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The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Leeds United could be set for a summer of change within their playing squad.

Daniel Farke's side lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last month and it could lead to the club losing some key players over the coming months.

Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich have been credited with an interest in right-back Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto is said to be eyeing a move to Italy, and Dutch magician Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool.

However, there will also be a focus on who the Whites can bring to Elland Road to bolster their squad, and they reportedly have their eye on bringing one ace back for a second spell in Yorkshire.

Leeds United eyeing swoop for Burnley battler

According to The Athletic, Farke is lining up a swoop to sign experienced right-back Connor Roberts from Burnley this summer to bolster his defensive options.

The report claims that Leeds are 'interested' in signing both Joe Rodon and the Clarets talent again, after they spent time on loan with the club this season.

It does not reveal, however, how much Burnley would want for the Wales international, following their relegation from the Premier League this year.

They do not currently have a permanent manager in charge, after Kompany's move to Bayern, and this means that the Whites could have to wait until that issue is resolved before a final decision is made on Roberts' future.

If the Yorkshire-based outfit can iron out a deal to sign the 28-year-old battler then he could thrive alongside Dan James down the right flank, particularly if Gnonto gets his wish and departs from Elland Road.

Why Connor Roberts could thrive alongside Dan James

The Welsh full-back did not get many chances, with just two starts, during his short time with Leeds but he joined midway through the season and in the midst of a promotion push, which made it hard for him to break into the team.

With a full pre-season under his belt, Roberts, who reporter Beren Cross claimed "loves a scrap", could push on and enjoy a great relationship with James down the right due to his attacking potential at Championship level.

Appearances

43

Goals

4

Assists

6

Chances created

43

Pass accuracy

88%

As you can see in the table above, the £30k-per-week defender caught the eye as an attacking force from right-back during the 2022/23 campaign, as his side won the Championship title.

This could make him an exciting partner for James, who contributed with 13 goals and seven assists in 28 starts this term for Leeds, as they could both offer an attacking threat on the same side.

Roberts' overlapping runs and proven track record in the league could cause opposition defenders to split their focus between him and the ex-Manchester United forward, which could then open up more space for the winger to work his magic in the final third.

Alongside Aaronson: Leeds must bring back star who's "too good" for the EFL

The Whites should bring the impressive central defender back to Elland Road next season.

ByDan Emery Jun 12, 2024

They could, therefore, be a fantastic pairing on the right for Farke next season by causing constant problems for opponents as they can both chip in with goals and assists at an impressive rate, given their respective positions.

