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Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson has suggested that Glasgow Rangers target Siriki Dembele is on the transfer list this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers eye Dembele

The Gers have been heavily linked with a move for the winger in recent months, as per Peterborough Today.

Along with the Ibrox club, their fierce rivals Celtic are also said to be in pursuit of the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Dembele on transfer list?

Speaking to Peterborough Today, Ferguson provided an update on the future of one of his star forwards. He said:

“I can’t see us selling anyone before the season starts. Championship clubs have been very quiet in general and we have had no offers for Siriki, not ones that will turn our heads at least.

“Siriki is therefore very much part of my plans. If he trains well he will be in contention to play and he has trained very well so far.“All the players on the transfer list will be considered for selection while they are still here.”

The Verdict: Worth a puntDembele enjoyed a fantastic campaign for Posh last time out as they were promoted to the Championship from League One. In 45 games in all competitions, he scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists, and he has now found the back of the net 29 times throughout his career (Transfermarkt). He has proven himself to be a dangerous talent, and it will come as no surprise that plenty of clubs are interested in signing him.It is said that Peterborough are looking for a multi-million pound offer for Dembele, but it is unclear exactly how much Posh are seeking for him. Still, currently valued at just £1.08m by Transfermarkt, his signature is  not likely to be an unattainable one for Rangers. He is worth a punt from Ross Wilson and co.In other news, Alex McLeish is worried about the future of this man.

Lack of preparation won’t be an excuse for Northern Districts when they open their State Championship campaign against Auckland at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne on November 29

Lynn McConnell13-Nov-2002Lack of preparation won’t be an excuse for Northern Districts when they open their State Championship campaign against Auckland at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne on November 29.Four of the side’s front-line players, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, James Marshall and Bruce Martin, have been playing club cricket in Sydney over the last six weeks.Marshall has scored 251 runs for the Eastern Suburbs club, including a 154, to average 50.20 after five matches. Tuffey has taken 12 wickets for the Sutherland club at an average of 20.08.All four players will return to New Zealand on Sunday or Monday after completing the round of games that is underway in Sydney at the moment.Their inclusion in teams in Sydney resulted from Scott Styris going to Gordon where former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon was associated last summer.ND coach Bruce Blair said the inclusion of four players this year was a strengthening of the on-going relationship between ND and New South Wales.After he and ND operations manager Pat Malcon visited Sydney to speak with senior NSW officials, they learned there had been acceptance of the ND players being involved. The New Zealand players, all of whom were good first-class players here, with Tuffey and Styris being international players, were bolstering the Sydney competition and it had been good for club players there to mix with the New Zealanders and to see them in action.Blair was keen to see the system applied again next year because it not only gave the players cricket at a time when not a lot was happening due to climate restrictions in New Zealand, but it also helped develop the players’ life skills.”They’ve done pretty well and James Marshall has hit his straps,” Blair said. “And Daryl has been very happy with the rhythm he has got and the way he’s been feeling. Scott has been bowling on very, very true wickets to good players who look to attack.”The Australian four will not be included in the ND side to play Auckland, in Auckland, on Monday and Tuesday.That will allow the selectors to have a look at three of four players who are on the fringe of the squad.The full ND squad will then meet back in Hamilton on Wednesday for a fitness testing session and squad work.The squad for the first part of the season will then get together in Hamilton for two days of practice before bussing to Gisborne on the Wednesday afternoon.For those players back in New Zealand there have been two rounds of Hawke Cup play over the last two weekends.Blair is looking forward to getting the team back together and looking forward to further develop the skills in the side.

Aston Villa are closing in on their fourth summer signing of the window as some transfer news emerges on their pursuit of a West Brom starlet.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have gotten off to a fantastic start this summer in terms of their recruitment, with Emi Buendia, Ashley Young and Josh Feeney having already walked through the door at Villa Park.

And now, The Birmingham Mail have revealed that the Midlands club are now set to sign Tim Iroegbunam from the Baggies, with the teenager actually having been named as the Hawthorns side’s academy player of the year.

