Liverpool have been linked with a swoop for a promising new defender, and he has now delivered his public stance on a move following rumours he is wanted in the Premier League.
What's the latest transfer news at Liverpool?
According to reports, FSG are preparing a bid to sign Brentford’s Aaron Hickey in January and Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed that they still hold a strong interest in Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes, although he is about to sign a new contract at St. James’ Park.
Speaking of putting pen to paper on fresh terms, Kostas Tsimikas has now committed his future to Jurgen Klopp’s side by signing an improved long-term deal which is rumoured to run until 2027, in what is a huge boost to the squad depth on Merseyside.
Back in June, Italian outlet Calciomercato reported that the Reds had been watching US Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu, with his agent later confirming that he was a player of interest to the side at Anfield, alongside rivals Manchester City and La Liga giants Barcelona.
With Andrew Robertson and Tsimikas available to him, the boss doesn’t really need to enter the market for any further reinforcements in their position, but the 18-year-old sounds ready to once again attract the attention of high-profile clubs having opened up on his future in a new public interview which suggests he's leaving the door open.
Are Liverpool signing Patrick Dorgu?
Speaking to Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness), Dorgu revealed he is a boyhood Chelsea fan, but asked to comment on the attention he’s received from Liverpool, Man City and Barca, he replied:
“I really just take it as motivation, that when the big teams look at me, it is because I am doing the right thing and must continue. Then it’s just a matter of time before the big teams come knocking."
Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu.
How good is Patrick Dorgu?
Liverpool will know that Dorgu is still a teenager so the likelihood is that they are looking at him as a potential addition for the long-term future of the club rather than in the here and now, and there's no doubt that he could definitely be an exciting recruit should he eventually make the move to Anfield.
The Denmark youth international is extremely calm and composed in possession as he’s currently averaging an 85.2% pass success rate, alongside 1.2 tackles per game in the Serie A, displaying his desire to get stuck into challenges and win the ball back for his team.
Furthermore, Roberto D'Aversa’s £1.9k-per-week earner has plenty of pace which he loves to use to burst down the flank, dribble past his marker and create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, posting ten direct goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) in 69 appearances throughout his career.
Finally, Dorgu, who is naturally left-footed, has been described as a “dynamic” player by the Danish Scout, so he is naturally full of energy and can bring lots of youthful exuberance to the table, making him an exciting potential heir to the Robertson-Tsimikas duo as they approach their thirties.
The two openers smashed fifties in a revised chase of 125 off 13 overs to crush Kolkata Knight Riders
The Report by Deivarayan Muthu21-Apr-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt is quite rare that T20 matches are decided in the Powerplay. Saturday was one such day when Kings XI Punjab’s openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle outmuscled Kolkata Knight Riders’ Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa to put them on top of the points table after a rain-hit clash. While KKR struck eight boundaries in their first six overs, Kings XI smashed 14 and were 73 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay in a chase of 192.Rain then forced a delay of about 90 minutes, after which the target was revised to 125 off 13 overs. Rahul holed out for a barnstorming 60 off 27 balls, with his team nine away from victory, but Gayle continued to do his thing and finished the chase with a straight six. Gayle stayed unbeaten on 62 off 38 balls – his third fifty-plus score in three games this season.If Narine doesn’t get you, Lynn will Sunil Narine ran down the track against Mujeeb Zadran’s spin and holed out to deep midwicket in the second over for 1 off four balls. It wasn’t a particularly bad thing for KKR, considering Narine had tried to hit every ball, but it just did not come off today. Mujeeb then ventured wide of the crease and bowled offbreaks as well as the googly to keep Lynn guessing. Uthappa, however, cleared the path for Lynn by dumping the Afghanistan mystery spinner out of the attack. He upset the lengths with three fours behind square, including a reverse sweep, in a 15-run over.Uthappa kept the scorecard ticking and moved to 24 off 16 balls; by then KKR were 50 for 1 in six overs. Lynn then got stuck into the left-arm pace of Barinder Sran and cracked three boundaries in four balls. The pick of the shots was a front-foot pull – still head and a terrific bat-swing and all that jazz – into the stands beyond