All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa have been on the rise following the arrival of Unai Emery, who has surpassed expectation since his return to the Premier League.

The Spaniard was the manager of Arsenal for 18 months before returning to Spain and has changed the scenery at Villa Park in a short amount of time after being welcomed to the Midlands back in October 2022.

Along with the improvements he made through the squad on the pitch, the four-time Europa League winner had a strong summer of business in the transfer window, welcoming five new faces.

While Villa have seen a positive time in the market of late, it hasn’t always been that way, with some deals prevailing as awful moves and a huge loss of finances to players that did not cut it.

One departure earlier this summer was one with the feel of being a long time coming, as Wesley Moraes was picked up by Stoke City in July.

How much did Wesley Moraes cost Aston Villa?

Signed by the Villans in 2019 from Club Brugge, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the striker’s arrival, who was part of a £22m deal.

The forward’s talents attracted Dean Smith after his impressive 2018/19 campaign in Belgium, where he scored ten goals and registered nine assists in the Jupiler Pro League.

At just 22, the Brazilian made a fast start to life in England, scoring four times within his first eight Premier League appearances, giving those associated with Villa something to be excited about.

Things quickly came crashing down for the striker, as he suffered a traumatic ACL injury against Burnley during the fixture that he scored in, with the injury being recognisably serious due to the mechanism of the challenge.

The £35k-per-week forward was absent for nearly 500 days as he battled rehabilitation and searched for match fitness, following an injury that subsequently ended his career at Villa.

Following his return, the former Brugge star played just 15 minutes in the Premier League in claret and blue, before heading out on three different loan spells in a bid to rediscover his form. That, however, was not forthcoming.

While he was away, the Brazilian managed to score just six goals in nearly three years, suggesting the toll that the injury had on his ability.

Picking up £1.8m a year from his salary at Villa, where he spent two full years and featured 26 times, the £35k-per-week forward cost the club an average of £846k per game he played when the aforementioned fee is considered. Indeed, this was unfortunately a deal that turned out to be horrendous for all involved.

Why was Wesley worth that much?

On his day, Wesley showcased the damage he could cause to the opposition with his fearless approach to play, however, his Premier League career turned out to ultimately be a failure.

While it was no fault of the player, who sustained such a horrific injury so early into his time at Villa, his services cost the club a pretty penny.

It’s hoped that the Brazil international with one cap can get the ball rolling again at Stoke, with manager Alex Neil hoping that the 26-year-old can “take off again” with the Potters.

Everyone associated with Aston Villa would relish in seeing their former player succeed once more, drawing a line under the expenses lost to facilitate his injury-riddled time with the club.

Craig Overton has been drafted into England’s one-day squad after Liam Plunkett was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2018Craig Overton has been drafted into England’s one-day squad for the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand, after Liam Plunkett was ruled out with a hamstring injury.Overton, 23, was selected for his Test debut against Australia during the Ashes, and made a strong impression in two appearances before being ruled out of the series after sustaining a fractured rib while batting in the third Test at Perth.He has never yet played in England’s limited-overs set-up. In 2015, Craig and his twin brother Jamie were called up to the one-day squad but did not feature against New Zealand. Last year, he was included in the T20 squad against South Africa, but was overlooked for a debut in a three-match series that included a fixture at his home ground in Taunton.”Obviously it’s really good news for me,” he said. “It’ll be great to get out there before the Test series starts and it’ll give me the chance to get in a bit of practice and hopefully I can get selected for some of the one-dayers.”I’ve been in a few one-day squads before and it’s really nice to be in one again. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a game and it’ll be a great experience because I’ve never been to New Zealand before. I’m really looking forward to it.”Plunkett made his return against New Zealand in Wellington earlier this week but aggravated the problem he first suffered in the ODI in Sydney last month. He has been diagnosed with a grade one tear and, unlike when he stayed with the squad after the injury in Australia, he will now be heading home.

