Luis Diaz rejected rumours about leaving Anfield this summer amid interest from Al-Nassr and Barcelona.
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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is currently waiting to find out a player’s feelings about joining the club this summer, following Gunners talks with him in January, and it is even believed he visited the Emirates Stadium that month.
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The Italian has a few key tasks on his agenda following his official appointment last weekend.
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As per GiveMeSport, Berta and the Arsenal recruitment team could splash up to £300 million on seven new arrivals, including a new “second-choice goalkeeper, left-back, defensive midfielder, left-winger and striker”, with the north Londoners also pondering an alternative for Bukayo Saka.
While supporters will be eager to see Berta finally bring the club’s long wait for a prolific striker to an end, the need for a centre-midfielder will be prevalent, as Mikel Arteta is set to be minus two solid options in the middle of the park.
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Thomas Partey and Jorginho will leave upon the expiry of their contracts on June 30th as things stand, leading to Arsenal’s talks over a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
The Spain international is apparently “very likely” to join Arsenal and is “almost definitely” happening, according to Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent suggesting that it is imperative for Berta to reinforce Arteta’s engine room.
“Another midfielder, a holding midfielder,” said Bent when asked what Arsenal need most this summer.
“I love Thomas Partey, I think this season his form has been brilliant but you have to look long term. There’s talk about Zubimendi, I have reservations. I know he’s a good player.
“I thought he was brilliant in the second half of the Euros final when he came on for Rodri but the Premier League is a different animal. You have to be able to run, be strong, get your foot in. But that’s an area I’d look at as well.”
There are suggestions that Arsenal could move for Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes as well as Zubimendi, with the Brazilian’s contract also including a release clause.
Another midfield technician they’ve been seriously interested in, with talks already held, is Rosenborg sensation Sverre Nypan.
Andrea Berta waiting on Sverre Nypan decision to join Arsenal
As per GiveMeSport and reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Berta is waiting for Nypan’s final decision on potentially joining Arsenal.
The Norwegian, rumoured to command a price tag of £20 million, visited the Emirates in January and reliable news outlets at the time reported that Arteta’s side held winter talks with Rosenborg over a deal.
The teenager bagged eight goals and 10 assists in all competitions across the 2024 campaign for Rosenborg, even drawing comparisons with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, but he has many other suitors – including Man City (Fabrizio Romano).
“Sverre Nypan is extremely exciting,” said Norwegian pundit Jesper Mathisen to TV2 last year.
“I get a bit of the same feeling as when I saw Martin Ødegaard break through as a boy.”
The former England batter helped the team win 19 out of 50 internationals in his tenure
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2024
Jonathan Trott gives a pep talk before practice•ICC/Getty Images
Following a successful stint with the Afghanistan men’s cricket team, former England batter Jonathan Trott’s contract as head coach has been extended for a year. His 18-month tenure came to an end with 2023 but the ACB has chosen to keep him for 2024 as well.Afghanistan made excellent gains on the field last year, which culminated in their performance in the ODI World Cup where they beat Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and Netherlands. They were also within reach of victory over the eventual champions Australia until Glenn Maxwell played one of the greatest innings of all time.Trott spoke to ESPNcricinfo in the aftermath of that campaign where Afghanistan went in with only one win in World Cup cricket and increased that count to five by the end of the tournament. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with them so far,” he said. “It’ll be nice to be able to build on the success we had at this World Cup.”In all, Trott, who was first appointed as head coach of Afghanistan in July 2022, has helped the team to win eight out of 23 ODIs, including a maiden series win over Bangladesh, and 11 out of 26 T20Is, including a maiden series win over Pakistan.Afghanistan are currently playing a three-match T20I series against the UAE, where the scoreline is 1-1. They will then play India in a set of three T20Is in January in preparation for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA in June.Trott had a storied time with England, especially in Test cricket where he made 3835 runs in 52 matches, and was one of the pillars of their Ashes triumph in 2010-11. At his peak a player capable of batting long periods and constructing massive innings, Trott’s success also translated well into ODI cricket where he made 2819 runs at an average of 51 with four hundreds and 22 fifties. Towards the end of his career, though, the intensity of his game took a toll on him and he needed a break from cricket in 2013-14. Trott eventually retired from England duty in 2015. The Afghanistan job was his first time as head coach of a senior men’s team in international cricket.
Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring two Premier League players ahead of the summer transfer window, with a “sensational” £60m midfielder on their radar, according to a report.
Tottenham’s season has undoubtedly been hampered by the scale of the injury crisis in N17, and Ange Postecoglou bemoaned the number of players currently sidelined in the wake of his side exiting the EFL Cup at the hands of Liverpool.
