MatériaMais Notícias

Quando contratou o argentino Fausto Vera, a diretoria do Corinthians precisou ser convencida do potencial de mais valia que o jogador possui. E quem pode dar uma grande ajuda nisso é o técnico Lionel Scaloni, da seleção argentina, que monitora o jogador às vésperas da Copa do Mundo do Qatar.

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+Alê Oliveira discute com jornalista da ESPN em rede social: veja tretas entre nomes da imprensa

De acordo com a TyC Sports, emissora de televisão argentina, o treinador da seleção local observa o volante corintiano desde a época que ele defendia o Argentinos Juniors, o que não mudou com a chegada do atleta ao Timão, há um mês.

Vestir a camisa da seleção sempre valoriza o atleta convocado. E a sinalização de Lionel Scaloni é que há espaço para Fausto Vera no meio-campo da Argentina na Copa do Mundo, o que elevaria ainda mais o preço de mercado do ativo corintiano.

INVESTIMENTO E PROJEÇÕES

O camisa 33 foi um pedido de Vítor Pereira que, juntamente ao seu estafe, avaliou muito positivamente o meio-campista. E em tempos onde os termos políticos estão na moda, o comandante corintiano foi o principal ‘cabo eleitoral’ para que o Timão contratasse o meia argentino. Uma das formas nas quais VP convenceu a direção corintiana a fazer o investimento foi garantindo o potencial de revenda que o atleta terá.

Fausto é um dos únicos jogadores que a atual gestão do Corinthians fez investimento para contratar. O clube alvinegro pagou inicialmente 6,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 33,3 mi, na cotação atual) para comprar os direitos de Fausto Vera – sendo 4,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 23 mi, na cotação atual) referentes à operação, e pago parcelado, e outros 2 milhões de dólares (R$ 10,2 milhões, na cotação atual) com encargos e comissões. O valor, no entanto, pode chegar a 8 milhões de dólares (R$ 40,9 mi, na cotação atual), caso Fausto bata algumas metas que chegam a 1,5 milhão de dólares (R$ 7,6 mi, na cotação atual) na sua totalidade.

+ Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileira e simule as partidas

A ideia da direção corintiana é resgatar a quantia no momento da venda do atleta, que tem contrato com a equipe até junho de 2026, e elevar o máximo possível a margem de lucro. Inclusive, a ideia do Argentinos Juniors era segurar Fausto até que ele estivesse pronto para um cenário de primeiro escalão na Europa e lucrar bem com o ativo, mas as dificuldades financeiras do clube fizeram com que eles aceitassem vendê-lo ao Corinthians.

GESTÃO DE CARREIRA

E nesse processo negociação com o Timão o estafe do jogador teve grande valor, pois priorizou a oferta corintiana frente a uma do Genk, da Bélgica, que tinha em mãos com cifras bem próximas às acertadas com a direção corintiana.

A postura dos representantes de Fausto Vera foi justamente pensando na possibilidade de maturação do atleta no futebol brasileiro, disputando torneios como a Libertadores da América com maior frequência, para quando uma grande agremiação europeia o observar ele esteja pronto.

Vestir a camisa do Genk na realidade atual significaria a Fausto Vera atuar em uma liga de menor expressão na Europa e com a possibilidade de, pela pouca idade, não se firmar rapidamente e voltar questinado à América do Sul.

Fausto Vera foi presença constante nas equipes de base da Argentina. Em 2017, disputou o Sul-Americano Sub-17. Dois anos depois, em 2019, esteve presente na mesma competição, mas defendendo a categoria sub-20. Além disso, o jogador também defendeu o seu país no Mundial Sub-20, em 2019, e nos Jogos Olímpicos de Tóquio, disputado no ano passado.

The Sweden international's goal-scoring feats have made him the most intriguing target of the summer, but his next destination is far from clear

Every transfer window needs a good saga, and the battle to sign Viktor Gyokeres is easily the most interesting of all the potential moves this summer. There was always going to be huge interest in the Sporting CP striker after he finished as the top scorer in Europe last season with 39 league goals, the most in a Portuguese top-flight season in 40 years. In all competitions, he found the net on 54 occasions.

