All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United, Everton and Newcastle could all sign Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley this summer, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Barkley’s struggles

Barkley has struggled for game time under Thomas Tuchel, starting just one Premier League fixture all season.

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Labelled as a ‘liability’ during his Aston Villa loan spell last year, the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation has dropped from £27m to £11.7m in the space of two-and-a-half years.

He’ll be entering the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract in the summer, and it looks as if a permanent cut-price exit could be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds links

90min shared a story on Monday, looking at possible midfield incomings and outgoings for Chelsea this summer.

Barkley was included in the report, with Leeds, Everton and Newcastle named as possible destinations for the 28-year-old in a cut-price deal.

The Verdict: A shock

Leeds and Barkley have previous after a failed loan move back in 2012/13 where he made just four appearances, so the news of a potential summer return does come as a surprise.

The attacking midfielder, on £100,000-a-week (no Leeds player makes more), has plenty of Premier League experience, however, you have to go back to 2016/17 for the last time he contributed to ten goals in a league season.

It would be a big risk signing Barkley following his lack of playing time this season and previous injury history, but it looks as if it could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: ‘Set to leave…’ – Journalist says Leeds midfielder will now quit Elland Road this summer. 

Chris Swan made life easier for Queensland with six wickets but then watched two of his team-mates fall to South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2010Queensland 2 for 27 trail South Australia 223 (Cooper 63, Swan 6-69) by 196 runs
ScorecardChris Swan enjoyed the best day of his career•Getty ImagesChris Swan made life easier for Queensland with six wickets but then watched two of his team-mates fall to South Australia before stumps. Swan’s career-best 6 for 69 on his return to the side helped dismiss the visitors for 223 at Allan Border Field before the locals went to stumps at 2 for 27.Wade Townsend (3) and Lee Carseldine (0) were the casualties on a difficult day for all the batsmen. Tom Cooper was the best for South Australia with a patient 63 and lower order contributions were needed from Dan Christian (30), Aaron O’Brien (22) and Gary Putland (21) to boost the total.Swan removed James Smith with the second delivery of the day, returned to upset the middle order with the wickets of Aiden Blizzard and Graham Manou in consecutive balls, and then finished off the innings. Scott Walter and Luke Feldman provided the support with two victims each.

Australia’s struggling outfit has received some much needed good news after Ryan Harris was cleared of a serious shoulder injury

Peter English09-Dec-2010Australia’s struggling outfit has received some much needed good news after Ryan Harris was cleared of a serious shoulder injury and passed fit for next week’s crucial third Ashes Test. Harris suffered the problem during the heavy loss in Adelaide, where he was the team’s best bowler, but scans showed there was no significant damage.Harris’ health provides only one answer for the battered hosts, who went 1-0 down with the crushing innings defeat on Tuesday. The squad for the Perth match, which starts next Thursday, is expected to be named on Friday and by then the selectors will have had a week of headaches caused by the damaging bowling and batting issues.Mitchell Johnson is in Perth training alongside Troy Cooley, the team’s bowling coach, in the WACA nets instead of playing for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland from Friday. The move shows he is almost certain to return after being dropped last week for the first time in his Test career.Any hopes the selectors had of giving Johnson, who has not been able to click in two Ashes series, an extended break ended when Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle struggled for consistency as England reached 5 for 620 declared in Adelaide. At least the selectors know that Johnson can deliver random brutal spells, which is something the side needs after taking only six wickets for 1137 runs in the past two innings.Bollinger’s fitness and effectiveness were below par so he is unlikely to make the squad, while Siddle hasn’t taken a wicket since he broke through with six on the opening day of the series. Ben Hilfenhaus, who will be valuable bowling into the WACA’s Fremantle Doctor breeze, and Johnson are likely to join Harris, who collected 2 for 84 off 29 overs in his third Test.Harris is capable of moving the ball during most stages of the innings and also operates in the 140kphs, but his body will never allow him to take his position for granted. He has a chronic knee injury that gives him constant pain and his latest problem provides another concern.However, Alex Kountouris, Australia’s physiotherapist, said Harris’ shoulder injury was minor. “He was able to bowl during the game unrestricted and scans have cleared him of any significant damage,” Kountouris said.Ricky Ponting met with Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, after the match on Tuesday to discuss the way forward and senior Cricket Australia officials have also been in talks as the hosts attempt to prevent a first Ashes loss at home since 1986-87. The selectors are expected to name a 13-man squad, as they did for the opening two matches, and must decide whether to tinker or deliver wholesale changes.There will be at least one alteration, with Simon Katich’s serious heel injury leaving a spot for either Phillip Hughes or Usman Khawaja. The spin position also needs resolving after Xavier Doherty’s ineffective performances over the first two Tests.Nathan Hauritz is in form with the bat – he scored 146 as a nightwatchman for New South Wales this week – but needs some wickets in the second innings to show he is ready for a recall. Steven Smith, the legspinning allrounder, is another contender and the confusion over the slow bowling ranks will probably earn a reprieve for the No.6 Marcus North, who doubles as the part-time offspinner.Possible squad Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Rangers need to tie down Connor Goldson to a new long-term deal at Ibrox as his contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the word?

