Liverpool are interested in completing the signing of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram at the end of the season, according to a fresh update.

Is Thuram having a good season?

The Frenchman may only be 22 years of age, but he is already an integral part of Nice's team, enjoying an eye-catching season for them to date as Les Aiglons compete for European glory. He has made 30 appearances in Ligue 1 overall, scoring two goals in that time and also chipping in with four assists, while he was in Europa Conference League action in midweek as his side earned a 2-2 away draw against Basel.

Midfield is an area of the pitch that Liverpool simply have to focus on during the summer transfer window, with a complete rebuild needed in the middle of the park. Both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have looked past their best throughout this season, while Thiago is now 32 years old and injury-prone, highlighting why changes need to be made.

Meanwhile, the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are expected to leave at the end of the campaign, while doubts surround the future of veteran James Milner.

This highlights why new signings are desperately required in midfield, and with Jude Bellingham seemingly off the table now, Liverpool need to look at alternatives – and it looks as though they have one lined up in the form of Thuram, according to a new claim.

Are Liverpool looking to sign Khephren Thuram?

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are one of many clubs who are "dreaming of signing" Thuram in the summer window. They have been "seduced" by his performances for Nice this season and see him as one of France's potential next great midfielders.

Nice are demanding €60m (£53m) for one of their star players' services, however, and that price tag could rise further if even more clubs become interested.

Thuram could be exactly what Liverpool are looking for in the middle of the park this summer, as he possesses the technical quality and energy that has been so badly lacking.

He is averaging 1.5 tackles per game in the French league this season as well as an 86.4% pass completion rate – performing better than Henderson in both departments, albeit in a different competition. He has also averaged more interceptions per game than the Englishman and Fabinho, and given he would have youth on his side, there is an argument to suggest he could offer something to the Liverpool midfield in time, if not immediately.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Thuram's "significant upper-body strength", his "excellent technique" and his impressive "ball control at speed", as well as "above-average vision & playmaking skills" – all of which could take the Reds up another gear next season and beyond when you consider the current midfield has vastly underperformed this term.

He may not be able to transform Liverpool's fortunes on his own, but if he was to be part of a number of arrivals in the summer, we believe could become an integral part of a team in dire need of a refresh.

David Warner set up Australia’s 36-run win against South Africa at Basseterre with his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIf there is any venue outside Australia where David Warner should feel at home it is the ground in Basseterre on the island of St Kitts. It is tailor-made for him with its short boundaries and hard surface. It is even named Warner Park. In his first international match at his namesake venue, Warner struck his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia, to set up a 36-run victory over South Africa.Australia thus became the first team to win two games in this tri-series, which has now moved on from the slow, spinning surfaces of Guyana. Steven Smith had no hesitation in choosing to bat first and Warner’s 109 was the dominant contribution of the match, setting Australia on the path to 288 for 6.South Africa’s bowlers seemed to have done well to keep Australia under 300, but those same bowlers also formed a long tail that was unable to offer much resistance after Australia’s attack got through the middle order. Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets each and the lower order collapsed, the last seven wickets falling for 42 runs.For a while, South Africa looked to be cruising in their chase. They had lost Quinton de Kock early, when he pulled Hazlewood to deep square leg for 19, but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis set about building a typically solid platform that should have been adequate. They made it to 140 for 1 in the 26th over before Amla (60) was sharply taken by Smith at cover off Hazlewood.Life became tougher for the South African batsmen as Australia’s fast men found some reverse swing, which helped Starc get rid of du Plessis, who sliced to backward point for 63. AB de Villiers and JP Duminy then had the job of steering the rest of the innings, but de Villiers was also done by reverse swing when Hazlewood tailed one in to bowl him for 39.The loss of Duminy, through a somewhat lax sweep to deep midwicket off Zampa for 41, precipitated the lower-order collapse. Zampa had Farhaan Behardien lbw for 4 and had Wayne Parnell caught at long-on for 3, leaving too much work for the tail. Kyle Abbott had already been bowled, done by Starc’s reverse swing, before Aaron Phangiso also fell to Starc and Imran Tahir was run out to end the game.South Africa’s seamers had found almost no reverse earlier in the day. Like Australia, who dropped Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell, South Africa strengthened their pace group at the expense of their spin attack, and while Abbott and Parnell especially were tight enough, they couldn’t manage to string enough wickets together, even after ending Warner’s innings.Warner’s previous five one-day international hundreds had all come in Australia, where the quick and bouncy pitches tend to suit his preference for the ball coming on to the bat. He started this one with two boundaries in the first over of the game and in all struck 11 fours and two sixes, and he was typically harsh on any width offered by the quicks.His opening partner, Aaron Finch, found no momentum and was bowled for 13 off 28 when he missed an attempted sweep off an Imran Tahir straight ball. Warner and Usman Khawaja put on 136 for the second wicket and a total well in excess of 300 looked like a strong possibility.Warner brought up his hundred from his 109th delivery when he cut a single off Abbott, and two deliveries later Khawaja raised his half-century from his 58th ball, but neither man was to go on much further. The second drinks break came at just the right time for South Africa, as Warner pulled Parnell to midwicket off the first ball after the resumption.Khawaja had swept the spinners effectively but the shot eventually brought his downfall on 59 when he top-edged off Phangiso and skied a catch that was taken by Amla from short fine leg. George Bailey was lbw to Tahir for 11 and Mitchell Marsh holed out deep midwicket for 10 off an Abbott full toss, and South Africa’s fightback was looking strong.However, Smith managed to steer the Australians into the high 200s with a half-century at better than a run-a-ball, with some assistance from Matthew Wade, who scored 24 off 14 balls. Smith ended up unbeaten on 52 from 49 deliveries, and Australia had enough to hold off South Africa.

