The striker’s contract with the Cottagers expires on June 30, but he's hopeful to extend his deal with Fulham

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Jiménez is in his second season with FulhamEl “Lobo de Tepeji” has scored 19 goals for the clubThey currently sit in eighth place in the Premier LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Raúl Jiménez’s future appears to be with Fulham in the Premier League for next season, as the striker revealed his desire to reach a contract extension with his current club. The Mexico international joined the Cottagers two seasons ago and talks for a new deal could soon be underway.

“I hope the option to stay at Fulham, in the Premier League, gets activated. The club can trigger it, and I’d be happy to continue in England,” the striker said in an interview with TNT Sports.

Jiménez and Fulham are enjoying a great run in the current Premier League season. The club sits in eighth place with 48 points and is pushing for a spot in European competition next season. The striker has tallied 10 goals and three assists in 31 matches. The former Wolverhampton forward has also scored in both the FA Cup and the EFL Cup this campaign.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Jiménez is looking to stay in the Premier League for at least one more year. The 33-year-old forward is entering the final stretch of his career, but he’s well aware that the World Cup is coming up next year and he wants to be in top form to earn a spot on Javier Aguirre’s squad for the tournament.

Jiménez has enjoyed the best years of his career in England, most notably with Wolverhampton, where he scored 57 goals in 166 matches. His numbers with Fulham aren’t bad either – he’s found the back of the net 19 times in 65 appearances.

After his standout performance in the recent CONCACAF Nations League, where he led Mexico to their first title in the competition, Jiménez once again proved that he still has plenty to offer El Tri.

Having regained the level he had prior to the skull fracture he suffered in 2020, the striker knows that staying in peak physical condition and playing in one of the world’s top leagues will make him a key player for "El Vasco" as the national team prepares for the World Cup.

AFPWHAT RAÚL JIMÉNEZ SAID

The former Club América player spoke about the skull fracture he sustained after a head-to-head collision with Brazilian defender David Luiz in 2020, back when he was still playing for Wolverhampton. Jiménez was sidelined for nine months and nearly had to retire from football.

"I don’t think what happened with him was intentional," he said. "He’s always been a very fierce competitor, and I don’t hold any resentment toward him. It’s something that happened on the pitch, and that’s where it stays. I have nothing against him.

"We actually spoke at the time – after the accident, I would get messages from him on my phone. Later on, when they came to play at Wolverhampton and I was up in the stands, he got sent off, and as soon as he left the pitch, he knew where I was sitting and came up to see me.”

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FULHAM?

Marco Silva’s side faces a tough test in Matchday 32 of the Premier League when they visit Bournemouth. Fulham, currently eighth in the standings with 48 points, holds just a three-point lead over the Cherries.

Brothers Union and City Club remain winless after playing three matches each

Mohammad Isam22-Mar-2023

Mohammad Naim scored 110 off 86 against Mohammedan Sporting Club•BCB

Defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club are among the four clubs who have claimed full points with wins in all of their respective matches in the first week of this season’s Dhaka Premier League. The other teams who have gone unscathed are Abahani Limited, Prime Bank and Legends of Rupganj.Abahani climbed to second place after their six-wicket win over old rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.Brothers Union and City Club remain winless after playing three matches each.Best batters of the week – Mohammad Naim and Irfan SukkurLeft-hand batters Mohammad Naim and Irfan Sukkur are currently on top of the batters’ charts. Naim’s unbeaten 110 was decisive in Abahani’s big win over Mohammedan. Brothers Union’s Tanzid Hasan made a run-a-ball 142 against Legends of Rupganj.Mominul Haque, playing for Rupganj Tigers, smacked a 41-ball 74 against Mohammedan.Best bowlers – Elias Sunny and Alauddin BabuLeft-arm spinner Elias Sunny took a five-wicket haul against newcomers Dhaka Leopards, while Alauddin Babu took his five-for, which included a hat-trick, against Gazi Group Cricketers. Fast bowlers have had a good run so far – four other four-wicket hauls have all been by quick bowlers.The close match – Legends of Rupganj vs Brothers UnionLegends of Rupganj beat Brothers Union by three wickets in a high-scoring match at the BKSP-3 ground. Rupganj chased down the target of 300 with eight balls to spare, with Chirag Jani top scoring with 94. Earlier, Tanzid scored 142 to take Brothers Union to 299 for 5.Players to watchAkbar Ali, the much-talked-about Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, started this DPL season with a fifty for Gazi Group Cricketers. He is the only big name from that 2020 batch to have not made it to the Bangladesh senior side yet, so Akbar will be looking at maximising his opportunities this season.

