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Watford host Wolves at Vicarage Road this weekend as they attempt to bounce back from two straight defeats in the Premier League.

Prior to the international break, Xisco Munoz’s side lost to Brighton and Tottenham without scoring a goal as they failed to build on their 3-2 win against Aston Villa on the opening day of the campaign.

They now face a Wolves side who have lost all three of their Premier League games without scoring a goal. Bruno Lage’s team were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham, Manchester United and Leicester, with Watford now looking to compound their misery.

Xisco could need to make alterations to his team in order to have the best chance of picking up a positive result against Wolves. One change he could make is in the right-back position, with Craig Cathcart having failed to impress in the opening three games.

The 32-year-old has created zero chances in the Premier League and made one error leading to a shot. He is a centre-back by trade and this has shone through in his performances, which means that it could be time for Jeremy Ngakia to be handed his chance to start.

The 21-year-old came off the bench in the second half to replace Cathcart against Tottenham and was given an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.1 for his display, as he made four tackles and two clearances. Last season, he created 10 chances in 18 starts in the Championship and averaged a score of 6.96 for the Hornets.

He also has prior Premier League experience and, in 2020, former West Ham player John Moncur heaped praise on the full-back and compared him to Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

He said: “There is a rawness about him obviously but he’s got a lot of natural talent if you look at you know, he eats the ground up, he looks good at times going forward. He reminds me a little bit of Wan-Bissaka a little bit, he’s leggy and he’s a good defender.”

As Moncur said, Ngakia covers ground and is capable of being a threat in the final third. Adding his qualities to the team at right-back ahead of Cathcart, who has struggled thus far, could be a game-changing decision from Xisco this weekend.

The 21-year-old’s energy and attacking drive down the right flank could change the game for Watford as Cathcart has been unable to offer that as of yet. The youngster could drive the Hornets up the pitch and increase their chances of scoring by creating overloads down the right and potentially setting up his teammates for chances with his crossing.

AND in other news, Xisco avoided Watford nightmare as detail emerges on £3k-pw dud’s transfer move…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has earmarked Leeds United starlet Joe Gelhardt as one to watch in the Premier League this season.

What’s the story?

The 19-year-old has yet to make a first-team appearance at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa, but Hay has tipped the teenager to be the club’s surprise package.

During a Q&A for The Athletic, the journalist name-checked the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Cody Drameh, but reserved special praise for Gelhardt and said he could be the man to make the biggest impression.

He said: “Possibly Shackelton. I’d like to think Drameh might get a chance if Ayling gets injured or has to relocate to centre-back. But Gelhardt is the one, I feel. So much talent there. Everyone talks about it.”

Bielsa should give him a chance

The former Wigan starlet only arrived at Elland Road last summer but has since made a big impression behind the scenes at Thorp Arch, with Hay previously revealing that the club feel they pulled off an absolute steal.

He said: “He’s been hugely impressive in the (Under-23s). Every time I see him, he looks like a massively talented player. Leeds have been quite honest in saying that the money they paid for him, around about £700,000 up front, from what I was told, is a small fee for somebody with massive amounts of talent.”

With 11 goals in just 18 games at Premier League 2 level, including a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 win over West Brom last season, Gelhardt is doing everything he can to make waves at academy level.

Bielsa has just Patrick Bamford as a recognised striker option to call upon, and with the Whites yet again not bringing in a new striker to add some competition, it’s surely the perfect time for Gelhardt to be brought into the fold.

The 18-year-old made it onto the bench for the Premier League games against Manchester City and Liverpool towards the back end of last season, but wasn’t brought on.

With Hay claiming that Gelhardt is highly-rated inside the club, this season seems like the perfect chance for Bielsa to give him a chance in the first-team.

Fans will surely be excited with Hay’s prediction that the 19-year-old could be Leeds’ surprise package this season in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

The Celtic Way reporter Anthony Haggerty believes it is going to be a busy transfer deadline day at Parkhead, with the signing of Josip Juranovic whetting the appetite among fans.

Since taking the reins in June, boss Ange Postecoglou has bolstered his squad by welcoming nine fresh faces to Glasgow.

