يستمر مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب في تعزيز صفوف النادي الأبيض بضم لاعبين جدد.
وعلم “بطولات” أن الزمالك حسم تعاقده رسميًا مع مصطفى أشرف لاعب بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ الألماني بعد الاتفاق مع ناديه على تفاصيل القيمة المالية للصفقة.
ودفع الزمالك 50 ألف دولار مقدم التعاقد وحصل على الاستغناء الخاص به ومن ثم قيده في قائمة النادي.
ويواصل مسؤولو الزمالك سعيهم خلال الفترة الجارية لإبرام صفقات مميزة من أجل تدعيم صفوف الفريق الكروي الأول.
خاص.. وفد من الزمالك يتجه إلى اتحاد الكرة لقيد عبد الله السعيد وسيف جعفر
الجدير بالذكر، أن الزمالك قد أتم رسميًا قبل ساعات تعاقده مع اللاعب محمد عاطف قادمًا من صفوف طنطا وعبد الله السعيد من صفوف بيراميدز وناصر ماهر من بيراميدز.
ويأتي ذلك بعد نجاح مجلس إدارة القلعة البيضاء برئاسة حسين لبيب في حل أزمة إيقاف القيد، عقب سداد جميع الديون ومخاطبة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم.
Birmingham Bears maintained their strong pursuit of a third successive NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day appearance with an 18-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Lancashire Lightning at Edgbaston
ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2016 ScorecardLuke Ronchi’s half-century was the most fluent contribution on either side•Getty ImagesBirmingham Bears maintained their strong pursuit of a third successive NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day appearance with an 18-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Lancashire Lightning at Edgbaston.New Zealand star Luke Ronchi, whose stint as overseas player is to be truncated early next month by his call up to Black Caps duty, will leave Birmingham safe in the knowledge that he won at least one game for the club after his half-century underpinned their total of 144 for 9.Against disciplined Lancashire bowling, only Ronchi made much headway as paceman Nathan Buck, with a T20-best 4-0-26-4, and spinners Stephen Parry and Arron Lilley bowled skilfully. But the Lancashire batsmen found run-scoring no easier and when rain arrived after 6.3 overs of their reply they had faltered to 39 for 4, the loss of early wickets meaning they were well behind the DLS equation.Four days after the humiliation of a 242-run DLS Royal London Cup defeat to Yorkshire at Old Trafford, Lancashire started strongly with the ball. The second and third overs, from Jordan Clark and Buck, conceded just two runs apiece and brought the wicket of Sam Hain who edged Buck’s seventh ball.The paceman struck again with his 14th which Ian Bell, having advanced briskly to 18 off 10 balls, chopped to Martin Guptill at point. Stephen Parry added the wickets of William Porterfield, caught at extra cover, and Laurie Evans, who looked dangerous on 24 from 22 balls but was then stumped by Jos Buttler, who dropped the ball fortuitously on to the wicket.Chris Woakes drove Lilley to extra cover and Rikki Clarke was yorked, first ball, by George Edwards so it was left to Ronchi to give the Bears anything to bowl at. He lifted Buck into the crowd over midwicket to reach a 32-ball half-century before his defiance ended when he sent up a skier trying to repeat the feat.The batsmen’s toil continued when Lancashire went in. Guptill hoisted Olly Hannon-Dalby to mid-off, Clark spliced a return catch to Clarke and Karl Brown lifted Woakes to deep square leg.When Buttler, match-winner with the bat against the Bears in the Royal London Cup three weeks ago, offered Clarke another return catch, the Lightning were 38 for 4. Then the rain arrived and stayed to deny Lancashire a chance to fight their way back into the game. The holders’ grip on the NatWest T20 Blast trophy is looking less than secure.
Manchester United are now considering a bid to try and sign Inter star Lautaro Martinez as the Glazers hunt for a new striker, according to Football Insider.
What's the latest news on Lautaro Martinez to Man United?
The Red Devils are keen to add fresh reinforcements to their forward line this summer, with Erik Ten Hag already identifiying the need to bring in a new goalscorer to his squad during the transfer window. The boss has made it one of his main priorities, with the club struggling to bag on a consistent basis in the Premier League this campaign.
Marcus Rashford has been the team's leading goalscorer domestically, with 16 strikes to his name in the division so far. If you look at the side's "out-and-out" strikers though, their highest tally is courtesy of Anthony Martial who has only four. Loan signing Wout Weghorst has zero.
Their search for fresh faces in attack has led them on a multitude of paths so far. One name doing the rounds was that of Victor Osimhen, but recent reports suggest that United have now opted against a move for the Napoli striker due to the transfer fee he may command. With the Serie A side wanting up to 100 million Euros (£86m) for the player, it has put off the Red Devils.
