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Tottenham could be handed an immediate blow to their pre-season planning with the “huge news” that youth coach Yaya Toure has been approached to become the new assistant manager at Standard de Liege.

What's the latest Tottenham news?

The Lilywhites are sure to be busy this summer as they prepare for Ange Postecoglou’s first season at the helm, with a number of outgoings and incomings expected both on and off the pitch.

Eight senior players are returning from loan spells – including the likes of Djed Spence, Bryan Gil and Destiny Udogie – while Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski will make their loan moves permanent, and that’s all before you even start looking at new players.

Off the pitch meanwhile, the new boss was expected to bring in his former Celtic number two, John Kennedy, but that move has been met with stern resistance from the Glasgow club.

And it looks like Postecoglou and Daniel Levy could be shopping for a new academy coach soon too, with Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri revealing Toure could now leave.

“Huge news for Standard Liege,” he said. “It is Yaya Toure who has been approached to become Carl Hoefkens first assistant.”

Is Yaya Toure a good manager?

The Manchester City legend joined the Spurs youth ranks back in August of 2022, and has certainly left a positive impression on coaches who know him, with former Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira saying Toure will now “easily” become a top level manager.

The 40 year-old has recently admitted however that he would like a “new challenge”, and an assistant role for a senior top flight side is certainly a logical step up from academy coaching, and could then lead to his first chance at the helm somewhere.

With that admission in mind, it seems quite likely that Toure will jump at Liege’s approach, handing Postecoglou early upheaval in his backroom staff very early into his Tottenham reign, and it will be interesting to see where the new boss turns for a potential replacement.

The serious demeanour of Dean Elgar, a batsman not given to fripperies, dominated the opening day of the second Test at Newlands as Sri Lanka failed to gain lasting benefit from a good bowling day

The Report by David Hopps02-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:38

Fernando: SL tried to prevent Herath from getting a wicket

The serious demeanour of Dean Elgar, a batsman not given to fripperies, dominated the opening day of the second Test at Newlands as Sri Lanka failed to gain lasting benefit from a good bowling day. A new year had dawned, but it was very much the old Elgar, recognisably sure of stroke and restricted in ambition, who guided South Africa forward as he progressed conscientiously to a sixth Test century.At 169 for 5, with 30 overs remaining and Temba Bavuma just dismissed on the pull by Sri Lanka’s highly-promising fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, the day was still in the balance, but South Africa snatched it with a sixth-wicket stand 103 in 24 overs between Elgar and Quinton de Kock, who gambolled around without a care on land that Elgar had tilled, and watered from the sweat of his brow, for hours.Elgar’s end came against the second new ball – 129 from 230 deliveries – when he pushed at a wideish delivery from Suranga Lakmal and was defeated by a little seam movement, leaving Kusal Mendis to pouch the catch. De Kock, his antithesis, survived a few escapades with failed ramp shots and top-edged pulls to reach a happy-go-lucky 68 not out by the close.Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, would be well satisfied. He had happily volunteered that a fresh and grassy Newlands surface was intended to favour his strong pace attack. Even Table Mountain, adorned by cloud throughout the first session, came out in support. “Against England last year it was a road,” he said. “It was different for that bowling attack. You have to prepare for the team you are playing against.”Sri Lanka had first use of it, but were unable to bury their reputation. Two wickets late in the morning session for Kumara ensured they achieved what was surely a minimum objective of three wickets when the odds were most in their favour, and the addition of du Plessis shortly before tea brought them further reward on an otherwise trying afternoon.Fastest to 1000 runs for SA and Herath’s feat

23 Number of innings taken for Quinton de Kock to reach 1000 Test runs. He is the joint fifth fastest for South Africa behind Graeme Smith (17 inns), AB de Villiers (20), Eddie Barlow (21), Graeme Pollock (22) and Faf Du Plessis (23).

355 Number of wickets taken by Rangana Herath in Tests. He is now the joint second highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in Tests and joint 19th overall. Herath, Dennis Lillee and Chaminda Vaas have 355 wickets each.

129 Dean Elgar’s highest Test score and his second century against Sri Lanka. Previously he made 103 in Galle in 2014. Elgar now has four centuries at home averaging 49.90.

