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Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has shared a transfer update for supporters involving Southampton star James Ward-Prowse.

The Lowdown: Saints star shining…

Ward-Prowse, who has been having the season of his life at St. Mary’s Stadium, may well be a wanted man this summer as his stock continues to rise.

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The 27-year-old has been backed for more opportunities under Gareth Southgate at international level with England and the numbers suggest this would be more than deserved.

According to WhoScored, at least before today’s Premier League action, Ward-Prowse ranks in as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s best player in the Premier League – averaging their highest match-rating whilst clinching the most Man of the Match awards.

Sharing news on possible interest from the Lilywhites as a result, Gold now has an update.

The Latest: Paratici casts eye…

Tottenham, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have ‘long’ been keeping tabs on the midfielder – according to the journalist.

Calling Ward-Prowse a would-be ‘excellent addition’, Gold goes on to hint it could be difficult to finalise the transfer despite Paratici and co eyeing a move.

He explained (via football.london):

“Spurs have long been keeping an eye on James Ward-Prowse but I wonder just how expensive he’ll be this summer with four years left on his contract and plenty of interested parties. He’d be an excellent addition though for Tottenham with his leadership abilities, dynamic play and of course those set pieces.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara has also called the Saints’ star man a ‘massive’ player to have in your team, and not just for dead balls.

The fact he is homegrown and could help to balance that real issue at Tottenham is another major incentive to advance with reports suggesting he is valued at around the £40 million mark.

Amid his brilliant run of form, that could price could well rise, but Ward-Prowse may be worth the significant investment as manager Antonio Conte reportedly targets two midfield signings.

In other news: Tottenham ready to make major bid for ‘world-beater’ who told friends he was keen to join! Find out more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Ele chegou. O atacante uruguaio Rodrigo Aguirre desembarcou no Rio na tarde desta quarta-feira, para passar por exames médicos e, se tudo correr bem, assinar contrato com o Botafogo. Ele não poderá jogar Campeonato Carioca, pois o período de inscrições acabou, e também vem de cirurgia no joelho direito. De todo modo, deixou no ar a possibilidade de usar a camisa 13, com a qual Loco Abreu fez sucesso no Glorioso.

– Não tenho número preferido, mas seria lindo (usar a 13). Não tive oportunidade de falar com Abreu, mas sei o que ele significa. Tratarei de dar o melhor de mim para deixar algo no clube – garantiu, no Aeroporto Internacional do Galeão.

Aguirre passou por um procedimento cirúrgico em dezembro, o que não deve lhe impedir de assinar com o Alvinegro. O empréstimo junto à Udinese é até a metade do ano que vem. Ainda não expectativa para a estreia, mas ele diz estar bem.

– Após lesão e operação, preciso de tempo para me pôr em condições. Mas estou feliz. Espero estar pronto o mais rapidamente possível. Estou bem, sem dor. Não vinha trabalhando muito porque não tinha um clube, mas já se passaram três meses da cirurgia – reiterou.

Aguirre chegou a ser procurado pelo Fluminense, mas já dera declarações públicas favoráveis ao acerto com o Botafogo. Após uma negociação arrastada, ele foi elogiado até pelo técnico Alberto Valentim.

Quando enfrentou o Alvinegro pelo Nacional-URU, ele foi centroavante. Porém, como atua também pelos lados do campo, a disputa poderá incluir com Ezequiel e Rodrigo Pimpão, atual titulares.

Segundo apuração do LANCE!, Aguirre passará por exames médicos somente na manhã desta quinta, e não na quarta, pois os horários ficaram apertados.

RelacionadasBotafogoNiltão: Botafogo diz que não haverá cogestão ou descaracterizaçãoBotafogo07/03/2018BotafogoMoisés destaca rápida adaptação e promete evoluir: ‘Vai melhorar’Botafogo07/03/2018BotafogoNúmeros da Bola: Estatísticas de Botafogo 1×0 BanguBotafogo07/03/2018

According to a Manchester City source (via Football Insider), Pep Guardiola was left unimpressed by Jack Grealish following their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie with Atletico Madrid, with 

The lowdown: A feisty encounter

City became embroiled in a war of attrition with their Spanish counterparts over two legs, with the second clash at the Wanda Metropolitano particularly tension fuelled.

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Following a 1-0 success at the Etihad, the Citizens were able to advance to the semi-finals with a goalless draw in Spain but tensions boiled over in the closing stages.

