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Newcastle United are potentially lining up a move for Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde, according to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Eddie Howe currently has two recognised centre-forwards to call upon in Callum Wilson and Chris Wood, but it seems that he wants to bolster his options in that department.

Laborde moved from Montpellier to Rennes last summer for £13.5m and is under contract until June 2025.

The 28-year-old scored 15 Ligue 1 goals last season and netted five times in the Europa Conference League, finishing just outside the top five in the tournament’s scoring charts.

The latest

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Rennes are apparently working on selling players as the end of the transfer window approaches.

Either Laborde of Martin Terrier ‘could pack his bags’ before the transfer deadline. The former has attracted ‘many requests’, with Newcastle and West Ham both ‘on his trail’.

Laborde also has a domestic suitor in the form of Lille, along with a La Liga option in Sevilla.

The verdict

You can see why Howe might want to sign another striker prior to 1 September.

Wilson’s injury history is a worry – he has missed 35 games in two seasons since joining Newcastle – while they may not be able to rely upon Wood, who has only scored one non-penalty goal in 20 appearances since he arrived at the club in January.

Laborde is comparatively prolific, and he also records high volumes of assists (84th percentile among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues), pressures (83rd) and interceptions (72nd). Statistically speaking, he’s similar to Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa and Michail Antonio at West Ham, as per FBRef’s similar players model.

Newcastle fans may have come across Laborde earlier this year, when BT Sport posted a clip showing him scoring a Panenka penalty but then apologising to the goalkeeper afterwards.

Brilliantly intuitive and evidently a threat in the final third, he could be a very astute signing by the Magpies if they bring him in.

Derby County have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their League One clash against Charlton Athletic on Saturday after Liam Rosenior confirmed that James Chester will not be involved.

The Lowdown: Chester’s setback

The 33-year-old was released by Championship side Stoke City earlier in the summer, with the Rams quick to snap him up and add the free agent to their defensive ranks on a one-year deal.

The defender enjoyed some promising performances throughout pre-season, but has consistently been affected by an achilles injury which saw him miss last weekend’s curtain-raiser vs Oxford United, and it sounds like the boss will have to be without his new summer signing once again.

The Latest: Rosenior’s injury update

Speaking during his pre-match interview with RamsTV, Rosenior revealed that Chester will not be part of the match-day squad against Charlton, but gave a more promising update on David McGoldrick.

As quoted by Derby’s official website, he said:

“James Chester and David McGoldrick are back on course. Didzy is doing really well in terms of his recovery. He is ahead of schedule which makes me happy but I’m not going to rush them both. As much as you want to win every game and have them involved, I want us to put us in the strongest position in March.

“James Chester is a no for Saturday, Didzy is touch and go but I won’t risk him unless it’s 100% right for him and us.”

The Verdict: Massive loss

Rosenior has been busy in the transfer market this summer, making a real statement of intent by signing the likes of Conor Hourihane and James Collins, but Chester, hailed a ‘fantastic athlete’ by former Wales manager Chris Coleman, not coming into contention for the Addicks fixture will come as a hammer blow.

The 38-year-old will want all of his new additions at his disposal so that the team can start gelling as quickly as possible to get on the front foot, but this is now a setback in his plans.

The interim manager will now be hoping that his side can build on last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Oxford by putting in another solid display without Chester at The Valley.

Wolves have regularly been linked with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes throughout the summer transfer window and the Portuguese maestro could represent a big upgrade in Bruno Lage’s side next season.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a Premier League switch after an impressive season with Sporting, with Wolves, Chelsea and Liverpool all reportedly keen.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke shared his views on Wolves’ interest in Nunes.

He said: “He’s attracted interest from a number of top clubs [like] Liverpool. Pep Guardiola has spoken highly of him in the past as well. So he’s obviously a very talented player and if Wolves were to get him he would definitely be a big upgrade for that midfield.”

Would Nunes be an upgrade?

Nunes’ form in the Portuguese top-flight last season emphasises just what he could add to Lage’s squad ahead of next season.

