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Antes da coletiva de Luís Castro, John Textor respondeu as perguntas dos jornalistas depois da vitória do Botafogo por 2 a 1 sobre o São Paulo, no Nilton Santos, pela estreia no Campeonato Brasileiro. Com arescisão de James Rodríguezcom o Olympiacos, o assunto sobre a possível contratação do colombiano voltou à tona. O dono da SAF alvinegra comentou sobre a sondagem que fez pelo craque.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

– Ano passado ele fez brincadeira que todo superstar tem chance de virar verdade. O caso é parecido com James, com Cavani, com Zahavi, que até chegou a ter um avanço na época. Temos que estar atentos ao mercado, principalmente em jogadores de alto nível, quando tem momento de transição ou saída. Esse contato com o agente e jogador é frequente, mas não significa que tem negociação em andamento. O jogador tem que quer estar aqui, dar sinal verde, aí você tem o primeiro avanço. A gente também especula. Não tem nada além de uma consulta, como teve para outros, mas não tem negociação. Deixando emoção de lado, pelo preço e contrato adequados, às vezes vale avançar em casos como esse – explicou Mazzuco ao traduzir as falas de John Textor.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoTextor assume responsabilidade por fraco início de ano do Botafogo e destaca: ‘Temporada começou hoje’Botafogo15/04/2023BotafogoEduardo critica árbitro em vitória do Botafogo e fala sobre fase goleadora na temporada: ‘Quero só ajudar’Botafogo15/04/2023BotafogoLuís Castro exalta determinação do Botafogo e sinergia com torcida: ‘União perfeita para chegarmos à vitória’Botafogo15/04/2023

– Não vamos atrás das celebridades, estamos atrás de bons jogadores em todos os níveis. Os movimentos são alinhados com o futuro do clube. Se tem situação que se encaixe, OK. Se não tem, estamos buscando jogadores talentosos, com lastro de desenvolvimento, que você paga 20% do preço de uma celebridade. Matías Segovia é um exemplo de atleta com lastro, nosso trabalho é torná-lo no futuro, quem sabe, um popstar. Estamos procurando, dentro das necessidades – acrescentou André Mazzuco.

+ATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho e Eduardo marcam e Lucas Perri fecha o gol em triunfo do Botafogo pelo Brasileirão

Por fim, Textor voltou a enaltecer a parceria com Luís Castro no projeto e destacou que o português continuará à frente do Alvinegro com um trabalho a longo prazo.

– O Castro sempre foi um parceiro do projeto. Não é fácil o primeiro ano após a Série B. No ano passado, ele chegou a ser mencionado para a Seleção. O futebol é assim, às vezes se está em cima e às vezes em baixa. Ele continua com a gente. Vamos manter o trabalho a longo prazo, vamos manter o treinador. Não será o desempenho do Carioca que fará mudar o trabalho. Eu não sou presidente, então, entendendo o momento e o torcedor, eu tento tomar as melhores decisões. Então, quero pedir desculpas ao torcedor pelo desempenho e pela turbulência no Carioca, mas enfatizar que a nossa temporada começou hoje. A vitória de hoje foi importante. Somos capazes de vencer times da Série A – frisou.

O Botafogo volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira para medir forças com o Universidad César Vallejo, do Peru, às 21h (de Brasília), também no Nilton Santos, pela Copa Sul-Americana. No Brasileirão, os comandados de Luís Castro entrarão em campo na segunda-feira, dia 24, às 21h, para encarar o Bahia, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela 2ª rodada.

