Category Uncategorized

Fulham have made an opening bid for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, however it has been knocked back by the Blues, according to a recent report from The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Fulham transfer news?

Fulham are looking at strengthening their attacking options this summer, however they have already missed out on a couple of their targets, with former Coventry City striker Victor Gyokeres recently agreeing a deal with Portuguese side Sporting CP.

The Cottagers have also rejected the chance to hand a Premier League return to attacking midfielder Brendan Aaronson, with the USMNT star recently joining Union Berlin on loan from Leeds United.

Marco Silva may need to start thinking about bringing in a replacement for Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Football Insider recently reporting that Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal are confident of completing a deal to sign the Serbian striker this summer.

Not only that, Manor Solomon's departure means that new wide options may also be required at Craven Cottage, and Fulham have recently made their interest in signing Hudson-Odoi very clear.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, the Cottagers have now submitted their opening offer for the 22-year-old, who is set on leaving his boyhood club, as he approaches the final year of his £120k-per-week contract at Stamford Bridge.

New manager Mauricio Pochettino is unable to guarantee the Englishman consistent game time following the arrival of Noni Madueke, as well as several other stars in January and last summer.

However, the bid has been rejected by Chelsea, with the Blues unhappy with the offer they received, and it remains to be seen whether Fulham come back to the negotiating table with a new proposal.

Is Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

It is no wonder the 22-year-old has his heart set on leaving this summer, as he was sent out on loan during the 2022-23 campaign, making a total of 14 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, however he did not manage to impress.

During his time with the German club, the Cobham academy graduate failed to score a single league goal, weighing in with just one assist, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good signing for Fulham this summer.

Hailed as "amazingly talented" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the winger is a very confident dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 87th percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

A move to a club where he receives consistent game time could be exactly what the three-time England international needs at this stage of his career, having only been used sporadically for Chelsea over the past few years.

When he has received consistent game time, Hudson-Odoi has often impressed, recording one goal and five assists for Chelsea in the 2019-20 campaign, while he also has a total of four Champions League goals to his name.

Fulham should test the waters with another offer for the Chelsea ace in the coming days, as he could be a fantastic addition to Silva's squad.

Leeds United are interested in replacing Illan Meslier between the sticks with Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, who dazzled in the Championship this year.

What's the latest on Viktor Johansson to Leeds?

The latest reports come from Leeds Live, which underscore the Whites' interest in the player and state that the club are expected to sign a new 'keeper following Joel Robles' departure and Meslier's possible exit.

This follows claims from Football League World that the 49ers are keeping tabs on the Swede, who was central to the Millers' successful campaign in the second tier this past year.

Leeds transfer news has been somewhat sparse since the club's relegation from the Premier League, amid the wait for confirmation of the ownership takeover before commencing the systematic reconstruction that is inevitable following the club's bitter fate.

How good is Viktor Johansson?

According to Opta, no goalkeeper in the second tier prevented more goals than Johansson's 8.5, highlighting an innate shot-preventing prowess that has attracted Leeds' attention.

Having played 43 of the 46 matches this season, the £3.5k-per-week 24-year-old earned an average match rating of 7.11 – as per Sofascore – saving 74% of his shots faced – including one penalty – and keeping 13 clean sheets.

Millers boss Matt Taylor is certainly an admirer of the Scandinavian sensation, waxing lyrical over the calibre of his displays this term when asked who the standout star has been as Rotherham ended a tumultuous 'yo-yo' period over the past several years and retained their Championship status with a 19th-place finish.

He said: “His level of performance has been above the level of other players, if not the level of the league, in every single game this season. He has saved us so many points. He has been outstanding.”

Indeed, Johansson claimed the Players' Player of the Season award and could now complete a transfer to Elland Road, with Meslier's future at Leeds uncertain after a subpar season that left him ousted from the No 1 role in the crucial closing weeks.

Describing himself as an "explosive" shot-stopper, Johansson could emulate his compatriot Pontus Jansson at Elland Road, with the 32-year-old centre-half making 120 appearances for the outfit across three seasons in the Championship before departing for Brentford in 2019.

Described as a "top defender" with "defensive robustness" by Bees boss Thomas Frank, Jansson seems to match his glove-wearing countryman with toughness and grit, who could inject such attributes back into the Leeds backline after several shoddy years defensively.

Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot over a potential move this summer to the Old Trafford side.

