標籤: encouraged

Sunderland Having previously tried to sign Andre-Frank Zambo Anguilla from Napoli, he has been given encouragement for another move.

Last summer, there were doubts over the Cameroon international’s future at Naples. This came as Napoli won their second Serie A title in three years, with the midfielder once again making a key contribution.

That’s when Sunderland attempted to sign the ex-Fulham player upon their return to the top-flight. sports witness Covered his approach, as Zambo Anguilla preferred to compete for silverware for Napoli rather than head to the Stadium of Light.

There were indications that his family were keen to return to England, but that did not change the 30-year-old’s mind.

Now, things are changing and Regis Le Bris’ team has been given a chance.

napoli now open for sale

Il Mattino – relayed by footballnapoli1926There are reports that several Napoli players could end up in England in the summer.

There is a possibility that Zambo Anguilla goes down that route. The newspaper has made it clear that if the Black Cats come forward to Cameroon, this time they will ‘not find the door closed’.

The Italian giants are aware that they may be forced to sell some key players this summer. Zambo Anguissa is now seen as a senior member of the team, but he could depart in 2027 with his current deal intact.

This makes 2026 the last opportunity for Napoli to make some significant earnings from player sales.

Zambo Anguissa’s family are also believed to be keen to return to England. This could swing things in Sunderland’s favour, as Napoli are currently prioritizing a sale over Premier League clubs.

Our View: The Black Cats must rise to the occasion

The former Fulham man is unlikely to spend much on a move in the summer due to his contract situation.

Last summer, Sunderland signed a Premier League-proven midfielder in Granit Xhaka. Like the Swiss star, Zambo Anguilla has also won league titles while away from the English top-flight. He is even younger than Xhaka was when he arrived at the Stadium of Light.

The only drawback to this move would be Zambo Anguilla’s recent fitness record. He has struggled physically this season and it has held him back throughout the campaign.

But for a low fee, he could be a gamble worth taking on for Sunderland.

Manu Kone has been exceptional for Roma this season but the chances of him moving are increasing newcastle united.

The 24-year-old has not played in Serie A since mid-March due to a hamstring injury. His absence has been felt in Roma.

They are currently out of the Champions League spots and clearly miss the midfield presence that sets the pace for Gian Piero Gasperini’s team.

The Frenchman has played 34 times in all competitions. He impresses with his ability to beat press in midfield and carry the ball forward.

A few months ago, sports witness Manchester United’s interest in Kone was covered. There was a growing feeling that the France international would leave Roma, having faced an approach from Inter Milan last summer.

Now, it is Newcastle United who are in the race to sign him.

FFP concerns could drive sales

messenger Today’s report states that Kone is a possible candidate to leave Roma due to his ongoing FFP concerns. The Giallorossi must make capital gains of €80m by June 30.

The 24-year-old is currently valued at €45m and his exit will give Roma a capital gain of €35m.

Inter are keen but Newcastle United could also meet a €45m valuation in the summer. If an offer for that amount comes in, Roma will be forced to sit down and evaluate it. The player will also consider a transfer, regardless of whether the Magpies advance to the World Cup before or after.

Roma would ideally like to wait to see how he performs in the tournament later this year. This could increase his value, however, FFP reasons mean he will have no option if the club comes knocking on June 30.

Our take: There’s a deal to be had

It seems as if Roma, on a weekly basis, are making it clear that they need money. A few weeks ago, the future of Ivan Ndika was also talked about in the same tone and that he too could leave in the summer.

Because of this, Newcastle United should keep an eye on Kone and take every chance they can to sign him. Inter generally prefer an initial loan but the Magpies are likely to have greater financial strength in the race.

They could lose a midfielder in the summer and the money earned from him could be used to bring in Kone. He is at the right age, his profile is dynamic and he can still get better.

The Los Angeles Lakers have quietly played their best basketball of the season, winning three in a row and going 5-1 in March. It is noteworthy that the team has relied on strong defense to defeat the teams. According to a post from The Athletic, coach JJ Redick has been encouraged by the Lakers’ improved defense in wins over the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We’re not going to be the No. 1 defense in the league. But to be above average, to have two performances in a row against those two teams is really encouraging,” Redick told The Athletic.

The Lakers played strong defense in their 110-97 win over the Timberwolves. He held the Knicks to 42.7% from the field, including 23.5% from beyond the arc. Additionally, the Purple and Gold forced 18 turnovers. The Lakers defeated the Wolves 120-106, holding them to 46.3% from the floor, including 25% from triples. Additionally, they held Anthony Edwards to only 14 points on 2 of 15 shooting, including 1 of 10 from the three-point line.

