Category Uncategorized

Everton are expected to miss out on a deal to bring Southampton striker Che Adams back to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Che Adams leaving Southampton?

Adams has made a total of 145 appearances since arriving on the south coast from Birmingham in 2019, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, Ruben Selles’ former side will be presented with their final big opportunity to cash in during the upcoming window.

The Scottish international established himself as the St. Mary’s outfit’s second best-performing offensive player last season, and having been relegated to the Championship, the centre-forward has been attracting interest from Goodison Park.

Back in May, it was reported that the Toffees and Leeds United were both interested in a swoop for the 26-year-old who was keen to return to the top-flight, but unfortunately for Sean Dyche, it sounds like his target might not actually be heading for Merseyside.

Are Everton signing Adams?

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are now also “eyeing a move” for Adams, and despite the admiration from Everton, Leeds and even Nottingham Forest, a move to join Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted side is the “most likely” outcome.

Southampton receiving an offer of £12m would be enough to “persuade” them to sanction his sale, and it’s stated that he would “jump at the chance” to complete a switch should the Clarets “firm up their interest and strike a deal”.

Would Adams not joining be a blow for Dyche?

Southampton’s former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl previously dubbed Adams a “phenomenon” during his time at the club, and considering the positive impact he made during last season, the striker not joining would definitely be a blow for Dyche.

The Unique Sports Group client posted eight goal contributions (five goals and three assists) in 28 Premier League appearances and made a total of 47 shots over the course of the campaign which was higher than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

The Leicester-born talent, who has the versatility to operate in five various positions across the pitch, would have also been an ideal target man despite only standing at 5 foot 9 having averaged 2.2 aerial wins per top-flight game, with this physical presence likely to be a desired quality to emulate that of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Whether Everton would have been able to afford Adams’ £12m price tag anyway remains to be seen, but the boss will now have to turn his attention to other targets on the market as he searches for suitable candidates to add to his attacking ranks ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTrent Boult picked up three wickets in a burst of skillful swing bowling after lunch•AFP

Test cricket is as much about execution of tactics as much as it is about planning. It allows teams the luxury of switching plans midway. In blunting 35 overs for a little over one run per over after restricting their first-innings deficit to 67, Pakistan ensured the new-ball storm was weathered. But their crawl allowed New Zealand to take the edge when they came out with renewed verve after tea on a bright and sunny day in Christchurch.Neil Wagner, who bowled full and slanted the ball across in the hope of bringing the slip cordon into play before the interval, switched to his usual modus operandi of troubling batsmen with short balls aimed at the ribcage, and broke Pakistan’s spine in the process. At 129 for 7 at stumps, ahead by 62, with just Asad Shafiq and the tail remaining, Pakistan were in danger of losing their second successive Test, barring an unlikely thunderstorm for the better part of the next two days.Wagner triggered the turnaround when he caught Babar Azam on the hop on a couple of occasions before having him glove a bouncer down leg side to wicketkeeper BJ Watling to bring up his 100th Test wicket. Then, Younis Khan was put through a similar short-ball test, the disconcerting bounce pushing him deep into the crease to fend.Did he anticipate the sucker ball? He may have, but in sticking to his short-ball tactic, Wagner outfoxed Younis, whose uncomfortable stay ended when he tried to get out of the way of a delivery that reared up to brush his gloves on its way through to Watling. A tiring Wagner, whose second spell read 11-5-9-2, made way for Trent Boult and Southee, whose relentless attacks kept the batsmen on their toes.Azhar was reprieved when he chanced a risky run off a deflection at slip. However, the missed opportunity hardly affected New Zealand’s body language as they stuck to their Plan B and were soon rewarded with the wicket of Misbah, when an attempted hook off Southee resulted in a catch to Boult at fine leg.Three balls later, Azhar, after digging in for close to four hours, drove away from the body to get a thick inside edge onto the stumps. Boult then completed the big-ticket set when he got the ball to tail back in late to sneak past Sarfaz’s defense and flatten the leg and middle stump. By then, the complexion of the game had already changed, enough to change the mood of the Pakistan camp from hope to despair.The foundation for their rewards in the final session was laid before lunch. The two-hour passage didn’t produce runs or wickets by the truckloads. Yet, nearly every ball was an event on a surface that offered just enough in terms of lateral movement. Pakistan lost Sami Aslam after nearly 18 overs of defiance, in which the opening pair added 21.The first hour after lunch produced just 19 runs in 15 overs, with Southee, who bowled five successive maidens in a row, troubling the batsmen by swerving the ball away late. It was a classic case of pressure built at one end resulting in a release at the other when Colin de Grandhomme – whose cameo 29 helped New Zealand drive into the lead – picked up his seventh wicket on debut when Aslam’s tentative push to a delivery that angled in and then deviated a little off the pitch resulted in a nick to Watling.Boult, meanwhile, made optimum use of the crease through subtle change in angles from both over and around the wicket to trouble the batsman. All of this ensured the heat was well and truly on Pakistan despite them losing just one wicket in the session.That Pakistan were able to restrict the deficit was largely due to Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali, who picked up seven wickets between them a New Zealand, resuming on 104 for 3, were bowled out for 200. None of the batsmen except de Grandhomme looked anywhere near comfortable.Walking in after the overnight pair of Henry Nicholls and Jeet Raval, who top scored with 55, were dismissed inside four overs, de Grandhomme, who on Friday took the best figures by a New Zealander on debut, attacked. In hindsight, it wasn’t a bad approach; the swagger and nonchalance in his strokes, briefly threw Pakistan off guard. His dismissal for 29 triggered a lower order collapse that gave Pakistan a fighting chance, but they couldn’t capitalise against a troika of hostile and highly-skilled fast bowlers.

