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The January transfer window officially opened for business at the start of this month and it remains to be seen how busy Liverpool will be.

Jurgen Klopp's side have been linked with plenty of players in the months leading up to the window, and since it started last Monday, but speculation does not always lead to tangible movement on the transfer front.

Whilst the Reds may not bring in any players this month, they could use January to lay the groundwork for possible summer signings to bolster the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

It is notoriously difficult to do worthwhile deals in the winter market as teams, naturally, do not want to lose their best talents midway through a campaign.

Therefore, it could make more sense for Liverpool to wait until the summer to avoid overpaying for a player, unless Klopp feels that a signing is desperately needed in the short-term or that one is value for money in spite of the timing.

Latest Liverpool transfer news

FootballTransfers have reported that the Reds are in the market to add another talented wide player to their ranks and they are eyeing up two gems who are currently playing in England.

Firstly, Crystal Palace star Michael Olise is said to be on their radar after his impressive performances for the Premier League side this season.

The 22-year-old forward has a release clause in his contract at Selhurst Park that would allow him to leave if a club is willing to part ways with £60m, and the Eagles are not prepared to cash in for lower than that figure at this time.

Liverpool and Manchester United are both considering an approach for the former Reading maestro but it is stated that Olise is expected to remain with Palace until the end of the season before a possible move in the summer.

Alongside the young French whiz, the Reds are also eyeing up Leeds United magician Crysencio Summerville to bolster their wide options.

The report suggests that the forward is due to leave Elland Road in the summer, although it is unclear whether or not that depends on their success or failure to reach the top-flight, and does not rule out the club signing both him and Olise.

However, Football Insider recently claimed that the Whites have no intention of cashing in on the Dutch wizard this month and there is no mention of a transfer fee that would change their mind.

The outlet also claimed that Premier League sides Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion are also interested in the impressive EFL starlet, which shows that Liverpool look set to face plenty of competition for his signature.

This is a deal, as aforementioned, that the Reds could lay the groundwork for this month before swooping in to strike an agreement in the summer. If Leeds are unable to secure promotion to the Premier League then Klopp could come in and offer the forward a chance to return to the top-flight.

Summerville could then arrive at Anfield as the German head coach's own version of Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma, based on his impressive form this term.

Mitoma's Premier League statistics

The Japan international enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League for the Seagulls last term as a winger who was able to provide consistent quality in the final third.

Mitoma started 24 top-flight games throughout the 2022/23 campaign and contributed with seven goals and five assists – one goal contribution every other start on average.

The 26-year-old maestro may also contest that he was unlucky to only register five assists as the talented forward produced nine 'big chances' for his teammates and his fellow attackers were unable to make the most of those opportunities.

He ranked within the top 14% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for xA (Expected Assists) per 90 with 0.25 and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90 with 4.23.

Mitoma also ranked within the top 4% for progressive carries (5.55) per 90 and this shows that he is able to drive the team up the pitch before being able to create for his teammates.

The Brighton ace has started the current campaign with three goals and four assists in 13 Premier League starts and has proven himself to be an impressive winger in the top-flight due to his ability to score and create goals.

The statistics that show why Summerville could be Liverpool's Mitoma

Klopp could now land his own version of the Seagulls star with a swoop to sign Summerville, who has been compared to him this season.

Voetbal International journalist Suleyman Özturk compared him to Mitoma earlier this term as they are both "complete" wingers who make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

He added that the Leeds star has made the Championship his "playground" and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider his statistics.

Summerville has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a left wing position for Daniel Farke's side this season, as Mitoma has done for Brighton at a higher level.

The 22-year-old whiz has fired in 12 goals from 8.14 xG (Expected Goals) in 23 Championship appearances for the Whites, which shows that he has been a lethal finisher in front of goal.

He has also registered six assists and created 12 'big chances' for his fellow attackers. This indicates that his teammates have let him down in the final third at times.

