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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be happy with Andrea Berta’s transfer talks to offload a “sensational talent”, with the Gunners believed to be locked in exit discussions after a meeting in the last 48 hours.

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Fresh off a solid start to their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win over Man United at Old Trafford, Arteta could still see a host of deals conducted at the Emirates Stadium ahead of deadline day on September 1.

Unfortunately for the supporters who wanted to see Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze link up with Arteta, that dream appears to be on the verge of collapsing.

Tottenham have verbally agreed a deal for Eze after Arsenal’s reported hesitation to move for the England international, with the club apparently deciding not to move, partly due to their desire for Ethan Nwaneri to get more minutes this season (talkSPORT).

Meanwhile, it is now believed that winger Leandro Trossard is on the verge of signing a brand-new deal at Arsenal, following previous reports that Berta could move for another left-winger if the Belgian leaves.

Given he is set for a salary increase, but the actual length of his deal hasn’t changed, it is unclear exactly what Arsenal’s plans are for the long-term when it comes to bringing in an eventual replacement for the 30-year-old.

However, in the meantime, Arsenal’s focus could be purely focused on outgoing transfers.

Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior have all been linked with moves away from N5 in the last few weeks.

Stuttgart remain in lengthy talks for Vieira, which now centre around the possibility of a loan deal that includes an obligation to buy for £17 million, dependent on certain conditions.

Zinchenko has attracted interest from Italy and Turkey, with some reports suggesting that the Ukraine international has already discussed a move to Fenerbache with José Mourinho (Sabah).

Arsenal in talks to offload with FC Porto to offload Jakub Kiwior

According to GiveMeSport, following a meeting on Monday with FC Porto, Arsenal are also locked in talks over letting Jakub Kiwior depart for the Primeira Liga on loan.

The Poland international deputised brilliantly for the injured Gabriel at the back end of 2024/2025, impressing with some solid performances, but Kiwior is firmly a squad player under Arteta.

GMS report that Porto are pushing to sign Kiwior on a temporary deal, including an obligation to buy for 2026, with the major obstacle in negotiations believed to be the 25-year-old’s wages.

Francesco Farioli’s side want Arsenal to cover the majority of his salary before agreeing a move. It is interesting to note that, given just how highly Arteta rates the player, the Spaniard may not be keen to lose a reliable member of his squad.

Kiwior has also been called a “sensational talent” during his time in N5, but Portugal could now be beckoning.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge says that England are ready to park the criticism that followed their early exit from the T20 World Cup, and renew their focus on the “fearless” brand of cricket that went missing at the crucial moments of their decisive group-stage defeat to West Indies in Dubai last month.Speaking in the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I against World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “become a bad side in eight overs”, after an error-strewn performance in the field had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en route to a place in the semi-finals at England’s expense.England’s poor performance drew an unprecedented reaction in the media, not least from the former World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who called into question the players’ fitness levels – a point that was flatly rejected last week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. However, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the growth of the women’s game.”That’s part of the game now isn’t it?” she said. “We put ourselves out there, people can say what they want, but all that matters is in our circle, and we’re all working really hard every day in training and games. We want to keep improving individually and as a team. And people are entitled to say what they want out of this group. That’s fine. We know what’s going on, so that’s all that matters.”We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last few years, and we played some great cricket throughout the World Cup as well,” she added. “And we’re all here now in South Africa, and we’re really excited to get going. We just want to focus on playing that fearless brand of cricket that we’ve played over the last couple of years, and just enjoy it.”South Africa pulled off the shock of the tournament to beat defending champions Australia in their semi-final, before losing to New Zealand in their second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup final. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they would pose another stiff challenge to her team, even though they have chosen to rest two senior players, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format series.England “did not become a bad side in eight overs” against West Indies, says Wyatt-Hodge•ICC/Getty Images

