The Red Devils look set to take a huge gamble on the Netherlands international, who finds himself at a career crossroads

Back in the summer of 2019, Matthijs de Ligt was the most sought after defender in the European game. He provided the rock solid base for Ajax during their thrilling run to the Champions League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag, putting himself on the radar of Barcelona and Manchester United in the process.

United had to face rejection in that instance, as De Ligt ended up choosing Juventus, who forked out €85 million (£72m/$92m) including add-ons for the Dutchman's services. But fast forward five years, and the 24-year-old is reportedly trying to push through a transfer to Old Trafford to revive his flailing career.

According to , the Red Devils could get a deal over the line for £42 million (€50m/$54m), which seems like a bargain price on the surface. But there is a reason De Ligt's market value has plummeted so dramatically.

Juventus cut their losses on De Ligt after three seasons, and now Bayern Munich are set to do the same after just two. The Netherlands international has been unable to cope with the pressure of expectation at the biggest clubs in Italy and Germany, so why would things be any different on the red side of Manchester, where he will face even greater levels of scrutiny?

Getty ImagesWhat went wrong at Juve?

"Many of my idols from the past are also Italians. Such as [Paolo] Maldini, [Franco] Baresi, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro and [Gaetano] Scirea," De Ligt said in his farewell statement to Ajax after signing for Juventus. "When you talk about defenders, then you soon talk about those names. I actually fell in love with the Italian way of defending and I made a choice based on that."

De Ligt would go on to become a Serie A winner during his time at Juventus, while also picking up Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana medals, but he never came close to emulating any of his idols. Then-Bianconeri boss Maurizio Sarri put De Ligt straight into his starting XI after Giorgio Chiellini was laid low with an ACL injury, but the Dutchman's first few months in Turin were defined by a series of individual mistakes.

Merih Demiral took his spot in the team for a while as a result, and although De Ligt did manage to regain favour with Sarri as Juve limped to the 2020-21 Scudetto, largely thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's haul of 29 goals, he didn't do enough to justify his hefty price tag.

His fortunes didn't improve much after Massimiliano Allegri's return to the club either, which marked the start of a frustrating transitional period for Juve. De Ligt did start to perform more consistently, but still faced regular criticism for his clumsiness on the ball and lack of pace on the turn, and the Bianconeri slumped to back-to-back fourth place finishes in Serie A.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesMore chaos in Germany

Incredibly, Juve still managed to recoup most of their initial investment in De Ligt. Bayern snapped the centre-back up for €67m (£57m/$72m) in July 2022, handing him a five-year contract.

De Ligt had fallen on his feet, and had plenty of excuses ready for his failed stint in Turin. “I was captain at Ajax and felt like I had to lead this team," he said in an interview with . "Of course, if you then go to a team that has such legends in defence and in goal, for a guy of 19 it might be a bit difficult at first to express yourself in the way you actually could. In a way, I was less myself."

The Ajax academy graduate added: "It’s a completely different style of defending. At Ajax you press really high, you take risks, at Juventus it’s more about what is behind you. In Italy the pace of the league is also a little bit slower. I came to Juventus with the idea of playing more attacking football."

So much for being "in love with the Italian way". Still, Bayern felt that the Bundesliga was the ideal place for De Ligt to unlock his true potential, and to begin with, they were proven right. Bayern clinched a record-extending 11th successive league title, and De Ligt made the Bundesliga Team of the Season as a reward for his impressive performances. However, the club's harsh decision to axe Julian Nagelsmann with just two months of the campaign remaining had big implications on De Ligt's standing in the squad.

To put it plainly, Nagelsmann's successor, Thomas Tuchel, just didn't have the same faith in De Ligt. Bayern signed Kim Min-jae last summer and then Eric Dier in January as Tuchel made it a priority to bolster his defensive options, and De Ligt saw his minutes significantly reduced. Bad luck with injuries played a part, and De Ligt did finish 2023-24 strongly, but Bayern ultimately fell to their first trophyless campaign in 12 years. Tuchel paid the price with his job and now Vincent Kompany has been drafted in to kickstart a new era, which apparently will not include De Ligt.

