Aston Villa Get Possible Big Boost With £120k-A-Week Hero

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is looking likely to stay put beyond the summer, according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

How important has Martinez been to Villa?

The Villans hero has enjoyed arguably the most memorable season of his career to date, playing a starring role for both club and country. The £120,000-a-week 'keeper famously tasted 2022 World Cup glory with Argentina, performing plenty of penalty heroics and arguably his country's star player along with Lionel Messi, enhancing his reputation hugely in the process.

For Villa, Martinez made 27 Premier League appearances in 2022/23, playing his part in them qualifying for Europe after a huge resurgence under Unai Emery.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move away from Villa Park during the summer transfer window, however, with plenty of interest in his services. Granted, his current deal doesn't expire until 2027, but a move to an even bigger club could potentially appeal if an offer arrives.

Emiliano Martinez

Is Martinez likely to stay this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones provided an update on Martinez's future, admitting that it is still up in the air, but that the idea of him staying put is far from out of the question:

"I think obviously the Jose Sa one will depend on what happens with Emi Martínez. I keep hearing there is potential for Martínez to go if a big enough offer lands, but whenever Martínez talks at the moment, I kind of get the feeling that he's not going anywhere.

"So a tricky one but if they did lose Martínez, then yes, Sá would be an interesting one to turn to."

This would be a massive boost for Villa, with Martinez one of the most important players at the club these days, having now racked up 112 apparances since arriving from Arsenal back in 2020. He has been lauded as "world-class" by Gary Neville in the recent past, as well as "unbelievable" and "one of the best goalkeepers in the world" by teammate Matty Cash.

The fact that Emery's men have qualified for Europe could certainly sway the Argentine's thought process, and the fact that the club is thriving so much under the current manager, and the hope is that he continues to be a vital performer for many years to come for Villa.

Should he move on, which would clearly be a blow, it is then essential that the money is used wisely to bring in the best possible replacement.

Durston calls time on Derbyshire career

Wes Durston has called time on his Derbyshire career by mutual consent

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2016Wes Durston has called time on his Derbyshire career by mutual consent.Durston, 36, leaves Derbyshire after making 218 appearances since his debut in 2010, scoring 7,628 runs across all formats. He also skippered Derbyshire in limited-overs cricket.Cricket advisory director, Kevin Dean said: “Wes has been a tremendous player for Derbyshire and we would like to thank him for his efforts over the last seven seasons. He made many notable contributions down the years, no more than in our 2012 promotion winning season, but both parties feel that the time is now right to move on. We wish Wes all the very best for the future.”Durston’s uncomplicated see-ball, hit-ball approach made him a favourite with Derbyshire supporters and probably testified to a late-developing career that had a reawakening in his thirties after he had been released early by Somerset. But he began to show his age in 2016 and with the new director of cricket, Kim Barnett, intent on a shake-up, his departure is no surprise.

Man Utd: Exceptional Young Talent Could Oust Malacia

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag began his rebuild of the club by doing the majority of his transfer business in his home country, luring Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Tyrell Malacia from Ajax and Feyenoord respectively, to mixed success it must be said.

Martinez has been the standout, slotting into the heart of the defence with ease on his way to being dubbed the club's "player of the season" by MEN's Samuel Luckhurst. Therefore, it is no coincidence that United’s latest poor form is due to not having the Argentine available.

Antony has shone in spells, scoring ten goals so far this term but his inconsistency has let him down, spellbinding one match while drifting towards anonymity in the next game, and hopefully, he can improve on this next season.

Malacia, however, has started just 13 Premier League matches for Ten Hag this term, keeping only six clean sheets in those games while winning 50% of his total duels and with Luke Shaw being favoured at left-back throughout the campaign, Malacia could face an interesting summer with regard to his future chances at Old Trafford.

His place may also be under threat due to the emergence of youngster Alvaro Fernandez from the youth academy, who is currently shining out on loan at Preston North End.

Who is Alvaro Fernandez?

The 20-year-old arrived in Manchester from Real Madrid back in 2020, joining alongside Marc Jurado, who left Barcelona for United.

Yet to make a debut for the first team, the Spaniard has been excelling through the academy, especially with the U23 squad, where Nick Cox praised him for being a “standout performer” last year.

