All posts by h716a5.icu

As per an LUFC Fan Zone source, Leeds United target Josip Brekalo is closing in on a move to Lazio from current club Wolfsburg.

The Lowdown: Leeds want Brekalo

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Brekalo, who represented Croatia at the European Championships this summer.

However, Lazio were also in the race, and now an update has been provided on the future of the forward.

The Latest: Brekalo closes in on Lazio

According to a claim from a source to LUFC Fan Zone, Brekalo will sign for the Serie A outfit next week.

The source said:

“Leeds have pushed all the way, but next week Josip will sign for Lazio.

“We have been in contact with Leeds every day, but Sarri really wants the player.

“Next week the transfer will be completed”.

The Verdict: Disappointment

This will no doubt be a disappointment for Marcelo Bielsa and co, and Brekalo is clearly a player they were very eager to capture. In 120 games for Wolfsburg, he has managed 21 goals and 16 assists, with seven strikes coming last term – he has 25 goals throughout his career (Transfermarkt).

Wolfsburg sporting director Jorg Schmadtke even called him “integral” to the side (via pressfrom.info).

He also has 27 caps for his country, scoring four times. While he has not yet reached his full potential, he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve, and it is therefore a blow to Leeds that they appear to unable to capture the services of this young and versatile winger.

In other news, Leeds wants to sign this Real Madrid ace.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have fumed in response to ExWHUemployee’s update involving striker target Tammy Abraham.

Abraham has been linked with a move to east London for quite some time now as the Hammers continue their chase for a new striker.

Reports as far back as April explained West Ham’s interest in signing the 23-year-old but his mooted £40 million valuation will be an issue.

Irons boss David Moyes admitted that they wouldn’t be able to afford a figure that high but claims have surfaced recently of a possible price drop – propelling West Ham into pole position (Football Insider).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments/” title=”West Ham latest developments…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

ExWHUemployee, sharing the latest on his Twitter feed, has now dropped his own update on the Irons’ pursuit.

The club insider explains that Abraham is still a target for Moyes but his salary demands have somewhat put West Ham off, with the player currently earning around £140,000-per-week (Claret & Hugh).

He also says that other options are ‘being explored’ as a result.

Flocking to this news, many West Ham fans have voiced their discontent on social media in reply to Ex – find their verdicts from Twitter down below.

West Ham fans fume over Ex update on Abraham

“Weekend ruined”

Credit: @westham_latest

“If they’re not willing to pay that kind of wage then what hope we got offering Rice a better deal”

Credit: @azzamay90

“No way can we be going an entire season with Antonio”

Credit: @TheBjc

“Wow we need a major striker signing”

Credit: @murray_donni

“Mad to think they’re not prioritising a forward, I can’t be the only one watching yesterday & fearing the worst watching Antonio.”

Credit: @RobWaldon

“It’s insane not to prioritise a striker, Antonio can’t stay fit for more than a couple of months at a time maximum”

Credit: @mattwhufc19

“This club is ridiculous sometimes. Agreed we are short in defense, but not as short as the one makeshift striker we have. We need 2,and we are dithering in signing one. Not looking good.”

Credit: @yesbraddd

“Main position we need is a proper striker but lets concentrate on getting a cb typical West Ham”

Credit: @LKWHUFC

In other news: ‘Advanced agreement’…Journalist says 93-goal forward now ‘very close to West Ham’, find out more here.

Arjuna Ranatunga has reiterated his opposition to the IPL and said it was “unfair” that the national board does not gain any money for releasing its players for the BCCI-backed Twenty20 league