Now, according to Football Insider, Ten Hag and the board have turned their attention to Martinez. The Inter attacker could be available for much cheaper – it may only cost the club 50 million Euros (£43m) if not slightly more – and has a superb goalscoring record. This season, he has managed 19 goals in just 25 Serie A starts and has 77 in 169 games over the course of his Inter career.
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez
With a striker on the wanted list then, Martinez could be the man that Ten Hag opts to bring in to solve his forward crisis.
Would Martinez be a good signing for Man United?
The 25-year-old has clearly earned the chance to try his luck elsewhere based on his form in Italy, with the player becoming arguably one of the best attackers in Europe. His goal record this year of 0.72 per 90 for example is the second best in the whole of Serie A and with 24 goals and assists, he also ranks second in the division in that category too.
In addition, he has shone on the European stage too. In the Champions League this year, he has five goal contributions in just ten starts. In United's own European campaign this season for comparison (albeit in the Europa League), only Marcus Rashford managed more than that amount.
In short, Martinez would be an instant upgrade at Old Trafford. He's proven to be a real poacher domestically and has stepped up and produced on the bigger stages as well, which is not something that all of the Red Devils' squad can claim. The Inter man then would be well worth a look from Man United.
Manchester United's latest triumph at home to Brentford saw Marcus Rashford prove the match-winner yet again for the top four hopefuls, with the Englishman having now scored 28 goals in all competitions this season – 18 more than any other United player.
The 25-year-old's remarkable hot streak has perhaps helped to mask the goalscoring deficiencies of those around him, with the centre-forward duo of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial, for instance, having scored just eight goals between them this season across all fronts.
That limp return is simply not good enough for a side who are likely to harbour title ambitions next season, hence the recent reports that the Old Trafford outfit are weighing up a potential move for Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Harry Kane or Napoli sensation, Victor Osimhen.
For those leaning towards the latter man – who could reportedly cost as much as €150m (£132m) – the 24-year-old would represent a potential long-term fit due to his age, acting as an attacking figurehead whom Erik ten Hag could build his side around for the years to come.
That being said, however, the signing of the Nigerian would not be without its risks, with the Red Devils unable to afford to make another costly mistake in the transfer market.
Would Osimhen be a good fit for Man United?
The recent win over the Bees saw the aforementioned Martial make yet another cameo appearance off the bench following his recent return from injury, with the 27-year-old seemingly still not ready to feature from the start despite having been welcomed back into training a few weeks ago.
The Frenchman's fitness woes have been a constant source of frustration this season as he has been restricted to just 16 appearances in all competitions, with Ten Hag's patience looking like it is wearing thin amid reports that the former Monaco man could be part of a squad clearout this summer.
Man United striker Anthony Martial
The concern will be that while Osimhen has been in red-hot form this season – after scoring 21 Serie A goals for Luciano Spalletti's side – the highly-coveted menace is also rather injury-prone, having repeatedly spent time on the treatment table during his spell in Naples.
As per Transfermarkt, the former Lille machine has been out for 209 days due to a variety of fitness and injury woes since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, with that totalling around 46 games in which he has been unavailable for selection, while Kane, by contrast, has missed just five games at club level in that time.
As The Athletic's James Horncastle noted on the recent Totally Football Show podcast, there is a perception in Italy that the 6 foot 1 marksman is somewhat "brittle", with United wise to have doubts over splashing the cash on a player who could prove rather unreliable.
Of course, injury woes can rarely be helped, although Osimhen's recent track record should have alarm bells ringing at the Theatre of Dreams, with United desperately needing to avoid signing another Martial.
Tottenham have been named as one of the sides interested in Chelsea and England midfielder Mason Mount this summer, having monitored him for a while.
Will Mount leave Chelsea this summer?
The future of the 24-year-old has been a major talking point of late, with a possible exit from Stamford Bridge looking more possible by the week. He has struggled to find his best form this season, scoring just three goals in 23 Premier League appearances, and he has invariably found himself on the substitutes' bench of late.
Mount is also out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the next season, meaning this summer will realistically be the last chance for them to receive a big transfer fee for his services. The England man has been linked with a move to numerous top Premier League clubs, with Liverpool arguably the favourites to snap him up, but Spurs have also been tipped to make a move for him.
A new update regarding his form has now emerged, as talk surrounding the midfielder's future refuses to go away.
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Could Spurs seal signing of Mount?
According to The Athletic, when it comes to Mount, Spurs "have been monitoring his situation since last summer", as they look to beat others to his signature. He is described as "coveted" in the report, however, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Arsenal and the Lilywhites all mentioned as 'interested' parties.
