All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester City have been handed a huge boost in their reported hopes of signing Danny Ings this summer after he rejected a new contract at Southampton.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic, Ings has rejected a new four-year deal at the South Coast club, which could well force Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to cash in on the England international this summer, or risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

The former Liverpool man was linked with a move to Manchester City by Sky Sports earlier this year, as he was touted as a potential replacement for outgoing legend Sergio Aguero, and if City retain an interest in signing the Southampton man, then a move this summer definitely now looks like it could be on the cards.

Would he be a good signing for Guardiola?

Although Ings perhaps wouldn’t be as glamourous a signing as Harry Kane or Erling Haaland, Guardiola suggested recently that City were being priced out of a move for a striker this summer, and Ings could represent a much cheaper option who is almost guaranteed to score goals in the Premier League.

Injuries meant he managed just 12 goals in a poor Southampton side last season but his 22 goals in the top-flight in the 2019/20 campaign saw him finish as the joint-second top scorer, which suggests that he could certainly be a good fit at the Etihad, where he’d be surrounded by better players.

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Eddie Howe was full of praise for the striker’s performances in the 19/20 season, saying:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

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City need a goalscorer and given that Ings is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt and has only one year left on his contract, he could be a much cheaper alternative for Guardiola’s side this summer and given his record in the top-flight, this seems like a deal that sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely be looking to complete.

And, in other news… Guardiola dealt transfer blow with “different level” beast, City fans should be fuming

The Indian national selectors are unlikely to be heavily swayed by Twenty20 performances when they choose the squad for the forthcoming tri-series inBangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan29-May-2008
Yusuf Pathan’s consistency in all forms of the game should boost his selection © Cricinfo Ltd
The Indian Premier League might have provided a launching pad for anumber of previously unheralded players but the Indian nationalselectors are unlikely to be heavily swayed by Twenty20 performanceswhen they choose the squad for the forthcoming tri-series inBangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan.Barring injuries, the players who helped India lift the CB Seriescrown in Australia are likely to be preferred. Sachin Tendulkar, however, has been ruled out of both tournaments due to a groin injury. However, a fewyoungsters could be thrown into the mix if one of the main players isrested for the tournament, one that starts on June 8.”Most of the players who were part of the CB Series squad have beendoing well in IPL also,” one of the selectors told Cricinfo. “That waslargely a young side so we need to give importance to continuity. Ifthere are injuries we will look at a few players in form.”The most obvious vacancy is in the spin department. Harbhajan Singh’sban has opened up a slot and there could be a temptation to pick threespinners, given that it’s summer in Bangladesh. Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, will beexpected to retain his spot but Yusuf Pathan’s recent heroics make hima strong candidate.Apart from his offbreaks he can also swing a match around withthe bat. The fact that he’s done well in all formats this season -four-day, one-day and Twenty20 matches – is a big plus in his favour.Amit Mishra, the legspinner, who had a fine domestic season, has also staked a claimthrough his good IPL performances.The batting line-up picks itself. Virender Sehwag didn’t play in thefinal part of the CB Series but would be expected to retain his spotin the squad. Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir have both set the IPLalight and would be expected to shoulder a bulk of the burden. Allindications suggest that it’s unlikely that the selectors will lookbeyond the line-up that did the job in Australia – unless injuriesforce one or two of the players to miss out.A number of youngsters have made an impact in the IPL but theselectors might be tempted to wait just a bit longer before bloodingthem. An India A team is scheduled to visit Israel and Australia (foran Emerging Nations three-nation tournament) in July and some of theyoung guns may be given a chance there.Rarely have India had such a wealth of fast-bowling options to choosefrom. Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh (though he missed the CB Series due to injury) and Ishant Sharma did a sterling job in Australia and all have been among thewickets of late. Even if one of them were to be unavailable becauseof injury, there’s VRV Singh, Pankaj Singh, Vijaykumar Yomahesh and aslew of others who have the ability to fill the breach.However, Zaheer Khan might not be in the mix – he’s managed 13 wicketsin 11 IPL games but the recurrence of his ankle injury, which ruledhim out of the recent Test series against South Africa, could see himmissing out on the action.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Marcus Thuram to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Tottenham are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Borussia Monchengladbach winger ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

The report continues by stating that Spurs director of football Fabio Paratici would support a move for the 23-year-old, as well as claiming that the forward is a priority for the north London side this summer.

