Com sequência de trabalho de Miguel Àngel, Del Valle 'mais afinado' e embalado reencontra o Flamengo

MatériaMais Notícias

Adversários na Recopa Sul-Americana no início deste ano, Independiente Del Valle e Flamengo viveram trajetórias diferentes desde então. O Rubro-Negro teve o trabalho rompido com a saída de Jorge Jesus e a chegada de Domènec Torrent, cujo estilo ainda está sendo “absorvido” pelo elenco. Do outro lado, Miguel Àngel Ramírez vê seu time ainda mais “afinado” com suas ideias e em melhor momento em relação aos encontros em fevereiro – 2 a 2 em Quito, no Equador, e 3 a 0 para o Flamengo no Maracanã -, que garantiram o título ao Fla.

– A partida pode ser similar ao que se viu na Recopa, mas me parece que o Independiente Del Valle chega em um ritmo melhor. A equipe está mais afinada – afirmou o repórter Luigi Marchelle, da Ecuavisa, rede de televisão do Equador.

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Os números do Del Valle após a retomada do futebol no Equador corroboram a opinião do jornalista Luigi Marchelle. Desde 15 de agosto, são cinco vitórias e três empates do time de Miguel Àngel, que ocupa a terceira posição da Liga com 25 pontos, atrás da LDU, com 28 e do Barcelona de Guayaquil, com 27.

Os 21 gols marcados e 12 gols sofridos apontam os pontos fortes e fracos do Del Valle. A característica do trabalho de Àngel Ramírez é não abrir mão do volume ofensivo, mas a equipe tem problemas defensivos. Nestes oito jogos, o time equatoriano saiu atrás do placar em cinco, mas mostrou poder de reação.

-O Independiente vem tendo problemas na defesa. Nas últimas partidas iniciou perdendo, mas é uma equipe com muito volume ofensivo e conseguiu as viradas. É o melhor ataque do campeonato. O Flamengo pode se aproveitar das fragilidades defensivas, mas, mesmo que marque, deve ter cuidado pois o Independiente quase nunca baixa a intensidade – analisou Luigi Marchelle.

Foi justamente este estilo de jogo, com volume ofensivo e apreço pela bola independentemente do adversário, que fez Miguel Àngel Ramírez entrar no radar do Flamengo, sendo bem cotado entre a direção da Gávea. Seu nome esteve bem avaliado quando o clube buscava substituto para Jorge Jesus, e o escolhido acabou sendo o também espanhol Domènec Torrent, que fará sua estreia na Copa. Ramírez, por sua vez, já conquistou a Sul-Americana em 2019.

Sob o comando de Domènec Torrent, o elenco do Flamengo realiza um treino nesta quarta, às 18h (de Brasília), no CT da seleção do Equador. O trabalho definirá a formação escolhida pelo treinador para o jogo contra o Del Valle – o qual marcará sua estreia na Copa Libertadores e vale a liderança do Grupo A.

Burnley: Kompany Could Sign Next Dwight McNeil At Turf Moor With £1.5m Swoop

Burnley could be on the prowl for another striker this summer, with reports linking the club to another talent in what has been a busy transfer window for Vincent Kompany.

The Clarets couldn’t have started their return to the Premier League in tougher fashion, as treble winners Manchester City graced the field of Turf Moor, where Kompany suffered opening day defeat at the hands of his former club.

While their movement in the transfer window has been busy, their start to life in the top-flight has been the opposite, with Burnley missing out on game week two due to Luton Town’s inability to host their fixture due to ongoing improvements to Kenilworth Road.

With 13 new arrivals already through the door at Turf Moor, recent reports have pointed to another potential signing that the Clarets are targeting.

Who could Burnley sign this summer?

Earlier this week, journalist Dominik Schneider revealed Burnley’s interest in Portuguese midfielder Renato Veiga, with an offer of £5.5m put on the table for Sporting Lisbon to consider.

In other reports, Football Insider has named the Clarets as one of the clubs in the race to sign Hertha Berlin starlet Derry Scherhant, with Championship trio Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End also eyeing a loan move for the German.

Football Insider stated that Burnley have already enquired over the 20-year-old’s availability earlier in the summer, with the player said to be valued at around £1.5m.

