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Liverpool have been offered the chance to bring PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arthur Melo will be returning to Juventus upon the expiration of his loan and Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also out of contract at the end of the season so central reinforcements will be required in the summer.

The Ivory Coast international’s deal at the Philips Stadion isn’t set to expire until 2027, but being Ruud van Nistelrooy’s top-performing defensive player, feels like he’s ready to embark on a bigger challenge in England which has been confirmed by his boss himself.

Speaking to Voetbal International, he said:

“Obviously he can handle [the Premier League]. I have challenged him because I think Ibrahim can go to the top in England. He would also be great in Italy or Spain.

“I see players in his position there now and I think Ibrahim is definitely going to take a shot at that level.”

The Latest: Liverpool offered Sangare

According to 90min, Sangare is ‘ready’ to complete a move to the Premier League and it’s reported that PSV are ‘open’ to cashing in this summer whilst his value is high, with his contract having a €37m (£32m) release clause.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have been ‘offered’ a chance to sign him and all are ‘admirers’ of the 25-year-old.

They’ve apparently been ‘alerted’ by Sangare’s agents that he is set to be available for transfer during the upcoming window.

The Eindhoven star’s representatives have ‘spoken’ with Jurgen Klopp and the hierarchy as well as the rest of his potential suitors to make them aware of his decision.

West Ham have also been ‘touted’ as a possible destination, but it’s claimed that he’s ideally looking to join a ‘bigger side’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Sangare has been dubbed a ‘top talent’ by football scout Jacek Kulig and Liverpool should definitely act fast to get this deal over the line ahead of their fellow competitors.

The 6 foot 3 colossus currently ranks in the 92nd percentile for most tackles and successful take-ons per game, showing that he’s not afraid to get stuck in, win back possession and dribble past his man.

The Cote d’Ivoire native’s desire to consistently contribute to his side’s efforts in the final third hasn’t gone unnoticed either having scored seven goals and provided three assists across all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).

Finally, Sangare can operate in defensive, central and attacking midfield so would add plenty of versatility to the squad, making this deal even more of a no-brainer to complete.

West Bromwich Albion forward Grady Diangana is set to be ruled out for the ‘remainder’ of the Championship season, according to journalist Lewis Cox.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Baggies winger was forced off the pitch with a serious foot injury during the 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Hawthorns on February 25, which saw him miss the following defeat to Hull.

Carlos Corberan had confirmed that the Midlands outfit were awaiting news from a specialist to discover the exact extent of the damage, but it sounds like supporters shouldn’t be hoping to see him again anytime soon.

The Latest: Diangana update

Taking to Twitter, Cox revealed that Diangana is expected to be ruled out for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign. He wrote:

“Looks like bad news on Grady Diangana. Set to miss remainder of season due to surgery on ligament damage in foot. #wba waiting for second opinion but surgery likely.”

The Verdict: Blow for Corberan

Diangana has been a regular feature for Corberan since being appointed at West Brom, starring in 19 of his 21 games in charge, so it’ll be a massive blow to lose one of his most trusted players.

The Congo-born talent has netted four goals and provided three assists in the second tier this season, where he was averaging 1.3 shots and the same number of key passes prior to his absence (WhoScored).

The 24-year-old is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game, ranking in the 99th percentile for most blocks made per 90 minutes by players in his position.

Diangana is a valuable player to have in the building having operated in four different positions this term, so it’s vital that he begins his road to recovery to get back on the pitch as soon as possible.

Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has told Tottenham Hotspur and Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou exactly who they need to replace Richarlison.

Who have Tottenham signed 2023?

Chairman Daniel Levy brought in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, midfielder James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson over the 2023 summer transfer window.

In their place, former superstar striker Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele all moved elsewhere either on loan or permanently.

Levy and Postecoglou's off-field decisions have paid dividends so far with the likes of Maddison and van de Ven seriously proving their worth as part of an exciting, new-look Tottenham team.

Maddison's two goals and two assists highlight exactly why Spurs paid £45 million to prise him away from Leicester City and the Englishman has dazzled under Postecoglou.

Tottenham currently sit second in the top flight table with three wins from their opening four Premier League matches; scoring 11 goals in the process and matching Man City's imperiousness going forward.

What happened to Richarlison?

However, one player who has been under-fire throughout last term and now is Richarlison.

The Brazil international, who was spotted "in tears" after being hauled off for his country during internationals, has scored just four goals in all competitions since signing for Tottenham in the summer of 2022.

