After all the investment into the playing squad over the last couple of years, Manchester United have stuttered and failed to push their way back up to the top end of the Premier League.

Boss Erik ten Hag is entering his third season in charge at Old Trafford, but despite winning two trophies in his first two seasons, there is a real demand from the fanbase to improve and push themselves up the table.

This season hasn’t started the way many would’ve hoped, sitting in 14th place on just three points after the first three matches of the new campaign.

Despite multiple new additions in various needed areas of the pitch, issues in the middle of the park have once again reared their heads, with various players failing to make an impact.

One first-team member in particular has produced various disappointing displays, looking past his best after his big-money move to Old Trafford.

Casemiro’s disappointing time at Man United

After joining the Red Devils in a £70m deal from Real Madrid in 2022, Casemiro was signed to try and provide needed quality and experience in the centre of midfield.

However, the move hasn’t gone to plan, with the Brazilian failing to make the impact many would’ve envisaged, picking up two red cards and looking way off the pace in the Premier League.

Jamie Carragher demanded that he leaves for Saudi Arabia last season and perhaps he should have heeded that advice.

He was touted with a move away from Manchester this summer, but remained at the club upon the closure of the transfer window, producing a disaster class against Liverpool during last weekend's 3-0 defeat.

The 32-year-old was at fault for both of the goals in the first half against Arne Slot’s side, being replaced at the break by academy graduate Toby Collyer.

However, the club may have made a mistake in allowing one midfielder to leave, with the former United ace undoubtedly a better talent than Casemiro in 2024.

United made a mistake allowing £9m ace to leave

James Garner is one of many stars who have come through the United academy, making seven appearances for the club’s first team.

He was sent on various loan spells to Watford and Nottingham Forest, before securing a permanent £9m transfer to fellow Premier League side Everton during the summer of 2022.

The move has allowed the 23-year-old to gain consistent first-team minutes – featuring 62 times for the Toffees under Sean Dyche and developing into a fabulous talent.

His development has progressed rapidly in a short period of time, with the Englishman now undoubtedly a better midfield option than Casemiro when delving into his stats from last season.

Garner may have won slightly fewer tackles per 90 minutes, but did dominate in possession, completing more progressive carries whilst succeeding with more take-on attempts than the Brazilian.

Games played

37

25

Goals + assists

3

3

Progressive carries

1.1

0.6

Key passes

1.32

0.73

Shot-on-target accuracy

24%

23%

Shot-creating actions

2.93

1.86

Tackles won

1.3

2.6

Interceptions

1.35

0.82

Take-ons completed

0.6

0.4

Errors leading to goals

1

2

He also registered fewer errors that led to goals than the current United midfielder, with Garner undoubtedly a more dependable option than the 32-year-old.

Given his form in the Premier League, the Red Devils certainly made a mistake by allowing the youngster to depart the club.

With Garner only being 23, he still has the potential to improve further, potentially developing into a top-quality midfielder – demonstrating what he’s capable of after his departure from his boyhood club.

Man Utd "phenomenon" sold by Solskjær is now outscoring Hojlund & Zirkzee

The brilliant striker was incredible last season.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 6, 2024

Lucy Bronze boasts plenty of happy memories at Wembley, but the Chelsea star is setting another trophy target at the home of English football.

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Won Euros with England in 2022Represented Lionesses on a regular basisChasing down honours at club levelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Back in 2022, Bronze helped the Lionesses to savour European Championship glory on home soil. She has figured regularly for England during their outings at the most spectacular of international venues – with her senior cap haul standing at 127 and counting.

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Bronze returned to her homeland in the summer of 2024 when joining WSL title holders Chelsea from Champions League winners Barcelona. The plan is to add to her medal collection over the coming months, particularly when it comes to an FA Cup competition that she has emerged triumphant in on two previous occasions with Manchester City.

