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Looking to hand Arne Slot his first signing at the club, Liverpool have reportedly tabled their first offer to sign a star player that Anfield became familiar with last season.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds have the task of putting the finishing touches on Liverpool 2.0 this summer, with the guidance of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes bound to help that in the coming months. It is also down to Slot to pick up where Jurgen Klopp left off after the German guided his Liverpool side into the Premier League's top three whilst picking up the Carabao Cup in an emotional farewell.

What became apparent in Klopp's final summer was the importance of rebuilding Liverpool's midfield. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all arrived to replace Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and others in what proved to be a much-needed refresh.

That refresh still showed signs of weaknesses last season that Edwards and Slot must now work to solve, however, making another addition. And there may be no better addition than a player who's already shone at Anfield.

Liverpool now interested in signing "hero" who Slot and Van Dijk know well

He’s already played alongside Van Dijk.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 6, 2024

According to journalist Jorge Nicola, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool have tabled a €45m (£38m) offer to sign Ederson from Atalanta this summer. The Reds are joined by Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester United in their interest, but it is those in Merseyside who have reportedly made their first offer.

The defensive midfielder got his first taste of victory in his Anfield audition last season of course, as Atalanta swept Liverpool aside 3-0 in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on their way to winning the competition in its entirety.

It was in that game that the Brazilian proved his defensive ability in a dominant performance against South American counterpart Mac Allister. By the end of the game, as per SofaScore, he had helped force the Liverpool man to lose possession 15 times compared to his seven, whilst winning half of his own ground duels and limiting the Argentine to just 76 touches in a statement-making display.

"Strong" Ederson can unleash Mac Allister

Whilst Mac Allister was hardly given room to breathe against Atalanta, Ederson's Liverpool arrival could unleash the World Cup winner in such games. The Brazilian can do the job that Endo has filled in to complete well, but for years to come, hand the Reds a permanent solution. An added bonus too, is the fact that Ederson also has plenty of quality in the final third.

Goals

6

5

Assists

1

5

Tackles Won

49

55

Ball Recoveries

188

195

With two all-rounders at the heart of Slot's side, Liverpool should be ready to step into a new era in search of more silverware this summer if they complete their supposed move for Ederson, of course.

Tim Vickery is among those to have handed the midfielder plenty of praise in the past, describing him as a "strong and well-built central midfielder" when speaking to Sky Sports.

Only time will tell whether Atalanta accept Liverpool's reported offer, but everything is pointing towards a player capable of kicking off the Slot era with a bang this summer.

Aston Villa have been handed a boost as it has emerged that one of their transfer targets has a much cheaper release clause than first reported, presenting even better value for money for the Midlands club should they opt to pull the trigger on a deal.

Villa setting up for Europe

Semi-finalists in the UEFA Conference League this season, Unai Emery's Villa side will be playing Champions League football next season after fourth spot in the Premier League was ensured on Tuesday, courtesy of Tottenham falling to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

The Villans have enjoyed an excellent campaign, and will be hoping that it is just the start of a dynasty being built under the former Arsenal and PSG boss, who has dragged them from 17th to 4th in his 18 months in charge.

Unai Emery personally phones £80k-p/w midfielder Aston Villa lead race for

The Spanish coach is looking to improve his side quickly following Champions League qualification.

By
Ben Browning

May 16, 2024

But there are still holes in the squad that need filling ahead of the new season; as per Football Insider, Villa are targeting three positions to strengthen this summer. "Unai Emery wants to bring in a new full-back, who can play at both left and right-back, as well as a striker and a box-to-box midfielder", they claim.

There is also the expectation that they will add another centre-back to replace the on-loan Clement Lenglet, with Mario Hermoso reportedly set to arrive as a free agent with Villa having beaten Inter Milan to his signature. Now, they have been handed a boost in pursuit of one of their other targets.

Striker available for bargain fee

Of course, Villa have already got one of the Premier League's best strikers in Ollie Watkins, but they are also reportedly keen on adding Joshua Zirkzee to their ranks, with reports claiming that Sporting Director Monchi is particularly keen on a move for the Bologna man.

Zirkzee has starred for Bologna this season, with the 22-year-old grabbing 11 goals and 5 assists, leading to interest in his services from across the continent. However, it was thought that he would cost around 60m euros (£51m) to sign permanently.

