All posts by h716a5.icu

A preview of the second one-day international between England and Bangladesh at Bristol

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2010Match factsJuly 10, 2010, Bristol
Start time 10.30am (9.30GMT)Ian Bell made the most of his chance at No. 3•PA PhotosBig pictureIt was messy at times from England at Trent Bridge, but they duly secured a comfortable six-wicket victory as Ian Bell enjoyed his return to the one-day ranks with a steady 84. Moving on to Bristol the home side will want a more convincing performance against opposition now beset by injuries and having to hastily summon replacements from Bangladesh.Mushfiqur Rahim and Raqibul Hasan are out of the series and the replacements will need to be ready to play with some hefty jetlag if they make it to the country on time for Saturday’s game. What was most disappointing about Bangladesh’s effort in the opening match was the way the batting faded with the team seemingly happy to settle for 250 when they should have pushed for 280.Not that England can sit back and relax. Their bowling, especially with the new ball, is starting to cause some serious concerns with James Anderson proving continually expensive and Tim Bresnan struggling to make breakthroughs. Against Bangladesh it is unlikely to prove costly – although Tamim Iqbal could yet change that scenario – but for Andrew Strauss it should be about how his team wins these matches.Strauss, who was run out for a sublime 50 at Trent Bridge, will also be keen for the batsmen to build on their platforms because England still need to score more hundreds in one-day cricket. But it’s almost impossible to see how Bangladesh will prevent another whitewash because even if Tamim cuts loose for more than a few overs the bowling is so unthreatening that Mashrafe Mortaza has few options to turn to.Form guide (last five completed matches)England WLLWW
Bangladesh LLLLLWatch out for…Craig Kieswetter was quite frenetic during his 32 in the opening ODI and is still struggling for form this season since his performances at the World Twenty20. After backing him over the last six months the selectors will be loathe to make another change to the position, but Matt Prior’s county form has been impressive. Kieswetter is likely to have the remainder of England’s one-day cricket this summer to make a mark – and he has been earmarked for the World Cup – but needs a strong finish to this series.Shakib Al Hasan has shed the captaincy to try and recapture his form, particularly with the bat, and Bangladesh need big performances from him. He showed glimpses in the first match before driving to cover and was also involved in the mix-up that ended Raqibul’s innings when he was acting as a runner. However, the bowling looked in good order and he troubled Ian Bell during a testing spell. He is a class above the other members of the attack.Team newsThere must be a temptation from Strauss and Andy Flower to make a change in the bowling department with Ajmal Shahzad having carried the drinks in recent weeks. They like the balance of the current team, but James Tredwell only bowled three overs at Trent Bridge so Shahzad could slot in for the offspinner and increase the pace options.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonBangladesh will have to wait and see how many of the reserves arrive in Bristol in time for the game. Mohammad Ashraful, Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain are jetting over and without them the squad is down to the bare bones. If Saghir doesn’t reach in time for the match, Jahurul Islam will keep wicket.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam (wk), 5 Mohammad Ashraful, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Faisal Hossain, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Shafiul IslamPitch and conditionsThis is the ground where 23 wickets fell on the first day of Gloucestershire’s County Championship match against Northamptonshire at the beginning of the season. Although conditions have certainly eased considerably since then, and Gloucestershire eased to 154 for 2 in slightly more than 15 overs in the last Twenty20 match played here, the pitch should provide a decent battle between bat and ball. The weather is set fair for Saturday’s game.Stats and Trivia After his unbeaten 84 in the first game, Ian Bell now averages 143.40 in all international matches against Bangladesh, having scored 717 runs – including three Test centuries – against them. Despite Tamim Iqbal’s consistent form, Bangladesh’s leading runscorer in ODIs in 2010 is his opening partner, Imrul Kayes, who has 502 runs at 35.85 this year. Tamim is just behind him, with 499 runs at 35.64, but has a far superior strike-rate of 103.09 as compared to Kayes’ 68.11 in 2010. Quotes”Andy Flower spoke to me about a few things when he left me out of the side last year, mainly about playing spinners in the middle overs, and it’s started to pay off.”

“We have lost 20 games in a row, and as a captain I have to lift the other 14 guys.”

Crystal Palace could be handed a major boost ahead of this afternoon’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with the return of both Michael Olise and Tyrick Mitchell.

