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Liverpool are reportedly in the running to sign RB Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his forward line.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet BILD (as relayed by The Mirror), the Reds are one of three European heavyweights keen to secure the highly-rated 19-year-old’s services.

The report states that Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also eyeing a move for Adeyemi, while Salzburg are believed to have placed a £17 million price tag on their prized asset.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

With Xherdan Shaqiri departing Anfield over the summer and Divock Origi continuing to be linked with a move away from Merseyside, Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new attacker.

The German tactician was unable to lure one to Liverpool in the recently concluded window, meaning he may make a move either in January or 12 months’ time.

And Adeyemi could be the ideal signing for the 19-time English champions. Klopp has a history of purchasing players from the Red Bull system due to their preferred style of play matching his.

The likes of Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate and Takumi Minamino have all departed a Red Bull affiliated club to join Klopp at Anfield as their pressing system is similar is the 54-year-old’s unique gegenpressing setup.

Therefore, the Liverpool boss would surely love to snap up Adeyemi, signing a ready-made replacement for Origi and competition for the likes of Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.

Last season the teenage talent bagged nine goals and provided a further 11 assists in 39 appearances as he helped his side secure a domestic double, and he’s started the current campaign in blistering fashion.

The 5 ft 10 dynamo has already notched up an incredible seven goals and one assist in his first nine outings in 2021/22 before he scored on his international debut for Germany against Armenia.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool’s director of football makes a formal offer for Adeyemi in the coming months, but Klopp will surely be hoping a deal can be done for his compatriot.

And, in other news…Liverpool suffer injury blow pre-Leeds United, Jurgen Klopp will be gutted 

West Brom reportedly plan to offer goalkeeper Sam Johnstone a new and improved contract, according to The Sun on Sunday (8th August, page 67). 

What’s the story?

Johnstone has been with West Brom since 2018, and has gone on to make 131 appearances in total for the Baggies’ first-team.

The shot-stopper made 37 league appearances for West Brom last term, although his efforts weren’t enough to see them avoid relegation back into the Championship after a brief spell in the top-flight.

But it appeared as though his strong showings didn’t go unnoticed, with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both previously being keen on reaching an agreement to sign the 28-year-old.

The Sun on Sunday claim that West Brom are set to offer Johnstone a new and improved contract amid interest from other clubs, as they look to keep him at The Hawthorns.

‘Diamond’

Johnstone has been a rare bright spark in a tricky few seasons with the Baggies, and it’s not surprising to see other clubs keen on reaching an agreement with the 28-year-old.

The goalkeeper will have to think carefully about his next destination though, as there’s no guarantee that he’d get the regular minutes he’s getting with West Brom.

Johnstone had an average Whoscored rating of 6.74 from the 2020/21 season and will be hoping he can have his future resolved at the earliest of opportunities.

He was an unused substitute for their season opener against Bournemouth but will be keen to be involved in their next match against Luton Town on Saturday 14th August.

Steve Bruce labelled Johnstone as a ‘diamond’ for his performance for Aston Villa, whilst on loan with the club back in 2017.

“We all knew he was a top class goalkeeper and he’s looking the part now. He’s a diamond – first in, last out. He’s a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn.”

It will have been a no-brainer for West Brom to try and tie Johnstone down to a new contract, as they’ll be keen to have players that are fully committed to the cause this term, as they look to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Having his future resolved before the close of the summer transfer window would be ideal for the Baggies as well, as they won’t be concerned about potentially losing him in the winter transfer window in the New Year.

If they were to strike an agreement to tie Johnstone down to a new contract, then it would be a real statement of intent by Valerien Ismael’s side this summer. Offering Johnstone the deal is an absolute no-brainer, now they need to convince him to sign it.

