Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, one year after missing out on the prodigious talent.

What's the latest on Aurelien Tchouameni?

That's according to reports from Spain, who claim that the Reds have already had an opening offer of €60M (£52m) for the 23-year-old rebuked by Los Blancos as they look to fortify their midfield with first-rate new signings.

The Frenchman was integral for Monaco in the 21/22 campaign and left observers awestruck with the level of his displays, earning an £85m transfer to Carlo Ancelotti's outfit despite intense attempts from Jurgen Klopp's side to clinch his services.

Tchouameni's maiden campaign in Madrid has not played out seamlessly, however, and the ace has been restricted to just 24 starts in LaLiga after struggling to quite reach the same imperious heights he forged in his homeland, and Liverpool will be sure to lurk waiting to pounce if an opportunity arises.

Could Liverpool really sign Aurelien Tchouameni?

Liverpool supporters watched with gritted teeth as their hopes of signing Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham slipped away over the past few months, with Real Madrid adding the coveted ace to their jaw-dropping collection of central stars for an agreed initial sum of £88.5m.

The move could play into Liverpool's hands, however, in pushing for a deal for Tchouameni, who might see his playing time impacted further by the arrival, with Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Fede Valverde already occupying midfield roles at the Santiago Bernabeu – not a bad crop.

And despite not quite reaching the desired heights in Spain thus far, the 22-cap gem is a phenomenal talent with a proven pedigree on both the European stage and at international level, where he played an important part in France's World Cup campaign in Qatar, scoring a marvellous goal against England in the quarter-finals and recording an average rating of 7.07 – as per Sofascore – as he started all seven matches, completing 90% of his passes and averaging two interceptions per game.

For such a talented pivot, he could quite easily assume a starring role with Klopp's side and perhaps displace Anfield's holding midfielder Fabinho, who has been a shadow of his former self this season, right at the kernel of the club's midfield problems this season, branded "awful" by Jamie Carragher for his performance – or absence of it – earlier this term as the Reds meekly lost to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

The 29-year-old Brazilian has remained a crisp distributor of the ball but has lost his fiery tenacity this term, ranking among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 18% for passes attempted per 90 but failing to rank among the top 30% for any other metric, as per FBref.

Tchouameni, despite his stop-start first year with Real, ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 22% for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions, the top 8% for clearances and the top 11% for aerials won per 90.

The £209k-per-week Madrista has left the likes of Rio Ferdinand waxing lyrical, with Manchester United legend saying: “Listen Tchouaméni is a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes but he’s a superb talent, he produces moments out of nowhere, incredible player.”

At Real Madrid, Tchouameni is a gem within a gilt-laden box of sparkling stones, but on Merseyside, he could be a jewel to captivate all who observe, standing out as the superlative star for one of the Premier League's most prestigious outfits.

Newcastle United have opened "talks" regarding a contract extension for Joelinton at St. James' Park, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

When is Joelinton out of contract at Newcastle?

The Brazil international first arrived in the Premier League from Hoffenheim back in 2019 and has since gone on to become a regular feature in the northeast, clocking up a total of 157 appearances to date.

The Magpies talisman still has another two years remaining on his contract at St. James’ Park, but having established himself last season in a remarkable personal campaign as Eddie Howe’s overall second best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.24, he’s bound to attract interest during the upcoming window.

PIF and the boss will be pleased to learn that the 26-year-old is yet to have any clubs chasing him as far as public knowledge is concerned, but you can never be too careful as we approach this busy time of year and it sounds like the hierarchy are keen to tie him down before any potential suitors start circling.

Have Newcastle offered Joelinton a new contract?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Newcastle have now entered discussions with Joelinton about the possibility of him putting pen to paper and committing his long-term future to the club. He wrote:

"Excl. News #Joelinton: @NUFC wants to extend his contract beyond 2025 now! Talks have started. Early stage. Result open. After a top season the 26 y/o is about to make his debut with Brazil. Key player."

Newcastle will know that Joelinton was one of their most standout performers last season, and considering the high standard of quality that he displayed, the attacking midfielder being rewarded with improved terms is nothing less than he deserves.

The ROGON client, who earns £85k-per-week, racked up eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in the top-flight during the previous term and ranked in the 97th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 94th percentile for successful take-ons, as per FBRef.

The Alianca native, who offers wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in seven different positions, is also highly regarded among his fellow players and black and white striped supporters having taken home the Player of the Year award in 2021/22, and this love story will only develop even further should he sign on the dotted line in the weeks ahead of us.

