No último dia 27, em Porto Alegre, no Rio Grande do Sul, o garoto Mateu Coitinho dos Santos, 9 anos, realizou o sonho de conhecer o atacante do Grêmio, Ferreirinha. Mateu, morador do interior do estado gaúcho, luta contra a leucemia.
O pequeno já havia recebido um vídeo do jogador na semana anterior e, pelo modo em que ficou emocionado, contagiou sua família, Ferreira e seu staff organizaram uma surpresa. Mateu, além de conhecer o atacante do Grêmio pessoalmente, também ganhou a camiseta 11 autografada, a mesma usada na vitória gremista sobre o Flamengo pelo placar de 1 a 0, no Campeonato Brasileiro.
Antes de iniciar a luta contra a doença, Mateu havia sido convidado para participar das equipes competitivas da Escola do Grêmio. Infelizmente, descobriu o câncer e segue em tratamento.
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While some sides in the Premier League are struggling to do any business whatsoever at the moment, Manchester United seem to be on a roll.
Joshua Zirkzee's £37m signing was revealed just over a week ago, and last Thursday, it was announced that the club had splashed out in excess of £52m to land the incredibly exciting young centre-back Leny Yoro.
Not content with those impressive signings, recent reports suggest the Red Devils are now charging full steam ahead to secure the services of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
However, separate reports suggest that the club may now have identified a better option than the Uruguayan and a player who could be the ideal partner for club captain Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth, United are now "looking at" AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana.
France midfielderYoussouf Fofana.
Sheth goes on to explain that with PSG wanting up to €70m, which is about £59m, for Ugarte and Monaco only looking for £30m for Fofana due to his contract expiring next summer, a move for the latter "might be a better deal financially for United."
Moreover, the Frenchman earns just £10k-per-week at Les Monégasques, whereas the Uruguayan makes about £100k-per-week in Paris, which would likely influence their salary demands at Old Trafford.
That said, with how well the Monaco ace has played in recent seasons, signing him would be a great a footballing decision, regardless of the finances involved, and he could prove to be an excellent teammate for Fernandes.
Why Fofana would be a great signing for United and Fernandes
There are many reasons why Fofana would be an excellent signing for United this summer, but there are a couple of main ones, and they tie into why he'd be so great alongside Fernandes.
AS Monaco midfielderYoussouf Fofana.
The first is that the 25-year-old is proficient in both a central midfield role and as an out-and-out six. For example, over his career, he has made 108 starts in the middle of the park and 81 just ahead of the backline, but last season in particular, he was used more as a defensive midfielder – 20 starts – than as an eight – 14 starts.
This flexibility and ability to play where he's needed in midfield would allow the Portuguese star to focus his energy on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch and doing what he does best: producing goals and assists.
Moreover, he'd be the perfect player to clean up counter-attacks and loose balls from his teammates' attacking moves, as according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 1 "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, sits in the top 4% of midfielders for ball recoveries per 90.
However, the "magnificent" ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, can also lend a hand in attacking phases of play if needed.
Appearances
32
3
Goals
4
0
Assists
4
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.25
0.00
For example, in 32 Ligue 1 appearances last season, he scored four goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every four games.
Lastly, with 21 senior caps for France, including six at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Paris-born star would bring an immense level of experience to the Theatre of Dreams, which can only be a good thing and potentially allow him to serve as an example to the plethora of exciting young talents now in and around the team.
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Ultimately, considering his impressive performances for Monaco in recent seasons and his experience with France, signing Fofana for £30m seems like a no-brainer, especially as starting him behind Fernandes could free him up to focus more on his attacking output.
The European Championships may have grabbed the footballing world's attention over the last week or so, but like the rest of the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur have a busy summer of transfers to prepare for.
The Lilywhites enjoyed a bumpy first season under Ange Postecoglou that ended in Europa League qualification, but if the Australian is going to succeed in taking the club back to the top, he'll need to have the best players at his disposal.
