Leipzig could let Keita join Liverpool in January
Transfers Leipzig consider letting Naby Keita join Liverpool in January Melissa Reddy Liverpool FC Correspondent Last updated 1 year ago 20:45 1/11/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(3) 
Transfers Liverpool Naby Keïta RB Leipzig Premier League Bundesliga While the decision is still “in the balance”, the Germans are open to bringing forward the midfielder’s previously agreed summer move to Anfield RB Leipzig are reluctant to sanction the early release of Naby Keita to Liverpool but with the player enthusiastic over a January switch and a further premium on offer, his immediate transfer is a growing possibility.The midfielder already has a contract with the Anfield side that comes into effect on July 1, after both parties settled on a £57 million deal that could rise to £66m.
Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player However, with Philippe Coutinho departing to Barcelona for a British record £142m and the Reds needing to inject some dynamism into midfield, negotiations have begun over bringing the arrangement forward.A meeting between Keita and Leipzig will take place prior to the weekend, with a decision on how to progress currently understood to be “in the balance”. This discussion will significantly dictate the direction of matters.Should there be progress, the payment structure of the agreement as it stands would need to be altered, given it is affixed to the German club’s finishing position in the Bundesliga.Liverpool would also have to additionally incentivise Die Bullen – who would rather not cede Keita midway through the season – as well as the 22-year-old.It is understood that the total transfer figure would have to be in the region of the Premier League side’s record spend – the £75m which made Virgil van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender – to tempt Leipzig into allowing an earlier exit.
The monetary element is no issue for the Merseysiders, who are keen to come to another respectful conclusion with their counterparts.Having worked so hard to reach a resolution at the end of August last year for this summer, there was every intention from all involved to honour the accord.However, the Guinea international has grown tired of the criticism he has received in the campaign thus far, feeling he has been prejudiced by his advanced contract.Despite reservations from Keita’s end over whether he would be best served having a full pre-season to settle in at Liverpool, the lynchpin wants to accept the responsibility of being a driving force in the centre of the park for them now.
He would be unavailable in the Champions League, but can bolster Jurgen Klopp’s domestic objectives.Furthermore, Leipzig, who were initially completely opposed to the idea, are realising as Liverpool did with Coutinho, Southampton did with van Dijk and Arsenal are with Alexis Sanchez during this window, that it is perhaps better to accede to a player’s wish for a good price than to go against it.CEO Oliver Mintzlaff revealed in a recent interview with BILD that “Naby could hardly accept that we would not let him go” in the previous window and “so it was up to us to find a sensible solution”. That is again the case. Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuttl, meanwhile, will continue to consider Keita for selection. “We’ve always said that there is no reason for us to let him go earlier,” he noted. “So he will play at the weekend against Schalke.” Subscribe to Goal’s Liverpool Correspondent Neil Jones’ weekly email bringing you the best Liverpool FC writing from around the web
Transfers Arda Turan and Barcelona’s 15 worst signings of all time Last updated 1 year ago 23:05 1/11/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(46) 
AA Transfers Primera División Barcelona v Celta de Vigo Barcelona Copa del Rey As the Turkey midfielder prepares to move back to his homeland, Goal takes a look at some of the least successful buys in Blaugrana history
Lionel Messi Messi still injured despite saving Barcelona against Sevilla, says Valverde Joe Wright 07:19 4/1/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images Lionel Messi Barcelona Ernesto Valverde Sevilla Sevilla v Barcelona Primera División The star forward netted the decisive goal in the 89th minute even though he is still struggling with a muscle injury, but he will be fit to face Roma Ernesto Valverde says Lionel Messi rescued Barcelona from defeat at Sevilla despite still struggling with a hamstring injury.The Catalans’ unbeaten run in La Liga this season looked to be coming to an end at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan until Luis Suarez and Messi scored in the 88th and 89th minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw.Messi had only come off the bench in the 58th minute, having missed both of Argentina’s friendly matches during the international break with a muscle problem. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player Valverde says he always intended to get the 30-year-old involved against Sevilla but admits his match-saving cameo came despite him not being fully recovered.”I had planned to bring on Messi anyway,” the coach told Movistar. “He’s injured but he’s been inactive for a while and we thought it would be better for him to play to get some rhythm of competition.”He was decisive. We think he’ll be okay for Roma [on Wednesday].”Sevilla deservedly went 2-0 up through Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel, before spurning a host of chances on the counter-attack prior to Barca’s late revival.Valverde concedes his side played a risky game in the second half, adding: “The first half was fairly balanced, even though they had some dangerous counter-attacks. They pressed us high.”In the second half, they were comfortable with that situation, because they have quick players like [Jesus] Navas. They got the second goal and we had to take a chance. Messi really likes scoring against certain teams! pic.twitter.com/78XhY4SBz0— Goal (@goal) March 31, 2018″Usually, we’re a team that doesn’t concede a lot. The fact we conceded the second goal made us go further forward. We had to take risks and, when you take risks, you know they can get at you.”The draw puts Barca 12 points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top, having played a game more, but Valverde insists the title race is not yet over.”We don’t think the league is won,” he said. “Not at all. That’s why we compete until the end. It shows the spirit of the team and that’s why we’re celebrating like this.”
