Chelsea have been dealt a disappointing blow in their efforts to sign Viktor Gyokeres with the striker saying he wants to stay at Sporting CP.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Manchester United are interested in signing Serhou Guirassy from Stuttgart in January as the club looks to add competition for Rasmus Hojlund.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Man Utd in contact with Serhou GuirassyWant competition for HojlundCould get striker for a very low feeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
With 15 goals in only eight Bundesliga starts, Guirassy has had an incredible start to the season, propelling Stuttgart into the Champions League discussion. As per The Guardian, the Red Devils are extremely interested in Guirassy's services as the Guinea international's contract with Stuttgart contains a meagre €17.5 million (£15m/$19m) release clause. It is believed that United has been in touch with Guirassy's representatives to discuss a possible transfer after Hojund had a challenging start to his Premier League career and has failed to score or assist in the competition.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Guirassy would be a more seasoned supplement for Hojlund. However, the Guinean attacker could miss a month of club action as he is anticipated to travel to the Africa Cup of Nations in January with Guinea. It has also been reported that Guirassy is on Newcastle's shortlist as Eddie Howe tries to bolster his offensive options. West Ham, Fulham, Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth have all been connected to Guirassy in the past.
DID YOU KNOW?
This season, Guirassy set a new record for goals scored after seven fixtures of a Bundesliga campaign after scoring 13 times, breaking Robert Lewandowski’s landmark of 11 goals
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GUIRASSY?
Erik ten Hag's side are still some way away from actually making a move for the Guinean, if they do decide to do so. Meanwhile, the forward will continue to perform with Stuttgart starting with their weekend clash against Werder Bremen.
Argentina U17 starlet Claudio Echeverri recreated a Lionel Messi-esque finish to complete his hat-trick against rivals Brazil in the U-17 World Cup.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Echeverri recreated Messi's 2012 finish Both players scored a hat-trick in their respective matchesBrazil at the receiving end on both occasions WHAT HAPPENED?
The Argentine U17 starlet scored an incredible hat-trick in a win over Brazil to fire his side into the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Jakarta on Friday. He opened the scoring with a brilliant sole attempt just minutes before the half-hour mark and then doubled the lead in the 59th minute with a tight finish from the edge of the box. Whereas, his third goal was the cherry on the top as it not only helped him complete a hat trick but also closely resembled a 2012 finish of Messi. On both occasions, the forwards dribbled past the keeper and then pushed the ball into an empty net after latching onto a defence-splitting through ball from midfield.
AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIP@ArgentinaTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Echeverri's goal has some other uncanny similarities to Messi's strike over a decade back. Apart from the electric finish, both players wore the No. 10 shirt during their respective matches and Brazil found themselves at the receiving end of such a genius onslaught. In fact, Echeverri's hat trick was the first since Messi's 2012 heroics against their arch-rivals. Back in his homeland, comparisons are already being made with the 2022 World Cup winner but Echeverii believes that his style is more like Pablo Aimar who is a part of the national team staff.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Doc. LOC WCU17/BRYWHAT NEXT FOR ECHEVERRI?
The River Plate starlet will hope to carry on with his rich vein of form in the remaining two matches of the U-17 World Cup and emulate Messi by lifting the trophy in the finale on December 2.
