Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca is "on the brink" of completing a summer loan move to Real Betis, according to reliable journalist James Marshment.
When did Marc Roca join Leeds?
The Whites’ defensive midfielder only arrived at Elland Road from Bayern Munich last summer and impressed during his debut season in the Premier League, as he was a regular feature across the reigns of Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce, making 36 appearances, but his future is currently up in the air.
Following relegation, the Yorkshire outfit are expected to lose a number of their top players who will likely want to return to the top-flight or join a competitive club overseas rather than remaining in the Championship, one of those being Brenden Aaronson, who is reportedly on the verge of securing a temporary switch to Union Berlin.
The Spaniard could be about to follow in his footsteps after Diario De Sevilla claimed that he’s already told his closest circle of friends that he wants to leave despite still having another three years remaining on his contract, and it appears that he’s been putting in the work ready for his next move.
Mundo Deportivo have revealed that the 26-year-old has, over the past few days, been training alone in order to try and get into the best shape possible ready to link up with his new squad, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like he’s on his way to his homeland.
Is Roca leaving Leeds?
Taking to Twitter, Marshment revealed that Leeds are set to lose Roca imminently as he closes in on an initial temporary exit, though it's worth noting there's likely to be a clause included in the deal that means he could leave for good. He wrote:
"Leeds midfielder Marc Roca is on the brink of sealing his move to Real Betis, signing on a season's loan with a view to a permanent move. The midfielder, 26, will take a drop in wages to leave Elland Road and secure a return to LaLiga."
Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca.
Should the 49ers keep or sell Roca?
Leeds signing Roca from a club like Bayern Munich shows just the calibre of player he is and it’s fair to say that he got off to a flying start in England, having been hailed as “excellent” by journalist Josh Bunting. The 49ers retaining the defensive midfielder’s services should be a no-brainer of a decision to make – even if it simply means cancelling the permanent clause.
The Promoesport client, who’s naturally left-footed, won 40 out of his 66 tackles made last season so he clearly wasn’t afraid to get stuck in to try and win back possession for his team, but he was also an extremely positive influence driving forward.
Elland Road’s £50k-per-week earner recorded two assists and one goal and picked out 76 crosses to his fellow teammates, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef, highlighting his desire to create chances, so when you consider this alongside the fact that he has the versatility to operate in six different positions, the thought of him departing for good is a huge blow.
قرر نادي سبورتنج السكندري الانسحاب بشكل رسمي من منافسات السوبر الإفريقي لليد المقرر إقامته في الجزائر.
وعلم “بطولات” أن سبورتنج أبلغ الاتحاد المصري لكرة اليد باعتذاره عن عدم المشاركة في كأس السوبر الإفريقي لكرة اليد وذلك عقب رفض الاتحاد الإفريقي مشاركته في بطولة كأس الكؤوس الإفريقية.
طالع | نتائج قرعة كأس الكؤوس الإفريقية لكرة اليد.. صدام ناري للزمالك والأهلي مع منافسين جزائريين
وأكد الفريق السكندري الاعتذار عن عدم المشاركة في البطولة المؤهلة لكأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد “السوبر جلوب”.
وبعد اعتذار سبورتنج فإن الأهلي ضمن التأهل إلى نهائي كأس السوبر الإفريقي لينتظر الفائز من نصف النهائي الآخر بين الزمالك وجي آس كي بطل الكونغو.
ومن المقرر أن تقام بطولة كأس الكؤوس الإفريقية خلال الفترة من 18 إلى 27 أبريل، بمدينة وهران الجزائرية.
كما يلعب الأهلي في بطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي لكرة اليد يومي 14 و15 أبريل المقبل بمشاركة الزمالك وجي اس كي من الكونغو.
