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Kuldeep Yadav has bowled in two matches for India. On Test debut in March, he took four first-innings wickets, turning the ball both ways to trip Australia up after they were 144 for 1 in the series decider. The first time he bowled in an ODI, on Sunday, Kuldeep had West Indies in a tangle with his wrong ‘uns and finished with 3 for 50. What is it that makes the 22-year old left-arm wristspinner hard to handle?”It becomes difficult when he bowls cross-seam deliveries turning both ways,” the India captain Virat Kohli said, after his side’s 105-run victory in the second ODI in Trinidad. “Usually bowlers bowl seam-up deliveries turning in and cross seam bowling the googly. But he can do both bowling cross seam, so that becomes difficult to pick from the wrist.”Then when batsmen try to attack, he can slow his pace down, just beat the batsmen halfway into the pitch. So he’s quite amazing with what he does with the ball. I’ve faced him in the IPL as well, he’s not easy to get away – especially when the wicket is dry like it was today, he becomes even more lethal. Credit to him for putting in a performance like that in his first bowling performance in ODIs.”In the Champions Trophy earlier this month in England, India had an unlikely weakness: spin. The offspin of R Aswhin and left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja proved ineffective, prompting former captain Rahul Dravid to suggest it was time to try wristspin. Given Kuldeep’s immediate success, Kohli was asked if he would be one to stick with in ODIs.”A wristspinner is always a bonus, something we have identified now in this series, so all sorts of options are open,” Kohli said. “The 2019 World Cup, we’ve got 15 players here, then we’ve got a pool of 10 or 12 back home who will probably be tested over the next two years, see how they react in pressure situations, and who’s able to make more impact through the middle overs for us, especially with the ball. That’s something we need to look at as a side, to improve upon going ahead, then figure out who the best guys are.”India’s other top performer in Port of Spain was Ajinkya Rahane, who struck 103 off 104 balls to set them on their way to 310 for 5 in 43 overs. Rahane did not get a game in the Champions Trophy, with India’s first-choice opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in fine form. However, with Rohit rested for this series, Rahane stepped in and made 50-plus scores in the first two ODIs.Kohli said Rahane remained India’s preferred back-up opener in limited-overs cricket and offered the team the option of selecting an extra bowler because of his ability to bat in the middle order as well.”Jinks [Rahane] has great potential at the top of the order, but when Rohit and Shikhar as an opening partnership play well in one-day cricket then that becomes a powerful package for us,” Kohli said. “Jinks is always in there for us as the third opener, and having got the opportunity in this series he has batted really well. Today, the way he paced himself I thought was really, really nice. He was going at a run a ball, never fell behind.”If he keeps performing like this… he’s someone who has done the middle-order job as well in the past, so he can very well be that floater in the middle order. He’s someone that might allow you to take an extra bowler in a big tournament like a 2019 World Cup. There are very few guys who can open and play in the middle order and Ajinkya is one of them. In future we see him providing more balance to us as a side in terms of taking an extra bowling option maybe on tour.”

Arsenal have begun their summer transfer business with a bang, securing a move for Kai Havertz, who joins from Chelsea, while a deal to bring Declan Rice to the Emirates looks set to be announced anytime soon.

With the Gunners finishing second behind Manchester City in the Premier League last season, Mikel Arteta will be hoping to go one better during 2023/24 and improving his first-team squad is vital this summer.

They could even make a move for Moises Caicedo in order to give their midfield that extra edge, although it appears as though Chelsea are frontrunners with regard to that move.

If a move for the Ecuador international doesn’t occur, it appears as though the Gunners could potentially launch a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni according to one report.

This could cost Arsenal around €100m (£86m) however, with the La Liga side looking to recoup the fee they paid AS Monaco last summer.

Could Arsenal sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer?

Although it does seem unlikely, anything can happen in the transfer window and with Arteta keen to build a squad which will be able to challenge the might of City, the Frenchman could be a stunning addition.

He enjoyed a relatively solid debut campaign for Madrid, ranking seventh across the squad for his overall Sofascore rating (7.13/10), while ranking third for accurate passes per game (47.8), first for tackles per game (1.9) and interceptions per game (1.5), underlining how important his defensive attributes were to the club.

The Frenchman is among the finest on the continent for a host of defensive metrics, ranking in the top 1% for interceptions per 90, top 8% for clearances per 90 and top 11% for aerials won across Europe’s big five leagues.

