All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal could potentially explore a deal for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer according to journalist Dean Jones.

How much does Moussa Diaby cost?

Reports have stated that the German side are holding out for £51m for one of their star assets

The report also mentions that Arsenal are joined in the race for the Frenchman by Manchester United, Newcastle United, and the forward's former side Paris Saint-Germain.

It's claimed the 23-year-old has his sights set on a move to the Premier League as his next career step after four successful seasons in Germany.

Leverkusen already seem to be preparing for the French international's potential departure, with the recent signing of German winger Jonas Hoffman from Borussia Monchengladbach paving the way for the forward's possible departure this summer.

According to Jones, who was speaking on The Football Terrace's Done Deal show, Diaby has been angling for a move away from the Bundesliga since January, and should the Gunners want to act upon their interest, they will have to wait until the "second phase" of the transfer window:

"Diaby, amazingly, still looking for a club. He's been linked with everyone since January and has not actually tied anything off. Definitely someone who has been of interest to Arsenal, so I wouldn't rule it out, especially if this window wears on, and he is still looking for a club.

"Moussa Diaby is someone that Arsenal do like, but again that would be for the second phase of this window. The focus has been so heavily on getting these three guys [Havertz, Rice, Timber] through the door that there is no certainty over who they go for in that position yet, so let's wait until the mini-clearout starts to take place."

Will Diaby play with Saka?

Should the north London side complete a deal for Diaby, he will offer some incredible competition for Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side.

One complaint that some Arsenal fans had last season was the lack of real competition and rotation for the Englishman, who played a whopping 3195 minutes in the Premier League for the Gunners. The winger ended the season having clocked up 4169 minutes across all competitions for club and country and the effects of fatigue were really showing, managing just two goals and one assist in the final eight games of a really grueling campaign.

The arrival of the Frenchman in conjunction with the new deal for academy graduate Reiss Nelson should allow manager Mikel Arteta to properly rotate his right-wingers, allowing Saka to focus on the biggest games and the biggest moments for the Gunners next season across both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Diaby – hailed a "beast" – shares a very similar play style to Arsenal's number seven, with both forwards very direct in nature, whilst having the ability to create and score chances almost at will, as showcased by the pair's goal contribution numbers, with the Leverkusen man managing 14 goals and 11 assists in 48 games whilst the Gunners star produced 15 goals and 11 assists in 48 games.

The former PSG player is also a very versatile attacker, having played across the entire front three for his club last campaign, as well as in attacking midfield. This flexibility opens up a whole range of possibilities regarding the setup of Arsenal's attack and could allow both Saka and Diaby to play together.

No formal hearing was needed since both players accepted the sanctions proposed by Graeme La Brooy, the ICC match referee

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2017Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran and Mohammad Nabi have been warned by the ICC for breaching the Code of Conduct in two separate incidents during the side’s inning and 172-run win over Ireland at the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Greater Noida last week.Dawlat fired a throw that hit Peter Chase, Ireland’s No. 11, on his leg in the first innings. The action was deemed offensive as Chase, firmly inside the crease, wasn’t trying to attempt a run. In addition to the reprimand, Dawlat also had three demerit points against his name.Nabi, meanwhile, was found guilty of breaching a code that deals with “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” The incident occurred early in Ireland’s first innings when he appealed and celebrated a catch that popped off Andy Balbirne’s bat even though he had clearly grassed the opportunity.No formal hearing was needed since both players accepted the sanctions proposed by Graeme La Brooy, the match referee. Nabi was given one demerit point for the offence.Four or more demerit points within a 24-month period will be converted into suspension points. Players with two suspension points against their name stand to earn a ban from either an ICC Intercontinental Cup match, two ODIs or two T20Is, depending on whichever comes first.

FootballFanCast previews Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge at Chelsea, a Stamford Bridge clash against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on the first Sunday of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

When is the match and is it on UK TV?

The match takes place on Sunday, August 13th, with the game slated to kick off at 4:30pm GMT.

Whilst the official UK broadcasters are yet to be confirmed for this game, based upon the timing of the match and the fact that it is two 'big six' teams facing one another, it is assumed that Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will be the channels to watch the game on.

Who is Chelsea's key player?

Despite being 38 years old, Thiago Silva is still the rock that Chelsea builds their defensive success upon.

His reading of the game is still exemplary, and his leadership skills help to bring the best out of those around him.

