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According to a source in Italy (via Sport Witness), the ‘auction has started’ for Lille’s Sven Botman ahead of the next transfer window, and Tottenham will provide competition to AC Milan in the race for his signature.

The Lowdown: January’s failed window

After missing out on two of the club’s top targets in both Adama Traore and Luis Diaz due to the moves being hijacked at the last moment, Antonio Conte’s side ended the January window with a late double swoop.

Both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were signed from Paratici’s former club Juventus on deadline day, with a number of Spurs departures also taking place.

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The Latest: Paratici ‘wants’ Botman

According to SportMediaSet (via Sport Witness), the ‘auction has started’ for Lille defender Botman ahead of the summer window. Tottenham are said to ‘want’ the player, but face competition from Italy.

At this stage, there have been no indications to suggest what specific efforts are being made by Spurs for the player.

The Verdict: A wanted man

6 foot 4 Botman spent much of the January window being linked with a move to Newcastle United, whose highest offer for the defender totalled £33 million. Lille were firm in their stance, and the Magpies opted for Brighton’s Dan Burn instead. Liverpool have also previously been linked with the Dutchman, and now Tottenham have been pulled back into the picture.

It is no surprise to see so many teams interested in the towering young defender either – he leads his Lille side in clearances and blocks this season, per Whoscored, while also grabbing three goals and completing an impressive 88 per cent of his Ligue 1 pass attempts. To put that into context, no Spurs centre-back boasts a better pass success rate in the Premier League this term.

Described as a ‘great player’ by none other than Paolo Maldini, it is easy to see why Paratici will be in for a tough battle if Spurs want to secure the Dutchman’s signature, but what a signing he could be.

In other news: Pundit drops Tanguy Ndombele verdict

MatériaMais Notícias

Dos cinco interessados mostrados pelo LANCE! na última quinta-feira, o destino do meia Guilherme Costa, do Vasco, deve ser o América-MG neste 2018. As conversas com o Coelho avançaram nos últimos dias e as partes envolvidas esperam por uma definição até esta segunda-feira.

Caso a transação se confirme, Guilherme Costa será a quarta baixa para o Vasco de Zé Ricardo em um período de uma semana. Antes, Anderson Martins tinha ido para o São Paulo), Madson para o Grêmio e Mateus Vital para o Corinthians. A vontade pessoal pela permanência no Vasco é o que ainda pesa contra uma decisão rápida.

Um fato liga os quatro nomes: todos são agenciados por Carlos Leite. O empresário é o maior aliado de Eurico Miranda, que internamente já admitiu derrota na eleição desta semana para Julio Brant, candidato de oposição. O contrato atual de Guilherme é válido até fim de 2020.

Guilherme Costa é cria da base do Vasco. Aos 23 anos, é uma das promessas da equipe, mas não conseguiu com os treinadores com o passar dos meses uma sequência como a torcida cruz-maltina pedia. Na temporada passada, o jovem jogador entrou em campo em 23 oportunidades e fez dois gols.

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After the IPL governing council meeting, BCCI president Shashank Manohar was elaborate in his explanation of the charges against Lalit Modi, which compelled him to suspend the league’s chairman

Cricinfo staff26-Apr-2010Shashank Manohar explained some of the charges against Lalit Modi•AFP

