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Everton are set to embark on an exciting new era at Bramley-Moore Dock and could make a bargain signing to kick off their summer business, according to a report.

Everton preparing for summer of mass changes

David Moyes has comfortably ensured top-flight survival for Everton and has managed to revive a squad that has plenty of uncertainty hanging over it heading into the summer.

With the Toffees set to say farewell to Goodison Park, key figures such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are yet to commit to extensions, while several loanees find themselves in limbo.

Abdoulaye Doucoure has commented on his future at the club, stirring debate among supporters, stating: “There’s not been any talks so far with Everton. I think personally, I don’t wait for them to give me a contract or not, because my contract is finished. I already have some proposals on the table, to be honest, and I think in the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision — whether I stay or not.”

Clearly, Moyes has plenty of work to do in the market before his squad is in ideal shape for next season. Ipswich Town pair Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson have emerged as Everton targets, offering an inkling of the direction his recruitment strategy could take.

Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could join the Toffees on a free transfer, which would be a wise move in the face of PSR regulations, which could otherwise create problems in a moment of positivity.

Sky Sports reporter says 49ers want to sign £20m+ Everton star for Leeds

Leeds have added a new attacker to their transfer shortlist heading into the summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Tapping into that theme, another star from the EFL Championship may also arrive this summer without the Toffees having to spend a penny in transfer fees.

Everton want to land Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo

According to Everton News, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Junior Firpo could make a surprise move to Everton this summer on a free transfer once his contract expires at Leeds United.

While Spain is thought to be his preference, Everton appear to be at the front of the queue if the defender opts to remain in England.

Labelled “immense” by Conor McGilligan, the Dominican Republic international has registered four goals and 10 assists this campaign, playing a major role in the Whites’ promotion back to the top flight.

Ricardo Chavez Soto

Monterrey

Ryan Hollingshead

Los Angeles FC

Jesus Gallardo

Toluca

Anton Gaaei

Ajax

Juan Sanabria

Atletico San Luis

Earning £60,000 per week at Elland Road, it is said that Firpo also has admirers from Spain, where he came through the ranks at Real Betis before joining Barcelona back in 2019.

Previously, the Santo Domingo-born defender struggled with life in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but he has been a key attacking force down the left flank this term and appears primed for another tilt at the top flight.

Now, Everton’s task is to put forward a convincing argument that they are a better proposition than Leeds in the long run. Given their newfound stability, they stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

INEOS and Manchester United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch one defensive target as they begin to plot a summer swoop to secure his signature and ease their Lisandro Martinez injury woes.

Man Utd still targeting defensive additions

After Anthony Elanga ran the length of the pitch before firing home for Nottingham Forest in midweek, it should come as no surprise that Manchester United are still seeking defensive reinforcements. Now in April, the Red Devils are yet to win back-to-back games in the Premier League and their defensive issues in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system have played a large part in what has been a disastrous campaign.

Man Utd’s last five Premier League games

Date

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd

01/04/2025

Leicester City 0-3 Man Utd

16/03/2025

Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal

09/03/2025

Man Utd 3-2 Ipswich Town

26/02/2025

Everton 2-2 Man Utd

22/02/2025

It should not go without saying, however, that defeat at the City Ground was United’s first in five league games and Amorim echoed that positivity in his post-match press conference, telling reporters: “It’s more [of] the same since this season began. So I think if you look at the game we are improving the way we play football. We are creating more chances, we are dominating more games.

“But in the end, when you don’t win, you feel that and that is a good thing. So we know that this season is going to be like that, the momentum. So we continue to go to the next [game].”

The former Sporting Club boss may well look at his side’s recent run as something to build on before welcoming some key additions. Among those already linked with a summer switch to Manchester United includes Oumar Solet. The Udinese centre-back has impressed at times this season and now has a queue beginning to form for his signature, with United in that queue.

Solet isn’t the only defender that has caught the eye of those at Old Trafford, however, with another Serie A star emerging on INEOS’ reported radar.

Man Utd plotting move to sign "superb" Comuzzo

According to Caught Offside, INEOS and Manchester United are now plotting a summer swoop to sign Pietro Comuzzo from Fiorentina this summer and have already sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old in action. Valued at around €45m (£38m) by the Italian club, the deal should be within the Red Devils’ range even as their cost-cutting measures continue around the club.

