All posts by h716a5.icu

Reports have emerged which suggest that Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo could be on the move this summer, with a large clue revealed about his potential next destination.

Matondo struggled for game time at Ibrox last season, making just 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.

What's the latest on Rabbi Matondo's future at Rangers?

Matondo was spotted at Elland Road in Leeds United's opening day draw with Cardiff City in the Championship, according to Football Insider – adding to the speculation that the winger could be sold to the Yorkshire club this summer.

If Matondo did make the move, it would come just one year after he decided to make the switch to Rangers from Schalke for an undisclosed fee.

The Welshman, under contract until 2026, joined with plenty of potential, and hope of realising that potential in Scotland. Things just haven't worked out, however, with the winger's failure to score a single goal alongside his low number of five assists representing a debut campaign of struggle.

Michael Beale even admitted last season that Matondo was struggling for confidence, saying, via Football Scotland:

"He's a young boy. He's an international, played in the Bundesliga, played in the Belgian league, he's here for a reason.

"He's maybe having a crisis of confidence, it would have been lovely if he had scored that goal, for him and for everyone.

"He's our player, we trust him, we bought him for a reason and we will help him out the other side of it."

Given the fact that he has been left out of Rangers' European squad this season, too, everything is pointing towards an exit for the winger.

That's where Leeds could come in, however, with their need for a winger potentially growing should Wilfried Gnonto and Crysensio Summerville leave this summer, as reports have suggested they could.

Should Rangers selll Rabbi Matondo?

After failing to make an impact at Rangers, Matondo represents a risk for most clubs. But, if Leeds lose both Gnonto and Summerville this summer, then they may be left with limited options when it comes to targets.

It seems as though Rangers are keen to get Matondo off their books, too, after leaving him out of their European squad, potentially opening the door for a cut-price deal in the coming weeks.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

At his best, the winger can be quite the threat, and has earned praise when showing his best form, with John Hartson telling Go Radio, via Ibrox News:

"Good players, I have seen a bit of Rabbi Matondo, with the Welsh set-up, very quick, very direct, skilful. He’s one for the future but I think he can make an impact."

With that said, although the deal may be a risky one after his difficult campaign last time out, if Leeds got Matondo back to his best, then they could have themselves a key player.

From Rangers point of view, they may feel that an exit could be best for them and the player, so his future could be one to keep an eye over the coming days.

Leeds United are trying to complete the signing for Joel Piroe from Swansea City, but are facing a number of obstacles according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The striker would be a "really good signing" by Leeds according to the journalist.

What is the latest Joel Piroe news?

Swansea are preparing for offers for the forward this upcoming month.

According to reports from Football Insider, all three recently relegated sides are interested in the 23-year-old this summer, however the Welsh side aren't in a rush to sell the forward despite him having just 12 months remaining on his contract at the Swansea.com Stadium, with the club asking for £15-20m to let him go this summer.

Leeds are hoping to bring in the striker to replace Spaniard Rodrigo, who was the Yorkshire clubs top scorer last campaign with 11 goals, and Piroe is seen as the ideal replacement due to being versatile like the Spaniard and being able to play both as a striker and an attacking midfielder.

The Dutch striker impressed in the Championship last season, scoring 20 and assisting two in 45 games and receiving praise from former manager Russel Martin, who stated after Piroe's winner against Bristol City "I thought Joel was outstanding. I thought he took his goal brilliantly, and he looked a real threat all night, He was a real threat and he worked so hard out of possession, he was absolutely finished at the end when we took him off. It is exciting for us to see what he can go on and achieve this season.”

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs revealed that Leeds aren't as interested compared to Southampton, Leicester City and OGC Nice: "He could be a really good signing. He is obviously playing in pre-season at the moment and Swansea's asking price is relatively high. It's going to be difficult for anybody to pull off a deal at value. At the moment, I think that Leeds are not necessarily the one to watch compared to the likes of Leicester and Southampton, who have looked. Away from English football, there's been some interest from Nice as well. But nothing is necessarily imminent at this point."

