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Newcastle United reportedly face competition from both Burnley and Napoli to sign Benfica ace Nuno Tavares, according to O Jogo.

The Serie A club are currently the most determined to sign him at this moment in time, although they are put off by his valuation of €30m (£25.7m).

Luis Filipe Vieira and Rui Costa, who are both high up on the board of the Portuguese giants, will reportedly soon be given a proposal by Napoli to sign Tavares, meaning that the St. James’ Park faithful may have to act sooner rather than later in order to try and secure his signature.

Newcastle should sign Tavares

The North East club should be looking to sign Tavares at all costs. Speaking to Radio Marte (via talkSPORT) in January of this year, football agent Cesar Boaventura described the Portugal U21 international as ‘one of the fastest players in the whole Portuguese league’ and claimed that ‘he can become one of the best in Europe’. Very high praise for a player who is still just 21 years of age and has a lot of time left to fulfil his true potential.

The fact that he has been touted as a speedster as well is an extra weapon that the Tyneside club could certainly use to their advantage, given the lack of pace in the Magpies’ play under Steve Bruce.

Comparing his stats to Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett in their respective domestic leagues so far in the 2020/21 term, the left-back has averaged more dribbles and crosses per game (Whoscored), showing that he could certainly offer Bruce’s team more of an attacking threat from the flank, should the Magpies decide to sign him.

In other news, find out who Lee Ryder has confirmed NUFC are close to signing here!

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from the 4-1 defeat against Manchester City as they travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

A defeat against Brendan Rodgers’ side would all but end Jurgen Klopp’s side’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title this season, and they will have to be at their best if they are to earn all three points against the in-form Foxes.

Klopp is still without all three of his main centre-back options at Liverpool due to injury, so we could see Ozan Kabak or Ben Davies make their debuts at the back following their arrivals in the January transfer window.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up on Saturday, with three changes from the side that started against Man City…

Alisson keeps his place in goal, despite his horror show against City last time out, as there is no doubt that he is still one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

There are debuts for both Kabak and Davies at the back, following the news that Fabinho is set to miss the game due a minor muscle injury.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson unsurprisingly start at full-back, and the former will be hoping for a repeat performance from last season, when he starred in a 4-0 win at the King Power which well and truly emphasised the Reds’ title credentials.

Jordan Henderson moves back into his preferred position in defensive-midfield, with Thiago dropping out, as the Spaniard looked tired in the game against City and perhaps wasn’t at his best as a result.

James Milner also comes in for Curtis Jones to provide some experience in midfield, whilst the front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino will be the key to breaking down this impressive Leicester side.

And, in other news… Klopp can unlock “world-class” beast at LFC with position change

Speaking to the press, via football.london, West Ham United boss David Moyes has dropped another transfer update as his side pursue a striker signing in January – going on to confirm that the Hammers have ‘put offers in’ for ‘two or three’ targets.

The Scotsman has been forthcoming of GSB’s plans to bring in a replacement for club record signing Sebastien Haller even though he would apparently prefer to keep it private – but with so many players being spoken to, and agents in working, this is proving more and more difficult (ExWHUemployee).

In this update on a striker search, Moyes has confirmed that the club have ‘put offers in’ for two or three targets whilst revealing the club have backed him wherever possible.

Moyes drops striker update

Moyes also states that he ‘certainly’ wants to bring in a new forward, but he is ‘mindful’ of the financial situations surrounding other clubs and wishes to approach potential transfers with caution.

“We see the NHS has been struggling, we so many difficulties outside of football, we love football, and do I want a top striker? I certainly do,” explained Moyes via football.london.

“I really do to help us. But I am also mindful that football clubs, a lot of them are on the verge of going bust and I have got to make sure that I do things correctly.

“But I have got to say the board has definitely tried to support me and back me in getting players in.

“We have probably tried for two or three, we have put offers in for two or three or sort of tried to see if it can happen. I am hoping we can add to the squad.”

Transfer Tavern take

Judging by this admission, Moyes remains optimistic in potentially bringing a striker to east London, but is also approaching any business with an open mind given the nature of football at this present moment.

One enticing reveal could be that the board have been attempting to back Moyes, all while he confirms offers have been made, but it remains to be seen whether they do manage to find a Haller replacement this month.

In other news: West Ham fans were not happy with this claim, find out more here.

