All posts by h716a5.icu

It looks set to be a hectic few weeks with regard to outgoings at Tottenham Hotspur, with there seemingly a handful of notable figures who could be set for pastures new as part of Ange Postecoglou's summer overhaul.

Aside from the potential sale of talisman, Harry Kane, the Lilywhites have only recently accepted a bid from Spartak Moscow for Davinson Sanchez, while long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris is also set to be on his way after 11 years at the club.

The veteran Frenchman could well be joined out the door by Danish midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the 27-year-old seemingly set to join Atletico Madrid sooner rather than later, having spent the past three seasons at N17.

With Postecoglou likely keen to replace the former Southampton man, the Daily Mail only recently revealed that Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz are being considered as potential options – as too is Celta Vigo sensation, Gabri Veiga.

Who is Gabri Veiga?

The promising Spaniard has caught the eye following a breakout season in La Liga last time out, with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona all said to be in the queue for his signature, alongside Spurs.

With a reported buyout clause of around £34m, the 21-year-old could represent a relatively affordable option as far as Daniel Levy is concerned, with the Tottenham chairman potentially able to secure a player of "unique" talent, according to former manager, Carlos Carvalhal.

Having scored 11 goals and chipped in with four assists last term the Spain U21 international has certainly put himself on the map, with only Kane and Heung-min Son having registered more goal involvements for the north Londoners last season.

Noted for his "box-to-box" style by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the youngster could potentially emerge as a dream successor to Luka Modric at Spurs, with the diminutive Croatian having previously dazzled in his central midfield berth during his four-year stint at White Hart Lane.

How good was Luke Modric at Tottenham?

While the now-veteran dynamo has gone on to taste Champions League and Ballon d'Or glory since departing the Lilywhites back in 2012, it was in England that he truly announced his talent to the wider world.

Much like Veiga, the 5 foot 8 maestro was also something of an all-action asset in the centre of the park during his time in the Premier League, with former boss Harry Redknapp having notably stated back in 2009:

"He heads the ball, tackles and has got strong legs. He's a powerful little lad. He's got a great heart and is a great all-round player."

While perhaps a less attack-minded asset than Veiga, the one-time Dinamo Zagreb man did still chip in with a respectable haul of 42 goals and assists in 160 games in all competitions for Spurs, showcasing his ability to make a telling impact in the final third.

The duo are also alike due to their ability to simply glide forward with the ball at their feet, with the ageing Modric still ranking in the top 17% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries, while Veiga ranks in the top 12% in that regard.

For the latter man to be able to reach the same heights as the current Real Madrid star would be a tough ask, yet Carvahal has given insight into the Spaniard's lofty potential, having tipped him to become "an extra special player" in future.

While there may be rival clubs sniffing around, north London could prove to be the perfect place for Veiga's talents to be nurtured – as Modric's so successfully were.

The New Zealand batsman was the top-scorer in the domestic Super Smash T20 competition, and made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2017New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips, who made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year, is set to join Jamaica Tallawahs for CPL 2017.Auckland Cricket confirmed that 20-year-old Phillips will join Tallawahs as the franchise’s fifth overseas player, alongside Shakib Al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mohammad Sami and Imad Wasim.Phillips was the highest run-getter in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, the Super Smash, in the 2016-17 season with 369 runs in ten innings, at a strike rate of 143. He struck three fifties and a century in the tournament, becoming the first New Zealand player to hit centuries across first-class, List A and T20 formats in the same season.The performance earned him a call-up for the sole T20I on South Africa’s tour of New Zealand in February and he made his debut in Auckland.Tallawahs, the defending champions, have played two matches so far, with one win and a loss. Their assistance coach, Mark O’Donnell, who also coaches the Auckland Aces in New Zealand’s domestic set-up, said Phillips added value as a back-up wicketkeeper, too.”Glenn is valuable to any team he joins as he can turn a game on its head with his batting. He is also handy behind the stumps so to have him as a keeping option is also helpful for the Tallawahs.”