“Vicario, Romero, Destiny, Van de Ven, Solanke, Odobert… I could go on and on. We had 10 senior players missing. If you take seven or eight key players from any team and you’re playing the best team in the league at the best, I don’t think you make judgements in these moments.”
After crashing out of the EFL Cup as a result of the 4-0 drubbing at Anfield, Postecoglou is undoubtedly under increasing pressure, with recent performances not good enough, regardless of the number of players currently on the sidelines.
However, the Australian continues to work on potential signings for the summer, with the injuries this season perhaps indicating the manager needs a bigger squad to work with if he is going to continue to play such an intense style of football.
According to reports from Spain, Tottenham are now closely monitoring two Premier League players for the end of the season, namely Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Southampton’s Tyler Dibling.
The English duo have attracted Spurs’ attention after putting in some impressive performances for their respective clubs, with Dibling enjoying a breakout season at St Mary’s, despite the fact his side are at serious risk of relegation.
The report claims the Lilywhites are looking to sign young players for the future, rather than focusing on big-name signings, and the Premier League duo fit the bill in that regard, with Dibling just 18, while Wharton – valued at £60m in the summer – is 21.
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Emilio Galantini
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It is no wonder Tottenham are looking to sign the talented English youngsters given that they have been in good form this season, with Dibling solidifying his place in the Southampton first team, picking up four goals and two assists in all competitions.
Crystal Palace star Wharton has been impressing for quite some time now, receiving a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024, and he has been the subject of high praise from members of the media.
Dibling and Wharton are showing signs of great promise, so it is exciting news Tottenham are in the running for their signatures, although it may be difficult to lure them to north London if they fail to qualify for Europe next season, which is looking increasingly likely.
Allrounder Bas de Leede says the team has set themselves a high target at their first ODI World Cup since 2011
Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20232:33
Bas de Leede: ‘Us being here is massive for the sport back home’
Netherlands allrounder Bas de Leede is clear about his team’s targets at the World Cup.For starters, they aren’t thinking of themselves as Associates. They want to play as equals with the big boys. For de Leede, there’s no bigger motivation than that.”We want to make the semi-finals,” he announced ahead of their first game against Pakistan in Hyderabad. It may seem a fanciful dream to many, considering Netherlands haven’t played an ODI since the World Cup Qualifiers in June.They arrived in India late September for two warm-up games against Karnataka, and the nature of pitches proved a challenge. In the first game, they slumped to 3 for 8, before making 114 in pursuit of 266. In the second, they made 295 and lost by one wicket.Netherlands had both their World Cup warm-ups against Australia and India washed out; and Mitchell Starc blew away their top order in the little play that was possible. It was a reminder of what they can expect when they face Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.Related
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Several first-choice players had missed Netherlands’ glorious run at the World Cup Qualifiers to honour their English county contracts. De Leede was among those who made it to Zimbabwe thanks to Durham making letting him go play.”We obviously don’t get to play together as a team very often because guys are spread out,” he said. “But I think the learnings we can take from Karnataka was, first of all, it was nice to play together as a team and try and adapt to Indian conditions.”Obviously, it’s one thing training in Indian conditions, but then another thing going out and playing and seeing what it’s like in a game. Then you know lack of game time. It was a shame that the warm-up games got rained off. But I think in the nets, we try and replicate game scenarios and try and be as competitive as we can when bowling to each other, when facing each other.”Does the prospect of playing Full Member teams seem intimidating? Not quite. De Leede spoke of how Netherlands ran Pakistan close over three ODIs in Rotterdam last August.In the first match of that series, Netherlands nearly chased down Pakistan’s 314 but fell 16 short. In the third ODI, having restricted Pakistan to 206, they were 108 for 3 before collapsing to lose by nine runs.Bas de Leede played an important role in Netherlands qualifying for the World Cup•Albert Perez/ICC/Getty Images
“I think the experience of the whole Super League, having played against bigger nations, was fantastic for us,” de Leede said. “And obviously, Pakistan, having played them last year in Rotterdam in three ODIs, it’ll be nice to sort of be familiar with the team and the players and stuff, having played them before.”I think that will help us a little bit. But obviously, you know, they’ve evolved. They’ve gotten better. They’ve got different skills now as well, even with Shaheen [Afridi] coming back, who didn’t play that series.”Twice during the press conference, de Leede was asked to be “realistic” in terms of setting expectations.”We want to make the semi-finals,” he said both times. “If we want to get there, we’ve got to win four or five games. So, we’d have to take down one of the big teams. But that’s (semi-finals) our main target. And if we get there, we play our best cricket. Amazing. But if we play our best cricket and we don’t get there, I reckon we can still be proud of ourselves.”How will they approach their quest to make the final four? Play with a nothing-to-lose approach or set high goals and try to get there?”I think probably a mixture of both,” he said. “I don’t think any of the teams have got anything to lose. They’ve got something to gain, which is winning the World Cup. I think for us, obviously it’s special being back for the first time since 2011, but we’ve set our goal high which is making the semi-final. I don’t think if we don’t make it, we’re a failure or anything like that.”I think if we don’t make it, but we have played our best cricket, we can still be proud of ourselves. But by setting the goal to make the semi-final, I think we can probably do more than what people expect from us.”