What’s the story?

Speaking to the media ahead of Palace’s trip to Wembley, manager Patrick Vieira confirmed that both were in training.

“We had Tyrick [Mitchell] and Michael [Olise] who had some training on the field, individually yesterday, a little more today,” revealed the Frenchman.

“Then we have to wait tomorrow to see if there’s any kind of reaction. They will only get involved in the game if they are 100% fit.”

There hasn’t been a further update on how the pair reacted to training and where their fitness levels are at, however, the prospect of having two key players available for the Eagles’ biggest game of the season will delight supporters.

Huge boost

Both Mitchell and Olise have seriously impressed in red and blue this season, particularly the former who was handed his first senior England caps at the back end of last month.

According to SofaScore, the left-back has averaged a match rating of 6.89/10 in the Premier League whilst keeping nine clean sheets in 31 matches.

Moreover, the 22-year-old has been excellent defensively, averaging 1.2 interceptions, three tackles, and 2.5 clearances per game whilst completing over half of his attempted dribbles.

However, the Englishman was withdrawn after just half an hour in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Leicester.

As for Olise, the young Frenchman has also impressed in his first top-flight campaign in England after joining from Championship side Reading last summer for £8m.

The winger, who hasn’t featured since the international break, has netted four goals for the South London outfit this term, two of which coming in Palace’s FA Cup run to Wembley, whilst registering eight assists.

It’s been in the FA Cup where the 20-year-old has really shone, with standout performances against Millwall and Hartlepool United particularly memorable.

Olise’s creativity has made a major difference to Vieira’s side, with the youngster contributing five assists in the Premier League whilst also creating seven big chances and averaging 0.8 key passes a game in the top-flight.

Whether either player will be fit to start is yet to be seen, however, their return to training will certainly be a major boost as Palace look to reach their second FA Cup final in seven years and that should leave the French head coach absolutely delighted heading into kick-off this afternoon.

AND in other news: Vieira dealt setback as early Chelsea team news emerges, it’s a huge blow for Palace

Pakistan’s World Cup preparations only got better as their youngest batsman scored a maiden ODI century to set up a series win – their first in a bilateral rubber since November 2008