Summerville in 2023/24 Championship (via FBref)
Statistic (per 90)	Percentile rank among attacking midfielders and wingers
Non-penalty goals (0.55)	Top 2%
Expected Assisted Goals (0.36)	Top 3%
Shot-creating actions (6.86)	Top 1%
Progressive passes (4.27)	Top 24%
Progressive carries (5.52)	Top 9%

As you can see from the table above, Summerville has been one of the best players in his position in the Championship in a host of key attacking metrics.

He has proven his quality as a scorer, a creator, and a progressive force down the flank for his side – like Mitoma for Brighton – and this suggests that the Leeds star is too good to continue playing in the second tier.

There is no guarantee that he will be able to make the step up but Liverpool could hope that the 5 foot 9 gem is able to follow in the footsteps of the likes of James Maddison and Jack Grealish, in recent years, to establish himself in the Premier League as Klopp's own Mitoma.

There has been a common theme with regard to Tottenham Hotspur's recruitment in recent times, with the Lilywhites having regularly looked to Italy in order to find potential gems who can go on to thrive in English football.

Previously, with Antonio Conte at the helm – backed by sporting director Fabio Paratici – the north London outfit notably snapped up the likes of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie from Atalanta and Udinese, respectively, with the latter man belatedly joining the club this summer.

Even under Ange Postecoglou in the most recent window, the club again turned to Serie A in order to acquire goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli, with the relatively unknown quantity proving a real "revelation" in the Premier League thus far, as described by Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher.

One of the most notable deals involving Spurs and an Italian outfit came back in January 2022, however, with Conte and Paratici managing to strike a double swoop for the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

Following the success of that high-profile deal – with Kulusevski only recently signing permanently following an 18-month loan stint – Postecoglou could well be set to take inspiration from his predecessor by plotting another raid on the Old Lady in 2024.

Spurs transfer news

According to a report from Spain earlier this week, Tottenham are said to be interested in signing both Samuel Iling-Junior and Matias Soule from the Turin giants, with the club seemingly preparing a 'double offer' for the duo in January.

While Postecoglou and co could face rival interest from Newcastle United, they will seemingly be hoping to steal a march on their top-flight rivals, ahead of the window opening in just over a weeks time.

Spurs could land Romero clone with January move for £68m "beast"

Ange Postecoglou understands the importance of shoring up his defence amid a top-four push.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 21, 2023

As per the piece, Soule – who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side, Frosinone – is valued at around €25m (£22m) by Max Allegri's side, while fellow youngster, Iling-Junior, is likely to command a fee closer to €18m (£16m), according to a prior report from TuttoMercatoWeb.

Coughing up in the region of £38m to sign the emerging talents – who are both 20 – could well prove to be a bargain move as far as Postecoglou is concerned, with the pair looking to emulate the success of Kulusevski and Bentancur at N17.

Kulusevski and Bentancur's record at Tottenham

In the case of Bentancur, it is fair to say that his time in England so far has largely been disrupted by injury, with the Uruguayan notably missing a fair chunk of 2023 with an ACL issue that he sustained back in February.

When the playmaker has been fit and available, however, he has shone at the heart of the midfield at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, chipping in with a respectable haul of six goals and six assists from just 48 appearances in all competitions.

The "immense" and "underrated" midfielder – as described by broadcaster Adam Smith – has certainly proven value for money despite his stint on the sidelines, having cost the club an initial fee of just £15.7m.

As for Kulusevski, the Swede has been an undoubted success even despite a difficult individual and collective campaign last season, in which he scored just twice across all fronts – albeit while registering eight assists.

Prior to that, the 23-year-old had sparkled in the second half of the 2021/22 season following his arrival in north London, having contributed to 13 goals and assists in just 18 league games as Conte's men secured a top-four berth.

Such electric form has been replicated this time around, with the one-time Parma man – who has earned comparisons to a certain Gareth Bale following his display against Nottingham Forest last time out – starting every league game this season, while scoring five goals and contributing two assists.

It is fair to say then that Spurs truly did strike gold by signing both Kulusevski and Bentancur under Conte's watch, with the aim now for Postecoglou to replicate that masterclass in the case of Soule and Illing-Junior.