Dejan Kulusevski shared his thoughts on Tottenham's transfer activity after the team's latest defeat to Nottingham Forest.
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On-field umpires will no longer be required to give a “soft signal” while referring contentious catches to the TV umpire, according to the revised ICC playing conditions that will come into effect from June 1, 2023.The on-field umpires will now simply consult with the TV umpire before a final decision regarding a referred catch is made, without any soft signal having been made. The change was recommended by the ICC’s Men’s Cricket Committee, endorsed by the Women’s Cricket Committee, and ratified by the ICC’s Chief Executives Committee.While the soft signal was scrapped by the IPL in 2021, it continued to be used in international cricket, and the TV umpire had to find conclusive evidence of a catch being clean or not to overturn the soft signal, irrespective of whether the on-field umpires had a clear line of sight to the catch while making the soft signal.”The committee deliberated this at length and concluded that soft signals were unnecessary and at times confusing since referrals of catches may seem inconclusive in replays,” Sourav Ganguly, the head of the Men’s Cricket Committee, said.There was brief confusion about the Free Hit rule with the ICC saying a “minor addition” had been made to it. That tweak deemed that runs scored off a free hit when the batter is bowled would count as runs towards the batter, as opposed to byes. The most high-profile recent incident was in the last over of India’s epic win against Pakistan at the MCG in the T20 World Cup last year. Kohli was bowled by Mohammad Nawaz off the free hit, but as the ball went to deep third, the batters picked up three runs.Soon after the release, however, the governing body clarified that was not the case and that the rule, when a batter is bowled, remains the same: runs scored after a batter is bowled off a free hit will continue to be categorised as extras and will not be credited to the batter.In the revised playing conditions, the ICC also made it mandatory for players in “high-risk” positions to wear helmets. This includes batters facing fast bowlers, wicketkeepers standing up to the stumps, and fielders standing close to batters in front of the wicket.
Glasgow Rangers and new Ibrox owners 49ers Enterprises have reached an agreement to sell a Gers player without the approval of new manager Russell Martin.
Aarons completes Ibrox medical and set to join Rangers
The Gers have already made midfielder Lyall Cameron the first official signing of the summer at Ibrox, however, the 49ers and Martin are after more before the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos and their Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell.
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Martin admitted he is “excited” at the players Rangers are targeting and is hoping for a “few” to arrive over the coming weeks.
One of those looks set to be Max Aarons, with the right-back on course to arrive on a straight loan deal from Bournemouth. The defender has even been pictured at Ibrox and has already completed a medical.
With Aarons set to sign, it could be a case of one defender in and one out at Ibrox going off a recent update.
Rangers reach agreement to sell Gers defender Robin Propper
According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Rangers have reached an agreement in principle to sell Robin Propper for €1.5m (£1.27m) to FC Twente.
A deal is yet to be complete, though, ‘due to the recent changes within the technical staff of Rangers’, meaning Martin has yet to give the green light to an exit.
The report adds that ‘a meeting between Propper and the new head coach is planned soon and will be decisive for the further course of the transfer’.
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FC Twente’s manager, Joseph Oosting, has publicly spoken out over a transfer for Propper, saying “I have been in contact with him via the app. We would like to have Robin. Will he come? That is the question.”
Oosting added to another Dutch outlet: “We have been in contact, I hope he returns. No point of discussion. I assume that it will work out. But in football you can never be sure of such things.”
Should a £1.27m deal go through, Rangers will be making a slight loss after spending £1.5m on Propper just 12 months ago.
