Tag Futebol

When Rafa Benitez was controversially appointed as the new manager of Everton at the beginning of the summer, few would have expected him to begin life in the fashion he has.

The Toffees aren’t only in the top four after the first month of football but they sit level on points with the league leaders Manchester United.

On the chalkboard

Everton have spent a considerable sum of money in the last few years without ever really getting close to the Premier League’s elite.

It is typical, therefore, that after a window where they spent an accumulative £1.7m on five players, they were now well and truly gunning for European football again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has started the season with three goals in three matches but they owe much of their early season form to their two wingers.

Demarai Gray is showing signs of finally living up to his wonderful potential with three strikes in four appearances while Andros Townsend has hit the ground running too.

The left-footed dynamo was simply superb against Burnley on Monday night as he supplied a delicious cross for Michael Keane to head home and then unleashed a quite magnificent long-range effort that flew into the back of the net.

However, they weren’t the only wingers starring at Goodison Park this week.

Magical McNeil

One player that Everton targeted in the summer transfer window was Burnley’s Dwight McNeil.

The 21-year-old was linked with a £25m swoop but the Clarets were able to hold onto him for another campaign.

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the flanker earns a bigger move elsewhere, especially if he stars as he did in Merseyside on Monday evening.

Despite his team losing the match, McNeil completed all five of the dribbles he attempted, while delivering another handful of crosses and playing two key passes.

Per SofaScore, he ranked as the club’s best player during the 90 minutes which is hardly surprising given his exciting style of play.

Dubbed “special” by his teammate Ashley Westwood, this isn’t the first time that the England U21 international has terrorised Everton.

During a 2-1 win for Burnley at Goodison back in March, McNeil was on the score sheet as he gave Mason Holgate a torrid time down the left side.

He completed three dribbles on this occasion, conjured up four key passes and managed another five crosses.

Coincidentally, he also gave them a fright in the 1-1 draw at Turf Moor last December. During that clash, the forward produced a jaw-dropping ten crosses and was successful with another five dribbles.

It appears as though McNeil relishes playing against Everton but he could become one of their own in the January window.

On the evidence he’s provided Toffees supporters with already, they’d surely love to see him in the royal blue once the winter arrives.

Benitez simply has to secure him when the next market opens.

AND in other news, Bye-bye James: Rafa must unleash Everton’s “sensational” rarely-seen 17 y/o this term…

Phil Smith has dropped a claim regarding the circumstances behind Leon Dajaku’s move to Sunderland. 

What’s the talk?

Sunderland reporter Smith has dished out the inside track on Union Berlin’s decision to send Dajaku on loan to the Black Cats.

The journalist has revealed that Union believe the youngster has potential to become a good player and did not send him out on loan due to issue with his quality or attitude.

He told The Roar Podcast, via This is Futbol: “They [Union Berlin] clearly feel that while it hasn’t quite worked out for him there yet, they obviously believe he’s a player of potential and who has future value.

“And from what I’ve heard, I don’t think it was necessarily a form issue or an attitude issue or anything like that from Berlin. It sounds like he just had a difficult time with a couple of niggling injuries. It sounds like he had a little bit of an illness at a bad time as well.

“So I don’t think it was one at all where they’re looking to rush him out the door. They think he’s a good player with a potential value, but they also just feel it is probably best for him to go somewhere where he might get regular minutes.”

Excitement

Sunderland fans will surely be excited by these claims from Smith. It shows that Union have not shipped him out to England because they do not think he is good enough, but rather that they believe that he has the potential to grow into a top player and needs the regular minutes which they cannot provide him in the Bundesliga.

The 20-year-old has made six appearances in the German top flight, with two apiece for Stuttgart, Bayern Munich and Union. This highlights the potential each of those clubs have seen in him, particularly at Bayern given their size and stature in the country.

Upon Dajaku’s arrival at the Stadium of Light, Johnson hailed him as a ‘top prospect’ and added that his attitude is exactly what he wants to see at the club.

The manager said: “Leon is a really interesting player – he’s a top prospect with good ability, agility and quality – so we are looking forward to adding him to the squad and working with him. He’s a hungry player that has shown a strong attitude and desire to come to Sunderland and grow with us, which is exactly what we want.”

This is why Sunderland fans should be excited by Union’s reasoning behind the loan deal for the £1.6m-rated forward. They seemingly expect him to enjoy a strong season in England to help him fulfil his potential, which could delight Black Cats fans who can now look forward to seeing him display his talents in League One.

Bringing in a promising young player who has already played top-flight football for Bayern is an excellent piece of business on paper for the Wearside club. It is now up to Dajaku to live up to the excitement and anticipation around him in the coming weeks.

In other news, Sunderland avoided key deadline day howler after update on “dangerous” gem

According to Sky Sports News reporter and Sunderland fan Tom White (via The Sunderland Echo), the Black Cats are in talks to sign Arsenal’s Ryan Alebiosu on loan.