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya03-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ahmed Shehzad sizzled in his maiden ODI century•Getty ImagesPakistan’s World Cup preparations only got better as their youngest batsman scored a maiden ODI century to set up a series win – their first in a bilateral rubber since November 2008 – over New Zealand, whose fortunes continued to slide at home after a miserable time in the subcontinent.Ahmed Shehzad batted with utmost confidence during his calculated assault, overcoming a cautious start in overcast conditions by launching a counter-attack that snatched the initiative New Zealand had worked hard to gain at the beginning of the game. He was backed up by a determined performance from Pakistan’s bowlers, who stepped up in areas where New Zealand had erred, and completed the job quite comfortably in the end.A miserly first spell by Kyle Mills appeared to have justified Ross Taylor’s decision to bowl, as it cramped the usually fluent openers through nagging lines outside off stump and crafty variations in pace. He conceded just two runs in his first four overs, and grabbed the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez.Shehzad, though, was intent on pulling things back. He had warmed up with a crisp straight drive off Hamish Bennett but opened his shoulders to release the pressure created by the early wicket. Mills’ tight lines were countered with a mow past mid-off and an agricultural slog over midwicket, catching the bowler off guard and marking a turn in the tide. Shehzad had won the psychological battle when Mills strayed onto the pads the next over, to be glanced to the fine-leg boundary.A feature of Shehzad’s knock was his domination of Bennett, which offset any pressure New Zealand were able to inflict with the fall of a wicket. Bennett overpitched too often, or dropped too short, and was picked off consistently for boundaries. He squandered some hard work by conceding fours off the last balls of his first two overs and was struck for consecutive boundaries by an initially rusty Kamran Akmal before Shehzad singled him out for treatment. He was launched for a straight six and welcomed in his second spell with a violent pull over the midwicket boundary followed by a clean strike over long-on.While Shehzad took timely risks and had the power and ability to back them up, he was ruthless against the opportunities doled out by the bowlers when Pakistan had been forced to shift gears in the middle overs. The run-out of Kamran resulted in four boundary-less overs before Nathan McCullum, otherwise quite tidy, gifted a short and wide delivery that Shehzad slashed through point. Scott Styris met a similar fate while James Franklin was a victim of Shehzad’s subtleties as he was twice scooped over fine leg.The constant throughout Shehzad’s innings, only his seventh in this format, was his assuredness and determination to keep the hosts worried at one end. When he fell, miscuing Styris to deep square leg, with plenty of ammunition left in the batting, New Zealand were staring at an intimidating target. The bowlers, however, hit back to restrict Pakistan in the death overs. Only once had a team lost chasing at Seddon Park since 2002 but with New Zealand’s recent ODI record in a shambles, Pakistan needn’t have worried about past results at the venue.The start to the chase could not have been worse for the hosts as Jesse Ryder backed up too far and was run out without facing a ball. Unlike New Zealand’s bowlers who had provided ample scoring opportunities to ease the pressure on Pakistan after each dismissal, Pakistan’s fast bowlers hardly ever overpitched, bowled consistently in the channel outside off and dried up the runs.Martin Guptill faced the pressure with a combination of bravado and opportunism. He dealt harshly with deliveries bowled wide or pitched up on middle – there weren’t too many of them – and improvised to clear the infield. Guptill ensured a steady flow of singles, ran well between the wickets as the field spread out and continued to be ruthless when freebies came his way. But having survived a close lbw shout early in his innings, Guptill failed to take full toll, as a short delivery from Shoaib came on a touch too quickly and he holed out to deep square leg.The onus was on Ross Taylor, who took his time to settle in and overcome the nervy start that has plagued him this series. He appeared to be getting back to his groove when just a firm push off Afridi raced to the extra-cover boundary and, in the company of Guptill, to whom he had ceded floor, kept his team in the hunt. It was in the attempt to rebuild after Guptill’s fall that New Zealand lost it. Afridi and Hafeez got through their overs quickly, produced a spate of dot balls and deprived the hosts of a boundary for 11 straight overs. The resultant frustration from New Zealand yielded wickets for Pakistan, as Brendon McCullum got a leading edge to long-on while Styris was run out by a direct hit from Younis Khan.Taylor fought on, managing a six off his favoured slog-sweep and began the batting Powerplay in the 41st over with a lofted drive against Wahab Riaz. Despite the field restrictions and with five wickets in hand, an asking rate of almost nine an over was going to be difficult to measure up to. In the next over he stepped across to sweep Afridi, only to miss and be trapped in front. And when James Franklin was cleaned up by a Riaz yorker, the depth in the New Zealand batting proved insufficient to secure the remaining runs or salvage some pride after 13 defeats in their last 14 completed games.

Rajasthan’s unbeaten run this tournament owes, in large part, to a collective effort and consistency in implementing their strategies

Siddhartha Talya26-Dec-2010It’s been a dream campaign for Rajasthan, emerging from the Plate League to all but go past the defending champions Mumbai and book their place in a Ranji Trophy semi-final for the first time in 25 years. “It’s a huge thing for Rajasthan, to all those players who’ve been associated with Rajasthan for such a long time,” Aakash Chopra, the former Delhi and now Rajasthan opener, told ESPNcricinfo.A determined batting performance from Rajasthan has given them a big first-innings lead, but did the conditions play any role in the contrasting performances of the two teams? “Not at all,” Chopra said. “It was a good wicket to bat on on day one as well. That’s why Mumbai won the toss and decided to bat. It goes on to show that they also thought the track was dry. There is a grass covering but the grass is basically brown, and it’s there to hold the track more than anything else. So there wasn’t any exaggerated sideways movement or movement in the air. There were no demons in the track. It’s more about the way we have played our cricket and how Mumbai have played their cricket.”The chief architect of Mumbai’s collapse in the first innings was seamer Pankaj Singh, whose six wickets set the game up for Rajasthan. His victims included the Mumbai openers and one of their most successful batsmen this season, Rohit Sharma, each of the three either bowled or lbw.”Pankaj, throughout the season, has been bowling his heart out, running in hard and bowling in the right areas with good pace,” Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the Rajasthan captain and their highest run-getter this season, said. “And he’s never given up and it’s solely his hard work that is helping him.”The approach adopted by the Mumbai batsmen also worsened their prospects, Chopra added. “The Mumbai batsmen were flamboyant, going after the bowling and perhaps played into Pankaj Singh’s hands because he bowled a probing line, asked the right questions and they didn’t apply themselves as well as they would have liked.”They were bowled out for 252, not a par-score for this track. We had thought, considering their depth in the batting line-up, of chasing a score of something like a minimum of 450.”Rajasthan’s unbeaten run this tournament – although a nominal fourth day in the quarter-final still remains – owes, in large part, to a collective effort and consistency in implementing their strategies. “The teamwork has been the highlight,” Kanitkar said. “We’ve really stressed on that in all our meetings and practice sessions. Throughout this season, in each game, we’ve had sets of players step up, which has helped us succeed consistently.”A committed plan to make the most effective use of their bowling resources and extract as much assistance from the tail with the bat made this success possible, Chopra said. “As far as our bowling is concerned, we’ve tried to swing the ball all the way.” And the ploy’s worked, with seamers Pankaj and Deepak Chahar splitting 63 wickets in six games. “That’s where our strength lies. We’ve tried to pitch the ball up, maintained a good aggressive line of attack. We may not have been the most economical side in the competition but we’ve created enough chances. For our batting, we had decided to have a set batsman batting right till the end and in most of the games we had one pure batsman batting with the tail.””It’s just one of those things where we bowled really well, a disciplined line and length and continued to get wickets,” Kanitkar said. “Mumbai have batted well throughout this season, but our discipline paid off.”

