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بات من المؤكد فقدان النادي الأهلي لخدمات سبعة من لاعبيه في معسكر القلعة الحمراء المنتظر أن يبدأ في الإمارات.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض فريق الكرة بالأهلي معسكر إعداد في الإمارات خلال الفترة من يوم 20 حتى 28 يناير الجاري.

طالع.. مران الأهلي | كولر يجتمع بـ معاونيه.. وتطورات إصابة كوكا

وعلم “بطولات” أن صلاح محسن سوف يغيب عن صفوف الأهلي في المعسكر الخارجي لأسباب فنية من قبل المدرب السويسري مارسيل كولر.

وسيغيب عن الفريق بداعي الإصابة السداسي رضا سليم، أحمد نبيل كوكا، أحمد عبد القادر، خالد عبد الفتاح، كريم ندفيد ومحمود متولي.

وحرص خالد بيبو، مدير الكرة، على إنهاء كافة الترتيبات اللازمة للمعسكر ومتطلبات الجهاز الفني والإداري وملاعب التدريب؛ فضلًا عن التنسيق الكامل للمباريات الودية وكافة الأمور التنظيمية خلال المعسكر.

وتغادر بعثة الفريق إلى الإمارات اليوم السبت، على أن يتخلل المعسكر مباراتين وديتين للإعداد للمرحلة المقبلة.

Michael Beale has enjoyed a fine start to life as manager of Glasgow Rangers, winning all but three of his matches and making a couple of solid January signings, with Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin impressing so far.

There is a long way to go, but initial signs are bright and next season will see the club challenge for Premiership glory, especially if the Ibrox side makes the right moves in the transfer window.

He will have to sort out his defence however, with the Light Blues conceding 19 goals since he took charge in November and the recent Old Firm derby gave strong evidence that money will need to be spent in the summer.

Ben Davies failed to clear the ball in his own box resulting in Celtic scoring, while John Souttar played a horrendous back pass to Allan McGregor, who at 41 years of age, couldn't beat the fleet-footed Jota to the ball with those moments turning the match.

Souttar in particular has barely featured due to injury, making just two starts all campaign and what Beale would give if he could have the services of a defensive titan who starred under both Walter Smith and Alex Mcleish – Craig Moore.

Could Craig Moore improve the current Rangers’ defence?

The Australian centre-back came through the academy at the Gers and made his debut under Smith way back in 1994. During his first stint at the club, he played alongside Richard Gough and helped the club win the final three of their nine league titles in a row.

He was surprisingly sold to Crystal Palace in 1998, but re-joined the Gers at the end of that season and would go on to become a mainstay at the heart of their defence.

Overall, he made 170 appearances for the Glasgow giants across two spells and his no-nonsense defending proved he was one of the finest defenders in the club’s recent history, winning 12 major honours at the Ibrox side.

He represented Australia at two World Cups, and enjoyed a spell at Brisbane Roar before retiring in 2010.

His former teammate at the A-League side, Luke De Vere lavished praise on the ageing defender before he retired, saying: "Craig Moore has been unbelievable. To have someone like that, you can't really put a price on it.

"As a footballer, he's very strong. He can handle himself extremely well against some of the bigger boys in the Hyundai A-League.”

Opposition forwards simply hated playing against Moore as he stood up to every challenge and fought for every ball. He would surely thrive in this current Gers team under Beale, helping him oust the underperforming Souttar to solve the Light Blues' current defensive woes in the process.

Newcastle United have received an approach from Jorge Mendes regarding a deal to bring Ansu Fati to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Fati's future?

The Barcelona winger’s contract at Camp Nou isn’t set to expire until 2027, but in recent months he’s been facing an uncertain future having made just nine league starts this season, having fallen down the pecking order under manager Xavi. The Spaniard’s father, Bori Fati, has recently publicly hit out at the La Liga giants for how they have treated his 20-year-old son. During an interview with Cope, as quoted by ESPN, he said:

"If it carries on like this, I will go [back] to [the family home in] Seville and that's that. I didn't go to the game against [Real] Madrid. I won't go to the stadium anymore. The other day Ansu asked me why I didn't go, he thought I was there. I told him I didn't fancy it."

According to Sport (via Sport Witness), Fati’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has “been in contact” with Newcastle to discuss the possibility of a move to St. James’ Park. The Magpies and Eddie Howe have reportedly “listened carefully” to what his representative had to say and are “convinced of the attraction”, something that would mean they are “ready” to splash the cash.

Mendes has been “probing the market” to find a new destination for his client which led him to the northeast outfit, who are “very attentive” to his transfer situation. For now, PIF are “waiting for events to transpire” before making their official move, much like his other unnamed potential suitors.

