The pair added 109 off 45 balls for the fourth wicket as Sylhet completed a chase of 190 with two overs to spare

The Report by Peter Della Penna30-Jan-2019How the game played outBuoyed by the return of Ryan ten Doeschate from injury, Rajshahi Kings hauled down a target of 190 in impressive fashion to knock out Sylhet Sixers from playoff contention. Ten Doeschate and Laurie Evans combined for a 109-run fourth-wicket stand to steer a brisk chase, completed with two overs to spare.Sixers were given several opportunities to remain in the match, beginning when Johnson Charles missed a straightforward stumping on Afif Hossain’s first ball off Mehidy Hasan in the second over. Hossain went on to make 29, while Sabbir Rahman made the most of being given not out on 0 after feathering an edge behind – Kings had already burned their review in the field – before going on to make 45.Yet, in spite of all the bonus runs, not to mention Nicholas Pooran’s imperious 76 not out off 31 balls, Sixers bowling unit produced a limp effort. Evans continued his superb form with a solid 76 off 36 balls in the Kings chase. Both he and ten Doeschate fell in the 17th over to Sohail Tanvir, but by that stage the required run rate was well under a run-a-ball. The match was sealed when Tanvir bowled consecutive wides to start what should have been the 19th over, though no legal delivery was registered; a microcosm of Sixers’ day in the field.Turning points Pooran hit 21 off Arafat Sunny’s final over in the 14th over to begin a surge of 83 runs off the last seven for Sixers en route to a 21-ball fifty Kings were having a sedate Powerplay before Charles ended the sixth over with a trio of fours off Tanvir, taking the score to 51 for 1 at the end of six overs Evans began his acceleration in the 14th off Ebadot Hossain with three fours to bring the required run rate back under 10 for the first time since the end of the Powerplay Kings needed 41 off 30 balls at the last strategic timeout. Evans began the 16th with a four over extra cover to bring up a 28-ball 50, then continued the over with three fours through the off side, a two, and a six over midwicket, to bring equation under a run-a-ball Star of the dayEvans, who seemed more relaxed with ten Doeschate back by his side in the chase, one match after the Dutch national sat out with a side strain. After a stretch of three runs in four innings to start off, Evans has now compiled 391 in his last six knocks at an average of 65.20 at BPL 2019, and is currently fourth on runs aggregate behind Pooran, Mushfiqur Rahim and Rilee Rossouw.The big missAny number of them from Charles. The missed stumping was bad but he also seemed uninterested in appealing for caught-behind on the ball that Jason Roy edged. His non-appeal on the Sabbir decision also went against the Kings in the field.Where the teams standKings kept their slim playoff hopes alive by moving to 12 points to break a tie with Dhaka Dynamites for sole possession of fourth place, though Dynamites still have two games remaining while Kings have completed their league phase of matches. Sixers remain on eight points and are eliminated from playoff contention with one match remaining.

Jurgen Klopp admits that Liverpool are not playing like a “champion should” after seeing their title dreams suffer a devastating blow against Everton.

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• Reds came unstuck at Goodison
• Missed chance to pull level with Arsenal
• Have just four games left to take in

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds headed into a Merseyside derby date with their cross-city rivals clinging to hope that a bid for domestic glory could still be pieced together before their talismanic German coach walks away at the end of the season.

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  WHAT KLOPP SAID

  A disappointing display at Goodison Park ended in a 2-0 defeat, with Klopp telling afterwards when reflecting on what went wrong: “We were not good enough. We gave Everton the game they wanted. Both goals are from set-pieces. We started alright and the first offensive action they have ended in a goal [penalty award], which was disallowed for offside. We have to look in the mirror, we have to be really critical of ourselves. Our counter press was horrible. We were not good enough.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Klopp added when asked if Liverpool are still in the title race, with a three-point gap separating them from leaders Arsenal while reigning champions Manchester City have two games in hand: “I don’t care the moment. It’s not about that, we first have to win football games. We have to play better. I don’t think a champion should play like us today. That’s my honest opinion. Maybe there were times in the past when it didn’t need 90-odd points and you could play like that.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool face a quick turnaround before taking in a trip to West Ham on Saturday lunchtime. They have just four games left on their schedule for 2023-24, with two of those set to see them face top-four hopefuls in the form of Aston Villa and Tottenham.