midwicket. Just like that things were dandy for Lynn.Lynn’s strength is to hit the ball in the ‘V’. In an interview with , Lynn said: “My risk versus reward is so much better hitting the ball straight. Even though it’s a bigger boundary, I’d rather do that”. Kings XI’s seamers, though, did not feed him the lengths and angles to go down the ground. So, Lynn cleared his front leg and muscled the ball in the arc between long leg and long-on. No less than 42 of his 74 runs came on the leg side.Respite for Kings XI It was Ashwin himself who provided the breakthrough for Kings XI when he removed Uthappa for the fifth time in 10 IPL matches. The in-form Nitish Rana then fell for 3 in the next over after a mix-up with Lynn. After conceding 20 runs in his first two overs in the Powerplay, Mujeeb gave away only 12 in his next two overs.Ashwin also kept Lynn quiet, but his Tamil Nadu team-mate Dinesh Karthik was more fluent against him, whipping him for back-to-back fours through midwicket in the 11th over.Ankit Rajpoot’s hard lengths – neither driveable nor pullable – and Andrew Tye’s knuckle balls also contributed to KKR’s slowdown. One such ball had Lynn feathering behind in the 16th over. Sran then nipped out Andre Russell and Karthik in the 17th and the 19th overs to set KKR back further. KKR managed only 45 off the last five overs, but Lynn’s assault at the top meant they still posted 191 for 7.Gayle and Rahul at it again But that score looked smaller when Rahul and Gayle raised their third successive fifty-plus opening stand. There is a method behind their madness: Rahul’s job is to go after every bowler, while Gayle bides his time and picks his target. The first two balls of Shivam Mavi and Andre Russell were sent to the boundary by Rahul. Gayle, at the other end, was bothered by the early swing and bounce of the 19-year old quick, but won the bout against his West Indies team-mate Russell, again.Before this match, Gayle had hit 50 runs off 30 balls from Russell in the IPL. He stretched that tally to 71 off 37 balls, before Russell clutched his leg and hobbled off the field, five balls into his second over. Narine then bowled two cheap overs but the wristspinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla – leaked runs at the other end. Rain handed KKR a reprieve in the ninth over, but by then Kings XI were 96 for 0.The tempo did not change after the break. Kings XI now needed 29 off 28 balls, and Gayle bludgeoned a six first ball upon return to bring up a fifty off 28 balls. In the next over, Rahul brought up a fifty of his own with a six, off 24 balls. He, ultimately, picked out deep midwicket, attempting another six, the only blip in an otherwise immaculate chase.
Arsenal have seen an abundance of talent come and go through the years, with a host of stars gracing the pitch at both Highbury and the Emirates.
From the stars of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles to the heroes in the making under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have always maintained a high level of talent and glamour, despite form not always following suit in recent times.
Last season, it looked for a while that Arteta would be the first manager since Wenger’s unbeaten side of 2003/04 to lift the Premier League title, however, the north Londoners missed out by a narrow scale of five points by May.
Such progression turned attention back to the Emirates in a positive light after a number of seasons of mediocrity separated Arsenal from Europe’s elite as they were segregated from the top four.
With the youthful spark noticeable in north London, Arteta is attempting to uncover the next generation of icons, with the club’s latest answers to legends such as Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp pushing to reach the heights of those before them.
While Wenger delivered the Gunners some blockbuster signings during his 22-year tenure as manager, there were a few names that the Frenchman has revealed he missed out on signing, with one name being a pillar of world football; Cristiano Ronaldo.
Did Arsenal nearly sign Cristiano Ronaldo?
Rewind to 20 years ago, and Arsenal were just days away from signing 18-year-old Ronaldo from Sporting CP.
Speaking to Ian Wright via SPORTbible, Wenger revealed that he wished he signed Ronaldo before he joined Manchester United, with the Frenchman explaining that if the Gunners had been a “fraction quicker” the Portuguese starlet would’ve relocated to north London.
Ronaldo supported the claims during his interview with Piers Morgan in 2019, stating that he was “one step” from joining Arsenal as opposed to United as an unknown teen.
Why didn’t Arsenal sign Cristiano Ronaldo?
Manchester United beat everyone to swiping up the teen’s signature, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side paying a fee of £12.24m for the youngster after eyeing him for months.
As relayed by the BBC back in 2003, Ferguson revealed that negotiations with Sporting over the youngster “accelerated” due to other clubs wanting to make a move for him, with it later coming to light that Arsenal were one of those interested.
