Mauricio Pochettino reveals 'disappointment' at latest Christopher Nkunku injury blow as Chelsea boss provides more promising Ben Chilwell & Benoit Badiashile updates

Mauricio Pochettino admits he is worried about the fitness of Christopher Nkunku but gave a positive update on Ben Chilwell and Benoit Badiashile.

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Nkunku out for at least '10 days'Chilwell and Badiashile ready to returnPochettino disappointed with Nkunku injuryGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea’s head coach has had some good news on the fitness front with Ben Chilwell and Benoit Badiashile set to return to the squad for Saturday’s clash against Fulham. However, Nkunku is now dealing with a hip issue having missed the first half of the season due to a knee injury. Nkunku has managed just four appearances and one start since joining Chelsea and the Argentine manager is worried about the Frenchman's fitness.

AdvertisementWHAT POCHETTINO SAID

Pochettino said in his press conference about Nkunku [via football.london]: "I remember my first conference after he suffered a small issue. Now I think it's nearly 10 days he has not trained – in between eight and 10. After six months, we were waiting for him. He was so close to again feel comfortable. I am of course disappointed with that. We want him as soon as possible to be involved again."

Talking about the rest of the squad: "Good news about Chilwell and Ben [Badiashile] and we need to assess Carney Chukwuemeka to see if he's available. But Chilwell and Badiashile will sure be involved in the squad tomorrow. It's important they can be involved. We are still worrying about the situation of Nkunku. Now I think we are 10 days he cannot train. We are assessing."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Due to a hamstring injury, Chilwell hasn't played since September. Meanwhile, Badiashile, who missed the season's opening game due to the same ailment, last made an appearance in December. Chelsea face Fulham this weekend before taking in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, in which they trail 1-0 to Middlesbrough.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

With Nkunku set to miss out on around a couple of weeks of action, the Blues will be without him for their clash against Fulham on Saturday, January 13 but he could potentially return for their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on January 24.

Boult's seven-for seals New Zealand's series win

Boult’s relentless accuracy and Lockie Ferguson’s raw pace hit the high notes after Nicholls’ enterprising 83 in a dominating win