Arsenal are open to selling one of their fringe players in order to sign a replacement who is already in the Premier League, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Arsenal outgoing transfers

The Gunners sanctioned the sales of 14 players during the previous window, with eight of those being on a permanent basis, while the remaining six were sent out on loan for the rest of the season in order to increase their experience and game time.

Edu and Mikel Arteta also have Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares who will have reached the expiration of their deals upon the conclusion of the current campaign, so they could additionally be heading for the exit door in January (Arsenal contracts).

Arsenal preparing to trigger £50m+ release clause for "excellent" player

This could be a big move.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 18, 2023

In the top-flight this season, Thomas Partey has made just three starts and one substitute appearance (WhoScored – Partey statistics), and while the defensive midfielder has been sidelined with both groin and hamstring injuries, he’s not currently happy.

Back in October, Ghana’s international was reported to be frustrated with his lack of game time and more specifically his inability to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up, though if the following update is to be believed, he won't have to put up with it for much longer.

Arteta happy to get rid of Partey

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are open to selling Partey next month in order to both raise the necessary funds and make room to sign Fulham's Joao Palhinha, who has emerged as a target.

"Arsenal are keen on a potential move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha in 2024, sources have told Football Insider. However, a well-placed source has told Football Insider that the Gunners are likely to have to move Thomas Partey on before a deal for the Portugal international becomes possible."

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"Sensational" Palhinha an upgrade on "useless" Partey

While Partey hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of this term, Arsenal will feel they are making completely the right decision to let him leave in January given the upgrade in defensive solidity with Palhinha, who former Fulham defender Stephen Kelly says is "sensational" and "amazing".

Arteta’s 30-year-old veteran also isn’t getting any younger either, and when he has been handed the opportunity to showcase his talents this term, he has failed to make any kind of positive impression that will increase the chances of him staying in the team.

Journalist Josh Bunting has previously criticised him, saying: “Thomas Partey is the most frustrating player, every game he will try that type of shot from range and blazes over the crossbar, it’s just so careless and wasteful, good breaking down the play but absolutely useless in the attacking phases of play.”

Furthermore, Partey pockets £200k-per-week which is more than the likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal salaries), so Edu and Arteta need to get him off the books and use the extra cash to generate funds towards new signings in 2024, be it Palhinha or an alternative target.

Southampton have now extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to 13 matches, despite picking up successive draws away from home to stop a lengthy winning streak.

Russell Martin's Saints have won six of their last ten matches in the division, putting themselves firmly in the promotion reckoning as a result.

Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to the south coast this Saturday, with Martin's men keen to add another win to their season tally at the expense of Jon Dahl Tomasson's entertaining Riversiders.

The Southampton boss could reshuffle his side slightly for the task of overcoming Dahl Tomasson's men from Lancashire, with Che Adams one of a number of first-teamers potentially facing the chop.

Here's how the Saints could line up for the game tomorrow…

1 GK – Gavin Bazunu

Gavin Bazunu should retain his spot in between the sticks for the home game, the Irish shot-stopper signed from Manchester City in the summer keeping back-to-back clean sheets at St Mary's before his side picked up two subsequent away draws.

2 RB – Kyle Walker-Peters

Kyle Walker-Peters will also start versus Blackburn, the Saints right-back has barely put a foot wrong all season which has meant he's been everpresent in Martin's side in the Championship.

3 CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Taylor Harwood-Bellis' reputation in the game continues to increase with the Saints, the Man City loanee excelling in the second tier once again after a promising loan switch to Burnley last campaign.

The 21-year-old's display in the away draw at Watford was particularly impressive, winning all but one of his duels in the 1-1 contest, as per Sofascore.

4 CB – Jan Bednarek

Southampton's more experienced centre-back option will also start the Blackburn game, the ever-reliable Jan Bednarek a colossus in the second tier to date.

