Everton are pushing for a positive finish to the summer transfer window after a dismal start to the 2023/24 Premier League season, with Sean Dyche's side looking to beat acrimonious rivals Liverpool to a talented attacker.

Who could Everton sign on transfer deadline day?

According to Football Insider, Everton are joined in their interest in PSV Eindhoven by Crystal Palace and Jurgen Klopp's Reds, with the Eredivisie outfit holding out for more than £25m for the precocious talent.

The Dutch side dispatched Rangers in the Champions League qualifying round to earn a place in the group stage proper, strengthening PSV's hold on the winger.

And while Fabrizio Romano claims Brentford are closing in on a move, Everton have been working on a swoop of their own and will hope that the prospect of cementing an instant starring role at Goodison Park could sway the 20-year-old to join the fold and spearhead a resurgence.

What are Johan Bakayoko's strengths?

Everton have been busy across the summer transfer window, signing Ashley Young, Arnaut Danjuma, Youssef Chermiti and Beto, but given that they finished the 2022/23 term 17th – as the second-lowest scorers – it is understandable that Dyche hopes to reform the attack.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Especially after losing their first three matches of the current campaign, having failed to score across each encounter despite playing Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park.

The £30m signing of centre-forward Beto could prove to catalyse the club's frontline, with the Portuguese forward already off the mark after scoring against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup on his debut last night, but a signing of Bakayoko's ilk could add an exciting new dimension to the wide channels.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a tremendous breakout year last season, scoring seven goals and supplying five assists; this year, he has already posted four assists from his first seven outings of the term, setting up two goals against Rangers at Ibrox.

He's already attracting significant praise for his performances, with renowned scout Jacek Kulig among the admirers, saying: "Wonderful talent, fantastic left foot. Madueke-esque. Stay tuned."

As per FBref, the four-cap Belgium international ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across the eight leagues most similar to the Eredivisie for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

Such a creative force with an "electric" presence – as also praised by Kulig – could prove to be the perfect heir to Alex Iwobi, with the Toffees midfielder attracting attention from Fulham as deadline day looms.

Indeed, according to Sky Sports' transfer insider Dharmesh Sheth, the Cottagers are in "advanced talks" with Everton over the signing of the Nigeria international, who has entered the final year of his contract at Goodison Park.

The 27-year-old was integral for the Merseyside outfit in their bid for survival last year, scoring twice and providing eight assists for a team bereft of attacking intent – indeed, he was hailed as his side's "inspiration" by The Times' Henry Winter.

The winger-turned-midfielder thrived in his central role last term, but has spent the opening phase of the current term on the left flank, and Bakayoko could now be the perfect replacement or even an upgrade.

If reports are to be believed, Everton would only grant a departure if their £20m (at least) valuation is met, and with Fulham in advanced negotiations, this suggests that an agreement on price has been found.

Dyche must ensure that Bakayoko is signed, with his prodigious qualities sure to provide the beleaguered outfit with an element unseen at Goodison Park for some time.

While Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou was unable to shift the likes of Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris during the recent transfer window, it otherwise proved a rather substantial summer clearout for the Lilywhites as a host of first-team assets were shown the door.

The north London outfit notably sent Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez packing – the pair having been snapped up by Galatasaray on respective loan and permanent deals – while the likes of Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon and Djed Spence also departed on a temporary basis as the ex-Celtic boss aimed to his put his stamp on proceedings after succeeding Antonio Conte in the dugout.

Another of those to have left N17 late in the day was former Real Madrid man, Sergio Reguilon, with the Spaniard's last-gasp loan switch to rivals Manchester United an indication of his fall from grace at Spurs in recent times – as his plummeting market valuation can also attest to.

How much did Tottenham pay for Reguilon?

The attacking left-back was signed during Jose Mourinho's first summer in charge back in 2020, with the promising defender arriving from Madrid after having claimed Europa League glory the year prior while on loan at Sevilla.

