AB de Villiers “absolutely” wants to lead South Africa in the 2019 World Cup despite being part of another failed campaign in an ICC event because he thinks he can be the man to oversee a change in South Africa’s fortunes.”Because I’m a good captain. And I can take this team forward. I can take us to win a World Cup, I believe,” de Villiers said, after the defeat against India at The Oval. “I believed the same thing over here in this tournament and the last one here but that’s what I believe. I love doing it.”De Villiers has captained South Africa’s limited-overs’ sides since 2011 and while he gave up the T20 reins in 2013, he remains the ODI skipper. Overall, he has played in 13 ICC events, dating back to the Champions Trophy in 2006, and captained in five but his first-hand knowledge of South Africa’s litany of unsuccessful attempts to take home a trophy has not provided him with any answers to explain why they have yet to come out on top.”We’ve covered all the bases. There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “We’ve had camp after camp. And we’ve worked really, really hard on the nets, and we back each other, we trust each other, and for some reason, things like that just keep happening.”Although de Villiers admitted that it was a “very poor batting performance” that saw South Africa slip from 76 without loss to 191 all out against India, he denied that they panicked.”I felt the team was pretty composed today. I don’t think we lost it there with composure. A few errors of judgement, a few mistakes out there cost us badly today,” he said. “It’s not going to do with composure in my eyes. I felt pretty calm with the team all the time. We played some good shots and then just a couple of bad, errors of judgement out there cost us.”And he did not attribute those mistake to any mental bogey-men but mused that maybe the nature of multi-team tournaments demanded too much of South Africa. “It wasn’t a mental thing. We just didn’t play well,” he said. “Tournaments are a little bit different. You play different teams all the time on different venues, so it’s a big challenge. No one said it’s going to be easy. But we do come up short for some reason in tournaments like this, and it is pretty sad.”I can’t explain to you exactly what happens. I think you saw it out there today. It was just a very poor batting performance. It has nothing to do with the energy or the intensity or the belief in the team. We felt we had a great chance today. We came here to win the game of cricket. And then we just unraveled as a side out there.”The manner of that unraveling – the speed and the shot selection and the sheer stun-value of three run-outs by one of the most athletic teams on the international circuit — is what disappointed de Villiers most. “The way we lost was the most disappointing part of it. We were really in a good position there with the batting end early on, and through soft dismissals we lost our way and that was the part for me that hurt the most,” he said.Pain is something South Africa, and de Villiers, have experienced a lot of. At the moment it is preventing him from being able to form a clear picture of where things went wrong and how they can be done better next time, when he intends to lead again.”I’m not thinking about the next one now,” he said. “We just sort of want to go get through this hurt now, because it’s hurting quite bad. I’ve not thought about what we are going to think about our next tournament.De Villiers would not be drawn into discussing whether he thinks anything should change before the next competition, except his own insistence that he will remain captain. Pushed on whether he saw a need for “more radical shake-up” de Villiers said: “That’s a question that can only be answered by people who are in control of making radical decisions. That’s not my decision. We’ll have to wait and see what people out there want to decide or whoever is in control of making those kind of decisions. I don’t think we are a bad cricket team.”They’re not. South Africa came into this event ranked No.1 in the world. For that reason, perhaps, de Villiers does not think that they getting further away from eventually winning an event. “I must be very honest with you – not a lot of people believe me but I feel it’s pretty close. I don’t think it feels far away,” he said. “It’s very difficult to say that after a performance like this, but that’s what I believe in my heart. I believe we’re the very close unit. There’s more than enough talent, and we’ve just got to get it right when it matters most.”

India batsman Karun Nair said he was not too perturbed by his exclusion from the Sri Lanka Test series but admitted his failure to build on the Test triple-century against England in the home series against Australia

