All posts by h79snht.top

Manchester United are "considering" Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat as "one of their options for the midfielder", but any deal will be very "expensive", claims transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Sofyan Amrabat joining Manchester United?

It was a fantastic first year in charge of United for Erik ten Hag last season. A top-four finish and a Carabao Cup trophy was probably more than most fans and pundits expected from the Dutchman's debut campaign in England.

His success looks to be getting rewards from the club's hierarchy as well, as they have been relatively active in the transfer window thus far, making the big signing of Mason Mount from Premier League rivals Chelsea last month and looking likely to complete the signing of Inter Milan's goalkeeper Andre Onana in the coming days.

These are brilliant deals for the club, but there is a feeling that more reinforcements in the midfield are necessary if the team wants to challenge for the top honours again next season, and one player that could help in that regard is 26-year-old Amrabat.

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils have identified the Huizen-born machine as one of their targets, but a deal could be expensive as Fiorentina will be expecting around €35m-€40m (£30m-£34m) to get the deal done.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"I am hearing that it's true that Sofyan Amrabat is one of the players considered at Manchester United.

"Erik ten Hag knows that Sofyan Amrabat is one of the players on the market, he's an expensive midfielder because Fiorentina are always tough negotiators, but at the moment, the understanding is that Manchester United are considering Sofyan Amrabat as one of the options for the midfield."

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

It has been a brilliant 12 months for Amrabat, both with his club and national side, 12 months that have seen him propelled into the spotlight on multiple occasions.

On the domestic front, the 2022/23 season was good for the Moroccan international. He played 29 league games for Serie A outfit Fiorentina, maintaining a passing accuracy of 89.8%, creating one assist and averaging a match rating of 6.46, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are interesting in that he excels in certain areas while lacking in other important ones.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the 5% for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 11% for attempted passes and the top 33% for progressive carries, all per 90.

However, he finds himself in the bottom 42% for interceptions, the bottom 34% for shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, and clearances, the bottom 32% for tackles, and the bottom 30% for blocks, all per 90 and per FBref.

From those numbers, it looks like he's a brilliant passer and a valuable midfielder if your team needs help circulating the ball from the backline to the front three. Still, he needs to improve when it comes to creating an attacking threat himself, and his defensive contribution flatters to deceive.

That said, his outstanding contribution to Morocco's semi-final run in last year's World Cup suggests he is more than capable of performing at the highest level, and his performances led to journalist Amine El Amri waxing lyrical about him on TalkSPORT, saying:

"Sofyan Amrabat is a great footballer in addition to being a raging bull.

"I'm trying to be as objective as I can, but I think he's been the best midfielder in this World Cup."

Should United decide to go for I Viola's midfield "monster", seeing how he adapts to the Premier League will be interesting. Still, he looks to have the ability to flourish if given the chance.

Luke Wright made his first century since 2015 to give Sussex the advantage on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Hove

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2017
ScorecardLuke Wright made his first century since 2015 to give Sussex the advantage on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Hove.Wright, in only his third game since giving up the captaincy, made 118, his best score since he hit a career-best 226 against Worcestershire in September 2015. It was also his first hundred at Hove for two days shy of two years.With his successor as captain, Ben Brown, making 52 and Chris Jordan 50, Sussex recovered from 69 for 3 to post 358 for 9 declared.They then had seven overs in the twilight with the pink ball but Gloucestershire openers Cameron Bancroft and Chris Dent got through unscathed, reaching 31 for 0 at stumps.A crowd of 2,000 was boosted by around 650 local schoolchildren and they enjoyed an entertaining day with Wright leading an aggressive counter-attack by Sussex during the afternoon session when they plundered 173 runs.Wright was in the mood from the very start, lofting his first ball from off-spinner Jack Taylor for one of three sixes. There were also 14 fours including a straight drive to the boundary which brought up the 17th century of his first-class career.The way Wright, and later Brown and Jordan, stroked the pink ball over a fast outfield was in contrast to what happened at the start of the day and again when Gloucestershire took the new ball and immediately claimed three wickets.Fit-again Liam Norwell and David Payne were rewarded with a wicket apiece as Harry Finch and Delray Rawlins, opening after Chris Nash was struck in practice and suffered a concussion, departed cheaply.Luke Wells hit seven fours in his 36 before Taylor had him caught at slip, after the ball had deflected off wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick.Wright then transformed the day, first with Stiaan van Zyl with whom he added 99 in 19 overs before the South African was held at short leg off Taylor, and then alongside his successor as captain.If anything, Wright and Brown increased the tempo. Both attacked anything off line and the ball had to be changed after 54 overs after Wright had clattered it into the protective covers beyond the boundary.His hundred came up off exactly 100 balls while new skipper Brown, returning after six weeks out with a broken finger, matched him shot for shot as they put on 92 in 18 overs. Brown fell two balls after reaching 50 from 60 deliveries with seven fours and a six and Wright departed after tea to a brilliant one-handed catch at midwicket by Phil Mustard, his 118 coming off 129 balls.David Wiese and Chris Jordan took the attack back to Gloucestershire, adding 57 in 13 overs for the seventh wicket but the new ball swung markedly as the floodlights took effect and Gloucestershire picked up three quick wickets, Craig Miles taking two of them in the same over including Jordan for a 78-ball 50 with eight fours.Sussex declared shortly after claiming a fourth bowling point but couldn’t make a breakthrough before the close.

