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MatériaMais Notícias

O jogo do Botafogo contra o Atlético-GO, às 21h deste sábado, pela 22ª rodada do Brasileirão, é mais do que especial para Gatito Fernández. O goleiro completou 181 jogos e se tornou, de forma isolada, o segundo estrangeiro com mais partidas na história do Glorioso.

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+Bola aérea e força física: Tiquinho Soares chega ao Botafogo para liderar ataque

O paraguaio ultrapassou Rodolfo ‘El Lobo’ Fischer, icônico atacante do clube nos anos 70, que tem 180 partidas pelo Glorioso.

O clube preparou uma série de homenagens para o goleiro. Antes da partida, o paraguaio recebeu uma camisa especial das mãos de André Mazzuco, diretor de futebol do Botafogo.

Apenas Joel Carli, com 187 aparições, fica agora à frente do atual camisa 1 do Glorioso. O zagueiro, vale lembrar, assumiu a liderança esse ano na vitória contra o Ceilândia, pela Copa do Brasil.

O goleiro de 34 anos chegou ao Botafogo em 2017 junto ao Figueirense. Ele foi um dos heróis do título carioca de 2018, defendendo a cobrança decisiva daquele título.

ESTRANGEIROS COM MAIS JOGOS PELO BOTAFOGO

1º – Joel Carli (Argentina) – 187 jogos
2º – Gatito Fernández (Paraguai) – 181 jogos
​3º – Rodolfo Fischer (Argentina) – 180 jogos
​4º – Germán Herrera (Argentina) – 142 jogos
​5º – Francisco Police (Itália) – 106 jogos
​5º – Loco Abreu (Uruguai) – 106 jogos

MatériaMais Notícias

O meio-campista Carlos De Pena vai vivendo boa fase no Internacional. O jogador de 30 anos vem mantendo um alto nível de atuações e somando bons números na temporada. Na última partida, contra o Atlético Mineiro, foi responsável por uma assistência na vitória colorado sobre o Galo pelo placar de 3 a 0.

No portal oficial de scouts do Brasileirão, o SofaScore, foi eleito um dos meio-campistas com maior nota do campeonato até aqui. Sua nota média é de 7,12 e esses números o colocam na seleção de estrangeiros do primeiro turno da competição. Entre os melhores do primeiro turno estão: Gatito; Rafael Ramos, Gustavo Gómez, Victor Cuesta e Piquerez; Arias, Nacho Fernandez, Rodrigo Fernandez, Arrascaeta e De Pena; Cano.

Desde sua chegada ao Beira-Rio, De Pena vem ganhando a confiança do torcedor e da comissão técnica. Além das boas atuações, no Campeonato Brasileiro tem 571 passes corretos e um aproveitamento de 83,6% no quesito, o fazendo um dos três melhores passadores do time na competição. Além disso é o garçom colorado no Brasileiro com quatro assistências e um dos cinco melhores nesse fundamento no campeonato nacional.

‘Esses números vem sendo o fruto do meu trabalho diário aqui no Inter. Estou feliz em conseguir um bom nível de atuações e ajudar a equipe a conquistar seus objetivos. Agradeço a confiança do treinador e dos torcedores para comigo e com o grupo de jogadores, pois todos os dias treinamos com muita dedicação para manter esse ritmo. Seguimos focados em busca das vitórias e do melhor para o Internacional,’ afirma o camisa 14.

Desde a sua chegada, em abril desse ano, o uruguaio já atuou em 25 partidas e ajudou com dois gols e cinco assistências. Vindo do Dínamo de Kiev, De Pena tem contrato com o time gaúcho até fim da temporada.

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Manchester City are in pole position to sign a “sensational” defender who has a gentleman’s agreement with his club that he can leave, according to a new report.

Man City transfer news

The Blues were one of the busiest sides in Europe when it came to transfers in January, and given how things haven’t quite gone to plan since the arrivals, there could be more comings and goings when the summer transfer window opens in a few months time.

Now worth 413% more: Man City must rue selling their own Trent for just £7m

Ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday, the Citizens must rue selling an “excellent” right-back who could have been their own Trent

By
Ben Gray

Feb 19, 2025

There are a few City players whose futures are starting to come into question, as Kevin de Bruyne has yet to agree a new contract at the Etihad. Bernardo Silva is also being linked with a move away come the summer, and that may mean City need to bring in a new number 10. It’s been reported that City are seriously interested in signing Charles De Ketelaere from Atalanta, given his excellent form in Italy this season, but face competition from Manchester United.

