The former Leicestershire spinner and now spin-bowling consultant who helped correct Sunil Narine’s action said that Mohammad Hafeez’s flex will withstand biomechanical scrutiny

Osman Samiuddin02-Nov-2017The man who helped correct Sunil Narine’s action is confident that tests will find Mohammad Hafeez’s action to be legal. Match officials reported Hafeez for a potentially suspect action after the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. The most-recent instance amounted to the third time in three years that Hafeez has been reported in international cricket.On Wednesday, in Loughborough, he underwent the ICC test that will determine whether his action is in breach of regulations. Carl Crowe, a former Leicestershire spinner and now a spin-bowling consultant, however, is confident Hafeez’s action will withstand biomechanical scrutiny.As well as Narine, Crowe helped Hafeez return from a one-year bowling ban, working with him during a brief stint in England last summer. Though he only spent a day or so with him this time before his test, Crowe felt a distinct difference in the faulty action he worked with last year and now.”He seems more balanced, and is using his body more efficiently, more effectively,” Crowe said. “That’s often an issue with guys who have issues with an arm being flexed. They need to be more efficient with their body, and one or two things we did [last year] helped him do that.”Did we do any work on his action at the moment? No. There are one or two things we’ve discussed in terms of skill development – not necessarily action development – because we’re confident he doesn’t necessarily really need that.”Results from the test are expected within a couple of weeks but whatever they show, the frequency with which Hafeez has been reported only to then return represents, in some ways, unchartered territory for the ICC’s approach and protocols in dealing with suspect actions. Twice already his action has been found to be illegal and each time he has rectified it and returned.At the moment, the first time a bowler is reported and his action subsequently found illegal, he can correct it and, if it passes another assessment, return to bowling immediately. If he is reported and his action found illegal again within 24 months of the first instance, he is automatically suspended from bowling for 12 months. This is what happened with Hafeez in 2015.At the moment, if Hafeez’s action is found to be illegal – for a third time – he will be treated effectively as a first-incident case. That is, he can rectify his action, pass a test and return anytime. Since the ICC clamped down on illegal actions in 2014, no other bowler has been reported three times.Additionally, Hafeez was reported once back in 2005 when protocols were different in allowing bowlers to return, and then again in a T20 Champions League game – outside of international cricket – in September 2014.Crowe once worked with Jenny Gunn, the England bowler whose singularly complex bowling action was at least partly responsible for the ICC’s standardization of testing protocols and development of testing labs across the world. But he doesn’t think there is anything in the biomechanic set-up of Hafeez’s action that could be a trigger for umpires.”Every bowler has different degrees of flex in their arm,” Crowe said. “Many bowlers have idiosyncracies in their action that make it look a certain way. I’m not sure, to be honest, if there is anything particularly wrong about Hafeez’s action.”When we worked together in 2016, he was very keen to take on board any kind of techniques that would help him become more efficient. My view is that it’s about being a better bowler. It can’t be that I am bowling with a straight arm now but disappearing. I’ve worked a lot with Narine over the years, and the performance has got to be high. Same with Hafeez – last year, when we worked together it was about being a better bowler, not just with a straighter arm.”Given his importance to their limited-overs revival – they won the Champions Trophy in June and became the number-one ranked T20 side on Wednesday – Pakistan will draw whatever comfort they can from Crowe’s confidence.”He’s been playing, since he’s remodeled his action, all over the world and I’m confident his action been the same for a while. I’m confident that he’ll go fine, that his flex won’t be a problem.”To the naked eye, of course, it is difficult to tell, but from what I can tell, I am confident. It’s been a consistent action since I’ve seen him. I’ve played back his action on my phone in slow-mo and am confident.”

Tottenham Hotspur's failure to sign a centre-back this summer is "ridiculous" even if the signings made so far have been good in their own ways, claims journalist Alasdair Gold.

Are Tottenham Hotspur signing a centre-back this summer?