Stephen Cook was the Man of the Match in Port Elizabeth, striking a century and half-century in South Africa’s emphatic 206-run win, but he made a four-ball duck on this occasion: two outswingers and an inswinger from Lakmal before another outswinger, slightly fuller, forced Cook into a statuesque nibble and a faint edge to the wicketkeeper.Lakmal carried the most threat for Sri Lanka with the first new ball, clearly roused by the sight of lavish movement, never short of a tongue-out grin when the ball behaved in a manner that is a special delight for bowlers condemned to playing out much of their career in Sri Lanka’s draining conditions.Nuwan Pradeep, although combative enough, lacked the technical skill to make the most of the conditions and limped off midway through an over during the final session. His only impact was on the umpire Aleem Dar, catching him on the elbow as he approached the crease and bringing some pained arm extensions from the man who had just passed Rudi Koertzen as the most capped umpire in all formats. An umpire incapable of raising his finger was not about to help Sri Lanka’s cause.Angelo Mathews, who initially bowled himself ahead of Kumara, settled for containment with a line well outside off stump which South Africa’s batsmen ignored at their leisure which later made it hard to ascertain why Mathews took the second new ball while Kumara, already strong and stocky at 19, and capable of speeds well beyond 140kph, had to make do with the old.Kumara accounted for both Amla and JP Duminy in the same over. Amla was unhinged by an excellent delivery which came back sharply off the seam between bat and pad, leaving him without a Test half-century in his last nine innings, a strikingly lean run for a batsman blessed with such natural gifts. Five balls later, Duminy became a second duck in the top four when he fended a back-of-a-length delivery from Kumara off his hip for Mendis to spring down the leg side for a fabulous catch.Mendis’ presence behind the stumps had been the outcome of much Sri Lankan agonising before start of play. News gradually filtered through that Dinesh Chandimal was feeling ill, not enough to rule him out of the match, but persuading Sri Lanka that he should concede the gloves to reduce his workload. Sri Lanka also made two changes from the first Test, omitting Kusul Perera and Dushmantha Chameera in favour of Kumara and the seasoned Upul Tharanga.Elgar’s hundred was his sixth in 31 Tests, his average still a touch below 40, but he has blunted many attacks in that time. He approached his innings methodically, working the ball off his hips and drawn occasionally into a restrained straight drive. His highlights reel included, oddly enough, a one-handed cover drive, a shot one imagines that he would prefer to be expunged from the records. The shot that brought up his hundred, down the ground of Pradeep, could hardly have been more satisfying: halfway through his next over, Pradeep trudged off to the dressing roomDu Plessis, a South African captain of some gravitas, played in similar vein. As the assistance for the seamers lessened, Mathews turned to his left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, for the first time in the 42nd over. Herath took 57 wickets at 18.93 in 2016, second only to R Ashwin in terms of victims, all of them killed with kindness. He is at the age when the passing of the years invite questions as to how long he can continue in such form, but he soon dispensed with Du Plessis.In his fourth over, he wandered up with his usual economy to draw du Plessis into an uppish drive only for Tharanga to miss an inviting chance at deepish mid-off. No matter. In his penultimate over before tea, he strolled up again to have du Plessis caught at slip, driving wildly at a wide one.South Africa’s captain had favoured a seamers’ track and, although in his case it was the portly figure of Herath who had prospered, he would be tossing a new ball to his pace attack sometime on the morrow with a belief that this Cape Town pitch would maintain its life for a while yet.

A round-up of the Inter-State T20 tournament, North Zone matches played on January 30, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2017Punjab scraped to a two-wicket win with four balls to spare in a chase of 104 against Delhi in Dharamsala. Punjab’s chase got off to a poor start after Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini reduced them to 3 for 3 by the second over, with Saini taking wickets off successive balls. Anmolpreet Singh and Sharad Lumba, the latter top-scoring with 36, kept Punjab on track, but another slump in the middle-overs threatened their chances of victory. Two wickets in the penultimate over bowled by Saini, including a run-out, left Punjab eight-down seeking five runs off the last over. The pair of Nikhil Chaudhary and Siddarth Kaul sealed the win. Like Punjab, Delhi, too, had suffered a top-order collapse: their top three were dismissed for 34 within the first seven overs. Except for Milind Kumar, who top-scored with 26, the other batsmen couldn’t put up too many runs against a Punjab attack where all bowlers contributed wickets. The new-ball pair of Manpreet Gony (3 for 26) and Sandeep Sharma took five wickets between them, while Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh contributed one wicket.File photo – Mithun Manhas failed to get going for a second time this season as Jammu & Kashmir fell short by five runs•Associated PressSumeet Verma hit an unbeaten 54 to lead Himachal Pradesh to a last-ball win against Haryana in Dharamsala. Chasing 134, HP hit 13 runs off the final over to complete the five-wicket victory. Verma, the match’s top-scorer, came into bat in the seventh over after HP lost both openers and added 60 runs with Paras Dogra (32) for the third wicket. After Dogra was dismissed, he carried on with the rest of the middle order to complete a tight win for HP.Earlier, Haryana were sent in to bat. After both their openers fell cheaply, Rajat Paliwal (27) and Chaitanya Bishnoi (24) made promising starts but failed to carry on. HP’s bowlers picked up regular wickets and did not let any Haryana partnership exceed 33 runs. Mayank Dagar took three middle-order wickets while Akshay Chauhan picked up three wickets in his return spell to bowl Haryana out off for 133 off the innings’ last delivery.Nishan Singh’s four-wicket haul helped Services beat Jammu & Kashmir by four runs in Nadaun. When Ram Dayal was dismissed, J&K needed 28 off 26 balls with four wickets in hand. But the run out of top scorer Shubham Khajuria (46) by Amit Pachhara applied the brakes further. They lost two wickets off successive deliveries in the final over to be bowled out for 140. Services were driven by Pachhara’s 42 (his second 40 plus score in as many matches) and Hardik Sethi’s 34, before they lost 6 for 33. Umar Nazir was the pick of J&K’s bowlers, taking 3 for 26.