The youngster has certainly displayed his attacking qualities during his brief spell in the academy, scoring seven goals and registering 18 assists across 62 matches. Cox even lauded the defender as being an “excellent role model” suggesting that his maturity was one of his key strengths.

Alvaro Fernandez for Preston

He was granted a loan move to Preston for 2022/23, and he hasn’t disappointed. Indeed, Fernandez has continued to display his attacking qualities in the Championship, recording four assists while also contributing 0.9 key passes per game and creating six big chances during his spell at the club.

While clearly excellent going forward, Fernandez has proved to be no slouch defensively either, winning 4.8 duels per game and also averaging 1.1 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.1 interceptions each match.

The 20-year-old's ability to be able to provide an attacking outlet at one end of the field but also perform his defensive duties at the other end suggests he could have a fantastic career.

Malacia will need to be on high alert during pre-season, as Fernandez could challenge him ahead of what could be the most important season in his career to date.

Warner, bowlers script Australia's comeback win

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.

23 y/o Italian May Snub Crystal Palace Transfer

HLTCO host Dan Cook has claimed that Brighton may be a more "attractive proposition" for Mateo Retegui amid transfer links to Crystal Palace.

What's the latest on Mateo Retegui and Crystal Palace?

The Italian striker made headlines last week as he scored on his national team debut against England and then followed this up with another effort against Malta.

The 23-year-old was actually born in Argentina – and is currently on loan at Tigres from Boca Juniors – but qualifies to play for Italy thanks to his grandfather.

After the most recent game, his national team manager Roberto Mancini was full of praise but warned that he still needed to do more to prove himself as a top player.

He told the press: "He unlocked the match, he was essential today. But I repeat: he needs time, he still needs to learn more about European football."

According to Corriere dello Sport (via FC Inter News), Retegui could be set for a move to a big team in Europe this summer with Inter Milan named as a possible option.

Soccer Football – UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers – Group C – Italy v England – Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy – March 23, 2023 Italy’s Mateo Retegui celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Beyond the Serie A team, Palace and Brighton were also linked and while speaking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook explained why it might be a hard deal to pull off for the Eagles.

He said (8:12): “I hate to say this in a Crystal Palace podcast, but I'm not sure we are necessarily anything like as an attractive proposition at the moment as Brighton and Hove Albion.

"They are upwardly mobile, there is every chance they will get into Europe by the end of this season.

"And you look at our current plight, you know, hopefully Roy Hodgson can steady the ship and keep us afloat in the Premier League.

"But without a permanent manager, and without a guarantee of even the division that we're going to be playing in next season, you do wonder whether or not he may well plump for the seagulls."

Why would Mateo Retegui want to join Brighton?

It's certainly true that Palace are struggling to maintain their status as a Premier League side sitting just three points above the bottom three with only ten games to keep themselves up.

All the while, bitter rivals Brighton have lofty ambitions as they look to bright European football to the Amex next season, currently seventh in the league, level on points with Liverpool in sixth (with a game in hand too).

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Retegui – who has six goals in eight league games with Tigre this term – may feel as though Brighton is the more appealing destination should he seek out a move to England in the summer.

Journalist believes De Jong could join Man United this summer

Alex Crook believes that Manchester United could finally hand Erik ten Hag the midfielder he craves in Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Man United will look to improve

United were very interested and keen to sign De Jong last summer as Ten Hag tried to bolster his midfield options but instead, they decided to recruit Casemiro and many may believe they actually got a better deal with the Brazilian given his performances.

However, Man United are still being linked with De Jong despite his persistence against joining the Red Devils last summer as Ten Hag looks to build upon what has been a very solid season of progress and rebuild.

The Red Devils will have been buoyed recently by the news that Barcelona are set to be hit with a transfer ban this summer, which could indeed force them into a sort of fire sale, including De Jong.

The Latest: De Jong could move to Old Trafford

Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT that despite their failed attempts to land De Jong last summer, Ten Hag may finally be reunited with the former Ajax player this upcoming transfer window.

He said: (0:30) “Of course, De Jong got a bit of a taste of the feel-good factor that’s certainly reverberating around Old Trafford when Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League at United last week.

“I think this is one that could happen and I think Manchester United fans should be excited, Casemiro alongside De Jong in midfield that is top quality.”