Carlo Ancelotti lauded him towards the end of last season, saying: “The future will be bright too; we have top talents like Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Valverde, Ceballos… and they will make history too. It’s different than the others but they’ll be great”.

Madrid appears to be keen on retaining his services ahead of next season, and there is no doubt the young "monster" – as described by France Under-21 boss Sylvain Ripoll – will get better, taking a while to settle into the demands of playing for a club the stature of Real.

He could certainly be a viable Caicedo alternative if Arteta was to secure a wonderful move for the French midfielder, and it would send a big statement of intent out to their rivals, indicating that last season was no fluke, and they are ready to win trophies.

Arsenal have already enjoyed a busy summer transfer window, with Mikel Arteta keen to get his business done early in order to get them immediately integrated within his squad.

The Gunners enjoyed a fine recent campaign, but it concluded with little to show for it but their Champions League qualification. For all their progress, their Spanish manager will be far from content in allowing his team to slow down now.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice are poised to be huge additions to his squad should they get both get secured, however, they each come with hefty price tags.

This makes the failed move for Ilkay Gundogan all the more frustrating, given his immense quality and availability this summer on a free transfer. Their interest was long-standing, but in the end, the allure of Barcelona proved too much.

In an effort to secure someone in a similar mould, perhaps the north London outfit could seek to reignite a rumour that has lost pace in recent weeks, by swooping for Dominik Szoboszlai.

Having showcased their willingness to spend big, the reported €70m (£61m) release clause could prove a minor stumbling block for the free-spending Gunners.

Is Dominiz Szoboszlai similar to Ilkay Gundogan?

The German proved to be an instrumental figure in Manchester City's recent treble success, starring in the Premier League and captaining the side to immortality.

He operated as the cornerstone of Pep Guardiola's revolutionary system too, occupying a role as a second number ten beside Kevin De Bruyne. Fortunately for Arteta, Szoboszlai is also well-versed in such a position and could offer fine balance to play next to Martin Odegaard within a similar philosophy.

Although the two boast varying physical profiles, they share an elite skillset and silky play style that has seen both shine in their respective leagues.

Gundogan recorded 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions last campaign, and yet when compared to other central midfielders across Europe, also ranked in the top 12% for pass completion, the best 17% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, via FBref.

When using Opta's player analysis tool, this same penchant for playmaking and dictating is outlined in the 22-year-old who posted 23 goal contributions of his own across all competitions, as he sits in the top 4% of positionally similar players in Europe for chances created.

Szoboszlai clearly excels with regard to creating chances, whilst his goalscoring and shots taken are similarly admirable. He could pose a true offensive threat under Arteta, and his youth makes him malleable, prepared to be turned into a world-class star.

After all, journalist Marcel Moeller had suggested he was a "generational talent" back in 2020, and he has only grown since then.

Offensively exceptional and with his whole career in front of him, the Hungary international has all the attributes to emulate Gundogan's success last season and even surpass him technically one day.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Aston Villa have made one signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Youri Tielemans is set to join on a free transfer from Leicester City and Unai Emery could be looking to make further additions to his side to make the most of the lure of European football.

A seventh-placed Premier League finish last season ensured that the club will be playing Europa Conference League football next term and they must use that to their advantage to tempt top-quality players into making the switch to Villa Park.

Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa is a reported €60m (£51m) transfer target for the Villans this summer and Emery could land a big upgrade on Emi Buendia by securing the Italy international's services in the coming weeks.

What is Federico Chiesa's style of play?

Since arriving at the club from Norwich for £38m in 2021, Buendia has struggled to provide consistent quality in the final third. The Argentine scored four goals and provided six assists in 35 Premier League matches in his first campaign with Villa before his return of five goals and two assists in 38 outings in 22/23.

He has produced 0.07 assists per 90 over the last 365 days in the Men's Big Five Leagues which places him among the bottom 13% of his positional peers in those competitions.

Chiesa, on the other hand, has recorded 0.42 assists per 90 for Juventus in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days, ranking the Italian dynamo in the top 4% of players in his position.

This suggests that the 25-year-old could offer more creativity from an attacking midfield or wide position than Buendia, as he has provided his teammates with assists far more frequently than the Villa magician.

The Old Lady wizard's form in the Serie A prior to his ACL injury also indicates that the potential is there for him to be a greater goal threat than the former Canaries star.

Chiesa, who former teammate Gianluigi Buffon once lauded as "impossible to stop", averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.19 and chipped in with nine goals and nine assists in 33 league outings in 20/21, showing that the £153k-per-week hotshot has the quality to make telling contributions in the final third with regularity.

