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Arsenal must beat north London rivals Spurs to the signing of Bologna centre-back Takehiro Tomiyasu this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Arsenal are in talks to sign Ben White from fellow Premier League side Brighton, but it now appears the club have got their eye on another versatile defender.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are battling Spurs for the signing of Tomiyasu, and that they are talking to Serie A side Bologna to find an agreement.

A new Koscielny

Just like Koscielny was in his prime, Tomiyasu is as reliable as they come, and doesn’t often let opponents go past him, with his combination of strength, speed and reading of the game.

His current teammate at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Mitchell Dijks, dubbed him “very strong” and a “true Japanese warrior” at a press conference, via Tuttosport.

In fact, speaking about the defender’s potential, former Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: “He is a complete player and Bologna got a real bargain with Tomiyasu. He’s a good player and was compared to Maya Yoshida, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. He’s got the quality to be a real star.”

Able to play at centre-back, right-back, left-back and in holding midfield too, the £18m-rated ace’s versatility marks him out as someone who would be a bargain alternative to White.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Brighton defender has a valuation of around the £50m mark, but when you compare the two, Tomiyasu favours well.

According to FBREF, the 6 ft 2 defender is extremely competent in one on one duels – as per 90 minutes, Tomiyasu tackled 56.7% of players who attempted to dribble past him in Serie A, significantly better than White’s 37.5%.

The Japan international also boasts a far better successful pressure percentage (ie closing down opponents), while he is considerably better on the ball too.

He had a higher successful dribble percentage, made progressive carries, and had a better pass accuracy over both short and long passes – and it’s those stats both on and off the ball that are also eerily reminiscent of Koscielny.

A profile done on the Frenchman by Sky Sports back in 2016 read: “His reading of the game, his anticipation of opponents and his positional awareness are excellent. Koscielny is as accomplished with the ball as he is without it, boasting an average pass completion rate of 91.37 per cent in the Premier League over the last two seasons.”

Tomiyasu has everything in his locker to be a new Koscielny for Arsenal and be a better signing for the Gunners than White.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could sign a new Fabregas in this star…

PERTH, Oct 25 AAP – Clear the hospital beds in Brisbane – the England cricket team is arriving next week.

Tom Wald25-Oct-2002PERTH, Oct 25 AAP – Clear the hospital beds in Brisbane – the England cricket team is arriving next week.The injury-ravaged tourists suffered another blow today with opener Marcus Trescothick taking a painkiller for a niggling shoulder injury.The 26-year-old spent most of today off the field as the tourists’ two-day match against Western Australia petered out to a draw at the WACA ground.In reply to England’s 221, WA finished on 6-313 with the son of former Australian player and coach Geoff Marsh, Shaun, topscoring with 92 as England’s bowlers continued to look pedestrian.Trescothick, who carried the injury into the tour, was given a painkilling injection today but England captain Nasser Hussain played down the seriousness of the injury.”Marcus has had a jab in it, it hasn’t really affected his batting that much, although he did a little bit yesterday and that is why he had it jabbed,” Hussain said.”Bowling and fielding have been a problem.”The big left-hander is a key player for England’s hopes of being competitive against Australia this summer.His partnership at the top of the order with fellow casualty Michael Vaughan (knee) is crucial for the tourists to register decent totals in the Ashes series starting Thursday week in Brisbane.Trescothick and Vaughan are the only two batsmen in the England squad with Test averages of more than 40.The England list of walking wounded seems to be growing every day with young quick Simon Jones (side strain) in doubt for next week’s three-day match against WA, while Darren Gough and Andrew Flintoff are still on the mend from knee and hernia operations respectively.Despite the disappointing start to the tour, Hussain remained upbeat because the tourists had batted when the pitch was its most lively yesterday.”Yesterday was a good test and you always want to be tested batting because that is the way the first Test is going to be with their (Australian) bowling attack,” he said.Hussain said nothing had surprised him in the first week of the tour, even though three fringe WA players in Kade Harvey, Callum Thorp and Marsh had starred against his side.”There has been no easy rides in Test cricket wherever we have been, to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and everywhere,” he said.”Nothing that has happened has surprised me. There are no easy games out here at all, the (state) players are all very fine players.”WA and England have another look at each other in a match starting Monday at the WACA ground.The Warriors were expected to field a much stronger line-up before England flies to Brisbane on Thursday.And the gloom in the England camp wasn’t brightened today with WA openers Michael Hussey (48) and Chris Rogers (57) putting on a century partnership.The tourists’ pace attack couldn’t maintain a consistent line and length early on, forcing captain Nasser Hussain into some very defensive field settings.But England quick Andy Caddick (2-57) lifted the visitors’ hopes in the middle session with the wickets of Rogers and Murray Goodwin (14).Marcus North (38) and Marsh steadied the home team with a 88-run partnership to ensure WA overhauled England’s first innings tally as the match moved towards a draw.England found few answers to the fast bowling problems displayed in its 58-run loss in the opening tour match against an Australian Cricket Board Chairman’s XI on Tuesday.Matthew Hoggard (2-49) bowled valiantly but couldn’t maintain his accuracy while Caddick at least kept it fairly tight.But young quick Stephen Harmison continued his wretched start to the tour with some wayward bowling.He finished with figures of 1-89 off 19 overs after being harshly dealt with early on for bowling too short.”He’s struggled, he’d be the first to say that if he came in here but look he’s a young lad, he’s very raw and no one has said Steve Harmison is the answer to all our problems,” Hussain said.