The Supreme Court told the BCCI to implement several important recommendations made by the Lodha Committee despite the board voicing its objections to them. The following are the key reforms the BCCI will have to make

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2016One state, one member, one voteThe impact: 1) This recommendation reduces at least four existing associations from being full members of the BCCI to associates. At present, state associations of Maharashtra, Mumbai and Vidarbha – each functioning independently in the state of Maharashtra – and Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra – each functioning independently in the state of Gujarat – have one vote each in the BCCI elections. The Lodha Committee proposed that the six votes be reduced to two, one each from each state, with one association representing the state at the BCCI on rotational basis for a period of one year.The states’ objections: The legal counsels of the different states and the BCCI lawyer contested that not only did the six members of Maharashtra and Gujarat represent a definite geographical territory and field teams, but they also contributed to the development of the game in their respective regions. It was argued that having one member represent the entire state was “fraught with difficulty and ignored the historical perspective.”Court’s response: The rotational arrangement would give each association a right to a full member’s vote when its turn came around, without violating the broader principle of ‘one state one vote’ recommended by the committee. Such a system would also respect the history of these associations, their role in the promotion the game and the formation of the BCCI. These state bodies can continue to field teams in domestic tournaments, and the BCCI will decide the order in which the full membership rotates among the associations.2) The Lodha committee also recommended that five full members of the BCCI – Railways Sports Promotion Board, Association of Indian Universities, Services Sports Control Board, National Cricket Club (Kolkata) and Cricket Club of India (Mumbai) – be relegated to associate status.The five clubs defence: Even if the five clubs did not represent any state and two of them – NCC and CCI – were recreational bodies that did not even field first- class teams – they should continue as full members keeping in view the historical background leading to the formation of BCCI.Court’s response: The relegation of these five clubs to associate membership is meant to support the structural streamlining of the BCCI to make it more responsive and accountable, at the same time providing for an equal opportunity for different regions to participate in the growth and promotion of the game in the countryAge limit of 70 for office bearersBCCI and states’ objections: Citing the example of veteran administrator Niranjan Shah, who has served as secretary at the Saurashtra Cricket Association for the past four decades, the court was told that setting an upper age limit was not “reasonable” and “conducive” for the growth of the game. Lawyers for both BCCI and states argued that age had nothing to do with the administrative capacity of the person.Court response: It stated that cricketers usually played the game between the age of 18 and 35 and that after retirement anyone who had the potential to contribute to the game could do so for over three decades until the age of 70. The upper age limit recommended by the Lodha Committee was not, therefore, unreasonable or irrational. The Court also stated that the Indian Government’s National Sports Development Code of India, 2011, had stipulated that primary office bearers – President, Secretary and the Treasurer – of recognised National Sports Federation including the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had an age cap of 70 years. The Court said that the upper age limit of 70 was not an unusual or unacceptable norm.Ministers and civil servants cannot be administratorsBCCI and states’ objections: Because of their experience, ministers and government officials, the BCCI said, were “able” administrators at both the central and state level and such a recommendation would hurt the efficiency of the board and the growth of the game.The court’s response: The game would be better managed, promoted and developed if politicians and civil servants, who occupy positions of responsibility in the government that call for their complete attention and commitment, were made ineligible from holding any post in state associations or the BCCI. The court also said it did not believe that the game flourished due to a minister or civil servant holding a cricket office. Nor did they believe the game would be denied its due without ministers or civil servants at the helm. Office bearers cannot hold posts at BCCI and state levelBCCI’s objections: It argued that the experience gained by administrators at state level could be useful when the official doubles up in a role at the board level.Court’s response: It said that one person could not be allowed to hold both a state and BCCI post because of conflict of interest issues. The court said that presidents and secretaries of state associations existed to discharge functions with the primary interest of the state in mind; as BCCI office bearers, they are expected to subordinate regional interests to a larger national interest. The court said the existence of dual roles meant that officials often appointed their fellow state officials to key posts in the BCCI and created “an imbalance,” and that the Lodha report on the matter was far from “irrational.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da winzada777： Após o triunfo sobre o Náutico, o Vasco volta a campo, nesta quarta-feira, para medir força com o líder Cruzeiro, às 21h, no Mineirão. A partida será válida pela 31ª rodada da Série B e tem contornos decisivos para ambas as equipes. Com isso, o Cruz-Maltino divulgou a lista de relacionados para o duelo sem dois nomes, que eram esperados.

