In order to give clubs equal time to recover, Mauricio Pochettino has called on the Premier League to review their scheduling in the festive period.
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Real Madrid continue to be linked with Erling Haaland, with it reported that Los Blancos would pay less for the Man City striker than European rivals.
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Fifties from openers Hamish Rutherford and Brad Wilson ensured Otago chased down 239 against Canterbury, and opened their Plunket Shield campaign with a seven-wicket victory at the Hagley Oval.The openers had added 162 runs before they were dismissed in a space of two overs on the third day, leaving the side with 47 runs to win on the final day. Captain Rob Nichol and Neil Broom – who had been left out from the New Zealand squad for the ongoing limited-overs series in India – then added 72 runs for the third wicket before Broom offered a return catch to offspinner Tim Johnston with his team four runs away from victory. Nichol and allrounder James Neesham – who had also been omitted for the India tour – then applied the finishing touches as Otago secured 17 points.The win, though, was set up by the bowlers, who dismissed Canterbury for 155 in the first innings and paved the way for a 61-run first-innings lead. Seamers Neil Wagner and Jacob Duffy made the early inroads and helped pin down Canterbury to 57 for 5. Michael Pollard’s 54 and contributions from the lower order then dragged the side past 150. Duffy returned three wickets while New Zealand internationals Wagner and Mark Craig picked up two wickets each.In response, Otago were reduced to 63 for 3 at stumps on the first day. Wagner, the nightwatchman, did not last long on the second, falling for 17. But Wilson ground out a fifty – he would go onto make another in the second dig – and was complemented by Neesham (38) and Craig (46) as Otago snatched the first-innings advantage.Canterbury fared better in their second innings, with 10 of their 11 batsmen entering double figures. However, among them, only one passed fifty with Brett Hampton punching 60 off 55 balls. Wagner and Craig led Otago’s bowling again, claiming seven wickets between them to bowl their opponents out for 299.Canterbury’s left-arm wristspinner Blake Coburn – who was playing his maiden first-class game – picked up two wickets in the second innings in addition to his three in the first, but it wasn’t enough for his side.
Tottenham Hotspur target Harry Maguire could fit the mould of Ange Postecoglou's high-octane system and succeed at playing out from deep, but there are some doubts, according to journalist Paul Brown.
Which clubs are keen on Harry Maguire?
One report in Spain via Football365 claim that Tottenham could be about to 'accelerate' their pursuit of Maguire this summer as his time at Old Trafford ticks towards a close.
Spurs boss Postecoglou is believed to want to 'focus all of his efforts on Maguire' and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has emerged as a 'possible destination' for the £190k-a-week ace.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham United have emerged as another potential suitor for Maguire and have held early discussions with the England international over a move to the London Stadium.
Nevertheless, a gap in valuation is said to exist between the Hammers and Manchester United, who would ask for a considerable bid even to consider letting Maguire depart in this window.
Last term, Maguire, who was hailed at "classy" recently, made 31 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils and was mainly used as a rotational squad option, as per Transfermarkt.
In conversation with Lord Ping cited by METRO, former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham encouraged Maguire to move to Spurs this summer, stating: "Harry Maguire would be an excellent option for Tottenham. Whenever you watch Maguire play for England, he rarely lets anyone down. He is a solid, proven professional that is well suited for the Premier League."
Of course, the former Leicester City defender was recently stripped of the Manchester United captaincy and Bruno Fernandes has been appointed as his successor.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Maguire to Tottenham is a transfer he could see 'working out' under Postecoglou, though he also stated that his pace could be a "potential issue".
Brown told FFC: "I think the manager and he way he wants to play, you know, with a kind of high tempo, let's go at people kind of style. I think Maguire's ability in possession would be quite important for that, finding that first pass out of defence. I think he fits in possibly quite well there. The only thing I would say is that I don't think the Spurs backline is massively blessed with pace at the moment and neither is Maguire, so that could be a potential issue. In principle, it's one that I could see working out."
What next for Tottenham Hotspur?
Spurs boss Postecoglou will be keen to add to his additions of James Maddison, Gugliemo Vicario and Manor Solomon in the next few weeks as he readies his side for action in 2023/24, as per Transfermarkt.
