All posts by h79snht.top

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Artur, do Bragantino, interessa ao Palmeiras. O clube alviverde, no entanto, não fez uma oferta até aqui, mas aposta no fato de possuir 10% dos direitos econômicos do jogador como um trunfo para o negócio acontecer.

Por ter uma parcela do ‘passe’ de Artur, o Verdão sabe que será notificado caso algum outro clube faça uma proposta por ele. Isso não dá ao Palestra prioridade em relação a uma venda do profissional, mas a possibilidade de fazer uma contraproposta.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras x Ituano: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques pela semifinal do PaulistãoPalmeiras18/03/2023PalmeirasCom dúvida no ataque, Abel ‘participa’ de rachão, e Palmeiras fecha preparação para encarar o ItuanoPalmeiras18/03/2023PalmeirasLesão de Allan não atrapalha planos do Palmeiras para ter o volante do Atlético-MGPalmeiras18/03/2023

+Vasco faz proposta por jogador do Boca, Artur abre o jogo sobre interesse do Palmeiras… O Dia do Mercado!

Isso basicamente aconteceu no ano passado, quando Artur recebeu uma oferta de 10 milhões de dólares (R$ 51,8 mi, na cotação da época) do Al Rayyan, do Qatar. Quando ficou sabendo disso, os palmeirenses se interessaram, pois consideram o valor interessante para ter o atacante de volta. O atleta é cria da Academia de Futebol e foi negociado com o Braga em 2020 por 6 milhões de euros (aproximadamente R$ 27 mi à época).

+ Acompanhe as movimentações do mercado da bola no vaivém do LANCE!

Na ocasião, o próprio jogador não quis se transferir para o Oriente Médio. Neste momento, ele só gostaria de deixar o futebol brasileiro para se transferir para a Europa. Jogar em outro clube brasileiro é algo considerado pelo atleta, que tem o desejo de voltar ao Verdão em algum momento da carreira.

– A gente sempre sonha em jogar em grandes clubes. Então é um sonho realmente voltar a jogar com esse time – disse em entrevista à ESPN.

Na consulta inicial feita pela direção palestrina a pessoas do Bragantino, a informação é que a equipe do interior paulista deseja receber 15 milhões de euros (R$ 85,1, na cotação atual) em uma possível venda de Artur. Segundo informações obtidas pelo LANCE!, uma proposta de 10 milhões de euros (R$ 56,8 mi, na cotação atual) pode ser aceita, dependendo do formato da negociação. As diretorias dos clubes possuem ótima relação.

+ Confira as semifinais do Paulistão e simule os resultados das partidas

Dentro do Palmeiras, o nome de Artur divide opiniões, mas na balança pesam as positivas. A comissão técnica palmeirense, por exemplo, gosta do jogador. Um ponto considerado positivo é que o profissional já está adaptado ao futebol brasileiro e não seria uma aposta como algumas recentes, como os argentinos Flaco López e Merentiel, contratados no ano passado – o segundo já até foi emprestado, para o Boca Junior, da Argentina.

Por sua vez, Artur dificilmente chegaria ao Verdão no primeiro semestre, já que a janela de transferências nacional se encerra no dia 4 de abril. A direção do Bragantino, então, mira em uma possível proposta da Europa no meio da temporada para vender o atacante pelo valor desejado. O contrato do jogador com o Massa Bruta vai até dezembro de 2024.

continua após a publicidade

MatériaMais Notícias

Dois dias antes de disputar a semifinal do Campeonato Paulista, diante do Palmeiras, o Ituano emitiu comunicado oficial acerca do meio-campista André Luiz informando sobre o seu afastamento temporário.

Ao lado de outros sete jogadores, ele foi acusado de participar de um esquema de manipulação de resultados na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2022. Na época, o jogador defendia o Sampaio Corrêa.

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalLionel Messi recebe proposta para renovar com o PSG, diz jornalistaFutebol Internacional17/03/2023São PauloEm recuperação acelerada de contusão no tornozelo, Calleri já faz atividades no gramado no São PauloSão Paulo17/03/2023Futebol LatinoChampions relembra gol de Rodrygo em Real Madrid x ChelseaFutebol Latino17/03/2023

>Com problema cardíaco, Lucas Leiva anuncia a aposentadoria do futebol

Afirmando ter recebido a notícia da denúncia ‘com grande surpresa’, o Ituano agregou que preferiu optar pelo afastamento em forma de ‘consonância com nossa política de tolerância zero perante este tipo de comportamento’.

