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An update has emerged on West Bromwich Albion and their plans to strengthen the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest West Brom transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Baggies are one of three clubs eyeing up a swoop to sign Millwall central defender Jake Cooper before next month's deadline.

The report claims that Carlos Corberan's side are joined by Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers and fellow Championship outfit Leeds United in holding an interest in the 6 foot 6 titan.

It states that the English centre-back is now within the final year of his contract at the Den and that the Gers have already made contact over a possible deal to secure his services.

How good is Jake Cooper?

The 28-year-old colossus is a proven Championship performer who could come in as an upgrade on Semi Ajayi for Corberan if they are able to beat off interest from the Whites and Rangers in order to secure his signature.

Their respective performances over the past two full league seasons suggest that Cooper would provide the Spanish head coach with a better option at the heart of the defence.

The Lions star averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 and won 60% of his duels last term, which came after he averaged a rating of 7.13 and won 64% of his battles across 42 outings during the 2021/22 campaign.

Ajayi, meanwhile, failed to average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.84 or enjoy a duel success rate of higher than 63% over the last two Championship seasons.

These statistics suggest that the Millwall titan, whose 7.13 rating would have placed him top of the Baggies squad for defenders, would perform at a higher level on a consistent basis.

He could cut out opposition attacks more frequently than Ajayi as the former Reading colossus made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, which was more than any current Baggies centre-back managed, in comparison to the Nigeria international's 2.1.

Cooper would also provide West Brom with more quality in the air. He ranked among the top 5% of his positional peers for aerial duels won per 90 (5.07) across the Championship last season, whereas Ajayi ranked in the 51st percentile with 3.14 won per 90.

This suggests that the English ace could improve the team's defending from set-pieces and crosses into the box, whilst also being able to carry an attacking threat as he was directly involved in six goals last term – four more than the current Baggies enforcer.

West Brom scored the third-most goals (18) from set-pieces in the division last season and the signing of the £10k-per-week giant could push them closer to topping the charts due to his ability to make things happen with his aerial prowess.

The left-footed stopper, who was once lauded as "invaluable" by his current manager Gary Rowett, would also come in as a player who can hit the ground running as he knows the Championship and it takes to deliver consistently impressive performances at this level.

He has racked up a staggering 304 second-tier appearances in his career to date and his aforementioned statistics prove that the Millwall battler has quality as well as experience.

أعلن المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، كارلو أنشيلوتي، عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة فياريال في إطار الجولة السابعة والثلاثين من الدوري الإسباني.

ويلتقي ريال مدريد وفياريال في ملعب “لا سيراميكا”، غداً الأحد، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم، أليخاندرو هيرنانديز.

اقرأ ايضاً.. أنشيلوتي يتحدث عن تشافي بعد تقارير رحيله عن برشلونة.. ويؤكد: كورتوا أفضل حارس في العالم

ويحتل ريال مدريد صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم برصيد، 93 نقطة، بينما يأتي فياريال في المركز الثامن برصيد 51 نقطة. قائمة ريال مدريد أمام فياريال في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: كورتوا، لونين، كيبا.

خط الدفاع: كارفاخال، ناتشو، ميليتاو، لوكاس فاسكيز، فران جارسيا، أنطونيو روديجر، فيرلاند ميندي.

خط الوسط: جود بيلينجهام، توني كروس، لوكا مودريتش، إدواردو كامافينجا، فيدي فالفيردي، داني سيبابوس، أردا جولر، ماريو مارتن.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور، رودريجو، خوسيلو، إبراهيم دياز.

📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
🆚 @VillarrealCF#VillarrealRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/hdHYuVg0Cs — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 18, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to secure a shock summer signing, bolstering their attacking ranks even further…

Who are Tottenham Hotspur signing this summer?

That's according to reports in Spain, who suggest that the Lilywhites are now interested in signing Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.

The Belgian dynamo would join a host of new additions to supplement the start of Ange Postecoglou's reign, including Manor Solomon, James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

With his future in the Spanish capital decidedly up in the air, the north London outfit could capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding this star wide man.

FootballTransfers value the Belgian flyer at €18.8m (£16m), as the 29-year-old has just one year left on his current deal.

How good is Yannick Carrasco?

The pacey left winger has silently been impressing in Spain ever since return in 2020, recapturing his form from his first stint which was interrupted by his two years in China.