Aston Villa are believed to be showing an interest in the midfielder Arthur Melo amid this summer's transfer window despite his struggles at Anfield.

Following a disastrous spell on loan from Juventus at Liverpool last season, Arthur should be "careful" over picking his next move, believes Dean Jones, who thinks the midfielder could still work for another club.

Aston Villa transfer news – Arthur Melo

After already signing Youri Tilemans from Leicester City this summer, it looks as though Unai Emery's main aim this summer is reinforcing the midfield at Villa Park.

With that reinforcement could come the introduction of Arthur, too, if reports are anything to go by. Once completing a move to Juventus for €82m (£70m) from Barcelona, the Brazilian is now likely to be worth a fraction of that previous figure.

Nonetheless, Villa are reportedly keen on the 26-year-old – who has been slammed a "flop" by some – with Newcastle United also interested.

Perhaps a cheap alternative compared to others, Unai Emery must still see a solid option in the form of the Liverpool flop. Logic would suggest that the midfielder is more than capable, given the list of clubs he has turned out for – ranging from Barcelona to the Reds.

It would be an unexpected move, but reports are suggesting that the Villains are interested in welcoming Arthur this summer. It's certainly one to keep an eye on.

What has Dean Jones said about Arthur Melo and Aston Villa?

Speaking to Football FanCast, when asked about Arthur and Aston Villa, Jones said:

“He’ll have to be careful about what happens next, but just because he didn’t succeed at one English club, doesn’t mean it can’t happen somewhere else.”

How much does Arthur Melo earn?

If Arthur is to get a move to the Premier League, then his salary, which is £126k per week, according to Salary Sport, will prove to be a big talking point.

If the Juventus man was to take that wage to Villa Park, for example, then he could end up being their second-highest earner, just ahead of Philippe Coutinho and below Boubacar Kamara, as per Salary Sport.

Following his injury-ridden and unsuccessful spell at Anfield, entering another English club as one of the highest earners may not exactly end well. It would instantly place pressure on making things work at the second time of asking in the Premier League, that's for sure.

The second Test of their tour of Sri Lanka will be Bangladesh’s 100th. Having begun their journey in November 2000, they will have taken little over 16 years to their century

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2017Bangladesh will play their 100th Test match, against Sri Lanka, on March 15 in Colombo. Having played their first Test in November 2000, Bangladesh will be the last of the Full Members to complete the century, having taken little over 16 years to the mark.The visitors will begin their tour with a two-day practice game in Moratuwa before the first Test in Galle on March 7 and their milestone match at P Sara Oval a week later.The limited-overs leg begins with a warm-up game on March 22, before Dambulla hosts the first and second ODIs on March 25 and 28. The series concludes in Colombo – unusually at the SSC, which has not hosted an ODI since 2011.Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said the decision to play this match – a day game – was made on the basis that Bangladesh were not a major drawcard. The SSC has a capacity of about 10,000.”The reason we don’t host one-day games at SSC when we play other teams, is because we feel we won’t be able to accommodate the crowds there – the capacity is very limited at SSC,” de Silva said. “But when we play against Bangladesh, though there will be crowds, it will not exceed the capacity which can be accommodated as SSC, I’m sure.”When you play at a smaller ground also, it would seem like there are crowds – even for a Bangladesh tour. We can market it better.”The two T20Is to finish the tour, however, will be played at Khettarama.The Bangladesh squad is expected to be announced by February 20, while training begins in Mirpur on February 24. This is Bangladesh’s first bilateral tour of Sri Lanka since 2013, when they drew the Galle Test and also secured a 1-1 result in the three-match ODI series.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers' efforts to add another number nine to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest on Danilo to Rangers?

