Aston Villa are closing in on Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, as Unai Emery eyes a reunion with his former star.

Monchi will be hoping to deliver a strong summer of signings in his opening spell as president of football operations, with the La Liga gem having the potential to be a marquee capture.

Villa’s quest for the Spaniard extends back to January, where 90min suspected that the defender could follow Emery to the Midlands.

News this week reported by Spanish outlet Sport claimed that the 26-year-old’s next destination is in the ‘final stretch’, with both Villa and Bayern Munich named as the clubs that have made ‘firm offers’.

It was reported by Football Insider that the Yellow Submarine require a figure succeeding the £40m mark to see Torres depart.

What could Pau Torres offer to Aston Villa?

Ranking as one of the best centre-backs in Europe for his progressive play, the Villarreal ace has excelled this season and could be a thrilling asset for Emery to integrate into his side.

Lauded as “extraordinary” by former coach Javi Calleja via The Athletic, Torres placed in the top 1% of central defenders on the continent with an average of 2.24 progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, showing his competency on the ball.

Winning 61% of his total duels in La Liga this campaign, the Spaniard is a colossus in defence with a presence that could take Emery’s side to the next level.

Introducing a talent of the calibre of Torres could inspire Villa to hit further heights than what was achieved this season, in a way similar to the influence fellow centre-back Virgil Van Dijk had when signing for Liverpool.

The Reds captured the Dutchman’s signature in the January window of the 2017/18 season, in a campaign that saw Jurgen Klopp's side finish fourth.

The following two campaigns highlighted the importance of the controlling defender in the side, taking them to their sixth Champions League trophy in his first full term and then on to winning their first Premier League title the following season in 2020.

Hailed as “the best defender in the world” in 2019 by pundit Paul Merson via Sky Sports, Van Dijk was integral to Liverpool’s rise to success, acting as a true leader at the back and excelling in his defensive duties.

As per Sofascore, the Dutchman won an astounding 75% of his total duels in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign, recording an average of 1.1 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game, being dribbled past an average of just 0.2 times per game.

Similar numbers have been hit by Torres this season in La Liga, recording a per-game average of 4.1 clearances and being dribbled past only 0.4 times, via Sofascore, showing the levels the Spaniard is operating at.

Villa had a fantastic campaign in clinching European football under Emery, and could potentially replicate the rise of Liverpool’s form by introducing their own world-beating centre-back.

The Villa boss described the 26-year-old to football.london as being a player he’d “never seen” anyone like, posing as a dominant figure to have in central defence and an individual that could inspire the squad at Villa Park to reach further heights. Indeed, like Van Dijk, he is progressive, composed and a titan at the back.

Kieran Powell hit a second consecutive century and Alzarri Joseph took 6 for 31 as Leeward Islands completed a big win, while Kent registered a five-wicket win over Trinidad & Tobago

