All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal transfer target Declan Rice is just 'waiting' for the Gunners to make an offer for him, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Rice to Arsenal?

The West Ham United star is a player of real interest to Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu, according to recent reports, with claims suggesting they're the current favourites.

Rice is also thought to be on his way out of east London this summer and is set to leave David Moyes – previously making no secret of his desire to play at the top level.

"Growing up as a kid I’ve seen all these top players win the trophies, win the Premier League, the Champions League," said Rice in an interview last year.

“Me as a football fan and a player I want to win the best stuff, I want to win the Premier League, I want to lift that trophy, I want to win the Champions League, I want to win the FA Cups, League Cups, even with England, I want to win it all."

As such, Arsenal are looking to take advantage of his situation in an attempt to shore up their midfield – with the 24-year-old standing out as one of their primary transfer targets.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Jones has claimed that the England international is simply 'waiting' for Arsenal to come in for him when asked about Newcastle's chances of signing the player.

He explained:

"If they make the top four, obviously, it becomes more possible and they can join the conversation, but it still depends on the level of funding on such a deal.

"It will involve how the player himself views the project. It's obviously an intriguing one, but from Declan Rice's point of view, at the moment, all the focus is waiting for Arsenal to make an offer. That's his preference."

Should Arsenal sign Rice?

The homegrown ace is West Ham's star player and general in centre-midfield – averaging their highest rate of interceptions per 90 whilst also standing out as their best-performer overall (WhoScored).

He's also been called 'underrated' by members of the media for what he does, and what's more, reliable journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic has indicated he could leave West Ham for around £75 million this summer.

Rice's stance on a move to north London will only strengthen the case for Arsenal to make a move and we believe he could strengthen Arteta's ranks to no end.

Liverpool's reported summer transfer target, Ryan Gravenberch is set to hold a meeting with Bayern Munich to discuss his future with the German outfit.

Do Liverpool want to sign Gravenberch?

It has been a turbulent campaign for the Reds which has seen them find some form in the Premier League of late as they look to end the campaign on a high.

Victory on Wednesday night in the capital saw the Reds climb above Tottenham Hotspur and into sixth place as they look to secure a spot in the Europa League.

Champions League football would still need a huge turnaround for Jurgen Klopp's men to leapfrog either Manchester United or Newcastle United.

However, looking ahead to the summer transfer window, it seems as if the Reds will be looking to make a number of improvements in the midfield to bolster their chances of returning to the top four.

One name who has been linked with interest from Anfield is the Bayern Munich midfielder, Gravenberch, with his time in the Bundesliga proving a frustrating point in his career.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has revealed there is a meeting set to take place in May with the Dutchman and the club to discuss his future:

(2:15) "There will be a meeting between Gravenberch, of course, his camp and Bayern to discuss about the future. It will happen in May.

"Bayern will tell the player that they want to keep him. So Bayern count on Gravenberch, Bayern have no intention to negotiate.

"At least now that we know in the market Bayern didn't have intention to negotiate for [Robert] Lewandowski with Barca one year ago and now he's at Barcelona because we know how important is the player's opinion in football."

Should Liverpool sign Gravenberch?

It has been reported Liverpool have already suffered a major blow ahead of the summer transfer window having been priced out of a potential move for Jude Bellingham.

It remains unclear whether the England international will actually move this summer, however, it does seem as if the Reds will not be in the picture if he is to move on.

And it is now being questioned whether another of their reported midfield targets, Mason Mount, will actually leave in the summer amid his ongoing contract debacle at Chelsea.

However, this suggested meeting between the 20-year-old Dutchman and Bayern could provide the Reds with a big boost if the conclusion is he is available to move in the summer.

Over the last year, Gravenberch has ranked inside the top fifth percentile for shot-creating actions and inside the top 15th percentile for progressive carries (via FBref).

These stats dwarf the return of the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho who currently occupy the Liverpool midfield.

So any suggestion that Bayern would be willing to offload the £155k-per-week Dutchman in the summer to find himself some more regular game time could be a major boost for the Reds.

Manchester United are eyeing up a move for Marco Verratti this summer as Erik ten Hag aims to continue rebuilding his squad ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Marco Verratti to Manchester United?

According to sources in Spain, United are one of three teams interested in signing the Italian midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer transfer window.

Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur are the other two clubs which will be fighting it out with the Old Trafford side and the battle for his signature could heat up relatively soon.

The 30-year-old has a contract until 2026 with the French giants and is currently valued at €36.1m (£31m) by FootballTransfers, meaning it could cost United a significant fee for them to prise the player away from Paris.