What’s the latest on Adrien Rabiot to Man United?

According to The Athletic, the Red Devils have begun talks with the representatives of the Frenchman in order to lure him to the Premier League this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.

The Serie A side want to keep him for another season and could be set to offer him a one-year extension to his deal, yet United will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last summer, where, despite reaching an agreement with Juventus, they failed to agree personal terms with the player.

Should Man United sign Rabiot this summer?

Missing out on the Frenchman last summer turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Casemiro ended up joining the club from Real Madrid and enjoyed a stellar campaign, ending up as their second-best performer in terms of overall rating via Sofascore in the Premier League.

The Brazilian had numerous partners alongside him throughout the season and Erik ten Hag will surely want to bring someone in who could become a mainstay in the midfield, as the likes of Fred and Christian Eriksen filtered in and out of the lineup.

Rabiot, who Gigi Buffon explained has "the strength of Pogba", enjoyed a resurgence during 2022/2023, missing just six league matches for Juventus, and he could certainly offer more going forward than Fred that’s for sure.

The 28-year-old registered 12 goal contributions last term – eight goals and four assists – along with making one key pass per game and succeeding with 60% of his attempted dribbles, giving his team an added threat from the heart of the midfield.

In contrast, Fred managed just four goal contributions – two goals and assists – while making 0.9 key passes and succeeding with just 44% of his attempted dribbles. Indeed, it’s clear Rabiot would be an upgrade going forward.

Even defensively, the 6 foot 2 Frenchman comes out on top across a string of metrics, including winning more tackles (35 to 30), interceptions (26 to 19) while also winning a higher percentage of aerial duels (56.2% to 50%) than Fred, indicating that he would be a shrewd signing, especially on a free transfer.

The £148k-per-week dynamo also shone during the 2022 World Cup for France, scoring during the opening match against Australia while ranking second in the squad for interceptions per game (1.7) and seventh for accurate passes per game (38.8) as France came so close to retaining their title, losing to Argentina in the final.

He was even lauded as being “sensational” by sections of the media during the World Cup and Erik ten Hag could land himself one of the bargains of the transfer window. With Champions League football adorning the Old Trafford pitch next season, it shouldn’t be a hard sell.

Tottenham could be handed an immediate blow to their pre-season planning with the “huge news” that youth coach Yaya Toure has been approached to become the new assistant manager at Standard de Liege.

What's the latest Tottenham news?

The Lilywhites are sure to be busy this summer as they prepare for Ange Postecoglou’s first season at the helm, with a number of outgoings and incomings expected both on and off the pitch.

Eight senior players are returning from loan spells – including the likes of Djed Spence, Bryan Gil and Destiny Udogie – while Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski will make their loan moves permanent, and that’s all before you even start looking at new players.

Off the pitch meanwhile, the new boss was expected to bring in his former Celtic number two, John Kennedy, but that move has been met with stern resistance from the Glasgow club.

And it looks like Postecoglou and Daniel Levy could be shopping for a new academy coach soon too, with Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri revealing Toure could now leave.

“Huge news for Standard Liege,” he said. “It is Yaya Toure who has been approached to become Carl Hoefkens first assistant.”

Is Yaya Toure a good manager?

The Manchester City legend joined the Spurs youth ranks back in August of 2022, and has certainly left a positive impression on coaches who know him, with former Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira saying Toure will now “easily” become a top level manager.

The 40 year-old has recently admitted however that he would like a “new challenge”, and an assistant role for a senior top flight side is certainly a logical step up from academy coaching, and could then lead to his first chance at the helm somewhere.

With that admission in mind, it seems quite likely that Toure will jump at Liege’s approach, handing Postecoglou early upheaval in his backroom staff very early into his Tottenham reign, and it will be interesting to see where the new boss turns for a potential replacement.