The annual event will feature different teams from around the world each year

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2024

Caribbean Premier League team Guyana Amazon Warriors are scheduled to take on Pakistan Super League side Lahore Qalandars in the opening match of the inaugural Global Super League. The five-team T20 competition will also feature Hampshire Hawks (T20 Blast), Rangpur Riders (BPL), and Victoria (Australia state team). Eleven games, including the final, will be played across as many days starting November 26, with each team playing the other once before the top two make the final, on December 7.The annual event will feature different teams from around the world each year. Providence, Guyana, will be the venue for all the games.The league shows Guyana’s “ambition to become a global sporting destination,” Giles White, director of men’s cricket at Hampshire, said. “International club competition has proven itself to be successful across other sports and has been lacking in cricket for some time.” It has been sanctioned by CWI and “fully supported” by the government of Guyana, a “key stakeholder” in the competition, and has a prize money of US$1 million.Related

CWI sanctioned Global Super League set to launch in Guyana on November 26

West Indies will be playing two Tests against Bangladesh at home between November 22 and December 4. The resulting clash could bring about availability issues for Warriors, whose roster includes Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, and Kevin Sinclair, players also part of West Indies’ Test set-up. Rangpur Riders are also in line to be directly affected by the clash with Hasan Mahmud potentially playing for Bangladesh.With Pakistan slated to tour South Africa for an all-format tour, starting with the T20Is on December 10, the availability of Babar Azam, who played six games for Rangpur in BPL 2024, and Shaheen Afridi, Qalandars’ captain, among others is also in doubt.The league will also clash with Abu Dhabi T10, slated to be held from November 21 to December 2.

Leeds United and the 49ers Enterprises have made an enquiry to sign another new midfielder ahead of Premier League rivals Burnley and Everton.

Leeds bolster midfield with Longstaff and Stach signings

The Whites have been busy in recent weeks ahead of their top flight return, with two of their recent signings coming in midfield.

After bolstering Daniel Farke’s defence with Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson, Leeds have since added Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.

Signed for a combined £29.4m from Newcastle United and Hoffenheim respectively, the duo look set to provide competition for Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev this season.

Talking after signing, Longstaff said: “I think from the first time I spoke to Leeds, I got a feeling that they really wanted me. It just fills you full of confidence and it just makes you want to repay those people. It is a massive, massive football club – similar to Newcastle in a lot of ways.”

Meanwhile, Stach added: “I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season. My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best.”

Even better than Muniz: Leeds lining up move to sign "dominant" £30m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a striker who is even better than Rodrigo Muniz.

ByDan Emery Jul 31, 2025

The Whites don’t seem to be stopping there when it comes to midfield reinforcements, though, going off a new transfer update.

Leeds make contact to sign Benfica’s Florentino Luis

According to journalist Gianluigi Longari, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds have made an enquiry to sign Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis.

It is claimed that the Portuguese side could be open to selling Luis after bringing in Richard Ríos, with Leeds, Everton and Burnley all making approaches in recent weeks.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €22m Transfermarkt valuation. Luis has been with Benfica since 2019, winning two league titles, and is under contract until 2027.

He caught the eye of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed the midfielder the “Portuguese Octopus”, and he also ranks high for a number of areas over the last 12 months.

Tackles

97th percentile

Interceptions

99th percentile

Tackles won

94th percentile

Passes blocked

82nd percentile

Pass completion (long)

94th percentile

A move to England could be one to keep an eye on following the recent transfer update and it’ll be interesting to see if Leeds firm up their interest after making contact.

أعلن وائل جمعة مدافع الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، والمحلل بشبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”، ترشيحاته للفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” لعام 2025، واستبعد مواطنه محمد صلاح من المراكز الثلاثة الأولى.

ويقام حفل الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” للعام 2025 اليوم الإثنين، في العاصمة الفرنسية باريس، وسيعلن عن أفضل لاعب قريبًا.

وخلال حديثه في شبكة “بي إن سبورتس”، قال وائل جمعة: “ترتيب أفضل 3 لاعبين في العالم بالنسبة لي بدون عاطفة، عثمان ديمبلي، رافينها، لامين يامال على الترتيب”.

اقرأ أيضًا | قبل إعلان الفائز.. جماهير كرة القدم تطالب بتتويج محمد صلاح بـ الكرة الذهبية وتحذر من هذا الأمر

وأضاف: “محمد صلاح ليس بعيدًا عن الترشيحات، لكن المشكلة أنه حقق الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز فقط، وتمنح الجائزة دائمًا للفائز بلقب دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأردف: “الكثير في مصر والعالم العربي يستنكرون عدم منافسه صلاح على المركز الأول، صلاح قدم تاريخًا كبيرًا جدًا”.

