All posts by n8rngtd.top

Liverpool are keen on signing “highly unpredictable” centre-forward Victor Osimhen from Serie A side Napoli this summer in a deal that could be worth £80m.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Express, Liverpool are among several clubs to be interested in signing the player who is open to a move away from Naples.

Fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also interested in signing him so they may have a fight on their hands for his signature. Osimhen has been in top form this season and Napoli think now is the right time to cash in on that.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

It’s thought a mammoth fee of £80m could be enough to prise him away from Italy.

Their own Haaland?

He’s a player that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be excited about, and if he can get him ahead of one of his Premier League rivals then it will be an even bigger coup.

The report states that representatives of the player have been allowed to speak to interested clubs and get the ball rolling over a possible deal. While the player is open to moving to England, he wants to be playing Champions League football, and with Liverpool now guaranteed to be playing in Europe’s premier competition next season they have an advantage over the Gunners when it comes to negotiating.

With striker Divock Origi set to leave Merseyside this summer, and with Mohamed Salah still not having signed a new deal, there will be space in Liverpool’s forward line for a new arrival.

Osimhen could be the perfect fit. The Nigerian is currently top scorer for the Italian side this season with 17 goals in 29 appearances, these have been crucial for the clubs fight to secure a Champions League place. They currently sit third in the league table.

When you compare him to other players in his position, in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, the results are impressive. The 23-year old ranks in the top 5% for non-penalty goals and in the top 3% for goals per shots on target.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that FB Ref’s similar players model puts him alongside a certain Erling Haaland and it’s clear to see why with just 0.9 separating them when it comes to their shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. There is just one carry in possession of the ball separating the duo too, demonstrating that they were both rather comparable when it comes to their forward play.

This proves that he is deadly with every chance he gets and rarely misses a goal scoring opportunity. He can be a huge asset to Liverpool and they need to secure his services before one of their rivals do.

IN other news: Liverpool must now plot exciting record-breaking bid to sign 19y/o “incredible talent”…

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino’s foot injury could keep him out for ‘longer than expected’, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Firmino missing due to foot injury

Jurgen Klopp has been fortunate in that department of late, having almost a full squad to choose from for some crucial Premier League and Champions League games.

With Divock Origi recovered after a brief illness, Firmino – who has been struggling with a foot issue since the middle of April, not appearing at all in that time – is the only Reds player currently absent.

The hope was that the Brazilian would be back available by now but he is still out for the Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Villarreal on Tuesday night.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-30/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Expert drops fresh Firmino injury claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery admitted that Firmino may simply be reacting slower than others in his recovery, with his return potentially still a way off. The injury expert outlined:

“Sometimes things can take longer than expected. He might have been expected to respond in a certain way and it hasn’t worked out like that.

“It is a science but not an exact science. Individuals respond to treatment in different ways. If you suffer a setback or reaction, you need to make sure you return pain-free.

“They aren’t just thinking about the next game. They have got the rest of the league campaign and possibly a Champions League final. It is better to take that additional recovery time than rush him back. They are well-stocked in those positions now anyway.”

The Verdict: At least there’s depth now

In the past, losing Firmino at such a massive point in the season would have felt fatal for Liverpool, considering how dependent they were on him, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane staying fit.

Thankfully, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have now provided Jurgen Klopp with some incredible squad depth, meaning the Brazil international isn’t as badly missed, especially as he has arguably drifted past his absolute peak.

Nonetheless, the hope is that Firmino is back as soon as possible, allowing for squad rotation to come into play during Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an exciting Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Sport Italia TV journalist Rudy Galetti has now made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Man United forward Jesse Lingard as Premier League rivals Newcastle United and newly-promoted Fulham also eye a move.

The Lowdown: Hammers in Lingard chase…

Since enjoying a phenomenal 2020/2021 spell on loan at the London Stadium, it is no secret that David Moyes has held a real interest in bringing Lingard back on a permanent deal.

web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Out of contract at the end of this season, it appears West Ham head of recruitment Rob Newman and GSB have their best chance yet to secure a move for the Three Lions ace.

Moyes has allegedly set his sights on the signing of a midfielder alongside possible central defensive and striking additions, according to The Times, with Galetti now sharing a Lingard update on Twitter.

The Latest: Galetti makes transfer claim…

According to the reporter, West Ham are still eyeing the 29-year-old for Moyes but face competition from Newcastle and even the newly-promoted Fulham.

He explained:

“Lingard, his priority is to stay in the EPL.

