رفض المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال، روبرتو مارتينيز، التأكيد على ما إذا كان النجم كريستيانو رونالدو سيكون اسمًا مضمونًا في التشكيلة الأساسية في بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.
تصريحات روبرتو مارتينيز جاءت بعد تألق رونالدو في مباراة البرتغال وأيرلندا الودية، مساء الثلاثاء.
وفاز منتخب البرتغال بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في البروفة الأخيرة قبل يورو 2024، ونجح رونالدو في تسجيل هدفين.
وسُئل روبرتو مارتينيز ما إذا كان أداء رونالدو في مباراة أيرلندا يجعله جزءًا من التشكيل الأساسي للمنتخب في البطولة الأوروبية.
ورد مارتينيز، في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “إبولا” البرتغالية: “أنا في فترة لا أفكر فيها في التشكيلة الأساسية، أستطيع أن أتحدث عن كريستيانو، التزامه كقائد أمر لا يصدق واليوم شهدنا هدفين من الطراز العالمي”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. رونالدو قبل يورو 2024: أحلم مثلما كان عمري 20 عامًا.. ولا يمكننا النجاح إلا من خلال النقد
وأضاف: “ما أعجبني هو العمل، عندما يكون لاعبا مثل كريستيانو، الذي سجل هدفين، متواجدًا داخل منطقة الجزاء والخيار الأول الذي يتخذه هو مساعدة زميله، فإنه يظهر التضامن والرفقة والقيم المهمة في غرفة خلع الملابس قبل يورو”.
وواصل: “يمكن النظر إلى الإحصائيات، إنه لاعب سجل 51 هدفًا في 50 مباراة، لكن هذا ليس اليوم المناسب لاتخاذ القرارات، نحن نعمل، اللاعبون قاموا بعمل رائع”.
واستطرد: “لقد كانت مباراة تحضيرية، وكان كريستيانو رونالدو في مناطق الملعب لإفساح المجال للاعبين الآخرين، خلقنا التفوق العددي في وسط الملعب، كما قلت اليوم ليس يوم اتخاذ القرارات”.
واختتم: “أعد البرتغاليين بأننا سنقدم كل شيء، هم يستحقون، نريد أن نجعلهم فخورين”.
Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus has been criticised by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville despite getting on the scoresheet during their 3-1 win over Man United.
Arsenal 3-1 Man United
The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta survived a few brief scares to clinch a deserved victory over United prior to the international break.
Goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus cancelled out Marcus Rashford's early opening goal, while Red Devils youngster Alejandro Garnacho's late strike was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Arteta, commenting after Arsenal's win at the Emirates, says his side fully deserved all three points after bouncing back.
"I love the mentality of the team, the determination, the eagerness to win,” Arteta said.
“The team was very dominant and deserved to win the game, but the margins with this team are so small and it could have gone in a different way.”
While the likes of Kai Havertz came under fire for their performances, it was a brilliant display all-round, but Sky pundit Neville believes that Jesus in particular still has things to work on.
The former Man United defender, speaking to Sky (via Football Daily), says that the Brazil international needs to be working on his presence inside the area rather than being "everywhere".
"I'd still put Jesus in front of Nketiah," said Neville.
"Purely for his experience. For me, in the last 10 games of last season, I would've wanted Jesus to be a little bit more disciplined and be in the positions on the pitch where it matters.
"In the six yard box, where those balls are flashing across, from the full-backs, from White, Zinchenko, from Saka and Martinelli, he sometimes everywhere where you don't want him.
"He's everywhere, Jesus, that's the positive of him, but it's also something potentially which could be a negative. Particularly when you're playing as a deep-lying team, and you just need him to stay and be patient in the lines."
How good is Gabriel Jesus?
Arsenal forward Gabriel JesusArsenal forward Gabriel Jesus
The former Man City star actually ranked as one of Arsenal's best-performing players per 90 in the Premier League last season, according to WhoScored.
During that time, Jesus scored 11 goals and assisted six others; attempting more shots at goal per 90 in the final third than any other Arsenal player (WhoScored).
The South American also ranked joint-top with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka for completed take-ons per 90, with the stats suggesting he is a key, key player for Arteta.
Arteta, commenting after Jesus ended an Arsenal goal-drought last term, praised the player's unwavering desire.
"We were all clapping for him," said Arteta.
"He’s been working so hard for the last four or five months with a lot of support from the team and the staff.
“Today he deserved the chance to start. He grabbed the opportunity with a lot of conviction and with two goals.