West Indies needed five to win from the last over with six wickets in hand but offspinner Anna Peterson took two wickets and added a run-out on the penultimate ball to seal the win

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2018Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesJust the way they had welcomed West Indies on their shores – with a one-run win in the first ODI – New Zealand sealed the T20 series in similar fashion in New Plymouth, and kept the visitors away from their first win of the tour. Chasing 135, West Indies needed five to win from the last over with six wickets in hand but offspinner Anna Peterson took two wickets and added a run-out on the penultimate ball to add to West Indies’ woes. When they needed three off the last ball, Merissa Aguilleira failed to connect to a flat delivery and only managed a leg bye.West Indies showed their intent by making captain Stafanie Taylor open along with Hayley Matthews, and they were scoring at more than run a ball before offspinner Leigh Kasperek trapped Taylor lbw for 14. West Indies wobbled further when Kasperek struck again in her next over and 17-year-old Amelia Kerr – the fifth bowler to bowl by the seventh over – had Matthews caught for 14. Deandra Dottin’s boundaries and Aguilleira’s patience put the chase back on track by taking them past 70 in the 12th over but Kasperek had Dottin also stumped, in the same over.Even as Suzie Bates kept rotating her bowlers, Aguilleira and Kycia Knight scored briskly for the fifth-wicket stand and brought the equation down from 60 off 48 balls to 12 from 12. They collected seven from the penultimate over but Peterson conceded only three in the last over and stole the win. Kasperek finished with 3 for 31 and Peterson ended with 2 for 25.Earlier, West Indies opted to bowl but saw openers Sophie Devine and Bates race past the 50 mark in the sixth over, after Devine collected 18 runs off Shamilia Connell in the third over. Devine was soon bowled for an 18-ball 41 by Matthews and West Indies pulled things back from there.Even though Bates moved along to score her 16th T20I half-century, she didn’t find much support with only two other batsmen – Maddy Green and Amy Satterthwaite – reaching double-figures. Matthews collected two more wickets for her 3 for 24, Dottin took 2 for 23 while Taylor ended with a miserly 4-0-19-0 to restrict New Zealand to 134 for 7. They lost four wickets in the last 16 balls but Bates struck a four on the last ball of the innings to remain unbeaten on 52, which eventually turned out to be useful runs.The remaining two T20s will be played on Thursday and Sunday.

Southampton have played numerous blinders in the transfer market over the years as they have been able to turn profits on the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento, and Sadio Mane, among others.

However, they also had a number of expensive flops throughout their most recent stint in the Premier League before their relegation to the Championship earlier this year.

Who are Southampton's most expensive signings?

Tino Livramento

£22.6m*

Danny Ings

£21.7m

Kamaldeen Sulemana

£21.6m

Jannik Vestergaard

£21.6m

Sadio Mane

£19.8m

*Includes the sell-on fee that Chelsea received from his move to Newcastle United this summer.

FFC recently published an article detailing Mauricio Pellegrino's blunder in signing Argentine forward Guido Carrillo from Monaco in 2018 but he is just one of several examples of lacklustre recruitment over the last five years or so.

Indeed, another player who turned out to be a poor addition to the club was Norway international Mohamed Elyounoussi, who arrived at St. Mary's in the summer of 2018.

How much did Southampton pay for Mohamed Elyounoussi?

The Saints reportedly splashed out a sizeable fee of £16m to secure the winger's services from Swiss side FC Basel ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

Mark Hughes was the club's manager at the time and described him as an "exciting" signing after the forward had enjoyed a terrific time in Switzerland.

The talented winger appeared to be a promising addition for Southampton on paper as he had produced goals and assists on a regular basis for Basel throughout the previous two seasons.

In the 2016/17 campaign, Elyounoussi caught the eye with ten goals and 13 assists in 32 Super League outings for the Swiss outfit, although he did fail to chip in with a single goal or assist in three Champions League matches.

