أثار تشابي ألونسو، مدرب باير ليفركوزن، الجدل حول مستقبله بعدما رفض الحديث عن أي خطط قادمة بعد الموسم الحالي 2024/2025.
جاء ذلك خلال مؤتمر صحفي قبل مباراة بوخوم في الدوري الألماني غدًا، الجمعة، حيث توقع الكثيرون أن يقدم المدرب إجابة واضحة بشأن مستقبله التدريبي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: برشلونة يسعى لضم لاعب باير ليفركوزن
وقال ألونسو خلال المؤتمر: “أركز على هذا الموسم، نحن في مرحلة مهمة ولا نريد المزيد من التكهنات، لا نريد التفكير في أي شيء سوى كرة القدم”.
وينتهي عقد ألونسو مع ليفركوزن في عام 2026، وهو ما جعل وسائل الإعلام الألمانية تتوقع أن يعلن عن خطوته المقبلة، خاصة في ظل اهتمام أندية كبرى مثل ريال مدريد وبايرن ميونخ، لكنه تهرب من الإجابة قائلاً: “أنا أركز على هذا الموسم، ولا شيء آخر”.
وبات ريال مدريد، الذي يضع ألونسو ضمن خياراته لخلافة كارلو أنشيلوتي، مضطراً للانتظار قبل اتخاذ أي خطوة رسمية، في ظل غموض موقف المدرب الإسباني وعدم رغبته في الكشف عن قراره النهائي.
وكان ألونسو قد أشار قبل مواجهة شتوتجارت، التي انتهت بفوز ليفركوزن 4-3، إلى صعوبة اتخاذ قرار حاسم في الوقت الحالي، مؤكدًا: “لم يكن هناك شيء لاتخاذ قرار بشأنه، لا ينبغي التفكير في المستقبل البعيد، نحن نأخذ الأمور مباراة تلو الأخرى”.
Heading into the international break, there would have been some green shoots for Everton fans to thankfully latch onto, having entered the pause on Premier League fixtures with some positive results in hand.
The Toffee picked up their first win of the top-flight season versus Crystal Palace to end September on an uplifting note before a 0-0 stalemate with Newcastle United followed which saw Sean Dyche’s men have the last laugh over former Everton youth product Anthony Gordon, who saw his penalty denied by Jordan Pickford.
The slight upturn in form has seen a number of performers for the Merseysiders step up to the mark and shine, notably in the form of Dwight McNeil, who has been sublime for the Toffees under his former Burnley boss’ guidance.
Dwight McNeil's form this season
McNeil has really come into his own this campaign so far for Everton, with Dyche deploying him in a more central attacking role as opposed to utilising him solely down the flanks, and that has gone down a treat.
The ex-Clarets attacker has amassed an impressive four goals and two assists from nine games in all competitions, which included helping himself to a brace in his side’s 2-1 win over Oliver Glasner’s Eagles, which has led to their South London opponents now being swamped in the relegation zone.
Dyche will want even more from his electric number seven when the bread and butter of Premier League football gets back underway, as the Toffees face off against Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town next in a big clash near the foot of the table.
Whilst McNeil continues to shine, it’s been clear from the previous couple of seasons at Goodison Park that not every arrival through the door has gone on to become such a rip-roaring success, with many going down as costly failures on the contrary.
One such player is Moise Kean…
Moise Kean's struggles at Everton
One notable mishap in the transfer market was the signing of Juventus hotshot Kean in the summer of 2019, costing Marco Silva’s men at the time a whopping £27.5m to get through the door.
Moise Kean
That was very quickly seen to be a huge waste of cash, as Kean never acclimatised to his new Merseyside surroundings well, with the 6-foot forward being loaned out twice to Paris St Germain and back to the Old Lady during his troublesome stint in England. Even during his time away, he was described as “useless” by Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri.
