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Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘made’ a club-record ‘offer’ to sign Darwin Nunez in the summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Marquee’ signing

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly want to make a ‘marquee’ signing this summer, and Nunez tops that list.

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Described as an ‘absolute beast’ by Liverpool podcaster Hari Sethi after an impressive performance in the UEFA Champions League against the Reds, the six-foot-two starlet has notched up no fewer than 32 goals in just 37 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt be on a lot of club’s radars come the transfer window.

The Latest: Offer made

As per transfer insider Santi Aouna, the St. James’ Park faithful have now ‘made an offer’ for Nunez ‘in recent weeks’, but ‘several’ clubs in Europe are ‘trying’ to sign him from Benfica.

He expanded in his article for Foot Mercato that the North East club have offered ‘more than’ €60m (£49.6m) for his signature, but face competition from PSG, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.

The Verdict: Unlikely

Given the calibre of clubs interested, and off of the back of the season that he is having, it seems highly unlikely that the Magpies would be able to persuade Nunez to move to Tyneside.

They would not be able to offer him any European football, and so it is too early in their project to be going for names currently being chased by what seems like half of the big teams in Europe.

However, he is only 22 years of age, and so the Uruguay international could be one that they look to target in the future, once the PIF project is fully firing.

In other news, find out which Van Dijk-like colossus NUFC have now sent scouts to watch here!

As per Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, writing on his personal website, there has been a transfer update out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Lowdown: Tottenham enter Kulusevski talks…

The January transfer window deadline is nearing, and with just two more full days remaining, Tottenham are running out of time to back manager Antonio Conte with major signings.

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Transfer chief Fabio Paratici has already seen moves hijacked for winger Adama Traore and forward Luis Diaz with the Italian now turning to Juventus starlet Dejan Kulusevski.

Talks are underway to try and bring the Sweden international to north London but, according to Di Marzio, he isn’t the only Juve player who Spurs have made an offer for.

The Latest: Tottenham table ‘proposal’…

Sharing news on his website on Friday afternoon, citing what he heard ‘in the past few hours’, the Sky Sports reporter said Tottenham have also made a ‘proposal’ to sign Bentancur on loan.

However, The Old Lady outright rejected their approach for a temporary transfer as they did not ‘appreciate’ those conditions.

Spurs, according to Di Marzio, are still working on an agreement for Kulusevski despite this development, and it is not clear if they will try again for Bentancur.

The Verdict: Blow for Conte?

The South American ace, looking like a star at international level, has already amassed near-half a century of caps for his native Uruguay and played in every match of their 2018 World Cup campaign.

Bentancur even notched an assist from midfield during the tournament with the midfield maestro possessing lots of big stage experience at just 24-years-old.

It’s little wonder Juve aren’t willing to sanction a loan and reportedly want €30 million (£25m) if they’re to green-light his exit before January 31.

In other news: Spurs now preparing last gasp marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward for Conte, find out more here.

Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has insisted none of the players at the centre of spot-fixing allegations will be suspended until the police investigation comes up with some solid evidence

