Liverpool scouts "were around to follow" £103m midfielder

Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Benfica player Florentino Luis multiple times last season according to Fabrizio Romano

What is the latest news about Florentino Luis?

According to reports, Italian side AC Milan are interested in bringing the Portuguese midfielder to the San Siro. Reports claim that the Milan side have already been in contact with the midfielder's representatives and that a deal could be reached with the Portuguese club for around €30m (£25.7m).

Another report, however, says that whilst AC Milan do have an interest in the player, they are joined by Arsenal and Napoli. The report also contradicts others were suggesting about the fee, stating instead that Benfica will only sell if the players €120m (£103m) release clause is met, with the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea just six months ago giving the club a benchmark to go off of.

Soccer Football – Champions League – Round of 16 – Club Brugge v Benfica – Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium – February 15, 2023 Benfica’s Florentino during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Yves Herman

Liverpool meanwhile sent scouts to watch both Luis and teammate Antonio Silva back in March, with 90min reporting that both the Reds and Tottenham Hotspur had scouts in attendance for the Portuguese sides 2-0 victory over Famaliciao.

Speaking on the Born and Red YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that the club were interested in the midfielder however no official talks had taken place.

“I think this is one of the players that Liverpool have been watching in terms of scouting because I have been told multiple times that Liverpool scouts were around to follow Florentino Luis. At the moment I am not aware of any direct contact with Benfica so let’s see but I’m not sure that Benfica are open to that kind of negotiation for the clause, I think they really want big money.”

Where would Luis play for Liverpool?

Luis was one of the most impressive defensive midfielders in Europe last season.

The midfielder shone when it came to the defensive side of the game and breaking up play in the midfield, averaging an incredible 3.48 tackles per 90 and 2.67 interceptions per 90. Those numbers put him in the top 3% of all midfielders in Europes "next eight" leagues for those categories, showcasing that he is the perfect destroyer for any midfield.

His former coaches have spoken very highly of him, with Joao Tralhao stating "Technically speaking, it’s not easy to find a midfielder with the defensive qualities he has, I used to joke with him and say that he saw the game two seconds before everyone else. It’s amazing the amount of interceptions he makes, the way he can be in the right position all the time.

"He has the talent and quality to play in elite teams. Remember when Real Madrid had the Galacticos? They needed someone to balance the team, and [Claude] Makelele was so important. He can play anywhere, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, anywhere. He would have no problem adapting."

fabinho-liverpool-premier-league

Liverpool are reportedly hoping to bring in one more midfielder this summer, after already announcing the signings of midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Luis would be a very different profile in comparison and would most likely battle with Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic for the position at the base of the midfield alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold. Should the 23-year-old join the Reds, he could be the key in further unlocking the quality that the scouser has by giving him more freedom to focus on his attacking and creativity, as Luis will provide all the protection the midfield needs.

It does seem to be a difficult deal for the Reds to complete due to Benfica's unwillingness to negotiate a fee, but should they manage to pull it off, they could have the final piece of their midfield puzzle

Burnley Interested In Signing Barcelona Goalkeeper

Burnley are thought to be interested in a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Arnau Tenas.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

The Clarets have already splashed the cash ahead of their Premier League return, with Vincent Kompany signing centre-back Jordan Beyer from Borussia Monchengladbach and full-back Dara O’Shea from West Brom at a combined cost of €22m.

That looks to be the start of what could be a busy summer at Turf Moor, with plenty more rumours in the media. Fabrizio Romano has recently claimed that Burnley have made an offer to sign Anderlecht defender Noah Sadiki.

Meanwhile, the club are also preparing a new offer to sign Millwall star Zian Flemming, and another new target appears to be Tenas.

According to one Spanish outlet, Burnley are interested in signing Tenas and are very aware of his situation. Barcelona had the option to extend the 22-year-old’s contract, however, that has now passed, so the goalkeeper can leave as a free agent, should a new deal fail to materialise.

Tenas reportedly meets the needs required by Kompany in goal due to his ‘good footwork’, something which is ‘very attractive for a team that tries to take care of the ball and apply a style of play similar to that of Barcelona’. If a fresh Camp Nou contract doesn’t come to light, then Burnley are very likely to make a proposal for the Spaniard.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany.

Who is Arnau Tenas?

Tenas has progressed through Barcelona’s academy and is the current captain of the B team. The Spain U21 international, valued at a career-high €2m by Transfermarkt, has made 58 appearances for the B team, keeping 22 clean sheets but is still awaiting a senior debut.

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique called Tenas the next Victor Valdes back in 2021, whereas a Barcelona fan page once hailed the shot-stopper as an “amazing young goalkeeper” who has plenty of potential.

