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West Ham United have been offered the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho this month…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror (August 15th, page 74), the Barcelona attacking midfielder has been offered in a cut-price deal to a trio of Premier League teams, including the Irons.

Arsenal and Everton are the other two teams listed as the cash-strapped La Liga giants desperately try to get the Brazilian off the wage bill after his failed £142m transfer from Liverpool in January 2018.

It’s claimed that any interested club would only have to pay around 60% of his £7.7m-per-year salary, which is around £96k-per-week. The Hammers’ top earner is currently Andriy Yarmolenko, who is thought to be on around £115k-per-week at the London Stadium.

Creative outlet

West Ham still remain interested in Jesse Lingard, as revealed by assistant manager Stuart Pearce to talkSPORT earlier this week, but should any move for him fall through, then Coutinho must absolutely be considered.

He’s had a tough time at the Nou Camp, struggling with injuries and form, on top of the pressure of that whopping fee.

However, his stint at Liverpool was one to remember, so if David Moyes can get him back to that level, then the east Londoners would be getting one hell of a player. Across 201 appearances for the Reds, the creative midfielder delivered 54 goals and 45 assists at a rate of one every 150 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

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At his best, Coutinho is clearly a world-class talent who possesses skills that very few have. He did show a glimpse of returning to such form during a loan spell at Bayern Munich, where he won the treble and contributed towards that with 11 goals and nine assists. That was only two seasons ago.

During his time in Germany, the former Liverpool star averaged 2.2 key passes every 90 minutes – a feat which would see him sit top of the charts at the London Stadium last season, managing more than the likes of Lingard (1.1), Vladimir Coufal (1.3) and even assist-leader Aaron Cresswell (1.6), via WhoScored.

Evidently, Moyes somewhat lacks a playmaker who can cut open defences with a perfectly-timed pass or a deft piece of skill. That’s where Coutinho can help fill a void.

Speaking about such an ability, the 29-year-old’s fellow countryman Roberto Firmino waxed lyrical. He said (via Goal): “He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

Valued at £27m and capped 63 times at international level, there’s no doubt that Coutinho has something special about him. He may well have struggled in Spain but a fresh start in the English capital could be exactly what he and West Ham need this season.

Moyes and co must consider a swoop for him before August 31st.

AND in other news, Forget Antonio and Benrahma: £27m-rated machine stole the show for West Ham at Newcastle…

Watford kicked off their Premier League campaign in superb fashion at Vicarage Road on Saturday, as goals from Emmanuel Dennis, Ismaila Sarr and Cucho Hernandez helped Xisco Munoz’s side to a 3-2 win against Aston Villa.

It took the Hornets just 10 minutes to score their first goal back in the top-flight, as Dennis fired home on the second attempt to earn himself a debut goal.

The Nigerian was involved again in Watford’s second, as he led a breakaway before feeding Sarr, who showcased his electric pace to run in on goal, before seeing a shot deflected over Emiliano Martinez into the top corner for 2-0.

Hernandez, who was also finally making his Watford debut, took no time at all to score, as he came on as a substitute in the 67th minute before curling a superb effort into the net from outside of the box.

John McGinn’s superb half volley and Danny Ings’ late penalty tarnished the scoreline somewhat, but ultimately it was a very happy return to Premier League action for Xisco’s side.

Whilst Dennis will rightly earn a lot of plaudits for his contributions on his debut, it was arguably last season’s outstanding player, Sarr, who was the star of the show on Saturday afternoon.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old would earn an impressive 8.0 rating for his performance, which was the second-best of any player to feature in the game from both sides.

The £19.8m-rated winger contributed a superb four key passes in the game, which was the most of any player on the pitch – including Dennis – whilst he also completed four dribbles (100%) and was fouled five times, which emphasises that he gave Aston Villa’s defence, notably left-back Matt Targett, a torrid time.

Considering the Senegalese youngster averaged just 1.1 key passes in the Championship last season, the early signs suggest that he will easily handle the step up to the top-flight, and will likely be key to whether or not the Hornets can avoid relegation this season.

And, in other news… Huge Watford transfer news is confirmed, fans will be fuming

Spanish football journalist Euan McTear has refused to rule out the possibility of Manchester City making a sensational move for Lionel Messi despite already breaking the British transfer record for Jack Grealish.

Messi’s incredibly successful stay at Barcelona has officially come to an end after it was confirmed La Liga regulations have stopped the Spanish giants being able to re-sign the Argentina international.

The 34-year-old saw his contract expire at the end of June but agreed to extend his stay at the Nou Camp by negotiating reduced terms on a new deal.

Despite wanting to remain at Barcelona, Messi has been forced to seek pastures new as he cannot be re-registered or sign the contract due to the club exceeding La Liga’s wage limit.