The Polish defender was a standout performer at the back versus Coventry last game, accurate with 96% of his passes in a calm display.

5 LB – Ryan Manning

Ryan Manning should be the final part of an unchanged defence for Martin, the ex-Swansea City defender important for the Saints this campaign.

Manning's threat from down the channels stood out against the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena, accurate with two crosses in the game in an attempt to assist a Saints forward to gain a win.

6 CM – Joe Aribo

The first switch in personnel Martin will ponder over is axing Shea Charles from his lineup potentially, the Saints splashing the cash on the former Man City man in the summer by paying £15m to land his services.

He was below-par away at Coventry mid-week however – only winning three of his eight duels – and so could be sacrificed for Aribo to be pushed back into a more comfortable central midfield slot.

Aribo played behind Adam Armstrong in an advanced role against Mark Robins' men, but is far more suited to a deeper central midfield role – scoring 11 times from this position when playing for Rangers before switching to the Saints.

7 CM – Will Smallbone

Martin will toy with the idea of starting Flynn Downes for this contest – Downes missing from the Coventry match owing to illness – but risking a star player feels unnecessarily risky when you have Will Smallbone to fall back on.

Smallbone was excellent in Southampton's last second-tier match in mid-week, 100% successful with his ground duels.

Therefore, Martin might not need to bring Downes back into the starting lineup immediately especially if the West Ham United loanee isn't at full freshness just yet.

8 CM – Stuart Armstrong

The creativity potentially lacking from the side with Downes out won't be as noticeable with Stuart Armstrong present in the starting eleven, the ex-Dundee United man enjoying a fine season to date at St Mary's.

The ageing Scotsman wasn't at his free-flowing best away at Coventry – losing possession 20 times – but he's done more than enough in other games this campaign to make that third central midfield spot his own.

Creating four big chances this campaign dictating play in the middle, Martin will hope Armstrong can be at his creative best up against tricky opponents in Blackburn tomorrow.

9 AM – Carlos Alcaraz

In place of Aribo being moved back, Carlos Alcaraz could be given a start by Martin for the home game against the Riversiders.

The Argentine attacker hasn't really gotten into his groove in the second tier for the Saints this season – only helping himself to a single goal in league action – but he was impressive nonetheless when substituted on against Coventry.

Winning three out of three ground duels from a rowdy eight minutes on the pitch, Alcaraz could be the aggressive and forward-thinking figure Martin wants to get his team firing again and beating teams with ease instead of settling for draws.

10 AM – Samuel Edozie

In the other attacking midfielder spot, Martin could axe Adams for Samuel Edozie who made even more of an impact last game than Alcaraz when introduced.

Edozie would ensure the Saints travelled back to the South Coast with a share of the spoils, hammering home an effort after an Adam Armstrong nod-on found him ready to fiercely fire a strike.

Edozie's skilful reputation in the game has even seen him branded with the label of being an "eye-catcher" according to football pundit Adrian Clarke on What the EFL?! Podcast, who hyped up the youngster at the start of August before the season had properly got underway.

Adams will be sacrificed to make way for Edozie to come in, the ex-Birmingham City man not even registering one shot on goal before Edozie was substituted on.

The Sri Lankan batsmen ended the three-day practice match in Hobart without a half-century between them in either innings, as they stumbled against the left-arm spin of Jon Holland on day three.The visitors had in fact been modest the entire day, taking only one wicket in their 32.5 overs with the ball before stuttering to 131 for 6 in their second innings. Their only solace is that the their tormentors on day three – Kurtis Patterson, who cracked a second unbeaten century in the game, and Holland, who took 4 for 28 – are not in Australia’s Test squad.Only Lahiru Thirimanne, who is essentially auditioning to open alongside Dimuth Karunaratne, made a score of significance for the Sri Lankans, making 46 off 121 balls. Nos. 4 to 7 fell in fairly quick succession to Holland, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Sadeera Samarawickrama picking up their second disappointing scores in the match, making 2 and 6 respectively. What was worse for the Sri Lankans was that Roshen Silva, who was batting on 23, was forced to retire hurt.Earlier in the day, Marnus Labuschagne, who may be in Australia’s XI in the first Test at the Gabba, completed a half-century, having begun the day on 33. Lahiru Kumara dismissed him for 50 off 101 balls, but that would be the last wicket the Sri Lankans would take in the day, as Patterson struck 102 not out off 136 balls, to go with his 157 not out off 212 deliveries in the first innings. Patterson was involved in an unbroken 90-run stand for the fourth wicket, to which partner Will Pucovski’s contribution was 33 off 70.Perhaps not wanting to risk their frontline seamers, however, the Sri Lankans bowled only Kumara in extended spells on day three, with Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal and Kasun Rajitha bowled only for a handful of overs.The first Test starts on Thursday.

