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Arsenal "will make" a second midfield signing this summer as manager Mikel Arteta continues his squad overhaul, according to reports.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The north Londoners mean business this summer and sporting director Edu has been very busy so far, having already sealed deals for Germany international Kai Havertz, defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax and a club-record £105 million move for Declan Rice.

Arsenal's total expenditure by the end of this transfer window could total over £200 million, as per claims in the media, with the Gunners also linked to making further signings.

Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia, who is also attracting their interest, may cost around £50 million but Arsenal are believed to be targeting the Belgium international. Further forward, it is also said that they want to sign Montepellier forward Elye Wahi, alongside the likes of Newcastle, Strasbourg and Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, if they're to make these moves, Arsenal may well need to offload certain players to balance the books -with former midfield general Granit Xhaka already making the move to Bayer Leverkusen recently.

Thomas Partey, who was a fixture in Arteta's starting eleven, may well be on the way out himself as Arsenal seemingly plot a major revamp of their midfield.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, backing their interest in Lavia, reporter Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has assured supporters that they "will make" a second midfield signing this summer. Even if Lavia's price tag is a deterrent right now, Taylor does expect another addition in that area, while he also claims Partey looks certain to make way.

"As we know, Liverpool were there as well and again, my understanding of Lavia is the price tag needs to drop," said Taylor.

"I don't think any of those parties are prepared to pay £45-50 million for him, particularly after Southampton's relegation. So I do believe Arsenal will make a second midfield signing and I do also expect Thomas Partey to make way."

Little else is said on how Edu and co expect to fund the signing of another body in that area, but going by Taylor's claim, Gooners can await more potential transfer activity before the window's closure.

Who else should Arsenal sign?

We believe Lavia is, by far, a brilliant candidate to shore up Arteta's midfield options further whilst providing real strength in depth.

While the 19-year-old's price tag is arguably excessive, especially considering the Saints' drop to the Championship, there is little denying his quality.

If Southampton are willing to compromise on Lavia's asking price, the teenager could be a brilliant addition, with members of the press revering his sky high ceiling.

Last season, the midfielder stood out as a "shining star" at St. Mary's Stadium, at least according to journalist Sam Tighe, who also said that Arsenal supporters should be "excited" by his potential arrival.

"I watched every game Roméo Lavia played last season and he was absolutely incredible," said the reporter on Twitter.

"A shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time. Arsenal reportedly advancing on a deal…one to be very excited about."

The former Man City starlet has also been praised by Pep Guardiola for his brilliant first season on the south coast.

Australia’s coach, Darren Lehmann, has declined to publicly air his views on the ongoing player pay dispute with Cricket Australia, but has emphasised the importance of the two parties getting a deal done soon

