Marc Guehi has reportedly made it to clear to Crystal Palace that he will not extend his contract at Selhurst Park and instead plans to walk away for free next summer. The England international has been left furious after his dream move to Liverpool fell apart at the final hurdle on deadline day. The centre-back had been lined up for a £35 million switch to Anfield, with medical checks already underway, only for Palace to pull the plug in the dying hours of the window.
Guehi to reject Palace contract extension
Liverpool move collapsed at final stage
Glasner furious over lack of signings
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
Guehi had already agreed personal terms with the Premier League champions, putting pen to paper on a proposed five-year deal, and was even waiting inside Liverpool’s London offices as the deal appeared set to go through. But Palace, under heavy internal pressure from manager Oliver Glasner, abruptly ended the negotiations despite having accepted Liverpool’s bid. The decision left the defender bitterly disappointed and is now unwilling to sign an extension with the Eagles, as revealed by
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Glasner, desperate not to lose his captain without securing a replacement, dug in his heels. Chairman Steve Parish, who had previously admitted that letting star players leave for free was 'far from ideal', eventually sided with his manager. Now, with just one year left on his contract, Guehi will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January, while also keeping alive the possibility of completing his Anfield switch on a free next summer.
DID YOU KNOW?
Palace’s stubborn stance is not new. The club had previously snubbed bids from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, each worth in excess of £65 million ($87m), in the past two transfer windows. By refusing those lucrative offers and then pulling the plug on Liverpool’s £35m ($47m) deal, Palace have effectively gambled on keeping Guehi for another season, but now risk losing him for nothing.
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT FOR PALACE?
For Glasner, the Guehi saga is the latest in a series of frustrations. The 51-year-old has repeatedly clashed with the board over their sluggish transfer activity, warning that his squad is too thin to compete both in the Premier League and the UEFA Conference League.
Glasner wanted fresh reinforcements, particularly at centre-back, but Palace’s recruitment drive failed spectacularly. Igor Julio, heavily linked with a switch from Brighton, instead moved to West Ham on deadline day. Efforts to lure Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon and Yann Bisseck from Inter also collapsed. Those failures left Glasner furious, as he had expected at least one high-profile defensive arrival to soften the blow of Guehi’s departure.
Chelsea’s 3-2 win away to Luton Town highlighted that Mauricio Pochettino still has plenty of work to do.
Despite picking up three points, the Blues are still tenth in the Premier League after 20 matches.
Chelsea have missed the most big chances in the league (40), and with that in mind, the boss will look to add a new striker to his squad in January.
Chelsea transfers latest – Artem Dovbyk
According to The Sun, Chelsea are interested in signing Artem Dovbyk of Girona for a fee of around £39m, who has been described as a “lovely” striker by football creator Zach Lowy.
The Ukrainian forward is good friends with Mudryk, and he has the same agent as the current Chelsea winger. potentially meaning a deal could be easier to conclude.
With Armando Broja’s exit potentially in the pipeline, Pochettino has sent scouts to watch the La Liga star, who could make the switch to England in January.
How Dovbyk compares to Alvaro Morata
When Alvaro Morata first joined Chelsea in 2017, it looked as though the Blues had found the perfect replacement for Diego Costa, who left in the summer.
The former Real Madrid youth star scored six goals and registered two assists in his first six Premier League games, yet his goals dried up over time, with a lack of confidence reducing his clinical edge. Indeed, he would leave Stamford Bridge after a campaign where he had found the net just five times.
However, Chelsea could look to sign Morata 2.0 this winter, as according to FBref’s similar player model, Dovbyk and Morata are very alike. The table below displays how the two strikers compare based on statistics from the last year across Europe's top leagues.
Dovbyk vs Morata Stats
Stats (per 90)
Dovbyk
Morata
Goals
0.95
0.73
Assists
0.35
0.10
Passes completed
9.95
13.52
Touches (att pen)
7.44
5.12
Shots total
3.46
3.17
Stats via FBref
As you can see by the stats, both players are traditional centre forwards who focus their game on solely putting the ball in the back of the net, which is what Chelsea are clearly missing this season. They’re the fox-in-the-box type of striker who operates between the goalposts and instinctively finds a way to get on the scoresheet.
