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BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that it was “a principled, policy decision” of the board to limit the players’ participation to two overseas leagues per year

Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2017

The Bangladesh Cricket Board will allow the country’s contracted players only two No Objection Certificates (NOC) per year to play in overseas leagues, according to board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.Bangladesh’s contracted players were informed of the decision – which is effective immediately – through a letter that detailed the new restrictions. The leagues included in the restrictions are of all formats, and the board made it mandatory for players to participate in Bangladesh’s first-class tournaments.”It is a principled, policy decision of the board,” Chowdhury said. “We will allow two NOCs per year. It will be on a case-by-case basis and it is with immediate effect. We want to give them enough rest and manage their injuries. We want to ensure all our players are available for international matches.”Debbabrata Paul, the secretary of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh, disagreed with the BCB’s decision. “This cannot happen and this doesn’t happen anywhere in the world. It is being forced on the players. They are simply being deprived,” Paul said. “We were not informed about it. We will definitely have to talk about it with the players.”Chowdhury did not specify what triggered this decision, but ESPNcricinfo understood it had to do with Bangladesh’s disastrous tour of South Africa. The move would mostly affect Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s busiest cricketer, who has been playing the IPL, BBL, PSL and CPL for several years. The likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mustafizur Rahman and Mahmudullah had also started to feature in T20 leagues other than the IPL. Tamim, Shakib and Mustafizur were picked to play in a T10 competition next month.Limiting the number of NOCs is an unprecedented move from the BCB. The board has refused NOCs in the past, especially in the case of Shakib, when he was banned for six months in 2014. But Shakib’s punishment was soon lifted, after a string of strong performances from the allrounder for the national side.The contacted Bangladesh players, however, did not wish to comment. It was learned that the BCB had recently restricted national players from talking to the media about certain issues.

Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has provided resounding approval to the security measures for the World XI series in Lahore, saying “if no one felt safe, no one would be going”. Elliott is the only player from New Zealand in the visiting squad.A team of overseas players, comprising several first-choice picks in Hashim Amla, Tamim Iqbal, Morne Morkel, Samuel Badree, Imran Tahir, and led by Faf du Plessis, will play three T20 internationals on September 12, 13 and 15 as part of an effort to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. To ensure that the series goes on without a hitch, the PCB has promised presidential-level security to the visitors.”We get the reports from all the relevant agencies such as FICA (Federation of International Cricket Associations) and independent security firms,” Elliott told the . “You assess the risks involved and make a decision as a family. Of course the players are getting paid but, if no one felt safe, no one would be going.”These are small steps in returning cricket to Pakistan on a more permanent basis. It’s sad for them that they never play at home. They always talk about it with such passion. I think we can expect enthusiastic crowds. Wherever you go there are risks, and being away from home for long periods is always tough on the family.”The World XI series is being conducted on the back of a successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final at the Gaddafi Stadium in March. Elliott had been part of that tournament – his team Lahore Qalandars did not make it to the final – and he was looking forward to meeting up with some of his colleagues.”I got to know a few people in Pakistani cricket when I performed pretty well in those tournaments,” he said. “I’m also excited about some opportunities which might open up with the Lahore owners. They’ve just bought the Durban Qalandars franchise in South Africa, and I will be their assistant coach in November-December [for the inaugural Global League].”That doesn’t mean my playing days are over. I’m still keen to play, and have another year with the Birmingham Bears. I’ve just finished a successful tournament there.”Elliott retired from international cricket in March 2017, signing a Kolpak deal to play in England’s T20 Blast; he played the tournament final last week. “The shorter format is something I’m still passionate about, so I may as well keep doing it,” he said. “I thrived with the captaincy of the Bears towards the end. I enjoy helping younger guys achieve the pathways they want.”Should Elliot make the playing XI on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, he will be the first New Zealander to play cricket in Pakistan since December 2003.World XI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, Paul Collingwood, Ben Cutting, Grant Elliott, Tamim Iqbal, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy

Aston Villa aren’t giving up their pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson, as Unai Emery bids to bolster his side ahead of the 2023/34 campaign.

Following his arrival in October, the Spaniard has transformed the outlook at Villa Park, taking the Midlands club to the next level alongside president of football operations, Monchi.

