Tag Futebol

Liverpool have been boosted by the news that Villarreal key player Gerard Moreno could miss both Champions League semi-final clashes with the Reds.

The Lowdown: Liverpool one step from Paris

Jurgen Klopp’s men overcame Benfica in the quarter-finals, following an exciting 6-4 win on aggregate, booking their place in the semis in the process.

It is Villarreal who Liverpool are up against next, following their surprise win over Bayern Munich, with a place in the final in Paris now within touching distance.

With the first leg at Anfield arriving on April 27th, a key injury update has emerged from Spain.

The Latest: Moreno could miss out

Taking to Twitter on Monday, journalist David Lynch shared confirmation that Moreno has picked up a hamstring problem that could rule him out of both legs of the tie:

“Villarreal confirm striker Gerard Moreno has suffered a hamstring strain. No timescale but that doesn’t bode well for his chances of facing Liverpool.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-29/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Undoubted boost for Reds

Moreno has arguably become one of Villarreal’s most important attacking players, so the idea of him missing both legs is undoubtedly a positive for Liverpool.

He has scored nine goals in 14 La Liga starts this season, as well as picking up the all-important assist for Samuel Chukwueze’s goal away to Bayern earlier this month.

It is worth stressing that Moreno hasn’t officially been ruled out yet but the current news suggests Liverpool’s hopes of reaching the Champions League final have been boosted.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.

Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle this season with Frank Lampard desperately trying to save them from a drop into the Championship next season, but he could be heading for disaster if reports are to be believed on Michael Keane’s future at the club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Paul Brown, Everton will keep hold of Keane this summer due to a potential lack of interest in the player and a contract that runs until 2025.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT;

“Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey are both under contract until 2025, so I can’t see that either of those two will be moved.

“There probably wouldn’t be much of a market for Keane anyway; he’s not playing well this season.”

Major Everton nightmare

It is no secret that the Everton centre-back has had an abysmal season, with a number of serious blunders in his performances that have ultimately cost the team crucial points in their pursuit for safety in top flight football.

Keane tops the list for Premier League own goals this season with two instances where the defender has opened up the scoring for his opponents, with one goal scored against Norwich City at Carrow Road in a 2-1 defeat, and then scoring the first goal again a few weeks later for Tottenham Hotspur in the 5-0 thrashing.

The £65k-p/w centre-back, who was dubbed a “liability” by Trevor Sinclair, then proceeded to get red carded against West Ham United which saw Everton concede another defeat, proving that the player has let his team down time and time again this season with extremely poor decision making in the last few months during the most vulnerable time for the club.

If Lampard manages to secure safety for Everton this season there is no doubt that he will need to strengthen his team to ensure that they don’t find themselves in a similar position next season, and with Keane’s aforementioned mistakes hindering the team’s progress, the manager could be sleepwalking into a major nightmare by not encouraging the club to move him on this summer.

With that being said, the former Chelsea boss must do everything he can to either demote the defender to a squad player by signing a replacement or put Keane on the transfer market in an effort to sell ahead of next season as improving the squad should be the top priority this summer.

In other news: Lampard can unearth the new Terry as Everton plot bid for 19 y/o heading for “the top”

Newcastle correspondent Lee Ryder has stated that the club have agreed a deal with young forward Dylan Stephenson.

The Lowdown: ‘Big news’

Labelled as ‘hard-working’ by academy manager Neil Winskill, the teenager has impressed playing for the club’s youth teams over recent years.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-4/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 19-year-old has scored 32 times in total for Newcastle’s under-18s and under-23s, with 11 of those coming in 2021/22.

Reports emerged in the week that the centre-forward was set to pen a new deal at St James’ Park, something that Liam Kennedy described as ‘big news’.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Stephenson

Ryder shared a Newcastle notebook on The Chronicle on Saturday morning, addressing multiple Magpies updates.

One of those focused on discussions over new deals, with the journalist admitting that a deal for Stephenson has been agreed. The youngster looks set for a loan deal away from the club next season, with Hartlepool a destination already mentioned.

The Verdict: Exciting

Stephenson is clearly an exciting young talent, so knowing that he is going to commit his future to Newcastle is good news.

While the club now have the option to splash the cash in the summer transfer window following a change of ownership, it is positive that they still want to keep hold of their best young assets.

Hopefully Stephenson will continue to score goals for fun next season, which could result in a first-team breakthrough at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which three positions NUFC will now ‘target’ this summer

Leeds United regular Stuart Dallas looks set for a spell on the sidelines after being substituted in the early exchanges of the 3-0 defeat to Everton on Saturday.

What’s that latest?

The Northern Irishman was on the pitch at Goodison Park for just nine minutes before having to be withdrawn after the 30-year-old had hurt himself in a collision with Everton’s Alex Iwobi.

