All posts by h716a5.icu

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will look to sign either Andre Onana or David Raya in the summer but will face competition for Chelsea.

Who will Spurs sign as a goalkeeper?

It's no secret that Spurs are in the market for a new goalkeeper with club captain and World Cup winner Hugo Lloris expected to depart.

Indeed, this was recently reported by The Times which went on to say that Brentford shot-stopper Raya is a prime candidate to arrive in north London.

Inter goalkeeper Onana has also been linked with a move to Spurs but Premier League rivals are said to be in the race for the former Ajax man too.

While discussing the possible transfer situation between these English clubs on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones claimed that if Tottenham ends up signing Onana, then Raya will join the other club and vice versa.

He explained (31:09): “I mean, at the moment the links are Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United.

"I mean, I was speaking to someone today about this and we were trying to figure out both what we'd heard and where we thought he [Raya] might go.

"And we were like, basically what we think is going to happen here is Onana is wanted by all these teams too – mainly to be fair, Tottenham and Chelsea because [David] De Gea will probably end up staying.

“So it's like, whoever gets Onana, Raya ends up going to the other club.”

Will Raya join Tottenham or Chelsea?

It remains to be seen who Spurs will prefer to chase but with Onana keeping a clean sheet in two Champions League semi-final legs against AC Milan to send Inter to the final, it's safe to say he's got a slightly higher profile right now.

However, Raya has proven himself as a pretty impressive goalkeeper in England, keeping an impressive 19 clean sheets from 60 games during Brentford's first-ever two seasons in the Premier League.

Seeing as Tottenham are certain to finish higher in the divisions than Chelsea, they might seem like the most attractive option in some sense.

However, both teams are currently not in great shape and Daniel Levy might struggle to make any major transfer advances while his side fails to have either a manager or a sporting director.

In west London, however, Mauricio Pochettino is set to take charge so the Blues may be able to swoop in and have their pick of Onana or Raya first, leaving the unwanted goalkeeper to arrive at Spurs.

Manchester City may have to brace themselves for a transfer battle next summer, with Real Madrid eyeing up a potential bid for Erling Haaland according to a report from L'Equipe.

Will Erling Haaland leave Manchester City?

The Premier League side have stormed to another league title this campaign, with the club reaching 89 points following their midweek draw. A large part of their success can be put down to the unbelievable form of Haaland, who has bagged goals aplenty throughout the season.

The striker has so far managed to score an incredible 36 goals in just 35 league appearances for the side this campaign. Throw in a further eight assists and it means that the former Borussia Dortmund man has an average of 1.43 goals or assists per game.

Now, having continued to light up England having already taken on Germany, Real Madrid may have a move for the player in their sights. According to L'Equipe, the Spanish giants want to complete a huge transfer deal next summer that would see either Kylian Mbappe or Haaland head to La Liga. They have yet to decide who, but it means that come 2024, the striker may be on the wanted list and City could therefore face a battle to retain one of their star players.

Are Real Madrid signing Erling Haaland?

If the Spanish side did choose to bid for the Man City striker, they would be getting themselves guaranteed goals. Haaland's rate currently suggests as much, and it was a similar story at Dortmund, where he bagged an insane amount of 62 goals in 59 starts. This is therefore not a flash-in-the-pan season from the attacker. The Norwegian has also had plenty of plaudits, including football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who stated that he is a "monster" due to his goalscoring ability.

It would likely not be cheap for Madrid if they did want to add Haaland to their ranks, though. The CIES Football Observatory suggests that his value is around €200m (£173m). That would mean it would be one of the biggest ever deals in football history if he was to leave City for that fee. Based on his goalscoring record though, it might actually be worth it – but whether Pep Guardiola would even entertain the idea of selling him so soon remains to be seen.

Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza reached out to the England players with whom, he said, a deeper bond can be developed if the October tour goes ahead

Mohammad Isam24-Aug-2016Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza reached out to the England players with whom, he said, a deeper bond can be developed if the October tour goes ahead. The three-member ECB delegation, which recently completed a security assessment ahead of England’s tour to Bangladesh and India, are due to brief the one-day team on Thursday. England are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on September 30 for two Tests and three ODIs.”I would tell all the players to come to Bangladesh,” Mashrafe said. “I can assure you that you can play cricket here wholeheartedly. You don’t have to think of anything else. It will be a competitive series. Our friendship will get deeper if we play in this series. It is not just about the game. There are a lot of things connected to this series. We are hoping that they would come here to play. From what I have heard, our security forces are giving it the highest attention. I have confidence in them since we have hosted many big tournaments in the recent past.”As a player I would urge for cricket to continue. These incidents are happening all over the world and if we postpone playing now, there will be a time when we would have to stop the game. We all have to keep our faith on the ECB team that visited recently as well as the two boards.”Last month, after the ECB said it would follow government advice on touring Bangladesh following the terror attack in Dhaka on July 1, Mashrafe had said he was hopeful of the tour going ahead. He didn’t rule out communication initiated by Bangladeshi cricketers to urge their English counterparts. He also said that England’s participation in this year’s Under-19 World Cup gave them confidence that the tour will go ahead.”If some of the players have a friendly relationship, they may knock each other. But these things are mainly dealt by the boards, on whom we have to depend upon,” he said. “I believe that the ECB is taking it very seriously, and they will be satisfied with our security plan.”England has been with us from day one and I believe they will be with us now as well. They sent their team to the U19 World Cup.”Mashrafe also said that the Bangladesh players’ body, the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), could still play a role in discussing player safety with their counterpart, the Professional Cricketers’ Association.”I think steps can be taken through our players association, because it does have an impact. Maybe our players’ body isn’t the strongest but I still feel that if there’s an opportunity, we can venture into that avenue too. A lot is at stake here.”

Manchester United appear to be eyeing a move for FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa this summer.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Costa?

The Red Devils look set for a busy summer in the transfer market, despite the ongoing takeover saga at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag previously made midfield and attacking additions his top targets ahead of his second season in charge, although defensive reinforcements also seem to be on the cards.

Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae could be one of the first through the door in Manchester, with reports suggesting that the South Korea international’s £52m release clause will be triggered by the Red Devils hierarchy.

Another player with a big release clause is Costa, and with Ten Hag expressing his desire to sign a new goalkeeper over the coming months to challenge David de Gea, it looks as if the Porto man is another target.

Sport Witness relayed an update from A Bola regarding Costa and Manchester United in the last 48 hours.

They claimed that the Portuguese goalkeeper is set to leave Porto this summer, with the Red Devils the only club named in the update. It is believed that United “accept to pay” the player’s €75m (£65m) release clause to get him signed but don’t say if a move has been made so far.

Who is Diogo Costa?

Costa, who actually shares the same agency as former United striker Cristiano Ronaldo, is 23 years of age and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €45m Transfermarkt valuation.

An 11-cap Portugal international, Costa has progressed through the Porto academy and has made 109 senior appearances for the club, 41 of which have come during the 2022/23 season.

He has kept 47 clean sheets for Porto in all competitions and appears to be going from strength to strength, with journalist Karan Tejwani calling the player “absolutely sensational”.

As per WhoScored, Costa has outperformed De Gea this season when it comes to average match rating, so you could argue that he would be a shrewd signing to come in and challenge the Spaniard, provided he extends his Old Trafford contract.

United will once again be playing in four competitions next season, so bringing in another high-quality keeper in Costa could be a shrewd move, and by the looks of it, a move for the Porto man is one to watch over the coming months.