It’s said: “The 18-year-old, described as “combative and all-action” by Albion coaches, will look to link up with former teammate Louie Barry at Villa with the pair remaining close friends off the pitch. BirminghamLive has been told that Iroegbunam has turned down a new and improved contract at The Hawthorns in favour of moving to Villa Park.”

Another statement of ambition from

While a deal for an 18-year-old prodigy with no real first-team action to his name is hardly the kind of big-money signing that would indicate a statement of ambition from Villa, it really is when you scratch a little under the surface.

The club’s impending deal for Iroegbunam is a sign that the club are moving in the right direction and are able to lure some of the best young talents from around the country to Villa Park – even those from local rivals.

It’s an indication of the kind of long-term planning that is in place at the Midlands club, and how transfer windows aren’t simply about reinforcing the first-team squad but also strengthening the youth system.

The likes of Louie Barry and Lamare Bogarde in recent seasons are a testament to that, and has set Villa’s future up very well.

So while the signings of the likes of Buendia, Young and Feeney already this summer shows Smith’s side are keen on doing smart business early, the arrival of Iroegbunam is an exciting one because of his age, where he’s coming from, and what it shows about Villa’s ambition under NSWE.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been handed a transfer boost over this star…

Lee Ryder has dropped some enticing insight from chiefs of the Premier League on both of the Newcastle United takeover cases launched against them.

The Lowdown: Ashley launches claims

Mike Ashley has launched an arbitration case against the top flight with regards to the failed takeover deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group, which is set to take place in the coming months.

The chief executive of Sports Direct has also launched a separate anti-competition lawsuit against the division over their decision-making process in the failed takeover bid, which will be kept in his back pocket in case the arbitration hearing does not in his favour.

The Latest: Premier League insight

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder, North East football journalist who has been following the whole takeover saga closely, has shared that chiefs of the Premier League think that both cases are too similar, and have since handed in detailed evidence to have the anti-competition lawsuit stopped.

Ryder also claimed that it looks as if the top flight are trying to play for time, by continually trying to slow down the takeover process and argue their case.

The Verdict: Premier League could be on edge

The fact that the division are seemingly trying to delay the process and arguing that the two cases are too similar does suggest that they could be feeling pessimistic about the potential outcome of the initial arbitration hearing.

Adding Ashley’s confidence that he will get the right result into the mix, it seems as if the top flight could be feeling some pressure with regards to the direction in which the takeover could potentially be heading.

Nonetheless, the results of the arbitration proceedings should give a much clearer picture, and the St. James’ Park faithful will need full cooperation from the division if there is any hope of the original deal being revived.

In other news, find out what claim Ryder has dropped on the potential takeover involving Rafa Benitez here!

Carl Hooper admitted his side should have defeated South Africa but refused to blame fast bowler Merv Dillon who conceded 16 runs from the last frantic over

Charlie Austin13-Sep-2002Carl Hooper admitted his side should have defeated South Africa but refused to blame fast bowler Merv Dillon who conceded 16 runs from the last frantic over.South Africa looked to have missed their chance of victory after Boeta Dippenaar (53) and man of the match Jonty Rhodes (61) were both dismissed in the space of three balls.But a breezy cameo from Mark Boucher (23), a last over six from captain Shaun Pollock, plus a crucial wide from Dillon allowed them to squeeze home by two wickets off the last ball of the game.”A game is never over until the end but with needing 13 to win off the final over we should have won,” Hooper reflected afterwards. “But cricket is a funny game and South Africa scrapped in.””I thought Merv (Dillon) came back well in the final over after being hit for the six, but I was very disappointed that he conceded a wide – I would have prefered him to bowl a legitimate ball that was hit for four,” he said. “But there was a lot of pressure out there and he has to learn from the experience.”Looking back on the key incidents of the game, he said: “If we had taken our chances things could have gone our way. There was Jonty (Rhodes) caught of a no ball, a very close lbw shout off another no ball and then Pedro Collins failing to break the stumps towards the end.”And when they batted: “At one stage we were 100 odd for one and could have gone to get 20/30 more runs. We didn’t show enough urgency.”Pollock was delighted that his side had scrapped through despite having not played at their best throughout the tightly contested game.”The big positive was that we didn’t play to our potential but still managed to win,” he said. “In the end we were pretty lucky to win but at one stage we were ahead.””Boeta and Jonty batted superbly but the loss of two quick wickets made it really difficult for the incoming batsmen,” he said.And he was glad that the team had been tested early on in the tournament. “That was good preparation for the rest of the tournament,” he said.He identified several areas for improvement: “On the bowling side are length wasn’t so good and when batting we are conscious of the need for good starts.”But he ruled out wholesale changes: “We’re not really worried. There is no need to make changes – things will click soon.”Although a semi-final berth is virtually assured, he refused to look further than their next game: “We are focused on the Kenya game – they nearly sneaked a last over win against Australia at Nairobi.”Man of the match Rhodes was glad the side had won: “A win is a win and we wanted to get back into the winning habit – it was especially good to do so from that position.”But he was annoyed to have finished it off: “I was a bit frustrated. I felt that I had let the side down in Morocco and was disappointed to get out here when I did.”

