Following the frustration of transfer failure, PIF are now confident that they’ll sign one of their top targets after Newcastle United reportedly submitted a fresh bid worth around £55m.

The transfers that could turn Newcastle's summer around

Those at St James’ Park first attempted to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford at the start of this summer, only for reports to claim that he has picked Manchester United over anyone else. Then, the Magpies reportedly set their sights on Joao Pedro before he completed a familiar move from Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea. Newcastle were once again sent back to the drawing board.

In that time, however, a number of fresh targets have entered their radar while a deal to sign long-term target James Trafford looks likely to get over the line at long last this summer.

Alongside Trafford, the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Harvey Elliott have both reportedly entered Newcastle’s radar as they look to sign an attacking reinforcement. With Mbeumo likely to join Manchester United and Pedro already confirmed as a Chelsea player, Elliott and Kudus represent an ideal plan B this summer.

The latter has attracted plenty of interest already this summer and could yet be on his way out of West Ham United. Elliott, meanwhile, is reportedly likely to leave Liverpool in search of more game time elsewhere this summer.

According to the most recent reports, however, it may be neither of those options that end Newcastle’s search for a winger. Instead, it could be one of their top targets to begin turning their summer fortunes around.

Newcastle submit fresh Elanga bid

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have now submitted a fresh £55m bid to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest and PIF want the deal done “as soon as possible”. Those at St James’ Park are reportedly confident that the 22-cap Swede will become a Newcastle player and they will get their £55m offer green lit by Nottingham Forest.

If Newcastle manage to get deals over the line for both Trafford and Elanga, as is likely to be the case at this stage, then any early summer struggles will become an afterthought for Eddie Howe.

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Elanga’s arrival will particularly excite fans if the Magpies push on and welcome the winger in the coming weeks. The Forest star, who was described by Nuno Espirito Santo described as “special” last season, could form one of the deadliest front threes in the Premier League alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Queens Park Rangers are now among the teams keen on signing a £2.2 million striker who manager Julien Stephan has worked with before, according to a recent report.

QPR targeting multiple forwards

The West London side have added four players to their squad so far this summer, with the additions strengthening their defence and wide areas. Now the club’s focus has switched to their forward line, as they look to give Stephan the firepower he needs to avoid any threat of relegation and look upwards rather than over his shoulder.

QPR plotting move to sign 14-goal EFL striker as possible Kelman replacement

QPR are now interested in signing a League Two striker.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jul 23, 2025

It looks increasingly likely that two strikers are set to leave the Championship side in the coming weeks, as it’s been reported that Alfie Young is set to leave on loan, while Luton Town have made an offer to sign Charlie Kelman, and the Rs are willing to cash in on the player for the right price. This comes after the centre-forward enjoyed a successful loan at League One side Leyton Orient last season.

QPR have already identified possible replacements for those two players, as it’s been reported that they are in talks to sign Pape Meissa Ba from German side Schalke 04. Those talks are said to be at an advanced stage.

Meanwhile, the Hoops are also interested in signing Samson Tovide from Colchester United. They want to add some youthful exuberance to their frontline, and they believe Tovide fits the bill, but they won’t stop there.

QPR in a race with Derby to sign Timothe Nkada

According to The Sun, QPR are interested in signing Timothe Nkada from French side Rodez.

The report states that as well as the Rs being interested, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers are also chasing the striker, who finished as the joint-top goalscorer in Ligue 2 last season with 17 goals.

The former France under-20 international is under contract until 2027 at Rodez, but the French side have placed a price tag of £2.2 million on his head, as interest could soon gather pace. Nkada, who is mainly a striker but can also operate on either the left or right-hand side of the attack, joined Rodez in August 2024 and produced his best numbers to date, as 17 league goals surpassed the nine he scored in the previous campaign at FC Koper.

Apps

32

Goals

17

Assists

5

His goal-scoring exploits have placed him on the radar of a few Championship teams, but the Rs may hold an advantage when it comes to signing Nkada. Indeed, QPR boss Julien Stephan worked with the striker during their time in the youth setup at Rennes. Nkada netted 14 goals in 23 academy games in the 2018/19 season, and his relationship with Stephan could help the Rs get a deal over the line.