Whilst warming up as a substitute, Grealish became embroiled in an altercation with Stefan Savic that would appear to have left Guardiola less than pleased…

The latest: Pep’s angry

As per the FI source, the 51-year-old is believed to be ‘unhappy’ with his £100 million record signing being caught up in the antics of Diego Simeone’s side.

It’s claimed that Guardiola ‘does not want any type of ill-discipline or provocative behaviour’ in the Sky Blues squad.

Meanwhile, the report goes on to claim that the 20-cap England ace has ‘complained’ about a lack of the ball in his short City career to date.

The verdict: Unnecessary distraction

Albeit the fracas was almost certainly caused by the ferocious nature of the opposition, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Guardiola, ever the consummate professional would rather his players steer clear of controversy.

In truth, ex-Aston Villa star Grealish has made a rather inauspicious start to life in Manchester, scoring five times and providing three assists in 33 appearances for the club.

This kind of matter will only act as an undue distraction as the 26-year-old attempts to become a regular feature in Guardiola’s side and begin to impact on the big occasions after an FA Cup semi-final goal in vein against Liverpool.

In other news: German source makes exciting transfer claim involving City! Find out more here.

Sunderland moved into the top six in League One after a late win against fellow play-off competitors Oxford United today, and Alex Neil will surely be delighted to have potential promotion back in his team’s hands with just five games to go.

The Black Cats managed to control possession of the ball (51%) and did well to win the game following the attacking threat that Oxford imposed on them this afternoon. The hosts had more shots on target, nine more shots in total and completed more accurate crosses into the box over the course of the match.

An early advantage was secured for Sunderland when Corry Evans found the net in the 16th minute, but the lead didn’t last all that long as Oxford responded in the 35th minute with a goal from Elliot Moore to level the scores.

A late substitution gave Sunderland exactly what they were searching for throughout the second half when Elliot Embleton was brought on in the 85th minute, scoring just four minutes after replacing his team-mate Jack Clarke to keep the Wearsiders’ promotion dreams alive.

Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the current League One top scorer Ross Stewart was a key component in Sunderland’s attacking output and set an example amongst his fellow forwards, ultimately leading to a priceless win for the visitors at the Kassam Stadium.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old earned a rating of 7.2 despite not scoring as he won eight duels, contributed the assist for Evans’ opener in the first half, made two key passes and created two big chances for his team over his 90 minutes on the pitch.

The Sunderland striker recently gained his first senior call-up to the Scotland squad thanks to his impressive season so far. With 22 goals and four assists, Stewart has been attracting interest from Championship clubs such as Swansea, with the Black Cats reportedly planning to secure the striker’s future with a new contract.

Neil’s side now must ensure that their victory today was not in vain by keep up their unbeaten run in League One when they play Shrewsbury next Friday, and a win at the Stadium of Light will surely put Sunderland in a very strong position to secure a play-off berth.

In other news: Sunderland will rue call on “unstoppable” 492-goal ace who has “the strength of Mike Tyson”

A major claim has been made on the current ownership of Sunderland and what it means for them moving forward… 

What’s the talk?

The Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has revealed that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is not the sole person responsible for making major decisions at the Stadium of Light.

The trust fund billionaire recently admitted that Stewart Donald & co hold the majority share in the club and Hope has now confirmed that this split in the shares has a big impact on their finances.

He tweeted: “Madrox members having to sign off on financials of key club business (such as manager appointments) & contributing to funding on a pro-rata basis would, it appears, significantly limit SAFC spending power. The “new era” is far from what we thought it would be.”

Sunderland fans will be livid

Sunderland fans will surely be left livid with this update for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be fuming that the previous owners are still making calls after the takeover. Louis-Dreyfus’ arrival at the club may have brought a sense of optimism and hope for the supporters as they strive for a brighter future outside of League One, but it now appears as though it has not been the fresh start that they may have been expecting it to be.

Madrox still have a major role in the club and this could frustrate fans who thought they would not be involved in the day-to-day business. This may be compounded by the disappointing recent form of the team in League One, as they have lost three of their last four games.

They lost two of those matches with an interim manager in place as the club spent almost two weeks attempting to replace Lee Johnson, eventually settling on Alex Neil. With this revelation that Madrox still have to rubber-stamp decisions, fans may be livid that they could have been the cause of the delay in making an appointment.

The supporters will also be fuming with the claim that their involvement ‘significantly’ limits spending power. This suggests that Sunderland could have been more active in the January transfer window to improve their squad without the limitations that this split ownership of the club appears to have brought.