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2017Kieran Powell’s return to the West Indies professional circuit following a brief attempt at playing Major League Baseball continued to pay off for Leeward Islands. Powell struck a career-best 135, which was followed by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s 6 for 31 as they completed a 184-run victory over Windward Islands at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. It was Powell’s second List A century in the span of three days – and overall.Powell put on 97 for the opening wicket with Montcin Hodge (54) after losing the toss. He then dominated a 75-run stand for the second wicket with Jermaine Otto (21) before Windward captain Liam Sebastien (3-42) inflicted a mini-collapse. The offspinner took three wickets in consecutive overs as Leewards fell from 172 for 1 to 189 for 4. But his offspinning counterpart, Rahkeem Cornwall, then combined with Powell for a fifth-wicket stand of 99 from 91, and eventually took them to 333 for 6 with an unbeaten 70 off 58 balls.Windward could not establish a base to chase the score down as Joseph took two wickets each in consecutive overs, reducing them to 12 for 4. Darren Sammy (33), Kyle Mayers (45) and Shane Shillingford (27) made contributions from the lower-middle order, but were the only batsmen who got into double figures as Windward Islands folded for 149 at the start of the 29th over, with Joseph completing his maiden List A five-for to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award.A career-best 4 for 51 from medium-pacer Ivan Thomas helped Kent bowl out Trinidad & Tobago for 191, before a couple of half-century stands help them chase down the target with 95 balls to spare at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.T&T’s openers Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope put on 38 after they were put in, but were soon reduced to 43 for 3 as Darren Stevens (2-39) dismissed Kjorn Ottley and Jason Mohammed for ducks. Hope scored 43 off 83 as he steadied the innings with a 45-run stand with Roshon Primus, before the latter put on 65 with Nicholas Alexis (28). However, his dismissal for 60 brought another collapse – they fell from 153 for 4 to 157 for 8, with Thomas taking two of those wickets. A late alliance between Imran Khan (16) and Ravi Rampaul (13) took T&T to 191.Kent’s chase was led by Sean Dickson’s 56 and his opening stand of 85 with Daniel Bell-Drummond. Sam Northeast (31) then put on 66 with Stevens (43) to take them to 170 for 2, before Rampaul (3-46) took three wickets to reduce them to 176 for 5. The collapse was inconsequential as Alex Blake’s unbeaten 22 off 12 balls took them across the line with five wickets in hand.

At a time when the loss of South African players to Kolpak deals has returned to the spotlight, a review into the state of the game in the country has picked out retaining talent as one of the key areas that needs to be addressed

Firdose Moonda09-Jan-20173:14

‘I respect Kyle’s decision, but don’t agree with it’ – du Plessis

At a time when the loss of South African players to Kolpak deals has returned to the spotlight, a review into the state of the game in the country has picked out retaining talent as one of the key areas that needs to be addressed.On Monday it was confirmed that David Wiese had followed the path of Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw into English domestic cricket joining Stiaan van Zyl, Simon Harmer, Hardus Viljoen who signed for counties last year.One of seven recommendations made in the national team review, which was implemented last year after collective struggles of the various South Africa sides, said CSA needed to “formulate and execute a strategy to minimise or stop the loss of ‘players of national interest’ in our setup.”After the confirmation of Abbott and Rossouw quitting international cricket last week, Test captain Faf du Plessis appealed for CSA to address all the issues that may have played a part in their decisions.Key recommendations from the review panels

Appointing a director of cricket to oversee the performance of the national men’s team

Appointing the convener of selectors in a full-time role and make talent identification at lower levels part of his role

Create a strategy to prevent the loss of players in the national set-up

Consider the option of contracting franchise coaches to CSA

Encourage ex-players to contribute

Ensure the South Africa A team and High Performance Centre produce a calibre of players that can make the step up to international cricket

Build a strong culture for the national team

A seventh franchise at domestic level and the limiting of each franchise squad to 15 members

