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Chelsea could still launch a move for Aymeric Laporte this summer, with transfer reporter Rudy Galetti stating that the defender remains on the Blues' wanted list.

Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?

The Man City defender did feature for his club during their historic 2022/23 season but not as frequently as he probably would have liked. With the Premier League outfit going on to win the league, FA Cup and Champions League, the centre-back only got onto the field in the top flight on 12 occasions with eleven starts. It's the lowest amount of games he has had yet over the course of his City career.

He still impressed when he was trusted on the field though, ranking in the 99th percentile for attempted passes (86.43 per 90) and progressive carries (2.59 per 90) amongst players in his position in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. It shows that his ability hasn't waned and he is still a very capable, ball-playing and offensively driven centre-back.

It appears that a stay in England is a real possibility for Laporte now too. That's because reliable journalist Rudy Galletti has revealed that Chelsea are still keeping tabs on the defender and that despite Bayern Munich also holding an interest, he is still very much a wanted man by those at Stamford Bridge.

No official bid or offer has yet been made for the Spaniard though and he adds that the situation is "evolving" in terms of the interest around the player.

What is Laporte's transfer value?

No potential fee has been mentioned in the report but CIES Football Observatory suggest that Laporte's value could be around the 40 million Euro (or £34m) mark. It means that a deal wouldn't break the bank for the Blues and would mean they have another body in their backline.

He could be worth the fee too considering his experience in the game. Not only has he won Premier League titles and a Champions League with Man City, but has been good enough to earn time with Spain too, after changing citizienship from playing for France's youth sides.

To add to his 281 club appearances in the league over the course of his career, the national side have also given him 21 caps in total. It shows the defender's abilities in that he is trusted on the big stage – and a player like him, labelled "incredible" by Pep Guardiola, could really boost the defence at Stamford Bridge.

Kane Williamson has lauded his bowlers for their efforts on the third day, where they inflicted a 6 for 47 collapse on Pakistan to set up a win

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch20-Nov-20161:48

‘Seamers win it for New Zealand’ – Fernando

An allrounder on debut took 6 wickets for 41, and a rookie opener hit 55 and 36 not out to claim the game’s highest aggregate, yet it was day three’s bowling effort that broke the match open, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said.Though New Zealand had secured a first-innings lead of 67, Pakistan had moved to 58 for 1 in the second innings, and appeared to be settling in, on a flattening surface. In an extended spell of tight and hostile bowling, however, New Zealand struck a double-blow, claiming the wickets of Babar Azam and Younis Khan in quick succession. They also accounted for Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed in a 15-ball burst in the third session, and when Mohammad Amir departed not long after, Pakistan had lost six wickets for 47 runs – their match prospects in tatters.”Without a doubt our bowling effort in the second innings was the decisive period,” Williamson said. “We were hoping for some movement off the surface and Pakistan showed a lot of resistance – especially early – and were very patient. But the way that four seamers got into spells and held their areas for long periods at a time, it was world-class. They passed it over for the next bloke to take up the baton, and it was a huge effort being patient and getting the rewards later on in the day yesterday.”We didn’t get the ball to do a huge amount in the second innings, but we held our lines and our lengths really consistently for a long period of time. It was really important to make that adjustment quickly and not get too greedy and overpitch, because in the first innings you did need to bowl fuller to get those rewards.”The debutants – both from Auckland, and both sporting moustaches – received praise from their captain, given their impact on the match. In addition to his record-breaking first-innings haul, Colin de Grandhomme also struck 29 crucial first-innings runs, and claimed a further scalp in 14 second-innings overs that only cost 23.”Colin was picked because his style of bowling complements the other bowlers,” Williamson said. “Tim Southee and Trent Boult are terrific swing bowlers, but when it isn’t swinging as much and you want to exploit a bit of nip out the surface, someone like Colin might be a good option, we felt. It turned out he certainly was. You do have to put the ball in the right area and he showed his composure as well, to execute his plans for a long period of time with the ball.”Having top-scored in the first innings, Jeet Raval also proved a capable slip fielder, taking three catches in the cordon, before also completing an excellent diving catch in the outfield on day four.”Jeet came into international cricket and it looked like he’d been there for years,” Williamson said. “He was very calm, very relaxed, and stuck to the game plan. To go out and open the innings, against a very good bowling attack, on a surface that was offering something to the seam bowlers and achieve what he did was great to see, particularly in the first innings. Then he showed his composure again in the chase for the victory.”The victory was Williamson’s first as captain, both on home soil and against a top-nine opposition. It snapped a streak of four losses accrued on tours of India and South Africa.”It’s nice to get a win, but more importantly to have a performance that didn’t show too much baggage from the past. There were a couple of really tough tours in South Africa and India. It was important we learned a lot, but at the same time, put some of that baggage away and tried to focus on what we needed to do here.”The second Test begins from November 25, in Hamilton, where New Zealand could seal their first series win against Pakistan since 1984-85.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to resolve the future of midfielder Matheus Nunes in the near future at Molineux, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Matheus Nunes?