No Villans midfielder managed more than six goals or seven league assists last term while Buendia has not averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.95 in the Premier League since joining the club.

Douglas Luiz (7.10) was also the only player in the squad with a Sofascore rating higher than 6.99, meaning that Chiesa could come in as one of the top performers on the roster if he can recapture his previous form.

This, therefore, suggests that Emery would be improving his attacking options in the middle of the park by convincing the Italian marksman to sign for his team.

كشف الدولي البرتغالي ولاعب فريق الهلال السعودي، روبين نيفيز، أسباب تعثر مفاوضاته مع نادي برشلونة خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، مضيفاً في حديثه أيضًا أنه سعيد بالتواجد في دوري روشن السعودي.

وارتبط نيفيز بالانتقال إلى صفوف نادي برشلونة وآرسنال خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، قبل الموافقة على عرض الهلال السعودي.

وانتقل نيفيز إلى نادي الهلال السعودي في صيف 2023 الماضي، بمبلغ 55 مليون يورو قادمًا من فريق ولفرهامبتون الإنجليزي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. كوتينيو: كلوب وفليك مناسبان لـ برشلونة.. وننتظر الكثير من نيمار بعد عودته

وقال روبين نيفيز في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية: “كنت قريبًا من 3 أندية وفي النهاية لم يحدث ذلك، الأمر الذي أحزنني وساعدني في اتخاذ قرار الرحيل إلى الهلال”.

وأضاف نيفيز: “لم أكن أرغب في ذكر أسماء، لكن برشلونة كان من أكثر الفرق رغبة في التعاقد معي، لقد كاد أن يحدث، كما حدث مع آرسنال، ثم كان هناك نادٍ آخر خارج إنجلترا، لقد تراكمت هذه الأحداث، ومع هذه الفرصة الذهبية بالانتقال إلى السعودية، لم يكن لدي أدنى شك في قبولها”.

وواصل نيفيز: “اللعب في المملكة العربية السعودية لا يجعلني أشعر بأي اختلاف مقارنة بزملائي في أوروبا، قدراتي البدنية كبيرة، أنا في طريقي للعودة يومًا ما إلى أوروبا واللعب على أعلى مستوى، ولكن بصراحة، لا أخطط للعودة قريبًا”.

وأكد اللاعب البرتغالي: “باتباع هذا المسار، يمكن أن تحصل المملكة العربية السعودية على أحد أهم الدوريات في العالم في غضون عامين”.

وأردف قائلًا: “جودة اللاعبين الذين يصلون إلى السعودية عالية جدًا، إذا اختار كل فريق ثمانية لاعبين أجانب من هذا المستوى، فإن هذا يصبح تقريبًا بطولة بلايستيشن، حيث يمكننا اختيار اللاعبين كما نرغب، أعتقد أنني سأبقى هنا خلال عامين، ومن يدري، ربما لفترة أطول قليلاً”.

Leicester City have identified Enzo Maresca as a potential Dean Smith replacement, if they move on from the manager, according to recent reports.

Who will manage Leicester City next season?

Following their relegation from the Premier League, this summer is set to be one of great change for the Foxes, with several key players heading out the door in the coming weeks, but it remains to be seen whether the club's first team manager Smith will be joining them.

Having been appointed in April to replace Brendan Rogers after the Irishman was sacked, the 52-year-old went unbeaten in five of his eight league games at the club, but it wasn't enough to keep Leicester in the top flight.

With their fate sealed on the final day of the season, Smith's future at the club was thrown in doubt, and now The Telegraph's John Percy has reported that while the club haven't made any final decisions on his status at the club, they have identified Pep Guardiola's assistant as a possible replacement.

Smith met with Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and the club's director of football Jon Rudkin recently, and talks are said to have gone positively as they outlined plans for the side's upcoming Championship campaign and pursuit for promotion, but things are still up in the air with Maresca now in the frame.

Who is Enzo Maresca?

Having worked closely with Guardiola as his assistant manager this season, Maresca has been learning from one of the very best in the game and could follow a similar path as that of Mikel Arteta, who once also worked under the tutelage of the Manchester City manager, before embarking on a successful managerial career himself at Arsenal.

The 43-year-old has a little bit of experience as a first-team coach, though, having spent a brief amount of time in charge at Parma, but it's safe to say, things didn't quite go to plan for the Italian, and he was let go after just 14 games which saw him pick up just four wins, despite having names like Gianluigi Buffon and Franco Vazquez in the side.

