Tag Futebol

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some Tottenham Hotspur transfer news as Spurs cast their eyes on an "interesting" £39m star

Spurs striker targets

The departure of star forward and club-record goalscorer Harry Kane has scarcely been noticed so far. Instead of suffering without their former talisman, Spurs have reinvented themselves as a more fluid attacking team, with new captain Son Heung-min thriving in a more central role. Tottenham, after their latest 2-1 win on Friday night, have extended their unbeaten run to 10 games; winning eight of them in a real statement to the rest of the Premier League.

New manager Ange Postecoglou is seemingly transforming the club, and things haven't looked better than this for quite a long time. However, despite thriving without a traditional number nine of Kane's ilk, there have been suggestions that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and incoming new transfer chief Johan Lange could still sign a new striker next year.

Tottenham are interested in Brentford's Ivan Toney, for instance, who looks set to become one of the hottest commodities in English football once he returns from his ban for alleged gambling breaches. Spurs are eyeing Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez as well, according to recent reports, with one agent even saying this week that Spurs are among the "closest" sides to getting him.

Gimenez really "interesting" Tottenham

Now, a very reliable transfer source in Romano has shared his own update on the matter. While he confirms that Gimenez is being watched by Spurs, things don't appear as advanced as previously suggested. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the journalis backs that he's a player really "interesting" Postecoglou's side. Romano also says that Gimenez could leave for just £39 million.

“We know very well that many top clubs around Europe are keeping an eye on the boy,” said Romano.

“From what I’m hearing, something around €45million (£39million) could be the right fee to make it happen. Let’s see if (it’s) in the January window or in the summer window it depends on Feyenoord, more than on the player. The interest of many clubs is there. I think we saw Tottenham linked, because from what I’m told, Tottenham scouts have been following the player already last year.

“While they were following the manager (Slot) they saw that Santi Gimenez is absolutely a very good striker. So Santi Gimenez for sure is a player interesting for Tottenham, but also for many other clubs around Europe, and this is why decisions will be made in the next months. But at the moment, no statement from people close to the player and the only person (handling his transfer business) is the father.”

The 22-year-old has stood out as one of Europe's most in-form strikers this season. Scoring 13 goals and notching a further three assists, his tender age and pedigree could make his reported £39 million valuation a price really worth paying. Gimenez's departure from the Netherlands is surely one to watch as we head into 2024.

The Brazilian aleady appears to be approaching the end of his time at Old Trafford, but his Japanese counterpart is just getting started

Jurgen Klopp could not get his head around Endo Wataru's performance in the Carabao Cup final. Something just did not add up. The numbers made no sense. Despite Endo taking a heavy knock to his left ankle that resulted in him leaving Wembley on crutches, no Liverpool player won more tackles, duels or possession in the 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Endo was simply relentless. He never stopped running until the final whistle blew. Even then, he was still standing, while Moises Caicedo sat down, disconsolate, consigned to watching Klopp & Co celebrate a remarkable win with an injury-ravaged squad.

Klopp had claimed that Liverpool had been lucky to miss out on signing the Ecuadorian during the summer – and Wembley proved him right. Endo had outbattled and outclassed a player £100 million ($128m) more expensive than the Japanese – and nine years younger.

"He might be 30 or 31 on his passport but he's not!" Klopp quipped. "He's a machine!" One that Klopp claimed could easily end up signing another "long-term" contract with the club in "three or four years". That's how much the German feels Endo has left in the tank.

In that context, the contrast between one of the revelations of Liverpool's season and his next direct rival could not be starker. While Endo is enjoying the start of something special at Anfield, Casemiro appears to be approaching the end of his time at Old Trafford. The pair have similar profiles but things could not be going more differently for them ahead of Sunday's FA Cup clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

GettyCasemiro's concerning decline

United will go into the quarter-final on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 Premier League win over Everton, but it was a game that did little to ease concerns over Casemiro's form.

The Brazilian had more touches than any other player on the pitch but 17 of his 70 passes failed to find their target. Of United's outfield players, only Scott McTominay had a worse completion rate (73 percent) than Casemiro (76 percent).