It has been a mixed transfer window for Spurs so far this summer. Things started excellently for the north Londoners with the signing of Leicester City star James Maddison and Empoli shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario, as both of them are set to slot straight into the starting eleven and raise the level of the team.

Those two were followed by the astute signing of Israeli international Manor Solomon on a free, a winger that, whilst unlikely to make an instant impact on the first eleven, undoubtedly improves the quality of the team.

That said, there has been a glaring failure in the Lilywhites' dealings thus far, the absence of a single defensive signing.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

Last season, Spurs had one of the worst defensive records in the entire Premier League, letting in a staggering 63 goals throughout the season, a figure better than only five other teams.

With an Achilles heel such as this, new centre-backs are necessary if new boss Ange Postecoglou is going to succeed in his attempt to bring the club back to the top.

The club has been interested in two players in particular since the window opened; Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven. The Evening Standard reported halfway through last month that Spurs were 'still interested' in both players.

And yet, as of August 1, it would appear little progress has been made to bring either one of them to Hotspur Way. This is made all the more perplexing after journalist Alasdair Gold revealed that in an interview with Postecoglou, the Australian told him that new centrebacks were one of his "priorities."

Gold gave his opinion on the situation on his podcast, Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham, saying:

"It's ridiculous, it's ridiculous. I get that the other three players brought in were good opportunistic signings, and I think all of them will do well. I was really impressed with pretty much all of them in different ways on the tour, but Ange actually admitted to me in one of the interviews that centre-back and goalkeeper were the two priorities that he pointed out.

"So for both not to be in and amongst the first three signings is mad. It really is."

Who is better, Micky van de Ven or Edmond Tapsoba?

While many Spurs fans – and Postecoglou himself – may likely prefer the club just spent the money on both of them, which defender should the club sign if they're only going to get one?

There is little to separate them in terms of their performances last season. Wofsburg's Dutchman started 33 league games, scored one goal, provided one assist, maintained a passing accuracy of 88.3% and averaged a match rating of 6.66, per WhoScored.

Leverkusen's Burkinabe star, on the other hand, started 32 games, scored one goal, averaged a slightly lower passing accuracy of 85.8% and averaged a match rating of 6.64, also per WhoScored.

Where we see a slight difference is in their underlying numbers. According to FBref, the "monster" Tapsoba has a slight edge when it comes to defensive actions, averaging 2.73 tackles and interceptions per 90 to the 22-year-olds' 2.15.

It's also advantage to the Leverkusen man when it comes to touches of the ball per 90, as he averages 79.1 to 61.9, which in a Postecoglou system is going to be a critical statistic.

Finally, when it comes to aerial duals, it's once again an easy victory for the former Vitoria de Guimaraes prospect as he wins 1.72 duals per 90 compared to 1.06 for the Netherlands Under 21 star.

Ultimately, while Tapsoba looks to be ever so slightly better, the Lilywhites should potentially be looking to sign both of these players, and Gold is spot on in his assessment of the situation.

Needing to win all three T20Is to claim the Ashes, England are facing a complication with the uncertainty around Anya Shrubsole’s fitness and if she is unfit, the visitors could look to field a markedly spin-heavy attack

