Manchester United have been in contact with a club director over a pair of stars valued at £62m this week, it has been reported, as the two clubs look to come to an agreement.

Man Utd eyeing new reinforcements under Amorim

Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge highlighted just how much work needed to be done at Old Trafford. A 1-1 draw with Premier League new boys Ipswich Town left the Red Devils 12th in the Premier League, and Amorim pulled no punches in his assessment of the squad.

“I know it is frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games. We are going to suffer for a long period. We will try to win games but this will take time.

“We have to risk it a little bit [now] and in the next year we will be better [otherwise] next year at the same stage we will be here with the same problems.”

Bellingham 2.0: Man Utd want to sign exciting £120m star in the making

Ruben Amorim already appears to be eyeing up new additions for Manchester United.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 28, 2024

One of the problem areas is central midfield, where Casemiro and Christian Eriksen looked pedestrian at Portman Road. That will be boosted by the integration of Manuel Ugarte and the return of Kobbie Mainoo from injury, but there is precious little cover for the duo, with Eriksen out of contract at the end of the season and Casemiro arguably well past his best.

Reinforcements will be needed sooner rather than later at Old Trafford, and now they have seemingly been offered the chance to sign them as early as January.

Man Utd offered midfield duo by Juventus

That comes as Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport [Via Sport Witness] report that Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli made use of his side’s trip to Aston Villa to hold talks with the Red Devils and rivals Manchester City over potential deals for Nicolo Fagioli and Douglas Luiz.

Luiz only arrived in Turin in the summer but has found game time hard to come by with Thiago Motta preferring other options in his engine room. Meanwhile, Fagioli has started just four Serie A games so far this season and is more often used from the substitutes bench.

As per the report, Juve “want to sell” the pair in January “to raise funds” in order to sign a new striker and defender. They are said to value Fagioli at up to €25m (£21m) and Douglas Luiz at a more costly €50m (£41m).

Interestingly though, it is added that in the case of Luiz, they would “be willing to use him to carry out a swap deal”, which could play into Manchester United’s hands given Juventus’ reported interest in Joshua Zirkzee.

It remains to be seen whether anything transpires from the talks, with Juventus having reached out to drum up interest in the duo rather than vice-versa. Amorim is likely to have more pressing issues than midfield in January as he looks to reshape his squad. However, Luiz is already Premier League proven and has been labelled “world class” by former teammate John McGinn.

Could a low-cost swap deal be the perfect solution for all parties, landing Amorim a new midfielder in the process and clearing the way for a potential swoop to sign Viktor Gyokeres in the summer?

Boult, Devine, Kerr, Young, Conway and Kinsella among other winners in NZC’s annual award ceremony

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2022 • Updated on 14-Apr-2022

Allrounder Amelia Kerr and batter Will Young were on Wednesday named ODI Players of the Year in the women’s and men’s categories respectively at the 2022 New Zealand Cricket awards. On Thursday, fast bowler Tim Southee earned his maiden Sir Richard Hadlee medal while Penny Kinsella earned the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket. Top-order batter Devon Conway was named as the Test player of the year.While Kerr scored 171 runs and picked six wickets in six matches in 2021, she put up superb performances in the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup where she scored 201 runs and took nine wickets in seven games.Young, who got to play just three ODIs in the season, made his mark by scoring two centuries in the home series against Netherlands for which he won the Player-of-the-Series award.”It feels great,” Young said. “It’s obviously a bit strange to have only played three one-dayers this season and then to win an award like this, but you’ve got to take the opportunities as they come. It was awesome that the Netherlands could come here to finish off this New Zealand home summer and I’m absolutely stoked to have won this award and wrapped up the season.”Conway’s award for best Test player was his second of the season. He won the Redpath Cup for batting excellence in the first-class arena. making an an impression in his very first outing in Tests, scoring a double-century at Lord’s, and finishing the season with 767 runs at 63.91 average.Honour roll