Many Rangers fans have flocked to a tweet that was recently posted by the club’s official Twitter account announcing that the Glasgow club have agreed on a four-year deal with Nnamdi Ofoborh, which is set to begin in the summer. 

This tweet includes a link to a post on the Gers’ official website in which it is explained that ‘there will be training compensation payable’ to Bournemouth, with Ofoborh agreeing to move to Ibrox after rejecting a contract extension at the Vitality Stadium. 

The 21-year-old midfielder is currently on loan at the Cherries’ EFL Championship rivals Wycombe Wanderers for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign after which he will join up with the current Scottish Premiership leaders. 

His teammate on the south coast, Jack Simpson, will join the Gers immediately, replacing George Edmundson, who joined Derby County.

So, how have these Rangers fans been reacting to this news? 

The club’s tweet sharing the Ofoborh news drew a largely positive response from fans of the Glasgow club,  a lot of whom, it seems, can’t wait to see the midfielder at Ibrox.

“Brilliant”

Credit: @muirsy1

“Lovely”

Credit: @camrfc

“Nice!”

Credit: @onlyoneamoruso

“No messing outstanding Rangers”

Credit: @ayeready1872

“Yesssss Morning Announcements”

Credit: @SuperAlly1989

“incredible”

Credit: @hannahfirman_30

“It just keeps getting better & better.

what a time to be alive.

C’mon the Gers.”

Credit: @DugsOf

In other news, many Rangers fans have been raging at their club over their Alfredo Morelos decision.

Grant Leadbitter was Lee Johnson’s true Sunderland hero in the Black Cats’ 4-0 rout of Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium on Saturday.

Johnson saw his Stadium of Light natives command proceedings to move within touching distance of the League One play-pff positions, with goals from Leadbitter, Jack Diamond and a brace from Charlie Wyke enough to close the gap to just two points and with a game in hand.

Leadbitter struck the visitor’s first of the match when he converted from the spot by sending Alex Palmer the wrong way after a foul by Jorge Grant on Diamond, and continued to set the tone as he brought a commanding presence to the engine room.

Leadbitter has been praised throughout the 2020/21 season for his efforts in bringing an experienced voice to the core of Sunderland’s midfield, having now started 14 of the Black Cats’ opening 16 games and missed just eight minutes when he has featured.

The Sunderland Echo’s Mark Donnelly has been among Leadbitter’s largest advocates, having lauded the 34-year-old for being the “League One cheat code” Sunderland supporters hoped he would become when brought to the club as a free agent last year.

“He’s been fantastic. He’s kind of becoming that League One cheat code that everyone hoped he would be when he signed,” Donnelly said on The Roar Podcast.

“He just looks a class above in the centre of midfield. Not only the balls he’s trying, but the balls he’s pulling off in terms of switching the play, in terms of driving Sunderland forward, he’s just going about his business, he makes it look effortless.

“If we were sat here six weeks ago and said that not only would Grant Leadbitter be back in the team, but he’d be arguably the star man, you probably would’ve been a little bit surprised. He’s come back, he’s been excellent, he’s just gone about his business – and he’s made that place his own now.”

Leadbitter was once again a class above his midfield teammates as Sunderland beat Lincoln on Saturday, registering a game-high 97 touches – 22 more than any player for either side – while completing 62 of his 76 attempted passes, also game-high numbers, per SofaScore.

Johnson would have been left astonished by Leadbitter’s passing range at the LNER Stadium as he effortlessly played possession across the pitch, with 12 of his 18 attempted long balls finding teammates.

The Black Cats product may even have found the back of the net more often on another day, having found the target with each of his three shots on Palmer’s goal, matching his offensive threat with an imperious presence in front of the back four.

Leadbitter won possession with three tackles, made three interceptions, was never dribbled past and won five of his nine ground duels, while conceding just two fouls, being fouled once and completing his only attempted dribble of the match.

Wyke will rightly take much of the acclaim with his brace moving the 28-year-old onto 12 goals in 15 League One games for the season, but Leadbitter was Johnson’s real hero.

Meanwhile, Speakman can deliver another Sunderland masterclass with this appointment.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Atlético-PR perdeu o jogo treino para o Red Bull Brasil, neste sábado, por 3 a 2. Porém, o técnico Cristovão Borges ficou satisfeito com o teste que o time fez. Isso porque o adversário apresentou características parecidas com o Fluminense, adversário do Furacão na estreia da Primeira Liga, na próxima quarta-feira.

