Vivendo seu último ano de mandato no Corinthians, o presidente Duílio MonteiroAlves tem uma meta importante para salvar seu legado no clube: ganhar títulos. A última vez que um presidente deixou o Timão sem nenhuma taça foi há 36 anos.
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No caso, na gestão deRoberto Pasqua, que comandou o clube entre 1985 e 1987. O Campeonato Paulista deixou de ser uma salvação para Duílio, graças à eliminação da equipe nas quartas de final do Estadual, ao ser derrotado pelo Ituano. Agora, tem a Copa do Brasil, o Campeonato Brasileiro e a Copa Libertadores pela frente. Caso não consiga ser campeão em nenhum destes torneios, conquistará esta marca negativa na história do Timão.
Conmebol divulga ranking dos 32 clubes que estão na Libertadores 2023
Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista
A gestão do atual presidente vem sofrendo uma série de cobranças. Na última semana, membros das organizadas invadiram o CT para questionar a diretoria sobre a eliminação precoce no Paulistão. Nas metas do clube para esta temporada, estava previsto que a equipe chegaria – pelo menos -, até a semifinal da competição.
Além da conversa com dirigentes e jogadores, os torcedores que entraram no CT Joaquim Grava estenderam faixas nos campos, chamando o elenco de “incompetente” e cobrando a saída do diretor Roberto de Andrade. Não houve violência durante a conversa.
Nesta terça-feira (21), o presidenteDuílio Monteiro Alves, vai conceder entrevista coletiva, no CT Joaquim Grava.
A vida é feita de ciclos, não sendo diferente no futebol. No início dos anos 2000, um jovem nascido na cidade de Jundiaí, em São Paulo, despontava no Paulista, demonstrava qualidade com a bola nos pés e sonhava em ter seu nome ecoado por grandes torcidas. Nenê sempre teve personalidade e talento para ser um armador, o verdadeiro camisa 10, e foi com a camisa do Vasco que mais se identificou.
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Com altos e baixos, na luta para ter uma carreira consistente em um esporte competitivo, o jogador teve experiências em grandes clubes no Brasil e também no futebol do exterior. Contudo, foi no Rio de Janeiro que criou uma identificação que ficará para sempre guardada em seu coração. Aos 41 anos, sua segunda passagem pelo Vasco se encerrou nesta segunda, mas fica a certeza de que irá retornar e ajudar o Cruz-Maltino também fora de campo a partir de 2024.
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CAMINHOS CRUZADOS
Os caminhos entre Nenê e Vasco se cruzaram pela primeira vez em 2015, quando rescindiu com o West Ham, da Inglaterra, e desembarcou em solo carioca. O clube vivia um momento conturbado, assombrado pelo fantasma do rebaixamento e com chances remotas de permanecer na primeira divisão. O atleta, então, assumiu o papel de protagonista daquele elenco, lutou até o fim, mas não conseguiu evitar a descida.
Por outro lado, foi eleito o craque daquele Brasileirão e viu em seu horizonte propostas para permanecer na Série A, em outros clubes. Foi em 2016 que nascia a primeira demonstração de vontade e orgulho de defender a Cruz de Malta em seu peito. Não só permaneceu no clube, como também foi essencial para as conquistas da Taça Guanabara e do Campeonato Carioca, de forma invicta.
Naquele mesmo ano, foi o maestro da campanha que fez com que o Vasco voltasse à elite do futebol brasileiro. A equipe comandada por Jorginho chegou a emplacar 34 partidas de invencibilidade, e o meio-campista foi o dono da posição com regularidade, gols, exímia performance nas bolas paradas e hat-tricks.
RETORNO E LIDERANÇA TÉCNICA
Em 2017, Nenê teve um início de ano com atritos em relação à comissão técnica, mas logo reconquistou seu lugar entre os titulares. Sob a batuta de Zé Ricardo, foi decisivo em uma campanha surpreendente, quando a equipe deixou a zona de rebaixamento e conquistou uma vaga na Copa Libertadores do ano seguinte. O jogador caiu nas graças da torcida com direito a gol de falta contra o Santos, na Vila Belmiro.