At the time, the 13-time Premier League-winning manager dubbed his new arrival as “one of the most exciting young players” he’d ever seen, which in hindsight was a viable description of the player he unearthed.
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?
20 years down the line and the world now knows Ronaldo as one of the greatest players to ever grace the game, being a five-time Ballon d’Or and Champions League winner during his illustrious career.
Along with his many accolades, the Portuguese marvel has a domestic goal-scoring tally of 722, as well as scoring 123 international goals so far for his country.
You won't be surprised to hear that such a record surpasses the great Thierry Henry's domestic tally of 360 and even Lionel Messi's, albeit he is only one behind on 721 after moving to Inter Miami.
It’s taken the 38-year-old years of hard work and stellar maintenance to remain one of the best, with his continuous scoring streaks proving that he truly is one of the most luxurious talents to play the game.
Sporting CP
31
5
6
Manchester United
346
145
64
Real Madrid
438
450
131
Juventus
134
101
22
Al-Nassr TBC
25
21
7
For Manchester United, the winger scored a total of 145 goals over his two spells in England, hitting his peak at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2009, before returning in 2021 on the other side of his career.
In the 2007/08 season, Ronaldo hit top form, scoring 31 Premier League goals in 34 appearances, as well as netting eight in the Champions League and three in the FA Cup, as it became crystal clear just how far his talents would go.
Branded as a “total genius” by FIFA member Sunday Oliseh, the Madeira-born forward made a £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009 as his journey took him down a path away from the scenes he had conquered in England.
It was in Madrid that the phenomenon cemented himself as one of the greats, scoring 450 goals in 438 appearances for Los Blancos, and forming a rivalry for the ages with former Barcelona sensation Lionel Messi.
After nine years in Spain, the Portugal international relocated to Italy, signing for Juventus in a mammoth €112m (£99m) deal, where he went on to score a further 101 goals in just 134 appearances in Turin.
The narrative of Ronaldo’s career is goals, with the insanely prolific forward needing barely a chance to put the ball in the net in every season of his journey, telling of what Arsenal could have had by getting to him before Ferguson.
What could Cristiano Ronaldo have offered Arsenal?
At the time of his arrival in England in 2003, it was a Premier League dynamic of Arsenal vs Manchester United, and Wenger vs Ferguson as the two managers went head-to-head year after year to challenge for the crown.
From 1996 to 2004, it was either the Red Devils or the Gunners that claimed the title, communicating just how fine the margins were between the two squads that the two legendary managers were conducting.
Arsenal went unbeaten in the 2003/04 campaign, which happened to be Ronaldo’s first season in England.
The method that Wenger’s side won the title made it almost irrelevant that the Frenchman had missed out on signing the youngster, however, it would prove to be costly in the years to come.
To this day, the Gunners haven’t touched the Premier League title since that formidable season, however, United went on to win it another five times, as well as winning the Champions League in 2008.
cristiano-ronaldo-manchester-united
As touched upon, Ronaldo contributed to 50 goals in that season alone, scoring 42 and assisting eight in all competitions, suggesting the importance of his ability in Ferguson’s XI at that time.
At times, it was considered that if Ronaldo was on form, United were on form, with the Portuguese legend being the poster boy of Manchester at the time, giving Wenger a taste of what he could have had if he'd captured his signature.
What is Ronaldo doing now?
At the age of 38, the forward is sticking to what he knows best by scoring in Saudi Arabia, representing Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
The former United whiz called time on his career in Europe in January 2023 as he signed for the Middle Eastern outfit, where he has since scored 21 goals in 25 appearances.
Dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ that life entails is a negative way to stance your purpose, however, with reference to what Arsenal could have had in Ronaldo, the question will forever be a sore subject for Wenger.
Arsenal's Hale End academy has been the source of great pride for the Gunners in recent years.
It was an illustrious academy anyway, one that brought through Jack Wilshere and helped nurture the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin.
Yet, more recently, it has produced superstar talent Bukayo Saka, now a two-time England player of the year winner and a Ballon d'Or nominee for the first time.
Emile Smith Rowe, although out of the picture at the moment, is another to have graced Mikel Arteta's first team expertly. Eddie Nketiah is now making a name for himself too, among Gareth Southgate's England set-up for the very first time.