+Cruzeiro x Vasco: onde assistir ao jogo da Série B do Brasileirão

RelacionadasVascoCruzeiro x Vasco: onde assistir ao jogo da Série B do BrasileirãoVasco19/09/2022VascoYuri Lara mantém fama de pitbull no Vasco e se torna o maior ‘ladrão de bolas’ do futebol brasileiro em 2022Vasco19/09/2022VascoVasco ganha ‘reforço caseiro’ para a reta final da Série B do BrasileirãoVasco19/09/2022

da 888： Entre as ausências da lista composta pelo técnico Jorginho, está o meio-campista Carlos Palacios. O chileno ficará de fora do confronto decisivo, poisrelatou dor na coxa direita após o treino desta terça-feira. O atleta realizará ressonância magnética nesta quarta, pela manhã, e será reavaliado após o exame realizado pelo DESP.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

Além do meia, o zagueiro Miranda também ficou de fora. Vale lembrar que o defensor foi punido pela Conmebol em virtude de um exame antidoping, que detectou uma substância canrenona – diurético proibido em seu organismo. Após um ano, a suspensão se encerrou nesta última segunda-feira, mas por opção da comissão técnica, ele ainda não estará com o grupo.

Restam oito rodadas para o fim da competição, e o Gigante da Colina soma 48 pontos, na quarta colocação. A diferença para o Londrina, atual quinto lugar, é de apenas três pontos. Depois do duelo desta quarta-feira, as equipes se enfrentam no próximo dia 29, no Rio de Janeiro.

+Yuri Lara mantém fama de pitbull no Vasco e se torna o maior ‘ladrão de bolas’ do futebol brasileiro em 2022

A preocupação do clube é com a extensa lista de pendurados. Apesar disso, os principais nomes do elenco estão entre os relacionados e devem estar em campo. Os jogadores pendurados são: Andrey Santos, Nenê,Thiago Rodrigues, Anderson Conceição, Danilo Boza, Alex Teixeira, Quintero e Matheus Barbosa.

Um triunfo sobre a equipe celeste seria essencial para manter a diferença e seguir no G4. Por outro lado, caso a Raposa saia de campo vitoriosa, confirmará seu acesso depois de três temporadas na segundona.

📝 Lista de relacionados para o duelo contra o Cruzeiro (MG).#VascoDaGama pic.twitter.com/xjBkHzfH9n

— Vasco da Gama (@VascodaGama) September 20, 2022

da casino： Liverpool were out of sorts as they drew against struggling Manchester United at Anfield for the second season running, but Arne Slot’s side remain in a noble position at the top of the Premier League.

da betcris： Six points clear of Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in joint-second (with a game in hand), the Reds know that they will only have themselves to blame if they fail in their quest for the prize.