Hadlee Medal: Tim Southee
Sutcliffe Medal: Penny Kinsella
Test Player of the Year: Devon Conway
T20 Players of the Year: Sophie Devine, Trent Boult
ODI Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr, Will Young
Super Smash Players of the Year: Amelia Kerr, Michael Bracewell
Domestic Players of the Year: Nensi Patel, Tom Bruce, Robbie O’Donnell
Redpath Cup for first-class batting: Devon Conway
The Ruth Martin Cup for women’s domestic batting: Suzie Bates
The Winsor Cup for first-class bowling: Tim Southee
The Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling: Eden Carson
New Zealand Umpire of the Year: Chris Gaffaney

Southee’s Hadlee Medal, too, was not his only prize during the three-day event. He also picked up the Winsor Cup for first-class bowling, taking 22 Test wickets in five matches in 2021, including 6 for 43 against England at Lord’s, and 5 for 69 against India in Kanpur.”Like most cricketers growing up I knew all about the exploits of Sir Richard and it’s certainly pretty humbling to win his award this year,” Southee said. “While the accolades are nice, I think it really just reflects the way we have worked together as a group and played our cricket for a long period of time.””You’re a very deserving winner,” Hadlee told Southee. “We go back 14 years to when I was part of the selection panel who first picked you and to watch you develop over the years into the fine-tuned bowler you are now has been quite remarkable. You seem to be in total control of your game and bowling as well as you ever have. You’ve got a simple technique which is easy to repeat, and your skill sets have gone to another level.”Opening batter Suzie Bates’ consistency in the women’s Super Smash and the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for Otago earned her the Ruth Martin Cup for batting excellence. Bates was the highest scorer in the Super Smash where she scored 504 runs in 12 matches at an average of 56 and strike rate of 115. She finished the Shield with 218 runs in six matches at 43.60 average.”For me it was just simplifying it,” Bates said. “I went back to what I’m good at which is hitting straight and not trying to add things to my game. Mentally trusting that what I had was good enough, just standing still and reacting – and that’s the key for anyone really. I was able to do that for periods of time and have some success and hopefully for the rest of my career I can remember that.”Bates’ Otago team-mate Eden Carson bagged the Phyl Blackler Cup for bowling excellence after she impressed in both competitions, with 17 wickets in 12 Super Smash matches and 18 wickets in the Shield including 5 for 17 in the final.Sophie Devine has been named NZ T20I player of the year for the second year in a row•Getty Images

Trent Boult and Sophie Devine were named the T20I Players of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.Boult picked up 23 wickets in 15 matches last year, including 13 wickets in seven games at the 2021 T20 World Cup in October-November. This is Devine’s second consecutive NZC T20I award, after finishing 2021 with 114 runs and six wickets in seven matches.”T20 is a format I really enjoy, and one I’m constantly trying to adapt my game to in order to become a better bowler,” Boult said. “It means a lot. It’s something very special to win this award and I feel really grateful to receive it.”The Wellington pair of Kerr and Michael Bracewell have been named Super Smash Players of the Year in the women’s and men’s categories respectively, while Ross Taylor’s match-winning wicket in his last Test in Christchurch was voted as the fan moment of the summer.Allrounder Kerr had a superb run in the T20 format too, contributing to Wellington’s title win with 346 runs and 17 wickets in 11 matches, while captain Bracewell’s 478 runs in ten games – including an unbeaten 141 off 65 balls – earned him a call-up to New Zealand men’s white-ball side for the recently-concluded series against Netherlands.”For me, the focus is on just trying to enjoy my cricket,” Kerr said. “I’d worked hard throughout that last winter so it was pleasing to go out there and perform in the season. I absolutely love playing for the Blaze, and to complete an unbeaten season was really special. I’ve also got to thank the people around me who have supported me this season.”Auckland left-arm spinner Fran Jonas and Otago batter Jacob Cumming were named the Young Players of the Year.

Still yet to agree a new deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on a potential replacement for their star right-back.

Liverpool transfer news

With the Merseyside derby postponed thanks to Storm Darragh, Liverpool have been given a much-needed weekend off amid growing injury issues and a frustrating 3-3 draw against Newcastle United last time out.