Initial bids for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab: “There is a chargesheet already issued to him [Modi, by the IT department]. There was a company based in the UK by the name of Emerging Media IPL. The company was owned by a single individual – Manoj Badale. The company was started four months earlier to the bid. His bid was accepted. However the agreement is signed with Jaipur IPL [Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited]. There is an interesting fact to be noted: this is a company wherein there were only two stakeholders at the time the agreement was signed. The two stakeholders were one Mr Castelinho and Bal Thakur.”Now the bid is given by A, the document signed by B, who had nothing to do with the bid. Then, separate companies have come in, who have registered in Mauritius. Mr Modi made a statement that the entire world knows [who the stakeholders] in the franchises are. But even the members of the governing council were not aware. As I said, in the Rajasthan Royal franchise, Jaipur IPL is the main company. The shares of these two persons are then sold and transferred to certain individuals and certain companies like Tresco and Blue Waters. Nobody knows what Blue Waters and Tresco is. Now, I did not find in the shareholders’ register the names of Mr Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, who claim to be the stakeholders.”There is a clause in the agreement, which is entered into with all the franchises, that in case you transfer your shares, the transfer has to be made with the permission of the IPL and the board is entitled to have 5% of the amount of the transaction as their fees. Now nothing of this [sort] has happened. So we are asking an explanation, if A gives the bid, how do you sign agreement with B? How does (sic) all these people get into this? None of us are aware and we don’t know who these companies are.”Kings XI Punjab: “When the bids were given, it was signed only by Preity Zinta. She said she will form a consortium with three people: Mohit Burman, one Mr Karan Paul and one other name. When the franchise agreement was signed by her, she did not have a single share in that company. The shares were transferred to her after the signing of the agreement. Then Mr Gaurav Burman gets in and the rest (of the things happen). Again the same logic should be applied: you need to have the consent of the IPL and the fee. But once again nothing happened.”Broadcasting rights: “For example, there is an allegation that a facilitation fee was paid. But the board does not have the document. Now, this deal happened between MSM (Multi Screen Media) Singapore and WSG Mauritius, so there is no reason why this document would be present with the board. So since I don’t have this document with me, I don’t see any reason why we should be aware of this. Now, if you take Rajasthan Royals, people are saying there is (proxy) funding in the franchise. So if the funds are coming from Mauritius, or if the funds are coming from Virgin Islands, I do not have any machinery to find out where the funds are coming from. So I cannot see whose funds are coming from where. Now Income Tax (department) and Enforcement Directorate are investigating these matters and, when they gave us the notice, only then we became aware of it.”The original document of the Sony broadcasting deal, we don’t have in our possession. The income tax authorities are asking for it, but we can’t supply it because we don’t have it. All the documents of the execution are with Lalit Modi.”Rigging of franchise bids in 2010: “There is no question of irregularities with regard to the two new franchises. Because of the bid conditions, which were unreasonable when the first tender was issued, the governing council took a decision to cancel. As far as the two new bids are concerned, there is no irregularity as far as the board is concerned. There is a complaint made by the Kochi franchise that they were arm twisted by Modi to surrender their rights in favour of somebody else.”Internet Rights: (This was the only charge which Manohar was not asked about, and he did not dwell on its details.)Behaviorial Pattern: “[This relates to] confidential information of the board being leaked to the media. I have always maintained this: the board functions within the four walls of this building (Cricket Centire, BCCI headquarters). If you have to leak everything to the media then you might as well hold this meeting at the Oval ground (Churchgate).”

تحدث كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد الإسباني عن أداء لاعبيه أمام برشلونة في الكلاسيكو الذي حسمه فريقه بالفوز.

وتغلب ريال مدريد على برشلونة بثلاثية لهدف في الجولة التاسعة لليجا على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”، ليتصدر الليجا.  أهداف مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة 

وعن الذي كان ريال مدريد أفضل فيه خلال المباراة، قال أنشيلوتي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “كنا أفضل في الشوط الأول، أقوى، خرجنا جيدًا من الخلف ودافعنا جيدًا ضد خصم يضغط بقوة كبيرة، كان هذا هو مفتاح المباراة”.

وعن أداء لاعبه فالفيردي، أضاف الإيطالي: “كروس وفالفيردي قاما بعمل جيد للغاية، قوي في الدفاع، فالفيردي كالمعتاد، اعتاد اللعب في هذا المركز، إنه يسجل الأهداف ولديه طاقة وموهبة مذهلة”.

وتابع أنشيلوتي: “لقد حصلنا على 3 نقاط فقط من منافس مباشر، من فريق قوي يمتلك الكثير من الموارد، لكن الموسم طويل جدًا، نحن سعداء بالمباراة، نريد الفوز الساحق”.

ثم انتقل المدرب الإيطالي للحديث عن لاعبه تشواميني، وأفاد: “إنه شاب، أولًا وقبل كل شيء لديه الكثير من الشخصية، وهو أيضًا ينضم إلى فريق أساسي لديه كل شيء، لديه الكثير من الجودة ويتمتع أيضًا بالشخصية”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أنشيلوتي بعد ثلاثية ريال مدريد أمام برشلونة : حاولت ألا أخترع في التشكيل مثل الموسم الماضي

وعما إذا كان بإمكان مدريد إلحاق المزيد من الضرر ببرشلونة، علّق أنشيلوتي: “ضغطنا حتى النهاية، لا يمكن أن تكون شدة الشوط الأول طوال الوقت، فكرة التغيير قبل ذلك بقليل، ولكن المباراة كانت تحت السيطرة ولم أكن أرغب في ذلك”.

