of different things. The critical thing is adaptability to conditions and that’s what we ought to understand better. Clearly conditions here are very different to England, which are very different to what we see on the subcontinent, and to be the best team in the world, to be the No. 1 team, you need to be able to win away, and that’s what we’re about.”In reflecting on the conditions faced by the players, Sutherland said little more could be done in terms of pre-tour preparation, and also expressed the view that the pitches encountered at Pallekele, Galle and Colombo were more or less as had been expected. “We’re certainly disappointed with the performances of the team in this Sri Lankan series and the review will tell us more but I don’t think we can complain in terms of the preparation we had over there in Sri Lanka,” he said.”I don’t think there would be any expectation gaps in terms of the facilities and the pitch condition we expected to find over there. I don’t think things are clearly broken, but at the same time we need to get better at adapting to conditions. In different parts of the country there are pitches prepared for different situations, certainly we’ve got hybrid pitches that have been developed at the NCC, they’re things that we’re continuing to progress. But it’s one thing to have those conditions and facilities, another to provide opportunities for players to do that.”Sutherland also said Australian cricket is searching for ways to ensure more of its 1.31 million participants graduate from junior programs to club teams and the levels above even as the latest survey of participation revealed the game had outstripped Australian football as the most popular sport in the country.Another year of steady gains in 2015-16, following a similar increase in 2014-15 and an Ashes-inspired spike the season before now allows Cricket Australia to boast that there are more cricket participants than in any other game, outstripping the 1.25 million registered triers of Australian football reported by the AFL last year.These numbers are driven largely by school-age Milo Into Cricket and Twenty20 Blast programs, with high female participation and increased engagement by diverse Australian communities also factors. However, the number of players actually registered as club or community cricketers lags some way behind at 454,657, albeit a rise of 9.5% on last year’s figures.Sutherland said that the game’s custodians were looking intently for ways to ensure the stream of players running from junior and school programs to clubs and ultimately the higher echelons of the game would increase.”It’s a lot about that experience and about creating a positive learning environment and a fun environment for kids to play the sport,” Sutherland said in Melbourne. “I think that’s where the T20 Blast has allowed kids to bridge between entry level programs and playing what some people might call ‘real cricket’. We’ve seen success but also sustained participation through into the teenage years. Very pleasing in these results to see growth in that area for the first time in a couple of years.”The total number of participants increased by 8.5% when lined up against that of 2015, which had itself been 9% up on 2014. However, the increase three years ago had been a more dramatic 16% following a victorious Ashes summer. Given the fate that had just befallen Australia’s Test side in Sri Lanka, Sutherland did not want to draw too close a link, but acknowledged team performance and grassroots participation could certainly help one another.”I think there were a number of things that kicked in that year, certainly that was one of the formative years in terms of the T20 Blast but also we saw significant growth in those entry level programs with the Milo Into Cricket program,” he said of 2014. “What we’d like to see is those entry level programs be a continuous wave for us into the junior secondary years and see some sort of sustainable participation particularly at club level.”In some ways they certainly do complement each other, but at the same time we’ve now gone down to No. 3 in the world on the Test rankings, we’re still no. 1 in one-day cricket. From that perspective the profile of the game is still high and I think the aspiration of young people to play cricket at the highest level will continue to be there. In time when we come to review the Sri Lanka series we’ll take a very keen interest in what the recommendations coming out of that are.”

Harry Kane may stay at Spurs this summer, and could even sign a new deal, pundit Julien Laurens has claimed.

What's going on with Kane and Spurs?

The England captain has one year remaining on his contract, and with Spurs in disarray, a move has been mooted for their record goalscorer, who is still yet to win any major honours in his career.

The 29-year-old has been linked with Manchester United, but a transfer will not be easy as United will have to negotiate a fee with Daniel Levy.

Speaking on ESPN FC (10.30), Laurens claimed that he could see Kane staying for at least one more season, given the difficulties in striking a deal for him, and that he could even extend his contract depending on the outcome of Spurs' manager search.

"I can understand why United might try or might be interested and see if a move is possible. I think it's going to be very hard to deal with Daniel Levy, even with Harry Kane having only one year left on his contract," he stated.

"He may also want to be part of this next step and be part of that rebuilding job, and also I think it depends a lot on who comes in as a manager, because that guy might inspire Kane to sign a new deal to stay a bit longer, a bit like that relationship he had with Pochettino, which was such a strong relationship.

"So I think a lot of things can still happen. I think he will stay another season, and I would not even rule out him at some point extending his deal, if he believes that the right manager is in place, if he believes that the club is back on the right path, in the right direction, to go and try to win things and if that's the European Conference League, so be it."