تحدث بيب جوارديولا المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي عن المنافسة مع ليفربول وآرسنال على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويتصدر ليفربول الترتيب برصيد 60 نقطة بعد فوزه على لوتون تاون في الجولة السادسة والعشرين، ويليه مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال برصيد 56 نقطة بعد خوض 25 جولة.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات لـ “بي إن سبورتس”: “الشيء الأهم وبالنظر إلى من حيث أتينا وعودتنا في الدوري، أننا نتواجد هنا مع أصحاب الصدارة (ليفربول)، وفي كل موسم يقدم الفريق عملًا ومجهودًا خارقًا”.

وأضاف: “وعندما يأتي شهر أبريل أو مايو، نصل إلى الأمتار الأخيرة من السباق، وبالتالي دائمًا ما نركز على المباريات الواحدة تلو الأخرى وسنرى”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رايا يرد على الانتقادات بعد هدف بورتو القاتل أمام آرسنال

وأردف: “أعتقد أن أفضل طريقة لتحليل أداء ليفربول وآرسنال تكون من خلال التركيز على نقاط قوتهما، يجب أن نعتقد أننا لسنا في أوج عطائنا عندما نلعب ضدهما فهما يمتلكان مستويات رائعة”.

وواصل جوارديولا: “أعتقد أن الأفضلية تأتي في التفكير كيف يمكننا اللعب بأفضل صورة ممكنة في المباراة المقبلة، فكلما لعبت جيدًا تكون قريبًا من الفوز، وكلما حققت الفوز تقترب من اللقب”.

وأكد: “كان بودي لو تدخلت عندما نلعب أمام آرسنال أو ليفربول أو أستون فيلا أو توتنهام، أو الفرق الأخرى التي نواجهها لكن لا يمكنني ذلك”.

وأتم: “لذلك أركز على فريقي الذي سيحاول تقديم أقصى مجهود ممكن وهذا هو الطريق إلى النجاح”.

The second match of India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand is likely to be pushed back by a day. According to the original schedule released by the BCCI, the day-night match was to be played on October 19 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. But it is now set to be played on October 20, with the BCCI having approved a request from the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to not have it clash with the North Indian festival of .”It is a big festival in Delhi,” a senior BCCI official said. “We realised having a day-night match during the festival might be disruptive.”The selectors, meanwhile, will meet in Delhi on September 12 to choose India’s squad for the three-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on September 22 at Green Park in Kanpur. The first Test is set to be India’s 500th Test match.New Zealand’s tour will begin with a three-day warm-up match against Mumbai from September 16 to 18. They will then play three Tests in Kanpur, Kolkata and Indore, and five ODIs in Dharamsala, Delhi, Mohali, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam.

The signing of Kieran Dowell from Norwich City could just be the start for Rangers in the summer transfer window, according to a promising update from journalist Dean Jones.

Has Dowell joined Rangers?

Michael Beale will be well aware of the importance of the upcoming window, in terms of narrowing the gap between his Gers side and bitter adversaries Celtic. The Gers have battled hard all season long, in various completions, but have ended up coming up short in all of them.

For that reason, numerous new faces need to come in and enhance both the starting lineup and squad depth at Beale's disposal, making them a more fearsome proposition in the process.

Rangers have already made inroads in the transfer market, completing the signing of Dowell from Norwich earlier this week, with the midfielder enjoying a good 2022/23 campaign for the Canaries. The £7,500-a-week former Everton man scored five goals and chipped in with three assists in the Championship, proving to be an important squad figure.

The 25-year-old is someone who could make a big difference in the middle of the park, and his human qualities have been highlighted in the past, with Sheffield United fans describing his work with a terminally-ill young Blades supporter as "amazing" during his time at the club.