Dubbed “superb” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Comuzzo’s arrival would instantly see the injured Martinez replaced next season, before Amorim is handed the ultimate selection headache when the Argentine completes his eventual return.

Bhuvneshwar, Cummins and Natarajan have got the job done for SRH in different phases of the game

Vishal Dikshit05-May-2024SRH are in Mumbai. A team that has been scoring 200 as easily as you can make a bowl of instant noodles will play at a ground where you can smash sixes more fluently than you can say ‘Sunrisers Hyderabad’.Behind SRH’s batting feats this season, however, is a well-oiled pace attack that has the new-ball skills of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the experience and leadership of Pat Cummins in the middle overs, and the death-over smarts of T Natarajan. This trio, along with Jaydev Unadkat, has helped SRH defend five out of six targets this season. While they have had the cushion of some 250-plus totals, they were defending 202 in their previous game against Rajasthan Royals and emerged on top despite having only 26 to defend in the last three overs.In those 18 balls, Natarajan showcased his variations and yorkers, Cummins his slower bouncers, and Bhuvneshwar his calmness even as Royals needed only six off the last three deliveries.”What we’re lucky with, particularly in our pace-bowling unit, is that we’ve got a lot of experience, so we’ve got a lot of guys who’ve been there and done that so when they’re presented with some difficulties or problems in the game, they’ve got that sage wisdom,” SRH bowling coach James Franklin said on the eve of the match against Mumbai Indians. “They can think on their feet and discuss out there and work out there what’s needed for the game’s context. As much as the data is there, you still have to play the game in front of you and that’s where experience helps.”Sometimes the way we’ve seen matches unfold and with how dominant the bat has been, from a bowlers’ point of view you need just calm, cool heads that have a little bit of experience and a little bit of know-how and hopefully, all through the course of the season, it’ll hold you in good stead. So those four players, they’ve been going nicely, it’s been a really tough campaign for most bowling units. But we, like other teams, are trying to find ways to be in the contest and to have an effect and those bowlers have been doing a really good job for us.”Bhuvneshwar has moved the new ball when there is swing on offer and is up there at the top for the most wickets in the powerplay this season.Cummins, who in his maiden captaincy stint in T20 cricket has galvanised a team that finished bottom last season, has taken on a middle-overs role that has filled a requirement for SRH, especially when flanked by Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan on either side. His slow bouncers and offcutters dug into the pitch have restricted batters and yielded seven wickets in the middle overs this season with an exceptional economy rate of 7.71.And while Natarajan missed out on selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup, his death-overs exploits have served as a reminder of the promise he had in his initial years. He’s taken nine wickets at the death, second only to the peerless Jasprit Bumrah (10), and is in the running for the Purple Cap even though he’s played only eight out of SRH’s first ten games. If he can stay injury free, he will give India another potent fast-bowling option in the future.”Everyone knows in India his pedigree particularly with the old ball and death bowling,” Franklin said of Natarajan. “But for me, it’s been his first one or two overs that have been really exciting to watch and how he gets into the game. He’s another guy who adapts to the situation. He generally comes in the back end of the powerplay for us so the game is already underway and he adapts very well. His great strength is the yorker and that’s where he’s an asset for us. If he keeps going the way he’s going and holds his form throughout the rest of this IPL, then those conversations around India will take care of themselves.”With bowlers taking a pounding this season, Franklin said they were looking at it as a different kind of opportunity.”With the expectations around the batting groups, we try to flip that around and go, ‘ok, there’s an opportunity, we can actually have some fun with it’,” he said. “Yes, there might be challenges out there, but our bowling unit has good experience, and we try to execute the best we can.”After two successive defeats, SRH’s bowlers stole a one-run win against Royals to keep them among the top four in the points table. They need more of that from their experienced attack in Mumbai to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

How important are captains in cricket? But also, what happens when a World-Cup endangering slump in form meets complex socio-political nuances?

Sidharth Monga28-Oct-202213:35

How do teams deal with underperforming captains?