“They’ve got a few youngsters in their squad, so we’re not going to be familiar with some of their bowlers,” Wyatt-Hodge said, with Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase among the unfamiliar names.”We’re going to sit down and have a look at what they do, but they’ve got some outstanding players on their team, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They’re a very challenging team to play against, but it’s always really good fun to come out here and play against them in their conditions. We’re really buzzing to get going.”One potential trump card for England could be the recall of Lauren Filer, their fastest bowler, who was overlooked for the conditions at the World Cup, but who can expect to relish the harder surfaces of South Africa over the coming weeks.”Filer’s bowling has really improved over the last year or so,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “She’s very scary to face in the nets, and especially out here, the pitches are quite quick and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out here. She’s been working really hard, and if she gets a chance, I’m sure she’s raring to go.”The timing of the series, and the multi-format nature, means that England are sure to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. But Wyatt-Hodge recognised the significance of the tour in its own right, especially given the need to bounce back from their recent disappointments.Related

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“This is a massive series for us, leading up to the Ashes as well. We want to go out there and show off our skills, and show everyone how good we are.”We’ve had a few meetings, there’s always ways we can be better,” she added. “Personally, I’ve got things on the work on, like many of the other girls, so we want to keep pushing ourselves to be better and better.Even though I’m 33, I still feel like one of the youngsters, I feel about 23. I just want to have fun, but also, when I’m on it, I’m on it and I’m focused. I just want to keep working hard, and hopefully the youngsters see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to keep improving and working hard. We want to inspire them as well, to do what we’re doing.”The tour will conclude with a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein, starting on December 15, and though Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I just play what’s in front of me,” she admitted the prospect of adding a third Test cap to her tally was an enticing one.”We don’t really play that much of it, so every time I’m picked in a Test squad, it’s a really special feeling,” she said. “To make my Test debut in the Ashes Test couple of years ago was one of the best days I’ve had in my cricketing career. It hits different, a Test match does. We all really enjoy the challenge. It’s just so different, so having a Test match here against South Africa is going to be great prep going into the Ashes.”

Perennial wooden-spooners, they cruised to victory in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy’s final season

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2024

Grace Scrivens holds the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy aloft•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Sunrisers completed their turnaround from perennial wooden spoon winners to become the last-ever regional winners of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Sunrisers failed to win a match in the first three editions of the competition – first held in 2020 – but Kate Coppack’s 4 for 27 and Cordelia Griffith’s half-century set up a 27-run DLS victory over South East Stars.Coppack’s career-best ripped out the Stars top order to leave them 53 for 4, but Alice Davidson-Richards formed half-century partnerships with Aylish Cranstone and Phoebe Franklin on her way to 93.Stars eventually reached 212, which Griffith attacked with her fourth fifty in her last five innings – and by the time the rain came they were on 121 for 3 and comfortably ahead of the 94 DLS par score.It meant Sunrisers were the last to win the tournament in this format, with counties replacing the regions and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup becoming the women’s 50-over competition in 2025 – although they will still compete to lift the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Sunrisers stuck Stars in and proceeded to dismantle their top order – specifically through the uber-accurate Coppack, who returned her Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy best of 4 for 27.Coppack is one of the game’s most interesting characters. A full-time lawyer, she has played international cricket for Peru and her parents own an alpaca farm. But first and foremost she is a deadly new-ball bowler.The ball to bowl Alexa Stonehouse was seam-bowling perfection, as it kissed the top stump, even if the big hooping inswinger to castle a swinging Paige Scholfield was more aesthetically pleasing.She hit the stumps again, this time to run out Bryony Smith after a mix-up with Davidson-Richards, before pinning Kira Chathli in front an over after the powerplay had ended.Coppack’s exit from the attack after an opening spell of 3 for 17, saw Davidson-Richards flourish into a partnership with Cranstone. The stand, eventually worth 70, was built on Davidson-Richards’ ability of knowing when to use her power and when to push the runs on an expansive outfield.She reached a fourth successive fifty with the former tactic, a picked-up ping through midwicket, in 61 balls. But at the other end, Cranstone was stumped – injuring herself in the process of sprawling backwards and requiring assistance to return to the dressing room.Phoebe Franklin followed in Cranstone’s footsteps to provide the company for Davidson-Richards to thrive. But Coppack’s return saw the back of Franklin – bowled after a well-made 33 – and began the collapse which saw the last five wickets fall for 39 runs, as Davidson-Richards ran out of partners.Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Tilly Corteen-Coleman were carelessly run out, Kalea Moore was lbw and eventually Davidson-Richards ran out of steam seven runs shy of a second Stars century when Mady Villiers dismissed her leg before.Sunrisers’ response started abysmally as Jo Gardner was lbw to teenager Corteen-Coleman for a golden duck. But from there the in-form Griffith saw the ball like a pumpkin with a series of increasingly middled shots to the boundary.Her 54-ball fifty saw caressed cover drives, pumped pulls and sweeps to the boundary, as Grace Scrivens largely just passed over the strike in their 79-run stand.Griffith, a Sunriser since the beginning, departed when she chased a wide Moore delivery to cover before the spinner got one to stick in the pitch to have Jodi Grewcock caught and bowled.About a quarter of an hour later, and 25 overs into the innings, and lighting in the area took the players off, before torrential rain turned the outfield into a lake. At 4.20pm it was called off and Sunrisers had completed their zero-to-hero arch.