Should Newcastle sign Fati?

Fati has been dubbed “Messi-esque” by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a result of the quality he produces in the final third, and Newcastle should definitely act fast to get this deal over the line ahead of their fellow competitors later in the summer.

The Nike-sponsored star has scored 25 senior goals and provided nine assists for Barcelona despite only just coming out of his teenage years, which shows he’s got bags of potential and is already showing the footballing world what he’s capable of (Transfermarkt).

The £199K-p/w talent also ranks in the 99th percentile for shots and number of touches in the attacking penalty area, highlighting his desire to create chances even if he isn’t always on the scoresheet, whilst also being strong in his link-up play ranking in the 96th percentile for pass completion (FBRef).

The Spain World Cup participant has previously operated in five various positions throughout his career, including out wide on both flanks and as a centre-forward, so would additionally add plenty of versatility to Howe’s squad at St. James’ Park.

Tottenham Hotspur managerial target Luis Enrique is ‘keen’ on a move to the Premier League and could now be Fabio Paratici’s first choice.

The Lowdown: Conte quitting?

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is set to dominate the headlines over these next few months with the Italian heavily linked to leaving north London.

Conte’s current deal expires at the end of the 2022/2023 season, and while chairman Daniel Levy can extend his stay by a further 12 months, reports claim this is growing more and more unlikely.

Paratici and co have already drawn a managerial shortlist for if Conte does depart, with former fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino among the prime contenders.

In terms of other targets, Sky share that Roberto De Zerbi, Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also of interest to Spurs.

Enrique is an interesting and potentially enticing option, especially when taking into account his illustrious CV and status as a free agent.

The Latest: Paratici ‘first choice’ for Spurs…

According to journalist John Cross, writing in a column for The Mirror, the 52-year-old could well’ be Paratici’s ‘first choice’ for the job.

He is apparently ‘keen’ on a move to England and the top flight, but in a twist, Levy may actually disagree with the Italian club chief.

Cross states that Levy wants managers with Premier League experience, something that could count against Enrique in the race to be Spurs’ next boss.

The Verdict: Go for him?

Bar Pochettino, who we believe is the standout candidate to succeed Conte, Enrique could also be a sound option.

The former Spain boss has enjoyed a decorated managerial career, clinching nine pieces of silverware in total, which includes a Champions League at former club Barcelona.

Enrique encourages a more forward-thinking style of football than Conte and could steer Spurs away from their pragmatic style of the last two seasons.

Even though Spain eventually went out in the Last 16 of their World Cup campaign, Enrique attracted praise from some members of the media for his decisions during the tournament.

Juan Ignacio G-Ochoa, via Sam Leveridge, said this about the ex-Catalans head coach:

“He’s not crazy, he’s a genius.

“Luis Enrique was criticised for his squad, for dropping Gayà, for playing a midfielder in defence, for streaming… the World Cup debut, however, has shown the reality: Spain has a great team and his ideas work.”

Able to sign for Spurs at no cost, Enrique is a name who could be linked with the job right until a coach is formally announced.

Journalist James Hunter was deeply unimpressed with referee Jeremy Simpson in Sunderland’s 5-1 loss at home to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Bad day for Black Cats

The Black Cats welcomed their Championship opponents to the Stadium of Light on Saturday, in what was another key game in their promotion push.

It proved to be a woeful day at the office for Tony Mowbray’s side, however, with Stoke taking the lead through Josh Laurent during the first half, before pulling well clear after the break.

It was a result that could ultimately prove damaging come may and it was an afternoon in which frustration boiled over both on and off the pitch.

The Latest: Hunter fumes at referee

Taking to Twitter, Hunter was quick to reveal what he thought of Simpson’s performance on Saturday:

“Absolute shambles from the referee, this.”

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The Verdict: Simply not good enough

Granted, referees do have a difficult job on their hands and they are only human, but this was another unacceptably poor performance by an official.

So many of Simpson’s decisions left supporters scratching their heads, including one moment when he allowed Stoke to play out from the back after a head injury, as well as blowing for half-time when Sunderland had possession in a dangerous area.

Refereeing standards in the Championship are not strong at the moment, and while Mowbray’s men deserve criticism for their performance, Simpson should also be under the spotlight.

Tottenham Hotspur have it all to do back in north London after they were beaten 1-0 by AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the San Siro on Tuesday night.

Brahim Diaz’s seventh-minute header was the only difference between the Serie A champions and Spurs, who coped pretty well in the absence of some of Antonio Conte’s most important stars.