Sa'adi Thawfeeq31-Oct-2008SLC to open bids for TV rightsSri Lanka Cricket’s contract with Taj Television will end in December and Ranatunga said the board will issue open bids for television rights in a week or 10 days. “We were given a directive by the sports minister to cancel the addendums which were signed by the previous interim committee with Ten Sports,” Ranatunga said. “According to the first contract it will be over on December 31. We have not got anything from Ten Sport. This time we are trying to go to the market with a different strategy so that there wouldn’t be any problems for anyone. A few companies have shown interest already. They thought we would terminate the Ten Sport contract and hand it over to someone else. But after discussions and legal advice we have decided that we will go through a bid process before taking a final decision.” SLC will also be looking at new sponsorships for the national team and for its clothing as the contracts with team sponsor Dilmah Tea and clothes sponsor MAS Holdings will also end on December 31, 2008Arjuna Ranatunga, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has said it is “unfair” the national board does not gain any money for releasing its players for the IPL . The SLC, he said, will now ensure it becomes the sole representative of its players and earns revenue from any future contract they sign with other organisations, he said.Speaking in Colombo, Ranatunga refused to react to reports of a breakdown in ties with the BCCI following a recent meeting between Indian officials and Lankan representatives in Bangkok to negotiate a US$70 million deal. “I am waiting till I get a report [on the meeting] before I take up the matter,” he said. Ranatunga has been a vocal critic of the IPL, comparing it once to instant noodles, and the BCCI has reportedly conveyed to Lankan officials that it will not negotiate with them on the deal as long as he is in charge of the country’s cricket.He made it clear the SLC would soon move to minimise the role of players’ agents in the game, especially when it comes to signing IPL contracts, by amending players’ contracts from next year.”The issue with some of the players is that through their agents they go and sign with certain organisations unknown to us and eventually get into a conflict with SLC,” Ranatunga said. “One thing the players should remember is that they are employees of SLC. Every year, we sign about 40 cricketers from the national and ‘A’ teams. We give them very attractive contracts.”It is SLC that looks after the players from the junior level and brings them to the level of national cricket by spending a lot of money. The SLC is therefore duty-bound to earn some money from these cricketers rather than allow them to make payments to some agent outside. This way, we will safeguard our cricketers and make use of the money for cricket development.”Ranatunga said that the money gained as commission by players’ agents from IPL contracts should “come to the SLC because the players are contracted to us”. “We release these players for one and a half months but SLC does not gain any benefit. This is very unfair. In future, SLC will become the agents for its contracted cricketers and we hope to earn a lot of revenue though that. We are getting some advice from the legal side on how to go about it,” he said.The eight IPL teams have top 13 Sri Lankan players on three-year contracts, including Mahela Jayawardene, the captain, Kumar Sangakkara, the vice-captain, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas.”We cannot do anything right now with the present contracts, which have already been signed. But we will include certain clauses into the contracts next year, which would be beneficial to the players and SLC,” Ranatunga said.However, the board will abide by a sports ministry directive allowing Sri Lankan players to participate in next year’s IPL instead of a tour to England at the same time that was negotiated by Ranatunga. The England series has since been put on hold. “If we get a directive from the minister of sport to release our top cricketers to play in a domestic cricket tournament in India, we have no right to question it,” Ranatunga said.Ranatunga said the SLC will lose money because of the aborted England series and blamed IPL for the loss. He was, however, hopeful that an arrangement could still be worked out with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) so that Sri Lanka could be part of the Stanford 20/20 quadrangular in 2010.He blamed the IPL for SLC’s loss of revenue due to the cancellation of the “special” England tour next year. “Because of the IPL, Sri Lanka will be losing a lot of money,” he said. “We won’t be able to play the postponed one-day triangular with India and South Africa slotted for next year. India has postponed that series because of the IPL. Likewise, we will lose US$2 million on the England tour, money which we can make use for the development of our cricket.
Arjuna Ranatunga: “Because of the IPL, Sri Lanka will be losing a lot of money” © AFP
“We were to get some money for the first time for a tour to England. This is a special tour and they were very helpful to pull us out of the red and promise us the money. They also offered us the Stanford tournament as an added incentive. We might lose even that but we are still trying to negotiate,” he said.Outlining his reasons for pushing for the England tour, rather then the IPL, Ranatunga said that Test cricket needed to be preserved and playing for the country should be a player’s “first choice”.”I don’t want to elaborate anything further than that,” he said. “I have mentioned this in a very understanding language to the players and explained to them. Taking decisions on their behalf is not my responsibility. As a past cricketer, I feel we have a great responsibility to see that Test cricket is not surpassed by other forms of cricket especially Twenty20. Instead of pursuing only money for cricket we have a responsibility to safeguard Test cricket.”

