Tag Futebol

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to add to their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Anastasios Douvikas to Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues have registered an interest in signing centre-forward Anastasios Douvikas from FC Utrecht in the coming weeks.

The report claims that the Gers are on the lookout for a replacement for Alfredo Morelos, who is set to depart on a free transfer this summer, and the Greek international has emerged as one of their targets.

It is stated that the Eredivisie outfit are demanding a fee in the region of £6.9m for the prolific marksman and it remains to be seen how much Michael Beale's side are willing to pay for him.

Who is Anastasios Douvikas?

The 23-year-old striker has caught the eye with his impressive performances in the Dutch top-flight this season and he could form an exciting partnership with Kieran Dowell at Ibrox.

In the Eredivisie this term, Douvikas – who was hailed as "sharp" by journalist Josh Bunting – has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 and has plundered 19 goals in 24 starts, which shows that the dynamo has the quality to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

No Rangers player managed more than 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership in 2022/23 and this indicates that the Utrecht forward has the potential to come in as Beale's go-to man for goals next season.

The signing of Dowell on a free transfer from Norwich City could allow the Greek international to thrive even more as the Englishman is a creative midfield maestro that could provide the striker with the chances he needs to be a success in Scotland.

Over the last 365 days, the ex-Everton man ranks in the top 25% of players in his position in the Men's Next Eight Competitions for assists per 90 (0.24) and has racked up 0.20 xAG per 90.

In the 2020/21 Championship campaign, the magician created 0.31 xAG and made 5.12 shot-creating actions per 90 and this placed him in the top 3% of players in his position in that division, which shows that the wizard excels at opening up opposition defences for his teammates.

These statistics show that the 25-year-old has the playmaking quality to be a consistent provider for Douvikas in the final third, which could allow the Greek ace to flourish in front of goal.

The Utrecht star could also return the favour as the 23-year-old has created seven 'big chances' for his teammates in the Eredivisie and Dowell, who scored 12 goals in 72 games for Norwich, could profit from that by getting on the scoresheet for himself.

Therefore, they could form an exciting partnership at the top end of the pitch for Beale next season and the head coach should be hoping that the club are able to secure a deal for Douvikas in the coming weeks.

The BCCI has clarified that VVS Laxman had eliminated a conflict of interest before three-member cricket advisory committee got down to interviewing candidates for the position of India head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2016

The BCCI has clarified that VVS Laxman had eliminated a conflict of interest before a three-member cricket advisory committee got down to interviewing candidates for the position of India head coach. The BCCI eventually appointed Anil Kumble, in whose company, Tenvic, Laxman held shares.The clarification came in response to a report that said Laxman was the second-largest shareholder in Tenvic Sports Education Private Limited. The report also stated that Laxman held 33,332 shares in the company, and that he was entitled to a substantial amount of money in the form of incentives, bonus and other benefits.”Mr Laxman informed BCCI that he had sold his total shareholding of 5% in Tenvic Sport in the month of March 2016 and also declared that he no longer held any shareholding or any official or unofficial position in Tenvic Sports,” BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said in a release. “This took place prior to the commencement of the operations of this Committee. Mr Laxman was therefore in no position of a conflict of interest at the time of selection of the head coach of Indian cricket team. All assumptions and conclusions to that effect are therefore erroneous.”Reports around Laxman’s possible conflict were the latest in what has been a controversial selection of the coach. Sourav Ganguly, part of the advisory committee, and Ravi Shastri, one of the candidates, have had digs at each other. Shastri said it was disrespectful that Ganguly was not present when he was interviewed. Ganguly responded by explaining the circumstances behind his absence, and clarified it was not his decision but that of the committee as a whole. He also said “there are other people involved also” in the decision-making.Also Kumble’s involvement in Tenvic, a company “in the business of sports and consulting”, had raised concerns around a possible conflict of interest in the past. Kumble has always denied Tenvic, which has cricketers as clients, is a talent management company.Minutes after he was announced as India’s next coach, though, he tackled the conflict-of-interest question. “We [BCCI and I] have already discussed that,” Kumble said last week. “Whatever needs to be done will be done before I take up this role officially. That has been discussed, and it has been clear with the BCCI as well. Something that can be easily resolved.”