Among the most recent arrivals is Croatia international right-back Juranovic, who has joined from Polish outfit Legia Warsaw for a reported fee of £2.5million.

The 26-year-old made his Bhoys debut in the narrow defeat to reigning Scottish Premiership champions and arch-rivals Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

He has made the move to Parkhead having been involved in two of Croatia’s Euro 2020 clashes during the summer.

Postecoglou has also signed Liam Scales from League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers in recent days, but there could still be outgoings with Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie linked with moves away.

Haggerty would not be surprised to see more arrivals before the transfer window slams shut.

He told Football FanCast: “I think Juranovic’s arrival shows Celtic’s intent because most Celtic supporters would say they are still short of a left-back, centre-half, midfielder and centre forward.

“If the supporters are seeing that and Ange is filling in those gaps then that fills you with confidence that he is seeing what you’re seeing.

“I think it was good to get the Juranovic deal over the line for Celtic supporters because they’ve struggled to identify a right-back and they’ve signed a decent one now.”

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left lauding the display of Joe Aribo in the first half of their away game at Dundee United at Saturday lunchtime.

The Nigeria international showed what he is all about with his tricky dancing feet, often beating his man out on the wing and creating some dangerous opportunities for Steven Gerrard’s men to score, most notably a chance for Alfredo Morelos – the Colombia star put it high and wide in the opening few minutes of the match.

He also got back to help out his defence on a number of occasions, winning the ball on the edge of his box before helping his team get up the pitch with his dribbling ability.

Aribo will be hoping that his second-half performance is as good as his first, with one eye on trying to keep his place in the starting eleven ahead of their crucial UEFA Champions League qualifying second leg against Malmo at Ibrox.

Rangers fans on Aribo display

These Gers supporters lauded Aribo’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that the 25-year-old is ‘scary’:

“In 10 minutes Aribo has already showed how much we need him Tuesday”

Credit: @38821090G

“Aribo looking lively! The Kent-Morelos-Aribo front three, when they’re all firing, are hard to top”

Credit: @CazNula

“Aribo would win Strictly without even trying.”

Credit: @DRC1872

“Aribo is scary”

Credit: @Rwdh92

“Joe Aribo is unbelievably good at football”

Credit: @Shaun_Dunsmore

“Aribo wow”

Credit: @IbroxGRFC

In other news, find out what Ibrox news has Gers buzzing here!

Some Everton fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged involving Rafa Benitez.

As per The Liverpool Echo, the Spanish manager wants to make at least three or four more signings before the summer window shuts, and is keeping a close eye on the likes of Sean Longstaff at Newcastle United and Dwight McNeil at Burnley especially.

While it is good to hear that the Goodison Park faithful are still active in the market, the new 2021/22 Premier League season gets under way on Friday night, and so some Merseyside club supporters have grown frustrated that more new faces have not come through the door so far.

The right-back position was not one mentioned as needing strengthening either, as some Toffees feel as if Seamus Coleman needs to be given competition in that role, and overall is an area that they need to strengthen most of all.

Everton fans on transfer update

These Blues fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Going to be another miserable slog again by the looks of it”

Credit: @lebatman1

“I’m gonna be sick”

Credit: @gromszgrad

“He needs to get his finger out then!”

Credit: @lincolnblue2

“Dusted club”

Credit: @_barneywynne_

“This is worse than Koeman”

Credit: @MaxDwyer2000

“We’re so mid-table it’s painful”

Credit: @alexmiIIer

In other news, find out what Richarlison news has Evertonians gushing here!

Ex-Rangers star Michael Ball believes that the Glasgow giants are favourites to sign Joey Veerman from Heerenveen.

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Veerman and his future with current side Heerenveen this summer, with the Scottish Sun reporting on Monday that Rangers have been given a massive boost in their pursuit of the player. Another interested party, Feyenoord, have signed Fredrik Aursnes from Molde, which could see them out of the race for Veerman.

The 22-year-old was involved in 20 goals combined last season, scoring nine and assisting 11 which has seen interest in his signature.

Former Ger Ball believes that Rangers are favourites to sign Veerman, telling Football FanCast: “Yeah, there’s been a lot of noise about Joey and I think maybe one or two other clubs are sort of sneaking around, but Rangers seem to be the favourites.”