Off-field contract distractions felt like they seeped onto the pitch as Ruben Amorim’s United called upon long-lost fluency to impress as they claimed a point off their arch-rivals, Trent Alexander-Arnold bearing the brunt of Merseyside’s reprovals.

Regardless of how these issues resolve themselves, Liverpool will need to strengthen in 2025. Hopefully, FSG succeed in tying Trent, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk down, keeping the club’s key framework in place and allowing for investment in other areas.

Liverpool targeting a new winger

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with hopes of securing a deal this year. That said, so are Manchester United.

The report claims that Slot’s side showed interest last August but ultimately kept the faith in Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, the latter being linked with moves to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

Kvaratskhelia earns ‘peanuts’ in Naples at £32k-per-week, and though his club are seeking to extend his stay on bumper new terms, there is an opportunity there for Liverpool to strike.

Diaz, 28 in less than a week, is contracted until 2027 but could be sold for the right price, should a new deal fail to materialise. Kvaratskhelia would be the ultimate replacement, though Napoli have placed a £90m price tag on his name, meaning Liverpool would need to break their transfer record.

What Kvaratskhelia could bring to Anfield

Described as a “phenomenon” by Italian football pundit Mina Rzouki, Kvaratskhelia is the jewel in Napoli’s crown, the poster boy now that Victor Osimhen has fled to Galatasaray on loan as he waits for a permanent transfer away.

Still only 23, the balletic winger notably ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for total shots taken, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

His fleet-footedness blends perfectly with clinical offensive qualities and an authoritative aura that stems, perhaps, from being the main man for his nation.

Georgia dazzled at Euro 2024 as they reached the knockout phases and lost valiantly against eventual winners Spain, and Kvaratskhelia “lived up to his reputation” – said analyst John Walker – as the team’s talisman.

The caveat to Liverpool’s interest is of course that Diaz would need to leave for him to be welcomed to Anfield’s pitch, but given that FBref records the Colombian to be one of his most tactically similar players, there’s a good chance that he would hit the ground running under Slot’s wing.

But the Napoli sensation might actually prove to be an upgrade on the thriving Gakpo, who has been incisive in recent weeks and has four goals and an assist from his past five Premier League fixtures.

Cody Gakpo vs Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (24/25)

Match Stats*

Gakpo

Kvaratskhelia

Matches (starts)

19 (11)

17 (15)

Goals

6

5

Assists

2

3

Shots (on target)*

1.7 (0.6)

2.9 (1.0)

Big chances missed

4

2

Pass completion

84%

83%

Key passes*

1.0

1.7

Dribbles*

1.1

1.1

Total duels won*

3.1

4.2

Stats via Sofascore

Focus your attention on Kvaratskhelia’s keen clinical edge, having missed just two big chances in Serie A this season. In fact, the 23-year-old has only missed 16 big chances since joining Napoli at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, as per Sofascore, scoring 28 goals in total.

That’s a ball-striking quality to rival Gakpo’s while bringing a more electric and dynamic approach, as far as his overall play goes. He might even be Liverpool’s best left winger since the halcyon days of Sadio Mane.

Mohamed Salah might have unbelievable potency, but Mane was every bit as deadly in one of the Premier League’s all-time great frontlines, with Jurgen Klopp even hailing his maverick as a “world-class” player. It’s something that was echoed across all of Merseyside and beyond.

Like Kvaradona, Mane boasted blistering speed and deft, artful dribbling, with an innate striker’s sense that saw him bag so many goals due to his expert movements. Moreover, he was deadly when striking on goal, only missing 13 big chances during his final Premier League campaign with the Reds, clinching 16 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title.

Across 269 Liverpool appearances, Mane, now 33 and plying his trade for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, scored 120 goals and supplied 42 assists, though the magnitude of his brilliance under Klopp’s wing was something not so easily defined through goal numbers, through metrics.

Kvaratskhelia could be Slot’s own version of the Senegal legend. He’s got his prime years ahead of him and has demonstrated over the past few years that he has the pace, power and potency to excel on English soil.

