USMNT star Christian Pulisic has been cosying up with golfer Alexa Melton on a yacht and jet ski as romance rumours intensify.
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Aston Villa have thus far seen two bids rejected for Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers, with the Championship side apparently adamant that he won't leave for less than his valuation. There has been a sense that this could become a saga as we approach deadline day on 1 February.
Villa intend to keep pushing for Rogers even in the face of Middlesbrough's resistance, because Unai Emery is determined to land the player and make him the big signing of the January transfer window after the deal for Red Star Belgrade's Kosta Nedeljkovic, who has returned to Serbia on loan for the remainder of the season.
Speaking after his side was thrashed 6-1 by Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal on Tuesday night, Boro manager Michael Carrick was tight-lipped on Rogers' future, telling the press that "he's our player for the minute". Based on the latest update, though, that may not be the case for much longer.
According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Villa could now sign Rogers for a fee between £10m and £12m. Middlesbrough wanted to ensure he was available for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but Emery's side are now expected to "step up the negotiation process".
Rogers' former club Manchester City are due a "big sell-on clause", and that's part of the reason Boro have been so rigid, but Villa know how much it will take to get a deal done. The Englishman is expected to be the final signing of the window at Villa Park, barring any "significant outgoings" in the next week or so.
While Rogers and Boro were on the end of a hiding in West London on Tuesday, he was one of the few players who could hold his head high as he left the field. He scored a consolation goal for the visitors in the final minutes of the match, picking up the ball on the left wing, dribbling infield, cutting inside Axel Disasi and then whipping the ball low into the far corner beyond Djordje Petrovic.
While he won't have the chance to extend his tally in the final as he would have dreamed, Rogers is now in with a real shot of finishing as the competition's top scorer after moving clear of Liverpool's Cody Gakpo with his fifth strike of the competition. Gakpo and the Reds are in action against Fulham in the other semifinal on Wednesday night.
In a game where Middlesbrough recorded just 38% possession, Rogers worked tirelessly off the ball – he contested more ground duels (16) than anybody else in his team, and he also won two tackles. One journalist, James Benge, said he looked "Premier League ready" against Mauricio Pochettino's men and called his goal "gorgeous", while another, Simon Johnson, declared that Boro's asking price had "just gone up" after he found the net.
One thing's for sure – Tuesday's game will only have strengthened Villa's desire to get this deal done before time runs out.
Chelsea are closing in on signing Barcelona's Marc Guiu on a long-term deal by triggering his release clause.
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Leeds United's immensely strong bench helped the West Yorkshire titans to overcome Plymouth Argyle in the end, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter showing their class late on to ensure Daniel Farke's men pulled off a 4-1 win in the FA Cup replay.
Leeds hotshot Mateo Joseph was chosen to lead the line in a rotated XI from the German boss, but failed to really make an impact in Devon before the usually reliable first-team suspects bailed the Whites out in extra time.
Patrick Bamford was also afforded a run-out at Home Park when Farke rolled the dice to make sure his side didn't crash out of the cup, but the 47-year-old boss could well have had this dangerous and exciting attacker at his disposal last night if the Whites pushed harder in the transfer window.
Over time, the skilful striker in question could have even been a natural successor to a waning Bamford and would have understandably unsettled Joseph traversing that difficult leap from youth football to the senior set-up.
An in-demand striker from a whole host of EFL clubs in the window – with Ipswich Town beating all the competition to land his signature – Ali-Al Hamadi could have given Leeds something fresh and exciting up top.
The 21-year-old, who is a fully-fledged Iraq international, shone in League Two this season for AFC Wimbledon and represents a shrewd capture for Kieran McKenna's men who desperately needed new bodies in the striker spots at Portman Road.
The Whites would feel aggrieved that they weren't the party who won the former Dons man owing to the supposed transfer fee the Tractor Boys paid to land the 6 foot 2 attacker.
Ipswich only forked out an alleged £1m to land an attacker who can only get better transitioning to the demands of the second tier after setting the world alight in League Two.
Farke might well have looked at his current striker options and deemed Al-Hamadi a transfer not worth pursuing after all.
Yet, if the ex-Wimbledon attacker can fire Ipswich to promotion at the expense of the Whites – alongside another failed Leeds target in Kieffer Moore leading the line – the German manager could well be filled with regret.
It was clear from his time with the Dons this campaign that Al-Hamadi was beginning to outgrow League Two, making goalscoring and creating chances for his fellow teammates at Plough Lane look effortless.
This season alone, the Iraqi striker had scored 17 goals from 30 games in all competitions alongside notching up an impressive eight assists to showcase his unselfish side away from just finishing chances.
Described as being a "sensational" signing by football analyst Tom Williams when his move to Ipswich was confirmed, only time will tell if Al-Hamadi can live up to the hype surrounding him.
