The transfer window is due to slam shut this evening and Tottenham Hotspur appear to still be active in their efforts to add to Ange Postecoglou's squad.

Latest Spurs transfer news

Whilst supporters may want to see signings that immediately bolster the first-team, such as Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin, the club are reportedly looking at a long-term project.

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites are plotting a last-gasp hijack of Barcelona's deal to sign Lucas Bergvall from Swedish side Djurgardens IF.

The Spanish giants have rolled out the 'red carpet' to tempt the 17-year-old maestro to LaLiga, along with an offer of £8.5m to secure his services.

It states, however, that Spurs are now ready to invite the teenage whiz to their training ground to hold talks over a move to England, after the player visited Catalonia on Tuesday.

If Tottenham win this battle and convince him to join the North London side then they could find their dream long-term heir to Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield.

Bentancur's brilliance last season

The Uruguay international has struggled with injuries this term – starting three Premier League matches – but caught the eye with his impressive displays in midfield last season.

He started 17 top-flight games, and came off the bench once, for Spurs and showcased his quality defensively, in transition, and at the top end of the pitch for the club.

The former Juventus ace won 53% of his duels and made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per match, which shows that the talented gem held his own in physical contests to cut out opposition attacks.

Bentancur also completed 66% of his attempted dribbles (1.2 per game) to help his team to beat opposition presses and burst past players in transition to push his side up the pitch.

Along with that, the 26-year-old dynamo chipped in with five goals and two assists as he showed off his ability to provide vital contrbutions in the final third to win points for Spurs.

The stats that show why Bergvall could be Bentancur 2.0

At the age of 17, Bergvall is unlikely to be signed as a player expected to make an instant impact in the Premier League and could, instead, be viewed as a future heir to Bentancur – who is nine years older.

The teenager, who turns 18 on Friday, played 25 league games for his club throughout 2023, despite his age, and caught the eye with his midfield displays.

Appearances

25

Starts

11

Goals

Two

Assists

One

Pass accuracy

88%

Like the Spurs maestro, the Swedish wizard is a fantastic dribbler who can evade challenges and beat players with relative ease for his team – with 1.1 dribbles per game at a success rate of 68%.

Bergvall was willing to put his foot in to win possession back for his team as the talented youngster made 2.20 tackles and interceptions combined per 90.

The Spurs target, who was once hailed as "superb" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is a box-to-box midfielder, like Bentancur, who can make contributions in all three thirds.

Therefore, Postecoglou could land his long-term heir to the ex-Juventus gem by beating Barcelona to the signing of the 17-year-old whiz, who has plenty of time to develop and improve before taking over from the Uruguay international further down the line.

Young batsman stranded two runs shy of maiden century

Paul Edwards04-Jun-2019

Josh Bohannon in batting action•Getty Images

This has been a fine week for officials at Liverpool CC. While they could do nothing about the rain that allowed only one session’s play on this second day, they have proved themselves perfectly capable of hosting first-class cricket, a claim some had doubted in the very recent past.However, when this game is over and a review is taking place, someone should suggest the value of a scoreboard people can see in bright light. Many spectators squinted in vain at the small electric effort in the corner of the ground and their irritation was only aggravated by the placement of a completely blank, old-style board directly alongside its wretched counterpart. Perversely, of course, as the rain fell the dratted board displayed for hours the one number which had disappointed Lancashire supporters. Underneath No. 20 shone 98, the career-best score Josh Bohannon had made when last man Richard Gleeson edged Dieter Klein to Harry Swindells just before lunch.Until that reverse Liverpool’s green stage had offered fine cricket to a sparse audience. Indeed, the attendance on Tuesday morning suggested people might have paid too much attention to the regional weather forecast and nothing like enough to a microclimate which often ensures Aigburth remains dry while rain falls in the city centre. The most famous instance of this meteorological quiddity occurred late in Lancashire’s championship season when Simon Kerrigan bowled his side to a tremendous victory over Hampshire while adjoining districts were cursed with storms, tempests and plagues of frogs.Perhaps forgetting that day of glory, Merseyside folk remained by their hearths this morning, and that was a shame because those who stayed at home missed an entertaining session, albeit under lowering skies. The best fun was supplied by Bohannon and Tom Bailey, who had extended their eighth-wicket stand to 131 before Bailey carved Chris Wright to Neil Dexter on the deep point boundary. In the previous over Bailey had reached his fifth first-class fifty with a siege-gun six off Wright which arced over the sightscreen at the River End.However, the changed balance of the contest was shown by Wright’s almost impassive reaction to his dismissal of both Bailey and Graham Onions. By then the crowd’s interest had shifted to Bohannon and the few dozen spectators wondered if he could reach his century.He couldn’t. All he was able to do was watch as Gleeson fenced fatally at Klein. Bohannon immediately turned on his heel and casually tossed his bat into the air, catching it in the manner of juggler with a club. It was the gentlest of gestures, one which revealed more phlegm than fury. Then, mindful of his responsibilities to his team, Bohannon slapped reconciliatory gloves with Gleeson as the pair returned to the pavilion.Yet there is surely consolation available to this fine player, who only celebrated his 22nd birthday in April. Josh Bohannon, you see, county cricket in a way that cannot be coached. In just seven first-class matches he has proved himself well-suited to his chosen trade. And so when he scores his maiden hundred, which he should do quite soon, let us hope he achieves the feat before a few thousand spectators in a match blessed by generous skies and a kind sun.