West Ham United have an exciting teenager who club insiders "really rate", and manager David Moyes could begin to unleash him over the next few weeks.

Burnley 1-2 West Ham

The Irons have now won four out of their last five matches in all competitions, easing the pressure on Moyes and putting them in good shape for contests against Backa Topola and Crystal Palace.

Their latest win, a 2-1 victory away to Burnley at Turf Moor, is particularly important given West Ham recently lost both Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to injury.

Moyes was forced to start Danny Ings – a player he's hardly selected this season – up front as the east Londoners' shortage of striker options was laid bare. The Englishman was taken off and replaced by promising youngster Divin Mubama, who is at the centre of rumours linking him with being offered a new West Ham deal.

Mubama played a very big role in clinching West Ham the three points, forcing defender Dara O'Shea into an own goal before Tomas Soucek's added time volley put Moyes' side 2-1 ahead.

The teenager could be West Ham's next big talent, and it will be interesting to see how Mubama fairs in Moyes' plans before the manager potentially leaves this summer.

West Ham insiders "really rate" Mubama

According to journalist Paul Brown, speaking to GiveMeSport, West Ham insiders "really rate" Mubama as a player and they're excited by his potential in claret and blue.

Moyes could use the 19-year-old "sparingly" over the next few weeks as well, as the Scotsman weighs up whether Mubama can stay consistent and play at a high level.

"Knowing Moyes like I do, and how much of a captain cautious manager he is, I would be surprised if he gives me Mubama a run of starts now," said Brown.

"There's an argument for doing so and I know that people inside the club really rate this kid very highly. He looks like he's got something about him. There's clearly some talent there and they hope he'll progress into a really good player, but it would be out of character for Moyes to expect so much so quickly from someone who's just coming into the team.

"So I suspect that he will be used a bit more sparingly off the bench over the next few weeks to see if he really does have it and whether he can stay consistent."

Moyes, speaking to the press recently, heaped praise on the Englishman for working very hard behind-the-scenes.

“We want to play Divin but he has quite a lot of competition,” said Moyes (via The Athletic). “I don’t know how many 19-year-old centre-forwards are playing in the Premier League. It’s something which is getting harder because it’s such a difficult role. The level of competition to be a centre-forward is really high at most clubs.

“But Divin is different from the rest. He has a mentality and an attitude that is as good as any top player."

Over the summer of 2023, Saudi Arabia became an emerging foe in the transfer market. Amid the Saudi government's relentless desire for sporting relevancy, football fans far and wide endured a frantic summer transfer window like no other.

The bulk of the Saudi Pro League's outlay was splurged by the four clubs taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June, and the division proved it could attract more than mere has-beens as the league operated on a devil-may-care transfer policy to spend a staggering £728m – with only the Premier League (£2.1bn) splashing more over the summer months.

Premier League

£2.1bn

Saudi Pro League

£728m

Serie A

£682m

Bundesliga

£598m

Ligue 1

£594m

While it was Cristiano Ronaldo who first pioneered the rapid development of the country's football landscape when he moved to Al-Nassr at the turn of the year, the Middle Eastern country hasn't stopped there.

The riches involved are startling, and the nation hosting the World Cup in 2034 means the government will do all they can in the coming years to ensure the Pro League develops into a genuine force.