It is also claimed that the France international himself is open to a move away from the Bundesliga side, with Monchengladbach thought to be demanding a fee of at least €30m (£25.5m) in order to sanction to the sale of the forward ahead of next season.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Thuram appears to possess, it is unsurprising to learn that Tottenham are keen on signing the winger this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Bundesliga appearances for Adi Hutter’s side last season, the £31.5m-rated man scored eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Denis Zakaria call a “phenomenal” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Monchengladbach’s 10th-best performer in the top flight of German football.

The £43k-per-week winger also impressed during his brief appearance for France at Euro 2020, making one key pass, completing one dribble and winning one duel in the 3-3 draw with Switzerland, with his display earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.2.

As such, it would very much seem as if Thuram would be an extremely exciting addition to Nuno Espirito Santo’s options in attack at Tottenham next season, as well as being the type of player who fans of the club would love to see running at and creating problems for opposition defenders.

It’s exactly why they will be buzzing with this latest update on Thuram.

In other news: Levy makes private behind-the-scenes Spurs decision that will leave fans buzzing

The plays of the day from the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game in Karachi

Sidharth Monga in Karachi29-Jun-2008
Wahab Riaz had a much calmer day in the office © AFP
Riaz continues from where he left
When Wahab Riaz last played for Pakistan, he bowled two beamers, and before being barred from bowling, had been taken for 86 runs by India. He had bowled 9.2 overs during the Kitply Cup in Dhaka, and continued the good work when he started today. After a first-over maiden by Sohail Tanvir, he started up with a gentle short ball outside the off stump, and Kumar Sangakkara quite liked it and gave it a receipt: “An amount of four runs received with gratitude…” To his credit, Riaz made a decent comeback after the 11-run first over to end up with figures of 1 for 52 in nine overs.Like Kamran, like Sarfraz?
Sarfraz Ahmed, brought in to replace Kamran Akmal, who two days ago was quite audaciously named the Asian wicketkeeper of the year for the Castrol awards, hasn’t had the greatest of comebacks to the Pakistan side. He failed to get on the board after fumbling a few takes in his first two Asia Cup matches, but he got his first dismissal of the tournament when he caught Chamara Silva off Tanvir.Why Malik shouldn’t open part II
Salman Butt got out for a duck while opening with Shoaib Malik in the first match of the Asia Cup. Today, he once again failed to score, making it the second consecutive time that’s happened. Although Butt managed 35 against India, he was bowled by Chaminda Vaas on the first ball of Pakistan’s chase.Where are the extras?
Sri Lanka have always been disciplined, but consider this: the first extras Pakistan secured in their innings came in the 33rd over. No over-stepping, no wides, no byes, no leg-byes, nothing hitting the helmet … nothing for 194 balls. Let’s leave it for the statistically inclined to decide if this is the best effort when it comes to extras.Can’t wait for Euro
When Ajantha Mendis bowled Misbah-ul-Haq in the 47th over, Ian Gould sent out a strong signal. With the Euro 2008 final to start soon after the end of this match, Gould wanted it to be known that the match be finished fast. When the fielding side gave him the ball, he started dribbling it like a football player.

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘expect’ to seal the signing of Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu ‘this month’ with a ‘total agreement’ for the ‘marquee transfer’ now close.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Tomiyasu talks…

Since the start of the month, Spurs and Fabio Paratici have been negotiating with the Serie A side in a bid to make Tomiyasu their first major signing of the summer.

Sky Sports detailed a first bid from the Lilywhites which was swiftly rejected, with the amount coming to around £12.9m (€15m) plus an extra £2.6m (€3m) in add-ons.

The Athletic then reported that Spurs are ‘closing in’ on the 22-year-old, with Football Insider now providing a fresh update.