GettyTen Hag reunion on the cards

De Ligt is reportedly the best-paid defender at Bayern, and striking off his wages will allow Kompany to start shaping the squad in his own image. Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah is said to be Bayern's first choice replacement for De Ligt, while they are also close to sealing deals for highly-rated Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise and Paris Saint-Germain's Xavi Simons, who shone on loan at RB Leipzig last term.

Bayern's summer spending will go far beyond the €100m (£85m/$108m) mark, with a €46m (£38m/$48m) deal for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha already wrapped up, and selling De Ligt will be crucial to help balance the books. Enter United.

Jarrad Branthwaite was initially the Red Devils' number one target for the summer, but they've backed off due to Everton's £70m ($89m) asking price, and De Ligt represents a more affordable alternative. It like a move that suits all parties concerned. De Ligt needs another fresh start, and Ten Hag may believe he can get the best out of him again, having overseen his meteoric rise to prominence at Ajax.

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Getty ImagesAjax nostalgia

However, one look at Ten Hag's recruitment record at United should be enough to leave fans with huge concerns. Ten Hag has made a habit of signing players he's worked with in the past, with largely disastrous results.

Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and mercurial Brazilian Antony both followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022. United also signed Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, with the Dane having trained under Ten Hag in Amsterdam after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, while the Dutch coach also tried in vain to sign former Ajax playmaker Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.

And last summer, Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana swapped Johan Cruyff ArenA for Old Trafford before Sofyan Amrabat, who played for Utrecht when Ten Hag was in charge of the Eredivisie side between 2015 and 2017, joined United on loan from Fiorentina. Of all these new additions, Martinez is the only one who can be considered a success.

Eriksen has slowed down significantly with age. Amrabat became a laughing stock as United endured their worst-ever Premier League season, and Onana didn't do enough to prove himself as an upgrade on beloved former No.1 David de Gea. Antony, meanwhile, is destined to go down as the biggest flop in the club's entire history.

And yet clearly Ten Hag has learned nothing from his mistakes. De Ligt is not the same player he was at Ajax. He's gained invaluable experience at an elite level, but has been drained of the confidence that set him apart from his peers as a youngster, and getting that back in an environment as uncompromising as the Premier League will be no easy feat.

The South Africa captain looks to convert fifties into hundreds to change his team’s fortunes

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi18-Oct-20192:40

The challenge for us is more mental – Faf du Plessis

South Africa have suffered heavy defeats in the Visakhapatnam and Pune Tests and have come to Ranchi with the three-match series already lost. As much as dead rubbers are no longer a thing in the World Test Championship, with 40 points up for grabs for the winner of the third Test, it can’t be easy for a team in South Africa’s position to try to play with the expected level of intensity, and to continue to enjoy their cricket.Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the Ranchi Test.