The duo are the focal point of their team, who will act as a backboard at times to simply hold up the ball and link up play, with the goal of receiving service inside the box. Their goals per ninety-minute record speaks for itself, with the Ukraine star in the top 2% of all strikers in Europe and Morata in the top 11%. The latter is also clinical, unlike Chelsea’s current attackers, as he has overperformed his xG this campaign.
Alvaro Morata celebrating a goal for Spain.
Furthermore, Pochettino wants to add a more physical centre forward to his side, and the 26-year-old would certainly provide that, as he stands at 6 foot 2, just one-inch shy of Morata. The signing of the Girona forward would provide the boss with an opportunity to deploy a different attacking approach to Nicolas Jackson, and the duo could even play alongside each other.
Overall, Dovbyk’s influence at Girona this season has been immense, netting 11 goals and creating four in 17 appearances, and it is difficult to find a striker with similar numbers going for £39m. It is easy to see why Pochettino admires him, and the move would be smart considering Chelsea’s recent heavy-spending strategy that has yet to be a success.
Seamer grabs three quick wickets on lively deck before Hampshire rally around allrounder
Matt Roller at the Ageas Bowl16-Sep-2019Somerset 30 for 2 trail Hampshire 196 (Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63) by 173 runsOnly twice this decade has a bowler ended a season with more than 50 Championship wickets at an average below 15, but after running through Hampshire’s top order at the Ageas Bowl, Lewis Gregory has a fighting chance to put his name alongside Graham Onions and Morne Morkel in doing so.Gregory’s opening burst accounted for Felix Organ, Sam Northeast and James Vince within the first 40 minutes of play, and with new-ball partner Josh Davey and the returning Craig Overton picking up a wicket apiece, Hampshire were reeling at 24 for 5.They soon fought back, primarily thanks to Liam Dawson’s first Championship hundred in three years, but after bad light interrupted the final session, Somerset reached the close two down with the expectation of bright sunshine tomorrow.A few years ago, it seemed that Gregory might never quite manage to fulfil his obvious promise. A former England under-19 captain, he had been a semi-regular wicket-taker in the Championship and an occasional contributor with the bat in white-ball cricket, but he had not quite kicked on in the way his club had once hoped, and back injuries were a constant source of irritation.Fast forward to the present day, and he is perhaps the best English player on the circuit yet to win an international cap. In T20, he is a brilliant finisher, and attracted interest from Rajasthan Royals before last year’s IPL auction, while in the Championship he is a precision engineer in his control of line and length.Here, he was nagging and accurate, nipping the ball both ways off the seam. He struck with the third ball of the day, as Organ fended to slip, before removing Northeast – brilliantly caught in the gully by Roelof van der Merwe – and clean bowling Vince with a sharp inswinger.”I’ve had a lot of issues physically which have held me back a little bit,” Gregory said. “Someone asked me earlier in the year what the difference has been [this season], and I think it’s purely been that.”The skill has always been there, it’s just being able to back that up, spell after spell. After a couple of operations it seems like I’m able to do that, so fingers crossed that continues.”Every man, woman and child in Somerset has underlined, circled and highlighted next week’s apparent title decider against Essex in their respective diaries, but a win here and a Surrey victory at Chelmsford could feasibly be enough to seal the pennant with a game to go.And at the stage of the season when every bonus point counts, Somerset had one within half an hour of the first morning of their penultimate game. On a pitch with a healthy covering of grass – Nigel Gray’s final home surface as Hampshire’s groundsman – both sides surprisingly wanted to bat, though Vince must have instantly regretted his decision.In the game between these sides here last summer, 34 wickets fell in five sessions as the final nail was hammered into the coffin that contained Somerset’s title hopes by teatime on the second day; after the early flurry of wickets, it seemed a repeat was on the cards.But during a vital stand of 92 between Dawson and Keith Barker, who made a doughty 40, batting suddenly