Should Kane stay at Spurs?

There is a case to be made that Kane would be better off staying at Spurs for one more season and departing on a free transfer, even if that does not benefit the club.

Any interested party right now would likely have to pay a huge fee to prise him away from Spurs, and waiting one more year and running down his £200k-per-week contract could open up more options for him.

Man United would be the likeliest destination this summer given that a number nine is necessary for them, but one more year could see space open up at Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for Kane to move for free.

Spurs may not want to lose their prize asset, who has been described as "exceptional" for nothing, but if they fail to extend his deal, or sell him this summer, their hands may be tied.

Aston Villa picked up another vital win in their quest for European football as they beat Fulham 1-0 at Villa Park last night, but it wasn't all positive for Unai Emery.

The Villans' progression since the dismal 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage in the reverse fixture, which saw Steven Gerrard lose his job as Villa's manager, has been clear to see in recent months as the Midlands club have a real chance of securing Europa League football at least for next season.

Emery's transformation of John McGinn, Ollie Watkins and Jacob Ramsey has been particularly impressive, but he is yet to work his magic with Emiliano Buendia, who struggled immensely despite the win last night.

How did Buendia perform in Villa's win against Fulham?

As per Sofascore, the former Norwich City man would earn a shocking 5.6/10 rating for his performance, which was comfortably the worst of any player to feature in the game from both sides.

Despite playing 90 minutes on Tuesday night, the 26-year-old would manage just 21 passes and lost the ball on 15 occasions, which is a notable decrease on the 27.2 he has averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

The Argentine midfielder, who earns £75k-per-week, was dubbed a "warrior" by Gerrard but certainly didn't display any warrior-like characteristics against Fulham, as he was consistently bested from a physical point of view.

He would win just five of his 20 duels during the game with a woeful success rate of just 25%, while he was also dribbled past on four occasions, which again is significantly worse than his average of 1.5 times per game in the top flight so far this term.

In a game where Fulham offered very little, with Andreas Pereira's early volley their only effort of the game, you would hope that Villa's attacking midfielder would have been far more involved, but he mustered just one key pass and no shots on target in the 90 minutes.

It was a surprise therefore to see him keep his place while Jacob Ramsey was subbed, with Bertrand Traore coming off the bench, and given the Burkina Faso international's recent goals as a substitute, he could soon be given the nod to start unless Buendia bucks his ideas up.

The attacking midfielder has featured 33 times in the Premier League this season but has just five goals and two assists, as he has perhaps never lived up to the form he was showing with Norwich in the Championship, having contributed 15 goals and 16 assists in his final term with the Canaries.

While injury concerns to the likes of Philippe Coutinho mean that Buendia is almost a guaranteed starter right now, he could well lose his place under Emery next season with the addition of new signings, as his form in 2022/23 hasn't really matched Villa's phenomenal performances under the Spanish manager.

Journalist Charles Watts has slammed Arsenal for not selling Ainsley Maitland-Niles sooner as he looks set to leave this summer.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

At the start of the Premier League season, the 25-year-old was sent out on loan to Southampton and it looks as though that spelt the end of his time in north London.

Indeed, in a recent interview with The Athletic, he confirmed he will be leaving Mikel Arteta's team at the end of the campaign when his contract expires.

Maitland-Niles said: “It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end. It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home. I’m looking forward to that, but at the same time my head’s not quite there yet and it’s all about what’s happening now with Southampton.”

This means, of course, the player is going to depart without Arsenal receiving any transfer fee for the £35k-per-week England international.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts expressed his disappointment at this, noting that the club should have chased in on the defender when his value was higher.

He said: "Arsenal turned out so many bids, or certainly more than one bid from Wolves a few years ago after that FA Cup win to keep him – you know, bids over £20m – and then they kept him and then just didn't play him, and he didn't want to play in the position they were hoping to play him in and then the relationship broke down a little bit, and now he's going to end up leaving on a free.

"And you just think, why didn't you just accept those bids from Wolves after the FA Cup final and get £20m or whatever it was at the time from them, bank it, let him go and move on?

"You just look back at that as a big missed opportunity for Arsenal to get some money in, and a missed opportunity for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, really, to build on because he's just stagnated since then."

Is Ainsley Maitland-Niles leaving Arsenal?

As alluded to by Watts, Premier League rivals Wolves did once bid at least £15m for the player but it seems as though the Gunners were holding out for upwards of £20m.

In the end, the negotiations broke down but it seems as though the player's value has only deteriorated from there.

