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Aston Villa are interested in signing Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson this summer, according to reports, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his attacking options even further. Forest have reportedly placed a hefty £40m price-tag on the forward.

What's the latest on Brennan Johnson to Aston Villa?

The Midlands side are interested in making a move for Johnson, with Forest ready to accept an offer of £40m, according to Football Insider.

It remains to be seen whether Villa are willing to pay such a price for the Wales international, though, especially after already splashing out €88m (£75.56m) on arrivals this summer, such as Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres.

The Villans aren't the only club looking to make a move for Johnson in the current window either, with Football Insider reporting that Brentford have had two bids rejected by Forest for their star striker this summer, whilst West Ham United and Everton are also interested in the 22-year-old, according to The Daily Mail.

So, if Villa are to pursue a move, they may have to act fast to fend off any interest from elsewhere – one upper hand that they may have in the race is that Johnson shares an agent with current Villa youngster Jacob Ramsey, as per Transfermarkt, so perhaps the club's existing relationship with the representatives could help proceedings.

Should Aston Villa sign Brennan Johnson?

There's no doubting Johnson's quality, that's for sure. The Welshman was involved in 11 Premier League goals last season in a struggling side, with his eight goals and three assists playing a large part in Forest's survival success.

Still only 22, He'll only get better, too, making a step up potentially vital to realising his potential, and an Aston Villa side on the up under an experienced manager in Emery could be the perfect next move.

Johnson has certainly attracted plenty of praise in the last year or so, too, with Clinton Morrison saying back in April 2022, via the Nottingham Post: "He's a top player. Knowing people at Forest, there were a lot of Premier League clubs after him. You have to credit Steve Cooper because he's going to have told the board that they need to keep Brennan.

"He's got all the ability you want. He makes the first goal for Zinckernagel, the second is a fantastic finish. He makes it look so easy. Everything he does, it's just natural. He slows it down, and the finish [for the third goal] is brilliant."

Cooper will be well aware just how important Johnson is to his side's survival chances next season, even if Forest can fund reinforcements with his exit. Always improving, the young forward plays a crucial part at the City Ground. For Villa, it ultimately comes down to whether they believe £40m for the striker is a deal worth pursuing, with their attacking options already strengthened this summer by the arrival of Diaby.

Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins found plenty of form in the last campaign after Emery's arrival, making his starting place relatively cemented. So, Johnson may not be guaranteed game-time if he did make the switch to Villa Park during the current transfer window.

Bangladesh lasted only 83 minutes on the final day, losing seven wickets for 41 runs to crash to a 333-run defeat

The Report by Mohammad Isam02-Oct-20171:15

Moonda: Bangladesh will be disappointed with inability to compete

Bangladesh lost seven wickets for 41 runs on the final morning in Potchefstroom, crashing to 90 all out in a whopping 333-run defeat to South Africa. The visitors lasted only 83 minutes in the morning session as Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ran through the side.Rabada, who took over the lead fast bowler’s role in the absence of Morne Morkel, struck three times in his first four overs of the day, while left-arm spinner Maharaj added three wickets to his tally to take his innings figures to 4 for 25 and complete a match haul of seven wickets.This was the first time in ten years that Bangladesh were bowled out for a double-figure total in Tests, and the first time they were dismissed by South Africa for less than 100 runs in a Test.Mushfiqur Rahim was the first to go, falling to Rabada for 16 off a delivery that bounced sharply, and Hashim Amla held on to a good catch over his head at slip. Rabada then got Mahmudullah to drag one on to his stumps, similar to his dismissal in the first innings off Morkel. Within 30 minutes, Bangladesh had lost their last two senior batsmen.Liton Das, who had earned credit with his smart wicket-keeping on the fourth afternoon, left a Rabada inducker that slammed into his front pad, making it an easy lbw decision for the umpire. Five balls later, Maharaj trapped Sabbir Rahman leg-before as he attempted a sweep early in his innings.The Bangladesh tail folded quickly after that. Maharaj removed Taskin Ahmed while Rabada’s throw found Shafiul Islam short at the striker’s end after the batsman had opted for an unnecessary third run. The match ended when Mustafizur lobbed a simple catch back to Maharaj.Bangladesh began this Test by opting to bowl first on a decidedly flat pitch, a decision that surprised even South Africa captain Faf du Plessis. Faced with South Africa’s first-innings total of 496, they avoided a follow-on but in their second innings, the panic seemed to set in during the fourth evening, when Bangladesh lost their top three quickly after being set a target of 424. The second innings will be a big disappointment for the visitors and could be an ominous sign for the remainder of the series. The second match starts from October 6 in Bloemfontein.

