Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen has emerged as a transfer target for Barcelona as the Spanish club face a battle to sign Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho, according to media reports.
Barca are in the market for a midfielder and a replacement for Neymar after the Brazilian forward sealed a world record €222 million (Dh963.8m) move to Paris Saint-Germain at the start of this month.
Barcelona are aiming to use the money from Neymar's sale to sign a long-term successor to midfielder Andres Iniesta as well as a forward to fill the void left by the Brazilian.
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Barcelona have had two offers for Coutinho rejected by Liverpool, the most recent reported to be worth €100m. Subsequently, the Premier League club released a statement insisting the Brazil international is "definitively" not for sale. Hours after the statement was released, reports emerged claiming Coutinho had handed in a written transfer request via email.
Barca are expected to continue their pursuit of Coutinho, but Liverpool's refusal to negotiate has forced the Catalans to look elsewhere, with Eriksen reportedly on their radar. Coutinho is reportedly viewed by the Barcelona hierarchy as the preferred choice to succeed Iniesta, but according to The Independent, Eriksen is also viewed as well suited to the club's style of play.
However, Barca are likely to face similar resistance from Tottenham in their attempts to sign the Denmark international, who signed a new four-year contract in September 2017. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has earned a reputation for his negotiation abilities and it is reported that Spurs will demand a figure in the region of £100m (Dh474.9m) for Eriksen.
In their attempts to replace Neymar, Barcelona remain confident of signing Borussia Dortmund's French winger Ousmane Dembele despite seeing their initial €100m bid rejected by the German club.
Dortmund released a statement on Thursday announcing the club had temporarily suspended Dembele after he failed to attend a training session in the wake of Barcelona's offer.
According to AS, Barca are expected to increase their bid to €140m for the 20-year-old France international. However, reports in Italy have claimed that should Dortmund refuse to sell Dembele, Barcelona are set to turn their attentions to Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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