Patriots ended their season with a ninth successive defeat, against TKR

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2024Andre Fletcher, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots captain, didn’t mince words after his side ended their CPL 2024 campaign with a ninth successive defeat, at the hands of Trinbago Knight Riders in Tarouba.On Sunday alone, they dropped Pooran at least four times after which the TKR batter aced a chase of 194 with an unbeaten 93 off 43 balls. Overall in the tournament, they had dropped at least 23 catches, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, which cost them a number of a games, Fletcher has said.”The guys [bowlers] executed well and dropping five catches in a crucial game, especially a world-class player as Pooran…I know, but not many people know, we dropped 28 catches in the tournament,” Fletcher said. “As a fielding team, it’s poor, way below poor. It actually cost us a lot of games, which we lost.”ESPNcricinfo LtdThough the Patriots lurched from one defeat to another after narrowly winning their first game of the season, Fletcher praised his team-mates for having each other’s back through the tournament. Across the last two seasons, Patriots have just two wins to show for in 20 games.”Knowing that it was a bit hard and tough for us losing, but tried to keep the team together as much as possible,” Fletcher said. “We had a lot of team-bonding activities. Yes, as much as we weren’t showing it on the field, but sometimes when teams lose, you tend to have a lot of bickering in the team, but we never had that. We stuck together and we gelled as a team and it’s just sad that the result didn’t show. But I must say that we stick as a family.”Just want to apologise to the St Kitts and Nevis fans. I know you guys are hurt, so am I. Unfortunately we didn’t get it well this year, hopefully, next year it will be better.”Related

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In isolation, Fletcher had a productive tournament with the bat, scoring 318 runs in ten innings at an average of 31.80 and strike rate of just under 150. Along the way, Fletcher became the highest run-getter in the history of the CPL, but Johnson Charles, whose team has made the playoffs, has a chance to surpass him.”I’m very pleased, to be honest, [with my batting],” Fletcher said. “People tend to remember the last thing you do. I really wanted to come out here and show what I’m worth. I’m happy to put on a great total for the team but unfortunately we didn’t get over the line. But that’s how cricket goes at times.”

Arsenal could finalise a deal to sign a “world-class” player this weekend, alongside Chelsea’s Noni Madeueke, according to a report.

Madueke deal edging towards completion

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Gunners’ deal for Madueke is now very close to completion, with the winger jetting back from the Club World Cup to seal a move across the capital.

However, a section of the fanbase isn’t exactly overjoyed by the news, with some fans even signing a petition in a desperate attempt to stop the move going through, which has angered former Manchester United man Rio Ferdinand.

Weighing in on the issue, Ferdinand said: “It’s fine for fans to disagree with signings or decisions made at their football club but the way some fans have publicly voiced their opinions and those who have gone a step further in publicly joining a petition for this player not to be signed by their football club is beyond me. I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again.”

A good way of getting the fans back on side may be to finally get a striker through the door, and there has now been a suggestion that a deal for Viktor Gyokeres could be wrapped up in the very near future as sporting director Andrea Berta ramps things up a notch at the Emirates.

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According to a report from The Guardian, Sporting CP retain feint hope the deal with Arsenal could be finalised this weekend, with Gyokeres making it clear he has no interest in remaining at the Portuguese club.

The Sweden international has failed to return to pre-season training, in order to try and force through a move to the Emirates Stadium, but a deal will not be cheap, with president Frederico Varandas holding firm on a total package of €80m (£69m).

"World-class" Gyokeres could be final piece of Arsenal jigsaw

While some Arsenal fans have been left angered by the decision to spend big on Madueke, there should be less outrage over signing the Sporting striker, given that he is clearly ready to make the move to a top club.

At 27-years-old, the Swedish forward should now be in his peak years, and he was lauded as “world-class” by members of the media after putting in a fantastic performance against Manchester City in the Champions League last season.

The Sporting star scored a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 victory over City last November, which should allay some fears about whether he would be able to make the step-up to the Premier League.

Gyokeres is clearly determined to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium, and his exploits in the Liga Portugal indicate he could be a real difference-maker in Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title next season.

Liverpool’s diligence and careful planning over the past several years has allowed Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to ride the crest of a wave of intent in the summer transfer market.

While the Reds’ defensive line was hampered by the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of last season, Anfield’s vice-captain now coloured in Real Madrid white, FSG acted incisively to wrap up deals for new full-back pairing Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, joining from Bournemouth and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

The latter was the first to arrive, and boasts an electric kind of skill set which lends itself to a more attacking berth too. In this way, he can contest with Conor Bradley for a starring role while covering for Mohamed Salah on the right wing.