So, it's good news that, based on recent reports, he could soon have a new clinical number nine in his squad who could form a deadly partnership with Son Heung-min.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed personal terms with Brentford striker Ivan Toney ahead of a potential move.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney
However, the report has also claimed that the Bees have turned down the Lilywhites' initial £40m bid and that while they value the Englishman at £65m, an offer of around £55m should be enough to seal the deal.
It won't be a cheap deal to complete, but given how impressive Toney's goalscoring record was before this season, it's probably one worth pursuing, especially as his link-up with Son has the potential to be brilliant.
serhou-guirassy-ivan-toney-tottenham-opinion
Why Toney would be a great teammate for Son
Now, the elephant in the room is Toney's record this season following his return from his eight-month football ban for betting offences.
In 17 appearances, the 28-year-old managed a reasonable if unspectacular return of just four goals and two assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.8 games.
Toney' record since promotion
Season
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
Appearances
37
35
17
Goals
14
21
4
Assists
6
5
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.54
0.74
0.35
All Stats via Transfermarkt
However, it would be incredibly unfair to judge him solely on those 17 games, considering the incredibly unusual circumstances that came before them, especially when, the season before, he managed to return 26 goals and assists in 35 games for the Bees and the campaign before that, it was 20 goals and assists in 37.
When looking at his output since winning promotion to the Premier League with Brentford as a whole, it becomes impossible to deny that the three-capped international is an excellent striker, and as such, he would help improve Postecoglou's attack in N17.
Specifically, though, his ability to finish chances would surely help club captain Son reach another level, as according to Understat, the South Korean underperformed his expected assists figure by 3.34.
Richarlison might have ended the campaign with a respectable tally of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, but he has never managed to reach 20 goal involvements in a single season.
Aston Villa transfer target Ivan Toney in Premier League action for Brentford.
In contrast, the "unplayable" Brentford ace, as dubbed by Alan Shearer, has managed to do that twice in his last two full campaigns.
Therefore, while the Brazilian is a valuable player to have in the squad, he's never going to be the sort of nine who could help Son reach 15 plus assists in a single campaign, whereas the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by his manager Thomas Frank, certainly is.
Tottenham look to £50 million Premier League star as possible Hojbjerg heir
The Denmark international is expected to leave.
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Emilio Galantini
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Ultimately, it won't be a cheap deal to complete, but with how effective Toney has been when he's been given a full season to play, Tottenham cannot afford to miss out on his signature this season, and neither can Son, for that matter.
Jos Buttler says that England’s white-ball cricketers must target victory in South Africa later this month, in order to build the same sort of momentum into their T20 World Cup campaign that they produced in their march to the 50-over title last year.However, speaking on the eve of England’s departure for South Africa, where the squad will be entering another bio-secure bubble ahead of three T20s and three ODIs at Cape Town and Paarl, Buttler added that there would be an extra focus on mental health during the tour, with players encouraged to seek support if they find the lockdown lifestyle getting them down.It will be the first time that England have undertaken a tour since the Covid pandemic began, although ten members of the tour party, Buttler included, have recently returned from a six-week stint at the IPL.And while three of those players – Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Sam Curran – will be rested from the ODI leg of the tour, Buttler himself said he was happy to put himself forward for both series, having been able to spend time with his wife and daughter out in the UAE, and having played just three ODIs since the World Cup final at Lord’s 16 months ago.”South Africa’s a great tour and we won’t get to fully enjoy it as we usually would,” Buttler said. “But I think everyone’s become accustomed to what it’s going to be like.”Most of us had an Xbox quite high on the priority list, then there’s Netflix, and reading books,” he added. “But if you’re feeling under pressure or not quite feeling yourself, it’s about having the confidence to open up and talk about it.Jos Buttler looks on in England training•Getty Images
