All posts by n8rngtd.top

In addition to signing established players ready to make an immediate first-term impact last summer – the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Brennan Johnson – Spurs also acquired a couple of teenagers with the potential to be starters for the club in the longer term.

19-year-old forward Alejo Veliz arrived from Argentine club Rosario Central, while 18-year-old centre-back Ashley Phillips came in from second-tier Blackburn Rovers. It looks as if Spurs may try to continue that two-timeline approach in January, this time with a move for Royal Antwerp's Arthur Vermeeren.

Even though he's only 18, Vermeeren has already established himself as a mainstay in the Antwerp side. He's not only started all 20 of their Pro League games this season, he's also completed the full 90 minutes in all but three. His domestic form has earned him a rapid call-up to the Belgian senior side, with two caps under his belt, and he's firmly in contention to feature at this summer's European Championships.

Man Utd rival Spurs for Vermeeren

According to Tottenham Hotspur News, Spurs have been pursuing Vermeeren, who has drawn comparisons to former Lilywhites player Christian Eriksen his "technical ability and range of passing".

However, they now face "serious competition" from Premier League rival Manchester United, who have identified Vermeeren as a "big target" for 2024. Manager Ange Postecoglou is "keen" for his side to come out on top, particularly because it would hurt to see him playing a direct competitor.

Vermeeren could be a transformative signing

Fabrizio Romano reported last month that Vermeeren is "set to leave" Belgium this year, if not in January, then definitely in the summer. The big question is where he ends up, with interest likely extend beyond the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Old Trafford.

Named in the best XI of players born in 2005 or 2006 by the CIES Football Observatory last year (Breaking The Lines), he's one of the premier midfield talents in Europe. Under-23 expert Antonio Mango has described him as a "gift to football", while talent scout Jacek Kulig has billed him a "sensation".

Vermeeren has took his chance to sign in the Champions League this season, scoring against Barcelona in the final group-stage match and becoming the third-youngest player to provide two assists in a Champions League game against Shakhtar Donestsk.

Indeed, the teenager is a player who can spot gaps in opposition defensive structures and thread the ball through, which is why he ranks as high as fifth in the Belgian top-flight for progressive passes this season (142). He was also right up there last season for take-on percentage (third with 76.2), emphasising his ability to evade pressure in the middle of the park, and tackles won (10th with 46), proving that there's a bite to his game too (FBRef).

When you combine all this with the fact that as, of January 1, he'd covered the most distance in the league (Zach Lowy), you can see how he's managed to make himself an indispensable player already. Vermeeren is an outstanding, all-round midfield package, and if Spurs win the race, his capture could be celebrated for a generation.

Joe Burns makes a half-century but Trent Copeland and Harry Conway take two wickets each to leave the Bulls just 51 runs ahead with five wickets in hand

Alex Malcolm12-Oct-2019Stumps A fighting half-century from Joe Burns helped Queensland hold off New South Wales’ charge to victory momentarily on a rain-affected third day at the Gabba.Only 63 overs were possible on the third day after the game was delayed due to the rain that had fallen overnight. The Blues declared their innings closed on their overnight score to lead by 135 runs.The Bulls second innings started cautiously and they lost Matt Renshaw lbw to Trent Copeland with the total on 22. Copeland trapped the left-hander on the front foot from around the wicket despite Renshaw getting a good stride forward.Usman Khawaja made an elegant 24 with four boundaries before being undone by Sean Abbott. The right-arm quick angled in from around the wicket and nipped one away to scratch the outside edge as Khawaja was half-forward.Burns and Marnus Labuschagne steadied with a 56-run stand and all but erased the lead. But after reaching a patient half-century, with just four boundaries, Burns was tempted into driving Copeland only to edge it to second slip where Steve Smith held a comfortable catch. That sparked a mini-collapse as the Bulls lost 3 for 32. Harry Conway continued his form from the first innings to take his tally to seven wickets for the match.The first was fortunate with Charlie Hemphrey strangled down the leg-side. The second was a superb piece of bowling, finding the edge of Sam Heazlett with one that angled in and nipped away late.Labuschagne held firm making a composed unbeaten 48 to steer the Bulls to stumps alongside Jimmy Peirson who remained on 21.

Douglas Luiz appears to be making the most of an early-season break after holidaying with Vinicius Jr following their Brazil squad snubs.

