Tag Futebol

Aston Villa are on the path towards an exciting time ahead with Unai Emery at the helm on his Premier League return.

When the club hired the Spaniard in November, not many would have dreamed how the season could end, with Villa still in contention for a top-six finish and European football next campaign.

The four-time Europa League-winning coach has installed a new sense of belief in the squad, taking players to the next level and placing the club in a positive direction.

While things are ticking at Villa Park this season, the Spaniard has been linked with a number of players that could improve his squad in terms of depth and in signing future stars.

Earlier this week, the Villans were linked with a potential double swoop for a Serie A pair, in a move that could have a positive influence on Villa’s hopes to compete at this level again next season.

What’s the latest on Denzel Dumfries to Aston Villa?

As reported by InterLive – via SportWitness – Villa are planning a €55m (£48m) offer to sign Inter Milan duo Marcelo Brozovic and Denzel Dumfries.

Both players have been linked with a move away from Inter this summer, with InterLive’s report claiming that Mateu Alemany – who had been set to join Villa until a change of heart – could be the key influence in any move.

However, since revelations regarding Alemany's own future, there has been no update on whether Dumfries remains a target.

What could Denzel Dumfries bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Alan Rzepa on Twitter, the right-back is one of the top performing in his position in Europe over the past year as per FBref.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in his position for his rate of aerials won, with 1.97 per 90.

The most dominating attribute the Dutchman offers is his ability to get forward, which is a key strength for a full-back when entering the Premier League.

Having caught the eye for his pace and directness, the £55k-per-week defender is a threat in attack on the flanks.

Such a claim is supported by the £35m-rated full-back's numbers which rank him in the top 1% of those in his position in Europe for most touches in the attacking penalty area, averaging a huge 4.01 per 90.

While Ashley Young is a seasoned professional in the Premier League, having made 421 appearances in the league over the years, the 37-year-old is nearing the end of his playing career.

The Stevenage-born right-back has been a key member of Emery’s squad, however, finding depth in his position is vital.

Dumfries could opt as a worthy heir to the Englishman, as a player that is experienced himself having played among Europe’s elite in his career at Inter.

Only time will tell if the Dutchman will reside at Villa Park come the end of summer, however, his talent and suitability to Emery’s squad is an exciting prospect.

Leeds United gambled massively when they dismissed Javi Gracia, as despite the Spaniard bringing an upturn in form upon arriving, they had begun leaking countless goals whilst also losing their characteristic all-action attacking play.

They were a shell of the club that earned them a return to the Premier League, although that is a failure born through years of mismanagement.

In his final five games in charge, they had shipped four goals or more on three separate occasions, failing to win in any of them. However, in handing the reins to Sam Allardyce, their desperation soared to new heights.

The English league stalwart has enjoyed a lengthy career, and to add a club as historic as the Whites to his resume must have been a dream come true. However, it left many questioning whether he had enough time to mastermind such a monumental turnaround that he has become famous for, given that before their loss to Manchester City he had just four league games to play.

With three very tough fixtures now left and points desperately needed, the main thing that the 68-year-old can do is make the players feel comfortable and fit them into a system where they can shine. Also, to progress past Gracia's short and unceremonious tenure, the former Everton boss could at the very least seek to start his best players.

Seeing Wilfried Gnonto waste away on the bench as the club slumps back to the Championship is a travesty, as the Italian will likely be key in any chance they have of avoiding the drop.

How good is Wilfried Gnonto?

Enjoying his debut year in England since his summer move, few could have predicted the influence the 19-year-old would instantly have on the Yorkshire outfit.

The £20k-per-week wizard joined for just £5m but instantly captured the nation's attention with his speed, dynamism and remarkable close control.

However, the fact that he has just 21 appearances in the league this season is baffling, considering this constant danger he provides is backed up by a respectable two goals and four assists. Somehow, the forward has only merited a place on the bench in seven of their last ten league games.

For comparison, as someone seven years his senior and well-versed in the division, Jack Harrison only has five more goal contributions than Gnonto, having played 12 more times.

Given the fear he strikes into any opposition fullback, with pundit Tam McManus branding him a "pocket rocket", his intangible qualities could prove vital in any chance they have against the likes of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

Allardyce must focus on revitalising the 10-cap dynamo now, as it could be the difference between playing Premier League or Championship football next season.

كشف الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” عن رجل مباراة منتخب المغرب والكونغو الديمقراطية، التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الأحد، في منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

والتقى منتخب المغرب مع الكونغو الديمقراطية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من عمر مرحلة المجموعات لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وانتهت مباراة المغرب والكونغو الديمقراطية، بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله، حيث تقدم أسود الأطلسي عن طريق أشرف حكيمي وسجل التعادل لـ الكونغو سيلاس كاتومبا.

