Aston Villa have reached an "agreement" to bring Villarreal defender Pau Torres to the Premier League, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Is Pau Torres joining Aston Villa?

Quique Setien’s academy graduate will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the ongoing transfer window is his club’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to lose him for free, and 90min have claimed that he’s told them that he’s ready to leave.

The Yellow Submarines centre-back has reportedly been made a top target by the Midlands outfit with Unai Emery a “big fan” of the 26-year-old having managed him for 105 appearances during his time in his homeland.

The La Liga star’s deal has a £55m release clause included but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that NSWE and Monchi will pay "way less" than that, and if the following update is anything to go by, the conditions of the deal have already been addressed.

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed that Aston Villa have finalised a deal for Torres with the defender having given the green-light to complete a summer move to the Midlands. He wrote:

"Aston Villa have now reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign centre-back Pau Torres. Personal terms are also in place for 26yo Spain international defender to join in what’s another big coup for #AVFC + manager Unai Emery."

Is Torres a good signing for Villa?

Aston Villa will already be aware of what Torres is capable of due to Emery’s existing connection to the centre-back, and having also been dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javier Calleja, he would be a fantastic acquisition for the boss.

The Spain international averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.3 tackles per league game last season, via WhoScored, so is a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he also likes to push his team as high up the pitch as possible having ranked in the 99th percentile for most progressive carries by centre-backs.

Torres, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 2, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the level that the Villans are looking to achieve having previously won the Europa League back in 2020/21, so he could inspire the rest of the squad to give it their all on the bigger stage next season in their first campaign in the Conference League.

Rising United States star Rokas Pukstas has decided to sign a new contract at Hajduk Split despite interest from other teams in Europe.

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• Pukstas agrees new deal with Hajduk
• Midfielder will sign until 2027
• Impressing in Croatian top flight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The midfielder has agreed to extend his stay at the Croatian club. According to, he will sign an extension that keeps him tied to Hajduk until 2027. Pukstas' current deal runs until 2025 but he will put pen to paper on a new contract soon.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pukstas' impressive performances for Hajduk and the United States youth teams have reportedly caught the attention of several teams across the continent. The 19-year-old has already scored three goals in seven league games for Hajduk this season, despite having to overcome a cruciate ligament injury.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pukstas joined Hajduk from the Barca Academy in his homeland in 2020 and rose through the youth system to make his first-team breakthrough in 2022. He has made 12 appearance for the USA Under-20s, including in the U20 World Cup this year where they reached the quarter-finals.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PUKSTAS?

  Pukstas will hope to maintain his strong form for Hajduk to boost his chances of playing a key role for the national team at the Olympic Games in Paris next year. He will also have his eye on making the cut for the 2026 World Cup with the USMNT.

Surrey’s Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick added a partnership of 256 on the final day to ensure a draw against Lancashire