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Dec-20174:01

Highlights – Boult blinder seals series for NZ

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGetty ImagesA snowballing 130-run sixth-wicket stand propelled New Zealand to 325 for 6, before a smoldering Trent Boult blasted West Indies out for 121 with help from tearaway Lockie Ferguson.West Indies have lost every game on tour, but rarely have they appeared so outmatched. The top order showed no fight against Boult’s sniping accuracy and Ferguson’s out-and-out-pace. They were virtually out of the game inside the first six overs, in which three wickets fell, and were all out by the 29th over. With this match goes the series – West Indies are 0-2 down with one match to play.For the hosts, the 204-run victory featured several highlights. Not only were Boult’s figures of 7 for 34 better than his previous best, they were also the second-best ODI figures for New Zealand by a whisker – Tim Southee having taken 7 for one run fewer in the 2015 World Cup. Henry Nicholls also produced a furious finish to the innings, after he and Todd Astle had lifted New Zealand from 186 for 5. His unbeaten 83 off 62 balls was also a personal best.Elsewhere, George Worker produced an efficient fifty at the top of the innings, Ross Taylor’s half-century held New Zealand together in the middle overs, and Ferguson made clear his potential, claiming 3 for 17 in four overs of hostile fast bowling.Quicks of both teams were aided by the surface. Though Hagley Oval is usually the domain of swing and seam movement, it was the lift in this pitch that defined the match. West Indies had actually begun the match with some promise, dismissing four New Zealand top order batsmen with deliveries that leapt more than anticipated.Although the West Indies’ quicks’ shorter lengths had proved a danger to batsman while the ball was new, there was also opportunity later on – 68 per cent of New Zealand’s runs came square of the wicket. All innings long, only two boundaries were hit in the “V”.Boult began to maraud the moment he got ball in hand. He could have had Evin Lewis with his second delivery, had Worker held a very difficult chance some distance to his left. No matter. The last ball of that over zipped between Kyle Hope’s bat and pad, and thundered into the stumps. Next over, Boult had Lewis miscuing a pull shot to the fine leg fielder – the drop having cost no more than nine runs.Every time Boult bowled, a wicket did not seem far off. Still in his first spell, he had Shimron Hetmyer caught at slip for 2, then later, Shai Hope sending a ball high into the air off his top edge, to depart for a belligerent 23. By the end of Boult’s initial six-over burst, the target already seemed 100 too many for the West Indies.Perhaps they would have made a more creditable reply had Ferguson not added to their discomfort, however. Now quite clearly the fastest bowler in New Zealand – having pipped Adam Milne for that title – Ferguson went either at the stumps or at the body, and on a pitch that suited his bowling, had success doing both. Jason Mohammed was his first victim, fending at a delivery headed for his throat – the ball taking the shoulder of the bat and floating back to the bowler. Two balls later Rovman Powell played a shot that seemed to be light years two late – the offstump uprooted before the bat was even in position. Ferguson also dismissed Jason Holder with a short ball, before Boult came back to flatten the tail.So good were New Zealand’s quicks that perhaps West Indies were always going flounder, but in the first third of this match, the visiting quicks made regular breakthroughs, which suggested a contest could be on the cards. Then Nicholls and Astle turned what began as a recovery into a hailstorm of death-over boundaries. By the time Astle was dismissed for 49 in the final over, the previous 28 balls had produced 64 runs.As was the case for Ferguson, this was a pitch that suited Nicholls’ batting beautifully, however. Adept at the cross-batted strokes, he cut and pulled his way into a rhythm early in his innings, and let fly with the innovations later on. Of particular note was the overhead scoop off Ronsford Beaton in the 45th over – the shot that heralded the mayhem. Three overs later, Nicholls was walloping two sixes and two fours in a Shannon Gabriel over that yielded 22. In the first 37 deliveries he faced, Nicholls had hit 27 – overturning an lbw decision against him in that time. Off his last 25 balls, Nicholls plundered 56, even finding a place for the full deliveries beyond the square boundary.Astle’s innings was not quite so explosive – he had largely sought to turn the strike over to Nicholls, scoring exclusively with singles and twos off his first 35 balls. He did eventually hit out, slog-sweeping Rovman Powell for six twice in the 49th over. A little fortune made that final flourish possible: Astle had been dropped off Powell by wicketkeeper Shai Hope, in the 46th over.West Indies were not completely without performers. Sheldon Cottrell – the left-arm quick who replaced the injured Kesrick Williams in this match – was the first bowler to use the short ball effectively in this match. His figures worsened as a result of New Zealand’s fast finish, but he claimed a creditable 3 for 62 nonetheless. Holder returned 2 for 52 for himself.But although visiting teams sometimes feel as they have the measure of New Zealand conditions, the home side almost unfailingly have in their ranks players who turn the match emphatically in their favour. This is New Zealand’s ninth series victory in their 10 last bilateral series at home.

West Ham In Talks For "Powerful" £35m Ligue 1 Ace

West Ham United are still looking for reinforcements in the summer transfer window ahead of their return to Premier League football this weekend, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on West Ham's interest in Elye Wahi?

According to 90min, West Ham have made contact with Montpellier to sign their young striker Elye Wahi this summer.

As per the report, the Hammers are weighing up an offer for the player following the departure of Gianluca Scamacca and is admired by technical director Tim Steidten, however, other Premier League clubs are also interested with Chelsea and Arsenal named as potential suitors.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

It is noted that his Ligue 1 club would expect a fee of around £35m to part ways with their star, an investment that should not be difficult for West Ham to meet due to the money earned on their outgoings over the window so far.

How good is Elye Wahi?

There is no doubt that strengthening the attacking threat in east London will be a huge priority for David Moyes as the club look to improve upon their rollercoaster season in the Premier League last season.

Scamacca's exit and Michail Antonio's reported eagerness to depart this summer presents an opportunity for West Ham to bring in a fresh perspective who can provide consistent goal contributions, working alongside Jarrod Bowen and the other forwards to compete comfortably domestically and on the European stage.

michail-antonio-west-ham-premier-league-transfer

As a result, the signing of Wahi would be a great piece of business for the Hammers in their pursuit to add quality and goal contributions in the final third, as he could provide the club with a worthy Antonio heir who can become the future of the forward line.

As per FBref, when comparing the Montpellier ace's output to Antonio's last season, Wahi has comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attacking attributes including goal contributions (24 v 8), shots on target rate (58.1% v 33.1%), pass completion (68% v 53.4%) and percentage of dribblers tackled (35.7% v 25%), proving that he could be much more effective in front of goal.

In fact, Wahi was the seventh highest-scoring player in the entirety of Ligue 1 last season, as well as ranking first for his shots on target percentage and fourth for non-penalty goals scored, which is an impressive achievement for a 20-year-old who is just making his start in first team football.