In Karachi, Yasir Shah finished with eight wickets in Balochistan’s win

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2020Last year at the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, only 10 matches in the entire season produced results. The opening round saw all two off three matches drawn, with huge scores dominating games and little chance of a result in sight. The signs this time indicate this could be a very different QeA season. All three games ended up producing winners and losers; two of them saw results inside three days. The one likeliest to result in a draw, though, was saved by some aggressive captaincy by Azhar Ali, though it didn’t quite work out for him the way he’d have liked.Sarfaraz Ahmed pips Azhar AliThis game held particular intrigue from a personal match-up point of view, with the two men leading Central Punjab and Sindh also the pair who have swapped captaincy at international level for much of the past five years. And with Azhar’s Test captaincy reputed to be slipping from his grasp, a positive result here might have revived his fortunes. So as soon as he saw the game meandering to a draw, he declared Central Punjab’s second innings, setting Sindh 212 to win in just under two sessions.It was the sort of captaincy Azhar isn’t exactly reputed for, but set up a tantalising finale to what should have been a bore draw. Sindh came out all guns blazing, while Central Punjab’s bowlers didn’t quite carry the threat their captain might have hoped for on a fading final afternoon. Saud Shakeel’s 69-ball 61 led the charge, while Asad Shafiq, hopelessly out of form internationally, took over once he’d been dismissed to ensure Sindh didn’t just bat for light. Hassan Mohsin gave him good company, and with minutes remaining before the light faded decisively, Shafiq cleared his front leg to deposit the ball over cow corner to seal a dramatic finish.Hussain Talat, Shan Masood get South Punjab off to flying startNorthern were the underdogs everyone rooted for along their run to the final last year, but repeating the feat may prove trickier on the evidence of the first match. Nauman Ali’s side were routed from the outset, bowled out inside 50 overs despite electing to bat first. Zahid Mahmood and Agha Salman took seven of the wickets before South Punjab batted Northern well out of the match thanks mainly to Hussain Talat and Shan Masood. Talat amassed a career-best 253, while Masood scored 134 of his own to give their side a colossal 342-run lead in the first innings.With clinical efficiency, Northern’s bowlers set to work once more, Zahid Masood completing a 10-for with six wickets in the second innings. Mohammad Abbas removed two at the top to open up the middle order early, and there was little sign South Punjab would be forced into batting again. Hammad Azam’s 79 was the only thing resembling resistance from Northern, but it wasn’t to stop them from crumbling to an innings defeat.Yasir Shah belts out an appeal•Getty ImagesYasir Shah leads Balochistan to winning startYasir Shah might face an uphill task if he is to convince Pakistan’s selectors to send him with the national side off to their next assignment in New Zealand, given his poor record in the southern hemisphere. Here in Karachi, though, he couldn’t have asked for a better start, taking eight wickets – four in each innings – to help Balochistan beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Bismillah Khan’s century saw them get to 362 in the first innings, before Yasir and Khurram Shehzad, who took a five-fer, skittled KP out for 167.That slowed Balochistan to set them a virtually insurmountable 413 to get in the fourth innings, and with five sessions to go, batting out ad raw seemed out of reach, too. Yasir was the man who ran through some middle order resistance to guarantee the game wouldn’t even need a fourth day, as he and Kashif Bhatti finished with a combined eight wickets to consign KP to a 186-run defeat.

Oh look, Darwin Nunez has scored again. Say one thing for Marcelo Bielsa, say he's hit the jackpot with the Liverpool striker, seemingly constructing a system that maximises the myriad strengths of the influential forward.

Two games into the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, Uruguay have dominantly won both of their group fixtures thus far, with Nunez offering a glimpse of the level he could yet reach at Anfield, now under the tutelage of Arne Slot.

Minutes played

90'

83'

Goals

1

1

Shots taken

5

7

Big chances missed

2

3

Touches

33

36

Accurate passes

13/17 (76%)

6/10 (60%)

Key passes

1

0

Dribble attempts

3/5

6/8

Duels won

6/10

12/19

Tackles

0

3

Two years ago, Nunez signed for Liverpool from Benfica in a deal rising to a club-record £85m fee. Now aged 24, he has scored 33 goals from 96 fixtures in all competitions but has missed 47 big chances in the Premier League despite only scoring 20 goals.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland, conversely, has missed 62 big chances in the same timeframe but has incredibly plundered 63 goals. The difference in shooting sharpness, clearly, is stark.

Nonetheless, Nunez is positively bursting with natural ability and, channelled purposefully under Slot's wing, he could take significant strides toward world-class conversation.

Liverpool transfer news

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are among the list of top Premier League clubs that have been made aware of Kingsley Coman's availability at Bayern Munich this summer.

The German Bundesliga giants are on the verge of signing Michael Olise from Crystal Palace and Coman has been deemed expendable, having suffered an injury-disrupted 2023/24 campaign.

The 28-year-old trophy-littered career could see Liverpool add some extra winning mentality, though FSG would have to cough up £50m to make it happen.

Why Liverpool are interested in Kingsley Coman

Bayern signed Coman from Juventus on an initial two-year loan deal in 2015, before exercising the option to make the signing permanent. Former Die Roten sports director Matthias Sammer said of the then-prospect: "Kingsley Coman is one of the biggest talents in European football."

Coman's career has been showered in silverware. Last season, Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen produced an all-time German achievement of winning the Bundesliga undefeated (and the DFB-Pokal too) meaning that Bayern and Coman missed out on the league title.

For Coman, it was the first time in his career that he failed to win his division's title, triumphing every single year with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, from where he began his professional journey. That's 11 league titles, even more than Phil Foden, for example, who has claimed six Premier League titles aged 24 with Manchester City.

