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Hull City have jumped ahead of Portsmouth in the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Ben Woodburn, according to Liverpool Echo.

Utilising the transfer market, Pompey manager Jackett has already signed Callum Johnson, Cameron Pring, Sean Raggett, Michael Jacobs and Rasmus Nicolaisen.

With the transfer window open until October 15, a number of new faces could potentially arrive at Fratton Park, but interest in Woodburn continues to linger in the background.

The 20-year-old’s future on Merseyside remains in the balance after head coach Jurgen Klopp opted to make him available for loan this season, following on from last term’s stint with Oxford United.

Featuring 16 times for Portsmouth’s League One play-off opponents, Woodburn suffered a fractured foot during the 2019/20 campaign but he managed one goal and five assists. (Transfermarkt).

With Pompey and Ipswich Town having previously hinted at their interest, it has now been reported that Hull are in advanced talks over a loan deal for Woodburn.

Woodburn has already won 10 caps for the Welsh national team, scoring twice for his country, and he should be a good addition for any side in League One.

Jackett is under heavy pressure to ensure promotion this term and his business may be scrutinised if results do not materialise, so a signing like Woodburn could be a fantastic one to pull off and a regrettable one to miss out upon if Hull beat them to the chase.

Do you think Portsmouth should make a final offer for Woodburn? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

On Monday, West Bromwich Albion striker Kenneth Zohore is set to hold talks with Sheffield Wednesday over a potential loan deal, as has been reported by The Daily Mail.

Having signed from Cardiff City for £8m ahead of the 2019/20 season, the Dane failed to make much of an impact on the team, starting just five Championship matches and coming off the bench 12 times.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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However, his tally of three goals isn’t disastrous considering the limited amount of game time he received, as he averaged a goal every 217.7 minutes.

Regardless of his return, the Baggies are looking to let him leave on a temporary deal, as they aim to bring in further recruits up top in a bid to survive in the Premier League.

Andre Gray and Rhian Brewster, of Watford and Liverpool respectively, are the two main targets hinted at within the report.

Zohore has had offers from both Italy and Turkey, but it is suggested he is open to joining Gary Monk’s team at Hillsborough if terms can be agreed.

While Zohore is heading out of the door, it is suggested that Branislav Ivanovic will soon complete a move to The Hawthorns, with West Brom also in the running to sign Conor Gallagher.

West Bromwich Albion’s return to the Premier League got off to the worst possible way as they were thrashed by their Midlands rivals at the Hawthorns.

You can’t afford to make mistakes in the top-flight as you’ll be punished and that’s what the Baggies have quickly learned following a 3-0 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

A pair of Jamie Vardy penalties toppled Slaven Bilic’s men after debutant Timothy Castagne opened the scoring early in the second half.

It’s clear to see that one of Albion’s biggest problems isn’t close to being resolved whatsoever. There are goals in this side with exciting attacking options in the form of Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira and Callum Robinson.

But defensively, they are very poor.

The west Midlanders only managed to keep a clean sheet in 30% of their 46 matches last term. Only four clean sheets came at home, too.

None of Bilic’s three centre-backs could manage a rating above 6.3 per SofaScore whilst the performance from Kyle Bartley was particularly worrying as he gave away the first penalty.

The 29-year-old failed to record a single tackle, lost possession ten times, committed one foul and won just three of five duels, via SofaScore.

Considering he was a mainstay last season, it would be wise to focus their transfer intentions towards finding a viable replacement otherwise the Baggies are in for one long campaign.

Whilst the imminent signing of Branislav Ivanovic helps it somewhat, it’s not enough as Cedric Kipre is vastly inexperienced at the level – as is Semi Ajayi and Dara O’Shea, who both started against the Foxes.

Alex Bruce has previously slammed the centre-back’s inconsistencies to Football Insider, he said: “The one thing you can say about him from when he was at Swansea – and he had a bit of a time at Leeds – he’s got to get his consistency levels sorted. He’s been one to play really well, catch your eye and then make a stupid mistake like he gives the penalty away.”