Who will Leeds sign this summer?

Leeds are still looking to make additions this window.

The club have already signed Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow this window from Chelsea and Newcastle United respectively. The side are also looking at a potential move for Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, with the club nearing an agreement with the Scottish side for £5m according to Football Insider. The midfielder was a crucial part of the Rangers side for a number of seasons however saw his game time diminish under new boss Michael Beale. The club are also interested in Liverpool defender Nat Phillips according to reports. The deal is set to cost around £10m for a player Jurgen Klopp described as a "monster in the air".

A number of players could still depart Elland Road this summer as well. Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto has already been the subject of a rejected bid worth £15m from Everton, whilst Crystal Palace and Aston Villa hold an interest in the forward. According to Dean Jones, the forward wants to leave this summer and could become "restless" if he isn't sold by the clubs first game of the season. Midfielder Tyler Adams is another who has informed manager Daniel Farke of his desire to leave this summer in order to continue playing at the highest level, with interest from Villa and West Ham United turning the injured players head.

A Jeetan Patel century has kept Warwickshire in a contest at Headingley that Yorkshire need to win to calm their own fears of a drop into Division Two

David Hopps at Headingley19-Sep-20171:38

County Championship round-up: Kleinveldt puts pressure on Notts

Yorkshire 62 for 1 (Lyth 35*) trail Warwickshire 219 (Patel 100, Fisher 5-54) by 157 runs A freewheeling hundred by Jeetan Patel, which might have been designed to banish the frustrations of a relegation season in a single innings, has kept Warwickshire in a contest at Headingley that Yorkshire need to win to calm their own fears of a drop into Division Two.The decrepit old Rugby Stand might be about to be pulled down, but Yorkshire have no wish to go down with it. A hole at one end of the ground is one thing, a hole in the heart of every Yorkshire cricket supporter quite another. In fifth place at the start of this round, one point above Somerset and Middlesex, they wish to put an awkward transitional season to bed without further alarms.Patel ensured a few restless nights yet. Simplicity is the essence of his batting and the fact that Warwickshire’s relegation is assured uncluttered his mind even further. He clattered anything wide to the cover boundary with aplomb, turning 49 for 6 into 219 – unexpected riches. Patel and Ian Bell got a century and half-century apiece and the other nine batsmen managed 54 between them.Patel only has three first-class centuries and two have come against Yorkshire. He did not outstay his welcome once it was achieved, falling lbw to Matt Fisher’s next delivery as he tried to hit through the leg side. Fisher finished with 5 for 54 in his first Championship appearance of the season. From a single bowling analysis much good can come.”Get through the season” has been the gist of Yorkshire’s message to Fisher. If it had to be the 2nd XI then so be it. There is no point being the most highly-regarded young quick in the country if your hamstring is not up to the job. Three times it let him down last year, once while batting. He skippered England Under-19s in India, but regarded his own body suspiciously.For an enthusiast like Fisher, identified as a talent at an early age and eager to make his mark, to be regarded as a long-term project and asked to bowl within himself while his body strengthened, cannot have been easy. He looked a little down on pace, perhaps as a consequence, but the wickets came. He was on a few long lists for the 2019 World Cup and, if that is no longer the case, this was the first sign of better things ahead.Jeetan Patel batting for Warwickshire•Getty ImagesLiam Banks, an England U19 on Championship debut, was Fisher’s first victim, edging a ball of challenging line which bounced and left him just enough. But Bell was his most prized wicket, a relief for Yorkshire after a stand of 96 for the seventh wicket.Bell, showing occasional silkiness while Warwickshire collapsed around him, reached 50 by edging Fisher wide of gully, but he fell in Fisher’s next over as he took the last four wickets at a time when Patel was causing growing disquiet. Chris Wright followed in Fisher’s next over, another lbw victim.Yorkshire conceded 142 between lunch and tea and it was a surprise that it only brought one plaintiff cry of “C’mon Yorkshire”. In the Rugby Stand, where the sun never intrudes, the diehards looked on with a critical air, as diehards have often done, offering corrugated opinions under the corrugated roof for the past 90 years.The morning had belonged to Yorkshire, prospering after Jonathan Trott took the chance to bowl first – unusual for a 10.30am start in September, especially when the home side needed a positive result. Yorkshire fielded five pace bowlers, as if uncertain which ones would rouse themselves to the task. Jack Brooks led the way with the first two wickets, Trott falling to an excellent diving catch by Adam Lyth at second slip, Ben Coad following up.Collectors of cricketing oddities would be disappointed that the chance of Ryan Sidebottom bowling to Ryan Sidebottom went begging because Yorkshire’s Ryan Sidebottom, whose name really should have been copyrighted years ago, had a hamstring strain. More pertinently, it has denied him a Headingley farewell and with the final Championship match of the season due at Chelmsford next week, it might deny him any sort of farewell at all.But he can be hurrahed here at any rate, 762 first-class wickets to his name, a model professional entering retirement at 39. A bowler who upped sticks and spent the middle period of his career at Nottinghamshire but who, even when he did, remained the very essence of a Yorkshire cricketer. It might have all ended with him looking exasperated and cursing a flat one at The Oval as Surrey made 592, resenting every run as always. Perhaps it was a suitable way to go.