To the surprise of barely anyone, Tottenham Hotspur have made a busy start to the January transfer window, with Ange Postecoglou relishing the opportunity to strengthen his team across the park.

Adding talent to the backline is the Australian's priority – with discussions for a new defender still ongoing – but this has not stopped an agreement from being reached for the loan transfer of RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner.

Nor has such a priority meant rumours concerning a new midfielder have subsided, with Chelsea star Conor Gallagher at the front of such transfer discourse.

Looking ahead, Spurs likely still need a centre-forward to replace Harry Kane and Dominic Solanke could be one to watch following the 2023/24 campaign's conclusion.

Spurs transfer news – Dominic Solanke

According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs – speaking on the Last Word on Spurs podcast – Tottenham have already enquired to Bournemouth regarding Solanke's availability, though a summer transfer looks far more likely at this stage.

With Arsenal also interested, Cherries boss Androni Iraola has attempted to dissuade suitors by slapping a reported £50m price tag on his talisman's signature, though as the goals keep coming such a figure looks increasingly less ludicrous.

Despite the acquisition of Werner, Spurs need a prolific target man to ease the burden from Heung-min Son's shoulders, and the 26-year-old could be the perfect addition to complete the frontline.

Dominic Solanke's style of play

Solanke is an energetic striker with an imposing presence, and having been hailed for his "predatory" instinct by one Sky Sports pundit after bagging a recent hat-trick against Nottingham Forest, is starting to back up Iraola's transfer valuation.

As per FBref, Solanke ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking box and the top 8% for clearances per 90, highlighting his presence in the danger area and his desire to get stuck in and contribute toward the defensive effort.

Given Solanke's formative days with Chelsea and subsequent move to Anfield to serve under Jurgen Klopp's stewardship, it's clear that the striker has long been regarded as a talented forward.

And while his time with Liverpool didn't work out, Bournemouth still forked out an initial £19m to snap him up in January 2019, with Solanke scoring just one goal from 27 appearances.

But he's been shaped into a "top, multi-faceted forward" – according to The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell – and while he's quietly been impressing on the south coast for the past few years, his qualities have finally amalgamated to provide the complete, clinical package.

1.

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

14

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

14

3.

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

12

3.

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

12

4.

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United

11

5.

Hwang Hee-chan

Wolverhampton Wanderers

10

Joint-third in the Premier League's scoring charts this season – alongside Son and behind only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah – Solanke is in fine company indeed and if he can sustain a striking rate such as this then he will be in good stead to earn another shot at a team vying for silverware and continental competition.

Given that the £50k-per-week gem has also netted a goal against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup this term, taking his tally to 13, he is actually outscoring Son (who has 12 goals) across all competitions, emphasising just how effective he has been in striking sequences.

As per Sofascore, Solanke is taking 3.5 shots per game and hitting the target with an average of 1.2; last season, he was unleashing 2.3 shots per outing.

