Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to a Manchester United transfer update involving loanee Marcel Sabitzer.
What’s the latest Man United news on Sabitzer?
Erik ten Hag brought Sabitzer in on loan from Bayern Munich late in the January window, with a deal not including an option to make it permanent at the end of the season.
However, a full-time transfer could soon be on the cards, with reports this month claiming that both Sabitzer wants to sign permanently for the Premier League giants and Ten Hag is keen to have him on board.
Talking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, who contributes to Sky Sports and talkSPORT, feels that Sabitzer has been “poor” for the Red Devils, name-checking his display against Sevilla as a prime example. The pundit believes that United need to go for better backup signings, looking at Manchester City’s options in comparison.
“I don’t think so. I’ve watched him a few times now. The odd game he’s decent, but he has been poor as well – and against Sevilla on Thursday was one of those games.
“I don’t think he offers enough. This is Man United, a club that want to get back to challenging for titles and playing Champions League football.
“They can’t be signing players like him, for me. They need to build a stronger bench.
“Sabitzer is a second-string player, but they need to go for better backups. Look at Man City – they can bring on Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, etc. I just don’t think Sabitzer is good enough for Man United.”
Marcel Sabitzer for Man United
Could be fairly expensive for United…
Agbonlahor clearly thinks United should be looking elsewhere for midfield reinforcements this summer, a position that Ten Hag wants to bolster over the coming months alongside signing a new striker.
You can see why as well after the 29-year-old’s display against Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final second-leg on Thursday. He was United’s worst outfield performer, as per SofaScore, having just 26 touches of the ball, losing possession on 10 occasions and coming off second-best in seven of his 10 ground duels.
It is believed that Bayern Munich have set a £25m asking price to make a transfer permanent for Sabitzer, who is on a £211,000-a-week contract, so a display like that won’t do his chances of a full-time transfer any good. However, it looks as if Ten Hag is keen on a deal, and it looks like it could be a fairly expensive one.
علق محمد عواد حارس مرمى الزمالك على أزمة أحمد فتوح مع النادي وتجميده في وقت سابق قبل تجديد عقده، موضحًا موقف اللاعبين الكبار بالقلعة البيضاء من الأزمة.
وقال محمد عواد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “اللاعبون الكبار لم يرفضوا عودة أحمد فتوح، و(محدش يزعل من شيكابالا)، لأنه أسطورة حقيقية في الزمالك، ودوره خارج الملعب أهم من داخله”.
وتابع: “فنيًا لا أحد يختلف على شيكابالا في مصر أو الوطن العربي، دوره الآن أكبر من الدور الفني في ظل الإحلال والتجديد في الفريق، وأيضًا محمد عبد الشافي، أعتز أنني في فريق يمتلك شيكابالا وعبد الشافي”.
وبسؤاله كيف تعاملتم مع أزمة فتوح، أجاب: “لم نعرف التفاصيل، لكن عشنا فترات طويلة جدًا لم يكن بها انضباط في النادي ولا ثواب وعقاب”.
واستطرد: “فما حدث كانت رسالة واضحة من مجلس الإدارة أنه سيكون هناك ثواب وعقاب، وأنا أحب ذلك، أعتقد أن هذا كان سبب بنسبة كبيرة في خسارة الزمالك للبطولات”.
مع أم ضد بيع زيزو؟: “هو لاعب لا يُعوض، أنا أحب أن يكون معي 4 أو 5 مثله في الفريق، هناك مباراة في الدور التمهيدي بالكونفدرالية كنا نريد تسجيل 4 أهداف لكي نتأهل، وكنت أثق أننا سنفوز”.
طالع | محمد عواد يوضح حقيقة تخفيض راتبه في الزمالك.. وموقفه من العرض السعودي
ووصل: “لأن معنا زيزو وشيكابالا والمثلوثي وشلبي وكل اللاعبين، جميعهم كانوا عند المسؤولية، وزيزو يستطيع أن يصنع الفارق في أي وقت”.
ما الذي تغير في فيريرا في الفترة الأخيرة؟: “هو من أقوى المدربين الذين عملت معهم في حياتي، رجل مباشر وفي التدريب يجب أن تعطي 200% لكي تتواجد في التشكيل، كان رجلًا واقعيًا جدًا، يلعب بشكل دفاعي وأنا كنت (ليبرو) وكنت موفقًا في هذا الأمر”.
وأشار: “ممكن الاختلاف عندما رحل وعاد مرة أخرى، هذا أثر عليه، وأنا تواصلت معه بعد مباراة المحلة من أجل جمع اللاعبين والحديث معهم، لكن لم أجده كما كان، لأنه شعر بالإهانة، هو يريد الاحترام وعدم التدخل في عمله”.
