Category Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Roger Ibanez, with AS Roma set to lower their asking price, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have already started work on bringing in a new defender, with it recently being reported they have submitted a £19m bid for Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson, although they may have to slightly increase their offer to tempt the Turkish side into a sale.

Personal terms with Nelsson have already been agreed, meaning a move may not be far away, however the Dane is not the only defender Spurs have their eye on, with journalist Rudy Galetti reporting they are "tracking" Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly does not view Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez as valuable assets, with the duo poised to depart this summer, meaning the manager may be tasked with bringing in multiple new centre-backs.

Another player who has been linked with a switch to north London is Roma's Ibanez, with reports from Italy previously detailing the Italian club are set to demand €40m (£34m) to sanction his departure in the upcoming window.

However, the defender has made it clear he wants to leave, and the Serie A side have now lowered their asking price to €30m (£26m), in what could be a real boost for Tottenham.

The 24-year-old is popular in the Premier League, and AS Roma may be forced into making a sale before the end of June, as they need to make sure they abide by Financial Fair Play rules.

Is Ibanez joining Tottenham?

Considering Tottenham only want to spend €20m (£17m) on the Brazilian, Roma's current asking price may still be considered too high, however they may be able to use Roma's ongoing financial situation to lower the price even further.

The opportunity to sign the centre-back for a cut-price fee would surely be attractive to the Lilywhites, considering how well he performed in the Serie A last season, averaging two interceptions per game, the second-highest figure in the entire league.

Hailed as "untouchable" by manager Jose Mourinho, the Roma star ranks in the 82nd percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 81st for non-penalty goals, indicating he also poses an attacking threat.

Even if Tottenham have to fork out £26m for Ibanez, he could be a quality addition to the squad, and it is very good news that Roma have lowered their asking price before the window has even officially opened.

Referee Artur Soares Dias may have made a big mistake in the Manchester City game last night in the build-up to Kevin De Bruyne’s equaliser.

Why did Man City’s goal not get disallowed vs Real Madrid?

It was a thrilling first-leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night as Real Madrid played host to Pep Guardiola and co.

Meeting in the Champions League semi-final, both teams showed flashes of brilliance as the game ended 1-1. Indeed, Vinicius Junior scored a stunner in the first half to fire Madrid into the lead, but City gave their hopes of making the final a massive boost when De Bruyne rifled home an equaliser in the 67th minute of the game.

However, it seems as though that goal should have potentially been disallowed as the ball appeared to have crossed the line shortly before Man City had it in the back of the net.

Indeed, as seen in these images shared on ESPN, it looks as though the ball may have gone out – and so play should have been immediately stopped.

When speaking to the press after the game, Madrid’s manager Carlo Ancelotti seemed furious about the incident as he said: “It was out. It’s not me saying it, the technology does.

“It surprises me. They’re small details, but the referee wasn’t attentive. The players deserved more cards on the pitch, not [me] off the pitch.”

However, it’s since been reasoned that VAR could not actually intervene with this incident as too much time had passed after the incident took place.

Rule expert Christina Unkel explained on CBS Sports: “There’s two points to remember with VAR in the protocol and process on this. Can VAR check for a ball going outside before a goal? The answer is yes. But the most important point here is at what part can VAR become involved?”

“There is no set amount of time before a goal we go back to check. Instead, it’s really predicated by the possession and who has possession of the ball. We can debate, we can have the question to whether the ball left [the field].

The real answer is, this actually would not have been captured in the window and the time frame for when VAR could have gone back to take a look from when De Bruyne scored that goal. Specifically, because there was a turnover in possession.

“Even if this was out, it would not have been reviewed by the VAR leading to the goal.”

And so, while this may not have been an error on behalf of VAR – as Ancelotti suggests – it still doesn’t change the fact that referee Soares Dias and his officials still should have been able to spot the ball going out in the initial passage of play.

With the tie so tight, this mistake could have a huge impact on who makes the Champions League final this year.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is showing 'encouraging signs' in his new role under Jurgen Klopp, says journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest news involving Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Alexander-Arnold has been used in an inverted full-back role against Arsenal, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest for Liverpool recently, enabling him to step into the midfield area and influence play, resulting in the 24-year-old claiming four assists in his last three matches, as per Transfermarkt.

As per The Liverpool Echo, Reds manager Klopp spoke to the media about his usage of Alexander-Arnold in this position, saying:

“In each position he played for us, Trent was always a super-important player. This now slightly advanced role suits him in the moment really well.