Could Manchester United sign Marco Verratti?

It isn’t out of the realms of possibilities that Ten Hag will be wanting to add another world-class midfielder or two to his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Over time, there will naturally be players leaving and Brazilian midfielder Fred, who has just one year left on his contract, could be moving on sooner rather than later.

Verratti would be the perfect heir for the United star, and he could bring a much-needed winners mentality to the Red Devils, having won 20 major honours during his club career while helping Italy win Euro 2020 and this elite mindset could benefit Ten Hag massively.

The 30-year-old machine could thrive alongside Casemiro at the heart of United’s engine room, especially with his passing ability and tenacious nature. According to FBref, Verratti ranks in the top 5% across Europe’s big five leagues for pass success rate (92.5%), progressive passes per 90 (9.91), tackles per 90 (3.36) and blocks per 90 (1.90), clearly proving he is one of the best on the continent for dictating play and defensive acumen.

His importance to PSG is underlined by the fact he ranks first in the squad for accurate passes and fourth for both interceptions and key passes per game, suggesting the club could struggle should he move on, yet United could get the full benefit of his excellent midfield attributes.

His former Italy and PSG teammate Gianluigi Buffon once lauded Verratti for being “the only genuine talent in Italian football at the minute” a few years ago and being hailed by one of the finest goalkeepers in history suggests he is doing something right.

Fred may still be a United player next season, but his long-term future doesn’t look great, and the Dutchman will be planning on signing a replacement for him sooner rather than later.

In Verratti, they could land a ‘genuine’ world-class talent and this will only strengthen them going forwards.

Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has opened up about her struggles with anxiety that have caused her to take an indefinite break from cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has opened up about the struggles with anxiety that have caused her to take an indefinite break from cricket.Taylor, 27, is widely considered one of the most talented women’s players in the game, but has struggled for form in recent months, not least during the World T20 in India in March, when she made 49 runs at 9.80 in five matches.Speaking to the BBC, Taylor conceded that she was undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in a bid to rid herself of a disorder that has dogged her life in recent years, and sometimes resulted in such acute panic attacks that she had to run off the field to be sick.”For the past four years I’ve been suffering with anxiety, and obviously it’s my health and my health is my first priority,” Taylor said. “It was starting to affect my performance in cricket but taking time out is a way of trying to fix me as a person and to prolong my career.”Like anyone, if your performance drops you have the capacity to get dropped [from the team]. I didn’t want to allow it to affect my performance so much that that happens, and if I can fix myself off the field I can prolong my career.”It happened mainly when I was about to bat, that expectation of wanting to score runs. The nerves would hit me, but it would be nerves plus something else, and I was always confused as to what it was. It was a genuine kind of panic, the heart races, you feel faint, there have been times I’ve had to run off into the changing room and be sick through sheer panic.”The initial news of Taylor’s break came just days after Charlotte Edwards stood down from her ten-year role as England women’s captain, following pressure from the head coach, Mark Robinson, for a renewed emphasis on youth and fitness in a squad that has stagnated in recent years.More recently, another of Taylor’s long-term team-mates, Lydia Greenway, announced her retirement from international cricket in the wake of the team’s disappointing showing at the World T20.They exited at the semi-final stage following defeat against Australia, and have not won a major global title since 2009. Heather Knight, Edwards’ vice-captain, was last week confirmed as the team’s new captain.Taylor took a four-month break from cricket in 2010, missing an Ashes tour in the process, but returned to the sport to become the leading wicketkeeper-batsman in the world.She cannot yet put a time-frame on her return, and looks set to miss not only England’s home international summer but the inaugural Kia Super League as well. However, she says she is “99 percent” sure she will be back to resume a career that has made her an icon of the women’s game.”It’s a case of talking through my struggles on my day-to-day basis, and my thought processes. I’ll have little activities to tick off in my personal life, then I can look to the cricket side of things. Unfortunately my cricket has to come second.”I would like to say that I am 99 percent sure that I will play again,” she added. “I want to put an England shirt back on and train with the girls, I miss them terribly. I will do everything in my power to become healthy, but I can’t say that that’s going to happen. But in a positive way, I want to play cricket again and I hope to be back.”

