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يبقى مستقبل الدولي البرتغالي جواو فيليكس، الشغل الشاغل لإدارة برشلونة، قبل نهاية الموسم، خاصة مع دخول الجزء الأخير، من عقده في النادي الكتالوني.

جواو فيليكس انضم إلى برشلونة في الصيف الماضي معارًا من أتلتيكو مدريد لمدة موسم، مع خيار التمديد، وتنتهي الإعارة في يونيو المقبل.

برشلونة أكثر ما يشغله بجانب ملف المدير الفني، هو مستقبل الثنائي البرتغالي، جواو فيليكس وجواو كانسيلو، مع انتهاء إعارتهما في الصيف.

صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، كشفت عن طريقة تفكير برشلونة بشأن مستقبل فيليكس، خاصة وأن الأمر ينقسم إلى عاملين، الاقتصادي والرياضي.

طالع أيضًا.. ديكو يرد على إمكانية استمرار تشافي مدربًا لـ برشلونة رغم إعلان رحيله

على المستوى الرياضي، برشلونة يريد الاحتفاظ باللاعب البرتغالي، خاصة وأنه سجل 8 أهداف حتى الآن، رغم أنه في بعض الأحيان يجلس على مقاعد البدلاء، لكنه بشكل عام مقنع للإدارة الرياضية ويصنع الفارق في كثير من الأحيان.

بينما على المشكلة تكمن في الجانب الاقتصادي، حيث أن برشلونة لا يستطيع تحمل تكاليف التعاقد مع اللاعب التي يطلبها ناديه أتلتيكو مدريد، والتي تتراوح بين 70 لـ 80 مليون يورو.

ولهذا السبب، فإن فكرة برشلونة هي تمديد إعارة جواو كانسيلو لموسم آخر، رغم أن راتب اللاعب مرتفع بالنسبة لخزينة النادي الكتالوني، لكن بالتأكيد سيكون أقل تكلفة من رصد المبلغ المطلوب من الروخي بلانكوس.

هناك جانب آخر يبقى في الاعتبار، وهو عدد اللاعبين المهاجمين الذين يمتلكهم برشلونة، حيث يتواجد فيتور روكي وليفاندوفسكي في القلب، وكذلك جواو فيليكس أحيانًا، مع فيران توريس ورافينيا ولامين يامال، وهو سبب يجعل برشلونة لا يريد دفع المبلغ الكبير الذي يطلبه أتلتيكو مدريد.

العقبة التي قد تواجه برشلونة في تمديد إعارة جواو فيليكس لعام إضافي، هي رغبة أتلتيكو مدريد، والتي لم يتم تحديدها بعد، خاصة وأن النادي المدريدي قد ينوي بيع اللاعب لنادٍ آخر والحصول على المبلغ الذي يريده.

Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs who are interested in signing Juventus star, Dusan Vlahovic, with the Serbian marksman among the club's centre-forward targets this summer.

What's the latest on Vlahovic to Man United?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils – as well as both Bayern Munich and Chelsea – are said to be in the mix for the 23-year-old's signature, albeit with it yet to be seen if the striker's current side will sanction a sale at the end of the season.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest, the respected insider stated: "Understand Chelsea haven’t sent €80m bid for Dusan Vlahović, as of now. He’s one of many strikers appreciated at the club but no bid/talks.

"Bayern and Man United remain in the race for Vlahović — but still waiting for Juventus decision."

As Romano refuted above, there had been recent claims from ESPN that the Stamford Bridge outfit had lodged an €80m (£70m) bid for the former Fiorentina man's services, with the towering asset having only made the move to Turin on a £66.6m deal back in January 2022.

What's Vlahovic's style of play?

The interest in the Belgrade native comes amid his apparent likeness to Manchester City talisman, Erling Haaland, with transfer insider Dean Jones having previously suggested that the coveted ace is a "bit like Haaland".

That likeness is seemingly apparent due to the fact that the pair are both imposing, left-footed options in attack, with the City superstar standing at 6 foot 4, while Vlahovic is only slightly smaller with a stature of 6 foot 3.

While the Juve man has found it hard to match the ruthless goalscoring form of the Norwegian of late – with Haaland netting 52 goals across all fronts this term – he has still been a clinical presence in his own right, with 23 goals in 62 games for the Old Lady to date, after previously scoring 49 times in 108 games during his stint in Florence.