“It's good, it’s a challenge for everyone else to cover the spaces when we lose the ball theoretically, but with him there we didn't lose that many balls, which was helpful as well."

WhoScored has shown the impact of the positional switch on his performance levels, as Alexander-Arnold has recorded a match rating of 7.88/10 vs Arsenal, 8.47 vs Leeds United and 7.44 against Nottingham Forest, respectively.

The £180k-a-week ace has adapted well to the tactical tweak by Klopp and has impressed his Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk with his ability to foray into central areas.

As cited by The Liverpool Echo, Netherlands international stated: "It's a work in progress but we all like it. We all have to be able to change in times and sometimes Trent has to drop, whereas sometimes he has to go higher."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist O'Rourke thinks that the change in role for Alexander-Arnold can only have a positive impact at Anfield moving forward.

O'Rourke said: "So this new role looks like it might suit him, it gets him further up the pitch where he can maybe create things for other people as well. It's still a work in progress, I think.

"Obviously, it's pretty new to Liverpool and obviously to Alexander-Arnold. A lot of time still to perfect it as well. Encouraging signs for Jurgen Klopp and everyone connected with Liverpool."

Should Trent Alexander-Arnold be deployed in this role for the foreseeable future?

It's hard to argue against the possibility of Alexander-Arnold being utilised permanently there for the foreseeable future, given that his license to roam has afforded him more frequent opportunities to express his creative qualities.

There has been a lot of criticism directed at the defender's ability to actually defend this season but his quality going forward has been undeniable with over 3.7 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBref).

Furthermore, when done correctly, you only need to look at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to see how successful operating with inverted full-backs can be.

Of course, there is an adaptation process to get used to that can go wrong if the left and right flanks aren't appropriately covered from a defensive perspective; nevertheless, playing in this style also helps to isolate attackers one-on-one with the opposition defence, which isn't a position many would feel comfortable in against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz, for example.

With Klopp seemingly in a mood to test drive new tactical theories ahead of next term, he may have found one that could be massively beneficial to Liverpool in the long run.

Tottenham Hotspur may well still be focused on securing a top-four berth come the end of the season, although the major priority for chairman Daniel Levy will be to find a permanent successor to Antonio Conte in the dugout.

Any new managerial arrival at N17 will likely be keen to put their stamp on things by making notable acquisitions this summer, with recent speculation having suggested that one potential target that the club are already looking at is Sporting CP starlet, Manuel Ugarte.

According to reports in Portugal earlier this month – via Sport Witness – the Lilywhites are reportedly interested in even making an 'official proposal' for the 22-year-old, with the midfielder said to have a release clause of around €60m (£53m) in his existing deal.

A more recent update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that if the north Londoners are to press on with the signing of the Uruguayan international, it will be "later in the window and not now".

Either way, it does appear that the Montevideo native is of interest to those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with it set to represent a real coup if the Premier League side can snap up the 6 ft sensation ahead of next season.

Would Ugarte be a good signing for Spurs?

The addition of the former Famalicao ace would certainly provide some extra steel to Tottenham's midfield this season, with Ugarte having been hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in recent times.

The eight-cap menace has also received notable praise from journalist Dave Hendrick who dubbed him an "absolute monster", while also suggesting that the midfield maestro is a "ball-winning machine".

That has been evidenced by the fact that the promising titan has averaged 3.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game from 29 Primeira Liga appearances, while also averaging 4.8 tackles per game during the Champions League group stage – the most of any player in the competition.

As writer Raj Chohan previously noted, the highly-rated ace has served as an in-house "replacement" for ex-teammate Joao Palhinha, with the latter man having since proved "one of the signings of the season" after joining Fulham last summer, as per Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir.

It would certainly be a mouthwatering prospect to have Ugarte lining up alongside current Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of the park next season, with the latter man also described as a "warrior" by journalist Nubaid Haroon.

The Denmark international has had an "amazing season" thus far – according to ex-England number one, Paul Robinson, having also showcased his ball-winning prowess after averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game from his 30 top-flight appearances.

The 27-year-old also offers a real composed presence on the ball as he has an average pass accuracy rate of 89%, with Ugarte also sharing that quality in possession as has averaged 91% for the same metric in the league this season.

To have such a solid midfield partnership at their disposal next season would certainly bolster Spurs' chance of kicking on under their next long-term manager, with any new appointment set to relish having two 'warriors' to call upon.

Newcastle United were linked with a move for Hugo Ekitike last summer and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's continued pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Huge Ekitike?