Pakistan allrounder Imad Wasim has said that his side’s Champions Trophy win was no fluke and had special praise for young Mohammad Amir, whom he called the No. 1 bowler in Pakistan

George Dobell19-Jun-2017

Pakistan “proved everybody wrong” in the 2017 Champions Trophy, according to allrounder Imad Wasim.Despite Pakistan coming into the event as the bottom-ranked team and starting with a chastening defeat at the hands of India, Imad rubbished the suggestion that Pakistan were unpredictable and instead claimed they were “one of the best in the world”.And he had special praise for Mohammad Amir, whose spell in the final proved decisive, and who Imad hailed as “the No. 1 bowler in Pakistan”.”This is not a fluke,” Imad said. “We’ve got a great side; one of the best in the world right now. I don’t see that we’re an unpredictable side. We’ve won our last four games and we’ve proven everybody wrong. We won against South Africa, who are the No. 1 side in the world, so we had the belief we could take anyone down.”Imad credited the experience of playing in the PSL, and the confidence inspired by the team management as key factors in the success.”The PSL is a big event for us,” he said. “You do improve from playing in it. Look at Fakhar [Zaman], Shadab [Khan] and other youngsters who came into the side and made an impact in this major tournament. Credit goes to all the young cricketers who stepped up.”And credit to the management, too. I’ve been really lucky to play under Mickey Arthur and Sarfraz Ahmed. They get along really nicely. It’s great for bonding. Arthur has supported us throughout the campaign. Even when we lost, he told us we were going to come back and turn things around, and we did.”Our bowling has been unbelievable, and [in the final] our batting was absolutely fantastic.”He had particular praise for Amir. “I’ve always believed in Amir. I’ve played with him since 2007 and captained him for Pakistan Under-19s. I’m one of his best mates, and we really wanted him in the team. He has always been world-class and he is a big-match player, too.”I met up with him when he had the ban and it was not a good feeling. To live for five years without cricket… he was absolutely distracted from everything. He was down and out.”Luckily, I played with him in his first game when he was coming back in domestic cricket and I saw him bowling. It was unbelievable – same pace, same everything. He’s a natural.”He’s working hard at it now and you can see the way he’s bowling. Whatever happened, happened, but he’s the No. 1 bowler in Pakistan cricket. After five years out, you imagine how tough he is mentally. The best is yet to come from him.”Imad also believed the best is yet to come from this young Pakistan team. “Imagine the confidence we get from this,” he said. “It’s a young team and to win this major event – which we’ve never won before – is a big achievement for us.”

Rangers are expected to come back with another bid for Feyenoord striker Danilo, with Football Scotland reporting that interest remains high in the striker.

How many goals has Danilo scored for Feyenoord?

The 24-year-old wasn't a first-team regular for Feyenoord in 2022/23, but still managed to hit the back of the net on a regular basis for the Netherlands-based club. He only started 14 games for the Dutch outfit over the course of the Eredivisie season but still managed to bag himself ten goals and three assists along the way. So while he had to make do with most of his action coming from the bench, the Brazilian made a major impact on route to a league title.

In fact, his goal contribution rate (goals + assists) stood at 0.88 per 90 as the season came to a close, which is nearly one or the other every single league game he featured in. A campaign earlier, when he featured for Jong Ajax, he managed seven goals and four assists in just nine games and averaged well over a goal contribution a game there, so is clearly extremely prolific when given a chance.

Are Rangers signing Danilo this summer?

Danilo then has caught the eye with his clinical nature in front of goal – and there has been plenty of interest from Scotland in recent weeks. Rangers have made the Brazilian a target and have already made a bid to try and sign him this summer – that offer was snubbed by Feyenoord, but it seemingly hasn't deterred the Gers from their interest in the striker.

Now, according to a report from Football Scotland, the Scottish Premiership side still want to sign him and have a "serious" interest in adding him to their squad this summer. They've yet to table another bid, but it appears as though Feyenoord are expecting the Gers to make a new one in the future.