began to look easy.”I think the ball got a little softer,” suggested Gregory. “It was hard to keep the ball in good condition. There was a little bit in the surface with a hard seam, and it seemed to nip around a little bit, so fingers crossed we can play well first thing in the morning, and with the sunshine out we can make hay.”Dawson has had an unusual summer, with a two-month stint carrying the drinks as part of England’s World Cup squad punctuating an otherwise unremarkable campaign, and he had off-field distractions to contend with in the form of lucrative contract offers from both Surrey and Warwickshire.Instead, he signed a new three-year deal at Hampshire, and was the only man to look comfortable against Somerset’s persistent attack. He seized on width well, playing the ball late under his eyes, and brought up his hundred with an elegant straight drive through mid-on.It would have been a source of immense frustration that he was dismissed in such tame fashion, flashing at a back-of-a-length ball from Tom Abell with minimal foot movement, but if this wicket proves to be low-scoring, his 103 runs may prove to be worth plenty more.”It is one of the quickest pitches I’ve played on here in the last couple of years,” said Dawson. “There is more bounce and zip than usual. When it is doing something, it is doing it quicker.”***Rilee Rossouw has played his final game of red-ball cricket for Hampshire. The South African batsman hinted at the start of the season that he was unlikely to extend his deal beyond this season, and will only play T20 for the club next year. It is as yet unclear as to whether he will attempt to resume his international career.Meanwhile, Tim Groenewald is set to leave Somerset after five-and-a-half years at the club. His contract expires at the end of the season, and it is expected that Kent will announce him as a new signing in the coming weeks.
ICC make a change for Old Trafford with Kumar Dharmasena to stand on-field alongside Marais Erasmas instead of Ruchira Palliyaguruge
Alex Malcolm02-Sep-2019In a late change, the ICC has tweaked the duties of the officials for the fourth Ashes Test, swapping the Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Dharmasena and Ruchira Palliyaguruge around. This means Dharmasena will partner South African Marais Erasmus in the middle at Old Trafford, as well as in the final Test at The Oval, while Palliyaguruge, originally listed as one of the on-field umpires, will be the TV umpire for the final two Tests of the series.As per the original appointments, Dharmasena, who had paired with Erasmus in the eventful men’s World Cup final at Lord’s in July, was scheduled to be the TV umpire for the Old Trafford Test.ESPNcricnfo understands that Palliyaguruge, who is on the ICC’s International Panel, was always scheduled to be the TV umpire for the final Test of the Ashes, starting September 16. But his duties at Old Trafford were changed because the ICC wanted two Elite Panel umpires officiating on the field in the final two Tests of the marquee series, which is locked 1-1.Although the ICC did not make the reasons behind the changes public, it isn’t a secret that the standard of umpiring in the first three Tests has been iffy, with Joel Wilson, Chris Gaffaney and Aleem Dar all making a number of errors.Australia’s equally poor reviewing was also exposed when Wilson incorrectly judged Ben Stokes not out in an lbw decision off Nathan Lyon during the penultimate over of the Headingley Test.Incidentally, Trinidadian Wilson was one of the two umpires (along with England’s Michael Gough) elevated by the ICC in July to the Elite Panel after the annual review done by a panel comprising Geoff Allardice (ICC general manager – cricket), the match referees’ pairing of Ranjan Madugalle and David Boon, and Sanjay Manjrekar (commentator, former India batsman).Dharmasena and Erasmus, too, were in the spotlight during the men’s World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s when England were incorrectly awarded six runs instead of five in an overthrow incident in the final over of the match. England went on to win the final.Dharmasena subsequently admitted the error but said he would never regret the decision. He was also involved in an incident with Jason Roy in the semi-final between England and Australia when he incorrectly gave Roy out caught behind.
Tottenham Hotspur need only a point to secure Champions League football next season as they head to Carrow Road to face an already relegated Norwich City on the Premier League’s final day.
