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Isco’s Real Madrid career has been a true roller coaster ride from the very beginning.

Once, of course, the now 27-year-old Spaniard was a pretty important piece of Los Blancos’ jigsaw, one that played an important role in giving the team that extra spice up front.

That much was visible in both his game time and his contribution as he managed to net nine goals and tally ten assists in 2017/18 – the last time he was playing regular football – and in the season prior to that one with 11 goals and nine assists in a similar number of minutes.

But fast forward to 2019/20 and he’s struggling immensely, having been frozen out of the squad and scraping just 637 minutes across 13 games in all competitions.

And now, El Desmarque have come out with a report stating Frank Lampard’s Chelsea would be willing to take the 27-year-old off Zinedine Zidane’s hands for around €52m (£44.4m), and Florentino Perez, Los Blancos’ president, is considering the offer which seems to be satisfactory.

The most interesting thing about the Blues’ interest is the fact that Isco may well rediscover his fire at Stamford Bridge and the reason for that is rather simple – Lampard’s system could potentially offer him the freedom of expression he seeks.

Even though he’s been played all across the pitch in 2019/20 – as evidenced by Transfermarkt’s games they have in their database – the Spaniard is usually an attacking midfielder that loves to slot just behind the striker and wreak havoc across the final third.

This season, Chelsea have used systems that could accommodate Isco’s movements, namely the 4-2-3-1 formation in which the likes of Mason Mount can be deployed as the team’s No.10.

If Lampard is looking for a new and versatile playmaker, the 27-year-old could be exactly what he needs.

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After all, despite not getting regular minutes this season, he can still boast one shot, one key pass and 1.3 dribbles per game in La Liga and two shots, 0.7 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game in the Champions League.

This suggests he is a pretty capable creator that might help Tammy Abraham and co. bag even more goals.

But the same could be said for Real, albeit Zidane rarely uses a system that would allow Isco to thrive.

Their usual 4-4-3 would see him deployed as a winger, as we have seen from his current tally of games in 2019/20, but whenever they swapped to a 4-4-2 diamond or 4-2-3-1, the true Isco – the one from 2016/17 – can re-emerge to the scene.

Probably the best example of that arrived against Club Brugge in the Champions League when he tallied two shots, one key pass and four dribbles along with 93% passing accuracy on the night while playing as an attacking midfielder.

This proved that he can be extremely effective when used properly and given a chance to play in his favoured role.

For that reason, parting ways with him now could be detrimental for the club, especially considering he can offer so much more.

In other news, many Spurs fans react to a huge revelation regarding their star who signed a brand new contract…

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Everton boss Marco Silva has been commenting on the future of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes following his latest impressive performance for the Toffees.

What did he say?

Gomes joined Everton on loan from Barcelona during the summer transfer window, and made his debut for the Toffees last month after recovering from injury.

Since stepping into the first team, Everton have won three of their five Premier League matches and lost just once, with their improvement clear to see.

As it stands, the 25-year-old will return to his parent club this summer, but Silva has been discussing the Portuguese’s future.

It remains to be seen whether Everton would be able to entice the midfielder to Goodison Park on a permanent deal, but it does not take a genius to realise that Silva is absolutely desperate for that to happen.

The Liverpool Echo quotes Silva as saying:

“I think in the right moment we have to do something to achieve one player like Andre.

“We have time to do that. We are happy with him, he is enjoying the moment here and I don’t think it is a good moment to talk every week because it’s better they (Barcelona) forget about him a little bit about Andre!

“You go there in the right moment. Andre is enjoying his time but we don’t want to put this pressure of a decision on him. It is early.”

What Silva’s words really mean

Silva basically means that he is desperate to sign Gomes, and has urged the midfielder to forget all about Barcelona to make the move to Goodison Park.

Silva is sending a message to the Everton board, who will have to fork out to stand a chance of signing Gomes, and is also just letting Barcelona know that the Toffees would be more than happy to take him at the end of the season.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Playmaker FC…

Gomes is also receiving a little nudge, reminding the midfielder how much he is enjoying himself in England.

The Portugal international made 31 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona last term, but largely struggled to make his mark, and it soon became clear that he would not be part of Ernesto Valverde’s plans for the 2018-19 campaign.

Everton were fortunate to sign a player who was outstanding during his two seasons at Valencia between 2014 and 2016, and it would be some capture if they managed to acquire his services on a permanent deal.