Gyokeres' goals made a huge difference, too. Sporting won the Portuguese title by two points, his late goal against Vitoria on the final day of the season sealing their crown. He also scored in the Taca de Portugal (domestic cup) final win against Benfica, levelling the match with a penalty in the 11th minute of added time to force extra-time.

The 2024-25 season wasn't a one-off either. In the previous campaign, Gyokeres had also fired Sporting to the Portuguese title and finished as top scorer with 29 goals. In his two seasons in Lisbon, he has scored 97 goals in 102 appearances. Right now, however, there is no clear destination for the most in-demand striker in Europe, and that is despite a whirlwind of stories circulating around the 27-year-old, linking him to some colossal clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus.

There has been talk of blackmail, broken promises, the player going on strike in order to get his move and eye-watering salary demands being made. The race to sign Gyokeres has all the intrigue of a smash hit television drama, and the football world is hooked…

Getty 'Blackmail and insults'

Gyokeres' contract with Sporting contains a €100 million (£84m/$115m) release clause, although no club has expressed any interest in paying it and would prefer to negotiate a fee instead given the striker's age and the fact he is still yet to prove himself at the highest level. That had been anticipated both by Sporting and by Gyokeres and his agent Hasan Cetinkaya, who reportedly negotiated "a verbal agreement" that the striker could leave at the end of the season for €70m (£59.6m/$81m).

When asked whether Gyokeres would be sold for that amount, Sporting president Frederico Varandas blew his top: "I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for €70m because I never promised that. Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now."

Varandas then opened up on the conversation he had held with Cetinkaya the previous year, explaining: "One of the agent's biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause. He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for €100m. In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: 'It's not worth us setting a value because I don't know what will happen in a year's time. I don't know if it will be €40m, €60m or €80m. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand €100m."

AdvertisementGetty United hopes fade

Varandas also revealed: "To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season." That might sound odd given the speculation around the striker over the last year, speculation that was driven by two obscene runs of form.

Gyokeres began the season in an imposing manner, scoring 14 goals in nine matches for club and country between August and September. He followed it with an even more ridiculous goal-scoring streak, as he netted 17 times in nine matches through the autumn, a run which included him bagging a hat-trick against Manchester City, scoring four times against Estrela da Amadora and netting another four-goal haul for Sweden against Azerbaijan.

United felt like a natural choice for Gyokeres once his coach Ruben Amorim left Sporting to join the Red Devils in November. The Portuguese faced multiple questions about Gyokeres from his compatriots in his first press conference at Carrington, but resisted getting drawn into it, and soon enough his disastrous run of results made the story go away.

Put simply, United’s spiralling fortunes have made Old Trafford a less attractive destination, especially for a player who recently turned 27 and is hoping to win a major league title. The team that finished 15th in the Premier League last season, below the likes of West Ham, Everton, Fulham and Brentford, no longer feels like the natural home for the most prolific striker on the continent, especially as United cannot offer him Champions League football or even European football of any form after blowing the Europa League final.

Reputation, history and one of the biggest followings in the world are the only pull factors for United now. The chance to reunite with the coach who unlocked his potential might be another motivation, but it pales in comparison to what is on offer elsewhere, such as at Arsenal.

GettyArsenal have other ideas

The Emirates Stadium has long been reported as a more realistic destination for Gyokeres than United, even more so since new sporting director Andrea Berta began his role in March. It is easy to see why: The Gunners have been crying out for a prolific centre-forward for the last three seasons due to Gabriel Jesus' lack of goals and vulnerability to injury, and their biggest mistake of last summer was not signing a new striker, leaving Kai Havertz to toil there before midfielder Mikel Merino stepped in when the German ruptured his hamstring in February.