Kean’s numbers at Everton
Season
Games
Goals
Minutes played
21/22
2
0
60
20/21
4
2
117
19/20
33
2
1026
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Most known for the occasion when Duncan Ferguson substituted him on and off in the same game, Kean only scored a meagre four times for the Toffees from 39 appearances. It got worse too, as the Italy international was only present for one minute of Premier League action during his swansong 2021/22 campaign at Goodison Park.
As a result, Everton would have felt ripped off, not only because of the extortionate transfer fee but also because of his hefty pay packet, which saw the now 24-year-old pocket a bumper £53k-per-week and £2.7m-per-year as per Capology.
In the here and now in Dyche’s camp, McNeil earns a far lesser wage, which comes in at £25k-per-week.
Consequently, Kean would have been earning more than double the Everton star’s pay packet when still on the books of the Premier League club, despite fading into the background rather quickly.
Taking into account his excessive salary, and his steep transfer fee on top of that, the Italian striker would have cost the Toffees an eye-watering £30m in total, with Everton relieved to get him off their roster permanently last year when Turin came calling again.
McNeil might well be clamouring for a pay increase soon as well, as the former Burnley midfielder strives to keep up his top performances starting with a trip to Portman Road after the international break concludes.
Signed for £30m: Everton must regret buying flop who's now worth just £7m
He’s failed to impress for Everton since arriving.
Leeds United have now suffered a fresh injury blow alongside Ethan Ampadu before the clash with Norwich City, as reported by journalist Beren Cross.
Leeds hit by Ampadu blow before Norwich
The Whites face an important Championship assignment on Tuesday evening, making the trip to a Norwich side who are expected to be among the promotion hopefuls this season, along with Daniel Farke’s side. The Canaries are 10th in the table currently, but their form has improved of late, following three wins in their last four league games, so this could be a big challenge for Leeds.
The Whites’ task hasn’t been made any easier by the news that Ethan Ampadu is facing around 10 weeks on the sidelines after suffering a knee problem in last Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to Coventry City. On the plus side, the midfielder doesn’t require surgery, but he may not return to the pitch until the New Year.
Injuries can have the potential to derail any team’s season and that is threatening to be the case at Leeds all of a sudden, with another negative update emerging on Monday.
Leeds hit with another knee injury
According to Cross on X, Leeds will be without Max Wober against Norwich because of injury, with a six-week absence on the cards and surgery required, having not featured at all in the Championship yet this season. He will be the fifth player on the injury list alongside Amapdu, Dan James, Manor Solomon and Isaac Schmidt.
This arguably isn’t as big a blow as the Ampadu news because Wober hasn’t been such a fixture in the team this season – his absence also isn’t as lengthy – but it still acts as an undoubted setback, added to the fellow absentees mentioned by Cross, particularly James and Solomon.
The 26-year-old Austrian can still be a key figure, however, with former Leeds midfielder Carlton Palmer claiming as much during the summer, backing him to play a big role in his side’s promotion push after they retained his services.
“This decision makes perfect sense – I believe that Daniel Farke wasn’t too happy when Wober left the club on loan following relegation. He’s still only 26, he’s got three years left on his contract and he should be a Leeds United player for the foreseeable future. Ethan Ampadu is expected to return to a midfield role for the season ahead, so Wober could play a key part as Leeds look to get back to the Premier League, especially as Liam Cooper has departed after his contract ended.”
Hopefully, Wober can make a speedy return to the Leeds setup, at which point the busy autumn schedule will be in full swing, playing a part in helping Farke’s men rise further up the Championship table and eventually sealing automatic promotion.
The Haaland of defenders: Leeds nearly signed £77m star over Llorente
The Whites came close to reaching an agreement for the central defender under Marcelo Bielsa.
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After a season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, he is looking to fully find his feet again, but there is no reason why he can’t become more of an influential player once he’s back in the fold.
Manchester City find themselves in more hot water having been accused of 'tapping up' Real Valladolid starlet Juma Bah.
