Tottenham Hotspur have less than a week to go to complete the rest of the business they want to do before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.

One of their summer signings made his debut in the 4-0 win over Everton in London on Saturday, as Wilson Odobert was handed a start on the flank.

Dominic Solanke and Archie Gray have also been brought in and made their debuts in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City in the first match of the Premier League campaign.

There could be more to come, in terms of incoming, before Friday's deadline and they have been linked with one player who could avenge the howler they had with Clement Lenglet.

Tottenham's howler with Clement Lenglet

Daniel Levy swooped to sign the France international on a season-long loan from Spanish giants Barcelona in the summer of 2022 in an attempt to bolster Antonio Conte's squad.

The experienced defender came in to provide competition across the backline for the Italian head coach but endured a difficult season in England.

Appearances

26

Sofascore rating

6.65

Error led to shot or goal

2

Duel success rate

56%

Dribbled past

18x

As you can see in the table above, he made two errors that directly led to a shot or a goal for the opposition and was dribbled past 18 times.

This suggests that he was prone to mistakes, in giving the ball away in dangerous areas and allowing players to dribble past him, at the heart of the defence, which is why the loan move did not work out in the end and they did not bring him back permanently.

Spurs could now avenge their Lenglet blunder

Levy could now avenge his blunder with Lenglet, who was far from an impressive performer for Spurs, by going back to Barcelona to sign another centre-back – Andreas Christensen.

Spanish outlet Sport recently reported that Tottenham are one of the sides interested in the Denmark international, who is available for £21m, and he could come in as a solid addition to the defensive unit.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Christensen made 30 appearances in LaLiga for Barcelona and caught the eye with his work in and out of possession.

The Danish colossus, who was once dubbed "extraordinary" by Xavi, completed 94% of his attempted passes in the league, compared to Lenglet's 87% with Spurs in the Premier League.

Christensen was also only dribbled past 12 times and did not make a single error that led to a shot or goal for the opposition, which suggests that he is far more reliable defensively than the Frenchman.

The former Chelsea ace would also bring aerial dominance to the team, as he won 71% of his duels in the air last season, and that could help Ange Postecoglou from set-pieces and when it comes to defending crosses, which was an issue for Jamie Vardy's goal against Leicester.

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Overall, Christensen's form for Barcelona and his relatively cheap price tag at £21m suggests that he would be a shrewd signing to provide back-up to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, whilst avenging the Lenglet howler by coming in as an impressive defender from Barcelona.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo pode ganhar mais uma opção na lateral esquerda sem precisar realizar uma nova contratação. Trata-se de Léo, que vinha sendo utilizado como zagueiro, mas que com a chegada de Rogério Ceni e a mudança de esquema tático, pode ser utilizado no setor.

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Vale ressaltar que o jogador de 25 anos começou a carreira jogando na lateral. Foi assim no Fluminense e no Bahia. Quando chegou ao São Paulo, em 2019, o então treinador Fernando DIniz passou a escalar Léo na defesa. Atuando nessa posição, o zagueiro se destacou, sendo o único zagueiro canhoto do elenco.

Com Crespo, a situação não mudou e ele passou a ser titular absoluto da equipe. Tanto que o camisa 16 é o segundo jogador que mais atuou na temporada, com 49 jogos, somando4015 minutos. Ele só não tem mais jogos no ano que o goleiro Tiago Volpi, que jogou em 54 partidas.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Contra o Red Bull Bragantino, no último domingo, Ceni teve pela primeira vez à disposição Arboleda, Miranda e Léo. O treinador optou por colocar os dois primeiros e Léo foi opção no banco de reservas, interrompendo uma sequência de cinco jogos atuando os noventa minutos.

Agora, com o esquema de quatro defensores, Léo se torna uma opção na lateral esquerda, ‘concorrendo’ com Reinaldo, atual titular da posição e com Welington, jovem da base que ganhou destaque nessa temporada.

After weeks of little transfer activity, Arsenal finally announced the signing of highly-rated defender Riccardo Calafiori on Monday, much to the delight of Gooners everywhere.