The Northern Echo's Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson has claimed that Newcastle could look to rekindle their interest in the Paris Saint-Germain loanee this summer.

As per the report, the Magpies have been long-term admirers of the young centre-forward but, after a struggle to secure a deal, turned their attention to Alexander Isak last summer.

However, Newcastle could be set to reignite their interest in the player after it was revealed the player is unhappy with the Ligue One Champions due to a lack of game-time, although PSG do have an option to buy Ekitike for £25.5m from his parent club Stade de Reims this summer.

Will Newcastle sign Hugo Ekitike?

There is no doubt that after a taste of the success that could be achieved at the North East club this season, their Saudi billionaire owners will be willing to invest further to strengthen the squad to ensure they can continue their pursuit of trophies and dominance.

Eddie Howe and sporting director Dan Ashworth are likely to be backed heavily in the summer transfer window if the Magpies can secure Champions League football over their remaining eight games, allowing the manager to add depth in the most influential positions on the pitch.

Indeed, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson have been thriving equally in front of goal over this season, however, the departure of Chris Wood in January has prompted an opportunity to further bolster the attacking threat, especially with Wilson a year into his 30s at this point too, so he won't be able to keep up this form forever.

As a result, the signing of Ekitike could be the perfect move for Howe to continue his development and rebuild of an already highly-competitive squad, to give them the very best chance of continuously competing within the top six and Europe too.

Despite only earning eight starts under the management of Christophe Galtier with PSG this season, the 20-year-old has scored three goals, registered three assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 shots on goal per game, proving that he is taking full advantage of the few opportunities he gets in the team.

When Newcastle were in contention to sign Ekitike last summer, Ligue One journalist Lee Davey gave an insight on the striker's development over his breakthrough season in 2021/22:

"I really do feel that it could be one of the signings of the summer. I just hope that it works out for him because he’s a good lad, he’s a good kid, he’s got bags of talent, and I really think he’s going to bring a lot to the Newcastle team."

Over his first season in the Reims senior side, the goal-hungry forward found the net 11 times and delivered five assists in 27 appearances – with a goal contribution tallied up every 91 minutes played on average, proving that the potential is there for him to become a prolific goal-scorer and valuable asset if developed well.

With that being said, a move for Ekitike this summer could be a great opportunity for Howe to bring in another raw talent that can polish up his skills and develop into a player who can become Wilson's successor in years to come.

Just when it looked as though Graham Potter had turned a corner with Chelsea following a month when the club remained unbeaten and qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals, a defeat against Aston Villa firmly piles all the pressure back onto him again.

The back three couldn’t counteract the threat Villa striker Ollie Watkins posed, and he duly scored a delightful lob over Kepa Arrizabalaga in the first half, continuing his recent fine form in front of goal and Potter found his team 1-0 down at the break.

John McGinn added a screamer in the second half and the game finished 2-0, with Chelsea clinging on to tenth position in the league.

There were many terrible performances, with Mykhaylo Mudryk underperforming once again. He received a Sofascore rating of just 5.8/10 which saw him miss a glorious chance in the first half, taking just 21 touches and winning only one duel.

Much more is expected from the January signing, especially with the vast sum spent on him, however he wasn’t the only one to let Potter down last night.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was another player who majorly disappointed and will have the manager scratching his head.

How did Ruben Loftus-Cheek perform against Aston Villa?

Statistically speaking, he was the second-worst Chelsea player after the aforementioned Mudryk as his performance was only worthy of a 6.2/10 rating via Sofascore.

The Englishman didn’t even last the full game, being substituted on the 57th minute and despite completing 93% (41/44) of his passes and taking 61 touches, there wasn’t much else to be pleased about.

He failed to deliver an accurate cross, had zero shots, won just one duel and lost possession a staggering 14 times in under an hour, proving he was off the pace severely, and it certainly cost Chelsea the chance of securing something from the game.

The £13m-rated man's performance was heavily criticised by Spencer Millman, who said: “He is playing loftus cheek who shouldn’t be anywhere near this team.”

This clearly suggests the player isn’t strong enough to be considered for the starting XI, and it appeared so today, with the 27-year-old being bossed around the park by a Villa side who were evidently up for the challenge more so than the Stamford Bridge outfit.

It looks as though European football next season is slipping away from them, and with the money Potter has spent in January, that extra revenue will be essential.

Manchester United suffered the worst defeat in their history since Boxing Day 1931 as the Red Devils lost 7-0 to Liverpool on Sunday.