This is where perspective comes in. Faf du Plessis, who has been on two losing tours of India, hopes his players can see their current situation with a bit of context, and continue to put in the work they always do with the knowledge that ups and downs are part of the sport.Teams come to India and lose far more than they win, and du Plessis pointed to the 2015-16 South Africa side that came here with a squad full of experience, and a record of 15 successive unbeaten series away from home over nine years, and still lost 3-0.”It is tough. It is tough when you’re losing,” he said. “For us, we’re very, very competitive people, so it does take a dent out of your confidence, but international sport is supposed to be hard, and the guys who’ve stayed at the top for a long time will tell you that it comes with ups and it comes with downs, personally and from a team point of view.”So it’s important for us to understand that we have to fight our way out of these last two losses. We can’t expect things just to happen. They won’t happen, because India is a very powerful team at the moment. As I said, their record at home is amazing. So is ours – I mean our record at home is just as good. So for us, it’s just about trying to keep doing the things well, keep practising hard, keep doing the processes as well as you can, and then hopefully it’s just a matter of time and you start winning again.”We came here last time with a very strong team as well, very experienced international team that did very well overseas, the best record abroad, and we still found it challenging. There’s an obvious reason that people who come to India find it tough to beat them at home. So it’s not all doom and gloom for me in that aspect. It’s about trying to improve as players. There’re a lot of young guys in the team, and they need to make sure that whatever they get out of this experience, when they come back in three or four years’ time, they’re better and stronger for it.”Faf du Plessis looks dejected after being dismissed•BCCIOn Thursday, two days out from the start of the Test match, South Africa’s batsmen roughed up the practice pitches with their spikes before facing the spinners. Du Plessis said it was about being ready for sharp turn as and when it did arrive, and predicted that the Ranchi pitch might offer more help to the spinners than the ones in Visakhapatnam and Pune did.”Yeah, for me it’s about over-preparing,” du Plessis said. “I want to try and make it as tough as possible in the nets, so that when I come to the middle, and if it does spin, then at least I’ve tried and prepared for it as best as possible. For me, it’s just about trying to put myself in a position where I feel like I’m prepared.”Whatever happens after that happens after that, but I think it’s really important that you prepare as best as you can, and make it as tough as possible. I think the wicket will spin. I looked at the pitch and it’s a different colour. It’s obviously that dark, dry hardness to the surface, so I think reverse swing and spin will play a factor in this Test match.”As prepared as du Plessis might be, he knows South Africa need more runs from him. He’s made two half-centuries in this series and looked mostly in control in the middle, but the big scores haven’t come yet.”I think as a player, all you want to do is grow,” he said. “My last series here, when I batted in Test cricket, I found it very challenging. I think I’ve shown a lot of improvement coming here the second time around, being quite comfortable out there in the middle even though we’ve been under pressure as a batting unit all the time. Looking good, feeling good, batting well, and then it’s just a case of me making sure that I can convert fifties into hundreds.”That’s not necessarily just in India, that’s what any good players around the world would make sure they want to change that. There’s a lot of good players that get a lot of fifties and there’s a lot of chat about you – Joe Root getting fifties [and not converting them] and stuff like that. So for all of us, it’s just about converting. I’m not different from any one of those players.

“Probably will [send] somebody else to the toss tomorrow, I’ll give you that, because my record so far hasn’t been great, and then, yeah, if we put big runs on the board in the first innings, that’s where we need to start”Faf du Plessis

“When I get to fifty, I want to get a hundred. The fact that I’ve done it [scored a fifty] twice already this series, there’s no reason for me not to go on and get a big one, so that’s the challenge that I have for myself because I understand that 60s are not going to win Test matches for us. I need to bat big, like the Indian team has done. They’ve scored big runs.”One of the major challenges for South Africa on their recent tours of Asia has been winning tosses – they’ve lost their last nine tosses here, going back to July 2015. Du Plessis suggested he might send someone else out for the toss to try and change his team’s luck.”We’ve felt that we’ve done it [compete] in stages, more probably in the first Test, so hoping that we can start with the toss tomorrow,” he said. “Probably will [send] somebody else to the toss tomorrow, I’ll give you that, because my record so far hasn’t been great, and then, yeah, if we put big runs on the board in the first innings, that’s where we need to start.”We get runs in the first innings, and then anything from there is possible. So hopefully, that’ll be how it’ll unfold over the next couple of days, where we can put some runs on. The pitch looks a little bit drier, a little bit crustier, so first-innings runs are going to be vital, and then anything is possible in the second innings.”

After a season with more downs than ups, Crystal Palace finally have something to get excited about.

The appointment of Austrian manager Oliver Glasner last month has rejuvenated a fanbase that was being put through the wringer with dull football and regular drubbings.

While it might take some time for the 49-year-old to turn things around at Selhurst Park, a draw away to Everton and a 3-0 win over Burnley in his first three games in charge is promising.

That said, while Roy Hodgson's tenure at the club didn't end on the best of terms, his decision to sign a player in 2020 has proven to be a brilliant one, and now that player is worth more than Michael Olise.

Michael Olise's valuation this season

Palace spent £8m to sign Olise from Championship side Reading in July 2021, in what now looks to be one of the best transfers in recent memory.