علق روي كين أسطورة مانشستر يونايتد على خسارة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي من مانشستر سيتي بثلاثية مقابل هدف، ضمن الجولة 27 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

مانشستر يونايتد رغم التقدم عن طريق ماركوس راشفورد، تلقى ثلاثية في الشوط الثاني أمام مانشستر سيتي، بملعب الاتحاد.

طالع أيضًا.. فودين: الفوز بالديربي هو الأهم ونطمح للتتويج بالدوري الإنجليزي

روي كين في تصريحات عبر شبكة “سكاي سبورت”، واصل هجومه على الفريق، ساخرًا من الإشادات التي تلقاها الشياطين الحمر رغم الخسارة.

وقال: “لقد انخفضت المعايير. نحن تقريبًا نشيد بـ مانشستر يونايتد، أليس كذلك؟ لقد فقد هذا الفريق كل شيء، لقد اعتادوا على هذا الأداء في المباريات الكبيرة والتي تحتاج لمنافسة قوية”.

وأضاف: “نحن الآن نجلس ونقول إنهم قاموا بعمل جيد، وشكل أفضل، لكن في النهاية خسروا 3-1، في مباراة كان أونانا أفضل لاعب في مانشستر يونايتد بتصديه لأهداف أخرى”.

واختتم: “مانشستر يونايتد ظل نصف ساعة خلف الكرة يشاهد كيف ينقل مانشستر سيتي الكرة، ولم يتمكنوا من الحصول عليها”.

Hundreds to David Warner and Travis Head set up a win for Australia in the fifth ODI against Pakistan in Adelaide

The Report by Brydon Coverdale26-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:54

By The Numbers – Australia’s highest ODI partnership

What a way to celebrate Australia Day. David Warner and Travis Head gave the Adelaide Oval crowd special reason to enjoy the national holiday by rewriting the record books and compiling the all-time highest ODI partnership for Australia, a 284-run stand that set up a hefty win over Pakistan in the final match of the series. For a dead rubber, this game had plenty of bounce – at least, while Australia were batting.Their 7 for 369 meant Pakistan would have required the third-highest successful chase in ODI history if they were to emerge with a consolation win; it was simply too big a task, despite a century from Babar Azam and a typically entertaining 79 from Sharjeel Khan. Although Pakistan managed their highest total of the series – 312 – they still suffered a 57-run defeat, and will fly home with a 1-4 ODI series loss to sit alongside their 0-3 result in the Tests.Perhaps the only disappointment for the crowd was that Warner did not turn his 179 into a double-century. It was Warner’s 13th one-day international hundred, but the local spectators equally appreciated the maiden century from Head, the South Australia captain now making his way in the national side. Promoted to open with Warner for the second time in the series – Usman Khawaja was left out of this XI – Head finished with 128 off 137 balls.Further records could have been broken had Warner stuck around a little longer. Although they set a new Australian ODI partnership record – beating the 260-run second-wicket stand between Warner and Steven Smith against Afghanistan in the 2015 World Cup – the all-time ODI opening partnership record eluded them by two runs. That remains the 286-run stand between Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga for Sri Lanka against England in 2006.And Warner fell six runs short of equalling the highest individual ODI score by an Australian, the unbeaten 185 that Shane Watson plundered against Bangladesh in 2011. Towards the end of his 128-ball innings, Warner appeared to be struggling with cramp, and finally fell to a slower short ball from Junaid Khan that was slashed away to point, where Babar took a good catch low to the ground.Remarkably, though Pakistan had gone 41 overs without taking a wicket, they claimed another one only two balls later, when Smith skied his second delivery off Junaid and was well taken by Wahab Riaz, who ran with the flight of the ball from mid-on and jarred his knee while landing. At least those chances stuck for Pakistan – the same cannot be said of much of their fielding on this tour, and fielding coach Steve Rixon might have to go back to square one.David Warner and Travis Head put on an Australian record partnership of 284•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