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The Verdict: Ten Hag could assemble monster midfield

It will be mouthwatering for Man United fans to imagine a midfield duo of Casemiro and De Jong, players who’ve played at the very top level of the game and the latter has been hailed as the ‘best player on the ball’ after his El Classico display on Thursday night.

De Jong may well have got a taste for moving to Old Trafford after experiencing the atmosphere last week during Barcelona’s Europa League defeat, however, given that the Catalonian giants are thriving in the league, it will be a tough choice for him to make.

If Ten Hag was to be handed De Jong this summer as well as a proven goalscorer then there would be no reason why the Red Devils couldn’t become serious title contenders next season based on their form as of late.

'I have to get cricket right'

Arjuna Ranatunga, recently appointed the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, talks about his plans – both for the long run and short – and the changes Sri Lankan cricket needs

Interview by Charlie Austin18-Jan-2008


Agent of change: Arjuna Ranatunga
© Getty Images

If you were to prioritise one aspect of Sri Lanka’s cricket that needs urgent attention and needs to be a key focus of your tenure in charge of Sri Lanka Cricket, what would that be?
Junior cricket. Our school cricket has been neglected for too long. I am not pointing fingers, I just think that that has been too much focus on the top, the national team, which has had a detrimental impact on junior cricket. There was a time, in the 1980s and even early 1990s, when a handful of cricketers, perhaps five or six, could be accommodated into the national squad straight from the school system – a school system that was the envy of the world. Sadly, this is no longer the case.What has gone wrong with school’s cricket?
I think the change to limited-overs cricket at the younger age groups – Under-13 and Under-15 – was a mistake. Even when we were 12, 13 and 14 we used to play full-day matches from 9.30am to 6pm. We’d play aggressive and positive cricket. But these days the kids play just overs cricket and learn less. In addition, coaching has become a business and winning has become too important. When I was growing up Sri Lanka had some fantastic coaches – the likes of Lionel Mendis, Bertie Wijesinghe and Nelson Mendis to name just a few – who were committed to cricket and had a huge passion. Nowadays, with a combination of pressure from school principals, Old Boy Associations and parents, all that matters is winning. Spinners are finding it tougher and players are not learning how to be creative and think on their feet. Go to a school match these days and the coach will probably be standing on the boundary edge setting the field. That approach is not conducive to developing quality cricketers.So what are you going to do about this?
Well, DS de Silva has been appointed by president Mahinda Rajapakse as a cricket advisor and we have asked him to spend four to six weeks researching the current situation. We hope he’ll be able to come up with a good solid proposal that will be discussed with a strong Cricket Committee, which is to be headed by Aravinda de Silva. We hope to have a plan for the future very soon.You have just completed the inaugural one-day Provincial Tournament, soon to be followed by the Provincial T20 and later this year a four-day competition – is this now going to become the bedrock of the domestic professional game?

Yes. We have to raise the standard of first-class cricket to bridge a growing divide between our first-class cricket and the international arena. We have the talent, no doubt about that, but our players are not developing as fast as they should be. For example, under the club system, a top batsman may be exposed to one high-class bowler in each game, but at the other end he’ll be able to pick off runs more easily. The obvious and only solution is concentrating the talent so the best players play against each other. The provincial system will achieve this. We’ve already seen this in the one-day series that finished recently. Batsmen were made to work really hard. The matches were competitive and the cricket of a much higher standard than normal club cricket. So we are looking at provincial cricket being the main competition, and the main arena for national selection. Below that we are considering the option of a district-level tier that feeds into the provinces – there are about 22 districts which could be feeding into their respective provinces. And then below this will sit the club system which will also remain a very important component of the national system.How do you anticipate the clubs taking this? It will be a radical departure from the current system and could be unpopular.
I am here to go the right job. When the president asked me to be chairman he gave me one instruction: “Get cricket right.” That is what I have to do. I will have to make tough decisions and I am ready to do that. That might make me unpopular in some quarters. But being popular is not as important as giving our cricket the right structure so that we can be a consistent global force. We need to be challenging Australia for the No. 1 position in the world.Interim and Executive Committees come and go promising to change the system and make Sri Lanka the best team in the world. Invariably, though, the status quo remains. How can you force through proper change and also safeguard those developments under future administrations?
It is too early to go into specifics, but the plan is for us to spend the next few weeks reviewing the current system. There will be lots of consultation and discussion. Crucially, our leading cricketers, from the past and present, will be at the forefront of this. Our job will be to come up with a proper plan which we will take to the sports minister. This can then become the basis of a national policy of cricket and a new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that will protect us from the problems that have plagued us in the past. Now is the time to get things right.