That means the spending is set to continue in the future, and Saudi clubs will almost certainly attempt to go big again in the 2024 January window. Unlike the fleeting prosperity of the Chinese Super League back in 2016 and 2017, it is expected that the Middle Eastern clubs will refuse to let up on their exorbitant financial feast.

Football FanCast takes a look at ten players who could follow in the footsteps of Jordan Henderson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Riyad Mahrez by making the switch from Premier League to the Saudi Pro League in January and beyond. Every entry ascends in both the likelihood and shock factor of each potential transfer.

10 Willian (Fulham) Linked with: Al-Shabab

Of the Premier League players to remain in England amid Saudi interest, it was Fulham winger WIllian who came closest to leaving in search of a lucrative retirement plan.

It was reported in August that the Brazilian had communicated his desire to leave Craven Cottage, having 'agreed personal terms' with Al-Shabab. But it came as a surprise to the west London club as Willian had only just extended his stay at the club a few weeks before.

Now 35, the forward could seek pastures new again in January, though his recent upturn in form may give Fulham a big decision to make. It'll be interesting how this will impact his potential suitors' interest.

9 Thiago Silva (Chelsea) Linked with: Al-Nassr

At 39 years old, it is beyond impressive that Thiago Silva still puts together strong defensive displays in the pace of the Premier League. But since he will be entering his 40s next season, the Brazilian sentinel might be on the search for a new adventure, and after heavy interest from the Middle East, he could choose to swap the blue of Chelsea for the gold of Saudi Arabia.

With the role model and elite athlete reputation that Thiago Silva flaunts, his brand image and commercial value could be a perfect fit for the country's strides to become a leading power in world football. Much like Cristiano Ronaldo, the veteran is a criteria-ticking ambassador suited to promoting interest.

It was reported by Football.london that 'serious interest' came from several Saudi Pro League clubs over the summer, with Ronaldo's Al-Nassr thought to be leading the race for the centre-back's signature.

Silva's contract expires in June, so it is expected that he will leave Stamford Bridge by next summer at the latest. However, it is uncertain whether he will choose the opulence of the Middle East like former Blues teammates Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, or if he will set his heart on a return to where it all started in Brazil.

8 Anthony Martial (Man Utd) Linked with: Al-Shabab & Al-Taawoun

Apparently, Anthony Martial rejected generous offers from the Middle East to push for a move to a prestigious European club during the summer. But since the Frenchman's wage demands are too high for a striker who is clearly out of favour under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, the £61.5m flop might need to resort to offers from further afield if he is to get increased playing time.

For Saudi clubs, particularly Al-Shabab and Al-Taawoun (who were reportedly interested in Martial over the summer) his wage demands – currently £250,000 a week at Man United – aren't much of an obstacle. The only stumbling block to his signature is the forward's pining to stay in Europe.

West Ham, Fenerbahçe and Inter were among other clubs rumoured to have held an interest. But, again, questions persist over his lucrative salary, with alternatives being weighed up ahead of Martial in many cases.

7 Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur) Linked with: Al-Ittihad

In the final hours of the summer transfer window, Al-Ittihad eyed up a move for Richarlison in the scenario that they would miss out on Mohamed Salah's services.

According to the Daily Mail, the Brazilian's Saudi deal failed to progress further than interest due to 'a lack of time'. Initially seen as an alternative to his Egyptian rival, it will be interesting to see if the striker, whose future is potentially in limbo in N17, will be tipped for a move in January to revive his career.

Should Salah make the switch, however, Richarlison might need to rely on interest from more than just one Saudi club if he is to escape Premier League pressures.

6 Thomas Partey (Arsenal) Linked with: Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli & Al-Khaleej

Since the £105m acquisition of Declan Rice from West Ham's grasp, Thomas Partey's importance at Arsenal has greatly diminished. At the start of the season, he was pushed into an unfamiliar right-back role by Mikel Arteta, and while a groin injury has stunted his involvement since, his place in the squad is clearly under threat.

The Ghanaian pivot's downfall could be his one-dimensional playing style. Partey has shown his flaws when playing in positions other than defensive midfield, but Rice has taken the No 6 role to the next level, making rivals for his starting berth ponder their futures.