Liverpool have long enjoyed the fruits of high-class wingers, and though Gakpo and Diaz have been immense this season, signing Kvaratskhelia would take FSG’s project to a whole ‘nother level.

Related FSG must take £60m bid for Liverpool dud who was nearly as costly as Trent

Liverpool looked lacklustre as they were held to a draw by Manchester United.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jan 6, 2025

أعلن محمود عبد الرازق “شيكابالا”، قائد فريق الكرة بنادي الزمالك، اعتزاله لعبة كرة القدم نهائيًا، واضعًا نهاية لمسيرة كروية حافلة استمرت 22 عامًا.

وترك شيكابالا خلفه إرثًا رياضيًا عظيمًا، حيث أصبح رمزًا للإخلاص والتألق للقلعة البيضاء، ممتلكًا مسيرة مميزة وعلاقة وثيقة بجماهير الزمالك ستظل محفورة في ذاكرة عشاق الفارس الأبيض لسنوات قادمة، خاصة في ظل كونه أحد رموز اللعبة في النادي.

ويعد شيكابالا أحد أبرز رموز الزمالك في العصر الحديث، بدأ رحلته مع الفريق الأول في أوائل الألفية الحالية، وتمكن على مدار مسيرته من ترسيخ اسمه في قلوب جماهير الكرة وخاصة ميت عقبة بأهدافه الحاسمة ومهاراته الفريدة، فضلًا عن قيادته للفريق في لحظات صعبة.

وشهدت مسيرة شيكابالا مع الزمالك تألقًا لافتًا، حيث خاض396 مباراة في مختلف البطولات طوال مسيرته، سجل 70 هدفًا، و صنع 89 هدفًا، وحصل على 18 بطولة رفقة الأبيض، ليُسهم بشكل مباشر في صناعة وتسجيل أكثر من 150 هدفًا للفارس الأبيض.

طالع.. الرحلة انتهت | عاجل ورسميًا.. شيكابالا يُعلن باكيًا اعتزال كرة القدم

ويُعد شيكابالا من أكثر اللاعبين تتويجًا بالألقاب في تاريخ الزمالك، بعدما تمكن من تحقيق 18 بطولة بالقميص الأبيض، ليتربع على عرش الأكثر فوزًا بالبطولات في تاريخ النادي.

كما تُوج شيكابالا بجائزة هدّاف الدوري المصري موسم 2010-2011، بعد تسجيله 13 هدفًا، في واحدة من أبرز مواسمه الفردية.

واختتم شيكابالا مشواره مع الزمالك بأفضل سيناريو يحدث بعد قيادته الفريق للتتويج ببطولة كأس مصر مؤخرًا، حيث سجّل ركلة الترجيح الحاسمة في المباراة النهائية، ليُهدي جماهير ميت عقبة لقبًا غاليًا ويودع عالم الساحرة المستديرة. بطولات شيكابالا مع نادي الزمالك

الدوري المصري: 4 ألقاب

كأس مصر: 7 ألقاب

كأس السوبر المصري: لقبين

كأس السوبر الأفريقي: 3 ألقاب

كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية: لقب وحيد

دوري أبطال أفريقيا: لقب وحيد

Tottenham full-back Djed Spence has claimed that former coach Antonio Conte completely "shattered my confidence".

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• Spence slammed ex-Spurs boss Conte
• Joined Spurs in the summer of 2022
• Conte labelled him a club signing

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Spence moved to Spurs from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 after helping Nottingham Forest secure Premier League promotion while on loan at the club in the 2021-22 campaign. Spence's dream move, however, quickly turned into a nightmare as he fell out of favour under then-manager Antonio Conte, who publicly claimed it was the club's decision to sign him. The defender was subsequently sent on a six-month loan to Rennes in the second half of the 2022-23 season.

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• WHAT DJED SPENCE SAID

  Recalling his experience of working under Conte on the , Spence said: "It wasn’t a nice feeling. Especially as I was coming to the club on a high, I was confident, I was buzzing, had just won promotion. Then it was like running into a brick wall. It shattered my confidence a bit, obviously, I’m young. It’s not nice to hear.

