Rangers have completed two off-the-pitch deals ahead of what they hope will be a big summer ahead for the Ibrox side, and both concern individuals with key off-field roles.

Gers excellent on the pitch

On the pitch, Rangers are enjoying an excellent campaign under impressive boss Philippe Clement.

Currently second in the Scottish Premiership, they sit just a point behind their Old Firm rivals, but have a game in hand on Brendan Rodgers' side, and will move back into top spot should they emerge victorious against Hibernian this afternoon.

Scottish Premiership race

Pos

Team

Played

GD

Points

1

Celtic

30

+48

71

2

Rangers

29

+48

70

Led by the best defence in the division, Ibrox still has to play host to an Old Firm derby, which could prove pivotal in deciding whether the title eventually ends up with Rangers or with arch-rivals Celtic once more.

There are question marks for the summer, though, with a host of stars out of contract at the end of the season and loanee Fabio Silva likely to be too expensive to keep on a permanent basis barring a major change in transfer stance from parent club Wolves.

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Rangers might be in a spot of bother if this comes to fruition.

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With wholesale changes seemingly inevitable, Rangers have already moved to head them off at the pass.

Looking ahead

This comes as Rangers have confirmed two new arrivals at board level.

James Taylor has arrived to take up the role of Chief Financial Officer, while Creag Robertson has also stepped onto the board, being appointed the Ibrox outfit's new Director of Football operations.

As per Football Insider, Rangers have moved fast to install the new members ahead of what they anticipate to be 'a busy summer transfer window' in Glasgow. It is added that "both directors are expected to play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of the club, including input to their transfer strategy this summer," which could see a change in targets identified between now and the end of the campaign.

The positions are likely to be the same, though, and Philippe Clement will be hoping that a central midfielder will be top of the list given the impending expiring contracts for Ryan Jack and midfield general John Lundstram.

A left-back is also a priority, with long-term defender Borna Barisic also set to become a free agent at the end of the season as it stands.

Meanwhile, Fabio Silva will have to be replaced, while reports suggest that the club are already keen to cash in on Sam Lammers, who is spending the second half of the season on loan in the Netherlands.

Football Insider adds that should Rangers prove successful this season, their transfer kitty is 'expected to inflate' as a result of qualification for the first phase of the new-look Champions League, which will be bigger than ever as a result of the revamped format, with UEFA pledging to hand out at least £2bn in prize money.

With or without Champions League football, there will be plenty for the new directors to sort out ahead of the new season should Rangers remain competitive into 2024/25.

It's been another rough season for the Chelsea faithful this year, as their summer spending hasn't translated to any improvements on the pitch.

After their win over Newcastle United, Mauricio Pochettino's side are still in 11th place in the Premier League and look miles off European qualification.

However, while several of the team's stars have seen their stock fall over the campaign, Conor Gallagher's has risen.

The talented midfielder is one of the few players at the club who has given his everything to the team this year, although a former Blues star is currently outscoring him away from West London.

Conor Gallagher's transfer valuation in 2024

A boyhood Chelsea fan, Gallagher has taken on a lot of responsibility under Pochettino this season despite it being just his second campaign of regular football at Stamford Bridge.

The Epsom-born gem has made 37 appearances for the first team this year, scoring four goals and providing seven assists, including the winner against bitter rivals Leeds United in the FA Cup last month.

However, with Reece James and Ben Chilwell missing large chunks of the campaign through injury – again – the 24-year-old has captained the team on 17 occasions.

Gallagher's recent form and growing importance to the Blues has seen his valuation significantly increase over the last few months.

Appearances

45

37

Goals

3

4

Assists

1

7

Goal Involvements

0.08

0.29

According to Football Transfers' Expected Value model, the 6-foot ace was worth just €27m – about £23m – in October but is now worth around €39m, which is about £33m.

However, a player the club let go in the summer is now worth even more and has outscored the Englishman this year.

Christian Pulisic's transfer valuation after leaving Chelsea

American international Christian Pulisic signed for Chelsea in January 2019 for around £58m, although he spent the rest of that season in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.

The Hereshey-born superstar made a promising start to life in the capital in the 2020/21 season, ending the campaign with six goals and four assists before improving the following season with eight goals and five assists.