That impressive role in the La Liga side's European adventure – as the 5 foot 10 ace notably scored against AS Roma in the last-16 – saw Daniel Levy sanction the £28m capture of the defender, with the club seeking a successor to Danny Rose in that left-sided berth.

Despite making 52 Premier League appearances across his first two campaigns in England, while registering six assists, that rather sizeable investment now appears to have been something of a mistake as far as Levy is concerned.

How much is Reguilon worth now?

The fact that Spurs have sanctioned the 26-year-old's temporary move to Old Trafford – amid the Red Devils' desperate need to find cover for the injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia – is perhaps a testament to his woes of late, with there seemingly little concern at handing the Madrid native to one of their top-flight rivals.

That comes after the £53k-per-week asset was shipped off to La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid last term after falling down the pecking order under Conte, with that frustrating, injury-disrupted campaign seeing the full-back make just 12 appearances in all competitions.

As club insider John Wenham stated last year, perhaps the six-cap international is simply "just not that good", with the respected source offering an even more biting assessment after stating that Reguilon is "so average it's untrue".

Described as someone who "lets himself down" defensively, according to ex-Spurs man Alan Hutton, the Los Blancos academy graduate has undoubtedly failed to have the desired impact in English football thus far, with it yet to be seen if his fortunes will change in Manchester.

The true nature of the Mourinho signing's decline can be illustrated by the fact that he is now valued at just €5m (£4m), according to CIES Football Observatory, with that figure £24m less than what Levy originally paid for him just three years ago.

In truth, such a dismal piece of business could only become worse if Reguilon does go on to thrive under Erik ten Hag this season…

Newcastle United enjoyed tremendous success last season, rising from the rubble that had shackled the prestigious Premier League outfit to obscurity for too long, now boasting firepower to rival Europe's big boys.

Securing a top-four finish in the league, manager Eddie Howe had manufactured triumph unseen on Tyneside for an age in his first full year with the club.

Newcastle's past four PL finishes

Season

4th (71 points)

22/23

11th (49 points)

21/22

12th (45 points)

20/21

13th (44 points)

19/20

Stats sourced via Transfermarkt

Yes, Newcastle's PIF takeover has pumped in opulence to rival the most well-to-do institutions across the continent, but Dan Ashworth's work plied on the transfer front has been astute and pinpoint.

Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, all signed for less than £15m and the cement of the club's instantaneous resurgence in 2021/22; scant purchases have fallen flat. The result? Champions League football and a cup final (albeit ending in defeat).

Regardless, the Magpies are flying and await an enticing Champions League group phase containing European juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

The city is awash with newfound optimism and glimmering with long-lost ambition, however, the start to the 2023/24 campaign has not been convincing, and Howe now needs to rectify the wobbly start.

How have Newcastle performed this season?

When Newcastle and Aston Villa walked onto the St. James' Park pitch to kick off the new campaign, both teams were buoyed by stunning past seasons; Newcastle clinching Champions League, Unai Emery's Villans bagging a spot in the Europa Conference League.

Howe's side opened their account for the year incisively, producing a scintillating offensive display to put five past Emiliano Martinez, winning the game 5-1 and leaving correspondent Craig Hope remarking at the "simply devastating" performance.

It was a reaffirmation of the new position of strength, and while Villa will put it down to simply a poor day at the office, Newcastle were convinced of a continuation of the lasting purple patch. However…

Fast track to the first international break, and the Toon have fallen to defeat in the following trio of Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.

To say that the club are in crisis mode would be a ludicrous, myopic claim; Newcastle have arguably had the toughest start to any outfit in the division, and it took eight fixtures to claim two league victories last term – and we all know how that went.

What is a concern, and certainly presented a quandary in Hope's eyes as he gave his post-match assessment as Brighton dispatched the travelling Toon through Evan Ferguson's clinical hat-trick, was the lack of fluidity and invention.