It was a remarkable victory for the hosts who tore up the form book and completely demolished their fierce rivals to boost their top-four hopes.

It is hard to find any positives at all on what was a dismal day for Erik ten Hag’s men, just a week on from their Wembley triumph where they lifted the Carabao Cup.

They were by far the better side in the capital seven days ago and United certainly came into this match as favourites.

They had been a resurgent outfit under their Dutch head coach but this will undoubtedly be put down as a reality check. Ten Hag’s team have worked incredibly hard of late but this is beyond damaging and a result that could take some time to get over.

Who was Man United’s worst player against Liverpool?

There were a number of notable poor performances from those in white at Anfield on Sunday evening with Luke Shaw “nowhere near good enough” in the words of Gary Neville on Sky’s live commentary.

The outspoken pundit got stuck into a number of United’s players, although reserved the fiercest of attacks for none other than Bruno Fernandes.

On his day, the Portuguese is one of the finest in the division but his childish play-acting didn’t help his teammates at all this weekend.

Dubbed “a disgrace” by Neville during the 90 minutes, his evening was perhaps best summed up by the way he threw himself to the deck after being brushed away by Ibrahima Konate.

At one point it even looked as though the stand-in skipper wanted to be substituted, gesticulating to his manager in exasperation that he wasn’t being hooked as Anthony Elanga replaced the out-of-sorts Marcus Rashford.

That was a moment which left Neville in disbelief. Speaking on commentary, the former right-back said: “The second half has been an absolute disgrace, a shambles. They have not been epitomised more than Bruno Fernandes, who has been embarrassing – a shambles – in this game.”

Then, during the post-match analysis, he said: “I’ve had enough of him waving his arms around, blaming his teammates. That wasn’t a captain’s performance. I think Erik ten Hag will deal really strongly with him in the next 24/48 hours”.

Those words were echoed by Roy Keane too, who noted: “Some of his body language today was disgraceful. His body language, not running back. You would not be happy with him.”

Away from the mental side of the game, Fernandes failed to provide much with the ball at his feet, as the attacking midfielder won just three of his nine duels.

It was a lightweight display from the 28-year-old who also lost possession of the ball on 15 occasions. It was hardly a surprise, therefore, to see that he only completed 67% of his passes while failing to complete any of his four attempted crosses.

It was a horrendous afternoon for United, not least for Fernandes who now needs to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror. It is one thing not performing, but to winge and throw your arms around in disgust is another.

Brett Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha male

Peter English at the Gabba03-Feb-2008
Brett Lee: Basking in the limelight © Getty Images
Brett Lee now bowls like a man with nothing to prove. The shadows of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have gone and the only clouds on his mind in Brisbane were the leaky ones above the Gabba. A parent of a toddler, Lee is also the head of Australia’s bowling family and is becoming more relaxed about the responsibility with every innings.Australia’s attack included a debutant in Ashley Noffke and Mitchell Johnson, who has played 26 matches, was the only other one backing up from the Test series. Lee was not concerned by his lack of big-name help and against an opponent with similarly fresh faces he showed why he is the big daddy.This is the point Lee has wanted to reach since making his international debut nine years ago. He gets the new ball, comes back mid-innings to mop up or blast out and returns at the finish to create more damage. There is never any question over his end and when Ricky Ponting wants a wicket it is Lee who takes the ball. Throughout the Tests he was there when Ponting needed him and he has started the CB Series in the same way.The only thing Lee could not control was the weather, which prevented him from earning the victory his bowling deserved. In between taking 5 for 27 he ran across to support Noffke during his early expensive overs and tapped a batsman in apology after almost running into him. The downscaling of hostilities since Sydney actually suits Lee and does not result in any loss of bowling venom. Without needing to think about what to say to a batsman, he can concentrate more on how to remove them.There was no generosity shown to the debutant Manoj Tiwary as he was attacked with a series of shorter deliveries. Tiwary did well to avoid a couple of dangerous balls aimed around head height, but he was so sure of getting another that he could not deal with a fuller one and was bowled off his pad. At the end of the over Lee was given a rest, his four-over second spell costing only 11 runs and including two wickets. India had threatened to come back after losing their experienced openers, but when Lee removed Rohit Sharma and Tiwary three wickets had fallen for three runs.Sachin Tendulkar also miscalculated Lee in the final over of his opening collection, pushing back too far and stepping on his stumps. The new and old were taken care of along with a couple of wickets in the last over of the innings and the upshot was Lee’s seventh career five-wicket haul.Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha maleThe rest of Lee’s fast-bowling family had a mixed day. Nathan Bracken was expensive after his early breakthrough while Noffke recovered well from giving up 27 runs in his opening four overs. Like Noffke, Johnson was playing on his home ground and he would have had something to cheer two overs earlier if Australia’s slips fielders were on message.Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting both dropped chances off Gautam Gambhir within three balls, but Johnson recovered to trap the batsman in front. He remained a threat and gave up only 33 runs in nine overs, although all the serious danger came from Lee until Ishant Sharma stormed through after another rain break.Given limited opportunities, Sharma was the only bowler to match Lee’s potency in a brief spell where he weaved the ball on a surface freshened by the extra moisture. James Hopes’ off stump was lost and Michael Clarke was welcomed with a hit in the chest. Sitting in the dressing room Lee would have been impressed with the discomfort caused for the batsmen.The conditions were steamy, the ball became slippery and the bowlers had many excuses for things not working. Lee did not need any and excelled despite the heat, the rain interruptions and the new-look India.To reach this level he needed to look around the field and not see any safety nets. Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha male. Now when he stands at the top of his run he is no longer confused over his position. This is Lee’s team as well as Ponting’s.