Daniel Brettig18-May-2017Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has strong views about the fixed revenue percentage model that the players are presently battling Cricket Australia to retain in the next payment MOU. But he’s not going to air them publicly.Lehmann, a former player delegate and president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and now a highly-paid employee of CA, sat firmly on the fence ahead of the national team’s departure for England and the ICC Champions Trophy – the last tournament to take place before the June 30 expiry of the current pay deal.Though he acknowledged that the dispute would be a distraction for the players over at least the next six weeks, he doubted the Ashes would be disrupted, saying “I wouldn’t think so, and I would hope not as a fan”. Most of all, he stressed the importance of the two parties re-opening effective, respectful communication to get a deal done.”Both parties have got to get talking, that’s what they’ve got to do,” Lehmann said the day after CA rejected the ACA’s request for independent mediation. “Once they get that they’ll get a deal done, and once that happens we’ll be right and get the game going the way it should be.”What I want to do is see both parties come to the table and get a deal done for the betterment of the game. From the grass roots right through to the elite cricketers. From a players point of view they’re sticking together, we support players and support CA. Everyone supports each other, it is just a case of getting a deal done.”Communication has been a hallmark of how Lehmann has coached Australia, and he has continued that theme during the dispute. He has discussed matters at length with the national captain Steven Smith during his IPL stint, and also indicated that he would open the floor to players to discuss matters together when they convene in England, for the start of a campaign that leads ultimately to the 2019 World Cup and Ashes double.”It is going to be a bit of a distraction there’s no doubt about that,” Lehmann said. “But at the end of the day we’re there to concentrate on the cricket, we’ve got to do the best job we possibly can so from my point of view they’ve just got to get talking, simple fact of life. They’re both adults, both will deal with it as best they can and get the outcome right for the game.”We’ll talk about it when we all meet. You have to do that, you’ve got to keep it open in communication so we know the direction everyone’s going. At the end of the day it’s about getting ready for that first game and playing well. The next three years we go to England for one dayers the following year and then we’ve got the World Cup, so it’s a pretty important tournament for us in many ways.”While pointing out that negotiations have often run close to the wire in the past, Lehmann admitted he had not seen such acrimony between the two parties since the 1997-98 dispute that ultimately led to the revenue-sharing arrangement that has existed over the past 20 years.”I was there as a player and a delegate and then president,” he said. “You have those issues, every sport has them, so it’s just about communication and getting the right outcome for both parties. That’s the key. Both sides I’m sure will get there. It traditionally goes quite late, so there’s no panic, it’s just about those two parties getting together.”

The 83-year old has said he will step down in June due to ‘health and personal reasons’

Umar Farooq31-Mar-2017Shaharyar Khan has tendered his resignation from the post of PCB chairman and is expected to step down after the ICC’s annual conference in June. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, soon after a meeting with his board members, the 83-year old Shaharyar said his decision was influenced by “personal and health reasons”.Shaharyar was unanimously elected to lead the PCB by the board of governors in August 2014. He had intended to resign with immediate effect – his tenure ends only in August 2017 – but with the ICC in the middle of restructuring its constitution and Shaharyar’s support being vital to the cause, he has decided to continue at the helm of the PCB until the ICC annual conference in June.”I have taken the board in confidence and conveyed my decision that I will not continue after our mandate is ending on August 18,” Shaharyar told reporters after chairing a board meeting in Lahore. “I will not continue after it as chairman or as in any other capacity and it’s my decision on the basis of personal and health reasons. I have also written to the Patron of PCB who is Prime Minister that I am ready to resign and whenever he deems reasonable he can accept it. And thereafter whatever the legal process constituted, allow it to exercised to bring in my successor.”Sources in the Prime Minister’s office in Islamabad confirmed on Thursday that they have yet to receive Shaharyar’s resignation and had only learnt of his decision through the media. According to the PCB constitution, it is the Patron who makes the first move to pick the new chairman. His request to the election commissioner to hold fresh elections prompts a meeting of the board of governors, who would then select a candidate from among themselves through a majority vote. All of this must be done within four weeks of the chairman’s office becoming vacant.ESPNcricinfo understands that Shaharyar has felt under pressure to make way for Najam Sethi, the current head of PCB executive committee and PSL chairman.Sethi has been chairman of the board, several times in an interim capacity between 2013 and 2014. That was during a period of administrative turmoil at the very top of the board when Sethi and Zaka Ashraf alternated as board heads, later resolved by a Supreme Court intervention that led, eventually to the election of Shaharyar.Sethi was appointed head of a newly-created Executive Committee, and though its power was limited only to making recommendations, Sethi has come to exert considerable influence within the board. His position as chairman of the Pakistan Super League has also helped extend his reach into various departments of the PCB including media, social media, marketing and commercial interests.All this led to the potential for friction at the top of the PCB, something former coach Waqar Younis had alluded to after the World T20 in 2016 when he blasted the lack of administrative direction in Pakistan cricket, asserting that “two heads” were pulling the game in “two different directions”.

Tottenham Hotspur will seriously look at re-signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet permanently for around £4 million, according to reports.