Samuel Iling-Junior's style of play

Once on the books of Chelsea, Iling-Junior made the bold move to join Juve back in 2020, having since gone on to feature 24 times in all competitions for the Serie A side at first-team level.

While far from being a regular fixture under Allegri, the England U21 international has impressed when he has been given an opportunity to date, registering one goal and three assists from his left-sided berth.

In the younger age groups, the Islington-born menace – who typically features as a wing-back, or in a central midfield berth – showed his undoubted potential after scoring 14 goals and registering 15 assists in just 58 games for Juve's U19 side.

Described as a "flamboyant winger" and noted for his "pace", "acceleration" and "athleticism" – as per talent scout Jacek Kulig – Iling-Junior seemingly has the tools to sparkle in Postecoglou's attack-minded and relentless style, with it a scary thought to consider the combination of himself and Udogie down the left flank.

It would also be a mouthwatering prospect to consider young Soule also following his Juve teammate back to England, with the Argentine currently shining out on loan in Italy's top-flight.

Matias Soule's season by numbers

Much like the Englishman, Soule was also plucked from his homeland back in 2020 after leaving Velez Sarsfield in order to make the move to Europe, yet has seen opportunities hard to come by at his parent club.

After making only 21 appearances over the last few years, the wing wizard was sent out to Frosinone in order to gain some much-needed senior experience, with that move more than paying off amid his heroics of late.

Despite his relative youth, the 6 foot sensation has already scored six times in just 14 Serie A games this season, notably impressing also due to his "superb dribbling skills" – as noted by the aforementioned Kulig.

The in-demand talent has successfully completed 4.4 dribbles per game in the league in 2023/24 and averages a remarkable 2.9 key passes per game as a marker of his immense creativity – with Kulusevski, for contrast, averaging just 1.7 and 2.3 for those same two metrics, respectively.

Top ten most similar players to Matias Soule
1 – Jude Bellingham
2 – Eberechi Eze
3 – Jamal Musiala
4 – Ayoze Perez
5 – Antony
6 – Isco
7 – Angelo Fulgini
8 – Dominik Szoboszlai
9 – Brahim Diaz
10 – Remy Cabella
via FBref

While it would be a real leap for the winger to attempt to replicate such feats in the Premier League, there is certainly enough there to be excited about for those back at N17.

With Spurs having reaped the rewards of signing Kulusveski and Bentancur from the Allianz Stadium almost two years ago, a repeat of that transfer masterclass involving Soule and Iling-Junior would certainly not be the worst idea.

Lionel Messi’s MLS rivals have been warned that the Inter Miami superstar “can’t be stopped”, with the rest of the division told they’re in “trouble”.

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• Argentine icon is in dazzling form
• Talismanic presence for the Herons
• Opponents unable to contain threat

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine icon had to overcome hamstring problems early on in the 2024 campaign, but is now fit and firing once more. Messi has been in dazzling form of late, with the record books being rewritten. He is making the game looking remarkably easy, which does not bode well for the rest of those in North American soccer.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT WRIGHT-PHILLIPS SAID

  Former New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips has told : “Ultimately what we’re seeing is, he can’t be stopped. You get tight, he’s going to roll you, drop the shoulder and get by you. The thing you have to do – and I’m making it sound easy sat here – is stop the supply. I know that’s not easy but once that ball gets to Messi’s feet, forget about it. You’re in trouble, it’s too late.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi’s latest outing saw him post six goal contributions in a 6-2 demotion of the Red Bulls. Wright-Phillips added on seeing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continue to raise the bar of individual brilliance: “The numbers, I love to see them and look at them. He will look back and say what I have done there is amazing, but it’s just how easy the game comes to him. The first touch is always good. The weight of his pass to a team-mate is always good. How he drives and goes by players, is always top level. Watching him is unbelievable.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Messi is up to 12 goals and 11 assists for the season and is already considered to be the leading candidate for MVP honours. He will continue to attract A-list guests to each fixture that he graces, with that travelling roadshow set to hit Montreal on Saturday.

West Ham are apparently big fans of a new manager target who their former boss, Sam Allardyce, has hailed as "incredible".