GettyWHAT BRONZE SAID

Bronze has told Chelsea’s , with another cup quest set to get underway on January 12 against Charlton: "I hope we go on a good FA Cup run. It’s always been a trophy that I’ve been in love with. I played my first final when I was 16 playing for Sunderland which is where I was from, and against Arsenal. It was my first taste of a big game.

"I’ve got so many different fond memories of FA Cup runs. Especially coming back to England from playing abroad, the FA Cup is definitely a big one. Every time I have played abroad, I’ve always been at Wembley watching the final. I love playing at Wembley, so it would be nice to play there with Chelsea."

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Bronze has helped Chelsea to claim 15 wins during a 16-match unbeaten run this season and is starting to feel more settled as part of a star-studded squad in west London. The 33-year-old defender added: "Coming in I don’t think I was viewed as much as a new player because I’m English and being a bit more established. But, at the start, I was definitely finding my rhythm and my place in the team.

"Once I got my feet on the ground, got settled living here and everything like that, it just felt like I had been here forever. After the first couple of months, I felt really settled in and started to see that both on and off the pitch. I was definitely feeling more and more at home."

The left-arm quick, who recently turned 35, says he still has ‘plenty left in the tank’ as a Test cricketer

Deivarayan Muthu26-Jun-20213:02

‘In your head… Kohli, Kohli’ – Neil Wagner sings Zombie cover

As a red-ball specialist who hasn’t played any white-ball cricket for New Zealand, Neil Wagner had never dreamed of being part of a world final. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in the lead-up to the inaugural World Test Championship final, the left-arm quick had likened the match to a World Cup final. During a virtual media interaction on Saturday afternoon, Wagner said winning the WTC was the “pinnacle of the game” for him and that the team was overwhelmed by the support and reception from their supporters.”Never [dreamed of it],” Wagner said. “No, that (playing white-ball cricket for New Zealand) was sort of a dream and a ship that had sailed to be fair – thinking about the white-ball World Cup in some sort of a way. So, when the Test Championship came around and it was sort of explained to us a couple of years ago what it’s going to be like, I got quite excited by the idea. I thought it was quite special and I thought it was something that’s going to make Test cricket the way it is right now and make it quite exciting and add a bit more perspective to it.Related

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Neil Wagner: 'I pride myself in playing a role when things are tough'

“So, finally, I guess, getting to an ICC event and with something as big as that… how hard Test cricket is and to be able to do that for a period of two years; every Test match is extremely hard to try and put a performance in and win it. There’s a lot of things that’s got to go your way and lot of hard work you got to do over five days.”To then get into a final, which was obviously rain-affected and still play our brand of cricket and be positive and to get there, personally for me, I can’t speak for everyone, this is the ultimate for me to win a Test Championship final though it’s the first one and probably hard to compare with others, it’s definitely the pinnacle of the game for me. And to win it against a quality team like India and the way we did and then to see what it has meant to everyone… The support back home and support that was around there – the text messages keep flowing in, phone keeps buzzing and to see what it has meant for Kiwi supporters and family and friends, it means a lot to us too. So, it’s definitely right up there.” Everyone wants a piece of the WTC mace that has now been nicknamed Michael Mason – including the customs officials who greeted the New Zealand players after they touched down in Auckland on Saturday morning.”I don’t think I have ever walked into customs and got greeted the way we did,” Wagner said. “Everyone was like straightaway: ‘Congratulations!’ Pretty happy, [they] grabbed our passports and all they wanted to ask was ‘Where’s the mace? Where’s the mace?’ Obviously, when they saw it, the smiles on their faces and what it brought to them, it sort of hit home pretty hard… What it meant to people back home and obviously getting across the line, winning a Test Championship final, and bringing that trophy back like that.”I remember watching as a kid a lot of other teams lifting that [mace] up after finishing a Test cycle being No.1 in the world and what it meant to them. So, to be able to win it in a one-off Test match like that is a pretty special feeling and we could see what it meant to other people once you got home.”Seeing even police officers stopping and wanting to have a photo from a distance with it. Like I said, it’s a pity that it’s Covid times and you can’t hug around these guys and pose for a photo and you know, obviously, give something back to them, too, but it was nice to see the smile on everyone’s faces and how jubilant they were to receive us and getting on the bus… There were cameras outside and people waving and yeah obviously just being very happy about what we were able to achieve. I think it definitely hit the boys hard what it has meant to everyone and around.”Neil Wagner has said he still feels ‘pretty young and the body feels really good’ and that he has ‘plenty left in the tank’ as a Test cricketer•Getty Images