The former Bologna man looks like he could be one of the next great Italian centre-backs, and while fans are still revelling in his arrival, the North Londoners appear to be moving on to a plethora of other targets.

Big-name strikers such as Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres have been heavily linked with a move to the club, while other reports suggest that a move for Euro 2024 winner Fabian Ruiz is right around the corner.

However, based on recent reports, it appears that Edu Gaspar and Co have reached an agreement on personal terms for a midfielder who has been compared to Ruiz in the past.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from French outlet Sports Zone, Arsenal have come to a "contractual agreement" on personal terms with Real Sociedad star Mikel Merino.

The report claims that the Spaniard has agreed to a four-year deal with the Gunners and that the "next step" is for the two clubs to come to an agreement as well.

The update does not mention how much the £51k-per-week ace may cost the North Londoners, but a separate report last week revealed that he could be sold for about £25m.

It's undoubtedly still a lot of money, but within the context of modern football, landing Merino for that much seems like a steal, and the fact he's won comparisons to Ruiz in the past is a great bonus.

Merino's comparison to Ruiz

So, there are a few similarities between the Merino and Ruiz, some of which are fairly obvious and straightforward, while others are a little more complex. We'll first look at a comparison stemming from the latter.

It stems from FBref, which compared every player at Euro 2024 to those in a similar position, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the PSG star was the fourth most similar midfielder to the Sociedad ace at the tournament.

They came to this conclusion by examining the pair's underlying numbers and measuring how closely they ranked in a number of key metrics, including, but not limited to, shots on target, expected assisted goals, passes into the penalty area, completed short passes, passes blocked, and dribblers tackled, all per 90.

Merino & Ruiz
Stats per 90	Merino	Ruiz
Shots on target	0.99	1.00
Expected Assisted Goals	0.20	0.17
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.00	1.00
Completed Short Passes	33.5	32.8
Passes Blocked	0.50	0.50
Dribblers Tackled	1.00	1.00
All Stats via FBref for Euro 2024

Now that that similarity has been cleared up let's examine some of the other, far more straightforward facts that make comparing these two players so easy.

Firstly, the pair are both fully fledged Spanish internationals now, with the former Napoli star winning 29 senior caps thus far and the Sociedad "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, trailing by one, with 28. Moreover, they both played a part in La Roja's surprise triumph at the Euros this year, with the Arsenal target's extra-time winner against Germany in the quarter-finals a particular highlight.

Next, both players are older than the typical players the Gunners have targeted in recent years, with both men coming in at 28 years old. This suggests Arteta wants to add some more experience to his side for the upcoming campaign.

Lastly, both stars play in essentially the same position, with the PSG ace making 22 starts in central midfield last season to his compatriot's 38 for the Basque side.

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Ultimately, signing Merino for potentially just £25m would be a steal, and the fact he can be compared to Ruiz so easily is just an added bonus. Therefore, Arsenal should be doing what they can to bring the Spaniard to the Emirates this summer, as his experience and quality would be a brilliant addition.

Both teams might need to rejig their XIs – they have won one out of six games between them so far this season

Vishal Dikshit20-Apr-20218:01

Bhuvneshwar a cause for concern? Should Punjab Kings promote Pooran up the order?

Big pictureThe Punjab Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad might be the two bottom-placed sides right now, but in the IPL, if the top teams can provide gripping entertainment, so can the ones languishing behind. Most teams are still trying to identify their best XIs, getting used to the contrasting conditions in Mumbai and Chennai, and wondering how to bowl with the dew or rejig their plans if they lose the toss.In Chennai, particularly, it becomes slower, and tougher for batting, as the game progresses, which will put the spotlight on the top orders of either side, put the onus on them to collect quick runs and provide a cushion for the death overs. Equally important would be the role of the spinners, especially for the Kings, who have just shifted from Mumbai to Chennai.Related