According to Spanish media outlet Marca, a reunion with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City is Messi’s preferred choice despite interest from French outfit Paris Saint-Germain.

Although City announced the arrival of Aston Villa talisman Grealish for £100million just hours after news of Messi’s departure broke, McTear still thinks the frontman who scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona could end up at the Etihad Stadium.

He told Football FanCast: “Barcelona really needed to clear out a lot of wages to be able to register him with La Liga because they have a different system to other leagues.

“It sounds like Messi wanted to stay at Barcelona and wasn’t considering other clubs but it’s impossible for them to re-sign him, so he’ll have to think of somewhere.

“City has always been one that has made a lot of sense.”

Middlesex, England’s Twenty20 champions, will be part of this year’s Champions League, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has confirmed

Cricinfo staff31-Jul-2008
Middlesex, England’s Twenty20 Cup champions, will be part of the Champions Twenty20 League © Getty Images
Middlesex, England’s Twenty20 champions, will be part of this year’s Champions Twenty20 League, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has confirmed.David Collier, the ECB chief executive, informed Cricket Australia, one of the three founding partners of the Champions Twenty20 League, that Middlesex will be participating in the tournament starting September 28, and added that they would be interested in sending two teams for the tournament from next year.”It’s very good news for world cricket,” Modi told Cricinfo. “We are extremely happy to have Middlesex on board. This makes the tournament complete in every manner.”Middlesex will join two teams each from India, Australia and South Africaand Pakistan’s Sialkot in the eight-team competition.The participation of a team from England was in doubt till a couple of days ago after the ECB conveyed that it had reservations about some of the rules and regulations, especially the one that banned players associated with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL). The no-ICL rule had prevented Kent, the other Twenty20 Cup finalists, from qualifying for the tournament which was originally conceived for the Twenty20 domestic finalists from India, Australia, South Africa and England.However, Modi had told Cricinfo in an interview minutes after the Champions League was announced in Mumbai on Wednesday that an invitation was “still open” for Middlesex whose entry would ensure a “wholesome tournament”.India, Australia and South Africa are the three founding partners of the Champions League which will be held from September 29-October 8. Modi had previously said that the tournament would be held in Jaipur, Delhi and Mohali this year but has since put that decision on hold.”Ideally we would like to conduct the games at the venues announced originally but there are offers from other people and the members decided to examine all the options and not to decide right now,” Modi said.

MatériaMais Notícias

Andrew Eric Feitosa foi apresentado na tarde desta quarta-feira no São Paulo. Pelo nome, nenhum torcedor saberá quem é o novo reforço, que é conhecido por Morato. O atacante recebeu a camisa 38, explicou o apelido e projetou sucesso no clube. Aos 24 anos, ele chega por empréstimo do Ituano até o fim da temporada.

– O apelido vem de Francisco Morato (município na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo). Tive um treinador que disse que não daria para me chamar pelo meu nome, que é Andrew Eric. Ele dizia “como vou falar olha o ladrão, Andrew Erik?” Então, ele perguntou onde eu tinha nascido, e falei que era em Francisco Morato. Ele falou “então tá aí”. Pegou desde a escolinha, e ficou até agora – afirmou o atacante, que ainda não ficará à disposição no São Paulo para o jogo desta quinta-feira, contra o Cruzeiro, pela Copa do Brasil.

Morato na base justamente do São Paulo, entre 2001 e 2006. Agora, o jogador vê sua volta como um “complemento da história”.

– Estou muito contente em voltar. Relembrar lá no início, quando pegava ônibus, trem… Ter rodado, e agora chegar para o complemento da minha história – disse Morato.

– As pessoas que me conhecem sabem que me preparei para isso, esse é o meu momento, chegou a minha hora – acrescentou.

O atacante também se apresentou aos torcedores. Após iniciar na base do São Paulo, Morato passou por Internacional e Olé Brasil antes de seguir para o Gyeongnam, na Coreia do Sul, onde estreou profissionalmente. Na volta ao Brasil, ele defendeu Ferroviária, Mogi Mirim, Boa Esporte, Cascavel-PR e, por fim, o Ituano.

– Não jogo só pelo lado do campo, mas também pelo meio. Já tive uma conversa com o Rogério, posso atuar pelos dois lados. Velocidade, um bom passe e uma boa finalização: esse é o Morato – apresentou-se o atacante.

– Sou mais de construção de jogadas. Por mais que tenha feito poucos gols, alguns números mostram que construí muitas jogadas para finalizações no Ituano – completou.

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Leeds United have made their first move to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of the clubs monitoring the Blues ace ahead of a potential move, and that they had been tracking his progress closely during his loan spell at West Brom last season.

The Athletic have now claimed that the Whites have made an approach to sign the 21-year-old, with fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace also said to be vying for his signature.