Ederson’s long-term future at the Etihad is also under some fresh doubts, as he’s been at fault for a few goals they have conceded this season, none more so than against Real Madrid last week.

The Blues could be ready to part ways with the Brazilian as Pep Guardiola believes Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia could be a great addition for his squad. The 23-year-old has tremendous ability with the ball, which is an important quality under Guardiola.

Man City in pole position to sign "sensational" full-back

As well as a new goalkeeper and midfielder on the list, the Blues are also looking to find a long-term replacement for Kyle Walker, and according to TEAMtalk, Man City are leading the race to sign Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

The report states that Frimpong is keen on a move to the Premier League and has interest from City as well as Liverpool, but the Premier League champions are in pole position. The Blues are keen to re-sign a player they once let go, and a deal is there to be done, as Frimpong has an agreement with Leverkusen meaning that he can leave in the summer if a bid is made of around £33 million.

The 24-year-old, who has been dubbed “sensational” by The Guardian columnist Dominik Diamond, was so important for Leverkusen last season as they sealed an unexpected league and cup double. The Dutch international scored nine goals and recorded nine assists in the league, as well as three goals in the Europa League, where they reached the final.

Frimpong is not only a right-back, but under Xabi Alonso he has become more of a right wing-back or even right-winger at times. So, if City were to sign Frimpong, it would be interesting to see where Guardiola plans to play him, as given his pace and attacking threat, he could be wasted playing just as a right-back in a four.

تحدث عثمان ديمبلي، نجم فريق باريس سان جيرمان عن تتويجهم ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا للمرة الأولى في تاريخهم، مساء أمس على حساب إنتر ميلان.

وخاض باريس سان جيرمان نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام إنتر ميلان، حيث فاز بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

وقال عثمان ديمبلي، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوت ميركاتو” الفرنسية: “إنه مصدر فخر، أمر استثنائي لأكون صريحًا، فزنا بأول لقب لنا في دوري أبطال أوروبا، الأهم من ذلك بأسلوب مميز، الفوز 5/0 على إنتر ميلان لم يكن سهلًا”.

وأضاف: “كان الأمر صعبًا، ازددنا قوة هذا الموسم ونختتم بهذا اللقب، إنه أمر استثنائي، كانت مباريات دوري الأبطال الأولى صعبة، لكننا اكتسبنا الثقة من مباراة لأخرى”.

وواصل: “فزنا على ليفربول، أستون فيلا وآرسنال، لعبنا مباريات رائعة، كان علينا تقديم مباراة رائعة في هذا النهائي لنُظهر عظمة باريس سان جيرمان”.

وأردف: “في بداية الموسم سيطرنا على المباريات، لكننا لم ننجح في إنهاء المباراة بفرص كثيرة، غيّر المدرب الأمور وهذا أفادنا، وخلق تنافسًا، دفعنا لتقديم أفضل ما لدينا وإلا سيُستبدلنا، كان فريقًا جماعيًا حقيقيًا، من مباراة لأخرى”.

وشدد: “إنه أمر استثنائي، علينا أن نحتفل بهذا دون أن نفسد الأمور في باريس”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رئيس إنتر ميلان بعد خسارة دوري أبطال أوروبا: أصبحنا “معرض” للاعبين.. وهذا موقف إنزاجي

واسترسل: “لقد تحدثنا مع المدرب، كان يثق بي دائمًا، هو يعلم أنني لاعب جماعي، لست شخصًا يخدع، خاصة مع قميص باريس سان جيرمان، غيّرنا بعض الأمور، عقلية الفريق، وحتى عقليتي”.

وأوضح: “قلت في بداية الموسم إنني أريد تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف وأن أكون قائدًا للفريق، كان علي أن أكون قدوة للشباب، لأنني لم أعد صغيرًا”.

وأفاد: “الدفاع في مباريات كهذه يظهر أهمية الركض من أجل هذا القميص، أستمتع بهذا، لقد ضغطت على يان سومر لاستعادة الكرات وقد نجح الأمر، هذا واضح، والآن حان وقت الاحتفال”.

ووجه ديمبلي رسالة مزاح إلى مدرب منتخب فرنسا، ديدييه ديشامب، حيث قال: “سيرانا يوم الإثنين (من أجل المعسكر الدولي) ولكن على كراسي متحركة!”.

