Illness affected final season for Glamorgan stalwart
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2017Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg has announced his retirement from cricket with immediate effect at the age of 31.Bragg was only able to play a handful of County Championship matches in 2017 due to illness, although he did enjoy a successful Royal London One-Day Cup campaign when he registered a career-best 94 against the Kent Spitfires at Swansea.”It’s been a great experience to come through the age groups of Welsh Cricket and represent Glamorgan for over a decade,” he said.”Last season was a frustrating one for me personally and I believe now is the right time for me to step away from the game and start focusing on building a new career in another area.Born in Newport, Will initially signed for Glamorgan as Mark Wallace’s understudy behind the stumps, before developing into a specialist top-order batsman.He enjoyed his most consistent season for the Welsh county in 2016 when he switched to No. 3 from opening and passed 1,000 first-class runs for the third time, hitting a career-best 161 not out against Essex in Cardiff.He went on to score over 5,500 First-class runs for Glamorgan across an impressive 11-year career.”Will Bragg has been an integral part of Glamorgan for more than a decade,” said Glamorgan’s chief executive Hugh Morris. “He was a big part of the dressing room and a fine batsman for the club, so it’s sad to see his career end prematurely.”
South Africa will be as determined to secure this series, what with the scores to settle from their last tour to India
The Preview by Sidharth Monga in Cape Town04-Jan-2018Match facts January 5-9, 2018 Start time 10:30 local (08:30GMT)4:27
Cullinan: If South Africa want to play Steyn, play him now
Big PictureThere is a feeling of reverse deja vu in the air. Two years and two months ago, with Diwali festivities in the air, South Africa seemed like they were the only people working in India, preparing for what proved to be an embarrassing Test series. The Indian players were dancing at Harbhajan Singh’s wedding at the same time, and sauntered into the Mohali nets only two days before the Test. Back then, South Africa fretted over the conditions, and said Daljit Singh, the curator, had done India’s work already.This last week in Cape Town, India have been working hard, sometimes two sessions a day, on New Year’s Eve too, to acclimatise to the conditions in the best way possible. South Africa, meanwhile, spent time with families – Hashim Amla caught sniffles from the little ones in the family – and had missed their first training session only three days before the Test. India’s players are calling the pitch “quite green”, the South Africa coach Ottis Gibson calls it exactly what they wanted. Back then, India’s coach Ravi Shastri didn’t rule out playing four spinners, now Vernon Philander doesn’t rule out four quicks.Hopefully it is not all about the pitch. It is hard to remember an India team travelling to South Africa with so much hope. Thy have lost only two Tests in the last three years, which included tours to Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. They have got a set of fast bowlers with diverse skills and better fitness than any before them. They have got batsmen at the height of their powers, and with enough experience of having travelled for tough series.There are not making a big deal of the conditions. They chose to not train on the day before the Test. It is hard to tell how the pitch will play anyway; there have been greener pitches with loads of runs at Newlands. That in mind, India have prepared hard, and are hoping to adapt to whatever the conditions throw at them.South Africa themselves haven’t had the best of time with their players’ health. Amla was the third to go down with viral illness after captain Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn missed the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe. Steyn and Philander are anyway making comebacks from long injury layoffs. They still start as favourites, but they will also know they have lost Tests – not dead rubbers – to India on two of their last three visits and came close to losing one on the third.Pitch preparation alone won’t win you Tests. India had superior spinners and a better lower order back in 2015-16. And if South Africa do – as indications suggest – opt for designer tracks, it does put extra pressure on them, leaving India with not much to lose and also bringing their seam bowlers into play. India know the feeling well: a rank turner backfired on them in Pune last year.Form guide South Africa WWWLL (last five completed games most recent first) India DWDWW3:15
Rich experience, better balance make India formidable