Adam Collins in Sydney16-Nov-20171:01

‘We’ve got to be fearless’ – Knight

“He’s a very busy man,” Australian captain Rachael Haynes said after Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited her team. He sure is: taking a curtain call yesterday after the successful same-sex marriage survey, this morning honouring the men’s football team for qualifying for the World Cup, then straight to North Sydney Oval for this photo-op with the women who can retain their Ashes silverware with a victory on Friday in the opening T20I.The binary state of the multi-format series – England needing to clean sweep the three T20Is to snatch a come-from-behind win – makes it simple. Haynes, however, stressed she will not be satisfied with a win in the first match alone. “We’re not just thinking it’s one game away,” she emphasised. Instead, they enter the final leg of the Ashes wanting to hammer the visitors.There isn’t much of love lost between the sides, highlighted by Australia coach Matthew Mott stating after the drawn Test – at the same venue on Sunday – that England batted in a way that showed they never much cared about winning. Valid or otherwise, it was punchy.”We had a little bit of a chuckle about it,” responded Mark Robinson, his opposite number. “There’s not much you can really say. Sometimes coaches are frustrated at the end of the day when it doesn’t quite go how you want it to do. I’ve been there myself. But I don’t really take much notice.”England captain Heather Knight believes her charges have claimed some timely momentum by salvaging a split result after Ellyse Perry’s majestic double-hundred. “We fought really hard to get those points in the Test after Australia batted really well,” she said. “Everyone is really looking forward to playing T20, getting a red stripey kit on and going out and expressing ourselves. It is the form of the game where you try and play your shots.”To help with that, she has Sarah Taylor in glittering form after stroking an unbeaten 93 off 76 balls on Thursday in a tour game against the Australian Governor-General’s XI. “It was really nice to see her in the runs being her usual innovative self,” Knight said. “One shot she hit over backward point reverse-sweeping, which is a new one from her.”Robinson quickly added that she has been “outstanding” with the gloves as well. One of the highlights of the Test was her sharp catch to dismiss Elyse Villani up to the stumps off the seam of Anya Shrubsole. “I think it was 140 overs before she let a bye go in that Test Match,” he said, “which is incredible.”Knight also pointed to England’s record in must-win fixtures – including their successful World Cup run – as proof that they can hold nerve when it matters most. “We have got to concentrate like a knock-out game and take confidence from the fact that we have performed really well in knock-out games over the last year,” she said.A slight complication for the visitors, however, is the fitness of opening bowler Shrubsole, who picked up a hamstring niggle at training on Monday. “Anya is a proven international bowler with a great record, so it is going to be a big decision if she didn’t play,” Robinson said. The decision on her will be taken after a medical assessment closer to the toss.Getty ImagesHer omission would open the door to a markedly spin-heavy England attack, doubly so given that the T20 will be played on the same drab surface as the Test, where only six wickets fell in the final two days. Both captain and coach declared the most likely scenario is the two Danielles in the squad – Hazell and Wyatt – will both get their first opportunities on tour. The former is currently ranked third in the world for T20 bowlers in the ICC ratings.”She keeps it simple and she nails what she does,” Knight said. “I know they have both been desparate to get out there and contribute to this tour and they want to make an impact and do well and T20 is their preferred format, where they are bankers.”Robinson noted that given 18-year-old left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s excellent tour to date, she might be hard to leave out – much in the way as World Cup champions Laura Marsh and Alex Hartley. When asked if all four frontline spinners could feature in the XI, Robinson said: “Possibly. And we haven’t really used [Wyatt] for the last year as a bowler but she bowls off-spin and the captain has a pretty decent record herself. So, there could be seven spinners at some point.”Haynes, however, is less inclined to make a flurry of changes to her side. “I don’t think that we will take four spinners in to be honest,” she said. “We’ll pick a balanced team and that team will be based on the conditions.” She will have plucky Victoria offspinner Molly Strano as a new option, brought into the squad after the Tests.Australia are yet to finalise their XI in part due to forecasts of rain that could hit Sydney at the worst possible time. But what does appear likely is that 20-year-old excitement machine Ashleigh Gardner will return after being left out for the Test. “She’s a really dangerous player in this format and she’s been very successful in WBBL batting up the order,” Haynes said. The bulk of Gardner’s 414 runs in the Women’s Big Bash League last year came at No.3 and that could give Haynes the freedom to “play around with our order.”England are expected to adopt a similar approach with Katherine Brunt, recast as a T20 blaster in addition to new ball duties in this year’s Kia Super League, where she was the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament batting from second drop in the Yorkshire list. She batted at No. 5 in the tour game, and Robinson hinted she may again in the main event.From Sydney, the series will move to Canberra, the nation’s capital, for the last two T20Is. If the hosts finish off the job between in the first T20I, they can expect an invite to join PM Turnbull at his place of work.