It is the cricketers that have generated the television and sponsorship revenues that are now financing SLC and it is the duty of the administration to make sure this money is spent responsibly. Cricketers need to be in charge of the cricket board with support from high caliber administrators, including financial and marketing expertise

So a feature of your administration is going to be the greater participation of the cricketers?
Absolutely. This is the key. It is the cricketers that have generated the television and sponsorship revenues that are now financing SLC and it is the duty of the administration to make sure this money is spent responsibly. Cricketers need to be in charge of the cricket board with support from high caliber administrators, including financial and marketing expertise. The cricketers are in the best position to get our cricket structures right. They have been through the system and they understand the needs of professional sportsmen. The Cricket Committee, headed by Aravinda, will have increased power to implement their policies and plans. I have ideas of my own, but it is this Cricket Committee that will shape the future of our game.Does this also mean a closer relationship being forged between the cricket board and the SL Players’ Association?
Yes, absolutely, we want the input of cricketers and we want to have a closer relationship with the SLCA. We are even looking at the possibility of them having an office within the board.Just prior to your appointment it was alleged in the media that the previous administration, headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa, extended the Ten Sports television agreement from the end of the current contract, due to expire at the end of 2008, to 2012 without a proper bidding process. What is the status of this?
The sports minister has put a stop to the deal for the time being. We now need to sit and discuss with the lawyers to find out what has happened and whether everything has been handled in a legal manner. All the documents are with the lawyers and we are awaiting their advice. It is too early to make any further comment, but it is an issue that we are addressing as a matter of importance.There was also talk of a corruption probe – is that taking place?
We want to do an independent financial and management audit and we are already speaking to leading audit firms about this. There has been 10 years of financial wastage in this cricket board and this needs to stop. We don’t have the money to waste – we have to spend our cash wisely. Thus, we feel professional expertise is required to get our financial and administration procedures right. We hope the audit can take place within a time frame of four to six weeks and that the recommendations will form part of the report or plan we forward to the sports minister.There have been several selection problems and controversies in recent times. How are you going to address this?
We do need to sort out the unpleasantness that has happened over the past year or so regarding selection. But to be honest I think a lot of this has resulted from miscommunication. With better communication we can have a much better system. We’ve already had a really constructive dialogue with the selectors. We don’t want to get directly involved in selecting teams. That is the job of the selection panel and not the cricket board, but I do feel that we need to better define their role within a national cricket policy. They need directives so we are all pushing in the same direction. For example, we need to be clear as to criteria for selection – should this be provincial or club cricket? We need to discuss and come up with a clear and open plan understood by everyone.


‘There was a time, in the 1980s and even early 1990s, when a handful of cricketers, perhaps five or six, could be accommodated into the national squad straight from the school system – a school system that was the envy of the world. Sadly, this is no longer the case’
© Getty Images

