Tottenham: Ange has "convinced" an "absolute unit" to sign for Spurs

A report this week has shed light on Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou's growing influence as transfer news comes out of Spurs.

Who have Tottenham signed this summer?

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy, before the arrival of Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, moved to bring in seven major summer signings after appointing Postecoglou in June.

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 all put pen to paper on moves to north London before the September 1 deadline.

Meanwhile. 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.

Postecoglou's new-look Premier League squad has taken some shape and reports in the past fortnight have suggested they're setting January plans in motion already.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Tottenham were reported to be after a second centre-back over the summer, coming after their signing of van de Ven, but a late move for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly ultimately failed to materialise.

It is claimed that the north Londoners will be back in for Kelly this winter, while journalist Dean Jones has also said that will sign an out-and-out replacement for Kane "once we get to 2024".

"I don't know what they will look for in a Kane replacement, but they would be silly not to be looking at Ferguson right now," said Jones to GiveMeSport this week.

"I know Manchester United have had an eye on Ferguson. I'm sure Chelsea will, too, given their recruitment policy. But Tottenham have to as well.

"They're going to have to sign another striker eventually. Son is good for now. With Richarlison, everything’s up in the air. They will sign a new striker once we get to 2024."

It will be interesting to see who Spurs bring through the door next year, but according to recent reports, they've already made an out-of-window signing.

Indeed, Croatian defensive starlet Luka Vuskovic has apparently signed for Tottenham with journalist Fabrizio Romano giving his famous "here we go" to the move.

Ange Postecoglou

The 16-year-old, who is an extremely highly-rated young defender from Hadjuk Split, is set to make the move to N17 in 2025 once he turns 18.

Called an "absolute unit" for his age by members of the English press, Vuskovic has also been billed as a "really exciting" capture by The Evening Standard's Nizaar Kinsella.

Now, a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato has shed some light on his transfer, with Spurs boss Postecoglou playing a huge role.

It is believed the 58-year-old personally "convinced" Vuskovic to join Tottenham, who they say will be the "next big signing for Spurs".

The club beat Man City, Paris-Saint Germain and AC Milan to his signature, according to this report; highlighting Postecoglou's growing influence both on and off the field.

Vuskovic will apparently cost around £12.5 million, making him Hadjuk Split's most expensive transfer of all time ahead of former record holder Nikola Vlasic.

Postecoglou has been a long time fan of the player, apparently, and even had his eye on the defender during his Celtic tenure.

Santos x Atlético-MG: prováveis escalações, desfalques e onde ver

MatériaMais Notícias

Santos e Atlético-MG se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (09), às 21h30, pela nona rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, na Vila Belmiro.

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O duelo marcará o primeiro encontro do técnico Jorge Sampaoli como adversário do Santos, desde que deixou o clube, em dezembro do ano passado.

Com o Peixe, o treinador argentino foi vice-campeão brasileiro em 2019, e embora tenha saído do clube sem ganhar títulos, fez de um plantel limitado um dos times como melhor futebol do Brasil.

Hoje, o Santos tem apresentado evolução na mão do técnico Cuca, vindo de vitória por 1 a 0, fora de casa,contra o Ceará, no último sábado (05). Por sua vez, o Galo vem de dois triunfos seguidos, contra São Paulo e Coritiba, resultados fundamentais depois de duas derrotas seguidas pelo Brasileirão, contra Botafogo e Internacional.

SANTOS X ATLÉTICO-MG
Estádio: Vila Belmiro, Santos (SP)
Data e horário:9 de setembro de 2020, 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (RJ)
Assistentes:Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (RJ)e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ)
Árbitro de vídeo: Carlos Eduardo Nunes Braga (RJ)
Onde ver: Globo SP, GO, TO e MG (menos Juiz de Fora), Premiere e Tempo Real do L!

Santos: João Paulo; Madson (Pará), Alex Nascimento, Wagner Leonardo e Felipe Jonatan; Jobson, Diego Pituca (Ivonei) e Carlos Sánchez; Marinho, Lucas Braga (Marcos Leonardo) e Soteldo. Técnico: Cuca.

Desfalques: Alison, Luan Peres e Lucas Veríssimo (suspensos); Kaio Jorge e Raniel (Covid-19); Vladimir (lesão no pé direito); Luiz Felipe (lesão na coxa); Jean Mota (edema na coxa); Anderson Ceará (dores no joelho); Renyer (ruptura ligamentar no joelho); Uribe (em processo de rescisão contratual).