Kompany currently has Arijanet Muric and Bailey Peacock-Farrell as senior options to choose from ahead of the 2023/24 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if a move is made for Tenas, making this one to watch.

West Brom Can Build On Corberan Boost By Signing £4m Ace

West Bromwich Albion can finally gear up for the start of the new Championship campaign with news that head coach Carlos Corberan is no longer a target for Leeds United.

Former Leeds coach Corberan was considered the favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce at Elland Road at one point, but Football Insider reports that the Whites are working to bring in a manager with Premier League experience.

That can only be considered a huge boost for Albion some six weeks out from the opening weekend of the 2023-24 campaign, and it means full focus can now be on transfer activity.

Indeed, the Baggies could make it a double reason for celebration by bringing in one of Corberan's targets, with The Sun reporting last week that they are showing an interest in Blackpool striker Jerry Yates.

Who is Blackpool striker Jerry Yates?

Yates' 20 goals helped fire Blackpool to promotion to the Championship two years ago, and he has since scored 22 goals in the second tier.

As well as netting 14 goals last time out, which were not enough to keep Blackpool up, Yates also chipped in with four assists. It is that ability to both score and create that earned strong praise from his former boss Richie Wellens.

"He's good at everything," Wellens told Quest. "He's got decent pace and he can hold the ball up." Yates' ability as an all-rounder is further reflected when looking at the positions he was fielded last season, courtesy of WhoScored, ranging from a central midfielder to a striker, as well as operating on both flanks.

The 26-year-old can also help out in terms of the defensive side of the game, with FBref ranking him in the top 3% of his positional peers for interceptions and top 7% for blocks.

carlos-corberan-west-brom-leeds-united-49ers-manager-live-updates-rodgers

It is unsurprising, then, that a number of Championship teams are taking a close look at Yates – heavyweights Leicester City among them. The Sun reports that Premier League club Luton Town may also be tempted to make a move for a player valued at £4m by Blackpool.

Yates would undoubtedly be an upgrade on what Corberan currently has available, as his 18 combined goals and assists in the Championship last season are three more than West Brom's best performer John Swift managed.

In fact, Jed Wallace (14) was the only other Albion player to register double figures in that metric, which shows the importance of bringing another talented attacker to The Hawthorns.

Factor in the 1.63 aerial duels per 90 minutes Yates wins, which is more than Swift (0.84) and Wallace (0.48), and it may well be that the Englishman's combination with Corberan next term proves the difference between mid-table obscurity and a serious push at promotion.

موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

يلاقي فريق برشلونة نظيره أتليتك بلباو مساء اليوم الأحد، في منافسات الدوري الإسباني “الليجا” لموسم 2023-2024.

وتأتي مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو ضمن مباريات الجولة السابعة والعشرين للدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سان ماميس”.

برشلونة يدخل المباراة وهو في المركز الثالث برصيد 57 نقطة في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، وأتلتيك بلباو يحتل المركز الخامس بـ 49 نقطة.

وكانت مباراة الدور الأول بين الفريقين على ملعب “مونتجويك” انتهت بفوز برشلونة بهدف دون رد. موعد مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. بداية الشوط الأول القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة  beIN sports HD1. معلق مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو

يعلق على المباراة، عصام الشوالي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

AI Images Slammed As Ian Wright Pictured In Handcuffs

Arsenal legend and BBC pundit Ian Wright has had to deny allegations of being arrested after scammers used AI to create false images of him.

Was Ian Wright arrested?

The Match of the Day presenter has become a well-loved TV personality within the world of football since retiring – having been an adored player, too.

After all, he netted a whopping 185 goals in 288 appearances for the Gunners which was a club record until it was eventually beaten by Thierry Henry.

He also spent time in his career with other former clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Burnley.

In recent times, he’s cemented his status as an all-round lovely guy by showing his class as a strong and vocal advocate for women’s football, and recently slammed the broadcasting issues ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with Fifa threatening a blackout because of low offers for the broadcast rights from the biggest European footballing countries.

With all that in mind, it must have come as a shock to some when images emerged online of him supposedly being arrested. Some friends of Wright’s were so stunned, he has since revealed people were calling him about it.

Well, in a new video shared on his Twitter account, he’s now clarified that it’s all a strange scam where people “superimposed” him into an odd situation.

Wright explained: “Listen, I’m getting so many calls. People think I’ve been arrested. They’ve superimposed me with handcuffs. Look at me [laughs] this is a scam! People are scamming you.

“I ain’t been arrested. I’ve not done anything to get arrested. Foolishness! Watch these people scamming you!”

He also shared some of the fake photos.

It’s certainly a bizarre story and perhaps a little worrying that some of his friends did seem to be convinced by AI that these images were actually real.

However, it’s good to see that Wright has responded in typical style, laughing it all off with a smile on his face.