“West Ham and Newcastle have shown interest in him. Even the newly promoted Fulham are following the player closely: evolving situation.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Singing the proven top flight attacker at zero initial transfer cost is a no-brainer given he is already proven under Moyes – scoring a fantastic nine goals and four assists over 16 top flight appearances during his 2021 temporary move.

Lingard knows the club, Moyes and members of the squad already with star man Declan Rice even revealing that he is ‘infectious’ and a ‘great person to be around’ (via The Football Faithful).

There is little risk his addition would bring disharmony to West Ham’s tight-knit dressing room, and taking into account his ability on top of that, it’s little wonder Paul Robinson has called Lingard’s return a potentially ‘massive signing’ for Moyes.

In other news: ‘Something special’ – Journalist says ‘massive player’ could be open to joining West Ham, find out more here.

Sunderland are interested in Birmingham City starlet Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham. 

The lowdown

The younger Bellingham still plays for Birmingham City, where his sibling made also made his breakthrough. Dortmund agreed a fee that could rise beyond £30million to recruit Jude from St Andrew’s, and the Blues even retired the player’s number 22 shirt.

Jobe, 16, made his Championship debut against Preston in January and also played the final half-hour on the last day of the season against Blackburn Rovers.

An attacking midfielder who can also play out wide, he too has been linked with Dortmund.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope broke the transfer news on Monday as Sunderland ‘explore [an] ambitious move’ for Bellingham.

They apparently ‘invited’ the player and his family to the Stadium of Light for a ‘recent home game’.

Hope stresses that Sunderland will win have to win promotion to the Championship for the deal to be viable.

The verdict

Bellingham’s first-team chances have been limited, but he’s underlined his potential at youth level.

He’s scored five goals in nine matches in the Under-18 Premier League, and that’s helped to earn him 13 appearances at Under-23 level, as well as eight caps for England’s U17s. (via Transfermarkt).

Tellingly, he’s already valued at £450,000 even though he’s still so young and has barely featured at the senior level.

Can Sunderland compete if top clubs like Dortmund are sniffing around too? Well, they may have a key advantage.

As Hope points out, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman was previously the academy director at Birmingham and enjoys a close relationship with the player’s parents – Mark and Denise Bellingham – given the role he played in Jude’s development.

Sunderland hope that this connection will be key.

In other news, The Black Cats risk losing this key figure. 

Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will miss the Reds’ Premier League clash against Southampton tonight, reliable journalist Paul Joyce has claimed.

The Lowdown: Must-win game for Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s side make the trip to St Mary’s in the knowledge that defeat will officially spell the end of their title hopes.

Liverpool are four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand, so victory against Saints will take the title race to the final day of an incredible season. A draw would mathematically keep the race alive, but the Reds would then need to beat Wolves and hope City lose to Aston Villa with a seven-goal swing, which seems massively unlikely.

Both Van Dijk and Salah went off injured in Saturday’s FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea, and they have been big doubts leading up to tonight’s match.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-32/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Van Dijk and Salah to miss out

According to Joyce, who was reporting for The Times, the two Liverpool superstars will both miss out at St Mary’s, coming as an undoubted blow to the Reds’ hopes of getting a positive result.

The report states that Liverpool are looking to ‘protect their fitness’ ahead of the Champions League final clash with Real Madrid on May 28th, which at least suggests that the injuries to Salah and Van Dijk aren’t serious.

The Verdict: Huge task for Klopp’s men

It makes perfect sense for Klopp not to risk Van Dijk and Salah tonight, even though there must be a part of him tempted to throw them back in, given that there is still slight yet plausible hope of regaining the Premier League title.

It simply isn’t worth potentially losing them for Champions League final in Paris, though. If Liverpool drop points away to the Saints, it will just have to be one of those that the Reds accept and then move on.

The Premier League has always felt like the free hit out of the four competitions in recent weeks, given City’s lead, and it is now a case of battling through one more away game by any means necessary.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a Premier League attacker. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion have seen numerous players work their way through the club’s youth academy and make names for themselves.

Players such as Chris Wood, Tyler Roberts and Kemar Roofe have all spent time in the Baggies’ youth ranks in previous years.

One current Albion youngster who could find himself in with a shout of breaking into the first team on a regular basis next season after working his way through the youth ranks is Zac Ashworth.

A product of West Brom’s academy, the 19-year-old has made 50 appearances at youth level for the Baggies across their under-18 and under-23 sides. In that time, the full-back has scored three goals and provided six assists along the way.

He has even described himself as having a “knack of scoring” goals, which could be really useful for Bruce’s side, who often struggled to find the net in the 2021/22 campaign.