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The Sunrisers might have a slight familiarity advantage, having played their first three games in Chennai but they have faltered three chases in a row so far. Their main problem is the same as last season: a middle order that’s struggling to put on partnerships.With Jonny Bairstow cracking again at the top, they may now consider playing Kedar Jadhav, bought for INR 2 crore in the auction, as he can not only bowl slingy offbreaks but is also used to the Chennai conditions because of his experience with the Chennai Super Kings. He can chaperone the inexperienced middle order of Virat Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad, while Vijay Shankar continues to look for an impactful innings with the bat. Who he replaces, of course, is a matter for debate.Ideally, they would want to have the class of Kane Williamson back, but his troublesome elbow might force him to sit out again.For the Kings, a stronger start than in their last game is a must, which means a quicker flow of runs would be expected from captain KL Rahul, who ambled to 61 off 51 while his partner Mayank Agarwal smashed 69 off 36 on a flat pitch. Their middle order is also inexperienced, but has shown promise with Deepak Hooda’s six-hitting ability and Shahrukh Khan’s muscle down the order. All they need now is for Nicholas Pooran to fire.The Kings’ bowling attack is likely to see changes as they will have to move away from their pace-heavy plans, which conceded plenty of runs in Mumbai. Both Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson have leaked over ten runs an over in three games and the Kings have the spin duo of Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin waiting, while spin-bowling allrounder Jalaj Saxena made his IPL debut over the weekend.The Sunrisers have lost all three matches while chasing so far, while the Kings are yet to bat second – that might be another thing for the teams to prepare for.Hooda’s hitting has given the Kings middle order a new life•BCCI/IPLIn the newsThe Sunrisers would be hoping that Williamson is fit this time, but if he isn’t, they could bring in Jadhav for one of the inexperienced middle-order bats, possibly Virat Singh. They are also waiting on the fitness update of T Natarajan, who had a sore knee and was replaced by Khaleel Ahmed the last time.Likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Abhishek Sharma, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Khaleel AhmedPunjab Kings: 1 KL Rahul (capt & wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Jalaj Saxena, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Ravi Bishnoi/M Ashwin, 11 Arshdeep SinghStrategy punt Since Rahul and Chris Gayle are both slow starters, the Kings may want to keep their No. 3 slot flexible. If Agarwal is the first wicket to fall, they may want to send Pooran at No. 3 to not have Rahul and Gayle batting at the same time. Since IPL 2019, Pooran’s strike rate in his first ten balls is 159, while Gayle’s is 128. Even though Rashid Khan is usually brought on after the powerplay, there could be a case to give him an over in the first six given his record against Rahul. In the 30 balls the spinner has bowled to him across five T20 innings, he has conceded only 18 runs and struck thrice. Could Sandeep Sharma come back? He has terrific records against two of the Kings’ top three in IPLs: four wickets against Gayle in nine innings while conceding 64 off 59, and three of Agarwal while giving away only 45 off 39. Since Bhuvneshwar Kumar has an economy rate of 10 from three games, the Sunrisers could make it a like-for-like change.Stats that matter The Sunrisers are chasing their first-ever win in Chennai, having lost all six matches to date. Gayle has a terrific record against Khan in all T20s: 105 runs off 62, but has also been dismissed four times by him. Of all the IPL teams he has played against, Warner has the most fifties against the Kings. Eleven half-centuries at an average of 53.30 and strike rate of 142. The Sunrisers’ middle order has the second-lowest run rate this season, of 7.1, only behind the 6.70 of the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders. Rahul is just one short of 5000 T20 runs. He is also one short of 200 sixes in the format. Pandey (96) and Rahul (98) have the worst strike rates in powerplays this season (minimum 25 runs).