According to the Scottish Sun report, Heerenveen have set an asking price of £8m for Veerman and with three years left on his current deal the Eredivisie outfit don’t have to rush to sell their star player.

Whilst Rangers appear to be in pole position to sign Veerman should they wish to with Feyenoord possibly out the equation, it could be more good news for the Gers, as Glen Kamara could be set to extend his stay at Ibrox, with the club offering the midfielder a new deal.

On the new contract offer for Kamara, manager Steven Gerrard told the BBC: “I love the kid, I love the player and I’ve made it abundantly clear how much I want him to stay from a personal point of view.”

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has told Football FanCast that West Ham are prepared to sell Manuel Lanzini this summer if the price is right.

Lanzini flourished in his first three seasons with the Hammers having been signed when Slaven Bilic was manager, quickly becoming the heartbeat of their attack – contributing 35 goals during that period, with exactly 40 percent of those coming in 2017-2018.

Such was Lanzini’s blistering form for the Hammers, he was named in Argentina’s 23-man squad for the World Cup.

However, an ACL injury suffered in training not only ended his chances of playing in Russia but saw him miss almost the entire Premier League campaign in 2018-2019.

Lanzini has managed to remain fit for the previous two years but has slipped down the pecking order under David Moyes and made just five Premier League starts last season.

Reports from France believe that he could be on his way to Marseille this window, and Rosser told Football FanCast that Moyes would be willing to allow him to leave:

“Lanzini is another one who could potentially move on and free up some wages, although Moyes did really like him. Lanzini is an option that if a bid comes in, they would be happy to let him go.”

Writing on Twitter, Sport Italia TV journalist Rudy Galetti has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur have ‘asked for information’ in regards to Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing new striker?

Tottenham have been tipped to target new forwards this summer after the Lilywhites opted against taking up the £36 million option to buy Carlos Vinicius after his loan from Benfica.

This means Spurs are severely lacking in the out and out striker department with Harry Kane currently the only star option in that position.

The Latest: Journalist says Spurs have made Schick enquiry…

Writing on Twitter, Italian reporter Galetti has claimed that Spurs have ‘asked for information’ in an enquiry to sign Schick this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-4/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Czech Republic striker shined at Euro 2020 and scored one of the goals of the tournament, lobbing Scotland keeper David Marshall from the half way line.

Galetti said that managing director Fabio Paratici ‘appreciates’ the Bundesliga star with Spurs’ enquiry coming ‘in recent days’.

However, Bayer Leverkusen value Schick at around €40 million (£34.4m) – which is currently deemed ‘too high’ by Tottenham.

The Verdict: Worth it?

Schick’s exploits at Euro 2020 highlight the ability that he has, with Czech national team boss Jaroslav Silhavy calling him a ‘genius’ after his heroics against Scotland (The Jakarta Post).

However, his goalscoring record at club level isn’t exactly head-turning.

The 25-year-old scored just nine goals in 20 Bundesliga starts over 20/21 and Tottenham should want a player who can score more consistently as their back up option to Kane.

If Spurs could wiggle down his £34.4m asking valuation, you could start making a case for signing Schick, but for now, it is too high a price to pay given the Lilywhites’ financial situation.

In other news: Spurs frontrunners to sign ‘absolutely sensational’ player with Nuno set for final call, find out more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

O craque Zico não teve papas na língua ao criticar as novas mudanças do estatuto da CBF, que aumentaram o poder de voto das federações estaduais em relação aos clubes das Séries A e B. Em entrevista ao LANCE!, o Galinho criticou a passividade com a qual os clubes se submetem às decisões da entidade e a dimensão dada às federações:

– Lamento que os clubes aceitem isso. Eles são a célula mater do futebol e deviam ditar as regras do jogo. Não tem sentido mais existirem as federações! Em nenhum outro lugar do mundo elas fazem campeonatos. Há ligas regidas pelos clubes, e as federações cuidam somente das seleções.

O ex-jogador questionou a estrutura do futebol nacional, e pediu o fim das federações estaduais:

– Só aqui no Brasil existem confederação e federações juntas. E as federações seguem no papel de intermediárias entre clubes e confederação. Isto devia acabar!