Jason Roy’s assault on a below-par Yorkshire attack set the tone for a day of Surrey domination at Headingley

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2017
ScorecardSurrey, led by half-centuries for Rory Burns, Jason Roy and Kumar Sangakkara, dominated the opening day of their pink ball Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley.Having opted to toss, as was the trend with away teams around the country, and elected to bat, the visitors piled on 374 for six from 96 overs.Below par Yorkshire failed to gain any control for the two sessions as Roy, in particular, took the attack to them either side of lunch in this historic day/night fixture.After a difficult Champions Trophy campaign, the 26-year-old looked in supreme touch for 87 off 91 balls.Having hit 92 in the recent Royal London Cup semi-final win over Worcestershire as well as 67 in the T20 international against South Africa at Taunton, this knock included eleven fours and two sixes.Despite it being his first Championship appearance of the season, it marked his third successive 50 plus score in this competition.In a defeat against Durham at Emirates Riverside last September, he posted scores of 120 and 96.Opener Burns top-scored with 90 off 186 balls, while Sangakkara added 82 not out off 124.Tim Bresnan claimed his 500th first-class wicket for Yorkshire in front of a 2,595 crowd, including 494 after 4.40pm when reduced ticket prices were in operation.Roy came to the crease with Surrey at 75 for two after 21 overs, with Mark Stoneman hitting 30 and Scott Borthwick 31 – both men looking in good order and showing signs of the visitors positive approach.Roy and opener Burns, the anchor for the innings, shared 147 inside 33 overs for the third wicket before the former was lbw to Jack Brooks as the score fell to 222 for three in the 54th.He reached 50 off 54 balls and hit his two sixes straight into the Football Stand off England team-mate Adil Rashid, who conceded 67 in 12 overs.Roy was promoted to bat at number four ahead of Sangakkara, who settled quickly during the second half of the afternoon and hit Rashid over long-on for six with his 19th ball at the crease.Earlier, Stoneman was caught behind driving at Ben Coad in the eleventh over having hit his previous two balls for four, while Borthwick chipped Steve Patterson to mid-wicket.Yorkshire’s fourth wicket, that of Burns in the final over of the afternoon, came as the left-hander was undone by extra bounce from Bresnan, who had him caught behind for his 500th – 271 for four in the 64th over.Yorkshire at least managed to get some kind of control in the first half of the evening session, with Surrey scoring 38 runs in 16 overs before the second new ball to take the score to 309 for four after 80.And it did the trick as Coad had Ben Foakes caught at cover for 23, leaving the score at 320 for five in the 83rd.Sangakkara later reached 50 off 86 balls to add to the one-day century he scored here earlier this month, but he lost Sam Curran in the 91st over when he was caught behind off Patterson with 358 on the board.Bresnan will captain Yorkshire in the second half of this match when Gary Ballance leaves for Lions duty. Harry Brook has been named as his replacement.

Chelsea are thought to be closing in on the signing of Montpellier forward Elye Wahi, according to an exciting update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Elye Wahi?

The 20-year-old has emerged as an exciting young player in France, catching the eye with his attacking performances for Montpellier, having broken into the senior side from the B team back in 2020.

In total, Wahi has scored 32 goals in 91 appearances for his current club, also chipping in with nine assists, but it was last season that really saw him go up a gear. He netted 19 times in just 33 Ligue 1 appearances – only 29 of those were starts – and it was a further sign that the Frenchman is emerging as a big talent.

The three-cap France Under-21 international is out of contract at Montpellier in the summer of 2025, so it increasingly looks as though he will depart in the coming weeks, allowing the French outfit to receive good money for his services rather than lose him for nothing next year.

Chelsea have emerged as the standout candidates to sign Wahi sooner rather than later, and a fresh claim suggests that the transfer could be agreed in the near future.