In the spotlight On the first day of India’s last Test series in South Africa, on a track on which the ball seamed around early in the match, Virat Kohli set the tone with a superlative hundred. He comes back with great form and sky-high confidence. India will need him at his best to put the pressure back on the bowlers after watchful starts from M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara.Vernon Philander is expected to do the job R Ashwin did for India in the last series. The conditions will suit him, and he will be expected to keep nagging away at that fourth-stump line with a little bit of seam movement each way. He is two wickets away from 100 at home, and averages under 19.Team news South Africa are less sure than India. Du Plessis has called this the most difficult selection: he might have to choose between AB de Villiers and Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris, and Steyn and Morne Morkel. And then there could be a whole new combination wherein they don’t play an allrounder at all.Right now they are likely to play a seam-bowling allrounder – in large part due to the question marks over the fitness of their returning quicks. They do not want to be in a situation where one of them breaks down, and then they are left with just two quicks and a spinner. Bavuma or de Villiers may have to sit out if either Phehlukwayo or Morris plays. Du Plessis is back and will captain the side. Keeping transformation targets in consideration, if Morris plays, de Villiers might sit out, and Bavuma might miss out if Phehlukwayo plays.Steyn is five wickets short of becoming South Africa’s most prolific bowler, but he might just have to wait for his opportunity as South Africa will have to choose between him and Morne Morkel, who displayed fine form in the match against Zimbabwe.South Africa: (probable) 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 AB de Villiers/Temba Bavuma 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Chris Morris, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn/Morne Morkel, 11 Keshav MaharajViral illness to Ravindra Jadeja has made one decision for India on the spin front. However, Shikhar Dhawan has been declared fit, and India will have to choose between his aggression and left-handness, and KL Rahul’s more solid but less explosive game. Umesh Yadav is likely to be the one to miss out among the fast bowlers. The other selection choice to be made is between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. Again that depends on the conditions. The more bowling-friendly the pitch, the likelier Rohit is to play.India: (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan/KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma/Hardik Pandya, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammed ShamiPitch and conditions One of the indicators of a good pitch is when you don’t know what you want to do if you win the toss. This Newlands pitch has that quality. Normally you want to bat first, as teams have done in 44 of the 54 Tests here, but with a decent amount of grass left on it, and if the table cloth covers the mountain between the toss and the start of the match, you could end up getting bundled out. Sides losing the toss have won more Newlands Tests than the ones winning: 22 to 21.To go with the grass, there are vertical cracks on the pitch, reminding one journalist of the 47 all out game here, but Philander said that pitch actually looked flatter than this and that at Newlands it was more about the overheads. If there is a north-westerly blowing, the ball moves around a lot more. If there is a cloud cover, things get difficult for the batsmen. Only the first and the fourth days of the Test are forecast to be cloudy and breezy.Stats and Trivia Faf du Plessis has captained South Africa in seven home Tests, winning six and drawing one If he can take five wickets in this Test, Mohammed Shami will join Irfan Pathan as the second-fastest India fast bowler to 100 Test wickets Historically Newlands has been the most productive South African venue for spinners, with 506 wickets going to them at an average of 33.07. Kingsmead has offered them a better average, 28.73, but 122 fewer wickets in 11 fewer Tests.Quotes “I don’t know when the next Test series against India is, but it’s probably the last time all of us [the senior lot] play against India and there’s no better way than playing a series in South Africa. We were disappointed the last time we went there, and we’ve got a score to settle so we’re excited for this series.” “We are very very confident about our preparation. We got four-five days here but out of those days we made sure we got plenty out of it. And all the boys are in a positive state of mind.”
كشف بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، عن رأيه تجاه ارتباط نادي بايرن ميونخ بإمكانية التعاقد مع المدرب فينيسنت كومباني لخلافة توماس توخيل.
وانتهى مشوار توخيل مع بايرن ميونخ بمجرد انتهاء موسم 2023/24.
وارتبط بايرن ميونخ بأكثر من مدرب لخلافة توخيل، قبل أن تظهر تقارير صحفية مفاجئة تشير إلى أن كومباني هو الأقرب لتولي مسؤولية تدريب الفريق الألماني.