Who is Derry Scherhant?

Deployed as a left-winger with the ability to be positioned as a number nine, Hertha’s starlet is certainly a player to watch the movements of.

The 20-year-old is currently playing for the side’s ‘B’ team, featuring in the Regionalliga Northeast league in which he has made a flying start by scoring three goals and registering one assist over the opening two fixtures, via Transfermarkt.

Derry Scherhant in action for Hertha Berlin.

Playing in the league since the 2021/22 campaign with Hertha BSC II, the German has contributed to 38 goals in 48 appearances, scoring 27 and assisting 11 to showcase just how dazzling his talents are in the final third.

While the Premier League is far from the fourth tier of German football, the 20-year-old’s talents have been repaid, with him earning 10 Bundesliga appearances last campaign in which he scored his first goal in the top-flight.

Described by journalist Leon Potuzhek as being “too good” for the league he is most regularly playing in, the dynamic youngster could be the perfect addition to one day flourish in Kompany’s side.

It wouldn't be the first time that Turf Moor had seen a winger making an impact on the left flank, with former star Dwight McNeil once bringing excitement for the Clarets before he joined Everton.

The Englishman netted seven goals in the Premier League during his time at Burnley, where he was praised as “fantastic” as a 19-year-old playing under Sean Dyche.

The youthful spark and electrifying cameos that the Everton ace once brought to Turf Moor could be encapsulated through a signing as promising as Scherhant, who has a similarly direct nature of play to the former winger.

With interest coming from a host of levels in England, Kompany should act fast if he is to capture the rising talent, in what could be a huge move for both player and club.

عمر جابر: الزمالك اعتاد على البطولات.. والجماهير تستحق الفرحة

أعرب عمر جابر لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن سعادته بعد فوز فريقه على نهضة بركان، وحصد لقب بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ونجح الزمالك في التتويج ببطولة الكونفدرالية بفوز على نهضة بركان المغربي، بهدف نظيف في مباراة الإياب التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، بعد الخسارة ذهابًا على الملعب البلدي ببركان بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وقال عمر جابر في تصريححات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “بطولة هامة في توقيت هام، الزمالك اعتاد على البطولات، من أحسن البدايات للفريق في أول نصف ساعة، وسجلنا هدفًا وكان مكسبا مهما، وجمهور الزمالك كان يستحق الفرحة، لم يكن يصح أن يعود حزينًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. جوميز يكشف سر تتويج الزمالك بالكونفدرالية والفارق بين مباراتي الذهاب والإياب أمام نهضة بركان

وأتم: “كنا نتدرب على الكرة الثابتة في التسخين، وأنا وفتوح من الحماس (شوطنا بعض) لكن الأدرينالين كان عاليًا، ومازلنا نشعر بألم حتى الآن”.

Liverpool Set Sights On Signing £30m "Big Talent"

Liverpool have set their sights on signing Torino's Perr Schuurs, with a new report revealing exactly what's going on in their pursuit of the Netherlands international.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Jurgen Klopp's priority is signing at least one new midfielder, with just over a week left to get deals over the line, and ESPN report an offer has recently been made for Fluminense defensive midfielder Andre, but the bid was knocked back immediately.

The likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram have been named as potential options by journalist Rudy Galetti, but there are plenty of others, with talks also being held over Cheick Doucoure and Kalvin Phillips.

While signing a new midfielder is of the utmost importance to the Reds, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has previously made it clear that a new centre-back will also be targeted, with Football Insider now offering a new update on their pursuit of Schuurs.

According to their sources, Liverpool have now set their sights on signing the Torino defender, following a recent scouting mission, and he is seen as a realistically-priced option to sign before this summer's deadline, with the Italian club set to hold out for around £30m.

That would work perfectly for Klopp's side, as they already have a budget set aside for the centre-back, but it is lower than what they are willing to fork out for a central midfielder.

Klopp is eager to bring in cover and competition for Virgil van Dijk, while he also wants to refresh his centre-back options for the first time since Ibrahima Konate arrived at Anfield.

There may be no better player to provide competition for Van Dijk, as the Reds captain is "well aware" of his compatriot's talents and is said to be a "big fan".

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE

How good is Perr Schuurs?

