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Tottenham will continue talks with Wolves over the prospective signing of Adama Traore over the coming days, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Traore on the verge of Spurs move

The 25-year-old looks near-certain to join Spurs imminently, with strong rumours linking him with a move to north London in recent days.

Traore nearly had the perfect ending to his Wolves career in Saturday’s 2-1 win away to Brentford, scoring what looked like a match-sealing third goal, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Spurs are still pushing hard to get their man, and a fresh update has now been provided on the matter.

The Latest: Romano gives update

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano said that talks between the two clubs would ramp up again, with Tottenham keen to get the deal done before next Monday’s transfer deadline and optimistic over their chances of doing so

The journalist outlined: “Tottenham are prepared to push on Adama Traore deal starting from today. Talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement. Club confident to complete the new signing.”

The Verdict: Right move for everyone

Traore has been a popular figure at Molineux but this is the right time for him to move on, with Wolves set to receive a healthy fee for his services.

The Spain winger has shown over an extended period that he cannot be considered a genuinely reliable attacking option, scoring only one goal and yet to register an assist in the Premier League this season. Nor is this an uncharacteristic trough; his 154 appearances in Old Gold have yielded a mere 11 goals.

The money from Spurs could be used to sign an attacker who Bruno Lage genuinely wants at Molineux, while Traore could try to prove his doubters wrong under Antonio Conte and enjoy a fresh challenge in north London.

In other news, a journalist has claimed Bruno Lage wants a Wolves signing in one position this month. Read more here.

Zimbabwe’s chairman of selectors, Alistair Campbell, has criticised Cricket Scotland’s decision to not tour Zimbabwe for an ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture

Cricinfo staff04-Sep-2010Zimbabwe’s chairman of selectors, Alistair Campbell, has criticised the UK government’s advice against visiting the country and Cricket Scotland’s subsequent decision to not tour Zimbabwe for an ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture in October.”We have ten Englishmen playing cricket and coaching in Zimbabwe, including our national coach Alan Butcher, and apart from anything else the decision is an insult to them,” Campbell told AFP.The match was initially scheduled for a neutral African venue before the Scotland board agreed to a proposal to play in Zimbabwe, but a change in the UK government’s policy led to the reversing of the decision. It was a setback to Zimbabwe’s return to the fold following their withdrawal from Test cricket in 2006. India and Sri Lanka toured the country for a triangular series in May, and Ireland confirmed their September trip for an Intercontinental Cup game and three ODIs. Kenya and Afghanistan also played their Intercontinental Cup matches in the country recently.When asked about Zimbabwe’s proposed visit to Pakistan later in 2010, Campbell was confident that most of the players would be willing to tour the country. The players are yet to be sounded out on the sensitive issue of touring Pakistan, where no international cricket has been played since March 2009 following the terror attacks on the touring Sri Lanka side. Campbell said that if a player refused, he will not be pressured to go.Zimbabwe Cricket had earlier said that it was prepared to send a team to Pakistan to help raise funds for people affected by the floods that have ravaged the country. However, the schedule of Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand may have to be altered in order to accommodate Zimbabwe’s trip.

As per 90min reporter Jack Gallagher, breaking news on Twitter, a big transfer update has emerged involving Liverpool and Paulo Dybala.

The Lowdown: Liverpool linked with Dybala…

Even beyond the January transfer window, reports have linked the soon to to be out-of-contract Juventus star with a Bosman move to Anfield.

Indeed, TUTTOmercatoWEB recently claimed that Dybala is a transfer target for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, with club chiefs even expected to fly out for Italy for a summit ‘as early as February’.

Out of contract at the end of this season, the Argentine certainly won’t be short of suitors, with 90min reporter Gallagher now sharing what he knows involving Liverpool.

The Latest: Liverpool ‘offered’ Dybala…

As per his sources, FSG have been ‘offered’ the chance to sign Dybala after the January transfer window alongside the likes of Man City, Tottenham, Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

It is also believed that the 28-year-old’s entourage are ‘due to fly around Europe’ for negotiations with these and other clubs ‘in the coming weeks’.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The £222,000-per-week star would command a hefty salary and investment when it comes to personal terms, but his ability to play as both a centre-forward or second striker could make his prospective signing worth it.

Having scored a career total 140 goals, along with 62 assists, Dybala is proven in the final third and has only just reached the prime of his career.

The South American has also been hailed by English football pundits, with former Premier League keeper Paul Robinson previously branding Dybala a ‘world class’ and ‘phenomenal’ player (Football Insider).

