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Asanka Gurusinha has conceded his first tour as Sri Lanka’s cricket manager has been disappointing

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the Premadasa06-Apr-2017Asanka Gurusinha has conceded his first tour as Sri Lanka’s cricket manager has been disappointing. Though Sri Lanka had had a rough outing in South Africa, they were expected to win home series against Bangladesh, an opponent they had more-or-less consistently dominated. However, like the Tests and ODIs, the T20s have also now been shared 1-1.”It’s not ideal for us,” Gurusinha said. “We should have won all three series. It’s not good enough to say that we have drawn all three series, as we were playing at home. We expected to win the series.”That the final match of the tour was lost was partly thanks to a top-order failure. Chasing 177, Sri Lanka virtually batted themselves out of the match in the Powerplay, by the end of which they were 47 for 5. Four out of Sri Lanka’s top six batsmen failed to make it out of single figures – two were out for ducks.”For me the batting was very disappointing,” Gurusinha said. “It was nothing to do with the wicket, but something went wrong somewhere. It’s very difficult to give answers. This is one of the best wickets in the country. We need our top five batsmen to fire. If we don’t get runs there, it’s going to be a problem.”Having largely fielded well in the second ODI and first T20, the fielding errors that had plagued Sri Lanka for much of the past two years returned in this match. Shakib Al Hasan was dropped twice in the space of three balls – on 4 and 12, before he went on to consolidate Bangladesh’s fast start with 38 – the highest score of the visitors’ innings.Gurusinha said he and chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya were in agreement that only players who fielded well could be eligible for places in Sri Lanka’s squad for the Champions Trophy, which will be named by April 25. The provincial one-day tournament, which is set to begin this week, may serve as an audition for Champions Trophy spots.”We have already put some plans for the players when it comes to fielding,” Gurusinha said. “The chief selector, the trainer and myself are looking at certain things. We believe if players are fitter, they will field, bat and bowl better. There was a clear message from the chief selector and myself: we are not going to select players simply because they have scored heavily in domestic cricket. They need to achieve certain standards in fielding, and fitness has to be at a certain standard as well.”When you are playing three or four games at higher intensity level, that’s where players struggle. When the provincial tournament finishes, we will start training from 2nd of May. We have to select the Champions Trophy side by 25th of April. So from 2nd of May we have time till 17th of May before we go, and we will have training sessions in which we’ll be specifically working on fielding.”Perhaps Sri Lanka’s best performer in the T20s was Lasith Malinga, who took five wickets in the two matches, and claimed his first T20 hat-trick in the penultimate over of Bangladesh’s innings on Thursday. Though he has played the T20s, he has not yet made a return to ODI cricket following a major ankle injury last year. Gurusinha hoped Malinga would be fit enough to pick in the Champions Trophy squad.”Malinga has taken so many hat-tricks and he is a legend – his knowledge of cricket is unbelievable. He is a top performer. He hasn’t played lot of cricket in the last ten to 12 months, and playing T20s and 50 overs are totally different. We will watch him closely at the IPL. He has got about 15 to 20 games if he plays all the games. The best thing is that he wants to go to England with us for the Champions Trophy. I am hoping he will do it, but as he has to bowl 10 overs and field 50 – that’s where he’s a little worried.”

While clarifying a previous statement which left open the possibility that he could extend his career if the team needs him, Younis said he would retire even if he “scores a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies”

Umar Farooq23-Apr-2017Pakistan batsman Younis Khan remains firm about his intent to retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing three-Test series against West Indies. In a clarification of a previous statement which left open the possibility that he could extend his career if his team needs him, Younis said that he will retire even if he scores “a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies”.Younis’ statement around the possibility of reconsidering his retirement raised a number of eyebrows in Pakistan, a country familiar with difficult and prolonged retirements; only two weeks ago he had announced his decision to end his career.”A lot has been said about my retirement from cricket that maybe Younis wants to keep on playing Test cricket which is absolutely not true,” Younis said in a video message released on the second day of the first Test in Kingston. “I had announced my retirement with a plan, with honour after thinking and according to my wish.”The question that was asked to me, what my answer was and what version went out, I don’t want to go in detail. Younis Khan will retire even if he scores a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies. Please don’t doubt Younis Khan’s credibility and support Pakistan. Pray for Younis Khan and for Pakistan that we can win a Test series for the very first time in West Indies.”

