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According to a report by Portuguese news outlet A Bola, via Sports Mole, Tottenham could be set to offload 2020 loan signing Gedson Fernandes back to his parent club Benfica after he was omitted from Jose Mourinho’s Europa League squad. 

Fernandes, who was signed in January on an 18-month loan deal to provide midfield cover whilst testing out a potential star of the future, has found life difficult in north London recently.

Fernandes back to Benfica?

Mourinho refused to name him in Spurs’ 24-man squad along with fellow outcasts Paulo Gazzaniga and Danny Rose, leaving Fernandes on the periphery of Tottenham’s team. Reports have now emerged from Portugal that he will more than likely return to his parent club, with Levy now looking like he’ll offload one of his first signings of 2020.

Described as a ‘Mourinho version of Harry Winks’ by talkSPORT host Adrian Durham, the Tottenham manager hasn’t exactly supported that tag with the game-time he has given to Fernandes.

Transfer Tavern take

According to WhoScored, the 21-year-old played a total of just 63 minutes over seven Premier League substitute appearances; and judging by this latest update, Mourinho clearly doesn’t rate him too highly.

The manager also claimed it was ‘difficult’ for Fernandes to adapt upon his first English top-flight match, with the youngster possessing bags of potential but arguably not enough to warrant a permanent deal.

His reputation on the continent motivated Levy to pursue a loan deal in order to test the youngster as a future option, but after nearly a year, it looks as if Fernandes could be going back to his homeland.

In other news: Spurs could be in line to capture a £36.5m-rated attacking giant; find out more here and don’t forget to comment below with your views!

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O zagueiro Henrique, do Napoli (ITA), está acertado com o Fluminense e a tendência é que o clube italiano e o Tricolor oficializem o acerto já nas próximas horas. Para isso, a diretoria carioca trabalha intensamente para que o defensor chegue ao Rio de Janeiro nesta segunda-feira, acerte os últimos trâmites, assine o compromisso por três temporadas e siga para Orlando(EUA), local da pré-temporada.

Na Itália, Henrique recebe 1,25 milhão de euros por ano (aproximadamente R$ 5,31 milhões), cerca de R$ 440 mil mensais. No Tricolor, o defensor receberá algo em torno de R$ 450 mil por mês neste período, R$ 150 mil a mais do que foi oferecido pelo Flamengo.

O Fluminense abriu negociação pelo jogador ainda em novembro, quando o próprio presidente Peter Siemsen esteve na Itália e reuniu-se com os dirigentes italianos. No meio do caminho, Grêmio e Flamengo entraram na jogada, porém, as investidas não foram bem vistas por lá, já que os dois clubes procuraram inicialmente o atleta.

RelacionadasFluminenseFlu oficializa Dryworld e presidente diz que clube está inovandoFluminense30/12/2015FluminenseFluminense acerta com Henrique e contrato será de três anosFluminense29/12/2015GrêmioRui Costa diz que o Grêmio não fará loucuras para contratar HenriqueGrêmio29/12/2015

As tratativas com Grêmio e Flamengo nem sequer avançaram. Nas últimas horas, o Rubro-Negro tentou dar a última cartada, oferecendo 3 milhões de euros (R$ 12,8 milhões) pelo defensor. Os italianos, porém, mostraram-se bastante reticentes e não quiseram abrir negociação com o clube da Gávea por conta da Doyen (fundo de investimento privado que também ajudou na contratação de Marcelo Cirino), que entrou como parceira nas tratativas. Uma pessoa ligada ao Flamengo esteve recentemente na Itália para tentar agilizar as conversas.

O Flamengo ainda se considerava estar vivo na disputa por conta da vontade do jogador, que seria de defender a equipe comandada por Muricy Ramalho. Mas o destino de Henrique será o Fluminense.

Southampton have truly found their groove in the Premier League this season and have come flying out the blocks. Now fourth in the table, they boast 13 points after winning four of their seven games played. An inspired performance against Aston Villa sees them just three points off the top spot.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is not holding back this time round. A top ten spot would have been the team’s target at the start of the season, but with so many twists and turns already, they may be eyeing up a top six finish instead.

