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Taking to Twitter, Portuguese transfer journalist Pedro Almeida has now dropped an exciting transfer claim as Celtic eye a permanent deal for Jota.

The Lowdown: Jota shines at Parkhead…

Since signing on loan from Benfica in the summer, the 22-year-old has gone on to dazzle at Parkhead under Ange Postecoglou, and there have been reports speculating whether Celtic will trigger his €7.5m (£6.2m) option-to-buy clause in the deal.

Indeed, rumours from Portugal indicate that Postecoglou and the Hoops are eager to do so, as they have until the end of this season to decide whether to take him on permanently.

A Bola believe that Celtic are ‘willing to do so’ given they are ‘satisfied’ with the performance of Jota, with reporter Almeida now backing this claim as he drops an exciting Twitter transfer message.

The Latest: Almeida drops exciting Jota claim…

Taking to social media, the reporter believes that Postecoglou and co will now ‘advance’ to Jota’s ‘definitive’ signing from Benfica on a permanent move as he explained:

“Celtic will advance to the definitive signing of Jota from Benfica for €7.5M”

The Verdict: No-brainer…

It is no secret that the 22-year-old has been a revelation for Celtic in Scotland and we believe that the club would be remiss not to try and make his stay in Glasgow permanent.

A real statement of intent for £6.2m, a deal which would place Jota in the club’s top ten most expensive signings of all time (Transfermarkt), he is arguably worth every penny.

From a performance perspective, the Portugal under-21 international is currently Celtic’s joint-second top scorer in the Scottish top flight, while only David Turnbull has averaged a higher rate of attempts on goal per 90, marking Jota out as a true threat in the final third (WhoScored).

The attacker has also received garlands galore from Scottish pundits, including Celtic legend John Hartson, who branded him ‘dynamite’ and a ‘very special’ player (Daily Record).

It seems likely that Jota is only going to get better and better judging by his young age, not to mention the potential for a seismic sell-on value if he continues to impress in Scotland.

Taking all this into account, securing his signature indefinitely must surely be a priority for Postecoglou and Celtic.

In other news: Source reveals Celtic plan to cash in on record-breaker in January; replacement ready

West Ham are expecting fresh investment in the club in the coming week, according to an inside source…

What’s the word?

It’s widely believed that Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who is the co-owner of Sparta Prague, will purchase a 27% minority stake in the Irons but the deal was thrown into doubt amid reports from 90min.

They claimed that the east London outfit were awaiting government approval so they could finalise matters. However, this does not appear to be the case, as revealed by a club insider to Claret and Hugh this week.

A deal is instead expected to go through in the next seven days after the 46-year-old was spotted in the directors’ box at the London Stadium for the Hammers’ phenomenal 3-2 win over Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Exciting times

This latest update should alleviate any fears that may have brewed from those initial reports and there won’t be a better time to announce such a move, with the bulk of David Moyes’ squad on international duty.

It is also right before the January transfer window, where the Scotsman will undoubtedly be looking to bolster his playing squad, instead of resting on their laurels.

A striker is likely to sit high on his priorities as Michail Antonio, 31, remains his only senior option in the role and he has dealt with plenty of injury problems in the past.

Whether Kretinsky’s investment helps pay any debt or is used for first-team business certainly remains to be seen but either way, it’s going to provide West Ham with a healthy cash injection that’ll benefit them in many different ways, and that has to be an exciting prospect for the Irons faithful.

The Hammers are clearly a club on the up after they moved to third in the Premier League standings at the weekend, whilst they have qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League just days earlier.

Only 18 months ago, they were battling relegation, having avoided it with just one game to spare. Now, they’re arguably in the greatest position they have ever been in.

The Athletic have also claimed that this deal would spell the beginning of the end for GSB. That’ll only delight many supporters even more as they have regularly demonstrated and protested against their ownership.

It’s certainly an exciting time to be a West Ham fan and this development will only thrill those around the London Stadium even more.