تمكن لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتلتيكو مدريد، أنخل كوريا، من تسجيل الهدف الثاني لفريقه أمام بوروسيا دورتموند ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويواجه بوروسيا دورتموند نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد، في ذهاب منافسات دور الـ8 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | بالخطأ في مرماه.. هوملز يسجل هدف أتلتيكو مدريد الأول أمام بوروسيا دورتموند

واستطاع أنخل كوريا تسجيل الهدف الثاني لصالح فريقه أتلتيكو مدريد في شباك بوروسيا دورتموند عند الدقيقة 64.

وجاء الهدف بعد عمل جماعي مميز للاعبي أتلتيكو مدريد بالقرب من منطقة جزاء دورتموند، بعد أن تصدى كوبيل لكرة ريكيلمي، ليقوم كوريا بمتابعة الكرة والتسديد على مرتين، لتسكن الكرة الشباك. هدف اتلتيكو مدريد الثاني في مرمي بوروسيا دورتموند بدوري ابطال اوروبا

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to step up their interest in Fulham defender, Tosin Adarabioyo, with the Lilywhites continuing their search to find new centre-back additions ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Adarabioyo to Tottenham?

According to respected journalist, Alasdair Gold, the north Londoners are seemingly set to make an offer for the 25-year-old, with the one-time Manchester City man believed to be open to the idea of making the move to N17.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "Also understand there is a growing expectation Spurs will make a bid for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo as one CB arrival. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on the move and Spurs have shown a lot of interest in him. Again, they can't hang around though."

In his attached piece for football.london, Gold reveals that Spurs will have to move quickly due to the rival interest in the 6 foot 5 colossus, with the former England youth international potentially set to be available for around €15m (£13m) after entering the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage.

How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?

As Gold's report also noted, Tottenham are also believed to be keen on Crystal Palace star Joachim Andersen as another centre-back target, albeit with prior speculation suggesting that the Denmark international could command a rather hefty fee of around £50m this summer.

The signing of Adarabioyo, therefore, on a cut-price deal could prove to be a dream alternative to the 27-year-old, with the Cottagers' ace said to be statistically and stylistically similar to Andersen, according to FBref.

With the Palace man also a towering figure at 6 foot 4, the pair are both unsurprisingly able to put their impressive physical stature to good use, with Andersen ranking in the top 16% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won, while Adarabioyo is only just behind as he ranks in the top 24% in that regard.

While neither man is likely to carry the ball out from the back, as both Adarabioyo and Andersen racked up just 16 progressive carries in the league in 2022/23, that's not to suggest that they aren't comfortable on the ball, having recorded 95 and 105 progressive passes, respectively, last term.

To put that into perspective, current Tottenham man, Cristian Romero notably recorded 19 progressive carries and 92 progressive passes last season, with that a similar record to Ange Postecoglou's two reported targets.

The duo also enjoyed a similar record defensively in 2022/23, with the Fulham man averaging 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 25 league outings, while his Palace counterpart averaged 2.1 for that same metric – albeit with neither man coming close to Romero's average of 4.1.

For Postecoglou to snap up either Andersen or Adarabioyo would seemingly be a wise move due to their proven ability in the Premier League, although if forced to choose between the two, the attractive nature of the latter man's price tag could make him a more worthwhile option.

Previously dubbed "immense" by Tony Mowbray during his time on loan at Blackburn Rovers in the past, the Manchester-born rock has no doubt warranted a high-profile summer switch, having previously been unable to make his mark at the Etihad, where he made just eight first-team outings.

A second chance at an 'elite' outfit like Spurs could now be on the horizon, albeit with Postecoglou and co – as Gold suggested – needing to act swiftly if they are to get their man.

Wolves "will do their best" to keep hold of midfielder Matheus Nunes beyond the summer transfer window, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Matheus Nunes earn?