Pakistan wristspinner Shadab Khan has been fined 20% of his match fee after being found guilty of verbal abuse during the second T20 international against West Indies in Karachi. Shadab’s offence amounted to a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, which also earned him one demerit point.The incident occurred in the ninth over of the West Indies chase, when Shadab dismissed Chadwick Walton. After being taken for 11 runs in his first over by the batsman, Shadab returned to clean him up with a wrong’un off the first ball of his next over. Shadab then followed up by pointing his finger at the departing Walton, and made an inappropriate comment. Shadab, who is Walton’s teammate at Islamabad United, admitted his offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee David Boon.As per the ICC’s code, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, and a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. This is the first time Shadab has been caught breaching the player code. If he accumulates three more demerit points within a 24-month period, it will translate into suspension points that will earn him a one-match ban.Pakistan are presently hosting West Indies in Karachi, and have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-T20I series. The third and final game takes place on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain was pleased to take points from the game, but felt his side could have taken the bonus point too if only his batsmen did not waste the starts they got

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jan-2018Sri Lanka’s bowlers dismissed Zimbabwe for what both captains agreed was a sub-par score, but Dinesh Chandimal felt Sri Lanka’s batsmen could have executed the chase better.His grouse is perhaps with Sri Lanka’s middle-overs stutter, which delayed victory and probably cost Sri Lanka a bonus point. Having been 103 for 1 in the 22nd over, they lost four wickets for 42 runs, and the rate of scoring consequently slowed. There were 52 boundary-less deliveries at one stage in the innings, and a 10-over stretch in which only 31 runs were scored.Chandimal suggested all this could have been avoided, if only set batsmen capitalised on their starts. Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis – whose 70-run stand was the foundation of Sri Lanka’s chase – were out in quick succession for 49 and 36, sparking that mini-collapse.”We are pleased with the win, but we should have played better,” Chandimal said. “The bowlers did their job very well. When batsmen get us a good start, they need to do a slightly better job of finishing the game.”Before we went in to bat, we had a plan to get bonus point before 40th over. But after the 25th over, we changed our minds since it was a tough wicket to bat on. The first aim was to win the game.” A finish before the 40-over mark would have earned Sri Lanka a bonus point.Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer too was critical of his batsmen. Only Brendan Taylor made a fifty following quick top-order wickets, and the tail offered little resistance. Cremer had won the toss and batted first expecting there to be runs in the surface, but his side could not muster a competitive score.”I thought we were 30 runs short with the bat,” Cremer said. “The wicket played a lot different to the last game. I thought we adjusted well when Brendan was in. We thought it was 230 that was par instead of 270. We just lost too many wickets in the middle overs. It didn’t help when Sikander Raza got out. I thought it was a crucial point in the game. If we got 230, we would have a really good chance of winning.”Although at the toss Cremer had expected batting conditions to become worse as the match wore on, he suggested the opposite was true, after the game had ended. Sri Lanka used the bouncer to good effect, with Thisara Perera taking three top-order wickets with short deliveries. Zimbabwe’s quicks had less success with short balls.”With the wicket being a little bit two-paced, I think Sri Lanka saw that quite early, and used [short balls] to their advantage. I think, in the evening, there was a little bit of dew, and it came on to the bat better – not like in the afternoon when it got stuck. We will keep that in mind when we bowl in the next game.”