Depois de passagens por São Paulo e Fluminense, Nenê deu mais uma demonstração de afeto e amor ao Gigante da Colina. Diante de uma série de más administrações, o Vasco foi rebaixado novamente e teve que disputar a segunda divisão, em 2021. Porém, o meia não se furtou de ter um reencontro com o time que o acolheu e onde foi feliz.
O momento, porém, era ainda pior do que em 2015. Uma série de erros dentro e fora de campo culminou com uma campanha desastrosa, a pior da centenária e rica história de um gigante do futebol brasileiro. A inconsistência acarretou a permanência na Série B e uma goleada sofrida por 4 a 0 para o Botafogo, em São Januário.
PROMESSA CUMPRIDA
Na ocasião, Nenê concretizava o terceiro ato para se tornar ainda mais querido pelos torcedores e um verdadeiro ídolo para muitos, além de uma inspiração para os jovens. Aos prantos, pediu desculpas pelo pífio desempenho do time e prometeu permanecer enquanto o clube não retornasse à primeira divisão. No ano seguinte, ocupou o papel de liderança técnica e psicológica e ajudou a reconduzir o Vasco ao seu lugar, inclusive, fazendo o gol do acesso contra o Ituano.
Em meio às adversidades, Nenê nunca escondeu o seu carinho pelo Cruz-Maltino e honrou a Cruz de Malta até o fim. A promessa foi cumprida, mas todo atleta profissional sabe que em determinado momento terá que parar. Mas com o coração inundado de afeto e gratidão, o meia optou por retornar em 2024, agora fora dos gramados, e de alguma forma retribuir tudo que viveu e ficará guardado na memória de cada torcedor.
Em campo, vivenciou momentos em que a instituição não tinha condições de formar uma super elenco. Mesmo assim, honrou a camisa e enfileirou recordes ao se tornar o 29º maior artilheiro da história do clube e o segundo no Século XXI. Somado a esses feitos, disputou 203 partidas, com 63 gols e 50 assistências.
MARCAS DE NENÊ PELO VASCO:
Líder do Vasco em assistências no Século 21: 51 assistências Segundo maior artilheiro do Vasco no Século 21: 63 gols Segundo jogador do Vasco em participações em gols no Século 21: 114 Campeão Taça Guanabara 2016 (Invicto) Campeão Carioca 2016 (Invicto) Campeão Taça Rio 2017 Artilheiro do Vasco nas temporadas 2016 e 2017 Mais de 200 jogos pelo clube
Former SA captain has signed a two-and-a-half month contract with Sunrisers
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2023
Dane van Niekerk confirmed her international retirement earlier this month•BCCI
Dane van Niekerk will play regional cricket in England this summer. The former South Africa captain, who retired from international cricket earlier this month, has signed for Sunrisers on a two-and-a-half-month contract that will see her play in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Van Niekerk was re-signed by Oval Invincibles in the inaugural women’s draft for the Hundred on Thursday evening, and her deal with Sunrisers – the regional hub based around London and the East – means she will be in England for the majority of the summer.She was controversially left out of South Africa’s squad for the recent T20 World Cup on home soil after failing to meet a two-kilometre time trial benchmark, having struggled with injuries over the previous three years, and confirmed her retirement from international cricket last week.”I’m very excited to join up with my Sunrisers team-mates,” van Niekerk said. “I look forward to this new chapter and contributing to the overall success of the team. [I am] so grateful for the backing and can’t wait to get on the field to start playing.”Sunrisers have been the weakest of the eight English regional teams since the domestic system was revamped ahead of the 2020 season. They have only won once in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the domestic T20 competition, and have never won a game in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.They have a new coach for this summer in Andy Tennant, the former Scotland international, while Northants’ assistant coach Chris Liddle has also been brought in over the winter to work with the squad’s seamers.”This is an extremely exciting time for Sunrisers, and having the ability to bring in Dané speaks volumes of the work that has been going on behind the scenes at this club,” Tennant said. “We all know exactly what Dané is capable of, and the experience that she will bring to our group of players is invaluable.”We made sure that the current squad were aware throughout the whole process, and Eva [Gray] and Mady [Villiers] have always spoken so highly of her after spending so much time together during the Hundred. She’s both a brilliant player and a brilliant person, and we can’t wait to welcome her into the Sunrisers family.”Van Niekerk’s deal with Sunrisers runs until the end of July, when she will link up with the Invincibles squad ahead of their opening Hundred fixture on August 2.
