Tag Futebol

Everton are ready to rival another Premier League club in the chase for Antoine Semenyo… 

What’s the word?

According to The Guardian, the Toffees have enquired about the availability of the Bristol City marksman. Crystal Palace are also pursuing the deal, and with both clubs needing to replace injured or outgoing strikers, it could make for an interesting transfer battle.

The 22-year-old is expected to command a fee of around £20m for the Robins, who rejected a £10m bid from Bournemouth earlier this summer.

He can be Calvert-Lewin 2.0

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin yet again ruled out with another lengthy injury, Everton have been left searching for a starting striker to deputise in his absence.

Reports have linked them with a number of forwards from Ligue 1, but perhaps shopping in the Championship could see them pick up another cheap gem who can be moulded into a top Premier League striker.

It could be a repeat of their £1.5m acquisition of the talismanic Calvert-Lewin, who was signed from Sheffield United in 2015.

Despite a troubling injury history, he has still netted 58 goals for the Toffees, including a 16-goal haul during the 2020/21 top-flight season.

Semenyo had something of a breakout season in 2021/22 and could bring huge value to this Everton team. The Ghanaian could directly replace the goals of Calvert-Lewin, and his link-up play could even surpass that of the England international, who has previously been noted for this trait.

Last season in the Championship, he scored eight goals and set up a further 12, which suggests that he could provide a creative outlet for some of the Toffees’ tricky wingers who would support him.

Labelled a “dangerous” forward by his former manager Phil Parkinson, Semenyo gives every indication that he could come into Goodison Park and be an instant hit.

Also providing 1.1 key passes per game, a huge improvement on Calvert-Lewin’s 0.6 from last season, it could mark a change away from Everton’s reliance on a target man and see Frank Lampard alter his approach towards a passing style which may suit his players a bit more.

With Everton desperate for a reliable presence up front, they could do much worse than signing the young, up-and-coming Semenyo. It could mark another successful coup when exploring attacking options from the EFL, if the move comes off.

The Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has confirmed that Everton are now ‘definitely’ interested in signing Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: Bid incoming?

The Goodison Park outfit’s interest in Broja has been reported throughout the window, with claims that they could even make a bid for the Chelsea striker.

A deal to sign former Wolves left-back Ruben Vinagre meanwhile is ‘done’ pending an official announcement, according to Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, and so the Merseyside club can now focus on securing other targets ahead of the start of the new season.

The Latest: Broja interest

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor has now revealed that the Toffees are ‘definitely still interested’ in signing Broja, alongside Newcastle United:

“Everton and Newcastle are definitely still interested, but Newcastle would prefer a loan. But a source close to Broja tells me he’s only interested in a permanent move. He doesn’t want to go out on loan again.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

After the sale of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, getting in a striker is a no-brainer for the Blues, and Broja would certainly be a smart addition.

Dubbed as ‘devastating‘ by Albania assistant coach Sergio Porrini, the 20-year-old already has four goals in 14 caps for his country, on top of the nine that he managed while on loan at Southampton last season (Transfermarkt).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He is a player Frank Lampard will of course know well from his time at Chelsea, and one that the Englishman greatly admires, having called him ‘very talented’, ‘fast’ and ‘strong’ back in February (Metro).

Nonetheless, Lampard will want other new faces to come through the doors alongside Vinagre before the season starts, and Broja could slot in straight away against his former club on the opening day if they can get a deal done quickly.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set to lose promising youngster Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

As per talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the 22-year-old is “likely” to leave the Black Country this summer, amid reported interest from the likes of fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, Everton and Nottingham Forest.

He told GIVEMESPORT regarding Gibbs-White: “He’s more likely to go [than stay]. He hasn’t signed the contract that he’s been offered, I think that’s because he doesn’t feel appreciated having been sent out on loan the last couple of seasons.”

The Englishman – who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United – reportedly has an asking price of around £30m, with the Old Gold believed to have already rejected a £25m offer from Frank Lampard’s Toffees.

Supporters will hate it

That news will no doubt spark a great deal of frustration among Wolves supporters, many of whom are likely to be perplexed at the club’s refusal to hand the Salford-born gem more regular game-time in recent years.