Who are Spurs signing this summer?

The Lilywhites, boosted by new manager Ange Postecoglou's official arrival last weekend, have already backed the Australian with a few major signings.

Following both Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro, who have signed permanently from Juventus and Sporting Lisbon respectively, Spurs put pen to paper on deals for both goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison.

Vicario joins Tottenham as an alternative/replacement for long-serving number one Hugo Lloris, who could depart this summer, while Maddison's £40 million move from Leicester City perhaps represents the biggest coup of the lot.

“It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers," said Postecoglou on Vicario and Maddison.

“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room."

Manor Solomon, after his successful 2022/2023 loan spell from Fulham, has also joined Spurs for free after a FIFA ruling allowed the player to make the move to north London on a Bosman.

One big achilles heel for Tottenham, though, has been their leaky back line which conceded more league goals than any other side above 15th in the top flight last season.

Postecoglou will be very keen to address that glaring issue, as those concerning defensive numbers don't reflect that of a top side aiming to challenge for silverware.

Micky van de Ven of Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Lenglet are the most heavily linked with moves to N17, with one report sharing an update on the latter player.

Barcelona director Joan Laporta recently admitted that he hopes to reach an agreement with Tottenham, but according to Hotspur Reports, the club are eyeing a bargain fee.

The outlet claims Spurs "will strongly look at" signing Lenglet, who has previously won a La Liga title with Barca, for around €5 million (£4m) amid their discussions for van de Ven.

Postecoglou's side have submitted a verbal proposal for the Dutchman and want to sign another centre-back on top of that, though not as expensive as Tapsoba, making Lenglet a prime candidate.

Not much else is said on this or whether Barca would be willing to accept a fee that low, but they could well be glad to get his £204,000-per-week wages off their books.

What's been said about Clement Lenglet?

Called a "very reliable" player by Spurs pundit John Wenham, Lloris has previously endorsed Lenglet as a "modern" defender and tipped him to be a potential success in England.

""He's a modern defender," said Lloris.

"Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.

"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience."

Rain washed out the final day of the Sheffield Shield match in Wollongong, where New South Wales and Tasmania had to settle for a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Ed Cowan finished unbeaten on 51 as no play was possible on day four•Getty ImagesRain washed out the final day of the Sheffield Shield match in Wollongong, where New South Wales and Tasmania had to settle for a draw. The final day was to have started with the Blues on 1 for 141, trailing by 96 runs, but not a ball was bowled due to the wet weather.

Newcastle United have seen huge improvements and progress since their Saudi-led takeover less than two years ago and the credit for their rise can be both attributed to the arrival of Eddie Howe, as well as their incredible recruitment.

The Magpies will make their long-awaited return to Champions League football next season after securing the final spot inside the Premier League top four last season and showing significant development in their competitiveness in cup competitions; reaching the League Cup final at Wembley earlier this year too.

Howe and his strong recruitment team have secured the signings of several talents over the last 18 months with Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Alexander Isak all becoming crucial to the huge strides forward that the North East outfit have taken.

Now the Newcastle boss will face a massive challenge ahead of him when competing on the European stage against the most elite clubs in the world, so making sure the right players with the right experience are acquired, and adding quality depth in key positions will be absolutely essential if they are to compete comfortably in every fixture.

Indeed, AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali is close to being confirmed as the first signing of the summer at St James' Park, however, there is no doubt that Howe will be keen to add even more talent to his squad to continue to build for the future.

One player who has been linked with a move to Tyneside this week is LOSC Lille wonderkid Carlos Baleba, with reports in France suggesting that Newcastle are set to compete with Manchester United and West Ham United to secure the €30m (£26m) midfielder.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

The 19-year-old talent has been polishing his skills and developing his central midfield role in Ligue 1 with Lille and found himself earning a much more frequent role in the first team last season, which has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.

Over 19 league appearances, Baleba has tallied up an 84% pass completion rate, successfully completed 63% of his dribbles and won 50% of his duels combined, despite only making five starts and averaging just 26 minutes per game.