Batter succeeds where Man City manager failed as a sound night’s sleep beckons at Abbas’ expense
Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Apr-2023
Pope does what Pep couldn’t by disrupting Abbas for an evening•Ben Hoskins/Stringer/Getty Images
Surrey 153 for 4 (Pope 48*, Abbas 2-39) trail Hampshire 254 (Brown 95, Lawes 4-58) by 101 runsIf you’re plugged into the internet, you have probably already come across this story told by Cameron Ponsonby on the latest edition of the If not, here we go.Last weekend, Manchester City were playing away to Southampton in the Premier League. As many teams do when preparing for a fixture at St Mary’s, they stayed at the Hilton hotel adjoining the Ageas Bowl. A request was put in for their manager, Pep Guardiola, to take up residence in one of the plusher suites. Usually, that’s no problem. But during this period when the football and cricket seasons overlap, there was. No can do, came the response – that’s Mohammad Abbas’ suite.It’s a hell of a story – County Championship over the Premier League? You love to see it – made all the better by confirmation from a couple of sources. One privately to ESPNcricinfo was accompanied by a fascinating question to wrestle with: which is more intimidating to play against, tiki-taka or the wobble seam? Surrey certainly had their hands full with the latter on Friday, as Abbas found the edges of Dom Sibley and then Rory Burns within 17 overs of a Friday punctuated by rain delays. The opening pair had resumed their stand on 37 before it was broken on 44.
Five minutes into the first rain delay at 11:30am, Keith Barker offered his confirmation of the Abbas-Pep anecdote, commenting “This is 100% true” under the clip on Instagram. He then shared the post on his own feed with the words “True Story”.There is a lot to unpack from this, but let’s focus on the guts of it. A man who overcame the Galacticos of Real Madrid and the establishment of Manchester United, a fervent advocate of Catalan independence from Spain no less, couldn’t shift a bloke from their bed because he nibbles the ball both ways.Rightly so, from Hampshire’s point of view. Such loyalty to a seamer has already been repaid in spades, with 100 wickets at an average of 16.59 coming into this fixture. And a day after his side had stuttered to 254 in their first innings, his endeavour throughout 13 overs on day two made it look like a hundred more.Just as it has not been just Abbas these last two years, it wasn’t solely the currently erstwhile Pakistan international here. Indeed Hampshire’s two highest wicket-takers last summer were Barker (52) and Kyle Abbott (58), and they were typically relentless with the ball.Fresh from a valiant 58, Barker was unlucky not to bag what would have been a 500th career dismissal. A close-looking lbw appeal against Burns was turned down when the Surrey captain was on 26, before Ollie Pope edged between James Vince (first slip) and Liam Dawson (second) with just 4 to his name.Abbott would have to wait until five overs before bad light brought an end to play at 5:36pm – Jordan Clark trapped in front – while James Fuller nicked off Ryan Patel just as the left-hander was getting comfortable. However, Pope’s continued presence on 48 not out compounds the early miss off Barker.Related
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England’s incumbent No.3 played to type. He jumped forward into the occasional defensive shot, then picked off runs at will, particularly early on. His third boundary took him to a sprightly 21 from 27 deliveries and was perhaps the shot of the match so far: a gorgeously caressed late cut that took Abbas for the third of the four boundaries conceded from his 21 overs so far.Though he did slow down, the game seemed to move along quicker during his time at the crease, which is particularly useful when almost 47 overs were lost due to the weather. So far, 109 runs have been added while the 25-year-old has occupied one end, at a rate of just over 3.5 an over.With Jamie Smith alongside him, they will aim to chip away the first-innings arrears of 101 that remain at a good enough pace when they return on Saturday. Smith, in particular, will be keen to show he is in step with the nu-wave England Test way of putting time back into matches by embracing positivity. Surrey certainly could do with that approach after last week’s stalemate with Lancashire, though both Pope and Smith are capable of moving forward without rushing.We are probably still too early in this match for anyone to be considering pressing the accelerator. And moreover, these are two bowling attacks that rarely, if ever, let batters get away from them. Even someone as proactive as Pope.At 5:25pm, we got a snapshot of the main battle in the offing on day three. Abbas went wide of the crease, angled one in and nipped it away, squaring up Pope, who was on 39 at the time. The outside edge was narrowly missed, knowing glances were passed back and forth. Admiration sent one way, frustration the other.Pope sauntered off, first to do some gardening and then, a few overs later, to the dressing room and home. A sound night’s sleep awaits, this one at Abbas’ expense. Not even Guardiola could manage that.