The Lakers did so without LeBron James, who is dealing with a right hip injury and left foot arthritis. Despite wanting James in the lineup, Redick isn’t worried about him. As for the rest of the team, the Lakers coach highlighted that he wants better rim protection.

“Just the consistency of our low man, you know. We’re one of the worst teams at protecting the rim. It’s not on our big, it’s on everybody. So we had stretches where, I thought, if you look at our defensive plays, our low man is really active, our low man in the paint is producing results.”

Redick and the Lakers will hope to continue the momentum when they host the Chicago Bulls before welcoming the Denver Nuggets to the Crypto.

While the Golden State Warriors fell just short to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a narrow 114-107 loss on the road, the fact that they got Kristaps Porzingis back on the hardwood is enough to ease the pain of the loss.

After Porzingis missed the last six games due to a mystery illness, the big man finished with nine points, five rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes of action.

In just his second game with the team after the Warriors acquired him at the trade deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, Porzingis, understandably, looked far from the elite, two-way, big man he may be at his ceiling. At times, he seemed to struggle to find his sea legs in the Dubs’ unfamiliar offensive and defensive systems. And the big man looked disappointed after nearly three weeks away from live NBA basketball.

But overall, it was an encouraging step in the right direction for the big man as he played hard, banged in the post and gave Golden State a much-needed threat on offense.

“I thought he looked like a guy who hasn’t played with any rhythm at all,” Kerr said cheekily after the game.

“But I thought he looked good physically. It’s a really encouraging night for him to play 23 minutes. I talked to him after the game, said he felt good. And it was really fun to watch him. You can see what kind of weapon he is, the shape he gives us. Obviously, we are.” [still] Figuring out the combinations, what kind of activities we want to run. With him and for him. It’s going to take some time, but it’s really encouraging to see him there.”

The thing that really seemed encouraging about Porzingis was his ability to force defenses to respond in the post. After losing Jimmy Butler, the Warriors lack a back-to-the-basket threat who can command double-teams. Although it didn’t feel right or intuitive, Porzingis was capable of being that threat. And as he gets his groove back, it’s sure to get even more powerful.

How Kristaps Porzingis feels after a long recovery

Despite encouraging signs in his return, Porzingis still found flaws in his game.

“Today was OK,” Porzingis shrugged. “I’m still feeling a little heavy, the shot wasn’t in good rhythm tonight, and missing some free throws and such. But we’ll build from this game, and I think I’ll get better with each game.”

Porzingis told reporters that his absence from the last six games was “stunning”. [him] But after his health improved over the past week and a workout Thursday before the Houston Rockets game, Porzingis felt comfortable that his body was healthy enough to return against the Thunder.

Whether that will stay healthy is still a question mark, as it has been with Porzingis his entire career. With how vague the details are regarding this recent illness and his ongoing POTS condition, it’s hard to factor him in for the remainder of the season. But Porzingis expressed confidence in his ability to maintain his health going forward.

“Honestly, I’m confident I’ll stay healthy,” Porzingis said. “This is what I really feel. Not to sell anything because I know I’ve been in and out again and again. But this time I really feel that way.”

Porzingis told reporters he didn’t want to go into too much about why he felt confident about being able to stay healthy, but pointed to two things: the fact that he was able to stay healthy last summer abroad during the EuroBasket and the ability of the Warriors’ training staff, especially how in his words they found a solution to this ongoing issue “very quickly.”

“I really believe, as I really, really believe, that I’ll be healthy from this point forward in terms of energy and things like that.”

Other notables

• Gui Santos scored a career-high 22 points with 11 rebounds in the Dubs’ loss. Over the past 10 games, Santos has averaged 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists. After signing a three-year, $15 million extension with a player-option in the final year, Santos is poised to play well above the value of that contract.
• Moses Moody remained out with a right wrist injury. With his right wrist in a small cast, he could be seen shooting with his left hand before the game.
• Seth Curry, who appeared in only two games this season, is expected to return sometime this upcoming week. He had been out of action for the last three months due to sciatica, but got a chance to work out in the pregame in Houston. He and his brother Stephen Curry have yet to share the court on the same team.

Brighton & Hove Albion scout Bert Konterman has informed the club about FC Twente youngster Ruud Nijstad.