Despite a lucrative summer of exciting additions, has the equilibrium been unhinged? Have Newcastle adequately targeted the areas of the pitch most important to the strengthening of the framework and the upgrade of an already cohesive machine?

Sandro Tonali was welcomed to the fold from AC Milan in a £55m deal to send shockwaves of excitement through the Magpies masses, but with the midfield partnership of Guimaraes and the Italy international "not working" at present, as Hope claimed, Howe might be inclined to tinker at his system.

What position does Bruno Guimaraes play?

Signed for £40m from French side Lyon in January 2022, months after Howe's appointment, Guimaraes swiftly cemented himself as the midfield centrepiece of the St. James' Park side.

The 12-cap Brazil star – who had been monitored by Manchester United and PSG before his transfer – has been heralded for his "world-class" quality by teammate Burn, and it's clear to see why.

Having made 61 appearances for Newcastle, scoring ten goals and supplying six assists, the 25-year-old has been immense as a deep-lying playmaker, breaking lines with his positive passing and acting as the metronomic component at the centre of the engine.

As per FBref, £46m-rated Guimaraes ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 25% for tackles and the top 21% for assists per 90.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig knows his stuff when assessing the potential of budding stars, proclaiming in 2019 – when playing for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil – that the £120k-per-week ace is a midfield "orchestrator" with strength in "passing, vision, tackling, intelligence, technique, work rate."

Last season, the Magpies' midfield worked seamlessly, with Guimaraes partnered, primarily, with Joelinton and Sean Longstaff, with Joe Willock also in the mix.

It was a fluid, interchangeable system, and Tonali's introduction is supposed to be a continuation of this, but the lack of control and balance across the past three fixtures has illuminated the issue that Howe is presented with.

The Brazilian is a very good footballer, that is unquestionable, but he is not a specialist No. 6 and instead utilises his passing prowess, as mentioned, to craft transitional openings for his attack-minded teammates.

Tonali was signed as a multi-functional partner, but from the evidence of the first few weeks, it's not quite working yet.

What are Newcastle's weaknesses?

That's not to say it won't work. If anything, Newcastle should be galvanised by the success in securing the services of one of Italian football's most talented maestros, with Tonali praised for his "gifted" ability by former Italy manager Roberto Mancini.

The £210k-per-week Tonali is not the defensive midfielder the club still needs, but then, neither is Guimaraes. That's not to say it won't work or that they are not first-rate midfielders, take last season's feats for evidence enough, but it is an issue that still needs attention – one would think, when the time comes, it will be a priority position for Ashworth and co.

Ranking among the top 12% of positional peers for assists per 90, Tonali has played a variety of roles already for Newcastle, connecting and ebbing and flowing from the kernel of the midfield against Villa and City, before playing a too-lateral passing game against Liverpool, seemingly contented with preserving the one-goal lead after Virgil van Dijk's red card.

Against the Seagulls, he pushed further up the pitch, evidently a devised plan to combat the lack of positive energy across the past few matches, with the Athletic actually detailing how the 23-year-old's average position was higher up than right-winger Miguel Almiron.

There is a sense that signing a holding midfielder would offer the club a new way of conducting business, Guimaraes could still operate in a base role, utilising his ball-playing range within a double pivot, while Tonali could play that dynamic role and roam around the midfield.

Sean Longstaff's energy and workrate as a box-to-box presence blended well with the 5 foot 11 Guimaraes' own game last season, with the homegrown talent even praised as his side's "unsung hero" by pundit Paul Merson.

Across the summer transfer window, Howe's outfit were linked with an array of midfielders, with the Times (via West Ham Zone) reporting that Mexican titan Edson Alvarez was on the Magpies' radar prior to his £35m move to West Ham United.

Scores more entered transfer circulation, but ultimately, a transfer never materialised and Howe will now need to work out a strategy to get the very best out his current, immensely talented, crop of players.

Are Newcastle in bother? An overreaction. But with the present international break making way for a return to the Premier League and a St. James' Park encounter with Brentford, Howe might be wise to tinker away at his team and seek to restore the balance. Potentially removing Guimaraes from the fold, who has arguably been off his best this season, could well do that.

