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da wazamba： Depois de anunciar a lista de convocados para os dois próximos jogos da Seleção Brasileira nesta sexta-feira, o técnico Tite explicou a ausência de dois nomes que estavam cotados para vestir a Amarelinha: Pedro, do Flamengo, e Raphael Veiga, do Palmeiras. Segundo o treinador, as portas não estão fechadas para ambos, apesar da não convocação.

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da betway：
-Um dos aprendizados que o tempo tem me dado como técnico é de não fechar possibilidades reais porque elas acontecem. Têm atletas de alto nível que vão se afirmando, se consolidando e evoluindo ao longo do tempo. Nós, que somos os responsáveis por este comando, temos que deixar em aberto, se não fica um pré-conceito, e eu luto contra o pré-conceito, contra a ignorância. Então é procurar evoluir de algum aspecto e estudar – disse o treinador.

+ Tabela das Eliminatórias Sul-Americanas para a Copa do Mundo de 2022

Se Pedro e Veiga ficaram de fora, Tite promoveu o retorno de Neymar à Seleção Brasileira. O camisa 10 não foi convocado na última Data-Fifa, por conta de uma contusão no tornozelo esquerdo, e o treinador afirmou que ele está ganhando ritmo de jogo a cada partida.

-Eu reitero o que coloquei como análise pessoal: ele (Neymar) fez um jogo bom no primeiro tempo contra o Real Madrid, mas como toda equipe caiu na sequência. Tem uma qualidade extraordinária, mas vem de um processo natural de quem se lesiona. Ele tem todo um processo de busca dessa melhor performance, que o tempo e os treinamentos vão dar. Vamos fazer todo o trabalho possível para ter ele com saúde. Esse processo de ter o atleta com saúde e a evolução física e técnica é apostado por nós também – afirmou o comandante.

-A lesão do Neymar foi no dia 28 de novembro de 2021 e ele ficou aproximadamente 78 dias sem jogar. O treinamento esportivo não é pílula, não é anti-inflamatório e pronto, que a dor passa. Você demora a adquirir novamente os efeitos fisiológicos do treino. Ele fez cinco partidas até agora, mas só duas completas. Ele vai evoluir – completouFábio Mahseredjian, preparador físico da Seleção Brasileira.

A comissão de Tite também comentou sobre o retorno de Arthur, da Juventus, e a chance de Gabriel Martinelli, que terá a primeira oportunidade com a Seleção principal. No ano passado, o jogador do Arsenal foi campeão olímpico no Japão.

-O Arthur teve uma lesão na perna esquerda no dia 6 de fevereiro de 2021, que causou um edema ósseo. Optou-se, à época, por um tratamento conservador. Não resolveu. Quando a temporada se encerrou, optou-se pela cirurgia. Ele ficou três meses sem jogar, voltou a jogar pela Juventus e foi crescendo sua minutagem. O número de minutos jogados foram aumentando, ele iniciando e terminando o jogo, além de apresentar boa performance – frisouMahseredjian.

-Diferente de outros jogadores do meio-campo, o Arthur tem uma movimentação de controle de jogo, de rodar por trás com a bola e de conduzir o jogo com qualidade, desenvolvendo algumas situações. A continuidade dele na Juventus está crescendo, então achamos que é o momento de trazê-lo de volta. Aproveitando para falar do Martinelli, ele é um jogador que vem atuando como externo-esquerdo, tem muito a busca do gol, tem participado com gols e assistências, e vem crescendo no Arsenal. Visitamos ele lá (em Londres), conversamos com o Arteta (treinador do Arsenal), acompanhamos… É um atleta que merece que a gente traga e dê uma oportunidade – disse Cléber Xavier, auxiliar de Tite.

+ Suposta nova camisa da Seleção surge na internet: lembre todas as camisas 1 do Brasil em Copas

A Seleção Brasileira enfrenta o Chile, no dia 24 de março, no Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro, às 20h30 (de Brasília), e depois encerra esta janela de jogos da Data-Fifa contra a Bolívia, no dia 29, no Estádio Hernando Siles, na altitude de La Paz, no mesmo horário.

VEJA OUTROS TRECHOS DA COLETIVA
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Grupo aberto: “Eu nem imagino e nem quero (pensar nos jogadores do Mundial). Eu fico esperando, tento ter um discernimento, um acompanhamento dos jogadores. Quero que eles estejam na plenitude da sua forma física, nas suas melhores condições. Aí sim, com desempenho alto, vou decidir aquilo que seja o melhor para a Seleção, dentro da ideia que pensamos.”

