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Aston Villa have strengthened their squad with some impressive signings this summer, but another defensive addition could still arrive, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Will Aston Villa make more signings?

A productive summer in the transfer market was needed at Villa Park, in order to kick on from last season, where so much progress was made under Unai Emery. Almost from nowhere, he made his side one of the most formidable outside the traditional 'big six', qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League in the process.

Big things are expected this time around, following the additions of players such as Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby, and while the 5-1 defeat at Newcastle United on the opening weekend was a shock to the system, last Sunday's 4-0 win at home to Everton steadied the ship, suggesting that another good campaign lies ahead.

While Villa fans will likely feel very content with the transfer business their club has conducted since the end of last season, there is still time to bring in more new faces, should Emery feel like it is needed between now and next Friday's cutoff.

Left-back is one area that may well be strengthened, with Lucas Digne's future at the club unclear, and it looks as though a Premier League player could be a potential target.

Will Aston Villa sign Nuno Tavares?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano talked up the idea of Villa sealing the signing of Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares before the end of the current transfer window:

"Tavares was very close to joining Nottingham Forest, but then they had problems in the negotiation, so the deal collapsed between the clubs Arsenal in Nottingham Forest last week. My expectation is for Aston Villa to consider Tavares also this week."

Tavares could be an interesting signing by Villa this summer, with the 23-year-old struggling to enjoy playing time for Arsenal, given the strength of the defensive options at Mikel Arteta's disposal, and going on loan to Marseille last season.

He still has two years remaining on his current Gunners deal, so they aren't necessarily in a huge rush to sell him, but it doesn't appear as though he has any future at the Emirates.

Granted, some Villans supporters could question if Tavares is a good enough option to bring in, in terms of signing an outcast from one of the Premier League's top sides, but he is still a young player and Arteta himself has lauded him as "very gifted" in the past and now appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation following a loan spell in France.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Therefore, Tavares could be a good option for Emery and be someone desperate to kick on in their career and thrive under a fresh challenge.

The Portuguese has Premier League experience, making 22 appearances in it to date, and his best years could be ahead of him, which may well be spent at Villa, playing a part in their continued resurgence with Emery at the helm, making this one to keep an eye on.

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O Fluminense terá uma baixa significativa no duelo com o Corinthians, no Maracanã. No início da tarde desta sexta-feira, a assessoria do Fluminense divulgou que o atacante Fred testou positivo para Covid-19 no exame para a bateria de testes da décima rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

O Tricolor das Laranjeiras apontou que “testou negativo em todos os exames anteriores, mais recentemente na quinta-feira anterior (03/09), no sábado (05/09), na segunda (07/09) e na quarta (09/09), que garantiu a participação dele na 9ª rodada”.

O jogador de 36 anos já havia sido afastado preventivamente do restante do elenco na partida da oitava rodada, contra o São Paulo. Fred comunicara ao clube que sua esposa estava infectada. No entanto, o camisa 9 entrou no decorrer da partida contra o Flamengo na última quarta-feira.

A assessoria de imprensa do clube frisou que o atacante já está afastado do restante do grupo, conforme está previsto no protocolo de prevenção à Covid-19.

RelacionadasFluminenseYuri alerta para queda de ritmo do Flu nas partidas e exige: ‘Temos de melhorar nossa parte mental’Fluminense11/09/2020FluminenseCom 11 vendas para a Europa desde 2015, Fluminense arrecada menos que o Fla só com Vinicius Jr e PaquetáFluminense10/09/2020

نجح فريق جيرونا في قلب تأخره أمام برشلونة إلى فوز بنتيجة 4/2، في منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وواجه جيرونا نظيره برشلونة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ34 من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، على ملعب “مونتيليفي”.

وبهذه النتيجة، حسم ريال مدريد تتويجه بلقب الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم لاليجا بعد تعثر برشلونة أمام جيرونا.

وتمكن فريق جيرونا من التأهل للمرة الأولى إلى منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا عقب تحقيقه الفوز اليوم.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد فوز ريال مدريد على قادش

في الشوط الأول، وعند الدقيقة الثالثة، افتتح اندرياس كريستنسن التسجيل لصالح نادي برشلونة بطريقة رائعة، بعد تلقيه تمريرة حاسمة من لامين يامال.

