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Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou could move to unleash an unseen Spurs talent this season, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Who have Tottenham signed 2023?

The north Londoners, in a bid to strengthen Postecoglou's ranks and being the post-Antonio Conte era, brought in seven major signings over the 2023 summer transfer window. Indeed, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, midfielder James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, talented striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson all joined Spurs before deadline day.

Going the other way, Tottenham had to cope with losing star striker Harry Kane, who signed for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Following the 30-year-old, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele all moved elsewhere either on temporary deals or permanent ones.

The Lilywhites are enjoying a truly sensational early-season spell under Postecoglou; winning four out of their opening five Premier League matches whilst remaining unbeaten. Spurs are now gearing up for a crunch north London derby clash away to Arsenal this Sunday, and their rivals are in equally good form heading into this very interesting encounter.

Alejo Veliz transfer

One highly-rated young signing who Spurs supporters are eager to watch is Veliz, who sealed a move to N17 from Argentine side Rosario Central. The 20-year-old is yet to make his senior debut at Tottenham, and may have to wait a fair while for it to happen.

However, according to GiveMeSport reporter Jones, this could well happen before the season is over and Veliz could well be "unleashed" by Postecoglou.

"There is hope for a bright future for him in North London," wrote Jones for GMS. "The 19-year-old moved from Argentina, where he had been making moves with Rosario Central and impressing in the youth levels for the national team.

"He has been scouted by clubs including Brighton and Rangers and while they stuttered over committing to him, Spurs took him on as they see him as a player that can make his mark on the Premier League. This first season is important for bedding him and helping him to understand exactly how he is going to do that. We will see him sparingly before Christmas but by the end of this campaign he could be fully unleashed."

How good is Alejo Veliz?

The young South American was garnering quite the reputation before his switch to Tottenham. Across the Atlantic, Veliz scored 19 goals and registered two assists over 63 appearances for Rosario Central.

Called a "talent" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the same figure praised Veliz as a "complete forward" when profiling the player on X. 1978 Argentine World Cup winner Daniel Bertoni also had this to say on the player in an interview with TUTTOmercatoWEB: “Congratulations to Tottenham, who took Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central. For me, [Veliz is] a phenomenon.”

The appeal will be heard by March 14 as per the period stipulated in the pitch monitoring process and will be determined by Geoff Allardice, ICC’s general manager (cricket), and Anil Kumble, the chairperson of the cricket committee

Mohammad Isam28-Feb-2018

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appealed against the ICC’s “below average” rating of the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s pitch during the second Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month. The appeal will be heard by March 14 as per the period stipulated in the pitch monitoring process and will be determined by Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s general manager (cricket), and Anil Kumble, the chairperson of the cricket committee.David Boon, who was the match referee during the Test series, reported at the time that the pitch had uneven bounce throughout the match and inconsistent turn. It resulted in the Dhaka ground incurring one demerit point, which will remain on its record for a rolling five-year period.ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB’s appeal is centered on the argument that the pitch wasn’t a departure from the usual surfaces in Dhaka given the weather and conditions at that time of the year.The hosts were crushed by Sri Lanka by 215 runs, in a contest in which the highest team total was 226. Spinners took 30 of the 38 wickets that fell to the bowlers.BCB’s appeal will be determined taking into consideration the match referee’s report, the report from the home board, videos of the match, and the grounds for appeal as submitted by the BCB on Wednesday.

Big Picture

Pakistan have gone from being champions to being in shambles within the space of six months. Their winning streak is history and their batting line-up is back to pre-Champions Trophy standards. The bowling is flat, the captaincy frenzied, and the selectors running out of ideas. None of that is good news, least of all when playing a New Zealand team in sensational form and trying to avoid an ODI whitewash.The hosts can’t put a foot wrong. After going with an unchanged XI in the first three games, they brought in Colin de Grandhomme for the fourth. He was returning from Zimbabwe after the death of his father, and could have been forgiven for being less than his usual big-hitting self. But it turned out that he was New Zealand’s star performer, smashing 74 off 40 balls in a Player-of-the-Match display that got them out of a tight spot. Kane Williamson’s men are shaking up their squad for the final game, resting Trent Boult and bringing in Seth Rance. They will view this as an ideal opportunity to blood newer players into international cricket.With the series long since gone, the contest doesn’t nearly have the appeal a decider would, but both teams still have a stake in the outcome of this game. New Zealand will be looking for a clean sweep to extend their winning streak across formats to 12, while Pakistan are desperate for a final shot at redemption going into the T20I series.