“First of all the players have to feel trust, that we trust them. They need to feel that confidence.
“The players have to have the chance and they need to be preparing to perform in the right way to have the chance like Rob did and to actually perform.
“The way they live, the way they challenge themselves is exceptional."
He has not been charged or issued any show cause notice with PCB’s General Manager Legal Salman Naseer confirming that his appearance was “nothing out of the ordinary”
Umar Farooq08-Dec-2017
Mohammad Sami picked up 3 for 19•AFP
Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption unit (ACU) summoned Mohammad Sami as part of their ongoing investigation into the PSL spot-fixing scandal and will assess the information gleaned from the player on Friday afternoon to determine a further plan of action.Sami has not been charged or issued any show cause notice with PCB’s General Manager Legal Salman Naseer confirming that his appearance was “nothing out of the ordinary”, and that he was not being investigated for any wrongdoing.The investigation into alleged attempts to corrupt the PSL had already led to the arrests of former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed in UK, who was released on bail afterwards. Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were banned for five years each on various corruption charges while Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Nawaz were banned for one year (six months suspended) and two months respectively due to a failure to report corrupt approaches. Shahzaib Hasan is currently defending himself in front of a PCB tribunal over two charges of corruption.”The PCB’s anti-corruption unit summoned Sami as a part of their investigation,” Naseer said while talking to media after the meeting. “He was called for questioning and to obtain information which he has given. He is now going to play a T20 league in the UAE while Col Azam (ACU head) will be assessing the information and will determine if there is any need to investigate any further based on information we got from him.”The meeting was nothing out of the ordinary and such summons are commonplace. It is nothing significant, it was just a notice of demand seeking some information. When a show cause notice is handed to a player, then it is something to worry about so you can relax now.”Sami, 36 and recently retained by Islamabad Untied for the third PSL season, was in Dhaka representing Rajshahi Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League. He last played for Pakistan in the World T20, where he picked up four wickets from three matches.The National Crime Agency (NCA) in UK is simultaneously investigating the spot-fixing case and the PCB’s own investigation is working closely with them. The NCA had already been helping the PCB in their probe of the PSL, providing evidence on the two central figures in the fixing saga – Jamshed and bookmaker Yousaf Anwar – who are based in England. During the PCB’s tribunal proceedings against Sharjeel and Latif, NCA’s operation manager Andrew Ephgrave had appeared before the three-man tribunal via Skype video call to record his statement.
O lateral-direito Pablo quer repetir as boas atuações do Paulistão na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. Um dos destaques do time durante a disputa do estadual, que rendeu ao Bugre o vice campeonato do Troféu do Interior, o camisa 17, antes titular absoluto, acabou perdendo espaço no elenco e, agora, busca uma oportunidade com o técnico Ricardo Catalá.
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No Paulistão, Pablo começou a temporada com o pé direito. Em onze jogos, o camisa 17 deu uma assistência, fez 19 interceptações, 17 cortes e 12 cruzamentos certos. Além disso, o jogador teve 402 passes corretos, o que gerou um índice de 80% de acerto nas tentativas. Com 31 desarmes, o lateral-direito foi o terceiro melhor no quesito na competição, atrás apenas de Fagner (41), do Corinthians, e Aderlan (40), Red Bull Bragantino, mas à frente de Marcos Rocha (28), do Palmeiras.
Ex-atacante, Pablo passou a ser utilizado como lateral pelo técnico Thiago Carpini, que o levou para o Guarani no início da temporada e, com o bom desempenho, teve o contrato renovado com a retomada das competições após a pandemia. Com a saída do ex-treinador e a chegada de Ricardo Catalá, o jogador busca oportunidades para apresentar as credenciais que embalaram as boas atuações que teve na temporada.
Newcastle United are reportedly looking towards the Championship to boost their midfield options for the forthcoming Premier League season, as they look to finish in the top four once again.
Eddie Howe has already welcomed Sandro Tonali this summer, and now looks interested in adding another option in the middle of the park.
What's the latest on Yaser Asprilla to Newcastle United?
With the search for a midfielder on, Newcastle are interested in signing young Watford midfielder Yaser Asprilla this summer, according to Antena 2, via Sport Witness.
The Magpies may have to act quickly to secure the Colombian's signature, however, with Brighton & Hove Albion also reportedly interested in signing the Watford teenager, alongside La Liga side Real Sociedad, and Portugal side FC Porto.