وجاء رد جيرونا سريعاً، حيث أحرز ارتيم دوفبيك هدف التعادل لصالح جيرونا عند الدقيقة الرابعة، برأسية مميزة من صناعة إيفان نونيز.

وكاد أن يوقع كريستنسن على هدف برشلونة الثاني لولا تصدي جازانيجا.

وقبل نهاية الشوط الأول، حصل لامين يامال على ركلة جزاء، بعد رجوع حكم الساحة الي تقنية الفار.

وتمكن روبيرت ليفاندوفسكي من تسجيل هدف برشلونة الثاني من علامة الجزاء بحلول الدقيقة 46.

في الشوط الثاني، ومع الدقائق الأولى، كاد أن يسجل لامين يامال هدف برشلونة الثالث لكن تسديدته لم تكن قوية.

ودفع ميجيل سانشيز المدير الفني لفريق جيرونا، بالثنائي بورتو وكوتو في محاولة لتعديل نتيجة المباراة.

ومع اللمسة الأولي للبديل بورتو، نجح في تسجيل هدف التعادل مستغلاً تمريرة حاسمة من دوفبيك داخل منطقة جزاء برشلونة بحلول الدقيقة 65.

وعند الدقيقة 67، أحرز جوتيريز هدف جيرونا الثالث من صناعة بورتو.

وبطريقة رائعة، وقع بورتو على ثنائيته الخاصة والهدف الرابع لصالح جيرونا، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من سافيو، ليسدد بورتو الكرة دون أن تلمس أرضية الملعب.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد جيرونا إلى النقطة 74 في المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بينما تجمد رصيد برشلونة عند النقطة 73 في المركز الثالث. اهداف مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا 2 4 الدوري الاسباني

MCC makes exception for Bharat Army after consulting with ICC

Melinda Farrell at Lord's22-Jul-2017Lord’s will break with tradition at Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final by allowing the Bharat Army, India’s fan group, to bring a drummer into the ground.Instruments, such as the trumpet played by the Barmy Army’s Billy Cooper, are usually banned at Lord’s, but – after consultation with the ICC – the MCC have made an exception for the final. As such, the terms and conditions of ticket sales for ICC events differ from those applied by the MCC at other matches.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC and MCC considered the Bharat Army’s request for a number of instruments but decided to allow only one , a traditional Indian drum, into the seating area. No horns and vuvuzelas will be permitted, however.Along with the unfamiliar sound of rhythms filling the air above St Johns Wood, there will also be a sea of colour rarely seen around the stands as the ICC will distribute flags, also banned at most matches at Lord’s, to the fans. The flags will be split evenly – half representing India and the other half England.

Leeds United defender Robin Koch is now wanted by Serie A champions Napoli this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Which players are leaving Leeds?

The Whites' relegation from the Premier League last month was a bitter pill to swallow for anyone associated with the club, following three years back in the top flight of English football.

It will create problem for so many reasons, not least the fact that Leeds are going to find it extremely difficult to keep hold of key players beyond the summer. Playing in the Championship will not appeal to many of their top young talents, especially if they have the opportunity to return straight to the top level at another club.

A host of current Whites heroes are being linked with summer moves away from Elland Road, with the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Jack Harrison among those in the mix to depart.

Koch is another who has been tipped to move on, however, as he looks for a new challenge.

Is Koch potentially joining Napoli?

According to Sky Italia journalist Franceso Modugno (via Gianluca Di Marzio and Sport Witness), Napoli are eyeing up a summer move for the £38,000-a-week defender, as they look to bring in a tailor-made replacement for centre-back Kim Min-jae, who looks set to join Bayern Munich.

The report claims that the Serie A giants see Koch as a strong target because he "stands out for his physicality and ability in aerial play", with a bid now possibly in the offing.

In truth, these are the sort of departures that Leeds simply have to accept in the summer transfer window, with someone of Koch's standing no doubt intrigued by the idea of joining a Napoli side that excelled so much last season.

While it would be nice to see the 26-year-old stay put with the Whites and help them make a speedy return to the Premier League, it is difficult to be too critical of him moving on if a club of such stature comes in for him.

Granted, Koch hasn't always covered himself in glory for Leeds, starting 36 of his side's 38 league games en route to relegation in 2022/23, but he has been hailed as a "machine" by teammate Max Wober and he would be a loss, certainly boasting the physicality to thrive in the second tier.