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Man City keen on Bah
Valladolid accuse them of 'tapping up'
Released a strong-worded statement against City
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The controversy revolves around Bah, an 18-year-old centre-back who joined Valladolid on loan from AIK Freetong last summer. The Spanish club exercised a purchase option on January 1, converting his loan into a permanent deal. However, Bah has since sought to sever ties, supposedly under the influence of Manchester City, according to .
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Valladolid has expressed outrage over Bah’s recent actions, which include failing to attend training. The club stated that Bah, supported by his agent, informed them of his intention to unilaterally terminate his contract. The Spanish Football Federation also confirmed that Bah has already deposited the required amount to end his deal.
WHAT VALLADOLID SAID
Valladolid have responded to the situation with a strongly-worded statement, accusing Man City of orchestrating the situation.
“Abdulai Juma Bah and his agent informed Real Valladolid yesterday afternoon of their intention to unilaterally break the contract that binds both parties,” Valladolid said. “Previously, yesterday afternoon, Manchester City sent a statement asking Real Valladolid to open negotiations for the player for a possible permanent transfer.
“Today, the Sierra Leonean has decided not to show up at his workplace for morning training. For all these reasons, the club holds the player responsible for the breach of his contractual commitments, and has asked its legal department to initiate disciplinary action in this regard.
"The club considers that Manchester City, a member of the City Football Group, is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route, which puts Real Valladolid in a defenceless position, after having recently rejected financial offers of a higher amount, even more so when the player is in the protected legal period of his youth stage and, in recent days, had refused to sign the player’s licence with a higher-category Blanquivioleta team, since this would entail an automatic increase in his termination clause."
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WHAT NEXT?
Valladolid have pledged to take all necessary steps to protect its interests. The club warned Manchester City, Bah, and his agent of potential repercussions and remains firm in its stance.
“The club warned the three parties about this situation yesterday through different requests, warning them of the possible consequences of their actions,” the club said.
“Juma Bah arrived at the Anexos last summer on loan from AIK Freetown. The loan contract with the Sierra Leonean club ended on June 30 of this season and included a clause for Real Valladolid to exercise a purchase option, a clause that the Blanquivioleta entity exercised on Jan 1 so that the central defender’s federative rights would belong to Pucela [Valladolid] under a new contract of longer duration, and with better conditions.
“The player’s intention, supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent, has caused great disappointment and indignation within Real Valladolid, who welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The unfolding saga raises serious questions about player contracts and the role of influential clubs in the transfer market, setting the stage for a contentious battle.
Oman haven’t played a competitive game since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020
Shashank Kishore07-Aug-2021Oman have expressed interest to host Mumbai for a series of T20 matches in the second half of August as part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup, which they are co-hosting with the UAE in October-November.The proposal is understood to have been put forward by Duleep Mendis, Oman’s chief development officer. They are awaiting a response from the Mumbai Cricket Association, who are likely to deliberate the matter at a meeting this week.Oman haven’t played a competitive game since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Until now, they’ve had to settle for camps and intra-squad games in the lead-up to their second straight appearance at the T20 World Cup.Oman had beaten Ireland to record their first-ever tournament win during the previous edition in India in 2016. They are grouped alongside Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Scotland in Group B of the qualifying phase of the tournament, which will be held in Muscat. They will need a top-two finish in their group to progress to the Super 12 phase of the competition.”It’s still just on the table, we are awaiting further details and guidelines before we can consider the proposal,” an MCA official told ESPNcricinfo. “It is a good opportunity to play a few pre-season games before the domestic season kicks off.”If the tour does go ahead, Mumbai, India’s domestic 50-overs champions, will be without their IPL-bound players. Among them are regular captain Shreyas Iyer, stand-in captain Prithvi Shaw, senior players like Aditya Tare, Suryakumar Yadav and Dhawan Kulkarni.It will be an opportunity, however, for new coach Amol Muzumdar to test their bench strength ahead of India’s domestic season, which kicks off with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s in September.
Manchester City and Arsenal face-off in the biggest Premier League game of the season so far this weekend, in a result that could be pivotal come the end of the campaign.
