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According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is plotting a summer move for Ciro Immobile should Harry Kane leave Spurs.

The report by Spanish outlet Fichajes (via Sport Witness) claims that the current relationship between Mourinho and Kane is ‘not very good’, with the England captain being linked with a summer move to Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain.

Should Kane depart north London this summer, it is reported that Mourinho could look to Serie A in order to replace the 27-year-old in the shape of Lazio centre-forward Ciro Immobile, who has 14 league goals to his name so far this season.

Fichajes claimed that the £40.5m-rated 31-year-old is one of the most ‘underrated footballers on the market’, as well as being ‘very much to Mou’s taste’ – before stating that the signing of the £79k per week striker would ‘not be a problem’ for Spurs following the injection of cash from Kane’s potential sale.

Transfer Tavern Take

Recent reports in England have directly contradicted Fichajes’ claim that Kane could be leaving Spurs this summer, with The Telegraph stating that the £108m-rated man looks set to say in London for ‘at least another year’ – if true, this would immediately render the club’s links with a move for Immobile redundant.

However, in the theoretical event that Kane does leave Tottenham this summer, then it would be difficult to argue that the 31-year-old Immobile would be a bad fit for Mourinho’s side, with his proficiency in goalscoring in both European and domestic competitions over recent seasons speaking for itself.

In other Tottenham news, this Spurs transfer admission lifted the lid on a failed Daniel Levy coup with Pochettino – find out more here!

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, Dean Windass has delivered his verdict on rumoured Aston Villa transfer target Josh King.

Reports over the summer suggested that the Norway international was an option for Dean Smith’s side, but the club eventually brought in Ollie Watkins from Brentford in a big-money deal.

However, that hasn’t stopped Villa from seemingly eyeing a fresh attempt at signing King, with The Athletic claiming recently that the Bournemouth ace could well be considered again.

Now, Windass has given his thoughts on the club potentially landing King, either in the January transfer window or future windows, telling FootballFanCast:

“I don’t think he’d fit Villa, you know? I just don’t think he’d fit.”

Whilst the 28-year-old may not be an out-and-out centre-forward, what with his ability to play off another striker or even out wide, this is still a player who Manchester United were keen on signing less than 12 months ago.

Described as a “complete package” by former Cherries boss Eddie Howe, the £45k-a-week earning forward could give Villa some much-needed strength in depth up front and also them offer an extra option out wide were they to suffer any injuries.

With Keinan Davis’ future at the club uncertain, and Wesley only just working his way back to full fitness, there’s no questioning that Smith could do with some extra firepower to help share the burden with summer signing Watkins.

And despite King’s indifferent start to the season – he’s scored no goals although his campaign has been hampered by injury – Villa should, in our opinion, be looking to bring in the Premier League-tested Norwegian in, but Windass seemingly disagrees.

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Depois de ter de cancelar o treino no campo da última segunda-feira, o técnico Dorival Júnior ganhou um reforço nos trabalhos realizados na manhã desta terça, no CT Rei Pelé. Trata-se do atacante Paulinho, que esteve ausente da última partida por conta de febre.

Entretanto, o atacante, antes titular da equipe, viu o comandante santista apostar novamente em Patito Rodriguez como titular. O argentino, que substituiu Paulinho diante do Novorizontino, vem agradando a comissão técnica e ganhou a vaga no ataque santista.

A grande ausência do treinamento desta terça ficou por conta do centroavante e capitão da equipe, Ricardo Oliveira. O camisa 9 realizou o aquecimento e os trabalhos físicos com o restante do grupo, mas foi preservado do trabalho tático, sendo substituído pelo camaronês Joel.

Desta forma, Dorival Júnior ensaiou a equipe da seguinte maneira: Vanderlei; Victor Ferraz, Gustavo Henrique, Lucas Veríssimo e Zeca; Thiago Maia, Renato e Lucas Lima; Patito, Gabigol e Joel.

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A novidade entre os reservas foi a volta do lateral-direito Daniel Guedes, que está recuperado de uma tendinite na perna direita. Já David Braz e Paulo Ricardo ainda seguem tratando suas respectivas lesões e ainda não estão aptos.