What are your initial thoughts on long-term development projects – is Pallakelle Stadium in Kandy going ahead and are any more big projects in the pipeline?
Yes, Pallakelle is going ahead although we have to raise the funds first. However, I also think we have enough international stadiums now. We also don’t have the money to keep spending millions on big projects. If outside investors come in, that’s fine. We can look at that, but we have to be sensible with our finances. Instead, my opinion is that our development focus should be on developing high-performance centres in each province and also a good ground and training facility in each district. These projects will be less costly and will ensure a greater number of cricketers island-wide will have access to quality facilities. It will spread opportunity and help us tap the huge talent in our outstations.In the past you have been quite outspoken about foreign coaches and critical of Sri Lanka’s failure to develop homegrown coaches. Will you be looking to develop more local coaches, physiotherapists and physical trainers?
We have top coaches and most of these are employed overseas. So this shows we have talented coaches in Sri Lanka. What I’d like to see is this talent being developed. And, in addition, we have to encourage more first-class cricketers into coaching and umpiring positions especially. We need to be able to fast-track them to make it an attractive career opportunity.In general, what are your ambitions in terms of the national team?
I want us to raise our standards to be able to compete with Australia. This is a very achievable objective if we can close the gap between domestic and international cricket. As I have said before, we have the talent here in Sri Lanka. We should be looking at the 2011 World Cup as a major priority. We have a great chance of winning that if we get things right now. That will also entail protecting some of our older players, like Murali, who I think should be playing in only major ODI tournaments in future. He is a huge asset for Sri Lanka and needs to be protected very carefully.How will your appointment change Sri Lanka’s position in terms of other nations? Will you, for example, aim to develop a close relationship with India?
We have to have a strong and close relationship with India, but we also have to have healthy relationships with the other Test nations. I think we have done pretty well in recent years in terms of attracting top teams to Sri Lanka, but I would like to see more proper tours. Two Test matches in a series is too little and we should aim for a minimum of three per series. In addition, we need to look at the A team and make sure they are playing at least one series outside Asia, one in Asia and one in Sri Lanka each year. We need them to be feeding players into the national team and that means they have to be playing more series in the likes of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to gather more experience of different conditions.

Aston Villa: Emery must start his "warrior" to ease Kamara blow

Aston Villa are back in action in Europe tonight, as Unai Emery’s side hope to kickstart their progression in Group E of the UEFA Europa Conference League against Zrinjski.

Despite cruising through the qualifiers with an 8-0 aggregate win over Hibernian in an all-British tie, the Villans were dragged back to reality in the opening group game as they faced defeat to Legia Warsaw in Poland.

Emery’s side were hit with a footballing lesson against Legia, losing the game 3-2 in what was an overall disappointing performance by the Midlands club who were well poised to top the group at first glance.

What is the latest Aston Villa team news?

Just as Villa learnt in their opening game of the tournament, no side should be underestimated, which is a lesson that must be carried over to tonight’s contest as Zrinjski were victorious in their opening fixture against AZ Alkmaar.

Villa got back into their groove last weekend by seeing off Brighton & Hove Albion 6-1 at Villa Park, however the match saw two integral members of Emery’s squad sustain knocks forcing them to withdraw from the contest.

The Spaniard confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will be without Moussa Diaby and Boubacar Kamara for the showdown at Villa Park, with both players having not trained following their withdrawal against Brighton.

Another unfortunate blow is Jacob Ramsey, who scored his first goal of the season against the Seagulls after missing the start of the campaign due to a broken metatarsal injury, with Emery confirming that the Englishman is also unavailable.

In the Conference League opener against Legia, a host of players were far below par, leaving questions over whether Emery will continue to rotate his side to accommodate those that were incapable of fighting for the win in Poland last time out.

Should Douglas Luiz start against Zrinjski over Leander Dendoncker?

Away from the Conference League, the manager opted to rotate his squad against Everton in the Carabao Cup, seeing Leander Dendoncker come into midfield to hand Kamara a rest.

Now that the Frenchman is out of contention, the Spaniard should avoid rotating the former Wolves dud back into the side, after his woeful performance against the Toffees that saw him earn a 6.4 Sofascore match rating.

Instead, Luiz should partner Youri Tielemans, who despite being another poor performer on the night, has shown glimpses of what he can offer to the side when at the top of his game.

douglas-luiz-arsenal-aston-villa-transfer-gossip-edu-arteta-martin-odegaard-kevin-de-bruyne

Once lauded as a “warrior” by journalist Jack Grimse, Luiz has been the glue to Villa’s transformation in the middle of the park, and while the Brazilian would be the natural target of rotation due to his importance, tonight’s fixture poses little room for error.

With just 33 touches and a failure to impose himself defensively in midfield against the Toffees, Dendoncker was hooked at halftime, with Birmingham Live's John Townley writing that the 28-year-old was 'slow in possession and didn’t progress the ball particularly well'.

Considering Villa’s growing injury problems, Emery will be short on his options in midfield after losing both Kamara and Ramsey, however he should opt against risking another Dendoncker disasterclass.

After the defeat to Legia, Villa must begin to make waves in the group, which they could start tonight with a win over Zrinjski, which they will have to be at their best to ensure with Luiz often possessing the keys to the squad’s success.