However, for as good as he looked when on the pitch, the 5 foot 10 maestro couldn't remain fit, and over his four years in England, he missed 65 games for club and country before he was eventually sold to AC Milan last summer for just £20m, a staggering £38m loss.

2019/20

17

172

2020/21

16

111

2021/22

19

71

2022/23

13

59

Now, moving from one of the biggest clubs in England to arguably the biggest club in Italy was a move that could have quickly gone wrong for the USMNT star, but so far, it hasn't.

In the eight months since his move, the natural "leader", as Jurgen Klinsmann dubbed him, has made 37 appearances, scored ten goals, and provided seven assists, even though he's missed six games through injury. That's a great deal better than Gallagher, even if Pulisic is playing in a more advanced role on the field.

The resurgence of the 25-year-old "magician", as described by sports writer Al Butler, has unsurprisingly sent his value soaring as well.

According to Football Transfers' Expected Value model, the 64-capped international was worth just €29m – £25m – in October but is now worth a whopping €52m, which is about £44m and £11m more than the aforementioned Gallagher.

A striker who Chelsea released is now worth even more than Nkunku

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Ultimately, it made sense for Chelsea to sell Pulisic when they did due to his injuries and deteriorating form. Still, with how well he's since played in Italy, it would have been interesting to see what Pochettino might've been able to get out of him over the course of a season. After all, one of the men tasked with replacing him in Mykhailo Mudryk has also scored fewer this term (6).

Warner and Joe Burns believe their opening stand at the Gabba will be the resumption of a beautiful friendship

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane22-Nov-2019David Warner and Joe Burns believe their commanding 222 opening stand against Pakistan at the Gabba will be the resumption of a beautiful friendship, after a previously promising union was effectively broken up by the wiles of Sri Lanka’s spinners as far back as 2016.Always comfortable in each other’s batting company, Warner and Burns were strong partners in 2015-16, including another major stand against New Zealand in Brisbane, before they were split up and left with plenty of challenges, culminating in Burns’ extended time out of the team and Warner’s ban in 2018. They were almost reunited for this year’s Ashes series, but the belated union at the Gabba instantly showed why they had so enjoyed providing starts for Australia in the past.Warner was hopeful that this time around he and Burns would be given an extended run as partners, both for this home summer and the challenges beyond it.Getty Images