After Frank Lampard was appointed as the new manager at Everton on Deadline Day, the manager had to rush into making some impact signings he thought would help him steer the club into safety and out of the relegation battle.

The former Chelsea boss managed to acquire the services of Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli, both of whom were facing similar fates at their parent clubs with the pair being outcasts in their teams and struggling for game time, with Lampard offering them both a golden opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

However, the pair have been less than satisfactory since their arrival at Goodison Park, with Alli only picking up 218 minutes of play over the last four months and Van de Beek hasn’t been much better, although he did make an instant impact on his debut that seemed promising at the time.

The 24-year-old who was criticised for being a “danger” by Casey Stoney won the most possession in the middle third (6), made ten ball recoveries, making the joint-most tackles (4) and aerial duels won (3) against Leeds United but failed to emulate this stand-out performance ever since.

In February, it was reported by The Mirror that the Man United loanee would set out to make his temporary move to Everton permanent and at that point, it looked like a promising prospect for Lampard, but as the months have gone on and time runs down on his half-season loan, the manager must brutally axe Van de Beek, sending him back to Old Trafford.

The Toffees were without the support of the Dutch midfielder again on Sunday in their victory at the King Power Stadium with Lampard confirming that he is injured for the third time, which means that he hasn’t been featured in the team since March, unavailable to assist Everton in their tight relegation battle.

This inconsistent form will come as no surprise to Dutch legend Marco van Basten, who cast doubt on Van de Beek’s ability to handle the Premier League, even going as far to say he was “not that good” in a scathing review of the player.

“Van de Beek is not that good,” he said. “As number 10 at Ajax it is much easier than as number 10 in Spain or England.”

Ironically, the £22.5m-rated former Ajax star may get his second chance at Manchester United despite his inconsistencies and lack of minutes in the Premier League since his arrival, as when he returns to Old Trafford this summer, the manager that propelled him into the spotlight will be taking charge.

Erik ten Hag has been appointed as the new Man United manager, and Van de Beek will be given the chance to prove his worth back in Manchester this summer according to reports, which will take pressure off Farhad Moshiri and Lampard having to have awkward conversations about his future this summer.

Ultimately, with light at the end of the tunnel almost in reach for the manager and his Merseyside team after moving out of the relegation zone on Sunday, he will need to focus on improving the squad next season by getting rid of deadwood, and Van de Beek will be an easy offload for Everton.