Last season, Pep Guardiola just got the better of his former assistant, Mikel Arteta, clinching title glory with his City side on the final day. They were pushed all the way by the Gunners, who just ran out of steam a little towards the end, proving costly up against their relentless rivals. It does look as though they will again be fighting it out for the trophy this time around, although Liverpool could again provide stiff competition, too.
On Sunday 22nd September, Arsenal make the trip to the Etihad, looking to at least seal a repeat of last season’s goalless draw there, which felt like an excellent result at the time, even if it didn’t prove to be enough in the grand scheme of things. Arteta will be desperate to go one better this time around, though, knowing how huge a victory there would feel.
It promises to be a thrilling afternoon in Manchester, as the two Premier League title favourites lock horns in the latest battle between Guardiola and Arteta.
Man City v Arsenal kick-off time & UK TV info
Manchester City v Arsenal is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm BST on Sunday 22nd September.
Kick-off at the Etihad is at 4.30pm, with the match following on from Brighton v Nottingham Forest (2pm) earlier in the afternoon, understandably acting as the showcase game of the day.
Man City v Arsenal team news
The most notable absentee from either side could be Martin Odegaard, with the 25-year-old suffering an ankle injury on international duty with Norway and missing the game against Tottenham. Summer signing Mikel Merino is also unavailable, as is Takehiro Tomiyasu.
For City, Nathan Ake is also out after tearing his hamstring for the Netherlands earlier in the month, while Oscar Bobb is a long-term absentee after suffering a serious leg injury last month. Rodri and Phil Foden are available again after being out in the opening weeks.
Man City & Arsenal's head-to-head form
City have, perhaps unsurprisingly, been the more dominant of the two sides in recent meetings, although that wasn’t the case last season. Arsenal’s aforementioned 0-0 draw at the Etihad was a hard-fought result, and they won 1-0 at the Emirates last October, thanks to a late winner from Gabriel Martinelli.
Barring the Gunners’ Community Shield triumph in 2023, City were completely dominant in the fixture before that, winning eight matches in a row, in all competitions. That included a 5-0 win at the Etihad back in 2021.
Arsenal haven’t won away to City since January 2015, when a Santi Cazorla penalty was added to by an Olivier Giroud strike. A repeat of that scoreline for the north Londoners could feel like a significant moment in the Premier League title race, even though it is still only early days.
Arsenal have been handed a major update on the fitness of star man Bukayo Saka after he was forced off with an injury in their 1-0 win over Tottenham, just a week before their clash with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
Arsenal make history with win over Tottenham
A goal from a corner ensured that Mikel Arteta’s Gunners side chalked up their third consecutive win over north London rivals Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the first time in 35 years that they have managed three straight away wins over their major rivals.
A header from centre-back Gabriel was enough to prove the difference between the two sides, with the Brazilian evading the attentions of opposite number Cristian Romero to thump home from four yards out just after the hour mark, and Spurs offering very little by way of threat in response.
The result lifted Arsenal to second in the table, above Liverpool following their shock loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while only Newcastle can match their 10-point haul after four games of the season.
But of course, Manchester City can beat both, with the reigning champions now on a perfect 12 points and Erling Haaland’s nine goals more than any of the other sides have managed as a team, with second-best Chelsea having scored eight so far this season.
Arsenal are the next side to try and challenge that perfection, with the Gunners travelling to the Etihad on Sunday for a titanic clash between first and second from the past two seasons, and the chance to throw down an early marker against Pep Guardiola’s side. And now, they have been handed a massive boost.
Saka set to be fit for Arsenal vs Man City
That comes as Arsenal’s star man Saka could well make the trip to the northwest, according to one report. The winger was forced off in the closing stages of the win over Tottenham, having to be replaced by youngster Ethan Nwaneri as his side closed out a 1-0 win. Asked after the game for an update, Arteta remained tight-lipped on the situation.