Such is the case with most of the names on this list, Partey was heavily linked with a move to the Middle East in the summer. He initially rejected offers after a Saudi trio of Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Khaleej circled him, but he may regret his decision now.

Whilst the Saudi Pro League deliberates its next move, it is difficult to predict which players will be preyed upon in two months' time. However, given Partey's current squad situation, alongside his ability to still be a top-class midfielder, there's no reason why previous admirers should turn a blind eye to the Ghanaian international just six months later.

5 Raphael Varane (Man Utd) Linked with: Al-Nassr

A lot of uncertainties surround Manchester United at the minute. Their form, their manager, and their ownership. So, adding the squad's future to their list of worries only helps to paint a clearer picture of the failings in the northwest.

Raphael Varane is another linked with a move away from Old Trafford after dropping down the pecking order under Ten Hag. In recent weeks, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans have pipped him to a starting place, while the Frenchman has watched on from the bench.

Hearsays about a possible fallout between the defender and his manager have since been quashed. However, as one of the best of his generation, Varane may well be subject to interest from rival clubs should his playing time demands not be met between now and the new year.

He is tipped for a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, with Al-Nassr becoming the main source of transfer speculation around the former Real Madrid man. A TEAMtalk report within the last month revealed that he has already received offers ahead of 2024, which include interest from Champions League clubs, suggesting a route to the Middle East isn't so straightforward.

4 Jadon Sancho (Man Utd) Linked with: Al-Ettifaq

Other Man United names linked with an exit from the club come in the form of those in the autumn years of their careers. But with Jadon Sancho, his links to Saudi Arabia offer him a potential deathwish for a career that's hardly got started.

Of course, there is always the possibility he can reignite his lost spark in a new surrounding away from the limelight. But while the Saudi Pro League's reputation and future condition remains unknown, a move there at 23 years old could hinder his chances of ever making a return to Premier League and Champions League football.

But should the young Englishman value salary over playing time, incoming offers from the Middle East in January could prise him away from Manchester. The Telegraph understands that Saudi outfits have revived interest in the winger after his failed switch to Al-Ettifaq is put back into focus amid a relationship breakdown with manager Erik ten Hag.

3 Casemiro (Man Utd) Linked with: Various unnamed clubs

Casemiro was a short-term success for the Red Devils. His £70m move from Real Madrid saw him paper over midfield cracks as he showed signs of being at his very best last season.

But at the start of the current term, the Brazilian has struggled with form. His ability to cover ground in Ten Hag's team has been criticised, while the manager himself also controversially stated he "wanted more football" as a reason for substituting him against Brentford earlier in the season.

As one of the highest earners, Casemiro could be shipped off as early as January to free up the wage bill for newcomers. As per 90min, various Saudi clubs are exploring a deal via intermediaries as the country continues its pledge for commercialisation.

2 Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) Linked with: Al-Nassr

With Kevin De Bruyne achieving everything he can at club level, the 32-year-old could bring his Premier League reign to an end, although it's more likely that he leaves next summer as opposed to January as he looks to nurse his way back into contention at Manchester City ahead of the second half of the season under Pep Guardiola.

Over the last eight years, he has won the Premier League five times and supplied the most league assists throughout the season three times, while finishing on the Ballon d'Or podium last year. Coming off early into last season's treble-confirming Champions League final and the following season opener, the Belgian has struggled with persistent injuries in recent years, which could sway his club into seeing him as an expendable, especially if City can offload him for a price.

An offer from Al-Nassr would see KDB link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in the Middle East, and although it may come as a surprise, the deal would make sense for both parties, since the Citizens employ a rotational transfer philosophy, and the veteran midfielder has the chance to leave a perfect legacy before his twilight years get the better of him.

1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Linked with: Al-Ittihad

Armed with money no club could resist regardless of grandeur, Al-Ittihad will no doubt be back, all guns blazing, for Mohamed Salah in 2024.

They might have had a £175m bid rejected in the summer, with Liverpool failing to turn up to the negotiating table. However, the Saudi Arabian club feels that, as an Arab himself, Salah won't be able to repel the adulation he would receive in the Middle East.