ويخوض منتخب فرنسا مباراة مثيرة يوم الخميس المقبل ضد نظيره منتخب إسبانيا، في نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

Mosaddek keeps his cool at the close even as error from wicketkeeper Nurul gave Zimbabwe a free hit off the final ball

Mohammad Isam30-Oct-20222:37

Flower: ‘Lack of clear thinking cost Zimbabwe dearly’

Mosaddek Hossain held his nerve, twice in the space of one legal delivery in a chaotic finish, for Bangladesh to earn a three-run win against Zimbabwe, whose semi-final hopes have now been dented.Zimbabwe needed 16 from the final over, and after Mosaddek got rid of Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava got a leg-bye four and slammed a huge six over fine-leg to give them a chance. With five required in two balls, Mosaddek had a charging Ngarava stumped, bringing Blessing Muzarabani to middle, and he had to hit the ball to the boundary. But Mosaddek beat his big swing and he was stumped off the last ball.Or so everyone thought. But wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan had collected the ball in front of the stumps, which became a no-ball, and a free hit.The players had left the ground, the broadcasters had started setting up for the presentation ceremony, but they had to go out and the players had to come back for one more tilt. But Muzarabani missed the last-last ball too, and the show was over.Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan’s gamble of using his fast bowlers – Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud – in the 16th, 17th and 18th overs paid off, only just. They combined to concede 30 runs, Shakib himself bowled well in the penultimate over, giving away ten runs and pulling off a sensational run-out, of top-scorer Sean Williams, and Mosaddek had just about enough to defend. He did well, keeping Ryan Burl off strike completely. Though Burl might rue not being a bit more aggressive earlier, his unbeaten 27 off 25 balls a somewhat dour effort in the circumstances.In the first half, too, Zimbabwe fell short. Muzarabani bowled just two overs and picked up two wickets, and the catching was poor.Najmul Hossain Shanto took advantage with his maiden T20I fifty, and his first T20 half-century in 25 innings. His 71 got Bangladesh to a fighting 150 for 7 before Taskin and Mustafizur blew away Zimbabwe’s top order in the powerplay.Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman picked up two wickets each in the powerplay•Getty Images

Taskin, Mustafizur have a ball
Taskin gave Bangladesh early breakthroughs for the third game in a row. Wessly Madhevere played a poor shot to a wide short ball, and was caught at deep third by Mustafizur, who nearly spilled the chance with a reverse cup around his chest. In his next over, Taskin tested Craig Ervine with a slightly wide one again, with the Zimbabwe captain nicked to Nurul.Mustafizur, under fire before the tournament, then gave Bangladesh further cause for joy. In his first over – the last one in the powerplay – he had Milton Shumba caught at mid-off, where Shakib took a sharp catch. The bigger blow came three balls later when Sikandar Raza, the big man for Zimbabwe, top-edged a pull. Afif Hossain took the catch, and the celebrations proved how big the moment was for Bangladesh. Zimbabwe were 35 for 4 in the powerplay and very much on the back foot.Sean Williams led the Zimbabwe charge, and had a decent partner in Ryan Burl•ICC via Getty

Williams takes it deep
After Raza’s dismissal, it was down to the three frontline batters left – Williams, Regis Chakabva and Burl – with Williams the main man.Williams kept things ticking over in his own way, nurdling, pushing and prodding the ball around for ones and twos. He added 34 runs for the fifth wicket with Chakabva, who made 15 off 19 balls. After the returning Taskin removed Chakabva, Bangladesh had an immediate chance when Burl top-edged to deep fine-leg, but Mahmud dropped the sitter. Burl was on four, and the ball went over for his first six.Zimbabwe, however, couldn’t quite get the acceleration going, and that hurt them in the end. As did their mistakes in the first half.Blessing Muzarabani picked up both the Bangladesh wickets to fall in the powerplay•Getty Images

Muzarabani hurts Bangladesh
Zimbabwe’s tall fast bowlers were always going to be a handful for Bangladesh, especially with the new ball in operation. Muzarabani got cracking in the second over, when he had Soumya Sarkar caught behind for a duck. The delivery wasn’t high pace, but the full length and wide line beat Soumya.Litton Das fell next when he played an uncharacteristic scoop shot against Muzarabani, who continued to bowl within himself, without trying to crank up the pace. Tendai Chatara took the simple chance at short fine-leg, as Bangladesh finished the powerplay on 32 for 2, their lowest ever against Zimbabwe.Najmul Hossain Shanto played his part in keeping the innings going•ICC via Getty