The Portuguese, who currently earns £85,000 per week at Molineux, joined Wanderers from Sporting CP last summer, coming in as an exciting signing, having once been hailed as "one of the best players in the world today" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

In truth, Nunes' first season in a Wolves shirt wasn't always the most eye-catching, with the 24-year-old arguably not enjoying the influence many hoped he would. He scored just once in 35 Premier League matches, and while that isn't necessarily his job in the team, more end product would have been nice, given his technical ability.

The Portugal international clearly remains an important player moving forward, however, and it should be stressed that many foreign signings can find it hard to adjust to life in England straight away, given the speed and power of the game in this country.

Nunes is contracted to Wolves until the summer of 2027, so it would surely take a huge bid from someone to be able to prise him away so soon after joining.

Could Matheus Nunes stay at Wolves?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said Wolves are doing their utmost to ensure that Nunes is still at the club next season, following the exits of both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho:

"Matheus Nunes – A player linked with big moves in recent times, but Wolves already lost Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in the midfield this summer, so there’s no news at all about Nunes right now. Wolves will do their best to keep him. For sure he was on Liverpool’s list in January, but now their focus is on Romeo Lavia."

Keeping hold of Nunes has to be seen as a primary objective at Wolves this summer, considering he has been lauded as "unbelievable" by former teammate Goncalo Santos in the past. While he didn't always shine last season, he still averaged 1.9 tackles per game in the league, highlighting his defensive skills, and he enjoyed an 82.3% pass completion in a team that struggled at times and didn't necessarily see a huge amount of the ball.

At 24, the midfielder is also still a fairly young player who may only go on to improve in the coming years, so there is no reason why he can't become the new star at Molineux in the middle of the park, now that both Neves and Moutinho have moved on.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see a bid come in for Nunes from another club, given his quality, but as mentioned, Wolves find themselves in an extremely strong bargaining position when it comes to his future, and they would surely only consider accepting an offer if it was a big offer.

Retaining Nunes could be seen as a major positive as the new Premier League campaign edges closer all the time, and he may go up a gear in 2023/24, especially after enjoying a full pre-season working alongside Julen Lopetegui.

Veteran allrounder joins Surrey as a back-up for the Curran brothers while Warwickshire snap up Adam Hose from Somerset

George Dobell26-Jul-2017

Rikki Clarke, the former England allrounder, is to re-join Surrey on a two-year deal.Clarke started his career at Surrey in 2001 but moved to Derbyshire (an ill-fated stay that lasted a few months in 2008) and then on to Warwickshire, where he has played the most consistent cricket of his career.While he has remained a key part of Warwickshire’s squad in all three formats of the game, he was unable to secure the long-term deal he wanted and has been talking to other clubs for a few weeks. It speaks volumes for his fitness that he has won a two-year deal at such a big club at the age of 35. He will be 38 by the time the deal expires.Surrey see him as back-up for the Curran brothers – Tom and Sam – should they win England call-ups or suffer injury,It is possible Dominic Sibley could be heading in the other direction. While Surrey have offered him a three-year deal and remain hopeful he will stay, Warwickshire are one of a host of clubs who have shown an interest in signing him.Warwickshire followed up by announcing the signing of Somerset’s Adam Hose with immediate effect.Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s sport director, said: “Adam has impressed for Somerset across all three forms of the game this year; grinding out runs under pressure in the Specsavers County Championship victory over Yorkshire and contributing game-changing innings at an exceptional run-rate in white ball cricket.”Having joined the club with immediate effect, he will be available for this weekend’s NatWest T20 Blast fixtures and can play a very important role for the team as we bid to reach the knockout stages for the third time in four seasons.”I have spoken previously about our transformation process and our aim to rebuild a squad that competes in all competitions. At 24-years-old, Adam will have the opportunity to be part of Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears teams for many years.”

أكد أنيس بن ميم، محامٍ ومختصٌ بالقانون الرياضي والنزاعات الرياضية المحلية والدولية، أن لوائح الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم تلزم الاتحادات المحلية بتسهيل دخول الفريق الزائر إلى المطار، وتأمين وصوله إلى مقر إقامته وملعب المباراة، وتوفير ملعب لإجراء حصة تدريبية قبل المباراة، ثم تأمين مغادرته إلى بلاده.

جاءت تصريحات بن ميم في ظل الأزمة التي اندلعت بين ناديي نهضة بركان المغربي واتحاد العاصمة الجزائري في نصف نهائي كأس الكونفدرالية.