Frimpong certainly has offensive quality, once hailed as a “monster in the final third” by The United Stand’s Beth Tucker. Excitingly, he’s not even Liverpool’s best Leverkusen addition this summer, with Florian Wirtz welcomed to the fold for a British-record £116m fee.

The attacking midfielder has the lot, and will likely upgrade on the club’s existing attacking midfield options while concurrently replacing Alexander-Arnold’s limitless creativity.

Why Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz

Slot opened with an interesting gambit this summer, reorienting Liverpool’s creative focal point. Trent has long been regarded among the crème de la crème of playmaking in the Premier League, but he’s gone, and the champions were right in signing world-class talent more aligned with tactical conventions.

Wirtz, 22, has been an utter menace for Bayer Leverkusen over the past several years, bursting from the youth scene with gusto, flooring seasoned professionals with his bounding strides. In 2023/24, he earned the honour of Bundesliga Player of the Year, vital in toppling Bayern Munich after an invincible domestic campaign.

He’s the real deal and will add more flair and flavour to a title-rich Liverpool team. Wirtz has something most every attacking midfielder yearns for: he brings completeness defined by its artful and industrious mix.

For example, Dominik Szoboszlai is a fantastic player, crucial for Liverpool, but he lacks the potency and speciality that Wirtz brings to the table.

Matches (starts)

31 (25)

36 (29)

Goals

10

6

Assists

12

6

Touches*

73.4

46.1

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (1.3)

1.9 (0.6)

Pass completion

82%

86%

Big chances created

17

12

Key passes*

1.8

1.6

Dribble success

2.6

0.6

Ball recoveries*

3.6

3.7

Tackles + interceptions*

1.3

1.4

Duels won*

5.2

2.8

Harvey Elliott’s feet wear a similar magic, but he lacks the clear definition of his German counterpart. Elliott, 22, has been touted with a move away from Merseyside this summer, Brighton and Borussia Dortmund among the frontrunners.

Should the Young Lion leave, Slot will want a replacement, and while Liverpool have one of the very best in Wirtz, they appear keen on signing yet another attacking midfielder who could bloom into one of Europe’s finest.

Liverpool prepare bid for La Liga sensation

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are interested in signing Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez this summer. Fermin, 22, has enjoyed a fast rise from La Masia and is valued at €80m (roughly £69m).

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, Hansi Flick’s focus on bringing attacking additions to Camp Nou has cast doubt over the Andalusian midfielder’s future, and Liverpool are ready to take advantage.

In fact, Anfield’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, is believed to be preparing a bid for the versatile star.

Liverpool might have signed Wirtz, but there’s room for such a profile to work on improving and blooming into a player of the highest class.

Why Liverpool want Fermin Lopez

Fermin is still young but he’s already established himself in a Barcelona side currently celebrating their La Liga and Copa del Rey double last year. The Spaniard also played a part in winning UEFA EURO 2024.

In total, he’s played 88 matches for the La Blaugrana senior side. With 19 goals scored and 11 assists laid on for his teammates, Fermin has a developing sharpness that has been utilised both centrally and out on the left flank.

In this manner, he’s not too dissimilar to Wirtz, especially when considering he ranked, per 90, among the top 10% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goal contributions, the top 12% for pass completion, the top 9% for passes into the final third and the top 20% ball recoveries, as per FBref.

His positional fluidity and ball-playing focus link Fermin together with Liverpool’s new record man. However, there’s more. Digging deeper into the comparison, Fermin has been described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as being “simple and genius at the same time”.

There are exciting similarities in regard to the playmaking and pass-focused sides of the respective midfielders’ games, but don’t expect Fermin to bring as flashy and electric a game to Merseyside. He’s not that type of player.

However, Fermin’s alternate variation would give Liverpool the added dimension they need to continue to go from strength to strength under Slot’s wing.

Across 28 La Liga fixtures in 2024/25, as per Sofascore, he scored six goals and supplied five assists, so he might be a somewhat more pragmatic player but he’s certainly not without his offensive uses.

Without overextending with his creativity, Fermin manages to play that Wirtz-esque passing game in an industrious and controlled manner. He will collect the ball so many times across the 90, parcelling it out this way and that.

Liverpool enjoyed a stunning 2024/25 campaign, but they were felled at points – in particular in crash-out losses against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United – with both fixtures underscoring the need for more control and technical proficiency in the engine room.

Not that the Reds are lacking in that regard, just that they could do with that extra injection to win the lot next season. Wirtz and Fermin in tandem would likely help in that regard, for sure.