He followed that up with 11 goals and 15 assists in 33 top-flight games during the 2017/18 season and stepped up his game in Europe's premier cup competition.

The Norwegian ace racked up two goals and two assists in eight Champions League appearances and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 as his side were eventually knocked out by Manchester City in the last 16.

His impressive spell with Basel came after he started his career in his home country with 36 goals and 13 assists in 108 Eliteserien matches for Molde and Sarpsborg combined.

These statistics show that Elyounoussi had proven himself to be a reliable attacking outlet out wide in both Norway and Switzerland by that point in his career, which convinced Southampton and Hughes to lavish a £16m fee out to secure his signature in the summer of 2018.

How many goals did Elyounoussi score for Southampton?

However, the now-29-year-old dud was unable to carry his form over to English football as he struggled to deliver consistent performances out wide at St. Mary's.

Elyounoussi ended his Southampton career with nine goals in 90 appearances in all competitions across his five years on the south coast, although he did spend time away on loan at Celtic in Scotland.

The Norway international's first season with the club was a disaster as the £16m signing failed to score or assist a single goal in 16 Premier League appearances for Hughes and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 – the 14th-highest within the squad.

He lost 53% of his physical duels, as opposition players found it too easy to knock him off the ball, and missed four 'big chances' in front of goal, as per Sofascore, indicating that he did have the opportunities to find his first goal in English football.

Southampton then opted to send him out on loan to Celtic and he ended up with the Scottish giants for two seasons, in which time the ex-Basel star racked up 24 goals and 14 assists in 67 outings.

His solid form at Parkhead convinced Ralph Hasenhuttl to reintegrate him into the first-team set-up at St. Mary's in 2021 but Elyounoussi was unable to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

He produced five goals and three assists in 63 Premier League games over his last two seasons with the club and struggled badly last term as the club were relegated to the Championship.

Elyounoussi averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.64 across 33 top-flight outings, which included 27 starts, and that was the 20th-highest score within the squad of a team that was not good enough to avoid the drop.

The 29-year-old contributed at the top end of the pitch with one goal and one assist to go along with just 0.5 key passes per match, which to put that into context, was less than nine of his teammates managed per game.

His former assistant coach at Sarpsborg, Ian Burchnall, once claimed that the winger "frustrated" supporters with his one-dimensional player and lack of positional discipline. That is very hard to argue against.

How much did Southampton receive for Elyounoussi?

Southampton did not receive a single penny in transfer fees for the Norway international as they decided to release him upon the expiry of his contract at St. Mary's earlier this year.

This meant that the attacker left the club for £0 after a disappointing five-year spell with the Saints, in which time his best form came during a loan with Celtic in Scotland.

Therefore, Hughes had a howler with the former Basel marksman as Elyounoussi consistently failed to do enough to impress on the pitch with his poor performances and lack of a cutting edge in the final third.

He did not provide goals or assists on a regular basis and ended up being an expensive flop for the Saints as they spent £16m and did not receive much back in the way of quality on the pitch to go along with allowing him to leave for nothing this summer.

Elyounoussi was not cut out to play at Premier League level, based on his poor form for Southampton, and impressed when playing in Switzerland, Norway, and Scotland.

Unfortunately, Hughes and the club were not able to predict that he would not be able to translate his form for Basel over to England.

Hopefully, the Saints will have better luck when plucking a player from a league outside of the major European divisions in the future, particularly when they they spend a significant fee to secure their services on a long-term deal.

Newcastle United might just be poised for an enduring spot among Europe's elite. The club is very much on the up and while there has been great fanfare over the success of qualifying for the Champions League last season, the onus is now on ensuring that such European endeavours are sustained.

Eddie Howe deserves all the plaudits for the stellar work he has plied since joining the managerial dugout shortly after the lucrative PIF takeover in October 2021, now fighting for accolades throughout domestic and continental competition.

