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Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing up a transfer move to sign Seko Fofana.

The Lowdown: Fofana breakthrough

Fofana is having somewhat of a breakthrough season at Lens, winning Ligue 1’s Player of the Month Award (POTM) in September, ahead of star names like PSG trio Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Given his six-foot-one stature, the fact that he plays for Ivory Coast at international level and the position that he plays in, the central midfield player has drawn comparisons to Manchester City and Premier League legend Yaya Toure, who of course won the league three times during his time at the Etihad Stadium.

If Fofana ends up moving to St. James’ Park, he will be hoping to emulate one of the league’s and his country’s best ever players.

The Latest: Fofana eyed

As per Foot Mercato, the North East club ‘continue to observe his performances’, along with Marseille, AC Milan and Atalanta.

However, Lens do not need money at this moment in time, and ‘should politely refuse’ any offers that come in for him in the January transfer window, unless ‘huge’ cash is brought onto the table.

The Verdict: Get him in

Eddie Howe needs players that will work tirelessly for him on the pitch in order for the Tyneside outfit to escape relegation from the top flight down to the Championship.

Fofana is exactly that type of player, given that he has run the fourth-most kilometres out of any player in Ligue 1 so far this season, racking up 143.5km in 13 games (Foot Mercato), which averages out at over 11km per match.

Having been sold by Man City’s Academy earlier on his career, he will also have a point to prove in England, and will no doubt be hungry for success.

Nonetheless, he would certainly be an upgrade on the Magpies’ current options in the middle of the park, scoring more goals and averaging more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

In other news, find out which ‘top professional’ Magpies have made a proposal for here!

Steven Gerrard took charge of his first Premier League game yesterday with Aston Villa and put in a fantastic attacking performance to beat Graham Potter’s Brighton in a 2-0 win.

Villa broke down Brighton’s well-regimented system in the final ten minutes of the game, with forward Ollie Watkins scoring in the 84th minute and captain Tyrone Mings killing the game in the 89th minute to take the first win in five for the side.

One player that put in a fantastic performance for his team was 20 year old, Jacob Ramsey.

The 15k-per-week midfielder started in the lineup for Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon and was praised for his performance by Ian Wright, who claimed to be ‘excited’ about the youngster on Match Of The Day.

“I’m quite excited about [Jacob] Ramsey, with Gerrard and Gary McAllister there, what he’s going to become, I really am excited by that,” Wright said.

Former legendary Liverpool midfielder, Steven Gerrard has obviously seen a spark in Ramsey by adding him into his starting lineup in his first game managing the side.

Gerrard will be looking for players he can develop and establish when creating a new era at Aston Villa, and for a midfielder like Ramsey, working under a legend and pro in his position is the ideal scenario to help him become the next big thing for the club.

Former Villa manager, Dean Smith, famously developed and nurtured the talents of £100m Manchester City player, Jack Grealish, taking him from a teenager in the Championship to an England international who has become a household name.

There is no reason why Gerrard wouldn’t be inspired by the successful development and influence his predecessor had on players like Grealish. With his current crop of players and the right coaching and development of Ramsey, he could become the new manager’s very own Grealish.

Villa are currently in a battle to climb the league table after a shaky start in their Premier League season so far, that saw Dean Smith sacked just before the international break after five consecutive losses.

Gerrard was appointed to steady the ship and secure points for the side to stop them from falling too far into a relegation battle, and with a three-pointer on Saturday, he’s on the right path.

In other news: Gerrard could target Curtis Jones in January

MatériaMais Notícias

Foram seis dias de treino abertos para a imprensa até que, a partir desta quinta-feira, Dorival Júnior começa a trabalhar o São Paulo sem a presença dos jornalistas no CT da Barra Funda. Mas já é possível prever como deve ser o time que enfrentará a Ponte Preta, neste sábado, no Morumbi, e o que o técnico ganhou nesse período de parada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

A equipe não entra em campo desde a derrota por 4 a 2 para o Palmeiras, no dia 27 de agosto, e volta a jogar estando na penúltima colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro, com 23 pontos, e com a péssima estatística de ter ficado na zona de rebaixamento em dez das 22 rodadas já disputadas. Pensando nisso, o técnico aproveitou o tempo livre para testar mudanças.

