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A gutting Tottenham Hotspur claim has been made regarding Antonio Conte’s future… 

What’s the talk?

Spurs reporter Alasdair Gold replied to a fan questioning the Italian’s position at the club and did not give a very hopeful response based on the feeling he has got from the ex-Inter coach this season.

He wrote in his Football.London Q&A: “I’ll admit, the way he speaks doesn’t exactly offer up too much hope that he will be in charge next season. Anything about a topic beyond the end of this season is swerved. Yesterday I simply asked him whether the youthful nature of Spurs’ transfer policy brings the inconsistency we see and whether a couple of experienced heads could be in order in the summer. He swerved it with all of his might.

“The way he talks, you can tell Conte feels this is not what he thought he was signing up for and that there is far more work required at Tottenham than expected. He’s said as much.”

Livid

Spurs fans will surely be livid with this claim for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it suggests that there has been a failure behind the scenes at Tottenham in the way they have built the club in recent years. Conte is seemingly unhappy with what he has seen since taking over from Nuno Santo and that could fall on Paratici and Daniel Levy’s laps, although the former has only been in London for a relatively short amount of time.

Supporters will be frustrated that the club is in a position where their internal structure appears set to see them lose a top-class manager who has the potential to do big things at Tottenham. Conte’s record as a coach is sensational and suggests that he will be able to win trophies with Spurs if he is given the time and backing to do so.

He has won the Serie A four times, the Premier League once, the Italian Super Cup once and the FA Cup once in his managerial career for Chelsea, Juventus and Inter. This proves that he is a winner and that is why Tottenham fans will be livid with the prospect of him departing in the summer.

The supporters will surely be keen for him to remain at the club, because of his pedigree and reputation, and him leaving because of issues behind the scenes would leave the fuming with Levy and how he has handled the last few years.

AND in other news, Major boost: Spurs handed big double injury lift pre-Everton, Conte will be buzzing…

Reliable journalist Dominic King has provided a fresh update regarding a Liverpool move to sign AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, confirming Reds chiefs are eyeing the player. 

The lowdown: Frenzy of speculation

This all comes following a report from Santi Aouna of reputable French otulet Foot Mercato, claiming that the Reds have initiated contact over a possible move for the 22-year-old.

Whilst the Anfield club have been tentatively linked previously, this was the first suggestion of a tangible pursuit as Liverpool seemingly moved into the front of the queue to sign Tchouameni.

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However, things may not be that straightforward just yet, with King sharing who the favourites to lock up a deal actually are…

The latest: King delivers reality check

Taking to Twitter, King, the Northern Football Correspondent for the Daily Mail, had this to say when confirming the Reds’ interest in the formidable Ligue 1 talent.

“Lots of stuff around about Liverpool and Aurelien Tchouameni. No question he is a player they are looking at but other clubs in frame, too, most notably Real Madrid, who are favourites. Liverpool, however, most definitely looking for a midfielder with his qualities.”

Elsewhere, Manchester United have also been extensively indexed with a move for the eight-cap France star who has been dubbed as an ‘octopus’ for his unwavering ability to control the game from midfield.

The verdict: Make it happen

As King rightly alludes to, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and new transfer chief Julian Ward should be in the market for an addition to the engine room during the summer transfer window.

Whilst current frontline incumbents Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago and Naby Keita continue to more than hold their own, all four have faced their battles with fitness in the past and with James Milner out of contract at the end of the season, a fresh face is required.

So far this season the £36million-rated (Transfermarkt) ace has earned an outstanding 7.27 rating from 32 Ligue 1 outings, completing 2.5 tackles, 2.8 interceptions and 51.5 passes on average per game (Sofascore).

In fact, he leads the French top flight in winning possession back, puts up great pressing numbers and even wins over 70 per cent of his aerial duels (MaaxiAngelo). Perhaps, then, it is no surprise to see Paul Pogba label his young compatriot as ‘extraordinary’.

