As it stands, it looks as though Manchester City’s pursuit of Napoli midfielder Jorginho will be one of the sagas of the summer.
The Serie A outfit are not budging having already rejected an offer of £44m from the Premier League champions, according to The Mirror.
The newspaper claims that the North-West outfit will try to push the deal along by offering Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The 21-year-old, who can play in midfield or at left-back, joined City in 2016 but is yet to establish himself in Pep Guardiola’s team.
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In fact, the Ukraine international, who has been capped 17 times for his country, only started six top-flight games for the Cityzens last season.
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Given the amount of world-class talent in City’s first team, it is difficult to envisage a way through for Zinchenko.
However, judging by the reaction on Twitter, the club will come under criticism from the fans if the versatile player is offloaded in a deal for Jorginho.
West Ham are interested in signing Lazio left-back Jordan Lukaku, brother of Romelu, according to the Daily Mail (13/06 16:48).
What’s the story?
The 23-year-old defender joined Lazio in 2016 from KV Oostende and made 30 appearances last season, scoring one and assisting two goals.
The Belgian only has one year left on his contract and it appears Lazio are keen to get some money on the player who is valued at £6.3million on Transfermarkt before he leaves on a free next summer.
West Ham are keen on the Manchester United talisman’s younger brother after having already filled the right-back position with Ryan Fredericks.
Would he be a good signing?
If Jordan has anywhere near the impact his older brother has had on the Premier League, then West Ham fans will be laughing.
He is strong going forward and offers pace on the flank like their new recruit Fredericks.
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If he’s available for a cut-price fee because of his contract situation, he could be a very shrewd purchase for the Hammers who look set to change their style with wing-backs bombing up and down the flanks.
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According to Turkish media outlet Milliyet, Wolverhampton Wanderers are considering making a bid for Fenerbahce midfielder Josef de Souza this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Milliyet report that the Turkish giants are ready to listen to offers for the 29-year-old Brazilian, who has one year remaining on his contract, and Wolves are interested but could face competition from arch-rivals West Bromwich Albion for his signature.
Milliyet report that the Premier League new boys are ready to launch a €12.5m (£11m) offer for de Souza, and they could be in pole position to get him seeing as their local neighbours suffered relegation to the Championship.
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How did de Souza do during the 2017/18 campaign?
The 6ft 2in defensively-minded player was a regular for Fenerbahce last season, making 41 appearances in all competitions.
As well as scoring four goals and providing a further two assists, the Brazilian showed his ability on the ball with a passing accuracy of 87.3% in 33 Super Lig outings, as per WhoScored.com, while he also won 106 tackles and made 73 interceptions, as well as 50 blocks.
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Would he be a good Wolves signing?
He certainly would be.
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The 29-year-old is experienced and has played at the highest level with Fenerbahce in the Super Lig and in European competition, and he would add some real quality in the middle of the park alongside Romain Saiss and Ruben Neves.
In fact, the addition of the Brazilian would suggest that manager Nuno Santo, who is also eyeing a move for another midfielder who once had Paulo Dybala in his pocket, is ready to make a big formation change ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League given Neves and Saiss were so key for them last season, perhaps opting for a 3-5-2 system rather than his preferred 3-4-2-1/3-4-3 one last term.
When West Ham United signed Javier Hernandez last summer, they would have believed that they were getting the goalscorer they had been missing for a number of years, even though the Mexico international had forged a big majority of his club career out of being a bit of a super sub – especially with Manchester United.
His 5ft 9in frame would have raised some doubts as to whether he would be able to play up top on his own at the London Stadium in Slaven Bilic’s preferred 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 formations, and it proved to be the case in the opening months of the 2017/18 campaign as he struggled to make an impact against opposition centre-backs, or score goals on the regular basis that he might have been expected to.
The 30-year-old has played the lone role previously – especially with his country Mexico – but he never really looked comfortable doing it for the Irons, although in fairness he perhaps they didn’t play the right way or give him the right support to make it work.
Hernandez was often pushed out to play on the left by Slaven Bilic – especially if Andy Carroll was available – as the Croatian struggled to fit him, Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini in the XI at the same time in the early months, and he rarely looked happy about it.
New Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini’s predecessor David Moyes quickly realised that Hernandez wasn’t being effective in the role either on the left or as a centre-forward, and the Scot instead put Arnautovic there with Hernandez often left on the substitutes’ bench.