Now though, a new update has claimed he will be free to go for much less. That is according to Corriere dello Sport, who report that the 40m euro buyback option for Bayern Munich in fact applies to all interested clubs, meaning that Zirkzee is likely to depart Emilio-Romagna for £34m, with AC Milan, Arsenal and Aston Villa all credited with a strong interest.

Zirkzee's fantastic Serie A season
Appearances	34
Goals	11
Assists	5
Minutes per goal contribution	173

That is thanks to the work of super agent Kia Joorabchian, who inserted the clause into the deal when he moved from Bayern to Serie A. The Dutch forward has two years left to run on his £18,000 a week deal at Bologna, making a departure or renewal this summer likely as they look to protect his value.

With strikers few and far between and value for money even less so, this could be a perfect opportunity to snatch up another young star for Aston Villa.

Essex have announced that Peter Siddle’s contract has been deferred to 2021 on account of the coronavirus pandemic.Siddle, 35, had been due to spend a third season as the club’s overseas player in the County Championship and the Royal London Cup, but following the postponement of the campaign and with uncertainty over international travel, it was mutually agreed that his contract should be pushed back a year. He is the latest in a series of player to have had a planned county stint cancelled or deferred as clubs look to cut costs.ALSO READ: Handscomb left frustrated with Middlesex contract ‘on hold’“It’s a shame I won’t be returning to Chelmsford this year as I was really looking forward to the season with the Eagles, but there are plenty of things more important than cricket going on in the world at the moment,” Siddle said.”In light of the current situation, it makes sense for me to come back over for the 2021 season when hopefully we’re back to normal and playing cricket again. It feels like a long way off at the moment, but I’m really excited to see all the boys and play at the County Ground again.”Siddle owed his Test recall to an impressive 2018 season with Essex, when he took 37 Championship wickets at 16.40 across seven games, and starred again in 2019 when his 34 wickets in eight matches earned him a spot in Australia’s Ashes squad.Siddle’s compatriots Adam Zampa and Moises Henriques were due to be Essex’s overseas players for this season’s T20 Blast, but no decision has yet been reached on their contracts. As things stand, the competition is due to be played as scheduled, though it is likely to be postponed. The ECB will discuss contingency plans at Thursday’s board meeting.”The postponed start to the season is going to have an impact on overseas players in the squad,” said Derek Bowden, the club’s chief executive. “We are constantly reviewing the situation with our other overseas players in light of when various competitions will commence, together with their own personal safety and ability to travel.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta segunda-feira (05), o técnico Hernán Crespo tem pelo menos um motivo para se alegrar: o argentino completa 46 anos de vida, com uma carreira consagrada como atacante, e um início de uma trajetória promissora como treinador de futebol .

>> ATUAÇÕES: Defesa do São Paulo vai mal após a saída de Miranda

Crespo chegou ao São Paulo no começo desta temporada, em fevereiro, e caiu nas graças da torcida e do elenco, principalmente com o título do Campeonato Paulista.Segundo dados do site Footstats, o Tricolor teve a maior média de posse de bola, com 60%, o maior volume de passes certos, 7142, de finalizações no alvo, 93, de cruzamentos completados, 90, e, consequentemente, de gols, com 38.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021

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Com um estilo de jogo que deu certo na história do São Paulo, utilizando três zagueiros e um ataque rápido, Crespo foi elogiado pela torcida e elenco, mas depois do título estadual, os resultados não foram os esperados. Apesar da classificação às oitavas de final da Libertadores, o time caiu muito de rendimento, principalmente no Brasileirão.

Até aqui, em nove rodadas, o Tricolor ainda não venceu, com cinco empates e quatro derrotas. Nesse intervalo entre os jogos, Crespo foi diagnosticado com Covid-19, sendo afastado da rotina do clube seguindo os protocolos de segurança necessários.

Crespo deve voltar aos trabalhos no CT da Barra Funda justamente nessa segunda-feira, após cumprir o período de isolamento. Ele tem a missão de conseguir a primeira vitória do São Paulo no Brasileiro. A equipe joga diante do Internacional, às 21h30, na próxima quarta-feira (07), no Beira-Rio.