There are doubts over Harry Kane’s availability after the England talisman was struck down with illness towards the end of the week, whilst the likes of Cristian Romero, Oliver Skipp and Sergio Reguilon are all still on the treatment table.
Antonio Conte will have plenty to ponder heading into kickoff, knowing that a draw will seal a place in the top four – something that seemed impossible to achieve when he took over from Nuno Santo in November.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]
An emphatic win against arch-rivals Arsenal, followed up by a win at home to Burnley last weekend has put the north Londoners in pole position but nothing is guaranteed, especially on the last day.
As such, the Italian head coach must still name his strongest lineup to ensure they go out with a bang and with that in mind, Emerson Royal’s place is surely in question as the Brazilian has struggled for consistency all season.
After signing from FC Barcelona in a £26m deal in the summer, the 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential, especially in recent outings – three straight WhoScored ratings of 7.05 or better certainly suggest that to be the case.
However, he has struggled to maintain that to a consistent level and in part, that could be down to injury. He was withdrawn early as a precaution against the Clarets, so we may well see that level of form drop below the current trend.
As an attacking wing-back, he has failed to deliver in the final third, managing only one goal, one assist and 0.9 key passes per game across 30 appearances in the Premier League, via WhoScored.
Emerson had been so poor that Conte was desperate to bolster his squad with a new left wing-back, targeting Adama Traore before he opted for the aforementioned LaLiga giants.
Earlier in the season, former Lilywhites defender Jonathan Woodgate dubbed the Brazilian’s defending as “horrendous”, whilst fans have often slammed him as being a “liability,” so you can’t just shake that off after a couple of decent performances.
Valued at £34m by CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, it could be wise for Conte to axe him for such a crucial encounter.
A ruthless decision perhaps but ensuring they do not concede will go a long way in securing the solitary point they need for a place in Europe’s elite competition in 2022/23.
AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals huge injury boost ahead of Norwich…
Aaron Ramsdale has been told that he has a big decision to make over his future by either as he remains the second choice goalkeeper at Arsenal.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Ramsdale advised to make 'huge call' over future
Arsenal signed David Raya permanently this summer
Englishman could be sold for the right price
WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has told Ramsdale that he will need to decide this summer whether he stays at the Emirates or leaves to fight for his England future. Ramsdale is expected to be a backup under Arteta once again this season, after Arsenal permanently signed David Raya this summer.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ramsdale started last season as Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper but was quickly dropped once Raya joined on loan from Brentford. Ramsdale went on to make just two more Premier League appearances after Raya's arrival, both against Brentford because the Spaniard was ineligible to play. Ramsdale has also failed to displace Jordan Pickford as England's starting shot stopper, playing backup to the Everton man at Euro 2024 this summer.
WHAT PARLOUR SAID
Parlour told : "It's gonna be difficult for Aaron, because he's in that England squad and really wants to get an opportunity. He wants to play football, he's had that taste of playing week in, week out for Arsenal. I think it's at that time where you've got to make big decisions as a manager.
"The [Raya] deal was done, and it's not a bad deal really, £25m for a goalkeeper. But Aaron has now got to make a big decision about what he does, whether he sticks around and waits for his opportunity again or whether he says, 'Look, my time's up at Arsenal, but I'm gonna prove people wrong, prove Arteta wrong and start playing No1 for England.' So that's all he can do really – I think he will move on, because his appetite is to play every week.
"It'll be sad to see him go, but you've got think for yourself sometimes for your own career. And if it's going nowhere and you miss two years of it, you'll regret it in the end. So I think Aaron's got to make a big decision with his family and the club. Whatever club he goes to, I'm sure they're gonna get a top-class goalkeeper."
(C)Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR RAMSDALE?
Currently, there does not seem to be any obvious transfer on the horizon for Ramsdale, with links to teams such as Chelsea and Newcastle having cooled in recent months. Arsenal are also hoping to recoup the £24 million ($31m) they spent on the ex-Sheffield United goalkeeper – an amount which no team appears to be willing to spend – meaning Ramsdale could begin the new season at Arsenal behind Raya in the pecking order.