Até agora, a imprensa só não pôde acompanhar o jogo-treino contra o Black Gold Oil, dos EUA, na manhã de sábado, quando Dorival usou um time predominantemente de reservas e venceu por 6 a 1. Para a partida contra a Macaca, ele não contará com Arboleda, suspenso, e deve colocar Cueva, em má fase, no banco. Mas, apesar de estar convicto no uso do 4-1-4-1, trabalhou pensando em outros tipos de variações para fazer a equipe deslanchar.

Confira todos os testes realizados por Dorival Júnior diante da imprensa desde a semana passada:

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The wheels haven’t quite come off for Pakistan, but the nuts have certainly been loosened and the main aim is to continue to regain some lost pride

Cricinfo staff11-Aug-2009Match factsWednesday August 12, 2009
Start time 19.00 (01.30 GMT)Big PictureShahid Afridi would be keen to begin his reign on a winning note•AFPSri Lanka’s famously unorthodox outfit were unstoppable at the World Twenty20 in June until they ran into a fired-up Pakistan in the final. Since then, Kumar Sangakkara’s men have shown their superiority over Pakistan in the Tests and one-dayers. So a win in the Wednesday’s Twenty20 will be revenge as well as icing on the cake.Both sides are missing key players from their World Twenty20 campaigns: Tillakaratne Dilshan, the most inventive and effective of Sri Lanka’s batsmen in England, is injured, as is fast bowler Umar Gul, whose reverse-swing confounded Pakistan’s opponents. Pakistan will miss the services of Abdul Razzaq too. Also, the form of two of Sri Lanka’s bowling stars, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga, has nosedived alarmingly.Batting has been Pakistan’s weakness on this tour but when it comes to Twenty20s, they are bursting with firepower. The emergence of Umar Akmal and the return of Nasir Jamshed and Imran Nazir gives their new captain, Shahid Afridi, plenty of big-hitters to choose from.Despite defeats in the Tests and the first three ODIs, Pakistan will be confident after pulling off two straight one-day wins, particularly because of the dramatic failure of Sri Lanka’s batting in those games.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka – LWWWW
Pakistan – WWWWLWatch out for…Shahid Afridi will have a lot to live up to following the World Twenty20 triumph, and the entire focus will be on how he handles the captaincy. Having scored fifties in his last two games, he will be looking to repeat his Man-of-the-Match performance in the World Twenty20 final in England.Pakistan’s smash hits: Umar Akmal showed what a destructive force he could be, smashing 102 off 72 balls in the fourth ODI in Colombo. He is very nearly a lookalike of his brother Kamran, and the two will look to make merry in the shortest format. With big-hitter Nazir also in contention, a breezy start for Pakistan is all but ensured.The Sri Lanka pace duo of Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara may have other plans, though. While Kulasekara topped the bowling charts in the three Tests with 17 wickets at 15.05, Thushara had the biggest haul in the ODIs with nine from four matches at 20.22. The hosts will look for an encore from the two Man of the Series respectively.Team newsThe vacancy created by Younis should be filled by Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf standing an outside chance to make his Twenty20 comeback. Nazir should walk into the opening role, given Shahzaib Hasan, who opened in World Twenty20, has not been picked in the squad. Naved-ul-Hasan and Iftikhar Anjum should make up for the absence of Gul and Razzaq.Pakistan: (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Iftikhar Anjum.The fifth bowler’s slot remained a worry for Sri Lanka during their defeats in the ODIs. With left-arm medium-pacer Isuru Udana in the mix, the problem should be sorted out with either Malinga Bandara or Ajantha Mendis making way. It will also be interesting to see whether the opening combination of Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga is tinkered with, to draft in the new inclusion, Mahela Udawatte.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thilina Kandamby, 8 Muttiah Muralitharan, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Isuru Udana/Malinga Bandara/Ajantha Mendis, 11 Nuwan Kulasekara.Weather and conditionsThe forecast of scattered thunderstorms is similar to the fifth ODI where there wasn’t a drop of rain. The venue is the same so expect the side winning the toss to bat. Chasing under lights has always been very difficult at the Premadasa.Stats & trivia Shahid Afridi, at 5.74 an over, is one of only four bowlers who have played 10 Twenty20 internationals or more and have maintained an economy-rate of less than six. The other three are also in Sri Lanka currently: Ajantha Mendis, Umar Gul and Daniel Vettori. Shoaib Malik, with 527 runs, is third on the all-time run-getters’ list in Twenty20 internationals. He is set to overtake No. 2 Kevin Pietersen (529) while Brendon McCullum has a healthy lead with 689 runs.

