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Former India team director Ravi Shastri has applied for the post of national head coach

PTI06-Jun-2016Former India team director Ravi Shastri has applied for the post of national head coach. Shastri, who worked with the team from August 2014 to April 2016, confirmed his application to on Monday. His contract as team director had ended with India’s exit from the World T20 in March.”Yes, I have applied for the chief coach’s post today morning. I have e-mailed all the requisite documents that were asked for in the advertisement,” Shastri said.Asked if he had prepared any presentation or roadmap, Shastri said: “Whatever is required by the BCCI, I have provided them. If you ask me whether I am confident or not, all I can say is that my job was to apply for the post and I have done that. I cannot comment on anything else.”Under Shastri, who had taken over as director in 2014, India made it to semi-finals of successive global events – the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20, and also climbed to No. 1 on the Test rankings for a period of eight weeks until Australia took over in February 2016. In this period, India also won their first limited-overs bilateral series in Australia, by whitewashing the hosts 3-0 in a T20 series.Apart from Shastri, current chairman of selectors and former India coach Sandeep Patil has also thrown his hat in the ring. Patil had earlier coached India back in 1996, taking over from Ajit Wadekar who stepped down after India’s semi-final loss to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup semi-final. Patil’s tenure was a forgettable one; he was replaced within six months.However, Shastri’s team of support staff – Sanjay Bangar, R Sridhar and B Arun – have not yet applied as BCCI sources believe that they would like to continue in their earlier roles depending on the requirements of the board.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Chelsea are considering a possible move to hire Luciano Spalletti as the club's next manager.

What are the latest Chelsea manager rumours?

The Blues are currently on the hunt for a new head coach but it remains unclear who has been their number one target.

At the moment, Mauricio Pochettino looks to be the potential favourite but that's only after the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have fallen out of the race.

However, it seems as though Napoli boss Spalletti is going to be yet another name considered for the role by Todd Boehly and co.

Indeed, while speaking in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs outlined the club's interest in the 64-year-old but explained that it might not be an easy deal to complete.

In full, he said: "Luciano Spalletti is another name that has been spoken about. But at the moment, he's fully focused on Napoli and winning the Scudetto, and is not necessarily attainable, therefore, to approach or speak to at this point. So Chelsea do want to move in the coming weeks to get that name.

"Because even if that name starts next season, they still want to lock down the name, which helps stabilise the club. And then there's a name that they can take in the coming weeks into the transfer market ahead of the window opening which is important as well. But this has always been about Chelsea not rushing."

Why would Chelsea want Luciano Spalletti?

It's no shock that Spalletti would be considered by the Premier League side. In fact, after the season he's had with Napoli, he may well be a target for a number of top teams across Europe.

After all, the coach has led his side to a Champions League quarter-final and is on the verge of bringing the first Scudetto to Naples since the 1989-1990 season during the legendary days of Diego Maradona.

With that title race not quite wrapped up just yet though, it's understandable Spalletti's focus remains on Napoli and so if Chelsea want to make an appointment soon, they may struggle to get the Italian on board.

However, as Jacobs points out, the club's managerial search has been about taking their time and so they may opt to be patient and persevere with Frank Lampard as interim while waiting until the summer.

At which stage, perhaps with the Serie A title under his belt, Spalletti could be a more realistic target.

Arsenal are captivated by Sporting CP's Manuel Ugarte, and they have recently conducted a scouting mission to run the rule over the midfielder, according to recent reports from Portugal.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are looking to strengthen in attacking areas this summer, and they are said to be crazy about signing Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, who could be brought in to provide competition to Bukayo Saka at right-wing.

Mikel Arteta could look at bringing in a number of options to strengthen the spine of the team, and he is also believed to be looking at Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand, as well as central-midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Declan Rice also remains a target for the north London outfit, and the West Ham United captain would be "very interested in joining Arsenal", according to journalist Dean Jones, with talks set to take place in the summer window.