Manchester City could be on the lookout for a new central midfielder when the January transfer window opens.

Pep Guardiola was desperate to add another face to his engine room during the summer window but couldn’t add to the £60m addition of Riyad Mahrez. The Citizens had targeted Napoli’s Jorginho, and a deal seemed close until Chelsea swooped in at the last minute and sealed a move. Reports have suggested Guardiola will now turn his attention to Wolves maestro – Ruben Neves.

Instead, City should launch a bid to sign Fiorentina dynamo – Marco Benassi. Valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old has flourished since leaving Inter Milan in 2014. After progressing through the club’s youth academy, Benassi was sold to Torino in a deal that brought Danilo D’Ambrosio to the San Siro. While the latter struggled, Benassi would go on to captain Torino before signing for Fiorentina last summer.

The Italian was a key player for his new side, making 35 appearances in the Serie A, scoring five and assisting two as Fiorentina ended the campaign in eighth. Benassi has made an excellent start to the new campaign with three goals in his first two appearances.

The former Italy U21 international can be the man Guardiola is looking for. He has all the qualities of a box-to-box midfielder that would thrive in the Premier League. While his passing accuracy leaves much to be desired, Benassi would slot seamlessly into the Spaniard’s system at the Etihad.

Under the former Barcelona manager’s tutelage, he could become a Premier League great.

Manchester City fans, thoughts?

A week or so ago, some Everton fans could not wait for David Unsworth to be shown the door in favour of a new manager.

The 44-year-old received criticism as the club last five in seven games in all competitions.

Now, though, the club’s fanbase have been full of praise for the Under-23s coach.

Unsworth took charge of his final game as interim boss on Wednesday night and it was one for him to remember as the team earned a much-needed 4-0 win over West Ham United.

Wayne Rooney netted a hat-trick and Ashley Williams also got on the scoresheet as the team ruined David Moyes’s return to Goodison as West Ham boss.

After the final whistle, Unsworth received a standing ovation from the crowd, who broke into a chorus of chants dedicated to the former defender.

The praise continued on Twitter, with fans bidding farewell to Unsworth ahead of Sam Allardyce’s arrival.

The Bundesliga’s most hated team, RB Leipzig, are considering a move for Chelsea youngster Dominc Solanke as they look to make the most of the untapped market of English youngsters not getting their chance in the Premier League, according to reports from the Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

The German sensations, who finished second behind Bayern Munich in their first top flight season, are looking to invest in young English talent over the summer as they prepare for Champions League football.

The Red Bull-backed side, who are far from popular in their home country, are targeting a move for Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke this summer, as well as Manchester City’s Jadon Sancho.

The controversial club have risen through the leagues at an alarming rate and are now basing their future plans around allowing young players the chance to grow within their ranks, where they may not be allowed the chances at Premier League clubs.

Another one bites the dust?

Chelsea have long been criticised for their youth strategy.

Each season the Blues have well over 30 players out on loan as well as maintaining the most successful youth side in the country, however, it is unlikely any of those away from the club or staring in the development ranks will ever make an impact on the first team.

There is an endless list of former Blues who are impressing in the Premier League having never been given the chance in west London, from Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne at the top of their game to the likes of Ryan Bertand and Oriol Romeu at Southampton.

Solanke, who was previously loaned to Vitesse Arnhem, has played just 17 minutes of first team football for Chelsea and, despite being regarded as one of the top young talents in English football, that seems unlikely to change in the near future.

The 19-year-old could well be on his way this summer, especially with the tantalising offer of first team football which Chelsea simply won’t match.

Oh Harry Kane, you don’t do yourself any favours, do you?

The Spurs man is a great striker, boasts a fantastic goalscoring record, appears to be a likable chap and looks set to go from strength to strength over the coming years, but it’s hard to think he’s not… well… a bit dim.

We’re sure Kane is no idiot, but he’s dropped some clangers in the past, such as beaming about winning “three points”… in a cup game. And he’s been up to his old tricks again over the past 24 hours, by tweeting his “love” for FIFA 17, which was accompanied by a picture of the game still in its plastic wrapping!

With Twitter being an unforgiving place, fans immediately let rip, slamming Kane’s choice of picture (we’re sure he’s actually played it!) and having a pop at his grammar skills…

Fair play to Kane, though, he responded to the digs in good spirits, claiming that the picture had been taken a few days before release.