The fact that the German's current Whites deal expires next year does make this a realistic time to sell him and receive good money, though, which is the one positive to take from his likely exit.

Michael Klinger’s 55-ball 72 and Mitchell Marsh’s brutal 34 were also vital to Perth Scorchers’ sixth win over Melbourne Renegades in six matches

The Report by Will Macpherson in Melbourne29-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Klinger’s love affair with Melbourne Renegades continued•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesPerth Scorchers have played Melbourne Renegades six times, and won the lot. Last year, in this very fixture, they recorded the BBL’s first ever 10-wicket win. This time, they won, but it was not that simple.It required a swatted six from Ashton Agar with the game’s final ball, a full toss bowled by Aaron Finch (yes, you read that right). Scorchers required nine from the final over, and Finch dismissed the set man Mitchell Marsh, caught at long-on off another full toss, and Adam Voges, run out by a direct hit trying to pinch a single. Agar, who had faced just two balls, required three off the last, and smote high and handsome over cow corner for six. It was a remarkable conclusion.Klinging in the rain
One of the great joys of the BBL is that it has made household names of the likes of Michael Klinger, who – rightly or wrongly – has never played international cricket. Klinger, the BBL’s most prolific batsmen ever, has been the Man of the Match (with 105 then 91, both unbeaten) in the Scorchers’ last three wins over the Renegades and, with rain falling outside and the roof on, played the game’s defining hand here.His 72 was a triumph of functionality and calmness as he set Scorchers up to cruise home with overs to spare; alas, it was not that easy. He found the boundary with ease, not least when he launched Brad Hogg over long-off for a six that took him to 50 and nonchalantly flicked Nathan Rimmington over fine leg with the same result. Everyone in the stadium was surprised when his leading edge floated back to Sunil Narine with victory in sight. The Renegades had finally dismissed Klinger after 173 balls.Dwayne Bravo was stretchered off the field after injuring his hamstring near the boundary•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesWhy on earth was Aaron Finch bowling the final over?
The Renegades’ best laid plans went to waste when Dwayne Bravo suffered a game-ending – and perhaps worse? – hamstring injury fielding in the 11th over of the Scorchers’ chase. At that stage they were one down and needed 81 off 57. Bravo had bowled just one over; the loss of his three overs meant the misfiring Nathan Rimmington had to be bowled out (at a cost of 45) and Finch had to bowl two. Briefly, remarkably, it looked like they might have got away with it.Turner’s turn
Offspinner Ashton Turner’s name is as fine a case of nominative determinism as cricket can currently offer. Anyway, spin has historically played a big role at Docklands Stadium, and his excellent performance set the path for the rest of the game. Turner’s first over only fuelled the Renegades’ excellent start, as Marcus Harris thumped him for two fours. Adam Voges persisted with Turner, and that paid dividends when Harris top-edged a sweep to deep midwicket. After Cameron White and Callum Ferguson put on 50, back came Turner to begin the stall; his four overs cost just 25, and he had White caught at deep midwicket.Ashton Agar celebrates with Sam Whiteman after smashing a six off the last ball•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesA tale of two brothers
A fine night for Mitchell, but not so much for Shaun, as both look to hustle their way back into the Australian squad for the final Test of the summer, which will be named on Friday. Shaun has fond memories of this ground, having put on 171 with Klinger last year to seal that 10-wicket win. The pair extended their unbeaten run to 207, but Shaun struggled on Thursday. His tortuous seven took 14 balls, with just three of them resulting in runs. There was one lovely slash through point for four and drive through mid-off for two; the rest was a tale of ugly timing.Mitchell had a much better night. The allrounder kicked things off with a fine spell of bowling, hammering away at a length for four overs, and picking up a wicket – Ferguson, the man who very briefly replaced him in the Test side – with his final ball. He took two fine catches – on the fence at third man to see off Tom Cooper, and at deep square leg where he was picked out by Peter Nevill – to boot. Mitchell’s brutal knock took the Scorchers to within seven runs of a win, before he dragged himself from the field having holed out. Fortunately for him, Agar saved his blushes.

Liverpool lead the race to secure a surprise swoop for Fulham full-back Kenny Tete this summer, who could be viewed as an interesting replacement for James Milner, who has departed Anfield upon the expiry of his contract.

What's the latest on Liverpool's pursuit of Kenny Tete?