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja believes the PCB’s “big move” to call up Sarfraz Ahmed for the third Test, in all likelihood to replace a struggling Karman Akmal, is justified

Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2010Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja believes the PCB is justified in its “big move” to call up wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed for the third Test against Australia in Hobart, in all likelihood to replace a struggling Kamran Akmal. He has, however, advised that Sarfraz be given an extended run behind the stumps.”This change is justified even though some eyebrows will be raised by this sudden coup behind the stumps in the middle of a series,” Ramiz told Cricinfo. “Dispatching an unacclimatised player straight into a Test match, that too against Australia, can be fraught with risk.”The key to success behind the stumps, he said, would be to keep the position stable. “The removal of a keeper is a significant selection call, for he is as crucial to the team as its leader,” he said. “This [Sarfraz’s] selection has to a be well thought-out, crafted move and not just a mere flirtation with the post. A constant change behind the stumps can have an unsettling effect on the team and its leader. If Sarfraz has been penciled in as a Test wicketkeeper then his tenure should have a sensible stretch.”Akmal, he said, shouldn’t be “embarrassed” any more. “He needs time out, while some would say that his time is up.”Akmal dropped four catches during Australia’s second innings in the second Test at Sydney, including three off Mike Hussey, as Pakistan struggled to break the ninth-wicket partnership between Hussey and Peter Siddle. Hussey went on to score an unbeaten 134, and Australia set Pakistan a target of 176. The visitors were bowled out 36 runs short, handing Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in three-match encounter.Events on that final day, and Mohammad Yousuf’s captaincy and defensive tactics, have drawn sharp criticism from Pakistani observers and Ramiz joined in. The tactics, he said, mirrored the quality of captaincy in domestic cricket. “He [Yousuf] entered a fresh day trying to execute a plan that had already been neutralised by the same pair a night before,” Ramiz said. “It was a crazy piece of planning. Why would you want to put the shutters down so early on a brand new day when the second new ball is still in its infancy and just two wickets needed to take the team home.”How could the think tank, boasting of bowlers with more than 500 Test wickets, allow the fresh cherry to rot? The pattern to sit in against a set batsman [Hussey] and give him an easy passage to the non-striker’s zone, while trying to knock over the tail-ender [Siddle] is straight out of our first-class cricket. That the strategy got badly exposed at the top level only provides a stark reminder of how poor our first-class system is.”Other key lessons from the defeat, he said, included Faisal Iqbal’s ill-suited role at No. 3 and the end of Misbah’s dream run. He said the board needed to “change its avatar and win over a dejected nation.””Also, pressure can impair our openers to think straight. The PCB needs to think straight now…it’s time to revitalise a flagging club system, make selections transparent, especially at the grassroots level, assemble a lean and intense first-class format based on cities, install a cricket committee to look after cricket affairs and free itself of petty association politics.”

West Bromwich Albion will not be returning for 2020/21 loanee Okay Yokuslu of Celta Vigo, as reported by Birmingham Mail.

The Lowdown: West Brom set for life under Valerien Ismael

Gliding ever closer to the 2021/22 campaign, Valerien Ismael will be keen to put his stamp on a squad who will be desperate to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Getting busy in the transfer market, the 45-year-old has sanctioned deals for Matt Clarke and Alex Mowatt [Transfermarkt].

However, one man he will not bring back to the Hawthorns this window is 27-year-old Yokuslu.

The Latest: Yokuslu will not return to West Brom this summer

In spite of numerous suggestions otherwise, the Turkey international is not someone who will pitch up in the Midlands once again for the forthcoming campaign [Birmingham Mail].

Despite giving a good account of himself with the Baggies last year, West Brom currently do not have the money necessary to bring the 6 foot 3 midfield maestro aboard.