The weight on Temba Bavuma’s shoulder is unlike what any other player carries in this tournament. And it’s built up to such levels thanks to a perfect storm of cricket’s archaic power structures and the complex socio-political realities of South Africa.We will get to the scope of captaincy in due course, but first, its roots, which can be traced back to when the amateurs – often batters of varying skill levels – would almost always lead the professionals. The upper classes used this construct to maintain their superiority over the rest, who dared to ask for money for their time. The horror. How could such people be entrusted with the spirit of the game?Related

• 'I respect what he has been through' – Elgar backs under-fire Bavuma to bounce back

• Williamson says it's time to reflect as New Zealand confront 'changing landscape'

• Tom Moody: Temba Bavuma the 'elephant in the room' for South Africa

• Stability or strike rate? Williamson finds himself in the middle of this dilemma

• Red-hot David Miller passes Test-like challenge thrown at him by India

Times have changed: while captains are still the face of their team and in many teams still get a suite while others board in standard rooms, the primacy of a captain is now questioned more often than it used to be. Especially when the said captain is not pulling their weight with their cricketing skill. There will never be another Mike Brearley.However, do you aggressively challenge the originally upper-class English construct of the supreme captain when, for a change, the person probably benefitting from it is the first Black African man to lead South Africa in international cricket?Let’s get one thing clear first. Bavuma did not get the captaincy because he is a Black man. In fact he took a thorny crown when leadership in the sinking ship of South African cricket was scarce. He shepherded the team with firmness and with grace when Quinton de Kock refused to take the knee at the last Men’s T20 World Cup. He then welcomed de Kock back into the fold. He was an accomplished leader at domestic levels. As for his current competitors for a spot in the XI, Rilee Rossouw had gone Kolpak back then, and Reeza Hendricks was yet to have his best year in T20 cricket.Bavuma may not have got the captaincy because of his race, but race becomes an important consideration when deciding his future as a T20 player and captain. Admittedly, Bavuma is not the only T20I captain struggling at the moment, but Aaron Finch definitely and Kane Williamson arguably have better T20 pedigree and can be backed to bounce back. Bavuma’s T20I strike rate is 115, and he is keeping out another player of colour in Hendricks, who is having a cracker of a year in T20s with an average of 42 and a strike rate of 144.

Bavuma may not have got the captaincy because of his race, but race becomes an important consideration when deciding his future as a T20 player and captain

Then again, cricket has always been weird when it comes to dealing with non-performing captains. Once the XV is selected and the reins have been handed over to the captain, it is really up to them to drop themselves. Coaches know better than to be forceful. More so in Bavuma’s case. It is not unimaginable that there will be extra motivation for selectors to stick with him and for him to fight on because there is a stereotype to be beaten that Black Africans are not natural leaders.Not that any leader wants to second-guess themselves. They don’t make it all the way to international cricket by doubting their prowess. You wonder, though, if one or more of Bavuma, Finch and Williamson doesn’t quietly wish that the decision was taken out of his hands. The bigger matches of this T20 World Cup are yet to come, and they don’t want to get stuck in the middle where they can neither hit out nor get out in order for other hitters to maximise their time at the wicket.It can be a lonely place trying to decide whether you should be playing yourself. Bavuma is hopefully keeping good counsel. Dropping yourself can be a sign of weakness, the opposite of elite competitors’ instinct. At the same time, you have to think of the player sitting out and what he can bring to the team.Some say that this pruning of the XV to XI is the most important job of a captain, but the job itself doesn’t come properly described. At modern amateur levels, the captain creates a WhatsApp group, finds fixtures, gets enough players to commit, follows up with them on team dues, and only then thinks of batting orders and bowling changes. They often don’t have to select an XI because frequently only that many turn up even when more have confirmed in.The role definition of the captain at professional levels is less clear. Some teams tend to hand over full control to them – selectors listen to them when picking the XV, they also pick the XI and run the game – while some only give them the control on the field. At the elite level of the modern game though, plans on the field are mostly pre-decided, the longer the format the more the team’s fate depends on the fitness and depth of its bowling attack, players have become more and more responsible for themselves, and coaches and support staff are playing a bigger role in running T20s.Is the impact a captain has on his team overstated in cricket?•Getty ImagesThere remain the hollow parts of the job description such as maintaining good body language, shaping the team in their own image et cetera, but leaving all of it aside, the fact remains we still like the idea of one boss with whom the buck stops. In cricket, this is the captain: they front up when the team loses, and take credit for the wins. It possibly makes sense too, because the coach doesn’t really experience the conditions out in the middle, and that feel for the game is important to make crucial decisions. In it lies the assumption that say a Keshav Maharaj, as vice-captain, cannot make those decisions, but if Maharaj is made the captain, the next person in line can’t make these decisions. And in it lies the assumption that those decisions are more crucial than runs and wickets.It might not be ideal – perhaps it’s too disruptive – to do this in the middle of a big tournament, but this is a conversation cricket needs to have: how important is captaincy? There is no data to measure the impact of captaincy. To attribute a team’s win-loss record to a captain is cricket’s oldest problem: it doesn’t take into account the strength of the team or the opposition, and leaves undue credit and criticism at the captain’s door.If it feels outlandish – if anything feels outlandish – always think, ‘What would Sri Lanka have done?’ They had a leadership group – Sangakkara, Jayawardene, and then Mathews was added into the mix – and who actually captained didn’t matter that much. They once changed captains mid-tournament to avoid an over-rate penalty. They won a T20 World Cup with Lasith Malinga as captain, and he was handed the reins in the first place because the regular captain Dinesh Chandimal was done in by a slow over-rate penalty and then couldn’t regain his place in the side.Now that the ICC has discontinued the old tradition of banning captains because of over rates, here’s another thought: what would that canny Sri Lankan side have done if they had an under-performing captain keeping a better option out of the XI?

