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Nottingham Forest target Lucas Digne will be 'allowed' to leave current employers Aston Villa this window to seek a new challenge, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Lucas Digne moving to Nottingham Forest?

According to Telegraph Sport, Digne has come up in discussions between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa regarding Wales international Brennan Johnson this window, who is a transfer target for the latter.

Nevertheless, the former Everton ace's £120,000 per week pay packet is said to be 'prohibitive' in negotiations and the Tricky Trees would need to try and convince Digne to take a significant wage cut or talk Aston Villa into sanctioning a loan deal for the 30-year-old.

Last season, Digne featured 32 times in all competitions for Aston Villa, registering two goals over the course of the campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

The Daily Mail report that Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are also keen on bringing Digne to the Gulf region this summer as the nation continues to boost its footballing reputation.

Napoli have also shown a 'tentative interest' in Digne, though his wages have made any notion of the Serie A champions being able to do a deal more complex.

In a separate piece by The Daily Mail, Napoli could look to draft in Digne as a replacement for Mario Rui if the 32-year-old is moved on at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones has signalled his belief that both Digne and his teammate Philippe Coutinho will be allowed to depart Villa Park this summer.

Jones stated: “I don’t have great expectations for Digne or Coutinho to remain at Villa beyond this transfer window, but like other players in this squad, you need offers to land before we genuinely know how Villa view the situations.

“I understand that both would be allowed to move on at this stage, but of course, all parties need to find a satisfactory resolution to their problem.”

What next for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will be keen to continue building on his impressive debut campaign at Villa Park and he has prepared his side well for the new term by adding Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans to the fold this window, as per Transfermarkt.

According to The Daily Mail, Aston Villa are now keen to bring Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams to the West Midlands this summer and would reportedly be willing to activate his £25 million relegation release clause.

One outlet in Spain claim that Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is on the radar at Villa Park and Aston Villa have plans to submit a €15 million bid for the Spain international despite his recent contract renewal at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Free agent Adama Traore is believed to be a target for Aston Villa in an unexpected potential swoop, with Emery aiming to add some pace in the final third of the pitch, as per Football Insider.

Czech publication Sport via The Daily Express claim that Manchester United backup goalkeeper Matej Kovar is wanted by Aston Villa to provide competition for Emiliano Martinez and Robin Olsen.

Billy Root has been rewarded for his promising performances for Nottinghamshire this season, particularly in T20 and one-day cricket, with a two-year contract – his first as a professional

Dylan Bell21-Aug-2017Billy Root has been rewarded for his promising performances for Nottinghamshire this season, particularly in T20 and one-day cricket, with a two-year contract – his first as a professional. Root, whose brother Joe is England’s Test captain, scored his maiden List A hundred this year and has been averaging 67 in the NatWest T20 Blast.His coach, Peter Moores, has been impressed with Root. “Billy worked very hard in the off season and used his bowling to help get him a chance in the side from where he could show what he could do with the bat as well,” Moores said.Moores has also been satisfied with Root’s consistency and believes that he can become an established allrounder if he keeps developing. “He’s been an effective player for us, particularly in one-day cricket, and we’re looking for him to now push on in both white and red ball cricket after working very hard for this opportunity,” Moores said.Root’s versatility has made him a useful option at Notts and helped him win a first contract at the age of 25. “He’s starting to put all three formats together,” Moores said.Root has had to work for his chance in the shadow of a more famous sibling. Billy followed Joe in coming through the Yorkshire academy. However, in 2011, Billy was released and went on to join the MCC Young Cricketers programme – which led to him appearing as a substitute fielder during the 2013 Ashes Test at Lord’s, briefly joining his brother on the field.Shortly after, Root began a degree in Sports Business Management at Leeds University but, although his hopes of a professional career appeared to be fading, he was playing regularly with Notts seconds, which gave him the encouragement to not give up.He subsequently made his County Championship debut at the back end of 2016. Then, at the start of this season, Root made his List A debut for Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire and scored 46 off 42 balls. He also made his T20 debut this year, against Yorkshire, and has featured in seven games ahead of this week’s quarter-final. The hope at Trent Bridge is that he can continue to progress in all three aspects of the game.Luke Fletcher, the fast bowler who sustained a season-ending head injury last month, has also been awarded a new two-year deal. Fletcher, 28, was hit in his follow through by a shot from Birmingham’s Sam Hain during a T20 Blast match and was advised by medical staff not to play again this year as he continues his recovery.