Wagner recently turned 35 and is the oldest member of the New Zealand pace quartet, but he brushed aside talk of a potential retirement, stressing that he was still fit and motivated to deliver for the team. Returning from toe injuries, Wagner swung the Dukes ball in England in addition to unleashing his patented short-ball barrage over lengthy spells.’I’ve got plenty left in the tank,” Wagner said. “Age is just a number for me personally and I feel potentially I haven’t got the five-wicket bags or performances behind my name that I wanted to, but still feel I’m contributing and playing a role, doing what I’m doing and that is just my role. It’s not always going to have the glory numbers or the wickets or whatever it is, but I’ve got a role I can fulfill for the team and as long as I’m needed or called upon, or I guess asked to do a job, 100% I’ll be there to contribute.”I still feel pretty young and the body feels really good. I played those three Test matches [in England] and got through this pretty easily and felt really good that I could play even more. So that’s a good sign for me personally. As long as that motivation and desire is there to keep going to do the hard work at training and do the hard yards of going to the gym and do the tough running sessions and keep the body fresh and improving your game – as long as that’s still there, the rest is easy. Mentally, [I] still feel fresh.”If anything this [WTC title] has just urged me on to work harder and my game personally, but also on a fitness level and all those sort of things to keep playing and performing and doing my role to the best of my ability as much as I can and contribute to the team.”‘I remember when I started my career, it took about 11 Test matches before I got even a Test win. Kyle has played eight – he hasn’t lost one or drawn one yet’ – Wagner•Getty Images

Wagner also hailed Kyle Jamieson, who has emerged as a potent point of the difference in New Zealand’s attack with his ability to swing the ball both ways in addition to the bounce he generates from his 6’8” frame. After scorching the 2019-20 and 2020-21 home summers, Jamieson was front and centre of New Zealand’s victory over India in the WTC final, scooping up a match haul of seven wickets and the Player-of-the-Match award.”Just the way he has fit into the group and come in and play the way he’s done – to just do what he’s been doing in domestic cricket and do even better,” Wagner said of Jamieson. “Every game he’s getting better and better, his willingness to learn, how he’s been bowling with the team and the performances he has put in have put him a long way ahead of the cricketer he’s still yet to be and become. He’s been instrumental to us; yes it’s been amazing to do it with Tim [Southee] and Trent [Boult] as well with myself.”We keep building as a unit, we keep building in partnerships, we said from the start that we know one day might one person’s day and the other day might not be someone else’s day, but you still contribute and bowl for the guy at the other end and someone might reap the rewards for us. I remember when I started my career, it took about 11 Test matches before I got even a Test win. Kyle has played eight – he hasn’t lost one or drawn one yet [laughs]. That’s pretty amazing and he’s played a massive part in that [success] too. Good on him and hopefully he can continue and as a bowling unit, hopefully we can continue to learn and get better and obviously put more performances like this for New Zealand cricket.”

خاض فريق أتلتيكو مدريد، مساء اليوم السبت، مباراته في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2024/25، ضد خصمه سيلتا فيجو.