Dallas attempted to play on but ultimately had to come off just a minute before the Toffees opened the scoring through Seamus Coleman on an afternoon that the Yorkshire club will want to forget.

Speaking to LUTV after the match, Leeds winger Daniel James said that the injury to his teammate was “a major blow” before adding: “Stuey’s a great player and he plays all over the pitch. Hopefully he’s not out for too long.”

Bielsa will be furious

To lose any player is always a blow, but the prospect of being without Dallas for forthcoming matches will particularly annoy Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa.

The 30-year-old has started every Premier League game for the Whites this season, with the only minutes missed before Saturday coming in the 1-0 win over Watford where the Northern Ireland international was withdrawn in the 78th minute.

Currently, there is little indication as to how serious Dallas’ injury is and how long he will be sidelined, but there is no doubt that everyone involved with Leeds United will be hoping that the situation isn’t serious.

Aside from being an ever-present in the current campaign, the 30-year-old is incredibly flexible when it comes to positioning, having played at left-back, right-back and central midfield this season, with the last three games seeing him line out at left-back.

In terms of backup options in that role, Junior Firpo is the only senior alternative, with the Spaniard making 17 appearances so far since his move from Barcelona last summer.

The 30-year-old has also been the Whites’ third-best player this term according to WhoScored performance metrics, winning more tackles per game (2.7) than any of his team-mates, which lays bare just how crucial he is to the side.

Granted, neither Leeds nor Dallas have matched the standard set last season as the Yorkshire outfit finished ninth in the top flight, with the Northern Irishman scoring eight goals and registering two assists as he started all 38 Premier League matches.

As for this campaign, Bielsa’s side are 15th and lay just six points clear of the relegation zone, with Dallas scoring just one goal and setting up one more in 23 league appearances.

With the Whites still very much in the relegation picture, Bielsa will require the services of all his senior players as Leeds search for the results which will carry them away from danger. The possibility of being without perhaps their most reliable servant in Dallas for a sustained period of time duly comes as a big blow, particularly given the team’s current predicament.

In other news: “Disinterested” Leeds dud with just 27 touches cost Bielsa dearly against Everton 

أدرك تشافي هيرنانديز أهمية الفوز على فالنسيا ليس فقط لأن برشلونة يتصدر الدوري الإسباني أمام غريمه ريال مدريد، ولكن أيضًا لأنه سيساعد في رفع الروح المعنوية بعد الفشل الذريع في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفاز برشلونة بهدف قاتل لروبرت ليفاندوفسكي، ويأتي ذلك بعد أيام من توديع دوري أبطال أوروبا من دور المجموعات. 

وتحدث تشافي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي عقب المباراة، ونشرت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية تصريحاته.

وقال: “لقد كان فوزًا مهمًا للغاية، تقريبًا في الثانية الأخيرة، لم نتوقف عن الإيمان، لعبنا بقلق، ودوري الأبطال أثر علينا، لقد عانينا، كنا أفضل من فالنسيا واستحقينا الفوز، فالنسيا فريق قوي وعدواني وهجومي، لكنهم اليوم كانوا أكثر دفاعية من المعتاد”.

وأضاف تشافي: “إنه أمر مهم للغاية للفريق، لقد استحق ذلك، إنه يبذل مجهودًا ويعمل والمكافأة مهمة، نذهب للنوم ونحن قادة في الصدارة (مؤقتًا)، وأردنا أن ننهي المباراة بشكل جيد ونضغط على ريال مدريد”.

وبشأن المنافسة على لقب الليجا، أكد مدرب برشلونة: “علينا أن نتعلم، علينا أن نصدق، نحن ناد كبير موجود هنا من أجل الفوز بكل الألقاب وأنا هادئ”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشافي يوضح حالة كوندي وجارسيا بعد إصابتهما في مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

وعن هدف الفوز، علّق تشافي: “الهدف هو الجودة، ليفاندوفسكي موجود هنا لإحداث فرق، اعتقدت أنه سيلغى بداعي التسلل، بسبب الديناميكيات التي كانت لدينا، ولكن علينا أن نتحسن، علينا اتخاذ قرارات أفضل”. هدف ليفاندوفسكي في مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

وأكمل: “كان من الممكن أن يكون التعادل وستكون دراما، ولا ينبغي أن تكون على هذا النحو، لقد تحسننا كثيرًا، ونحن في الطريق”.

وسُئل تشافي عن حديثه مع خوان لابورتا رئيس برشلونة في نهاية المباراة، وأوضح: “لقد أخبرني أن هذه ثلاث نقاط مهمة، إنه سعيد للغاية، إنه فوز مهم للغاية”.

