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Liverpool are ‘leading the race’ to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham next summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Huge future for Bellingham

England have lots of supreme young talent at the moment, from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Phil Foden, but Bellingham is arguably as exciting as anyone.

The 18-year-old has already made 55 appearances for Dortmund, despite his tender age, and he looks a complete midfielder, scoring in his side’s Champions League win away to Besiktas earlier this month.

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The Latest: Liverpool in pole position

It could be that the Bundesliga outfit cash in on the £49.5million-rated Bellingham before too long, and according to the Daily Star, Liverpool are the frontrunners to sign him.

He has already been hailed as the ‘most serious 18-year-old I’ve ever seen’ and a ‘great footballer’ by Germany legend and Dortmund teammate Mats Hummels, as he develops into quite clearly one of the brightest young talents in the world.

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The Verdict: Potential game-changer

Bellingham looks like a genuinely special footballer who could have an enormous future, so Liverpool’s interest is undoubtedly exciting.

The Reds’ midfield will be in need of fresh blood next summer, with Jordan Henderson and Thiago now in their 30s and the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain unreliable in the injury department.

Bellingham has the athleticism and technical ability to thrive anywhere in midfield – he has averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this season – and could perhaps develop into the Steven Gerrard replacement Reds fans have been waiting for.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are worried about a photo that has emerged. Read more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois da atuação no clássico contra o São Paulo, Thiago Ribeiro ganha uma nova chance para começar jogando no Santos, desta vez contra o ex-clube, o Atlético-MG, nesta quarta-feira, às 19h30, no Independência, pelo Brasileirão.

Agora na vaga de Copete, suspenso pelo terceiro cartão amarelo, o camisa 26 tenta dar os caminhos da vitória ao Peixe em território conhecido. Em 2015, ele defendeu o Galo sob o comando de Levir Culpi e já tem uma estratégia para jogar no Independência.

-Sabemos como é jogar no Independência, o Atlético procura sufocar o adversário. Vai ser jogo duro, difícil, mas sabemos que vamos ter o contra-ataque, espaço. É natural de um time que tenta se impor em casa. Temos time perigoso e rápido para explorar isso e vencer o jogo. Temos em nossa mente de ir lá procurar se defender bem e no momento que tiver a bola, personalidade para jogar e por o Atlético em dificuldades. Donizete vai jogar também, conhece o Atlético e o Independência, experiente. Contamos com a experiência de conhecer o ambiente. Vai poder contribuir, marcando forte e dando segurança atrás. E na frente, temos que ser letais – explicou.

Thiago também alertou para a capacidade de definição de alguns jogadores do adversário, como Robinho, ídolo do Peixe. Apesar de estar em baixa, o Rei do Drible ainda é um dos jogadores que mais preocupa.

-Robinho é um grande jogador, conhecemos bem. Qualidade técnica muito grande, poder de definição alto. É um jogador que temos que estar atentos, mas não só ele. Eles têm jogadores com capacidade para decidir em um lance. Podem não estar bem no jogo, mas podem decidir. A gente acompanha, sabe que a imprensa e a torcida têm pegado no pé do Robinho devido ao momento, mas é normal, acontece com todos, até os grandes jogadores passam por momento de instabilidade. Isso não pode deixar nós relaxados, temos que estar mais ligados ainda. Vai querer mostrar serviço para virar a página. Jogar no Independência é sempre difícil – disse.

O Santos deve ir a campo com: Vanderlei; Daniel Guedes (Victor Ferraz), Lucas Veríssimo, David Braz e Jean Mota; Leandro Donizete, Thiago Maia e Vecchio; Bruno Henrique, Thiago Ribeiro e Kayke.

Com 20 pontos, o Alvinegro está na 4ª colocação do Brasileirão, enquanto o Atlético-MG tem 17 e está em 9º.

RelacionadasSantosCom dúvida na lateral, Levir define Santos para encarar o GaloSantos11/07/2017SantosApós ver Cássio, Taffarel visita CT do Santos para conversar com VanderleiSantos11/07/2017Futebol InternacionalRevelado pelo Santos, Caio Henrique fala sobre saída do Peixe, elogia Simeone e cita meta para temporadaFutebol Internacional11/07/2017

Speaking to Football Insider, a West Ham United source has now made a transfer claim involving Rangers defender Connor Goldson as GSB set one eye on the transfer market already.

The Lowdown: West Ham in transfer flurry?

West Ham managed to land four senior summer signings for manager David Moyes despite having just Alphonse Areola to show for most of the window.

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Indeed, GSB secured a plethora of last gasp deals as they signed Kurt Zouma from Chelsea in the latter stage with Alex Kral and Nikola Vlasic both joining on deadline day.