Younis sets the record straight on retirement

Posted by ESPNcricinfo on Saturday, April 22, 2017

Younis, 39, had announced his decision to retire from international cricket on April 8. At the time, when asked if he would reconsider his decision if asked to return by the PCB or fans, he said: “This will be a u-turn and then people will call me u-turn. But the country is always first and we can do anything for Pakistan. I am not saying that I want to captain but I don’t want to make a u-turn. I am for Pakistan and Pakistan is everything for me.”His retirements from T20 internationals and ODIs have not been without some drama. In 2009, he announced his intent to retire from T20 internationals moments after leading the side to the World T20 title. But a year later, he played three T20I matches in New Zealand, after which he was never selected for the format.He announced his retirement from ODIs on the morning of the start of a four-ODI series against England in the UAE in November 2015 and walked away after playing the first match. He had been recalled to the side after losing his place following a disappointing performance in the 2015 World Cup, and had been vocal in his criticism of the selectors in the wake of his axing.With Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq set to retire at the end of the series, Pakistan’s selection committee is looking to induct youngsters in the side with the intention of building a new team after the exits of the senior batsmen. The team’s next assignment is a series against Bangladesh and Pakistan’s chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq was known to be keen to move on beyond Misbah and Younis after the Caribbean tour

Celtic may have had their hopes of landing Fabian Rieder this summer boosted significantly, with Blick, via the Daily Record reporting that the player's agent has quashed a move to one rival suitor.

Who is Fabian Rieder?

The 21-year-old currently plays his football for Young Boys in Switzerland, having come through the youth ranks there and worked his way up. He was handed his first taste of Swiss Super League action back in 2020 as an 18-year-old and went on to feature on 23 occasions for the club.

It also led to his first silverware too, with his team storming to the top of the table. His gametime has only escalated from there, with Rieder since managing a further 63 games and yet another league crown to go with it last season. With his confidence flowing, he also managed his best ever goal contribution haul in 2022/23, with seven goals and four assists from the centre of the field in the league.

The youngster predominantly features an attacking midfielder, but can slot in further back if needed. He's also been utilised on the right flank before too, showing that the Swiss star is flexible and can prove to be a useful option in a number of areas.

His showings for Young Boys have also caught the eye of his national team, with the 21-year-old finally given his first-team debut for Switzerland in 2022. He has since made four appearances at international level – and there will likely be more where that came from if he can keep up his form.

Are Celtic signing Fabian Rieder?

Having been so impressive, there are now plenty of teams from across Europe on his tail. Scottish Premiership side Celtic are one of the main teams who are believed to be considering a swoop for the midfielder, although no official bid has yet been tabled for the talent

A move to Germany could also be possible for Rieder according to different sources, with Wolfsburg chasing a deal. However, according to a report from Blick, via the Daily Record, the Hoops have been gifted a boost in their pursuit of the wonderkid.

That's despite talk that he could soon be on his way to either Wolfsburg or Borussia Monchengladbach, the midfielder's agent has revealed that no deal is close yet and that the Wolfsburg talk isn't even correct.

He said: "Not true. Gladbach is one of the interested parties, that's right. We are in contact with the club, that's true too. But not only with Gladbach. And first the path must be cleared financially for an immigration of this dimension. In other words: Gladbach has to sell first. Fabian is at the top of the list at Gladbach."

Even though Rieder is still only 21-years-old, he's already emerged as a real talent who has a lot of potential in the future. Having seen him in action, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled him as one of the "biggest jewels" in the top tier of Swiss football at the moment and also called him a "high-quality" midfielder.