Not only has the 23-year-old impressed his potential future teammate, but he has also received praise from journalist Dean Jones, with the reporter telling FootballFancast:

"Schuurs is a big talent. He's got a great ability to read the game, so no surprise at all that he's been on the radar of the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool – he has a profile that fits those sides well."

As well as being able to read the game very well, the Dutchman is a solid tackler, ranking in the 80th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and he has been a key player for Torino since arriving from Ajax.

Netherlands defender Perr Schuurs.

The 6 foot 3 defender has adapted to life in the Serie A very well, making 30 league appearances last season, indicating he could now be ready to make another step-up by moving to the Premier League, with Liverpool waiting in the wings.

Klopp is well-stocked at centre-back, with five players who play in that position already at the club, so Schuurs should not be a priority target for Liverpool, but he could be worth pursuing once they get a deal for at least one new midfielder over the line.

Settled West Indies look to shake up depleted New Zealand

Big picture

Ben Stokes flying to New Zealand and signing up with Canterbury has been the big news of the week, but there is the small matter of New Zealand’s thin Test summer at home, starting with the two-match series against West Indies.The last time West Indies faced New Zealand in a Test, in June 2014, Jason Holder made his debut and was part of a team that suffered a series defeat at home. Three years later, Holder faces New Zealand as the captain of young side that has defended 189 against India in an ODI, hunted down 322 in the Leeds Test after suffering an innings-and-209-run defeat at Trent Bridge, and sealed a 1-0 Test series win over a full-strength Zimbabwe team in 2017.He believes West Indies are in a “pretty good place” with the present team and heading in the “right direction”. From fearing for his international career, Kemar Roach has fit in as the leader of the attack, which includes Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, and Miguel Cummins. Contrastingly, New Zealand are in a not-so-good place. For starters, they haven’t played Test cricket since March, while West Indies have played eight Tests since. They will also have to cope without the injured BJ Watling and Tim Southee, who is on paternity leave.

Form guide

New Zealand: DLDWW (completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: DWLWL

In the spotlight

With a rock-of-Gibraltar defence and excellent judgement outside off, Jeet Raval is arguably the best candidate to negotiate the new ball on what is expected to be a green top. The opener had a breakout season last summer, and was subsequently added to New Zealand’s list of contracted players for 2017-18. Can he build on the gains now?Unlike Raval, Jermaine Blackwood isn’t really a big fan of defence. Case in point: his second scoring shot in Test cricket was a disdainful thwack over long-on off Trent Boult. Blackwood, though, hasn’t passed fifty in his last 12 innings in internationals and tour matches, and could face competition from Shimron Hetmyer.

Team news

New Zealand have already announced their XI, picking Matt Henry over Lockie Ferguson as a replacement for Southee, and handing a Test debut to wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell at his home ground.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Jeet Raval, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Colin de Grandhomme, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent BoultSunil Ambris, who cracked 153 off 145 balls in the middle order in the tour game against a New Zealand A attack that contained seven international bowlers, is likely to make his Test debut and occupy the spot vacated by Kyle Hope.West Indies (probable) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Sunil Ambris, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt.), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

Early sightings of the pitch showed grass cover almost indistinguishable from the outfield, but that can often be misleading at this ground. ”It [The pitch] always looks a little bit [green] like that,” Kane Williamson said on Thursday. “There’s always something in the wicket if you do bowl well. But generally, it’s a fair surface which quickens up on day two and three”. The weather is expected to be largely fine for the duration of the match.

Stats and trivia

  • West Indies haven’t won a Test in New Zealand since February 1995 when they secured a mammoth innings win at this venue.
  • Trent Boult seems to relish bowling at the Basin Reserve: he has 27 wickets in six matches at an average of 28.07, including a 10-for against West Indies.

Quotes

“He [Henry] has been playing well for a long time and hasn’t had the opportunities that he’s deserved. He’s a different bowler to Lockie and has been bowling with good pace, and does tend to move the ball well.”
“Consistency is always our downfall. I think once we get on the park and play as one, I think the performances will come.”

Nottingham Forest "might have a look" at 33-year-old

Nottingham Forest target Aaron Cresswell has refused to train with the West Ham United team in recent weeks as he looks to "force through" a move away from East London after the Hammers rejected an initial offer from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, the situation has since developed, and Forest have emerged as the more likely destination for the three-capped Englishman, per Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

Nottingham Forest transfer news – what's the latest on Aaron Cresswell?

