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Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore must ruthlessly axe centre-back Tom Lees amid interest from Championship side Bristol City.

What’s the talk?

According to the Bristol Post, Lees is one of the players for whom Nigel Pearson is weighing up a swoop as he attempts to improve his defence heading into the 2021/22 campaign. The report claims that Pearson is looking to bring in two new centre-back options and Lees is a player he would like to sign, along with Oxford defender Rob Atkinson.

Lees is out of contract at the end of the month and is reportedly on £22,000 per week at Hillsborough. This means that he is on course to become a free agent at the start of July, which would allow Bristol City to bring him in without paying a transfer fee to Sheffield Wednesday for his services.

Relief for Chansiri

Moore deciding to axe Lees this summer would come as a massive relief for Dejphon Chansiri. The 30-year-old is one of the club’s top earners and his exit could take a sizeable chunk away from the wage bill Chansiri will need to pay in League One next season following the club’s relegation to the third tier.

Sheffield Wednesday have felt the impact of the global pandemic financially and are reportedly struggling to pay the wages of their players at the moment. The club are looking into the possibility of placing some of their playing staff on furlough over the summer to cut costs and cover payments.

This means that letting Lees go could be a necessity this month. If Chansiri is not able to pay the players their wages for the month just gone, there is no way of being able to justify keeping the defender at Hillsborough for another season or longer, unless he was willing to take a gigantic pay cut to play for the club in League One.

That appears to be an unlikely outcome because of the interest from Bristol City in his services. Pearson is offering him the chance to move back to the Championship, potentially without a pay cut, and that could be an attractive prospect for the former Leeds player.

It is worth pointing out that this is not an indictment on Lees’ performances for the club in the season just gone. He averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, earning a score of 6.88 for his performances across 38 starts, just ahead of Barry Bannan. He averaged five aerial battles won and 5.4 clearances made per game, showing that he was a beast for Wednesday at the back despite their failure to stay up.

However, time is up for Lees at Hillsborough, and Moore must allow him to go because of their wage bill situation.

AND in other news, SWFC must complete deal for “powerful” ace after huge update

After the events of recent days in Kolkata, it would come as little surprise if there was a contagious fear of following on sweeping through the cricketing world at present.If there is, it struck at the beautiful winelands ground in Paarl on Friday where visitors Easterns produced a sterling bowling effort in oppressive heat and then opted not to ask Boland to bat again. By stumps, Easterns had reached 29/0 in their second innings, a lead of exactly 200.The Boland first innings batting performnce, where they could manage just169, was so poor that it might have been argued that the home side couldhave done with a bit of batting practice. Just as last week against Border,James Henderson was the only batsmen to properly take root, eventually ninthout for an extremely well compiled 86, which included nine fours.The damage was done at the top of the order, and it was done by anunlikely havoc-wreaker. Seventeen-year-old Brendan Reddy had picked up only onefirst-class victim before this game in his brief career, but the decidedlypacey youngster steamed in to take three wickets in six balls and leaveBoland in trouble at 19/3.Although Louis Koen (31) and Jonathan Trott (22) looked fluent as theymade brisk starts, they also fell at crucial moments. With both removed -Trott to a stunner of a catch by Dylan Jennings behind the stumps – GarethFlusk (3/55) dealt with the middle order and Pierre de Bruyn (4/34) wrappedup the tail.Earlier, the final two Easterns wickets had done well to stretch thefirst innings total to 340 on a pitch where the accumulation of runs isalways a methodical rather than a carefree exercise. Anthony Botha was leftstanding on 49, while Henry Williams (5-66) took the last two wickets toreturn his fourth five-wicket haul in consecutive matches.

Celtic’s summer will be dominated by a constant barrage of departures.

Whether it’s someone on the Hoops playing staff or a member of the hierarchy at Parkhead, a mass exodus looks set to take place.

One of those who could leave Glasgow behind is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.

The Norwegian has come a long way since being signed as a 17-year-old, now attracting the eyes of those in the Premier League.

Newcastle have sent scouts to watch him and it wouldn’t be a great surprise if Saturday’s game with Hibernian was his last as a Celtic player.

