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According to reports in The Sun, Everton are ready to launch a £12m bid for exciting Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen, and the Tigers’ Yorkshire rivals Leeds United should be watching developments closely.

What’s the word, then?

The Sun say that new Toffees boss Marco Silva, who worked with the 21-year-old during his time in charge at the KCOM Stadium, is ready to push ahead with a bid for the prolific winger – who netted 14 goals in 42 league games for the Tigers last term – despite the fact that he has been told that he needs to sell before he can buy.

The Sun report that Hull are desperate to hold on to Bowen who has two years remaining on his current deal – with the option of a third – but the player is keen to player in the Premier League and a bid of £12m could be enough to convince the Championship club to let him leave.

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If the youngster did arrive at Goodison Park, he would likely be competing with the likes of Theo Walcott and Nikola Vlasic, rated at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, for a spot on his preferred right flank.

Why should Leeds be monitoring the situation?

Well, new Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa, who has been urged to sign a 26-year-old South American World Cup attacker, will be keen to strengthen his own squad this summer in order to ensure they are well prepared for a serious promotion push during the 2018/19 campaign, and he may well want some effective wingers for his preferred 3-3-3-1/3-3-1-3 formation.

While Vlasic made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees last term, the majority of those came from the substitutes’ bench and the arrival of Bowen could push him further down the pecking order, and ensure he is loaned out to get more regular minutes.

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The 20-year-old is pacy and full of tricks, and he could prove to be a brilliant addition for the Yorkshire club in their bid to finally secure a Premier League return.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257599″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Leeds’ opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]

According to reports by ESPN FC, Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is not a £30m summer target for Paris Saint-Germain at present, despite various stories to the contrary.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun reported over the weekend that PSG were lining up a £30m bid for the Argentina international at the end of the season after negotiations over a new contract broke done, but ESPN FC claim that it is not the case that the Ligue 1 outfit are ready to make their move.

ESPN FC says that the French giants aren’t targeting any new players at the moment with manager Unai Emery’s future up in the air, and he could go if they fail to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League – they currently trail Real Madrid 3-1 after the first leg of their last 16 knockout tie.

However, the report adds that a place in the semis would add another 12 months to Emery’s contract, with the club also potentially having to sell players to stay in line with UEFA’s financial fair play rules.

How has Rojo done this season?

The 27-year-old only returned from a cruciate ligament injury in November, and since then he has been in and out of the team under Jose Mourinho, making 10 appearances in all competitions.

The Argentina international currently looks to be behind the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly in the central defensive pecking order at Old Trafford, and he missed the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on Saturday because of injury.

Would United listen to offers for him in the summer?

Considering he will only have a year left on his contract come June an offer of £30m may certainly be tempting for Mourinho and United, with the Portuguese boss almost certain to target a new centre-back and with him having plenty of options in that position.

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That said, the fact that the 27-year-old can play at the heart of the defence or as a left-back or wing-back certainly makes him a useful member of the squad, and one that Mourinho may not want to lose anytime soon.

Leeds were ultimately unable to hold onto the star man and top scorer of last term’s in the shape of Ross McCormack, as relegated top tier side Fulham flexed their financial muscles to pay £11m for his signature.

With 67% of the Yorkshire side’s goals having come from the Scot last season, his influence will be missed, and a replacement will likely be coming through the Elland Road doors in the not too distant future.

Here are six players who may be snapped up…

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ELLAND ROAD TO REVEAL THE SIX

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Britt Assombalonga

23 goals in League One has seen Assombalonga attract Premier League interest in recent times, but the big step to the top tier is unlikely to be on the cards just yet. Play-off defeat may be enough to convince the 21-year-old to look for pastures new, and Leeds might well be able to offer him the level of ambition he would like.

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Quick, strong and good in front of goal, the Zaire-born hit-man has the tools to be a top Championship forward.

Leonardo Pavoletti

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With Leeds’ new-found Italian connections, it would be no surprise to see the club head to the country to snap up a fresh striker. One man to have earned rave reviews in Serie B has been Pavoletti, who is firmly in his peak at the age of 25.

With 24 goals in just 36 appearances last season, Pavoletti looks to have the touch of class in front of goal, and would surely be available for a fraction of £11m McCormack fee.