In total, he has scored 63 goals and supplied 66 assists across 294 appearances for the Allianz Arena side, making good on past praise from his former coach Patrick Gonfalone, who noted when he was a teenager: “His reading of the game and his technique stand out and make him formidable."

While the recently concluded campaign has seen him shackled to the sideline over the past few months, limiting him to a seasonal haul of five goals and three assists, Coman managed to average 1.7 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game in the German top flight.

For reference, Liverpool's Luis Diaz averaged 1.8 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per Premier League game last term, so the Bavarian ace maintained an impressive level despite his issues.

Having scored the sole goal to secure Bayern the Champions League title in 2020, sinking his former outfit PSG to lift the trophy, Coman has the pedigree and he has the skill.

Left winger

178

43

39

0.46

Right winger

124

22

27

0.40

As you can see, the £276k-per-week machine finds success regardless of his deployment on the field. The right-footed star is understandably more clinical when on the left, swinging inside to fire on goal, but he's comparatively successful in that regard even when on the right flank.

Moreover, his progression-based and sharp technical qualities could see him offer the added dimension to ensure the success of Slot's Liverpool side. As per FBref, the France international ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive passes, the top 6% for progressive carries, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Such quality. Such gusto. Nunez would lick his lips at the chance to play with such a talent.

Imagine Kingsley Coman & Darwin Nunez

Nunez might have flattered to deceive here, struggled to make it connect there, but he's still showcased more than enough quality to denote his elite-level talent on Merseyside.

Some extra pace and projection down the flanks could be perfect for his skill set, and Coman offers that in hordes. His two-sidedness suggests that Coman could find a measure of fluency on either wing, with Nunez scoring 18 goals for the Reds last term but also registering 13 assists.

The 6 foot 1 forward, indeed, ranks among the top 5% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions and the top 20% for tackles per 90.

Slot's preferred formation shapes up to be 4-2-3-1 – the same, as it goes, as Bielsa's set-up with Uruguay – with Nunez playing the role of lone frontman. Things could soon start to click for a forward who has had his share of detractors since alighting in England, perhaps playing more of a distinctive role than the fluid, interchanging nature of Klopp's system.

With Coman deployed to the wing, stretching the opponent's flanks and creating space, a formidable partnership could be born.

Liverpool in direct talks with star who'd be the biggest coup since Salah

FSG would make quite the statement by getting this one over the line.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2024

Shane Bond, though, believes Ferguson could bring “intimidation factor” to New Zealand’s red-ball attack