Transfers ‘Nobody is bigger than the club’ – PSG president fuels Neymar transfer speculation Sacha Pisani 15:21 5/20/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(4) 
Getty Transfers Real Madrid PSG Ligue 1 Caen v PSG Primera División Neymar The French champions have maintained that the star Brazilian will stay, but Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s latest comments suggest a move could happen Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has fuelled speculation of a summer transfer for Neymar by stating that “nothing and nobody is bigger than the club”.Neymar has only spent one season with French champions PSG but the former Barcelona forward is already being linked with a move away, most notably to the Blaugrana’s Clasico rivals Real Madrid.Manchester United are also said to have an interest Neymar, who completed a world-record €222 million (£194m/$262m) transfer to Paris in August last year. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Outgoing PSG head coach Unai Emery insisted the 26-year-old would remain at the Ligue 1 powerhouse next season , while Al-Khelaifi said he was “2000 per cent” sure the Brazil international would stay in 2018-19 .However, Al-Khelaifi revealed he would not stand in the way if a player wanted to leave the Parc des Princes.”Nothing and nobody is bigger than the club, not the coach nor the players,” Al-Khelaifi told L’Equipe.”The club is and always will be first, it is bigger. If someone does not accept that and is not happy, then they leave.”Each and every person must give their best and do their best for PSG… Since we have been here [Qatari ownership], we have won 19 trophies. That’s enormous. But we are still criticised a lot. But those are things that happen to all these clubs.”If today I was to tell you that we are going to leave, what would your opinion be?”Neymar scored 28 goals in 30 matches for PSG before suffering a season-ending foot injury in February.The 26-year-old netted 19 goals and tallied 13 assists in 20 Ligue 1 appearances as he was named the Player of the Year at the UNFP awards.
Transfers Motta pinpoints Kroos as PSG’s ideal summer signing Dejan Kalinic 14:48 5/30/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images Transfers PSG Real Madrid Ligue 1 Primera División The Italy international, who has just retired, would like to see the German come into the team and fill the role that he once did Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos would be the perfect signing for Paris Saint-Germain, according to Thiago Motta.Kroos, 28, is considered one of the world’s best midfielders, having starred in four seasons at Madrid – including winning three Champions League titles.Motta – who will take charge of PSG’s Under-19s after retiring – believes the Germany international would be the ideal man to replace him at the Parc des Princes. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now “Personally, I would like to see Toni Kroos at PSG,” he told Le Parisien.”He can also play in a more advanced position, but in the style that suits PSG, he is exceptional.”He is a player I admire a lot and for a long time. He can play the three positions in midfield and in particular in front of the defence.”Kroos, who is contracted until 2022, scored five goals and provided seven assists in 27 La Liga games in 2017-18.Motta, meanwhile, completed his PSG career by winning the domestic treble, featured 27 times overall this season for the Parisian side.