Outro ponto devidamente abordado pelo time que também obteve vaga na próxima fase da Copa do Brasil ao eliminar o Ceará, nos pênaltis, é em relação a sequência dos procedimentos. Indicando a possibilidade de rescisão contratual, o clube do interior paulista falou que ‘os assessores jurídicos do Ituano já estão analisando o caso em maiores detalhes’ em busca de uma posição definitiva’.

CONFIRA O COMUNICADO DO ITUANO NA ÍNTEGRA

Com grande surpresa, o Ituano Futebol Clube recebeu a informação sobre o recebimento de denúncia oferecida pelo Ministério Público de Goiás contra o atleta André Luiz, em caso de suposta manipulação de resultados.

O Ituano Futebol Clube reforça seu mais absoluto repúdio a tentativas de corromper o futebol, comprometendo-se a apoiar sempre autoridades e entidades desportivas no vigoroso combate a esta grave ameaça.

England are in the process of rebuilding their T20I team, while Bangladesh, in what isn’t their favourite format, have made a whole host of changes

Mohammad Isam08-Mar-2023

Big picture – England favourites despite missing starsEngland will hope to keep their white-ball juggernaut rolling in the first of three T20Is against Bangladesh, to be played in Chattogram on Thursday. This is England’s first time out in their T20I strip since becoming world champions. Up against them are Bangladesh, who are pretty good in ODIs – though they just lost the series 2-1 to England – but quite a way behind in T20Is. So Bangladesh will start as the underdogs if one considers recent records and overall quality of personnel.Keeping that in mind, Bangladesh have made a lot of changes to their squad, bringing in five players including newcomer Towhid Hridoy. Shamim Hossain has come in after two years and Rony Talukdar after eight years. While Talukdar has done consistently well in domestic cricket – he was the BPL’s second-highest scorer this season – Shamim’s return was probably based on one good knock in this season’s BPL, the 51-ball 71 for Rangpur Riders against Fortune Barishal.Related

How might England line up for their World Cup defence?

Bangladesh determined to develop big-hitting skills

Bangladesh have also included fast bowler Rejaur Rahman Raja and left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, perhaps as reward for their BPL performances. Tanvir was the top wicket-taker in the competition with 17 wickets in 12 games at an economy rate of 6.36, while Rejaur picked up 13 wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 8.41.England have a T20I squad similar to their ODI set-up, with Ben Duckett and Chris Jordan coming in to add firepower. They are, however, without Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Alex Hales and Liam Livingstone, a development that prompted Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha to call it an “experimental” squad.But he was quick to point out that he would take notes from how England rebuild their team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, to be player next year. That’s how good England are at the moment.Form guideBangladesh LLWLW
England WWWWLIn the spotlightRony Talukdar has made his international comeback after eight years, when, in 2015, he played a solitary T20I against South Africa. It’s a rare occurrence in Bangladesh, where once a player is dropped, it is usually the end for him. Talukdar has scored consistently in domestic cricket, and capped it with a strong run at the BPL this season. He scored 425 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 129.17, often giving Riders fast starts.England would be hoping for Phil Salt to start the T20I series with a big score. He managed only 54 runs in the three ODIs, and that came after he had scored just 37 in two ODIs against Australia in November. His last big show in international cricket was against Pakistan, in a T20I in Lahore in September last year, when he made an unbeaten 88 in 41 balls. It’s time to get some runs.Team newsHridoy and Talukdar are likely to be in Bangladesh’s playing XI, and they are leaning towards three fast bowlers. They usually don’t use spinners at the death in T20Is.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rony Talukdar, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Mustafizur RahmanEngland don’t have too many players to choose from because of injuries. It is likely that Reece Topley, who is nursing a slight niggle, and Mark Wood will miss out from the first game.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Rehan Ahmed, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra ArcherEngland have not played a T20I since winning the World Cup last year•Getty Images