“I don’t know. I made two changes with the front players and suddenly he’s down. I looked at the bench and the options that we had and we had to adapt. I don’t know exactly what it is but he could not continue”, the Arsenal boss explained.
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But now, the London Evening Standard have provided a promising update on his situation, claiming that the England and Arsenal star “was forced off with cramp” in the derby win and there is “optimism he will be fine for big games with Atalanta and Manchester City this week.”
They will certainly be hoping that is the case, with few able to replicate what Saka manages for either Arsenal or England. Former England boss Gareth Southgate singled him out for praise over the summer, dubbing him “immense”.
“The detail of how he had to defend, track and be in the right positions was very complex down that side of the pitch. Then to give us the outlet in those one against one situations, we felt could be a real advantage for us.
“He did, he kept that positive note, so, yeah, his performance was immense.”
Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures
Opponent
Competition
Atalanta (A)
Champions League
Manchester City (A)
Premier League
Bolton (H)
Carabao Cup
Leicester City (H)
Premier League
PSG (H)
Champions League
Southampton (H)
Premier League
Arsenal will be hoping that Saka’s is not the only injury boost they are handed in the coming days, with Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard all suffering issues over the international break, while Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mikel Merino remain sidelined longer term.
However, Declan Rice will definitely be back after serving a one-game suspension, in what will come as a massive boost for the Gunners. He will be hoping to line up alongside his Arsenal and England teammate at the Etihad.
India and Sunrisers Hyderabad left-arm pacer T Natarajan has undergone surgery on his knee for the injury that put him out of the ongoing IPL 2021.Natarajan had injured his knee first during India’s tour of Australia at the turn of the year, and subsequently missed games at home against England too. He played the first two games of IPL 2021 for the Sunrisers, but was then ruled out.Related
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Natarajan made his international debut across all three formats in Australia, but the knee injury meant he had to undergo rehabilitation upon returning and missed the first three T20Is of a five-match series against England, playing in the last two matches before joining the Sunrisers for the start of the IPL. Sunrisers captain David Warner had initially said Natarajan would not leave the IPL bubble because of quarantine requirements. However, the bowler’s exit from the tournament was confirmed last week.
Natarajan played the Sunrisers’ first two games, against the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Once he was out, the Sunrisers replaced him with another left-arm pacer in Khaleel Ahmed.Natarajan rose to prominence during IPL 2020 in the UAE, where his yorkers and death-bowling smarts stood out. His rise was particularly useful for the Sunrisers, who had lost Bhuvneshwar Kumar to injury.The Sunrisers, who are yet to name a replacement for Natarajan, have so far won only a single game out of the five they have played, and are languishing at the bottom of the points table.
Southampton have seen a loan bid with an obligation to buy for an international midfielder rejected.
The Saints are preparing for life back in the Premier League after securing promotion to the top flight via the Championship play-offs last season. Russell Martin’s side get their league season underway with a testing trip to St. James’ Park on Saturday as they face Newcastle United.
The Southampton boss will be hoping his side can get off to a good start, and the club’s transfer business has put them in a good position to tackle the upcoming campaign.
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ByKelan Sarson Aug 13, 2024 Southampton’s summer signings
As expected, given that they are a side that has just come from the Championship, Southampton have been rather busy so far in this transfer window. The Saints have made a staggering 12 new signings so far, as Martin makes sure his side is equipped with enough experience and quality.
The new arrivals have been a mixture of transfers that have cost the Saints a large sum of money, or they have been arrivals that have come via free transfer. Southampton have brought in the likes of Charlie Taylor, Wellington, and Adam Lallana, who obviously has a history with the Saints, on free transfers.
Southampton's summer signings
Signed from
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Manchester City
Flynn Downes
West Ham
Ben Brereton-Diaz
Villarreal
Yukinari Sugawara
AZ Alkmaar
Nathan Wood
Swansea City
Ronnie Edwards
Peterborough United
Wellington
Sao Paulo
Charlie Taylor
Burnley
Adam Lallana
Brighton
Juan
Sao Paulo
Rento Takaoka
Nissho Gakuen
Kuryu Matsuki
FC Tokyo
Meanwhile, the club has also made some additions that have pulled the purse strings, as they have signed players such as Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes, who were both at the club last season, as well as Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Wood, and most recently Ben Brereton-Diaz.
