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Arsenal scouts are "looking closely" at Dinamo Zagreb defender Josip Sutalo, but there will be "fierce" competition for his signature this summer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, having recently made contact to sign Galatasaray defender Sacha Boey, who has admitted that he "dreams" of playing in the Premier League.

The north London club are also said to be plotting a move for Mohamed Simakan, despite the fact the 23-year-old has recently penned a new deal with RB Leipzig which is set to run until 2027.

There may be an increased need to bring in a new centre-back this summer as William Saliba is yet to commit to a new contract, which means he may need to be sold, according to journalist Charles Watts.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Galetti has now confirmed Arsenal are interested in signing Sutalo, although he does stress that a number of teams are likely to be vying for his signature this summer.

The journalist said: "Arsenal scouts are looking closely at the player who could be available for around £17m. Let's also pay attention to the competition that is rich and fierce.

"Fiorentina, RB Leipzig, Fulham, Wolfsburg, and Manchester United also interested in the player."

Should Arsenal sign a new centre-back?

It is clear that Mikel Arteta will need to upgrade his defensive options this summer, given the dramatic dip in form that has coincided with Saliba's injury, which has ruled him out of the last nine Premier League games.

Jakub Kiwior has recently been praised by members of the media, with journalist Eduardo Hagn describing him as "faultless in possession" after his performance against Newcastle United, but Rob Holding not been as solid.

The Englishman was particularly poor in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool, receiving the lowest Sofascore match rating of any Arsenal starter, and Sutalo could be a solid long-term replacement.

Hailed as "simply amazing" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Croatian is yet to play outside his home country at club level, but he is making a name for himself on the international scene, ranked by Sofascore as his nation's third-best performer in the Nations League.

Although signing the 6 foot 3 colossus would be a risk, he ranks highly for a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, including blocks and tackles, displaying he has the quality to make the step up to the Premier League.

Leeds United face one of the toughest fixtures in the Premier League later today but will do so in front of a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, where supporters will be hoping to carry their team to victory.

However, the imperious and often unstoppable Newcastle United stand between them and the vital points they need to climb out of the relegation zone, with the Magpies sitting fourth in the league's form table over the last ten outings.

Leeds have not recorded a victory since early April and have also shipped 20 goals in their last six league showings, so newly-appointed Sam Allardyce will already be well aware of the monumental task that has been laid out before him.

Despite that, an admirable showing at the home of Manchester City last time out could give hope to fans that not all is lost, as they enter the first of their final three games of the campaign.

In an effort to plug this glaring defensive frailty and add an extra element of leadership onto the field, surely the well-seasoned 68-year-old will seek out his top players to throw them into such a high-pressure situation.

Although having struggled for form of late, injuries and a lack of fitness elsewhere could allow Pascal Struijk to once again shine as part of a rock-solid back four.

As a wily and well-versed titan despite his youth, capable of perfectly executing the expected game plan as well as frustrating the potent attack of the visitors, the 23-year-old must return to the side today.

Will Pascal Struijk play vs Newcastle?

The Dutch defender has actually not started a match since their 6-1 drubbing against Liverpool last month, and in his recent cameo appearance against the Cityzens, it was his clumsiness that handed them a penalty.

However, with an injury to Liam Cooper and inconsistent right-back Rasmus Kristensen being far from a fine alternative at the heart of defence, perhaps the £50k-per-week stalwart could merit a start to begin proving his doubters wrong alongside Max Wober.

After all, the defender has not endured the worst of seasons despite the club's respective poor form and his recent struggles.

His 6.79 average rating gives way to a mammoth 2.9 tackles and 2.3 clearances per 90, yet he pairs this with a fairly economical 80% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.

However, what will be especially pertinent to any success Struijk hopes to have in silencing Alexander Isak, who has proved himself a major threat of late with his eight goal contributions in his last ten league games, is his defensive mastery of both the air and the ground.

When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, the former Ajax starlet actually ranks in the top 5% for tackles, and the top 4% for aerials won per 90, via FBref. Therefore, whether the Sweden international decides to use his 6 foot 4 physique or his quick feet to gain success, neither should phase Leeds' own towering warrior.

