Tottenham Hotspur have contacted Everton over a potential summer transfer for Jordan Pickford, according to a recent report from FootballTransfers.
Who will Jordan Pickford sign for?
Despite signing a long-term contract with Everton back in February, Pickford has continued to be linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, who are set to make him a priority if their talks stall with David De Gea.
Chelsea have also been named as potential suitors for the Englishman, as detailed by CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, however he also claims that Tottenham have "pushed a bit harder", indicating they are more interested in the goalkeeper.
The Blues' interest in the 29-year-old appeared to hinge upon Everton being relegated from the Premier League, as reported by Football Insider, however with the Toffees staying up on the final day, Mauricio Pochettino could move on to other targets.
On the other hand, Spurs still maintain an interest in the England international, having contacted Everton over a potential summer transfer, according to a report from Football Transfers.
It is detailed that the Lilywhites have been following the Everton star for several months, and they have contacted the player's entourage to discuss a summer move, but there is one potential obstacle.
The Toffees are set to demand £40m to part ways with their goalkeeper, and the high asking price could dissuade Tottenham from making a move.
Could Pickford sign for Tottenham?
The report also claims that the former Sunderland man wants assurances about who the new manager will be, as well as whether Harry Kane will stay at the club, before he commits to a move to north London.
Ange Postecoglou is now in the driving seat for the job, with Fabrizio Romano reporting a verbal agreement has been reached, while there have been positive recent noises surrounding Kane's future at Tottenham.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
As such, Spurs should be able to attract Pickford, and there is some evidence he would be a real upgrade on Lloris, recording a better save percentage than the Frenchman over the course of the past year.
Hailed as a "monster" by members of the media, the £100k-per-week goalkeeper also averaged a superior Sofascore rating in the Premier League last season, when compared to the Spurs goalkeeper, despite playing in a struggling Everton side.
Pickford could be an excellent signing for Everton, and given his vast experience at international level, Tottenham should not be put off by his £40m price tag.
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) is to advise England-qualified players against participating in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on security grounds
George Dobell03-Oct-2016
Ravi Bopara took part in last year’s BPL and has been drafted for 2016•BCB
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) is to advise England-qualified players against participating in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on security grounds.While the organisation, effectively the players’ union, was happy to sanction the England tour of Bangladesh after the PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, witnessed security arrangements at first hand, it does not anticipate the same level of protection at the BPL.The PCA has advised players not to take part in the tournament before. Last year it asked players to sign an acknowledgment that they understood security arrangements were their own responsibility and that they went in spite of the PCA’s advice. In previous years it has warned of the unreliability of payments for playing in the league and expressed concerns over the anti-corruption arrangements.Among the England-qualified players expected to take part in the BPL this year are Ravi Bopara, Tymal Mills, Riki Wessels, Samit Patel, Josh Cobb and Richard Gleeson.It is understood that Jason Roy, who is centrally contracted by the ECB, and Kevin Pietersen are among those who declined offers to participate this year. Roy’s decision was not made on the instigation of the ECB but with the benefit of some advice from the PCA.Any player taking part in the league will require a No Objection Certificate signed by their county and the ECB. It is far from certain they will be granted in all instances.While the PCA believes that Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has not changed since it warned players against participation in the BPL in 2015, the issue has gained more attention following a terrorist attack in Dhaka on July 1 that left 22 dead and in light of the England team’s decision to go ahead with their tour.The FCO currently warns of a “heightened threat of further terrorist attacks” and states that Dhaka airport does not currently meet international security standards.Advice on its website says: “Attacks could be indiscriminate although foreigners, in particular westerners, may be directly targeted. Crowded areas and places where westerners are known to gather may be at higher risk of attack. You should minimise your exposure to these areas, consider your movements carefully and take appropriate security precautions.”The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) is also understood to have apprehensions over the tournament. It stresses it has not seen security arrangements for the BPL and insists that any playing taking part will do so “at their own risk”. It also notes that, while “security provided to international touring teams in Bangladesh relies heavily on government input from numerous agencies… It is unclear whether a similar level of security will be provided at this event.”The FICA statement adds: “Anyone taking part in the event needs to be aware of the increased level of risk and understand clearly that all informed advice is to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to Bangladesh.”