Moyes heading for 2024 exit

Since re-joining the Hammers in late 2019, head coach David Moyes has done an absolutely fantastic job of guiding West Ham through their most successful period for a long, long time.

The east Londoners won their first piece of silverware since 1980, and first European trophy since the 60s, with a Conference League triumph in Prague last season. This came after Moyes lead West Ham to consecutive European qualification campaigns, and they're in a strong position to seal a Europa League knockout round place this season.

These scenarios were scarcely imagine when Moyes first joined, but that being said, West Ham's league form hasn't been brilliant over the last 12 months. They were battling relegation for much of 2022/2023, and reports suggest Moyes could leave West Ham in 2024 when his current contract expires.

West Ham identifying Moyes replacements

As relayed by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth on the Talking Transfers podcast earlier this month, West Ham are identifying future replacements for Moyes and doing their due-diligence.

“Our understanding is that West Ham have been looking at future replacements for him," said Cudworth (via West Ham Zone).

"He won the Conference League in June, has one year left on his contract, but there’s been no engagement over a new contract. Our understanding is that West Ham are in no hurry to replace him despite the indifferent Premier League results. David Sullivan doesn’t really see an available candidate who offers substantially more than David Moyes.

“One thing we can say with near-certainty, David Moyes is not going to be signing an extension at West Ham barring a miracle.”

It would appear that the Scotsman is likely to leave next year, with talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook sharing a possible candidate to succeed him.

West Ham really like Steve Cooper

According to Crook, who wrote an X update on Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and his future at the City Ground, West Ham have a watchful eye over him. Indeed, West Ham are apparently real admirers of Cooper, with the 43-year-old under fresh pressure amid a poor recent run of form for Forest.

The Welshman guided his side to promotion from the Championship in 2022, with Forest later maintaining their top flight status by the skin of their teeth. Former West Ham boss Allardyce, commenting on Cooper earlier this year, heaped praise on the tactician for his "incredible" job dealing with certain issues at Forest.

Average term as coach: 2.08 years

Preferred formation: 3-4-2-1

Points per game: 1.71

Coaching license: UEFA professional license

"What becomes difficult in terms of building team spirit is having too many players. Most managers don’t have enough. What they don’t have enough of is quality, and what they don’t want is quantity," said Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast (via Forest News).

“Steve is one of the only managers to say he has too many players. Dealing with that can distract your focus. You want to keep them all involved and use them if you can and see what they’ve got, but ultimately, it’s a very tough decision. Steve has done an incredible job dealing with these issues as well as getting good results.”

Newcastle United were flying high last season and rode the wave of the PIF’s influx of cash, eventually finishing inside the top four which had been the club’s best campaign for more than two decades.

However, the Magpies are now a product of their own success and are starting to feel the pressure of increased expectations mounting on their shoulders. An early exit from the Champions League and back-to-back defeats in the Premier League over the past week certainly haven’t helped to alleviate this burden.

A draw would have secured the Geordie outfit Europa League football heading into the new year but a rather naive game plan from the side saw them throw the kitchen sink at the possibility of qualifying for the UCL knockout phase.

A handful of players froze during the game and looked incapable of handling the pressure, particularly the entire forward line.

Newcastle United’s performance in numbers vs AC Milan

Eddie Howe set his team up in a typical 4-3-3 and deployed Miguel Almiron on the right, with Anthony Gordon positioned on the left flank. Callum Wilson was perhaps the only surprise addition to the side, having made his first start since the beginning of November after suffering from a hamstring problem.

Wilson looked off the pace from the get-go. The England international had four attempts on goal which came to a total xG of 0.42 on the night. Overall, the Magpies registered an xG of 1.78, so Wilson alone had roughly one-quarter of his team’s total xG.

Incidentally, Almiron had a larger share of the xG pizza on Wednesday night. The Paraguay international had three shots at goal and boasted an xG of 0.86 in total, but failed to convert a single opportunity. This number was heightened by a miss in the 20th minute where Almiron refused to go with his right foot to tap the ball into an open goal, allowing Fikayo Tomori to make a huge block.