While there will be those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion still hoping that club-record scorer, Harry Kane will be a part of Ange Postecoglou's side beyond the September deadline, it is looking increasingly likely that the England skipper will be on his way as a matter of when and not if.

Amid reports that chairman Daniel Levy could be forced to cash in on the long-serving striker rather than allow him to leave for nothing next summer, it would appear that the only question now is where the 30-year-old ends up, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United still circling.

If the 6 foot 2 marksman is to depart over the coming weeks then Postecoglou will need to find a new attacking figurehead who can ease the goalscoring burden on Heung-min Son, with there perhaps other members of the current squad who could step up to the plate.

Last year's £60m summer signing, Richarlison did only recently net a hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Lion City Sailors, although it is yet to be seen if the mercurial Brazilian can replicate that form in the Premier League, having scored just a solitary top-flight goal last season.

Rather than attempting to rely on the 26-year-old, a possible surprise package may have presented itself in the form of former Fulham loanee, Manor Solomon, with the recent free transfer arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk having made a strong early impression on pre-season.

How good is Manor Solomon?

Described as "really exciting" by Postecoglou, the 24-year-old has also been the recipient of notable praise from journalist Paul Brown, with the respected insider telling Football FanCast that the Israeli international can be something of a "weapon" for the north Londoners next season.

Asked whether the 5 foot 7 ace is a bargain signing, Brown stated: "Yeah, I think he's a really good little player. He, in limited minutes, did really good things for Fulham and scored a lot of goals off the bench for them. I think in a similar role at spurs, he could be quite dynamic.

"I think they do need someone like him who takes up good positions, has that kind of movement. He's quite deceptive with his movement, and just has a knack for goal.

"I think bringing him on against tired defenders at the end at the end of the game would be a good weapon for the new manager to have, so I can see why they did that one."

How has Manor Solomon performed in pre-season?

That glowing praise is a sign of the potential gem that Postecoglou has on his hands, with Solomon having shown glimpses last season while at Craven Cottage that he can offer a real goal threat in his new home at N17.

While Richarlison failed to catch fire for the Lilywhites, the Israeli sensation scored four Premier League goals in 2022/23 despite missing the first half of the season through injury, with that impact also coming despite being limited to just four starts in the competition.

Barring another injury setback, the £13m-rated speedster looks likely to have a bigger role to play this time around if his pre-season form is anything to go by, having been hailed as a 'constant threat' on the right flank by football.london's Alasdair Gold following the recent win over Lion City – who also awarded him an 8/10 match rating.

The diminutive, wing wizard had also shone on the opposite side against rivals West Ham United last week, with the Evening Standard's Simon Collings writing that he was 'just about Tottenham’s best player during the first half and looked very lively cutting inside.'