Tchouameni’s ability to operate at the base of the midfield as well as in a box-to-box role would make the French youngster an invaluable addition to the Anfield squad and one the board should be pulling out all the stops to get over the line.

In other news, David Ornstein has confirmed some key Liverpool news. Read more here.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips has urged Tottenham Hotspur to raise transfer funds and free some salary by selling left-back Sergio Reguilon this summer.

The Lowdown: Could Reguilon leave Spurs?

The 25-year-old has had a mixed spell with the north London club since the arrival of Antonio Conte in N17.

Indeed, it was revealed just last week that a Spurs source told Football Insider that Fabio Paratici would be willing to listen to offers for the defender and would let him leave at the right price, following interest from an unnamed Spanish club.

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The report also claimed that the fee needed to complete a deal would be a lot less than the initial £43m buyback option available to Real Madrid, and former Sunderland striker Phillips believes that Reguilon could “have his eye” on a return to Spain after failing to make a strong impression at Tottenham.

The Latest: Reguilon not in Conte’s plans

Speaking to Football Insider about a possible move away from north London for the Spaniard, Phillips said: “From the outside looking in, that seems to make a lot of sense.

“He’s not really been first choice since Conte has come in, so I think it’s fair to say he isn’t in the manager’s plans going forward.

“If he can free that salary up by selling him on – then Tottenham can go out and have some money to play with in the transfer market. We all know they need to make a few signings, so that makes sense from a business point of view.

“From the player’s perspective as well, he could have his eye on a move back to Spain. That is a move which really makes sense from all angles, really.”

The Verdict: Reguilon might have to move

Despite making 31 appearances in all competitions for Spurs so far this season, with five goal contributions during that time (as per Transfermarkt), the six-time Spain international has recently dropped down the pecking order under Conte, who has preferred the likes of Matt Doherty and Ryan Sessegnon.

The £68k-per-week ace has shown plenty of potential during his time at Tottenham but hasn’t quite been able to fully establish his position in the starting XI.

As a consequence, Reguilon – who was once hailed as a “quality” player by ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan – will realise that his future may be uncertain ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Should the 25-year-old want to get some regular game-time under his belt next season, then a move elsewhere could prove to be the best option in the long run.

In other news… Alasdair Gold has shared an update on the club’s links to a former Spurs hero

Celtic once again have the chance to make some changes to their squad when the upcoming summer transfer window opens for business.

In terms of what deals the Parkhead club should be looking to do, we think this period is the ideal time for them to get rid of two current figures in Ange Postecoglou’s squad – James McCarthy and Ismaila Soro.

Soro’s struggles at Celtic

Taking into account how Soro has only played three minutes of Premiership action since September, it’s safe to say that he is not particularly high in the pecking order at this moment in time.

If there is little sign of that changing for the remainder of the season, then the club should definitely consider cashing in on the Ivorian if possible.

Back in February 2021, former Hoops boss Neil Lennon revealed that the midfielder was “struggling with fatigue,” but it may now be the Celtic supporters who are tired of him still being in the squad.

Soro’s overall performances in the league this season have earned the 23-year-old a rather disappointing overall rating of 6.25/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players in the squad according to WhoScored.

Having been linked with a move away from Scotland in January, it seems likely that he could be on the move during the upcoming transfer window.

McCarthy also having a tough time

As for McCarthy, even though he only put pen to paper on a four-year deal last August, the Irishman’s place at the club should be in question.

With just nine Premiership appearances and four starts to his name, the midfielder has failed to impress in the current campaign, just like Soro.

In those league games, the 31-year-old has recorded more fouls (seven) than crosses (five), interceptions (four) or tackles (six), making him somewhat of a liability.

Labelled a “terrible flop” in the past by outspoken Irish pundit Eamon Dunphy, McCarthy is close to regaining that unfortunate billing unless he can show before the end of the campaign that he can offer something to the team, rather than holding them back along with Soro.

