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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.

Despite the success of Faf du Plessis as South Africa’s stand-in Test captain on this tour, AB de Villiers appears set to resume in the position when fully fit

Firdose Moonda in Hobart16-Nov-20162:16

Chappell: Du Plessis should continue as captain

South Africa’s Test captaincy is not up for discussion and will return to AB de Villiers once he is match fit. De Villiers has been sidelined since July with an elbow injury and has been replaced by Faf du Plessis, who has yet to lose a match in his stand-in stint, but will have to hand the job back when de Villiers returns.”At the moment it’s clear to us that Faf is stand-in captain and AB is the current captain when he comes back, looking at his fitness and so on,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors, said after the Hobart Test.Although the board and not the selection panel appointed the captain, Zondi said the directive is likely to be to give de Villiers his job back once he is back on the park. When de Villiers underwent surgery in late September, he was diagnosed as needing eight to ten weeks of recovery time which should put him on track to play the home series in Sri Lanka in December-January. De Villiers will not have had any game time since mid-July, when he turned out for the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League.Zondi has not expressly said de Villiers will need to play some domestic cricket but has indicated that the panel would like him to have some game time. “We will be guided by the medical team in terms of where he is and in terms of match fitness,” Zondi said. “That’s important. He has been away for five months – a long time. For starters, he has to be match fit. We will take it from there.”Should de Villiers need to play some cricket, his only opportunity will come in the domestic T20 competition. There was some talk of de Villiers joining the squad ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide, which is preceded by a two-day warm-up game in Melbourne, in a bid to put himself in contention for the pink ball Test but both coach Russell Domingo and stand-in captain du Plessis had brushed off such suggestions. To that end, de Villiers had not traveled to Australia yet, and it appears unlikely that he will.That would mean du Plessis has at least one more match in charge to add to a legacy against Australia that has already seen the team make history. Du Plessis led the ODI side to a first-ever 5-0 whitewash against Australia and a third successive Test series win in Australia. He has impressed with his skills as skipper and Zondi admitted the selectors were pleased with the way du Plessis had progressed.”We nominated Faf to be a stand-in captain and he has done a very good job,” Zondi said. “It was an easy process for us when the decision was made because he was already a T20 captain. So it was continuation. We are excited to have him as a leader.”It just gives us more options. And we have other guys. Like I said, Hashim Amla, who also brings that experience. We are quite excited about how Faf has shown leadership but we are not going to be carried away.”It may be surprising to hear Zondi mention Amla among the leaders, especially after he stepped down as captain earlier in the year. However, Amla is the most experienced batsman, and in the absence of Dale Steyn, the most experienced member of the squad overall, and although he has only contributed 48 runs across the two Tests, has been involved in team discussions and at the forefront of celebrations.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters during the summer transfer window.

Is Walker-Peters leaving Southampton?

The 26-year-old has been an impressive servant for the Saints down the years, making 120 appearances in total, but he was powerless to prevent the south coast club from being relegated from the Premier League last month.

He is now widely expected to leave St Mary's before the start of the 2023/24 campaign as a result of losing their top-flight status, especially as a two-cap England international approaching his peak years.

It could be that Newcastle are looking to sign a new right-back to provide competition for Kieran Trippier moving forward, particularly with Champions League football to contend with next year and more of a necessity to rotate the squad.

Are Newcastle in the hunt to sign Walker-Peters?

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are weighing up the idea of making a move for Walker-Peters this summer, rating him highly:

"Another player who impressed Newcastle’s staff during their meetings last season is Walker-Peters. The former Tottenham prospect, who has been capped twice by England, can play at both left and right back which would make him a perfect hybrid player for manager Eddie Howe.

"The 26-year-old has refused to commit to staying at Southampton following relegation and could be available for a fee of around £15 million, whereas Arsenal are asking for more than £30 million for Scotland international Kieran Tierney."

Walker-Peters could be an ideal summer addition for Newcastle, coming in as a younger alternative to Trippier – one who could eventually oust him as first-choice right-back over time.

The £23,000-a-week defender has proven himself in the Premier League over an extended period now, scoring three times and registering seven assists in the competition, but he could go up a gear alongside superior players rather than in a struggling Saints team by showcasing his versatility on either flank.