The young midfielder, who is reportedly valued at a whopping €60m (£52m), contributed three goals and two assists in 33 domestic appearances, averaging an impressive 7.08 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

According to WhoScored, Nunes’ strengths include passing, dribbling and concentration, while he has no significant weaknesses, which suggests that he could work well alongside fellow pass-masters Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in Wolves’ midfield.

Nunes’ average rating was better than any Wolves player would manage last season, while he also averaged more dribbles per game than everyone bar Adama Traore, which suggests that he could be a great player to carry the ball forward in Wolves’ side.

While both Neves and Moutinho are undoubtedly great players, they arguably lack the ability to burst forward with the ball at their feet, and Nunes could definitely provide a different, more dynamic option in Lage’s squad.

Considering Guardiola dubbed the 23-year-old as one of the best players in the world last season, it would be extremely impressive if Wolves could bring him in, and he would undoubtedly be a top signing for the Old Gold.

AND, in other news: Wolves plotting bid for “powerful” £120k-p/w target, he’d be a huge “weapon” for Lage…

Rangers look set to complete the signing of a teenage striker in the coming days, in what is undoubtedly an exciting deal for the Ibrox outfit.

What’s the word?

According to Football Scotland, the Light Blues will complete the signing of 16-year-old Zak Lovelace imminently.

Cameron Bell will also join the youth ranks from Everton, as Rangers look to build towards the future.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side may have been quiet in the transfer window thus far in terms of senior incomings, with only John Souttar added to the first-team squad thus far, but there has seemingly been a lot of work done behind the scenes in bringing in some of the best young talent to Ibrox.

Bailey Rice, Cameron Cooper, Kieran Willox and Mason Munn have already joined the youth ranks but given Lovelace’s experience in the Championship with Millwall last term, he may well be the pick of the bunch.

He became the second-youngest ever player to feature for the Londoners’ senior side when he made his debut against Coventry aged just 15 last season, going on to make a further four appearances for the Lions before the end of the campaign.

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Wilson masterclass

While it is difficult to predict the career trajectory of anyone so young, it speaks volumes that Lovelace was deemed ready for the English Championship at such a young age, so he clearly has a lot of ability and potential.

Rocky McMillan, ex-chairman at the teenager’s former club Glebe, was very excited about his move to Ibrox, saying: “For Zak to get to a prestigious club like Rangers, who were in the final of the Europa League last season, is a magnificent achievement for him. It is great for us to see him doing so well and I wish him all the best up there.”

He also spoke highly of the forward’s ability to play at such a high level from a young age, saying: “Zak was doing it as a 12-year-old playing up age levels, just totally dominating the game with his physical attributes and his natural finishing ability.

“The guy has got a raw strength, an unbelievable strength, and even in the year above he was shrugging people off him.”

Therefore, while it will probably take some time before Lovelace features for the first team at Ibrox, he clearly has a lot of potential, so this signing could well prove to be a masterclass by Rangers’ sporting director Ross Wilson.

In other news… Imagine him & Jack: Rangers could seal dream duo in deal for “diamond” £2m “enforcer”

West Brom are in advanced talks to sign Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury this summer, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Choudhury linked with West Brom

The Baggies had a disappointing 2021/22 season, failing to get out of the Championship, and new signings are needed this summer in order to ensure that improvements are made under Steve Bruce.

West Brom have been linked with a move for Choudhury, who is set to leave Leicester ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

The 24-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers, having only started four Premier League matches last season.

The Latest: Move edging closer

According to The Northern Echo, the Baggies are now in ‘advanced talks’ with Choudhury over a summer move to The Hawthorns.

Middlesbrough are also hoping to acquire the services of the Englishman, who has been hailed as a ‘great player’ by Leicester colleague Harvey Barnes.

The Verdict: Great summer addition

Choudhury may have fallen out of favour with the Foxes but he has some excellent competition in midfield at the King Power Stadium, from Wilfred Ndidi to Youri Tielemans (both ranked in Leicester’s top six players of 2021/22 by WhoScored), so it would be unfair to judge him too harshly on his lack of game-time.

He could be a fantastic player in the Championship for West Brom, using his physicality to good use and indeed his ball distribution, having enjoyed an 82.6% pass completion rate in the top flight last season.