The Latest: Spurs expect to seal Tomiyasu ‘this month’

As per the outlet, Spurs expect to seal his signing this month following a breakthrough in talks with Bologna.

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In what they describe as a ‘marquee transfer’ for the Lilywhites, FI explain that a ‘total agreement’ for the versatile ace is now close and all parties involved expected a deal to go through successfully.

Paratici has already agreed the terms of a contract for Tomiyasu as recent talks revolve around the structure of a fee and bonus payments – which is believed to be £15.5m including add-ons.

The Verdict: Brilliant move…

The Japan international is arguably a snip at that price given he can play both right-back and in the centre-half position (WhoScored), potentially solving two glaring problems in the depth of Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence.

Serge Aurier has been heavily touted with a move away this summer after his own exit admission, while Tottenham’s priority of reinforcing their central defensive options is well documented.

Starting 31 Serie A matches for Bologna over 2020/2021, he averaged the joint-most clearances per 90 (3.3) out of their entire squad in that time (WhoScored).

Securing Tomiyasu for the bargain £15.5m would certainly be a solid start to Paratici’s reign.

In other news: ‘Sensational’…Sky pundit in awe of ‘fabulous player’ who Nuno wants to sign for Spurs, find out more here.

Nathan Hauritz, the Australian offspinner, echoed Shane Watson’s feelings on playing in Pakistan, scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in September, saying he didn’t care where he played as long he got to represent his country

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2008
Nathan Hauritz, named in 30 probables for the Champions Trophy, last played for Australia in 2004 © Getty Images
Nathan Hauritz, the Australian offspinner, has echoed Shane Watson’s feelings on the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, saying he didn’t care where he played as long he got to represent his country.Watson had said he’d play anywhere but some Australian players, including Andrew Symonds, expressed their reservations on touring Pakistan, which had two bomb attacks on its cities in the past two weeks.However Hauritz, who was named in Australia’s 30 probables for the Champions Trophy, said getting the chance to play for the national team didn’t happen all the time. “You can go to a number of places in this world that are dangerous,” Hauritz, who last played for Australia in 2004, told the Sydney-based . “But at the end of the day it’s not my call and it’s up to Cricket Australia. I’m sure they will do everything they can to make sure it’s safe.”Peter Young, the Cricket Australia spokesman, made it clear the board wouldn’t send players to a place that was dangerous. “We understand the players’ concerns,” Young said. “It is a concern of ours. International cricket is important to billions of fans around the world but, like Andrew [Symonds] said, ‘It’s only a game’, and the issue is if we can justify sending our players anywhere where it might be dangerous.”Australia are expected to take a decision on whether or not to tour Pakistan in three weeks. While the board, along with New Zealand Cricket and the England board, had hired Reg Dickson, an independent security expert, to visit Karachi and submit a report on the security measures for the Asia Cup, Cricket Australia’s own operations chief, Michael Brown, is not expected back from his annual leave till next week, Young said.

While Valerien Ismael’s transfer business at West Bromwich Albion got off to a flying start, with the Frenchman landing his former captain Alex Mowatt on a free transfer, Albion’s dealings appear to have slowed somewhat in recent weeks.

The club have secured a season-long loan deal for Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Matt Clarke, but in terms of permanent signings, all seems relatively quiet on the West Brom front.

That does not mean that the rumour mill isn’t spitting out new stories on a near-daily basis, though, with Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane being the latest player to be linked with a summer switch to The Hawthorns.

However, it is believed that the Baggies’ likely promotion rivals Sheffield United have overtaken Albion in the race for the 30-year-old’s signature, something which also seems to have happened to West Brom in their pursuit of Trevoh Chalobah.

While the Chelsea midfielder would be a fantastic addition for Ismael to make to his side ahead of next season, it is Hourihane who the Frenchman simply cannot afford to let slip this summer.

Ismael must move

Things have not particularly worked out for the Republic of Ireland international at Villa Park following the club’s promotion to the Premier League back in 2019, with Dean Smith immediately spending big on the likes of Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba in a bid to secure Villa’s status as a top-flight team – quite rightly, we should add. However, Hourihane has nevertheless been one of the most impressive players to have graced the Championship in recent years.