Seis anos de Seleção Brasileira: “Há um peso histórico de ser técnico da Seleção Brasileira. Por tudo, por títulos, ídolos… então esse peso eu tenho mais. Mas tenho muito mais orgulho, alegria e satisfação de poder estar exercendo, da melhor maneira possível, sabendo que o fato de estar um tempo maior, os jogadores já têm uma confiança maior. Talvez esse aspecto possa ser, ou é, um benefício.”

Busca por um camisa 9: “Entendo a pergunta e faço uma abrangente maior sobre uma estrutura que se mexe. Se você tem um camisa 9 que vem articular, você tem que ter jogadores que tenham profundidade e agressividade. A gente está mudando situações, atletas, tendo alternativas neste aspecto. Depois, quando chegar no momento final, da definição dos atletas para a Copa do Mundo, teremos a real dimensão das combinações. Coutinho e Firmino tivemos na Copa América, Neymar e Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison na direita, Vini na esquerda, Raphinha agudo na direita… e aí vamos compondo essa estrutura ofensiva que te permite.”

Richarlison: “Ele vem de uma sequência de jogos importantes, vem crescendo seu nível, já tem um histórico de Seleção, da Olímpica da mesma forma. Já estava em condição na outra convocação, mas optamos por não convocá-lo porque tinha essa retomada do processo físico e técnico (pós-lesão).”

Ausências de Gabigol e Everton Ribeiro: “Eu prefiro não comentar, e comentar a respeito dos que chamamos. Estamos com bastante jogadores convocados. Ter aí a possibilidade de enaltecer as opções que temos, que vocês sabem, são bastante amplas para estar na Seleção.”

In Bangalore, the visitors showed pluck and glimpses of the skills in their possession. Now, they must sustain their desire to do well in Test cricket

Andrew Alderson04-Sep-2012Five losses out of the last seven Tests makes poor reading for New Zealand, but there remains a feeling of respite in the aftermath of the Bangalore defeat. Despite a winning margin of five wickets, with Indian partnerships of 77 and 96 in the final innings, there was a sense of fight in the New Zealand ranks; something the first Test shambles lacked.The Hyderabad loss left a taste of insipid apathy; the Bangalore loss reinvigorated the Test appetite. Losing in a decent contest earns respect. New Zealand demonstrated pluck through the batting of captain Ross Taylor, the bowling of a youthful pace attack and the guile of offspinner Jeetan Patel. Even at 32, Patel showed he is an alternative coming out from Daniel Vettori’s shadow. In the second innings, Patel was treated lightly by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina before bowling them, while Cheteshwar Pujara was hesitant before flicking a catch. Patel deserved his three wickets in challenging circumstances.Unlike December’s victory over Australia, New Zealand could not drag the Test their way. In that match in Hobart – also minus Vettori – they were assisted by a strip with bite. Bangalore provided more of a contest for bat and ball, where the will of India captain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli proved unbreakable.Yet, until the last few balls, the pair had to work hard. The contest made for an absorbing evening’s viewing in New Zealand. Fans could afford to shelve channel-surfing contingency plans.Ross Taylor’s first-innings century and aggressive captaincy – placing a regular three slips in the cordon for Southee and a short leg and silly point for Patel in the fourth innings – showed a maturity and a quiet fury to propel his team into a better era. He was rewarded with tight bowling for moderate periods. Taylor backed his hunches; like refusing Patel the right to put a man back after Sehwag blasted him for a six over long-off. Sehwag was bowled three balls later.Sadly for New Zealand, Taylor was given little top order batting support in the first innings as he eased to his seventh test century. Fifty to 100 more runs could have taken New Zealand out of danger. Likewise, in the second innings, no New Zealand batsman could fully dominate the spinners, with seven batsmen scoring between 22 and 41. The hosts faced a manageable 261 to haul in, despite it being a record fourth-innings chase on that ground.