وتلاقى الفريقان في معقل أتلتيكو مدريد، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من الدوري الإسباني، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله. أهداف مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد وسيلتا فيجو في الدوري الإسباني

واضطر أتلتيكو مدريد إلى اللعب منقوصًا، بـ10 لاعبين منذ الدقيقة السابعة من عمر الشوط الأول، بعدما تحصل لاعب الفريق بابلو باريوس على بطاقة حمراء.

وتدخل باريوس بقوة على أحد لاعبي سيلتا فيجو، وتدخلت تقنية الفيديو التي جعلت الحكم يقرر طرد لاعب أتلتيكو مدريد.

وكان التعادل السلبي هو صاحب الكلمة في الشوط الأول من عمر المباراة، حيث فشل الفريقان في التسجيل طوال الدقائق الـ45 الأولى.

وتغير الوضع في الشوط الثاني، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 68 بعدما تحصل سيلتا فيجو على ضربة جزاء، وتمكن ياجو أسباس من تنفيذها بنجاح، محولًا إياها إلى هدف لصالح الضيوف.

ونجح أتلتيكو مدريد في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 81، عن طريق ألكسندر سورلوث.

وفشل أتلتيكو مدريد بذلك التعادل في استغلال تعثر ريال مدريد، في مباراته التي سبقت لقاء الأتلتي، حيث اكتفى بتعادل مخيب مع أوساسونا بهدف لمثله.

بتلك النتيجة، أصبح رصيد أتلتيكو مدريد 50 نقطة في المركز الثاني، بفارق نقطة عن ريال مدريد المتصدر، ونقطتين عن برشلونة صاحب المركز الثالث الذي سيخوض مباراته في تلك الجولة مع رايو فاليكانو.

في حين ارتفع رصيد سيلتا فيجو إلى 29 نقطة، حيث يحتل حاليًا المركز الثاني عشر في جدول الدوري الإسباني.

ويستطيع برشلونة الصعود إلى صدارة الدوري الإسباني، مستغلًا تعثر ريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد، حال فوزه ضد رايو فاليكانو يوم الإثنين القادم.

The pair have been given a chance to push for England Test selection

Matt Roller15-Jul-2021James Bracey and Haseeb Hameed will be given the chance to stake their case for inclusion in England’s Test squad after being named in a County Select XI to play India in a three-day match at Chester-le-Street next week.Bracey did not make an impact in his maiden Test series against New Zealand in June, making scores of 0, 0 and 8 and struggling with the gloves as a stand-in wicketkeeper following Ben Foakes’ injury. But he has been around the England squad for the last year and remains under consideration as a back-up top-order batter, not least with Ollie Pope an injury doubt for the first Test against India.ESPNcricinfo LtdHameed, meanwhile, has not played Test cricket since his maiden series against India in 2016-17, when he made 219 runs in six innings as a 19-year-old opener. His form nosedived over the next three seasons playing for Lancashire, but he has been much more successful since joining Nottinghamshire ahead of the 2020 season, where he has averaged 42.43 in first-class cricket. He was an unused squad member for the New Zealand series.The 14-man squad will be captained by Warwickshire’s Will Rhodes, and is comprised of players who were not signed for the inaugural season of the Hundred and were made available by their counties. The three Warwickshire players involved will miss the opening game of the Royal London Cup against Hampshire. According to an ECB statement, the squad will “bridge into a team environment and undergo Covid testing before being cleared to play”.Related

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Top-order batters Jake Libby (Worcestershire) and Rob Yates (Warwickshire), Nottinghamshire allrounders Liam Patterson-White and Lyndon James, seamers Ethan Bamber (Middlesex), Zak Chappell (Nottinghamshire) and Craig Miles (Warwickshire), and the Sussex offspinner Jack Carson are all included. There are also three teenagers in the squad who are yet to make their first-class debuts: Leicestershire’s Rehan Ahmed, Lancashire’s Tom Aspinwall, and Somerset’s James Rew.The County Select XI will be coached by Richard Dawson, England’s elite performance pathway coach, and will be staged behind closed doors from July 20-22. The fixture was confirmed on Wednesday night following India’s request for a warm-up match ahead of the Test series, which starts on August 4 at Trent Bridge.