“I think we’re pretty happy with our combination, it’s worked for us over the last couple of years in T20 cricket,” he says

Daniel Brettig05-Sep-2020Australia’s first international match since the previous home summer was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic was always going to throw up some selections. None more so than the shape of a middle order that had to be manufactured from a bevy of top-order batsmen.So there was undoubted significance to the decision to place Marcus Stoinis in the No. 5 position after a pair of domineering seasons with the Melbourne Stars as an opening batsman, either side of his failure to have any impact on last year’s World Cup in a similar “finisher” role.What damage Australia’s collapse from a virtually unassailable position against England on Friday will have had on Stoinis only he can say. But it now appears inevitable he will get numerous opportunities to make the critical role his own ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup in India, largely because other more suitable candidates appear determined to keep their more traditionally prominent spots higher up the order.While once established at the crease, Stoinis’ hitting power is unquestioned, his tendency to soak up dot balls and create pressure for the batsman at the other end has long been viewed as a deficiency for opponents to exploit. It was more or less the main reason why the Stars pushed him to the top of the order, where a full 20-over allotment and the initial powerplay gave him much more time to work with.There are numerous accomplished middle-order merchants in the BBL, not least the Adelaide Strikers’ doughty clean-up man Jon Wells. But of the players on the England tour, the best candidates for this critical role would appear to be the captain Aaron Finch, who has excelled in it in past editions of the IPL, or the prodigiously talented and adaptable Steven Smith. Both, though, appear to have settled into their top three perches. Mitchell Marsh also occupied the role in recent times when Stoinis was out of favour, while Marnus Labuschagne would happily fulfil any role offered to him.Pat Cummins, the vice-captain, was at the other end as Stoinis was unable to clear the boundary on the last ball of the night to hand England a win that had seemed impossible half an hour earlier. He indicated that the pairing of Stoinis and Alex Carey at Nos. 5 and 6 was likely to be persisted with in order to give them the chance to make the berths their own in the absence of dedicated middle-order specialists in the chosen group.”I’d say them, plus we’ve got the other guys in this squad over here that are identified in that middle order, so more than likely those guys are going to get a long run,” Cummins said. “I think we’re pretty happy with our combination, it’s worked for us over the last couple of years in T20 cricket, so it’s just about slotting those guys into those roles consistently. I’d say that’s more than likely going to happen.”It’s something we’ve spoken about for exactly that reason. They’re all the best players when they go back for domestic comps and you could argue that middle-order role is one of the hardest in any cricket team. That’s what we’ve identified – that we’ve got to try and give guys a go in that – because someone like MS Dhoni was best in the world at it because he’d played 300 or 400 ODI games. And I think you saw this week during the practice games we gave a lot of guys a go in that and we know it’s not going to happen overnight.”That’s been a common theme that the selectors and Finchy have spoken about – we’ll identify roles and give them a long run in that. I think we’ve got the right squad, the right players, it’s just about trying to get plenty of games into everyone now.”Reflecting on the result, Cummins was happy to admit that the pain of defeat was nothing like that of an Ashes Test – Australia’s last Test loss to England was Ben Stokes’ match at Headingley a year ago – but was equally forceful in stating that it was a scenario from which no one should be losing, not least the No. 1 team according to the ICC rankings.”I thought for 80% or 90% of the game we played really well, we were on top, in a commanding position and just the last third of the batting innings we let it slip, a few wickets,” Cummins said. “I felt at times like we were only two boundaries