The Saints have a lot to be thankful for as they enjoy their blistering start to the campaign. The team as a whole is working wonderfully together and the new signings appear to be settling in nicely. Kyle Walker-Peters has proved to be an extremely smart bit of business from Martin Semmens. But there’s one man who has impressed more than the defender.

Tying down James Ward-Prowse to a new five-year contract has arguably been the best decision the club has made during the transfer window and at the moment it is proving to be a Semmens masterclass.

James Ward-Prowse and his impact for Southampton

After guiding the Saints to a 4-3 win over Villa on Sunday, the skipper has made club history. The midfielder has overtaken club icon Matt Le Tissier as the player to score the most direct free-kicks with an impressive eight.

He also set up Jannik Vestergaard’s opener after 20 minutes at Villa Park, so not only does he have a wand of a right foot, but his eye for an opportunity is second to none in the team. Ward-Prowse now boasts four goalscoring contributions in his last two games, which could be the start of an exciting streak for the 26-year-old.

The Englishman was ever-present under Hasenhuttl last season, establishing himself as one of Southampton’s key players. Indeed, he hasn’t missed a single minute of football this term either and has stepped up to the plate with the captain’s armband too.

With teammate Danny Ings resurrecting his England career due to his phenomenal form, Ward-Prowse might not be far behind. He has appeared twice for his country this year, but with his current rate of performances, it will be impossible to count him out as a midfield contender for the Three Lions.

In other news, Southampton made right call not to cash in on Oriol Romeu in 2020…

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has thrown down the gauntlet to members of the Magpies’ squad, including Andy Carroll, who are set to see their contracts run out at the end of the season.

The Magpies have been busy trying to ensure the long-term futures of some of their most influential performers. Allan Saint-Maximin has joined the likes of Karl Darlow and Isaac Hayden in penning new contracts recently. However, there are still some players whose futures are uncertain.

Bruce lays down challenge to Andy Carroll and others

Bruce has already revealed that the Magpies are working on a new deal for Sean Longstaff, to add to Saint-Maximin’s recent six-year deal. It has now emerged that the Newcastle manager has challenged some players with one year left on their deals to earn a new contract with their performances, as per Chronicle Live.

The likes of Carroll, Dwight Gayle, Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark have all entered the final year of their current deals. Neither Clark nor Gayle have featured yet for the Magpies in the Premier League this season as the pair have both been suffered problems with injuries at the start of the campaign.

Carroll is entering the final year of his £75,000-a-week deal, as per Spotrac, and the forward has featured in three of Newcastle’s opening four matches, showing glimpses of his ability during the 2-0 opening day win at West Ham, while Bruce is fully aware of the qualities of Gayle, Fernandez and Clark.

Some players better placed to meet challenge than others

Bruce is right to challenge the four players to earn new deals rather than just handing them out. However, for Gayle in particular, it could be difficult to meet that challenge, given he is out injured at the moment and behind the in-form Callum Wilson in the pecking order. Carroll, who was once labelled as ‘devastating’ by Alan Shearer, has shown his worth at times, but questions remain over his fitness.

Clark also has questions to answer over his fitness, but he is a dependable defender when fully fit. Meanwhile, Fernandez has shown he has a lot to offer the Magpies, so probably is deserving of that new deal. It will be a very difficult decision to determine who should be given fresh terms.

Geordies, should Newcastle tie down these four players? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

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Antes da semifinal do Campeonato Paulista, o Santos fará a estreia na Copa do Brasil na quinta-feira, às 21h30, no Amapá, contra o Santos-AP. No entanto, para poupar os atletas para o Estadual, o Peixe levará ao Macapá só quem não atuou na vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o São Bento no último sábado. A maior surpresa estará na comissão técnica. Nem mesmo Dorival vai viajar.

O planejamento do Peixe é que o treinador fique na Baixada Santista com os titulares, dando sequência à preparação do Paulistão. Sendo assim, quem vai comandar o time no Amapá será Lucas Silvestre, auxiliar-técnico e filho de Dorival.