On the opposite side, Gordon had only one shot, which tallied an xG of 0.03, before being hooked after the hour-mark by the manager.

For Howe, the most worrying aspect of his frontline’s performances will undoubtedly be the lack of service for the striker. Both Almiron and Gordon failed to create a single chance during the game and together didn’t even manage to put a successful cross into the box, according to FotMob.

When Alexander Isak entered the fray, the Swedish centre-forward created one chance which was more than both combined. However, as per FotMob, Newcastle’s top-scorer this season managed to take merely one shot in over 30 minutes on the pitch — a true indictment of the wingers’ performances.

As a result, Newcastle are now being linked with a wide player ahead of the winter window, somebody who can offer a little more creativity than both Gordon and Almiron.

Newcastle United transfer news – Samuel Iling-Junior

According to Corriere Dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Samuel Iling-Junior’s situation with Juventus ahead of the January transfer market. The Italian outlet are claiming that the Bianconeri are willing to allow the winger to leave over the coming weeks and have even 'mandated' some agents to potentially complete a deal.

Tottenham Hotspur are another club that have been interested in signing Iling-Junior ever since Juventus made the 20-year-old available for purchase, but now the Magpies could battle it out with last Sunday’s victors for the ex-Chelsea academy star.

Iling-Junior has been tipped with having a £20m price tag as his contract does not expire with the Italian giants until the end of the 2024/25 campaign. However, Newcastle could have an edge in the race to acquire the attacker’s services as Iling-Junior has the same agent as Kieran Trippier.

Despite breaking through the ranks with the Old Lady last season, Iling-Junior hasn’t had much game-time at all this term to showcase his talents, making merely five substitute appearances which comes to 114 minutes of action. Now, a move could be on the cards.

Samuel Iling-Junior’s stats

One of Iling-Junior’s most impressive characteristics is his ability to play on either side of the flank and even as a wingback. This would be a dream for Howe as the young Englishman can cover on both wings in case another injury crisis riddles the team.

Position

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Left-Winger

59

15

15

Left Wingback

23

3

6

Right-Winger

7

3

1

Central Midfielder

1

0

0

Stats via FBref

Furthermore, Iling-Junior’s attacking output is first-rate too. In 113 appearances in all competitions since the start of the 2019/20 season, including at youth level, the winger has bagged 44 goal contributions, including 21 goals and 23 assists. In that same four-and-a-half-year period, Almiron has recorded 39 goal contributions, with 10 assists and 29 goals.

It’s very clear from his statistics that Almiron is more of a goalscoring winger, considering he has almost triple the number of goals as he has assists. However, what Isak and Wilson need right now is someone who can put the ball on a plate for them.

This season alone, Howe’s side have whipped in just 239 balls which is the third-lowest in the Premier League. Only Burnley and Sheffield United have mustered fewer, according to FBref. In addition, Newcastle have scored merely five headed goals from 20 matches.

Since being at Newcastle, Almiron has registered one assist every 18.8 matches on average. Meanwhile, Iling-Junior boasts one assist every five matches in his career. The talent's style of play has even been described as "flamboyant" by football scout Jacek Kulig.

Isak is the future of Newcastle United and Howe needs a wide player who will be able to provide his top goalscorer with excellent balls to tuck away chances and win games. In this respect, Iling-Junior is a clear upgrade on Almiron and the Mags would do well to secure his services for so cheap in January.

The fact that 35-year-old Jonny Evans is Manchester United's starting centre-back in 2023 paints an accurate picture as to where the Red Devils are at these days. Erik ten Hag has been forced to fight on through several injury concerns and a forward line who just can't seem to find the back of the net, culminating in some early season difficulties. Heading into the third international break of the season, however, they are the Premier League's form team despite their nervy and unconvincing performances against the likes of Brentford and Sheffield United.

Ten Hag will hope to see the performances improve like the results have and, therefore, gain a place inside the Premier League's top four to qualify for next season's Champions League. With that qualification, United could stand a better chance at landing one specific summer target.