Shrikant Kalyani, the former Maharashtra and Bengal batsman, has been named coach of the Maharashtra senior team for the 2016-17 Indian domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2016Shrikant Kalyani, the former Maharashtra and Bengal batsman, has been named coach of the Maharashtra senior team for the 2016-17 Indian domestic season. Kalyani succeeds Australian David Andrews, who coached the side in the last two seasons.”It’s a great feeling to be appointed as Maharashtra coach. I came to know that it is [a decision] taken by the managing committee [of the Maharashtra Cricket Association],” Kalyani told ESPNcricinfo. “After playing more than 18 years of first-class cricket, I’d really like to share my experience with the boys and nurture their talent.”Maharashtra had an underwhelming season in 2015-16, finishing third from last in Group A. Kalyani said he kept track of Maharashtra’s recent performances, and that he would address the team’s issues. “My main purpose will be to enhance the talent of the boys overall,” he said. “I have to work on their fitness, technique, their strengths, all these things are there.”Maharashtra have had a number of coaches in recent times like Shaun Williams, Dermot Reeve, Surendra Bhave and Andrews, but Kalyani said he wasn’t worried about getting – or not getting – a long stint. “I suppose it [the contract] is for one year,” he said. “I am not concerned with the long-run coaching contract. I am concerned with enhancing the performance of the boys.”Ajay Shirke, the president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, announced the state’s selection committee for the Ranji Trophy will include Kalyani. Also on the selection committee are the assistant coach Akshay Tandale, Riyaz Bagwan (chairman), Kaisar Fakih and Rahul Dhole Patil.

Leeds United's winless run in the Premier League stretched to seven matches after a battling draw against Newcastle United at Elland Road.

The home side took the lead in the early phase of the affair through captain Luke Ayling's emphatic close-range strike before a Callum Wilson brace from the penalty spot left silence pervading across the ground like a foul smell.

Whites striker Patrick Bamford fluffed his lines when presented with a glorious opportunity to double his outfit's advantage in the first half, agonising moments before Wilson collected his first strike of the day.

Elsewhere, the likes of Junior Firpo and Maximilian Wober were shoddy in their defensive duties, with both guilty of giving away penalty kicks.

But the same cannot be said for Rasmus Kristensen, who produced an impressive dynamic display from his newfound home at the centre of the defence, as he was robust in his display against the Magpies storm and popped up when all seemed lost with a scintillating strike, albeit deflected, to restore parity and ensure Leeds did not slide to a third defeat in succession.

How did Rasmus Kristensen perform vs Newcastle?

The former RB Salzburg defender who signed for the West Yorkshire side for £10m last summer, has certainly endured something of a tumultuous journey at the back of his team's system this season, having shipped goals in abundance but shown flashes of brilliance, with Alan Hutton stating that his arrival solved a "huge problem" for the club.

The £40k-per-week gem was named as BT Sport's Player of the Match against Eddie Howe's Newcastle, during which he made five clearances and two interceptions, as per Sofascore, complementing his match-levelling goal.

Kristensen's output at Elland Road has taken his outfit to 31 points in the top flight, now only one point behind Everton, who are an infinitesimal distance away from the danger zone.

Revitalised after spending much of the season's midpoint constricted to the bench, Kristensen has now scored three goals from 19 starts in the Premier League, and having played three consecutive games as a centre-back, he might just have cemented his new role.

Leeds Live stated that Kristensen was "steady and solid, but passing still leaves so much to be desired", so despite his struggles as an adept ball-player, if he can harness his display and turn it into a late-season purple patch, Leeds might just clinch a monumental turnaround and prevent a plummet back into the second tier.

It is unclear at the moment how much Carlos Corberan will be backed by West Bromwich Albion in the summer after the Baggies narrowly missed out on a playoff spot in the Championship this season.

The Spaniard took over from Steve Bruce with the Midlands side remarkably occupying a relegation spot and took them on a superb run of form which carried them into the top six, but ultimately they fell short.

Therefore, a strong summer could make West Brom one of the favourites for promotion next season but with the financial situation under Guochuan Lai looking grim, it seems unlikely that the Baggies will be making many big-money signings.

Corberan may be forced to look towards the academy in his search for new first-team players and could find a Championship-ready talent in Reyes Cleary.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a superb campaign in Premier League 2 and with the Baggies' strikers continuing to misfire, with no player scoring more than seven times in the league, perhaps he could be given a chance next season.

Who is Reyes Cleary?

A product of West Brom's youth academy, the 19-year-old Cleary has been a regular with the U18s and U21s in recent seasons, notching 29 goals and four assists in just 32 appearances for the U18s.

After smashing in 18 goals in just 14 U18 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, it was only natural that he would be moved up an age group, something which he certainly hasn't struggled with, as he boasts 16 strikes in just 12 Premier League 2 outings, which represents a stunning record of 1.33 goals-per-game.