Slot's answer to Gyokeres: Hughes lines up Liverpool move for "crazy" CF

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Tottenham, in unprecedented circumstances, missed out on Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, with the club now forced to move on to other transfer targets.

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The announcement of Gibbs-White’s new contract dropped on Saturday evening, thwarting Thomas Frank’s hopes of bringing in a proven number 10 to inject some much-needed creativity – at least for now.

The England international was due to be another statement signing immediately after Tottenham’s £55 million deal for Mohammed Kudus, with chairman Daniel Levy and co booking Gibbs-White in for medical tests at Hotspur Way on July 11 (BBC).

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The Lilywhites were also ready to pay his £60 million release clause, but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis put a stop to the transfer, threatened Spurs with legal action and somehow convinced Gibbs-White to pen a contract extension.

Gibbs-White praised Marinakis in an interview after the new deal was confirmed, with the Greek tycoon standing proudly next to him in what was seen as a bizarre move.

It is never straightforward when it comes to Tottenham, with Levy, technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team wasting over a fortnight on their chase for Gibbs-White as just weeks remain of the summer window.

Their need for a new creator is emphasised by club legend Son Heung-min’s potential departure to the States.

Los Angeles FC are actively pursuing a deal for the South Korea international with an approach made, but the north Londoners are unlikely to sell before the end of their pre-season tour of Asia due to certain contractual obligations and his obvious commercial appeal in the Far East (The Telegraph).

There are reports that Levy is prepared to sanction Son’s move to LA for around £15-20 million, and another update has now come to light.

Son close to agreeing personal terms with LAFC over Tottenham exit

According to GiveMeSport, Son is now close to agreeing personal terms with LAFC, and the MLS side are eyeing a transfer towards the end of August.

The 33-year-old also has firm admirers in Saudi Arabia, who are prepared to pay £30 million plus add-ons, but it appears LAFC are taking the lead right now with talks “advancing”. That being said, Son has made no final decision on leaving just yet.

The £190,000-per-week winger is expected to hold crunch discussions with Frank over his future and role in the first team once they return to London, with Tottenham happy to keep Son and let him leave on a free transfer next year.

Levy won’t stand in the former Bayer Leverkusen star’s way if he does choose a move to LA, though, meaning Son’s future is entirely in his hands.

An exit would bring an end to Son’s incredible 10-year stay in N17, where he cemented himself as a club icon. Son is past the century mark in terms of both goals (173) and assists (101) since joining Spurs, with supporters facing the prospect of bidding an emotional farewell to the forward.

Robbie Keane called Son the most “underrated” player in Premier League history, and he could soon become the new star of LAFC’s project.

A win would seal the series for them with Bangladesh looking for batting improvement

Hemant Brar08-Oct-2024Big picture: India’s attacking templateDespite two debutants and plenty of fresh faces in the side, India steamrolled Bangladesh in the first T20I in Gwalior, chasing down 128 inside 12 overs. Yes, India were always the favourites but this also showed how far Bangladesh are behind the curve in T20I cricket.The way India played showed that Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir are continuing the attacking template set by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid that helped them clinch the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Apart from Nitish Kumar Reddy (16 not out off 15 balls), everyone batted at a strike rate above 150. Moreover, they no longer suffer from the problem of their batters not chipping in with the ball. Their XI in the first T20I had as many as eight bowling options, something Suryakumar called a “happy headache”.On the other hand, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted that his batters do not know how to score 180 in a T20I, as they are used to playing on 140-150 pitches at home. But that is one hurdle they will have to overcome if they are to keep the series alive.Related