Already, it appears the club have one eye on more targets as a Rush Green source shares news.

The Latest: West Ham source makes Goldson claim…

As per FI, a West Ham source has now shared more news on Moyes’ transfer plans and who GSB could swoop for next.

Indeed, it appears Rangers ace Goldson is firmly on the radar with a belief emerging that the Hammers could ‘look to make a move’ in the new year.

West Ham are apparently keeping a watchful eye over the 28-year-old’s contract situation as Rangers risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.

The Verdict: Get it done?

As Angelo Ogbonna begins to reach the twilight phase of his career at 33-years-old, with his future also uncertain given his current contract expires in 2022, we believe Goldson could come as a fine potential replacement.

The Gers ace, who manager Steven Gerrard has called ‘absolutely immense’, finished last campaign as one of the SPFL champions’ most consistent performers.

Indeed, he racked up the second-most aerial duels won per 90 out of their entire squad (4.2) whilst also averaging more clearances per game (3) than any Gers player with over 10 appearances (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, he could be a steal, especially for free.

In other news: ‘No brainer’…Sky pundit reacts as West Ham eye ‘massive signing for Moyes’, find out more here.

Scorecard
South Africa completed the formalities of a 2-0 series victory with a comfortable seven-wicket success in the second one-day international in Kimberley. Hashim Amla took his chance to impress with a 76-ball 78, and Jacques Kallis continued his return to form with an unbeaten 92, as South Africa eased to their target with nearly 15 overs to spare.Kenya did produce a better effort with the bat as Seren Waters, the 18-year-old, made an eye-catching 74 to provide further evidence of his talent. For the home side this has been a good chance to shake off the early-season cobwebs and both victories have come without much fuss. It was a useful exercise for their bowlers to have first use in this match, allowing them to hone their skills ahead of the Bangladesh series.After 4-0 defeat in England, South Africa were trying to re-establish their credentials as a top limited-overs unit. Two wins over Kenya don’t prove anything, but time in the middle is always of greater value than net sessions. Kallis used both games to good effect after a barren England trip, following his 71 in the first match with a clam and efficient innings to carry South Africa home. He hurried the match to a conclusion by attacking Hiren Varaiya and finished the game with a six off a free hit.Kallis said he had worked hard during the off season with former Western Province and England coach Duncan Fletcher. “It’s nice that the hard work has paid off,” he said. “You never stop learning in this game. The slight technical changes I have made have opened up a few new scoring options for me.”The run-chase platform had been laid by Amla, who was one of few bright spots during the loss to England after being handed a chance to open by Graeme Smith’s injury. The captain’s continued absence allowed him another chance and he cracked 13 boundaries, after taking 16 balls to get off the mark, as the Kenya bowlers continually fed his strengths of cutting and driving.Herschelle Gibbs went early, smartly caught at midwicket by Waters, but Amla and Kallis added 118 in 17 overs. Amla reached his first ODI fifty off 47 balls and was on course for a maiden century when he was caught behind off the left-arm spin off Varaiya.While Kenya cannot take many positives from their fielding effort, the performance of Waters, who was educated at Cranleigh school in England, gives them something to leave with. In his fourth ODI, Waters needed 105 balls to reach his half-century before hitting debutant Johann Louw for two fours and a six in the 35th over. Another boundary followed off Albie Morkel before he was beaten for pace and bowled for 74, but useful contributions from Thomas Odoyo and Jimmy Kamande ensured a respectable total.Morkel finished with three wickets, including that of Steve Tikolo caught behind for duck, while Louw collected his first international scalp early on when Maurice Ouma edged to Mark Boucher. Louw was handed his chance with Morne Morkel being rested and it was a chance for South Africa to test their reserve strength. Smith and Dale Steyn are hoping to return against Bangladesh, another series that should allow South Africa to ease into their season before they head to Australia in December. That will be where the challenge really starts.

Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has called for the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to be overhauled following concerns that Sri Lanka’s tour to England next year could be downgraded

Cricinfo staff13-Oct-2008Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has called for the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to be overhauled following concerns that Sri Lanka’s tour to England next year could be downgraded.Sri Lanka Cricket has proposed a US$70m deal with the BCCI, and have ruled that a number of leading players, including Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan, would stand down from the England tour to fulfil their IPL contracts – effectively meaning Sri Lanka would send a second XI. David Morgan, the ICC president, has termed the deal “quite unacceptable behaviour”, and Morris is concerned it could damage the long-term health of the game.”The guys who control the purse strings are now showing they have the potential to make or break a Test series in another country,” Morris told the . “We [England] are on the outside at the moment, and the Indian board have simply decided to devalue this series for their own ends.”It’s not long since the Indians, and everybody else, sat down at an International Cricket Council meeting and promised to protect Test cricket. Now they’re threatening other countries’ Test contracts.”Sri Lanka’s tour is due to run from April 21 to May 30, while the IPL is scheduled for April 10-May 29. Yet, so lucrative are the IPL contracts, that Sri Lanka’s high-profile players are unlikely to be persuaded to honour the England tour.”Next year is the busiest year ever,” Morris said. “The players don’t want to be turning up for games that aren’t the best against the best. This situation needs to be managed very carefully because devalued series are damaging for everybody – players, boards, broadcasters, spectators, you name it. You can start to see Test series being relegated to the second tier of importance and getting blown out of the water by domestic tournaments.”We’ve argued for a long time that the IPL need a window in the schedule to prevent this sort of thing happening. The whole Future Tours Programme has to be overhauled.”

Celtic playmaker Ryan Christie is itching for a deadline day move to Southampton, according to Carlton Palmer.

Christie’s contract with the Scottish Premiership title challengers expires in January, which has led to uncertainty over his future despite Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglou wanting to negotiate a new deal.

He has been linked with moving south of the border and Southampton were reportedly keen to pounce by landing Christie for a cut-price fee.

If Saints fail to get a deal over the line before tonight’s deadline, Christie could pen a pre-contract agreement. However, south coast rivals Bournemouth, as well as Burnley, are also looking to swoop according to Sky Sports.

The 26-year-old has made an impressive start to the new season, notching a goal and three assists in nine appearances as Celtic look to bounce back from being beaten to the Scottish Premiership title by Rangers last term.

Despite interest from elsewhere, former Southampton midfielder Palmer believes Christie has his heart set on a switch to St Mary’s.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “Anybody who wants to play football wants to play in the Premier League, that is for sure. Of course, I think he’d jump at the chance.

“Southampton is a fabulous football club. I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped at the opportunity.”

Speaking on live TV (via Football Daily), Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill has backed an update on Harry Kane live from their training ground following the England captain’s hiatus from Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season preparations. 

The Lowdown: Kane rebels…

On Monday, news first emerged of Kane not showing up for pre-season training as he eyes a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.

The England superstar is also facing a hefty fine for his actions but that didn’t stop him from not showing up at Hotspur Way again on Tuesday.

As a result, plenty of unrest remains over his future in north London, but Fabrizio Romano believes that Kane is ‘planning to return to training’ later this week with club discussions expected (Twitter).

The Latest: Sky Sports back Kane development…

Speaking on live TV from Hotspur Way (via Football Daily), Sky Sports reporter Cotterill has backed Romano’s update and insists that Kane is planning to return to training.

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“We’re now hearing that he probably won’t turn up for training either on Thursday,” he explained.

“He won’t be here, we understand, on Thursday or Friday, but is planning to return to training with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

“He doesn’t want it to go on and on, we understand he just wants to make a protest, just wants to make his feelings felt, just wants to vent his frustration, about the fact that he says, in good faith, he understood that verbally he was going to be allowed to leave Tottenham this summer if the right offer came in.”

The Verdict: Crunch time ahead for Spurs…

Manchester City have started to make serious moves for their prime targets over the last few days, with Aston Villa star Jack Grealish reliably believed to be on the verge of a stunning £100m move to Eastlands (John Percy).

It is no secret that City are the main contenders for Kane as they hunt for a star striker to replace club legend Sergio Aguero, and with Grealish nearing completion, their attention could turn to Spurs’ most important player.

Reports have even suggested that the 28-year-old could be willing to hand in an official transfer request to grant his wish to leave.

It’s safe to say that these next few weeks could be huge for Nuno Espirito Santo and Fabio Paratici as they both plan for an enormous 2021/22 season in N17.

In other news: ‘Excited’, ‘Huge coup’…Sky Sports pundit in awe of announcement out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Noel Whelan believes Harry Winks could be a fantastic signing for Southampton this summer.

The Lowdown: Winks to be available

It has been reported that new Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is happy to let Winks leave this summer.

So far, Southampton have made two new signings in Romain Perraud (southamptonfc.com) and Danyl Simeu (chelseafc.com) – Ralph Hasenhuttl will no doubt be eager to add more new faces to his squad before the end of the transfer window.

The Latest: Whelan urges Saints move

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan believes Winks would be a great signing for Southampton. He said:

“I think everybody needs a player like that.

“You can look at Everton, they’ll have the money for a player like that, somebody with that sort of experience. I think most clubs will be fancying him.