Leeds United could be set to swoop for a new manager, in an effort to escape the Championship as soon as possible.
That's according to a report in The Times from earlier this week, which confirmed that Sam Allardyce would be leaving his post at Elland Road, having failed in his bid to retain their Premier League status.
With Andrea Radrizzani having also reached an agreement to acquire Sampdoria, yet unwilling to reveal whether he will be leaving Yorkshire too, it could be expected that the Italian will crave an instant promotion so that he can sell for the highest possible price next year.
In a bid to achieve this, the report also states that Steven Gerrard has emerged as the frontrunner for this vacancy. Given his latest spell in management, fans have every reason to be wary of this appointment.
Is Steven Gerrard worse than Jesse Marsch?
Whilst many fans could struggle to think of bosses that were worse than Jesse Marsch, given he arguably was the main factor in their relegation last term, it is perhaps easy to forget just how woeful the former Liverpool midfielder was in the Aston Villa dugout.
His team, which was one laden with quality such as Ollie Watkins, Emi Buendia and Douglas Luiz, had won just twice in 12 Premier League games before his dismissal, having been thumped 3-0 by Fulham to put the final nail in his coffin.
When delving deeper into his tenure at Villa Park, it was arguably as underwhelming as the American's at Elland Road, with the only difference between these huge clubs' respective fates being the timing of their sacking and the choice of successor.
After all, the 43-year-old would win just 13 matches across his 40 games in charge, at a points-per-game average of just 1.18, via Transfermarkt.
Whilst Marsch's dropped to 1.16 per match, having won 11 in 37, the gulf in talent between these two squads is startling.
Not only this, but Gerrard showcased a stubbornness that would simply not adapt well to the Championship. His narrow 4-3-3 formation, which was described as "poor" by Gabby Agbonlahor, often neglected wingers and was a philosophy he relentlessly stuck with despite the poor results.
jesse-marsch-leeds-united
The former RB Salzburg boss would emulate such a headstrong outlook, again retaining his failing formation until his final days.
Such was his underperformance with such a top team, journalist Josh Bunting even wrote an impassioned plea for Villa to dismiss the ex-Rangers manager back in October, claiming:
"Aston Villa need to do what’s right for the football club, can’t keep Steven Gerrard for his name-sake. Tonight again he’s lost in a tactical battle, Villa are so confusing you cannot read them, the attack is clueless when it has the potential to really work. The balance isn’t there."
The disparity between Gerrard and Marsch is almost non-existent, and given how Unai Emery would go on to lead that side to a European spot, the former's work is made all the more embarrassing. At the very least, both Javi Gracia and Allardyce failed to improve Leeds' disappointing squad.
Should Radrizzani remain incensed on appointing this young boss, he may well fall very short of earning that speedy return to the top flight that this great club craves. Indeed, he bares so many negative similarities with their former boss who doomed them to the drop.
Leeds United are reportedly worried that Tyler Adams will opt to join Manchester United in the summer transfer window, should the Whites be relegated from the Premier League.
Has Adams been a key figure for Leeds?
It has been a season to forget at Elland Road and Leeds now face the likely threat of relegation to the Championship this weekend, unless they perform a memorable escape act.
Too many players have underperformed through the campaign, as has the team as a unit, but Adams has arguably been one of the few success stories. The £55,000-a-week American joined the Whites from RB Leipzig and has been a key figure, making 24 starts in the league and averaging 3.4 tackles per match.
Adams has been a huge loss through injury in recent weeks, not helping Leeds' struggles in the slightest, and he will play no part in the must-win game at home to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. It could even be that he has played his last game for the club, if a fresh report is to believed, even though the Whites clearly want to keep hold of him.
Could Adams depart Elland Road?
According to Football Insider, Leeds "fear they have no chance of keeping hold of Adams if they are relegated", amid interest from United. The report states that "Adams is wanted by multiple clubs in the Premier League and in top European leagues, and Leeds are unlikely to keep hold of him if they go down".