Having racked up 263 appearances for the Madrid outfit, just last term saw him score ten and assist a further five across all competitions despite his side being nowhere near the LaLiga winners Barcelona.

Diego Simeone has even singled him out for praise too in the past, once claiming after he had notched a hat trick:

"He is a very complete player, with a bright future ahead of him."

Carrasco boasts speed, quick feet, a lethal finish and a scything right foot, so it is not farfetched to suggest that the Belgium international could seek to emulate one of his compatriots in Eden Hazard. By moving to the Premier League, all the pieces would be in place for him to achieve such a feat.

Should this transfer come to fruition and he were to be half as successful as the 32-year-old free agent was, it would certainly mark a deal worth making.

After all, the former Chelsea man featured 352 times for the club before leaving for Real Madrid, lighting up England with his signature silkiness and dynamism.

He would score 110 times across this period and assist a further 92, with former Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson even claiming in 2018:

"Hazard is the best player in the Premier League."

He would win two Premier League titles and two Europa Leagues as well as Footballer of the Year in 2015. Whilst Carrasco is yet to achieve heights similar to this, few on the planet can even admit to reaching such a level.

That is not to suggest they are not worthy of comparison though, especially when the former AS Monaco man is compared against other wingers across Europe, as he ranks in the top 1% for total shots, non-penalty expected goals, progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as well as the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

He can beat a man and forge chances for himself, just like Hazard did in his prime.

During his final 2018/19 season in the English top-flight, where his 16 goals and 15 assists helped earn him a deserved 7.84 average rating, his 17% shot conversion, 2.6 key passes per game and 67% dribble success rate underpinned his success, via Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Carrasco's exploits in 2021/22 marked clear similarities, naturally omitting the insane goalscoring and assisting figures. His 12 goal contributions in LaLiga gave way to his 12% shot conversion, 1.6 key passes per game and 65% dribble success rate, via Sofascore.

Few will ever reach the levels Hazard maintained in England, but Atletico's speedster certainly has all the attributes to try.

It's been a summer of change in the Premier League, especially at Chelsea, as those in charge attempt to clear up the mess of last season's chaos, by welcoming Mauricio Pochettino.

Since the Argentine's arrival, the Blues have waved goodbye to a staggering 14 players in total, with some big names leaving, such as Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount, all to Premier League rivals.

They have still splashed the cash too, most notably welcoming Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, whilst also completing a deal to sign AS Monaco's Axel Disasi, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Pochettino, among the chaos of the summer transfer window, must still find a new captain at Stamford Bridge, though, following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta.

Reece James may have dropped a pretty major hint as to who that new captain will be, however.

Will Reece James be the next Chelsea captain?

Taking to TikTok, James posted a compilation of his time at Chelsea, from the academy to the first-team, with the video seemingly centred around the captain's armband, and times that the defender has taken up the role for the London club. While he also added the caption "We only getting started".

Given the fact that he's been given the armband throughout pre-season, even lifting the Premier League Summer Series alongside Thiago Silva, it would come as little surprise if it was, indeed, James who was named the new Chelsea captain.

It would be a proud moment for all involved, with the right-back coming all the way through the academy and into the first team, before becoming one of the best players in his position in the world.

In such a young squad, Pochettino will be keen to identify some clear leaders ahead of what will be an important first season in charge of the club. If James is to receive the armband, then his new manager will hope to see the England international hit the ground running.

How have Chelsea performed in pre-season?

Becoming the first-ever team to win the Premier League Summer Series, against Brentford, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Fulham, it's fair to say that Chelsea's pre-season has been a success so far.

In the three games that they played during the series, Chelsea defeated Brighton 4-3, drew against Newcastle 1-1, and defeated Fulham 2-0. New arrivals Jackson and Nkunku netted two goals apiece in an impressive start to life in a Chelsea shirt.

To finish an impressive pre-season, the Blues will square off against Borussia Dortmund on 3 August, before getting their Premier League campaign underway with a tough test against Liverpool on 13 August.

If Pochettino's side can get off to a perfect start against the Reds, then they will set themselves up to enjoy a solid start to life under their new manager. It will certainly be a difficult opening game, but Chelsea's pre-season form has been more than encouraging enough to warrant hope.

The London club may well be one of the most interesting sides to watch in the coming campaign, with few knowing quite what to predict from a new, and much younger, Chelsea side in the coming months.

