قرر نادي ليفربول الدخول في منافسة شرسة مع آرسنال وتشيلسي على ضم صفقة هجومية قوية خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة من الميركاتو الصيفي.

ولم يتعاقد ليفربول مع أي صفقة بشكل رسمي تحت قيادة المدرب الجديد، آرني سلوت، رغم مرور أكثر من شهر ونصف على فترة الانتقالات الحالية.

ولكن هناك أكثر من لاعب على رادار ليفربول مثل أنتوني جوردون وباريس ألبير يالماظ ولكن ليس هناك أي مفاوضات متقدمة بشأن الصفقتين.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جون بارنز يتوقع تغييرًا في دور محمد صلاح مع ليفربول بالموسم الجديد

ورغم ذلك، تزعم شبكة “Football Insider” البريطانية أن ليفربول دخل سباق التعاقد مع اللاعب، فيكتور جيوكيرس، مهاجم منتخب السويد ونادي سبورتنج لشبونة.

ويبلغ جيوكيرس من العمر 26 عامًا ويلعب مع سبورتنج لشبونة منذ الصيف الماضي بعدما انتقل من صفوف نادي كوفنتري في الدرجة الأولى الإنجليزية مقابل 21 مليون يورو.

ويمتلك جيوكيرس في عقده مع سبورتنج لشبونة شرط جزائي قيمته 86 مليون جنيه إسترليني، ولكن هل ليفربول سيدفع هذا المبلغ لضم اللاعب السويدي؟.

Everton were handed a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime as the Toffees were ultimately punished for Ashley Young's sending-off.

The 38-year-old defender was dismissed in the first half following two bookable offences, the second of which saw him receive a yellow card for clattering Luis Diaz, just minutes after making a goal-saving block.

Following his dismissal, the Reds struggled to break the visitors down, but ultimately broke the deadlock in the 75th minute as Mohamed Salah calmly converted his penalty before sealing the three points in the 97th minute.

Prior to Young's reckless sending-off, Sean Dyche's side did look dangerous on the counter-attack, however, his sending-off quickly changed the complexion of the contest, forcing Everton to sit back and soak up a lot of pressure.

A lot of that pressure, as expected, came down the Toffee's right side but Nathan Patterson, who came off the bench at half-time to deal with that, put in a strong audition to make that right back spot his own.

How did Nathan Patterson perform against Liverpool?

Patterson had the unenviable task of dealing with the lightning-quick Diaz and could have let the Anfield cauldron swallow him up, but the 22-year-old gem dealt with the threat of the Colombian admirably.

After watching the senior Young get beat for pace and dive into challenges recklessly, Patterson stood his ground and made himself difficult to beat, perhaps showcasing the reasons why Dyche was wrong to leave him out from the get-go.

While being down to ten-men limited the Scottish international from demonstrating his abundance of attacking attributes, he did put in an outstanding defensive display.

At times, Patterson had to deal with a two vs one situation with Kostas Tsimikas flying up the left flank and Diaz cutting inside, however, the youngster was like an immovable object, as the defensive demon made one tackle and won 100% of his aerial and ground duels, as per Sofascore.

By contrast, Young only won one of his four ground duels, lost possession a whopping nine times, and misplaced all of his five attempted long balls in his 37 minutes on the pitch, as per Sofascore.

The veteran endured a horror show at Anfield and his performances prior to this fixture are a telling sign that age is catching up to the former Manchester United player.

How has Ashley Young performed this season?

Although he made the goal-saving tackle that denied Diaz from breaking the deadlock, his all-round performance this term has flattered to deceive, struggling to compete against his positional peers in the Premier League.

Operating in a side that faces a constant wave of attacks from their opponents, an Everton full-back would be expected to make lots of challenges, last-ditch blocks and crucial interceptions.

Young, meanwhile, has fallen drastically short in that department, ranking in the bottom 28% for interceptions (0.73), bottom 35% for tackles (1.83), and bottom 38% for blocks (0.97) per 90, as per FBref.