شهدت مباراة فريقي بيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا الجارية الأن ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري تسجيل هدفين في 3 دقائق فقط.

ويلتقي بيراميدز مع سيراميكا كليوباترا على أرضية استاد الدفاع الجوي، وذلك ضمن منافسات الجولة 23 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.

وأحرز فيستون مايلي الهدف الثاني له ولفريقه في الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت بدل الضائع من عمر الشوط الأول، بتسديدة من خارج منطقة الجزاء اصطدمت بدفاع سيراميكا وسكنت الشباك.

وفي الدقيقة السابعة من الوقت بدل الضائع سجل محمد عادل الهدف الأول لسيراميكا بتسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء لينتهي الشوط الأول بتقدم بيراميدز 2-1.

وأحرز فيستون مايلي هدف بيراميدز الأول بالدقيقة 31، من تسديدة بعد تسلمه الكرة داخل منطقة الجزاء وتصويبها في المرمى مباشرة.

طالع | رابطة الأندية تُقرر تعديل موعد مباراة بيراميدز والإسماعيلي في الدوري

ويتصدر بيراميدز جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 44 نقطة، بعد أن لعب 19 مباراة، بواقع 13 فوزًا، و5 تعادلات، وهزيمة واحدة.

ويتواجد فريق سيراميكا في المركز الثامن في سلم ترتيب بطولة الدوري برصيد 31 نقطة. هدف بيراميدز الثاني أمام سيراميكا

هدف سيراميكا الأول أمام بيراميدز 

Newcastle United are reportedly considering signing a prodigious talent to complete Eddie Howe's summer transfer activity, with the central defence the final piece of the puzzle…

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

That's according to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope, who claims that Benfica starlet Antonio Silva is on Newcastle's shortlist as Howe and technical director Dan Ashworth devise a plan to secure one more signing.

This follows deals for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, with the former two already making a big impact on their debuts last weekend against Aston Villa in a 5-1 victory.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Silva, aged 19, is believed to hold a €100m (£86m) buyout clause in his contract with the Portuguese giants, and while this is an unrealistic valuation, Ashworth will no doubt be working hard to discover the feasibility of a deal, with a loan move internally discussed.

Who is Antonio Silva?

Such an exorbitant release clause has unquestionably acted as a deterrent for potential suitors, but it is a testament to the player's quality that Benfica have woven such a condition into his contract.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all been credited with an interest over the past year, but Newcastle's exciting project, and of course affluence, could allow Howe to forge ahead with a package to lure the teenage talent away from his homeland and toward Tyneside.

Despite his youth and inexperience, the "incredible" prospect, as he has been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been riding the crest of a wave with the Eagles, having played 46 matches across all competitions last season – including starting all ten matches in the Champions League – as his outfit triumphed in the Liga Portugal.

As per Sofascore, he recorded an average rating of 7.17 across 30 matches in the league, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 1.9 tackles and 2.9 clearances per game and keeping 16 clean sheets.

As such, he could be Newcastle's instant answer to Jurrien Timber, with the versatile defender completing a £38m transfer from Ajax this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to make incremental gains on his title-chasing side.

Timber's ball-playing ability sets him in good stead to succeed at the Emirates Stadium, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers for pass completion, progressive passes and progressive carries, and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Likewise, Silva is a progressive defender who enjoys playing on the front foot.

Indeed, compared to the Dutchman, he ranks among the top 2% of positional peers for pass completion, also ranking among the top 11% for goals, the top 17% for progressive passes and the top 20% for progressive carries per 90, and he could serve as the build-up conductor to kickstart the Newcastle attacking transitions for years to come.

Having already earned four caps for Portugal, Silva looks like he boasts all the qualities to thrive at the highest level and emulate Timber's rise to stardom.