When a defending champion is held at bay in the very first round of competition, you’re quick to realise that reputation means nothing and performance means everything.Read this story for a full wrap of the action, including match summaries and where your team is positioned after day one of the Opens and 20’s of the 2006 National Touch League.All draws, results, ladders and statistics can also be viewed at the TFA Sporting Pulse website which can be accessed using this link: TFA SPORTING PULSE WEBSITEMENS 20’s:In the Mens 20’s, defending Champions the Southern NSW Suns were held to a 7-7 draw by the Sydney Mets, who are here to avenge their quarter final ousting in 2005. Trent Touma scored three times for the Mets, while Matt Finemore repeated the effort for the Suns.The theme of the draw though, was only going to get more apparent in the Mens 20’s as the day progressed. The Suns also drew their matches against the Sharks 5-5 and the Cobras 5-5, leaving the defending champions languishing in sixth position after day one. To make matters worse for the Suns, their next game is against a Northern Eagles side keen to make up for their grand final loss in 2005…not to mention their good form from day one.The Northern Eagles and consistent semi-finalist the Brisbane City Cobras also fought out a draw, the 2-2 battle highlighted by some brilliant diving touches from both sides.The Eagles then went on to record a 7-1 win over the Queensland Country Rustlers and a 5-3 win over the Sharks, leaving them sitting in second position on the ladder. Surprisingly it was the Hunter-Western Hornets who recorded three wins on day one, with comfortable wins over the Crusaders and ACT before proving they are not worth discounting with a 5-4 win over the Sydney Mets. Gian Guerra led the North Queensland Cyclones with four touchdowns, as they recorded a 14-3 win over the Barbarians before narrowly going down 7-6 to the Brisbane City Cobras. Day one in the Mens 20’s has certainly provided action, with picking a winner nearly impossible, the results have been up and down, draws were aplenty and to even try and guess as to the make up of the final four…well, we’ll take another look at it tomorrow.WOMENS 20’s:In the Womens 20’s, 2005 runners-up Brisbane City Cobras were also held to a 4-4 draw by a spirited ACT outfit, who have been touted as a side that could challenge the South Queensland Sharks domination of the division. The Southern Suns inflicted the largest loss of the day on the Sydney Scorpions, the 16-0 win showing they have not lost their scoring power, despite the move of players such as Nicole Beck, Ashleigh Dobbins and Amanda Skwarko into the Opens. They backed up their big win with a 3-0 win over the North Queensland Cyclones, Jessica Absolum leading the Suns with 8 touchdowns on day one of competition.The local Northern NSW Eagles girls are looking to improve on their third place from 2005 and started well, with a 6-3 win over the Queensland Country Rustlers, but their 6-3 loss to the ACT, moved them down to fourth in their pool.The Sharks, who have won the Womens 20’s title six of the past seven years, started their day with a 4-1 win over the North Queensland Cyclones.However, in an emerging trend for the 2006 NTL, the title of ‘favourite’ meant nothing, as the Hunter Western Hornets calmly disposed of the Sharks 6-3 in their second match.The Hornets also showed they have plenty of scoring options, running over the Sydney Rebels 12-1 in their first round match.MIXED OPEN:Hot favourites for the Mixed Open title, the Sydney Mets are looking for their third straight title but may not find the going easy, as they were held to a 6-5 win over cross-town rival, the Sydney Scorpions.The South Queensland Sharks wasted no time showing everyone at the NTL they’re not letting the Mets take home the title again and after finishing runner-up for the past three years, they began 2006 with a strong 12-2 win over the North Queensland Cyclones. However their 5-5 draw with the Southern Suns moved them out of the top two in the competition. The Brisbane City Cobras also went on a scoring spree; a 12-5 win over the Southern Suns was a strong start for the Cobras side and didn’t slow down with a 10-1 win over North Queensland and a 6-3 win over the Sydney Scorpions. The Scorpions, Rebels and Queensland Country Rustlers are all still in the hunt, but will need good results on day two to stay in Touch with the Mets, Cobras and Sharks.WOMENS OPEN:While most other divisions were up and down like a yo-yo, the results in the Womens Open went pretty much as expected. The Barbarians are carrying the hopes of WA and NT and with players like Shelley Matcham and Bo Dela Cruz at the helm, followed by youngsters such as Charli Simpkins, you’d be very unwise to consider them as finals fillers rather than serious finals contenders. They began their campaign with a 12-2 win over the ACT, before backing it up with a 7-4 win over the Crusaders. The Crusaders may not have recorded a win on day one, but their 7-1 loss to the defending champions, the Sydney Mets, and their hard fought tussle with the Barbarians, has won them respect amongst the competition. The ACT recovered from their loss to the Barbarians, playing good quality Touch to hold the Southern Suns to a 3-3 draw, a result which may hurt the Suns come finals time. The Sydney Mets didn’t seem to quite make it into the higher gear, with their 7-1 win over the Crusaders and the 8-4 win over North Queensland solid indeed but not dominating. The Brisbane City Cobras left no doubt who was in control of their match however; their 11-3 win over the Sydney Rebels was not the start the Rebels were after.The Cobras then backed it up with a 7-3 win over the Northern Eagles, to finish day one at the top of pool two.In other pool two results, the Rustlers and Hornets are quietly going about their business; the Rustlers coming away with a narrow 6-5 advantage over the Hornets after their 7-2 win over the Sydney Scorpions. The Sharks will be the team to watch on day two, as they beat the Sydney Rebels 6-1 after sitting out round one with the bye. You can expect the Sharks to move up the ladder and cause the Cobras, Rustlers and Hornets a headache or two!MENS OPEN:Pool one in the Mens Open competition was full of drama on day one, as the defending champions, the Sharks, started