The newfound confidence and increased output in front of goal have allowed Solanke to take a major step in his development, and there is now a tangible sense that he will be headed for a team such as Tottenham in the coming transfer windows.

While Arsenal are among the contenders for his services, the 6 foot 2 centre-forward would perhaps have greater assurances regarding the regularity of his match action should he head down the N17.

Pulling the string behind him, James Maddison might be the best fit to fully unlock his skills in front of goal too.

Imagine James Maddison & Dominic Solanke

Tottenham signed Maddison from Leicester City for £40m in June following the Foxes' unexpected relegation from the Premier League, though the England international's creativity barely waned all year and he finished with a laudable return of ten goals and nine assists from 28 starting appearances.

Crowned the English top-flight's Player of the Month for August, Maddison swiftly proved himself to be a bona fide star at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and was the inventive life heartbeat at the core.

Ranking among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, it's clear to see why he might be the perfect player to supplement a prolific phenom such as Solanke.

Spurs in talks to sign £50m Werner partner who would supercharge Maddison

Ange Postecoglou’s side appear to be busy in the January transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 6, 2024

He has averaged 2.9 key passes per game this season too, which is a frankly absurd level of creativity; for reference, Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne – one of Europe's finest ever playmakers – averaged 3.1 in the Premier League last season.

Maddison has unfortunately been injured since November with an ankle injury and this has been a defining factor behind the up-and-down form that Spurs have finally shaken off with a recent bright spell, but his return will be huge.

The £170k-per-week ace would be perfect for Solanke, as specified, with the Bournemouth talisman receiving 4.63 progressive passes per 90 in the league this season, hinting that he thrives as a mobile target man from which a pinpoint player such as Maddison could locate with constancy.

Postecoglou simply has to get this one over the line, and should Solanke continue his rich vein of form and mould it into something permanent, then he really could be the perfect summer signing to continue the revolution down the N17.

The forward speaks to GOAL about thriving in the Premier League, being welcomed with open arms by Alexis Sanchez and his love of fishing

"I will tell you an incredible story, one that even I find hard to believe. What has happened to me is so surreal that it resembles a story taken out of a dream." So begins the trailer for the documentary series 'Breretour', which tells the tale of Ben Brereton Diaz's adventure through Chile, the country he knew little about until just three years ago, when he was catapulted to fame during the last Copa America.

In a matter of weeks, the striker, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, went from playing for mid-table Blackburn Rovers at Rotherham in the English Championship to coming off the bench for Chile against Argentina in the Olympic Stadium in Brazil, facing Lionel Messi. In his next game, he made his first start for Chile against Bolivia and scored the only goal. Overnight he became a national sensation.

Chile eventually exited the tournament to Brazil in the quarter-finals, but by then Brereton Diaz was already a hero. He became the face of Pepsi in Chile, featured in a healthcare campaign and wherever he went he attracted attention befitting a Hollywood star.

And last year the Villarreal striker, who has just completed an impressive half-season on loan with Sheffield United in the Premier League, truly became a film star, when adidas and HBO documented a week-long journey through his adopted homeland.

Chilean TV reporter Manuel de Tezanos was his guide while his mother Andrea, whose family emigrated from Chile to Stoke to work in the pottery industry, joined him halfway through. Highlights include struggling with heights up the Entel Tower in the capital of Santiago, swimming in a lagoon and exploring the world famous Atacama desert.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life, it was crazy," Brereton Diaz tells GOAL. "Going to the desert, big barbecues, fishing, being with friends and family. My mum is from there, she'd not been around Chile for a few years so she loved to come round with me and to see all this stuff as well, it was lovely to share that moment with her.

"I had only been to Chile once when I was one year old, the next time I went was after the Copa America. I've been there many times playing football, but you don't see much of Chile. You only see the hotel, you train and you play. It was an amazing trip for me to see some of the beautiful places in Chile, do some of the traditional stuff."

Getty 'Never in a thousand years'

He met local people too, including Alvaro Perez, the Football Manager fan who ended up changing Brereton Diaz's life. It was Perez, who has a penchant for picking players with dual nationality in the game, who discovered Brereton Diaz was eligible to play for Chile and started a social media campaign for him to be called up to the national team.

