Category Uncategorized

Batsmen Sean Williams and Craig Ervine are not part of Zimbabwe’s 18-man squad for the three T20Is against India starting on June 18 in Harare, after suffering injuries during the ODI series.Ervine injured his hamstring in the first ODI, while Williams, who replaced him for the second game, fractured his finger at training soon after the toss.Tendai Chisoro and Tawanda Mupariwa, who were part of the ODI squad, were left out, while the uncapped offspinner Tapiwa Mufudza earned a call-up. Brian Chari and Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who last played an international game in late 2015, were also recalled, while Chamu Chibhabha, who last played T20Is in January, was picked following decent returns in the ODI series.

Zimbabwe’s changes

In: Brian Chari, Donald Tiripano, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Timycen Maruma, Tapiwa Mufudza, Chamu Chibhabha
Out: Sean Williams, Tinashe Panyangara, Luke Jongwe, Tendai Chisoro

Chari, an opening batsman who is yet to play T20Is, impressed for Zimbabwe A in their home series against Bangladesh A in November last year, when he struck a century to secure a draw in the second four-day fixture. Mufudza, who made his franchise debut in 2011, picked up 15 wickets in 10 T20s for Mountaineers, with best figures of 5 for 20.Eleven members who were part of Zimbabwe’s World T20 campaign, in which they failed to qualify for the main round, were retained. Among the notable omissions were Tinashe Panyangara, out with a back injury, and Luke Jongwe. Having lost the ODI series 3-0, with poor batting in all games, Zimbabwe will be hoping for better results in a format in which they are currently 12th in the ICC rankings.”We’re not going to reflect too much on the one-dayers, we are just going to look to hit the ground running in T20s,” Cremer said after the ODI series loss. “We’re going to try our best to turn things around.”He hoped Zimbabwe, who are ranked below Afghanistan and Netherlands, would draw inspiration from their T20 win over India last year. “I think it’s motivating enough that the last T20 we played against India here is the one we won,” he said. “It’s motivating enough knowing how it felt when we won the last time, how good the crowd was and how we enjoyed that. Guys are looking forward to doing well and obviously having a disappointing one-day series makes us even more motivated to do well in the T20.”Zimbabwe squad: Graeme Cremer (capt), Sikandar Raza, Brian Chari, Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Neville Madziva, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Wellington Masakadza, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, Vusi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Malcolm Waller

England XI 177 for 8 (Root 48, Willey 3-35, Rashid 2-33) beat MCA XI 163 for 6 (Bista 51, Vince 45) by 14 runs
ScorecardJoe Root hits down the ground during his 48•Getty Images