well with a 12-3 win over the North Queensland Cyclones, but slipped towards the end of the day with a 7-6 loss to the Sydney Mets.The Mets are looking a very balanced and determined team, with starting with a 12-1 win over the ACT before backing it up with their upset of the Sharks.The Brisbane City Cobras are proving they have scoring depth, as a variety of scorers led them to an 11-2 win over the Sydney Rebels and a 12-2 win over North Queensland. There real test will come tomorrow though against long time rival, the South Queensland Sharks.The Scorpions are leading pool two, although they found the going a little tougher in their first round match, a 5-2 win over an improving Barbarians unit promising much for the players from Western Australia and the Northern Territory. With their round two 13-2 victory over the Northern Eagles however, it was two wins on day one and a very positive start for the Scorpions. With the experience of players such as Mark Boland and the youth and experience of young guns like John and Maurice Kennendy, the Scorpions will still be around come finals time. The Southern Suns are determined that 2006 will be their year and are second in pool 2 (on percentage only) at the end of the first day’s competition. With an 11-1 win over the Northern Eagles and a hard fought 8-4 win over the Hunter Western Hornets, they look in good form. The Queensland Country Rustlers have a long list of talent, led by Australian Open Captain Gavin Shuker and are sitting in fourth in pool 2, after a 7-3 win over the Barbarians and a bye. They will probably be a big mover tomorrow as they play in all three matches.Well, what a day it was. We saw some brilliant diving touches, incredible touchdowns in the dieing seconds or against all odds, draws were happening left right and centre, sending spectators rushing from one game to the other.We know now that the title favourite means nothing…other than the fact the opposition will only try harder to take you down.The Mens 20’s and Womens 20’s is the most open competition in history, while who will finish day two on top in the Mens, Womens and Mixed Open is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned tomorrow for reports on all the action from the 2006 NTL. Round matches will continue throughout Saturday and Sunday, with quarter finals being played Sunday afternoon.Semi finals will be held on Monday morning, followed by the Open divisions and Under 20’s grand finals from 12:30pm-6pm.Competition in the Senior divisions will start on Wednesday, March 15 at 8:30am.
In recent years Touch SA has traveled up to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands in the North West of South Australia to introduce the sport of Touch to the indigenous people living there.Andy Crawford, a Development Officer from Touch SA, recently traveled to the region again, to conduct “introduction to Touch’ clinics throughout the schools in the region.His team traveled to Indulkana, Mimili, Fregon, Ernabella (Pukutja) and Amata snaking North West through the lands.They covered the only school in each community, with each school having 50-70 students. While each school had its own special moments, one highlight of the entire trip was the clinic held in Amata. As there was no school for the day, the only mode of advertising was word of mouth amongst the community. The group started with just 5 participants and over the course of the 2 hour clinic, another 35 people joined in, culminating in a game of 12 on 12 in the vacant area behind the school. The older members of the community came to investigate the noise and excitement, and ended up staying, cheering or trying to participate. (The photo is of the clinic at Amata.) The next stage of the plan for introducing Touch to the region is the Croc Festival in Port Augusta in early September. The aim of this is to further the awareness of Touch in the Aboriginal communities and isn’t exclusive to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands but is for the majority of the South Australian Indigenous population. The starting of a local affiliate in Port Augusta is in the planning stage which will allow opportunities for the students in the area to use their newly acquired skills.South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania all run tours such as this, using government funding designated for Indigenous Sports Programs. The programs are fantastic opportunities to bring Touch to all regions across Australia and to continue to improve opportunities for all to be involved with the sport.
In the next 12 months Touch Football Australia (TFA) will have many representative teams competing in various international events. Most notably the 2011 World Cup being held in June 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Equally as important is the Youth Trans Tasman series against New Zealand being held in January 2011 in Australia.To support the selected teams for these events TFA is now seeking coaching and managing staff to assist the already appointed coaches of the Open and Youth Program. Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Open teams as well as the four Youth teams, Boys and Girls 20’s, and Boys and Girls 18’s will be representing Australia at the two events.For more information please download the attached document. The applications will now close on Wednesday, 7 July 2010. Related Filestfa_coach___manager_positions_memo-pdf
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Tottenham boss Pochettino: Great to see Skipp earn his chanceby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveTottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino hailed the team’s character for their late, late win over Burnley.Christian Eriksen fired Spurs’ injury-time winner on Saturday.”That character is so important – and belief and the faith,” said the manager. “That is what pleased me the most. To see Oliver Skipp making his (full) debut or Ben Davies playing centre-back with Toby, it’s fantastic news for the team, playing one way or another, with different names. “Keeping the belief is so important and we’re so pleased with that. I celebrated at the end of the game because we knew it was going to be very tough and the three points mean a lot for us. These three points are so important for us to keep a very good position in the table.” 