“Obviously it’s whether you need a player that badly, where you don’t have that sort of player in your ranks. When you look at Leeds, we’ve got Kalvin Phillips.

“Most teams will have somebody along those kinds of lines. However, there will be teams that go: ‘Ooh, do you know what? We could maybe do with a player like that. Then we can push another player forward into that midfield area.

“I think it’s just important he gets out and starts playing again. Even Southampton, possibly, could do with a player like that.

“They play that good style of football, it’s on the deck it’s quick-paced. That to me would suit Harry Winks down to the ground.”

The Verdict: Worth a punt

Other than the 2019/20 campaign, 25-year-old Winks has never been a regular starter, but the fact both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho were happy to have him in and arounds the Spurs squad says a lot about his ability – the former was such a fan, he even compared him to legendary Barcelona pair Xavi and Iniesta (via The Birmingham Mail).

With 173 appearances for Tottenham (Transfermarkt) and 10 caps for England, he is a player with plenty of talent. If Espirito Santo does not want him at the club, it does not make too much sense for him to stay – if the Saints could convince him to move to St. Mary’s Stadium, they would be capturing a top talent.

In other news, Saints fans slam these Ralph Hasenhuttl comments.

Southampton have been linked with a move for West Ham’s Issa Diop recently and if he were to join Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, it could lead to Jannik Vestergaard’s exit.

What’s the word?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace are all showing an interest in the 24-year-old ahead of next season.

It is suggested that a loan-to-buy deal has been suggested by some of the clubs without any success thus far and with West Ham arguably short on defensive options as it is, it would be something of a surprise if David Moyes allowed Diop to leave this summer ahead of the Hammers’ upcoming Europa League campaign.

Bye-bye Vestergaard?

If Southampton were to splash the cash on the former Toulouse man this summer, it would not be a surprise to see the Denmark international depart, as he has been heavily linked with a move away throughout the summer.

The 28-year-old’s contract at St Mary’s is set to expire at the end of next season and it makes a lot of sense for Southampton to sell him now rather than losing him for nothing in 2022, especially if they are able to bring in a direct replacement such as Diop.

The West Ham defender made just 18 appearances in the Premier League last season, averaging a less than impressive 6.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, he has been highly rated in the past, particularly by Jose Mourinho during his time at Manchester United, as he sang his praises following a defeat against the Hammers in 2018, saying:

“(He had a) fantastic match. Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop – a monster who dominated in the duels.”

If he were able to replicate those sorts of performances at St Mary’s, then he would surely prove to be an adequate replacement for the six-foot-six Vestergaard next season, with the Dane impressing both aerially and with the ball at his feet last term.

After an impressive Euros, it would not be a surprise to see the former Borussia Monchengladbach man depart Southampton, especially if Martin Semmens opts to sign Diop for Hasenhuttl this summer.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl drops claim on “outstanding” beast that’ll delight Saints fans

The ECB has cancelled next summer’s tour by Zimbabwe and suspended all bilateral arrangements with the Zimbabwe board

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2008The ECB has cancelled next summer’s tour by Zimbabwe and suspended all bilateral arrangements with the Zimbabwe board.The news came minutes after Gordon Brown, the prime minister, told the House of Commons that he wanted the tour scrapped. “We want to ensure that Zimbabwe does not tour England next year and we will call for other countries to join us in banning Zimbabwe from the Twenty20 international tournament,” he said.In a short statement, Colin Gibson, the ECB’s head of corporate communications, said: “The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable. Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect.”The government has written to the ECB today and has made a clear instruction that Zimbabwe’s bilateral tour scheduled under the ICC Future Tours Programme for 2009 should be cancelled.”The ECB, which has been in constructive and extensive dialogue with the department for culture, media and sport for some time, welcome the government’s decision and share the government’s concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe.”Andy Burnham, the culture, media and sport secretary, told the ECB the government had “concluded that it would not be right to allow the proposed tour [to England] by Zimbabwe Cricket in 2009 to take place. The government has previously called on the ICC to reconsider its rules to allow teams to forfeit tours to countries, such as Zimbabwe, where serious human rights abuses are occurring. Unfortunately the ICC has declined to do so. Therefore, the government has decided to make it clear that it will take all necessary steps to prevent players from Zimbabwe from participating in that tour.”The ECB is now looking at identifying a replacement for the tour, which is scheduled to take place before the ICC World Twenty20 next June. “It’s a great relief in many ways,” said England’s one-day captain, Paul Collingwood. “It’s been going on since 2001, since I’ve been playing cricket [for England] and it’s good that it’s been taken out of our hands.”