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Italian source Noi Biancocelesti has now shared an interesting transfer update involving Tottenham Hotspur and Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

The Lowdown: Conte wants him…

Spurs boss Antonio Conte, according to recent reports, is a really big fan of the Serbian international with links to the north Londoners starting to emerge in April.

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Regional news outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi claimed last month that the Lilywhites ‘could really make an attempt’ to sign Milinkovic-Savic in the summer window – but much will depend on their ability to qualify for the Champions League.

Both Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are allegedly ‘crazy’ for the midfielder who is attracting serious demand.

The Latest: Milinkovic-Savic update emerges…

As per Noi Biancocelesti, an update has emerged with Spurs still firmly in the mix.

They say a ‘real auction has been launched’ for Milinkovic-Savic as Manchester United attempt to move, with The Red Devils even readying a £68 million bid which ‘would satisfy’ Lazio president Claudio Lotito.

However, Lotito is stalling due to more potential offers and interest from Tottenham who ‘would like to bring’ the 27-year-old to Hotspur Way – backing Conte with his signing.

The Italian is said to ‘dote’ on Serie A’s midfield machine and ‘knows him very well’.

The Verdict: Ambitious move…

Chairman Daniel Levy will have to sanction a big money bid to make this potentially ambitious Spurs move happen and one which would almost certainly break their transfer record.

The marquee Lazio ace would be a stellar addition though and one which would almost certainly appease Conte amid his own links to Paris-Saint Germain.

Called ‘extraordinary’ by AC Milan legend and Parma sporting director Demetrio Albertini, Milinkovic-Savic stands out as Maurizio Sarri’s most crucial player going by average match rating per 90 this season (WhoScored).

He’s also played more minutes than any Lazio player domestically, making the most tackles per match out of all of them in that time (WhoScored).

Milinkovic-Savic has also racked up an incredible ten goals and 11 assists going forward in the league, coming as a real midfield all-rounder who can seemingly do it all.

There is little wonder he will command a huge summer fee and Spurs will need to pull out all the stops to beat United to his Premier League signing.

In other news: Tottenham expected to move for ‘phenomenal’ £101m star after Conte request, find out more here.

As per Tim Spiers’ latest report for The Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers had an opportunity to move for former Lyon and now Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

24-year-old Guimaraes had attracted the attention of Europe’s finest outfits after another impressive campaign with Lyon in Ligue 1.

The notable sides who were interested in signing the Lyon star were Arsenal and Newcastle, with the latter signing him for £33.3m plus £6.5m in add-ons.

Spiers states in his report that Wolves “courted” the Brazilian star, before he completed his move to St James’ Park.

“The Best”

Newcastle United’s signing of the 24-year-old has turned out to be nothing short of astute, nor mesmeric.

Despite arriving as one of the most prominent central defensive midfielders around, Howe has been blown away by his technical ability and wants the Brazilian on the ball as much as possible.

As such, he has primarily functioned as a central midfielder for Newcastle United this season – a position that Wolves desperately need with the reported potential outgoings of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker.

Bruno Lage will surely regret not moving for the No.39 wearing midfielder after he watched him run the show when the two sides met in Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Howe’s side in early April, completing 86% of his passes, 100% of his dribbles and winning a whopping 12 duels.

Guimaraes, who has been described as “the best” by journalist Charlie Bennett and as “out of this world” by Tom Barclay, has discovered his goalscoring touch in England, having scored three times in his last four Premier League games for the Magpies.

Almost all of Guimaraes’ metrics are in and around the 90th percentile on FBref, with his match average of 6.26 progressive passes, and 3.23 shot-creating actions per 90 a stand out compared to the likes of Dendoncker who registers an average of 1.99 progressive passes per 90, with a match average of 1.50 shot-creating actions.

Howe is right in letting him flourish as a central midfielder, as his attributes are so outstanding that it would be a waste to restrict him to defensive duties. On the other hand, Lage and Wolves were wrong in not actioning this deal if, as reported, they had the option to sign him.

The latest report from Spiers will come as a dagger in the hearts of a passionate fanbase who would have adored the Brazilian sensation.

Wolves have had a nightmare with this deal.

In other news: Lage must unleash “unplayable” £25.2m-rated Wolves reject, he’s better than Trincao

Newcastle United are reportedly set to make an audacious bid to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer as their search for a centre-forward addition hots up.