Are Chelsea signing Elye Wahi?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Chelsea are making strong progress in their efforts to sign Wahi this summer, with talks believed to be at an advanced stage:

"Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi — agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier.

"Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season then CFC future. Chelsea want to accelerate next week as there’s competition."

This is a hugely exciting update for Chelsea supporters, with Wahi a long-term prospect who could grow into a fantastic attacking player at Stamford Bridge, having already made such a positive impact.

That being said, he has already shown that he can star in one of Europe's top five leagues, so perhaps he should be viewed as an effective squad player from the off, helping fill the Blues' issues up front rather than being loaned out. The west Londoners struggled with the likes of Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the line last season.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the "constant progress" that Wahi has made in a short space of time, and he has also said that the 2022/23 campaign was "a truly incredible season for the 20-year-old Montpellier jewel".

For too long, it has felt as though Chelsea haven't been focusing on youth enough, with their squad growing old with the likes of Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante and Aubameyang in it in recent times, but it is encouraging to see the club potentially bringing in a top-quality youngster who can be a big part of the club's success under Mauricio Pochettino for many more years to come.

The Argentine has always been a keen advocate of youth, as he showed during his spell in charge at Tottenham, helping a young Harry Kane and Dele Alli burst onto the scene, and it will be fascinating to see how he uses Wahi, should Chelsea get a deal over the line.

Mahela Jayawardene has withdrawn from his planned stint with Lancashire during the NatWest T20 Blast campaign due to personal reasons.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2017Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s former captain, has withdrawn from his planned stint with Lancashire during the NatWest T20 Blast campaign due to personal reasons.Jayawardene, 40, had qualified to play for the club as a non-overseas player by virtue of his Danish wife, Christina, and had been expected to join up with the squad later this month ahead of their opening game against Durham on July 7.”It’s disappointing that Mahela won’t be joining us for the upcoming T20 campaign,” said Glen Chapple, Lancashire’s head coach.”We are currently reviewing and reassessing all options from a player perspective ahead of the NatWest T20 Blast campaign in light of this news.”Jayawardene added: “I am very disappointed to be unable to join Lancashire Lightning in the upcoming NatWest T20 Blast as planned.”I would like to wish the club a successful campaign this year.”After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world as a player and mentor. He has previously played in the NatWest T20 Blast with Sussex and Somerset, and is currently head coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.He played in 149 Tests for Sri Lanka, scoring nearly 12,000 runs at an average of just below 50, and also made 448 ODI and 55 T20I appearances.

Liverpool are now considering a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure as a replacement for Fabinho, according to a recent report from The Liverpool Echo.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Reds have already let a number of central midfielders leave the club this summer, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita all exiting, and there could still be a few more departures.

Jordan Henderson has now been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with journalist Ben Jacobs recently claiming that a fee still needs to be agreed between Liverpool and Steven Gerrard's new club, saying: "Now it's about Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq agreeing a fee, which is only thought to be somewhere in the region of £10million. I don't think that Liverpool will stand in his way."

Henderson has travelled to Germany for Liverpool's pre-season tour, but Fabrizio Romano has reported the Englishman has accepted the proposal from Al-Ettifaq, with Jurgen Klopp giving the green light for him to leave the club.

It has also been reported that Fabinho is now close to leaving, with the Brazilian on his way to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad for a fee of around £40m, having not travelled to Germany.

The Liverpool Echo have now reported that a list of replacements for Fabinho have now been drawn up, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia considered one of the main targets, while Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch is also an option.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha is also a possibility, with the Reds willing to widen the age profile of their potential signings, however the Portugal international is 28-years-old, and they would ideally prefer a younger player.

As such, 23-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder Doucoure is now among the players being considered, fresh off the back of a solid first season in the Premier League, having been named the Eagles' player of the year.