Despite spending the last nine years with the East London side – following his £2m switch from Ipswich Town – Hammers icon Cresswell looks set on leaving the club after his place as first choice on the left-hand side of the defence was taken from him last year by Emerson Palmieri.

His decision was probably made simpler when, despite making seven appearances for the club in their run to and eventual triumph in the Europa Conference League final, David Moyes didn't bring the £50,000-a-week man on in the final.

Earlier in the summer, the Daily Mail reported that Wolves were 'in talks' with the club over a potential £2.5m transfer for Cresswell, but the fee was deemed to be far too low and was promptly rejected, with Football Insider reporting that it would take a fee of around £4m to land his signature.

West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell.

And while the same publication have since claimed that the West Midlands side are 'expected' to finalise the deal soon, fellow Midlands outfit Forest have emerged as a potential destination for the experienced defender, especially since he shares the same agents with Forest star Brennan Johnson.

According to the Sun's Alan Nixon, the Tricky Trees have now entered the race for the Tranmere Rovers youth product, with journalist Ryan Taylor thinking a move to the City Ground could be likely with it looking increasingly likely that Rayan Ait-Nouri will be staying with the Old Gold.

What has Ryan Taylor said about Cresswell?

Taylor explained that Cresswell refused to partake in team training following the Irons' refusal to accept Wolves' initial offer of £2.5m; however, he admitted that this could have changed in the ten days since.

He also explained that recent developments could mean that instead of Wolves, it's Forest that the Irons legend ends up playing for this season.

Taylor told GIVEMESPORT: "I don't know if it will happen, to be honest, because it looks like Rayan Ait-Nouri is going to stay at Wolves. He was in talks with Nice over a loan move. Wolves actually made a bid for Cresswell worth about £2.5million, but West Ham wanted £5million.

"It is true that he hasn't been training, I've checked that. I don't know if he is back in training now because this was about 10 days ago that he wanted to force through that move, but it's gone very quiet now.

"I've actually seen that Forest might have a look at Cresswell as well, which is interesting. I think they need a little bit of cover and competition at left-back. He's only got one year left on his deal, which was just activated recently."

How old is Aaron Cresswell?

Born December 15th, 1989, in Liverpool, England, the 33-year-old is an incredibly experienced operator and, despite being on the wrong side of 30 for a professional footballer, still looks like he's got a lot left to offer whichever Premier League club decides to stump up the cash needed to get him out of the London Stadium.

According to WhoScored, in his 28 league appearances last year, he provided one assist, maintained a passing accuracy of 81.4%, won one aerial dual a game and averaged a respectable match rating of 6.61, which is quite impressive given the poor season the club had.

aaron-cresswell-transfer-gossip-west-ham-nottingham-forest-cooper-kieran-trippier

And whilst he may not have scored or created as many goals as he would've liked last year, his underlying numbers suggest he was a little unfortunate in that regard and was, in fact, quite a helpful creator going forward.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 5 foot 7 warrior sits in the top 10% for progressive passes, the top 15% for shot-creating actions and the top 21% for expected assists, all per 90.

He may not be the most exciting of signings for the Forest faithful, but given his vast experience and relatively cheap price tag, he would surely be an intelligent acquisition for Steve Cooper's side.

West Ham: Hammers Set To Sign "Monster" Target

After missing out on Harry Maguire, it looks as though David Moyes is finally set to strengthen his backline at West Ham United, with an update emerging on Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Hammers have so far signed just two reinforcements, in the form of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez. Now, however, they're reportedly securing one more.

What's the latest on Konstantinos Mavropanos to West Ham?

With the London club targeting a centre-back this summer, VfB Stuttgart's Mavropanos is set to undergo a medical, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The deal itself is reportedly agreed at €20m, plus €5m in add-ons, with 10% of the fee going to Mavropanos' former club and West Ham's rivals, Arsenal.

The Hammers turned to the former Gunner after facing rejection from Manchester United's Maguire. With a deal in place with the Red Devils, it was the England international's decision that reportedly broke the move down.