Al-Hamadi theoretically could have come into the Leeds team and shaken things up as a result, pushing Bamford down the pecking order despite the one-time England senior international experiencing a mini purple patch recently.
Bagging four goals from five matches to kickstart his 2024 made Bamford a first-team presence again, but at 30 years of age, looking towards the future with Al-Hamadi walking in through the door would have been a smart purchase to make.
Known for having horrific luck with injuries too, everything points in the direction that signing the 21-year-old to come in and battle with Bamford made perfect sense in the window.
The new Ipswich number 16 even proved himself to be a handful on his Tractor Boys debut away at Deepdale, missing a big chance in the contest despite only being on the pitch for a slim total of eight minutes.
With Joseph also yet to score in senior football from 16 first-team opportunities to date, Leeds could well live to rue not going after Al-Hamadi with more purpose in the window, especially with the cut-price Ipswich managed to pay to win the services of the up-and-coming attacker.
Tottenham Hotspur are "moving" early doors over the potential summer signing of a foreign midfielder praised for his versatility.
As per reports from reliable media sources, Spurs' planning for the 2024 transfer market is already well underway despite having only just come out of January.
Fabrizio Romano says Tottenham figure has nearly agreed to other club move
He’s set to join another club.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 7, 2024
FA registered intermediary and popular Lilywhites insider, Paul O'Keefe, has claimed that Barcelona star Raphinha is among a host of options being "explored" at Spurs for later in the year.
|
All confirmed Tottenham deals for January |
Transfer |
|---|---|
|
Radu Dragusin |
Arrival (permanent) |
|
Lucas Bergvall |
Arrival (buy-to-loan-back) |
|
Timo Werner |
Arrival (loan) |
|
Ashley Phillips |
Exit (loan) |
|
Djed Spence |
Exit (loan) |
|
Eric Dier |
Exit (loan) |
|
Ivan Perisic |
Exit (loan) |
|
Japhet Tanganga |
Exit (loan) |
|
Sergio Reguilon |
Exit (loan) |
|
Alejo Veliz |
Exit (loan) |
Technical director Johan Lange and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, who oversee the club's transfer activity alongside chairman Daniel Levy and unofficial consultant Fabio Paratici, have been praised for their dealings as Spurs' new data-driven scouting system reaps rewards.
Summer signings like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison have been rip-roaring successes and appear tailor-made for Ange Postecoglou's intense, high-pressing style of play.
Tottenham's growing stature as a football club has seen them usurp Chelsea as London's richest side. They also beat European heavyweights like Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the January signings of Dragusin and Bergvall respectively, so the future is looking pretty optimistic as things stand.
Taking this into account, it will be interesting to see how they tackle the summer market, and supporters may well be thrilled that Tottenham are apparently becoming pretty organised already on that front with months to go until the window reopens.
Spurs did fail to bring in a new senior midfielder last month, though, despite the repeated links to Chelsea star Conor Gallagher among others. Sharing news of a potential alternative, Tutto Juve now claim that Postecoglou's side have their eye on Atalanta ace Teun Koopmeiners.
The Dutchman, who featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is said to be on Paratici, Levy and Lange's radar. According to Tutto Juve, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, Tottenham are "moving" early for Koopmeiners with the view of potentially signing him this summer.
They aren't the only ones, however, with Premier League rivals Man United also set to compete for the £51 million man this summer alongside Serie A giants Juventus.
Koopmeiners has made 19 Serie A appearances for Atalanta this season, bagging five goals and three assists, and has been praised by former Netherlands international Ruud Kroll for his ability to feature as a playmaker.
“Koop is a great player. He has an international caliber and is the starter in the Dutch national team," said Kroll.
"I certainly see him doing well at a big club. Juve or Milan? He would certainly be invaluable to both of them. Koopmeiners can play in all positions in the middle of the pitch: both as a playmaker and as a midfielder. He is a complete footballer who would be useful for all coaches, including Allegri.”
Jadon Sancho's path to a permanent Manchester United exit could hinge on whether or not a Borussia Dortmund attacker is sold this summer.
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On Saturday lunchtime, Leeds United make the long trip to Plymouth Argyle once again, looking to continue a seven-game Championship winning streak that has seen them leapfrog Southampton and climb into one of the automatic promotion places.
Plymouth are down in 15th place in the table but made life difficult for Leeds in the FA Cup fourth round, forcing a replay by earning a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Leeds would ultimately win 4-1 at Home Park, but the scoreline was somewhat deceiving because they required extra time to get the job done.
This Leeds academy "goal machine" could be Bamford's successor
Daniel Farke will have to work his magic on the talented young centre-forward.
