Tag Futebol

Sky Sports have confirmed that a Manchester United takeover is no closer to completion, despite recent rumours of a deal involving Sheikh Jassim.

What’s the latest Man United takeover news?

It has been an eventful few days when it comes to Old Trafford takeover rumours, with speculation from Qatar suggesting that Jassim was successful in his bid to take full control from the Glazers.

As to be expected, that claim gathered plenty of attention in the media as claims emerged on both sides of the story, with journalist Ben Jacobs for example one of those arguing against the rumours on an agreement being reached, saying on Tuesday morning:

"Lots of speculation on the MUFC sale process, and an out-of-hours stock price surge reacting to that. But as of last night no group had been informed they are successful. Not expecting anything public or groundbreaking in the next few days. If that changes will update you."

Sky Sports have now confirmed that it was in fact Jacobs in the right and not the reports sending United fans wild, with chief reporter Kaveh Solekhol sharing news from “sources”. He said on Tuesday evening that the rumours regarding Jassim are false, adding:

"Man United fans will want an update on what is happening with a takeover. Is anything happening? Are we closer to any resolution?

"We’ve checked with all sides, with all our sources, and they’re telling us no update at the moment."

Jassim already planning Man United transfers?

Although Jassim is unaware if his fifth and final bid has been successful to take charge in Manchester, he already appears to be eyeing up a marquee signing for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Recent reports have claimed that the Qatar group are planning a stunning move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe. Jassim feels that the French superstar “belongs at Man United”, with PSG valuing the player at £170m.

However, with the transfer window now officially open, every passing day without a takeover resolution could impact United’s plans in the market. For example, back in March, some inside Old Trafford were worried that the ongoing saga would affect the club's planning in the window.

Hopefully, there will be a development soon for either Jassim or Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but no off-field news continuing could spell trouble for the Red Devils and cause unrest among the club's supporters.

Influential Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa is reportedly a summer transfer target for Aston Villa, according to a fresh rumour regarding his future.

Is Sa a key man for Wolves?

The 30-year-old joined Wanderers from Olympiakos in the summer of 2021, and ever since that point, he has been one of the most important players at the club. He has performed with great consistency and class between the sticks, winning the Supporters Player of the Season award in 2021/22 and shining in all facets of his game.

Sa has made 72 Premier League appearances since arriving, meaning he has almost been an ever-present, and he has proven to be an inspired signing overall. The hope is that he remains at Molineux for the foreseeable future, but there is always a chance that interest in his signature could emerge once any transfer window arrives.

The Portuguese's current Wolves contract expires in the summer of 2026, which does at least put them in a strong bargaining position, but he could feel that a fresh challenge makes sense at this point in his career. A new update suggests that one Premier League rival is already circling, ahead of potential exits of other key players, such as Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

Could Wolves lose Sa to Villa?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb [via Sport Witness], Villa are eyeing up Sa as a direct replacement for Emiliano Martinez this summer, with the Argentine set to "say goodbye". Wolves are believed to value their stopper at €20m (£17.3m), but it remains to be seen if the Villans are willing to spend that amount.

In truth, that sounds like a bargain for Villa, considering what a standout player Sa has been for Wanderers since joining, being hailed as "outstanding" by former defender Andy Thompson. Given his contract situation, Wolves would surely want more money for him, with his performances justifying a higher price tag.

Losing the Portugal international would be a major blow for Wanderers, considering he has arguably been one of the Premier League's most consistent players in his position over the past two seasons, and it wouldn't be easy to find a tailor-made replacement who is at his level.

Unfortunately, the idea of joining Villa could appeal to Sa, though, with Unai Emery coming in and potentially guiding them into Europe, depending on the outcome of Sunday's final-day action in the league. He could see Wolves' Midlands rivals as a step up, in terms of quality, and a chance to find another gear in his career.

Burnley are reportedly interested in signing Aberdeen striker Luis 'Duk' Lopes in the summer transfer window and his arrival at Turf Moor could see Vincent Kompany ditch Wout Weghorst for good.

Could Burnley sign Duk this summer?

It was reported by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano last month that Burnley are interested in signing the Cape Verde international following their promotion back to the top flight.

Kompany will be keen to add attacking reinforcements to try and keep the Clarets in the Premier League and after a sensational first season in Scotland, Duk could be a promising option, having only joined Aberdeen on a free transfer last summer, with Benfica still holding 50% of the player's transfer value.

Transfermarkt values the striker at just €1m (£870k) but given that he is contracted at Pittodrie until 2025, Burnley could be forced to pay significantly more if they want to bring the 23-year-old to Lancashire in the summer.

Would Duk be a good signing?

