Everton have been approached by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur regarding a deal for Jordan Pickford, according to reports.

Is Jordan Pickford leaving Everton?

Pickford has firmly established himself as Sean Dyche’s number one between the sticks having started 37 of the 38 top-flight games last season, and whilst coming close to relegation, he was a standout performer on Merseyside.

The England international only signed a new contract back in February which keeps him at the club until at least 2027, but there had been prior speculation that he could have been set to depart if the Toffees had dropped to the Championship.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter and journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that there was an informal agreement in place that the 29-year-old could leave if relegated, with Spurs the “frontrunner” to secure his services having held a long-term interest, and that is something that they appear to have stepped up despite him surviving the drop.

Are Tottenham signing Pickford?

According to Football Transfers, Everton have been “contacted” by Tottenham to enquire about the possibility of a summer swoop for Pickford. The Lilywhites have been tracking the goalkeeper for “several months” and have now “started to make moves” for the 6 foot star.

The Goodison Park outfit have been approached by Spurs to “establish a dialogue”, and there have also already been “discussions” held between the player’s representatives and his admirers in N17.

The Blues have placed a £40m price tag on his head, but it’s claimed that before joining, he wants “reassurances” over who their new manager is going to be as well as if Harry Kane will remain in the capital beyond the upcoming window.

Should Everton sell Pickford?

Pickford has been dubbed Everton’s “leader” by journalist Josh Bunting having captained Dyche’s side on several occasions last season, and considering the positive impact he has on the club, the board should do everything they can to retain his services for the 2023/24 campaign.

The World Cup participant kept eight clean sheets in the top-flight during the previous term which saw him receive two man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he made a total of 123 saves from 181 shots on target against, giving him a save success percentage of 71.3%, as per FBRef.

Toffees supporters also clearly hold a lot of admiration for Pickford having voted him the Player of the Year twice, first in 2017/18 and second in 2021/22, and the thought of losing him would be a huge blow which is why he needs to remain in the net on Merseyside.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Randal Kolo Muani, with manager Erik ten Hag still seeking to find a suitable centre-forward option ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Kolo Muani to Man United?

According to journalist Miguel Delaney, writing on Twitter, the Red Devils are said to be "pursuing" a move for the France international, with doubts remaining as to whether leading target Harry Kane will be attainable for the Old Trafford outfit.

In his attached piece for the Independent, the respected insider revealed that United are already in contact with the representatives of the 24-year-old marksman, with signing a new striker said to be the 'primary concern' for Ten Hag and co.

The piece does add, however, that any move for the former Nantes man could require a rather hefty fee of around £100m, while the Carabao Cup winners are also set to face stern competition from German giants, Bayern Munich in the battle to land the 6 foot 2 dynamo.

Would Kolo Muani be a good signing for Man United?

Hailed as a "complete" player by compatriot Kylian Mbappe after starring at the World Cup in Qatar – having scored in the semi-final triumph over Morocco – Kolo Muani has certainly warranted the admiring glances from those at United, following what was a standout campaign in the Bundesliga for the Frenchman.

Having only arrived in Frankfurt last summer, the £25k-per-week menace ended the 2022/23 season with a stellar tally of 40 goals and assists from just 46 appearances across all fronts, notably bagging 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 league outings.

It has therefore been a real breakthrough campaign for the one-time Boulogne man, although there may be concern as to whether he is the centre-forward solution that United are in need of, having previously scored just 23 goals in 87 games during his time in France.

Equally, the fact that Kolo Muani is also said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, as per FBref, may also have alarm bells ringing, with the Uruguayan having endured a difficult debut season at Anfield.

The 23-year-old was snapped up on a rather sizeable £85m deal after scoring 34 goals in a breakout 2021/22 season for Benfica, although has since gone on to struggle in English football to date, after scoring just nine league goals and missing 20 big chances in 2022/23 – the third most in the division.

To acquire their own version of the 6 foot 2 enigma with the signing of Kolo Muani may then be something of a mistake for United, with the two men – who can both operate on the flanks or through the middle – particularly errant in possession, with the Frankfurt man ranking in just the bottom 28% among his European peers for pass completion, while Nunez ranks in just the bottom 24% in that regard.

That being said, there are obvious qualities to their game with the pair both able to drive forward with the ball at their feet with ease, with Liverpool man ranking in the top 6% for progressive carries, while Kolo Muani ranks in the top 7% for that same metric.

