All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have finalised their first move of the summer, but seemingly have no intention to slow down in their pursuit of an even brighter future.

What's the latest on Jurrien Timber to Arsenal?

This newest addition could now come in the form of Jurrien Timber, who is reportedly the latest to close in on a switch to the Emirates.

Having announced Kai Havertz's arrival only yesterday, this creative Dutch defender could provide a fine partner for the German creator, should Mikel Arteta seek to invert him into midfield.

Journalist James Benge would detail Edu's progress with Ajax, with the CBS Sports account tweeting:

"Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is getting close to joining for around $55m (£44m). @JamesBenge understands Arsenal are optimistic that the deal will progress swiftly in the coming days."

Would Jurrien Timber improve Kai Havertz?

Whilst many might scratch their heads as to where the former Chelsea maestro will feature within their team, Arteta sought to clear up the reasons behind his acquisition: "Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility & is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield & variety to our play."

This suggests that, whilst his favoured role might be in the ten, perhaps his quality elsewhere could see him deployed deeper.

If so, to be partnered beside Timber could prove the perfect platform for him to truly reach the potential that many would argue he failed to fulfil at Stamford Bridge.

Just 49 goal contributions in 139 games for the west London outfit showcases a struggling figure, especially given he scored 18 times in just one season across all competitions before he departed his homeland.

Joining up with this free-flowing outfit now though could help revitalise the 24-year-old, who boasts experience way beyond his years. It seems that his time in England has added an element of steel to his already excellent offensive capabilities, with the Blues now gift-wrapping an all-around monster to their north London rivals.

After all, when compared to other forwards across Europe, Havertz ranks in the top 6% for pass completion, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 10% for tackles per 90, via FBref.

Placing this beside the 22-year-old titan, who can also play in midfield, would be impressive. Indeed, the Dutchman has showcased a quality way beyond others in his role, with his work rate and quality in the engine room potentially allowing the £65m magician to recapture his form of old.

When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, Timber ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted, pass completion, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90. This was all whilst maintaining 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Eredivisie last term, via Sofascore.

Journalist Casey Evans sought to praise the youngster last summer, as he implored Erik ten Hag to secure a deal for Manchester United. He wrote: "Get him to bring Timber or Martinez with him, both are outstanding."

To potentially have a couple of ball-playing leaders in such key positions could see Arteta enact even more control over each game next campaign, with Edu's stellar recruitment continuing to impress.

Quetta Gladiators smashed 63 runs off their last 17 balls – led by Kevin Pietersen at his world-beating best – to stun Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in Sharjah

The Report by Danyal Rasool18-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:59

