Newcastle United reportedly see Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen as a more "realistic" option than teammate Marc Guehi this summer.

Are Newcastle eyeing centre-back signings?

The Magpies will be well aware that they need to enjoy a fruitful time of things in the transfer market, in order to kick on and seal back-to-back top-four finishes in the Premier League.

The likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea are likely to come back stronger in 2023/24 after below-par campaigns, and with the addition of Champions League football at St James' Park, more squad depth is required.

The defence could be an area of the pitch that needs strengthening, despite the performances of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, especially with the latter now 31 years of age. It could be that Newcastle look to snap up a central defender from the Premier League, with the Magpies also in advanced talks with Southampton over a move for right-back Tino Livramento.

Could Newcastle swoop for Andersen this summer?

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the £75,000-a-week Dane is considered a cheaper, and therefore more "realistic", summer target than Guehi currently:

"In terms of centre-backs, 90min understands that Newcastle are looking closely at Crystal Palace pair Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen.

"England international Guehi has shone for Palace since joining from Chelsea, although an asking price of over £50m means a deal this summer for Newcastle looks tough given the number of positions they are looking to improve upon.

"Andersen’s price tag is more likely to be less than £30m and it is believed he is a more realistic target for Newcastle at this stage, although the Magpies are still looking at numerous options."

Andersen, who shares the same agency as Nick Pope, has the potential to be an excellent signing by Newcastle ahead of the new season, having proven himself and shone over a sustained period for Palace, whether it be his aerial presence or his all-round defensive ability.

The 27-year-old won an average of 3.3 aerial duels per game for Denmark at the 2022 World Cup, as well as 2.7 in the league last season, and a whopping 5.8 clearances per match in the latter.

Andersen was described as a "massively important" player for Palace by Patrick Vieira during his time as manager, while Robbie Earle once hailed him as "commanding" during his time at Lyon.

He could be a shrewd addition at the back, possibly partnering Botman moving forward as a long-term option, and he would surely jump at the chance to join a team that really feel like they are going places under Eddie Howe.

تحدثت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن تطورات جديدة بشأن مستقبل لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، لوكا مودريتش.

وسينتهي عقد قائد منتخب كرواتيا مع فريق ريال مدريد في نهاية الموسم الحالي في صيف 2024.

وترغب أندية الدوري السعودي في التعاقد مع مودريتش خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. لتعويض مبابي.. باريس سان جيرمان ينافس ليفربول على خليفة محمد صلاح

وذكرت صحيفة ماركا الإسبانية، أن فيليمر زاجيتش رئيس نادي دينامو زغرب الكرواتي، قام بعمل مبادرة إعلانية بهدف التعاقد مع لوكا مودريتش بفترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

وتابعت الصحيفة الإسبانية، أن رئيس نادي دينامو زغرب حجز صفحة إعلانية في صحيفة ماركا، في محاولة لإقناع لوكا مودريتش بالانضمام إلى الفريق الكرواتي.

ووضع فيليمر زاجيتش في الإعلان الذي تم نشره بصحيفة ماركا الإسبانية، صورة لقميص مودريتش مع الفريق الكرواتي تحمل الرقم 10.

يذكر أن مودريتش لعب في صفوف نادي دينامو زغرب مابين عامي 2003 حتى عام 2008، قبل أن ينتقل إلى صفوف نادي توتنهام هوتسبير الإنجليزي.

Buenos días 💙#imalobismisla pic.twitter.com/60YKb6a7GA — GNK Dinamo (@gnkdinamo) April 6, 2024

