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Leeds United have rejected a bid for star winger Raphinha, according to ExWHUemployee.

The Lowdown: Raphinha stars for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have struggled to repeat last season’s efforts but Raphinha has undoubtedly been one of the few positives throughout the season.

The Brazilian has scored eight goals and registered two assists in 19 Premier League appearances, standing out as his side’s most important player with an average match rating of 7.23/10 – no other Leeds player is above 6.83/10.

It could be that Raphinha moves on this summer, as there may be a queue of Champions League clubs lining up for a move – Chelsea are apparently big fans of the player.

However, a key update has emerged regarding the chances of a shock January exit.

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The Latest: West Ham bid rejected

According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee [via West Ham Zone], the Hammers have seen a bid for the 25-year-old turned down after agents spoke to the club.

“I can confirm that reports that we did make an offer for Raphinha of Leeds United are correct,” he said.

“Our top transfer source has confirmed (backed up by another – our 2 source policy) that an offer went in after agents contacted the club.

“The offer however was swiftly rejected and West Ham were told that Leeds are not prepared to sell at any price this window.”

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The Verdict: Would be crazy

While it may be inevitable that Raphinha eventually moves on to pastures new, such is his quality, the idea of selling him in January doesn’t bear thinking about.

The winger will be vital in ensuring Leeds pull away from the relegation fight – journalist Phil Hay has described him as ‘incredible’ in the past – especially in the absence of other key man like Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford.

Losing him now would have given Leeds no time to find a replacement – should it happen in the summer, they would surely receive a huge sum and have plenty of time to scour the market in order to reinvest in the squad.

In other news, Leeds have been boosted in their attempts to sign a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica. The struggling home side, yet to win a match in the series, will be without experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (left hamstring strain), left-arm-spinner Nikita Miller (right side strain) and fast bowler Kemar Roach (left ankle soreness) at least for the next two ODIs.The West Indies selectors have also dropped the out-of-form Andre Fletcher from the 13-man list for the third and fourth one-dayers. Two players who weren’t picked for the first two matches, Jamaican allrounder David Bernard and 21-year-old batsman Darren Bravo, have returned to the squad.Bravo forced his way back into contention with a Man-of-the-Series performance in the recent A team tri-nation series in Bangladesh, where he scored a hundred and three half-centuries in five innings to make a tournament-high 309 runs. Bernard, who has been in and out of the West Indian one-day side since being selected last June after a six-year absence from international cricket, gets another chance to cement his place.West Indies are 2-0 down in the five-ODI series against South Africa, and lost both Twenty20s which preceded the one-dayers as well.West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Dale Richards, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor

Thursday was a day for drum beats and celebrations at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata

Anand Vasu15-Mar-2001Thursday was a day for drum beats and celebrations at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India beat Australia by 171 runs in one of most thrilling Test matches of all times and levelled the three-match series with one game to play. At the end of the second day, India were down and out, able to make just 171 in their first innings. In a knock of 281, described by Steve Waugh as “some of the best batting I have ever seen”, VVS Laxman galvanised the Indians.It has been long since an Indian has taken the attack to the opposition in such strident fashion. Laxman stood up and delivered the goods when it was most needed – the hallmark of a true champion surely. But wait, let us not forget Rahul Dravid, who shared a 376-run partnership with Laxman on the way to making a belligerent 180. Let us not also discount Steve Waugh’s magnificent hundred – his first on Indian soil. And then there is Harbhajan Singh, who with match figures of 13/196, including a hat-trick, would have been the man of the match on almost any other day. Then again, this historic win, after being asked to follow on, would never have been possible if not for Laxman.Looking for that elusive triple hundred Laxman perished early in themorning, slashing hard at a short and wide ball from Glenn McGrath to be caught by Ricky Ponting in the gully region. Laxman’s 281 came in over 10 and a half hours. When the Hyderabadi was dismissed, the roar that went up showed how much his innings meant to the crowd at the Eden Gardens. If this were the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad, his home town, the cheers wouldn’t have been louder or the ovation more heartfelt. Unfortunately for Laxman, he did not add to his tally of 44 boundaries. When the fifth wicket partnership finally broke, the Dravid-Laxman pair had added a mammoth 376.Dravid then moved on to 180 (444 mins, 353 balls, 21 fours) before being run out in a bid to push the scoring rate. By then, however, Dravid’s dismissal was inconsequential with India leading by a huge margin. Dravid’s innings too was an important one, coming at a time when the middle order bat had lost his number three slot. Signalling the end of a lean patch, Dravid came to India’s rescue. Zaheer Khan (23 not out) used the long handle to good effect and India declared their innings closed on 657/7, equalling the second highest ever second innings total in Test cricket. The highest, 671/4 declared, made by the Kiwis at home against the touring Lankans was a bit too far away to go for. The other time the same score was made, was by Pakistan against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1957-58, albeit for the loss of one more wicket.Set a tough target of 384 off 75 overs, the Australians went about their task most methodically. Matthew Hayden and Michael Slater combined well to blunt the early efforts of the Indians. However, as is often the case on a fifth day wicket, it wasn’t to last forever. Slater (43) was undone by a Harbhajan Singh off break – he was the first, but certainly not the last to perish in that manner.Mark Waugh, whose dream was a double hundred on Indian soil, disappointed once more. The elegant middle order batsman was trapped plumb in front by an arm ball from left arm spinner Venkatapathi Raju before he could get off the mark. With Justin Langer having left earlier, the Australians were 116/3 and the Indians began to sense a window of opportunity.The safest batsman in the world in these kinds of situation, Steve Waugh, joined Hayden out in the middle. Stroking the ball well around the park, the pair added 50 for the fourth wicket. Then the procession began. Let off by Ganguly just before the tea interval, Steve Waugh repeated his mistake, turning the ball around the corner. The second time around however, the man at backward short leg was the agile Hemang Badani. Moving to his natural side, the left, Badani snapped up a smart catch, sending the Australian captain on his way. Steve Waugh’s 24 helped boost Australian hopes, but did not do enough for the team total.As expected, the fall of the captain’s wicket boosted the Indian morale no end. For its part, the crowd too began to get squarely behind the Indian team. With the score on 166, Ricky Ponting followed his captain back to the pavilion. Attempting an awkward sweep shot, Ponting presented Das with a simple catch at forward short leg. From 166/3 Australia slumped to 174/8, losing five wickets in a 32-ball period that yielded just eight runs.Adam Gilchrist, having won all 15 Test matches he has played, was brought down to earth in his sixteenth. Trapped leg before wicket by Tendulkar off the very first ball he faced, the Aussie stumper bagged a ‘King’s pair’. Matthew Hayden (67 runs, 199 mins, 119 balls, 6 fours) played all over a Tendulkar full toss and was adjudged lbw. Tendulkar was not done yet. Bowling a perfectly pitched googly the Indian batting maestro had Shane Warne trapped plumb in front.In deep trouble, with an almost full-strength crowd lusting for an Indian victory, the Australian fast bowlers attempted to resist the Indian spinners. For a time they did. Not nearly long enough though. When Glenn McGrath shouldered arms to Harbhajan Singh and umpire SK Bansal’s finger went up for the fifth time in the day, it was all over. Scuttling Australia for 212, India had won by 171 runs. For the third time in the history of the game a team had won after being asked to follow on. Surprisingly enough, Australia has been at the losing end of all those matches. The first instance was way back in 1894-95 when Australia unsuccessfully enforced the follow on against the touring England side at Sydney. The second time was in Headingley in 1981 with England being let off the hook. Today, India got its name on that elite list.There was a mad rush for souvenir stumps out in the middle. In the stands the bedlam was much more frenzied. Every placard, poster and piece of paper was on fire. The scenes today could have only been bettered in the bull-rings of old, where gladiators fought each other to death. There was no death here at the Eden Gardens. But those fortunate enough to be present witnessed several rebirths. Harbhajan Singh with 13/196 and a hat-trick has cemented his place in the side. Vangipurappu Venkat Sai Laxman with 281, the highest Test score by an Indian, has made the number three slot his own. Rahul Dravid with 180 has rediscovered form that gave him the nickname “The Wall”.Most importantly, Indian cricket has once more found the will to beat the best side in the world and stamp its authority on world cricket.

Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest information regarding Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of signing young Portuguese forward Chiquinho.

What’s the story?

According to Romano, Wolves are close to making the 21-year-old winger their second signing of the January transfer window.

The transfers expert tweeted: “Wolves are closing on Chiquinho deal with Estoril, final details to be completed next week. Portuguese striker’s set to join on a permanent move for €3.5m fee plus €1.5m add ons.”

Valued at £900k by Transfermarkt, is set to depart Primeira Liga side Estoril, who are flying in the Portuguese top-flight this campaign as they currently sit sixth, and join up with his fellow countryman Bruno Lage at Molineux.

The Portuguese youngster has scored four goals and provided six assists in 18 appearances across all competitions in what has been his breakthrough campaign in top-flight football after Estoril were promoted last season.

According to The Athletic, the 21-year-old is set to be part of Wolves’ first-team group. Moreover, the West Midlands club have done business with Estoril before, signing defender Toti Gomes from the Portuguese outfit in September 2020 who was handed a shock debut on Saturday in the 3-1 win over Southampton.

Wolves fans will be buzzing

Although not a household name, Chiquinho offers a great deal of potential and, for a small fee in today’s market, the deal appears low risk, something that will no doubt delight supporters.

Wolves have become a hub for Portuguese talent with the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jose Sa and Nelson Semedo some of the names who hail from Portugal that have been lured to Molineux in recent years as well as former manager Nuno Espirito Santo and current boss Bruno Lage.

The 21-year-old mainly operates as a left-winger but is flexible and can also play on the right-hand side of a front-three, ideal for Wolves who tend to operate with a 3-4-3 setup.

Compared to the other wingers in Lage’s squad, Chiquinho would boast the most league goals so far this season, although the Premier League is a significant step up from the Portuguese top-flight. Currently, Adama Traore is the only wide man to have netted in the league this campaign.

There have been murmurs of the Spaniard departing Molineux in the near future and therefore the Portugal U21 international could prove to be a long-term replacement.

Moreover, Lage is yet to welcome back the injured Pedro Neto, who has been out since April with a serious knee injury.

He may be an unknown name, however, the stats back up the suggestion that Chiquinho could be an exciting prospect for Wolves. Seeing a Portuguese talent excel at Molineux isn’t unheard of.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

A Pakistani TV channel has broadcast previously unseen video footage of Mazhar Majeed in which he takes the names of four more Pakistani players who, he claims, work with him