Shanto hits back
Shanto, however, fought back with Shakib, adding 56 runs for the third wicket together. Shanto struck five of his seven fours behind the wickets, usually using the pace of the ball sensibly. He hit a good reverse sweep, too, apart from a nicely timed cut shot. And the best of them, down on one knee, and drive to the right of mid-off for four.Shakib fell to a poor shot again, caught at midwicket off Williams for 23 off 20 balls, and hit just one boundary in his innings. Nevertheless, Shanto got to his fifty and then took 17 off Evans in the 16th over, including only the second six of his T20I career, and the first of the Bangladesh innings.Zimbabwe fall apart on the field
Zimbabwe’s fielding went steadily downhill after the powerplay overs, particularly towards the back end of the Bangladesh innings. There were a few misfields and missed catches, which was frustrating for the bowlers, and the coaching staff. But Bangladesh didn’t quite take toll of these opportunities, or step on the pedal.After the 17-run 16th over, they only had one more over where runs came in double-figures, when Afif dominated the 19th over, bowled by Raza.Afif was dropped twice in his innings of 29, first by Evans at midwicket, when his reverse-cup attempt was ill-advised, and Williams dropped him in the last over, although the ensuing throw resulted in Nurul’s run-out. Bangladesh made 47 runs in the last five overs, with Mosaddek hardly timing anything while Yasir Ali looked surplus to requirement coming in at No. 8.

Series serves up tall run chases, low-scoring scraps and last-over finishes as hosts lead 3-2