Ismail, Lee put South Africa 1-0 up

ScorecardShabnim Ismail is congratulated on the wicket of Hayley Matthews•Getty Images

Seamer Shabnim Ismail’s three-for and opener Lizelle Lee’s 38-ball 46 helped South Africa beat Bangladesh by 17 runs and go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.Having elected to bat at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, South Africa openers Lee and Laura Wolvaardt put together 77 by the 10th over. Wolvaardt’s wicket, however, sent them sliding as spinners Rumana Ahmed and Khadija Tul Kubra ran through the top order to pick up four wickets in the space of 20 deliveries.Sune Luus steered them to safety, making an unbeaten 28 off just 23 balls from No. 7 to lift them from 86 for 5 in the 13th over to 127 for 6 at the end of 20 overs.Bangladesh slipped to 14 for 2 in the fifth over, and from there on, South Africa didn’t look back. Ahmed and Fargana Hoque put together 72 off just 68 balls for the third wicket to keep Bangladesh in the hunt, before Ismail returned to rattle the middle order. She had Rumana caught by Mignon du Preez for 36 and then sent Nigar Sultana back for a first-ball duck to stifle them.Bangladesh needed 32 off two overs, but tight overs from Kapp and Ismail closed out the game.

Wolves: Fosun Could Repeat Goncalves Disaster Over £27m "Lightening" At Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a summer to forget in the transfer window, a feat that could get worse according to new revelations.

After the mutual departure of former manager Julen Lopetegui just five days prior to the club’s Premier League opener against Manchester United.

Gary O’Neil was selected as the man to take the reins from the Spaniard at a time when issues regarding Financial Fair Play (FFP) have consumed the headlines this summer at Molineux, as well as leaving the squad relatively bare.

The Englishman could face issues greater than the financial restrictions plaguing the Old Gold, should new reports be believed, as the side looks set to lose another star talent.

Who could Wolves sell this summer?

After bidding farewell to names as highly-rated at Molineux as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Nathan Collins and Raul Jimenez this summer, further figures could be set to exit before the window closes.

There continues to be speculation over Daniel Podence’s future, who is being monitored by Celtic, a new report from Portugal has relayed information regarding the long-term future of fellow winger Goncalo Guedes.

A report from his home country (as relayed by Sport Witness) has suggested that the 26-year-old is ‘very close’ to heading back to Benfica on loan, with Wolves hoping that he succeeds with the Eagles in the hope that they can sell him permanently.

Contracted to Molineux until 2027, the forward has had limited opportunity in the Premier League for a number of reasons, however, the failure of his stint replicates an aura of another failed transfer.

Should Wolves sell Goncalo Guedes?

After joining the club last summer from Valencia for a fee in the region of £27m, the former PSG forward has had a time to forget in England.

There was so much hope that came with his arrival, with him being impressive in Spain just the year prior to his transfer, in which he contributed to 17 goals in LaLiga by scoring 11 and assisting six.

Having been described as being “lightning-quick” among a host of attributes by talkSPORT’s Andy Brassell, the 26-year-old was poised to be another strong acquisition at Molineux from Portugal, however rather than following the legacy of Neves, he seems to be rewriting the history of Pedro Goncalves.

Gonçalo-guedes-wolves

While the woes of Goncalves’ failed transfer came after he left the club through his revelation as one of the most dangerous wingers in Portugal, Guedes has suffered a similar fate to the Sporting Lisbon ace, with the Midlands just not cutting it for his playing style and expectation.

The former Benfica star has made just 18 appearances for Wolves since signing, as well as going on a loan spell back to his boyhood club to pull himself away from the Premier League.

His expected sale comes as a huge disappointment for Wolves, who could have a phenomenal talent at their disposal if it wasn’t for powers out of their control, with the winger being unhappy.

Back in January, Lopetegui relayed that the 26-year-old “wanted to leave” the club, though it doesn’t ease the blow of not getting anything from a £27m signing.

Since leaving Wolves, fellow Premier League runaway Goncalves has contributed to 83 league goals in only 127 appearances, showing just what the club could’ve had, which could happen in the instance the Guedes follows suit.

Ultimately, Fosun doesn’t have an option but to allow the former Valencia man to depart with him unwilling to stay, however it must be a lesson for the Old Gold who have failed to utilise another highly-promising transfer.

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