It means that he is already standing out in the entire division despite his youth – and with the potential to get even better, Celtic could have a really exciting signing on their hands if they can beat Monchengladbach to his signature.

Mohamed Salah famously failed at Chelsea, having joined the club back in 2014. The Egyptian struggled to even play, with the winger only managing 13 Premier League appearances over the course of a calendar year.

Eventually, he'd end up at Liverpool, where Salah has gone on to become one of the greatest forwards of his generation. That has led to plenty of opportunities to show the Blues what they failed to see – in fact, he's faced Chelsea more than any other opponent.

He'll get another chance to impress as Liverpool and Chelsea meet in their Premier League opener for the 2023/24 season. As a result, Football FanCast has taken a look at Salah's overall record against the west Londoners to date.

What is Mohamed Salah's goal record against Chelsea?

Salah has played against Chelsea 21 times in his career across six different competitions. That's included spells for two clubs – Basel and Liverpool.

Overall, Salah has seven goals in those 21 games, but let's break that down a little.

Salah played in four games for Basel against Chelsea – all of which came in 2013, the year before they signed him. Unsurprisingly, the Egyptian played well in those games, scoring in three of them.

The first two games came in the Europa League. Basel lost both clashes, but Salah grabbed a goal at Stamford Bridge. He then seriously impressed in the Champions League later that year, scoring goals in home and away group-stage victories.

Those goals earned him a move to Chelsea, of course, thus Salah wouldn't face them again until he moved to Anfield in 2017. Since then, he's scored four more goals against his old club, with all coming in the Premier League.

What is Mohamed Salah's head-to-head record against Chelsea?

Salah has a positive record against Chelsea. He's won nine of his 21 meetings with them, drawing six and losing six.

His record with Basel stands dead even. There were two defeats in the Europa League in early 2013 followed by two wins in the Champions League later that same year.

With Liverpool, Salah has typically gotten the better of Chelsea. 17 games have delivered seven wins, six draws and four defeats. Though, we should add that two of those wins came in penalty shoot-outs.

What is Mohamed Salah's record at Stamford Bridge?

Okay, so we know Salah's record against Chelsea, but the next meeting comes at Stamford Bridge – how well does he do there?

In all, the forward has played nine times against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He's managed three goals in those fixtures but, interestingly, the majority of those didn't come for Liverpool.

Salah scored twice for Basel at the Blues, both coming in 2013. He's actually managed just a solitary goal for Liverpool at Stamford Bridge – in a 1-1 draw back in August 2021.

What is Mohamed Salah's record against Chelsea in the Premier League?

Salah has never actually scored for Liverpool against Chelsea outside of the Premier League. All four of his goals against them in red came in the league across 12 games. He's also provided a couple of assists, too.

Liverpool rarely lose to Chelsea when he plays, either. They've won four, drawn six and lost just twice in those fixtures.

But Salah's goals aren't necessarily good luck charms. Liverpool have drawn three of the games in which he scored, winning just one – a 2-0 win late in the 2018/19 campaign that saw him score an absolute worldie from range.

What is Mohamed Salah's record against Chelsea in finals?

Interestingly, Salah has featured against Chelsea in three finals. Not many players can say they've done that against the same club.

Even rarer is to be able to say that you've won all three, but Salah can do exactly that. To take it a step further, all the trophies came after penalty shoot-out victories.

The first came as Liverpool played out a 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup in 2019. Sadio Mané got both goals for the Reds, who would triumph 7-6 on penalties. The teams met again twice in 2022 in the EFL Cup and FA Cup finals.

Neither side managed a goal across either game, however. Both went to shoot-outs and both saw Liverpool emerge victorious.

On an individual level, though, Salah hasn't been as successful. In three finals, he's managed zero goals or assists and went off injured just 33 minutes into the 2022 FA Cup final.