Could Dowell be the first of many signings?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones talked up Rangers' chances of snapping up more signings this summer after the arrival of Dowell:

"We know Beale has big plans for the summer. We could see five or six signings, so maybe this is one of the first."

While Dowell looks like a shrewd signing by Rangers this summer, it is also clear that more additions are required, if they are to get back to being Scottish Premiership champions, as was the case back in 2020/2021.

Depth all over the pitch is needed, with youngster Archie Brown a rumoured new target at left-back, for example, and as Jones alludes to, five or six new faces would aid Beale's ambitions and enhance their chances of future glories.

Dowell is certainly a good start, however, with the Englishman someone who has won 16 caps for both England's Under-21s and Under-20s sides, not to mention making five appearances for Everton during his time as a youngster, and appearing 21 times in the Premier League in total, showing that he can perform at the top level.

Arsenal fans have reacted online with excitement as they think an image of William Saliba suggests he’ll be signing a new contract.

What’s the latest contract news for Arsenal and William Saliba?

With the Gunners pushing for a Premier League title, their hopes have been severely dented by the Frenchman’s absence in recent weeks. Indeed, he started every league game of the season – dropping points in just six of 27 games – before picking up a back injury.

In the following seven games without Saliba since then, however, Arsenal have dropped from first to second; drawing three times and losing one match as well.

There is still hope he can play before the season comes to an end, but there is no guarantee that this will happen with manager Mikel Arteta wary about the player’s fitness.

The Spaniard recently told the press: “We are not yet [ruling him out for the season], because we are always hopeful and players are always pushing to play but if that is the case then we will announce that. Hopefully that will not be the case.”

With all that in mind, it’s clear just how important the £40k-p/w defender is to the team. Worryingly then for Arsenal, the 22-year-old is yet to commit to a new contract with his current deal set to expire in 2024 and some reports suggesting negotiations have reached an “impasse”.

However, a recent image appeared online and it shows that the player is making improvements to his north London home by installing a brand new gym.

After seeing the images, it’s safe to say the fanbase jumped to some excited conclusions as they assumed this proves the young centre-back is ready to settle down at the club for a while longer.

To be fair, ESPN have now reported Saliba is indeed on the verge of agreeing to an extension. But these supporters didn’t need that information to convince them, as the images of the player’s new gym seem to have been more than enough evidence.

Here are some of the best reactions…

It’s no doubt, these Arsenal fans were delighted.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino will be "involved" as Chelsea look to keep hold of N'Golo Kante.

What's the latest on Chelsea and N'Golo Kante?

It seems all but confirmed that the 51-year-old Argentine will be the Blues' next manager and will take over when the Premier League ends.

With that being the case, Pochettino will have a big job in working out who he wants to keep around at Stamford Bridge after this past season of mediocrity.

Kante is one notable player who will see his £290k-p/w contract expire at the end of the current campaign but it sounds as though Chelsea want to offer the midfielder new terms.

While speaking about the Frenchman on his YouTube channel, however, Romano explained how Pochettino will also play a role in the decision

He said (09:12): "For N'Golo Kante, on the club's side, the idea is to continue together with Kante, but now Pochettino will be involved also in this conversion."

Who else wants to sign Kante?

It's certainly interesting that Chelsea seem keen to keep Kante at Stamford Bridge as this might not have been a certainty seeing as he earns so much, is now 32 years of age, and has struggled with injury issues this season – limiting him to just seven league appearances this term.

However, seeing as he's won so much over the course of his career – such as the Premier League, Champions League and World Cup – it makes sense to keep a proven winner around.

What's more, seeing as rival London club Arsenal have been linked by reports in France with the midfielder in recent weeks, it might not be wise to discard him just yet.

However, while Romano notes that Pochettino will also be involved in the conversations with the player, that doesn't necessarily mean the Argentine will want to offer him a new deal.

Of course, he may be more than happy to keep Kante but perhaps he'll want to have younger options in his squad.

After all, journalist Paul Brown recently explained to GIVEMESPORT how the new manager may prefer a youthful project in west London.

He said: "With Pochettino, I think he works best when he has a squad full of young, hungry, talented players who will work for him, listen and play to the system. I think that's possible at Chelsea. It's just that they have a lot of older, more experienced players with slightly bigger egos who have been around and won stuff as well.

"But I think you will see Pochettino use a lot of the younger players because they're the ones who he can work with and mould and really build a system around. So I think that could be quite exciting for Chelsea."