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Dan Emery
Feb 16, 2024
Heading into the game, manager Daniel Farke has been monitoring some injury concerns in his squad. Striker Patrick Bamford was initially named in the starting line-up for the midweek trip to Swansea, but Joel Piroe had to replace him at the last minute after he sustained an issue in the warm-up. Speaking after the game, Farke said the player was optimistic that the issue wasn't "too bad", but confirmed that he would undergo specialist examination to determine whether he'd damaged any ankle ligaments.
Elsewhere, Sam Byram missed the game altogether after picking up a muscle injury in the win over Rotherham 3-0. Byram, who was enjoying an "outstanding" season in the words of his manager, was also due to undergo checks.
Reporting from Farke's pre-Plymouth press conference, BBC Sport's Adam Pope says that Bamford will be out of action for up to 12 days, while Byram has also been ruled out of the next two.
After playing Plymouth, Leeds face a key game against table-toppers Leicester City next Friday and then head to Chelsea for the FA Cup fifth round on 28 February.
In more positive news, Jamie Shackleton is back available, and Pascal Struijk could ramp up his involvement in training if the results of scans next week are positive. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow, meanwhile, is closing in on rejoining the first-team sessions.
Leeds were probably particularly nervous about Bamford's injury fate given his track record. As you can see in the table below, the £40k-per-week man has missed 68 games and 437 days with various issues since the 2018/19 season, including an ankle problem that kept him out for nearly six weeks.
|
Patrick Bamford injury record |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Injury |
Days missed |
Matches missed |
|
18/19 |
Anterior cruciate ligament |
91 |
20 |
|
18/19 |
Knee |
40 |
8 |
|
21/22 |
Ankle |
71 |
14 |
|
21/22 |
Hamstring |
83 |
12 |
|
21/22 |
Foot |
96 |
9 |
|
22/23 |
Groin |
56 |
5 |
In that sense, it's a relief that he should be back within a maximum of three games, but it's still a blow in the sense that he'd been in excellent form, scoring four goals and providing an assist in his last six games.
The Englishman hadn't started a league game all season before that stretch, but seemed to be back in peak condition as Farke picked him in the XI for six straight matches.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has completed his move from Leicester City to Chelsea as he joins Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
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Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are planning to make a "top-level" signing for manager Ange Postecoglou this summer.
In their race to seal a top four finish and Champions League qualification, it was imperative for Spurs to back Postecoglou with key signings like Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin in the January window.
"World-class" Tottenham star may now consider leaving after developments
He could apparently “reassess his future” this summer.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 22, 2024
Dragusin, who joined in a £25 million deal from Genoa, came in to provide a much-needed back up centre-back option to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Van de ven's injury absence earlier this season really crippled Postecoglou's side for a period, while Romero appears consistently flirts with suspension.
Werner's addition gifts Tottenham some attacking versatility in the forward areas, and he got off to a good start, bagging two assists in his first two top flight matches.
|
Tottenham's next league games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Crystal Palace (home) |
March 2nd |
|
Aston Villa (away) |
March 10th |
|
Fulham (away) |
March 16th |
|
Luton Town (home) |
March 30th |
|
West Ham (away) |
April 2nd |
Reports suggest Spurs are already planning for the summer window, and it is believed that another major defensive signing could be in the offing. Everton starlet Jarrad Branthwaite is among the options Levy and co are considering ahead of the summer, among a few others, with Postecoglou seemingly plotting a defensive reshuffle.
Now, according to journalist Dean Jones, Tottenham are indeed planning to make a "top level" defender signing this summer as the club cast their net far and wide.
“The situation hasn't changed, and Tottenham have always intended to sign two top-level centre-backs across 2024," said Jones.
"They’ve got one through the door, and now, in the summer window, the plan is to go after another. Calafiori and Morato might be mentioned now, but the net is being cast wider than that. They’ve got some interesting options opening up to them. Still, from what I understand, they’re not committing at this stage, even though they want to make early moves in the summer transfer window similar to how they did in the winter market.”
In terms of the players linked, we believe Branthwaite could be the best option for Spurs, albeit a potentially expensive one. Homegrown and playing a starring role for Everton this season, Sky pundit Jamie Carragher is among the 21-year-old's growing list of admirers.
"I think he is [special]. And what is really special as well is the amount of centre-backs we have in the Premier League aged 21 or younger," said Carragher on Sky.
“I remember being a young lad going in myself at Liverpool and it’s an unforgiven position, I had to go to full-back for the next three or four years and then go back to centre-back, so you can see the quality we have.
“Branthwaite has been outstanding, Murillo I think has been outstanding. But I think this lad has been pretty special and he’s a big part of why in my eyes Everton still have a great chance of staying up, him and his partnership with Tarkowski.”
Paul Mullin has already been ruled out of Wrexham’s pre-season tour of North America, with Elliot Lee another to have sparked injury fears.
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