Despite still being just a teenager at the time, the young Frenchman made an instant impact at Selhurst Park, making 31 appearances across the 2021/22 season, in which he scored four goals and provided eight assists.

Appearances

31

40

11

Goals

4

2

6

Assists

8

11

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

0.32

0.81

The following season saw the Hammersmith-born gem make 40 appearances for the Eagles, and while his goal tally fell to just two, he increased his output for assists and ended the campaign with 11 to his name.

This year has been a strange one for the "superb" maestro, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, as injuries have disrupted what could've been an exceptional season, considering he's scored six goals and provided three assists in just 11 games, giving him a ridiculous average of a goal involvement once every 1.22 games.

It's clear that the 22-year-old has the ability to thrive in the Premier League, so it makes sense for the Football Transfers Expected Value model to price him at around €37m or £32m – about £24m more than Palace paid Reading. However, as brilliant as Olise is, he's not the most valuable attacker at the club.

Eberechi Eze's valuation this season

The player in question is 25-year-old Eberechi Eze, who has been dazzling fans in South London since Hodgson sanctioned his £20m signing back in August 2020.

Like Olise, the former Queens Park Rangers ace took no time at all to settle into life at Selhurst Park. He ended his first campaign in red and blue with four goals and six assists in 36 appearances.

However, while his French teammate kicked on in his second season at the club, the "magical" Englishman, as dubbed by former coach Paul Hall, suffered a significant injury that restricted him to just 17 appearances, or 898 minutes, in 2021/22. As a result, he scored just one goal and registered one assist.

Appearances

36

17

40

21

Goals

4

1

10

6

Assists

6

1

4

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

0.11

0.35

0.42

While a season like that could be enough to throw a young player off course, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Eze, as he returned the following year to score ten goals and provide four assists in 40 appearances.

The Greenwich-born gem's campaign has been similar to his dynamic teammate's this year in that his impressive return of six goals and three assists in 21 games has been totally disrupted by injury.

So far, the 5 foot 10 diamond has missed six games for the club due to his muscle injury, although with him returning to action against Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, there's hope he could remain fit for the rest of the year.

That said, how much is the Palace star now worth? Well, according to Football Transfers' Expected Value Model, Eze is currently worth around €44m, which is about £37m, or £5m more than Olise.

Crystal Palace could already have their next Olise in "exciting" academy gem

The youngster has been unreal for the academy teams since joining the club.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 21, 2024

Ultimately, while Glasner has quite the job on his hands, he's also incredibly lucky to have a pair of players as talented as these two in his squad, and if they can remain fit and fit over the next couple of years, their valuations will skyrocket.

Sibley follows unbeaten first-innings double-century with 109 as Warwickshire win by eight wickets