-É desgastante pelos horários. Não temos horário pra retorno, chegaríamos tarde. Vamos com equipe forte, mas a titular fica aqui trabalhando. Vou ficar por aqui e vai uma nova comissão pra lá. E vamos tentar um belo resultado lá dentro.Lucas vai pra lá com uma comissão montada anteriormente e comandará a equipe no jogo da quinta – disse o técnico.

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Lucas Silvestre acompanha Dorival desde que comandaram o Palmeiras em 2014.

Devem acompanhá-lo Marcelo Fernandes e Serginho Chulapa, também auxiliares do Peixe.

Sobre o time que vai entrar em campo, Dorival não tem certeza e só vai pensar na segunda-feira, quando o Alvinegro se reapresenta no CT Rei Pelé.

-Não tenho muito o que falar. Estamos montando agora a equipe. Começamos a trabalhar nesses últimos 10 dias, já preparando uma situação como essa. Tentamos uma antecipação e não conseguimos. Bom senso não prevalece. Não temos pra onde correr. Não vou arriscar uma situação e abrir mão de disputar vaga na final. Temos que estar com elenco recuperado e treinado, dificuldades que serão grandes independentemente de quem enfrentemos. Temos que ter equipe forte para tentarmos bom resultado – finalizou.

A lot of Celtic fans were talking about Tony Cascarino following a tweet from Hoops fan St.Anthony slating the player’s career at the club.

Cascarino was signed for £1.1m from Aston Villa in July 1991, as per thecelticwiki, but really failed to make an impression as the striker only managed to score four goals in 18 games, and for such a huge price tag in that era, his signing seemed a real letdown.

He failed to win any silverware either and it just looked to be a complete failure which sadly didn’t work out. Some might wonder why they paid such a fee for a player who had only scored 12 goals in 50 games for Aston Villa, as per thecelticwiki.

He has been a frequent critic of the Hoops now that he is retired and he did so with such regularity that the Daily Record compiled a list of ill-judged criticisms from the ex-Republic of Ireland striker.

It is quite ironic to see the former player slate a league in which he struggled and, judging by the fan replies below, it seems that there is no love lost between him and the Celtic faithful.

Here is what these Hoops fans had to say following the tweet:

Celtic fans, what are your thoughts on Cascarino? Comment below with your views!

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo teve um reforço significativo no treino desta quinta-feira (12), com o retorno de quatro jogadores que representaram suas seleções durante a data FIFA de setembro. Gatito Fernández, Bastos, Luiz Henrique e Savarino participaram de atividades no centro de treinamento.

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Segundo imagens divulgadas pelo clube, Gatito, Bastos e Luiz Henrique participaram das atividades no campo, enquanto Savarino trabalhou na parte interna do CT, focando em exercícios na academia.

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Gatito Fernández e Bastos foram titulares em ambos os jogos de suas seleções, Paraguai e Angola, respectivamente. Luiz Henrique, que já participou de forma direta de 17 gols do Botafogo nesta temporada, atuou como titular na partida contra o Equador e entrou no segundo tempo do jogo contra o Paraguai, pela Seleção Brasileira. Savarino, que não foi relacionado para o jogo da Venezuela contra a Bolívia, jogou 31 minutos no segundo tempo contra o Uruguai.

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Os quatro atletas estarão à disposição para o confronto do Botafogo contra o Corinthians, no próximo sábado (14), às 21h, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela 26ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro 2024.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Crystal Palace travel from south to west this Saturday to take on a Chelsea side who are absolutely flying going into this London derby affair.

Frank Lampard’s men are on a five-game winning streak in the Premier League, and have won eight of their last ten games in all competitions – the Blues’ last outing saw them come back from 4-1 down to record a 4-4 draw against Ajax at Stamford Bridge.

The likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are impressing in midfield, as is Fikayo Tomori at the back, although there is one man who is quite simply playing out of his skin at the moment.

Who is it?

Tammy Abraham.

The Chelsea academy graduate has had to be patient over the years as he waits for a chance at Stamford Bridge, scoring 23 Championship goals for Bristol City in 2016/17 and 26 league goals for Aston Villa last term, as he waited for his big break.

