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Leeds United could consider Graham Potter to be their next new permanent manager in the Championship, according to reports.

Is Sam Allardyce leaving Leeds?

The Whites had their relegation to the second tier confirmed last weekend following the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and question marks quickly arose surrounding the future of Sam Allardyce having failed to guide his team to safety during his four games in charge.

The Times have reported that the Yorkshire outfit are set to hold internal talks with the 68-year-old regarding staying in the job and rebuilding the project in a bid to jump back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season, but there has been a couple of names doing the rounds as to who could replace him should he leave.

Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola, Brendan Rodgers and West Bromwich’s Albion Carlos Corberan are just three of several candidates to have been linked so far, though Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers may now have set their sights on Potter.

Are Leeds appointing Potter?

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea’s former manager Graham Potter has emerged as an “intriguing name” for the potential vacancy at Leeds. The Whites would “suit” the 48-year-old where he could transform the club “from the bottom up”, not to mention he would find “promising young players’ to work with, and it’s stated that there is “no shortage of interest” in the role.

Is Potter the right candidate for Leeds?

Potter’s time at Chelsea didn’t go as well as hoped, but you can’t deny the sensational job that he did at Brighton where he was praised for his “high pressing” football by journalist Josh Bunting and called a "superb manager" by Sky journalist Melissa Reddy, so whilst this move could be a risk, it may be one worth taking for Leeds.

The Solihull-born coach, whose preferred formation is a 3-4-2-1, has an excellent record in LS11, winning four, drawing three and losing just one of eight meetings, as per Transfermarkt, so imagine the magic he could work if he was the man in charge of the home side.

Finally, Potter shares the same agent, Wasserman, as Weston McKennie, Adam Forshaw, Brenden Aaronson, Sam Greenwood, Luis Sinisterra and Crysencio Summerville, so this existing representative connection could potentially give them a small advantage should they want to try and get a move for their managerial target over the line.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will look forward to their summer break as the testing Premier League season begins to come to a close.

There will be little rest for boss Julen Lopetegui, who will have his mind firmly set on the transfer window, in his first full window since joining the club in November.

The Spaniard will have the chance to improve his squad to his liking after inheriting the work from Bruno Lage, who was dismissed back in October.

With Wolves being the lowest scorers in the Premier League, transfer news regarding incomings is expected to be dominated by forwards, while the expected departure of Ruben Neves takes centre stage for outgoings.

The summer window is a free-for-all for all clubs to flex their finances and sweep up the hottest prospects in Europe and beyond, however, Lopetegui may not need to look further than his academy in some areas for exciting talent ahead of next season, notably Harvey Griffiths.

Who is Harvey Griffiths?

In 2021, Wolves captured the deadline day signing of U18 star Harvey Griffiths from Manchester City’s academy.

The versatile defensive midfielder has featured 19 times in Premier League 2 for the Midlands side this campaign and has undergone an impressive term sparking ideas that he could be an option for Lopetegui to integrate into the senior squad next season.

On his signing for the club, ex-Wolves Technical Director Scott Sellars was full of praise for the starlet, saying to the club’s official site:

“He’s a great footballer, who also has a physical presence, so we’re delighted.

"He’s had a very good football education and played with some great young players, and now he wants to see if he can get an opportunity to really break through.

"We’ve got an excellent young talent.”

Despite lining up as a defensive option in the midfield, the youngster has contributed to seven goals in the league this season, scoring four and assisting three showing his ability in both areas in the middle of the park.

The 19-year-old was lauded as a “terrific footballer” with “something about him” by U21’s coach James Collins following his debut, and two years down the line, the Englishman has a real chance to break into Lopetegui’s squad.

With Mario Lemina impressing in defensive areas for Wolves currently, notably making 2.1 tackles per game (3rd highest at Molineux), the Gabon international could be a player for Griffiths to mould his game around, with the Wolves star certainly the benchmark for what is expected in the role.

The youngster arguably has more attacking flair than the 29-year-old, shown through his higher number of goals and assists from the deep position, which would give Lopetegui a potential option for variation depending on competition and opposition next season.

With several names returning from loans in the summer, on top of the talent already cooking in the academy, the Spaniard should take time to consider his internal options to improve his squad in certain areas.