“Yes is the answer. I reckon I threw the toys out of the cot a lot there as well, that was a challenging series for a lot of us,” Warner said of Sri Lanka in 2016 when Burns was dropped. “But look the success we’ve had together, especially here at home has been fantastic, and as Joe said before, we just have this energy about us when we’re out there, we communicate a lot, we’re always talking about cricket, even though we probably wouldn’t want to talk about it but we do.ALSO READ: Warner thrives on home comforts and positive thinking”But the most important thing is rotating strike. When we do that well, it’s hard for bowlers to put it on the spot all the time when you’re doing that. I know I try to achieve that when we’re out there, if I can’t get the ball away or it’s got to be respected, I try and tuck it in on the leg side or we drop and run. A lot of the fielders hang [back] a little bit, especially when I’m on strike, so I’m always looking around for that drop and run, and I know he looks to get off strike as well. Knowing each other’s roles when we’re out there, we do that very well. We did it the other day in the nets, we had a good half-hour session where we said we’re going to run if we think there’s a run and rotate it six balls.”For his part, Burns stated that the combination of a left-hand batsman and a right-hand batsman was always useful, in addition to a good feel for each other’s batting tendencies. “I think the left-hand, right-hand certainly helps, and I’ve always said batting with Dave is really easy,” Burns said. “You get down the non-striker’s end, you look up and the scoreboards’ ticking along, there’s no pressure to score. I think the biggest thing for me is just the engagement we have, we’re always talking about how the bowlers are trying to bowl, where we can score, where the threats are.”When you have a combination like that with your partner, you lean on your partner during the tough times, and as the innings develops there’ll be scoring opportunities for each of us. I think we saw that today, the Gabba can be a great place to bat once you get in, and if the bowlers are missing their areas, and left-hand, right-hand certainly helps with that.”The way we prepare as well, having someone who’s been there and done it, someone to talk to about how they’re going to go about their preparation and walking out into battle with them makes it a lot easier. You’d be silly not to lean on guys in our team who have the experience and success that guys like Davey has had.”Reflecting on his time out of the team, Warner noted how it had given the likes of Burns, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne the start to gain a foothold in the team, while also granting him a physical and mental break from the treadmill of international cricket.”It was obviously fantastic [to be back] – on the other hand it was a great opportunity for other guys to step up and show what depth Australian cricket has and I was chuffed for this guy next to me to get some runs and play the way he did,” Warner said of Burns. “He was unlucky not to get selected in the Ashes touring group, but to come out here and put that on the board and have that time off to reflect, and just get away from the game.”There’s a lot more to life than just cricket and I really loved the time I spent at home with my family. You don’t get that when we’re travelling all the time. You come home, sometimes you’re not in form and you can throw the toys out of the cot and that can hinder your relationships. But for me it was a level grounding and I really enjoyed that time off. Obviously I’m back now and I’ve got to keep working hard and keep being respectable of the game, because it can bite you in the backside very fast.”Burns, too, had faced time away from the national team, and had won respect from several key observers by responding to his omission from the Ashes squad by taking a European holiday and returning fresh and ready for the home season. His northern summer and a contract with Lancashire had been broken up by a case of post-viral fatigue.”I don’t think you really have much choice,” he said of not sulking over his non-selection. “Selections come and go in this game, there’s so many games you play these days that you’ve just got to make sure you’re making runs. There’s always a training session around the corner, always a game to play around the corner. I came home, got stuck into pre-season with the Queensland boys and wanted to hit the ground running with three Shield games at the Gabba, which I knew was going to be tough work and just wanted to be batting well.”I knew if I was batting well there’d be opportunities there. It was great to watch the boys on TV playing in the Ashes, obviously you get left out and of course you want to be there trying to help out in any way you can, but I knew my job was to make sure if I was called upon in the home summer that I was ready to go. Tried to use that as my motivation and get stuck into it.”It’s a very bitter feeling getting bowled around your legs on 97 by a legspinner at the Gabba. But I was really satisfied with how I batted, felt like I did a lot of things right and I know if I bat more often than not, hopefully it equates to plenty more runs. I’ll just try to be better in the 90s next time and go and bat all day and come out tomorrow and do it all again. Look at Davey, he finished 150 not out, those are the sorts of innings that win Test matches.”

The Strikers are looking to bounce back from a poor season and all eyes will be on AB de Villiers when he joins the Heat

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-2019Adelaide StrikersCaptain: Travis HeadCoach: Jason GillespieOverseas players: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Phil Salt (England)Full squad: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Rashid Khan, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Liam O’Connor, Phil Salt, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Cameron White, Nick Winter, Harry ConwayLast season: 7thThe Strikers went from champions to second from bottom in a campaign that never really got off the ground with a four-game losing streak mid-season ending their hopes of a successful title defence.What’s changed for the season?Gillespie has used his Sussex knowledge to bring in top-order batsman Salt, who briefly featured in the England T20I squad earlier this year. Ben Laughlin, a long-time part of the Strikers attack, has moved to the Brisbane Heat for family reasons, with Harry Conway coming into the squad. Cameron White, in what is likely to be the final fling of his career, brings winning experience from the Melbourne Renegades.Australia impactHead and possibly Michael Neser will be featuring in the Test side until early January, and Alex Carey will be lost to the ODI tour India mid-tournament. There is a chance that if Neser remains in the Test squad he could be released for BBL duty if not needed against New Zealand.Player to watchWes Agar has been bowling very well in Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield cricket this season and, after just two matches for the Strikers last summer, could get greater opportunity in this campaign particularly with the departure of Laughlin and if Neser is on Australia duty.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Rashid Khan’s form might have dipped in other T20s and ODIs in 2019 but his performance in the Big Bash is extraordinary. In the last two seasons, Rashid has taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 5.93 and 45% of his deliveries are dots.AB de Villiers unleashes while down on one knee•Getty ImagesBrisbane HeatCaptain: Chris LynnCoach: Darren LehmannOverseas players: Tom Banton (England – first eight games), AB de Villiers (South Africa – expected from January 9), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)Full squad: Tom Banton, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, AB De Villiers (overseas replacement), Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Zahir Khan, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Laughlin, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, James Pattinson, James Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (overseas replacement)Last season: 5thThey had a lot of hype about them but failed to fire, missing the finals by a game. Their much-vaunted top order made a lot of bright starts but fizzled out quickly and the order was chopped and changed throughout the tournament. They saved their best work for the last two games with two magnificent chases but it was too little too late.What’s changed for the season?A new coach and a few new bash brothers. Darren Lehmann, who led the Heat to the title in BBL02, takes charge again after Daniel Vettori stepped down. The signing of AB de Villiers and Tom Banton made a huge stir. They will play half the tournament each with de Villiers available for the finals. The Heat have the best batting line-up in the BBL but historically the best bowling teams have won the tournament and they will need to bowl well. Laughlin’s return to Queensland from the Strikers having won a title in Adelaide is a nice addition.Australia impactJames Pattinson’s availability early in the tournament is subject to his Test duties but he could play more games than the Heat had planned for, given the form of Australia’s incumbent Test quicks. Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne will be unavailable in the early part of the tournament but both may even struggle to get a game for the Heat given the batting depth. It is unlikely many Heat players will head to India with the ODI team, although Labuschagne was named joint player of the Marsh Cup and Australia may want to look at him in a second format if they experiment with the side.Player to watchMax Bryant is the obvious choice. He has so much potential but capitalising on starts and finding consistency as a young player is his biggest challenge. He has had a lean season in 50-over cricket for Queensland but a couple of early scores in the BBL and he could go have a huge tournament.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Tom Banton comes into this competition with very high expectations. Out of the 41 players to have faced 200 balls in powerplays in 2019, Banton has the best strike rate of 160. He scores big and at a brisk pace. The Gabba pitch could be perfect for Banton to showcase his skills.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians teve duas novidades em sua reapresentação, nesta quinta-feira (3), o volante Xavier e o atacante Cauê foram liberados pelo Departamento Médico e reforçaram a atividade já pensando no duelo contra o América-MG, neste domingo (6), pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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O volante estava se recuperando de uma lesão na parte posterior da coxa direita e ficou de fora dos últimos cinco jogos do Timão.