Indeed, he could even become a "superstar" – as he has been called by Jamie Carragher, and if Howe chooses to swoop and integrate him into the St. James' Park squad, he will no doubt live up to that tag over the coming years.

Manchester United will face Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening Premier League fixture on Monday evening and Erik ten Hag will be hoping to get off to a perfect start.

Summer signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount will likely be in the starting XI and with a few weeks left of the transfer window, the Dutchman could well make another couple of signings.

A defender looks to be his main focus, and he is a keen admirer of Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong. Could United make a move for the 22-year-old?

Are Manchester United interested in Jeremie Frimpong?

According to The Manchester Evening News, United are looking to target players who will have just a year left on their contracts next summer.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

One player that fits in this bracket is Frimpong, who will have just a year left on his current contract next year and Ten Hag admires the youngster.

This indicates that the Red Devils will perhaps wait until 2024 to make a move for the youngster, yet it wouldn’t be a surprise if he launched a bid to bring the Bundesliga defender to Manchester this summer in order to bolster his options at the back – having been linked with a £40m move for the ex-Celtic man earlier in the window.

How good is Jeremie Frimpong?

Ten Hag currently has Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as his options on the right side of defence, however, the Englishman has entered the final year of his current deal and there is no guarantee that he will be offered an extension – despite current claims that a fresh contract could be in the works.

He started just 16 Premier League matches last term under Ten Hag, initially falling out of favour before getting a solid run in the team before the end of the season.

Wan-Bissaka did rank second in the United squad for tackles per game (2.2) and fifth for interceptions per game (1.2), showing that he did impress defensively when called upon, yet with just one goal contribution across 34 games, it’s clear that Frimpong would be an upgrade in an attacking sense.

Indeed, the Dutchman scored nine times and registered 11 assists across 48 games for Leverkusen last season as he demonstrated just how effective he was going forward from defence.

The 5 foot 7 gem also displayed his superiority across a wide range of attacking metrics last season, registering more shots per 90 (1.28 to 0.53), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.14 to two), completing a higher percentage of successful take-ons (48.2% to 46.8%) and taking more touches in the attacking penalty area (171 to 52) than the United defender.

The former Manchester City asset even ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches in the attacking penalty area, showing just how impressive he has been over the previous 12 months.

In comparison, Wan-Bissaka only ranks in the top 13% for touches in the opposition box and outside the top 20% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons, clearly indicating that Frimpong is a much better option going forwards and could certainly be a better fit into Ten Hag’s tactical system.

Neil Lennon waxed lyrical about the youngster following the 2019 Scottish League Cup final, saying: “He set a real standard for the rest of the team, him and Kristoffer Ajer. I thought Ajer was brilliant, and then obviously Fraser as well, but Frimpong – he’s a top, top player and you can see his mentality as well. He doesn’t seem to fear anything.”

High praise indeed, especially considering he was just 18 years old at the time and his move to Germany has certainly turned him into one of the finest attacking full backs on the continent. Ten Hag should be looking to sign him as soon as possible.

