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This hasn’t exactly been an easy January for Leeds United to negotiate. Heading into their clash with Newcastle this week, they’d yet to score or win in 2021.

On top of that, they’ve also failed to strengthen in the January transfer window.

On the chalkboard

Fortunately, things are getting better for Leeds. They defeated the Magpies 2-1 on Tuesday and now it looks as though enigmatic left-back Gjanni Alioski is heading for the exit door.

A report from Fotosport (via Sport Witness) claim that with Alioski’s contract expiring in the summer, he has reached an agreement with Galatasaray in Turkey to move there in the next transfer window.

Players are free to discuss a pre-contract arrangement with foreign clubs from this month onwards if their deal expires in six months and thus, it appears the North Macedonian is set to bring his stay at Elland Road to an end.

This wouldn’t be a huge loss for Leeds, however, who are bound to be frustrated with some of his performances. He was torn apart by Manchester United and Daniel James last month while he put in another unconvincing performance against Newcastle this week.

Previously described as a “liability” by Noel Whelan, it’s unlikely he’ll be missed too much in Yorkshire.

The solution

Leeds have had a problem at left-back for a number of years now. Ever since Charlie Taylor departed for Burnley, they have been found wanting in that area of the pitch. Gaetano Berardi deputised there for a period but he has one of the worst disciplinary records in the club’s history, being red-carded on seven occasions.

Stuart Dallas has played there and so too has Alioski. Though, the fact of the matter is that neither are natural left-backs. The former is used to playing on the right while the latter is a winger by trade.

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It’s hard to suggest Barry Douglas’ time worked out either. He’s now at Blackburn on loan and failed to score for the Whites despite being a set-piece wizard for Wolves before arriving.

Thus, there is a pretty large problem to solve – one that can be fixed by signing a proper left-back.

In Josh Doig they could well find that. The Hibernian youngster has been linked with a move to Sunderland, Leeds, Manchester City and Celtic in recent days in a switch that could cost £1m.

Not only would this be a bargain for Victor Orta, but it would also help to replace Alioski perfectly. That’s because they possess similar qualities.

In Goal’s report about Doig this week, they wrote the following about the 18-year-old: “Scouts have noted Doig’s attacking output as a huge part of his game, with his crossing ability and tireless running two of his key attributes.”

That sounds an awful like Alioski, someone who loves to stride forward and provide goals and assists. Fortunately, however, Doig is also very capable defensively.

The teenager was only given his first taste of senior football this season but has since played on 17 occasions in the Scottish Premiership. He has become a regular under Jack Ross and is incredibly strong in the tackle.

Doig has won a colossal 2.1 tackles per game this season, a tally that not only usurps Alioski (1.8) but also a great deal of Leeds’ team. In fact, the Hibs defender would be placed fifth for that certain statistic out of United’s regular starters.

Leeds have lacked a defender with the ability to do the simple things right from a defensive point of view for a while and that’s exactly why they need to sign Doig. Add that to the fact he’d cost just £1m and this would be the perfect deal for Marcelo Bielsa.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien testing positive just about summed up this shambolic season for the Hoops and Neil Lennon.

After a trip to Dubai, the Frenchman returned ill and consequently, 13 players have been told to self-isolate as a precaution.

Guidelines state that anyone deemed to have been in close contact with a contagious individual must stay inside for a period of ten days.

On the chalkboard

As a result of that, it means that Celtic will presumably be without a similar list of names when they play Livingston on Saturday afternoon.

Consequently, we could see the pack shuffled again in terms of their starting XI. The Hoops’ attack was far from convincing against Hibs with just two scoring opportunities from inside the box being fashioned.

It didn’t help either that when the Bhoys got the ball in wide areas, their creativity was lacking. Six times they attempted to deliver a cross but not once did the ball fall to a teammate in green and white.