In other news: Liverpool in post-January transfer talks as they now look to seal signing soon…find out more here.

Jamie How, the Central Stags captain, has said the Champions League Twenty20 is an opportunity for the youngsters in his side to stake claims for higher honours

Cricinfo staff06-Sep-2010Jamie How, the Central Districts Stags captain, has said the Champions League Twenty20 is an opportunity for the youngsters in his side to stake claims for higher honours.”It gives them the chance to show what they’re made of on the international scene and perhaps if they perform well, they might even have a chance of being picked up for one of the IPL teams,” How said ahead of the tournament that gets underway on September 10. “Both individually and as a team, we have a chance to pit our skills against the world’s best, which is a very exciting prospect.”Central Districts qualified for the event by winning the 2009/10 edition of New Zealand’s domestic HRV Cup. How was wary of the competition his side will encounter in the Champions League which features the top domestic Twenty20 sides from around the world. “Every team here is here on merit. The fact that they’re here means that they are very good teams, winning or finishing near the top of their individual competitions. Each of the teams has its strengths and weaknesses and we just have to be able to deal with those.”The team will miss the services of two of their key players – Ross Taylor, who will turn out for his IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Jacob Oram who is out with a knee injury. How admitted his side would be hampered by their, and the injured allrounder Graham Napier’s, absence. “Ross is certainly a big loss for us. He’s one of our best players, and along with missing Jacob Oram and Graham, it’s been a big loss, but it also gives someone else an opportunity to step into their big shoes.”How looked forward to the event and felt the youngsters in his side would enjoy playing in South Africa. “It’s a wonderful experience for the younger guys who haven’t been here, because it’s a great country to tour. There are really great cricket facilities and exciting places off the field. And we’re doing quite a bit of travelling – we play in Centurion, Durban and Port Elizabeth – so we’ll see quite a bit of the country.”

An injury expert has now dropped a fresh Glasgow Rangers claim on Aaron Ramsey ahead of their match in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

The 31-year-old suffered a minor knock last week which consequently ruled him out of recent fixtures against Dundee United and Borussia Dortmund, as well as a bounce match against Brentford in midweek.

The Wales international unfortunately has a history of injury issues dating back from his time at Arsenal and Juventus, so any minor setback could still worry the Ibrox faithful.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis – has claimed that Ramsey’s knock is a ‘worry’ as it stops him getting minutes on the training ground, which in turn delays him from getting back to full fitness and match sharpness.

Dinnery said of the Rangers midfielder: “There’s absolutely no doubting his quality.

“But for context, he has actually played more minutes for Wales than he has at club level this year. That’s a worry.

“This little knock is nothing major when looked at in the grand scheme of things.

“But it has that knock-on effect of him not being able to get minutes on the training pitch and also not being able to get competitive minutes into his legs.

“It’s that drip-drip effect. It’s more frustrating than anything else. You want players of that ilk to be out there playing.

“The supporters will be absolutely gutted. They’re dying to see him out there playing regularly.

“There is nothing overtly to worry about but the knock-on effect could delay his ability to get back to full match fitness.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying that Ramsey has picked up an injury so soon into his Rangers career, given his unenviable record on that front.

Coming on loan from a European giant in Juventus was such an exciting move for the Light Blues fans, and they will no doubt be desperate to see him play as much as possible from now until the end of the campaign.

They are not just fighting for the Premiership title, but also the Europa League after knocking out Dortmund, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely want Ramsey available as much as possible while fighting on both fronts.

In other news, Andrew Dickson lauded this Rangers ace for his performance against Dortmund at Ibrox

Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Leeds United have a ‘problem’ at left-back due to Junior Firpo’s struggles at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Firpo’s first season

The £10.8m-rated defender arrived in Yorkshire last summer from Barcelona but has struggled to make a significant impact in the Premier League.

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As per WhoScored, Firpo has received more yellow cards than any other Leeds player and ranks highly for fouls committed. He has also been one of the club’s worst-rated performers, missing 13 games under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.

Firpo, who Paul Robinson labelled as ‘terrible’ against Tottenham back in February, has been absent in Leeds’ last four games but appears to have made a return to training this week following a knee problem.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to The Transfer Tavern about the club’s priorities ahead of the summer window, O’Rourke hinted that left-back has been a ‘problem’, name-checking Firpo for his poor form and injury struggles.

“I think left-back is still a problem for the team as well. Right now, Junior Firpo has struggled since his arrival from Barcelona with form and injury.