Highlights – Pietersen returns to form in Quetta victory

In a nutshell
Quetta Gladiators smashed 63 runs off their last 17 balls – led by Kevin Pietersen at his world-beating best – to stun Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in Sharjah. In a stupefying contest, without question the match of this season, history repeated itself as Sarfraz Ahmed’s men hunted down a 200-plus target for the second consecutive year against Lahore.The match looked to be over and done with by the time Lahore finished batting, with McCullum’s men at their explosive best at both top and tail of the innings; their combined score in the first and last six overs was 150-0. The fireworks began with Jason Roy and Fakhar Zaman (McCullum opted not to open the innings). The England batsman brought up his fifty off a mere 24 balls. Wickets in the middle overs slowed Lahore down somewhat, but an unbroken 77-run partnership off the last 41 balls between Mohammad Rizwan and South African Cameron Delport – playing his first game this season – took Lahore to the first 200-run total this season.Quetta started slowly, as both openers struggled to get their timing right in the face of intelligent Powerplay bowling by Sohail Tanvir, Sunil Narine and Mohammad Irfan Jr. By the time they fell, the asking rate was already nearing 12, and only a plucky 57-run stand between Rilee Rossouw and Pietersen kept Quetta in contention. Rossouw eventually holed out after an entertaining cameo, and a courageous partnership between Pietersen and captain Sarfraz seemed only like it would restore respectability to the result.But Lahore had reckoned without Pietersen, whose two golden ducks appeared to have woken a sleeping giant. At his red-hot best, he smashed 39 runs off his last nine balls to haul Quetta to the most astounding of victories, not just in the PSL, but any T20 competition in recent memory.Where the match was won
A key phase of the game that might get lost in the late carnage was the period just after Quetta lost their openers. Without the 57 off 30 deliveries that Rossouw and Pietersen added between the fifth and tenth overs, there would have been no opportunity for Quetta to finish the game off in style. Rossouw was integral in that period, not just with his runs, even though he contributed 33 of them to that partnership, but also his attitude. He swung from ball one, recognising that was the only route to victory for his side. It looked like he had been dismissed too early, with his side still needing 120. But the man at the other end was only just beginning to warm up.File photo – Jason Roy’s 24-ball fifty was not enough for Lahore Qalandars to topple Quetta Gladiators•PCBThe men that won it
This sort of knock is why Pietersen is so sought after by T20 franchises around the world. A major disappointment of this year’s PSL had been that none of its three biggest stars – Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Pietersen – had been able to play an innings their reputation demanded of them. But in a scarcely believable passage of play, Quetta whacked eight sixes in 13 balls, six of them coming from Pietesen’s bat, as a target that had looked insurmountable suddenly appeared a stroll. Sarfraz played a brilliant, unselfish supporting role, scoring 45 off 25 balls. But the day belonged to Pietersen as the hapless Lahore side watched him wrench a game they thought they couldn’t lose.Bowlers’ bloodbath
Lahore scored 75 in the Powerplay overs, the highest in PSL history. They doubled up on that by scoring just as many in the last six, and all of that without McCullum facing a ball.However, that carnage was topped in a stunning onslaught by Quetta, who blitzed the Lahore bowling with 78 from their last 3.5 overs to win with more than an over to spare. The run chase means the top five totals across both seasons of the PSL have come in matches between these two sides.Where they stand
The defeat might turn out to be a pivotal one for Lahore. Victory would have taken them to the top of the standings. It is Quetta who take that mantle now, with seven points from their five games. Lahore slip to fourth, with four points from five matches.

Not so long ago, Mark Stoneman said he hated London and could never imagine living there. But, on this evidence, he seems to be settling in rather well