Mikey Johnstone was a good reason behind that. He failed to put in a single cross all game as Hibs right-back Paul McGinn made four tackles and won seven duels, proving an obstacle at every turn.

In the words of Glasgow Live reporter Chris Doyle, “Hibs dealt with the tricky winger well and he was kept quiet for the most part.” Thus, an immediate change must be made if Celtic want more dynamism in the final third.

Unleash Dembele

It might be a stretch to pin your entire hopes on a 17-year-old talent with just 15 minutes all season but the fact of the matter is that Karamoko Dembele needs to play.

He burst onto the first-team scene at the age of 16 but since then, he hasn’t really been provided with a pathway to regular senior minutes.

It’s bizarre when you consider the immense qualities the teenager possesses. He is a dynamo in wide areas and despite his small stature of 5 foot 6, can beat players for ease.

Dembele has tremendous pace and although he’s relatively unproven, throwing him in against Livi on Saturday would not be a bad idea.

The teenager played the final 11 minutes versus Hibs and to quote Doyle again, he “looked positive.”

That’s the very nature of Dembele. The youngster is always keen to get on the ball and make an impact for his team. Neil Lennon said in 2019: “He’s the type of player that you want at Celtic. He gets the crowd off their feet with his football intelligence.”

There may not be an audience watching on at Parkhead this Saturday but he’s the type of character that will have you gleefully clapping from the sofa in your living room.

Just read what Ruud Gullit had to say about him. The legendary Dutchman once claimed that he “looks pretty special”, revealing the young prodigy “is exceptionally good.”

If having 13 players out through self-isolation doesn’t give you an excuse to play the diminutive winger then nothing will. Now is Dembele’s chance to shine.

AND in other news, Lennon could finally axe Celtic stalwart by signing £300-p/w gem “on top of the world”…

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes it is “amazing” that the Gers are said to be interested in Sampdoria midfielder Jakub Jankto.

Jankto on radar

Reputable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Gers were “so close” to signing 24 year-old Jankto. In the end, though, he ended up staying in Italy.

The fact that the 54-time Scottish champions were linked at all appears to have delighted McLeish. He told Ibrox News:

“It’s amazing to see Rangers getting linked with young international players like this after playing catch-up for four or five years.

“I think that they’ve been pretty studious in terms of the players that are brought in. A lot of them do have young legs and are learning the game but they’ve adapted really quickly.

“A lot of players can come and become a household name in Scotland. You saw Virgil van Dijk come here, spread his wings and go on to be a superstar. 

“But it’s not easy coming to play for Rangers – you have to stand up and be counted.”

Shows how far the Gers have come

Indeed, this is a big boost for the Gers even if they were unable to actually get their hands on the player in the end. Jankto is a player who has 28 caps for the Czech Republic, and has also previously been linked with Italian giants Juventus. The fact that the Gers were even in with a chance is a big statement of what they are trying to achieve at Ibrox.

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Currently valued at £8.55m (Transfermarkt), he would not have come cheap, and after two goals and one assist in six matches in Serie A so far this term for Sampdoria, his current employers may have decided against selling him. This level of player, though, is one the Gers should be targeting on a regular basis if they want to get back to where they belong.

In other news, Rangers fans surprisingly laud this Scotland star.

Tottenham Hotspur target Wout Weghorst has been in fine form since being linked with a move to north London throughout the summer, and now his future is being discussed once again…

What’s the word?

According to German news site SportBuzzer, only one team has a genuine chance of securing Wolfsburg’s 6 foot 6 colossus and that’s Spurs.

The Bundesliga outfit’s managing director also commented on the situation, and said: “If there is a reasonable offer that Wout also considers interesting, then we will sit down and discuss it. That’s how we discussed it when he renewed his contract. But everyone knows that I don’t like doing transfers in winter.”

It is also claimed that it would take around €30m (£27m) to prise him away from the fifth-placed Wolves whilst it remains to be seen if Jose Mourinho will reignite said interest having brought in Carlos Vinicius on loan.