away from the game finishing in about the 15th over. So it’s a shame, something we’re going to have to try to get better at, it’s happened a few times, so I’m sure every one of us will review in our own way and think about what we could’ve done differently. But for sure, you should be winning just about every game in that position.”He also noted the oddness of playing in an empty stadium, although he doubted it had any impact on performance.”It, for sure, was strange. We know what we were signing up for, but until Starcy’s [Mitchell Starc] bowling that first over and you can hear a pin drop, it’s just weird. After a couple of overs we got into it, but it’s just odd that unless we create the noise out in the field there is absolutely no noise happening. So a bit of an adjustment, but everyone has played enough cricket. It’s certainly different being over here in England and not hearing some of the songs.”As for the BBL, a tournament that Labuschagne in particular would dearly like to show his T20 wares in, Cummins said he was hopeful of ways being found for uncontracted Australian players to take part. This comes on the back of ESPNcricinfo’s report that next year’s scheduled series against New Zealand is likely to be moved in order to give the tournament’s pointy end some clear air.”This summer’s going to have a lot more challenges than perhaps in the past, but I’m not going to rule it out, we’ll see how it all comes together,” he said. “It’s going to be busy, it’s going to be hard, but it’s a great competition, us Aussie guys love playing it [and] international guys. Even speak to some of the English guys, they really want to have a crack at it like they do every year. I’m not going to say either way, but we’ll see how it pans out.”When we’re not playing the Big Bash it means we’ve got international cricket, so whatever happens we’re normally playing cricket somewhere, but I’ll leave the scheduling to the other guys.”Whatever the scheduling, Australia’s T20I batting order remains a puzzle in which a couple of top-order pegs must be fitted into middle-order holes – Stoinis, Smith or Finch. Unless, that is, they belatedly turn to a specialist like Wells.

The New York Yankees have had a brutal week, losing six straight games including the last two against their cross-town rival, the New York Mets.

After Saturday's 12-6 loss at Citi Field, Yankees manager Aaron Boone attempted to put a positive spin on things by saying how this brutal stretch for the team could be a good thing for them moving forward.

"As trite it sounds, or as corny as it sounds, these are the moments that build character within a team," Boone said his postgame press conference. "And also help you find out and define what the heck you need moving forward and where you need to change or where you need to go out and explore for things. That’s the challenge of this time right now."

Here are his full comments on the situation:

The Yankees have fallen to 48-41 on the year and are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second in the AL East. They currently trail the first-place Blue Jays by three games.

They will try to snap this skid Sunday when they face the Mets at 1:40 p.m. ET.

MI Emirates have announced Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as their wildcards for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. Pooran and Pollard will rejoin forces after winning the CPL (Trinbago Knight Riders) and MLC (MI New York) together earlier this year.Pooran is also part of MI Cape Town in the SA20, which overlaps with the ILT20. Pooran, now 30, had made a shock decision to retire from international cricket at 29, but continues to be a sought-after player in franchise leagues around the world.Pooran and Pollard add more Caribbean flavour to a MI Emirates side that already includes Andre Fletcher, who had fetched the highest bid of USD 260,000 at the inaugural ILT20 auction in October, Ackeem Auguste, who was also an auction pick, and Romario Shepherd, who had been picked ahead of the auction.Related

• Kieron Pollard to captain MI Emirates in ILT20

• R Ashwin goes unsold in inaugural ILT20 player auction

• Pooran makes shock retirement from international cricket at 29

The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 and will run until January 4, featuring six teams who will play a total of 34 matches.