The Hyderabad loss left a taste of insipid apathy; the Bangalore loss reinvigorated the Test appetite. Losing in a decent contest earns respect

Tim Southee, backed by like-minded aggression from Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, produced a gifted spell to knock India back. His 7 for 64 that places him sixth on the list of all-time best New Zealand bowling performances. His ability to trouble India’s line-up by moving the ball to and fro was a credit to his mental aptitude after he earned inclusion at the expense of veteran Chris Martin.Inspirational moments peppered the fielding performance too, like Daniel Flynn scampering crab-like from short leg to take a one-handed catch off the in-form Pujara.Hopefully, though, New Zealand fans can resist reverting to apologist-speak like “rebuilding” and “moving forward” to describe the current team. Those excuses tire quickly in an era where there is more exposure to the international game than ever before from age-group level up. There is plenty of talent but more consistency is required. On the bowling front the India batsmen worked too many loose balls to the boundary with their wrists or “on-the-up” limited-overs style. The batting top order remains more miss than hit with porous defence.Taylor said afterwards they were disappointed with how they played in Hyderabad and wanted to show some fight and courage. They did so, but the onus is now on the players to avoid losing that desire to apply themselves in the longer form. For several of the team, patience is about to be replaced with premeditation at the World Twenty20. The Sri Lanka Test series is shortly afterwards and New Zealand need to further demonstrate that they have serious aspirations in the Test game to keep the public with them.

After serving as back-up to the England shot-stopper in her first season with the Red Devils, the American has stepped up impressively since her exit

When rumours emerged that Manchester United were interested in Bayern Munich goalkeeper Mala Grohs this summer, there was a little bit of bewilderment among fans. Yes, the Red Devils had just lost Mary Earps, England's star shot-stopper leaving on a free and heading out to join Paris Saint-Germain. But the feeling was that they didn't need to go out and find a suitable replacement because they already had one in their ranks. They already had Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

That was a feeling mainly shared by the die-hards, as they were the only ones who saw Tullis-Joyce in action in her first season at the club. With Earps starting every single league game but also, somewhat surprisingly, getting the nod even in the early stages of the FA Cup, her back-up was only able to showcase her talents in the League Cup group stage, keeping two clean sheets in four fixtures before United were knocked out. But that those who watched Tullis-Joyce were so adamant that she had it in her to be the club's No.1 goalkeeper said a lot.

Through the early weeks of the 2024-25 season, Tullis-Joyce has only justified such beliefs. Ranking very highly, if not highest, among goalkeepers in the Women's Super League for most key metrics, she has kept three clean sheets in four games and conceded just one goal. Now, her biggest test to date will come this weekend, as United take on an Arsenal side that were certainly admirers of her predecessor.

• Getty Images
  

  Patiently waiting

  After playing two seasons as the starting goalkeeper for Reims, the French side that has a knack for spotting and developing young talent, Tullis-Joyce then went over to the U.S. with the Seattle Reign and became the No.1 for one of the NWSL's biggest and best teams. When she arrived at United as a 26-year-old with four full seasons in two of the world's top leagues then, it baffled some that she couldn't really get a look in.

  Of course, she was never going to come in and totally usurp Earps, who has won the last two FIFA Best Goalkeeper awards and played in back-to-back major finals with England. But that she wasn't getting more action in the cups surprised some.

  "She's a fantastic goalkeeper but she's also behind the world's No.1 goalkeeper. That’s the level," head coach Marc Skinner said at the time.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Learning from the best

  If there was one big silver lining of that lack of game time for the American, it was that she spent a whole year learning from a goalkeeper, in Earps, with a ton of experience and top-class quality.

  "Mary is a good laugh, a good personality and she also very much set the standards," Tullis-Joyce said before the start of the season, praising the "warm welcome" that the England star and Safia Middleton-Patel, the young Wales international, gave her as she joined United's goalkeeping alliance.

  "While we had a laugh, we were also very serious and got our job done. We were able to progress as a group even though we were all three different goalkeepers. That’s what has prepared me for this season as well.”

  "Phallon's had a great year under Mary," United striker Rachel Williams noted. "She's been watching, she's been learning and in training, she's just an unbelievable professional. She keeps going every day. I think for Phallon now this year, we don't want her to feel like it's pressure, like she's got shoes to replace, because what Mary did was absolutely fantastic. But this is now where Phallon can make this her legacy, her journey."

  From Earps, Tullis-Joyce will have surely learned a lot about the pressures that come with being the No.1 goalkeeper for a club like Manchester United, too. While she's no stranger to the highest level, the scrutiny will certainly be different with the Red Devils.

• Getty Images
  

  Making her mark

  But Tullis-Joyce has been dealing with that pressure rather impressively so far. Through four WSL games, the 28-year-old has kept three clean sheets, conceded just once and boasts the best save percentage in the division, at a remarkable 93.3%. Only Brighton's Sophie Baggaley, another former back-up to Earps at United, has a bigger positive differential between expected goals against and actual goals conceded.