وأتم: “بالنسبة لي محمد صلاح أفضل لاعب عربي في التاريخ، الجائزة هي التي ستخسر محمد صلاح وأشرف حكيمي إذا لم يفز أحدهما بها”.

It’s a curious thing, football’s summer transfer market. So much goes on, rumours and shocks zipping about like so many hoofed clearances in a Sunday League match.

For Liverpool fans, the window has been not so much curious as chaotic, with Arne Slot’s side undergoing an incredible transformation after marching to last year’s Premier League title.

Trent Alexander-Arnold up and left for Real Madrid toward the end of his contract, and so Liverpool signed Jeremie Frimpong. But it is Frimpong’s Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz who is the Scouser’s true heir, signed on for a British-record £116m fee and heralded as “the best midfielder in the world” by former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes. Wirtz, for sure, is a world-class playmaker.

Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili both arrived too. And then along came Hugo Ekitike, leaving Eintracht Frankfurt for Anfield for a £69m initial fee. The 23-year-old has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.

But with Darwin Nunez a priority target for Al Hilal, sporting director Richard Hughes has set his focus on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

Why Liverpool might not sign Alexander Isak

Oh, he’s the dream, all right. However, prising Isak away from St. James’ Park this summer will be no easy feat, even though he’s desperate to wrap up his Newcastle career and join the Reds on Merseyside.

Could Liverpool pull it off? Certainly, if Isak is to join Slot’s side this summer, it would require a fee eclipsing that which Leverkusen have chequed in for Wirtz, with Newcastle valuing him somewhere in the ballpark of £150m.

The Premier League champions have already seen a formal offer worth £110m knocked back last week, though this was likely a negotiating tactic from Hughes and FSG to unsettle a player whose heart lies in Liverpool, and who refused to travel with the Toon for their pre-season tour in Asia.

The 25-year-old has now returned to Newcastle’s training facilities and is set for face-to-face talks with Howe.

Last season, pundit Jamie Carragher called Isak “the best striker in the Premier League”, and his 27-goal contribution across Newcastle’s title-winning campaign displays merely the tip of the iceberg of a wide-ranging and expansive skill set.

He’s the dream target, and understandably so. However, Liverpool might fail; Newcastle might fail to find and sign an acceptable replacement.

Thus, an alternative has been lined up.

Liverpool target favouring move to Anfield

According to ESPN, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has made it known to his entourage that he would prefer to sign for Liverpool this summer, should he have to depart from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Rodrygo is no longer considered one of Real Madrid’s untouchable superstars, but Los Blancos will only cash in if their valuation is met, with £78m the figure touted.

Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on Xabi Alonso’s Brazilian star, and with Heung-min Son set to sign for LAFC in the MLS, FSG will need to make a swift decision as to whether they forge ahead with a bid.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Should Liverpool fail to sign Isak this summer, there’s a case to be made that Rodrygo could be the perfect alternative, and that’s despite him being more of a wide forward than a focal frontman.

Right winger

146

34

31

Centre-forward

84

22

8

Left winger

78

23

16

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

Hailed as “the most talented and the most gifted player” in Real Madrid’s squad by teammate Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo is renowned for his tenacious and industrious work-rate, his technical quality, and his ability to shift between multiple positions.

There’s no question that he could shift between wide and central positions in a manner not dissimilar to Luis Diaz, who last week completed a £65.5m transfer to Bayern Munich.

Diaz operated in a makeshift centre-forward berth under Slot’s guidance last term, notching eight goals and an assist from 15 fixtures in the role.

So then, we can see that Rodrygo, a goalscoring wide forward, could emulate the Colombian, whose crispness in possession is also a factor of note.

But then the same can be said of Real Madrid’s versatile forward, who ranked last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, as per FBref.

Moreover, he missed just one big chance in La Liga last season, as per Sofascore. Albeit he only scored six times after a disappointing year. Given that Rodrygo was routinely played on the right flank, his unfavoured position, such woes are provided some important context.