The openings were created when Devon Conway and Finn Allen opted out of their deals to play T20 leagues

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2024Allrounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have been handed New Zealand central contracts, filling the spots vacated by Devon Conway and Finn Allen declining deals last month.Clarkson, the 27-year-old middle-order batter and medium-pace bowler, has played three ODIs and T20Is while 26-year-old Smith has yet to make his international debut.Related

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Smith was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s Plunket Shield with 33 at 17.18 for champions Wellington. He also represented Worcestershire this season where he claimed 27 wickets at 21.14 in seven County Championship matches alongside making three half-centuries and took eight wickets in nine T20 Blast games before he was forced home with a hamstring injury.”Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. “He’s been particularly impressive in red-ball cricket and we think he has the skills to be successful in international cricket when he gets a chance.”New Zealand Men’s central contracts for 2024-25•ESPNcricinfo LtdClarkson, meanwhile, featured in series against Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan last season.”Josh has been involved in both white ball squads over the past twelve months which shows the strides he’s made in his game,” Stead said. “He’s a hard-hitting player with plenty of skills and has shown in his chances so far that he can offer a lot with bat and ball on the international stage. Josh will provide depth and adds value given the volume of white ball cricket on the horizon.”The vacancies on the contract list arose when Conway and Allen opted out in order to take up T20 league deals during January. Conway, who will play in the SA20 for Joburg Super Kings, was offered a casual playing contract, the same model given Kane Williamson. Allen, who signed a two-year deal with Perth Scorchers in the BBL, wasn’t provided the same option but will remain eligible or selection on a case-by-case basis.New Zealand return to action next week with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida before traveling to Sri Lanka for two Tests then India for three.Updated New Zealand Men’s central contractsTom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young

There is no need to shy away from the fact that Glasgow Rangers need to improve in a lot of areas if they want to claim to be the best club in Scotland once again.

They have not won the Scottish Premiership title for four years and ended the 2024/25 campaign without a single trophy added to the cabinet.

Russell Martin has arrived at Ibrox this summer with the ambition of bringing the Light Blues back to the top, but there also needs to be improvements made off the pitch when it comes to recruitment.

Kevin Thelwell and the recruitment team have to ensure that the former Scotland international has the tools at his disposal to put a successful team on the pitch, whilst also maximising any potential sales.

As you can see in the graphic above, the Gers do not have a particularly rich history of selling talent, with no sales worth more than £20m in their history to date.

However, they have still done well to maximise the money that they have got from sales in recent seasons, with Antonio Colak’s exit from the club standing out as one great example of that.

Rangers hit the jackpot with Antonio Colak

There was a point in time when it looked like the Croatian centre-forward was on course to go down as one of the greatest Rangers strikers of the modern era, after his lightning-fast start to life at Ibrox.

He joined the Light Blues from Greek side PAOK in the summer of 2022 and caught the eye with his early performances in the Scottish Premiership as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first-choice number nine.

Colak’s first ten Premiership matches

Opponent

Goals

Assists

Livingston

0

0

Kilmarnock

1

0

St Johnstone

1

0

Hibernian

0

1

Ross County

2

0

Celtic

0

0

Dundee

2

0

Hearts

2

0

St Mirren

2

1

Motherwell

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Colak scored ten goals and provided two assists in his first ten games for the club in the top-flight, which shows that he was on course to be an incredibly prolific number nine for the club.

However, a change in management, with Michael Beale coming in, essentially put an end to his time at Ibrox, as he only went on to score four goals in his last 14 outings in the league after that.