Gaurav Kalra10-Jul-20175:16

Wasn’t in right frame of mind after Australia series – Nair

Batsman Karun Nair insists he is not too perturbed by his exclusion from the India Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, after only four innings since becoming just the second Indian to get a Test triple-hundred. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in Bengaluru a day after the squad was named, Nair conceded he should have “converted a couple of starts” in the Test series against Australia into “more substantial scores” to bolster his case, after the 303 not out against England in Chennai. Nair will instead travel with the India ‘A’ team to South Africa for a series of limited-overs and four-day matches at the end of the month.”I will have to respect the decision of the team management and selectors,” Nair said. “That’s the way it goes and I am just focusing on South Africa now, the India ‘A’ tour, looking forward to it. It is going to be a new experience for me, I have never been to South Africa, so trying to just prepare myself and do well there.”If I look back, I got a couple of starts which I feel I could have made into substantial scores. Those two starts I got were supposed to be converted, but you know that’s how it goes for a batsman, sometimes you get starts and you are not able to convert them. I don’t think there’s any point talking about it right now. I am just looking forward to the season coming up and try to do better.”Honestly, I was fortunate enough to get to play in the XI. So I was very happy, learning new things from everyone around and playing Test cricket. I was really enjoying myself and not thinking too much about it. But the competition is very high and it’s healthy competition. There’s nothing to worry about there, I am not thinking too much, just looking forward.”It will be a new experience to go to South Africa for the first time, to experience those conditions and see how it is to play cricket there. It is a stepping stone to do well and get myself back into the Test team. Even looking at it that way, I am looking forward and just trying to be positive.”In four Test innings after the triple-hundred, Nair scored a total of 54 runs•Associated PressNair has experienced an extended dry spell with the bat since the triple-hundred. In four innings against Australia, he made scores of 26, 0, 23 and 5 as India eked out a 2-1 series win. His form didn’t get much better in the IPL – and he ended the season with 281 runs at an average of 21.61 as Delhi Daredevils failed to make the play-offs. Nair says the series against Australia was a lot more intense than England, and his failures in those matches affected him in the early phase of the IPL too.”There was a lot a difference, the Australians were more at you. Even the English were good but the Australians had more aggression I felt,” he explained. “And we had lost the first game and that made it even more difficult for us and it put them on a high because England never got a sniff also. That also helped Australia.”At the end of the season, after the Australia series, I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind because I was thinking too much about how I should be playing and how well I should be doing for Delhi rather than just looking at the ball and reacting. It took me half the season to realise I was doing that. The second half was a little better I felt, just looked at the ball and played how the ball came down. Those were the things I learnt this season.”Nair, 25, took over as captain of Daredevils when Zaheer Khan was unavailable due to injury. He will now be leading the India A team in the two four-day games in South Africa. Having led teams at Under-19 level, as well as Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, Nair is convinced his quiet, easy-going personality won’t be a hindrance in performing the role.”Everyone has their own style,” he said. “I don’t think I should change who I am to try and lead eleven people. I can still lead them by being myself and do it in my way. I have been captain on several occasions and I just enjoy the fact that whenever I am captain I do well. So, I have that positive mind frame when I am captain. It has been the same case from the U19 days to the Ranji trophy last year when I captained, we did well and I scored runs. It is obviously an extra responsibility, but generally when I am batting that kind of feeling doesn’t come.”

Aston Villa have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to bring Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat to the Premier League, according to fresh reports.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat is primarily a defensive midfielder who has plied his trade at the Artemio Franchi Stadium since arriving from Hellas Verona back in 2020, and despite being sent straight back out on loan to his former club after joining, he’s gone on to become a regular feature of Vincenzo Italiano’s outfit, making 107 senior appearances to date.

However, the 26-year-old’s contract with the Serie A side is set to expire in less than a year so the ongoing transfer window will be their final opportunity to cash in and demand a decent fee for their prized asset, and should he depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors in the top-flight.

In England, Manchester United are the club to have been the most heavily linked with a swoop for the Morocco international, whilst Liverpool have also been sounded out as a potential suitor, though if the following update is to be believed, Unai Emery is one of the latest new managers to be chasing his signature.

Are Aston Villa signing Sofyan Amrabat?

According to Viola News (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have "tested the ground" and initiated for Amrabat. It's unknown whether the contact was made with the player's personal camp, his current club or both, but it does seem as if there has been approach from the Midlands.

The Midlands outfit hold an "interest" in the talisman and it's stated that the "Premier League solution remains alive", with United and Tottenham Hotspur name-checked as admirers in the report. Fiorentina are demanding €30m (£25m) in order to sanction his sale, but as of yet, none of the trio have submitted an official opening offer.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

Aston Villa will know that Amrabat is much stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game having registered just one assist across all competitions last season, but having been dubbed a “monster” in the centre of the park by reporter Carlo Garganese, he has all the qualities to excel under the guidance of Emery.

The World Cup participant averaged 1.3 tackles per league game during the previous campaign so loves to get stuck in and win back possession for his team, something which he is calm and composed in doing having recorded an 89.8% pass success rate which was higher than any of the regular features managed in the Midlands.