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval17-Apr-2017
ScorecardIf Surrey are to make the title tilt that many consider within their grasp, they will seldom be able to bully teams as they did Warwickshire at The Oval last week. To thrive in a Division One that appears more competitive than ever, Surrey will need resilience, stubbornness, and the savvy to escape from precarious positions with minimal harm. Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick displayed plenty of such qualities in adding 256 to ensure a draw against Lancashire.Both played magnificently. In recent times Sangakkara’s innings for Surrey have taken on the air of a father playing with children in the park without wanting to be too mean-spirited: he has thrashed the bowling around a little and then generously chipped the ball to the on side, as in his tame dismissal for 46 on the third day.His brilliance for Surrey has been more fleeting than a club would hope from their overseas star; a year had passed since his last Championship century, during which there have been seven half-centuries, each containing wondrous shots yet none leaving an indelible mark on a match. But here, dreamy batsmanship fused with tenacity, as if Sangakkara was piqued by the notion that this game would be defined by another retired Test great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.After Surrey’s inertia against Lancashire’s spin twins in their first innings, Sangakkara resolved not to let the opposition attack establish such a hold again. Each of his 16 boundaries were hit so sweetly that the fielders themselves seemed inclined to applaud. Three particularly stood out: caressing Kyle Jarvis down the ground, generating ferocious power from nothing more than a nonchalant push; shimmying down the pitch and contemptuously lifting Simon Kerrigan into the second tier; and then slog-sweeping Kerrigan to reach his century, a shot in keeping with the determination to dominate that infused his innings.Borthwick, meanwhile, moved to The Oval hoping to construct innings such as this. He batted rather more austerely than Sangakkara, underpinned by a firm forward stride to inoculate his stumps from harm. If there was less for aesthetes to savour from Borthwick, he was no less effective, sweeping efficiently against spin, greeting any width on the off side by thrashing the ball through the covers, and scything anything short through his favoured leg side, as when he received an egregious long-hop on 99 to reach his century.”It’s something I’ve dreamt of for the last five or six months,” he said. On a day when Durham lost their opening game in Division Two, this, following Mark Stoneman’s debut century for Surrey last week, was another reminder of the talent that Durham has produced and now has lost.It is a little over three years since Borthwick’s solitary Test cap, as a legspinner, and a little under a year since he was primed to be picked against Pakistan as a specialist Test batsman, only for his batting returns to fall away just as the scrutiny increased. On this evidence, the first cap of the new stage of his career might not be far away, though the scramble for England places has seldom been fiercer.Borthwick believes that batting alongside Sangakkara, just as he used to for Durham, will aid his prospects. “Batting with him it’s almost like you’re learning by watching him and the way he’s talking to you. He’s a bit of a batting coach as well, he gives you tips, especially against spin,” Borthwick said. “At Durham you don’t get to play against spin much so it’s good that I did what I did today, and can learn from Sanga – he’s the master.”Yet, as well as Borthwick batted, he knows that honing his legspin, restricted to nine overs so far in 2017, will increase his chances of another England cap.”I don’t want to be a frontline anything – I want to score runs and take wickets and be an allrounder,” he said. “If we get wickets that can turn I might be able to get more wickets. Looking at that wicket there we’ve just batted on, it’ll spin. So hopefully if we do produce wickets like that than myself, Gareth [Batty] and Zafar [Ansari] can come into the game because I think it will definitely spin. Hopefully we can help each other. There’ll be times when it’ll be my day and times when it’ll be their day.”Lancashire’s flag was removed prematurely from the ground in the afternoon, as if preparing the side for an early getaway, and it seemed a recognition that this was not their day. Yet that detracted little from an admirable display in south London, with the return of James Anderson for their next fixture providing a further source of comfort.

Everton have been strongly linked with a move for Wilfried Gnonto this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Wilfried Gnonto?

According to Italian news outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Everton have made a concrete move for the Leeds United winger.

As per the report, the Toffees are the first to make a serious move for the player alongside Freiburg and the club have already made contact with the recently-relegated West Yorkshire outfit to confirm their interest in Gnonto.

It is claimed that Leeds will demand up to €20m (£17m) to part ways with their young forward this summer as they are attempting to keep together as much of their Premier League squad as possible.

Will Everton sign Wilfried Gnonto this summer?

Improving the quality of the attacking threat at Goodison Park will be the top priority for Sean Dyche this summer as he aims to stabilise Everton's situation in the Premier League after the club suffered two consecutive relegation scraps.

Whilst the midfield and defensive personnel have been refreshed with quality as the likes of James Tarkowski, Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana have become key players for the Merseysiders, the presence in the final third has been significantly weakened over the last 12 months.

Anthony Gordon followed Richarlison out of the door in January, leaving the wide attacking options limited to Dwight McNeil and Demarai Gray for the remainder of the campaign and whilst the Toffees were saved with two points to spare at the end of the 38-game campaign it came a little too close for comfort.

Now Dyche could significantly improve the forward line with opportunities presented to him in the summer transfer window and by signing Gnonto could provide McNeil with a partner on the opposite flank who can work alongside him to offer more creativity and goal-scoring opportunities next season.

Only McNeil offered more goal contributions (10) than the Italian sensation (8) in all competitions last season, which is a testament to just how poor the threat was in front of goal last season for the Toffees and how valuable the signing of Gnonto could be for Dyche.

As per FBref, the teenage sensation – hailed "special" by Michael Skubala – already ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for blocks, tackles and progressive carries, proving that not only does he have an eye for goal but is also a consistent ball-winner who can comfortably progress into dangerous positions. The thought of two lively wingers, therefore, is a mouthwatering one for those at Goodison.