Manchester United transfer news

It was another summer to forget for Manchester United's recruitment team. Ten Hag welcomed the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, who have all had their struggles. Out of the arrivals, Hojlund looks like the player with the most potential, scoring all five of his goals in the Champions League. If United can get the Dane firing on all cylinders in the league, then they could turn their focus towards improving their defence next summer.

According to Sport Bild, Manchester United have scouted Castello Lukeba again and again ahead of a potential summer move. It will be far from an easy deal to get over the line, however, given that no price-tag or release clause is known and the Leipzig defender's contract doesn't run out until 2028. In fact, Bild described a potential deal involving an exit for Lukeba as almost impossible to deal United a major blow in their potential pursuit.

"Talented" Lukeba would solve United's problem

Going from a 35-year-old Evans to a 20-year-old Lukeba would represent significant progress when it comes to United's recruitment. The Leipzig man could transform Ten Hag's backline next to either Raphael Varane or Harry Maguire, and then Lisandro Martinez once he returns.

At the Bundesliga club this season, the Frenchman has started eight of Leipzig's 11 games, as they battle for a place in next season's top four. Lukeba's stats show that he would be more than capable of competing for a starting place at Old Trafford too.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Castello Lukeba

11

33

3

3

Jonny Evans

1

12

2

3

Harry Maguire

6

28

2

3

Given how young he is, Lukeba is destined to get even better from here and that could see any interest in his signature increase over time. Whether United push on with their interest remains to be seen, however. The defender has certainly impressed those at Leipzig, instantly earning the praise of former sporting director Max Eberl upon joining during the summer:

"Castello Lukeba was our number one target for the centre-back position. We have been interested in Castello for a while now. His style of play will fit perfectly into our side and he will be a key part of our squad. Despite being just 20, he’s already developed a lot and is one of the most talented young defenders in Europe."

Everton's current woes appear to be going from bad to worse, with talks over a new deal for a "fantastic" player now being shelved, according to a new claim.

Everton's 10-point deduction

It has been a hugely testing period at Goodison Park off the pitch of late, ironically coming at a time when things appear to be improving under Sean Dyche on the field. Everton have been handed a monumental blow with the news that the Blues have been handed an immediate 10-point deduction for a Financial Fair Play breach, putting them straight into the Premier League relegation zone and hampering their chances of remaining in the top flight beyond 2023/24.

Granted, Dyche's men have shown enough in recent weeks to suggest that they can still avoid being relegated to the Championship even with this deduction, but it is a piece of news that has understandably rocked the club. There is still an appeal to come, with Everton no doubt hoping that the amount is reduced, or ideally that the punishment be deemed entirely excessive considering their cooperation during the investigation, but it remains to be seen what will happen.

On top of these current concerns, a key claim has now emerged regarding the future of one influential Blues hero, adding to the club's woes at the moment.

Everton dealt Dominic Calvert-Lewin blow

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Everton have decided to shelve talks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin over a new deal, acting as another blow for the Blues.

"Everton have placed contract talks for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on hold following their 10-point deduction, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed the Toffees don’t want to rush into a decision on sanctioning a big-money new deal while their Premier League status remains unclear."

This is clearly a worrying update over Calvert-Lewin's future, with the 26-year-old still such an important figure when he is fully fit and firing. Former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was an admirer of the Englishman in the past, saying of both him and Richarlison:

"We have two fantastic strikers. They are really young, they can improve. They combine well together. They have different characteristics. It’s not easy to find these kinds of strikers so I am really pleased to be their manager. They have it all in their hands, because they are modern strikers in my opinion who have everything."

Calvert-Lewin is someone who could easily be the subject of interest from a number of other Premier League clubs in the coming transfer windows, so the importance of Everton tying him down to a new deal cannot be understated.

Aerial duels

Defensive contribution

Finishing

Passing

Link-up play

Fitness

The England international is currently contracted to the Bues until the summer of 2025, meaning they are increasingly at risk of losing him on the cheap the more that time goes on.

