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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.

Chelsea could potentially make a move for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez in June, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Martinez enjoying a good season?

The Argentine has enjoyed as 2022/23 season to treasure to date, enjoying plenty of memorable moments for both club and country. Firstly, he has helped Inter reach the Champions League final against Manchester City next month, scoring in last week's semi-final second leg triumph over rivals AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Martinez also became a World Cup winner with Argentine back in December, in what was surely the crowning moment of his career to date. The £184,000-a-week attacker's future is up in the air, however, and Chelsea have been linked with a move for him in the recent past.

The Blues are badly in need of signing an elite striker once the summer transfer window arrives and it looks as though he could be a leading candidate to come in. His current deal expires in the summer of 2026, though, so it could take a huge bid to be able to sign him.

Is Martinez off to Chelsea this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano admitted that there are no strong links between Chelsea and Martinez yet, but that a move is still far from out of the question:

"At the moment, with Martinez, it is not concrete because we know Inter are busy with the Champions League. At the moment, they have no intention of negotiating for any player. This will be something for June.

"Honestly, at the moment, I'm not aware of any concrete discussion between Martinez’s camp and Chelsea. So, we have to wait and see on that one. I think this is a very normal link because he’s Argentinian. But it's not something concrete at this stage."

Martinez could be exactly what Chelsea are after this season, having been hailed as "spectacular" by compatriot Lionel Messi in the past. At 25, he is at a brilliant age to come in and be a key figure for five or six years at least, leading the line and adding more of a goal threat in that position than someone like Kai Havertz.

His tally of 99 strikes in 223 appearances for Inter highlights his attacking prowess, while a total of 34 assists also shows that he can create for teammates. Whether he opts to join the Blues remains to be seen – a lack of Champions League football could be a drawback – but he ticks all the boxes when it comes to summer additions.

Reflecting on what had been a bleak year, Angelo Mathews thanked Sri Lankan fans for their support, following his team’s first Test victory since October

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele30-Jul-20162:26

‘Needed the win after tough six-eight months’ – Mathews

Reflecting on what had been a bleak year, Angelo Mathews thanked Sri Lankan fans for their support, following his team’s first Test victory since October. The 106-run victory in Pallekele was just Sri Lanka’s second against Australia, but also Mathews’ first triumph over a Test-playing nation in 2016. Sri Lanka had beaten India in a T20 in Pune, but Mathews had been unavailable through injury during that series.”After a rough, tough six to eight months, we needed that victory,” Mathews said. “In that time, there was a situation where fans were turning away from us. As cricketers we feel that, because when we play well everyone loves you. Even when you lose they may love you, but they are also disappointed. The best thing was to win this match for the fans. It’s a great win for those who stayed with us, and we thank them because that support means a lot.”In the past six months, we as a team got a lot of stick. But that’s part and parcel of the game. When we do well we get praised. When we do badly we get a bit of stick. I think we as players need to understand that.”Mathews was full of praise for Man of the Match Kusal Mendis, whose 176 had transformed the outlook of the match. Mathews said he had seen something special in Mendis as far back as December, when Sri Lanka toured New Zealand. Mendis had played only one first-class season at the time, without particularly stellar returns.”The selectors said he was really good, but I hadn’t seen him much to be honest,” Mathews said. “Once we went to NZ I thought Kusal was pretty special as well. The way he handled himself at the top of the order – it was a couple of tough tours for him as well in New Zealand and England, where it was seaming around. You don’t always have to have a lot of experience. There can be exceptional players like him who can walk into the international scene and start performing.”Mendis’ score was more than triple what any other batsman managed in the game, and had rescued Sri Lanka from a first-innings deficit of 86.”Especially playing his first Test against Australia and their very good attack, Mendis showed a lot of class and a lot of temperament,” Mathews said. “It was not easy to bat on that wicket. It was turning rapidly and their bowlers were bowling well and fast as well. The way he played, he made it look so easy. Most of us were struggling to get runs. The way he batted, I’m very excited for the future.”Debutant left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan was also instrumental to the victory, taking seven wickets in the match. He was part of a three-man frontline spin attack, featuring Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, but he turned the ball substantially more than either senior spinner.”When Rangana is bowling, he is attacking but also he contains,” Mathews said. “We needed someone like Sandakan. Unfortunately, Dilruwan didn’t bowl that well in the game, and I’m sure he’ll come back strongly. But it was very pleasing to see Sandakan bowling his googlies, and also the batsmen were finding it very tough on this wicket. He will take the confidence of this performance forward.”Mathews was quick to stress that plenty of work remained to be done in both the series, and with the team, but said the team environment had already benefited from the vibes resulting from a victory.”The atmosphere in dressing room has changed a lot. Even though we lost in the recent past, we’ve not given up. We always had hopes. We always helped each other. Every team goes through this transition period, and once you click, you can go a long way. That’s what we believed. We kept helping the youngsters and even the youngsters threw in their ideas. It was a collective effort from the whole team.”

Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles struck half-centuries for the second day in a row and combined for a 104-run opening stand to help St Lucia Zouks beat Jamaica Tallawahs

Peter Della Penna in Florida 01-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJohnson Charles thumped nine fours and two sixes during his 35-ball 64•Peter Della PennaAndre Fletcher and Johnson Charles struck half-centuries for the second day in a row, and combined for a 104-run opening partnership, to help St Lucia Zouks beat Jamaica Tallawahs by 17 runs. Zouks’ fifth win in their last six games concluded the Lauderhill leg of CPL 2016Charles kept up his scintillating form with 64 off 35 balls, his third half-century in his last four innings, and took over as the leading run-getter in the tournament with 410 runs at 45.55.Sunday’s rematch began after a 50-minute delay due to lightning in the area of the Central Broward Regional Park and despite the fact that Zouks posted the highest total of CPL 2016 after being sent in on Saturday, Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle opted to give Zouks first strike 24 hours later. The result was another dominant batting display spearheaded by the openers.Charles brought up his fifty in 25 balls off Timroy Allen in the ninth over, when he hit a six with the wind over midwicket to the northwest side of the ground. Allen nearly had Fletcher caught at long-on off the last ball of the over for 29, but the fielder came in several steps off the rope and with the ball taking off in a stiff breeze, a desperate leap only managed to parry the ball over for six.Tallawahs had added a third spinner to the line-up in Garey Mathurin and the left-armer eventually made the first breakthrough in the 12th over, forcing Charles to hit into the wind towards midwicket on the southeast side of the ground where Chadwick Walton took a good catch. Michael Hussey fell in similar fashion, hitting to Walton stationed at sweeper cover on off Rovman Powell at the start of the 16th over. Walton took his third catch in the same position when he combined with Powell again to nab Fletcher for 70 off 54 balls.The opener couldn’t power through the wind in the 18th and fell two overs short of making it through both Zouks innings in Lauderhill unbeaten.Kesrick Williams could have had Shane Watson caught off a paddle sweep at short fine leg on 22 if only he hadn’t overstepped. Watson went on to add 20, including two sixes in the final over off Powell to set a target of 195, just out of reach for Tallawahs.Tallawahs got off to a hot start in their chase with Gayle making 30 off 15 balls, in what eventually ended as his side’s top score, after being caught on the boundary off Watson. His innings typified the Tallawahs line-up, with everyone in the top seven getting into double-digits but no one able to carry on for a big score. His 43-run stand for the first wicket with Walton was also the best in the innings as wickets fell at regular intervals and stunted their momentum.Shane Shillingford claimed Walton and later Rovman Powell to finish with 2 for 30, his best figures on the season. Tallawahs had an outside chance of pulling off a win when they needed 43 off 18 balls with Alex Ross and Shakib Al Hasan at the crease, but Watson and Jerome Taylor virtually iced the game by conceding seven singles off the next 11 balls.After arriving in Lauderhill on July 21 in first place, Tallawahs leave in second and will face table-toppers Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first play-off match in St Kitts on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in snapping up Leicester City midfielder James Maddison this summer, with the appointment of former Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers potentially set to aid in that pursuit.

What's the latest on Maddison to Spurs?

According to Football Transfers, the Lilywhites' executive director Donna-Maria Cullen is believed to be pushing to give the permanent job to the Northern Irishman, with the belief being that the 50-year-old's arrival at N17 could also tempt Maddison to follow suit.

The latter man – who has just over a year left on his existing deal – is set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer regardless of whether the Midlands side are able to stave off relegation, while Rodgers is currently out of work after being dismissed by Leicester last month.