The midfielder reportedly wants to play in the top flight, and, therefore, according to Atena 2, could force a move out of Vicarage Road in the coming weeks.
It remains to be seen how much Watford demand for Asprilla, but, according to Transfermarkt, he is currently worth just €4.5m (£4m), potentially giving the likes of Newcastle a bargain deal.
With plenty of clubs interested in the 19-year-old, he's certainly one to keep an eye on for the remainder of the summer.
Should Newcastle United sign Yaser Asprilla?
As Newcastle build into a formidable force in the Premier League, welcoming the likes of Tonali, they can't forget to invest in their future, and that's exactly what Asprilla would be for.
At just 19-years-old, he played a key role for Watford last season, making 37 appearances in the Championship, even getting on the scoresheet once, and assisting a further two times.
Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…
At such a young age, the only way is up for the Colombian, whether that be through a move to St James' Park this summer or continuing at Watford, where the Hornets will be aiming for the play-offs in England's second tier.
Rightfully earning praise during his time at Watford, former manager Slaven Bilic said, via the Watford Observer: “He is a young boy of rare talent. His touch, we see that in training on a regular basis. He’s going to be special.
“He has things that you can’t teach. But he’s 18 and he’s a kid that has moved not just to a different country but to a different continent. He doesn’t speak a word of English, so it’s not easy for him. But the club and everyone in it is helping him.
“He is a very explosive player. I’m not going to say the sky’s the limit, but then I’ve just said it! It’s up to him and he will get our help.
“The key thing is he is willing to learn and that is so important. When he came on today he was very active, he played some good balls, and he’s willing to defend.”
With the world at his feet, Asprilla looks set to have a tough decision on his hands this summer, and Newcastle will hope that his choice ends with a move to the Magpies ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
Tottenham Hotspur could be set to bolster their midfield tenfold with a swoop from a European heavyweight…
How much would Franck Kessie cost?
That's according to Spanish outlet Sport, who suggest that the north London club have warned Barcelona that they will bid for Franck Kessie soon.
However, such a swoop hinges massively on the future of talismanic striker Harry Kane, who does seem increasingly incensed to leave as Bayern Munich, and more recently Paris Saint-Germain step up their pursuit.
The lack of game time the Ivorian has been promised has seen him seek a Camp Nou exit, and Spurs' new boss Ange Postecoglou could present a fine escape to reignite a career that once promised much.
The Catalonian outfit are expecting a bid from the Lilywhites, with it reported earlier this month that they would accept a fee of around €30m (£26m). He still has three years left on his £149k-per-week deal.
How good is Franck Kessie?
To welcome such a tireless, unrelenting presence into their midfield would be to inject some much-needed physicality to help gain further control as the new Premier League season nears.
However, the 26-year-old machine blends such energy with far more attacking impetus than others, as to align with Postecoglou's all-action style more appropriately.
Having only made seven starts in LaLiga last year, it is worth taking his final year in Italy as the true benchmark for what kind of player a side would be gaining with his acquisition.
During the 2021/22 Serie A campaign, where his AC Milan outfit would win the title, the midfield general maintained a 7.07 average rating, buoyed by his six goals, 88% pass accuracy, an 18% goal conversion rate, 0.9 key passes and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
For comparison, his conversion rate even surpassed that of Heung-min Son last season.
With an ability to quell attacks, but the pace, power and technique to arrive late and thunder home chances, he could easily be moulded into a perfect midfielder to underpin Postecoglou's philosophy.
After all, his desperation to offload Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg outlines this, as he seeks dynamism over the slow and steady control that the Denmark international offers.
Should he secure a move for Kessie, it could actually have a supplementary effect on the rest of the team, helping the system thrive and those within it.
New summer signing James Maddison in particular would benefit from his engine room impetus, as a tricky creative threat looking to establish himself as one of the best in his role in the division, having made the step up to a far bigger stage this summer.
He traded Leicester City for Spurs in a £40m move, fresh from his outstanding year despite their relegation.
His ten goals and nine assists showcased a fine attacking midfielder capable of improving many teams, yet his presence with a weaker side has halted him from being mentioned in the conversations involving Kevin De Bruyne and Martin Odegaard.
That is likely due to the huge amount of quality those two have featured alongside for many years now, which in turn helps their game thrive.
james-maddison-spurs
Last season saw Arsenal's captain record 15 goals and a further eight assists, only narrowly surpassing Maddison's goal contributions tally for the year. Despite that, it was he who was branded as "number one" by pundit Jamie Redknapp, pondering who the best midfielder in the Premier League was.