Whilst Pochettino will be working on fixing the club's misfiring attack, having Silva maintain the side's strong defence will be vital for the Blues

Who is Liverpool's key player?

Mohamed Salah has lit up the Premier League since the day he arrived at Merseyside, and his consistency and threat are so important for Klopp's side.

The Egyptian has recorded an insane 199 goal contributions in 218 games for the club in the Premier League.

His fantastic dribbling quality in addition to his world-class finishing ability and chance creation could be the difference for the Reds on the opening day against a strong Chelsea defence.

How will Chelsea line up?

Predicting Chelsea's lineup for the opening day is incredibly difficult, with factors such as the new appointment of Pochettino as well as the potential sales of a number of previous starters making it a tough task.

The London side is heavily linked with Brighton's Moises Caicedo, who would replace the outgoing pair of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, as well as young forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal. T

he club is also linked with moves for a goalkeeper, additional midfielders and a forward as they look to replace a number of their rumoured outgoing players; which include Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and more.

The Blues will be hoping that new addition Christopher Nkunku will be fit and ready to play after an injury-hit season with RB Leipzig and can help solve their goal-scoring problems, while both Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja will be hoping to come back from their long-term injuries.

Pochettino has shown a lot of tactical flexibility in the past and could make a return to the 4-2-3-1 system he utilised at Tottenham Hotspur.

Should he choose to employ that system, Chelsea could line up like this:

Kepa Arrizabalaga; Reece James, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku.

How will Liverpool line up?

The big question with Liverpool's lineup is whether Klopp will stick with the new system that he used at the backend of last season, which involved Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting into midfield, or return to his more traditional 4-3-3 system.

The Reds recently announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, whilst also being heavily linked with moves for Khephren Thuram, Kouadio Kone, Ryan Gravenberch, Gabri Veiga and Nicolo Barella to bolster their midfield. Reports have also stated that the Merseyside outfit is interested in a centre-back this summer as well.

The return from injury by Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic will be massive for the side, with both Spaniards impressing last campaign, however, they may only be fit enough for a place on the bench.

Should Liverpool stick with their inverted system which brought them success at the back end of last season, they could line up like this:

Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho, Alexis Mac Allister, Khephren Thuram, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez.

What were the last 5 league meetings between the two teams?

The last 5 league clashes between Chelsea and Liverpool have resulted in only one win; for Chelsea in March 2021 when Mount scored the only goal at Anfield.

Since then the two sides have played out four consecutive Premier League draws, six consecutive draws in all competitions, with the most recent two league games being goalless affairs.

The best game between these two clubs in the Premier League recently was the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in January 2022, when the Blues came back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Kovacic and Christian Pulisic to earn a point in an end-to-end contest.

April 2023: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool January 2023: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea January 2022: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool August 2021: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea March 2021: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

Every Opening Day Premier League Fixture in FULL

Who is going to win?

It looks set to be an entertaining clash between two close-matched sides, however, the amount of uncertainty within Chelsea due to the new manager, the poor 2022/23 campaign and the potentially massive squad overhaul opens the door for a more settled Liverpool side who showcased that they can still perform at their consistent standard at the end of last season to take control of the match and win their first league game at Stamford Bridge in three years.

FFC predicts: Liverpool win

The PSL has confirmed that the Decision Review System will be used for the tournament’s three play-off matches starting from Tuesday

Danyal Rasool28-Feb-2017The PSL has confirmed that the Decision Review System will be used for the tournament’s three play-off matches starting from Tuesday. The tournament’s chairman Najam Sethi made the decision public by tweeting, “another first from #HBLPSL. DRS to be used in the #HBLPSL play-off matches.”While the ball-tracking technology Hawk-Eye has been used as a tool by the broadcasters since the start of the PSL, it has not been part of the umpires’ decision-making process. This development possibly also marks the first time DRS will be used in a T20 contest at either franchise or international level. Each side will be allowed one review per innings in the same way the technology is used at ODI level.DRS is, however, not expected to be available for the PSL final, which Sethi announced yesterday would be held in Lahore, as the company handling the Hawk-Eye technology will not travel to Pakistan.Earlier this month, the ICC chief executives committee gave an in-principle approval for use of DRS for the first time in an ICC T20 tournament in 2018, with one review per team in the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.

Manchester United’s summer transfer plans won’t be affected by the ongoing takeover saga, Sky Sports report.

What’s the latest Man United news?

The Glazers are still yet to make a concrete decision when it comes to a potential Old Trafford sale, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe still waiting to see if their bids have been successful.