Journalist Daniel Fraiz Martinez clearly sees the benefits of including a player he once lauded for an "absolutely monster defensive display", and Allardyce will also be hoping to be able to herald another one after their game is done this afternoon.

Bangladesh’s new High Performance coach, Simon Helmot, has said that he wants to enrich the talent pool for the senior side, with tournaments like next year’s Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup in mind

Mohammad Isam13-Jun-2016Bangladesh’s new High Performance coach Simon Helmot has said that he wants to enrich the talent pool for the senior side, with tournaments like next year’s Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup in mind. Helmot, who recently served as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s assistant coach, will head a training programme that begins at the end of this month and ends in October, ahead of the 2016-17 season.”We are about developing Bangladesh cricket so we can be a force in all formats around the world,” Helmot said. “There are many competitions coming up, like the Champions Trophy. In a few years’ time, there is the World Cup, and there are lots of series to be played. But if we can develop the youth and even some of the experienced players to have better depth and a greater talent pool to pick in the national side, then we are going to be in a good place for not only now but for years to come.”The focus this time, according to BCB’s national game development manager Nazmul Abedin, will be on providing what the senior team requires and to reduce the gap between players in the HP squad those in the senior side. Helmot will start with a focus on the technical side of the game, and then move on to how to apply that in match situations. BCB are also looking to hire specialist foreign coaches for the programme, as well as organising at least one tour in September to give the players a taste of conditions away from home.Helmot, who has previously worked with Shakib Al Hasan at Melbourne Renegades and Mustafizur Rahman at Sunrisers Hyderabad, said that age would not be a factor when picking talent.”The HP programme should make sure there is development, and give players ownership and responsibility and discipline,” Helmot said. “Age doesn’t matter; people’s gifts and their ability can rise at different times. Most importantly, we have to set up a programme which is going to be open to those people we believe have the potential to play for their country.”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United are still "internally" discussing Adrien Rabiot as a summer target.

What are the latest MUFC transfer rumours?

The Red Devils moved one step closer to securing Champions League football this weekend as they picked up a 2-0 win in the Premier League against Wolves.

Of course, if they can finish in the top four, that will likely make the club much more attractive for potential signings, as well as freeing up more funds to splash on targets.

And it seems as though, United already have their eye on one player in Rabiot – in fact, they've had their eye on the Juventus man for some time.

Indeed, in a new update shared on his YouTube channel, Romano has now revealed the latest on the club's transfer interest.

He explained (4:37): “This season he's doing incredible things at Juventus as one of the best midfielders in Serie A – Adrien Rabiot, for sure.

"And so, Erik ten Hag saw something in Adrien Rabiot before everyone. So he wanted Rabiot at Manchester United last summer, they had an agreement on the contract details, on the personal terms, with the player's side.

"But what we can say is that Adrien Rabiot remains a player of interest of Manchester United. At the moment, it is not something agreed, it is just a name they appreciate and they've discussed internally.

"Also Adrien Rabiot is asking for some time before making his final decision on the future. He has a contract proposal from Juventus because they want to extend this contract.

"But the dream of Adrien Rabiot, as always said here, is to play in the Premier League. So he wants Premier League move as a priority."

Will Rabiot join Man United?

As Romano alludes to, the Red Devils were heavily linked with Rabiot last summer and Sky Sports even reported a deal had been agreed before it eventually collapsed.

Well, now 12 months later, his £150k-p/w contract is set to expire in June and so the Red Devils could pick him up without having to pay a transfer fee.

Seeing as he's had a pretty impressive season – looking like a man "reborn" for France as they made the World Cup final, while also starring for Juventus with the highest average WhoScored rating (7.15) in Serie A this season across the team – it looks as though this could end up being a great deal for Man United.

What's more, if the Premier League really is his "dream" this could be a relatively easy transfer to complete.