Arsenal are planning to "step up" contract talks with Aaron Ramsdale as we approach the back end of the Premier League season, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Which Arsenal players will be offered new contracts?

With the Gunners currently sitting top of the Premier League table, six points clear of Manchester City, it is no real wonder Mikel Arteta wants to tie down a number of first team players to new contracts, having already agreed terms with Gabriel Martinelli.

Bukayo Saka is in line for a new deal, with it being reported at one point that a verbal agreement had been reached, while captain Martin Odegaard is set to be offered a new long-term contract, in a deal that would run until 2030.

Arteta is also keen on extending defender William Saliba's stay at the Emirates Stadium, although he has already turned down an extension, as the offer was significantly less than what he had been hoping for.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Jones confirmed that Arsenal are set to enter discussions with Ramsdale soon, although it is not yet considered a pressing matter.

The journalist said: "I think Ramsdale is going to be an important one as we start to get out of this season, as that will be a situation they start to look at. There's no urgency around Ramsdale right now.

"He's still got two years left after this season. That’s because of how well things have gone with him, as he's been a great fit for not just the playing style, but as a personality as well.

"Ramsdale's extension is going to be something we hear more and more about at the back end of this season in terms of Arsenal trying to step up talks to get him tied down to a new deal.”

Does Aaron Ramsdale deserve a new contract?

There is no doubt that the 24-year-old has earned a new deal, as the goalkeeper, who currently earns £83k-per-week, has been fantastic for Arsenal so far this season, keeping 12 league clean sheets, the third-highest amount in the top flight.

Members of the media praised the shot-stopper for another fantastic performance in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday, hailing him as "absolutely sensational", while also giving him credit for some important saves in the latter stages of the match.

Ramsdale is already contracted until 2025, with an option for an extra year, meaning Arsenal are at no risk of losing him any time soon, but fresh terms should still be offered at the earliest opportunity, to ensure his long-term future is at the Emirates Stadium.

A number of Celtic fans online have been left infuriated by defender Carl Starfelt after he gave away a foolish penalty during the club’s most recent game.

What’s the latest on Carl Starfelt and Celtic?

The Bhoys took on Hibernian at home on Saturday afternoon, coming into the fixture nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with only 10 games remaining.

It was never going to be an easy day out for Hibs, but they got off to a terrible start when Elie Youan picked up two yellow cards by the 24th minute, meaning his side would have to play the bulk of the game at Parkhead a player down.

However, despite this obvious advantage, Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side ended up conceding before half-time to go in at the break 1-0 behind.

Indeed, VAR noticed defender Starfelt pulling Paul Hanlon’s shirt inside the box, and after checking the monitor, referee Steven McLean decided to point to the spot.

Consequently, Hibs took the lead as Josh Campbell stepped up from 12 yards and sent goalkeeper Joe Hart the wrong way.

Evidently baffled by Starfelt’s miscalculation, a collection of Celtic fans couldn’t help but vent their anger online. Here are some of the strongest comments on Twitter…

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that touted Tottenham Hotspur manager target Mauricio Pochettino is still not guaranteed to be offered the job or to even want a return.

What's the latest on Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino?

It seems as though current boss Antonio Conte will almost certainly be leaving Spurs at the end of the season when his current contract is set to expire.

Indeed, the Italian has not been able to bring much success to that part of north London as the club's search for a first piece of major silverware since 2008 stretches on.

Over the weekend, Conte saw his team surrender a 3-1 lead to Southampton – currently bottom of the Premier League – in a 3-3 draw and couldn't contain his rage after the game.

Speaking to the press he suggested that the players aren't able to player under "pressure" and "stress" and questioned the club's mentality after so long without a trophy.

It's the sort of talk that suggests he won't be with Spurs in the long run and former manager Pochettino is widely tipped to make a return in the summer.

