Tag Futebol

With the European Super League being the talk of the town at the moment, you’d be forgiven for potentially forgetting that there is still the little old matter of a Premier League clash between Leeds United and Liverpool taking place this evening.

The game between two of the giants of English football has been largely overshadowed by the fury and shock of the top-flight’s big six wanting to break away and form their own elite competition.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt have his opinion on the ESL, and it will be intriguing to see what the Argentine has to say either before or after the game tonight.

The Leeds boss also has a couple of crucial conundrums to solve in terms of his team selection, with suspensions and injuries taking its toll.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up for the Premier League tie against Liverpool tonight.

In goal, Illan Meslier will be looking to keep his tenth clean sheet of the season in the top-flight, and become the seventh goalkeeper to get into double digits for the campaign.

The back four will, of course, see one enforced change after Liam Cooper’s sending off against Manchester City last weekend, and in the club captain’s absence, Robin Koch will be the man Bielsa turns to.

Dubbed by former Leeds man Tony Dorigo as a “rock”, the 24-year-old is in line to make his first start for the club since recovering from his knee injury last month.

The midfield could see a couple of alterations, with Tyler Roberts dropping out for Mateusz Klich, and Jack Harrison coming in for the injured Raphinha – the City loanee missed the clash against his parent club due to the terms of his loan deal.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

That should be the only changes Bielsa makes to his starting line-up, with Patrick Bamford set to lead the line once again.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Koch, Alioski; Phillips, Harrison, Dallas, Klich, Costa; Bamford.

Meanwhile, Leeds must start this “under-rated” gem today vs Liverpool…

Manchester City are aware of the release clause in Jack Grealish’s Aston Villa contract. 

That’s according to a recruitment source, as reported by Football Insider, who claim that City have been exploring the costs of a potential summer switch after making the attacking midfielder their top target.

Grealish tells friends he’s keen on City move

The report adds that Pep Guardiola’s side are now laying the groundwork over a deal and are ready to pay a huge fee for the 25-year-old. 

Grealish, who recently told his friends that he would be open to a move to the Etihad, signed a new deal at Villa Park back in September through to 2025. 

It remains to be seen exactly how much Grealish’s release clause is, but it appears to be a bigger fee than the one in his previous contract. 

Transfer Tavern take

With Grealish still having over four years remaining on his contract, we feel Villa are under no pressure to sell at any price below his release clause. 

However, with City now aware of his release clause, you’d expect them to have the financial power to activate a move over the coming months. 

Should Grealish depart, the club would then need to find some proven quality to replace the club captain in the final third, but they would certainly have the funds to do it.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Villa will look to sign two wide forwards over the summer, and if Grealish leaves, they could be needing more than that ahead of the 2021/22 season. 

In other news: Many AVFC fans buzz as Abraham transfer comments come to light, find out more here. 

According to a report by journalist Mike McGrath, writing for the Telegraph, Ligue 1 side Nice are ‘ready to offer’ Tottenham Hotspur mainstay Hugo Lloris a way out of north London this summer – with the World Cup winner having just one full season left on his current deal.

Nice want Hugo Lloris signing

After giving a forthright and honest interview in wake of the Dinamo Zagreb humiliation, revealing he was part of a broken dressing room, Nice’s hopes of bringing their former shot stopper back to France have been raised.

Indeed, McGrath reports that Lloris’ admission after Spurs’ Europa League defeat has encouraged Nice that they could tempt the 34-year-old into a summer move – and they see him as a potential marquee signing from Tottenham.

As a result, they are reportedly ready to offer the international a way out of north London this summer as he is yet to pen an extension on his current Lilywhites deal – which expires in 2022.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho could potentially lose Lloris as Nice attempt to lure him back to France, and it’s safe to stay he won’t want that to happen despite his recently poor run.

Indeed, speaking candidly to the media, Mourinho backed the under-fire goalkeeper just last month amid his bad spell – calling him an ‘amazing, amazing’ number one (Evening Standard).