The report adds that a new central midfielder is the club’s big priority at the moment, and that Chelsea would be willing to sanction another loan move away for Gallagher.

Perfect for Bielsa

If Bielsa can get a loan deal over the line for Gallagher, then they would be getting someone who is still very young at 21, but already has extensive experience playing in the Championship and Premier League.

Despite not making his mark on the first team at Chelsea, Gallagher has received plenty of plaudits during his loan spells, with former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer even calling the £13.5m-rated midfielder a “jewel” who was “impossible to replace.”

During the youngster’s time at Swansea, Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews lauded the “unbelievable” energy Gallagher possesses, even comparing him to Chelsea icon Frank Lampard.

The former Blackburn midfielder said: “The one thing he has got is a fantastic engine, much like Lee Bowyer or Frank Lampard – it’s amazing, the resemblances between those two in their younger years particularly. But for me, he’s a classic No 8; he has an unbelievable energy, he does the ugly side of the game, but you have to let him off the leash and let him get forward.”

On Twitter, The Athletic’s West Brom correspondent Steve Madeley threw his backing behind a potential move to Leeds, saying that Gallagher’s “energy and commitment are perfect for Bielsa.”

That emphasis on the  21-year-old’s dynamism and work-rate is something which will be music to the ears of Bielsa, and a season-long loan move surely has nothing to lose for Leeds next season.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their new Pablo Hernandez in this star…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting positively to Fabrizio Romano’s claim that Marko Grujic is on the verge of joining Porto permanently.

While much of the focus this summer will be on who comes in and makes Jurgen Klopp’s squad stronger, there are also outgoings to consider.

There are a number of players who won’t have futures at Anfield and selling them will help generate funds for new signings.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Grujic is one of those players, with Klopp having no first-team plans for him moving forward, having made just 16 appearances for Liverpool, all but two of which were prior to the end of the 2017/18 season.

According to reliable journalist Romano on Twitter, the 25-year-old is close to joining Porto on a permanent deal, with an ‘agreement completed’ on a long-term deal that will keep him at the club until 2026.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-7/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans happy about Grujic leaving

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the update, with many pleased to see Grujic moving on to the next chapter in his career after a succession of loan moves.

“Hopefully we should start seeing some sort of movement soon!”

Credit: @zubinofficial

“Finally Klopp’s 1st signing is finding a real home”

Credit: @IsabiryePhilo

“It’s permanent thank god”

Credit: @G1121C

“Some good news”

Credit: @LfcRahul

“Fresh incoming…”

Credit: @psandiwarwar

“Here we go”

Credit: @fanskarduss

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a rumour regarding one Reds player. Find out who it is here.

أكد أسامة عرابي لاعب الأهلي الأسبق، أن المارد الأحمر أهدر فوزًا تاريخيًا أمام وفاق سطيف الجزائري، في مباراة ذهاب دور نصف النهائي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وفاز الأهلي على وفاق سطيف برباعية دون رد، في مباراة الذهاب التي جمعتهما على ملعب السلام، على أن تكون مواجهة الإياب بالجزائر يوم السبت المُقبل.

وقال عرابي في تصريحات لبرنامج “بوكس تو بوكس” عبر قناة “etc”: “الأهلي أهدر فوزا تاريخيا أمام وفاق سطيف، كان من الممكن أن يسجل عدد أكبر من الأهداف، والمباراة كانت أسهل مما نتخيل”.

وتابع: “الفريق الجزائري تأهل لمباراة نصف النهائي بتوفيق كبير خلال مواجهة الترجي التونسي في ربع النهائي، حيث أنه يعاني من الأخطاء الدفاعية وأنهى رصيده من التوفيق في مباراتي الفريق التونسي”.

طالع أيضا.. مدرب وفاق سطيف: ثلاثي الأهلي كان الأفضل أمامنا.. وسنلعب من أجل الفوز وليس تحقيق مفاجأة

وواصل: “مدرب وفاق سطيف انتحر كرويًا أمام الأهلي، بعدما قرر مهاجمة المارد الأحمر مع بداية الشوط الثاني، رغم النقص العددي الذي عانى منه فريقه، أعتقد أن خبراته بالكرة الإفريقية قليلة، أو أنه لا يعلم قيمة النادي الأهلي”.

واستكمل: “رباعية الأهلي مطمئنة لكن الأحمر أضاع العديد من الفرص، نستطيع التسجيل بمرمى وفاق سطيف في الجزائر ومنطقيًا الخصم لن يتمكن من العودة بسبب فارق الإمكانيات بين الفريقين، وهذا لا يُعني أن يستهتر لاعبو الأهلي بالمباراة”.