The worrying thing is that such carelessness in possession came as a little surprise to United fans, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the £70m ($90m) signing from Real Madrid.

It's not even that he looks nothing like the combative colossus that collected five Champions League winners' medals in nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu. He's even just a shadow of the player that had such an instantaneous and transformative effect on Erik ten Hag's team after his arrival from Madrid in the summer of 2022.

AdvertisementGetty'Tell them I'll fix it'

Put quite simply, United would not have secured a return to the Champions League had it not been for Casemiro.

According to the , after watching the 4-0 drubbing by Brentford at the start of the 2022-23 season, he had sent a text to his agent saying: "Tell them I'll fix it." And he did.

Casemiro proved precisely why he was regarded as the most destructive midfielder in football for the previous decade by immediately laying waste to Premier League opponents. He was United's human wrecking ball, ranking first among his team-mates for possession won, tackles won, duels won, aerials won, blocks and interceptions. This season has been a very different story, though.

GettyA collective dip in form

Injury has obviously played a part in Casemiro's struggles, with the Selecao star sidelined from the middle of October to the turn of the year.

However, he was struggling horribly before then and some United supporters will tell you that the Brazilian was exhibiting signs of fatigue before the end of the 2022-23 campaign, in which he racked up more appearances (51) than he ever had over the course of a single season in Spain. Perhaps increasing injury issues and a dip in form were, thus, inevitable.

He's certainly not been helped by those around him, of course. Casemiro is not the only United player to underperform this season – far from it, in fact. Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have been nowhere near their best, while several key men have also been beset by fitness problems – as Ten Hag has been repeatedly at pains to point out.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesTen Hag's bizarre tactics

The Dutchman hasn't done Casemiro any favours, either.

Ten Hag may have dismissed Jamie Carragher's claim that United have found themselves caught between two stools this season by employing both a high press and low block – but there's no doubt that Casemiro has at times looked confused, and consequently, frustrated.

This has manifested itself in Casemiro making far too many challenges that look as desperate as they are wild. Against Everton, the 32-year-old even had to be told to calm down by his teenage team-mate Kobbie Mainoo.

But such shows of petulance are arguably unsurprising. Firstly, this is not a man used to losing. Secondly, he has perhaps realised that he is locked in one particular battle that he simply cannot win.

Arsenal have enjoyed a near-faultless start to the campaign, starring across all competition, but more specifically in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta has his side joint-top after eight fixtures, having finally toppled Manchester City after years of trying. Such form is owed to numerous outstanding performers, with Declan Rice in particular shining.

How is Declan Rice playing?

The former West Ham United captain marked an astronomical acquisition when he was signed in the summer, raking in a £105m fee to briefly shatter the previous British transfer record.

As such huge expectations emerged on his shoulders, which he has taken in his stride with remarkable ease.

Already his Spanish boss has been rushing to praise his exploits which have earned him a 7.41 average match rating in the league, with the 41-year-old noting after their win over Crystal Palace: "I thought he was fantastic. He really dominated the game. He bossed the midfield and dominated the game. He was very influential, both attacking and defending."

Such a figure is buoyed by his exemplary figures in the key areas needed to thrive in midfield, as his 92% pass accuracy and 0.6 key passes per game denote an economical creator, whilst his 1.6 interceptions, 2.3 tackles and 4.4 ball recoveries outline his steelier side, via Sofascore.

However, having been forced to feature predominantly beside the likes of Fabio Vieira, or more recently Jorginho, perhaps there is another level for the England international to reach, should Thomas Partey soon return to the side.

How good is Thomas Partey?

After all, last season Rice would add nine goal contributions to his game in all competitions to outline him as the paramount all-around midfielder.

Should the Ghanaian enforcer return following his recent spell on the sidelines, with the same freshness and aggression that saw him shine last term, the two could strike up a partnership to allow the 24-year-old to retain what has helped him thrive thus far, but also push forward to add a few more goals and assists to his game.

This would be a possibility especially heightened were they to drop Jorginho, as whilst the Italian metronome can add some defensive structure, he is largely there as a stand-in, with his ability to drop a clanger always a huge possibility.