As per The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool have held an interest in Nunes for a period of time; however, their attraction towards the Portugal international has 'cooled' in recent weeks.

The report claims that Liverpool may move on to other targets, with the likes of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach enforcer Manu Kone being linked with a switch to Anfield.

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are also keen on Nunes and have placed him on a shortlist of potential midfield additions as Erik Ten Hag demands midfield reinforcements.

Barcelona and Newcastle United are two other potential destinations for Nunes this summer, though it is unclear exactly what the future may hold for the £85k-a-week ace in the transfer window, as per Relovo.

Nunes joined Wolves from Sporting Lisbon last year for a fee in the region of £42.2 million and became a key player in their eventually Premier League survival bid.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has stated that we won't need to wait too long to find out where Nunes may find himself come the end of the transfer window.

Romano said: “For Matheus Nunes, there's a lot of interest but still nothing advanced or concrete. So, we have to wait on that one. I think this is something for later in the window, towards the end of June or July.”

How did Matheus Nunes fare for Wolverhampton Wanderers during 2022/23?

Nunes enjoyed a decent debut campaign in the English top-flight with Wolves and helped them to maintain their place in the division despite being in a relegation dogfight for large portions of the season.

In 2022/23, the Portuguese midfielder amassed 42 appearances in all competitions for the Old Gold, registering two goals and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored shows that Nunes is also an effective ball carrier from the centre of the pitch and managed to complete an average of 1.3 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

FBRef also reflect the notion of Nunes being able to drive his side forward from midfield, detailing that he successfully performed 59 shot-creating actions across the season.

Of course, Wolves will be keen to keep hold of Nunes if possible; nevertheless, it looks like it will be a waiting game at Molineux to see if he is still there come the close of play in the market.

Tasmania put up some fight on the final day at the MCG but could not prevent a 113-run Victoria win as Scott Boland and Chris Tremain picked up three wickets each

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2016
ScorecardScott Boland picked up 3 for 66•Getty ImagesTasmania put up some fight on the final day at the MCG but could not prevent a 113-run Victoria win as Scott Boland and Chris Tremain picked up three wickets each. Chasing 365 for an unlikely win, the Tigers began the day on 3 for 19 and were eventually dismissed in the final session for 251, Peter Siddle and Jon Holland finishing with two wickets each.George Bailey (47) and nightwatchman Andrew Fekete (30) proved to be the initial obstacles for Victoria, before James Faulkner led a fighting lower-order effort with 78. Faulkner and Simon Milenko (43) put on 64 for the eighth wicket but could not avoid the inevitable, Faulkner the last man out to the bowling of Tremain.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou is looking to bring his Celtic assistant coach John Kennedy with him to Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Times.

Is Ange Postecoglou coming to Spurs?

After he clinched a domestic treble with Celtic at the weekend, Spurs have now confirmed that Postcoglou is on his way to north London, and will commence work on July 1.

The Australian, following their 3-1 Scottish Cup victory over Inverness at Hampden Park on Saturday, has agreed to become Spurs' next manager after Antonio Conte.

"Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," said chairman Daniel Levy upon his appointment."He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

The former Celtic boss will join Tottenham and reports have already started coming out suggesting that he is set to be backed by Spurs with additions this summer.

Leicester City star James Maddison is among the targets on Tottenham's radar and it appears they can now focus on the looming transfer market.

Postecoglou will also be looking to shape the backroom in his own image as he attempts to reinstall a brand of attacking football and positivity at N17.

According to a report by The Times, he already has plans in that regard, with the Australian "keen" on stealing away his assistant manager Kennedy down south.

Spurs let go of a lot of their staff when Cristian Stellini left as interim boss, and Postecoglou will need to replace them. He apparently doesn't usually take his assistants between jobs, with Kennedy being the obvious exception.

Ryan Mason may well also decide he wants his own gig elsewhere after chairman Daniel Levy opted not to take a chance on him as permanent manager.

Despite Postecoglou wanting to bring Kennedy to Tottenham, he may well have a hard time in doing so, with Celtic eager to hang on to their 39-year-old who is highly thought of.

Who is John Kennedy?

The coach has worked his way up the ladder at Parkhead, having been under the tutelage of many previous Hoops bosses like Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.