ECB Reporters Network08-Jun-2016
ScorecardPaul Stirling’s unbeaten hundred made light work of a rain-reduced target•Getty Images

Paul Stirling hit a fluent century as Middlesex inflicted a third Royal London One-Day Cup defeat in as many games on holders Gloucestershire by seven wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis system at Bristol.The home side posted 254 for 8 after losing the toss, Hamish Marshall top-scoring with 74 on the day he announced that his 11-year stint with the county would end when this season is over.Gareth Roderick contributed 64, while Toby Roland-Jones (3 for 36) was the pick of the Middlesex attack. James Fuller claimed 2 for 45 on returning to his former county.Facing a revised target of 208 from 35 overs following a rain break, Middlesex skated to victory with 21 balls to spare, Ireland batsman Stirling reaching his ton off 87 balls, with 11 fours and 3 sixes, before finishing unbeaten on 125.Gloucestershire’s innings had got off to a poor start when Chris Dent miscued Roland-Jones to cover where Nick Gubbins took a comfortable catch in only the second over.Michael Klinger had survived a loud shout for a catch behind in the opening over from Tom Helm, but looked in good touch moving to 20 before edging a defensive shot off Roland-Jones straight to Ollie Rayner at slip.Roderick had made only 13 when badly dropped by Eoin Morgan at point off Helm, an error which allowed the batsman to share the most meaningful partnership of the innings with Marshall.The latter hit a straight six off James Franklin and Roderick followed suit off Fuller to bring up 100 in the 21st over.When both Roderick and Marshall reached 62-ball half-centuries in quick succession the hosts looked set for a big score. Then Roderick overbalanced in making an ugly mishit off Helm and was caught at mid-off by Franklin.That was 150 for 3 and Gloucestershire still looked well placed as 31 more runs were added before their innings turned sour in the 35th over, bowled by Roland-Jones.Rayner did the damage, running out Cockbain for 14 at the bowlers end from short mid-wicket as he was sent back attempting a quick single and three balls later catching Marshall in the same position off a poor shot.Suddenly the home side were 183 for 5 and needed to rebuild. There was never much momentum to the innings after that as Benny Howell, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Craig Miles fell without making much impression.Stirling was dropped on one by Klinger at second slip off Liam Norwell in the third over of the Middlesex reply. The visitors had reached 17 without loss when rain brought an interruption. The revised target left them requiring a further 191 from 28.5 overs under the floodlights.Stirling hit 2 sixes over mid-wicket off Howell in racing to a half-century off 44 balls. Dawid Malan contributed 29 to an opening stand of 84 before being well caught at deep extra cover by Dent off Miles. Gubbins was dropped by Miles at fine leg on 17 off the unlucky Norwell and, with Stirling continuing to play positively, it was a mistake Gloucestershire could not afford.By the time Gubbins, on 37, skied a catch to mid-on off Matt Taylor, Middlesex were 156 for two, needing only 52 off more than 12 overs. Morgan perished at the death, but Stirling batted through and hit the winning boundary.

Tottenham Hotspur legend and fan favourite Graham Roberts has slammed Napoli loanee Tanguy Ndombele for his comments about Spurs and Antonio Conte.

What's the latest on Ndombele?

Signing for a club-record £55 million in 2019, the former Lyon sensation hasn't gone on to justify his price tag since joining under Mauricio Pochettino. Indeed, despite a few purple patches of form, with former boss Jose Mourinho once praising him, it's been too few and far between.