Such players can be crucial to West Brom mounting a genuine promotion push in 2022/23 – if they could bring in Choudhury and Conor Hourihane, with John Swift already signed, Bruce’s midfield could look to be in stellar shape by the time the new season starts.

In other news, West Brom have been boosted in their efforts to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool are believed to be closing in on the signing of Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

Writing on Twitter, the respected insider revealed that the Reds are “confident” that a deal can be struck with the Scottish Premiership outfit for the 18-year-old, with an agreement also close regarding personal terms.

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The last few weeks has seen speculation ramp up regarding a possible deal to take the teenager to Anfield, with Romano now hinting that a deal could be imminent: “Liverpool are set to reach an agreement with Calvin Ramsay on personal terms – they made an official bid to Aberdeen for the Scottish fullback.

“Club confident on agreement between clubs – but Aberdeen want around €10m with add ons included. Talks ongoing”.

This follows another announcement from the same source that revealed that a deal to bring Benfica’s Darwin Nunez to the club is close to being confirmed, with a potential fee of around €100m (£85.4m) having been mooted.

Klopp will love it

The transfer window may have only just opened although the Merseysiders appear to be keen to get their business done swiftly, with the early start to the next campaign heightening the need to have everything in order as quickly as possible.

While it may be the high-profile arrival of Nunez that steals the headlines this summer, Jurgen Klopp will be just as pleased to get the Ramsay deal over the line, with the young Scotsman offering quality backup to Trent Alexander-Arnold.

He may only have one full senior campaign under his belt thus far, although the attacking right-back has already shown more than just glimpses of his quality, chipping in with one goal and an impressive nine assists in all competitions at Pittodrie last term.

A Scotland U21 international, the full-back has reportedly been the subject of interest from a number of other Premier League sides, having been labelled “one of the best young full-backs in the world” by manager Jim Goodwin for his form in the first half of last term.

Former Dons man Brian Irvine also sees no reason why the starlet can’t follow a similar path to that of compatriot Andy Robertson, who traded Dundee for Liverpool, via a stint at Hull City, before emerging as a key figure under Klopp.

There will, of course, be the presence of the aforementioned Alexander-Arnold that will likely hamper Ramsay’s game time should he make the move, although the playmaking Englishman is seemingly in need of an able deputy, due to the absence of another recognised, right-sided defender in the squad.

Having had to deploy centre-back Joe Gomez in that role on occasion last term, Klopp will love the chance to have another more suited option at his disposal, with the youngster’s attacking intent will also fit comfortably in the German’s front-foot system.

His impact may not be instant, although Ramsay could well prove to be a real key piece of business for the Liverpool boss in the coming years.

AND in other news: “LFC want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is now in pole position to sign ‘one of the best players in the world’ after officially signing Erling Haaland, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Huge week…

Citizens wanted to erase last week’s painful Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid and it’s safe to say Guardiola’s impeccable blues have done the job.

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Defeat to the Galacticos was swiftly followed by imperious displays against both Newcastle United and Wolves as City sealed back-to-back Premier League victories in an all-important title race with Liverpool.

Scoring 10 goals in two matches, the Sky Blues’ attacking potency was on full display, with the club also making a huge announcement between these encounters.

On Tuesday, City confirmed they have agreement for the summer transfer of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund – sealing the signing of one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers.

Now, A Bola (via Sport Witness) claim Guardiola is in pole position to sign another promising player.

The Latest: City ‘top of the list’ for Nunes…

According to their Portuguese sources, City are ‘top of the list’ for Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes as they emerge as frontrunners for his signature.

There is also apparently a ‘smell of farewell’ surrounding the 23-year-old who seems destined to leave the José Alvalade Stadium.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Nunes, still very young and with bags of potential, is a player Guardiola knows very well.

Following City’s 5-0 demolition job of Sporting in their Champions League round of 16 first leg a few months ago, the Spaniard heaped praise on Sporting’s gem and revealed his admiration.

The big name tactician even called Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world today’, and while that is a head-turning verdict, we believe Nunes’ statistics certainly reflect his real ability.

A marvellous ball-carrier, the starlet completes more dribbles per 90 than any Sporting player on average and completes the second-most through balls every game behind forward Pablo Sarabia (WhoScored).