Liverpool will sign a new forward in the January transfer window if the right opportunity comes along, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Reds short in attack

The Reds didn’t sign an attacking player during the summer, with Jurgen Klopp seemingly content with the options at his disposal.

While that hasn’t been an issue yet this season, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are on the verge of departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, at which point Liverpool’s squad depth will be tested.

It remains to be seen if January reinforcements will come in but Romano certainly believes that it shouldn’t be ruled out.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Romano makes transfer claim

Speaking to Anfield Watch, the journalist claimed that a new signing could be made, but only if Liverpool believe it would be a long-term option. He outlined:

“Liverpool will only go into it if they have an opportunity that is also for the future.

“So they don’t want to sign a player just for six months or 3/4 games with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane leaving the club for the African Cup.

“They will jump into it if they find an opportunity like Diogo Jota – a player with a good price with no crazy price tag, and with good skills that match Jurgen Klopp’s ideas.

“So if they are able to find this kind of opportunity, they will do it. Liverpool are looking in the transfer market for that kind of player, a winger – this is the priority.

“They like players like Raphinha from Leeds or Danjuma from Villarreal. But it’s very complicated to sign them in January.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-15/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: No need to panic

While Salah and Mane will clearly be big losses given that they have contributed 31 goals between them already this term, their absences shouldn’t be too lengthy and Liverpool should still be able get by with the likes of Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino (18 goals between them in 2021/22).

For that reason, it seems more likely that a summer addition will be made, at which point fresh blood will be required considering that Salah, Mane and Firmino will all be 30 come the start of next season.

That being said, should a prime candidate become available this month, bringing him in certainly wouldn’t do any harm, helping to fill the short-term void left by Liverpool’s departing superstars.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to a Reds transfer claim. Read more here.

Leeds United could have a future star for many years to come in Lewis Bate.

The 19-year-old midfielder was snatched from Chelsea’s renowned academy in the summer for a seven-figure fee thought to be around £1.5m, though he is yet to make his senior bow under Marcelo Bielsa.

It could be time for the Argentinian head coach to unleash the shackles as the Yorkshire giants head into 2022, a year that could be defining for the club’s longevity in the big time.

A string of long-term injuries and inconsistencies on the pitch could see Bielsa and the club’s recruitment team, led by director of football Victor Orta, buck the trend of not spending in January.

Sat in 16th place, just five points above the relegation zone, something has got to change.

But perhaps they needn’t look much further than their Thorp Arch training base for one solution in midfield.

For a long time in the Bielsa era, the engine room has been a crucial cog to their success, none more so than long-serving Pole, Mateusz Klich. Very rarely has he been absent from the starting XI, until now.

Of Leeds’ 17 games in the Premier League this season, he has started just ten. A stark contrast to him making 93 starts from 94 games in the league and the play-offs between 2018 and 2020.

He just hasn’t been good enough, so maybe it’s time to hand the baton to an up-and-comer in Bate.

The 5 foot 8 sensation has been likened to Clarence Seedorf due to his ability to control games from midfield, whilst he idolises the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

“Primarily, Bate is a No. 6, able to play either role in a double 6, or in a 3 with two 8s. Despite being quick and robust for his size, the question during his transition into senior football is how much and how early he’ll be able to play as a solo No. 6., especially at a Premier League level,” once claimed U18 and U23 recruitment analyst Connor Rowden to LeedsLive.

“His ability to take control of the tempo of a game from deep, dropping into spaces and probing with his mastery of the short and long passing game is where he excels.”

Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dubbed him “very gifted”, so all the hallmarks are there for him to become a suggests at Elland Road.

From his 16 appearances for the U23s, Bate has primarily played as a no.8, so he could well be the perfect man to feature over someone like Klich in 2022.

As such, his involvement could save chairman Andrea Radrizzani several millions of pounds in the upcoming window.

AND in other news, “What I have been told..”: Journo reveals Leeds transfer blow, Bielsa will be furious…

أدلى إريك تين هاج، مدرب فريق مانشستر يونايتد، بتصريحات عقب فوزهم اليوم على إيفرتون في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإنجليزي، على ملعب “جوديسون بارك”، حيث فاز الشياطين الحمر بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وقال تين هاج في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “لقد تأخرنا بسرعة 1-0، لكن رد فعل الفريق كان جيدًا، أحد أهدافنا هو التعامل بشكل أفضل مع الانتكاسات وأن نظل هادئين، كان الأمر رائعًا جدًا من جانبنا”.

وأضاف: “في الشوط الأول كنا نضغط بشكل جيد، لم يخرج إيفرتون وكان من الصعب عليهم الحصول على الكثير من التمريرات العرضية، لم نسمح لهم بذلك وأنا سعيد بذلك”.