Já o atacante, estava tratando um trauma no tornozelo direito sofrido há duas semanas, na vitória corintiana por 4 a 0 sobre o River Plate (PAR), pela última rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana, em Itaquera, e perdeu os dois últimos compromissos – ambos contra o Atlético-GO, um pelo Brasileirão, com derrota por 1 a 0, no último domingo (30), pela primeira rodada da competição, e o outro nesta quarta-feira (2), perdendo por 2 a 0, pelo jogo de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

A dupla ficará à disposição de Sylvinho pela primeira vez desde a chegada do novo treinador.

It hasn't been the best of seasons for the Manchester United faithful, but the victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals has given the Red Devils a real chance of lifting a major trophy for the second year running.

It wasn't a vintage performance from Erik ten Hag's side, but the drive and desire to get one over their biggest rivals was obvious, and it serves as encouragement that this team can play better than they have for much of the campaign.

That said, there were a couple of notable players, including Alejandro Garnacho, who were genuinely impressive and are now surely undroppable for the rest of the season.

Alejandro Garnacho's performance against Liverpool

The young Argentine started the game against the Reds on Sunday afternoon, and while such an occasion might be too overwhelming for most 19-year-olds, Garnacho looked like he was thriving with the pressure, as he so often does.

The Madrid-born gem looks as if he was made for games such as the one on Sunday, and the fact he has already scored or assisted against Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds United over the last two years is a testament to that.

In his 120 minutes of action on Sunday, the 5 foot 11 winger provided one assist, took 54 touches, played five key passes, completed both of his long balls and drew two fouls.

However, while the stats can tell some of the story, they can't tell it all, and while he didn't score, the former Atlético Madrid prospect was comfortably United's most dangerous attacker, which is an opinion shared by GOAL's Richard Martin, who awarded him a 9/10 on the day, writing that he 'ran his heart out and dug deep in defence when needed.'

In all, Garnacho proved yet again that he is one of, if not the biggest, attacking threats at the club, and so long as he is fit to play, Ten Hag must select him, alongside another youngster, that is.

Kobbie Mainoo's growing importance

Kobbie Mainoo was one of the other stars of the show on Sunday afternoon and one of the few bright spots from United's season.

The 18-year-old academy gem started alongside Scott McTominay in the middle of the park, and while the Scotsman scored, the Englishman was far and away the better player.