After making his senior debut for the club back their FA Cup defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in January, the teenager made an appearance in both of West Brom’s final two league games of the season. This shows that Bruce is not shy when it comes to giving young players their chance to show what they can do in the first team.

Taking into account how Taylor Gardner-Hickman was given the opportunity at that level after making 19 Championship appearances following his senior debut against Hull City in November, Ashworth could well follow in his team-mate’s footsteps once next season kicks off.

Having played in numerous positions across the defence and midfield, his versatility could also make him a very useful figure for the Baggies moving forward should they need to rely on him for whatever reason.

Also, with Bruce recently talking about the need for West Brom to have a significant overhaul to their squad during the upcoming summer transfer window, unleashing Ashworth could potentially save the club millions and give them the chance to focus on other areas of their squad to strengthen.

Having the youngster as a regular first team option next season should definitely be in Bruce’s plans for their upcoming campaign and beyond, as the benefits could be substantial.

In other news: Bruce can finally axe “desperate” WBA flop by signing 22 y/o “human highlight reel”

“We have to stick to a brand of cricket that we believe can be successful in these conditions,” says the NZ stand-in captain

Mohammad Isam31-Aug-20212:11

Latham – Exciting opportunity for me to play T20s again

The upcoming five-match T20I series against Bangladesh will pose two major challenges to Tom Latham, who will lead the inexperienced New Zealand side in the absence of a number of seniors including Kane Williamson. If that in itself is a challenge, considering that Bangladesh are fresh off thrashing Australia 4-1 earlier this month, Latham will have to shift gears to adapt to the shortest format, having last played a T20I in 2017. His previous T20 at the domestic level though was in 2019, when he scored a 57-ball century .Acknowledging that leading the side “is a really big honour”, Latham, who will also don the keeping gloves, feels “things won’t be easy over here” in Dhaka, with the series beginning on Wednesday.Related

• Ajaz Patel keen to pick Daniel Vettori's brain after a 'good night' with the ball

• Spinners, Mustafizur script Bangladesh's first-ever T20I victory over New Zealand

• Mahmudullah happy with 'positive competition' within Bangladesh T20I squad

• Inexperienced NZ brace for big challenge against Bangladesh

• What the upcoming tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan mean for NZ

“Obviously, I haven’t played for a long time,” Latham said. “The way the world is at the moment, what NZC is doing for player welfare, it has presented an opportunity for a lot of the guys, including myself. We know things won’t be easy over here looking at the Australia series.”As a leader, you are always looking to grow and improve. This format presents another opportunity. I have had captaincy experience in the past. This is a slightly younger group. There’s a bit of experience here, so I will try to lean on those guys as much as possible. I will be behind the stumps as well.”Even though the second-string New Zealand side – none of them will feature in the upcoming T20 World Cup – will take on a full-strength Bangladesh, Latham believes “there has been a good vibe around the group” and the series will be an opportunity for the inexperienced players to step up. Ahead of this trip to Bangladesh, New Zealand simulated spin-friendly conditions during their winter camps in Mount Maunganui and Lincoln. They also had five outdoor training sessions before the series opener.”Most of the guys have experience at this level before,” Latham said. “Couple of guys haven’t been in the squad before, it is exciting for them to get in the group and try to keep things as relaxed as possible.”We had really good training over the past five days. We will finish off our final preparations today. We have been well looked after in Bangladesh. There has been a good vibe around the group.”The guys are looking forward to getting stuck in cricket. We have had two camps, so from a preparation point of view, it has been a long time. Everyone is pretty excited to get going tomorrow,” he said.Tom Latham said that the team will be wary of Mustafizur’s slower balls•BCB

On paper, Bangladesh are favourites to win the series, given the home advantage and the familiarity of the conditions. However, Latham categorically mentioned that they are in Bangladesh to topple the home side.”It is pretty easy to motivate yourself when playing for the country,” he said. “I personally haven’t had a lot of opportunities in T20s, so it is exciting. Even for the other guys.”Most of the guys have played T20s for New Zealand but probably not as much as they would like to. We have to enjoy ourselves out there and stick to a brand of cricket that we believe can be successful in these conditions. Our goal is to win the series.”Aware of the challenges in Dhaka that includes adapting to slow, turning tracks, Latham is confident that New Zealand have acclimatised to the conditions in the last five days.”We are preparing for wickets that Australia faced about a month ago. We had some really good camps in New Zealand. We have to play on a surface that will be a lot more challenging than what we expect,” he said.Even though spinners are expected to play a key role, Latham said that the team will be wary of Bangladesh’s left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman who could be lethal at the start of the innings but he also said New Zealand have “come up with plans best to negate them”.”Mustafiz at the top of the innings, is renowned for his slower balls,” Latham, who has never played in Bangladesh, but has scored plenty of runs against them in New Zealand, said. “We saw how he bowled against Australia. The spinners at the top and through the middle will present the challenges. We are looking forward to facing them tomorrow.”