Players’ body to comprise only ex-cricketers – both men and women
Nagraj Gollapudi23-Jul-2019In a significant first, the BCCI has approved and recognised the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), the official players’ body for former cricketers. Currently, the ICA is not affiliated to Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA), and will be restricted to only former players – both men and women – unlike player associations in other major international countries, which include current players too.According to BCCI, the ICA, which was registered and incorporated as a non-profit company on July 5 is “aimed” at “conserving and advancing the welfare” of former players. “The Indian Cricketers’ Association (the “ICA”), a non-profit company…has been granted recognition by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (“BCCI”) as the official association for ex-cricketers in India,” the BCCI said in a notice, put on its website, on Tuesday.Currently the ICA has three initial directors: former India captain Kapil Dev, former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar and former India women’s captain Shanta Rangaswamy. It is understood these three will hold the position until the ICA conducts its executive elections, expected to take place before the BCCI elections, which are scheduled for October 22.India and Pakistan are the only major countries to not have had a recognised players’ body. As for India, the BCCI has never wanted to have a third party like a player body become the bridge for negotiations with the cricketers. Instead, it has always reached out to the players directly.The BCCI – and even the state associations – have been not just against players’ associations, but also predominantly not backed players moving on to become administrators. The Lodha Committee took notice of this fact and came up with the recommendation of forming a players’ body for the ex-cricketers. That recommendation is now part of the BCCI’s new constitution that came into being last August after the Supreme Court mandated the Lodha recommendations.As per constitution, one male and one female ICA representative will be part of the BCCI’s nine-member Apex Council while one other ICA representative will be the part of the seven-member IPL Governing Council.According to the Lodha Committee report, the ICA cannot be or act as a trade union and its purpose is to represent the interests of the players and look after their welfare. While the ICA will primarily be concerned with the welfare of retired players, it is understood it can also facilitate the interests of the current players. Since the ICA representatives will be part of the BCCI’s powerful decision-making bodies, they can also voice views over the governance and the player-related activities that concern active cricketers. The ICA could have a say on issues such as day-night Test cricket, workload management, player security.As for differently-abled cricketers, while in principle they are eligible to be part of ICA, it is understood the they will be admitted to membership once to BCCI recognises their cricket.Who can become an ICA member?
Ex-cricketers who have played at least one international match in any format at the senior level
Male ex-cricketers, who have played at least 10 first-class matches* in any format of the game at the senior level
Female ex-cricketers, who have played at least 5 first-class matches in any format of the game at the senior level
Differently-abled ex-cricketers, who have played either international cricket or first-class cricket, where such cricket is recognised as such by the ICC or the BCCI and is organised by the BCCI or a body recognised by the ICC or the BCCI, in any format of the game at the senior level.
* = Every three senior 50-over matches recognised which form part of any BCCI-organised inter-state or inter-zonal tournament(s); and every five senior Twenty20 matches which form part of any BCCI-organised inter-state or inter-zonal tournament(s) shall also be classified as one ‘First-class match’.
The teenager is one of the brightest talents in the sport, and she'll get the chance to prove it for the U.S. it this summer in Paris
Jaedyn Shaw is special, and it doesn't take particularly long to figure that out.
Within the first few moments of watching her, you know. Her friends knew at a young age when they nicknamed her "Jaemar" as a comparison to a certain Brazilian. Her coaches with both San Diego and the USWNT knew instantly. And now everyone in American soccer knows it, too.
We haven't seen many players like her.
The rest of the world, though, is due an introduction. The 19-year old is ready for her first big moment on the big stage. Hey world, meet Jaedyn!
Her introduction starts this week at the Summer Olympics, her first major tournament. It's been just a few months since she earned her USWNT debut and, in those months, she's made herself undeniable. Superstars were left out of the U.S. squad to accommodate Shaw, and that's not because she's a player who can help down the line. No, the teenager is expected to help right now.