Pitch and conditionsThe first T20I will be played on the same pitch where the third ODI was played earlier in the week. So expect a slow pitch and no real lateral movement. The weather will be dry.Stats and trivia This is the first bilateral T20I series between Bangladesh and England. They have played each other only once before in the format, at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where England won by eight wickets. Bangladesh have played 106 T20Is since Talukdar’s solitary appearance in 2015. If he plays on Thursday, he will have the longest gap between T20I appearances, beating Adil Rashid’s 92 missed matches between 2009 and 2015. If picked, Rehan Ahmed will become England’s youngest men’s player in T20Is as well. He has already set the same record in Tests and ODIs. The previous youngest for England in T20Is was Stuart Broad at 20 years and 65 days.Quotes”[England] have a very settled 50-over team. They are experimenting with the T20 team. I don’t think the team that won the 2022 World Cup will play in 2024 World Cup. That’s why they are trying new players. They are systematically building the team towards that. We can keep an eye on how they do it, as well.”
“It’s a great opportunity for us to hopefully lay down a marker again as world champions. We haven’t played a series since we won that World Cup so it’s a challenge for us in these conditions but it’s exciting to play here against obviously a very good Bangladesh side.”

Eddie Byrom makes 81 as Marchant de Lange impresses on return to former club

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2023

Glamorgan continued to dominate their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Gloucestershire, finishing the day on 388 for eight to give them a commanding lead of 223.The innings was built around hundreds from Kiran Carlson and Billy Root as the Glamorgan middle order took the game away from the visitors.A well made 81 for Eddie Byrom set the foundation for what came after as Glamorgan’s batting line-up made a very decent start to the season on a pitch where you had to fight to get yourself set.The standout performer for Gloucestershire was Marchant de Lange who claimed figures of three for 72 on his return to his old club.The day started with nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten still at the crease and he didn’t last long, spooning a catch to Graeme van Buuren off the bowling of left arm spinner Zafar Gohar who had been given the new ball from the Cathedral Road end.When David Lloyd was bowled by Tom Price and de Lange cleaned up Sam Northeast, Glamorgan were 35 for three and Gloucestershire looked to be clawing their way back into the match. Carlson and Byrom had other ideas, as they shared a stand of 160 that took Glamorgan into the lead.Byrom was watchful at first before looking to attack once well set, but Carlson was a bundle of energy from the moment he reached the crease, his first scoring shots were back-to-back boundaries off Ajeet Singh Dale.Carlson had some luck on 39, Zafar putting down a very difficult chance that was high and spiralling while running away from the ball. Carlson was also dropped on 77 when Ollie Price didn’t hold on to a much easier chance at slip. It was a catch that Ollie Price did take that broke the stand between Byrom and Carlson. Byrom had a dash at a ball outside off stump from de Lange and Price took a great grab at a very short gully.The departure of Byrom didn’t slow Carlson down, he reached his first hundred since July 2021 from 128 balls. A return to form for Carlson will be very welcome for Glamorgan after the 24-year-old had a disappointing season in 2022.Carlson’s wicket came when he was trapped lbw by Ollie Price to leave Glamorgan 253 for five, pushing towards a three-figure lead.With Colin Ingram dropping down the order due to a neck spasm there was pressure on Root and Chris Cooke to make the most of the strong foundation that had been laid for them, and their stand of 69 took Glamorgan past 300 to claim their second batting point.With Cooke gone it was left to Root to steady the batting efforts, and other than when he was also the beneficiary of some good fortune when another dropped chance in the slips from Price on 76 his innings was without real drama and contained some very classy shots.Ingram came into bat at nine but didn’t see out the day, edging a ball from de Lange with Ollie Price this time hanging on to a very good catch.Root reached his hundred just before the end of play as he finished the day undefeated on 104, reaching his century with a cover drive for four as Glamorgan claimed complete control of this match.

Veteran seamer knows he is not guaranteed a recall for what could be final home Test outing

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2023

James Anderson has admitted there is no guarantee that he will play in next week’s crucial fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, even though it may be his final opportunity to play in front of his Lancashire home crowd and bowl from the end named in his honour.Anderson, who turns 41 at the end of the month, was left out of England’s thrilling three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley last week, after struggling to make an impact during each of Australia’s two victories on flat pitches at Edgbaston and Lord’s in the first two Tests of the series.He managed three wickets at 75.33 across those two matches, but admitted after the first that the Edgbaston pitch had been like “kryptonite” to his swing-bowling methods.Nevertheless, with Ollie Robinson suffering a back spasm during the Headingley Test – and with England having named an unchanged 14-man squad for Old Trafford, in which the only alternative seamer is the relatively untested Josh Tongue, there is a clear case for Anderson’s return on home soil.Irrespective of his displays in the series so far, Anderson has been a key weapon for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum since they took over as England’s captain and coach, claiming 48 wickets at 21.22 in 12 appearances since the start of the 2022 summer.In ten Tests at Old Trafford – where the pavilion end of the ground has been called the “James Anderson End” since 2017 – he has taken 37 wickets at 22.02, including six key scalps in England’s series-levelling win against South Africa last summer.Related