Club makes plea for “reasonable sanction” after previously admitting four charges
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2023
Yorkshire could face points deductions as well as a fine•Getty Images
The ECB has recommended that Yorkshire be fined £500,000 and face points deductions in all three competitions this season in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four amended charges of bringing the game into disrepute earlier this year, with their punishment due to be decided after a Cricket Discipline Committee (CDC) sanctions hearing.Jane Mulcahy KC, representing the ECB, said the governing body was not trying to put Yorkshire out of business and aimed to “strike a balance” in its recommendations.The fine was broken down according to the four charges: £100,000 for mishandling the Rafiq inquiry, £100,000 for destruction of data, £150,000 for not taking action in relation to racist behaviour, and £150,000 for the systemic use of racist language at the club. It was suggested that £350,000 of the fine would be suspended, with the rest paid in instalments.The ECB also proposed sporting sanctions comprising a deduction of 48-72 points in the LV= Insurance County Championship, 4-6 points in the One-Day Cup and 4-6 points in the Vitality Blast.Yorkshire lost a swathe of sponsors over their handling of the Rafiq affair and face severe financial difficulties, with the club owing almost £15 million to the family trust of the former chair, Colin Graves, and in the process of seeking new investment.In a statement released ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Yorkshire asked that the CDC consider imposing sanctions that “are reflective of the circumstances of the club” after almost two years of turmoil and concerted attempts to “encourage greater inclusivity and tackle discrimination”.”Racism and discrimination in any form is unacceptable and, as a board, we have been clear on the need to take accountability for the historical cultural issues that allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged at the club,” the statement said. “The acceptance of four amended charges brought by the CDC was part of a continued effort to acknowledge what happened in the past so we can learn and move forward.”In making representations to the CDC panel, we hope to achieve a reasonable sanction which takes into account our acceptance of the charges, YCCC’s current financial position and the robust work we have undertaken to build the foundations for a club which is truly inclusive and welcoming to all.”The Yorkshire hearings took place on the same day that the ECB issued an apology to those who had experienced discrimination in the game following the publication of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report.
Gloucestershire’s long wait for home victory goes on after draw
ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2024
Ollie Price added an unbeaten half-century•Getty Images
Gloucestershire 322 (Hammond 81, van Buuren 75, Brooks 3-55) and 127 for 3 (Price 52*) drew with Middlesex 203 (de Lange 6-49) and 449 for 7 dec (Higgins 155, Holden 111, Eskinazi 65*)Gloucestershire’s long wait for a Vitality County Championship victory on home soil continued as their Second Division match against Middlesex at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol petered out into a draw.On a day which began with all three results still possible, Middlesex did their utmost to force a result by declaring their second innings on 449 for 7 and setting the home side a target of 339 to win in 58 overs on a hybrid pitch offering negligible assistance to the bowlers.The visitors still fancied they had an outside chance of prevailing when reducing their opponents to 102 for 3 in the final session with 27 overs still available, but Ollie Price displayed resilience in compiling an unbeaten 52 as Gloucestershire reached 127 for 3 to frustrate London ambition.Resuming their second innings on 262 for 3, Middlesex had earlier played positively in adding a further 187 in 36 overs, Ryan Higgins top-scoring with 155 and sharing in a stand of 202 for the fourth wicket with Max Holden, who contributed 111. Stephen Eskinazi’s breezy 65 not out prompted the declaration, which came half an hour into the afternoon session.Forced to contend with a cold and blustery wind and battleship grey skies – hardly conditions conducive to a successful run chase – Gloucestershire were never in a position to realistically pursue a first red-ball win since September 2022. Their 11-point haul from this game saw Middlesex overtake Sussex and assume leadership