“It’s a red flag and we have to address it. It’s important that we look at how we can learn from this and make sure that this isn’t something that two years from now, has meant we’ve lost 10 or 15 players and we say, ‘oopsie’,” du Plessis said. “We need to make sure we get better at it. There’s too much talent in South Africa to lose guys like that.”Responding to the review, CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat said significant investment in players and coaches at all levels was about to be made. “We are already in the process of rolling out new coaching structures and individual player performance plans after the Board approved funding in excess of R100 million over the next four years,” he said. That amounts to US$7.3 million, which will see a substantial amount of money being invested in South African players.Player retention was just one point of a wide review conducted into South African cricket. Revamping the coaching structures and expanding the domestic scene to include one more franchise were also among the most important recommendations presented to CSA by the review panels.Two panels – one to look into national issues and one domestic – were convened by CSA last year after a summer of discontent on the South African circuit. In April, when South Africa had tumbled from No.1 to No.7 on the Test rankings and were booted out of the World T20 in the first round, CSA set up a four-person independent review panel to look into the under performance of all national teams.CSA felt they needed a comprehensive dissection of the issues which also saw the women’s team also struggled at the T20 and the under-19s appear hapless in defence their 2014 World Cup title. They also put in place a domestic review to determine whether that system was serving the international game as best as it could.But, in June the national review panel was abandoned after CSA and some of the members failed to agree terms. Still, the domestic review went ahead and in the months since then the national review panel was reconstituted despite the upturn in South Africa’s fortunes and completed its work. CSA’s board will now consider the suggestions before deciding which ones they would like to implement.Coach Russell Domingo’s role does not appear to have been scrutinised – as was initially the plan – perhaps because was already been given a contract extension until the end of the England tour in August this year. However, the suggestion to employ a director of cricket indicated the panel believes Domingo does need to be accountable to someone other than the board and that South Africa needs a more centralised coaching structure. CSA already has a general manager of cricket, former national coach Corrie van Zyl, but may look at other options.The other significant point was made around involving former internationals, something South Africa have started to do. This season, Mark Boucher and Ashwell Prince have taken up franchise coaching roles, Jacques Kallis was invited to a South Africa training session at Newlands and Graeme Smith was part of the review panel. Having these players, who were all part of the generation that won the Test mace, involved in some capacity is thought to be key to building the culture known as Protea Fire, which Smith cultivated.Although there were no recommendations around transformation – CSA already has targets in place at both national and domestic level – both panels stressed the importance of embracing a commitment to change. In a statement, the review panel encouraged a change in mindset as cricket sought to offer opportunities to all South Africans.”It should not be a numbers game which leads to a focus on the numbers instead of the root causes of the problem. Rather, it should be something that is tackled holistically throughout the system – and this calls for a deep-seated mind shift for all involved in cricket for it to be sustainable. Essentially, we will only know that we have the strongest team possible on the field if there has been equal access for all,” the statement read.The biggest domestic issue tackled was the size of the franchise system. More than ten years ago – in the 2004-5 season – CSA abandoned their 11-team provincial in favour of six franchises, effectively almost halving the number of professional cricketers in the country. This has resulted in a narrowing of opportunity, with only around 90 contracts available per season.In a bid to stem the talent drain and seek out a deeper talent pool, the panel recommended the addition of one more franchise to increase player number to 105. A possible location for this franchise was not revealed but the Eastern Cape – the heartland of black African cricket – is a likely possibility.

West Ham must begin the unwanted task of preparing to replace the imperious Declan Rice.

One name who could fill this impending void is Ibrahim Sangare.

What’s the latest on Ibrahim Sangare to West Ham?

According to Get Football News, PSV Eindhoven are willing to let the midfielder leave having attracted interest from several top clubs.

The Dutch side value the player at around €37m (£32m), but a number of clubs are reluctant to pay such a price.

Tottenham, Liverpool and PSG have all been linked with a move in the past, but, the Hammers cannot be ruled out as a viable option for Sangare’s signature, as back in April, he was suggested as a possible replacement for Rice by the Daily Mail.

This followed news that last summer, the Irons were weighing up a £25m move for the Ivorian, but any chance of securing the titan was extinguished when he signed a new deal with the club in that window.

But, with the 2023 Europa Conference League winners set to receive a mammoth fee for their club captain, they could reignite their interest in this 6 foot 3 colossus.

How would Ibrahim Sangare fit in at West Ham?

The 29-cap international has made 133 appearances for PSV, including 45 outings in all competitions this term, whilst notching 11 goal contributions.

This season, across 29 Eredivisie games, the West African has averaged 2.3 tackles, 1.6 clearances, 81% pass accuracy in the opposition half, and 77% of his dribbles, according to Sofascore. Clearly a defensively resolute performer, this is also a player with technical elegance.

He has shown himself to be simply above the level of the Dutch league as he ranks within the top 14% outside of Europe’s top five leagues for aerials won per 90, successful take-ons per 90, progressive passes per 90, and non-penalty goals per 90.

Sangare’s possible arrival could be a further setback from Flynn Downes, who has endured a difficult debut season in East London.