“I think all of us will go through it at different stages where you feel a bit homesick, or claustrophobic at not being able to get out and about, as you might usually want to. We just have to make sure that we’re very aware of that, and one thing that the ECB is excellent at is looking after the players’ mental wellbeing.”Despite being a comparatively low-profile tour, Buttler said there would be an onus on role clarity in the 20-over format in particular, with the next T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in India in just under a year’s time.”To go and win the series is the ultimate aim, of course,” Buttler said. “We’re building towards a World Cup but one thing we did very well in 50-over cricket was win and learn at the same time.”We’re building into a tournament, so of course winning gives you confidence. When you can play well, you gain role clarity in the side, and you can try to nail down your 11 and 15 [squad].”England surged to the No. 1 ODI ranking in the course of the four-year cycle from the 2015 to 2019 World Cups, and after losing away to South Africa in 2015-16, they lost just one more bilateral series in 16 attempts, away to India the following winter.ALSO READ: England tour gets green light from SA sports ministry“By the end of that cycle, the 50-overs team nearly picked itself, and that’s a great place to be as a side,” Buttler said. “It gives a lot of confidence to guys playing a lot of games with each other, because when you head into a tournament in high-pressure situations, you’re very familiar with your own role and what you expect of your team-mates.”The postponed 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia – the final of which had been due to take place at Melbourne this past weekend – has now been pushed back to 2022, with England’s 50-over World Cup defence coming the following winter in India. And Buttler admitted that the absences of Stokes, Archer and Curran from the ODI series was a reflection of the format’s place in the pecking order in the current international cycle.”With such a congested fixture list, it’s always important for the ECB to find time for guys to be able to rest and get enough time away from the game to be in a good headspace,” Buttler said. “With two T20 World Cups around the corner, it seems that ODIs just at the moment are the ones that the guys look to be resting from.”The tour will be taking place against a backdrop of instability, with CSA facing the prospect of being stripped of its status as a national governing body following months of turmoil. And while Buttler insisted that such issues were beyond the remit of the squad, he did admit to a tinge of relief when it was confirmed, at the eleventh hour, that the trip would be going ahead as planned.”We heard what had happened with the board a few weeks and months ago and we were all expecting that would be sorted out for our tour,” Buttler said.”I’d been reading in the paper that the tour was in doubt but Ashley Giles [England director] got in touch with all the players to say we’re confident it will go ahead but we’ll obviously keep everyone in the loop.”I think everyone’s grateful that it’s going to be going on, especially so close to your departure date when you’re starting to really gear up to go. But it’s nothing to do with us, we players are just looking forward to cricket and the boards can take care of those kind of things.”
Parkinson, Hartley and Livingstone derail run-chase at Hove to book semi-final berth
Matt Roller01-Oct-2020
Liam Livingstone was instrumental in Sussex’s quarter-final collapse•Getty Images
Lancashire 140 for 8 (Croft 41, Vilas 40, Garton 3-28) beat Sussex 95 (Wright 36, Livingstone 4-23, Parkinson 3-9) by 45 runsLancashire’s spinners were too good for Sussex on a slow wicket at Hove, returning combined figures of 8 for 50 in 9.2 overs to seal their spot at Finals Day for the eighth time in their history.After struggling their way to 140 for 8 thanks to contributions from Steven Croft and Dane Vilas, Lancashire turned to their three-pronged slow-bowling attack comprising Tom Hartley, Liam Livingstone and Matt Parkinson to send Sussex’s run-chase into disarray.Sussex were 34 for 2 after the Powerplay – exactly the score Lancashire had reached after six overs – when Vilas turned to spin, and needed to tick over on a hybrid pitch. Those surfaces are usually renowned for the bounce