The venerable Cricket Club of India has its very own “Men’s Siesta Room”, situated on the second floor of the Brabourne Stadium pavilion, and available from the hours of 12pm to 6pm to those members who could do with a lie-down. Like most of the décor in and around the grand old ground, its very existence harks back to an era of and , when it was safe to take your eyes off the action and not miss a single beat.On paper, England’s final World T20 warm-up match against a Mumbai Cricket Association XI was the sort of occasion that could have led to standing room only in the Siesta Room. Many’s the time that England have simply muddled through the motions in such contests, rotating their squad, settling for time in the middle, and moving onto the main event with minimum fuss.Times, however, have changed very quickly, and England’s final 40 overs of middle practice proved urgent and captivating. In the end, a Mumbai XI reinforced with four donations from the England squad ran their visitors close before succumbing to a 14-run defeat, the contest effectively sealed by a brace of yorkers from Chris Jordan to bowl two of England’s floor-crossers, James Vince and Jos Buttler in consecutive overs.Up until that point, England had been somewhat up against it. Jay Bista, a talented 20-year-old local boy who last week struck his maiden first-class hundred, launched Mumbai’s pursuit of 178 with a 37-ball 51, before Vince, with a measured 45 from 38, and Buttler, with a typically aggressive 25 from 16, manoeuvred their adopted team close with a 47-run stand in five overs.England did not help their cause with their fielding – both men were badly dropped in the deep by Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes respectively – but England dredged the necessary composure to close out the contest, Jordan serving up a diet of yorkers at the death, not least in an exemplary penultimate over that went for just two runs.”He’s been fantastic,” said Joe Root, whose 48 from 34 balls was the bedrock of England’s efforts with the bat. “He’s proven on a few occasions he can perform under real pressure. Now it’s about doing it consistently and when it really counts. The best thing is we’ve got these experiences to call upon when the tournament starts, so fingers crossed we can take that confidence forward.”For all that Eoin Morgan has encouraged his England team to embrace their “naivety” in Indian conditions, there’s a subtle difference between the sort of have-a-go fearlessness that he is advocating and willful ignorance of the challenges that lie in store. And with that in mind, England have made as much capital as they could have hoped from their two practice contests.West Indies on Wednesday will be another challenge entirely. “They are extremely explosive,” said Root. “They have firepower in the batting order, and are unpredictable at times, so we have got to have lots of plans in place to counter that”.However, the ongoing success of Adil Rashid as a middle-order handbrake augurs well for England’s chances of launching their campaign in style. In transferring both Buttler and Rashid to their opponents, England created a situation in which their two likeliest matchwinners could test themselves against the best that England could offer, and vice versa. It proved to be a qualified success.After batting first in a pre-arranged situation, Jason Roy and Alex Hales had biffed England along to 69 in the seventh over – neither perhaps hitting top form but nevertheless finding the gaps to rattle the scoreboard along – when Rashid started with the sort of splash that he has become something of a trademark since his stint with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash.He snared both men in the space of his first ten balls – Roy got himself in a tangle on the reverse sweep and chipped to short third man, before Hales was beaten in flight and jabbed a high looping chance back to the bowler. With flight, guile and spin both ways, Rashid conceded just 17 runs in his first three overs before Root, with the impish acceleration for which he is building his own reputation, planted his front foot to slam two sixes in a final over that went for 16.”Hopefully everyone got lots out of it,” said Root. “Personally I know I did, it’s always good to face someone like Rash, who’s got the ability to spin the ball both ways. There will be times when we have to make sure we can face that in the tournament. He’s a very skilful bowler and it’s great to get an opportunity to face someone like that in a match situation instead of just in the nets.”David Willey, the fourth of England’s exports to the Mumbai team, belatedly reminded the selectors of his merits with an improbable hat-trick as England shipped five wickets in the final 11 balls of their innings. After a first-ball lbw appeal against Roy that might have been tighter in a more competitive game, Willey came in for some tap in the opening three overs of his spell, only to turn his figures upside down with the consecutive scalps of Root, Moeen Ali and Jordan, who launched the final ball of the innings inside out over cover, but picked out Bista, lurking in the deep.”Out preparation has been very good,” said Root. “In all the training sessions, the lads have worked extremely hard, and when it’s come to the games, the guys have stepped up and performed under pressure, which is exactly what we need to do.”

Manchester United have reignited their interest in Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic ahead of a possible summer move, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Pulisic out of favour at Chelsea

The American moved to Stamford Bridge from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 with a big reputation, having burst onto the scene as the face of a nation, dubbed ‘Captain America’ for his influence on USA ‘soccer’.

Pulisic’s time at Chelsea has arguably been a little underwhelming overall, however, with the 24-year-old struggling to consistently nail down a regular place in the team under various managers.

This season, he has only started seven matches in the Premier League, as well as making 11 substitute appearances, with only one goal and assist apiece coming his way in the competition.

Pulisic’s future has been a key talking point of late, with reports linking him with a move away at the end of the season, and United have been considered a potential suitor for him.

Now, a new update has emerged that suggests the Red Devils’ interest in him is not done yet.

The Latest: United back in for forward

Writing for Give Me Sport, Phillips claimed that United are now back in for Pulisic ahead of the summer transfer window:

“I was told over the weekend that Manchester United have reignited their interest in the USA international and are considering a summer move.

“With Jadon Sancho struggling, Antony lacking consistency and fitness, and potential loans for Facundo Pellestri and Alejandro Garnacho, United are looking at profiles like Pulisic, and they really appreciate the player.”

The Verdict: Good squad option

There would be a potential risk element in United signing Pulisic, given his hit-and-miss form for Chelsea, but he could still be a strong addition this summer, with former Chelsea player Pat Nevin saying:

“There have been periods of time at Chelsea where you think he can be world class and be one of the best players on the planet, but it has been very stop-start.”

This is a player who, at just 24 years of age, has already scored 22 goals in 56 caps for the USA and racked up 92 goal contributions (45 goals and 47 assists) at club level in his career for Dortmund and Chelsea combined.

Pulisic may have to accept that, like with the Blues, he is not guaranteed to start every week, but his pace out wide could be a devastating weapon from the bench and he would provide strong competition for the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho.