ECB Reporters Network19-Sep-2019

Warwickshire 488 (Sibley 215*, Hain 76) and 271 for 2 (Sibley 109, Burgess 61*) beat Nottinghamshire 498 (Mullaney 179, Clarke 125) and 260 (Clarke 112, Hannon-Dalby 4-54) by eight wickets
Dominic Sibley followed his unbeaten first-innings double century with another hundred as Warwickshire completed a successful run chase on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Sibley, who scored an undefeated 215 in the first innings, followed up with 109 as the visitors reached their target of 271 from a minimum of 58 overs with eight wickets to spare. The 24-year old opener Sibley scored his runs from 147 balls, with 10 fours, and shared in an opening stand of 146 with Will Rhodes, who made 65.Having been on the field for virtually the entire match, Sibley was eventually bowled by Paul Coughlin, who took 2 for 85.By that stage the victory was already in sight, with Michael Burgess hitting an unbeaten 61 after coming in at No. 3.Earlier, the day had looked as if it might belong to Joe Clarke, who registered his second hundred of the match.Clarke followed up his first innings score of 125 with 112 as Notts made 260 in their second innings. He was last out, bowled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who took 4 for 54, with Jeetan Patel picking up 3 for 52.Clarke’s championship season had begun with scores of 112 and 97 not out against Yorkshire in early April but off-field issues disrupted his campaign and he had failed to reach 50 in any of his 17 Division One innings since then.Dropped for the previous match, he returned to the starting XI as Notts rested players ahead of this weekend’s Vitality Blast Finals Day. His return to form now puts him in contention to figure on Saturday as well.The former Worcestershire batsman reached his sixteenth first-class century from 130 deliveries, having hit 15 fours.”Firstly, Dom Sibley is a man in form and has played unbelievably well,” Clarke said. “As a close mate of mine, hopefully I can see him in England colours this winter.”It was nice for me after missing out last week. I was gutted, so coming back in I worked really hard to show people I don’t want to be left out again.”On the prospect of playing at Finals Day on Saturday, he added: “I felt like I went ok in the T20s and feel confident but the decision is in other people’s hands, not mine. I’ll have a swing and be prepped to go if I get the nod.”Resuming from their overnight score of 105 for 5, a lead of 115, the home side had an early set-back when Coughlin was given out caught behind off Henry Brookes for 16.Ravi Ashwin joined Clarke and kept the scoreboard moving in a partnership of 73, made in only 13 overs.George Garrett broke the stand, gaining a positive lbw verdict against Ashwin, who made 42. The same bowler wasn’t able to build on his success, clutching his thigh as he limped out of the action during his next over.Clarke was on 89 when he lost his next partner, Luke Fletcher, popping Patel into the hands of Sam Hain at short leg.Patel dismissed Zak Chappell for a promising 29 soon after lunch and the innings was completed when Clarke was bowled trying to farm the strike. In his disappointment he knocked out a stump with his bat – apologising immediately to the umpires.Brendan Taylor, who made 114 and 105 not out against Durham in 2016 was the last Nottinghamshire batsman to record two hundreds in the same match.The visitors began well, reaching tea on 82 without loss, with Sibley unbeaten on 48 and Rhodes on 34.Gradual accumulation saw the openers advance the score to 146 before they were separated. Rhodes, who had hit Ashwin for two leg-side sixes in his 80-ball half-century, picked out Chappell in the deep, upper-cutting Coughlin.A tired-looking Sibley then wandered across his stumps but Burgess reached his 50 from 51 balls, leaving Matt Lamb to hit the winning run.The match aggregate of 1,517 runs is the largest in the competition this summer but leaves Notts still without a victory at the foot of the table. They now turn their attention to Finals Day on Saturday, before completing their red-ball season against Surrey at The Kia Oval next week.Warwickshire move up to sixth in the table with their victory and host Yorkshire in their final encounter.

Thiago and Liverpool fans have had something of a love-hate relationship since the Spain international joined the club from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window of 2020 for a fee worth around £20m.

Although he has often been lauded as Liverpool's "best player", notably by John Barnes, his injury proneness creates a distaste in some fans' mouths, as he can never seem to play for the squad consistently.

For a player of Thiago's stature within the team, is something of a headache for Jurgen Klopp. As, when available, he is one of Liverpool's most creative players. This is shown by his goal contributions with the midfielder having contributed to a total of nine goals since his switch to Anfield.

His goal against Porto in the 2021 edition of the Champions League in particular is one of the Spaniard's finest moments in a Liverpool shirt.

It's moments like this where the £20m spent on the now 32-year-old seems like a bargain. However, as such has been the case throughout his stint in Merseyside, Thiago has been plagued with injuries.

As per TNT Sports, the midfielder has missed a total of 102 games through injury whilst being employed by the club.

This total is so high that it even exceeds the number of times he has played for the club, as the Spain international has only played 98 times for Liverpool. That number is set to increase too after he cruelly picked up a fresh setback in the defeat to Liverpool.

Statistics like these are hard to overlook and there is no wonder why the future of the Spain international is up in the air. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season with a renewal not yet being on the table.

Liverpool's answer to the void left by Thiago

Although Liverpool made four additions to their engine room over the course of the summer transfer window, there was one "great" youngster – as he was labelled by Klopp – at the club who had been given some consistent game time throughout the 2022/23 season.

That player was Stefan Bajcetic. The midfielder is just 19-years-old and yet, he was a recurring fixture in Klopp's starting XI last term.