of the table after four matches, while Gloucestershire collected 13 points to move off the bottom.Starting the day with a handy lead of 143, Middlesex were intent upon hastening to a point where they could declare their second innings and set Gloucestershire a target. As such, Holden and Higgins picked up where they left off the previous evening, going for their shots and looking to carry the attack to the bowlers.When Holden slashed at one delivery outside off stump too many and was held by Price at second slip off the bowling of Ajeet Singh Dale, the fourth-wicket partnership stood at 201 from 39.4 overs. Having added just six runs to his overnight tally, Holden fell on 111, his transformative innings spanning 154 balls and containing 15 fours and a six.Undeterred by the departure of his long-time partner, the ebullient Higgins went to 150 in the grand manner, hoisting Graeme van Buuren high over deep mid-wicket and into the car park for his fifth maximum. He was out to the next ball, again attempting to hit Gloucestershire’s captain out of the ground and skying a catch to mid-off.In terms of its longevity, this latest innings might not have matched the career-best 221 Higgins compiled against Glamorgan at Lord’s three weeks earlier, but it certainly exerted a more profound impact upon proceedings. Having arrived in the middle on day three with Middlesex in some discomfort at 79 for 3, he departed with the score on 352 for 5 and the visitors in a position to dictate terms for the first time in the contest.Gloucestershire trailed by 234 when they took the new ball which realistically represented their last opportunity to wrest back control of the game. Marchant de Lange and Singh Dale bent their backs, only for the flow of runs to continue as Eskinazi and Jack Davies joined forces in a progressive alliance of 45 in nine overs. Davies eventually holed out to mid-on off the bowling of De Lange, but only after plundering five fours and a six to put a dent in the South African’s figures.Deploying a characteristically unorthodox approach, Eskinazi contributed an unbeaten 65 from 96 balls with eight fours, his innings a hit and miss affair that served to raise the tempo. Gloucestershire’s best efforts with the new ball would have done little to encourage the Middlesex bowlers in the belief that they could take 10 wickets on a hybrid pitch to win the game, but the declaration arrived nevertheless, Leus du Plooy calling the batters in with the scoreboard on 449 for 7 shortly after lunch.Required to score at a little under six an over, Gloucestershire were no doubt mindful of the alarming second-innings collapse that sent them spiralling to defeat at the hands of Sussex in their last game. When Chris Dent succumbed to a leg-side strangle at the hands of Tom Helm without scoring in the second over, the home side could have been excused for harbouring negative thoughts.Any fears of a repeat performance were allayed by Cameron Bancroft and Price, the second-wicket pair proving reassuringly obdurate in the face of testing spells from Helm and Henry Brookes to see Gloucestershire through to the tea interval at 69 for 1.Although the prospect of the home side scoring a further 262 runs to win in the final session remained no better than notional, there appeared to be precious little in the pitch to offer Middlesex any encouragement. Clearly undeterred, Helm removed Bancroft for 32 shortly after tea, locating the Australian’s outside edge and presenting an opportunity for du Plooy to demonstrate his athleticism at second slip.Price was fortunate to survive when dropped by Eskinazi at first slip off the bowling of Ethan Bamber, but the seamer breathed new life into the contest when inducing Miles Hammond to pull straight to midwicket soon afterwards. When Price and James Bracey proved obdurate, the two sides shook hands at 5.25pm with 18.3 overs unused.
Everton are believed to have made contact with a “very dangerous” player’s representatives, as they eye a move for him in the summer transfer window.
Everton contact defender and eye further signings
The Blues know the importance of a big summer, as they prepare for life in their new stadium and hopefully an exciting second spell under David Moyes.
Everton have reportedly already made contact with Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko over a switch to the club at the end of the season, amid doubts over Jarrad Branthwaite’s long-term future. The 27-year-old has averaged 3.3 clearances per game for the Dutch side this season, also completing 90.4% of his passes, outlining his all-round quality.
Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Slovakia'sDavidHanckoand Milan Skriniar Jakob Akersten Brode
Hancko isn’t the only central defender being looked at by the Blues, however, with Burnley key man Maxime Esteve also seen as an option. He has played a huge role in the Clarets remarkably only conceding 12 goals in the Championship this season, and at 22, he is still early in his career.
Elsewhere, Everton have been backed to sign Liverpool winger Ben Doak this summer, which would cause plenty of controversy. The 19-year-old has been out on loan at Middlesbrough in 2024/25 and there is no guarantee that he has a long-term future at Anfield.
Everton make contact with versatile ace's agents
According to a fresh update from Kicker [via Sport Witness], Everton have contacted Merlin Rohl’s representatives over a move to Merseyside, as they look to get a summer deal over the line.
The SC Freiburg star has been linked with a move to the Blues in the past and Moyes knows him well, having come up against him four times during his spell in charge of West Ham. The 22-year-old only signed a new deal last year, but his current club are aware of the interest in him.
Rohl is a young player with plenty of long-term potential, with Christian Streich calling him a “difference-maker” and Antonio Di Salo saying of him: “He fought his way into [Freiburg’s] team. That’s not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He’s very quick and determined. He’s very dangerous.”
In truth, Rohl’s 2024/25 season hasn’t been his most productive, with only 11 starts coming his way in the Bundesliga due to injury problems, and no goals and one assist recorded.
That doesn’t change the fact that he could be a real asset for Everton, however, not least because of the versatility that he possesses in his game. The German is predominantly a central midfielder, but he can also thrive in more of an attacking midfield role, on the right wing and even as a second striker. This would immediately give Moyes more options.
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Everton made a good investment with the signing
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The fact that the Blues manager has seen him up close as many as four times also means he knows his qualities as a footballer well, so the positives easily outweigh the negatives when it comes to Everton signing him.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is now driving a move for an “exciting” £67m forward, who has been advised to move to Old Trafford by Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports.
Man Utd keen to bolster attacking options
The stalemate in the Manchester derby will only have underlined the need for Man United to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window, and they are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker.
One striker who Amorim knows very well is Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and a £64m bid has reportedly been lodged for the Sweden international, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha is the latest forward to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils making contact over a deal for the Brazilian, while they are also keen to bolster their options in wide areas.
Bad news for Mainoo: Man Utd ready move for "out of this world" £52m star
Man Utd are seeking to bolster their midfield ranks this summer
1 ByRobbie Walls Apr 8, 2025
There have been recent reports United could even make an audacious £172m move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, should they qualify for next season’s Champions League via a Europa League triumph.
However, a move for Vinicius does not seem particularly likely, and a report from GiveMeSport has revealed that Sporting CP’s Trincao, who could be more of a realistic target, is now being pursued by Man Utd.
Amorim is driving the move for his former winger, who is also able to play through the middle, which could make him a solid alternative option to Cunha, should the Red Devils miss out on the Wolves star.
Sporting CP's FranciscoTrincaocelebrates
The Portuguese forward has a release clause of £67m included in his contract, which means he will not come cheap, but he is deemed more likely to move to Old Trafford than teammate Gyokeres.
Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have recommended the move to their compatriot, although it remains to be seen whether his head is turned by his international teammates.
"Exciting" Trincao performing well in Portugal
The 25-year-old didn’t set the world alight during his time with Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring just three goals for the Old Gold, but his impressive performances in Portugal over the past few seasons indicate he deserves a second chance in the Premier League.
This term, the former Wolves man has amassed eight goals and 12 assists in 28 Liga Portugal games, in what is on course to be his most prolific season to date.
The Portugal international also impressed for his country during their recent UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark, bagging a brace as his side prevailed 5-2 after extra-time.
Lauded as a “really exciting player” by former Wolves technical director Scott Sellars, Trincao has proven he could be a top signing for Man United, but Cunha should remain their primary target, given that the Brazil international is proven in the Premier League.