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2020Six New Zealand players who were involved in the IPL and will also feature in the upcoming series against West Indies are currently training in a managed isolation facility in Lincoln. With them are Shane Bond and Brendon McCullum, who were part of the coaching staff at the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders respectively, with New Zealand roping them in as guest coaches during the quarantine period.Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is one of the players in this bubble, and he’s thrilled to spend time with Bond, whom he describes as “a hero of mine while growing up”.”We had a tour to the UAE with the New Zealand A side two years ago,” Ferguson said in a virtual media interaction. “He was the coach there and that’s the biggest stint I’ve had with him. [We have] similar ways of bowling – obviously he was super impressive. But we’ve had some great chats there. He was even asking [about] one of the plans, [which] was coming around the wicket so much and bowling short to guys. He asked me why I wasn’t doing it as much as I used to. So he remembers it as well. It’s been great to have him to bounce ideas off and get some notes on West Indies.”Ferguson will feature in the three-match T20I series against West Indies, but he isn’t part of the squad for the two Tests that follow. Ferguson is keen to make a return to the longest format, having had to endure a rough first stint in whites. Making his Test debut against Australia in Perth last year, a calf strain curtailed his bowling output to just 11 first-innings overs and ruled him out of the rest of the tour as well as the subsequent home Tests against India.While Ferguson was away, the towering Kyle Jamieson made his debut for New Zealand, picking up nine wickets across two Tests against India, including 5 for 45 in a Man-of-the-Match performance in Christchurch, while also contributing runs down the order. But Ferguson isn’t bothered by the competition, and is instead looking forward to “keep doing the work in the background”.”I think it’s a fantastic time to be playing for the Black Caps,” he said. “You see the depth – Kyle Jamieson, one of my good mates, coming through and taking his opportunity [and] playing very well. [This] puts pressure on all bowlers to perform well and he’s started the [domestic] season very well this year – he’s taken five-fors pretty much every game, so I think it’s great. For me, that means I’ll have to work hard to get an opportunity and have a chance in the side. And if that opportunity comes, I’ll do what I can to take with open arms.”… [Jamieson] certainly deserves a spot in that side. But having said that, the Test side is a tough team to make – there’s so much depth and obviously our big three (Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner) have been so successful for a long period of time. But you can only take it game by game – tough to look too far ahead.”Kyle Jamieson reacts after his five-for in Christchurch•AFPBond believes it won’t be long before Ferguson is back in the Test side despite having fallen behind in the queue.”He’s sitting in behind – you’d argue – three, maybe four or five [bowlers], with Matt Henry around as well,” Bond said. “I think everybody is more than aware of what he can do in terms of pace. He offers an intimidation factor, he’s just part of our wider Black Caps bowling squad. So when he gets his chance to play four-day cricket for Auckland, it’s just [about] continuing to bowl well and put in good performances. And either through retirements, injuries or his own performances, he’ll get his chance sometime in the future perhaps.”What Ferguson can bring to the Test attack, Bond says, is the “intimidation factor”, which can be especially useful against the lower order.”I think we’ve seen that in Australia over the past period of time, where they really do clean up the tail through using their fast bowlers and intimidating sort of from [number] eight down,” Bond said. “Because no one wants to face the sort of pace that Lockie bowls, particularly when he loves to bowl around the wicket as well, it’s pretty horrible.”Ferguson, Bond says, could be especially useful on the flatter pitches in New Zealand, particularly in the second innings.”Wickets in New Zealand are flat, they’re generally green at the start, they flatten out, they don’t turn, they become a sort of run fest in the second innings in particular, so if you use him in those short, sharp spells, then he can come on and create some chaos through the middle there, and particularly in the back end where people just don’t want to face that stuff, that can make life easier for the rest of the order. “Bond also credited the New Zealand management for investing in Jamieson.”I thought last season he was sensational,” Bond said. “He’s certainly taken his game to another level, and I think that’s a sign of the investment New Zealand Cricket have put in him – the value of those A tours, programs, what he’s learned about travelling and what’s required to be at the top.””And then the second part is the credit to Kyle himself for going away and continuing to improve on areas that he had to to be successful. So he’s a hugely exciting talent, obviously offers multi-skills, and just offers that point of difference with his height and his bounce as well.”Despite Jamieson yet to make his T20I debut, Bond already foresees an IPL opportunity for him and is looking forward to him playing T20 cricket.”I’m looking forward to see how he goes in T20, and there’s always opportunities in the T20 game as well,” he says. “With another IPL around the corner, who knows what can happen. Things in this game can change pretty quick, so looking forward to seeing what he can do.”While New Zealand’s IPL contingent have cleared two Covid-19 tests, they will need to take a third one before being allowed to join the rest of the squad ahead of the T20I series starting November 27.

Andre Onana pulled off a stunning double save during Manchester United's clash with Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, leaving fans stunned.

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Onana makes stunning double saveUnited against Mourinho's FenerbahceFans and Mourinho left in disbeliefFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Onana pulled off an absolutely stunning double save during United's clash with Fenerbahce, twice denying Youssef En-Nesyri from close-range. His stunning reactions left fans watching stunned, and also shocked Fener boss Jose Mourinho.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

@RawknuckD wrote: "Onana with sensational double saves… Slowly redeeming himself. Jose can't believe his eyes."

@Warrenhackel said: "Onana WOW THAT WAS INSANE."

@Kwakstified added: "Onana save > Raya save."

@CyrusAgogo wrote: "Onana is the best goalkeeper in the world."

@UTDSteve9 said: "That Andre Onana double save is even better than the double save against Crystal Palace. The best goalkeeper in the world right now."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Onana made another superb double save earlier this season at Selhurst Park as United drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace, but he downplayed his heroics afterwards because United did not win the game. The goalkeeper has firmly established himself as Erik ten Hag's No.1 and will hope to keep up his excellent form.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

United play West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. They then have another opportunity to progress in a cup competition, as they face Leicester in the EFL Cup in midweek.