James Sutherland has said Cricket Australia is open to diverting part of its overseas television revenue from India tours ot Australia to a central rights package bundle to be shared among all member boards

Daniel Brettig04-Jul-2016Cricket Australia total revenue figures since 2008 (from annual reports)

2007-08 (Sri Lanka, India): A$146,430,545

2008-09 (New Zealand, South Africa): A$115,825,592

2009-10 (West Indies, Pakistan): A$134,997,460

2010-11 (England): A$167,907,641

2011-12 (New Zealand, India): A$264,631,134

2012-13 (South Africa, Sri Lanka): A$168,392,766

2013-14 (England): A$295,897,820

2014-15 (India, England, World Cup): A$380,874,924

James Sutherland has declared Cricket Australia’s willingness to part with its multi-million-dollar Indian pot of gold as part of a collective effort to preserve the financial health of the global game.Following the ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Sutherland, the CA chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo that CA was not alone in contemplating major changes to the revenue models based around bilateral (home and away) tours. Chief among these was the possibility of allowing overseas television revenue from India tours to Australia – worth up to $100 million extra to CA’s annual balance sheet – to be at least partly diverted into a central rights package bundle to be shared among all members.Such a change would be likely to cost CA money in the short-term, while also changing the dynamics around the board’s close relationship with the BCCI, a huge contributor to Australian cricket’s financial health. However Sutherland was blunt in saying that “doing nothing is not an option”, and said all boards had to look at “the big picture” of the international game’s future, amid worsening financial situations for some countries and the encroachment of domestic Twenty20 leagues on schedules and player priorities.”It’s different, isn’t it,” Sutherland said of the proposal to bundle rights for bilateral series. “You have to have a belief in the broader context and you’ve also got to see the big picture. I think together with pretty well all other countries right now we see that bilateral cricket is very much our core business and it’s really important that it continues to be popular. Ideally if we get to a situation where it has more structure around it, we build context, fans can understand and appreciate it more and we can increase the value and appeal of bilateral cricket.”We’ve got a very open mind and we believe in a big-picture sense that the benefits will flow, not only to us but to others. It may well be we go backwards before we go forwards, we don’t know, but we do believe in the big picture and we do believe individual countries can’t operate in isolation of everyone else. That’s something we’re very conscious of and that’s why we support the work the ICC has done so far in reviewing the structure of bilateral cricket and how that might all work. It’ll be good for the game, that’s our foremost position, and hopefully down the track it’ll be good for cricket in Australia.”Sutherland’s words are a world away from CA’s actions eight years ago during the “Monkeygate” furore, when Australia’s players felt let down when the board elected to avoid the risk of India flying home from the 2007-08 tour rather than backing Andrew Symonds against Harbhajan Singh. However since that time CA has worked assiduously to become more financially independent, raising a second major revenue stream from the Big Bash League and reforming governance to better advance the interests of the game in total.As a member of the ICC working committee exploring the commercial implications of changes to bilateral tours, Sutherland said he was encouraged by how much willingness he saw in Edinburgh to reform the structure of the game. Further talks are set to be held in late August or early September, before a more detailed model is presented to the ICC board in October.”I think we’re getting to a stage of really getting down to a bit of detail now of what it all looks like and how it works,” he said. “We’re hoping to have some meetings next month where we get everyone together to talk a bit more about it. The pleasing thing is there’s some genuine momentum here on this and strong alignment and will to make some meaningful decisions. That’s going to be good for the game and hopefully that will happen in the next little while. Everyone is strongly aligned and I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction here.”Everyone is firmly of the view that doing nothing around the structure is not an option, and about building more context around international bilateral competition. How it unfolds in regard to exploitation of rights and all of that is something individual members will need to make some decisions on, but it does follow that there are opportunities perhaps to do things better and differently on a collective basis rather than on an individual basis.”That sort of stuff is not a necessity, people could opt in or opt out of that opportunity; the bundling of rights may well deliver greater value but it will almost certainly deliver greater flexibility and capacity for member countries to generate media and digital assets that can help make the game more accessible for fans. That’s ultimately what we should all be about.”The models being currently discussed will include a certain weighting for the value of each country’s overseas rights, meaning that the likes of India, Australia and England will still get a share somewhat proportionate to their financial contribution. It will also be possible to schedule bilateral tours outside of the proposed league structures, meaning the Ashes or Border-Gavaskar series could still take place if the teams found themselves in different divisions.However the days of countries being financially tied to the BCCI for their very survival, and thus in lockstep when voting on issues at the ICC board table, may soon make way for a more equitable future, in line with governance changes also in the works. “The share of the revenues will still be somewhat proportionate one way or the other to the contribution,” Sutherland said. “If one country, India for example, their contribution to that total pie is greater than someone else they’ll get a benefit from that in a proportional sense.”But what it should allow is for other countries, who aren’t as strong or don’t have as much power and are effectively selling their rights in competition against other countries, to be a part of a bundle that helps increase the value by virtue of context and structure that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to achieve. That’s all about everyone helping each other to get a better outcome.”