Moyes looks to have finally got his defender, however, as West Ham look to avoid the chaos of a relegation battle this season, and enjoy the comforts of mid-table, at the very least, instead.

On the opening day of the season, of course, they secured a point against Bournemouth, in what they may see as the foundation to build from in the coming weeks.

Should West Ham sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?

Soccer Football – Bundesliga – Hertha BSC v VfB Stuttgart – Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany – April 24, 2022 VfB Stuttgart's Konstantinos Mavropanos in action with Hertha BSC's Maximilian Mittelstadt REUTERS/Annegret Hilse DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO.

After shipping 55 goals last season – the ninth-worst record in the league – it's fair to say that West Ham needed reinforcements in their backline this summer. And Mavropanos could prove to be an ideal choice.

The defender, who was one of the quickest in the Bundesliga, may have struggled to make his mark when at Arsenal, but ever since switching London for Stuttgart, he has proven exactly why he got the move to the Gunners in the first place. He's earned plenty of praise in the process, too, with former Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo saying, via the official Bundesliga website:

"He always shows in training that he can produce magic.

"He's got heart, energy and determination. We need guys like him.

"He's our gladiator – a monster in terms of physique."

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Meanwhile, Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat said:

"Dinos is a prototype of everything this team stands for: always working, with a desire to win and to constantly improve.

"And when things aren't going well, he doesn't get negative. He always communicates well with his colleagues, and is always looking forward."

With that said, everything points to the notion that West Ham are getting themselves an excellent addition, and an addition whose speed is a particularly impressive trait.

As per the Bundesliga website, Mavropanos has previously clocked a top speed of 21.79 mph, showing pace that could play a crucial part in the Premier League when asked to keep up with the likes of Erling Haaland, and Mohamed Salah.

From West Ham's perspective, once medicals are done, and the defender is officially presented at the London Stadium, they'll want to get him involved as soon as possible. If the Hammers get the deal done in time, we may well see Mavropanos make his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday.

Final constitution approved for new USA national governing body

The framework for USA Cricket, American cricket’s new governing body, was cleared not long after USACA was expelled by the ICC in June

Peter Della Penna20-Dec-2017American cricket is a step closer to having a firmer foothold on its administrative future after a final constitution was approved for USA Cricket, the new governing body that is taking over in the wake of USACA’s expulsion at this year’s ICC annual conference.”This is an extremely important development and I would like to thank the Advisory Group for their enormous contribution to the development of this Constitution,” ICC chief executive David Richardson said in a press release. “They have led a process that has been incredibly thorough and we think they have developed a best practice Constitution that gives the new national governing body in USA the best possible chance of success.”The framework for the constitution was cleared not long after USACA was expelled, and contains many of the guidelines which were rejected by USACA that became the final straw before the ICC voted them out in June as the board representing the USA as an Associate Member. Among them are term limits for board members, three independent directors, athlete representatives on the board and an independent chairman. Any proposal to make changes to the constitution will require a two-thirds majority from the wider membership.One new guideline not previously revealed by the ICC’s sustainable foundation advisory group is that the same person cannot run for multiple positions on the board. The scenario played out on numerous occasions at USACA elections, including one instance in which Kenwyn Williams ran for president, vice president and executive secretary. Williams eventually won a spot as executive secretary in 2012 but lasted less than a year in the role.According to the constitution, voting eligibility has fairly liberal guidelines taking into the consideration the fact that a sizeable portion of the cricket-playing community are non-citizens. Voting in elections is open to anyone who is a US citizen, permanent resident or a lawful resident. However, board members must be either US citizens or permanent residents, also known as green card holders.”This is an excellent constitution that reflects the diversity and strength of the USA cricket community,” said Jagan Jagannathan, a member of the sustainable foundation advisory group who has also served as the board chairman of the American Cricket Federation, the rival governing body to USACA. “Of course, cricket operates in a dynamic environment and we have built in mechanisms that enable the constitution to evolve with the growth of the game in the USA under the leadership of the future directors and the membership”.The election process for USA Cricket’s inaugural board is expected to begin in January, with the board seated by April.