The legspinner took 2 for 8 in four overs as the Tuskers stumbled to 105 all out

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Dec-2020How the match played outThis was the least competitive match of the tournament so far. After the early overs, the Kandy Tuskers never seemed capable of producing a serious challenge to the Colombo Kings. The Kings chased down a target of 106 with 35 balls and seven wickets to spare.The Tuskers’ strongest period in the game was their batting Powerplay. Their top-scorers of the tournament – Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis – were out cheaply, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck 34 off 21 to help his side to a run rate of 9 by the end of the Powerplay. Then the middle order went to pieces. Brendan Taylor was trapped lbw by Angelo Mathews for 3 in the sixth over. Asela Gunaratne was also lbw, to Qais Ahmad, less than three overs after that. Only one boundary was struck between overs six and ten.The Tuskers, who don’t have the deepest batting order, kept losing wickets through the middle overs, and limped into over 17 at 94 for 6. The last four wickets went down in a heap. From the halfway point of the innings, only four fours were struck. Outside of Gurbaz’ innings, the Tuskers managed only eight fours in total.The chase was the cakewalk it was always going to be. Laurie Evans was out in the third over, and Daniel Bell-Drummond and Angelo Mathews didn’t last long either, but Dinesh Chandimal was playing a slow-burn innings, and was eventually joined by Ashan Priyanjan, with whom he struck up an unbroken 56-run partnership. Neither batsman scored at more than a run-a-ball. But then with such a small target to chase, why would they bother?Stars of the matchThe Kings attack is hitting form at the business end of the tournament. A day after he had been good against Jaffna Stallions, Dushmantha Chameera gave away just 17 runs from his four overs, and took the vital wicket of Kusal Perera.Andre Russell and Angelo Mathews were also good, but the best of Kings’ bowlers was Qais, whose four overs cost a stunning eight runs. He also took out Gunaratne and Dilruwan Perera to finish with two wickets.Where the teams standThe Kings become the third team to qualify for the semi-finals, after the Jaffna Stallions and Dambulla Viiking. The Tuskers are still in a scrap for that fourth semi-final position with the Galle Gladiators. The Tuskers have the advantage since they won their first match against the Gladiators, who are yet to get themselves their first win.A little over halfway through the league, though, there’s not a lot on the line in the remaining matches. The tournament organisers would have been much better off ditching the semi-finals format, and letting only the top three teams qualify for the knockouts. Teams ranked No. 2 and No. 3 could play an eliminator to play the side ranked No. 1 in the final. Maybe next year.

Erik ten Hag compared himself to Jose Mourinho as the Dutch insisted he can turn Manchester United into a successful team.

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Ten Hag facing the sack again at Man UtdRed Devils face Mourinho's FenerbahceDutchman compared himself to PortugueseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ten Hag has come under fire once again amid United's dismal start to the season, which has seen them rack up just three wins in the Premier League after eight matches. They will be searching for their first win in the Europa League – having drawn their first two games – when they take on Mourinho's Fenerbahce on Thursday.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After Mourinho guided United to the Europa League title in 2017, United went on a trophyless run until they won the Carabao Cup in Ten Hag's debut season, followed by an FA Cup success last term. Despite his success, the ex-Ajax boss is reportedly close to being sacked, but he used Mourinho as part of his defence of his record, even though the Portuguese has significantly more trophies to his name.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

"Mourinho and I, we won a lot of trophies the last years but you have to prove yourself every year and when you don't win we are always under criticism," he said. "We know that we are experienced enough. Professional football is about winning games and when you don't win, the criticism is coming.

"But at the end of the day, it's about how you are at the end of the year. Mourinho is so experienced, he will lead this team to its best form, he will be successful and so will we. We are convinced we are in the right direction, that we follow the right path and we will achieve what our targets are."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

Ten Hag's Red Devils go in search of another win on Thursday when they come up against Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Istanbul in the Europa League.

Despite news filtering through recently that their reliable number one goalkeeper John Ruddy had moved onto Newcastle United in a shock deal, Birmingham City still look strong in goal going into the new League One campaign.

