West Ham United are still looking to add another player or two to their squad before the summer transfer window closes next week.

David Moyes has spent the £105m raised via the sale of Declan Rice rather well, signing the likes of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Konstantinos Mavropanos, bolstering his midfield and defensive options in the process.

With European football gracing the London Stadium for the third season in a row, this hectic schedule will give the Scot a licence to pad out his squad further in order to cope with the demands.

With this in mind, they have made contact with a player who has recently shone in the Champions League…

Who will West Ham United sign next?

According to Football Insider, West Ham have made an enquiry over PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare as they look to snatch him from under the noses of Nottingham Forest.

Forest submitted a loan-to-buy bid of £21.3m for the player, even though he has a release clause of £32m.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

This move may stretch out over the coming days as much will demand on whether they defeat Rangers and qualify for the Champions League group stages.

Sangare scored their first goal in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in midweek and if they miss out for a second year in succession, the Dutch outfit may decide to cash in on the midfielder.

How good is Ibrahim Sangare?

Having lost homegrown talent Rice this summer, it was clear Moyes had to improve his midfield area, and the arrivals of Alvarez and Ward-Prowse have certainly been promising signings to that end.

The Englishman, in particular, has settled in well, grabbing two assists in his debut against Chelsea last weekend, and he could turn into one of the signings of the summer.

The former Southampton star could forge a wonderful partnership in the heart of the midfield with Sangare, especially given their differing abilities.

Ward-Prowse registered 13 Premier League goal contributions last term while creating nine big chances and averaging two key passes per game, indicating that he was an excellent attacking threat.

Sangare did only manage six goal contributions in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, but he added some defensive stability into the heart of the midfield, making 2.3 tackles per game while winning 5.8 total duels per game – a success rate of 57% – and he was only dribbled past 0.6 times per game, showcasing his impressive physicality.

He also ranks in the top 16% when compared to positional peers for aerials won (1.52) and clearances per 90 (1.86), showcasing his presence.

It’s no wonder he was hailed as being a “real powerhouse” by journalist Josh Bunting a few years ago, and he has since improved his game massively.

The 25-year-old can chip in with the odd goal and assist while also being solid in the defensive aspects of the game, and this could allow Moyes to create a partnership that could potentially lead them to more glory this campaign.

Manchester United will be hoping to sign a new defender before the summer transfer window slams shut in just three weeks, especially considering they have bolstered other areas of their squad.

Erik ten Hag has lured Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund to Old Trafford so far, yet with Harry Maguire looking likely to sign for West Ham United, could another centre-back be his key priority?

Read the latest Man United news HERE…

Frenchman Jean-Clair Todibo has been earmarked as a key target for Ten Hag along with Bayern Munich ace Benjamin Pavard and the Dutchman could have a big decision to make over the next few weeks.

Is Benjamin Pavard joining Manchester United?

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg provided an update on United’s pursuit of Pavard earlier this week, saying: “Benjamin #Pavard: Concrete talks with @ManUtd at this stage! All parties involved are working on a verbal agreement now.

“Ten Hag is pushing for Pavard as he’s a versatile defender. Pavard wants to leave FC Bayern in August.”

With Pavard clearly looking to depart the Bundesliga giants, a fee of around €30m (£26m) should be enough to convince Bayern to sell before the window slams shut.

What is Benjamin Pavard’s best position?

The defender is perhaps most fondly remembered for playing his part during France’s World Cup glory in Russia five years ago.

His stunning goal against Argentina was voted the goal of the tournament and it turned the tide in their favour to secure an eventual 4-3 victory.

He played at right-back throughout that competition and has done so for the vast majority of times he has represented France. However, last season, he was deployed as a centre-back on a regular basis for his club side and this could be the position for which Ten Hag could utilise him should he join United.

The 27-year-old has registered 28 goal contributions across his club career thus far, clearly enjoying the freedom on the right-hand side of defence as he is able to bomb up and down the wing, yet his performances during 2022/23 at the heart of the defence were excellent.

Over the previous 12 months, Pavard has ranked in the top 6% for tackles per 90 across the big five European leagues, while ranking in the top 10% for progressive passes, progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, combining defensive acumen with a positive attacking threat.

He could certainly form a solid partnership with Lisandro Martinez at the heart of the United defence should he move to the Premier League.

The Argentinian also ranked in the top 6% for tackles per 90 when compared to positional peers across the previous 12 months, while also ranking in the top 5% for blocks per 90, and he could shine alongside Pavard.