Colossal workhorse

Weghorst is in red hot form and would surely be open to sealing a dream move to the Premier League – he has bagged eight goals in 13 appearances in all competitions with four goals and one assist coming in Wolfsburg’s last three league outings, per Transfermarkt.

Given his sheer presence, he’d be an interesting ‘plan B’ for the Special One, almost in a similar vein to Zlatan Ibrahimovic during his time in charge of Manchester United.

Over the course of his career, the 28-year-old late-bloomer has drawn comparisons to Edin Dzeko, who himself had a pretty productive time in the English top-flight with Manchester City, and Bas Dost, who also has been linked with a move to Spurs in the past.

But perhaps the most intriguing likeness was made by The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein, who wrote: “[Weghorst is] Holland’s taller, chunkier answer to Jamie Vardy — minus the bit with the electronic tag and the Skittles-flavoured vodka — still plays like he’s got a point to prove in every match. He flies into tackles, wins more headers than almost anyone and frequently tops his team’s charts for most distance covered.”

Indeed Daniel Levy could secure Spurs their own Vardy despite the difference in height. Both are clearly goalscorers who always play with that chip on their shoulder.

VfL captain Josuha Guilavogui has lauded Weghorst as “incredible” and “outstanding” whilst fellow teammate Admir Mehmedi once described the man-mountain as “crazy” but in a good way due to his impressive work-rate.

In some ways, that can be compared to Harry Kane this season, who has covered a ton of ground, as per the following SofaScore heat map.

If Mourinho isn’t convinced on Vinicius by January, then it wouldn’t hurt to throw the Dutch powerhouse into the mix, especially given his different skillset.

AND in other news, £35m January swoop by Levy could turn Spurs into genuine title contenders

The 2020/21 Premier League campaign is already shaping up to be a season not quite like any other.

With empty stadiums and the traditionally dominant sides struggling to hit the ground running after shortened summer layoffs, there has been a ridiculous amount of goals in the top-flight this term – 221 scored across seven matchdays.

So amid these incredibly unusual circumstances, which players are flourishing the most?

With that in mind, we bring you GIVEMESPORT’s Fans’ Player of the Month award, this first edition of the season looking back at the first two months of Premier League action.

Browse through our six nominees and then cast your vote below…

The Goalkeepers

Nominee: Karl Darlow

Due to the high-scoring nature of this season, it’s not an ideal time to be a goalkeeper in the Premier League. Only four goalkeepers have kept more than two clean sheets so far, while just ten have recorded more than one and a mere three have done so in 50 percent of their games or more.

Nonetheless, when we look at the saves rankings one name does stand out – Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow. Despite not being first-choice at St. James’ Park, that honour belonging to the injured Martin Dubravka, the 30-year-old is a whopping six saves ahead of any other Premier League goalie this term with 34 in total.

He’s also one of just three goalkeepers to have saved a penalty this season and ranks second for percentage of saves from shots faced, only beaten by Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy.

In fact, the summer signing can count himself a little unfortunate not to make this list; he’s saved all four of the attempts at his goal so far this season, keeping three clean sheets in as many games, but missed out through the sheer fact his Premier League career thus far is limited to 270 minutes of action.

The Defenders

Nominee: Ben Chilwell

While any member of Wolves’ backline deserves an honourable mention for being part of pretty much the only Premier League defence consistently keeping clean sheets right now, tactical evolutions in recent years have obliged us to judge defenders as much on what they can contribute in possession as the protection they provide without the ball.

In that respect, Andrew Robertson is one of the usual suspects with three goal involvements already, while Kurt Zouma has made the net ripple three times with booming headers from corners and Aaron Cresswell’s deadliness from set pieces has resulted in three assists for the Hammers.