The Chelsea attacker has been dubbed ‘The LeBron James of Soccer’ in the past, highlighting his reputation in his homeland, and his marketability could help United grow further in America, both financially and as a fanbase.

Newcastle United have ‘tested the waters’ ahead of a potential move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Rabiot on the move?

The 27-year-old has continued to be an important player for Juve this season, starting 17 matches in Serie A and five games in the Champions League, ranking as the Old Lady’s best player in domestic action.

Not only that but Rabiot was a regular for France at the 2022 World Cup, helping them reach the final against Argentina and scoring and assisting once apiece.

The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of this season, however, and there is no guarantee that he will sign an extension at his current club.

The Latest: Newcastle keen on signing

According to Calciomercato, Newcastle have ‘tested the waters’ regarding a possible move for Rabiot, with a Premier League switch looking most likely.

Arsenal are also mentioned as a potential suitor to sign the midfielder, who wants €10million (£8.9m) per year but isn’t being offered that currently.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Could be a great option

It would be a huge surprise if Eddie Howe didn’t bolster his midfield options this summer, bringing in someone who can be a great foil for the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

Rabiot could be an ideal candidate to come in and be an upgrade on Sean Longstaff, for example, with Hugo Lloris describing him as a ‘very elegant’ player.

A tally of 35 caps for a strong France team speaks volumes about his quality, while a combined total of 381 appearances for Paris Saint-German and Juve is another indication of his ability.

At 27, the £149,000-a-week-earning Rabiot should remain in and around his peak years for the foreseeable future and he is somebody who could take Newcastle to the next level moving forward.

Stats preview to the third Test between Australia and India in Perth

S Rajesh15-Jan-2008

Adam Gilchrist averages 66.62 at the WACA, with 533 runs from eight Tests © Getty Images
Australia’s 17th win in a row is generally being considered a fait accompli, and while the Indians might want to contest it over the next five days, there’s good reason for the home team to believe they have an excellent chance to go 3-0 ahead: in 17 Tests here since 1990, they have won 12 and lost just two, both to West Indies. During this period, they’ve averaged 43.91 runs per wicket when batting, and taken their wickets at a cost of just 25.77 each. Overall, they’ve won 20 times here in 34 Tests, with seven losses and as many draws.The other reason for the Australian optimism is the record of their rivals at this venue: India have lost both their Tests here, the last one – in 1992 – by 300 runs. In fact, all teams from the subcontinent have struggled at the WACA: out of the nine Tests played by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have lost each and every one of them. The margins of defeat indicate the games were no-contests – apart from India’s two-wicket loss to a second-string Australian team in 1977-78, the rest have all been comprehensive victories for the home side.

Teams at Perth

Team Wins Losses Draws

Australia 20 7 7 Australia since 1990 12 2 3 India 0 2 0 Subcontinent teams 0 9 0 Most of the Australian batsmen have relished the pace and bounce in Perth. Among the current lot, five batsmen average more than 50. Matthew Hayden has been ruled out, which is just as well for the Indians: he averages more than 56 here, with a highest of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003. The only failure has been Andrew Symonds, who has managed just 66 runs from four innings.

Australian batsmen at the WACA

Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s

Michael Hussey 2 258 86.00 1/ 2 Michael Clarke 2 200 66.67 1/ 0 Adam Gilchrist 8 533 66.62 2/ 3 Matthew Hayden 8 733 56.38 1/ 3 Ricky Ponting 11 811 54.06 1/ 6 Andrew Symonds 2 66 16.50 0/ 0 The pace and bounce here has confounded most overseas batsmen, and the table below indicates how difficult it has been for the top orders of visiting teams to string together meaningful partnerships. The average stands for three of the top four wickets for overseas sides has been less than 30 runs per wicket. The Australian batmen, however, have had no such worries, with average partnerships of more than 50 for each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth wickets.

Partnerships for each wicket at Perth since 1990, for Australia and overseas teams

For wicket Aus ave 100s/ 50s Overseas ave 100s/ 50s

1st 37.75 2/ 3 29.12 0/ 6 2nd 47.65 4/ 7 25.75 1/ 3 3rd 55.88 3/ 9 40.06 3/ 4 4th 50.68 4/ 6 22.00 0/ 3 5th 61.12 4/ 6 33.48 2/ 5 6th 56.04 4/ 3 28.56 0/ 9 The pitch here has always been known to favour pace, but the overall figures indicate that fast bowlers haven’t all done well either: since 2000, they average more than 36 per wicket. The spinners have struggled even more – each wicket has cost them 42.27.