رأيك في أوسوريو؟: “الأجواء التي كنا نعيشها لم تكن تساعد أحد على النجاح، هو كان يُحاول تطوير الأداء، وأدينا بشكل جيد، لكن ظروف النادي في هذا التوقيت مع أفكاره غير الواقعية ومشاكل اللاعبين الذين لم يستطيعوا أن يطبقوا أفكاره”.
وأتم: “اللاعبون كان عندهم مشاكل، 7 أشهر لم نحصل على مستحقاتنا، وفي الموسم الماضي لم نحصل على مكافأة واحدة، هذه ظروف لا أحد يتحملها، خاصة وأن الفريق به لاعبين صغار كانوا لا يستطيعون تحمل الضغط”.
وجه البرتغالي روي فيتوريا مدرب منتخب مصر، رسالة لجماهير الفراعنة قبل ساعات من بداية المشوار في النسخة الحالية من كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.
وكتب فيتوريا من خلال حسابه الرسمي عبر “انستجرام”: “تنطلق رحلتنا غدًا في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2024، نحن نحمل فخر وآمال الملايين من المصريين، كان إعدادنا مكثفًا ومركزًا”.
إقرأ أيضًا..تريزيجيه يحذر منافسي مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا: لدينا هدف واحد
وتابع: “والآن هو الوقت المناسب لتحويل كل هذا العمل الشاق إلى أداء لا ينسى في أرض الميدان، نحن مستعدون لمواجهة هذه المنافسة بشجاعة وتصميم، سنقاتل، مباراة تلو الأخرى، لنجلب الفرح والفخر للشعب المصري”.
وتستضيف كوت ديفوار منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023، في الفترة بين 13 يناير وحتى 11 فبراير.
ومن المقرر أن يستهل منتخب مصر مبارياته في كأس أمم إفريقيا غدًا الأحد أمام موزمبيق.
ولم يفز منتخب مصر ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا منذ عام 2010، وتعرض للهزيمة في النهائي أمام السنغال في النسخة الماضية، بركلات الترجيح.
Arsenal's surprise pursuit of the Premier League title this season was coincidentally upheld by their rivals, as it almost seemed like Mikel Arteta finished off his team with two Manchester City players.
Bringing in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus both finished off his system perfectly and added the goalscorer they craved, yet it seems set to not be enough with just four games left for the Gunners to play.
That could explain why attention has already turned to this summer, as Edu has been tasked with bolstering the squad to a level where it can feasibly compete with Pep Guardiola's side for a full campaign.
The rumour mill has therefore kicked into overdrive, as a switch to the Emirates has fast become one of the most attractive propositions in football. Joining up with a youthful, hungry manager who is overseeing the joint-youngest squad in the division, means success is almost guaranteed in the near future. However, Arteta will crave it immediately.
Having come so close and fought for so long, a few key additions could prove to be the difference in taking that final step. Ironically enough, one proposed signing is that of Barcelona's Ferran Torres, who also spent time in Sky Blue as part of the Cityzens' relentless regime.
Is Ferran Torres better than Gabriel Jesus?
What makes this potential deal all the more tantalising for the Gunners is the reported price tag of just €35m (£30m), as the Catalonian giants desperately scramble for funds to re-sign the wantaway Lionel Messi.
Edu could pounce on this opportunity, seeking to welcome the Spaniard who could actually prove to be a better finisher than Jesus.
The Brazilian has come under fire of late for squandering chances in big matches, with his role in their 3-3 draw with Southampton particularly frustrating. The 26-year-old accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 1.14 yet did not find the net, and vital points were dropped.
Although he might have scored ten goals this year, outperforming Torres' seven in all competitions, the former forward has actually underperformed his expected goals for the whole campaign.
arsenal-gabriel-jesus-ferran-torres
The 23-year-old too has suffered from his own expected goals tally, but only by 0.89 compared to his potential competition's 3.35. This suggests that the £265k-per-week finisher should have scored far more than he actually has.
Not only this, but Guardiola himself even suggested that the current-Barcelona talent was a more natural finisher than Jesus, claiming:
"I spoke with Gabriel and he likes to play sometimes more in wider positions than the central one, and Ferran has a big sense for the goal, I would say a little bit higher than Gabriel when he plays in central positions."
Having been further lauded in the past by the legendary Spanish boss for his "exceptional" numbers during his debut campaign, as he notched 13 times in all competitions, perhaps ample time for further development could see him return and turn into the true monster he was expected to be.
علّقت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية على إصابة نجم الفريق ومنتخب مصر، محمد صلاح، في مباراة الأمس ضد منتخب غانا في كأس أمم إفريقيا.
وسقط منتخب مصر، في فخ التعادل للمباراة الثانية على التوالي، مع منتخب غانا بهدفين لمثليهما في الجولة الثانية من دور مجموعات كأس أمم إفريقيا، في كوت ديفوار.