O Santos volta a treinar na manhã desta quarta-feira, já de olho no clássico diante do Palmeiras, no sábado, no Allianz Parque, pela 5ª rodada do Paulistão.

Gareth Southgate may have some of the world’s brightest talents to call on in attack for Euro 2020, but it has become shockingly clear that the defence is lacking. Long gone are the days when the Three Lions defence selected itself. Indeed, there hasn’t been a strong and steady defensive partnership since John Terry and Rio Ferdinand lined up alongside each other. With Luke Ayling putting in impressive performances at newly-promoted Leeds United, he could force his way into contention for a place in Southgate’s squad in the summer.

Calls for Change at the Back

Southgate seems adamant that he wants to stick with the 3-4-3 system that worked well for England in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This means that he needs three quality defenders who can work alongside one another but also quickly shift the ball into attack.

In the most recent sets of international breaks, the manager has toyed with various combinations in defence with no preferred solution as yet. Southgate has been loyal to the out-of-sorts Harry Maguire, and likes to find a place for Eric Dier in his back line. Both of these players have been criticised for their defensive fragility, and shouldn’t be auto-inclusions on the team sheet.

On the right side of his back three Kyle Walker is favoured, a player who usually plays as a right-back at Manchester City. Although the 30-year-old has made few errors that have led to goals, his skills are arguably wasted at the back. He would much rather bomb forward and join in the attack, rather than stay back to help out the defence.

Incredible Versatility

Ayling is also a right-back by trade, and if he was only able to play this position there would be little chance of the Leeds United man making the England squad. This is because Southgate already has Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Kieran Trippier among others who could fulfil this role. That means that the right wingback position in the 3-4-3 is pretty much sewn up as well.

However, Ayling could offer a viable alternative to Walker on the right side of Southgate’s back three. The former Bristol City man has played in this position on a number of occasions for Marcelo Bielsa when the manager has been forced to make changes because of injuries. Ayling has shown solid defensive qualities when playing this role, and has proven his versatility.

The first time in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign that Ayling lined up in a back three was in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa. Captain Liam Cooper was out for the game, but Leeds managed to keep a clean sheet in his absence. Indeed, Villa were limited to only four shots on target at Villa Park. When Ayling moved back to his role at right-back and Cooper re-entered the side, Leeds went on to concede eight goals in two games against Leicester City and Crystal Palace.

Despite these slip-ups, Leeds have gained credibility as a side that can stay in the top flight, and they are expected to have a strong season with odds of around 2/1 to finish in the top 10 at most UK bookmakers. Most sites provide a significant welcome bonus for anyone looking to take advantage of this as they aim to entice new customers. However, for anyone looking to find value the live markets are much more suitable as they provide the opportunity to take advantage of in-game situations across a wide spectrum.

Warrior-like Work Rate

Ayling would be an asset to the England squad as he could play in central defence or at right back if need be. Another attribute that he would bring to the Three Lions side is his warrior-like work rate. The 29-year-old lost four kilos when Bielsa took over, and this has shown in his overall fitness. He never stops running, and always seems to crop up at the right time. His highlight of the season so far was probably when he raced back and saved Jack Grealish’s shot off the goal line.

Ayling has taken a long, winding path to get to where he is today, but he looks like a worthy Premier League player now. If he can keep up his impressive performances all season, Southgate will have to consider him for his Euro 2020 squad.

MatériaMais Notícias

O otimismo tomou conta da chegada do Atlético-MG a Belo Horizonte, após a conquista da Florida Cup. Com direito à recepção calorosa de torcedores no Aeroporto de Confins, a primeira competição do Galo no ano fez o técnico Diego Aguirre vislumbrar uma temporada promissora, e com os pés no chão:

– Foi bom começar assim o ano, tomara que possamos continuar desse jeito. A equipe jogou bem e dá para sonhar. Agora é trabalhar, ter tranquilidade e pensar em competições importantes que vão começar. Temos que estar preparados- declarou, ao “Estado de Minas”.

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O treinador apontou qual o fator crucial para o Galo levar a melhor no torneio:

-Fundamentalmente, a atitude dos jogadores, que brigaram pelas bolas, jogaram como equipe, jogaram um bom futebol. Para um começo de trabalho foi bom ganhar, mas coisas importantes estão por vir.

