All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race for Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who could be available for €30m (£26m) this summer, according to a recent report from CalcioMercato.

Will Tottenham sign De Paul this summer?

Tottenham have been linked with a move for De Paul in the past, but the midfielder rejected the club's advances last summer, instead preferring to remain at Atletico Madrid.

However, bringing in a new midfielder still appears to be a main priority for Spurs in the summer transfer window, with journalist Tom Allnutt claiming they may be willing to "spend a bit more" to bring in a top-quality player.

As such, the Atletico Madrid ace could be targeted again, but he is not the Lilywhites' only option, as they are also expected to make a new approach for Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat.

According to a report from CalcioMercato, De Paul is now ready to leave Atletico, and he could be on the market for a fee in the region of €30m (£26m) in the summer, amid interest from Tottenham.

The Argentine is also liked by Juventus and Inter Milan, so he is likely to have plenty of options this summer, but Spurs are said to be 'ahead' of the other teams in the race at the moment.

One factor that will be crucial, however, is the Lilywhites bringing in a new manager, as they will only make reinforcements to the squad when they have appointed someone to replace Antonio Conte.

Would Rodrigo De Paul be a good signing for Tottenham?

The 28-year-old has not always been a regular starter in La Liga this season, appearing as a substitute in two of the last three matches, however he has previously been hailed by the media as a "beast" who's "everywhere on the pitch."

With just one goal and three assist, the Argentina international has not been very effective in front of goal this season, but he ranks in the 98th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 in the past year, highlighting his play making abilities.

Spurs have sorely missed Rodrigo Bentancur in the past few weeks, with the Uruguayan, who has scored five Premier League goals this season, not expected to return until November at the earliest due to an ACL injury.

As such, there is now even more reason for Spurs to bring in a midfielder this summer, and De Paul could be a solid addition, if he is able to reignite his form with Udinese, weighing in with 19 Serie A goal contributions in the 2020-21 season.

Tottenham Hotspur's search for a manager can be broken down into various necessities that the new man must have; essentially, it largely details the antithesis to the likes of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

Whilst their trophy-winning pedigree is favourable, alternative assets that should be preferred are an attractive play style, a history of winning and progressing clubs forward, and not so old as to suggest they will not be around for the long project. Perhaps a calmer presence than the aforementioned bosses would be ideal too.

Few fit this bill from Daniel Levy's ever-changing manager list, but to discount Brendan Rodgers as a fine option is to forget all the good work that had gone into his career before this miserable campaign somewhat tainted that legacy.

Having impressed at Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City, the Northern Irish coach has a glittering CV that details all of the aforementioned characteristics; even the section regarding silverware.

The 50-year-old remains a free agent following his sacking, boasts pedigree at top clubs, and has the demeanour needed to calmly cull this squad full of losers.

With some actual financial backing too, who knows where he could take the Lilywhites. This is likely why Rodgers reportedly remains high on Levy's list.

Would Brendan Rodgers succeed at Spurs?

Having employed a possession-based 4-2-3-1 style reliant on an aggressive counter-press, the philosophy already aligns with what the fans want: anything other than Conte's turgid football.

What makes things even more attractive is his work in Scotland, where the former Swansea City boss completed back-to-back trebles with Celtic. This desire for silverware was translated into his work in the Midlands, where his Foxes side also claimed the most unlikely of FA Cup wins too.

Few could argue that during his near-four year stint at the King Power Stadium, he did anything other than succeed, with a lack of investment clear for all to see as their performances dwindled.

Despite that depreciating form, with relegation potentially looming, Rodgers still managed to oversee the demolition of Conte's Spurs team back in February as they ran out 4-1 winners.

In a display that perfectly sums up the style that the 5 foot 7 tactician aims to encourage, the hosts put the European-chasing outfit to the sword. Should this be translated onto Spurs' side, which boasts far more quality, the sky really is the limit.