According to a report from O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Ugarte may also now be a target for the Gunners in the summer, with the club recently sending officials to watch the midfielder during Sporting's clash with Juventus.

The Portuguese club are planning to sell the 22-year-old for as much as possible in the upcoming window, with his release clause currently set at €60m (£53.5m), and it is "practically inevitable" he departs.

Arteta liked the maestro's performance in Arsenal's Europa League clash with Sporting last month, and the club have been captivated by his performances ever since.

Should Arsenal sign Manuel Ugarte?

The report details that Arteta is on the lookout for a "complete midfielder" this summer, but there are some doubts about whether the Uruguayan offers enough in an attacking sense.

The Montivideo-born ace has registered zero goals and just one assist in 42 appearances for Sporting so far this season, having mainly been utilised in a deep role, as he particularly specialises in the defensive side of the game.

Over the past year, the "Rolls-Royce of a midfielder" ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles per 90, and in the 97th for interceptions, meaning he more than makes up for his lack of threat going forward with his defensive acumen.

However, Rice also flourishes in those aspects of the game, while he is also more of a threat going forward, and has proven Premier League experience, therefore the England international should remain Arsenal's priority target in the summer window.

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways this afternoon at Ibrox as they clawed back the deficit to nine points in the Premiership title race, albeit on a temporary basis.

The 5-2 victory over St Mirren wasn’t without a scare or two, with the Paisley outfit twice equalising through Mark O’Hara and the scores were tied at 2-2 heading into the final ten minutes of the match.

A flurry of goals followed, with Alfredo Morelos netting twice and late substitute Scott Arfield also getting on the scoresheet. The result means Michael Beale has only been on the wrong end of defeat twice during his spell as manager, both to Celtic.

Todd Cantwell was impressive yet again. The Englishman received a Sofascore rating of 9.5/10 for his display, comfortably the best player on the pitch as he added two assists to his early goal.

The former Norwich City player has been a shrewd signing, and he also chipped in with two key passes, five shots in total and four tackles throughout. However, it was Fashion Sakala who took his opportunity well, enjoying a solid performance against the Buddies.

How did Fashion Sakala perform for Rangers against St Mirren?

The Zambian has enjoyed success under Beale having been frozen out of the starting XI earlier in the season by former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Under the Englishman, Sakala has scored six goals and grabbed seven assists, and it’s no wonder he was dubbed a “dangerman” by Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie before the recent Old Firm clash.

Against St Mirren, the 26-year-old was deployed in a slightly unfamiliar left-wing role due to an injury to Ryan Kent, although he has starred in this position before, most notably in a crucial win over Hibernian at the start of March.

Sakala scored the Gers’ second goal this afternoon while registering three key passes and five shots in total, clearly demonstrating how much of an attacking threat he posed the opposition defence.

The winger was successful with four of his eight dribble attempts and took 43 touches throughout his stint on the pitch, and despite not starting a match for a few weeks, he showed no sign of sluggishness in his performance.

The showing will have pleased Beale greatly and proves that he has solid strength in depth within his team, which could prove to be crucial heading into next season.

Tottenham are waiting for their new manager before green-lighting a bid to sign Leicester City star James Maddison, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Could Spurs sign Maddison this summer?

Various reports linking the 26-year-old to Spurs have been circulating in the past fortnight with some sources even suggesting that he looks certain to join them over Newcastle.

However, other claims have also stated that Maddison to Spurs isn't as advanced as some might say, and there appears to be consistently differing bits of news on the matter.

One thing that seems certain is the Premier League top four hopefuls are interested in his signing this summer, coming amid their search for a new manager.

Antonio Conte's departure has left the door open for chairman Daniel Levy to hire a permanent replacement while Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason take interim charge in the meantime.

Whoever comes in, whether it be the heavily linked Vincent Kompany or even a sensational return for Mauricio Pochettino, will be tasked with shaping the Spurs team in their own image – having a say on who Tottenham sign in the transfer market.