The Huizen native would also provide the Spaniard with wonderful versatility having operated in an outstanding eight various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the midfield and even in defence at centre-back, left-back and right-back, so he would be a fantastic option for the boss to have in the building.

Furthermore, Amrabat shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as both Ezri Konsa and Bertrand Traore, so NSWE and Monchi could be handed a small advantage should they decide to seriously pursue a deal considering the existing connection that his representative already has to the club.

Following the 186-run win against New Zealand in Derby, Mithali Raj has hailed her team as a “new India”. Needing a win in their final league game to qualify for the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup, India shrugged off the effects of successive losses to South Africa and Australia and turned in their best performance of the tournament. Having posted 265 thanks to a century from Raj and fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy, India bowled New Zealand out for 79, with Rajeshwari Gayakwad grabbing a five-wicket haul in her first game of the tournament.”The girls realised it was a must-win game for us to qualify for the semis,” Raj said, after the match. “We came back to the ground where we’ve played four games, so we know how the wicket and the outfield plays.”The girls wanted to do well today, give their best and they knew it was one game that could get us into the semis. I’m extremely happy that the girls made a comeback.”I think this is a new India team. In the earlier editions, we’ve seen one bad day and then we’ve never made a comeback into the tournament. This is a very good win for the girls and it will give them a real boost and a lot of confidence.”Raj said India’s players had been “very down” on the eve of the match, and that she had spoken to her team-mates about the importance of bouncing back from setbacks.”I’m very happy and thrilled because, until yesterday, most of the girls were very down because of the performance that we displayed in the last two games, against South Africa and Australia. Of course, Indian camp was on the back foot after two games, but it’s something I have always told the girls – if you’re aiming to play the semi-finals or trying to be in the top four in the world, it’s important that we need to make comebacks after disappointments. Usually that’s what the best teams are made up of. Every time you may not win a game, but how you make a comeback is very important.”Raj was pleased with the performance of India’s new-ball pair of Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, who sent back both of New Zealand’s openers by the third over of the chase, easing the job of Gayakwad and the other spinners.”It’s always important that if the fast bowlers give you those couple of early wickets, then the spinners really don’t have the pressure of getting the first wicket,” Raj said. “It happened in the last two games, against Australia and South Africa, that the spinners had lot of pressute when they came in to get that one wicket. But today, when we had Suzie Bates in the second over, we knew they were already on the back foot because when you’re chasing 260-plus, the team always looks for the openers to give them a good start.”India have lost seven of their last eight ODIs against Australia, stretching back to July 2011, but Raj said there was no reason why they couldn’t beat them in Thursday’s semi-final if they continued to play the way they had against New Zealand.”Australians are a very good side, very rounded side,” Raj said. “They have a lot of depth in the batting and they have good bowlers. But again it is how the team responds to the situation on that day, how we step up, because it is one game now, and if we continue to play the way we played today, there is more possibility that we can beat Australia.”Raj’s 123-ball 109 against New Zealand was her sixth ODI hundred. She is also the leading run-getter in Women’s ODIs, having gone past Charlotte Edwards’ career tally during India’s match against Australia in Bristol.”Well, I think nothing beats representing India at the biggest stage,” she said, when asked what keeps driving her. “I’m at my peak, I’m playing well, I’ve worked on my game since the last year, I was preparing for the World Cup, and I’m happy that I’m still scoring runs for the country.”

أعرب لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، عثمان ديمبلي، عن سعادته عقب الفوز على برشلونة في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر برشلونة أمام نظيره باريس سان جيرمان بنتيجة 4/1، في إطار منافسات إياب الدور ربع النهائي من دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب مونتجويك، اليوم الثلاثاء.

وبهذا الفوز، تأهل باريس سان جيرمان إلى منافسات الدور نصف النهائي من مسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا، ليضرب موعداً مع فريق بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني.

اقرأ ايضاً.. رجل مباراة برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وقال عثمان ديمبلي في تصريحات لشبكة “+Canal”: “الفريق لم يستسلم حتى بعد استقبالنا الهدف الأول، كان العمل مضاعفا، لم نستسلم كنا مؤمنين بقدرتنا على تغيير الأمور لصالحنا”.

وأضاف ديمبلي: “بذلنا عملا وجهدا كبيرا، كذلك المدرب وطاقمه بذلوا جهدا كبيرا من حيث التكتيكات والعمل الفني، أتفهم سبب اطلاق صافرات الاستهجان، لا شيء شخصي، هذه هي الحياة”.

وأشار ديمبلي: “برشلونة نادي عظيم وأنا أحب هذا النادي، لكنني سعيد في باريس”.