Alan Gardner29-Sep-2022

Big picture”Please, sir, I want some more.” Perhaps few people thought we’d still have a healthy appetite after five matches of the series – the first of this length between two Full Members – but here we are, holding out our bowl for another serving of what has been a rip-roaring contest. Tall run chases, low-scoring scraps, last-over finishes, we’ve pretty much had the lot, with Pakistan wrestling their way to a 3-2 lead after the first match of the Lahore leg on Wednesday night.England might feel somewhat bewildered to find themselves trailing for the first time since coasting to a six-wicket victory in Karachi nine days ago. They have often seemed to be the team in control, only for games to be whipped from their grasp in dizzying, uber-Pakistani style. The twist in Lahore was that spin, rather than pace, helped pull the rug from under them, as a period of stodgy middle-overs accumulation against Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed left Moeen Ali too much catching up to do at the back end.Such a tense finale, with the debutant allrounder Aamer Jamal keeping a grip on his bottle – despite the evening dew – to close out victory from the final ball, had not seemed likely at halfway when the hosts had been bowled out with an over to spare. But what seemed a straightforward chase of 146 lurched into trouble during the powerplay, with openers Phil Salt and Alex Hales continuing to struggle for form.Shadab’s return was a fillip for Pakistan, the legspinner immediately providing greater control than the man he replaced, Usman Qadir. But England might reflect that part-timer Iftikhar was allowed to burgle an analysis of 4-0-16-1 – albeit he was used cannily as a match-up for England’s left-handers.The fact that Pakistan had only managed one individual score in excess of 15 mattered little, particularly when that one man was Mohammad Rizwan. Fighting the stereotypes as well as the conditions, Rizwan chalked up his fourth half-century in five innings and ensured that a bowling attack that is always happy to accept the odds of defending a par total had something to work with.An underwhelming display from the rest of Pakistan’s top order won’t help their planning in the long run, however, and there might be some disquiet at Babar Azam being bounced out cheaply for the second time in successive encounters with Mark Wood. Nevertheless, Babar is still the second leading-scorer on either side, and may get a night off from Wood’s 150kph/93mph crowd-silencers as England seek to preserve him for the upcoming World Cup.And while that tournament, to be held in Australia, will be played in significantly different conditions, both of these talented-but-mercurial (yes, we’ve said it) teams can only benefit in their preparations from a couple more rounds of high-energy jousting. If we can ask for one more thing, it would be another tug on the rope and a series decider for game seven.Form guidePakistan: WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England: LLWLWIn the spotlightOn paper, Shan Masood has had a pretty decent start to his T20I career, averaging 33.33 with a strike rate of 135.13 from four innings. However, almost two thirds of his runs – an unbeaten 65 from 40 balls – came in a long lost cause in the third T20I, and his eagerness to impress has resulted in some awkward dismissals, none more so than the leading edge to gully while attempting a ramp against David Willey. Masood batted at No. 4 in the recently completed National T20 Cup, presumably to expand his utility for Pakistan, but he might not have too many more chances to prove he is anything more than a back-up opener.For much of 2020 and 2021, Dawid Malan was the ICC’s No. 1-ranked T20I batter – although that didn’t prevent some from wondering whether his style of accumulation first, acceleration later was at odds with England’s all-guns-blazing approach. He showcased a more aggressive approach during the Hundred, where he opened for champions Trent Rockets and finished as the leading run-scorer while striking at a quicker rate than Salt, Hales and Jos Buttler, but has yet to click back at No. 3 for England and was lbw to Iftikhar at a pivotal moment in Wednesday’s chase. Australian conditions should be more to his liking but a significant contribution would be welcome before he boards the plane.Pitch and conditionsTwo strips had been prepared at the Gaddafi Stadium and it seems likely Friday’s game will be played on the fresh one. The evidence of the fifth T20I suggested that run-scoring will be much harder work than on the lightning decks of Karachi. Rain shouldn’t be a problem, but the players can expect another hot and humid night.Team newsRizwan didn’t take the field during England’s chase after being hit on the back by a stray throw, with Mohammad Haris deputising behind the stumps, and Pakistan take the opportunity to rest their prolific opener. Or they might not. Haris Rauf could also be due a break, with Mohammad Hasnain and Shahnawaz Dahani options to come in, but Naseem Shah won’t be involved. Naseem has been discharged from hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia but has since tested positive for Covid-19.Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan/Mohammad Haris (wk), 3 Shan Masood, 4 Haider Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Aamer Jamal, 10 Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Mohammad WasimButtler seems unlikely to be risked as he continues to rehab from a calf strain, despite saying on Wednesday he could “play tomorrow” if it was a World Cup game. England could look to add to their spin options by bringing back Liam Dawson, and there are likely to be changes to the seam attack with management wary of putting Wood and Chris Woakes through back-to-back games.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali (capt), 7 Sam Curran, 8 David Willey/Liam Dawson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Olly Stone, 11 Richard GleesonStats and trivia Rizwan’s tally of 315 runs is already a record for a bilateral series. He needs 63 more from the final two games to go past France’s Gustav McKeon as the leading run-scorer in any multi-team T20I international series. Babar needs 52 more runs to reach 3000 in T20Is. If he does so in this next innings, his 81st in the format, he will equal the record held by India’s Virat Kohli. Moeen is 67 short of becoming the eighth Englishman to 1000 in T20Is.Quotes”I spoke to Moeen bhai and told him the pitch looked great to me, so I don’t know why it was a low-scoring game. There was a lot of dew so it should have been a high-scoring game. The pitch looked great to bat on, but I don’t understand why the game panned out like it did.”
Shadab Khan wasn’t expecting to be so successful the other night“No. You play so much cricket that everybody gets out to short balls at times. It’s not like just because it’s Pakistani players, we’re bowling short. It’s not because it’s Babar Azam or anyone like that, he’s just got out a couple of times. It’s just that when you have somebody like Mark Wood, you have to use that short ball.”
Moeen Ali plays down the idea Pakistan have a bouncer problem

Southampton are now in talks to sign a new midfielder for Ivan Juric, according to a fresh report, as they look to pull off a miraculous escape from relegation in the second half of the Premier League season.

Southampton on course for Championship return

Having beaten Leeds United to the final spot in the Premier League last season, Southampton are on course for an instant return to the Championship.

The sacking of Russell Martin and subsequent arrival of Ivan Juric has seen their performances improve, but their results remain as concerning as they have been all season. A 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest was their 18th of the season, while they have won just once.

Related Southampton willing to spend big to sign "fantastic" £33m ace in January

The Saints have identified a new transfer target.

Posts ByDominic Lund Dec 31, 2024

To put their plight into stark reality, they have scored the fewest and conceded the most in the top flight this season, and in order to reach the generally accepted 36 point mark to be considered for safety they will need to win 10 of their final 16 games.