Liverpool are again mentioned as being "in the strongest position when it comes to pursuing Mount’s signature" but it could yet be a fierce race to sign him, should he fail to agree a contract extension at Chelsea.
While the 36-cap and five-goal England international has clearly not been at his best this season, he remains a top-class footballer who has been hailed as "unbelievable" by former Blues favourite Joe Cole. He could be a superb signing by Spurs, considering his best years are still ahead of him, he can play in several positions and he has already racked up 33 goals and 37 assists in a Chelsea shirt across 192 appearances.
The one clear drawback is the rivalry that exists between the two London clubs, with Mount himself potentially not wanting to ruin his reputation with Blues supporters by joining arguably their biggest adversaries. He is also apparently set to cost £70 million. For that reason, it is difficult to see a move happening, although if Spurs were to bring in a manager with the pedigree of Julian Nagelsmann, for example, the Englishman's head could be turned.
Newcastle United are reportedly ‘ready to compete’ for the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion central midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.
The Lowdown: In demand
Caicedo is a player in high demand after he tried to force through a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Brighton have since tied him down to a new contract, but that is not expected to scupper any potential interest in him in the summer.
The Latest: Newcastle in race
As per The Sunday Mirror, Newcastle are ‘ready to compete’ for Caicedo this summer, with both Arsenal and Chelsea expected to renew their interest, while Liverpool and Manchester United are also thought to have ‘tracked’ him.
His valuation has soared up to £90m since January, and the Magpies are ‘likely’ to be in the mix for his signature, as sporting director Dan Ashworth was incidentally the one that signed him for Brighton two years ago.
Spending £90m on Caicedo would easily surpass the club-record £63m that they paid Real Sociedad to sign striker Alexander Isak last summer.
Thus, the owners have to way up whether the Ecuador international is worth that now, with his potential set to rise at the age of just 21.
Caicedo has been a standout performer for a Brighton team pushing to potentially qualify for the UEFA Champions League this season, as none of his team-mates have averaged more tackles per match (three) in the top flight than him, while he also ranks highly for interceptions, key passes, long balls and through balls per game (WhoScored).
Nonetheless, he would be a phenomenal signing for the Magpies, but his price tag may put them off.
Manchester United are showing interest in the potential summer signing of the Ajax star Mohammed Kudus.
Could Manchester United sign Kudus in the summer?
The 22-year-old midfielder currently has just over two years remaining on his deal with the Dutch side and has previously played under Erik ten Hag.
Indeed, the Ghanaian has already racked up 42 appearances under the current United boss where he was able to return five goals and four assists.
Speaking on TalkSport, insider Alex Crook has discussed the Red Devils’ potential plans for the summer transfer window and admitted the 22-year-old’s name continues to crop up in conversations.
He said: “The other name that keeps coming up is that of Mohammed Kudus. Played at the World Cup, he’s known to Erik ten Hag from Ajax.”
What does this mean for MUFC’s interest in Harry Kane?
Kudus has proven to be an incredibly versatile player during his time in the Eredivisie with the 22-year-old having already played four positions this season.
However, the majority of his game time has come as a centre-forward this season in which he has been able to return nine goals and two assists from his 16 appearances (via Transfermarkt).
In all competitions and across all positions, the Ghanaian has been able to provide Ajax with an impressive 17 goals and four assists this season.
In comparison to the likes of reported target Harry Kane, there is a fairly significant difference in their league returns with Kane having scored eight more (18) than Kudus (10) in their respective leagues.
And considering United are in need of a solid striker who will provide them consistent goals, it does feel as if – although still young – Kudus could provide a big gamble.
The Ajax forward could provide United with versatility given he is able to play as an attacking midfielder and a winger, however, United are well stocked in those departments already.
Even physically, the two forwards would offer something completely different with Kane significantly bigger than the Ajax man who measures under the 6ft mark.
Given United’s strength in depth out wide, it does feel as if it could potentially be a decision between Kudus or Kane (or an alternative striker).
And considering the experience Kane has to his name, he does feel like the more sensible option for United although he would bring his own issues as he turns 30 in the coming months.
Southampton staff and players have internally decided on their new manager as they reportedly ‘want’ Ruben Selles to take the reins.
The Lowdown: Saints seal impressive win…
The south coast side sealed a very impressive 1-0 win at Chelsea last weekend with midfield star James Ward-Prowse grabbing the game’s only goal.
Reports have suggested that Selles, currently taking interim charge of Southampton, is on a trial-run as Sport Republic and the board decide their next managerial step.
After the Saints’ victory at Stamford Bridge, Selles could hardly have started off better with a win and clean sheet against one of the Premier League’s big name clubs.