However, while speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained that it remains to be seen if Sours will offer the Argentine the chance to come back and if it's what he wants.

The journalist said (3:59): “So we have to see what happens also with Mauricio Pochettino.

"If Tottenham will really propose him the opportunity to return, what Pochettino wants to do – this is an important point."

Will Conte definitely leave Spurs?In full, Conte said after the Southampton loss said: “They don’t play for something important, yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench."

With all that in mind, it certainly would take a brave person to suggest the Italian has any desire to remain in north London next season – or that any Spurs fans and players would want him around.

Pochettino, on the other hand, is still loved by many supporters. After all, many fans started signing his name in the recent Champions League exit against AC Milan.

Despite all that, it seems nothing is set in stone just yet.

Manchester United and Erik Ten Hag have opened contract talks with one of the boss' most reliable defenders, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils have endured a strange last few days since their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend and have seen a drop of over £600million in the clubs' market value since reports emerged that the Glazers were keen to take Manchester United off the market, according to Sky Sports.

Nevertheless, former Manchester United icon Gary Neville has his doubts over whether the Glazer family would actually follow through on taking the club off the market, as he told the outlet: "I just can't believe that the report is true. It's part of the game playing and the manipulating of stories that they have been doing for a long time. I don't see anyway that they can keep hold of the club because they've got no money."

Back in the world of squad planning, fringe player Donny van de Beek has been linked with a move to Turkish giants Fenerbache and reports in Turkey claim that the Netherlands international is 'looking forward' to leaving Old Trafford.

Injury problems have plagued Manchester United as they struggle to get a clean break regarding squad selection – Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Mason Mount are all doubts for the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion after the international break, as per The Evening Standard.

Is Aaron Wan-Bissaka signing a new contract?

According to Telegraph Sport, Manchester United are keen to tie down defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka to a long-term deal at Old Trafford – he has one year left on his current £90,000 per week contract in the North West.

Wan-Bissaka has turned his career around at Manchester United under Ten Hag despite being a spare part in the early part of his reign and the Red Devils are keen to ensure he remains a key part of the side moving forward toward the next few years.

Last term, Manchester United were open to offloading Wan-Bissaka during the first part of the campaign and a return to his former club Crystal Palace had been mooted for the 25-year-old, who joined from the Eagles for £50 million back in 2019, as per The Daily Mail.

Ten Hag praised Wan-Bissaka at the tail end of 2022/23 and noted his improvement in performances over the course of his time in charge at Old Trafford, telling Manchester United's official club website: "He has improved a lot, as many players have improved during the season. That's one of the jobs for a manager and the coaching staff, to get that done and we are really happy with it, that players are developing."

Labelled "absolutely fantastic" by talkSPORT commentator Micky Gray, Wan-Bissaka has made four appearances in all competitions so far for Manchester United this term and he registered an assist in their 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day.

Following his upturn in fortunes at the Red Devils, a new contract looks to be afoot for Wan-Bissaka and few could argue that he hasn't merited reward for his displays.