Ndombele has been criticised for his work ethic in a Lilywhites jersey, and former boss Conte didn't appear to favour the Frenchman almost immediately after joining Spurs.

The midfielder joined ex-club Lyon on a half-season loan last year but ultimately failed to do enough to earn a permanent move. Now, Ndombele is out on another temporary spell at Serie A league leaders Napoli – where he has started just six league games whilst making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench (WhoScored).

The 26-year-old now faces an uncertain future as most of the noises suggest Luciano Spalletti's side are hesitant over signing Ndombele permanently.

And speaking in an interview with SoFoot recently (via The Evening Standard), the player claimed:

"“There was no other solution with Tottenham and I’m happy I chose Napoli.

“With Conte there was no choice, I would have liked to demonstrate my value on the pitch but I was on the edge of the group. It was communicated to me from the first day of training with the team.

“I don’t know what my future will be, many fans ask me to return to Tottenham but the clubs will decide and Napoli have an option to buy."

Weighing in on Ndomble's comments about Spurs and Conte, club favourite Roberts rebuffed his admission and says the £200,000-per-week man must stop blaming everyone but himself.

Writing on Twitter, Roberts explained:

"Tanguy Ndombele talking a great game again – why are you not playing at Napoli, then? Blame Jose, then you blame Conte, then you blame Spurs, maybe look at yourself, pal. You have lots of talent but you need to stop blaming everyone but yourself."

Could Ndombele reinvigorate his Spurs career?

Ndombele has showcased his real talent and been noted for his close control at times, but the issue is consistency. Whoever comes in to replace Conte at Spurs could see an opportunity to get the very best out of Ndombele.

However, given Pochettino, Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Tottenham's most recent boss all failed to do so, it could well also be a case of chairman Daniel Levy cutting his losses.

Ian Bell’s excellent 67 steered the Birmingham Bears to a thrilling four wicket victory off the final ball of the NatWest Blast T20 match against the Derbyshire Falcons at Derby

ECB Reporters Network17-Jun-2016
ScorecardIan Bell set up a last-ball victory•Getty Images

Ian Bell’s excellent 67 steered the Birmingham Bears to a thrilling four wicket victory off the final ball of the NatWest Blast T20 match against the Derbyshire Falcons at Derby.The Bears appeared to be coasting in pursuit of the Falcons 141 for 7 when Bell was leading the chase but his dismissal in the 19th over left the game in the balance and it needed a four from Ateeq Javid off the last ball to deny the home side.Derbyshire’s new head coach John Sadler, whose appointment for the rest of the season was confirmed before the game, said: “It’s disappointing but that’s T20 cricket and we did well to get back in the game.”Former Derbyshire captain Rikki Clarke had taken 2 for 17 off four overs as the Falcons struggled in the first part of their innings before Wayne Madsen with 38 from 34 balls and some late blows from Shiv Thakor took them to a challenging score on a slow pitch.The Falcons innings began with Clarke striking Billy Godleman on the helmet with the first ball before the opener pulled Oliver Hannon-Dolby to deep midwicket.John Sadler, Derbyshire head coach•Getty Images

Chesney Hughes pulled Clarke for six but two balls later drove low to mid off where Bell took a good catch and Clarke struck again when Neil Broom top-edged a pull to cover in the fifth over.The accuracy of the Bears attack restricted the Falcons to 58 for 3 at the halfway point and Madsen responded by lifting Jetan Patel over midwicket for six before pulling Mark Adair just past the diving Chris Woakes for four.Madsen dispatched another short ball from Patel for six but Hamish Rutherford was lbw in the same over for 33 from 31 balls when he tried to work the off-spinner behind square.Adair ended Madsen’s innings when a top-edged pull landed in the gloves of Luke Ronchi and although Jimmy Neesham drove the next ball high into the stands, he edged a drive in the next over and was well caught by Ronchi diving low to his left.Thakor gave the innings a late flourish by pulling Hannon-Dolby and Woakes for sixes in an unbeaten 20 from 13 balls as 26 came from the last two overs to give the Falcons a respectable total.But Bell and Sam Hain gave the Bears an excellent start by taking 44 from the first five overs with Bell taking three fours off consecutive balls from Thakor.Bell drove Matt Critchley over long on for six but the leg-spinner struck three balls later when Hain sliced a drive to cover although after 10 overs, the Bears were well placed at 73 for 1.Alex Hughes should have removed Bell on 42 but Broom at deep midwicket spilled the catch diving forward and he completed his 50 from 39 balls before Laurie Evans became the latest batsman to top-edge a pull.Bell drove Andy Carter for six but Ronchi drove Alex Hughes to long off in the 18th over and Bell holed out to long on in the next to give the Falcons a chance of victory with the Bears needingAaron Thomason scooped Neesham to square leg and although the next ball shot through for four byes, Woakes was run out going for a second off the penultimate ball but Javid’s drive beat the bowler’s despairing dive to clinch victory.