Still, some fans were not bothered about the wrapper or the misuse of ‘there’ – instead opting to question Kane on why his virtual representation made some odd transfers during their own gaming experiences…

Wrexham will face League One side Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup third round if they manage to beat Yeovil Town FC on Sunday.

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Wrexham could face Shrewsbury Town in FA Cup third-roundSet to face Yeovil Town in the second round on SundayBeat Mansfield in the first roundWHAT HAPPENED?

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned Wrexham will face League One side Shrewsbury Town in the third round of the FA Cup provided they beat sixth-tier side Yeovil Town at SToK Racecourse on Sunday.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Red Dragons are set to take the field in front of a sold crowd at their home ground on Sunday as the club received an overwhelming response from the fans ahead of their crucial FA Cup second-round fixture.

Star midfielder George Evans expressed his gratitude towards the fans for showing love to the team and turning up for games in numbers.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW

The Glovers have confirmed, in an official statement, that their beloved mascot, the Jolly Green Giant, has been denied permission to lead their players onto the pitch during the match. It's not certain if the home team made the call, or if the FA or TV broadcasters have stepped in.

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM

Phil Parkinson's side are in red-hot form in the ongoing season and have lost just once in their last 14 appearances across all competitions.

There is no doubt that they will be the favourites to progress to the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

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A sexta-feira foi mais um dia de treino regenerativo para os titulares do Palmeiras. Com exceção do goleiro Weverton, os 11 jogadores que iniciaram a vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Santo André, na quarta-feira, seguiram atividades de recuperação física, visando o jogo de domingo, contra a Ponte Preta, pela semifinal do Campeonato Paulista. E Rony estava no grupo.

O atacante passou a ser dúvida depois de ser diagnosticada uma entorse em seu tornozelo direito, consequência de uma pancada que o camisa 11 recebeu ainda no primeiro tempo – precisou ser substituído no intervalo. O clube ainda não deu informações sobre a possibilidade de Rony estar em campo.

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Os titulares já tinham feito um treinamento regenerativo no dia seguinte ao jogo e manteve o cronograma, diante do curto intervalo entre as partidas nesse retorno do futebol depois da pausa por conta da pandemia de coronavírus. Nesta sexta-feira, ocorreram novos trabalhos nas dependências internas da Academia de Futebol e corrida no gramado.

Quem não deve estar à disposição é Matías Viña. O lateral-esquerdo sofreu uma concussão e um corte profundo na cabeça contra o Corinthians, no último dia 22, e cumpre cronograma particular com o Núcleo de Saúde e Performance do clube antes de ser liberado. O uruguaio, porém, já trabalha com bola, mesmo sem confronto individual, mas com finalizações.

O restantedo elenco, incluindo o goleiro Weverton, fez movimentações técnicas, com limitação de toques na bola para cada um, em campo reduzido sob o comando de Vanderlei Luxemburgo. O grupo foi dividido em três times, com dois se enfrentando enquanto o outro esperava. Uma equipe tinha de fazer o gol, e a outra deveria desarmar e levar a bola até o meio de campo.

Dono da melhor campanha entre os semifinalistas do Campeonato Paulista, o Palmeiras enfrenta a Ponte Preta às 19h deste domingo, no Allianz Parque. O último trabalho para a decisiva partida ocorrerá na tarde deste sábado.

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Lutando por uma vaga na fase da Copa do Nordeste, Ceará e Sport fizeram uma partida bastante movimentada na tarde deste domingo (15), pela 7ª rodada da competição.

Com os gols saindo ainda na etapa inicial, sendo o primeiro de Marquinhos, para o Leão, o Vozão tratou de empatar na segunda metade com Felipe Baxola. Apesar dos pênaltis perdidos pelo próprio Baxola, além de Hernane, um para cada lado, Ricardinho, para a equipe cearense, também em uma penalidade, tratou de dar a vitória aos mandantes por 2 a 1.

Sendo assim, os comandados de Enderson Moreira chegaram aos 11 pontos, ficando na 4ª colocação do Grupo A. Já os comandados de Daniel Paulista ficaram com 9 pontos, porém na 5ª colocação do Grupo B.

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PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Tentando impor um ritmo mais acelerado nos primeiros minutos de jogo, o Ceará matinha-se mais em seu campo de ataque. No entanto, acaba errando no último passe antes de conclusão das jogadas, o que deixava a defesa do Sport mais tranquila.