Proving a real nightmare to play against, Nunes is also the joint-most fouled player per 90 in Sporting’s squad alongside Joao Palhinha.

Indeed, we believe adding the sensation to City’s already-impressive Portuguese contingent certainly wouldn’t be an unpopular move.

In other news: Guardiola could also join race to sign £354,000-per-week superstar! Find out more here.

If AB’s Tshwane Spartans and Gayle’s Jozi Stars won’t do it for you, Steyn’s Cape Town Blitz sure will

Liam Brickhill15-Nov-2018Tshwane SpartansWith a squad headlined by the returning AB de Villiers, Tshwane Spartans’ batting really packs a punch. They also have Eoin Morgan (strike rate 127.84), Theunis de Bruyn (127.34), Robbie Frylinck (148.22), Rory Kleinveldt (151.25), and Rilee Rossouw (131.21) in their squad.De Villiers will captain the team, who start their campaign with three games on the road before they make their SuperSport Park debut against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on November 25. De Villiers has a reliable pace spearhead in Lungi Ngidi, and Tshwane Spartans also have great depth in their allrounders. Jeevan Mendis, Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams will contribute with the bat and as spinners, while Frylinck and Kleinveldt will back up Ngidi in the pace department.Cape Town BlitzCaptained by Farhaan Behardien, Cape Town Blitz might have the two fastest bowlers in the competition at their disposal. Dale Steyn has shown that he has lost none of his pace or bite since his return to white-ball cricket with South Africa, and he is likely to share the early bowling duties with Anrich Nortje. Nortje certainly impressed Dawid Malan, who said: “Just watching [Anrich] Nortje bowling, he bowled at the speed of lightning,
that was pretty scary.”Malan will slot into the Blitz top order, as will Quinton de Kock. Cape Town Blitz have also enlisted the big-hitting Asif Ali, and while he is away at the Sharjah T10 tournament, allrounder Mohammad Nawaz will fill in. Most of the Blitz squad comes from the Cape Cobras franchise, so they will know their conditions well, while the presence of Andile Phehlukwayo means they will also have pace options at the death.The big names to watch out for in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League•ESPNcricinfo LtdPaarl RocksThe Paarl Rocks squad will be built around Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. The two know each other’s games extremely well from their time together with Chennai Super Kings at the IPL, and are both match-winners in their own right. As captain, du Plessis will be able to call on Bravo when things get tight in the latter overs, while Tabraiz Shamsi and Dane Paterson add variety to the attack.Cameron Delport, another T20 journeyman, will bring a wealth of experience to their middle order, as will Michael Klinger. The Rocks will also have Aiden Markram coming in at the top of the order, and Mangaliso Mosehle with the gloves. While they will play their home games at the smallest ground in the tournament – Boland Park – Paarl Rocks should get good support from the local student population, with several universities close by. They could be the tournament’s dark horses.Nelson Mandela Bay GiantsSpin will play an important role for the coastal teams. The ball doesn’t fly quite as fast or as far down at the coast as it does in the Highveld, and pitches that can play a little on the slow side often help the spinners. As such, Nelson Mandela Bay Giants have enlisted both Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso, and they will probably both play in all of their home games.Aside from their strength in spin, Giants will have boundary-hitting ability at the top of the order in Jason Roy and the lower middle order with Chris Morris. Morris will also have a role to play with the ball, alongside Junior Dala. They will be captained by the homegrown Jon-Jon Smuts, who comes from the Eastern Cape and will know the conditions at St George’s Park intimately.Kagiso Rabada prepares to receive the ball•BCCIDurban HeatLike the Giants, Durban Heat made sure they had their spin options covered. Durban Heat landed up with the very first choice in the international marquee player draw, and quickly chose Rashid Khan. Rashid has never played T20 cricket in South Africa before, but as the world’s leading T20 bowler his reputation precedes him. The Heat also have young Zimbabwean legspinner Brandon Mavuta in their stable, as well as Keshav Maharaj, who may well look to use the Mzansi Super League as a springboard for his white-ball aspirations ahead of the 2019 World Cup.Durban Heat’s middle order is packed with international experience, with David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo all part of their squad, while they also have Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander to call upon with the ball.Jozi StarsThe Wanderers’ ‘Bullring’ moniker is well earned, and if Jozi Stars can attract a capacity crowd of 34,000, their home support could play a big role. Jozi Stars certainly have firepower with the bat and ball to give them something to cheer about.Chris Gayle, the first man to 12,000 T20 runs, struck the first international T20 hundred at the Wanderers 11 years ago, ushering in the modern age of batting, and he will return to the ground where it all started to open the batting for Jozi Stars. He will open alongside Reeza Hendricks, while Rassie van der Dussen and Dan Christian will bring some dynamism to the middle order. Kagiso Rabada will lead their pace attack, which also includes the rapid Beuran Hendricks.