There's even the likes of Folarin Balogun, who has just netted the club a cool £35m after trading north London for the glamour of Monaco.
Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.
But for those who don't make it, where do they end up? Well, a certain Marcelo Flores, an unknown name to some, is also about to make a move away. Unlike Balogun, however, the club won't be raking in a tremendous fee for the Mexican's services.
Who is Marcelo Flores?
Flores is a 19-year-old attacking midfielder or winger who has been with Arsenal since 2019 after moving from Ipswich Town's youth academy.
Standing at 5 foot 7, the Canadian-born Mexico international is a lively figure but has never quite been able to make the grade since moving to the club.
Hopes were high for a talent who was looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Mexican Carlos Vela by making a first-team appearance. That, however, never came for the teenager who now sees his future away from the English capital.
Capped three times at international level, there is still plenty of potential waiting to be unlocked in the youngster but with such a strong attacking pecking order at Arteta's disposal, an opportunity to play looked extremely unlikely.
How many goals has Marcelo Flores scored for Arsenal?
Flores' time with Arsenal's youth team saw him produce terrific moments of creativity and goal-scoring, with the attacker finding the net 15 times in 48 outings across U18 and U21 level, also chipping in with six assists.
That isn't prolific by any means but his ability to produce ingenious moments out of nothing made him stand above many of his peers in the academy.
A loan move at Real Oviedo hoped to give him some much-needed experience at first team level last season, but his spell with the Spanish second division side didn't go according to plan.
Flores returned to England this summer having failed to score across 15 appearances, with just one assist being registered.
Such form was disappointing for a young individual who was raved about when he was in the infancy of his Arsenal career.
Indeed, Flores was named among the Guardian's best 60 young talents in the world in 2020, with journalist Tom Marshall waxing lyrical.
"A versatile attacking midfielder, Flores compares his game to Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard," the writer noted in the player's profile.
Also among that list three years ago was Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich fame, Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto and PSG's Xavi Simons. Fine company indeed.
Where is Marcelo Flores now?
Reports on Thursday morning indicate that the Mexican is now permanently on his way out of Arsenal after four years in the academy.
Indeed, Marca reports via other sources that he is set to join Tigres in Mexico, a move that has been described as one that will cost a 'very low price'.
Edu and co could never have expected to rake in a huge fee to the tune of Balogun's, but either way, it's likely they have made a profit.
After all, the Gunners would have signed the forward on a free transfer from Ipswich all those years ago. It marks smart business, therefore, even if his current deal wasn't expected to conclude until 2025.
Flores will likely live without regret but there must be something in him that wishes he lived up to the billing he previously received. Indeed, it's likely the Hazard and Coutinho inside him will never be truly unlocked.
Recognising the best performers in Indian cricket and rewarding them for maintaining those high standards. This was the idea behind the BCCI’s new A+ category contract worth INR 7 crore (USD 1 million approx.)
Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2018Recognising the best performers in Indian cricket and rewarding them for maintaining those high standards. This was the idea behind the BCCI’s new A+ category contract worth INR 7 crore (USD 1 million approx.) and it came to be on the suggestion of the current Indian captain Virat Kohli and the former captain MS Dhoni.Anil Kumble, the previous head coach, had initiated discussions about the pay structure, first among senior players and then with the Committee of Administrators (CoA). Last May, a month before he quit the job, Kumble made a presentation to the CoA and the BCCI top brass including the office bearers highlighting the need to remove the disparity in the salaries of Indian players and coaches as compared with the global benchmark established by bigger countries like Australia and England. It is understood that under Kumble’s model, the top-end contract would be worth INR 5 crore.In 2017, one of the first decisions the CoA took upon being appointed by the Supreme Court as caretaker of the BCCI was to double the retainers of the players across board. But having been apprised of the need to do more by Kumble, the CoA began looking at ways to upgrade the pay structure further. The two-member body comprising Vinod Rai (chairman) and Diana Edulji, along with the BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri then sought the players’ views on the subject. They held multiple rounds of discussions involving Kohli, Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and the India head coach Ravi Shastri. It was during one of these sessions in December that the players recommended establishing the A+ category contract.”This suggestion originated from Virat and MS in the discussions,” Rai told ESPNcricinfo. The players wanted this category to be dynamic and to feature only the best performers.”Their logic was this category would have only players featuring in all three formats, players who are in the top-10 rankings,” Rai said. “They wanted a category of pure excellence where you perform and you are rewarded. And hence the players would not occupy a permanent slot in this category because if you don’t perform then you slip down the order.”Among the five players shortlisted for the A+ category, Kohli, Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan are inside the top-10 ICC rankings in different formats. Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not fit that criteria but has been instrumental in India’s strength as a bowling unit at the start and end of a limited-overs innings.