Nagraj Gollapudi and Andrew Miller30-Aug-2010PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has said none of the players at the centre the investigation will be suspended until the police investigation comes up with some solid evidence. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, the three Pakistan players at the centre of spot-fixing allegations, are currently in Taunton with the rest of the Pakistan side where they are preparing for the limited-overs series that begins over the weekend.Butt, Amir and Asif, the three players who have had mobile phones confiscated, arrived with the squad in Taunton on Monday afternoon and are expected to train at the County Ground on Tuesday afternoon. That will be a closed-door session with the ground in lockdown at the request of the ECB and PCB.The PCB is coming under increasing pressure to keep the implicated players out of the limited-overs matches which start on Sunday, with Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association, telling the BBC: “”Speaking on behalf of the England team we can say we think it would be preferable if those individuals who are named do not play in the forthcoming series.”However, Ijaz Butt cast doubt on whether that would happen. “There is a case going on over here with the Scotland Yard,” he told Cricinfo. “This is only an allegation. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken.”He refused to say whether conversations had taken place with Shahid Afridi, who returns as captain for the one-day matches in place of Salman Butt, over who should play in the remaining games. “This is an internal matter and I don’t want to speak about it,” he said.Following the conclusion of the Test on Sunday, Pakistan’s team management insisted that the one-day series will go ahead as planned next week and Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, said that was also the feeling of the governing body. “It’s the desire of the ICC England and Pakistan that the series should continue,” he said.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, told BBC Radio Five Live that they were working hard towards a resolution, with the first Twenty20 international at Cardiff set to take place on Sunday. “We’re busy with the Metropolitan Police and hopefully before the weekend arrives we can get to some sort of a conclusion, but this is a live issue which moves with the hour, every hour and it’s an individual’s right that you’re innocent until proven guilty.”At the moment, it is also appropriate that the game continues,” Lorgat added. “We shouldn’t let everyone suffer because of a couple of individuals that might have got caught up in corrupt practices. The vast majority of players are not guilty of any such behaviour. They play the sport in the right spirit, and there are many fans who want to watch the game.”Several Pakistan fans outside the team hotel in London shouted “thieves” at the players as they boarded the coach while police also removed a number of eggs from people waiting for the coach to leave. Originally the tourists weren’t due to leave London until Tuesday, but the four-day finish to the final Test at Lord’s means they have brought forward their departure.Richard Gould, the Somerset chief executive, said the county was preparing as normal for the team’s arrival. “They are due to train on Wednesday, but if they need anything before then they’ll have the use of the indoor school and gym,” he said. “We hope to give them the best chance to prepare for the one-day series.”Gould added that the club would be implementing the security plans they used during the World Twenty20 last year when Taunton hosted the women’s group matches, but that wasn’t a response to events of the last 24 hours.”We aren’t looking at increasing the security presence,” he said. “We had already decided to implement the plans from last year because it was a high-profile side visiting and the model we used at the World Twenty20 was drawn up to cater for such events.”There are a number of fresh faces joining up with the squad for the one-day leg of the tour, including Shoaib Akhtar, who arrived separately at the hotel, and Afridi. Six players who aren’t involved are returning to Pakistan – Imran Farhat, Raza Hasan, Shoaib Malik, Tanvir Ahmed, Umar Amin and Yasir Hameed were not included for the Twenty20s and ODIs.Andrew Strauss admitted to mixed feelings about the series of five ODIs and two Twenty20s and said that he and his team needed to come to terms with the current issue before turning their attention to the rest of the tour.”I honestly think that the best thing to do is let the dust settle on this,” said Strauss, when asked about the feasibility of the tour continuing. “It’s all new and raw and it’s easy to get quite emotional about things right at the moment. For all of us, it’s better to see how things pan out – clearly the ICC, ECB and Pakistan Cricket Board have to sit down and put their heads together, and decide what the best way forward is, and we as a cricket team we have to take stock as well.When asked if he was happy to carry on playing against a team that has been accused of deliberately underperforming, Strauss offered a response that was non-committal at best. “It’s just so hard to say with incomplete information at this stage,” he said. “From our point of view we are going to sit down and have a couple of drinks and celebrate the fact that we won the series tonight. And then in the next few days I’m sure a lot of things will become a lot clearer.”The ultimate decision, he added, would be made at boardroom level. “That’s something for the ICC, the ECB and the PCB to sit down and decide what the best way forward is. Clearly there are going to be some very strong reasons for the series to go ahead, but they’ve also got to sit down and think about what the right thing to do is, going forward, and that’s their decision.”

Steve Waugh, the former Australian captain, has said a victory for England in the final ODI at Lord’s on Saturday will give them a definite advantage leading into the Ashes later this year

Cricinfo staff03-Jul-2010Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, has said a victory for England in the final ODI at Lord’s on Saturday will give them a definite advantage leading into the Ashes later this year.”Australia would certainly like to be 3-2 rather than 4-1,” Waugh said during a press conference for the MCC World Cricket Committee. “At 3-2 neither side can say they had a big advantage, but 4-1 and England will walk away thinking we have got it over Australia.”They will think: ‘We won the Twenty20, we won the one-day games 4-1,’ and although Test cricket is a different game, momentum plays a big part in sport so this game coming up is important for Australia.”Waugh admitted England had grown more determined over the last year and will not be intimidated when they defend the Ashes this year. “I have noticed a bit of a change in the England side,” he said. “In the last 12 months they have escaped three Test matches. At Cardiff last year they were nine down and then the same happened in two Test matches in South Africa. That tells me they are a tough side to beat and fight all the way. They will go to Australia and will not be intimidated.”England had regained the Ashes in 2005, after a gap of 18 years, before being thrashed 0-5 when they toured Australia next year. However, they beat Australia 2-1 in 2009 under Andrew Strauss. The lessons learnt from the defeat in Australia on their previous visit, Waugh said, will stand England in good stead in their trophy defence.”I think they will learn from the last series, where they prepared poorly and were still thinking about the previous win in England [2005]. They got carried away but they won’t have the same complacency this time around. Eoin Morgan has brought a new element to the English side as well with the way he plays.”He has not lost in Australia, and it is really important whenever a side goes to Australia they have a lot of cricketers in there who have not been there before and experienced defeat. They go with fresh eyes and are not too worried about what has happened in the past and play on the present, so he [Morgan] will be an important part of the team.”