• Luiz joins Nottingham Forest on loan
• Not included in latest Brazil squad  
• Enjoys Marbella break with Vinicius Jr

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With both Luiz and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr not in Brazil's latest squad for their World Cup qualifiers, the compatriots headed off to Marbella during the international break. Footballers play very demanding schedules, so getting breaks where you can is not a bad thing.  

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Luiz has had a tough year following his move to Juventus. A lack of minutes and disciplinary problems marked his time in Serie A, but now he is back in the Premier League after joining Nottingham Forest on loan. Vinicius Jr is almost nailed on to make Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad but midfielder Luiz needs to have a stellar season to feature in Carlo Ancelotti's plans, so getting breaks in could be helpful. 

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Luiz has 18 caps for Brazil, the last of which came in 2024. If the 27-year-old wants to be at next year's World Cup, he will have to replicate the form that made him a highly coveted player at Aston Villa, where he scored 22 goals in 204 games.  

• ILBIANCONERO
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Former Vasco da Gama man Luiz will now be focusing on making an impact at Forest when the international break concludes this week. He could make his debut for the club away at Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Manchester United's new big-money buy Benjamin Sesko has admitted "the level is much higher" in the Premier League than in the Bundesliga.

• Man Utd splash out on Sesko
• Striker yet to score for Red Devils
• Admits Premier League is a step up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sesko arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig in the summer after the Red Devils agreed to splash out £74 million ($100m) to secure his services. Yet the new signing has made a slow start to life at Manchester United and has not managed to find the back of the net in any of his first four appearances for the club.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ruben Amorim will certainly be hoping that Sesko, along with fellow new recruits Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, can help add some much-needed firepower to his side following their struggles last season. Sesko scored 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig but says the standard of football in England is far higher than in Germany.

• WHAT SESKO SAID

  He told Ekipa: “The level of the matches is certainly much higher, the players and teammates are also at a higher level. After all, English football is at the highest level in the world of football.  But I am very much looking forward to the coming period, also because I am getting better and faster in every training session, and I am also progressing in my football mentality every day. I wanted to move to England and fortunately my wish came true.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sesko will be hoping to open his account next time out for United when the Red Devils take on arch-rivals Manchester City in the Premier League. The striker admits it's a game he's relishing, adding: “It’s true, it’s an incredibly big match coming up. There will simply be some pressure on both sides to just win this match. There’s still quite a bit to go until this match, but we’re definitely looking forward to a top-notch match.”

Leeds United have the opportunity to improve their playing squad this month as the January transfer window officially opened for business on Monday.

The Whites could look to add more quality to their group of players in the hope that it propels them into the automatic promotion places over the next five months.

They were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and are vying to secure an instant return to the top-flight this year.

However, Daniel Farke's side are currently fourth in the division and seven points adrift of Ipswich Town in second place, which shows that they have plenty to do to finish inside the top two.

This suggests that they are in need of an addition or two to boost their efforts and one player who could be an excellent signing for Leeds is Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.

Latest Leeds transfer news

Speaking on CaughtOffside's YouTube channel earlier this week, reporter Ben Jacobs named the Whites as one of the clubs who could be in the market to land the Blues prospect.

The journalist claimed that Premier League side Crystal Palace are interested in the Brazilian youngster but there is also interest from teams in the Championship.

Santos was recently recalled by Chelsea after a failed loan spell with Nottingham Forest in the top-flight during the first half of the campaign and this has opened the door for another club to swoop in for his services.

Jacobs named Ipswich Town as a team to watch out for in the race to sign the 19-year-old battler but also claimed that Leeds could be part of the race.

Archie Gray started the season as a defensive midfield option for Farke but has since established himself as the first-choice right-back option for the German head coach.

The 17-year-old talent has been a consistent performer, in spite of his young age and inexperience, at full-back for Leeds and this has meant that he has not been available to the manager in the middle of the park.

This has left Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Ilia Gruev as his only natural central midfield players to call upon, which is why the Whites could be in the market to add another number eight to the group before the end of the window.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Farke must now push the club to strike a deal with Chelsea to bring Santos to Elland Road on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

The former Norwich City head coach enjoyed great success in the loan market in his last promotion success in the Championship with the signing of Ollie Skipp on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

He could now repeat that masterclass with another impressive loanee from a top-flight club in the middle of the park, as Santos could be his next version of the Spurs prodigy this year.

Skipp's Norwich career in numbers

The now-23-year-old spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Norwich in the second tier to gain valuable first-team football in Norfolk under Farke.

He went on to play an integral role in their title success as the Canaries were promoted up to the Premier League, partly thanks to Skipp's fantastic performances in midfield week-in-week-out.