AND in other news, Completed just 11 passes: West Ham’s £80k-p/w “bundle of energy” destroyed Liverpool…

Steve Harmison, the England fast bowler, has said he is desperate to play in the remaining Ashes Tests as he has “unfinished business” with the Australians. Harmison was left out of the Ashes preliminary squad but was named as a cover for Andrew Flintoff in an expanded second Test squad. However he did not feature in the XIs at Lord’s or Edgbaston.”The truth is that, much as I love playing for Durham, I’m desperate to play against Australia,’ Harmison was quoted as saying in the . “You can’t overestimate how desperate. I’d have given everything to have played at Lord’s, to be playing now in Birmingham and to play in Leeds.”Harmison took 6 for 20 as Durham beat Nottinghamshire by an innings and 102 runs last month and said the way he was bowling at the moment, he would be a handful against any opposition.”I’ll never forget winning in 2005 but I don’t want my last Ashes memory to be of 2006-07, neither for that first ball, nor the whole experience of losing 5-0. It took us 20 years to win the Ashes back in 2005 – and just 18 months to lose them. I’d like to think I could be part of winning them back.”Harmison denied rumors that he planned to retire at the end of the summer and was looking at the remaining Ashes Tests as a chance to get a farewell. “It may be that England do not see a future for me beyond the end of this summer. If that is the case, there is nothing I can do about it. But I’m not going to tell them I’m not available. It will be their decision if I don’t play for England again, not mine. I would like to get some idea of their thinking.”Before the Oval Test I would like to sit down with Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower and ask them for their honest thoughts. If it turns out I’ve got nowhere to go other than walking away, if they say, ‘At the end of the Ashes, we’re going to go in a different direction to plan for a couple of years’ time’, then fair enough.”Harmison said he did not see himself in England’s one-day plans for the future despite being named in the 30-man probables for the Champions Trophy. “But if they turn round to me and say, ‘Because Fred’s gone, we’re keen on you going to South Africa to play Test matches because of the option you give us once Fred’s not there’, then I’ll make every possible effort to go to South Africa six weeks before.” Harmison said he would then consider playing for a South African franchise before England’s tour to the country.”I think they will have to drag Fred away from Leeds by his hair to stop him playing at Headingley, but in the event that he or they are unhappy with his knee I feel the firepower I bring to the table gives them a solid option.”Andy Flower [England coach] said to me the other day, ‘We would never draw a line under you’. My response to that was, ‘I would never let you draw a line under me’. Until I felt it was right for them and for me, I would never voluntarily let him, the captain or the ECB draw a line under my name.”

West Ham United’s nightmare over Felipe Anderson has been made even worse this week after a damning new claim emerged…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi, the Irons’ hierarchy did not receive a single penny for the Brazilian winger after he returned to former club Lazio in the summer.

The 28-year-old cost the east London outfit a then club-record £36m in July 2018, penning a four-year deal worth around £85k-per-week.

It’s claimed that the Serie A outfit cancelled an outstanding add-on from that deal, thought to only be £3m, and that West Ham have a 50% sell-on clause but Anderson will be passing 32 years of age by the time his contract is up at the Stadio Olimpico.

Nightmare

This only goes to show just how big of a disaster the club’s owners, GSB, and former manager Manuel Pellegrini made over three years ago.

Since returning to Rome, under ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, Anderson has enjoyed a new lease of life, having contributed three goals and two assists in only eight league games.

He’s quickly become a fan-favourite once again but these are things that the Hammers faithful just did not get to witness during his time at the club.

Across 73 appearances, the 5 foot 9 maestro delivered only 12 goals and 13 assists, managing a direct contribution every 224 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

During his time at the London Stadium, he was often slammed for his lacklustre performances, with Irons legend Frank McAvennie once describing him as a “luxury player” who “just strolled about” to Football FanCast.

Overall, when excluding the stint at Porto this season, he has cost the club a little over £50m, which equates to £4.3m per goal scored and around £722k per appearance.

So to not receive a single penny for him is quite shocking and goes to show just how big of a mistake the whole situation has been with the Brazilian.