James Anderson nears his End-game with a rare point left to prove

Ollie Robinson insists he's '100 percent fit' for Old Trafford after back spasm

James Anderson: Don't blame my age for off-colour Ashes display

Switch Hit: Wood, Woakes, Woohoo!

Wood's pace leaves Australia a new challenge

“This is an Ashes series and there is absolutely no chance nostalgia will come into selection for the next Test,” Anderson wrote in his column in the Telegraph.”Letting Jimmy Anderson bowl at the Jimmy Anderson End because it is a nice story will not be a thought in the heads of Ben Stokes or Brendon McCullum. They will pick the strongest team to compete with Australia that particular week. I am completely happy with whatever they decide.”I know I am not guaranteed to play the next Test and I will completely understand if they want to stick with the winning team. The selection side is out of my hands. I just make sure that I am in a good place and ready to play.”Anderson has claimed 688 wickets at 26.21 in his 181-match career, of which a remarkable 208 at 21.61 have come since he turned 35, the sort of age at which most fast bowlers are contemplating retirement. And while even Anderson acknowledges that the end of his career cannot be put off indefinitely, he’s putting all such thought to the back of his mind while the Ashes are at stake.”When you are at my stage of your career you never know when your last game at a certain ground is going to be,” he wrote. “This could be my last Test at Old Trafford if I do play, who knows? I am not thinking about that.”All I want to do is try to be involved with this team again and make an impact on the field and contribute towards an England win that would level the series. I will take the nostalgia element out of it and just focus on the cricket and having a good time on the field. I feel good mentally and physically better after the break.”Despite his overall career figures, Anderson’s record against Australia – 115 wickets at 34.85 – remains one that he is keen to improve upon, especially seeing as he was last involved in an Ashes Test win back in 2015. To that end, he intends to keep working on his game while the rest of the squad takes a break between matches, to ensure he is ready to hit the ground running if called upon at Old Trafford.”Looking back on the first two games of the series, I was too serious and too intense,” Anderson wrote. “If I do get the nod at Old Trafford I am going to go out with a smile on my face.”The series is now alive and it has been amazing to be a part of it and I would love to get a chance to contribute again. It is something I have done for a number of years – turn up when the team need me and put in a performance that can impact a game.”

Farooqi took a three-wicket haul to damage Ireland’s chase

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2024

Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 121 off 117 balls beat Harry Tector’s 138 off 147 balls as Afghanistan sealed their fifth successive win against Ireland in ODI cricket, in Sharjah.Gurbaz scored his sixth ODI hundred – the joint most by an Afghanistan player – to set Afghanistan up for a tall total. He had added 150 for the opening stand with Ibrahim Zadran, who had contributed 60.Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (50*) also made a half-century to give his team some late impetus. Gurbaz hit eight fours and six sixes before he was bowled by Theo van Woerkom in the 39th over. Gurbaz had been particularly severe on both van Woerkom and George Dockrell, taking the left-arm spinners for 54 off 35 balls.Rahmat Shah then then fell soon after to Craig Young, but Afghanistan managed to breach 300, for just the ninth time in ODIs.Left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi then produced a double-strike to get rid of Andy Balbirnie and Curtis Campher. Captain Paul Stirling had also departed early to leave Ireland three down in the powerplay.Tector and wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker then steadied the innings and lifted Ireland with a 173-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While Tector hit his fifth ODI hundred, Tucker was stopped on 85 by Farooqi in the 39th over of the chase. That dismissal sparked another collapse as Ireland lost 4 for 42.Tector then fell in the final over as Afghanistan wrapped up a 35-run victory to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series.

The wicketkeeper-batter has excelled in the finisher’s role in the IPL in the last three seasons, and is back in the reckoning after a stellar show for RCB

S Sudarshanan20-Apr-20241:57

Does Karthik have few more seasons of cricket left in him?