On the other hand, the £28k-per-week Scotsman performed exceptionally in a defensive capacity prior to his lengthy spell on the sidelines last season, ranking in the top 14% for clearances, top 9% for interceptions, and top 4% for tackles against his positional peers in the Premier League.

While Dyche is forced into replacing Young from the starting XI, it could be a blessing in disguise as it provides Patterson with the opportunity to return to the form that saw his manager label him as "tremendous" last term.

A 15th minute goal from Luis Suarez earned Inter Miami a point Saturday evening against NYCFC in a tightly-contested Eastern Conference clash.

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Inter Miami draw NYCFC 1-1Suarez scores fifth goal of MLS seasonInjury-plagued Herons earn crucial pointUSA Today Sports TELL ME MORE

The Herons rolled out a makeshift defense, featuring Sergio Busquets at left center-back and new signing Marcelo Weigandt from the start just three days after the defender arrived at the club. With nine players missing due to injury – including Lionel Messi – they were up against it from the start.

Things began on a high note for Miami, with Luis Suarez opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the match with a tidy header off a set piece. NYCFC countered 20 minutes later though, equalizing through Alonso Martinez in the 35th minute.

The two sides then battled it out in a contested matchup over the next 55+ minutes, with each team controlling different portions of the match. However, neither could find the back of the net and claim a winner, with both sides settling for a 1-1 draw.

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In his first five games with Inter Miami, Julian Gressel notched five assists, including the Heron's opener Saturday.

Getty ImagesTHE MVP

Julian Gressel: He filled in for Messi magnificently, registering his fifth assist of the campaign while handling set piece duty with ease. He has not struggled to adapt since arriving in Miami this offseason from the Columbus Crew, and fits in perfectly with Tata Martino's system. His role in the match will be overshadowed by Suarez's goal, but Gressel did exactly everything the was asked of him across 76 minutes.

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THE BIG LOSER

The Inter Miami defense: It's been the biggest non-Messi storyline around the Herons in 2024, from preseason woes to recent performances where their backline was highlighted to be an issue.

Saturday night saw backup Ryan Sailor partner with Sergio Busquets centrally, and although their performance was heroic, it's not a suitable option for them at the MLS level. With Federico Redondo out for nearly two months, they needed Busquets in the center of the pitch. Ahead of their next match, they'll need to reevaluate their options on the backline if they want to earn a result.

Cricket South Africa has unveiled the name of its new T20 league. The inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) will take place from 16 November to 16 December.”Mzansi” is an isiXhosa word that translates literally to “south”, but in colloquial usage refers to the country of South Africa. The local spin on the league has been central to CSA’s re-strategising after the failed first launch last year.The six MSL teams will be owned locally, by CSA, and the league will be city-based, with CSA having announced the hosting stadiums on Thursday.”I would like to thank everyone involved in putting this milestone project together,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. “We look forward to welcoming, and being entertained by, some of the world’s best cricketers. We are also confident that the MSL will serve the dual objective of becoming a launchpad for our next generation of T20 talent.”The event tagline is ‘FUN. FAST. FOR ALL’, which speaks volumes about the competition’s concept.”CSA has also aimed to maximise local viewership on the games on television, and the matches are set to be broadcast exclusively live by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) – South Africa’s public broadcaster – on its television and radio platforms.”Our plans are well under way to make the MSL T20 the hottest sport spectacle this summer,” SABC chief operations officer Chris Maroleng said. “South African audiences deserve the best sport content and this partnership with CSA is at the heart of our commitment to deliver this promise. We are putting together a world-class production that will showcase the expertise of the SABC to the rest of the world.”The names of the six participating sides, the marquee South African players and the international signings will all form part of the competition Player Draft Matrix that will be held on October 15.South Africa’s tour of Australia in November concludes with a T20I at the Carrara Oval on 17 November, the day after the MSL is due to begin, and the MSL will clash with the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which runs from 23 November to 2 December, but CSA general manager of cricket and MSL playing affairs director Corrie van Zyl insisted that established names would be part of the event.”We can assure fans that the talent set to participate in the MSL T20 will be top-class, featuring our established Proteas alongside their international counterparts, while also showcasing our up-and-coming local talent,” van Zyl said.