He would only maintain 2.1 key passes per game last term in the league, whilst the England international instead posted 2.3 per game – it is clear that the quality of teammates plays a huge role in this contest.
To now place Maddison alongside Harry Kane, Son and even Kessie, his figures would surely skyrocket to way surpass that of his Norwegian rival across north London.
After all, former Rossoneri favourite Antonio Cassano outlined the starring attributes of the Barcelona outcast, likening him to a goalscoring Premier League great:
"I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, against Roma he was devastating.
"He reminds me of the Yaya Touré of the best times. He is a different player but in terms of impact, he is holding Milan’s midfield alone."
With his 6-foot frame and imperious quality in front of goal, pairing him with Maddison would only add to the wealth of attacking talent certain to have him soon involved in that debate for the top creator in the division.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy’s 108-run stand made the difference for India•Getty/ICC
Suzie Bates’ decision to bowl first in a virtual quarter-final seemed to work out perfectly for the first hour. But Mithali Raj’s sixth ODI hundred – a decidedly positive innings, formed on the foundation of two century partnerships, with Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy – lifted India to 265. It was a total that became increasingly daunting with every passing over of New Zealand’s chase.They found themselves three-down in the 11th over and after a brief, ineffective resistance from Amy Satterthwaite and Sophie Devine, they unraveled quickly to lose by 186 runs. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, brought in to replace Ekta Bisht after warming the bench for six games, finished with a career-best 5 for 15.Raj admitted that she too would’ve bowled if the toss had gone her way. But when she came out to bat, though, it didn’t appear like the conditions played on her mind despite India losing Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana early. The wickets were more to do with New Zealand’s discipline than prodigious movement either in the air or off the pitch. In fact, the first signs of swing came when Suzie Bates came on in the 11th over. And even those gentle awayswingers didn’t cause Raj any trouble.She creamed drives all day long, to the covers ring for a while, but eventually through them. Raj’s conscious effort to keep her strike rate in the vicinity of 80 shone through. Her fifty against Australia on Wednesday – 69 off 114 – was called out for lack of intent, and it was clear she wanted to put it to rest. So, she did. This didn’t necessarily mean India were any quicker. In fact, the run-rate hadn’t even crept past four-per-over at the end of the 30th.Raj was the aggressor, but at the other end was the promoted Harmanpreet whose longest innings of the tournament up until Saturday was a 23-ball knock against Pakistan. When she middled them, they sounded sweet, but she struggled to find the gaps. And so, once again, it looked like India were falling to the old trap of relying too much on boundaries. And the feeling was amplified when they lost two wickets in the first two overs of the batting Powerplay. Harmanpreet, who battled through injured left hand to make a half-century, chipped one back to Kasperek, Deepti Sharma fell to a stunning Rachel Priest catch, and 153 for 2 turned to 154 for 4 in the space of nine balls.India set themselves up for 250, but losing quick wickets left them with the possibility of finishing around 230 again. Raj dropped anchor and Veda Krishnamurthy looked awkward, poking and prodded to 11 off 16, before two dominant hits off Amelia Kerr in the 43rd over injected momentum. Satterthwaite dropped her on 32 at the start of the 46th, Lea Tahuhu’s chest-high full toss offered her a free-hit soon after, and by the end of the over, she had motored to 46. The first ball of the next over was drilled flat over long-on and New Zealand were now visibly anxious. Fielders ran in from the boundary and let balls bounce over them and different varieties of length balls were served in the buffet.Raj hit one boundary after the 39th over, and it came in the last over. By then, she had trotted through to her sixth ODI century. Both her and Krishnamurthy fell in that last over, but India had put up 265. Both their innings were the deflating kind – Krishnamurthy’s an ungrateful butchering, Raj’s a controlled suffocation.And Krishnamurthy was there again, during New Zealand’s chase. Bates, looking to flick Shikha Pandey’s first delivery, found the leading edge to first slip. New Zealand couldn’t find a way back – Priest hit one back to Jhulan Goswami in the next over, but the old cricketing cliche of “chasing pressure” was upon New Zealand before they could get their eye in. The ball was swinging now. And drifting, and dipping, and turning. Satterthwaite hung in, like her role demands, but No. 4 Katey Martin looked out of place all along; she’d seen one too many dot balls, and was promptly down the pitch to hit one to Kaur at midwicket.New Zealand’s hopes rested on Satterthwaite and Devine; they seemed to know this as they decided caution would be the best way forward. Raj, sensing this, unleashed her spinners on the pair. India rattled through 17 overs in an hour. The score was 51, the required rate 6.51. Gayakwad swooped in on Satterthwaite’s vulnerability and got one to spin away from her after she had stepped down. That was the start of New Zealand’s crash.The nail found the coffin in the 20th over. Gayakwad switched to over the wicket, tied Devine down to three dot balls, then pushed one wide. It was meant to turn away from the big slash through the off side, and that’s exactly what Devine did. It was too far away. She sliced it, teasingly behind Deepti at extra cover. It was India’s day, and this wasn’t getting away from the 19-year-old. She got under it, reached for it with a dive and held on. New Zealand had nothing further to offer against Gayakwad.