Record ninth-wicket stand puts visitors in total control at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters' Network13-Sep-2021Matty Potts and Liam Trevaskis both collected half-centuries during a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership as Durham gained complete control at Wantage Road.Tailenders Potts and Trevaskis added 149 for the penultimate wicket – a Durham record against Northamptonshire and one shy of the outright best against any county.For both the 22-year-olds it meant their highest First-Class scores – Potts scored 81 while Trevaskis was left unbeaten on 77.Their contributions, coupled with Scott Borthwick’s 73 and 40-odds for Graham Clark and Coughlin, gave Durham a 217-run first-innings lead, which Northamptonshire knocked down to 207 during a nervy four-over spell under the floodlights.During a slow-paced morning, Clark earned two lives in successive deliveries off Jack White when on 23, as Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip and then Simon Kerrigan at third slip spilt regulation chances.Tight bowling was rewarded soon after, however, when Kerrigan managed to land the ball in the footmarks to generate significant turn to bowl Borthwick – who departed for 73 following a 93-run stand with Clark.Clark had been unspectacular on a pitch that largely required hard graft to score, with only two offside boundaries, before he was bowled around his legs for 42 when attempting to paddle sweep Kerrigan.Durham claimed their lead shortly before lunch as Coughlin and Raine bedded in using the time-honoured tactic of waiting for bad balls – typified with 44 of their shared 80 runs coming as a result of boundaries.They fell in fairly quick succession against a newish second ball; Coughlin nicked to first slip two shy of a half-century, where Vasconcelos held on, and Raine was bowled on the angle by Ben Sanderson.After tea, Potts and Trevaskis showed intensity, with regular quick singles upping the scoring rate before Potts twice lifted over deep midwicket and into the gardens of the Wellingborough Road houses.Trevaskis moved to his fourth half-century in 21 first-class innings in 74 balls before moving past his previous high of 64.Potts also reached the milestone, with a flick off his legs to the boundary, in 103 deliveries, while making a mockery of his previous high of 53 with another six – this time straight back down the ground.He was castled by Sanderson to end the epic stand – which was comfortably better than the 87 Dean Jones and Simon Hughes had amassed in 1992 – before Chris Rushworth chipped to mid-on as the away side were bowled out for 400.

The Tamil Nadu squad will be led by Dinesh Karthik and also includes Vijay Shankar, Natarajan, Shahrukh Khan, among others

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-2021Washington Sundar, the India allrounder, has been named in Tamil Nadu’s squad of 20 for the season-opening Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s starting November 4. Washington is currently recovering from a finger injury that forced him to miss the Test series in England as well the IPL and the T20 World Cup in the UAE.Tamil Nadu are the defending champions, having beaten Baroda in the final of the 2020-21 edition in Ahmedabad earlier this year. The squad will be led by Dinesh Karthik, who has been part of both their title wins, with allrounder Vijay Shankar as his deputy. Vijay has been out of action in the ongoing IPL after being forced out by virtue of being a close contact of fast bowler T Natarajan, who is recovering from Covid-19.Natarajan, too, is part of the Tamil Nadu squad, looking to revive his career that appears to have hit a roadblock after the highs of Australia earlier this year, having been sidelined by injuries. He was forced to miss the home series against England in March due to a knee injury.Related