While it remains to be seen which wing the one-time Maccabi Tel Aviv menace will line up on moving forward, such versatility is evidence of just what a 'weapon' he is, hence the excitement over his potential influence in 2023/24.

Although it may be Richarlison who is likely to be the direct, positional replacement for Kane through the middle, Solomon is already showing signs that he can lead the charge from the flanks.

Ottis Gibson is expected to be named South Africa’s new coach within days, with the ECB now seeing his departure as inevitable

George Dobell11-Aug-20170:58

Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, addressed the prospect of Gibson’s departure during the Old Trafford Test

Ottis Gibson is expected to be named South Africa’s new coach within days.While Gibson is currently employed as the England bowling coach and is expected to report to Birmingham on Monday for training ahead of the first Investec Test against West Indies, it is understood the ECB now sees his departure as inevitable and expects a deal to be finalised imminently.Although England will hope Gibson is able to remain with them until the end of the Test series against West Indies – which could lastuntil September 11 – they are aware that South Africa’s next Test series (against Bangladesh) starts on September 28. South Africa will want him present at a training camp that precedes that series.Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, confirmed earlier in the week that Gibson was the first choice of the panel charged with picking a new coach. That decision now has to be ratified by Cricket South Africa.That only leaves CSA and the ECB to agree a compensation figure. While Gibson has a year of his England contract remaining, it is understood he has confirmed to the ECB that he wants to take the position with South Africa. It is not anticipated that the compensation discussion will delay his appointment.That means that the Edgbaston Test could well be his last with England.Richard Johnson, the former England seamer who currently performs the role of bowling coach with Middlesex, is a leading candidate to replace Gibson, though James Anderson could help out as a player-coach in the interim.Another intriguing possibility is the addition of Darren Gough to the coaching staff in some capacity. While Gough is not thought to be interested in a full-time role, he has emerged as a possible candidate as a bowling coach or consultant of the white-ball sides. He is Level 3 qualified and recently made a good impression working with the England U-19s. He is understood to be open to an approach.It is also understood that discussions continue with Saqlain Mushtaq. While he is currently contracted to spend 100 days a year with England, there is a good chance that role will be extended.

Australia’s vanquished tournament favourites return home to the uncertainty of unemployment and the questions of a nation that expected them to be lifting the World Cup