It adds that the Netherlands-based outfit feel another bid will be "improved" on that initial offer – that perhaps goes without saying – but more importantly it could tempt them into doing business. When you consider that Danilo himself also appears to be keen on a switch to Rangers, as the idea of leading the line for SPL club appeals to him, then the Dutch giants may be resigned to selling him on this window.

It's unclear just how much Danilo may cost Rangers, should they make another bid to try and sign him. It seems their original bid was around £3.5m, so it is certainly going to have to be bigger than that amount to prompt Feyenoord into a sale. It means that the club may have to spend a significant amount in order to land the Brazilian this summer then, perhaps even up around the £5m mark.

When you consider how many goals he has scored in so little gametime though – and the fact he is still only 24-years-old – it could be a worthwhile investment. The Gers could even double their outlay in a few seasons if he continues his current trajectory.

Sunderland impressed by wrapping up the majority of their transfer business early in the window, but manager Tony Mowbray has made it clear the club are still in need of another striker.

Who have Sunderland signed?

The Black Cats have targeted youthful players so far this summer, with Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham, Luis 'Hemir' Semedo and Jenson Seelt all joining so far.

However, while Hemir arrives with a reputation of being a hugely talented striker following his time at Benfica, he has yet to play any senior football.

Factor in Amad Diallo's return to parent club Manchester United, plus the fact Ross Stewart is going to miss the start of the new season, and it is clear why Mowbray has publicly stated his desire to bring in another attacking player.

Ellis Simms looked like being the ideal man to lead the line for Sunderland next season after his hugely successful spell on loan in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign – when he netted seven goals in just 17 games – but Championship rivals Coventry City got to the Everton striker first.

That leaves Sunderland looking far and wide for another striker, and it may be that they turn to one of their previous targets, with the East Anglian Daily Times reporting earlier this year that Mowbray is a fan of Peterborough United's Jonson Clarke-Harris.

How many goals has Jonson Clarke-Harris scored?

Clarke-Harris does not exactly fit the profile for the type of player Sunderland have previously targeted, given the £6.1k-per-week striker will turn 29 later this month.

However, that is arguably the peak age for a striker, while Clarke-Harris's experience – and not least his goalscoring ability – could be a huge factor in what Black Cats supporters will hope is another promotion push this coming season.

Indeed, Clarke-Harris has twice won the Golden Boot award in League One – a division he is clearly too good for.

The one-cap Jamaica international jointly-led the scoring charts again in the third tier last season with 26 goals in 46 regular-season games, yet Peterborough somehow missed out on promotion after capitulating in their play-off semi-final with Sheffield Wednesday.

Clarke-Harris has over 400 senior appearances to his name, having started his career by becoming Coventry's youngest-ever player aged 16 in 2010, and has scored 138 times.

The Leicester-born striker averaged 0.59 goals per 90 minutes during the regular League One season last time out, as per FBref, which is a tally only Stewart (0.86) can better among Sunderland players, albeit in a division higher.

It would be easy to dismiss Clarke-Harris as a player who can perform in League One but is unable to take the step up to the Championship, yet he scored 12 goals in a poor Peterborough team the last time he played at that level. To put that in some perspective, only Diallo (13) bettered that among Sunderland players last season.

Hailed as a "special talent" during his time at Rotherham United by then-manager Steve Evans, it may well be that Clarke-Harris now has a chance to show exactly what he is capable of for a team battling to earn promotion from the Championship.

Such a signing would then be a solution to the Black Cats' problem position…

Ange Postecoglou's summer rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur looks to be getting underway, with various reports suggesting that the Lilywhites are now closing in on a deal for Brentford's David Raya.

That impending arrival comes as part of what could be a sizeable squad shake-up at N17 over the coming weeks and months, with Postecoglou set to oversee something of a mass clearout ahead of next season, amid the prospect of a host of notable departures.

With regard to those who could follow Raya in bolstering the squad, the Daily Star recently reported that the north London outfit are considering making a £50m move for Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho, albeit with the Red Devils set to demand close to £60m if they are to part ways.