Either way, it's crucial that Howe hits the nail on the head.

Matthew Wade scored his second consecutive century and strung a 152-run partnership with Ben McDermott as Tasmania and New South Wales shared a point each at the SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2018
ScorecardNew South Wales and Tasmania shared a point each in a rain-affected draw but not before Matthew Wade scored his second consecutive century on the final day at the SCG.The Tigers started the day 209 runs behind on the first innings and both sides would have needed to make bold declarations in order to set up a result.Jake Doran fell agonisingly short of a hundred, caught behind off Steve O’Keefe for 97. Beau Webster’s 354-ball epic ended when he fell to Gurinder Sandhu. The big quick had reverted to bowling off spin and had Webster caught at leg slip for 136.Wade and Ben McDermott then put together an unbroken 152-run partnership in just 34.1 overs. Wade reached his hundred with a six off the part-time offerings of Nic Maddinson. McDermott cruised to 75 not out before the game ended with Tasmania’s declaration. Webster was named man of the match.The result means both sides remain in the hunt for a berth in the final with two rounds remaining.

Gautam Gambhir, who has recovered from an ankle injury, will return to Delhi’s team for the knockout phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Shreyas Iyer, who was recently part of India’s first ODI series win in South Africa, has also been included in Mumbai’s squad. However, Ajinkya Rahane, back home after national duty, has taken a break after Mumbai chief selector Ajit Agarkar agreed to his request.

Vijay Hazare quarter-finals schedule

• 1st quarter-final, February 21, Hyderabad v Karnataka, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

• 2nd quarter-final, February 21, Mumbai v Maharashtra, Palam A Ground, Delhi

• 3rd quarter-final, February 22, Baroda v Saurashtra, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

• 4th quarter-final, February 22, Andhra v Delhi, Palam A Ground, Delhi

Gambhir, who had been sidelined from the group stages of the tournament, will bolster an already in-form Delhi top order: despite suffering a freak blow on the jaw, Unmukt Chand has piled up 319 runs in six innings at 53.16, while Hiten Dalal has hit 283 runs at 47.16. Manjot Kalra, who had smashed an unbeaten 101 in India’s Under-19 World Cup title win, was put on stand-by.Karnataka, meanwhile, were dealt a major blow with their captain R Vinay Kumar being ruled out of their quarter-final against Hyderabad in Delhi, with an elbow injury. He had also missed Karnataka’s last group game against Railways in Alur on February 16. Karun Nair, who stood-in as captain, will be in charge of the team in the quarter-final too.Yusuf Pathan’s troubles continued, the latest being the axing from the Vijay Hazare Trophy. After missing a large chunk of the Ranji Trophy because of a back-dated ban for a doping violation, the allrounder was not considered for the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then received a last-minute call-up for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but has now been dropped following poor returns in six league matches. He managed only 79 runs at an average of 13.16 and one wicket in eight overs. Twenty-two year-old Akshay Brahmbhatt, who is uncapped in List A cricket, was named as Yusuf’s replacement.

يرى نادي بوروسيا دورتموند تأهله إلى نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام ريال مدريد أنه إنجاز كبير قبل ساعات من المباراة المنتظرة مساء اليوم السبت.

ويلتقي بوروسيا دورتموند بمنافسه ريال مدريد في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “ويمبلي” بالعاصمة البريطانية “ويمبلي” بقيادة الحكم السلوفيني، سلافكو فينشيتش.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب بوروسيا دورتموند: لدينا فرصة إذا لم نكتفِ برؤية ريال مدريد يفوز باللقب

وتحدث سيباستيان كيل المدير الرياضي لنادي بوروسيا دورتموند عن وصولهم للنهائي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، وقال: “أعتقد أن هذا أمر جيد بالنسبة لنا أن نصل إلى تلك المرحلة”.