To say that Mykhailo Mudryk’s time at Chelsea is yet to meet expectations would be an understatement in the truest form. The Ukrainian was welcomed in January as the man to finally help kickstart the Blues’ season, before going on to endure a nightmare start to life at Stamford Bridge.Not helped by Chelsea’s dismal form in general, Mudryk ended the season with just two assists in the Premier League, and not a single goal to his name. Considering his reported hefty price tag of up to £89m, the pressure was on the 22-year-old to hit the ground running.In fairness to the winger, too, his first game against Liverpool, coming from the bench, showed plenty of promise, as he gave James Milner another reason why the curtains are perhaps closing on his illustrious career.With that, Mudryk had the excitement of the fans behind him. But, since then, he has failed to deliver.That hasn’t stopped him from backing himself on social media, however.
Mudryk hits back at fan
Fans love to have their say in football, with some even going as far to advise the professional players on what they should do, and how they should play. But, believe it or not, the player coached by football geniuses every week probably knows what they’re doing.
Criticising Mudryk, one fan took to social media to comment on the player’s Instagram post, saying: “Bro learn to make 360 turns with the ball it will help u change direction and be unpredictable. Running with the ball in one direction isn’t good enough. Clue.”
Talk about game-changing tactics…
Understandably, the Chelsea man couldn’t resist hitting back with a sarcastic comment, asking: “Didn’t win [the] Ballon d’Or yet?”
With that said, Mudryk will aim to finally prove himself on the pitch for Chelsea, likely opting not to take the advice of the supporter next season.
What is the market value of Mudryk?
Today’s transfer market is, of course, very different to how things used to be, given the incredible inflation in prices. That said, however, Chelsea massively overpaid for Mudryk, whose value is currently at just €50m (£42.61m). For context, the London club paid up to £89m for the Ukrainian back in January.
Even at the time of his arrival, as per Transfermarkt, Mudryk was only valued at the €40m (£34.09m) mark, which raises the question as to how Chelsea ended up paying almost triple that price for his signature.
The player they believed was arriving was someone who had been involved in 13 goals in 12 league appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk. What they got, though, was a player clearly not ready to save a sinking ship.
Under Mauricio Pochettino, things may get slightly easier. After all, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager has gotten the best out of young talents in the past such as Dele Alli. What’s more, the Argentine will almost certainly be an upgrade on Frank Lampard.
At the very least, he did show some glimpses of his mercurial talent while playing for Ukraine at the U21 European Championship this summer. Perhaps that is a sign of things to come.
