All posts by h716a5.icu

Some Everton fans have been left begging for the signing of Allan Saint-Maximin as a transfer update emerged.

As per The Daily Mirror, Rafa Benitez could make a £50m move for the Newcastle United star if Richarlison ends up going to Real Madrid to reunite with former Toffees manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Saint-Maximin is known for his exceptional dribbling ability, having recorded the second-most successful dribbles (3.8) per game in the Premier League last 2020/21, bettered only by Wolves speedster Adama Traore with 4.1 (WhoScored).

£50m is admittedly a lot of money to pay, especially for Everton, but the Frenchman is more than capable of bringing the X-factor to Merseyside. Also, at just 24 years of age, he could turn out to be a solid purchase for several years to come.

Everton fans on Saint-Maximin transfer update

These Everton supporters begged the club to sign Saint-Maximin as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one fan calling the winger an ‘incredible talent’:

“PLEASE”

Credit: @JoeyDeAngelis11

“I don’t want Richy to leave but Saint-Max is EXACTLY what we’re missing”

Credit: @SmithGotMuscles

“Yessssss pleaseeeeee”

Credit: @bobmarl03974950

“Yes please.”

Credit: @Matt_Wolfson

“I love this, Maximin has incredible talent. But how about Richarlison and Maximin? With James playing the 10?”

Credit: @Sir_Vincent

“PLEASE”

Credit: @ParrettGost

In other news, Everton are eyeing this Champions League colossus

Newcastle United are reportedly the favourites to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers breakthrough

The 23-year-old had something of a breakthrough 2020/21 season while on loan at Bournemouth from Tottenham as the Cherries just missed out on a Championship play-off final spot at the hands of Brentford, who eventually won promotion to the Premier League.

The centre-back played in 21 matches in the second tier, winning 4.5 of his duels per game, while also averaging 3.4 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and one tackle per match, helping his side to keep five clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

The Latest: Newcastle favourites

As per Football Insider, Newcastle are now the favourites to sign Carter-Vickers, who is also a target for Celtic.

A source from Spurs has told the news outlet that the Magpies are currently the frontrunners for his signature after talks. Carter-Vickers only has one year left remaining on his deal with the Lilywhites, and they will demand a fee in the region of £5m if they are to sell him.

The Verdict: Sign

Carter-Vickers certainly seems like a good cut-price option for the Tyneside club, and he would help to bolster Steve Bruce’s options in the heart of defence.

Once dubbed an ‘absolute beast’ by former Tottenham teammate Jan Vertonghen back in 2016, the 1.83m (6 foot 1) colossus could certainly give Newcastle a physical and aerial threat in both boxes, and at 23 years of age, the USA international still has a lot of potential to fulfil.

He could turn out to be a smart signing by the Toon if they win the race for his signature.

In other news, find out what promising takeover insight Amanda Staveley has dropped

Presenting the plays of the day from the match between the Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Delhi Daredevils in Bangalore

Cricinfo staff19-May-2008
Glenn McGrath wasn’t best pleased when his appeal against Bharat Chipli was turned down (file photo) © Getty Images
Australian way doesn’t impress Pidge
When Bharat Chipli edged one behind off Glenn McGrath, he stood there and waited for the umpire to make his decision, in the time-honoured Australian way. Steve Davis, Australianhimself, said no, and a snarling McGrath was left to snipe constantly at Chipli until a miscuedpull ended his stay. Even then, McGrath appeared to be saying “not out, not out” to taunt the young batsman.Goswami wins Under-19 spoils
It was a contest within a contest, two of India’s victorious Under-19 team facing off against each other. Sreevats Goswami won it handily enough, taking Pradeep Sangwan for a six and three fours in the over. It was just about the only thing Bangalore savoured on a night when they were once again outclassed.Last-over blues
Bowling himself for one hugely expensive over probably cost Virender Sehwag and Delhi victory in their last game against Kings XI Punjab. This time, he bowled out McGrath and Farveez Maharoof and left the final over to Rajat Bhatia. With Misbah-ul-Haq on strike and in a rampant mood, it wasn’t an inspired gamble. The 24 runs Bhatia conceded at least gave Bangalore something to defend.All we need is just a little patience
Dale Steyn was working up considerable pace in his second over, with Gautam Gambhir not scoring off the first four balls. But just as Bangalore started to dream of a maiden, Gambhir showed off his orange-cap powers with a dazzling straight drive and an elegant push through cover.Are you Jonty in disguise?
Chipli may have done no more than rile McGrath with bat in hand, but at least he could claim the catch of the match, a stunning dive to his left at point to send back Sehwag. The only problem was that Delhi already had 91 on the board by then, with Sehwag careering to 47 from just 19 balls.On the ball
Cameron White has been a major flop with bat in hand, but he does bring some Australian virtues to Bangalore’s fielding. When Gambhir cut one to deep backward point and set off, White’s throw to Goswami was just about perfect. Gambhir didn’t even wait for the umpire,jogging all the way back to the pavilion.

Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey have both confirmed that Australia’s tour match in India in early October will take precedence over their potential involvement in the Champions League

Cricinfo staff23-Jun-2008
Matthew Hayden says Australia’s warm-up match in India will take priority over the Champions League © Getty Images
Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey have both confirmed that Australia’s tour match in India in early October will take precedence over their potential involvement in the Champions League. Their comments are in contrast to the claim of IS Bindra, a member of the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council, who said the pair would play for their IPL team, Chennai Super Kings, even though the Champions League clashes with Australia’s tour of India.Only one warm-up match is scheduled, to take place from October 2 to 5, before the first Test in Bangalore, which begins on October 9. Australia will have just been to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, provided they do not pull out, and their players will be desperate for a lengthy hit-out ahead of such a major Test series.Hayden said his IPL contract left no doubt that Australia’s match would be his sole concern. “The rule is simple on this one,” Hayden told the . “If we are playing for Australia in any form our decision will be to honour that commitment first. There are no grey areas here.”For Hussey, playing for Chennai appears to be his third priority. He has already confirmed that he would prefer to represent his home state Western Australia, who have qualified for the Champions League as one of the two top Twenty20 teams in Australia’s domestic tournament.Although he would have reluctantly accepted that his contract gave Chennai precedence over Western Australia, the issue will probably be irrelevant in any case. The has reported that Hussey told team officials on Sunday that he expected to be playing in the tour match and not in the Champions League.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has revealed that both he and the club were aware of Carlos Pena’s drinking problem when he arrived at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Pena’s short spell at Ibrox

Pena made the move to Ibrox from Club Leon in 2017 for a fee of £2.2m (The Daily Mail) after impressing in his home country of Mexico.

However, the now-31-year-old managed just 14 matches in all competitions – although he did score five goals (Transfermarkt) – before his drinking issues became too much of a problem. The Gers duly cancelled his contract 18 months after his arrival in Glasgow.

The Latest: Caixinha makes admission

Speaking to The Rangers Review, Caixinha has admitted that he was aware of Pena’s problems. The former Gers manager said:

“When I arrived in Mexico (between 2012 and 2014), Carlos was the most incredible midfielder.

“He was really, really incredible. Goalscorer, up and down, defending, attacking, he was really incredible. Massive player, a lot of technique, a lot of physicality.

“After that, he passed through some problems and he could not deal with what he achieved.

“He passed at one stage he was having drinking problems, it was totally known.

“And when we contacted the previous teams and previous coaches in Mexico, they told me he still had a little bit of the problem but he’s much better.

“And he’s much better with a will to change.

“I’m not going to lie to you, he didn’t arrive totally clean. But we clean him up.

“If you remember one of the last games we played against St Johnstone – which we win 3-0 and he scored twice – that was the Carlos.”

The Verdict: Risk which didn’t pay off

You must appreciate Caixinha’s honesty. He himself had a terrible spell at Rangers, lasting less than a year as he became the shortest-serving permanent manager in the club’s history, being associated with a 5-1 home drubbing by Celtic and the ignominious Europa League qualifying exit to Progres Niederkorn (BBC).

Clearly, in regards to Pena, he took a risk which just didn’t pay off – the decision was perhaps emblematic of his time in Scotland.

With those five goals, Pena did show glimpses of his capabilities. However, in the long run, less than total dedication to his craft was always going to be a major obstacle. In the end, it is probably a time all involved with the Gers would rather wish to forget.

In other news, many Rangers fans were fuming over this club tweet.

Kevin Dean tore into Bangladesh A’s fragile batting with figures of 6 for 46 from 19 overs

Cricinfo staff22-Jul-2008
ScorecardKevin Dean tore into Bangladesh A’s fragile batting with figures of 6 for 46 from 19 overs, as Derbyshire continued to dominate on the second day of the tour match at the County Ground.Dean, who had taken both wickets to fall on the first evening, continued where he had left off by dismissing Junaid Siddique and Raqibul Hasan with consecutive deliveries to reduce the Bangladeshis to 55 for 4. Though he missed out on his hat-trick, the Bangladeshis had added only 18 runs when Dean once again claimed two in two balls, when Shakib Al Hasan and Dhiman Ghosh became his fifth and sixth victims.At that stage, Dean might have imagined taking all ten in the innings, but instead he found some resistance from the teenaged Test wicketkeeper, Mushfiqur Rahim, who rallied the lower-order with a hard-earned 84-ball fifty. Nayan Doshi and Wayne White eventually prised out the tail with two wickets apiece, as Bangladesh mustered a disappointing total of 190.They had much more to cheer about though when they reduced Derbyshire to 98 for 4 and then 122 for 7, including two run-outs. Shakib Al Hasan claimed three of the wickets, while Greg Smith was removed by a run-out on 52. Nevertheless, Derbyshire still have a useful lead of 230.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham have made a bid to sign exciting young Rangers forward Kai Kennedy this summer – with the Gers now replying to their offer.

The Lowdown: West Ham recruiting youngsters…

Already this summer, West Ham have been busy in landing a plethora of young starlet signings – including the likes of Armstrong Oko-Flex, Thierry Nevers and Pierre Ekwah Elimby (football.london).