Playing a total of 26 times over the course of the campaign for the Reds last season, Bajcetic was one of the more consistent midfielders within the squad.

It was the defensive midfielder's first season with the senior squad, making his Premier League debut during the Reds' historic clash against Bournemouth on the 27th August, where they triumphed 9-0 over the newly promoted side.

Bajcetic came on in the 70th minute and was deployed at right-back. According to Sofascore, during his time on the pitch, he managed to win both of his attempted ground duels and 12/15 of his attempted passes were successful.

When this is compared to Kostas Tsimikas' contribution, who also came on at around the 70th minute, the Greece international didn't manage to attempt any ground or aerial duels and only managed ten accurate passes.

This puts into perspective how up to speed Bajcetic was already, despite never playing a senior game.

Why Bajcetic is the answer Klopp has been looking for

Bajcetic's involvement last season was also cut short due to injury. However, he has since returned to first-team training, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

As the end of the season edges ever closer, Liverpool's title hopes are becoming more and more of a reality.

They currently sit top of the Premier League table with 54 points and have only lost two Premier League games all season.

Without a doubt, the re-introduction of Bajcetic could become vital to the Reds' hopes. Wataru Endo is currently the club's only natural defensive midfielder, however, with the 19-year-old coming back into the picture, some of the pressure can be eased off of the shoulders of the Japan international.

The pair could rotate each game and ensure that each other aren't being overplayed, which could result in further injuries to the Reds' squad. Despite the additions made in summer, the main area in which Liverpool's medical team are currently busiest is the centre of the park.

Each of, Thiago, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to be absent from the squad. So, with the return of Bajcetic edging closer, he could make a real difference to Klopp's ambitions for the season.

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Na noite da última sexta-feira, a equipe sub-17 do Corinthians fez sua estreia na temporada 2021. Em jogo válido pelo Brasileirão da categoria, o Alvinegro enfrentou o Internacional na Fazendinha, pela primeira rodada do grupo A. A partida terminou com vitória do Timão por 2 a 1, gols de Pedrinho e Wesley.

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Primeiro tempo

Com o domínio do meio campo, o Corinthians ficava mais com a bola. Aos 12 minutos, em falta cometida próximo da entrada da área, o lateral Leo Mana cobrou no canto direito, obrigando o goleiro adversário a espalmar para fora. Em seguida, aos 18 minutos o Timão chegou a marcar um gol em chute de fora da área de Thomas Rafael, porém a arbitragem anulou por conta de uma falta.

O Corinthians chegou novamente com perigo aos 33 minutos, em boa troca de passes na ponta direita. Léo Mana cruzou a a bola na área e Pedro cabeceou por cima do gol Colorado. No lance seguinte, em contra-ataque adversário, Kauê faz uma defesa a queima roupa, salvando o Timão de ser vazado.

Não demorou muito e o Timão abriu o placar. Aos 36 minutos, Léo Mana cruzou a bola rasteira entre os zagueiros colorados, o meia Pedrinho recebeu a assistência e chutou cruzado, vencendo o arqueiro. 1 a 0 para o Alvinegro, placar que foi mantido até o término da primeira etapa na Fazendinha.

Segundo tempo

Na volta do intervalo, o Inter começou arriscando com 30 segundos de jogo, levando perigo ao gol alvinegro e aos 8 minutos os gaúchos acabaram chegano ao gol de empate com Carlisson, encobrindo Kauê num chute de fora da área.

O Timão passou a reagir, e aos 19 minutos, Wesley, que havia acabado de entrar, recebeu na entrada da área, cortou o zagueiro e chutou forte em cima do goleiro. Em seguida, Breno Bidon arriscou de fora e a bola foi no travessão.

Já melhor na partida novamente, o Corinthians conseguiu chegar ao segundo gol, quando aos 32 minutos da segunda etapa Léo Mana cruzou na área para Wesley finalizar e balançara a rede para sacramentar a vitória.

Próximo jogo

A próxima partida do Corinthians sub-17 será pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O jogo está marcado para o dia 15 de maio, próximo sábado, contra o Atlético-MG, às 15h00, no SESC Alterosas, em Belo Horizonte.