George Dobell at the Kia Oval07-Apr-2017
ScorecardNot so long ago, Mark Stoneman said he hated London and could never imagine living there. But, on this evidence, he seems to be settling in rather well.Stoneman, on his Championship debut for Surrey having made the painful decision to leave Durham, made a chanceless century to punish Ian Bell’s decision to bowl first (the toss was uncontested) and give his side a formidable platform in this game. He looked every inch a prospective England batsman.He may soon fall in love with London, too. Certainly on days like this – with the trees in bloom and a decent-sized crowd enjoying a perfect early-summer day – there is much to admire about the city, though it may be the benevolent nature of the pitch that consummates his relationship with his new club.Afterwards Bell admitted he had erred in his toss decision – “it was definitely a bat-first wicket,” he said, “isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?” – and Warwickshire might reflect that, in the first session, with the pitch damp, their bowlers failed to utilise any help that might have been available.But to focus on their shortcomings – and they were not awful by any means – would be to deny Stoneman credit for an almost flawless innings. Against one of the best spinners and left-arm swing bowlers in the county game, he demonstrated excellent judgement outside off stump, admirable patience (he had faced 16 balls before he hit a boundary) and a pleasing ability to be able to put away even half a bad ball. His treatment of the short ball, in particular, was merciless – 102 of his runs came from boundaries.”He didn’t give us a sniff,” Bell said. “We’re really impressed by him.”There may be mixed feelings about this innings in Durham, though. While the majority of those involved with the club – players, supporters et al – will celebrate Stoneman’s success, they will rue the fact that their financial plight led to his departure. As he put it: “Because of the financial situation at Durham, my contract was allowed to run into its final year. I decided to move to Surrey to further my career.”Few could blame him. A professional sporting life is not long and some desire for security and, yes, better remuneration is natural.He will have to replicate this innings a few times if he is to become a serious contender for the Test side. His career average – 32.99 before this game – is modest and there are several younger men (notably Keaton Jennings and Haseeb Hameed) ahead of him in the fight for a place. But he has long been respected as one of the best openers in the county game by his fellow pros and can claim mitigation for that average with the demanding quality of the surfaces that he played on in Durham until the start of 2016.He also made a century in his final innings for Durham, meaning that he has scored two Championship centuries in succession. He is the first England-qualified player to make a century on Championship debut for Surrey since Mark Rampakash in 2001. Aaron Finch (2016), Kumar Sangakkara (2015) and Ricky Ponting (2013) are the three most recent men to do so for Surrey.Stoneman was given fine support in a first-wicket stand of 154 by Rory Burns. While Burns will be disappointed not to make a century that appeared to be his for the taking – something of a recurring theme in his career – he will be encouraged by the manner in which he saw off the new ball and took the attack to Warwickshire’s bowlers.”They never let us settle,” Jim Troughton, Warwickshire’s first-team coach said afterwards. “We probably got the toss decision wrong and there were too many boundary balls, but Surrey batted very well. We’ve known Stoneman was quality player for a few years and he showed everyone that today.”Warwickshire could also have regretted dropping Scott Borthwick, another recruit from Durham, on 4 (Barker was unable to cling on to a top-edged pull off Chris Wright) but he soon fell after flirting outside off stump.It might have been worse for them, though. At lunch, with Surrey 133 without loss after 31 overs and Jonathan Trott already employed as a bowler, it looked as if they were in deep trouble. But they dragged the run-rate back through the rest of the day and didn’t let the batsmen capitalise in the final session. However, Sangakkara remains – he played some drives so sweet he must have been tempted to light a cigarette as he watched them scurry to the boundary – and, with no heavy roller available for this game, the pitch may become more difficult for the side batting last.Earlier, Surrey included Jade Dernbach – his first Championship appearance since 2015 – ahead of Stuart Meaker and Gareth Batty, the captain, ahead of Zafar Ansari. Nor could they be blamed for doing so. While Ansari was deemed good enough to represent England only a few months ago, the decision to play T20 cricket in a block and cut the schedule has pushed the Championship ever further into the margins of the season. The counties will have played eight of their 14 Championship games before the end of June. There is no mystery in England’s continuing weakness in producing and playing spin bowling.

Arsenal fans finally returned to the Premier League’s top four last season after six years outside of England’s elite. They pulled up the chair to the big table once again under Mikel Arteta, next to some familiar faces and some pulling up a seat for the first time.

That’s where the Gunners are out. And they deserve credit for that. They took Manchester City all the way in the title race, that cannot be disputed. What Arsenal are not, however, is in a position to be negotiating for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, with all due respect.

One season back in the Champions League pulls up a chair to England’s elite, not Europe’s, where the North London club have never won that specific trophy. That’s without even speaking about the financial ramifications, too.

This hasn’t stopped some Arsenal fans from getting ahead of themselves, however.

What’s the latest on Kylian Mbappe?

Strap yourselves in, because the Mbappe transfer saga is set to go around the rollercoaster of the transfer window yet again this summer, with the Frenchman refusing to sign a new deal at PSG, making him a free agent next summer.

The forward has reiterated his desire to see out his contract at the French club, who would like to cash in on the player they initially splashed out a reported £166m for back in 2017. According to Fabrizio Romano, unless Mbappe signs a new deal, he will be on the market this summer.

Leading the way for his signature, as has always seemingly been the case, is Real Madrid, according to Romano, as the Spanish giants wait and see if they’ll be forced to wait a year for his services, or pick the World Cup winner up for a hefty price in the coming months.