واختتم: “الوداد المغربي وصل لنهائي إفريقيا بنسبة 90%، ومباراتي نصف النهائي ابتسمت للأفضل وهم الأهلي والفريق المغربي، وأتمنى أن يحقق الأحمر التتويج الثالث له بدوري الأبطال على التوالي”. اهداف مباراة الاهلي ووفاق سطيف (4-0) دوري ابطال افريقيا

Manchester United reportedly want to make two further summer signings after they secure the signature of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Duncan Castles, the Red Devils are lining up a central midfielder and a right-back after the proposed arrival of Varane.

United recently announced the purchase of Jadon Sancho in a £73 million move from Borussia Dortmund, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to be intent on making further additions to his first-team squad.

Fans will be delighted

Speaking on a recent episode of the Transfer Window podcast, Castles disclosed where the Old Trafford outfit are looking to strengthen over the coming months.

“They have Sancho secured with Dortmund, apart from fine details, and ready to start pre-season as soon as he can after England’s European Championship campaign,” he said.

“Solskjaer’s been provided with an incredible degree of attacking resource. He’s been provided with a huge amount of money to improve in defence.

“He has a midfield where a player like Donny van de Beek, who was wanted by Real Madrid, is barely used last season. (He) still wants other reinforcements in midfield and right-back as well,” added Castles.

Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has been strongly linked with a move to United in recent days, while Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier is thought to on Solskjaer’s wish list for the right-back position.

It remains to be seen whether the 20-time English champions can secure their first-choice transfer targets ahead of the upcoming campaign, but news that they’re targeting three more signings will surely delight the club’s supporters.

The Red Devils have undoubtedly made progress under their Norwegian boss, securing consecutive top-four finishes since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement under his tutelage, but they’re also enduring their longest trophy drought in over 30 years.

Signing star names such as Sancho, Varane and Camavinga will bring an added pressure to the red half of Manchester next season, and the pressure to secure some silverware will be much greater than in recent campaigns.

And, in other news…Concerning update emerges over MUFC’s pursuit of £38.5m “leader”, Ole may be gutted

Carl Hooper yesterday set out an upbeat and clearcut objective for his West Indies team on the eve of the first Test of the Cable & Wireless Series against India

Tony Cozier11-Apr-2002Carl Hooper yesterday set out an upbeat and clearcut objective for his West Indies team on the eve of the first Test of the Cable & Wireless Series against India.Whether it is achievable is another matter but it certainly reflects a refreshing new approach.Emphasis must be placed on winning, the West Indies captain said in explaining the recall after three years of two over-30s: Stuart Williams and Junior Murray.I don’t think you can continue to rebuild, rebuild, rebuild if you’re losing.And he made it clear that bowling would be the key to turning around a record of seven defeats against two victories and three draws since he controversially replaced Jimmy Adams as skipper last season.We certainly don’t want to be negative, he said. You want to give yourself a chance to win Test matches and, to do that, you must have at least four front-line bowlers.The four here will be three fast Merv Dillon, Cameron Cuffy and the newcomer Adam Sanford and the leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, just off his Busta tournament record 51 wickets.It is a change from what has been a generally defensive attitude, best exemplified only two Tests ago when the West Indies took the field against Pakistan in Sharjah with only three main bowlers.Given the inexperience of his bowlers and the strength of opposition batting led by the most prolific batsman of the modern era, Sachin Tendulkar, Hooper’s policy seems over-optimistic. But he needs to stick by it.His assessment that the bowlers will decide the series also appeared at variance with the evidence, especially since India’s key off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was ruled out of the match because of a shoulder injury.Since the retirement of Courtney Walsh a year ago, the West Indies have conceded one total in excess of 600, two of over 500 and two more over 470, in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Sharjah. In their last six Tests, the opposition has averaged 480 against them.Hooper, himself, an occasional off-spinner, is the only bowler with more than 100 wickets and only Merv Dillon of the others, now the spearhead of the attack, has more than 20 Tests to his name.Sanford, the burly, 25-year-old Antiguan policeman born in Dominica, has been chosen to make his debut, the only newcomer in the XI.He becomes not only the first descendant of the Caribs to represent the West Indies but the 11th fast bowler tried in the continuing search for the successors to Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and the host of greats from the past.His captain described him variously as exciting, quick, with a big heart, eager and enthusiastic. He will need all those attributes in what will only be his eighth first-class match.In Harbhajan’s absence, India will depend for wickets even more heavily on their veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble who, along with Shane Warne, is the only contemporary spin bowler with over 300 wickets to his name.Fine bowler that he is, most of his success has been on helpful home pitches.He and the worthy fast bowler Javagal Srinath (214 Test wickets) present the main threat, but there is no Muttiah Muralitheran, Chamina Vaas, Shaoib Ahktar or Abdul Razzaq to harass them here as was the case in Sri Lanka and Sharjah.