Football London journalist Alisdair Gold has taken to Twitter X to reveal that Tottenham could be set to bid for Fulham central defender Tosin Adarabioyo, stating on the social media platform: "Also understand there is a growing expectation Spurs will make a bid for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo as one CB arrival. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on the move and Spurs have shown a lot of interest in him. Again, they can't hang around though."
In light of speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane in north London, Flamengo striker Pedro has emerged as an alternative in case the England international is sold to Bayern Munich, according to The Independent.
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been earmarked to replace Kane and has been made available due to financial problems at his current employers, as per Football Insider.
Liverpool have now received a boost in their pursuit of Nicolo Barella, with it being reported that Inter Milan are now willing to sell him if they receive a bid worth over €80m (£69m), according to reports from Italy.
What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?
Fabinho has recently followed Jordan Henderson out the exit door, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, meaning there is now a pressing need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in new reinforcements in central midfield.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Southampton's Romeo Lavia is Klopp's "priority" target in midfield, with talks currently ongoing, however the deal is not straightforward, with the Saints looking to hold out for a package worth £50m.
Fluminense midfielder Andre also remains an option for the Reds, with the Brazilian club said to be holding out for a fee of €25m (£21m), while they have made contact over Eintracht Frankfurt star Jesper Lindstrom, who is also being targeted by Arsenal.
According to recent reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Liverpool have also been handed a boost in their pursuit of Barella, as Inter would now consider selling the midfielder, if they were to receive an offer worth over €80m (£69m).
The Serie A side are now closing in on a deal for Udinese's Lazar Samardzic, which means they may no longer consider the Italian non-transferrable, in what would come as a real boost to his potential suitors.
In the Premier League, the Reds "in particular" are keen to sign the 26-year-old, with their interest mainly being driven by Klopp, who is believed to be a "great admirer", however Manchester City are also in the mix for his signature.
Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…
How good is Nicolo Barella?
It is clear to see why Klopp is such a huge fan of the Italy international, as he is a real threat going forward, averaging 0.22 non-penalty goals per 90 over the course of the past year, which places him in the 92nd percentile compared to his positional peers.
The central midfielder averaged a 6.94 WhoScored match rating in the Serie A last season, the fourth-highest in the Inter squad, amassing a total of six goals and six assists, the joint-third highest number of goal contributions of any Inter player.
With an average of 1.6 key passes per game, the Cagliari-born maestro is clearly a very creative player, however he is also happy to pitch in with the defensive side of the game when needed, as indicated by the fact he averaged 1.4 tackles during that time period.
Lauded as "fantastic" by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, the Inter Milan star has proven he could be a quality addition to Klopp's squad, however he is not a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho or Henderson, given that his main qualities are on the front foot.
As such, it is important the Reds get a deal for Lavia over the line first, but they should undoubtedly reignite their interest in Barella, should Inter Milan make it clear they are willing to sell him this summer.
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017Piyush Chawla’s nine-for gave Gujarat a bonus-point win as they beat Jammu and Kashmir by an innings and 64 runs in Surat. Sixteen wickets fell on the day where the hosts bundled J&K out for 130 in their second innings, with contributions from Hardik Patel (5-49) and Chawla (4-38), after getting bowled out for 455 earlier in the day.In the morning, Manprit Juneja converted his overnight score of 66 to bring up his seventh first-class century. He led the charge with his 150-run fifth-wicket stand with Chirag Gandhi (86) and lifted Gujarat to a 400-plus score post lunch.In reply to Gujarat’s first-innings lead of 194 runs, J&K had a shaky start as they lost their openers Ahmed Bandy (5) and Shubham Khajuria (17) within the first eight overs. With minimal resistance from the lower middle-order trio of captain Parvez Rasool (24), Bandeep Singh (24) and Ram Dayal (29), J&K failed to recover as Harshal and Chawla ran through the line-up to bundle them out in 34.4 overs. The win was Gujarat’s second in a row.Jalaj Saxena’s all-round show gave Kerala a 309-run lead over Rajasthan in Thiruvananthapuram. His eight-for trounced the visitors as they were bowled out for 243 in their first innings, and later in the day, brought up his 12th first-class century, along with an unbeaten third-wicket partnership with Sanju Samson (72*). Saxena became only the third man in Ranji history to take eight wickets in an innings and score a ton in the same match.Kerala lost Vishnu Vinod (8) and Rohan Prem (24) early in their second innings, but the century-stand between Saxena and Samson took them from 58 for 2 to 217 at stumps.Haryana face the prospect of an innings defeat against Jharkhand in Ranchi, after they finished the day trailing by 76 with only six wickets in hand. Jharkhand had declared on 425 for 9 earlier in the day after Ishank Jaggi’s 135 and a lower-order charge from Shahbaz Nadeem (70).In their second innings, Haryana suffered a top-order collapse as they lost their first three batsmen within nine overs, with Nadeem picking the wickets of Shubham Rohilla (0) and Chaitanya Bishnoi (11). Rajat Paliwal (44*) and Rahul Dagar (64) led the middle-order resistance as they took Haryana from 31 for 3 to 141 for 4. Dagar gave away his wicket shortly before stumps.