The former Sevilla business marvel could be on course to complete another coup in securing the signing of Johnson.

Who wants to buy Brennan Johnson?

The 22-year-old frontman has been rumoured to have been of interest to a number of Premier League clubs, with Villa and Brentford credited most recently, via the Daily Mail.

This week, an update from the Telegraph mentioned Forest’s ongoing battle regarding the Welshman’s future, who is ‘likely’ to be sold if a club can offer a fee in the region of £50m.

Whilst the Reds are reluctant to allow their star player to depart, the potential sale of the forward would relieve the financial pressures lingering over the City Ground at present.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

Following a season-long loan at Lincoln City in League One, the versatile forward has become at the forefront of everything threatening in the final third for Forest.

That year, the Nottingham-born gem scored 10 goals and registered 12 assists for the Imps, adding to his Football League tally the year after on his return to his birthplace.

During the 2021/22 Championship, the tenacious Wales international scored 16 goals along with nine assists to fire the Reds to promotion to the Premier League, where he has continued to rise in the top-flight.

Last season, the 22-year-old netted eight goals and provided three assists in his debut in the first division, attracting interest from elsewhere in the league this transfer window.

For Villa, the youngster could provide Emery’s side with an updated version of a former hero in the Midlands, with the Forest man posing similarities to academy graduate Jack Grealish.

The treble-winner, like Johnson, is deployable across the front line behind the striker, with the versatility to play on the flank as well as in central attacking midfield.

Having once been lauded as a “real handful” by scout Antonio Mango, the Welshman could replicate the threat of the treble winner at Villa Park.

As per analyst VisualGame on Twitter, the 22-year-old gem ranked higher than the 27-year-old in terms of take-ons completed at the beginning of last season, showcasing the way that he could give the Midlands a refreshed aura of their former star.

Identifiable as two strong carriers of the ball, Grealish averaged 1.97 successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League last season, with Johnson following behind with 1.01 successful take-ons per 90 at Forest, via FBref.

The City Ground sensation averaged a higher percentage of shots on target per 90 compared to the Englishman, averaging 46.2% shots on target to the former Villa man’s 36.6% per 90, highlighting the level of threat he could provide in the Midlands.

If equipped in a much stronger side, the Welsh sensation could elevate his game in a way similar to Grealish, given Villa’s rise up the table and change in direction with reference to the Reds pottering on the relegation line.

Arsenal's Thomas Partey is not close to a move to Saudi Arabia as his discussions with Saudi Pro League clubs are "not something advanced" at the moment, despite the genuine interest in him from sides in the Middle Eastern state, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal?

It has been a frankly unbelievable start to the transfer window for Arsenal so far this summer, with the club splashing the cash in a major way on several new marque signings.

So far, the club have confirmed the £65m purchase of German international Kai Havertz from cross-city rivals Chelsea and the £34m signing of Netherlands international and Ajax star Jurrien Timber.

The Gunners have also smashed the British transfer record to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice, despite the club yet to announce it officially.

With all of this spending, it's perhaps not surprising to hear that some players may be on their way out of the Emirates this summer, with one name consistently mentioned over the last few weeks being midfield general Partey.

American outlet CBS Sports revealed last month that the former Atletico Madrid man was on the radar of three clubs from the Saudi Pro League; Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Khaleej.

It looks like things might've progressed further than interest in the last month, as Saudi journalist Nawaf Al-Aqeel reported earlier this week that Partey was now discussing personal terms with "a Saudi club."

However, Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that these reports are untrue and that, at the moment, nothing has advanced regarding the interest from these few sides.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"At the moment, for Thomas Partey, it's still not something advanced with Saudi clubs.

"They want him, I told you, it was an exclusive news a few days ago, a few weeks ago, but at the moment, it's still not something advanced, so let's see what happens with Thomas Partey, and then we will understand on the midfield for Arsenal."

Should Arsenal sell Thomas Partey?

It's an interesting question, as had it been asked in January, the answer from almost all quarters would likely have been a resounding no, such was his importance to the Gunners' title charge last season.

That said, as the north London side's campaign fell apart in the latter stages of the season, the Ghanaian international was often one of the players to receive most of the criticism.