Colak was then sold to Parma for a reported fee of £2.5m in the summer of 2023, and the Gers hit the jackpot with that fee when you consider what he has gone on to achieve.

The Croatian forward has only scored four goals in 48 matches for Parma and Spezia combined since leaving Scotland, and is now valued

at just £850k by Transfermarkt.

This shows that the Scottish giants struck gold with his sale because he failed to replicate his early form at Ibrox elsewhere and is now worth significantly less than the £2.5m they got for him.

European club pushing to sign Rangers star

The Light Blues could be about to repeat the masterclass they played with Colak amid interest from a European side in one of their current centre-forward options.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to The Scottish Sun, AEK Athens are pushing to sign Cyriel Dessers from the Scottish giants within the next 48 hours, from Sunday night.

The report claims that the Greek team want to accelerate a deal for the Nigeria international in the next couple of days because they want him to join them on their pre-season tour of the Netherlands this week.

It adds that they have offered a fee of £4m for the experienced marksman, but Rangers are holding out for a fee of £5m, and that haggling over the fee is the last step in a potential deal.

Dessers has already agreed personal terms with AEK Athens, which is why it is now down to the clubs to thrash out a fee, and there could be progress in the coming hours.

Why Dessers could be Colak 2.0

The Nigerian striker could follow in Colak’s footsteps by leaving Rangers and failing to replicate the success that he had at Ibrox in front of goal.

Given how dominant Rangers and Celtic are in the Premiership, playing for one of the big two in Glasgow is a great opportunity for strikers because they know that they will get plenty of chances to shine.

In two seasons at Ibrox, Dessers missed a staggering 48 ‘big chances’ in the Scottish top-flight for the Light Blues, which shows that he has had plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net in the division.

A haul of 34 league goals in two seasons is a respectable return for the striker in isolation, but the 48 ‘big chances’ that he missed suggest that his finishing has not been good enough and that the forward should have even more goals to his name.

24/25 Europa League

Cyriel Dessers

Appearances

12

xG

5.49

Goals

3

Big chances missed

10

Ground duel success rate

36%

Aerial duel success rate

45%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dessers also struggled in front of goal in the Europa League, underperforming his xG and missing ten ‘big chances’.

These statistics suggest that the Nigerian striker, who former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness described as “infuriating” and “invisible” at times, will not continue to score goals at an impressive rate if he is in a team that does not create enough chances for him, because of his below-par finishing.

AEK Athens only scored 48 league goals this season, compared to the 80 Rangers scored in the Premiership, which suggests that Dessers would be part of an inferior attacking unit and would not get as many chances to score.

This, therefore, means that the striker’s value could decrease in the years to come, as a result of a lower goal return, and the Light Blues could look back on a £4-5m deal as a great success, as they can with Colak’s £2.5m exit, as Dessers may not be able to replicate his goalscoring form for the Gers in Greece due to his underwhelming finishing.

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It is now down to the club to get the best possible deal for the Nigeria international in these negotiations with AEK Athens in the coming hours.

Was that the goal that sealed Jadon Sancho’s Chelsea fate? With the Blues having already completed the comeback in Wednesday’s Conference League final, the Englishman extended that lead even further with a stunning strike from the left flank.

Introduced off the bench on the hour mark, the on-loan winger swiftly helped to rubberstamp victory with that delightful curling effort past a helpless Adrian, with that marking his 15th goal involvement of the season on his 41st outing for the west London side.

While there remains lingering doubts over whether Enzo Maresca’s side will sign the £25m man permanently – amid the presence of a £5m cancellation clause – the latest suggestion is that talks are now being held with the player’s representatives over contract terms.

As reported in recent days, the Blues are hopeful of negotiating fresh terms with the Manchester United outcast, in order to bring him in line with their current wage structure at Stamford Bridge.

If a deal can be agreed, the one-time Borussia Dortmund man could be set to stay put for the long term in the capital. That said, even if a deal is struck, it may not prevent the club from seeking out further attacking reinforcements this summer.

Latest on Chelsea's search for a winger

Liam Delap is all but confirmed as the latest exciting arrival under the Todd Boehly regime, with the £30m acquisition set to join the likes of Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez in bolstering Maresca’s ranks next season. Sporting CP teenager, Geovany Quenda, meanwhile, will make his move next summer.