Pundit Alan Brazil even suggested back in 2021, after Nuno Espirito Santos' dismissal, that it would be a "masterstroke" to pull the experienced manager away from Leicester. Now, he needn't worry about any such obstacles.

Having passed Levy's big test with that aforementioned drubbing, perhaps the Spurs chairman could reward Rodgers – who journalist Sid Lowe once dubbed as a "football genius" – by tempting him to north London for his next big project.

Liverpool came out victorious in an end-to-end Premier League clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium last night and Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled with the resilience his team showed in important moments.

The Reds are giving chase to keep their outside chances of securing Champions League football alive as they are now just six points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United ahead of their games tonight, with six games remaining.

Despite being away from home, Liverpool dominated in every sense at the London Stadium with 72% possession, with more shots on goal (20 v 7), more accurate passes (732 v 216) and more duels won (59 v 50) which was ultimately reflected in the deserved result.

In the first half, it looked to be a long night for the travelling team, with Lucas Paqueta punishing the Liverpool defence with a fantastic 12th-minute strike to give West Ham the lead, however, the perfect response was quickly delivered by newcomer Cody Gakpo who continued to prove his worth in the competitive forward line just six minutes later.

Over the final 45 minutes, the game continued to be wide open with both sides battling it out for the winner, with the Reds getting lucky when Jarrod Bowen's strike was stricken off for offside early into the second half.

It was left up to the returning centre-back Joel Matip to deliver the important winning goal in East London with a bullet header tucked away in the 67th minute to confirm three points for Liverpool at full-time.

How did Joel Matip get on vs West Ham?

Gakpo was undoubtedly the star performer on the day but the returning Matip deserves every ounce of praise too.

The Cameroonian hasn't been seen in the starting line up since the draw with Chelsea earlier this month, with Klopp preferring to play Ibrahima Konate alongside Virgil van Dijk in the centre-back partnership.

The lofty defender earned his spot due to Konate's injury troubles, however, and the manager's decision to start Matip turned out to be a blessing in disguise on Wednesday.

Not only did he secure the winner but the centre-back also put in an exemplary defensive performance to make him the true hero of the team.

Over his 90-minute performance, the £100k-per-week ace – who is truly "dominant" in the words of former Red Sami Hyypia – had 103 touches of the ball and completed 76 accurate passes in a composed progressive display.

Not just competent with the ball at his feet, he was also assured in his defensive duties, winning 11 duels, as well as winning one tackle, and completing three clearances and interceptions.

Combine that with the winning goal and it was a near-perfect display.

The fixtures are coming thick and fast for Liverpool with Tottenham Hotspur paying a visit to Anfield on Sunday, so it will be interesting to see if Klopp makes any more tweaks to his team for the Merseyside clash or tries to maintain the consistency that has been the foundation of their recent success.

Either way, Matip's performance has given the boss a lot to think about should Konate be available for selection next time out.

Leeds United could be boosted by the return of Cody Drameh in the summer with the right-back seriously impressing during his latest loan move.

What has happened to Cody Drameh?

Once again, Leeds find themselves scrapping at the wrong end of the table with just several games to go with relegation a serious threat.

The Whites could be set to return to the Championship over the coming weeks with their league form taking a recent dive over the last few games.

However, there could be something to look forward to over the summer in the expected return of Drameh from his latest loan spell away from the club.

The 21-year-old has spent the second-half of the 2022/23 campaign away on loan with Championship side Luton Town who are looking to make their move into the top flight.

This comes after the Englishman's stint out on loan last season with Cardiff City where he was awarded their Player of the Season despite only arriving in January.

Yet Leeds decided it was best for the youngster to move away from Elland Road once again in search of more regular football.

And speaking on his podcast, Phil Hay has waxed lyrical about the right-back who has enjoyed an impressive backend to the campaign under Rob Edwards at Kenilworth Road:

(39:10) "It's funny because Cody Drameh is having a very, very good season at Luton in the way that Charlie Cresswell up until that eye injury was starting to put together a really good season at Millwall, as well.