Telegraph reporter Sam Dean highlighted his surprising drop in form on the Arsenal Beat Podcast (via Fansided), saying:

"Thomas Partey has dropped off a cliff in the past few games. He's forgotten how to play football in the same way, and watching him against City on Wednesday was bizarre."

That said, the 31-year-old is still a brilliant player, and his underlying numbers bear that out.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Black Stars midfielder is in the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 6% for attempted passes, the top 15% for pass completion, the top 11% for successful take-ons and aerial duals won, and the top 23% for clearances, all per 90.

If the club are looking to challenge for the Premier League yet again next season, it might be wise to keep Partey in the side as he has shown, more often than not, that he can be one of the league's best midfielders.

Celtic appear to be edging closer to a move for Gangwon FC forward Yang Hyun-jun, with the situation “gradually being resolved”.

Are Celtic signing Yang Hyun-jun?

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have acted swiftly in the transfer market following the Northern Irishman’s return as manager at Parkhead, with midfielder Odin Thiago Holm and winger Marco Tilio joining from Valerenga and Melbourne City receptively on five-year deals.

Rodgers reportedly has a £30m transfer kitty to play with this summer, and that figure may have been boosted, with star man Jota since signing for Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in a deal worth £25m.

As a result, Celtic appear to be on the hunt for another wide forward, with Yang a player they have been heavily linked with. Reports suggested that a £2.1m fee had been agreed between the two clubs, however, as we know, a move is yet to materialise.

Yang has been keen to make the move to Scotland and even previously admitted he would give up his salary to force through a deal with the Scottish Premiership champions.

"Celtic is a good offer, so I want to go. I have to do my best as a member of Gangwon. But I think the desire to go will still be there.

"I want to go to Celtic this summer. I hope Gangwon will allow me to transfer. If the transfer fee isn’t enough, I’ll even give my salary."

The Daily Record shared an update on Celtic and Yang in the last 48 hours, saying that a dream Hoops transfer for the forward is still on. They believe a £2.1m deal is still being floated and shared more comments from the player himself, who said that “situation is gradually being resolved”, with Gangwon re-evaluating Yang’s value following a meeting.

"The stagnant situation is gradually being resolved.

"The club have re-evaluated the value through CEO Kim Byung-ji during the one-on-one meeting. Still, there seems to be some progress. I think I hurt the fans too much. I want to make the fans smile and go to Celtic."

Who is Yang Hyun-jun?

Yang is valued at a career-high €700,000 by Transfermarkt and has made 71 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring nine times and registering five assists in all competitions.

The South Korea U23 international has previously been labelled as Gangwon's up-and-coming star who is unpredictable and eye-catching by K League United columnist Nathan Sartain, so could be a shrewd addition to come in and attempt to fill the void left by Jota.

Primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle, the 21-year-old was hailed as “excellent” and a “level above” in the media following a pre-season performance against Tottenham last year.

By the looks of things, he could be the next attacking Asian player to move to Parkhead, following in the footsteps of the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Oh Hyeon-gyu, and it appears as if a deal in the region of £2.1m could be edging closer following the player’s recent comments.

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.