A member of the World Cup-winning England under-17 side of 2017, Gibbs-White has long been tipped for stardom, although he has found it increasingly difficult to force his way into the first-team plans with his parent club, making just ten Premier League starts for the Old Gold thus far.

Handed his debut as a 16-year-old five years ago, the expectation then would have been that the £9.9m-rated ace would now be a focal point of the senior team, but at present it would appear that his future is set to lie elsewhere.

Any frustration among supporters will also be heightened by the fact that the starlet had been so impressive during his temporary spell at Bramall Lane last season, netting 11 goals and providing nine assists in 35 league appearances for the Championship outfit.

While it may have come in the second tier, that run of form has showcased the threat that the playmaker can offer in the final third, having also been dubbed “sensational” by former Blades team-mate Billy Sharp.

With a move to a rival top-tier club currently in the offing, Wolves may well be left to rue their decision not to hand a more prominent role to the 5 foot 10 menace, and it would be no real surprise if the player does feel underappreciated by Bruno Lage and co.

AND in other news, Shi can sign Lage his own Harry Kane with Wolves swoop for “incredible” goal machine

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the 19-year-old centre-back, along with an update over the clubs who have enquired about signing the youngster.

Taking to social media, Romano said: “Chelsea will sign two centre backs this summer but will also make final decision on Levi Colwill, as multiple clubs are interested in signing the English centre back on a permanent deal.

“Leicester, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Nottingham Forest have asked for Colwill.”

Vieira’s dream

Colwill spent last season on loan at Huddersfield Town, where he enjoyed regular first-team football in a campaign which saw the Terriers reach the Championship play-off final.

He featured 57% of their Championship games and amassing two goals and one assist along the way.

For his first season in professional football, it’s an impressive return for the 19-year-old, so you can understand the level of interest which surrounds him.

Having signed former Chelsea defender Marc Guehi, Palace manager Patrick Vieira will greatly understand the potential of Cobham prospects and could move for a defender either way, with a tactical switch which would see Palace set up with a back five said to be on the cards.

If this is the case, the 45-year-old is rightly on the lookout for a left-footed centre-back, which ironically seems to be the theme of this summer’s transfer window.

Vieira will require a player who is comfortable operating on the left side of defence and is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Colwill demonstrated those tendencies in his debut campaign at senior level, ranking third in the Huddersfield squad for accurate passes per game, with his average of 41.9 per match at a completion rate of 78.4% speaking volumes about his ability as a young player in possession.

He would offer a different but much-needed option at Selhurst Park, occupying both elegance and a tenacity within his playing style, his average of 1.7 tackles per game the Terriers’ second-highest in 2021/22.

Quite simply, he appears to be Vieira’s dream defender.

AND in other news – “Will probably leave”: Journalist drops big Palace transfer claim that’ll delight supporters 

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a move for Luton Town defender James Bree ahead of the summer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Express & Star, “Bree is understood to be one of the players under consideration as Albion look to strengthen at full-back.”

The right-back joined Luton on a permanent deal back in 2020 after spending some time there on loan from Aston Villa.

Bruce’s new weapon

During his time at Kenilworth Road, the 24-year-old has gone on to make a total of 114 appearances for the club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Englishman has scored two goals and delivered 16 assists along the way.

Having played more minutes in the Championship this season than any other Luton player, this shows just how important he is to the side and why the club may be reluctant to let him leave this summer, especially to another side in the division.

With more crosses delivered (272) and tackles won (47) than any of his teammates as well, this shows that he is just as impressive off the ball as he is on it.

Back in March, Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd described a free-kick scored by Bree as a “thing of beauty,” which further highlights the talent he has.

The defender, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £5.1k-per-week according to Salary Sport, was also described as being a potential “weapon” for Villa back in 2018 by presenter and podcaster Dan Bardell.

However, it seems as though he’s become a rather important weapon for Luton since his move away from Villa Park and could now become one for West Brom should he make a move to the Hawthorns this summer.

Having played 21 times under Bruce during their time at Villa, the Baggies boss will be aware of what Bree is capable of and what he can add to his side.