As such, reliable journalist Romano, writing in his CaughtOffside column, has shared an update on the club's efforts to sign Maddison. Indeed, the transfer reporter says Spurs definitely have the England international in their sights – but are waiting for their potential new boss to give the green light before bidding.

He explained:

“Tottenham are monitoring James Maddison for sure, also Newcastle have his name on their list since last August as he’s always been appreciated.

“We have to understand who’s going to be the new Tottenham boss to see if they will bid for Maddison, as at the moment it’s on standby.”

Should Spurs splash the cash on Maddison?

Regardless of who succeeds Conte, we believe the Lilywhites quite simply must move for Maddison.

Spurs have arguably been without a central creative presence since Christian Eriksen's departure in 2020, which makes the need for one all the more pressing.

As per WhoScored, Maddison certainly has the quality to succeed at Tottenham – having stood out as Leicester's shining light and best-performing player in an otherwise dismal campaign.

Racking up 15 goal contributions, the former Norwich City star also tops Leicester's charts in terms of shots at goal and key passes made per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

Called 'elite' by members of the media, Maddison could certainly provide that spark of attacking threat through the middle of the park.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed the Leeds United board and Victor Orta amid the "complete embarrassment" of the Jean-Kevin Augustin transfer saga.

What's the latest on Leeds and Jean-Kevin Augustin?

While the Whites have plenty to worry about on the pitch having suffered a demoralising 5-1 Premier League defeat to relegation rivals Crystal Palace on the weekend, the picture doesn't look any prettier off it.

Indeed, after years of issues, it now seems as though the club are set to be hit with a massive bill for a deal that happened in 2020.

Indeed, Leeds initially agreed to a January loan deal for Augustin with an alleged obligation to buy him from Red Bull Leipzig for £18m if promotion was achieved.

While the club went into the Premier League, the striker saw just 48 minutes of action and ultimately the club didn't make the transfer permanent.

However, in a new ruling, the Whites must now pay Augustin £24.5m after being found to have breached the player’s contract by not completing the deal (via The Athletic).

Amid this mess, McGilligan took to Twitter to voice his immense frustration at sporting director Orta who was in charge of the deal, saying: "For people who defend the cheap deals this guy has made, fair enough.

"But the ridiculous transfer fees we have paid this last 3/4 years on players – massively outweighs any bargain we have got through the door.

"This alone is a complete embarrassment."

How much will Leeds have to pay for Jean-Kevin Augustin?

As mentioned above, the Whites will now potentially have to pay the player £24.5m – although the club have actually appealed against the decision.

This is made clear in The Athletic article which also points out that the player could have been entitled to a five-year contract on a reported €90,000 per week (about £80k-p/w) deal had the obligation been taken up – which may explain that high fee now owed.

What's more, the club also had to pay a £15.5m settlement with Leipzig last year, having previously lost their case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

So in total, the club could have to fork out a combined figure in the region of £40m to finally put this whole fiasco to bed.

Seeing as Leeds signed Georginio Rutter just last January for what was thought to be a club-record £35.5m transfer, it now looks as though Augustin could actually take that crown despite having only ever played three times for the Whites.

Aston Villa have endured a tumultuous past decade or so, consisting of Championship football, Premier League football, and all the trials and tribulations that straddling that line can bring.

As such, the club have experienced both great loss and euphoric highs, arguably none more so than seeing their academy graduate Jack Grealish lead the club back to the big time.

Not only that, but the 27-year-old would only go from strength to strength, establishing himself as one of the top division's most creative threats from the left wing.

His final season at Villa Park saw him score six and assist 12, unsurprisingly drawing suitors. However, few would have expected a British transfer record to be smashed to pry him away. Manchester City, however, willingly paid the £100m asking price.

It shocked fans and likely staff alike, but it was an offer that could not be refused. It injected precious funds to reinvest in the squad as a whole and ultimately has kept the club afloat since.

Therefore, it could be argued that the meagre sale of Idrissa Gana Gueye was far more of a gut punch, considering the profit Everton would eventually earn because of the Villans' inability to stay in the league.