That's according to recent reports, with the Dutch defender's future at Craven Cottage up in the air after failing to agree a contract extension with Marco Silva's side.

Tete has just one year left on his current deal and could be available for as little as £10.5m, with Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke now in the driving seat despite further intrigue from two anonymous Premier League outfits and one LaLiga side.

The Cottagers made an emphatic return to the top flight this term and cast aside the 'yo-yo' tag as they recorded a tenth-placed finish, with Tete playing a starring role.

Should Liverpool sign Kenny Tete?

With Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson mere weeks away from his 33rd birthday, it is likely that he will be utilised more sparingly next season, maintaining his leadership skills and galvanising the troops, but no longer taking centre stage on the Anfield grass, having started just 23 times in the league.

It could be that the England veteran slowly transitions into the role that Milner played during his twilight phase on Merseyside, a dependable and dynamic utility option.

While primarily a midfielder, the loss of the 37-year-old Milner has left the right-back position depleted, with 12 of the 61-cap former England international's 41 outings for the Reds this term coming in the defensive position.

And while Trent Alexander-Arnold is the undisputed powerhouse in the right-back position at Anfield, Tete's prospective acquisition could pay dividends by bolstering the fold with a perfect alternative.

Hailed as a "great asset" for Fulham by chairman Tony Khan upon signing for the club in 2020, the 27-year-old made 31 appearances in the top-flight this season and scored one goal and supplied five assists, recording a laudable average Sofascore rating of 7.09 and completing 1.7 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game.

As per FBref, the £50k-per-week ace ranks among the top 15% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 9% for rate of tackles, the top 3% for interceptions and the top 6% for blocks per 90.

The "sensational" defender – as dubbed by presenter Jack Collins – would clearly be a marked improvement on the ageing Milner, who recorded an average rating of 6.68 this term and boasted just 0.8 tackles, 0.4 interceptions and 0.4 clearances per game in the Premier League, branded as "no longer the answer" by talkSPORT's Ade Oladipo in the early phases of the campaign.

For such a paltry fee, Tete would be a wonderful addition to the Reds' team, and could etch his name into the considerable list of shrewd acquisitions to have served as pillars for Klopp's dynasty on Merseyside.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed that David Moyes will almost certainly stay on as West Ham United manager if they win the Europa Conference League despite some issues with David Sullivan.

When did West Ham last play in a major European final?

After beating AZ Alkmaar both home and away in the European semi-final, the Hammers will now meet Fiorentina in Prague next month as they make a major European final for the first time in 47 years.

Despite this success on the continent, the Irons have underperformed domestically and have actually spent the past few months in a relegation battle – although they have now done enough to cement their status as a Premier League side for another season.

With that inconsistency in mind, however, there has been talk that Moyes could be sacked at some point during the season. What's more, co-owner Sullivan has reportedly been unhappy with the 60-year-old's business in past transfer windows, thus putting more pressure on the manager.

However, speaking about all this on The West Ham Way Podcast, Ex revealed that it's unlikely the club will be on the hunt for a new head coach if they are successful in Europe.

The insider explained (6:07): "On the whole, I think the understanding is certainly if we win the Conference League, then Moyes will be the manager next year. That's my understanding for now.

"Of course, it's going to come down to conversations in the summer. And it will also come down to recruitment because as I've said on the show before, David Sullivan is not happy with the recruitment that we had over the summer.

"Although that said, a lot of those players have started to show their worth now…”

Who could replace Moyes at West Ham?

There has been plenty of speculation about who could come in and replace Moyes should he depart in the summer. For instance, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has been touted in the media as an ideal target.

And his relationship with the West Ham fanbase has been strained at times this term, with the manager being booed and jeered by his own support earlier on in the campaign.

However, form has picked up in recent times and the Hammers will technically finish as high as 12th this season. Add a European trophy to that and it's hard to see why the club would let him go – even if Sullivan has a few issues with his transfer recruitment ability.