Should the Hoops end up waving goodbye to one or both of these midfield strugglers this summer, they will definitely need to ensure that they bring in some suitable replacements so that the squad has enough depth to attack the 2022/23 campaign.

In other news: Postecoglou can finally axe “unacceptable” Celtic dud with move for “class” £1.6m star

Sunderland will take on Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off semi-finals on Friday evening and after a long season, the Black Cats have inevitably taken some hits with injury issues towards the end of the season.

Now a new update has emerged on Nathan Broadhead’s progress with his injury.

What’s the latest?

Broadhead took to Twitch with team-mate Jordan Willis to give a six-word update on whether he would be available for the game on Friday.

The Black Cats forward said (via The 72):

“I don’t know, we’ll see tomorrow.”

The 24-year-old suffered a first-half injury in the final game of the season against Morecambe after he scored the winner in the 10th minute.

Supporters will be worried

In an ideal world Sunderland would have all of their players fit and available for selection to give the League One play-offs the best shot, but with Dennis Cirkin, Carl Winchester and Nathan Broadhead a huge doubt for the first leg of the semi-final this week, supporters will surely be worried.

Everton loanee Broadhead has been hugely influential in his team’s progress since Alex Neil arrived at the club in February, with the centre-forward scoring five goals in his last seven outings in League One, so losing him at this stage will surely dent the momentum the team has been on in their final weeks of the season.

Alex Neil revealed his frustration at losing the star striker in his post-match interview against Morecambe after securing fifth place in the league table;

“The worry we’ve got now is we’ve finished the game with no centre forward on the pitch, I brought Stewart off because I knew the scores elsewhere.

“He’s literally [our only striker]. I don’t need to say anything else do I?”

With Broadhead’s fitness hanging in the balance, the Black Cats’ boss will likely need to rethink his strategy for getting past Sheffield Wednesday and securing the final at Wembley over the next two games.

With the team coming so far under Neil he will surely be hoping he can have the ultimate impact by winning a promotion spot to the Championship next season.

AND in other news: Huge boost: SAFC handed big lift as early SWFC injury news emerges, Neil will love it

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that West Ham United are interested in a move for Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected insider revealed that the Englishman is on David Moyes’ transfer shortlist ahead of this summer, with the Hammers seeking a new midfield addition as club captain Mark Noble departs at the end of the season.

Asked whether the 26-year-old was a target for the London Stadium outfit, Jones revealed that: “He definitely is on Moyes’ list. Moyes is a big admirer of him.

“You’ve got to consider every asset of the game, and it’s technical ability, but also willingness to work and carry out instructions, and Josh Brownhill could actually slot really nicely into that West Ham midfield.”

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This revelation comes following a report from 90min last week that suggested the east Londoners were interested in pursuing a deal – with a bid of around £15m likely to tempt the relegation-threatened Clarets into a sale – albeit with a handful of other Premier League sides also named as potential suitors.

Supporters will be buzzing

The former Bristol City man could well prove to be an ideal fit were he to link up with Moyes and co this summer, having already proven his talents both at Ashton Gate and at Turf Moor in recent years.

Having made his senior debut with Preston North End in 2013, the £6.3m-rated man was plucked by the Robins in 2016, going on to score 17 goals in 161 appearances for the club over the next three-and-a-half years, notably playing his part in the Championship side’s surge to the League Cup semi-finals in 2018 and being made club captain by former boss Lee Johnson.

That form alerted the attention of Dyche and co, as he was snapped up on a £9m deal in January 2020, with that acquisition now looking like something of a bargain purchase such has been his form since then.

This season, in particular, has seen the £45k-per-week playmaker catch the eye despite the club’s struggles, netting twice and adding three assists in 32 league outings so far this term.