Last weekend, the Magpies obliterated hapless Sheffield United 8-0 in the Premier League, having battled to a hard-fought goalless draw against AC Milan on their return to Champions League competition in midweek.

Two very contrasting results and performances, but both demonstrate facets of this outfit's incredible rise, capable of unleashing its might on inferior quality and holding its own in the Lion's den.

Having finished fourth in the Premier League last term – ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – the Toon invested well this summer, fortifying the ranks with additions fit to replicate the previous feats.

Sandro Tonali

£55m

Harvey Barnes

£39m

Lewis Hall

Loan (£35m obligation to buy)

Tino Livramento

£32m

Yankuba Minteh

Undisclosed

And while Newcastle suffered three successive Premier League defeats after winning big against Aston Villa at St. James' Park in their season opener, the blip looks to be behind them and success is surely on the horizon for this talented crop.

One of the summer signings, Harvey Barnes, has ebbed and flowed from form since joining in July, despite an emphatic debut introduction against Unai Emery's side, and is now stricken by an ankle injury sustained against the Blades that is likely to rule him out for several months.

Why did Newcastle sign Harvey Barnes?

Newcastle signed Barnes in the summer for a reported fee of £39m, with the Englishman joining from Leicester City – who had just been relegated – having dazzled for years on the Foxes' books.

Indeed, the 25-year-old has been a prominent name in the Premier League in recent years and has registered 62 direct goal contributions from 146 outings in the division.

Once praised as an "unbelievable" talent by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Barnes hit his prolific zenith last season and plundered 13 strikes from 34 appearances in the top-flight, one of the few members of that woeful City squad to emerge from the 2022/23 campaign with their head held high.

Despite Leicester's struggles last season, he was still an integral member of their squad and a starring attacking force on Premier League soil. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90.

Such exploits prompted Howe and co to swipe his signature, and after entering proceedings against Villa in the second half for his debut in August, his composed pass and incisive late finish gave him a goal and assist on the most resounding of Toon introductions.

Despite the recent injury news, the £80k-per-week ace is undoubtedly a good signing, the replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin, who left Newcastle for Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli for a fee in the region of £23m in July.

Offering a very different style of wide play, the Frenchman is a fleet-footed, enigmatic trickster and captured the awe of the Tyneside masses across his 124 displays, but he only scored 13 times and was shipped out for a star of a sharper cutting-edge – especially considering Anthony Gordon had been signed in January.

At no discredit to Barnes' abilities, would Federico Chiesa have not been a better fit? The Serie A sensation has endured his fair share of injury woes over the past few years but now looks to have put that behind him, and Newcastle were indeed interested in signing the Juventus winger this summer.

Were Newcastle interested in Federico Chiesa?

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport – via Sport Witness – Newcastle maintained an interest in Chiesa this summer even after signing Barnes, though nothing came of it after the Old lady demanded €50m (£43m) for his services to dissuade suitors.

Premier League rivals Aston Villa were also attentive to his situation, while earlier reports seemingly confirmed Howe's desire to bring him to St. James' Park.

He would have certainly offered something different to the Toon attack, once said to be "world-class" by former Italy international Alessandro Pierini and a "wizard" with the ball at his feet – as was lauded by writer Roger Bennett.

He had indeed missed 62 matches due to injury after sustaining an ACL injury in 2022, but looked promising in the late phase of the 2022/23 term, posting two goals and assists apiece across the final five league matches.

As per FBref, the 42-cap Italy star has been in fine fettle over the past year, despite wrestling with injury problems, ranking among the top 3% of positional peers for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for progressive passes, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

This season, he looks to be back to his very best, having scored four goals and supplied one assist across the opening five games of the campaign.

Barnes' contribution on his debut is surely evidence enough that Newcastle have signed a player capable of playing a big role over the coming years as they continue their ascent to the very forefront of the game.

And while he is a clinical winger, Chiesa surely would have been a signing capable of providing the dynamic threat requisite for success at the highest level.