MI Emirates

Auction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000).Retentions + Direct Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu Mendis.Wildcards: Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard.

Hansi Flick was seen being comforted by Raphinha as the Barcelona boss looked close to tears after a 3-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday night. The German manager was overwhelmed by emotions at the end of the match, and the Brazilian offered his support to the German coach. The results puts the Catalan giants on top of the table in Spain ahead of Real Madrid's fixture against Girona.

A shaky start, but a fierce response from Barcelona

Barcelona were stunned inside 60 seconds when Pablo Ibanez punished slack defending to fire Alaves into the lead. The early blow rattled Flick’s side, but gradually they found their rhythm. Raphinha, making his return to the starting lineup, became the spark they desperately needed. It was his work in the build-up that created the equaliser, slipping a clever pass into space for Lamine Yamal. While Robert Lewandowski failed to convert the chance, the rebound fell kindly for Yamal, who buried his effort to bring Barcelona level. After the equaliser, Barca were fully in control. Dani Olmo completed a superb brace, capitalising on Raphinha’s assist for his second goal, and the hosts saw out the match with a professional performance. 

A video circulating on social media showed Raphinha sitting beside Flick on the bench, speaking to the German coach, who appeared visibly emotional. Flick shook his head repeatedly, as if overwhelmed by the occasion. He later revealed what the Brazilian had said to him: "After the end of the match, Raphinha was telling me the same thing I said last time: We will improve. We will be much better in the upcoming matches."

AdvertisementWatch the clip

Flick praises Raphinha on comeback

Despite lasting only 60 minutes due to fitness management, Raphinha produced one of his sharpest performances of the campaign.

"Raphinha always brings dynamism to our game," Flick told reporters. "He's very important because he has great intensity, and when he starts pressing, he makes everyone else press too. He needs to improve in the upcoming matches, but it's fantastic that he's back. I'm very happy to have them (Raphinha & Pedri) back. It wasn't easy managing their playing time. Rapha could only play 60 minutes, Pedri, 30…I'm happy with the three points, but not with some situations: we lost possession too often. We managed the game well."

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(C)Getty ImagesRaphinha: Honest, demanding, and determined

Raphinha acknowledged feeling far from his peak fitness but insisted that the minutes were crucial as he works his way back. 

He said: "I'm trying to find my best form. I'm not fit to play 90 minutes, but when I'm on the pitch, I try to give my all. I felt the fatigue in the second half. I'm working very hard to get back to my best. I try to give my best when I'm on the field. Being able to start in the eleven makes me happy. I want to help the team and I'm leaving satisfied."

He also admitted that his vocal leadership on the pitch can sometimes feel excessive to teammates. He added: "I feel like I'm being a bit of a nuisance, sometimes too much. But I think pressing is important. I'm sure that on the pitch, my teammates sometimes think I talk too much. But I'm going to demand more from those who can give much more. I take responsibility, and in the locker room, we all hugged each other to celebrate the victory. I always say that the best defence starts with a good attack. It's the most important thing we can do to help the defence. I try to press to make their job easier. I try to press to take up space from the other team's centre-backs and thus recover the ball more easily. It's good when the team follows me when I press, but I do it without thinking. I just run to win the ball back."

Raphinha agreed that Barcelona are far from their peak, acknowledging there is much to tighten tactically and technically.

"The manager felt we could do more on the pitch; we know it too," he said. "That's his feeling. That the team isn't at its best, I agree, and we have to improve a lot. But the important thing was to win. I'm sure we'll come back and win games by playing well. But if there are games we win playing badly, I don't care, the important thing is to win."

Barcelona now shift their focus to Tuesday night’s blockbuster encounter against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.

MatériaMais Notícias

O elenco do Corinthians se reapresentou neste domingo (7), no CT Joaquim Grava, para iniciar os treinamentos visando a nova temporada. Os laterais Diego Palacios e Hugo, o volante Raniele e o meia Rodrigo Garro, primeiros reforços do Timão para 2024, já participaram das atividades do dia.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Antes das avaliações físicas, o presidente Augusto Melo e o diretor de futebol Rubens Gomes, conhecido como Rubão, se reuniram com os atletas e comissão técnica para, ao lado do técnico Mano Menezes, falarem sobre as metas para a temporada. O Corinthians vai disputar o Paulistão, Copa do Brasil, Copa Sul-Americana e o Brasileirão. A estreia da equipe é no dia 21 de janeiro, contra o Guarani, na Neo Química Arena.