Daniel Brettig21-Jul-2017Australia’s vanquished tournament favourites will return home to the uncertainty of unemployment and the searching questions of a nation that expected them to be lifting the World Cup trophy at Lord’s, rather then losing a semi-final to a supercharged India in Derby.Meg Lanning’s team signed short-term contracts to ensure they were paid throughout the tournament amid the pay war between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association back home, but now join their male and domestic counterparts in awaiting the resolution of a dispute that is fast running out of time to avoid major commercial and competitive dislocation in the game.At the same time, Lanning and the coach Matthew Mott are expecting to face a concerted inquisition from CA’s team performance manager, Pat Howard, as to why the Australians failed to produce their best at the pointy end of the Cup. Defeat to India means Australia hold neither of the game’s two major trophies for the first time since 2009.”Normally there’s a pretty exhaustive review, Pat Howard, the boss, will certainly ask some questions,” Mott said. “So when we get home we’ll have to face the music I guess. [We’ll] go through what went right and what went wrong, and there’ll be a lot of questions asked because we came here with the expectation to win, we had the team that could have won the competition and we didn’t. So we’ve got to ask ourselves some tough questions. We’re hurting a fair bit at the moment but there’s certainly a lot of areas we have to work on.”We’ve got a culture where we throw things around and brainstorm a lot. We should have been blown off the park today and the fact we hung in there and kept it alive – we take that away. A bit of that Aussie spirit to the end there – Alex Blackwell’s innings was pretty special I think. So those sort of things, but we’ve come here to win and we go away losing semi-finalists. We’re very disappointed.”On a day when she was unable to lead with the bat, bowled by a superb swinging delivery from Jhulan Goswami, Lanning said her team had been unable to find the consistency to play the “perfect game” when both bat and ball were in sync. This was underlined by how Harmanpreet Kaur dominated Australia’s bowlers with an innings of rare ferocity, leaving too much to be done in the chase after early wickets fell to the moving ball.”We came here to win, so there’s not a whole lot of positives. I thought we played good cricket in patches, we weren’t really able to put the perfect game together,” Lanning said. “There were glimpses there but, to win a World Cup, you’ve got to be consistent and put performances together.”It’s definitely a very disappointing finish to the tournament. We came here to win, and we’re not going to get the chance to play off in the final. India were too good today; they outplayed us in all the facets of the game, so we’re going to have to look at a few things and see what we need to do, because all the teams around the world now are improving all the time.”The standard of this World Cup’s been as good as it’s ever been. So there’s a lot more teams competing up the top now, so we’re very aware of that and and given the result today we’ve got a fair bit of work to do to make sure we keep getting better and are able to beat sides like England and India who are in the final.”Mott said that in the field the Australians had not adapted quickly enough to Harmanpreet’s aggression, echoing the match against Sri Lanka when Chamari Atapattu hammered an unbeaten 178. On that occasion, Lanning had been able to respond in kind with a domineering innings of her own, but this time she could not, leaving deputy Alex Blackwell to mount a brave but ultimately fruitless rearguard.”We ran into someone who was red hot and just didn’t adapt quickly enough,” Mott said. “[It was] possibly the innings of her life but that’s two we’ve had in this competition that we haven’t reacted well to, so very disappointing. It was a good cricket wicket but they scored 40-50 too many. We needed to stop the hemorrhaging there when they were going; just needed some discipline there, and it just went to custard to be honest … they got far too many.”We just wanted a nice platform, but I think they bowled extremely well to knock a few of us over early. The ball was swinging and they hit the stumps, which is what we talk about doing, so that put us behind, and we always needed a platform I think. A couple of special innings by Villani and Alex was brilliant, but we just left too much, too late.”As for the prospect of returning home to unemployment, Lanning did not yet want to think about it. “We haven’t even thought about that to be honest,” she said. “We know CA and the ACA have been working in the background there, so that’ll all play out over the next couple of weeks but I don’t think any of the playing group or the staff have given it much thought.”

Preparations are already underway for the Premier League season 2023/24 and the pre-season provides managers with the opportunity to go through the gears, integrate new transfers and project their brand around the world. The new season will start on the weekend of the August 12th and conclude nine months later and the clock is ticking. You can review the opening day fixtures on our dedicated page.

Pre-season fixtures by club Arsenal

July 8

NA

Arsenal 1-1 Watford

London Colney

July 13

19:00

Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal

Max-Morlock-Stadion, Nuremberg

July 20

04:30

MLS All-Stars 0-5 Arsenal

Audi Field, Washington DC

July 22

22:00

Arsenal 0-2 Man Utd

MetLife Stadium, New York

July 26

TBC

Arsenal vs Barcelona

SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

August 2

18:00

Arsenal vs AS Monaco

Emirates Stadium

August 6

16:00

Man City vs Arsenal (FA Community Shield)

Wembley Stadium

Aston Villa

July 15

13:00

Walsall 1-1 Aston Villa

Bescot Stadium

July 24

00:00

Newcastle 3-3 Aston Villa

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

July 27

12:00

Fulham vs Aston Villa

Exploria Stadium, Orlando

July 31

00:00

Aston Villa vs Brentford

FedExField, Maryland

August 3

19:30

Aston Villa vs Lazio

Bescot Stadium

August 5

20:00

Valencia vs Aston Villa

Mestalla, Valencia

Bournemouth

July 13

18:00

Bournemouth 4-0 Hibernian

Marbella Football Centre, Marbella

July 16

TBC

Bournemouth 0-1 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Marbella Football Center, Marbella

