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Aston Villa could spring a surprise move for former Real Madrid player James Rodriguez in the summer according to sources.

What’s the word?

One Spanish news outlet has claimed that Premier League side Villa are one of three clubs interested in Rodriguez, alongside West Ham and Atletico Madrid.

According to the report, the Colombian isn’t interested in staying at his current club Al-Rayyan and wants to make a move back to Europe.

The player’s current market value is £13.5m, and whoever is successful in securing the 30-year-old’s signature will surely manage to grab a bargain.

Gerrard may have already found a cheaper alternative to Coutinho

Gerrard pulled off a masterstroke during the January transfer window in persuading Coutinho to join Villa on loan until the summer.

The 29-year-old has suitably impressed so far, with four goals and three assists helping him to post the squad’s second-highest WhoScored rating for the season. In an ideal world, Villa would love to keep him at the club permanently, but this might not be possible due to the money that Barcelona want for him.

The Midlands side could sign the Brazilian for £33m in the summer, but this is more than they want to pay. By contrast, the price to lure Rodriguez to Villa Park would reportedly be “extremely low”, so he could be a more viable option than Coutinho.

The Colombian’s form in Qatar has been excellent. In just 15 appearances for Al-Rayyan, he has scored five times and provided seven assists, putting his enigmatic Everton spell behind him.

Following Rodriguez’s World Cup heroics in 2014, David Beckham lavished him as “magical”, and when the 30-year-old is in the mood, there aren’t many finer players to watch in football.

Gerrard may have some work to do to get this prospective move over the line, but if a permanent Coutinho deal doesn’t work out, there appears to be a ready-made and more affordable replacement waiting in the wings.

AND in other news, Gerrard can land his own Pogba as Villa plot bid for “impressive” £107k-p/w machine

As the news came from Ibrox earlier this month that Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos was ruled out for the rest of the season, many supporters would have sighed in disbelief.

This was news which could derail the club’s season, and although the Gers responded well by securing a Scottish Cup final berth and getting through to the Europa League semi-finals, there will come a time when the Colombian won’t be at Rangers.

It isn’t all bad, though, with the club having a potential ready-made replacement for when the inevitable happens and the 25-year-old is whisked off to the Premier League.

Juan Alegria is basically a younger version of Morelos. The 19-year-old is also from Colombia and moved to Finland before ending up at Ibrox.

He is highly regarded at the club, and former Rangers defender Alan Hutton described him as a “big talent” in 2020 shortly before the youngster signed for the Light Blues.

Alegria has yet to make his senior Gers debut but has played 34 senior matches for FC Honka and on loan at Partick Thistle, scoring three times, but it is his resemblance to Morelos which is getting supporters excited for the future.

The 25-year-old has gone back to his old ways under Giovanni van Bronckhorst following a slight tactical tweak which has gotten him back amongst the goals. Alegria is in a similar mould, a striker who can hold the ball up well and score goals for fun when needed.

There is no shortage of young attacking options at Rangers’ disposal at the minute, with Tony Weston and Rory Wilson also making their mark in the academy. However, Alegria seems to be the one who could make it to the first-team squad the quickest.

Trusting in these players could save the club millions in the transfer market, and having cost Rangers just £45,000, Alegria might just net the Glasgow giants a huge profit in years to come if he is sold to an interested bidder.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McGregor: Rangers dud who lost possession 15 times let GvB down badly against Leipzig

Manchester United are “one of the best placed clubs” to secure the services of Benfica’s 22-year-old sensation Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Portuguese outlet Record, via Sport Witness, who highlighted United in the competitive chase for the Uruguayan’s signature.

The report states that the Old Trafford club are not only “attentive” but are actually “one of the best placed clubs” to land the striker over the next few months.

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There is uncertainty in the United front-line going into next season, with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford touted as forwards who could depart in the upcoming transfer window.

As such, it is reported that Nunezis “one of the targets” for the Red Devils.

Imagine Nunez and CR7

The signing of a young striker who has registered four assists in 40 appearances for Benfica this season would be one of the biggest statements of intent that Erik Ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick can make.

Nunez on his own would bolster the United attack, but with Cristiano Ronaldo looking as though he will honour his contract at the club, the partnership between the two could be terrifying for the rest of the Premier League.

Whilst Ten Hag mainly deploys a 4-3-3 formation for Ajax, Nunez could make the centre-forward role his own. The likes of Ronaldo could play off the left-wing as an inside-forward, with Rangnick feeling that the role of centre-forward is not his best position despite the Portuguese icon being United’s top scorer this season with 18 goals in the Premier League and 24 in all competitions.