Queensland fall seven short in thrilling draw

Queensland fell just seven runs short of their target of 297 with three wickets in hand to draw against Western Australia on the fourth day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2017Getty Images

Queensland fell just seven runs short of their target of 297, with three wickets in hand, as their match against Western Australia ended in a thrilling draw on the fourth day in Perth. Going strong at 2 for 203 at one point on the back of Joe Burns’ century, Queensland needed 50 runs off 39 balls, and later 34 off 32. However, they suffered a collapse from 3 for 243 to 7 for 286 and needed 12 off the final over but Matthew Kelly – who took a five-for – conceded only five runs. Charlie Hemphrey led Queensland with 60 off 52 balls until they were 16 away from the target, but he fell with 10 balls left in the day.Queensland were dented early in the chase by Kelly, who had Matt Renshaw caught behind for 7 in the sixth over, before Burns and Labuschagne stitched a partnership of 154 at 4.69 runs per over to rally the score towards 200. Kelly trapped Labuschagne lbw for 72 in the 39th over and bowled Burns for 103 seven overs later when Queensland were 94 away from the target. Hemphrey steered them closer but Mitchell Marsh removed Jack Wildermuth and Queensland lost four wickets for 43 runs as Kelly struck twice more. Queensland’s chances decreased further once Hemphrey was caught off Marsh and they ended on 7 for 290 in 59 overs.As many as 431 runs were score on the day as Western Australia stretched their score from an overnight 5 for 165 to declare on 8 for 306 in just over 34 overs. They were in trouble early in the day when they lost three wickets for five runs and were 8 for 196 with a lead of 186. However, Ashton Turner took his score from 30 to an unbeaten 101 off 160 balls and was assisted by No. 11 Jason Behrendorff who struck a patient 39 off 83. They put together 110 unbeaten runs before the declaration. Josh Inglish, the other overnight batsman, had struck 54, before Wildermuth removed him and Andrew Holder in consecutive overs, and Kelly fell for a duck.Behrendorff was nursing a back injury and did not bowl on Sunday and Monday.

Everton Could Be Able To Sign Summer Target For £25m

Everton have constantly been linked with a move for Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto this summer and now they know the amount needed to sign him.

Are Everton signing Wilfried Gnonto?

The 19-year-old's future has been a big talking point the more the summer transfer window has gone on, as he pushes for a move away from Elland Road.

While Gnonto seemingly appeared to be happy at Leeds last season, their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship has changed the situation significantly.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Italian doesn't want to be plying his trade in the second tier of English football over at least the next 12 months, perhaps understandably, and he has made it clear that he wants to move on, even refusing to play for the Whites.

It is Everton who have stood out as the club most likely to acquire Gnonto's signature before deadline day arrives at the end of this month, but Leeds have held firm up until this point. Now, it looks as though the Toffees know precisely how much will be needed to prise him away this summer.

Wilfried Gnonto

What's the latest on Wilfried Gnonto to Everton?

According to Football Insider, Leeds are increasingly likely to accept a £25m bid for the exciting attacker in the coming days and weeks, making the situation clear for Everton:

"Leeds United are privately holding out for a fee of at least £25million before considering selling Everton top target Wilfried Gnonto this summer, sources have told Football Insider. Football Insider revealed on Friday that Everton are the frontrunners to land the 19-year-old – and have seen a £20million bid for his services rejected.

"It is believed personal terms will not be an issue for the Merseysiders with Gnonto currently earning a small wage at Leeds.

"A well-placed source has told Football Insider that a bid of £25million with a favourable payment structure could soften that stance."

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has said that personal terms on a five-year deal are already agreed with Everton.

This is an encouraging update regarding the Blues' pursuit of Gnonto and it would be foolish for the club not to bid £25m and see what happens, really testing Leeds' resolve in the process.

The teenager is someone who could light up Goodison Park if he seals a summer move there, possessing the rare ability to beat players with ease, not to mention quick feet and end product, having notched six goal contributions (two goals and four assists) in the Premier League last season.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham perfectly illustrated why a player of Gnonto's ilk may well be required before the end of the transfer window.

Gary Neville has described Gnonto as "absolutely fantastic" in the past, and considering he is still only 19 years of age currently and already an Italy international on a regular basis, he could only improve further as a player as the years go on, in terms of becoming a more polished footballer in his all-round game, cutting out the rawness that understandably exists in his game currently.

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