Having now been handed the No.9 shirt by Lampard and also the chance to shine in the first-team, the 22-year-old hasn’t looked back with a stunning nine goals in 11 Premier League appearances – Abraham is just one goal behind top-scorer Jamie Vardy.

Abraham – dubbed as a “brave” forward by Garth Crooks recently – has also netted in this season’s Champions League.

“Abraham clearly has ability, but he is also brave and not afraid to go in where it hurts. A crucial quality for any striker.”

Gary Cahill must be wary of Abraham

Another man who has had a fine start to the campaign is Crystal Palace’s Gary Cahill.

Signed on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea in the summer, the England international will be making his first appearance back at Stamford Bridge, and he has a job on his hands to contain the in-form striker.

Since becoming a Palace player, Cahill has won the club’s Player of the Month award for September while delivering some brilliant performances, although one thing that could be deemed as a blot on his copybook is his lack of pace.

Position-wise, and in terms of his leadership, the former Bolton man is exceptional, although if it comes down to a footrace between him and Abraham this weekend, Cahill will be in all sorts of bother.

As a result, what the centre-back – pinpointed as the “ultimate professional” by Asmir Begovic – mustn’t do is get too tight to Chelsea’s No.9.

“He’s the ultimate professional who controls his emotions very well. He was reliable and he had a good presence in the dressing room.”

As strange as it sounds, Cahill must allow Abraham space, rather than get touch-tight to the youngster who could then spin off the defender and leave him for dead.

In giving Abraham a few yards, Cahill would allow himself time to get a tackle in or simply assess the situation better, rather than getting sucked in where a simple give-and-go from Abraham would completely take him out of the game.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Going into Leicester City’s Premier League clash with Arsenal, most of the talk surrounding the midfield area was centred around Granit Xhaka, after it was confirmed he wouldn’t play.

However, Wilfred Ndidi, who is rated at £31.5m on Transfermarkt, ensured that it was he who would be getting plenty of attention upon the game’s culmination, as he put in a complete masterclass, playing a central role in Brendan Rodgers’ side overcoming the Gunners in more ways than one.

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Defensively, the Nigeria international was solid, completing 7 tackles, the highest number of anyone in the game, while also making 2 clearances and 3 interceptions, as well as coming out on top in 3 aerial duels.

What is so impressive about Ndidi is that he doesn’t just win the ball back, but looks to do something as soon as he has retrieved it.

This is what led to Leicester’s second of the game. He got in ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to regain possession, took Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira out of the game with a few touches, before passing to Ricardo Pereira, starting the move that ended with James Maddison’s strike.

Ndidi’s comfort on the ball can also be seen through his statistics, as the 22-year-old completed all 3 of his dribbles, played 1 key pass and maintained a pass success rate of 90%.

It is telling that he was able to make such an impact despite having just 3% of the game’s overall possession, the lowest number of any starting central midfielder on the pitch.

The Nigerian even got close to scoring a goal, though he eventually saw his effort from inside the box cannon off the crossbar.

There was plenty of appreciation for his performance, as Jordan Blackwell of The Leicester Mercury gave him a rating of 8, adding: “Dominated the midfield by himself once again, making tackles galore to ensure that Arsenal’s only route to goal was down the flanks.”

Ndidi gave a complete masterclass that will have likely left Arsenal envious of Leicester, considering their issues in the midfield area.

Some Liverpool fans took to Twitter in fury after Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were both omitted from the starting XI against Tottenham on Sunday.Both men lit up the midweek Champions League win over Genk on Wednesday, with Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular impressing after scoring two goals in the 4-1 victory – the England international was named as the WhoScored Man of the Match for his efforts in Belgium.

In Keita’s case, the Guinea international was also in fine form, having more touches of the ball than anyone else on the pitch with 140 while also completing three dribbles and recording three tackles.

However, despite their impressive performances, Jurgen Klopp opted to go with his trusty midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum for the visit of Spurs – something that did not go down too well with some Liverpool fans on Twitter.

Let’s take a look at what they were saying prior to kick-off…