وتم إلغاء مباراة الفريقين، التي كانت مقررة مساء الأحد الماضي، بسبب وجود أزمة في قمصان النادي المغربي، حيث رفضت السلطات الجزائرية دخول حقائب بعثة الفريق المغربي بداعي تضمنها قمصان الفريق الذي يحمل خريطة صحراء المغرب، والتي تشهد نزاعًا سياسيًا.

واستمرت الأزمة برفض السلطات الجزائرية ارتداء نهضة بركان هذا القميص، فيما أصر النادي المغربي على خوض اللقاء به استكمالًا لما بدأه منذ انطلاق هذه النسخة، حتى تم إلغاء المباراة.

وأوضح بن ميم في حديثه لـ إذاعة IFM التونسية أن قميص نهضة بركان معتمد من قبل الاتحاد الأفريقي، ولا يحق لأحد حرمانه من ارتدائه في مباراة رسمية.

وأكد بن ميم أن ممثل الاتحاد الأفريقي يتولى معاينة القميص للتأكد من خلوّه من أي دلالات سياسية أو غيرها، وأنه لا يحق للفريق المضيف الاعتراض على القميص أو منع ارتدائه، أو اعتبار أنه يحمل دلالات سياسية مخالفة لقوانين ولوائح الاتحاد الأفريقي.

طالع أيضًا | قرار كاف المُحتمل بشأن أزمة مباراة نهضة بركان واتحاد العاصمة بكأس الكونفدرالية

وبيّن المحام التونسي أنه في حال وجود أي مخالفة في القميص، يجب على الفريق المضيف طلب تغيير القميص فقط، مؤكدًا أن منع نهضة بركان من جلب قميصه يُعتبر مخالفًا للفصل 9 من لوائح الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم.

وشدد على ضرورة عزل السياسة عن الرياضة، ورفض أي تدخل من قبل أي سلطة سياسية في الشؤون الرياضية.

وأشار إلى أن نهضة بركان لعب بهذا القميص في جميع مبارياته في كأس الكونفدرالية دون أي اعتراض، وأن هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي يرتدي فيها الفريق هذا القميص.

وختم بن ميم تصريحه بالتأكيد على أن الاتحاد الأفريقي أكد مرارًا وتكرارًا أن قميص نهضة بركان مُتوافقٌ مع متطلبات الاتحاد ولا يحمل أي دلالات سياسية أو غيرها.

نجح فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، في تحقيق فوز هام على الإسماعيلي، بهدفين مقابل هدف، في اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما مساء اليوم.

واحتضن ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي في إطار منافسات الجولة 20 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.

سجل أول أهداف الأهلي، اللاعب الجنوب إفريقي بيرسي تاو، في الدقيقة 33 من عمر اللقاء، بتسديدة خارج منطقة الجزاء ارتطمت بدفاع الإسماعيلي وغيرت الاتجاه ثم سكنت الشباك.

فيديو | أحمد عبد القادر يُغادر مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي مصابًا

ثم أضاف إمام عاشور الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 57 من عمر اللقاء، بعد مراوغة جيدة وتسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

وفي الدقيقة 75 نجح عبد الرحمن مجدي في تسجيل هدف الإسماعيلي الأول، عن طريق ركلة جزاء احتسبها حكم اللقاء أحمد الغندور.

بهذا الفوز يرتفع رصيد الأهلي حامل لقب النسخة الماضية من بطولة الدوري، للنقطة الـ24 محتلًا المركز الحادي عشر في سلم ترتيب النسخة الحالية.

وخاض الأهلي 12 مباراة، ويتبقى له 8 مواجهات مؤجلة، لم يخوضها بعد، حقق حتى الآن 7 انتصارات و3 تعادلات فيما نال هزيمتين، سجل لاعبوه 26 هدفًا واستقبلت شباك المارد الأحمر 13 هدفًا.

ويقبع فريق الإسماعيلي في المركز الثالث عشر برصيد 19 نقطة، حصدها من 20 مباراة خاضها ببطولة الدوري حتى الأن.

واستطاع الإسماعيلي تحقيق 4 انتصارات فقط و7 تعادلات فيما نال 9 هزائم، سجل الدراويش 18 هدفًا واستقبلت شباكه 24 هدفًا. أهداف الأهلي والإسماعيلي

After failing to qualify for the Champions League last season for the first time in a full campaign under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool were reportedly preparing for a major rebuild. Months later, however, and they've lost more players than they've signed, leaving them alarmingly short in midfield.

So far this summer, the first-team players that they've lost include Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamblerain, and most notably and unexpectedly, Fabinho and club captain Jordan Henderson.