AND in other news, this player had an absolute shocker as West Brom faltered on the opening day

Records maintained by ICL showed the dues in the form of match fees and share of prize money amount to over Rs 1.27 crore

Ajay S Shankar02-Sep-2008Banned by the BCCI for having signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, 64 Indian cricketers are still waiting to be paid dues worth millions of rupees they claim the Indian board owes them for matches played on the official domestic circuit before they joined the unauthorised venture. Even as officials of the Indian board and the various state associations pass the buck among themselves, the ICL says it will take up the players’ case.What they saidNiranjan Shah, : ‘As far as the board is concerned, all dues for players who have played in BCCI-organised tournaments must be paid. But it’s up to the state associations to pay the money because they are the ones who claim money from the board to be paid to their players.’Shivlal Yadav : ‘If we receive the money from the BCCI, we will make the payment within two days. But if the board doesn’t pay the money, I can’t pay from our own account, can I?’KS Vishwanathan, : ‘I will have to check and get back to you on this’. Cannot be reached thereafterCricket Association of Bengal (CAB) administrator: ‘This is an administrative delay. Over the last one and-a-half months, the CAB has been busy with the association elections. I suggest the cricketers send the CAB an official reminder and the new set of office-bearers will take up the matter.’Subir Ganguly, : ‘We [the new regime] have just taken over and it’s difficult for me to comment at this stage without studying the issue’Records maintained by ICL showed the dues in the form of match fees and prize money – in 2006-07 and from 2005-07 in some cases – amounting to over Rs 1.27 crore. Cricinfo was given access to the records but the figures have not been independently verified. However, non-ICL players that Cricinfo spoke to confirmed that they had received their dues for the same period from their respective state associations – typically six to eight months from the close of a season.The players include promising youngsters like Abshishek Jhunjhunwala, and veterans like Hemang Badani, the former India allrounder, and Deep Dasgupta, the former India wicketkeeper. The list also includes Rohan Gavaskar, son of Sunil Gavaskar, a member of the IPL governing council. According to ICL records, the dues range from Rs 16,000 to Rs 15 lakh in the case of Jhunjhunwala.When contacted, Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said the matter needed to be dealt with by the respective state associations who are given funds every year by the board to pay their players’ fees.”As far as the board is concerned, all dues for players who have played in BCCI-organised tournaments must be paid,” he said. “But it’s up to the state associations to pay the money because they are the ones who claim money from the board to be paid to their players. The associations or the players don’t seem to have understood the situation properly (in this case).”The players Cricinfo spoke to said they were only demanding the money they deserved for having played in the Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar tournaments, apart from the shares in prize money in some cases.”They have to treat us like human beings,” said Badani, who, ICL records show, is due to be paid Rs 2.52 lakh by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), though the former Indian player claims the figure is closer to Rs 7 lakh.”None of us have got any dues,” he said. “In my case, apart from the Ranji Trophy matches and one-day games before I joined the ICL, I have been denied my share of the prize money for being part of the winning Twenty20 team. I have spoken to KS Viswanathan, the TNCA secretary, but am yet to get a reply.”The player had also sent an official letter to the TNCA but was yet to get a firm reply. “Of course, they may be angry with me or disappointed because they had nurtured me from the beginning, from the age-group stage. I can understand the anger and the hurt, but not the silence. There has to be a basic decorum, some correspondence,”Vishwanathan, in his response said, “I will have to check and get back to you on this” but could not be reached thereafter.Dasgupta, the former Indian wicketkeeper also felt hard done by. With the ICL records showing Rs 3.32 lakh in dues from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), he had reason to be disappointed.”It’s something we have all worked hard for most of our lives,” said the former Indian wicketkeeper. “We have done well for the state, we have put in the effort and all the hard work. We know there are problems with the ICL, and we understand the state association’s position. But I am sure the CAB feels that this is unjustified. It’s a ‘Catch 22’ situation for the association because of the BCCI. We qualify for the money, but we haven’t heard from them at all.”A local administrator from the CAB insisted the delay was not due to any particular anti-ICL policy. “This is an administrative delay. Over the last one and-a-half months, the CAB has been busy with the association elections. I suggest the cricketers send the CAB an official reminder and the new set of office-bearers will take up the matter.”
Hemang Badani is due to be paid Rs 2.52 lakh by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, though the player claims the figure to be Rs 7 lakh © Cricinfo Ltd
“We [the new regime] have just taken over and it’s difficult for me to comment at this stage without studying the issue,” said Subir Ganguly, the new treasurer of the CAB.Similarly, Alfred Absolem, the all-rounder who plays for Hyderabad Heroes, said he had been told by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) that the BCCI hasn’t passed on the money to be paid to ICL players.”I have requested senior officials of the HCA for the money, but they say the BCCI hasn’t given them any money to pay the ICL players. I believe it’s our hard-earned money and we deserve it,” he said.Shivlal Yadav, the secretary of the HCA, was quick to point a finger towards the BCCI. “If we receive the money from the BCCI, we will make the payment within two days,” he said. “But if the board doesn’t pay the money, I can’t pay from our own account, can I? We have cleared all dues up to last year.” However, he refused to comment on whether those paid included ICL players.ICL records show that the problem is not limited to cricketers from Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad or Bengal. The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) owes Reetinder Sodhi, the former India under-15 captain and currently playing for the Ahmedabad Rockets in the ICL, Rs 1.8 lakh.”It is very disappointing and frustrating,” Sodhi said. “We believe that non-ICL players have got their money, but we are still waiting. It’s always there in the back of our minds because we deserve it. We have put in so much hard work for the state, and nobody can deny that.”Kapil Dev, the chairman of the ICL’s executive board, believed the players had been “treated like outcasts” and accused the associations of succumbing to pressure from the BCCI in holding back the money that the players rightfully deserved.Himanshu Mody, the business head, said the league may have to approach the courts if these dues were not paid within a reasonable timeframe.One of the ICL executive board members, Kiran More, however, believed that not all the associations had held back the payments. “It’s a mixed bag and some associations remain adamant,” he said.