What’s the word?

As per The Telegraph, the Magpies ‘will launch’ a bid to prise the 25-year-old away from Goodison Park in the upcoming transfer window, with the Tynesiders believing that a deal can progress ‘rapidly’ now that the Toffees are likely to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Previous reports had suggested it could take as much as £60m to secure the 11-cap international’s services with three years still left on his existing deal, with a reduction in that asking price likely to have only been caused by Frank Lampard’s side dropping to the Championship.

It would appear that a new centre-forward is high on the priority list for Eddie Howe and co this summer, amid reports also linking the St James’ Park outfit to Reims youngster Hugo Ekitike and Benfica’s Darwin Nunez.

Better than Wood

The club’s need for a new striker has been heightened by the failings of January arrival Chris Wood. The former Burnley marksman, who joined in a sizeable £25m deal in the winter, has yet to prove he is anything other than just a temporary, albeit expensive, fix.

A reliable goalscorer during his days at Turf Moor, with 53 in 165 games in all competitions for the club, the New Zealand international had appeared an astute capture to help Howe’s men stave off the drop, although he has since proven more of a hindrance than a help despite the club’s impressive run of form.

In his 16 Premier League outings for his current club this term – 15 of which have come as starts – the 30-year-old has netted just twice so far, while his style of play seemingly appears at odds with the progressive approach of his manager, having recorded a mere 52.8% pass success rate.

In need of a quality and more youthful upgrade, in Calvert-Lewin the club have found their ideal fit, the 25-year-old having proven himself to be both a real handful in attack and a notable finisher in recent years.

Although the current campaign has been a frustrating one, with the 25-year-old scored just three times in 14 league games during an injury-hit season, the £37.8m-rated gem had been in prolific form prior to 2021/22, netting 29 top-flight goals across the previous two seasons.

Such form has seen Everton team-mate Richarlison dub the former Sheffield United man a “nightmare” to play against.He compared him to Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo for his impressive leap, with the athletic 6 foot 2 marksman proving a real “pest” for opposition defenders, according to Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate.

Despite his frustrations this term, the £72k-per-week ace remains a real talent and someone that can lead the line under Howe for years to come, with PIF needing to ensure they go all-out with their bid to drag him away from Lampard’s charges.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Former Scotland striker Frank McAevnnie has made a claim involving Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch’s future beyond the end of the current campaign. 

The lowdown: A tough act to follow

Appointed in February following the departure of Elland Road favourite Marcelo Bielsa, the American was always swimming against the tide somewhat in Yorkshire.

The 48-year-old has taken charge of 11 matches since arriving at the club, picking up three wins and an average points per game ratio of 1.09, better than his predecessor’s 0.88 during the 2021/22 season.

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Despite the slight upturn in fortunes since his arrival, Marsch is still under extreme pressure as Leeds stare down the barrel of relegation, with just one point separating the Whites and 18th-placed Burnley.

The latest: Writing on the wall?

Speaking to Football Insider, former West Ham United and Celtic striker McAvennie claimed that Marsch won’t be at the club next term.

The 62-year-old said: “It’s not looking good, is it? Burnley and Everton look like they have turned a corner and Leeds are getting worse.

“They are pretty much going down in my opinion. The manager has done absolutely nothing. The whole thing about him coming in was that he was meant to stop Leeds conceding loads of goals, that hasn’t happened.

“I don’t think it’s worked out for him and it seems like the fans have turned on him. I don’t expect he will be there next season either way, it hasn’t worked.”

The verdict: Stay of execution needed

Having been handed a late lifeline by Pascal Struijk’s last-gasp equaliser against Brighton over the weekend, the Whites’ survival hopes have been lifted heading into the final week of a testing campaign.

However, regardless of whether or not Leeds preserve their top-flight status, Marsch will surely be granted the opportunity to oversee a rebuild in the summer.

Both Bielsa and the former RB Leipzig boss have had to cope with squads decimated by injuries to key players and more recently suspensions, making the job almost impossible with such a small pool of Premier League-ready players available.

Whilst it would be a bitter pill to swallow should Leeds make an untimely return to the Championship, Marsch wouldn’t wholly be to blame and therefore would be deserving of the chance to bring the Whites straight back, and he certainly must stay in situ should the drop be avoided.