Walker-Peters was lauded as a "fantastic" player by Dele Alli during his days at Tottenham, where he played 24 times, and at 26, he could be considered a fairly long-term signing who could grow into a more formidable player at Newcastle rather than a quick fix.

He is effective at both ends of the pitch, still managing to average two tackles and 1.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season – ranking highly within the side in both departments – and he would surely jump at the chance to join this exciting Magpies project.

CA and CSA have voiced opposition to the WICB’s decision to levy a 20% release fee for NOCs to West Indian cricketers seeking to play in overseas T20 leagues

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Nov-2016Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Cricket Australia (CA) have strongly objected to the WICB’s decision to charge a release fee in order to provide a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to Caribbean players participating in overseas Twenty20 tournaments. The WICB had decided to impose a levy of 20% of a player’s contract fee, which it says should be paid by the host board in order for West Indies players to participate in their T20 tournaments.The news came to light earlier this week when it was leaked that WICB informed Kieron Pollard, on November 3, that he would not be given the NOC to travel to South Africa for their domestic T20 tournament, where he plays for the Cape Cobras.In a subsequent media release on Tuesday, the WICB issued an explanation of its decision, which it said was a policy move made by its board of directors. But later in the day, WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead said Pollard had been granted the NOC without any condition. Muirhead added that the WICB would carry on the dialogue with the other boards.”While we do not wish to act in restraint of trade, we must seek a balance to ensure that there is fair and adequate compensation for the investment made in the players,” the WICB release said. “What WICB seeks is some compensation to recognise the investment made into players, an investment from which another Full Member is benefitting.”However, other boards disagreed. Both CSA and CA said they did not support the proposal and pointed out that it was recently tabled for the first time by the WICB, but not agreed upon, at the Cape Town round of ICC meetings held in October.”It was a WICB proposal, but not supported by any other member at the time,” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. “It was the first time the topic was raised and it was concluded by all that we should reflect on it as a part of all of the other reforms or regulations that we are presently working on to support the primacy of international cricket.”Lorgat said the WICB decision to go solo without proper consideration and agreement with other stakeholders was inappropriate. “I was quite surprised by the approach of the WICB because we had discussed this concept in a very preliminary way at the last chief executives committee (CEC) meeting in Cape Town. As an isolated measure, we cannot support it at this stage.”Muirhead told ESPNcricinfo that WICB president Dave Cameron had said the concept was first discussed by the ICC board of directors at a meeting earlier this year. “I understand from my President that it was approved at the ICC board level, which is above the CEC. The Board agreed to the concept that [the] fee would be charged. I have not seen the minutes itself, but this is what he told me.”Haroon Lorgat said such a fee is more appropriate for a league like the IPL, which is played over two months•Getty ImagesMuirhead said the ICC might have discussed the issue further on its own and perhaps pointed out some “practical” issues, which led to the discussion once again by the CEC in Cape Town in October.”It came up for discussion at the CEC [meeting] and then they took that back to the Board. But there was an initial approval at the board level earlier.”According to Lorgat, the WICB decision was surprising because the ICC members had agreed that the concept of a release fee needed more discussion to understand the full implications.He confirmed that CSA had responded to the WICB saying it would not support the payment of release fees at this stage. “We have written back saying we are not in a position to agree to pay release fees when neither our board nor the ICC members have properly considered the concept.”That opinion was supported by CA, too. “We are aware of the issues pertaining to West Indies Cricket Board releasing players for other domestic leagues and are in discussion with them on this,” a CA spokesperson said. “Cricket Australia does not support the proposal suggesting that release fees be paid by home member boards to WICB in order for West Indies players to play in their domestic leagues. This matter was briefly discussed and rejected by member board CEOs at the recent ICC Chief Executives’ meeting in Cape Town.”Administrators – in the ICC and of the Full Members – have been concerned about the rising popularity of domestic T20 tournaments, which have eaten into the viewership of the other formats of the game. What has also bothered many boards is players opting to retire from international cricket to become free agents, in order to lengthen their T20 shelf life.As such, Lorgat said a release fee was appropriate in the case of the IPL, which is played over nearly two months every year when all international cricket effectively comes to a standstill, as players from most countries participate in the lucrative tournament in India. In addition, the BCCI does not release their players to the other leagues. For these reasons the BCCI pays member boards a certain fee by way of compensation.”It should clearly apply to the BCCI because all the other countries have effectively created a window for the IPL and thus lost the opportunity to commercialise their international rights during that period,” Lorgat said. “That is why the BCCI compensates the other member boards. It is clearly very different.”But Lorgat added that the same formula could not be mechanically applied to other member boards.”Without having worked on the details and the implications, I have a feeling that the smaller boards will be disadvantaged by the payment of release fees, or it would simply end up all square between the various boards with similar amounts being paid to each other.”