Having signed from Ajax last summer, the World Cup winner proved a real revelation for Ten Hag's side at the heart of the defence, with club legend Patrice Evra having hailed the 25-year-old as "one of the best signings" in "years" at the Theatre of Dreams.

With Pavard clearly enjoying getting forward as much as possible, knowing Martinez effectively will cover for him could see Ten Hag deploy the duo as his first-choice centre-back pairing if the Frenchman moves to England.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel even heralded him as “underrated”, but given his form since the beginning of last season, the former Stuttgart man has turned into a fine central defender who could improve the Old Trafford side.

The Zimbabwe allrounder, who followed an unbeaten 81 with ten tight overs and two vital catches in a 12-run win against Sri Lanka, believes consistency in selection has boosted the team’s confidence in their ability

Mohammad Isam17-Jan-2018

In the 40th over of Sri Lanka’s chase, Thisara Perera smacked Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer for 17 runs. Sri Lanka suddenly needed to score at less than six an over to win the game, and for the first time, the situation was under their control.In the next over, Sikandar Raza gave away only three runs, breaking Perera’s flow and making him wait until the 45th over to find his next big hit.After landing one deep into the midwicket stands, Perera went for another big hit but mistimed it towards midwicket. Raza came running in, dived forward, and completed a difficult catch. A crucial catch. Zimbabwe knew they had unlocked the final door. A win over a major team in a neutral venue, after 15 years, was in their grasp. They didn’t let go, and Tendai Chatara did the needful in the 49th over.”The plan was to drag the game as far as possible,” Raza said. “It is a matter of who panics first. Thisara was making it look exceptionally easy. He was also here for a BPL-winning side; he is a world-class performer. When the game gets smaller, he can take it away from you very quickly. He did that today as well.”Fortunately for us, he mistimed one and we managed to take that catch. We always knew that this game wasn’t going into the last over so once we had that wicket, we just wanted to drive the last nail in the coffin.”Raza was in the thick of things for most of the 98.1 overs of this contest. At one point, it was hard for the TV cameras to peel away from him. Apart from Perera’s catch, he took another at short midwicket to get rid of Angelo Mathews to give Blessing Muzarabani his maiden ODI wicket.Raza also removed Kusal Perera, batting on 80, when it looked like he was about to make the 291-run chase a comfortable one for Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe had set this competitive target thanks, again, to Raza, who scored an unbeaten 81, with many of his boundaries coming in the slog overs.It was yet another instance of Raza putting in important contributions for Zimbabwe when it mattered most in a contest. He said that much of his confidence was down to the selectors’ faith in him and most of his teammates.”I think consistency in selection definitely helped,” he said. “I think we have gone with the same squad for a lot of series and that is certainly showing up. When you have a guy next to you in the change room for a longer period of time, it gives you that extra confidence.”You can call what the shots the batsman is going to be playing; this is the trust we have among ourselves. This team is a band of brothers and we have been playing together for a long time. We back each other regardless of the situation. We back each other to defend 120.”Raza said the selection consistency had fed into the team’s mindset as well, and that they were now determined to go into the World Cup qualifiers, to be held in March and April in Zimbabwe, with a message for the rest of the teams in that competition.”The secret behind [Zimbabwe’s recent upturn] is the trust, character, faith among ourselves,” he said. “We are determined to go into the World Cup qualifiers with a strong message we want to send out to all the teams.”

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be stepping up their search for new attacking recruits following the departure of talisman Harry Kane, with Ange Postecoglou turning his attention towards a current Premier League star…

Who will Tottenham sign before Deadline day?

The Lilywhites are likely to still be reeling after seemingly missing out on the signing of Barcelona sensation, Ansu Fati, with the Spaniard set to seal a shock switch to high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion before the close of the window, despite reports on Wednesday indicating that a loan move to north London was on the cards.

As per the Independent, however, one name that has also been mentioned as a potential target is Crystal Palace playmaker, Eberechi Eze, with the 25-year-old said to be being 'strongly considered' by those at N17.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The report does add that one possible stumbling block could be the England international's reported £60m price tag, with it yet to be seen if Spurs would be willing to cough up that sizeable fee, despite having raked in £100m following the sale of Kane to Bayern Munich.

How good is Eberechi Eze?