O Tricolor tem somente mais duas partidas para tentar melhorar o astral e o rendimento antes do primeiro jogo das oitavas de final da Libertadores, diante do Racing (ARG), no Morumbi.

Liverpool are narrowing their search for a new manager this summer, and appear to be finalising their options ahead of a pivotal period.

Alonso says no as Klopp successor

Though Liverpool are thriving on the pitch, much of the focus in recent months has been off it. In January, Reds boss Jürgen Klopp announced his intention to depart the club at the end of the current Premier League season, leading to a host of speculation about who could replace the impressive German in the technical area at Anfield.

Jürgen Klopp's time at Liverpool
Games	477
Wins	298
Losses	82
Goals	1,066
Points per game	2.08
Win %	62.5%
Trophies	8

Reports on Thursday evening handed Liverpool and Bayern Munich fans the news they had been dreading. The pair had been battling it out behind the scenes to secure impressive manager and former player, Xabi Alonso, whose Bayer Leverkusen side are currently unbeaten this season and sit ten points clear in the German Bundesliga as things stand.

Spanish media: Liverpool make increased £68m offer to sign Real Madrid star

The Reds have already begun planning their squad for next season.

By
Ben Browning

Mar 28, 2024

However, it has been reported Alonso has now opted to stay put with Leverkusen for at least another year, and though 'Liverpool have been aware for some time' of the situation, it will still come as a blow to the Reds' planning for the post-Klopp era.

It means that they will have to look elsewhere for Klopp's successor and attempt to avoid the road bumps that both Arsenal and Manchester United experienced when trying to replace their successful long-term managers.

One man whose name has been in the conversation for much of the discussion period has been Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, who has impressed during his time in Portugal and already tasted success against English sides, having knocked Mikel Arteta's Arsenal out of the Europa League last season. But there are other options, too.

De Zerbi in the frame for the job

Now, recent reports have claimed that Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi is another that Liverpool are considering for their vacancy, with the Seagulls chief having impressed plenty with his style of play on the south coast, even with mixed results.

The Italian has drawn praise from all corners, and Pep Guardiola described De Zerbi as "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years," adding that "it’s one of the teams that I try to learn a lot from, it’s unique."

He has even been linked with the soon-to-be vacant Barcelona job, such has been his impression on those watching Brighton in the last 18 months.

Amid his success in England, De Zerbi is yet to taste defeat against Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, knocking the Anfield side out of the FA Cup last season while the Premier League has seen them win one and draw two of their three matchups to date.

Transfer journalist Ben Jacobs has now claimed that the Seagulls man is 'expected to make' the final shortlist that the Liverpool hierarchy draw up, though the Brighton boss has a release clause in his contract which could complicate matters.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Brighton man is handed the job, but he is certainly in the mix and one to watch this summer.