With the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke already on the books – alongside the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk – there does appear to be significant depth on the flanks, yet recent reports have indicated that a new winger remains a priority target for the club.

According to one Spanish news outlet, the Blues are said to be turning their attention toward AC Milan sensation, Rafael Leao, with Boehly and co believed to be ‘stepping up their interest’ in the Portugal international.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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As per the report, the Conference League winners are said to be readying a ‘concrete push’ to land the 25-year-old from the San Siro, with the Serie A side’s financial woes – and lack of European football next term – opening up the possibility of a sale occurring this summer.

Leao himself is said to be ready to move on from his current side, with Chelsea viewing this as the opportune time to pounce, having been keeping tabs on the player over an extended period.

With negotiations set to ‘accelerate’ over the coming weeks, the former Lille star could be the new attacking figurehead at Stamford Bridge..

How Rafael Leao compares to Sancho

As noted already, Sancho did end the campaign with five goals and ten assists to his name under Maresca, although there remains that nagging feeling that he is damaged goods, not least amid his dismal spell at Old Trafford that has yielded just 18 goals and assists in 83 games.

Equally, there must also be alarm bells ringing at the fact that Sancho’s best work in 2024/25 arguably came in Europe’s third-tier competition, having actually only scored three goals and provided five assists in the Premier League.

With just 22 goal involvements to his name in 89 games in England’s top-flight to date, the question remains as to whether the Manchester City youth product is entirely suited to the rigours of the Premier League.

Indeed, as pundit Tony Cascarino noted earlier in the campaign, Sancho is lacking that real athleticism to be able to beat his man, as he ‘doesn’t have that burst of acceleration to get at defenders’, while largely playing a ‘conservative game’.

That is not an accusation that can be labelled at Leao, by contrast, with the Milan ace hailed by national team boss, Roberto Martinez as “one of the best players in the world one-on-one and when it comes to exploiting spaces.”

Such dribbling prowess is evidenced by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref. Sancho, for instance, ranks in just the top 18% in that regard, with both men typically lining up on the left flank.

Leao’s greater threat is also laid bare by the fact that he ranks in the top 14% for touches made in the attacking penalty area, with that again placing him ahead of his Chelsea counterpart, who ranks in the top 18% for that same metric.

Equally, even amid a disappointing season collectively for the Italian giants, Leao was still able to register 23 goals and assists, with that return including 18 goals and assists in Serie A .

Rafael Leao’s Serie A record

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

34

8

10

2023/24

34

9

10

2022/23

35

15

10

2021/22

34

11

10

2020/21

30

6

6

2019/20

31

6

1

Total

198

55

47

Stats via Transfermarkt

As evidenced in the table above, the wantaway star has hit double figures for assists in each of his last four seasons in Italy’s top-flight, while scoring at least eight goals in that time.

For comparison, since moving to England in the summer of 2021 on a £73m deal, Sancho’s best league return came in 2022/23, when he scored six times and provided only three assists for United.

Of course, the caveat is that Leao is yet to try his hand in the Premier League, although he seemingly possesses the pace and power to thrive. As noted by Bologna defender Nicolo Casale, “when he accelerates it’s difficult to hold him and in a moment he runs away and you don’t catch him.”

It’s arguably a long time since anyone said anything similar of Sancho…

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After signing Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window, Manchester City have now reportedly opened talks with another Bundesliga star in what would be a repeat of their deal for the Egyptian.

Marmoush's instant Man City impact

Having arrived for a reported £59m in a season that Manchester City couldn’t afford to get things wrong in the January transfer window, the pressure was certainly on Marmoush to perform. You wouldn’t know it, however. The Egyptian has enjoyed an excellent start to life at the Etihad, scoring seven goals in 18 games in a run that includes a stunning 14-minute hat-trick in a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United.

Pep Guardiola hasn’t shied away from praising the former Eintracht Frankfurt winger, either, telling reporters last month: “The numbers are really good.

“He arrived in the middle of the season and in a moment when we are not good. Sometimes when you come when everything is fluid and everything is fine it’s easy to adapt. But coming when the team is not playing good, that is a big credit.”