John Guidetti

Maybe an outsider, but Manchester city’s Guidetti is one to consider. Since rising to prominence a few seasons ago with a loan move at Feyenoord, the big Swede has struggled to get game time and to make a major impact.

A loan move to Stoke for the end of last term ended in disappointment, which would suggest that he’s not quite ready for the big time yet. A switch down to the Championship may give him the platform needed to gain some confidence and get himself in the shop window.

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Sam Winnall

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League Two to the Championship may be a bit of a leap, but with 23 goals to his name in the fourth tier, Winnall could have what it takes. The 23-year-old Scunthorpe man was in great form last season, and would surely be tempted by a big move to prove himself to Wolves – who sent him out on a series of loan moves before sanctioning his exit last year.

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Andrew Johnson

Ol’ AJ may have only managed 10 outings for play-off winners QPR last term, but if he could be kept fit he still has some life left at the age of 33. The former Crystal Palace and Everton hit-man is now a free agent after the jump to the top tier was deemed to large for him nowadays, so another year in the Championship and one last push to get back to the big time may be an option for him.

//www.youtube.com/embed/o2v_V5YmIrg

Shola Ameobi

Another released forward knocking round is Ameobi, The Nigerian was a part of the furniture at St James Park, notching over 300 first-team outings since his debut in 2000. The 32-year-old is likely to be ready to stay in English football, with the Championship a genuine option for him. Leeds could use his experience, and his technical abilities may well be more visible outside of the Premier League.

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Ryan Giggs future at Manchester United looks uncertain after the club put back contract talks with the long serving midfielder until the end of the season, reports Goal.com.

The United legend was set to start talks about renewing his existing one-year rolling contract within the next month but it is now understood that officials at the club will not open dialogue until May at the earliest.

The Welsh midfielder turns 39 at the end of the month and he recently admitted that the current campaign could be his last.  He has made over 900 appearances for the Red Devils since making his debut in 1991 and scored twice in the Capital One Cup defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday.

Commenting on the midfielder’s fine display after the cup loss Sir Alex was keen to highlight his durability. “I think in Ryan Giggs, we saw a player of unbelievable proportions, in terms of playing the 120 minutes at 39 years of age next month and it’s a credit to himself.”

However Giggs missed out on selection in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal and he looks set to play a bit-part role this season.

The veteran, who has featured in every Premier League season for the Old Trafford outfit, recently admitted that he realises that he is no longer a key player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and may now view it as the opportune time to retire while still on top.

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Bad light ended play early, but hosts were 81 ahead, recovering despite an early burst from Kagiso Rabada

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2024Bad light forced the third day’s play of the Dhaka Test to be called off at 4pm local time, an hour before the scheduled end of the day. Bangladesh fought back in the game and now lead by 81 runs, with South Africa still short of three wickets. The hosts ended the day on 283 for 7, thanks mainly to half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the debutant Jaker Ali.Play was stopped at 3.17pm after 17 minutes of play under floodlights at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. There was earlier a 78-minute stoppage due to rain from 1.42pm onwards. This is unseasonal rain in Bangladesh due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, which is forecast to turn into a cyclone on Wednesday.Mehidy was Bangladesh’s saviour on the day with his fourth half-century this year, once again saving the team’s blushes from a difficult position. They were 112 for 6, from where Mehidy and Jaker added 138 runs for the seventh wicket. It is Bangladesh’s third century stand from the seventh wicket in their last five Tests.Mehidy struck nine fours and a six in his 171-ball stay on the third day, batting confidently enough to pass some of that confidence to Jaker, who had got only 2 in the first innings. But the day had started horribly for Bangladesh, who lost three wickets in the first 30 minutes of play, with a Test to save.Kagiso Rabada had removed both of Bangladesh’s overnight batters Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mushfiqur Rahim by the fourth over of the day. Mahmudul edged a wide one, giving first slip an easy catch after making 40. Rabada then blew away Mushfiqur’s middle stump later in the over with a delivery that was similar to his dismissal of the same batter in the first innings; while Mushfiqur lost two stumps on the first day, this time it was the middle pole which came off.When Litton Das was caught behind off Keshav Maharaj shortly afterwards, Bangladesh slipped to 112 for 6, and were in danger of an innings defeat on the third day. Mehidy and Jaker then stepped in, battling through a tough first session, and helping Bangladesh go past South Africa’s 202-run first-innings lead.Jaker, who played second fiddle to Mehidy, struck the ball nicely through the covers. He pinched two fours through fine leg too, one of them getting him to a half-century. Jaker hammered Rabada with a confident pull shot too. He also took three fours off Rabada, twice through the off side and once through a pull.Mehidy, meanwhile, was mainly effective against Maharaj, hitting him for four boundaries through the covers – sometimes even lofted ones, but mostly along the ground. He generally handled spin well, as Bangladesh got within one run of South Africa’s lead at lunch.An hour into the second session, rain stopped play for 78 minutes. Before the rain break, Jaker reached had his maiden Test fifty. He fell lbw to Maharaj after getting beaten trying to turn the ball on the leg side. The umpire gave it out despite a casual appeal from the visitors, but replays showed it was the correct decision. Jaker struck seven fours in his 111-ball stay.