If Ben Stokes thought for a moment he would be able to put his past behind him, his hopes were quickly dispelled when he arrived for training at the Sir Viv Richards stadium in Antigua
George Dobell in Antigua01-Mar-2017If Ben Stokes thought for a moment he would be able to put his past behind him, his hopes were quickly dispelled when he arrived for training at the Sir Viv Richards stadium in Antigua.There, in the middle of the playing area, was the familiar shape of Carlos Brathwaite practising his boundary hitting. As ball after ball landed in the stands and on the grass banks, it must have seemed wearingly familiar for Stokes.But it’s not that which is making Stokes squirm. He is a man completely at ease with the cut and thrust of competition. He understands there will be days when he comes off second-best and has no problem living with the consequences of victory or defeat. There’s no animosity or ill-feeling between Brathwaite and Stokes. Only respect.The pair bumped into each other at a function at Coolidge (the old Stanford ground, now the new home of West Indies cricket) on Tuesday night and exchanged a good-natured chat and what passes for handshakes in the Caribbean. “They’ve about five ways of doing it here,” Stokes says. “He was as big as he was back then.”And it’s not memories of breaking his hand on a locker in the Barbados dressing room that is embarrassing him, either. He regrets it, of course. He knows it was immature and, as he says, “unnecessary”. But it was also part of his development. He missed a World T20 tournament because of it and learned better ways to control his emotions.”If I ever repeat something like that again – I don’t think I ever would – but if I did, I’d be very disappointed in myself,” he told the BBC on Wednesday. “But I feel now I’ve got a better way of dealing with failure. I try and deal with it now as I deal with success. I never look too far ahead after doing well, so I just try to have the same mentality about failure: just chuck it behind you, start working harder to get better.”Being in a leadership role, I’m maybe going to have to take a step back a few times. But I’ll still have that same desire and hunger and want to get in people’s faces, because that’s what makes me the cricketer I am. I don’t want to lose that.”Ben Stokes is ready to face his demons when England take on West Indies on Friday•Getty Images
No, the reason Stokes is mumbling bashfully is because he has been asked to talk about his newly-acquired wealth. As comfortable as he is facing the quickest bowlers or with the game at its tightest, he looks horribly embarrassed when asked to reflect on the personal implications of having attracted USD 2.16 million from Pune in the IPL auction. Most comfortable out on the pitch or thinking of himself as one of the boys, he knows now that he will never just be ‘Ben Stokes the talented lad from Cumbria’ but ‘Ben Stokes, the millionaire’. He relishes the spotlight on the pitch, but off it? That’s a new and uneasy experience.”Being out on the pitch is a lot easier than talking to you lot,” he says. “Being out there is something we’re used to and something we’ve been doing for years and years. And probably being out on the pitch is where I’m most comfortable.”The auction stuff is very tough to talk about. It’s one of those things that makes me a little bit awkward. You may have noticed…” His voice trails off. “The main thing you want to do is walk off at the end on the winning team. All things outside that bubble go out of the window once you go out on to the pitch.”While he’s hardly going to win a lot of sympathy for his new-found wealth, his discomfort is understandable. For Stokes knows that he has hardly started. He knows the rewards have preceded the achievement and that, for all his success to this point, most of his ambitions remain unfulfilled. England have not won the Champions Trophy or World Cup. They haven’t won in Australia or made it to the top of the Test rankings. The bank balance might suggest Stokes has made it, but he knows there is still a long way to go.”I’m 25,” he says. “I’ve hopefully 10 years left in me in international cricket if the body holds up. So moving forward there’s still a lot more I want to achieve personally and in terms of this England team.”It’s noticeable that most of his ambitions are team related. He’s never going to be one to target 8,000 runs or 300 wickets. He targets