This latest report does suggest that while Cullen is fighting to land the ex-Liverpool and Celtic boss, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is said to be 'against' such an appointment, with it still somewhat up in the air as to just who will be the long-term successor to Antonio Conte.

Should Spurs move for Maddison?

If Rodgers is to ultimately get the nod, the one-time Swansea City coach would likely be keen to reunite with Maddison once again, having heaped praise on the 26-year-old earlier this season after suggesting that the playmaker "plays the game at the highest level".

The two-cap England international – who has been valued at around £60m – is clearly of interest to those in north London amid further recent claims that Levy and co are interested in a move, while reports as far back as 2018 suggested that the club were ready to prise the versatile midfielder from Norwich City.

Since then, Maddison has blossomed into a leading figure at his current side having contributed 96 goals and assists in 201 games in all competitions to date, while having also received praise from Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate in the past for his "world-class" delivery from set-pieces.

As for the current campaign, the £110k-per-week wizard has again been in fine form despite the Foxes' overall woes, having recorded "extraordinary numbers" – as per Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker – after chipping in with 19 goal involvements in just 28 league outings.

The Coventry-born ace is clearly a fan of the "genius" that is Rodgers – as described by journalist Sid Lowe – having offered an emotional tribute to his former boss after the latter man's Leicester exit, describing him as a "top manager" and a "a brilliant and caring man".

That relationship should indicate that Rodgers could well prove vital in Tottenham's bid to bring in Maddison this summer, with it potentially set to prove a fine double swoop as far as the Lilywhites are concerned.

Tottenham Hotspur could receive an offer from Aston Villa for midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer with the player set to return after his Villarreal loan spell.

What’s the latest Spurs transfer news?

Chaos is currently engulfing Spurs as chairman Daniel Levy keeps up the chase for a new permanent manager, nearly two months after parting company with Antonio Conte.

Reports suggest that the north Londoners are also after a new sporting director to replace Fabio Paratici, with the likes of Benfica chief Rui Pedro Braz in the frame.

On top of all this, the likes of star striker Harry Kane and long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are entering the final 12 months of their deals, making this summer a potentially crucial one for Tottenham.

Spurs must also get to work on identifying summer transfer targets as the window’s opening is just around the corner, and there has been some progress in that regard according to reports.

The likes of James Maddison are firmly in Levy’s thinking, but to fund these potential moves, the Lilywhites must offload surplus-to-requirement members of their squad.

Lo Celso, who is currently on a temporary spell at Villarreal, looks set to return to Spurs this summer but the club could have an opportunity to offload him for good.

Villa and Unai Emery have apparently taken a keen interest and could make an offer for to Tottenham this summer, as they’re also in ongoing talks with the player’s camp.

That is according to journalist Gaston Edul, via news aggregator All About Argentina on Twitter:

Should Spurs sell Lo Celso?

Much could depend on who Spurs appoint as their next manager, given they might actually fancy Lo Celso in their starting eleven.

The South American has been called a “brilliant player” by former Tottenham goalkeeper and England international Paul Robinson, with Lo Celso arguably having the ability to resurrect his career at Spurs if given an opportunity.

He actually played a pivotal role under Emery on Villarreal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, with the 27-year-old impressing in parts this campaign too.

As per WhoScored, he’s even averaged more key passes per 90 than any other Villarreal player in La Liga, and at the very least he could fetch a fairly decent price tag if Spurs do opt to sell.

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has admitted there are “big concerns” over the security of the team’s tour of Bangladesh later this year following last week’s terrorist attack in Dhaka

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2016Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has admitted there are “big concerns” over the security of the team’s tour to Bangladesh later this year following last week’s terrorist attack in Dhaka.The ECB has said they will follow government advice – and guidance from their highly regarded head of security Reg Dickason – to decide whether the tour will take place as planned. England are due to fly out on September 30.”I think it is quite a big concern at the moment,” Morgan said. “We’ve always left the big decisions to the ECB. They write reports, send guys out to see if it’s safe then come back to the players to see if they’re happy or unhappy. But certainly it’s a concern at the moment.”When asked about the potential of moving the tour to a neutral location, Morgan said: “I think that could be feasible if it came to that.”On Sunday, the BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he understood the reaction to the attack but hoped that the tour would still go ahead.”I have seen England’s reaction, which is quite normal. We would have done the same thing if we were in their position … England are coming after three months, by which time the situation in Bangladesh will get better. It is hard to say which place is safe now. Safety can be an issue in England after three months. We will strengthen our security. If we can ensure that, cricket should not be a problem.”Seven gunmen, armed with bombs and guns, had opened fire in a bakery before taking occupants hostage in Gulshan area in Dhaka on July 1. Twenty civilians were killed. Last year, Australia had postponed their tour of Bangladesh based on their government’s security advice. Earlier this year, Australia had pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup hosted by Bangladesh for the same reasons.

