Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane loves his new manager Antonio Conte after a promising behind the scenes update emerged this week…

What’s the word?

The England international came close to leaving his boyhood club last summer, being involved in an intense and controversial transfer saga with Manchester City, who were keen to sign him on top of their £100m man Jack Grealish.

A move failed to materialise and Kane started the season in dire form, failing to find the net in the Premier League until his seventh appearance, whilst he scored just once in 13 outings, via Transfermarkt.

Now under the Italian, he’s bagged six goals across ten games, including a last-gasp winner at the Etihad Stadium, leading to murmurs of a new contract in the pipeline.

And according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, the 28-year-old is very happy at Spurs again and loves working under the one-time Premier League and FA Cup winner.

“Everything I’m hearing about Kane at the moment is that he’s really happy and he loves playing under Conte, so long may that continue,” he told GIVEMESPORT this week.

Positive signs

Indeed, Kane has looked a different animal on the pitch since the north Londoners replaced Nuno Santo with Conte and that’s hardly much of a surprise given the negative brand of football on offer under the Portuguese.

And the fact that the 52-year-old is a born winner who is hungry for success – just like Kane, who wants to add silverware to his glowing goalscoring record at the club he’s risen through the ranks at.

Ten of Kane’s 17 goals across all competitions this season have come since Conte was appointed in mid-November.

His £200k-per-week contract expires in the summer of 2024, meaning chairman Daniel Levy probably has only one or two chances left to cash in on the superstar – if he’s that way inclined – though that would seem an unlikely scenario following Bridge’s recent claim.

That should leave many supporters around Hotspur Way absolutely delighted and the manager too because a happy Kane is one performing at his best for the club and they will not want to lose him, regardless of what happened last summer.

They won’t find or generate a better centre-forward than Kane anytime soon, if ever.

If he’s truly happy behind the scenes, then there’s every chance he sees out his career in a Lilywhites shirt and that has to be a very exciting prospect to fans and Conte alike.

AND in other news, Forget Japhet: 19 y/o “rising star” who has impressed Conte could save Spurs millions…

Shane Warne has smoothed over a potential rift with Ricky Ponting after he criticised the Australian captain’s field placements for the spinner Nathan Hauritz on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010Shane Warne has smoothed over a potential rift with Ricky Ponting after he criticised the Australian captain’s field placements for the spinner Nathan Hauritz on Wednesday. During the final day in Bangalore, as India moved towards victory, Warne tweeted that he was feeling sorry for Hauritz: “How the hell can hauritz bowl to this field??”But as Ponting later explained, Hauritz himself had asked for the very fielders that Warne was upset about. On Thursday, Warne said he was only responding to questions from fans and that he had made up with Ponting after the match, which Australia lost by seven wickets.”Me and Punter swapped a few SMSs last night,” Warne told Australia’s Channel Nine. “We’re mates, we’re going to disagree a few times, it doesn’t mean suddenly we hate each other and things like that.”Warne also said that despite Australia losing the series 2-0, he had not changed his opinion that Ponting’s men could regain the Ashes this summer. The battle for the urn kicks off in Brisbane on November 25 and Warne said the Indian series should not have any effect on Australia’s preparation.”It’s been hard work in India a few times,” Warne said. “We got smashed all over the park as spinners. It’s very difficult. Unfortunately to lose 2-0 to India is not great, but I don’t think it will have an impact on the Ashes.”Australia are always tough to beat at home. They’re a pretty proud team. We’ve always been like that over the last 20 odd years that I’ve been playing. I think we’ll give the Poms a run for their money out here.”

Marcus North’s 6 for 55 was the best bowling by an Australian spinner in a Test innings at the home of cricket