The Spurs youngster played 45 of their 46 league matches throughout the season and caught the eye with his defensive solidity in front of the back four and his progressive passing in possession.

Skipp averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match for the Yellows and came out on top in 56% of his duels in the middle of the park, which shows that he held his own in physical contests.

He ranked within the top 19% of Championship midfielders that season for tackles (2.33) and the top 22% for blocks (1.33) per 90, which illustrates how impressive he was at cutting out opposition attacks and putting his body on the line for the team.

The Norwich star also showcased his ability on the ball with a pass accuracy of 87.6%, which placed him within the top 1% of midfielders. Skipp was also within the top 28% of his positional peers for progressive passes (4.86) per 90.

These statistics show that the England U21 international made an impact in and out of possession for the Canaries with his defensive interventions and his progressive, and reliable, passing.

The statistics that show why Santos could be Skipp 2.0

Farke could now unearth his next Skipp in Santos as the teenage dynamo has the potential to offer similar qualities in midfield for the Leeds boss.

The 5 foot 11 starlet has not had an opportunity to showcase his ability in English football as of yet but his previous form for Brazil U20s and Vasco da Gama in his home country suggests that the talent is there.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a "pressing machine" and that is backed up by his impressive defensive statistics for club and country.

At the U20 World Cup in 2023, Santos started five matches for Brazil and caught the eye with an outstanding 5.2 tackles and interceptions per game.

No Leeds player, in any position, has managed more than 3.5 tackles and interceptions per match in the Championship this season, which illustrates how impressive the Brazilian gem's performances were at that tournament.

Santos also averaged 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 38 Serie B appearances for Vasco da Gama as an 18-year-old in 2022.

These statistics show that the Chelsea prospect has the defensive quality to come in as a Skipp-esque figure for Farke as a central midfielder who can provide an outstanding shield in front of the back four.

The 19-year-old whiz also has the potential to make an impact in possession. During the 2022 Serie B campaign, Santos plundered eight goals and created four 'big chances' in his 38 matches.

This suggests that he is a dynamic midfielder who can push forward to join in with the attack to be a difference-maker in the final third, to go along with his impressive defending.

Therefore, Farke could unearth his next Skipp by signing another fantastic defensive midfielder on loan from a Premier League club to bolster a Championship promotion push.

The India coach wants to leave behind a legacy like the West Indies side of the 1970s and 1980s, and the Australians of the 2000s

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2019India head coach Ravi Shastri wants to turn his team’s consistency into the kind of celebrated golden legacy of the great West Indies and Australia sides of the past.Shastri has just overseen a clean sweep in the Caribbean, where a ruthless India blanked West Indies in all three formats. “This kind of consistency I have not seen any time,” Shastri, who was recently given an extension in the job until the 2021 T20 World Cup, told . “This team has an opportunity to do great things. We have a legacy like the West Indies did in the eighties and Australia did at the turn of the century. This team, too, has an opportunity to leave that kind of legacy, and they are already doing it.”India’s overseas performances have improved significantly in recent years and under Shastri they have won series in West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia, the latter a historic 2-1 triumph earlier this year. India have been No. 1 in the ICC’s Test rankings since October 2016, and were favourites at the recent ODI World Cup, alongside hosts England. Their campaign, however, was ended by a semi-final loss to New Zealand, following a top-order collapse. That was a second successive semi-final exit for India, currently the world’s second-ranked ODI side.In T20Is, India are fourth in the ICC rankings. They won seven straight T20I series, including the four-team Nidahas Trophy, between November 2017 to November 2018, a streak that included away wins in South Africa (2-1), Ireland (2-0) and England (2-1), but they lost series in New Zealand and at home against Australia. “Look at how we have performed in T20, one-dayers and Tests and even in the big ICC tournaments, it is unbelievable,” Shastri said. “People used to say earlier that we only perform at home and we don’t do anything abroad. Now they are saying the opposite as wherever they are going they are performing.”Shastri also rubbished recent reports of differences between Kohli and Rohit, Shastri said India India would not have performed the way they have if there was a rift between the two, neither would the pair have scored as freely as they have in recent series.”Listen, I have been around the dressing room for the last five years. I have seen how the boys have played and how they have complemented the team and know their work ethics. I feel it is absolute nonsense (reports of a rift). I have been there with them and I know the way they play. If that was the case why would Rohit get five hundreds in the World Cup? Why would Virat do what he is doing? How would they have partnerships together?”In a side when you have 15 players there will always be times when there will be opinions that will be different. That is what is needed. I don’t want everyone toeing the same line. You have got to have discussions and someone might then think of a fresh strategy, which has to be encouraged. So you have to give the guys the opportunity to express themselves and then decide what is best. Sometimes it might be the junior-most player in the team who may come up with a strategy which we hadn’t even thought of and we need to bring that to the table. So these should not be seen as a conflict.”