Manchester United may now be the only club who can afford to sign Napoli goal machine Victor Osimhen as a report links him with a move to the Premier League.

Are Manchester United favourites to sign Victor Osimhen?

Manchester United could be the favourites to sign Victor Osimhen this summer as Simon Jones reports for the Daily Mail that Erik ten Hag is "eyeing" a £130m deal for Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian forward has attracted huge interest from around Europe with his explosive performance in Napoli's title-winning season. From powerful headers to nuanced finishes and combining with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen has 28 goals and five assists to his name this term.

A transfer battle has emerged between United and Chelsea which involves Christian Pulisic – the American is being put up for sale this summer and a number of Italian teams are are eyeing him, with interest from Napoli very serious.

Jones writes that "Napoli's interest (in Pulisic) could add extra spice" in the race to sign Osimhen but the Serie A outfit are demanding a mouth-watering sum of money to sell the striker. "The consensus" at United and Chelsea is that he will cost around £130million.

That figure is reportedly already a problem for Bayern Munich and they have switched their focus to Randal Kolo Muani. Chelsea meanwhile are facing scrutiny from Financial Fair Play, and while the Blues will hope to reduce the cost by using Romelu Lukaku in a swap, United are the only named suitor without a financial issue.

The Glazers signing Osimhen would be financially more straightforward but it's still a tremendous amount of money to spend on a single player – it would restrict how they could spend on other players, but it would take their attack to an incredible point.

How could Manchester United set up if they signed VIctor Osimhen?

If ten Hag signed Osimhen this summer, he would have a very enviable attack. Marcus Rashford has come into his own this season and is dominating defenders in 1v1s by using his pace and agility to skip past fullbacks. Crucially, he has taken his overall game to a new level.

In total, the Englishman has 29 goals and 11 assists and with the hope that Antony could improve next season, United are an elite centre forward away from an extremely dangerous attack.

Osimhen could be that player for ten Hag especially as Bruno Fernandes would likely flourish with so many deadly options in front of him. Cagliari boss Walter Mazzarri praised the Nigerian forward after he scored to put Napoli 1-0 up in 2021, highlighting a characteristic that would be of vital use to United.

"Osimhen is phenomenal because he runs alone at five players and gets through," Mazzarri told DAZN as quoted by Football Italia.

"If you look at genuine scoring opportunities, compared to the number Napoli created lately, I didn’t see that many."

Osimhen is in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 97th percentile for shots on goal, according to Fbref. He's a master at creating goal scoring chances from nothing from making runs into dangerous areas and bombarding his way past defenders. If he joined United, it would spell major trouble for any sides aiming to win the 2023/24 Premier League title.

Jake Ball has clocked up nearly 600 miles switching from his Test call-up from England to a couple of days county cricket at the Ageas Bowl – and there might not even be a Test debut at the end of it