ثم سُئل أنشيلوتي عن أداء لاعبه ميليتاو، ورد: “طلبت منه أن يكون أكثر شراسة من ألابا، وبهذا المعنى كان مذهلًا”.

وإذا طلب من لاعبه توني كروس ألا يعتزل، أفاد أنشيلوتي: “أيا كان القرار الذي يتخذه، سنكون سعداء”.

وبشأن كريم بنزيما، أشار أنشيلوتي: “رأيته في التدريبات أفضل بكثير، سنهنئه غدًا إذا فاز بالكرة الذهبية لأن جزءًا صغيرًا منها هو ملكنا أيضًا”.

وقيل لأنشيلوتي عن دفاع ريال مدريد، دفاع جيد للفوز بالدوري كما يقولون في إيطاليا، وأتم: “إنه قانون عالمي، إذا لم تكن لائقًا على الأقل فأنت بالفعل قد تعادل”.

Since Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took over from Tony Xia for ownership of Aston Villa back in 2018, they have not been particularly shy when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to the club.

Now that Steven Gerrard has taken charge after Dean Smith left in November, there have been reports suggesting that the former Rangers boss has his ideas of how to make his mark on the Villa squad in terms of potential incomings, and that he will be given the financial backing from the club’s owners to make it happen.

In terms of what future transfers Gerrard could make to transform this current Villa side to potentially fulfil the owners’ ambitions of securing European football on a regular basis, one man who could be seen as a big investment and possibly their new version Gareth Barry is Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

In a recent Villa transfer report from The Athletic, it was claimed that Phillips – who has been described as a “destroyer” on the pitch by former England manager Steve McClaren – “is a player Villa strongly admire but the difficulty of getting him out of Leeds if they remain a Premier League club makes it a non-starter for now.”

Labelled a “powerful” player by former Leeds manager Neil Redfearn, the 25-year-old was comfortably one of their best players in the Premier League last season. WhoScored gave him an overall rating of 7.01/10 for his performances, showing that he took to playing in the top flight like a duck to water after the Yorkshire club’s 16-year absence from that level.

Regarding the idea of Phillips being Villa’s potential new version of Barry, the former Villa midfielder was described in The Guardian as “a technically gifted player with an eye for a pass and an ability to anticipate danger”.

That isn’t too dissimilar to the praise that former Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo gave Phillips by saying that he was a “rock” in midfield for England during their Euro 2020 campaign, whilst also showing his technical passing ability by setting up Raheem Sterling’s winning goal against Croatia in the tournament.

In terms of a potential move to Villa Park in the future, if Leeds do end up being relegated this season, Villa should definitely explore the possibility of signing the £36m-rated midfielder in the summer, even though his current contract isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2024.

In other news – Imagine him & Konsa: Gerrard could solve big Villa issue with £7.2m-rated “monster”

MatériaMais Notícias

Abel Braga tornou-se o favorito a assumir o Palmeiras em 2018. O técnico do Fluminense não garantiu sua permanência nas Laranjeiras e viu seu nome ganhar força na Academia de Futebol, especialmente após Alberto Valentim ser comunicado pelo Verdão que não será o comandante no ano que vem. A situação financeira do time carioca pode ser um facilitador na negociação.

Depois de vencer a Ponte Preta, Abel disse que já recebeu contato de outras equipes e que iria se reunir no fim do ano com o presidente do Flu, Pedro Abad, para avaliar a temporada. Seu contrato vence só no fim do ano que vem e o treinador disse que sua intenção é permanecer, mas não quer passar as mesmas dificuldades de 2017.

De acordo com pessoas ouvidas pelo L!, o Tricolor não deve criar empecilhos na negociação justamente pelos problemas de caixa. A multa de Abel é de dois salários (cerca de R$ 700 mil ao todo), e o Flu vê com bons olhos receber esta quantia. A campanha, também, não foi boa: o time livrou-se do rebaixamento apenas na 36ª rodada.

No Verdão, Alberto completou nove jogos desde que Cuca saiu: são cinco vitórias, um empate e três derrotas. Após um bom início, o time derrapou contra Vitória e Avaí, dois times que lutam para não cair, e perdeu o clássico contra o Corinthians.