Form guide

New Zealand WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLW

In the spotlight

Since his debut in Ireland in 2016, Hasan Ali only missed one of the 31 games Pakistan have played, and until this series, he had been in sizzling form, a fact underlined by the ICC naming him the Emerging player of 2017. However, in New Zealand, things haven’t quite worked for him. Hasan has managed just six wickets at 36.1, conceding 60 runs for no wicket in the last game. It is his first real test in a career that had played out to perfection so far. How he responds in the final ODI might reveal more about the kind of player he is.Trent Boult has grabbed the headlines throughout this series but his absence could give his fast-bowling partner Tim Southee a chance to shine. The 29-year old has taken eight wickets from the four matches this series, just one fewer than Boult, but hasn’t received the same kind of recognition. With the left-armer out of the side, this could be a chance for New Zealand’s most experienced bowler to rubber-stamp his value to the side. And, in a low-pressure game against a dispirited Pakistan, the stars may just align for him.Tim Southee appeals•Getty Images

Team news

New Zealand have rested Boult from the last ODI, and look set to give fast bowler Seth Rance another go in international cricket.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Todd Astle, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Seth RanceShoaib Malik will miss the final game after being struck in the head during the fourth ODI – batsman Umar Amin has been drafted into the ODI squad in his place. If Imam-ul-Haq does not recovered from the finger injury that has left him sidelined as well, seamer Aamer Yamin or left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz could come in. With the Faheem Ashraf as opener experiment failing last game, Azhar Ali could also return to the top of the order.Pakistan (probable): 1 Azhar Ali/Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Rumman Raees

Pitch and conditions

The forecast for the game is clear, though rain is expected for much of the preceding day. The Basin Reserve doesn’t host too many ODIs, but this will be the second game played at the venue in this series alone. New Zealand won the previous game, scoring 315.

Stats and trivia

تلقى بوروسيا دورتموند هزيمة قاسية أمام ماينز، بثلاثية نظيفة في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن الجولة 33 من الدوري الألماني للدرجة الأولى.

بوروسيا المنتشي بالتأهل لـ نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد غياب 11 عام، تلقى صدمة على ملعبه سيجنال إيدونا بارك في مواجهة ماينز، الذي تسبب في خسارته لقب الموسم الماضي.

طالع أيضًا | بمشاركة عمر مرموش.. التعادل يحسم مباراة فرانكفورت وبوروسيا مونشجلادباخ في الدوري الألماني

لم يتمكن إيدين تريزيتش من الثأر، وباغته لياندرو بارييرو في الدقيقة 12 بالهدف الأول، ثم ضاعف لي جاي سونج النتيجة بثنائية في الدقيقتين 19 و 23.

رغم إراحة الفريق باستثنائ شلوتربيك، إلا أن ترزيتش دفع بـ سانشو وماتسين وجوليان براندت، في الشوط الثاني، ولم يتمكن من العودة في النتيجة.

بهذه الخسارة، يتوقف رصيد بوروسيا دورتموند عند 60 نقطة في المركز الخامس، بعدما ضمن التأهل لـ دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل.

بينما ماينز تمكن من الابتعاد قليلًا عن مناطق الهبوط باحتلاله المركز الخامس عشر برصيد 32 نقطة.

Nottingham Forest are still on the search for new additions who can add much-needed quality to the squad this season, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

Who do Nottingham Forest want to sign?

According to La Stampa (via TuttoJuve), Nottingham Forest are interested in signing star from Juventus this summer.

The player in question is Filip Kostic but Garibaldi chiefs are yet to make a concrete offer.

As per the report, the Serie A giants are willing to part ways with their player this summer to bolster funds and are commanding a €15m (£13m) fee to part ways with the Serbian.

What is Filip Kostic's play style?

The Juventus ace is an extremely versatile and dynamic left-sided player who can play as a left-back, left-winger or a flying left-wing back, with the latter being the most likely role he would be required to play at the City Ground.

Steve Cooper has a number of roles that he is looking to fill over the remaining weeks of the transfer window to ensure Forest can comfortably compete in the Premier League season and the pressure will be mounting after taking their first defeat of the campaign against Arsenal on Saturday.

As a result, the signing of Kostic would add huge quality and a wealth of experience to the team, providing Cooper with a strong creative outlet and dominant presence to work with this season.