According to Dutch outlet 1908, the Light Blues have made an undisclosed bid in an attempt to sign Danilo from Eredivisie side Feyenoord this summer.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are now in talks with the centre-forward's club as they look to make him their fifth signing of the window, following the arrivals of Sam Lammers, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling and Jack Butland.

Following this, The Scottish Sun have added that Feyenoord have rejected the offer from the Gers and that the two sides are currently far apart in their respective valuations of the attacker.

It now remains to be seen whether Michael Beale's team will be able to reach an agreement with the Dutch club during the ongoing negotiations or not.

What is Danilo's style of play?

The prolific 5 foot 9 striker has the quality to set up his teammates on a semi-regular basis, which could make him the dream heir to Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox.

Rangers parted ways with the Colombian international at the end of his contract last month and they could replace him by convincing Feyenoord to part ways with their Brazilian marksman in the coming weeks.

Morelos averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 across 32 Premiership appearances in 22/23. He scored 11 goals and provided five assists in that time, despite being named in the starting XI 15 times, while the attacker also missed 12 'big chances'.

The 27-year-old, who stands at 5 foot 10, proved himself to be capable of making a big impact in the final third without being a regular starter, which is a quality that Danilo could also bring to the Light Blues.

Feyenoord's 24-year-old ace only started 14 Eredivisie matches in 2022/23 but was able to plunder ten goals and three assists, while he only missed seven 'big chances'.

These statistics show that, like Morelos, Danilo is able to contribute with goals and assists without needing to start week-in-week-out, which could make him a valuable addition to Beale's squad as the 42-year-old coach could rotate his team without needing to worry about the player's form dropping without regular minutes.

The £5.5m-rated Brazilian, who ex-boss Erik ten Hag once hailed as his best "finisher", also showcased his ability in front of goal as a consistent starter with 17 goals and five assists in 31 Eredivisie starts on loan at FC Twente from Ajax in 20/21.

His form in that campaign suggests that Danilo also has the potential to be the club's number one goalscoring option as no Rangers striker has managed more than 16 league goals in the last three seasons.

The PCB has sanctioned the 34-year old fast bowler for allegedly failing to report an approach

Umar Farooq14-Mar-2017The PCB has provisionally suspended Mohammad Irfan from all forms of the game for allegedly failing to report an approach. The 34-year-old fast bowler was sanctioned on Monday as the board’s investigation into alleged corruption in the Pakistan Super League gathered steam.ESPNcricinfo understands that Irfan broke the PCB’s anti-corruption code twice and that the latest incident happened at the PSL in February. He had been pulled up for questioning during the tournament but was allowed to keep playing for his team Islamabad United. Last week, however, the PCB summoned Irfan to appear before the anti-corruption committee again. He was one of two players called before the committee, the other being Karachi Kings batsman Shahzaib Hasan.”The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in furtherance to its investigation issued a Notice of Charge and provisionally suspended Irfan under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code,” a press release from the board said. “Irfan has been charged with two violations of Code Article 2.4.4 and now has 14 days to respond to the Notice of Charge. He has also been provisionally suspended with immediate effect from participating in all forms of cricket.”The article that Irfan was found in breach of dealt with “failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code”.Irfan is the fourth player to be suspended in relation to this case. Batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were charged in February but since they were contesting some of the charges an independent tribunal has been set up to look into their case. The former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed was suspended and arrested in the UK as part of the same investigation, later being let out on bail.

Manchester United appear to be keen on possibly bringing Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to Old Trafford.

Are Man United interested in signing Robert Sanchez?

The Red Devils unveiled Mason Mount as their first summer signing on Wednesday, with the midfielder penning a deal until 2028 and the option of a further year in a deal worth a total package of £60m.

Arriving from Chelsea, the England international could be the first of many through the door ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge, with a new goalkeeper now seemingly next on the agenda.

Reports have suggested that Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is a real target, with an Old Trafford contract already agreed upon between the player and United.

However, a fee still needs to be agreed with Inter and Man United have verbally proposed a new £39m offer for his services. The Serie A side want around €60m, though, which could result in United looking elsewhere, where Sanchez comes into play.

According to The Daily Mail, Man United and other Premier League clubs are circling over a potential move for Sanchez.