That's not to say that Barnes won't succeed, but Chiesa's expansive set of skills would have opened up more than a few dimensions to the Magpies' offensive drive, and that 'wizard' would have conjured up more than a bit of magic on Tyneside.

It was a morning when batsmen came and went like leaders of UKIP; a morning when the rapidity of events boggled the scrambled mind and outstripped the scribbling pen

Paul Edwards16-Apr-20181:51

Gurney and Ball run amok at Old Trafford

ScorecardIt was a morning when batsmen came and went like leaders of UKIP; a morning when the rapidity of events boggled the scrambled mind and outstripped the scribbling pen; a morning when 12 wickets fell in exactly 15 overs, Lancashire losing their last eight for 15 runs. Then Nottinghamshire leaked another four in scoring the mere ten runs they required to give Steven Mullaney a six-wicket victory on his championship debut as skipper.But when this ridiculous game leaves its marbles in the changing room, it is important to identify a moment of calm brilliance which encapsulates the hurtling sequence of events. In the sixth over of the morning Jake Ball bowled a ball to Steven Croft which pitched somewhere near the line of middle stump before hitting the top of off. The blameless batsman strolled away, perhaps thinking that if a cricketer has been born who can play those, he would like to congratulate his or her parents on their genes.During the winter Ball was presented with the shortest of straws by England; he was asked to bowl it short when his strength is pitching it up. Today on a wicket which was always softer, colder and damper than it looked, Ball dismissed three more batsmen to finish the innings with 4 for 14 and the match with 9 for 57. Twice in eight balls he was driven to the boundary by Liam Livingstone; undaunted he stuck to his craft, pitched it up again and saw the Lancashire skipper edge a catch to Tom Moores when attempting another booming drive.But by the time Lancashire’s new captain was dismissed, the good ship was already capsizing. It had been holed as early as the third ball of the morning when Keaton Jennings played a milksop of a leg-side push to a straight ball from Harry Gurney. Umpire Graham Lloyd did not have to think too long about the leg before. Next over Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a man who is well used to batting across geological eras, could not get over a ball from the excellent Gurney and was taken at slip by Ross Taylor.Then Livingstone departed; then Croft. 66 for 6. There was much harrumphing and a modicum of hoping in the Old Trafford pavilion but the lower order could do nothing to halt the slide. Nottinghamshire’s slip catching was outstanding, as Jordan Clark and Dane Vilas discovered, when Chris Nash and Riki Wessels scooped up chances. Gurney finished with a career-best 6 for 25 in the innings and 8 for 43 in the match. Eight batsmen had been dismissed in ten overs this morning and Lancashire had lost all ten second-innings wickets for 24 runs.Steven Croft was cleaned up by Jake Ball•Getty Images”Extraordinary is probably the right word for it,” agreed the Nottinghamshire coach Peter Moores. “It was an outstanding hour of cricket by us. The quality of the bowling and catching was absolutely fantastic. Harry Gurney bowled brilliantly all game and Jake Ball did what Jake Ball can do. If he wanted to make a statement in the first game of the county championship season then he’s done it.”But still we were not done with madness. Presented with an opportunity to lead his side home in sober fashion, Mullaney hooked the seventh ball of the innings to Graham Onions at long leg. Two overs later, Joe Mennie struck again when Nash was hustled for pace and Haseeb Hameed scampered back from slip to take a brilliant diving snare some forty yards from the stumps. More conventional efforts by Livingstone removed Jake Libby and Taylor. Some folk jested that ten runs might be too stiff a target. As it turns out it is the lowest total ever successfully chased when losing four wickets. But you knew that anyway.The game ended when Riki Wessels nudged a single backward of square on the leg side. It was almost the only mundane moment of the day. The two sides lined up to shake hands; it is cricket’s answer to line-dancing. One thought of the two skippers trying to cope with the aftermath of mayhem. There is an enormous difference between the idea of doing a thing and actually doing it. The former is a diverting notion whereas the latter is often hard work. When invited to captain their respective counties Livingstone and Mullaney were no doubt attracted by the prospects. They have now discovered what leadership is like when Dame Cricket takes a hand. They had better get used to the glorious madhouse.