The Serbia international – once hailed "extraordinary" by former Frankfurt sporting director Fredi Bobic – is one of the most underrated progressive and prolific wing-backs in the top five European leagues – ranking in the top 10% of positional peers for shots on goal, assists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries and progressive passes received.

As such, the Tricky Trees boss could even land his very own Ivan Perisic as the Tottenham Hotspur wing-back is named as one of the most comparable players to Kostic over the last 12 months, as per FBref.

When comparing Kostic's output to Perisic's last season, the Juve machine shared many similarities with the Spurs star including assists registered (8 v 8), shots on target rate (28.9% v 27.6%), pass completion (68.1% v 63.6%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.21 v 3.20), goal-creating actions (0.41 v 0.47), successful take-ons (43.6% v 45%) and aerial duels won (50% v 50.8%).

It paints the picture that both are confident in possession with the ability to surge forward at will down the flanks.

Three-time Serie A winner Massimo Bonini waxed lyrical about Kostic in an interview, summarising his best qualities aptly:

“(Kostic) is a great player. He is good in one-v-ones. He creates a lot of assists, and is now also managing to score goals. He is always able to find the right time to cross the ball, despite the presence of defenders."

Meanwhile, former Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner revealed the Serbian's strongest quality:

"Filip has the outstanding ability to see the free man in the middle under the highest pressure. And the technical quality to find him."

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Forest to secure Kostic's signature this summer as he could be the huge game-changer needed in the attacking threat on Trentside and could be the difference in competing in the top-flight or suffering another relegation scrap this season.

Tottenham Hotspur will want a "fair whack" for Denmark international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer if Atletico Madrid try to sign him due to his record in the Premier League, claims journalist Alasdair Gold.

Is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leaving Tottenham this summer?

The transfer window has gone quite well for Spurs this summer. So far, they have improved their first XI with the signings of James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario, while also bolstering their squad depth with the acquisition of Manor Solomon.

That said, there is the ever-present threat that they could lose all-time leading goalscorer and club talisman Harry Kane, as Bayern Munich persist in their attempts to secure his signature.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, with Daniel Levy's stance that they want over £100m, a sale might not be as cataclysmic as some have suggested.

Meanwhile, another player that could be leaving N17 this summer is midfield stalwart Hojbjerg, who was brought to the club by Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager signed the Dane in the summer of 2020, but his three-year spell in Spurs colours could soon be coming to an end.

Spanish publication Marca (via BBC Sport) has reported that he is a potential target of Atletico Madrid should they be unable to sign Marco Verratti, who has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League.

And with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Italian has now agreed terms to move to Saudi side Al-Hilal, the La Liga giants might well turn their attention to the Spurs man, who journalist Alasdair Gold expects will cost them a significant amount of money.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Still intrigued to see how high Atletico Madrid will go for Hojbjerg in terms of the price, because I think Spurs will want a fair whack for him.

"I saw some reports suggesting that £20m had been rejected or something, but I would imagine you'd want more for Hojbjerg. He's an established Premier League midfielder, scores goals, gets assists, couple of years left on his contract – I think you could easily look for more than £20m.

"They may be looking at £30m, maybe £40m for him. And I know there's people that don't rate him, but I think if you're looking from the outside, he's an established Premier League player."

How good is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

In an otherwise dismal season for the Lilywhites, aside from Kane, Hojbjerg was one of the few bright spots for fans to latch onto.

The Denmark international played in 35 of the side's league games, scoring four goals, providing five assists, maintaining a passing accuracy of 88.6% and averaging a brilliant rating of 7.02, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are just as impressive, suggesting that he could reach another level in a more structured system at Atletico.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 27-year-old "monster" sits in the top 8% for pass completion, the top 12% for attempted passes and the top 13% for clearances per 90.

The man who brought him to the club in the first place, Mourinho, was clearly a massive fan of his combative side, waxing lyrical about him back in 2020:

"Physically, he's very, very strong and technically, he's much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel.

"The guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he's a phenomenal player."

While Tottenham might be better off keeping him, if Gold is correct and they can make up to £40m from his sale, it could be too good of an opportunity to turn down.

Leeds United have begun preparations for their return to the Championship next season and time is ticking for Daniel Farke to build a squad that can compete ambitiously to achieve an instant bounce back to the Premier League.

Despite not completing the signing of any new additions so far, the club have had a take-over with the 49ers taking full control of the West Yorkshire club, appointed a new head coach and have now started to offload the players who are not prepared to compete in the second tier.