The Lowdown: Positive start to the new season

The Stadium of Light outfit have started the season positively. Of the six games they have played this term, they have won five and lost one (Sky Sports).

Lee Johnson and co have been busy in the transfer market, bringing in seven new players (Transfermarkt), and it seems they may not be done yet.

The Latest: Sunderland eye Alebiosu

As per White, Sunderland are in talks to bring in Alebiosu from the Gunners.

Speaking to Roker Report (via Sunderland Echo), he revealed the deal is not at an advanced stage, saying:

“We are in for a player from Arsenal called Ryan Alebiosu. Never seen him play, hadn’t heard of him until someone told me about him. We’re in for him but at this stage it’s only in talks. He’s a full-back, don’t even know if he’s right or left.”

The Verdict: Unknown quantity

As White says, Alebiosu is something of an unknown quantity. The 19-year-old is yet to make a single first-team appearance for the London outfit, although he has turned out 46 times for the Premier League’s side’s youth sides. A right-back, he has also played at left-back on occasion according to Transfermarkt.

It is unclear whether Johnson is looking to capture the teenager to become a starter or long-term project, but his experience with a club at the highest level could come in handy as Sunderland look to earn promotion to the Championship. It remains to be seen whether the Black Cats get a deal over the line.

In other news, Sunderland fans were livid with this former player’s interview.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer believes a deal for Ryan Kent is one that could easily get done following Rangers’ elimination from the Champions League.

As reported by The Athletic, Kent has been of interest to Leeds for a while and it could now be easier to get him out of Ibrox after his side’s Champions League setback.

The Rangers winger is yet to really take off this season but was thoroughly impressive last term as he helped Steven Gerrard’s men to the title.

He scored eight goals and produced seven assists in the Gers’ regular Scottish Premiership campaign, providing a serious threat down the left flank.

On Leeds’ chances of signing the 24-year-old winger before the transfer window closes, Palmer told FFC:

“I think the noises coming out of Rangers now… even Steven Gerrard himself has said Rangers going out of the Champions League is a huge financial loss for them. So, you know, I think he’s accepted that he may lose one or two of his better players.

“I think it’s basically the numbers game now. If Leeds can come back with the right numbers for Ryan, I think that’s a deal that could quite easily get done.”

Given their long-term interest and the predicament Rangers are in following their Champions League exit, it probably would not be a shock to see Leeds make a bid for Kent before the transfer window closes.

According to a report by HommeDuMatch.fr, Tottenham Hotspur have tabled a bid to sign Sheffield United star Sander Berge and The Blades have already replied.

The Lowdown: Spurs in centre-midfield tussle?

The future of club record signing Tanguy Ndombele has been plunged back in doubt over recent days according to reports, with Daily Star reporter Paul Brown believing that he is again unsettled.

As such, Spurs are apparently weighing moves for centre midfield additions and have targets in mind – which include the likes of Joao Palhinha, Corentin Tolisso and Denis Zakaria (Daily Star).

Now, HommeDuMatch bring news of another target for Spurs with an offer now made.

The Latest: Spurs table Berge bid…

The news outlet claims Tottenham have now tabled a bid to sign Norway international Berge this summer – with the player’s current club Sheffield United already responding.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-gossip/” title=”Tottenham latest gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It is believed that the 23-year-old is ‘eager to leave’ Bramall Lane after their relegation from the Premier League and Spurs have become the latest club to try and offer him an escape route.

Indeed, the Lilywhites have apparently offered United  €20 million (£16.9m) for Berge’s services but that won’t be enough.

Slaviša Jokanović’s side are holding firm and have rejected Tottenham’s bid as they hold out for ‘no less’ than €25m (£21.7m).

The Verdict: Good option?

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse certainly stands out as a physical presence and one who has impressed in the English top flight before, with ex-Blades boss Chris Wilder lauding him as a ‘unique’ player (VG via CaughtOffside).

However, the midfield dynamo also suffered through his fair share of injury problems over 2020/2021 and missed a worrying total of 21 games due to surgery (Transfermarkt) – meaning it could be a gamble to pay over the odds.

Other targets like Palhinha, who played consistently last season whilst averaging more tackles per 90 than any Spurs player (WhoScored), arguably stand out as more priority targets.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Fantastic’…Sky Sports pundit blown away by ‘huge’ claim involving Spurs, find out more here.

Liverpool are reportedly lining up a move for Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to replace the departed Xherdan Shaqiri.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Il Secolo XIX (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO), the Reds sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old in Sampdoria’s curtain-raising encounter with AC Milan.

The report claims that the Reds hoping to complete a deal for Damsgaard and are plotting a ‘decisive assault’ at the prime time to strike a deal, meaning a move to Anfield could be on the cards before the current window concludes.