Furthermore, newly appointed Ismael is said to want to shape the side in his own way, a vision that does not include Yokuslu.

The Verdict: Clean break

For both parties, a clean break may be the best scenario here. Though a very talented midfielder who performed admirably last term, Yokuslu joining up with West Brom would take a significant chunk out of their respective transfer and wage budgets.

In 2020/21, he impressed with his desire to win possession, successfully winning an average of 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League across the year [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘excellent’ by West Brom journalist Adrian Goldberg [This is Futbol], he is a talented player no doubt, but one talented player does not earn promotion.

If Ismael is allowed to redirect whatever funds were plotted for Yokuslu’s return elsewhere instead, this could turn out to be a very wise decision indeed.

In other news, West Brom have been linked with a free agent.

An update has emerged on Leeds target Dan James, regarding Manchester United’s plans for him. 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Manchester United are set to keep hold of Dan James and reject any interest in his services this summer.

The report claims that both Leeds and Brighton are keen on a deal for the forward and would be willing to sign him permanently or on loan. However, United intend to turn away any offers and use him in their first-team squad despite the recent arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

Fans will be gutted

Leeds fans will be gutted by this news as it seemingly rules out any chance of James arriving at Elland Road before the end of the window. The attacker has been a long-term target for Lillywhites boss Marcelo Bielsa, which makes this news all the more frustrating as they have been waiting for a number of transfer windows to seal a deal for his services.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist said this about Bielsa’s interest in James: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa is forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United. I don’t think it was ever really a possibility because it didn’t seem as though Solskjaer wanted him to go.”

This shows that missing out on the £15m dynamo would be disappointing for the Argentine coach, as he clearly wants to work with the winger. The supporters will also be gutted as he could be an excellent addition to the squad and strengthen the club’s options out wide.

Speaking to Manchester United’s official website last season, Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira lavished praise on the Whites target, labelling him as “explosive and so fast”.

James put that explosive pace to good use at the European Championships for Wales this summer. The 23-year-old averaged an impressive 2.5 key passes and 1.5 dribbles completed per game across four starts at the major tournament, showing that he was able to use his speed to beat defenders before providing a killer pass to set up a chance.

Therefore, he could have been an exciting signing for Leeds as he is a player who is able to make things happen and get supporters up off their seats in anticipation. This is why the fans will be upset that a deal is now reportedly out of the question, for now.

AND in other news, “Poised to fly to England”: Phil Hay drops Leeds transfer update that’ll excite fans…

The plays of the day from the India-Pakistan game in Karachi

Sidharth Monga in Karachi26-Jun-2008
Younis Khan did it first during the game, but Virender Sehwag was way ahead in reversing skills © AFP
Retired, and that hurt
After 40 overs, Shoaib Malik had set the game up for Pakistan beautifully through a plan that is typical of Pakistan. Slow start, consolidation, and then accelerate in the end. The first two had been achieved, and Malik was in the middle of lift-off when he started cramping. He tried to continue with a runner, but failed to manage. When he retired hurt, Pakistan were 219 for 1, looking for something in excess of 320, but the change of batsmen proved to be the turning point of the match. On a flat deck, the last 10 overs yielded only 80 for Pakistan – that too with nine wickets in hand.Boom boom in dressing-room
When Shoaib Malik retired hurt in the 41st over after a superb century, the crowd at the National Stadium didn’t like the sight of Malik’s replacement. It was Mohammad Yousuf, and not Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi who walked out. The next wicket fell, and Misbah-ul-Haq came in. When the camera caught the most popular cricketer in Pakistan in the dressing-room and showed him on the big screen, the crowd went berserk. In the end, when Afridi actually batted, it ended in a whimper: a whimper that ended in eight balls and nine runs. Yousuf, on the other hand, scored 30 off 20, and Misbah, 31 off 26.Rawalpindi Mail chugs away
Iftikhar Anjum might have fizzled out later, but he has made two great starts in two matches in the Asia Cup. In the first match he cleaned Irfan Ahmed up with the first ball. Today, he started his spell mid-over when Umar Gul had to pull out because of a rib injury. And Iftikhar repeated the dose against Gautam Gambhir, getting him first ball.Pluck of the day
Iftikhar’s wicket, in effect, was Misbah-ul-Haq’s. Taking over the captain’s duty – Malik didn’t take the field initially – Misbah came up with perhaps the only moment of inspiration during Pakistan’s defence. When Gambhir flashed at a short-of-length loosener from Iftikhar, Misbah – at backward point/fine gully – leapt to his left and literally plucked it like a fruit ripe for the taking. It wasn’t as easy as he made it look.Move over KP
After Younis Khan reverse-swept thrice in his innings to score ten runs, Virender Sehwag got one better. With his helmet off and his bald head glistening, he gave a reverse-welcome to Fawad Alam in his first over. There was no deceit, no holding back; he gave Fawad ample warning of what was coming. But it wouldn’t make a difference as he took two boundaries to what would be point, and put Younis’s innovativeness to the back seat.