The former Lens man only arrived at Selhurst Park last summer, in a deal worth £21m, but he could already be on the move to Anfield.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

There is evidence that the Mali international could be a quality replacement for Fabinho, given his stellar defensive attributes, ranking in the 97th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

The £60k-per-week Palace star has also averaged more tackles, blocks and clearances than the Brazilian during that timeframe, however his pass-completion rate is not quite up to par, having only averaged 83.2%.

Lauded as "incredible" by journalist Zach Lowy, the maestro had a fantastic first season in the Premier League, averaging 2.3 tackles per game, the highest amount of any player in the squad.

Fabinho turns 30 in October, and his form dipped considerably last season, with talkSPORT's Scott Minto claiming it was like his "twin brother" was playing, so it is probably a wise decision to let him leave.

Doucoure now has Premier League experience under his belt, having made 34 appearances last season, and at 23-years-old he could start for Liverpool in central midfield for years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen to revive their interest in Roma star, Paulo Dybala, with the World Cup-winning gem potentially in line for an exit from the Italian outfit this summer.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

According to Correire dello Sport – via Sports Witness – the Lilywhites, as well as both Chelsea and Manchester United, are believed to be following the 29-year-old 'with great attention', amid the uncertainty regarding his long-term future at the Stadio Olimpico.

As per the report, despite having only signed for the Serie A outfit on a free transfer from rivals Juventus last term, the 38-cap Argentina international could be on his way ahead of next season, with his current deal including a bargain €12m (£10m) release clause that can be triggered by foreign clubs.

That minimal fee has evidently caught the interest of the north Londoners who have long held an interest in the 5 foot 10 playmaker, having attempted to sign the one-time Palermo man back in the summer of 2019.

How good is Paulo Dybala?

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho – who is now in charge of the Rome giants – will no doubt be ruing the presence of that buy-out clause in Dybala's contract, with the experienced ace having established himself as a leading figure for I Giallorossi during his debut season at the club last time out.

The left-footed dynamo did have his struggles with injury during the 2022/23 campaign, although was still able to rack up 18 goals and eight assists in 38 games in all competitions, leading the charge to the Europa League final with five goals in 11 games in that continental competition.

That standout form led Roma legend Francesco Totti to hail the marksman as "special" as well as describing him as a "phenomenon", with the club evidently keen to ensure that their prize asset does not seek to secure a swift exit over the coming weeks.

As for Spurs, the signing of Dybala could represent a perfect deal for manager Ange Postecoglou, with the £116k-per-week ace said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with the club's recent summer signing, James Maddison – according to FBref.

That likeness between the Argentine and Maddison – who contributed ten goals and nine assists in the Premier League last term – is apparent due to their creative brilliance, with Dybala ranking in the top 7% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, while the Englishman ranks in the top 13% in that regard.

In Serie A last term, Mourinho's main man notably created 12 big chances and averaged 2.1 key passes per game from his 25 league appearances as a sign of ability to provide quality service to the front line, with Maddison enjoying a remarkable similar record after also creating 12 big chances from his 30 league outings, while averaging 2.3 key passes per game.

Although Dybala has typically been deployed as a second striker of late, there may be a desire for Postecoglou to utilise his talents in an advanced midfield berth in his preferred 4-3-3 system, with the former Leicester City ace taking on that other playmaking role in the centre of the park.

To have two real dynamic weapons at his disposal would be a mouthwatering prospect for the ex-Celtic boss, with it seemingly hard to turn down the chance to land such a classy and experienced figure on the cheap.