Chittagong had many marquee names in their ranks who performed at different stages, but they never found the consistency they needed as a team

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2016

Tournament overview

Chittagong Vikings would have felt underwhelmed after they were the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs. They had a great opportunity to make it past Rajshahi Kings but blew it twice after making wonderful starts, with bat and ball.It was a strange campaign for Chittagong. Many of their players performed well but the team couldn’t quite find consistency. Captain Tamim Iqbal ended as the tournament’s highest-scorer while Mohammad Nabi stood out as an allrounder. Shoaib Malik, Anamul Haque, Dwayne Smith, Taskin Ahmed and Imran Khan all chipped in at certain stages.Perhaps, they also waited for Chris Gayle to tear into opponents in the latter stages of the tournament, but that didn’t happen. Chittagong won’t be unhappy looking back at their campaign, but won’t be overly satisfied either.

High point

Chittagong bounced back after losing three matches in a row by beating Rajshahi in style. After running into early trouble, Nabi bailed them out with an unbeaten 87, slamming six sixes. Then, Taskin Ahmed’s five wickets shut out the chase in front of their home crowd at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Low point

In the latter part of the tournament, Chittagong couldn’t quite close out two games against Rajshahi. The one that will hurt them the most was the Eliminator. They failed to take advantage of a smooth start with the bat and posted a modest total. When Rajshahi had lost six wickets by the 11th over, they were overpowered by Darren Sammy’s counter-attack.

Top of the class

A pity that Chittagong couldn’t do justice to Tamim Iqbal’s form throughout this campaign. He scored 476 runs, the second highest in a BPL season, and he equalled Shamsur Rahman’s record of six fifties in a season.

Under-par performer

Chris Gayle couldn’t make a fifty in five matches, incongruous with his previous performances in the BPL. At the critical end of the tournament, Chittagong banked on his ability to destroy the opposition’s bowling attack and morale.

Tip for 2017

If the current franchise owners continue to run the Chittagong team, they can make do with 2016’s bowling line-up but have to tweak the batting to suit Bangladesh conditions.

Statistical highlights from the third day of the Lord’s Test between England and Australia

Bishen Jeswant18-Jul-20154 Number of opportunities that Michael Clarke has had to enforce the follow on, twice against England and once each against India and South Africa. However, Clarke chose to bat again each time, with Australia winning each of the three previous Tests.14 Number of 50-plus stands between Chris Rogers and David Warner in the last two years, easily the most for any pair. No other opening pair has posted more than five such stands.7 Number of times Alastair Cook has been dismissed in the 90s, the most for any English batsman, ahead of Geoff Boycott (5). Sachin Tendulkar (10) has the most such scores overall. Each of Cook’s seven scores in the 90s have been between 94 and 96.4 Number of times England’s fifth-wicket pair have posted 100-plus runs after losing four wickets for 40 runs or less. Cook and Stokes shared a 145-run partnership after coming together when the score was 30 for 4. This is the second such instance for England at Lord’s, both times in 2015 and both times with the score at 30 for 4.23 Number of consecutive Ashes innings for Cook without a century. He had three hundreds in six innings before that. Since then Cook averages only 28.3 in Ashes Tests with seven fifties and no hundred.460 Cumulative runs scored by Ben Stokes in the last Ashes and the current series, the most for any English batsman. He has played 11 innings and scored these runs at an average of 41.81, including one hundred and two fifties.3 Number of wickets for Mitchell Marsh in Test cricket, all three left-handers. The batsmen he has dismissed are Shikhar Dhawan, Ben Stokes and Cook.