  "Phallon is the best shot-stopper I have ever worked with in my life," Skinner proclaimed before this season's start, having already dubbed her as a potentially world-class goalkeeper midway through the last. "She is an incredible footballer, an incredibly intelligent human, thoughtful and I’m really looking forward to showing you what she can do for this team. She is a big-time goalkeeper. That’s why I brought her here. She will lead naturally."

• Getty
  

  Changing opinions

  Could such remarkable form perhaps even lead to international recognition? There has only ever been one formal confirmation that Tullis-Joyce is on the radar of the United States women's national team, that back in June 2022 when she was included on a 59-player provisional roster for the CONCACAF W Championship.

  Her lack of individual recognition is indicative of the sheer talent the U.S. has to choose from in the goalkeeping position, but also of the rather unorthodox route to the top of the game she has taken.

  Tullis-Joyce had to leave her home country to really carve out that path, moving to the French second-tier when she wasn't chosen in the 2019 NWSL Draft. For whatever reason, her potential wasn't spotted by those in the U.S., but instead by Amandine Miquel, the current Leicester City boss who signed Tullis-Joyce at Reims. When going through the process of the move, Miquel reached out to a coach in the U.S. to ask about the goalkeeper, but didn't receive particularly good feedback. Fortunately, it didn't put the Frenchwoman off.

  Fast-forward a few years, Tullis-Joyce was back in the U.S. and shining for Seattle Reign, marking herself out as one of the best goalkeepers in the NWSL. Miquel reached out to the coach she had spoken to before, who was on the USWNT staff, and they were happy enough to concede that they were wrong on this occasion.

Celtic could be closing in on their first summer signing, with one report now saying they’ve had a bid accepted for a long-term target.

Celtic want new goalkeeper

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers are yet to make a summer signing following a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season, but a new goalkeeper to replace Joe Hart appears to be at the top of the list.

Alongside a shot-stopper, a winger and striker are also wanted at Parkhead, but when it comes to ‘keepers, there hasn’t been a shortage of targets.

Celtic hold talks to sign prolific teenage forward

He scored 16 goals in 17 starts last season.

By
Charlie Smith

Jun 25, 2024

Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher, Trabzonspor star Ugurcan Cakir, Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson, Werder Bremen colossus Michael Zetterer, Southampton’s Alex McCarthy, Koen Casteels of Wolfsburg and Dominik Livakovic are just some of the goalkeepers that have been linked with the Hoops.

Rumours have intensified over a move for Fenerbahce’s Livakovic who has been starting at Euro 2024 for Croatia, with a €9million (£7.6m) bid submitted to bring him to Scotland.

Celtic have Livakovic bid accepted

According to Turkish outlet Fotomac, Celtic’s offer for Livakovic has been accepted, with the player wanting to leave Fenerbahce this summer.

The €9m figure was mentioned again, and it is stated that an ‘official announcement will be made shortly’. Fenerbahce will reportedly replace Livakovic with Mattia Perin from Juventus, with Livakovic on course to become one of Celtic’s most expensive signings of all time, should a deal go through.

Celtic's 5 most expensive signings of all time	Signed from	Fee
Jota	Benfica	€16.2m
Odsonne Edouard	PSG	€10.3m
Chris Sutton	Chelsea	€9.5m
John Hartson	Coventry	€9m
Eyal Brkovic	West Ham	€8.8m

It looks as if Celtic could be about to seal a marque goalkeeper signing, and Croatian football expert Richard Wilson has explained to The Herald what he could bring to Scotland, highlighting his reflex saves as his main strength.

“His main strength would be his reflex saves, and he has that knack of getting to shots that 90 percent of goalkeepers can’t get to. It’s such a small difference between a good goalkeeper and a great goalkeeper at that level, and his reflexes have been shown to be among the true elite.”

Wilson then said a move to Celtic could be a “statement signing” for the Hoops.

“For Celtic to land a goalkeeper of his stature would be a statement signing, absolutely. Fenerbahce paid the best part of 7m Euros for him last summer, and they will make a profit on that, but if you compare Livakovic’s stature to Joe Hart’s, well, Joe Hart hasn’t been in World Cup semi-finals for instance.

“He’s one of the few goalkeepers that Celtic could get with a trophy cabinet of that size. It makes sense to me though because Celtic have been in for him before, so it is a renewal of interest.”