Jose Cifuentes remains a target of Scottish side Rangers, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Ecuadorian has spent the last four seasons in the MLS but now looks set to depart the United States in search of European football.

Who is Jose Cifuentes?

Cifuentes is one of the MLS' most highly sought-after players.

The defensive midfielder joined the LA club in January 2020 for €2.73m(£2.3m) from CD Universidad Católica, and in his three years in America has made 121 appearances, scoring 15 and assisting 20 whilst helping the club win their first-ever MLS Cup as well as the Supporters Shield in the same season.

The Ecuadorian really caught the eye during the U20 World Cup in 2019, with South American football expert Tim Vickery full of praise for the player at the time, stating: "He was the beating heart of that side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder. He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while."

The midfielder has reportedly been a target of both Celtic and Rangers for a number of years now, with the Bhoys interest dating back to 2019 following the U20 World Cup, however, it seems like Rangers may be the side to secure the 24-year-old's signature following a breakthrough in talks according to a report from FootballInsider.

Reports state that Cifuentes could be one of two new additions in the coming days for the Gers, with Feyenoord striker Danilo potentially becoming the third striking addition this window after the club submitted an improved £5.2m bid for the Brazilian forward

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian journalist Romano revealed that talks were progressing, with just a few issues to sort out before the transfer can be considered complete: "For Cifuentes they're negotiating for a long time. So there are still talks ongoing. Also, some crucial parts of the deal for the player side need to be wrapped, but this remains a very concrete possibility.”

Who could Jose Cifuentes be replacing?

There are two main candidates who could leave the club should Cifuentes join this summer.

Finnish midfielder Glen Kamara has fallen out of favour at Ibrox following the arrival of Michael Beale last season, leading to the manager declaring that the player "could be sold" this summer, with a report stating that recently relegated Leeds United could make a move for the 27-year-old for around £5m. Kamara has been pushing for a move this summer, with reports from Turkey suggesting that the Finland international had handed in a transfer request in order to push through a move away from the club just one year on from the defeat in the Europa League final.

Another player who could leave the club is Scott Wright. The winger reportedly was the subject of a concrete offer from former manager Steven Gerrard at his new club Al Ettifaq, however, he is now closing in on a move to Super Lig side Pendikspor, following in the footsteps of teammate Ryan Kent in heading to the Turkish league. Beale also seemed to confirm this move in the same interview when he confirmed that the club were closing in on signing Cifuentes, saying that Wright would be "limited for game time".

Cifuentes would be a fantastic purchase for the Gers, and would help the club close the gap on Celtic for next season.

Nathan Buck took a career-best 6 for 34 for Northants as Durham’s season showed few signs of clearing under heavy Chester-le-Street skies

ECB Reporters Network02-Jun-2017
ScorecardNathan Buck returned career-best figures•Getty Images

Nathan Buck continued his excellent start with Northamptonshire by taking a career-best 6 for 34 as wickets tumbled in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.Durham, still on minus 24 points at the foot of division two, were dismissed for 166 then had Northants rocking on 28 for 3 before Max Holden and Chesney Hughes steered them to 59 for 3 at the close.At 26, Buck is starting to fulfil his undoubted potential with his third county and is the joint second highest wicket-taker in division two with 27.It was inevitable that Northants would bowl when play began at 1.10 following rain. Heavy cloud persisted for most of the day, and the tinge of green in the pitch could hardly have been intended to suit a home attack shorn of five seamers.Paul Coughlin and Irishman Barry McCarthy opened the bowling for Durham with 22-year-old Scot Gavin Main in support, making his second championship appearance three years after the first.Northants’ four seamers maintained a probing accuracy on a day when no wickets fell in the first ten or the last six overs, with the 45 in between yielding 13, nine of them to edged catches. Northants had five slips at one stage.The going was always tough, but the Durham openers put on 30 before Stephen Cook’s disappointing form continued with an edge to second slip off Rory Kleinveldt.Then Buck struck with his seventh ball, which lifted and left Keaton Jennings for a catch behind.Buck bagged two of the three lbws and the only catch in front of the wicket completed his second successive five-for when extra bounce found the shoulder of McCarthy’s bat and the ball lobbed to mid-off.With 24 overs to bat, Northants lost Rob Newton in the thrid over, when Coughlin’s pace produced a flying edge to first slip.Alex Wakeley and Rob Keogh were both strangled down the leg side off McCarthy, although Keogh’s was more of an authentic glance, brilliantly pouched by the diving Stuart Poynter.Ex-Derbyshire man Hughes, given his chance by the absence of Ben Duckett and the concussed Richard Levi, looked as confident as any batsman in his unbeaten 16. Bad light ended play with eight overs still to bowl at 6.40.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to bolster Michael Beale's attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest on Danilo to Rangers?