A reliable and proven goal-scorer is the only missing piece for an Arsenal side that have finished second in the title race in the last three seasons and keep going deeper and deeper into the Champions League. Any aspiring player watching Mikel Arteta's side destroy Real Madrid home and away in Europe would surely be desperate to join them, and it is little wonder then that reports claim that Gyokeres would prefer a move to Arsenal ahead of United, and has even rejected the Red Devils' advances.

But Gyokeres is not the only striker Arsenal have been looking at. They have been putting resources into signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, who is five years younger than the Swede and already has experience in Europe's top five leagues, having scored 27 times in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons. And according to the latest reports, the Gunners are leaning towards Sesko or Ollie Watkins and away from Gyokeres. Looking at the drama around the Gyokeres deal, you could understand their reasoning.

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Getty ImagesJuve far from a safe bet

Juventus have stepped into the void and are willing to take advantage of the uncertainty. The fallen Italian giants have financial room for manoeuvre after sneaking back into the Champions League, and they want a new striker as they look to offload the inconsistent Dusan Vlahovic one year before his contract expires and he leaves for free. The Bianconeri have reportedly reached out to Gyokeres’ representatives and informed them they will meet his salary demands of £11m ($15m).

Juve have as rich a history as United, but although they are in a better position than the Red Devils, they are not exactly a safe bet. They clinched Champions League qualification on the final day of the season courtesy of a late penalty and have not seriously challenged for the Serie A title since 2020. Italian football has also ceased to be the powerhouse it once was, as was brutally demonstrated by Inter’s capitulation to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Gyokeres and his representatives have another two months until the season begins and another 10 weeks until the transfer window closes, so they have the luxury of being able to wait and see if more tempting offers come up while also continuing to persuade Varandas to drop his asking price.

A new diet could be on the cards for Harry Kane after Bayern Munich hired a new nutritionist, who will join Vincent Kompany's backroom staff.

Article continues below

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• Bayern hire new nutritionist, Melf Carstensen
• He was working for Borussia Dortmund
• Carstensen has a long history with Bayern chief

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bavaria-based outlet the reported on Wednesday that Bayern have snapped up a new nutritionist named Melf Carstensen, who was working for Borussia Dortmund. The report stated that Cartsensen boarded the plane with the Bayern squad from Munich on Tuesday, as the Bundesliga champions departed for Orlando ahead of the Club World Cup.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carstensen was under contract with Dortmund, who will also be participating in the Club World Cup, until June 30, 2025. However, sporting director Max Eberl acquired his services just in time for the Club World Cup. Eberl knows the nutritionist from their time together at Borussia Monchengladbach.

  At Gladbach, he earned the nickname 'Miraculix' — a nod to the wise druid from the Asterix & Obelix comics who concocts the magical potion that gives the Gauls their superhuman strength. Much like his cartoon counterpart, Carstensen believes in the power of the right formula. After training sessions, he turns to specially prepared recovery shakes, rich in carbohydrates and protein, to quickly replenish energy and support muscle repair.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Carstensen is a big believer in evidence-based solutions, placing emphasis on unprocessed foods to conjure maximum recovery. His arrival at Bayern is certainly set to improve the physical endurance of the players, with dietary changes set to follow.

  "The goal is to delay fatigue as much as possible. Ideally, farther than the opponent. 20 percent more mileage is possible with the right nutrition – that's exactly what we need and want," Carstensen said in an interview in 2022. "You can't do without it. If the rice pudding is crap, you lose. Food is a pleasure. It should taste good. Especially for the players, who also know good food, it's not like they only get rice with tomato sauce. We try to make it as interesting, tasty, and varied as possible."

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• adidas/FC Bayern
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Die Roten will play their first game of the Club World Cup on Sunday, June 15, when they take on Auckland City.

تحدث جوان جاسبارت، رئيس نادي برشلونة الأسبق، عن فشل صفقة انتقال نيكو ويليامز، إلى النادي الإسباني، كما هاجم أيضًا طريقة تعامل ديكو، في مفاوضاته مع اللاعب ووكيله.