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The Spaniard will be hoping to see Marmoush only continue his bright start as Manchester City head into the final four games of their season. Still battling to secure their Champions League place, the Citizens have put together an impressive run of form at the perfect time and have three Premier League games to keep hold of their spot in the top five.

It will then be all eyes on Wembley as City attempt to avoid an upset and defeat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. Suddenly, from concerns that they may not even qualify for the Champions League, it’s still possible for the Citizens to finish as high as second and end the campaign with a trophy.

Man City open talks with Hugo Ekitike

Following the success of Marmoush, it looks as though those at the Etihad could return to the Bundesliga once again this summer. According to Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City have opened talks with Hugo Ekitike in an attempt to land a Marmoush repeat and a second Frankfurt player in six months.

The deal, like Marmoush’s in January, will not come cheap, however. The German side are reportedly demanding as much as €100m (£81m) to sell their star striker amid interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and others.

Dubbed “superb” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ekitike is someone who would stand every chance of thriving in the current Manchester City side, especially given how successful his partnership with Marmoush was at Frankfurt. By taking that into the Premier League, the duo could help take City back to the top of English football alongside Erling Haaland.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur and their managerial search, following another blow for Ange Postecoglou in the form of Spurs’ seventeenth Premier League defeat of the campaign against Wolves.

Ange Postecoglou comments after 4-2 Tottenham loss to Wolves

A series of calamitous goals, thanks to errors from key players, cemented yet another Spurs loss in the top flight on Sunday, with Wolves running out 4-2 winners against the Lilywhites on another lacklustre afternoon for Postecoglou.

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You couldn’t have asked for worse preparation ahead of Tottenham’s vital Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, a must-win game for Postecoglou after their 1-1 draw with the Bundesliga side last week.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, Djed Spence’s own goal, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s strike and a Matheus Cunha finish compounded a miserable day at Molineux for the north Londoners. Mathys Tel and Richarlison made the scoreline less embarrassing with consolation goals in their 4-2 defeat, but Postecoglou did his best to back the players following a series of high-profile errors.

“Obviously a disappointing result,” said Postecoglou after Tottenham’s defeat at Wolves.

“Funny game, because for the most part, I thought our football was decent considering all the changes we’ve made. For the most part we controlled large parts of it, were a threat going forward and didn’t give them too much. But then obviously we conceded some pretty poor goals and that made it awfully difficult to get an outcome today.

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

“It’s not like the players are doing it on purpose, so you have an understanding that that’s the unfortunate things that sometimes happen in a game of football. Probably be more frustrated if it was something that we did from a tactical perspective or organisational perspective, but they’re individual errors, you know, the players don’t mean to do it and, especially Lucas and Romero, I mean they’re two fantastic footballers and what’s important now for both of them is that they recover and we focus on the next game.”

In the background, chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly contemplating the sacking of Postecoglou, with Spurs on course for their worst-ever Premier League season.

Tottenham stance on appointing Thiago Motta to replace Ange Postecoglou

According to recent reports, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is Tottenham’s top managerial target after his very impressive campaign in the Cherries dugout, while both Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Marco Silva (Fulham) are also on their radar (The Athletic).

There’s also been recent murmurs of a potential Spurs move for Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, as well as former Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, who was recently sacked by the Serie A heavyweights.

The Italian failed to mount a successful title challenge, or show any signs of promise in terms of winning major silverware, prompting Juve to ruthlessly hand Motta his P45.

The 42-year-old is now without a club, and is currently linked with a move to N17, but Romano has since told GiveMeSport that Tottenham have no plans to appoint Motta as things stand.

“I’m still hearing about Iraola and Silva as two concrete options,” said Romano.

“For Motta, no contacts at this stage.”

Despite his failed stint at Juve, Motta did attract praise as a tactician during his time in Turin.

“Thiago is unique and unrepeatable: he is not at Juve, Juve is at him,” said journalist Ivan Zazzaroni.

“Inside the notebook that he always carries with him and shows during press conferences, also to note down the questions and their authors, there must be a world of ideas that he scrupulously hides from the eyes of the laymen. Motta is undoubtedly the most stimulating and original coach in the championship.”