An "unbelievable" Newcastle United player has a "willingness" to come to an agreement over a new contract at St James' Park, in a deal that would be worth more than £3.1m per year.

Newcastle eyeing future signings

The Magpies continue to be linked with new signings in the future, following a summer transfer window that many supporters weren't overly enamoured with. There is a feeling that Eddie Howe's squad wasn't strengthened sufficiently enough, with the manager himself even hinting at his own frustration surrounding the situation.

One report has claimed that Adam Wharton is being looked at as a potential target for Newcastle ahead of next summer, with the Crystal Palace midfielder impressing so much last season that he received a call-up to England's squad for Euro 2024. Liverpool and Manchester City are also keen on snapping him up, though.

Rumours linking the Magpies with a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha are also refusing to go away, with a fresh update stating that the Premier League side are happy to match the La Liga giants' £52m valuation of him. The Brazilian could be an ideal improvement on Miguel Almiron and his impressive spell at Leeds United showed that he is capable of thriving in English football.

While new faces are vital for Newcastle moving forward, retaining the services of the most important players at St James' Park is just as key. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the future of one such figure.

Newcastle plan contract talks with "unbelievable" ace

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Newcastle are planning talks with Antony Gordon over a contract extension at St James' Park, which would earn him more than his current £3.1m-a-year wages.

The report states that "despite links with a move to Liverpool in the summer, Gordon remains focused" on playing for the Magpies currently, adding that "there is a willingness to reach an agreement over a new contract".

Tieing Gordon down to an extension would feel significant for Newcastle, following strong reported interest from his boyhood club Liverpool during the summer window. Even if he does decide he wants to leave soon, it would also put the Magpies in a strong bargaining position, in terms of demanding huge money for him.

The hope is that the 23-year-old now sees his long-term future at St James', however, having become a popular player in a short space of time, not least with Bruno Guimaraes: "He has been unbelievable, always scoring and giving some assists.

"He is a lovely guy as well, I am very happy for him and hope he can get some minutes for England. For me to play against him will be massive for both of us and the club as well."

Newcastle make first approach to sign "magical" new £15m star for Howe

The Magpies could already have their first signing of 2025 lined up.

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 6, 2024

Gordon hasn't yet found his top form this season – he is still waiting for his first assist of the campaign – but he is a massive player for Newcastle and should only get better as his prime approaches.

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O São Paulo está trabalhando para dar a Rogério Ceni as garantias para que a temporada de 2022 seja mais vitoriosa e tranquila do que a de 2021. Para isso, o clube tem tentado buscar jogadores que o próprio técnico indicou como são os casos de Ronald e Romarinho, que pertencem ao Fortaleza e interessam como reforços para o Tricolor, mas com negociações que não iniciaram. Dessa forma, o LANCE! traz alguns números acumulados pela dupla durante o ano.

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Aos 27 anos, Romarinho tem contrato com o clube cearense até julho de 2022 e pode assinar um pré-acordo com outro time em breve. Na temporada 2021, o meia-atacante fez 50 partidas, mas apenas 15 delas como titular, ou seja, o jogador não fazia parte dos 11 escolhidos de Vojvoda. No Brasileirão, por exemplo, foram somente nove jogos como titular entre os 31 em que atuou.

Em relação aos gols, foram apenas cinco marcados: dois na Copa do Brasil e três no Campeonato Cearense, passando em branco no Brasileirão. Mas na competição nacional ele acabou deixando sua marca com uma assistência. Diante disso, é difícil esperar um atleta que fará diferença nos gols, mas que poderá ser bastante útil na dinâmica que dará ao time no setor ofensivo.