It was a theme that continued throughout the rest of the campaign, and had Moyes been offered an extension to his contract that expired at the end of the season then Hernandez would almost certainly have been on his way – although he could still leave despite the arrival of Pellegrini.
The appointment of the Chilean may well change his situation for the better, but he will want to be starting for the east London club on a regular basis this term if he is to stay, and it could leave the former Manchester City chief with a big decision to make.
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Pellegrini often preferred a system with two strikers during his spell at the Etihad Stadium, but in his previous spell with Hebei China Fortune he favoured 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1 systems respectively.
Whether he will be brave enough to go with two up top with West Ham remains to be seen, but a formation with a lone striker seems more likely.
Arnautovic may well be in pole position to take that role seeing as he was so good there for the east London outfit last season, using his strength, power and finishing ability to score 11 goals and provide a further six assists in 31 Premier League appearances.
However Pellegrini, who has been urged to sign an England World Cup star following his display against Tunisia on Monday, will know that Hernandez needs to be playing if he is to keep hold of him, and ‘Little Pea’ proved in his country’s brilliant 1-0 win over Germany at the weekend that he can play the role effectively at the very highest level.
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The 30-year-old ran his socks off and despite only have 28 touches of the ball throughout the 90 minutes, he provided the assist for Hirving Lozano, harried Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng and competed physically with them from an attacking point of view, as well as doing his fair share of defensive work.
If Pellegrini can make sure he produces the same work-rate and makes the same big impact for West Ham this season – whether they are playing Manchester City or Cardiff City – then he should start the campaign as the lone striker with Arnautovic dropping back to a deeper role – which will be especially important given the injury to Manuel Lanzini that is likely to keep him out until 2019.
The battle lines between Cricket NSW and the SCG Trust have again been drawn, with Blues chief executive Dave Gilbert suggesting Sydney’s next Ashes Test could be staged at ANZ Stadium
Cricinfo staff11-Nov-2009The battle lines between Cricket NSW and the SCG Trust have again been drawn, with Blues chief executive Dave Gilbert suggesting Sydney’s next Ashes Test could be staged at ANZ Stadium, the main venue for the 2000 Olympics. Cricket NSW and the Trust were involved in a similar stand-off five years ago during negotiations over the existing tenancy agreement, and Gilbert has again flagged the possibility of moving cricket from its traditional home at the SCG to the 80,000 capacity stadium in Homebush.The last agreement, signed in 2004, expires at the end of 2010, creating an air of uncertainty over where the New Year’s Test of 2011 against England will be staged. The very notion that major international fixtures could be relocated from the SCG will dismay the cricketing purists of Sydney, but Gilbert said he would keep all options open when negotiations with the Trust begin next year.”ANZ is focused on getting a major cricket match to its venue,” Gilbert said. “I know Test cricket will be a difficult one to do at this stage – and you have to weigh up tradition and history and the drama at the SCG – but when I was a kid growing up at the SCG, rugby league Test matches and union Test matches were only ever at the SCG. Not anymore.”If you’re a 15-year-old kid, you’ve only ever known big sport events to be played at ANZ Stadium – that’s not meant to be an inflammatory comment, it’s a fact. If you take the heat and emotion out of it, as CEO of Cricket NSW, I have to do what is best for cricket to generate revenue to keep this game going, and this is what this process is about.”This is what our negotiations will be about the next few months. It has to be recognised SCG and ANZ Stadium run a ground and we run a sport, we need each other and it’s about working out the best deal moving forward.”Simon Katich, the Australian opener and NSW captain, said it would be a “huge surprise” if the decision was made to break with tradition and relocate Test cricket from the SCG to the larger-capacity ANZ Stadium. NSW have staged 20- and 50-over matches at the Olympic venue for several seasons, but as yet no internationals have been played there.”We’ve played a lot of one-day cricket out at ANZ Stadium,” Katich said. “The game is always developing and changing, who knows where it could head now with where we play, but it would be a shock if we moved from the SCG.”I think the only issue might be that the wicket at ANZ is a drop-in wicket and people are always worried about losing the characteristics of all the five different [Ashes Test] venues in Australia,” he added. “That would be an issue, but in terms of attendances out there, we obviously get great crowds for the Blues and being a big stadium, who knows what a Test match could draw out there?”A spokesman for ANZ Stadium said the venue’s primary focus was to attract ODI and Twenty20 international cricket, but would not rule out a bid to poach Test matches from the SCG.