With the management needing to decide between Taskin and Nahid for the second Test, it shows that pace bowling in the country is currently in a good space

Mohammad Isam29-Aug-2024It says a lot about a pace attack when the fastest bowler in the group, who took out the opposition’s best batter in a crucial moment in the first Test, is the one most likely to sit out for the next match. It also speaks richly of a pace attack when the top two wicket-takers of the last three years aren’t part of a match-winning overseas Test. There is enough ammunition with Bangladesh right now that they are not missing those sidelined by injury or those who need workload management. Welcome to the new-look Bangladesh pace attack.The man who changed that perception was Taskin Ahmed. His comeback story in 2021 was so inspiring that the rest of the pace attack followed in his footsteps. They started to win matches, which prompted the team management, hitherto so reluctant about pace, to build the attack properly. Taskin was picked in this Test squad with the caveat that he would only be available for the second Test. He is recovering from a long-standing shoulder injury and could replace Nahid Rana in the second Test in Rawalpindi.The tearaway Nahid, the first Bangladeshi fast bowler to reach speeds of 150kph in a Test match, removed Babar Azam to rock Pakistan on the fifth day. The hosts were 146 all out, their lowest total against Bangladesh.Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had given Nahid a relatively free hand to use his pace to his best advantage. When asked after the win about this particular facet, Shanto said: “We let him go. We allowed him to bowl fast, without worrying about leaking runs. Look who he got us. Babar Azam. So we were okay with his runs per over.”Taskin, more experienced than Nahid, could offer much more to Shanto. He is a proven force with the new ball, while also developing the delivery that wobbles. He has been known to bowl a hard length, but can often slip in the yorker, or bowl the bouncer at will. Taskin is the complete package, one who has been excellent in white-ball games too this year.Nahid, meanwhile, is still new but has already turned heads with his pace. However, his inexperience of playing only his second Test did show in the first innings when he leaked runs after Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud had reduced the hosts to 16 for 3. He is, however, a long-term prospect, and Shanto had enough faith in him to be the one bowling at Babar in the second innings.Nahid Rana clocked 149.9kmh in the same over in which he dismissed Babar Azam•Associated PressHailing from Chapainawabganj, Nahid is the second product of former fast bowler Alamgir Kabir, after Shoriful. Nahid didn’t take the conventional Under-19 route in Bangladesh cricket but has instead made his place after a superb season of first-class cricket, before getting a break in the BPL.But Bangladesh’s pace-bowling attack is more than just about speed. Shoriful has developed to become a mainstay in the attack, often using his angle with the new ball, and then coming around the wicket to strangle batters when the ball gets old. He is a workhorse too, and is already being talked up as Taskin’s heir.Mahmud is not far behind either. To his credit, he has improved across formats and his ability to move the red ball was impressive in his Test debut against Sri Lanka this year. Khaled Ahmed, the most experienced of Bangladesh’s fast bowlers in Pakistan, is missing out, but he cannot play himself down either. Khaled held his own in Bangladesh’s last overseas tour, in the West Indies, and is not far behind in the pecking order.In Islamabad, there are more fast bowlers with the Bangladesh A team. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who left a mark during the T20 World Cup and kept Shoriful out of the XI is around. As is Rejaur Rahman Raja, having warmed the bench for Bangladesh several times in the last couple of years. That he is still uncapped is a surprise given the number of squads he made it to. The selectors are also giving a run to left-arm quick Ruyel Miah, who can be called a late bloomer. He has toiled for several years in domestic cricket before finally getting this second-string call-up.The fact that Ebadot Hossain doesn’t even make the first half of the conversation is a testament to the fast-bowling group that is expanding every few months. Ebadot is still Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in the last three years in Tests, but he is still recovering from an ACL surgery and last played a Test in December 2022. For long, he had a very ordinary average and strike rate in Tests but has improved so much that he also made the white-ball set-up before his injury.With Bangladesh now eyeing an outright Test series win in Pakistan, they have a tough decision to take. Picking Taskin isn’t a difficult choice, but dropping Nahid most certainly will be. Still, they are likely to do it since Taskin is more than just about pace. But that Bangladesh have the luxury of making such decisions shows how much their pace unit has grown in recent years.