Jurgen Klopp needs him

Damsgaard rose to major prominence over the summer after starring for Denmark in the European Championship, scoring two goals and providing an assist in five appearances for Kasper Hjulmand’s charges, playing a pivotal part in his nation’s run to the semi-finals of the tournament.

His standout displays have seen the youngster linked to a host of the Premier League’s top clubs in recent weeks, despite him only arriving in Serie A 12 months ago in a £6.08m deal.

The creative talent is a product of the famed Nordsjaelland academy and showed his potential for Sampdoria last term, bagging two goals and providing four assists in 35 top-flight appearances as he settled into life on Italian shores.

Damsgaard also managed 1.5 dribbles per league game, the highest tally amongst his teammates, and played a key role in Sampdoria’s shock 2-1 victory over eventual champions Inter back in January, leading to TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen hailing his compatriot.

“He’s magical – what speed! He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions,” Mikkelsen claimed, and Damsgaard has gone from strength to strength ever since.

With Shaqiri joining Ligue 1 giants Lyon, Klopp now has room in his squad for an extra overseas player and should have the required funds to finance a move for the £18m-rated Scandinavian wizard.

It remains to be seen whether a formal offer for Damsgaard occurs before August 31st, but his potential arrival would address a weakness in Liverpool’s first-team squad, one that Klopp needs to address in order to give his side the best chance of fighting on multiple fronts this season.

And, in other news…Liverpool receive boost in pursuit of “incredible” 23-y/o gem, Klopp would love him 

Tottenham Hotspur have now confirmed another exit from N17 in a social media announcement, with youngster Dennis Cirkin completing a move to League One giants Sunderland.

The Lowdown: Cirkin refuses new deal…

The 19-year-old, who was allegedly offered a new deal at Spurs, turned down the opportunity to sign fresh terms – leading to The Black Cats taking a firm interest.

Football Insider broke news of Sunderland’s advances to sign the teenager from Tottenham and that was swiftly reiterated by other reliable sources, with journalist Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic backing the move to go through (Twitter).

Cirkin, as per Football Insider, was reportedly having his Wearside medical on Tuesday after Spurs accepted a six-figure bid.

The Latest: Spurs confirm another departure…

Amid the plethora of outgoings at Tottenham, with Joe Hart, Juan Foyth, Erik Lamela, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga all having left the club permanently (Transfermarkt), Cirkin has now joined them.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-gossip/” title=”Tottenham latest gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It has now been confirmed by the Lilywhites as they drop a social media announcement and send a farewell message to the defender.

“We have reached agreement with Sunderland AFC for the transfer of Dennis Cirkin,” Tottenham stated on Twitter.

“Good luck, @DCirkin3.”

The Verdict: Loss for Spurs…

Cirkin’s move to Sunderland will come as disappointing for a fair few Spurs supporters who wanted to see him grow as another one of Tottenham’s shining academy products.

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was among the first to notice his skills upon arriving in north London, saying the youngster had ‘a lot of quality’ way back in November 2019.

Time will tell if Cirkin could turn out to be the one who got away – it is not yet clear whether there is a buy-back clause of some sort in the deal.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Fantastic’…Sky Sports pundit blown away by ‘huge’ claim involving Spurs, find out more here.

Dileep Premachandran recaps the Plays of the day from the first day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle

Dileep Premachandran in Galle 31-Jul-2008
Prasanna Jayawardene dropped Gautam Gambhir early in India’s innings, but he was not so generous to Sourav Ganguly © AFP
Whose catch is it anyway?
India had just 30 on the board when Gautam Gambhir edged a drive off Nuwan Kulasekara. The ball was heading straight to Kumar Sangakkara at first slip when Prasanna Jayawardene dived across to try and take it. Not only did he fail to get his gloves to the ball, he also appeared to put off Sangakkara, who couldn’t hold on to the chance. Gambhir went on to add a further 43, and India another 137 before they lost their first wicket.No backward step
Few batsmen had the confidence to take on Ajantha Mendis in Colombo, but Virender Sehwag has no respect for reputations. The ninth ball that Mendis bowled today was an off break, and Sehwag stepped out of his crease to swung it a long way over midwicket. Gears changed, he then raced to an 87-ball century.Playing yourself in. What’s that?
After being off the ground for more than four hours, some batsmen would have opted to ease themselves back into some sort of rhythm. Not Sehwag. When Chaminda Vaas dropped one in his hitting zone outside off stump, he clubbed it a huge distance over midwicket for six. Three balls later, a booming drive down the ground took him to his 15th Test hundred.Full stretch
Sourav Ganguly opened the face of his bat to a delivery from Vaas which seamed away from him. The ball took the outside edge and Prasanna Jayawardene dived full length to his left to take a one-handed catch to make up for his error in the Gambhir drop. It was Sri Lanka’s fourth wicket in 20 balls and the 151-run first session was just a bad memory.Taking a walk
Law 32 – 3(e) states that a batsman is out if “a fielder catches the ball after it has touched an umpire, another fielder or the other batsman. However, it is not a fair catch if the ball has touched a protective helmet worn by a fielder, although the ball remains in play.” When Rahul Dravid inside-edged one to forward short leg, he perhaps didn’t see that Malinda Warnapura had held on to the chance only after he had first deflected the ball on to his helmet. The umpire wasn’t required to make a decision either, because Dravid, who had just passed Sunil Gavaskar in the all-time runs table, walked.Ban Aacism
These days, it’s obligatory for the giant screens at stadium to display warnings asking spectators to refrain from what Matthew Hayden memorably called racial vilification. In Galle, the intent was certainly there, but a few in the crowd might have been mystified to learn that they were being asked not to indulge in “Aacist chanting.”