  "I knew it was rubbish at the time. It wasn’t a nice feeling. I was even going into the club like [puffs out cheeks] and, ‘What am I doing?’ I feel like whatever I did, that man [Conte] wasn’t happy about anything. Even if you did the right things, you were like, ‘Did I do the right thing?’ Cos he’s not really a complimenting guy. It gets to a point where you don’t really need validation from a coach. You just go, ‘Oh’. I probably had one conversation with him."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Conte was sacked by Spurs in March 2023, but Spence did not get an opportunity to make an appearance for the north London side in Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm as he was loaned out to Leeds United and then Genoa.However, Spence has managed to break into Postecoglou's lineup in the current campaign.

  The English full-back added: "When a new manager comes in you think, 'Alright, everyone's going to get a fair chance, he's going to have a look at everyone'. With me, I don't think that was really the case. But that's part of the game of football. Football's not fair. [Postecoglou] just said basically I need to go out and play and that's when I ended up going to Leeds.

  "Sometimes you might not get a chance that you feel like you deserve. I've always known I was good enough. People say, 'It's good to see he's got a second chance and he's doing well'. I never really got the first chance. This is my first chance and I'm taking it. I'm just happy I worked hard, I stayed consistent and I was ready."

• AFP
  

  'WITH CONTE TRAINING WAS VERY REPETITIVE'

  On Conte's methods of training, Spence said: "I feel like with Conte [training] was very repetitive. We would literally do the same situation every day. With Ange, it’s a bit different. We do change it. He switches it up every day. I think I’ve been a victim of being too humble. Thinking things are just going to happen by not doing nothing and not saying nothing. But sometimes you have to express yourself.

  "In my first year at Tottenham, I feel I gave a bit too much respect to the players and the surroundings because it’s Tottenham. I came from Forest, I’m going to the Premier League, a top-six club, and I thought, 'Phew, this is big'. I feel I gave them too much respect in regards I didn’t really be myself. When I went there, I saw players who were big names like Harry Kane and Sonny [Heung-min Son], and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. But that was probably my biggest mistake, doing that and not expressing myself how I should have. I’d say this season [that's changed]. I’ve got no time to waste now. I’ve got to go get it, it’s time."

Valuable five-for comes before Keaton Jennings, Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon fill their boots