Southampton’s next five Premier League games

Newcastle United (Home)

Ipswich Town (Away)

Bournemouth (Home)

Brighton (Home)

Chelsea (Away)

As a result, January additions are needed both now but also with one eye firmly on next season’s Championship campaign, which seems the overwhelmingly likely outcome come the end of the campaign.

To that end, the Saints have agreed a deal to sign Albert Gronbaek from Ligue 1 side Rennes on an initial loan deal which includes an option to buy for €15 million at the end of the campaign. The Dane only arrived at Rennes in the summer but is set for a swift exit after handing in a transfer request at the French side.

Now, he could be joined by one of his teammates on the south coast as Juric looks to find affordable quality to bolster his squad.

Southampton in talks over "monster" midfielder

That comes as French outlet L’Equipe report that Southampton remain in talks to sign Gronbaek’s teammate Glen Kamara from Rennes this winter as they look to add more muscle to their midfield.

The Finland international midfielder only moved to Rennes in the summer, leaving Leeds United after Southampton’s play-off final win over the Yorkshire side, but has struggled to impose himself on Jorge Sampaoli’s side and has been frozen out of the squad since a shock cup loss to ESTAC Troyes.

It is reported that “Rennes want a straightforward transfer for the player as they are about to hit their limit on loans”, and though no fee is mentioned it is unlikely to be much less than the €10m which they signed him for merely months ago.

Kamara still has three and a half years left to run on his £30,000 a week deal in France, but now seems almost certain to cut that short this winter amid interest from across Europe in his services.

The Boot Room report that the Saints feature strongly, with the south coast side remaining in talks over Kamara after agreeing a deal for Gronbaek.

Though he has struggled in France, legendary midfielder Steven Gerrard labeled the 29-year-old ” a monster in the middle of the park” during his time working with Kamara at Rangers, and the midfielder has plenty of experience in the Championship too should Southampton find themselves there next season. Could it be some smart business for the Saints?

Thomas Muller's future seems to be away from Bayern Munich beyond this season, with MLS side Los Angeles FC mulling over a summer switch.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Muller into the final months of his Bayern contract
• Renewal talks have reached an impasse
• Club contemplating a potential move to partner club LAFC

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Thomas Muller's future looks increasingly away from the Allianz Arena as the approaches its end. The record-appearance maker for Bayern Munich is running down his contract this summer and talks over a renewal have reached an impasse. With his time in Bavaria seemingly over, Bayern are exploring a potential deal for Muller with MLS' partner club Los Angeles FC, according to

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Muller is reportedly eager to play for at least one more year, with MLS clubs like FC Cincinnati and San Diego showing interest. However, Bayern Munich executives are believed to be contemplating whether the LA club could offer him a move. This would keep Muller connected to Bayern while allowing him to serve as an ambassador for the club in the American market.

  While the Bavarian giants are also set to compete in the Club World Cup after the season ends, there's no clarity regarding the extent to which Muller will participate in the competition. Muller's contract expires on June 30, which would coincide with the round of 16 if Bayern advance to the knockouts. Should they progress to the quarter-finals, the 35-year-old’s future at Bayern would be uncertain, as there is no agreement yet on whether he would continue playing without a new contract. Discussions are ongoing regarding his potential role beyond the expiration of his current deal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany reportedly held discussions with the club's top brass over Muller's future beyond the current season. The Belgian manager acknowledged Muller's legacy and was appreciative of his experience and leadership, but made it abundantly clear that he won't be having a prominent role in his squad in the 2025-26 season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THOMAS MULLER?

  After coming off the bench for a five-minute cameo during Bayern's nervy 3-2 win over St. Pauli last weekend, the former German international can be expected to play a similar role off the bench when Die Roten take on Augsburg in a Bundesliga encounter on Friday, April 4.

MatériaMais Notícias

Quatro jogos disputados, uma derrota, dois empates e apenas uma vitória. Um dos favoritos ao título brasileiro, o Flamengo vem tendo um início ruim de campeonato. Muito por conta do baixo desempenho ofensivo da equipe, o que vinha sendo uma arma letal nos últimos anos.

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Neste sábado, na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Athetico Paranaense, o Rubro-Negro Carioca completou dois jogos seguidos sem balançar as redes pela primeira vez no ano – havia empatado em 0 a 0 com o Palmeiras no meio de semana. Algo que não acontecia desde as últimas rodadas do Brasileirão do ano passado, quando perdeu do Santos por 1 a 0 e sofreu um 2 a 0 do Atlético Goianiense.