وسبق أن لعب كومباني تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا في مانشستر سيتي، وأصبح مسؤولًا عن تدريب بيرنلي، قبل الهبوط به من الدوري الإنجليزي مؤخرًا.
وسُئل جوارديولا عن الأمر، حيث رد في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “onefootball” الإنجليزية: “لا أعلم، لم يتم تأكيد ذلك، أليس كذلك؟ أنا سعيد بهذا الارتباط، لدي رأي كبير جدًا بشأن فيني، لا يهم إذا كان قد هبط مع بيرنلي”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تطورات جديدة في مفاوضات بايرن ميونخ وكومباني
وأضاف: “ما شعرت به عندما لعبت ضده، وأعرفه قليلاً، لدي رأي عالِ المستوى حول عمله كشخص، بسبب شخصيته ومعرفته باللعبة، إلى جانب طريقة تعامله مع وسائل الإعلام، وأشياء أخرى كثيرة”.
وواصل: “أود أن يتخذ بايرن ميونخ أفضل قرار، فهو يستحق ذلك، أنا أحب بايرن ميونخ لأسباب عديدة، خاصة الأشخاص الذين ما زالوا هناك”.
وأردف: “نأمل أن يتمكنوا من اتخاذ القرار الأفضل، إذا كانوا يعتقدون أن فيني هو القرار الصحيح، فهو من مانشستر سيتي، فلديهم رجل سندعمه دون قيد أو شرط”.
وعما إذا كان لا يزال يعتقد أن فينسنت كومباني سينتهي به الأمر في مانشستر سيتي يومًا ما، رد: “نعم، نعم، بكل تأكيد، ستتصل بي عندما يحدث هذا”.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to finally see some action in terms of their transfer activity, as Gary O’Neil seeks late reinforcements on deadline day.
The Old Gold have had a stagnant summer of business, however news has revealed a possible target for the Midlands club to chase before time runs out.
Who could Wolves sign on deadline day?
After losing Raul Jimenez to Fulham earlier in the window, as well as bidding farewell to Diego Costa, Wolves have been searching for a new forward to bring the goals back to Molineux.
As reported on Sky Sports (as relayed by Football Daily), Wolves "remain in talks" with Southampton over striking a deal for forward Che Adams, with the Saints said to have identified a replacement for the Scotsman in Ross Stewart from Sunderland.
TEAMtalk editor James Marshment claimed that a deal in the region of £15m could be struck, after the 27-year-old spends an initial season on loan at Molineux.
How many goals has Che Adams scored?
With a record total of 88 domestic career goals under his belt so far, via Transfermarkt, Adams has established himself as a reliable goalscorer in England.
The Scot began his footballing journey at Sheffield United, where it quickly became apparent of his strengths in front of goal, netting 11 goals in his breakthrough season in League One for the Blades.
It wasn’t long that the forward was recognised by teams in the league above, and was poached by Birmingham City in 2016, where he scored a total of 34 goals in the Championship.
His path to the top-flight came from his heroics for the Blues, where Saints were alerted to his high-scoring 22-goal season in his final campaign in the second tier.
For Wolves, securing the signature of Adams could be fundamental to O’Neil’s side’s confidence in front of goal, with the Englishman inheriting the squad that scored the lowest amount of goals last season in the Premier League.
The striker, if fused with another deadline day capture of Tommy Doyle from Manchester City, could change the prognosis of the Old Gold’s outlook on goal for the remainder of the campaign.
Previously hailed as a “man on fire” by journalist Benjy Nurick, Adams has what it takes to deliver chances, as highlighted by his three Championship goals in three appearances so far in 2023/24.
What Doyle could add to Adams’ game, and Wolves outlook, is a creative spark to work with, providing O’Neil with a potentially deadly combination in attack.
Representing Sheffield United last season on loan in the Championship, the former Manchester City academy star netted three goals and provided four assists in the league, as well as showcasing his playmaking ability.