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit and former Spurs full-back Alan Hutton has claimed that recruitment is the number one ‘underlying problem’ for Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur following talks that his future at the club continues to be in doubt.

The Lowdown: Kane’s confession

There has already been plenty of speculation about whether the 52-year-old will leave the Premier League giants at the end of the season after it was rumoured just last month that the Italian had offered himself as a candidate to replace former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain.

Captain Harry Kane also made an honest confession earlier this week, admitting that he has ‘no idea’ if Conte would still be in charge at the start of next term, causing even more uncertainty over his future.

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The Latest: Conte needs Levy’s backing

Hutton made it clear that he can see the manager staying in north London for the ‘foreseeable future’, but it all depends on Daniel Levy.

He told Football Insider in reaction to Kane’s comments: “I think with Antonio Conte, he’s an emotional man. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He opens his mouth and he just talks from the heart, if you want.

“Conte’s probably just too honest at times. Where he has spoken about: ‘If I’m not doing a good job, I’ll leave,’ it’s the heat of the moment.

“But I think also there’s an underlying problem here where he’s maybe saying to the likes of Daniel Levy: ‘I need help here. I’m trying to make this squad, mould it, into a winning squad and I need help. I need people through the door, I need my targets within this squad to make them.’

“I believe he’ll be the manager for the foreseeable future. It’s about who can you bring in to help him out.”

The Verdict: All about the Champions League

Following Tottenham’s 1-0 away defeat against Burnley back in February, Conte suggested during his post-match interview at Turf Moor that the hierarchy at N17 should consider his future at the club after a run of disappointing results, and while that belief has surely changed, much will depend on Sunday’s events.

The Italian is reportedly looking to offload eight of his players in the summer and sign at least six new replacements, and so if a top four spot is secured, Levy can give him the transfer funds he requires to assemble a new squad ahead of next season.

After picking up three wins out of their last four, Spurs now find themselves sitting just a point away from that coveted place amongst Europe’s elite, and reports have suggested a place in the competition’s group stages banks as much as £40m right off the bat – that would surely do enough to convince Levy to boost the boss’ coffers.

In other news… a transfer insider has claimed that Tottenham have the chance to bring back a fan favourite.

Weston McKennie's time at Juventus is coming to an abrupt end, with the USMNT midfielder not considered part of the plan for the 2024-25 season

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• McKennie placed on transfer list
• Midfielder training away from first-team
• Fiorentina strongly linked with USMNT star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  GOAL understands that while McKennie has returned to Juventus training after his post-season vacation, the midfielder is training separately from the first-team group. The USMNT midfielder's contract expires in 2025, and the Italian club have made the decision to sell him this summer, as they have no intention of extending his deal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKennie has been linked with a move to Fiorentina this summer, although his high salary has made a move difficult for the Viola to fund. Nevertheless, a clear signal was sent to the ex-Leeds United player regarding his future by manager Thiago Motta, as he was left out of the squad for their friendly with Brest.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  McKennie made 38 appearances in all competitions last season but clearly Motta does not believe that he has a part to play in his Juve project. Along with Fiorentina, he has also been linked with Aston Villa in the Premier League.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Juventus will hope to finalise a sale soon as they look to complete their squad ahead of the new season. Juve kick off their campaign against newly-promoted Como on August 19.

Australia reached 30 for 1 during a tricky period at the end of the day after their bowlers put England under pressure again