With Christopher Jullien a long-term absentee, it leaves Stephen Welsh as the only reliable centre-half in the first-team picture.

As such, the Bhoys will need to delve into the transfer market and find a replacement.

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are leading the race to sign Cardiff City defender Ciaron Brown. The Northern Irishman has had quite the story, being snapped out of non-league football to becoming a professional.

He starred for Livingston earlier this term and it’s his performances at Almondvale that leads us to believe Celtic should sign him.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

A dogged defender who can also play at wing-back, he is rather different to Ajer. The Norway international is a wonderful ball-playing centre-back, something epitomised by his pass success rate of 97% this weekend.

Brown, on the other hand, is not so good with the ball at his feet. Throughout 2020/21, the 23-year-old has completed just 53.1% of his passes.

That is a horrifying number but there are certain advantages to signing him. For example, he is colossal in the air, winning 3.3 aerial battles per match this term.

He is also a prolific tackler, winning 1.6 challenges per game for Livingston.

Celtic have seen firsthand what a bully he can be in defence and in the final third. When they drew 2-2 with Livi back in January, Brown not only scored but also assisted a goal from centre-back.

He made a devastating impact that crushed Lennon’s side and handed them a pretty embarrassing result away from home.

A strong and hard-working footballer, his mental attributes could undeniably help Celtic’s lacklustre defence.

They conceded 16 more goals than Rangers in the league this season so need someone with a bit of extra steel.

Speaking to The Daily Record after Cardiff recalled him from his loan spell in Scotland, manager David Martindale said: “He is a massive player for us and he is a great lad around the place.

“Ciaron has got a very good football brain. When I ask him to do a job, he knows what to do and nine times out of ten he will make the right decision.”

Considering the Celtic backline have lacked some very basic decision-making skills this season, Brown would be an astute capture.

They will, however, need to ensure he passes the ball out more adequately than he’s shown this season.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 5 ft 8 beast who gets “in people’s faces”, he’s perfect for Eddie Howe…

MatériaMais Notícias

No último dia antes da rodada final do Brasileirão, os clubes pouco movimentaram o mercado. Destaque para o Santos, que acertou com um dos alvos prometidos para a defesa. No Flamengo, jornais peruanos dão como certo a contratação de um companheiro de Guerrero na Seleção. Na Europa, o Benfica se movimenta para contratar o ‘novo Ibra’ e o atacante Chicharito é a bola da vez na Inglaterra. Confira os destaques do vaivém na galeria de fotos acima.

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Liverpool are back in Premier League action tonight following a two-week break as they host Southampton at Anfield.

Last Sunday, the Reds’ away clash at Old Trafford to face Manchester United was postponed due to fan protests. It means that Jurgen Klopp’s men come into the clash with Saints having most recently drawn 1-1 with Newcastle United.

How many changes could the German be tempted to make for tonight’s game?

We are anticipating just two alterations at Anfield on Saturday evening from the Newcastle game, neither of them enforced.

First and foremost, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson will be selected in between the sticks.

There will likely be one change in the defence in front of him, though. The headline switch will be Nathaniel Phillips’ return to the backline after a slight layoff,. as Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the 24-year-old has recovered from a problem which was keeping him out.

The £64k-per-week defender – who has won a squad-high 5.5 headers per game this season – will replace Fabinho, who should move back into his preferred position in the centre of the park. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ozan Kabak and Andrew Robertson should all remain in the back four.

Whilst Fabinho will be reintroduced into midfield, there could be another slight change alongside him, as Thiago Alcantara is likely to drop out to make room for the returning Phillips.

James Milner could come into the team, rounding off a midfield three of him, the Brazilian and Georginio Wijnaldum.

The veteran England midfielder could replace Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward is five without a goal in all competitions and could likely drop down the bench. This would duly see Klopp field his regular front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-moreozek-suarez-ward-correa-klopp-super-league-watkins” title=”Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more…”]

The Senegal forward has only scored once against his former employers so will surely be keen to improve upon that underwhelming record.

AND in more news, find out which Reds star has given Jurgen Klopp a considerable injury boost this weekend…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Barry Fry, who is Director of Football at Peterborough United, claims that Eddie Howe will be keeping his options open before deciding whether or not to commit to the Celtic job.