This all points toward Rodrygo being the perfect, if somewhat left-field, alternative to Isak, for he could replace Diaz while providing a different dimension to Slot’s central striking area too.

Liverpool have, of course, welcomed Ekitike to the fold, and so have a new out-and-out striker to replace Nunez. The Frenchman scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, and pundit Owen Hargreaves said last season that he “looks like the perfect centre-forward.”

With this in mind, losing out on Isak wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, not when FSG have succeeded in packaging Slot’s squad with such a wide array of elite-level quality.

Rodrygo is one of Real Madrid’s “world-class superstars”, so says the great Luka Modric, after all, and he’s demonstrated that he has the ability to score and to assist and to come up with big-game defining moments with regularity.

For the moment, it seems as if Liverpool will continue to push for Newcastle’s star striker, but should they fail to break the British transfer record for a second time this summer, it might be worth advancing with a deal for Rodrygo, whose qualities suggest he could become a multi-positional machine for the Anfield side as they chase down more illustrious success.

Arsenal chiefs are now divided over a summer transfer target behind-the-scenes, with sporting director Andrea Berta weighing up their next signing after Viktor Gyokeres.

Related Talks held: Man City now in contact to hijack Arsenal's move for £68m star

The Blues have made an approach for a “sensational” forward, who has emerged as a major target for the Gunners.

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund Jul 30, 2025

The Sweden international made his debut for Arsenal in their north London derby clash against Tottenham in Hong Kong this afternoon, with supporters catching a first glimpse of their blockbuster new arrival on the club’s pre-season tour of Asia.

Gyokeres ended what was a two-month-long transfer saga by putting pen to paper on a £64 million deal to join Arsenal last weekend, including add-ons, and the number nine could end up standing out as a title-winning capture.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£208m

His monumental 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP were key to the club winning back-to-back Primeira Liga titles, with both Ruben Amorim and Rui Borges benefitting from Gyokeres’ exceptional proficiency in the final third.

Now, it is Arteta’s turn, and Gyokeres stands to seriously benefit from feeding off the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

In an ideal world, the 27-year-old will also get service from another Arsenal attacking target – Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze.

Eze was Palace’s standout creator last season, making his £20 million fee from QPR seem like peanuts, and reports suggest that he’s most likely to be Arsenal’s next major incoming after Gyokeres.

“The top target is Eberechi Eze. He’s considered the perfect player to add,” said Fabrizio Romano on Men in Blazers this week.

“They are in contact with his agents, they spoke to the player several times, the player’s camp several times — Eze is very tempted by this opportunity.”

Arsenal chiefs divided over signing Eberechi Eze

The England international has already told friends he expects to join Arsenal this summer, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who’s now shared an intriguing new update in an interview with TBR Football.

Bailey reports that, despite his quality, Arsenal chiefs are divided over signing Eze amid some confusion over his potential role in Arteta’s team.

“I am told that some inside the club are not sure about where he is going to play within the Arsenal system.

“It is believed that a number see him as a No.10 and if that is the case, do they need that? That is part of the discussion.

“Arsenal are still weighing up their options when it comes to Eze. They like the player a lot and think he would be an excellent signing, but nothing is guaranteed at this point.

“Arsenal are one who have held talks, but Palace were expecting others such as the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham to come – as of yet that hasn’t happened but it could. Although, as we know, Eze wants Arsenal, and has told friends that is where he expects to be playing come the end of the window.

“Palace are not going to help anyone get Eze, they want him to stay. If somebody wants him, it is going to be on their terms.”

Elsewhere, The Guardian reports that Palace want at least £35m of Eze’s potential £68m release clause paid up front, which would take Arsenal’s summer spending close to the £250 million mark.

Berta does have other options though, with Arsenal keen on Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss, who could leave for the value of his £22.5 million release clause.