Still, a report by FootballTransfers recently linked the Gunners with what would be an outrageous move for the Frenchman, claiming that Mikel Arteta might look to try and land him for free in 2024. While sporting director Edu Gaspar has even responded to some of the wild claims on Instagram too.

AFTV make outrageous Mbappe claim

Speaking on AFTV main man Robbie Lyle seemed to be reading an awful lot into all these recent rumours too.

Indeed, he said: “Is it too far-fetched to say that Arsenal could make a move for Kylian Mbappe. They’ve got a lot of money, Arsenal, they’ve got the wage bill right down at the club.

“If they have a good run in the Champions League and a good run in the league, they’ll have additional funds, they’ll be more attractive again to a player like Mbappe.

“His number one destination’s always been Real Madrid, but what I’m talking about, could Arsenal be in the conversation for a player like Kylian Mbappe come next season?”

It’s fair to say that Premier League fans have disagreed with the claim, too, taking to Twitter to react:

Wolverhampton Wanderers are “keen to join the fight” to bring UD Almeria forward El Bilal Toure to the Premier League, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

Who is El Bilal Toure?

El Bilal Toure is naturally a striker who currently plies his trade at the Power Horse Stadium having moved there from Stade Reims just last summer, and during his debut season, he made a total of 22 appearances and established himself as Rubi’s top-performing offensive player.

The Mali international still has another five years to run on his contract in La Liga, but his outstanding displays over the course of the previous campaign appear to have caught the eye of Julen Lopetegui, and it’s fair to say that the boss is desperately in need of reinforcements in the goalscoring department.

The Old Gold have confirmed that Diego Costa has left the club as a free agent after a disappointing spell in the Midlands while Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic were both out on the sidelines for a significant amount of time last season, so the boss needs to recruit a younger and less injury prone centre-forward… which is where the 21-year-old comes into play.

Are Wolves signing Toure?

Taking to Twitter, Tavolieri revealed that Wolves want to enter the race to sign Toure, who has a €40m (£34m) release clause included in his current terms, but admitted that it won't be easy to get a deal over the line due to there being three other clubs in the top-flight alone that are also aiming to secure his services. He wrote:

“#EvertonFC put 40M€ on the table for El Bilal Toure! The #Toffees offered a 5-year deal for 4.3M€ gross amount per year. #Wolverhampton, #NottinghamForest & #FulhamFC keen to join the fight. #WWFC #NFFC. #SerieA clubs interest exists but no offer has been done yet. It's moving.”

Should Fosun submit a bid for Toure?

Wolves successfully managed to avoid relegation last season, and whilst it’s unknown what budget Lopetegui will have to play with, Nathan Collins is set to bring in £23m from his move to Brentford, so Fosun should be able to produce the funds needed for Toure, and having been hailed a “major talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, they should definitely test the waters with an opening offer.

The AFCON participant, who has the unique ability to play with both feet equally, posted nine goal contributions (seven goals and two assists) in 21 La Liga outings during the previous term and was averaging 1.4 shots per game so always has his eye on hitting the back of the net.

Despite only standing at 6 foot, the centre-forward could also be an ideal target man for the boss after averaging 2.1 aerial wins every match last term, so he will likely be strong at getting on the end of long balls and set pieces to link-up play with his felllow teammates.

Finally, Toure is a versatile operator having been deployed in four various positions since the start of his career, inluding everywhere across the frontline and even in attacking midfield, so should the opportunity present itself, this is a no-brainer of a deal to complete, offering youth, goals and versatility to Lopetegui's forward ranks.