Duk's performances in the Scottish Premiership so far this campaign certainly suggest that he could be a quality addition at Turf Moor, as Kompany seeks replacements for loanee Nathan Tella and departed club legend, Ashley Barnes.

In 35 league appearances, the frontman hit 16 goals and two assists with a strong 6.99 rating from WhoScored for his performances, with only Tella contributing to more goals and four players earning higher ratings in Burnley's squad this season.

The striker's former coach Joao Tralhao isn't surprised by his impact at Aberdeen, given that he starred alongside Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix and Celtic's Jota in the youth team at Benfica.

He said: “He is powerful, aggressive, strong and he works hard to press. He also has an amazing instinct to score goals and you could see that with every year he progressed.

"He has a real instinct for goal that is his top quality. He just scores goals, with his right foot, left foot, chest, head or every part of his body. He has scored a few acrobatic goals for Aberdeen and trust me that is not usual. That is just Duk.”

Duk's physical and goalscoring attributes suggest he could be a dangerous target man for Kompany to have in his squad for next season, which could make Burnley flop Wout Weghorst surplus to requirements at Turf Moor.

After failing to have the desired impact in 2021/22 as Burnley suffered relegation, scoring just twice in 20 Premier League outings, the Netherlands international was sent out on loan to Besiktas and Manchester United and now looks unlikely to have a future with the Clarets.

Therefore, Burnley should definitely be looking to bring in the Portuguese-born forward this summer, especially if it allows Weghorst to be moved on permanently.

A verdict of suicide has been ruled in the death of former Warwickshire cricketer Tom Allin who died on January 4

Andrew McGlashan20-Jul-2016A verdict of suicide has been ruled in the death of former Warwickshire cricketer Tom Allin who died on January 4.Allin’s body was found below the A39 River Torridge Bridge in Bideford, Devon. Devon and Cornwall police later found three suicide notes at his home written to family and friends.The police did not find any suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement in Allin’s death.Dr Elizabeth Earland, the senior coroner for Exeter and Greater Devon, recorded a conclusion of suicide.”On the evidence I am in no doubt that Tom was the architect of his own demise and he clearly intended the consequences of what he did and there is no evidence of a third party involvement,” she said.Allin’s death came months after he had suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash. The inquest heard he was “recovering well physically” but in early December he had told a nurse his mood was “up and down” and was advised to seek help.Jason Ratcliffe, PCA Assistant Chief Executive, said: “We are aware of the tragic circumstances of Tom’s death and once again our thoughts are with Tom’s family and friends at this difficult time. Tom’s father Tony is also a PCA member from his playing days at Glamorgan and we will continue to support Tony and his wife Beverley in any way that we can.”Allin was released from Warwickshire prior to the 2014 season. He had continued playing in the minor counties competition for Devon, with his last appearance coming in August against Shropshire.He was involved in primary school sports coaching in Barnstaple and Bideford and was head of cricket at Shebbear College as well as a coach at Bideford College.

Leeds United are one of several Premier League sides said to be interested in appointing Feyenoord manager Arne Slot this summer, and the Dutchman could be the next Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Arne Slot?

In a recent profile piece for The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Leeds were all name-checked as potential destinations for the 44-year-old, who has built on his impressive reputation by leading Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title this season.

Of course, it would be difficult to imagine Slot swapping Champions League football for the Championship next season, so there is a huge reliance on Sam Allardyce keeping the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League, if they are going to attract such a promising young manager to Elland Road ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

It is easy to see why so many Premier League sides are interested in Slot, given his impressive transformation of De club aan de Maas in just two years with the club.

Having averaged a hugely impressive 1.93 points per game during his time at AZ Alkmaar, the Dutchman would earn a move to Feyenoord in 2021 and has since averaged 2.14 points per game at De Kuip, winning 64 of his 99 games in charge thus far.

As well as comfortably winning the league this season, with the title wrapped up with last weekend's win over Go Ahead Eagles, he also led Feyenoord to the Europa Conference League final in 2022, where his side narrowly lost out to Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Slot clearly knows how to win games, and his reputation as an attacking coach, which has seen Feyenoord smash in 78 goals in just 32 league games, suggests that he could be the true heir to Bielsa at Leeds.

Could Slot be the next Bielsa?

Although Bielsa looked to be taking Leeds down in 2022, neither Jesse Marsch nor Javi Gracia have proven themselves to be adequate long-term replacements for the legendary Argentine.

The American just about kept them in the division last term but the fact Gracia was dismissed after a matter of games said it all about his quality in the dug out.

Allardyce is the epitome of a short-term appointment at Elland Road and regardless of his results in the final two games of the campaign, it is hard to see him still being in Yorkshire when the 2023/24 season rolls around.