AND in other news, West Ham face fierce competition for January striker target…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

What’s the talk?

According to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, PIF are ready to splash out £11.8m (€14m) on wages per season for the Welsh international.

The report claims that they are willing to match his Juventus wages as they prepare an offer ahead of the January transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons. Firstly, it shows that the Saudi Arabian consortium are willing to spend big money in January to improve the squad in the short-term.

Instead of keeping the cash in the bank until the summer, PIF are prepared to invest in the team in the winter market to bolster the starting XI. Fans will surely be delighted to hear this as it could lead to an exciting transfer window in two months’ time.

The Magpies are struggling in the Premier League and January may not be the right time to invest in younger players with potential as they try to stave off a potential relegation battle. It could be a smart ploy to bring in a couple of experienced, proven players to help them avoid the drop before recruiting young talent in the summer ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Fans would also be buzzing as Ramsey has a track record of performing to a high level in the Premier League and could give them the boost they need to get over the line in the second half of the campaign.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown previously called him an ‘outstanding technician’ during the Welshman’s time with the Gunners, saying: “Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so important to everything they do. It’s the energy – the box-to-box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

Ramsey has played 262 matches in the Premier League to date, scoring 40 goals and setting up 51 for Arsenal from central midfield. This shows that he has the requisite experience to come in and steady the ship in the middle of the park for the Magpies, whilst also offering a threat in the final third, and that is why the Toon Army must be delighted by this update.

AND in other news, “On shortlist”: Craig Hope drops fresh NUFC managerial update that’ll frustrate fans…

MatériaMais Notícias

A novela Felipe Melo ganhou um novo capítulo nesta quinta-feira. Os advogados do meio-campista entregaram ao clube uma notificação extrajudicial, pedindo sua reintegração ao elenco. Ele foi liberado após um atrito com Cuca, mas até o momento não encontrou um novo clube.

Conforme publicou o Uol, o jogador alega que não está recebendo condições de trabalho semelhantes a de seus companheiros. O camisa 30 está treinando em horário alternativo e normalmente faz vídeos nas redes sociais de suas atividades sozinho na Academia de Futebol.

Já houve casos em que jogador acionou clube na Justiça por situação semelhante. Um exemplo é de Kleber, no Grêmio. Na época, ele cobrou quase R$ 17,5 milhões alegando danos morais (por treinar separado), além de direitos de imagens atrasados e a rescisão, chegando a quase R$ 30 milhões. No fim, as partes entraram em um acordo, e o jogador deveria receber R$ 7,2 milhões, mas a discussão segue nos tribunais.

O Verdão ainda não se pronunciou sobre o caso, mas estuda como agir depois de receber o documento. Se reintegrá-lo, evitará um processo, mas ao mesmo tempo vai desagradar Cuca.

Felipe teve um atrito com o treinador e sua liberação veio depois de vazar um áudio em que chama o técnico de “covarde, mentiroso e mau caráter”. Foi após isso que o jogador teve uma outra rotina determinada pela diretoria. Ele e o técnico dificilmente trabalharão juntos novamente.

Desde que passou a não fazer parte dos planos, Felipe não recebeu propostas oficiais. Foi sondado por times da Espanha, Turquia e Inter, mas nada avançou até agora. Com contrato até o fim de 2019 com o Verdão, a intenção do jogador é ficar no Brasil.

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The ICC report into cricket in Zimbabwe recommended an overhaul of the system of selection for the national team