and carry they offer, but this strip proved sticky and on the slower side. Sussex struggled to rotate, failing to score from 49 of the 104 balls they faced, and crumbled to 95 all out to end Jason Gillespie’s reign as head coach with a heavy defeat.Sussex on top earlyLancashire had flown out of the blocks batting first this season, scoring at nine an over in the Powerplay coming into this game, and when Livingstone belted Ollie Robinson for sixes in the second and fourth overs, it looked like that would continue. But when he freed his arms in the hopes of another towering blow over midwicket, he looked round to see his leg stump pegged back.That brought Keaton Jennings to the crease, tasked with anchoring the innings at No. 3. He clipped Robinson off his pads for four through wide long-on, but then miscued when rushed for pace by George Garton, offering a steepler to David Wiese at mid-on in the ring. With Croft struggling for timing against Tymal Mills’ changes of pace and Sussex electric in the infield, Lancashire’s Powerplay total was their second-lowest of the season.Vilas’ lone handSussex’s penchant for allrounders meant that they came into this game with eight bowling options, and Wright was happy to chop and change as he saw fit. He opted for a number of one-over spells through the middle overs in order to stop Lancashire finding their rhythm, exemplified by Davies picking out deep backward square leg as he swept a Delray Rawlins full toss, immediately after Ravi Bopara had interrupted the diet of left-arm spin.With 22 runs to his name off 30 balls at the end of the 13th over, Croft recognised he had to accelerate, and promptly deposited Rawlins for two sixes. Wright brought Garton back, chasing a breakthrough, and saw his second ball pulled over long leg for six more, but one ball later, he was well caught by Robinson on the rope looking to repeat the trick, prompting whoops and cheers from the balconies of the flats on Palmeira Avenue.But the variety offered by Sussex’s death bowlers could not prevent Vilas from hitting a crucial cameo of 40 off 28 balls, which included a wristy skewed six over wide third man and a slash over the vacant slips for four. If Vilas rode his luck, he also rotated brilliantly: he absorbed only four dot balls on a pitch where ticking over was the order of the day.Lancashire win the match-upsAll three of Lancashire’s main spinners have significantly better records against right-handers than left-handers, and Rawlins, the only leftie in Sussex’s top six, has a reputation as a destructive player of spin. With that in mind, it was vital for Vilas that he managed to get Rawlins out early which would expose Sussex’s right-handers to the ball turning away from them.Luke Wood’s opening over saw both Wright and Phil Salt hit boundaries, but when a fired-up Saqib Mahmood dismissed Salt with his first ball, miscuing a pull to mid-on, it meant an early entry for Rawlins at No. 3. He played skittishly, taking on the short ball without finding the middle and failing to hit his characteristic early boundary to settle his nerves.Lancashire rallied in the field, barking encouragement and sensing an opportunity as Wood steamed in for his third over with the new ball; he pegged back Rawlins’ off stump with a yorker, and wheeled away in delight, knowing full well that he had set things up perfectly for a middle-over spin fest.Spin seals itSure enough, Vilas turned to Hartley and Parkinson as soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted, and Hartley – a tall left-arm spinner in his breakthrough season – accounted for Bopara, who was trapped lbw on the sweep. With Sussex finding it hard to rotate the strike with Lancashire in tight to save singles, David Wiese broke the shackles when Livingstone arrived to bowl his liquorice allsorts, nailing a slog-sweep for six into a van. But two balls later he skied a catch to Rob Jones, running in from long-on, and Livingstone got the key wicket of Wright in similar fashion, as his loose drive picked out long-off. At 77 for 5 at the start of the 15th over, Sussex had no choice but to attack, and the result was three wickets in four balls for Parkinson who proved too good for the lower order. Mills belted a sublime straight six over long-on with the game effectively over, and became the only Sussex batsman other than Wright to reach double figures before he was stumped to give Livingstone his fourth and seal Lancashire’s semi-final spot.
With new manager Enzo Maresca at the helm, Chelsea aren’t waiting around to get their transfer business complete.
Tosin Adarabioyo is already in the door, having joined on a free transfer from Fulham, and Michael Olise could very well be next.