Shaw is both the USWNT's present and future, and the rest of the world is about to find that out.
Getty Images
Shaw's breakthrough
We've seen a lot of superstars break out with the USWNT. No program has produced more in the women's game. Legends have walked through this program, and many, like Shaw, got their start at a young age.
What Shaw has done, though, is unprecedented. Shaw received her first USWNT call-up in September but didn't earn her first cap until October. She scored her first goal in her second appearance, a 3-0 win over Colombia. As it turns out, that was just the start.
Heading into the Olympics, Shaw has seven goals in just 16 USWNT appearances. Four of those goals came at the Gold Cup, where she earned the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. All of that talent on the field and Shaw was the best of the bunch – that tells you all you need to know.
"I knew that I really wanted to be on this team, and that I was going to do whatever I could off the field, on the field to get to this point," Shaw told Morning Footy. "Once I just put the jersey on, it's almost like a superhero putting on their cape. It's a different feeling."
By the time the Olympics rolled around, the question was no longer "Can the U.S. afford to bring Shaw to Paris?" In the months since her debut, it had morphed into a new one: can the U.S. afford not to?
Ultimately, the answer was clear: she's crucial for the U.S., and as a result, Shaw is the youngest member of the 18-player squad selected by head coach Emma Hayes. There was no doubt, either. Shaw has arrived, and she's here to stay.
Advertisement
Getty
Dazzling teammates
Lindsey Horan was warned about Shaw. Friends who had played with her or against her told the USWNT captain that the teenager was on the rise. They also told her that, when she did arrive, she would make Horan's life substantially lot easier.
"You can see players that you're like, 'Oh, I want to play with her'," Horan told GOAL. "Obviously Jaedyn was in earlier on and she was one of those players where I'd been told by a few people 'You're going to love playing with her, like, you guys are going to knock it around and play a little tiki-taka'. It's just like that sense that I get. I love that when there's a player on the field that gets me and can read what I want, and can play and can combine and do all these things.
"[Shaw] has that special aspect of her game as well. She scores goals. She sees the game, she reads it. She's technical and she's super creative with the ball."
In truth, Shaw has made everyone's life a bit easier. As Horan mentioned, she does so many things well. Despite her inexperience, Shaw is unfazed. She makes the right play and, more often than not, it's the game-changing one. That's what Shaw is, a game-changer – and who wouldn't want to play next to someone like that?
"It's really cool to see her course on this team," Horan said, "because she comes in – maybe doesn't get a chance right away – but now it seems like, I don't know, she's been around for now a year in this first team? It feels like multiple."
Getty
'She's here and she's arrived'
The Twila Kilgore era was short but, if there's one takeaway from it, it'll probably be Shaw's rise.
During her few months as interim coach, Kilgore ushered in a new generation. Players such as Jenna Nighswonger, Mia Fishel Olivia Moultrie and Lily Yohannes got their first taste of USWNT action. So too did Shaw, who impressed Kilgore from the start.
“I think finding your niche in this team and being able to score consistently is quite a feat, especially as you’re being integrated," Kilgore said of Shaw in the spring. "And I would actually say even though she’s here, she’s doing a great job, we’re seeing great things from her and we’re really pleased, I’d say she’s still in the onboarding process. She is still working on all phases of her game."
That was one of the challenges of Kilgore's tenure when it comes to Shaw: balancing the expectations against the results. The more Shaw did, the more the hype built. At some point, all Kilgore could do was acknowledge that Shaw was no longer a prospect; she was a star.
“She’s open to challenges," Kilgore said. "She’s very humble, she’s hardworking, she wants to be better. And while the world is saying, ‘Yeah, she’s here and she’s arrived,’ and I agree she’s doing a great job, be patient because there’s more lot more for her."
Getty
Her role in Paris
Emma Hayes has some big decisions on her hands at the Olympics this summer. Chief among them is what to do with Shaw.