The PCB has confirmed that the Pakistan Super League final will be held in Lahore on March 5* and the board is drawing up contingency plans to replace overseas players who are unwilling to travel to the country due to security concerns.The board has decided to hold a new draft in the last week of February to bring in foreign players who will be willing to travel to Pakistan in place of those who opt out. The decision was taken after several foreign players were uncertain about touring Pakistan for the final; the rest of the tournament will be played in Dubai and Sharjah beginning on February 9.”In the recent governing board meeting it was decided that the final of PSL will be held in Lahore,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “PCB will try to convince players to travel to Pakistan but in the worst case scenario we will have a new draft for the players who are ready to tour Pakistan.”If no foreign players agree to play in Pakistan, the final will be played in Lahore with replacement local players.”Once the teams for the finals are decided and their icon or foreign players refuse to travel to Lahore, we will make a new draft with a pool from the existing 30-35 players of PSL,” Najam Sethi, PCB’s head of executive committee, said. “We will probably need about five to ten players for Lahore, and those players who would be available from the discarded three teams can then get picked through this draft for the final.”The PCB has taken numerous steps to plan for the final, which until last month was subject to security clearances. With all the assurances from the Punjab government and security agencies, the PCB is confident about going ahead with the plan. The board has bought four bulletproof buses in a bid to take additional security measures to help convince players and has previously spoken about making it a fly-in, fly-out arrangement for the teams.FICA, the international players’ association, however, said the advice it has received is that travelling to Pakistan is still a risk for international players. FICA’s comments came a day after Sethi initially said the final would be played in Lahore. However, an updated independent assessment is being carried out which will be a major factor in players’ decision making.Away from the PSL final, the PCB has also invited West Indies to tour Pakistan for two T20s in Lahore before flying out to play another two T20s at Lauderhill in Florida. The tour is subject to security clearances and agreement from the West Indies Players’ Association.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Giles Clarke, the ECB president who headed up the ICC’s original Pakistan Task Force, will visit the country later this month along with officials from West Indies to conduct a recce of the venues as a part of their assessment before confirming the tour. However, the ICC said they were not involved in Clarke’s visit. “There is no formal trip planned in this regard with respect to ICC,” a spokesman said.Eddie Tolchard, an agent who represents many of West Indies’ frontline players such as Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, and Darren Sammy among others, said “whilst there is an obvious keenness to support international cricket returning to Pakistan, we and our players will always take the advice from FICA on this matter.”We understand things are improving but we are not security experts and have not had the experience of seeing things with our own eyes, so need to be guided by people with the relevant expertise as there are reasons as to why teams have not been touring. We want to be supportive, definitely, but even now just 2 months out from the scheduled PSL final things haven’t been confirmed as being in Lahore so there are still clearly question marks at many levels. Let’s see, it will be one step at a time, and we all hope for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.”Since the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, Zimbabwe are the only Full Member to tour Pakistan when they visited for a three-match ODI series in 2015.*Monday, January 9. The copy was updated to reflect the rescheduled date of the final as announced by the PCB on Monday

Yorkshire’s chief executive, Mark Arthur, has warned that Headingley could miss out on international fixtures for four years after a delay to the rebuilding works at Leeds Rhinos rugby stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2016

Yorkshire’s chief executive, Mark Arthur, has warned that Headingley could miss out on international fixtures for four years, and be excluded from hosting matches at the 2019 World Cup, after a delay to the rebuilding works at the Leeds Rhinos rugby stadium that backs on to the cricket ground.Rhinos had originally hoped to demolish their South Stand and embark on a £38 million refit, involving both the cricket and rugby venues, at the end of their season two months ago.However, with the new Super League season due to get underway in February, planning permission for the building work has not yet been granted by Leeds City Council, and the sale of two areas of land for housing, that is due to part-fund the project, is also yet to go through.”The funding package for the whole stadium development involves investment from both ourselves and Yorkshire CCC, and support from both Leeds City Council and other public bodies,” Gary Hetherington, Rhinos chief executive, said.”The sale of historical land assets completes the funding of the scheme, leaving the clubs in a stable long-term financial position. We appreciate the support from the council to date, but we recognise the distinction and integrity of the planning process.”While the delay to the rebuild means that Rhinos will revert to its original 20,000 capacity, the news has caused “deep concerns” at Yorkshire, who state that the completion of the scheme is “essential for both the staging of International fixtures beyond 2019 and the financial sustainability of the club”.”The 2020-2024 major matches will be allocated in the summer of 2017, therefore this delay could mean that Headingley will no longer be considered fit for Test match cricket – or to host any World Cup matches in 2019,” Arthur said.”Not only does this delay impact the club’s ability to stage internationals, it would also have profound consequences to both Yorkshire’s and Leeds Rhinos’ valuable and long-standing work within the wider community.”To continue the vast amount of work within the Leeds area, the club is dependent on retaining international cricket.”The club’s ‘Grant Funding Application’ submitted to Leeds City Council in July 2016, projected that the redevelopment would account for £5.75m of additional visitor spend in Leeds and £5.3m county-wide per annum.