What makes Nunez so well-suited to United at this current moment is his clinical nature in putting the ball in the net.

The 22-year-old, who has been described as a “diamond”, has averaged just 2.35 shots per 90 this season, almost 1.5 fewer than Ronaldo in the Premier League.

The 37-year-old’s creativity often goes unnoticed due to his success rate in front of goal, but with a match average of 2.99 shot-creating actions per 90, the Portugal veteran offers a burst of expression from which Nunez, a goal-poaching centre-forward, can thrive.

Whether United acquire their €100m-valued (£83m) target ahead of next season remains to be seen, but the potential partnership between Nunez and Ronaldo is surely enough to whet the appetite of the Old Trafford faithful.

In other news: Ten Hag plotting £29.8m bid for “unbelievable” 26-year-old; he’s better than Wan-Bissaka 

Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has been left thrilled by the news that Tottenham Hotspur could be set to appoint Yaya Toure as a coach. 

The lowdown: Toure inbound…

Recently, a report from the Evening Standard confirmed that Spurs are considering offering the 38-year-old a permanent role at Hotspur Way.

Toure has been in situ in north London since December, working with the Lilywhites Under 18s whilst also learning towards his coaching badges.

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Having suitably impressed with his work, club officials are now set to hold talks with the one time UEFA Champions League winner over an ongoing full-time role moving forwards, a decision McLeish has given his backing to.

The latest: ‘Shrewd appointment’

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Scotland and Aston Villa boss suggested that Toure’s appointment would be an inspired one.

The 63-year-old said: “A great player. I’m sure that all the students, the wannabe coaches and wannabe players will look up to him definitely in a big way.

“Of course, that’s a massive influence. It’s a very shrewd appointment as well by Spurs. You would think that Yaya Toure will be looking at predecessors, and ex-teammates doing so well in the game now.

“He’ll be saying: ‘I want a piece of that. I want to still be involved in football,’ because of his love for the game.”

The verdict: Smart thinking

Albeit the ability to coach successfully has to come first, adding someone of the ex-Barcelona and Manchester City star’s experience and class to the coaching team in N17 can only be a positive influence on the young Spurs starlets.

A four-time African Football of the Year, Toure boasts a trophy-laden career and the type of winning credentials that first-team coach Antonio Conte would undoubtedly welcome to the behind the scenes ranks.

This is just another example of Daniel Levy and co perhaps finally getting their ducks in a row following numerous failed appointments between the departure of Mauricio Pochettino and the eventual arrival of Conte.

In other news: Report claims one ‘amazing’ Tottenham man is heading for the exit, find out more here.

Liverpool have won their second trophy of the season after taking Chelsea all the way to penalties in today’s FA Cup final, with the match remaining 0-0 over 120 minutes.

For the fourth time this season, Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to beat the Blues over the course of 90 minutes despite having more possession (53%), more shots (17) and more passes completed (613) than Thomas Tuchel’s team at Wembley.

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Just like the Carabao Cup final, the game went all the way down to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out which would have had supporters of both clubs hiding behind their sofas after the first five were taken. Sadio Mane missed his fifth to put Chelsea right back into the contest after Cesar Azpilicueta struck the post earlier on.

However, Alisson proved why he is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world by keeping his cool and saving Mason Mount’s attempt, setting up the perfect scenario for substitute Kostas Tsimikas to slot the seventh (and decisive) penalty to ensure Liverpool’s first FA Cup triumph since 2006.

Although the match in open play was largely uneventful, the hard work put in to get into a position to take it right down to the final penalty was crucial, and Klopp could rely on Liverpool’s metronome Thiago Alcantara to provide the control to keep his team in the game from the centre of the pitch.

Thiago masterclass

According to SofaScore, the Spain midfielder had 107 touches of the ball, completed 79 of his 90 passes (88%), made two key passes, three tackles and one interception. Also, he was successful with 100% of his dribbles and won 11 of his 17 duels, proving that he was massively effective, both hardworking off the ball and dominant in possession.

The Liverpool manager has now won almost every single major honour possible in his Liverpool tenure, with a Premier League title, Champions League, Carabao Cup, Super Cup and FA Cup all on his CV, which will surely leave Klopp delighted.

The Reds will now continue their pursuit to take their outside chance of chasing the Premier League title behind Manchester City, and then they head to Paris to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Klopp will be hoping that his squad can carry on their winning momentum into their next challenge. For now, he can thank his unsung hero Thiago for an all-round superb performance from midfield as Liverpool finally get their hands on the FA Cup again.