AB de Villiers has identified the last 10 to 12 overs of South Africa’s innings as the period of play that cost his side the match in their tri-series opener against hosts West Indies in Guyana.South Africa had made 130 for 2 in 30 overs, before de Villiers got out off the first ball of the 31st. Thereafter, the innings fell apart, with the last five wickets falling for 16 runs to leave South Africa 188 all out.”It’s a disappointing loss tonight,” de Villiers said. “Definitely, in the last 10 to 12 overs with the bat in hand we lost our way a bit. I thought we set it up exceptionally well and the communication was that 220-plus would be a winning score. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get there. I had a nice partnership going with Riley [Rossouw], [but] I got out and after that there were no partnerships and we just lost our way. Like I said, 30 or 40 runs more would have been a very competitive total, probably a winning score.”Despite the defeat, de Villiers was happy with the team’s assessment of the conditions in Providence.”The positive out of that is that our assessment [of the pitch] was good. Unfortunately the execution wasn’t spot on in the last 10 overs with the bat in hand. We knew that it would be a turning track, very slow. That’s why we played the extra spinner. Our [team] balance was the same as that of the West Indies team. So we got all of that right.”De Villiers was also full of praise for his spin duo and for the bowling effort as a whole. Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso took 5 for 81 in 20 overs between them as South Africa fought hard to defend a low total.”I thought Imran Tahir and [Aaron] Phangiso had a great partnership going there, so I was proud of the way they performed. Unfortunately, one or two just went over the boundary. That could have changed the game a little bit, but those are the small margins of this beautiful game we play.”There’s nothing more the bowlers could have done. Maybe one or two half-chances could have gone our way, but, as I said, it is with the bat in hand that we cost ourselves tonight.”

Aston Villa would be a good fit for Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Will Walker leave Man City?

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career at club level, winning four Premier League titles during his time at City and arguably becoming one of the best players in his position in the competition's history. This season has been a harder one for him, however, and it has become increasingly apparent that he is no longer a key starter.

Only 15 league starts have come Walkers's way in 2022/23 to date, but a lot of those were earlier in the campaign and he has not often featured in recent weeks, even though he played all 90 minutes against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

With the £160,000-a-week Englishman's current deal expiring in 2024, this summer could be the last opportunity for City to get good money for him, or risk losing him on a free transfer next year. He has been linked with a move to Villa, as Unai Emery eyes up strong summer signings.

Are Villa the ideal club for Walker?

Reacting to the rumours in a chat with Give Me Sport, Crooks talked up the idea of Walker moving to Villa Park at the end of the season, saying it would be a good fit:

"Sheffield United might be an interesting one for him. He started there, didn't he? And if they come into the Premier League, I wonder if they might try and have a go.

"But Villa would be a good move because I think they're going to back (Unai) Emery in the summer. They might well manage to sneak into a European place, too."

Walker could be a brilliant signing by Villa in the summer transfer window, possessing a winning mentality that is outlined by his aforementioned Premier League trophy tally, not to mention having a wealth of experience at this point in his career, racking up 75 caps for England.

There is an argument to say that the defender's best days may just be behind him, hence him losing his place in City's team, but he remains a top-level footballer – one who has been lauded as "frighteningly quick" by Troy Deeney in the past. Emery will want experience and nous in his squad this summer and Walker could be the man to provide it, lifting players around him and putting his combination of pace and power to good use.

The BCB has formed a four-member committee to investigate a Dhaka Premier League match that was abandoned last week after the umpires walked off the field

Mohammad Isam19-Jun-2016The BCB has formed a four-member committee to investigate a Dhaka Premier League match that was abandoned last week after the umpires walked off the field.When a stumping appeal against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was turned down by umpire Tanvir Ahmed, the players and fans of Abahani Limited began to protest. That led the umpires to consult with match referee Monu Datta and take their leave citing “illness”. The match did not resume on the reserve day.The board’s umpires committee chairman Nazmul Karim, disciplinary committee chairman Sheikh Sohel, technical committee member Athar Ali Khan and match referee Raqibul Hassan will interview players and umpires before reporting to the BCB president within 72 hours. If the match is replayed, it could be held on June 24.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said: “Such an incident should not have happened but we will get to the bottom of what happened in that game.”The BCB also formed the bowling action review committee, to be headed by Jalal Yunus with Dipu Roy Chowdhury, Omar Khaled Rumi and Golam Faruq Suru as the other members. Technical personnel will be appointed at a later date.The DPL players were supposed to get 60% of their fees by the end of the first stage of the tournament, and the clubs who have defaulted on the payments have been given three days to get up to date.”If they don’t pay within this time, the board will pay the amount from their coffers,” Hassan said. “In that case, the board will take stern action against the clubs.”Hassan also confirmed the 2016 BPL will begin on November 6 and added the BCB would take legal action against Sylhet Superstars franchise after their bank guarantee couldn’t be encashed. “They owe around Tk 3 to 4 crore to us and the players. We condemn this and will take legal measures.”