Ben Stokes has expressed his delight at being able to resume the “honour” of playing for England after he was made available for selection, following a meeting of the ECB Board, despite being charged with affray on Monday in relation to the incident outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25.Stokes, who was charged along with two other men, is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates Court to at a date still to be confirmed. He had been withdrawn from England duty after the incident in September, which followed an ODI against West Indies in the city, and missed the end of that series plus the recent Ashes and the five-match ODI series in Australia.However, he has now been cleared to return to action for the T20 Tri-Series against Australia and New Zealand that gets underway in February.On Wednesday evening, Stokes responded to the development on Twitter saying he “can’t wait” to get back on the field for England although his exact return could yet depend on the date of his initial court appearance.”Representing my country is one of the greatest things that I’ve ever been lucky enough to do, walking out on to the field with the England shirt on is a privilege and a honour,” Stokes tweeted. “I’m extremely delighted to be given this opportunity to do this again. I can’t wait to get back out on a pitch with the 3 Lions on my chest and feeling that pride that we all get and giving everything for the team.”An ECB statement said: “Following a full Board discussion, in which all considerations were taken into account, the ECB Board has agreed that Ben Stokes should now be considered for England selection”Given the CPS decision to charge him and two others with affray, confirmation of his intention to contest the charge and the potential length of time to trial, the Board agreed that it would not be fair, reasonable or proportionate for Ben Stokes to remain unavailable for a further indeterminate period.”To date, Stokes has been unavailable for selection throughout the Police and CPS process around the incident in Bristol in September, a period which has included One-Day Internationals against West Indies, the Ashes tour and the start of the ODI series against Australia.”ECB fully respects the legal process and the player’s intention to defend himself against the charge.”England selectors, management and players have been informed and Ben Stokes is expected to join the squad in New Zealand for February’s T20 matches.”ECB confirmed in December that the independent Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC] would stay the internal disciplinary process for both Alex Hales and Ben Stokes until the conclusion of court proceedings relating to the incident.”Shortly after the charge was confirmed, Stokes issued a statement saying he was keen for the opportunity to clear his name but wanted to focus on cricket.”I want to thank all those who have continued to support me in relation to the Bristol incident, not least my family, friends, fans and teammates,” Stokes said. “I gave a full and detailed account of my actions to the police on day one – the same day as the incident – and have cooperated at each step of the police inquiry.”I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but, on advice, the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial. The CPS’ decision to charge me, as well as Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, at least means that my account of what happened that night can come out in court and be made public. Until then, my focus is very much on cricket.”The incident occurred outside the Mbargo nightclub in the Clifton area of Bristol in the early hours of the morning after England’s one-day international against West Indies on September 24, and resulted in one of those involved suffering a broken eye socket.As well as Stokes’ short-term England position, there is also the impact on his potential IPL involvement. He is expected to be highly sought-after in the auction at the end of the month, although franchise owners have told ESPNcricinfo that they need some clarity on his situation following the laying of charges.

Manchester United have held "positive" talks to sign a new defender, with Erik ten Hag personally wanting a deal to go through.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils appear to be on the search for a new defender to join the three new players already through the Old Trafford door in Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund. The club need to sell before they can make their next move, though, with midfielders Donny van de Beek and Fred two who could soon be on the way out.

Another player who is on course to leave Manchester is former captain Harry Maguire. An agreement in principle worth around £30m has been reached with West Ham, although the defender still needs to discuss personal terms over a move to the London Stadium.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

A new defender to replace Maguire is seemingly on the cards, and the versatile Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich appears to be an option. Fabrizio Romano said on Wednesday that Pavard was one of three names being considered.

“Manchester United have three options in the list for new centre back. Benjamin Pavard, Jean Clair Todibo and Edmond Tapsoba are being considered as possible names to replace Maguire.”

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg took to X to provide a further update specifically on Pavard, revealing that positive Man United talks have taken place and that the Red Devils are the favourites for his services.

“Man Utd, at this stage the favorite in the poker for Benjamin Pavard! Pavard can really imagine to join #MUFC as Ten Hag wants him.

“Concrete talks are ongoing and positive. Price valuation: Around €30m. Tuchel wants to keep him. Pavard wants to leave Bayern. Would be a massive loss for the club.”

Who is Benjamin Pavard?

Pavard is primarily a right-back but can also turn out as a centre-back and is into the final 12 months of his Bayern contract. The 27-year-old has won the World Cup and Champions League during his career and has made over 250 club appearances during his career, with more than 100 of those coming as a centre-back.

The player also has plenty of self-belief, personally claiming he is better and more complete at right-back than Liverpool’s Trent Alexander Arnold and Paris Saint-Germain’s Archaf Hakimi, but adding that he is naturally a centre-back.

“My position is a central defender. It always has been, this is where I feel most comfortable, where I take the most pleasure. This is where I find myself the best. I think we see more of my qualities in this position.