Youngster Tariq Lamptey’s been earning rave reviews too for his dynamic displays down Brighton’s right-hand side but our only defensive nominee this time around is Ben Chilwell: as well as producing a virtuoso display on his Premier League debut for Chelsea with a goal and assist against Crystal Palace, he’s been present for all three of the Blues’ clean sheets this term, having conceded six goals in their three games without him.

The England international’s influence is already being felt at Stamford Bridge, looking well worth Frank Lampard’s sizeable summer investment.

The Midfielders

Nominees: Jack Grealish, Mohamed Salah

They say No.10s are going out of fashion – just look at Mesut Ozil’s plummet into obscurity at Arsenal – but Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is nothing if not an epicentre of creativity, flair and netting prowess for the rest of Dean Smith’s side to revolve around.

Throughout the entire of the Premier League, Grealish ranks second for assists and tenth for goals, as well as fourth for dribbles per game and third for key passes per game. He also lays claim to arguably the most exceptional individual performance in the Premier League so far this season, inspiring Villa’s incredible 7-2 romping of Liverpool with two goals and three assists.

Winger-forwards, on the other hand, are very much in vogue and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah remains one of world football’s archetypes. He finished fifth in the Premier League’s scoring rankings last season but appears determined to reclaim the Golden Boot this time out, having thus far netted seven times in as many games. If he can maintain that potency Liverpool will have a great chance of successfully defending the title.

Other midfielders have stood out in the first seven matchdays of the Premier League, albeit not quite enough to earn nominations. Saints skipper and free kick wizard James Ward-Prowse has netted three times while willingly partaking in the midfield dirty work, while Everton’s James Rodriguez is surely the front-runner for signing of the season; in five of his six top flight outings, he’s recorded at least two key passes, dribbles and shots, and that consistent influence has resulted in three goals and three assists.

Should either of those keep it up, they’ll be in with a huge chance of making next month’s nominations.

The Strikers

Nominees: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Far from the days when the constant influx of foreign players was deemed to have significantly impeded the chances of English footballers making it in the Premier League, nine of the 14 players to have scored at least 4 goals this term were in fact born in this country and thankfully for England fans, all but two of those (Jamie Vardy – retired, Wilfried Zaha – declared for Ivory Coast) are available to Gareth Southgate.

Chief amongst those is joint-top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has averaged more than a goal per game with eight from seven outings and is already in sight of eclipsing his Premier League total from last season (13). Whether the 23-year-old’s scoring exploits have staying power remains to be seen, but those tough training sessions with Everton’s iconic-striker-come-assistant-manager Duncan Ferguson are clearly paying off, earning him a nomination for our first awards of the season.

Meanwhile, just when it seemed we all knew everything there is to know about Harry Kane, the England skipper has added another string to his bow, suddenly proving to be as effective a provider as he is a goalscorer.

As well as holding his own in the Premier League scoring charts with six goals, he’s also notched up a division-best eight assists – seven of which have gone straight to Spurs team-mate Heung-min Son, who was unlucky to miss out on a nomination himself as the Premier League’s fellow top scorer alongside Calvert-Lewin.

Vardy, Ollie Watkins and Patrick Bamford all deserve a shoutout for bagging hat-tricks already this season, while Callum Wilson’s electric start to life at Newcastle has somehow slipped under the radar with seven goal involvements in as many games.

But Kane and Calvert-Lewin have been a level above the rest of the class, completing a very competitive opening list of monthly nominees for 2020/21.

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After starting the new Scottish Premiership campaign with a flawless start, Rangers were brought back to Earth somewhat with a hugely disappointing 0-0 draw to Livingston.

Steven Gerrard’s side racked up an incredible 23 shots in total, but only three of them hit the target. The Gers dominated the ball too, registering a whopping 79% possession, but just didn’t have the cutting edge to find that killer goal.

One man who didn’t enjoy the greatest of games in the middle of the park, was Ryan Jack.