Not only that, the Cameroon-born youngster ranks in the top 10% across the top five European leagues for positionally similar players when it comes to blocks, successful take-ons, progressive carries and shots on goal, proving that he has a diverse skill set that could benefit from the nurture and development Howe can provide at Newcastle to nail down his best attributes.

Such a move from Ligue 1 could well see Newcastle now repeat their Guimaraes masterclass by securing a deal for the youngster as the club has had massive success when recruiting from the French top-flight with the Brazilian midfielder arriving from Olympique Lyonnais, Sven Botman being secured from Lille and Allan Saint-Maximin signing from Nice.

Now a cult hero at St James', the Brazil international has more than earnt his praise after a stunning campaign throughout 2022/23 that saw him post ten goal involvements.

Although Baleba is only just starting out in his career and is still yet to reach his full potential, the teenage sensation is already earning high praise from the glimpses of talent he has shown so far, with his Lille teammate Jonathan David claiming:

"Carlos is young, but he brings something different, which is very good for us. He is powerful, strong, he drives the ball very well."

Strong and powerful would aptly describe Guimaraes too, but although Baleba perhaps won't arrive with the same level of hype, the Magpies know how to spot a promising prospect from Ligue 1 when they see one.

Kane Williamson’s 16th Test century headlined New Zealand’s reply to South Africa’s 308 on a hard-fought third day in Dunedin, which also saw a bizarre stoppage in play due to a fire alarm

The Report by Andrew McGlashan10-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:38

Moonda: South Africa will eye quick and big runs

For a third day in a row it was difficult to split the two teams, but the final session in Dunedin provided one of the more action-packed periods of the Test – for a variety of reasons. A limping Ross Taylor helped New Zealand extend a narrow lead; Neil Wagner clubbed boundaries; Stephen Cook fell for a duck when he appeared not to hit the ball; and a fire alarm stopped play, leading to the ground being evacuated.Midway through the seventh over of South Africa’s second innings the alarm in the main stand at University Oval sounded. Play halted, teams and officials strode into the middle of the pitch, the fire crews arrived and supporters were asked to leave. A few minutes later the all-clear was given, but fading light meant New Zealand could not bowl their quicks.Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla negotiated the spinners, pushing South Africa back into the lead until bad light finally ended play with 10 overs remaining.The upshot was that the match remained evenly poised, although an iffy forecast for Sunday did not bode well for either to force a result unless New Zealand make swift inroads on the fourth morning. There has been some compelling cricket, but overall the match has progressed at a lethargic pace so far.New Zealand’s promising position was engineered by Kane Williamson’s 16th Test century, a wonderful display of batsmanship, and a gritty fifty from BJ Watling. Their approach was cautious until Wagner started swinging, but it was understandable given Taylor’s calf injury which basically left them without a key batsman. At 277 for 5, when Williamson and Watling had taken their stand to 84, a bigger lead was possible but Keshav Maharaj collected his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.The 33-run advantage looked a little more significant when Trent Boult struck in his first over, Cook seemingly edging behind when a delivery slanted across him. Cook was content to walk off, but replays suggested he had clipped his pad rather than nick the ball. There were not too many alarms in the gloom for Elgar and Amla, with Jeetan Patel bowling a touch too full, and the fourth day will be the litmus test of New Zealand’s twin spin attack.New Zealand resumed on 177 for 3 and barring a couple of early drives from nightwatchman Patel – who was brilliantly held at slip by Faf du Plessis – scoring was hard work. Williamson did not add to his overnight 78 for the first 50 minutes of play in the face of demanding pace bowling and Jimmy Neesham edged Morne Morkel behind in somewhat controversial circumstances.Players from both teams were evacuated on to the field during the fire alarm in the post-tea session•Associated PressMorkel found the outside edge but it was mighty close to a no-ball. Rod Tucker, the third umpire, took nearly three minutes to decide it was a legal delivery, ruling that when Morkel’s toe became grounded a fraction of his heel was behind the popping crease even though raised.Williamson made better progress in the second hour, reaching his hundred from 195 balls when he lapped a full toss from JP Duminy. It was his third century as captain, but on a different level to the previous ones against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, and took him to within one of Martin Crowe’s record of 17 hundreds. He continued to purr along early in the afternoon, alongside the gritty Watling, before Rabada found his outside edge with one that nibbled with the new ball.It ended a stand of 84 alongside Watling and almost brought the innings to a halt. Mitchell Santner survived an early DRS call for caught behind and played one scoring shot off 41 deliveries – that came off his fourth delivery – before driving a full, wide delivery from Morkel low to cover.Watling, who had been troubled by a knee injury ahead of this series, was rarely fluent but showed his trademark determination to eke his way to a 127-ball fifty, his first in 14 Test innings, which kept the match on even terms. He became Maharaj’s third wicket when a delivery cannoned off his pads into the stumps with New Zealand not quite in the lead.Maharaj’s performance was reward for another important role as part of South Africa’s four-man attack which helped share the bowling workload. He completed his five-wicket haul by beating Boult’s charge down the pitch and having Wagner taken at point. Wagner had struck the ball sweetly, taking 14 off three consecutive deliveries from Philander including a pull for six, to take New Zealand into the lead.Taylor, having been diagnosed with a low grade calf strain, returned at the fall of the ninth wicket and though he could barely walk managed to swat Morkel for a six onto the grass banks. His prognosis for the rest of the series remained unclear. As did the outcome of this match.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their business in the summer transfer window as they close in on a second addition…