As per FBref, the Englishman averaged 1.70 key passes per 90 for the Blades last term, on top of an average 1.17 passes into the penalty area per 90, the sector where Adams is most active.
Communicating the lengths of his creative strengths, in the 2020/21 Premier League 2 season in City’s academy, the 21-year-old recorded an impressive 10 assists in 18 games, suggesting what he could bring to Wolves, and Adams.
It’s expected to be an exceptionally busy day at Molineux, with the opportunity for O’Neil to bolster his options in the final third by capturing the Southampton marksman.
Everton are looking at strengthening their front line this summer, as Sean Dyche hopes to get the Blues firing to avoid a repeat of last season’s lows.
Recent reports have now revealed who they could target before the end of the transfer window, in a name that could significantly bolster the Toffee’s efforts in the final third.
Dyche confirmed his side’s survival on the final day last term, with it being vital that the Merseyside club move away from their form of being relegation candidates in the top flight.
Who could Everton sign this summer?
It’s clear that Everton are pondering making a move for a forward this summer, with links to Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto and Southampton’s Che Adams consuming recent speculation surrounding the club.
There has however been another name arise as a contender for Dyche to chase, with Troyes winger Mama Balde identified as a target for the Blues.
As reported by journalist Mike Minay, the 27-year-old has gained significant interest from the Premier League, with Burnley, Sheffield United and the Toffee’s named as those eyeing the Ligue 1 whiz.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Minay added that a deal for the Guinea-Bissau forward could be struck for a fee in the region of €8m (£7m), making him an affordable acquisition for the Blues.
What is Mama Balde’s playing style?
Deployed primarily as a right-winger, Balde is just as efficient on the left flank, making him a strong and versatile forward to have in the squad.
Identified for his “pace and power” by writer Liam Scahill, as well as being lauded as an “impressive attacking weapon”, the 27-year-old could be the perfect addition for Dyche to integrate into his squad.
In Ligue 1 last term, the versatile attacker netted 12 goals and recorded four assists for Troyes, who struggled in the top flight throughout the campaign, seeing them relegated to Ligue 2.
The Guinea-Bissau international’s contribution to playing within a side that was far from at their best highlighted just how much of a threat he is, showing up when his team needed him most.
Troyes forward Mama Balde.
Praised as being a “really strong” asset in the attack by former teammate Tristan Dingome, Balde could be the ideal player for Everton, in a talent that could compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Englishman has had a trialling couple of years, juggling injury with poor form at Goodison Park that has seen his goal tally take a bruising compared to 16-goal Premier League season of 2020/21.
Since then, the 26-year-old has netted just seven goals over the last two league campaigns, prompting that the introduction of some competition could bolster the striker’s performance.
Balde could not only add to the goals for the club, but promote a healthy rivalry with Calvert-Lewin, in a move that could positively encourage the Englishman to raise his game for the good of the club, and his confidence.
The Troyes forward has netted 15 goals over the last two seasons to the jaded Blues talisman’s seven, suggesting just how he could improve Dyche’s options in the front line.
On the other side, the Ligue 1 gem could be the perfect addition to accompany Calvert-Lewin in leading the line, with him being flexible in his ability to be deployed in various positions around the striker.
For a fee expected to be lower the £10m mark, the Blues could land themselves a strong acquisition that could finally improve their fortunes this season.
After all, having failed to score in their first two outings, they could certainly do with some added firepower.
No programa “Bola da Vez”, da ESPN Brasil, que vai ao ar na noite deste sábado (26), o ex-treinador do Santos, Jesualdo Ferreira, demitido no início de agosto, criticou duramente o presidente do Peixe, José Carlos Peres, principalmente pela ausência do Cartola no anúncio do seu desligamento.
– O presidente não esteve nem presente, nem ninguém da diretoria, uma tremenda falta de respeito. No mínimo, ele teria que ter coragem de estar presente, mas essa não é uma característica que parece ser muito dele – disse o português.