MatériaMais Notícias

O discurso adotado pelo Corinthians após o título paulista tem sido seguido até agora: “melhor do que contratar é não perder algum jogador neste ano”, acostumou-se a dizer Fábio Carille. Desde a conquista do campeonato estadual, o único reforço foi o atacante Clayson, que estava na Ponte Preta.

O Corinthians até chegou a mirar a contratações de alguns jogadores, como o zagueiro Anderson Martins, o lateral-direito Cicinho e o atacante William Pottker. As negociações não tiveram desfecho positivo, mas o Timão não tem sentido falta.

A busca por um defensor, inclusive, foi intensificada após a lesão de Pablo. O Corinthians negociou com o Botafogo para contratar Emerson Santos, mas o zagueiro está mais perto do rival Palmeiras.

Agora, nem para essa posição o Corinthians tem pressa para contratar. Pablo deve voltar a ficar à disposição no começo de setembro, e Vilson segue sem prazo, mas trabalhou com bola em campo na semana passada.

Com apenas três zagueiros disponíveis atualmente, a comissão técnica sabe que o volante Paulo Roberto pode jogar improvisado no setor. O jogador, aliás, já atuou na lateral direita quando Fagner estava com a Seleção Brasileira e Léo Príncipe lesionado. Ele foi mais uma prova de que o elenco tem dado conta em 2017.

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Corinthians

Rob Newman has finally started his new role as West Ham’s head of recruitment and an exciting claim has emerged from behind-the-scenes at Rush Green…

What’s the word?

ExWHUemployee told ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast this week that the former Manchester City talent-spotter is effectively replacing David Sullivan when it comes to transfers, whilst the 57-year-old is already getting to work around the east London club.

“He has already started watching the academy under 23s and under 18s games, so he’s already started to get involved as such with West Ham before resuming his full-time role with us.

“It will be interesting to see what an impact he has because potentially this summer window was the last time David Sullivan would be the head of recruitment, so to speak, and Rob Newman is very highly rated.

“Apparently he speaks a number of languages quite fluently. [He ]did a very good job at Man City – he is highly rated at that level. In terms of new signings, of course they were going to wait until he was in and make sure he is on board before they start to sign people.”

An encouraging sign

This latest development from Ex should leave plenty around the London Stadium absolutely buzzing as it seems as if there are exciting times ahead.

Newman was heavily involved in City’s recruitment over the years, having first joined them in 2008.

During his time there, he was partly responsible for finding young talent that had the potential of being sold for much more later down the line.

For example, he helped spot the likes of Brahim Diaz, Angelino and Pablo Maffeo, who were signed for a combined £200k. They were all sold for a combined total of £40m, as per The Athletic.

The former Norwich City defender also helped secure Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018.

This is something that Moyes wants to make happen at West Ham and Newman’s arrival will help the Scotsman do that tenfold.

The Irons have often been too reliant on Sullivan and his ‘preferred’ agents, such as Will Salthouse who has no fewer than six first-teamers on his books, but this move largely puts a stop to that.

“I want to get us a state-of-the-art recruitment department for the future which we can look to use,” Moyes said shortly before last year’s January transfer window. “We are undoubtedly behind, I would argue, probably every other club in that area. But it’s something I will fix, it’s something I want to get in place better.”

Again, Newman’s arrival helps this. And he’s already attending the club’s youth matches to get involved early and spot where they may need additions or even see who could be the next Declan Rice.

Now that he’s through the door, proper preparations for the winter transfer window can begin and after signing players like Kurt Zouma, Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek in recent windows, it is certainly an encouraging time to be a Hammers fan.

The London Stadium faithful must be buzzing by this latest claim.

AND in other news, West Ham source reveals worrying Rush Green development, it’ll leave fans furious…