According to a reports, Olise has agreed personal terms with the Blues as they look to bolster the attack.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a current Chelsea star who is now worth twice as much as Olise after just one year in the Premier League.
What Chelsea paid for Nicolas Jackson
Towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Nicolas Jackson finally announced himself to La Liga with an insane run of form.
With eight league games to go, the 22-year-old had just three goals to his name, but he ended the campaign with 12 goals in total and four assists in 16 starts.
Villarreal's Nicolas Jackson
This remarkable increase in performance was enough for Chelsea to take the risk of buying him last summer as they looked to replace Kai Havertz, who joined Arsenal.
The former Villarreal ace arrived at Stamford Bridge for a reasonable £30m, signing an eight-year contract at £65k-per-week, as per Capology.
Nicolas Jackson’s value in 2024
To begin with, Jackson found it somewhat difficult to adapt to the tempo of the Premier League, scoring twice in his first nine league appearances.
However, on November 6th against Tottenham Hotspur, the number 15 showed exactly why Chelsea brought him to the club, scoring a hat-trick.
The Senegal striker also netted in the following game against Manchester City, with his development earning him a spot in the starting lineup.
Over the campaign, the “extraordinary” Jackson, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, started 31 league matches, mainly as a centre forward, scoring 14 goals and supplying five assists in the process, making him the second-highest goal contributor in the squad.
1. Cole Palmer
£84m
2. Enzo Fernandez
£84m
3. Nicolas Jackson
£67m
4. Moises Caicedo
£67m
5. Conor Gallagher
£51m
Due to his consistent ability to be a handful in every game and put the ball in the back of the net, Jackson’s value has increased significantly.
As per CIES’ Football Observatory, the attacker is now estimated to be worth £67m, which makes him one of the most valuable players in the Chelsea squad.
Nicolas Jackson
This makes him only less valuable than Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, while being on par with Moises Caicedo.
Furthermore, when compared to Olise’s £60m asking price, Jackson is worth just a tad more, despite the former being regarded as one of the best Premier League players last season with ten goals and six assists in 14 starts.
Not only is Jackson one of the most valuable strikers in England, but he currently holds the status of the joint highest-valued African player in the Premier League, alongside Mohammed Kudus of West Ham.
Considering that the right-footed attacker is still only 22 years old, he has shown plenty of promise, and if he continues to perform, his value will continue to increase.
Chelsea deserve great credit for picking up Jackson last summer, and it’s clear that they truly hit the jackpot on his signature.
No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea
Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.
Victoria and New South Wales-based players from the Australia Women’s squad will undergo a 14-day quarantine in Brisbane next month alongside their New Zealand counterparts ahead of the T20I and ODI series which will be played at Allan Border Field.It is hoped that crowds will be able to attend the six matches but details of that are still being worked through by Cricket Australia and the relevant government departments. Crowds have been able to attend the winter sports codes hosted in Queensland since the end of June.The two groups of players will be able to access net facilities at Allan Border Field under strict bio-secure protocols during the two-week quarantine but the teams will not mix.ALSO READ: Maitlan Brown earns first Australia callMelbourne is currently under a stage four lockdown which means anyone travelling into Queensland is required to quarantine while New South Wales was declared a hotspot area earlier this month which meant the same restrictions for anyone coming from that state. That group of players will arrive in Brisbane on September 6.Players from the other states will not have to undergo the two-week quarantine ahead of the series and they will join up with the squad in Brisbane on September 20 ahead of the opening T20I on September 26.Meg Lanning steers the ball behind square•Getty Images