Opener expected to replace Aiden Markram, according to coach Mark Boucher

Firdose Moonda in Centurion30-Dec-2019

Pieter Malan is part of the South Africa A squad that is touring India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Pieter Malan is set to become South Africa’s eighth Test debutant in five matches during the New Year’s Test. Malan will replace the injured Aiden Markram, who has been ruled out of the series with a fractured finger, according to South Africa’s head coach Mark Boucher, who is on the selection panel.Boucher, assistant coach Enoch Nkwe, captain Faf du Plessis and independent selector Linda Zondi pick the starting XI and, speaking in the wake of South Africa’s 107-run win in the first Test at Centurion, Boucher indicated Malan is the favourite to step into Markram’s role in Cape Town next week.”Pieter Malan was selected in the squad. For us to go messing around with the opening position wouldn’t be clever,” Boucher said. “Pieter Malan has done a lot of good work over a long period of time. It’s his home ground. At the moment, we are swinging towards having a straight swap for the opening batsman.”Malan has a first-class average of 45.16, has scored a century for the Cobras and two for Western Province this summer, and was included in the original 16-man squad for the first two Tests against England. He did not play the opening match but when Markram was injured, he was considered the next man in.However, after South Africa fielded a team that included only one black African and three other players of colour in the first Test, missing their transformation target by two, the apparent straightforwardness of Malan’s selection became more complicated.More so, now that Keegan Petersen, a No.3 and a player of colour, has been added to the squad. There was some suggestion that Rassie van der Dussen would be promoted to open the batting to make room for Temba Bavuma lower down the order, as a way for South Africa to get closer to the target of two black African players and four other players of colour. But Boucher suggested that they may fall short again because Bavuma, who is recovering from a hip injury, may not be fit.ALSO READ: South Africa embrace struggle to re-embark on road to success”There are challenges because we have got a few injuries,” Boucher said. “Temba still felt pain in his side yesterday, otherwise we were thinking about using him as a catcher because Temba is a very good fielder.” Instead, Rudi Second stepped in for Markram in the field, and came close to running out Rory Burns with some sharp reactions at short leg.Even if Bavuma was fit, Boucher hinted that he would not have a free pass back into the XI, because of van der Dussen’s debut performance. He scored a half-century in South Africa’s second innings and was part of a match-winning fifth-wicket stand of 91 with Anrich Nortje. “It will be tough to leave a guy like Rassie out,” Boucher said.However, Boucher also threw his support behind Bavuma and acknowledged that he will need to be nurtured as he makes his way back from injury.”I understand Temba has been under pressure. I don’t want to throw him to the wolves. Temba is very good and we will work with him,” Boucher said.Without Bavuma in the side, South Africa’s new management will come under even more pressure for their missed targets, especially after accusations in recent days, from the Black African Cricket Clubs (BACC), that the structure is controlled by white men.Boucher acknowledged that there is work to be done in that department and reaffirmed his commitment to change.”We understand transformation and we understand we need to do a lot of hard work on a lot of players, especially allrounders,” Boucher said. “That’s why Andile [Phehlukwayo] is in the squad.”Both Boucher and du Plessis have made it clear that Phehlukwayo is being mentored to fill an allrounders’ role in the future, though he will have to bide his time behind Pretorius for now.All that said, Boucher will be relieved that the regular black African player in the squad, Kagiso Rabada, has found form after a year in which he struggled.Rabada’s seven wickets at Centurion, including four on the final afternoon, added up to his best haul of the year and was the result of giving him the freedom to cut loose.”It’s just about getting him into the game,” said Boucher. “Sometimes as an individual you worry about your action, where are you putting the ball. Sometimes you just need to forget about your technique or where you are putting the ball and get into a bit of a fight out there. The goal was to try and get him into the game and get his natural instincts to take over.”

Kane Williamson made 51 but was the second wicket for Sam Curran as England took charge

The Report by Alan Gardner22-Nov-2019

Sam Curran claimed the key wicket of Kane Williamson•AFP

England’s bowlers struck telling blows during the afternoon and evening on day two in Mount Maunganui, as they strove to get the better of a New Zealand side that has been close to unbeatable on their own patch. Kane Williamson made a polished half-century but when he became the fourth wicket to fall, late in the evening session and with his side still more than 200 runs behind, England were in the ascendancy.Sam Curran was the bowler to strike, his second wicket of the day, and the closing stages saw New Zealand battling to avoid further losses as Jofra Archer tested the middle of the pitch in fading light. England’s total of 353, their highest in the first innings of an away Test since Melbourne 2017-18, was underpinned by Ben Stokes’ 91 but came accompanied by a sense of missed opportunities; however, their application in the field ensured it was New Zealand nervously casting around for a candidate to deliver a significant statement with the bat.While New Zealand’s bowlers deserved immense credit for dragging the tourists back after the slog of day one, they were aided by England reverting to type during a morning collapse of 4 for 18 in 21 balls. Tim Southee provided the spark, extracting Stokes when he seemed hell bent on a third century in his last five Tests – though even here, with the batsman advancing malevolently to try and flay through the off side, came the hint of an unforced error.Watch cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand v England is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the T20I series.