Sean Ervine has been named as Hampshire captain in T20 and 50-over cricket after James Vince’s England call

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2016

The rise of James Vince to England’s Test team has left his county, Hampshire, looking for a replacement captain, with Sean Ervine named as the man to take charge in T20 and 50-over cricket.Ervine, 33, is one of Hampshire’s longest-serving players and captained the team on their pre-season tour of Barbados, when Vince was away at the World T20.”It feels great to be captain,” Ervine said. “Whilst we’re disappointed Vince can’t be with us, it’s brilliant he’s been selected for England.”I’ll bring calmness, and try and use my experience from over the years to counter certain situations – it can get quite manic out there. I captained in Barbados during pre-season and I really enjoyed the experience. Jimmy [Adams] has been a brilliant example and Vince has done an amazing job. It’s just about making sure we continue the success we’ve had over the last few years.”Vince was named Hampshire’s T20 captain in 2014, then took over in 50-over cricket at the start of last season. Adams’ decision to relinquish the Championship captaincy midway through 2015 saw Vince elevated in all three formats but this has coincided with his England career taking off and the club may not see much of him this year.A former Zimbabwe international, Ervine has played a key part in Hampshire’s limited-overs success, helping them to lift the C&G Trophy in 2005, as well as T20 titles in 2010 and 2012. He was the first Hampshire player to make 100 T20 appearances and has helped them to a record six successive Finals Days.His first match in charge will come next Friday, when Hampshire begin their NatWest Blast campaign with a fixture away to Middlesex at Uxbridge.

Kieran Tierney's exit from Arsenal this summer 'could be getting done' despite his quality, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

Members of Mikel Arteta's squad have been tipped to leave this summer given their status as fringe players, with Emile Smith Rowe and Tierney among them. The latter man stood out as a fairly key player during Arsenal's fight for the top four last season – having even been among their top ten most regularly-picked assets in the Premier League.

Tierney even chipped in with a goal and three assists over his 22 league starts that year, but this campaign, minutes have been much harder to come by. The signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko has impacted his playing time however, with Tierney starting just five games over 2022/2023 whilst making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench.

As such, the Scotland international leaving north London is a very realistic possibility this summer, with pundit and former West Ham striker McAvennie saying Newcastle United are in the hunt.

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the 63-year-old claimed Tierney's departure 'could be getting done' based off what he's 'heard'.

McAvennie explained:

“I have heard that they [Newcastle] are in for Tierney and that could be getting done.

“I could understand that. It would be an ideal situation for Tierney, it is only a few hours away from Glasgow and it would be great for him.

“How he can’t get a game in the Arsenal team is incredible but it is the way they want to play. I just think it is crazy.”

Should Arsenal let Tierney go?

We believe letting the 25-year-old go to Newcastle would be a mistake when you consider the best teams in Europe all have one thing in common – strength in depth. Tierney is a more-than capable option to slot in when required, as perhaps best summed up by William Gallas, who said this on the left-back in March:

"You always need two quality players in every position if you want to be successful in the Premier League. If Tierney goes to Newcastle, then they won’t have that competition.

"You have to find the best solution for all of the parties because I’m sure Tierney wants to play more regularly. Arsenal need to have good, young players who are waiting to come through and prove their quality."

Indeed, the defender could still have a key role to play, both for the remainder of this season and in years to come.

Chelsea have held a “strong interview” with Luis Enrique regarding their managerial vacancy, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

What's the latest manager news at Chelsea?

Premier League owner Todd Boehly gave Graham Potter his marching orders earlier this month and soon after appointed Frank Lampard as interim boss until the end of the season whilst he continues the search for a new long-term successor behind-the-scenes.