With that being said, the signing of Gnonto would be a major coup for Everton as his Premier League experience and potential to develop into a really valuable threat in front of goal could set up the future of their forward line for many years to come.

Domestic cricket in Bangladesh should be scheduled during the cooler part of the year, and venues must have better facilities, the former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud has urged. Mashud has asked the BCB to make these changes after many players suffered in the ongoing heat wave across the country.In the 2016-17 season, the National Cricket League first-class tournament began in September but took a break to accommodate the Bangladesh Premier League T20 competition, which was held from November 8 to December 9. The NCL ended after a second phase that stretched from December 20 to January 6.The Bangladesh Cricket League, the four-team first-class competition, then took place from January 28 to March 8. The Dhaka Premier League, which began this season on April 12 and is likely to end in mid-June, has a history of scheduling delays as the major clubs want the top cricketers to participate in the List A competition. Since September last year, the Bangladesh team has been busy playing home or away, so it was hard for the BCB to make the clubs agree to start the DPL in March, when the top cricketers were in Sri Lanka.Mashud, who is also Prime Bank Cricket Club’s coach, said the major domestic competitions such as the DPL and the two first-class competitions must be completed by mid-April.”Implementing the domestic calendar during the season is everyone’s priority,” Mashud wrote in a Facebook post. “It won’t be possible to hold back the [Dhaka Premier] league this season but these concerns should be addressed ahead of the next season. I would urge the BCB to finish the longer-version and one-day competitions by mid-April. They can think of a T20 tournament when the weather gets hotter. I believe such a step will help Bangladesh cricket.”The temperature in Bangladesh touched 38 degrees last week. Mashud cited the examples of Gazi Group batsman Jahurul Islam and Prime Bank wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan, who suffered severe cramps during DPL matches. Zakir was particularly affected during Prime Bank’s May 21 match against Gazi Group Cricketers, suffering seizures despite being given an ice massage in the dressing room. He still hasn’t recovered from his cramps.The DPL has had to deal with other issues too. Avishek Mitra, the Mohammedan Sporting Club batsman, suffered a hamstring injury at the BKSP ground, where there was no ambulance to take him for treatment. In the end, the team had to improvise and use a cycle-van.Mashud also pointed out the effect of power failures, at the BKSP and Fatullah grounds, on players.”Like every other place in the country right now, power failure is also affecting the stadiums,” he wrote. “Cricketers don’t get adequate rest after returning from fielding for 50 overs. While there are generators in place for international matches, it is not the case for domestic games.”It is quite embarrassing to find such a situation in the only List A tournament in the country in which local and foreign stars participate. A bigger challenge awaits from May 24 when the Super League begins. Ramadan is also starting on May 27 which is a major concern for me as a coach.”

West Ham United have submitted an enquiry for AZ Alkmaar star Tijjani Reijnders in the hope of bringing him to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Tijjani Reijnders?

Reijnders is naturally a central midfielder who currently plies his trade at the AFAS Stadium having joined the U21s there from PEC Zwolle back in 2017 before getting promoted to the first team the following year, as per Transfermarkt, where he’s since gone on to become a regular feature.

In the Eredivisie, the Dutchman started all 34 games under Pascal Jansen last season and established himself as his side’s third overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.26, and David Moyes has already had the chance to assess him live in action.

During the Europa Conference League, the Irons had to face the 24-year-old’s side and will know exactly what he’s capable of having put a goal past Lukasz Fabianski, something which has tempted the boss into trying to entice him to E20.

Are West Ham signing Reijnders?

According to Sport Italia (via Sport Witness), West Ham have made an "in-depth" enquiry to discover the availability of Reijnders in the "past few days" ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. AC Milan and other unnamed clubs are also believed to have "expressed their interest" in AZ Alkmaar's prized asset, but at this stage, there's no indication as to how much it would cost to secure his services.

Should Moyes consider a bid for Reijnders?

Whilst Reijnders is a central midfielder, West Ham will know that he is much stronger in the attacking aspect of his game, and having been dubbed “unplayable” by journalist Josh Bunting, Moyes and the hierarchy should definitely consider tabling an opening offer.