Goldson has been a mainstay at the heart of defence for Rangers ever since joining the side in the summer of 2018 under the previous manager Steven Gerrard.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there has been no word of an extension from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and this is concerning.

Having featured in all 32 Scottish Premiership matches this season; Goldson would leave a massive hole in the Gers backline if he chose to leave the club.

Disaster if Goldson doesn’t stay

There is no doubt about it that Goldson has been key to Rangers’ success over the previous two seasons. Alongside Filip Helander, the Ibrox side only conceded Chelsea in 2004-2005.

Additionally, the defender also scored eight times during the campaign, including a brace against Celtic, and was arguably at his peak.

The start of this season saw the Gers struggle to replicate the highs of the previous campaign, being knocked out by Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers and stuttering in the league.

Following the 3-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian at Hampden in November, Goldson said that Rangers had “lacked hunger” following their title win and this statement was not popular amongst the supporters.

The last few weeks have seen a resurgence in both Rangers and Goldson’s form, with progression in the Europa League following victory over Braga and an excellent win against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi-final, it could be a wonderful final few weeks of the season for the Ibrox faithful.

During that run, he hasn’t dipped an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.9, with six of the seven appearances seeing him register a rating above 7.0, illustrating his importance during the back end of the term.

The £27k-per-week defender has been described as the “rock” that the side is built on, and after these last few weeks, it’s hard to argue.

Goldson will be a key protagonist if success is to be claimed and seeing him leave, despite the incoming arrival of John Souttar, would be a disaster for van Bronckhorst and co.

In other news, Sources: Huge transfer news emerges that could send Rangers into panic mode – opinion

A round-up of the latest action from the MetBank Pro40 Championship in Zimbabwe, with wins for Southern Rocks and Mashonaland Eagles

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2011With Zimbabwe well into its rainy season, both games in the latest round of the MetBank Pro40 Championship were shortened due to the inclement weather. Masvingo Sports Club has a reputation as a batting paradise and that certainly seemed to be the case in the midst of Sikandar Raza and Chamu Chibhabha 161-run opening stand that helped set up a massive total of 253 for 6 in just 32 overs for Southern Rocks. Matabeleland Tuskers’ batsmen failed to build any notable partnerships in reply as the visitors fell 45 runs short.Chibhabha and Raza, both of whom have been included in Zimbabwe’s preliminary World Cup squad, have put together several useful opening partnerships for Rocks in Twenty20 cricket, and they appeared to be operating in a similar mode as they rocketed along at close to eight an over after being put in to bat by Tuskers. Raza was the quicker of the two, sprinting past fifty and reaching a career-best 80 – including five fours and four sixes – before he was trapped lbw by Keith Dabengwa’s left-arm spin.Chibhabha and Elton Chigumbura took their team past 200, and though wickets fell regularly after they were dismissed Rocks still managed to reach a formidable total. Despite enterprising innings from captain Gavin Ewing and Paul Horton, Tuskers stumbled through the early stages of their reply and slipped to 63 for 4 in the ninth over. Offspinner Hilary Matanga ensured there would be no fightback, taking a career-best 4 for 30 as Tuskers closed on 208 for 8.The rain was even more extensive up north, and Mashonaland Eagles’ match against Mid West Rhinos at Harare Sports Club was reduced to a 25-overs-a-side affair. A disciplined performance from Eagles’ new-ball bowlers, Douglas Hondo and Chad Keegan, with competent back-up from Andrew Hall and Ray Price kept Rhinos to 120 for 7. After Cephas Zhuwawo’s boundary-laden 34 launched the innings, Regis Chakabva’s unbeaten 47 guided Eagles home to a seven-wicket win in the 21st over.Eagles captain Forster Mutizwa opted to field after winning the toss and the move soon paid off as the home attack proved a handful in the damp conditions. Hondo removed both openers, including Gary Ballance for a four-ball duck, and when Price had Malcolm Waller caught by Innocent Chinyoka for his second wicket Rhinos were 52 for 5 in the 13th over. That they eventually scored as many runs as they did was almost entirely due to Riki Wessels’ unbeaten 43.Rhinos threatened to fight back with the ball when both Eagles openers were removed in the space of five balls with the score only just past 40, but Chakabva couldn’t be tied down and found helpful support from Mutizwa and Greg Lamb to seal the win.It was a sorely needed result for Eagles, who remain at the bottom of the Points table despite their win after losing five of their first six games. Rocks’ victory takes them to second position, edging ahead of Tusker by virtue of their superior net run-rate.