“A lot will depend on the futures of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha to decide what else Leeds need to do in the transfer market.”

The Verdict: Full-back needed?

Stuart Dallas has filled in for Firpo in recent weeks, with the Northern Irishman’s versatility proving to be crucial for Marsch in Leeds’ upturn in form.

Marsch and Victor Orta met last week to discuss the profile of players they want to target in the summer, and bringing in another full-back could be handy ahead of his first full season in charge.

Javi Galan, a left-back who can play further forward, has once again been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent weeks, so it will be interesting to see if another full-back comes in over the coming months to rival Firpo and Dallas.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer blow for Leeds as key 21 y/o target now set to move elsewhere

This is Tatenda Taibu’s third tour of South Africa, and despite his record against them he is yet to taste victory in the country

Liam Brickhill in Potchefstroom17-Oct-2010Tatenda Taibu clearly enjoys the challenge of competing against the South Africans. He was the only Zimbabwe batsman to make the most of another flat track in the second ODI, scoring 78 out of a total of 268, but his one-day record against Zimbabwe’s southern neighbours is one that any international batsman would envy: in 13 matches against South Africa he has scored 499 runs at an average of 49.90, including two unbeaten hundreds and two half-centuries.”I thought there was enough time to get another hundred against South Africa,” Taibu said after the game. “I always cherish my innings that I play against south Africa, because they are one of the best teams so if you play well against them it’s always an innings to cherish. There was definitely enough time for me to get a hundred so I was a little disappointed not to get there.”This is Taibu’s third tour of South Africa, and despite his record against them he is yet to taste victory in the country. Zimbabwe have performed admirably on their most recent trip, but the gulf between the two sides remains a wide one and it will take a special effort to register a consolation victory in the final match of the series in Benoni on Friday. Taibu, however, urged his teammates to remain positive.”We have to carry on being positive, we shouldn’t lose that,” insisted Taibu. “We should keep our shoulders high and our chins up and play as positively as we can because that’s our only chance to beat South Africa. We obviously have a lot of work to do on our bowling, and also with the batsmen. When they get starts they need to carry on and score big runs as the South Africans are doing.”When you look at the two teams at the moment, you can see the intensity that the South Africans have and we have to emulate that as we try to become a recognised team.”

New Zealand were given an early glimpse of the difficult task ahead of them in India as the home team moved into a commanding position on the first day in Ahmedabad

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran04-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
It was business as usual for Virender Sehwag•AFPNew Zealand were given an early glimpse of the difficult task ahead of them in India as the home team moved into a commanding position on the first day in Ahmedabad. Virender Sehwag sprinted to a century in just over a session while Rahul Dravid compiled an old-school Test hundred – starting off cautiously and opening up once set – to put India on course for a mammoth first-innings total.India were thrilled at winning the toss on a track with little in it for either spinners or the quicks: MS Dhoni had a huge grin when he said, “Well, of course we want to bat,” while Harbhajan Singh, watching from the boundary, threw his hands up in jubilation on hearing the news.After that, it was a Sehwag treat for the sprinkling of fans who had turned up at Motera. In the third over, he jokingly signaled for a free-hit after Chris Martin overstepped. There aren’t any in Tests, but that didn’t stop Sehwag from carving the next delivery through covers for four to get his first runs. Two more off-side boundaries rounded off the over, and there was no slowing him down after that, despite several short deliveries to stop the drives.Sehwag predominantly scored through the off side, cutting deliveries that were even fractionally wide, and skipping away from the stumps to play inside-out shots off the spinners. Despite going at a run-a-ball, there was none of the violence usually associated with that rate of scoring; he relied mostly on timing and placement as he peppered the off side for 18 boundaries.India were 60 for 0 in the 12th over, the New Zealand attack was looking blunt, and Sehwag was enjoying himself, laughing after slipping while taking a single. Part-timer Jesse Ryder, though, got the final delivery of that over to move in a touch and had Gautam Gambhir inside-edging onto the stumps. It ended an innings where Gambhir had struggled for fluency as he searched for his form of 2009. He fed on leg-side offerings from debutant Hamish Bennett, who bowled with plenty of pace but didn’t trouble the batsmen too much.Smart Stats

During their 60-run stand for the opening wicket, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag became India’s most prolific opening pair, going past the aggregate of Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan. Their batting average is third in the list of most successful opening pairs (minimum 3000 runs).

Sehwag made his 14th score of over 150 in Tests, bringing him level fourth with Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. Only Sachin Tendulkar (20), Brian Lara (19) and Don Bradman (18) are above him.