From 44 passes, Bartley only managed to record a 77.3% passing accuracy, which is quite disastrous as a defender, especially considering the out-from-the-back system Bilic deploys.

Albion could do with a major upgrade to the 6 foot 4 colossus – and quick.

AND in other news, West Brom may have found themselves another Grady Diangana in 23 y/o target…

علّق لويس سواريز، مهاجم أتلتيكو مدريد على مساهمته في فوز فريقه أمام برشلونة، بمنافسات الدوري الإسباني “الليجا”، وفسر الإشارة التي قام بها وحقيقة توجيه رسالة للمدرب الهولندي رونالد كومان.

طالع | آس: كومان يثير غضب لاعبي برشلونة بعد مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد

وفاز أتلتيكو مدريد بهدفين دون رد، على ملعب “واندا ميتروبوليتانو”، وأحرز سواريز الهدف الثاني في شباك فريقه السابق برشلونة.

وقال سواريز عقب المباراة في تصريحاته لـ “موفيستار”: “سعيد بانتصار الفريق، وهو ما نريده، خاصة أمام خصم مييز مثل برشلونة، لكن عملي يجب أن يخصص 100٪ لأتلتيكو”.

وعن هدفه ورفضه الاحتفال، أفاد: “كنت أعرف بالفعل أنني إذا سجلت سأعتذر للاحترام، والمودة، في ظل ما يمر به زملائي بدافع الاحترام، أعلم أن زملائي السابقين والمشجعين يمرون بأوقات عصيبة”. هدف لويس سواريز أمام برشلونة

سواريز أشار عقب الهدف بإشارة وكأنه يتحدث بالهاتف، وذلك في وجود رونالد كومان، مدرب برشلونة بالمدرجات، والذي أخبره قبل عام بنبأ رحيله عن الفريق من خلال مكالمة هاتفية (طالع التفاصيل).

وأضاف بشأن إشارته وكأنه يتحدث بالهاتف عقب هدفه: “كانت للأشخاص الذين يعرفون أن لدي نفس الرقم وأنني ما زلت أستخدم الهاتف، لم يكن لكومان، كنت أمازح طفالي بأنني سأفعل ذلك”. إشارة سواريز لـ كومان في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد 

😬 Ohh le tacle de Suarez à Koeman après son but !
📞 L’entraîneur du Barça avait appelé l’attaquant au téléphone pour lui annoncer qu’il ne comptait plus sur lui ! pic.twitter.com/l05kGuZBwV — beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) October 2, 2021

واستطرد بشأن حضور الجماهير: “عانى الناس العام الماضي لعدم تمكنهم من الاستمتاع بلقب الليجا، أعرف مدى حب الناس لي وأنا أعمل بجد وقوة للحفاظ على أتلتيكو في القمة”.

وأتم متحدثًا عن أداء ليمار وجواو فيليكس: “عندما يكون لديك لاعبون متميزون يصنعون فرقًا، تشعر براحة أكبر، كما أن أنجيل وأنطوان جريزمان يبليان بلاءً حسناً عندما يلعبان، المدرب يجد صعوبة في اتخاذ القرار”.

Liverpool have just won their first league title in 30 years, and it doesn’t look as though they’re going to rest on their laurels after their success.

Indeed, the Reds have been linked with a number of players that will improve their squad with the Thiago Alcantara rumours running rampant, while links to Kalidou Koulibaly still bubble under the surface.

However, despite all these targets from mainland Europe being reported, the Reds are now apparently looking domestically at one player.

What’s the story then?

The Daily Mirror are reporting that Liverpool are interested in signing Leicester’s Harvey Barnes.

The paper’s story says that Barnes fits Liverpool’s transfer strategy of signing young players with high sell-on potential, and you can understand exactly why the Reds are in the market for him.

The 22-year-old has been pivotal in Leicester’s success this term, contributing to 14 league goals, despite only starting 24 games throughout the campaign.