A new deal would not only mean he is committing his future to Everton, however, but also ensure that the club are in a strong bargaining position, demanding a huge amount of money for his signature in the process.

McCullum made a 42-ball 66 after Trinbago Knight Riders’ spinners had blunted the home team’s batting after they’d elected to bat

The Report by Peter Della Penna27-Aug-2018
Brendon McCullum brings out his unorthodoxy•Getty Images

Trinbago Knight Riders joined Jamaica Tallawahs at the top of the table on eight points after a dominant display in a four-wicket win over Barbados Tridents. The final margin painted the Tridents in a flattering light, but they were out of the game by the second over when left-arm spinner Khary Pierre singlehandedly wrecked the Tridents top order with two wickets and a run-out off his own bowling in the space of four balls.From 3 for 3, Tridents scratched their way to 128 for 8, a total that was easily overhauled by a brisk half-century from Brendon McCullum. Trinbago needed five runs to win off the last 25 balls when Denesh Ramdin and McCullum fell on consecutive deliveries, a minor pair of blemishes in what was a comprehensive team performance.Oui, Oui Khary!Tridents’ night was virtually over not long after it began, after Pierre struck three times in the space of four balls in the second over of the match. Dwayne Smith was yorked by a quicker, fuller ball from Pierre. Shamar Springer, who took the place of an out of form Martin Guptill in the XI, did little to justify his inclusion ahead of the Tridents $160,000 man after he scampered down the track in search of a non-existent run to short midwicket as Pierre fielded off his own bowling and fired back to Ramdin with Springer four yards short.The biggest blow by Pierre was struck two balls later to round off the sequence. Steven Smith, who only arrived in the closing overs in Tridents previous match and faced three balls, had plenty of time to get his eye in but lasted one ball fewer than he had 24 hours earlier against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Steven’s charge down the track went awry, fanning on a flick as Ramdin stumped the Aussie with ease for a second-ball duck to leave the Tridents three down just 10 balls into the match.Nick of Time Typically best utilized as a finisher, Nicholas Pooran joined Shai Hope at the crease in the second over and did his best to spare the Tridents from total humiliation. Counterattacking from ball one, he drove the first delivery he faced from Pierre through the covers for four to spark a 70-run partnership.Three boundaries off consecutive deliveries by Hope off Javon Searles in the sixth over stabilized the Tridents further and they ended the Powerplay on 46 for 3 before Pooran unloaded on Pierre again in the seventh over, striking him clean through the line over long-on for a colossal six. Pooran took Dwayne Bravo over the ropes for six more to start the ninth, but Bravo got his revenge to end the stand three balls later, fooling Pooran with a slower ball full toss that dipped late to clean up his Trini compatriot.Fawad it’s worthAustralian legspinner Fawad Ahmed removed Hope off the first ball of the 13th over with a luscious googly to clip the top of off. It was the start of a double-wicket over that may have intensified scrutiny over the Tridents bold selection calls for this match.The decision to drop Guptill for Springer had already returned zero dividends and Tion Webster’s call-up into the XI over Roston Chase was almost as fruitless. Entering at No. 7, Webster lasted just four balls before he sauntered down the pitch and fanned on a regulation legbreak from Fawad to be stumped for 1. At 92 for 6 after 13 overs, a few late swats from Jason Holder in his 30 off 33 balls managed to lift Tridents past 100 but nowhere near a defendable total.Mac AttackFor the second night in a row, Mohammad Irfan’s sensational opening spell was wasted on his teammates. Irfan snagged the opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine inside the first five overs to leave the Knight Riders at 30 for 2, but McCullum entered at No. 4 and ensured that was the last genuine sniff the Tridents had at victory.McCullum cracked eight fours and three sixes in a typically aggressive knock. More than half the runs in TKR’s chase were scored in his 66-run fifth-wicket stand with Ramdin. With 36 to get off the last seven overs, McCullum scorched Wahab Riaz for three consecutive boundaries in the 14th over to bring up his fifty off 32 balls. He reached 66 before trying to end the match by slogging Steven Smith’s legspin over the midwicket rope, but a swirling top edge was taken by a backpedalling Smith. Two balls later, Bravo punched a drive through the covers for the winning runs.