A real box-to-box presence, the Warrington-born star has also been impressive defensively, averaging 1.9 interceptions, two tackles and 1.2 clearances per 90 in the top-flight during the 2021/22 campaign, while he also ranks in the top 28% for aerial duels won among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

Such form has seen him earn praise from pundit Lee Hendrie, who dubbed him a “fabulous player”, with it no surprise that West Ham are seemingly keeping tabs on his progress.

GSB can delight the club’s supporters by getting the deal done in the coming months, whether or not Burnley avoid relegation.

IN other news, GSB must complete WHU swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated star, Moyes will love him..

Frank Lampard has reportedly now personally requested to sign Bright Osayi-Samuel for Everton.

The Lowdown: Solid season

The 24-year-old is having a solid season at Fenerbahce, where he has scored two goals and supplied a further five assists playing as a right-back at times, and he has generally been a mainstay in a team who have played in the Europa League and Conference League (Transfermarkt).

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In the Turkish Super Lig, he ranks as their sixth-best performer, averaging more dribbles per game (2.3) than any of his team-mates (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he could well be an exciting arrival at Goodison Park in the summer.

The Latest: Lampard requests

As per En Son Haber, Lampard has now made a personal request to add Osayi-Samuel to Everton’s transfer list for the summer.

The 24-year-old currently holds a market value of €6m (£5.1m), and the Toffees will ‘knock on Fenerbahce’s door’ after the campaign has ended.

The Verdict: Bargain

Signing a player for just £5.1m in today’s market holds real value, and the Blues could be getting a bargain on their hands if they were to snap up Osayi-Samuel for that amount.

Described as a player with ‘blistering pace’ and who ‘terrifies defenders’ by his former QPR manager Mark Warburton (Kilburn Times), he could offer Everton another dimension in attack and possibly give defenders in the Premier League a few problems.

Also, at only 24 years of age, he could be an ideal replacement for the 33-year-old Seamus Coleman at right-back.

In other news, find out who EFC are now fighting Liverpool to sign here!

Ervine will be the fifth man to lead Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket since the start of 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2021Craig Ervine will captain Zimbabwe for their limited-overs series in Ireland and Scotland. Zimbabwe had named the 18-member squad last week but hadn’t named a captain.Ervine will be the fifth man to lead Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket since the start of 2020. During this period, they have tried Chamu Chibhabha, Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Test captain Sean Williams.This will be the first time Ervine will captain Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket. He has previously led the side in a Test match, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2020.Ervine, who has played 18 Tests, 96 ODIs and 26 T20Is for Zimbabwe, had missed out on all three formats against Bangladesh after coming into contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19.Related

• Williams, Taylor, Ervine named in Zimbabwe squad for Ireland, Scotland tours

• Campher gets maiden Ireland T20I call-up for Zimbabwe series

Zimbabwe are scheduled to play a five-match T20I series against Ireland, starting on August 27, followed by a three-match ODI series. The tour was originally scheduled to begin on August 6 but was postponed because of complications around Covid-19 protocols.The ODIs will be part of the World Cup Super League. With one win from six matches, Zimbabwe are currently at the bottom of the World Cup Super League points table, while Ireland are a bit better placed with three wins and a no result from 12 games.After their matches against Ireland, Zimbabwe will travel to Scotland to play three T20Is.Zimbabwe squad for Ireland and Scotland tours: Craig Ervine (capt), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tarisai Musakanda, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano, Sean Williams