Pakistan have added batsman Younis Khan to their squad for the second Test against West Indies in Abhu Dhabi, which starts from October 21

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2016Pakistan have added batsman Younis Khan to their squad for the second Test against West Indies in Abu Dhabi, which starts from October 21. Younis’ inclusion is the only change to the squad for the ongoing series.Younis had missed the first Test after being advised extended rest as he recovered from a bout of dengue. The 38-year-old batsman had contracted a high fever last month that was later diagnosed as the mosquito-borne disease, as he underwent treatment at a Karachi hospital. The illness also forced him out of the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament.Younis is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Tests with 9456 runs at 53.72. Before the Dubai Test, he had last missed a Test in May 2011, and had since played 41 successive matches, scoring 3839 runs at an average of 59.06. He scored 218 against England at The Oval in his last Test appearance.

Arsenal seem to have identified one of their key targets for this summer, having already made a move towards securing his signature.

What's the latest on Joao Cancelo to Arsenal?

That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who spoke to GIVEMESPORT on the Gunners' pursuit of Manchester City star Joao Cancelo.

He said: "For Cancelo, yes, they are interested. They had some contact, and they have very good relationship with these agents. So there was a conversation over the possibility to sign Cancelo."

Whilst Bayern Munich has opted against pursuing the €70m (£60m) buy option they held in his loan deal, apparently the treble-chasing outfit are now reportedly willing to lower that price to around €40m (£34m). This has alerted Barcelona as well as Mikel Arteta, which could make for an interesting battle this summer.

Would Joao Cancelo fit Arsenal's system?

Whilst Ben White and Bukayo Saka boast a fine partnership down the right flank, with the latter allowed to flourish offensively given he is backed up by the pure defensive exploits of the former, the Citizens have proven that offence is often the best form of defence.

Their all-out philosophy strangles the opposition of the ball, and their relentless waves of attack almost always bear fruit.

Therefore, by replacing the former Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back with the Portugal international, at the very least that right-wing will almost guarantee success in the final third, by having two players of such immense quality combining.

Last term Saka notched 15 goals and 11 assists, whilst the season prior Cancelo would offer up seven assists whilst maintaining 1.1 key passes and a further 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

He does not completely sacrifice solidity to be a key creative influence, yet manages to remain the "playmaker" that Rio Ferdinand branded him back in 2021.

His perfection of the inverted full-back role made him such a mainstay under Pep Guardiola, starting 36 league matches that term, and in moving to the Emirates, he could force a huge reshuffle in their defence that would make them more solid, stronger in depth and more potent in attack.

White could shift across as a more capable backup for William Saliba, and in having the 29-year-old on the opposite flank to Oleksandr Zinchenko, they would truly emphasise all-out control in every phase of the match.

However, the most exciting combination would undoubtedly be with Saka, as a couple of creative leaders to overload one side. They both boast pace and dynamism, yet technical quality beyond most in their respective positions.

It is a partnership that would strike fear into every left back in the country, and likely have Guardiola worried about just how strong he continues to make his nearest rival.

There could well be light at the end of the tunnel in Tottenham Hotspur's protracted manager search, following an update regarding the club's pursuit of Celtic boss, Ange Postecoglou.

What's the latest on Postecoglou to Spurs?

According to journalist Dan Kilpatrick, the Lilywhites are seemingly set to intensify their interest in the 57-year-old following the Hoops' Scottish Cup final showdown with Inverness on Saturday.

Writing on Twitter, the respected insider stated: "Tottenham set to step up interest in Ange Postecoglou after Saturday’s Scottish Cup final. Australian said to have impressed Levy and has an admirer in Scott Munn."