What's the latest on Marco Tilio to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, the Hoops are expected to complete the signing of Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Australian talent will link up with international teammate Aaron Mooy at Parkhead to become Brendan Rodgers' second fresh face, after the arrival of Odin Thiago Holm on a permanent deal from Valerenga last week.

As per the Daily Record, the Scottish giants have already agreed a fee with Melbourne to sign the attacker and personal terms have been thrashed out, which means that the confirmation of the switch is only pending a work permit and documentation.

Where would Marco Tilio fit in at Celtic?

The 21-year-old wizard is a left-footed attacker capable of being deployed on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward or attacking midfielder, and he could well become Rodgers' own version of Manchester City ace Phil Foden.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described Tilio as a "playmaker" and named the England international as a similar type of player in comparison.

Over the last three seasons, Foden racked up 29 goals and 15 assists in 88 Premier League appearances for City, which works out as a goal contribution every two matches on average.

This shows that the left-footed gem, who can play anywhere across the forward line, is capable of being a regular contributor in the final third.

Tilio is a player with the potential to have a similar level of impact for Celtic at the top end of the pitch as a versatile left-sided attacker.

The Melbourne City hotshot plundered ten goals and five assists in 29 A-League outings, which works out as a goal or assist every 1.93 games on average.

These statistics suggest that the 5 foot 7 dynamo – which is the same height as the City gem – is also similar to Foden in style and production on the pitch. Therefore, he could be Rodgers' own version of Pep Guardiola's starlet on the flank in 2023/24.

His form in the A-League also indicates that the young Aussie international could be an excellent addition to Celtic's current squad. Only Jota (11) and Kyogo Furuhashi (27) managed more than ten Scottish Premiership goals while the former was the only winger with more than five assists last term.

Tilio's form for Melbourne indicates that the marksman could come in as one of the manager's most productive forward options out wide, adding another potent goal threat to the team ahead of next season.

West Ham United have held talks regarding a summer deal to sign Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, according to reports.

Who is Folarin Balogun?

Balogun is a striker and academy graduate at the Emirates Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team, but having only ever made ten senior appearances for the Premier League giants, he’s twice hit the road to aid his development.