Namibia, who made the final of the Sunfoil three-day cup earlier this year, cited challenges around logistics and expenses to end an involvement that stretches back more than 20 years

Liam Brickhill05-Oct-2018Namibia have withdrawn their team from South Africa’s provincial competitions.Citing challenges around logistics and expenses, Cricket Namibia took the “proactive” decision to end an involvement in South African provincial competitions that stretches back more than 20 years.”Due to our geographic location, it is inevitable that our travelling distances, and the travelling times required, have become increasingly prohibitive with the increase in travel costs year on year,” Cricket Namibia said in a statement. “Similarly the total number of days required to compete, inclusive of travelling, has posed increasing problems for our non-professional players.”Namibia reached the final of the Sunfoil three-day cup earlier this year, losing to KwaZulu-Natal, and though they will not compete this time around, Cricket Namibia said the fixture gap would hopefully provide new opportunities for the team. At the end of October, they will compete in the World T20 Africa Qualifier in Botswana, while in November they will take part in an Africa Cricket Association competition.”It is our intention to use the openings in our fixtures list to arrange matches such as to mitigate the time and distance challenges mentioned whilst retaining the integrity of our national competitive calendar,” read the statement, which also thanked Cricket South Africa for having provided them with opportunities, and looked forward “to the possibility of reengaging in the future”.Cricket Namibia is known to be in some financial strife at the moment and chief executive Peter Forster told : “There were a variety of reasons and in the end, we didn’t have a choice. We worked with the CSA to look at alternative arrangements, but it didn’t work out.”As a result, the CSA has had to hurriedly revise its fixtures list for this season’s senior provincial competitions.”In order to minimize the inconvenience that has been caused, it has been resolved that the teams that would have hosted Namibia will play against the teams that would have travelled to Namibia,” the CSA explained.

The brains behind Specsavers' scathing, viral social media posts about VAR has been revealed – former Premier League referee Mike Dean!

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• Mike Dean's admin role revealed!
• Ex-referee behind Specsavers' social media
• Has been posting viral jokes about VAR

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The optician's social media account has developed a reputation for its witty posts poking fun at VAR's decisions in the Premier League. It turns out, however, that the viral comments have come from a surprising source, with the man boasting 28 years of experience as an on field and video referee admitting to being the culprit.

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• WHAT MIKE DEAN SAID

  "It’s hard to believe that someone like me could be the Specsavers Admin. But, I just love the power," Dean said as his secret position was revealed. "The ability to judge decisions on the pitch, even if I wasn’t on it. I knew my refereeing days were numbered and I wanted something to keep me busy afterwards. Of course I miss being out on the pitch. But the feeling you get when you post something good, it’s as close as you get to pulling a card out.

  "Given my profile, it’s been really to protect my identity. There have even been times when I’ve had to call myself out!"

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  Dean was the brains behind some of Specsavers' most popular jibes at VAR. One particular tweet read: “There isn’t a single pair of glasses that can help VAR”, a post which received 838,000 views. Another, which read: “We need to sponsor VAR don’t we”, had 23,000 likes.

Aston Villa return to action in the UEFA Conference League this week, as Unai Emery’s side hope to push closer to confirming their progression into the next round.

In their first inclusion in European competition in 13 years, the Villans will be eager to get back to winning ways, after suffering their first Premier League defeat in six games against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

On Thursday, Villa welcome AZ Alkmaar to Villa Park, with the opposition destined to feel somewhat reluctant to attend the fixture after being dealt a 4-1 defeat at home to Emery’s side in the last round of games in Group E.