Richarlison isn't exactly justifying his £60 million price tag so far and there have been concerns over just how much he can contribute for Postecoglou going forward.

Agbonlahor, who regularly features for talkSPORT, has suggested that the former Watford star just isn't the answser and a top striker is Tottenham's "missing" piece of the jigsaw.

The former Aston Villa striker, explaining who Spurs should go for in this regard, believes Brentford striker Ivan Toney would be a brilliant choice.

“I think Toney is an upgrade on Jackson at Chelsea, who’s a bit raw still. But he goes into most teams, apart from Man City," said Agbonlahor to Football Insider on his links to Stamford Bridge at first.

“Chelsea will want to make it happen, and they’ll give him the 20-year deal to do that. But I think Spurs should look at him as well. They’ve got Maddison, Son, Kulusevski – but they’re missing a top striker.

“Richarlison isn’t the answer. Toney could give a team like Tottenham a huge push for the second half of the season.

“I think he will have his pick of clubs. Strikers like him are rare, and they’re sought-after.”

How good is Ivan Toney?

The Bees star scored 20 goals in 33 starts for Brentford in the top flight last season; showcasing his ability as a truly prolific marksman when available.

Toney has also been praised by their manager Thomas Frank for having the mindset of a "lion".

Ivan is very intelligent, because he’s reflecting, and he deserves a lot of praise himself for also coming into a well-run club and listening to all the small bits and adding extra layers to his development and performance," Brentford manager Frank said in 2021.

"If you want to be a top player you need to work hard, constantly reflect and want to learn and then of course you need to have that confidence that he’s got so naturally.

"He’s coming across so fantastically: he’s humble, calm, but with a mindset of a lion."

Glasgow Rangers star Kieran Dowell is ruled out of tonight’s Champions League qualifier vs PSV Eindhoven, and Michael Beale has also delivered a fitness update on the rest of the squad.

What's the latest on Kieran Dowell's injury?

At Ibrox last week, Rangers secured a 2-2 draw in the European first leg against Peter Bosz’ side and they will now be hoping to secure a victory when they take on the Dutch outfit once again tonight at the Philips Stadium, with kick-off being at 8pm UK time.

The Light Blues’ attacking midfielder was absent during Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Ross County, and when the boss was asked after the game what caused the 25-year-old’s absence, he claimed that he’d sustained a knock but failed to specify what the actual problem was.

Since putting pen to paper on a free transfer from Norwich City last month, England’s former youth international has already made six appearances for the Scottish Premiership club, but if the following update is to be believed, he won’t be involved in the action this evening, meaning that the rest of the team will have to try and get the win over the line without him.

How long is Kieran Dowell out for?

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Beale confirmed that Dowell will be missing from Rangers’ matchday squad vs PSV and revealed that it’s his knee which is the area that he’s sustained the injury in. As quoted by the club’s official website, he said:

“The only [player] that is missing is Kieran Dowell, who has still got this slight problem with his knee. It's not a big problem, this game is just too soon for him. The team selection won’t be too far from last week, there won’t be too many surprises. Across our squad we do have a variety of options in the final third and we need to be better with the ball this week."

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Dowell was “unplayable” during his time at Wigan and he’s already shown plenty of promising signs following his arrival at Rangers, so the fact that he won’t be available for selection this evening will come as a huge blow to Beale.

The Ormskirk-born talent currently ranks in the 97th percentile for blocks and is averaging 1.5 interceptions per league match, so is extremely strong in the defensive aspect of his game, but having already hit the back of the net once, he’s clearly capable of making a positive impact at both ends of the pitch which is why he was brought to the club in the first place.

Dowell, who is naturally left-footed, is also a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions since the start of his career, including four roles in the midfield and even three in the final third, so he’s a great option for the manager to have at his disposal, though that won’t be the case tonight, therefore, the player will be hoping to stage his comeback as soon as possible.