Após a conversa, os jogadores iniciaram os testes físicos e avaliações com a equipe de Saúde e Performance do clube. Eles realizaram também trabalhos de força na academia.

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Cássio, Carlos Miguel e Matheus Donelli, além das avaliações, já treinaram normalmente no gramado sob as orientações dos preparadores Marcelo Carpes e Luiz Fernando dos Santos.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

MUDANÇAS

Após Cauan de Almeida, ex-auxiliar de Mano Menezes, aceitar a proposta para ser o técnico do América-MG, o Corinthians anunciou Thiago Kosloski como o novo auxiliar da comissão. 

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O departamento médico agora é chefiado pelo Dr. Fábio Novi, que já esteve no CT neste domingo, ao lado do Dr. André Jorge, conselheiro do clube que atuará, de forma não-remunerada, como um consultor. Além disso, o departamento de performance agora terá Walmir Cruz como coordenador. Será a quarta passagem do profissional pelo Timão.

Aston Villa have successfully tied down star attacker Morgan Rogers to a new contract as they ward off Chelsea's transfer interest. Rogers, who moved to Villa Park at the start of 2024 and won the PFA Young Player of the Season this August, has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal. Rogers had attracted interest from the Blues, while Spurs were also urged to sign the youngster at one point in the summer.

• Rogers signs new Aston Villa contract

  After a very successful time with the Villans last season, where he scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists across all competitions and also won the PFA Young Player of the Season, Rogers has endured a difficult start to the 2025-26 campaign, having scored just one goal and registering three assists. However, despite his dip in form, Villa decided to present the youngster with a new long-term deal, which will keep him at the club until 2031.

  The 23-year-old agreed to the Villans' terms and has finally put pen to paper on the new contract, thereby ruling out the imminent possibility of joining other top English sides like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

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  Aston Villa delighted to tie Rogers down to a new deal

  The official statement from Aston Villa read: "Aston Villa is delighted to announce that Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract with the club. The England international has agreed a deal that will keep him at Villa until 2031. Rogers signed for the club in February 2024 from Middlesbrough and has become a key member of Unai Emery's side, earning a debut for the Three Lions in November 2024. His stellar performances last term saw his peers vote him PFA Young Player of the Season."

• Chelsea and Spurs wanted Rogers

  In April this year, reports emerged that Chelsea were plotting a summer move for Rogers, who is known to be a close friend of their star player Cole Palmer, after the youngster's impressive performances throughout the 2024-25 season. It was further reported that the Villans might be forced to sell the forward to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The Blues, however, never formally approached Aston Villa over a possible transfer.

  Spurs, too, had identified Rogers as a possible candidate they could sign in the summer after losing Eberechi Eze to arch-rivals Arsenal. However, the north London club eventually signed Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

  Rogers had even hinted in August that he could exit Villa Park as he had told : "I’m happy here [Aston Villa]. I love football. I love nothing more than just coming out on the pitch and playing football and that’s what I’m doing. I don’t think about anything else. I can’t predict the next 12 months or anything in the future. It’s just about playing football, enjoying my football and showing everyone what I can do."

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  Rogers eyeing spot in Tuchel's World Cup squad

  Despite a slow start for the club, Rogers has consistently made it into Thomas Tuchel's England squads in the last few international breaks and has also garnered praise from the German. After the Three Lions' 3-0 win over Wales last month, Tuchel said: "Morgan was excellent like the whole team, he's very humble, he's very physical. He has the ability to score and to assist. He had a fantastic season (in 2024-25) and was deservedly voted as the young player of the season in the Premier League. Morgan was one piece of the puzzle but it is a team effort. Morgan is what he is. He is a number 10 and he is competing for his place."

  Rogers will hope to maintain his consistency for the Three Lions and book a place in Tuchel's final World Cup squad that will travel to North America next summer.