"And suddenly you look, I mean I've always liked Cresswell. Drameh has looked good in the U21s but hasn't really played enough at first-team level at Leeds to be sure about that.

"But he's looked excellent at Luton and you start to think to yourself, maybe actually there are options there going forward that are potentially better than some of what they've got."

How well has Drameh played for Luton?

Since arriving in the latter stages of January, the 21-year-old has gone on to make 14 appearances for the Hatters in the Championship and he has started all 14 of those games (via Transfermarkt).

Drameh has racked up two assists in those games, however, what is perhaps most impressive is Luton have only lost once with Drameh on the pitch.

And that solo defeat comes with the caveat of being against – the already-promoted – Burnley and it was a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Clarets.

Meanwhile, Leeds have begun to chop and change their right-backs with Luke Ayling and Rasmus Kristensen after the Englishman's recent run in the starting XI.

Hay was clearly impressed with what Drameh has been able to produce in the Championship and it is clear to see why when he ranks inside the top third percentile for tackles made (via FBref).

The 21-year-old ranks inside the top third percentile for blocks, too, but he has also shown his threat in attack as he ranks inside the top eighth percentile for shot-creating actions.

It seems apparent the youngster has plenty to offer and it will be intriguing to see if he feels his opportunity will come at Leeds or whether he will have to look for a permanent move in the summer to find regular football.

Arsenal will surely be a busy outfit during the summer transfer window as they will likely have to respond to missing out on a surprise Premier League title, having led the division for much of the 2022/23 campaign.

Declan Rice is among the primary targets to bolster their threadbare engine room and he won’t come cheap, with West Ham United commanding in excess of £70m.

The Gunners have plenty of needs, though, and perhaps they ought to put more eggs in the defensive basket as arguably, their failure to have strength in depth at centre-back has cost them dearly.

Injuries to Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba meant the burden was stowed upon Rob Holding, who to his credit has done an admirable job but he isn’t the title-leading presence you want in the big games, such as against Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Who is Evan Ndicka?

Whether he remains contract to the club past the summer is irrelevant, he must be replaced in and around the periphery of the lineup and Evan Ndicka, who is set to leave Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer, could prove to be a bargain solution, especially if Edu Gaspar and co pull the trigger on Rice.

Back in December, reports in Italy suggested that the Gunners had already agreed a deal to sign the Frenchman in June, whilst as recently as last month, the Mirror claimed that they were monitoring him ahead of the summer.

Once lauded as a “great talent” by scout Antonio Mango, it’s rare that a 23-year-old gem comes so freely available on the market but one team’s mistake is another team’s gain and Arsenal must ensure they win the race for his signature over the likes of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The 6 foot 4 Frenchman has been a regular fixture for the German outfit over the past few seasons, starting 32 times in the league last term and 26 so far this season, as well as all eight of their Champions League encounters too, via WhoScored. These are impressive considering he’s far from reaching his peak as a central defender.

His potential and quality has been highly praised by those around him in the past too, as ex-Frankfurt man Alexander Schur once claimed that his former teammate “shows no nerves” and “plays with great authority,” via Bundesliga.com. And that may also help in his adaptation to the Premier League.

To further bolster that, the young colossus is also comparable – per FBref's statistical model – to Manchester United star and multi-UCL winner Raphael Varane, who – when fit – has more than looked the part following his switch from Real Madrid.

By bringing in some much-needed quality to Mikel Arteta’s defence, the Gunners could well be City’s nearest challengers for the title once more and perhaps this time, they can get it over the line with Ndicka proving to be a far more valuable backup or starter than Holding.