Já Ronald, aos 24 anos, foi adquirido recentemente pelo Fortaleza e os valores pretendidos pelo clube assustaram um pouco o São Paulo, que deu um passo atrás na tentativa. No entanto, não houve uma desistência, uma vez que é um jogador versátil, que pode fazer mais de uma função no meio-campo e interessa demais ao estilo de jogo que Rogério Ceni quer implantar no time.

Na temporada 2021, o meio-campista fez 35 partidas, sendo 20 delas como titular, com destaque para suas atuações no Campeonato Brasileiro, em que esteve entre os 11 iniciais em 15 jogos dos 23 que participou na competição nacional. Ao todo, ele chegou a marcar dois gols durante o ano: um na Copa do Brasil e um no Campeonato Cearense (que também teve uma assistência).

Em relação aos números do Footstats, Ronald teve destaque nos desarmes certos, já que foi o segundo no quesito (47) em comparação com seus companheiros de equipe, perdendo apenas para Ederson, com 79. A estatística mostra que se trata de um jogador com capacidade de combate no meio-campo, mesmo não sendo um primeiro volante tradicional.

Ambas as negociações ainda não tiveram início e estão na fase da consulta, ou seja, não estão descartadas nem perto de um desfecho positivo, mas o certo é que ambos estão na lista de pretensões do São Paulo para a temporada 2022. As tratativas devem avançar nos próximos dias ou nas próximas semanas.

قد يلعب المدرب المساعد لنادي ليفربول، جون هيتينجا، دورًا حاسمًا في التعاقد مع البديل المحتمل حال رحيل، محمد صلاح، في الصيف المقبل.

لم يوقع صلاح بعد على عقد جديد مع ليفربول، وينتهي عقده الحالي في يونيو المقبل، وفي ظل احتمالية رحيله، يسعى ليفربول للبحث عن نجم يمكنه سد الفراغ الهجومي الكبير.

اقرأ أيضًا | جهزوا الكرة الذهبية لـالملك.. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على أداء محمد صلاح أمام نيوكاسل

محمد قدوس، البالغ من العمر 24 عامًا، لم يُظهر أفضل مستوياته هذا الموسم مع وست هام، لكنه قدّم أداءً مميزًا في الفوز المفاجئ 1-0 على آرسنال، مما أعاد تسليط الضوء عليه كخيار هجومي محتمل.

كان قدوس على رادار ليفربول منذ نوفمبر 2024، ويحتوي عقده على شرط جزائي بقيمة 85 مليون جنيه إسترليني يبدأ في الصيف المقبل، وهو مبلغ قد يكون أعلى مما يرغب ليفربول في دفعه.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، يُصر وست هام على عدم التنازل عن هذا المبلغ، بينما يراقب كل من ليفربول وآرسنال الوضع عن كثب لمعرفة ما إذا كان الهامرز سيظل متمسكًا بسياسته أم ستكون هناك مرونة.

وأعرب قدوس سابقًا عن إعجابه الكبير بهيتينجا، واصفًا إياه بأفضل مدرب عمل معه في أياكس، مما يعزز فرص انتقاله إلى ليفربول بفضل العلاقة الجيدة بينهما.

عمل هيتينجا مع قدوس في أياكس ثم وست هام، حيث كان له تأثير إيجابي على اللاعب، وقد أكد الغاني الدولي أنه كان يتمنى العمل معه لفترة أطول.

وبالتالي، إذا احتاج ليفربول لتعزيز خياراته الهجومية هذا الصيف، فإن العلاقة القوية بين هيتينجا وقدوس قد تكون مفتاحًا لإتمام صفقة انتقال مثمرة إلى الأنفيلد.

Premier League history was created at Stamford Bridge when the referee refused to send off Bournemouth's David Brooks despite a VAR intervention.