New Zealand Cricket announced on Friday that their squad would fly to Brisbane on September 9 although that is still awaiting final approval from governments on both sides of the Tasman.The tour will be the first cricket both teams have played since the T20 World Cup in March and it will be the first international sport staged in Australia since Covid-19 took hold.”We would like to thank the Queensland Government for their support, which has allowed for the tour to progress in a bio-secure way,” Nick Hockley, the interim Cricket Australia CEO, said. “We can’t wait to get the season started and what better way to celebrate the return of our world champions.”We’re as confident as ever that we will be able to deliver a schedule of matches that excites and entertains fans across the country and around the world.”Terry Svenson, the Queensland Cricket CEO, said: “We’re pleased to have played a role along with Cricket Australia and the State and Commonwealth Governments in bringing international sport back to Australia, with the New Zealand Women’s visit to Queensland to be the first inbound tour to the country since the start of the pandemic and the first international cricket in Australia since that memorable ICC T20 Women’s World Cup won by Australia.”Queensland Cricket is very grateful to the State Government for the support shown for this tour, and their positive approach to hosting matches in Queensland this summer. We’re looking forward to providing the opportunity for fans to experience some top-quality cricket and enjoy the best that Australia’s world champion women’s team can deliver.”T20I series First T20: September 26 Second T20: September 27 Third T20: September 30ODI series First ODI: October 3 Second ODI: October 5 Third ODI: October 7
تعرض فريق نيس للهزيمة أمام خصمه أولمبيك ليون، في مباراتهما التي شهدها يوم الأحد، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الفرنسي 2024/25.
وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الفرنسي، حيث خسر نيس بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدف. أهداف مباراة نيس وليون في الدوري الفرنسي
كان ليون قد تقدم بهدف سجله اللاعب ألكسندر لاكازيت في الدقيقة الرابعة من عمر الشوط الأول.
ونجح نيس في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 22، والذي جاء عن طريق اللاعب سفيان ديوب.
ولكن لاكازيت واصل تألقه حيث نجح في تسجيل الهدف الثاني له ولفريقه، ليون في الدقيقة 41.
وأحرز جوردان فيريتو الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 43، مستغلًا خطأ من المدافع المصري محمد عبد المنعم الذي مرر الكرة بشكل خاطئ في البداية، لتصل إلى أحد لاعبي نيس لتبدأ الهجمة التي أسفرت عن الهدف في النهاية. محمد عبد المنعم يتسبب في هدف لـ ليون أمام نيس
ووضع لاكازيت بصمته على الهاتريك حيث سجل الهدف الثالث له والرابع لأصحاب الأرض، ليون، في الدقيقة 69 من ضربة جزاء.
وشارك المحترف المصري محمد عبد المنعم كأساسي رفقة نيس وخاض المباراة بأكملها، حتى النهاية.
بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليون إلى 22 نقطة في المركز الخامس، بينما تجمد رصيد نيس عند 20 نقطة في المركز السادس.
Tottenham have been handed a boost on the transfer front after it emerged that one of their long-term targets may finally be free to make the switch to North London this summer.
Spurs need firepower
Tottenham's attack has struggled this season, with the Lilywhites having scored the fewest goals out of the Premier League's top seven. It is an area that Ange Postecoglou looked to bolster in January, with Spurs landing Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig with the option to make the move permanent for a fee of around £17m this summer, provided that the clause is activated before EURO 2024 begins.
Pundit moots Werner exit as Tottenham eye £42.8 million statement signing
The German is drawing a mixed opinion.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 21, 2024
But despite Werner having seemingly had a good impact in, there is no communication as to whether the club will pull the trigger on the 28-year-old's move, with Tottenham's recent transfer strategy having revolved around signing younger players.
Should they opt not to sign the German, then Spurs will undoubtedly be on the hunt for a new option in attack, with Richarlison the only recognised striker at the club and Heung-Min Son still overly relied upon in Harry Kane's absence.
Tottenham's attack this season
Goals
Assists
% of goals involved in
Heung-Min Son
17
9
38%
Richarlison
11
4
22%
Brennan Johnson
5
8
19%
Dejan Kulusevski
6
3
13%
Manor Solomon
0
2
3%
While the 31-year-old is not yet showing any signs of slowing down, his peak is likely behind him. As a result, a statement signing may be needed, and Spurs appear to have identified just the man.