A round-up of the CSA T20 Challenge matches played on November 20, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016South Africa finisher Farhaan Behardien did the same job for his franchise, his 33-ball 65 leading Titans to their fourth successive victory in the T20 Challenge, beating Dolphins by 58 runs. After Behardien’s seventh T20 fifty carried Titans to 185 for 4, seamer Junior Dala and legspinner Shaun von Berg threw the chase off the track with three-wicket hauls.Having been sent in, Titans sprinted to 42 for 0 in the Powerplay. Three overs later Imran Tahir provided Dolphins the breakthrough by pinning Grant Mokoena lbw for 25. Cameron Delport and Kyle Nipper then struck in successive overs to send back Jonathan Vandiar and Heinrich Klaasen, bringing Titans to 89 for 3 in 12 overs.Enter Behardien. He added 93 in 46 balls with Heino Kuhn to pull his team ahead. Kuhn was eventually run-out for 32 off 17 balls in the last over of the innings, but by then Titans had passed 180. Behardien stayed unbeaten with one four and four sixes.Chasing 186, Dolphins lost Delport early to Dala, but Morne van Wyk and Kevin Pietersen, who was playing his first T20 since picking up a calf injury in the IPL in April this year, gave Dolphins hope with a 44-run stand.But from the moment van Wyk fell for 41, Dolphins lost six wickets for 13 runs, with von Berg cutting through the middle order. Dala then returned to take care of the tail as Dolphins were restricted to 127 for 8. Pietersen scored 24 as only four Dolphins batsmen reached double figures and suffered their second loss in three matches.File photo – JJ Smuts followed his opening knock of 38 off 29 with figures of 4-0-22-0•CPL/SportsfileChristiaan Jonker’s rapid 48 off 27 balls and three top-order wickets from Basheeru-Deen Walters set up Warriors’ 42-run win against Knights in Bloemfontein. A strong opening stand and Jonker’s unbeaten knock led Warriors to 157 for 5 before Knights were bowled out for 115. Warriors are now placed second with two wins from three matches.Warriors openers JJ Smuts and Somila Seyibokwe capitalised on their decision to bat by putting up 47 runs in 5.5 overs. Seyibokwe fell for a 21-ball 29 before Smuts’ 38 off 29 led them almost to the halfway mark but Warriors soon lost three quick wickets. Jonker, coming in at No. 5, then blasted four fours and two sixes to help Warriors score 51 off the last 35 balls.Defending 157, Walters gave Warriors an ideal start by removing the top three Knights batsmen for single-digit scores. Reeling at 23 for 3 in the fifth over, Knights saw some resistance from Rudi Second, Diego Rosier and Patrick Botha but Smuts’ left-arm spin accounted for two of them and Knights never recovered from there. Only one other batsman – Marchant de Lange – scored in double digits before Knights were bowled out in 18.2 overs. Walters finished with 3 for 16 while Smuts, Sisanda Magala and Andrew Birch took two each.File photo – Needing 21 off the last 12 balls, Cape Cobras only scored five singles and a leg-bye off Aaron Phangiso in the penultimate over of their chase•Getty ImagesMangaliso Mosehle’s fifth T20 fifty helped Lions achieve a three-run Duckworth-Lewis win in a rain-hit match against Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom. Batting first, Lions reached 165 for 5 in 19.1 overs, thanks to wicketkeeper Mosehle’s 40-ball 58 and an unbeaten 20-ball 35 from Nicky van den Bergh from No. 6. Then came a rain interruption, which left Cape Cobras chasing a revised target of 70 in six overs.Richard Levi set the tone for the chase, hitting the first two balls for four and six before Hardus Viljoen bowled him off the fourth ball. With Wayne Parnell and Kieron Pollard continuing to find the boundary regularly, they reached 41 for 1 before Pollard holed out for 26 off 12 balls. Then a Parnell six off Eddie Leie left Cobras needing 21 off the last two overs.Aaron Phangiso sent down a tight fifth over, conceding five singles and a leg-bye, leaving 15 to get off the last over, bowled by Willem Mulder. Parnell hit another six to narrow the equation, and it came down to four runs required off the last ball before Willem Mulder sealed the match by bowling George Linde.

Batsman Shai Hope and allrounder Rovman Powell have been picked in West Indies’ squad for next month’s tri-series in Zimbabwe, after the selectors decided to drop Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin. Pollard and Ramdin’s exclusions are the only changes to the squad that suffered a 3-0 defeat in the ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month.