"He came across me, started playing me, he put something on Twitter and when I kept scoring goals it started to get a bit more serious," the striker, who had represented England at Under-19 level, recalls.

"Chile’s director of football saw it, saw I'd been doing well in the Championship and scoring goals, and they gave me a ring. From there they asked me to make a decision, but for me there was no decision to be made, I wanted to do it 100 percent. I never in a thousand years thought I’d be playing for the Chile national squad."

Chile have won two of the last four Copa Americas, and many of the players who were a part of those triumphs, including global stars Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Bravo, were suddenly his team-mates.

"When I got the call up I was like 'these guys have won the Copa America, the Champions League', so I was definitely nervous going into the dressing room because they're such a well connected group. But as soon as I went there the players showed me love. They're a great team, amazing players on and off the pitch, legends of the game really, so it was a great honour to be involved with those boys."

It was also an honour for the Chilean players to play with Brereton Diaz, as he offered them something completely different. As team-mate Mauricio Isla put it: "He's an animal, runs, fights, fights for everything, never tires." The striker quickly earned the nickname 'Big Ben', and his presence in the final third and willingness to attack every ball delighted Chile fans.

AdvertisementGettyLoving every minute

The only downside of his Copa America experience in 2021 was the fact that there were no supporters in the stadiums in Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic. But a few months later, the national stadium in Santiago was packed for Brereton Diaz's first experience of World Cup qualifiers, where he broke the deadlock in a 2-0 win against Paraguay.

South America’s World Cup qualification process, an unforgiving slog of 18 matches where you play every team in the continent home and away, is unique in international football. "The passion fans show in South America, especially in Chile, is unbelievable," the striker says. "It was an unreal atmosphere, to get a goal against Paraguay, an important game we needed to win, was incredible.

"Every time you get called up, it's proper. You need to be switched on in training, the games are really competitive, you need to win. I love every minute of it."

Brereton Diaz has also had surreal experiences, such as playing away to Bolivia in La Paz at the highest international stadium in the world, 3637 metres above sea level. "Crazy," is how he describes it. "Physically, I've never done anything like that, in such humidity. I thought I had nothing left, it’s amazing to do stuff like that."

Getty ImagesLearning curve

Brereton Diaz went on another overseas adventure last year when he joined Villarreal after five unforgettable seasons with Blackburn. It was a big change and not an easy one, as he went from being an indisputable starter for Blackburn to a substitute in Spain, being named in the line-up just twice in La Liga albeit coming on 12 times from the bench.

It was not the first setback he had faced in his career. Brereton Diaz had spent six years at the youth academy of Manchester United, the team he grew up supporting, and was released at the age of 14. It can be a heart-breaking experience for youngsters, many of whom decide to walk away from the game completely. But he took it in his stride and prefers to remember the best parts of being part of United.

"Most players go through that, getting released, everyone gets a knockback in football," he says. "It's one of those things that happens when you're young but you can grow into a great player."

He demonstrated a similar attitude at Villarreal, using the experience of playing at a top Liga side to his advantage. "I loved the six months I was there," he explains. "It's different altogether, more possession, more technical. Training with some of the world-class players Villarreal have and playing in that league is another experience that's only going to help me."

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Getty Thriving in the Premier League

Ultimately, though, Brereton Diaz needed to be playing regular football, especially with Copa America coming up. Sheffield United offered him a route to starting games again, as well as the opportunity to realise a life's dream of playing in the Premier League. And you can sense the childlike joy when the forward discusses his experience in the English top flight.

There are the unforgettable moments, such as giving Sheffield United the lead against Manchester United at Old Trafford in April: "As a young boy I loved watching United, their teams, the history in the stadium so scoring there was incredible, a dream of mine," he says fondly.

Then there are the smaller things, like appearing on 'Match of the Day'"It's crazy. Obviously, I used to watch it every morning with my dad when I was younger when we woke up on a Sunday morning, it's little things like that. Dad's proper into it, he goes to most games, home and away, he loves it.