Celtic have not found it particularly difficult to land a prolific number nine in the transfer market to lead the line for the Scottish giants over the years.

They currently have lethal Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi firing in goals consistently at Paradise and have had the likes of Chris Sutton, Henrik Larsson, Odsonne Edouard, and Moussa Dembele in the past.

However, they do not have a perfect record with signing strikers and one dud who flopped badly with the Hoops was Swiss lightweight Albian Ajeti.

Celtic signed the West Ham United marksman for a reported fee of £5m in 2020 and went on to score just nine goals in 48 matches in all competitions.

He completed a move to Turkish side Gaziantep FK ahead of the 2023/24 season and left the Scottish side without proving himself to be a reliable goalscoring option for the club.

Were Celtic interested in Ivan Toney?

One player the Bhoys missed out on that year and surely now regret is England international Ivan Toney, who was a target for ex-manager Neil Lennon during the summer transfer window.

The player himself revealed that he went up to Parkhead for talks with the club but did not feel like he would be the main man for the Hoops in his position.

He said that his aim was to be the star number nine for his next team and that Lennon would have had him as one of a number of options, rather than the out-and-out first-choice striker.

Toney was coming off the back of an impressive 2019/20 campaign with Peterborough in the third division of English football and wanted to take the next step in his career.

The English marksman plundered 24 goals and five assists in 32 League One outings and averaged a terrific Sofascore rating of 7.64, which was the highest score of any player within the squad that term.

His outstanding form came after the former Newcastle United academy starlet produced 16 goals and seven assists in 44 league matches for Peterborough during the 2018/19 season. This shows that he improved between the two campaigns and was able to find the back of the net far more regularly at that level.

Toney's superb performances in League One caught the eye of Celtic but Lennon seemingly did not do enough to convince the player that he would be the main man at Parkhead, which has turned out to be a disaster as he has gone on to be a huge success in England.

Brentford eventually signed him in the summer of 2020 for an initial fee of £5m, which is how much the Hoops paid for Ajeti, which could rise to a maximum of £10m.

How many goals has Toney scored for Brentford?

The 27-year-old finisher has racked up an excellent 68 goals in 124 matches for the Bees over the last three years with the London-based outfit.

His first season with the club was a roaring success as he took the Championship by storm and helped them to win promotion to the Premier League.

Toney plundered a record-breaking 33 goals in 48 league matches, including the playoffs, throughout the 2020/21 campaign under Thomas Frank.

No player had scored more than 30 goals in a single Championship season prior to the English ace's phenomenal output for Brentford that term. However, Aleksandar Mitrovic did not let the record sit for long as he produced a mind-boggling 43 goals in 44 league clashes the following campaign for Fulham.

Toney also showcased his unselfishness as he produced ten assists and ten 'big chances' created for his teammates, which – along with his goals – earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.38.

He has, since, proven himself to be a reliable Premier League goalscorer for Brentford with 32 goals in 66 top-flight matches for the club since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

The England international, who is currently serving a ban until January 2024, scored 20 goals in 33 league games for the Bees last season and, as a result, has seen his market value soar since his initial move to the club.

How much is Toney worth now?

It was recently reported by The Mirror that Brentford value the 27-year-old marksman at a whopping £60m amid growing interest from Champions League side Arsenal.

This means that his value has rocketed up by a staggering £50m from the £10m package that Brentford initially paid Peterborough for his services three years ago.

Meanwhile, Celtic's record departure, as per Transfermarkt, is Jota for £25m, when he joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad earlier this summer.