Leicester are taking their time figuring out who will be in charge of the side's first season back in the Championship, but Maresca is in no rush to join, with his duties at Man City and their quest for the treble still his number one priority.

Any decision on his future will likely be made after the Champions League final next weekend, but with Smith still fighting to keep his job and a wealth of experience managing in the Championship on his side, it remains to be seen where the club will go from here.

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-20162:38

We could’ve made Miller’s job easier – du Plessis

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban.But it was left to Faf du Plessis to sum up a result that looked highly unlikely when Australia ran up 371 batting first at Kingsmead, and even more so when a middle order stumble left South Africa needing a miracle – duly provided by a thumping innings from David Miller.”To win a game like that when you’re supposed to lose, when you’re down and out then you have someone put their hand up and take you across the line, it’s as good as it gets,” du Plessis said. “I don’t have any words to be honest.”I think there’s a lot of people if you asked them 3-0 to South Africa against the No. 1 team in the world, they would have possibly laughed. It just shows which direction we’re going as a team at the moment, we’ve played some really good cricket in all formats and I’m really excited about what lies ahead.”I’m just out of words, I’m so happy at the moment because I never would have thought 3-0 would have been possible against this Australian side.”Steven Smith bore the thousand-yard stare of a captain who has now lost seven of his past nine matches in charge in all formats. All he had asked for, from his batsmen in particular, had been achieved, still he ended the night in defeat.”I wanted the top four to get the bulk of the runs, someone to go on and get a hundred, we had two blokes do that,” Smith said. “It’s a very tough loss. Today was our quarter-final to keep us in the series and when you get to halfway and you’ve got 370 on the board, you don’t lose too many games with 370 on the board.”For them [bowlers], it’s about trying to bowl their best ball as much as possible…we just haven’t been able to do it as well as we would have liked.”It hasn’t gone to plan so far, that’s for sure. I’m sure the guys will be able to take a lot out of playing against these South African batters. There’s some quality batters in their line-up and you’ve got to learn to play against the best if you want to play international cricket.”1:46

‘Was trying not to show any nerves’ – Miller

Much has been written and said about Australia’s understrength bowling line-up on tour, which again copped heavy punishment throughout. But du Plessis was pointed in stating that could not take anything away from his team’s achievement.”I think as an international team you cannot use that as an excuse, never,” he said. “I’ve been part of a South African team when we had no Dale Steyn and no Vernon Philander in our Test team, and you can’t use that as an excuse.”You have to find a way as a team to try and compete against the best teams in the world and we didn’t in that series against England and it would have been a lot different with the two of them playing.”But you can’t use that as an excuse, you have to find a way as a squad to try and compete. There’s a little bit of inexperience there but they would be the first guys not to blame their weakened attack. They’re the No. 1 team in the world and they know they still have to put up a good fight against us.”

Reliable journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has revealed details over Jorg Schmadtke's upcoming deal to become a sporting director at Liverpool via his personal Twitter account.

What is the latest on Jorg Schmadtke to Liverpool?

The Reds have been on the hunt for a fresh sporting director following the news that their current man in the role, Julian Ward, is set to depart Anfield at the end of the season.

Following the announcement that the 41-year-old would be on his way out of Liverpool, Ajax had put together a deal to try and tempt the director into moving to the Netherlands. However, he has instead opted to take a break from football and when he does depart the Premier League side in summer, he will become a free agent.

It means that there is now a gap to be filled in the Reds' sporting director department and with the transfer window set to open again, it is important for the side to try and appoint someone ahead of the beginning of business. It is Jorg Schmadtke who has been identified as the man for them, with the former Wolfsburg director set to join the club's transfer committee to help with potential incomings and outgoings.

Now, Fjortoft has revealed the length of his agreement at Anfield. The journalist stated via his Twitter that the director will be joining the side for just three months to help them over the summer window. He said: "Understand it’s 3 months deal. Just helping Liverpool out in the coming transfer window!"

Who is Jorg Schmadtke?

The 59-year-old has worked in Europe over the last few years and has a lot of experience in Germany in particular. Before his time with Wolfsburg, the director spent four years with FC Koln, where he held the same position.

He also had a four year spell with Hannover 96, during which time they had a rather successful spell in the Bundesliga. With Schmadtke behind the scenes as a sporting director, the club finished as high up as fourth in the division.