Glasgow Rangers will be aiming for a solid summer transfer window under the 49ers as they seek to end their Premiership title drought.
Year after year, the club fail to improve their squad by signing players who either aren’t good enough for Rangers, or those who appear to be injury-prone and miss far too many games.
With a new era about to begin this summer, might this cycle stop? One can hope.
The Light Blues’ transfer activity has ranged from making bizarre signings – Rafael Fernandes and Kieran Dowell – along with bringing those in who failed to adapt to Scottish football – Robin Propper and Sam Lammers – over the previous couple of years.
One thing the club haven’t done for a while is sign someone who has Celtic on their C.V. However, might this change in the near future? Especially as Greg Taylor has been linked with a shock move to Ibrox this summer.
Greg Taylor has been linked with a move to Rangers
Since the end of the Second World War, only Alfie Conn, Maurice Johnston, Stephen Pressley and Kenny Miller have played for both Rangers and Celtic.
None of these players moved directly between each other, spending time somewhere else before making the move to either one of the Old Firm.
Taylor is out of contract this summer and could leave the Parkhead side for nothing. Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has had his say on the matter and believes that the Ibrox side would be wise to make a move for the left-back ahead of next season.
“I know the rivalry between the two clubs but he’s Scottish and he ticks the boxes. You could ask the question,” said Boyd while speaking on the Scottish Sun’s YouTube channel regarding the defender.
“Is he a better player than Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz? Well, I think he’s shown for a period of time what he can do.
“This could actually generate funds if they sold one of the left-backs. They are potentially saleable assets.”
Greg Taylor’s statistics this season
Taylor has played 36 times for Celtic this term, scoring once while providing seven assists in all competitions.
The Scot has also created eight big chances in the Premiership, while averaging 1.4 key passes per game and succeeding with 56% of his dribbles, highlighting his impressive attacking skills.
Combine this with the fact he wins 54% of his total contested duels, makes 1.5 tackles and dribbles past only 0.3 times per game, it is evident that Taylor could be a reliable signing for the Gers.
Greg Taylor’s statistics for Celtic this season
Metric
Champions League
Premiership
Assists
1
6
Big chances created
2
8
Tackles per game
1.8
1.5
Successful dribbles per game
0.1
0.4
Balls recovered per game
2.6
3.7
Via Sofascore
A clean injury record would also be a bonus, that’s for sure. At the time of writing, the left-back is currently valued at €4.9m (£4.2m) according to Football Transfers, meaning Celtic could be losing out on a decent transfer fee.
Signing Taylor might allow the new manager at Ibrox to offload either one of Jefte or Ridvan Yilmaz this summer in order to generate funds.
The Brazilian has endured a mixed campaign since making the move to Glasgow last summer, yet he is still valued higher than Taylor…
Why Jefte is a promising player for Rangers
The defender arrived from Brazilian side Fluminense on a four-year deal last summer as Clement sought to add some more youth prospects to his first-team squad.
Jefte
He spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Cypriot side APOEL, scoring three goals and grabbing four assists across just 31 league matches for the club.
On this basis, his attacking talents were there for all to see, with Scottish content creator Kai Watson praising the defender, saying: “He always looks to drive at the opposition defence and is comfortable going outside or cutting inside.
“He’s also not afraid of having a pop at goal and has a thunderous strike in his arsenal.
“He looks like he could be a creative threat while also offering some goalscoring prowess himself.”
It certainly appears as though he has found Scottish football harder, having registered only two assists in 28 Premiership matches thus far.
He has averaged 1.1 key passes per game in the top flight, however, along with creating two big chances and succeeding with 1.1 dribbles per match. Defensively though, the youngster has been a liability on occasions.
On average, he loses possession 14.9 times per game for the Light Blues in the Scottish top flight, while the Brazilian commits 0.9 fouls per game and regularly finds himself out of position trying to create chances in the final third.
Jefte
Over time, the former Fluminense starlet will mature, and his defence abilities will improve, but this has been a key weakness throughout the 2024/25 campaign. If the defender wishes to maintain his place in the squad, this is something he will need to work on, no doubt about that.