Third team with IPL involvement, as Sunrisers Hyderabad owners make highest bid for Leeds franchise
Nagraj Gollapudi and Matt Roller05-Feb-2025A third IPL franchise owner has emerged victorious in the ongoing Hundred sale with the Sun Group, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, making the highest bid to buy a stake in Northern Superchargers, whose host county is Yorkshire.ESPNcricinfo understands that the Sun Group have agreed to buy 100% of the franchise: both the ECB’s 49% stake, and Yorkshire’s 51% share. The Superchargers are the first team to be sold outright, with host venues retaining a share in the first five franchises sold.The Sun Group’s valuation of Superchargers was £100 million, with two other parties understood to have been involved in the auction. Both Yorkshire and Sun Group have to finalise the agreement within eight weeks of the end of the Hundred sale.Yorkshire will keep 80% of the revenue from the sale of their 51% stake, which will provide the club with an injection of around £40m. Colin Graves, Yorkshire’s chairman, predicted last year that the club would soon be “fighting for its survival” due to debts of more than £20m, of which around £15m is owed to his family trust (which is managed by independent trustees).The Superchargers will be the third T20 franchise team in the Sun Group’s portfolio. They acquired Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2012, who went on to win the IPL in 2016 and finished as runners-up last year. In 2023, they added Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have won the SA20 title in its first two editions.The Sun Group is owned by Kalanithi Maran, an Indian media baron, who successfully bid for the IPL franchise after the BCCI terminated the ownership contract of the previous Hyderabad-based team, Deccan Chargers, in 2012.Related
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Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s chief executive and the Hundred’s former managing director, said in a statement: “We are delighted to be entering into an exclusivity period with the Sun Group, and will be continuing our conversations with them in the coming weeks with a view to setting the Northern Superchargers up for long-term and sustained success.””Having been in consultation with them for some time now, it is clear that they are aligned to the values and future direction of the club and will play a huge part in ensuring we can go on to achieve great success in the coming years. Today is clearly a huge milestone for Yorkshire CCC, the Northern Superchargers and the Sun Group, but it is worth stressing that there is a lot of detail to be discussed alongside further due diligence and legal processes before a contract can be signed.”The Superchargers are yet to win the Hundred in either the men’s or the women’s competition, with both teams finishing fourth in 2024. Their men’s team is coached by Andrew Flintoff and captained by Harry Brook, while the women’s team recently appointed Lisa Keightley as Dani Hazell’s successor. Mickey Arthur has also taken over as their new director of cricket this year.Pat Cummins captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL final last year•BCCI
The Sun Group joins owners of two other IPL franchises – RPSG Group (owners of Lucknow Super Giants) and Reliance Industries Limited (owners of Mumbai Indians) – who made the highest bids to buy stakes in Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles respectively.There could be at least one other IPL owner, the GMR Group, the co-owners of Delhi Capitals, who are also widely expected to buy a stake in Southern Brave after securing a deal to buy host county Hampshire last year.The other successful bidders to date are Cricket Investor Holdings Limited (a Silicon Valley tech consortium spearheaded by Nikesh Arora) at London Spirit; tech entrepreneur and Washington Freedom owner Sanjay Govil at Welsh Fire; and Knighthead Capital at Birmingham Phoenix.Warwickshire confirmed that Knighthead are their preferred investor on Wednesday. Chief executive Stuart Cain said: “We’d said at the start of this process that we wanted an investor committed to invest in the region and be with us for the long term, to make a real difference. I believe we’ve found that in Knighthead and we look forward to working with them during this exclusivity period.”The total valuation of the six franchises so far is close to £800m, with Trent Rockets and Southern Brave yet to be sold.Feb 5, 1800 GMT – This story was updated several times, including to add Yorkshire’s comments.
Former Chelsea and England defender John Terry has revealed he was turned down for manager roles for not having enough experience as a coach.
Terry not pursing manager careerStill works in Chelsea's academyPreviously had assistant rolesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Terry says he has given up on trying to become a manager due to the rejections he has received when applying for roles. The former centre-back previously had coaching roles with Dean Smith at both Aston Villa and Leicester after calling time on his playing career in 2018, having won every trophy there is to win with Chelsea.
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Plenty of players from Terry's era have gone into coaching in recent years, with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Mikel Arteta among others getting manager roles. However, Terry has admitted he is "baffled" by some of the jobs certain figures in football have managed to snare ahead of him.
WHAT TERRY SAID
Terry told : “I’m done in terms of coaching. I’m enjoying my life, I’m working in the Chelsea academy.
“I went for a couple of jobs and those days are gone for me. I’m enjoying my life a little bit, I’ve got my time to myself, I play a bit of golf, I’m in the academy and I have some family time as well.
“I absolutely wanted it. When I went into Villa I got great experience under Dean Smith and we got promotion, which was incredible.
“As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I’ve had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job.
“I’m not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship – but a job at League One level.
“I didn’t even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just ‘you have no experience’.
“When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does.
“In terms of ‘am I frustrated’, yes, absolutely because I have a lot of good attributes to be a really good coach or a really good manager but, unfortunately, that’s not happened.”
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TERRY?
Terry was recently spotted as a manager in the six-a-side Baller League competition but for now most of his coaching will continue at Chelsea on a part-time basis as he looks to mould the next generation of Blues stars.