Goalkeeper Hendrik van Crombrugge has admitted he would love to sign for Celtic, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Van Crombrugge profiled

Van Crombrugge is a Belgium international and currently plays for Anderlecht, where he is the club captain.

The 28-year-old has been with his current employers since 2019 and has made 43 appearances for the club, keeping 14 clean sheets.

He’s valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt and is thought to be on £18,000-a-week. Van Crombrugge recently signed a new contract through to 2025 and has only ever played in his native country, however, it seems as if he has a soft spot for Celtic.

The Latest: Van Crombrugge’s comments

Van Crombrugge was talking to the media, with his comments relayed by The Daily Record.

The shot-stopper admitted he ‘loves’ Celtic and would ‘immediately’ sign for the Hoops if they ever came calling.

“What I like in clubs is tradition. That’s why I love Glasgow Celtic.

“If someone tells me one day that I can go and play for them I’ll be off immediately asking ‘where do I sign?’!

“Mind you my manager, Vincent Kompany, would laugh reading this. He would tell me it wouldn’t suit my style because it would be too kick and rush there!”

The Verdict: Will Ange sign a new ‘keeper?

Ange Postecoglou has Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain, Conor Hazard and Ross Doohan as goalkeeper options at this moment in time, so it’ll be interesting to see if he signs a new shot-stopper before the window closes.

Mat Ryan emerged as a target after Postecoglou’s Parkhead arrival, with the club assessing the Hoops’ goalkeeping options, however, Celtic missed out on the Aussie to Real Sociedad.

Who knows, van Crombrugge’s transfer admission could catch Celtic’s eye, especially following Barkas’ error against FC Midtjylland earlier in the week.

Postecoglou defended Barkas following his first game in charge, but the Hoops’ goalkeeping situation could be one to keep a close eye on over the coming weeks.

In other news: £10k-p/w ace likened to George Best is now Celtic’s top target.

A mood of quiet expectation settled over New Zealand cricket circles today when All Black Jeff Wilson’s unexpected announcement that he is forsaking his outstanding rugby career in order to pursue his incomplete cricket career