Paul Edwards21-Apr-2023
You cannot tell quite how pancake-flat a pitch is until you have seen both sides try to fill their boots on it. The truth of this apophthegm was made very plain during the final two sessions of this day’s cricket when Lancashire’s batters, having seen Somerset compile a respectable 441 in 122.4 overs, produced every article of footwear they could find and try to cram them with runs.The advance guard of this brutal assault was led by Luke Wells, whose 109-ball 82 was merely the latest example of this batting all-rounder’s renaissance at Emirates Old Trafford. But the onslaught was continued in the evening session by Keaton Jennings, who reached his first century of the season off 158 balls, having sprinted to his second fifty runs off 53.Close of play came early when Richard Illingworth and Russell Warren stopped the fight with ten overs still to be bowled. At that point Jennings and Josh Bohannon had added 148 runs in 22.5 overs of the evening session and the opener seemed well placed to follow his 318 against Somerset last July with another colossal score on Saturday.For once, these statistics and these alarming prospects matter. If Jennings and his colleagues continue to score at this rate, they will have a considerable lead by say, teatime on Saturday and might then be able to loose James Anderson on Somerset’s still rather frail top-order. And on today’s evidence, any comments about the bowler-unfriendly nature of this Taunton wicket should make a special exemption for a bowler of Anderson’s quality. As to Lancashire’s final total, well to borrow the helpful prediction of the association football pundit, it could be anything.But there was a purpose to this savagery and this curiously modern cricket beyond that of building a first-innings lead and possibly embarrassing Somerset on the final day. Five batting points will only be awarded this season if sides score 450 runs inside their 110 overs and teams will receive only five points for the draw, rather than the generous eight they were awarded last year. So given that most games played on wickets like this one at Taunton will be drawn, it becomes even more vital for batters to make the most of them.Wells was the first Lancashire batsman to fulfil this injunction on Friday and the chief sufferer was Jack Leach, for whom this was a bloody afternoon. Having quietly played out a maiden, the opener reverse swept the first three balls of Leach’s second over for two fours and a six. That was dismissive enough but when England’s premier spinner tightened his line he was merely driven straight and high and often. Nor did Wells’ dismissal end the torture; two of Bohannon’s first three scoring shots were sixes off Leach, whose figures at the day’s end were 17-1-103-0. One can only wish him a peaceful night’s rest.Then again, if the weather forecast had been accurate, we all might have enjoyed a little more repose today. But the rain that had been promised for two o’clock did not arrive until after the close and that gave Lancashire an opportunity they have seized with almost frightening relish. Nevertheless, the prospect of rain closing in from the east and the fact that first-class cricket was taking place nowhere else in the land at eleven o’clock made one determined to appreciate every good thing at Taunton this morning. We were presented with a varied box of delights, too, ranging from the expected discipline of Anderson, who completed a five-wicket return for the 54th time in his career to the unexpected mayhem of a 48-run partnership for the last wicket between the two Jacks, Brooks and Leach.Indeed, the second day began much as the first had, with Anderson taking two wickets inside the opening 45 minutes of play. Having played one of the most important innings of his young life, James Rew drove rather loosely but only edged a catch to George Bell, and Lewis Gregory was leg before for six when he missed a very straight ball. Meanwhile, the Quantocks faded into the mist and predictions about the afternoon became increasingly dire.We ignored them. Kasey Aldridge edged Anderson to Wells at first slip, thus giving the bowler his five-fer and Tom Abell, having beaten his previous career-best by one run, shaped to push George Balderson for a single but instead fell lbw for 151.Peter Siddle whacked two fours and a six but then became Saqib Mahmood’s first wicket in four-day cricket for three days short of an injury-wrecked year. The Australian’s innings, though, was merely the prelude to six overs of anarchy as Leach and Brooks’ bats described increasingly exotic arcs and the ball regularly disappeared to or over the boundary rope. The fun ended when Brooks hoicked Tom Bailey to long leg where Tom Hartley took a fine diving catch. Leach went off to tiffin, where he might have lamented the lot of the class batsman who runs out of partners. Unbeaten 40s do that to a chap. He little knew what was in store for him.The wind acquired an extra edge after lunch and the County Ground followed suit. The Thatchers Terrace, so often thronged with cider and opinions, resembled the . The ice-cream man, who on Thursday had been doling out scoops like an IPL addict, fell asleep in his van. The cricket slumbered, too, for half an hour or so but pardonably as Lancashire’s openers went about their business a trifle cautiously against Brooks and Gregory.Then Wells stroked Gregory through the covers on the back foot and the loud encouragements of the home fielders pierced the cool air. Four overs later, though, the same batter lifted Gregory into the Somerset Stand and Lancashire’s reply was infused with fresh purpose. Within a few overs Wells was running amok and Abell’s bowlers were powerless to prevent him.

As their search to sign a fresh attacking option continues, Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign a La Liga winger alongside a number of their Premier League rivals.

Newcastle transfer news

It seems like a fairly open secret that Miguel Almiron is at the back end of his Newcastle career. The winger has lost his starting place under Eddie Howe and is now reportedly ready to leave when the January transfer window arrives. The Magpies, meanwhile, are reportedly in pursuit of a fresh face to take hold of that right-wing spot at St James’ Park.

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Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo are names that are seemingly on the Magpies’ radar, with both enjoying excellent seasons so far in the Premier League.

Mbeumo would be a particularly impressive addition given how he can also lead the line and therefore provide potential cover for Alexander Isak. However, whether Newcastle find themselves priced out of a move by a fellow Premier League side once again remains to be seen.