The Frenchman's explosive talent has not gone unnoticed over his short career so far, with Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo waxing lyrical about Wahi's strengths and development:

"He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."

With that being said, if West Ham could secure a deal for Wahi it would give Moyes a fantastic young goalscorer at his disposal to usurp Antonio's starting berth and if he could emulate his form of last season, would prove to be a standout performer in improving the side's performances.

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast SACK manager Jean-Louis Gasset after Equatorial Guinea humiliation – despite still having chance of reaching last 16

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast have confirmed the sacking of coach Jean-Louis Gasset, despite their tournament hopes still being alive.

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  • Ivory Coast thrashed in AFCON
  • Hosts sacked manager Gasset
  • Can still qualify for next round
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The sacking of the coach and his assistant was announced on Wednesday by Ivory Coast, just two days after his team were humiliated 4-0 in their second Group A match against Equatorial Guinea, which had followed a 1-0 defeat against Nigeria. The Elephants finished the round third in their group with three points.

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    WHAT IVORY COAST SAID

    A statement from the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) said: "The contracts of the Elephants Coach Jean Louis Gasset and his deputy Ghislain Marie Joseph were terminated for insufficient results in accordance with the objective contract which linked them to the FIF."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Ivory Coast have taken the decision to sack Gasset despite the competition hosts still having a chance of progressing to the last 16. The four best ranked third-placed teams from the group stage will go through to the next round and Ivory Coast make the cut as things stand. If Zambia lose to Morocco on Wednesday, Ivory Coast will definitely be among the last 16 teams. Even if Zambia win or draw, Ivory Coast will still progress if Namibia lose to Mali in Group E.

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    WHAT NEXT?

    Ivory Coast fans will find out the team's fate on Wednesday. If they make it through to the knockout stage, they will take on reigning champions Senegal, who finished top of Group C with three wins.

Perfect game vaults Hurricanes into BBL contention

Captain Dan Christian agreed the Hurricanes had been able to play with clear minds and full hearts given the weight of expectation heaped on the Scorchers by their formidable BBL record and home fixture

Daniel Brettig02-Feb-2018

Getty Images

“Who’s next? Who cares!” was the headline in Adelaide’s Advertiser newspaper when the South Australian capital’s football team, the Crows, unexpectedly beat Hawthorn in their first AFL final 25 years ago. A similar sentiment pervaded the Hobart Hurricanes after their stunning overthrow of Perth Scorchers’ Big Bash League hegemony on Thursday night.Given the fact the host venue for the final – either Adelaide Oval or Docklands Stadium in Melbourne – will be decided later on Friday, the Hurricanes elected to travel from Perth to Adelaide, getting the long flight out of the way, and wait and see. Though they wobbled into the semis off the back of three consecutive losses and relied on Melbourne Renegades beating Brisbane Heat to qualify, Daniel Christian said the Perth result had quickly raised Hobart’s sights. A first BBL title is one game away.”We might not be [underdogs] now that we’ve flogged the Scorchers,” Christian declared. “Either way we’re pretty confident. We’ve always been pretty confident in what we’ve got as a team. Even though we haven’t played that perfect game we’ve been pretty confident that we’ve got the guys to be able to put it together so whoever we play, the Renegades or the Strikers, I’m sure we’ll be right up for it.”Yesterday I would have said the Renegades [were more likely finalists] but now that Travis Head is back I think it’s probably a bit closer because the Renegades haven’t been affected too much by the Aussie selections, although they’ve lost Kane Richardson I suppose. But they played really well in Brisbane the other night so either way we are really looking forward to it.”Christian agreed the Hurricanes had been able to play with clear minds and full hearts given the weight of expectation heaped on the Scorchers by their formidable BBL record and home fixture in front of 52,960 parochial fans at the new stadium in Burswood. He said they had also been helped by the fact that Perth did not have a spinner, having lost Ashton Agar to Australian duty and then declined to pick James Muirhead.”We were just able to go out and play and not worry about the new stadium and the hoo-ha that came along with it,” Christian said. “Finals are pretty funny. You sort of come into them and you want to play that perfect game but it’s not often you get the opportunity to do it. Everything just fell our way because once the boys got used to the pace of the wicket the Scorchers didn’t have a spinner and Ashton Agar destroyed us in the last game, so once we got used to the pace, they just kept bringing in the same pace at us and once Matty Wade and Ben McDermott got used to that, they were pretty hard to stop.”We’ve been talking all year about putting together a close to perfect performance and that’s probably as close to perfect for us really. To get 210 and then bowl them out for 130-odd, that’s pretty awesome. We’ve batted well in most games this year and bowled well in patches but we haven’t really been able to do it for the full 20 overs of both disciplines so it was really pleasing.”The Scorchers captain Adam Voges, who announced his retirement from the BBL after the game, said the new stadium required the Perth team to learn better how to play it after years at the more open WACA Ground. “This will be our new home from now on,” he said, “but we have to learn to play this ground a lot better than we did tonight.”The Hurricanes, of course, now feel like there is a little patch of Tasmania out west, having made the venue their playground for a night. Christian said the pitch, a new generation drop-in much like that of Adelaide Oval, had been a pleasant surprise. “It is an absolutely fantastic stadium. It’s stunning and the crowd was great, the wicket was great,” he said. “I got the ball caught in the lights a couple of times, that’s the only issue with the footy lights running all the way around rather than the poles that you get at most stadiums, but apart from that it was fantastic.”Being a drop-in we didn’t think the wicket would be as good as it was. We thought it might be slower and a bit lower a bit like your Etihad, MCG kind of wicket. Particularly given that it’s so new, we thought it was going to be not quite as quick. It’s quite a big ground square, we’d heard the dimensions are similar to the MCG, which suits us really, bowling slower balls into the wicket and hard into the wicket and trying to make them hit square so we were pretty confident we had the right attack to be able to slow them down or at least try to get them out.”Like the stadium pitch, the Hurricanes proved far better than expected. The BBL finals come at you fast.