Conceding late on courtesy of Fabian Schar and an extremely rare Caoimhin Kelleher mistake in the dying embers, the Reds were denied the chance to bounce back against Everton, leaving the Anfield side to turn their attention towards Lille in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, another storm continues to brew. As things stand, Liverpool are set to lose Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold on free deals at the end of the season, having so far failed to agree a new deal with any of the big three. And whilst there have been some positive updates regarding Van Dijk and Salah, it’s been silent on the Alexander-Arnold front.

Bigger blow than Trent: Real Madrid hoping to sign Slot's Liverpool star

Real Madrid are hoping to raid Liverpool for more than just Alexander-Arnold in 2025…

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 6, 2024

It looks as though those at Anfield are preparing for the worst, too. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are keeping tabs on Martim Fernandes following his recent Porto rise. The 18-year-old right-back could emerge to replace Alexander-Arnold and hand Arne Slot an option down the right-hand side for years to come.

Of course, replacing Alexander-Arnold will be no easy task if it does get to that point, but Fernandes may be a solid candidate given his age. At 18 years old, Slot could quickly mould the Porto gem into the style of full-back that he would prefer Liverpool to utilise.

"Exciting" Fernandes is one to watch

If Liverpool’s main focus is on replacing Alexander-Arnold’s attacking influence, it’s no surprise that Fernandes is beginning to steal the headlines. The Porto teenager has assisted four goals in all competitions to match the Anfield star’s tally stride for stride. Described as “one of the most exciting full-backs in world football” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Fernandes is undoubtedly one to watch.

Losing their current star but gaining the younger Fernandes to compete for a starting place alongside the equally impressive Conor Bradley could help to ease the blow caused by an Alexander-Arnold exit.

Top of the Premier League but with the dark cloud of contract failures lurking above them, Liverpool should be in for a hectic few months. Whether that results in some much-needed good news on the renewal front or the arrival of fresh faces remains to be seen at Anfield.

Neymar's national team return has been delayed by yet another injury as Endrick replaces the Santos star in the latest Brazil squad.

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Neymar omitted from Brazil squad Suffered a thigh injuryEndrick replaces Brazil iconFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Brazil fans were buzzing earlier this month after Dorival Junior named Neymar in the latest Brazil squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. The Santos star, who rekindled his love for football following his move from Al-Hilal to Santos in January, was all set to represent the Selecao for the first time since 2024 but a thigh injury has now delayed his return to the national team.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT DORIVAL JUNIOR SAID

"After the evaluations carried out, these players—Neymar Jr., Danilo, and Ederson—are in a recovery process with their respective clubs. Therefore, they won't be ready to represent Brazil in the upcoming FIFA qualifier matches," Brazil head coach Dorival Junior said in a statement.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With the 33-year-old out with injury, Real Madrid wonderkid Endrick has been called up to the national team. Alex Sandro and Lucas Perri, on the other hand, have been named as replacements for Danilo and Ederson. Neymar's last appearance for Brazil was back in September 2023 against Uruguay in a World Cup qualifying match where he suffered an ACL injury and remained sidelined for more than a year.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Brazil are scheduled to face Colombia on March 21 and five days later they will lock horns against arch-rivals and reigning world champions Argentina.

A Manchester United player who Ruben Amorim and INEOS are happy with could leave Old Trafford in 2025, according to Sky Sports.

Players who may leave Man Utd in 2025

The Red Devils are now in another new era under head coach Amorim and have made a positive start under the Portuguese coach, winning two and drawing one of their first three games.

Real Madrid talking to Man Utd about £85k-p/w ace who Amorim thinks is key

Real Madrid are keen on signing a Manchester United player who has become a key player in recent seasons.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 2, 2024

Fans have already been seeing signs of a change in playing style under Amorim, and in the transfer market, there could also be plenty of movement in 2025.

In regards to exits, a number of players are out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season and will therefore be able to talk to clubs outside of England in January over a pre-contract agreement.