طالع.. فيديو | كوتومبا يسجل هدف تعادل الكونغو الديمقراطية أمام المغرب

ووفقاً للحساب الرسمي لـ كاف على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إكس” تويتر سابقاً: “سيلاس كاتومبا مفومبا يفوز بجائزة توتال إنيرجيز لأفضل لاعب في المباراة بعد أداء قوي أمام المغرب”.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة المغرب في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بعد التعادل مع الكونغو الديمقراطية

وتواجد منتخب المغرب مع الكونغو الديمقراطية في المجموعة السادسة بـ كأس أمم إفريقيا مع زامبيا وتنزانيا.

ويتصدر منتخب المغرب ترتيب المجموعة السادسة، برصيد 4 نقاط من فوز أمام تنزانيا وتعادل اليوم مع الكونغو الديمقراطية.

سيلاس مڤومبا يفوز بجائزة توتال إنيرجيز لأفضل لاعب في المباراة بعد أداء قوي أمام المغرب! 🌟#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #أمم_إفريقيا_2023 | #MARRDC | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/S0ErJ3e4Kj

— CAF – عربي (@caf_online_AR) January 21, 2024

Newcastle United have tabled a personal offer to Torino defender Perr Schuurs regarding a move to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Schuurs to Newcastle?

The Telegraph have reported that Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his ranks with several fresh faces this summer and is particularly targeting a new centre-back, with the 23-year-old having been identified as the potential ideal candidate.

The Dutchman still has another three years to run on his contract with Ivan Juric’s outfit, but being his side’s second best-performing defensive player, has made himself the subject of interest at St. James’ Park.

Sky Sports Italia expert Gianluca Di Marzio claimed on Monday that the Magpies were preparing a bid for the 6 foot 3 colossus and it now looks like PIF have already taken their admiration one step further by making an official approach.

According to Tuttosport (via Torino Granata and Sport Witness), Schuurs has “received” an offer from Newcastle but a move to the northeast currently does not “appeal” to him. Torino’s “exorbitant requests” are believed to have put off all other potential suitors, and whilst this hasn’t affected Howe’s side, it’s stated that the proposals their target has received to date are “not enough” to convince him to leave, meaning that his price tag is expected to have increased by the time next summer comes around.

Should Newcastle make a second offer for Schuurs?

Newcastle are clearly serious about signing Schuurs if they’ve gone as far as to make a personal offer, so despite the fact that they have been rejected on this occasion, it would definitely be worth making another approach.

The £30k-per-week “mountain”, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, is currently averaging 3.3 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per league game, via WhoScored, whilst recording 18 tackles won from 39 players challenged this season which is the third-highest success rate in his squad.

The Champions and Europa League participant is also capable of being a threat when it comes to getting on the end of set pieces – registering 37 goal contributions (21 goals and 16 assists) in 221 career appearances before Torino's match against Lazio on Saturday. Indeed, this ability to make a positive impact at both ends of the pitch will make him even more of an attractive prospect to Howe.

Finally, Schuurs will know what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won six trophies during his previous spell at Ajax so would therefore match the winning mentality of the current squad already at St. James' Park.

Aston Villa look destined for a spot in Europe next season as they continue to fly high under Unai Emery, with the Spanish manager completely turning the Villans' fortunes around during his time at Villa Park.

The form of Ollie Watkins has been widely discussed as a major factor in Villa's superb recent form, which has seen them win seven of their last eight in the Premier League, with impressive victories over Chelsea and Newcastle United in that time.

The former Brentford man has crashed in seven goals and two assists in the eight-game unbeaten run but he has not been the only player to be completely transformed under Emery, as Jacob Ramsey could also be eyeing a call-up to the England squad given his incredible recent form.

How has Ramsey performed under Emery at Aston Villa?

Ahead of the Spaniard's arrival at Villa Park in October, Ramsey had failed to live up to the promise he showed last season, notching just one goal and one assist in the Premier League.

Speaking on The Villa View podcast, European football broadcaster and Sky Sports contributor Kevin Hatchard said:

"I felt, towards the end of Gerrard's reign – Ramsey was caged. He was part of this really solid midfield unit that was just shunned from side to side.

"He couldn't do anything – he couldn't break forward, he couldn't affect the game. Now, he has not only the freedom to affect the game, but a demand on him to affect the game because Unai Emery knows he's so good."

However, a goal and an assist in Villa's 3-1 win against Manchester United, which was Emery's first game in charge, was perhaps a marker of what was to come for the 21-year-old academy graduate.

The midfielder followed that up with an assist in the League Cup defeat against United a few days later before a barren run of goal contributions, but he has been vital to the team's unbeaten run recently, with two goals and three assists in his last five appearances.