Brydon Coverdale18-Jul-2010When Shahid Afridi was asked after the Lord’s Test what he thought of Marcus North’s bowling, he screwed up his face, looked away and tried not to laugh. As compliments go, it could have been more convincing. North doesn’t care. He described it as one of the highlights of his career to help Australia win a Test and earn a place on the bowling honour board at Lord’s, alongside his batting colleague Shane Watson.If that wasn’t proof enough that the natural order had been turned upside-down, North’s 6 for 55 was the best bowling by an Australian spinner in a Test innings at the home of cricket. Shane Warne couldn’t match it, nor Clarrie Grimmett, nor Arthur Mailey, although none of them had the luxury of bowling to Pakistan at Lord’s.”I don’t feel like I deserve that, to be honest,” North said. “There have been some amazing bowlers over the years who have had some great bowling performances at Lord’s. I certainly would like to have that six-for against England. But it was a great occasion to play at a neutral venue against Pakistan at Lord’s.”Afridi’s wicket was the ultimate bonus for a bowler – from his fourth delivery he tried to launch North onto Cavendish Avenue, only to find the fielder at deep midwicket. It wasn’t all luck for North and his dismissal of Umar Akmal, who cut to slip when he was surprised by turn and extra bounce from the rough outside off stump, was memorable.Things went North’s way as soon as Ricky Ponting handed him the ball ahead of Steven Smith on the fourth day. With two left-handers at the crease, Ponting wanted the ball turning away from them, but with his first delivery North drifted the ball down leg side and had Salman Butt stumped thanks to an excellent piece of glovework from Tim Paine.”I’m as surprised as you guys,” North said. “It felt like the ball was coming out okay. There are times it has come out better, but I haven’t had too many opportunities at this level. An opportunity to contribute with the ball is something that I love to do. Getting the ball thrown to me and having the opportunity to help win a Test match for Australia is certainly one of the highlights of my career.”North’s first six-for in first-class cricket helped him forget about a disappointing match with the bat, after he was bowled for a duck in the first innings and caught behind for 20 in the second. North is coming off a century and a 90 in Australia’s last series, on their tour of New Zealand, but his tendency to make triple or single figures, with not a lot in between, is a slight concern.”In general with batters the first 20 or 30 balls are pretty important,” he said. “My record shows it’s very important for me. It’s something that I’m very aware of. I don’t think it’s a nervous thing. I’m no more nervous than anyone else. It’s something that I’ve been trying to work on my whole career, it’s not just since I’ve been playing for Australia.”It’s a habit that means he is constantly under the microscope, for even if he has scored recent hundreds a string of very low scores is not a good look for a No. 6 batsman. Speculation over his place in the team intensified during the Australian home season, but his efforts in New Zealand eased the pressure.”That’s something I’ve learnt a lot during the Australian summer, where there is that scrutiny,” North said of dealing with media criticism. “I’ve learnt ways and techniques to filter that. But in New Zealand it was rewarding for me not just to get through that scrutiny but as a mental challenge as well, dealing with that side of things for the first time is rewarding for me.”At least the next Test is being played at a venue with happy memories for North. At Headingley last year, his 110 helped Australia to an innings victory over England and earned him the Man of the Match award. He’d love to remind people he’s a batsman first, bowler second.

Newcastle United transfer target Niklas Sule has decided to leave Bayern Munich, according to Bild (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

26-year-old centre-back Sule is out of contract at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said over the weekend that the player’s camp were considering an improved offer from the club.

Sule has been with Bayern for four and a half years, having joined from TSG Hoffenheim for £18million back in 2017.

In that time, he’s made 158 appearances, including 25 so far this term.

The latest

The report from Germany (via SW) states ‘decision made’, with Sule opting to leave Munich as a free agent in the summer.

Sule ‘has long since rejected’ the offer of a €10million-per-year (£160,000-per-week) salary.

Newcastle are named among the clubs ‘interested’ in snapping up the German for next season.

The verdict

You’d imagine the move would depend upon Newcastle staying up, but what a signing this would be.

Sule is a 37-cap Germany international who’s played at the last two major tournaments for his country.

He also boasts a huge trophy haul, including the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League and a remarkable four Bundesliga titles.

Sule is a strong tackler, but he’s also more than comfortable in possession, excelling at passing and dribbling (via WhoScored).

One surprising asset, given that he looks ‘like the Incredible Hulk’ is his speed. Sule has been clocked at 21.6 miles per hour, which at one point made him the second quickest player in the Bayern ranks (via Bundesliga.com).

He has so many qualities that there’s bound to be a long queue of suitors – Jupp Heynckes called him ‘superb’ and ‘world class’ – so this would be quite a coup if the Magpies can snap him up on pre-contract terms for the summer.

In other news, Newcastle are reportedly moving in for this signing.

Bayern Munich have not yet expressed an interest in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha in the January transfer window, according to journalist Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Bayern linked with Raphinha move

The Whites received a potential blow earlier in the week, with the Brazilian strongly linked with a January switch to Bayern after the European giants saw him as a strong option to sign.

Raphinha has surely been Leeds’ best player so far this season, scoring eight goals in 16 Premier League appearances, so the thought of losing him midway through the campaign is a worrying one.

Fortunately, a more positive update has now emerged regarding the 25-year-old’s future.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Smyth provides encouraging update

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth, the rumour of an imminent move to Germany is wide of the mark, with Bayern ‘yet to make any interest known’ to Leeds regarding a potential transfer for the Brazilian.