Perfect Shaqiri replacement

Liverpool’s front three is almost impenetrable, and any attacking player that is brought in may have to offer something a little different if they want to see a lot of first-team action, and Barnes is that man.

Not only can he play on either wing, but he can also slot into a midfield role, and that sort of versatility is exactly what Liverpool need, especially if Xherdan Shaqiri leaves as he’s expected to.

Shaqiri has played in five different positions since joining Liverpool, and despite Barnes’ career still being in its infancy, he has played in six different roles for Leicester.

The Swiss international is far from a key player at Anfield, but he does offer something valuable, and it seems as though his versatility won’t be missed all that much if Barnes joins this summer.

أكد حسين لبيب، رئيس اللجنة المُكلفة بإدارة نادي الزمالك، أنه يشعر أن النادي خسر كل البطولات بسبب المشاكل التي تحدث في الفترة الأخيرة، لافتًا إلى أن الأهلي يعمل بشكل صحيح لذلك تتوفر لديه الأموال.

توج فريق كرة القدم بالزمالك ببطولة الدوري المصري للمرة الـ 13 في تاريخه، فيما توج فريق كرة اليد ببطولة السوبر الإفريقي على حساب الأهلي.

أقرأ ايضًا.. أمير مرتضى: يجعلونا “شماعة” لأي خطأ.. والرد قريبًا على كل مسؤول “فاشل”

قال حسين لبيب خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر برنامج “الحكاية” المُذاع على قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “متواجد منذ 4 أشهر في الزمالك وأشعر أننا خسرنا كل البطولات، ولم نشتك من أي شيء ونعلم الوضع المادي للنادي ونسير بشكل جيد، واستطعنا أن نحصل على 6 بطولات من أصل 8، ولا توجد بطولة حصلنا عليها إلا وحدثت مشكلة قوية ولا أعرف لماذا؟”.

أضاف: “تخرج شائعات رهيبة.. قالوا إن اللاعبين تركوا النادي وكارتيرون هرب مجددًا”.

وأشار: “أتحفظ دائمًا على ذكر أي أسماء، ولكن سأخرج وأكشفها في الوقت المناسب، وهدفي حاليًا حصد بطولة كأس مصر لو استكملت، وأحاول التركيز مع الفريق في هذه البطولة”.

تابع: “صرحت وقلت إنني لن أترشح للانتخابات، والبعض يريد سقوطي.. ساعدوا نادي الزمالك لو سمحتم”.

استكمل: “هناك ديون على الزمالك بسبب قضايا منذ 3 أو 4 سنوات، وهناك ديون منذ 9 أو 10 سنوات، ولو كنا نهتم بالمجد الشخصي، لتجاهلنا أموال القضايا”.

وبسؤاله لماذا الأهلي يمتلك الأموال؟ أجاب: “الأهلي كمؤسسة منذ فترة كبيرة جدًا يعمل بشكل صحيح، والزمالك من وجهة نظرنا كلجنة مؤقتة كان يعمل بشكل غير صحيح، ونكن الاحترام لكل الناس ولكن الأمور الاقتصادية لم تدر بشكل صحيح”.

أردف: “اتفقنا منذ مجيئنا على المصداقية، اليوم خرجت شائعة بشأن محمد عبد الغني، وأطمئن كل الناس أننا لن نفعل أي شيء يضر نادينا، ونحن لا نخاف”.

أوضح: “نادي الزمالك دخله يأتي من حقوق الرعاية والاشتراكات وإيجارات المحلات بسور النادي، وإيرادات المباريات غير موجودة، والبوتيكات مصدر كبير من مصادر الدخل، ومعظم المحلات بها قضايا، فهناك مؤسستان عليها إيجار منذ 10 سنوات، لم تدفع”.

وواصل: “تركي آل الشيخ كان يدفع مبالغ جيدة لنادي الزمالك، وتدخل عمرو أديب مقدم البرنامج ليقول: “(كنا عايشين بأموال تركي آل الشيخ)، ليرد لبيب: “لفترة ما (كانوا عايشين بهذه الأموال أه طبعًا)، ودفع أموال لبعض اللاعبين في الصفقات”.