Dinesh Karthik will be 39 by the time the T20 World Cup starts in June. But he is showing no signs of slowing down and has said he would do “everything I can” to be on the flight to the competition in the West Indies and the USA.On the back of a stellar show for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024, Karthik is back in the reckoning as the wicketkeeper that bats in the lower-middle order. He has scored 226 runs, the third-most for RCB, at a strike rate of 205.45 primarily batting at Nos. 6, 7 and 8.”At this stage in my life, it would be the greatest feeling for me to represent India,” Karthik said on the eve of RCB’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. “I am very, very keen to do so. There is nothing bigger in my life other than representing India in this T20 World Cup.Related

Dinesh Karthik set to end IPL career after 2024 season

“I also feel there are three very, very stable, honest people who are at the helm to decide what should be the best Indian team for the World Cup — Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar. And I am completely with them. I respect any decision that they take. But all I can say is I’m 100 percent ready, and I’ll do everything I can to be on that flight to the World Cup.”Ahead of the competition, Karthik had indicated that IPL 2024 will be his last and that he would also take a call on his international career soon. But the last three years in the IPL have liberated him to an extent that he made a strong case for the finisher’s role and made it to the T20 World Cup in 2022, which was his last outing for India.Dinesh Karthik kept RCB fighting with 83 off 35 as they chased 288•BCCI

No batter has scored more than Karthik’s 604 in the last three IPLs while batting at No. 6 or lower. And his strike rate of 175.07 is the best among those with over 280 runs in the said position since IPL 2022. He attributed his success to understanding his strengths and preparing accordingly.”These days as a player, you need to understand your strengths,” he said. “I’m not a [Andre] Russell or a [Kieron] Pollard who can just mishit a ball and get a six for it. So, I need to understand how I can beat gaps and what sort of balls I can hit for boundaries. And I realised there was a certain pattern in which bowlers were bowling to me, so I needed to try and work out a solution for that.”Hence, when I practice, I try and understand, okay, if this is what they’re going to bowl at me, how am I going to get a boundary, visualising a field that is going to be in place for me. So, I worked backwards, and that’s helped me really learn a couple of shots more, at the back end. It’s been great to go out there and express myself, and it’s been thoroughly enjoyable to do what I’m doing for RCB as a finisher.”Recently, India captain Rohit Sharma was heard on stump mic joking about Karthik’s World Cup aspirations. ” World Cup (Good going, DK! He has the World Cup in his mind),” Rohit was heard saying when RCB played Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. In that match, Karthik scored an unbeaten 53 off 23 and helped RCB to 196 for 8 after walking in at 108 for 4 with under eight overs to go.”[I was] quite impressed, watching DK bat a couple of nights back, and Dhoni as well, came to play four balls, made a huge impact, that was the difference,” Rohit said on the podcast hosted by Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist. “It will be hard to convince MS although he is coming to the US, to do something else. He is into golf now. DK will be easier to convince I guess.”

Ruben Amorim watched on as his Manchester United side failed to fire once again away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, albeit with the Portuguese coach perhaps as culpable as anyone for those struggles in front of goal.

The 40-year-old had bizarrely opted not to start Rasmus Hojlund at centre-forward for the trip to the City Ground, despite the fact that the struggling Dane had finally ended a 21-game goal drought at Leicester City prior to the international break.

That move was all the more perplexing considering that his replacement, Joshua Zirkzee, had even admitted to TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand prior to the match that he isn’t an orthodox striker – a fact that was evident as the Dutchman failed to register a single touch in the opposition box in the first half.

To Amorim’s credit, the former Sporting CP boss recognised his mistake after introducing Hojlund at the break, although despite a few clever runs from the 22-year-old – as well as an effort that lashed into the side netting – the club’s number nine never truly looked like getting on the scoresheet.

With talk already rife regarding the potential signing of a new centre-forward this summer, namely Victor Osimhen, that need was heightened even further as Amorim was forced into chucking on Harry Maguire as an auxiliary striker in the closing stages as a last resort.

Harry Maguire's late cameo vs Forest

Having previously also deployed Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine against Crystal Palace in early February, the signs are there that the United boss isn’t fully invested in his striking options, a fact that Maguire’s impact certainly exposed.

After Zirkzee toiled and Hojlund also struggled to get into the game, United’s two best chances ultimately fell the way of the England international, as he made a nuisance of himself in the Forest box.