victories and trophies. It’s not hard to see why he was appointed Joe Root’s Test vice-captain.”If we deliver on the stuff we’ve been doing in the white-ball form then hopefully we’re going to go far. We’ve been really, really good over the last two years in white-ball cricket. We got a bit of stick in India, which was undeserved. We scored a lot of runs against a really good team. Scoring 350 and losing and then chasing 370 and getting 360 and losing… I don’t think there’s much bad you can take away from that.”We’ve got a good chance and we know how talented this team is. Look at how destructive our batting order is. You only have to look at the game at Trent Bridge when we got 444 to see how that went and we’ve been scoring 350 on a regular basis. And when you do that you’re going to win more games than not. So I think we should be one of the favourites but we don’t want to get big heads. We’ll keep our feet firmly planted on the ground.”If the auction success has had any influence on Stokes it has been to sharpen his desire to live up to his billing. “It’s given me more drive to work even harder, if anything,” he says. “You see success can get you things like this. And wanting to be successful for many more years to come will probably give me more determination to work harder.”Stokes was joined at training by Jake Ball. After scans produced encouraging results on Ball’s knee, he took part in catching drills and bowled a little in the middle. But the fact that he was supervised not by one of the coaching staff but by the team doctor underlined the impression that he is unlikely to play on Friday. Alex Hales also attended training, though his involvement was limited to wearing the catching mitt and returning the ball to the bowlers. Tom Curran is expected to arrive on Thursday.Meanwhile the England camp have said they will wear black armbands to mourn the death of John Hampshire. As he and his family were particularly fond of Barbados, it may well be that they wait until the third ODI for the tribute.
تألق جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، في مباراة برايتون في إطار الجولة الثلاثين من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
واستطاع محمد صلاح تسجيل وصناعة هدفي ليفربول خلال المباراة التي انتهت بفوز الريدز بنتيجة 2-1 على ملعب “أنفيلد” منذ قليل.
وشارك الفرعون المصري مع ليفربول أساسيًا حتى نهاية المباراة، وحصل على تقييم 7.4 من 10 من شبكة “سوفا سكور” المتخصصة في إحصائيات المباريات.
اقرأ أيضًا.. أرنولد يتحدث عن موعد عودته إلى ليفربول
لم يكن محمد صلاح هو الأفضل تقييمًا في فريق ليفربول بعد نهاية المباراة حيث تفوق عليه كل من كونور برادلي (رجل المباراة في الموقع) بتقييم 8.2 من 10.
وجاء في المركز الثاني أليكسيس ماك أليستر بتقييم 8 من 10 ثم لويس دياز في المركز الثالث بتقييم إجمالي 7.9، ليكون بذلك محمد صلاح في المركز الرابع كأفضل لاعبي ليفربول.
ووصل محمد صلاح إلى الهدف رقم 16 في ترتيب الهدافين بفارق هدفين فقط عن إيرلينج هالاند مهاجم مانشستر سيتي المتصدر برصيد 18 هدفًا.
An update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to bolster Michael Beale's attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…
What's the latest on Danilo to Rangers?
According to the Daily Record, Danilo has told his club that he wants to join the Light Blues before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Brazilian attacker informed Feyenoord of his decision over the weekend as he would like to make the move to Ibrox in the coming weeks.
This should come as a big boost to Beale in his attempts to land the attacker as it could put pressure on the Dutch side to be accommodating in negotiations in order to prevent them from ending up with an unhappy player for the rest of the season.
It states that the Gers have already had an offer of £3.5m turned down and that it will take a fee in the region of £5m to secure his services.
This comes as the club are closing in on the signing of Nigeria international forward Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese for a total package of €6.5m (£5.6m).
How did Danilo perform last season?
The 24-year-old number nine enjoyed a strong campaign with Feyenoord in spite of his limited game time as he showcased his impressive finishing ability domestically and in Europe.
His form in the Netherlands suggests that there is an exciting player for Beale to unearth and the English head coach could excite Rangers supporters by pairing him with current Ibrox star Todd Cantwell.
Rangers midfielder Todd Cantwell.