Avoidance of innings defeat provides crumb of comfort for Taunton faithful

Paul Edwards14-Sep-2021
The statisticians from cricket’s black museum were out in good numbers at Taunton today. “When did it last happen,” they asked, “that a side won three successive tosses and yet lost all three games by an innings?” You probably needed to support Somerset to risk such enquiries at the County Ground, especially on a morning when the floodlights were on and the gloomy skies matched the mood of a few locals. Autumn advances.Lancashire advanced, too, although not quite so quickly as to have us searching through the records of successive innings defeats. Nevertheless, the umpires took advantage of the regulation that allows them to delay the luncheon interval by four overs if a result is in prospect and by 12.35 Alex Davies and George Balderson had completed the ten-wicket victory that will leave their side with, at the very least, a mathematical chance of winning the title when they play Hampshire at Liverpool next week. Whether Lancashire’s position is even healthier will depend mainly on the result at Southampton but also on the outcome at Headingley.For the moment Dane Vilas can be heartened by the skilful, confident cricket his side played over seven sessions at the County Ground. However the season ends this Lancashire team loses nothing by comparison with the one that won the title at Taunton a decade ago although Vilas hears and honours the echoes of those four distant days. “The team that won the title played a lot of their cricket at Liverpool and I hope we can replicate what they achieved,” he said. “We know we have to get a victory next week but the Championship is the hardest competition and all the players want to win it.”That desire was evident again this morning as Lancashire’s seamers took Somerset’s last six wickets for the addition of 88 runs, thereby leaving only the formalities to be completed by their opening batsmen. Any serious hopes that the home side might set a testing target disappeared in the first eight overs of the day, first when James Hildreth tried to pull a shortish ball from Tom Bailey but only skied a catch to point and then when Lewis Goldsworthy was skewered on the back foot by the same bowler with a ball that nipped back. The cheery blows that followed may have heartened the remarkably large crowd but they did nothing to affect the going rate for fresh haddock.
Jack Blatherwick completed a memorable match for him by taking two further wickets and Balderson picked up a couple more. However, by far the biggest cheer of the day came from the Somerset supporters when the innings defeat was avoided. Any tokens of misery were purely coincidental. The scoreboard in the corner by Gimblett’s Hill went completely black although that was caused by mechanical malfunction rather than contagious mourning.Related

• Lyndon James, Tom Moores rough up Lancashire's bowlers

• Luke Wells century helps Lancashire cut a swathe against ill-disciplined hosts

• Jack Blatherwick has a day out before Tom Lammonby's century buoys Somerset

Somerset, of course, have played some pretty dreadful cricket over the last fortnight and one was therefore pleased that they managed a better showing in the second innings of this match. Andy Hurry, the county’s director of cricket, faced some fairly searching questions after it all but he took his bottom hand away when quietly defending his players and such occasions should always be placed in context. Hurry is a former Royal Marine and has therefore been trained to kill enemies of the Crown. An inquisition from a gaggle of hacks is unlikely to chill his blood.In any case Somerset have the Vitality Blast Finals Day ahead of them and spectators leaving the County Ground late this afternoon will have been encouraged to see Craig Overton bowling a few overs in preparation for Saturday. But there will be no more first-class cricket on this famous field until next April and it is the four-day stuff that matters most to the vast majority of players on the circuit. One could be sad at the sight of the almost deserted ground until one recalls that only a year ago cricket was being played before equally empty stands. The game came through those horrors and it will come through another winter. The good folk on Gimblett’s Hill will settle for nothing less.