Kennedy briefly served as interim Celtic manager when Lennon resigned in 2021 and Celtic's board apparently rate him a lot.

The former Scotland international, who was forced to retire from playing at the age of just 26, has also been called a "world-class" coach by former Chelsea star Damien Duff.

Glasgow Rangers face a crucial summer transfer window if they aim to become the dominant force in Scottish football yet again, with plenty of ins and outs looking likely.

In truth, the exodus has already begun, with Michael Beale not offering Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield, Allan McGregor, or Filip Helander extended contracts, freeing up a good chunk of the wage budget.

There could be more to go, with Scott Wright and Jon McLaughlin also set to be departing the Ibrox side this summer, while Glen Kamara has been recently linked with newly promoted Sheffield United, and it appears as though Beale is displaying a ruthless nature when it comes to moving out the deadwood in order to strengthen.

Another player who should be making an exit at the Light Blues is defender Ben Davies, who hasn’t quite settled since arriving from Liverpool last summer for a fee of £4m.

Does Ben Davies have a future at Rangers?

With Filip Helander leaving the club, Beale has Connor Goldson, John Souttar, Leon King and Davies as his centre-back options, however, with Souttar’s improved performances come the end of the season, averaging a stellar Sofascore rating of 7.45/10 from his final four games, it appears he and Goldson could form the main partnership at the heart of defence.

Davies made 38 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, yet missed chunks at the beginning and the end of the season due to injury issues, averaging a rating of 6.94/10 as per Sofascore.

The £27k-per-week defender ranked 16th in the squad for tackles made, seventh for interceptions per game and 14th for overall rating, suggesting his league performances weren’t exactly up to scratch.

Against Celtic in a decisive league encounter back in April, Davies endured probably his worst performance in a Gers shirt, failing to clear a simple ball in the box which eventually resulted in the Parkhead outfit scoring the second goal of the match, and he was criticised after the game by former Rangers' striker Kenny Miller.

He said: “It’s a wonderful finish. Again he’s alert, alive, ruthless when the chance drops.

“But it’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”

The club appears to be open to offers for the 27-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window and with the poor season he has had, it might be time for the Gers to cut their losses and move him on ahead of 2023/24.

South Africa Women’s ordeal of collapses continued into the fourth ODI against New Zealand Women as they were bowled out for 194 to lose by eight wickets in Paarl and trail the the seven-match series 3-1

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2016
ScorecardRachel Priest and Amy Satterthwaite’s 139-run partnership studded New Zealand’s dominance as they took a 3-1 lead•Getty ImagesSouth Africa Women’s ordeal of collapses continued into the fourth ODI against New Zealand Women as they were bowled out for 194 to lose by eight wickets in Paarl and trail the the seven-match series 3-1. Amy Satterthwaite led the charge for New Zealand by first taking three wickets and then scoring an unbeaten 81 in a partnership of 139 with opener Rachel Priest, who scored an attacking 86 off 67. New Zealand cruised to the target in 28.2 overs, leaving South Africa to win all three remaining matches to win the series.Asked to bat, South Africa were reduced to 13 for 2 in the third over, before Mignon du Preez (27) and Dinesha Devnarain (42) lifted them with a 51-run stand. Once Hannah Rowe broke that stand, South Africa suffered their first collapse, stuttering from 64 for 2 to 99 for 5. Captain Dane van Niekerk, who top-scored with 48, and Sune Luus (29) stitched together 66 for the seventh wicket, before the hosts collapsed again, losing their last four wickets for the addition of just two runs. They lost their last three batsmen for no runs, similar to the first ODI of the series when they lost five wickets without scoring a run.Satterthwaite finished with 3 for 33 after taking three of the last five wickets, while the other two were run-out. Rowe took two wickets and an in-form left-arm spinner Morna Nielsen, who opened the bowling, returned parsimonious figures of 1 for 20 in 10 overs.New Zealand made a change in their opening combination as Natalie Dodd opened with Priest but the move did not work as Dodd was bowled by Marizanne Kapp for 1 in the second over. Priest and Satterthwaite let loose after that to flatten South Africa. Priest scored her half-century off 36 balls and slammed 13 fours and a six before being caught off Ayabonga Khaka, but the visitors were going at nearly seven an over and had only 52 runs left. Satterthwaite, who struck her second unbeaten fifty, saw them through with 81 off 71 balls, studded with 10 fours and a six.The fifth ODI takes place at the same venue on Wednesday.

The season may not yet be over, although Tottenham Hotpur's protracted search for a new permanent manager will likely already be beginning to grate on the club's support, with the Lilywhites having already seen a host of potential candidates fall out of the running.