اختتم:” ما زالت أكرر يا زملكاوية نحن من نفعل في أنفسنا هكذا، لو محبي الزمالك يحبوا النادي بالفعل سنكون على الوضع الصحيح، نحن لا نحب غير أنفسنا ولا نحب النادي هذا استنتاجي الحقيقي، الناس كلها بتحب نفسها وتحت تكون داخلة جوه النادي ولكن لا نحب النادي”.

Celtic recently tweeted out an article talking about Cristiano Ronaldo and revisiting the time he played against the Hoops at Celtic Park.

The Portuguese star played against the Hoops for Manchester United in the Champions League group stages on Tuesday, November 21, 2006, via Celtic FC.

It was an entertaining game, and the Scottish side came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a wonderful Shunsuke Nakamura free kick, whilst goalkeeper Artur Boruc also saved a penalty in the dying minutes.

Ronaldo is one of the best players in world football, and it is proven by both his trophy cabinet and his goalscoring record. The attacker has made 836 appearances for Juventus, Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid, picking up 219 assists whilst scoring 626 goals, per Transfermarkt.

He has won 32 trophies for both club and country, including the Premier League, La Liga, the Champions League and the European Championship, whilst winning the Ballon d’or five times.

However for a man who has made history on numerous occasions, he had to stand by and watch as Celtic made it a memorable European night at Paradise. The game meant the Celts qualified for the knockout stages of the competition for the first time in the club’s history, via Celtic FC.

Here is what fans had to say about the player and that night:

Celtic fans, was Ronaldo the best attacker to have played against the club? Comment below!

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

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay showed his big-game credentials during their 2-1 win against Manchester City on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

The 23-year-old was played alongside Fred at the base of United’s midfield and he went on to play an integral role in the team’s victory.

This was especially clear in his defensive contributions, as the Scotland international completed all three of his attempted tackles, as well as making four clearances and three interceptions.

In addition to that, he won four of the five aerial duels that he contested throughout the game.

If there is one thing McTominay needs to improve based off this game, it’s keeping hold of the ball a bit better, as his pass success rate was only 73%.

However, he still made a telling contribution to help ensure United came out of the game tasting victory.

Big-game player

Outside of the statistics, there were further signs that he was able to deal with the game’s magnitude in a mature manner, keeping his composure commendably.

There were times when the 23-year-old was able to draw fouls to slow the game down, while he kept his cool in these situations.

This was displayed late on when he grinned to himself after being dropped to the floor and earning a free-kick.

Quickfire Questions on Man United: How many can you get right in under 3 minutes?

Following the previous win against Spurs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had praised his attitude, as reported by The Mirror: “He would have suited my squad, when I played. He has come through the academy, he’s one of ours. He knows what Man United means.”

To then follow that up with a performance like the one he offered against City gives an indication that McTominay is somebody who can be relied upon to make a difference for United during the big games.

In other news, Man United fans have been lauding their defender for his performance in the win against Man City.

According to an exclusive report coming from 90min, Manchester City are eyeing a bid for Red Bull Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano with an aim to boost their defensive line in the January transfer window.

Since the Citizens are still battling with injuries and absences in the defence, reinforcements could be a good idea for Pep Guardiola.

But even though Upamecano seems like more than just a solid option for the Citizens, there are some alternatives that could be available should they choose to expand their search a little bit more.

So without further ado, here are three Upamecano alternatives City should consider:

Ibrahima Konate – RB Leipzig

Upamecano is definitely Leipzig’s shining diamond in the back at the moment but interestingly enough, his partner in crime, Konate, can boast similar ability and technique to the 21-year-old Frenchman.

Konate, however, is a year younger and, granted, currently out injured, but as far as centre-backs who are highly-rated, calm and collected on the ball and present a great prospect for the future go, he is the real deal.

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Besides, he’s played 49 games in the Bundesliga already with one goal and one assist to his name as well.