James Vince recognises that success in an Ashes series can kickstart a player’s career like few other campaigns, as he prepares to seize his “second chance” following a surprise recall to England’s Test team.Vince, 26, appeared to have been tried and discarded by England after averaging 19.27, with a highest score of 42, in seven home Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016.But, despite a low-key season for Hampshire in the County Championship, he was named ahead of Tom Westley in England’s Ashes squad, and is widely tipped to bat at the problematic No. 3 position in the first Test at Brisbane on November 23.”I’ve had 12 months away from Test cricket, and I was disappointed with how my career started,” Vince said. “But this is a great opportunity here to put it right, and get myself established in the Test side.””It’s a second chance,” he added. “Cooky [Alastair Cook] alluded to it before we came out, that an Ashes series is bigger than any other, if you come here and do well, it can kickstart your career.”Speaking at the Waca in Perth, where England are acclimatising ahead of their first warm-up match on Saturday, Vince conceded that his recall had come as something of a surprise, but believes that his game is well suited to the challenge of batting on Australian pitches.”I played out here when I was a bit younger,” he said. “It’s a different ball and we’ll be tested by pace. Hopefully from a batting point of view, there’s some good tracks out here with true bounce. George Bailey played at Hampshire, and he said I’d enjoy batting out here. If you get yourself in, and get past the new ball, there’s runs to be scored.”Vince was one of several players whom the local media struggled to identify as they touched down at Perth on Sunday, but he’s confident that that lack of recognition for England’s players will quickly change when the Tests get underway.”We’re here to win, that’s the bottom line,” he said. “We feel like we’ve got a good squad and a great chance to win if we can play good cricket. Our preparation in the next three weeks will be important, if we can get that right it gives us a great chance.”I hope I can play a part in us winning the Ashes. There’s going to be tough times – a bit of pace maybe – but nothing we haven’t dealt with before and that we can’t deal with. We’re very confident with the group of guys we’ve got here that we can get a series win.”England are braced to begin the series without the services of Ben Stokes, who was withdrawn from the squad prior to their departure pending further investigation into his alleged actions in Bristol last month.”It’s disappointing but at the same time it gives other guys an opportunity to stand up and make a name for themselves,” Vince said.

Manchester United have enquired about a deal to sign Everton's Amadou Onana this summer, but a new report has revealed that he’s not their first-choice candidate in defensive midfield.

What nationality is Amadou Onana?

Onana was originally born in Dakar, Senegal, but represents Belgium internationally and first made the move to the Premier League from Lille last summer where he’s made a total of 36 appearances following his arrival, but there’s a chance that he could already be on the move after just one campaign at Goodison Park.

The Toffees’ 21-year-old still has another four years remaining on his contract on Merseyside, but having made an instant impression to establish himself as Sean Dyche’s third best-performing defensive player last season, he appears to have caught the eye of Erik ten Hag in M16.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

The Daily Mail previously reported that the Red Devils were assessing the possibility of a move having internally “held discussions” prior, and whilst talks have “not progressed” since then, the boss could be forced to enter the market to consider what options are out there.

Scott McTominay could be on his way out before the end of the window having been the subject of a £30m rejected offer from West Ham United and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat has been the player most heavily linked to replace him should he depart, but with negotiations having not yet developed, the talented top-flight prospect has emerged as a possible alternative.

Are Man United signing Amadou Onana?

According to The Guardian, Everton have received an “approach” from Man United regarding a summer swoop for Onana. Ten Hag is looking to bolster his ranks with more “physicality” and therefore wants to recruit a “commanding” central talisman.

The Blues are “reluctant” to lose their prized asset and hope to retain his services for at least another year, but it’s stated that a bid of £50m could “convince” them to sanction his sale. Old Trafford chiefs view their target as “more than a destroyer” and believe that he is “good enough” to operate alongside the likes of Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount.

How tall is Amadou Onana?

Standing at 6 foot 3, Onana adds a different dimension to the centre of the park with his height and has previously been dubbed a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig due to his big stature, and there’s no doubt that he would dramatically improve Ten Hag’s defensive midfield ranks if he was to sign on the dotted line.

The BTFM client last season ranked in the 93rd percentile for aerial wins and won 43 out of his 72 tackles which was the second-highest success rate at Everton, via FBRef, showing that he’s not afraid to throw himself into challenges to clear the danger for his team.

The 2022 World Cup participant, who has the versatility to operate in five different positions over the grass, can also pose a threat when it comes to efforts in the final third having scored ten goals and provided five assists throughout his career, so for such a well-rounded player, testing the waters by tabling an offer may well be seen as a no-brainer of a decision for United.

Returning Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could hardly have written a better script with regard to the opening weekend of the new Scottish Premiership campaign, with the Northern Irishman seeing his side hit four against Ross County at Parkhead, while their Old Firm rivals subsequently slipped up away to Kilmarnock.