The Spaniard was most recently in charge of his homeland’s international team and was quickly identified as an ideal candidate by the hierarchy in SW6, alongside Bayern Munich’s former boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Fabrizio Romano has since revealed that the 52-year-old travelled to the capital for face-to-face talks last week and claimed that he would be keen to take the job, and there has now been an update on the board’s stance.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips claimed that Chelsea view Nagelsmann as the current leading candidate but were mightily impressed by what they saw from Enrique. He said:

“Enrique was always seen as more of a backup to Nagelsmann and it seems that Chelsea will prefer to wait it out on him at the moment, rather than go straight in with Enrique. That doesn't mean to say that Chelsea won't turn to Enrique down the line. He's still a very strong candidate for the Chelsea role on a permanent basis this summer. But right now Chelsea have been trying to get Nagelsmann and when they saw they can't get him, they've gone to Lampard. Enrique certainly had a strong interview, so I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea do decide to go for him in the summer."

Would Enrique be an ideal candidate for Chelsea?

Enrique is a hugely experienced manager having taken charge of 431 games throughout his career and considering his level of success, he would be the perfect candidate to take over the reins at Chelsea ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The Gijon native has won 253, drawn 89 and lost just 89 of his matches since the start of his career in the dugout whilst averaging 1.97 points per match, via Transfermarkt. The 4-3-3 attack-minded coach also knows what it takes to compete at the highest level for silverware having secured ten trophies, including World’s Best Club Coach and Manager of the Year, which shows that he constantly gets the individual recognition he deserves for the job he does.

Finally, Enrique being a free agent on the market right now means that the Blues wouldn't have to pay any compensation to secure his services so the hierarchy need to capitalise on the fact that he wants to take the job by getting him in the building over the summer.

Liverpool have found themselves really struggling to maintain their high standards this season, and it is clear the once successful squad is starting to turn stale with a refresh urgently needed this summer.

The Reds have found themselves without a chance of collecting another trophy this season and are currently seven points adrift from the fourth Champions League spot inside the Premier League top four with just 12 remaining fixtures to close the gap.

Indeed, there is no doubt that the powerbrokers at Anfield will be working hard to find fresh perspectives who can join the squad in the summer with a recruitment drive of youthful players expected as Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount have both been linked on numerous occasions with a move to Merseyside.

However, the supporters of the club will be under no illusion that their frugal American owners will be splashing the cash like their top-flight rivals when the transfer window opens, but will expect to see drastic improvements and effort put into bringing success back to Anfield sooner rather than later.

As a result, whilst the focus may be on the players Jurgen Klopp could bring in to spark the next generation of success, the German coach could unleash another player from the fantastic academy set-up at Kirkby.

One player who has been a stand-out performer in the Merseysiders' youth teams is Melkamu Frauendorf, a player who is showing signs that he could be the next Harvey Elliott.

Who is Melkamu Frauendorf?

The young talent joined Liverpool from Hoffenheim back in 2020 on a scholarship with the academy after capturing the attention of the club's scouts over in Germany and just one year later signed his first professional contract after impressing with the U18s in his first season.

Since then, Frauendorf has had no trouble making his presence known in the youth set-up and was even seen training with the first team in Dubai during the World Cup break back in November last year.

The Germany U19 international has tallied up 86 appearances, 19 goals and 14 assists since his arrival – with two of those appearances in the senior team when Klopp gave the youngster his FA Cup debut against Shrewsbury Town in January 2022.

Over his two appearances this season in the Football League Trophy, the young midfielder has registered one assist and won the majority of his duels (53%), as well as averaging two tackles, two key passes, one shot on target and four duels won per game.

Frauendorf has also earned high praise for his talents to go alongside his impressive output, with his former Hoffenheim coach Danny Galm claiming:

"Mel is a very flexible player. He is straightforward with a good technique and very, very good endurance.

"For me, he was a very important player, who often initiated decisive moments with his dynamic and straight dribbling.

"I’m not a fan of comparing players to others but Mel is a special player. He is fast and has good endurance, and he wants to learn, but remains creative."

Mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder, the 19-year-old rising star has all the attributes to become Klopp's next Elliott as he is capable of being part of a midfield system but is also fearless when it comes to breaking the lines to attack and ultimately score goals, just like his senior Liverpool positional peer.

With that being said, it is clear that Frauendorf has a bright future ahead of him and could be exactly what Klopp needs to bolster the depth in his first-team midfield personnel next season.

West Ham United have been tipped to appoint Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick as David Moyes is now under severe pressure following the weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

What’s the latest on Michael Carrick to West Ham United?

That’s according to former Premier League footballer Jamie O’Hara, who told talkSPORT (05/03/2022, 17:00) that the club should be looking at hiring Carrick if they decide to sack Moyes in the coming weeks.

“Carrick is absolutely flying at Middlesbrough. They’re third in the table,” said O’Hara. “Carrick at West Ham ain’t a bad shout, you know.”