Who has Mohamed Salah scored against the most?

Salah's seven goals against Chelsea is good, but it's certainly not his best record. In fact, there are eight teams against which he's managed more.

Top of that pile is Manchester United. Salah's record against them is phenomenal, scoring 12 times in 12 games and managing another four assists. Manchester City come next – 11 goals and five assists in 19 meetings.

Tottenham's 18 meetings with Salah have seen them ship 11 goals, too, along with a single assist. Meanwhile, Arsenal, West Ham United, Watford and Leeds United have all conceded nine times to the Liverpool star.

Bournemouth are the only other club to have shipped goals more often than Chelsea to the Egyptian. Salah has forced them to pick it out of the net on eight occasions.

What is Mohamed Salah's record on the opening day?

Unfortunately for Chelsea, Salah's opening-day record in the Premier League is simply incredible. It's literally as good as the league has ever seen.

In all, Salah has eight goals on opening day since arriving at Liverpool. That equals the all-time record, held jointly by Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.

But that doesn't even explain it all. Salah also has the record outright for consecutive opening days on which a player has scored – six. Those who know their stuff may also notice that he's only actually played six.

That's right – Salah has scored in every opening-day fixture he's played for Liverpool. Not only will he look to extend his own record for consecutive games, he'll also hope to break the record for overall goals.

Good luck, Chelsea.

What is Mohamed Salah's overall Liverpool goal record?

Salah was never really known as a goalscorer in his younger professional days – even his record with Basel was so-so. But once he left Chelsea for AS Roma, the Egyptian started to find his feet.

29 goals in two Serie A seasons suggested something was there, but no one could have foreseen his explosion at Liverpool. Salah immediately broke the Premier League's goalscoring record for a 38-game season, scoring 32 times in his debut campaign.

Overall, the forward heads into the upcoming campaign with 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool, all coming in 218 games. That stretches to 186 in 305 across all competitions.

What is Mohamed Salah's Premier League record?

Salah's 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool combine with the two he got for Chelsea in his brief spell there for a total of 139. It's an incredible haul – only 13 players have managed more since the start of the league in 1992.

And so, if Salah matched his lowest goals total for Liverpool in a single year (19) this coming term, he'd move onto 158 goals. That would be enough to leapfrog Michael Owen in 10th on the all-time list. No one would put it past him.

What is Liverpool's record against Chelsea?

Liverpool and Chelsea have certainly met a lot other than in Salah's time. There have been 194 meetings in total, with the first coming all the way back in 1907.

And given their history, it's of little surprise that Liverpool boast the majority of the wins in this fixture. 84 of the clashes ended in a Reds victory, with Chelsea coming out on top 65 times.

But what about just in the Premier League? That head-to-head is much closer throughout their 62 meetings. Liverpool once again come out on top, but only by 23 wins to Chelsea's 21. That leaves 18 draws since the rebranding in 1992.

What are Liverpool's recent results against Chelsea?

In what feels like a bad omen for the opening day, both Liverpool vs Chelsea fixtures finished 0-0 last season. Both teams were subpar all campaign long, of course, and both meetings reflected that as the sides struggled to find any rhythm in the games.

Actually, the worrying signs go further than that. There haven't been goals in the last four meetings between the two teams – as both cup finals in 2022 finished 0-0. Even the two meetings before that finished with draws – though, there were at least some goals.

It means you have to go all the way back to March 2021 – some seven games ago – for the last time this fixture had a winner inside 90 minutes. It was Chelsea who triumphed on that occasion as they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield.

The last Liverpool win came in the game before that, with the Reds triumphing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge as the reigning champions back in September 2020. There have been seven games since – it's developed into quite the worrying streak.

When is Chelsea vs Liverpool?

Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday 13th August. The match will kick off at 4.30pm UK time as the two teams open their respective Premier League campaigns.

Both will hope to rebound after terrible seasons last time out – making this an absolutely massive fixture for each as they look to make an early statement.