Liverpool's interest in Southampton ace Romeo Lavia has hardly been inconspicuous this summer, and the precocious defensive midfielder remains firmly at the forefront of Jurgen Klopp's transfer consideration.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

That's according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who has taken to Twitter to state that Liverpool are "still in contact" with the Belgian's agents, though Premier League rivals Chelsea are also keeping an eye on the situation.

This is corroborated by Football Insider, who have also recently stated that the Reds are confident of warding off competition for Lavia's signature and hope to reach an agreement by the end of the month.

The 19-year-old anchor was Southampton's shining light in a dismal campaign that ended in relegation from the top-flight, and due to the calibre of his performances, the Saints hierarchy believes that their starlet is worth £50m, though Liverpool are reluctant to venture past the £40m mark.

What position is Romeo Lavia?

A product of the long time of superlative talent stemming from Manchester City's esteemed youth academy, Lavia signed for the south coast club one year ago in a deal that could rise to £14m.

While Southampton did suffer the plummet into the second tier, Lavia was exceptional throughout a tough term and belied his tender age and inexperience at the heart of his outfit, earning praise as an "absolute monster" from reporter Benjy Nurick for one particular performance.

As per Sofascore, the one-cap international recorded an average rating of 6.8 in the Premier League, notably completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.1 tackles per game as he held the shoddy Saints system together.

The ace also ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks per 90, as per FBref, which illustrates his aptitude as a defensive whiz in the centre.

A recent report from The Analyst also displayed his prowess in ball retention, with only 15 midfielders who played over 800 minutes in the English top-flight last term winning possession more than he did per 90 (7.5), with the report also offering a graphic illustrating the ubiquitous, all-encompassing nature of his ball-winning skills.

He could be the perfect replacement for Reds captain Jordan Henderson, who has all but completed an initial £12m transfer to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ettifaq after receiving a lucrative offer.

While Henderson plies his trade slightly further up the pitch, he has been described as the heartbeat and energy of Liverpool's midfield over the past several years, paramount to the illustrious success under Klopp's tutelage.

He can also feature competently as a defensive midfielder, which would have most likely been a role he assumed over the next year had he decided to remain on Merseyside, with Fabinho also attracting interest from Saudi side Al Ittihad, who are hoping to sign the Brazilian star for £40m.

Previously called "exquisite" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Lavia has been the centrepiece of Southampton's midfield at a tumultuous time and there is every possibility that he could transcend his own exploits with a move to Anfield, growing into one of the most destructive forces in the game.

Nottingham Forest have emerged as a frontrunner to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, according to fresh reports.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

The Premier League’s left-sided winger worked his way up through the youth ranks to graduate from the academy at Stamford Bridge and become a regular feature of the first-team, where he's so far made 126 senior appearances, but his future is currently extremely uncertain.

Last season, England’s former international was sent out on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen to receive more game time, but that spell didn’t go as well as hoped as he only made seven starts all term which will have been disappointing for both the player and his parent club.

The Blues product, however, will be out of contract at the end of the next campaign so this window will be Mauricio Pochettino’s final opportunity to cash in should he not want to lose him for free, and should he depart, he’s already got a heavily invested suitor at The City Ground.

The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg recently reported that the Reds, Fulham and AC Milan have all registered an interest in the 22-year-old who is ready to embark on a new challenge, but if the following update is to be believed, it’s the former who have leapfrogged their competitors into pole position.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Hudson-Odoi?

According to Football Transfers, Nottingham Forest are the “among the favourites” to sign Hudson-Odoi should he secure a move away from Chelsea. The SW6 outfit “want to sell” the attacker and Steve Cooper is a “huge fan” of his target having managed him at the England’s U17s World Cup earlier in his career. The Blues are “looking” to demand £20m, though if a deal is to be agreed, it likely won’t be until “later” in the window.

Should Marinakis make an offer for Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis will know that Cooper holding an existing connection to Hudson-Odoi means he knows a lot about what he’s capable of, and even though he only scored one goal and provided the same number of assists last season at Leverkusen, he still looked promising and could thrive in the next chapter of his career in the Midlands.

Chelsea’s forward was averaging 3.86 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over in Germany which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef, not to mention that he had strong link-up play with his teammates, recording an 86.9% pass success rate, higher than any of the regular current starters in NG2.

The Wandsworth-born ace, who has the versatility to operate in seven different positions across the pitch, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful having won five senior trophies with his boyhood club, including the Champions and Europa League, so could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the side.

Last but not least, Hudson-Odoi has been dubbed a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella and it’s obvious that he has bags of potential to be unleashed, and this is exactly what could happen should he sign on the dotted line to become a new recruit under Cooper.