To compare him with other midfielders across Europe, and whilst he sits in the top 7% for passes attempted and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90, the 31-year-old only manages to reach the top 31% for tackles and 21% for interceptions, via FBref.

Meanwhile, their £45m "monster", as dubbed so by journalist Abdu Dilshan Wasike, sits in the top 4% for both passes attempted and progressive passes per 90 when compared against the same group, whilst also having managed 2.1 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game last season too.

It is clear that Partey adds much more security to the engine room than Jorginho, and the defensive foundation he would offer alongside an ability to dictate the tempo arguably makes the former Chelsea star obsolete.

Should he be fit after the international break, he and Rice might be poised to strike up a frightening partnership.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is targeting a move for a talented youngster from the continent; however, he will face high-profile competition for his signature, according to a report.

Manchester City news: Grealish injury, Phillips transfer update

Cited by The Daily Mail, Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has revealed that he suffered a huge haematoma on his thigh that left him unable to walk for a period of time following the 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in late August.

Speaking about the ordeal, Grealish stated: "You have little ones that are there for two to three days — but if you get a dead leg and you have the haematoma, a bad one, it’s around six centimetres. Mine was like 20 centimetres. Our doctor said it’s the worst dead leg he’s ever seen, by a mile."

He then added: "It wasn’t even bad, the tackle. It was Oli McBurnie. If I showed you the tackle now, you’d be like, “Get up”. But the pain…honestly! After the game it was sore. But when I was on the coach, I was like, I need something here. I went to walk off the coach back into the training ground at City and I genuinely could not walk. I couldn’t bend my leg. I had to get crutches."

Meanwhile, according to a Manchester City transfer update from The Sun, midfielder Kalvin Phillips could be offered a shock escape route from the Premier League champions, with Bayern Munich believed to be keen on the England international.

Thomas Tuchel is reportedly eyeing a move for the out-of-favour 27-year-old, who has been sparingly used by Guardiola this term despite Rodri's recent suspension from playing action. Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on his situation and a similar arrangement to that of Joao Cancelo, who went on loan from Manchester City to the Bundesliga champions in January, isn't said to be out of the question.

Kalvin Phillips' time at Manchester City in numbers

Appearances (Transfermarkt)

Goals

Assists

26

0

0

WhoScored average match rating (2023/24) – Premier League: 6.24/10

Notable statistics (2023/24)

90% pass success rate, average passes (16.7 per fixture), 1.3 accurate long balls per game

Manchester City transfer news – Arthur Vermeeren

Recently, a report claimed that the Blues have made their first move to try and bring in Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren by making contact with his current employers and enquiring about his availability. Vermeeren has previously been hailed "one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig.

The outlet indicate that competition is fierce for the 18-year-old, with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus all believed to be circling for the Belgium Under-21 cap.

Starting the 2023/24 campaign in sparkling form, Vermeeren has racked up one goal and five assists in his opening 15 appearances for Royal Antwerp across all competitions (Vermeeren's statistics – Transfermarkt).

In the Jupiler Pro League, the Lier-born man has gained an average Sofascore match rating of 7.45/10 this season for his exploits, which will explain why Manchester City boss Guardiola is keen to strengthen his midfield with the addition of Vermeeren.

The defending champions failed in a chase of 168 and now need to win all their remaining six matches to stay in playoff contention