AND in other news: Forget Holgate: Everton’s “top pro” who completed 95% passes saved Lampard today

A round-up of the fourth day of the second round of matches in the Plate League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010Group BMaharashtra’s new-ball pair of Samad Fallah and Shrikant Mundhe bowled their side to an unlikely 10-wicket win over Vidarbha in Nasik. Vidarbha, who had taken a narrow first-innings lead on the third day, would have hoped to earn three points when they began the final day on 13 for 2. However, Fallah and Mundhe had other ideas as they ran through Vidarbha in the matter of 23 overs to skittle them for 61. Extras contributed the most runs, 20, to the total, and only three batsmen reached double figures. Harshad Khadiwale hammered nine fours and a six in his unbeaten 55 off 37 deliveries as Maharashtra cantered to the target of 77 with all wickets intact.An unbeaten eighth-wicket stand that lasted for almost 50 overs saved Jammu & Kashmir from what seemed an almost-certain defeat against Kerala in Malappuram. J&K, trailing by 220 runs, needed to bat out the day to avoid an outright loss, which seemed likely when they slumped to 152 for 7. However, medium-pacer Abid Nabi, the J&K captain, and offspinner Sameer Khajuria resisted for three-and-a-half hours to ensure the game ended in a draw. Nabi faced 167 deliveries while Khajuria played out 140 balls. Asif Jeelani had earlier shown the way, taking 196 deliveries for his 46.Another rearguard effort from the lower order helped Services stave off defeat against Andhra in Anantapur. Chasing 296 for victory after Andhra had sportingly declared on 277 for 4, Services were reeling at 111 for 8 at one stage. Medium-pacer P Vijaykumar had led a strong performance from Andhra’s bowlers with his 3 for 36. But wicketkeeper Sarabjit Singh resisted with a resolute unbeaten 42, and the tail stuck around with him long enough to earn their side a draw. Sarabjit and seamer Suraj Yadav played out 46 deliveries before the match ended. A Pradeep had earlier completed his century as Andhra added 102 runs in quick time to enable a declaration. B Sumanth remained unbeaten on 150.Group AIshank Jaggi slammed a career-best double century as Jharkhand drew their game against Hyderabad in Ranchi. Trailing by 292 runs after the first innings, Jharkhand were in some trouble at 134 for 4 on the final day. Captain Saurabh Tiwary had been dismissed on his overnight score of 32 before 21-year old Jaggi and wicketkeeper Shiv Gautam rescued Jharkhand with an unbeaten 253-run partnership. Jaggi hit 30 fours and received good support from Gautam who remained unbeaten on a patient 82. Hyderabad used eight bowlers to try and make the breakthroughs but had to be content with first-innings points.Ajay Ratra, the former India wicketkeeper, hit a personal-best unbeaten 204 as Goa batted out the final day to draw their game against Rajasthan in Jaipur. Coming in at a precarious 28 for 2, Ratra played aggressively, hitting 30 fours and a six, and adding an unbeaten 310 runs for the fourth wicket with Rahul Keni. Keni, who has played for India Under-19, struck 20 fours in his unbeaten 115, his maiden first-class hundred. The game was called off soon after Ratra reached his double hundred. Deepak Chahar, the seamer who had made a memorable debut against Hyderabad, went wicketless.

Tottenham Hotspur could yet move for a centre-back on deadline day…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are closing in on the double swoop for Juventus duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski but it appears they may not be done just yet with hours left to go in the window.

That’s according to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who delivered an exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT today. He said:

“At centre-back, I believe – effectively – we could see a rabbit out of the hat. But that could hinge on outgoings.”

Much-needed addition

Spurs manager Antonio Conte is adding some solid depth to his Spurs squad in the aforementioned signings  – the Uruguay international adds a better option in the engine room with club-record flop Tanguy Ndombele on his way out, whilst the Swede offers a hugely versatile presence in the attack.

However, that isn’t enough if he’s to truly get the north London outfit back in the top four. The Italian head coach has already worked his magic, losing only one league game since his arrival in November, so just imagine what he could do with a couple more additions.

It’s thought that he requested signings in three priority positions, whilst there has always been suggestions of a desire to bolster his backline, where the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have struggled to look the part in recent months.

Spurs have been linked to a number of options in the role, including Conte’s ex-Inter beast Stefan de Vrij, Milan’s arch-rival captain Alessio Romagnoli and sensationally, Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, who sporting director Fabio Paratici has signed before.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-thfc-spurs-transfer-rumours-gossip-conte-paratici-levy-updates” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

All three would be outstanding additions to Spurs’ squad but time is running out if they are to secure any one of them, if not any other central defender.

