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Aston Villa haven’t just been successful in the transfer market over the last few years but they’ve also unearthed some fantastic gems from the academy.

Jack Grealish is always looked up to as a role model after he progressed through the Villa ranks to stardom, and Unai Emery is hoping the youngsters in his squad can have a similar impact as the Manchester City star once had at Villa Park.

Tim Iroegbunam and Jacob Ramsey are two exciting prospects who have been included in the first team, with the latter – who registered 13 goals and assists in the Premier League last season – becoming a key player.

However, there is a figure in the ranks who could surpass them both and become the dream successor to Ollie Watkins.

Ollie Watkins’ 2023/24 PL season

Simply put, Watkins is absolutely instrumental to the way Villa play, their chances of picking up three points, and their overall success.

This season in the Premier League, the England international has started every game, scoring 13 goals and picking up 12 assists, which makes him an extremely valuable asset.

Watkins is currently the joint-top assister in the league, alongside Kieran Trippier, and his ability to win games on his own makes him such a frightening forward to have, as proven by Villa’s recent 2-1 win over Fulham when he scored a brace.

Unfortunately for Villa, his incredible consistency and performances have piqued the interest of other Premier League rivals, with Arsenal being the main club reportedly interested in signing Watkins, and therefore, let’s take a look at who could be the heir to the number 11.

Louie Barry could become Watkins 2.0

Louie Barry is a name that both Villa and Liverpool fans will be very aware of, with the young striker scoring against the Reds in a 4-1 FA Cup defeat back in 2021.

Since then, the “incredible” gem, as per Declan Rice, has yet to receive a real opportunity with the Villa first team, spending most of his time on loan at numerous EFL clubs.

This season, the 20-year-old was starring for League Two leaders Stockport County before picking up a serious hamstring injury, which has kept him out since October.

Any injury is extremely disappointing, but it’s even more frustrating when in excellent form like Barry was. The attacker had scored nine goals and picked up two assists in 15 games. The Villa loanee even holds a club record, scoring in seven consecutive league games.

Minutes per game

77

Goals

9

Assists

2

Shots per game

2.5

Key passes per game

1.1

As can be seen in the table above, he was influential for the Hatters at the start of the season, terrorising defenders with his elite movement and direct approach.

A frequent attribute of Barry’s is the ability to drift out wide to the left-hand side, where he can dribble directly at the defender, cut inside, and either curl an effort into the far corner or pull it to the near post. Even the Stockport admin in a live match report said he’s “unstoppable” when he does the above.

Overall, Barry has the potential to become the perfect successor to Watkins, and if the star does leave Villa Park, Emery will know who to call on.

One Direction star Louis Tomlinson became a Glastonbury hero after buying a TV from Argos that allowed festival goers to watch England at Euro 2024.

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Three Lions were in last-16 actionFestival refused to show the gamePopstar stepped up at time of needWHAT HAPPENED?

The Three Lions were in action on Sunday, as revellers took in the final day of performances at Pilton in Somerset. Glastonbury has a policy of not showing football matches that clash with the sets of major artists.

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That was the case as Gareth Southgate’s side lined up against Slovakia in the last 16. Tomlinson, who is an avid Doncaster Rovers supporter, came to the rescue of those eager to get a football fix alongside live musical action.

WHAT TOMLINSON SAID

The One Direction star headed to a local shop to pick up a TV, generator and dongle that allowed the game to be streamed to hundreds of England fans. Tomlinson told : “Well we brought a TV in, very Glasto, in some like stones and a little stand. It was a little bit touch and go at times because the signal kept going in and out but, yeah, luckily we got the win. We pulled it off. Made up.”

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It did not take long for word of Tomlinson’s actions to spread, and ‘Hey Jude’ could be heard ringing out from one area of the campsite as England star Bellingham delivered a sensational overhead kick to take a meeting with Slovakia to extra-time – before Harry Kane then netted the winner in a dramatic 2-1 success.