West Brom have registered their interest in Liverpool’s Harry Wilson, according to a report from The Athletic. 

The Reds are said to value the 24-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Cardiff City, at £13m. Benfica have already made an official approach for the Welshman, while newly-promoted Brentford are also in the hunt.

Wilson is ‘open to the idea’ of making a permanent exit from Anfield after being sent out on loan on five occasions. He has only made two senior competitive appearances for the Reds, most recently starting a Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal last autumn.

Pereira out, Wilson in at West Brom?

Wilson, who can play on either flank and in a central attacking midfield position, could potentially be a replacement for Matheus Pereira if the 25-year-old leaves The Hawthorns.

Pereira topped both the goals and assist rankings for the Baggies last season as they suffered relegation from the Premier League. A number of top-flight clubs are said to be monitoring the Brazilian.

Fan feed WBA Report relayed The Athletic’s news about the club’s reported interest in Wilson, and here’s what some fans made of it, with one calling the Welshman a “class player”.

West Brom fans urge the club to sign Harry Wilson

“Please to God let this be true. Phillips isn’t doing it for me anymore so this is a massive upgrade, young, agile and can make things happen”

Credit: @bryngill16

“I hope we can pull him in, will be good start to our rebuild”

Credit: @jamie11brennan

“Class player – seen him on loan at Derby & Cardiff, set piece specialist too”

Credit: @trussellgeorge

“Harry Wilson would be a good signing for WBA.”

Credit: @hammermatt1

“This would be a top signing. Get it done.”

Credit: @BiffyBoy1982

“I would definitely take him!”

Credit: @Welshyy21

In other news, West Brom are also keen on this 21-year-old.  

علق سيد عبد الحفيظ مدير الكرة بالأهلي، علي تصريحات وائل جمعة مدافع المارد الأحمر السابق، بشأن أداء الفريق مع الجنوب إفريقي بيتسو موسيماني.

وكان وائل جمعة انتقد أداء الأهلي بعد مباراة الرجاء المغربي، مؤكداً، أن تغييرات موسيماني غير مفهومة وكان مرتبك كعادته، ولكن روح الفريق.

طالع  | وائل جمعة يفسر تصريحاته ضد موسيماني بعد مباراة الأهلي والرجاء: لسنا فريقًا صغيرًا

وقال عبد الحفيظ خلال تصريحات لبرنامج الماتش على قناة “صدى البلد”: “كل شخص له الحرية المطلقة في أن يرى المباراة مثل ما هو يريد، لكن أنا أرى الأمر من وجهة نظري، وهي أنه لكي تتواجد على منصات التتويج يجب أن تلعب دفاعيًا بشكل جيد”.