ورغب برشلونة في التعاقد مع جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتلتيك بلباو، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية ضمن تعزيزات الفريق للموسم المقبل.

وتولى جاسبارت رئاسة برشلونة في الفترة بين 2000 و2003، وقال في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا”: “نيكو ويليامز لاعب رائع، لكن المشكلة لم تعد مع نادي برشلونة، أنا متأكد من وجود ألف لاعب أفضل منه في العالم”.

وأكمل: “الآن بيلباو هو من يواجه المشكلة، أتمنى ألا يقولوا إننا السبب، فعندما يدرك اللاعبون أنهم يتقاضون نصف ما يتقاضاه لاعب واحد، فلن يعجبهم ذلك والمشكلة الثانية هي أن الجماهير إذا لم يسجل نيكو ويليامز 50 هدفًا، ستُطلق عليه صافرات استهجان”.

اقرأ أيضًا | لويس دياز يحدد شرطًا للانتقال إلى برشلونة

وانتقد طريقة ديكو، المدير الرياضي للنادي وقال: “برشلونة نادي لديه شغف، والشغف لا يزرعه لاعب محترف، بل من لا يتقاضى أجرًا ليكون مشجعًا لبرشلونة، وهذا ليس انتقادًا لـ ديكو، بل على العكس تمامًا، لكن من تعاقد مع هانز فليك هو جوان لابورتا، وليس ديكو”.

وأردف: “لم يكن هناك أي شغف، وهذا ليس انتقادًا لديكو، فهو رجل محترف، اليوم متواجد في برشلونة، وربما غدًا في فريق آخر يدفع له أكثر، لم أتقاضَ أجرًا على ما فعلته، فعلته بدافع الشغف فقط”.

واستعان جاسبارت بفترة ولايته وكشف: “لا تحكو لي قصصًا، لقد تعاقدت مع مارادونا وريفالدو وزوبيزاريتا وباكيرو، لم يحدث لي شئ كهذا من قبل، بمجرد أن يخبرك المدرب باسم اللاعب، فإن الشغف هو ما يقنع اللاعب بالانضمام للفريق من خلال الجلوس معه ولقائه والتواصل جيدًا معه”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras se reapresentou na tarde desta terça-feira, na Academia de Futebol, após uma folga na última segunda, dia seguinte ao empate em 1 a 1, com o Flamengo, pela 23ª rodada do Brasileirão. Agora o foco já é no Fluminense, novo vice-líder do campeonato, que será o adversário do próximo sábado, às 19h, no Maracanã.

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> Confira os públicos do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque em 2022

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> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Na atividade desta tarde, os titulares diante do rival carioca fizeram regenerativo no centro de excelência, enquanto o restante do elenco foi a campo e participou de trabalhos técnicos com objetivos específicos estabelecidos pela comissão de Abel Ferreira.

Para o duelo diante do Fluminense, no próximo sábado, o técnico português deverá ter novamente todo o elenco à disposição, com apenas o desfalque do meio-campista Jailson, que vem se recuperando há quatro meses de uma cirurgia no joelho direito.

Apesar da diminuição dos casos de Covid-19 e da flexibilização das medidas de restrição por conta da pandemia, o Verdão ainda não liberou a presença de jornalistas nos treinamentos. Assim, as informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.

O Alviverde é o líder do Brasileiro com 49 pontos (oito de vantagem) e vem de oito partidas sem perder na competição com dois empates (Fortaleza e Flamengo) e seis vitórias (Cuiabá, América-MG, Internacional, Ceará, Goiás e Corinthians). O Palmeiras volta a treinar na manhã desta quarta-feira, às 11h, na Academia de Futebol.