Imran Tahir, who went unsold at the IPL auction in February, has said how special it was to pick three early wickets to set up Rising Pune Supergiant’s win against Mumbai Indians

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2017Listed No. 1 in the ICC rankings for bowlers in ODIs and T20Is, Imran Tahir was “sad” and “down” after going unsold at the IPL auction two months ago. But an injury to Mitchell Marsh opened a door for Tahir: he was signed as a replacement and shone with 3 for 28 in Rising Pune Supergiant’s seven-wicket win in their opening match against Mumbai Indians.After Mumbai raced to 41 for 0 in four overs with consecutive sixes from Jos Buttler, Steven Smith brought on Tahir, who bowled Parthiv Patel around his legs and then removed Rohit Sharma and Buttler within the space of three balls in his next over.”The way they were playing it looked like they were going to end up getting 200,” Tahir told after the match. “I always love challenges, and when I bowl I always look to get wickets. I was very fortunate to get Patel out and obviously, the next two wickets were very special. Those guys were really good against spin bowling and it was very special for me that I got them out and [I’m] really, really happy with the way the ball came out. I’ve been here for one week and I’m trying to do well because it’s a new team and they gave me a lot of confidence.”I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight and try to give as much as I can. I love doing what I’m doing and I always look for a challenge.”Tahir expressed how disappointed he was when no franchise picked him at the auction in February, when he had a base price of INR 50 lakhs. He had been released by Delhi Daredevils after an unimpressive IPL last year, playing four matches for five wickets with an economy rate of 8.62.”I was obviously sad not to be part of this league [in the auction] but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Tahir said. “But really relieved and pleased with myself about playing the way I’ve been playing and just deliver it today.”I’m grateful to god and my family supported me, especially my wife. I was quite down when I didn’t get picked in the league. But our life carries on and I came here to prove myself again, that’s what my job is. I don’t blame no one for not picking me. My job, if someone picks me, is to come and perform, that’s what we do for a living.””I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight”•BCCISupergiant played two legspinners – Tahir and Adam Zampa – in the absence of R Ashwin and left out Faf du Plessis from the XI. Zampa, their highest wicket-taker last season, did not impress as much as Tahir on Thursday, with 1 for 26 from three overs, but Ajinkya Rahane said the strategy of playing two attacking legspinners worked for them.”Both of them are attacking, both of them look to take wickets, and that’s very important in T20,” Rahane said. “Zampa did well for us last year, and Imran Tahir is a world-class bowler. It’s good to have them both in our side, and we, as a team, know they’re always looking to take wickets.”Rahane gave Supergiant’s chase of 185 impetus, scoring 60 off 34 that featured six fours and three sixes. He brought up his half-century off only 27 balls; Supergiant were 79 for 1 in the ninth over.”When you’re chasing 180-190, it’s important to continue the momentum after the first six overs,” Rahane said. “I knew I was batting really well, and striking the ball well. So, for me, it was really important to play with that same momentum. Smith was completely new [on the pitch] at that time. So, I just wanted to take my chances and play my normal shots. I mean, I didn’t take any risks. But it was important for both of us to keep rotating the strike and hit one boundary or six in an over.”When you are chasing 180 plus, it’s the openers’ job to consolidate the innings. For me and Mayank [Agarwal], our discussion was to play positive cricket. We did not set any target for the first six overs. We just wanted to play our attacking game, and later on just capitalise on that. Unfortunately, he got out, but I was batting well. And Smith was there, I told him I’ll take my chances, and he should just carry on and play a long innings.”

Samit Patel has marked his benefit match at Trent Bridge on Thursday by defending his fitness record and questioning the emphasis on athleticism rather than skills