Pendurados: Felipe Jonatan. Jobson, Soteldo, Lucas Braga, Kaio Jorge e Cuca.

Atlético-MG: Rafael; Guga (Mariano), Igor Rabello, Júnior Alonso e Guilherme Arana; Jair, Allan e Alan Franco; Keno (Marquinhos), Eduardo Sasha e Savarino. Técnico: Jorge Sampaoli

Desfalques: Réver (gripado); Nathan (transição física) e Diego Tardelli (departamento médico).

Pendurados: Jair, Júnior Alonso e Jorge Sampaoli.

Overton plays on despite cracked rib

Craig Overton was diagnosed with a cracked rib after aggravating an injury sustained when he was hit by Pat Cummins while batting in Adelaide

George Dobell in Perth16-Dec-2017

Craig Overton gets a high five from James Anderson•Getty Images

Craig Overton has opted to play on in the third Test in Perth despite being diagnosed with a cracked rib. Overton, who was struck in the ribs while batting against Pat Cummins in the second innings of the second Test in Adelaide, sustained a further blow in a similar area when he dived to take a caught-and-bowled chance on the second day in Perth.He was subsequently sent for a scan ahead of play on the third day, which ESPNcricinfo understands showed the crack. It is thought it was caused by the bouncer but aggravated when he attempted to take the catch.While such an injury would usually rule a bowler out of the rest of the game – and potentially series – Overton opted to take some painkillers and, after attempting to bowl in the nets before play, declared himself fit for action.While Overton had no more success than any of his seam-bowling colleagues during the first two sessions of a tough day in the field for England, he impressed with the probing length he bowled and his enthusiasm in the field. At one stage he hit the stumps with a direct hit while fielding in the ring and at another he became entangled in the boundary rope as he attempted a desperate, diving save in a vain attempt to cut off a boundary.And while this was a day on which England’s grip on the Ashes loosened considerably, Overton’s bravery and determination at least offered some encouragement for England supporters.

مانشستر يونايتد يعلن مدة غياب ماجواير بعد إصابته

أصدر نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي بيانًا رسميًا بشأن إصابة أحد لاعبيه موضحًا طبيعة الإصابة ومدة غيابه المتوقعة عن الملاعب.

ويستعد مانشستر يونايتد لمواجهة كريستال بالاس مساء يوم الأثنين في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وأفاد مانشستر يونايتد في بيانه، أن مدافع الفريق هاري ماجواير، تعرض لإصابة عضلية ستبعده عن الملاعب لمدة ثلاثة أسابيع تقريبًا.

وبالتالي يغيب ماجواير عن مباريات مانشستر يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لنهاية الموسم الجاري، حيث يلاقي الفريق كل من آرسنال ونيوكاسل وبرايتون.

وأشارت تقارير مساء الأحد إلى أن ماجواير أصيب خلال مشاركته في تدريبات مانشستر يونايتد.

وأفادت صحيفة “إندبندت” البريطانية، أن ماجواير البالغ من العمر 31 عامًا لديه فرصة للوصول إلى نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي أمام مانشستر سيتي، والتواجد مع منتخب إنجلترا في بطولة أمم أوروبا 2024.

ويلاقي مانشستر يونايتد نظيره مانشستر سيتي في نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي يوم 25 مايو الجاري.

Fit Philander aiming to provide missing edge

Vernon Philander has recovered from the illness that affected him during the third Test and hopes to bring his ability with bat and ball to bear on leveling the series in Manchester