West Indies’ batsmen need to find an answer to teenage legspinner Shadab Khan if they are to keep the series alive
The Preview by Danyal Rasool31-Mar-2017Match factsApril 1, 2017
Start time 12:30 local (16:30 GMT)Will West Indies find an answer to Shadab Khan?•Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty ImagesBig PictureThe 2-0 scoreline may suggest more of the same from the remaining T20 matches this series, but the manner in which Pakistan sneaked over the line in the second game brought the tour to life. It was an encounter West Indies looked to have wrapped up a number of times, only to let it slip through their fingers during a frenetic last over. Even so, West Indies have shown they’re up to the task of challenging the visitors, and on the evidence of Thursday’s showing, a long-awaited limited-overs win against Pakistan might not be far away.The hosts’ primary headache is the lack of form for many of their key T20 players. Lendl Simmons has scored just 21 runs in his last five T20I innings, while Keiron Pollard has not scored more than 26 in a T20I since July 2013, and has a disappointing (by his standards anyway) strike rate of 103.9 since then. Captain Carlos Brathwaite is yet to regain the touch that blasted West Indies to the World T20 title, and the openers lack experience. In addition, the previous game saw one of the worst fielding displays from West Indies in recent times, multiple schoolboy errors gifting Pakistan extra runs in a match they only won by three.Pakistan, for their part, will recognise that they made off with a win they barely deserved, relying heavily on their 18-year old legspinner Shadab Khan, who, besides Wahab Riaz, was the only player to walk away from the game with any credit. Pakistan’s batting is at the same, maddeningly inconsistent level it’s been at for a number of years now, and West Indies have a bowling attack to exploit that weakness. However, with West Indies appearing to have what can only be described as a mental block against Sarfraz Ahmed’s men, Pakistan may walk away with a series win that will, on current evidence, only paper over the cracks.Form guideWest Indies LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWWIn the spotlightThe second T20 was as close to a one-on-one match-up as cricket could hope for, with the result of the match looking like it hinged on the duel between Marlon Samuels and Shadab. After a lean period, which saw the West Indies batsman being dropped from the ODI series against England, he was at his expansive best on Thursday. Imad Wasim went for consecutive sixes in an over Samuels took 19 from, and two cover drives in a Hasan Ali over showed Samuels was as much at home with finesse as he was with force. He looked like he might drag West Indies over the line on his own, and his failure to do so may well see him hungry to make amends in the upcoming encounter.The fire was back in Wahab Riaz’s belly during the second match after a disappointing opener. At the Queen’s Park Oval, Wahab combined the two things that so often fail to go hand in hand for him: raw pace and accuracy. The penultimate over of the West Indies’ innings – bowled by Wahab – was riveting viewing, with the ball at times coming in as fast as 95mph, beating the batsmen for pace. It also accounted for the crucial wicket of Brathwaite, whose presence, as everyone knows now, always means West Indies are always in with a chance. If Wahab can find that sort of performance consistently, he can ensure the hosts have one more thing to worry about.Carlos Brathwaite is yet to regain the touch that fired West Indies to the World T20 title last year•AFPTeam newsWest Indies didn’t make any changes after a dismal performance in the first game, so they are likely to stick with the side that so significantly improved four days later. The only question mark may be over the inclusion of Rovman Powell, who fell for a first-ball duck, with Jason Mohammad a possible replacement. The hosts otherwise named the same 13-man squad for the last two T20s.West Indies (probable): Evin Lewis, Chadwick Walton (wk), Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Keiron Pollard, Rovman Powell/Jason Mohammad, Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, Samuel Badree, Kesrick WilliamsPakistan’s top order was ordinary yet again, but with no obvious replacements, they may stick to the same eleven that edged the second game in Trinidad. However, replacing Kamran Akmal with Mohammad Hafeez might be a possibility, if only for the extra bowling option he gives them.Pakistan (probable): Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal/Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali, Wahab RiazPitch and conditionsThe pitch at the Queen’s Park Oval, as was witnessed during the second T20, is expected to favour the slow bowlers and offer plenty of turn. There is cloud cover expected in the evening, which might offer movement to the faster bowlers, but no rain.Stats and trivia Marlon Samuels has now played 51 T20I innings without ever being dismissed for a duck in the format. Only Angelo Mathews has played more innings (54) in the format without falling for nought. Shadab Khan is only the third player to have won the Man-of-the-Match award in his first two T20Is, after Sanath Jayasuria and Ajantha Mendis.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAsela Gunaratne continued his good form in international cricket•Getty Images