Despite having sacked former boss Antonio Conte at the end of March, the north London outfit still appear to be no closer to naming a long-term successor to the experienced Italian, with leading target, Arne Slot, having only recently outlined his desire to remain with Eredivisie champions, Feyenoord.

Prior to that, Spurs were also dealt something of a blow after learning that Julian Nagelsmann is also not set to be on his way to N17, while Xabi Alonso also stated his intention to stay put at Bayer Leverkusen.

With chairman, Daniel Levy left to continue his quest to find a new head coach, Football Transfers only recently reported that out-of-work boss Graham Potter is among those being considered by the businessman, having left his post at rivals Chelsea earlier this year.

The 48-year-old – who was hailed as a "genius" by broadcaster Joe Thomlinson amid his spell at Brighton and Hove Albion – had only taken charge of the Blues back in September, although was ultimately relieved of his duties by Todd Boehly and co last month, after winning just 12 of his 31 games in charge.

It now looks as if Tottenham could turn to the one-time Swansea City man as their successor to Conte, with Levy potentially set to snap up another managerial figure to have only recently departed Stamford Bridge, having done so previously with Andre Villas-Boas.

How did Villas-Boas do at Spurs?

Much like Potter, the Portuguese coach arrived at White Hart Lane following a short-lived spell in west London, having been sacked after just nine months with the Blues after initially arriving in England from Porto ahead of the 2011/12 season.

Having previously won the treble in Portugal prior to joining Chelsea, Villas-Boas was still seemingly a well-regarded coach at the time of his move to Spurs, with Levy lauding him as a figure with an "outstanding reputation" back in 2012.

The one-time Academica boss would ultimately lead his Gareth Bale-inspired side to a fifth-placed finish during what proved to be his only full season in charge, with the Welsh wizard scoring 21 league goals prior to sealing an £85.3m move to Real Madrid.

Having lost his talisman, Villas-Boas was unable to kick on the following season as the north Londoners endured a dismal start to the campaign, with the up-and-coming coach ultimately being shown the door in December 2013, after suffering hefty defeats to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Much like his time at Chelsea, the Porto-born tactician's spell under Levy also proved rather brief in truth, with it having ultimately not proven a wise move to pounce for the available coach after his underwhelming stint at Stamford Bridge.

The fear will be that history could repeat itself if a deal is struck with Potter in the near future, with the Englishman having already struggled to make his mark at one of the Premier League's elite clubs.

England will play their first day-night Test match at home next year, the ECB has confirmed

Alan Gardner06-Oct-20161:39

Edgbaston to host day-night Test match

England will play their first day-night Test match at home next year, the ECB has confirmed. The first Test of West Indies’ tour, at Edgbaston on August 17-21, will be contested under lights with a pink ball in a move designed to try and increase attendances and drive interest in the oldest form of the game.Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said it was worth experimenting in order to try and “make cricket more accessible to new audiences”. So far, the only Test played under lights with a pink ball was between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide last November, although a second, between Pakistan and West Indies in the UAE, will take place this month. Another two are scheduled for the forthcoming Australian summer.”It’s a great opportunity to build on a lot of the thinking and the strategy that has been going on for the last 12 months,” Harrison said. “It’s been all about new audiences and doing all we could to make the game more accessible at every level, and this gives us an opportunity to find out if Test cricket played at a different time of day, under certain conditions, in a city centre at a time of year where people possibly don’t get to go to the all day game – we’ll see if that has a dramatic impact on attendance.”It’s also outside London, so there’s more opportunity to see an impact of day-night cricket. England historically love playing at Edgbaston, it’s a great venue. We are taking an open and hopeful view and are expectant that it will have an impact on our market as we look to make cricket more accessible to new audiences.”Harrison added it was important to “embrace opportunities when they come”. Warwickshire held a trial in a 2nd XI game in August, which was deemed a success despite some issues with the deterioration of the pink ball (both Dukes and Kookaburra varieties). The club were unable to hold further tests in a first-class match but, with tickets due to go on sale next week, they have agreed to take the plunge for next summer.”Bringing day-night Test cricket to England is an innovative and very exciting development for the game, and we’re thrilled that Edgbaston will be the first venue to host a match played in this format,” Neil Snowball, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said.”Edgbaston staged the UK’s first day-night domestic match in 1997 and has a great history of hosting and selling out some of the biggest fixtures in the game. In turn, the Edgbaston atmosphere and match-day experience has become iconic, with England having a fantastic record of victories here.”Playing hours for the Test have been provisionally scheduled from 2pm until 9pm, with the final session set to take place under floodlights as the sun goes down. Dukes will continue to supply the ball; those used in the 2nd XI match at Edgbaston, in contrast to the Kookaburra version, featured a dark seam.”I’m sure it will drive some new thinking in the way that tickets are sold and I’m sure it will have an impact on the ability of families to come and watch cricket,” Harrison said. “It’s a sincere drive and strategy to make cricket as accessible as possible, particularly for young people. To create a Test cricket audience among young people.”Cricket Australia has been the board most enthusiastic about day-night Tests and it is likely that the 2017-18 Ashes could feature a pink-ball game – although the current captains, Alastair Cook and Steven Smith, have expressed reservations. “It’s useful to have one before we go to Australia,” Harrison said. “Giving guys the chance to play with a pink ball under lights, before an Ashes Test in similar conditions. It’s a good opportunity to stick a stake in the ground to say we are keen to innovate.”Player concerns about the conditions required to keep the pink ball from deteriorating were a feature of the Adelaide Test, where an unusually grassy surface was prepared and the match was over inside three days. Harrison said the ECB was “comfortable with the development of the ball”, which has been tested extensively by the MCC – who first proposed the idea – notably in the Champion County match at the start of the English season.He added that the England and West Indies players had been assured they will be given opportunities to prepare for playing under lights. West Indies’ third three-day tour match, which takes place in Derby the week before the first Test, will be played as a day-night match.”Players have taken some time to get around this,” Harrison said. “It’s not a new concept in terms of global international cricket and many boards are looking at ways to introduce this and as they have gone down this journey they have looked at all the things that need to come together, like lux levels at grounds, local council approval, public transport. They are all different in the day-night scenario. There is a bit more work to do, but we can start to get excited.”I’m sure we will convert those who are less than convinced about it. We will work hard to make sure we are not treading on traditions here. In London we put a Test match on and it sells out. Outside London it’s not as simple as that. Maybe this helps bring in some of those new communities that haven’t been to Edgbaston before. There will be a lot of marketing about, in a very busy summer for us across all formats.”