When the Reds initially welcomed both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier in the window, their midfield did have a new and improved look. However, the departures of Henderson and Fabinho left them without a recognised defensive midfielder, and plugging gaps by playing the likes of Cody Gakpo out of position in pre-season.

Tensions reached boiling point when reports spread that Liverpool once again failed to reach Southampton's £50m valuation for defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia, sparking a heated debate between Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.

What did Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville argue about?

Carragher initially started the conversation by Tweeting in reaction to the news of Liverpool's failed bid for Lavia, as the Premier League season gets closer and closer.

He said: "This is embarrassing. Liverpool for years now have got deals done quickly with no fuss. If you don’t think he’s worth 50M move on, if you really want him pay it. Also not sure why LFC aren’t in for [Moises] Caicedo, yes it’s a lot of money but Liverpool got big money for JH/FAB."

Neville, of course, couldn't resist pushing the former defender's buttons, asking a crucial question over Liverpool's ownership, replying with: "Do you now agree that Klopp has shielded your owners for the last 5-6 years?"

Carragher wasted no time in lashing out at his fellow Sky Sports pundit, hitting back by saying: "Gary you haven’t a clue what’s going on at Liverpool! The owners have a self-sustaining model that Klopp bought into & produced miracles! Part of that was a transfer department that was the envy of Europe.

"That has now gone with Klopp running the club from top to bottom. LFC have had three DOF’s in 18 months, the current one who came out of retirement to do the job for this summer, he’s a close contact of the manager. Liverpool’s wage bill is 150M more than Arsenals a season. Just do the Maths.

"Liverpool don’t have an investor (Peter Lim) like you do at Salford, where you & lads just get on a plane at the end of the season to beg him to spend more money!!

Things eventually calmed down between the two, with the duo sending one-line answers to all but end the debate for now. Neville said: "Walls are closing in people.. He’s getting tetchy."

Ending the argument, Carragher sent one final reply, saying: "Another season starts."

It's worth reminding that the Premier League season hasn't even kicked off yet, and already the two legends have got their arguments going. Let's just say, we could be in for an entertaining campaign from Sky Sports' punditry team.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As things stand, Jurgen Klopp will be without a recognised defensive midfielder for Liverpool's opening game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, the Reds have had a third bid rejected in the region of £45m, including add-ons for Lavia, with Southampton still holding out for £50m.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

It's certainly a deal to keep an eye on, as Liverpool continue to test their luck against a stubborn Saints side who don't look like budging on their valuation anytime soon.

Ashley Giles’ rebuilding of Warwickshire has continued with the announcement that batsman William Porterfield and allrounder Ateeq Javid will both leave the club at the end of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2017

Ashley Giles’ rebuilding of Warwickshire has continued with the announcement that batsman William Porterfield and allrounder Ateeq Javid will both leave the club at the end of the season.Warwickshire’s ageing squad, refreshed by Giles during his return to Edgbaston as sport director, is facing relegation from Division One of the Championship, although Birmingham – the club’s T20 alter ego – did reach the final of the NatWest Blast on Saturday before losing to Nottinghamshire.Ireland captain Porterfield joined the club ahead of the 2011 season, from Gloucestershire, and until this season was a regular in all formats. He plans to return to Ireland to play first-class cricket.Javid is a product of Warwickshire’s academy and made his senior debut in 2009, making 32 first-class, 39 List A and 53 T20 appearances for the Bears without ever quite holding down a regular place. He is joining Leicestershire on a two-year contract.Giles said: “William and Ateeq have been great servants to the club and have been instrumental in our success in recent years, being part of the teams that have won all major trophies across the three formats of the game in a five-year period.”In addition to his contributions with the bat, William has been our vice captain in white ball cricket for the last two years. His leadership experience and support in the dressing room has been a great asset for the club and we wish him the very best in his career with Ireland.”Ateeq grew up in Birmingham and is a Bear through and through. It’s always sad when we see homegrown players leave the club, but we recognise the opportunity for him at Leicestershire and wish him every success in the future.”Offspinning allrounder Javid made his England Under-19s debut at 17. He scored 619 runs in Division One of the Championship in 2013 at an average of 44.00, including two centuries, and helped Birmingham to their NatWest T20 Blast title win in 2014; the dismissal of Kevin Pietersen with his first ball of the semi-final against Surrey was a key contribution.”The time is right to make a move, fight for a place and hopefully play regular cricket across all formats,” Javid said.Leicestershire needed a lift after the departure of coach Pierre de Bruyn after relationships broke down with several senior players. Chief executive Wasim Khan said: “We know that Ateeq is talented in all formats of the game. He is a very versatile player who can adapt to different roles in different competitions. We have been following his progress for some time.”