Despite Tomas Soucek’s patchy form, the former Swansea man only began seven top-flight games, but when he has sparingly featured he has largely struggled to show meaningful signs of his quality.

He dismally resides in the lowest 5% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

This has opened the door for Sangare, who has been described as “extraordinary” by former PSV and Ajax manager Aad de Mos.

Due to the pivot’s experience, Sangare has displayed the quality to be a regular starter for the Irons. Indeed, he would evidently be a far better option than Moyes' 2022 signing.

Leeds United are considering an approach to bring Rotherham United star Viktor Johansson to Elland Road, according to reports.

Who is Viktor Johansson?

Johansson is a goalkeeper who currently plays his football for Matt Taylor’s side in the Championship having joined on a free transfer from Leicester City’s U21s back in 2020. He also has other experience in England having previously been a part of Aston Villa’s youth sides, as per Transfermarkt.

The Swedish shot-stopper still has another two years to run on his contract at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, but having established himself as his outfit’s overall third best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.97, has caught the eye in Yorkshire.

Whites number one Illan Meslier has been heavily linked with a departure and in particular a move to Chelsea -which he’s publicly admitted that he would be open to – and Joel Robles is also confirmed to be leaving, so reinforcements will be needed between the sticks, which is where the 24-year-old comes into the conversation.

Are Leeds signing Johansson?

According to Football League World, Leeds are "keeping tabs" on Johansson ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The LS11 hierarchy have begun "internal discussions" over strengthening the goalkeeping department and are "keen" on Rotherham's first-choice. Whilst competition is expected, chiefs are closely "monitoring his situation", so this could be one to watch in the weeks ahead.

Rotherham have Johansson as their regular number one so he would be likely to succeed Meslier rather than Robles, as he won’t want to leave just to be a back-up elsewhere. Should he put pen to paper, he would be a fantastic acquisition, having been lauded an “outstanding” goalkeeper by journalist Josh Bunting.

The Stockholm native, who pockets £3.5k-per-week, kept 13 Championship clean sheets last season and he was rewarded for his impressive performances by being handed the man-of-the-match award on three occasions.

During the previous term as per FBRef, the A.M.A Sports Agency client made 157 saves from 211 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 75.4%, which was considerably higher than either of the two keepers managed at Elland Road.

So when you think about just how much of an upgrade he’d be on the current options, the 49ers shouldn't even have to think twice about testing the waters this summer.

Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta has confirmed that Manchester United are interested in signing their goalkeeper Andre Onana and expects them to make a bid in the next few days.

What's the latest on Man Utd and their goalkeepers?

As we are now in July, the Red Devils have technically lost their number one option between the sticks. Indeed, David de Gea has seen his contract officially expire.

However, the club have explained in a statement (via Reuters) that there is a chance the Spaniard still remains at Old Trafford beyond this summer.

They explained: "David De Gea's contract is due to run out but discussions remain open with the long-serving keeper."

Astonishingly, according to The Sun, Man Utd have asked him not to agree to join a new club just yet in case they can't find a suitable replacement in the market. As per the same report, it appears that they want to first see if they can sign Inter goalkeeper Onana for £40m.

Confirming that transfer interest, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Inter CEO Marotta explained the current situation between the two sides.

He said: "Manchester United should submit an official bid for Andre Onana in some days; then we will tell them our position and the player will do the same."

What did Inter's CEO say about Man Utd and Andre Onana?

As reported in the Daily Mail, Marotta elaborated more on the rumours at the Gran Gala, saying: "Manchester United expressed a particular interest, but that needs to blossom into making a proposal over the next few days.

"Once that happens, both Inter and the player will make a careful evaluation."

Marotta also confirmed that the club's director, Piero Ausilio "is working on [a deal]" but that "there is still no official bid from United at this stage."

With that being the case, it does appear that the Red Devils are genuinely interested in signing the 27-year-old Cameroonian international and appear to be prioritising him over securing De Gea to a new contract.