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As per Sofascore, the midfielder finished with 128 passes completed, by far the most of anyone on the pitch. But many of those passes were either side-ways or backwards, and there was no real penetration.

Despite having 150 touches of the ball, he only made two key passes in the entire game, whilst he also lost possession 14 times. And after seeing his performance, Rangers fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of fans were particularly strong in their criticism of Jack’s performance, claiming that he is a “waste of a jersey”.

Another couple of supporters took issue with Jack’s decision to play square passes, rather than upping the tempo of a game by moving the ball forward.

When you see much of the ball as Jack did against Livingston on Sunday afternoon, then you simply have to do more with it.

Rangers were crying out for someone to show a bit of ingenuity and class to try and unlock the door, but instead, Jack just slowed the momentum of the game and made everything far too easy for the opposition.

With the transfer window open, it’s an area where Gerrard may look to strengthen this summer.

Celtic’s summer is bound to be quite busy once again. But then again, the Bhoys are always looking to further bolster their squad and maintain that dominance over the Scottish Premier League and the domestic scene as a whole. And now, according to Sky Sports, they are looking to offload Boli Bolingoli and immediately replace him with a new player.

The same source claims that Leeds United’s Barry Douglas is apparently high on their wishlist and we could see them make a move for the new Premier League left-back in the ongoing window.

Of course, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have been promoted to the English top-flight, which may or may not have an effect on Celtic’s potential bid, but new arrivals are surely on the cards.

Interestingly, Sky Sports also say Bolingoli is attracting interest from the Ligue 2 side Amiens and they are offering a loan deal that includes an option to buy at the end of the campaign, for a fee around £2.3m.

It is also worth mentioning that the player himself broke the Coronavirus rules with a trip to Spain without telling anything to the club or to Neil Lennon, leaving them furious with that decision. The papers don’t directly say anything about that potentially being one of the reasons he’s being sold but it’s safe to say he’s not exactly on the manager’s good side anymore.

Verdict

Douglas is a highly experienced player already in his 30s and seeing how he’s had limited opportunities for the Whites in 2019/20, he could indeed be an attainable target for Celtic.

Of course, first, they have to offload Bolingoli but the interest from France seems to be strong enough for them to successfully do that sooner rather than later. On the face of it, it seems like a good deal for all parties involved.

Indeed, the Magpies may soon become one of the richest clubs in the world, and as far-fetched as it may seem, they’ve already been linked to Cristiano Ronaldo by Spanish outlet Don Balon.

However, if the takeover falls through they will be stuck as a mid-table side, and that means the glamour and quality of the likes of Ronaldo won’t be at St James’ Park, and they’ll have to look at some cheaper options.

One man they could look towards is Jacob Murphy, the winger has been out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday this term, and after hitting his eighth league goal of the season fans debated whether or not he has a future at the club.

Despite scoring more league goals than any Magpies player has managed this term, many fans believe that it’s time to cash in on the winger, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t have a point.

The 25-year-old has managed just one goal in 34 Premier League games, and while he seems to be handy at Championship level, he doesn’t seem to have what it takes to play at the top level.

However, others believe that he deserves another chance.

Now, these fans aren’t claiming that he should be the first name on the team sheet anytime soon, but they think he has something to offer as a squad player or off the bench.

To be fair, it seems as though Murphy has improved this season, putting up his best goal tally since 2016/17 in a struggling Sheffield Wednesday side.

Manchester City were reportedly willing to break their transfer record to sign Benfica defender Ruben Dias until the outbreak of coronavirus forced a rethink.

The print edition of Portuguese newspaper Record claimed [via Sport Witness] that the Premier League champions were prepared to spend €100m (£89.57m) on the 23-year-old to trigger his release clause, with Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira declaring that he could have sold two of the club’s players for that amount this summer before the impact of COVID-19 on football clubs’ finances.

Had Manchester City signed him for that amount, it would have been the most expensive acquisition for a player in their history, trumping the current record of £62.6m for Rodri from last summer.