Either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult is likely to replace the Australia fast bowler as Kolkata Knight Riders look to reclaim the top spot

The Preview by Sreshth Shah25-Apr-2017Match factsRising Pune Supergiant v Kolkata Knight Riders
Pune, April 26, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:56

Hogg: Tahir at his best with old ball

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiant (fourth): defeated Mumbai Indians by three runs, defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets, defeated RCB by 27 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders (second): defeated RCB by 82 runs, lost to Gujarat Lions by four wickets, defeated Delhi Daredevils by four wickets

Head to headOverallKolkata Knight Riders chased 66 (D/L adjusted target) and 161 to win both at home and away against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016.In the newsKnight Riders will be without Nathan Coulter-Nile, who in their previous game took three wickets to bowl Royal Challengers Bangalore out for 49, which is the lowest total in IPL history. The 29-year old seamer has not travelled with the team to Pune, with captain Gautam Gambhir citing workload management as the reason.Coulter-Nile’s absence means either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult could return to the team. Colin de Grandhomme hasn’t fired with the bat but his three-wicket haul on Sunday has boosted his chances of retaining his place.The likely XIsRising Pune Supergiant 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Jaydev UnadkatKolkata Knight Riders 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Trent Boult/Shakib Al Hasan, 11 Kuldeep YadavStrategy Punt Overall in the IPL, Sunil Narine smashes spin at a strike-rate of 233 but pace at only 126. But this season, with his promotion to opener, he has smashed fast bowlers for 93 runs off 53 deliveries. So perhaps there is a case for Rising Pune to take pace off the ball and use Imran Tahir or Washington Sundar against him.Stats that matter MS Dhoni has struggled against Sunil Narine in T20s. He has managed only 27 runs off 54 balls. Manoj Tiwary has scored 139 runs off 82 balls, at a strike-rate of 167.07. He has been dismissed only three times in his last nine T20 innings, and has been hitting a boundary every four balls. Ajinkya Rahane has smashed Umesh Yadav for 54 runs in 38 balls without ever being dismissed in the IPL. Knight Riders have taken 28 wickets between overs 7 and 15, ten more than their closest rivals Sunrisers Hyderabad. Six KKR bowlers have taken three or more wickets during the middle overs, with Woakes’ tally of six being the highest. KKR’s quicks have been the most productive in the league. They have taken 34 wickets at an average of 19.82. On the other hand, Rising Pune’s seamers have managed only 24 wickets at an average of 32.54. Spinners have been more effective than seamers at MCA stadium this season. They have given away only 6.97 runs per over, taking a wicket every 19.42 runs. Seamers have leaked 9.50 runs an over, taking a wicket every 42.61 runs.

UAE picked up their first win in a first-class game since September 2013, and their maiden win of the 2015-17 Intercontinental Cup with a nine-wicket triumph over PNG