South Africa’s Test captain Faf du Plessis is in a “race against time” to play the opening match against England at Lord’s, which starts on July 6

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2017South Africa’s Test captain Faf du Plessis is in a “race against time” to play the opening match against England at Lord’s, which starts on July 6. Du Plessis is awaiting the arrival of his first child, who is expected in the first week of July, and with his wife Imari choosing a natural birth, there is no speeding up the due date.Du Plessis, who will miss the T20 series in anticipation, is hopeful the baby will arrive in the next two weeks, though he left the door open to remaining home for longer if necessary. “I’m pretty nervous, to be honest. It’s now just a countdown for when the baby comes,” du Plessis said at the launch of CSA’s Global T20 league on Monday. “My wife is pretty certain that she wants to go the normal route so that takes longer. It now becomes a race for the first Test match.”Du Plessis, who debuted in November 2012, has not played a Test at Lord’s and admitted it was on his bucket-list. Seemingly, this would be his last chance to take part in one – he is already 32 and if South Africa only return to England in five years’ time (the same length of time between their previous tour and this one) – it is unlikely he will still be playing.If du Plessis is not able to make it back in time for the Test, South Africa will be without a captain and a senior batsman. While the spot in the line-up could be filled with the likes of Theunis de Bruyn, who played in Hamilton and is a regular No. 3, who leads the team will be more tricky.AB de Villiers confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he will not be persuaded to stay on for longer after opting out of the entire Test series to manage his workload. De Villiers will lead in the T20s and will then return home, to prioritise family time. His second child is also due in July.That may mean Hashim Amla, who stepped down from the Test captaincy in January 2016, may be forced into an emergency substitution. Or South Africa may look to senior opener Dean Elgar or even JP Duminy, who has led in the T20s, for leadership.This is the second England tour in which a South African captain has been an expectant father. In 2012, Graeme Smith returned home after the first Test at The Oval for the birth of his daughter and returned in time to play the second match at Headingley.

Sunderland 'have an edge' over rivals in their pursuit of Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo due to his familiarity with surroundings at the Stadium of Light, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Amad Diallo going back to Sunderland?

Diallo spent last term on loan at Sunderland and became a fan favourite at the Black Cats due to his consistent displays, which saw him yield 14 goals and four assists in 42 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Ivory Coast international, who was hailed as an "amazing player" last season, has attracted interest from several clubs this summer, including Leicester City, Burnley and Sheffield United, according to The Daily Mail.

Nevertheless, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag won't make a decision on any of his fringe stars until he has a chance to take a closer look at them on the Red Devils' pre-season tour of the United States.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray hasn't hidden his desire to see the wide man return to the Stadium of Light in 2023/24 despite acknowledging that any potential deal would be unlikely, as per Chronicle Live, stating at the end of last season: "I think the reality is that he won't be coming here unless they [Manchester United] think he is going to be one helluva player and he needs another year out playing, and he enjoys it at Sunderland so he can stay there. That would be the ideal scenario for us – pretty unlikely, I would suggest, but you never know."

Nevertheless, the Black Cats will also face competition from Sky Bet Championship rivals Leeds United and Southampton if they are to try and bring Diallo back to the North East.

As per The Athletic, Diallo joined Manchester United from Serie A side Atalanta in a money-spinning deal worth in the region of £37 million.

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones hinted that Sunderland could carry an 'edge' over rivals who are keen on Diallo due to his time spent at the club previously.

Jones stated: "I think Sunderland are going to have an edge here because the player is familiar with their environment and fits into the style. I can't see him going to Leeds, Leicester as well. I wonder about with Diallo, I feel like that's got good potential for him, but certainly, Sunderland should be looking down that path."

What other business could Sunderland look to do this window?

According to Fotboll Sthlm via The Sunderland Echo, Sunderland have taken Djurgardens youngster Gideon Granstrom on trial and offered him the chance to win a deal at the Stadium of Light, with Norwich City also keen to assess his capabilities.