“If the great coaches put me on the right side, it is because they have confidence in my abilities. With Deschamps I have always been a holder. If he trusts me it’s not for my beautiful eyes or my hair. He is aware of my qualities. After that I have to improve in certain areas: I have to take more risks, more initiatives, I am aware of it and I work on that on a daily basis.

“A defender must first defend well. On paper, Pavard may be less sexy than Hakimi, Arnold, but I find that defensively I am more complete.”

Therefore, a Man United move for Pavard could be a shrewd one, as not only would he provide an option to rival Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, but the France international could also challenge Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and by the looks of things, the Red Devils are working on a deal.

Rejuvenating the Edgbaston academy is a prime target as an old favourite returns to Birmingham

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2017

Graeme Welch is rejoining Warwickshire as bowling coach after losing out on the same role with England to Essex’s Chris Silverwood.Welch served as bowling coach at Edgbaston for four years from January 2010, during which time the club won the County Championship title in 2012 and the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2010.He left the club in 2014 to take up a role as elite performance director at Derbyshire but when that did not work out he subsequently moved to Leicestershire as assistant coach in September 2016 only for them to finish bottom of Division Two in the Championship.Welch’s reputation as a bowling coach remains unblemished, however, and Warwickshire were quick to hail his return as the next step in a coaching reshuffle that saw Alan Richardson released from the role last month.Ashley Giles, sport director at Warwickshire, said: “Graeme Welch is an outstanding bowling coach who was part of an excellent coaching team that delivered trophies at Edgbaston.”In our view he is one of the very best bowling coaches in the game and it came as no surprise to us when he was recently connected with the position of England bowling coach.”We are delighted that he has chosen to return to Edgbaston where he will not only be responsible for getting the first team back to winning ways but also building a bowling academy equipped to develop a new generation of bowlers, from all backgrounds, capable of delivering continued success in all formats for Warwickshire and the Birmingham Bears.”Welch said: “I have enjoyed my time at Leicestershire, but the chance to return to Edgbaston was one I could not turn down. I have been lucky enough to be part of successful Bears teams in the past as both player and coach and am very excited by the challenge of building a bowling academy which will bring success to the club on a sustained basis.”Leicestershire responded quickly to fill the vacancy, appointing John Sadler, who initially rejoined them as Second XI Coach last winter before taking charge of first team affairs alongside Graeme Welch for the final three matches of the 2017 season. Sadler and Paul Nixon, Leicestershire’s new coach, played in the same Foxes side and were both key members of the team that in the early years had the most successful record in the country.

Shreyas Iyer and Ankit Bawne helped India A recover from a precarious position in their chase of 270 but their efforts eventually fell short

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2017Shreyas Iyer fell ten short of a ninth List-A hundred•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

A sensational hundred from Glenn Phillips took New Zealand A to 269 for 6, but his efforts were so well matched by half-centuries from India A’s Shreyas Iyer and Ankit Bawne that the second unofficial ODI between the two teams in Visakhapatnam ended in a tie.Such a dramatic finish had seemed rather unlikely considering that at one point, India A were 84 for 5. Scott Kuggeleijn (3 for 56) and Todd Astle (4 for 22) had run through the top order to have New Zealand A dreaming about their first victory on the tour. But Iyer, the captain, and Bawne, coming in at No. 7, strung together a partnership of 126 runs in only 104 balls to enliven the game.With 60 needed off the last 10 overs, however, Astle and Kuggeleijn combined to dismiss Iyer for 90 off 73 balls and then claimed three further wickets to set up a tantalising situation – 11 runs to get, six balls to go, one wicket in hand. Bawne, though, was still batting, and together with Siddharth Kaul, was able to bring India A level with New Zealand A in a rain-hit game.The weather in Visakhapatnam had forced this game, which was originally scheduled to be played on October 8, down to a 42-overs-a-side contest. And Phillips, coming in at No. 3, began dominating it with an array of shots. He racked up 15 fours and four sixes at a strike-rate of 107, a timely innings considering the New Zealand management had said six players from the A team would be brought on board for the limited-overs series against India starting on October 22.