Australia captain Healy says victory feels a ‘bit dirty’ after slumping to T20I and ODI series defeats

Andrew Miller18-Jul-2023Heather Knight, England’s captain, hailed her team’s success in taking two white-ball trophies off the double World Champions, Australia, even though the overall Women’s Ashes trophy slipped through their grasp on account of their loss in the one-off Test match at the start of the series – an upshot that her team-mate Kate Cross admitted “didn’t quite feel like it’s fair”.England’s 89-run defeat in the Trent Bridge Test cost them four points right at the start of the multi-format competition, and meant that they came into the white-ball leg of the Ashes needing to win five out of the six matches to recapture the Ashes for the first time since 2015.That prospect looked pretty forlorn when they were pipped by four wickets off the penultimate ball of the opening T20I at Edgbaston, and yet England battled back to claim each of the next two T20Is to inflict Australia’s first bilateral series defeat since 2016-17. When England then squared the points at six-apiece in the opening ODI at Bristol, thanks to a record-breaking run-chase marshalled by Knight’s unbeaten 75, hope sprung eternal, but Australia found just enough resolve to put the Ashes out of reach at the Ageas Bowl with a three-run win, despite a heroic unbeaten century from Nat Sciver-Brunt.Related

Onus on Australia to take Women's Ashes to the next level

Alyssa Healy: Drawn Ashes a 'reset moment' for Australia

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The nerveless, box-office cricketer that is Nat Sciver-Brunt

Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'England have exceeded the public's expectations'

Nevertheless, after a bus journey to Taunton and a night to reflect on their missed opportunity, England emerged with renewed resolve to close out the campaign on a high, and did just that by inflicting a 69-run loss in the final ODI – Australia’s heaviest defeat by runs since their tour of New Zealand in 2008.”I am hugely pleased, it was a draw [in the points competition] and we’ve got two trophies against the world champions and that is hugely special,” Knight said at the post-match presentations.”The way the group has turned it round after the Ageas Bowl, it was a pretty quiet bus journey on the way here because there was a lot of emotion and disappointment that the Ashes had slipped away, but credit to the group and staff. We really turned up today. We wanted to entertain and inspire the crowd, we owed that to everyone. I’m very impressed with how the girls did that.”The fact we’d gone so close in the Test and first T20I built more belief. It was just about staying level but accepting that we couldn’t do a lot about it because we were very close. We knew we had the players to compete with this very good side. The staff deserve a huge amount of credit for keeping us believing. The turnaround has been hugely impressive and I think there are a lot of leaders in the group and credit to them.”Kate Cross bowled Alyssa Healy with a nip-backer•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAsked whether the points system would require a change of weighting, given that England won two series to Australia’s one, Knight acknowledged that England themselves had been beneficiaries of that anomaly in the past, when their victory in the Perth Test in 2013-14 (then worth six points) proved sufficient to retain the trophy that they had won the previous summer, despite Australia on that occasion being the side to pull off a sweep of the white-ball legs.”I’m sure the boffins will have a little fiddle around with it,” she said. “But obviously it is a little bit harder to win when you’re going in having not retained it before. Whether there could be an odd number of points for something to make it not end in a draw, I’m not too sure.”England’s hero on that tour was none other than Cross, whose match haul of 6 for 70 was instrumental in closing out England’s victory in the Perth Test. And a decade later, she was once again in the thick of the action in this campaign, with a crucial match-winning cameo in the first ODI, followed by match-winning figures of 3 for 48 at Taunton.”I think the T20 series win was the start of it,” Cross said. “We couldn’t regain the Ashes after the last game, but we knew there was still a series on the line. It was our goal to come here today and win, take the series 2-1 so I’m really proud of the girls.”England had to hold their nerve during an untimely rain break during Australia’s chase, which resulted in a revised target of 269 in 44 overs. “There was a moment where it could have gone either way and we stuck at it so I think we won it in that little moment just after the rain break,” she added.”I think the fact that we’re at eight-all at the end of it, it doesn’t really quite feel like it’s fair that it’s going back to Australia. We’ve played some really good cricket, we’ve gone toe-to-toe with the best team in the world for five weeks now. So yeah, there’s a lot of really happy faces over there and I think it’s really deserved.”Sciver-Brunt, who was named Player of the Series after her twin hundreds at the Ageas Bowl and Taunton, added: “It feels like a moral victory. From the position we were in, we felt we were going to do it. The last game was as close as it’s been. We’re happy we got the draw.”Alyssa Healy, Australia’s captain, acknowledged that their retention of the Ashes would be accompanied by mixed emotions.”Yeah, we can tuck that little one away in the changing-room and know that we got that done, but it’s a little bit bittersweet,” she said. “It feels a bit dirty in a way, but we got the result we were after. I think the gap’s not necessarily been there as much as everyone has spoke about.”