How much did Idrissa Gueye cost Everton?

Having featured heavily for the Midlands side, the Senegalese midfielder was incapable of stopping their miserable relegation which activated his release clause. The Toffees were willing suitors, and he would join for just £7.1m, leaving Roberto Di Matteo with no choice.

He has since gone on to star, leave for huge money, and even make a comeback for a cut price.

The 33-year-old has now made 132 appearances for the Merseyside club, with the apex of his career at Goodison Park arguably coming in his debut year.

He would maintain a 7.25 average rating whilst upholding a mammoth 4.1 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 0.8 key passes per 90 (via Sofascore).

Gueye was everywhere, and he could do everything. This was form that would hardly relent too, eventually encouraging French champions Paris Saint-Germain to spend a mouth-watering £30m for his services. Thomas Tuchel then quickly became enamoured with the current £80k-per-week maestro too, branding him a "machine".

Not only had Villa lost his exploits on the pitch, but an enormous sum of money too. It is for this reason that his exit was far worse than Grealish's, as the English wide man did not leave unceremoniously.

The Cityzens star would exit in triumphant fashion, forcing a huge fee to be paid that allowed him to reach the pinnacle of world football. Meanwhile, Gueye was only joining a club of similar stature to theirs for next to nothing. It was embarrassing, frustrating, and a microcosm of their failures of the time.

Fortunately, there is now a new dawn under Unai Emery, who promises to once again bring them back to where they belong. They can continue to do so due to the money gained from that 2021 sale, not from the measly fee gained in 2016.

Liverpool are one of a number of top clubs eyeing up a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Wirtz a huge talent

The 19-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the most exciting young players in the Bundesliga in recent years, already becoming an important figure at Leverkusen.

Wirtz has made 91 appearances for his current club, despite his tenders years, with an impressive tally of 21 goals and 28 assists coming his way in the process, outlining his end product.

This season, the German has scored twice in the Europa League and assisted four times in the league, as his reputation continues to be enhanced all the time.

Wirtz’s performance appear to have caught the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs, which is where Liverpool come into play, as Jurgen Klopp eyes up significant midfield reinforcements this summer.

The Latest: Liverpool in the mix

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Romano claimed that the Reds are monitoring Wirtz’s current situation, even though Leverkusen are extremely hesitant to sell him at this point in his career:

“Florian Wirtz, attracting lot of interest as one of the best talents in the world – but Bayer Leverkusen remain convinced he will stay at least until 2024

“Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool keep following the situation — the race is 100% open.”

The Verdict: Could be a special signing

The thought of Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt is a mouthwatering one, considering his reputation as arguably one of the standout midfielders of his generation, perhaps alongside fellow Reds target Jude Bellingham.

Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has even compared the teenager to Lionel Messi, in terms of his use of the ball, which is about the highest compliment possible in football.

Predominantly an attacking midfield who can move wide at times, Wirtz already has four caps to his name for Germany and is someone who could added much-needed guile and youth in the middle of the park at Anfield.

Too often, Liverpool’s midfield can look one-dimensional, with no current central player scoring more than once in the Premier League this season, so he would add a spark in that area.

Whether or not he can be prized away from Leverkusen remains to be seen, though – his current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027 – but if the funds are there and a big offer can be tabled, the Reds would be acquiring the services of an exceptional talent.

Manchester United recorded a 1-0 victory over Real Betis in their Europa League last 16 tie, giving them a 5-1 aggregate win over the La Liga side and Erik ten Hag will be pleased at the professionalism shown by his side.

The 4-1 win a week ago was basically enough to ensure United a passage to the quarter-final stage and keep their slim dream alive of winning four trophies this term.

There were a few solid performances, with youngster Facundo Pellistri looking impressive as he played the full 90 minutes. He succeeded with three of his four dribble attempts, took 53 touches and even hit the woodwork, coming close to scoring his first goal for the club.