Firdose Moonda02-Aug-2017If Vernon Philander could do The Oval Test all over again, he would. And he would do it feeling the way he does now because that is infinitely better than the way he felt last week.Philander spent most of the third Test in the toilet, “losing quite a lot of fluids, top and bottom”. The same could be said of South Africa’s performance.The top order was guilty of not posting enough runs, especially in the first innings, and the bowling lacked the discipline required to contain England. Philander’s all-round ability was missed and he knew it. “In any bowling line-up, if there’s a link missing, you feel it and I’m quite an important part in that line-up,” Philander said. “I could feel my intensity was missed.”Don’t read that as a man talking himself up, read it as an international sportsperson speaking from a place of professionalism. Philander was picked to play – and the merits of including someone who was obviously ill have already been discussed on these pages – so that is what he wanted to do.He fronted up on the first morning and took the new ball even though South Africa’s initial hope was that they would bat first and he would have some extra time to recover. That day, Philander bowled 12 overs; in the innings, he bowled 17; and in the match, 32, which amounted to 17.4% of the total overs South Africa sent down. It cannot be a coincidence that at Lord’s, where Philander was coming back from an ankle injury sustained in a county stint and where South Africa also lost, he only bowled 13% of the total overs whereas at Trent Bridge, where Philander was Man of the Match, he delivered 23.9%, almost a quarter.Perhaps the more telling impact of Philander’s absence was that the most he could provide in a single spell at The Oval was five overs. While he could create pressure early on, he was unable to sustain it and neither was anyone else in the attack despite tailor-made conditions. Under thick cloud and in humidity, Morne Morkel turned in one of his best performances for little reward but Kagiso Rabada struggled for rhythm and Chris Morris with inconsistency. All Philander wanted to do was get better enough to get in on the action. “It was frustrating not to be out there or to bowl longer spells,” he said.It was even more frustrating watching the chance to win the series slip past South Africa, especially as Philander knows what victory in England tastes like. He is one of only three members of the current squad who played in the 2012 matches and took the Test mace off England at Lord’s. Philander had one of the most important hands in that victory after scoring fifty and taking a five-for. Then, a South Africa side that shone with superstars like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn may not have realised how much they relied on Philander. Now, they know exactly how much they do. It is more than they should be comfortable with because, as demonstrated last week, if Philander is unavailable, South Africa need to have other options.It may be something that comes up in their team talks, which Philander explained involved severe self-reflection. “We’ve had a few hard chats,” he said. “We have an honesty policy and we all admitted it wasn’t our best Test match. We let ourselves down with the bat in the first innings and that’s something we would like to correct.”Philander will have a role to play in that regard because he has been promoted to No. 7 and, now that he is healthier, he can show why he has long wanted to bat higher up. “I think No. 7 is ideal for me. I enjoy having to bat longer periods,” he said. But his main role will remain with the ball in hand.With heavy cloud hanging over Manchester, rain in the week prior to the team’s arrival in the city hampering pitch preparation and drizzle expected throughout the final Test, Philander may get the chance to do at Old Trafford what he would have done at The Oval. And this time, he thinks, “there’s everything to play for”.

Aston Villa: Fabrizio Romano hints at transfer Emery will "move on"

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could look to weaponise his knowledge of the Spanish market to secure further signings at Villa Park this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

How has Aston Villa's transfer window gone so far?

Aston Villa have made some excellent additions in the summer transfer window after managing to bring in the services of Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Youri Tielemans, as per Transfermarkt.

Marvelous Nakamba, Wesley Moraes, Morgan Sanson and Viljami Sinisalo have all departed the club either on loan or permanently while Ashley Young and Jed Steer left Villa Park upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of last term.

Villans boss Emery spoke excitedly about his ideals for the new season in an interview cited by The Daily Mail, stating: "I am very excited with this phase we are going to have this year. 'Now is the moment to try to build, to create a small family between us and big commitment with every player."

Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, otherwise known as 'Monchi', was appointed as Aston Villa's new President of Football Operations last month and has been tasked with navigating 'football matters' at Villa Park, which will enable him some degree of a say on potential incomings at the club moving forward.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano thinks that Aston Villa could 'explore some possibilities' in the Spanish market between now and the close of play in the window.

Romano stated: “I think they will move on other targets, for example, full-backs. I will keep an eye there for Aston Villa because they're exploring some possibilities in Spain.

“And then we will see, but for sure, Villa are very satisfied with the work they've done in the market.”

Who have Aston Villa been linked with in recent times with Spanish connections?

In keeping with the Spanish connection referenced by Romano, Football Insider claim that 27-year-old Spain international Adama Traore is being courted by Aston Villa in what would be a surprise transfer pursuit.

Traore is believed to be on a shortlist of attacking targets alongside several other options as Emery looks to add some pace in the final third heading into the new campaign.

One report in Spain has indicated that Aston Villa 'continue to push on the offensive side' to try and land Barcelona forward Ferran Torres; nevertheless, any prospective agreement would be difficult to reach with the former Manchester City star, who isn't keen to leave his current employers this summer.