Would Carrick be a good appointment at West Ham?

Moyes has endured a woeful run of form since Christmas, winning just twice in the league and the feel-good factor that had been built following the success from last season has disappeared within eight months.

Could he be the man to maintain their Premier League status? Time will tell, but with the likes of Steve Cooper and Mauricio Pochettino being recently linked with the job, it appears his time is coming to an end.

Carrick could be a surprise option, however, his previous knowledge of the club – playing over 150 games for them – may prove to be vital.

The Englishman is currently sparkling in his first managerial role at Boro, leading them to third place in the Championship table and the chance to secure top-flight football for the first time since 2016/2017.

He has managed 23 games so far, winning 16 and losing just five, while the 41-year-old has averaged 2.17 points per game and this record has certainly garnered attention.

West Ham certainly have a squad that is good enough to remain in the top flight, yet being good on paper doesn’t always mean excelling on the pitch and Moyes has failed to generate any excitement this term.

Carrick has an excellent role at the moment, with the chance to achieve promotion at the first time of asking and his team plays wonderful attacking football. Indeed in his 23 matches in charge, Boro have scored 43 goals.

For context, West Ham have scored just 23 goals in the league. Could Carrick bring his attacking philosophy to West Ham and secure their league status? It would be a risky move but with Moyes putting the club in more danger with every passing performance, it might be a risk the club are willing to take.

Tottenham Hotspur left-back Ryan Sessegnon is set for a six-week injury layoff due to a hamstring injury, according to Football London.

The Lowdown: Injuries mounting up

Spurs already have some notable players on the treatment table, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris ruled out for around six weeks, while Yves Bissouma has an ankle issue and Rodrigo Bentancur is suffering with a knee injury.

As such, the last thing that Antonio Conte needed was for another player to be sidelined, but Sessegnon was omitted from the team for the 4-1 defeat against Leicester City on Saturday, and the reason for his absence has now come to light.

The Latest: Hamstring injury for Sessegnon

According to Football London, the left-back picked up a hamstring injury in a training session prior to the trip to the King Power Stadium at the weekend.

The issue is set to keep him out for around six weeks, leaving Conte with just Ivan Perisic in terms of natural left wing-backs.

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The Verdict: Blow for Conte

Sessegnon has made great strides this season, with his manager describing him as an ‘important’ player back in September, and the 22-year-old has managed to challenge Perisic for his place in the starting XI, as indicated by his tally of 17 appearances in the current Premier League campaign.

Given that Perisic is now 34 years old, it is not ideal that he is the only alternative option who is well-suited to playing at left wing-back, especially with a tricky set of fixtures coming up, starting with a Champions League trip to AC Milan on Tuesday night.

Another possibility for Conte is playing Ben Davies or Emerson Royal in a position in which they are not accustomed, and the latter has been heavily criticised this season, so Sessegnon’s absence is bound to be a huge concern for the Spurs boss.

West Brom goalkeeper Alex Palmer suffered an injury blow in his side’s 1-0 victory over Coventry City, reliable journalist Joe Chapman has confirmed.

The Lowdown: West Brom see off Coventry

The Baggies entertained Coventry in a key Championship clash on Friday evening, as they looked to continue their recent resurgence and head into the playoff positions.

They did just that, eventually battling their way to a 1-0 win thanks to Grady Diangana’s solitary goal, with the victory seeing them jump into fifth place in the table.

Someone who played no part in proceedings was Palmer, however, with David Button starting between the sticks instead.

The Latest: Palmer injury blow confirmed

Taking to Twitter after the game, The Birmingham Mail‘s Chapman relayed news from manager Carlos Corberan that Palmer has suffered an injury in training that will keep him sidelined for around six weeks:

“Bad news on Palmer, I’m afraid.”

The Verdict: Setback for Baggies

This is a big blow to West Brom’s promotion hopes, with Palmer a strong performer throughout this season, starting 17 league games and being described as ‘outstanding’ by Alan Sheehan during a loan spell at Luton Town last term.

Corberan has praised the ‘maturity’ of his performances recently, too, and being without him for an extended period is going to be a big test of Button’s credentials.

Palmer’s passing accuracy of 64.4% in the league this season is marginally better than his teammate’s tally of 63.4%, and he has also won twice as many aerial duels (0.2 to 0.1).

From being an afterthought at the Hawthorns to an essential under Corberan, the West Brom boss must now cope without his influential presence for well over a month in what must surely be a real blow for the Premier League promotion chasers.