Senior fast bowler won’t feature against Australia again after suffering recurrence of calf issue

Alan Gardner30-Aug-2019James Anderson has been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes after suffering a recurrence of his calf injury while playing for Lancashire’s 2nd XI in a bid to prove his fitness. England had been hoping to add him to their squad for the Old Trafford Test, but have instead called up Somerset allrounder Craig Overton as bowling cover.Anderson played in the first Test against Australia but only managed to bowl four overs before suffering pain in his calf, having picked up the problem playing for Lancashire. England were heavily beaten at Edgbaston but came back to level the series at 1-1 with two to play after Ben Stokes’ heroics at Headingley.Having featured for Lancashire’s seconds in a three-day friendly against Leicestershire, Anderson stepped up his recovery programme this week, bowling 20 overs on the first day against Durham 2nd XI at Chester Boughton Hall. However, while delivering his ninth over on Thursday, he felt pain in his right calf and was subsequently assessed by England’s medical team.The most-prolific fast bowler in Test history, Anderson has in all likelihood made his final Ashes appearance. He has never hinted at setting a retirement date, but will be 39 by the time England next tour Australia in 2021-22.It is possible he has played his final Test altogether, although the lure of becoming the first fast bowler to 600 wickets might encourage him to push for a return on the winter tours to New Zealand and South Africa. Anderson is currently fourth on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers, with 575.His partnership with Stuart Broad is the most-successful in Tests between two quicks – they have taken more than 850 wickets in games together. In Anderson’s absence, Broad has led the way during the Ashes with 14 wickets at 25.35, although the emergence of Jofra Archer has given England an additional cutting edge.The selectors have otherwise stuck with the same players that helped secure a one-wicket win in Leeds, despite some speculation about the top-order batting after England were bowled out for 67 in the first innings. Overton, who featured twice in the 2017-18 Ashes, is likely to join Sam Curran in vying with Chris Woakes for the No. 8 spot.The Old Trafford Test begins on Wednesday, with England needing to win at least one of the two remaining Tests – and avoid defeat in the other – in order to regain the Ashes.England squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

Arsenal legend Santi Cazorla had revealed that he had talked to Mikel Arteta about a potential return, however that is now unlikely to happen.

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Cazorla signs new deal with OviedoHad revealed discussions with ArtetaTalked about a return to ArsenalWHAT HAPPENED?

Cazorla, who is now 38 years old, is still playing football unlike his former team-mate Arteta. The former Arsenal midfielder is currently with the Spanish second-tier side, Real Oviedo. Cazorla had revealed he had talked to Arteta about a potential return but maintained that that wouldn't happen anytime soon as he was focused on Oviedo.

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Last weekend, Oviedo and Cazorla fell agonising short as they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Espanyol in the promotion play-off final. However, the Spaniard has decided to stay put at his boyhood club as he signed a one-year extension as he hopes to give the club one last gift and take them back to the Spanish first division.

WHAT CAZORLA SAID

Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this month, Cazorla said: "I have a very special affection for Arsenal. I spent six wonderful years there and I know how much all the people love me there.

"Of course, I was fortunate to share a dressing room with Mikel Arteta and now he is the manager. We had conversations about that but right now I am not focused on anything other than contributing to this club, Oviedo, and continuing to enjoy football as a player.

"After that, we will see what the future holds for me. It is clear that Arsenal is a club that has always left the door open to me to return. But right now, I have enough on my mind with the play-offs and trying to enjoy the last days of my playing career."

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WHAT NEXT FOR CAZORLA?

It is likely that when Cazorla decides to call it a day on his playing career, he will return to the sport in a coaching role. The highly-praised Spaniard was known for his awareness and tactical flexibility alongside his supreme control on the game around him.

Nash replaces Joe Clarke and joins Alex Hales in unbroken first-wicket stand to reach Finals Day

