Nottingham Forest have reportedly made a move for Steve Cooper’s latest target, as he looks to bolster his squad before the end of the transfer window.

The Welshman has already welcomed four players to the City Ground, with Ola Aina, Matt Turner, Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood, who made his loan from Newcastle United permanent.

The New Zealand striker left it late on Friday night to gift his side their first three points of the 2023/24 campaign against Sheffield United, however, there remains lots to improve on, prompting Cooper’s latest activity in the market.

Who could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

One area that the Reds haven’t recruited in so far this window is the midfield, with a host of talent recently linked to the club in that position.

Names such as Monaco's Youssouf Fofana and Benfica’s Florentino Luis have been circulated as those that Forest could target, although news from Spain has identified a move for a La Liga ace.

As reported by ABC Sevilla, relayed by Sport Witness, Forest have made an offer for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez.

The opening bid was said to have been turned down by Betis, believed to be lower than the club’s asking price of €12m (£10m).

What is Guido Rodriguez’s playing style?

Deployed as a defensive midfielder, the 29-year-old is a combative figure in La Liga, seeing him described as a “defensive monster” by analyst Marcus Bring for his approach to play.

Such praise for the Argentine is supported by his numbers, ranking in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of his average rate of tackles per 90, recording a mammoth 3.87 for Betis, via FBref.

The charts were topped by a midfielder well-known to the Premier League, as Fulham starman Joao Palhinha led the way for defensive players in the engine room.

To reinforce the calibre of player that Forest could obtain in Rodriguez, the World Cup winner has been statistically compared to Palhinha by FBref, with any move potentially set to hand Cooper his very own answer to the Portuguese destroyer.

Lauded as “brutal” by the aforementioned Bring for his defensive duties in the middle of the park, the 29-year-old averaged 1.32 interceptions and 2.38 clearances per 90 in La Liga last season, showcasing just how competent he is at protecting the back line.

The Betis ace also maintained a pass completion rate of 86.7%, as well as making 4.17 final third passes per 90 for his side, suggesting the rounded nature of his ability and innate understanding of the role.

Palhinha fell short of the Argentine in such areas, averaging a pass completion rate of 82.5% and making 3.42 final third passes per 90 in the Premier League last term, highlighting just how much of a force Rodriguez could be at the City Ground.

The Reds will have to improve their opening offer if they are to capture the 29-year-old this summer, with there being no doubt of the quality he could bring to the Reds.

Graeme Cremer, the Zimbabwe captain, was the target of a potentially corrupt approach ahead of the first Test against West Indies last month. An ICC investigation is underway after Cremer reported the approach.Zimbabwe’s players were informed before the first Test on October 21 that a team member had been made an offer to engage in corrupt activities but did not act on it. Instead, the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) was informed and they have taken over the process of investigating. Zimbabwe Cricket is co-operating with the inquiry.”The ICC can confirm that there is an ACU ongoing investigation in Zimbabwe and because there is an ongoing investigation, I cannot share any further details,” an ICC spokesperson said. “However, the ICC has urged anyone who has any information to contact the ACU via [email protected].”The two-Test series, which was played in Bulawayo, was won 1-0 by West Indies.This is the second time in two months that a corrupt approach has been made to an international captain around an international match – or at least the second that such an approach has become public. During the ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka last month, Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, also reported an allegedly corrupt approach made to him.Days later, the senior Indian curator, Pandurang Salgaoncar, was dismissed by the BCCI for “malpractice”. Salgaoncar was the target of a sting operation by a TV channel, captured on video talking to reporters allegedly posing as bookies about the pitch, ahead of India’s second ODI against New Zealand in Pune. Like the Sarfraz approach, that is also the subject of an ACU investigation.

تحدث دوريفال جونيور، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرازيل، عن استبعاد الثنائي ريتشارليسون وكاسيميرو من قائمة بطولة كوبا أمريكا 2024.

كان دوريفال جونيور قد أعلن منذ قليل القائمة النهائية المستدعاة للمشاركة في بطولة كوبا أمريكا هذا الصيف (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وشهدت القائمة غياب العديد من النجوم البارزة، ومن ضمنهم لاعب توتنهام ريتشارليسون ولاعب مانشستر يونايتد كاسيميرو.

وقال دوريفال في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “uol” البرازيلية: “يعاني ريتشارليسون من إصابة في ربلة الساق، لم يعلن عنها توتنهام بشكل رسمي، ولكننا تواصلنا مع النادي وأبلغنا بذلك”.