Indeed, in the season leading up to the Villans’ promotion, he was in exceptional form over his 46 Championship appearances, with the £3.15m-rated man bagging eight goals, providing 12 assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, along with averaging 1.8 shots and 1.6 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the man who Smith dubbed a “superb” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the club’s third-best performer in the second tier that season – behind Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham, and above John McGinn and Tyrone Mings, who ranked fourth and fifth in Villa’s best players that season.

Lasts season, the £30k-per-week midfielder once again proved that he is capable of playing a key role in a club’s promotion charge – over his 22 Championship appearances on loan at Swansea City, he scored five goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates.

These returns saw the 30-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.02, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s sixth-best performer in the league as he helped his team all the way to the play-off final, where the Swans were unfortunate to meet Thomas Frank’s Brentford team.

With Ismael currently being short for choice in the middle of the park, with only Jake Livermore, Mowatt and Romaine Sawyers in his first team squad capable of operating from central midfield, the signing of Hourihane would not just appear advisable but essential for the Baggies this summer, particularly if the 45-year-old manager wishes to secure an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

Furthermore, with Mowatt appearing to be of a similar ilk to the Irishman, having scored eight goals and provided seven assists of his own for Barnsley last season, the thought of a Hourihane/Mowatt pairing in midfield could be an incredibly tantalising prospect for the West Brom boss and their fans alike.

As such, Ismael should be doing everything in his power to convince the West Brom hierarchy to sanction a move for the Aston Villa man this summer, with the potential of Albion’s success in their upcoming campaign hinging on whether or not the 30-year-old arrives at The Hawthorns this summer.

In other news: Ismael facing West Brom nightmare as Madeley makes worrying transfer claim

Alan Hutton has dropped his verdict on new Glasgow Rangers signing John Lundstram.

The Lowdown: Lundstram signs

Lundstram signed on a free transfer once his deal at Sheffield United expired at the end of the 2020/21 season.

The central midfield player has since played in pre-season matches against Tranmere Rovers and Arsenal ahead of the new campaign.

The Latest: Hutton on Lundstram

Hutton, a pundit who used to play as a right-back for the Gers, has since given his thoughts to Football Insider on the signing, and has been impressed by his displays so far in pre-season:

“You can see what he brings. He’s obviously very calm, he’s played at a higher level.

“The Tranmere game, which was his first game, was about him bedding in. Gerrard spoke about how hard they’ve been working him and he tired towards the end of that game.

“I think he’s going to be a steady grower. Game on game he’s going to get better and better. We’ve seen the potential over the last couple of seasons.

“There’s obviously room for improvement as well but I think he’ll get that under Steven Gerrard, be an inspiration, and he’ll flourish in a Rangers shirt.

“We’re starting to see the signs that he showed in his first season in the Premier League.

“He’s a top-quality player, very big and strong which I think you need in the SPFL. I think he’s going to be a very good signing.”

The Verdict: Smart signing

Lundstram is certainly a smart signing by Steven Gerrard’s team, especially given the fact that he came to Ibrox on a free transfer.

A player who now has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, in where he managed five goals and a further three assists in his first season (Transfermarkt), Lundstram has played against world-class footballers like Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes on a weekly basis in England, and so should have no problems in adapting to life in the Scottish Premiership.

The Englishman showed that he has an eye for both a goal and assist as well, which will no doubt be handy to RFC as they look to secure back-to-back SPFL titles.

Nonetheless, at 27 years of age, Lundstram is about to enter his prime, and could be a mainstay in the side for years to come.

In other news, find out what Rangers transfer claim Frank McAvennie has dropped here!