In his attached piece for the Evening Standard, Kilpatrick revealed that while the experienced coach may not be the up-and-coming asset that chairman Daniel Levy was initially seeking, the Greek-Aussie's impressive work at Parkhead has seemingly caught the attention of the Tottenham hierarchy.

Would Postecoglou be a good appointment for Tottenham?

In truth, the north Londoners appear to be a club in need of a real lift following a rather dismal 2022/23 campaign, having finished in a lowly eighth place in the Premier League to miss out on European qualification altogether.

Having finished the previous season in the top-four following an instant impact from manager, Antonio Conte, there had been suggestions that the club would be able to subsequently challenge for the title, with pundit Brad Friedel having stated back in August:

"Tottenham definitely have an outside chance of winning the Premier League, for sure."

That prediction now looks rather foolish following the woes that Tottenham went on to endure, with the club crying out for a figure such as Postecoglou who can revive their fortunes, both next season and beyond.

As pundit Mark Schwarzer only recently stated, the appointment of the former Yokohama F Marinos boss could well make the Lilywhites "geniune contenders" again, having worked his magic in Glasgow of late.

The attack-minded, 4-3-3 coach had arrived at Celtic Park in 2021 with the Old Firm outfit having finished 25 points behind rivals Rangers in the previous season, although has since gone on to inspire a dramatic turnaround over the last two years, romping to two Scottish Premiership titles and two League Cups thus far.

Evidently a man who "seems to get the best out of players" – according to former Australia colleague, Simon Moore – Postecoglou could well be just the solution to Tottenham's current woes, despite his relative inexperience in the European game.

While it would seemingly be a real step up if the highly-rated tactician was to make the leap to the Premier League this summer, as the aforementioned Moore stated, he has "got a real drive to do extremely well".

Although it may have taken time for Levy to settle on Postecoglou, the Celtic gem could – as Schwarzer remarked – "make Tottenham very competitive at the top end of the table" once again…

Steve Magoffin celebrated a 10-wicket haul for the fourth time in his career but he could end up on the losing side with Worcestershire favourites to see off a Sussex run chase in teir bid to finish runners-up in Division Two

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2016
ScorecardSteve Magoffin finished with 10 wickets in the match•Getty ImagesSteve Magoffin celebrated a ten-wicket match haul for the fourth time in his Sussex career but Worcestershire are favourites to beat them and improve their chances of claiming runners-up spot in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.Magoffin followed his first innings 5 for 38 by taking 5 for 32 from 15 overs as Worcestershire were dismissed for 198 in their second innings on another day of rich entertainment in which 17 wickets fell and 390 runs were scored.It has left Sussex with a victory target of 272 on a pitch still offering plenty of assistance to the seam bowlers and they suffered a big blow in the final over of the day when Chris Nash was leg before to Joe Leach. They will resume on 13 for 1, still needing 259 to win.Worcestershire had claimed a crucial first innings lead of 77 but Magoffin had them in trouble immediately when Daryl Mitchell was caught at cover off a leading edge from the first ball of the innings.Magoffin ‘best in division’

Mark Davis, Sussex coach: “Steve Magoffin bowled magnificently again on a pitch where you can score runs quite quickly. In the last few games he has been absolutely fantastic for us and here he got great support from the other seamers, particularly David Wiese. It was great to see Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer batting so intelligently. CJ is a bit of a mentor to Jofra and it showed – their partnership might turn out to be absolutely crucial.”
Matt Mason, Worcestershire assistant coach: “Our batsmen think Steve Magoffin is the best new-ball bowler in the division and he showed it again, I thought he was magnificent for them.