AND in other news: Liverpool eye summer move for £144m-rated “golden boy”, he’s even better than Haaland

Newcastle United journalist Scott Wilson has now revealed that the framework of a deal to sign Matt Targett permanently has already been agreed.

The Lowdown: Wants to stay

As shared by The Northern Echo, Targett has publicly admitted that he would like to stay at St. James’ Park once his loan spell from Aston Villa ends.

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He has ‘loved’ playing for the North East club, and is excited by their long-term project, perhaps no surprise after racking up nine league wins already in his short time at the club.

The Latest: Deal agreed

Taking to Twitter, Wilson has revealed that the framework of a deal to sign Targett has already been agreed, following his desire to remain on Tyneside:

“Matt Targett spells out his desire to join NUFC permanently this summer – with the framework of a deal already agreed with Aston Villa…”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given how well he is settled in at the Magpies, it is surely a no-brainer to sign Targett permanently.

Hailed as ‘top class‘ by Villa boss Steven Gerrard, he has not missed a single minute of football under Eddie Howe, except of course when they played his parent club (Transfermarkt).

Targett has instantly become a fan favourite with the Toon Army, so much so that 97.5% of supporters now want him to stay according to a poll from The Athletic, and would cost in the region of £15m.

In today’s market for a 26-year-old Englishman with Premier League experience, that would be considered a snip, and so the board must look to bring him in as soon as his loan deal expires.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘leading the race’ to sign here!

The next set of hearings will resume on October 18

Firdose Moonda15-Sep-2021Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings are due to resume on October 18, seven weeks after they were initially supposed to, and more than three months after the process began. That means CSA won’t have the final report by ombudsman, advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, on September 30 as originally planned.Those who have been adversely implicated in testimonies given between July 5 and August 6 will have an opportunity to exercise their right to reply in the second phase of the hearings.ESPNcricinfo understands Dr. Jacques Faul, the former CSA chief executive, and David Becker, a lawyer representative for Director of Cricket Graeme Smith, are among those who will appear for the hearings.Related

• Former South Africa manager wants team to adopt 'a unified approach' on BLM movement

• National team's culture change still in its infancy, says Temba Bavuma

• SJN Hearings: Boucher apologises for offensive songs, nicknames during playing days

• Khaya Zondo reveals anguish at being left out of South Africa ODI side in 2015

• SJN hearings: 'I have never wanted KG dropped from any team at any time,' says AB de Villiers

Those parties, and any others who wish to respond to allegations of racial discrimination, were originally given until August 18 to submit written affidavits. That deadline was subsequently extended thrice, to September 16.Several people, including Smith, national men’s head coach Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers, have made written submissions, which Ntsebeza will read over the course of the next month before the oral testimonies begin.As things stand, the timing of the second half of the SJN will now clash directly with the T20 World Cup starting October 17. South Africa play their first match on October 23 against Australia, where they’d hope to break their own record of eight successive T20I wins. The team have already conceded that the proceedings at the SJN have had an impact on them.The other implication of the extension is likely to be the cost. CSA is believed to have budgeted R5 million (US$350,000) for the initial process, which includes the ombudsman’s fees as well as a daily rate for the legal counsel who have been present at the hearings. This is expected to go up.Talk of reparations for those who can claim their income was affected by racial discrimination has softened, although it was part of the original aim of the SJN under CSA’s old board. The new board have not made any such commitments.

Bangladesh may bring back Taskin, while England may not yet risk playing Wood after a niggle made him miss out against West Indies

Mohammad Isam26-Oct-2021

Big Picture

Surprisingly, England and Bangladesh have never faced each other in T20Is before. Clashing for the first time in the format on Wednesday, they come out of different ends of the confidence spectrum from their last match: while Sri Lanka’s new generation batters stunned Bangladesh with a superb chase, England trounced West Indies in a dominant show with the ball.Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills led the destruction before Adil Rashid ran through the West Indies lower order with extraordinary figures of 4 for 2. England bowled West Indies out for 55, their second-lowest all out total in T20Is, and the lowest total by a Test-playing nation in the T20 World Cup.And although England lost four wickets in the short chase, that wouldn’t have bothered Eoin Morgan, as they preferred to tweak their batting order to suit the situation. Already Jason Roy and Jos Buttler offer one of the most dangerous opening pairings in the world, while a middle order consisting of Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Morgan remains a handful for any bowling attack.Related