Melhorando um pouco no confronto, o Sport, aos poucos, foi ganhando espaço. No entanto, esbarrava na forte defesa do Vozão, além de ver os mandantes seguirem criando as melhores chances como o chute na trave de Luiz Otávio, quase abrindo o placar na Arena Castelão.

No entanto, já na reta final de etapa, o Leão, de forma surpreendente, conseguiu marcar seu primeiro tento. Após bonita jogada individual de Marquinhos, o camisa 33 limpou o lance e, batendo rasteiro, balançou a rede sem chance para Fernando Prass. 1 a 0.
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​Na esperança de conquistar um empate antes do apito do árbitro, os comandados de Enderson Moreira partiram pra cima. No entanto, o Sport manteve-se fechado e, graças às defesas de Luan Polli, conseguiu segurar o resultado parcial.

SEGUNDO TEMPO

Precisando do resultado, o Ceará promoveu uma troca antes do início da etapa final. Colocando Mateus Gonçalves no lugar de Fernando Sobral, a ideia era ganhar poder ofensivo.

E a troca acabou surtindo efeito. Aos 13, Felipe Baxola, aproveitando passe de Leandro Carvalho, bateu de frente para o goleiro Luan para fazer. 1 a 1.

Logo em seguida, aos 15, o Ceará ainda teve um pênalti a seu favor, com a arbitragem marcando falta de Polli sobre Leandro Carvalho. No entanto, na cobrança outra vez ele, Baxola, acabou parando na defesa do camisa 1 do Leão, mantendo o placar igualado.

E o jogo estava agitado. Minutos depois, aos 19, foi a vez do time pernambucano ter a oportunidade de ficar à frente em uma penalidade dada pelo árbitro. E assim como a equipe local acabou errando, Hernane, de perna direita, também não converteu já que a bola explodiu na trave.

Ainda em ritmo acelerado, a reta final de jogo ganhou em emoção. Aos 40 minutos, em uma nova penalidade marcada, em jogada envolvendo Lucas Mugni e Leandro Carvalho, com direito a expulsão de Sóbis, que, por reclamação acabou recebendo o cartão vermelho, Ricardinho não quis saber e, deslocando o goleiro, marcou. 2 a 1.

Tentando ganhar algum tempo nos últimos instantes, Enderson chegou a promover uma alteração colocando Cristiano no lugar de Leandro Carvalho. Após a troca, o Vozão não quis saber de ser pressionado e, completamente fechado em seu campo de defesa, afastou todas as bolas que rondavam sua área até o apito final do árbitro.

MatériaMais Notícias

O zagueiro fez parte do elenco que colocou o Sport novamente no mais alto escalão do futebol brasileiro. O Leão garantiu o acesso na penúltima rodada e terminou a competição em segundo lugar. Cleberson exaltou a importância da conquista.

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‘ Sem dúvidas o momento do acesso para série A do brasileirão foi o instante mais marcante para mim no ano de 2019. Esse meu ano no Sport foi de muito aprendizado e experiência’, disse o atleta.

Cleberson foi um dos responsáveis pela boa atuação defensiva do Leão da Ilha na Série B de 2019. O Sport teve a segunda melhor defesa da competição, empatado com o Atlético-GO. Os dois clubes sofreram 29 gols. O time com menos gols sofridos foi o Bragantino teve as suas redes balançadas 27 vezes. O atleta falou sobre a temporada e reafirmou a importância do acesso

‘Fico muito feliz em ter feito parte desse grupo. A sensação de ter participado de mais um momento histórico para o clube é um das melhores possíveis. Conseguimos ficar marcados pelo acesso’, comentou o defensor.

O Sport viveu um grande ano para o seu torcedor. Além de ter conquistado o título estadual, o Leão garantiu o retorno à primeira divisão do futebol nacional. Na competição nacional o clube perdeu apenas quatro jogos dos 38 disputados. Porém, o zagueiro comentou sobre a maior dificuldade que a Série A pode trazer: ‘A primeira divisão não permite alguns erros cometidos na série B’, falou o zagueiro. Ele falou também sobre a grande expectativa para a próxima

‘A expectativa para a próxima temporada é sempre a melhor possível. É necessário fazer uma ótima preparação na pré temporada para termos condição de alcançar um grande trabalho em 2020’, afirmou o atleta.

O Sport estreia no Campeonato Pernambucano já com um clássico. O Leão enfrenta o Náutico na primeira rodada. O jogo está previsto para acontecer no estádio dos Aflitos, no dia 19 de Janeiro.