He is very young, true, but his CV is not as blank as is the case with some other players of his age. City would be getting someone with a high ceiling but also with a pretty decent background as it is.

And if they can tempt Upamecano to leave Leipzig, Konate should also be pretty attainable for the Citizens.

Juan Foyth – Tottenham Hotspur

When it comes to some of the best ball-playing young centre-backs in the world, hardly anyone can challenge Tottenham Hotspur’s 21-year-old gem.

Foyth is young, skilled, has a high ceiling and would be a great addition for a club like Manchester City.

The Argentine’s style of play suits Guardiola’s needs as he is known for his high technical ability and security on the ball, often engaging in dribbles and pleasing passing manoeuvres.

During the Copa America, Foyth played a total of four games, producing a 90.8% passing accuracy, 1.5 dribbles and 29.8 average passes per game, which perfectly illustrates how good he is on the ball.

Of course, the only downside of this potential transfer is his injury record. He suffered an ankle injury earlier in the ongoing campaign and the last thing City need is another defender prone to those kinds of setbacks. Preventing them should, in that case, be a priority for the Citizens.

Luring him away from Spurs, however, should not be as difficult now as it could’ve been a season ago.

With the club currently sitting in 14th and things looking rather grim, maybe now is actually the best time to try and snatch him away from.

If successful, it would be a huge scoop for Guardiola.

Milan Skriniar – Inter Milan

The biggest and the most developed name on the list is definitely the Nerazzurri’s Skriniar.

At the age of 24, the Slovak centre-back is one of the hottest defenders that are currently on the market. Of course, with interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester City could face some competition for his signature but at the end of the day, such big names taking interest in a player usually signals he’s worth the hassle.

Inter Milan are currently doing pretty well under Antonio Conte so luring him away could represent a challenge for Guardiola’s troops, but City have big enough pulling power to make it happen and the budget to go with that.

Besides, getting a young prospect into the team is important but someone like Skriniar would be able to instantly improve them at a time when they actually need it the most.

The 24-year-old would be an immediate fix and would offer a bet for the future as well, boasting a pass success rate of 94.4% in Serie A this term, as well as averaging 1.2 tackles and 0.7 dribbles per game – as per WhoScored.

He’s very much worth all the trouble, if City can get their hands on him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Brom somehow still hold the acclaim of being the Championship’s front-runners despite failing to pick up more than two points in the past week or so.

At the weekend, Slaven Bilic’s men were pegged back by Charlton Athletic, who fired home a 94th-minute penalty to salvage a point, and that was after basement boys Barnsley nearly beating the Baggies at the Hawthorns as they carried a two-goal lead at the break until the Croatian’s changes inspired a comeback.

Albion also rank second for goals scored in the division, with only Preston North End scoring more – one more.

Therefore, it would be a surprise to read that one of their biggest problems is scoring goals.

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Well, not the team as a whole, but more their striking department. That is their job, after all.

Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu, and Kenneth Zohore have combined for just 20% of their 26 goals this campaign, per WhoScored.

In fact, Dwight Gayle outscored the trio in just as many games, so let’s see how Bilic’s preferred man currently compares at this stage of the season…

Austin has returned just the one goal in his ten appearances meaning for £4m, West Brom are receiving a goal every 682 minutes, and counting,

In comparison, Gayle bagged a goal per 121 minutes, which is well below a goal every other game and substantially better than the 30-year-old.

Even though Albion have lost just one match, they have still drawn six matches, where a goal may have been the key difference. Is Bilic paying for not bringing the Newcastle United man back to the west Midlands?

Quite possibly.

Though, the pressure held on Austin is only made worse as he’s being compared to one of the most prolific strikers the club have had in recent times, which maybe isn’t entirely fair.

That’s not to say his return hasn’t been shocking, because it has. There’s just more to it than that, they are only top after 14 matches.

If Albion gain promotion and the former Saints striker bags a total of five goals, who is going to complain then?

Nobody.

Maybe a partnership between the two could bear serious fruit if reports surrounding Gayle have any truth, we’ll have wait to find out though. He’s currently rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.