Man Utd players out of contract in 2025

Amad Diallo (Option for a further year)

Harry Maguire (Option for a further year)

Christian Eriksen

Jonny Evans

Tom Heaton

As can be seen, five players on the books at Man Utd are on course to become free agents, although a new deal for Amad Diallo appears to be in the pipeline.

Unfortunately for Christian Eriksen, it looks as if his days as a Red Devils player are numbered, with Eriksen likely to leave Man Utd for free at the end of the season. Now, it looks as if another player who is still under contract for a number of years could join him in a 2025 exit.

Altay Bayindir could leave Man Utd – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Man Utd goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could leave Old Trafford in either January or in the summer.

Despite Amorim and INEOS being “very satisfied” with the ‘keeper, Plettenberg states that Bayindir “is simply too good to be a number two behind Andre Onana and currently has no prospects for regular playing time”.

Bayindir arrived in Manchester from Fenerbahce for £4.3m in September 2023 following David de Gea and Dean Henderson’s Old Trafford exits.

The Turkey international has rivalled Onana since moving to Old Trafford but has found game time hard to come by, making just three appearances in all competitions.

Under contract until 2027, Bayindir has played in United’s two EFL Cup games in 2024/25, but by the looks of it, an exit in the New Year could be on the cards for the £35,000-a-week shot-stopper.

Should a permanent exit away from United materialise, it will be looked back on as a transfer to forget, with former director John Murtough previously hailing Bayindir after he signed, saying:

“Altay is an excellent addition to our squad and adds further quality to our already strong group of experienced goalkeepers. Having consistently performed at a high level in a strong European league, he has the qualities to support us in achieving our ambitions across all competitions this season and beyond.”

Crystal Palace and sporting director Dougie Freedman are interested in signing a £60,000-a-week star in January, according to a new report.

Oliver Glasner reacts to Arsenal defeat in the Carabao Cup

The Eagles suffered cup disappointment on Wednesday evening as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Arsenal. The chances of success in the competition would have been small, but Palace fans would have loved to see their team get to a semi-final and have the chance to compete for a spot at Wembley. But it may be seen as Oliver Glasner and co having one less distraction as they try to continue their assault on the Premier League table.

However, the Austrian was disappointed, as he felt his Palace side played with too much respect and didn’t perform at their very best. Glasner said after the game: “It was the perfect start, but already in the first half we looked like we played with too much respect, a little bit too cautious. Especially in possession.

Related Crystal Palace now eyeing £73,000-p/w ace from league leaders in January

He could be a versatile addition to Oliver Glasner’s ranks.

Posts ByBen Browning Dec 18, 2024

“We need a performance of our top level, and it was not a performance at our top level. It was positive that we scored two goals, but at the end, it is a little bit frustrating because if you score two at the Emirates, then it should have been a penalty shootout at least.”

Glasner added on Arsenal’s second goal: “I think it was offside, but there is no VAR. Everyone knows this. They had too many chances in the second half; we gave them too many chances. When they found the gaps, we shifted too slow.”

Crystal Palace eyeing move for £60,000-a-week ace in January

As Glasner tries to move on from the defeat in the Carabao Cup, according to The Sun, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Miguel Almiron on loan in January from Newcastle United.

The 30-year-old, who earns £60,000 a week at St. James’ Park, has been with the Magpies since January 2019, when he moved from MLS side Atlanta. Almiron has played 30-plus games in all five of his full seasons at Newcastle, but in this 2024/25 campaign, the midfielder has fallen down the pecking order.

Almiron, who has 64 caps for Paraguay, has played just nine times so far this season, three of which have come as a starter. Eddie Howe doesn’t appear to favour Almiron, and now this report states he could be loaned out during January, as Newcastle are keen to offload him before the season finishes.

Miguel Almiron’s Newcastle United stats

Apps

218

Goals

30

Assists

12

A loan move in January looks the most likely, and Crystal Palace are among the teams interested in securing a transfer for a player who they know very well, as he’s scored two winning goals against the Eagles, one in 2019/20 and the other in the 2021/22 campaign.