Barcelona are unlikely to make a decision on the future of Torres until the future of Ousmane Dembele is solved amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain in his services.

Mundo Deportivo via TEAMtalk state that Aston Villa could financially outmuscle competitors Sevilla, Almeria and Real Betis in the race to sign Levante full-back Marc Pubill, who is expected to join a bigger club this window.

Levante find themselves in financial trouble and would be willing to sell the 20-year-old and Aston Villa President of Football Operations Monchi has identified Pubill as someone who could make an impact at Villa Park.

Patel's career-best swagger brightens drab encounter

Samit Patel has a career-best 257 to his name, moe runs than he has made all season, and a pleasure in an otherwise drab contest

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Bristol11-Jun-2017
ScorecardSamit Patel produced the highest innings of his life•Getty ImagesThanks to Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire find themselves in a commanding position going into the final day against Gloucestershire. This match, for the most part, has hummed along like an old fridge: serving its purpose but giving little joy to no one. That was until Patel interjected to produce an innings of immense quality. The 31-year-old finished unbeaten on 257, a new first class record, on a pitch that has offered nothing to either discipline.To understand how dominating this knock was, consider this: it eclipses the 226 runs he has accumulated over all of his previous eight Championship innings this season. And of course, a bit of red ink does his average no harm.Patel’s unbeaten 257, which featured 23 fours and a towering six to midwicket off Jack Taylor, was brought up with a tapped single and fist pump that bumped a 256 against Durham MCCU in April 2013 down the list. The merits of classifying university matches as first class is another debate for another time, but that Patel was desperate to beat that score – “it was the most nervous I was the whole time I was batting” – underlines his desire for worthwhile contributions.The four through cover point that took Patel to his hundred summed up his innings: not even a Test batsman of the class of Notts’ number three Cheteshwar Pujara (the next highest scorer of the innings with 67), had been able to time as well or as often on this pitch. This was his first Championship hundred of the season, and his 25th in his first class career. It was also his second against Gloucestershire – that first, a score of 176 (his previous career best in the County Championship) coming way back in April 2007, at this very ground. It was in the back of his mind – “you always remember your best” – and he breezed passed it with two runs struck over the top of wide mid off.Both 2007 and 2017 Patel still have much in common. Time takes the shine away from much, but it does not seemed to have dulled any of the strokes he played with such relish as a 22-year-old. There remains an exuberance to his shot-making, most notable in the way that he used his feet to the spinners to hit them for boundaries inside-out over extra cover – the only region left open to him. Challenge posed, challenge accepted. The swagger after each boundary has, if anything, become more pronounced.Perhaps a 31-year-old Patel has learned the value of patience, though even that is simply an observation made in hindsight: he spent more than eight hours at the crease absorbing 452 deliveries, showing great restraint to not make the mistakes of those who fell before and during his stay at the crease. Most batsmen have been undone snatching at opportunities to score. Patel simply waited. And in waiting, he made up for lost time.”It reminds you of the bad days you have with the bat. The times you can’t score any runs and you’re searching. I suppose you’ve got to try and make use of it.”I’ve been training hard with Mooresy (head coach Peter Moores) and Pike (assistant coach Paul Franks) and my mindset has been pretty good for a few weeks now. I’ve just not been converting as much as I should have done.”On 185, he had a life: skipping down the pitch to the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren, he struck high towards long on, where the fielder in question looked to have taken a good catch. Patel thought he was out, but the catch was spilled – in fact, it have even gone for six. Instead, four was signalled. That was about as ungainly as his innings got. On 192, he struck the medium pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett for consecutive fours through cover point to take him to 200 from 379 balls. “I’ve been searching for a big one for a few weeks now.” Here it was.His supporting actors changed throughout the day. Michael Lumb looked as good as you could for 23 before he was trapped by a searing yorker from Chris Liddle. Riki Wessels came out to instigate the charge, scoring his first boundary with a trademark sweep to square leg off Neoma-Barnett. A third batting point came up an over later before Patel struck his 12th boundary to take Nottinghamshire past Gloucestershire’s first effort of 303.While Wessels was unable to last much beyond lunch, trapped LBW by Jack Taylor, Chris Read’s enterprising 40, which featured the game’s first six, clubbed crisply over long on, ensured Notts put on 126 in the middle session to go into tea with a comfortable lead of 136. Luke Wood tagged in for the evening, striking a composed 38 as part of a 95-run partnership with Patel that further demoralised Gloucester, taking the lead to 232 before Read called the innings off.More misery was to come for the hosts as Cameron Bancroft was struck in front second ball by Luke Fletcher, just as he was in the first innings. Unfortunately for him, this time the umpire raised his finger. The 24-year-old from Western Australia is now averaging 16.44 from nine innings: a return far below what is expected of an overseas player, let alone someone of Bancroft’s talent. The stodginess of this Bristol pitch is enough to make any Perth-dweller homesick. Chris Dent and Will Tavare reconvene tomorrow, 202 behind with bold ambitions to try and take Gloucestershire to safety.There was further reason to cheer for Nottinghamshire as Moores confirmed to BBC Radio Nottingham that James Pattinson will rejoin the squad for their Royal London Cup knock-out match on Tuesday against Somerset. He will then be available for the following two Championship matches before his deal expires at the end of June.