This follows a previous report from the Guardian that claimed the Englishman's place at Old Trafford is now 'under threat' due to his lack of impact in recent seasons, while Manchester Evening News has revealed that United boss Erik ten Hag is said to be growing 'increasingly impatient' with the former Borussia Dortmund ace.

Having been signed for £73m back in the summer of 2021, the 23-year-old has since gone on to score just 12 goals and provide only six assists in 79 games in all competitions, with those woes notably seeing the winger miss out on a place in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad last year.

That seemingly paints a picture of a player who is simply struggling to perform at present, although Postecoglou and co may be hoping that they can coax the best out of a talent who previously caught the attention during his stint in Germany…

Should Tottenham sign Sancho?

It is easy to forget – amid his current woes – that Sancho was once earning rave reviews due to his consistently stellar displays at Dortmund, having notably been hailed as the "perfect player" by German legend, Lothar Matthaus back in 2018.

Also lauded as "superb" by Bayern Munich star, Thomas Muller, the former Manchester City starlet certainly made his mark in the Bundesliga, having ultimately racked up 114 goals and assists in just 137 games in all competitions while plying his trade at Westfalenstadion.

The aim will be for the 23-cap trickster to try and get back to those heights if he is to make the leap and join Postecoglou's side this summer, with it potentially set to prove a notable coup if the Greek-Aussie can get Sancho fit and firing again.

The wide man's ability to perform at the elite level may also be shown by the fact that he is said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with compatriot, Jack Grealish – according to FBref – with the latter man only recently playing his part in City's remarkable treble-winning campaign.

That likeness between the two wingers – who both operate typically off the left flank – is shown by the fact that the pair can both glide forward with the ball at their feet to devastating effect, with Grealish ranking in the top 3% for progressive carries among his European peers, while Sancho ranks in the top 13% in that regard.

Equally, the two men are also alike due to their ability to impact proceedings in the final third, with the latter man ranking in the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while the City ace ranks in the top 10% in that regard.

The former Aston Villa man is evidently still riding high following that glittering campaign – as his recent celebration antics would suggest – having notably played a vital role in that glorious success after providing five goals and 11 assists in 50 games in all competitions.

It would then, therefore, be a wise move for Postecoglou to land his own version of the "unplayable" ace – as described by pundit Rio Ferdinand – with the signing of Sancho, with the United man perhaps just in need of a change of scenery in order to get back to his best.

عاد قائد المنتخب المصري، محمد صلاح، للمشاركة من جديد مع فريق ليفربول أمام سبارتا براج التشيكي بعد عودته من الإصابة خلال الفترة الماضية.

ويلاقي نادي ليفربول نظيره سبارتا براج، في إطار منافسات ذهاب الدور الـ16 من مسابقة الدوري الأوروبي، على ملعب “جنرالي أرينا”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | لويس دياز يسجل هدف ليفربول الرابع أمام سبارتا براج

وحل محمد صلاح بديلاً في مواجهة ليفربول أمام سبارتا براج، حيث شارك المهاجم المصري بدلاً من لويس دياز بحلول الدقيقة 74 من عمر الشوط الثاني.

وأحرز محمد صلاح هدفاً خامساً لصالح فريق ليفربول عند الدقيقة 84، لكنه تم إلغاء الهدف بداعي التسلل.

وغاب محمد صلاح عن آخر 4 مواجهات لفريقه ليفربول أمام كل من، لوتون تاون، تشيلسي، ساوثهامبتون، بالإضافة إلى مواجهة نوتنجهام فورست.

جدير بالذكر، أنه بعد إصابة محمد صلاح في كأس إمم إفريقيا 2023 بـ كوت ديفوار، شارك صلاح في مواجهة ليفربول أمام برينتفورد وأحرز هدفاً في تلك المواجهة، ثم غاب على إثرها في الأربع مواجهات السابقة بعد تجدد إصابته. لحظة نزول محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وسبارتا براج بالدوري الاوروبي