– O objetivo era observar aquilo que fazemos no treinamento, para ver se conseguimos realizar nos jogos com exigência maior, porque é o que enfrentaremos nesta partida contra o Fluminense. Já esperávamos isso, pelo nível do RB Brasil. É uma equipe de muita movimentação e mais próxima do que iremos encontrar já neste primeiro jogo– disse Cristovão.

O jogo-treino foi dividido em quatro tempos de 30 minutos, e de acordo com o treinador do Furacão, era importante mesmo que o time fosse muito exigido. Ele disse que com isso é capaz de fazer análises para melhorar a equipe.

– O que desejávamos era ser bastante exigidos, que nos dará parâmetros para fazermos as análises. Era natural que a equipe sentisse dificuldade e isso foi muito bom. Tivemos uma carga de trabalha muito grande. Mas a partir de agora, os jogadores se sentirão mais leves, porque os treinamentos mais fortes já aconteceram – comentou.

Sheffield Wednesday are back in Championship action this evening as they search for that elusive first win under Tony Pulis.

The Owls head to Nottingham Forest in what would usually be a game between two playoff hopefuls only this season, both teams find themselves in the bottom four.

A victory for the Yorkshiremen would see them move to within one point of the Reds, which will massively boost their prospects of remaining in the division ahead of a hectic festive period.

The 62-year-old has only managed to return three points from his first seven matches in charge and needs to find that spark here tonight, so what sort of XI could we see at the City Ground?

Here’s what we are predicting…

We could see as many as five changes as Pulis desperately searches for that first victory.

One of which comes between the sticks as Cameron Dawson is handed an opportunity after Joe Wildsmith was particularly poor against Huddersfield and Barnsley.

Joost van Aken is another who drops out of the starting lineup as Liam Palmer returns to play at left-back, which means Chey Dunkley will make his second successive Owls appearance alongside Tom Leeds in the middle with Moses Odubajo continuing on the right.

We may also see Massimo Luongo come back into the fold having been left out at the weekend, he replaces the injured Dominic Iorfa to partner Barry Bannan in the engine room.

Pulis may even axe a pair of Garry Monk signings in the shape of Josh Windass and Callum Paterson, both have underperformed recently amid the club’s struggles on the pitch.

The flat-capped boss lambasted his options upfront after defeat to the Tykes, so maybe it’s time to give out-and-out striker Jordan Rhodes a proper go at leading the line for a period of time.

Whilst we could see Izzy Brown be handed a rare start in the no.10 role with Adam Reach and Kadeem Harris continuing on the wings.

It means the likes of Alex Hunt, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Matt Penney and Elias Kachunga still have to wait for a chance to prove their worth to the Owls’ cause.

AND in other news, Tony Pulis must axe £15k-p/w “real menace” from his starting XI…

Former Glasgow Rangers whizkid Billy Gilmour is best known for his time with Chelsea, the club that he has played for since the summer of 2017, but fans shouldn’t forget his football roots.The Scotland U21 international recently went viral after featuring in a hilarious clip with N’Golo Kante, who couldn’t understand his teammate’s Scottish accent, which left the youngster laughing in hysterics.

Gilmour, who is widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Scottish football, had trained with the Rangers first team prior to his departure. Despite Pedro Caixinha’s best attempts to convince him otherwise, he decided to take his chances at Chelsea instead.

The 19-year-old enjoyed something of a breakthrough season under Frank Lampard last term after the talented teenager burst onto the scene with a match-winning performance against Liverpoool.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Chelsea boss said:

“We’ve had a few of the young players come through this year, and that has given me great pleasure, as they are great to work with. They want to come in, they want to learn, and they’re like sponges.

“Billy has given me as much pleasure as anyone. When you look at Billy, he can be quite slight in terms of his size, he’s quite quiet, young and polite, but then you train day-to-day with him through the season.

“He moved over to the first team quite a while ago to train because he just had to, because he just trained at such a level. If you have a possession in training, or a small game, just simple passing, whatever, you talk about having the attitude there and getting the basics right.”

The £6.75m-rated ace even received praise from Roy Keane, with the former Manchester United midfielder admitting he looked like a “world-class player” after the famous win over the Reds.