The Brentford and Bournemouth stars aren’t the only options to have been mentioned, either. The Tyneside club have also turned their attention towards La Liga and one in-demand winger.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Paul Mitchell and Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Takefusa Kubo after Mitchell sent scouts to watch the winger score and assist in a midweek victory for Real Sociedad against Ajax.

However, officials from Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal were in attendance for the winger’s show-stealing performance, sparking a tough race for his signature.

Still just 23 years old, Kubo is a player who looks destined for a big move. Given Newcastle’s current desire to upgrade the options on their right-hand side, the Japan star could quickly become the ideal signing for those at St James’ Park.

"Hero" Kubo would be an upgrade on Almiron

Yet to even reach his prime, Kubo would be an instant upgrade on Almiron and take Harvey Barnes all the way in the battle to start in Howe’s frontline.

The Sociedad star has managed four goals and one assist in all competitions in the current campaign, mirroring Barnes’ current output for Newcastle and indicating the kind of rivalry that could be created between the two should the former complete a transfer.

Having two options capable of pushing each other all the way should be seen as the key to success on Tyneside. That competition and strength in depth is something that the Magpies so desperately lack. Dubbed “Japan’s hero” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig at the 2020 Olympics, Kubo could swap Sociedad for the Premier League when 2025 arrives.

As Newcastle search for a new hero of their own, they could turn the way of Kubo to discover an undoubted upgrade on Almiron and the ideal competition for Barnes on the right-hand side.

Leeds United are pushing to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League this season after they fell short at the final hurdle last May in the play-off final.

The Whites are currently top of the Championship table and are on course to finish in the top two, but Daniel Farke is looking to bolster his squad during the January transfer window, which officially opened for business last week.

A move for Nottingham Forest centre-back Andrew Omobamidele is in the works, with the club reportedly in talks with the Premier League side to sign the Ireland international.

He is not the only central defender on the West Yorkshire outfit’s radar in the January window, as Leeds are said to be keen on another top-flight ace this month.

Leeds keen on Premier League defender

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Whites are keen on a deal to bring Wales international Ben Davies to Elland Road from Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Interestingly, The Athletic reported that Leeds were looking at the former Swansea star as a potential target to bolster their squad in January of last year, before they went on to fail to secure promotion.

Speaking on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, Jacobs said: “With Ben Davies, I think that he will also be gone. And the same for Fraser Foster as well. With Davies, the natural thing is to run down the contract. Leeds United remain interested. So that could be one to watch in the coming weeks.”

Farke and his recruitment team should now push to get a deal over the line for the Spurs ace, who was compared to AC Milan great Paolo Maldini by teammate James Maddison after his performance against Manchester City in November of last year.

Why Leeds should sign Ben Davies

The Whites should swoop for the 31-year-old star because he is an experienced top-flight campaigner who could provide the team with a boost on and off the pitch, whilst also having the quality to play at Premier League level if Leeds achieve promotion.

Both Omobamidele and Davies have struggled for minutes in the division this term but their respective performances in the Premier League last term suggest that the Spurs man would be a better option than the Irishman.

Appearances

17

11

Pass accuracy

91%

87%

Ball recoveries per game

3.1

1.9

Ground duel success rate

68%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

58%

44%

Error led to goal

0

1

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh defender, who can play at left-back or centre-back, significantly outperformed the Irishman whilst playing for a team that was higher up in the table.

The statistics suggest that Davies is a capable Premier League defender who can win the majority of his duels whilst being calm in possession, whereas Omobamidele struggled in the air and made an error that directly led to a goal.

Of course, the Forest youngster is only 22 and would come in as a project player with potential to fulfill, but Leeds could boost their chances of promotion and of achieving survival if they get promoted by signing Davies, who is a superior option in the short-term.

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It is now down to Farke and the club to convince the Tottenham centre-back to drop down to the Championship to join the club’s push to reach the top-flight in the second half of the campaign.