Manchester City are four games away from potentially lifting the Premier League title for the fourth time in the past five years.

One figure in Pep Guardiola’s squad that has played a massive part in getting the Citizens in this position is Kevin De Bruyne.

With 26 league appearances to his name, the Belgian has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in the process.

He’s also earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.53/10 from WhoScored, which not only makes him City’s highest-rated player but also the joint-second highest rated player in the league.

It’s undeniable that the midfielder is a crucial player for City, however, it seems as though the Manchester club may have their eye on bringing a new player to the Etihad Stadium that could be their next version of De Bruyne.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from L’Equipe (via Caught Offside) City are interested in signing RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku this summer.

After working his way through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system, the attacking midfielder joined the German club back in the 2019 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of €13m (£10.9m).

Since then, the Frenchman has gone on to make 132 appearances for the Bundesliga club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 24-year-old has scored 43 goals and delivered 47 assists along the way, showing how much of an attacking and creative threat he is.

Labelled as a player that “has no weaknesses” by former Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch, Nkunku has also been praised for his ability to combine “creative technical qualities with an explosive burst,” according to Scouted Football on Twitter.

To compare him with De Bruyne, with six more league appearances to his name than the 30-year-old, the Frenchman has 18 goals and 13 assists.

The Leipzig star also has a higher percentage of shots on target (47.2%) than the City dynamo (41.9%), showing just how clinical he is.

Even from a defensive point of view, the former PSG youngster has shown what a capable figure he is by racking up the same number of tackles as De Bruyne (11), but more interceptions and successful pressures.

Moving forward, with the German side reportedly looking for a fee of £52m to sell their midfield maestro, this should definitely be in City’s thinking for the upcoming summer transfer window in terms of their potential recruitment.

In other news: “Really keen..” – Romano drops behind scenes MCFC claim, it’s awful news for Guardiola

Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has said the exclusion of Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the final squad was taken after looking at all options to select the best possible 15 for the World Cup