England subsequently lost their last six wickets for the addition of 76 runs, Southee and Neil Wagner claiming five of them. New Zealand might have wrapped up the innings before lunch, only for Jos Buttler to counterpunch effectively during a ninth-wicket rearguard with Jack Leach.Still, with Stokes joining Joe Denly and Rory Burns in failing to convert half-centuries and England falling short of the 400-run mark that had been touted as par on a docile Bay Oval pitch, the stage was apparently set for New Zealand’s more-accomplished accumulators to show the visiting side how it’s done. That was not quite how things panned out, as two teams that have been impossible to separate in the white-ball formats this year found themselves in another gripping tussle.The key wicket, indisputably, was that of New Zealand’s captain, Williamson. Although England managed to remove both openers, and Ross Taylor eventually lost patience against a sustained bouncer attack from Archer and Stokes, the sight of Williamson ticking along to an 84-ball half-century would have reassured home supporters that all was well.However, the very next ball, delivered by Curran, sent a ripple around the ground and forced wholesale re-evaluations of what might be expected from the rest of this Test. Williamson was left reeling by unexpected bounce from a length – clear indication of some unforeseen variability in the surface – as the ball ballooned off his glove and Stokes plunged forward to gratefully take the catch at second slip.It was Curran, too, who made the opening incision after New Zealand had begun their reply midway through the afternoon session, winning an lbw decision against Tom Latham in his first over; replays suggested an inside edge but the batsman chose not to review.Latham’s opening partner, Jeet Raval, rarely looked convincing during his time at the crease, eventually falling to his fourth risky heavy at Leach after a 54-run stand with Williamson. Taylor then top-edged Stokes to deep midwicket before the demise of Williamson left New Zealand looking expectantly to Henry Nicholls, a man who has averaged more than 60 since the start of 2018. Nicholls was shaken by a hefty thump to the helmet from Archer in the penultimate over of the day, but was cleared to continue after an examination from the physio.Tim Southee bowled an incisive spell•AFP

Things had looked much brighter for New Zealand after a productive start to the day. Stokes and Ollie Pope extended their overnight partnership to 74 before Southee intervened with three wickets in 11 balls. Although initially held back, once Southee had pried an opening he harnessed the conditions expertly to rip through England’s middle order.Stokes picked up regular boundaries as he moved into the 90s, only for Taylor to brilliantly atone for dropping him on day one. With New Zealand having shifted their cordon wide, Taylor had to react instinctively to a chance flying through regulation first slip but clung on one-handed high to his right.Operating in the high 120s kph but showing just why New Zealand’s attack is so adept when there is a hint of swing on offer, Southee struck twice more in his next over. Pope, who successfully reviewed an lbw decision in the third over of the morning, played some eye-catching shots to move past his previous Test best of 28, made on debut against India in 2018, but was lured into flashing at a delivery that left him enough to clip the edge through to BJ Watling.Curran was then bamboozled by a full inswinger, opting to review despite ball-tracking showing that the delivery would have crashed into middle and leg stumps. Archer negotiated the hat-trick ball uncertainly, and then fell in the following over as Trent Boult found his outside edge. From the relative comfort of 277 for 4, England had stumbled into trouble.With Leach nearly running out Buttler off the first ball he faced, England were in serious danger of folding. But Buttler hinted at his destructive capabilities when casually lofting Southee back down the ground, then launching Boult high over long-off for six in the last over before lunch. His stand with Leach had yielded 52 valuable runs when Buttler picked out Mitchell Santner at deep point – perhaps partly deceived by the fact Santner had left the field to sign autographs and only hurdled the boundary boards to return to the field of play as Wagner ran in to deliver the ball.

Derby County will go into tonight's clash with Charlton Athletic knowing that picking up three points is a must, with Bolton Wanderers waiting in the wings eager for another Rams slip-up.

Bolton could well leapfrog Paul Warne's men to second spot in League One if Derby end up succumbing to a second league defeat on the spin at the hands of the Addicks, the visitors to Pride Park desperately need to turn around their fortunes too sitting near the bottom of the division.

There could well be various changes made to get an immediate reaction out of his stuttering troops, knowing that a win is vital to ensure they remain in the driver's seat over automatic promotion.

Kane Wilson could be one notable casualty from Warne's lineup as a result, with the Derby defender below-par throughout at Barnsley in the disappointing 2-1 defeat.

Kane Wilson's performance vs Barnsley in numbers

The Derby number two was nowhere near his best away at Oakwell, with the 23-year-old defender quiet for large portions of the game.

The former Bristol City full-back would only amass a meagre 39 touches in the tense contest, coming in with eight less touches than the Rams goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith on the day.