Leicester City and Wolves are also keen on securing the signature of the midfielder, who is also believed to be pushing for a move away. There is also strong competition from Europe, as Marseille and Stuttgart are also keen on the Paraguay international.

Kent are battling to save their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Surrey at Beckenham, having reached 82 for one in their second innings at stumps on day three.The hosts are still 359 behind the Division One leaders’ total of 671 for nine, but Zak Crawley and Ben Compton batted through most of the evening session after Kent were forced to follow on.Will Jacks bowled Crawley for 35 in the penultimate over of the day, but Compton is unbeaten on 47, alongside side night-watchman Matt Milnes, who is nought not out.Earlier Jacks took his best first-class figures of four for 65, as Kent were dismissed for 230 in their first innings, while Jamie Overton took three for 33. Ollie Robinson’s was Kent’s top scorer with 71, while Compton made his second 47 of the day.What had looked like a typical Beckenham “road” when Surrey were batting suddenly resembled a country lane full of pot holes when Kent resumed on 45 for one.Daniel Bell-Drummond lasted for 40 minutes, but was brilliantly caught by Ollie Pope in the slips off Jamie Overton for 13 and Jack Leaning made just nine before he was bowled by Jacks.Overton was generating some serious hostility and Surrey thought he’d dismissed Compton when a fearsome delivery bounced up and knocked the left-hander’s helmet off his head and onto the stumps. However Compton was given not out after the umpires conferred, under an ECB regulation brought in before the 2021 season to encourage batters to wear helmets.Surrey initially looked bewildered by the decision, but any tension was defused after coach Gareth Batty consulted the match referee Simon Hinks. “We’re all good,” Batty shouted at Overton, giving him the thumbs up. “Just do it again, chief.”Overton followed up with five equally menacing deliveries, but after being checked out by medical staff Compton somehow survived the rest of the over, in more than one sense, only to be given out caught behind off Jacks in the next.Jordan Cox then edged Worral to Ben Foakes for 12, leaving Kent in deep trouble on 116 for five at lunch.Kent’s hopes of avoiding the follow on took a further hit when Overton bowled Darren Stevens for seven, ripping out his off stump and Jacks then removed George Linde, who was caught in the slips by Rory Burns for 26.Milnes had made 13 when Colin de Grandhomme had him caught by Pope and the biggest home cheer of the afternoon came when Nathan Gilchrist avoided making his seventh consecutive duck when he hit the same bowler for three.Any delight Gilchrist had at evading what would have been a first-class record faded when he was caught by Sam Curran off Jacks for five and Robinson’s defiance ended, along with Kent’s first innings, when he hit Overton to Jacks with the final ball before tea.Kent badly needed to win a session and did so for arguably they first time in the match, with Compton and Crawley resisting for nearly two hours. At one point Sam Curran came into the attack, bowling spin, but the visitors were frustrated until Crawley played on to Jacks, leaving Milnes to bat through to the close.

Tottenham are now holding internal talks over whether to launch an astonishing raid to sign a new defender in January, as they look to hand Ange Postecoglou reinforcements to save his season in north London, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham need work in January

After a raft of injuries, Tottenham have almost been forced into moving in the January transfer window as they look to improve on a woeful first half of the campaign. The Lilywhites sit adrift of the top four in Premier League, with more defeats than wins and with their style of football continuing to cause problems.

Injuries have more than played their part too, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both having missed large chunks of the season through injury, while Ben Davies’ injury has forced teenage midfielder Archie Gray into an unfamiliar centre-back position.

Tottenham make £37m+ offer to sign "fantastic" Argentina int'l for Ange

The Lilywhites are looking to strengthen their ranks after a disappointing campaign to date.