Two unpredictable sides desperate for a win face off in a two-match Test series in Pallekele

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2021

Pathum Nissanka could well take Dinesh Chandimal’s place in the Sri Lanka XI•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

Big pictureIll-judged shots, inconsistent bowling, dropped catches, batting collapses – these aren’t unexpected anymore when Sri Lanka or Bangladesh play Test cricket. At the same time, when they start the first of two Tests in Pallekele on Wednesday, do expect the odd heroic performance. Those aren’t unusual with these teams either.Bangladesh come into the series having lost their last eight international matches across formats. The wheels came off during the white-ball tour of New Zealand, but the confidence had already been shattered during their 2-0 Test series defeat against West Indies. Bangladesh were favourites at home, but they looked a team without a Plan B when the West Indian rookies fought back in Chattogram and Dhaka.What will particularly hurt Bangladesh is the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently playing in the IPL. Without him, the visitors will rely heavily on Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque, and Mushfiqur Rahim .Related

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Haque: 'We haven't been batting up to expectations'

In the batting department, Iqbal will be expected to provide stability at the top, although he hasn’t had a set opening partner for a long time, and the No. 3 position also remains uncertain. Haque’s home-and-away record carries a Jekyll-Hyde look, which would leave Rahim, one of Bangladesh’s best batters on foreign soil, with some heavy lifting to do. There are concerns in the bowling department, too. Mehidy Hasan and Abu Jayed are the only bowlers who are confirmed inclusions in the XI, leaving at least three spots up for grabs.Bangladesh’s situation opens up an opportunity for Sri Lanka, who recently lost to England at home, and drew 0-0 in the West Indies. A few fightbacks notwithstanding, Sri Lanka have mostly struggled to get going in the recent past. At home, South Africa were the last visitors they truly dominated, in February 2019. After a 2-0 win in that series, they drew against New Zealand and lost to Pakistan, too.The emergence of Oshada Fernando and Pathum Nissanka has helped the team strike a balance, with Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal bringing in the experience. Mathews returns after missing the West Indies series. Lahiru Thirimanne’s three fifties against West Indies were also encouraging, but for Sri Lanka to do better, these batters have to score big.Much of the hosts’ bowling would depend on Suranga Lakmal in the absence of the injured Lasith Embuldeniya, who has been their highest wicket-taker this year so far. Vishwa Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara will also have to lend support to Lakmal’s new-ball efforts.Mominul Haque will look to improve both his captaincy record and away numbers as a batter•Raton Gomes/BCB

Form guideSri Lanka DDLLLBangladesh LLWLLIn the spotlightSuranga Lakmal was adjudged Player of the Series for his 11 wickets against West Indies. He will be expected to do a similar job against Bangladesh in conditions that might assist pace bowlers. Lakmal would also be keen to bring down his bowling average of 50.87 in 23 Tests at home.Mominul Haque has two things to work on: reviving his captaincy fortunes after losing five out of the last six Tests, and fixing his dismal away record as a batter. There will be considerable pressure on both fronts but, as he has proven in the past, he has the character to turn things around.Team newsSri Lanka may go in with three specialist quicks, though this would be a highly unusual strategy at home. Lakmal would be the first-choice pacer, while Vishwa and Kumara might also feature in the XI. On the batting front, they will try to squeeze Nissanka into the side. Chandimal, who had a decent tour of West Indies, might just make way for Nissanka.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Oshada Fernando, 4 Dinesh Chandimal/Pathum Nissanka, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Vishwa FernandoSoumya Sarkar’s axing once again opens up the debate on the opening combination. Pallekele’s green pitch may tempt Bangladesh to play three pace bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Liton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Ebadot Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Abu JayedPitch and conditionsThe photograph of Karunaratne inspecting a greenish Pallekele pitch two days before the first Test left many wondering if seam, swing and bounce could play a part on the first morning. Though it has rained around the Pallekele area, the weather is likely to be clear over the next five days.Stats that matter This will be Bangladesh’s first overseas Test since the pandemic began. They lost the home series against West Indies 2-0 in February. Lakmal’s recent Player of the Series award was the first for a Sri Lankan fast bowler in a Test series since Nuwan Kulasekara won one in 2014. No Bangladesh bowler has taken a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka since 2014.Quotes”Technically, he’s outstanding. Physically, he’s very good and his fielding standards are exactly where they need to be. He’s slotted in nicely. Yes we’ve had to chip away and polish a little bit, but whatever Nissanka did with his coaches through the ranks has been pretty good. They’ve prepared him very well for international cricket.”
“I have come to Sri Lanka to play cricket. We will play according to our plan. I am only concerned about these things, and not much else. I don’t need to think about other things as a professional cricketer.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers entered the 2023/24 campaign off the back of Julen Lopetegui's departure from the dugout, crying of damage that might sink the ship.