Tottenham Hotspur manager target Vincent Kompany reportedly wants to stay at Burnley for the next Premier League season, according to Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

The 37-year-old has been very regularly mentioned as a candidate for the Spurs job in recent weeks, with reports even claiming he is chairman Daniel Levy's top choice to replace Antonio Conte.

Lilywhites chiefs have apparently been impressed by Kompany's work in the Championship this season, leading to Levy considering a move for him more seriously.

It's also been rumoured that the Belgian is happy to speak with Spurs over their vacant managerial role, coming amid links to former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and ex-Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann as well.

There is apparently division within Spurs over who should take the reins next campaign, with members of the squad calling for Mauricio Pochettino's sensational return whilst Levy favours Kompany (The Daily Mail).

It's set to be a very interesting few weeks in the Tottenham manager chase, especially as London rivals Chelsea reportedly target a move for the likes of Enrique who is also wanted at N17.

Going back to the 'unbelievable' (Jonny Bentley) Kompany, reporter O'Rourke has shared an update on Tottenham's chances of hiring the Man City legend, and it isn't good news.

Writing in a column for Football Insider, the journalist claims Burnley's boss is flattered by links to Spurs, but he is insistent on remaining at Turf Moor to help maintain their top flight status next season.

O'Rourke wrote:

"The future of Kompany is also a big talking point amid reported interest from Tottenham and Chelsea. I’m told the interest is flattering for the Clarets boss, but he wants to give it a crack with Burnley in the Premier League after his work to return them to the top tier. Despite the extensive links and speculation, it is unlikely that Kompany will take another job in the off-season."

Where should Spurs look now?

We believe the answer is staring Levy in the face – Pochettino. The Argentine is not only readily-available and free to hire, but also possesses the necessary Premier League experience and already has relationships with certain Spurs players.

The transition would be a far smoother one than that of other candidates as a result, with Pochettino's brand of open, expansive attacking football also coming as a big draw.

Supporters are regularly singing his name as they yearn for a potential return, a wish Levy must surely grant.

Chelsea are now interested in signing Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing goalkeeper

With goalkeeper Edouard Mendy currently ‘not looking’ to sign a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are eyeing a new option between the sticks, recently being linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.

On a more long-term basis, Chelsea have been looking at a number of options with proven Premier League experience, including Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper Robert Sanchez, who at one point was deemed to be ‘high up on the list.’

At one stage, the west London club were said to have made contact with David Raya about a move across the capital, while Everton’s Jordan Pickford was also a target, but the Englishman has recently signed a new contract.

The Latest: Meslier targeted

As per a report from Football Insider, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Meslier in the summer transfer window, amid interest in the £30m-rated goalkeeper from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Graham Potter is said to have informed owner Todd Boehly that he would like a new goalkeeper in the summer, and the club believe they could sign the Leeds United star for a bargain fee if they are relegated from the Premier League.

Despite the high level of interest in the 23-year-old, the Blues are willing to outbid their rivals to secure his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by members of the media, the Frenchman is at the right age to be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, and he has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers in the Premier League so far this season.

With an average Sofascore mating of 6.89, the former Lorient man is the sixth-best performing player in the squad, most recently impressing by making a total of six saves from inside the box in his side’s vital 4-2 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That said, it is unclear whether the 6 foot 4 colossus would be an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga, ranking far lower than the Spaniard in terms of average save percentage per 90 over the course of the past year.

Given that Kepa has been putting in some very good performances in recent weeks, recently making five saves, including three from inside the box in the 3-1 victory at Leicester City, Chelsea should continue to monitor the performances of their current goalkeeper before deciding if a summer replacement is really necessary.

Newcastle United have reportedly made an inquiry over the possibility of signing Robin Koch from Leeds United this summer.

The Lowdown: Standout performer

In what has proven to be a difficult season for Leeds so far, with the sacking of Jesse Marsch coupled up with them being just outside of the relegation zone in the Premier League, Koch has been one of their standout performers.

No other player in the Leeds side is averaging more clearances per game in the division than he is, while he also ranks highly among his team-mates for a number of other metrics (WhoScored).

The Latest: Newcastle inquiry

As per German news outlet Sport1, Newcastle ‘above all’ are ‘interested’ in signing Koch this summer, but he has also received ‘inquiries’ from the Bundesliga.

His contract at Elland Road is up in 2024, putting Leeds under pressure to cash in at the risk of him leaving as a free agent at the end of next season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Shrewd addition

Koch would certainly be a shrewd addition at St. James’ Park, given that he already boasts plenty of Premier League experience.

The six-foot-three colossus is also capable of playing in a number of defensive and even midfield positions, and so his extra versatility would be very useful in the squad.

At 26 years of age, the Magpies would be signing a player about to enter his prime, and so this seems like a smart deal to do if Eddie Howe really fancies the player.