July 25

19:45

Southampton vs Bournemouth

St Mary’s

July 29

15:00

Bournemouth vs Atalanta

Vitality Stadium

August 5

17:00

Bournemouth vs Lorient

Vitality Stadium

Brentford

July 12

19:30

Boreham Wood 1-1 Brentford

Meadow Park

July 23

21:00

Fulham 3-2 Brentford

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

July 26

22:30

Brentford vs Brighton

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

July 30

00:00

Aston Villa vs Brentford

FedExField, Maryland

August 5

19:30

Brentford vs Lille

Gtech Community Stadium

Brighton

July 23

12:00

Chelsea 4-4 Brighton

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

July 26

22:30

Brentford vs Brighton

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

July 29

12:30

Brighton vs Newcastle

Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey

August 6

15:00

Brighton vs Rayo Vallecano

The Amex

6 Unmissable pre-season fixtures

Burnley

Jul 1

NA

Burnley 3-2 Fleetwood Town

Gawthorpe

July 8

NA

Burnley 1-0 Burton Albion

Gawthorpe

July 11

NA

Burnley 3-1 Port Vale

Gawthorpe

July 22

TBC

Genk 2-0 Burnley

Cegeka Arena

July 28

18:30

Real Betis vs Burnley

Estadio Nuevo Colombino

Chelsea

July 19

00:00

Chelsea 5-0 Wrexham

Kenan Stadium, North Carolina

July 23

00:00

Chelsea 4-3 Brighton

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

July 27

01:15

Newcastle vs Chelsea

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

July 30

19:45

Chelsea vs Fulham

FedExField, Maryland

August 3

00:30

Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund

Soldier Field, Chicago

Crystal Palace

July 11

19:30

Barnet 1-0 Crystal Palace

The Hive

July 15

14:00

Crystal Palace 2-2 Brondby IF

Crystal Palace Academy

July 19

19:45

Crawley Town 0-4 Crystal Palace

Broadfield Stadium

July 22

13:00

Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford

Crystal Palace Academy

July 26

01:00

Crystal Palace vs Millonarios

SeatGeek Stadium, Chicago

July 31

00:00

Crystal Palace vs Sevilla

Comerica Park, Detroit

August 5

17:30

Crystal Palace vs Lyon

Selhurst Park

Everton

July 14

17:00

Stade Nyonnais 1-2 Everton

Colovray Sports Centre, Nyon

July 22

14:00

Tranmere 1-1 Everton

Prenton Park

July 22

14:00

Wigan 0-1 Everton

DW Stadium

July 25

19:45

Bolton vs Everton

University of Bolton Stadium

July 29

15:00

Stoke vs Everton

Bet365 Stadium

August 5

15:00

Everton vs Sporting Lisbon

Goodison Park

After India’s spin attack overwhelmed the West Indies batsmen with flight and guile, Smriti Mandhana made short work of the 184-run chase with a 108-ball 106