GOAL's Martin awarded the youngster an 8/10 on the day, claiming that he was 'a class act' and that his performance was 'further proof that he can step up against the top opponents,' a trait he shares with his Argentine teammate.

In his 80 minutes of action, the "special talent", as described by football creator Liam Canning, took 57 touches, played one key pass, was successful in all four of his dribbles, won seven of his ten duels, made three interceptions and made two tackles.

However, perhaps what was most impressive about the talented teen's performance against Liverpool and in plenty of others this season, for that matter, is his ability to remain extraordinarily calm on the ball regardless of his surroundings.

This brilliant attribute was highlighted by teammate Rasmus Højlund last month, in the aftermath of United's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he said: "You can see his composure, he is so relaxed on the ball. So much quality on the ball."

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Ultimately, in Mainoo and Garnacho, it looks like the Red Devils have two superstars in the making, and as such, Ten Hag must give them as much game time as he can, and they might just end the campaign with some silverware.

Leeds United, when owned by Massimo Cellino, were nothing short of a non-stop circus with a constant managerial merry-go-round in West Yorkshire and a whole host of flops entering and leaving Elland Road in a flash.

One of the most bewildering transfer windows under Cellino's ownership would come about in the summer before the 2014/15 campaign kicked off, with the likes of forgotten Whites figures Giuseppe Bellusci and Souleymane Doukara joining from Italy alongside a then fresh-faced Liam Cooper arriving from Chesterfield.

There was another notable dud that Leeds fans might have forgotten about from this rollercoaster time in the club's recent history, however, who was being lined up to stay in England on a permanent deal for £3m if his time went swimmingly after an initial loan.

Instead, the now 29-year-old attacking midfielder in question finds himself lost to the Whites history books having made just 13 appearances in total during a strange loan switch.

Adryan's time at Leeds

Once described as being the 'new Zico', it's fair to say Adryan never quite managed to live up to that outrageous label whilst with Leeds and failed to really ever get to the same heights of the South American great's illustrious career after his whirlwind time at Elland Road was up.

The tag mainly came about due to Adryan's expertise at deftly scoring free-kicks mirroring that of Zico's, with his reputation in the game enough for Cellino to gamble on signing him.

Joining as a statement signing financed by the controversial Cellino, the Brazilian midfielder failed to ever spark into life in his new English surroundings after starring in his native country for Flamengo.

In Brazil, Adryan would garner a reputation for being a skilful and unpredictable threat on the ball who always attempted to weave his way through a swarm of opposition bodies to create something.

That would see the diminutive 5 foot 9 creator pick up two goals and five assists from 45 appearances for Flamengo, before joining Cagliari first in a trio of topsy-turvy loan switches.

Adryan would struggle in Italy making just five appearances for the Serie A outfit before returning home, only for the tricky midfielder's bad luck away from South America following him to Leeds.

1. GK – Marco Silvestri

2. RB – Gaetano Berardi

3. CB – Giuseppe Bellusci

4. CB – Jason Pearce

5. LB – Stephen Warnock

6. RM – Alex Mowatt

7. CM – Rodolph Austin

8. CM – Tommaso Bianchi

9. LM – Lewis Cook (Adryan)

10. ST – Mirco Antenucci

11. ST – Souleymane Doukara

Adryan would manage to make double the appearances he managed in Italy relocating to West Yorkshire, but that's not to say the transition to EFL football went swimmingly for the slick midfielder.

It would take until October of his much-talked-about loan spell for Adryan to get any minutes in a Leeds shirt, drafted in to play 27 minutes against Rotherham United in place of Lewis Cook.

The hyped-up Brazilian would only manage 12 more games for Leeds before heading back to Flamengo after this substitute appearance versus the Millers, only registering two assists and going goalless throughout.

His forgettable spell in England is more well known for the above incident against Derby County, going down theatrically after being caught by Rams man Johnny Russell rather innocuously.

The prospective £3m deal that was on the cards would never come to fruition as a result of Adryan flopping at Elland Road, with the 5 foot 9 man becoming somewhat of a nomad elsewhere in his intriguing career since.

The Brazilian midfielder did manage to breathe some life back into his career right after waving Leeds goodbye, however, putting his Whites demons to one side by going on to star in France and Switzerland.