وأضاف: “هذا يتحدث عنا جيدًا وعن العمل الذي نقوم به، لقد وصلنا إلى النهائي بدون هالاند وبيلينجهام، لسنا في حالة سيئة، أليس كذلك”.

وتابع: “ما يجعلنا نصل إلى هذا النجاح، هو أننا نعرف قدراتنا وما نستطيع تحقيقه من خلال اقتصاد مستقر، لأننا لا نملك قوة الأندية الأخرى وهذا أمر واضح”.

وعن أسباب تألق المواهب في بوروسيا دورتموند: “هنا يجدون أجواءً مميزة للغاية، نحن نجيد التعامل مع هؤلاء الشباب حتى ينفجرون معنا”.

واستمر: “على سبيل المثال، رغب سانشو في الرحيل وانتقل إلى مانشستر يونايتد لأنه أراد الفوز ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، أمر طبيعي، لكن هنا سيجد الاستقرار ويمكنه الشعور بالسعادة والآن هو سيلعب معنا نهائي البطولة”.

وعن مواجهة بيلينجهام مع ريال مدريد: “ستكون ممتعة ومثيرة حقًا للاهتمام، لأن جود يحب الفوز ويكره الخسارة، لكني آمل أن يتذوقها في ويمبلي، بعيدًا عن أنه لاعب رائع وكنا نتوقع تألقه مع ريال مدريد، ولكن أتمنى ألا يكون في يومه”.

وأكمل: “لدينا ثأر أيضًا من ملعب ويمبلي (خسارة دوري أبطال أوروبا 2013 أمام بايرن ميونخ)، علينا إنهاء هذه المسألة”.

وأتم: “نحن نعلم ما هو ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا، من الطبيعي أن يكونوا المرشحين، ولكن 90 أو 120 دقيقة يمكن أن يحدث فيها أي شيء”.

After surviving the drop last season, West Ham United have got off to an impressive start in the Premier League this season, drawing once and winning twice in their opening three league games.

They haven't exactly had the easiest of opening months, either, with games against both Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion. The quality of those sides didn't phase the Hammers, though, who dispatched both with 3-1 wins.

Now, as the transfer window edges ever closer to slamming shut, David Moyes' side could be about to be bolstered even further, having reportedly opened talks to boost their attacking options.

What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?

So far this summer, the Hammers have welcomed a total of four reinforcements, spending the reported £105m gained from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal fairly wisely.

The most eye-catching incoming on paper so far been Mohammed Kudus, who was involved in an impressive 25 goals for Ajax last season, scoring 17, and assisting a further seven in all competitions.

Meanwhile, James Ward-Prowse has already got off to a good start to life at the London Stadium, scoring his first goal against Brighton last time out.

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, West Ham have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Hugo Ekitike on either a permanent deal or a loan deal before the summer transfer window comes to a close.

With PSG reportedly willing to listen to offers, Ekitike is certainly one to watch in the coming days. So far this season, the forward has made just one appearance for the Ligue 1 champions, coming from the bench against FC Lorient, perhaps making an exit suitable for all parties involved.

Who is Hugo Ekitike?

It's no secret that Ekitike has failed to make his mark at PSG, but it could be argued that he shouldn't take all of the blame for his struggles, having made just 12 starts in Ligue 1 last season.

When given a consistent opportunity, the 21-year-old forward has starred in the past, scoring 11 goals in all competitions in the season prior to his PSG move. And if West Ham can get him back to that level, then they may have themselves a young striker who knows exactly how to find the back of the net, and one that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig once described as having "superb flair."