وبين قائلاً: “الجميع عمل بشكل استثنائي الليلة، فعلنا الأهم والهدف الليلة وهو التأهل، لقد رأيت ما حدث بالمباراة الأخرى، علمت أننا سنواجه بوروسيا دورتموند ناديي الأسبق”.

وأكد ديمبلي : “اليوم متحفز أكثر بسبب كونها مباراة ربع نهائي بغض النظر عن الخصم، فوزنا اليوم جاء بعد عمل جماعي، رغم أدائي لم أكن استثنائيا حتى مع الهدف والتسبب بركلة جزاء”.

Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a move for Axel Disasi this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Axel Disasi?

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Newcastle are in ongoing talks to sign the Monaco centre-back.

Plettenberg revealed on Twitter: "Understand, Newcastle pushing a lot for Axel #Disasi! Concrete talks between #NUFC & Monaco took place and are ongoing.

"Man Utd, also exploring a deal but #MUFC has to sell players first (Maguire). Newcastle in the lead at this stage. AS, waiting for concrete offers."

How tall is Axel Disasi?

The Magpies matched Premier League champions Manchester City for the best defence in the entire league last season, conceding just 33 goals over the 38-game campaign, which is a testament to the back-line at St James' Park.

However, bolstering the squad with quality depth will be a huge priority for Eddie Howe this summer as he prepares to match the outstanding output that his squad delivered last season, as well as competing comfortably in the Champions League too.

As a result, the signing of Disasi would be a great opportunity to bring in a defender who can maintain the quality of the current centre-back options next season, which could push club captain Jamaal Lascelles – who has been linked with an exit – even further down the pecking order.

The 29-year-old has been a loyal servant to the North East outfit since his arrival back in 2014 and unlike many others, has stuck by the club through the bad times under Mike Ashley's reign to the good times following the Saudi takeover.

However, last season, following the arrival of Sven Botman in the summer transfer window, Lascelles found his game-time slashed considerably making just two Premier League starts and averaging 32 minutes per appearance.

Should the club secure a deal for Disasi, it is extremely likely that the 6 foot 3 Frenchman will be leaned upon to rotate into the team to prevent exhaustion and injury over a campaign that is set to be all-action for Newcastle, with Howe leading his team in both domestic competition and on the elite European stage too.

The Monaco titan – hailed as a "hidden gem" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – is a huge ball-playing presence in the back-line and one of the hottest prospects in his position throughout Europe – ranking in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months for assists, touches, successful take-ons, progressive passes and progressive carries, as per FBref.

It is reported that it would cost Newcastle up to €50m (£43m) to secure Disasi's services this summer, but with Financial Fair Play restrictions affecting the club's ability to secure more signings after Sandro Tonali, it is likely players will need to be sold to fund any further incomings.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Lascelles will continue to commit to his very limited role on Tyneside or seek out another club where he could earn first team football, either way a move for Disasi would improve the defensive depth and provide Howe will a player he can rely on to rotate into the squad.

When the transfer window opens, and football fanatics take up their summer internship as detectives, nothing gets past them. Flights are tracked, quotes followed, and social media activity is monitored like it's 24-hour CCTV. Where there is a transfer clue, there will be a supporter on the case.

The latest discovery has been about the future of Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. According to David Ornstein, the Brazilian is set to be the subject of a £40m bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad this summer.

Supporters were quick to get on the case to find any clues about his potential transfer decision, too, leading them to what could be a major indication as to where Fabinho will be plying his trade next season.

Liverpool fans spot potential Fabinho transfer clue

Amid the rumours linking him with a move away, Liverpool fans took to Fabinho's social media, and Rebeca Tavares' – the midfielder's wife – in an attempt to spot any clues.

On her personal Instagram account – as shared on Reddit – it was discovered that Tavares is following an Instagram account called 'welcomesaudi', amid reports linking her husband with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer.

It's safe to say this looks fairly suspicious to say the least…

Considering the recent Instagram activity of his partner, fans hoping for the 29-year-old to stay put in the current transfer window may just have to prepare themselves for the worst.

What's the latest on Liverpool and Fabinho?

Liverpool looked set to enter pre-season without any major recent departures just yet – although Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left at the start of the summer – and with some much-needed midfield reinforcements too following the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

An unexpected twist means that they could be set to lose both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia this summer, however.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Henderson has accepted a contract proposal from Al-Ettifaq, who recently hired Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. It will now be down to the negotiations between the Reds and the Saudi Arabia club as to whether the move takes place for the 33-year-old.

Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad are reportedly set to bid for Fabinho, with a deal likely to progress quickly whether it is a swift rejection or completion of the transfer.

Suddenly, Klopp would find himself short on options in the middle of the park, perhaps forced to turn to the transfer market again. And that's where Romeo Lavia could come in.

As per Ornstein, the Southampton midfielder is among their list of targets if Fabinho departs this summer. Romano previously reported that the Saints value the teenager at £50m, but it remains to be seen what Liverpool would actually be willing to pay.

So, with that said, if the Brazilian did decide to leave in the coming weeks, it would start quite the domino effect of transfers.

A new-look midfield of Lavia, Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai may lack experience when compared with what Klopp had in midfield before, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for in excitement.

With the new Premier League season approaching, how Liverpool line-up on the opening day of the season against Chelsea will certainly be an interesting one, to say the least.

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour

Firdose Moonda03-Jul-20172:34

‘Fantastic honour to work with this team’ – Domingo

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied and been interviewed to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour. There had been suggestions that he would not seek an extension in the position after CSA said they were going to go through a full recruitment process for the role.”I have forwarded my application form and I have gone through an interview,” Domingo said in London, three days before South Africa’s first Test against England at Lord’s.In Domingo’s most recent previous media engagement, on June 11 when South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy, he had still not decided whether he would put his name forward for the job. Then, there were only five days left for interested parties to apply. Domingo confirmed he had submitted his details “before the closing date” on June 16 and was interested in taking South Africa forward.Domingo outline a “whole host” of factors he considered before making himself available for reappointment. “No.1, family life, which is important. No.2, the performance of the team, which is obviously important. And then whether you feel you’re the right guy to take the team forward, whether the team’s showing signs of improvement in all formats,” he said.Under Domingo, who took over in mid-2013 when South Africa were on top of the Test rankings, South Africa initially maintained their status but then lost several senior players and a slump in form that saw them slip to No.7. Despite being under enormous pressure to let Domingo go, CSA stuck with him and extended his contract twice in that time. Domingo went on to oversee the Test side’s resurrection to No.2.In shorter formats, Domingo has been in charge through two 50-over tournaments and two T20 events and is the only coach under whom South Africa have won a World Cup knockout match – the 2015 quarter-final – but he has not been able to break their ICC trophy drought, something he would like to change. “There’s a lot I’d like to achieve with this side – an ICC event is a big thing for us,” he said. “We’ve also started the process of rebuilding our Test side. We’re still not where we need to be, we’ve got our ranking back up but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”South Africa remain a team in some kind of transition – as many teams do – and it has long been touted that a foreign coach could be the essential to take them to the next level. However, among the names reportedly mentioned as candidates only one, Phil Simmons, is not local. Instead it is believed that CSA is not looking beyond the country’s borders with Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana considered the frontrunner to succeed Domingo.Toyana has won four trophies in five seasons with the Lions franchise and nurtured the likes of Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma and Chris Morris. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed Toyana was interviewed. Domingo must be aware of the same but said he will not let perceptions affect how he goes about his job.”I’ll be honest with you, if that is it, then so be it. It’s cool. It’s out of my control. It’s not something I go to bed thinking about or wake up in the morning thinking about,” he said. “It’s not something that generally affects me. I can’t comment on what the particular feeling is towards how people are seeing the process. It’s out of my control. It’s not the way I see it, and the way I see it is that there’s due process that needs to take place. They need to decide if I’m the right guy to take the team forward and so be it. That’s how it is.”A clutch of senior players seem to have already decided that he is. In recent months, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers – all three leaders in their own right – have thrown support behind Domingo which could help his cause. “Player support is massively important. The most important support you need is from your players,” Domingo said. “We work with these players day in, day out. I’ve loved my time working with them and, obviously, by the support they’ve shown they’ve enjoyed what we’ve offered the team. That is satisfying.”Domingo maintained that whatever happens he will finish his current term pleased with the job he has done. “It’s a fantastic honour to work with this team. I’ve loved my time with it and hopefully I can continue. If not, it’s in the best interests of the team. I’ve had a fantastic run and loved every single minute of it. It’s not my decision — it’s up to the board.”CSA has appointed a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend the new coach to the board when they next meet on July 21. A final decision will be announced after the England series, which ends on August 8.

Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks with Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki's representatives over a potential summer move to the Premier League, but they may face competition for his signature from Chelsea, according to a report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have already made a number of attacking signings this summer, bringing in the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Manor Solomon. However, manager Ange Postecoglou is still keen to bolster his squad even further, recently saying:

“We’re working with the players we’ve got at the moment and I’m really happy with the way they are all working hard.

“But we’ve obviously still got time in the transfer window and we’re still looking to do some business.”

On Saturday night, Spurs were linked with a shock move for Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, as the French club are now considering a sale, however, that move does not seem very likely, given that he will surely be keen to play Champions League football.

Postecoglou is tasked with finding a potential replacement for Harry Kane, amid the uncertainty over the striker's future, with reports from Germany recently detailing his wife and family have been spotted in Germany inquiring about houses and schools.

The Lilywhites have therefore made an approach for Fiorentina striker Arthur Cabral, although the report also claims they have several other names on the list of potential replacements for their talisman.

Tottenham are also seemingly still keen on another attacking midfielder, with Football Transfers recently reporting they have held talks with the representatives of Cherki in London.

The 19-year-old is said to be regarded as one of French football's hottest prospects, and he has been attracting the attention of some top Premier League clubs, with Chelsea also holding talks over a summer move.

As a result of their financial problems, Lyon would be open to selling the youngster, but only for the right price, having already knocked back an offer from Chelsea. The Blues are ready to make an offer of €40m (£35m) for the Lyon star, so Tottenham may have to move swiftly if they are to win the race for his signature.

What position does Rayan Cherki play?

The Frenchman is capable of playing in several attacking positions, including on both wings, and he has occasionally played as a striker, however, he has predominantly featured in an advanced midfield role throughout his career so far.

Lauded as a "difference-maker" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the starlet ranks in the 84th percentile for assists per 90 in the past year, showcasing his creative flair, while he also places in the 97th percentile for shot-creating actions.

The Lyon-born attacker is still very young, but he has already established himself as a key first-team player with his current club, having made 34 Ligue 1 appearances last season, following up the 2021-22 campaign in which he made 27 outings.

As such, the indication is that Cherki would be able to push the likes of Maddison, Kulusevski and Heung-min Son for a starting spot from the get-go, and he could be a very good acquisition for Tottenham.

Manchester City star Kyle Walker could make a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this summer as the Germans are willing to offer him a contract for "two years plus an extra year", whereas the Citizens are willing to offer just "one further season", claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Is Kyle Walker leaving Manchester City this summer?

It was truly a season to remember for the blue half of Manchester last year. Not only did they win the first treble in the club's history, but they did it while beating local rivals Manchester United in a tightly contested FA Cup final.

In many ways, it felt like the culmination of everything that Pep Guardiola and the City Group had been working towards since the Spaniard's arrival back in 2016, and for one of the club's longest-serving players, it seems like it's the perfect time to bid farewell.

According to The Athletic, England and City star Kyle Walker has courted the interest of German behemoths Bayern this summer and has now reached a verbal agreement with the side for a two-year contract.

While an agreement between the two clubs has yet to be formally agreed, it's expected that the treble winners could make upwards of £15m.

Reporter Mark McAdam explained the situation live on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"He's currently going into the last year of his contract at City. Now, there are talks that they would be willing to extend that, but only for one further season, whereas Bayern Munich are offering him two years plus an extra year – so he would extend his career at the very highest level for another three seasons, in theory.

"There is no agreement in place between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but talks continue between the two clubs – and this is fascinating because it's always the way with these situations: guess who's playing each other next week in Japan on a pre-season tour? It's Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

"So that's the latest with that situation, but again, would Bayern Munich be making these noises publicly about Kyle Walker if they hadn't been given an indication that he would be interested in talking to them, should the two clubs agree a fee?"

How good was Kyle Walker last season?

Despite starting just 29 times across the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League last season, it was yet another campaign in which Walker demonstrated to the world just why he is so well thought of by Guardiola and why he'll go down as one of the most successful English full-backs of all time.

According to Sofascore, the Sheffield-born dynamo averaged a match rating of 6.74 in the Premier League and a seriously impressive rating of 6.96 in the Champions League, where he was included in the Team of the Week twice for his efforts.

As you'd expect for a full-back in a Pep system, his underlying offensive numbers are brilliant.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the dynamic defender sits in the top 3% for attempted passes, the top 5% for progressive passes, and the top 6% for pass completion per 90.

That said, for as "exceptional" as Walker is, he is now 33 years old, and having won everything there is to win at the club, a move away to prolong his career at the very highest level could be what's best for everyone involved.