وأضاف: “كاسيميرو؟ إنه يستحق التقدير منا جميعًا، لقد تحدثت معه في مانشستر قبل ثلاثة أشهر وتحدثت عن لحظته ووضع فريقه”.

وواصل: “هو يعرف ما أفكر فيه وغدًا سأتواصل معه لشرح ما يمكن أن يحدث في المستقبل، إنه يستحق الاهتمام والمودة والاحترام، ونحن نؤمن بلاعب محترف بهذا المستوي”.

وأكد: “الأمر نفسه ينطبق على تياجو سيلفا، الذي تحدثت معه قبل 10 أيام، هناك تاريخ في المنتخب البرازيلي ويجب احترامه، عدم الاستدعاء يرجع إلى ما نعتقده في هذه اللحظة”.

وعما إذا كان فينسيسيوس جونيور يستطيع أن يكون بطلًا للمنتخب في غياب نيمار، قال: “نحن بحاجة إلى أبطال، وليس إلى شخص واحد فقط، تقسيم المسؤولية هو ما سيجعل فريقنا ينمو ويصبح أكبر”.

واختتم: “من المهم أن يكون لديك لاعبين بهذا المستوى معًا، علينا أن نتأكد من تسليط الضوء على مسؤوليات كل شخص داخل مجموعة العمل وأن الجميع متكاملون ويطورون أفضل ما لديهم”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos foi punido pela Fifa pela segunda vez e agora não poderá registrar jogadores nas próximas três janelas de transferência. A punição se deve ao não pagamento de 3,4 milhões de dólares (R$ 18 milhões na cotação atual) ao Huachipato (CHI), pela contratação do atacante Soteldo, em 2019.

A informação foi publicada inicialmente pelo “GE.Globo” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

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Desde março o Peixe já não podia contratar, por conta de uma dívida com o Hamburgo (ALE) por não ter cumprido o compromisso pela aquisição do zagueiro Cléber Reis, em 2017. Incluindo juros e multas a pendência com a equipe alemã gira em torno de R$ 30 milhões atualmente.

Na manhã desta quinta-feira (17), o Santos se posicionou através de uma nota em seu site oficial onde afirma que ambas as punições serão imediatamente retiradas após os devidos pagamentos e que o bloqueio de atuação nas janelas existe apenas enquanto as dívidas ainda estiverem em trânsito. (Confira a nota na íntegra ao fim da matéria)

O Alvinegro Praiano ainda pode ser sancionado em outros processos, como do próprio Huachipato, que afirma que o clube santista teria a obrigatoriedade de aquisição dos 50% restante de Soteldo, ainda esse ano, o que não aconteceu, e do Atlético Nacional (COL), que cobra duas parcelas da compra do zagueiro Felipe Aguilar, vendido no primeiro semestre ao Atlético-PR.

Por sua vez, o Santos aciona na entidade máxima do futebol o Pachuca (MEX), após a equipe mexicana ter integrado o meia Cueva em seu elenco, mesmo sem a liberação do Peixe, que ainda não pagou o Krasnodar (RUS), equipe no qual o Alvinegro adquiriu o peruano. Os russos, no entanto, são parte solidária aos santistas na ação contra o time do México.

Enquanto isso, o Peixe segue se acertando indiretamente com alguns atletas, otimista que poderá entrar em acordo com os clubes em que possui pendências. O zagueiro Laércio e os volantes José Welison e Elias já estão apalavrados com o Alvinegro Praiano. Laércio e Elias, inclusive, já estão em Santos e o segundo já treina no CT Rei Pelé.

Confira a nota do Santos na íntegra:

“O Santos Futebol Clube esclarece que a punição imposta pela FIFA, referente a negociações com Hamburgo (ALE) e Huachipato (CHI), será retirada imediatamente após a realização dos pagamentos aos respectivos Clubes. A suspensão de três janelas, portanto, impede o Peixe de atuar no mercado somente enquanto existirem estas respectivas pendências.

A pendência junto ao Hamburgo dura desde o ano de 2017, e é referente a aquisição do jogador Cleber Reis. Esta pendência está sendo tratada desde 2018, devido a pesadas multas e juros. O Santos FC ressalta que trabalha para o devido pagamento e espera solução definitiva.

A pendência junto ao Huachipato, por sua vez, existe desde 2019 e estava em tratativas avançadas de acordo com o executante. O Santos Futebol Clube foi surpreendido com a execução no Tribunal da FIFA. O Clube lamenta e registra que trabalha arduamente em busca das devidas soluções”.

* Sob supervisão de Vinícius Perazzini

Chelsea could still sign Ajax attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus this summer, as a reliable journalist has named three players who Stamford Bridge chiefs are considering a move for.