Cleary was rewarded with his first senior appearances in 2022/23 but mustered just 55 minutes of Championship action, which seems surprising when you consider the struggles of Karlan Grant and Brandon Thomas-Asante, coupled with the injury struggles of Daryl Dike.

The USA international is expected to miss around nine months with an achilles tendon injury picked up last month, which could open the door for Cleary to become a regular next season.

Steve Bruce was full of praise for the teenage striker earlier in the campaign, with quotes that may well remind Baggies fans of their former loan star, Romelu Lukaku.

The former boss said: "He's just a natural finisher, which certainly helps, so when he comes up he catches your eye because he smashes it in the goal, which is nice to see."

Lukaku hit 17 goals in 35 Premier League games for West Brom in the 2012/13 Premier League campaign and few have come close to matching that tally in the years since, with only Dwight Gayle and Grant eclipsing that total in the Championship.

In the mould of the Belgian, Cleary is a physical striker with an eye for goal and if he is given regular first-team opportunities by Corberan next season, there seems no reason why he couldn't emulate their former loanee's performances at the Hawthorns given his exceptional goalscoring record in the academy.

Tom Smith played a key role with bat and ball as Gloucestershire kept their hopes of defending the Royal London One-Day Cup alive with a 51-run South Group win over Sussex at Cheltenham

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2016
ScorecardMustafizur Rahman was absent for Sussex after playing one game [file picture]•BCCITom Smith played a key role with bat and ball as Gloucestershire kept their hopes of defending the Royal London One-Day Cup alive with a 51-run South Group win over Sussex at Cheltenham.In a match billed as must-win for both lowly placed teams, the hosts posted 242 for eight after losing the toss, Michael Klinger contributing 46 and Smith 43 not out. Chris Jordan claimed three for 55 and leg-spinner Will Beer two for 38.In reply the Sharks could manage only 191 all out, despite an excellent unbeaten 87 from 21-year-old Harry Finch, left-arm spinner Smith taking 4 for 26 from his ten overs.Sussex were not helped by the absence of their overseas pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman who is now in England but who picked up an injury after his first game for the county – one in which he was termed “a very special bowler” by his captain Luke Wright after demolishing Essex in the NatWest Blast.The result took Gloucestershire to four points from five games, while Sussex remain on just two.Gloucestershire lost wickets too regularly to gain much momentum to their innings. Chris Dent had already been dropped when falling early on for ten and it was 49 for 2 when Ian Cockbain was caught behind for eight in the ninth over.Hamish Marshall’s disappointing last Cheltenham Festival ended when he was bowled off inside edge by Jordan for 11 before Beer struck a major blow in the 22nd over.Klinger had looked in prime form moving to 46 off 66 balls, with 6 fours, when adjudged lbw pushing forward. It may have been a case of the ball striking pad before bat, but the Gloucestershire captain was clearly unhappy with the decision.Beer also removed Benny Howell for 19 and when Graeme van Buuren was bowled by Jordan for 38 off another inside edge Gloucestershire were becalmed on 155 for 6 in the 35th over.Kieran Noema-Barnett (29) hit the only six of the innings over mid-wicket off Danny Briggs, but it was Smith who did most to bolster the modest total, facing 46 balls and hitting 3 fours.Young wicketkeeper Patrick Grieshaber contributed a bright 20 at the death, but Gloucestershire looked to be short of a par score.Soon, however, the home bowlers were striking back. Ed Joyce mistimed a back-foot shot to be caught at mid-wicket off Matt Taylor and when Craig Miles had Philip Salt caught behind it was 19 for 2.Dangerman Luke Wright played a poor shot off Taylor on 18, chipping a catch to mid-on and Gloucestershire were right in the game at 43 for 3 in the ninth over.Chris Nash was bowled off a bottom edge by Smith for six, but Finch and Ben Brown than gave Sussex hope with a stand of 70 in 19.4 overs before Brown, on 39, square drove Howell to Cockbain at backward point.When Smith had Chris Jordan caught behind for 14, Sussex were left needing 84 off the last ten overs with only four wickets in hand.Smith then took a fine caught and bowled at full tilt after Jofra Archer had skied the ball back over his head and had Ajmal Shahzad well held at deep mid-wicket by Dent.Beer was run out and when last man Briggs was bowled by Howell, it left Finch, who faced 115 balls and hit 8 fours and a six, high and dry after a fine personal effort.

Chelsea have identified Andre Onana as their top goalkeeper target for the upcoming transfer window, according to a recent report from 90min.

Who is signing Andre Onana?