Therefore, the Hoops missed out on a player who had the potential to be worth a club-record amount of money when they failed to bring Toney to Parkhead in 2020, which shows that they dropped a big blunder with the ex-League One star.

Peterborough chief Barry Fry said that the player would be a "revelation" for Celtic and claimed that he would score between 30 and 40 goals in the Scottish Premiership, which appears to be a fair comment when you consider his outstanding Championship form the following season.

Instead, Lennon was unable to convince Toney to make the move and the Bhoys ended up with Ajeti coming in from West Ham for £5m.

How much is Ajeti worth now?

The Switzerland international is currently valued at €1.3m (£1.1m) by FootballTransfers and this means that his value has dropped by £3.9m over the last three years.

Ajeti scored eight goals in 26 Premiership matches and has never scored more than 15 goals in a single league campaign throughout his entire career to date.

These statistics show that Celtic had a mare with the signing of the former Hammers flop as his value plummeted across his spell in Scotland and he failed to prove himself to be a reliable goalscoring option for the club.

Meanwhile, Toney went on to break records for Brentford and has seen his value soar to incredible heights with the Bees, with a potential move to a Champions League club on the horizon for the English dynamo.

Celtic and Lennon could have benefited from his quality on and off the pitch with his phenomenal goalscoring potential to go along with the multi-million-pound sale that the Hoops could have profited off if his value rocketed up in Scotland.

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are making "early explorations" to sign an in-form 6 foot 2 star for manager Ange Postecoglou.

Latest Spurs news

Spurs are absolutely flying so far this season following Antonio Conte's disastrous final Premier League campaign in charge of the club. The north Londoners, lead by their new head coach Postecoglou, are yet to taste top flight defeat under the Australian and have won five out of a possible seven league matches. Impressive wins over Man United, Bournemouth, Burnley, Sheffield United and (perhaps controversially) Liverpool, mean Spurs sit pretty in second – just behind league leaders Man City.

Before the international break, Tottenham next take on newly-promoted Luton Town, and look likely to clinch another three points against Rob Edwards' struggling side who've been tipped to go straight back down to the Championship. Postecoglou's start in the Spurs dugout has been ecstatic, and not just going by the results. His Lilywhites side have showcased an exciting, attack-minded style in contract to Conte's more dogmatic philosophy; something which is also thrilling supporters in the stands.

Spurs' summer signings have also taken to life in north London with real aplomb, especially both defender Micky van de Ven and England midfielder James Maddison, who are now fixtures in Postecoglou's starting eleven and stand out as a few of his star players.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Regardless of their fine form, a case can be made for Tottenham's lack of depth on the substitute's bench. If one of van de Ven or Cristian Romero were to be sidelined through injury, or even suspended, Postecoglou has few names of real quality he can turn to. As a result, it has been reported that Spurs are on the look-out for another central defensive option, with the likes of Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth), Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray) and Juventus star Gleison Bremer mentioned as options recently.

After former Spurs star Harry Kane sealed a blockbuster transfer to Bayern Munich over the summer, it's also claimed that Tottenham are weighing up possible replacements for the future. One player who could come to succeed Kane is in-form Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy.

The Guinea international, according to journalist Dean Jones for TEAMtalk, is a target for Spurs as they make "early explorations" to sign the 6 foot 2 forward. He's scored 10 goals in six league matches already this season, with Jones commenting on the widespread interest in Guirassy.

"It is understood Tottenham Hotspur are also one of the teams making early explorations around a man who is currently ahead of their old talisman Harry Kane in the German scoring charts," wrote the reporter.

"Tottenham’s groundwork for replacing Kane in the squad is being carefully considered for the long term but the club will step up the process in 2024. The scouting of Guirassy is to be stepped up, and it is no surprise. He has a €20 million release clause (£17m) in his current Stuttgart deal – and signing him at that price would seem one of the best bargains in world football."

The 27-year-old's tempting clause may well be an irresistible pull for Levy and co to at least consider a move for him next year.

Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan slots in alongside Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the 15-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-20181:44

‘Mujeeb takes pressure off me’ – Rashid Khan

Afghanistan have picked four spinners – fingerspinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Amir Hamza and wristspinners Rashid Khan and Zahir Khan – in their 16-man squad for their inaugural Test, against India in Bengaluru from June 14.While Mujeeb and Rashid are coming off successful IPL stints with Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively, left-arm wristspinner Zahir is returning from a finger injury that ruled him out from an IPL stint with Rajasthan Royals. The 19-year old was part of the Afghanistan squad that reached the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup in January-February this year.Left-arm offspinner Hamza, meanwhile, was the leading wicket-taker in the domestic first-class competition.Though Zahir has not played ODIs or T20Is yet for Afghanistan, he was the team’s leading wicket-taker during their title campaign in the 2015-17 Intercontinental Cup, the ICC’s first-class competition for Associates, taking 31 wickets in six matches. Fast bowler Wafadar was the only uncapped member of the Test squad. Afghanistan will miss the services of experienced fast bowler Dawlat Zadran because of a knee injury.The second-most capped player Asghar Stanikzai will lead both the Test and the T20I squad that will play Bangladesh in three games in Dehradun from June 3. They will have experience in allrounder Mohammad Nabi, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmat Shah and Hashmathullah Shahidi for the Tests.Peter Della PennaMeanwhile, Afghanistan opted for a more youthful squad for the three T20Is against Bangladesh in Dehradun, with only five of the Test players retained for the series.Under-19 batsman Darwish Rasooli earned a maiden national call-up on the back of strong performances at the World Cup, while Najib Tarakai was recalled after 15 months following strong domestic performances.Afghanistan’s preliminary squad has just concluded a set of practice matches in Greater Noida, following which the final squad was named by chief selector and former captain Nawroz Mangal.Test Squad: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Javed Ahmadi, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Nasir Jamal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Sayed Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Wafadar, Zahir KhanSquad for Bangladesh T20Is: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Najeeb Tarakai, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Shahzad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shenwari, Shafiqullah, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shapoor Zadran, Aftab Alam

But World Cup and Test priorities may mean T20 chances remain limited for England batsman

George Dobell11-Jul-2018Joe Root remains confident he can carve out a future as a T20 player despite being dropped from the England side.Root, England’s Test captain, was the man to make way from the England T20I team in Bristol on Sunday once the return of Ben Stokes was confirmed, but insists he has no fears that his career in that format could be over.”I’m fully confident in the ability I have in that format,” Root said. “I’ve proven in the past that I can perform in T20 cricket. I don’t see it as a closed door for me at all. I’ve got to make sure I keep putting the work in and those limited opportunities I do get, keep trying to perform, keep my name as current as I can in that format.”I don’t have any fears about it. I want to see us being as complete a side as possible in all three competitions, but I want to be a part of them.”Part of Root’s problem is that, as a key part of England’s Test and ODI side, he has little time to appear in the domestic T20 leagues that might provide him with greater experience. But while he accepts that is an issue, he is adamant that his priority remains England’s fortunes in the 2019 World Cup and Test cricket.”It would be nice [to play in various domestic T20 tournaments],” Root said. “You see guys come back from those tournaments with a huge amount of experience and a rounded way of looking at the game; a different take on certain aspects.”Until there’s a really good block for me to go and play T20 cricket somewhere in a domestic tournament, it’s going to be hard for me to get a string of games together and really put that case across. If something fits into place, fantastic, but if not, I’ll find a way. I feel like I’m an experienced enough player now at international cricket to be able to do that.”Ultimately it’s got to fit around playing for England. The priorities at the minute have got to be that white-ball World Cup next year and as Test captain, we’ve got some big series coming up and the Ashes next summer.”So whether it’s making sure I get enough rest, or if there are international games throughout those tournaments, I’m going to have to miss out. Playing for England comes first.”