O problema, no entanto, vai além da sequência atual. Mesmo mantendo grande parte do seu ataque, a equipe vem tendo a sua pior média de gols desde 2018. São 41 tentos em 22 partidas, um rendimento de 1,86 por confronto. Número inferior ao 2,08 de 2021 e ao 2,02 de média de 2019, ficando próximo do desempenho de 2020 (1,87 g/j), mas também abaixo.

Time que mais vezes balançou as redes desde 2019, liderando o ranking em todas as temporadas deste período, o Flamengo de Paulo Sousa hoje aparece apenas em 5º entre os clubes da Série A. Palmeiras, com 51, Atlético Mineiro, com 44, e São Paulo e Cuiabá, ambos com 42, aparecem à sua frente.

DESEMPENHO OFENSIVO DO FLAMENGO NAS ÚLTIMAS TEMPORADAS

2018 – 94 gols em 67 jogos – 1,40 g/j
2019 – 150 gols em 74 jogos – 2,02 g/j
2020 – 131 gols em 70 jogos – 1,87 g/j
2021 – 156 gols em 75 jogos – 2,08 g/j
2022 – 41 gols em 22 jogos – 1,86 g/j

The last two decades might not have been the most successful, but Arsenal have still been blessed with many incredible players.

The likes of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez all saw their time in N5 end on a sour note, but they were simply electric at their best.

The latter two, in particular, felt like genuine world-class talents during their time at the Emirates, and it would be fair to say that neither one has been replaced – until now.

In fact, a talent within Mikel Arteta’s squad today looks like he’s single-handedly trying to recreate their output this season.

Ozil & Sanchez's Arsenal careers

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s remind ourselves of just how good Ozil and Sanchez were at Arsenal, starting with the latter.

He joined the Gunners for around £35m in the summer of 2014, and to say he was an instant success would be a colossal understatement.

In his first season, the Chilean international found the back of the net on 25 occasions in just 52 games and provided 12 assists to boot in a campaign that saw the North Londoners lift their second FA Cup in as many seasons.

In all, the former Barcelona star scored a staggering 80 goals and provided 44 assists in 166 appearances for the club before he made the infamous choice to join Manchester United in January 2018, which saw his abilities in front of goal take a sharp nose dive and utterly eviscerated any goodwill he had with the Arsenal faithful.

On the other hand, Ozil was practically forced out of the club by Arteta and Co in January 2021, and as such, there is still some love between him and the fans at the Emirates, although based on his incredible performances for them, that’s no surprise.

In the years following his club-record £42.4m deadline day move in September 2013, the World Cup winner scored 44 goals and provided 75 assists in 254 appearances, clearly being the more creative of the two players.

With that said, who is the current Arsenal player looking to emulate their pair?

Arsenal's modern Ozil & Sanches hybrid

So, it’s probably reasonably clear at this point that the player in question is Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End icon is rapidly turning into an undeniable superstar at Arsenal, and while he’s been brilliant for the last few seasons, he seems to have taken yet another step forward this year in both ability and attitude, which is seeing him step into the roles Ozil and Sanchez used to fill at the club.

Now, the way he’s emulating the former is twofold. The first is that, as the German was for the first few years at the club, the Englishman is now undoubtedly the Gunners’ poster boy and the face of the project.

The second way is down to the incredible rate at which he is providing assists this season, as in just 13Premier League appearances, he has already picked up ten and looks almost guaranteed to surpass the German’s record of 20 in a season.

Moreover, it’s not just something he’s doing this season either, as in his 245 senior appearances for the club, the 23-year-old phenom has racked up 61 assists, and considering he spent a good chunk of his career at left-back and being moved all over the pitch, that is a brilliant return.

Appearances

245

Starts

217

Minutes

18915′

Goals

65

Assists

61

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

150.11′

Moving onto Sanchez then, and this is a far simpler comparison to wrap your head around, as, like the Udinese ace, the Gunners’ “future legend”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has become a reliable scorer of goals from out wide.

For example, this season alone, he has already scored seven; last year, it was 14, and overall, he has 65 to his name in the first team.

Ultimately, while he might not be as flashy as either, Saka is showing that he can develop into a supreme goalscorer like Sanchez and an assist king like Ozil, and all from an academy product – talk about hitting the jackpot.

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