• Left-arm spin test awaits England's top order in powerplay

• Tymal Mills comes full circle in his remarkable England comeback

• England will attack, but 'also give you chances' – Ottis Gibson

Also, England’s bowlers remain a threat for Bangladesh despite their encouraging score against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. Although Mohammad Naim remains in good form with two fifties in three innings in the tournament so far, he must pick up the pace once set. Liton Das hasn’t hit his strides yet, with two dropped catches against Sri Lanka further denting his confidence.Thus, Bangladesh will be reliant on their middle-order engine room of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and captain Mahmudullah. Although Shakib missed out on a good score against Sri Lanka at No. 3, it is unlikely he will not be in the runs for too long, as Mushfiqur finally struck a T20I fifty in the last game – his first in two years.Mahmudullah has his work cut out too. He is among the runs but his captaincy was being questioned after he used himself and Afif Hossain for three overs against Sri Lanka’s left-hand batters, which eventually turned out to be big ones for the opponents. Bangladesh can’t afford too many such mistakes against England or in any of their remaining matches.They had said that they targeted reaching the semi-final this time, but for now they need to get going with a win first. England, meanwhile, look primed for another big performance.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWLWMoeen Ali was crucial to England’s success against West Indies in the powerplay•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Two half-centuries in the tournament has made Mohammad Naim one of the few success stories for Bangladesh so far, but the left-hand opener must do more during his time at the crease. Naim must accelerate during the latter part of the innings, especially since a set batter in the UAE conditions is priceless.Moeen Ali pipped Rashid to the Player-of-the-Match award against West Indies, which was testament of his value during the powerplay. He already entered the T20 World Cup on the back of a successful IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings, and his electric start gives England more stability in the absence of three allrounders.

Team news

Bangladesh may bring back Taskin Ahmed in place of Mohammad Saifuddin, after the fast-bowling allrounder was ruled out of the rest of the tournament through injury. Soumya Sarkar, Shamim Hossain and Shoriful Islam continue to warm the bench, as Bangladesh look likely to go with the tried-and-tested combination.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanMark Wood missed England’s opening game with a niggle in his left ankle which he suffered during the warm-up match against New Zealand. England expect him to be available for selection but may not risk him at an early stage of the tournament. Malan is expected to return to No. 3 unless England opt to pick an extra seamer.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Tymal Mills/Mark Wood

Stats and trivia

• Rashid equaled Steve Tikolo’s record for the cheapest four-wicket haul in T20Is with his 4 for 2 against West Indies, with Tikolo having bagged the same against Scotland in 2013.
• Mushfiqur’s unbeaten 57 against Sri Lanka was his maiden half-century in the T20 World Cup, coming in his 29th match.

Quotes

“I’m working as hard as I ever have off the field. I’ve had another really good training session and things feel like they’re getting back to where they were in the summer. Hopefully I can take that into the next couple of games.”
“We have the cutters of Mustafizur, the death bowling of Saifuddin and the pace of Taskin. We also have the pace of the left-handed variety of Shoriful in our squad. The captain, the coach and the chairman of selectors will look at all those options, and then choose the best option to win the match.”

NSW must make the second-highest Sheffield Shield total this season if they are to beat Tasmania and reach the final

AAP17-Mar-2025
New South Wales (NSW) have given themselves an outside chance in their match in Tasmania as they try to pull off a massive run chase and reach the Sheffield Shield final. With NSW needing 529 to win, Test opener Sam Konstas and Blake Nikitaras reached 71 for 0 at stumps on day three at Bellerive.If NSW win it would be the second-highest score this Shield season, behind South Australia’s 614 for 7 dec. in their current match against Queensland.Related

• Peirson, Wildermuth tons give Queensland a pulse

• Kellaway's 151* hampers WA's Shield final bid

While NSW require a mammoth 458 on the last day for victory, in their favour is that the Bellerive pitch yielded 373 for 3 on Monday in the pink-ball game, so the Tasmanian attack will likely have to work hard for wickets. Konstas (34) and Nikitaras (31) have given them the perfect springboard for the day-four run chase.In setting the target, opener Jake Weatherald top-scored for the home side with 145 and Caleb Jewell made 100 not out before Tasmania declared at 383 for 4.Jordan Silk backed up his first-innings ton with 65 and Tim Ward contributed 52, while Tanveer Singha took 2 for 106 from 30 overs.The NSW attack lost Jack Edwards to a knee problem in the second innings, but he will bat on Tuesday if needed.