ولم يتمكن محمد صلاح من استكمل المباراة، حيث تعرض لإصابة في الشوط الأول أجبرته على الخروج.
وقالت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية إن نادي ليفربول يشعر بحالة من الخوف والترقب بسبب محمد صلاح، بعد الاشتباه في إصابته في أوتار الركبة.
وهز صلاح رأسه محبطًا أثناء توجهه إلى النفق لكنه فعل ذلك دون مساعدة، مما خفف من المخاوف من احتمال بقائه لفترة طويلة بعيدًا عن الملاعب.
وأوضحت أن تلك الإصابة تمثل أحدث صداع لمدرب ليفربول يورجن كلوب، الذي يفتقد بالفعل دومينيك سوبوسلاي وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد وكوستاس تسيميكاس بسبب إصابتهم مؤخرًا.
ويُضاف ذلك إلى قائمة الغائبين منذ فترة طويلة أمثال تياجو ألكانتارا، جويل ماتيب وأندي روبرتسون.
اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير توضح طبيعة إصابة محمد صلاح أمام غانا.. ومدة غيابه صادمة
وكان ليفربول يأمل عودة محمد صلاح في أسرع وقت ممكن، وفي حال تأهل منتخب مصر إلى النهائي، فإنه لن يكون متاحًا حتى المباراة النهائية التي ستُقام يوم 11 فبراير القادم.
وفي تلك الحالة، سيكون محمد صلاح متاحًا للمشاركة ضد برينتفورد في الدوري الإنجليزي يوم 17 فبراير، ولكن ذلك الأمر قد يتغير حال اضطرار المصري إلى الغياب عن الملاعب لفترة أطول نتيجة إصابة الأمس.
ومن المرجح أن يُسأل يورجن كلوب عن حالة محمد صلاح، خلال مؤتمر اليوم للحديث عن مباراة الأحد المرتقبة ضد بورنموث.
Arsenal have "sounded out" West Ham star Declan Rice, but he is also a target for their Premier League title rivals, according to reports.
What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?
The north Londoners are said to be prioritising central midfield additions this summer, even despite the signing of former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho in January, with Brighton's Moises Caicedo and Rice high on their agendas.
Manager Mikel Arteta is also believed to be chasing additions further forward, especially with Reiss Nelson out of contract this summer – leading to interest in the likes of Jonathan David (Lille) and Lois Openda (Lens) from Ligue 1.
Central defensive signings aren't ruled out, either, with star man William Saliba's injury problems arguably exposing some real frailties in the Arsenal back line this season.
The Gunners went four league games without a win in April – a run which may well have cost them their first domestic crown in 20 years if City can keep up their near-perfect winning run of late.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
Sporting director Edu will have one eye on next campaign and how he can reinforce Arteta's squad for a potential fresh challenge in 2023/2024.
Going back to Rice, a report by Football Insider has shared some news on Arsenal's pursuit of the 24-year-old.
They've apparently "sounded out" the England international over a move to the Emirates Stadium and remain in pole position for his signing, but they could face competition from title rivals Man City.
Pep Guardiola is also reportedly targeting Rice, alongside fellow rivals Chelsea, but the midfielder's eagerness over potentially working with Arteta could work in their favour.
Rice is believed to be really impressed with the job he has done at Arsenal and is excited over the prospect of playing under him, not to mention he is keen to remain in London.
What could Rice bring to Arsenal?
As per WhoScored, the Irons star is a colossal presence for David Moyes, having registered more interceptions per 90 than any other West Ham player whilst standing out as their best-performer overall.
Rice has also been called "utterly sensational" by members of the press like 90min reporter Toby Cudworth, while Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith said this on him recently (via The Boot Room):
“Declan Rice, He’s like two players for West Ham. He’s unbelievable, world-class and he is starting to add goals to his game as well.”
He could inject both quality and enthusiasm into Arteta's midfield, yet he won't be cheap, with reports claiming he could cost up to £120 million.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino will be "involved" as Chelsea look to keep hold of N'Golo Kante.
What's the latest on Chelsea and N'Golo Kante?
It seems all but confirmed that the 51-year-old Argentine will be the Blues' next manager and will take over when the Premier League ends.
With that being the case, Pochettino will have a big job in working out who he wants to keep around at Stamford Bridge after this past season of mediocrity.
Kante is one notable player who will see his £290k-p/w contract expire at the end of the current campaign but it sounds as though Chelsea want to offer the midfielder new terms.
While speaking about the Frenchman on his YouTube channel, however, Romano explained how Pochettino will also play a role in the decision
He said (09:12): "For N'Golo Kante, on the club's side, the idea is to continue together with Kante, but now Pochettino will be involved also in this conversion."