Dileep Premachandran rewinds the Plays of the day from the second day at the SSC

Dileep Premachandran in Colombo24-Jul-2008
Every time Mahela Jayawardene walks out to bat at the SSC, a century seems assured © AFP
Two drops in a run ocean
Mahela Jayawardene needs no invitation to score at the SSC, where he already has more runs than many manage in an entire career. To drop him once then would be unfortunate. To do it twice could only be termed masochistic. When he was on 55, Dinesh Karthik failed to hold on to a bottom edge off Anil Kumble, and he had added 38 more when Karthik fluffed another opportunity, this time after a legbreak turned enough to take the outside edge. Kumble’s anguished yell said it all.Mahela’s MCG
Between 1928 and 1948, Sir Donald Bradman scored nine centuries in the 11 Tests he played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This was Jayawardene’s 20th Test at this venue, and a single to wide mid-on gave him a share of that record. The last four times he’s walked out to bat here, he’s left the crease only after making a century. Even Bradman didn’t manage that.Sliding away
Malinda Warnapura had made just 55 when he miscued one from Zaheer Khan back down the pitch. At chest height, Zaheer fumbled but managed to hold on. It didn’t matter, because by then, a no-ball had been called. Replays showed that it was desperately close, with Zaheer’s foot landing on the line and then sliding over. Such are the margins that separate a good day from a leather hunt.Getting a bad review
We had to wait 45.4 overs for the first umpiring review. Harbhajan Singh, bowling round the wicket, got one to pitch on leg stump and straighten a touch to hit Warnapura on the pad. The third umpire, Rudi Koertzen, had enough replays to see, and after taking his advice and consulting Billy Doctrove as well, Mark Benson ruled in the batsman’s favour. Warnapura celebrated the reprieve with a superb stroke through cover.Flights of fancy
Harbhajan isn’t known for flighting the ball much, and when he gave it a go against Jayawardene, you realised why the flatter trajectory is probably wiser on a pitch such as this. Like a golfer going for a hook shot, he picked the ball up from outside off stump and sent it soaring over the boundary at wide long-on. Not a shabby way to bring up yet another half-century against India.Stand your ground
The new review system wasn’t quite India’s cup of Dilmah on the second day. Late in the evening, Zaheer Khan appealed successfully for a catch behind. Tillakaratne Dilshan stood his ground though, and after replays proved inconclusive, umpire Benson had no option but to reverse his decision.

VVS Laxman, the Deccan Chargers captain, has said that it was a “collective failure” that resulted in the franchise finishing last during the inaugural season of the IPL

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2008
Laxman: “Probably it is time someone told Afridi that a captain can only be as good as the team and to blame only me is totally out of place” © Getty Images
VVS Laxman, the Deccan Chargers captain, has said that it was a “collective failure” that resulted in the franchise finishing last during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2007-08 and said he was “really shocked” that team-mate Shahid Afridi criticised his performance in public.”Afridi has no team ethics. Speaking negatively about the team in public, let alone the captain, is just not on,” Laxman told . “Being an experienced cricketer, he should not be questioning the way the team functions. I am really shocked to say the least. He should know that it was a collective failure because he was part of the team. It is unfortunate that he chose to blame the captain for it.”Laxman was reacting to Afridi’s statement that Adam Gilchrist would have been a better choice to lead the side than Laxman. “At times Laxman lost the plot on the field,” Afridi told . “Twenty20 cricket is not his forte. Adam is more comfortable in this type of cricket.”Gilchrist was one of the two most successful players for us along with Rohit Sharma. He played some really good innings and his input was very good at times on the field. If they do appoint Adam as captain I think he would be a better choice than Laxman.”Both Laxman and Afridi performed poorly during the IPL. Afridi was one of the most high-profile failures, scoring only 81 runs in ten innings. Laxman sustained an injury after six games, in which he scored 155 runs, and Gilchrist took over as captain. The Deccan Chargers won only two out of 14 games in the league.”Probably it is time someone told Afridi that a captain can only be as good as the team and to blame only me is totally out of place,” Laxman said. “The truth is that the team did not perform to its potential. Every player should take the blame for it and try and comeback strongly in the next edition instead of blaming each other.”There was not much I could do after I fractured my hand and heeded the team’s request to travel with it. So just being with the team does not mean I was influencing the decisions on the field. Gilchrist was totally in charge of the game once he took over from me and being a true professional, he does not take orders from others and was instrumental in making the decisions in the middle.”