This has seen his average rating from WhoScored shoot up to a solid 6.83/10, which sees him ranked as the fifth-best performer in Emery's squad so far this campaign.

Despite being just 21, the "special talent" – as dubbed by writer Sam Tabuteau – ranks third for key passes and fourth for dribbles per game, which emphasises just how effective he can be from the middle of the park, and Emery certainly seems to know how to get the best out of him.

Ramsey has a huge amount of potential and if he continues his current form at Villa, then the Midlands club will only go from strength to strength next season.

Dan Cook has urged Crystal Palace and Steve Parish to not bring back Roy Hodgson.

The Lowdown: Palace still searching for a Vieira replacement

Crystal Palace will have been hoping for a sort of bounce when they sacked Patrick Vieira and put Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge against Arsenal, however, the complete opposite happened as they shipped more than two goals in a game for the first time since the start of January.

Following the shock decision to sack Vieira, reports started to emerge about a sensational return for former manager and now retiree Roy Hodgson, who is said to be open about taking charge until the end of the season.

However, given that Vieira was appointed as this young and forward-thinking coach as well as being allowed to overhaul the squad by losing veteran players and bringing in more youthful talents he could help develop, going back to Hodgson is a bizarre move.

The Latest: Parish must avoid managerial mishap

Following the defeat against Arsenal and talk of Hodgson returning to Palace, Cook has urged Parish to not return to the veteran manager while speaking on the HLTCO podcast.

He said: (3:15) “In this particular instance, I’m going to nail my colours to the mast, I don’t see what bringing Roy Hodgson back to this football club achieves in the short term or the long term.

“I understand that maybe the Patrick Vieira experiment and the dynamic behind the scenes had shifted dramatically post-the decision to relieve Shaun Derry of his duties as one of his coaching staff.

“But, if the upshot of a break in the relationship between the ownership and Patrick Vieira is to get rid of him and bring Roy Hodgson back to the football club, then I just don’t see what purpose it serves, I can’t understand the decision making.”

The Verdict: Hodgson is not the answer for Palace

Bringing in Hodgson could be a panic appointment from Parish and the Palace board, the logic would be sound as he’s been there and done it at Selhurst Park managing to keep the Eagles in the top flight during his previous tenure.

However, given his age and the fact he willingly retired in 2022 should suggest that going back to the Englishman would be a poor decision and only show Palace to be going one way and that’s backwards.

Palace looked to be moving in the right direction by signing young exciting players such as Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, but calling a manager out of retirement just for short-term gain would signal that parish may well have lost vision of what he wants the Eagles to be like as a club.

Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Tottenham Hotspur would have won their Champions League tie if they had James Maddison in their team.

The Lowdown: Spurs need wholesale changes

Spurs have now scored just four goals in their last six matches, drawing blanks in four of those games – and it all seems to be getting too much for some Tottenham fans.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Conte has a very strong chance of leaving Spurs come the end of the season, but if these poor performances and results persist, Daniel Levy may be forced into an earlier change.

Given Tottenham’s struggles in the final third, they clearly need help to create chances for players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, which is where Premier League regular Maddison could soon come into the equation.

The Latest: Maddison could change Tottenham

After seeing Spurs register two shots on target against AC Milan, Agbonlahor touted Maddison – who’s been linked with Tottenham in the past – as someone who could’ve helped them win the game against the Italian champions.

He said: “You look at Spurs and Son’s playing within himself, Kulusevski comes inside all the time, they’re missing another winger who can get at a player, and, badly missing a number 10.

“Put Maddison in that team last night, they probably win the game.”

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The Verdict: Tottenham could go big in the summer

If Spurs were to try and land someone of Maddison’s ability, they may have to shell out ‘over £100m’ on the attacking midfielder according to Graeme Souness, but that price tag could well be justified if he was to hit the ground running at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Maddison has been able to register 47 goal involvements in the Premier League alone, so he’s starting to show consistency and a level of maturity that suggests he could be a gamechanger.

It’s not just on the pitch where Maddison could help Spurs, but his infectious and ‘cheeky chappy’ personality could be what Tottenham need to get some life and creativity into the team, as it appears to have been sucked out of them under Conte.

Manchester United are thought to be very interested in signing Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund.

The Lowdown: Hojlund profiled

Hojlund is just 20 years of age and is an out-and-out left-footed centre-forward. He made the move to Atalanta over the summer and has contributed to nine goals in 21 games.

The Danish forward has impressed, though, with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini already saying he has ‘very similar characteristics’ to Erling Haaland and ‘remarkable’ technical quality.

Reporter Sacha Pisani has also labelled Hojlund as ‘scary quick’, and it looks as if those at Old Trafford have joined the race for his services.