وأضاف: “هذه من الأمور الإيجابية عكس ما يرى الناس، أنا من الممكن ألعب فترة من المباراة بشكل دفاعي فقط، نظرَا لأن آخر المباراة تكون هناك كرات طولية كثيرة، ولذلك كانت تغييرة أيمن أشرف لكي يتم تكثيف العدد في الخلف”.

وعن الحكم السنغالي في مباراة الرجاء، أوضح: “من المفترض إنه مُصنف وأدار مباريات في كأس العالم، لكن أنا لم أر في حياتي إن شوط بأكمله لم يحتسب غير خطأين فقط، هذه الأمور لا تجعلني أن أخذها بنية سليمة من جانب الحكم، هو ملف لست متعاطفًا معه إطلاقًا لأنه جزء أصيل من كرة القدم”.

عن مواجهة وفاق سطيف في نصف النهائي لدوري الأبطال، قال: “مباراة الذهاب والإياب تعتمد على أحداثها، ويجب أن نكون في حالة تركيز كبيرة، وأحداث مباراة الرجاء سنتعلم منها، الفريق الجزائري كان يعرف ماذا يريد من بداية دور المجموعات، المباراة ستكون يوم 6 أو 7، واجهناهم 5 مرات وفازوا 3 منهم، هم فريق جيد ويجب أن نحترمهم”.

عن بيان الأهلي بشأن استقدام حكام أجانب من الـ5 دوريات الكبرى، كشف: “القرار يخص الإدارة، ولكن لا نريد أي حكام (مش هنجيب نداي تاني)، أنا أقترح أن يكون هناك قسم في كلية التربية الرياضية خاص بالتحكيم”.

وأكمل: “لا أعلم لماذا طردني محمود عاشور في مباراة المصري، عندما تحدثت معه وقلت له أنت دائمًا تفعل ذلك معي قام بطردي”.

A crucial update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s hopes of signing Dion Sanderson this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Wolves have decided that they want to keep the Black Cats transfer target and are hopeful that he will put pen to paper on a contract extension at Molineux. The report claims that the Premier League club are in talks with the centre-back over a new deal and are then planning to loan him out to a club in the Championship, which would come as a further blow to the Wearsiders.

Football Insider reported earlier this summer that Sunderland are open to bringing Sanderson back to the northeast either on a temporary or permanent basis next season.

Fans will be gutted

Sunderland fans will surely be gutted by this news as it seemingly rules out any chance of Sanderson returning to the Stadium of Light for a second spell, but ultimately there is nothing Kristjaan Speakman can do in the negotiations if Wolves are unwilling to sell him.

The Midlands club are two divisions above the Black Cats and have the greater financial muscle due to being in the Premier League, which means that Sunderland appear to have no way of tempting them to change their mind in the coming weeks.

Black Cats manager Lee Johnson has made it clear that he is a fan of the centre-back, with effusive praise of his performances last season in League One. Earlier this year, the former Bristol City coach claimed that the 21-year-old has a bright future in the game and highlighted his leadership skills on the pitch.

Johnson told The Chronicle: “He’s a good personality and a great kid first and foremost, but the bit that most impressed me was how he stepped up in the leadership and communications skills areas, which shows he has a bright future.”

This shows why supporters will be disappointed as the League One club are set to miss out on what could have been a terrific signing. Sanderson averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts as a centre-back in the third tier last term on loan at the Stadium of Light.

The 21-year-old stood out for Sunderland and, along with Johnson’s quotes about his personality, that shows why he could have been a superb signing to bolster their squad this summer ahead of the new campaign.

Therefore, this is a hammer blow to Speakman and Johnson’s plans and they will now need to look elsewhere in the market for defensive reinforcements. Sunderland cannot afford to wait around for Wolves to potentially change their mind on Sanderson as it could lead to them missing out on other targets throughout the summer, so they need to move on swiftly from this disappointment.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…

With Bruno Lage succeeding Nuno Santo at Wolves, he cannot afford to rest with the transfer window now in full swing.