Danilo, who was once praised by Erik ten Hag as the manager's best "finisher" at Ajax, plundered an outstanding ten goals and three assists in 14 Eredivisie starts,
This shows that the right-footed dynamo often took his chances when given an opportunity on the pitch. Meanwhile, no Gers player with fewer than 15 Premiership starts hit double figures for goals last term.
He also found the back of the net twice in six Europa League starts, which means that the former Ajax prospect also has experience playing and scoring in European competitions.
His superb performances in front of goal are not a flash in the pan, either, as the 6-foot hotshot produced an eye-catching 17 goals and five assists in 31 Eredivisie starts on loan at FC Twente during the 2020/21 campaign, one more strike than any Rangers player managed last season.
Cantwell, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 – a score no other attacker or midfielder matched – across 16 Premiership outings in 2022/23. The Englishman scored six goals to go along with his five assists.
The former Norwich ace caught the eye with his silky ability on the ball, which was combined with a quality end product, proviing himself capable of making a big impact in the final third.
This means that Beale could pair an outstanding number ten with the ability to be a scorer and a creator with a Brazilian striker who has the potential to be a lethal attacker, something that would no doubt get fans excited ahead of next season.
Victoria will enter the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia with James Pattinson bowling as well as he ever has in his career, according to senior batsman Aaron Finch
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2017
File photo – James Pattinson has claimed 20 wickets in the past four Sheffield Shield games•Getty Images
Victoria will enter the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia with James Pattinson bowling as well as he ever has in his career, according to senior batsman Aaron Finch. Pattinson destroyed Queensland by claiming 5 for 7 in the second innings of Victoria’s final regular game last week, and had also run through Western Australia with a five-wicket haul in Alice Springs in the previous round.Pattinson had been out of action due to injury for nearly a year when he returned for the BBL and the second half of the Shield summer, and he has spoken of his desire to get through the Shield season before being considered for national selection. Finch said Pattinson was bowling as well as he had in his career, though scarily for opponents he appeared to still be bowling within himself.”When he gets his tail up and the ball is shifting in the air slightly, it’s a different ball game,” Finch said. “He’s someone who has obviously got pace. I think it took a couple of games for him to find his rhythm back again. I think he was, probably by his own admission, a little bit off the mark in his first couple of Shield games back.”But that second-innings spell against WA up in Alice – to knock them over when they were starting to build a nice lead, was unbelievable. Then he kept that going in Brisbane. He looks like he’s bowling within himself, but still fast and with a lot of control. He’s obviously very passionate and when he gets his tail up, he can be hard to stop.”I don’t know if I have seen him bowl better than this at the moment. I think that he is really comfortable where his action is at and where his body is at. Not being a fast bowler, I can’t imagine the mental toughness that it takes to get through injury after injury, doing all your rehab, getting back, then being back in the gym doing your rehab again. He’s just really comfortable with where his game is at.”Pattinson could be a key factor in Victoria’s push to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title, a hat-trick that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have all achieved but the Bushrangers have not. The final against the Redbcaks begins on Sunday at Traeger Park in Alice Springs, which has become a second home for Victoria in recent years due to the unavailability of the MCG due to AFL season.”I think the wicket up in Alice is reasonably slow by nature,” Finch said. “I don’t think that good players are generally worried by pace, they’re more worried by movement. If you can move the ball at 135, it’s a lot tougher to face than someone who doesn’t swing it at 145. But he [Pattinson] has got all the attributes at the moment to knock over a side.”The great thing about us at the moment is we’ve got guys bowling beautifully around him. Chris Tremain is in great form, Scott Boland came in in the last game and had a real impact when he got the ball in his hand. Along with Jon Holland … it’s a nice balanced attack we’ve got at the moment.”The boys love it up there. A couple of weeks ago was my first time playing up there. It’s a great ground, it’s great facilities. The way that the town up there welcomes us is fantastic. I think we’ve played five games over the last two and a bit years. It’s a place the boys love playing. It suits our style of play.”