In other news: Robinson was thrilled by this ‘great news for Spurs’, find out more here.

Leeds United are believed to be one of several clubs interested in signing England under-21s starlet Noni Madueke this summer.

Marcelo Bielsa is expected to be on the lookout for new signings come the end of the season as he aims to build on an impressive first campaign back in the Premier League.

It looks increasingly likely that the Whites will secure a mid-table finish in the top flight, currently sitting 11th in the table with nine matches remaining.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Leeds interested in Madueke move

Reinforcements could arrive all over the pitch, but attacking additions could be particularly key, assuming Rodrigo leaves after a disappointing season at Elland Road.

According to the Evening Standard, Leeds are eyeing up a move for PSV Eindhoven star Madueke, with the 19-year-old scoring seven goals and registering four assists in 19 Eredivisie appearances this season.

Crystal Palace and Bayern Munich are also believed to be interested in signing the teenager, as well as some more of ‘Europe’s elite’ clubs.

Transfer Tavern take

It is always nice to see young English talent head to Leeds and Madueke looks a hugely exciting prospect, considering how much he has shone for PSV at such a young age.

Aidy Boothroyd, his manager at England under-21 level, was effusive in his praise of the teenager, saying: “He’s certainly a very talented young man, really excited to be called up by the Under 21s, and a little bit like Phil [Foden] last time, nobody had really heard of him until he came and played in the tournament.

“They knew a little bit about him but that set him off on a trajectory and we’re hoping Noni can create even more positive attention for the way that they play. He’s got a lovely infectious character that comes out even over the phone.” [via Daily Mail]

The forward would be a long-term addition at Leeds and would be afforded the luxury of working with one of the most respected managers around in Marcelo Bielsa, who hopefully can make this deal happen.

In other news, Leeds are thought to be keen on a move for an attacking player enjoying an excellent season. Find out who it is here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Poucos jogadores tem a titularidade tão pouco incomodada no Botafogo como Luis Ricardo. O lateral-direito, porém, é o único titular da atual equipe alvinegra que ainda não fez gol nesta temporada. Por já ter sido até atacante e, no ano passado, ter feito dois gols, a expectativa sobre o primeiro em 2016 existe. Mas sem pressão.

– Ansiedade, não. Mas gostaria muito que ele viesse (o gol). Fico preocupado em facilitar para os atacantes. O meu gol, se sair, vai sair naturalmente – acredita o camisa 4 do Glorioso.

Aos 32 anos, Luis Ricardo é um dos mais experientes do elenco do Botafogo. Como tal, analisa as quase três semanas de trabalho do técnico Jair Ventura.

– Ele vem implantando o que imagina. O Ricardo Gomes (técnico anterior) tinha um pensamento, o Jair, agora, bota o que pensa, a filosofia dele. Tem usado mais isso. Mas o espírito vencedor é o mesmo de sempre – entende.

RelacionadasBotafogoCanales volta a treinar no Botafogo e Airton é poupado de atividadeBotafogo24/08/2016BotafogoBlog do Mansell: ‘O esquema com três volantes do Botafogo’Botafogo24/08/2016BotafogoBaralho de Jair Ventura dentro do Botafogo tem cada vez mais opçõesBotafogo23/08/2016

Glasgow Rangers are far from happy after the Scottish FA confirmed that Andrew Phillips will take over as the organisation’s new compliance officer.

As the Gers sit top of the Premiership by 15 points (BBC), it is fair to say it has been a fantastic campaign for the Gers so far. However, that does not mean they have not had their problems with the SFA this term – both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe has received bans for challenges made during games, while Jordan Jones and George Edmundson picked up seven-game suspensions for breaking coronavirus regulations towards the end of 2021.

Now, the authority have confirmed Phillips will take over the role previously held by Claire Whyte (scottishfa.co.uk). While little is known about Phillips, it appears he has little background in football – his appointment has therefore gone down like a lead balloon.

The fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the appointment of Phillips below

“The @ScottishFA are an absolute joke!!! I doubt this guy has had any football experience apart from being a fan of a club!!! You have basically appointed a fan to this position who does not know the game!!!”

Credit: @james248602

“Ridiculous appointment. Should have been an ex referee”

Credit: @andythephotoDr

“They’d do well to get rid of the role altogether, what an absolute shambles, but we expect nothing else”

Credit: @DelSmithRFC

“Consider me confused. Should this role not go to someone with a background in football? I mean there’s millions of people in Scotland with a passion for football too.”

Credit: @bferguson4

“Bizarre CV for a footballing role.”

Credit: @RoyalBlue1872

“What part of Parkhead is his Season Ticket for?”

Credit: @Broxburngers

In other news, Rangers fans react to these Steven Gerrard comments.

Dan Kilpatrick, writing for the Evening Standard, has claimed Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho wants his own ‘transformative’ Spurs signing in a defender who can have the same impact in north London as Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool or Ruben Dias at Man City. 

Kilpatrick, dropping this claim, has revealed Mourinho’s desire for a world class asset who can solve the Lilywhites’ woes at the back – with current options Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon apparently making the manager grow frustrated behind the scenes (Evening Standard).

The Tottenham centre-back search

Daniel Levy failed to bring in a star-studded centre half last summer despite a memorable transfer window in general, but they reportedly attempted late talks to sign Serie A colossus Milan Skriniar (Sky Sports) .

Chief scout Steve Hitchen flew to Italy in a bid to negotiate for the Slovakian, but Inter Milan and Tottenham couldn’t come to an agreement on the price tag (Alasdair Gold).

Seven summer signings came through the door during a busy 2020 summer transfer window, with Levy snapping up Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon, Gareth Bale, Carlos Vinicius and Joe Rodon.

However, despite heavily investing, the Lilywhites’ failure to address that concern in central defence appears to be costing them dearly at this moment in time.

Jose Mourinho transfer wish revealed

In this update by Kilpatrick, Mourinho’s desire for a centre-back who can impact Spurs in a similar vain to Van Dijk and Dias has been revealed – but time is running out if he wishes to act on that by the end of this window.

If not, it could be something to watch for in the summer as this claim emerges.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano dropped an update on this ‘interesting’ Tottenham development, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers interim right-back Leon Balogun badly let Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard and his side down on Thursday night despite reaching the Europa League last 16 for the second successive season.

The 32-year-old, who earns a reported £12,500-per-week at Ibrox, was once again called into action on the right-hand side of the defence in the absence of the injured James Tavernier.

After a frenetic start, Balogun endured a difficult opening as he struggled to gain a foothold in the game in the first half, and it was no surprise to see him replaced by Nathan Patterson at the break after being booked for a clumsy challenge.

Writing in his post-match review, The Daily Record’s Gavin Berry gave his performance a low grade of 4/10 and noted the ‘Nigerian international was beaten by Jordan Lukaku for Antwerp equaliser and struggled with a booking that rules him out of last-16.’

As per SofaScore ratings, the veteran defender, who is traditionally a centre-back by trade, was graded as one of Rangers’ worst defenders (6.3) – in fact, only four other players received a lower rating from either side.

Balogun has usually been a colossus at the back for Gerrard’s side this season thus far but against the Belgians, he was uncharacteristically lacklustre and lightweight, winning just five of his duels overall (45%).

He was also rather ineffective in possession, only producing 60% of his 15 attempted passes, while he also lost control of the ball 12 times, that being the most of any defender for Rangers barring Borna Barisic on the opposite flank. For context, Filip Helander, who otherwise endured a frustrating evening against Antwerp, only lost possession three times by comparison.

This also meant that Balogun managed to lose possession once every 2.75 touches, which further emphasises just how anonymous he was throughout the first half.