There are likely to have been those of a Tottenham persuasion who were licking their lips at the prospect of bringing young Fati into the fold, with the promising 20-year-old having made his name at Camp Nou after inheriting Lionel Messi's famed number ten shirt back in 2021 – a statement of how highly-regarded the then-teenager was by the La Liga giants.

That being said, it could be argued that Eze is a more proven Premier League option who is likely to take less time to adapt to life in north London, with the playmaking whiz having demonstrated himself to be a truly "mesmerising" talent in recent years – as described by teammate Joel Ward.

Although Fati has caught the eye in Catalonia with 29 goals and ten assists in 112 games in all competitions to date, the youngster's embryonic senior career has been somewhat plagued by injury, while it is also telling that Xavi Hernandez and co are seemingly so willing to move on their sparkling talent.

While Eze is perhaps not a direct alternative to the winger – as the former Queen's Park Rangers ace typically operates in an advanced midfield role – he can offer a real goal threat from his playmaking berth to help supplement the attack.

That was evident last term as the fleet-footed ace scored ten goals and provided four assists from his 38 Premier League appearances, eclipsing the seven goals and four assists that Fati registered from his 36 La Liga outings – albeit with only 12 of those coming from the start.

Equally, it would appear to be the Palace magician who possesses the greater knack for dribbling past opponents and beating his man as he ranks in the top 17% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, while his Barca counterpart ranks in just the bottom 26% in that regard.

As the aforementioned Ward noted, Eze is a player who "just seems to glide over the pitch", with that unique gift making him a figure who would certainly bring a real sense of excitement to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Postecoglou likely to have seen first-hand the devastating threat of the Englishman, his potential capture before the end of Deadline Day could make the ex-Celtic boss forget all about his Fati heartbreak.

West Ham are battling to sign Ernest Nuamah before the transfer deadline transfer, and a big update has dropped regarding his future.

Who is West Ham target Ernest Nuamah?

The Hammers have had a busy summer to date, experiencing the disappointment of losing captain Declan Rice to Arsenal, but replacing him with some genuine quality.

Edson Alvarez has arrived from Ajax, in what represents an exciting piece of business, while Southampton's James Ward-Prowse also looks like a shrewd acquisition in the middle of the park, too.

The hope is that West Ham's transfer business isn't quite done yet, as they look to give themselves the best possible opportunity to kick on in 2023/24 and build on their fantastic UEFA Europa Conference League success.

One player who could move to the Premier League before the end of the month is Nuamah, who has emerged as an exciting young player for Danish side Nordsjaelland. He has scored 20 goals in just 49 appearances for them, as well as already winning one cap for Ghana, despite his age.

A fresh update has now dropped regarding West Ham's interest in the 19-year-old, with a significant development taking place.

Will West Ham signing Ernest Nuamah?

According to Football Insider, West Ham have now tabled an offer for Nuamah this summer, with the teenager also being tracked by Spurs:

"West Ham have submitted an offer for FC Nordsjaelland star Ernest Nuamah, sources have told Football Insider. The Hammers are in the market for more attacking reinforcements and have made a formal move the 19-year-old winger after shortlisting him as a top target.

"Nuamah’s performances in Denmark’s top division earned rave reviews this season and he is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents in Europe."

Nuamah, a left-winger who can play on the right or through the middle, looks like a hugely exciting prospect with a big future in the game, with such a prolific goalscoring record for his current club outlining his potential greatly. Flemming Pederson, technical director at Nordsjaelland, has lauded the youngster in the recent past, saying:

"Ernest is first and foremost a dribbler. He is incredibly fast, has a huge acceleration, and a good agility. He is primarily left-footed, but can also use the right. He is a great individualist with tremendous power, who has great potential to also become a skilled team player."

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

There is no question that Nuamah is still a raw footballer learning his trade, so it would be a surprise if he came in as a regular starter for the Hammers, but he is someone who may well be viewed as a massive part of their future, also proving to be an exciting squad player from the off.

His pace, unpredictability and goal threat could be a really effective weapon for West Ham off the substitutes' bench, at a point when opposition legs are tiring, and it is a signing that would be met with even more happiness if the east Londoners pipped Spurs to his services, as well as the likes of Burnley and Brighton.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is trying to seal a late deal to bring in an extra reinforcement in the middle of the park before the transfer deadline, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops are looking to bring in a number of additions before the close of play in the market on Friday and could bring in as many as five new players in the final stretch of the window, as per Football Insider.