If Schmadtke could implement a successful transfer strategy at Anfield during his time at the club this summer, then he could be a shrewd appointment from them, even if he does only pen a short-term contract.

Fulham are making concrete moves to sign Fiorentina centre-back Igor Julio this summer, amid his uncertain future in Italy, according to recent reports.

What's the latest Fulham transfer news?

The Cottagers are expected to strengthen in a number of areas this summer, particularly in midfield, having previously made contact with Hakim Ziych over a potential move, while Mateus Uribe and Erick Gutierrez have also emerged as targets.

The need to bring in a new midfielder may be exacerbated by the fact Joao Palhinha could be on the move in the upcoming window, amid interest from a number of Premier League sides, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

There is also some evidence that Marco Silva would be keen on strengthening in the centre-back area, given the previous links to AS Roma's Chris Smalling, and they have now set their sights on a new target in that area of the pitch.

According to a report from Firenze Viola (via Sport Witness), Fulham are making concrete moves to sign Igor this summer, with the defender facing an uncertain future at Fiorentina, having been benched for his side's recent 2-1 loss against FC Basel.

The Cottagers are not the only Premier League side interested in the 25-year-old, however, as Leicester City are also eyeing a move, while there are at least two Ligue 1 sides and one club from Spain in the picture.

Fiorentina have the option to extend the centre-back's contract by an additional year, but he could snub the Serie A side's renewal offer and seek a move abroad this summer.

Should Fulham sign Igor Julio?

Described as "crazy" by members of the media, the Brazilian has been a regular starter for Fiorentina this season, making 37 appearances in all competitions, showcasing his defensive capabilities in the process.

Over the past year, the left-footed defender has ranked highly on a couple of key defensive metrics, most notably blocks completed per 90, placing in the 90th percentile compared to his positional peers, having averaged 1.69.

That said, the former Red Bull Salzburg man has not been among Fiorentina's best performers this season, averaging just a 6.46 match rating from WhoScored, which ranks him 20th in the squad.

Given that Igor also has no experience in the Premier League, Fulham can attract better defenders in the summer transfer window, particularly considering how well they have done since their promotion from the Championship, on course for a top-half finish.

Glasgow Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by their Old Firm rivals on Sunday and are now on course to end the campaign without a trophy to show for their efforts.

The Light Blues are 13 points behind their rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership, with five games left to play, and a summer overhaul is on the cards at Ibrox.

Michael Beale is expecting a big "rebuild" in the transfer window and some first-team players could be moved on to make way for fresh recruits.

Borna Barisic, who joined the club for £2.2m in 2018, has been named by the Daily Record as a player who the Gers could cash in on, and he could be replaced by academy full-back Kevin Ciubotaru.

Is it time for Barisic to leave Rangers?

It could be the right time to ditch the Croatian dud after a series of questionable defensive performances in big games for the club in recent seasons.

Ex-Celtic winger Kris Commons criticised the left-back earlier this year, writing: "He nods off like a security guard trying to catch a quick nap on the night shift. It's just not acceptable at a club like Rangers.

"When Celtic do their analysis ahead of next month's final, you can guarantee they will identify Barisic as the weak link in this Rangers defence."

Commons also claimed that Celtic forwards have exposed Barisic as a "poor" defender and, at the age of 30, the battler does not have a lot of time to develop and improve that side of his game.

Who is Kevin Ciubotaru?

The Light Blues have a 19-year-old Romania youth international in their B team who is a natural left-back and has made 12 appearances in the Lowland League this season.

He has been called up by Romania at U15, U16, and U18 level and has been competing with Robbie Fraser for a starting berth in the development squad this season at Ibrox.

Although Fraser has been the first-choice, with 33 league appearances, Ciubotaru is a player with unearthed potential and could be someone who Beale is able to work with to develop into a first-team performer.

Kinetic academy co-founder Harry Hudson previously stated that the Romanian gem has an "exceptionally high ceiling" and described him by saying: "Very attack-minded. Powerful runner, good dribbler, gets forward well and contributes really well in the offensive phases."

The player himself also claimed that his style is like AC Milan star "Theo Hernandez", who has produced three goals and three assists in the Serie A this season from left-back, and these comments highlight the gem's untapped potential and illustrate the kind of player the head coach could unearth by bringing him into the fold.

Beale could place his trust in the quality of his academy options to come up and compete with Ridvan Yilmaz for a place at left-back in the first-team, which would allow him to ditch Barisic on a permanent basis this summer.