Brad Schmulian brought up the highest score by a New Zealand batsman on first-class debut, breaking a record that had stood since the 1880-81 season
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017The highlight of the drawn match between Central Districts and Northern Districts was Brad Schmulian’s record 203, the highest score by a New Zealand batsman on first-class debut.Schmulian’s double-hundred surpassed the previous record of 175 held by Canterbury’s George Watson in the 1880-81 season, and single-handedly anchored Central Districts to a first-innings total of 313 for 7 after they had been 85 for 5. His runs came at a brisk rate, too: the 203 took 207 deliveries and included 31 fours and three sixes. He had support from allrounder Doug Bracewell, who struck an unbeaten 63 and shared a 224-run partnership with Schmulian.Schmulian’s rescue act came after Northern Districts had posted 439 for 5 after being put in to bat. Each of Northern Districts’ top six scored fifties, only the tenth time in the last decade that each batsman in the top six scored a half-century in a first-class innings. Bharat Popli top-scored with 84, while left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel took three of the five wickets to fall.Patel followed his three wickets with a six-for in Northern Districts’ second innings, limiting the side to 181 for 9. Only four Northern Districts batsmen scored in double-figures with captain Daniel Flynn leading the innings with 64. However, Northern Districts’ first-innings lead of 126 meant that Central Districts were left with a target of 308 runs on the fourth day. They managed to get to 223 for 7.The match was a three-day affair, after the first day was lost due to rain.
Matt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland and then saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy his first-slip position
Daniel Brettig13-Nov-2017Getty Images
Matt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland. He also saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy for New South Wales the first slip position which the 21-year-old had occupied solidly over his first 10 Tests.In making a start before edging a typically precise Trent Copeland delivery behind to Peter Nevill, Renshaw added 16 to a recent red-ball sequence of scores that reads 45, 5, 4, 22, 17, 16, 1 and 19 since the first Test in Bangladesh. Such has been the debate around his place, with the Western Australia coach Justin Langer piling on the pressure among others, that Renshaw’s opening partner David Warner advised him to “steer clear of the newspapers”.”I want him to score runs this week. He has been under a bit of pressure this week, there has been a bit of talk in the media,” Warner said about Renshaw before the game. “You have to keep putting the numbers on the board. As a youngster, I would be steering clear of newspapers this week.”However, there was an even more tangible sign of shifting opinions when Renshaw walked out to bat. Smith, who typically fields at second slip whenever Copeland is in the NSW Shield XI and did so most recently in the opening round against South Australia, had swapped from second to first for this match, his last before the Gabba Test. The move indicated Smith felt a need to prepare for a different role from the one he generally fills as captain of Australia, and an indicator the selectors may be about to jettison Renshaw.More certainty was provided by the No. 3 Usman Khawaja, dropped in Bangladesh but in sturdy touch, while providing the spinal contribution of a Queensland innings that otherwise struggled for traction on a well-grassed Allan Border Field pitch that offered seam movement and the odd bit of variable bounce.Khawaja’s duel with Nathan Lyon was particularly arresting, while Copeland and Doug Bollinger also made the ball move around. NSW also found it difficult when they batted in the evening session, losing Nic Maddinson, Warner and then Smith in the final over of the day to a ball that leapt at him from Jack Wildermuth and was taken at short leg. Smith indicated the ball may have hit the arm rather than bat.
Christian Pulisic scored his sixth goal of the Serie A campaign, leading Milan to victory against Sassuolo on Saturday.