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches held on April 20, 2017

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2017In the first close contest of this season’s Dhaka Premier League, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club registered a five-run win over Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club at the BKSP-4 Ground in Savar.Needing 15 runs off the last over in a truncated game of 38 overs a side, Doleshwar’s Mohammad Sharifullah managed to hit a solitary boundary as Abdur Razzak conceded only nine runs off the deciding six balls.That Doleshwar’s chances were alive until the last over was largely due to a 108-run fourth-wicket stand between Puneet Bisht (83) and Marshall Ayub (42). But a sluggish start earlier meant there was too much to be done in the last eight overs. Shahadat Hossain picked up two wickets for Dhanmondi, while Razzak’s 3 for 39 in eight overs earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Earlier, Dhanmondi Club amassed 235 for 7 in 38 overs, piloted by a 123-run second-wicket stand between Fazle Mahmud (55) and Imrul Kayes (67) before Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 47 off 41. Habibur Rahman and Arafat Sunny took two wickets each.Gazi Group Cricketers cruised to an eight-wicket win, led by their bowlers, against Legends of Rupganj at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar. Overnight rain had effected a 30-minute delay before the match got underway, reducing the contest to 47 overs a side.Gazi Group’s left-arm pace bowler Abu Hider took full advantage of the overcast conditions by picking up two early wickets during his four-wicket haul. Offspinner Parvez Rasool picked three wickets, while Mahedi Hasan bagged two, bowling out Rupganj for 156 runs in 44 overs.For Rupganj, No. 9 Mosharraf Hossain top-scored with 37 while No. 4 Mahmudul Hasan made 30.In reply, Gazi Group wrapped up the chase in 36 overs, with opening batsman Jahurul Islam closing out the game unbeaten on 62 off 106 with six fours. Mominul Haque contributed with 44 off 53 balls.Uday Kaul missed out on a century by just six runs but his effort helped Abahani Limited snaffle a 32-run win over Brothers Union at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.Kaul struck just five fours in his 120-ball knock that spanned 41 overs. He added 96 for the opening stand with Liton Das (48) before adding a further 88 runs with Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who struck a 56-ball 49. Mahmudullah also fell one run short of a half-century, but Shuvagata Hom’s 17-ball 44 – studded with seven fours and a six – propelled Abahani to 327 for 6 in 50 overs.Opener Junaid Siddique’s century kept Brothers Union on track with his 112-ball 114, clobbering eight fours and three sixes. He added 86 runs for the second wicket with Mizanur Rahman and another 61 runs for the fourth wicket with Myshukur Rahman.However, when captain Alok Kapali fell for 6 in the 38th over, Brothers Union lost two more wickets in quick succession, including that of Siddique in the 41st over. No. 10 Nihaduzzaman kept his side in the chase with an unbeaten 32-ball 41, but it insufficient as Brothers Union could only manage 295 for 8 in 50 overs.For Abahani, Shuvagata finished with 3 for 45 from 10 overs and Mohammad Saifuddin ended on 2 for 50 after he dismissed the openers.

Newcastle United "were no longer working on" a deal to sign Dominik Szoboszlai over the past few weeks because their "focus was on Sandro Tonali", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Newcastle United transfer news – What's the latest on Dominik Szoboszlai and Sandro Tonali?

The Magpies enjoyed an unbelievable season last year, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in two decades and making it to the final of the Carabao Cup, despite falling at the final hurdle.

It's no surprise that with their new status as the richest club in the world and the arrival of continental football at St James' Park, Eddie Howe and Co are looking to make a statement in the summer transfer window.

That said, the Toon haven't had it all their own way thus far, with long-term target James Maddison signing for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week with the Metro reporting that the England international was impressed with Ange Postecoglou's pitch.

Another player that seems to have slipped through the cracks is Hungarian international and RB Leipzig star, Szoboszlai.

According to Football Insider, the dynamic midfielder was on Howe's shortlist of potential transfer targets, and the Magpies eventually made an 'approach to sign' the 22-year-old back in May.

However, it appears that any deal with the club would have been pointless, as Leipziger Volkszeitung reporter Guido Schafer claimed on the Anfield Roar podcast (via NewcastleWorld) that:

"He (Szoboszlai) wants to leave. He said 'I want to make the next step', and he loves the Premier League. If he can choose between Champions League with Newcastle and Europa League with Jurgen Klopp, he will choose Klopp and the Europa League. That is for sure."

The Hungarian dynamo now looks to have gotten his wish, with Liverpool having reportedly offered to pay the German club the £60m required to activate his release clause.

However, according to Romano, Newcastle were less keen than first thought and had recently stopped working on the deal to focus on their primary transfer target, AC Milan's Tonali.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Let me say for Newcastle fans that in the past few days, Newcastle were no longer working on this one because their focus was on Sandro Tonali.

"Sandro Tonali is a done deal and will be announced I think during the weekend from what I am told."

How good is Sandro Tonali?

The Italian international has been brilliant in Serie A over the last few seasons, earning himself a loan move to AC Milan from Brescia in 2020 before making the move permanent in 2021.

Since making his debut at the San Siro, he has made 130 appearances for the club, helping the team to win the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years in the 2021/22 season.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.91 across his 34 Serie A appearances last season, scoring twice and assisting his teammates another seven times.

The "leader", as described by football scout Jacek Kulig, is set to cost the Toon at least £55m, but based on his fantastic performances for Milan, that could well look like a bargain a few years down the line.

Tottenham are keeping an eye on Lille star Jonathan David in case they lose Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, according to reports in France.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham?