Rodrigo, Robin Koch, Weston McKennie, Rasmus Kristensen, Brendan Aaronson and Deigo Llorente are the first team players from last season who have departed so far, which means that Farke has a real challenge to bolster key positions in the squad.

Considering the former Norwich City boss has an attacking-minded philosophy – a philosophy that has led to him masterminding promotion to the top flight from the Championship twice- there is no doubt that he will be keen to strengthen the forward line to boost goal contributions.

Rodrigo – who was the top goal-scorer for Leeds last season with 15 goals in all competitions – has completed a permanent move to Qatari side Al Rayyan, so replacing his presence in the attacking unit will be absolutely essential this summer to avoid weakening the goal threat in the final third.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to Elland Road is RB Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen, an experienced forward who could be an ideal replacement for the former Leeds talisman.

How good is Yussuf Poulsen?

The 29-year-old could be an incredible prospect for Farke, with a wealth of experience playing in an elite league like the Bundesliga, is a proven winner with two German cups to his name, as well as 68 caps earned and 11 goals scored for the Denmark national team.

Over 413 career appearances, Poulsen – once hailed a "machine" by his teammate Willi Orban – has scored 107 goals and registered 73 assists, with a goal contribution every 146 minutes so far, an output that would be highly valuable to Leeds in the absence of Rodrigo.

When comparing the £66k-per-week Danish forward to the Brazilian over last season beyond goal contributions, Poulsen outperformed his Leeds positional peer in a number of key attributes including shots on target rate (46.2% v 37.9%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.84 v 2.09), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.44 v 0.19) and successful take-ons (66.7% v 41.4%), as per FBref.

Not only that, Poulsen ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for tackles, blocks and aerial duels won, demonstrating confidence in winning the ball in dangerous positions – an attribute that would be a massive advantage against the strong defensive set-ups in the second tier.

With that being said, the signing of Poulsen would be a great piece of business for Leeds if they can strike up a good deal this summer, as the team could really struggle without replacing Rodrigo in the Championship next season.

Fulham are now closing in on a deal to sign Willian on a free transfer, with the winger poised to snub the interest from Nottingham Forest to remain at Craven Cottage for next season, according to a recent report from The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Fulham transfer news?

Marco Silva is clearly keen to add another winger to his squad, with Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi recently emerging as a key target, but the Blues have recently turned down an opening offer for the Englishman.

The possibility of the Cottagers making a renewed attempt to sign the 22-year-old is not excluded, as they are looking at strengthening their wide options this summer following the departures of Neeskens Kebano and Manor Solomon, with the latter player opting to join Tottenham on a deal until 2028.

It also appeared as though Willian could be set to move on this summer following the expiration of his contract, however The Daily Mail now report he is poised to return to Fulham, following a breakthrough in talks over the weekend.

There had been uncertainty about the Brazilian's future following the expiration of his contract at the end of June, but he is ready to snub the interest from Nottingham Forest and unnamed clubs from Saudi Arabia to commit his future to the Cottagers.

Talks are now at an advanced stage, with Fulham keen to offer the 34-year-old an initial 12-month deal, which includes the option for an extra year, however the finer details of the contract are currently unconfirmed.

The discussions are set to continue today, but the move is now close to being concluded, in what will be welcome news for Silva after the recent setback in the manager's pursuit of Hudson-Odoi.

How many goals has Willian scored?

The 70-time Brazil international has made a total of 286 appearances in the Premier League, during which time he has managed to register 43 goals and 50 assists, finding the back of the net five times for Fulham in the 2022-23 campaign.

It was a solid first season at Craven Cottage for the veteran winger, who also recorded six assists in the top flight, displaying that he is still capable of performing at the highest level, despite the fact he is set to turn 35 at the beginning of August.

Silva was clearly impressed by the former Chelsea man last season, saying: "He's been brilliant, he's doing really well. Really humble player, top, top player. We have to keep him as fit as we can, and keep working with a smile on his face."

If the winger is brought in on a one-year contract, with the option for an extra year, it is a very low-risk signing for Fulham, as they do not have to keep him if his form does go downhill, but there is no indication of that happening any time soon.

Despite Willian's imminent arrival, however, Fulham should keep pursuing moves for other wide options, as at 22-years-old Hudson-Odoi could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.

Celtic are now strong favourites to sign Shakhtar Dontesk winger Tete, who has confirmed that he plans to leave this summer, according to recent reports from Ukraine.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Celtic have recently sold Jota to Al-Ittihad, with the winger moving to Saudi Arabia in a reported £25m move, and while transfer insider Dean Jones believes his departure is a "blow", he thinks the club will be "reinvesting a significant amount of money that they earned from that deal".