How different might this result have been had Warner been caught on the first ball of the match, when his edge off a Mohammad Amir outswinger flew through the left hand of Azhar Ali at second slip? Warner was dropped again on 130, when Amir put down a sitter himself. Pakistan did take some catches in the final 10 overs – six of them, in fact – but they had given Australia a head start from which they could not recover.The final 10 overs netted Australia exactly 100 runs, but this innings was set up by the openers. Without once clearing the boundary, Warner sprinted to a half-century from 34 balls – his quickest in ODIs – and then struck his first two sixes in one Mohammad Hafeez over. He continued at a similar tempo while Head played a more watchful innings, and it became a race: would Head reach his half-century before Warner got to a hundred? The answer was no.Such was the disparity in scoring rates that both Warner and Head brought up their milestones from their respective 78th deliveries – that is, Warner’s hundred and Head’s fifty. It was Warner’s fastest ODI century by a distance, for although he has blasted a Test ton in 69 balls, before this match his quickest in ODI cricket was a comparatively languid 92 deliveries. This time, a double-century seemed on offer, and indeed he increased his speed to bring up his 150 from 107 balls.Warner scored his runs all around the wicket – an almost even split of off-side and leg-side scoring. He struck 19 fours and five sixes before his innings finally ended. In the previous over, Head had brought up his first ODI century from his 121st delivery. He was especially strong in front of the wicket and struck nine fours and three sixes, before he skied a catch off Hasan Ali in the 47th over. Hasan would go on to raise a hundred of his own – 2 for 100 from his nine overs.Facing such a chase, Pakistan needed everything to go right. The loss of Azhar – lbw to a Mitchell Starc inswinger in the third over – was a bad start. But Sharjeel and Babar gave Pakistan hope with a 130-run second-wicket stand that frustrated the Australians. Sharjeel continued his upward trend in this series: scores of 18, 29, 50 and 74 were followed this time by 79 from 69 balls, including two sixes, but a top-edged hook off Starc ended his run.Starc was always a danger, and added the wicket of Hafeez, before Shoaib Malik retired hurt on 10 having copped a Pat Cummins short ball on the forearm. Babar completed his fourth ODI hundred but went no further, caught off a leading edge off Josh Hazlewood for 100 from 109 balls. When Umar Akmal fell for a brisk 46, the required run-rate had ballooned to more than 15.The result was wrapped up by the sight of Starc rattling the stumps of Wahab Riaz to finish with 4 for 42. It was a fine effort, but there was no question that Warner had been the dominant force in this match. And now, he rests from next week’s Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand, already with six ODI hundreds for the season. What a way to finish his Southern Hemisphere summer.

A round-up of the matches from the third round of New Zealand’s Ford Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2017A 33-ball partnership of 64 runs for the eighth wicket between Josh Clarkson and Seth Rance led Central Districts to a two-wicket win over Northern Districts after five rain interruptions at Hamilton’s Seddon Park. Central Districts faced a revised target of 200 runs in 33 overs after Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten knock of 93 took Northern Districts to 266 for 6 in their 50 overs.Clarkson struck three fours and three sixes in his 24-ball 48 and was ably supported by Rance, who hit a 19-ball stay of 32. This after some tight bowling from Ish Sodhi and Scott Kuggeleijn – both of whom picked up two wickets each – had Central Districts struggling at 123 for 7. Once Rance fell with Central Districts needing another 13 runs to win, Clarkson took over and finished the match with five balls to spare.Earlier in the day, Mitchell struck seven fours and four sixes in his 93. Dean Brownlie struck 47 and Nick Kelly hit 57 runs, but that proved to be not enough for Northern Districts. The win was Central Districts’ first of the season in three games.Inclement weather in Dunedin and Wellington meant the fixtures between Otago and Canterbury, and Wellington and Auckland respectively were washed out without a ball being bowled.

Newcastle United are believed to be chasing Juventus winger Federico Chiesa after qualifying for the Champions League and now boasting an allure to rival any on the European stage.

What's the latest on Federico Chiesa to Newcastle?

That's according to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), revealing that Aston Villa have now joined the race for the Italy international, who has spent the 22/23 campaign reintegrating into competitive action following a long-term injury.

The report continues to state that the interest of Magpies' sporting director Dan Ashworth for the winger dates prior to that of AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, who is expected to join the ranks at St. James's Park on a €70m (£60m) deal, as per Fabrizio Romano.

While a variety of valuations have entered circulation for the touted star, the Old Lady are believed to have transfer-listed the 25-year-old for €60m (£51m) after financial difficulties resulting in a detrimental ten-point deduction have left the Serie A side scrambling to recuperate what they can.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

Before suffering a horrendous ACL injury in January 2022, Chiesa was riding the crest of a wave and had been instrumental in his nation's triumph in the European Championships the previous summer, earning an average Sofascore rating of 7.05 after scoring two goals, completing 80% of his passes and averaging 2.4 shots per match.

An "exciting" footballer, as per Dean Jones, he has also scored 18 goals and supplied 14 assists across the season-and-a-half before the bitter setback, and while the 41-cap gem has impressed in the closing weeks of the recently-concluded term – registering four direct contributions from his final five league matches – he will be desperate to rekindle his former free-flowing form.