Cricinfo staff28-May-2009It has emerged that one of the recommendations of the recent ICC report into cricket in Zimbabwe was that there was a complete overhaul of the system of selection for the national team.The ICC task force, headed by West Indies board president Julian Hunte, said the national selection committee lacked the necessary experience to make informed decisions.At present, the four-man committee is led by Kenyon Zeal and includes Vumi Moyo, Steyn Kombai and Jackie Du Preez. Only Du Preez, who played Tests for South Africa in the 1960s, has any discernable cricketing pedigree.”The depth and relevance of the playing experience of these selectors was a concern,” the ICC report stated. “Only one of the selectors has played Test cricket while the other three have very little high profile cricket playing experience. [We] noted a distinct lack of awareness among stakeholders, including current players, of the composition and workings of the NSC.”There was also criticism of the way the captain is appointed. “The NSC members are permitted to make representations to the Cricket Committee but their input is not necessarily followed in the appointment of the national captain. The board chairman [Peter Chingoka] of ZC retains a right of veto on team selection.”While the selectors have not had a deep player pool to work with, there has been criticism of the way they have operated.Given that ZC appears to have taken on board many of the ICC’s recommendations, it is likely that there will be changes to the selection panel. Given it has indicated a desire to attract former players back into the game at all levels, it would seem sensible that the likes of Heath Streak, who still lives in Zimbabwe and has expressed a willingness to help, are drafted in as selectors. If the will is there, a highly experienced selection panel could easily be assembled.Furthermore, the board will need to remove the right of Chingoka or any other out-and -out administrator to interfere in any part of the selection process, including the choice of captain.

West Indies’ spring tour of England could be severely undermined after it emerged five senior Caribbean players were threatening to withdraw from the series and play in the lucrative IPL

Alex Brown and Martin Williamson26-Mar-2009West Indies’ spring tour of England could be severely undermined after it emerged five senior players are threatening to withdraw from the series to play in the IPL. Donald Peters, the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, said a statement would be issued within the next two days detailing whether the players – including the captain Chris Gayle and senior batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul – will make themselves available for the tour of England.”We have players who have been selected for the IPL, and we have a policy on how to deal with this,” Peters told Cricinfo. “At this point, the negotiations are still ongoing, and we will inform people of the decision at the appropriate time. We have agreed with the players’ association not to make any comment until after the talks. We expect to issue a joint release either later today (Thursday) or tomorrow.”Gayle and Chanderpaul, along with Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, are understood to be angered that the tour of England, which coincides with the IPL, was organised last October without their consultation. The series was arranged bi-laterally between the WICB and the ECB after the withdrawal of Sri Lanka – whose players demanded they be allowed to play in the IPL – and falls outside the Future Tours Programme.The West Indians are due to play their first tour match in England on April 21, just three days after the IPL launches in South Africa, with the first Test scheduled for Lord’s from May 6. The players are understood to have been ordered to arrive in England no later than May 1, restricting their IPL availability to just 12 days after the tournament’s start date was wound back from April 10 to April 18 to accomodate its shift from India to South Africa. IPL contracts are paid on a pro-rata basis.Gayle and Chanderpaul are the pair most likely to stand down from international duty should negotiations between the WICB and WIPA break down over the next two days. Gayle signed with Kolkata in the inaugural IPL auction for $US800,000, while Chanderpaul was bought by Bangalore for $US200,000.”We need to know what’s going on soon because we are picking our squad for the England tour next week,” John Dyson, the West Indies coach, told Cricinfo. “The chairman of selectors, in particular, needs an answer soon.”A similar dispute arose last year prior to Australia’s tour of the West Indies. Several senior West indian players considered withdrawing from the first two Tests of the series to remain in the IPL, but returned after the WICB allowed them to skip a pre-series training camp. Chanderpaul, Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan arrived in the Caribbean just days before the first Test at Sabina Park.Initial talks this week between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association ended after two days without any progress in their ongoing dispute. Peters told Cricinfo the talks would resume on Wednesday, but declined to elaborate on whether the contractual dispute would likely be resolved.A major obstacle that could stand between the West Indies players’ and their desire to play in the IPL is the need for them to obtain No Objection Certificates from the WICB. But when confronted with a similar situation last year, the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, left the door open for West Indies players to join the lucrative Twenty20 tournament without the blessing of their board.”We will request them to talk to their board first and seriously think about their situation,” Modi said at the time. “Players should realise their respective boards are their bread and butter. Earning a few thousand dollars is not worth the risk of compromising your relationship with the home board in the long term. At the end of the day, if you are not representing your country, the IPL does not want you. So players should always be mindful of the importance of their relationship with their home board.”As things stand, most of the senior West Indies players are on central contracts which expire at the end of the England series. These were supposed to have been renegotiated some time back, but one insider close to the negotiations told Cricinfo the board was “not protecting the interests of sponsors and key stakeholders” by failing to do ensure that was done.The insider said the players were “exceptionally greedy” adding that “it’s Groundhog Day every year”.Last Friday, players refused to start three domestic one-day matches, while the national team blanked out Digicel branding on their kit with masking tape during the ODI against England. A number of them also boycotted a Digicel event in Guyana at the weekend.Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA’s chief executive who resigned from the WICB executive last week, refused to comment as he left talks in Bridgetown. It is believed that further meetings are planned for early next week.