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O grupo 8, o mais parelho da Série D do Brasileirão vai para a sua última rodada neste sábado com cinco times disputando três das quatro vagas para o mata-mata da competição. O único garantido é o Novorizontino, de São Paulo, que tem 30 pontos. Entre os clubes que estão na briga está o catarinense Marcílio Dias, do técnico Waguinho Dias, que ostenta o status de atual campeão do campeonato, título conquistado sob o comando do também catarinense Brusque, no ano passado.

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Com 18 pontos na tabela, o Marcílio Dias tem dois a menos que o seu adversário de sábado, o Pelotas, do Rio Grande do Sul, que é o vice-líder. A partida está marcada para as 15h, no Gigantão das Avenidas, em Itajaí. Em terceiro lugar está o também gaúcho São Luiz, com os mesmos 20 pontos. Na quarta colocação e fechando a zona de classificação está o Joinville, com 19 pontos. Por isso, o Cílio depende apenas de si para garantir o seu lugar nas oitavas de final, com uma vitória simples em seus domínios.

O técnico Waguinho Dias analisa o jogo que ele trata como decisão e garante que a equipe dará a vida pelos três pontos.

‘A Série D é uma competição muito difícil, cheguei até a final no ano passado e tive a felicidade de ser campeão, então conheço bem o campeonato. O nosso grupo, em especial, ficou muito forte. Temos uma verdadeira final para encarar no sábado. Vamos buscar a qualquer custo a vitória para ficar com essa classificação. Temos essa semana cheia para treinar e posso garantir ao nosso torcedor que estaremos muito bem preparados e concentrados, e os jogadores vão deixar a vida em campo para seguirmos adiante’, projeta o treinador.

Waguinho assumiu o Marinheiro na segunda rodada da competição, após a equipe perder na estreia e empatar no jogo seguinte. Desde então, foram quatro vitórias, cinco empates e duas derrotas, um aproveitamento de 51,5%.

The Bangladesh dressing room was “shocked” after their embarrassing defeat to West Indies in Antigua.First, they were bowled out for 43, their lowest-ever total and the lowest Test score in 44 years. Then they followed that with a marginal improvement to make 144 in the second innings, eventually losing by an innings and 219 runs. This was the least overs a side had bowled to take 20 wickets in a Test in 66 years.Tamim Iqbal, one of their senior-most players and batting mainstay who made 4 and 13 in that Test, doesn’t want to dwell on what has gone by. Instead, he insisted the team has drawn positives from Nurul Hasan’s counter-attacking 64 on the third morning, their only bright spot, looking ahead to the Jamaica Test starting July 12.”Like all of you, we are also in a shock about our last Test match,” Tamim said. “Our performance is by no means acceptable. We are a better side than this. We are not looking for excuses. We made mistakes which caused this performance. We hope to do well in the next Test.”We have to keep on believing as a team and as individual players that we can do well, we can win. The way Sohan (Nurul) and the lower-order batted, it proves that if you can stay in the wicket, you can score runs. I hope that Jamaica Test will be a much better performance.”Steve Rhodes who sat through the entire ordeal on his debut as Bangladesh head coach, felt the team should have reacted better during their first-innings deterioration. In the first innings, Kemar Roach took five wickets in just five overs – the shortest spell to win a Player of the Match award – to leave Bangladesh tottering at 18 for 5 even before the first drinks interval. The last five didn’t do much either, even as Liton Das tried to slog his way out of trouble.”We potentially did not adjust quick enough to the circumstances put in front of us in either innings. But you can take nothing away from the Windies bowlers and catchers. They bowled and fielded admirably on a pitch that suited their bowling,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Rhodes also assessed the need to have more firepower in the bowling. “As far as our bowling is concerned, I thought Rahi (Abu Jayed) bowled admirably in his first Test match. It is very clear that we could do with some real pace to throw at the West Indies batsmen but that is not an overnight option for us. But we would definitely look to have some pace when we tour in the future.”