Porém, Aguirre disse que há algumas coisas para melhorar na equipe:
​
-Vamos tentar trabalhar a defesa e o ataque para que o time possa melhorar.

It’s not very often we say this, but Steve Parish has a rare chance to give Crystal Palace their dream attack for years to come, if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the story?

According to Sport, as quoted by Sport Witness, Roy Hodgson’s side have entered the race to sign Mariano Diaz from Crystal Palace.

It’s claimed that Diaz has refused to leave the Santiago Bernabeu for the past two seasons despite being considered surplus to requirements by Zinedine Zidane.

However, he could be offered a way out of Madrid in the not too distant future, with several clubs from across Europe vying for his signature.

Palace will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Everton and West Ham, as well as French Ligue 1 side Lyon for his services.

Dream attack

Wilfried Zaha is the club’s top scorer in all competitions so far this season, but Hodgson still needs a prolific striker who can shoulder the burden of scoring goals, as Michy Batshuayi has been unable to hit the ground running at Selhurst Park. Diaz is a player who can do precisely just that.

The 27-year-old burst onto the scene at Lyon, where he scored 21 goals and supplied 6 assists in all competitions, before he returned to the Spanish capital in 2018.

Whilst Batshuayi is also right-footed and plays on the right, Diaz, who is the same age as the Belgium international, is a natural goal threat all over the pitch who seems to have no problems at all finding the back of the net.

In just 42 minutes in La Liga last season, he scored one goal, whilst he averaged 1.2 shots per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Batshuayi has failed to score in the Premier League so far this season, despite the fact he is averaging one shot per game, as per WhoScored.

Meanwhile Zaha has managed 2.3 shots and 1.6 key passes per game in the top flight this term, outscoring the Belgian striker by five goals so far.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas once lauded Diaz as a “powerful” finisher, saying “in the opinion of Zinedine and Karim, he is a player of a very high level. He’s young, powerful and very ambitious. It would be a great coup for Lyon to sign him, and there would not be too much expected of him.”

A strong counter-attacking threat who likes to play short passes and shoot from distance, he could be the final piece of the puzzle to complete Palace’s attack for the years to come, especially when you consider the fact that he would be able to combine with summer signing Eberechi Eze at almost free will, which would give the Eagles another attacking option, as they have often been accused of being too one-dimensional in recent seasons.

However, Sport suggest the outcast won’t come cheap, as Real are refusing to sell him for anything less than their original £25m valuation, whilst he reportedly receives wages worth £142,000-per-week. Whether or not Parish will dip into his pockets remains to be seen.

AND in other news, Bye Benteke: Parish must sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud for Crystal Palace…

West Ham United are leading the way to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Solly March, as has been reported by 90min.

It is suggested that Newcastle United, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all interested in the 26-year-old, though it is the Hammers who have taken the impetus to get ahead of the competition.

They have opened negotiations with Brighton regarding a transfer, which would see March leave the club whose academy he joined back in 2011.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

He has now represented the club almost 200 times in total, helping them to earn promotion from the Championship and become an established Premier League side.

Brighton are said to be willing to sell the 26-year-old, who made 11 league starts and eight substitute appearances throughout the 2019/20 campaign – he failed to record a single goal and got just one assist during this time.

March is also open to a move away from the Amex Stadium, as he is hopeful that fleeing the nest could help him to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s plans for the England national team.

If West Ham do manage to complete the move, it will be their second signing of the transfer window, after they made Tomas Soucek’s loan deal from Slavia Prague a permanent one when Premier League safety was confirmed.

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O São Paulo segue em busca de um novo treinador e poderá estender o prazo em que pretendia anunciar o nome que comandará o time em 2016. Após a derrota de 6 a 1 para o Corinthians, no último domingo, o discurso dos dirigentes era de tentar fechar a contratação até este fim de semana. Ele se mantém, mas já se fala em levar mais tempo por diferentes motivos, que podem ser positivos, na visão de quem conduz o processo.