Only registering one accurate cross across his lacklustre 90 minutes, on top of only accurately completing 13 passes, Wilson had an afternoon to forget versus Neill Collins' promotion-seeking Barnsley.

Losing possession 14 times as well, which allowed the likes of Nicky Cadden to terrorise the Rams' defence, Wilson's cemented first-team spot could now be on shaky ground for tonight's clash against Nathan Jones' Charlton.

Wilson isn't the only member of the starting XI that started the narrow defeat at Oakwell that could now drop out, with experienced captain Conor Hourihane at risk of being axed by Warne tonight despite picking up an assist versus the Tykes.

Conor Hourihane's performance vs Barnsley in numbers

Hourihane didn't cover himself in much glory against Barnsley minus assisting Sonny Bradley's opener, with the ex-Aston Villa midfielder hauled off by Warne just after the hour mark.

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The Republic of Ireland international was equally as wayward with his passing compared to Wilson, losing possession 16 times in the centre of the park to the detriment of the automatic promotion candidates on their travels.

Winning just one of his five duels at Oakwell also, Hourihane's fixed position in midfield could be up for grabs tonight with the likes of Korey Smith sniffing around for a starting spot at the expense of the experienced 33-year-old.

Hourihane's numbers vs Barnsley
Minutes played	61
Assists	1
Touches	43
Accurate passes	20/27 (74%)
Accurate crosses	2/6
Successful dribbles	0/2
Duels won	1/5
Stats by Sofascore

Completing zero successful dribbles up against the Tykes, with the hosts now just three points shy of the Rams off the back of this slim defeat, Hourihane was flat and could well be given a rare day off against Charlton consequently – the Irishman present in 31 of Derby's 34 League contests to date.

Given a 4.5/10 rating by DerbyshireLive journalist Leigh Curtis post-match when assessing the Barnsley loss – with Curtis stating that Hourihane 'found it hard to stamp his authority' against his former employers – the time could be right to give the veteran a breather at Pride Park for fresh blood to start.

Warne will just keep his fingers crossed that Derby aren't derailed by the defeat on the road to the Tykes whatever lineup is fielded, responding to the 2-1 loss by confidently dispatching of Charlton with ease.

The left-arm spinner has roots in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu but his loyalty is undivided