The Report by Annesha Ghosh29-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSmriti Mandhana hit 13 fours and two sixes in her unbeaten 108-ball 106•Getty ImagesAfter India’s spin attack overwhelmed the West Indies batsmen with flight and guile, Smriti Mandhana made short work of the 184-run chase with an unbeaten 108-ball 106. Her innings negated the stutter caused by the two early wickets lost in response to the pressure West Indies’ bowlers created with their fast, short-pitched bowling.Mandhana carried on from where she left off against England, bettering her 72-ball 90 with a second ODI century and a first in the World Cup. She hit 13 fours and two sixes, punishing anything short. With Mithali Raj, she steered the larger part of the chase, adding 108 runs for the third wicket, before Raj, four short of her eighth consecutive fifty, holed out to mid-off.Raj’s decision to bowl first failed to find much validation from her two frontline medium-pacers, Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, who shared the new ball between them for the first six overs. Even though Felicia Walters looked unsure while negotiating Goswami’s off-stump line, Hayley Matthews took the attack to both opening bowlers, hitting them for a combined six fours in 27 balls.On a moist pitch with a tinge of green, Raj turned to her spin spearhead, Ekta Bisht, in the seventh over. The left-arm orthodox bowler struck with her first ball, forcing an edge off Walters with generous flight outside off stump. The nick was adroitly pouched by Sushma Verma, the wicketkeeper, who effected three more dismissals in the game – all of them being stumpings.West Indies’ loss of their first wicket occured one ball after Harmanpreet Kaur – who already sported a heavily strapped right palm – went off the field having dislocated the ring finger of her left hand while diving at mid-off. Despite having to make up for Harmanpreet’s absence from the attack by bringing on Mona Meshram, who had last bowled in an ODI in 2013, India kept a tight leash on the scoring. Having taken 12.4 overs to add 40 for the second wicket with Stafanie Taylor, Matthews popped back a return catch to the offspinner Deepti Sharma.Taylor was run out seven balls later, and Deandra Dottin, the scorer of a 38-ball hundred in T20Is, crawled to 7 off 47 balls before holing out to long-on, to complete a wretched batting day for the two stars playing their 100th ODI.India, meanwhile, had Harmanpreet back on the field after being tended to by the physio, and she was introduced into the attack immediately. She snaffled Kyshona Knight in the 35th over to leave West Indies 91 for 6. Against the collective discipline of India’s spinners, led by Bisht and the legspinner Poonam Yadav, West Indies’ second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-wicket partnerships together added only 62 off 169 balls.The reintroduction of pace, in the form of Goswami, in the 36th over, gave West Indies some respite. A slew of fielding errors further released the pressure the spinners had piled on. Bisht dropped two straightforward chances, letting off Anisa Mohammed on 0 and Afy Fletcher on 12, before the two went on to add 37 unbroken runs for the ninth wicket. Fletcher’s 36 not out and Shanel Daley’s 33 eventually lifted West Indies to 183.Shamilia Connell began West Indies’ defence by peppering Punam Raut with a flurry of short deliveries, and she gloved the fifth ball of the innings – a well-directed bouncer – to keeper Merissa Aguilleira, failing to connect cleanly with a hook. Deepti Sharma then kept to 6 off her first 22 balls, and was bowled trying to slog Taylor’s offspin in the eighth over as she succumbed to the pressure of the mounting dots.Mandhana and Raj, however, ensured there would be no more flutters in India’s chase.Having motored into the nineties, Mandhana suffered a few nerves: an awkward lofted drive on 93 was followed by a poorly executed pull next ball which lobbed in the air and flew straight to deep midwicket, only for Knight to put her down. A few words between overs from her batting partner Meshram appeared to calm Mandhana down, and she duly reached her hundred off her 105th ball, doing so in the same manner that had brought up her fifty against England: making room and lofting the ball over cover for four.Two balls later, an edge wide of short third man completed India’s victory.

Arsenal might be set to secure one of the signings of the summer, as reports have begun to link them with some truly top-tier talent that could help them surpass Manchester City.

Is Joshua Kimmich leaving Bayern Munich?

The latest comes from Spanish outlet Marca, who suggest that Mikel Arteta could pounce on the uncertain future of Joshua Kimmich by tempting him to north London.

Although the report seeks to detail Barcelona’s interest, as they strive to find a successor to the recently departed Sergio Busquets, Premier League intrigue is instead reserved for the tail-end of the piece.

The Gunners are said to be interested alongside Liverpool, with his FootballTransfers valuation of €67.9m (£59m) sure to whip up interest in the imperious midfield maestro.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

The 28-year-old machine joined Bayern Munich in 2015 and took no time at all to establish himself as one of the club’s outstanding performers. Mimicking the career path of the legendary Philipp Lahm, moving from right-back into central midfield has unlocked the true creative potential of the German international.

His average rating in the Bundesliga last season serves to outline this, as it stood at a lofty 7.73. This made him the best performer throughout a squad littered with stars, boosted by his 11 goal contributions, 90% pass completion rate and 2.4 tackles, 2.7 key passes and 1.2 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

There are arguably few in his role across Europe who manage to be as outstanding in every attribute, with Julian Nagelsmann’s claims on the £322k-per-week general making sense:

“The great thing is he's world-class at right-back and in midfield.”