ByBen Browning Dec 29, 2024

At the other end of the pitch, long-term injuries to both Richarlison and summer signing Wilson Odobert have left Postecoglou short on options in attack. Postecoglou is keen to add bodies in January, admitting as much before their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

“[Transfer policy] can be disciplined, but we need a clear picture of where we’re at. There is a need to reinforce if we can, it’s not an easy time to do that in this window.

“The club is working hard behind the scenes to help the players we’ve got, who are giving everything in every game to try and get us through. We’re working hard to try to get reinforcements.”

Now, it has emerged that Tottenham are holding internal talks over a potentially exciting swoop.

Spurs eyeing Premier League defender

That comes as a fresh report from The Daily Mail, relayed by Goodison News, has claimed that Tottenham are holding internal talks over a potential move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as they look to improve their defence, with the Toffee star one of four players under consideration.

The 22-year-old shot to prominence at Goodison Park last season, with Alan Shearer hailing him as “magnificent” on the Premier League website 12 months ago.

Though linked with a move to Manchester United over the summer, he ended up remaining at Goodison Park but is now in the spotlight once more. That comes as the report claims that Tottenham are now holding internal talks over a potential move for the defender, who still has two and a half years left to run on his £35,000-a-week deal on Merseyside.

Though not enjoying his best season, Branthwaite would undoubtedly be a long-term Davies replacement, with the English defender still likely to improve in his career.

Ben Davies

Jarrad Branthwaite

Appearances

4

10

Pass Accuracy

90.4%

85.2%

Tackles and interceptions per 90

2

3.33

Clearances per 90

6

4.32

Aerial Duel % won

44.4%

39.1%

Yellow Cards

1

1

Any deal in January seems incredibly unlikely though, with Everton having reportedly slapped an £80m price tag on the defender’s head as they look to avoid relegation from the top flight, with Branthwaite one of the first names on Sean Dyche’s teamsheet when fit.

Should they fail with a move for Branthwaite, it is added that “Ko Itakura, Milan Skriniar and former Toffee Ben Godfrey all seen as alternative options”, with the latter thought to be available on loan from current side Atalanta.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians inicia sua jornada na Libertadores nesta terça-feira, às 21h30, contra o Always Ready, da Bolívia. Essa será apenas a terceira participação da equipe boliviana na competição, mas em um passado não muito distante, o time alvirrubro deu trabalho para um clube brasileiro.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansEm busca do bi! Corinthians inicia Libertadores com desafio nas alturasCorinthians05/04/2022CorinthiansAlways Ready x Corinthians: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir ao duelo da LibertadoresCorinthians04/04/2022CorinthiansCampeões em 2012, Cássio, Fábio Santos e Paulinho relembram título e projetam mais uma LibertadoresCorinthians04/04/2022

> GALERIA – Veja retrospecto do Corinthians contra times da Bolívia

Na Libertadores de 2021, o Always Ready caiu no grupo do Internacional, que ainda contava com Deportivo Táchira e Olímpia. Naquele ano,a equipe boliviana foi eliminada como lanterna na fase de grupos, mas não perdeu os dois jogos que fez contra o Internacional.

Na primeira rodada, em La Paz, o Always venceu por 2 a 0, fazendo valer a altitude de 3.600 metros. Em conversa com o LANCE!, o jornalista Luciano Coimbra, da Rádio Grenal, afirmou que a altitude será o grande problema para o Timão, e apontou o estilo de jogo dos bolivianos quando jogam em seus domínios.

-O maior problema do Corinthians certamente será jogar na altitude. O Internacional sofreu bastante para atuar lá. É ruim de jogar, muito complicado. O Always tira muita vantagem quando joga nos seus domínios. É uma equipe que busca o jogo quando atua em casa, ataca bastante, usa da velocidade. Eles estão acostumados. O Inter teve bastante dificuldade em relação a isso. Naquela época, o Always era um time veloz. O jogo passa a ser rápido, a bola corre bastante – analisou Luciano.