Adryan's career after leaving Leeds

Adryan would go on to line up for FC Nantes directly after Leeds, ending up finally succeeding away from parent club Flamengo in the process.

The now 29-year-old would bag seven goals from 30 appearances playing in Ligue 1, helping himself to a further two assists also along the way.

It would be with FC Sion however – after leaving behind Flamengo permanently – where Adryan would begin to thrive and excel with seven goals scored from just 18 games during his debut campaign at the Swiss employers.

Yet, even with the Brazilian managing another seven the next season to take his goal tally to an impressive 14 from 49 games played, Adryan would begin to hunt for a new home again when loaned away various times from Sion.

The enigmatic former Leeds man's varied career path even saw him reunite with Cellino at Brescia last year, the divisive ex-Whites chairman utilising his past connections to sway the well-travelled Brazilian to stop off in Italy again.

Yet, that move saw Adryan score just one goal from nine games with the South American then being chucked.

Now, the 29-year-old – who went on trial at Hibernian in January – will look to shake off his journeyman tag back in his native Brazil with ABC Futebol Clube after failing to ever really reach the heights expected him wherever he's ended up.

Adryan's next move

The one-time £3.8k-per-week Whites dud fell victim to the hype that surrounded him early into his career, undoubtedly going down as a waste of money and time from a Leeds perspective among many other flops in the Cellino era.

Now, however, Adryan – who is yet to make an appearance for any club in 2023/24 – will hope he can remain grounded back on home soil and get back to loving his football after relocating non-stop from club to club during his turbulent career.

There won't be any bad blood between the Whites and Adryan now however, with Adryan's stay in West Yorkshire now just put down as a lasting memory from a bemusing time period in the club's recent history.

That span of time arguably looks even more comical now, when compared to the stability and success of Daniel Farke and Co in the present.

Leeds played a blinder with exit of £1.5m man who's now in League Two

The Whites struck gold in hindsight when they raked in money for his services as a teenager.

ByDan Emery Apr 4, 2024

أكد وليد سليمان لاعب الأهلي السابق والمشرف على قطاع الناشئين بالقلعة الحمواء، أن إحتفالية التتويج بدرع الدوري كانت من أسباب خسارة لقب السوبر الإفريقي، مشددًا على أن إمام عاشور أفضل لاعب في مصر خلال الفترة الحالية.

وكان الأهلي قد خسر لقب كأس السوبر الإفريقي للمرة الثانية تواليًا بعد أيام من إقامة احتفال التتويج بدرع الدوري المصري الممتاز 2023-2024.

وقال سليمان في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “إم بي س مصر: “محمد رأفت لاعب جيد ومجتهد مواليد 2005 ومتواجد في الأهليمنذ أن أتيت مع خالد بيبو وهو موقع عقد مع الأهلي مثله مثل زملائه”.

وليد سليمان: أبو تريكة نصحني بالاعتزال.. وسواريش أضعف مدير فني تولى تدريب الأهلي

وأضاف: “واتصعد للفريق الأول أكثر من مرة بطلب من مارسيل كولر وعقده ممتد حتى عام 2028، غير صحيح أن عقده ينتهي هذا الموسم”.

وأردف: “الأهلي خاض 3 بطولات في اقل من شهر وبطولات مختلفة وهذا أمر صعب جدًا، وإذا كنت سأختار بطولة لا أخسرها فستكون السوبر الإفريقي والإنتركونتيننتال، لأن السوبر المصري سبق وفزت به 14 مرة”.

وأوضح: “كان يجب أن يتعرض الفريق لصدمة حتى يستفيق، حدثت في الموسم الماضي بخسارة السوبر الإفريقي أيضًا ثم تفوق الفريق من بعده، وإذا كان فاز الأهلي بالسوبر الإفريقي هذا الموسم كان الفريق سيسقط في بطولة أخرى”.

وتابع: “من أسباب خسارة السوبر الإفريقي احتفالية الدوري التي أقيمت قبل المباراة، تسببت في تفكيك اللاعبين بعض الشيء، كان يجب أن تحدث هذه الخسارة حتى يستفيق اللاعبين لن تكون كل مواجهة سهلة، اللاعبون دخلوا المباراة وكأنهم فائزون والروح العالية، ولم تحترم الفريق مثل كل مباراة”.