When compared to both Danny Ings and Michail Antonio, via FBref, it is Ekitike who stands out in a number of areas, too. Even with a lack of game time last season, the forward averaged more progressive passes per 90, and was involved in just one less goal than Antonio, having made nine fewer starts. Ekitike also had a better pass completion rate than West Ham's current options and was dispossessed fewer times per 90.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Everything points towards a potential upgrade for those at the London Stadium, who could be getting a player that has earned praise in the past from former Reims manager Oscar Garcia, who told BeIN Sports' Ligue 1 show, via Chronicle Live:

"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training

Liverpool have reached staggering levels of success since the appointment of Jurgen Klopp back in 2015, who has transformed the Premier League club and unlocked the potential of so many stars, who in turn have rewarded the German with silverware across nearly every possible avenue.

For all of the outfit's stunning feats over the past several years, they did endure a rocky road last time out, falling by the wayside and finishing in fifth-place after failing to click together all year, with the weary midfield sapped of life and the once vigorous unity of the overall cohesion a distant and bitter memory.

Because of Liverpool's woes, Klopp ruthlessly sought to give the majority of the Anfield centre the boot, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's contractual expiries followed by the sales of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and the loan exit of Fabio Carvalho.

Alexis Mac Allister

£35m

Dominik Szoboszlai

£60m

Wataru Endo

£16m

Ryan Gravenberch

£34m

All fees sourced via Sky Sports.

Four exciting new faces were landed, and Liverpool are back on their way this year with a very different feel to the centre of the Anfield efforts.

Certain members of the old guard have retained their roles in the squad, however, with the likes of Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic pushing to work their way up the pecking order after growing into their skin in different scenarios last year, impressing despite their club's struggles for form and fluidity.

Another to have made their presence known was Harvey Elliott, who contributed enormously and will now be hoping to enter the next phase of his development as Liverpool chart a course for success once more this year.

How much did Liverpool pay for Harvey Elliott?

Liverpool signed Elliott from English rivals Fulham in 2019 when he was just 16-years-old, paying the Cottagers a £750k compensation fee after gleaning the prodigious talent.

However, in February 2021, the Anfield side were ordered to pay a record compensation fee of £4m, inclusive of add-ons, while also acquiescing to Fulham's demand for a 20% sell-on clause to be inserted.

It's a payment Liverpool will have wanted to avoid, paying a large fee for an untested commodity on the major stage, but while Elliott is still scarcely free of his teenage years, the omens already bode well.

If Liverpool were to cash in on the dynamic midfielder any time soon, not that that will likely happen, they would receive a handsome figure for the burgeoning talent.

How much is Harvey Elliott worth now?

According to CIES Football Observatory's valuation tool, Elliott now boasts a market value of €60m (£52m), emphasising just how impressive a rise this young star has had over the past several years, and given his youthful age, he is yet to reach even the periphery of his zenith.

This is largely down to his integration into Liverpool's first-team, having now chalked up 70 senior showings for the Reds, scoring seven goals, supplying six assists and earning praise for his David Beckham-esque aura on the pitch by European football expert Andy Brassell who quirkily he said "was like a flying ant in a forest of sloths".

Last season, the one-time Blackburn Rovers loanee indeed impressed, scoring five goals and providing two assists from 46 appearances across all competitions, with the regularity of his match action underscoring the high regard that Klopp holds him in.

The increase in responsibility is jaw-dropping; the year before, when Liverpool were pushing for a historic quadruple, though ultimately clinching just the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, Elliott only played 11 times across all competitions, starting three of the opening four Premier League matches of the campaign before an ankle dislocation played detriment to his seasonal progress.

Despite the influx of acquisitions this summer, Klopp clearly still views Elliott as an integral member of the squad, having featured him regularly already and looking to return to silver-laden success after falling flat last year, with the Europa League in particular warranting greater rotation as the Reds battle across multiple fronts.

An exceptional dribbler with a gliding gait and eye for an impactful pass, it's easy to forget that this ace is still in the early phase of his professional career – for example, he is younger than the likes of Barcelona's Pedri and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka – and he could see his lofty valuation balloon even further as he continues to make the increments to his craft over the coming years.

How good is Harvey Elliott?

This season, Elliott has featured across all four of the Merseyside outfit's opening matches of the Premier League season but is yet to earn his maiden start of the year.