Surrey have expressed interest in signing Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistan fast bowler, in their bid to avoid relegation

Cricinfo staff31-Aug-2008
Surrey have Shoaib Akhtar in their radar © PA Photos
Surrey have expressed interest in signing Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistan fast bowler, in their bid to avoid relegation. Surrey are currently at the bottom of Division One in the County Championship, and have only three games remaining.”We have made contact, we have spoken with him [Shoaib],” Alan Butcher, Surrey’s cricket manager, told the . “We are just waiting to seewhether it’s possible. We’ve got three matches left and we need something to happen.”ECB regulations require overseas players to spend a minimum of three weeks in England, but the county was hopeful that Shoaib’s potential signing will be mutually beneficial. “They [overseas players] have to be here for a period of 21 days,” Butcher said. “But he is keen. He’s desperate to get back into the Pakistan side and is hoping this could be a springboard to do that.”If it [the deal] does go through, we hope it can be of great benefit to us all,” he said.If an agreement is reached, Shoaib could play as early as next week, when Surrey face Kent at Canterbury. He has previously represented Worcestershire and Durham with only limited success.

David Norris believes Liverpool will firm up their interest in Leeds United talisman Raphinha before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

Raphinha, 24, made the move to the Premier League from French outfit Rennes last October, with Leeds forking out £17million ahead of their first season back in the top flight following a 16-year wait.

The Brazilian went on to score eight goals and record 11 assists in an impressive debut campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Raphinha’s fine form has led to speculation that a host of Premier League rivals are mulling over making a move, with top Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari revealing Liverpool are at the front of a queue which also includes Manchester City and Manchester United.

However, Liverpool have yet to contact Leeds about a potential switch and Raphinha’s current employers are in a strong negotiating position as the winger’s contract has him tied to Elland Road until 2024.

Former Leeds midfielder Norris would not be surprised to see Liverpool lodge a bid.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s got great ability and I think Liverpool, after last season, need something a bit different now.

“They got found out a little bit and it was always the same front three. I think they need a few players to come in and change it up.

“Liverpool need similar quality to what they already have in their current front three but a different type of player could make the difference.”

Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Glasgow Rangers will move to sign a striker with Champions League experience if they sell Alfredo Morelos this summer.

The Lowdown: Morelos continually linked with an exit

So far this summer, Morelos has been heavily linked with a move away from Ibrox despite him competing with Colombia at the Copa America.

It was even reported he had agreed personal terms with Porto (Antena 1), but so far there has been no official confirmation of an approach for the 25-year-old.

The Latest: Agbonlahor makes new signing claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, 34 believes the Gers would look to sign a striker with Champions League experience if Morelos were to depart. He said:

“This happens to every club and every player.

“Especially when you’re a star player and you’re coming to the last couple of years of your contract, it’s going to happen.

“I’m sure Gerrard will not want to lose him but he will understand if the club accept a fee from a different team.

“He just wants to know before the window closes so he’s got the chance to bring in a replacement because Rangers can’t go into the season without another striker if they lose Morelos.

“Having [Fashion] Sakala there and scoring may ease it a little bit. But I’m sure Steven Gerrard will want to use some of the money raised to bring in another player.

“Scoring goals is the hardest thing for someone who’s not played in the league before, it’s a very tough league the Scottish league, you can’t underestimate it.