Gary O'Neil's appointment after being dismissed from his successful one-term stint on the South Coast with Bournemouth has been nothing short of masterful, with the 41-year-old instilling his vision and seeing the Old Gold comfortably avoid relegation, something that plenty thought was a formality only 11 months ago.

And all that despite a summer 2023 exodus that saw key figures such as Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes sold. As such, Wolves have not found themselves shaken by PSR frustrations – unlike some divisional rivals – and Pedro Neto, who is valued at £60m, is the only player expected to be sold.

However, a transfer market is a capricious beast and Molineux plays host to a wealth of top talent. Matheus Cunha is one of the club's most marketable and attractive stars, and is thus attracting interest from a host of suitors.

Transfer interest in Matheus Cunha

Many players have stepped into the Premier League scene and initially struggled to find their feet, only to later bloom into awe-inspiring superstars. Cunha is certainly on the way to achieving just that.

Joining from Atletico Madrid in December 2022 on an initial loan deal, Cunha's stay at Molineux became permanent after just three fixtures, completing a €50m (£42m) move.

The difference between his level across the 2022/23 campaign, under Lopetegui, and last year's term with O'Neil at the helm has been staggering, pretty much raising his game across every metric to earn praise for his "immense" displays from analyst Raj Chohan.

Matches played

17

31

Matches started

12

28

Goals

2

12

Assists

0

7

G/A rate

0.12

0.61

Pass completion

76%

82%

Big chances created

1

7

Shots per game

1.5

2.3

Key passes per game

0.4

0.9

Dribbles per game

1.5 (76%)

2.0 (52%)

Duels won per game

3.6 (41%)

5.0 (43%)

The 25-year-old was as potent as he was prolific last season, playing an instrumental role in O'Neil's success. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 14% of forwards for assists, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

All this is wrapped up in a "complete" skillset – as he has been praised to possess by Lopetegui in the past – that has arrested the attention of Manchester United.

According to Caught Offside in June, the INEOS had been willing to raise Cunha's £60k-per-week wages by double with a summer transfer, but after landing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £34m, it's unlikely that he will move to Old Trafford. Arsenal are also interested, though, so Wolves would be wise to bolster their attacking force.

It would take a talented, technical forward to replace the Brazilian talent, and that's why Wolves simply have to act on their interest in Chelsea's Armando Broja this summer.

Why Armando Broja could replace Matheus Cunha

Wolves will hope that Cunha remains on the books for the forthcoming season, but after being ruled out for the remainder of the club's pre-season tour this week after picking up a hamstring injury, the need for competition is heightened.

Broja, who starred for Albania at Euro 2024, would be a worthy stand-in, with Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg claiming in June that the Midlands side – who were keen on signing the striker in January – are "concretely interested" in acquiring the £25m-rated Chelsea man once again.

Everton, more recently, have displayed their own vested interest in the 22-year-old, who is holding out on a transfer to AC Milan but may not get his wish.

Proving his worth in England's top flight while on loan with Southampton in 2021/22, the 6 foot 3 Broja has the presence and frame to succeed at the front of a team such as Wolves, described as an "animal" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell.

Broja has struggled to find the kind of shooting form that would see him rise to prominence over the past year but he's still showcased his technical quality, ranking among the top 1% of forwards for pass completion and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

This points toward the kind of link-up play and overall fluency-enhancing style that would allow Broja to perform in Cunha's role – or something thereabouts.

Recent misfortunes might dissuade some Old Gold supporters desperate to see their team succeed, but it's important to remember that Broja was injured with a long-term injury during the 2022/23 season with Chelsea and spent much of last year on the periphery, moving on loan to Fulham in January but failing to score and not being handed a starting role by Marco Silva.

At the heart of it, this is a talented forward who has yet to realise his lofty potential but has already proved his athletic strength and commanding aura on the Premier League pitch. At Wolves, he could find a more fitting ground to grow into his skin, away from the bloatedness of Stamford Bridge's ranks.