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Aston Villa could be embroiled in what could prove to be a record transfer as they eye up a move for one of Portugal's brightest talents.

Aston Villa spending big

Unai Emery's side have spent big in successive summers and could be set to continue that record this summer. However, they will need to be careful. Last week, the club posted record losses in their financial statements, though they insisted that was part of their plan for Premier League improvement.

"The Club has reported a loss for the year of £119.6m after tax. This compares with a small profit of £0.3m in the prior year", Villa reported.

"It is important to note that these figures are in line with the strategic business plan, and we continue to operate within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules."

However, it is a valid concern with financial fair play seemingly on the mind of every Premier League club this season, and Villa could well be forced to sell this summer if they are looking to continue to strengthen before the new season.

Sky Sports man speaks out on Douglas Luiz's future at Aston Villa

Villa could be forced to sell this summer, and one man is hot on everyone’s lips.

ByBen Browning Mar 6, 2024

With a spot in the revamped Champions League still possible next season, they may well be looking to add more quality to their ranks, but it could well come at a hefty cost.

Possible new Aston Villa record transfer

In fact, the club may have to shell out a record fee for one of their targets, if reports are to be believed. The man in question? Sporting CP's Pedro Goncalves, who has previously been on the books of midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers before returning to Portugal, where he has shone.

The 25-year-old has grabbed nine goals and ten assists in 24 top-flight outings for Ruben Amorim's side this season, as well as two goals and three assists in eight Europa League appearances. Capable of playing across the frontline, the diminutive attacker has received high praise from his time at Sporting.

None more so than from Portuguese football expert Zach Lowry, who described him as "one of the brightest talents in European football" after one particularly "superb" goal back in 2021.

Now, Sport Witness have relayed reports that Villa are keen to bring Goncalves back to the Midlands ahead of West Ham and that they were even willing to offer up to €45m for his signature last summer.

However, the star is "protected" by an €80m release clause and the Portuguese giants "don't want to let him leave for a lot less than that", which could make any deal an expensive endeavour, and would likely make "Pote" the club's record signing.

Moussa Diaby

2023

Bayer Leverkusen

£47m

Emi Buendia

2021

Norwich City

£32m

Ollie Watkins

2020

Brentford

£30m

Pau Torres

2023

Villarreal

£29m

Leon Bailey

2021

Bayer Leverkusen

£28m

It is likely that, given FFP concerns, any deal for Goncalves would need to see at least one star leave this summer. Should Villa be boosted by Champions League income, however, they could well make their move for the long-time admired winger.

أكد محمد الشناوي، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، على وجود رغبة لدى لاعبي الأحمر في التتويج ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

ويلتقي الأهلي، غدًا الأحد، مع نظيره سيراميكا كليوباترا، في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، في الإمارات في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

طالع.. كولر: نواجه مشكلة بسبب الدوليين.. ونسعى لإيقاف الفريق على قدميه بعد خسارة السوبر الإفريقي

وقال الشناوي خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “بطولة كأس السوبر المصري لن تكون سهلة، فهي تضم فرقًا مميزة، لكن تركيزنا جميعًا في الفريق على مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا”.

وواصل حارس الأهلي: “اللاعبون لديهم إصرار على تقديم كل ما لديهم من أجل تحقيق الفوز وإسعاد الجمهور، ونتوقع حضور جماهيرنا في مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا”.

وأكمل بشأن مشاركته أو مصطفى شوبير: “تحدثت من قبل كثيرًا وكذلك المدير الفني بشأن هذا السؤال، ولكن مجددًا أوضح أن هناك تفاهمًا بيني وبين المدير الفني بشأن المشاركة منذ عودتي من الإصابة، ووقتما يشارك مصطفى شوبير يؤدي بشكل مميز وهذا ما وضح في الدوري وبطولة إفريقيا الموسم الماضي”.

واختتم: “مصطفى أخي الأصغر وأسعد دائمًا بمستواه وما يقدمه، وأساند أي حارس يشارك وأي لاعب، لأن هذا هو نظام العمل داخل فريق الكرة بالأهلي”.