– Ele não foi capaz de perceber que foi desleal, pela forma que tratou o assunto, porque a situação que se passava não era nem dos treinadores, nem dos jogadores. Não se pode fazer o que fez aquele tempo todo e esperar que depois as coisas ficassem bem – acrescentou.
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Também à ESPN Brasil, mas na tarde desta sexta-feira (25), Peres rebateu as críticas com elogios a Jesualdo, mas afirmou que o desligamento do ex-treinador se fez necessário, e os resultados com Cuca mostram que a decisão foi correta, dizendo também que procurou Jesualdo para conversar após o desligamento, mas não conseguiu contato.
– Eu entendo o lado dele, mas tem que entender o nosso. Tomamos uma posição e está aí o resultado. Houve uma decisão, a decisão foi comunicada ao diretor. Tentei falar com ele em seguida, mas não consegui. Tentei pelo celular. Queria ter essa conversa para não ficar nada no ar, mas ele foi embora. Culpa é sempre do presidente, achou que eu tinha que estar lá. Tentei falar com ele, mas não consegui – afirmou Peres..
Mesmo com as críticas abertas, Peres diz considerar Jesualdo como pessoa, mas que uma atitude deveria ser tomada por conta dos resultados negativos.
– Jesualdo foi leal o tempo todo conosco, uma pessoa excepcional como ser humano e como técnico. Não deu para segurar, infelizmente. Comitê de Gestão avalizou essa atitude, chegou em um ponto que seria iniciar campeonato. Tínhamos que tomar atitude – pontuou o mandatário santista.
Por sua vez, Jesualdo poupou a instituição Santos Futebol Clube, bem como torcedores e dirigentes.
– O Santos Futebol Clube tem jogadores, dirigentes e torcedores e dirigentes e torcedores incríveis que eu saúdo com muito prazer, por todos esses órgãos e pessoas que eu tenho muito respeito. O senhor José Carlos Peres? Eu não tenho, porque não teve comigo. São duas coisas muito diferentes – concluiu Jesualdo.
Jesualdo Ferreira deixou o comando do Santos com 15 jogos disputados, seis vitórias, quatro empates, cinco derrotas e aproveitamento de 48,8%. O estopim para a sua demissão foi a eliminação do Peixe para a Ponte Preta nas quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista, após perder por 3 a 1, de virada, na Vila Belmiro.
India have named three uncapped players in their 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in South Africa as part of the ICC Women’s Championship (2017-2020), starting February 5, in Kimberley. Mumbai batting allrounder Jemimah Rodrigues, Madhya Pradesh seam-bowling allrounder Pooja Vastrakar and Punjab wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia – who were all part of the recently concluded India A T20 series against Bangladesh and the domestic Challenger Trophy – have earned their maiden national call-ups.Vastrakar and Bhatia have replaced the injured medium-pacer Mansi Joshi and back-up wicketkeeper Nuzhat Parween from the World Cup squad that finished runners-up in July 2017. Rodrigues, meanwhile, has thrust her way into the squad on the back of a prolific domestic season in which she scored 1013 runs at an average of 112.56 in the inter-state Under-19 tournament, including an unbeaten 202, and snared 19 wickets with her offspin. She followed it up with 90 runs and a wicket in the three one-dayers against Bangladesh A and a half-century in her solitary T20 innings against the same opponents, before notching up scores of 84, 52 and 43 in the Challenger Trophy.”I was almost in tears when Punam [Raut] called me up to share the news earlier this morning,” the 17-year-old Rodrigues told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year, I had had low scores in the Challenger, but this season, I wanted to keep the momentum going after a good Under-19 and the Senior tournaments given how close the South Africa tour is to our domestic calendar.”This call-up is as much an effort of mine as it is of my parents, my Mumbai Cricket Association family and all my coaches, including Tushar [Arothe, the India head coach] and Biju [George, the India fielding coach] sir.”Much as 18-year-old Vastrakar’s selection has been founded on bolstering India’s quick-bowling department with a third seamer – apart from Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey – her formidable fielding skills are likely to have strengthened her case. Vastrakar effected three run-outs and took two catches in the three T20s against Bangladesh A before dislocating her thumb – one among a string of injuries she has suffered – in the Challenger opener last week, having bowled only 7.4 overs. She missed the second game in the