Fans may be particularly incensed as this recent run of results has left the team seven points off the top two in the league table, having played more games than both of them. Automatic promotion now appears to be unlikely and the confusion around the ownership is just another issue the fanbase are having to deal with.

AND in other news, “We believe…”: Journo drops major Sunderland setback that’ll leave Neil livid…

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke (via GiveMeSport), Manchester United could make a move to sign John McGinn from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown

The Scottish midfielder has played an instrumental part in Steven Gerrard’s setup since the 41-year-old arrived at Villa Park in November. According to SofaScore, McGinn has been Villa’s best player in the Premier League this season and by some distance too, having averaged a 7.34 match rating, blowing joint-second placed Douglas Luiz and Emiliano Buendia (6.96) out of the water.

During the January window, Villa were regularly linked with a move for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma. This perhaps threw further game-time uncertainty over the midfielders, who may have feared losing their places in the starting XI. However, it is thought that Luiz would be the one to potentially make way rather than McGinn, allowing Bissouma to slot in besides the 27-year-old in Gerrard’s side.

However, the Midlands club were unable to secure the player’s services before the January transfer deadline passed, but they seemingly hope to reignite their pursuit of the player in the summer.

The Latest

O’Rourke has claimed that United could make a move to sign McGinn from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: “I’m sure he’s on Man United’s list and we are expecting Man United to be in the market for two midfielders in the summer transfer window so that opens more possibilities and John McGinn could be a feasible target for them.”

The Verdict

Due to his emphatic performances for the club, and indeed for Scotland, it comes as no surprise that Manchester United legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Darren Fletcher ignited the club’s interest in McGinn.

Kevin Campbell has reiterated that the midfielder “is absolutely crucial to Aston Villa” and has even suggested that he is “priceless”.

If Villa are to let go of the player, it would be for a fee of at least £50m. However, given his importance to the club, it may be worth driving up the price even higher.

In other news: Gabby Agbonlahor thinks Villa could cash in on this player

West Indies have left out batsman Wavell Hinds for the upcoming Twenty20 internationals and the first two games of the five-match ODI series against South Africa. The rest of the 14-man squad is the same as the one picked for the ICC World Twenty20, where hosts West Indies exited the competition in the Super Eights round.Hinds just played two games in the World Twenty20, scoring 5 against Sri Lanka and not facing a ball against India. He did not make much of an impression in the five ODIs he played in 2010, scoring 45 runs at an average of 15.Some of the players who played against Zimbabwe in the five-match ODI series in the Caribbean in March, too, weren’t picked. Allrounder David Bernard doesn’t get a mention, nor does opener Adrian Barath, who had opted out of West Indies A’s tour of Bangladesh due to an injured hamstring. Darren Bravo, who was Player of the Tournament in the A-team tri-series in Mirpur, is in prolific form and struck a century on the first day of the ongoing unofficial Test against Bangladesh A to bring himself into contention for selection in the remaining matches.The first Twenty20 international will be played on May 19 in Antigua, also the venue for the other four games for which the squad has been selected.West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.

Queensland 257 & 0 for 29 need 611 runs to beat Victoria 305 & 8 for 591 dec (Hussey 168, White 89, Quiney 73, Jewell 70, Finch 63, Boyce 6-181)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Hussey, who scored an aggressive 168, made sure Victoria will lift the Sheffield Shield•Getty Images

Victoria enacted the Sheffield Shield’s version of torture on Queensland as they moved closer to lifting the trophy. The Bushrangers, who only need a draw to take the prize, finally closed their innings 45 minutes before stumps on the fourth day after gorging 8 for 591 declared.That left Queensland with an official target of 640, but they will have to settle for batting out the final day for a draw, which is the same thing that happened last year. They started well by reaching 0 for 29 at stumps, with Ryan Broad on 9 and Wade Townsend 16.David Hussey led the way with an aggressive 168 and with Cameron White, who fell for 89, they took the game well beyond Queensland’s reach. When Hussey, who hit 18 fours and four sixes during his 198 balls, and White fell with the score at 481 the Bushrangers had an advantage of 529. But they weren’t finished.Apart from Andrew McDonald, who was unbeaten on 44, the only other person the extra time was useful for was Cameron Boyce, the 20-year-old legspinner. He was able to record his first five-wicket haul in his second first-class game, finishing with 6 for 181 off 44 overs as he benefitted from the charging batsmen.He picked up both openers on the first day but had to wait until White somehow managed to play him on when defending a long way outside off stump. Matthew Wade (20) skied to mid-off and John Hastings (26) went down the pitch and missed a slog to midwicket to be stumped.Boyce’s sixth wicket was a mystery to Damien Wright, who was given out caught behind but missed the ball spinning out of the footmarks. Overall it was a promising sign for Queensland’s future, although being a slow bowler at the Gabba is not much fun.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن نادي برشلونة كان يضع خطة بديلة للتعاقد مع مدافع في حال فشل ضم جوليس كوندي الصيف الماضي من إشبيلية.

