De Zerbi keen on pairing, Tottenham official visit – Spurs expected to make move in coming days

Tottenham Hotspur They need just one point from their last two Premier League matches to avoid relegation.

Spurs are now 17th, two points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United, with a game in hand and a much better goal difference.

While the immediate focus is on staying in the top flight, Tottenham are also working on potential deals for the summer.

The Italian is considering a move to Serie A, after appointing Roberto De Zerbi as his new manager in March.

Tottenham manager sets his sights on the pair

tuttosport Now the north London club’s manager is reported to have set his sights on Juventus’ Pierre Kalulu and Fiorentina’s Nicolo Fagioli.

On March 30, Khel Witness broadcast news Several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, are planning to sign Kalulu.

Manchester United have also taken notice of the 25-year-old central defender and have already made an approach. However, the Turin club closed the exit door.

Spurs are now keeping an eye on the France international and have sent a scout to watch him live in Juve’s 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina on Sunday. The official also saw La Viola’s midfielder Fagioli. Kalulu played the full 90 minutes while Fagioli remained on the field for 64 minutes.

Roberto De Zerbi is ‘keen on both players’ as he looks to improve Spurs’ squad to help them return to Europe. The English club are expected to make a move for the 25-year-old Italy international in the coming days.

sports witness recently Covered claims from Italy Without mentioning any figures, Fiorentina needs a ‘unique’ proposal. TuttoSport now report that La Viola would not consider less than €30-40m for the 25-year-old midfielder.

The English club is unlikely to succeed in signing the French defender as Juventus want to retain him. The Turin club have begun talks with his representative over a contract renewal until 2030, which would see a net salary increase from €2.4m to €3.8-4m per year.

Our opinion: Tottenham could use Paratischi’s help

Earlier this year, Fabio Paratici ended his second stint at Spurs to join Fiorentina as their sporting director.

Tottenham Hotspur could seek the help of their former director in an attempt to sign Nicolo Fagioli.

His contract expires in 2028 and he is valued at €16m transfer market. The same outlet now values ​​Pierre Kalulu, who has a contract until 2029 €32m.

#Zerbi #keen #pairing #Tottenham #official #visit #Spurs #expected #move #coming #days

Caufield’s passion, further results, defensive pairing

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories and content you may have missed on Thursday.

montreal canadiens news

Sniper Cole Caufield was the latest athlete to pour his heart out to the Players’ Tribune, in a brilliant piece that can only be described as heartfelt and honest. “To me, hockey is the best game because you can’t really do it alone. Scoring 50 this year was amazing, but it was a team accomplishment. And really, it’s about the whole environment you’re in. The Bell Center has been incredible all season, and scoring No. 50 in front of all you guys and with my dad in the building… it was a great wave to go into these playoffs.” [Players’ Tribune]

Caufield also discussed the upcoming game at the Bell Center and the impact Canadiens fans have on the team’s motivation.

The top four have struggled when it comes to shutting down the Lightning, however, the third pairing of Jaden Struble and Arbor Zekaj has stood out. Take a look at how the Canadiens’ defensemen have performed so far in the playoffs. [Canadiens Need Better Results From Top Four]

With the series tied at 1-1, we also take a look at which forward lines have performed well, and which trios need to up their game against the Bolts. [Which Canadiens Lines Are Performing Best In Playoffs]

Zekaj doesn’t seem particularly concerned about Tampa’s continued slickness. He’s got a point, because the Habs have created a lot more high-danger scoring chances than the Bolts, but getting to the line is always a tough proposition, especially when you’re dealing with habitual line steppers.

Head coach Martin St-Louis joins Zekaj when it comes to not losing any sleep over Tampa’s strategy.

Sportsknot Network

This may be the most important offseason in New Jersey Devils franchise history. Sunny Mehta has an extensive list of tasks this summer to get the Devils back on track as playoff and Stanley Cup contenders. [New Jersey Devils]

Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has a bright future. Aliaksi’s younger brother was named AHL Rookie of the Year for his performance with the Hershey Bears. [Washginton Capitals]

The Dallas Stars were looking at a 2–1 series hole until their star-studded special teams took over.