Ryan Allsop and former Leeds United shot-stopper Bailey Peacock-Farrell must have been purchased in-between the sticks knowing that the ex-Norwich City man was going to move onto Tyneside shortly, with a need now at St. Andrew's to start recruiting some centre-backs to further bolster defensively.

Birmingham are short when it comes to numbers in the heart of defence, with Blues stalwart Marc Roberts being let go of this off-season from this position, but one potential signing could sort the third tier giants out soon.

Birmingham closing in on deal for Dutch defender

It has been reported by Dutch outlet De Telegraaf that Chris Davies' side are close to sealing a deal for Sparta Rotterdam centre-back Mike Eerdhuijzen, as the new Blues boss continues to reshape his team ahead of a promotion challenge to come.

Birmingham are prepared to spend in the region of £2.1m to land the 23-year-old, to then hopefully partner him up with the likes of Dion Sanderson back in the West Midlands.

This is backed up by BirminghamLive journalist Alex Dicken, who also states that the Blues will get a deal over the line for current League One Golden Boot holder Alfie May to join as well, with Birmingham fans excited already at the prospect of watching their team next campaign.

What Eerdhuijzen can offer Birmingham

The current Rotterdam man will no doubt embrace the challenge of relocating to England and battling it out for his new employers, with his 6 foot 5 frame potentially intimidating League One attackers trying to get past him.

Roberts was only one inch shorter, and so the left-field acquisition of the Dutchman could prove to be a stroke of genius in helping Birmingham become defensively solid ahead of what they hope is a title-winning season to follow.

Although Roberts had become somewhat part of the furniture at St. Andrew's, with 197 appearances under his belt for Birmingham before his departure, it was the correct call to move him on.

Davies will want fresh blood at this disposal ahead of a promotion push, and with the 33-year-old only making 14 Championship appearances on the way to relegation being confirmed, it was an apt time to pull the plug on his time at the club.

League games played

19

14

37

Goals scored

1

0

1

Assists

0

0

0

Touches*

58.5

41.5

46.3

Accurate passes*

40.4 (86%)

25.1 (77%)

30.7 (85%)

Interceptions*

1.2

0.6

1.4

Tackles*

0.9

0.6

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.4

2.7

3.4

Clearances*

4.3

2.8

3.3

Duels won*

3.3

3.5

3.4

Looking at the table above, it's now more even understandable why Roberts was let go of this summer, with the potential for Sanderson now to form a daunting duo with Eerdhuijzen.

The Dutchman is arguably more comfortable with the ball at his feet as a calm operator compared to his ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers counterpart, who shines doing different defensive tasks away from playing out from the back.

This is a risky signing on Davies' end, with the Rotterdam defender not used to the cut and thrust of the EFL yet, but it could be a risk that pays off, especially if Eerdhuijzen goes on to have a breakout season that results in his new employers taking League One by storm.

Birmingham could sign perfect Miyoshi partner in swoop for deadly forward

Birmingham City would surely be overwhelming favourites for promotion if they signed this deadly Koji Miyoshi partner.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 25, 2024

Tottenham have looked at signing an £85 million striker for Ange Postecoglou, coming after his excellent goal tally of 28 in all competitions last season.

Spurs targeting replacement for Harry Kane this summer

One item on Spurs' list of summer agendas is to finally replace club-record goalscorer and Lilywhites legend Harry Kane, coming nearly a year after he departed for Bayern Munich in a multi-million pound deal.

Postecoglou really wants £35 million star at Tottenham with talks ongoing

The Australian is personally eyeing a move.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2024

The 30-year-old has gone on to make 45 appearances in all competitions for the Bavarians thus far, scoring an incredible 44 goals and registering 12 assists in that time, and Spurs were tipped to really miss Kane's proficiency over Postecoglou's debut campaign in the dugout.

Tottenham did manage to cope well without their former superstar, though, with Postecoglou even recording the best start made by any new manager in Premier League history. The bulk of their goals came courtesy of Son Heung-min and Richarlison, who grabbed 29 between them with a further 14 assists to boot across all competitions.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.05

Cristian Romero

7.04

Dejan Kulusevski

7.03

However, there are some doubts over Richarlison's suitability to lead the line going forward, despite the Brazilian's phenomenal mid-season purple patch. Reports have suggested that Tottenham are even open to selling Richarlison for the right offer, amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

A host of interesting options have been named as striker candidates on Tottenham's summer transfer wishlist. Ivan Toney is thought to be attracting Spurs interest, with the England star contributing well when called upon by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024.