A round-up of the tenth round of matches in Tier A of Sri Lanka’s Premier League Tournament
Sa'adi Thawfeeq16-Dec-2009
Tier A
Mahela Udawatte has long been touted as Sanath Jayasuriya’s successor•AFP
Left-arm spinners figured quite prominently last week in the Premier League tournament which is interesting poised with only weeks to go. Chilaw Marians CC are well on course to win their first Premier League title after recording their fourth victory of the season and their third in a row. As on the previous two weekends, it was the left-arm spin of Dinuka Hettiarachchi which set up their nine-wicket win over Badureliya CC and enabled them to maintain a nine-point lead over title rivals Nondescripts CC. Hettiarachchi took his third successive ten-wicket match haul as Badureliya was dismissed for 69 in the first innings at Katunayake. Although Badureliya put up a better batting performance in the second to score 416, Chilaw Marians were left with only 127 to get in the fourth innings, a figure they achieved off 19.2 overs. Hettiarachchi with a match bag of 13 wickets (6/25 & 7/201) became the leading wicket-taker for the season taking his tally to 59 wickets from 10 matches.Two other left-arm spinners Sohan Boralessa and Sachith Pathirana lifted Colombo CC from the bottom of the table to two places above by bowling their club to their first win of the season following seven draws and two defeats. This left only Ragama CC and Moors SC (who now occupy the bottom slot) without a single win. Boralessa passed the 50-wicket mark for the season with a haul of seven wickets in the match against Ragama CC at Maitland Place, which Colombo CC won by 31 runs. Pathirana formed a perfect foil taking nine wickets in the match as the two bowlers ran through the strong Ragama batting for 190 and 158. Colombo CC captain Jehan Mubarak held the batting together in the second innings, making 110 out of 201.The fourth left-arm spinner to bowl his team to victory was Chanaka Komasaru whose match figures of 8 for 133 gave Nondescripts CC a much-needed seven-wicket victory over Bloomfield at Reid Avenue to remain in the title hunt. Apart from Komasaru the other bowler who played a match-winning role was right-arm fast-medium bowler Kosala Kulasekara who also ended up with eight wickets in the match. It was not an easy game for NCC who barely managed to gain a first-innings lead of 17 runs and it was Bloomfield’s collapse in the second innings for 127, despite a fighting knock of 72 by Suraj Randiv, that left them with a comfortable target of 111 to chase in the fourth innings.NCC coach Hemantha Devapriya was optimistic of the club’s chances of winning the title. “We had a good start in the season but with or without luck we are still fighting for the top spot. It will be good to be No. 1 but anything that comes has to be accepted with good spirit.” NCC will be handicapped in their final match for the season against Saracens starting on Friday as they will be without Lasith Malinga and Upul Tharanga, who are with the national side in India, and allrounder Farveez Maharoof who is unlikely to be available because of injury. “We will use our maximum resources to record a win. Much will depend on our in-form bowlers Kosala Kulasekara and Chanaka Komasaru and the top order batters,” Devapriya said.If NCC fail to get an outright win, Chilaw Marians who have a game in hand but are free this weekend, will win the title. Even if NCC win and obtain maximum points, Chilaw Marians still have a chance of emerging champions if they take first-innings points from their final match of the season against Moors SC starting on December 26.Colombo Colts moved to third spot with their fourth win of the season beating Moors SC by five wickets at Havelock Park. Two former Under-19 World Cup players from the same school (St Joseph’s College, Colombo) Thissara Perera (113 not out and 5/69) and Roshen Silva (97) starred in Colts’ victory.Saracens offspinner Dilshan Wimaladarma’s third ten-wicket match haul for the season failed to stop Tamil Union from grabbing first-innings points in their drawn match at the P Sara Oval. Wimaladarma took eight wickets in an innings for the second time in Tamil Union’s first innings of 319 and followed it up with a further five in the second. But Saracens’ batting failed to live up to their bowling and fell short by 63 runs. Tamil Union made use of the remaining time to pile up batting points by scoring 349-6. Sachithra Serasinghe with a career-best 126 and Kanchana Gunawardene with 130 shone for Tamil Union.