Wolves working on multi-million pound transfer after "indication"

Wolverhampton Wanderers are 'trying to iron' out terms of a deal to potentially bring a vastly experienced former England international to Molineux this summer despite their known financial issues, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Will Wolves finally actually make a signing after Doherty?

Wolves have endured a tumultuous summer window that yielded shock news in the last few days after former boss Julen Lopetegui left the club earlier this week due to a breakdown in communication regarding recruitment behind the scenes, as per Sky Sports.

The Spaniard reportedly became frustrated at their Financial Fair Play situation and 'lost faith' in his capacity to change matters at the club when told that the near £70 million sum the Old Gold generated by letting players leave the club would not be reinvested in securing arrivals.

Ex-Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil has since took the hot seat at Molineux on a three-year contract and will be keen to ensure his side start 2023/24 in a positive fashion, as per BBC Sport.

One main target for Wolves this summer has been West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell and Football Insider report that they are 'expected' to complete the signing of the 33-year-old in the final weeks of the window.

Hammers boss David Moyes is demanding a fee of £4 million for the Liverpool-born left-back while Wolves have only stumped up £2.5 million so far in negotiations; nevertheless, they are keen to bring Cresswell to the West Midlands due to his extensive top-flight experience.

Last term, Cresswell made 38 appearances in all competitions for West Ham and played his part in helping the east London outfit to achieve Europa Conference League glory, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that both Wolves and West Ham are trying to find a solution regarding Cresswell following what has been a 'strange situation' over the last few weeks.

Jones stated: “This is a strange situation because West Ham weren’t asking for that much money, yet the initial deal hit the bumpers, and now the player is trying to get his head around what happens next.

“There has been an indication that a revised plan from the Wolves end is being worked on, but I have to admit there are sources around that one that have seemed shaky about it because of all the other issues and messages coming out of the club.

“He is currently looking for a new challenge but also some security around a longer contract, which he thought he would get with Wolves. Cresswell has had to show good mental resilience during this, especially with the season so close.

“But with such a long-standing relationship with West Ham, I think there is a level of respect in trying to iron all of this out so that he does not end up stuck in limbo.”

What else could happen at Wolverhampton Wanderers over the coming weeks?

New boss O'Neil faces the difficult task of preparing his side to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford next Monday and will know his side will need to be at their best to stand any chance of claiming a result, as per Sky Sports.

West Ham veteran striker Michail Antonio is being eyed by the Old Gold as they aim to bolster in the forward areas between now and the close of play in the market, according to TEAMtalk.

antonio-west-ham-transfer-gossip

Nevertheless, FootballTransfers claim that Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and Sky Bet Championship outfit Leeds United are also keen to acquire the Jamaica international.

Manchester City youngster James McAtee is another name on the radar for Wolves, though they will need to fend off competition from several clubs in Britain and around Europe to snap up the 20-year-old, as per The Daily Mail.