It could be just a matter of time until Celtic get their man, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

They were once two of the most marketable teams, but now low ticket sales offer a damning a verdict of the state of the two nations

Danyal Rasool31-Jul-2025What a difference a few decades make. Through the 1980s and ’90s, these two sides were arguably the most marketable in world cricket, the three drawn Test series they contested during West Indies’ famous 15-year unbeaten run among the more iconic ones in cricketing history. Now, West Indies and Pakistan are fine-tuning their warm-ups ahead of a T20I series in Lauderhill, Florida, reportedly dogged by poor ticket sales amid last-minute slashed prices.Each side is coming off torrid T20I series. West Indies found themselves swept aside 5-0 at Australia’s hands over the last fortnight, while Pakistan spent that time losing 2-1 to a Bangladesh team that has struggled for T20 form leading up to those games. Both teams have been dragged down to the lower ends of the cricketing food chain, and with institutional problems plaguing each of them, the fear is that they look set to stay there for the foreseeable future.The lopsided scoreline against Australia perhaps does not quite do justice to West Indies’ top order batting, which made up in explosiveness what it lacked in consistency. However, injuries to Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer, two of the hosts’ better batters against Australia, threaten to expose West Indies’ relative lack of depth. Alick Athanaze – with a T20 strike rate of 116.52 – and 36-year old Johnson Charles – whose best days are well behind him – have been called up to replace the pair.Related

• Charles, Athanaze replace injured King and Hetmyer for Pakistan T20Is

• Afridi back for T20Is, Nawaz earns maiden ODI call-up for West Indies series

However, that series against Australia certainly falls in line with the larger trend of a dismal T20 record for the side that, remember, is the joint-most successful in T20 World Cups. It is the 2026 edition of that tournament that this series is in service to as each side looks to mould themselves into their best version by that time.West Indies have won one just one of their 12 T20Is since December 2024, against Ireland. They were whitewashed 3-0 in a home series against Bangladesh last December as complete wipeouts have become the norm; it would be followed up by three losses against England in June before Australia made it five more.Pakistan’s situation isn’t quite as dire, but the picture isn’t rosy, either. The new coach Mike Hesson has attempted to rejuvenate the T20 side with a focus, theoretically anyway, on more aggression with the bat, and though it was realised in a trouncing of Bangladesh at home on pliant surfaces, Pakistan were reminded of the frustrating non-linearity of progress as they fell apart in the corresponding away series.West Indies will be without the services of the injured Shimron Hetmyer•AFP/Getty ImagesThat the T20 side needed an overhaul was obvious enough. Pakistan have been a bad T20 side for a long time, with the numbers to back it up. Since May 2024, they have won one fixture against one of the traditional top eight sides out of a possible 13 – a solitary win in a 4-1 series loss against New Zealand. Moreover, there have been losses against Ireland, USA, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in this time, with off-field mayhem closely tracking on-field performances. Four different men have taken the T20I captaincy in this time, three different coaches have attempted to lead them, and they have the squad turnover to show for it.While a wide variety between the ceiling and floor of the big-hitting batters is expected, Pakistan continue to wrestle with how to go about balancing their bowling line-up. Against Bangladesh, they almost tried to do away with full-time bowlers altogether, no fewer than six part-time bowlers available to make up the overs alongside Abbas Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal. Hesson has appeared to view the importance of specialist bowlers in T20 cricket almost as anachronistic, valuing the importance of “six, seven, eight bowlers…who if you get certain matchups can do a job”.It did mean leaving out all of Pakistan’s three biggest-name quicks – Shaheen Shah Afridi, the injured Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Perhaps with West Indies’ big hitting ability in mind, Pakistan have now walked that back somewhat, recalling Afridi and Haris, as well as Hasan Ali, who spent the last two months playing T20 cricket for the Birmingham Bears in England.In a way, though, this series is less about the sides playing as about where it is being held. For years, cricket has attempted to break into the United States’ colossal domestic market. That ambitious goal, however, is nowhere close to being realised.In its absence, cricket administrators have settled for the more modestly achievable aim of capitalising on a wealthy South Asian diaspora starved of live cricket in the region, with match and hospitality tickets orders of magnitude pricier than they’d be for equivalent packages in the Caribbean. Lauderhill has emerged as the most appropriate venue, owing to its mix of warm weather, proximity to the West Indies and sizeable South Asian and Caribbean diaspora.But in the nation that declared the customer always right in matters of taste, the relatively sluggish ticket sales offer as damning a verdict of the state of these two nations’ cricket as any win-loss chart.

The Norwegian striker wasted numerous chances in Lisbon, including a missed penalty, but his fellow Scandinavian showed no mercy

Ruben Amorim won the hearts and minds of Manchester United fans a week before taking charge at Old Trafford as he masterminded an incredible 4-1 win over Manchester City in his final home game with Sporting CP before heading to England. Amorim's coaching quality could be witnessed in the stupendous second goal his side scored on Tuesday, but this was also a night when Viktor Gyokeres demonstrated his striking prowess to the world, embarrassing Erling Haaland in the process.

