Setting his sights on further arrivals, Regis Le Bris is reportedly set to drive Sunderland’s move to sign a former Arsenal midfielder who he has already worked with in the past.
Commencing their summer business in style, the Black Cats are reportedly set to break their club-record deal to sign Habib Diarra from Strasbourg before also welcoming Reinildo from Atletico Madrid. An impressive double swoop, Le Bris will have himself a much-needed replacement for Jobe Bellingham as well as key depth at left-back.
Given that Leeds United were also interested in Diarra, Sunderland’s move looks all the more impressive. Those in Wearside, by outbidding another promoted side, are set to make quite the statement.
The Black Cats may not be finished with their spending, however. Names such as Charlie Creswell have threatened to steal the headlines as of late in what would be another big-money deal. The defender has impressed ever since swapping Leeds for French side Toulouse and could now be on his way back to English football as a result.
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Creswell’s arrival would deal Leeds another blow, who could watch on as their former player stars elsewhere in the Premier League next season. That said, he’s not the only name on Sunderland’s reported radar.
As well as strengthening their backline, those at the Stadium of Light have also reportedly turned their focus back towards their midfield and signing an ex-Arsenal player. Perhaps attempting to find a partner for Diarra, Le Bris is now reportedly driving the move.
Le Bris driving move to sign Matteo Guendouzi
According to their former chief scout Mick Brown, Le Bris is set to be the “driving force” as Sunderland race to sign Matteo Guendouzi. The Frenchman previously worked under the Sunderland boss during their time together at FC Lorient’s B team several years ago and could now finally have the chance to reunite with his former manager.
Speaking about the potential deal, Brown told Football Insider: “Sunderland are in a position where they feel they need to strengthen their squad. They need Premier League-level players and to get those you have to be ambitious in the market.
“A lot of it will depend on what sort of fee his club are going to demand for him. The manager is playing a big role in their recruitment so far and did the same when they were in the Championship, he appears to have good relationships in France. He’s worked with Guendouzi before and he’s going to be the driving force behind the move.”
Previously dubbed “impressive” by former Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce, Guendouzi has unfinished business in the Premier League and could have the chance to return from Lazio with a bang courtesy of the Black Cats this summer.
Khawaja is also wary of the threat posed by the other India quicks
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2024Australia opener Usman Khawaja feels that Jasprit Bumrah’s unique action makes him awkward to face at first, but batting against the India fast bowler gets better once you get used to it.Khawaja, who has faced 155 deliveries from Bumrah across seven Test innings, has scored 43 runs against him without getting dismissed.”I mean, when you first face him, it’s just his action. It’s a different, bizarre kind of action as his release point is very different than other bowlers,” Khawaja told . “It’s just a bit further up. So a lot of guys release the ball from near the popping crease. [Against Bumrah] it feels like he gets a bit further out just with his front braced leg and pushes the ball out.Related
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“So it feels like it comes out and then gets there a lot quicker than you expect it. It’s just once you get used to the action, it’s fine. I played against him a lot. Not to say that he can’t give me out first ball. I mean anyone can. But it’s one of those things where once the first time you face him, it’s very awkward and then when you get a little bit of rhythm it gets better. But he’s still a class bowler.”With Australia set to have a new opener in Nathan McSweeney and with their big guns down the order under some scrutiny, the onus will be on Khawaja to start strongly in the five-match series against India.Khawaja feels there is a lot more in the Indian attack to worry about than just Bumrah. “Everyone talks about Jasprit, but they actually have a lot of other good bowlers,” Khawaja said. “I think [Mohammed] Siraj is a very good bowler. He’s a very good bowler to both right-handers and left-handers. When [Mohammed] Shami was fit, when he was playing those series, he was a very good bowler. He was very underrated. No one really talked about him. And then they got good spinners lining up, too, which really complements their fast bowlers.””So for me it’s never … I’m just not thinking about Jasprit Bumrah. You want to ask me where do you think… I’m not thinking about where he is getting me out. I’m thinking about where am I scoring runs against him. And I’m sure all good batsmen would tell you exactly the same thing because if he misses, well, then I’m coming and then if he bowls good stuff, then I’ll respect that. So that’s just Test cricket.”The five-match series begins with the Perth Test from November 22.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a fantastic campaign under Oliver Glasner and now look set to put some of their new-found appeal to use in the transfer market.
Crystal Palace set to build on wonderful campaign
After defying the odds to record a remarkable FA Cup triumph, Crystal Palace now have the feather in their cap of being Europa League participants next term, which is bound to attract prospective recruits.