It is stated that the Whites may need to sell players in January to generate funds for new signings, but it is also mentioned that selling Raphinha would ‘make next to no sense’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-29/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Can’t afford to lose him

With key figures such as Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford both plagued by injury this season, Raphinha’s importance to Marcelo Bielsa’s side is going to be greater than ever throughout the rest of the campaign.

Leeds are threatening to become embroiled in a relegation fight in the Premier League, so allowing arguably their best player to leave would be asking for trouble.

It could be that Raphinha demands to move on at the end of the season, but for now, it makes complete sense for the Whites to ignore any other club’s advances and try to persuade the 25-year-old to commit to the Leeds cause for another few months at least, especially when they badly need him.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly still interested in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of his services…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Magpies have made an enquiry over a potential deal to sign the ex-MK Dons man in January.

The report claims that Antonio Conte’s side are open to offers for Alli, with the Toon Army hoping to strike a loan deal with an option to sign him permanently in the summer.

Phenomenal

PIF must ensure that they are able to seal a deal to sign the midfielder as he would be phenomenal for Eddie Howe and could provide the quality they need to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

The England international has lost his way over the past 18 months, but a change of scenery could allow him to re-focus and motivate himself to get back to his best. His form for Spurs in his first few years for the club showed that his ceiling as a player is colossal.

Alli scored 37 goals and provided 26 assists in his first three Premier League campaigns for them, which shows that he has the requisite quality required to be a top player at this level. Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton previously compared him to two England legends as he heaped praise on the playmaker, saying:

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent.

“I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

However, he has only scored one goal in the top-flight since the start of the 2020/21 season and this has presented Newcastle with the opportunity to swoop him away from White Hart Lane.

The £100k-per-week gem could be “phenomenal” for Howe if he is able to recapture the kind of form he has shown in the past. He could come in and chip in with vital goals and assists to win games for the Magpies and help them to move up the table, which is why they must work hard to get this deal over the line in January.

Taking him on loan with an option to sign him permanently also means that they can avoid major financial losses if he is unable to turn things around and play like the Alli of old. Therefore, it could be an ideal transfer for Newcastle both in terms of the potential benefits on and off the pitch.

AND in other news, “Newcastle are…”: Ornstein drops exciting transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing…

A number of West Ham supporters have been hailing a host of Hammers youngsters after they played against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.

David Moyes’ side faced a dead rubber contest in Europe on Thursday evening, having already secured qualification into the knockout stages.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It afforded Moyes the luxury of naming a much-changed starting lineup at the London Stadium but it was one that had more meaning to it than normal.

During the night, a total of eight academy graduates took to the field, while there were also five full debutants and two debutants, as highlighted by an official club post.

It was further proof that West Ham are going in the right direction both on and off the pitch, despite the 1-0 defeat, as the latest batch of Hammers youngsters look to mark their mark.

West Ham fans hail youngsters

These fans took to Twitter to react to their efforts.

“My club”

Credit: @darrenpasley79

“Wow what a picture!”

Credit: @jackcoyi1

“Future is bright”

Credit: @deskamiya

“Massive”

Credit: @Razek_76

“Proud of the boys, COYI”

Credit: @MarcinPochojka

“Brilliant display from majority of them tonight so proud”

Credit: @RyanHil98488904

In other news, a reliable reporter has made a transfer claim regarding one West Ham target. Find out who it is here.

يخطط مانشستر سيتي لإجراء محادثات مع برناردو سيلفا لصياغة مستقبله، بعد أن أعرب لاعب خط الوسط عن رغبته في مغادرة ملعب الاتحاد إلى إسبانيا في كل من الصيفين الماضيين.

أبدى برشلونة اهتمامه باللاعب البالغ من العمر 28 عامًا ولكن لم يتم تقديم عروض رسمية، ومانشستر سيتي حريص على تحديد ما إذا كان النجم البرتغالي سيسعى مرة أخرى لمغادرة النادي في نهاية هذا الموسم.

يريد بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ومدربه بيب جوارديولا أن يبقى برناردو سيلفا، الذي تبقى لديه عامان ونصف في عقده، في النادي.

لكن مانشستر سيتي لن يقف في طريقه إذا كان اللاعب البرتغالي الدولي لا يزال يريد المغادرة وتلقى عرضًا بأكثر من 80 مليون جنيه إسترليني، وفقًا لصحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية. 

بعد انضمامه من موناكو في 2017، أثبت أنه أحد أفضل التعاقدات مع جوارديولا والمفضل لدى الجماهير.

قال سيلفا في الأسابيع الأخيرة إنه بينما يحب مانشستر، فإنه يتوق إلى الثقافة في أيبيريا (بإسبانيا).