It’s not a summer transfer window unless there is a saga surrounding Kane’s future in north London, but it’s fair to say this one feels closer to something actually happening than those that have come before.

That is of course due to the talisman’s contract situation, meaning Daniel Levy has to at least consider the offers coming in from Munich, and Ange Postecoglou has admitted he’s had no assurances:

“No, I haven't had any assurances [over Kane's future] and I wouldn't expect any assurances because with these kind of things you're never dealing in definites or certainties.

“I'm trying to concentrate on the things that I know right now, and what I know right now is that Harry's part of this squad.”

Those comments were followed by a pretty worrying update from Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who insists Kane has actually personally agreed to join the Bavarian giants:

“As reported: Harry Kane made 100 % clear that he only wants to join FC Bayern.

He’s not considering a move to another club abroad. It’s an agreement between Kane & Bayern.”

Now, according to French newspaper L’Equipe, the Lilywhites have picked out David as a possible option to replace their record goalscorer. Sport Witness translate the update, which says Lille have set their price at €60m (£51m).

Lille hope to make a signing of their own with the money they generate from selling their star man, a Canada international, but Kane’s moving is holding everything up, with Spurs one of the teams “observing” David’s situation.

There is plenty of competition for his signature however, as PSG, Chelsea and Newcastle are all keeping an eye on the striker merry go round as well.

How good is Jonathan David?

In truth, it’s going to be impossible for Postecoglou and Levy to find someone to fully replicate Kane’s end product, but there aren’t many players who come closer than David over the last couple of seasons.

The 23 year-old found the back of the net 15 times in 38 Ligue 1 showings in the 2021/22 campaign, and followed that up with 24 strikes in 37 games this time around.

He can play as an out and out centre forward, in behind another number nine or even on both wings if required, and hasn’t fallen below ten league goals in a season since he was a teenager.

A 40-cap international – with 24 goals in those games too – his injury history is also a major selling point, having missed a total of just three games due to illness or injury across his entire career to this point.

Labelled an “absolutely massive” player for Lille for his ability to step up to the plate in pressure situations, that is exactly the kind of mentality Spurs need from whoever arrives to fill Kane’s shoes – if he goes – and for £51m, Postecoglou would be getting an exciting young talent in the form of his life.

An Ashes debut for Perth’s new stadium remains in Cricket Australia’s sights, with the chief executive James Sutherland to head west this week for meetings aimed at getting the 60,000 capacity Burswood development up and running in time for the third match of next summer’s five-Test series.On the day tickets went on sale to the general public for all venues but Perth, Sutherland said he was in continuing talks with stadium management – helmed by former CA executive Mike McKenna – the West Australian government and the builders to see if the precinct can be ready in time for the Ashes.This is despite reports out of Perth last month indicating the state government had all but ruled out the possibility of the Test being played in the new stadium, which features drop-in pitches. A January ODI between Australia and England appears the more likely time for the unveiling.”Either way we’re very optimistic that we’ll be playing cricket at the new stadium in 2017-18, but we’re hopeful it will be a Test match because I think people will come from everywhere to be a part of the event,” Sutherland said. “We know there’s latent demand in the UK just waiting for an announcement and they’re ready to go, because Perth’s just that little bit closer to the UK and I know it’s a place that English travellers love to get to.”We’re looking towards the end of this month to make a decision. We want to get tickets on sale as soon as possible, give everyone plenty of notice of what needs to get in order, but certainly we’ll continue to have conversations, I’m in Perth this week to have some conversations with relevant people and we’ll hopefully, by the end of this month, be able to make announcements about when tickets go on sale.”The stadium’s management – which also includes CA’s former head of events Chris Loftus-Hills – has remained steadfast that the venue is intended only to be ready in time for next year’s AFL season. Australia have hosted Ashes Tests at incomplete stadiums before, most recently during the Adelaide Oval redevelopment, when the majority of the ground was available for play.File photo: The new stadium in Burswood is expected to hold a capacity of 60,000 people and will feature drop-in pitches•Getty Images

“From what I understand the stadium will be fully complete and ready to go [when it hosts its first match],” Sutherland said. “It’s very much about the logistics and planning. The completion dates for the stadium actually work pretty well for us, but at the same time a Test match in Perth at the new stadium would be a huge event, and there’s little room for things to go wrong in terms of teething problems that are in some ways perhaps inevitable.”We’re really optimistic about the way in which the event could be staged in the new stadium, we’ve got great confidence in that, but we also understand that through government, through the stadium manager and also the builders, there are a lot of logistics we’re not necessarily across that need to be worked through.”We’d love to see the Test match be the opening event for the new stadium, but to some extent that’s out of our control. We’ll just put our best foot forward and try to impress that upon the powers that be in Perth.”CA recently named Antonia Beggs as the governing body’s new head of match operations and events, after she had previously served at the head of client relations for the European PGA tour and as Championship director of the Ryder Cup. After relocating from Britain, Beggs is expected to start in her new role in mid-July.