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If they need further motivation, the current series will be Mahmudullah’s last in this format. He retires as Bangladesh’s most capped T20I player, and they will like to send him off on a positive note.Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLLWIn the spotlight: Hardik Pandya and Najmul Hossain ShantoAfter the 2022 T20 World Cup, when Rohit took a sabbatical from the format, Hardik Pandya looked all set to replace him as India’s permanent T20I captain. That didn’t pan out. Even after Rohit’s T20I retirement, the selectors went with Suryakumar. Hardik, meanwhile, seemed to have settled into the role of an anchor, first at Gujarat Titans and then the Indian team. But in Gwalior, he showed he could still be as destructive as any batter, smashing 39 not out off just 16 balls. Before that, he opened the bowling and took 1 for 26 from four overs.Najmul Hossain Shanto and Bangladesh are looking for more firepower in their batting•Associated PressIf Hardik personified India’s brave approach, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s innings showed what Bangladesh need to work on. Coming in at No. 3, Shanto could manage only 27 runs, and two boundaries, despite facing 25 balls. A reason behind his cautious approach could be that Bangladesh had lost two wickets inside the first three overs, but even then a strike rate of 108 was too low. To change Bangladesh’s fortunes, the captain will have to lead by example.Team news: Miraz to open?Just to give as many players a chance, India could bring in Tilak Varma for Reddy and Harshit Rana for Mayank Yadav.India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun ChakravarthyTamim Iqbal, who is in India as a commentator and an expert for the host broadcaster, said after the first T20I that he suggested to Shanto to open with Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Will Bangladesh listen to their former captain, or stick with what they have, or bring in Tanzid Hasan for Parvez Hossain Emon?Bangladesh (probable): 1 Parvez Hossain Emon/Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: A high-scoring venueIn the five matches played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2024, the 200-mark was breached in eight out of ten innings. Obviously, those teams had an extra batter in the form of Impact Player, but even without the luxury, the expectation is for a high-scoring game on Wednesday. The weather should be clear with little chance of dew.Stats and trivia: Suryakumar’s double dose Bangladesh have beaten India only once in 15 meetings in T20Is. The only team against whom Bangladesh have a worse record (minimum three T20Is) is South Africa: nine matches, nine losses. On average, Suryakumar hits 2.01 sixes per innings (139 in 69) in T20I cricket. Among those who have hit at least 50 sixes in T20Is, only Evin Lewis (2.13; 111 in 52) averages more than two sixes per innings. Hardik (87) and Arshdeep Singh (86) are fourth and fifth, respectively, on the list of most T20I wickets for India. Litton Das is 53 short of becoming the third Bangladesh batter to score 2000 T20I runs. Shanto needs 65 to reach 1000. Quotes”We [Punjab Kings] did not play here this IPL, but after seeing the scores, I did not feel like checking the wicket . But yeah, we will come tomorrow and see what could be a good plan here. And of course, the captain and the coach will check the wicket and share their plan.”
“Our bowlers are doing a wonderful job for the last few years. I don’t think we played that badly in the first game. We shouldn’t doubt ourselves based on one game. That’d be unfair. We have to come out of that zone and try to win the game. We tried to play aggressively with the bat. We have to be more organised, which will serve us better.”

اختارت جماهير فريق ليفربول أفضل لاعب في مباراة اليوم ضد خصمه إيفرتون، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

واستضاف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون، في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي لذلك الموسم، في ديربي ميرسيسايد.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق فوز على إيفرتون، بهدفين مقابل هدف، بفضل ريان جرافنبيرخ الذي سجل الأول بعد تمريرة رائعة من محمد صلاح، ثم أضاف هوجو إيكتيكي الثاني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. شبكة إنجليزية: محمد صلاح عانى من شيء معتاد في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون

وفتح ليفربول باب التصويت أمام جماهيره، من أجل اختيار أفضل لاعب في مباراة اليوم ضد إيفرتون، حيث حصل ريان جرافنبيرخ على أعلى نسبة تصويت من جانب المشجعين.

وتُعد تلك هي المرة الثالثة على التوالي التي يحصل فيها جرافنبيرخ على لقب أفضل لاعب في مباراة ليفربول من جانب الجماهير، بعد لقائي بيرنلي وأتلتيكو مدريد، في الدوري الإنجليزي ودوري أبطال أوروبا.

Aston Villa are beginning to step up their hunt for fresh faces and have now submitted an offer for a defender viewed internally as a “top prospect” among club officials, according to David Ornstein.

Aston Villa in the market for first-team additions

Making a low-key start to the window, the Villans have brought in Yasin Ozcan, Marco Bizot, Zepiqueno Redmond, and Modou Keba Cisse to firm up their squad ahead of the new campaign.

Admittedly, most of the men in question are likely to be fringe players or developmental additions, which has only served to further supporters’ appetite for senior arrivals that will make an immediate impact on first-team affairs.

Nevertheless, new Aston Villa signing Cisse believes Unai Emery’s side are on the rise after completing a £4 million move from LASK, stating: “It is with great pride that I’ve signed for Aston Villa. I’m truly grateful for the trust the people at the club have shown in me.

“This moment marks an important step in my career, but above all, I’m aware that everything still needs to be built. Expectations will be high. Not everyone gets the chance to sign for a Premier League club.”