Pace and spin at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Pace 161 36.06 64.45 7/ 0 Spin 48 42.27 77.7 2/ 0 While conditions have generally favoured pace bowling, few overseas bowlers have learnt the trick of bowling here. The Australian fast bowlers average 25 runs per wicket, but overseas bowlers concede more than twice that number per wicket. Among the 11 bowlers who have taken more than 20 Test wickets here, ten are Australian, but the only overseas bowler leads the pack: Curtly Ambrose’s 24 wickets in three Tests came at an outstanding average of 12.91, and a strike rate of less than 27 deliveries per wicket.Among the Australian bowlers in the current line-up, Brett Lee is the only one to have played more than a Test in Perth, and he has enjoyed the conditions here, taking 33 wickets in six Tests.

Australian and overseas fast bowlers at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Australian 96 25.11 53.9 4/ 0 Overseas 60 52.23 80.0 3/ 0

The summer transfer window officially slammed shut last week but Celtic are reportedly already eyeing up a target for when the market reopens for business.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Brendan Rodgers was able to add nine new players to his first-team squad with Paulo Bernardo, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, and Nat Phillips all arriving.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Hoops boss is now eyeing up a swoop to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in a future transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants checked on his availability this summer but the Premier League side were unwilling to sanction an exit at this juncture, however, it is said that a move further down the line is 'likely'.

It states that the Republic of Ireland international is also tempted by the prospect of being the long-term number one at Parkhead, which could help the Bhoys in their pursuit of his services.

How good is Caoimhin Kelleher?

The 6 foot 2 titan would come in as a dream heir to current Celtic shot-stopper Joe Hart as his form, in limited minutes, with Liverpool in recent years suggests that he could be a phenomenal signing for the club.

At the age of 24, Kelleher is 12 years younger than the former England international and would arrive with plenty of years left ahead of him to impress between the sticks as the long-term replacement for the ex-Manchester City star.

Unfortunately, he is currently behind Brazil number one Alisson at Anfield which has understandably led to a lack of minutes on the pitch at first-team level for Jurgen Klopp's side.

However, the Irish titan has caught the eye when he has been able to get on the teamsheet.

The talented youngster averaged an eye-catching Sofascore rating of 7.53 over three Premier League and League Cup appearances combined during the 2022/23 campaign, which included a 74% save success rate over two cup outings.

That came after his particularly impressive performances for Liverpool in the 2021/22 season as the 24-year-old giant averaged a Sofascore rating of 8.03 over four League Cup matches, in which time he saved an incredibly impressive 84% of the shots on his goal, to help his team to win the competition.

Hart, on the other hand, struggled at times last term for Celtic. The 36-year-old stopper averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 across 37 Scottish Premiership games and saved just 65% of the shots on target against him, showing that he stopped a lower percentage of strikes and delivered a worse average performance level than the Bhoys target.

He also made a worrying four mistakes that directly led to a shot for the other team during the top-flight campaign, with the veteran clearly prone to making errors with the ball at his feet. Whereas, Kelleher has not made a single blunder leading to a shot or goal for the opposition over the last two seasons and could be more reliable between the sticks.

Therefore, the Liverpool prospect, who was once hailed as "exceptional" by his national team boss Stephen Kenny, could be a dream heir to Hart as his performances for the Reds suggest that the potential is there for him to be an upgrade on the Englishman if he can deliver those performances week-in-week-out north of the border.

Leeds United need to act quickly if they are to enjoy the summer of transfer revolution that will propel them back into the top flight. Having focused on the defence, they could now turn their attention to the other end of the field…

Is Emmanuel Dennis leaving Nottingham Forest?

Of the various offensive targets that have emerged throughout the window, few stand out like Emmanuel Dennis, who ticks many boxes with regard to quality, availability and price tag, all of which would have piqued manager Daniel Farke's interest.

The Nigerian marksman has been linked on many occasions now, with the latest report emerging just last month. It is noted within that his exit has already been sanctioned by Nottingham Forest, who surely have to cull their bloated squad further after last summer's recruitment drive.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

He is valued at €10.7m (£9m) by FootballTransfers, despite still having three years left on his £40k-per-week deal at the City Ground.

How good is Emmanuel Dennis?