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Chelsea held to 2-2 drawBrooks brought down CucurellaReferee looked at the monitor but did not show red cardFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The controversy unfolded shortly after Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert had equalised in the second half. Marc Cucurella, attempting to initiate a counter-attack for Chelsea, was abruptly brought down by Brooks by his hair. Referee Robert Jones was directed to the pitch-side monitor for a closer look. After a thorough review, Jones determined that the incident constituted reckless play rather than violent conduct and issued a yellow card instead of a red.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It was a historic moment as it was the first time in the Premier League that a referee turned down a VAR referral for a red card. Moreover, it is the first VAR rejection in this campaign by an on-field official.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The decision left Chelsea players bewildered as many felt the challenge warranted a more severe punishment. Reece James reflected on the situation after the match and said: "When the referee takes a look at the monitor then it's never a good sign. There are positives to take away from the game but there are negatives as well. It's mixed emotions."

However, the Premier League’s Match Centre offered a swift explanation on social media to clarify the decision:

"VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible red card to Brooks for violent conduct. Upon review, the referee deemed that the challenge on Cucurella was a reckless action and not violent conduct – and issued a yellow card to Brooks."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea will now turn their focus to their next Premier League fixture against Wolves on Monday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta época de vaivém, o torcedor do Corinthians deve estar usando o famoso “F5” do teclado para atualizar as notícias sobre contratações do clube, principalmente em busca de informações sobre o centroavante desejado pela diretoria e pela comissão técnica. No entanto, esse não é o único objetivo dos dirigentes no mercado, já que eles estão de olho também em um zagueiro.

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A prioridade do clube, de fato, é encontrar um camisa 9 de peso, que vista a camisa e assuma a titularidade da equipe, mas essa não é a única carência do elenco como bem sabem os cartolas e torcedores corintianos. Dessa forma, o foco do departamento de inteligência está dividido também para essa peça para a zaga alvinegra, obviamente em uma intensidade inferior, por ora.

Assim como os nomes dos possíveis centroavantes procurados estão sido mantidos em sigilos pela diretoria, os dos zagueiros seguem da mesma forma. Até aqui, nenhum possível alvo foi especulado na imprensa, o que mostra o êxito do departamento de futebol em seus “modus operandi”. O perfil é bem parecido com as outras contratações: um atleta que esteja livre no mercado e que tenha uma certa rodagem. A diferença é que não será para o time titular.

No elenco profissional atual, são apenas quatro zagueiros à disposição: João Victor, Gil, Raul Gustavo e Léo Santos, sendo que esse último voltou de um longo período e foi para o banco em apenas quatro oportunidades no Brasileirão. A tendência é que ele deixe o clube emprestado para outra equipe e dê lugar para outro zagueiro da base poder ganhar experiência.

Por isso, há a necessidade de o novo zagueiro ter uma condição suficiente de ser o reserva imediato de João Victor ou Gil. É preciso lembrar que 2022 promete ser um ano de calendário apertado e que vai exigir muito do elenco corintiano. Ter apenas três homens “prontos” de zaga é algo de extremo risco.

Um fator, porém, pode mudar a intensidade e o nível de necessidade da procura: uma possível venda de João Victor nesta janela de transferências. Segundo o jornal “A Bola” de Portugal, o Benfica deve procurar o Corinthians para fazer uma proposta para ter o zagueiro. O Timão, no entanto, desconhece o interesse e não acredita em valores que tornem o negócio irrecusável.

De acordo com fontes ouvidas pelo LANCE!, se uma hipotética oferta agradar o Alvinegro, aí sim o clube será forçado a ir ao mercado para buscar um zagueiro titular absoluto com urgência e um outro nome para o setor que possa compor o elenco, ou seja, a busca passaria a ser por dois defensores de grande nível.

Somando esses fatores e condições, fica claro o motivo de o Corinthians não focar todas as suas forças na busca por um centroavante. Há uma lacuna importante a ser preenchida e até mesmo protegida, já que a perda de um zagueiro tornará o problema bem maior do que é atualmente. O camisa 9 é uma prioridade, mas as necessidades vão muito além disso neste momento.

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