Australia’s “best of the Big Bash League” took Sri Lanka to the final ball. The hosts and their three debutants fought to the finish against the visitors in front of a raucous crowd at the MCG, but a win offered Sri Lanka the chance to wrap up the series at Kardinia Park on Sunday.The Perth Scorchers’ Andrew Tye was left with six runs to defend from the final over, and one from the final ball. Chamara Kapugedara surveyed the ring field then punched the winning boundary through the covers to secure the result. His composure ensured Sri Lanka finished in the ascendant after looking the more likely victors throughout their chase, largely due to a boundary count that outstripped the hosts, 21 to 13.None of Australia’s batsmen were able to go on to substantial scores after Upul Tharanga sent them in to bat, as a spongy pitch and disciplined Sri Lankan bowling denied them the ability to find a domineering rhythm. Sri Lanka’s pursuit was then given the desired fast start by Dilshan Munaweera after Tharanga was dismissed in the first over, and Asela Gunaratne’s nimble half-century guided the tourists to within sight of victory in front of 42,511 spectators, many of them barracking for Sri Lanka.Gunaratne also made a brief but notable contribution with the ball, goading the captain Aaron Finch into a skier after he had appeared the man most likely to produce a truly damaging tally for Australia. The dismissal came two balls after Finch had hammered the biggest six of the night, and 10 runs after Michael Klinger’s long delayed international debut was ended.Lasith Malinga, making his own return from a long absence, bowled tidily and scooped a couple of late wickets, while Seekkuge Prasanna gave up a mere 23 runs from four overs that featured 10 dot balls and should have been rewarded with the wicket of Travis Head – dropped badly by Tharanga at point.Tharanga’s night did not improve when he opened the batting, as he received a perfectly pitched ball going across him from Pat Cummins in the first over and offered a thin edge through to Tim Paine behind the stumps. While the Australians celebrated this wicket with some gusto, they were soon haring about the MCG outfield as Munaweera and Niroshan Dickwella went to work.Their partnership ensured the run rate was not going to be much of an issue, compelling Finch and his bowlers to chase wickets and consequentially offer more scoring opportunities. Adam Zampa delivered his usual handy spell and deserved his two wickets, but oddly Finch did not try his other spin options until introducing Ashton Turner with only a modest equation required.Dilshan Munaweera’s six fours in his quick innings rallied Sri Lanka till the halfway mark•Cricket Australia
Turner’s offbreaks were rewarded by a smart Paine stumping to end Gunaratne’s innings just when he appeared to be coasting home, before a debatable lbw verdict against Milinda Siriwardana closed the gap between the teams. In the end, Kapugedara was left needing a single from the final delivery, an assignment he made light work of with a steely drive for four.Klinger, Turner and Billy Stanlake were all named for their first T20 appearances for Australia but there was no room for Ben Dunk and only three specialist batsmen selected – Finch, Head and Klinger. The visitors included the left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, who was so effective against Australia in the Test series in Sri Lanka last year.Malinga kicked off the evening with his first ball in a full international since February last year, and also bowled the first ball faced by Klinger in an international match no fewer than 19 years after his state debut. The pitch was a little on the sluggish side, but Klinger and the acting captain Finch made a decent start with a smattering of boundaries and hustling between the wickets.They had 76 on the board by the time Klinger tried to tug a Sandakan googly to the leg side and was pouched by Malinga via the resultant top edge. Finch had his eye on a big score as leader, but after depositing Gunaratne’s first ball well into the Great Southern Stand he tried to repeat the trick two balls later against an offcutter and popped another high catch.From there the innings was a sequence of fits and starts, as Head, Moises Henriques, Turner and James Faulkner all offered cameo contributions. However, Prasanna’s spell was particularly tidy, Sri Lanka did well to keep the boundary count down – only seven fours and four sixes in total – and two wickets in successive balls for Malinga in his final over also served to aid the tourists’ ultimately winning cause.
Aston Villa have held talks over a potential deal for Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, according to a recent report from 90min.
Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?
Laporte only received very limited game time in the Premier League last season, making a total of 12 appearances, and he is now being linked with a move elsewhere, with Tottenham Hotspur emerging as potential suitors.
The Spaniard has reportedly told his agents to find him a new club in the upcoming window, with Man City willing to listen to offers, however they would prefer to sell him abroad, rather than to a Premier League rival.