Aris Thessaloniki winger Luis Palma is on course to join Celtic 'in the next days' for a fee in the region of £3.5 million and will sign a four-year contract at the Scottish giants.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has given an update regarding Celtic's striker search, stating on X:

"Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk is another player who has been on Celtic’s radar this summer. His future still remains uncertain. @SkySportDe are reporting that Wolfsburg have made initial contact for the 23-year-old, who is the son of Hoops icon Pierre van Hooijdonk."

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has told Give Me Sport that Celtic are 'trying to keep things quiet at the club' as they plot new signings; however, he expects the Hoops 'to do something by the end of the transfer window' at Parkhead.

According to The Scottish Sun, Leeds United have been rebuffed in an attempt to try and land Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley, who has also attracted interest from Serie A side Bologna this window. Leeds are after several midfield additions and have turned to O'Riley following the collapse of their pursuit of German ace Nadiem Amiri.

Reports have claimed that Celtic's Albian Ajeti is in talks over a move to Gaziantep as the Switzerland international moves closer to bringing his nightmare spell in Glasgow to a close.

Who else could Celtic sign?

According to reports in Portugal, relayed by The Daily Record, Celtic are in talks over a move for Benfica midfielder Paulo Bernardo, who has been informed by manager Roger Schmidt that he is free to leave the Portuguese giants on a loan basis this summer.

The report states that Bernardo has a £90 million buyout clause included in his Benfica contract; however, his current employers would be willing to renegotiate his enormous release fee to create a purchase option for the Portugal Under-21 international.

Bernardo, 21, was hailed "talented" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig and has made 26 senior appearances for Benfica across all competitions, registering one assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Demonstrating his ability to get stuck in for his side, Bernardo has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's next eight divisions below the top five leagues on the continent in the art of tackles, making around 3.35 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 95th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Celtic initially loaned former star Jota from Benfica before signing him permanently a year later for £6.5 million and he was sold on for a major profit of £25 million to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad earlier this summer. History repeating itself wouldn't be a bad turn of events for Celtic if they can get a deal for Bernardo over the line in the coming days, making this one to watch.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com relativa facilidade e superioridade, o Athletico-PR bateu o Colo-Colo por 2 a 0 (dois gols contra) em jogo válido pela quarta rodada do Grupo C da Copa Libertadores. Com o resultado, o time de Eduardo Barros assume a liderança da chave com nove pontos, deixando os chilenos com seis enquanto Jorge Wilstermann e Peñarol (que se enfrentam nesta quinta-feira) têm três.

GOLS PRECOCES

O Athletico assumiu desde cedo a postura ofensiva esperada mediante o estilo da equipe quando joga, principalmente, na Arena da Baixada. E, logo depois da primeira finalização, onde Fabinho forçou o trabalho de Cortés, na bola parada Pedro Henrique subiu mais que a zaga colo-colina e tentou testar, mas foi Suazo que tocou contra seu próprio patrimônio e superou o arqueiro chileno.

Já aos 12′, o melhor momento do Furacão foi novamente traduzido em gol, depois de jogada rápida pelo lado esquerdo onde Christian tentou o chute cruzado e Cortés fez apenas a defesa parcial, espalmando pro meio da área. Na dividida, Campos chegou primeiro do que Erick, mas também não acertou a pontaria e marcou o segundo tento contra da partida.

INOPERANTE

Se, do lado do Athletico, a estratégia tanto na proteção à defesa quanto na movimentação ofensiva funcionava bem, o mesmo não se podia dizer do fraco desempenho do Colo-Colo. Além dos espaços na sua zaga muito explorados pelos comandados de Eduardo Barros, o ataque não conseguia sequer segurar a bola, deixando nomes como Parraguez e Bolados isolados em meio à marcação adversária, naturalmente tornando a vida do goleiro Santos bastante tranquila.

(QUASE) MAIS DO MESMO

Apesar de não contar com uma intensidade de marcação tão alta como fez nos primeiros 45 minutos, algo que naturalmente proporcionou mais campo ao Colo-Colo, isso não significou necessariamente que Santos passasse a ser um dos atores do confronto na Arena.

A grande diferença da toada do confronto passou a ser, na verdade, a ideia de que o Athletico se aproveitava dos espaços que o time chileno ia deixando e, em contra-ataques, mantinham a zaga da equipe de Santiago e o goleiro Cortés atentos e ativos.