Osman Samiuddin30-Nov-2010A Pakistani TV channel has broadcast previously unseen video footage of Mazhar Majeed, the player agent allegedly at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal, in which he takes the names of four more Pakistani players who, he claims, work with him.The video footage, obtained and shown by the news channel, is part of the hidden camera recordings that formed the original sting operation in August. In those, an undercover reporter pretending to be a member of a betting syndicate was seen meeting with Majeed a number of times to allegedly orchestrate spot-fixing scams involving members of the Pakistan team.At the time the tabloid revealed the names of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and claimed that there were four others involved but didn’t name them. Butt, Asif and Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC; the tabloid claimed to have exposed their plan, with Majeed, to bowl deliberate, pre-arranged no-balls during the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord’s.The footage, well-placed sources confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, was shown as an exhibit in the ICC’s provisional suspension hearings of Butt and Amir, held in October in Dubai, and was part of the evidence submitted by ICC against the three.The freshly aired footage takes place in Majeed’s house, where he is talking to a reporter with a hidden camera who asks him about the players who work with him: “What’s the latest situation?” Majeed replies: “I’ll tell you who we’ve got then. We’ve got Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Wahab Riaz … that’s six, yeah? Imran Farhat … that’s seven out of 11 players.”Majeed goes on to explain how certain players are good for certain acts and how he targets younger players in particular. “It’s long-term thinking. These boys are going to be around years and I’ve got the best boys.” Senior players such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Saeed Ajmal, he says, do not interest him because they only have a few years left. Ajmal, he says, is “too religious.”Of the four players named in the claims aired on Tuesday, Umar and Riaz continue to very much be a part of the Pakistan side; both were selected today in Pakistan’s Twenty20 and Test squads for a tour to New Zealand. Riaz was questioned by Scotland Yard during the England tour, though he was released without any charge laid on him.The eldest Akmal, Kamran, has been frozen out, however, and has not been picked since the England tour. He was the subject of a notice sent by the ACSU after the World Twenty20 in May, but was recently told by the ICC that he is cleared to play for Pakistan.According to the PCB’s chief selector Mohsin Khan, Kamran wasn’t picked for the New Zealand series because the PCB didn’t clear him. Though his Test form has been poor, he would generally be considered an essential part of the limited-overs side given the balance his hard-hitting batting brings.Farhat was part of Pakistan’s squad in the series against South Africa but has also been dropped. His axing is likelier to be the result of poor performances, however, and the relative success of a new opening pair in Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez.The emergence of this footage is likely to increase concerns in the ICC – which has not commented publicly on any of the other four players – about the legal representation the suspended trio is getting. Earlier this month, the same channel broadcast text messages allegedly exchanged between Butt and Majeed. That led to the ICC asking the players’ lawyers to return the evidence given to them during the hearings, unhappy that it was being leaked to the media.Observers familiar with and, in some instances, involved in the case have repeatedly expressed concerns over the attitude of some of the lawyers and how it might affect the workings of the final hearings into the case, due to be held in January in Doha, Qatar. Sources who witnessed the provisional suspension hearings claim that the players’ lawyers signed a document agreeing not to discuss the hearing and the case publicly, something that has not happened.

Following a nightmare season, Everton are now linked with signing a big replacement in the first team at the end of the season.

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, Everton are ‘watching developments closely’ to potentially make a move for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone this summer.

The report suggests that the future of Jordan Pickford could be in doubt, as the Toffees eye a move for the West Brom number one who will be out of contract this summer.

However, Everton will face tough competition in securing his signature as another Premier League club is linked, with Tottenham Hotspur also reported being interested in signing Johnstone.

Lampard must axe Pickford

If the opportunity arises for Frank Lampard to sign a new keeper, it might be the perfect opportunity to finally axe his current keeper who has not had a good season and become part of the problem in the club’s current relegation battle.

According to SofaScore, the keeper has conceded 1.7 goals per game and 50 goals in total in the Premier League this season, completing only 34% of his long balls and keeping only five clean sheets – the joint third-worst worst record in the league.

The Telegraph reported earlier this season that Tottenham were interested in signing the Everton flop to replace Huge Lloris, however, following the poor defensive record the side has carried this season, it may be an opportunity Antonio Conte decides to pass upon.

Pickford was recently slammed for being “out of control” following the 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace by Stephen Warnock who told Sky Sports:

“He’s just so animated, that for me, every time I see him I think there’s a mistake coming or he’s out of control in what he’s doing constantly.”

Johnstone on the other hand has been the recipient of high praise for his hard work at West Bromwich Albion this season and has been considered a hot prospect to many clubs following his performances for the struggling Championship side.

The £18k-per-week star who was hailed “outstanding” by Micah Richards has been a standout performer for his current club, with FBref ranking him in the top 81st percentile for saves, 85th for touches and 99th for launched passes this year compared to all goalkeepers in Europe – an impressive pretty feat considering the poor season West Brom are having.

With that being said, if Everton could secure Johnstone on a free this summer, while also selling Pickford to boost funds, it could be a great piece of business for the club.

However, Lampard must secure Premier League football next season to put themselves in a position to attract the keeper and rival Spurs for the signing.