tournament but returned to play the final, in which she bowled two overs for 11 runs and caught a set Punam Raut – on 88 – short of her ground to tip the scales in India Blue’s favour during their unlikely title victory.”I have been plagued with injury through my career over the years,” Vastrakar said. “But despite the injury in the Challenger opener, I held on to my hopes of making it to the squad [for the South Africa tour] given the swing I was generating both ways in that game and also in the final. My fielding, I take pride in that, and with Smriti [Mandhana, who captained her in the India Blue team] and other team-mates commending my efforts on the field, I knew I could be in with a chance. Glad the thumb injury didn’t come in the way this time around.”Bhatia was among the six wicketkeepers, including the capped Sushma Verma, who were part of a special training camp – under former India wicketkeeper-batsman Kiran More’s supervision – at the National Cricket Academy in November. Even though her performances with the bat have not been of note in the run-up to the selection, Bhatia’s agility behind the stumps may have given her the edge over Parween.”Both Tushar and Biju sir had been very encouraging all through about my wicketkeeping,” Bhatia said. “I’ve played with Harmanpreet [Kaur] for roughly three years when she used to represent Punjab, and with and against other members of the Indian side. However, sharing the dressing room with them abroad and getting a feel of the international environment will help me grow.”The trio, along with the other players – barring Veda Krishnamurthy and Kaur who are currently playing in the Women’s Big Bash League – will be featuring in the domestic T20 tournament, starting January 13, in Mumbai (Elite Group B), Goa (Elite Group A), and Chennai (Plate Group C), before assembling in Mumbai on January 17 for a preparatory camp prior to leaving for South Africa a week later. The squad for the five-match T20I series will be announced later, a press release from the BCCI stated.
Everton have tabled an offer to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga, and they’ve been given a boost in their pursuit according to the latest update on the deal.
How much does Japhet Tanganga earn?
Tanganga currently pockets £25k-per-week which he isn’t really earning considering last season he made just two starts in the Premier League and is still yet to make a single appearance this season, and the fact that he’s so low down in the pecking order suggests he could be on the move before tomorrow’s deadline.
Speaking to Last Word On Spurs, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas recently name-checked the Toffees as one of the clubs interested in a deal for the centre-back, alongside Luton Town and Inter Milan, though since then, another team had emerged as the favourites to secure his services.
According to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, England’s former youth international was set to complete a switch to Serie A side Torino, but this has since broken down with the two clubs failing to reach an agreement, therefore meaning that the player is assessing what other options he has.
The Goodison Park outfit are believed to have wanted the 24-year-old last summer but failed to get a deal over the line at the time, though with their admiration being long-standing, the player may take that into serious consideration when choosing his next destination.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga.
Are Everton signing Japhet Tanganga?
According to Calciomercato.it (via Sport Witness), Everton have put an offer “on the table” for Tanganga, showing that the hierarchy have “stepped up their interest” in the hope of bringing him to Merseyside.
Tottenham’s defender had put Italy and indeed the Serie A at the “top of his preferences”, but with an overseas transfer now looking highly unlikely, he’s expected to look much closer to home in a boost for the Blues.
How good is Japhet Tanganga?
Whilst Spurs haven’t given Tanganga a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of ever since last season, there’s clearly a reason as to why he’s not been able to force his way into the starting line-up, and quite simply, that’s because he’s not been good enough to make the cut.
The RDF Football client ranked as Ange Postecoglou’s side’s 18th best-performing defensive player out of 29 squad members during the previous campaign, averaging just 0.8 tackles per top-flight game, not to mention that he listed 24th overall, via WhoScored, showing how little of an impact he’s been able to make.