So what's happening with Mohammed Kudus?

Kudus is 23 years of age and still has another two years remaining on his contract with Maurice Steijn’s side, but having established himself as the second-best offensive player at the Johan Cruyff Arena last season, he’s caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Blues chiefs previously asked about the conditions of a deal for the Ghana international who was expected to complete a move to the capital after later agreeing personal terms, but unfortunately for the boss, another club entered the fold.

Premier League rivals West Ham United quickly developed their initial interest in the central talisman by submitting two offers, and even though these were both swiftly rejected, it’s been claimed that talks remain ongoing between the parties due to the player wanting to make the switch to the London Stadium.

Are Chelsea signing Mohammed Kudus?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs revealed that Chelsea could still hijack a deal for Kudus with West Ham yet to make progress in their own pursuit, whilst the journalist also name-checked two other players that are being monitored. He said:

“With Christopher Nkunku sidelined and Armando Broja returning from an ACL injury, Chelsea would ideally like another striker, but it’s about finding the right profile, and whether that’s a traditional No.9 or just a creative-minded attacker. If the former, Broja is going to feel pushed down the pecking order.

“Brennan Johnson and Bradley Barcola are two to watch, and there’s still an outside chance of Mohammed Kudus, who West Ham have failed to date to agree a deal for.”

How much is Kudus likely to cost?

According to Transfermarkt, Kudus’ market value is €40m (£34m), and he is more than worth that amount considering the positive impact he makes in the final third, so should he have a change of heart over his potential move to West Ham, Chelsea should jump at the chance to bring him to SW6.

Ajax’s £10.5k-per-week earner posted 15 goal contributions (11 goals and four assists, 99th percentile for goals among positional peers) in the Eredivisie last season and used his “electric” pace – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – to dribble past his marker regularly, ranking in the 99th percentile for most successful take-ons by players in his position.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

Sponsored by Puma, the playmaker also listed in the 97th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area, highlighting his creative flair and desire to get involved with the offensive action, form which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards.

Finally, Kudus is a versatile operator with his ability to be deployed in five different positions across the pitch, including three roles in the midfield, out wide on the right wing and even as a centre-forward, so it really would be a huge boost for Pochettino to have him in the building.

انتقد بول ميرسون، النجم السابق لفريق آرسنال، غياب لاعب فريق تشيلسي ريس جيمس عن قائمة منتخب إنجلترا الأولية لبطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، 2024.

كان جاريث ساوثجيت، مدرب منتخب إنجلترا، قد أعلن اليوم القائمة الأولية التي تضم 33 لاعبًا، استعدادًا لبطولة يورو هذا الصيف (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وشهدت القائمة غياب لاعب تشيلسي ريس جيمس، مع العلم أن القائمة النهائية ستضم 26 لاعبًا فقط.

وقال بول ميرسون في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “لا أفهم ذلك، أعتقد أنه واحد من الأفضل في هذا المركز”.

وأضاف: “أعلم أنه تعرض لإصابة طويلة، ولكن لوك شاو غاب عن الملاعب لفترة طويلة، لقد صُدمت تمامًا”.

وواصل: “يلعب كايل ووكر في مركز الظهير الأيمن، ولكن إذا أحضرت ريس جيمس أيضًا، سيجعل الأمر متاحًا للعب بثلاثة لاعبين في الخلف أحيانًا، قد ترغب في اللعب بهذا الشكل ضد فرق أفضل”.

وأردف: “ريس جيمس هو واحد من أفضل اللاعبين في مركز الظهير الخلفي، وبعد ذلك إذا انتقل إلى مركز الظهير الأيمن، يمكنك وضع ووكر في قلب الدفاع”.

واستطرد: “لست متأكدًا من وجود ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد في مركز الظهير الأيمن، لست متأكدًا، أعتقد أنه لاعب موهوب، نطاق تمريراته لا مثيل له”.

وأوضح: “أعتقد أنه أفضل ممرر في البلاد بأكملها، ولكني لا أعتقد أنه مدافع على المستوى الدولي”.

Aston Villa were dealt a frustrating blow earlier this month as Tyrone Mings suffered a serious knee injury during the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Who could Aston Villa replace Tyrone Mings with?

It was recently reported that the Villans had made enquiries about a possible deal to sign Harry Maguire from Manchester United, after West Ham had struck a £30m deal for his services.

The Hammers' move for the England international fell through and the central defender is said to be settled at Old Trafford, which could also rule out a switch to Villa Park before next month's deadline.