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag are also yet to bolster the squad with any new signings, and there has been previous speculation that there are concerns from Old Trafford that the takeover process could derail Ten Hag’s summer plans.

Sky Sports shared an update from Old Trafford regarding the takeover saga, claiming that the Glazers are still considering offers from Jassim and Ratcliffe. However, they have learned that the club’s transfer plans “won’t be affected” as there is “enough cash available” currently to bolster Ten Hag’s squad, within FFP rules, in what is a positive transfer update.

“The Glazer family are still considering bids from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

“According to sources close to United, summer recruitment won’t be affected by the results, with enough cash available to enable United boss Erik ten Hag to invest in the team, although Financial Fair Play rules will limit what can be spent.”

Who could Man United sign this summer?

There could be plenty of incomings and outgoings, with up to 13 players reportedly up for sale at United this summer. Should a number of players move on, that could increase the funds available to Ten Hag.

A key target in recent weeks has been Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with the Red Devils making a number of offers, with a £55m bid still on the table.

Alongside a new midfielder, a new goalkeeper could also be on the cards, with David de Gea’s future still up in the air with his contract set to expire at the end of the month. Inter Milan’s Andre Onana looks to be the key target to potentially come in as first choice for De Gea, with a bid being readied in Manchester.

Should a couple of high-profile additions come in over the next few weeks such as Mount and Onana, it may relieve some stress for Ten Hag with pre-season just around the corner, and by the looks of it, nothing is stopping that from happening, so supporters will be hoping to see some activity over the coming weeks.

Six group matches and both games on Finals Day in the second edition of the Kia Super League will be broadcast by Sky Sports

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2017Six group matches and both games on Finals Day in the second edition of the Kia Super League will be broadcast by Sky Sports. The live matches begin with a rematch of last year’s final between the defending champions Southern Vipers and Western Storm on August 10 and also includes the Roses clash between Yorkshire Diamonds and Lancashire Thunder at Headingley the following day.The six group matches will form double-headers with NatWest T20 Blast matches while Finals Day is a standalone event taking place on Friday, September 1 at Hove.Live TV fixtures

August 10
Southern Vipers v Western Storm (Ageas Bowl)
August 11
Yorkshire Diamonds v Lancashire Thunder (Headingley)
August 12
Western Storm v Loughborough Lightning (Taunton)
August 13
Surrey Stars v Yorkshire Diamonds (The Oval)
August 15
Loughborough Lightning v Southern Vipers (Derby)
August 16
Lancashire Thunder v Surrey Stars (Old Trafford)
September 1
Finals Day (Hove)

There was some criticism last year when the tournament launched without any TV coverage, given the success of the WBBL in Australia. Reasons ranged from the somewhat last-minute confirmation of the final details for the tournament, an already full television schedule and a perceived lack of faith in the product that would be on show.For 2017, however, there appears a much more joined-up effort to promote the tournament by making use of the NatWest Blast for double-header match days and the staging of the finals the day before the T20 Blast Finals Day to ensure it can be broadcast.Clare Connor, the ECB’s director of women’s cricket, said: “At the end of last summer I said that I was immensely proud of what the Kia Super League had achieved during its first season, but equally I stressed that there was still considerable growth potential for the competition.”Moving into year two I am therefore delighted to announce the next historic moment in the development of the domestic women’s game in this country, with six group stage matches plus finals day due to be televised live on Sky Sports, alongside enhanced levels of broadcast coverage throughout the competition on BBC radio.”In total, we will be taking the Kia Super League to 14 different venues during the season, which presents a fantastic platform to spread the game to new audiences across the country. Alongside the Women’s World Cup in June and July, we have a brilliant opportunity to showcase the sport this summer, grow our participation base and inspire more fans than ever before to watch and get involved with women’s cricket.”

Liverpool are in the process of a midfield rebuild at Anfield this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia?

According to The Independent's chief football writer Miguel Delaney, Liverpool are in a four-way battle to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia.

As per his most recent article, Delaney claims Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea join the Reds in the race to sign the midfielder this summer and it is expected that Saints will command a fee of £45m to part ways with their youthful asset.

Who would Romeo Lavia replace in the Liverpool team?

Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke have got off to a great start this summer with the signing of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister earlier this month.

When assessing the talent that Liverpool have been linked to this summer, including Khephren Thuram and Kouadio 'Manu' Kone, they appear to be targeting more youthful prospects who can develop into superstars at Anfield like those before them, instead of opting for more experienced and short-term solutions to bolster depth.