Heralded as a "special" talent by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano after penning a new long-term deal with Liverpool until 2027, the £40k-per-week phenom can safely say he is already one of the most creative, energetic midfielders in Liverpool's mix, ranking admirably against positional peers under Klopp's leadership.

Harvey Elliott

3.55 (top 14%)

7.27 (top 14%)

3.15 (top 6%)

Alexis Mac Allister

3.53 (top 14%)

5.56 (top 35%)

2.27 (top 16%)

Ryan Gravenberch

4.32 (top 4%)

6.78 (top 18%)

1.97 (top 22%)

Stats vs midfielders per 90, as per FBref

As is clearly delineated, Elliott's presence on the pitch will result in an upswing in opportunity for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and co in the offensive third, with the 20-year-old capable of orchestrating from deep or weaving through the lines to directly influence the attacking play in decisive moments.

Elliott's defensive workrate does receive its criticism, with the Englishman averaging only 0.8 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 0.2 clearances per game in the English top-flight last term, as per Sofascore.

However, while the current campaign is in its rudimentary stage, Elliott impressed against Chelsea in the season opener, coming off the bench in the 77th minute and making two clearances and one interception, winning his duel and dribble attempts and completing 89% of his passes, reminding Klopp of the weapon he wields, capable of unlocking defences when all looks lost in the closing period of the match.

While Elliott is still an unrefined gem, the signs point towards a prosperous and sustained career at the top, and Liverpool will look back at his £4m signing as one of the shrewdest deals of the Klopp era as he continues to rise over the coming seasons.

The banned administrator has the domain registered in his name – something that stands till further notice from the courts – but faced “some payment gateway issue” leading to the downtime

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Feb-2018

AFP

In a bizarre turn of events, the BCCI website (www.bcci.tv) went blank on a memorable weekend for Indian cricket because someone failed to pay the renewal fee for the domain registration. And that someone happens to be Lalit Modi, who’s been a persona-non-grata for the BCCI for close to five years.The site went down while India’s Under-19 team was winning the junior World Cup on Saturday and the blackout lasted for nearly 24 hours, during which the seniors drubbed South Africa to take a 2-0 lead in the ODI series. And the BCCI officials could do nothing but wait because the domain is owned by Modi, who was banned by the board in 2013 and has been living in London since then as various government agencies pursue cases of financial irregularities against him.The story dates back to 2007 when, in an illustration of how the board operated then, Modi, who was then one of the board’s vice-presidents, registered numerous domains on behalf of the BCCI’s various properties including the IPL under his own name instead of BCCI’s.According to a BCCI official, Modi registered almost 100 domains and got the costs reimbursed by the board.Modi, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, denied that he had been reimbursed for the domains.* The money he got from the BCCI was solely for the third-party content that was hosted on the board’s website a decade ago, he said: “I got reimbursed only for the content that was managed by a third party, which I had paid for.”According to Modi, in 2006 there was an offer made by a third party, which wanted to sell the domain name bcci.com. However the BCCI, Modi said, did not want to buy that domain. “Then they wanted [to] use bcci.tv, which they are using. I pay for the servers. I am not taking their money.”I registered many, many websites under my names. I paid for them, I ran them.” He pointed out that he had been in the business of buying and owning domain names well before he came to the BCCI. In 1997, he had bought the domain name Indian Cricket League, which was eventually used by the unsanctioned T20 league owned and operated by the Zee Group.Modi said the BCCI has since approached him to buy the IPL website (www.iplt20.com) off him, but he refused to sell. “They can’t force me to sell my website.”Following the removal of Modi in 2013, the BCCI had approached the Bombay High Court to reclaim the domains while accusing Modi of breach of trust. The court said that pending a final decision, all the payments for the various domain accounts should be put on auto-renewal on a credit card owned by Modi.According to the BCCI official it was likely that Modi had changed the credit card and hence the payment was rejected. By late Sunday the website was functioning once again, although users continued to face issues outside of India.The BCCI official said that as soon as a red flag was raised late on Saturday, it chased Modi, who assured it that the payment would be done. The board official also said without the court taking a final decision, the BCCI was helpless if any such issue flared up in future. “The court has said that till a final order is given on the ownership [of the BCCI domain names] Lalit Modi will need to provide for the services of the websites,” the official said. “So the onus to renew is on them [Modi].”Modi said this shutdown was merely a case of a clerical error: “It was not my payment. It was going through a sub-agent who had issues with his card.”*