The ESA & GFM client, who earns £8k-per-week, racked up 11 goal contributions (eight assists and three goals) in 34 Eredivisie appearances last season, with this form seeing him collect three man-of-the-match awards, but he’s also a creative threat away from the net.

Reijnders, who has the versatility to operate in seven various positions, including everywhere across the centre and out wide on both wings, ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries so loves to push up the pitch but was also calm and composed in possession with an 88.8% pass success rate which was higher than any Irons player, therefore he would be an upgrade on the boss’ current options at the London Stadium.

Opening batsman Jeet Raval, allrounder Colin de Grandhomme and batsman Neil Broom have all been added to New Zealand’s list of contracted players for 2017-18

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2017Opening batsman Jeet Raval, allrounder Colin de Grandhomme and batsman Neil Broom have all been added to New Zealand’s list of contracted players for 2017-18.Fast bowler Doug Bracewell was a notable omission, while offspinner Mark Craig also missed out and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi was a third absentee from last year’s list, having announced his international retirement this week.Ronchi’s departure means there is only one specialist wicketkeeper – BJ Watling – in the 21-man list, with younger candidates such as Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert set to press their claims from outside the contract group.The omission of Craig, who played just a single Test in Kanpur during the past 12 months, was no surprise, while Bracewell was left out after a year in which he played two Tests and one ODI, suffered serious injury problems, and was sentenced to 100 hours of community work for a drink-driving offence.”Doug is still viewed very positively by the selectors and has a big year in front of him in terms of bouncing back from his injury and proving his worth,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “It’s been a difficult time for him since the knee injury but we’re all hopeful he’ll make a full and sustainable recovery.”There was also no place on the list for veteran offspinner Jeetan Patel, who played five Tests and four ODIs during the past 12 months. Patel had announced his retirement from international cricket hours after Ronchi had done so.”It was agreed the time was right for Jeetan to focus on Warwickshire, so as to allow plenty of opportunity for others to stake their claims ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup,” Larsen said. “We enjoyed having Jeetan’s experience and skill over recent times but we’re into a new cycle now; it’s two years out from the ICC CWC, and we’re committed to bringing other players through.”Larsen said de Grandhomme, Raval and Broom were all deserving of their contract offers following productive periods in the New Zealand side.”Colin made a breakthrough last summer and is rated well in all three formats; Jeet’s Test numbers speak for themselves, and Neil, as well as averaging 43 in ODI cricket (with a strike-rate of 90) since his recall, is also seen as viable cover for the Test team’s middle-order,” Larsen said.Contracted players for 2017-18: Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker.

Ben Duckett’s 72 helped champions Northamptonshire home by six wickets with four balls to spare in the repeat of last year’s NatWest T20 Blast final against Durham at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2017
ScorecardBen Duckett had a major bearing on Northants’ victory•Getty Images

Ben Duckett’s 72 helped champions Northamptonshire home by six wickets with four balls to spare in the repeat of last year’s NatWest T20 Blast final against Durham at Chester-le-Street.There was also a vital contribution for Northants from South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. While Durham were unable to find a late substitute for the injured Tom Latham, Shamsi has been brought in for three games until Sri Lankan Seekkuge Prasanna becomes available.Shamsi’s chinamen proved something of a mystery as he took 2 for 20 in four overs, which included having Paul Collingwood, one of the mainstays of Durham’s innings caught low down at extra cover.Chasing Durham’s 161 for 7, Duckett initially stuggled to find his timing, despite scooping Chris Rushworth to fine leg for his only six in the third over.But the left-hander always seemed to have things under control and it was a surprise when he reverse-swept to point with 29 needed off 3.2 overs. He made his runs off 56 balls and hit nine fours.Durham’s superior athleticism restricted their visitors’ ability to run twos. Nor could Northants clear the rope with ease as it was pushed well back and Josh Cobb, the matchwinner in last year’s final, was caught on the midwicket boundary.Skipper Alex Wakely was also caught just inside the rope at backward square for 27 in the 18th over, leaving Rob Keogh and Steven Crook to score 18 off two.Keogh collected two boundaries off Usman Arshad then hit James Weighell over mid-off for the winning four.Jack Burnham lacked support in the closing overs of Durham’s innings as he completed his maiden T20 half-century in the final over by stepping across to scoop Ben Sanderson to fine leg. That brought his third four and he added two big sixes in his unbeaten 53 off 41 balls.Durham had hopes of reaching 180 while he was putting on 57 in six overs with Paul Collingwood, who also hit two sixes in his 38 off 28 balls. But once he was out to Shamsi – caught low down at extra cover – three more wickets fell to Rory Kleinveldt and only 35 runs came off the last five overs.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to improve Ange Postecoglou's squad in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club are in discussions with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal to sign central defender Edmond Tapsoba ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Although, the Premier League side are also eyeing up VFL Wolfsburg enforcer Micky van de Ven as an alternative option if they fail to land the Burkina Faso star.