If the Lilywhites can land Conte a new colossus late on in the January transfer window, then both he and the fanbase will surely be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Spurs eye club-record swoop BEFORE deadline, it’s Conte’s dream signing…

Ashley Noffke has retired from the first-class arena after 118 matches but wants to stay on as a limited-overs player for Western Australia

Peter English13-Oct-2010Ashley Noffke has retired from the first-class arena after 118 matches but wants to stay on as a limited-overs player for Western Australia. Noffke, who spent most of his career at Queensland, revealed his decision immediately after the Warriors suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Victoria.Noffke, 33, struggled with figures of 1 for 127 in the first innings and then went for 14 in his only over on Wednesday, although he signed off with Aaron Finch’s wicket from his final ball. The off-season included long periods of rehabilitation following a knee operation and he said he didn’t have the physical or mental energy to prolong his first-class career.”A lot of past players have said to me it hits you like a wall and that’s what happened,” he said. “It became apparent I wasn’t at my best and it’s unfair to myself and my team-mates, I didn’t want to let them down. I feel it’s definitely time. I’ve really enjoyed my time in the sun. Four-day cricket’s a tough process.”Mickey Arthur, the new coach, said Noffke had been an exceptional performer and deserved to bow out of the first-class scene with “the utmost respect”. “His record speaks for itself and he is an outstanding character, always displaying the finest of values,” Arthur said.In 2001 Noffke toured England with the Test squad and completed two trips to the Caribbean without playing a Test. He collected 386 first-class wickets at 29.41 in appearances with Queensland, Western Australia, Middlesex, Worcestershire and Durham, and also posted two hundreds for his home state.He peaked in 2007-08 with 51 first-class wickets and 741 runs for the Bulls, becoming the third Australian behind George Giffen and Greg Matthews to capture the 50-wicket, 500-run season double. There were three first-class trophies with Queensland, who he left last year to take up a two-season deal with the Warriors.After completing his level three coaching qualification in the winter, he will now monitor the young players in the Western Australia squad. Ryan Duffield collected three wickets on debut against Victoria, but Noffke’s departure adds to the list of missing fast bowlers in the state. Brad Knowles is out for the entire campaign with a knee injury and Steve Magoffin is also unfit, while Brett Dorey is coming back slowly from an Achilles problem.

Colin Metson, a former Glamorgan player and managing director, has been sacked after his downgraded role of cricket and community manager was made abolished.

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2013Colin Metson, whose appointment as Glamorgan managing director coincided with a turbulent period in the county’s affairs, has been sacked after his downgraded role of cricket and community manager was made redundant.Metson returned to Glamorgan with the county in crisis after the resignation of cricket manager Matthew Maynard, president Peter Walker and captain Jamie Dalrymple because of a managerial restructuring.But Metson’s power was soon on the wane and he was shunted away from first-team duties at the beginning of the 2012 season and given a lesser role in the community development programme. That role has now been made redundant and he will leave Glamorgan at the end of the week.

Liverpool are facing a major blow as reports emerge that Spurs are now in talks to sign Porto star Luis Diaz in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Jurgen Klopp’s side are very much interested in the winger, but it now appears their Premier League rivals have stolen a march on him.

According to Sky Sports, the north Londoners are in negotiations with Porto over a deal and are willing to pay up to £46m to sign the Colombian flier before deadline day next week, with Antonio Conte keen to bolster his wide options.

Fans will be fuming

While Liverpool have done well to offset the absences of both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane this month, their lack of transfer activity once again is sure to leave fans fuming.

The Merseyside club have been very reluctant to splash the cash in recent transfer windows, instead opting for a more reserved approach, which has raised some real questions about whether they are making the right steps to move forward and keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

In Diaz, it is clear that the Reds are interested in signing him, but have allowed Spurs to jump ahead of them in the race to land him before the January transfer window shuts next week.

The Colombia international has scored 14 goals in just 18 Portuguese top-flight games, as well as providing five assists too, showcasing a real ability to be a goal-scoring threat from out wide.

His Porto teammate Sergio Oliveira waxed lyrical about him after his goal-scoring display in the Champions League against Milan, saying: “I don’t have to answer, we know his qualities, apart from the human level he is also extraordinary on a technical level. The best for him will also be the best for us as a team.”

If Spurs do end up completing a deal for Diaz, then it would be a real setback for Klopp and his ambitions of strengthening this Liverpool squad, and have fans fuming too.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are monitoring this Premier League star…