"It's an incredible league, an amazing stage to be on, amazing to be a part of it. I'm thankful to Sheffield United for the opportunity. It's every young player’s dream to play in the Premier League one day, it's all I've ever wanted to do."

By securing progress into the fourth round of the FA Cup, Aston Villa begin 2024 fighting on three fronts and the next few months have the potential to be one of their finest-ever seasons.

Of course, Unai Emery won't be getting carried away, but the fact the club are sitting second in the Premier League table along with progressing into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League, the chances of ending their 28-year trophy drought have never been better.

Premier League Top Four	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Points	GD
1. Liverpool	20	13	6	1	45	25
2. Aston Villa	20	13	3	4	42	16
3. Man City	19	12	4	3	40	24
4. Arsenal	20	12	4	4	40	17

The January transfer window is in operation and the Spaniard will be eyeing up a few new recruits to add some freshness to his squad ahead of what could become a hectic schedule for the club.

A few names have naturally been linked with a move to Villa Park over the previous week or so, but it is a League One defender that the club appear to be chasing if recent reports are to go by…

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Aston Villa transfer news – Ronnie Edwards

According to the print edition of the Mail on Sunday (7 January, page 100), Villa are the latest side to show interest in defender Ronnie Edwards

.

They join West Ham United and Crystal Palace as the Premier League sides who are monitoring the centre-back this month as the clubs line up to prise him away from Peterborough United.

With Emery building Villa back into a team who are capable of challenging the elite, a move to the Midlands could tempt Edwards and this will give them an edge over West Ham and Palace with regard to a potential swoop for the young talent.

The interest from clubs in the top flight in Edwards isn’t new. Indeed, Manchester United were even linked with him back in 2021 as they sought highly-rated English talent to bolster their squad.

Fast-forward two and a half years, and it appears as though the player has served his apprenticeship at Peterborough and is ready to take the next step in his career.

Emery has plenty of top-class talent fighting it out for the two places at the heart of the defence, as the likes of Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Diego Carlos, and Tyrone Mings can all bring their own skillset to the role.

Mings is currently out for the season having suffered a serious injury against Newcastle in the opening match of the campaign and signing Edwards could unfortunately soon signal the end of his Villa spell in due time.

Tyrone Mings’ Aston Villa statistics

The 30-year-old joined the club in the summer of 2019 for £20m having enjoyed a loan spell the season prior, helping the Midlands side win promotion back to the Premier League after a three-year absence.

Since his maiden campaign, Mings has missed only 12 league matches out of 152 and has become a mainstay in the heart of their defence over the previous four years, underlining how reliable he has been.

Under Emery, the Englishman enjoyed his finest season at the club during 2022/23, finishing the season ranked first for accurate passes per game (46) while also ranking first for interceptions (1.5) and clearances (4.5) per match, showcasing his wonderful passing ability and defensive acumen which helped propel Villa to a sixth-place finish.

There was no doubt the likes of Torres, Konsa and Carlos were all fighting it out to be Mings’ partner this season. That was until disaster struck against Newcastle.

The defender was stretchered off after his studs got caught in the turf, and he subsequently jarred his knee, leading to a long layoff for the defender.

While Emery was not short of options to replace him, could this injury signify that Mings’ spell at the club could be nearing an end? Indeed, he has just two years left on his current deal.

Signing Edwards could accelerate this notion, with the youngster looking like an ideal replacement for the veteran defender.

Ronnie Edward’s career statistics

Despite not turning 21 until March, Edwards has already amassed 117 appearances for the Posh since making his debut during the 2020/21 campaign.

Director of football at Peterborough, Barry Fry, previously lavished praise on his young defender following his initial foray into the senior side, saying: "Ronnie is a Rolls Royce. We knew that when we signed him.

"It’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the under 23s at our stadium.

"Ronnie is money in the bank for the club. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game, but there’s no better place, and no better manager than Darren Ferguson, to help him develop quickly.”

It appears as though the club could be set to secure some money in the bank if he moves to the Premier League, and his statistics recently would certainly justify a lavish fee.

