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Chelsea have been following Flamengo's Matheus Franca for quite some time, with the attacking midfielder "really appreciated", according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

The Blues are clearly keen on strengthening their attack this summer, with it recently being reported they are preparing to make their first move for Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, with an initial bid of at least €65m (£56m) now in the works.

With Kai Havertz joining Arsenal in a deal worth £65m, Mauricio Pochettino could look at signing Lyon's Rayan Cherki as a replacement, and reports from France detail that he could be available for a fee of around £43m this summer.

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Cherki would be a great addition to Pochettino's squad, and he has suggested the midfielder could be available this summer, recently telling GiveMeSport:

"He’s right on the money when it comes to fitting Chelsea’s profiling and he is a great player, but what makes this one more interesting is that Lyon are open-minded about offers."

Chelsea have their eye on several talented young midfielders, with journalist Ben Jacobs recently telling Football Fancast they may be the club to "move first" for Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, despite interest from a number of top Premier League sides.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Romano has now confirmed that Franca is a target for the Blues, and the transfer expert suggests the Flamengo star would be open to a move to Stamford Bridge, saying: "Matheus Franca is really appreciated. He is a player that they have been following for a long time.

"I can mention that the player will be really excited about the possibility of joining Chelsea."

Who is Matheus Franca?

The 19-year-old from Rio de Janeiro has primarily featured as an attacking midfielder for Flamengo so far, however he has also been given the nod on both wings, and at striker, showcasing his versatility.

Football Scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Brazilian for his ability to play in multiple positions, saying: "Great midfielder, great striker, he can play almost everywhere. One of the most exciting teenagers in Brazil at the moment."

Kulig has also described the starlet as "fantastic", and it is clear to see why, given the level of some of his performances over the past year, ranking in the 98th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90, when compared to players competing at a similar level.

Not only that, the youngster has also demonstrated he is willing to pitch in with the defensive side of the game, placing in the 81st percentile for tackles completed per 90, and in the 82nd percentile for clearances.

The attacking midfielder's first-team experience is still very limited, and he is yet to test himself in Europe, so he may be regarded as a signing for the future, rather than someone who could make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge.

However, Franca is exhibiting very promising signs in a Flamengo shirt, and he could be a very exciting long-term addition to the squad.

Trent Boult has conceded that sitting out some matches in the ODI series against South Africa could have kept him fit for all the Tests

Firdose Moonda16-Mar-2017Trent Boult has conceded that sitting out some matches in the ODI series against South Africa could have kept him fit for all the Tests, but admitted it would be difficult to pick and choose which matches to play in tightly contested series.Boult was forced to sit out the second Test in Wellington with a groin injury which prevented him from bowling on the fourth afternoon of the Dunedin Test. It came on the back of a hefty workload in the opening match of the series – 47.4 overs – where he was one of two frontline quicks alongside Neil Wagner as New Zealand played two spinners.”It’s a tough one. No-one wants to be rested or put aside or put on ice at any stage,” Boult said while on a guest commentary stint on during the first day’s play between South Africa and New Zealand at the Basin Reserve. “Ideally I want to play every game in every format but realistically it’s not going to happen. All those one-day games in the South Africa series were big games but if I missed a couple of those, I might be out there today,”He is hopeful of being fully fit for Hamilton, the last Test of New Zealand’s summer. “It’s a big one for us. I am doing everything right to make sure I can be out there and doing my thing.”Ironically, doing everything he can actually means doing as little as possible because rest between games is what Boult has identified as the crucial factor in maintaining bowling fitness. “It’s about managing loads where you can at training. If you’re playing majority of the games, you can easily take off on the training loads and save yourself for the match.”His bowling partner Tim Southee said similar when asked about workload management. Speaking the day before the second Test, Southee explained that during a match, it’s difficult to limit the number of overs any bowler delivers, but they can be monitored between fixtures.”In the Test match you want to be bowling as much as you can. If you are not bowling, you are not taking wickets and all of the bowlers, during a Test match, it’s quite difficult to get the ball out of their hands. That’s a good trait to have,” Southee said. “I don’t think you can go into a test match worrying about workloads. That’s something that can be monitored between Test matches.”Southee had the opportunity to put his feet up last week, when he was left out of the first Test to accommodate for the two specialist spinners. It meant Boult had to send down some lengthy spells which was “quite tough” and it was unusual without his sparring partner. “Generally Tim is always out there with me. To have him fully fit and miss out on selection was a shame,” he said.But he had no complaints about his new-ball partner on that occasion, Neil Wagner, who has become a mainstay in the New Zealand attack. “All the effort that he puts in – he literally keeps coming. To have someone like that in your side is immensely important,” Boult said.While Wagner will enjoy some time off after the current Test series, Boult and Southee will both play at the IPL. From there, they head straight to the Champions Trophy where Boult, who is ranked No.4 on the ODI rankings, will want to make an impact. “I gained a lot of confidence in ODIs under Brendon [McCullum’s] captaincy. Everyone knows how well the side did over those weeks at the World Cup. He taught me back myself to pitch the ball up against quality batsmen and to get them out.”