He is set to spend this term on loan in Austria. In other news, Aston Villa are said to be racing Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Mika Biereth in light of his excellent form at AS Monaco.

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Spanish coach Emery knows what it takes to secure an impressive Premier League finish. Therefore, his mission in the Midlands will be to secure individuals who move the needle alongside buying prospects. He could now be about to combine both factors if reports are to be believed.

Aston Villa submit offer to sign Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot

According to David Ornstein, Aston Villa have submitted an offer to sign Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot, who is viewed as a ‘top prospect’ by the club and is also attracting interest from an array of suitors.

While their bid hasn’t yet been accepted, the Villans appear to have stepped up their initial interest in Canvot amid previous reports they are looking to fend off competition for the £17 million-rated star.

Capped eight times at Under-19 level for France, Canvot made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 last term, helping his side to record an impressive tenth-place finish.

Now, he appears to be on the move, and the Villans have put themselves well in contention to bring in the versatile youngster, who turns 19 next week and can also play in midfield, potentially offering cover across two positions.

Bangladesh are coming off the high of beating Pakistan 2-0 but the wicketkeeper is asking people not to bring it up

Mohammad Isam10-Sep-20243:46

Isam: Bangladesh’s win in Pakistan is ‘mind boggling’

Bangladesh are about to embark on another away tour on the back of their remarkable 2-0 victory over Pakistan earlier this month and are already deep in preparation for it. They will be visiting India for two Tests starting next week and one of their heroes from Rawalpindi, Litton Das, has revealed that the team has been trying to get used to the way SG balls behave.This is a break from the norm. Bangladesh usually play with a Kookaburra ball. That is the brand they use for home internationals and it was the brand used in the Tests against Pakistan as well. India, however, use SG balls for Test cricket and there is significant difference between the two.”The ball will be a different one in India,” Litton said. “It is a little harder to play against the SG ball. The Kookaburra ball is easier to play when it gets old. It is the opposite with the SG ball. It is harder to get away against the old ball when it’s the SG.”Related

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Litton toasts 'big achievement for Bangladesh cricket'

WTC scenarios: Bangladesh still in contention

The white-ball players are reportedly training with Kookaburra balls as the T20Is that follow the Tests in India will be played with the Kookaburra.Litton also warned that Bangladesh can’t rest on the laurels from their first-ever series win over Pakistan. Although he played a big part in it, his century rescuing the side from 26 for 6 in the second Test, he asked the media not to remind them of it.”We played good cricket against Pakistan but it is already in the past,” Litton said. “It is important for us to look forward. We will need your (media’s) help. It would be helpful if you don’t talk about the Pakistan series. As a player, it is already in the past for me.”Litton Das will continue backing his aggressive style of play in Test cricket•Associated Press

There is typically a lot of focus from the Bangladesh fans on matches that their team plays against India and Pakistan and these games are coming back-to-back as well. The only previous occasion when Bangladesh played back-to-back series against Pakistan and India was in 2015 but both were at home, unlike this time when both series are taking place overseas. Litton understood that fans will be watching with great expectations but he refused to see it as a burden.”It is inspiring that people will know you if you do well,” he said. “There’s nothing better than that. I don’t think it is pressure. We are improving in Tests, so we have to become more consistent in the format. That’s the main challenge.”Litton’s role in the team as a lower-middle-order batter suits his natural game, where sometimes he ends up with the tail and has no choice but to go for his shots. But he did show he had other gears as well, batting for nearly six hours to dig Bangladesh out of a hole in Rawalpindi.”I have to take responsibility now,” he said. “It is the right time. I have been playing for ten years, so there has been some experience. I try to score off deliveries that I believe are there to hit. Scoring runs is more important these days. I think I bat in the same way that most batters approach the game.Litton realises that the way he plays comes with a bit of risk but it is also how he’s found success. “If it gives me more chance to get out, it also gives me a lot of opportunities to score runs,” he said. “I usually get to bat with (Mehidy Hasan) Miraz. Sometimes I bat with Shakib (Shakib Al Hasan) or Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim). If I don’t play my shots, the team score won’t go anywhere. I want to play like this. I try to play the way I bat in training.”Bangladesh are scheduled to depart for India on September 15 to play two Tests in Chennai (September 19 to 23) and Kanpur (September 27 to October 1), both part of the World Test Championship. The three T20Is that follow will be held in Gwalior (October 6), Delhi (October 9) and Hyderabad (October 12).