Rangers Can Finally Replace Kent With 5 ft 11 Whiz

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale recently hinted that the club could go back into the market to add another forward to the squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

The Gers have already brought nine new faces to Ibrox to bolster the manager's options across the park and have added three players to his attacking arsenal.

Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, and Danilo have arrived to provide a goal threat at the top end of the pitch, whilst Abdallah Sima, Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes, Dujon Sterling, Leon Balogun, and Jack Butland have also come through the door.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

However, the Light Blues boss has suggested that he is still short of a replacement for Ryan Kent, who left on a free transfer to join Fenerbahce this summer, and that something may or may not happen in that department before next month's deadline.

Who could replace Ryan Kent at Ibrox?

Beale could finally replace the one-time Liverpool prospect by completing a swoop to sign Jack Clarke from Sunderland, who has been linked with a move to Ibrox in recent months.

The 5 foot 11 sensation, who was once lauded as "effortless" by former Premier League forward Noel Whelan, enjoyed a phenomenal campaign with the Black Cats last term and could be a fantastic addition for the Gers if they are able to secure his signature.

He is a right-footed left winger, like Kent, who has proven himself to be capable of producing goals and assists at an impressive rate, at least within the second tier of English football.

During the 2022/23 season, Clarke racked up nine goals and 11 assists for Sunderland as the exciting speedster showcased his attacking quality on a regular basis from the flank.

Meanwhile, no Rangers played produced more than nine assists in the Scottish Premiership last term and no forward managed more than eight.

Former Rangers forward Ryan Kent.

This means that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur gem could be an outstanding creator for the Light Blues with his ability to unlock opposition defences if he can translate his form over to football in Scotland.

Kent only found the back of the net three times in 29 league outings and that came after he scored two in 26 matches throughout the 2021/22 campaign. This shows that the 26-year-old wizard rarely provided a significant goal threat for Rangers on the wing.

Whereas, Clarke's nine-goal haul for Sunderland indicates that the talented Englishman has the potential to be a reliable scoring option for Beale, particularly when you consider that no current Gers winger scored more than six league goals last season.

The 22-year-old phenom also has the ability to drive his team up the pitch in the same way that Kent did for Rangers. He completed two dribbles per match for the Black Cats last term, whilst the now-Fenerbahce star managed 1.9 per game for Rangers – the joint-most within the squad.

These statistics suggest that Clarke has the potential to come in as a dream replacement for Kent and a possible upgrade on the former Liverpool man due to his knack for scoring goals as well as creating them.

Leeds: Positive update in Sinisterra saga

Leeds United have endured a hit-and-miss start to the new Championship season. Life has been rocky on and off of the field, so the latest update from journalist Ben Jacobs will be welcomed by the Elland Road faithful.

Will Sinisterra remain at Elland Road?

Leeds United were in action on Friday night as they hosted West Bromwich Albion in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

The game ended 1-1, as a fortuitous strike from Jayson Molumby found its way beyond the reaches of Illan Meslier thanks to the hand of Brandon Thomas-Asante to controversially open the scoring.

Captain Luke Ayling stepped up for Leeds with a dominant header to equalise and the goalkeepers at both ends made some crucial stops, seeing it all end honours even.

Daniel Farke’s Leeds only had seven substitutes against the Baggies, something which certainly raised a few eyebrows. This is due in part to injuries but also because of the number of players that have either departed Elland Road or are soon to be on their way out.

One man whose future is up in the air is winger Luis Sinisterra, who was nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad.

Sinisterra arrived from Dutch giants Feyenoord last summer and was unable to make the all-important difference in Leeds’ relegation-threatened season.

That being said, the Colombia international did score five goals in less than 900 minutes of action, so he could surely be an asset in the Championship if he stays put.

His future has been back and forth in the rumour mill, with the latest reports suggesting his release clause is becoming a legal matter for Leeds as they aim to resolve the uncertainty over his position.

Meanwhile, Daniel Farke was said to have banished the forward along with teammates Wilfried Gnonto and Helder Costa, with the trio all the subject of much speculation, as per TEAMTalk.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Luis Sinisterra?

Leeds forward Luis Sinisterra.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has given an update on what the future holds for Leeds and Sinisterra.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “I think there is slightly more encouraging news for Sinisterra from Leeds’ perspective.

“There'll be interest and offers, and people can still match the amount of those clauses and use them as valuation yardsticks. But Leeds hope some of their star names stay, at least, until the January window.”