Jonathan Carter and Miguel Cummins gave a good account of themselves on the opening day of West Indians’ two-day fixture against Emirates Cricket Board XI in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Miguel Cummins, who made his Test debut against India in July, impressed on the opening day of WICB’s warm-up fixture•Associated PressJonathan Carter and Miguel Cummins gave a good account of themselves on the opening day of West Indians’ two-day fixture against Emirates Cricket Board XI in Dubai.The fast-bowling pair picked up seven wickets between them to reduce their opponents to 56 for 7, after the batsmen, led by Shai Hope and Leon Johnson scored half-centuries in their total of 249 for 6 declared in 70 overs.The West Indians, who have already lost the T20I and ODI series against Pakistan, had each of the top six batsmen getting off to starts after they elected to bat. Apart from Hope and Johnson, Roston Chase, who brought up his maiden Test century against India in Jamaica in July, and Jermaine Blackwood retired on 38 and 45 respectively.An opportunity for some of the fringe players like Johnson, Shane Dowrich and Jonathan Carter, all of whom chipped in with useful contributions, came up as three regulars in the Test squad – Kraigg Brathwaite, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo – are in the midst of the ODI series against Pakistan.Offspinner Rohan Mustafa and medium-pacer Amjad Javed picked up one wicket apiece for the Emirates Cricket Board XI. With the bat, only Shaiman Anwar offered any sort of resistance to end the day unbeaten on 23. He was the only one to reach double figures as five of his team-mates didn’t open their accounts.

Aston Villa ended their 2022/23 campaign in a successful fashion as they finished seventh in the Premier League and secured Europa Conference League football.

Unai Emery has led the club to European football in his first season at the helm, despite not being in charge for the entire year, and now has his first summer transfer window to tinker with his squad.

Last month, Football Insider reported that the Villans are keen on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips and are not dissuaded by the player's public intention to remain at The Etihad.

This suggests that the latest report from The Telegraph, which claims that Newcastle are frustrated in their efforts to sign the England ace due to his commitment to Pep Guardiola's side, does not change anything for Villa and their own pursuit.

Would Kalvin Phillips be a success at Aston Villa?

The enforcer, who joined City from Leeds United for £45m last year, could be a big success for the Villans as his form for Leeds in the past suggests that there is a big upgrade on current star Boubacar Kamara that could be unearthed.

Phillips, who ex-England boss Steve McClaren hailed as a "destroyer", only started 20 Premier League matches in the last two seasons combined for City and the Whites but his first campaign in the top flight with his boyhood club showcased his ability at that level.

In 2020/21, the Englishman averaged a hugely impressive Sofascore rating of 7.21 across 29 appearances, made 4.2 tackles and interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game. The midfield battler displayed his quality in and out of possession as he regularly cut out opposition attacks whilst also being able to create chances for his teammates in the final third.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Phillips to be a big upgrade on Kamara, who averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.79 and made 3.2 tackles and interceptions and 0.3 key passes per game for the Villans in the Premier League this season.

The City man also averaged more progressive passes per 90 in 20/21 (5.08) than the Frenchman this season (4.25) suggesting that he has the ability to progress the ball more often to get his team into better positions to attack the other team.

Emery has also proven that he has the coaching ability to get the best out of players who were previously out of sorts, with his work with Ollie Watkins this term fine evidence.

The striker had scored just two goals in 14 Premier League matches prior to the World Cup break but went on to score 13 goals and provide three assists in 23 games after the tournament under the Spaniard's management.

This suggests that the ex-Arsenal tactician could repeat a similar trick with Phillips and get him back to his best in the middle of the park.

If Villa sign the Manchester City midfielder and are able to help him rediscover his form then he could be a huge upgrade on Kamara.

England one-day allrounder Liam Dawson has signed up at the last minute for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League in defiance of security advice

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2016England one-day allrounder Liam Dawson has signed up at the last minute for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League.He becomes the latest English player to reject advice from the Professional Cricketers Association not to take part in the tournament for security reasons.Dawson, unused on England’s ODI tour of Bangladesh, will travel to Dhaka later this week and will remain for the entire tournament.The Rangpur franchise is coached by former Bangladesh batsman Javed Omar and captained by Shahid Afridi, who featured alongside Dawson for Hampshire in the 2016 NatWest T20 Blast.England’s tour of Bangladesh went ahead only after detailed security arrangements were put in place following a terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe frequented by Westerners in July.That led the PCA’s chief executive David Leatherdale to advise all English cricketers to stay away from the BPL, which runs from November 4 until December 9, because the same levels of security could not be promised for a Twenty20 domestic competition.Dawson joins former England players Ravi Bopara and Samit Patel, among others, in accepting security assurances from the Bangladesh Cricket Board.”It’s going to be a good challenge,” Dawson said. “There’s some very good overseas players in the competition, so it’ll be hard work from a cricket point of view, but I hope I can put in some good performances and do myself proud.”