Glasner has made quite an impact since walking through the doors of Selhurst Park and has re-affirmed his commitment to the Eagles despite his prowess in the dugout not going unnoticed.
He stated: “I have one more year left, and now we are speaking about next season. Everything that happens after July 1 2026 we don’t talk about this at the moment. It is too far away.
“We are talking about this year, and that is why I am 100 per cent committed. I have a contract and I have no other things on my mind.”
With his future at the club secure, Crystal Palace are expected to be active on the market and have identified Strasbourg forward Emanuel Emegha as an ambitious target to strengthen their forward line ahead of next season.
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The Eagles could swoop in ahead of rival clubs.
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Unlikely to be the only arrival in South London, Mainz star Nadiem Amiri is also on the Eagles’ list as they look to the continent for fresh blood to help their European push.
Everyone connected with the club is experiencing an elevated level of excitement about the future. Arguably, Crystal Palace’s appeal has never been greater, and that can help to attract talent from global markets.
That said, Glasner is now reportedly intensifying advances to bring a talented gem to Selhurst Park that could be a star of years to come.
Crystal Palace intensify move for Faveurdi Bongeli
According to Africa Foot, Crystal Palace are stepping up talks to sign Tout-Puissant Mazembe winger Faveurdi Bongeli amid rival interest from Burnley in the 18-year-old.
Capable of playing on either flank, illustrating a degree of versatility, the youngster is also said to be on the radar of Borussia Monchengladbach, Dunkirk, Sint-Truiden and other clubs in England and Germany.
Faveurdi Bongeli’s statistics in 2024/25 – all competitions
Appearances
4
Goals
0
Assists
0
It is unclear whether he would go straight into the senior set-up or spend a period in Crystal Palace’s development squad before making the step-up, should a move occur.
Nevertheless, there is room for another wide player in Glasner’s squad to help complement the likes of Ismaila Sarr moving forward. Depth could be key to staking a claim in the Europa League, and Bongeli appears to be a star in the making with a number of clubs keen.
Now, it remains to be seen if Bongeli can achieve a dream move to England. Crystal Palace are likely to be in the hunt for several additions this summer, so there is plenty to get excited about for supporters.
Smale, Morris half-centuries set up visitors with bat before Stars crumble in chase
ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2024
Kate Cross claimed a six-wicket haul•Getty Images
Thunder 250 for 8 (Smale 76, Morris 54) beat South East Stars 130 (Chathli 54, Cross 6-40) by 120 runsEngland’s Kate Cross took List A best figures of 6 for 40 as Thunder beat South East Stars by 120 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.Batting first, Thunder made 250 for 8 from their 50 overs, Seren Smale top-scoring with 76 and Fi Morris making 54. Ryana MacDonald-Gay was the Stars’ most potent bowler with three for 42 and she also claimed a run out, while Kalea Moore took 2 for 49.Cross, however, did the damage by claiming the key wickets of Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards in successive balls. Despite a batting 54 from Kira Chathli Stars never really looked like chasing down the target and they were all out for 130 from 36.4 overs.Thunder won the toss and chose to bat on a slow Beckenham track, putting on 53 for the opening wicket before Moore bowled Alice Clark for 23 in the 15th over.MacDonald-Gay bowled Emma Lamb for 24 in the next over, but Smale and Morris shifted the momentum with a 96-run stand that was only broken when the latter chipped a Moore full toss to Paige Scholfield at cover.MacDonald-Gay nearly had Smale for 43 in the next over but Chathli couldn’t hang on to an inside edge and she was joined by Ellie Threlkeld, who made 33 before she was cleaned up by MacDonald-Gay. At that point the Thunder were on 205 for 4 with seven overs left but they lost wickets too frequently to mount a serious charge during the death overs.MacDonald-Gay bowled Naomi Dattani for 14 and then ran out Danielle Collins for 1 as she chased a non-existent single, before Smale was smartly run out by Phoebe Franklin going for a second.It was impossible to say who were favourites at halfway but Scholfield was unable to bat in her usual slot due to an injury and the odds tilted further in the visitors’ favour when Cross intervened.Stars skipper Smith went for just 12, caught at extra cover by Clark and Cross’s next delivery bowled Davidson-Richards off the inside edge for a golden duck. Chathli survived the hat-trick ball at the start of the next over and was then dropped off the sixth ball by Dattani when she was on 2.Makeshift opener Chloe Hill made a useful 18 in a partnership of 45 for the third wicket until Sophie Morris had her caught by Clark. Moore was bowled by Dattani for 6 and when Aylish Cranstone was lbw to Fi Morris for 9 Stars’ hopes looked thin.They looked thinner still when the same bowler had Franklin caught for 2 at cover by Cross and wafer-thin when Cross returned at the City End to get Chathli caught at long-on by Fi Morris.In her next over Cross had MacDonald-Gay caught in the deep by Fi Morris for 13 and although Scholfield came in at No. 10, she was batting in visible discomfort and lasted just two balls before chipping Cross to Dattani for 1. An emphatic win was concluded when Cross bowled Dani Gregory for a duck.