This is according to the man himself, Via Twenty Insights. He admitted that he has approached Brighton about the 18-year-old as he continues to impress at the Dutch club.

Nijstad is considered by many to be one of the Netherlands’ most promising young talents. Some have compared him to a modern-day Gerard Piqué, praising his composure, skill with his left foot and ability to initiate attacks from defence.

He broke into Twente’s first team this season, and established himself as a highly sought-after prospect in the process.

Big clubs are monitoring him

He has been the subject of intense speculation even before the summer transfer window. Barcelona reportedly made significant efforts to sign him in the January transfer window.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are all keeping an eye on the defender as well. It is unlikely that these three will be the only ones watching his performances in the Premier League.

According to him, Brighton are definitely aware of him kontermann. He admitted that he had already told the Seagulls about Nijstad. The matter was put to him during an appearance on D’Osttribune.

“I really enjoyed the match against Feyenoord,” He said.

“I just wrote down the ages of all the FC Twente players. It’s incredible that this is a team with so much potential for the coming years.

“Ruud Nijstad was fantastic, Stav Lemkin was good, Thomas van den Belt was important, Lammers was decent, and Orjsätter is getting better and better.”

“You say: If they stay together, Tijman van Wissing replied.

“I agree with that, but the point is that if you work for Brighton & Hove Albion, you also know that they have Nijstad on their radar. You probably already do.”

brighton tipped

“Right, I was impressed. I told them about it,” The Brighton scout replied.

“Those guys are not good enough yet for the first team (at a club like Brighton). You can buy them, but then you have to make a deal to keep them at FC Twente for two to three years.”

It would not be a surprise for Brighton to approve such a transfer deal. The Seagulls have certainly not been afraid to sign young players from the Netherlands.

Matt Wiffer, Yankuba Minteh and Jan Paul van Hecke are prime examples. All three are now first team regulars for Brighton under Fabian Herzeler.

Van Hecke gives the example of how Brighton sign young players early and loan them out to develop elsewhere. The club has also signed youngsters such as Yoon Do-young, Malik Yalkouye and Ibrahim Osman, who are currently on loan.

A similar deal would make a lot of sense for Nijstad, especially as competition looks to be increasing.

Everton’s interest in Eden Zhegrova has grown in Italy, and this time the focus is not just on a potential transfer… but on whether his Juventus move was a mistake in the first place.

As reported last weekThe Italian press said the Kosovo international is expected to leave Juventus in the summer, with the Premier League mentioned as a possible destination. The outlet also recalled Everton’s failed attempt to sign the winger in January.

Now, TuttoMercatoWeb A new layer has been added to the story. He has interviewed Serxio Mezzi, a mediator who previously worked on Zegrova’s move to Italy. His view is uncompromising: the Juventus switch was the wrong decision and a summer exit is necessary.

“Juventus was the wrong choice”

Zhegrova came off the bench in Juventus’s 3–3 draw against Roma at the Olimpico and played a key role in the comeback. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, he repeatedly attacked defenders, delivered dangerous crosses and created a constant feeling of superiority in one-on-one situations.

Mezi praised his influence. He said: “As far as Zegrova is concerned, Adan performed very well, making the difference with his ability to take on his man and create numerical superiority.”

However, he raised questions about how the player was treated in Turin. Referring to the decision to leave Luciano Spalletti on the bench in recent weeks, Mezzi explained: “Spaletti put him on the bench and, as we know, it destroys a player mentally. Aidan went through a very serious injury and was not treated 100. He needs belief and consistency.”

Then the decisive decision came. Asked if Juventus’ move was the right one, he replied: “Absolutely not. For me, Juventus was the wrong choice and Zhegrova should have left earlier in the summer. This is obviously only my personal opinion.”

What this means for Everton’s prospects

This latest intervention reinforces the story already emerging in Italy. calciomercato.it had Zhegrova lined up as a potential summer departure, and Everton were specifically named as suitors.

For David Moyes, the profile remains attractive. Zhegrova, 26, is a left-footed right winger who previously impressed at Lille, where he constantly beat defenders and delivered goals. However, questions over his knee injury and current physical acuity remain part of the evaluation.

Juventus only signed him in the summer of 2025, so any deal will depend on their valuation and willingness to quickly reduce their losses. Yet, when people close to the player publicly say he should leave, it inevitably changes the mood.

If Everton do return, they will be moving in a context that looks even more volatile now than it did in January.