Liverpool are now looking "very unlikely" to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone this summer, according to reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Has Kone been linked with Liverpool move?

The Reds have already signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton in recent days, in what is a big addition in a much-needed area of the pitch. It would be a big surprise, and an unacceptable decision, if Liverpool's summer spending stopped there, however, with more additions required.

One player who has been continually linked with a move to Anfield in the upcoming transfer window is Kone, who has enjoyed a strong season in a Monchengladbach shirt. The £37,000-a-week Frenchman started 30 Bundesliga games last season, also picking up 12 yellow cards to show what a combative player he is.

While it has looked fairly likely that the 22-year-old could be joining Mac Allister at Liverpool this summer, a new update has emerged suggesting quite the opposite.

Is Kone's move to Anfield now off?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg claimed that Kone's potential move to Liverpool is now looking off the table this summer:

"News #Kone: Been told a transfer to #LFC is very unlikely. Yes, he’s on a shortlist because of his interesting profile but not a hot transfer target for Liverpool at this stage. For M‘Gladbach he’s still a top candidate for sale. But no concrete offers yet. @borussia demands more than €30m."

This is a clearly a setback for Liverpool in their pursuit of midfielders, with Kone someone who looks like such an exciting option, and a player whose style of play looks ideal to what they need.

That is highlighted by an average of 2.5 tackles per game in the Bundesliga in 2022/23 – more than any other Monchengladbach player – and his age means he could mature into a truly formidable player over time, having been lauded as "fantastic" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and a "one-man army" in midfield against Bayern Munich last season.

Should Liverpool fail to bring in Kone, however, it is essential that a tailor-made option comes in, with Nice's Khephren Thuram one player who has been strongly linked with a switch to Merseyside. Another midfielder alongside him would also be required, though.

A move for Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia has been mooted, which could make sense as an alternative to Kone, although at 19, he is arguably not as ready to come straight in as a key player for the Reds from the off.

Leeds United are in the market for a new head coach ahead of their 2023/24 campaign following their relegation down to the Championship.

Sam Allardyce departed Elland Road after he failed to retain the club's Premier League status and the Whites must now find someone to lead them back to the top-flight in the next 12 months.

The Athletic recently reported that Angus Kinnear is starting to approach candidates and is currently looking at proven and safe options to take the role, with ex-Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard named as one of the contenders.

However, the club could have more success if they look abroad. The Whites have reportedly identified French coach Regis Le Bris as a possible option, and he would be a better appointment than the former Liverpool midfielder.

Who is Regis Le Bris?

He is a 47-year-old manager who is currently in charge of FC Lorient in Ligue 1, after working as the B team boss, and typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 setup.

The Frenchman enjoyed a strong first campaign in senior management by leading his club to a tenth-place finish in the top flight of French football – earning 1.45 points per game in the division.

Kinnear could play a blinder by opting against a 'safe' option and pursuing a deal for Le Bris as the tinkerer could enjoy more success in West Yorkshire than Gerrard would.

Now Rangers head coach Michael Beale worked alongside the ex-England international for his entire time at Ibrox and their first season together at Villa before the assistant left in the summer of 2022.

The 43-year-old then lost six of his 11 Premier League matches, winning two of them, in charge of the Villans at the start of the 2022/23 campaign before being relieved of his duties. Although, the chief also only won 1.3 points per game in 2021/22 with the English side, which is still less impressive than Le Bris' achievements in France.