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Mohammad Naveed took two wickets in the first innings and four in the second•AFPLega Siaka’s career-best 142 not out was not enough to prevent a nine-wicket defeat for Papua New Guinea at the hands of United Arab Emirates in their Intercontinental Cup match in Abu Dhabi. It was UAE’s first win of the competition, and their first since September 2013 in first-class cricket, also by the same margin. In the interim, they had lost three of their four matches – two of them by heavy margins – and drawn the other.”It’s an awesome feeling,” Dougie Brown, the UAE coach, said. “There has been a lot of work that has gone into this in the past three months, and all the credit for embracing the work and the vision we have presented goes to the players.”It was a pretty flat wicket. I thought the way the guys stuck to it with the ball and in the field was absolutely exceptional. Dominic Tello [UAE assistant coach] deserves a lot of credit for the hours he has put in, but the guys deserve most of the credit because they are the ones putting in the hard work.”UAE dominated the match right from the first day. Having chosen to bat, PNG were quickly in trouble as seamers Mohammad Naveed and Qadeer Ahmed dismantled the top-order to leave them 33 or 3. From there, it was all downhill. Jack Vare and Chad Soper, PNG’s Nos. 8 and 9, scored 38 each to lift them from 110 for 7 to 194. The new-ball pair of Naveed and Qadeer shared five wickets and spinners Imran Haider and Ahmed Raza took the rest.UAE gained a 247-run first-innings lead, courtesy a 63 from Rameez Shahzad and centuries from Muhammad Usman and Saqlain Haider. Both raised their maiden first-class centuries – both were playing their third game. Usman was dismissed for 103, while Saqlain remained unbeaten on 102 when UAE declared at 441 for 8. Legspinner Mahuru Dai took 4 for 126, his best returns in first-class cricket.”I think I’m right in saying the team haven’t scored 400 before in a first innings,” Brown said. “For them to get that and for us to be in a position where we can declare, to give ourselves the best part of five sessions to try to win the game, was fantastic.”PNG managed to make UAE bat again courtesy Siaka, who scored nearly 50% of his team’s second-innings runs. Siaka began day four on 51, having taken PNG to 152 for 4 (effectively minus 95 for 4) in the company of Sese Bau. Bau fell early, ending a fifth-wicket stand of 67. Thereafter, it was all Siaka until he ran out of partners. Legspinner Haider, who scythed through the top half of PNG’s line-up, and Naveed took four wickets each for UAE.UAE needed a mere 42 to win. They lost Laxman Sreekumar for 4, before Shaiman Anwar blitzed an unbeaten 32 off 19 balls as UAE knocked off the runs in just 5.5 overs.Dipak Patel, the PNG coach, put the defeat down to lack of first-innings runs, but added there was plenty to learn from it.”In the first innings we didn’t get enough runs,” Patel, the former New Zealand spinner, said. “There is a lack of experience among our batsmen. We are still learning. This is only the fourth time they have played a four-day game.”The natural instinct for our players is to play shots. We can take a lot out of it, particularly the classy knock by Lega Siaka in the second innings.”

Aston Villa have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto, according to reports.

Is Wilfried Gnonto leaving Leeds?

The Whites’ left-sided winger only arrived at Elland Road from FC Zurich last summer and majorly impressed during his 28 appearances in his debut season, so after suffering relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, his future is currently up in the air.

The Italy international’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, has revealed that his client will hold “talks” regarding his future in Yorkshire, and despite reporter Graham Smyth claiming that the club “hope to keep” him beyond the ongoing window, he has plenty of potential suitors waiting to snap him up should he depart.

The Mirror have credited Crystal Palace, Brighton, West Ham and Everton all with a strong interest in the 19-year-old, but it won’t come cheap to strike a deal considering that he still has four years remaining on his contract in LS11 meaning that his side won’t be forced to cash in.

The Daily Mail recently claimed that NSWE, Unai Emery and Monchi have approached Leicester City to discover the availability of Harvey Barnes, but with the Foxes looking to demand £35m for their prized asset, Gnonto could provide a much cheaper and younger alternative.

Are Aston Villa signing Gnonto?

According to Italian reports (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have “asked for information” on Gnonto, though it’s not specified whether the player has been contacted directly or if it was Leeds. The Midlands outfit have “lined up” alongside Everton and Bundesliga club SC Freiburg to try and strike a deal and they are firmly “in the mix” to receive his signature.

The Villa Park side “appreciate” their target’s profile and it’s stated that he “will leave” Daniel Farke’s team, who have set a price tag of €25m (£21m).

Should NSWE submit a bid for Gnonto?

Aston Villa have faced Leeds on multiple occasions and will know exactly what Gnonto is capable of having come up against him during his debut campaign in the top-flight, and having been dubbed a “pocket rocket” by football pundit Tam McManus, NSWE should certainly consider testing the waters for the winger.

Sponsored by Puma, the teenager racked up six goal contributions (four assists and two goals) in 24 Premier League outings last season whilst recording a total of 50 shot-creating actions over the course of the campaign which was the fourth-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef.

The Verbania native is also a versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so he’d be a fantastic option for the boss to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.

Having dropped down to the Championship, Gnonto is likely to want to complete a move either back to the top-flight or to a competitve league overseas rather than remaining in the second tier, so this switch could be of appeal to him, therefore the board should capitalise on this by trying to convince him of the project at Villa Park.