“With the Champions League too, you want someone with European experience.”

The Verdict: Potential upgrade

Morelos has been a fantastic signing for the Ibrox outfit since he made the move to the Gers in 2017 – he has managed 94 goals in 182 games (Transfermarkt), and has consistently been a thorn in the side of opponent defences.

With him previously stating he wants to play in a more competitive league (Goal.com), it is surely only a matter of time before he departs, even if it is not this summer.

However, it is worth pointing out that he has never played in a Champions League match. Bringing in a player who has could well be an upgrade. Of course, not every striker having performed at that level is necessarily better than Morelos, but they would certainly have more experience at the highest level.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this club update.

SYDNEY – Steve Waugh has a golden opportunity to prove his World Cupcredentials when he leads NSW in a 40-over-a-side match against afull-strength Australia at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday.

Will Swanton05-Dec-2002SYDNEY – Steve Waugh has a golden opportunity to prove his World Cupcredentials when he leads NSW in a 40-over-a-side match against afull-strength Australia at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday.Waugh, omitted from Australia’s 30-man provisional World Cup squad,remains hell-bent on somehow making the final 15-man touring party thatwill defend the world No.1 title in Africa in February and March.The 37-year-old Test captain’s first chance to rack up big runs comestomorrow when NSW takes on England at the SCG in a one day clash.But of even more interest will be his showdown against the awesomeAustralian bowling attack of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespieand Shane Warne on Tuesday.Lee expects Waugh to come out with all guns blazing.”It’s going to be a serious day, that’s for sure,” Lee said today at NSWtraining.”There will be quite a few guys trying to prove a few points and I knowthat Steve Waugh will grab the chance with both hands.”Never right Tugga off. He’s a hard man and I’m sure he’s going to comeback.”It’s really hard for players like me to talk about selections.”You can only do what you do and see what the selectors decide. But I’msure Steve is going to put up a really good fight from here on in.”He’ll just try and score run after run after run and I’m sure he’ll doa great job.”Waugh intimated tonight he would like an explanation from Australianchairman of selectors Trevor Hohns as to why he was not considered amongthe best 30 one-day players in the country.”I don’t say they [the selectors] have to justify any of theirselections, but if they did sometimes it would be nice,” Waugh toldChannel Nine.McGrath, who helped protect Waugh’s house from bushfires in the southernSydney suburb of Alfords Point last night, took a slightly morelight-hearted view, saying: “I’ll try not to bowl him too many halfvolleys, but you never know.”McGrath and England batsman Nick Knight both said they expected Waugh tobe full of motivation with the bat – and who knows, maybe even the ball- at the SCG tomorrow night.”I’m sure Steve will be looking forward to getting out there and havinga very good match,” said McGrath.”All the players have a lot of confidence in him still and he’ll be keento do well.”Knight, who was not in the England side that stumbled and bumbled itsway through the first three Tests, said: “Steve Waugh wants to play wellwherever and whenever he plays.”He’s a fine player and I’ve got nothing but respect for him. Mostpeople do in cricket.”He’s a great player, he’s going to try to get back in (the Australianone-day team) of course.”But if the selectors feel they’ve got better players it shows thestrength they’ve got.”Australia’s final World Cup squad will be announced by December 31.

Derby County have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Ronan Curtis to Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The News, who claimed that neither Blackburn Rovers nor Cardiff City are looking to step up their interest in the Portsmouth winger in the summer transfer window.

The report added that Pompey have placed a £2m asking price on the 25-year-old, with the Republic of Ireland international viewed as one of Danny Cowley’s prized assets at Fratton Park.

Finally, the report touches on Derby’s interest in the forward, with the player believed to be extremely keen to make the step up to a Championship club this summer.

Rooney must move

A deal for Curtis may be a difficult one to pull off for Wayne Rooney ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, particularly with the Rams still operating under a transfer embargo. However, if a move for the winger does become feasible this summer, it would seem highly advisable that the Derby manager does all he can to seal the signing of the 25-year-old.

Indeed, over his 42 League One appearances for Cowley’s side last season, the £3,700-per-week man bagged 10 goals, registered seven assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.2 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Mick McCarthy dubbed a “special” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Portsmouth’s best performer in the third tier of English football.

Curtis continued his excellent form in the domestic cup competitions, scoring four goals and registering three assists over six cup fixtures, bringing his total haul to 14 goals and 10 assists across all competitions last season.