Indeed, manager David Moyes appears to have his eye on restructuring the Irons’ academy whilst bringing some star future talent to Rush Green.

Now, it appears West Ham have their eye on another one in forward Kennedy.

The Latest: West Ham make bid to sign Kennedy…

As per the Mail, an offer has emerged from West Ham to sign exciting youngster Kennedy this summer – with the Gers firmly replying to the £600,000 bid.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-news/” title=”West Ham news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Rangers have rebuffed the approach, but the 19-year-old’s agent, Paul Tait, even confirmed the Irons’ fondness for Kennedy and that offers had been made. He confirmed that the club are ‘very keen’.

They apparently want to lure Kennedy down south and have been tracking him for months, but it appears they will have to wait longer to capture his signature.

The Verdict: Exciting starlet…

The teenager, lauded as a player who ‘excites people’ by former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Robertson at the end of last year (Glasgow Live), would certainly come as West Ham’s biggest youngster signing yet.

He has even earned an admirer in Gers boss and Premier League legend Steven Gerrard, who once called Kennedy a ‘fabulous little player’ (Daily Record).

The forward is also pretty versatile and has experience playing in all sorts of positions up the pitch, including left wing, right wing, attacking midfield and even as a second striker (Transfermarkt).

Given his versatility, high praise and impressive form while on loan spells away from Ibrox, this certainly seems like an exciting one to keep an eye on for Hammers fans.

In other news: ‘Blimey’, ‘I am salivating’…West Ham fans flock to ‘exciting’ club announcement, find out more here.

Graeme Swann, the England allrounder, has pledged that he will travel to Pakistan should the Champions Trophy go ahead, despite the uncertainty over the country’s political stability

Cricinfo staff14-Aug-2008
‘In Sri Lanka last year there were bombs going off while we were there, but you did not feel threatened by it – because you have got the security detail’ © Getty Images
Graeme Swann, the England offspinner, has pledged that he will travel to Pakistan should the Champions Trophy go ahead, despite the uncertainty over the country’s political stability.The ICC’s task force has been in the country assessing the security over the past week, but their most difficult issue is in convincing the players. ICC’s security advisors are being dispatched to England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to persuade the boards that the players’ concerns are unfounded. Swann, however, is not one of them.”In Sri Lanka last year there were bombs going off while we were there,” he told PA. “But you did not feel threatened by it – because you have got the security detail, and the army give you escorts. I’d certainly trust what [ICC security expert] Reg Dickason says – after spending some time with him – so I’ll have to wait and see what he says.”Swann has only played 12 ODIs for England, spread over eight years, so any opportunity for him to swell his experience on the field is not one he can easily pass up.”It is obviously tricky – because if you are in a position like me, having only played a dozen or so internationals, you certainly worry about giving your place up and not winning it back,” he said. “Inside me, I think I would not have a problem; I’d trust in them – but then your family is saying you must be crackers and your girlfriend is saying, ‘I don’t want you to go’. “That’s when you start thinking, ‘Hang on a minute’.”The decision to tour Pakistan, though “tricky” due to safety concerns, cannot be compared to playing in Zimbabwe, Swann admitted. “It would be completely different if it was on moral grounds,” he said.”The Zimbabwe trip would be a complete no-brainer – you just wouldn’t go there, if you can sleep at night.”

Leeds United are reportedly still interested in signing Manchester United winger Daniel James, following an update on his future.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing James

Marcelo Bielsa has an important summer transfer window on his hands, in order to maintain his team’s current momentum.

Leeds will be hoping to remain in the top half of the Premier League next season, but new signings may be needed for that to happen.

James is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, having struggled for minutes with United last season, starting just 11 times in the league.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: New update emerges

According to The Daily Mail, Leeds’ interest still remains, with the Whites thought to be ‘monitoring developments’ currently.

A move for Club Brugge wide man Noa Lang looks unlikely, however, due to any potential deal being ‘expensive’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Ideal squad option

James may be a relatively one-dimensional footballer, using his incredible pace to his benefit, but he could be a strong signing for Leeds.

At 23, he still has plenty of time to improve as a player – Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini has said he likes him ‘so much’ – and he could provide competition for the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison next season.

His speed on the counter-attacker and admirable work ethic could both appeal to Bielsa, who will surely be eyeing up another winger. Given he was keen to sign James a few years ago, it makes sense that the Leeds boss still has the Welshman on his radar.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be closing in on the signing of one player – find out who it is here.

Ireland’s third ODI against Kenya was washed out in Belfast

Cricinfo staff27-Aug-2008 – no result
ScorecardKenya’s disappointing tour of the British Isles ended in a fittingly anticlimactic fashion when their third and final ODI against Ireland at Stormont was abandoned without a ball being bowled.After a week of heavy rain, the prospects of any play were slim, and after an 11 o’clock inspection the umpires decided that the bowlers’ run-ups at the City End were too soft for the match to commence.It was the second abandonment in three days at the Stormont ground – on Monday, the second ODI was washed out after only eight overs, which left Ireland as the victors in the three-match series, following their 33-run win in Sunday’s opening fixture.