West Ham United remain interested in a deal to bring Layvin Kurzawa to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side remain in the race for the Paris Saint-Germain left-back this month, although the 29-year-old is not believed to be near the top of the 58-year-old’s list of targets in the current market.

The report goes on to state that the likes of Lazio, Inter Milan and Napoli are all also interested in a move for the France international, while Chelsea are believed to have rejected the chance to sign the former AS Monaco defender.

He’d be a huge upgrade

While Kurzawa may not be high on Moyes’ list of priorities in the January window, with the Irons manager prioritising the signing of a centre-back and centre-forward this month, considering the experience and ability the signing of the 29-year-old would bring to the left of the Hammers’ backline, it would appear highly advisable for the boss to indeed make a move for the PSG defender this month.

While it is true that the £8.1m-rated man has struggled to hold down a starting spot in the PSG side in recent seasons, he has nevertheless demonstrated previously that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can be an extremely useful player for a side challenging at the top of the league table.

Indeed, over his 19 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign following a £22.5m move from AS Monaco back in 2015, the £89k-per-week left-back scored four goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

The defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position that season, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 3.3 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 43.4 passes and winning 7.2 duels per fixture – with a success rate of 62%.

These returns saw the player who labelled himself as a little “crazy” earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.49, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the entirety of the French top-flight that year.

As such, should Moyes be able to help Kurzawa refind this form following a potential switch to West Ham this winter, the 29-year-old would not only appear to be a huge upgrade on Arthur Masuaku, but he could well push the Hammers’ first-choice left-back, Aaron Cresswell, for his starting spot at the London Stadium.

In other news: Moyes must now launch WHU bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” as key transfer twist emerges

South Africa A opened the tri-series with a one-sided hammering at the Shere Bangla Stadium, beating Bangladesh A by a whopping 203 runs

Cricinfo staff05-May-2010
ScorecardDavid Miller and Colin Ingram added 128 for the fifth wicket in just 15.2 overs•Bangladesh Cricket BoardSouth Africa A opened the tri-series with a one-sided hammering at the Shere Bangla Stadium, beating Bangladesh A by a whopping 203 runs. Centuries by Colin Ingram and David Miller powered their team to 368, but Bangladesh’s reply lasted merely 33 overs.Ingram and Miller came together at the fall of the fourth wicket, but by then the South African top order had already laid the foundation for a massive stand. Ingram was already involved in stands of 66 and 50 with Riley Roussouw and Ryan Bailey respectively before Miller joined him.The pair added 128 for the fifth wicket in just 15.2 overs. Ingram made 127 off 118 balls with 13 fours and three sixes before he was dismissed by Noor Hossain. The bigger fireworks came off Miller’s bat, as he smacked seven sixes in his unbeaten 115 which came off only 60 balls. All the bowlers were smashed around, except for Shamsur Rehman, who returned more respectable figures of 1 for 52 off ten overs.It was a combined bowling effort from the South Africans which sunk Bangladesh. The hosts were unable to build solid partnerships and lost wickets in a hurry. The highest they could manage was the 45 between Marshall Ayub and Raqibul Hasan for the fourth wicket. Jonathan Vandiar was the main wicket-taker with 3 for 42.South Africa play their next game against West Indies A on Thursday.

Cedric Kipre, Matt Phillips and Adam Reach were deemed to be West Brom’s poorest performers in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup third round.

The Baggies traded Championship commitments for domestic cup action on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Premier League outfit Brighton to The Hawthorns. Unfortunately, Valerien Ismael’s side exited the competition at the first attempt, losing 2-1 after extra time having initially taken the lead through Callum Robinson.

According to Sofascore’s performance metrics, it was Kipre, Phillips and Reach who stood out as the worst performers for West Brom of those to have played at least 60 minutes. We explore why that was the case.

Adam Reach – 6.4

The 28-year-old’s Baggies career has not got going since he joined from Sheffield Wednesday last summer and this was another ineffective outing, which took him to 20 Albion appearances without a single goal.

The winger played no key passes and had no shots on target in the match – a disappointing return, considering he is deemed a creative player – and he lost the ball a whopping 25 times, the most of any outfield player for the home side.

Reach played just two out of nine accurate long balls, too, and he did little to win over any of his detractors.

Matt Phillips – 6.3

Phillips was another Baggies player who failed to find his best form against the Seagulls, not affecting matters enough in the final third.

The attacker lost possession 12 times in a loose display, while from a defensive sense, he didn’t make one tackle or interception, failing to ruffle Brighton’s defenders’ feathers.

Phillips also didn’t have a shot on target in the match and won just one out of seven ground duels.

Cedric Kipre – 6.0

Kipre started in his usual right-sided centre-back role but had a very disappointing afternoon at the office, summed up by his game-changing red card midway through the second half.