A more recent report details that the defender is unlikely to remain in England, with City unwilling to strengthen their rivals, however that has not stopped Villa from trying their luck.
According to a report from 90min, the Villans have held talks over a potential deal for the 29-year-old, as he wants to leave in the summer to get more minutes, having fallen behind the likes of John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake in the pecking order.
The centre-back could be allowed to leave for £40m, however Villa are not the only Premier League club interested, with Tottenham still eyeing a deal, having finally appointed Ange Postecoglou. Should he miss out on the Man City ace, Unai Emery may also look to reunite with Villarreal's Pau Torres.
Will Aston Villa sign Laporte?
Given that Man City seem unwilling to strengthen any fellow Premier League sides, it seems unlikely that Villa will be able to win the race for the £120k-per-week defender, however he could be an excellent addition to Emery's squad.
Although his game time has been limited this season, the former Athletic Bilbao man has previously demonstrated that he is a top defender at Premier League level, averaging a 7.12 Sofascore match rating in the top flight last term, higher than any Villa defender.
Whenever he has been given the opportunity this season, the Spain international has proven that he is still very much up to the task, averaging the joint-highest amount of aerials won, and the third-best pass-completion rate in the entire squad.
Hailed as "fantastic" by members of the media, Laporte still has a lot left to offer at the top level, and he could be the perfect signing for Villa as they embark on a maiden Europa Conference League campaign next season.
Details about the Brazil squad for the Women's World Cup 2023, including the players who may be included and those who may miss out.
Brazil will be looking for their first-ever World Cup victory at the 2023 edition of the tournament. Since its inception, the South American team has participated in every single edition but has not managed to go all the way yet.
They came closest in 2007 when they reached the final but lost out 0-2 to Germany. In the previous two editions, Brazil were knocked out in the Round of 16 and they will be hoping to go further and script history in 2023.
Head coach Pia Sundhage is set to name the final 23-member squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup on June 27. The squad will be updated once it is officially announced, but who is likely to make the cut? GOAL takes a look.
Any Manchester United move for Neymar this summer will depend on the outcome of their ownership situation, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
What's going on with Man United and Neymar?
Erik ten Hag's side have been linked with a sensational swoop for the 31-year-old, who looks set to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The Brazil superstar will come at a heavy price, with his £941k-per-week wages providing a stumbling block for any team interested, and it would be a significant investment for an injury-prone player.
Speaking on The House of Champions, Romano revealed that United would only be able to move for Neymar once their ownership situation is resolved, and the outcome of the battle will determine whether they indeed move for the forward or not.
"I can confirm and I can say that at the moment, nothing is concrete for Neymar's future, so nothing is happening now, this week or next week, it will take time, "he stated.
"With Manchester United, from what I understand, I saw the reports coming from France, but from what I'm told there is absolutely nothing at this stage with the current ownership.
"We have to wait and see who's going to be, if there is going to be a new owner of Manchester United and, in that moment, what kind of strategy they will have.
"If they want to sign that kind of player, or maybe follow what Erik ten Hag is doing, that may be going on different kinds of player with different kinds of projects. But at the moment between Neymar and Manchester United there is nothing."
Should Man United move for Neymar?
United's top priority this window is to reportedly sign a striker in the mould of a traditional number nine, with Harry Kane a top target.
Although Neymar has proven to be a top-quality goalscorer over his career, and has even chipped in with 18 goals this season, the "special talent" is not an out-and-out number nine that Ten Hag reportedly desires.
His injury problems over the years have held his progress back at PSG, and despite his obvious quality, he may not be worth the heavy financial cost it would incur to sign him.
Marcus Rashford has had a productive season with 30 goals across all competitions, often playing on the left wing, and whilst he could potentially play through the middle with Neymar out wide, United may be better off investing in younger players.
United have failed in the past when it comes to big-name signings, with the likes of Radamel Falcao, Bastian Schweinsteiger and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo encountering problems during their spells at Old Trafford, and Ten Hag may be keen to take the squad in a different direction to avoid previous errors.