Bielsa did take Leeds to the Championship title and excelled in his first season in the Premier League, earning a ninth-placed finish with his brand of attacking no-fear football.

Slot could bring that attacking mantra back to Elland Road, as Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan suggested to talkSPORT earlier this year.

He said: “He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

This appointment may seem like an unrealistic one given Leeds' current predicament but if Andrea Radrizzani is keen to establish Leeds back in the top half of the Premier League table then he needs to hope Allardyce can work his magic and then aim high when looking for a long-term replacement.

West Ham endured a difficult evening in their last Premier League outing against Liverpool.

The Reds ran out as supremely dominant 2-1 winners and restricted the Hammers to only two shots on target throughout the game.

After Lucas Paqueta’s sublime strike gave the Irons an early lead, they rarely troubled the Reds and failed to construct any periods of sustained pressure.

With the Europa Conference semi-final looming next week and a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, David Moyes should shuffle the pack to make his side more threatening.

One way that this could be done would be to replace the underperforming Michail Antonio with Danny Ings, who offers a far more complete package as the focal point up top.

Should West Ham start Danny Ings over Michail Antonio?

Antonio has surprisingly risen above the Englishman in the pecking order but drastically struggled in the last encounter.

After registering an assist in the early stages against Liverpool due to some slick and intricate link-up with Paqueta, the Jamaican was anonymous for the rest of the proceedings and recorded the lowest Sofascore rating of any West Ham player (5.8).

In a miserable evening for the Hammers’ record Premier League goalscorer, he only managed one successful dribble, had zero shots on target, missed two big chances, and failed to produce any accurate crosses, as per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Ings has netted double the amount of goals (eight) as his fellow striker (four) in the Premier League this campaign and is surely a more logical option on Saturday in terms of rotation and tactics.

Across the £125k-per-week striker's career, the former Liverpool man has forged a respectable reputation for his link-up play and eye for goal.

During his stint with Aston Villa, retired forward Noel Whelan commented on his style of play and partnership with Ollie Watkins.

He said: “He’s showing what a good player he is and how dangerous he can be when he drops between the lines to feed Ollie Watkins. He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with Watkins."

With top four yet to be secured and the Irons having only netted 34 goals in 32 games, the reintegration of the ex-Villa man could be the perfect antidote to bounce back against the Eagles this weekend.

Leeds United defender Max Wober may miss this afternoon’s crucial meeting against Bournemouth through injury.

What’s the latest Leeds injury news?

The Whites travel south for this afternoon’s Premier League clash with the Cherries in what appears to be a must-win fixture in their bid to avoid the drop.

They begin the afternoon six points behind Bournemouth, who have won three of their last four, two of which came against relegation rivals Leicester City and Southampton.

Javi Gracia will be without Luis Sinsterra who has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, and it looks as if Wober may also miss out.

The Austrian returned from injury last weekend against Fulham but was once again absent in the 1-1 draw with Leicester in the week after missing training on Monday. Leeds correspondent Phil Hay, who was present for Gracia’s pre-match press conference at Thorp Arch, took to Twitter to provide the latest on Wober, saying:

“Wober not training yet. So a doubt for Sunday.”

Not good for Leeds…

Leeds haven’t had much luck when it comes to injuries this season, and being without Wober for large parts of the run-in hasn’t been ideal alongside midfielder Tyler Adams.

Described as an “intelligent” player and “leader” by former manager Jesse Marsch, the January arrival’s presence on the pitch has been noticeable. With Wober, Leeds haven’t conceded more than twice in a game, whereas without him, they have shipped four to Arsenal, five to Crystal Palace and six to Liverpool.

Therefore, as well as the blow to Sinisterra, this update on Wober isn’t ideal for Leeds, but hopefully, they will manage to record just a third away win of the season and return to Yorkshire this evening with three vital points.

Leeds United reportedly failed in a late attempt to sign highly-rated Celtic teenager Aidan Borland, with Aston Villa set to snap him up instead.

How good is Borland?

At just 15 years of age, Borland is already a player who has been making waves at Celtic, being seen as one of the most talented youngsters at Parkhead. The midfielder could have a bright future in the game – at international level, he already has three caps to his name for Scotland's Under-16s – and his performances have not gone unnoticed among some Premier League clubs.

Recent reports have suggested that Villa have had a £1.2million offer accepted for Borland's services, with an initial £300,000 fee eventually rising to that amount. He would move to Villa Park on a scholar contract and eventually sign his first professional deal when he turns 17 years of age.

While it looks as though the Villans are now almost certain to acquire the teenager's signature, a new claim has emerged that suggests there could have been a late twist in the saga.

Did Leeds bid for teenager?