Sa'adi Thawfeeq08-Jan-2011Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has said the exclusion of veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the final squad was taken after looking at all options to select the best possible 15 for the World Cup.”We were not going to waver from that and looking at individuals as such because we wanted the best team to ultimately go out there and represent the 20 million people in Sri Lanka,” De Silva said yesterday. “That was the only reason why they were left out. Unfortunately not only them but it was a very hard decision and emotional thing for the four selectors also to leave out two great cricketers like that as they would have been looking forward to saying goodbye after a World Cup. But that’s how life is. To be fair by everyone, those two cricketers have done so much for Sri Lanka cricket and we can never forget that.”De Silva said that it was entirely up to the two players to decide whether they wanted to continue playing. “I guess they have got a great future ahead to contribute towards Sri Lanka cricket and I hope they will do so. Through their experiences I am sure they will come back and help Sri Lanka cricket in the future. But if they want to continue playing they are most welcome to do so. I am not the one to decide when they are going to finish their careers.””At the same time, Suraj Randiv has not done anything wrong to be out of the squad but it was unfortunate because he didn’t fit into the combinations which we needed in the 15. Those are the three guys whom I really feel for at this moment.”Vaas however has a thin chance of playing in the World Cup if there happens to be an injury to Nuwan Kulasekera. “We consider Vaas as a new ball bowler but with Lasith Malinga and Kulasekera there he can only come as first change. When he does that he doesn’t have the same effect as when he bowls with the new ball. Vaas had direct competition with Kulasekera. If Kulasekera gets injured we will have to consider someone like Vaas because he is the next best new-ball bowler in Sri Lanka. If we are playing Vaas we must have the maximum advantage of using him as a new ball bowler. The way Kulasekera has performed in the past one to one-and-a-half years, it is difficult to keep him out.”Dilhara Fernando was selected as a back-up bowler for Lasith Malinga, De Silva said. “What we have to understand is why we pick certain players and what we expect of them. Dilhara is a guy whom everyone might feel goes for runs on most occasions and sometimes bowls no-balls when he loses rhythm. But ultimately what we expect of him is to be a strike bowler and to replace someone like Lasith. In case of an emergency we need someone in the squad if Lasith doesn’t play. Dilhara has got that extra bit of pace to hurry a batsman and with a bit of life and bounce on a wicket we would opt for him in the final XI.”On left-arm spinner Rangana Herath’s inclusion, De Silva said, “We got two offspinners (Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis) and with Randiv we would have had three. The combination we were looking at was three spinners and we wanted some variation in the spin attack. We thought the best left-arm spinner in the country is Rangana so we had to opt for him. He’s played only nine ODIs but we felt he is the best left-armer we got so we had to go with a bowler whom we can depend on.”Mahela Jayawardene, who has fared well as an opener whenever he has been given the opportunity, would be the third opener in the side after the regular pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga.”We decided to go with Mahela in case we required a third opener because we are playing only eight games and we don’t want to bring in an extra player and upset the combination of the squad,” said De Silva. “If it comes to a real push we will have to look at someone like Mahela at that stage or maybe someone else who is batting way down the order as an experiment.”De Silva said that they picked the squad very early (the ICC deadline is January 19) in order to give the selected players the opportunity of playing in the inter-provincial limited-overs tournament which starts on January 11. “That’s a tournament which I want the players to be relaxed and enjoy playing some cricket with free minds.”De Silva also stated that he hopes to give maximum exposure to the selected World Cup squad of 15 during the upcoming three-match one-day series against West Indies. The matches are due to be played on January 31, February 4 and 6 at venues yet to be finalized.

Liverpool have made contact with AS Monaco regarding the possible transfer of Aurelien Tchouameni, according to a report from 90min. 

The lowdown: Hot property

The 22-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom in France having graduated from the FC Girondins Bordeaux academy before making the switch to Monaco in 2020.

Tchouameni has already made 128 senior outings in France and has recently become a regular for Didier Deschamps’ national side following a debut against Bosnia during World Cup qualification.

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Now, seemingly almost the finished article having honed his skills in Ligue 1, the powerful French youngster could be ready for the step in his promising career, with Paul Joyce of The Times confirming interest from Anfield last week.

The latest: Reds make contact

As per 90min, Liverpool and UEFA Champions League final opponents Real Madrid have both ‘spoken with Monaco’ regarding the eight-cap ace.

The report also claims that Chelsea are ‘keen to agree a deal’ but that move would be hard to foresee given their off-field issues at present.

That leaves the path clear for the European giants who will face off in Paris to battle it out for the midfielder who has been dubbed as an ‘octopus’ for his ability to dictate a game from a holding midfield role.

The verdict: Win this race

Not only will Jurgen Klopp be vying to beat Real to European glory, but also the capture of the £36million valued starlet who is regarded as one of the hottest talents on the continent.

So far this season, Tchouameni has scored three times and provided two assists in 46 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.27 Sofascore rating whilst making 2.8 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and winning a staggering 7.6 duels on average per game in the French top flight.

Those statistics are born out by the Frenchman’s very strong aerial and tackling ability (WhoScored), as well as a stylistic likeness to Real Madrid ace Casemiro and Anfield’s own Thiago, when using FBref’s player comparison tool.

With calibre and performances such as this despite his tender years, new Reds transfer chief Julian Ward would be instantly heralded should he deliver the Frenchman into Klopp’s squad following the remarkable signing of Luis Diaz in January.

In other news: Liverpool interested in Bundesliga sensation, find out more here.

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira must unleash winger Michael Olise for the Eagles’ Premier League home match against Watford today.

The south London outfit recorded a deserved 2-1 win at Southampton last weekend as Wilfried Zaha’s added time strike saw Vieira’s men come from behind to secure victory on the south coast.

The Ivory Coast international didn’t start the match and neither did Olise, whilst fellow wide man Eberechi Eze scored his first goal since returning from injury.

However, on the right flank was Jordan Ayew, who has scored just twice all season and ought to be dropped. Therefore, the Palace boss has a big decision to make as to who he deploys out wide.