Durham challenged Hampshire to set them a target on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street by declaring 51 behind on 421 for 9

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2016
ScorecardKeaton Jennings’ unstoppable season goes on•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesDurham challenged Hampshire to set them a target on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street by declaring 51 behind on 421 for 9.With six overs to bat, Will Smith and Jimmy Adams stretched the lead to 60. But however desperate Hampshire might be for a win, it would be an enormous gamble to set a target on the flat pitch.Keaton Jennings followed his unbeaten 221 in the second innings of Durham’s last match, against Yorkshire, by making 129, his fifth century of the season.With Jack Burnham scoring 74 and Ben Stokes a run-a-ball half-century, Durham reached 288 for three before subsiding to 349 for 9.But with ten overs to score 51 for maximum batting points, Barry McCarthy and Graham Onions got there with ten balls to spare.The Irishman hit two sixes in reaching his maiden 50 off 47 balls, while Onions contributed 23 to the unbroken stand of 72.Watched by national selector James Whitaker, Stokes clobbered three back-foot fours in four balls off Tino Best, who finished with none for 104 in 19 overs.There were also some cracking drives among Stokes’ eight fours but he fell for 51 when he was bowled off his pads, looking to force acting captain Smith’s occasional off-spin through mid-wicket off the back foot.With the overnight pair putting on 158, it was well into the afternoon before Durham lost a wicket when Burnham chipped to mid-on.At that point Ryan McLaren had all three wickets, but shortly after the second new ball was taken he pulled up and was escorted off by the physio.His first ball in the day’s second over struck Burnham on the helmet, but the youngster shrugged it off, as he did the rest of the short stuff which came his way.He was not in total control of a hook for four off McLaren, but showed great composure in completing his first 50 since his maiden century at the Oval in the third game.Jennings, resuming on 36, scored one run from 35 balls under the heavy morning cloud before a ten-minute stoppage for rain.Under brighter skies runs flowed more freely and after Burnham’s exit Stokes got the better of an entertaining joust with Best, who almost snared him at deep backward square on 13.Best was driven wide of mid-off by Jennings for the two runs which took the opener to his hundred off 201 balls.He fell in the third over of the new ball, pushing forward and edging Gareth Berg to Adams at second slip.Gareth Andrew replaced the injured McLaren and chipped in with three wickets as Durham crumbled without their cornerstone until McCarthy took a hand.

West Ham have no interest in a swap deal involving influential midfielder Declan Rice despite the recent rumours of a player-plus-cash offer from Arsenal, according to a new update.

Is Rice leaving West Ham this summer?

The 24-year-old's future is a big talking point currently, with a new challenge looking likely to come his way at the end of the season. There is an increasing feeling that he has come as far as he can at the London Stadium, with a move to a Champions League-playing club potentially on the cards, or certainly one of the biggest teams in the country.

Rice has slowly become one of the most important players at West Ham over the years, developing into a dominant midfielder player with strong all-round attributes. Not only that, but he is also one of the first names on the team sheet for England manager Gareth Southgate, starting all five matches for the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.

There is still no confirmation that the Englishman will definitely leave West Ham, but with every fresh report that emerges, the more likely it feels. That being said, a new claim may at least give Hammers supporters an element of hope that he won't be allowed to go easily.

Cash only for Rice?

According to Football Insider, West Ham are "not interested in taking any player in part exchange" with Rice, with a summer swap deal off the table. It is stated that Arsenal "lead the chase" for the midfielder and there have been rumours that "Arsenal could include a first-team or emerging star", but he will only depart in a routine cash transfer.

In truth, it feels like a given that Rice will leave at the end of the campaign, especially as his current deal expires in 2024, meaning West Ham would lose him for free next year, rather than earn a huge sum of money this time around.

In an ideal world, he would remain in east London for the rest of his career – he has been hailed as "outstanding" by Joe Cole – but he has lofty ambitions and will want to test himself in the Champions League and win trophies in the coming years. It is hard to begrudge him a move, given his ceiling as a player and the loyalty to he has shown West Ham until this point, and it is now vital that the club use the funds they receive for him wisely.

Chelsea players Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Enzo Fernandez were all spotted arguing during their defeat to Arsenal by journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

What's the latest news after Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal?

It was a torrid night at the Emirates Stadium for the Blues, as they fell to yet another Premier League defeat. Interim boss Frank Lampard would have been hoping to get back to winning ways with an emphatic victory here, but it wasn't to be for the manager.

Instead, it was Martin Odegaard who gave hosts Arsenal the lead within the first 20 minutes of the game. He added his second of the night less than 15 minutes later and Chelsea were already staring a large deficit in the face. When Gabriel Jesus made it three before half-time, it looked an impossible task for the Blues.