David Hopps09-May-2017Samit Patel has marked his benefit match at Trent Bridge on Thursday by defending his fitness record and questioning the emphasis on athleticism rather than skills.Patel accepts that it is now only an “outside chance” that he will add to his 60 caps for England across all formats but insists that he has been “pretty hard done by.”There is little evidence that Patel warranted consideration for England’s Champions Trophy squad – he has passed 50 only three times in his last 13 50-over innings – but, as he prepares to face Durham, resentment still lingers at his missed opportunities.Patel, who made his comments in a podcast, said: “I’ve not missed a game ever, so define fitness. I’ve never missed one game for England or Notts. It all comes down to sports science. They forgot about the skills base.”It’s funny how no one mentions fitness issues with me now. It’s funny how that’s all gone even though the game is getting quicker and better. I look better, I feel better, I’m playing better. You have to be quicker, you have to be faster. It’s something you have to do.”Patel last played for England against Pakistan in November 2015, although he did tour South Africa later that winter without being selected. He has since lost out primarily to Moeen Ali as a spin-bowling allrounder. His England career has closed with him feeling he did not bat high up the order often enough.”I’d like, as an outside chance, another game for England,” he said. “That’s what I’d like. Absolutely I should have played more for England, not just on talent, but stats.”Patel still has Nottinghamshire records in range, specifically Paul Johnson’s current List A record of 4950 runs. Chris Read is poised to overhaul that, but he will retire in September.Patel, who has 4483, says he wants 10,000 and plans to play until he is 40. Fitness allowing of course. He is a crowd-pleasing figure at Trent Bridge, and such ambitions will be welcomed by Nottinghamshire’s supporters.And when it is all over, it seems he is unlikely to go into coaching. “I’ve not been coached by anyone. It’s all been natural. No one should be coached. You should have your own method and stick by it, unless something drastic needs changing. Even at 19 you know how you need to play.”

Aston Villa have no intention of giving up in the race for Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto, and they are still pushing Everton in the race for his signature, according to journalist Alessio Lento.

Who are Aston Villa signing this summer?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has reported that signing a new winger will now become Villa's main aim this summer, telling GiveMeSport: “Finding a new winger is considered the new priority for Emery after reaching a deal for Pau Torres because he wants a fresh dynamic to give his attack a new edge.

“Villa have also been looking at Harvey Barnes and Brennan Johnson, so this is going to be interesting to see exactly how they narrow down the profile of the player they want and need. The ability to be adaptable is definitely something important, that’s what I keep being told.”

With Barnes now close to completing a move to Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest set to demand "mega money" for Johnson, Emery could now move on to other targets, having recently identified a couple of other options.

Moussa Diaby is now a target for the Villans, although they will have to battle the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal for the Bayer Leverkusen star, while they are also one of the Premier League clubs now taking an interest in Pyramids FC's Ibrahim Adel.

There were reports early on Tuesday which indicated that Everton are now close to signing Gnonto, who has made it clear that he wants to leave Leeds this summer, but Emery is not willing to go down without a fight.

CalcioMercato journalist Lento reports that Villa and their manager have "no intention of letting go" in the race for the Italian winger, as we now enter the hottest hours in regard to his Elland Road future.

Villa are seemingly yet to make any concrete moves for the 19-year-old, but there is a suggestion they could attempt to hijack the Toffees' deal at some point in the near future.

How much will Wilfried Gnonto cost?

There have been reports that Everton are willing to stump up £19m for the youngster, but there is always a chance his price gets driven up even higher if Emery decides to make a late swoop.

Although Leeds were relegated from the Premier League last season, the Italy international showed some promising signs, weighing in with four goals and four assists in all competitions despite only receiving sporadic game time, drawing praise as "fantastic" from Gary Neville.

Given his age, the former FC Zurich man is not yet the finished article, and there are a number of areas in which he must improve, namely in his distribution of the ball, ranking in just the 32nd percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 in the past year.

However, Gnonto has time on his side, and the fact he already has Premier League experience under his belt could make him a solid low-cost alternative to the likes of Diaby, with Bayer Leverkusen set to hold out for £50m to sanction the Frenchman's departure.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is open to letting Harry Kane leave this summer should a club match the price he has in mind, according to Dean Jones.

A number of top European sides have interest in signing the English forward this summer, but the North London side have publicly maintained the stance that he is not for sale.

Will Harry Kane be at Tottenham Hotspur next season?

As it stands, Spurs are not planning on losing Kane this summer window.

That's according to the Times, who have stated that the club have offered their all-time record goalscorer a new deal worth an incredible £400k per week, which would make the England national team captain the joint highest-paid player in the division alongside Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City.

However, it seems that the striker wants to keep his options open during the window, and reportedly has no intention of signing the deal until the closure of the transfer window. This puts the club in a tricky situation as the forward only has 12 months remaining on his deal, and could leave for free next summer should no deal be agreed.