> TABELA – Timão avança na Libertadores? Confira a tabela e simule os jogos
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A montanha poderia ser ainda maior, já que a casa do Always Readycostuma mandar as suas partidas no estádio Municipal de El Alto, que fica a 4.090 metros de altitude, sendo o segundo mais alto do planeta, atrás somente do estádio Daniel Alcides Carrión, do Unión Minas, do Peru, que fica 4.398 metros acima do nível do mar.

No entanto, por questões de iluminação, os Albirojos não poderão jogar as partidas na sua casa na Libertadores, assim como já havia acontecido no ano passado. Mesmo assim, Luciano afirmou que o Timão deve tentar minimizar desgastes para poder suportar os 90 minutos na altitude.

– O Corinthians pode ter dificuldade com a velocidade do jogo. Por isso, para jogar melhor lá, o Corinthians precisa correr pouco, desgastar pouco, para aproveitar os 90 minutos e se defender. O Always usa muita a velocidade – comentou o jornalista gaúcho.

Um dos grandes mistérios pelo lado corintiano é a escalação inicial que Vítor Pereira irá usar. Com uma semana de treinos, o treinador promoveu diversos testes, e a equipe deverá ser diferente da que perdeu para o São Paulo na semifinal do Paulistão.

Para Luciano, o técnico português deveria começar com os jogadores experientes, e no decorrer da partida, utilizar os atletas mais jovens, para mudar o ritmo do jogo. O jornalista ainda destacou a liderança do goleiro Cássio.

– A ideia de começar com os jogadores mais experientes, veteranos, pode ser boa. O Cássio vai poder dar muito com o depoimento dele, por ser um jogador consagrado no Corinthians. Já disputou jogos na altitude, sabe das dificuldades. Vale usar da experiência desses jogadores para cadenciar o jogo. Não abusar da saída rápida, porque o Corinthians vai precisar disso mais pra frente no jogo. Ter um fôlego a mais nos minutos finais. E trazer os garotos nos minutos finais – ponderou.

Por fim, o jornalista não se mostrou muito animado pelo fato do Corinthians estrear na altitude, pois para ele, os jogos contra o Always Ready na Bolívia vão definir o grupo.

– Se olhar a classificação geral da fase, os jogos contra o Always Ready na altitude vão ser os balizadores do grupo. Se conseguir o resultado positivo, os outros que façam o mesmo. Agora, se perde, precisa rezar para os outros também tropeçarem, e o Corinthians não vai poder perder pontos em casa. Eu preferia estrear em casa – concluiuLuciano Coimbra.

Martin Odegaard's agent, Bjorn Tore Kvarme, was spotted at Anfield as Liverpool Legends locked horns with Chelsea Heroes on Saturday.

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Liverpool hosted Chelsea in a charity matchThe Reds won 2-0 thanks to a Peter Crouch braceKvarme was spotted on the benchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kvarme’s appearance at Anfield caught the attention of Arsenal fans. Last year, Kvarme was also involved in another Liverpool Legends match, when the Reds faced Ajax in a special tribute game. That occasion was even more emotional, as it provided the late Sven-Goran Eriksson with the opportunity to fulfill his dream of managing Liverpool while bravely battling cancer.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

However, there is little to worry about for the Gunners as the 52-year-old, who played for Liverpool between 1997 and 1999, was simply returning to represent his former club in the annual LFC Foundation charity match, with the Norwegian being included on the bench for the legends' game.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Legends' game featured an impressive lineup of former Liverpool greats, including Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypiä, and Jerzy Dudek. The clash ended 2-0 in Liverpool’s favour, with former England striker Peter Crouch scoring twice. This gave him the chance to belt out his iconic robot celebration in front of the Kop. Meanwhile, Natasha Dowie became the first female footballer to feature in a Liverpool Legends match after she was introduced as a first-half substitute for Mohamed Sissoko.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

With a packed stadium, an electric atmosphere, and legendary players rolling back the years, the event proved to be another huge success. But beyond the entertainment on display, the real impact of the match was its contribution to charitable causes. The funds raised from ticket sales and donations will go toward the LFC Foundation, as well as the Chelsea FC Foundation and Chelsea Players’ Trust.