Raphinha to Tottenham update
That is according to Spanish sources, who claim that Raphinha could be the player sacrificed in a bid to balance Barcelona's books this summer. Via Sport Witness, the Spanish media claim that the Catalan giants are ready to talk about a move for their Brazilian winger, just two summers after signing him from Leeds United.
Barcelona winger Raphinha.
Tottenham, who were interested in Raphinha before he moved to Barcelona back in 2022, are said to now have emerged as a "realistic" option for the winger. This is because "Barca have to make a big sale in the next window to improve their finances", even before they consider making deals for Joao Cancelo or Joao Felix permanent.
However, they will have to convince him to depart Camp Nou, with the report going on to add that "the player isn’t keen on leaving Barcelona" following some impressive performances in recent months, which could lead to a situation akin to Frenkie de Jong's last year, when Manchester United agreed a fee with Barcelona but the player refused the move.
Should that hurdle be cleared, it is believed that Barcelona value Raphinha at around 55m euros (£47m), which is less than the fee demanded by Leeds United to see him leave the Premier League. The winger has come in for high praise previously, with some of it coming from across North London. In 2021, Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes praised his compatriot for his display in a 4-1 win over Uruguay, calling the former Leeds star a "phenomenon”.
Though he would not solve the issue of goals by himself, Raphinha's arrival would be an exciting one and would furnish Postecoglou with another top quality option in the wide areas, which Spurs appear to be crying out for.
One of the biggest clubs in Europe are reportedly worried that incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot could hijack a move for a player he knows well this summer.
Liverpool manager & transfer news
The Reds' Premier League title challenge may have fallen apart in recent weeks, with both performances and results nowhere near good enough, but there is so much going at the club that excitement is still in the air. Granted, the exit of Jurgen Klopp will be an extremely sad moment next month, but it looks as though Slot is in place to be his successor, with the start of a fresh era always bringing a great sense of anticipation.
The 45-year-old has worked wonders at Feyenoord, not only winning the Eredivisie title last season but also clinching Dutch Cup glory this time around, and he could bring with him a possession-brand brand of football not dissimilar to Pep Guardiola's style of play.
Feyenoord coachArneSlot
It is clear that Slot will want to bring in the right players to suit his system during the summer transfer window, being aided by the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, and one player who has emerged as an option is Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville. He has been a big part of the Whites' impressive season in the Championship and the incoming new Liverpool boss reportedly wants him at Anfield.
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is another rumoured target for the Reds, with the Brazilian far from certain to stay at St James' Park this summer. The likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also eyeing him up.
Slot could hijack signing for Liverpool
According to an update from Sport Mediaset [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are still keen on signing Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners this summer, with the report stating that Juventus must "beware" of a hijack from Slot and the Reds.
The Serie A giants are seen as strong contenders to complete the signing of the Dutchman, but Slot could get there first, having worked with his compatriot at AZ Alkmaar during the 2019/20 season.
Teun Koopmeiners in action for Atalanta in the Serie A.
At this point, it does feel as though Koopmeiners is a genuine target for Liverpool, considering how often he has been linked with a move to the club in recent months. The Slot factor could now only add to the speculation, given their past together, and he looks like a brilliant option.
The 26-year-old Netherlands international is one of Atalanta's most influential players, helping them knock the Reds out of the Europa League earlier this month, and he has 11 goals to his name in Serie A this season. Liverpool's highest-scoring midfielder in the Premier League this term is Alexis Mac Allister with four, going to show how much attacking threat Koopmeiners could add in the middle of the park.
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Admittedly, the Reds have only recently made significant changes to their midfield, but Wataru Endo is 31 years of age, Ryan Gravenberch has been hit-and-miss and Dominik Szoboszlai is still maturing, so bringing in Koopmeiners makes perfect sense.