The Report by Vishal Dikshit01-May-2018Virat Kohli doesn’t hold his emotions back•BCCIUmesh Yadav took two wickets off consecutive deliveries with the new ball, Ishan Kishan fell for a golden duck and Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Mumbai Indians by 46 runs. Two weeks later, Umesh was on a hat-trick with the new ball against Mumbai again, Kishan bagged another golden duck, his third in four innings, but this time Umesh’s opening burst also included Rohit Sharma’s first-ball duck and the Royal Challengers bowling line-up sustained the pressure throughout for once to defend 167 on their home ground and move up to fifth place after only their third win from eight matches.The defending champions, meanwhile, are back in seventh place and need to win all their remaining six matches lest they wish to rely on other teams to help them stay in playoff contention. Rohit opted to bowl and a combined bowling show from the spinners and Hardik Pandya in the death overs was restricting Royal Challengers to under 150 until Colin de Grandhomme’s 10-ball 23 lifted them in the last over. Eventually, the early loss of wickets hurt Mumbai this time and even though the Pandya brothers seemed up to the task of scoring 62 runs from the last five overs, some pin-point bowling with pace variations sealed it for the hosts.RCB and the death oversVirat Kohli had bowled Umesh and Yuzvendra Chahal by the 15th over yet again and the Pandya brothers had the cushion of Ben Cutting to follow in the chase. Among the quicks, only Tim Southee and Mohammed Siraj had two overs left each so Kohli decided to give the 16th to de Grandhomme. He conceded 17, and Mumbai needed 45 from 24 only to see a different story unfold this time. Siraj and Southee bowled a stirring mix of length deliveries, pace variations and wide yorkers to prevent the Pandyas from hitting down the ground. Siraj conceded only one boundary in his last two overs, Southee allowed Mumbai five little singles in the 18th over and Siraj also had Krunal caught at point for 23 to give the visitors a stiff equation of 25 from six. Hardik then hit Southee’s offcutter to long-on and Cutting connected well with only two of the remaining five deliveries. Southee finished with 2 for 25 and a Man of the Match award.Even though their bowling contingent turned the story around, the death overs stung Royal Challengers’ batting line-up this time. They were 123 for 3 with Kohli on 29 and five overs to go, easily set for 175. However, Jasprit Bumrah had two overs left, and Hardik bowled offcutters and slower ones consistently to remove Mandeep Singh, Kohli and Washington Sundar in the 18th over for only two runs. Bumrah didn’t get all his yorkers right but the batsman couldn’t middle many either. Only one of his final 12 deliveries went to the boundary and there were five dots among them as well. So, Royal Challengers found themselves 143 for 7 with one over to go. Fortunately and decisively for them, de Grandhomme smacked three sixes off the last four balls, including a free hit, for a competitive total.The costly Mumbai oversBarring three expensive overs, Mumbai conceded only 101 runs in 17 overs on Tuesday night. Most of the Mumbai bowlers strangled the batsmen, not letting any of them, except de Grandhomme, finish with a strike rate of over 150. It was the remaining three overs that Royal Challengers cashed in on to hammer 66 runs.The first of those was the fourth over, by JP Duminy. Opener Manan Vohra smacked the part-time spinner for 20 runs off the first four balls with two sixes and as many fours in the 22-run over. Duminy was probably used in the Powerplay because of a left-handed opener – Quinton de Kock – but bowled only one ball to him out of 12. The second expensive over was Hardik’s after Brendon McCullum had scratched his way to nine off six balls. In the 10th over, he dispatched two full-tosses for consecutive sixes, the first of them a no-ball, and then struck the fourth legitimate delivery, a knuckleball, through the covers for four. Twenty off the over. It shot their run rate above eight an over but there was more to come, right at the end.Mitchell McClenaghan started the last over impressively with three singles before de Grandhomme launched an offcutter over midwicket, collected two down the ground, hit a six off a no-ball and ended the innings with a free hit he smoked over long-off. Royal Challengers had gone from 146 to 167 in only three legitimate deliveries.Mumbai’s spinners stifle RCB early onRohit surprisingly decided to open the bowling with Duminy in a spin-heavy first nine overs and the move worked brilliantly except in that fourth over. Duminy extracted sharp turn and bounce in the first over with five dot balls and almost had Vohra caught at midwicket for 6. McClenaghan used a mix of back-of-length and slower deliveries to concede only seven in his first two overs and had de Kock caught at midwicket for a 13-ball 7. Seeing the turn on offer, Rohit bowled Krunal and Mayank Markande from overs six to nine to see them beat the bat, bowl stifling lines and concede only 24 runs, including Vohra’s wicket for 45.Mumbai were similarly shackled in the middle overs but that was down to the early wickets and even though Hardik batted before his brother for a slightly brisk fifty, he and Duminy had to do a lot of consolidation after they were 47 for 4 in the eighth over. Umesh brought two in sharply to trap Suryakumar lbw for 9 and had Rohit inside edge one next ball to de Kock diving full-length behind the stumps. Kishan was bowled by Southee in the first over.