برشلونة تعاقد مع جوليس كوندي في الصيف الماضي قادمًا من إشبيلية، لتعزيز دفاعه بطلب من المدرب تشافي هيرنانديز.

راديو كتالونيا، أكد اليوم الأربعاء، أن ميلان سكرينيار مدافع فريق إنتر ميلان الإيطالي، كان الهدف لإدارة برشلونة لتدعيم الدفاع، لكن سعره المرتفع أدى إلى فشل الصفقة.

طالع أيضًا.. ذا صن: 4 أندية إنجليزية تنافس ريال مدريد على ضم مبابي في يناير

إنتر ميلان طلب 70 مليون يورو للتخلي عن لاعبه ميلان سكرينيار، وهو ما أدى أيضًا لتوقف المفاوضات مع باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي الذي كان قد توصل لاتفاق مع اللاعب نفسه.

كوندي كان الهدف الأول لـ تشافي، ولكن البلوجرانا وضع خطة بديلة في حالة عدم التعاقد معه، وسرعان ما ابتعد النادي عن سكرينيار بسبب السعر المبالغ فيه من النيرازوري.

برشلونة في النهاية وقع مع جوليس كوندي مقابل 50 مليون يورو + الإضافات، وهو ما حقق رغبة تشافي الذي يستخدم الفرنسي في مركز المدافع والظهير الأيمن أيضًا.

ويعاني كوندي من إصابة ولم يتعاف حتى الآن منذ حوالي شهر، وقد يغيب عن مواجهة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد مساء الأحد المقبل.

ويواجه برشلونة اليوم نظيره إنتر ميلان بقيادة ميلان سكرينيار مدافع النيرازوري، في الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of India’s selection committee, has said VVS Laxman will definitely play in the second Test against South Africa in Kolkata

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2010

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of India’s selection committee, has said VVS Laxman will definitely play in the second Test against South Africa in Kolkata starting Sunday. He also said he was willing to take the blame for the mess involving the selection of India’s middle-order but it was the result of a “freakish” incident.”Laxman is going to be back in the Kolkata Test match,” Srikkanth told . “He has said he is 100% fit. [His] capability will bolster the Indian batting.” Laxman was one of the three first-choice middle-order batsmen who missed the first Test, which India lost by an innings and six runs.Srikkanth and his panel are under fire for not picking a reserve batsman in the original squad for the first Test, defeat in which has left India needing a win at the Eden Gardens to retain their No. 1 ranking. Rohit Sharma, who was part of a Board President’s XI team that played a warm-up match against South Africa, was included in the national squad a day before the first Test but he too injured himself minutes before the start, forcing India to hand reserve wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha a debut as a specialist batsman.The chief selector said he was willing to take the blame for picking a player who was not fully fit (VVS Laxman) but insisted there would have been no controversy had it not been for the unanticipated last-minute injury to Rohit. “Whatever happened on the morning of the Test match was absolutely unfortunate and freakish,” he said. “That’s what they have in this contract called ‘force majeure situations’. Imagine if a player is unfit just 15 minutes before the toss and that too a standby player – Rohit Sharma wasn’t even in the original 15 – just before the toss, I don’t think anybody can be blamed for it.”Saha was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and made a dogged 36 the second time round, but has been left out of the squad for the second Test, with Dinesh Karthik returning after two big hundreds in the Duleep Trophy final. “They all [critics] feel that Wriddhiman Saha is not a genuine batsman but a wicketkeeper who can bat. But in all fairness, Saha proved that he can bat pretty decently.”The original pool for the first Test had included four fast bowlers, though India rarely pick more than two quicks in home matches. “Generally we have an opener, a middle order batsman, a spinner and a seamer in the reserves,” Srikkanth said. “But in this Test match alone we thought we would encourage two more fast bowlers. But to our bad luck, you had one batsman walking out.”