The United States international first completed a loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, before most recently finishing a spell with Stade Reims, as per Transfermarkt, where he was a star man, starting 34 out of the 38 Ligue 1 matches and bagging 21 goals.

Despite still having another two years to run on his contract with Mikel Arteta’s side, the 21-year-old majorly impressed during his time overseas and established himself as Will Still’s top-performing offensive player, and David Moyes and Co are now in ongoing negotiations to try and bring the talented youngster to E20.

Are West Ham signing Balogun?

According to Football Transfers, West Ham have “discussed” Balogun with Arsenal whilst in talks over a move for Declan Rice. The Irons have made the centre-forward a “priority” target and are “willing to accept a part-exchange deal” that would see their captain departing and the Gunners star coming the other way, with some cash of course.

West Ham will know that they are likely to lose Gianluca Scamacca this summer as he has reportedly agreed personal terms to join AS Roma, so they will require a replacement should he depart, and having been hailed a “golden” striker by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Balogun could be the perfect successor.

Arsenal’s £32k-per-week ace, who’s sponsored by Adidas, racked up an unbelievable 24 goal contributions (21 goals and three assists) in his Ligue 1 outings last season, while recording 121 shots, which was more than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

The New York native, who was recognised for his individual displays by receiving four man-of-the-match awards, is also a versatile operator with his ability to play out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside his natural role through the middle, so this will no doubt be yet another attractive attribute to the boss.

Following his successful loan at Stade Reims, Balogun is likely to be looking for a permanent move to a club that he knows will be able to offer him regular minutes just as he received in France, which is set to be the case should he make the switch across the capital, and considering everything he has to offer, it would be a massive coup should he arrive at the London Stadium.

The offspinning allrounder who played his only ODI against Bangladesh in 2014 believes that he is a better bowler now after a stint at the NCA

PTI23-Jan-2017With R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being rested for the three-T20I series against England, Parvez Rasool has been added to the squad along with Amit Mishra, but the offspinning allrounder from Jammu & Kashmir hopes to find a place in the India side when Ashwin is around.”I had no clue that Ashwin has been rested for the series,” Rasool told PTI. “Actually, when I got a call from the BCCI office, I thought this will be a first chance for me to share the dressing room with Ashwin. Seven days with a player of his calibre means I can learn a lot.”I was training with state team in Jammu for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I got a call from BCCI office in the morning and now I am rushing to catch a flight to Delhi.”While Rasool has slipped down the pecking order, having played his only ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2014, his own assessment is that he is now a better bowler.”This year before the Ranji Trophy, there was an NCA camp for spinners only,” Rasool said. “There I had sessions with Narendra Hirwani and Nikhil Chopra. I believe those 20 days at NCA were very fruitful. I dissected my own bowling.”Because in IPL, you have to also play a restrictive role, I was pushing the ball faster through the air. Hirwani Sir told me that moment you push it faster, the revs on the delivery would be lesser. Nikhil Sir also told me to be a bit slower through the air and give the ball more air. The 38 wickets in the Ranji Trophy was a testimony to that.”Rasool believes that his 3 for 38 for India A against England XI in the warm-up game also helped him get a call-up.”It is very essential to perform consistently throughout the season but I believe there are certain matches where the selectors are keenly watching you,” he said. “If you can perform there, your case becomes stronger. Two of my three wickets were Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. Once you are getting wickets against an international side, you know can belong to this level.”Rasool is also looking forward to learning from India coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli, who was Rasool’s team-mate at the IPL.”I have not had too many interactions with Anil Sir,” he said. “This is an opportunity where I can learn a few things from him. Also Virat’s presence in the side makes it easier for me as he has been my captain in the Royal Challengers Bangalore.”I don’t need to elaborate on Virat’s dedication. But the lasting memory that has stayed with me is his innings against KKR after getting stitches in his hand. He was in pain but he didn’t even flinch one bit. I saw him and felt that that’s what a world-class cricketer means. Everyday with Virat is a learning experience.”