With emphasis on the World Cup in May 2019, Australia have revamped their contract list with five new players added to an initial group of 20

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018With emphasis on the World Cup in May 2019, Australia have revamped their contract list with five new players added to an initial group of 20. Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were not part of that number after receiving bans of up to one year in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal from last month. All three men would have served out their suspensions by the time the first match of the global event begins on May 30.Australia’s contract list

Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
In: Alex Carey, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye
Out: Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Tim Paine – who was not among the contracted players in 2017-18 when CA released the list last April – found a place this time, and is likely to be among the highest earners, given he is Australia’s new Test captain. The other first-timers on the list were allrounder Marcus Stoinis, wicketkeeper Alex Carey and the fast-bowling Richardsons – Kane and Jhye. Australia have also placed their trust in fingerspinners at a time when wristspin has taken limited-overs cricket by storm, with Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar edging out Adam Zampa, the team’s top-seeded slow bowler on the ICC rankings for both ODIs and T20Is.Australia have a system by which players gain points based on appearances at international level: five for a Test, two for an ODI and one for a T20I. Those out of contract can earn one for themselves by collecting at least 12 points – a method that Paine, Stoinis, Shaun Marsh and Andrew Tye used over the course of the 2017-18 season to get retainers for themselves. Adam Zampa, Chris Lynn and D’Arcy Short might be targeting this option as Australia build towards the World Cup with limited-overs tours of England and Zimbabwe in June and July.The other notable absentees were Chadd Sayers, who made his Test debut in Johannesburg recently, and Jackson Bird, often the back-up for Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Injury forced Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson out of reckoning, although the latter hopes to be fit in time for the next Ashes series in 2019.”There has been a bit of a focus in this contracting period on white-ball cricket, as we look ahead to trying to win back-to-back World Cups,” national selector Trevor Hohns said.As such, some of the brightest performers from the Big Bash League were rewarded with Australia contracts: Carey came into the fray after finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the 2017-18 edition. So did Kane Richardson, who was among the top 10 wicket-takers. Jhye Richardson enjoyed the selectors’ favour again, two months after he was picked in the Test squad to tour South Africa even though, at the time, he had played only five first-class matches.”Alex (Carey) is the second wicket-keeper in this squad, alongside Tim Paine,” Hohns said. “He is a promising young player who has had a strong domestic summer and performed well in his international opportunities to date with bat and gloves.”Jhye (Richardson) is a young fast bowler who has been on the fringes of selection in all three forms of the game. He’s an exciting prospect who has played ODI and T20 cricket for Australia this summer, and was in the Test squad for the recent tour of South Africa.”

West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers will battle it out over the signing of Jesse Lingard who remains a free-agent following the expiry of his contract at Nottingham Forest.

The former Manchester United man is reportedly close to deciding where he will be playing his football in the coming days, as per Sky Sports [5th September, 18:08pm].

According to the report, the 30-year-old has been training with former club West Ham over the summer and will play in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week which will test his match fitness and ability in the Irons’ squad.

However, Premier League rivals Wolves are hot on the Hammers’ tail for Lingard’s signature with the four-time FA Cup winners also wanting the free agent's signature.

What’s the latest on Jesse Lingard?

Wolves have spent £80m so far this season and were obliged to buy Matheus Cunha for £43m due to a clause in the Brazilian’s contract following his loan spell at Molineux last season.

The Midlands club are quite strapped for cash so the signing of Lingard on a free transfer may be the perfect opportunity to improve their squad depth without breaking the bank.

In his first press conference as Wolves’ manager, Gary O'Neil claimed that he is “pleased” where his squad is currently at.

“I am just going to work with the players that are here, work extremely hard and get as much out of them as possible. I am really pleased with the group. I think there is enough quality in there to be really competitive.

“Things will move and change I am sure but as it is, I am fine with where we are. I like the group, I really think we have a chance of doing something this year," he said.

What happened to Lingard?

Following a stellar loan spell at West Ham, the attacking ace joined newly-promoted Nottingham Forest after agreeing a contract that made him the highest earner at City Ground.

The 32-capped England midfielder was in "sensational" form – in the eyes of former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn – during his time at the Irons as he managed to score nine and assist five in the 16 games he played for the three-time FA Cup winners.