Glasgow Rangers delivered arguably their worst showing under Michael Beale as their build-up to the Scottish Cup semi-final couldn’t have gone any worse.
With a clash against Celtic at Hampden next week looking like it could define the Ibrox club's season, the match against Aberdeen on Sunday was the opportunity for some players to lay down a marker and deliver a solid performance, however, the 2-0 defeat suggests otherwise.
Pretty football at times, but this ultimately means nothing if no goals are scored and there were far too many chances blown at Pittodrie as the Dons continued their excellent form.
Fashion Sakala wasted a few opportunities and although the Zambian can be unorthodox and unpredictable at times, which is his greatest strength, against Aberdeen he was wasteful. He did manage to succeed with three dribble attempts, but the end result wasn’t good enough, having just one shot on target during the tie.
Straying offside three times and losing possession 17 times suggests his concentration levels were some way off what is expected, and it was a poor showing all-round from the forward, surprising given how much he has enjoyed playing under Beale.
Alfredo Morelos was arguably the worst player on the pitch for the Gers, however, delivering a woeful performance.
How did Alfredo Morelos play against Aberdeen?
There is no guarantee Morelos will even be at Rangers next season due to his contract expiring in the next few weeks, and his showing yesterday didn’t exactly inspire much confidence that he actually wants to remain at the Light Blues.
His Sofascore rating of 6.2/10 was statistically the worst in the starting XI and having enjoyed previous success over the years at Pittodrie, he looked a shadow of his former self.
The £33k-per-week striker managed 50 touches during the game and completed 33 passes which shows he wanted to play a big part, yet with just one shot on target throughout, his attacking contribution was minimal.
The Colombian didn't succeed with any of his dribble attempts, lost possession 12 times and won only two duels (28%).
With Beale relying on someone like Morelos to make an impact in a feisty encounter like this, the 26-year-old turned out to be a major disappointment, with the vast majority of his teammates not much better.
If this is the final swansong of Morelos’ Gers career, he is fading away rather than going out in a blaze of glory, and that perhaps sums up his final two seasons in Scotland.
HLTCO host Dan Cook has claimed that there must have been "sizeable" issues at Crystal Palace under former boss Patrick Vieira following the club's sudden change in form.
What's the latest on Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace?
In the Premier League this weekend, the Eagles stunned many as they cruised to a 5-1 win against relegation rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.
Indeed, Jordan Ayew stole headlines as he netted a brace, but goals from Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, and Odsonne Edouard helped new manager Roy Hodgson make it two wins from two since returning to Palace.
Considering the club were sliding towards the bottom three, on a run of 12 games without a win, before sacking Vieira, such a quick turnaround in form has been quite remarkable.
Of course, changes at the top often do cause a bit of a new manager bounce but while speaking about it all on the HLTCO podcast, Cook has suggested that something must have been amiss behind the scenes under their former head coach.
He explained (2:04) “I think at this stage, we have to look and say that there cannot have been any smoke without fire. You know, there must have been pretty sizeable things wrong behind the scenes.
"Because the way that Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington have come into the squad and galvanised it, the joy that these players are playing, with the smiles on their faces, the freedom in an attacking sense that we are suddenly seen, is not something you can just click your fingers and cultivate.
"It has to have come because of a release of a pressure valve, because of a difference in the way that the coaches have approached things, because of a structural differentiation when it comes to training and the way that we are going about things.”
How many goals have Palace scored since Hodgson returned?
Hodgson certainly has been in good form in his press conferences after returning to the South London club he managed prior to leaving in the summer of 2021.
Indeed, he eloquently told The Independent about how he and his coaching team must act as "orchestra leaders" to get his players to play hit the right notes and perform with real quality for the rest of the season.
He certainly got things right on the weekend and it does feel as though a weight has been lifted off the Palace squad. Indeed, the Eagles have seven goals in their last two games since Hodgson arrived. Prior to that, they had one in their last five.
That doesn't reflect too well on the now-departed Vieira. No wonder, Cook suspects something was a little off behind the scenes.