An alert Phil Foden robbed the ball high up the pitch to fire City into a third-minute lead and the visitors could have put the game beyond doubt in the opening half an hour. Bernardo Silva went close and Haaland had three opportunities, shanking a volley off target and being thwarted by both goalkeeper Franco Israel and his nemesis Gyokeres, who cleared the Norwegian's header off the line.

City paid for their wastefulness as Gyokeres made amends for missing an earlier sitter by equalising before the break. City were then blown apart by two incisive moves within moments of the second half starting, as Maximiliano Araújo completed a ridiculous team move and Gyokeres bagged a penalty.

City were given a spot-kick of their own for an accidental handball by Ousmane Diomande which was harsh on Sporting to say the least. Haaland, however, hit the bar and then Sporting won another penalty, allowing Gyokeres the chance to complete his treble. He duly took it.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Estadio Jose Alvalade…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

Stood his ground against Gyokeres at the first attempt but then left shell-shocked by Sporting's flying attacks.

Rico Lewis (4/10):

Eaten alive by Araujo on a night when City missed Walker badly.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (4/10):

A daunting occasion for the 19-year-old to make his full debut and so it proved. Destroyed by Gyokeres for the equaliser, though made an important tackle on the striker later.

Manuel Akanji (4/10):

Couldn't cope with Gyokeres.

Josko Gvardiol (3/10):

Beaten for pace by Trincao and pushed him over in frustration, giving away the first penalty.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Mateo Kovacic (4/10):

Kept getting overwhelmed.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Went close to scoring and was influential when City bossed the first half.

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

Decent in the first half but then lost his head amid Sporting's intensity, giving the second penalty away.

Getty Images SportAttack

Phil Foden (7/10):

Approaching his best form in the first half

Erling Haaland (3/10):

His dismal night was summed up when he crashed his penalty against the bar. Five shots, no goals

Savinho (5/10):

Probed a lot in the first half but didn't track back when Sporting kept pouring forward.

Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Wasn't the player needed at this moment.

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Gave City a tiny bit of belief going forward.

Kevin De Bruyne (N/A):

A terrible occasion to make his comeback from injury.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

A good start but clueless to halt Sporting's resurgence. His changes came too late and the personnel made little sense, especially De Bruyne. A bad start to what should be a fascinating rivalry with Amorim.

Whilst rumours have persisted over a potential deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte, Manchester United have reportedly sent scouts to watch a potential alternative this summer.

Man Utd transfer news

It's no surprise that those at Old Trafford are looking at that defensive midfield role following Casemiro's disastrous campaign last time out. The Brazilian enjoyed an excellent debut season before showing signs that he's past his best at 32 years old last year. Now linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, United would be wise to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

Man Utd hold formal talks for "amazing" 24-year-old available for just £34m

He would be the best signing they have made in years.

ByBen Browning Jul 3, 2024

Ugarte has been the main name on that front too, with the Red Devils reportedly in talks to sign the PSG midfielder this week. Ugarte's exit would bring an end to just one season at the Ligue 1 giants in a mixed season following such an impressive spell at Sporting CP. Still just 23 years old, there's no doubt that the Uruguay international is more than capable of replacing Casemiro in Erik ten Hag's side this summer.

The summer transfer window is an unpredictable place, however, and United are seemingly well aware of that after sending scouts to watch an Ugarte alternative in the event that their deal for the South American falls through.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have sent scouts to watch Joao Gomes ahead of a potential move worth a reported £40m this summer. The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder has reportedly attracted plenty of interest after an impressive debut season in the Premier League under Gary O'Neil.

Romano told GiveMeSport: "He’s one of many players being scouted, but not just by Manchester United. Many clubs have been scouting and following him, so let’s see who is going to really present a proposal or try to open negotiations with Wolves. At the moment, there is still nothing imminent."

"Fantastic" Gomes can replace Casemiro

Whilst a £40m price tag isn't exactly cheap, Gomes would instantly solve Manchester United's Casemiro problem and can guarantee his ability to slot straight into Premier League action over the likes of Ugarte. Like the PSG ace, Gomes is still just 23 years old and has plenty more to offer in the coming years, making United's potential investment a wise one.

Progressive Carries

28

12

Progressive Passes

101

112

Tackles Won

74

56

Ball Recoveries

183

133

A player who offers far more energy off the ball when compared to Casemiro, it's time for the latter to step aside for a fellow Brazilian if Manchester United decide to make their move in the coming months.