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl22-May-2016
ScorecardJake Ball joins an England fielding session after his call up at Headingley•Getty ImagesThe county summer is entering that period when players jump from one format to another, from one side of the country to another, via coach or carpool. Dubbed “silly season” by some, the next 30 days sees the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London Cup fight for schedule space with the County Championship which will take a two weeks hiatus at the beginning of June.Nottinghamshire, for example, played a Friday night T20 in Birmingham before coming down to the Ageas Bowl for their four-day tussle with Hampshire. Jake Ball, however, has notched a few more miles on the clock.Released from his maiden England squad after day two of the first Test, Ball was given permission to play in the first two days of this match, at which point he will make his way from Southampton to Durham (he is expected to be replaced in the Notts side for Brett Hutton). The roundtrip, from Test to Test, will be 576 miles.Even then, all that travelling might only result in a second “thanks but no thanks” in the space of a week. Still, as a Test hopeful, he is more than happy to do it all again and make The Proclaimers look like slackers in the process.On today’s evidence, it looked like he took plenty of breaks on the way down – maybe even a few dynamic stretches at Winchester Services to get going before the Ageas came in view.Bounding in from the Pavilion End like a returning hero charging back through the city gates, his opening delivery – the very first of the match – beat Michael Carberry’s outside edge. Two balls later, that same edge was found only for Chris Read to drop the chance, diving full stretch to his left. Only in hindsight can you say it could have been left to first slip, such was the movement of the ball in the last few feet before it clanged into Read’s gloves.Ball would eventually get his man, changing his angle from around the wicket and enticing a drive from Carberry, who had reeled himself in for 19 off 58 deliveries up until that point. He had the number of both of the hosts’ opening southpaws. One of the more noticeable aspects of Ball’s game is his ability to move the ball away and into a left-hander, from both around and over the wicket.Jimmy Adams in particular was caused a great deal of discomfort: when he wasn’t playing and missing on a spicy track, he was taking all sorts of blows to the glove and torso. His innings of 30 from 79 deliveries was reminiscent of the opening scene of Robocop.Hampshire, sitting bottom of Division One, have been ravaged by injuries and had to dip into the free agency and Kolpak markets. Two of their walking wounded, Reece Topley and Chris Wood, used the delay of the late afternoon downpour to check out the new media centre.They would be mistaken for thinking it was safer haven for staff up there: even the club’s press officer is facing a period on the sidelines having worn a yorker on the toe in a local league match. Somewhere beneath the Ageas Bowl sits an ancient Indian burial ground filled with deceased black cats.Sean Ervine, too, was sent limping to square leg after jabbing a Harry Gurney yorker onto the top of his foot. His pre-lunch walk to the crease was instigated by a fine spell by Luke Fletcher, who was rewarded by his persistence with the wickets of Adams (caught and bowled) and Liam Dawson (lbw, walking across his stumps) in successive balls.However, for all the feeling of an innings collapse, the rain delays – the first seeing no play at all in the afternoon session, the second breaking up a long evening – and an unbeaten partnership of 65 between Ervine and 20-year-old Tom Alsop sees Hampshire in a healthier state. Ervine got by on experience and, when dropped on 26 by Dan Christian at third slip off Gurney, compounded Notts’ misery by smashing a four through point the very next ball.By contrast, Alsop played with the freedom of a youngster coming in at number six: punching straight and square of the wicket for a relatively sprightly 32. Early on in his innings, he nearly rearranged Ball’s teeth with an uppish drive down the ground for two. As much as those at the ECB rate the Mansfield-born quick, he might have had trouble claiming a trip to the dentist as part of his fuel allowance.

West Ham endured a difficult evening in their last Premier League outing against Liverpool.

The Reds ran out as supremely dominant 2-1 winners and restricted the Hammers to only two shots on target throughout the game.

After Lucas Paqueta’s sublime strike gave the Irons an early lead, they rarely troubled the Reds and failed to construct any periods of sustained pressure.

With the Europa Conference semi-final looming next week and a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, David Moyes should shuffle the pack to make his side more threatening.

One way that this could be done would be to replace the underperforming Michail Antonio with Danny Ings, who offers a far more complete package as the focal point up top.

Should West Ham start Danny Ings over Michail Antonio?

Antonio has surprisingly risen above the Englishman in the pecking order but drastically struggled in the last encounter.

After registering an assist in the early stages against Liverpool due to some slick and intricate link-up with Paqueta, the Jamaican was anonymous for the rest of the proceedings and recorded the lowest Sofascore rating of any West Ham player (5.8).

In a miserable evening for the Hammers’ record Premier League goalscorer, he only managed one successful dribble, had zero shots on target, missed two big chances, and failed to produce any accurate crosses, as per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Ings has netted double the amount of goals (eight) as his fellow striker (four) in the Premier League this campaign and is surely a more logical option on Saturday in terms of rotation and tactics.

Across the £125k-per-week striker's career, the former Liverpool man has forged a respectable reputation for his link-up play and eye for goal.

During his stint with Aston Villa, retired forward Noel Whelan commented on his style of play and partnership with Ollie Watkins.

He said: “He’s showing what a good player he is and how dangerous he can be when he drops between the lines to feed Ollie Watkins. He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with Watkins."

With top four yet to be secured and the Irons having only netted 34 goals in 32 games, the reintegration of the ex-Villa man could be the perfect antidote to bounce back against the Eagles this weekend.