Angus Robson has been granted an immediate release from his Leicestershire contract after being at odds with the new coach Pierre de Bruyn
George Dobell11-Apr-2017Angus Robson has been granted an immediate release from his Leicestershire contract after concluding that his relationship with the club has broken down.Robson, a key figure in the side under previous coach Andrew McDonald, has requested his release in pursue his career elsewhere. He is not thought to have a deal with another club at this stage.Robson, aged 25 and a fixture in the Championship side over the last three seasons, had appeared to be a pillar on which a new Leicestershire side could be built. While he has scored only two centuries in 53 first-class games, nobody in either division of the County Championship has reached 50 more often (28 times; Marcus Trescothick has recorded the same number over that period) over the last three seasons. He has been out four times in the 90s in first-class cricket.But he has been unable to build a relationship with the club’s new director of cricket, Pierre de Bruyn. De Bruyn made it clear over the winter that Robson’s place in the side was in doubt and has preferred 19-year-old Harry Dearden and 34-year-old Paul Horton at the top of the order at the start of the season.Robson has sensed he was “on the outer,” as he puts it, and decided to build a new future at a club where he feels he will have more chance of progression. Robson’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season.It is a brave decision. The market for solid, red ball players is not vibrant at present – Jaik Mickleburgh is another fine player who finds himself without a first-class county at present – and some would have been content to sit in the seconds, accept their salary and wait for another opportunity. But not Robson.”I need to be playing,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m an ambitious player and I feel I’m good enough. I realise I’ve not scored enough hundreds, but nobody has scored more 50-plus scores and I feel my career will best be served with a fresh start elsewhere.”Over the years Leicestershire have been very good to me and I thank them for the opportunities. But the relationship has broken down of late so I went to the club and asked for my contract to be terminated. I’m very disappointed by the way it’s ended, but I have a lot of friends in that dressing room and I’ll be wishing them well in the future.”Yes, some people would sit in, but I’m not that sort of player and not that sort of man. I don’t want to waste time in my career and I feel that to give myself the best chance of having the career I want, now is the time to accept a new challenge. I’ve nothing specific organised right now, but I’m pretty confident something will come along.”Leicestershire’s chief executive Wasim Khan said. “We are disappointed to lose Angus at this stage of the season but we have a big squad and fully understand that he wants to have an opportunity to start a new cricketing chapter in his life. We thank Angus for his contribution over the last four years and wish him well for the rest of his career.”The episode sustains a turbulent start to de Bruyn’s career with the club. His determination not to accept the mediocrity that has characterised much of Leicestershire’s cricket over recent seasons is admirable, but there does seem to be something of a culture clash between his intense approach and the more relaxed attitude of his predecessor, McDonald.And, while there will be respect for de Bruyn’s decision to grant more opportunities to young players and there should be some acceptance that such a tactic will take time to bear fruit, the fact that Leicestershire were bowled out for 81 in the second innings of their opening Championship match against a very strong Nottinghamshire attack and penalised 16 points for disciplinary issues will provide his critics with ammunition.”It’s not been ideal,” de Bruyn told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m shocked and disappointed that Angus has gone. He was next in line and he leaves a big gap in the squad. His agent first approached us about five months ago and asked if they could look elsewhere, so I presume they have now found something.”But we are at the bottom of county cricket and things needed to change. We were averaging something like 14 for 2 in terms of our starts at home in the Championship last season, so I wanted to encourage healthy competition in the squad and provide opportunities for young players.”We’ve raised the bar this season and everyone has brought in. We’re a solid, happy club and, over the next three years, you’ll see progress.”As for the 16-point penalty, it was a massive blow. I largely consider that something I inherited but what can you do? It’s happened and we move on. It may take some time to build the culture we want at Leicestershire, but we’re heading in the right direction and I’m excited by the challenge.”
Liverpool could potentially seal the signing of Khephren Thuram in swift fashion this summer, according to a key update from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Do Liverpool still want Thuram this summer?
The £82,000-a-week Nice midfielder has arguably emerged as the Reds' primary midfield target after the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister, as they look to do some major surgery in that area of the pitch.
Rumours of Thuram heading to Liverpool are simply not going away, and with personal terms potentially agreed with him, it is just a case of two clubs reaching an agreement over a transfer fee.
The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive season for Nice, proving to be an influential presence in the middle of the park by combining technical quality and energy, completing 86.9% of his passes and averaging a 1.5 tackles per match in Ligue 1.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth claimed that Liverpool could end up getting a deal over the line for Thuram quickly behind the scenes, as has been the case with some past signings, such as Fabinho and Cody Gakpo:
"Khephren Thuram is another player that they have been interested in, Vega as well. It’ll be one of those that Liverpool will just do behind the scenes, and it will be one of those where, you know, you’ll start getting noises quite late on and once those noises start, the deal will be done pretty quickly. So, I think they know who their targets are."
This isn't the only transfer Liverpool are potentially working on as the Reds are now reported to be pushing ahead with a deal for Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig.
This is another positive update regarding Thuram's potential move to Liverpool, with supporters' concerns likely to be eased over the signing happening.
Things have gone quiet in the transfer market for the Reds since Mac Allister came in last month, leading to worries about FSG not stumping up the cash for further arrivals, but past transfer business is proof that signings can suddenly be announced from nowhere at Anfield.
As mentioned, that happened with both Fabinho and Cody Gakpo, both of whom's moves were done and dusted in no time after few rumours had emerged, so the hope is that exactly the same happens with Thuram.
If Liverpool failed to snap up the young midfielder at this point it would be a big blow, considering how likely it looks, and it is simply imperative that the right midfield acquisitions come in and boost what was a troubling area for the Reds throughout last season.