Australia fielding an unchanged frontline pace attack last summer might have been an “outlier” as selectors strategise over their seam options in the wake of losing allrounder Cameron Green.Emphasising their remarkable durability, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have played in Australia’s last nine Tests stretching back to the Ashes tour.Related

• Cricket Australia looks to unify approach to managing quicks

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• Pant and Bumrah hold the key to India's fortunes in Australia

• Green out for the season as he takes surgery option

• Cummins to prepare for Test summer in Pakistan ODIs, Marsh and Head on paternity leave

Last summer they were aided by bowler-friendly conditions at home and in New Zealand where none of the seven matches went into a fifth day. In only three of the innings did Australia need to bowl more than 78 overs which helped them keep fresh.But India’s imposing batting line-up represents a different challenge with the expectation that Australia will be made to toil in the upcoming five-match series played over seven weeks. There are doubts over whether Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood can replicate what they did last season and play the entirety of what should be a gruelling series.Australia’s pace depth has been tested with several fringe bowlers working their way back from injuries. Quick Lance Morris, uncapped at Test level but a regular squad member over the last couple of years, suffered an injury setback having picked up a quad strain in training recently but should return before the end of the month.Scott Boland and Michael Neser, who had a five-wicket haul for Queensland against Western Australia to start the Sheffield Shield season, have overcome off-season niggles and will be part of Australia A’s upcoming red-ball series against India A.”If you look at the quicks last year we were certainly prepared that they might not be able to play all the Tests and they did,” George Bailey, Australia chair of selectors, said on Monday.”Potentially that might have been an outlier and again this summer we’ll be prepared that if we do need to make some adjustments throughout the summer that we are ready to go.”The triumvirate’s workload could increase with Green sidelined for the entire summer due to a stress fracture of his back. Green’s bowling has been cautiously utilised in his Test career, but he was set to play a bigger role with the ball against India.”Someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more,” Cummins said in August.1:08

Can India risk taking Shami to Aus if he misses the NZ Tests?

Mitchell Marsh might be required to help cover Green’s absence, but has bowled just four overs – all of which were in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s – since tearing his hamstring during the IPL. He blasted 94 at No. 4 for WA in their second innings against Queensland, but did not bowl in the match as he mostly fielded in the slips and occasionally helped carry the drinks.If selectors decide on a like-for-like replacement then Aaron Hardie and Beau Webster will be in the frame. Hardie did not play in the opening Shield round due to a quad injury he picked up at the end of the England tour, but he is set to return for WA’s next match against Tasmania at the WACA starting on October 20.Bailey believed having an allrounder was a “luxury” rather than a necessity. “Even looking at the three quicks that we generally play in Test cricket, they’ve played a lot of Test cricket together where they haven’t had an allrounder as well”, he said.”Think it certainly depends on the personnel that are available. Guess the role that Cam and Mitch have played is that they’ve been able to hold down a spot purely on the back of their batting and think that’s still fundamentally what’s most important in that top six.”Will continue preparing for Mitch Marsh to bowl some overs as well, that’s been part of his management for the last couple of months.”Australia’s hierarchy have carefully managed workloads of the quicks ahead of the India series, with Cummins missing the entire white-ball England tour to give him a break from bowling.Cummins is unlikely to play a Shield game before the India series and will instead prepare by leading Australia in their ODI series against Pakistan. But Hazlewood and Starc are set to play in at least one Shield match before the Pakistan series.”Pat’s obviously had an individual prep, but if you go through the Test team from the end of last year and their build up to the first Test this year, everyone’s slightly nuanced,” Bailey said.”There’s always an eye to the individual as to what their best preparation is for any Test summer. I think the proliferation of franchise cricket means that there are plenty of opportunities and temptations for players to fill gaps.”Pat, Mitch and Josh have been pretty amazing over how they’ve been able to select which franchise tournaments they play. And they always give themselves good breaks when it’s appropriate as well.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly on the lookout for an heir to club legend Son Heung-min amid their dire need for a new playmaker too, with Spurs expected to be busy during the final few weeks of this summer window.