JP Duminy, the South Africa batsman, has admitted he is still pinching himself to make sure he has been bought by an IPL franchise for US$ 950,000, and says he is now looking forward to pick up some tips this month from Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya, his Mumbai Indians team-mates, who he looked up to as a young boy.The IPL opens on April 18 in Cape Town’s Newlands, Duminy’s home ground, with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. And Duminy, who will turn 25 four days before the tournament starts, knows he could possibly become the first South African player to take the field for the Indian Twenty20 league in South Africa.”It’s very exciting to know that,” Duminy told Cricinfo. “It’s just such a rush though; we play our last one-day game against Australia on April 17 and the next day I play for Mumbai Indians. It would have been a lot better if there was time to mingle with the guys before, just to know everybody. But unfortunately the circumstances won’t allow that, so I have to get into it as soon as possible.”However, Duminy says that the experience of sharing dressing rooms with some of the greatest players of this era will be unforgettable. “I am really looking forward to playing with those players, the likes of Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya,” he said. “I looked up to them as a young boy and to be playing alongside them is a great honour. I am definitely going to try and learn as much as I can from them and get to know them as well as I can.”In fact, Duminy feels that the IPL would be a defining experience not just for the international players involved in it but also for junior cricketers in South Africa who will be watching it. “It will be a big step for the young guys and I am sure it will be a good learning curve for everyone,” he said. “For a lot of youngsters, their heroes are playing in IPL and to be able to watch them live at some of the venues is going to be a great experience.”Duminy admits with an embarrassed laugh, though, that he hasn’t yet got used to the price tag placed on him by Mumbai Indians, the richest IPL franchise, at the players’ auction in February. “It’s just about sinking in,” he said. “I am still pinching myself just to make sure that I am serious about it, and realising what has actually happened. It’s lovely to be able to earn such a lot of money, and hopefully I can put it to good use and hope it works right for me.”Asked to assess the pitch and weather conditions in Newlands, where IPL plays out its first week, Duminy says the ground could throw up some big scores, but only if the weather permits. “The pitch has been really good of late but normally in May we get into the winter months,” he said. “It could be a little bit cold at night and we might get some rain too. But it’s going to be a great experience for me to try and perform in front of the home crowd.”But will the 36-day IPL, which has been tagged as an Indian domestic competition, attract enough crowds in South Africa? “Definitely, on weekends we are going to get good crowds in,” he said. “I am not too sure about the weekdays. But there has been a keen interest in the IPL around the country and I am sure that even if people don’t come to the ground they will be watching it on TV.”Duminy made his international debut in 2004 but hit the headlines on his Test debut last December with an unbeaten half-century to help AB de Villiers guide South Africa past Australia in Perth. In the next Test in Melbourne, he hit a stunning 166, adding 180 with Dale Steyn, to help South Africa clinch a historic series win.It was a timely performance which got him the prized IPL ticket in the auction that immediately followed. However, he has since returned scores of 13, 16, 17, 29, 73 not out, 17 and 7 in the subsequent four Tests, of which the last three were in South Africa. “Yes, it hasn’t gone according to plan,” Duminy said. “Especially, in this return series in South Africa (which Australia won 2-1). It’s not a huge worry though because I am still feeling fairly confident. Hopefully, if the one-day series can go well for me, I can take a bit of confidence going into the IPL.”

علق أحمد حسام ميدو المدير الفني السابق لوادي دجلة، على امتناع سيد عبد الحفيظ مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي عن دخول الممر الشرفي الذي نظمه الزمالك أثناء مراسم تسليم الميداليات الفضية في نهائي كأس مصر.

وامتنع سيد عبد الحفيظ عن مصافحة مرتضى منصور رئيس الزمالك أو دخول الممر الشرفي بعد خسارة الأهلي بهدفين مقابل هدف يوم الخميس الماضي.

طالع أيضًا.. فيريرا: شيء واحد لا أرغب به مع الزمالك.. ولدينا من يعوّض رحيل بن شرقي

وقال ميدو خلال حديثه ببرنامج “الريمونتادا” المذاع على قناة “المحور”: “الممر الشرفي هذا ليس بروتوكول معروف في مصر، لذلك لا نعتاد عليه”.

وأضاف: “شاهدت تصريحات سيد عبد الحفيظ بعد مباراة الأهلي والجونة، وأحييه لأنه (راجل جدع)، لا يوجد شخص يقبل الإهانة من أي أحد”.

وواصل: “أنا مع سيد عبد الحفيظ مليون في المائة، لا تتقبل الإهانة، ولكن كنت أتمنى أن يحترم البروتوكول الذي أقره اتحاد الكرة وأرسله للناديين أن الفريق الذي يخسر ينظم ممرًا شرفيًا للآخر بعد نهائي كأس مصر”.

وتابع: “نحن كلاعبين كرة قدم لا نقبل إهانتك، ولكن هذا الممر الشرفي نادي الزمالك هو الذي نظمه لك، واحترامًا لتاريخك وللعلاقة الطيبة بين الناديين التي قام البعض بتشويهها للأسف في السنوات الأخيرة”.