Big Picture

Neither of these teams hit their straps during the T20 tri-series, clinching a win apiece, with New Zealand edging into the final then underwhelming with the bat. But this series is a meeting between two confident 50-over outfits. England have had a week to dust themselves down from the T20 setbacks – which has included a couple of days off – and readjust their sights back to the format which is becoming their calling card, while New Zealand have eight victories on the bounce this season.Whenever these sides meet the conversation quickly turns to England’s humiliation at the 2015 World Cup – particularly the shredding in Wellington – and the conversation that ensued between Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum, which persuaded the England captain there was only one way to go in 50-over cricket. There was no saving that tournament, but since then England have blazed a trail. It’s a narrative that is likely to be revisited over the next couple of weeks.Thoughts are now turning towards the next World Cup, starting in 15 months in England. There is still time for some tinkering if it’s required, but teams will want to start having a firm idea of the 15 they will use at the tournament. Both teams are probably not far from that position already.There is one notable addition to the England squad from last month with the return of Ben Stokes. Away from the debate about whether he should be on the tour or not, who makes way for his return will be one of the intriguing aspects of the series.West Indies and Pakistan were disappointing opposition earlier in New Zealand’s season, while Australia hit a post-Ashes wall (and picked the wrong side) against England last month. This series promises a more compelling tussle.Ben Stokes bowls in the nets•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWW
England WLWWW

In the spotlight

Apart from Ben Stokes, okay? Jason Roy started the one-day series in Australia with a bang, his 180 in Melbourne setting a new record for England, but since then his top score has been 49 including three single-figure scores in the T20 tri-series. Yes, mixing formats when looking at statistics is not really the done thing, but it’s all a little hit-or-miss for Roy at the moment. He appears safe despite Stokes’ return and the top-order rejig required, but a significant score early in the series wouldn’t go amiss.This is an important series for Tom Latham who has yet to nail down the wicketkeeper-batsman role, a position New Zealand are struggling to fill in both white-ball formats since the retirement of Luke Ronchi. This season his top score is 37 in seven ODI innings – off the back of a very productive series in India – but he has been given the backing of selector Gavin Larsen (his wicketkeeping has been tidy) and this New Zealand set-up likes to give players an extended run. Still, they won’t want uncertainty over a key position leading into the World Cup.

Team news

Quick bowler Lockie Ferguson has been released from the squad to play in Saturday’s Ford Trophy final for Auckland. Mitchell Santner (knee) and Todd Astle (side) have carried recent injuries with Astle’s still providing the more pressing concern. If he isn’t fit then Ish Sodhi would slot into the side.New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultBarring a late reaction to his workload, Stokes will return. That means a batsman making way, as England revert to six main bowlers, with Alex Hales seemingly the most vulnerable. Tom Curran and David Willey are likely to contest the final pace-bowling slot with Craig Overton having to wait for his chance.England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Tom Curran, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

It will be a used surface and is expected to get slower as the match progresses. Seddon Park is a venue where spin can come to the fore, although that can be countered by evening dew making the toss a tricky decision. Last year, Martin Guptill plundered 180 off 138 balls to chase down 280 against South Africa with five overs to spare. The forecast for the afternoon and evening is good.

Stats and trivia

• England have won eight of their last nine bilateral ODI series
• Ross Taylor needs 37 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs; Kane Williamson needs 23 to reach 5000 – if he does it in this match the New Zealand captain will be joint fourth-fastest to 5000 runs equal with Brian Lara
• England have lost both their ODIs at this venue: a 10-wicket trouncing in 2008 and a much tighter three-wicket loss in 2013.

Quotes

“They went a long stretch of winning one-day international cricket so they are a strong side particularly at home and we are going to have reproduce similar performances or better than we produced in Australia to win the series.”
“I think we park the T20 for now and focus on a lot of the good one-day cricket we’ve been playing. The plans are fairly different so it’s important we go back to that. We know it’s a tough challenge in England.”

United States women's national team star Emily Fox has signed for Arsenal, leaving the North Carolina Courage after a superb year with the NWSL club.

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USWNT star Fox announced by ArsenalLeaves North Carolina Courage after one yearAdds necessary depth to the Gunners' defenceWHAT HAPPENED?

Fox was fantastic for the Courage in 2023 to help the club reach the NWSL play-offs, making GOAL's team of the season as a result, but she has left the club after just one year to sign for Arsenal in the Women's Super League. It's a move that has been rumoured for some time, with several reports emerging about the transfer before Fox was spotted in the background of the Gunners' training photos earlier this week.

AdvertisementWHAT FOX SAID

Speaking upon the announcement of the move, Fox said: "It feels amazing to have signed here. When I think of Arsenal, I think of excellence, I think of a global organization, I think of family. I think of pushing the standards of football and especially in the women’s game. It’s a huge honour to get the opportunity to represent this club and I’m excited to get started and play in front of our supporters."