Dias has been ever-present in a Benfica side with the best defensive record in the Portuguese top flight this season, conceding just 14 goals in 24 league matches. He has also chipped in with three goals for the Eagles so far in 2019/20.

The Portugal defender is often composed in possession, with an 88.8% passing accuracy rate, while he averages 2.1 successful headers, 1.3 successful tackles and 2.8 clearances per game (via WhoScored) – beating most of Manchester City’s current centre-back options for those metrics.

The centre of defence is a position where Pep Guardiola has had difficulties this season. Aymeric Laporte has been injured for most of the campaign while both Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones have faced criticism from pundits and supporters respectively over their performances. Indeed, veteran midfielder Fernandinho has been shunted into a centre-back role throughout the season to fill the void.

Manchester City also have the option of teenager Eric Garcia in that position, although the 19-year-old has been the subject of transfer enquiries from Barcelona, as claimed by ESPN.

Considering Dias’ fine record this season and Manchester City’s central defensive woes, the Benfica man would have seemed the perfect addition for the Etihad Stadium outfit this summer were it not for the impact of coronavirus on the transfer market.

Now that the Portugal defender seems out of reach, it has become increasingly important to hold on to Garcia, who has been lauded by many City supporters for his performances so far and who has posted some impressive statistics whenever he has played in the Premier League this season.

Man City fans, how big a blow it is to miss out on Dias? Does that make it all the more vital that they keep Garcia this summer? Share your views in the comments section below!

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo x Botafogo, também conhecido como Clássico da Rivalidade, é um dos confrontos mais antigos do futebol carioca. A rivalidade entre os dois clubes é histórica e remonta a tempos em que o futebol começava a ganhar popularidade no Brasil. Desde o primeiro encontro em 1913, Flamengo e Botafogo já se enfrentaram em diversas competições, sempre com grande intensidade e emoção.

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No total, o Flamengo venceu 143 vezes, enquanto o Botafogo saiu vitorioso em 116 ocasiões. O clássico também registra 124 empates. Em termos de gols, o Flamengo tem vantagem, com 584 gols, enquanto o Botafogo marcou 539 vezes. O Clássico da Rivalidade entre Flamengo x Botafogo é um dos mais tradicionais do Brasil.

A história do Clássico da Rivalidade

O Clássico da Rivalidade, entre Flamengo x Botafogo, tem suas raízes no início do futebol carioca. Flamengo e Botafogo começaram a se enfrentar no começo do século XX, e desde então, a rivalidade cresceu exponencialmente. Um dos momentos mais marcantes desse clássico aconteceu em 1989, quando o Botafogo quebrou um longo jejum de títulos estaduais ao vencer o Flamengo por 1 a 0, em uma final memorável.

continua após a publicidadeQuem venceu mais entre Flamengo x Botafogo?

O Flamengo tem uma vantagem no histórico do clássico, com 143 vitórias, enquanto o Botafogo venceu 116 vezes. Os 124 empates mostram o equilíbrio desse confronto, que é sempre marcado por jogos muito disputados.

Estatísticas do Clássico da Rivalidade

Os números do Flamengo x Botafogo revelam a competitividade entre as duas equipes:

Vitórias do Flamengo: 143
Vitórias do Botafogo: 116
Empates: 124
Gols do Flamengo: 584
Gols do Botafogo: 539

A importância de Flamengo x Botafogo

O Clássico da Rivalidade, entre Flamengo x Botafogo, é mais do que um simples jogo de futebol. Ele é um confronto que mexe com a paixão de torcedores de ambos os lados e sempre proporciona grandes momentos. Seja em uma final de campeonato ou em uma partida da fase de grupos, Flamengo e Botafogo sempre protagonizam duelos emocionantes. O clássico é uma celebração do futebol carioca e uma demonstração de como a rivalidade pode ser intensa e emocionante.

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