وأردف: “كان على سيد عبد الحفيظ أن يسير داخل الممر الشرفي ولا يخرج منه ولا يصافح مرتضى منصور، ولا يوجد مدير كرة يفعل ما فعله”.

واستأنف: “أنا مع سيد عبد الحفيظ قلبًا وقالبًا، لا أحد يقبل الإهانة ولن تكون رجلًا إذا تقبلتها، ولكن هذا ليس له علاقة بالممر الشرفي الذي أقره اتحاد الكرة، ومشكلتك مع مرتضى منصور ليس لها علاقة”.

وتابع: “لا يوجد أحد طلب منك أن تتقبل الخسارة، هناك فرق بين تقبلك الخسارة وبين أن تكون خاسرًا سيئا، الزمالك فاز على الأهلي كرة قدم داخل الملعب، لكن ما فعلته أنت برفضك دخول الممر الشرفي يثبت أنك خاسر سيء”.

واختتم: “لو كنت مكانك يا سيد لدخلت الممر وصافحت لاعبي الزمالك وقلت لكل واحد منهم مبروك ولكن سنفوز بالدوري”.

Liverpool are reportedly in the running to sign RB Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his forward line.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet BILD (as relayed by The Mirror), the Reds are one of three European heavyweights keen to secure the highly-rated 19-year-old’s services.

The report states that Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also eyeing a move for Adeyemi, while Salzburg are believed to have placed a £17 million price tag on their prized asset.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

With Xherdan Shaqiri departing Anfield over the summer and Divock Origi continuing to be linked with a move away from Merseyside, Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new attacker.

The German tactician was unable to lure one to Liverpool in the recently concluded window, meaning he may make a move either in January or 12 months’ time.

And Adeyemi could be the ideal signing for the 19-time English champions. Klopp has a history of purchasing players from the Red Bull system due to their preferred style of play matching his.

The likes of Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate and Takumi Minamino have all departed a Red Bull affiliated club to join Klopp at Anfield as their pressing system is similar is the 54-year-old’s unique gegenpressing setup.

Therefore, the Liverpool boss would surely love to snap up Adeyemi, signing a ready-made replacement for Origi and competition for the likes of Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.

Last season the teenage talent bagged nine goals and provided a further 11 assists in 39 appearances as he helped his side secure a domestic double, and he’s started the current campaign in blistering fashion.

The 5 ft 10 dynamo has already notched up an incredible seven goals and one assist in his first nine outings in 2021/22 before he scored on his international debut for Germany against Armenia.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool’s director of football makes a formal offer for Adeyemi in the coming months, but Klopp will surely be hoping a deal can be done for his compatriot.

And, in other news…Liverpool suffer injury blow pre-Leeds United, Jurgen Klopp will be gutted 

Bruno Lage has had a difficult start to life at Wolverhampton Wanderers with his side winning just twice in all competitions since he took charge.

This was never going to be an overnight fix for the Portuguese but Wolves need to start picking up points and scoring goals sooner rather than later.

They have found the net just once via their own player in the league and they have only picked up three points so far.

However, they have an ideal opportunity to start finding some momentum against a Southampton side who have also endured mixed fortunes.

Wolves played well against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup a few days ago, holding them to a 2-2 draw before losing on penalties.

However, they should take a great deal of confidence from that, especially after their fringe players shone. With that in mind, will any of them make the starting XI on Sunday?

Here’s what we’re predicting…

We are tipping Lage to make seven changes from the team that lost to Spurs a few days ago.

Jose Sa resumes his duty in goal against the Saints after he was displaced by cup ‘keeper John Ruddy against Tottenham.

Yerson Mosquera and Rayan Ait-Nouri have been ruled out with injuries so Conor Coady comes back into the team while Marcal is brought back at left wing-back.

There is an alteration on the right as well where the dynamic Nelson Semedo replaces Ki-Jana Hoever.

Leander Dendoncker scored in midweek but drops out of the team with Joao Moutinho preferred in the middle of the park alongside Ruben Neves.

The most prominent changes come in attack where Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore are brought back ahead of Fabio Silva and Daniel Podence.

The £52k-per-week weapon is the club’s top scorer this term but has only played 47 minutes of league football so is unlikely to start.

That means there is a first Premier League start for Hwang Hee-chan following his loan move from RB Leipzig.

He’s been a vibrant threat for the Old Gold and remains the only player to find the back of the net in league action for them this season.

AND in other news, Bruno Lage could soon replicate one of Nuno’s big Wolves blunders from last season…