Andy Gorvin, Ben Kellaway share seven wickets to knock Yorkshire out
ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2024
Billy Root swings away a pull shot•Getty Images
Glamorgan safely booked a home semi-final slot on Sunday in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as they made it six wins out of eight to top Group B with a 62-run victory over the Yorkshire Vikings at Sophia Gardens.The champions in 2021, Glamorgan had already booked a play-off spot before the final round of games but now avoid having to play a quarter-final game on Friday.A solid 66 from former Yorkshire player Billy Root against his brother Joe’s county was the centre piece in the Welsh side’s total of 230 for 9 in a game reduced to 47 overs a side after early rain. His 56-run partnership with Timm van der Gugten for the ninth wicket proved crucial in hauling the home side past the 200 run mark.The Yorkshire spin attack of Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty tied down the Glamorgan batters with a spell of 20 overs between them that cost only 94 runs. Moriarty ended up with 3 for 47 from his 10 overs.Van der Gugten ended on an unbeaten 34, which included a six and three fours, and then gave Glamorgan the perfect start with a wicket with the first ball of the Yorkshire reply, trapping Harry Duke lbw. He ended with 2 for 32 from his 10 overs to complete a good all-round day.Yorkshire then lurched to 11 for 3 in seven overs as Noah Kelly and William Luxton were both clean bowled. Skipper Jonny Tattersall provided some much needed stability with his 51, enjoying profitable stands of 46 with Yash Vagadia and 59 with Matt Revis as the Vikings improved to 116 for 5.Then a burst of three wickets in 12 balls by Andy Gorvin in the 27th and 29th overs saw Revis (28), Tattersall (51) and George Hill (2) all depart to turn the game even more in favour of the Welsh county.With the required rate rising to more than six per over, Bess hit out before he was caught by Dan Douthwaite for an enterprising 22. That gave spinner Ben Kellaway his second wicket – one with his left arm and the next with his right.At 152 for 8 the Vikings were still 78 short of their total and needing to score at more than seven an over. Kellaway and Gorvin mopped up the tail as Yorkshire were all out for 168.Tattersall won the toss and had no hesitation in asking Glamorgan to bat on an overcast morning. The start was delayed to 11.30am due to light rain and the match reduced to 47 overs.Will Smale and Asa Tribe got off to a flying start for the home side with Smale taking 10 off Dom Leech’s first over. Tribe then sent Ben Cliff’s first ball crashing to the boundary at the other end.But Cliff got his revenge in the sixth over when he removed both openers with his first and last balls. Smale was caught at mid-on trying to hit him over the top for 16 and then Tribe was trapped lbw for 9.That made it 28 for 2 and in his next over Cliff captured the dangerous Sam Northeast for 7 as he was brilliantly caught one handed at slip by George Hill. That made it 40 for 3 and put the Group B table-toppers under considerable pressure.Skipper Kiran Carlson and Colin Ingram brought up the 50 in the last over of the first powerplay with two off-side boundaries from Ingram. Hill struck in the next over to remove Ingram, caught behind by Tattersall for 18.The partnership between Carlson and Ingram was worth 44 and his departure left Glamorgan on 84 for 4. Carlson was trapped lbw on 31 by Leech just after the 100 came up.
Looking ahead to their first attempt to get back into the Premier League next season, Southampton are now reportedly in advanced talks to hire an impressive 32-year-old manager.
Southampton's search for a new manager
The Southampton job isn’t exactly one that every manager will be jumping towards this summer after the Saints suffered relegation from the Premier League. Having opened their season with Russell Martin in the dugout, the Saints were ready to take on the Premier League their way and opt out of simply sitting in a deep defensive block.
As attractive as that approach looked, however, it did not result in much-needed points and those at St Mary’s soon switched their mindsets towards survival, sacking Martin in the process.
Their next decision was always going to be crucial, even if some were already convinced that relegation was looming. Following Martin’s tenure, it wouldn’t have been absurd to suggest that a pragmatic, experienced Premier League manager should have been the way forward, but Southampton took an alternative approach once again – this time hiring Ivan Juric in December.