Who else wants to sign Kante?
It's certainly interesting that Chelsea seem keen to keep Kante at Stamford Bridge as this might not have been a certainty seeing as he earns so much, is now 32 years of age, and has struggled with injury issues this season – limiting him to just seven league appearances this term.
However, seeing as he's won so much over the course of his career – such as the Premier League, Champions League and World Cup – it makes sense to keep a proven winner around.
What's more, seeing as rival London club Arsenal have been linked by reports in France with the midfielder in recent weeks, it might not be wise to discard him just yet.
However, while Romano notes that Pochettino will also be involved in the conversations with the player, that doesn't necessarily mean the Argentine will want to offer him a new deal.
Of course, he may be more than happy to keep Kante but perhaps he'll want to have younger options in his squad.
After all, journalist Paul Brown recently explained to GIVEMESPORT how the new manager may prefer a youthful project in west London.
He said: "With Pochettino, I think he works best when he has a squad full of young, hungry, talented players who will work for him, listen and play to the system. I think that's possible at Chelsea. It's just that they have a lot of older, more experienced players with slightly bigger egos who have been around and won stuff as well.
"But I think you will see Pochettino use a lot of the younger players because they're the ones who he can work with and mould and really build a system around. So I think that could be quite exciting for Chelsea."
حقق فريق الكرة بالزمالك فوزًا صعبًا أمام منافسه الرجاء بنتيجة 4-2 بركلات الترجيح بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي من اللقاء بالتعادل الإيجابي 2-2، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس دبي للتحدي.
وأقيمت مباراة الزمالك والرجاء مساء اليوم على أرضية ملعب استاد المكتوم في نصف نهائي البطولة الودية.
ويخوض الزمالك منافسات بطولة كأس دبي للتحدي، بمشاركة أندية الرجاء المغربي والأهلي السعودي ووهان ثري تاونز الصيني.
وكان الزمالك قد تقدم بهدفين أحرزهما محمود حمدي الونش في الدقيقة 3 ومحمود شيكابالا بالدقيقة 6 من عمر اللقاء.
طالع | الزمالك يوضح حقيقة التعاقد مع صفقات جديدة بعد انتهاء أزمة القيد
بينما أحرز يسري بوزوق هدفي الرجاء الأول والثاني من ضربتي جزاء، في الدقيقتين 66، 87 من عمر اللقاء.
ولجأ الفريقان لركلات الترجيح والتي شهدت تألق محمد عواد حارس القلعة البيضاء، ليقود الزمالك للفوز بنتيجة 4-2. أهداف وركلات ترجيح مباراة الزمالك والرجاء المغربي اليوم في كأس دبي للتحدي
وبهذه النتيجة تأهل فريق الكرة بالزمالك للمباراة النهائية من بطولة كأس دبي، منتظرًا الفائز من لقاء الأهلي السعودي ووهان ثري تاونز الصيني.
India’s attempts to host a day-night Test has gained further ground with Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first pink-ball multi-day cricket match in June
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2016
India are aiming to host a day-night Test match later in the year against New Zealand•Getty Images/ICC
India’s attempts to host a day-night Test has gained further ground with Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first pink-ball multi-day cricket match.The final of the Super League, a local tournament in Bengal to help identify players for the state’s Ranji Trophy team, is expected to be played under lights from June 18 to 21. Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, hoped the “experiment” would help India host a day-night Test “in the near future”.”Pink-ball cricket indeed is the way forward,” he told the . “Test cricket’s popularity has been steadily declining and we must do something to arrest the slide. The pink-ball Test in Australia last year received an overwhelmingly positive response and we must embrace the change. The Super League final under lights is an experiment with an eye to hosting day-night Tests in the near future. I think it would be a very good experience.”Ganguly is also the head of the BCCI technical committee that recommended the Duleep Trophy, an inter-zonal first-class tournament, be played with pink balls soon after then board secretary and current board president, Anurag Thakur, had announced plans to play a floodlit Test against New Zealand later this year. NZC, however, said a number of factors needed to be finalised before going through with the match.Though cricket in India is usually played with the SG ball, the Super League final will be played with a pink Kookaburra, which requires a specific set of conditions to last.There had been complaints that it deteriorated quickly and became difficult to pick up, from both batsmen and fielders, when it was trialled in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s first-class tournament, before it was approved for the day-night Test in Adelaide in November 2015. The pitch for that game had to have a more-than-normal coating of grass to help delay the wear and tear of the ball, and it resulted in exaggerated lateral movement. Another concern with hosting a floodlit match, especially in India, is dew.”Certain conditions are required for the pink ball to hold up for a substantial period,” CAB secretary Abhishek Dalmiya said. “We have spoken to Kookaburra’s subcontinent head and will follow the advice.”