Resignation had nothing to do with BCCI-ICC issues – Manohar

Shashank Manohar has said that any differences he might have had with the BCCI had no bearing on his decision to step down as ICC chairman

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Mar-2017Shashank Manohar has said that any differences he might have had with the BCCI had no bearing on his decision to step down as ICC chairman.Manohar revealed he had made that clear to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), which is presently running the BCCI, when he met them in Mumbai a day before he resigned: he told them he had already made up his mind.”It has nothing to do with the ICC functioning or these issues which are going to come up,” he told ESPNcricinfo from Nagpur. Manohar, however, did not elaborate on why he had stepped down. “Personal reason means genuinely personal. And I don’t lie.”Manohar said he would not reconsider his decision.Differences between Manohar and the Big Three emerged soon after he became BCCI president in November 2015, when he equated the finance and governance model designed in 2014 to concentrate power in the hands of the BCCI, CA and ECB with “bullying”.After being elected as the ICC’s first independent chairman in May 2016, Manohar made it a priority to revoke the Big Three model. The BCCI responded by saying Manohar was going against the body that had put him at the helm of ICC in the first place. It also objected strongly when Manohar wanted the BCCI’s share of ICC revenue cut from 20.60% to about 16%.However, in the revised revenue distribution model worked out by the ICC and approved in principle during its meetings in February, the BCCI’s share was further reduced to 10-10.2%: a cut of $180-190 million.Despite resistance from the BCCI, the ICC board voted in favour of accepting the draft constitution prepared by a five-member group led by Manohar. Only two boards had voted against it – the BCCI and SLC, while Zimbabwe Cricket abstained.The BCCI had been represented at that ICC meeting by Vikram Limaye, who is a member of the CoA. Limaye had questioned the logic behind the new revenue distribution model, saying the methods used to arrive at such a break-up weren’t scientific.Manohar, however, backed the new model during his meeting with CoA members Limaye and Vinod Rai in Mumbai on Tuesday. “It was a very good, constructive meeting,” Manohar said. “I will maintain even today that there cannot be a scientific formula.”The meeting was called by both parties to try and reach a solution that would enable the new constitution to be passed at the ICC board meetings in Dubai in April. An official privy to the details indicated that both parties seemed to have worked out a figure that was higher than the one discussed in February.Manohar said he had revealed to the COA that he was going to leave the ICC. “I told them before the meeting started that I had discussed my resignation with my wife yesterday only, and I am likely to resign. I have a message from the COA today that yesterday you told us that you were going to resign, but we were surprised. We never thought you were so serious.”In a statement following Manohar’s resignation, the BCCI expressed its “surprise” at the “sudden decision”. “Mr. Manohar’s contribution to Indian cricket is invaluable. He is a man of few words but excellent deeds. The BCCI Committee of Administrators (CoA) was looking forward to a long-term cooperation between the ICC and BCCI with Mr. Manohar at the helm of affairs.”Manohar said he could not have revealed his decision earlier to the ICC. “Most of the directors would not have allowed me not to resign.”He said he was happy with the work he had managed to accomplish during his eight-month tenure, and that he could not say whether he had disappointed the ICC board by leaving at this critical juncture.