Such is the admiration for Vlahovic's talents, Serbian FA president Nenad Bjekovic even went as far as to suggest that his compatriot is "better and more than complete" than the Etihad hero, while the one-time Partizan man has also been described as a potential "generational" talent by Forbes' Emmet Gates.

Although the £220k-per-week machine does only boast ten league goals this season, Gates claimed earlier in the campaign that the striker is a "a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat" by manager Max Allegri, with a change in scenery potentially what is needed for him to truly get back firing once again.

With United – who could allow Anthony Martial to depart this summer – in desperate need of a new number nine, Vlahovic could well represent the Haaland-esque talent that Erik ten Hag will likely be craving.

Liverpool are "very far in" with negotiations to bring Jorg Schmadtke to the club as sporting director, according to journalist Christian Falk.

Do Liverpool need a sporting director?

The job of sporting director has been an influential one at Anfield during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge of the Reds, with Michael Edwards bordering on a genius who worked wonders in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Julian Ward has continued to do an impressive job as his predecessor, but he is leaving his role at the end of the season.

Liverpool are working hard on finding a replacement and Schmadtke has emerged as a front-runner in recent weeks, with the 59-year-old previously at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. Now, a fresh update has emerged – one that suggests that he will indeed be Ward's imminenty replacement on Merseyside.

Will Schmadtke move to Anfield?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Falk claimed that talks are now at an advanced stage, with Klopp seemingly seeing his compatriot as the best possible appointment:

"The negotiations are very far in for Jorg Schmadtke, I heard. He thought about retiring after leaving Wolfsburg in January. He said his wife is now making the decision and if in the next three months she can’t stand him anymore he has to go out and work again.

"So, I think it’s not easy for him to be coming back into a full-time job in July, especially not in Germany. I heard the talks started with the idea of an external consultant position working just for transfers. This idea included just a few months, especially the summer transfer window. Now the talks are looking at something more, which is why they are taking longer than expected.

"At a minimum, it will be a consultant role. If Liverpool wants and gets more from Schmadtke – that remains to be seen."

There is no absolute confirmation that Liverpool want Schmadtke as sporting director, rather than a different position, but he could be an astute appointment in that job, given his vast experience down the years.

While some negative reports have emerged regarding his personality and ability to fall out with managers, Klopp is to be trusted with decisions such as these. If he wants to bring him in, there is a good reason for it, having helped Hannover 96 finish fourth in the Bundesliga in 2010/11, and reaching the Europa League quarter-finals the following season.

It is absolutely vital that Liverpool get this appointment right, though, ahead of one of the most important summer transfer windows in recent memory, with numerous new signings required to get the Reds back towards the top of English football.

Newcastle United are on course to secure Champions League football as they currently sit third in the table and nine points clear of fifth, with five games left to play.

The Magpies were able to avoid the drop down to the Championship after PIF completed their takeover and provided Eddie Howe with the funds to sign the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier.

Last summer, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, and Nick Pope were among those added to the group to push on, and they have played key roles in the club's European charge.

However, their success this season has not all been down to recent funding from PIF and one of Howe's crucial players is a player who cost the club nothing – Sean Longstaff.

The local lad came through the academy system at St. James' Park and was handed his first-team opportunity by former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez, who saw the potential in him.

Newcastle gave the academy graduate a four-year professional deal in 2018 with the Spanish coach saying that the Englishman has "great potential" and is "keen to learn".

Since then, the midfielder has made 135 first-team appearances for the Toon Army and contributed with eight goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

How much is Sean Longstaff worth?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that Longstaff should be valued in the region of £50m. That merely illustrates the ace's meteoric rise since coming into the senior team in 2018.

This season, the 25-year-old has made 32 Premier League outings and has been a reliable operator in midfield – completing 83% of his attempted passes.

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson praised his "outstanding" play and the role the dynamo has in the Magpies team, saying: "He's probably one of the first names on the team sheet. People might raise and eyebrow there and say 'don't be silly.' He's got the legs in midfield, he's an unsung hero.

"He does a lot of the hard graft for them and that's why they are where they are. Defensively, when Southampton really asked the questions they were solid as a rock."

Longstaff's rise to prominence in a team on course to secure Champions League football this season is vindication for Benitez and the faith that the Spanish boss had in the youngster five years ago.

The former Liverpool coach believed in the maestro's potential and Eddie Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce in the dugout, has been able to unlock his quality in the top flight this term.

Hopefully, there is more development to come from the Englishman, and he can continue to be a key player for Newcastle moving forward.

Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs who are interested in signing Leicester City playmaker, James Maddison, with the Englishman looking set for a summer exit from the King Power Stadium.

What's the latest on James Maddison's future?

According to The Telegraph, the Red Devils – as well as both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur – are said to be keen on signing the 26-year-old, with the report suggesting that it is now looking 'inevitable' that the former Norwich City man will move on at the end of the season.

The piece adds that the two-cap ace 'is set to be sold' even if the struggling Foxes are able to stave off relegation, with any potential suitor needing to cough up between £45m and £60m if they are to secure his services, with just over a year left to run on the player's current deal.

The Coventry-born gem does appear to have been a long-term target for those at Old Trafford, with Manchester Evening News reporting back in February 2020 that Maddison was the club's 'prime playmaker target' for that forthcoming summer, with the player himself said to have been keen to make the switch.

How would Maddison fit in at Man United?

While the highly-coveted talent is part of a Leicester side that has been desperately underwhelming this season – with a return to the second tier potentially on the cards for the Midlands side – the midfield maestro has still been something of a shining light, with nine goals and seven assists in 25 Premier League games so far this term.

That follows what was a standout 2021/22 campaign for the clinical "magician" – as hailed by Statman Dave – as he contributed 30 goals and assists in 53 games across all fronts, including 20 goal involvements in the top flight alone.

Although Maddison has done much of his damage off the flanks of late, the versatile asset could also slot into Erik ten Hag's side in a creative, midfield berth, ensuring he could represent a potential upgrade on experienced ace, Christian Eriksen.

There's no denying that the latter man has been an astute capture since his free transfer arrival last summer – having racked up two goals and nine assists in 38 appearances to date – although there may be concerns over the 31-year-old's ability to be a long-term solution in midfield, particularly amid his recent, difficult return from injury.

The Denmark international was notably replaced on the hour mark in the FA Cup semi-final clash with Brighton and Hove Albion after being restricted to just 26 touches on the day, while having also 'shook his head in frustration at his own performance' against Aston Villa on Sunday, according to MEN's Samuel Luckhurst.

As such, turning to Maddison could potentially represent something of a long-term, midfield upgrade, with the England international's dynamic quality showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 12% among his European peers for progressive carries and the top 17% for successful take-ons, while Eriksen, by contrast, ranks in just the top 35% and the bottom 19% for those same two metrics, respectively.

Equally, Maddison's innate creativity is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes received – further rubberstamping his forward-thinking and probing approach – while the current United man ranks in just the top 33% in that regard.

The Leicester sensation also potentially offers more in a defensive sense having averaged 1.6 tackles per game in the league this season, while Eriksen has averaged just 0.6 for that same metric, further proving what a potential upgrade Maddison could be for Ten Hag.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a largely inconsistent season that saw them languish at the bottom of the Premier League, prior to the appointment of the brilliant Julen Lopetegui, who has guided them to 13th position and relative top-flight safety.

The Midlands club has an average age of 26 and has shown far more reliance upon academy products than it has in the previous seasons.

Controversially, last summer the mercurial and talented Morgan Gibbs-White, who had been tipped as the indomitable future of the club, departed for Nottingham Forest in search of more regular minutes.

Since then, the playmaker has cemented himself as one of the Reds’ most important players, and with Wolves lacking a creative spark in midfield, perhaps offering this player more game-time could have propelled them even further up the table.

In Hugo Bueno, Lopetegui possesses another gifted prodigy, who he must continually integrate into the first team to avoid losing in a similar and regrettable circumstance to Gibbs-White.

Who is Hugo Bueno?

The left-back joined the Wolves youth academy in 2019 and in 49 appearances for the U21s, he registered 15 goal contributions.

His pace, close control, and ball recovery led to his promotion to the first team, and he made his Premier League debut in October 2022, as a late substitute against Forest in a feisty 1-0 victory at Molineux.

Then in his second top-flight outing, caretaker manager Steve Davis decided to start the Spaniard against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Although his side eventually ran out as 2-1 losers, Bueno produced an admirable and mature display. As per Sofascore, the defender recorded three clearances, interceptions, and blocks, as well as 91.7% pass accuracy, one key pass, and the creation of a big chance.

To cap off this impressive performance, the full-back also delivered his first – an inviting delivery for Adama Traore to head home.