The double-century partnership between Dravid and Sehwag was the 15th time that Dravid was involved in a 200-plus stand and the 12th such occasion for Sehwag. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record among Indian batsmen having been involved in 18 such stands.

Dravid’s century was his 30th in Tests, taking him past Don Bradman and level sixth with Matthew Hayden on the list of batsmen with most Test centuries.

Dravid’s century was India’s 400th in Tests and their 132nd century since Jan 1 2000.

Sehwag was unfazed by the loss of Gambhir, taking two fours an over off offspinner Jeetan Patel three times, and galloped to 82 with 15 minutes to go for lunch but couldn’t become only the fifth batsman to make a century in the first session of a match.Dravid, though, was struggling for runs: he was middling many deliveries but stroking them straight to the fielders. His recent form has been a bit of concern – just one half-century in his previous nine innings – and those worries remained as he scratched his way to 20 off 106 deliveries against a weak attack on a flat track. A couple of boundaries off Ryder midway through the session finally gave him some momentum after which he was more aggressive.Sehwag had also toned down his aggression after lunch, and seemed to be struggling with his fitness; he rarely zipped through between the wickets, preferring to jog whenever possible and asked for a runner after tea. He was hardly bothered by the bowling till he was well past his fifth Test hundred of the year – a near run-out in the sixth over being the only major moment of concern.Towards tea, though, he was tiring and offered a slew of opportunities to New Zealand: when on 144 he survived a close lbw call against Daniel Vettori after missing a reverse-sweep, a sharp caught-and-bowled chance in the next over and Bennett misjudged a catch at long-on in the final over before tea. The simplest opportunity came soon after the break when substitute Martin Guptill dropped a skier at midwicket.As Sehwag slacked, Dravid took charge. The sumptuous cuts of old were back, especially against the spinners, and there were several types of on-drives for four as well. He was hit on the head by a Bennett bouncer, but two deliveries later he contemptuously pulled a short ball for four.Sehwag was bowled by Vettori while lazily attempting an inside-out drive, but Dravid reached his 30th Test hundred soon after, moving past Don Bradman in the list of highest century-makers. He had taken only 64 deliveries for his second fifty; his first had come off 151. Though he was dismissed for 104 in familiar fashion – bottom-edging a cut – the 237-run stand with Sehwag had already put India in charge.New Zealand’s bowling was average, with the spinners not extracting much turn and the quick bowlers, Chris Martin and Bennett, rarely beating the bat on the slow track. The talk in the lead-up to the series had been about how New Zealand will be able to take 20 wickets in a Test against the Indian batting juggernaut, and that is a question their think-tank will be pondering over after the first day.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has been praising the recruitment of Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou. 

The lowdown: Shrewd spender

Since being appointed at Celtic Park in June 2021, the 56-year-old has set about scouting world football for high-quality options to bolster the Hoops’ squad.

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Signings such as Liel Abada from Maccabi Petah Tikva, Carl Starfelt from Rubin Kazan and Kyogo Furuhashi from Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe all arrived as relative unknowns before becoming almost instant successes in Glasgow.

As the Bhoys stand on the brink of winning the Scottish Premiership title, much of the credit is being placed at the door of Postecoglou…

The latest: Bridge hails transfer nous

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge, who works for Sky Sports, has lauded the Greek-Australian’s impact in the market.

“You’ve got to give credit to Celtic and their manager Ange Postecoglou. He’s just come in and steamrollered it. If you look at Rangers in the table, they’re not actually doing that bad, they’ve not lost a lot. They’ve just drawn too many games, and they’ve lost to Celtic a couple of times.

“Celtic have brought in this manager from Japan, people scoffed at it. Let’s not forget, that’s where Wenger came from. He’s bought four Japanese players who’ve absolutely ripped the league to shreds. He’s bought other good players as well.”

The verdict: Unequivocal success

It’s hard to argue with Bridge’s view as the Hoops march on towards a potential league and cup double in Postecoglou’s first season at Parkhead.

Having walked into a squad devoid of confidence, the former Australian national team coach has galvanised those existing players whilst also unearthing a host of diamonds in the transfer market.

Kyogo, Abada and Starfelt have all settled into life at Celtic seamlessly, whilst the likes of loan arrivals Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers have been nothing short of a revelation this season.

January signings Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate have all made bright beginnings in their own Bhoys careers too and it would appear inevitable that Postecoglou would be back once again in the upcoming summer market.

In other news, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has been left fuming. Read more here.