The Red Devils are "among the teams keeping tabs on Adams, whose dynamism and energy in midfield has impressed their recruitment team."
In truth, it would be hard to expect Adams to stay put at Leeds if they are in the Championship next season, with loyalty one thing but top players also wanting to be performing at the highest level.
For that reason, the 24-year-old should be expected to move on if relegation does come the Whites' way, although seeing him join United would be touch to stomach, given the rivalry between the pair. The hope is that he realises that himself, and instead opts to move elsewhere and not negatively impact his relationship with Leeds supporters.
Adams would be a massive loss, as he has already been recently – journalist Henry Winter hailed him as "superb" for the USA during the 2022 World Cup – and if he does exit Elland Road, it is vital that the club use the funds wisely this summer, with a hefty fee likely to come their way.
ScorecardNitish Kumar’s half-century and two wickets in a momentum-shifting bowling spell led Canada past USA by 34 runs in the opening 50-over contest of the 2016 Auty Cup in Woodley Park on Thursday. In his first match as Canada captain, Kumar arrived in the fourth over with the side at 20 for 1, after being put in to bat on a moist pitch, and teamed with Srimantha Wijeratne for a 104-run second-wicket partnership that laid the platform for the score of 239 for 8.Kumar had some help from USA’s poor fielding performance that allowed the side to flourish early. Kumar was dropped twice – on 2 and 11 – by wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson in his innings of 60, while Wijeratne, who top-scored with 66, enjoyed three lives – he was put down by Steven Taylor at slip on 28 and 45, and then Dodson missed a stumping on 59.Taylor did his best to stall Canada’s momentum with the ball and, after nabbing Kumar and Wijeratne, he burrowed through Canada’s middle order to claim a career-best 5 for 47. Shehan Kamileen was teased into a edging a wider delivery, while Nikhil Dutta and Junaid Siddiqui were both given out leg before playing across the line.Legspinner Timil Patel built pressure at the other end to aid Taylor, ending with 2 for 35. Both strikes came in the 37th over – a double-wicket maiden – that swung the momentum USA’s way. Hamza Tariq sent a leading edge back for a return catch off the second ball before Dilon Heyliger fell three balls later, flicking around his pads.Canada slipped from 152 for 2 to 183 for 8 by the time Taylor and Patel had ripped through the line-up but USA’s inability to see off the tail cost them badly. Varun Sehdev and Satsimranjit Dhindsa added an unbeaten 56-run stand for the ninth wicket. An injury to Srini Santhanam, who had consistently troubled Canada and had two chances put down off his bowling, also dented USA’s bowling effort. Santhanam hurt his shoulder throwing in a relay from the boundary in the 20th over, having just finished his sixth over in a spell of 0 for 30. He was off the field for the rest of the innings.USA sprinted toward the target early on thanks in part to Canada’s wayward start with the ball – four leg byes and five wides in the first over – an early sign of things to come. The 32 extras bowled by Canada ended up as the second-highest contributor to USA’s score. USA reached 45 in the fifth over as opener Abdullah Syed began by driving Dhindsa to the cover rope, then slashed him over third man for six in the second over before being caught down the leg side off Cecil Pervez for 12.Opening batsman Fahad Babar motored along to 35 off 32 balls before the introduction of spin halted his and USA’s overall progress. While Babar managed to keep Canada’s spinners out, his middle-order partners could not. Kumar brought himself on in the 14th over and clogged up runs at his end. The pressure saw USA add 10 runs and lose three wickets over the next seven overs to slip from 80 for 1 in 13 overs to 90 for 4 in 20 overs.Alex Amsterdam played down the wrong line and was pinned lbw by Kumar for 14. Taylor ran himself out for 1, with Babar on strike, as Kumar made a diving stop at midwicket off Dutta and then calmly threw to the bowler, with the batsman giving up. Dodson then edged Kumar to Siddiqui at slip for 5, giving the Canada captain figures of 2 for 6 with two maidens in his first five overs.Babar eventually brought up his half-century off 71 balls in the 27th over and appeared to have found a willing ally in Nicholas Standford to get USA’s chase back on track. Standford slammed Siddiqui’s legspin over the on side for six and four in the 23rd over but, five overs later, he edged behind off Dhindsa while attempting a cut.Babar’s patience ran out, too, and he gave his wicket to Siddiqui, charging down the track for the first time in the 38th over and edging a slog to Tariq for 63. USA needed 74 off the last 12 overs but that was too much for the tail. Jessy Singh and Danial Ahmed were both caught on the boundary to wrap up the innings in 47.2 overs. Pervez was brilliant in his second spell, taking 2 for 11 and two maidens in five overs to finish with 3 for 38 in 10.