Jack Birkenshaw has been named Mark Lane’s deputy as England women’s assistant coach, a post he will hold until July 2009. Birkenshaw, the former England spinner and head coach at Leicestershire, will work with Lane on a permanent basis having helped steer them to an historic Ashes win in Australia in February.He brings huge experience to the women’s game, having played for Test cricket as well as representing Leicestershire, Worcestershire and his native Yorkshire. He will assist in all areas of coaching, but with a specific focus on England’s spinners once more.He is looking forward to his latest challenge. “I enjoyed coaching the England women over the winter, and many of the players are making great progress,” he said. “I am very proud to be part of their recent success and am sure we can get even better this summer. They are a great group to work with and are very talented cricketers”.Clare Connor, the ECB’s head of women’s cricket, added: “To attract someone of Jack’s calibre is an absolute coup for the women’s game. We are all delighted to welcome Jack on board and confident that, with Mark, this is the coaching team to bring Charlotte Edwards and her squad even more success in the next 12 months. Whilst we have always used many specialist coaches with our elite players, we have never had an assistant coach working with the players on a weekly basis and to tour with them.” Even though England had an assistant coach this winter, this was only under a temporary contract.Connor also confirmed to Cricinfo the obligations of Vince Wells, who was forced to pull out of the Australasia tour because of personal reasons. “Vince Wells’ role this summer is to coach the Emeralds in our Super 4s competition,” Connor said. “He will then be used by Mark as one of the four coaches who work with the players at England training camps throughout the winter. “Birkenshaw joins in time for the five-ODI series against South Africa, which starts on August 6 and includes a match at Lord’s on August 8. England also host India this summer.

Derby County boss Wayne Rooney has spoken out on rumoured interest in some of his key players, in a recent interview (quotes sourced from Derbyshire Live).

What’s the story?

Derby County haven’t had the best preparation for the upcoming Championship campaign, with the Rams having a number of players on trial with the club this summer during pre-season.

But they’ve been unable to sign any of those players up until now, with the club being under a transfer embargo. However, the eFL have since made exceptional circumstances for Wayne Rooney’s side, as they’re considerably light on options at this moment in time.

That lack of squad depth hasn’t stopped some of Rooney’s key players being linked with summer departures though, with Lee Buchanan emerging on Nottingham Forest’s radar, whilst Nathan Byrne is reportedly being targeted by Celtic.

‘The two most important players’

Rooney has since poured cold water on any rumours of Byrne or Buchanan heading for the exit door anytime soon though, with the Derby boss revealing that they’re the two most important players in his team with the style he’s trying to implement.

“None of my players are going anywhere. Obviously, we haven’t got enough players as it is.

“The way we are trying to play, they are the two most important players on the pitch, so none of my players will be leaving the club this transfer window unless it is to benefit them, whether it is a loan, but that can only happen if we are allowed to bring players in.”

Byrne caught the eye with some strong displays for Derby in the 2020/21 season, in what was his first year with the club, having arrived from Wigan Athletic in September 2020.

The full-back had an average Whoscored rating of 6.81, which put him fifth in the list of Derby County’s best performers from a forgetful campaign last term.

Whilst Buchanan has been with Derby since 2010, and the club’s supporters will have been eager to see him stick around for the foreseeable future, and to not even entertain any interest from rivals Nottingham Forest anytime soon.

At the age of 20, he’s likely to still have his best years ahead of him, especially if the early stages of his development in senior football are anything to go by recently.

It’s been a worrying summer for Derby’s supporters, as they’ve seen their side struggle for numbers heading into matches, let alone having to even think about the quality of the players involved.

So, to hear that Rooney is looking to keep both Byrne and Buchanan this summer will be pleasing to hear for the Pride Park faithful, especially if they’ve got any ambitions of avoiding relegation into the third-tier of English football this term.