They wanted a category of pure excellence where you perform and you are rewarded. And hence the players would not occupy a permanent slot in this category because if you don’t perform then you slip down the orderVinod Rai on the logic behind the A+ contract
The players in this top-most category would be a “natural choice” for all three formats of the game. And that was why, a BCCI official said, Ajinkya Rahane missed out on an A+ contract.Rai said neither the CoA nor the BCCI management was involved in the finalising the shortlist of players. That responsibility was instead left with the national selection panel comprising MSK Prasad, Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi. They decided Test specialists and those in the top 15 of the ICC rankings would populate Grade A. It is also understood that the players shortlisted in B and C categories, limited-overs specialists, were primarily picked for their ODI performances only.According to Rai, the senior players and Shastri wanted to make sure the “middle level” players, including the Test specialists, were compensated adequately. This was also part of Kumble’s plan, where he wanted the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, who do not feature in lucrative tournaments like the IPL, to still earn comparably with players who hit T20 riches. “They said we don’t care how much money they get as long as the middle-level players are paid handsomely. That is a very fair thing to say.”The CoA and Johri’s team took these suggestions on board and devised the new player payment model. “I said now the pyramid would be flat on the top,” Rai said. “If you look at a corporate salary structure, the CEO gets an X-amount, which is easily at least five times that of his No. 2. So what we did is we had five players at the top of the pyramid earning INR 7 crore. The next step – Grade A – are getting INR 5 crore followed by Grade B at 3 crore and Grade C 1 crore.”
Half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla led South Africa to a dominant position before a late collapse brought India roaring back to life
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Jan-20181:07
Cullinan: It’s a hardworking pitch for both batsmen and bowlers
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfter all the talk of the pace and bounce of the Highveld, Centurion ended up providing India the most subcontinental conditions they could have expected on this tour. The skies were blue, the pitch was brown, and R Ashwin bowled the bulk of India’s overs.That could have been the extent of India feeling at home. For the first 80.4 overs of the day, South Africa’s batsmen had pitched tents on this flat, friendly surface and pinned family photographs onto the canvas. Aiden Markram had fallen narrowly short of a hundred, but Hashim Amla looked all set to stroll past that milestone, and South Africa were 246 for 3.And then, Centurion 2018 turned into Kolkata 2010. Amla and Alviro Petersen had scored centuries that day, only for South Africa to collapse from 218 for 1 to 296 all out, in a typically Eden Gardens post-tea collapse.Here, South Africa lost three wickets for the addition of five runs, two of them to run-outs, and India, out of nowhere, were back in the game. They hardly deserved to be: Ashwin and Ishant Sharma apart, their frontline bowlers had been poor.Deserve, however, has nothing to do with Test cricket; a few overs is all it takes, sometimes, for a match to swing 180 degrees.It began, as it often can, with a moment of brilliance on the field. Amla got on his toes, rode the bounce of a short ball from Hardik Pandya, and tucked it gently into the on side. Faf du Plessis called for one, and Amla, after a moment’s hesitation, responded. That moment was enough; Pandya sprinted across in his follow-through, swooped on the ball, spun around, and fired a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Amla was gone, for 82.In walked Quinton de Kock, a left-hander. Ashwin, from round the wicket, greeted him with a quick-turning offbreak in the channel outside off stump. New to the crease, de Kock pushed at it without really moving his feet and edged to slip.All the swirling excitement and anxiety of the moment got to Vernon Philander, who ten minutes earlier would not have expected to put on his pads. A bunt into the leg side, and a mad dash to the other end despite his captain yelling at him to stay put cost him his wicket. South Africa were 251 for 6 and India flooded the stump mic with yelps of delight.For most of the first eight-ninths of this day, India’s voices had been muted. The first four South African wickets had added 85, 63, 51 and 47, indicative of an attack that seldom applied pressure from both ends, and a top order that batted with