Celtic completed the 2022/23 campaign by securing the domestic treble with a 3-1 win over Championship side Inverness in the Scottish FA Cup final on Saturday.

The Hoops can now turn their attention to the transfer window with a view to improving their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Ange Postecoglou has been linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur but the Australian remains in post with the Scottish giants for now and one of his first moves this summer should be to brutally ditch outcast James McCarthy.

What's the latest on James McCarthy's future at Celtic?

Earlier this week, 90min reported that Major League Soccer teams Houston Dynamo and Colorado Rapids have both shown an interest in signing the central midfielder.

Their second transfer window opens on the 5th of July and it could provide the Republic of Ireland international, who has two years left on his current contract, with a chance to finally depart Parkhead.

Celtic must now take advantage of the interest in his services by sanctioning a departure as the 32-year-old must never play another game for the club.

He offered very little to Postecoglou during the 2022/23 campaign as the former Crystal Palace man made five appearances in all competitions and played just 22 minutes of football in the Scottish Premiership.

Former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie described the dud as "lost" earlier this season and stated:

“Now, he does not look fit when he comes on. He obviously is not match fit.".

This was highlighted by the fact that the Irishman lost 67% of his duels in the league in his limited minutes on the pitch, which suggests that the liability found it difficult to compete in the middle of the park.

The £14k-per-week flop came into the current campaign off the back of ten outings in the top-flight in 21/22. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.72 and that placed him 26th in the squad, which shows that the dud was a million miles away from being one of the club's top performers.

McCarthy is reportedly earning more per week than fellow midfielders Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley, who both rank in the top three of Celtic's performers for average Sofascore ratings this term, and this suggests that the Hoops are not getting their money's worth from him.

Therefore, the former Wigan Athletic man should be ruthlessly sent packing this summer, whether that is to the MLS or elsewhere, to ensure that he does not play another game for the club and to offload his wages from the bill.

Everton head into the final matchday of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign knowing that a win against Bournemouth will be enough to achieve safety.

The Toffees are in 17th place and two points clear of the relegation zone as they host the Cherries at Goodison Park on Sunday and this means that they can avoid the drop by either doing their job or by Leicester and Leeds failing to win their matches against West Ham and Tottenham respectively.

It has been a disappointing season for the club, even if they remain in the division, as they have flirted with the bottom three throughout the year, yet there have been some bright sparks – one of which has been the signing of Dwight McNeil.

The forward arrived from Burnley last summer and has been one of the team's standout performers. He is the club's top goalscorer – with seven strikes – and has three more than any other Everton player in the Premier League.

Sean Dyche could now use the upcoming summer transfer window, assuming Sunday goes smoothly, to find McNeil a dream striker to work with at the top end of the pitch.

The head coach could unearth that player by swooping to sign reported transfer target Chuba Akpom from Middlesbrough in the coming months.

How has Chuba Akpom performed this season?

In the Championship, the 27-year-old caught the eye with his impressive goalscoring exploits as an attacking midfielder and as a striker for Michael Carrick's side.

He plundered a staggering 28 goals and two assists in 35 starts, which included nine goals in 14 appearances as a number nine, in the division and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14.

Middlesbrough reportedly want a fee in the region of £15m for the attacker, whose season was described as "remarkable" by journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, and Everton could take a gamble on him being able to translate his form in the second tier over to the Premier League.

The ex-Arsenal man scored those 28 goals from 21.9 xG and this illustrates the Englishman's exceptional finishing quality as he was able to outperform the quality of chances he was being provided with.

This could make him a dream partner for McNeil at Everton as the former Clarets star has been let down by his teammates in the Premier League this season.

The 23-year-old, who has scored seven goals in the top flight, has created 5.9 xAG (Expected Assisted Goals) and been rewarded with three assists, which means that his fellow attackers have not been able to make the most of the opportunities he has put on a plate for them.

Akpom could, therefore, be a welcome addition to the squad for McNeil as the winger would finally have a player with the finishing ability to convert the chances being created by the winger's crossing and passing in the final third.

Instead of the current Everton attackers consistently missing their shots after receiving the ball from the young forward, the Middlesbrough star could punish opposition teams and thrive off the service that could be provided to him.