With the summer transfer window set to open for business tomorrow, if the Baggies can secure a deal for the former Villan as soon as possible, he could be a great asset for the side and give them a good chance of getting closer to promotion.

In other news: Bruce can seal dream Sawyers replacement as WBA plot bid for “very special” £10m star

West Ham have been linked with a move for Watford attacker Emmanuel Dennis recently and the Nigerian could be a superb addition to David Moyes’ side this summer.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Dean Jones, the Hammers will look into bringing the striker to the London Stadium ahead of next season, following Watford’s relegation back to the Championship.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “It’ll be interesting. There are loads of names that West Ham are looking at at the moment. People like Emmanuel Dennis, I’m sure that they’ll be looking into situations like that because they always explore good opportunities, but we’ll have to wait.”

A no-brainer for the Hammers?

Although Watford succumbed to relegation last season, Dennis was one of their star performers in the top flight, particularly in the first half of the season and arguably showed that he is capable of forging a successful career in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old contributed an impressive ten goals and six assists in 33 appearances for the Hornets, averaging a solid 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was enough to rank him as their top performer across the season.

The Sun have previously reported that he could be available for as little as £20m this summer, and with West Ham desperately in need of attacking reinforcements after once again failing to bring in a striker in January’s transfer window, this is a deal that would make a lot of sense for Moyes.

Claudio Ranieri was full of praise for Dennis during his short spell at Watford last season, saying:

“[Dennis] is a very talented player. He’s fast, has good skill, always runs straight to the goal – I love these kinds of players.”

If the Hammers are to progress next season then they certainly need more strength in depth and Dennis could be the ideal man to level up Moyes’ attack, as his versatility allows him to play anywhere across a front three.

He is proven in the Premier League, still young and will surely be keen to avoid a season in the Championship, so Moyes should definitely look to bring him in.

And, in other news…West Ham can sign their own Vardy in “fearless” 22 y/o

Ruben Neves’ summer exit from Wolves looks increasingly likely, with a fresh transfer update now claiming he ‘wants to leave’ Wanderers at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Neves on the move?

If one Wolves transfer story is dominating the Molineux headlines at the moment, it’s Neves’ potential move to Barcelona during the summer window.

The 24-year-old has been endlessly linked with joining the La Liga giants, with manager Xavi seeing him as someone who could strengthen his midfield options.

Everything points towards Neves leaving Wolves – he even apparently ‘dreams’ of a switch to Catalonia – and a new claim further suggests that that will be the case.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-6/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Neves wants to quit

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], the Portuguese maestro has made it clear that he ‘wants to ‘leave’ Wanderers and ‘meetings’ with Barca have already taken place.

Wolves have named their starting price at around €60million (£51.4m), with Neves’ current deal not expiring until the summer of 2024.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Verdict: Time to say goodbye

It feels inevitable that Neves will exit Molineux once the season reaches its conclusion, with Barca looking the overriding favourites to snap him up.

While any supporter wants their best players to stay put, it does feel as though the midfielder’s Wolves career has reached its natural end, with a move to a Champions League-playing club required.

The key now is to ensure that Bruno Lage invests the money received wisely in the summer, bringing in a top-class replacement to fill the void left by Neves – Sporting CP star Joao Palhinha looks like a strong and much-linked current contender – as well as other signings in key areas.

In other news, Wolves have been backed to sign a Premier League attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

India’s batsmen could target the spinner for runs in seamer-friendly conditions, but he has already shown he can hold his own even when things are not in his favour