Where is Gilmour now?

Rangers must be regretting their decision to sell the Scotsman for £500k as he has since thrived in what has undoubtedly been one of the best spells in his young career so far. Lampard handed him his first-team debut against Sheffield United in August 2018.

Gilmour then played six Premier League games last season, whilst he made three appearances in the FA Cup, and featured in the full 90 minutes against Jurgen Klopp’s side, where he completed two clearances, made two tackles and one interception in the entire game, as per SofaScore.

However, he suffered a knee injury which required surgery, and ruled him out of action for several months. So, it’s perhaps hardly surprising he has been tipped for a loan move away from Stamford Bridge in January. An unnamed football agent told The Athletic that he should leave on loan to play regular football.

There are no concrete links to Rangers at the moment, but could that change in the not too distant future? If anything, a straight swap would be beneficial for both clubs. The academy graduate would almost certainly be guaranteed regular game time whilst Chelsea wouldn’t have to worry about him playing every week.

Let’s face it, there won’t be many fans out there who wouldn’t love to see him don the light blue. Get it done, Gers.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers given major boost as Steven Gerrard cleared for Celtic clash…

حرص الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، على متابعة مباراة فريق الناشئين مواليد 2001 أمام البنك الأهلي، المُقامة بين الفريقين حاليًا ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من دوري الجمهورية، للوقوف على مستوى اللاعبين المتواجدين مع الفريق الأول.

وشهدت المباراة حضور أفراد الجهاز الفني، حيث حضر كل من البرتغالي فرناندو مخطط الأحمال، والبرازيلي أوليفيرا مدرب حراس المرمى، وأحمد شعبان محلل الأداء والمترجم الخاص بالمدرب الفرنسي، وأحمد عصمت مساعد مخطط الأحمال.

طالع أيضًا | بعد رفض القاهرة والدفاع الجوي.. إنبي يقدم حلًا لأزمة ملعب مباراته أمام الزمالك

ويتابع كارتيرون بشكل مستمر مباريات الناشئين داخل النادي، من أجل اختيار أفضل العناصر المميزة منهم وتصعيدهم للفريق الأول، وفقا للاستراتيجية والخطة المتبعة منذ توليه.

كما شهدت المباراة تواجد الثلاثي عبد الله جمعة وحسام أشرف وحسام عبد المجيد لاعبو الفريق الأول بالنادي.

عدد هاني رمزي مدرب منتخب مصر الأسبق مكاسب فوز الفراعنة على ليبيا في تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم، كما دافع عن محمد صلاح، مؤكدًا أن الأخير يؤدي دورًا فنيًا ومعنويًا جيدًا.

وكان منتخب مصر تحت القيادة الفنية لكارلوس كيروش قد نجح في تحقيق فوز كبير على مضيفه الليبي في مباراة الجولة الرابعة بثلاثية دون رد. طالع التفاصيل

وقال رمزي في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورت”: “مكاسب كثيرة جدًا من المباراة أهمها الوصول للمراحل الأخيرة من تصفيات كأس العالم، المنتخب ظهر بشكل أكثر من رائع خاصًا في الشوط الثاني”.

وأضاف: “أهم ما في المباراة هي عودة الثقة وهذا شيء هام جدًا ورأيناه في المنتخب بالشوط الثاني، وتحسين تصنيف منتخب مصر كيروش يمتلك شخصية قوية جدًا ورؤية للمرحلة المقبلة، ظروف المباراة كانت صعبة وكان هناك ضغوط على اللاعبين بشكل كبير وقدرنا نتخطاها”.

وأردف: “محمد صلاح خارج التقييم، بعض الناس ترى ادائه مختلف مع المنتخب عن ليفربول وهذا طبيعي لأشياء كثيرة جدًا، بسبب رتم المباريات وشكل الملعب، حتى على مستوى اللاعبين يوجد قدرات مختلفة بين المنتخب وناديه”.

وأتم: “صلاح يقوم بدور مهم جدًا حتى لو لم يسجل ولكن يصنع ويخلق فرص، وجوده معنويًا يؤثر على فريقنا وعلى المنافس ويترك مساحات لبعض اللاعبين”.

واختتم: “انا ضد اتهام الناس له بأن ادائه مختلف مع المنتخب عن ليفربول، صلاح داعم للاعبين بشكل كبير”.