A cúpula tem em consenso que não poderá errar na escolha do profissional e tentará esgotar as possibilidades para encontrar o perfil que procura. Neste momento, Cuca e o uruguaio Diego Aguirre são os mais cotados e já foram consultados.

O clube adota processo parecido com o que originou a contratação do colombiano Juan Carlos Osorio, em junho. E na visão dos cartolas, o São Paulo acertou em cheio na escolha após longo período de análise quando, como agora, o coordenador técnico Milton Cruz dirigiu o time.

Naquela época, após a saída de Muricy Ramalho em abril, o São Paulo negociou com os argentinos Alejandro Sabella e Jorge Sampaoli, conversou com Vanderlei Luxemburgo e o português José Peseiro antes de ir à Colômbia buscar Osorio.

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Desta vez, houve conversa com Aguirre, oferecido pelo empresário Juan Figer. O agente tem relatado a vontade do uruguaio de treinar o São Paulo e falado em propostas de clubes de fora, entendido como pressão por quem conduz as tratativas. Os dirigentes não descartam o uruguaio, mas estudam outras possibilidades.

Uma delas é Cuca. O treinador do Shandong Luneng (CHI) voltará a trabalhar no Brasil em 2016 e agrada. No entanto, a falta de confirmação de quando o técnico terá o contrato de mais um ano rescindido na China preocupa os dirigentes.

Fato é que quem for contratado só assumirá a partir do ano que vem e terá pouco tempo para preparar o time para a Libertadores caso a vaga seja alcançada. Isso porque o clube só se classifica como 4 do Brasileiro, posição atual, e teria de entrar na pré-Libertadores, cujo primeiro jogo está marcado para 3 de fevereiro. Já o Paulista começa no dia 31 janeiro.

Mark Douglas has made a claim on his official Twitter page about the proposed takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group.

As per his tweet, The Chronicle journalist has claimed that “it’s over…but it’s not over” with regards to the prospective £300m deal between the Saudi-led consortium and Mike Ashley in reaction to a statement released by the Tyneside club.

As per the statement, the Magpies have confirmed that the Premier League and its chief executive have rejected the takeover bid which was made by the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman/head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers, originally from India but now based in London.

Newcastle made this decision based on the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) that was made by the Premier League and its CEO in order to show if the would-be owners are fit and proper people to run a top-flight club.

The statement also claims that this conclusion has been reached despite NUFC providing the Premier League with overwhelming evidence and legal opinions that PIF is independent and autonomous of the KSA government.

The club do not believe that the EPL or Masters acted appropriately in relation to this matter and will be considering all of the relevant options available to them.

As Douglas points out, the decision to reject the takeover may well be challenged, meaning that the saga might not entirely be over just yet.

Geordies, should the club challenge the decision? Comment below with your views!

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Fora do Brasil desde que deixou a presidência da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), em março de 2012, Ricardo Teixeira é um dos proprietários de cadeiras do Maracanã que está com a situação irregular.

Após análise dos documentos feita pelos responsáveis pelo recadastramento dos proprietários dos assentos, o cartola consta na ‘lista negra’ daqueles que não enviaram a íntegra da documentação exigida ou que não atenderam as exigências feitas

Atualmente residente de Boca Ratón, na Flórida, Teixeira tem até três anos para regularizar sua situação junto à Superintendência de Desportos do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Suderj).

Em data ainda a ser definida, um sorteio eletrônico vai apontar os locais que serão destinados aos proprietários das cadeiras cativas do Maracanã.

Fora do Brasil desde que deixou a presidência da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), em março de 2012, Ricardo Teixeira é um dos proprietários de cadeiras do Maracanã que está com a situação irregular.

Após análise dos documentos feita pelos responsáveis pelo recadastramento dos proprietários dos assentos, o cartola consta na ‘lista negra’ daqueles que não enviaram a íntegra da documentação exigida ou que não atenderam as exigências feitas

Atualmente residente de Boca Ratón, na Flórida, Teixeira tem até três anos para regularizar sua situação junto à Superintendência de Desportos do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Suderj).

Em data ainda a ser definida, um sorteio eletrônico vai apontar os locais que serão destinados aos proprietários das cadeiras cativas do Maracanã.