The Latest: United interest

Sports Witness relayed a report from Tipsbladet regarding Hojlund in the last 48 hours.

They said that the Red Devils have joined Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli and Real Madrid in the race for his services, with Erik ten Hag on the search for a new striker in the summer.

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The Verdict: Smart move?

A new attacking addition appears to be needed at Old Trafford, with Anthony Martial suffering a number of injury issues in recent months. Meanwhile, Wout Wegorst is only on loan until the summer with no option to make a transfer permanent.

Therefore, signing someone like Hojlund, who has been linked with a number of European giants already, could be a smart move both in the short and long run.

He seems to have an extremely bright future ahead of him, and if he is anything like Haaland in years to come, you’d expect he could impress in the Premier League, potentially at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa have been in excellent form in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s side returned from the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Villans have won three of their six matches in the division since coming back to action in December – beating Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, and Southampton, whilst also drawing with Wolves.

One player who returned to the club high on confidence after the winter competition was goalkeeper Emi Martinez as the former Arsenal man came back to Villa Park with a World Cup medal.

The 30-year-old won the tournament with Argentina and played a significant role in his country’s success by saving a penalty in the shootout win over France in the final.

He has also caught the eye with his performances in the Premier League this season as the ‘keeper has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 across 19 appearances – placing him fifth in the squad – and kept four cleans sheets in total.

In December, The Sun reported that noises had been coming out from the shot-stopper’s camp about interest from a number of other clubs and Bayern Munich were named as one of the teams who could have made a move for him, although they have since signed Yann Sommer.

Martinez, who journalist Callum Altimas once hailed as a “mad man”, could be a player the club may need to replace in one of the upcoming transfer windows if that interest from the unnamed teams becomes serious and tempts him into wanting to depart from Villa Park.

If the £120k-per-week titan does depart, whether that is this summer or in a future window, then Villa could already have his heir at the club in the form of U21 goalkeeper Oliwier Zych.

The 18-year-old colossus, who stands at 6 foot 3, has already played 16 times for the 21s after racking up 20 appearances – keeping five clean sheets – for the U18s.

This season, the teenager has kept two clean sheets and conceded just two goals in three Premier League 2 outings and has earned himself a place in Poland’s U19 set-up.

Zych had already been called up at U14, U15, U16, and U18 level by his country prior to the current campaign but is now the number-one choice for the 19s – starting and captaining Poland in a clash with the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Martinez is reportedly viewed as one of the leaders in the Villa squad and has donned the armband at times this season and this suggests that the club would lose one of the big voices on the pitch and in the dressing room with his departure.

Therefore, Zych being the captain of his country’s youth side is a big plus in his favour as it indicates that the gem has the potential to take on the leadership responsibilities that the current first-team number one has.

That, along with the 18-year-old’s form for the youth side this campaign and his experience with the youth sides, is why the Polish stopper could be the long-term heir to Martinez’s position if Emery can unearth his talent in the years to come.

Journalist James Copley doesn’t believe Sunderland will be bringing in a free-agent striker anytime soon.

The Lowdown: Sunderland light at striker

Sunderland only managed to bring in youngster Joe Gelhardt on loan during the January transfer window to address their striker woes, having lost Ellis Simms to Everton and Ross Stewart going down with a season-ending injury.

That could well prove to be a costly decision, especially given the Black Cats are just two points outside the play-offs as things stand, so they have a great chance of securing back-to-back promotions.

Copley took to Twitter on deadline day to vent his disappointment over the club’s lack of ability or willingness to recruit another striker before the transfer window slammed shut and he certainly doesn’t expect them to move in the free agency market.

The Latest: Free agents not likely to arrive

Despite Sunderland’s lack of options at striker, Copley admitted on The Roar podcast that he isn’t thrilled by the options on the free-agent market, and therefore can’t see any of them joining the Black Cats.

He said: “After the deadline, you sort of look at the free-agent market and you start trawling lists of players: Mexicans, and 32-year-old Germans, and Russians and all that sort of stuff.

“From what we know about the club and how they operate, I can’t see that as a market they would explore.”

The Verdict: Mowbray been left very short

Tony Mowbray is very unlikely to be pleased with how the club have handled the striker situation as he’s lost his top scorer to a long-term injury and hasn’t been able to replace him.

While bringing in Gelhardt was something of a coup for Sunderland given his pedigree and talent – he has already registered nine goal involvements for Leeds United – the 20-year-old now has a heap of pressure to hit the ground running.

Even if Gelhardt does that this weekend against Millwall, he then has to keep that up until the end of the season, and considering he’s never started more than five games in a league campaign before, he could very easily burn out in a few months’ time.