The presenter recently made history with Shaun Wright-Phillips, becoming the first father and son punditry team to appear on Match of the Day.

So don’t worry, we’re far more likely to see him appear on TV in the future than in a prison cell.

جوميز يعقد جلسة خاصة مع زيزو بعد "هاتريك" ودية الزمالك والفيوم

عقد البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، جلسة منفردة مع لاعب الفريق أحمد سيد مصطفي “زيزو” بعد انتهاء المباراة الودية الثانية التي أقيمت اليوم الإثنين أمام فريق الفيوم.

ولعب الزمالك مباراتين وديتين اليوم، الأولى أمام ليفلز أحد أندية الدرجة الثالثة وفاز بهدفين دون رد، وسجل الأهداف ناصر ماهر والتونسي سيف الدين الجزيري.

طالع | الزمالك يُعلن إصابة صفقته الجديدة خلال مباراة ليفلز الودية

وفي الودية الثانية واجه الفيوم، واستطاع الزمالك الفوز برباعية نظيفة حيث سجل زيزو ثلاثة أهداف “هاتريك” والهدف الرابع أحرزه يوسف إبراهيم “أوباما”. 

وحرص جوميز خلال الجلسة على تهنئة زيزو، بالمستوي المميز الذي ظهر عليه خلال مباراة الفيوم الودية، كما تحدث معه عن بعض الملاحظات الفنية خلال اللقاء. موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة في الدوري المصري

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة الإسماعيلي، يوم 19 من شهر فبراير الجاري في الجولة الثالثة عشر من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

Westbury, Bartlett tons crush SL

Centuries from Oli Westbury and George Bartlett put England Under-19s in control on the opening day of their Youth Test against Sri Lanka Under-19s

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2016
ScorecardOli Westbury celebrates his hundred•Getty ImagesCenturies from Oli Westbury and George Bartlett put England Under-19s in control on the opening day of their Youth Test against Sri Lanka Under-19s. Westbury batted all day to reach the close unbeaten on 157, as the Sri Lanka attack was made to toil.Two late strikes did redress the balance slightly, after Westbury and Bartlett had put on 231 for the third wicket. Lahiru Kumara picked up his second wicket when he removed Bartlett for 131, off just 152 balls, and Jehan Daniel then bowled Joshua Dell to leave England on 327 for 4, before Ollie Pope accompanied Westbury to stumps.Bartlett, who was dropped twice in his innings, was one of ten new caps in England’s four-day side. “Today has been surreal, playing cricket for your country is what you dream,” he said.”Me and Wes fought hard early on and as the ball got a bit older the boundaries came a bit easier and it became easier to build on our partnership. It’s a shame I couldn’t build an even bigger score off the back of that hundred – it felt like we have built a great platform for the team to go on and get a great score.”Kumara had struck early, dismissing England captain Max Holden with the score on 20, and Shammu Ashan got rid of George Hankins, caught at short leg for 28 from the final ball before lunch, after a 65-run stand.Westbury and Bartlett then combined for most of the afternoon and evening to give a new-look England side an excellent platform. Westbury’s hundred was more watchful, coming off 172 balls, while Bartlett took 127 deliveries in reaching three figures.

تشابي ألونسو يرد على إمكانية تدريب ليفربول بعد رحيل كلوب

رد تشابي ألونسو المدير الفني لفريق باير ليفركوزن الألماني، على إمكانية توليه مهمة تدريب ليفربول بعد رحيل المدرب الحالي يورجن كلوب.

وأعلن كلوب اليوم الجمعة قراره بترك منصبه كمدير فني لليفربول، بنهاية الموسم الجاري، وهو ما فتح باب التكهنات حول خليفته المنتظر.

وارتبط تشابي ألونسو في وقت سابق بإمكانية تدريب ليفربول خلفًا لكلوب وذلك حتى قبل قرار المدرب الألماني بالرحيل نهاية الموسم.

وسبق وأشارت تقارير إلى وجود بند في عقد تشابي يتعلق بفسخ عقده حال وصول عرض من ليفربول أو ريال مدريد، وهو ما تم نفيه من مسؤولي باير ليفركوزن.

وسُئل تشابي عن إمكانية خلافة كلوب في ليفربول، وأجاب خلال مؤتمر صحفي اليوم: “التكهنات أمر طبيعي، تركيزي ينصب هنا في ليفركوزن”.

وأضاف: “في البداية، كانت مفاجأة كبيرة، أكن احترامًا كبيرًا ليورجن، ولدي إعجاب كبير بما حققه وبالطريقة التي حققها بها”.