The tournament perhaps gives Ten Hag the opportunity to rotate his squad, especially with the Old Trafford side playing twice a week, while giving chances to young talents such as Pellistri to see if they can handle the pressure of the European stage.

An FA Cup quarter-final tie against Fulham awaits them on Sunday afternoon and with an ideal chance to progress into the last four, the Dutchman will need to make some changes, and dropping Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the bench must be one such change.

Will Aaron Wan-Bissaka start against Fulham?

The £50m right back didn’t have the best game against Betis last night, winning just one duel all match while receiving a rating of 6.8/10, the joint second-lowest score out of the United side.

The Englishman completed just 22 passes in 75 minutes, lost possession nine times whilst going forward, he failed to even complete one successful dribble attempt or cross during his time on the pitch.

His form in the Premier League this term hasn’t been great and he ranks tenth in the squad for clearances per game (1.8), fifth for tackles (1.9) and seventh for successful dribble attempts (0.6) and it’s clear that during the summer, Ten Hag must seek an improvement in the right back area.

Broadcast journalist Tamuka Charakupa criticised the defender during the draw with Southampton last week, saying: “Wan Bissaka always loses the ball, to be precise, in dangerous positions everytime.”

And perhaps Diogo Dalot should be given the starting berth against Fulham on the weekend.

In his 15-minute cameo, Dalot won two duels, one more than Wan-Bissaka, while also making one more tackle and with the games coming thick and fast, Ten Hag will surely have to ditch the Englishman.

Liverpool have had a troubling season so far and Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to find ways to ensure his team can qualify for Champions League football next season.

The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League table and have been knocked out of the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League over the last few months meaning it has become impossible for the club to pick up another trophy this season as they are 26 points adrift from league leaders Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently seven points clear in the top-four race, however, Liverpool do have two games in hand on the north Londoners, so there is still an opportunity to snatch that final spot in the prestigious European competition they were only knocked out of earlier this week.

With 12 fixtures to go, Klopp must now do everything he can to get the Merseysiders back on track with a desperate need for consistency as opportunities to close the gap to their rivals for top four start to dwindle.

Fortunately, the imminent return of Luis Diaz could be the key to unlocking a lethal attacking threat at Anfield.

Will Luis Diaz return after the international break?

The Colombian winger has rarely been seen this season after suffering a knee injury that he sustained back in October that has seen him miss out on 29 fixtures so far this season.

Diaz was expected to return in December but after joining the mid-season tour in Dubai further aggravated his injury and suffered a setback in his recovery which was a huge blow for the team, however, Klopp has finally given a positive update on the player's imminent return.

The Liverpool boss revealed in his press conference on March 10th: "Luis I hope (can starting full training) during next week."

Over his 12 appearances this season, Diaz has scored four goals and registered three assists before his absence and had quickly become a fan favourite upon joining in January last year.

The winger made an instant impact on Liverpool's attacking prowess and played key a role in the club's pursuit of multiple trophies.

The £55k-per-week dynamo – hailed "exceptional" by Klopp – ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, assists, pass completion, successful take-ons, touches, progressive passes received and aerial duels won, proving that he is a huge creative and attacking influence on the pitch.

Cody Gakpo was signed in the winter transfer window to bolster the forward line following the injury to Diaz and the departure of Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi in the summer.

However, when comparing Gakpo's output over his short time at Anfield with Diaz's contributions ahead of his long-term injury issue, it is clear that the 26-year-old offers much more.

Despite playing one less league game than his Dutch teammate, Diaz has outperformed Gakpo in touches (394 v 259), shot accuracy (53.85% v 46.15%), assists (2 v 0), pass accuracy (80.97% v 70.45%) and take-ons completed (17 v 6), as per Squawka Comparison Matrix.

With that being said, the return of Diaz could be explosive for Liverpool's forward line with his presence potentially leading to the formation of a budding partnership with the equally energetic Darwin Nunez. That's certainly a duo who could cause chaos for opponents over the business end of the season.