a great degree of comfort.Playing only his seventh Test innings, Markram passed 50 for the fourth time, and looked a natural fit at this level. Taking guard on off stump, he stood tall and stood still at the crease, making no trigger movement and as a result remaining perfectly balanced. Time and again India’s seamers slipped in the full, straight lbw ball in vain; Markram’s head refused to fall across to the off side, and he punched and drove handsomely through the V, the area wide of mid-on proving particularly productive.When the quicks dropped short, he punished them with punches and slaps through the covers and, on one occasion, a dismissive pull. The Saturday crowd at Centurion got to see all these shots frequently, since the fast bowlers, Ishant apart, kept feeding him boundary balls.Jasprit Bumrah showed control with the new ball, but sprayed it around in all his subsequent spells, while Mohammed Shami, much like day one in Cape Town, was wayward and below top-pace with the new ball. Just when he seemed to be finding some rhythm and reverse-swing around an hour after lunch, Shami went off the field, looking a little under the weather. India’s team management later clarified it was a “mild headache”.Bounce apart, there wasn’t a whole lot of help for the seam bowlers, and perhaps this was why India went in with Ishant ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had picked up 4 for 87 and 2 for 33 in Cape Town. Ishant responded impressively, coming on as first change and testing Dean Elgar’s footwork and judgment with his angle, a bit of seam movement, and a fullish length that drew the left-hander forward.Having fought his way through this spell, Elgar survived a testing period against Ashwin just before lunch, getting beaten twice in 10 balls, with India unsuccessfully reviewing for caught-behind on one occasion. Soon after lunch, Elgar stepped out and drove Ashwin back over his head – perhaps the shot of an anxious batsman looking to hit his tormentor off his length – but the next time he tried stepping out, he didn’t reach the pitch of the ball and ended up stabbing a catch to silly point.This was India’s best period of play all day, with Ashwin finding dip and bounce at one end and Ishant bowling tightly at the other. These two couldn’t keep bowling forever, however, and South Africa soon returned to free-scoring ways, with Amla turning the clock back with the wristwork on his flicks and back-foot punches. It took a change of angle for India to effect their next breakthrough, Markram edging Ashwin behind when he went around the wicket. The ball, angled across Markram, didn’t spin back as much as he expected, but it was the length that did him, pinning him awkwardly to the crease – rather than going neither forward nor back, he was trying to do both at the same time – and making him jab away from his body.AB de Villiers was busy right from the time he came in, unveiling the reverse-sweep to pick up a boundary off Ashwin when he was still in single figures, but there was a touch of looseness to his game as well. A jab away from his body at Bumrah resulted in an inside-edge that nearly trickled onto his stumps, and when he tried the same shot against Ishant after tea, he chopped on for 20. The ball had begun to keep low every now and then and this was a shot he could have avoided.At that point, though, South Africa were still in too dominant a position to worry unduly. Amla was looking at his serene best, putting Shami away disdainfully when he kept dropping short in a brief post-tea spell, driving Ashwin against the turn with a twirl of his wrists, and, on 79, keeping out a shin-high shooter from Bumrah as if it was a perfectly normal delivery. Just when he looked set to coast to a century and beyond, however, a moment’s hesitation brought India roaring back to life.
Tottenham Hotspur have now been provided with a new update on their pursuit of FC Porto winger Pepe, who they have already submitted a bid for this summer.
Who are Tottenham signing this summer?
By now, Tottenham fans will be well aware that Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson has shot right up to the top of their shortlist, with journalist Alasdair Gold reporting that the winger is Ange Postecoglou's "number one attacking target."
Postecoglou believes Johnson is the "perfect fit for his Spurs system", but Gold makes it clear that it will be a tough deal to orchestrate, and if it does happen, it will be late in the window, with Forest keen to hold out for a fee of around £50m.
However, the manager does have some alternatives in mind, including Jota, who he worked with during his time at Celtic, although the Portuguese winger is not thought to be as high on the wanted list as the Nottingham Forest star.