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Milan's first win vs Sassuolo in three matchesPulisic scores 6th goal of Serie A seasonUSMNT star has 10 G+A in leagueGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
A quiet first 45 minutes saw the two sides head into the halftime break scoreless, with the tempo being both slow and aggravating for each team. Neither looked content with their performance, with heads hanging low as they headed down the tunnel at the break. However, at the half, something ticked for the Rossoneri as they came out with fire in their eyes over the final 45 minutes.
Pulisic opened the scoring in the 59th minute off a brilliant team play with Ismael Bennacer and Tijani Reijnders. The Algerian international split the Sassuolo defense with a decisive ball and the USMNT star drew goalkeeper Andrea Consigli off his line, tucking the ball into the far corner of the net. It ended up being the lone goal in the contest, but it was all the Rossoneri needed to take home three points on the day.
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Pulisic now has six goals and four assists across the Serie A campaign, and is the first American to ever net that many in a Serie A season. He's become a written-in name for every team sheet under boss Stefano Pioli, and he's rewarded the manager time and time again with brilliant performances. Saturday saw him light up the Sassuolo defense across the final 45 minutes, netting the winner of course, but applying pressure the entire time as well. A proper Man of the Match performance, the USMNT star was brilliant yet again for Milan.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
It's brilliant news for Gregg Berhalter's side, as Pulisic continues his red-hot form in Italy. He's been absolutely fantastic of late, showing the top-level talent he did during his initial seasons at Chelsea. If he can stay healthy going into this Spring's Nations League semifinals and this summer's Copa America, he instantly gives them an upper hand against top-tier competition.
As for Musah, it's a minor knock that held him out of the contest. It should be no worry for Berhalter or the USMNT, with an expected return this coming week.
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Christian Pulisic (8/10): It was a slow first half for the winger, but that was the case for the entire Rossoneri squad. He came alive during the final 45 minutes, putting on an attacking clinic, with Milan riding his performance.
Southampton boss Russell Martin is likely to get backed in the transfer market and could pursue Swansea City striker Joel Piroe amid interest from the Premier League in Che Adams, according to journalist Alex Crook.
Could Joel Piroe move to Southampton this summer?
As per Football Insider, Southampton and Leeds United are keen on Piroe this summer and a fee of £15-20 million may be enough to secure his services this summer.
The report states that Leicester City are also interested in taking the 23-year-old to the King Power Stadium; however, his current employers are in no rush to part ways with their prize asset despite his £11k-a-week deal at the Welsh outfit being set to expire in 2024.
Last season, Piroe, who has been hailed as "outstanding", was in fine form for Swansea City and it is easy to see why he is garnering attention, given that he notched 20 goals and two assists in 45 appearances across all competitions in 2022/23, as per Transfermarkt.
Southampton striker Adams is also attracting a wealth of suitors from the English top-flight and could move on this window, with Everton, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers mooted to be among his many admirers, according to Football Insider.
Scotland international Adams will be allowed to leave St Mary's Stadium for a suitable fee and could be joined by James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia, who are being heavily linked with West Ham United and Liverpool, respectively.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook thinks that Southampton's hierarchy will back Martin this window and Piroe could be an individual who the former Milton Keynes Dons manager could choose to invest in.
Martin stated: "I think he'll be backed, Russell Martin, because the owners have got deep pockets. They're willing to invest. I still think, even though James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia will be a big miss, their priority will be a new number nine.
"Adams has got interest from the Premier League and he will probably go towards the end of the window. Then I think Piroe, who played and scored a lot of goals for Martin last season at Swansea City, would come into their thoughts.
"He's only got a year left on his contract and he's made it pretty clear that he's not going to sign a new deal."
Who else could Southampton bring in this summer and who could leave?
Gazzetta dello Sport via Hampshire Live report that West Ham United striker Danny Ings could be set for a sensational return to the South Coast this summer after only six months at his current employers.
Southampton are believed to be frontrunners to sign Norwich City right-back Max Aarons and it is said that he could be a potential replacement for Tino Livramento, as per talkSPORT, who is being linked with a move to Newcastle United.
In other news, Saints may be set to let Kamaldeen Sulemana move to Everton and the Toffees are reportedly 'exploring' a deal to bring the Ghana international to Goodison Park, according to The Daily Mail.
Aston Villa midfielder Lamar Bogarde has been earmarked as an alternative in the event Belgium international Lavia leaves St Mary's to join Liverpool between now and the close of play in the market, as per FootballTransfers.