Fast bowler has reportedly applied for British citizenship but will join initially as an overseas player

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2023Derbyshire have signed former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir as an overseas player for the first half of the 2024 season. He is expected to be available to play in the Championship and T20 Blast.Derbyshire had reportedly been exploring a move to bring in Amir as a local player, with the 31-year-old applying for British citizenship via his marriage. Amir worked with Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, when the South African was Pakistan coach, and has previous experience of playing county cricket with Essex and Gloucestershire.”Mohammad is a world-renowned fast bowler and someone who I am delighted to bring to Derbyshire,” Arthur said. “He will lead our attack in red ball and T20 for the first half of next season and I’m so excited to see what he will produce.”I know all about his quality, he has been a big-game player throughout his career and that’s something I’ve seen first-hand. I know the Derbyshire supporters are going to love seeing Mohammad charging in.”Amir retired from international cricket in 2020, having represented Pakistan almost 150 times across the formats. His most-recent first-class appearance was for Gloucestershire in May 2022, but he has an impressive record with 266 wickets at 22.63. He has spent much of the last two years playing on the T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, CPL and LPL, as well as the inaugural edition of the Hundred.Amir said: “I’ve enjoyed my experiences of county cricket in the past and joining up with Mickey, who I’ve had so much success with internationally, is something I’m looking forward to.”The County Championship is so special and I’ve always enjoyed playing first-class cricket in England. I’ve spoken to Mickey about the quality in the squad and I want to put in the performances to help Derbyshire challenge in red and white ball cricket next summer.”

Third defeat in a row for Sunrisers, who fall 21 short of target of 208

Alan Gardner05-May-20223:05

What has gone wrong for Sunrisers Hyderabad?

David Warner took centre stage in the clash between his current franchise and the one that unceremoniously dumped him last season, an unbeaten 92 from 58 setting up Delhi Capitals for a comfortable victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, and a much-needed two points in their quest to force a way into contention for the knockout stages.Warner batted through the innings to help guide Capitals to a score above 200, after Kane Williamson had won his ninth toss from ten and chosen to insert. The Australian opener, now fourth on this season’s run-scoring charts, found a vital ally in Rovman Powell as the fourth-wicket pair combined for an unbroken 122-run stand. Powell finished with three fours and six sixes in 67 from 35, with 70 runs cascading from the last five overs of the innings to put the chase beyond Sunrisers.Needing to score at more than ten an over, Sunrisers barely managed to go at a run a ball for the first half of their innings. A requirement of 145 from ten overs, with just seven wickets standing, was an equation beyond all but the most outrageous of hitting, and although Nicholas Pooran kept them clinging to the coattails of the asking rate with a crisp 62 off 34 – his first fifty of the season – Khaleel Ahmed picked up 3 for 30 as Capitals attack closed out a win that moved them above their opponents and into fifth on the table.Warner walks the talk
Before this game, Warner emphasised the importance of one of himself, fellow opener Prithvi Shaw, or No. 3 Mitchell Marsh “scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can”. With Shaw absent through illness and Marsh falling cheaply – following Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s wicket maiden to start the Capitals innings – Warner took it upon himself to deliver the goods.His first ball was slapped through the covers, not all that far from going to hand, but thereafter this was a supremely judged innings. He jump-started the scoreboard during a rare outing for Umran Malik in the powerplay, helping himself to three boundaries during an over that cost 23.There were a number of crunching straight drives, leg-side swats for six off Malik and Kartik Tyagi, and a clean mow over long-on against Aiden Markram’s offbreaks. Most impressive of all was his split-second readjustment against Bhuvneshwar, having changed his stance in preparation to switch hit; the ball was full outside leg (to a left-hander) but Warner played it adeptly as a right-hander to glide four to third.That came off the first ball of the 19th over, and by the end of it he had moved to 92 from 58 – and in sight of a century against his former franchise. But there was no one in Delhi blue more pumped than Warner, standing at the non-striker’s end as Powell took over against Malik, who finished with 0 for 52. Powell explained Warner’s advice at the innings break: “At the start of the over, I asked him if he wanted a single, to try and get the hundred and he said: ‘Listen, that is not how the cricket play.’ I should try to smack it as hard as I can and as far as I can, and I did that.”Powell powers Capitals
A first IPL half-century from Powell set the seal on Capitals’ innings. There was no doubting his ability to “smack it” as hard and as far as he could, as he cleared the ropes six times on the way past 50 from 30 balls. The Jamaican has fulfilled a number of briefs in this Capitals side, appearing as high as No. 3 in the order, and as low as No. 8. But here he said he had asked Rishabh Pant for time to show what he could do at No. 5, and duly repaid the management with his highest score in nine innings.David Warner and Rovman Powell stitched an important partnership for the fourth wicket•BCCI