According to Football Insider, Leeds "attempted to hijack" Villa's move for the Celtic teenager at the eleventh hour, when talks were already thought to be at an "advanced stage".

The Whites' efforts to steal Borland from under the nose of their Premier League rivals ultimately failed, however, and he will join Villa instead, "following in the footsteps of Rangers youth star Rory Wilson who joined Villa last summer".

While it is a shame that Leeds missed out on a late move for the Scot, it is encouraging to see them making bold efforts to sign emerging British talent. While bringing in established foreign players for big fees is always something that excites supporters, it is also imperative that the club plans for the long-term future and ensures there is a talented homegrown nucleus both in the first-team squad and coming through in the youth team.

Borland could have ticked that box, but Villa have instead snapped him up and could have a big talent on their hands, assuming he reaches the potential Celtic believe he has. The Scottish Premiership giants attempted to keep him at the club moving forward, but ultimately, the lure of the Premier League has proven to be much to turn down, given its reputation as arguably the best and most entertaining league in the world currently.

Manchester City have made an out-of-window £10.5m proposal for Hadjuk Split centre-back Luka Vuskovic, according to a report from The Athletic.

The Lowdown: City eyeing centre-back

Man City are running the rule over a number of potential centre-back signings in the summer transfer window, despite the fact Pep Guardiola already has the likes of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake to choose from.

Josko Gvardiol is believed to be a major target for the Sky Blues, with the club recently sending officials to ‘remain in the loop’ regarding the RB Leipzig defender’s availability, while 21-year-old Micky Van de Ven has also emerged as a potential signing.

GiveMeSport have recently reported that Aymeric Laporte could be allowed to exit the Etihad Stadium in the summer window, which could accelerate plans to bring in another option at the heart of defence.

The Latest: Offer made for Vuskovic

As per a report from The Athletic, City have made a proposal for Vuskovic in recent days, which is believed to be worth an initial €10m, plus an additional €2m in potential add-ons which comes to £10.5m in total.

It is not detailed exactly who is interested in the 16-year-old, but the report claims there is fierce competition for his signature, and the Sky Blues have become the first team to formalise their interest with a serious offer.

The starlet has recently teamed up with prominent agent Pina Zahavi, and is yet to be revealed whether they will push for a move, with the offer itself yet to be either accepted or rejected.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Given the Croatian youngster’s age, he is very unlikely to come in and start challenging for a starting place anytime soon, but he appears to be a top talent for the future if his performances for the Hadjuk Split youth team this season are anything to go by.

The 6 foot 3 defender has made a total of 13 league appearances at youth level this season, and he has displayed his threat in the attacking third of the pitch to great effect, scoring six goals.

These performances have led to opportunities in the first team in recent weeks, starting the last four matches for Hadjuk Split’s first team, a phenomenal achievement for such a young player.

Football scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Vuskovic, describing him as a ‘truly amazing’ youngster who is ‘destined for great things’, so he could be an excellent addition for Guardiola, no doubt capable of one day establishing himself in the first-team.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side extended their unbeaten run to three matches in the Premier League as they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United on Sunday.

The Villans remain 11th in the table and are now eight points clear of 12th place and 11 points ahead of the bottom three, which leaves them in a comfortable position heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

Villa took the lead in the first half as Alex Moreno’s terrific delivery from the left flank was met by the head of Ollie Watkins, whose header bounced into the far corner.

However, the advantage did not last for long as Lucas Paqueta was clumsily brought down by winger Leon Bailey in the box, which allowed Said Benrahma to brilliantly fire past Emi Martinez from the penalty spot.

Whilst Watkins may grab the headlines for his sixth goal in seven matches, central midfielder John McGinn deserves plenty of praise for his performance in the middle of the park.

How did John McGinn perform against West Ham?

The Scotland international was Emery’s unsung hero on the day as the midfielder put in a fantastic display and deserved to be part of a winning team.

Defensively, the captain was almost faultless throughout the match. As per Sofascore, the gem won a whopping six of his seven (86%) individual duels – including all six of his battles on the ground – and made two clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle.

These statistics show that the enforcer was a monster in the centre of the pitch as he consistently won his duels and was able to use his physicality to either prevent West Ham from doing what they wanted to do or to win the ball back for his side.

In possession, McGinn was energetic and reliable with the ball at his feet. As per Sofascore, the Scotsman – who had 67 touches – completed 83% of his attempted passes and all three of his dribble attempts, whilst also completing four of his six long passes.

This shows that the Scot was composed and effective in everything that he tried to do throughout the match, which made him a useful outlet for the team with the ball.

Couple this with his outstanding defensive work and that is why McGinn was the unsung hero for Emery’s side on the day. Indeed, the midfielder put in a complete performance.