Ben Stokes produced a starring all-round performance in his second match back in the England fold to help level the ODI series

Andrew McGlashan in Mount Maungenui28-Feb-2018Ben Stokes felt “emotional” as he walked off the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui with an unbeaten 63 to his name, which helped steer England to a series-levelling victory, having been determined not to let his team-mates down on his return.Five months ago he walked off the County Ground at Bristol with a half-century and England later won that match against West Indies. Subsequent events meant that would be his last international until three days ago in Hamilton, when for a short while it appeared he would play a role in victory with the ball, but this time he made an impact in all three departments.In that time the Ashes passed him by and there has been a court appearance with a not-guilty plea for affray. The final situation will play out in the courts starting next month – the debate about whether he should be on this tour at all will continue – but for now Stokes is eager to make the most of being back.”It was a great feeling to be walking off the field there at the end not out, especially after a really commanding performance from the team. I was quite emotional walking off there at the end,” Stokes said. “Even walking on the field the first time and walking off tonight made me understand how much a privilege it is to represent your country. It was a different feeling to what it is normally but it was a great feeling to be walking off there.”There was relief, happiness and obviously it’s been a long time. Hopefully now this is a stepping stone on the road to trying to keep on helping England win games. We’ve got a massive summer ahead and the World Cup coming up after that as well so hopefully this is just the start of it.”Ben Stokes celebrates as Henry Nicholls walks off•Getty ImagesThere was understandable rustiness in his 12 at Seddon Park – nets can only do so much – although the ball came out nicely from his first over. In Mount Maunganui he was rarely far from the action, showing the knack of picking up wickets with poor deliveries when Henry Nicholls cracked a cut to point, and twice being alert to pull off run outs.With the bat he had a scare before he had scored, calling Eoin Morgan through for a dicey run, but then started to find his range – a lofted straight drive off Trent Boult and a brace of thunderous pulls being the highlights.”I’ve been working hard at home making sure that when the opportunity came again to represent England I wasn’t going to let anyone down,” he said. “When I got the nod I wanted to expect to be asked to participate fully rather than be eased back into the team. I wouldn’t expect anything less of myself and I don’t think Morgy [Eoin Morgan] would expect anything less of me either.”Stokes touched on the angst he felt at having missed such a marquee series for an England player as the Ashes, but was already casting his eye forward to England’s home season of cricket.”It was obviously frustrating to watch the Ashes. I went through all the emotions as I would have done playing but there’s not a lot I can change about that now,” he said. “I will constantly be saying it’s what’s coming up now going forward. As a cricketer, especially as an England cricketer, we’ve got so much cricket to play and there’s lots to look forward to and concentrate on.”Although Stokes had been training extensively during his long lay-off – either side of his short spell with Canterbury before Christmas – there was a degree of uncertainty about how he would respond to the intensity of international cricket. He felt the bowling was the tougher of his two disciplines to regain the rhythm in and Morgan has not used him for his full 10 overs in the first two matches.”It’s nice to be contributing wickets, two in the first game and two here, but I don’t think I’m quite at the level I want to be yet,” he said. “The day after the first game I was a little bit sore and to be honest I was really stiff coming back for my second spell. There’s nothing like match overs. You try to replicate everything you can in training but it’s that extra adrenalin you get playing and that extra intensity does have an effect on the body when you haven’t had it for a while. The body’s feeling a lot better than it did after the first game.”