The reporter Tweeted: "Edmond Tapsoba remains in Tottenham list as talks are still ongoing. He's always been top target as new CB. #THFC Spurs are now working on both van de Ven & Tapsoba deals; up to the club to decide who they want to sign, also based on financial package."

It has been reported that a fee in the region of £61m would be required to sign the centre-back this summer and it remains to be seen whether or not Daniel Levy is willing to match that figure.

Is Edmond Tapsoba good?

The Leverkusen enforcer is an excellent defender who has caught the eye with his performances for his current club in the Bundesliga in recent seasons.

He is a dominant battler who also has the quality to build play out from the back and the 24-year-old titan would come in as a big upgrade on Davinson Sanchez for Postecoglou.

The above graphic, as provided by Opta, shows that the talented ace is one of the best players in his position when it comes to winning possession back for his team, whilst his duel success rate of 59% in the Bundesliga last term also shows that he is efficient at doing just that.

Tapsoba averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 over 33 league outings for Leverkusen last season, which would place him above the likes of Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Sanchez, and Clement Lenglet within the Spurs squad.

Meanwhile, Sanchez averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.76 across 18 Premier League outings, which suggests that the Burkina Faso titan would be an upgrade in terms of the general standard of his performances week-in-week-out.

The £61m-rated colossus would also offer more in possession. He has averaged 7.22 progressive carries and progressive passes combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which places him among the top 8% or higher of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions in that time.

Whereas, Sanchez has averaged 4.09 per 90 for Spurs and does not rank higher than the top 37% of centre-backs in either statistic, which means that the Colombian international is not an outstanding progressor of the ball.

This suggests that Tapsoba, who journalist Raphael Honigstein once hailed as "outstanding", would offer far more than the former Ajax man in possession due to his exceptional ability to drive his team forward, with passes and carries to get his side into better positions on the pitch to cause damage to the opposition.

Couple this with his defensive strength alongside his average performance level and you have a player with the potential to be an extraordinary addition to Postecoglou's squad if he is able to translate his Bundesliga form over to the Premier League next season.

Erling Haaland has enjoyed a social media meme a day after his furious referee rant during Manchester City's clash with Tottenham.

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• Haaland reacts to hilarious meme
• Was left fuming against Tottenham
• Missed several chances as Man City were held

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norwegian was left fuming during Sunday's Premier League clash between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as he felt that Jack Grealish had been denied the chance to score a fourth goal for the club and seal victory in a dramatic game.

  A thrilling encounter went down to the wire, with Grealish played through on goal in stoppage time, only for referee Simon Hooper to stop the game for a foul on Haaland. Hooper had appeared to wave play on initially, leaving the goal machine to angrily approach the referee on the pitch. At full-time Haaland also told Spurs' Giovanni Lo Celso to “f*ck off” as he stormed down the tunnel.

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• WHAT ERLING HAALAND SAID

  The 23-year-old seemed to have cooled down after his outburst on the pitch as he shared a meme of himself on X with the caption, "Wtf that made me smile for the first time today."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the Cityzens might feel that they were robbed of a chance to score a late winner, they did not have the best of outings against Ange Postecoglou's side. The champions came back from behind to go 2-1 up in the first half but then conceded their lead twice in the second and were extremely wasteful in front of goal.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  Pep Guardiola's side, who are now three points behind league leaders Arsenal, will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.