Jon Culley05-Sep-2019A bleak season at Trent Bridge might yet have something to redeem it. Seemingly doomed to relegation in the County Championship, thrashed here at the semi-final stage in the One-Day Cup, Nottinghamshire inflicted a humbling on Middlesex that no one could have anticipated to reach a third Vitality Blast Finals Day in four years.Middlesex, after such an impressive start, may have only just scraped into the quarter-finals, but with AB de Villiers and Mujeeb Ur Rahman back in tandem and Eoin Morgan threatening to cap off his own outstanding year, this was a moment in which they gave themselves a real chance. And 160, to which Morgan contributed 53 off 31 balls, did not seem a terrible score.Yet they were utterly demolished. Alex Hales, taking another step towards redemption, smashed 83 off 47 balls, sending seven sixes soaring into the night sky. Chris Nash, given his first outing of the season after being surprisingly preferred to Joe Clarke, hit 74 from 53.Middlesex dropped key catches, putting Nash down on 31 on, Hales on 47 and 56, but after they had been 76 without loss in six overs, a target of 161 that looked likely to be a challenge to a Nottinghamshire side with no reputation for fortitude this summer suddenly seemed rather modest. At the same stage – or rather, just one over later – Middlesex had been four down for 44, with de Villiers already gone.”We had talked all year about trying to play the perfect game,” the Nottinghamshire captain, Dan Christian, said. “About trying to take early wickets, restrict them in the middle, have a good death period, get off to a good start with the bat and try to cash in and, well, it was just about perfect.”Hales smote three of his sixes in that dramatic opening passage, which began with Nash clipping Mujeeb’s opening ball for four and continued with boundary after boundary, a dozen in total. Mujeeb, normally so hard to get away at the top of an innings, went for 31 in his first two overs.The first dropped catch, which should have been so easy for Steven Finn at mid-off, allowed Nash off the hook on 31. The others, by Toby Roland-Jones at deep midwicket and Steve Eskinazi at deep backward square, should have been held as well but whether they influenced the outcome was doubtful. With plenty of batting to come and the target already within reach, Middlesex’s fate was probably irreversible.Hales and Nash were past 100 by the ninth over, with the luxury of coasting through the middle overs before launching another assault that saw Hales demonstrating the full range of destructive shots that make him such a formidable opponent in this form of cricket when the force is with him. Fittingly, his seventh six, a howitzer blow deep into the crowd at deep midwicket, ended the match.With Morgan, the man who seemingly was central to dashing Hales’s World Cup dreams in such a brutal manner earlier in the year, standing just a few yards away, it must have felt a sweet moment.”I think that was him back to his best,” Christian said. “He has played some really important innings for us this year but that was the best. We saw him hitting top-of-the-stumps balls back over the bowler’s head, which is what he can do.”Five of the six completed group matches on this ground this season were won by the team batting first, yet Nottinghamshire this time decided it suited them to chase and as Middlesex stumbled to 43 for 4 in the seventh over they appeared to have made a good decision.Spin was the effective weapon as Nottinghamshire made these early incisions. Matt Carter, the tall offspinner, took two wickets in his second over, Paul Stirling picking out deep midwicket before Dawid Malan, taking a big stride down the pitch, was bowled.Imad Wasim, left-armer, did likewise in his second, dealing the visitors a major setback when de Villiers, looking in ominously good touch when he strong-armed Harry Gurney to the boundary in the previous over, launched a muscular slog-sweep directly into the hands of Ben Duckett, a foot in front of the boundary at square leg. Eskinazi, attempting to scoop the next delivery down the leg side, made poor contact and was caught behind. John Simpson kept out the hat-trick ball.Much now rested on Morgan to reproduce some of his heroics of Taunton last week as Middlesex, their form having faltered after a blistering start in the South Group, pulled off that astonishing record run chase to qualify for the last eight.With the scoreboard showing 66 for 4 at the halfway stage, he went on the attack, going inside out to send Samit Patel six rows back into the seats at extra cover before pulling the same bowler high over midwicket in the next over. Simpson found Hales at long-on a couple of balls later but he and England’s World Cup-winning captain had added 47 in six overs.Simpson’s replacement with Roland-Jones brought no loss of momentum and for the first time Middlesex looked capable of posting a score they might defend, not least when Hales, at long-off to Gurney, could only palm the ball over the rope with Morgan ready to turn towards the pavilion.Morgan profited from the reprieve, but not heavily, completing a 30-ball half-century by taking another maximum off the next ball, but slicing the one that followed to be caught at wide third man. Only a couple of overs remained in the innings but it may have cost Middlesex 20 runs.As it was, on a ground which has seen lower scores this season than have been customary, 161 to win looked much more of a test than it proved to be, thanks to the brutality of Hales and Nash.”I think pretty much everything that could have gone wrong for us did,” Middlesex skipper Malan said. “We lost wickets at crucial times and to be 40-odd for four was not good enough. Getting 160 on the board, we thought we had a slight sniff if we bowled well enough at the top but they batted so well we were behind it from the first six.”

With the confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' takeover of Manchester United, it is expected that the chequebook will be open for the summer window. With a number of targets in mind, the new owners are looking to strengthen an area that has been a major problem at Old Trafford this season.

United in need of defensive reinforcements

Any United fan would've laughed in your face if you told them Jonny Evans would be starting Premier League games for them in the 2023/24 season. However, owing to the fragility of their starting defenders, the 36-year-old has started on ten occasions this season, just one less time than Raphaël Varane.