Granstrom's father spoke about their interest to the Swedish outlet, stating: "He went there earlier this week and is doing his first training session today. He stays about ten days in total. They will be on this tour for a week, starting in Norwich, then finishing with three days in Sunderland."

Sunderland could also raid Manchester United for a second time amid their interest in Nathan Bishop; however, they saw a loan bid rejected for his services earlier in the window, as per The Athletic.

Leeds United forward Sonny Perkins is a loan target for the Black Cats, who have thrown their hat into the ring despite competition from Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

Ross Whiteley followed up his six sixes in an over against Yorkshire at Headingley by clearing the ropes five more times to stun Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network and ESPN staff26-Jul-2017
Ross Whiteley’s six-hitting prowess continued at Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesSix-hitting Ross Whiteley supercharged Worcestershire Rapids as they completed their first victory of the season in the NatWest T20 Blast by defeating Notts Outlaws by 13 runs at Trent Bridge.Whiteley, who hit six sixes in an over against Yorkshire on Sunday, cleared the ropes on five occasions in making 42 from just 16 balls.Three came in one over from Harry Gurney which went for 24. Gurney finished with an analysis of none for 57, the most expensive in the county’s T20 history.His assault stunned Notts, one of the favourites to take the trophy, and underlined the call from his director of cricket Steve Rhodes for England to take him seriously as a candidate for their Twenty20 side.The loss was the first sustained at home by the Outlaws since May last year, a run of seven wins and two abandonments, which leaves them on six points from as many matches in this campaign, whilst the Rapids’ win lifts them up to three points.The home side had been set to score 209 for their fourth consecutive win but found themselves pegged back after an aggressive start and could only post 195 for 5.Riki Wessels made 49 and Alex Hales scored 44 in the chase but John Hastings proved to be an effective matchwinner for the Rapids, taking 3 for 31.Earlier, 60 from Joe Clarke and a punishing sixth wicket partnership of 60 in just 4.2 overs helped push the Rapids up to 208 for 8, after being asked to bat first.Clarke scored his runs from only 27 deliveries and hit seven fours and three sixes to get the visitors off to a flying start, which took them past 50 inside just four overs. Clarke took 28 off a single over from Luke Wood.After Notts had fought back strongly, Whiteley and Mitchell Santner took it away from them again with some destructive hitting.Santner also showed his big-hitting prowess with three maximums of his own in making 35 from 20 balls.Santner clubbed one of his rope-clearing blows off countryman Ish Sodhi, who took 2 for 41, including the prized scalp of Whiteley, who skewed the leg-spinner to point.Jake Ball had earlier removed Clarke and then added some lustre to his final figures of 3 for 34 by removing both Santner and Joe Leach as the innings drew towards a close.Notts had never chased down a target as large as 208 before but enjoyed an explosive Powerplay to set them on track, rattling up 76 without loss. Hales scored 50 of them, reaching the landmark in just 22 balls, with 12 fours – seven of them coming from eight consecutive deliveries bowled at him by Jack Shantry.With the game moving decisively away from them they were given a lifeline when Hales went after Brett D’Oliveira but failed to clear Ed Barnard on the deep midwicket fence, with the score on 92.When Brendan Taylor found 18-year old debutant Pat Brown on the midwicket fence, off Daryl Mitchell for 25, Notts still needed 80 from 46 balls.Outlaws captain Dan Christian made only two, hoisting fellow-Australian Hastings down to Clarke at long leg.The required run-rate rose to more than over 13, with 66 needed from the last five overs and home chances dipped further as Samit Patel became Hastings’ second victim, pulling to midwicket for 10.On 44 Wessels reached 4,000 runs in T20 cricket but he perished shortly afterwards and despite Tom Moores and Steven Mullaney throwing the bat in the closing overs the damage had already been done.

Chelsea are expected to submit a "new bid" for Brighton and Hove Albion's defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo "in the next days", according to reliable journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Moises Caicedo leaving Brighton?