Wolves face a summer of departures and insignificant spending so it might not be the easiest of starts for the new manager.

On the chalkboard

The biggest threat to the Wolves side is a departure for Ruben Neves.

Signed for a Championship record fee in 2017, the Portuguese midfielder took his game to an incredible level under Nuno.

Manchester City were linked with his services and now Arsenal are interested in securing Neves for a fee of around £35m.

It’s thought the midfielder is one of Wolves’ most sellable assets as they strive for extra cash in a bid to improve their squad.

Samu Costa to Wolves?

One player Lage could bring to the Midlands in order to replace Neves is Samu Costa.

According to A Bola, Wolves are already in talks to sign the 20-year-old from Braga.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-guedes-toney-shaqiri-neves” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer news!”]

This feels like a typical transfer link for the Old Gold. He is Portuguese and a client of Jorge Mendes, somebody who enjoys a fantastic relationship with Fosun.

Costa also fits the bill for how Wolves want to progress players. He is young and has enormous potential after starring in the second tier of Spanish football last year.

A defensive midfielder by trade, he is following a similar path to Neves; stand out in the lower tiers before making your move to the top-flight.

Costa is a robust individual and picked up a mighty haul of 15 yellow cards this term. He may lack a sense of discipline but his defensive numbers are impressive.

During the 2020/21 season, the youngster produced 1.8 interceptions and one tackle per 90 minutes.

Neves won over two tackles per 90 but his interceptions of 1.5 are actually lower than Costa’s.

Possessing a wonderful reading of the game, the 6-foot midfielder could more than fill the void left behind by Neves.

He doesn’t have a goal-scoring habit but his shot on target rate (28.6%) is higher than the Wolves star. With that in mind, Lage could train him to be more offensive if required.

Wolves will have to pay €25m (£21.5m) to sign but very rarely has a price tag deterred the Midlands side when it’s come to a young player. His tackle rate implies he’s a beast in the defensive third; that’s exactly what Lage will need.

AND in other news, Lage could become an instant hit if Wolves sign “spectacular” £34.5m Mendes client…

Erapalli Prasanna, in his analysis of the third Test at Barbados,mentioned that Harbhajan Singh needed to attack the batsmen much more

Staff Reporter07-May-2002Erapalli Prasanna, in his analysis of the third Test at Barbados,mentioned that Harbhajan Singh needed to attack the batsmen much more.A fine exponent of the off-spin art himself, Prasanna averred thatHarbhajan, as a wicket-taking bowler, should be plotting the batsman’sdownfall with every ball.
Harbhajan Singh against all batsmen – West Indies first innings at Barbados
© CricInfoA look at Harbhajan’s bowling in the West Indian first inningsconfirms this view. He returned figures of 34.5-7-87-3, so his fansmay argue that he wasn’t completely ineffective. But his first wicketwas that of Carl Hooper after the West Indian skipper had plundered115 runs off the Indian attack, and his other two were of PedroCollins and Adam Sanford, two minions in a woefully weak West Indiantail.Harbhajan’s wagon-wheel against all batsmen in the West Indian firstinnings is telling. Only 20 runs were scored off him in front ofsquare, whereas 23 runs went to the point region and 32 to square leg- an indication that Harbhajan was bowling much too short.A large percentage of an off-spinner’s wickets come from making thebatsman drive against the turn, and although Harbhajan did make thebatsmen play to cover to the tune of 15 runs, that was not nearlyenough. His dropping short made it particularly easy for the batsmanto comfortably turn him behind square for runs; Hooper took 15 runsoff him in this manner.As the sole attacking spinner in the side, Harbhajan shouldundoubtedly follow Prasanna’s advice. He can definitely do so byflighting the ball more and keeping the ball up to the batsman.Knowing that most of the West Indians are not too proficient at playingspin, this tactic may help Harbhajan get back to his old ways ofbamboozling the batsmen.

A Glasgow Rangers source has dropped a transfer update involving George Edmundson.