Southampton manager IvanJuricreacts
Having enjoyed experience at AS Roma, Torino, Genoa and others in Italy, Juric stepped into the Premier League for the first time before enduring a nightmare spell. With one game remaining, the manager has already been sacked and Southampton have their place in history as the second-worst Premier League side in history, with one more point than the historic 2008 Derby County team.
Back at square one ahead of their return to the Championship, names such as Danny Rohl and even Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard have reportedly been among the candidates in the running for the job, but Southampton’s search has continued.
Whilst it could be neither of those young managers, the Saints have since reportedly turned towards an impressive 32-year-old who now looks the likeliest to commence a new era at St Mary’s.
Southampton in advanced talks to hire Will Still
According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Southampton have now approached Will Still and are in advanced talks to hire the 32-year-old manager, who just left Ligue 1 side RC Lens to be closer to his family.
Will Still at RC Lens.
The manager told reporters after his side defeated AS Monaco on the final day of the Ligue 1 season: “I will not be the coach of Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season at Bollaert. For multiple reasons, the main reason behind my decision is that I need to go back home. It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife, for her well-being.”
Back in England, Southampton are now reportedly confident that they will secure Still ahead of next season. The interest of the Saints should come as little surprise, either, given just how successful Still, who plays an attacking 4-3-3 system, has been in France at both Reims and Lens.
For Southampton, should they be successful in their pursuit of Still, they’ll be hiring another young coach to follow on from Martin’s previous spell in charge.
da aviator aposta： Manchester City are now closing in on a “world-class” defender, having recently received a boost in their transfer pursuit, according to a report.
Man City pursuing new full-back
da marjack bet： With captain Kyle Walker being shipped out on loan to AC Milan in January, Matheus Nunes has been filling in at right-back, meaning Man City have now set their sights on a replacement, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro has been identified as a potential target.
Spurs are set to drive a hard bargain for the right-back, having set an asking price of £50m, but the Spaniard is not the only Tottenham defender of interest to City, with left-back Destiny Udogie emerging as a target earlier this month.
The Blues have been pursuing a new left-back for quite some time, and there are a number of options from within the Premier League, including AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, although there could be competition for the Hungarian from Liverpool and Real Madrid.
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Pep Guardiola’s side have also been extensively linked with a move for Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, and a new report from The Sun has revealed they are now closing in on a move for the Italian after receiving a recent boost in their pursuit.
Juventus are advancing towards signing a replacement for Cambiaso, namely Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares, who is currently on loan at Lazio, which indicates they are planning to sell their current left-back in the summer transfer window.
Atalanta's Berat Djimsiti and Marco Brescianini in action with Juventus'AndreaCambiaso
Man City are expected to make a fresh attempt to sign the 25-year-old, who they have been interested in signing since the January transfer window, and reports from elsewhere have stated that a deal could amount to around £54m.
"World-class" Cambiaso could be fantastic signing
Since forcing his way into the first-team, Nico O’Reilly has done a remarkable job at left-back, particularly impressing in an attacking sense, having picked up five goals and two assists in 16 games for City.
However, Guardiola may want to bring in a more experienced option this summer, and there are signs the Juventus defender could be a fantastic signing, given that he has received very high praise from journalist Zach Lowy.
It appears the Italy international is very comfortable in possession of the ball, given the number of passes he has attempted per 90 over the past year, while his pass-completion rate is also very impressive, potentially making the defender a perfect fit in a Guardiola system.
Statistic
Average per 90
Passes attempted
67.05 (92nd percentile)
Pass-completion %
88.5% (96th percentile)
Progressive carries
3.35 (92nd percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.10 (86th percentile)
There may be concerns that Cambiaso’s arrival could stunt O’Reilly’s development, but the Englishman is capable of playing in a number of different positions, so he should still receive regular game time, and the Juventus star could take City’s defence to the next level.