Even so, Ten Hag may well be wary of snapping up the next Nunez with the signing of the seven-cap speedster, with the Red Devils seemingly craving an addition who has delivered the goods on a consistent basis, rather than in just a solitary, standout season.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will be backed financially this summer after securing European football.

What's the latest on Aston Villa and Europe?

On the final day of the Premier League season, the Villans managed to pick up a 2-1 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to goals from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins.

Those three points weren't enough to see them reach the Seagulls who finished one point and one place above Villa, but they did help secure a Europa Conference League spot for Emery and co.

This is exciting news for the club as their 51-year-old manager has a great record in Europe, having won the Europa League four times over the course of his career.

However, if he wants to succeed, his side may need some key reinforcements this summer and Agbonlahor thinks that's just what will happen.

Indeed, when speaking on the TalkSport YouTube channel, the pundit said (4:33): "I do think Unai Emery is going to get the backing to bring in the players he wants. So you need to bulk up that squad. Been a few injuries this season.

"But he's experienced in it. You know, he's been managing in the Europa League for so long. He knows the amount of players he needs, the right players to rotate.

"So it's looking good for Aston Villa. Exciting times."

Who could Villa sign this summer?

Incidentally, Emery has already spoken about how qualifying for the Europa Conference League could change his club's transfer plans in the upcoming market.

After beating Brighton, he told BirminghamLive: "I will now start preparing for next season. I will speak to the club. The club is working and I’m keeping in touch with the possibilities we can add [signings] for next year; speaking about who we can add and take the decision with players we already have here.

"Today, it was very important to be focused for this match. But we’ll start now thinking about the next project and be stronger than we have been."

Of course, Villa only have to look at the way Premier League rivals West Ham United have performed in the competition this term, and trust that they too could potentially make the final next year.

If that's the case, the club will likely need some new additions to help add real depth to the team. And one position that appears to be an area to strengthen is up top.

Indeed, earlier in the month Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor explained to GIVEMESPORT that the Villans look to be targeting a "top-level striker".

It has been reported that Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster is set to sign a new contract to remain with the Welsh club.

Why does Ben Foster play for Wrexham?

The former Manchester United and England goalkeeper retired from football at the end of the 2021/22 season having been relegated from the Premier League with Watford.

However, in March owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney convinced him to return to the club – 18 years after he'd spent a loan spell at the Racecourse Ground – on a short-term deal until the end of the season just past.

Since putting on the Wrexham kit once again, Foster has been a great success as he helped the team earn promotion back into the Football League, even saving a 97th-minute penalty against rivals Notts County.

And there had been talk that he could be happy to stay on next term as the club play in League 2, with the player himself hinting at a possible new deal during the bus parade.

Well, it has now been reported by TEAMtalk that the goalkeeper is indeed set to sign a new deal to stay at Wrexham for at least one more campaign.

Will Ben Foster sign a new contract at Wrexham?

It's unclear how long that new deal might be for, but when fans were heard shouting to Foster “One more year, one more year!” during the title celebrations, the shot-stopper raised two fingers, suggesting that he could be sticking around for another few seasons instead.

To be fair to the Englishman, considering all the fun he's had of late, you can see why he'd be more than happy to commit his future to the Red Dragons.

After all, he recently explained how the club's Hollywood owners spent nearly half a million pounds on the player's end-of-season trip to Las Vegas.

He said: "The way that Rob McElhenney and Ryan put it on for us, laid it on for us, was just like nothing I've ever seen.

"We got there [Vegas] and it was just literally, land, straight to the shower, straight get changed, go to Hakkasan for dinner and then we're going to Hakkasan nightclub straight afterwards.

By the way, all expenses paid – nobody paid a penny for anything."

On the cost, he added: "Got to be £500,000, had to be at least half a million genuinely it had to be because they just looked after everything. It was phenomenal."

All in all, it looks as though The Cycling GK is here to stay.

Burnley have sealed an instant bounce back into the Premier League and Vincent Kompany will be working hard to build a team fit to compete comfortably in the top flight next season.

The Clarets have already secured two permanent signings ahead of their return; however, after confirming this week that 18 players will leave the club this summer, there is still plenty of work to be done in the transfer market.

Indeed, their attacking threat has been one of the most tenacious in the Championship, with no other team scoring more goals (87) over the 46-game campaign.

However, with Ashley Barnes heading to Norwich City and top scorer Nathan Tella’s future at the club uncertain due to his imminent return to his parent club Southampton, it could potentially leave a gaping hole in the forward line.