It’s a must-win game for the Midlands club, who currently sit second in the group table narrowly behind Legia Warsaw but level on points, with AZ and Zrinjski also level on points to split the group with all to play for.

Despite the importance of the game, Emery is expected to make some changes with the Premier League clash with Fulham pending later in the week. Here’s the predicted lineup for their battle with AZ on Thursday…

1 GK – Emiliano Martinez

The recently crowned best goalkeeper of 2023, Emiliano Martinez, should start between the sticks for Villa on Thursday, despite second-choice keeper Robin Olsen getting the pick in the competition qualifiers earlier in the season.

Lauded by Emery as a shot-stopper that’s able to adapt to “each tactic we are trying to build”, the World Cup winner will almost certainly be the chosen number one against AZ.

2 RB – Matty Cash

Averaging 1.7 key passes per game in the Conference League this season, Matty Cash is one of Villa’s primary sources of creativity at right-back.

The Poland international is expected to get the mod over Calum Chambers on the right side of defence, as the Englishman continues to struggle to discover form.

3 CB – Diego Carlos

Brazilian defender Diego Carlos started the previous fixture against AZ in the Conference League, taking his appearance count to two in the tournament this term where he has averaged a stellar 7.5 ball recoveries per game.

After an injury-stricken start to life at Villa, the centre-back seems to be enjoying his football in the European journey, with his inclusion handing Emery the ability to rest his first-choice pairing of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres.

4 CB – Clement Lenglet

Despite not starting a Premier League game yet this season for Villa, Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet could complete the rotation in central defence and partner Carlos.

The 28-year-old has appeared in the Villans’ last three games in the group stages, showcasing his commanding presence at the back with an average of 1.7 tackles per game and a tidy pass completion rate of 94%.

5 LB – Alex Moreno

After an agonising start to the 2023/24 season, Alex Moreno could finally return to left-back as he heads towards making a full recovery from injury.

By having Moreno back in contention, Emery could hand Lucas Digne a well-earned rest after starting every game so far in both the Premier League and the Conference League proper this term.

6 CM – Douglas Luiz

One rotation that is not expected to be made, is the positioning of Douglas Luiz, who has been one of Villa’s most vital cogs in the squad so far this campaign.

It’s been a statement week for the 25-year-old after he received a call-up to the Brazilian national team and that could be capped off with a win against AZ on Thursday evening.

The midfielder has only started one game of the group stages so far, however has had to intervene to guide results to Villa’s favour, reinforcing his importance in maintaining the team’s structure in the engine room.

7 CM – Boubacar Kamara

With Luiz’s untouchable status comes his partner, Boubacar Kamara, who could be a notable difference-maker ahead of Thursday’s clash.

The Frenchman started in the previous battle against AZ, marshalling the midfield expertly with 71 touches, two tackles, one interception and a pass completion rate of 90%, via Sofascore.

8 CM – Youri Tielemans

Youri Tielemans was also on the scoresheet at the AFAS Stadion, breaking his personal deadlock following his arrival at Villa Park in the summer from Leicester City.

The Belgian could get the nod over Moussa Diaby in this instance, allowing Emery to grant his star player a rest and hand the 26-year-old the minutes he so desperately desires.

9 RW – Leon Bailey

Lauded as “sensational” earlier this season by journalist Josh Bunting, winger Leon Bailey could be handed another start against AZ after his heroics last time out against the Dutch side.

The Jamaican has had to battle for a place in the XI with Nicolo Zaniolo, whose underwhelming form of late could drive Bailey into his spot on Thursday.

In the 86 minutes he played against AZ in October, the 26-year-old scored, assisted and was a constant threat on the right flank for Villa to exploit to their advantage.

10 LW – John McGinn

Another top performer that AZ will be hoping not to see again is John McGinn, who displayed a real captain's performance in the previous group stage fixture.