Looking like an old-fashioned number nine, the 32-year-old was unable to convert after heading Patrick Dorgu’s cross wide with the goal gaping, before coming even closer to snatching a draw at the death.

The 6 foot 4 centre-back brought the ball down and prodded it goalbound in the final knockings of stoppage time, only to see his last-gasp effort denied by opposite number, Murillo, on the line.

While those two openings perhaps came amid the mere chaos of throwing Maguire into the fray, it is telling that the experienced defender posed more of a threat in just under ten minutes than Zirkzee and Hojlund provided in 87 minutes prior to that.

Unless Amorim looks to mirror Mikel Arteta’s Mikel Merino experiment in even more extreme fashion – with the Spaniard now scoring five goals in eight games as Arsenal’s makeshift striker – then Maguire won’t be a short-term solution up top.

A permanent role change could be needed elsewhere, however, with regards to Bruno Fernandes.

Why Amorim needs to permanently change Fernandes' role

The Man Utd “genius” – as hailed by former boss Erik ten Hag – was shifted back into a number ten berth against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, having largely operated in a deep-lying role in recent weeks.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

On the evidence of his first-half display, the Portuguese playmaker seemingly appears better suited to being a permanent fixture of the midfield two, rather than operating in a more advanced role, having struggled to dictate proceedings in the opening 45.

While the 30-year-old did force a save from Matz Sels early on, after combining with Alejandro Garnacho, he largely found himself marked out of the game by opposition skipper, Ryan Yates, having been forced to then drop deeper anyway to try and get on the ball.

Fernandes’ stats vs Forest

Stat

Record

Touches

110

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes

6

Shots on target

2

Shots off target

0

Big chances created

0

Successful dribbles

2/5

Duels won

7/17

Long balls completed

7/12

Possession lost

31x

Dribbled past

3x

Stats via Sofascore

It wasn’t until the half-time change, which saw Hojlund replace Manuel Ugarte, that Fernandes started to take control, a fact that was epitomised by his stunning switch to pick out the advancing Garnacho in behind.

In all, the £300k-per-week talisman registered six key passes on the night, with his creative quality in possession now looking better suited to that midfield berth, rather than as part of the forward line.

This isn’t a one-off either, with Fernandes having sparked a dramatic comeback against Everton back in February, after moving into the midfield two on the hour mark.

That has largely been his home since then, resulting in a run of form that saw the midfield maestro score against the likes of Fulham, Arsenal and Leicester, having also bagged a hat-trick in the Europa League against Real Sociedad.

To see the in-form star shining in that deeper berth is perhaps no surprise considering he has previously hinted at his desire to move “further back” as his career progresses, having also pointed to the win over the Toffees in April 2023, in which he lined up as a number six, as “one of the most complete games [he’s] played, at all levels”.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick had even suggested prior to that that Fernandes was better suited away from an attacking midfield role, having stated in 2022:

Getting Fernandes closer to goal has largely looked the best solution to help reinvigorate the floundering attacking unit, yet with Mason Mount returning, and with Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo also in line to feature again this season, there are others perhaps better suited to that advanced berth.

As such, while the Maguire experiment may prove a short-lived change, the new United skipper must now enjoy a permanent switch to become one part of the first-choice midfield duo moving forward.

Related 98 touches, 80% dribbles: Man Utd star has become as undroppable as Bruno

Man Utd once again came up short in the final third, as Nottingham Forest ran out 1-0 winners

Posts ByRobbie Walls Apr 2, 2025

Celtic are into the final stretch of their bid for the treble and could now be set to reignite an old flame on the market that would excite supporters, per reports.

Celtic ready to build for the future under Brendan Rodgers

The weekend is nearly here, and Brendan Rodgers knows his side can take a major step towards claiming their fourth successive Scottish Premiership title if they can see off Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon.

Should that happen, a victory for Aberdeen 24 hours later would put the final nail in Rangers’ coffin. Undoubtedly, the Bhoys haven’t been at their best in recent times, but their divisional rivals haven’t been able to hold a candle to them this season.

Finishing off the campaign with a flourish is now in their sights and may yield a domestic treble if St Johnstone and one of Heart of Midlothian or Aberdeen are both swept aside in the Scottish Cup.

Looking ahead to next term, Celtic have made their interest known in Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka and may look to strike a surprise deal for the Slovakia international despite having Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo between the sticks.