Despite being outshot and outscored at 5-on-5, the Stars’ power play scored three times in their 4–3, double-OT win over the Minnesota Wild in game three. [Dallas Stars]

Avatar
Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont


#Caufields #passion #results #defensive #pairing

Draymond Green ponders L.A.’s title chances with LeBron, Luca pairing

After the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to eight games with a 134-126 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green offered a measured assessment of their championship outlook.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Green pointed to Luka Doncic’s influence on the Lakers’ recent surge, while also casting doubt on whether Los Angeles is strong enough defensively to make a deep title run.

“Luka is playing absolutely incredible. The irony is the Lakers are playing absolutely incredible, the irony is DeAndre Ayton is playing better, the irony is Marcus Smart is playing better. Because that’s the magic of Luka Doncic. Luka makes everybody around him better at the top of their game. So, you ask yourself how dangerous can they be in the playoffs? And other than me I’d say absolutely dangerous. No, but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same time, you always have a chance against anybody.”

Green’s comments come as the Lakers continue to gain momentum heading into the season behind their star duo of Doncic and LeBron James. Los Angeles has looked increasingly dangerous offensively in its recent run, with Doncic producing at a high level and James providing consistent playmaking, rebounding and veteran leadership.

Draymond Green evaluates Lakers’ title chances with LeBron James, Luka Doncic

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagen Images

The Lakers’ recent performance has solidified their position atop the Western Conference standings and reinforced the ceiling many have created with a roster built around two of the league’s most efficient offensive players. Doncic’s ability to control the pace, set up for teammates and generate efficient offense has added a different dimension to a team that already relies heavily on James in key moments.

Still, Green made it clear his main concern with the Lakers focuses on the other end of the floor.

“The teams that will put pressure on them that will make it difficult for them in the playoffs are making them guard. They’re not a great defensive team at all, do some fake things like some fake zone turns that turn into a guy. And in a playoff series if you’re doing that for maybe a game, maybe two games they figure out some plays to dice up and then you have to play routine defense and then it takes us back to the core issues of the Lakers. It’s been like this since the beginning of the season. I don’t know if they’re good enough defensively to ultimately win it, but they’ll always be dangerous in the playoffs.

This assessment captures the central question surrounding Los Angeles as the postseason approaches. The Lakers have enough offensive star power to challenge any opponent in a playoff series, but concerns remain about whether they can hold off consistently against the conference’s top teams in seven-game matchups.

For now, the Lakers continue their upward trend at a key point on the schedule. With the leadership of James and Doncic, Los Angeles has built momentum and positioned itself to enter the postseason as one of the Western Conference’s most intriguing teams, even if questions about its defensive ceiling remain unresolved.


#Draymond #Green #ponders #L.A.s #title #chances #LeBron #Luca #pairing

LeBron James perfectly embodies the Luka Doncic-Austin Reeves pairing

Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves may seem like kids when they joke with each other, but when it comes time to take the court, they mean business for the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Thursday, he arrived at Crypto.com Arena and led the Lakers to a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls. Doncic had a stellar performance with a season-high 51 points on 17-of-31 shooting. He also had a near triple-double with 10 rebounds and nine assists. Meanwhile, Reeves scored 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting, five rebounds and seven assists.

It was another efficient performance for the backcourt duo, as the Lakers recorded their fourth consecutive win.

The talent of Doncic and Reeves didn’t diminish LeBron James, who had two adjectives for his teammates, as reported by Benjamin Royer of the OC Register.

“LeBron James calls Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves ‘magical and dynamic,'” Royer wrote on X.

It’s unclear if James chose them specifically to contrast Doncic and Reeves’ styles, but yes, “magical” suits the former, while “dynamic” is perfect for the latter.

Since entering the NBA in 2018, it always felt like Doncic had superpowers. Reeves, meanwhile, has shown vast improvement in his all-around game over the past few years.

For his part, James returned from a three-game absence due to an elbow injury against the Denver Nuggets. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

The Lakers won three games without him, with Doncic and Reeves leading the team together.

They improved to 41-25 and have a rematch with the Nuggets on Saturday.


#LeBron #James #perfectly #embodies #Luka #DoncicAustin #Reeves #pairing