If Inter don't accept a bid, though, Man Utd may have to turn back to the Spaniard, which could potentially be rather awkward. After all, it remains to be seen just how he feels about his treatment at Old Trafford of late – although he did recently post a yawning emoji online, suggesting he's rather tired of it all.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the coming weeks, with that offer for Onana evidently in the works.

South Africa have six pace-bowling options in the Test squad, while Theunis de Bruyn and Heinrich Klaasen have been picked as cover in the absence of AB de Villiers

Firdose Moonda24-Feb-20170:45

Quick Facts – Morne Morkel’s Test career so far

Morne Morkel has been included in South Africa’s Test squad to tour New Zealand in March after recovering from a career-threatening back injury, which kept him out of the national team since June. Morkel forms part of a six-member-strong pace pack, which also includes Vernon Philander, who has recovered from an ankle impingement sustained after the Sri Lanka Tests, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, and allrounders Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris.In the absence of AB de Villiers, who opted out of Test cricket for most of 2017, South Africa are taking reserve batsman Theunis de Bruyn and uncapped Titans wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who finished seventh on the batting charts in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.South Africa’s Test squad to NZ

Faf du Plessis (capt), Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Theunis de Bruyn, Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris
In Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris

Klaasen was preferred over Knights’ keeper Rudi Second, who was a spot a above him on the run-scorers’ list and was considered the favourite to deputise for Quinton de Kock now that Dane Vilas has signed a Kolpak deal. However, the selectors decided to give Klaasen a go, although they have assured Second he still remains in their plans. “Heinrich is a guy that struck us as someone who has the capability of coping at international level. He is a good striker of the ball and tight behind the stumps,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “But it was touch and go between him and Rudi, and they are both on our radar.”South Africa’s batting line-up is unchanged from the seven specialists who did duty in Australia and against Sri Lanka with Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook at the top, followed by Hashim Amla, captain Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy, but there will be a conundrum in the bowling department, where South Africa have given themselves plenty of choice. “We are still looking to see who will assist Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander,” Zondi said. “But our plan is to use our senior guys.”That suggests Morkel will edge ahead of the rest, despite a lengthy period of time out of the game and limited game-time in the lead-up to the series. Since being diagnosed with a bulging back disc after the CPL last year, Morkel has played one first-class game for the Titans, three warm-up matches during South Africa’s Test tour of Australia and one List A game for his franchise. At the time of writing, Morkel had been named in the Titans XI for a second one-day cup game before heading off at the weekend. Zondi admitted Morkel’s inaction is a concern but insisted his experience is a necessity. “Time away is always a concern but we need experience in the bowling so we’ll see how he goes,” Zondi said.Morkel is not the only one who has had a long lay-off recently. Morris spent three months recovering from a knee injury before making a comeback in the ODIs against Sri Lanka and he has since impressed enough to also earn a Test recall. Morris played two Tests in January 2016 against England, when South Africa had a glut of injuries, and was thought to have fallen down the pecking order but has now forced his way back in. “What has been so impressive is how he has understood his job. His primary role is to bowl and the batting is a bonus and that is exactly how he is tackling things,” Zondi said. “We have always wanted a seam-bowling allrounder and now we are finding we have a few.”Morris and Parnell are the two in the Test squad but both could end up confined to the bench with Duanne Olivier also competing for the third seamer’s spot. Olivier, who was the leading bowler in this season’s first-class competition and the only one to take more than 50 wickets, made his debut during the Wanderers Test against Sri Lanka and impressed with pace, bounce and aggression. He was selected alongside Parnell in all-pace attack in that match; although he took one wicket fewer than Parnell, Olivier was more economical. In the aftermath of Kyle Abbott’s exit, Olivier has emerged as a serious contender for the third seamer’s spot and, if given the opportunity, could stake a serious claim in New Zealand.The only bowling place not up for debate is that of the spinner because South Africa are traveling with only one. Keshav Maharaj has retained his place in an expanded 16-man squad. Given the distance and time difference to New Zealand, South Africa are opting for extra men to ensure they have all bases covered. The Test squad members who are not already in New Zealand will travel there this weekend.The three-Test series will begin from March 8 with the first match in Dunedin, followed by Tests in Wellington and Hamilton.