And with a rumoured £200m world-record fee being lined up in the future, the Reds could be persuaded into letting their Egyptian king leave so that they can reinvest the money elsewhere.

Currently, loyalties between club and player cannot be doubted. But with the resplendent resources on offer at N'Golo Kante, Fabinho and Karim Benzema's club, heads might finally be turned in January or beyond.

MatériaMais Notícias

A diretoria do Botafogo oficializou na noite desta quinta-feira um dos nomes para seu projeto de reestruturação do seu departamento de futebol. Caberá a Eduardo Freeland a missão de ser o diretor de futebol do Alvinegro.

Freeland, que desembarca para sua quarta passagem no Botafogo (a primeira no futebol profissional), não escondeu seu desejo de consolidar o plano de modernizar o clube.

> Botafogo se salva? Veja a tabela do Brasileiro-2020 e faça a simulação!

-É com grande satisfação que aceito o desafio de exercer o cargo de Diretor de Futebol do Botafogo. Chego com muita vontade de trabalhar nesse projeto de modernização do Clube que me foi apresentado pelo Presidente Durcesio Mello – e em seguida, frisou a ligação com o Alvinegro:

– Minha motivação é enorme por retornar a essa instituição de tanta história e com a qual sou bastante identificado – completou.

No Alvinegro, Freeland contabilizou a conquista do título do Brasileiro Sub-20 em 2016. À época, ele era gerente da base e trabalhava com o atual técnico Eduardo Barroca.

Em suas três passagens no clube, deixou como legado a reestruturação da base. Além disto, ocupou diversos cargos: técnico de categorias iniciantes, coordenador técnico, gerente técnico, até assumir posteriormente o cargo de gerente geral.

O mandatário Durcesio Mello, exaltou o empenho com o qual Eduardo Freeland chega ao Alvinegro.

-O (Eduardo) Freeland é um profissional de altíssimo nível e que chega para comandar a reestruturação e o planejamento do Departamento de Futebol. Vem com muita determinação para atuar na reconstrução do Botafogo – afirmou.

O novo diretor de futebol do Botafogo também tem passagens de destaque na base do Cruzeiro, onde foi campeão sub-20 em 2017, e no Flamengo em 2019.

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Australia’s ODI series defeat by India exposed another major flaw in the national team’s approach to 50-over matches since the 2015 World Cup

Daniel Brettig19-Jan-20190:25

Hodge: Australia need to decide their lead spinner for World Cup

Australia’s ODI series defeat by India exposed another major flaw in the national team’s approach to 50-over matches since the 2015 World Cup – chiefly their reluctance to play spin meaning they have now fallen well and truly behind the leading opponents in terms of white ball tweaking options.Four years ago, Australia did not include a single full-time spin bowler in their team for the pointy end of the global tournament, leaving Xavier Doherty on close to exclusive drinks duty while Nathan Lyon did not even make the squad. Since then, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar and Lyon have all been tried, but without the consistency or faith extended by most other countries to their slow bowlers.The contrast with India at the MCG on Friday night was stark, as the tourists were able to shuffle out Kuldeep Yadav and replace him with the highly-skilled Yuzvendra Chahal while at the same time also employing Ravindra Jadeja and Kedar Jadhav. Meanwhile the Australians had dropped Lyon for Zampa, maintaining a policy of only using one spinner at most while seldom giving that one slow bowling option an extended run in the team.England, another leading nation in 50-over matches, have been consistent in using both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, with the latter in particular blossoming into a world class threat to batsmen in the middle overs of an innings.Justin Langer, Australia’s coach, noted the contrast between Chahal’s record haul of 6 for 42 and Zampa’s 0 for 34, after Lyon had also gone without a wicket in each of the first two matches of the series. In going on to identify the importance of wicket-taking spinners in the middle overs of an innings, Langer exposed how little investment Austrlaia had placed in white-ball spin bowling for most of the four years they have had to prepare for this year’s World Cup in England.”Nathan Lyon is probably the best off-spinner in the world. The reason why he didn’t play is that we felt that he had played two games on the back of the philosophy of trying to take wickets … then we hadn’t taken any wickets,” Langer said. “Also with the number of right handers in the Indian side, we decided to go with ‘Zamps’ to spin the ball away from the bat rather than into it.”But Nathan Lyon is a gun. He is a world-class spinner … he is a very good fielder and one of our senior members of the team. We don’t traditionally play two spinners in one-day cricket, but it might come up in the World Cup. And certainly, in India and the UAE, there’s a good chance that will happen. There might be opportunities … where you might play both of them. If it doesn’t, depending on the opposition, we’ll pick one of those two to play in the World Cup.Adam Zampa exults after picking a wicket•Getty Images