And he could do just that on Tyneside, slotting into a thriving outfit that can offer the Champions League football that has been taken from chastened Juve, and perhaps offer a clean slate from which he can return to prominence on the right flank of Eddie Howe's system.

A veritable "wizard", as the £153k-per-week ace has been called by Liverpool insider DaveOCKOP, Chiesa could be Howe's answer to Bukayo Saka, with the Arsenal prodigy's performances over the duration of the 22/23 Premier League season a defining factor behind Arsenal's – ultimately unsuccessful, albeit impressive – title challenge against Manchester City.

Saka, who has been dubbed "the best right winger in the world" by GOAL correspondent Charles Watts, scored 14 goals and laid off 11 assists in the Premier League last season, having also scored seven goals for England since last summer.

The discussed pair are listed as comparable players via FBref. Chiesa ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 15% for progressive carries, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

Saka, comparatively, ranks among the top 21% for goals, the top 23% for assists, the top 10% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the attacking box and the top 28% for tackles per 90.

It paints the picture that while both are supremely creative and expert ball carriers, they aren't afraid of the dirty work either, tracking back to help out their defensive colleagues.

With Chiesa still not back at the peak of his powers, it's a daunting prospect for opposition to imagine just how "potent" – as stated by Rio Ferdinand – he could yet become, and at Newcastle, he could rise to the fore and rival any positional peer on English shores with the calibre of his performances.

An update has emerged on Everton and their plans to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Moussa Dembele to Everton?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees are one of a number of sides eyeing up French centre-forward Moussa Dembele ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The reporter revealed:

"Moussa Dembélé has been approached by several clubs after leaving OL as free agent. #transfers Understand Everton and Galatasaray are both informed on conditions of the deal, while Saudi clubs are also keeping tabs on Moussa situation."

The £52k-per-week marksman's contract with Lyon in Ligue 1 expires at the end of this month and this means that the former Celtic ace will be available for a bargain free transfer move.

What would Dembele's arrival mean for Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

Sean Dyche beating off interest from Galatasaray and teams in Saudi Arabia to secure a deal for the 6-foot finisher would be terrible news for current Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as it could diminish his game time next term.

The England international endured a difficult campaign in the Premier League in 2022/23 and his recent form in front of goal does not suggest that his position is nailed down in the team for 2023/24.

He found the back of the net twice in 17 appearances – 15 starts – and this came after the 26-year-old plundered five goals in 15 starts in the 2021/22 top-flight.

This means that the Finch Farm dud has scored once every 4.29 starts over the last two seasons in the division, which is far from a prolific return and perhaps one of the reasons the Toffees have found themselves in back-to-back relegation battles.

Dembele, on the other hand, scored 24 goals in 33 starts in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaigns combined for Lyon, which works out as one strike every 1.38 starts on average.

The Frenchman also created six 'big chances' for his teammates in that time and could provide a similar level of creativity to Calvert-Lewin, who produced five in the Premier League in the same period.

Dembele, who was once hailed as "powerful" by former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers, could offer far more potency at the top end of the pitch based on their respective goalscoring records in recent seasons, which could lead to Dyche having a reliable number nine in the top-flight next season.

This could then leave Calvert-Lewin in a difficult situation as the soon-to-be free agent could come in and take his place in the starting XI, which would result in the Englishman being a bench warmer unless he is able to win his position back by drastically turning his form around.

تحدث الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز، بعد الفوز على نظيره الداخلية، بهدفين دون رد، خلال المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

بيراميدز واجه الداخلية، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ16 من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد السلام.

وقال يورتشيتش في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “مكسب مهم جدًا، الفترة الماضية كنا نخلق فرصًا كثيرة لكن كانت لدينا مشكلة في إنهاء الهجمات، اليوم خلقنا فرصًا وسجلنا هدفين، سنحضر أفكارًا جديدة للمستقبل خلال فترة التوقف القادمة”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | بيراميدز يستعيد الانتصارات بثنائية أمام الداخلية ويصعد للمركز الثالث في الدوري

وأضاف: “الفرق بين مباراة اليوم والمباريات السابقة أننا عرفنا كيف نستغل الفرص ونُسجل أهدافًا”.

وأتم: “الفترة القادمة مهمة، لدينا لاعبين كثيرين مصابين ومهم جدًا أن يعودوا، وسيكون هناك لاعبين دوليين كثيرين لن يتواجدوا معنا في الفترة القادمة، وعندما يعودون سيكون عندنا قابلية للعمل على الأمور التي نحتاج إلى العمل عليها”.