Sunderland have gone continental in their search for another new striker as Tony Mowbray looks to further add to a squad capable of challenging for Premier League promotion once again.

What are the latest Sunderland transfer rumours?

The Black Cats suffered a disappointing playoff semi-final loss to Luton Town a little over a month ago, but since then they have moved to bring in Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham and Luis 'Hemir' Semedo.

Semedo impressed for Benfica B last season but is still a relative rookie, having yet to play any senior football, and that could mean Mowbray spreading his proverbial net further out in search for an unpolished gem.

French outlet Le Parisien reports that Rennes forward Matthis Abline may be just the player, with the Black Cats said to be keeping an eye on his situation.

Who is Rennes forward Matthis Abline?

Abline has already played 38 times in Ligue 1 and also has four Europa League appearances to his name, which includes a goal in Rennes' 1-1 group-stage draw with Larnaca last season.

With that strike, he overtook El-Hadji Diouf as Rennes' youngest scorer in European competition, earning praise from football reporter Tom Maston as "another top talent" to emerge through the club's academy.

That was one of just four senior goals the youngster has netted, suggesting he is hardly the 15-goal-plus attacker many Championship clubs crave, but 22 of his 30 league appearances with Rennes and loan side Auxerre came as a substitute last season.

The 20-year-old is also attracting interest from French sides Strasbourg and Lorient, while Rennes value him at €8m (£7m), so he clearly has something about him.

Indeed, while there is definitely room for improvement in terms of his goal return, FBref ranks Abline in the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 minutes (1.96) in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, and top 14% for both successful take-ons (1.20) and touches in the opposition penalty box (5.81).

To give those numbers some context, at a lower level last season, the highly-regarded Ellis Simms registered 1.92 progressive carries per 90 minutes for Sunderland, 0.48 successful take-ons and 4.64 touches in the opposition box.

Abline also stands out in terms of various defensive metrics such as interceptions (0.34 per 90 minutes) and blocks (0.77) – putting him in the top 16% and 18% respectively among his peers – which shows he is capable of doing both sides of the game.

With Amad Diallo back at Manchester United and Jack Clarke continually linked with a move away, it might well be that France U21 international Abline is considered an ideal option to partner the returning Ross Stewart.

Stewart's 1.12 goals and assists per 90 last season was the third-best return of any Championship players to have played 10 games or more, meaning he is capable of taking care of that side of things.

If Abline can add some goals to his game, the data shows he can be an upgrade on Simms at the Stadium of Light, which will in turn only benefit Stewart when he is fully back up to speed.

تحدث جواو كانسيلو، لاعب فريق برشلونة المُعار من نادي مانشستر سيتي، عن مستقبله، مع اقتراب فترة إعارته من النهاية.

وانضم كانسيلو إلى برشلونة قادمًا من مانشستر سيتي على سبيل الإعارة، الصيف الماضي، لمدة موسم.

وغاب كانسيلو عن مباراة الأحد ضد أتلتيكو مدريد بسبب مشاكل بدنية، حيث فاز برشلونة بنتيجة 3-0.

ونشرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية تفاصيل حديث كانسيلو، الذي أجراه مع قناة “RTP” قبل بضعة أسابيع بمناسبة استدعائه لمنتخب البرتغال في فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي.

وقال كانسيلو: “العودة إلى بنفيكا؟ الأمر ليس مستبعدًا، أريد حقًا اللعب مع بنفيكا، أريد ذلك حقًا، لكني أرغب في قضاء عامين أو ثلاثة أعوام أخرى هنا برشلونة”.

وأضاف: “أنا سعيد لوجودي في برشلونة، هذا هو النادي الذي أردت دائمًا أن أكون فيه، هو النادي الذي أحببته دائمًا بعد بنفيكا، بيبي أخبرني ذات مرة أنني لاعب ينتمي إلى ريال مدريد، وأنا أخبرته أنني برشلوني، أنا حيث أردت دائمًا أن أكون”.