Leeds United have held talks regarding a summer deal to bring Newcastle United star Karl Darlow to the Championship, according to reports.

Where is Karl Darlow now?

Darlow is a goalkeeper who has played his football in the northeast for nine years after joining from Nottingham Forest back in 2014, but during the second-half of last season, he was sent out on loan to Hull City in a bid to receive some regular game time, where he ended up making 12 starts in the second tier.

The Northampton-born shot-stopper still has another two years to run on his contract with Eddie Howe’s side, but practically being the last choice in the manager’s pecking order with Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka and potentially also Loris Karius ahead of him, there’s a chance that both parties could be looking for a sale during the ongoing window.

Back in June, Football League World reported that the Whites and the 49ers have been long-term admirers of the 32-year-old but made it clear that he wasn’t their number one target between the sticks, though if the following update is to be believed, it sounds as if they have since had a change of heart.

Are Leeds signing Darlow?

According to Sky Sports, Leeds are "battling it out" with Bournemouth to sign Darlow ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Newcastle are yet to receive an "official bid" for the goalkeeper, but it's reported that "talks have taken place" with both of the interested parties and that a permanent switch is "likely to be agreed" with either the Cherries or the outfit at Elland Road.

Middlesbrough were also "keen" to strike a deal, though they have pulled out of the race because they "can't match the wages on offer" from their competitors.

Where would Darlow fit in at Elland Road?

Leeds will know that they could lose Illan Meslier this summer with the goalkeeper having publicly admitted that he would be open to a move to Chelsea should they pursue him, so the hierarchy may need to enter the market to find a replacement, and having been hailed “sublime” by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, Darlow could be the perfect successor.

The Unique Sports Group client, who pockets £30k-per-week, kept five clean sheets in 12 Championship appearances for Hull, with this impressive form in such a short amount of time, also seeing him receive a man-of-the-match award at the MKM Stadium.

The 6 foot 2 colossus additionally made 34 saves from 48 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 75%, which was considerably higher than Meslier who recorded just 59.5%, therefore showing how much of an upgrade he’d be on the current first-choice in LS11.

Finally, Darlow has an extremely strong range of passing with a 99.5% completion rate for short attempts and 97.2% for medium-length passes, so even though he’s slightly older than is ideal considering the club should really be aiming to land a younger more long-term recruit, he is a suitable target for the board to pursue this summer.

Afghanistan’s first full series against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe will include three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies, beginning in early June

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2017

Afghanistan’s first bilateral series against West Indies will include three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning in the first week of June. The series will be played concurrently with the Champions Trophy, which begins on June 1 in England. West Indies, who haven’t won a bilateral ODI series since 2014, beating Bangladesh at home, failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.WI v Afghanistan schedule

June 2 – First T20I
June 3 – Second T20I
June 5 – Third T20I
June 9 – First ODI
June 11 – Second ODI
June 14 – Third ODI

All three T20s will be played at Warner Park in St Kitts, beginning from June 2. The ODIs, all of which will be played at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia, will begin a week later, on June 9.The tour’s original schedule included five ODIs and three T20Is. This series will also be Afghanistan’s first full series against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe.”It will also be an important series for our side,” Roland Holder, WICB Manager of Cricket Operations, said, “as they look to move up in the ICC World Rankings in the two formats, and continue their quest to qualify for the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and Wales.”West Indies are currently placed ninth in the ODI rankings, followed by Afghanistan. West Indies will be hoping to climb up the rankings as only the top eight teams as of September end this year will gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup. They lost their last ODI series 3-0 to England earlier this month and have three more coming up against Pakistan in April.West Indies and Afghanistan have never played an ODI against each other and the last time they squared up in a T20I, Afghanistan won by six runs, in a league match in the World T20 last year.The upcoming three T20Is will start at 7pm and the day-night ODIs will start at 2.30 pm.

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa is open to a move to Newcastle United this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness.

The Magpies have already raided the Serie A once this summer, signing Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. Now, they could be set to return for Chiesa.

What's the news on Newcastle United and Federico Chiesa?