وأصر تشابي: “في الوقت الحالي أنا سعيد حقًا هنا، أنا أستمتع بعملي هنا، وأشعر أن كل يوم يمثل تحديًا، وكل مباراة تمثل تحديًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كلوب يكشف خطوته المقبلة بعد الرحيل عن ليفربول ورد فعل مُلاك النادي

وأشار: “نحن في رحلة مكثفة وجميلة هنا في ليفركوزن وأحاول أن أبذل قصارى جهدي لمساعدة لاعبي فريقي على الاستعداد للشيء التالي وهذا هو هدفي”.

واسترسل: “ما الذي سيأتي بعد ذلك؟، لا أعرف، لست في تلك اللحظة للتفكير في الخطوة التالية، أفكر في الآن وأعتقد أنني في مكان رائع وأنا أستمتع به”.

وأتم تشابي: “أعتقد أن هذا هو المكان المناسب وهذا كل ما يمكنني قوله، ما الذي سيحدث في المستقبل لا أعرفه ولا يهمني حقًا، لأكون صادقًا”.

ولعب ألونسو أكثر من 200 مباراة مع ليفربول بين عامي 2004 و2009، وفاز بدوري أبطال أوروبا وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي قبل انضمامه إلى ريال مدريد.

Leeds Eye Move For Championship Title-Winning Manager

Fulham manager Marco Silva is likely to be a candidate for Leeds United this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

What’s the latest Leeds news involving Silva?

Sam Allardyce is the fourth manager to lead the Whites this season and is hoping to keep the club in the Premier League. Should he do just that, the 68-year-old will pick up a £2.5m bonus on top of a set £500,000 fee.

It looks as if his stay in Yorkshire will only be a short one regardless of what division Leeds find themselves in next season, and it appears as if those at Elland Road have identified Silva as a possible target.

The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel shared a story regarding Silva’s future in the last 48 hours, claiming that his current deal at Craven Cottage includes a £6m release clause. He stated that West Ham have placed Silva on a list of candidates to replace David Moyes, however, Mokbel then added:

“Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Southampton could all be in the market for a new head coach ahead of next season.

“Silva is likely to be a candidate for those jobs at the end of the season which could complicate Fulham’s attempts to tie him to a long-term contract.”

More unlikely…

You can see why Leeds would want to go for someone like Silva, with the 45-year-old enjoying an extremely successful stint as Fulham manager.

Silva led Fulham to the Championship title last season and has the Cottagers in the top half this season, completing the double over Leeds in the process. The Portuguese boss has wins over the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho on his CV and has shown that he can transform a side, similar to what Marcelo Bielsa did in Yorkshire after taking over back in 2018.

However, a number of clubs appear to be keen on his services including West Ham and Spurs, sides who have tended to play in Europe in recent years. Alongside that, Silva is also “understood to be happy in west London and is open to signing an extension”, so a move to Yorkshire looks extremely unlikely, so Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises could potentially be better off looking elsewhere.

Everton Offered Chance To Sign Striker With "Instinct"

Everton have been offered the chance to sign Boca Juniors striker Mateo Retegui this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Retegui's future?

The Toffees failed to sign a single player during the January window and having not replaced Anthony Gordon or recruited another senior forward to help Ellis Simms whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin is on the sidelines, these could be just some of the reasons why Sean Dyche finds his outfit in this dangerous position.

The Argentinian’s contract with Hugo Ibarra’s side isn’t set to expire until the end of next year, but having fallen out of favour, is currently on a season-long loan at Club Atletico Tigre, as per Transfermarkt. Despite them having the option to buy included though, the 23-year-old has been attracting interest from the Premier League.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the forward admitted that he’ll be on the move at the end of the season and is ideally looking to secure a switch to Europe. He said “Melarana [Tigre's president] said that in July it could be likely that I'll be sold. I really like the idea, it is a dream for everyone who plays football, the greatest teams are in Europe. In Italy there are great clubs, I like them all.”

Now, according to 90min, Retegui has been “offered” to Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Leicester and newly-promoted Burnley, who have all been “made aware” of his potential availability in the summer. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Lazio and Udinese are also “keen” to secure his services, whilst Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin are among others “weighing up” an approach.

Italy striker Mateo Retegui.

Should Everton splash the cash on Retegui?

Journalist Josh Bunting has claimed that Retegui is a centre-forward who has a natural “instinct in the box” and so Everton should certainly consider tabling an offer should they be in an affordable position to do so.

The Adidas-sponsored star has posted 33 goal contributions (30 goals and three assists) in 53 appearances for Tigre where he’s currently averaging 3.9 shots per league game, showcasing how prolific he is at not only taking his chances but creating them.

The 6 foot 1 striker also poses a physical presence and threat up top with his height where he’s recording 2.7 aerial wins every 90 minutes, making him the ideal target man when it comes to long balls, crosses and set pieces being whipped into the area.

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