Tier B
Lankan CC have virtually crowned themselves as Premier Tier B champions having completed the season with four wins from nine matches. They have a total of 102.18 points, which is a 17 point lead over their nearest rivals Seeduwa-Raddoluwa CC who play their final game against Singha SC starting on Friday. Seeduwa-Raddoluwa have a tall task ahead of them to overhaul Lankan CC as the maximum points obtained by any team in the competition for this season is 16.5 which is insufficient to displace Lankan CC from the top of the table.Cricketer of the Week: Mahela UdawatteTouted as the successor to Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, 23 has yet to fulfill that role. Although he bats like the master blaster and has powerful shots, in nine one-day internationals and five Twenty20 internationals Udawatte has yet to convince the selectors that he is the player to fill the great man’s shoes. Joining Chilaw Marians CC straight from school, Udawatte became an instant hit when he reeled off three hundreds in five matches in the Under-23 tournament in 2004-05. He was rewarded with a place in the Development Squad and then the Sri Lanka A team. A powerful and attacking batsman who likes to take on the quick bowlers he is rated highly by former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.While Udawatte keeps fighting to earn a permanent slot in the national side, he is at the moment on the verge of leading Chilaw Marians to their maiden Premier League title. Appointed captain for the on-going season Udawatte has shown maturity beyond his years to lead his club well. “We are almost 95% there it all depends on how NCC perform this weekend,” Udawatte said. “Our success is due to the unity in the team where the senior and junior members mingle with each other freely. We have one or two senior players like Dinuka Hettiarachchi and Gayan Wijekoon the rest are all talented youngsters. The key is to utilise their talents properly. I think we have done that.”We have a squad of 15 players and everyone has got a game. There are no outstanding performers in the team but success is due to the contribution of everyone. Dinuka has been our main strike bowler and he has captured the most wickets by any bowler this season,” Udawatte said.Tier A points table
The leading Associates’ itineraries for the first six months of 2010 have been announced by the ICC
Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2010The leading Associates’ itineraries for the first six months of 2010 have been announced by the ICC, and although all all busy, once again they show the difficulty faced by the boards to secure fixtures against Full Members.Canada
They arrive in Sri Lanka next week for almost three weeks of preparations ahead of the ICC World Cup Twenty20 Qualifier, and their time there includes a short Twenty20 series involving Afghanistan and Ireland. After the T20 Qualifiers they remain in the UAE where they again meet Afghanistan, this time in two ODIs, followed by an Intercontinental Cup tie.They are scheduled to be in Jamaica on early April to play an ODI and T20 game against West Indies. In May, they take part in the Americas Division One competition in Bermuda.As with all sides in the T20 Qualifiers, if they make it through to the main tournament they will be in the USA at a training camp from April 18 to 23 with the event in the Caribbean following on.Ireland
Like Canada, they kick off in Sri Lanka, albeit for a fortnight, during which time they play Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup before heading to the UAE for the T20 Qualifiers. In early April they too will be in Jamaica, playing a four-dayer against the national side and then one ODI and three Twenty20s against West Indies.When they return to home they have an ODI against Australia in Belfast on June 17 but will not be involved in any of English cricket’s domestic competitions after opting not to accept the ECB’s invitation.Kenya
While the main tournament is the T20 Qualifiers, there are two Intercontinental Cup matches against Scotland (January 25-28) and Netherlands (February 20-23).The Scotland match is followed by a Twenty20 tri-series between the two and Uganda, while the Netherlands game is followed by two ODIs.Netherlands
The Dutch have opted to prepare for the T20 Qualifiers in India, travelling to Kenya after the competition (see above). From April 15 they have a busy itinerary with matches in England’s new 40-over competition, their invitation coming as a result of the Irish’s absence.On June 10 they host Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup and then play them in a one-off ODI.Scotland
The Intercontinental Cup game in Nairobi is preceded by a few days in Kenya and then the T20 tri-series also involving Uganda.They too are in the English 40-over competition before meeting Netherlands in the Intercontinental Cup. A one-off ODI against England takes place in Edinburgh on June 19.Afghanistan
After time a busy time in Sri Lanka (see above) where they will also play Sri Lanka A in T20 and limited-overs matches, they meet Canada in two ODIs and an Intercontinental Cup game in Dubai after the T20 Qualifiers. After that, at present they have nothing else arranged.