The Lilywhites take on PSG in a highly-anticipated UEFA Super Cup clash next week, but as things stand, Thomas Frank will battle the French treble winners with a severely weakened squad.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Son’s £20 million move to LAFC brought an end to what was an historic 10 years at Spurs for the winger, culminating in the 33-year-old waving an emotional goodbye to an adoring Korean crowd in Seoul last weekend.

Unfortunately, the tribute was marred by James Maddison suffering a serious injury to the same knee which kept him out of the Europa League final last season.

Maddison was forced off on a stretcher, with Frank describing the issue as “bad” in what was a devastating blow for the Dane ahead of his imminent first competitive game in charge.

After just 90 minutes against Newcastle, Frank lost Son to the MLS and Maddison swiftly returned to the treatment table, with Daniel Levy now tasked with somehow filling the voids left by both men.

In an ideal world, Levy and technical director Johan Lange would bring in a versatile-enough attacking option to cover both positions, if they can’t sign two new attackers.

There are a few intriguing possibilities in this regard, with reports suggesting that Liverpool sensation Harvey Elliott could emerge as a target for Tottenham. However, the north Londoners face stiff competition from RB Leipzig, who are now moving for the England Under-21 international after his stellar Euros.

Similarly to Elliott, wantaway Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho can operate both on the left-hand side and as a CAM.

Alejandro Garnacho refuses to rule out joining Tottenham

Chelsea are believed to be in talks for Garnacho as they eye a double-swoop for the Argentine and Xavi Simons, but according to journalist Graeme Bailey, Spurs are not entirely out of the race.

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey reports that Frank’s side and Aston Villa are other suitors, and Garnacho hasn’t “discounted” joining either of them over Chelsea, even if Stamford Bridge is his preferred destination right now.

“Garnacho is determined to leave Old Trafford, we know that, and Chelsea appeal, but I am told he has not discounted other options,” said Bailey.

“A move to Stamford Bridge does (stand out to him). Spurs and Villa like him, but Chelsea have done a lot of work so far.”

The 21-year-old fits seamlessly into Tottenham’s transfer policy of buying young players with high potential and sell-on value, with reports also suggesting he’d cost around £40 million after Ruben Amorim’s side reduced his asking price.

Garnacho’s 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season tells you all you need to know about how devastating he could be in the final third, but Spurs will need to hijack Chelsea’s discussions for the “real deal” forward – so a move won’t be easy by any means.

Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness says the club's cash position is as important as its sporting success while pointing out Barcelona's huge debt.

• President says club needs act cautiously
• Believes burning cash can lead to huge debts
• Claims club's transfer choices are collective decision

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern have been criticised for not spending enough in a transfer window for Vincent Kompany and Co. The German club's primary transfer targets – Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade – joined Liverpool and Newcastle respectively after multiple efforts were made to bring them to Allianz Arena. At the centre of this criticism is sporting director Max Eberl, who was reportedly expected to resign, given the limitations to the transfer budget. Board member and honorary president Hoeness dismisses these rumours, claiming Eberl's commitment was never an issue despite them having controversial discussions.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Critiqued for his missteps in transfer policies, financial management issues, and internal tensions, Eberl still retains official support, as Hoeness believes it was a difficult time for the sporting director given the pressure he was under. The club legend points out that Eberl does get "sensitive" in these matters, but one must understand that overspending can lead to nightmarish situations, providing the example of Barcelona's recklessness and overspending behaviour, which eventually resulted in them generating €1.2 billion (£1.04bn/$1.4bn) in debt.

• WHAT HOENESS SAID

  When asked to comment on Eberl's transfer business, the Bayern chief said on : "He would have liked to buy a player, but we know our cash position. In the end, that's just as important as sporting success. Barcelona sends its regards. If you buy, buy, buy… Suddenly you have 1.2 billion euros in debt. See you later.

  "Eberl often argued like mad with [board member] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, but when the door closed behind us, it was okay again, Max is quite sensitive in that regard."

  Clearing the air around Eberl's resignation rumours, the ex-German international said: "If he thought that way, they'd have to ask him themselves. We [the supervisory board] naturally had controversial discussions, as always, but the Eberl issue was not an issue at all, whether they were parting ways with him or anything like that.