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town03-Jan-2018Keshav Maharaj is the fastest South African spinner to 50 Test wickets since readmission in 1992, and the joint-second fastest in the country’s history. In 14 Tests, he has only gone wicketless once, in Hobart in November 2016 where he bowled only seven overs. He has names like Jonny Bairstow (five dismissals in four matches), Joe Root, Alastair Cook and Steven Smith in his wicket’s column – this much success in such a short span despite not playing in the subcontinent yet.The last bit is pertinent because Maharaj’s left-arm spin has been successful even in conditions that don’t suit him. It makes you wonder how he may have done if the opposite was the case. In more spinner-friendly conditions, will Maharaj become South Africa’s Ravindra Jadeja? We may only know in July-August, when South Africa are due to tour Sri Lanka. However, a possible follow-up question could be answered in the next three weeks: how will Maharaj fare against batsmen who have been brought up on spin?The Indian line-up will be Maharaj’s first real pressure test. It’s the first time he will be truly targeted, partly because it will come naturally to India and mostly because the pace pack and a lively pitch will make scoring off seamers difficult. If India want quick runs or just to feel a release, it is more than likely that they will dial Maharaj. But there’s someone who thinks this won’t be all that easy.”He is not an easy bowler to hit and if they are going to attack him, they might get away with it for a while but then he may get one to spin a little more or to skid on. He has got a way of picking up a few wickets,” Robin Peterson, one of Maharaj’s predecessors, told ESPNcricinfo. “The other thing about playing against India is that you need to be mentally tough and expect them to come at you. Keshav definitely has what it takes. He is fit enough to bowl long spells and his control is excellent.”Consistency is one of the key features of Maharaj’s bowling, perhaps why he was preferred over Dane Piedt, the offspinner, who has tended to be a touch expensive. “Keshav doesn’t bowl many bad balls. Not many full tosses, not much you can hit. He is very accurate,” Claude Henderson, South Africa’s spin bowling consultant, said.Henderson is the only member of the coaching staff who was retained from the Russell Domingo era to work under Ottis Gibson, primarily because of the work he has done with Maharaj. Together they have worked on some key technical tweaks that have helped Maharaj make the step up to international cricket seamlessly.”When I first saw him, there were a few technical things we needed to work on, like where he delivered the ball from and his wrist position,” Henderson said. “He needed to be delivering the ball more from mid-crease, especially on good decks, and he used to undercut the ball with this wrist, which he does not do anymore. He has also started to put more revolutions on the ball and gets late drift.”Maharaj’s ability to turn the ball more than almost any other South African spinner in the 2000s and the late drift make him more than just a defensive option, although his primary role will be to contain. “He is a defensive bowler if conditions can’t help him, but even to be able to hold up things you’ve got to be a good spinner because it’s difficult to keep top-order batsmen who are in quiet,” Henderson said. “But if conditions suit him, then he will obviously become more attacking and maybe on day four or five, if the team is in the lead, we can have more catchers around the bat. It’s also having smart field placings and connecting with the captain.”The leadership angle is where Peterson thinks Maharaj has it better than those that came before him. “He has a captain who backs him,” Peterson said. “I think there has been a change in culture in terms of spin, which probably started towards the latter end of my career and South Africa started to see they really do need a spinner. Before it was like the spinner was just that irritating player who they needed to include but now they have seen the importance a good spinner.”Now, the hope is that other countries will experience that South Africa’s attitude has changed too. They’ve gone from a team that considered a spinner, especially at home, nothing more than a glorified 12th man, to one who is a player they can rely on against any opposition, even those who are stronger against spin like India.While Maharaj can take heart from the recent evidence of spinners’ success against India – Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe took 38 wickets between them in India on Australia’s 2017 tour – he will be mindful that those numbers were achieved in helpful conditions. He will be equally aware that South Africa are not planning to provide anything similar and so even if he just plays more of a supporting role, he can still enjoy some success in this series.”It’s about knowing your opposition very well and understanding what the team needs. He is clued up on if the ball goes around, he to keep an end quiet so the seamers can bowl with fresh legs,” Henderson said. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t working on different angles and different deliveries. He is a smart cricketer, very humble and works extremely hard.”

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar analyses the various aspects of the first day’s play in Antigua

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2016‘Gutsy Dhawan provided platform’Sanjay Manjrekar says the India batsmen negotiated the new ball and testing conditions well to come out top on the first day of the four-Test series in the Caribbean0:51

‘Gutsy Dhawan provided platform’

‘Kohli reminds me of Tendulkar’The ease with with Virat Kohli scored runs was the most striking aspect on his innings, similar to Sachin Tendulkar in his early days1:03

‘Kohli reminds me of Tendulkar’

‘WI attack one of the weakest you’ll see’West Indies used too many defensive tactics, beginning with their selection of Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder as frontline bowlers2:07