The Report by Valkerie Baynes15-Aug-2019Jonny, be good. It was a plea rather than a statement and Jonny Bairstow duly answered England’s call.Whether Bairstow’s half-century, his second in Tests in 2019 and his first on home soil in more than a year, combined with Rory Burns’ fifty proves to be enough remains to be seen but, given Australia’s performance in the opening Test, England’s first-innings total did not look overly impressive.Most concerning for the hosts, was the events leading up to Bairstow’s entrance. The majority of England’s upper and middle order floundered – Burns and Joe Denly were among just four batsmen to pass 20, another being No. 8 Chris Woakes. Even a 66-run stand for the third wicket between Burns and Denly, while somewhat encouraging, was indicative of the England batting collective – a start without going on with it.Australia battled during a tricky hour under lights at the end of a late session elongated after the washed-out first day. Openers Cameron Bancroft and David Warner, who both failed to break into double figures at Edgbaston, looked uncomfortable in the face of a fiery first spell from Test debutant Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, who has had the measure of Warner in the series so far.Broad claimed Warner’s wicket for the third time in as many innings, bowling him through the gate off an ideal length for just 3 with a ball that nipped back to take the leg bail and put Australia at 11 for 1, having dismissed him lbw and caught behind in the previous Test.Archer could have had Warner out an over before with a 90-mph delivery that UltraEdge suggested shaved the bat, but with not so much as an appeal emanating from the bowler or the field, Warner hung on – briefly. Bancroft and Usman Khawaja safely navigated the rest of the session as Australia went to the close with a slight edge.Archer’s first over in Test cricket yielded plenty of pace and venom with speeds in the low 90s and high 80s after he was made to wait a day to be a part of the action, having been handed his cap by Chris Jordan during a short break in the weather on Wednesday. His first foray came with the bat after Tim Paine won the toss and sent England in.When Josh Hazlewood claimed the wickets of Jason Roy for a duck and Joe Root for just 14, England were in trouble at 26 for 2 and Paine’s call – which Root said he would have echoed had he won the toss – seemed well justified.Doubts crept in, however, as Burns and Denly dug in, the former backing up his first-innings 133 in Birmingham with a controlled 53 after he was dropped on 16 by Khawaja at gully off the bowling of Peter Siddle, and Denly making a marginal improvement on his earlier innings of 18 and 11 in this series when he reached 30 to leave the match looking fairly even at lunch.It took a brilliant catch by Bancroft, diving to his left at short leg, off Pat Cummins to dismiss Burns after Hazlewood had Denly caught behind. The England pair were among four wickets to fall in the second session, as Australia’s bowlers combined well, Cummins banging the ball in short while Hazlewood and Siddle found some away swing from the Pavilion End.Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes made very little impact to compound England’s batting concerns as Bairstow and Woakes set about rebuilding. Woakes was hit hard on the helmet by a Cummins delivery and, after barely flipping the penultimate ball of the over to the leg side, fell on the next when Cummins’ delivery brushed his thumb on the way through to Paine behind the stumps.Bairstow compiled his 52 off 95 deliveries, with seven fours, before he picked out Khawaja at deep square leg to hand Nathan Lyon his third wicket. Lyon’s three-for moved him level with Dennis Lillee on 355 Test wickets, joint-third overall for Australia. Cummins and Hazlewood also ended the innings with three wickets each.The theme of the day was red, with Lord’s spectators urged to wear the colour and players entering the field wearing bright red caps in honour of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up by former England captain Andrew Strauss following the death of his wife last year from a rare form of lung cancer. By stumps the initiative had raised well in excess of £350,000 for cancer research and support for patients and their families.

Leeds United winger Raphinha is in advanced talks concerning a move away from Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that the 25-year-old’s agent is in continued talks with Barcelona regarding a transfer to the Camp Nou at the end of the current campaign.

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The report goes on to state that, despite earlier claims that the Brazil international will be available for €25m (£21m) in the event that Leeds are relegated, this is in fact not the case, before also suggesting that Victor Orta has an agreement in place to sanction Raphinha’s sale for “not too high an amount” if the Whites do drop out of the top flight this season.

Supporters will be livid

Considering just how important a part of the Leeds side Raphinha has become since joining the club back in 2020, the news that the winger could leave the Elland Road on the cheap this summer is sure to be an update that will leave the Elland Road faithful livid.

Indeed, the £40.5m-rated attacker has continuously been a standout for the Whites ever since his £17m move, bagging 16 goals, registering 12 assists and creating 21 big chances over his 63 Premier League outings, in addition to making an average of 2.0 key passes, taking 2.3 shots and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

These metrics have seen the £63k-per-week Brazilian average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.03 over his two league campaigns for the club – playing a crucial role in Leeds sealing a top-half finish last time out, as well as being the club’s top-scorer in the current campaign.

As such, should Orta sanction the sale of the 25-year-old for anything less than Leeds’ reported £60m asking price, it would certainly come as a huge blow to all involved with the Whites, as it is clear that Raphinha is a talent who would be well worth a figure around the £60m mark in the current market.

AND in other news: Forget Klich: Radz must ruthlessly axe £80k-p/w Leeds figure, he’s “out of his depth”