Firdose Moonda02-Oct-2019Senuran Muthusamy’s mother may be “over the moon” with her son’s Test debut, but it is his grandmother who can take a major share of the credit for his success. After all, she used to give a young Senuran throwdowns in the back garden, something he described to Durban’s as his “fondest childhood memory”. Those sessions were also the early stages of his career development. It’s where he discovered he wanted to play sport for a living.Muthusamy followed a fairly straightforward route through the school and age-group structures. He represented the Kwa-Zulu Natal province from Under-11 to Under-19 level, but remained hesitant to believe he could become a professional cricketer. On leaving Clifton College, Muthusamy completed a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, specialising in media and marketing. All the while, he continued playing provincial cricket. Eventually, his grandmother’s efforts paid off and he made it into the Dolphins team in the 2015-16 season as a top-order batsman.”He had the ability to bowl but his batting was always the main thing,” Imraan Khan, the current coach of Dolphins and Muthusamy’s former team-mate, told ESPNcricinfo.Muthusamy provided proof of that ability by opening the batting and scoring a career-best 181 against the Knights in January 2017, but it was a short-lived stint at the top. That same season, his left-arm spin took centre stage. “His batting just dropped off a bit but his bowling went to another level.”Muthusamy finished second on the franchise’s first-class bowling chart in the 2017-18 season, with 33 wickets in ten matches at 26.54. He scooped four prizes at the Dolphins’ annual awards, including Player of the Year, and was firmly on his way to bigger things. Imraan was particularly impressed with Muthusamy’s discipline and believed it would not be long before the national team came calling. “He has a super work ethic. He is very focused, he knows what he wants to achieve and how to achieve it.”South Africa’s tour to India, which would require more spin resources than usual, presented the ideal opportunity for Muthusamy to get a look-in. Imraan was surprised neither by Muthusamy’s selection, nor the fact that he made his debut as early as in the first Test: “The potential was always there.”Though Muthusamy only bowled five overs on the opening day, Imraan believes he has plenty to offer as the match and the series unfolds. “He is more of an attacking spinner and bowls it slower through the air than Keshav (Maharaj). And he is very clever, he plays around with his angles.”Maharaj did most of the legwork on day one and has already become a mentor of sorts to Muthusamy. Whenever availability and conditions allowed, Imraan played the two of them together at the Dolphins since they “feed off each other”, forming a formidable duo. And that’s not all they have in common.Like Maharaj, and at least another 1.3 million other South Africans, Muthusamy traces his ancestry back to India, and still has family in Nagapattinam, a town 300 kilometres south of Chennai. On the same coast, albeit a further 800 kilometres away in Visakhapatnam, Muthusamy made his Test debut and acknowledged there is some significance in the sense of place.”My forefathers are from the south of India in Tamil Nadu, so it’s been really special,” Muthusamy said.He described his family culture as “very much Indian”, professing to a love for yoga and being a frequent temple-goer. However, he said his roots do not run deep enough to divide his loyalties.”I am firmly South African. I am quite a few generations down the line. I unfortunately don’t speak Tamil so I am a thoroughbred South African but there’s no getting away from that – our origins are in India”.More pressingly, there is no getting away from the situation South Africa find themselves in, with India’s openers having piled on a stand of 202 and little sign that either Rohit Sharma or Mayank Agarwal will be removed easily. South Africa’s attack has toiled hard, and bowled relatively well, with no reward, which has taught Muthusamy how tough Test cricket is.”You’ve got to be competing every ball. You’ve just got to hang in there, you’ve just got to plug away and just try gain control from that,” he said.Muthusamy is sure the surface, which he described as a “good cricket wicket”, will take turn as the match progresses, allowing the spinners to come into play. “This wicket has been under cover for quite a few days but we know that it’s been dry, really, really dry, even though its been under covers and it’s been dusty. It will deteriorate through the game.”That could give him a chance to come into the game but may not bode well for South Africa’s line-up, which only features six specialist batsmen.Unless, of course, Muthusamy can call on some of those childhood training sessions and show off what Imraan believes he really is – a genuine allrounder.

It is believed another West Ham player is now eyeing a deadline day exit after Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals, with one club even opening talks to sign him before the cut-off at 11pm.

Benrahma closing on Lyon move after Fornals agrees Betis terms

As we fast approach the end of this January transfer window, it appears we may now be making some headway regarding the future of wantaway winger Benrahma.

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Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Earlier this week, we relayed news from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth that West Ham agreed a deal with Lyon over the Algerian's exit, but supporters have been forced to wait a little while longer for the player to actually agree to it.

Now, it is believed Benrahma has reached an agreement on personal terms with Lyon as he makes his way to France for a medical. Barring any hiccups in the process, both West Ham and Lyon are now hopeful a full transfer can be completed before tonight's deadline.

Before Benrahma's pending move to Lyon, it was reported that midfielder Fornals has also agreed terms with Real Betis – who are currently managed by former West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini.

The issues stalling that particular move are between Betis and the Hammers, who are yet to agree on an actual fee for the Spaniard. However, Fornals does want to make the move to La Liga, as again reported by Sheth.

These potential outgoings could help to free up squad space and funds for West Ham to bring in a desired left-winger, which has been widely rumoured as a real item on the agenda for manager David Moyes.

It's therefore imperative that the club seal transfers away for unwanted fringe members of Moyes' squad, and news has come to light on another player who could depart the London Stadium today.

Maxwel Cornet wants to leave with West Ham in Palace talks

Indeed, as reported by Ed Aarons of The Guardian, West Ham winger Maxwel Cornet would like a move to Crystal Palace and "talks are continuing" over a deal.

The Ivorian recently got on West Ham's scoresheet in a 2-2 draw away to Sheffield United, but that is one of the rare cameos Cornet has made under Moyes since his arrival from Burnley in 2022.

Cornet's West Ham stats in all competitions since joining from Burnley	Number (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	31
Goals	1
Assists	6
Yellow cards	1
Minutes played	914

Called a "handful" on his day by former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell (Football Insider), this hasn't done enough for Moyes to play him more often, and it is perhaps best if he seeks to revive his career elsewhere.