WI ODI squad for Zimbabwe

Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder (capt), Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels
In Shai Hope, Rovman Powell
Out Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin

Both Pollard and Ramdin had poor returns in the limited-overs series in the UAE. Pollard managed 43 runs in the three T20s, and bowled two overs, going wicketless. In the three-match ODI series, Pollard scored 42 runs at an average of 14.00. He took one wicket in the 12 overs he bowled across the three matches. Ramdin, who was recalled to the ODI squad, compiled 79 runs at 26.33 in the three ODIs and did not feature in the T20s.Hope, who is a part of the Test side in the UAE, is uncapped in limited-overs internationals, but has played six Tests since May 2015 scoring 171 runs at an average of 15.54. He scored 76 in the three-day tour match against the PCB Patron’s XI, played under lights with the pink ball.Powell, uncapped in international cricket, had been named in the T20 squad for the UAE tour following a promising performance in CPL 2016. His only match on the tour was the practice T20 game against the Emirates Cricket Board XI where he scored 38 and bowled two overs for 14 runs.The Zimbabwe series will begin on November 14 with a match between the hosts and Sri Lanka. West Indies’ first match in the series will be against Sri Lanka on November 16. The final will be played on November 27.

Pakistan have risen to No. 1 in the Test rankings for the first time. They have taken over the top position from India, following India’s washout against West Indies in Trinidad

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-20161:27

Pakistan’s journey to the top

Pakistan have risen to No. 1 in the ICC’s Test rankings for the first time. They took the top position from India, following India’s washed out Test against West Indies in Trinidad.The ICC Test table

1 Pakistan (111 rating points)
2 India (110)
3 Australia (108)
4 England (108)
5 New Zealand (99)
6 Sri Lanka (95)
7 South Africa (92)
8 West Indies (67)
9 Bangladesh (57)
10 Zimbabwe (8)

Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the table last week, after drawing the Test series in England 2-2 and after Australia were whitewashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka. At the same time, India had moved to No. 1 after beating West Indies in the St Lucia Test to go 2-0 up in their four-match series; they needed to win the final Test, in Trinidad, to hold on to No. 1, but the match was drawn after weather and outfield issues forced play to be abandoned over four days.Last week was the second time in less than a year that Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the rankings – the highest they had previously been since the current rankings system was put in place in 2003. They had featured at No. 2 for the first time in November 2015, after beating England 2-0 in the UAE.Their rise to No. 1 was built on the back of a run of unbeaten Test series since August 2014, when they were down at No. 6. Apart from the successes against England, they had also beaten Sri Lanka 2-1 in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh 1-0 in Bangladesh, and whitewashed Australia 2-0 in the UAE. Against New Zealand in the UAE in November 2014, the series during which Phillip Hughes died in Sydney, they had drawn 1-1.Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he was “proud” to have his team at the top, but his focus remained on delivering consistently good performances going forward. “There is no greater feeling than to achieve the No. 1 ranking in the most traditional and purest format of the sport,” Misbah said. “This is what cricketers play for and want to achieve in their careers. It is a reward for something we had planned as a group a few years ago and have worked extremely hard to achieve it.”I want to compliment everyone who has been involved in the process, including all the players, the support personnel, the management, as well as our loyal fans and followers who remained committed to us and continued to back and support the side through the good and not-so-good days.”For us, the No. 1 ranking is not a destination but part of a journey. Our long-term objective and strategy is to remain competitive, continue to challenge the top sides with good cricket and once again become the most followed side like the Pakistan teams of yesteryears.”PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, much like former coach Waqar Younis, said credit for Pakistan’s achievement should go to Misbah. “The ascension to the top of the ICC Test rankings culminates an incredible journey for Pakistan,” Khan said. “This is a historic moment in our rich Test cricket history and the credit for this great achievement goes not only to this team but to all… coaches and support staff members who have represented Pakistan in recent years. Misbah-ul-Haq deserves special credit for his leadership through six crucial years.”The No. 1 rank has changed hands several times in 2016. In January, India took over from South Africa after South Africa were defeated 0-2 by England at home. In February, Australia climbed to No. 1 following their 2-0 win in New Zealand. They gave No. 1 back to India following their recent 0-3 loss in Sri Lanka, and then came India’s handover to Pakistan.The ICC’s ranking system takes into account matches played over the previous four years, with the oldest matches in the cycle being dropped every May. For the current cycle, matches played from May 2013 to April 2015 carry 50% weightage, while matches played since then carry 100% weightage. In May 2017, matches played between May 2013 and April 2014 will be dropped from the calculations, and those between May 2015 and April 2016 will have their weightage reduced to 50%.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that bowling Zimbabwe out twice on what is expected to be a slow and low Bulawayo surface will be a challenge ahead of his side’s two-Test tour