He committed three fouls in total during a reckless performance, and he also failed to make a single interception or get a shot away during the game.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old won just three out of seven ground duels, as he was bettered by Brighton players all too often on a day to forget.

In other news: This Daryl Dike tweet had lots of Baggies fans gushing

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has his first chance to win silverware at the club as his side face Hibernian in the League Cup final this weekend.

The Hoops beat St Johnstone 1-0 in the semi-finals and come into this game off the back of a 2-1 win over Ross County in the Premiership, with Liel Abada and Antony Ralston scoring in midweek.

Forget Welsh

However, one problem Postecoglou faces heading into this match is the suspension of Carl Starfelt after his red card in midweek. He was given his marching orders for two bookable offences as the Hoops picked up the three points and he is now set to miss the final.

Starfelt’s indiscrection has left the 56-year-old with a decision to make regarding who he selects in his back four for this match. He should forget about making a like-for-like change by bringing Stephen Welsh in for the Swede and instead unleash Greg Taylor from the start.

By starting the Scotland international against Hibernian, Liam Scales could move from left-back to his natural central defensive position. The Irishman won eight of his 12 duels against Ross County and completed 100% of his dribbles whilst registering an assist from full-back, showing that he was strong in his defending and capable of playing out with the ball at his feet.

Postecoglou sang Taylor’s praises earlier this year after he put pen to paper on a new contract, saying: “He has had an excellent start to the season and has made a really valuable contribution to the team.

“Unfortunately he has suffered the injury in recent weeks, but our focus and his, is now to get him back in the squad as soon as possible, have him pick up where he left off and playing at that same high level.”

The £8.2k-per-week gem is a natural left-back and has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.13 in the Premiership this term. He has averaged 1.8 key passes and 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game, showing his ability to perform at both ends of the pitch.

Postecoglou could duly get Scales and Taylor into the team in their favoured positions, without needing to start Welsh next to Cameron Carter-Vickers. It is now down to the Australian to make the call and unleash the Scottish left-back against Hibernian on Sunday.

AND in other news, Celtic can finally axe “stupid” Lennon signing by landing “unstoppable” 30 y/o machine…

Celtic face Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park this afternoon, with Ange Postecoglu eyeing his first trophy since taking over at Parkhead in the summer.

The 56-year-old is missing a handful of players, with some facing last-minute fitness tests, so who will make the Hoops’ line-up for the cup final?

This is how Football FanCast predicts Celtic to set up against Hibs later today, with two changes from Wednesday’s starting line-up which faced Ross County.

There are no changes at the back after the midweek 2-1 win, with Celtic having the Premiership’s best defence, having conceded just 11 goals in 18 league matches so far this season.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart has been a significant part of that feat. The 34-year-old has been superb since making the move to Glasgow and will be looking to add another trophy to his impressive CV.

In midfield, Tom Rogic comes in for Nir Bitton after being rested in midweek. The Australian has been key for Postecoglu’s side this season, making 25 appearances in all competitions already, and his experience could be vital if Celtic are to be victorious today. He also boasts a potent presence, with three goals and five assists to his name in 2021/22.

Fellow midfielder Callum McGregor will be eyeing his 16th trophy for Celtic, and his first as captain of the club.

With the chances of James Forest and Kyogo Furuhashi being able to prove their fitness in time for kick-off too close to call, Liel Abada and Josip Juranović retain their places, with Mikey Johnston returning from a knock in time to start on the left. He replaces Adam Montgomery, who did not convince in an unfamiliar wide attacking role in Dingwall.

Johnston’s fitness was in doubt but the 22-year-old was pictured in training on Friday, which suggests that he could be fit to play, whether that’s as a starter or a substitute.

In other news: Postecoglou drops teasing Celtic team news before Hibs showdown, fans will be buzzing

Tillakaratne Dilshan, the explosive Sri Lanka batsman, has signed with New South Wales for next summer’s Twenty20 domestic competition

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2010Tillakaratne Dilshan, the explosive Sri Lanka batsman, has signed with New South Wales for next summer’s Twenty20 domestic competition. New South Wales won the Champions League Twenty20 last year but did not requalify for the lucrative tournament and have wasted no time in securing a big name to partner the likes of David Warner and Phillip Hughes.Dilshan is currently with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, is signed up with the English county Sussex, and has also played for New Zealand’s Northern Districts this season. Dave Gilbert, the New South Wales chief executive, said Dilshan was one of the world’s most destructive batsmen in the format.”We look forward to him playing a leading role in helping New South Wales win next season’s Big Bash and thereby qualifying for the Champions League,” Gilbert said. Dilshan, 33, has played 60 Tests, 174 ODIs and 23 T20 internationals for Sri Lanka.