Assim, o jogo seguiu em ritmo de verdadeira administração de vantagem por parte do Rubro-Negro até o apito derradeiro soprado pelo trio de arbitragem argentino comandado por Fernando Rapallini.

FICHA TÉCNICA
​ATHLETICO-PR 2 x 0 COLO-COLO

Local: Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (PR)
Data e hora: 23/09/2020 – 19h15
Árbitro: Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Assistentes: Juan Belatti e Pablo González (ambos ARG)
​Cartões amarelos: Léo Cittadini (CAP); Insaurralde, Soto (COL)
Gols: Suazo (contra)(6’/1°T), Felipe Campos (contra), (12’/1°T)

ATHLETICO-PR: Santos; Jonathan (Jorginho, aos 36’/2°T), Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno e Márcio Azevedo (Abner, no intervalo); Wellington, Erick, Pedrinho (Geuvânio, aos 23’/2°T), Léo Cittadini (Lucho González, aos 36’/2°T) e Christian (Léo Gomes, aos 44’/2°T); Fabinho.Técnico: Eduardo Barros.

COLO-COLO: Cortés; Opazo (Soto, aos 11’/2°T), Felipe Campos, Insaurralde e De la Fuente (Vejar, no intervalo); Fuentes, Suazo e Matías Fernández (Carmona, no intervalo); Bolados (Gabriel Costa, aos 31’/2°T), Parraguez e Mouche (Leo Valencia, aos 6′ do 1° tempo).Técnico: Gualberto Jara.

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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.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt was difficult to know what was the most satisfying sight for England fans on the third day at the MCG. Was it Alastair Cook straight-driving a boundary to bring up his double-century? Was it Stuart Broad backing away and swiping yet another bouncer to the square leg fence to raise his fifty? Was it Australia’s players shaking Cook’s hand at the end of a second consecutive day’s play, once again not out? In the end, it was probably nothing more than the sight of the scoreboard, which showed England holding a 164-run lead.If this was England’s day, it was more specifically Cook’s day. If a Cook’s tour is parlance for a quick trip around many venues, it neatly summed up his Ashes campaign until now: Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, never more than a couple of hours at the crease at once. He entered this Test having failed to reach fifty from any of his past 10 innings, the longest such drought of his career. Questions were being asked about his place in the team.But you don’t play 149 consecutive Tests and score 11,000 runs without a healthy dose of resilience. Cook took a conscious decision to be more proactive in this innings, to play a more positive brand of cricket. The end result was 27 boundaries, an unbeaten 244, more than 10 hours at the crease and 409 balls faced, the longest innings by any visiting batsman in a Test in Australia since Cook himself accumulated an unbeaten 235 at the Gabba in 2010.More correctly, that was the end result . Because at stumps, England were still batting, on 9 for 491, with James Anderson yet to score. Cook and England had batted through the day, building the kind of first-innings advantage that leaves Australia’s dreams of a clean-sweep all but over. If England achieve nothing else in this series, denying Australia a 5-0 scoreline would be an outstanding recovery.There were all sorts of fascinating figures from this day’s play. Cook’s innings was the highest score by any visiting batsman in a Test at the MCG, beating Viv Richards’ 208 from 1984. Cook began this innings in ninth place on the list of all-time Test run scorers and will finish it in sixth, having passed Mahela Jayawardene late on the second day, then Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and finally Brian Lara with a cover-drive for four from the penultimate delivery of day three.He compiled a 100-run partnership with Broad, remarkably just the second time they had batted together in 113 Tests featuring both men. But perhaps the most telling figure was Cook’s control rate – despite spending such a long time at the crease, Cook was in control of his strokes 91% of the time. Australia had one chance to dismiss him on day three, when he flicked Pat Cummins to square leg on 153 and Smith spilled a difficult catch, but it was a very rare mistake.His double-century, the fifth of his career, came up with an impeccably timed boundary driven straight back past the bowler Jackson Bird along the ground, from his 360th delivery in his 563rd minute. His partner at the time, Broad, was jumping for joy at the non-striker’s end as soon as he saw the ball leave Cook’s bat.Broad, for his part, played an invaluable role by scoring 56, the first time an England No.10 had made a half-century since Chris Lewis in 1991. In one of the least surprising tactical decisions of all time, Australia’s fast men peppered Broad with bouncers, but he found ways to evade, survive, and then swing and score from the short stuff. He struck eight fours and one six, and brought up his fifty by backing away and swivelling a hook for four off yet another bouncer.Broad was eventually out when he slashed Cummins high towards third man, where Usman Khawaja made good ground to take a catch low to the ground while diving. Replays were needed to see whether Khawaja had collected the ball cleanly, and although the ball bobbed out of his hands and became invisible under his body as he dived, the soft signal of out from the on-field umpires was enough to ensure Broad was sent on his way.The morning had started with Cook at the crease alongside Joe Root, who had 49. Root had no trouble registering his third fifty of the series, but on 61 he threw his innings away with a top-edged pull off Cummins that pinpointed Lyon at deep square leg. It continued Root’s frustrating habit of getting out after reaching a half-century; his career conversion rate of fifties to hundreds is 27%, roughly half that of his counterpart Smith.Still, the Root-Cook partnership had been worth 138 and had delivered England to a position from which they could push for a first-innings lead. Dawid Malan then fell in strange circumstances when on 14 he was adjudged lbw to Hazlewood and decided against using a review, although replays confirmed a thick inside edge. It made Malan the second England batsman this innings to be lbw off his inside edge, after James Vince also failed to review on the second day.Lyon, who is virtually assured of finishing 2017 as the year’s leading Test wicket taker, removed Jonny Bairstow, caught behind for 22, and Moeen Ali, whose disappointing tour continued when he was well caught by Shaun Marsh at short cover trying to clear the infield for 20 off 14 balls. Chris Woakes combined with Cook for a 59-run stand that ended when Woakes gloved one through to the wicketkeeper off Cummins for 26, and Tom Curran followed soon afterwards, caught behind off Josh Hazlewood for 4.But all the while Cook remained. At one point, Smith even resorted to an eccentric-looking field containing three catching covers that resembled a displaced slip cordon in a futile attempt to force an error from Cook. It worked about as well as the short-pitched barrage to Broad. It was yet another sight to please England fans, a sign of Australia’s desperation. But Cook was not to be moved. By stumps, he had a strong chance of becoming the first England batsman in 20 years to carry his bat in a Test innings. It would be well deserved.