Like Bailey, the Villa skipper scored and assisted against the Eredivisie side during the 4-1 victory, as well as making two tackles and two interceptions to impose his dominance in the middle channel.

Nick Compton was capped 16 times in Tests for England, playing his part in memorable series wins in India and South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2018

Nick Compton enjoys a drink for the Championship trophy•Getty Images

Former England opener Nick Compton has announced his retirement from the game. Compton, 35, did not feature for Middlesex during the 2018 season – which was also his benefit year – but will remain working for the club in an ambassadorial role.Compton played 16 Tests for England, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Denis. He was Alastair Cook’s first opening partner after the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012, and played his part in memorable series wins in India and South Africa.His last cap came during the summer of 2016, a season which ended with Middlesex lifting the County Championship for the first time since 1993.”After almost two decades of professional cricket, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love so much,” Compton said. “It has been a privilege to play first-class cricket for Middlesex, Somerset, and the MCC.”Of course, the pinnacle of my career was following in my grandfather Denis Compton’s footsteps, having achieved my dream of playing and winning Test series for England. I am particularly proud of my successful opening partnership with Alastair Cook and our series victory in India, the first time in 28 years an England team had won in India.”In contrast to his famously dashing grandfather, Nick Compton was a dogged top-order accumulator who carved out a reputation for making hard runs.Having started out at Middlesex, the club closely associated with his family, Compton moved to Somerset in 2010. It was there he found the form that would win him England recognition; in 2012, he scored 1494 runs at 99.60, narrowly failing to become the ninth man in history to score 1000 first-class runs before the end of May.He made his international debut in Ahmedabad that winter and was part of the England side that came from behind to win 2-1 in India. Compton scored hundreds in Dunedin and Wellington on England’s next tour, a 0-0 draw with New Zealand, but lost his place ahead of the 2013 Ashes despite an opening partnership with Cook that averaged 57.93.A second coming in 2015 saw him score 85 and 49 at No. 3 as England won in Durban on the way to a 2-1 series victory, but Compton only played three more Tests, making his final outing against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.”There have been some challenges that I have had to confront, but in spite of these I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this career of mine,” he said. “For one, being named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in the 150th Anniversary Edition [in 2013] alongside both my cricketing hero Jacques Kallis, and my school friend Hashim Amla.”Other highlights include being chosen as PCA Player of the Year by my peers after coming so close to being the first cricketer for 25 years to score 1000 runs before the end of May is another, up there with making my Test debut in India and receiving my cap from England legend Graham Gooch.”I treasure the 16 Test matches I played for England, especially my back-to-back Test hundreds which I scored in New Zealand. On the domestic front, what a team I played in at Somerset. And winning the County Championship at Lord’s on the final day of the 2016 season for Middlesex provided all involved with an experience that we will savour for the rest of our lives.”In all, Compton scored more than 12,000 first-class runs at an average of 40.42, the last of his 27 hundreds coming for Sri Lanka Ports Authority during a spell playing Sri Lankan domestic cricket in February.He had already begun to explore options for his post-playing career, working as an analyst during the summer for Sky and ESPNcricinfo. “I look forward to pursuing my other interests, particularly in the media and photography as well as working on a few business ventures,” he said.Middlesex’s chief executive, Richard Goatley, added: “It is a sad day for us that Nick Compton has retired from professional cricket. Nick has been a very special servant to the club, culminating in his key role in the Championship winning success of 2016.”Nick is highly valued by Middlesex Cricket and we are delighted that he will remain with the club in an ambassadorial role. We welcome his all-round ability, and want him to add further value by helping to inspire our future success in an off the field capacity.”He has contributed effectively towards the club’s off-field work in the past, both with our senior leadership team and the commercial team at Lord’s, and we look forward to extending that work in the future. Nick Compton will always be welcome at Lord’s.”

Glasgow Rangers could be set to lose one of their up-and-coming prospects next year, with a fresh report revealing that he’s being targeted ahead of January.