PCB chairman says cricket committee headed by Misbah-ul-Haq will be part of the process to decide whether changes are needed

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2023

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that “no concrete decisions” have been taken regarding the composition of Pakistan’s coaching and management staff, addressing speculation over whether there would be changes made under the new PCB administration.In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Ashraf said the decision would be made on the recommendation of a newly-formed cricket committee headed by former captain and national coach Misbah-ul-Haq.”I don’t think it matters whether coaches are local or foreign,” Ashraf said. “There’s no concrete decision on whether to change coaches as of now. I’ve created a committee headed by Misbah-ul-Haq. That committee will look at all cricketing matters and will consult any cricketers they want to be a part of it. When they give us their final analysis, I’ll get involved in the discussion and we’ll make a joint decision that is in the best interests of Pakistan cricket.”It is the first time there has been any official communication from the PCB about the fate of the Pakistan men’s coaches since the recent tour of Sri Lanka, where Pakistan won the Test series 2-0. Over the past week, ESPNcricinfo understands there were robust internal discussions on the fate of the coaches and team manager, with some reports suggesting an immediate change was inevitable.Mickey Arthur was appointed Pakistan team director in April, with Grant Bradburn, who previously served as Pakistan’s fielding coach, becoming head coach the following month. Rehan-ul-Haq, who was general manager of Islamabad United for all eight seasons in the Pakistan Super League, was appointed team manager of the national side. Each of those appointments took place during Najam Sethi’s interim six-month stint as PCB chairman.While the committee is yet to formally convene, Misbah has in the past made clear his disapproval of some of the coaching arrangements. He called the PCB’s pursuit of Arthur under Sethi “a slap on Pakistan cricket”, and had replaced Arthur as Pakistan head coach in 2019.The simmering unrest comes ahead of a busy time for the Pakistan side, who return to Sri Lanka to play a three-ODI series against Afghanistan, before co-hosting the Asia Cup. They are then set to travel to India for the World Cup. The PCB has repeatedly said travel to India for the World Cup will be contingent on government approval and mutual agreement on appropriate venues, a point Ashraf repeated in this interview.

Suryakumar Yadav feels there is “no shame” in admitting that his performance in ODIs has been “really bad” and that he wanted to find a way to succeed in the 50-over format.He has played 26 ODIs so far and averages only 24.33, though his strike rate is 101.38. Suryakumar made scores of 19, 24 and 35 in the recent ODI series in the West Indies, and prior to that had been dismissed for three consecutive first-ball ducks against Australia in March.”Because we play a lot more T20Is, we know that we only need to express ourselves as per the situation,” Suryakumar said after his match-winning half-century in the third T20I against West Indies. “But ODIs are a format which we don’t play a lot of. And it’s a challenging format for me – if you lose early wickets, you have to take your time like in a Test; it is only at the end that you approach it like a T20.”If I am honest with myself, my numbers in ODIs are really bad. And there’s no shame in admitting that; everyone knows that already. You need to be honest with yourself; but then, getting better is also important. That is what Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] sir have told me that because I don’t play a lot of ODIs, I need to practice and think as to what I can do. I can take my time, and if I happen to be at the crease in the last 10-15 overs, then I need to think for myself as to what I can do for the team.”They have told me that all they want me to do is face 45-50 balls in an innings. They have told that I can play my game during my stay at the crease, just that I need to face that many balls if I get to bat in the last 15-18 overs. Now I need to convert that opportunity into responsibility, and bat as per the requirements of the team.”India have two more ODI series – the Asia Cup and a home series against Australia – before the World Cup but they will have to name an initial World Cup squad of 15 by September 5, a month before the tournament begins on October 5. Time may be running out for Suryakumar to strengthen his case for World Cup selection, but whether he makes it or not also depends on whether KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer recover in time from their injuries.”We have seven or eight games before the World Cup, which is enough for preparation,” Suryakumar said. “We also have a camp, where we will all gather. It’s important to spend time with each other, and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