By securing such a coup from the Tricky Trees, Farke would be gaining a versatile forward capable of leading the line on his own, playing within a striker partnership, or even operating from out wide.

Wherever he is put though, one thing is certain: he will bring goals.

The 25-year-old titan only moved to England in 2021 and took no time acclimatising to life with Watford despite the troubles that surrounded the club. Even as they fell to the drop, Dennis posted ten goals and a further six assists, with his move to Nottingham expected to continue this trend.

However, for whatever reason, Steve Cooper only afforded the finisher six starts in the league last term.

It is this lack of faith that has handed the Whites an opportunity to prey on his expected frustration, bringing him to Elland Road with the promise that he will surely be their main man.

With experience of starring at the level above the Championship, they will hope he can not only fire them back into the top-flight but help them remain there for longer than their most recent stint.

After all, journalist Josh Bunting did outline just how prolific Dennis had been during that aforementioned campaign:

"Emmanuel Dennis has been one of the most underrated players outside of Watford fans this season, he’s been a very good addition. 4 goals and 5 assists in 11 Premier League games should be being spoken about much more. Today he was absolutely electric from the start to finish."

In securing a deal from Forest, the west Yorkshire outfit actually could replicate a success of the past, given Alf-Inge Haaland took that same path when he joined in 1997.

The Norwegian would go on to feature 87 times for the club, starring in one of their finest periods in recent history, despite the financial issues that rumbled on in the background. He was a fine utility man for George Graham and David O'Leary, even starring in their historic run to the Champions League semi-final in 2001.

His subsequent sale would also recoup the club a fine £2.5m fee, but it was not enough to save them from their subsequent debilitating drop through the divisions.

Should Dennis help them enjoy a period of success even half as enjoyable as the one which Haaland frequented, then this would be another deal from Forest certainly worth making.

The wicketkeeper, who is set to equal Brad Hogg’s Australian record for the most Tests missed between appearances, is eager to use this chance to rewrite the story of his career

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane20-Nov-2017Tim Paine can’t take a hint. In fact, he can’t take repeated hints over the course of several years.Three summers ago, when Paine was 29, Tasmania looked to the future by choosing the Western Australian import Tom Triffitt as wicketkeeper instead of Paine. Last season, it was the teenage Jake Doran – another import – who took the gloves. And this year, Matthew Wade returned from a decade with Victoria and settled in behind the stumps himself.So where does that leave Paine? In a plot-twist worthy of , it leaves him about to keep wicket for Australia in an Ashes series, seven years after he last wore the baggy green. As head-scratching selections go, this is one of the scratchiest, for Paine has been gloveman in just three Shield games in the past two years and has not scored a first-class hundred since 2006. But there are mitigating circumstances.”It was widely recognised last year in Tasmania that I was the best wicketkeeper in Tasmania,” Paine said in Brisbane on Monday, “it was just that at the time Tasmania had a fair share of battles in Shield cricket and decided to go in a new direction that was clearly a younger direction, so that was just how it panned out.”And the lack of big runs? One contributing factor was the smashed finger that he suffered while batting against Dirk Nannes in an exhibition match in 2010. Rod Marsh was Iron Gloves, but surely no Australian wicketkeeper has had as much metal to contend with as Tim Paine, who now has a plate and seven or eight pins as permanent features of his right hand, repairing the index finger that caused him such trouble after the Nannes blow.”Behind the stumps I was pretty good straight away, it didn’t worry me too much. It hurt a little bit but it didn’t take too much away from me,” Paine said. “But with batting, it really did affect me and you only have to look at my numbers in those few years when I came back. I was battling mentally, I was out there thinking I was going to get hit and if I did get hit I’d never play again. It certainly rattled me a lot.”It was not until he opened up with Tasmania’s sports psychologist, Emma Harris, that Paine was able to move past his batting troubles. And now, a couple of years down the track, he has also found an ally in the new Tasmania batting coach Jeff Vaughan, who has helped Paine rework his batting grip to better suit his pins and plate.”The opportunity has come at a really good time for me,” Paine said. “The past five or six months I’ve really started to bat well again and I’ll go into this Test with some confidence. I played pretty well last week [against England in a tour game], I’ve played Test cricket before so I know what to expect. And I’ve had some success in the few Tests I have played, so I’ll take some confidence from that.”Australia have played 78 Tests since Paine last wore the baggy green, meaning that on Thursday he will equal the Australian record for the most Tests missed between appearances: Brad Hogg also sat out of 78 Tests from his 1996 debut until he returned to the side in 2003.And while Paine admits he was surprised by his recall, he is keen to grab his chance. He turns 33 next month, and if he performs strongly during this Ashes campaign, he could feasibly have several years ahead of him as a Test keeper. Finally, it is a chance for Paine to live up to the high expectations that were placed on him seven years ago.”I’m not here for five minutes, I’m here to make the most of this opportunity,” he said. “To be honest, I’m sick of talking about being the person who hurt his finger and what could have been six or seven years ago. That’s the way I’m looking at this opportunity.”Hopefully I can be sitting in a room like this in two years or three years and we’re talking about the back end of my Test career, not ‘Geez, he could have been a good player back in 2009’. That’s something that’s really exciting for me, is to be able to re-write my story a bit and it’s something I’m really keen to do.”