Mesmo já garantido na fase de grupos da Libertadores de 2018 e a um ponto do Grêmio, o segundo colocado, o clube decidiu fazer a mudança. Houve uma reunião nesta terça entre a diretoria e Valentim, e nela o Palmeiras ofereceu o cargo de auxiliar técnico no próximo ano. Ele ainda não deu uma resposta, mas a tendência é de que saia do Verdão mais uma vez.

Abel leva vantagem sobre Alberto por ser um técnico mais experiente, e o Palmeiras terminará a temporada sob protestos da torcida, já pressionado para 2018. Roger Machado, outro nome que agrada no clube, está atrás do comandante do Fluminense.

Após a derrota para o Avaí, Valentim recebeu muitas críticas dos palmeirenses e mostrou que sua intenção no próximo ano é seguir a carreira de treinador, no Verdão ou não.

A diretoria palmeirense ainda não se pronunciou oficialmente. Já o estafe de Abel responde que ainda aguarda a reunião com o Fluminense para decidir o que fazer no próximo ano.

– Abel ainda não sentou para conversar a respeito do Fluminense sobre o ano de 2018 e não tem nenhum contrato assinado (com outra equipe) – disse Fábio Braga, filho do técnico e quem cuida de sua carreira, ao L!.

RelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras comunica a Valentim que não irá efetivá-lo como treinadorPalmeiras21/11/2017FluminenseAbel fará reunião com Abad e não sabe se fica no Flu: ‘Recebi ligações’Fluminense20/11/2017

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is just over a month away from his first transfer window at Ibrox with the Glasgow giants.

The Dutchman replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm over the last fortnight and could look to put his own stamp on the club by bringing in a couple of additions to bolster his squad in the winter market.

Dream signing

One player who could become a target is Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman. He was linked with a switch to Ibrox from Eredivisie side Heerenveen over the summer, but a move ultimately fell through.

Scottish journalist Stuart Hodge has now refused to rule out the Gers going back in for him. When asked about Veerman as a potential target for Van Bronckhorst, he said: “That one, yeah, potentially. But I think more so, that’s a market that van Bronckhorst will know well, that’s a market that’s affordable for Scottish clubs.”

The £3.1k-per-week gem could be a dream signing for Van Bronckhorst, who may know the midfielder due to his prominence in the Netherlands. Veerman has been a regular for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, a league in which the 46-year-old Gers coach has played and managed, so he could be well-known to the ex-Barcelona defender.

Former Rangers forward Michael Mols previously described the midfield dynamo as “perfect” in possession, although he did have some concerns over Veerman’s ability to compete in duels. 

Mols told the Daily Record: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.

“But in Scottish football, there is a lot of emphasis on duels and fighting for the ball. I’m just not sure that would suit his style. He would maybe find it a little bit difficult to adapt.”

His potential weakness in individual duels may not be as much of an issue under Van Bronckhorst as it would have been under Gerrard. The latter deployed a 4-3-3 system which could have seen Veerman exposed physically in midfield, whereas the Dutchman’s 4-2-3-1 could see him slot in as a number 10, thus allowing the two holding players to shoulder the bulk of the defensive duties in the middle of the park.

Veerman has shown his quality on the ball in the Netherlands in recent years. In 67 Eredivisie games, he has managed 13 goals and 21 assists, whilst averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.33. Along with Mols’ comments on his ability in possession, this shows that the 23-year-old could arrive at Ibrox and become an attacking force to be reckoned with in the Premiership.

Therefore, he could be a dream first signing for Van Bronckhorst, as he is a fellow Dutchman who could have the quality to make a big impact, and Rangers chief Ross Wilson must duly reignite his interest in the midfielder in the January transfer window.

AND in other news, “Priority will be..”: Ibrox expert makes Rangers claim which must have fans delighted…

Crystal Palace could be set to add further reinforcements to Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad after being linked with a transfer move for Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old has informed Mikel Arteta that he wants to leave the club, with the Eagles and Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach vying for his signature.

Nketiah has entered the final year of his contract in north London, meaning an exit in the upcoming January window could be on the cards.

The Mail’s report states that: “Eddie Nketiah has informed Arsenal he wants to leave the club, ending their hopes of persuading him to stay.