Celtic are still on the hunt for Neil Lennon’s successor after he left the club by mutual consent with the Bhoys surrendering the league title to rivals Rangers earlier this season.

Last week Eddie Howe was reportedly set to be appointed as Celtic manager last week, however, Howe is now apparently having second thoughts with reports linking him to the potentially soon-to-be-vacant Crystal Palace job.

Speaking on how Eddie Howe is keeping his options open and why he won’t commit to Celtic just yet, Fry told FFC:

“He’s just keeping his options open at the minute and he’s not going to rush into anything.

“So, I can see Eddie waiting for an opportunity in the Premier League again.”

Heading into this season Celtic had a chance to make it a record 10 SPFL title in a row, however, they were blown away by Rangers’ dominance and consistency.

Howe has been out of a job since he left Bournemouth after failing to keep them in Premier League during the 2019/20 season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Bruno Henrique foi vendido ao Palermo (ITA) entre os jogos contra Vitória (22 de agosto) e Ponte Preta (27 de agosto) e Elias deixou a concentração antes da partida seguinte, contra o Fluminense (em 31 de agosto), a caminho do Sporting (POR). Em uma semana, o Corinthians perdeu duas de suas principais referências e até hoje sofre as ausências: a equipe venceu apenas um dos oito jogos sem a dupla de volantes neste Campeonato Brasileiro.

Desde a saída de sua dupla de volantes titular em 2016, o Timão venceu uma vez, empatou duas e foi derrotado em cinco oportunidades no Brasileirão, o que representa um aproveitamento de 20,8% dos pontos. Não à toa, o time que era quarto colocado hoje está em oitavo na tabela de classificação – na Copa do Brasil os números são melhores: duas vitórias e um empate.

Demitido pelo Corinthians há 22 dias, o técnico Cristóvão Borges atribui sua saída principalmente às perdas de Bruno Henrique e Elias, que eram titulares sob seu comando e também com Tite. Fabio Carille, que assumiu interinamente há cinco jogos, definiu Camacho e Rodriguinho nas vagas dos dois negociados com o futebol europeu. Ao LANCE!, Bruno Henrique mostra confiança, especialmente em seu substituto imediato.

– Que bom que o Camacho está conseguindo jogar bem. Ele é um ótimo jogador e tem bastante técnica. Torço pra que ele consiga crescer muito no Corinthians e ajudar o time da melhor maneira. O clube vive um momento difícil por todas essas situações, mas o Corinthians é muito forte – diz o ex-camisa 25.

Sem Bruno Henrique e Elias, Camacho, Willians, Cristian e até os garotos Jean e Marciel passaram a ser mais utilizados, além da promoção de Ameixa, que dificilmente ocorreria sem as saídas. O próximo passo é retomar o bom caminho.

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Bruno HenriqueCorinthians

As Manchester City gear up for their FA semi-final clash against Chelsea this afternoon, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that club legend Sergio Aguero is still unfit and will not take part (via football.london) – prompting many Sky Blues to react as this news emerges. 

Aguero, who scored a brilliant looping header in City’s last FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea back in 2013, will not play today for Guardiola’s side as the boss confirms he is still not ready following his latest injury.

Bar the Argentine, every other member of the senior squad is fit and ready to do their part when called upon – with the Sky Blues still remarkably in contention for all four major trophies this season.

City edged past Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League second leg quarter final tie midweek and now take on the west Londoners in a bid to reach their second FA Cup final in three seasons.

Flocking to this injury news, which one fan called ‘sad’, Aguero not being able to feature does come as disappointing given his contract will be up at the end of the season and supporters may want to see as much of him as possible, especially in a knockout match such as this one, which is made for heroes to step up and be counted.

Find all of their reactions down below.

Man City fans react as Aguero misses Chelsea

“Man is so washed. I can’t believe it”

Credit: @Relly_95

“finished player. sad”

Credit: @jessealordiah

“it’s a horrible ending for him but he’s lifting 4 trophies at the end of the season so…”

Credit: @ttomconnolly

“He’s finished”

Credit: @WeavusChrist

“this is a sad ending”

Credit: @mcfc_kai

“Disappointed, but not surprised.”