According to the Daily Record, Danilo has told his club that he wants to join the Light Blues before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Brazilian attacker informed Feyenoord of his decision over the weekend as he would like to make the move to Ibrox in the coming weeks.

This should come as a big boost to Beale in his attempts to land the attacker as it could put pressure on the Dutch side to be accommodating in negotiations in order to prevent them from ending up with an unhappy player for the rest of the season.

It states that the Gers have already had an offer of £3.5m turned down and that it will take a fee in the region of £5m to secure his services.

This comes as the club are closing in on the signing of Nigeria international forward Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese for a total package of €6.5m (£5.6m).

How did Danilo perform last season?

The 24-year-old number nine enjoyed a strong campaign with Feyenoord in spite of his limited game time as he showcased his impressive finishing ability domestically and in Europe.

His form in the Netherlands suggests that there is an exciting player for Beale to unearth and the English head coach could excite Rangers supporters by pairing him with current Ibrox star Todd Cantwell.

Danilo, who was once praised by Erik ten Hag as the manager's best "finisher" at Ajax, plundered an outstanding ten goals and three assists in 14 Eredivisie starts,

This shows that the right-footed dynamo often took his chances when given an opportunity on the pitch. Meanwhile, no Gers player with fewer than 15 Premiership starts hit double figures for goals last term.

He also found the back of the net twice in six Europa League starts, which means that the former Ajax prospect also has experience playing and scoring in European competitions.

His superb performances in front of goal are not a flash in the pan, either, as the 6-foot hotshot produced an eye-catching 17 goals and five assists in 31 Eredivisie starts on loan at FC Twente during the 2020/21 campaign, one more strike than any Rangers player managed last season.

Cantwell, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 – a score no other attacker or midfielder matched – across 16 Premiership outings in 2022/23. The Englishman scored six goals to go along with his five assists.

The former Norwich ace caught the eye with his silky ability on the ball, which was combined with a quality end product, proviing himself capable of making a big impact in the final third.

This means that Beale could pair an outstanding number ten with the ability to be a scorer and a creator with a Brazilian striker who has the potential to be a lethal attacker, something that would no doubt get fans excited ahead of next season.

تحدث مدرب مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، بعد الفوز على نيوكاسل، في ربع نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وحقق مانشستر سيتي فوزًا على نيوكاسل بهدفين دون مقابل، وسجل له برناردو سيلفا، ليتأهل للدور نصف النهائي.

وقال جوارديولا، لـ “بي بي سي”: “يبدو الأمر جيدًا حقًا، أعلم أننا نلعب من أجل الفوز بالنهائيات، عليك الفوز في الجولات التي تسبق النهائي”.

وأضاف: “لقد فزنا بأربعة نهائيات لكأس كاراباو على التوالي ونحن الآن في نصف نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي للمرة السادسة على التوالي”.

وأردف مدرب مانشستر سيتي: “إن الركض واللعب بالطريقة التي لعبوا بها أمر لا يصدق، تهانينا للفريق، لم يفعل أحد ذلك من قبل”.

وأشار جوارديولا: “لقد لعبنا بشكل جيد حقًا، كنا آمنين للغاية مع الكرة، احتفظ ماتيو ورودري وبرناردو بالكرة بشكل جيد، كانت المباراة جيدة حقًا”.

وأتم: “تروننا عندما نعود كل ثلاثة أيام، نحتاج إلى عودة كيفين دي بروين وجاك جريليش وإيرلينج هالاند في أفضل حال ممكن”.

Tottenham Hotspur have now been handed the opportunity to sign Udinese striker Beto, who will be available for €30m (£26m) this summer, according to a report from Defensa Central.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is highly unlikely to sanction a sale of Harry Kane this summer, however new options at striker are still being considered, with Ange Postecoglou keen to reunite with Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Hoops may be tempted to accept a bid of £16m for the Japanese forward, however returning manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted he is not worried about Postecoglou raiding his former club.