Furthermore, Keith Wyness has claimed the Bhoys could make up to five summer signings as Rodgers puts his foot down ahead of his side’s involvement in Champions League qualifiers next term.

Related Celtic set to make major striker signing if they sell £3m star this summer

Celtic could be set for a busy summer window under Brendan Rodgers.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Apr 9, 2025

Additions are expected to be widespread at Parkhead to supplement the inevitability of departures. Celtic have the power to sell assets for a considerable sum, so don’t be surprised if they reinvest in premium talent.

Heeding that advice, Rodgers and company are now reportedly plotting a move for a goalscorer who would generate major excitement among supporters.

Celtic set to reignite interest in Brondby's Mathias Kvistgaarden

Per The Daily Record, Celtic are expected to pursue a deal for Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden this summer after previously showing interest in the Denmark Under-21 international across recent windows.

Labelled “superb” by scout/analyst Jacek Kulig, the 22-year-old was subject to interest from the Hoops in January, which his current employers blocked and they have since placed a £13.5 million price-tag on his shoulders.

Mathias Kvistgaarden’s key statistics in 2024/25 – Danish Superliga

Appearances

21

Goals

13

Assists

4

Shots on target

25

Chances created

16

Completed dribbles

17

Non-penalty XG

9.98

Admired by Thomas Gravesen for his ‘skilled’ nature, as cited by the report, he has notched 17 goals and five assists across all competitions in 28 appearances this campaign.

Capable of playing through the middle or on the left flank, Kvistgaarden has the versatility needed to slot into Celtic’s front four with minimal fuss under Rodgers, who will want a degree of flexibility to work with heading into 2025/26.

Now, it remains to be seen if the Hoops can strike a deal for their long-term target amid further interest from the likes of Sporting and Eintracht Frankfurt in his services.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers could reportedly choose to axe some big names at Parkhead at the end of this season, following some recent criticism of his squad.

Rodgers criticises Celtic squad

The Hoops may have thumped Kilmarnock 5-1 at home in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, but that’s not to say that Rodgers is entirely happy about what he is seeing from his players currently.

The 52-year-old was hugely unimpressed with Celtic’s performance in the 1-0 defeat away to St Johnstone last week, making his feeling clear after the game: “Bitterly disappointing. It’s a huge credit to St Johnstone and congratulations to them. For us, poor start to the game, but not the first time and this is something for me that we will look at, certainly in the summer.”

Rodgers clearly hated what he saw in that game, and while some may look at the league table and feel it was an overreaction, with title glory still inevitable this season, it highlights the standards that the Irishman sets.

It could be argued that his strong words after the defeat played a big part in Celtic’s aforementioned thumping of Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Saturday, with his players knowing that a response was required. Now, a new update has emerged regarding the manager’s approach this summer.

Rodgers could axe big Celtic names

According to Football Insider, Rodgers “won’t hesitate to swing the axe” and get rid of some high-profile Celtic players in the summer transfer window.

The individuals in question are said to have had a “sharp decline in form” recently and the Hoops boss could decide that enough is enough once the current campaign reaches its conclusion. Greg Taylor is used as an example in the report, with the left-back linked with an exit earlier this month.

This is undoubtedly a ruthless stance from Rodgers, but arguably one that needs to be taken, given some of the complacency that has been on show of late.

Prior to the win over Kilmarnock, the Hoops had lost three of their previous six Scottish Premiership matches, including a 3-2 defeat at home to Rangers, doing their best efforts to let their rivals back into the title race.

Related Rodgers must ruthlessly axe Kühn to unleash Celtic's "on fire" star

Ahead of Celtic’s Premiership clash with Kilmarnock on Saturday, Brendan Rodgers must drop Nicolas Kühn and start his “on fire” winger instead.

Posts 1 ByBen Gray Apr 12, 2025

While wholesale changes aren’t needed at Celtic this summer, freshening up the squad has to be a priority for Rodgers, as he brings in new faces and gets rid of those he believes have reached the end of their time at Parkhead.

Celtic players out of contract soon

Year contract expires

Greg Taylor

2025

Jeffrey Schlupp (loan)

2025

James McCarthy

2025

Kasper Schmeichel

2026

James Forrest

2026

Johnny Kenny

2026

Scott Bain

2026

Taylor is out of contract at the end of the season, as is James McCarthy, while a decision needs to be made about whether Jeffrey Schupp’s loan move will become permanent or not.