AND in other news: Everton plot bid for “unplayable” £29m “force of nature”, he’s like “an express train”

A wrap of the third day of the ninth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2012
ScorecardThe Yadavs continued to dominate the Group C match between Services and Jharkhand. Ajay Yadav followed his first-innings five-for with 6 for 43 in the second innings to give Jharkhand a shot at victory, which can get them a place in the quarters. In the innings between the two, Services’ Suraj Yadav took six for himself.Services began the day at 32 for 2 after the Delhi fog had delayed the start yet again, but kept losing wickets regularly. However, Services also would have found out during the day that neither Assam nor Andhra can win their match outright, which ensured their qualification for the quarter-final.Jharkhand, though, had to do all the running, and running they did. Captain Shahbaz Nadeem provided Ajay full support with four wickets of his own. Bowling Services out for 152, Jharkhand were left with a target of 218. They knocked off 35 of those without losing a wicket by stumps.
ScorecardFor the first half of the day, Assam looked good to take a first-innings lead over Goa’s 381 and remain in contention for the quarter-finals, but they lost their last eight wickets for 124 runs to fall short by 15.Assam were third before this round started, but needed at least three points to stay alive. At 134 for 1 at the start of the day, they looked in control, a position they only solidified by reaching 208 without any further loss. However, when Sibsankar Roy fell to make it 242 for 3, a collapse began.Only Dheeraj Jadhav and J Syed Mohammad arrested the slide to add 52 for the sixth wicket, but the end of that partnership kickstarted another glut of five wickets for 50 runs.
ScorecardAndhra fought hard to attain the first-innings lead despite centuries from VA Jagadeesh and Sanju Samson, but it turned out they didn’t need to. Towards the end of the day, in Guwahati, Assam dropped out of the race by failing to take a first-innings lead.Andhra’s only competition now is Jharkhand, but these three points will only take them level with Jharkhand should the latter win their match in Delhi. Andhra stand no chance of winning that tie, because Jharkhand will have posted three outright wins as opposed to Andhra’s one.This was a strange innings from Kerala, one that revolved around the new ball. The first one claimed three wickets for 80, after which Jagadeesh scored his fourth century of the season to go with Samson’s second. The second new ball, though, wreaked havoc, ended 199-run partnership, and then ran through the rest for the addition of just 31 runs. DP Vijaykumar and T Atchuta Rao took four wickets each.In a bid to take the Jharkhand result out of the equation, Andhra added 38 runs in six overs before stumps, but it is unlikely they will risk the points already earned by doing anything fancy on the final day.
ScorecardIn the stop-start, inconsequential match Jammu & Kashmir and Tripura, only 85 overs have been bowled over three days. Tripura have moved sedately to 226 for 5.

After securing the signing of Luke Plange in January, Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira is reportedly keen on another Derby County transfer swoop, this time for Rams winger Malcolm Ebiowei.

Vieira sees Ebiowei as a long-term prospect and according to reports from The Sun, has reportedly made a decisive move to land the 18-year-old who will be a free agent in the summer.

The next Zaha

Former Arsenal and Rangers academy product Malcolm Ebiowei has enjoyed a breakout year in Wayne Rooney’s Derby side, with the financial issues at the club paving the way for regular minutes.

His performances in the U18 Premier League saw him score seven goals in seven appearances and clearly attracted the attention of the English coach. Ebiowei has continued in that vein, having seized his opportunity under Rooney this season.

The 18-year-old winger has started in 53% of Derby’s Championship games this season. And whilst he has just one assist to show for his 14 appearances in England’s second division, his underlying numbers are promising.

So promising in fact, that considering his position and versatility in attack, he is reminiscent of Palace’s talisman Wilfried Zaha.

Comparing their numbers, Malcolm Ebiowei completes an average of three dribbles per game and makes around one key pass per game. Zaha, on the other hand, has completed an average of two dribbles per game and around one key pass per game during the Premier League season.

Ebiowei’s average of one shot per game is not too far off Zaha’s average of two, whilst the teenager edges Zaha’s offensive participation as he is dispossessed on an average of just once per game, whilst the Ivorian international is dispossessed around four times per 90.

In fairness to Zaha, his 11 goals and one assist in England’s top-flight demonstrate the current difference in end product, though with Ebiowei’s similar numbers for offensive participation, Vieira would be right to take a chance on a player that Rooney claimed has “enormous ability.”

In other news: Forget Gallagher: £53k-p/w Palace ace who lost 71% duels let Vieira down vs Leeds…