  "Eberl was constantly under pressure from outside. And it was always said: 'He didn't get him, he didn't get him'. There is no Eberl transfer, there is no Hoeness transfer, there is no Rummenigge transfer, but an FC Bayern transfer. FC Bayern buys players, not the individual. And if it doesn't work out, it's not the individual's fault, but all of us."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Even though Bayern missed out on their primary targets, they eventually signed some good players, including Luis Diaz, Nicolas Jackson and Jonathan Tah. However, losing out on their dream deals, coupled with the club's reserved belief about overspending, speaks volumes about the shift in their standing in the transfer market.

It’s only a month away now until Premier League action finally returns to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland fans have been waiting for this moment to arrive all summer, and with the amount of whirlwind business that has taken place off the pitch this off-season, with high-profile additions galore, it must be hard for the Black Cats faithful not to feel excited at the moment, yet impatient in equal measure.

The latest jaw-dropping arrival was Simon Adingra from Brighton and Hove Albion, with the Premier League-ready attacker joining up with Regis Le Bris’ camp for £18m.

More cash will surely be splashed between now and the opening match of the campaign versus West Ham United, as Le Bris and Co. begin to hunt down some new defensive bodies to strengthen even more.

Sunderland firming up interest in £24m star

In particular, the Black Cats will be looking to add some reinforcements in the heart of defence based on recurring rumours.

Transfer Focus

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The likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Joe Gomez, and Charlie Cresswell have all been tipped to join the Stadium of Light ranks this summer in this department, with reports even going as far as to suggest that Cresswell could be purchased for around the £18m mark.

However, there is a fresh target has now emerged in this area of the pitch in the form of Bologna titan Jhon Lucumi, with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio suggesting that the newly promoted side is showing an interest in the imposing Colombian.

That has been followed up by a report from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, with the respected insider revealing that the Black Cats are ready to make an official bid, having been in contact over the last 24 hours or so.

With a reported release clause coming into play at around the £24m region, it will be intriguing to see what Sunderland are willing to fork out to snap up the 6-foot-2 defender shortly, with Lucumi arguably an even bigger talent than the up-and-coming Cresswell.

Why Lucumi is an even bigger talent than Cresswell

Whilst the former Leeds United man is the talk of the town at the moment after a breakout Toulouse campaign and an imperious Euros tournament, he is still a relatively inexperienced figure in the grand scheme of things.

Indeed, when adding up the 22-year-old’s career appearances to date, 39 of his 101 overall clashes have come about in the U21 ranks at Elland Road, with just one meaningful senior season under his belt in a top division in Ligue 1, which came about just last campaign.

Games played

32

31

Goals scored

0

3

Assists

1

1

Touches*

73.2

63.3

Accurate passes*

57.9 (92%)

41.2 (83%)

Ball recoveries*

5.5

3.3

Total duels won*

3.9

4.9

Clean sheets

10

9

On the flip side, the Bologna number 26 has been a mainstay in Serie A for some time now – with a high 94 Italian top-flight contests next to his name – and as can be seen glancing at the table above, his powers haven’t waned whatsoever as a dominant and assured presence in the backline of Vincenzo Italiano’s side.

If anything, he actually managed to trump Cresswell in many different areas of their respective defensive games last season, with Lucumi having been noted for his “ice-cold composure” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Indeed, he averaged more accurate passes per league clash than the Preston-born centre-back, on top of tirelessly registering more ball recoveries as an energetic body at the back.

Further hailed as being “ridiculously impressive” by Mattinson, it does feel as if Lucumi would be better placed to go in and make an impact on the Sunderland side immediately than Cresswell, considering he also excelled in the Champions League last campaign when battling against the likes of Aston Villa with 4.6 total duels won on average in Europe’s elite competition.

Cresswell will undoubtedly find himself back in the English game at some stage, having been rashly discarded by Leeds.

But, in the here and now, Sunderland should attempt to push the boat out more to land the Colombian, as more and more cash is thrown around to help boost the Black Cats’ survival chances.

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