The often maligned Harry Maguire has also found consistent minutes after spending most of last season frozen out of the side. This makeshift defensive set up has mainly come as a result of the loss of Lisandro Martínez, who has struggled with injury since arriving from Ajax in 2022.

Lisandro Martínez

7

558

Raphaël Varane

11

993

Jonny Evans

10

930

Harry Maguire

12

1068

Victor Lindelof

10

991

Latest Man Utd transfer news: De Jong back on radar; 21y/o hands in request

Here are all the latest Man Utd transfer rumours from Old Trafford as we enter the final weeks of the window.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 12, 2024

With their woes at the back unlikely to subside anytime soon, there is no wonder why Ratcliffe and co are already planning to take the central pairing of one of Europe's best defensive sides.

United target Leverkusen defensive duo

According to Sport Witness, reports out of Germany suggest that the Old Trafford outfit are plotting an audacious quadruple swoop for some of Bayer Leverkusen's top talent. The outlet names star full back, Jeremie Frimpong, who the Red Devils have boasted a longstanding interest in, as well as midfielder Exequiel Palacios.

The reports states that United are "interested" in defensive pairing Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossonou. Having conceded just fifteen goals all season in the league, there is no wonder why a United side that have struggled for consistency at the back are looking at the duo.

Tapsoba will be an familiar name to English fans, with the defender constantly linked with a move to these shores since his arrival at Leverkusen back in 2020. The Burkina-Faso international has earned plaudits for his raw pace and strength, as well as his unique abilities with the ball at his feet. A centre back with an eye for a pass, Tapsoba would slot effortlessly into Erik ten Hag's style of play.

Kossounou on the other hand, is a bit more of an unknown entity. Playing on the right-hand side of Leverkusen's back three, he is as adept at filling in out wide as he is in the centre. It was this versatility that led to his former Leverkusen head-coach, Gerardo Seoane, singing his praises, saying of the defender:

With the price tags for Tapsoba and Kossounou set at a combined £77m, it is likely that United will pursue one or the other, depending on which Leverkusen are more inclined to part ways with. Regardless of whether they both don the famous red shirt, either player would be a significant upgrade on United's current options.

Inter Miami and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has dropped another retirement hint, as he admits that “the flame of football is going out”.

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Veteran frontman is now 37 years of ageHas been struggling with knee problemsAware that end of career is approachingWHAT HAPPENED?

Veteran frontman Suarez is now 37 years of age and has been managing long-standing knee problems for some time. He shelved any plans to hang up his boots when being presented with the opportunity to reunite with former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi in MLS.

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Suarez is, however, aware that the end of his distinguished career is approaching. He is currently on international duty at the 2024 Copa America, with an impressive haul of caps for his country being taken to 140 – with 68 goals recorded along the way.

WHAT SUAREZ SAID

He is not ready to call it quits just yet, with silverware to be chased down with club and country, but has said of the short-term future: “I am enjoying every moment very much. It's something that, as I get older, you enjoy more and more because you know that the flame of football is going out. I'm just one more player, you've seen that. Whether I play or not, I'm happy with the part I'm doing and trying to help in any way I can.”

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Suarez is no longer a guaranteed starter for Uruguay, but he has an important role to play in their squad – with his vast experience being put to good use. They are currently readying themselves for a Copa quarter-final clash with Brazil, which Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior will sit out through suspension.