Ronnie Edward's statistics in League One
Stat	2022/23	2023/24
Accurate passes per game	49.1	79
Total duels won per game	4	3.7
Tackles per game	2	1
Interceptions per game	1.4	1
Clearances per game	3.3	4.4
Via Sofascore

Edwards has been sublime this term so far as the club currently occupies third place in the League One table. The 20-year-old has a 92% pass success rate and his average of 79 accurate passes per game ranks him first among the whole squad.

Additionally, the youngster ranks first for accurate long balls per game (7.6), first for clearances per game (4.4) and fourth for interceptions per game (one), as he is clearly among the finest players at the club.

Edwards has experience in the Championship, making 34 appearances in the second tier during the 2021/22 campaign, and this has obviously improved him as a player.

The time to make a step-up is now, as the former Barnet starlet is clearly too good to be playing in the third tier of English football and Villa will continue to monitor his progress over the next couple of weeks.

It remains unclear just how much Fry will want for his prized asset, but Emery may have to spend a decent amount in order to fend off competition and secure his signature.

Mings will recover from his knee injury in the next few months hopefully, but he may potentially find his return to the first team blocked by the 5 foot 11 Edwards, who could emerge as one of the finest defenders in the country over the next few years.

While recovering from his side strain, the allrounder put in extra work on his batting with Ricky Ponting

Melinda Farrell21-Jun-2019Marcus Stoinis feared his World Cup was over when he suffered the side strain which kept him out of Australia’s team for two matches. Stoinis returned to the side and took two wickets in the 48-run win against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge and also contributed an unbeaten 17 with the bat.Australia flew Mitchell Marsh, who was already heading to England for an Australia A tour, over early as cover while Stoinis’ fitness was assessed and he admitted he feared the worst when he felt the pain in his side while bowling in Australia’s group match against India.”Your mind goes there,” said Stoinis. “But I think once everything sort of settled you knew it was going to be alright. My initial thought when I did it in the second over was ‘oh no, I’m out of the World Cup’.”The last couple of weeks have been so exciting and a bit of a roller coaster. I was a bit down in the dumps after I hurt myself. And again now I’m back in the team and able to do my thing.”ALSO READ: New David Warner, same old wheelhouseHis absence forced changes to Australia’s batting and bowling line-ups against Pakistan and Sri Lanka which threatened to upset the balance of the side, although they were successful in the two matches he sat out. But Stoinis said, while the initial prognosis was unclear, he had to recover sufficiently by the game against Bangladesh to stay in the squad.

Ricky Ponting feeds the bowling machine for Marcus Stoinis and offers lots of encouragement and advice. #AUSvBAN #CWC19 @ESPNcricinfo pic.twitter.com/ySuOsQmqqd

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) June 19, 2019

“We didn’t put a time on it. The support staff did a really good job with that and not over reacting. At least going into this game, this was the deadline. I spent a bit of time with [David Beakley], the physio, and the doc. We were just doing some exercises on the side. A lot of icing at night. There’s not much you can do outside of ice and get on the [resistance band] to get the muscle moving, really.”Stoinis added he was generally able to bowl at full pace against Bangladesh and was confident he could get through his allocated overs.”It’s different bowling in the nets and once the adrenaline gets going in the game. It’s different bowling four overs compared to eight or 10. We weren’t real sure but I was always confident.”Before he was back bowling at training, Stoinis continued to work on his batting in the nets and had a lengthy one-on-one session with Ricky Ponting feeding a bowling machine the day before his return to the side.”If I could have one person in the world if I could have picked them when I was young to be coaching me in my batting, it would have been Ricky Ponting,” he said. “He is an absolute legend, he’s got a lot of knowledge about the game, so we have just been speaking about where he thinks I can go to the next level with my batting and that sort of thing. It’s more just an open discussion, raising points, problem solving as we go. Coming up with different ideas.”Australia now head to London to prepare for their match against England at Lord’s on Tuesday and Stoinis is keen to test his bowling mettle against England’s formidable middle order.”Yeah, it’s going to be a good challenge. Hopefully I can nail some yorkers and bowl some good slower balls because we’ll have to come up with some plans.”Stoinis pointed to Australia’s recent ODI record stretching back to their tours of India and Pakistan as reasons for confidence against England and insisted Australia’s record against them in recent years – they have won just four out of sixteen since the last World Cup and have been defeated in their past six encounters – counted for little in this tournament.”Everyone has been working towards this for a long time,” said Stoinis. “We’ve got two of the best players in the world who have come back into our side. We’re doing things at the right time.”