The Premier League talisman has established himself as an integral member of Roberto De Zerbi’s squad at The Amex having started 34 out of the 38 top-flight games last season, and after emerging as his outfit’s best-performing defensive player, he’s been attracting significant interest since the start of the year.

Back in January, Arsenal were heavily linked with a swoop for the 21-year-old who even penned an open letter on social media to share his desire to leave, but soon after, it came as a surprise that he put pen to paper on a new long-term Seagulls contract until 2027, likely so that they could sell their prized asset for more money this summer.

The Blues more recently entered the race for the Ecuador international but saw their initial £60m offer turned down, though with members of the media having since claimed that he’s “keen to join” and is “pushing for the move”, Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino are ready to take a second bite of the cherry.

Are Chelsea signing Moises Caicedo?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Chelsea will imminently table a fresh offer for Caicedo in the hope of finally reaching a summer agreement to bring him to Stamford Bridge, with the new Blues boss feeling he is "the ideal player" to sign.

"Chelsea are ready to speed things up for Caicedo [by] making a new bid in the next days. The position of Brighton is quite adamant, asking for at least £100m, but CFC will do their best to sign the [Ecuadorian]. Poch considers him the ideal player to strengthen the midfield."

How good is Moises Caicedo?

Chelsea will know that Caicedo is stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game having registered just one goal and assist last season in the Premier League, but having been dubbed a “Machine Man” sitting in front of the backline by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Pochettino admiring him so much comes as no surprise.

The Futbol Division client won a total of 50 out of his 100 tackles over the course of the previous campaign which was the highest success rate throughout the whole of his squad, via FBRef, not to mention that he also averaged 1.5 interceptions per top-flight game, highlighting his desire to win back possession for his team.

The World Cup participant additionally has the flexibility to operate slightly higher up in central midfield and even at right-back alongside his usual role which is yet another attractive attribute, so he would provide the Blues with plenty of versatility should he put pen to paper in the weeks ahead.

With Brighton appearing to stand firm on their valuation, Boehly will know that he'll seriously need to splash the cash if he wants to acquire the services of his long-term target in Caicedo, and there's no doubt that he's a player who could prove to be a shrewd signing in London.

The BCCI has agreed to accept most of the Lodha recommendations after an SGM on Wednesday, but were strongly against implementing five reforms