Powell took a little time to get settled, reaching 19 from 18 balls in the 16th over. He might have been out twice by that point, however: a top-edged swipe at Sean Abbott evaded the backtracking Tyagi at short fine leg, and Williamson then shelled a simple chance at mid-off, Malik the unlucky bowler.Making the most of his reprieves, Powell slaughtered the previously unhittable Bhuvneshwar – who had 1 for 4 from 15 balls to that point – over deep square leg, then launched back-to-back sixes off Abbott, one of them sailing 104 metres over cover. On 41, he probably should have been taken on the rope, when a smash down the ground seemed set to pick out Markram at long-on, only for the fielder to misjudge the catch and palm it over the rope. Two more blows for six brought him fifty and he finished the innings with 4-4-4 off Malik, including creaming a 157kph ball – the fastest of this year’s IPL – through the covers.Sunrisers stumble out the blocks
Williamson went into this match to the backdrop of murmurs about his strike rate – and they will only increase after another scratchy outing, which yielded 4 off 11 and a fiddled catch behind against Anrich Nortje in the fifth over. That left him with 199 runs from 10 innings this IPL, and a strike rate of 96.13: the lowest by any opener to have faced 200 balls in a season.Powell had described the pitch as “very good” at halfway, and the Brabourne had seen a higher score hunted down this season – Lucknow Super Giants reaching 211 with three balls to spare against Chennai Super Kings in game seven. But the early loss of Abhishek Sharma hurt Sunrisers’ chances of a fast start, and with Williamson taking seven balls to get off the mark, his team limped to 35 for 2 at the end of the powerplay (a total boosted by Rahul Tripathi slashing the fourth and fifth balls of the sixth over for four).After nine overs, Sunrisers were 48 for 3, needing to score at more than 14 runs an over; and the rate barely came down from that point, despite the best efforts of Pooran and, to a lesser extent, Markram, who showed what might have been possible with a better platform on which to build.

The left hander signed a five-year deal in 2017 but has largely been short of runs for the Stars

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2021Ben Dunk has left the Melbourne Stars a year before his contract expires after the batsman and the club “mutually agreed” to part ways.Dunk signed a five-year deal with the Stars in 2017, having enjoyed strong returns with Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers, but in 42 matches has made 621 runs at 16.34 with 342 of those coming in the 2018-19 campaign. This season he has made 69 runs in five innings.”This was a difficult decision that will allow me to explore other playing opportunities and ultimately was in the best interests for me, my family and the club,” Dunk said “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing with the Melbourne Stars and wish them all the best for the remainder of this season and into the future.”In a social media post, he added: “Unfortunately I haven’t made the most of those opportunities but that is cricket. To the fans of the Stars, you guys are amazing and I’m sure in time, you will get the ultimate success you deserve.”To my team-mates from over the years, I thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all at some point in the near future.”