What is the latest Leeds transfer news?

As previously mentioned, Costa and Gnonto are also in the shop window at Elland Road.

Gnonto is certainly at the fore of all of the chatter, with Everton said to be the most likely destination for the young Italian.

The Leeds faithful made their distaste for his actions known against West Brom, so his departure seems to be the best option for all relevant parties.

Another Premier League-bound player leaving Leeds United is Tyler Adams. The third of the American trio alongside Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson – who have already moved on – Adams is headed to the south coast to play for AFC Bournemouth after a move to Chelsea fell through.

In regards to incomings, a striker is on Farke’s shopping list, although deals for Michail Antonio and Tom Cannon are faced with their fair share of stumbling blocks.

Tottenham: Spurs Could Replace Kane With "Powerful" Star

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to intensify their interest in signing Montpellier striker Elye Wahi as news comes out of France.

Who will Spurs replace Kane with?

Spurs' star striker Harry Kane, after weeks of negotiations, has travelled to Germany and signed his contracts as a new Bayern Munich player – dealing heartbreak to Lilywhites supporters in the process.

The 30-year-old, who was chasing Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League goal-scoring record, will now lead the charge for Bayern as they seek to win a Champions League title under Thomas Tuchel.

Tottenham reached an agreement with Bayern to sell their talismanic star for a fee around €100 million (£86m) plus an extra €20 million (£17.2m) in possible add-ons, but replacing Kane will be an insurmountable task.

Speaking to the press on Friday, manager Ange Postecoglou was adamant that the England forward had already made up his mind to leave this summer.

“I had a conversation with Harry the first day he arrived and he was up front and honest, and I was the same,” the Australian said ahead of their opener against Brentford on Sunday.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

“You get an indication there that he kind of made up his mind: that if the clubs agreed he would go, particularly if it was before the first game. That was my preference as well.

“There's nothing along the way that's sort of made me feel there's anything other than this outcome. None of these things happen in isolation, everyone is pretty clued into to what's going on, so from my perspective I hadn't received anything from Harry, the club or anyone else to suggest to me anything had changed about his stance."

Sourcing Kane's replacement will be imperative before deadline day, and while there are arguably no available forwards who can match his potency, Tottenham appear determined to at least give it their best shot.

A report from Foot Mercato and journalist Sebastien Denis has shared news on who they could target to replace the striker, with Montpellier star Wahi entering the "sights of Tottenham".

It is believed that Spurs have swiftly entered contention to sign the 20-year-old. The north Londoners, after losing Kane to Bayern, could "quickly decide to go concretely on the offensive" for Wahi.

The young attacker is a man in-demand, with Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain also targeting the player for new manager Luis Enrique.

How good is Elye Wahi?

ange-postecoglou

Scoring 19 goals and assisting five others in 33 top flight appearances last term, Wahi stands out as quite an exciting option given his age and potential.

Premier League sides like West Ham and Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the Frenchman, with Tottenham now joining his growing list of admirers.

Journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos called him a "real beast" while tipping the player to "explode".

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos on X.

"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

Meanwhile, other figures have branded Wahi have called him a "fast" and "powerful" striker.

Van Tonder matches de Villiers in SA Under-19 victory

The captain hammered 143 to lift the total to 341, which proved plenty more than enough against Kenya Under-19s

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2018
ScorecardRaynard van Tonder smashed 14 fours and five sixes in his 143•Getty ImagesRaynard van Tonder struck the third-highest score by a South African in Under-19 ODIs – matching AB de Villiers’ 143 from nearly 15 years ago – to decimate Kenya in Lincoln on Sunday.Coming in at the end of the third over, van Tonder nearly batted all the way through to finish with 14 fours and five sixes to lay the groundwork for a whopping 169-run victory. Aside from the captain’s effort, the opener Jiveshan Pillay (62 off 67) was the highest contributor to South Africa’s total of 341.Jasraj Kundi, who was Kenya’s best bowler with 2 for 49 from his 10 overs of medium pace, also ended up scoring the most runs. With his team 98 for 6 in the 34th over, he made 41 off only 53 balls, with five fours to help ensure the full quota of 50 overs was used. Akhona Mnyaka, South Africa’s left-arm quick, produced 19 dots in 24 balls and dismissed Kenya’s openers along the way. Thando Ntini, son of Makhaya, opened the bowling to pick up a wicket and string in 28 dots in 36 balls. Offspinner Kenan Smith also chipped in with 2 for 36.

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