Arsenal remain keen on bolstering their threadbare backline, and one move might allow Edu and Mikel Arteta to once again emulate the success of their Premier League rivals…

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Arsenal?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners remain keen on a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, among others of England's elite.

He wrote on Twitter: "Premier League clubs are now tracking Edmond Tapsoba ahead of the summer transfer window — he’s one of the CBs to keep an eye on.

"Arsenal and Tottenham scouts have monitored Tapsoba in recent games but the race is absolutely open — Bayer will only sell for huge bid."

Given that the German outfit demanded a fee of around €70m (£61m) back in 2021, it can be expected that this remains in line with the "huge bid" they will demand in the upcoming window. Edu will be keen to do his due diligence before sanctioning such a large outlay.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The 24-year-old has been around the German top flight for many years now, and as such, his experience is far beyond many others of his age. For a central defender, this instantly puts him at a higher level than most.

With 136 games already played for his current club, and the expectation that the 6 foot 4 titan will be a key defensive pillar they can build Xabi Alonso's new regime upon, it is no surprise to see they are so wary to lose him.

After all, the Burkina Faso international has once again proved himself a dependable defensive asset this campaign, having averaged 1.1 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and three clearances per game, via Sofascore.

However, the peak of his powers undoubtedly came during the 2020/21 term. Whilst these defensive figures remained the same, his pass accuracy rocketed to 90% and he was successful in 65% of his dribbles. Despite his youth, Tapsoba established himself as one of Europe's top ball-playing defenders on his way to a 7.17 average match rating, via Sofascore.

It was just before that year when journalist Dominic Fifield lauded him as an "outstanding young talent" before the defender went on to prove he was more than just a prospect. He was already a star.

Having launched his career from humble beginnings, he revealed in an interview with The Athletic exactly who he had modelled his game around: "John Stones, at Everton. I really enjoyed watching him, he made a huge impression on me.

"His manner on the ball, and the way he played with the ball. I loved that. I still go back to Stones when it comes to playing in a certain style."

When harking back to those aforementioned statistics, it is clear to see how the England international has influenced Tapsoba. His remarkable pass accuracy and ability to glide with the ball out of defence is akin to the 28-year-old, who has just helped Manchester City win yet another league title. FBref showcases this, as when compared to others in his role across Europe, the former Vitoria Guimaraes ace ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons.

For comparison, this season has seen Stones maintain a 93% pass accuracy and an 86% dribble success rate. He is far beyond that of his alternative; however, putting this growing star into Arsenal's impressive team could fast-track his growth towards that level.

Given Arteta is in desperate need of additional centre-backs to compete with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, they could do much worse than a defender who has aspirations of emulating the five-time league winner.