Azhar Ali takes charge of Test team, Babar Azam named captain of T20I side

Osman Samiuddin18-Oct-2019Pakistan’s customary post-World Cup clearout is complete after the PCB sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed as the Test and T20I captain ahead of the November-December tour of Australia. To add to his woes, Sarfaraz has also been dropped from both the teams following a run of poor form in the two formats. In his place, Azhar Ali has been named the Test captain and Babar Azam leader of the T20I side. A decision on the ODI captaincy has been put on hold, as Pakistan’s next 50-over assignment isn’t until July next year – logic would suggest it is highly unlikely Sarfaraz will retain that captaincy either.Sarfaraz’s removal means Pakistan now have a new coach, new chief selector and new captains after the 50-over World Cup, where they narrowly failed to reach the semi-finals; Mickey Arthur and Inzamam-ul-Haq are long gone as head coach and selection head, Misbah-ul-Haq having taken over both positions. Azhar, whom Sarfaraz replaced as the white-ball captain in 2016, has been appointed Test captain for the 2019-20 World Test Championship matches, which begin with a two-Test series in Australia next month. Babar will be in charge of the T20I side till at least the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia late next year.ALSO READ: Should Pakistan worry about Sarfaraz Ahmed’s form?The case for Sarfaraz’s dismissal had been building steadily for a while now, predicated as much on his own form as Pakistan’s results under him. Just last week he had stood down from leading Sindh in the National T20 Cup, though continued playing for the side. But he has overseen a dismal run for the Test side, currently at No. 7 in the rankings. In their most recent Test series, they were swept 3-0 in South Africa in December-January, and, prior to that, had lost a three-Test series in the UAE 2-1 to New Zealand – that was a second loss in three Test series (including one to Sri Lanka the season before) in the UAE, as near a fortress as Pakistan had until Sarfaraz took over the captaincy.It is the decision to remove him from captaincy in the shortest format that will hurt Sarfaraz the most. Although they suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at home earlier this month in Lahore at the hands of a Sri Lanka side without a number of their top players, Sarfaraz’s captaincy has led Pakistan to be the leading national side in the world in the format.Results this year have been poor, but their run since the disastrous showing at the 2016 World T20 – after which Sarfaraz took over – had been outstanding. And the loss to Sri Lanka had as much the imprint of Misbah on it, with his selections for the series, as any other player – indeed it is believed Sarfaraz was not happy with Misbah’s decision to recall Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal to a side that didn’t need such drastic selections.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut it hasn’t helped that Sarfaraz’s form has been poor across all formats. He hasn’t made a Test century in five years and in his most recent Test assignments in South Africa, he made three ducks in six innings. Since the day he scored an unbeaten 61 to get Pakistan through to the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final, Sarfaraz has led Pakistan in 44 ODIs, averaging less than 29 – and that includes 18 games in which he has not batted or finished unbeaten for under 15. In a further 12, he’s managed fewer than 15 runs, and scored just three fifties. His productivity in T20Is has been much the same post-captaincy; if his average was slightly down (26.6 from 28) his strike rate was up (134 from 126 previously).Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, acknowledged the decision to sack Sarfaraz from the two formats had been a “difficult” one. ESPNcricinfo understands Sarfaraz was given the option to resign and announce it in a press conference, but he chose not to.”It has been a difficult decision to drop Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has performed well as a player and a leader,” Mani said in a statement. “But, his loss in form and confidence is visible and, in the best interest of the team, it has been decided to leave him out and provide him the opportunity to reflect and regroup himself and try to reclaim his form away from international cricket.”Sarfaraz Ahmed’s contributions are second to none and being the gutsy cricketer and fighter that we all know he is, I have no doubts he will be back in Pakistan colours at some stage.”ALSO READ: Pakistan left with ‘lots of questions to answer’ – Misbah-ul-HaqPakistan did win five of their nine games at the 50-over World Cup in England and Wales this year, and only failed to qualify for the knockouts because of New Zealand’s superior net run-rate, and have since beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-ODI series in Karachi, results that have helped Sarfaraz hold on to the job in the format.”It has been an honour to lead Pakistan at the highest level. I want to thank all my colleagues, coaches and selectors who have helped me in this journey. My good wishes are with Azhar Ali, Babar Azam and the Pakistan cricket team, and I hope they will continue to grow stronger and stronger,” Sarfaraz said.Azhar is not a surprising choice, given his status as the team’s most reliable Test batsman, although there had been talk about Shan Masood as a potential option. But Azhar is a safe appointment, now 73 Tests old and in good domestic form: he is second on the list of highest run-getters in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He also had an immensely successful series in Australia the last time Pakistan toured in 2016-17, his 406 runs in the three Tests including an MCG double hundred.”There is no bigger honour than to captain the Pakistan national cricket team in the pinnacle format of the game,” Azhar said. “I feel humbled, excited and privileged, and with the support of the team, look forward to justifying the faith that has been entrusted upon me for the World Test Championship.”I am not only targeting wins, but also aim to provide opportunities to players to grow in stature and express themselves so that Pakistan cricket can resume its journey to the top.”Babar, meanwhile, also has a tough job in his hands despite being handed the reins of the No. 1 side in T20Is – he is the No. 1 batsman in the world in the format too – but he called the elevation “the biggest thing” to have happened in his career.”To be named captain of the No. 1-ranked side in the world is the biggest thing that has happened to my career to date,” he said. “I am ready for this challenge and also willing to learn more in the process. I feel it has been a natural progression for me and I am delighted that the PCB has put faith in my capabilities.”