A number of sides are interested in the Spurs talisman, however German giants Bayern Munich remain the most interested. The club have launched multiple bids in an attempt to bring the striker to the Allianz Arena, with manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly having held talks personally with Kane in his own home in order to try and convince him to make the move from London to Munich.

Both offer have been rejected by Spurs, and according to journalist Jones, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, it would take a club record transfer fee from the Bavarian club to convince Levy to sell: "Daniel Levy has a real conundrum if Bayern commit to a bigger offer because this is his last chance to get big money for Kane and, at the same time, get him out of the country so that he can’t harm Spurs in the next couple of years. It’s probably the most intriguing part of this.

In a year’s time, he could end up at [Manchester] United or Chelsea or at another rival club on a free transfer, but if he joins Bayern now, he’s almost certain to stick with them for a couple of seasons while he collects his trophies. Now, that totally goes against everything briefed because Spurs are adamant still that Kane is not for sale — in England or abroad. But everyone is wondering if the businessman in Levy can genuinely stick to that line of thinking. And actually, I’m told there is a point at which he would listen to offers.

Here’s what I’ve heard: If Bayern make an overall offer that gets above and beyond £100m, then it would have to be considered. And when I say beyond, I’m talking £120m. So let’s face it — that is unlikely. Bayern are serious about trying to sign Kane and they have been given assurances that he is willing to do it. But can they actually get to the levels needed? It’s true Spurs are putting a new contract offer in front of Kane but, of course, there is no chance of him signing that at the moment."

Should Tottenham Hotspur sell Harry Kane?

It is an incredibly interesting dilemma that can be argued both ways.

Should Spurs let go of their talisman for a fee in the region of what Jones reported, those funds could help to fund the rebuild that the North London side is currently undertaking. They have already added keeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli and attacking midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City, whilst reports have linked the side with Bundesliga centre-back duo Micky Van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba. Spurs could use the money from Kane's departure to fund moves for both central defenders rather than having to choose one, and could also move to replace the England international with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, who they have been linked with.

However, should the club manage to convince their club legend to sign the new mega-money deal and commit his future to Spurs, new manager Ange Postecoglou would have arguably the best striker in the world on his hands, which would be a fantastic building block for the Australian as he looks to form his new-look team. Keeping Kane would also be a big help for keeping Spurs fans onside during potential transitional years, as they would appreciate the ambition shown to keep their home-grown star at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

It is one of the biggest decisions in recent Spurs history, and all parties will be hoping it gets solved soon.

Having picked up their first ODI win over a Full Member nation, Scotland will now target a maiden ODI series win over a Full Member, while Zimbabwe fight to avoid a series sweep