Last week, the Lilywhites submitted a bid in excess of €45m (£38.6m), including an additional €15m (£12.9m) in goal bonuses for Pepe, but faced rejection from Porto, who are demanding a fee of €70m (£60m) if they are to sanction his departure.
Despite having their opening bid rejected, reports from Spain indicate Tottenham remain keen on signing the winger before the summer transfer window closes, with the board well aware that he could go some way to replacing Harry Kane's goal-scoring contributions (via Caught Offside).
Bizarrely, the report claims the FC Porto star has a market value of just €30m (£26m), far less than the bid Spurs initially made, which does not seem very likely, considering he has a release clause of €75m (£64m) included in his contract.
As previously mentioned, the Portuguese club are hoping to receive a fee of £60m, so you'd think there is no chance they let the Brazilian leave for less than half that amount, but it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites come back with a higher offer.
Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE
How good is Pepe?
The 26-year-old has been a key player for Porto over the past two seasons, since arriving at the club from Gremio, and he has made year-on-year improvement, after picking up four goals and four assists in his first campaign.
Last season, the versatile winger amassed 11 goal contributions in the Liga Portugal, with journalist Fernando Campos claiming he's been "getting better and more important in Sergio Conceicao's team."
It is very impressive that the former Gremio man has regularly managed to weigh in with attacking contributions with his new club, but his main strength is his dribbling ability, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year.
When compared to his positional peers, the attacker also places in the 98th percentile for progressive carries per 90, and his attacking threat is also highlighted by the fact he is in the 94th percentile for touches in the opposition area.
Pepe could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, but he will not come cheap, considering Porto are set to hold out for a fee of £60m.
Chelsea have made an enquiry for Lyon forward Bradley Barcola, but a reliable journalist has revealed that they aren’t the only club in the race to secure his services with interest outside the Premier League.
Who is Bradley Barcola?
Barcola is naturally a right-winger who has plied his trade at the Groupama Stadium since his childhood days having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first team back in January 2022, where he’s since gone on to make a total of 46 senior appearances.
The France youth international still has another three years remaining on his contract, but having established himself as Laurent Blanc’s third best-performing offensive player last season, he’s caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
According to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, Todd Boehly has placed the 20-year-old on a shortlist of options as an alternative to Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise who ended speculation of a move by signing a new long-term contract with Roy Hodgson’s side, with chiefs entering the market to find a replacement for Christian Pulisic following his permanent switch to AC Milan.
Lyon forward Bradley Barcola.
Are Chelsea signing Bradley Barcola?
Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea have now developed their interest in Barcola by approaching Lyon to discover what it would take to complete a transfer before the end of the summer window. He wrote:
“Paris Saint-Germain are not happy with club to club talks for Bradley Barcola as OL have changed original asking price multiple times. Barcola agreed terms with PSG in June but club to club situation now tense. Chelsea also asked for Barcola deal conditions last week.”
In Ligue 1 last season, Barcola racked up an impressive 14 goal contributions (nine assists and five goals) in 26 appearances, form which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, but he also proved to be a threat even when the ball didn’t always hit the back of the net.
The Gestifute client, who pockets £6k-per-week, ranked in the 94th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 92nd percentile for aerial wins, highlighting his desire to not only create chances but additionally make himself a target man in the final third, despite only standing at 5 foot 11.
Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…
Furthermore, Villeurbanne’s native has been deployed in four different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even slightly deeper on the left side of the midfield, so he would provide the boss with some welcome versatility where he could easily adapt to the role he’s asked to play in.
Finally, Barcola has been dubbed an “elite” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and whilst it's unknown whether he would be ready to slot straight into the first-team fold considering that he's still only 20 and has no experience at this level, Pochettino clearly feels he can utilise him immediately to be targeting him as an alternative to Olise.