Farhad and Naeem centuries deny South Zone victory

A round-up of Bangladesh Cricket League games played between February 19 and 22, 2017

The Report by Mohammad Isam22-Feb-2017Surviving a draw against South Zone on the last day helped North Zone retain their position on top of the BCL points table.Asked to follow on after trailing by 259 runs in the first innings, Farhad Hossain and Naeem Islam added 136 runs for the third wicket, as their individual centuries helped North Zone survive the fourth day on 403 for 8.Farhad’s 119 was studded with nine fours and three sixes, while Naeem remained unbeaten on 129, having batted for more than six hours. Naeem is now the second-highest run-getter of the tournament – averaging 106.25 – behind Tushar Imran, whose double-hundred helped South Zone post 501 in 144.4 overs.Tushar, the No.4 batsman, added 215 runs for the fourth wicket with Shahriar Nafees (74) and later strung a 96-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, who chipped in with a 65-ball 57.Tushar knocked off 220 runs – his highest first-class score – to improve on his unbeaten 203 in the National Cricket League in 2015.Suhrawadi Shuvo returned the best figures for North Zone, picking up 4 for 105, before their batting line-up folded for 242 in the 63rd over.South Zone offspinner Nahidul Islam’s successive five-fors in the game earned him his maiden first-class ten-wicket haul and kept his team’s pursuit of victory alive till the end. He found able support in Abdur Razzak and Al-Amin Hossain, who claimed five wickets between them, but their efforts proved insufficient as North Zone managed to retain the last two wickets.Central Zone, meanwhile, registered their first win in the tournament, after crushing East Zone by 227 runs at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.Put in to bat, Central Zone were bowled out for 328 in the first innings, despite fifties from Nurul Hasan (65) and Mohammad Sharif (70). East Zone seamer Abu Jayed picked up 5 for 77, while Saqlain Sajib and off-spinner Afif Hossain took two wickets apiece.Central Zone later snatched a first-innings lead of 117 runs, as Sharif, Shuvagata Hom and Mosharraf Hossain fetched combined returns of 8 for 143 to skittle East Zone for 211.Half-centuries from Marshall Ayub and Taibur Rahman then helped Central zone add 282 in their second innings; their overall lead soaring to 399 runs.With his side chasing 400, East Zone captain Alok Kapali (71) found little support from other batsmen, as Central Zone’s bowling attack – led by Hom’s four-wicket haul – strangled East Zone to 117 all out in 56.2 overs.Sharif’s all-round performance – 6 for 78 coupled with 71 runs – earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.

Newcastle Could Land Ben Arfa 2.0 with £61M Swoop

Newcastle United have been heavily linked with a move for Dominik Szoboszlai this summer and now a new claim has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Dominik Szoboszlai?

Journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones has spoken out on what the RB Leipzig star could bring to St James' Park if a deal can be done and addresses comparisons to former Newcastle player Hatem Ben Arfa.

Jones told Football FanCast:

"If Ben Arfa got people off their seats then Szoboszlai definitely can!"

"He's an unbelievable technician of the ball, his ability to spot a pass is ridiculous, he can score great goals and good around set pieces."

Would Szoboszlai be a good fit for Newcastle?

There is no doubt that Szoboszlai would very quickly become a fan favourite at St James' Park if he could emulate the impact that Ben Arfa made on the club during his five-year stint.

The 36-year-old scored 14 goals and registered 15 assists over 86 appearances for the North East club with a goal contribution every 175 minutes played, as well as holding an integral role in their most recent qualification of European football ahead of this season, securing Europa League football back in 2012.

Now Szoboszlai could be the second coming of Ben Arfa and could play an important part in their Champions League campaign next season if he makes the move to Tyneside this summer.

Over 31 Bundesliga appearances, the 22-year-old sensation has scored six goals, registered eight assists and created a whopping 14 chances, as well as averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.9 shots on goal, 1.7 successful dribbles, 1.5 tackles and 4.6 duels won per game, proving that he is a massive attacking presence on the pitch.

RB Leipzig midfielderDominik Szoboszlai.

Szoboszlai was featured in The Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ shortlist back in 2017 where journalist Tomasz Mortimer compared the Hungary international to Toni Kroos:

'He’s a tall, languid, classy talent who is adept behind the striker or as a deep-lying midfielder,'

'He has almost Toni Kroos-like qualities – brilliant ball-striking ability with both feet, a great range of passing, beautiful balance and a really high footballing IQ.'

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Newcastle to commit to the €70m (£61m) release clause for Szoboszlai as he could be a revelation for Newcastle in their pursuit for dominance and trophies over next season and beyond.

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