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall added: "We’re delighted to bring Emily to Arsenal and I’m sure our supporters will join me in welcoming her to our club. Emily has shown impressive development over recent seasons and her strengths in both phases will make her an important addition to our squad. At international level, the experience she’s built up gives her an excellent foundation to make the transition to English football."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fox, who can play on either side of the defence, will add necessary depth to the Arsenal squad in the full-back department as the Gunners battle for the WSL title. Right-back Noelle Maritz joined Aston Villa earlier this month while Laura Wienroither remains sidelined with an ACL injury she suffered at the end of last season. That said, Arsenal will lose Fox for several weeks when the USWNT compete in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, which kicks off on February 20.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Fox debuted for her country back in 2018, when she was still in college, and will become the third USWNT star to play for Arsenal in the WSL era, following in the footsteps of Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath.

Sunderland kick off their 2023/24 Championship season in a week's time as they host Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light next Sunday.

Who have Sunderland signed this summer?

The Black Cats faithful could see a host of fresh faces on the pitch for their side during the game as Tony Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman have worked together to bring in six new signings so far.

Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack, Luis Hemir Semedo, Eliezer Mayenda, and Jenson Seelt have all arrived on permanent deals.

That does not appear to be the end of their business for the summer transfer window, though, as it was recently reported by the Daily Mail that the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Southampton central midfielder Will Smallbone.

The outlet named Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Blackburn Rovers as some of the other teams eyeing up the Irish maestro, who has one year left to run on his current contract at St. Mary's.

How good is Will Smallbone?

A loan spell with Stoke City during the 2022/23 campaign proved that the 23-year-old technician is an excellent Championship performer who could be a fantastic addition to Sunderland's squad if they are able to snap him up.

Mowbray can land the dream replacement for Edouard Michut, who returned to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his time with the Black Cats last season, by winning the race to secure Smallbone's signature this summer ahead of top-flight competition.

Michut made 24 league appearances for the club last term and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64, which placed him 20th within the squad. This shows that the French midfielder struggled to deliver consistently impressive displays as he was not one of the team's top performers.

The 20-year-old gem did make 1.6 tackles per game, which only four of his teammates eclipsed, but he offered very little going forward with 0.2 key passes per game – less than 16 other players on the roster.

On the other hand, Smallbone showcased himself to be a tough-tackling creator who can be relied on to produce excellent performances on a consistent basis at this level.

He averaged a Sofacore rating of 7.00, which would have placed him joint-third with winger Jack Clarke in the Sunderland squad, and caught the eye in the defensive third with 1.7 tackles per match for the Potters.

The £6k-per-week magician also made a significant impact in possession as he created 1.6 chances per clash and racked up five assists for Alex Neil's team. Meanwhile, only Clarke (1.5) produced more key passes per game for Sunderland and only three players managed more than five assists.

These statistics suggest that Smallbone, who was once dubbed a "special" talent by journalist Josh Bunting, has the ability to be one of Mowbray's best players next season, if he can replicate his Stoke form or even improve on it.

The Saints wizard could be an outstanding creative threat from the middle of the park in a way that Michut was unable to be, whilst still being able to offer a defensive presence as a tough-tackling number eight who can win possession back for his side.

Shamsa Hashmi, former general manager of the Pakistan women side, criticised the former captain’s tactics, and said that she had been trying to control Mir’s ‘manoeuvring and hegemony by counselling’