Celtic could look at a season-long loan move for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney this summer, according to reports.

Could Celtic sign Kieran Tierney?

The Hoops have made a head start on their summer business under new manager Brendan Rodgers, with 20-year-old midfielder Odin Thiago Holm signing a five-year deal.

He looks set to be the first of many through the door, with Parkhead officials reportedly handing Rodgers a £30m transfer budget over the coming months.

One player who has been linked with a reunion with Rodgers is Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, who will soon be out of contract with the Foxes, and another player who the Northern Irishman knows well is Tierney, with speculation over a return emerging.

The Scottish Sun shared an update in the last 48 hours regarding Celtic and Tierney, claiming the former Hoops defender would consider a return to Parkhead in what ‘would be a stunning statement of intent’.

They say that a season-long loan could be a possibility if a substantial loan fee and compromise over wages can be agreed with Arsenal and the player.

However, the report adds that Premier League side Newcastle United are the favourites to sign Tierney, who is weighing up his future following a frustrating 2022/23 season.

Kieran Tierney’s career…

Tierney, dubbed an ‘absolute baller’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, progressed through the Celtic academy and made 170 senior appearances for the Hoops, scoring eight times and registering 37 assists.

The 26-year-old won 11 major honours with Celtic and made a £25m move to Arsenal back in 2019, where he has gone on to win the FA Cup and Community Shield.

The Scot, on £110,000-a-week at the Emirates, shares the same agency as Hoops midfielder Aaron Mooy and has turned out on 123 occasions for the Gunners, however, he started just six times in the Premier League last season.

Celtic brought in left-back Alexandro Bernabei last summer, but after making more appearances under Rodgers than Mikel Arteta, perhaps a reunion with the Hoops boss could appeal to Tierney. Celtic can offer Champions League football and possibly regular game time back in Scotland, making this one to watch.

While the short ball that took out Mushfiqur was the most conspicuous aspect of New Zealand’s attack in Wellington, Trent Boult has said the reverse swing they achieved was also a valuable addition

Mohammad Isam in Christchurch19-Jan-2017While the short-ball barrage that took out Mushfiqur Rahim was the most conspicuous aspect of New Zealand’s attack in Wellington, Trent Boult has said the reverse swing they achieved at Basin Reserve was also a valuable addition to an armoury well stocked with swing and bouncers.New Zealand used both reverse swing and the bouncer to skittle Bangladesh for 160 in the second innings, which turned the Wellington Test in the home side’s favour despite conceding 595 in the first innings.”A big positive from the Test match was that we got the ball to reverse swing eventually,” Boult said. “Australia, the last time they came, taught us a lesson on ways to bowl sides out on flat wickets.”Boult said the ability to bowl short deliveries effectively was an asset to a bowling attack because it made the full deliveries more dangerous. “I think the short ball is a valuable skill for a fast bowler. I think people have to realise why we are bowling short in the first place. It is to upset the batsman and get them struck on the crease to make the fuller ball more effective.”When you are bowling a short ball it is definitely not with the intention of hurting the batsman but to make your other skills more effective. I think it is a method that we have been using successfully for a while. I am sure there will be short-pitched bowling among the group, looking to put pressure on the opponents.”Boult said it could be difficult to keep facing deliveries aimed at the throat, but felt Bangladesh had coped well by playing aggressively whenever the shot was directed downwind.”It is a bit intimidating facing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. They played it nicely,” Boult said. “They looked to be aggressive towards it and picked their times downwind and into the wind on when to play the shots. I am sure they got plans in place to adapt to it.”Bangladesh’s chances in the Wellington Test took a severe blow when Mushfiqur retired hurt in the second innings after he was hit on the head by a bouncer from Tim Southee, who had been targeting the batsman with short balls to exploit his injured finger. Boult said the prolonged use of the tactic depended on how successful it was.”I think it depends on how the opposition played it. I think you are trying to read how uncomfortable they are feeling and the game plan they are bringing towards it,” he said. “The Australians have played it quite nicely. So you have to quickly change your plans.”We are hoping that it will be nice, seam bowling conditions [in Christchurch] where we can pitch the ball up and skin the cat a different way.”Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener who will be standing in as captain at Hagley Oval, said there was no reason to complain over the short deliveries.”I think short ball is part of the game. I can’t really complain about it,” he said. “If we feel that a certain batsman is not comfortable, we might use those tactics. It is fair game. I said in the last press conference, we expect these things in this part of the world. When New Zealand or any other team go to our conditions, they expect spin. I am sure they don’t complain about the ball spinning too much so why should we complain about bouncers?”