The Latest: Southampton player and staff ‘want’ Selles…
According to reliable journalist Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic, Southampton players and staff desire Selles as their permanent manager as those inside the club make their feelings known.
He explained:
“Saints’ players and staff want Ruben Selles as manager – ‘he has the ability to make them run through brick walls.’
“Selles told home truths, pushed players & restored Southampton’s best strengths. He’s given fans & the club hope.”
The Verdict: Right man?
The Spaniard has now shown that he can guide Southampton to absolutely crucial top flight victories against star-studded opposition.
Southampton’s victory at Chelsea represents both their first win in four league games and a serious statement of intent from Selles – who has admitted that he wants the job.
The 39-year-old is not only ‘highly regarded’ by players, but also ‘ambitious’ and fluent in multiple languages – suggesting Selles has the mentality to make it as a coach in world football’s most prestigious division.
While his lack of first team managerial experience comes as a caveat, there is only one way for him to gain that know-how – by being given a chance to fully coach Southampton in their battle against relegation.
Unai Emery should be able to cope with Aston Villa’s current attacking options for the rest of the season after failing to sign a winger in January, Dean Jones has claimed.
What’s the word?
Villa targeted a winger during the January transfer window, with Arnaut Danjuma linked with a move, but they ended the month without signing one.
Emery had stated his desire to add one to the squad, but only managed to complete the signings of left-back Alex Moreno and young centre-forward Jhon Duran, with Danny Ings leaving for West Ham United.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones claimed that although it was a risk not to land a player in Emery’s desired position, the Spaniard has enough options in his squad to see the rest of the season out.
“It’s a risk, because it was the area that was identified by Unai Emery as needing improvement and he has even spoken about that publicly, that they were looking for a specific-style winger.
“They haven’t managed to get it done [but] it’s not like this is a team that lacks attacking options – they’ve got loads. So it should be something that he’s able to fix from within.”
Enough depth
Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Philippe Coutinho, Emi Buendia and even Ollie Watkins are capable of playing on the wings, so Villa should have enough depth to last them the season.
We think a winger should be prioritised in the summer, and they may need some outgoings to make space for a quality addition. Coutinho could leave to make room for a star winger who could elevate Villa’s attack to another level.
The Brazilian is yet to start in the Premier League under Emery and is one of Villa’s top earners (as per FBref), so the Spaniard could see a twofold benefit if he is able to secure the attacking talent he desires.
Villa are improving under Emery, but with no cup competitions to compete in this season, a winger was a deal that could wait until the end of the campaign, rather than an urgent priority now.
Arsenal secured a vital three points with a North London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, but Mikel Arteta will still feel aggrieved that Chelsea swooped in and snatched Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk from right under their noses, having been the only club to meet his asking price.
It will be a blow for Arteta, but with just two weeks left of the transfer window, the Spaniard will be keen to move on and pursue other targets.
The Gunners have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund sensation Youssoufa Moukoko according to 90min, although they face competition from Chelsea (who else), Liverpool, and Manchester United for the 18-year-old, who has been making waves on the continent.
His current contract expires in the summer, and with player and club struggling to agree on a new long-term deal, he could leave for free at the end of the campaign. Arteta may well secure a bargain this month by launching a move for the player, and the Gunners could duly repeat their Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang masterclass from 2018.
The now 33-year-old moved to the Premier League after scoring 141 goals in a five-and-a-half year spell at Dortmund, and Arsene Wenger made a big statement of intent luring him to England.
The Gabon marksman arrived at the Emirates Stadium to much fanfare and was expected to significantly improve Arsenal’s attack. During his first two-and-a-half seasons at the club, he justified his £60m fee by scoring 70 goals.
However, his final 18 months generated only 22 goals and he eventually signed for Barcelona just under a year ago, with Arteta terminating his contract in north London due to several disciplinary issues.
Moukoko has just turned 18 but is already proving his worth at Dortmund like Aubameyang before him, managing to find the net six times across 14 Bundesliga appearances this season, and it’s no wonder that a plethora of clubs are chasing his signature.
He is fast becoming one of the most promising strikers on the continent, with FBref ranking him in the top 25% for non-penalty goals, total shots, assists, pass completion rate and tackles among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.
His rapid rise has prompted comparisons to former Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, who praised the youngster back in 2020 by saying: “I think he’s the biggest talent in the world right now. 16 years and 1 day, that’s quite amazing. He has a big career ahead of him.”
Moukoko could even surpass Aubameyang’s goals and achievements at Arsenal if Arteta manages to lure him to the club, and he could be a focal point of the Gunners’ attack for years to come if he pitches up at the Emirates.