Ashwell Prince hit his maiden one-day century to guide the Warriors to the MTN40 title against the Dolphins
Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2010
ScorecardSolving the issues surrounding Ashwell Prince’s position in the national team is one of Corrie van Zyl’s first jobs as South Africa’s interim coach. However, Prince gave his cause a timely boost with his maiden limited-overs hundred to guide the Warriors to the MTN40 title with a powerful 71-run victory against the Dolphins at East London.Prince’s 96-ball 128 anchored the Warriors innings as they piled up an imposing 299 for 4 with the total being given a late boost by the in-form Jacques Kallis who plundered 87 off 57 balls. Kallis added 91 in 10 overs for the third wicket with Prince and 59 off the 4.5 overs with Davey Jacobs as the home side plundered a weak opposition attack.The Dolphins’ key pair of Alfonso Thomas and Andrew Hall conceded 144 in 15 overs between them as the Warriors made full use of their Powerplays. With the Warriors having all their internationals available – six of the team were due on a charter flight to Johannesburg the following morning to fly out to India – they were always the favourites and a battling, but underpowered Dolphins, were no match despite spirited innings from Hashim Amla, Dale Benkenstein and David Miller.For Prince this was the ideal tonic after a lean series against England were he managed 97 in seven innings to leave plenty of questions surrounding his international future. Having admitted to being a reluctant opener South Africa need to decide how to make best use of Prince, but on this occasion he looked perfectly at home at the top of the order.His opening stand of 93 with Justin Kreusch set the platform on a flat pitch with a fast outfield. Showing a flamboyance that was more akin to the earlier days of his career, Prince reached three figures from 85 balls before leaving the stage set for Kallis’s late charge.Kallis’s form has been in no doubt throughout the season since he returned from injury – he notched two fine hundreds against England – and his clean striking stood out as a class above in this innings.The Dolphins’ chase was derailed by the seventh over as Lonwabo Tsotsobe ripped out the first three wickets in an impressive new-ball spell – another useful display with the India tour looming. Amla (68) and Benkenstein (63) did their best to resurrect the innings as they added 100 for the fourth wicket, but an asking rate of approaching ten-an-over was always too much.Miller went down swinging as he clubbed 46 from 30 balls but he fell to Wayne Parnell, who also collected three wickets, and the final scalp went to Rusty Theron as he ended the MTN40 season as the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at 18.80.
South Africa will play an additional Twenty20 international on their tour of the West Indies in May-June, the West Indies Cricket Board has confirmed
Cricinfo staff09-Feb-2010South Africa will play an additional Twenty20 international on their tour of the West Indies in May-June, the West Indies Cricket Board has confirmed. The teams will now play back-to-back Twenty20 games at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad on May 19 and 20 respectively. The teams will stay back in Trinidad for the first two ODIs.The two boards had agreed to play an extra match, but it won’t extend the tour. The tour begins with the Twenty20 games, followed by five ODIs and three Tests. The series will be preceded by the ICC World Twenty20, also in the Caribbean.
England Lions found Pakistan A’s spinners too much to handle as they fell to an 83-run defeat in the opening one-dayer in Dubai after collapsing for a paltry 96
Cricinfo staff22-Feb-2010
ScorecardEngland Lions found Pakistan A’s spinners too much to handle as they fell to an 83-run defeat in the opening one-dayer in Dubai after collapsing for a paltry 96. The Lions attack had impressed to restrict Pakistan A to 179, but Abdur Rehman and Raza Hasan ran through the top order with six wickets between them.Hasan, a 17-year-old left-arm spinner, made the important breakthrough when he bowled captain Andrew Gale after the Lions had progressed to 40 for 1 against the seamers. Rehman then struck twice in two balls when he removed Michael Carberry and James Taylor to leave the chase floundering on 41 for 4.For 10 overs Ian Bell and Steven Davies steadied the innings with a stand of 30, but the spinners remained a threat. Rehman ended the resistance when he nabbed Davies and Hasan then removed Adil Rashid for a duck to leave the Lions with a huge task in front of them.The lower order also succumbed to spin as Rehman collected his fourth by removing Chris Woakes and Mohammad Hafeez chipped in with a brace. Ian Bell was the only batsman to provide prolonged resistance and was left stranded on 46 when Hasan took his third to wrap up the match.Spin also played a key role when Pakistan A batted with David Wainwright, the Yorkshire left-arm spinner who was given his chance now that James Tredwell has left for Bangladesh with the senior squad, claiming 3 for 26. The Lions picked up wickets at regular intervals with Wainwright taking his first when he removed top-scorer Hafeez for 51.He also accounted for Hammad Azam, who was the star for Pakistan at the recent Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, and Aamer Sajjad for a useful 39 before the quicks returned to close out the innings. However, the total proved more than enough as Pakistan A set about trying to overturn their Twenty20 series defeat in successful style.