Just 11 overs were possible on the final day at Wantage Road as Northamptonshire and Kent took 11 points each for the draw

ECB Reporters Network18-May-2016
ScorecardThe blue skies above Wantage Road had disappeared•Getty ImagesJust 11 overs were possible on the final day at Wantage Road as Northamptonshire and Kent took 11 points each for the draw. Heavy morning rain cleared up to allow play to start at 2.40pm but bad light brought an early tea and rain prevented any play in the final session.There was time for Daniel Bell-Drummond to move through to his fourth score above fifty this season, reached in 95 balls with nine fours.Kent lost Joe Denly, the unbeaten double-centurion in the first innings, caught by Olly Stone running around the long-on fence to give Rob Keogh a wicket. They closed 131 for 2 in their second innings, leading by 27.Northants are still looking for their first win of the season but the draw was enough to move Kent above Leicestershire to sit second in the table, 18 points behind Essex.

Aston Villa's ten-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came crashing to an end last weekend as they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes' goal was enough to secure all three points for the home side on the day and Unai Emery's men now have an opportunity to return to winning ways this afternoon as they travel away to play Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They are up against Julen Lopetegui's team after a 6-0 drubbing against Brighton and should be wary of a strong reaction from their opponents.

Keeping this in mind and the result against the Red Devils last time out, Emery may look to make some changes to his XI to keep the competition for places strong and avoid complacency.

Will Jhon Duran start against Wolves?

The Spanish head coach should start young forward Jhon Duran as the boss could unlock an exciting partnership with Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch.

Jacob Ramsey and Emiliano Buendia lined up behind the England international last time out and both struggled – recording Sofascore ratings of 5.9 and 6.5 respectively.

The latter has one goal contribution in his last five starts and his lack of involvement in the final third indicates that it could be time to give another player the opportunity to prove their worth in that position behind the number nine.

This could open up the door for a change in the set-up behind Watkins and Emery must finally unlock the rarely-seen Duran, who is yet to start a match in the division, ahead of Buendia.

The Colombian international, who was once hailed as "powerful" and an "aerial threat" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has not had the chance to showcase his ability at Villa yet, due to being restricted to substitute appearances, but impressed in the MLS for Chicago Fire last year.

Duran scored eight times and provided three assists in 14 starts, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.91, in the division in 2022 and these statistics show that the potential is there for the forward to make a big impact in the final third.

The teenager, albeit in another country, has shown that he has the quality to score and assist goals in a professional environment in spite of his young age and the marksman could provide Watkins, who has scored 14 top-flight goals this term, with the support that Buendia has been unable to in recent weeks.

Now, imagine the £18m gem and the Englishman lining up against Wolves this afternoon and causing their troubled defence constant problems with their goalscoring threat.

A record stand has powered England to an overwhelming victory in the second ODI of the Royal London series against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston

George Dobell at Edgbaston24-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJason Roy celebrates as he completes his century•Getty ImagesA record opening stand has powered England to an overwhelming victory in the second ODI of the Royal London series against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.Alex Hales and Jason Roy both thrashed centuries as England completed a ten-wicket win with 95 balls remaining. It is just the sixth such victory England have achieved in their ODI history and the highest score against which any side has achieved it. It is the fifth time Sri Lanka have been defeated by ten wickets in an ODI.Their stand was not only a record for England’s opening pair – overhauling Vikram Solanki and Marcus Tresocthick’s 200 partnership against South Africa in 2003 – but the highest for any wicket in ODIs by England batsmen. Previously, Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott – who put on 250 together against Bangladesh here in 2010 – held the record.England have suffered often at Sri Lankan hands in ODI cricket. Apart from the 2006 ODI series which Sri Lanka won 5-0 – including overhauling England’s apparently impressive 321 at Leeds with 12-and-a-half overs to spare – there have been memorable, and critical, defeats in the last two World Cups.But, at the ground where England’s ODI revolution started just over a year ago, they demonstrated that the balance of power may have shifted with a devastatingly one-sided victory. This Sri Lanka side, missing the world-class stars with which they had become familiar, lacked the batting firepower to make first use of an excellent surface and the bowling potency to prevent England’s batsmen from galloping to victory.Not for a moment did it appear that Sri Lanka had set a competitive target. And while Hales and Roy played themselves in relatively calmly – both men took 55 deliveries over their first half-century – the manner with which they pulverised the Sri Lankan bowling once set was reminiscent of the punishment that used to be handed out to English bowlers by Sanath Jayasuiriya on a regular basis.At one stage they struck four sixes in succession – Hales punishing Seekkuga Prasanna for three sixes and two fours in five successive balls – as they made use of an impressively hard, true wicket to skip down the pitch and hit over the top. Both men registered their highest ODI scores, with Roy making his first half-century in eight ODI innings and Hales making his sixth fifty-plus score (and second century) in seven successive ODIs. It is England’s first victory in five ODIs, following three defeats in a row in South Africa and Tuesday’s tie at Trent Bridge.Hales, using his reach to drive four of his sixes and slog-sweep two more, took just 36 balls over his second 50, while Roy, with four straight sixes, demonstrating both bat-speed and power, took 37. Sri Lanka’s frontline spinners took much of the flak, conceding 140 runs – including eight sixes – in 16.1 overs. It made it entirely understandable that one of the umpires, Bruce Oxenford, utilised an arm guard on his left arm to protect him should a ball be thrashed in his direction.Hales gave one clear chance, Danushka Gunathilaka at point missing a simple chance when the batsman had 126, but by then the game was all but decided.It was Roy who claimed the man-of-the-match award. As well as his century, he played a significant role in two run-outs, first swooping at backward point, picking up the ball in his left-handed, transferring it to his right and throwing down the stumps with a direct hit to dismiss the dangerous Kusal Perera, before managing another good pick-up and throw to punish Dinesh Chandimal’s attempt to set off for an optimistic single.It was part of an improved performance in the field from England. Although Hales, at second slip, was unable to cling on to a tough chance offered by Gunathilaka off Chris Woakes on 5, Adil Rashid delivered another well-controlled 10 overs of leg-spin (he has now conceded just 70 runs in 20 overs this series), Jonny Bairstow impressed the sell-out crowd with his outrageous pace and powerful throw as a boundary sweeper and David Willey held a brilliant catch at mid-on. He originally appeared to have misjudged the catch with some confusion as to whether to leave it to Hales, at mid-off, but, at the last moment, he launched himself full length and clung on to the ball.It all meant that Sri Lanka limped – both literally and metaphorically – to a total that always looked well under par.While Angelo Mathews passed a fitness test before the toss, he looked someway below his best and, when Chandimal also required on-field treatment having appeared to suffer a hamstring strain, it left the pair limited in both mobility and in terms of their speed between the wickets. Mathews was later unable to bowl, while Chandimal was unable to keep wicket and was replaced behind the stumps by Perera.The pair added 82 in 16 overs for the fourth wicket – easily the highest stand of the Sri Lanka innings – but, bearing in mind that England scored 408 in the last ODI on this ground (against New Zealand in June 2015), it always looked too sedate to prove match-winning. At one stage, they had to be content with 25 runs in succession picked up in singles.It could have been worse. At 191 for 7 in the 41st over, it seemed Sri Lanka might struggle to bat out their 50 overs. But a late rally from Upul Tharanga, becoming accustomed to his new role in the middle-order, and Suraj Randiv, who came into the side in place of seam-bowling allrounder Dasun Shanaka, at least gave Sri Lanka a chance.The pair thrashed 44 from the last four overs of the innings with Tharanga reaching a 46-ball half-century (with five fours and a six) and Randiv paddling, squirting and sprinting his way to 26 from 27 balls.Victory means that England have also taken an unassailable 13-3 lead in the Super Series. With three ODIs and one T20I to play, there are a maximum of eight points to play for in the rest of the series.

Aston Villa have seen a complete twist in fortune this season, from relegation candidates to European hopefuls, the Villans have been on a journey.

The club's recent success is down to the expertise of manager Unai Emery, who was appointed in November following the dismissal of Steven Gerrard.