Umar Farooq05-Oct-2017Sana Mir, recently axed from captaincy, has found herself back in the spotlight as the former women’s general manger Shamsa Hashmi said that she had been trying to control Mir’s ‘manoeuvring and hegemony by counselling’. She criticised Mir’s captaincy over the years, saying she had been discouraging players, and had taken shocking on-field decisions. Mir will be replaced by Bismah Maroof as captain, a decision that is part of the PCB’s revamp of its women’s cricket set-up following the team’s poor performance at the World Cup in June. Shamsa was herself dismissed as general manager.”I never spoke earlier in public about what Sana had been saying, because I was part of the PCB, and I do like to follow the organisation’s obligations,” Shamsa told reporters in a rare media appearance at her home. “I heard she didn’t want to work with the management of the women’s wings, but still she had been working with us for the last two-and-a-half years. Now I don’t know what suddenly went wrong. There may be a lot of factors behind it but she never conveyed those to me, except one. She wanted to have her former fellow players appointed to the selection committee, and one of them she wanted to have as women’s team trainer. I didn’t want to be a part of it, and I told her that I would have to think about it. So if that was the problem, then I can’t do anything about it.”Mir, the team manager, and a couple of senior players had been singled out for blame for Pakistan’s winless World Cup campaign. In a damning report, coach Sabih Azhar accused Mir of adopting a “negative approach” and of being completely self-obsessed. He also complained that Ayesha Ashar – who has been sacked from the managerial post and made interim general manager women wings – paid most of her attention to some senior players and was “cold” towards the younger players.”If we recall our World Cup performance this year, it wasn’t bad at all,” Shamsa said. “But the way players are being used, with rapid batting order changes and unorthodox changes in bowling – these are the things that let us down. I want to recall the England match in which Heather Knight and (Natalie) Sciver scored hundreds, and most of their runs were on the leg, but the field wasn’t adjusted accordingly.”Against South Africa, for example, we lost by [a small margin]. We actually lost the game by conceding 16 runs in the second-last over. Scoring 16 runs in last two overs while chasing is always difficult and I believe that over should have been given to your best bowler which the captain didn’t do. Against Sri Lanka, we lost only because we didn’t take the Powerplay and that was the responsibility of the captain in the middle. So these are the critical things to notice.”Mir, 31, had, before the World Cup, hinted at retiring from the game. The PCB top brass then came up with the suggestion of giving Mir a graceful exit, but later decided to retain her for a few series and assess her individual performance. Mir had also stepped down as captain of the T20 side after 2016 Women’s World T20. “I do respect Sana as a player and since she is captain, I wanted to give her a graceful exit,” Shamsa said. “But as far as her manipulation and hegemony is concerned, I told her we should abide only by merit.”

Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo is causing controversy in Japan after the governor of Nagasaki skipped a meeting back in July to watch him live.

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Al-Nassr & Ronaldo played PSG in July in Osaka, JapanNagasaki Governor attended using government fundsControversy rising over situation, calls for resignationWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that Ronaldo's friendly with Al-Nassr against PSG in July saw the Nagasaki Governor, Kengo Oishi, attend the match using government money. The match was played in Osaka, 732.1 Kilometers from the Island off the coast of Japan by road. Oishi claims he purchased the ticket with his own money, but travel accommodation and travel funds came out of the governments pocket. To make matters worse, the governor skipped an official meeting to attend the match.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report adds that Oishi claims the purpose of the event was to speak with Ronaldo's party about potentially playing a role in a future publicity event, while "some officials" claim no deal existed with the Portuguese forward. Demands for the resignation of Oishi are now rolling in, while many of his supporters also claim that the publicity would have benefitted the city, meaning the governor was acting in good faith.

DID YOU KNOW?

The two sides played to a 0-0 draw in the friendly in Osaka, with Neymar then playing for PSG in the match before his Saudi Arabian switch to Al-Hilal.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND NASSR

The Saudi Arabian side are back in action on December 22 against Al-Ettifaq, before a crucial Pro League match against Al-Ittihad on the 26th. For Ronaldo, now is a chance for some downtime until his next match, with an 11-day break before he takes the pitch again.

BBC are currently in a dispute with the Premier League over hosting rights as they are looking to reduce the £60million-a-year fee they currently pay.

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BBC in dispute with Premier LeagueLooking to reduce the yearly fee of £60mThere will be fewer games in their slotGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from The Daily Mail last month, the iconic 'BBC Match of the Day' show was set to remain the broadcaster for another four years from 2025. The likes of Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV decided against bidding for the rights to Match of the Day as they did not find it commercially viable. However, a new report from The Daily Mail now suggests that there is an ongoing conversation between the BBC and Premier League to reduce the yearly fee that is charged.

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There could only be three Saturday afternoon kickoffs since the Premier League is planning to broadcast up to 270 live games a season, the majority of which will take place on Sundays. While the BBC airs Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights as well, its flagship Saturday show, hosted by Gary Lineker, garners higher viewership. The BBC places special emphasis on the 3 pm kickoffs because of the extensive coverage that live broadcast games receive elsewhere on the other platforms.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is an ongoing petition to get rid of the blackout of the Premier League games between 2:15 pm and 5:15 pm. Since before the Premier League was established, broadcasters have only been permitted to air the early and late matches on national television in the UK due to the blackout with the majority of the games not broadcast on television. However, American investors are looking to get rid of the blackout as a means of increasing the broadcast revenue from the games.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE BROADCAST RIGHTS?

It is still expected that the broadcast rights will remain with BBC as their competitors have also raised the same concerns regarding the extremely high yearly fees for hosting the famous slot of Premier League games.