It’s set to be a vitally important summer for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

After a campaign that has been defined by an incredible number of injuries and the emergence of several incredible youngsters, Daniel Levy and Co have to make some big investments in the upcoming transfer window to ensure Ange Postecoglou, or whoever is in the hot seat, can take the club forward next season.

However, while sorting out the right incomings is going to be of paramount importance, it will be just as crucial to keep a hold of the team’s best players.

Unfortunately, this could be a problem for the North Londoners, as recent reports have touted one of their stars with a move to Real Madrid, a move reminiscent of Gareth Bale’s in 2013.

Tottenham Transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Cristian Romero could be on his way to Real Madrid this summer.

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The report has revealed that the Argentinian international has not hidden his interest in playing for the Spanish giants and that should they come in for him at the end of the season, he’d ‘be willing to take the step.’

The one piece of good news to come from the report is the claim that while Los Blancos like the player, he is only seen as one of a few options at the moment, although the fact his contract expires in two years makes a move for him more realistic than some of their other targets.

While Romero has been out of action for much of this season, his importance to Spurs cannot be underestimated, so losing him to Real would be a disaster, similar to the loss of Bale over a decade ago.

Why Romero's exit would be a Bale repeat

So, there are a couple of reasons why losing Romero this summer would be very reminiscent of Bale’s departure in 2013, with the most straightforward being that both players would have gone to Real Madrid.

The second similarity would be their respective importance to the North Londoners.

For example, in his final campaign for the Lilywhites, the Cardiff-born phenomenon was a force of nature, scoring 26 goals and providing ten assists in just 44 appearances, which came out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games.

Now, it’s probably fair to say that the former Atalanta star does not have quite the same impact on the team as the Welsh icon did, but that doesn’t mean he’s not incredibly important, and if Lionel Messi thinks he’s “the best defender in the world,” he’s got to be up there with some of the best in the league.

For example, he’s one of the club’s co-vice captains, and across his 115 appearances for the team, he’s scored seven goals, provided one assist and averaged 1.69 points per game, which is an average significantly reduced by the limited appearances he’s made across this dismal campaign.

Appearances

115

Goals

7

Assists

1

Yellow Cards

29

Second Yellows

3

Red Cards

1

Points per Game

1.69

In fact, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the team have struggled so dramatically in defence during the season he and Micky van de Ven have been out of action for significant amounts of time.

Finally, while Levy and Co would likely receive a sizable fee for the World Cup-winning “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, it seems unlikely that they’d be able to sign a defender as good as him and could end up wasting the money on several players as they did in 2013.

Ultimately, Romero is obviously not on the same level as Bale, but were he to leave Spurs for Real Madrid this summer, his move would certainly mirror the Welshman’s.

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Glasgow Rangers and the transfer market have not exactly been the best of friends over the previous few years.

Since securing promotion back to the Premiership ahead of the 20161/7 campaign, the Ibrox side have made plenty of dismal signings. Where to start?

Pedro Caixinha spent money on the likes of Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera, who both failed to live up to expectations, while even Steven Gerrard made a few howlers, especially during his early transfer windows.

The former Liverpool captain signed flops such as Umar Sadiq and Eros Grezda in 2018, a few years before spending money on Juninho Bacuna and Cedric Itten.