تعرض الدولي الهولندي فرينكي دي يونج، لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي برشلونة، لإصابة خلال مباراة أتلتيك بلباو المقامة بينهما ضمن الجولة 27 من الدوري الإسباني

برشلونة يحل ضيفًا على أتلتيك بلباو على ملعب سان ماميس، في مباراة يسعى من خلالها البلوجرانا للفوز، للاقتراب من ريال مدريد مستغلًا تعثر الملكي بالتعادل مع فالنسيا أمس.

طالع أيضًا | فرصة لـ برشلونة.. جيرونا يسقط أمام مايوركا ويفشل في استغلال تعثر ريال مدريد

فرينكي دي يونج سقط بطريقة خاطئة في الدقيقة 25 من الشوط الأول، ليتعرض لإصابة تبدو وأنها التواء في الكاحل للقدم اليمنى، ليغادر الملعب ويترك مكانه لـ فيرمين لوبيز.

برشلونة مباراته القادمة ستكون ضد ريال مايوركا يوم الجمعة، قبل 4 أيام من ملاقاة نابولي، في إياب دور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا. إصابة فرينكي دي يونج في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو

Christian Pulisic has dropped a potential big hint on Instagram which suggests he could be moving to AC Milan this summer amid reports that he will leave Chelsea.

What's the latest on Christian Pulisic and AC Milan?

The USMNT star didn't really enjoy a particularly good season last campaign as he started just five Premier League matches across the entire campaign – scoring only one goal.

What's more, the Blues will be looking to offload a number of stars this summer with new boss Mauricio Pochettino reportedly set to press ahead with a major clearout. Indeed, 12 players could be sold in order to keep in line with Financial Fair Play rules.

As per the Evening Standard, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hakim Ziyech, Mateo Kovacic, Marc Cucurella and Kai Havertz have all been touted as potential departures.

Alongside them, Pulisic is also expected to leave with Relevo's Matteo Moretto recently noting AC Milan could be his next destination.

Amid all this speculation, the 24-year-old has perhaps toyed with his fans when sharing a recent Instagram post. The winger is away with the USMNT and notably opted to include red and black dots in his wordless Instagram caption.

When does the 2023 summer transfer window open?

Of course, you can argue that these colours do match the training kit that he's wearing in the photo – which is predominantly black with the USA badge and Nike sponsor in red.

But the emojis posted aren't the usual red, white and blue you would associate with that country and their football team, so he may well have been dropping a bit of a hint about the next step in his career.

If that was indeed a deliberate post, then it does suggest he could be set for an imminent departure, already knowing what club he'll be joining despite the summer transfer window not actually opening until June 14.

His current contract runs until 2024 and so now would be the best time to move on if Chelsea want to bring in some funds with a sale, while also getting his £150k-p/w salary off their wage bill.

All in all, it really does feel as though the American attacker could be on his way to Serie A with AC Milan very soon.

Bangladesh were given a mighty scare but they somehow managed to fend Afghanistan’s challenge to win by seven runs in a tense first ODI in Mirpur