Oman had hopes in the chase but mainly till Jatinder Singh was at the crease

Mohammad Isam19-Oct-2021Bangladesh survived for another couple of days in the T20 World Cup after a hard-fought 26-run win over Oman. The home side rode high until Jatinder Singh was at the crease, but Bangladesh removed him in the 13th over, and used their experience to close out the game in the last seven overs.Earlier, Mohammad Naim’s 64 had given Bangladesh a good platform for the last five overs, but they failed to build on it, slipping from 101 for 2 in the 14th over to 153 all out. Shakib Al Hasan contributed with 42 off 29, while fast bowlers Bilal Khan and Fayyaz Butt got three wickets each.Jatinder kept Oman in the game with his 40 off 33 balls, that included four fours and a six. He also put together two good partnerships in the top order, but Mahedi Hasan bowled a superbly tight spell, before Mustafizur Rahman, unusually erratic in his first spell, finished with 4 for 36.A quiet spell
When Oman moved to 57 for 2 in the seventh over, Bangladesh were really looking down the barrel. Mahedi coolly bowled two overs for six runs, slowing down Jatinder and Zeeshan Maqsood in the process. Mahedi is good at mixing his pace, but keeps a fuller length. He has a good record against both left and right-handed batters.In the midst of a messy bowling performance from Bangladesh, Mahedi stood out. Maqsood couldn’t resist anymore with the changes of pace, finally holing out in Mahedi’s next over, before the offspinner finished off with a six-run over. This 4-0-14-1 spell went by mostly unnoticed, but it was Mahedi who brought Bangladesh back in the game.Jatinder’s near one-man show
Oman, however, had hope as long as Jatinder was at the crease. So good is Jatinder’s form these days that even when he gets out, it’s off a very well-timed shot. He was dismissed when he swept for a catch to Liton Das at deep square leg off Shakib. But it was an innings worth remembering against a top quality bowling attack. At times Bangladesh looked under pressure against Jatinder.Jatinder Singh kept Oman’s hopes alive for a while•ICC via Getty

He started with a switch hit four off Shakib early on, pulled him over deep midwicket in the seventh over, and his only six came on the next ball when he struck Shakib inside-out through extra cover. Off Taskin Ahmed’s bouncer, Jatinder slammed a pull, and was generally strong against the short ball as well. He also survived a dropped catch on 10, but when he got out, so did Oman from the match. They hit just one four and a six after his dismissal.Mustafizur’s nightmare and Mustafizur’s recovery
Mustafizur trapped Aqib Ilyas with his first ball of the match, but thereafter had a forgettable 15 minutes. He conceded five wides in the first over, as his attempt to bring the seaming ball back into the right-handed batter kept slipping down the leg side. In the next over, Mustafizur dropped Kashyap Prajapati at short third man. It was a regulation diving chance to his favourable left side, but it popped out.As if all that was not enough, Mahmudullah dropped Jatinder on 10, off Mustafizur. The bowler fumed with his hands over his head, but because this was his captain, he couldn’t really react like he would have wanted. Mustafizur’s four-wicket haul and a good running catch more than made up for his nightmare start, but Bangladesh can ill-afford an erratic main bowler.Naim to the rescue
When Bangladesh batted, they story of poor powerplays continued. They scored only 29 runs on this occasion, but at least one of the openers made a considerable score. Naim had been struggling in the Dhaka pitches against Australia and New Zealand, except for one innings, but in Muscat, he opened up with some bright shots. He tonked three of his four sixes delightfully over the range between midwicket and wide long-on, also bringing out a thumping straight drive and an equally hard-hit reverse hit. Naim added 80 for the third wicket with Shakib but his dismissal in the 17th over, having already lost Afif Hossain earlier in the over, was slightly unnecessary.Oman blow hot and cold in the field
Oman could have had a better day had they held on to all their catches. Particularly that of Naim who survived two drops on 18 and 26. Prajapati, who had earlier dropped Liton at deep square leg, spilled Naim at midwicket. And Jatinder let the ball slip through his fingers at the sweeper cover boundary in the eighth over. But their luck changed with two moments of brilliance: Butt’s return catch off a Mahedi bunt and Ilyas’ direct hit from point running out Shakib. The mood lifted, Oman now took all their catches, including Jatinder, who took two near the boundary line.Bangladesh end meekly
If there was one chance to make up for their poor powerplay, it was the last five overs. But Bangladesh disappointed with just 41 runs, losing six wickets. It started with Naim hitting a beautiful six, but Kaleemullah removed Afif and Naim in the following over. It left Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to make the most of the last 20 balls, They hit a six and a four, before Mushfiqur was caught behind, while Bilal yorked at Mahmudullah’s wild swing. Mohammad Saifuddin got a golden duck in between, before Oman bowled out Bangladesh off the last ball of the innings.