Beto has recently been subject to interest from Everton, with the Toffees even making a bid for the striker back in the January transfer window, and his services have now been offered to a number of top clubs across Europe.

According to a report from Defensa Central, the Udinese star's agents have been in contact with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Tottenham to discuss a potential summer move, however at the moment there is no concrete interest.

Udinese want to keep hold of the 25-year-old for the 2023-24 campaign, and they will only sanction his departure if his release clause, which amounts to €30m (£26m), is paid in full.

At the moment, none of the clubs that have been contacted are willing to match the Italian club's asking price.

Who is Beto?

The Portuguese marksman first made a name for himself with Portimonense, registering 16 goal contributions in 47 games, before completing a €10m (£8.6m) move to Udinese in August 2021, where he has continued to impress.

In his first two seasons in the Serie A, the Lisbon-born attacker has reached double figures for goals, netting on ten occasions in the 2022-23 season, a very respectable return given that Udinese ended up finishing 12th.

Evidently, the former Portimonense man would find it very difficult to get game time at Tottenham if Kane stays this summer, given that the England captain scored a remarkable 30 goals in the Premier League last season, however he could still be a worthwhile signing.

Journalist Sam Tighe has claimed that Beto "spooks defenders" with the runs he makes in the channel, and at 6 foot 4, he could be a good option to bring off the bench when Tottenham are chasing a game and implement a more direct system.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said familiar conditions at home will help his side rebound mentally from the India tour

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Nov-2016

Australia’s Test-match losing streak may be making headlines, but their neighbours across the Tasman have not fared much better this year. Of nine Tests played in 2016, New Zealand has lost six, winning only the two matches against Zimbabwe. Their four most-recent results have all been losses.Unlike for Australia, however, the losing streak has come overseas, against formidable opposition: the first loss came against South Africa, and the next three in India, where many teams have suffered in the last three years.Now back at home, with a grassy pitch before them and a long summer ahead, coach Mike Hesson has said his team will not dwell on the overseas failures. They will instead aim to fall back on memories of their unbeaten stretch at home between 2013 and 2015.”I think we’ve won seven out of our 11 Tests at home in the last three years, with a couple of draws and a couple of losses,” Hesson said. “You do that because conditions are familiar to you, and you adapt quicker than other sides.”We’ve been stressing the fact that we need to prepare for conditions that we’re more familiar with. We’ve got some experience to draw on over the last three or four years. It’s a matter of going through that rather than reliving India. Conditions over there were significantly different to what we’re going to face over here.”New Zealand’s batsmen had had a particularly torrid tour of India, where no one managed a century across three Tests. Their main destroyers on that tour had been spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who shared 41 scalps between them. Hesson said his batsmen had rebounded mentally since that series, which ended a month ago.”The conditions are here very different, so the skillset required is different. We acknowledge that we didn’t adapt as well as we needed to in India. Hence, we underachieved, especially with the bat. Here, I’m very confident the guys know the conditions.’We’ve got some experience to draw on over the last three or four years. It’s a matter of going through that rather than reliving India’ – Mike Hesson•Associated Press

“There was a period of having to deal with dented confidence, but that was some time ago. At the time we needed to dwell on some of the areas we hadn’t performed well in, and we’ve done that. Then we need to move on – that’s the nature of international cricket. When you perform and you win easily, you don’t dwell on that either. You move on.”The top order will have to contend with the likes of Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah, as they battle for Test form. Pakistan’s attack had delivered two Test victories in England this year, and Hesson believes they are a particularly dynamic outfit.”We’ll be challenged by this Pakistan attack, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “They’ve got an attack that suits all conditions around the world. They swing the new ball, they reverse it, and they’ve got a very good spinner. They’ve also got experience in their batting line up. They’re tough in every condition, so they’re bowling attack is going to pose some challenges for us.”The Hagley Oval surface has generally been seam-friendly over the first two days of the Test. Although it had a significant covering of grass two days from the Test, Hesson expected the pitch to settle quickly.”The pitch has good pace and bounce, which stays throughout. And I think it turns into a pretty flat surface. It’s one of those surfaces where you are going to need to have resources to bowl a lot of overs, rather than think you’re going to bowl them out in a session and a half. I don’t think it’s going to be like that.”