أعرب المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي، ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، عن سعادته بالفوز على مانشستر يونايتد، موضحاً في حديثه أن فريقه استحق الفوز بالمباراة نظراً لما قدمه من أداء.
وفاز تشيلسي على ضيفه مانشستر يونايتد بنتيجة 3/4، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ31 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.
وبهذا الفوز، ارتقى رصيد تشيلسي إلى النقطة 43 في المركز العاشر بترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد مانشستر يونايتد عند النقطة 48 في المركز السادس.
اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | ليفربول يفوز على شيفيلد يونايتد بثلاثية ويعود إلى صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي
وقال ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو في تصريحات لـ شبكة “BBC SPORTS”: “أنا مرتاح لأنني أعتقد أنها كانت مباراة صعبة والطريقة التي انتهت بها المباراة”.
وأضاف بوتشيتينو: “سعيد جدًا لأنني أعتقد أننا نستحق الفوز، أعتقد أن الأمر كان صعبًا، لكن بشكل عام كنا الفريق الأفضل”.
وأكد المدرب الأرجنتيني: “لقد بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد حقًا والطريقة التي استقبلنا بها الأهداف أثرت على الفريق بطريقة عاطفية”.
وأردف قائلاً: “الحقيقة هي دائمًا بذل المزيد من الجهد لتحقيق الفوز، لكنني أعتقد أن الأداء لم يكن رائعًا، ولكنه جيد، إنها بداية لبناء تواصل مع الجماهير وسيكون ذلك مفيدًا جدًا لمستقبلنا”.
عن كول بالمر: “تأثيره في المباراة كان مذهلاً، إنه يقوم بعمل رائع، ومن الصعب التحدث عنه أكثر، اليوم أظهر العقلية والجودة، بعد تسجيل الهدف الثالث قلت له كول، باق دقيقتين إضافيتين وصدق”.
واختتم: “بالنسبة لنا، نحن بحاجة إلى التفكير في المباراة المقبلة، نحن بحاجة إلى الاستعداد للمباراة التالية وأمامنا بضعة أيام فقط”.
Aston Villa are believed to be the current favourites to sign Atletico Madrid superstar Joao Felix in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.
How much does Joao Felix earn per week?
The Portuguese star, who currently earns a huge £240,000 per week, sees his future up in the air currently, having returned to Atletico this summer after a temporary move away.
Felix was deemed surplus to requirements by the La Liga giants during the January transfer window, moving to Chelsea instead, in order to enjoy more regular football and potentially even secure a permanent move to Stamford Bridge. In truth, things didn't work out for him there though, and he only scored four goals in 16 appearances for a Blues side who eventually ended up finishing 12th in the table.
It seems clear that there is no future at Atletico for the 23-year-old beyond this summer, so there could be a scramble for his services, with Villa one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him in the recent past. A big window is happening at Villa Park, with Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres already brought in, as NSWE show some real ambition in the transfer market.
Now, a new update has emerged regarding Felix's future – one that is sure to excite many Villans supporters.
Joao-Felix-Chelsea
Are Aston Villa signing Joao Felix?
According to Marca [via Football Espana], Villa are at the front of the queue when it comes to chasing Felix's signature this summer, with the Midlands club in pole position to offer him a route out of Atletico.
It is stated that the Portugal international recently decided not to head to Villa Park because they aren't playing in next season's Champions League, but there looks to have been a twist in the saga all of a sudden. Atletico definitely now want Felix to leave, no doubt in order to get an expendable player off their wage bill, so his preference could now come secondary to who they decide to sell to.
While Felix's stock has admittedly fallen a bit of late, following forgettable spells with both Atletico and Chelsea, he would still be an incredibly exciting signing for Villa, considering his world-renowned status as a truly huge talent. He won the prestigious European Golden Boot award back in 2019, handed to the best young player in Europe, which has also been lifted by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Pedri in recent years.