West Bromwich Albion are prepared to receive an approach from Leeds United to enquire about the services of Carlos Corberan, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
Is Carlos Corberan leaving West Brom?
The Spaniard was first appointed at The Hawthorns back in October 2022 and his debut season in the Midlands was a huge success having finished just three points outside of the Championship play-offs, and this impressive form in the dugout didn’t go unnoticed in the Premier League.
Sky Sports reported in February that the Whites were interested in a swoop for the 40-year-old to replace Jesse Marsch, but despite there being plenty of speculation that he would depart, he quickly shut down exit rumours by signing a new contract that keeps him at the club until 2027.
Following Sam Allardyce’s departure now though having failed to prevent his side from relegation, the Elland Road outfit are on the hunt for a new long-term boss, and if the following update is to be believed, there’s a chance they could come calling again for Corberan.
Are Leeds appointing Corberan?
According to Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke, West Brom are “braced for an approach” from Leeds who have already begun their search for Allardyce’s successor ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Corberan is a manager that will be “on the radar” of the Yorkshire club due to not only their previous interest earlier in the year, but also the fact that he used to work there under Marcelo Bielsa so will have existing connections to the hierarchy.
Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers have specified that they want to recruit a “head coach” rather than a permanent boss, and it’s stated that this could be a “hint” that they are going to take a second bite of the cherry for the Baggies man, with the Hawthorns club dealing with financial difficulties.
West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan.
West Brom were in serious danger of relegation themselves when Corberan was appointed, but having completely transformed the side to the point that they almost made the top six, retaining his services beyond the summer is an absolute no-brainer of a decision.
The Cheste native, whose preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, has won 17, drawn five and lost 11 of his 33 games in charge so far whilst averaging 1.70 points per match, via Transfermarkt, which even though is a real mixed bag of results, is consistent enough to be challenging in the second tier.
Corberan, who was previously hailed “very talented” by Bielsa himself, also took Huddersfield Town to the Championship play-off final during his time at the John Smith’s Stadium so knows what it takes to compete and be successful at this level, and there’s no reason why he can’t be up there challenging again in 12 months time with a full term and new players under his belt.