One man who won't want to see the move take place is O'Neil, who was full of praise for Gomes last season. The Wolves boss said via the Express and Star: “I’m delighted with the improvements he’s made this year and what he is as a kid, we love him here. He’s fantastic. He’s great to have around the place.

“He’s desperate to be successful but you never get the feeling it’s for himself, you get the feeling it’s for the group and for the club who he feels put a lot of faith in him by bringing him over to English football.”

RCB can use the option for three players, all of whom can be capped, while LSG have just one pick left

Omkar Mankame16-Nov-2024What is the right-to-match (RTM) rule?
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, each team was allowed to retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.The eight teams that did not retain the maximum of six players can now use RTM options on players from their previous squads to fill up the remaining slots. The maximum of five capped and two uncapped players still apply, so teams that have retained five capped players can use their RTM option on only one uncapped Indian player. And if a team has retained two uncapped players, they can use their RTM options on only capped players.If a team uses an RTM option on one of their former players at the auction, the last bidder will be allowed to raise the bid one final time, and the choice of whether to continue with the RTM option and match the bid then lies with the team using the RTM option.Royal Challengers BengaluruPlayers retained: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal
Purse remaining: INR 83 crore
Right-to-match option: 3 (can all be capped, or two capped and one uncapped
RCB have retained three players, the second-fewest among the ten teams. They can use all three of their RTM options on capped players. Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj and Will Jacks will likely be their targets. Cameron Green may have been top of the list, but a back injury has ruled him out of IPL 2025, and he will not enter the auction.Maxwell, 36, recently spoke about how the RCB team management had a warm discussion with him after his release. While he had a forgettable time with the bat in IPL 2024, his three impressive seasons before that and the effectiveness of his fast offspin and fielding could convince RCB to use an RTM option on him.Du Plessis, who took RCB to the playoffs twice in his three years as captain, is also a strong candidate. Even at 40, du Plessis is a force on the T20 circuit and has just led St Lucia Kings to their maiden CPL title. RCB may still be looking at him as a captaincy option, but even if they have decided on naming Kohli captain, as has been speculated, du Plessis may still be valuable as an opener.Siraj has been an integral part of the team since 2018 and his exclusion from the retentions list was a surprise. Do RCB think they can get him back at a lower price using an RTM option?Jacks made a splash in 2024, hitting a 41-ball century against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, but his T20 form has dipped since.RCB are expected to bid high for KL Rahul at the auction, so how many of their RTM options they can use may depend on whether they get Rahul and at what price. If they don’t end up using all their three options on capped players, they may use one on an uncapped talent. The franchise has demonstrated faith in quick bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak, wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat and finisher Mahipal Lomror, each of whom could play a crucial role in the team’s future plans.One of Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya might be LSG’s RTM pick•AFP/Getty ImagesLucknow Super GiantsPlayers retained: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni
Purse remaining: INR 69 crore
Right-to-match option: 1 (capped)
With five players retained, including two uncapped players, LSG hold one RTM option. Among those on their buy-back radar will be Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, Krunal Pandya and Naveen-ul-Haq.Stoinis, the franchise’s only centurion last season and their second-highest run-scorer overall, will be a priority for LSG.De Kock, generally dependable at the top, had a lean IPL 2024, scoring only 250 runs in 11 games. However, his recent CPL form was impressive – he finished second in the tournament’s run charts.Krunal, who briefly captained in Rahul’s absence in IPL 2023, is another possibility, although his recent form has been unremarkable.If LSG hold on to their RTM option by the time death-over specialist Naveen’s name pops up at the auction, they may use it on him. Naveen was their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024 with 14 wickets in ten innings.

Liverpool are keen to see an upturn in performances under Arne Slot, and they could be set to target a free agent manager familiar to supporters if they fail to improve over the coming weeks.

Arne Slot looks to revive Liverpool's Premier League season

Credit in the bank goes a long way, and the Anfield hierarchy won’t forget Slot’s exploits last season as he took the Reds to a second title of the Premier League era. However, they have failed to claim the desired results in recent times, causing anxiety among their support.

Regardless, the Dutchman has vowed to fight for his future at Liverpool and appears uncompromising in his vision to help the club rediscover their form, claiming that his side will find the answers to their problems before too long.

He said before his side took on West Ham United: “We’ve had the same conversations we’ve had since I am here. We fight on. We will try to improve. You try to find the answers of what is needed to win a game of football but in the end it is about doing what this club is about.