Cunha – and indeed Hwang Hee-chan – operate effectively at the central point of O'Neil's frontline but both have skills that are well utilised elsewhere, and Broja would provide the Wanderers with a real focal point.

Currently, Wolves interest in the Albania international is latent, but the call for a new centre-forward remains and January target Broja could be the winning ticket for a second season of success and stability.

Wolves continuing to monitor £10m titan who'd be great for Toti

Gary O’Neil looks to add another defender to his squad this summer…

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Newcastle United’s transfer business after potentially signing defender Marc Guehi may still not be over.

The Magpies have been productive in this market but have had to do it in a patient way, as the club makes sure they abide by the financial fair play rules. Eddie Howe’s side will be looking to do as much business as they can between now and the end of the window, while also hoping to continue their good start to the Premier League campaign after beating Southampton last weekend.

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Newcastle have made five additions to their squad so far in this transfer window, with those signings being a mix of youth and experience. They have added two new goalkeepers to their side, as well as signing Lewis Hall on a permanent basis and bringing in William Osula, who looks to be a promising player.

Lewis Hall

Chelsea

Odysseas Vlachodimos

Nottingham Forest

William Osula

Sheffield United

Lloyd Kelly

Bournemouth

John Ruddy

Birmingham City

The Premier League side has turned their attention to signing a central defender now, and they have made Crystal Palace defender Guehi their top target for that position. Newcastle have been serious about their pursuit of the player, as the club has made four bids for the England international.

Their latest offer was said to be around the £65 million mark, but that evaluation is said to have fallen short of what Palace want for the player. However, it now appears as though the Magpies are edging closer to signing Guehi, with Sky Sports reporting that there is “cautious optimism” that a deal can be struck before the weekend.

Newcastle’s latest offer wasn’t said to have been rejected despite falling short of the club's valuation. Instead, talks have continued between the two clubs over the structure of the deal. Palace believes that it would be beneficial to sell Guehi, as he’s only got two years left on his contract. But as well as looking to sign Guehi, Newcastle could follow up on his signing by chasing a midfielder.

Newcastle are set to make a £17m bid for midfielder

According to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, Newcastle are set to make an offer for Olympiacos midfielder Santiago Hezze. The update states that the offer is said to be more than €20 million (£17 million) for the 22-year-old.

Hezze has been with the Greek side since August 2023, when he joined the club from Argentinian side Huracan. The midfielder played over 120 games for the Argentine side, scoring nine goals and chipping in with eight assists.

Hezze played 50 times for Olympiacos in his first season at the club, as he was a prominent figure for the club in all competitions. He played the majority of his minutes in the league, but he also played an important role in the club reaching the Europa League and then winning the Europa Conference League.

The versatile midfielder, who can feature in holding, central or attacking roles, has played in the club’s opening game of this season, meaning he has now played 51 times for the Greek side, during which time he has scored one goal and recorded three assists. Hezze is contracted to the club until the summer of 2028, meaning Newcastle will have to make a good enough offer for the club to consider selling him.

Big picture

Ill-judged shots, inconsistent bowling, dropped catches, batting collapses – these aren’t unexpected anymore when Sri Lanka or Bangladesh play Test cricket. At the same time, when they start the first of two Tests in Pallekele on Wednesday, do expect the odd heroic performance. Those aren’t unusual with these teams either.Bangladesh come into the series having lost their last eight international matches across formats. The wheels came off during the white-ball tour of New Zealand, but the confidence had already been shattered during their 2-0 Test series defeat against West Indies. Bangladesh were favourites at home, but they looked a team without a Plan B when the West Indian rookies fought back in Chattogram and Dhaka.What will particularly hurt Bangladesh is the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently playing in the IPL. Without him, the visitors will rely heavily on Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque, and Mushfiqur Rahim .Related

• Shoriful Islam included in Bangladesh squad for first Sri Lanka Test

• Hasaranga, Nissanka, Oshada and Embuldeniya – Arthur's picks

• Three questions for Sri Lanka, three questions for Bangladesh

• Haque: 'We haven't been batting up to expectations'