After struggling to regain the form that initially got people talking at Euro 2020, with injuries playing a part in that, Chiesa wouldn't be opposed to a fresh start away from Juventus according to this update, as the player himself would "gladly listen" to offers.

With that said, the Italian giants are reportedly looking for €55m (£47m) if they are to sell the winger this summer. Despite the hefty fee, Newcastle are reportedly interested in making their move for Chiesa, and potentially his Juventus teammate Dusan Vlahovic too, who has struggled to replicate his Fiorentina form since making the switch.

As of right now, the Magpies have only signed Tonali this summer. And, with Champions League football to think about next season, Eddie Howe may well need more than one reinforcement, potentially leading Newcastle to turn to the Serie A once again this summer. Newcastle will certainly have the funds available, it just remains to be seen how they spend them in the coming months.

Should Newcastle United sign Federico Chiesa?

Newcastle have an array of attacking talent, with Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson leading the way going forward. And, with Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reporting that the Magpies are looking to sell Allan Saint-Maximin this summer to fund a move for Harvey Barnes, a move for Chiesa seems like it would be unnecessary this summer.

Perhaps though if Newcastle fail in their pursuit of Barnes, they can turn their attention to Chiesa. Speaking after Chiesa's ACL injury, journalist Josh Bunting said: "Horrible news for Juventus and Italy that they have confirmed that Federico Chiesa has suffered an ACL injury, expected to be out for six months so that’s the season over. Will miss Italy’s World Cup playoff he’s a real difference maker. One of the most exciting players around."

He's an extremely exciting talent with a high ceiling – when Saint-Maximin, Barnes, and Chiesa are compared statistically, it is the Leicester winger and Juventus man who stand out above Saint-Maximin when it comes to end product.

As per FBref, out of the three, Chiesa had more goal involvements per 90 last season, though unsurprisingly falls behind Saint-Maximin when it comes to progressive passes and progressive carries.

In the end, it all comes down to what Howe wants from his wingers. Whilst the trickery of his current option can be admired, the Newcastle manager may opt for output over fancy footwork – therefore preferring either Barnes or Chiesa.

With a long summer ahead, and plenty of money to spend, Newcastle must choose wisely when it comes to reinforcements before the Premier League season gets underway. Whilst they'll need added depth due to their Champions League commitments, they must ensure that the right type of players are welcomed.

Manchester United would elect to choose Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani over Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund as Erik Ten Hag eyes an elite forward at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news on Manchester United's striker hunt?

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are continuing talks to sign Kolo Muani and Hojlund as Ten Hag looks to secure a striker in pre-season to help spearhead their attack this term.

Both players are admired at Old Trafford and would represent good options in attack. However, with no takeover agreement on the horizon, either of the pair arriving could derail the Red Devils' search for a new goalkeeper in turn.

Football Insider claim that Eintracht Frankfurt star Kolo Muani could cost as much as £85 million to prize away from the Bundesliga outfit this window.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also keeping an eye on the France international as they try to replace Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, respectively.

Another report from The Daily Mail indicates that for Manchester United's alternative striking target, Hojlund, his parent club Atalanta will try and hold out to receive a blockbuster £86 million fee before considering selling one of their most important assets.

Chelsea also 'remain in the wings' to try and acquire the 20-year-old, though have recently signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, which could put a spanner in the works of their pursuit.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that if Manchester United were to have a choice to make between the two, they would favour bringing Kolo Muani into the building over Hojlund.

Jones told FFC: "In Manchester United's mind, Kolo Muani is valued at a value, that is really, twice what Hojlund should be. That's what they're trying to factor in right now. If Kolo Muani was cheaper, I 100% think they would be going for him right now, but he's got that clause and it's making it difficult."

Who would be a better fit for Manchester United?

Kolo Muani is probably the more established name and is a little more mature than Hojlund at 24-years-old; however, Hojlund is a major rising star in European football that has caught the eye in Serie A, making it hard to pick who would be a better fit for Manchester United.

In 2022/23, Kolo Muani enjoyed a fine campaign in front of goal, registering 23 goals and 17 assists from 46 appearances in total, as per Transfermarkt.

According to WhoScored, Kolo Muani also offered a frequent goal threat that was difficult to contend with for opposition backlines, averaging around 2.4 shots per match in the Bundesliga.

Hojlund has made waves in Europe in fairly rapid fashion and put up some fairly impressive numbers himself last term combining his spell at Sturm Graz and with his current employers Atalanta, firing home 16 goals and seven assists in 42 outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Ten Hag will want to make sure he gets the right man in place to fire his side to potential glory in 2023/24, though only time will tell with regards to who he may turn to in the end.