وعن علاقته بمدرب مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، والتي شابهها بعض السوء قبل رحيل اللاعب عن حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، قال: “ليس لدي أي استياء تجاه بيب”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سبورت: تشافي مهدد بالغياب عن مباراة برشلونة وريال مدريد

وأضاف: “هناك أشياء لم نتفق بها، وأخبرته بذلك، وأخرى لم يوافق عليها وأخبرني بها، إنه أفضل مدرب في العالم، الحياة مستمرة، أنا سعيد جدًا هنا في برشلونة”.

وفيما يتعلق بمنتخب البرتغال، قال: “بالنسبة لي، تمثيل البرتغال يمثل فخرًا دائمًا لي، آمل أن أتمكن من القيام بذلك في اليورو، لم أحقق ذلك بعد، لم ألعب في كأس أوروبا الأخيرة بسبب كورونا، آمل أن أتمكن من ذلك”.

وأكد: “نستطيع مواجهة أي فريق في العالم، سنكون قادرين على القيام بذلك هذا العام، التوقعات عالية جدًا”.

واستمر: “لدي انطباعات جيدة عن المدرب، روبرتو مارتينيز، لقد استقبلني بطريقة مثالية، إنه مدرب حديث، يحب الفريق الهجومي، يمنحنا الكثير من الحرية، يعرف كل لاعب بالضبط، إنه مدرب يحلل المنافسين ومبارياتنا في الأندية”.

واستطرد: “إنه كتالوني، لديه ثقافة لعب أحبها، أنا ظهير هجومي، أحب اللعب الهجومي، لقد تعلم البرتغالية وحاول التحدث بالبرتغالية معنا”.

AB de Villiers has become the first big-name player to throw his weight behind South Africa’s new T20 competition, which is set to launch in the 2017-18 summer. The tournament will comprise of eight privately-owned franchises and will aim to attract high-profile internationals in a model similar to the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League and the Caribbean Premier League.”I am so excited about it. It’s going to be great. Lots of credit to Cricket South Africa for coming up with that. It’s vital for our cricket. It will motivate some of the youngsters to stick around, to fight it through and to play for South Africa,” de Villiers said.”The domestic tournament is going to do wonders for our cricket and I think it can definitely come up [] an IPL when it comes to entertainment and quality of cricket. With some of the names that I have heard who are interested in coming over, it’s going to be fantastic.”Cricket South Africa (CSA) put out a tender notice to invite bids for franchise ownership on Saturday and is in the process of securing sponsors – some international – to fund the event. Should foreign currency be behind the tournament, CSA will be able to match or even rival payments in leagues around the world – something that was identified as a major hurdle in luring internationals to the current domestic tournament, where they are paid in Rands.The benefits will also extend to locally-based players. More money will mean big pay-days for South African cricketers too, which Haroon Lorgat explained was a consideration when the event was conceptualised.Complete details of South Africa’s tournament are yet to be revealed but CSA have identified a window in November-December for the competition, with a final pencilled in for December 16, a public holiday. The proposed dates are in the middle of the South African summer, which also means they will clash with the Australian summer – and potentially the BBL – and the Indian home season, and could create scheduling conflicts.De Villiers, though, is hopeful South Africa will attract some of the best players from all over the world. “I think there are quite a few countries already available. I am not sure about India. I haven’t heard anything from them yet,” he said.South Africa’s current domestic T20 has had a smattering of internationals taking part. This season Kevin Pietersen (Dolphins) and Kieron Pollard (Cobras) were involved while in the past Andre Russell (Knights), Owais Shah (Cobras),Darren Sammy (Titans), Dwayne Bravo (Dolphins) , Sohail Tanvir (Lions), Craig Kieswetter (Warriors) and Chris Gayle (Dolphins and then Lions) had brief stints at the tournament. South Africa’s internationals have only been briefly available for their franchises but with the new event, that is set to change.