As such, with Derby having scored a Championship-low 36 goals as a team last time out, the addition of a player as clinical and creative as Curtis should very much appear to be a priority for Rooney this summer, with the prospect of the Rams fielding Tom Lawrence (13 goals and seven assists over the last two seasons) on one wing and the 25-year-old on the other being something of a mouthwatering prospect for fans of the club.

However, it is undeniable that a move for the Portsmouth ace seems unlikely for Derby at present, with the club still prevented from signing players from other clubs permanently.

In other news: Rooney drops transfer hint on “incredible” £450k-rated gem, Derby fans surely buzzing

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as an update emerged on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, they will take possession of the Bramley-Moore Dock site on Monday 26th July, and will immediately begin the first phase of the project.

The new ground is set to hold a capacity of 52,888, and the first phase is to prepare the site to make sure that it is ready to build on.

Bill Kenwright and Denise Barrett-Baxendale each released their own separate statement showing their appreciation for the news, as the start of the exciting new project is set to get underway later this month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-4/” title=”Everton updates! (4)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It does mean that the Toffees faithful will have to leave Goodison Park behind, but the opportunity of a shiny, new home is one simply too great to ignore.

Everton fans on stadium update

These Blues buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that they were ‘delighted’ while another went as far as to label it as ‘massive news’:

“Well I for one am delighted to hear this!! Great news, and can’t wait to watch its progress. Please, please could there be a webcam to document the build, maybe on the @BramleyMoorePub roof? What a watch that’d be in years to come!! #UpTheStadiumBuildingToffees”

Credit: @CathyMcAlle

“Massive news for the club this! Congratulations all involved”

Credit: @david83jones

“Fantastic news onwards and upwards”

Credit: @denzadonadon

“Some good news for once!!!”

Credit: @Stu_jones86

“Happy days ahead”

Credit: @Everton1878Ste

“Goodison needs to be full every game & to be cherished, this is making me so emotional”

Credit: @EvertonEFC18788

In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians fuming here!

This year’s graduates of the Shell Cricket Academy of the St

Derrick Nicholas10-Aug-2002This year’s graduates of the Shell Cricket Academy of the St. George’s University have heard that consistent success can bring them and the sport greater and better things.Gary Allen, chief operations officer of the Caribbean Media Corporation, informed the graduates that the region was looking for a good dose of success from its cricketers.”It starts, however, with you sharing the vision of success and you understanding that good performance is the first step to success,” Allen told the 28 students at the Academy’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday here.”Only the best competitive structure and the players giving their best is going to be good enough. If you cultivate discipline, pride and perseverance, you will reap success.”Allen added that though the media is often charged with insularity, he believes the competitive atmosphere that exists in the region makes it seem that way.”This region judges its representatives, particularly its cricket representatives, by the highest standards,” he said.”The media, therefore, demands of you no less than the best at all times, but you already know the burden of being under their watchful eye. You must understand that the criticisms are not about you personally, but they are systemic.”Rev. Wes Hall, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, challenged the students to remember the Academy is a wonderful opportunity for them to improve themselves and their cricket.”These three months that you have had at the Academy can be a launching pad for successful careers,” he remarked.”I want you to recognise this. When I was your age, I was playing for West Indies, but I never had any of these privileges that you take for granted.”Kurtis Rudd, brand and communications development manager at Shell, noted the role of sponsors has changed and his company wanted to embrace this with their alliance with the Academy.”Any business involved in sponsorship and fails to embrace its role as partner and not just benefactor is failing to maximise return on its investment,” he said.”It’s no longer about handing over a cheque. You have to become involved with whatever you are sponsoring. This is what Shell, the WICB and the St. George’s University are trying to be – a model of sponsorship.”Students from all six traditional territories of the WICB, along with one each from Bermuda, Canada and the United States participated in the intense three-month programme under the directorship of Dr. Rudi Webster.Guyana’s Narsingh Deonarine was voted the Most Improve Player, Bermuda’s Stephen Outerbridge was named the Most Improved Batsman, Barbados’ Fidel Edwards copped the Most Improved Bowler award.Other awards went to Jamaica’s Brenton Parchment for being the Most Disciplined, as well as St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Kenroy Peters and Guyana’s Azib Alli Haniff for the Best Work Ethic.