The Lowdown: Edmundson not in Gerrard’s plans

Edmundson is a player that is clearly not in the plans of Steven Gerrard, having only played in two games under the Gers manager before being shipped out on loan to Derby County in the January transfer window (Transfermarkt).

The six-foot-two central defender did not do too badly in the EFL Championship, winning no fewer than 6.1 of his duels per game, while also averaging 3.5 clearances and 1.4 tackles per game (Sofascore).

The Latest: Bids made

As per Football Insider, the Ibrox faithful have rejected multiple bids from English teams for Edmundson, and a Rangers source has shared that clubs in England are keen on taking advantage of him slipping down the pecking order.

It looks likely that he will end up leaving Ibrox in the summer window, given that he does not seem to be in Gerrard’s plans, and the Gers may end up accepting a bid for Edmundson assuming that more come in.

The Verdict: Sell Edmundson

The writing may already be on the wall, but Rangers should be looking to sell Edmundson in this window for as much money as possible.

At 23 years of age, they could demand a decent fee, and then could use those funds to help invest in other positions that are needed ahead of trying to defend their Scottish Premiership title.

Derby could be one to benefit from a permanent move given his performances for the Rams, and as Edmundson got a lot more game time at Pride Park, it is a move that the Englishman would likely be happy with, perhaps creating a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

In other news, find out what big update has Gers buzzing here!

Ben Godfrey has proved his versatility and ability this season at Everton having played as a centre back, right back and a left back which could put him in the frame for a place in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad, according to former Everton striker Marcus Bent.

The former Norwich City defender had to fill in as a full back for Carlo Ancelotti this season as he saw both Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne experience an extended period of time on the sidelines, but his 6.82 WhoScored rating proves he has done a sufficient job in his firsts season with the Toffees.

Having been signed from the recently relegated Canaries, there were question marks over his head about whether he was good enough to fit straight into Everton’s team considering Norwich conceded 75 goals last season.

With Harry Maguire injured and potentially out of both the Europa League final and European Championships, there could be a spot in the defence and that could go to Godfrey, that is according to Bent, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

‘You look at him, and for his age, his technique, and level of maturity, when he does play is great, you can clearly see that he’s going to be a top player.

“They’re definitely going to look at him for the future because he definitely has got talent. So I think, looking at what they’ve said, him making the squad for the Euros is questionable because Gareth has so many options in every position but will he give him a chance in a friendly before the tournament? Who knows.”

The £76,923 per week defender has featured nine times for the England U21s but is still yet to be handed his first cap for the senior side but if he keeps performing in several different positions for the Toffees it appears to be a question of when not if it happens.

Everton started the season well losing just four of their opening 15 Premier League games, however, just two home league wins in 2021 totally derailed their chances of qualifying for either the Champions League or Europa League.

MatériaMais Notícias

O programa de sócios-torcedores do Grêmio continua em crescimento. Após o título da Copa do Brasil, o Tricolor gaúcho ultrapassou o rival Internacional no Torcedômetro, ranking nacional do Movimento por um Futebol Melhor. O Grêmio assumiu o terceiro lugar com 113.175 associados, contra 112.756 do Colorado.

O Grêmio já havia ultrapassado o São Paulo na última quarta-feira. Impulsionado pela Copa do Brasil, o Tricolor gaúcho foi o clube que mais ganhou sócios em novembro e lidera o quesito em dezembro.

Além de ajudarem seus clubes, sócios-torcedores aproveitam descontos em produtos Ambev (Brahma), Empório da Cerveja, Chopp Brahma Express, Unilever, Sky, Pepsico, Premiere, Centauro.com.br, Rede de Hotéis Arco, Méliuz e Bic, empresas parceiras do Movimento por um Futebol Melhor.

Desde 2013, o Movimento concedeu mais de R$ 80 milhões em descontos aos sócios-torcedores dos 74 clubes participantes, que somam 1,2 milhão de inscritos e contribui para uma receita estimada de R$ 400 milhões/ano no futebol com os programas.

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