A youthful pairing of Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp looked comfortable for large spells, in the absence of the suspended Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the injured Rodrigo Bentancur, but were rarely able to build any attacking threat, with Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son thwarted by a resolute backline.

The same couldn’t be said for the visitors as on another day or against more prolific opposition, mistakes would have been punished even more. It was another worrying outing for Conte’s backline, spearheaded by the calamitous Cristian Romero, who should have been sent off for the second successive game.

How did Cristian Romero perform against Milan?

Rated as the Lilywhites’ poorest player on the night with a 4/10 rating, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick lambasted the Argentina international for his involvement in the Rossoneri’s goal, claiming that he was  ‘meekly beaten in the air by Theo Hernandez.’

He also added: “Lucky not to pick up another red card for a wild tackle on Sandro Tonali.”

Indeed, despite winning 100% of his aerial duels (62.5% overall) and putting in four clearances, the 24-year-old – who cost around €55m (£48.5m) – was a walking disaster throughout the match as he lived life on the edge.

It very much continued his poor form since returning from his World Cup triumph in Qatar earlier this year.

The £165k-per-week titan’s last outing before this one saw him sent off for a careless lunge on Jack Grealish, then in his absence at the weekend, Spurs were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City.

Four of Romero’s last five outings across the Premier League and Champions League have seen him fail to register a WhoScored rating of above 6.32, which would see him rank as Spurs’ second-worst performer in the former and worst in the latter (of those to start 60% or more games).

Whilst Son has been horribly out of sorts over the last few months, Romero’s erratic nature is costing Conte dearly at the moment. He’s ultimately lucky that there are few that could rival his place in the starting lineup.

The 53-touch Argentine was slammed as being an “absolute reckless liability” by content creator Rory Talks, whilst talkSPORT’s Max Rushden labelled him “needlessly violent” and also backed up Kilpatrick’s aforementioned claim by suggesting that Romero “could have had two reds.”

Spurs can count themselves fortunate to return to N17 with 11 men and only a one-goal disadvantage, given just how poor Romero was for the side on Tuesday night.

Manchester United’s latest triumph over Reading in the FA Cup fourth round saw club captain Harry Maguire make a rare outing from the start, with the England international having fallen way down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag this season.

Although the 29-year-old produced a strong showing against the Championship outfit – winning five of his six duels and enjoying a 90% pass accuracy rate – it appears a tall order for the former Leicester City man to be able to gain a regular role in the side ahead of usual starters, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

With compatriot Luke Shaw having even been favoured in a centre-back berth on occasion this term, it has laid bare Maguire’s continued decline at Old Trafford of late, with the £190k-per-week brute having notably proven a “liability” at times for the Red Devils, as per journalist Kevin Palmer.

The defender’s “lack of pace”, in particular, has been a “massive issue” under Ten Hag, in the words of New York Times journalist, Tariq Panja, with that sluggishness reportedly a factor in the former Ajax boss wanting to move his skipper on at the end of the season.

United could well hasten that exit of the one-time Hull City man by securing a new central defender in the near future, with reports in Italy – via TEAMtalk – only recently claiming that the top-four hopefuls have made an approach to sign Inter Milan rock, Stefan de Vrij.

The Netherlands international is currently able to sign a pre-contract agreement with potential suitors as he has just six months remaining on his existing deal, with the 30-year-old seemingly set to decide his future next month, ahead of a summer switch – as per the report.

Although the suggestion is that the Red Devils will face competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, among others, for the 6 foot 3 star’s signature, the hope will be that Ten Hag can use his Dutch connections in order to tempt his compatriot into making the move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The former Lazio man – who has been described as a “monster” by ex-teammate Mauricio – could well prove to be the Maguire upgrade that the Premier League giants are craving, having shone in Italy of late.

That is illustrated by the fact that De Vrij has averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles and 2.0 interceptions from his 13 Serie A outings so far this season – 12 of which have come from the start – while Maguire only averages 0.5 and 0.9 for those same two metrics, respectively, from his eight league outings.

The Dutchman also appears to provide a more commanding, physical presence as he ranks in the top 20% among those in his position across Europe for aerial duels won, while the current United man ranks in just the top 27% in that regard.

Equally, while the Englishman has at times been susceptible to squandering possession – as he ranks in just the top 29% for pass completion – the Inter maestro appears far more accomplished with the ball at his feet, as he ranks in the top 16% for that same metric.

De Vrij also offers the benefit of having already secured major honours in his career to date – including claiming a Scudetto triumph under Antonio Conte in 2021 – with such experience likely to be vital in Ten Hag’s push for silverware in the coming years.