The Saints are facing a spell in the second tier after their top-flight relegation, which means that Tella’s success in the Championship could entice the south coast side to retain his services for their promotion challenge.

As a result, bolstering the options in the final third will be massively advantageous to Kompany, and bringing in a player with experience at a top-flight club would be an even bigger boost.

One player who has been linked with a move to Turf Moor this summer is former Chelsea academy graduate and current Troyes striker Ike Ugbo.

Who is Ike Ugbo?

The 24-year-old has been at a number of clubs over his career so far, including MK Dons, Barnsley and Genk. However, his rise through the Cobham academy is most notable.

Despite never making a senior appearance for Chelsea beyond pre-season friendlies, Ugbo tallied up 25 goals and four assists in the U18s and U21s before venturing on a number of loan moves and eventually settling in Ligue 1 with Troyes.

Over 23 league appearances, the £13k-per-week dynamo – dubbed as ‘decisive’ by the Belgian media – has only scored two goals and registered one assist, however, has only averaged 32 minutes per game and earned just seven starts.

According to FBref, Leicester City goal machine Jamie Vardy is the second most comparable forward to Ugbo over the last 12 months, with the pair sharing similarities in their output this season, including shots on target per 90 (0.50 v 0.63), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.12 v 1.66) and goal contributions delivered per 90 (0.37 v 0.34).

Whilst the ideal signing would be for a Premier League-proven striker that can offer consistent goal contributions next season, it's an endeavour that won’t come cheap for the Clarets.

Instead, the signing of Ugbo could be a great opportunity for the Burnley boss to flex his clear ability to improve and develop unpolished talent without sacrificing crucial finances that will be needed in other areas of the pitch.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Burnley as they prepare to return to the Premier League, and Ugbo could be Kompany’s answer to Vardy if he can get the very best from him next season.

The ICC announced on Monday that a revised constitution for USA Cricket Association will be put up for consideration at the next ICC board meeting later this month. Ratifying a revised constitution is one of the key terms and conditions for the USACA to be reinstated as an Associate member of the ICC following their suspension in 2015.The announcement came after an ICC delegation including chief executive David Richardson and chairman Shashank Manohar spent the weekend in New York having meetings with stakeholders, including members of four advisory groups appointed to help carry out the ICC’s strategic framework outline. According to the ICC release, members of the advisory group formulated the revised constitution over the last several months before presenting it to the ICC delegation this weekend. The advisory groups comprises people from across the USA cricket community, including USACA board members and administrators.”We have heard from representatives across the USA cricketing community and there is a clear desire from them to unify under a single umbrella,” Richardson said. “The ICC is here to facilitate that process of building a strong foundation on which the sport can develop. Should the ICC Board consider the new constitution appropriate for the US market then we would look to USACA to adopt that as part of the fulfilment of their reinstatement conditions before full implementation of the constitution in 2017.”USACA board representatives, including president Gladstone Dainty, also met separately with the ICC delegation over the weekend. It is unclear how much input, if any, the Dainty-led board – separate from the USACA administrators who have been appointed to the ICC advisory groups – had in the revised constitution that will be presented to the ICC board.The ICC had given USACA until December 15 to comply with meeting all conditions for reinstatement, including ratifying a new constitution. Failure to meet the deadline may result in a resolution to be put to the ICC board before the end of the year for the expulsion of USACA, which would be put forward at the ICC annual conference in June 2017.

يواجه نادي ليفربول مشكلة في إطار اهتمامه بالتعاقد مع مدرب فريق باير ليفركوزن، تشابي ألونسو، لخلافة يورجن كلوب بداية من الموسم المقبل.

كان كلوب قد أعلن نهاية الشهر الماضي أنه ينوي مغادرة صفوف ليفربول بمجرد انتهاء هذا الموسم.

وارتبط العديد من المدربين بإمكانية خلافة كلوب في تدريب ليفربول، وعلى رأسهم تشابي ألونسو.

ولكن يبدو أن مهمة ليفربول لن تكون سهلة على الإطلاق، حيث ذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية أن نادي بايرن ميونخ لديه رغبة مماثلة في الظفر بخدمات ألونسو الموسم الجديد.