Dawson, Wheal, Crane and Ellis all ply their usual trade at Hampshire and it’s Brave’s loss

Cameron Ponsonby12-Aug-2022Home, famously, is where your heart is. A quirk of the modern cricketer, adorned in various shades of neon as they trot across the globe, is that they live out of a suitcase whilst pledging their heart and soul to a different franchise six weeks at a time.And tonight, Matthew, I’m going to be a Chattogram Challenger.A lifelong adventure of international flings that rarely, if ever, collide with your one true love at home. But sweat away, sailor you don’t mind.However, in today’s fixture between Southern Brave and London Spirit, four of the visiting Spirit side and 80% of the bowling attack in Liam Dawson, Brad Wheal, Mason Crane and Nathan Ellis ply their trade at Hampshire, with a fifth, Glenn Maxwell, also previously of this parish.The result was a cricketing episode of Whose Home Is It Anyway? A comedy improv show where the away team’s five ‘home’ players outnumber the home team’s three (James Vince, James Fuller and Ross Whiteley) and they trade gags as Jake Lintott and Crane bowl googlies to their heart’s content in the background.”We had the Blast here”, said Hampshire’s T20 final match-winner Ellis to Sky Sports ahead of the game, “so I was expecting some noise when my name came up on the screen. There was nothing.”When I played for Hampshire I got a room with a balcony [in the adjoining Hilton]. Now I’m here as a visitor, I’m facing the other way with no balcony.”Nathan Ellis. A stranger in his own kingdom.Mason Crane celebrates taking the wicket of Alex Davies•ECB/Getty ImagesIn the first innings, London Spirit reached an ultimately match-winning total of 147 thanks to Daniel Bell-Drummond who, in his first appearance of the competition, top scored with 46 off 33 balls.But the plot thickened when Spirit’s ‘away’ bowling attack took on Brave’s home batting line-up. Between Dawson, Ellis, Wheal and Crane, London Spirit’s attack had taken 69 Blast wickets this year for Hampshire. And of Brave’s top seven, Vince, Whiteley and Fuller had combined for over 1000 runs.”It’s pretty much the Hampshire winning attack with Chris Wood on the bench”, Bell-Drummond said after the game. “So they obviously know the ground really well and know Vince and Fuller extremely well. So that was very helpful for us.”Ahead of the opening game of the season, Southern Brave had asked to reduce the boundaries to 70m all around only to be denied due to competition regulations. It is unclear whether the change was requested for reasons of business or pleasure, but crucially, it would have made it different.The result of the move not being allowed, however, is that the dimensions of the ground remained the same as those in the Blast. A fact all the more important due to Hampshire’s longstanding success at the Ageas existing on a diet of pace-off bowling being combined with boundaries that are large enough to be considered intercontinental borders.As the chase began, so too did the all Hampshire affair as Vince faced up to the offspin of Maxwell. However, in a moment very much not in the script, Vince was bowled. A big wicket has never been met with such silence, as a stunned stadium looked on in disbelief. Most of all Vince, who stood his ground and waited for the replay in disbelief that a ball would have the audacity to go anywhere near his stumps on his own ground of all places.It wasn’t until Jordan Thompson came on as second change that Spirit abandoned their Hampshire connection. Dawson bowled his 20 deliveries in two sets of 10, conceding just 21 runs in the process, before Crane too bowled a set of 10. In total, all of Crane and Dawson’s deliveries were sent down from the Pavilion end as London Spirit’s Hampshire played Southern Brave at their own game.”Hampshire play on used wickets here”, said Spirit captain Eoin Morgan to Sky at the close, “they’ve pushed the boundaries out with Mason, Dawson, [Danny] Briggs over the years and taken pace off the ball and used variations.”Whether they’ve set targets or chased them down, they’ve been really busy, they’ve not gone gung-ho with the bat, looking for boundaries, they’ve built momentum with ones and twos and applied pressure in a different way.”It was fitting then, that it was only to Ross Whiteley that Spirit’s plan almost came crumbling down. Whiteley, newly signed to Hampshire this year after playing for Brave last season, struck 52 off 33 balls to get Brave within striking distance before ultimately falling nine runs short.”It’s always fun playing against your mates,” Whiteley said after the game, “and knowing how successful they’ve been it’s always going to be tricky.”They’re great bowlers and they know how to bowl on that surface. They’ve shown it, winning a trophy this year, and they’ve done it again tonight.”In the end, home advantage won out. Just not in the way we’re used to.