Liam Kennedy has dropped an enticing revelation on the Newcastle United takeover consortium involving Rafa Benitez, after big news emerged about the Spaniard’s future.

The Lowdown: Benitez Everton bound

As per football broadcaster Jim White, Benitez is reportedly on the brink of becoming the new manager at Everton after talks.

A controversial move for sure given his past connections with Liverpool, the Spaniard will look to bring the success he wanted in the North East to Goodison Park instead.

The Latest: Consortium wanted Benitez

According to Kennedy, who has been following the whole takeover saga closely, Benitez was wanted by the potential owners-in waiting at St. James’ Park, as he helped bring them to the table.

Kennedy thinks that it is a ‘shame’ that the 61-year-old could be heading to the Toffees instead, given his connections with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The Verdict: Shame indeed

It is certainly a shame that Benitez looks to be heading to the Blues, as he could have been the perfect fit to take over from Steve Bruce should he have been cast aside by the potential new owners.

A lot of members of the Toon Army have previously called for him to come back, and so he would certainly be a popular appointment and an easy way for the potential new owners to get fans on side.

Benitez has a vast amount of experience in managing in the Premier League, with sides with big transfer budgets like Liverpool and Chelsea, and so he would have had few problems in handling the likely abundance of riches that would come with the takeover.

In other news, find out why the top flight have been slammed for their handling of the potential takeover here!

Liverpool are set to play Rangers in a friendly, which will see Steven Gerrard enter the Anfield dugout as a manager for the first time [This is Anfield].

Due to restrictions imposed on travel due to the pandemic, the Reds are expected stay local in their 2021/22 pre-season preparations [Daily Record].

The event is mooted to be scheduled for around late July, potentially in line to be the first full capacity game at Anfield since Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid in March 2020 [BBC].

The former Liverpool captain won’t be the only individual returning to the Merseyside giants, as former Liverpool coaches Michael Beale, Gary McAllister, Tom Culshaw and Gary Milson alongside ex-player Ryan Kent get set to re-acquaint with Jurgen Klopps’s side [This Is Anfield].

Excited by the news, loads of Liverpool fans took to Twitter to share their excitement regarding these latest developments.

Liverpool fans react:

Here is what some Liverpool fans had to say upon hearing about the clash:

“This could be a belter of a pre season game”

Credit: @Jack_Rogers97″Saw this coming. Can’t wait.”Credit: @HeGotStripes”Omg this’ll be amazing!”Credit: @_sarahah__”IM SO EXCITED, I JUST CANT HIDE IT.”Credit: @salahvvd”WOW!!! CAN’T WAIT!!!”Credit: @liaPurnama09″Lmaoooo. This is going to be a very crazy game”Credit: @Bami_MaveIn other news, Liverpool fans react to a Caoimhin Kelleher update.