ويواجه توماس توخيل، المدير الفني الحالي لفريق بايرن ميونخ، ضغوطا متزايدة في ظل سوء نتائج الفريق تحت قيادته، كان آخرها هزيمة الأمس أمام بوخوم بنتيجة 3-2.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ميكا ريتشاردز ينصح ليفربول بشأن مستقبل محمد صلاح: لاعب بقيمة كبيرة

ويتواجد بايرن ميونخ في المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الألماني، بفارق 8 نقاط عن باير ليفركوزن.

وأفادت بأن إدارة بايرن ميونخ تتطلع إلى المستقبل حيث تفكر جديًا في الإطاحة بـ توخيل والاستعانة بـ ألونسو خلفًا له.

من جانبه، لن يتحدث ألونسو مع نادٍ آخر حتى انتهاء الموسم، وليس هناك ما يضمن أنه سيترك صفوف باير ليفركوزن.

وأمضى ألونسو ثلاث سنوات في بايرن ميونخ كلاعب بين 2014 و2017، بينما أمضى خمس سنوات في ليفربول بين 2004 و2009.

The ECB are planning to stage a round of Championship matches under lights at the end of June next season as England prepare for their first day-night Test

George Dobell23-Oct-20161:39

ECB announces first day-night Test

The ECB is planning to stage a round of Championship matches under lights at the end of June next season as England prepare for their first day-night Test.England are scheduled to play two Tests under lights in 2017. First they will play West Indies at Edgbaston in August, before playing one of the Ashes Tests in Australia at the end of the year.While details are yet to be confirmed, it is understood that the ECB has identified a round of games starting on June 26 for the floodlit matches in the hope that England players will be available. England play a T20I against South Africa in Cardiff on June 25, with the first Test against South Africa starting at Lord’s on July 6.That scheduling is not ideal. It comes just a few days after the longest evening of the year (sunset time is around 10pm) so the value of using lights will be diminished. But the ECB hopes it will attract more spectators to games and provide more data over the strengths and weaknesses of the pink ball and optimum pitch conditions for its usage.It is also one of few rounds where England’s Test specialists are expected to be available. Plans to stage the games in August were rejected as not all teams are scheduled to play at the same time and, in the ECB’s words, “equitability is deemed important”.The Division One games will be hosted by four of Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Essex, Hampshire or Surrey, while the Division Two games will be staged by five of Durham, Kent, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Northamptonshire and Glamorgan. The ECB has asked each of the counties to ensure there are no issues – such as permission from the local council – with them hosting such games before they confirm the schedule.

Ravindra Jadeja was penalised 50% of his match fees and slapped with three demerit points by the ICC for “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match.”

Sidharth Monga in Indore09-Oct-2016Ravindra Jadeja was penalised 50% of his match fees by the ICC for “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match.”While making 17 off 27 balls in the Indore Test, he was pulled up by umpire Bruce Oxenford for running down the middle of the pitch repeatedly which led to New Zealand being awarded five penalty runs.The ICC release said “Jadeja, after previously receiving two informal and one official warnings, infringed the protected area for the fourth time and damaged it.” As per a revision of the code of conduct, Jadeja has also been slapped with three demerit points. If he receives one more demerit point, within a two-year time frame, he could be suspended from one Test, or two ODIs, or two T20Is, whichever comes first.This is not the first time Jadeja has been in such trouble in this series. In Kolkata, he was warned twice for cutting across the pitch and the danger area when appealing for a wicket.The umpires don’t need to attach motive to the transgressions of players, they are there to penalise the actions, but for a Test player to run on the middle of pitch even after being warned has rung the alarm bells for New Zealand.Their coach, Mike Hesson, said only a few words but he got the message across. “Surface is still pretty good, I think it’s fair to say footmarks are building as they tend to do, but the body of the surface is still very good. I’m sure the umpires will maintain that.”If a bowler encroaches upon the danger area, he is taken out of the attack for the rest of the innings after due warnings. However, a similar transgression from a batsman costs the team only five runs. In terms of keeping an ongoing match even – and since suspensions affect a totally different match – it is perhaps one of the anomalies of the cricket rules that might need revisiting.When asked about the discrepancy, Hesson said: “In countries where the wickets deteriorate like this, the umpires have to be very decisive around how they look after the middle of the wicket. There are rules in place and the need to stick to those.”For a little while, Indian pitches have come under scrutiny. They have contributed to a change from the old ways when big hundreds and totals above 500 were routine. Virender Sehwag, who used to score a lot of the former, and play a part in the latter, told the host broadcaster before the second day’s play that he used to make his runs on surfaces that began breaking up late in the third day whereas now they are so worn they offer turn from ball one.Perhaps these pitches were a response to improving bats, a more cavalier attitude of the batsmen towards spin and to teams knowing Indian conditions better than they used to. Or maybe it was just the desperation to win.Whatever may be the case, the pitch in Indore didn’t turn from ball one. Yet the footmarks can be seen and there were puffs of dust by the end of day two. New Zealand, who are trailing by 529 runs, might have to get as much as possible in their first innings because batting last might become an ordeal. They were given five bonus runs, though, even before they had walked out to bat.This has been a series played in tough conditions, but it has largely been carried out in good spirit. That doesn’t mean teams won’t look to take any advantage they can get. Hesson had earlier acknowledged that India managed to get reverse swing soon after getting the ball changed, and that that was something they had tried to do as well. Appealing has been a bit of an issue, but Ross Taylor laughed it off saying his side was always going to be out-appealed in India.As India push for a whitewash having put the runs on the board, they will look for every advantage staying within the limits of the laws. The onus will be on the umpires to enforce those laws and playing conditions.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann said that the team did not need any more members added to the support staff, to aid the spinners, saying that they have often used spin consultants for Asian tours