In other news: Leeds want this powerful 12-goal striker who is ‘ideal’ for the Championship

Englishman keen to push for a BBL title after missing out last season but his availability will depend on England selection

Alex Malcolm06-Sep-2021Sydney Thunder are putting the band back together with England batter Sam Billings re-signing for another stint in the BBL, this time under new coach and former England mentor Trevor Bayliss.Billings’ return comes hot on the heels of Alex Hales, with the England duo to be reunited with Bayliss after playing previously at Thunder under Shane Bond.Billings was a popular edition at Thunder last season, having been encouraged to sign by his friend and former Thunder captain Shane Watson. He made 260 runs at a strike-rate of 142.85 in 10 innings for the Thunder last season, including two half-centuries. One of those was a stunning 48-ball 83 that threatened to single-handedly steal a game off Perth Scorchers in Perth.Billings said he was keen to push for a title this season after the Thunder lost the Knockout last season to Brisbane Heat.”I think the most exciting thing about coming back to the Thunder is the group of young players that complement the older, experienced heads,” Billings said. “Hales is obviously a high-quality player and we have all seen what he can do.”In my first experiences with Sydney Thunder last season there were obviously positive signs but we didn’t finish where we wanted to, or could finish. There is no reason we can’t take another step forward and go close to the title.”Billings’ availability for Thunder will likely be dictated by his England duties. Although he is yet to play a Test match he has been called into England’s Test squad this summer and with England set to bring an extended squad to Australia for the Ashes and coinciding England Lions fixture he could well be unavailable until late in the BBL season. England also have a one-day series against West Indies in late January.

Runners-up to take home $800,000, and losing semi-finalists get $400,000 each

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2021Whoever lifts the T20 World Cup trophy on November 14, 2021, in Dubai, will get a cash award of USD 1.6 million to go with it. This was confirmed as the ICC announced the list of prize money for the tournament – a total of USD 5.6 million overall – on Sunday. The losing finalist will get $800,000, while the two losing semi-finalists will get $400,000 each.Every win in the Super 12s stage of the tournament will fetch teams $40,000 – 30 Super 12 games will be played, totalling $1.2 million in prize money. The teams that go out at this stage of the tournament – eight teams in all – will get $70,000 each.Wins in round one of the tournament – 12 matches in all – will fetch $40,000 apiece, and the four teams that don’t make it to the Super 12s will get $40,000 each.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Eight teams will take part in round one, starting on October 17 – Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka (who all constitute Group A), Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Bangladesh (Group B). The top two teams from Group A and Group B make the Super 12s. Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies (Group 1), Afghanistan, India, New Zealand and Pakistan (Group 2) are already in the Super 12s.All innings to have drinks breaks
The ICC also announced that the tournament will feature official drinks breaks – that is, a two-and-a-half-minute break in play at the 10-over mark in each innings.The UAE’s weather could have had an influence on this decision. While the worst of the summer is over, the country is still transitioning into its cooler months, though temperatures are expected to be relatively pleasant in November.

The former Zimbabwe captain and England men’s team coach joins Shaun Tait and Lance Klusener on the coaching staff

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2021Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe captain, has been named Afghanistan consultant for the T20 World Cup starting later this month.An Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) release said Flower, who oversaw England’s title-winning 2010 T20 World Cup campaign during his time as head coach between 2009 and 2014, has entered the Afghanistan team bubble. He joins a coaching staff that also includes former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait, who was appointed the bowling coach in August for a five-month tenure, and head coach Lance Klusener.Related

• Andy Flower named Lucknow IPL franchise head coach

• Lance Klusener: 'The fairy tale of Afghanistan cricket is what they've achieved with few resources'

• Afghanistan revise T20 World Cup squad, Mohammad Nabi to lead

• Men's T20 World Cup 2021 – what the squads look like

• Rashid Khan steps down as captain protesting against Afghanistan's T20 World Cup squad selection

“We are delighted that Andy has joined ACB. Andy has worked with a number of our players in various franchise completions and his vast experience will be very beneficial and useful to help the team in the World Cup,” ACB chairman Azizullah Fazli said in a statement.Flower, 53, represented Zimbabwe in 63 Tests and 213 ODIs between 1992 and 2003, and has been a sought-after coach on the franchise cricket circuit since his England stint. He has held coaching and consultancy positions in IPL, CPL, PSL, T10 and the Hundred.Afghanistan departed Kabul for Doha, Qatar, on October 6 to take part in a preparatory training camp ahead of the T20 World Cup which will be played in the UAE and Oman from October 17. Pooled in Group 2 alongside Pakistan, India, and New Zealand, Afghanistan are scheduled to play all their group matches of the tournament in the UAE. They kick off their campaign on October 25 in Sharjah.