Aston Villa are ready to discuss a summer deal to sign Galatasaray star Nicolo Zaniolo, according to reports.

Where is Nicolo Zaniolo?

Zaniolo was linked with all sorts of clubs before he left AS Roma, but currently plays his football at the Nef Stadium having joined from the Italian capital back in February. He’s since gone on to make 11 appearances for Gala, but his game time has been far from regular.

In the Super Lig last season, the 23-year-old was only handed two starts by Okan Buruk so is significantly out of favour despite being one of his manager’s most recent new signings, meaning that he could be looking to complete a move elsewhere to get more minutes under his belt.

The Italy international has been previously linked with a move to the Premier League after attracting significant interest from Tottenham Hotspur in January, and despite a move failing to come to fruition, it turns out a switch to the top-flight could be on the cards after all.

Are Aston Villa signing Zaniolo?

According to Turkish outlet Takvim (via Sport Witness), who name-check Monchi specifically, Aston Villa are “interested” in signing Zaniolo ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Midlands outfit are one of seven clubs to be “sat at the table” waiting to open talks over a swoop for the midfielder, who has had a €35m (£29m) price tag placed on his head.

Galatasaray “do not consider accepting offers below” the specified fee, though at this stage, the player is “thinking of staying” for one more year due to the fact that his side will be playing in the Champions League.

Aston Villa appointed Monchi as their new President of Football Operations earlier this month and he’s clearly wasting no time in getting to work with Unai Emery by identifying transfer targets.

Zaniolo has been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Nick Mercadante, and it’s no surprise that he’s one of the names under consideration given he seems to be somewhat of a mercurial talent who is yet to find a home where he can reach his true potential.

Sponsored by Nike, the attacking midfielder has posted six goal contributions (five goals and one assist) in 11 Galatasaray outings whilst averaging 2.2 shots per league game since joining, showing how much of a prolific impact he can make even on limited opportunities.

Now a Super Lig champion, Zaniolo would also provide the manager with wonderful versatility having operated in six various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline, so should the opportunity present itself for a reasonable price, this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Bangladesh have included Shuvagata Hom and Taijul Islam in the 15-man squad for the first T20 against New Zealand in Napier on January 3. From the ODI squad, Tanbir Hayder and Mehedi Hasan were dropped even though Mehedi had not played a single game.

Squad for first T20I against New Zealand

Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice-capt), Mosaddek Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shuvagata Hom, Subashis Roy, Taijul Islam, Nurul Hasan (wk).

Rubel Hossain also didn’t get a game but was picked for the T20 while Soumya Sarkar, who made just one run in the first ODI, was also included. Tanbir, meanwhile, playing ODIs for the first time, went wicketless with his legspin and made just five runs in the two matches.But it is likely that the squad would be shuffled as the touring party in New Zealand still includes all the other players from the preliminary camp in Australia. Mushfiqur Rahim is also with them, recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during the first ODI in Christchurch.From Bangladesh’s last T20 squad, which played in the World T20 earlier this year, there was no place for Abu Hider, Al-Amin Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur, Saqlain Sajib and Arafat Sunny.

A round-up of the third day of Group A matches in the seventh round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2016Kaushik Gandhi’s career-best 164 helped Tamil Nadu open up a 70-run lead over Punjab in Nagpur. After Tamil Nadu resumed on 218 for 4 in response to Punjab’s first-innings 284, Gandhi built on his overnight 75 not out for his second century this season, to go along with a half-century in the previous game against Bengal, before Siddarth Kaul (3 for 86) took out the lower order as Tamil Nadu were bowled out for 354. Manpreet Gony finished with 4 for 81. Punjab lost their openers Manan Vohra for 41 and Jiwanjot Singh for a duck before they wiped out the deficit. Uday Kaul (43*) and Mandeep Singh (35*) stitched together an unbroken 62-run third-wicket stand as Punjab ended on 121 for 2, ahead by 51 with one full day remaining.At the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh’s batsmen enjoyed a field day against Railways, scoring 285 runs for the loss of two wickets as they closed in on the first-innings lead. MP had ended the second day on 71 for 3 in response to Railways’ 371 with Naman Ojha batting on 9 and Devendra Bundela, the MP captain, on 13. Ojha struck an even 50, while Bundela raised his 26th first-class century, staying not out on 131 with 19 fours and two sixes, as MP finished the day on 356 for 5, trailing by 15 runs. The duo extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 95, before Ojha was bowled by left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav. Harpreet Singh chipped in with 22, but after his dismissal, Railways had to endure close to 58 wicketless overs as Bundela and Shubham Sharma shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 192 runs. Shubham was closing in on his maiden first-class century, finishing not out on 91 with the help of 10 fours and two sixes.Shreyas Iyer’s first century this season, an unbeaten 191, kept Mumbai in the hunt for first-innings points against Gujarat in Hubli. They ended on 328 for 6, still trailing by 109 runs. Resuming on 58 for 3 after having bowled out Gujarat for 437, Iyer and nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni, who made 61, frustrated Gujarat with a 187-run stand for the fourth wicket. The pair lasted 62.4 overs before Jasprit Bumrah sent back Kulkarni. Axar Patel, leading Gujarat in the absence of Parthiv Patel, who has joined the Indian Test team in place of the injured Wriddhiman Saha, then dismissed Suryakumar Yadav. Then, shortly before stumps, Bumrah returned to trap Abhishek Nayar lbw for 14. He finished with figures of 4 for 49.