Gangwon FC winger Hyun-jun Yang has emerged as a potential replacement for the Portuguese winger, with journalist Anthony Joseph reporting the Hoops have recently stepped up their efforts to sign the 21-year-old, having first made an approach last month.

Tete is another option for the Scottish champions, with The Daily Record recently relaying reports from the Ukrainian media which indicate they are now the strong favourites to win the race for his signature, in part due to his existing relationship with Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers worked with the Brazilian winger at Leicester City last season, with the Northern Irishman seemingly keen to sign him once again, and the player himself has now made it clear he wants to leave Shakhtar Donetsk.

As a result of the war in Ukraine, the 23-year-old believes he can no longer stay at his current club, saying: "Shakhtar became the first serious club in my career and gave me a lot. I will always love this team. But I can no longer stay here. I hope the fans understand my point of view.

"There are clubs that are interested in me. My agent is already negotiating with the management of Shakhtar about my contract."

Who is Tete?

The Alvorada-born star is primarily a right-winger, having made 125 appearances in that area of the pitch throughout his career so far, during which time he has picked up 37 goals and 23 assists, just under a goal contribution every other game.

As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the £50k-per-week earner has spent some time away from Shakhtar, and he had a very promising spell with Lyon, registering eight goals and ten assists in 30 appearances for the French club.

After that, the former Brazil U23 international went on to play for Leicester, and Rodgers was full of praise for him after his first game against Aston Villa, saying:

"What a debut for him. It was really good. He knows football, he knows the type of game we were trying to play, his touch is immaculate. He has a good weight of pass but can run in behind. His finish was absolutely brilliant. He loves football off the pitch and he is super professional."

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergi Palkin has lauded the right-winger as "extremely difficult to stop", while also claiming he is known as a "hurricane" by people in Brazil.

At 23-years-old, Tete is at the right age to be a fantastic long-term replacement for Jota, and it appears as though Celtic stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

The allrounder batted for more than three hours to make 75 off 159 balls in the tour game against India A, who responded in kind with Shreyas Iyer smacking an unbeaten 85 off 93 balls

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2017
ScorecardMitchell Marsh followed in his brother Shaun’s footsteps, with a fifty-plus score in the tour game against India A to perhaps bolster his chances of a Test recall. He spent over three hours at the crease in Mumbai, making 75 off 159 balls with 11 fours and a six to help the Australians declare on 469 for 7 on the second day.Australia have been struggling for an allrounder to make the No. 6 spot their own and Marsh had himself enjoyed a considerably long run before he was dropped after the home series loss to South Africa late last year. He averages only 23.18 from 19 Tests so far and bowls seam up, which may go against him considering the conditions in India and the fact Australia already have Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in their squad to swing the new ball and reverse the old.However, with his 17th first-class half-century, Marsh has done his bit to stay in contention. His nearest competitor appears to be Glenn Maxwell, who has his own issues with regards to playing up to potential in Test cricket. He is not established as a batsman, but on his day can still be explosive and can also chip in with a few overs of part-time offspin.”I’ve certainly batted more than ever over the past few weeks, just trying to get better and trying to learn as much as I can,” Marsh said of the opportunity presented by the need to rest his bowling shoulder. “You never want to get injured but it was nice to get a couple of weeks off, I’m feeling really strong at the moment so hopefully the body can hold up.”Probably the biggest thing for me has just been softening my hands, in my defence and also in my attack as well. The later you hit the ball, the easier it is to hit gaps especially in the subcontinent when it’s turning. If you have a solid defence, you can attack the balls that are there to attack and really back your defence.”That’s something I’ve learnt, playing in the subcontinent a couple of times now through my own experiences. I think I’ve just faced a lot more spin over the time, and I’ve learned that rotating the strike is really important, especially in the subcontinent for getting off strike.”India A’s batsmen too profited on a Brabourne stadium pitch that was quite true. Shreyas Iyer smashed 85 off 93 balls with five sixes and seven fours at No. 3. He was unbeaten at stumps, alongside Rishabh Pant, who was batting on 3.For the Australians, Jackson Bird was highly economical with a spell of 11-7-15-2 while Nathan Lyon provided the first wicket of the innings, dismissing Akhil Herwadkar and later accounted for Priyank Panchal, the top-scorer in India’s premier domestic first-class tournament, the Ranji Trophy, in 2016-17.