Firdose Moonda22-Jul-20161:05

‘Taking 20 wickets a challenge’ – Hesson

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that bowling Zimbabwe out twice on what is expected to be a slow and low Bulawayo surface will be a challenge ahead of his side’s two-Test tour. Hesson stated that both batsmen and bowlers would have to show patience to get the better of the home team.”In Bulawayo, we are expecting something that’s going to be slow and not a heck of a lot of bounce, so taking 20 wickets will be a challenge,” Hesson said after the team’s arrival in Harare, where they are currently playing a three-day warm-up match before heading to Bulawayo. “Zimbabwe’s bowling attack is very disciplined, so from a batting point of view, it’s about committing to your plans over a long period of time.”With little assistance for seamers and spinners, and scoring rates likely to be curbed as well, frustration may prove to be the most effective wicket-taker in the series. But New Zealand have several other options – an attack that will be led by Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell, has Neil Wagner and Matt Henry backing up, and includes spin options as well. With an offspinner in Mark Craig and two legspinners in their arsenal – Ish Sodhi and the uncapped Jeet Raval – New Zealand will aim to exploit Zimbabwe’s vulnerability against turn, as they did when the two sides met five years ago.That match, which New Zealand won by 34 runs, saw them field two spinners – Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel – and Vettori claimed eight wickets. Hesson remembers the fixture more for Zimbabwe’s fight than Vettori’s Man-of-the-Match-winning performance, and expects the same from them this time. “The last time we played a Test match in Bulawayo, it went down to the last session on the last day, so we are certainly expecting a tough series,” Hesson said.However, things may not pan out as Hesson expects, as since that day, New Zealand have played 43 Tests and won 14, including series wins over West Indies, India and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, have played just 11 Tests, won two and have not been back to Bulawayo at all. While they will still be more familiar with the conditions, Zimbabwe do not have the kind of home advantage that teams who play more regularly hold.In fact, given that New Zealand have been at a training camp in Pretoria for the last 10 days, the tourists may feel fairly well-versed in southern African winter conditions. “We trained at the Tuks University and it was a good chance for us to get used to conditions that we are likely to face here,” Hesson said.Zimbabwe’s ace could be the element of surprise in their personnel. Only four in their current squad played in the 2011 Test against New Zealand: Tino Mawoyo, Hamilton Masakadza, Regis Chakabva and Njabulo Ncube. A further four – Prince Masvaure, Chamu Chibhabha, Peter Moor and Taurai Muzarabani – are uncapped at the Test level. New Zealand will not be able to do any homework on the rookies because they have not been included in the warm-up match either, and will have to rely on their ability to react to the competition they are faced with on game day.That, and a stubborn surface, has prompted Hesson to urge his charges not to take Zimbabwe lightly as they open their African adventure. “Some of the Zimbabwe players we don’t know very well, we don’t have a lot of footage of them, so we are going to have to deal with that when we arrive. But we certainly won’t be underestimating Zimbabwe in their own conditions.”

West Ham could receive a considerable return for their efforts in Europa Conference League this season after beating AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the semi-final on Thursday.

Before the game, David Moyes told the press that winning the Conference League would be his career highlight. He said: “I was fortunate to get to a Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United, lost on penalty kicks in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with Everton.

“Last season, I was in a semi-final with West Ham. This year we’re in a semi-final again. So I want to try and take it one step further.”

West Ham fans will of course be deseperate for him to go all the way and win it, and so too will the board as the Hammers could receive a considerable fee for winning the tournament.

What is the payout for winning the Europa Conference League?

If David Moyes and his men are successful, the club will win £37m, Football Insider reports. £17.25m would be awarded for prize money and £19.7m for qualifying for the Europa League as an added bonus of winning the tournament, on top of the smaller rewards of semi-final success.

Impressively, that is more than Newcastle United will earn from booking their place in the Champions League with a third-place finish.

And for a side looking to invest ahead of the 2023/24 season, West Ham will be relieved they can generate extra revenue without having to sell any more players.

When is the second leg of the Europa Conference Legue semi-final?

West Ham are one step away from booking their place in the final which will be held in Prague on June 7th. Before then, they must overcome AZ Alkmaar again on May 8th at the AFAS Stadium.

After bouncing back from going 1-0 down, the London outfit sealed a 2-1 win on Thursday which puts them in a confident position ahead of the second leg. The tie is by no means over but it’s a huge result which places them in the driving seat to reach the final.

And with safety in the Premier League all but guaranteed, West Ham are now able to focus on Europe.

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.