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes Tottenham could strike an "easy" deal for a 22-year-old star this summer.

Spurs identify new midfielder as priority signing

Going by the plethora of recent reports out of N17, Spurs seem to have identified the signing of a new midfielder as one of their priorities.

"Huge" – Sky pundit thrilled as Tottenham allegedly eye "next level" star

Spurs are apparently very keen on the £60 million man.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 28, 2024

Indeed, Juventus star Adrien Rabiot, Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong, Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Everton's James Garner – plus Atalanta duo Ederson and Teun Koopmeiners – are all midfielders linked with moves to Tottenham from the past fortnight.

Gallagher in particular is a big name to be repeatedly mentioned, but despite the player's contract running out in 2025, his status as a star player for Mauricio Pochettino has prompted Chelsea to demand a big fee regardless (Ben Jacobs).

Crystal Palace (home)

March 2nd

Aston Villa (away)

March 10th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

The England international could also still sign a new deal, which would effectively put an end to any hope of Tottenham prising him away from Stamford Bridge. This is why cheaper and potentially more attainable alternatives are being mentioned, like Garner, who apparently fits the midfield profile Spurs are looking for.

"Garner is probably a Gallagher alternative that Tottenham might look at," said journalist Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.

"Obviously, it's very early days to be analysing the summer transfer window. We know that Tottenham are still waiting to see if Conor Gallagher does become available because there is a feeling still that he might and the longer that contract situation goes on, the longer they will believe that something might be able to happen. But if Conor Gallagher does end up signing a contract extension, they need to have a list of names they immediately turn to. And I guess James Garner kind of fits the profile somewhat so yeah, an interesting one to look out for."

Commenting on the links to Garner, pundit and former Spurs keeper Robinson has given his take.

Robinson thinks Tottenham could strike "easy" Garner move

Speaking to Tottenham News this week, the Sky regular believes Spurs could strike an "easy" move for Garner due to Everton's struggles with FFP right now.

“He’s stood out in a struggling Everton side. I think he’s played particularly well this season. But you look at the Tottenham side, you look at the way that they play, and you question where he would fit into that side," said Robinson.

“Whether he would be deployed as an attacking midfielder or whether he would sit, I know that he can do both, but then you look at the players that they’ve got and do you see him as an improvement to the squad? The Garner one could be an easy one to do due to Everton’s predicament with the FFP.

“That’s definitely one to watch, but I just don’t see where he fits into this Spurs starting XI."

South Africa’s Mignon du Preez also among eight new marquee players announced for competition

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2019Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin have become the first West Indies players to sign up for the women’s Hundred, joining Australians Jess Jonassen and Rachael Haynes and South Africa’s Mignon du Preez as each of the competition’s eight teams unveiled a new marquee player on Tuesday.Dottin will play for London Spirit for the competition’s first season, starting in July next year, and Taylor has signed for Southern Brave, while du Preez is headed to Manchester Originals.Jonassen links up with Australian captain Meg Lanning and coach Matthew Mott at Welsh Fire, while Haynes will play for Oval Invincibles and experienced Australian batsman Elyse Villani will head to Trent Rockets.England’s Georgia Elwiss and Alice Davidson-Richards will play for Birmingham Phoenix and Northern Supercharges respectively.Also read: The Hundred draft – full squad listsWest Indies captain Taylor will play alongside New Zealand star Suzie Bates and England internationals Anya Shrubsole and Danni Wyatt at Southern Brave, where former England captain Charlotte Edwards will be head coach.”The other three players we’ve already announced are very strong and it’s going to be such a great competition,” Taylor said. “I’m really looking forward to working under Charlotte Edwards again.”There’s also a strong Caribbean vibe in the men’s team at Southern Brave – with Andre Russell, Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan – so it will be nice to play alongside them and hopefully both teams can have success.”Du Preez, who has previously played in the Kia Super League, was looking forward to returning to domestic competition in England.”It’s going to be something a bit different but it’s obviously all about trying to take cricket to as many people as possible and as players that’s something we want to support,” du Preez said. “I look forward to coming back to the UK next summer and being a part of Manchester Originals.”The announcement means that the eight teams have each announced four members of their 15-strong squads. Team head coaches have until May 31 to settle on their line-ups.