لقد قدر كل من النادي واللاعب الصدق في المناقشات السابقة وهناك إدراك أنهم سيحتاجون إلى الوضوح.

المحادثات مع سيلفا، المتوقع إجراؤها خلال الأشهر المقبلة، ستقطع شوطا ما في إملاء إستراتيجية السيتي في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

لا يزالون يبحثون عن ظهير كامل، ولكن من المتوقع أن يقوموا باستثمار كبير في مركز خط الوسط.

يحظى جود بيلينجهام لاعب بوروسيا دورتموند بالإعجاب في مانشستر سيتي – خاصة بعد عرض لافت للنظر في دوري أبطال أوروبا في وقت سابق من هذا الشهر – على الرغم من تنافس مجموعة من أندية النخبة، بما في ذلك ليفربول وريال مدريد، على توقيعه وانضم إليهم تشيلسي.

يقوم المدير الرياضي تكسيكي بجيريستين بإعداد قائمة ببعض البدائل المحتملة لبرناردو سيلفا، بينما ينتهي عقد القائد جوندوجان في نهاية الموسم.

جوندوجان، المثير للإعجاب منذ أن تولى شارة القيادة من فرناندينيو المغادر، رفض في السابق التسرع في اتخاذ قرارات بشأن مستقبله.

Norwich City had a very eventful weekend with the Canaries finally securing their first win of the season before the celebrations took a twist when the club announced they had parted ways with manager, Daniel Farke, with immediate effect.

There have already been a few names put into the conversation, with the firm favourite being someone currently out of management.

That happens to be Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard.

Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter yesterday evening to confirm Norwich’s interest in the former midfielder and two other managers; “Frank Lampard had a conversation with the Norwich City board today, but still no decision made. Three names on the list, meeting planned to progress in internal talks and decide,” he said.

The main concern for Norwich is having a hefty relegation battle on their hands as they currently sit at the bottom of the premier league table, with just 5 points from 11 games. Luckily, there is still time to get a good run going, but is there potentially somebody available that would be a better fit than Lampard for Norwich’s circumstances?

Dean Smith was relieved of his duties as head coach at Aston Villa this weekend after five consecutive losses and has already appeared on the Canaries’ shortlist. Although he was only sacked a few days ago, Smith seems to be the perfect fit with the skills required to give Norwich the best opportunity of staying in the Premier League next season.

Dubbed a “universally liked” character by Villa CEO, Christian Purslow, the 50-year-old took Aston Villa from mid-table in the Championship and turned them into an established Premier League side. Smith’s success and experience with Villa will not go unnoticed by Norwich City’s sporting director, Stuart Webber, who will be looking for a manager with the proven ability to turn the tide on the club’s abysmal start to the season.

Tim Sherwood, who was speaking on Premier League Productions, has claimed that Norwich would be a ‘great job for him now’ as Smith looks to the future, and the next step in his career.

“He’s still a very good manager,” said Sherwood. “He has proved that he can get someone promoted and he has proved he can stay in the Premier League.”

Smith famously led Villa to a great escape from relegation in 2020, following it up with an impressive 11th place finish in the season after. Norwich will be looking for a similarly ambitious and direct approach from their new manager, to release them from their current relegation woes and secure another season of Premier League football.

AND in other news, Webber could land NCFC’s dream Farke heir with “attractive” coach, he’s a perfect fit…

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford’s return from injury for the Whites is now ‘on the horizon’, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Bamford out for months

The 28-year-old was a huge player for Leeds last season, topping their Premier League scoring charts with 17 goals and helping them to a ninth-placed finish.

However, Bamford has been absent since the middle of September with an injury, which has duly restricted to just five league starts in the current campaign.

It appears as though the striker’s return is edging closer, though, with Hay providing a very positive update on the situation.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay gives positive update

Taking on Twitter on Friday to promote an article on Bamford’s situation, Hay confirmed that the Leeds striker’s injury return is now ‘on the horizon’.

That suggests the England international will be able to play a key role in the Whites’ December fixtures, which would be a timely return amidst a busy upcoming schedule.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-25/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Season turning point?

Bamford’s influence on this Leeds team is enormous both on and off the ball – he has averaged three shots and 1.6 clearances per game in the league this season – so his return should be huge for Marcelo Bielsa.

Granted, it may take time for him to rediscover top form, but his ability to find the net and bring teammates into the game could be priceless.

Without him, Leeds have looked far more toothless in attack, scoring just seven goals in as many games in his injury-enforced absence. Indeed, it’s not exaggerating to suggest that Bamford’s return might just be the turning point in the Whites’ season, if he can pick up where he had left off prior to his injury.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped for a move to Liverpool. Find out who it is here.