Grealish: Smith and I big Aston Villa fansby Paul Vegasa month agoSend to a friendShare the loveAston Villa captain Jack Grealish enjoys playing for manager Dean Smith.The manager and captain are both lifelong fans.Grealish told The Sun: “It’s massive. The manager sees what it means because he is a Villa fan.“Everything I have done in my life, coming up, watching every game, going as a kid — he’s done all that as well.“With Dean, all you have to do is watch after the game and see how much family he has there.“He has about 40 of them at every single game!” About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
Chelsea wing-back Juan Familia-Castillo: I want to sign permanently with Ajaxby Paul Vegas13 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveChelsea wing-back Juan Familia-Castillo admits he wants to sign permanently with Ajax.The Dutch youngster is on-loan with Ajax this season, with his deal also having the option to buy. Familia-Castillo only signed a new agreement with Chelsea last summer, extending his contract by three years.But despite seeing so many of his former academy teammates now getting their chance under manager Frank Lampard at Chelsea, Familia-Castillo says he’s now happy where he is in Amsterdam.”Ajax has signed me with an option to buy. If I do well, I hope that I get bought and that I get more minutes in the Eredivisie,” said Familia-Castillo to Voetbal International via Voetbalzone.The youngster is currently playing for Jong Ajax, but is pushing for a place in coach Erik ten Hag’s first team.Familia-Castillo also revealed he had the chance to join Juventus this summer. It would have meant the chance to play for former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who is now in charge at Juve.Familia-Castillo admits the Juve option was his first choice, but terms couldn’t be settled. He added: “Things have happened so I finally chose Chelsea. Chelsea is a big club, so I’m happy with my choice anyway.“If I can be loaned out to Ajax, that is absolutely beautiful. I would actually go to Juventus, that was the number one. This was canceled due to certain reasons and transfers. Now it’s up to me to continue.”- updated October 14 TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
Large turnout for public consultation on Everton’s new stadiumby Ian Ferris11 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveMore than 43,000 people responded to Everton Football Club’s second stage public consultation into proposals for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park, reports www.fcbusiness.co.ukThe response makes it the largest commercial public consultation in the history of the city of Liverpool with 63,207 responses received across both stages of the public consultation making it one of the largest ever held in the UK. The results from the second stage consultation, which will be released in November, will be used by the Stadium Development Team to further refine the club’s plans and form part of the planning applications for both Bramley-Moore Dock and Goodison Park. The club remains on-track to submit both applications before the end of 2019. Under ‘The People’s Project’ brand the Everton held their public consultation in two stages – November/December 2018 and July/August 2019 – generating the huge response from fans and residents from across Liverpool City Region and beyond, all offering their thoughts on the club’s ambitious plans. The first stage public consultation saw 20,168 people respond, with 94% of people agreeing that Bramley-Moore Dock was an appropriate site for the new stadium and 95% backing Everton’s plans for a community-led legacy at Goodison Park.During July and August, 43,039 people took part in the second stage public consultation, which included a 19-day roadshow, visiting nine locations across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs. The consultation focused on the designs for a new 52,000 capacity stadium and the plans for transport, heritage and the environment as part of the project. The consultation also outlined design proposals for a community-led legacy project on the site of Everton’s current Goodison Park home. Colin Chong, Everton’s Stadium Development Director, said: “The interest and enthusiasm for The People’s Project has resulted in an unprecedented response to the consultation. We’re grateful to the thousands of Evertonians, fans of other clubs and people that don’t have an interest in football who took part and shared their views with us. “We have been busy working our way through the tens of thousands of comments and ideas and analysing the results which will inform our proposals as we progress to submitting our planning applications before the end of the year. “We’ve been really pleased with the scale of response and how our approach to engagement and public consultation on this project has been recognised as exemplar by industry experts.”First stage public consultation results: – 20,168 respondents– 94% agreed Bramley-Moore Dock was an appropriate site for the new stadium– 95% agreed Goodison Park should be redeveloped to create a legacy the community can benefit from with: health facilities, education amenities, community meeting rooms, leisure provision and homes– 97% said it was important that Everton remain in the City of Liverpool– 86% agreed it was important that Everton stay in North Liverpool– 95% agreed the stadium could be used to host non-sporting events such as concerts TagsPremiership NewsAbout the authorIan FerrisShare the loveHave your say
Liverpool could match Arsenal’s Invincibles by going through a Premier League season without defeat, according to Unai Emery.Jurgen Klopp’s side reached the halfway stage of the campaign with a 4-0 Boxing Day defeat of Newcastle United at Anfield, a result that moved the Reds six points clear at the top of the table.Liverpool have not won the league in almost 30 years but, with champions Manchester City stumbling, their chances of a first title since 1989-90 appear to be growing. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Emery’s men will be the latest team to try and stop Liverpool when they head to Anfield on Saturday, the Gunners having won only one of their last four games in all competitions.And the Arsenal boss feels Liverpool have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles – who won the Premier League title in 2003-04 without losing a match – with Emery touting the resurgent Reds as an example for his side to follow.”At the moment they are doing and they can do it. They are doing it at the moment,” Emery told a news conference. “We played three years ago in the Europa League final with Sevilla against Liverpool and we beat them.”But look at the process and it’s a very good example for us. The progression is clear: they were out of the Champions League and they are an example for us at Arsenal now. We need to be demanding of ourselves but we need time and patience is very important.”Introducing… #WhatsBetter Laca’s celo Auba’s celo Wifi Switching off Watching from the startWatching from series two…? Check out what happened when @emirates put the lads up against each other #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter pic.twitter.com/tYB5LQZ5i8 — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) December 27, 2018 Emery’s side held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at home earlier in the campaign but he expects a tough challenge in the return fixture at Anfield.”First, they are usually feeling very high in their stadium with their supporters. Also the atmosphere is one point more for them,” Emery said.”But we have players who have the habit of playing in big matches, also in Liverpool, and we know it is difficult for us but for me it is a very big test, I have a big motivation and I am looking forward to our response against them.”Also, after finishing the first half of the season, we are in a good position with the points, 38, not very good but it is good and with the difference to the other teams, they are doing this difference and we need to do our process in the second half of the season to improve and to take a big performance little by little to shorten the difference between them and us.”All eyes on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/knqvsTVv9D — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 27, 2018 Emery is reportedly facing a Football Association (FA) charge after kicking a bottle during the 1-1 Boxing Day draw at Brighton and Hove Albion.”I said yesterday my apologies, I kicked the bottle in frustration but not for the supporter, I kicked for me and it went near to the supporter and I said to them my apologies,” he said. “There is not another communication. I repeat today my apologies for my individual action but I kick the bottle because it is near me, but not because it is my intention.”Asked if he expects an FA charge, Emery added: “I hope not but I have to respect the decision because it is a circumstance of my action but not another intention from me with the supporter. I say to them my apology.” Subscribe to Goal’s Liverpool Correspondent Neil Jones’ weekly email bringing you the best Liverpool FC writing from around the web
Bayern Munich have officially signed New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh from A-League side Wellington Phoenix.The 20-year-old has joined the Bundesliga champions on a three-year deal but will initially play for Bayern Munich II in Germany’s third tier.Singh made 26 appearances in the A-League last term and will now have a chance to prove himself in Europe. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare The attacking midfielder contributed nine goals and eight assists in 40 appearances for Wellington, having earned his first team debut for the club early last year.”With Sarpreet we were able to sign a technically strong and very talented attacking midfielder,” said Jochen Sauer, head of FC Bayern Campus. “We are very happy that he has chosen FC Bayern.”Singh, who won his first senior New Zealand caps in 2018, cannot wait to get started.”It is with great joy that I announce I have signed with Bayern Munich for the next three years,” Singh wrote on Instagram.”Words cannot describe how I’m feeling right now but I’m extremely excited about this opportunity to develop myself further here in Munich and represent my country and New Zealand football.”I look forward to getting to know everyone and also learning German.”Phoenix have not disclosed the fee paid by Bayern but said the deal is “arguably the largest transfer of a New Zealand football player”.”We are thrilled for Sarpreet and his family and are extremely proud of what he has achieved to get to this stage of his career,” said Phoenix general manager David Dome.”We wish him all the best in Germany and look forward to seeing him progress all the way through to Bayern’s first team as he continues his development as a professional footballer.”
Atletico Madrid’s close-season spending spree has continued with the €29 million (£26m/$33m) acquisition of Spain defender Mario Hermoso from Espanyol.The 24-year-old centre-back has cost Atletico €25m (£22m/$28m) upfront, with a further €4m to follow in the shape of various performance-related add-ons.Hermoso had just 12 months left on his Espanyol contract and has now agreed to a five-year deal at the Wanda Metropolitano. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? A Real Madrid academy product, Hermoso only made his top-flight debut in the 2017-18 campaign but has since enjoyed a rapid rise.He particularly impressed last term as Espanyol – who have a 20 per cent sell-on clause – finished seventh in La Liga, earning his first Spain cap last November.With Atletico seeing Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez, Filipe Luis and Juanfran all depart at the end of last season, Hermoso had long been suggested as a likely arrival.But Espanyol’s apparent initial reluctance to reduce their asking price from the reported €40m (£36m/$45m) release clause in his contract meant negotiations dragged on.An agreement has been found, though, and Hermoso is the latest defender to join Atletico after Felipe, Renan Lodi and Kieran Trippier, who arrived a day earlier.In a statement released on Espanyol’s official club website, the Spanish club wished the 24-year-old good luck in his new club, adding: “From the first day, Hermoso has shown exemplary behavior as a player of RCD Espanyol and has defended the Blue and White colours with his commitment.”Atletico, meanwhile, wrote in welcoming their new signing: “We welcome an extraordinary player, who, despite his youth, has experience and a promising future.”He arrives to make our squad stronger and we wish him all the best in this beautiful new challenge at Atletico de Madrid.”Hermoso takes Atletico’s reported expenditure to €248m (£223m/$278m) with Marcos Llorente, Joao Felix, Hector Herrera, Nicolas Ibanez and Ivan Saponjic also new to the club, although they recouped €120m (£107m/$134m) from Antoine Griezmann’s controversial departure to Barcelona.Simeone’s side finished second in the Liga table last season, 11 points behind champions Barcelona, and they get their 2019-20 campaign underway on August 18 with a home fixture against Getafe.