As a result, Davis showered the youngster with praise and said:

“I thought he was excellent, didn’t let anyone down. He felt we trusted him, we know him, as a character we know what he’s capable of, and he’s ready. He was ready for that moment and I thought he took it really well.”

In total, Bueno has made appeared 17 times for Wolves in the Premier League and is maturing into an accomplished and well-rounded defender.

The former CD Areosa youth player is brimming with potential and showed himself to be a left-back with a strong offensive will to get forward.

Although fellow full-back Toti Gomes has also stepped up at various moments this season, Wolves will need to monitor Bueno’s minutes and be sure to not allow him to depart in the same unceremonious manner as Gibbs-White.

Everton yet again find themselves fighting for survival in the Premier League this season and Sean Dyche has now been tasked with the challenge to ensure they don't fall into the Championship.

The Toffees are just two points clear of the relegation zone in 15th and just like last season, the club faces a real threat of falling into the second tier if the tide doesn't turn over the remaining ten fixtures.

There are several variables that can be pinpointed to Everton's struggles over the last 18 months with Richarlison's exit in the summer particularly playing a huge part in the side's lack of goal contributions this term.

Everton have the joint-worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil failing to convert enough chances in front of goal to compensate for the Brazilian's departure. That is further made worse by Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

However, it's not just poor transfer business that has been plaguing the performances at Goodison Park as the Merseysiders racked up the worst injury record in the entire top flight last season with numerous players unavailable for selection for months at a time.

It is without a doubt that the most impactful injury concern has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker constantly picking up injuries ever since he suffered a toe fracture and quadriceps injury back in August 2021.

How much has Dominic Calvert-Lewin cost Everton?

The 26-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most recognisable number nines over his career at Everton and even earned a place in the senior England squad after impressing Gareth Southgate with his performances under Carlos Ancelotti's guidance back in 2020.

However, in the last two seasons, the striker's injury troubles have put his promising career on a downward spiral with the player only making 30 appearances and scoring just six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

To be exact, it has been 81 weeks since the Everton talisman – dubbed "frustrating" by Henry Winter – suffered the first major injury that left him in recovery for the rest of 2021 and has earned £100k-per-week or £8.1m in total since then, despite his lack of contribution and constant unreliability.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently slammed Everton's mentality for still depending on Calvert-Lewin to be their saviour in the relegation fight this season following the 2-0 loss to Liverpool:

"They’ve [Everton] got to stop talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it’s as if they’re waiting for something to sort of save them – it might never come.

"For me, this idea that they always mention, ‘when we get Calvert-Lewin back we’ll be okay,’ no you won’t. You can’t wait for him. You’ll be relegated if you’re waiting for him."

Neville's comments present a harsh truth for the Goodison faithful and for Dyche when he assesses the next steps, should Everton survive relegation this season, as the club can no longer wait for the striker to make a comeback and instead must look at their options in the transfer market to ensure they can improve next season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Everton finally accept that their beloved goalscorer could potentially never reach the heights he once and instead invest his wages or a potential transfer fee that could provide them with a prolific and reliable striker next season.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is unlikely to make a decision on his future in north London before the end of the current campaign.

How long does Harry Kane have left on his contract?

The 29-year-old is now nearing the final year of his contract in north London which could leave Spurs vulnerable this summer if there are teams interested in the striker.

There is a belief Manchester United are eyeing the England captain as their number one target for the summer with Erik ten Hag leading that pursuit.

Reports earlier in the year had suggested the striker was open to the idea of putting pen to paper on a new deal to extend his stay at his boyhood club.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has now claimed no decision is likely to be made before the summer on Kane's end of the deal:

(45:10) "Everything I kind of was hearing from people around him a couple of weeks back was more kind of just focus on the now, let's get this done. And then we'll kind of have a look and obviously see what Spurs offer and all that sort of stuff as well."

Could Harry Kane leave Spurs this summer?

Tottenham's recent disappointment in the FA Cup and Champions League did feel like a potential setback in their bid to keep their starman at the club for next season.

Spurs' trophy drought has meant the England captain is still yet to get his hands on a piece of silverware with the north London side.

But there may be serious question marks as to who would be in the market for Kane in the summer given his age and his expected price tag.

Manchester United have been mentioned as a seriously interested party with Bayern Munich also believed to be in the market for the 29-year-old.

However, whether Kane would be willing to move to another country is a massive question and whether he would be keen to uproot and move up north two years on from his proposed move to Manchester City is also up for debate.