Namibia coach also thanks the bigger teams for making them feel like they belonged on the big stage

Sruthi Ravindranath07-Nov-2021From beating Ireland and Scotland to make the Super 12s to putting up a fight against New Zealand in the last match, Namibia have exceeded everyone’s expectations, head coach Pierre de Bruyn said. He added that Namibia were ready to give their “last little push” and have “no excuses” as they come up against “best in the world” India in their last group match.”It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us,” de Bruyn said. “We came here with expectations but I think we exceeded that and with that the pressure mounted and these players have really announced themselves. We thought it was a cricket Namibia story for our country but it’s become a global story where we’ve inspired not just our kids back home but globally we have won a lot of hearts.”In three of their four Super 12 matches, Namibia, first-timers at the tournament, managed to bat out the entire 20 overs. de Bruyn feels that’s been one of the positives despite the losses. Their bowlers managed to keep the New Zealand batters in check in the last match, allowing them to score at just over six per over till the 16th. In reply, they made 111 for 7, batting conservatively as the Kiwi quicks ran riot.”We have played 40-overs cricket in this group, we have not been blown away by any team in 10 overs or 12 overs or anything like that. We’ve been willing to stretch the game and give ourselves a good chance against these top oppositions. Tomorrow’s a classic game where you go in and you need to hold your own, you need to take brutal accountability for what you’re going to bring to the team. It’s the last little push. It’s been a long tour and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.”Facing the best in the world can be overwhelming and it’s all about staying composed and this team, especially with the ball, has shown that they are willing to hold on and compete like we showed in the game against New Zealand – they were 94 for 4 after 16 overs – so the learnings for us is that we’re going to treasure that, we’re going to hold on hard to that because these lessons – good or bad – are only going to make you a better team and they’re to make you a better player.”Albie Morkel, Pierre de Bruyn and David Wiese get together•ICC via Getty

De Bruyn said that Namibia are relishing the chance to go up against India and all their superstars. “As players, you always look to plan ahead of a game like that. We know upfront with the bat how they play. If you’re not going to execute your plans or execute your skills you know they are going to punish you. That’s a guarantee. We want to finish the campaign on a high. It’s been 45 days in the bubble. There are no excuses. Tomorrow’s a platform for any player to face the best in the world.”We’ve got to execute our plans at the death in a more brave way. We’ve got plans, we’ve got best plans. We’ve got skills. To hit a yorker we’ve trained for two years. I think the bowlers just need to go back tomorrow to that area. It’s an area where you’re going to be under the pump. When the batters come at you, they’re not going to let go. I think tomorrow a big goal is to make sure in the death we execute our plans and skills with confidence.”Among the bright spots for Namibia have been their left-arm quicks, with Ruben Trumpelmann, Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit especially impressive at various points. While Trumpelmann rocked Scotland with three wickets in an over, Frylinck’s moment came in the win against Ireland in the first round when he too picked up three crucial wickets. Smit, meanwhile, has gone for over 30 in only one out of the seven matches he’s been part of. Thanks to their efforts only England (5.26) and New Zealand (5.66) have an economy rate better than theirs (5.91) in the first six overs at this tournament.”Ruben has really worked hard from a physical point of view. He’s definitely got some more ball speed. We’re going to work on that, we’re busy working on that physically,” de Bruyn said. “And I feel that against an Indian team – Rohit Sharma, those type of batters, obviously there’s going to be nerves. But don’t change what’s been working for you.”Frylinck was always in the background doing the grubby work. He relies on skill. He’s our little street fighter. He will come and clean up if there’s been a big over. He backs himself in the death. Our bowling attack with the experience of David Wiese, and with the new ball you can get it to swing, against India the first two-three overs are going to be critical for us. We’ve shown that against Pakistan. We had Pakistan in the powerplay at 29 for no loss. We are capable of using that new ball with what we have in our bowling attack.”