Daniel Brettig28-Nov-2016Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann bristled at suggestions that he or his support staff needed further change or “reinvention” following a drought-breaking victory over South Africa in Adelaide, at the same time revealing how much pressure he has been under in recent weeks.Lehmann did not enjoy being told through the press by team performance manager Pat Howard that he needed to “reinvent” himself as a coach following the recent run of five consecutive defeats, a streak that also coincided with the release of an autobiographical book, , which outlines his philosophies.”I was going to wear a suit to the press conference,” Lehmann quipped when asked about Howard’s words. “I didn’t. I chose not to.”Lehmann was also unhappy to be quizzed on the role of spin coach John Davison, who has a strong working relationship with the team’s No. 1 spin bowler Nathan Lyon but is only seen sporadically on tour with him. Australia is a rare case of an international team not having a full-time spin coach, not only to work with spin bowlers but also to hone the part-time skills of batsmen who bowl spin.After a recent dry spell, Lyon bowled beautifully in Adelaide with the benefit of Davison’s presence, and he has historically tended to perform at his best when his trusted mentor is nearby. However, Lehmann said he did not want to add to the number of support staff already with the team, and argued that other consultants had been used for Asian tours.”So you want another staff member on tour?” Lehmann replied to a question about Davison. “A lot of people say it’s a question of numbers. John’s obviously got other roles as well, so he has been working with Nathan throughout the preparation phase of all Test matches. So he has been around, just Adelaide he stayed around.”I would have thought we’ve had Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] and had Sri [Sridharan Sriram], so we’ve had a couple around the place. Davo’s come around on tours. When we’re away, we normally take one. I don’t think we haven’t taken one to the subcontinent.”Lehmann admitted that Lyon had responded well to criticism he had faced from both outside the team and within. “I’m just pleased for the players. The players have copped a lot over the last few weeks and they’ve responded really well,” he said. “Obviously, a change of players as well. You feel sad for the blokes who missed out in this Test match, but the guys who came in did a really good job. Steve [Smith] summed it up – a new young group going forward, really pleased for them.”Overall, [Usman] Khawaja was outstanding in the first innings. He put away his cover drive and really summed up conditions well. They all did their job. It was great to see Nathan Lyon, who has copped a lot from everyone – including us, I suppose, as staff and selectors. He really did a great job for us this game as well.”Public pressure on Lehmann and the selectors was underlined by his assertion that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will play in the ODI series against New Zealand that now takes place before the Pakistan Tests. “We get in trouble if we don’t play them,” he said. “Not sure about that [resting them]. But they’re going to play. At some stage.”We gave them a break, didn’t we? So they should get through the summer. But we got in trouble for that as well. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The simple fact is day-night Test match, day off, helps us in the three one-dayers. So they should be fine there.”Then, it’s a day-night Test match in Brisbane, so they should be right to get through the summer and it’s a pretty important summer as we know, it’s very important. They led our attack really well and stood up for us.”They’ve just got to be really fit and fresh, as much as you possibly can. There’s so much cricket all year round. Do you learn your lesson along the way? You do. But, as long as they’re fresh and going okay, there’s no problems playing them. But the advantage we had in them not going to South Africa as such is that Hazlewood’s fresh as a daisy. He’s going really well. And bowled probably the best he has bowled in the last couple of summers, I thought, in this series.”