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jul-2017After several months of staunch resistance, the BCCI members – state associations – have unanimously decided to implement most of the Lodha Committee recommendations with the exception of five broad reforms. The BCCI took the decision at a special general meeting (SGM) in Delhi on Wednesday, which was attended by all members including the newly-inducted north-eastern states.The recommendations that the BCCI said it has difficulty implementing include: membership status which includes the one-state-one-vote reform, disqualification of office bearers, ministers and government officials based on eligibility criteria such as the age cap, tenure and cooling off period, the strength of the Apex Council – which replaces the existing working committee, the division of powers between the office bearers and the professional management, and strength of the national selection committee.All five recommendations singled out by the BCCI on Wednesday have been raised by board members consistently in the past as major stumbling blocks preventing reforms.The one-state-one-vote recommendation primarily affects six members – Maharashtra, Mumbai, Vidarbha, Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra. According to the Lodha Committee, the six votes would be reduced to two with rotating representation at the board meetings every year. However, the BCCI wants the existing membership status to be restored. The BCCI also wants the voting powers granted at present to government institutions comprising Railways, Services and the Universities to be retained.The most contentious reform the BCCI is against is the eligibility criteria for an office bearer or a representative of a state association to attend board meetings. The BCCI wants a cooling-off period of three years after every term applicable to an office bearer removed because a maximum tenure of nine years has already been prescribed. It also does not want to impose the 70-year age cap put in place by the Lodha Committee for office bearers and administrators. The Indian board is also against not allowing government employees to be part of any board committee.Another area that concerns the BCCI is the distribution of power granted to the office bearers and the board’s professional management, led by the CEO. Under the existing system, the BCCI secretary informally carries out the role of the CEO and shares the power with the board president.Under the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, the role of the office bearers would be diminished while the CEO would be granted significant independent decision-making powers. Many of the BCCI members are against ceding control.The Lodha Committee had also suggested replacing the powerful BCCI working committee, which approves all decisions, with a nine-member Apex Council, comprising five office bearers – president, secretary, joint-secretary, treasurer and a vice-president – and a single representative from the general body (all BCCI members). At the SGM on Wednesday, the BCCI argued that the number of representatives from the general body – ideally one from each of the five zones – should sit on the Apex Council.The final reform the BCCI wanted the court to reconsider is increasing the number of heads on the national selection panel to five, two more than the Lodha Committee’s recommendation. The BCCI had already trimmed the selection panel to three, immediately after the Supreme Court approved the recommendations last year.On July 18 last year, the Supreme Court had approved the recommendations and asked the BCCI to implement them within six months from that seminal order. The BCCI remained unaffected. The court then put in place a Committee of Administrators on January 30 this year tasking it with implementing the recommendations.Various BCCI members raised objections, pointing out some of the recommendations could not be practically implemented and went against the constitution of both the board and their respective state associations.On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the BCCI to implement as many recommendations as were “practicable” at the SGM. The court also pointed out that it would revisit some of the recommendations the BCCI had highlighted in the past.According to more than one BCCI members who attended the SGM, the moderate tone of the court’s order on Monday gave an extra leash to those who stalled the reform process. “When the Supreme Court is giving us the liberty to choose [which recommendations to implement], then why object?” a member who attended the SGM said. “When the court itself is not keen in implementing some reforms and it openly says some are impracticable then how can they persuade the members?”

Glasgow Rangers appear to be on course to complete a move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes this week, according to a new report.

Are Rangers signing Jose Cifuentes?

Michael Beale and Ibrox officials have been extremely busy so far this summer, with seven new players already brought to the club this summer.

Three forwards have arrived in Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima, and it looks as if Feyenoord striker Danilo is also set to sign after a £6m agreement was reached with the Dutch champions.

Another long-term target has been Cifuentes, with Beale even admitting that a deal was in place to sign the player on a free transfer at the end of the year, however, work was ongoing on bringing a deal forward.

“It is getting closer. The logistics of that one, with work permits. The clubs are still talking. He’s out of contract at the end of the year and we have an agreement with that but would like to bring it to a close early so he can join us this season.”

It now looks as if an immediate summer switch is on the cards after Football Insider provided a positive transfer update on Rangers and Cifuentes in the last 48 hours.

They claimed Beale is desperate to sign the midfielder, and that the two sides are close to reaching an agreement that would see Cifuentes sign this summer. The two sides are ‘expected to have a deal completed this week’. No exact transfer fee was cited, but it does look as if a move is gathering real pace after an agreement was fast-tracked.

Who is Jose Cifuentes?

Cifuentes appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €12m Transfermarkt valuation and can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder.

Sponsored by Nike, the 24-year-old has played 16 times for Ecuador at senior level and has been with LAFC since January 2020. During that time, Cifuentes has turned out on 121 occasions, scoring 15 times and registering 20 assists.

He appears to be going from strength to strength in the MLS, and previously, Tim Vickery, an expert on all things to do with South American football, called the 24-year-old a "terrific" player after his performances at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019.

"He was the beating heart of that side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder," said Vickey on talkSPORT.

"He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.

"This fellow Cifuentes strikes the ball well, moves across the field, strong in the tackle, strong on the ball, I like him a lot."

It looks as if an imminent move to Glasgow is on the cards, and should he arrive in the coming days, Cifuentes would become the club’s most valuable player, as per Transfermarkt, with his €12m valuation higher than any current Rangers player, showing how this move could be a major cup for those in Glasgow.