Sam Lammers, Ben Davies and Jose Cifuentes are just a few of the players who have been signed by managers since Gerrard left, with all three struggling to perform in Scotland.

While these types of signings typically outweigh the positive ones, when the club do sign a player who has excellent potential, it usually ends up rather well.

Joe Aribo was sold for around £10m in the summer of 2020, having cost the Gers just £300k three years previously. Of the current squad, Hamza Igamane looks certain to make the Light Blues a significant profit due to his performances this season.

One of the club’s finest signings – from a financial point of view anyway – was Calvin Bassey. The defender is now playing in the Premier League for Fulham, but Rangers gave him his big break.

Why Calvin Bassey was sold for a club-record fee

In the summer of 2020, Gerrard added a few players to his squad in a bid to challenge Celtic for the Premiership trophy during 2020/21.

Ianis Hagi signed permanently, while Cedric Itten, Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun also arrived at Ibrox. It was the deal to bring Bassey to Scotland which looked the most promising, however.

Due to cross-border rules, the left-back cost just £200k in a compensation fee from Leicester City, and he was one for the future.

Indeed, Gerrard utilised his talents on just 15 occasions throughout the 2020/21 season, but things were about to get better.

With a defensive injury crisis hitting the squad hard during the early stages of the following campaign, Bassey was deployed as a centre-back alongside Connor Goldson and it soon progressed into a solid partnership.

Once he got his chance in the starting XI, Bassey never left, making 50 appearances in all competitions as the Gers reached the Europa League final while winning the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years.

These performances would ultimately lead to the Nigerian international departing the club, with plenty of European sides showing interest that summer.

In the end, Ajax secured his services on a permanent deal for a fee of just under £23m, which was a club-record transfer.

It’s fair to say that he has been one of the finest signings of modern times, but is there a player in the current squad who has surpassed him recently?

Rangers' best signing since Bassey

Losing Scott Wright last summer meant Philippe Clement had a single right-winger in the squad – Ross McCausland – which meant this area needed a swift upgrade.

There were several players linked with a move to Ibrox, but due to limited funds being available, the Belgian manager had to rely on a loan signing, which saw Vaclav Cerny join the Light Blues on a temporary deal until the end of the current season.

Having scored five goals for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg during the 2023/24 campaign, Cerny looked like an exciting wide option for Rangers. He also scored against Celtic for Ajax, which would certainly help endear him to the supporters during his early weeks.

These first couple of weeks were mixed. The Czech star delivered a few decent displays, but he was poor against Lyon in a 4-1 Europa League defeat. He missed a big chance during that game and lost possession 11 times.

Two goals against St Johnstone just a few days later proved that his woeful European display was just a one-off and he has kicked on since then.

Overall, the loanee has netted an impressive tally of 17 goals across 44 matches, chipping in with seven assists too. The 27-year-old has saved his best football – minus the Lyon clash – for the Europa League, netting six goals in Europe’s secondary competition.

Furthermore, the winger has created two big chances, averages 1.3 key passes per game and succeeds with 2.3 dribbles each match, showcasing his skills against superior opposition.

Rangers won the recent Old Firm derby against Celtic 3-2 courtesy of a late winner by Igamane, who lashed in an effort when it appeared as though the match was going to finish as a draw.

The real hero of that game was Cerny, however, who ended up soaking Celtic supporters with a bottle of water while celebrating the goal.

Journalist Matthew Lindsay praised the winger, describing him as a “cult hero” following that “moment of madness”

According to Transfermarkt, Cerny is now valued at €9m (£7.5m) and, given his displays for the Gers recently, he will be a man in demand this summer.

Whoever becomes the new permanent manager of Rangers will have to decide whether spending money on Cerny is worth it, especially as there are other areas of the squad requiring some investment.

Cerny has endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful with his goals and antics during the latest derby win. If he did join the club this summer, could he be one of their best signings in recent memory?

The next few months will be interesting indeed.

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