The Preview by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh16-Jun-2017Match factsJune 17, 2017
Start time 10:45 local (09:45 GMT)Con de Lange and Malcolm Waller, who played huge roles for their respective teams in the first ODI, once again figure to be crucial to their teams’ success•Peter Della PennaBig PictureThe far north of the UK is a place where chilly, damp weather is a common occurrence round the year. Regardless of what Zimbabwe may have read about Edinburgh beforehand, not much would have prepared them for the cold shower they experienced on Thursday in the form of a loss to Scotland in the maiden ODI between the two countries.Losing a pair of home series to Afghanistan is one thing, with the consensus being that Afghanistan’s on-field quality has outstripped their administrative status as an Associate – a view further cemented by Afghanistan drawing the ODI series on their first visit to the West Indies earlier this month. As much as Scotland have improved their on-field product in recent years under coach Grant Bradburn, the bare fact was that they’d never beaten a Full Member in 23 attempts prior to Thursday. But, by the end of the day, Zimbabwe found themselves on the wrong side of history.Less than two days after that wake-up call, Zimbabwe have a chance to save face and level the series. Scotland are currently third in the WCL Championship, three points behind Netherlands, and if Zimbabwe are swept 2-0 in Edinburgh, the prospect of three one-dayers next week in Amsterdam becomes even more daunting.Scotland, on the other hand, have a chance to create a double-dose of history. “Securing a maiden ODI win over a Full Member” has been checked off the to-do list. They have the pen in hand waiting to mark off the next item on their summer agenda: “securing a maiden ODI win over a Full Member.”Form guideScotland: WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Zimbabwe: LLWWLIn the spotlightSouth Africa-born Con de Lange first came to Scotland in 2003 as an overseas pro for Ferguslie CC in Paisley. After marrying a local girl and putting down roots in his adopted homeland, he made his Scotland debut in 2015 and has since become one of their most reliable talents. Named vice-captain in January, he turned in his maiden ODI five-for in the win on Thursday and will look to restrict Zimbabwe once again.Malcolm Waller’s last four scores, playing for Rhinos in Zimbabwe’s domestic competition Pro50 Championship, prior to the Scotland tour were 52, 49, 57 and 113. His 92 off 62 balls in the first ODI was his fifth ODI half-century, and he came within inches of making it a match-winning maiden ton before being snuffed out by a controversial catch. Scotland had few answers for containing him in the first match, and he may be a handful once again in the middle order.Team newsSomerset’s Josh Davey has been released from the county for the second ODI, and he won’t be making the trip up north just to sit on the bench. Though Chris Sole is the youngest and least experienced of Scotland’s medium-pace unit, his opening five-over spell of 1 for 10 was exceptional. But Sole looked rattled by Waller, conceding 0 for 30 in three overs later in the innings. Safyaan Sharif was also expensive, finishing with 1 for 69, making them the most likely candidates to make way for Davey, with Alasdair Evans staying to take the new ball.Scotland (probable): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 2 Matthew Cross (wk), 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Richie Berrington, 5 Preston Mommsen, 6 Craig Wallace, 7 Michael Leask, 8 Josh Davey, 9 Con de Lange, 10 Chris Sole/Safyaan Sharif, 11 Alasdair EvansChris Mpofu, who was Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker in the five-match series against Afghanistan, was a surprising omission in the first ODI. Richard Ngarava struggled badly, both with the new ball and at the death, to finish with 1 for 96 – the joint second-worst figures for a Zimbabwe bowler in ODIs. A direct swap for the two is most likely on the bowling front, while Chamu Chibhabha might also get a look in after another ODI failure for Ryan Burl.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Chamu Chibhabha, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 PJ Moor (wk), 9 Graeme Cremer (capt), 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Chris MpofuPitch and conditionsUnlike the on-and-off rain on Thursday that resulted in Zimbabwe’s chase being reduced to 43 overs, Saturday is forecast to be one of the clearest and hottest days of the late spring and early summer in Edinburgh with a high of 24 degrees centigrade and no rain in the area. Expect another flat, bat-first pitch with a 300-plus target in mind.Stats and trivia Con de Lange’s 5 for 60 was just the sixth five-wicket haul in Scotland’s ODI history and the first since Josh Davey’s 6 for 28 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi just before the 2015 World Cup. Scotland’s 317 for 6 in the first ODI was the fifth time they scored 300 or more in an ODI innings, and their second-highest total against a Full Member, one short of the 318 for 8 they made in a World Cup loss to Bangladesh. Zimbabwe’s overall record against Associates in ODIs is 49-20-1 after the loss to Scotland. But since that lone tie, against Ireland in the 2007 World Cup, it has been much less dominant at 25-17. That includes 11 losses to Afghanistan, three to Ireland and two to Kenya.Quotes”This is what we’ve been waiting to do for a little while. We’ve taken a little bit longer than other teams have, but we’ve now got a strong squad of players and we hope that we could still keep on challenging and maybe play some of the other Test-ranked teams.”
“They do play good shots and we knew we were going to be up against it, especially in their home conditions, our first game. But we’ve got to jump around. We’ve got to be ready for the next game and make sure that we finish on top.”