In the batting department, Iqbal will be expected to provide stability at the top, although he hasn’t had a set opening partner for a long time, and the No. 3 position also remains uncertain. Haque’s home-and-away record carries a Jekyll-Hyde look, which would leave Rahim, one of Bangladesh’s best batters on foreign soil, with some heavy lifting to do. There are concerns in the bowling department, too. Mehidy Hasan and Abu Jayed are the only bowlers who are confirmed inclusions in the XI, leaving at least three spots up for grabs.Bangladesh’s situation opens up an opportunity for Sri Lanka, who recently lost to England at home, and drew 0-0 in the West Indies. A few fightbacks notwithstanding, Sri Lanka have mostly struggled to get going in the recent past. At home, South Africa were the last visitors they truly dominated, in February 2019. After a 2-0 win in that series, they drew against New Zealand and lost to Pakistan, too.The emergence of Oshada Fernando and Pathum Nissanka has helped the team strike a balance, with Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal bringing in the experience. Mathews returns after missing the West Indies series. Lahiru Thirimanne’s three fifties against West Indies were also encouraging, but for Sri Lanka to do better, these batters have to score big.Much of the hosts’ bowling would depend on Suranga Lakmal in the absence of the injured Lasith Embuldeniya, who has been their highest wicket-taker this year so far. Vishwa Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara will also have to lend support to Lakmal’s new-ball efforts.Mominul Haque will look to improve both his captaincy record and away numbers as a batter•Raton Gomes/BCB

Form guide

Sri Lanka DDLLLBangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Suranga Lakmal was adjudged Player of the Series for his 11 wickets against West Indies. He will be expected to do a similar job against Bangladesh in conditions that might assist pace bowlers. Lakmal would also be keen to bring down his bowling average of 50.87 in 23 Tests at home.Mominul Haque has two things to work on: reviving his captaincy fortunes after losing five out of the last six Tests, and fixing his dismal away record as a batter. There will be considerable pressure on both fronts but, as he has proven in the past, he has the character to turn things around.

Team news

Sri Lanka may go in with three specialist quicks, though this would be a highly unusual strategy at home. Lakmal would be the first-choice pacer, while Vishwa and Kumara might also feature in the XI. On the batting front, they will try to squeeze Nissanka into the side. Chandimal, who had a decent tour of West Indies, might just make way for Nissanka.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Oshada Fernando, 4 Dinesh Chandimal/Pathum Nissanka, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Vishwa FernandoSoumya Sarkar’s axing once again opens up the debate on the opening combination. Pallekele’s green pitch may tempt Bangladesh to play three pace bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Liton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Ebadot Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Abu Jayed

Pitch and conditions

The photograph of Karunaratne inspecting a greenish Pallekele pitch two days before the first Test left many wondering if seam, swing and bounce could play a part on the first morning. Though it has rained around the Pallekele area, the weather is likely to be clear over the next five days.

Stats that matter

• This will be Bangladesh’s first overseas Test since the pandemic began. They lost the home series against West Indies 2-0 in February.
• Lakmal’s recent Player of the Series award was the first for a Sri Lankan fast bowler in a Test series since Nuwan Kulasekara won one in 2014.
• No Bangladesh bowler has taken a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka since 2014.

Quotes

“Technically, he’s outstanding. Physically, he’s very good and his fielding standards are exactly where they need to be. He’s slotted in nicely. Yes we’ve had to chip away and polish a little bit, but whatever Nissanka did with his coaches through the ranks has been pretty good. They’ve prepared him very well for international cricket.”
“I have come to Sri Lanka to play cricket. We will play according to our plan. I am only concerned about these things, and not much else. I don’t need to think about other things as a professional cricketer.”

Erik ten Hag and Graham Potter are vying for the RB Leipzig job as both former Premier League coaches look to return to management.