When the Spaniard took over, Villa had gained just eight points from their opening eight fixtures, placing them just four points above the drop zone.

Not only has Emery raised the levels of performance at Villa Park, but the whole club looks to be in transition, as numerous links to lavish players have been made ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Aston Villa?

According to FootballTransfers, the Villans are the 'front runners' monitoring the movements of Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The 22-year-old, who has also gained interest from top-flight rivals Liverpool, is reported to have a release clause of £52m in Lisbon, a price not so high for a player that can offer so much.

It’s also speculated that the price isn’t too high for Villa, who, according to The Sun, have £200m to spend this summer, as Mateu Alemany is set to arrive as director of football from Barcelona.

What could Manuel Ugarte bring to Aston Villa?

Once hailed as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Uruguayan is one of Europe’s hottest prospects ahead of the summer window.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old has maintained a match rating of 7.04 this season, ranking him among the top ten performers from Sporting in the league this campaign, warranting the hype surrounding the youngster.

Emery told The Athletic last month of his desire to strengthen his squad saying he wants "two players for each position" in order to "add performances" to improve the team.

Potentially adding Ugarte to the already budding midfield could bring the best out of his current holding midfielders, Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, who have both been outperformed by the Uruguayan this season.

The coveted midfielder ranks in the top 1% of the eight leagues comparative to Primeira Liga for passing completion (91.5%), tackles (4.66) and interceptions (2.25) per 90 minutes, with Villa's duo scoring lower in each of the vital attributes in their position in comparison to the potential summer signing, as per FBref.

Luiz averages a passing rate of 83.1%, making 2.19 tackles per game and 1.29 interceptions, Kamara with similar numbers at 85.1%, 2.57 tackles and 1.03 interceptions, highlighting the level of talent that Ugarte possesses.

Hailed as a "ball-winning machine" by podcaster Dave Hendrick on Twitter, there are no doubts regarding the Uruguayan's physicality and aggression, which are so often failing points for midfielders that venture to the Premier League from abroad.

If Villa can pull the signing of Ugarte off, then Emery would have one of the continent's most promising talents in his midfield arsenal – a big coup heading into a huge season next term.

Fabrizio Romano has said that Liverpool have made an “important” offer to Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news on Mac Allister?

Jurgen Klopp and FSG appear to be making a head start on their summer transfer plans, with Romano previously stating that the manager will play a big role in off-field decisions.

Midfield additions appear to be high up on the club’s transfer agenda, with the likes of Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch linked with moves to Anfield.

There has also been plenty of speculation regarding Mac Allister, with reports previously stating that the Reds are holding back the No.10 shirt for the World Cup winner. There has now been a further update, with those on Merseyside holding talks with the 24-year-old.

Speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Liverpool and Mac Allister, Romano said that the Reds have made an “important” contract offer to the midfielder, presenting their project during transfer conversations.

“They have a chance for sure. They had conversations with Mac Allister. It was a concrete conversation, they offered an important contract. They discussed about the project so they presented their project to Mac Allister.”

Who is Mac Allister?

Mac Allister is primarily a central midfielder who can also play as an attacking or defensive midfielder so should provide plenty of versatility at Anfield, should he make the move north. The Argentine has enjoyed a brilliant season with club and country, winning the World Cup last year and playing a key role in the Seagulls’ push for European football.

As a result, he has recently been hailed by Paul Ince as an "all-round player", with his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing from €16m to a career-high €42m.

As per WhoScored, Mac Allister has been Brighton’s second-best performer with an average match rating of 7.08/10 in the Premier League. That rating is better than any Liverpool midfielder, with only Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold recording better scores. Mac Allister is Brighton’s top scorer and also ranks highly for tackles made per 90, showing why Ince recently hailed him as an all-round midfielder.

It looks as if a deal will be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, however, with the player wanting Champions League football next season and Manchester United also keen, the Reds may find a transfer complex, should they finish outside the top four to their rivals.