India A completed a three-day rout of Sri Lanka A in their first four-day match in Belgavi, courtesy compelling batting performances from captain Priyank Panchal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Anmolpreet Singh, and Rahul Chahar’s wizardry with the ball.Panchal and Abhimanyu set the tone with a 352-run opening stand on the first day that paved the way for India A’s declaration after scoring a mammoth 622 for 5. Panchal, who made 160 of those runs, carried on his good form from the series against England Lions in February, where he registered scores of 206 and 50 in the two four-day games.Abhimanyu, meanwhile, recorded a career-best 321-ball 233 – his second double-century – to leave his mark and give the selectors another option for the top of the batting order in Test cricket, outside of the current top three – KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw.Anmolpreet registered a fourth first-class century in just his 15th game. His unbeaten 116 took his career average to an impressive 54.95. It’s these batting performances that gave India A the cushion of enforcing the follow-on, which was made possible courtesy legspinner Chahar’s four-wicket haul in the first innings.Despite boasting of a number of international cricketers in their ranks, all Sri Lanka A managed was 232 in 62.4 overs, with Niroshan Dickwella, the Test wicketkeeper, top-scoring with a typically aggressive 113-ball 103. The next best was the 49 made by Ashan Priyanjan, the captain. Chahar’s efforts were backed up by Sandeep Warrier and allrounder Shivam Dube, who picked up two wickets apiece.In the second innings, Sri Lanka A fared worse. Facing a 390-run deficit, they slumped to 4 for 3 courtesy Ankit Rajpoot and Warrier. Priyanjan and Sadeera Samarawickrama led a brief revival, before they fell to Chahar again. The 20-year-old, who enjoyed a breakout IPL season with Mumbai Indians, picked up four more wickets to take his match tally to an impressive 8 for 123. Rajpoot, Warrier and offspinner Jayant Yadav got two wickets each too.The second four-dayer will be played in Hubli from May 31.

يفتتح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي أهلي جدة مشواره ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة 2024-2025 بمواجهة برسبوليس الإيراني.

ويحل بيرسبوليس ضيفًا على الأهلي، اليوم الإثنين، في الجولة الأولى من الدور الأول بالبطولة الآسيوية بشكلها الجديد.

فيديو | النصر يخطف تعادلًا قاتلًا من الأهلي في الدوري السعودي

وتلعب بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا (النخبة) الجديدة بطريقة مختلفة، إذ تم تقسيم الـ24 فريق المشاركين في مرحلة الدوري، إلى مجموعتي شرق وغرب تضم كل منهما 12 فريق، ويتأهل من كل منهما 8 فرق لدور الـ16، الذي يلعب بنظام خروج المغلوب.

وأكد المدرب الإسباني خوان كارلوس جاريدو المدير الفني لفريق بيرسبوليس الإيراني ومدرب النادي الأهلي الأسبق، أنه ينتظره مباراة قوية أمام النادي السعودي.

وقال جاريدو في المؤتمر الصحفي الذي يسبق اللقاء: “نحترم الأهلي ونعلم أنه فريق قوي، ولديه لاعبين كبار، لكني أثق في لاعبي فريقي بشكل كامل، يجب ألا نتجاهل قيمتهم، وهدفنا تحقيق الفوز”.

موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة النصر والشرطة العراقي اليوم في دوري أبطال آسيا

وفي الوقت ذاته علق روبيرتو فيرمينو مهاجم الأهلي السعودي، على اللقاء المرتقب قائلًا: “علمنا أن الجماهير اشترت التذاكر كاملة، وهذا أمر أكثر من رائع، ويمثل حافزًا إضافيًا لنا، لرد الدين للمشجعين، وننتظر دعمهم المعتاد في الملعب”. موعد مباراة الأهلي وبرسيبوليس في دوري أبطال آسيا

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق مباراة الأهلي وبرسيبوليس في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وبرسيبوليس اليوم

ومن المنتظر أن تذاع المباراة عبر فضائية bein sports afc 3 الناقل الحصري لمبارايات دوري أبطال آسيا، وقناة SSC 1HD. معلقي مباراة الأهلي وبرسيبوليس اليوم

وأسندت شبكة قنوات بي إن سبورتس مهمة نقل أحداث وفعاليات المباراة للمعلق الجزائري حفيظ دراجي، بينما يعلق كل من فارس عوض وعبد العزيز السبر عبر قناة SSC.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Ella Toone admits she was “in love with” Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United and has a video message from the Portuguese “saved”.

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• England star started out in Red Devils academy
• Idolised Portuguese icon at Old Trafford
• Now an inspirational figure in her own right

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international started out in the Red Devils academy system before having to spread her wings at Blackburn and Manchester City. She returned to her roots, and the club that she grew up supporting, when they re-established a women’s team in 2018.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Toone has become the first player to pass 50 appearances for United’s women’s side, as she becomes an inspirational figure in her own right, but the Euro 2022 winner concedes that she was very much a Ronaldo fan girl in her younger years.

• WHAT TOONE SAID

  The 24-year-old playmaker has told of idolising CR7: “I always say it. He's probably had such an impact on my career, the way that I wanted to be and that was Cristiano Ronaldo. I wore his boots. I wore the No 7 shirt. I was in love with him at Manchester United and the skills that he did and the confidence he played with.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite being an international performer herself, Toone is yet to cross paths with Ronaldo. She added: “I didn't actually get to meet him. I did see him one time, the girls were all looking through the window going: 'That's Ronaldo!' He did send me a video once and I've got that saved in the favourites!”

Ex-managing director Fabio Paratici, who is said to still advise Tottenham regularly off-the-field, has more words of wisdom for chairman Daniel Levy.

Paratici's active consultancy role for Spurs

Last year, Paratici was forced to officially resign as the club's leading transfer chief following his 30-month worldwide FIFA ban from all footballing activities.

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The Italian, who played a key role in securing deals for popular members of Ange Postecoglou's squad, like Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur among others, does however remain influential.

Paratici apparently pulled the strings in a move for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who's enjoyed an absolutely brilliant debut season as one of the Premier League's most consistent shot-stoppers.

The 51-year-old's unofficial role is on a consultancy basis, meaning he can still lend a small hand in Spurs' transfer pursuits.

Chief Football Officer Scott Munn currently oversees the Lilywhites' footballing recruitment, with new technical director Johan Lange assuming a similar role to that of Paratici's former post.

Timo Werner

Arrival

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Eric Dier

Exit

Djed Spence

Exit

Ashley Phillips

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Sergio Reguilon

Exit

Japhet Tanganga

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Ivan Perisic

Exit

This comes amid Tottenham's widely reported hunt for another central midfielder if Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leaves, with links still surrounding Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

Spurs are still firm admirers of Gallagher and could make a move before deadline day, but as time runs out and Chelsea's demands are said to be high, the club also have alternative names on the agenda.

One of them is Atalanta star Ederson, with a report by Corriere Torino sharing an update on their fondness for the Brazilian.

Paratici tells Spurs to sign Ederson with an approach made

According to the Italian news outlet, as relayed by Sport Witness, Paratici has personally recommended Ederson to Spurs and an approach has been made for him.

Juventus are also said to be keen on the 24-year-old who's been a key player for Atalanta, so Tottenham potentially beating them to his signature, courtesy of Juve's ex-transfer chief, would be a sore one to take from the Old Lady's perspective.

The South American is among Atalanta's best-performing players per 90, according to WhoScored, not to mention their chief attackers in terms of goals and assists.

Former Atalanta striker German Denis even went as far as to call Ederson the club's "most important player" right now.

“He is the most important player, the one who can never be missing among the starters," said Denis in an interview with Corriere di Bergamo (via Atalantini.online).

"I like this year a lot, he has improved and does a lot of work in midfield, both in the defensive and offensive phases. Muriel? Lucho is the second player I like the most because when he is in shape he turns the game around, he has great quality shots and intuitions, he is fun."