“We have to keep fighting, fight together. But it would also be nice if we rewarded ourselves in the moments we play well. People are focused correctly on the parts where we don’t play well.”

However, Liverpool appear to be in the process of profiling potential alternatives to Slot, with Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique high on FSG’s radar should they eventually decide to make a change.

Nevertheless, the Reds could be about to go in a totally different direction, one that will surprise supporters if recent developments do indeed come to fruition.

Liverpool cast attention to Brendan Rodgers and Andoni Iraola

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool could replace Slot with former boss Brendan Rodgers or Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, as the Dutchman’s future on Merseyside becomes increasingly unclear.

A return for Rodgers would be remarkable considering he previously served as manager of the English giants between 2012 and 2014, coming incredibly close to delivering their first Premier League title before leaving the season after. Described as “world-class” by Gabriel Agbonlahor, he has since won multiple league titles with Celtic.

Matches – 312

Matches – 89

Wins – 139

Wins – 33

Draws – 71

Draws – 24

Losses – 102

Losses – 32

Points per game – 1.56

Points per game – 1.38

Meanwhile, Iraola’s stint at Bournemouth has won plenty of plaudits across the nation, and both coaches are willing to listen to Liverpool should they be approached over taking on the potential vacancy.

He'd unlock Wirtz: Liverpool considering Klopp 2.0 who's “best coach in PL”

Arne Slot is under intense pressure after Liverpool lost a ninth time from 12 matches.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

FSG aren’t in a rush to make a decision, suggesting Slot will be given time to revive the Reds’ fortunes as they look towards a heavy period of festive fixtures.

Either way, there is pressure on the Dutchman, and it may be a telling sign that they already have replacements in their eyeline should their patchy form continue.

All 24 cricketers offered the new contracts have opposed the deals offered to them

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-May-2021

Sri Lanka’s players want to know how much each of them scored on the player-assessment model devised by SLC•SLC

Sri Lanka’s men’s cricketers have refused to sign the contracts offered to them by Sri Lanka Cricket, citing a lack of transparency in the manner in which contract categories have been allocated. The players also expressed “shock and dismay” that proposed salary details were revealed to the public, in a statement issued by their legal representative.Senior players whose base salaries had been hit hardest by the proposed contract scheme had been expected to push back against the new pay scale, but here, all 24 cricketers offered the new contracts have opposed the deals offered to them. In the statement from attorney Nishan Sydney Premathiratne – agreed to by all 24 cricketers – the players have said they are “not in agreement to sign unfair and non-transparent contracts and urge SLC to not hold the players at gunpoint or give the players such ultimatums”. ESPNcricinfo understands that the players have been given till June 3 to sign the contracts.Primarily, the players want to know how much each of them scored on the player-assessment model devised by SLC, which allocated each player into his respective contract category. The new contracts process, devised largely by director of cricket Tom Moody and SLC’s Technical Advisory Committee headed by Aravinda de Silva, supposedly gave 50% weightage to performance since 2019, 20% to player fitness, and 10% each to leadership, professionalism, and future potential and adaptability. The players claim, though, that none of them know how much any of them scored on these criteria, and that their scores should be revealed to them.Related

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Sri Lanka's England tour in jeopardy after players refuse to sign contracts

“Despite the players’ requests from the Management Committee for information regarding the manner in which points were allocated in respect of the categorisation, none of the players have been provided with their individual assessment sheets setting out how points were awarded under the criteria of performance, fitness, leadership and professionalism,” the statement from Premathiratne said.The statement also takes issue with the fact that SLC “has seen it fit to release to the public, specific payment details of contract fees paid to specific players, in a one sided manner, without placing the same in the context of earnings of players in other cricketing nations, the entire earnings of Sri Lanka Cricket and also without disclosing the payments made to the officials/administrators, coaches and support staff of Sri Lanka Cricket.” On top of which the statement alleges that SLC attempted to have some players sign the contracts ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, while negotiations were ongoing.In addition to all this, the statement alleges that the remuneration offered in SLC’s contracts represents figures that are “more than threefold lower” than the sums paid to players of boards that are financially comparable to SLC. Also, that SLC “has in the past paid local and foreign coaches significant sums of money (salaries of approximately over 7 Million Rupees per month) and all those facts have to be placed in context when attempting to highlight and portray payments to be made to Sri Lankan cricketers”.If the cricketers do not sign the contracts offered to them by the June 3 deadline, a “tour contract” for the forthcoming series in England seems the likeliest outcome – essentially a temporary measure while the main, central contracts are negotiated.