This is a big red flag, as you could infer that Beale played a significant role in the tactician's success prior to his exit last year and that Gerrard's struggles earlier this season were a result of him not having the ex-Chelsea coach by his side.

Therefore, he could struggle at Leeds without the 42-year-old, who is now in his element as a first-team manager at one of the biggest clubs in Scotland, whereas Le Bris would be ready to come straight in off the back of an impressive debut in senior management.

Gerrard struggled badly without Beale at Villa, and his poor form there, in comparison to the Lorient coach's solid Ligue 1 record, suggests that he would not be a good appointment for the Whites.

Therefore, Kinnear could play a blinder by avoiding a swoop for the Englishman and instead bringing Le Bris in to lead Leeds back to the big time.

Tom Curran and Jack Leach combined to spark a spectacular UAE collapse in Dubai as England Lions took a 2-0 lead in their three-match one-day series

ECB Reporters Network03-Dec-2016
ScorecardTom Curran in action for Surrey [file photo]•Getty ImagesTom Curran and Jack Leach combined to spark a spectacular UAE collapse at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as England Lions took a 2-0 lead in their three-match one-day series.Curran took 5 for 16 to follow a handy 40 with the bat, and Leach ended with 3 for 7 from 6.2 overs as the UAE lost their last nine wickets for 27 inside 14 overs. They face a final match on Monday with the series settled.The home team seemed to be heading for a comfortable win to square the series at 63 for 1 after the Lions had struggled to 190 all out with 15 balls of their innings remaining.But after Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone had broken the UAE’s second-wicket stand with some occasional offspin, as Ghulam Shabber pulled him to Keaton Jennings at midwicket, Leach and his Somerset team-mate Craig Overton piled on the pressure.Leach had Shaiman Anwar caught at the third attempt by Joe Clarke, and Overton then produced an athletic piece of fielding to run out Mohammed Qasim from short fine leg.Then Curran, who had taken the first wicket in a lively four-over opening spell, returned for the 23rd over, and proved irresistible in a burst of 4 for 9 in four overs.”You have some days in your career that stand out and I’ll remember this: taking five wickets for the England Lions,” said the 21-year-old, who is relishing his return to Dubai with the Lions after starring in their T20 victory over Pakistan A last December.”They had a bit of a partnership but we stayed calm, and when I came back for a second spell I had a chat with the skipper and we said let’s go for it.That skipper, Keaton Jennings, will now fly to India to join the senior England squad ahead of the fourth Test in Mumbai.Leach took the key wicket of Rohan Mustafa, the UAE opener who was seventh out for 45, caught off a top-edged sweep.The Lions made five changes from the team who won the first match of the series on Thursday, with Leach, James Fuller, Nick Gubbins and Tom Helm making their debuts.But Jennings lost his second toss as captain, and after losing Gubbins to a top-edged pull in the fourth over the captain fell for 21 in the 11th, edging a catch to the UAE wicketkeeper, the Lions were 48 for 2.Tom Alsop, the Hampshire youngster making his second Lions appearance, responded positively by hitting seven boundaries in an innings of 44 from 46 balls.But wickets continued to fall steadily, with Clarke, Livingstone and Ben Foakes all out cheaply to leave the Lions tottering at 90 for 6.Then Fuller joined Curran in a sensible seventh-wicket stand of 53 in 13 overs that was to prove crucial later on. After Fuller went for 35 from 49 balls, Overton joined Curran to hit 23 from 35 balls including the only two sixes of the innings, before the innings quickly subsided.”I want to make the most of the time out here to work really hard on my batting,” added Curran. “I’ve been given the responsibility of batting at No. 7 and I really enjoyed it. I was just disappointed to get out when I was ready to pull the trigger.”Kevin Shine, the ECB’s fast-bowling coach who is part of the Lions staff in Dubai, praised Curran for “bowling with pace, skill and aggression to turn the game”.Shine also highlighted “an assured debut” for Helm, the Middlesex quick, who was fast-tracked into the Lions team from the Pace Programme having impressed in the nets in Dubai.