And it seems as if Spurs fans could be in for a summer of speculation if Kane does not surprise them by signing a new deal before the end of the summer.

From the player's side of things, waiting until the summer is probably his best option with Spurs by no means a guarantee to qualify for the Champions League next season.

It has to be said this could also be the case of United who only sit two points ahead of Tottenham in the table – albeit with a game in hand – but the clubs are set to play each other next month.

A lot could still unfold in the remaining games of this Premier League campaign and it will be interesting to see how it could affect Kane's future in north London.

Manchester United defeated Barcelona last night in what was a match that proves Erik ten Hag is the man ready to bring back the glory days at Old Trafford.

Down 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate as the second half got underway, United showed a resilience that hasn’t been displayed since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson to finally prevail through to the next round and this will give the Dutchman major confidence that they can end their six-year drought for silverware.

With the EFL Cup final against Newcastle United to come on Sunday, that drought may come to an end sooner rather than later, although he may have to tinker with his starting XI ahead of the tie.

Marcus Rashford was uncharacteristically poor last night, taking just 30 touches while having just two shots the entire evening and they were both off target, yet it was striker Wout Weghorst who once again, underperformed in a United shirt.

How did Wout Weghorst play against Barcelona?

Statistically, he wasn’t United’s worst performer on the night, that goes to Rashford who received a Sofascore rating of 6.1/10 and having scored 15 goals since Christmas, the Englishman is entitled to have the odd game where he is below par.

Weghorst’s 6.3/10 rating via Sofascore summed up his time at the Red Devils so far – ineffective.

His game only comprised the first half, as Ten Hag hooked him at the break in order to bring on Antony, who changed the side’s attacking dynamic and added some much-needed urgency.

The Dutchman took just 12 touches in 45 minutes, which was 20 fewer than David De Gea, who had 32 during the tie, it shows how little he offers in a central role.

Weghorst only completed two passes during the match while winning just one duel from eight contested, having zero shots or attempted dribbles, and losing possession seven times.

Overall it was a dreadful performance and writer Kyle Bonn even described him as “useless” following his abject display.

It is a testament to just how well-drilled Ten Hag has gotten this United side that they can still perform well despite having passengers like Weghorst on the pitch.

Of course, the tide turned when he was substituted but ahead of the cup final on Sunday, a solution will need to be found that limits his game time so as to not destroy the Old Trafford side’s trophy ambitions.

Sunderland were knocked out of the FA Cup in a thrilling match at the Stadium of Light as they were beaten 3-2 by Premier League side Fulham on Wednesday night.

The away side took the lead in the opening ten minutes as Wales international Harry Wilson found himself free on the edge of the area and brilliantly picked out the far corner with the outside of his left foot.

Amad Diallo came agonisingly close to equalising early on in the second half as he brilliantly jinked past a defender in the box before his strike was cleared off the line by a Fulham defender.

The Black Cats were then hit by a sucker punch as Andreas Pereira was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net after a clever cutback from Aleksandar Mitrovic.

However, Jack Clarke pulled one back with around 15 minutes left to play as the former Tottenham forward curled a beautiful strike into the far top corner from just inside the box.

Layvin Kurzawa extended the away side’s lead back to two goals in the 82nd minute but substitute Jewison Bennette then made it 3-2 by pouncing on a mistake at the back to smash the ball into the top corner of Bernd Leno’s net.

It was an open and entertaining match from start to finish and one of the reasons behind that was that Sunderland’s midfield was far too open.

Edouard Michut and Dan Neil were caught out of position and bullied physically at times by the Premier League side, with the former – in particular – struggling in the middle of the park.

The Paris Saint-Germain loanee was dominated by the opposition as he lost a whopping 75% (9/12) of his individual duels, including 100% (2/2) of his battles in the air, and this shows that the youngster was not strong enough to deal to win the challenges that he was competing in.

As per Sofascore, Michut did not win a single tackle but did commit four fouls with that an indication that the lightweight’s defensive technique was not up to standard, whilst the midfielder only made one interception and one block and failed to make any clearances.

The 19-year-old did complete 97% of his attempted passes, from 49 touches of the ball, but did not create a single chance for his teammates and did not attempt any long passes or crosses, which indicates that the teenager was playing it safe and not progressing the play with his passes.

Michut struggled badly throughout the match and was substituted in the 72nd minute, with Sunderland scoring twice to Fulham’s one in the remainder of the game, after making very little impact on the match.