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Potter and Ten Hag options for RB LeipzigTen Hag was sacked by Man Utd in OctoberLeipzig face Aston Villa on TuesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Potter has emerged as a shock candidate to replace Marco Rose at the Bundesliga side and the are reporting that the former Chelsea boss could be offered the chance to take the reins. Rose is hanging by a thread at Leipzig, with zero points from five games in the Champions League and nine points off the top, and his time may be running out. Ten Hag is also being considered as an alternative option to Potter following his dismissal from Manchester United in October, but it is unsure if he plans on returning to the dugout yet.

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Since leaving Chelsea, Potter has been touted for a vast swathe of jobs across the continent. He had even been linked as Ten Hag's potential replacement at Old Trafford as well as the England job before Thomas Tuchel agreed to take over. Now, Leipzig are looking at the man who transformed Brighton into the attractive ball-playing side they are today as their next potential boss. Whether Potter, Ten Hag or another candidate is selected to replace Rose, they will have to work with former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp who is set to become global head of soccer across the Red Bull network in January.

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This would not be the first time Ten Hag has worked in Germany should he join forces with Klopp in Leipzig. The Dutchman spent two seasons in charge of Bayern Munich II before moving to Utrecht and then Ajax before getting his chance at Manchester United. However, having just left United in humiliating circumstances, it remains to be seen if Ten Hag would want the Leipzig job.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LEIPZIG?

Marco Rose has his work cut out to save his job and begins that task with a tricky game in England against Aston Villa. Leipzig have lost every game in the Champions League this season and will need a miracle to qualify for the next stages. Should Rose be moved on, Leipzig will have plenty of candidates to choose from for his successor.

West Ham United have spent liberally this summer but technical director Tim Steidten may yet enforce further changes to the first-team squad.

Julen Lopetegui has been backed and then some in the transfer market, but fans will be disappointed after the Irons' opening-day defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

There is, however, solace to be taken from fresh faces Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka being benched. To put it another way, West Ham are only just getting started.

Michail Antonio started as the striker and flattered to deceive, and while the 34-year-old will hope to make a big impact across the campaign, he could be axed should Steidten add Tammy Abraham to the summer spending.

West Ham not done yet

As per Saturday's edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, West Ham are in pole position to sign Abraham this month, with AS Roma hoping to sell the English striker.

Abraham, whose 2023/24 season was wrecked by a knee injury, is valued at €25m (£21m). He's a proven goalscorer and could serve as a counterweight of sorts against the burly Fullkrug, all the while taking Antonio's place at the front of the ship.

What Tammy Abraham would bring to West Ham

West Ham signed Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m deal and he will bring physicality and a target to the team, but Abraham could offer something a bit more dynamic, with a deceptive dribbling game to complement his shooting skills.

Antonio, while on the decline, is a beast of a forward, ranking among the top 17% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

He's also a steady goalscorer, with his 21 starts in the top flight last season bearing seven goals – not a bad return at all. Abraham, though, is something of a "goal machine", as claimed by former pro, Stephen Elliott, and could be a huge upgrade.

Tammy Abraham: Career Stats

Club

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

Trophies

AS Roma

119 (86)

37

13

2x

Chelsea

82 (51)

30

10

1x

Bristol City

48 (42)

26

4

0x

Aston Villa

40 (40)

26

3

1x

Swansea City

39 (21)

8

4

0x

Stats via Transfermarkt

The 26-year-old's 2023/24 term might have been written off but he's bagged goals wherever he's played, Abraham, and could return to the Premier League to play an important role with West Ham.

Moreover, Abraham averaged one key pass per game across his opening two Serie A seasons, suggesting that he has what it takes to add to the all-round fluency of the Irons side and lift the goalscoring games of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and the like.

Champions League winner; Conference League winner – Abaham is a first-class forward with European experience to complement plenty of goals in his homeland, and with such a creative and variegated West Ham frontline, he would surely be an exciting pick to call an end to Antonio's impressive career in east London.

The Jamaica international was not at the races against Aston Villa this weekend, failing to win a duel and completing only six passes.

Abraham, conversely, ranked among the top 4% of forwards during his last Premier League season (2020/21) and could be the complete package to finish off an exciting summer of spending with a flourish.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Aug 17, 2024