90min journalist Graeme Bailey recently named Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier as a player who could emerge on the club's radar in their pursuit of another centre-back, as he stated that it would not be a surprise to see them target the Englishman.

"I think they will go into the central defender market now, maybe a loan somewhere. I was thinking there, maybe Eric Dier could be an option there, It wouldn’t surprise me," he said. "Villa were looking at Aymeric Laporte before Pau Torres. Do they go down that route again? For Laporte or even Dier."

How good is Eric Dier?

The 29-year-old titan is a proven Premier League performer who could be a dream alternative to Maguire for Unai Emery if he is able to recapture his form from the 2021/22 campaign.

Dier, who was once praised as being "strong" by former manager Antonio Conte, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.86 across 33 outings last season in the top-flight, which is a score that would have placed him eighth within the Villa squad and behind Ezri Konsa and Mings.

However, his performances during the previous term suggest that he has the ability to be a standout at the back for the Spanish head coach if he can get back to his best.

The former Sporting enforcer averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 across 35 league starts for Spurs as he delivered consistently impressive displays at centre-back. Meanwhile, no Villa centre-back has averaged a score higher than 6.91 over the last two campaigns.

Maguire has failed to average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.95 over the last two seasons with Manchester United and is coming off the back of just eight league starts last term.

Dier completed 88% of his attempted passes and won 56% of his duels as his side kept 16 clean sheets, which suggests that the towering defender was reliable in possession and able to win the majority of his physical battles.

His statistics from that season suggest that the quality is there for him to be Villa's outstanding central defensive option and his experience in England, with 270 top-flight appearances, could allow him to hit the ground running in the same way that Maguire would have.

The £85k-per-week ace also won 70% of his aerial duels during the 2022/23 campaign.

This was only 2% behind Mings' dominance in the air last term and this means that he could offer a similar presence at the back in terms of his ability to deal with long balls, set-pieces, and crosses into the box.

Therefore, Dier would be a dream alternative to Maguire before next month's deadline as he is also an England international quality centre-back who is capable of delivering consistently impressive Premier League displays.

This is why Emery must swoop for the experienced brute over the coming days instead of following in West Ham's footsteps with Maguire, who seemingly wants to remain in Manchester.

Tottenham Hotspur have learned roughly how much it will cost for them to land one of their striker targets before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Spurs have already brought in James Maddison, Micky van de Ven Guglielmo Vicario, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips, and Alejo Veliz to bolster the squad, and they must now pay up to £40m to land a new no.9, if recent reports are to be beleived.

According to Football Insider, K.A.A. Gent are looking for a record Belgian transfer fee in order to part ways with exciting forward Gift Orban and the stated price is between £30m and £40m.

The report claims that Premier League sides Tottenham and Fulham are both interested in a deal for the Nigeria U23 international after their sales of Harry Kane and Aleksandar Mitrovic respectively.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It also states that Ange Postecoglou's team are 'desperate' to find a new centre-forward before the window slams shut at the start of last month after their all-time top scorer moved to Bayern Munich.

How good is Gift Orban?

If the 21-year-old starlet can translate his form for Gent over to English football then he would be a phenomenal performer for Spurs, and a player who would be a dream partner for Maddison at the top end of the pitch.

Orban only joined the Belgian side in January but has hit the ground running with a staggering 26 goals in 28 competitive appearances over the last eight months or so.

The Nigerian marksman has racked up 17 strikes in 19 Pro League matches for the club and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.42 across 17 league outings during the 2022/23 campaign.

He has also found the back of the net nine times in nine European matches for Gent, which shows that the talented ace has been able to thrive domestically and on the continental stage.

Meanwhile, no player outside of Kane (30) scored more than ten Premier League goals for Spurs and Heung-min Son (ten) was the only other ace with more than five strikes.

This suggests that Orban could provide Postecoglou with some much-needed firepower in the final third and having a player like Maddison to supply him could be a dream for the Australian head coach as the England international is a terrific creator.

The former Leicester City star has already assisted two goals in two games for the club this season and has created four chances per match so far, which is two more per outing than any of his teammates.

This comes after the 26-year-old magician provided 2.3 key passes per outing for the Foxes in the top-flight last term, which was 0.6 more than any Spurs player managed.

These statistics suggest that the England maestro, who also scored ten Premier League goals last season, will be Postecoglou's outstanding creative threat at the top end of the pitch for Spurs.

Therefore, Maddison would be the perfect attacking midfielder to play behind Orban, who was described as "born to score" goals by talent scout Jacek Kulig, as he has the ability to create chances on a consistent basis to provide the attacker with the opportunities he needs in front of goal to carry his form at Gent over to England.