Lynn McConnell19-May-2002A mood of quiet expectation settled over New Zealand cricket circles today when All Black Jeff Wilson’s unexpected announcement that he is forsaking his outstanding rugby career in order to pursue his incomplete cricket career.Wilson, who played for his Super 12 Highlanders side in last night’s semi-final against the Crusaders in Christchurch, announced at a press conference today that he was retiring from rugby.His has been a prolific career which saw him play in 60 Tests from the time of his debut in 1993 until his last Test against South Africa last year. He is the holder of the New Zealand Test try scoring record having touched down 44 times. He scored 234 points in total for the All Blacks.Before he became an All Black however, Wilson was a member of the New Zealand one-day team and played a significant role in its 1993 victory over Australia in Hamilton when scoring 44 not out as New Zealand scored 250/7 to beat Australia by three wickets in a thrilling match.He had already starred for his Otago side with some hard-hitting but technically correct innings and had a highest score of 99. He played 26 first-class matches for Otago between 1991/92 and 1996/97 and had 93 wickets at an average of 22.32.The chairman of New Zealand’s cricket selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee said today he had been surprised by the news when hearing it on the radio this morning.”We are quietly optimistic that he can come through and we would welcome that.”But there is a process for him to go through. Nine years is a long time to be out of international cricket. He will need to get his body back into cricket shape, which is different to rugby shape.”He will need to signal his interests to Otago Cricket and to coach Glenn Turner.But anything New Zealand Cricket can do to assist him in the development of his game will receive a positive response.”Tours at the moment are totally out of the question. That would be unfair to other players.”But we will watch his progress because he has four facets to his game: batting, bowling, fielding and attitude, and those sorts of multi-skilled cricketers are hard to find anywhere,” Hadlee said.However, having just lost a player from that classification, Dion Nash, it would be no surprise if Hadlee and his fellow selectors were hoping that Wilson could complete his turnaround as quickly as possible.”I don’t know what pre-empted his decision but it adds more interest to next season.”There was some talk a year ago that he might come back and we were very keen to have him involved at that stage, two years out from the World Cup. But we are only a year out now and we have nothing to analyse him on,” he said.New Zealand Rugby Football Union chief executive officer David Rutherford said New Zealand rugby would be the poorer without Wilson.”Jeff Wilson was a naturally gifted player who made a huge contribution to the game for such a long time and it is sad for rugby that he has decided to retire. Rugby fans around the country would acknowledge that he is still at the peak of his form,” Rutherford said.”However, we respect his decision to pursue the other love of his life, cricket, and admire the fact that he wants to fully commit himself to it. Anything less than 100 percent commitment would not be Jeff Wilson.”It is great that he will continue to be involved in New Zealand sport and that his talents won’t be lost to the country.”Rutherford also paid tribute to Wilson for his loyalty to New Zealand rugby at a crucial time in its history.”Jeff Wilson was loyal to New Zealand rugby in some of its toughest times and we thank him for that,” he said in a reference to the bitter days when rugby turned professional and there was a chance that many All Blacks were to be involved in an off-shore competition, rather than standing by the New Zealand organisation.Wilson and fellow Otago player Josh Kronfeld were the first two players to signal their allegiance to New Zealand.

Kieran Maguire has given his reaction to the statement which was released by Newcastle United on their upcoming arbitration case against the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Newcastle statement

The St James’ Park club released a statement on their official website citing the need for ‘transparency and fairness in football governance’.

They also called for the arbitration process to be made public, and consortium member Amanda Staveley asked for the same when speaking to Sky Sports recently.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, football finance expert Maguire has claimed that the statement should not make a difference on the results of the arbitration hearing, and even went as far as to accuse Newcastle owner Mike Ashley of being a ‘hypocrite’. He said:

“It shouldn’t make any difference on the case itself, in theory.

“The people making the final decision are legal professionals and you’d expect them to be objective.

“But what I think Staveley and Ashley are trying to do is get populist support. They hope that this will mean the pressure’s on the people making that final decision.

“They’ll know that every word and every utterance is going to be scrutinised by Newcastle’s fanbase.

“Mike Ashley is a hypocrite because Newcastle are the only club in the Premier League not to publish anything to do with their accounts. That doesn’t exactly scream transparency.”

The Verdict: Transparency needed

While Ashley may be a ‘hypocrite’ for calling for transparency when, as Maguire references, they are the only team in the Premier League yet to publish anything on their accounts, there is no doubt that transparency is still needed ahead of the arbitration proceedings.

The Toon Army have largely been kept in the dark until now with regards to the takeover, and they deserve to know what exactly is going on in their club.

Making the arbitration public will show exactly why the takeover may or may not be rejected, and it would also give valuable insight from the Premier League into their decision.

Given the confidence of both parties in getting a positive result, the top flight should also be calling for the process to be made public, assuming that they have nothing to hide.

In other news, find out what insight Amanda Staveley has dropped on potential issues with the takeover