The Spaniard has fallen out of favour under Roberto de Zerbi, with Jason Steele number one on the south coast and Bart Verbruggen recently brought in from Anderlecht for £16.3m.

As a result, Sanchez could be on the move this summer, and United view him as a cheaper alternative to Onana as he is valued at £30m.

Who is Robert Sanchez?

Sanchez, who shares the same agency as Luke Shaw, first moved to Brighton from Levante back in 2013 and has come through the youth ranks with the Seagulls.

The 25-year-old, now a full Spain international, spent time out on loan with the likes of Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale during the early stages of his career, turning out on 17 occasions in League Two and 26 in League One.

He broke into the first team setup during the 2020/21 season and has made a total of 90 senior appearances for Brighton, keeping 29 clean sheets, one of which came in the FA Cup semi-final with the Red Devils last season.

He is under contract until 2025 and earns £25,000-a-week with his current employers, and he came in for praise from former Brighton boss Graham Potter, who labelled him as ‘powerful’ and ‘fast’ who has ‘everything to be a top goalkeeper’.

“He is a monster in terms of his physicality. He’s not just big but he is powerful, he is fast.

“In terms of attributes as a goalkeeper, he has got everything to be a top goalkeeper.”

As per WhoScored, Sanchez averaged more passes and had a better completion rate than De Gea last season, whereas he stopped more crosses and averaged a shorter average length of goal kick than Onana, as per FBref. This shows how he could suit Ten Hag’s style of playing out from the back, and by the looks of things, a move could be one to keep an eye on.

Manchester City are now eyeing a stunning move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to a recent report from The Sun.

Which midfielder are Man City signing?

With club captain Ilkay Gundogan putting pen to paper on a move to Barcelona, there is a huge gap in Man City's midfield that needs to be filled, and Declan Rice emerged as a major target, with a £90m bid being tabled earlier this week.

However, the Citizens have now pulled out of the race as they were unwilling to match Arsenal's offer of £105m, and they have now started to run the rule over other targets, including Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, as reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Veiga is not the only La Liga central midfielder that City have shown an interest in, as The Sun reports they are now mulling over a stunning £90m move for De Jong, who has been linked with a move away from Barcelona for quite some time.

Rivals Manchester United considered the Dutchman a major target a year ago, but he opted to remain at Camp Nou, and the report details that he is still in no major rush to leave Spain.

However, Barca want the central midfielder off the wage books, and they know that City have the money to sign a top-class midfielder, following their pursuit of Rice.

Guardiola tried to sign the 26-year-old in 2019, and the Man City manager remains a fan.

How much does Frenkie de Jong earn?

According to Capology, the former Ajax man rakes in a massive £620k-per-week at Barcelona, so it is no wonder the La Liga club are keen to get him off the wage bill, particularly considering the recent arrival of Gundogan.

Despite Barca's willingness to sanction the departure of the Netherlands international, he is thought of in high regard by manager Xavi, who described him as "spectacular" last season.

The Arkel-born midfielder certainly played his part in Barca's title-winning 2022/23 campaign, making 33 appearances in La Liga, during which time he picked up two goals and four assists.

Over the past year, the maestro has averaged an 89.5% pass-completion rate per 90, which ranks him in the 97th percentile compared to his positional peers, indicating he would be a perfect fit for a Guardiola system.

However, De Jong's attacking output probably does not justify a £90m outlay, particularly if he is seen as a Gundogan replacement, so Man City should initially test the waters with a much lower offer.

Peter Fulton, the former New Zealand batsman, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-20170:55

Fulton in first-class cricket: 10569 runs, 19 hundreds

Peter Fulton, the former New Zealand batsman, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Fulton, 38, played 23 Tests, 49 ODIs and 12 T20Is, and enjoyed a long and fruitful domestic career with Canterbury, ending up as their most capped player and highest run-getter. On Saturday, the Canterbury side he was part of won its third Plunket Shield title in four years.Fulton scored 967 runs in 23 Tests at an average of 25.44, with two hundreds, both coming in the same match, against England at Eden Park in March 2013. He made 1334 runs in 49 ODIs at 32.53, with one century, against Sri Lanka at McLean Park in 2006.”From making my debut, I never would have thought I would play this many times and achieve these records for Canterbury,” Fulton said. “At that stage, I was just stoked to play one. When I was growing up I had dreams of playing for Canterbury and New Zealand, but when I was younger I didn’t think I was going to do it. I am very proud to have played that many games and experienced so much success with different Canterbury teams throughout my career.”