Batter surpasses Langer to record the highest score in the county’s history as Worcestershire are made to toil

ECB Reporters Network05-Apr-2025Somerset 637 for 6 (Banton 344*, Rew 152) lead Worcestershire 154 by 483 runsTom Banton made history at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton as Somerset assumed a position of dominance on day two of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Worcestershire.The 26-year-old batter made the highest first-class score in the county’s history, his 344 surpassing the 342 made by Justin Langer against Surrey at Guildford in 2006. The right-hander faced 381 balls, struck 53 fours and a six and batted for just over eight hours. He became only the eighth Somerset player to register a triple-century and the first since James Hildreth in 2009.In a dramatic finale, Banton pulled Kashif Ali to the midwicket boundary off the penultimate ball of the day to break the record and make it a day to remember for all Somerset supporters.”It’s a weird feeling and I was a bit emotional up there in the dressing room,” Banton said. “This is the best day I’ve had in cricket and will probably be the best day I’ll ever have. It feels special and you cannot take it for granted. These days don’t come along very often and you have to make the most of them.”On a day when records tumbled, Banton and James Rew staged a mammoth stand of 371 in 86.3 overs as the home side amassed 637 for 6, a substantial first-innings lead of 468. Rew raised 152 from 275 balls, striking 14 fours and two sixes, he and Banton establishing the highest fifth–wicket partnership in Somerset history, eclipsing the 320 made by John Francis and Ian Blackwell against Durham UCCE at Taunton in 2005.It was a day to forget for Worcestershire, who toiled in the sun and now face a mammoth task if they are to save the game over the course of the next two days.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

All notion of a Worcestershire fightback on day two was dispelled in a morning session that went altogether in Somerset’s favour, Banton and Rew extending their partnership to record-breaking proportions. Banton set the tone, moving from his overnight score of 84 to post his fourth first-class century in quick time from 124 balls, glancing Matt Taylor off his legs to raise that landmark with his 20th four.Worcestershire deployed seven different bowlers during the session, but Ben Allison was the only one to inconvenience the batsmen. When Rew, having advanced his score to 31, took on the seamer and top-edged a pull shot to deep mid-wicket, Tom Hinley contrived to drop a sitter.Thereafter, Worcestershire ambition unravelled with indecent haste. Ensuring the Pears were made to pay for their profligacy, Rew went to 50 from 102 balls, dispatching a short-pitched delivery from Allison through midwicket for his eighth boundary as Somerset’s lead entered three-figure territory. The hundred stand occupied 165 balls, while Banton clipped Adam Finch to fine leg to register his career-best first-class score, eclipsing the 133 he made against Kent at Taunton 11 months earlier.Rew lofted Hinley high over long-on for the first six of the match, Banton went to his maiden 150 from 173 balls and, in what seemed like no time at all, the pair established a new record Somerset stand for the fifth wicket in matches against Worcestershire, surpassing the 176 mustered by Australians Bill Alley and Colin McCool at New Road in 1959. Out of sorts with the ball and increasingly prone to errors in the field, Worcestershire conceded 131 runs in the session, Somerset reaching the interval on 318 for 4, a lead of 164.If Worcestershire hopes were invested in the new ball, which was taken shortly after lunch, they were sorely disappointed as the Banton and Rew show continued unabated, these extending their alliance to 200 from 298 deliveries.Rew may be just 21, but he has already established a reputation for consistency in excellence. There was almost a sense of inevitability that, having registered his 16th half century in first-class cricket, he would go on to achieve his ninth hundred in his 41st match. On this occasion, he brought up the landmark in 186 balls, pulling Taylor for his eleventh four to elicit a standing ovation from an audience of more than 1,500.They were on their feet again moments later, acknowledging Banton’s maiden double-hundred, a landmark attained from 241 balls with 33 fours. A breakthrough indeed for a player who, until recently, was typecast as a one-day specialist. It was fitting that Banton should then cut Taylor for four to establish a new Somerset record fifth wicket partnership with Rew.Having banked maximum batting bonus points, there was still time for Banton and Rew to extend their partnership to 300 from 413 balls before tea was taken with Somerset on 482 for 4, a substantial lead of 328.Ethan Brookes afforded Worcestershire overdue relief when taking a brilliant return catch to end Rew’s five and-a-half hour innings, after which Banton took centre stage during a dramatic final hour.”I won’t lie, I was pretty tired out there and I kept saying to myself ‘just keep batting, keep going’,” Banton said. “There were a few moments when I felt I wanted to be back in the dressing room, but I wanted to go for it (the record) tonight, so I tried to play my shots when possible.”It was also a great day for James Rew and it was special seeing him go about his work. But we cannot get too carried away, because this is a good pitch and we still have a game to win over the next two days.”