Read The Latest Everton Transfer News HERE…
The Hackney-born talent additionally failed to contribute anything at the top end of the pitch having recorded zero goals or assists in the Premier League for 2022/23, so he's really not been able to make an impact when handed the rare opportunity to showcase his skills.
Previously, Tanganga has even been labelled “naive” alongside his fellow defensive teammates in the capital by members of the media, so whilst Sean Dyche would like to bolster his ranks before 11pm tomorrow evening, Tottenham’s academy graduate is perhaps not a player that the boss should be pursuing.
Tottenham Hotspur have now been provided with a significant update on their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba…
Are Tottenham signing a defender?
Ahead of the September 1st transfer deadline, Spurs are still looking to sign a new defender, and Football London have recently given an overview of their potential targets, with Torino's Perr Schuurs still an option, but there will be competition.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in the Dutchman, who could cost as much as £35m, although the Italian club would be willing to start negotiations at €20m – €25m (£17m – £21.3m), indicating he could end up being a low-cost signing.
Clement Lenglet and Tosin Adarabioyo are mentioned in the report, with Spurs recently opening talks with Fulham over a move for Adarabioyo, which could end up being a swap deal, with Eric Dier heading to Craven Cottage.
Tapsoba is also named as a potential target, with the report claiming the Burkina Faso international could come in to challenge Cristian Romero for a starting spot, given that he is right-footed, but there has now been an indication he could remain in Germany.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Lilywhites have now cooled their interest in the Leverkusen defender, having been told that he will cost £50m, which is deemed to be a "prohibitive" amount.
As such, the centre-back is unlikely to be on the move before the transfer window slams shut, meaning Tottenham and Newcastle United, who have been widely linked with a move, are now set to miss out on his signature.
Leverkusen are in a strong position to demand a big fee for their star defender, having already raised money by selling Sardar Azmoun and Moussa Diaby this summer, indicating they will hold out for £50m.
Although Spurs are set to miss out on the 24-year-old, they are still ready to swoop for another centre-back, and Adarabioyo has been one of their long-term targets.
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How good is Edmond Tapsoba?
Although he is comfortable in possession of the ball, ranking in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons, and the 93rd percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year, the Leverkusen star is yet to prove he would be worth a £50m outlay.
Former Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has lauded the 6 foot 4 centre-back as "dangerous in front of goal", while also claiming he has "really big potential", but he has not been a consistent performer at the highest level.
The former Guimaraes man does not particularly excel on any defensive metric, placing in the 39th percentile for aerials won, despite his height, and the 38th percentile for interceptions, when compared to his positional peers.
Tapsoba is still only 24 years of age, so he could easily develop into a top defender, having been a regular for Leverkusen over the past few seasons, making 33 Bundesliga appearances last term.
However, it may not be overly disappointing that Tottenham are set to miss out on the 36-time Burkina Faso international, particularly considering they have a whole host of other targets, including the likes oof Schuurs, Lenglet and Adarabioyo.
As a result, one demerit point has been added to each player’s disciplinary records
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2018Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been fined 20% of his match fee while Sri Lanka opener Danushka Gunathilaka has been officially reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the tri-series final in Mirpur on Saturday.Both players breached Article 2.1.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”As a result, one demerit point has been added to each player’s disciplinary records. Both players admitted their offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee David Boon.The Mashrafe incident occured in the sixth over of Sri Lanka’s innings when the Bangladesh captain dismissed Kusal Mendis and yelled while running close to him during a send off in a “manner that could have provoked an aggressive reaction,” according to the ICC release.The incident involving Gunathilaka happened in the sixth over of the chase when Tamim Iqbal was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera and Gunathilaka gave the batsman a send-off when he was walking towards the dressing room.It was Gunathilaka’s first offence while Mashrafe was sanctioned for the second time since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016. Mashrafe had received one demerit point during the home ODIs against England in October 2016 and now has a total of two demerit points.