This means that they could be a fantastic duo for Spurs by linking up with each other to cause constant problems for the opposition throughout the rest of this season if Postecoglou can bring the 21-year-old ace to London before the deadline.

Joe Root has admitted England were given a “massive shock” by their experiences in Brisbane four years ago but believes it will be different this time

George Dobell in Brisbane21-Nov-20171:59

‘Australia realise that The Gabba is their fortress’

Joe Root has admitted England were given a “massive shock” by their experiences in Brisbane four years ago that set them back for the rest of the series.But Root, the England captain, insisted the current England and Australian teams were “completely different” from 2013-14 so the talk of reopening “scars” that has dominated the build-up to this year’s Ashes series was “completely irrelevant”.Root was part of an England team who travelled to Australia at the end of 2013 on the back of a good year. But then they ran into Mitchell Johnson at his best and were unable to cope with either him or the period of introspection it precipitated. Instead, it proved the final stand of one of the best England sides for many years.”Last time round we came here at the end of a year when we hadn’t lost a Test match,” Root said. “We had a very experienced side with a lot of guys who had won a lot of Ashes cricket and had great success on the last trip to Australia.”It was a massive shock and we struggled to come back from that.”But this time round it is a completely different set of players. And we’re playing against a completely different Australia side.”So of course you want to harness those experiences and make sure you don’t fall into a similar trap. But both sides are in two very different places to where they were.”Root was especially underwhelmed by Nathan Lyon’s recent comments, dismissing them as “bizarre” and suggesting they could backfire on Australia.”The more guys talk going into a series the more they put pressure on themselves,” Root said. “You can sort of see through it a little as well.”We’ve won four of the last five Ashes series. We’ve a lot of guys who were part of the squad in the last series, in 2015, and have very fond memories of it. Maybe they are trying to brush that under the carpet but for me it’s completely irrelevant what happened four years ago.”They have a completely different bowling attack. Their seam bowlers haven’t played an Ashes series in Australia themselves.”And they haven’t lost at the Gabba for such a long time. So they are under pressure, too. It’s not just our team that is going to be feeling the heat, it is those guys as well.”One thing Australia did very well last time was talking up certain things and they delivered. But this is a completely different tour and a completely different series and we have to make sure we don’t give them those opportunities this time.”Of course we have to be ready for everything the Gabba brings and all the media hype around the series. But ultimately it is about how we perform on the field. If we keep trusting what we have been doing really well for the last six to eight months then we give ourselves a great chance.”One area England hope to exploit is the relative lack of depth of the Australian seam attack. While there is no lack of respect for the trio of seamers they expect to see in Brisbane, there is a belief that, if they can be pushed into fourth and fifth spells, their venom can be extracted. So an England side with a reputation for playing relatively aggressive cricket may, at times, need to be patient with bat and ball.”Whenever you get sides bowling three or four spells you’re on top of them,” Root said. “That’s always an aim: to bat long and put overs in their legs. We have got to be quite pragmatic and realistic. Certain players in certain periods of the game will have to, I’m sure, be patient.”It will be quite hostile and potentially slightly intimidating but it shouldn’t scare us. It is part of Ashes cricket. It should excite us. We have a chance to do something that not many people do.”We just need to find a way of concentrating on what we do best out in the middle. And remember that we’re not the ones out there. There are 16 or 17 guys in the dressing room who are all out there with you.”

The Bengal seamers did most of the damage before Abhimanyu Easwaran piled on Gujarat’s troubles, nearing his second century of the match by stumps on day three

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2017
ScorecardBengal’s seamers – Ashok Dinda, Ishan Porel and B Amit – kept defending champions Gujarat to 224 in their first innings, helping their team secure a handsome lead of 130 runs in Jaipur. Then, with Abhimanyu Easwaran nearing his second century of the match, Bengal’s overall lead went beyond 300 by stumps – they finished the day sitting pretty on 175 for 1. Easwaran and Writtick Chatterjee (40*) put on 78 runs for an unbroken second-wicket stand after a 99-run opening partnership between Easwaran and Abhishek Raman.In the morning, resuming on 180 for 6, Gujarat only added 44 runs before folding. In fact, they scored 39 runs without the loss of a wicket before the floodgates were open when left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik bowled overnight batsman Rujul Bhatt (32) – that was the only wicket in the innings to fall to the slower bowlers. Thereon, Gujarat lost their last three wickets inside four overs with Dinda accounting for two of those, including the wicket of Piyush Chawla, who resisted with 75-ball 43. Dinda, Porel and Amit finished with three wickets each.