“We have identified, though, that you have got to, between the 10-and-40-over mark, we have got to take wickets otherwise it gets down to the end and that’s what happened to us. We lost wickets in the middle overs and then you get down to the end and you haven’t got your main batsmen in.”Zampa enjoyed a pair of highly successful series, a triangular tournament against West Indies and South Africa, then a bilateral in Sri Lanka, during 2016. But since then he has been starved of opportunities, playing 34 ODIs overall whereas Kuldeep has played 35 despite debuting for India more than a year after Zampa. Chahal has also played 35 in a shorter time-span than Zampa.”If he can spin the ball both ways, he becomes a fantastic option for us, as we are seeing all round the world,” Langer said of Zampa. “It’s no secret to anyone that the leg-spinner is having a huge impact on the game and most of them who are can spin it both ways and ‘Zamps’ showed, some of those leggies he bowled and wrong-uns, was very pleasing.”So in addition to top order batting, a balance of shotmaking and strike rotation in the middle and more adroit use of pace, spin is yet another area in which the Australian ODI team is playing catch-up, dangerously close to the start of the World Cup.

Newcastle United have already made contact to register their interest in an overseas striker, and a fresh report has now revealed that he's made one specific transfer demand that could determine whether he'll join in January.

Newcastle's attacking options

The Magpies have Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson as their natural options at centre-forward in the building as it stands, but it appears that the club are looking to bolster their attacking frontline ranks during the upcoming transfer window due to injury issues.

PIF and Eddie Howe are reportedly keeping a close eye on Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the latter being more of a target for the summer, chiefs have identified an alternative should a switch for the former fail to come to fruition at the start of next year.

At Santos, Marcos Leonardo has firmly established himself as Marcelo Faria Fernandes’ best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Santos statistics), and the 20-year-old’s impressive form has already been catching the eye of clubs in the English Premier League.

Brazil’s youth international has emerged as a target for Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham so far, but if the following update is to be believed, he’s also been brought onto the radar of the black and white stripes at St. James’ Park.

PIF given demand from Marcos Leonardo

According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have already made an approach for Leonardo ahead of January, but he's reportedly made a demand over any possible transfer.

Arsenal and Real Madrid are the two other clubs to have also made their interest known in the striker, and whilst he waits to receive an offer from one of his potential suitors, it’s believed he’s told his entourage that his aim is to compete in next year’s Olympics.

The Santos talisman wants to strike an agreement with any potential new club before signing a contract, and whilst talks are only “informal” at this stage, he’s serious about his fresh move being a long-term project to progress his career.

Leonardo could be a "natural goalscorer" for Newcastle

Since the start of his career, Leonardo has posted 65 contributions, 54 goals and 11 assists, in 164 appearances which shows how prolific he can be in the final third (Transfermarkt – Leonardo statistics), and he’s constantly posing a threat even if the end product isn’t always there.

Sponsored by Nike, Itapetinga’s native has recorded 70 shots over the course of this campaign which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Santos statistics), highlighting his desire to hit the net and his striker’s instinct in the opposition’s area.

Furthermore, Howe’s target has even received four Man of the Match awards this term in the Serie A (WhoScored – Leonardo statistics), so it’s clear to see that the individual contribution he makes to a side is recognised and deservedly rewarded.

As described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Leonardo is a “natural goalscorer” so it’s no surprise to learn that there are so many clubs interested in him, and that’s why it would be a huge coup if he was to choose Newcastle as his next destination in January.