The Stamford Bridge side did manage to add a consolation goal through Noni Madueke in the 65th minute but it proved to be futile, with the Gunners ultimately coming away with all three points.

Chelsea have now dropped down the table like a stone and after another defeat to the Mikel Arteta's side, they are now sitting in 12th place.

Even more worrying for Chelsea supporters is that relegation is not entirely out of the question yet. With five games left (and four for 18th-placed Nottingham Forest), the side are only nine points adrift from the drop zone. Having not won in the league now on seven consecutive outings, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they could be dragged further towards the bottom.

To make matters worse, it seemed there was disharmony among some of the players during the defeat. Journalist Nizaar Kinsella spotted defender Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and new signing Enzo Fernandez all fuming with each other after falling behind in the fixture:

"Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Enzo are arguing with each other."

It doesn't spell good news for Lampard, who will be desperate to try and drag his side back into the top half of the table before the end of the campaign.

Can Chelsea halt their Premier League slide?

The Blues have had one of their worst top tier campaigns this year and they're on course to finish in their lowest position since the 1993/94 season. If they drop below 12th, it would topple even that.

Graham Potter didn't work out despite his heroics at Brighton and Frank Lampard is also struggling to arrest the slide. Considering the calibre of player that Chelsea have on their books, it's surprising to see such a dramatic turn in their fortunes. However, these stars are struggling to gel, as shown by the form of Enzo Fernandez, one of the players spotted arguing.

For Benfica, he managed a rating of 7.24 before joining up with the Blues (via WhoScored). This made him one of the most exciting talents in Europe. Now though, that has tailed off to a score of 6.83, with his assist and goals tally both in decline too.

Chelsea shouldn't worry about the drop, as they've shown the capability to beat teams around them in the division previously. They've beaten relegation-threatened Leicester and Leeds most recently and have upcoming games against similar outfits like Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. If they can consolidate this season and appoint the right boss, they should be able to kick on next season.

Liverpool will host Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash at Anfield this weekend and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his side can take some confidence from their 5-1 victory over Leeds United earlier this week into the game on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds have been massively inconsistent over their entire campaign, which has cost them the opportunity to add trophies to their large collection and could also cost them their place in the Champions League next season, with the side trailing nine points behind Newcastle United in fourth.

As a result, there is absolutely no room for error over the remaining eight fixtures for Klopp and his squad if they want to do everything they can to earn that outside chance of qualifying for the prestigious European competition, starting at Anfield this weekend.

Indeed, Steve Cooper's newly-promoted side are in freefall as of late and are without a win since the beginning of February when they beat Leeds 1-0, however, it has been the story of Liverpool's season that they have not turned up against relegation-threatened sides on many occasions.

The Merseysiders are in no position to rest on their laurels against the Trentside giants this weekend as they have found themselves dropping points in their visit to The City Ground earlier this season alongside their meetings with Bournemouth, Leeds and Wolverhampton Wanderers to name a few.

As a result, Klopp will need to select a starting eleven who can offer not only quality but confidence going into the game tomorrow and, for that reason, it might be worth dropping Fabinho.

Will Fabinho start vs Nottingham Forest?

There is no doubt that the Brazilian midfielder is one of the most experienced players and has been one of the trusted players in the squad despite his questionable form this season, however, his terrible yellow card record in recent weeks has left him walking on a tightrope going into the Forest game.

Fabinho is on the brink of a two-game suspension which could be triggered as soon as Saturday afternoon if he was to pick up another booking against the Garibaldi Reds.

The £180k-per-week ace – who was branded a "liability every time he's in the side" by radio journalist Daniel Bach back in January – has collected nine yellow cards in total and a whopping seven in the last nine outings, with his clear lack of discipline on the pitch becoming a frustrating sight for supporters.

Klopp does find his hands tied in some respects as there is a lack of depth in midfield with Stefan Bajcetic and Naby Keita both unavailable, however, with Thiago Alcantara returning from injury recently and Jordan Henderson available for selection, it could be an opportunity for the manager to make a subtle tweak in the middle third.