‘WI attack one of the weakest you’ll see’

‘Can’t disregard India’s lower-order batting’R Ashwin and Amit Mishra have shown their batting pedigree on numerous occasions, so India can look to make most of a strong first-day performance0:56

‘Can’t disregard India’s lower-order batting’

For six seasons, Chennai had cheered Albie Morkel as one of their own. Now he seemed to have hit the winning six against their team. Or had he? By the narrowest of margins, Morkel missed out as the ball bounced just inside the rope

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Chennai09-Apr-2015Ten minutes ago they had applauded Albie Morkel warmly when he brought up his fifty, a gesture of affection for a long-serving former player. Now the Chennai crowd wished he wasn’t at the crease. With 19 to get from six balls, Morkel had swung at a wide one from Dwayne Bravo and edged him fine, far enough to the right of third man to pick up four.Till now, MS Dhoni had only needed minimalist gestures to move his fielders around. Stand and point to send someone to a new position, a waggle of his glove for subtler adjustments. Now he exhaled and swept his arm back and forth, pointing first to R Ashwin, who had been slow to the ball with his sprint and dive at third man, and then to Dwayne Smith, stationed at one of two backward points. They were to switch positions.Fifteen off five. Delhi Daredevils had kept losing wickets, but a combination of Morkel, a below-par Chennai Super Kings total, and the nature of Twenty20 games – which often take only one or two overs to go from one-sided to desperately close – had kept them in the hunt. Just about – they were eight down at the start of the final over.Dhoni’s field – two backward points, third man, sweeper cover, mid-off; long-on, deep midwicket, deep backward square leg, short fine leg – dictated where he wanted Bravo to bowl. Short, angling across the left-handed Morkel. There was enough pace and bounce on this surface to make it hard to manufacture hits down the ground from that sort of length, and three leg-side boundary riders for any attempts at pulling or hooking.So far, Bravo had mostly bowled this sort of length to Morkel, and had even given away two off-side wides when his short, angled-away balls slid marginally off-target. But now he had bowled a length ball, and Morkel had hit it for four, even if he hadn’t hit it in the intended direction.Next ball was short, but the sort of short ball that sits up at waist height, and Morkel may have tested the leg-side field with a more powerful hit. As it happened, he sent it rolling to long-on. A single.With 14 to get off four balls, Imran Tahir miscued Bravo to deep midwicket, down the throat of Suresh Raina. Nine down. But the batsmen had crossed over, and Morkel was back on strike.In ran Bravo, and down came another length ball, perfectly within Morkel’s swinging arc. Morkel cleared his front leg and swatted it away over cow corner. Six. Daredevils now needed eight from two balls.In ran Bravo, and this one was just about back of a length, and the angle forced Morkel to slice his on-the-up drive squarer than he may have intended. It left the fielder at sweeper cover, Raina, with a lot of work to do, a full-tilt sprint to the right and a dive to stop a ball that was not only hit hard but also spinning away from him after it bounced. Raina cut it off, keeping it down to two.Six from one. Morkel on strike, batting on 69. He had batted 59 times for Super Kings in the IPL. He had hit 48 sixes for Super Kings. Now he was batting against them. Dhoni knew everything he needed to know about him. So did Ashwin, who ran up to his captain to have a word. More gesturing, of the non-minimalist kind. One of the backward points went to extra cover. Third man came into the circle. Mid-off dropped back to long-off.In ran Bravo again, looking to go full and straight. What he sent down wasn’t quite full enough to deny Morkel elevation, and was wide enough outside off for Morkel to free his arms and swing powerfully through the line. The ball soared into the Chennai night. Three stands were unoccupied, by decree, but the seats in it were yellow. Two-thirds of the crowd that was jammed into the other stands was also wearing yellow. For six seasons they had cheered Morkel as one of their own. Now he seemed to have hit the winning six against their team.Or had he? The long-off fielder, haring to his right, slowed down, and ran towards the middle of the ground, where all his teammates were converging. The ball had bounced – only six feet from the rope, and only once, but it had bounced. By the narrowest of margins, Albie Morkel had missed out on putting one over his old team.