وواصل: “سيتأقلم كاسيميرو بسرعة ورأينا خلال المباراة مدى أهميته، حيث فاز بالكثير من الكرات، كما لعب الكرة لرونالدو، لقد تطور في اللعبة”.

وأردف: “مارسيال كان يعاني من مشكلة في ظهره، لقد كان مهمًا، كنا سعداء بكل التبديلات، وسجل رونالدو هدف الفوز، وأظهر فاران أهميته في تنظيمه وقدراته الرأسية”.

واستكمل: “يمكن أن تأتي الكرة دائمًا، كان يجب أن نسجل الهدف الثالث لإنهاء المباراة، هذه هي الخطوة التالية التي يتعين علينا القيام بها، سعداء بالنتيجة بالطبع، وأيضًا سعداء بالأداء في فترات كثيرة من المباراة”.

واختتم قائلًا: “جوديسون بارك ملعب صعب، الجماهير خلفهم ولكنهم يسيرون بشكل جيد، 7 مباريات لم يهزموا”.

Tottenham Hotspur progressed into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Antonio Conte’s former club, Chelsea, following a 2-1 victory over fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United on Wednesday evening.

Three quickfire goals inside five minutes in the first half decided the contest, with Spurs outcast Steven Bergwijn notching a goal and assist on his return to the starting XI.

In what was only his fifth start across all competitions this season, the Dutch winger excelled and was arguably one of the standout performers for the home side.

But forget his outing because it was another man – also on his return – that ran the show in north London this week.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s industrious and no-nonsense presence has been sorely missed recently and he made his influence show throughout the 90 minutes on the pitch – it was telling that he could finish the game, whilst his goal-contributing counterpart was hooked after just an hour.

The great Dane also provided a wonderful assist when he drove forward from midfield into the Hammers’ penalty box before laying the ball beautifully for Bergwijn to tap home.

But his contribution didn’t stop at just that. He was everywhere and proved to be the Lilywhites’ main focal point as he registered a team-high 76 touches.

With this possession, the £36m-rated powerhouse pinged off 55 accurate passes, which was also the most in the Spurs side, whilst he also did an astute job defensively, something he is well renowned for.

As per SofaScore, Hojbjerg registered three interceptions, two tackles and one block as he put his body on the line to thwart West Ham’s advances.

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick waxed lyrical about his display in his post-match column, where he rated the Denmark international as one of Conte’s three best performers with an 8/10, alongside Lucas Moura and his fellow goalscoring winger.

It’s no wonder Hojbjerg has previously been lauded as a “monster” by ex-Denmark midfielder Morten Bisgaard as everyone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium got to witness exactly that on Wednesday night.

Defensively sound, creative and an absolute terrier all over the pitch. That’s what makes the former Southampton skipper so valuable to Conte and Spurs.

Arguably, he outshone the rest of the team to steal the show as the north London outfit advanced into the final four of a major domestic competition.

AND in other news, Fabio Paratici could secure Conte’s next Vidal at Spurs with “powerful” £18m-rated “machine”…

كشفت تقارير صحفية ألمانية أن المنتخب الألماني الأول لكرة القدم، تنتظره مشكلة في الإقامة بدولة قطر خلال بطولة كأس العالم 2022 نوفمبر المقبل.

أقل من شهرين وتنطلق بطولة كأس العالم في قطر 2022، والتي تشارك فيها ألمانيا بالمجموعة الخامسة رفقة إسبانيا وكوستاريكا واليابان.

صحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية، كشفت عن عقبة تواجه المنتخب الألماني، وهي صعوبة اصطحاب زوجاتهم إلى قطر خلال فترة إقامتهم للمشاركة في المونديال.

وكشفت التقارير إلى أن العديد من الفنادق في قطر محجوزة بالكامل بسبب البطولة من الآن، فإن المنتخب الألماني يعاني من أزمة اصطحاب زوجات اللاعبين إلى الدوحة أثناء كأس العالم 2022.

وأشارت التقارير إلى أن العديد من اللاعبين يرغبون في اصطحاب عائلاتهم معهم في البطولة، ولكن يبدو أن تكلفة تحديد مكان الإقامة لهم سيكون مرتفعًا للغاية، إن وُجد من الأساس.

كما يريد المدير الفني هانزي فليك جلبهم معه لاعتقاده بأن وجود زوجات اللاعبين بجانبهم سيخلق جوًا من السعادة والرضا.

جدير بالذكر أن خلال اليومين الماضيين كانت هناك تصريحات من هانزي فليك مدرب ألمانيا ولاعب الفريق جوشوا كيميتش، حول أحقية قطر في استضافة كأس العالم، وتحديدًا المدرب الألماني الذي يرى أن البلد العربي لا يستحق أن يستضيف المونديال.