As a spinner, dew can be your biggest nightmare. And when the opponents are cruising at 107 for 2, needing 62 off 48, the challenges are that much greater.R Sai Kishore had bowled three wicketless overs for 19 up until this point. Rohit Sharma was set on 43, and another few overs of him would have all but closed the door on the Gujarat Titans. It’s at this point that Sai Kishore made his mark.”I was actually expecting dew to play a major role,” he said later. “The ball was wet, but for some strange reason, the ball was still holding on the wicket. Usually it slides on, but I was surprised by the amount of purchase I was getting. So I tried to go into the wicket and mix my pace, and go slower through the air.”Related
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Sai Kishore hadn’t featured for Titans all of last season due to team-combination considerations. Even his five appearances prior to that, in 2022, had been staggered. He needed to conjure something special to keep Titans alive, and he did, by simply pulling his length back a touch, and getting the ball to dip.Rohit fell over attempting a sweep and was trapped plumb in front. Sai Kishore had brought the game back on an even keel. His figures of 1 for 24 played a key part in Mumbai’s slowdown, particularly in the second half of their chase, where Titans varied their lengths and bowled into the pitch to deny the batters.”Because the wicket was two-paced, we tried to go into the wicket a lot more, trust our length a lot more than directly going for yorkers,” Sai Kishore said. “That resulted in getting a lot of wickets. It was attacking bowling even if the situation was otherwise.”At Titans, Sai Kishore has had to adapt to being the second spinner to Rashid Khan. In the TNPL or for Tamil Nadu, he’s used as a trump card in the Powerplay. This change of role can be tough, but for someone longing for opportunities, it was the opening he needed.”In the other teams where play I usually do the lead role. To do the second role makes it even more exciting,” Sai Kishore said. “Most people are going to play off Rashid and come after me. That makes the challenge more exciting.”That sync [with Rashid] is there, we discuss the game very well. One of the strengths of this team is everyone sticks together. Jayant [Yadav, the offspinner] also used to come in [as a reserve player] and say ‘do this, do that, it’s going good.’ The communication is always there, which is superb.”Sai Kishore picked up the all-important wicket of Rohit Sharma•BCCI
Sai Kishore felt Titans were at least 10 short of where they’d hoped to be with the bat. The plan all along was to remain in the game for as long as they could and then seize key moments, like they did in the death overs with Mohit Sharma and Rashid building on Sai Kishore’s work.”We felt we were 10 short, but the thing about this whole team and how it has been run over the last two years is we give a lot of emphasis to competing. Whether we win or lose, we’re proud of the way we play. We competed really well. That was the talk given by [head coach] Ashish Nehra as well.”All credit to the culture he has set up over the last two years. People are not thinking about the result [alone], they’re focusing about competing and staying in the game.”Sai Kishore is coming off a sensational Ranji Trophy season, which he finished as the highest wicket-taker. He left his imprint as a captain too, backing young players who thrived because of role clarity.At Titans, Sai Kishore is relishing any opportunity he gets to play, prepared to do the tough job without fearing the consequences. “When you bowl four overs on the trot, it’s like a one-day game, you can be in rhythm a lot easier.”With the Impact Player rule, we’re playing six bowlers. I’m getting the role where I’m bowling four overs on the trot in the middle. I’m open to bowling one-over spells. In [the Syed] Mushtaq Ali [Trophy] or TNPL, that’s how I use my overs but with the quality of bowlers we have, am getting to bowl four overs which I’m enjoying.”
England allrounder discusses hopes of starting a family in future with wife Katherine
ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2024England allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt has revealed that she missed the first T20I against Pakistan after having her eggs frozen with a view to having a family.Sciver-Brunt was not involved at Edgbaston last weekend, due to what was described as a “minor medical procedure”. She has now spoken publicly about the process in a conversation with her wife, former England seamer Katherine Sciver-Brunt, on the PCA’s Under The Lid podcast.”In the period between getting back from New Zealand [where England toured in April] and this [series], I thought it was a great time to go through the egg-freezing process, creating embryos and putting them in the freezer for future use,” she said.”Katherine and myself would love to start a family but I’d also like to continue playing cricket. We are lucky in that there are more options than one. We’re just working out the best way for us to go about it. I’d like to carry a baby when I finish playing cricket and I think Katherine wants to carry a baby as well.”England have been really good. The sports science and medical department are really supportive and have helped me along the way, making sure coming back to cricket has been smooth. After the procedure you’re wiped out for quite a few days.”On missing the first T20I, she said: “I’d only just started back to exercise, so wasn’t quite ready [to play].”She is expected to be involved in the second match against Pakistan, to be played in Northampton on Friday evening.Katherine, who retired last year, said they had begun to explore the process because “there is a timeframe on how fertile you can be”, with Nat, 31, hoping to being involved in the 2028 Olympics before making any further decisions on when to have children.”If Nat was 24 she might want to have a child, then come back and play. At 31, it’s on the verge,” Katherine said. “Freezing the eggs now and having healthy eggs to come back to – it’s great to be able to have that choice because it’s not cheap and very invasive.”