Arsenal are currently leading the chase to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer as Mikel Arteta looks set to strengthen his midfield.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are in pole position to sign Lavia during the transfer window after the youngster verbally agreed to join the Gunners.

He will cost around £50m and the north Londoners have jumped ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United with regard to the move, although Manchester City do have a buy-back clause which is active next summer, but the report claims they are undecided on acting sooner.

Will Romeo Lavia join Arsenal?

It is looking increasingly likely that he will arrive at the Emirates ahead of next season and Arteta will be hoping to put Arsenal’s failed Premier League title challenge from last season behind him as the 2023/24 campaign looms on the horizon.

Indeed, the Spaniard is close to signing Chelsea star Kai Havertz for a fee of £65m, as with the added rigours of the Champions League next term, bolstering his options is a shrewd move and could certainly pay dividends.

It is unclear to what position the German will play upon joining Arsenal, as he was mainly deployed as a centre-forward during Chelsea’s underwhelming season, yet with Gabriel Jesus likely to be leading the line for Arsenal next term, he could drop back slightly deeper, perhaps into an attacking-midfield role.

With Lavia coming in and solidifying the midfield, there is potential for a key partnership to be formed which may spur the club onto success next term, with the Belgian’s defensive acumen allowing Havertz the freedom to express his creative talents.

He ranked second in the Southampton squad for tackles made per game (2.1) while also having the second-highest pass success rate (86%) across the whole squad, being able to dictate the play well. The midfielder also ranks in the top 17% across Europe’s big five leagues for ball recoveries per 90 (7.58), suggesting he is effective at sweeping up loose balls in order to move the ball onto more creative talents.

The German could benefit from having someone like Lavia playing behind him. Havertz, across Europe’s top five leagues, ranks in the top 9% for passes received per 90 (34.24) and the top 18% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.98), indicating that he is keen to receive the ball as often as possible deep into the opposition half.

Lavia’s passing ability could find Havertz in these ideal positions and they could form a dream duo for Arteta. Reporter Benjy Nurick hailed the teen gem as a “monster” earlier this year and Arsenal must get this move over the line as soon as possible.

Leeds United's relegation is set to have catastrophic effects on the club should they fail to bounce back with some haste. Given how they reacted to their 2004 demotion, fans have every right to be worried.

Fortunately, they boast one key difference from the drop that left them absent from the Premier League for 16 years – as they retain the bulk of the finances of a top-flight club.

That fateful relegation nearly two decades ago was borne of years of fiscal mismanagement, culminating in a brief stint in League One, too. This time, their stature and ability to lure players with hefty monetary incentives could help them bankroll the second tier and swan back to the big time.

They will also have to balance any new additions with the likely departures, as large swathes of their squad are expected to seek an exit. Rodrigo is one such name, which will leave the Whites without their most reliable source of goals from last term.

Therefore, they must surely invest heavily in what is arguably the most important area of the field by stumping up the demanded €20m (£17m) fee and making their interest in Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres more tangible.

Is Viktor Gyokeres similar to Erling Haaland?

Replacing the 13 Premier League strikes of their Spanish star will be no easy feat, but the Sweden international has all the qualities to continue his blistering Championship form in the white shirt of Leeds.

Last term for the Sky Blues, the 25-year-old posted 21 goals and a further ten assists in the league, blowing his 17-goal tally from the year prior out of the water.

It is this exceptional form in front of goal and his blistering speed, hulking frame, striking blond hair and Scandinavian heritage that all culminate to draw comparisons with Erling Haaland.

Manchester City's record-breaking frontman has taken English football by storm, breaking the Premier League scoring record in his debut year and notching 52 goals in all competitions.

In fact, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray even sought to make these similarities known, noting in February: "He looks a yard more powerful and a yard quicker than everyone else, he’s a really confident boy.

"I don’t want to say he should test himself in the Premier League, but who is like him in the Premier League at the moment? Who is too fast, too strong and too big, you would suggest Haaland is like that, and Gyokeres in this league looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship."

The comparisons continue when viewing their play style, too, as the Norway international would average just 23.7 touches per game in the league – lower than the 45 touches per game of Gyokeres in the Championship.

It only takes minimal impact throughout the game to have the biggest effect on the full-time result for these lethal forwards, with the latter's teammate Maxime Biamou branding him "unplayable".

As the 49ers continue their search for a manager, it seems that this move could be their first true statement of intent, showing the rest of the country that the famous Yorkshire outfit will not be spending too much time at this level.