It’s no wonder, then, that he was the first player to be hooked off at half-time when replaced by Patterson on his return to action.

He was also caught out of position on several occasions as he was dribbled past twice more than any other Rangers defender, including Barisic and Helander, which was well above that of his season’s average of 0.7 times per game since arriving at Ibrox from Wigan Athletic.

The Nigerian let his manager down big time on the night, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ryan Kent was exceptional once again in Rangers win over Royal Antwerp…

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of the sides taking an interest in RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate ahead of the summer when the 21-year-old’s release clause will become active, and he could be the man to finally replace Jan Vertonghen at the North London club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Christian Falk on Twitter, Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool are all interested in the young defender, who will be available for €40 million (£36 million) in the summer.

Spurs’ Vertonghen replacement?

Spurs are arguably yet to replace Vertonghen in their side since the Belgian’s departure in the summer, and Konate could be the man to step up in Jose Mourinho’s side as his long-term replacement.

During his time with Spurs, the former Ajax man would make 315 appearances for the club, contributing 14 goals and seven assists but he lost his place in Mourinho’s side last season and departed on a free transfer after his contract expired, eventually joining Benfica.

Spurs did add Joe Rodon from Swansea City to their side during the summer transfer window but the Welsh international has only recently broken into the first-team and showed his inexperience in the midweek defeat against Liverpool for Sadio Mane’s goal – even if it was a rare blip in an impressive showing.

Konate has struggled with injury issues in the past two seasons but was excellent during the 2018/19 season for Julian Nagelsmann’s side in the Bundesliga, averaging a superb 7.19 rating.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-and-rumours” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, injury latest and more!”]

Even though he has only managed six appearances in the German top-flight this season, his average rating of 6.81 would rate him above all of Spurs’ centre-back options, other than Toby Alderweireld – who has averaged a solid 6.97 rating.

Even though he is only 21, Konate has plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, which is something that the likes of Rodon and Japhet Tanganga cannot offer in this Spurs side.

Former Leipzig coach Ralf Ragnick suggested that Konate was just as good as Dayot Upamecano in 2020, saying when comparing the two:

“There are a few others in Leipzig: I see Ibrahim Konaté on the same level.”

Therefore, the 21-year-old would arrive with a big reputation despite being so young, and if he achieves his obvious potential with Spurs should Daniel Levy deliver him during next summer’s transfer window, then he could be the man to finally replace Vertonghen at the North London club.

And, in other news… “Could be a replacement for Alli” – Exclusive: Pundit tips 23 y/o beast who “scores goals” to join Spurs

It’s a sign of just how far Moussa Sissoko has come in his time at Tottenham, that he’s established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet – outside of course the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

The France international has been a trusted lieutenant of Jose Mourinho this season, completing the full 90 minutes in ten out of the 13 Premier League matches he’s played.

Last time out against Wolves however, he was dropped to the bench – the first time that’s happened in the top-flight since the second game of the season against Southampton. But with Leeds up next on Saturday afternoon, the midfielder surely has to come back in.

Mourinho’s side could only labour to a draw against Wolves, and whilst Sissoko is hardly going to unlock opposition defences with a cute pass like a Tanguy Ndombele, his drive and energy is something that is absolutely priceless to this team.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips said: “He is a superb player – power, pace and travels with the ball really well. He can take the ball in tight situations with his strength. Sissoko is a huge player for Tottenham. He reminds me of Gerrard, a little bit.”

Described as a “real dominant force” by former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown, the £80k-a-week ace looks tailor made for a contest against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, where it’s going to be all about managing the transitions and trying to stop the Yorkshire club breaking away on dangerous counter-attacks.

Ndombele might be the man Spurs look to for a bit of creative inspiration going forward, but the return of Sissoko against an energetic and dynamic Leeds side could be the key to tilting the game in the north London outfit’s favour.