Magoffin struck again in this second over when Chris Nash pulled off a superb diving catch at second slip to remove Brett D’Oliveira. Magoffin has now claimed the wickets of 22 opening batsmen this season – the best record in the country – but Worcestershire rallied thanks to a stand of 68 between Tom Fell and Joe Clarke.Throughout the game, though, wickets have fallen in clusters and it happened again when three fell in the space of 18 balls. Wiese picked up Clarke (35) when he mis-timed a drive to extra cover before George Rhodes (6) was leg before offering no shot in the South African’s next over.Tom Kohler-Cadmore was leg before to Jofra Archer to register his fourth successive duck and leave his side 76 for 5 but once again Fell led a recovery, this time with Ben Cox. Together they added 113 in 24 overs with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs targeted as he had been in the first innings. Cox struck him down the ground for two sixes while Fell pushed on after being dropped by Nash on 57.Magoffin was summoned back into the attack and immediately made the breakthrough when Fell, trying to cut, was surprised by extra bounce and edged behind for 85, made from 126 balls with 12 fours.In his next over a full-length delivery was too good for Cox (56) and Magoffin completed his five-for when he yorked Miguel Cummins.Wiese gave him excellent support, picking up the last two wickets to finish with 4 for 18, his best figures for the county.Worcestershire would have been in an even better position had Chris Jordan not led some spirited resistance by Sussex’s lower order earlier in the day.From a parlous 71 for 7 he helped the last three wickets put on 158 of which his own contribution was an unbeaten 57. An enterprising stand of 97 with Archer ensured Sussex avoided the follow-on but it was their fellow Barbadian Cummins who stole the show.The Worcestershire paceman finished with figures of 7 for 84 after picking up four more wickets in a high-quality display down the slope on a pitch offering him plenty of encouragement.

Bangladesh’s domestic season will now begin with the National Cricket League, after the Bangladesh Cricket League franchises showed reluctance to hold the tournament in September while the national cricketers are busy with the ODIs v Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam04-Sep-2016Bangladesh’s domestic season will now begin with the National Cricket League, after the Bangladesh Cricket League franchises showed a reluctance to hold the tournament in September while the national cricketers are busy with the ODIs against Afghanistan.The NCL, which begins this season on September 25, is the division-wise first-class tournament that is played among the seven divisions from across the country, as well as Dhaka Metropolis. It is divided into two tiers with the top team from the bottom tier being promoted to the top tier after every season.The BCL is the franchise-based first-class tournament, which is placed along geographical zones like north, south, east and central. One of the franchise owners, Prime Bank Limited, pulled out this year due to unavailability of players and a supposed lack of quality in the tournament.BCB’s cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said that since these franchises spend a lot of money on the teams, they wants the top players to play for them. “BCL franchises don’t want to play without the national players. They make a lot of investment. So we planned to postpone the BCL since the national players will be busy at that time with the Afghanistan series. So we will hold the NCL first,” he said. “When an international series is suddenly planned, we are forced to change our calendar. Everyone wanted to play Afghanistan before the England series.”The NCL will be held in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Bogra, Khulna, Fatullah and BKSP.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Wrexham will probably not be looking to sign Morten Gamst Pedersen despite his recent come and get me plea.

Who do Wrexham want to sign this summer?

The Red Dragons may well be in for a busy summer as celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney look to help establish the club back in the football league.

Indeed, after a 15-year absence, the Welsh outfit will be playing in League 2 next term and so it's likely that new signings will be made to improve the squad.

Due to Wrexham's popularity, it seems some players are even angling for a move. For example, former Blackburn Rovers star Gamst Pedersen recently said he wanted to join.

When asked by SportBible, he said: "Yeah, I would love to. Why not? Of course. Maybe if you tag me in a social media post, Ryan Reynolds could read this, and we get a chance to meet…"

However, while speaking about the player to Football FanCast, insider Jones suggested that he wasn't going to be a target for Wrexham.

The journalist explained: "It's good for their profile that suddenly you've got ex-Premier League players that are going to be desperate to play for you.

"I'll be honest, I don't see Wrexham really going down a path where they are looking to recruit players like this.

"Like they're not looking to become a retirement home at the moment. They're looking to build something special and meaningful.

"Ben Foster was a bit of a one-off. That's not kind of an example of how this club looks to move forward."

Who is Morten Gamst Pedersen?

Seeing as the Norwegian has played 259 Premier League games over the course of his career, once upon a time he may have been a great signing.

However, now aged 41, Pedersen has not played in England for nearly a decade and now turns out for Ranheim in the second tier of Norway.

In that interview, he also outlined his position, saying: "I play more centrally now. I can play as a central midfield or a number 10; more like a playmaker role. I also play on the wing as well, because if you get a full-back that's good to overlap, that's perfect for me. I'll use my strength on my left foot. I prefer to play further up the pitch."

However, even if Wrexham are looking for a player in that part of the field, it's hard not to agree with Jones in feeling that Reynolds and McElhenney would be better off finding a slightly more youthful option.