Boca Juniors forward Cristian Pavon will play the rest of 2019 in Major League Soccer after LA Galaxy confirmed a deal had been reached for the Argentina international. Pavon, 23, was previously considered one of the Argentine Superliga’s top prospects after making a big impact at Boca early on, and formed part of the Albiceleste team in last year’s World Cup. But he has struggled for form recently, and found himself frozen out of the first team after Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s exit at the end of 2018 following Copa Libertadores final defeat to arch-rivals River Plate. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? Now he will have the chance to star once more under Barros Schelotto as the Galaxy coach brought his former protege to MLS, in a deal that will run until the end of the year and includes an option to buy at its conclusion.”The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has acquired 23-year-old forward Cristian Pavón on loan from Argentina’s Club Atlético Boca Juniors,” the club confirmed today on its official website. “Pavon, who played in every match for Argentina during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, joins the club after playing in Argentina’s top-flight division since 2012.”He was acquired through the use of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and will be added to the roster pending receipt of his P1-Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).”Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese expressed his delight at capturing the winger, and expects big things from Pavon once he settles into life in the United States. “Cristian is a young and dynamic attacking addition who has the talent to be one of the most effective offensive players in Major League Soccer,” Te Kloese explained.“He is a high-caliber player who will be a valuable piece to our roster moving forward. By providing him with a stable environment and a coach he knows well, we are confident that he can continue to grow and improve as a player within our club.”We are extremely excited to add him to our squad and look forward to his contributions with the LA Galaxy.”They ain’t ready.#BravoPavon | #Since96 pic.twitter.com/WMW6gXgxJq— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) August 8, 2019Pavon started his career at hometown club Talleres de Cordoba, where he signed a professional deal at the age of 16 and made his first-team debut just one year later. His performances at Talleres quickly caught the eye of Boca, who swooped to sign the teenager in July 2014 after just 20 official matches for the Matador. He went on to score 32 goals in 128 appearances in all competitions for the Buenos Aires giants, lifting the Primera Division and Superliga title on three occasions.
Leicester City have confirmed the signing of attacking midfielder Dennis Praet from Sampdoria for a reported £18 million ($22.9m).The 25-year-old Belgium international joins on a five-year deal after spending the last three seasons in Serie A with Sampdoria, scoring four goals and adding seven assists in the Italian top-flight.Born in Belgium, Praet joined the Anderlecht from Genk’s youth academy in 2010, and made his first team debut with the Belgian side in 2011. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? Praet would go on to make 139 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals and helping them win three Belgium First Division crowns.He also took home Belgium’s Golden Shoe award for the league’s best player in 2014, as well as three Super Cup victories with Anderlecht. His success domestically would see Praet make a £7m move to Sampdoria in the summer of 2015 and made 107 appearances for the club.Praet’s performances reportedly had earned him the interest of Serie A champions Juventus, along with Arsenal and Milan, where former Sampdoria head coach Marco Giampaolo has replaced Gennaro Gattuso.Earlier this summer, Praet had confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws he wanted a move to a top-four league, and said Sampdoria had agreed to allow him to leave if a suitable offer arrived.Capped 50 times at the youth international level by the Red Devils, Praet has received three senior appearances for Belgium with his latest coming as a late substitute in a 2-0 European Championship qualifier win over Cyprus in March.Praet rejoins Belgium and former Anderlect team-mate Youri Tielemans, who joined the Foxes on loan for the second half of last season before making a permanent move from Monaco earlier this summer.The midfielder became the Foxes’ fourth this summer, having defender James Justin from Luton Town and attacker Ayoze Perez from Premier League rivals Newcastle in addition to Praet and Tielemans.However they also said goodbye to star centre-back Harry Maguire, who joined Manchester United in an world-record £80m deal in the days leading up to the close of the Premier League transfer window.
SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 17: A general view of Notre Dame Stadium as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on November 17, 2012 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Wake Forest 38-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)ESPN revealed its new ‘Playoff Predictor’ metric earlier today. It uses five key factors to determine which programs have the best chance to reach the playoff and win the national championship.The five factors the metric employs are strength of record, FPI, number of losses, conference championships and independent status. According to the calculations, the four teams with the best chance to make the playoff are Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame.Notre Dame, huh? The Irish are regarded as a likely top-15 team with the potential for more, and they do have the talent to make a playoff run. However, not many experts have picked them to reach the CFP this offseason.But ESPN’s metric sees it differently. Here’s why:Notre Dame is better than many people think. It doesn’t boast the sexiest offense, but the Fighting Irish actually ranked 12th in offensive efficiency last season — a metric which considers the effectiveness of the unit on a play-by-play level and considers the strength of opponents faced. But more important than that, defensively, they ought to be stout. Notre Dame ranked 10th in defensive efficiency a season ago and is returning nine starters to that side of the ball.As an independent, Notre Dame’s schedule strikes a nice balance in 2018. It’s difficult enough that a strong record would be an accomplishment and would catch the committee’s eye, but easy enough that 11-1 — probably the record it needs to accomplish — is within the realm of possibility. Of course, plenty rides on Week 1, when Notre Dame takes on Michigan. A win over the Wolverines would boost the Fighting Irish’s chances of reaching the playoff to 53 percent, while a loss would drop them to 23 percent.The Irish do have tough road games against USC, Northwestern and Virginia Tech, and they still have to face Michigan, Florida State and Stanford at home. A 10-2 season would be a quality showing, and still probably would leave them outside the playoff.This is definitely a bold pick by the computers, but it isn’t insane. If Notre Dame can gets its offense to keep pace with what should be an outstanding defense, the Irish could have a special year.Week 1 is huge though, as ESPN wrote. The result of that game against Michigan sets the tone for the whole year in South Bend.
GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 01: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes watches the action during the first quarter of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Urban Meyer and Tom Herman have feuded a little bit as head coaches at Ohio State and Texas, but nothing ever seemed to be that serious between the former Buckeyes’ co-workers. That changed on Saturday – well, it appeared to change, anyway.Jeff Snook reported on Saturday that Herman was the man who leaked news of the allegations against now-fired Ohio State assistant Zach Smith to college football insider Brett McMurphy.Herman, his wife and McMurphy have all since denied these allegations.Snook, though, reported that Herman was the leak.Here’s why, he says:Tom Herman’s motive? Herman was furious after five-star receiver Garrett Wilson committed to Ohio State in April over Texas, sources say. Wilson played at Austin (Texas) Lake Travis High, just miles from the Longhorns’ campus. Zach Smith was the Buckeyes’ primary recruiter, along with quarterbacks coach Ryan Day, in getting Wilson’s commitment. Day has the central Texas area in the Buckeyes’ recruiting system. Smith was fired July 23. Given that Texas is one of the most pressure-packed and highest-profile jobs in the country, and following a 7-6 season in his first year as Texas coach, Herman needs to secure a recruiting base close to home to turn the Longhorns around. And there were no bigger stars in his own city than Wilson.Again, this has all been denied by Herman, his wife and McMurphy.“It is absolutely untrue. Neither I, nor anybody in my family, has ever communicated with Brett McMurphy about the situation at Ohio State,” Herman said.Urban Meyer, meanwhile, remains under investigation at Ohio State, and it doesn’t seem like anything that was reported on Saturday will have an impact on his future in Columbus. It’s certainly made for an interesting preseason, though.
TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 24: A general view of Bryant-Denny Stadium during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers on October 24, 2015 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Last weekend, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide continued its winning ways against Mississippi State. With the Citadel Bulldogs making the trip to Tuscaloosa this Saturday, Nick Saban and his staff will look to improve to 11-0 on the season.Although the Crimson Tide seem perfectly fine on both sides of the football, it appears they brought in a visitor today that could add assistance. While the reasoning behind his trip to Alabama is unclear, former head coach Rich Rodriguez was at the facility.Considering the program’s history of revitalizing coaches’ careers, maybe Rodriguez will be next in line.You never know who you’ll run into at the Alabama football facility. Today it was Rich Rodriguez, who *nearly* had some history here.— Alex Scarborough (@AlexS_ESPN) November 12, 2018Rodriguez spent six seasons with the Arizona Wildcats, finishing with an overall record of 43-35. However, he was fired from the university after facing sexual harassment allegations.Once again, there’s no telling why he’s currently at Alabama’s facility, but we can’t rule out the possibility of him receiving another opportunity.At the very least, Saban could be searching for more creativity on offense, despite averaging 48.6 points per game.Stay tuned.