The ECB is scaling down plans to launch an Twenty20 English Premier League to try to rival India’s IPL, according to a report in the Times

Cricinfo staff03-Feb-2009
Giles Clarke, ECB chairman, has had to scale down his plans for the EPL © Getty Images
The ECB is scaling down plans to launch an Twenty20 English Premier League to try to rival India’s IPL, according to a report in the Times.Last summer, the board announced a 20-team EPL, featuring the 18 first-class counties and two overseas sides, one formed by Allen Stanford. But logistical issues, the credit crunch and the cooling of Stanford’s interest has led to the scheme being rethought and renamed.The competition, provisionally called the P20, with the P standing for Premier, will revert to the tried and trusted two leagues of nine with two up, two down promotion and relegation. The one concession that remains is that counties will be able to field up to four overseas players.The ECB’s Nigel Hilliard admitted to the newspaper that expectations had been raised to unrealistic levels and the fact the existing Twenty20 competition was a great success needed to be taken into account.”The proposal for 20 teams has been dropped for the moment,” Hilliard said. “We may look at it again if somebody puts up a lot of money, but they are not about to.”This news represents a complete climbdown for the ECB which last July announced its new 20-team competition, based, it claimed, on detailed market research. “This is about giving the spectator what they want,” ECB chairman Giles Clarke said. It appears that what the spectators want and what the ECB can deliver has changed markedly in the last few months.

Tottenham Hotspur are working to sell centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal, with multiple clubs said to be in discussions for his signature ahead of the transfer deadline [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers has been a peripheral figure during his time at Spurs

On the periphery at Spurs for much of his career, the 23-year-old has managed just five senior appearances since coming through the ranks [Transfermarkt].

He has become something of a journeyman in the last few years, featuring for no fewer than six clubs on loan from Tottenham in the form of Sheffield United, Ipswich Town, Swansea City, Stoke City, Luton Town and AFC Bournemouth.

Now, he could finally be set for a permanent exit in the final hours of tonight’s window.

The Latest: Source claims Spurs working on exit

As documented by a source close to Tottenham Hotspur at Football Insider, the Lilywhites are actively looking to move the United States international on tonight, with his services being deemed as surplus to requirements in N17.

Various sides are believed to have held talks over a transfer, which could be easier than usual to facilitate with his contract in north London set to expire next summer.

The Verdict: Win-win

Unlikely to ever become a regular in the Tottenham Hotspur first-team, selling the 6-foot ace may be the most agreeable course of action for the Premier League giants and player himself, providing a small cash injection after an expensive window.

In his time at AFC Bournemouth in 2020/21, the aggressive defender made an impression with his ability to win aerial tussles, managing to record an average of 2.8 per fixture in the Sky Bet Championship [WhoScored].

Earning adulation on his Spurs debut back in 2016 against Gillingham in a 5-0 League Cup victory, former teammate Jan Vertonghen labelled the Southend-on-Sea man as an “absolute beast” due to his excellent display [ESPN via Football Insider].

However, he has never managed to kick on to featuring frequently with Tottenham and looks likely to have played his last game for the club.

In other news, a Tottenham Hotspur ace has turned his back on an exit from the club. Find out more here.