Newcastle United are thought to be one of four sides keen on signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.

What’s the latest Newcastle transfer news?

The Magpies and Eddie Howe appear to be turning their attention to the transfer window after Champions League football was guaranteed earlier in the week against Leicester City.

One player who appears to be of interest is Vlahovic, who was linked with a move to St. James’ Park earlier this month. There was speculation that Vlahovic’s agent approached Newcastle over a move to England, and a fresh update has emerged in the last 48 hours.

According to reports in Italy, Newcastle, and by extension owners PIF, along with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United, are all interested in signing the Serbia international.

Bayern Munich are also named as suitors, with Juventus needing to make one sacrifice over the coming months and Vlahovic is expected to be that man.

Who is Dusan Vlahovic?

Vlahovic is 23 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward who only joined Juventus last year. Described as “scary” and a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese, he has scored 23 goals in 63 appearances with his current employers, previously netting 49 times in 108 games for Fiorentina.

It looks as if an exit is on the cards, and Juventus have even dropped their asking price to €70m (£60m) – a figure which would match the current transfer record at Newcastle for Alexander Isak.

Isak and Callum Wilson have provided the goods in front of goal this season, netting a combined 28 goals in the top flight, with both forwards outperforming Vlahovic when it comes to average match rating, as per WhoScored.

Vlahovic has netted 14 times in 42 appearances during the current campaign, and with the Magpies playing more football next season after their European qualification, bolstering their attacking ranks with someone like Vlahovic could be a shrewd move, especially when you factor in Isak and Wilson’s injury issues this season.

All of Manchester United’s good work during the Premier League season could be undone over the final few weeks if they aren’t careful.

Erik ten Hag's side have lost their previous two matches and now only have a one-point advantage over Liverpool in the chase for Champions League football next season, though they do have a game in hand.

With a tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon, the Old Trafford side will need to be at the races in order to secure a crucial three points, as the Old Gold have been rejuvenated under Julen Lopetegui, securing wins over Chelsea and Liverpool in the last few months.

Against West Ham United last weekend, the Red Devils held the majority of possession (65%) but couldn’t find a breakthrough, taking just four shots on target – and Ten Hag could switch things up today in order to get a response.

With Wout Weghorst enduring another poor performance last week, registering just one shot and taking only 28 touches in an attacking-midfield role, Ten Hag could now unleash Marcel Sabitzer in that slot, as he could shine against Wolves.

Will Marcel Sabitzer start for Manchester United against Wolves?

The Austrian has certainly made the most of his limited game time under Ten Hag, starting just 11 times since arriving in January on a loan deal from Bayern Munich.

He has registered three goal contributions during his stint at Old Trafford so far, all from an attacking-midfield slot, and this should give Ten Hag confidence that he can once again demonstrate his talents against the Molineux outfit.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo was dubbed “sensational” in the past by Keith Costigan, and his performance against Sevilla in the Europa League, where he scored twice, underlined just how effective he can be going forward.

Sabitzer can also forgo his attacking responsibilities as he has been hailed as “diligent defensively” by Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy, and this is backed up by the fact he ranks in the top 25% across Europe’s big five leagues over the past year for tackles, clearances and aerials won per 90, according to FBref.

His versatility has been an added bonus for Ten Hag, however, with Weghorst clearly unsuited for an attacking midfield role, the tie against Wolves represents an ideal opportunity for him to come back into the starting XI and make a solid impression as United aim to secure a top-four place.

West Ham United capped off an unbelievable week after beating AZ Alkmaar with a dominant victory over Leeds United in the Premier League at the London Stadium.