His switch to England, should it be under Arteta’s leadership, would coincide perfectly with the recent departure of Granit Xhaka this summer.

During the campaign, the £120k-per-week gem morphed into a true offensive threat from the engine room as a box-to-box monster, completing his redemption arc and making him one of Arsenal’s key figures.

However, his desire for a long-term contract saw him seek an exit, with his departure to Bayer Leverkusen confirmed earlier this month.

His 14 goal contributions in the league will be hard to replace, and despite having spent over £200m already this summer, none of the three big names brought in are expected to provide such firepower from that role.

Therefore, a huge vacancy has opened up that Kimmich would fill with ease.

Not only do his figures surpass most of Xhaka’s from his most recent triumph, but the deep-lying playmaker also has enjoyed an illustrious career laden with elite honours. His trophy cabinet consists of one Champions League, three German cups and eight Bundesliga titles.

This kind of experience would be invaluable in pushing them one step further in their race for the Premier League title, which they fell so painstakingly short of last year.

To reference the 30-year-old Swiss international’s form from last term, his 7.05 average rating, 86% pass accuracy, 1.3 key passes and 0.9 key passes per game, via Sofascore, pale in comparison to the aforementioned figures of his potential successor.

Fans might have worried when news broke of Xhaka’s imminent departure, but if Kimmich is to be his replacement, they might move on far sooner than expected.

Leeds United appear to be stepping up their preparations ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, with Daniel Farke and co looking set to make their first moves in the transfer market.

What are the latest Leeds transfer rumours?

As per The Athletic's Phil Hay, the Whites are seemingly closing in on their first signing of the summer after reaching an agreement with Chelsea for the £7m capture of Ethan Ampadu, with the 22-year-old having spent the last four seasons away from Stamford Bridge on loan.

The 44-cap Wales international could be joined in the midfield ranks at Elland Road by Rangers ace, Glen Kamara, with Last Word on Sports revealing that the Yorkshire side have agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old.

If Leeds are to land the formee Dundee man this summer, The 4th Official has previously suggested that it could require a fee of around £4m, with two years left to run on his existing deal at Ibrox.

Who is Glen Kamara?

The Finland international has spent the last four-and-a-half years with the Old Firm giants after signing for a minimal fee of just £50k back in January 2019, with teammate Scott Arfield having branded that deal the "biggest steal of the century" due to the midfielder's subsequent impact in Glasgow.

Lauded as a "class act" by former Gers boss Steven Gerrard, the 5 foot 11 ace has racked up 193 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership side to date, chipping in with nine goals and 11 assists from his defensive midfield berth.

That stint north of the border has also seen the former Arsenal youth star win the league title and claim Scottish Cup glory, while he was also part of the side that reached the Europa League final back in 2022.

Although the 52-cap maestro did somewhat fall down the pecking order last term – as he started just 12 league games – he has received glowing praise for his displays prior to that, with Gerrard previously stating:

"He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack."

With the likes of Marc Roca and Weston McKennie having moved onto pastures new – and with Tyler Adams still facing an uncertain future at Elland Road – Farke could be set to revamp his Leeds midfield by placing Kamara alongside Ampadu next term.

As Gerrard alluded to, the Light Blues ace is able to offer a truly composed presence in the centre of the park, showcased by the fact that he achieved an average pass accuracy rate of 89% in the league last term, while losing possession just 5.6 times per game on average.

With Kamara the man to 'connect defence and attack' – as per Gerrard – Ampadu can then be utilised as something of a midfield destroyer, with the versatile ace, who can also feature at centre-back, having showcased his ball-winning quality on loan at Serie A side Spezia last season.

The 6 foot menace – who is typically deployed in a defensive midfield role for his country – notably averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in 2022/23 as a marker of his ball-winning prowess, with that an area that Kamara appears to be weak in, having averaged just one tackle and interception per game last term.

The differing strengths of the pair should make them an impressive combination for the Yorkshire side next term, with Farke finally set to be able to put his imprint on the current squad by bringing in fresh faces.