With the reigning champions already now in the driving seat in the quest to retain their title, the hope will be that Rodgers and co can strengthen their position even further with notable new additions over the coming weeks.

The Glasgow giants have already brought in five new faces as they also prepare for another crack at the Champions League group stage, although having lost the likes of Aaron Mooy and Jota in recent months – and with Carl Starfelt on his way- increased quality is likely to be needed before the window is out.

What are the latest Celtic transfer rumours?

Amid the confirmation that the aforementioned Starfelt has joined La Liga side, Celta Vigo, speculation is rife that the Hoops are interested in Volendam's Xavier Mbuyamba and Elfsborg's Gustaf Lagerbielke, with Rodgers seemingly keen to bring in an additional centre-back recruit despite having already wrapped up a deal for Polish ace, Maik Nawrocki.

As for more attack-minded additions, the Daily Mail has reported this week that the treble winners are also among the clubs who are interested in Manchester City starlet, James McAtee, with the 20-year-old potentially in line for an exit from the Etihad in search of increased game time.

The report notes that despite City's reluctance to allow the promising Englishman to depart, the growing list of suitors could well spark an exit for the playmaker, with either a permanent or temporary move having been mooted.

How good is James McAtee?

Despite having been restricted to just six first-team appearances for his current side, the Salford native has previously dazzled in City's youth ranks, notably scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists in just 34 games at U18 level, while also contributing 46 goal involvements in just 52 outings for the U21's.

Such stellar form from the 5 foot 11 youngster was then replicated on loan at Sheffield United last season in England's second tier, with the "top talent" – as described by Jacek Kulig – having registered 13 goals and assists in 43 games in all competitions.

Noted for his "electric pace & acceleration", the England U21 international seemingly tore Championship defences to shreds last term after bagging nine goals in the league alone, with a player of such potential needing to continue his development with regular game time.

As far as Celtic are concerned, the hope will be that McAtee – who is valued at £3m by Football Transfers – can follow in the footsteps of Patrick Roberts if he is to make the move north of the border, with the latter man having dazzled after joining the Bhoys from the Cityzens on loan back in February 2016.

Over what would prove to be a two-and-a-half-year stint in Glasgow, the diminutive winger was truly sensational on the flanks after chipping in with 44 goals and assists in just 78 games in all competitions for the club, having won a host of domestic honours in that time.

The then-youngster – who had begun his career at Fulham – particularly shone following Rodgers' arrival at the start of the 2016/17 campaign as he went on to net 12 goals and provided 24 assists in 65 games under the ex-Liverpool boss – who dubbed him an "absolutely phenomenal player" in 2017.

While the Englishman ultimately did not sign permanently for the Premiership side he certainly made an impact when he was at the club, with the aim now to repeat that transfer blinder by securing McAtee's services this summer.

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O clima esquentou no Figueirense. Após a derrota diante do Paraná, a torcida do Figueirense perdeu a cabeça e invadiu o treino do último sábado para cobrar atletas e comissão técnica.

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De acordo com as informações, cerca de 34 atletas estavam no gramado quando a invasão ocorreu. Irritados com a falta de resultados, eles avançaram nos jogadores e soltaram rojões em direção aos jogadores.

Segundo o Figueirense, cinco pessoas ficaram feridas e atendidas pelos médicos do clube catarinense.

A polícia foi acionada, mas quando chegou ao local o grupo de torcedores já haviam se retirado do Orlado Scarpelli.

Tabela

Após a eliminação precoce no estadual (quartas de final), o Figueirense não começou a Série B de forma positiva e aparece na 16ª colocação, com 5 pontos.

Pancadaria generalizada no @FigueirenseFC Parece que torcedores invadiram o treino dos jogadores minutos atrás. Até eu entender que era briga demorou. Logo depois a polícia chegou e a atividade foi interrompida. #Figueirense @nsctvoficial @FloripaMilGrau pic.twitter.com/amJ3uhMGow

— Thiago Rodrigues (@t_h_i) September 5, 2020

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