Not only that, Fabinho could be more likely to avoid attempts to win possession or be reluctant to make interceptions to avoid a spell on the side-line in upcoming fixtures, so it could be more beneficial to leave him out for this encounter and instead rely on the club captain to take on the defensive role that'll almost certainly demand important tackles on threatening opponents.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether the Liverpool boss will run the risk of losing Fabinho by starting him on Saturday or will rely on other members of the squad to save the Brazilian for more challenging fixtures away from home.

Chelsea are set for fresh talks with Julian Nagelsmann about coming in as manager at the end of the season, according to Blues journalist Simon Phillips.

What's the latest Chelsea manager news?

Upon his return to Stamford Bridge, it was claimed that Frank Lampard wanted to become permanent manager once again, however he has not gotten off to the best of starts, with Chelsea losing their last three games.

As such, the Blues continue to run the rule over new managers to take charge at the end of the season, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Ruben Amorim, and more recently Vincent Kompany being linked the job, as reported by the Times. The same report details the Blues have held initial talks with Nagelsmann, who has recently been sacked by Bayern Munich, and the club were seemingly impressed, as they are set for further discussions.

According to established Chelsea journalist Phillips, via Give Me Sport, the 35-year-old is expected to be in London this week for another round of talks, following on from initial discussions which took place in Germany last week.

The German is not the only contender for the job, however, as Luis Enrique is also likely to be invited back for further face-to-face talks, while other candidates are said to be in the frame. Phillips claims the final decision is not expected to come until the summer, however he would not be surprised if a new manager comes in before the end of the season, possibly even in the next two weeks.

Should Chelsea appoint Julian Nagelsmann?

The former Bayern boss did a decent job at the Allianz Stadium, winning three trophies and guiding them safely through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, so from the outside it was an unusual decision that he was sacked.

There is likely to be competition for the young manager, as Tottenham Hotspur are also interested, however if Chelsea do win the race he could be a very exciting appointment, particularly because of his style of play.

Journalist Raj Chohan has hailed the tactician as being an "unreal attacking coach", which indicates he may be able to get more goals out of the squad next season, having scored just 30 in 31 Premier League games during the current campaign.

Nagelsmann would be an excellent appointment for Chelsea, and it is fantastic news he could come in before the end of the season, to give him an opportunity to assess his current squad.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to reach out to Luis Enrique over the possibility of holding talks with him about their managerial vacancy.

Who will become the next Spurs manager?

It is now a few weeks on from the mutual parting of ways between the Lilywhites and Antonio Conte but the north London club are still searching for his replacement.

Currently, Conte's assistant, Cristian Stellini, is at the helm until the end of the campaign and this appointment has not seen any improvement in the club's results.

Spurs are in serious danger of finding themselves considerably adrift of the Champions League race with three huge games ahead of them in the coming week.

However, a number of names continue to be linked with the vacancy in N17 and one of those is believed to be the former Spain and Barcelona manager, Enrique.

He is also a name believed to be on the list of their London rivals, Chelsea, as well with the two clubs believed to be targeting similar names.

Speaking on talkSPORT, insider Alex Crook has claimed Tottenham are, in fact, interested in the 52-year-old and may even look to reach out to him soon:

(0:30) "And now we're learning this morning [Tuesday], and I've had this confirmed, that Tottenham are interested in Luis Enrique as well and may even reach out and try and speak to him about becoming their new manager."

Who should Spurs hire as their next manager?

Over recent days, it has been suggested Daniel Levy is keen to bring in a manager who would view Tottenham as his first choice option.

This comes amid the competition Chelsea are likely to pose over the coming weeks/months with the two teams sharing a list of similar names in their managerial search.

However, it is believed Enrique has already been in London to hold talks with the Blues as the Spaniard is said to be keen on succeeding Graham Potter.

With this in mind, perhaps Enrique would not fit the bill for Spurs with Julian Nagelsmann also believed to be seriously interested in the job at Stamford Bridge.

Amid the managerial search going on behind the scenes at Tottenham, a lot of the Spurs fans have made their feelings known b singing the name of their former manager Mauricio Pochettino during games.

As Chelsea's managerial search could play a big influence on who is available for Tottenham to choose from, it will be interesting to see if Levy does stick to his reported demand.

If Chelsea were to select either Nagelsmann or Enrique, would Spurs then be open to hiring the other which Chelsea didn't?