As a result, the signing of Lavia would be a fantastic opportunity for the Reds to inject another rising star into their successful squad, and he could be the dream understudy for Fabinho next season.

Over 29 Premier League appearances last season, the 19-year-old talent – hailed "perfect" by reporter Nick Emms – has tallied up an 86% pass completion rate and successfully completed 68% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.1 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 4.9 duels won per game.

Not only that, Lavia ranks in the top 12% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues in 2022/23 for possession won, compared to Fabinho who ranked in the top 41%, demonstrating that the youngster is already showing stronger ball-winning capabilities than his Brazilian peer on Merseyside.

Liverpool have had huge success when acquiring the services of Southampton's talent with Adam Lallana, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane just three of the players who have switched their allegiance to the six-time Champions League winners and thrived in the process.

With that being said, if the club could secure the services of Lavia, who Benjy Nurick views as a "monster", it would be a major coup and provide Klopp with a quality player to deploy instead of Fabinho, who could ultimately replace the Liverpool ace all-together in the defensive midfield role.

Yorkshire fast bowler Matthew Fisher has been named as England Under-19s captain for their five-match one-day series in India

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2016Yorkshire fast bowler Matthew Fisher is set to make his comeback after an injury-plagued year having been named captain of England Under-19s for their tour of India. England will be led by Fisher in five one-dayers in January and February, followed by two four-day matches when Middlesex’s Max Holden will take charge.Fisher first played for England U-19s as a 15-year-old in 2013, having become the youngest post-war cricketer when selected for Yorkshire in a 40-over match the same summer. His Championship debut came two years later but he did not manage a first-team appearance in 2016 after suffering a hamstring problem early in the season.The England squad contains 10 uncapped players, four of whom were not involved in the Young Lions December training camp in Dubai: Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White and Somerset’s Louie Shaw, who are both left-arm spinners, and seamers Henry Brookes of Warwickshire, and Jack Bruce of Middlesex. Six players – Amar Virdi, George Scrimshaw, Ed Barnes, Josh Coughlin, Ben Green and George Panayi – have been ruled out by injury.Among the new faces is Sussex’s left-arm spinning allrounder Delray Rawlins, who was born in Bermuda but qualifies for England on residency. Rawlins made his Bermuda debut at the age of 15, playing in ICC WCL Division Three in 2013.Fixtures

1st Youth ODI – Jan 30, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

2nd Youth ODI – Feb 1, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

3rd Youth ODI – Feb 3, Brabourne Stadium

4th Youth ODI – Feb 6, Wankhede Stadium

5th Youth ODI – Feb 8, Wankhede Stadium

1st Youth Test – Feb 13-16, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

2nd Youth Test – Feb 21-24, MA Chidambaram Stadium

David Graveney, the Under-19s chairman of selectors, said: “Touring India at any level is challenging, as the senior England team would confirm. But that is why it is so valuable to be able to expose our best young players to these challenges at Under-19 level.”We expect the India team to be very strong, as they showed in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year and again in the Asia Cup, under the supervision of Rahul Dravid. So this is a huge opportunity for the 15 players who have been selected, especially with a return series against India at home next summer.”It is a major boost to have the ability and experience of Matthew Fisher back in the squad. He was a key figure in England’s success in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in Dubai, and after he was affected by injuries in the 2016 summer this is a good opportunity for him to test himself against his contemporaries in different conditions in India.”Andy Hurry, the Young Lions head coach, will take charge of the tour to India, which will see the one-day games played in Mumbai before moving on to Chennai for the four-day fixtures. England batting coach Mark Ramprakash, Sussex’s Jon Lewis and ECB spin-bowling coach Peter Such will make up the backroom staff.England Under-19s squad: Matthew Fisher (one-day capt), Max Holden (four-day capt), Harry Brook, George Bartlett, Euan Woods, Will Jacks, Delray Rawlins, Ollie Pope, Tom Banton, Liam Patterson-White, Louie Shaw, Aaron Beard, Jack Blatherwick, Henry Brookes, Jack Bruce

An update has emerged on Chelsea and their ongoing plans to reshape their playing squad after they finished in the bottom half of the Premier League in the season just gone.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Mauricio Pochettino is in the market to bolster his options in the middle of the park and Sandro Tonali has emerged as a potential option instead of Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

The Athletic's David Ornstein has reported that the Blues have had an offer of £60m turned down for the Ecuador international and that they are now considering a number of alternatives, including the AC Milan commander.