It has been a magnificent season so far. With just a few games left the bookmakers can’t split the teams fighting to avoid the drop, break into the top four or win the title outright. As usual it has been a season of ups and downs, joy and despair, and also as usual it has been a season when the hopes and expectations of those summer (or January) transfers have either crashed and burned or flourished into future club legends. Now is a good time to see the best and worst of the deals done in and for this season.

The Successes

The summer saw some big name and big money moves, but maybe unsurprisingly, none of those (with the exception of perhaps one) feature in this part of the list. Instead, it is full of mainly “bargain” buys that have either had a huge impact on their club or have put themselves in a position to be moved on for a substantial profit.

Arsenal

It is not always the case, but with the benefit of hindsight, Arteta’s transfer activity from the summer has been almost to a man, incredibly successful. Despite coming under immense pressure in the early stages of the season, Arteta has turned the side around and they are challenging for a top four place with an intent not seen since the better Wenger years.

Japanese full-back  Takehiro Tomiyasu has taken to the Premiership like a duck to water, and at £17 million looks like a snip. Martin Ødegaard may have been on loan last season, but his permanent move in the summer also looks like a very good bit of business, with the Norwegian attacking midfielder being one of the team’s stand out performers this season. There is also Aaron Ramsdale who joined for £25 million from Sheffield United. Ramsdale has helped to instil a stability and confidence in the back line, that has been sadly missing in that part of North London for far too long.

Christian Eriksen

Brentford’s January signing raised a few eyebrows for several reasons, but it now looks like a stroke of genius. It is too much to say that he has single handedly saved the West London club from the drop, but his performances have gone a long way to help them to achieve safety. He gave the club a lift just when they needed it, he delivered crucial goals and assists, and made the fans and players believe they were a genuine topflight team. All that for a free transfer.

Tino Livramento

After joining in the summer for just £5 million, Livramento has been one of Southampton’s standout players, and looks like he has been playing in the topflight all his life. The England Under 21 may have a lot of competition for the role at full international level, but if he carries on the way he has started that has to be a possibility and that transfer fee looks like one of the bargains of the century.

Emmanuel Dennis

Unfortunately for Watford fans, it looks like they very well may be down, in what has been a disappointing season that has seen yet more managerial changes. One bright spark has been their Nigerian striker Dennis and you have to think that without him, they would have been down by Christmas. Again, the £3.6 million price tag shows that there is value out there if you know where to look.

Newcastle

The January transfer window story was Newcastle. When Eddie Howe was handed the job and more importantly a large pot of money, the jury was out on whether he would be able to attract the right kind of players to the club, and get them playing in a way that would push them up the table. He has answered both of those points with an emphatic yes, and his Newcastle side will finish in upper mid table after looking like relegation certainties just a few short months ago.

Ronaldo

There is a case for Ronaldo to be in the next list, but at £13.5 million (a figure that is eclipsed by the sales revenue from his shirt sales) it is hard to put the blame for United’s woeful season at the Portuguese striker’s feet. Ronaldo is also the club’s top scorer, and has got them out of a hole domestically and in Europe on several occasions, so you have to think that without him their season would have been even worse.

The Failures

Lukaku

When Champions League holders signed the Belgian striker for just shy of £100 million it looked like Chelsea had the final piece of the jigsaw to take on Manchester City and Liverpool. Sadly it has not worked out that way, and he has been as poor on the field as he has been disruptive off it.

Manchester United

Unfortunately for United fans, the Reds marched on in the wrong direction

There has been a lot wrong at Old Trafford this season. Jordan Sancho has not been the cause of that, but his eagerly awaited arrival at old Trafford has not been the success everyone thought it would be. On the plus side, new boss Erik Ten Hag is probably just the man to get the most from him. The same could be said for another of their summer recruits Donny van de Beek, who failed to make any impact at united and is doing the same at Everton.

Norwich

Last time Norwich were promoted they failed to spend any money and the inevitable happened. They went down without a fight. This time it looked like it was going to be different. They spent big, maybe not in terms of some EPL clubs, but certainly compared with their past endeavours and most clubs around them. However it is not merely a case of spending money, it has to be spent in the right areas and on the right kind of players. Norwich spectacularly failed to do both of those things. Instead of buying athletic, proven players who will be capable of competing in what was always going to be a street fight of a season, they opted to spend on young, untested and in the most part physically slight players with the exact same result as last time. The problem they have now is that whereas they would have been thinking they were investing in players for the future, almost all of them to a man will have seen their value – along with their confidence – massively decrease.

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