With the transfer market still open for another few weeks, it's always useful to know big players would be open to joining your team – just ask Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp how that can derail any summer spending plans…

Well, the good news for Arsenal is that a Premier League striker has gone on the record as saying likes the way the Gunners play, suggesting he'd be keen on a move in the future.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta's men have already completed some big bits of business this summer with the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya all heading to North London.

However, the club may not be done there and with Folarin Balogun expected to make a big move away in the near future, this could potentially open the door up for a new attacker to arrive either this summer or perhaps in January.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

One man who appears to be putting himself in line for such a move is Brentford striker Ivan Toney. Indeed, when talking recently on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, despite admitting he is a fan of Liverpool since his childhood, he shares a certain level of respect for Arsenal and their "passionate" fans.

You can see the specific clip below via Twitter, as Toney opens up on his feelings about the club and his plans for the future, as he appears to drop a bit of a come-and-get-me plea, saying: “The next club I go to, if I was to move, it would be… the right club.

He continued with a smile: "I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal, I like watching Arsenal, how they play and how passionate the fans are.”

Ivan Toney: “The next club I go to if I was to move, it would be the right club. I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal, watching Arsenal, how they play & how passionate the fans are.” [The Diary Of A CEO]
Full episode: https://t.co/chp6qL6vj5 pic.twitter.com/ONyygzbzey
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) August 21, 2023

How much does Ivan Toney earn?

The Brentford striker earns a reported £20k-p/w on a contract that runs out in the summer of 2025, so he may well soon be ready to seriously consider a move away from the Bees. But of course, this might not be easy due to his current ban from football.

The 27-year-old is currently serving an eight-month suspension after accepting that he broke Football Association betting rules – he is not allowed to play again until 17 January next year but can return to training on 17 September.

In the same Diary Of A CEO podcast (via BBC Sport), he opened up on how he is "counting down the days" before he returns to training and said the wait is like "being in football prison".

He said: "The whole football community is big on mental health and then the FA are going to do this and push me away. It's not a place I want people to feel sorry for me. That's the last thing that I want

"So, what if someone not as strong as me in the head is going through this situation and their punishment is they are not allowed at the club – that would break them.

"Right now, not being around the training ground, it does hurt me. I just know when I'm at the training ground, I train harder. It's not a nice feeling. Not being allowed at the training ground is baffling to me.

"I'm counting down the days until I can be training and around the boys. It's like being in football prison at the moment."