The 28-year-old, who racked up 20 league goals the season before last, has entered the final 12 months of his contract – which could force Brenford to sell for a lower than desired fee.

Toney isn't the only striker linked with a move to N17, as Sky Sports detail other names they've been considering in a report this week.

Tottenham have looked at signing Lois Openda from RB Leipzig

As well as the likes of Lille striker Jonathan David, Sky claim that RB Leipzig star Lois Openda is a target for the Lilywhites as well.

Spurs are after a forward with versatility, and the 24-year-old is thought to fit the bill in this respect. Tottenham have looked at signing Openda for Postecoglou, despite other claims he could cost as much as £85 million, but it remains to be seen if they decide to formalise their interest with an offer to test Leipzig's resolve.

This isn't the first time they've been linked with Openda, who scored 28 times and provided seven assists last term, and pundit John Wenham believes he'd be an "interesting" potential replacement for Richarlison.

“I watched Openda in the Champions League a couple of times this year and I was impressed,” Wenham said to Tottenham News, “He has a real mix of pace and excellent finishing ability. He looks like someone who could also play out wide, so he would be an interesting replacement for Richarlison."

New Zealand quick becomes third from his country, after Hadlee and Vettori, to pick up 300 Test wickets

Umar Farooq29-Dec-2020Tim Southee has become only the third from New Zealand, after Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori, to get to the 300-wicket milestone, which he achieved with Haris Sohail’s scalp in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday. “It’s a pretty cool feeling,” Southee said afterwards, and promised to try and keep adding to the number as long as he is able to keep up with the demands.”It’s special, and obviously not many people have been able to do it and the two that have, they are two of our greatest-ever cricketers – so it’s nice to be in that bracket with those guys,” Southee said. “When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was play cricket for New Zealand and I guess to sit here after a reasonable time of doing that and achieving a couple of things along the way… it’s a pretty cool feeling.”Related

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“It’s there in the background,” he added when asked if the record was on his mind. “But when you’re out there, you’re all for the side. But you obviously know, you’re reasonably close. So, yeah, the guys keep reminding us. Wags [Neil Wagner] was actually one ahead of everyone else, he thought it was the first one and came in and gave me a big hug, and I was thinking ‘what’s going on here mate?'”

“One thing that’s never changed is, I guess, the drive and the determination to keep getting better and keep learning. Just because you’ve played a number of Test matches doesn’t mean you can’t continue to learn”Tim Southee

Milestones for bowlers don’t always come with magic deliveries, an outswinger catching the outside edge as it nips away, for example. For Southee, Sohail was dismissed driving to short cover, a wicket-ball only because the batsman’s front foot didn’t go where it was meant to.”I’d love one to pitch on off and nip away and get caught behind,” Southee said. “But the surface obviously dictates what you’re trying to achieve. And the wicket is obviously a bit slower, so those catches in front of the wicket become very important.”Southee is just past his 32nd birthday. To go on, he has James Anderson to look at for motivation. “I’d love to play for as long as I possibly can,” he said. “I love doing what I’ve done and fortunate enough to do it for a period of time now. Obviously there’s high standards that come with representing New Zealand. And as long as you can, I guess, withhold those standards, then I guess age is any number.”I just turned 32 the other day. So I think people think I’m probably a little bit older than I am. But it’s something I love doing. You look at the likes of James Anderson, still able to achieve what he’s achieving at the age of 38, Ross [Taylor] as well, the way he seems to be getting better and better with age as well. So it’s it’s just a number. So long as you can maintain those standards that are required at this level, then, you know, I’d like to continue to play.”One thing that’s never changed is, I guess, the drive and the determination to keep getting better and keep learning. Just because you’ve played a number of Test matches doesn’t mean you can’t continue to learn. That’s something that’s been there from day one, to learn from others in the side and others that you play against.”