Aos olhos de Zico, a desunião dos clubes tem sido um empecilho para a organização do futebol brasileiro não passar por avanços:

– Por essa falta de união dos clubes, não deu certo a Copa União e agora a Liga, onde os clubes optam por colocar equipes reservas, mesmo dando uma boa média de público. É de lamentar tudo o que está acontecendo com o futebol brasileiro fora de campo.

A visão crítica de Zico quanto à organização do futebol brasileiro já rendeu outros desabafos do ex-jogador. Em 3 de março de 2016, dia no qual comemorou 63 anos, o Galinho (que hoje tem 64 anos) pediu como presente de aniversário a realização de eleições diretas para a presidência da CBF e o fim das federações estaduais.

CONFIRA O VÍDEO ABAIXO

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians aguarda ansiosamente a abertura da janela de transferências da Europa, no meio do ano. Não porque esteja de olho em algum reforço que atue no exterior ou pense em vender atletas. O motivo é a possibilidade de transferência do zagueiro Felipe, atualmente no Porto (POR), que pode encher os cofres do clube de Parque São Jorge. No ano passado o Timão embolsou R$ 24 milhões para liberar o atleta e ainda seguiu com 25% dos direitos econômicos dele. Agora, Real Madrid (ESP), Inter de Milão (ITA) e outros gigantes do Velho Continente surgem como interessados no defensor, cuja multa rescisória é de aproximadamenteR$ 164 milhões.

O caso de Felipe virou um exemplo de sucesso internamente no clube. E não apenas pelo dinheiro recebido e o que ainda pode chegar, mas principalmente pelo “resgate” do jogador, que nem sequer era relacionado para os jogos no início de sua passagem. A combinação entre paciência, treinos e tecnologia produziu frutos que até mesmo o técnico Tite, sua comissão técnica e a diretoria alvinegra duvidavam.

Felipe chegou ao Corinthians no fim de 2011, contratado do Bragantino, com deficiências em diversos fundamentos. A avaliação no clube era de que ele tinha muito potencial, mas carecia de uma formação de base. Após alguns treinos e poucos jogos (foram só quatro em 2012) ficou claro: era preciso lapidar aquela joia.

A transformação do zagueiro aconteceu graças a uma série de treinos específicos, comandados na maioria das vezes pelo então auxiliar e hoje técnico Fabio Carille, que visavam corrigir posicionamento, melhorar fundamentos e até mesmo ensinar ao atleta como posicionar o corpo em cada jogada. Orgulhoso, o atual comandante alvinegro recorda:

-Falar sobre o Felipe é de uma satisfação muito grande para mim, por ver onde ele chegou e ainda pode chegar. Ele se apresentou ao Corinthians em janeiro de 2012. Mesmo com ele nunca tendo feito um trabalho de base, observamos muitas virtudes nele. Ele trabalhou muito comigo em 2012, 2013, 2014 já começou a jogar um pouquinho e em 2015 estourou – disse, ao LANCE!.

Tal tempo de maturação só foi possível porque o Timão tinha vários outros atletas para a posição. Desse jeito, Felipe não precisou entrar “na fogueira”.

– Foi um trabalho intenso, com dedicação muito grande, um potencial que foi lapidado por nós. Ele é merecedor de tudo isso, principalmente por acreditar no que a gente passava a ele, nos trabalhos do dia a dia. Ele foi evoluindo até jogar demais em 2015 e ser vendido para um grande clube da Europa e agora tem a possibilidade de ir para uma equipe maior ainda. Fico feliz por participar da formação do Felipe – completou Carille.

Mas nada disso seria possível sem a dedicação de Felipe. O jogador sempre se mostrou empenhado em evoluir e interessado nos trabalhos que a comissão técnica propunha. Por incontáveis vezes ele assistiu a vídeos produzidos pelo CIFUT (Centro de Inteligência do Futebol) e pediu orientações sobre o que fazer para melhorar. O auxilio da tecnologia também é apontado como decisivo para o crescimento do defensor, hoje com 27 anos.

A “fórmula do sucesso” foi descoberta, mas não é fácil de aplicar. Será que o Corinthians lapidará novos Felipes?

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