The teenager is capable of starting all over the field, and can be played either centrally or on the wing. Right now, the three attacking spots are likely claimed by Mal Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman. If that's the case, where does that leave Shaw?
Can she claim one of those three spots? Possibly. Hayes is known as a tinkerer and there may be some games in which she opts for the creativity of Shaw instead of, say, the directness of Rodman. With Hayes, nothing is set in stone.
Shaw could also be played centrally as a No. 10, particularly if Rose Lavelle isn't fit. It would certainly add a new layer to the U.S. attack and allow them to swarm the opposition while keeping the team's best attackers on the field.
The most likely option for now, though, is a supersub role. In Shaw, Hayes has a game-changing wild card off the bench, one that can really expose opponents when they have tired legs. Shaw has proven she's a goalscorer and a creator, and that may be just what this team needs off the bench. Those sorts of moments were missing at the World Cup last summer – can Shaw provide them now?
Either way, Hayes has some thinking to do when it comes to maximizing the talent of the USWNT's brightest young star.
Liverpool have been rather active in the transfer market recently. Having secured a January deal for Luis Diaz, the Reds will also be set to welcome Fabio Carvalho to their ranks this summer from Fulham.
While Jurgen Klopp’s side still have the chance to snatch the Premier League title away from Manchester City as well as potentially secure the Champions League, it seems as though the Merseyside club have once again been busy behind the scenes regarding another possible transfer deal.
What’s the news?
According to a recent report from the Sunday Mirror (via TEAMtalk), Liverpool have agreed with Porto a first refusal option to sign midfielder Fabio Vieira.
It’s thought the young Portuguese has a release clause amounting to €15m (£12.7m) as the Reds close in on a potential swoop.
[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]
The next Mesut Ozil
As a product of Porto’s academy, the 21-year-old has made a total of 117 appearances for the club’s senior and youth sides.
In those appearances, the youngster has scored 23 goals and delivered 24 assists along the way, highlighting how much of an attacking and creative threat he can be.
With 27 league games under his belt this season, the Portuguese talent has found the net six times and delivered 14 assists, which is more than any other Porto player has managed to provide.
To further highlight how much of a dangerous attacking figure he is, no other player at Porto has managed to equal the number of crosses that Vieira (95) has made throughout this campaign.
He’s also listed in the top 10 for shots per 90 minutes in the Portuguese league.
His overall performances have earned him a season rating of 7.17/10 from WhoScored, making him the sixth-highest player currently in Porto’s squad.
This all shows why the midfielder has been likened to Mesut Ozil by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, who also said that the player has a “left foot made of gold.”
Taking into account how Liverpool have racked up more goal-creating actions (148) in the Premier League this season than any other side in the top flight, potentially adding a young player like Vieira to their ranks could make them an even more dangerous outfit for many years.
Having negotiated with Porto over the sale of Diaz back in January, the Reds should definitely get in contact with the Portuguese club once again this summer to try and get them to relinquish another one of their vibrant attacking talents.
In other news: “He’s gonna leave”: Romano drops Liverpool update that’ll have supporters gutted
Newcastle United are reportedly set to walk away from a deal for Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard, according to reports.
What’s the word?
As per The Telegraph, The Magpies have backed out of talks regarding a move for the Englishman owing to his hefty wage demands, with the club not willing to upset their current wage structure by striking a deal.
The report suggests that the 29-year-old – who is out of contract this summer – has asked for £150k-per-week plus a signing on fee, with that figure believed to be too steep despite the notable wealth of the club’s new owners.
f Gareth Southgate’s 2018 World Cup squad, the Warrington-born gem has more than showcased his talent in recent seasons, with it fair to say he hasn’t been handed a fair crack of the whip at his current side this term.
Despite making an impact off the bench in the early weeks of the campaign, both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have routinely overlooked his talent, with his career at his boyhood club now petering out to a sad end.
It looks as if PIF are continuing to continue that trend of overlooking his quality, with their decision to snub a deal potentially being their first disaster since arriving on Tyneside.
IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than ASM