Olise had a 16-minute cameo last weekend at St Mary’s but, at just 20 years of age, is already a hugely exciting asset for the Eagles.

On the chalkboard

In his debut top-flight campaign, the Frenchman has scored four goals and provided a whopping eight assists across all competitions, making him the club’s joint-fifth top scorer for the season so far.

Whilst at Reading last season, Olise’s team-mate Sam Baldock described the youngster as “fearless” whilst also claiming that he is a “real talent”.

With Palace’s Premier League safety all but confirmed, Vieira can afford to tinker with his side to give him a better idea of who should remain in his plans for next season. Therefore, involving his fellow countryman from the start today offers virtually no risk whatsoever.

There’s no doubt that the £19.8m-rated playmaker will be in the 45-year-old’s mind regarding how to deploy him next season but, with so much potential, the young Frenchman deserves to see an improvement on this campaign’s 11 Premier League starts for 2022/23.

Moreover, against a Watford side hanging onto their top-flight status by a thread, the winger could certainly gain confidence from running riot against the league’s third-worst defence, which has conceded a whopping 69 goals in 34 matches.

Of course, there are other exciting talents knocking on the door to start today, but the sensation that is Olise certainly deserves to get the nod to start against the Hornets.

AND in other news: Vieira may finally axe “inevitable” 142-goal Palace dynamo as twist emerges

Steve Tikolo, the Kenya batsman, has said the respect Pakistan have for his team should motivate it to bounce back in its next game on Wednesday

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Hambantota22-Feb-2011Steve Tikolo, the Kenya batsman, has said the respect Pakistan have for his team should motivate it to bounce back in its next game on Wednesday. Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, had warned Pakistan against taking Kenya lightly, saying the team would have to be at full strength for its opening World Cup encounter.”It’s good to hear that the opposing captain has respect for the Kenyan team,” Tikolo told reporters in Hambantota. “I’ll pass that message to the boys so obviously tomorrow the guys will be pumped up. We are here for look to play good cricket and be competitive.”Kenya suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of New Zealand in Ahmedabad in their first game of the World Cup, capitulating for 69 before being thrashed by 10 wickets. Tikolo, while admitting there were a number of inexperienced players in the side, was confident of his team’s ability to spark a revival.”We have a good side a mixture of experience and youth. We have quite a number of young players who have not played in a World Cup before, but very talented.”The teams that we had in the previous World Cups were teams that had played together since 1996 to 2003 and had gelled well. But if you look at this team we’ve been together for a short while but it’s a talented side,” he said.Kenya was one of the strongest Associate members of the ICC, but since 2003 they’ve experienced a decline. “We did well in the 2003 World Cup, qualifying for the semi-finals, but we had our own internal problems. Obviously things could have been handled better management wise but right now I don’t really want to dwell into that. I just want to look at this World Cup and move forward from there.”Tikolo, last year, had indicated he would not play international cricket again after a dispute with the board but was back in the frame for a place in the national team in August. “What brought me back is the pride of playing for my country,” said Tikolo. “I’ve been around this team for long and playing for this team gives me a lot of pride.”This is Tikolo’s fifth World Cup and the highlight so far for him was Kenya’s defeat of West Indies in 1996 in Pune. “It’s special to win against any Test team but for me what stands out is the 1996 win against the West Indies simply because it was our first time at the international scene and most of us growing up had looked at West Indies as our role models.”Just to be on the same ground with them was something special and to beat them was extra special.”When asked about the ICC’s plan for a ten-team World Cup in 2015, Tikolo said the best way for Associate teams to improve was to play cricket at the highest level on a more regular basis “We don’t want to dwell on that right now. Tomorrow we just need to go out and believe in ourselves and our skills and play positive cricket.”Sri Lanka weren’t a top side in the world but once they got opportunities you can see what Sri Lanka is today. Bangladesh they were not a strong side but once they got Test status you see what cricket they are playing right now. It’s about playing more games at the top level and playing against better opposition that makes you better.”Tikolo filled in for Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande at the press conference. Kamande was unable to speak to reporters after being hit on the face during throwdowns at practice. However, he’s been ruled fit for Wednesday’s fixture.”Jimmy had swelling on his right cheek and he was unable to talk and did not attend the media conference,” Kenya’s team manager Arjun Vidyarthi said. “Jimmy is being treated with ice and the injury is not all that serious. He will be fit to lead Kenya in their match tomorrow.”