This is alongside their pursuit of a deal for Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, who is seemingly closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge from the Spanish side after agreeing terms with the Blues. The reporter tweeted:

"Chelsea have agreed terms with Nicolas Jackson + intend to strike deal with Villarreal. €35m clause if needed. 21yo striker has committed. + #BHAFC rejected £60m #CFC Caicedo bid 2wks ago – Lavia, Kone, Tonali, Barella among alternatives."

Ornstein's article, which is attached to his Tweet, does not reveal how much it would take to snatch Tonali away from the Champions League semi-finalists but the Italian international is on the club's list of targets this summer.

Who is Sandro Tonali?

The 23-year-old Milan ace is a defensive midfielder who has the quality to make an impact at both ends of the pitch with his defensive awareness and creativity.

Whilst it remains to be seen how much the Italian giants would demand for his services, Football Transfers estimates his market value to be in the region of €68m (£58m), which is significantly more than the €39.7m (£34m) he was valued at in June 2022.

This shows that the young maestro, who scout Jacek Kulig hailed as "Il Comandante", has been building his value over the last 12 months and that Chelsea would be bringing in a player who is on the up, rather than a depreciating asset with no sell-on potential.

Tonali enjoyed a terrific 2022/23 campaign in the Serie A with Milan. The Italian commander, who was once lauded as “extraordinary” by former Brescia manager Eugenio Corini, averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21 across 34 appearances in the division and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 key passes per match.

Only Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante (both with a score of 7.26) averaged a higher rating in the Premier League and only Kante (1.9) created more chances per game than the £76k-per-week dynamo.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the running to sign Fiorentina sensation, Sofyan Amrabat this summer, with new boss Ange Postecoglou seemingly seeking to strengthen his midfield ranks ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Tottenham?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the 26-year-old is said to be among those who the ex-Celtic manager is targetting ahead of the upcoming window, with the Lilywhites attempting to 'overtake' their rival suitors in the race for the Morocco international's signature.

The report suggests that while the former Club Brugge ace has also spoken to Barcelona boss Xavi, regarding a potential move to Camp Nou, the north Londoners are seemingly intent on putting themselves at the front of the queue, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich also sniffing around.

The piece goes on to add that the Netherlands-born maestro – who has just a year left to run on his existing deal in Florence – could command a fee of around €30m (£26m), making him a potentially affordable option for Postecoglou and co.

Should Tottenham sign Sofyan Amrabat?

The signing of the in-demand ace – who was hailed as the "best centre midfielder" at the World Cup in Qatar by journalist Carlo Garganese – could well help Postecoglou to find a dream partner to current Spurs star, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With the latter man offering a destructive and dominant force at the base of the midfield, having averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game this season in the Premier League, Amrabat could well be a perfect foil due to his innate ball-playing prowess.

The one-time Utrecht ace notably ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for progressive passes as well as in the top 5% for pass completion as a marker of that ability to dictate play in the centre of the park, having also averaged a standout 90% pass accuracy rate in Serie A in 2022/23.

The 48-cap titan's quality was notably on show in the recent Europa Conference League final clash with West Ham United, with journalist Muhammad Butt writing that the Fiorentina gem had taken midfield counterpart, Declan Rice "to school" as a sign of his dominance, despite ending up on the losing side.

Hailed as "criminally underrated" by Butt in contrast to Rice – who could fetch around £92m this summer amid interest from Arsenal – the £32k-per-week star put on an "absolute clinic" in that showpiece tussle, according to writer Zach Lowy.

That outing notably saw Amrabat win nine duels and make 99 touches as a marker of his influence on the game, while the West Ham man, by contrast, won just five duels and was restricted to only 41 touches, as per Sofascore.

That ability to win back possession would suggest that the 6 foot 1 ace would also aid Hojbjerg in carrying out his defensive duties, having also averaged 1.3 tackles per game in Serie A this season.

While unlikely to offer much in an attacking sense – as he ranks in just the bottom 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area – Amrabat could then allow the current Spurs man the opportunity to get forward more freely, with the experienced Dane having bagged four goals and five assists in the league in 2022/23 to illustrate his attacking potential.

Although Postecoglou may have a fight on his hands to win the battle for the coveted ace's signature, it could be of real benefit to both himself – and to Hojbjerg – if a deal can be completed.