• Washington Sundar shows he can do more than dry up runs on India return

• T Natarajan in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19

• Natarajan returns to his scene of emergence to relaunch career

A surgery he subsequently underwent forced him out of IPL’s first leg that followed in India. He returned for the tournament’s second leg in the UAE following months of rest and rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, only to miss out due to Covid-19.Natarajan, like Washington, will be looking to prove match fitness to the selectors ahead of India’s long season of home internationals that begin with the T20I series against New Zealand from November 17. Given it starts barely three days after the T20 World Cup final, it’s likely the selectors will pick a fresh set of players, keeping in mind bio-bubble fatigue the current lot of IPL and World Cup-bound players may have endured.Some of the other key names in the Tamil Nadu squad include batting allrounder B Aparajith, wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan, power hitter Shahrukh Khan and fast bowler Sandeep Warrier, who will be playing his second season with Tamil Nadu following a transfer from Kerala. The squad also features two rookies in batter B Sai Sudharsan and seamer P Saravana Kumar, both of whom impressed in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.Placed in Group A, Tamil Nadu will start their campaign against Maharashtra on the tournament’s opening day on November 4. The other teams in the group include Goa, Punjab, Odisha and Puducherry.Squad: Dinesh Karthik (capt), Vijay Shankar (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Sandeep Warrier, R Sai Kishore, B Aparajith, N Jagadeesan, M Ashwin, Shahrukh Khan, Hari Nishaanth, M Siddharth, Ganga Sridhar Raju, M Mohammed, J Kousik, R Sanjay Yadav, R Silambarasan, R Vivek Raj, B Sai Sudharsan, P Saravana Kumar

The thought of retirement crossed her mind during her mental-health break, but the NZ allrounder is back and excited to push for more glory

Valkerie Baynes19-Mar-2025Sophie Devine has revealed that she contemplated international retirement during her recent break from cricket but says the lure of this year’s ODI World Cup played a big part in prolonging her New Zealand career.Devine took a step back from the sport at the start of 2025 to prioritise her well-being, pulling out of WPL 2025 after being retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and missing two home white-ball series against Sri Lanka.Related

• Devine takes break from cricket

• Voll gets Phoenix deal in Women's Hundred draft

• Devine, Kerr, Tahuhu return to New Zealand squad for Australia T20Is

Asked on Wednesday whether the thought of not returning to international cricket had run through her mind during her time off, Devine told reporters: “Completely honest? Yep. Certainly.”To be able to have to process through a few of those things, obviously I’m unfortunately not getting any younger, so they naturally sort of came into mind. But for me, yeah, look, just really excited to be here, just going to be focusing on each day as it comes and just really enjoying every day with the White Ferns.”Speaking ahead of her return for the T20I series against Australia starting in Auckland on Friday, Devine – who last week was picked up by Southern Brave for GBP 36,000 (NZD 80,000) with their first pick in the Women’s Hundred draft – said franchise opportunities and, chiefly, T20 World Cup champions New Zealand’s attempt to secure the double at the 50-over version in India later this year left her feeling that she had more to give.Devine captained New Zealand to the T20 World Cup in October 2024•ICC/Getty Images

“I’ve been playing cricket for a very long time and probably looking ahead in terms of what am I going to do when my time does come to hang up the boots,” she said. “Those opportunities are still something that really excites me, being able to go overseas and play in franchise cricket, but most importantly, it’s to play for the White Ferns. We’ve got a pretty big World Cup coming up later this year, which – all going well – hopefully I’ll be at.”Certainly the World Cup was probably the biggest one. I still felt like I’ve got a little bit more to give in the black shirt. So for me, I guess that opportunity was there, but also being okay with the fact that if I was done, I’ve had a pretty good run of it. But certainly watching the girls over the last couple of weeks, there’s certainly a big itch there that’s still to scratch.”Devine hasn’t played a competitive match since January 24, when she took 5 for 13 for Wellington against Canterbury in the Women’s Super Smash in Christchurch. Her last international appearance was during the home ODI series against Australia on December 23, capping a gruelling schedule which included tours of England and India either side of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai. She also played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL through November.Devine has encouraged other players to to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being•ICC via Getty Images

“The last 12, 18 months have been massive for me personally, but also the White Ferns group, the amount of cricket that we’ve played, obviously winning the World Cup and things like that,” Devine said. “It probably hit me a little bit harder than I realised and for me, with the support of New Zealand Cricket, family, friends, I’ve been really fortunate to be able to have that time away.”Something that I’m really big on is that mental health and making sure that you do take the time, so I’m really thankful for the support that I’ve received.”Now aged 35, Devine has taken mental-health breaks fairly regularly during the latter stages of her career. She missed a large chunk of the 2023-24 Super Smash and she took an extended break during the New Zealand winter of 2021.She referred to her latest stretch of time out as “hibernation”, saying that she “went into hiding a little bit”, but in recent weeks had started watching her team-mates again as they drew their T20I series with Sri Lanka 1-1 and won the ODIs 2-0.Now feeling refreshed, Devine continued to encourage other players to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being.”Speak up, talk to people,” she said. “That’s probably been one of the biggest things, the support I’ve had around me and the professionals that I’ve had to help me. Everyone goes through their struggles and it might look different, it might feel different to each individual, but certainly to reach out, it doesn’t matter whether you are an athlete, whether you’re a student, it doesn’t matter who you are, to make sure that you get that support around you.”