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has revealed that a simple piece of advice was all it took to turn Weston McKennie's career around.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Allegri explains McKennie redemptionManager shares advice he gave USMNT midfielderMcKennie now key player for JuventusWHAT HAPPENED?

McKennie's Juventus career appeared to be over when he joined Leeds United on loan in January. Plenty of clubs were linked with the USMNT midfielder over the summer, but he ended up staying in Turin and has been a key player for Juventus this season. Now, Allegri has revealed how he inspired McKennie's turnaround.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ALLEGRI SAID

After Juventus beat Roma 1-0 on Saturday evening, Allegri said: "How did I transform McKennie? I didn't transform him… I just told him during the summer that he had a great chance of staying at Juventus as long as he started running on July 15 and stopped on May 26."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After being used sparingly during his first three seasons at Juventus, McKennie is now one of the first names on Allegri's team sheet. The 25-year-old has appeared in all 18 of his side's Serie A games this term, and was named Juventus' player of the season so far by TuttoSport.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MCKENNIE?

McKennie's performances have played no small part in Juventus launching a surprise title challenge. He'll look to carry his impressive form into 2024, starting with a Coppa Italia clash with Salernitana on January 4.

Everton are interested in signing Leicester City centre-back Jonny Evans in the summer transfer window, according to a video that has surfaced from the club's official training footage.

How much does Jonny Evans per week?

The 35-year-old has enjoyed an excellent career for both club and country, proving to be an unruffled presence at the heart of so many defences. Having started in the youth team at Manchester United, he ended up breaking into the first team there, making 198 appearances in the process, and winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League crown along the way.

Since then, the £100,000-a-week-earning Evans has played for West Brom and Leicester – he has also enjoyed loan spells elsewhere – but his contract with the latter expired at the end of last month and there still seems to be uncertainty over his future, in terms of whether he will sign an extension or not after the Foxes went down.

Everton are sniffing around for new signings, as they look to improve on a hugely disappointing league campaign of their own in 2022/23, with additions required to bolster both the starting lineup and the general depth within the squad, with a third relegation battle in a row something that isn't worth thinking about.

It looks as though Evans is a target for the Blues, in that respect, following a new update regarding the veteran centre-back's future.

Could Everton sign Jonny Evans?

As per @ITalkEverton on Twitter [via The Daily Mail], Everton could be set to make a move for Evans during the current transfer window, as the Toffees Twitter user shared a now-deleted clip from the club's pre-season training camp, in which an off-camera figure can be heard saying: "We've got Jonny Evans coming in."

Evans may now be 35 years of age and past his prime as a footballer, but there is still some sense in Everton making a move for him in the current transfer window, especially as Dyche is to be trusted when it comes to defensive signings, having made Burnley such a well-organised unit down the years.

The Northern Irishman is now a massively experienced footballer who has made 356 appearances in the Premier League and won 91 caps for his country, and he could come in as a direct replacement for Conor Coady, whose loan move to Goodison Park wasn't made permanent at the end of last season.

It would be wrong to expect Evans to come in as a regular starter, given his age, but he could act as a safe pair of hands when required, putting his defensive nous to good use. The fact that he would be available on a free transfer also makes it less of a risk, should the deal ultimately backfire.

The former United defender earned the praise of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2012, with the Scot saying, "Jonny's always had terrific ability and it's good to see he's in consistent form", while Keith Gillespie once described his compatriot as "absolutely unbelievable", which further highlights how highly he is thought of when he's fit and firing.

Everton need to be making more signings on top of Evans, with a younger centre-back also required, but the out-of-contract Northern Irishman could be a shrewd purchase on a short-term basis.