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has joked about his “F*** the Tories” boots after seeing the Conservatives suffer a historic general election defeat.

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Article continues below

• Custom footwear produced in 2022
• Was prevented from wearing boots
• Has given them another airing for 2024

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United Kingdom has voted for change, with the Labour Party enjoying a landslide victory in the latest polls. Rishi Sunak will be handing over power at Downing Street, with Keir Starmer set to take up residence at No.10.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Merseyside native Mullin has never shied away from his dislike for the political party that have spent the last 14 years in power. He has also spoken out against the royal family, with the 29-year-old rightly proud of his roots and the hard work that has been put in to get him to where he is today.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  As part of Mullin’s protests against the establishment, he had a pair of custom boots made in 2022 that sported the slogan “F*** the Tories”. He was prevented from wearing them by Wrexham, as they have to remain neutral at all times, but said footwear has been given another airing on social media.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Mullin accompanied an image on his Instagram account with a couple of waving hands emojis, as the Conservatives bid farewell to their position of power in Westminster. He also posted on X: "If you know anyone who needs some boots I have a spare pair now!" Mullin is currently recovering from surgery on back and hamstring complaints, forcing him to miss Wrexham’s pre-season tour of North America, but he is hoping to be ready for the start of the Red Dragons’ 2024-25 League One campaign.

Glasgow Rangers secured a wonderful 2-2 draw against Benfica in Portugal last night which gives them an excellent chance to progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Philippe Clement was missing four wingers due to injury in his squad, but Fabio Silva and Dujon Sterling covered well on either flank, while the result sets up a second leg with all to play for at Ibrox next week.

Several players were outstanding for the Light Blues, with Ridvan Yilmaz and Mohamed Diomande further cementing their places in the starting XI, while Sterling stood in well on the right wing and barely put a foot wrong.

Dujon Sterling’s game in numbers vs Benfica

The former Chelsea prospect is swiftly becoming as useful as a Swiss army knife, operating in several different positions since he joined last summer.

Against Benfica, he was deployed on the right wing and did not disappoint. While he perhaps was not as involved as much as he would have liked, Sterling still had two shots on target, won 50% of his total duels, took 25 touches, and most importantly, scored Rangers' second goal just before half-time.

This was indeed his first-ever senior goal, and it could turn out to be vital ahead of the second leg at Ibrox next week.

Tom Lawrence starred alongside Sterling as he was deployed in the number ten slot last night and his performance was also impressive. He continues to build on his solid run of form over the previous few weeks.

Tom Lawrence was excellent against Benfica

In his previous three Premiership games, Lawrence had scored and grabbed an assist, looking lively in all three matches.

It looks as though he has put his injury woes behind him and is set to lead the club to potentially more glory between now and the end of May.

Tom Lawrence's statistics vs Benfica

Goals

1

Key passes

2

Touches

32

Tackles

3

Ground duels (won)

6(4)

Via Sofascore

Against the Portuguese outfit, Lawrence opened the scoring with a header within the first ten minutes, giving the Gers plenty of confidence, while he also made two key passes, succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts, and had two shots on target, along with taking 32 touches, showcasing his attacking talents.

Not only did he impress when Rangers were attacking, but the Welshman showed wonderful defensive commitment to the cause as he made three tackles, two interceptions, and won four of his six ground duels, impressing across a wide range of metrics.

Indeed, journalist Jonny McFarlane gave him a match rating of 8/10 for his display in Lisbon last night and this was certainly well deserved, based on the aforementioned statistics behind his display.

McFarlane went on to say that Lawrence ‘has made a big difference since his return from injury’ and he has certainly given Clement another option in the midfield area.

If he can remain fit and healthy between now and the end of the season, the 30-year-old will be a massive asset to the club, challenging on both domestic and European fronts, and his performance against Benfica proves he can do it against the very best.

A Scottish Cup quarter-final clash awaits on Sunday against Hibernian, and it will be interesting to see the team that the 49-year-old coach unleashes in Edinburgh.