Jonny Bairstow says that England must begin the process of winning back the trust of their fans at the WACA next week
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-20172:01
Our relationship with fans has been tested – Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow says that England must begin the process of winning back the trust of their fans at the WACA next week, as they seek to put to one side the off-field controversies that have over-shadowed their tour of Australia.England have to avoid slumping to what would be their eighth consecutive Test defeat in Australia if they are to retain the Ashes, but their attempts to refocus in the wake of last week’s second Test in Adelaide took a blow on their return to Perth, when the England Lions batsman, Ben Duckett, was suspended from the remainder of the tour after pouring a drink over James Anderson in a bar in Perth.That incident took place at The Avenue, the same venue at which Bairstow greeted Cameron Bancroft with a “head-butt” on England’s first night in Australia, leading an exasperated head coach, Trevor Bayliss, to threaten to drop any players who continue to step out of line.Bairstow brushes off sledging controversy
Jonny Bairstow insists that he was not unsettled by the content of Australia’s on-field chat during the Brisbane Test, in spite of suggestions that their words may have touched a nerve. “It didn’t really. It is something that was said, but there are different ways to look at it and use it in a positive manner as well,” Bairstow said. “Certain people react in different ways but it didn’t affect the way I played. It didn’t change how I played in the second innings. “I didn’t say a word. When it comes to things like that, what is said on the field needs to stay on the field and I’m sure if you spoke to ex-players they could tell you plenty of stories about what was said on the field. “It is part and parcel of sport and a player’s code.”
Though Bairstow did not directly address the Avenue incidents, nor the nature of the sledging that he was subjected to during the first two Tests at Brisbane and Adelaide, he acknowledged that England have reached a watershed moment of the Ashes tour.”I think it has all been dealt with, and we need to move on from that,” Bairstow said. “As players we get back into training tomorrow and that is at the forefront of our mind. We’ve got three matches to go and we’ve got to win three Test matches. That is the challenge we’re faced with.”There are things that have been blown up, but at the same time it is your job. If we don’t play cricket well, then we lose our jobs.”That is part and parcel of it, and we need to rebuild the trust we had built over the last few years as a team. That starts on Thursday morning.”You rebuild it by winning games of cricket. You’ve got to go out and win games and that starts at training and then in the Test.”There could be few more daunting venues for England to begin their Ashes fightback, however. In the 47-year history of the WACA, England have won just once, against a Packer-weakened Australia in 1978-79, while they have lost each of their last seven Tests at the venue, dating back to 1990-91.”We’re 2-0 down and it is a situation you don’t want to be in,” he said. “At the same time we’re not completely out of it, we’ve got three opportunities to go and do something special.”South Africa won at the WACA last year. They’ve won there the last two times, so there is no reason why we can’t.Jonny Bairstow at a Yorkshire Tea event in Perth•Getty Images”As a side we’ve played some good cricket so far in the series but not done it for long enough,” he added.”They’ve won the key periods of play. The guys have spent time in the middle but not spent long enough. That is effectively what we need to do. We need to be out there for 110, 120, 130 overs and, at this moment in time, we’ve not done it.”We were in a position to win that game [at Adelaide] on the last day. Going into the fifth day there was a genuine belief we could win that Test match and we could be sat here at 1-1.”We need to bat longer than we’ve batted and we need to get their bowlers into fourth spells. It is as simple as that. Bat for a longer period of time than we have done.”We’ve been in, but we need to bat longer as a unit. It doesn’t just affect that innings or that game.”Despite a top score of 42 in the series to date, Bairstow has looked as fluent as any of England’s batsmen, leading to suggestions that he might be promoted from his current No.7 position, not least – as a right-hander – to counter the threat posed by the offspinner, Nathan Lyon. The man himself, however, did not think this was on the cards.”I’ve got no idea. I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve not heard anything. I don’t think that is an issue to be honest. The side that walks out on Thursday has to be the side that Joe [Root] is happy with and confident with, in whichever order it is he and Trevor think puts us in the best shape to win the Test.”Jonny Bairstow was speaking on behalf of Yorkshire Tea and Chance to Shine, inspiring the next generation of cricketers
The ODI series begins on April 8, five days after the end of the tri-series that also involves Australia and India
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2017Itinerary
April 8, 1st ODI
April 11, 2nd ODI
April 14, 3rd ODI
England women will play three ODIs in India in April next year, after competing in a T20 tri-series involving the hosts and Australia women.The series begins on April 8, five days after the tri-series final in Mumbai. India women haven’t played ODI cricket since their stellar run to the World Cup final in July, when they narrowly lost to England, but they will have some ODI game time before they meet England again. India will play Australia women in a three-match ODI series in Baroda, which begins on March 12.The venues for the series against England are yet to be announced.