The Irons began the encounter shakily and fell behind after Weston McKennie’s long throw-in was rifled into the back of the net by Rodrigo.

The quick start of the visitors and the seemingly sluggish nature of the Hammers left many Clarets fearing the worst, but the home side quickly regained their composure and eventually cantered to a 3-1 win.

A lot of the spotlight was on Declan Rice as he potentially appear in his last-ever game at the London Stadium in claret and blue colours but he wasn't the only player to steal the show.

One of the main protagonists for this turnaround was Jarrod Bowen, who was back to his effervescent, busy, and direct self.

How did Jarrod Bowen play against Leeds United?

Last season, the England winger was in sensational form as he recorded 22 goal contributions in 36 top-flight appearances and had the highest average rating in the squad (7.14), as per WhoScored.

This led Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to label the £60k-per-week man as “unbelievable” as he developed a reputation as one of the club’s prize assets.

For the majority of this campaign, the former Hull City dynamo has been largely unable to replicate this series of outrageous displays, which earned him his national team debut in June 2022.

The 26-year-old attacker has scored just six times, and his average dribbles per game have decreased from 1.4 last year, to just 1.0 this time around to show his slight decline.

However, when Sam Allardyce’s side came to visit east London, Bowen recaptured what everyone has been missing.

In his 84 minutes showing, the four-cap international managed four key passes and four accurate crosses, as well as two shots on target, one big chance created and he even won three ground duels.

Within this imperious showing, the 5 foot 9 playmaker’s beautifully lofted ball set up Rice for the equaliser, giving the fanbase what they could have only dreamed of before kick-off, a goal and three points from their skipper.

The midfield machine, who has been endlessly linked with Arsenal and Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window was equally impressive with five accurate long balls and two successful dribbles.

Bowen then became the goalscorer when his deft finish nestled in the bottom corner to set his side on the way to three points.

Both Rice and Bowen have the enviable chance of becoming immortalised in West Ham folklore when they take on Fiorentina in the final on 7 June.

As two of David Moyes' most popular and reliable figures, they will be pivotal if the east London outfit are to win their first European trophy since 1965.

كُشف النقاب، منذ قليل، عن هوية الفائز بجائزة “جلوب سوكر” لأفضل نادِ في العالم لعام 2023.

وتُقام مساء يوم الجمعة، 19 يناير 2024، حفل توزيع جوائز “جلوب سوكر” والذي يُقام من قِبل مجلس دبي الرياضي على هامش مؤتمر دبي السنوي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتنافست 10 أندية على جائزة الأفضل في العالم لعام 2023، جلوب سوكر، وعلى رأسها الاهلي المصري.

وضمت قائمة المرشحين كذلك كل من فلومينينسي البرازيلي، مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، إنتر ميلان الإيطالي، اتحاد جدة السعودي، آرسنال الإنجليزي وبرشلونة الإسباني.

هذا إلى جانب كل من نابولي الإيطالي، إشبيلية الإسباني والهلال السعودي.

وفاز نادي مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي بجائزة الأفضل في العالم لعام 2023، حيث مر بموسم رائع للغاية بعدما نجح في تحقيق الخماسية تحت قيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero was criticised by BBC Radio 5 Live's Chris Waddle for his performance against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Who was to blame for Tottenham's defeat at Newcastle?

It was an afternoon to forget for Tottenham, suffering a heavy 6-1 defeat at St. James' Park, having conceded five goals in the opening 25 minutes, in a result that has seriously dented their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four.

Cristian Stellini's set-up was "disastrous", according to Jack Pitt-Brooke, however the journalist also expressed the view that the result is the culmination of over four years of bad decisions, which stem from chairman Daniel Levy. Of course, the players have to be held accountable as well, and Waddle was left particularly fuming with Romero's performance.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Commentary, the former Spurs man criticised the defender for his lack of effort, saying: "Romero, World Cup winner? He's turned up today, I don't know what head he's got on, I don't know who he thinks he is."

How did Romero play against Newcastle?

Waddle was not the only member of the media to lambast the Argentine for his poor performance, with Gary Neville taking to Twitter during the game to label his defending "shocking".

None of the Tottenham back four covered themselves in glory, however Sofascore ranked the 24-year-old as their worst-performing outfield player on the pitch, with a match rating of just 5.7, having made one error that led to a shot, while also winning just one of the five duels he contested.

In fairness, it was a rare bad day at the office for the £165k-per-week centre-back, who is normally among Spurs' most consistent performers in the Premier League, but the very poor team display was yet another clear indication the club will need to bring in multiple new defenders this summer.

The Lilywhites have now conceded 51 goals, the sixth-highest total of any side in the league, so it is no wonder they are running the rule over new centre-backs, with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, and Eintracht Frankfurt's Evan Ndicka both being targeted.