Recent departures at Rangers

Over the summer, those at Ibrox side sanctioned the sales of 11 players in total, with eight of those leaving on a permanent basis, while the remaining three were sent out on loan for the rest of the season to increase their game time and experience.

Glen Kamara (Leeds)

Ianis Hagi (Alaves)

Fashion Sakala (Al-Fayha)

Alex Lowry (Heart Of Midlothian)

Antonio Colak (Parma)

Ben Williamson (Partick Thistle)

Ryan Kent (Fenerbahce)

Filip Helander (Odense BK)

Scott Arfield (Charlotte)

Mateusz Zukowski (Slask Wroclaw)

Lewis Mayo (Kilmarnock FC)

The Light Blues have John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Jon McLaughlin and Leon Balogun who will have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the term so they could also soon be heading for the exit door (Rangers contracts).

The Ibrox outfit, now managed by Philippe Clement, additionally have a decision to make over the future of right-winger Ross McCausland who is another squad member who will be out of contract upon the conclusion of the current campaign, though chiefs appear keen to retain his services for the foreseeable.

The Northern Ireland youth international is reportedly set to be tabled fresh terms in order to fend off any potential interest during the upcoming transfer window, but if the following update is to be believed, the 20-year-old has already been brought onto the radar of two clubs in the Serie A so could leave the Scottish Premiership.

Atalanta and AS Roma want Ross McCausland

According to outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), McCausland is of interest to Atalanta and AS Roma ahead of January. The Italian pair are among “numerous clubs” who are keeping a close eye on his performances, but the mentioned duo are in particular “monitoring him through their scouts”.

Whilst talks are yet to take place, the forward’s contract situation means that he “could represent an opportunity” in the new year, where he may cost as little as €450k (£392k) should a pre-contract agreement be reached.

Rangers need to keep "superb talent" in McCausland

Despite McCausland having only made nine senior appearances for Rangers, Clement will know that he may have an exciting prospect with bags of potential to offer, so it’s important that the club tie him down because he will be a key player for the future in Glasgow.

The County Antrim-born talent has clocked up 20 involvements, 14 goals and six assists, in 59 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – McCausland stats), displaying how prolific he can be at creating and putting chances away in the final third.

The Teddy Bears starlet is also a versatile operator having been deployed in four different positions over the grass since first bursting onto the professional scene, including out wide on both the left and right flanks, alongside two roles in the midfield, so he’s a wonderful option to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, McCausland is a “superb talent” and even the thought of losing him could be a real blow, so there’s no doubt that everyone associated with the club may well be hoping that he puts pen to paper on an improved contract instead of making the decision to move onto new pastures in January.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that he wouldn't swap one of Paris Saint-Germain's players for his own.

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• Laporta backing Barca to beat PSG
• Two sides meet in Champions League quarter-final
• Kylian Mbappe expected to start for Parisians

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barca's outspoken president gave an impassioned speech prior to his side's Champions League quarter-final with PSG, in which he insisted that his side – considered underdogs for the tie – could get a result in Paris. The Blaugrana, he claimed, have a better squad than the Parisians.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Laporta's statement notably avoided mention of Kylian Mbappe. The winger is set to join Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid this summer, and looks to be the Parisians' most apparent threat when the two sides meet. He should also be fresh after playing just 24 minutes of PSG's 1-1 draw with Clermont Foot at the weekend.

• WHAT JOAN LAPORTA SAID

  In a statement for his club's Twitter channel, Laporta rallied his Barca side: "I am prepared, fully prepared. I see the players very motivated and this motivates me. The message for our fans is to believe in our players and our coach. We have a great team. We are very focused and it is very important that they know I wouldn't change any of our players for one from PSG."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  The Blaugrana face PSG this evening, and then have La Liga action to worry about this weekend. Xavi's side face Cadiz on Saturday, where they will look to keep their slim hopes of domestic success alive.