Jefte’s market valuation at Rangers
Whatever happens, should Rangers sell Jefte in the immediate future, they could rake in a decent profit on the left-back.
Indeed, according to Football Transfers, he is currently valued at €5.5m (£4.7m) and this figure will only continue to rise as time goes on.
When he made the move to Scotland, his valuation sat at less than £1m, proving that exposure to first-team football, especially in the Europa League, has allowed the player to increase his value.
Perhaps he would be best served playing in a more advanced position, which could allow the defender to play to his attacking strengths.
What is certain is that Jefte is currently worth more than Taylor according to Football Transfers and while a move for the Celtic man wouldn’t be a bad idea, might the Gers be better off developing Jefte in a position where he can contribute more effectively?
Rangers have hit the jackpot with the Brazilian defender, whose value has soared in his short time in Glasgow already, and they should avoid any controversial move for a Celtic dud to continue his development.
The summer transfer window could be an interesting time to be a supporter, especially if the 49ers takeover goes through in the next few weeks.
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Nottingham Forest face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley later this afternoon, looking to book their place in next month’s final.
It is the first time the Reds have reached such a stage since 1991, with a win edging them one step closer to their first FA Cup triumph since way back in 1959.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s men come into the clash off the back of a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, handing them the momentum ahead of the crucial fixture.
However, they face Pep Guardiola’s side, who have dominated the competition in recent years, winning twice and losing in the final once in the last six seasons.
If the Reds are to continue their incredible season and claim another historic victory, they will have to do so without numerous key players who will miss the clash at Wembley this afternoon.
The players who will miss the clash with Man City today
Ola Aina has been missing from the Forest side since the 1-0 win over Manchester United back on the 1st of April, with it unclear if he will return this afternoon.
The Nigerian has been key to the success endured in recent months, with his return greatly welcomed, especially considering the situation Nuno faces in the capital.
Ryan Yates and Neco Williams are both suspended for the meeting at Wembley after both picking up their second yellow cards of the competition in the previous round against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Such suspensions are huge blows given their importance to the side, with the Reds facing a selection crisis at right-back should Aina fail to feature after his injury layoff.
With Williams suspended and Aina still a doubt for the meeting, the manager will have to utilise a player out of position, potentially shifting one first-team member into an unnatural role.
The Forest player who could start right-back against Man City
Forest have used the fewest number of players in the Premier League this season, highlighting the tight-knit squad Nuno has built during his tenure at the City Ground.
The likes of Anthony Elanga, Jota Silva and Williams have all featured in unfamiliar roles – with the latter cementing his place at left-back given his performances in recent months.
However, Nuno faces another situation in which he has to operate with someone out of position this afternoon, potentially dropping Nicolas Dominguez into a right-back role against City.
The Argentine, who’s primarily a central midfielder, has once played at wing-back for the Reds in the defeat against Aston Villa, but a role in the back four could utilise his strengths in a much better capacity.
He struggled to provide the width in attacking areas, whilst often being caught out in behind previously, but should the manager select Elanga in a right-midfield role, it could allow the pair to double up on the opposition wingers if needed.
Dominguez’s Premier League stats from the ongoing campaign make him the ideal choice to fill the void this afternoon, hopefully maintaining his popularity amongst the fanbase with another impressive showing.
He’s managed a huge 2.2 tackles won per 90 – the most of any player in the squad this campaign – whilst also coming out on top in 6.3 duels per 90, subsequently proving his defensive qualities.
Nicolas Dominguez’s stats for Forest in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
29
Goals & assists
1
Pass accuracy
88%
Tackles won
2.2
Duels won
6.3
Duel success rate
56%
Interceptions made
1.4
Stats via FotMob
In possession, he’s been just as impressive, completing 88% of his attempted passes, whilst also creating 0.8 chances per 90, allowing the likes of Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of him to cause City huge problems.
Whilst the selection problem is far from ideal for the Reds this afternoon, the players have proven time and time again that they are capable of stepping up to the occasion and thriving on the chances handed their way.
Harry Toffolo did just that against Spurs on Monday night, with Dominguez the next man up, potentially playing a key role in any success come the end of the meeting later on this evening.
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