Indeed, that offer came in the summer of 2020, with Maitland-Niles also making his international debut and playing five times for England in the same year.

Since then, however, he has not added to his Three Lions caps – proving how he's hardly excelled at club level.

All in all, it does feel as though if Arsenal could turn back time they would simply accept whatever bid was on the table from Wolves as he will now almost certainly leave for free just a few years later.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has name-dropped striker Dusan Vlahovic as a possible transfer target this summer for Manchester United.

What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic and Man Utd?

It seems quite likely that the Red Devils will be in the market for a new centre-forward when the Premier League season comes to an end.

Indeed, Wout Weghorst's loan will not likely lead to a permanent transfer from Burnley, and so this could open the door to an exciting new arrival at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane has been widely mentioned in the media as a target but the club will of course have alternative options to consider.

With that in mind, it sounds as though Juventus 23-year-old Vlahovic could be one name to look out for over the coming months.

While speaking about the latest rumours on The United Stand, Romano explained his full understanding of the situation.

He said (8:10): I would keep an eye on Vlahovic too, for example. Vlahovic is another one who could be interesting.

"I think it's going to be a very interesting summer for strikers because Man United will be there, because for sure Paris Saint-Germian will be there for a striker.”

Would Vlavovic leave Juventus?

According to reports, Vlavovic is paid €249,231 per week at Juve around (£220k-p/w). While he only joined the Italian club in January 2022 for £66.6m.

With that in mind, if Man United do want to get a deal done, he certainly won't come cheap. What's more, with Romano mentioning PSG as well, it sounds as though this won't exactly be an easy deal to pull off.

Even so, despite still being just 23, he has already proven himself to be a top goalscoring. At Fiorentina, he netted 49 goals in 108 games, while at Juve he has 20 in 52.

Despite all that, there was talk this winter that the Serbian striker could leave Juventus in 2023. Indeed, journalist Ben Jacobs explained: "Told there is a very real possibility Dusan Vlahovic will leave Juventus in 2023. A January exit is not being ruled out by those close to him. Several top European clubs are in touch with his agent."

And while Vlahovic remains in Italy for the time being, it does sound as though he could be on the market this summer so it will be interesting to see if Man United try and pounce.

The mood at Chelsea has shifted from overwhelming pessimism to fruitful optimism in one week, with Stamford Bridge overseeing two pivotal victories against Leeds United in the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, with the latter advancing the Blues to the quarter-finals.

Graham Potter had led his side to a dismal run of two victories from 15 matches across all competitions before the succession of wins, with Chelsea still mired in the mediocrity of tenth place in the league, an alarming 11 points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

With a trip to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City forthcoming this afternoon, with the Foxes two points above the relegation zone and desperate for a slice of respite, the west London outfit will need to ensure the recent good fortune emerges as a timely purple patch to lay the foundation for a run of form that can be sustained over the business end of the campaign, after money was pumped in on the transfer front this January by affluent owner Todd Boehly.

Reece James is expected to be absent due to injury, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling – who netted against the Yellow Wall earlier this week – are also sidelined.

How will Chelsea line up against Leicester?

With this in mind, here is the predicted line-up that Football FanCast expects Potter to field for the crucial clash, with as many as three alterations from the preceding winning formula.

(3-4-3) (GK) Kepa; (CB) Fofana, (CB) Koulibaly, (CB) Badiashile; (RWB) Loftus-Cheek, (CM) Kovacic, (CM) Fernandez, (LWB) Chilwell; (RW) Ziyech, (CF) Havertz, (LW) Felix.

Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue to deputise between the sticks, having kept four clean sheets from his past seven league outings.

At the back, Benoit Badiashile could return after being omitted from the Champions League squad after his £35m winter arrival, with summer signings Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly completing the back three; £60m summer signing Marc Cucurella might start this one on the bench, having been lauded as “top level” by Fabrizio Romano for his display in midweek, to rest.

With James not expected to feature, Ruben Loftus-Cheek may well adopt the role down the right flank, with Cesar Azpilicueta’s status still unknown following his concussion three weeks ago; Ben Chilwell will hope to impress once more on the alternate side following his good form.

In the centre, Mateo Kovacic and Enzo Fernandez will hope to nurture their collective understanding, respective skill sets seeming to meld well since the Croatian’s return from injury, interestingly coinciding with the upswing in form.

With Sterling injured, Hakim Ziyech might be deployed on the right wing, with £10m loan signing Joao Felix bringing dynamic flair on the left.

Up front, Kai Havertz will hope to build upon his goalscoring performance against Dortmund several days ago, with his seven seasonal strikes the joint-highest in the Chelsea squad.