He was also hailed as a "difference maker" during that period by the host of 'The West Ham Way' pre-match show, Dan Woffenden.

Moyes has previously spoken on whether he would like to work with Lingard again after his attempt to sign the Englishman last year failed.

Speaking in a press conference at the beginning of last season, Moyes said:

“You couldn't turn around and say David Sullivan and the owners didn't do everything they could to get him. They certainly did. I've got to say the club have tried to get lots of players but for different reasons, we've not been able to get them.

“You never know, [if he will try to sign Lingard again] it's a difficult question, I don't see how I can answer it. If he scores 25 goals next year and does fantastically well, maybe I will. If he doesn't, maybe I won't."

However at Forest. the English maestro failed to replicate the form he had in east London failing to score or assist in the 17 Premier League games he played for the Reds.

Given the financial problems at the Old Gold, signing Lingard on a free transfer wouldn't be the worst business, especially if O'Neil can be the one to get that West Ham-level of form back out of him heading into the remainder of 2023.

Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy has released a statement explaining why the club finally, and “reluctantly” allowed Harry Kane to leave.

Is Harry Kane moving to Bayern Munich?

The England captain has, at last, completed a move away from Spurs and the Premier League, having agreed to join German giants Bayern Munich.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Kane will sign a four-year deal and will cost an initial €100m (£86.5m) with add-ons of up to €20m (£17.2m).

It’s certainly not a bad price for Spurs to get for their man, especially considering he is 30 years old and had just one year left on his contract. However, it appears that Levy was still very reluctant to let him go and would have preferred the striker to have signed a new deal.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

In an official club statement, the club chairman appeared to be somewhat salty about the whole situation, noting how he tried to work with Kane to convince him to stay, but the Englishman didn’t want to remain in North London any longer.

He said: “We sought over a long period of time to engage Harry and his representatives in several forms of contract extension, both short and long term. Harry was clear, however, that he wanted a fresh challenge and would not be signing a new contract this summer. We have reluctantly, therefore, agreed to his transfer.”

Fans on Twitter saw the comments and were not particularly happy about them – as you can see by some of the reactions below…

What did Daniel Levy say about Harry Kane?

However, Levy did take time to praise and thank Kane, while also noting that he will always be welcome back at Tottenham.

“We have seen a product of our Academy system become one of the best players to ever pull on a Spurs shirt and become one of world football’s elite strikers. It has been a truly remarkable journey,” he said.

“Harry’s achievements and records say everything about the player, and throughout his 19 years at the Club, Harry has been a model professional, on and off the pitch and an inspiration for young players who dream of following in his footsteps.

“I should like to thank Harry for everything he’s done for us, all the memories, all the records – we wish him and his family all the best for the future. It goes without saying, he’s always welcome back. He’s a much loved and valued member of the Spurs family, forever in our history.”

Kane himself has already sent an emotional video on social media to his fans in North London, saying it is: “hard to put into words how to say goodbye to a club and fans who have done so much for me in my career.”

He added: “You will always be in my heart. Thank you Tottenham, thank you Tottenham fans.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how Kane gets on in the Bundesliga after tearing it up in the Premier League for so long.

One man who will be delighted to see the back of the England international is Alan Shearer, who can now breathe a sigh of relief with Kane leaving the country still 47 goals behind the former Newcastle United man’s PL goal record of 260.

Although, the 30-year-old likely won’t mind either as he now has a real chance at lifting major silverware for the first time in his career.

The Sri Lanka captain said the team is prepared to field a fifth bowler or an allrounder in keeping with their “changed” attitude to win the match