As such, if Maguire is to be shipped off to pastures new come the summer, turning to the San Siro machine as his replacement could well prove something of a masterstroke.

Sunderland centre-back Bailey Wright is unlikely to sign for Portsmouth, according to BBC reporter Andrew Moon.

The Lowdown: Wright in Portsmouth’s sights

It has been reported in recent days that Wright is a very serious target for Portsmouth, with a deadline-beating deal at one stage looking likely for the defender, who has featured for Sunderland 14 times in the Championship this season.

With several of these appearances coming as a substitute, including in the recent victory against Middlesbrough, it is clear that the defender is no longer one of Tony Mowbray’s first choices, however he could now be set to remain at the club.

The Latest: Update from Moon

Taking to Twitter to comment on the recent rumours, Moon simply said: “I’m told Bailey Wright is unlikely to join Pompey.“

The reporter does not completely rule out a deal taking place, but it appears as though the centre-back will stay at Sunderland, unless there is late interest from another club.

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The Verdict: Useful option

While he is not a consistent starter, the Australian has still played his part in what has been a very good season for Sunderland so far, looking particularly impressive in the away match against Huddersfield Town, winning four duels and making three clearances in the 2-0 triumph.

Lauded as ‘excellent in the air’ by journalist Josh Bunting, the 30-year-old has been given an increasing amount of game time recently while Danny Batth has been injured, featuring for the full 90 minutes against Wigan Athletic and Blackpool.

Having sufficient depth could be absolutely vital in the second half of the season, with the Black Cats looking to continue their push for the top six, and Wright is a solid back-up option for Mowbray to have, should any of his defenders encounter any more injury issues.

Manchester United have looked at a possible move for Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Weghorst move in the works

Erik ten Hag has brought in goalkeeper Jack Butland on loan from Crystal Palace this month and is also keen to sign a forward.

Old Trafford officials appear to be working on another loan move for Burnley forward Wout Weghorst, who is currently halfway through a temporary spell with Turkish outfit Besiktas.

A further January addition could be on the cards alongside the Dutch striker, with Celtic’s penalty taker Juranovic potentially of interest.

The Latest: Juranovic also linked with Man United

Sky Sports stated on their live transfer blog on Tuesday afternoon (16:02) that United are hopeful of signing Weghorst.

They added that the Red Devils have also looked at bolstering their right-back options, name-checking Juranovic, although any possible move will depend on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s future.

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

Wan-Bissaka had played just four minutes of action prior to the break for the World Cup, although the Englishman has featured heavily in recent weeks, starting all three of United’s Premier League games since Christmas and the Carabao Cup win over Burnley.

Therefore, United have a decision to make on the right-back in the coming weeks, and should he move on, Juranovic – who has been dubbed ‘outstanding’ by ex-Celtic striker John Hartson – could be brought in.

The Croatia international looks set to leave Celtic after contract talks stalled towards the end of 2022, so it could be a case of stick or twist at Old Trafford.

Liverpool are ‘leading the race’ to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham in the summer, according to reliable CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Endless Bellingham rumours

The 19-year-old’s stock couldn’t be any higher currently, having caught the eye for England at the 2022 World Cup as well as having his best ever domestic season, with seven goals in 20 games across the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Constant reports have claimed that Bellingham will leave Dortmund at the end of the season, and Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have arguably stood out as the favourites to snap him up.

It looks set to be a huge battle to sign the midfielder and the Reds will surely be desperate to get a deal over the line.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Liverpool remain the front-runners to snap up Bellingham this summer, contrary to recent reports claiming Madrid have moved in front:

“I do think that Liverpool are leading the race for Bellingham.

“They’re going to have competition, but I think that there’s a cautious optimism on the Liverpool front that, because they started earlier than most and because they have put in a lot of legwork and they’ve been very hands-on, they believe that they’ve done all they can at this point in the race to make progress and land Jude Bellingham.

“Then we’ll wait and see how other suitors move and how that affects the situation.”

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The Verdict: Feels increasingly likely

It does genuinely feels as though Liverpool are the most likely club to sign Bellingham, although a top-four finish could be crucial in order for it to happen.

The teenager, dubbed “incredible” by Erling Haaland, feels like the absolute perfect fit for Jurgen Klopp’s side, possessing the team ethic that the German wants in his players, not to mention great technical ability and intelligence.

Midfield is Liverpool’s weak point at the moment – a new addition is badly needed in January – but Bellingham is somebody who can transform that area, having been compared to the dominant greats like Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard by none other than Gary Neville.