“Admirers include Germans Borussia Monchengladbach along with Crystal Palace, and he is also free to arrange a pre-contract with a foreign club from January 1.

“Alternatively, Arsenal could agree a cut-price deal for Nketiah in the January window, which represents their final chance to cash in through a sale.”

Fans would love him

A recent report by TransferMarketWeb claimed the England U21 record-breaker could be available for as little as €12m (£10m) this winter due to his contract situation, a fee that could prove to be an absolute bargain in years to come.

He was dubbed “so incredibly prolific” by football scout Jacek Kulig after a string of impressive performances for Arsenal, but Nketiah has found opportunities hard to come by in recent months.

The youngster received just 14 starts in all competitions for the capital club last term and has seen his playing time slashed even further by Mikel Arteta this time around.

Despite only featuring from the off on two occasions this season – both in the Carabao Cup – Nketiah has continued to show his class, scoring on both occasions, including a delightful goal against Leeds United last time out.

His turn of pace, clinical finishing and tactical intelligence make him a nightmare for defenders and a hugely exciting prospect.

Nketiah’s arrival at Selhurst Park would be a significant coup for Palace and is an acquisition that the supporters would surely love to see, adding another talented, highly-promising star to Patrick Vieira’s new-look squad.

And, in other news…“I don’t think”: Sky Sports journalist shares Palace update that’ll leave fans gutted 

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted positively to a transfer rumour linking the Reds with a move for Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic.

Jurgen Klopp’s men delivered an emphatic performance last weekend, dispatching Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield and overcoming the defeat to West Ham in their previous game.

It was a win which once again highlighted Liverpool’s title credentials, although they are set to be in a tough battle with Chelsea and Manchester City.

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The one thing the other Premier League title contenders arguably have over the Reds is squad depth, with Klopp not enjoying the luxury of having as many attacking options.

According to Calciomercato [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Chelsea winger Pulisic, with the American managing just one league start all season.

He has shown that he can thrive at Premier League level, though, with nine goals and four assists in the 2019/20 season. One of those goals opened the scoring against Manchester City on the night that Liverpool were finally crowned champions of England.

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Liverpool fans welcome Pulisic transfer link

Whether or not a move happens remains to be seen, but these Liverpool fans reacted positively to the Pulisic links on Twitter.

“If you are offloading Origi and getting Pulisic I reckon it’s good business”

Credit: @Rajani_Meet

“It’s still a rumour. But if it happens, Klopp finally gets his boy!”

Credit: @zubinofficial

“I would explode with excitement if this happened”

Credit: @ZachsEleven

“Yessssss”

Credit: @avesamra

“Now this I would be on board with”

Credit: @JwilliamC89

“Wouldn’t mind this if he stays fit tbh”

Credit: @Jaden08959312

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited by an injury update provided by one player. Read more here.

A number of West Ham supporters are devastated after Angelo Ogbonna suffered cruciate ligament damage against Liverpool last weekend.

The Hammers enjoyed a fantastic victory over the Reds on Sunday afternoon, winning 3-2 at the London Stadium after a pulsating game.

The win took David Moyes’ side up to third in the Premier League, as their dreams of securing a top-four finish received another boost.

There has been one major negative from the match, however, with the club confirming on Twitter on Tuesday that Ogbonna suffered cruciate ligament damage in the first half.

The centre-back tried to play on but was eventually replaced and he now faces a long spell on the sidelines. It is a cruel blow for the Italian, who has been such a key player so far this season, starting all 11 league matches to date.

West Ham fans rue Ogbonna injury

These West Ham reacted to the news on Twitter.

“Real shame that”

Credit: @vinny_whufc

“Whatttt? An ACL? That’s crazy”

Credit: @Nnamdii_

“This is a huge blow. Not only is Ogbonna fantastic himself but he massively improves the defence as a whole when he plays. Such an important player”

Credit: @TheFootyCentre_

“Gutted. He’s been fantastic this season – rest up Angelo”

Credit: @CoreyKemp_

“Terrible news, he’s been outstanding under Moyes. Speedy recovery Oggy”

Credit: @FplRichard

“Absolutely devastated, more for him. Potentially won’t see him in a West Ham shirt again”

Credit: @_ConnorWHUFC

In other news, West Ham are reportedly keen on a centre-back signing. Find out who it is here.