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur23-Nov-20172:12

We can pull off miracle in India – Chandimal

Conditions in Nagpur will not assist seam-bowling to the extent they did in Kolkata, according to Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain. There is a fair amount of grass on the VCA Stadium pitch as well, in line with India’s desire to test themselves in pace-friendly conditions ahead of their tour of South Africa. Chandimal, however, felt there would be a more even contest between bat and ball here.”We saw so much grass at Eden Gardens,” he said. “This is much less. This looks a good Test pitch. It’s a challenge for us as a team. We are looking forward to the game.”He went on to explain what he meant by a “good Test pitch”: “The first few days will be good for batters. Then it might turn. That’s the kind of wicket I think that is.”Sri Lanka were the dominant side for most of the first Test – until the last innings in which they slipped to 75 for 7 before bad light saved them – and Chandimal felt it was the result of their changed attitude since a 0-3 home series defeat to India in July-August. Sri Lanka, he said, are now looking to win Test matches and series, and are prepared to play a fifth bowler or allrounder to be able to do this.”We learned a lot from the last Indian series in Sri Lanka,” he said. “The most important thing is we came here to win the series. Our attitude has changed. As I said every time our fielding also has made a huge difference – there’s a lot of energy.”We have looked at a six-five combination or six-four – plus [an] all-rounder. That’s the combination we are looking at. Most importantly we have come here with a mindset to win a Test match.”Despite all the help for the quicks in Kolkata, Lahiru Gamage did not enjoy a hugely productive Test, only picking up three wickets in 40.3 overs. Chandimal, however, backed Gamage to come good through the rest of the series.”Calcutta was his second game [in Test cricket],” he said. “His first game was in Dubai and he did well against Pakistan. You can have a bad day and you can have a bad game. He is a really good player. He has a lot of experience, having played quite a bit of domestic cricket. I am sure he will be a good asset, especially when bowling on a wicket like this. We will make a call on the side tomorrow morning.”

Aston Villa are reportedly remaining on the tail of Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto, as Unai Emery seeks further summer reinforcements.

The Spaniard has already made sufficient signings this transfer window with the help of Monchi, breaking the club’s transfer record fee to obtain the services of Moussa Diaby in a blockbuster £51.9m deal.

Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres have also joined the party at Villa Park, however, the spending may not be over just yet.

What’s the latest on Wilfried Gnonto to Aston Villa?

As reported earlier in the summer by outlets in Italy (as relayed by Sport Witness), Villa were named in the mix to snatch Leeds teenager Gnonto.

Everton have been widely reported as joining the Villans in the race to secure the winger, who is speculated to be valued at around €22m (£19m) by the Whites.

A refreshed update via GIVEMESPORT from journalist Rudy Galetti, reinforced the Midlands side’s interest in the Italian, saying that Villa are “monitoring” the forward who is “likely” to leave Elland Road.

Another name is mentioned by Galetti, with ongoing interest in Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson relayed.

Should Aston Villa sign Wilfried Gnonto?

Having been lauded as a “real diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 19-year-old lit up the Premier League at every opportunity provided to him in his debut campaign in the English top-flight.

The Italian registered 14 starts for Leeds, averaging just 56 minutes per game over a total of 24 appearances in his first taste of the league, via Sofascore.

In a trialling campaign for the Whites, the teenager was explosive in the final third, amounting to six goal contributions through two goals and four assists, including a memorable opening goal at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

After Leeds’ relegation, it looks increasingly likely that Gnonto could be on the move this summer, in a swoop that could be a strong coup for Monchi and Emery at Villa Park.

The Midlands club have been linked with other forwards this window, including Johnson, with the assumption that the claret and blues will opt for one or the other taking into consideration the money already spent this summer.

While Johnson had an impressive individual campaign for Forest last term, the Welshman is said to be valued by the Reds at an eye-watering £40m, suggesting that Gnonto could be a more cost-effective acquisition to target, at half the price.

Price aside, Emery could find himself striking a better deal in signing the Italian over the 22-year-old, with the 19-year-old prevailing as the stronger forward based on his numbers per 90 in the Premier League last season.

As per FBref comparisons, the Leeds starlet averaged 4.39 progressive carries and 1.46 key passes per 90, with Johnson averaging lower in such areas with 2.70 progressive carries and 0.86 key passes per 90.

A similar narrative is evident in other decimals typical of a dynamic forward, with Gnonto registering an average of 5.12 take-ons attempted to the Forest gem’s 2.70, suggesting just how much of an impact the youngster could have on Emery’s flourishing side.

There’s no denying the quality of Johnson, however, Monchi and Emery could save the club millions in capturing a forward with the quality of the teenager for a price much more suitable.