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Mirpur25-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Bangladesh made a rusty return in their first ODI in 11 months•Associated PressBangladesh were given a mighty scare, but they somehow managed to fend off Afghanistan’s challenge to win by seven runs in a tense first ODI in Mirpur. The 1-0 lead was possible through fine slog-overs bowling from Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, who picked up seven wickets between them.Afghanistan were cruising at 190 for 2, with Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi driving their chase in a 144-run third-wicket stand. Once that was broken, with Shakib having Rahmat stumped to become the country’s highest ODI wicket-taker, things fell apart.With 28 runs needed off 24 balls, Shakib kept the game within Bangladesh’s reach through a tight one-run over. Taskin followed it up with a two-wicket over that included the scalp of Mohammad Nabi, who had made 30 off 24 balls, off a slower ball. Rubel then gave away eight runs and removed Rashid Khan off the last ball of the next over.It boiled down to 13 off the final over, bowled by Taskin. With the new ball, he was wayward and perhaps a touch nervous upon his return to international cricket after getting his bowling action cleared by the ICC. Now, it was a do-or-die situation, and he responded by removing Mirwais Ashraf with a full delivery off the second ball. He then took his fourth wicket to finish a hard-fought win that could have belonged to Afghanistan had they kept their cool in the last half hour.That they were in with a chance was largely because Bangladesh missed an opportunity to post much more than 265; they lost their last seven wickets for 62, with Mahmudullah’s slog sweep that was caught at deep square-leg in the 41st over triggering the slide.Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman then fell to Rashid Khan’s googlies, leaving Shakib with the task of manoeuvring the final stages of the innings; he eventually fell for a 40-ball 48 in the 48th over. Dawlat Zadran, who was inconsistent in the middle overs, returned to finish with 4 for 73 off 10 overs, while Rashid and Nabi took two wickets each.Bangladesh’s platform was built by Tamim Iqbal, who made 80 off 98 balls with nine boundaries. His 83-run second-wicket stand with Imrul Kayes helped them recover from the early loss of Soumya Sarkar.Tamim, who was dropped on 30 at point off Ashraf, then added 79 runs for the third wicket with Mahmudullah, before an unusual middle-overs slowdown, largely due to the oppressive heat and the slow nature of the surface. He eventually holed out to long-off in the 36th over. Mahmudullah too was given a reprieve on 58 by Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai at cover, but he added just four more. He hit five fours and two sixes in all to give the total a lift.Afghanistan’s chase didn’t take off until Mohammad Shahzad cut loose – he struck Taskin for three successive fours in the sixth over and flicked Mashrafe Mortaza for a six over midwicket – but his dismissal in the seventh over pulled them back. Mashrafe had the last laugh when he found the edge. What followed was an angry send-off, which was perhaps because of the pressure Bangladesh found themselves under all of a sudden.Shakib struck two balls later to trap Shabir Noori lbw to become Bangladesh’s joint-highest wicket-taker in ODIs along with Abdur Razzak. He could have taken over the record in the 12th over, but Mushfiqur Rahim couldn’t gather a difficult take down the leg-side off Shahidi.Rahmat and Shahidi then rebuilt to bring Afghanistan back into the contest. Once they found a string of boundaries, the confidence showed. Afghanistan signalled intent when Rahmat struck three sixes, over mid-off and midwicket, the third a beautiful pick-up off Rubel Hossain in the 31st over. He even scooped Rubel past fine-leg to leave the 40,000-strong crowd worried.To add to Bangladesh’s woes, Shahidi was let off for the second time when Mahmudullah failed to hold on to a chance at deep square-leg in the 40th over off Taijul Islam. Fortunately for Bangladesh, another opportunity came in the next over, which they gleefully accepted as Shakib broke the record for most ODI wickets. Rahmat’s stumping on 71 ended a stand that, in hindsight, may have proved to be the game-changer.Shahidi then mistimed a slog on 72 and was caught by Soumya Sarkar at deep midwicket in the 44th over. From there on, it was over to Nabi and Asghar Stanikzai to pull off a heist. But on the face of some improved death bowling, the task proved a little too steep. And in a jiffy, an opportunity to record a famous win slipped by.

Manchester United have been scouting Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae since late last year, according to a key update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Kim Min-jae shining for Napoli?

The South Korean has enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 season, proving to be one of Napoli's most influential performers in a legendary campaign for the club. He has been an absolute rock at the heart of their defence, starting 34 Serie A matches and helping his team win their first league title since 1990.

Kim is arguably seen as one of the world's best players in his position at the moment, such has been the level he has performed at, and Napoli may find it difficult to keep hold of him once the summer transfer window arrives.

United have been strongly linked with for the £33,000-a-week defender in recent weeks, with the Reds Devils seeing him as a potentially huge addition at the end of the season.

Could Man United snap up Kim Min-jae?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that United have been long-time admirers of Kim, suggesting that he remains a top target ahead of the summer window opening:

"For Kim, we have to say that Manchester United started to work on this deal at the end of October and the beginning of November. They have been sending their scouts and they have always been in attendance to follow Kim Min-jae with Napoli.

"He has been putting in excellent performances and he has been the best centre-back of the season, for sure, in Serie A. He is doing very, very well."

Kim could be the perfect centre-back signing for United this summer, coming in and immediately making them more of a force, and helping them potentially turn into Premier League title challengers, having ended up falling well short this time around.

The 26-year-old's displays for Napoli have been near-immaculate throughout the campaign, with an average of 3.6 clearances per game coming his way, as well as an eye-catching 91% pass completion rate to highlight his technical quality. He is at the ideal age to come in and be a key man, with his peak years likely to last for the foreseeable future.

Granted, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have been excellent together for United, but the latter is ageing and injury-prone, so Kim would be viewed as a long-term upgrade, having been hailed as "unbelievably good" by Serie A expert Matteo Bonetti.