At 23, the Atletico star also still has so many years to improve and he could love being the main man for Villa – someone who raises everyone else's game around him, and who Unai Emery manages to get every ounce from. Alvaro Morata has hailed him as a "special" player in the past and the Villans should do all they can to snap him up, in what would possibly be one of the biggest marquee signings in the club's history.
There would be a risk element involved, of course, considering he hasn't yet reached the expectation levels many had for him, but the money is there from NSWE and this feels like a big time in Villa's history, in terms of kicking on and potentially becoming one of the main players in the Premier League.
With both teams loaded with power-hitters at the top, the onus is on the bowling units at a venue that favours run scoring
The Preview by Sreshth Shah28-Apr-2017Match factsGujarat Lions v Mumbai Indians Rajkot, April 29, 2017 Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Form guide
Gujarat Lions (sixth): defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets, lost to Kings XI Punjab by 26 runs,defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets
Mumbai Indians (second): lost to Rising Pune Supergiant by three runs, defeated Delhi Daredevils by 14 runs, defeated Kings XI by eight wickets
Head to headThis seasonOn a batting-friendly surface at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai chased down Lions’ score of 176 – courtesy a 36-ball 53 from Nitish Rana and useful contributions from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard – to win with six wickets to spare.OverallLions won both their meetings against Mumbai in the previous season.In the newsDwayne Smith was left out of Lions’ XI during their last match against Royal Challengers. James Faulker – his replacement – was economical and Lions may stick with him. Irfan Pathan, a replacement for Dwayne Bravo, is available for selection.Allrounder Krunal Pandya has recovered from the illness that kept him out of Mumbai’s previous game, but his selection will be subject to a fitness test before the match. Ambati Rayudu announced on Twitter this week that he had fully recovered from a groin injury he suffered early in the tournament. He said he had been “training hard and eagerly awaiting a call up”.The likely XIsGujarat Lions: 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Suresh Raina (capt), 4 Aaron Finch, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Andrew Tye, 9 Basil Thampi, 10 Nathu Singh, 11 Ankit SoniMumbai Indians: 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya/Karn Sharma, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Mitchell Johnson/Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit BumrahStrategy PuntLions’ bowlers could attack Nitish Rana with the short ball early. Despite his success against the short ball, Rana has been out in the previous two innings attempting to pull bouncers from Dan Christian and Pat Cummins.Stats that matter Mumbai’s pace-attack has two left-arm quicks in McClenaghan and Johnson, but left-arm pacers struggle at Rajkot. They concede 116 runs in 66 balls with an average of 58 runs per wicket. Off their eight games, Lions have scored 170-plus totals five times. They have also conceded 170-plus total six times. Nathu Singh has bowled four overs in two games but has only gone for 15 runs. His economy of 3.75 is the best in the IPL. Mumbai have not breached the 160-run mark this season when Nitish Rana has made a single-digit score. Brendon McCullum enjoys batting against Jasprit Bumrah. Off 19 balls in four innings, McCullum has hit him for 37 runs. Against Lasith Malinga, though, McCullum has been dismissed four out of seven times. Harbhajan Singh has dismissed Suresh Raina five times, the most by a bowler against Raina in the IPL. Andrew Tye takes a wicket for every 11 runs he concedes in the IPL. Lions have used 16 bowlers, but Tye has taken 12 of the 33 wickets their bowlers have earned. Aaron Finch has a strike rate of less than 100 against three Mumbai bowlers: off Krunal Pandya, he has managed only 7 runs in 12 balls. Against Malinga, he has scored only 13 runs in 18 balls. Against Mitchell Johnson, Finch has scored 32 runs off 35 balls. Johnson has also removed Finch three times, the most by a single bowler to him. Rohit Sharma has hit only three boundaries in 68 balls against Ravindra Jadeja and has been out twice. Dhawal Kulkarni concedes 9.48 runs per over against Rohit – going for 49 runs in 31 balls – but has dismissed him four times.