The uncapped Auckland batsman Jeet Raval was named in New Zealand’s squad for their Test tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-20161:59

Hope to continue white-ball form in Tests – Sodhi

The uncapped Auckland batsman Jeet Raval was named in New Zealand’s squad for their Test tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. There was also a recall for legspinner Ish Sodhi, but allrounder Corey Anderson missed out because of a back injury he picked up at the World T20 in India.Raval, a 27-year-old left-hander, jumped ahead of Hamish Rutherford in the pecking order after he averaged 55.71 in last year’s Plunket Shield. He is the third opener in the squad, behind Tom Latham and Martin Guptill.The middle-order batting position created by the retirement of Brendon McCullum will be filled by Ross Taylor’s return after he missed the Australia series in February due to injury. Henry Nicholls, who replaced Taylor against Australia, retained his place in the squad.New Zealand Test squad

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling.

Sodhi, meanwhile, is one of three spinners alongside Mark Craig and Mitchell Santner. He played the most recent of his 11 Tests in November 2014 against Pakistan in Sharjah. This year he was part of New Zealand’s limited-overs squads and was especially impressive at the World T20 where he collected 10 wickets in five matches.”Jeet has been impressive in the Plunket Shield for a number of years now and in the last 12 months we’ve seen his maturity and decision-making continue to improve,” Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said.”He’s learnt to adapt to conditions and has performed well for New Zealand A, so we believe he’s more than ready to make the step up to the international arena.”Ish was outstanding in all formats during the second half of last season, beginning with his performances in the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts. He was also exceptional for us with the white ball last summer and that’s seen him gain valuable confidence on the international stage.”Hesson added that the balance of the squad had been selected to cover the variety of conditions expected across the four Test matches in Harare, Durban and Centurion.”Having played in both Zimbabwe and South Africa last year, we have some insight into what the pitches could be like this time around and we’ve selected our squad accordingly.”Playing two Tests in Harare, we need to be prepared for dry turning surfaces, but we also know that Durban often has a good covering of grass.”The squad will depart on July 11 for an eight-day training camp in Johannesburg before heading to Harare where the first Test begins on July 29.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is looking ahead to next season already as he eyes a move for a current Premier League midfielder that can take his team to the next level.

What’s the latest on Kalvin Phillips to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, Villa have a ‘strong interest’ in Manchester City midfielder Phillips ahead of the summer transfer window and City could demand a fee of around £45m in order to sell him.

The Citizens would be recouping the fee that they splashed out on him last summer while if Emery manages to sign him, he will break the Villa transfer record.

The Spaniard is aiming to take the club to European football and in order to be successful, he will need to bulk up his midfield options.

Could Aston Villa sign Kalvin Phillips?

The Englishman has endured a tough season at City, getting just 353 minutes of action across 14 matches due to injury problems, yet he could still make a difference to the Villa midfield if fully fit.

Emery will no doubt have a clear out in the summer and one player who could leave is Leander Dendoncker, with Football Insider claiming the 51-year-old is preparing to listen to any offers for him at the end of the season.

If the "outstanding" Phillips – as dubbed by Gareth Southgate – brings the form that he displayed whilst at Leeds United in 2021/22, then he would be a major upgrade on the Belgian ahead of next term.

Indeed, last season, the 27-year-old registered more shot-creating actions per game (1.69 to 1.25), won more tackles (25 to 17), interceptions (24 to nine) and succeeded with more take ons (seven to five) proving that he is a much better option from both a defensive and ball-playing point of view than the Belgian.

Across Europe’s top five leagues, Phillips ranks in the top 21% for defensive metrics including tackles, blocks, and interceptions, suggesting that the Villa boss could be signing one of the finest defensive midfielders on the continent when fully fit.

A fee of £45m, providing Phillips stays fit, could represent an excellent investment by Villa and will give Emery the licence to get rid of a few players in the process, Dendoncker included.