Pakistan seamer Sohail Khan, who returned to Test cricket recently, has said that doing his homework on England batsmen had helped him reap rewards on the tour. Sohail first played in the third Test at Edgbaston, where he troubled England’s top order and took 5 for 96. He followed that with another five-for in the next Test at The Oval, where he was instrumental in limiting the top and middle order.”I had done my homework about their [England batsmen] strengths and weaknesses,” Sohail told . “All I did was bowl in the right areas. Of course, there were runs taken off me because they are fine players, but bowling a tight length reaped me a lot of success.”My aim was to bowl consistently at my line and length. I had told myself to not deviate from it and thankfully it paid off. The English batsmen don’t gift away their wickets. You have to think out of the box to get their scalp. Arriving in England a month ahead also helped me a lot to get acclimatised and understand the Duke ball better.”Before the tour of England, Sohail had last played a Test in 2011, in Zimbabwe, taking only one wicket in a match Pakistan won by seven wickets. After almost a five-year hiatus, Sohail was drafted into the Test XI at Edgbaston in place of Wahab Riaz, with the series level 1-1. He broke the opening partnership by having Alex Hales caught behind and also got the big wicket of Joe Root, for 3, by inducing an outside edge. He took the last wicket of the innings – that of James Anderson – as England were all out for 297.During the long day in which he bowled 23 overs, Sohail hit fuller lengths for lateral movement and said he was not tired though there had been questions over his fitness.”I wasn’t tired at all,” he said. “I was bowling with the new ball. In English conditions you need to give more air to the ball so it can swing. It is all about the understanding of the game. Bowling is not only about hammering short-pitched balls at the batsmen or generating pace. It is about varying your pace according to the situation.”To further prove his fitness levels, Sohail celebrated his five-for on return with a set of push-ups, a trend his captain Misbah-ul-Haq started after scoring a century at Lord’s.”The push-ups I did (with a clap in between) were hard and not everyone can do them. I wanted to prove my fitness to the world that even after bowling long spells, I could still go on.”After Pakistan lost at Edgbaston by 141 runs, Sohail took 5 for 68 in the last Test at The Oval to finish the series with 13 wickets at an average of 25 and strike rate of 40.4. His performance helped Pakistan win the fourth Test by ten wickets and level the series 2-2.Sohail had taken five wickets on his ODI return too – against India in the World Cup last year – dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane.Sohail, however, did not want to settle for just bowling rewards. He said he wanted to become an allrounder. “I am working on my batting these days. I aim to become a successful allrounder since modern-day cricket demands from a player to be on top in all facets of the game. I have also been scoring runs in the domestic circuit.”

Aston Villa will head to Merseyside this afternoon for their penultimate Premier League clash with Liverpool and Unai Emery will be hoping his team can take some important points from the outing.

The Villans are in the chase for a spot in European football next season and are currently eighth in the league table, matching points with Tottenham Hotspur, so taking a result away from Anfield will be crucial to stay in contention.

There is no denying that Emery has done a phenomenal job since making the move to Villa Park last October, and the Spanish manager could now achieve something that was completely unthinkable just six months ago by leading the club to European football for the first time since 2010.

Indeed, it will be no easy task for the Villans when they step out against Jurgen Klopp's side today as the Reds are trying to do everything in their power to keep themselves in the conversation for Champions League football.

Therefore, Emery could look to make some tactical tweaks to stump their opponents and ensure that they can stay in the game as long as possible – and Emiliano Buendia could be the player who doesn't quite make the cut as a result.

Will Emery drop Buendia vs Liverpool?

The return of Boubacar Kamara has been highly anticipated for the Midlands club after suffering an ankle injury that put an abrupt stop to his excellent partnership with Douglas Luiz in midfield.

However, the clash with Liverpool could be the perfect opportunity for the Frenchman to reprise his role to bolster the huge presence needed in the centre of the pitch alongside Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn, a setup that could see Emery sacrifice an attacking player.

Ollie Watkins is likely to remain the focal point in the centre-forward position as his 11 goals scored since the turn of the year have been integral to Villa's rapid climb up the league table, whilst retaining Leon Bailey in the final third would be advantageous in counter-attacking opportunities due to his undeniable pace.

This means that the most likely solution would be to drop Buendia from the starting XI and instead utilise him as an impact substitute should the game not be going in Villa's way during the second half.

The talented £75k-per-week winger – dubbed a "little warrior" by former manager Steven Gerrard – has been involved in every single league game this season so far. However, with Liverpool on an incredible nine-game unbeaten run and fully focused on taking all three points in their last home fixture, a more defensive approach may be wise for Villa.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Emery sets up his team against their relentless opponents this afternoon as it could be the difference in securing a spot in Europe next season.