وأكد: “أرتب لمباراة اعتزالي وجلست مع  محمود الخطيب ومحمد رمضان منذ فترة، ووارد أن تقام المباراة في السعودية أو الإمارات”.

واستكمل: “إمام عاشور لاعب مختلف عن المتواجدين في مصر بمركزه، ووسام أبو علي مهاجم مختلف وهداف مزعج للمدافعين ولا يستسلم، هو مهاجم محترم جدًا، والابتعاد عن الإصابات أهم شيء من أجل الاستمرارية”.

واستطرد: “جونيور أجاي من أفضل اللاعبين الافارقة الذين لعبوا في الأهلي وبيرسي تاو لاعب قوي جدًا وصاحب إمكانيات جبارة ولكنه (مزاجنجي) يحب أن يدلل”.

واستأنف: “مارسيل كولر مدرب ذكي وشاطر وخلال وقت قليل حقق أرقامًا جيدة جدًا، ويعمل على التفاصيل الصغيرة أهم من الكبيرة، وممكن يتخطى أرقام مانويل جوزيه”.

وكشف: “مباراة منتخب مصر وغانا الأسوا في مسيرتي الكروية، وأكثرما أحزنني في مسيرتي اتهامي أنني لاعب مؤذي، بالرغم من تراجع البعض عن هذا الاتهام بعد اعترالي”.

وأتم: “رفضت الانضمام ليراميدز مقابل عرض مادي مغري، خلال فترة التأسيس ووقتها كان عقدي بينتهي مع النادي الأهلي، وإمام عاشور اللاعب الأفضل في مصر محليًا إمام عاشور، وعبد الله السعيد كان يستحق الاستمرار في النادي الأهلي”.

واختتم: “محمد أبو تريكة ومحمد بركات وعماد متعب أفضل اللاعبين الذين تزاملت معهم في الأهلي وتأثرت باعتزالهم”.

Galatasaray have targeted a move for midfielder Kalvin Phillips following his return to Manchester City, according to a report.

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Phillips was on loan at West Ham last seasonReturned to City ahead of 2024-25 campaignGalatasaray interested in deal for midfielderWHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Galatasaray are interested in a deal to sign Phillips, who is seen as expendable by City. He was loaned to West Ham last season but his spell at the club ended in disaster, as he made just three starts in the Premier League. There have been rumours of interest from Everton but Phillips is said to be open to continuing his career abroad.

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Roma, RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg are all said to be interested in Phillips, and Galatasaray have now joined the queue. The club are preparing for the Champions League again this season and had targeted Scott McTominay, but saw a bid rejected.

DID YOU KNOW?

Phillips has played just 31 times for City, with a mere six of those being starts. Given that City paid £45 million ($52m) to secure his signature, they are facing up to a huge loss.

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City play Chelsea in their final pre-season friendly before playing Manchester United in the Community Shield. They will then face Chelsea again in their Premier League opener. It remains to be seen if Phillips will still be part of the squad by then.

Jack Grealish got clicked with legendary former Brazilian footballer Kaka during Manchester City's pre-season tour in the United States.

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• Grealish caught up with Kaka
• Man City take on Barcelona on Tuesday
• Winger working hard to regain form in 2024/25 season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After playing their first two pre-season friendly matches in North Carolina and New York respectively, the reigning Premier League champions have now moved to Orlando, Florida where they are scheduled to take on Barcelona on Tuesday. Ahead of facing the Catalan giants, City star Grealish caught up with Brazil and Real Madrid legend Kaka after a training session as the winger clicked a photograph and shared it on social media.

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• WHAT JACK GREALISH SAID

  The England international took to Instagram where he uploaded his photo with Kaka as a story and wrote in the caption, "What a legend. What a player @kaka."

  Jack Grealish Instagram

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Grealish endured a difficult 2023-24 campaign for the Cityzens as he managed to score just three goals and provided as many assists in 36 appearances across all competitions. His poor form led to Gareth Southgate dropping him from the 26-member England squad that finished runners-up in the recently concluded Euro 2024. The 28-year-old, however, is using the national team snub to motivate himself to elevate his performance in the upcoming 2024/25 season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  After facing Hansi Flick's side, Pep Guardiola's men will play their final friendly in the U.S. against Chelsea on August 3 before they return to England and take on Manchester United in the Community Shield on August 10.