There have been a number of Premier League clubs linked with moves for Onana, with reports from Italy claiming that Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have all shown an interest in the Inter Milan goalkeeper.

It has been reported that the Blues have held a meeting with Inter about a summer move, and they even offered Kepa Arrizabalaga to the Italian club as a makeweight, but they were given a firm no.

However, there could be other players used in the negotiations, as the report claims the Serie A side are interested in Trevoh Chalobah, as well as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, having tried to sign the latter player in the past.

According to a report from 90min, Chelsea have decided on Onana as their top goalkeeper target, despite recent links to Brentford's David Raya, but they will have to do battle with Tottenham Hotspur, who have also settled on him as first choice.

Whoever misses out on the Inter shot-stopper could end up signing Raya instead, although Brentford have stressed they will not part with the Spaniard unless the price is right.

Is Onana joining Chelsea?

It appears as though Inter are willing to part ways with the Cameroonian in the summer, despite the fact he is contracted until 2027, having already identified Empoli's Guglielmo Vicario as a replacement.

It is a little unusual the Italian club have no qualms about letting the £67k-per-week goalkeeper leave, given that he has been fantastic for them this season, particularly in the Champions League, ranked as their best-performer by Sofascore, with an average match rating of 7.45.

The 27-year-old ranks highly across a number of important metrics for goalkeepers, recording a save percentage of 78.2%, which places him in the 93rd percentile compared to his positional peers, while he is in the 94th percentile for his clean sheet percentage.

Having played a huge role in helping Inter reach the Champions League final, the one thing that may hinder Chelsea in their pursuit of the "superstar" is that they will be unable to offer European football of any description next season.

As such, if Man United step up their interest in the coming weeks, the Blues may find it very difficult to win the race for Onana's signature.

Seamers dominated the opening day of the County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Leicestershire at Cheltenham as 15 wickets fell

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2016
ScorecardJack Taylor pulls during his 51 on a ball-dominated day•Getty ImagesSeamers dominated the opening day of the County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Leicestershire at Cheltenham as 15 wickets fell.Ben Raine claimed 4 for 57 to help bowl out the hosts for 183 after Leicestershire had elected to field. Jack Taylor top scored with 51 and there were two wickets each for Richard Jones and Neil Dexter.The visiting batsman found it no easier on a lively pitch and plunged to 86 for 5 in reply, David Payne and Josh Shaw taking a brace of wickets apiece. Leicestershire closed on 122 for 5, Angus Robson unbeaten on 49.Pace bowlers on both sides profited from swing and seam movement, despite sunshine and blue skies for most of the day.The tone was set in the opening over of the game when Clint McKay had Chris Dent caught behind for a duck. Dent had been announced as Gloucestershire’s wicketkeeper for the match after Gareth Roderick was forced to withdraw with a broken finger, sustained in Sunday’s NatWest T20 Blast win over Essex.Jones soon followed up McKay’s early breakthrough by having Will Tavare, brought into the side for Roderick, caught at second slip by Mark Cosgrove for seven in the fourth over.It was 24 for 3 when Graeme van Buuren was lbw to Raine for ten. Michael Klinger and Hamish Marshall then added 43 before Klinger edged a second catch to Cosgrove off Raine and fell for 25.Marshall had reached 19 when Charlie Shreck beat his defensive stroke and bowled him with the total on 69. But Taylor, selected for his batting while banned from bowling for an illegal action, more than justified his inclusion.He lost two partners after lunch was taken at 104 for 5, as Benny Howell fell lbw to Raine and Craig Miles looped a catch to wicketkeeper O’Brien off a quick ball from Jones.Taylor held things together, reaching a 59-ball half-century, with 6 fours, before being bowled off an inside edge by Raine with the total on 167. Dexter then wrapped up the innings with 2 for 11 in 4.5 overs.Leicestershire suffered an even worse start than Gloucestershire as Paul Horton fell lbw to the first ball of the innings from Payne.By tea, the visitors had reached 33 for 2, Dexter having been bowled by Liam Norwell in the tenth over for 15.The final session saw Mark Cosgrove caught behind, driving at Shaw with the total on 41.It was 63 for 4 when Hamish Marshall took a brilliant one-handed catch above his head at midwicket to dismiss Mark Pettini and 86 for 5 when O’Brien was pinned lbw by Payne.Opener Robson played the anchor role for Leicestershire, but was lucky to escape on 38 when edging Payne between first slip Klinger and wicketkeeper Dent.He battled away for 136 balls to be 49 not out at stumps, an invaluable effort for his side.