Credit: @MCFC_Liban

“Something is up. I do not understand it.”

Credit: @CharlesMCanada

“Yeah man I’m hurt”

Credit: @Invisibleman137

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to a Romano update, find out more here.

Heading into the final stretch of an excitingÂfirst campaign back in the Premier League, the principal objective for Leeds United was always to secure their position amongst the English elite. Another couple of wins would probably be enoughÂas the club starts to look ahead, weighing up how to build upon solid foundations, ready to continue making progress next season.One area planned for reinforcement is the defensive unit, both in terms of manpower available to Marcelo Bielsa, and to afford him additional tactical options. With this in mind, sources in Spain inform that Leeds United have been monitoring the situation of Domingos Duarte, the Portuguese international centre-back at Granada CF.26-year-old Duarte has been a revelationÂover the last two seasons atÂGranada, as they continue to defy the 2021 Europa League betting odds, having now reached the quarter-finals of the competition. The consistency and reliability of his form has been a key contributing factor, which has inevitably caught the attention of bigger clubs in Spain and around Europe.

Duarte offers power and precision

Tall and powerful, standing at 6 feet 4 inches, Domingos Duarte combines an impressive physical presence with superb technical ability, which is underpinned by sound tactical and positional awareness. Often seen making perfectly timed challenges and quickly recycling possession, Duarte is also confident with the ball at his feet, able to distribute passes of any range with great accuracy.

Such a multi-faceted centre-back would be a hugely attractive addition for Bielsa, ideally suited to his coaching methodology and tactical ideas. Duarte is also capable of adapting quickly to those concepts and to English football, although Leeds would face tough negotiations to get their man.

According to current Transfermarkt estimates, Duarte has a market value of around €12 million. However, Spanish sources informÂthat Granada would be unwilling to let him go at that price. The existing contract of Duarte runs until June 2023, including a minimum release clause valuationÂof €30 million, and that will beÂthe starting point of any haggling over price.

Possible cash plus Casilla option

Some hard bargaining could reduce the price-tag for Duarte, while there’s also the possibility that Leeds could offer one of their players in part-exchange. Granada will have to replace their excellent goalkeeper Rui Silva this summer, who turned down a new deal and will head to Real Betis next season.

This means that Granada are in the market for a new shot-stopper, making 34-year-old Kiko Casilla the ideal makeweight in any potential move for Duarte. Despite being first choice in the Championship last season, Casilla has only appeared once in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup this term, both of which came in January.

However, the key stumbling block in such a scenario would be contract negotiations. Casilla is currently on a deal worth £1.67 million per season at Elland Road, which lasts until 2023. This would leave him faced with a tough choice to make, whether to remain at Leeds United or join Granada as their first choice keeper, albeit on roughly half the annual salary.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has tipped Helder Costa to leave Leeds United this summer, with between £10m and £13m cited as enough to sell him.

It has been a frustrating season for the 27-year-old, who has found himself largely out of favour and not playing a key role in an impressive campaign for the Whites. The Portuguese has been limited to just 10 starts in the league, often having to make do with a place on the substitutes’ bench.

Marcelo Bielsa seemingly doesn’t consider him an important part of his plans, raising doubts over his long-term future at Elland Road.

Phillips tips Costa to leave

It could be that Costa moves on at the end of the season, and someone who believes that will happen is former England international Phillips.

Speaking to Football Insider, he admitted that £15m could be too much for another club to pay, but a similar amount would likely see Leeds accept an offer:

“I don’t think they’ll be a million miles away but to get £15million, I think they’ll do well.

“It hasn’t quite worked out for Helder at Leeds has it? He’s shown glimpses of what he can bring but he hasn’t been consistent enough.

“For me, they could get between £10million and £13million and that would be an offer that Leeds would find hard to turn down.”

Transfer Tavern take

Costa is a talented player who has contributed three goals and three assists in the league this season, but it makes sense to move him on this summer, especially as he has started just two top-flight games since the November international break.

The money Leeds receive for his services could be spent on a more tailor-made option for Bielsa as he looks to strengthen his squad for next term.

In other news, a former Leeds player is keen on the Whites signing a Premier League defender this summer. Find out who it is here.