A round-up of the third day of the third round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group B, also featuring Mohit Sharma leading from the front as Haryana captain
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2016Rana Dutta’s six-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, put Tripura on track for an innings victory against Himachal Pradesh in Kalyani. Resuming the third day at 50 for 1, Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 311. They lost their last five wickets for only 30 runs, with Dutta dismissing Rishi Dhawan, Sumeet Verma and Mayank Dagar in the 88th over. Having gained a lead of 238, Tripura enforced the follow-on and in the 2.2 overs possible before stumps got a wicket too, that of Pankaj Jaiswal, who had batted at No. 9 in Himachal’s first innings.Three-wicket hauls from left-arm spinnerShadab Jakati and right-arm seamer Felix Alemao, who was playing only his second first-class game, strengthened Goa’s grip over Services in Cuttack.In reply to Goa’s 606, which was built on Sagun Kamat’s record triple-century, Services slumped to 228 for 7. Ravi Chauhan was the first to go on the third day when he was bowled by Alemao for 47 off 49 balls. Alemao then had Nakul Verma and Shamsher Yadav caught behind.Captain Soumik Chatterjee resisted with 12 off 77 balls before becoming Jakati’s first victim. Rahul Singh, coming in at No.6, supplied more fight with 89 off 180 balls before Jakati struck in the 92nd over. Services got through the remaining 11 overs with the eighth-wicket pair of Muzzaffaruddin Khalid and Diwesh Pathania at the crease, but they still trail Goa by a whopping 339 runs.After declaring their first innings at 517 for 9, Kerala made deep inroads into the Hyderabad line-up on the third day in Bhubaneswar. Seamer Sandeep Warrier, offspinning allrounder Jalaj Saxena, and left-arm spinner K Monish returned two wickets each to reduce Hyderabad to 212 for 7. B Sandeep was the only batsmen to make a half-century and were it not for some handy contributions from the lower order – Akash Bhandari made 40 and Mehdi Hasan, an unbeaten 26, Hyderabad would have struggled even more.Left-arm spinner Aamir Aziz’s maiden five-wicket haul bowled Andhra out for 255 and gave Jammu & Kashmir a first-innings lead of 79 at Brabourne Stadium. They eventually stretched it past 100, for the loss of two wickets late in the day.Having started the day at 72 for 2, Andhra stumbled to 90 for 5 and then 156 for 6. Dwaraka Ravi Teja and Ashwin Hebbar then mounted a fightback, putting on 94 for the seventh wicket. Ravi Teja top-scored with 81 off 194 balls, including nine fours. Once he fell, the tail was wiped out, the last four wickets tumbling for only five runs.Haryana captain Mohit Sharma took three wickets and left Chhattisgarh at 50 for 6 in a chase of 279 in Guwhati. Earlier Harynana were propped up by fifties from Himanshu Rana and Rajat Paliwal in their second innings. They were ultimately dismissed for 289 from an overnight 121 for 3. Seamer Pankaj Rao, who was playing only his second first-class game, did the bulk of the damage for Chhattisgarh, claiming 5 for 74. His new-ball partner Pratik Sinha, meanwhile, took 2 for 84.
Manchester United will allegedly sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae this summer by triggering his €60m (£52m) release clause.
What’s the latest Man United transfer news?
The Red Devils could be set for a busy summer in the transfer market ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge, despite the ongoing off-field saga when it comes to an Old Trafford takeover.
Reports have previously suggested that midfield and attacking reinforcements are high on the club’s wishlist, but it appears as if a new defender is also wanted.
There has been speculation this year that Ten Hag has given the green light to sales for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, with rumours claiming that United have tabled a contract offer to Kim, having met with the player's representatives a few weeks ago – and a further transfer update has now emerged.
Sport Witness relayed a claim from Il Mattino regarding Kim and United, saying that Napoli want his €60m release clause paid in one single payment, something Red Devils officials are willing to do. It is a big fee for United to make in one hit, as Kim would go into the club's 10 most expensive signings of all time at that price.
The report states Kim ‘will go to Manchester United’, with no United players heading to Napoli as part of a player-plus-cash deal and even referencing previous speculation of the player lining up somewhere to live in Manchester.
Napoli's Kim Min-jae
Who is Kim Min-jae?
Kim, a South Korea international, is an out-and-out centre-back who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €50m Transfermarkt valuation.
The 26-year-old only joined Napoli last summer from Fenerbahce but has made a big impact, turning out on 44 occasions in all competitions this season, contributing to four goals in the process.
Hailed as "extraordinary" by compatriot and Red Devils hero, Park Ji-sung, Kim has helped Napoli win the Serie A title and has been the club’s top-rated defender with an average match rating of 7.10/10, as per WhoScored – a higher score than any United defender. He has also averaged more clearances, interceptions and passes than any Napoli player, with his completion rate for passes sitting at an impressive 91%.
Therefore, with the Red Devils back in the Champions League next season, a move for a high-quality defender like Kim appears to be a shrewd decision by those at Old Trafford. You’d expect he could battle the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez for a starting spot, with Ten Hag having at least three top options to choose from, and by the looks of it, a transfer appears to be a matter of time.