The Queen’s Park Oval at Trinidad might be one of India’s favouriteaway grounds but that did not save them from a thrashing at the handsof the West Indians on Saturday

Erapalli Prasanna02-Jun-2002The Queen’s Park Oval at Trinidad might be one of India’s favouriteaway grounds but that did not save them from a thrashing at the handsof the West Indians on Saturday.The game began on a sombre note with the players observing a minute’ssilence in memory of the recently departed Subhash Gupte, whom Iconsider to be the greatest leg-spinner the game has seen, and HansieCronje.I feel sorry for the present generation of cricket lovers who neversaw the great Gupte in action. He was a genius in the true sense ofthe word and could work magic on any wicket and against any batsman. Iwould venture to say that if he were playing now, he would haveclaimed 500 Test wickets with ease, considering the high quality offielding support that he would be getting.I still cherish the memory of playing against the great man in aCentral Zone v South Zone encounter at Bangalore. In the course of aface-saving partnership for South which I forged in the company of thelate Kripal Singh, I picked up various nuances of the art of spinbowling from the maestro. Truly, it was a blessed moment for me.Naturally, at the start of the match, I then thought that the Indians,after electing to bat, would spare no effort in earning a win thatthey could subsequently dedicate to memory of the late genius. But therain seemed to have played spoilsport as far as they were concerned.They clearly seemed to lack a gameplan to tackle the contingency ofbatting first in a contest truncated to a 25-over-a-side affair.Batsman after batsman started going for quick runs, as the touristsplayed into the hands of the West Indies side who bundled them out for123 runs. The home side were favourites from thereon and the only hopethe Indians lay in the prospect of another shower washing out thematch before the West Indies reached the modest victory target.A shower did come early on in the West Indies innings but it was anunwelcome sight for the Indians. In the seventh over of the hometeam’s innings bowled by Tinu Yohanan it rained boundaries as WestIndies opener Chris Gayle, who had begun middling the ball well,opened his broad shoulders and plundered 25 runs. The savage attackeffectively sealed the fate of the match.Gayle and his partner Wavell Hinds went on to add 117 runs at wellover a run a ball and this meant that the West Indies easily achievedthe series-leveling win that they had been seeking at the start of thematch.The home team proved that they were ready to take the bull by thehorns in a must-win encounter and their aggressive approach paid richdividends indeed. Now, with the series hanging in the balance, it isup to the Indians to prove that they can bounce back and at least winthe one-day series before leaving the Caribbean.

The first day’s play in the three-day tour match between Sri Lanka and the MCC has been washed out by steady rain

Stephen Lamb06-Jun-2002The first day’s play in the three-day tour match between MCC and Sri Lanka has been washed out by steady rain. The match, now reduced to two days, will start on Friday.The wash-out is just the latest of numerous disruptions that Sri Lanka have had to endure during preparations before and in between the three Test matches. The game against MCC is their last before the third and final Test, which starts at Old Trafford next Thursday.MCC have picked what is effectively an England hopefuls team, which was nominated by the national selectors. Five members of the MCC side have already played for England, while another three were members of the ECB Academy squad in Australia last winter.

Kalvin Phillips has earned himself a lot of plaudits this season after taking to the Premier League like duck to water and he would only benefit from staying at Elland Road for another season, according to former midfielder David Norris, who played with Phillips when they were both at Leeds.

Phillips appeared to be a shoo-in for a place in Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad this summer but a last-minute shoulder injury against West Brom has thrown his availability up in the air.

The 25-year old has proved how important he is to Marcelo Bielsa as he operates in the lone holding midfielder role which sees him shepherd the back four as well as linking attacks up quickly, and his performances have seen Pep Guardiola reportedly identify him as his number-one target this summer.

Leeds are not in a position where they have to sell after finishing in the top half in their first season back in the Premier League and Bielsa is set to stay so Norris can’t see Phillips leaving this summer, telling The Transfer Tavern exclusively:

“My initial thought was no chance because he’s been flying this season even breaking into the England team. So, I would be surprised as Leeds want to keep him, he loves Leeds because he’s been there a long time. He was even there as a kid when I was at the club so I’d like to see him stay longer.

“Obviously, Man City is a massive club but I would be worried about his game time. I’d like to see him stay and continue and if I’m thinking like a player, I would probably want to keep playing regularly and I would like to see him do a bit more with Leeds.”

There had been a lot of speculation over Bielsa’s future with even some reports suggesting that the Leeds’ hierarchy were preparing for life without him, however, it is expected that he will sign a new contract this summer.

Instead of letting the speculation get to the players’ heads, Leeds will want to see them all knuckle down over the summer and get ready for potentially gatecrashing the European party next season.