The 25-year-old spent last season on loan at Sheffield United but now remains in the Premier League with Southampton, having signed a four-year contract. The Chilean believes everything has aligned for him to join Southampton.
He said: “I'm absolutely buzzing. It's been smooth these past couple of days, and I'm happy to get everything sorted and signed. I'm really excited to meet everyone, it's great to be involved with this great club.
"Watching the club when I was younger, it was always in the Premier League. Obviously, last season, the way the team played, they went down, but they bounced straight back up as a team. Also, the gaffer as well – everything has aligned together, and I think it's an amazing club. I can’t wait to get started."
But despite already bringing in a lot of players, Southampton don’t look like they are stopping there, as they eye a deal for a midfielder.
Southampton see bid for Mandela Keita rejected
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Southampton have seen a bid for Mandela Keita rejected by Belgian side Royal Antwerp. The offer is said to have been a loan bid with a mandatory option to buy for around €12 million (£10.2 million).
The Belgian side is said to be open to making progress on the deal that would see Keita move to England and join the Saints.
But as well as Southampton being keen on signing the player, Tavolieri goes on to add that other Premier League teams are said to be watching him this summer, as he attracts interest. The 22-year-old, who is a Belgium international, only joined Royal Antwerp on a permanent basis this summer, but he has spent the last 18 months on loan at the club from OH Leuven.
New South Wales secured the hosting rights for the Marsh Cup final with a thumping eight-wicket victory over Queensland in Sydney as Daniel Hughes, one of only seven players across the two sides without an international cap, emerged from a lean season with 101.Nine of those with Australia representation to their name were in the home side which fielded the Test attack. They featured the group due to depart tomorrow for the IPL, including Steven Smith who finished unbeaten on 86, meaning they won’t be available the title showdown on April 11.Queensland now need to wait on the result of the Western Australia-Tasmania match next Thursday to see whether they can cling onto a place in the final.Pat Cummins, the New South Wales one-day captain, and Mitchell Starc took three wickets apiece as Queensland were never able to lay a foundation. From 6 for 104 it needed a half-century from Jimmy Peirson and a useful hand by Michael Neser (31) to lift them over 200.Although David Warner fell early it was always unlikely to challenge New South Wales once the second-wicket stand started to develop. Hughes and Smith, playing his first game since mid-February after an elbow injury, largely did as they pleased although Billy Stanlake created a few uneasy moments.Hughes, who has a List A average of over 56 brought up his century with a crunching drive for a 13th boundary although top-edged to fine leg two balls later to end a stand of 174 with Smith. It was the first time he had passed fifty for New South Wales this season.Smith finished with four sixes and a series of powerful strokes to suggest the elbow was not causing too many issues. The last of them was a blow over midwicket that almost ended up on the roof.After Queensland had opted to bat, Starc struck in his second over to have Max Bryant caught behind. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne went along at a good tempo to suggest it could be a high-scoring contest, but Khawaja dragged on when he was cramped for room by Cummins who then removed Matt Renshaw for a duck.The innings was coming off the rails when Nathan Lyon held a fierce return catch to remove Labuschagne the ball after he had sent him for six.Peirson and Joe Burns briefly steadied things for Queensland but Josh Hazlewood returned to trap the latter lbw. Starc then also struck in his comeback over when he had debutant James Bazley well caught at deep square leg by Warner leaving the visitors six down with more than half the overs remaining.Peirson and Neser added 57 in 13 overs, the stand broken when Lyon gabbed a sharp chance at midwicket. The one non-Test player in the attack, Daniel Sams, then got among the wickets as Xavier Bartlett missed a wild swing and a fine catch at deep midwicket ended Peirson’s rearguard.