هدف محمد صلاح الملغي في مرمي سبارتا براج بالدوري الاوروبي

The Lodha Committee has told the BCCI that payments to players and officials for all board-organised tournaments, like the Ranji Trophy, can be made directly under existing terms, the board secretary Ajay Shirke said.The Committee’s permission came after the BCCI sought direction on the release of funds for the Rajasthan Ranji Trophy team and the state’s various age-group teams.According to the , Shirke had written to the Committee last week stating that the association was cash-strapped and would not be able to play their next round of matches in the respective tournaments without funds. The Rajasthan team is currently playing a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in Vizianagram.”The Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee has communicated today to the CEO of the BCCI (Rahul Johri) that payments to players and officials can be made directly to them as per the agreed existing terms. This is for all BCCI-organised tournaments,” Shirke told the . “We didn’t have problems for all state associations. They pay themselves (to their players). Because the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) is suspended, the problem was only for them.”The BCCI sought clarification from the Lodha Committee following an order from the Supreme Court of India on October 21, in which the board was directed not to distribute funds to its state associations until they submit affidavits stating compliance with the recommendations of the court and the Lodha Committee within two weeks. The Rajasthan Cricket Association’s suspended status was also a factor.The BCCI had suspended the RCA in May 2014 after the latter elected Lalit Modi, an expelled administrator, as its president. The board then omitted the RCA from the 2014-15 domestic programme.Rajasthan eventually got to play – though not under the RCA banner – after the Rajasthan High Court heard a writ petition signed by 75 players, and directed the Rajasthan Sports Council, the RCA and the BCCI to work in tandem and appoint selection committees to select teams for the board’s senior, junior and women’s tournaments. Before the 2015-16 season the board appointed an ad-hoc committee to run cricket in Rajasthan.Rajasthan have two more Group B matches to play before the end of the Ranji Trophy’s league stage. They are scheduled to play Delhi in Wayanad from November 21 and Vidarbha in Mumbai from December 7.

South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers will sit out the one-off match against Ireland on September 25 as he completes his recovery from an elbow injury

Firdose Moonda22-Sep-2016

South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers will sit out the one-off match against Ireland on September 25 to allow himself more time to recover from the elbow injury that kept him out of the New Zealand Tests. Faf du Plessis will captain the team in his absence while Rilee Rossouw, who has recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in the triangular series in the Caribbean in June, was added to the squad as batting cover.De Villiers’ participation in the first ODI of the five-match series against Australia, which follows the Ireland game, hinges on a fitness test which he will undergo early next week. Should he fail that test, not only will he be ruled out of the remaining matches in that series, but he will have to undergo surgery which will keep him out action for six to eight weeks and force him to miss South Africa’s Test tour of Australia.”AB has an impingement syndrome, so when he plays certain cricket shots, he gets excruciating pain in the left elbow. Sometimes, it does settle with a conservative approach, but unfortunately, in AB’s case it hasn’t been so,” Mohammad Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, said. “We are giving him another week, and thereafter a call will be made. He needs to pass the fitness test, the elbow needs up to stand up to the rigours of international cricket. If he does not come through the fitness test, a date for surgery will be set. We don’t want to pre-empt that, we want to give him every opportunity to try and recover from that injury. But if he has surgery, he will be out of the Test series.”When asked whether de Villiers’ injury was a result of overuse, Moosajee conceded that the cluttered cricket calendar may have had something to do with the problem. “We refer to it as overload, whether that’s doing too much and playing different shots, or related to overuse. The fact that there have been some other tournaments like the IPL has added to the load, but we need to understand that having played more than 10 years of international cricket, there are going to be challenges where you will have some sort of injury.”As a consequence, Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, who blamed the schedule for player fatigue after South Africa failed to reach the final of the Caribbean triangular series in June, was forced to reiterate the impact of mushrooming T20 leagues on the national side. “When I said so after the West Indies tour, I took a beating from a lot of people in public and the media, but I am saying again, there’s no doubt guys are playing too many games, too many formats and too many competitions,” Domingo said. “And at the end of the day, we, as a national side, sit with issues because we are sort of keeping guys fit to go and play in other tournaments, which sometime can be a bit painful for me.”De Villiers is not South Africa’s only major absence. Morne Morkel also missed the New Zealand Tests with a back problem and has not been included in the ODI squad at all, while Hashim Amla will not play the Ireland game and may not be available for the first ODI against Australia as he awaits the birth of this third child. Temba Bavuma, one of South Africa’s three new caps, will open the batting in Amla’s place, as South Africa look to groom him for that role in future.”Temba has got really good attributes for an opening batter. He is really good in terms of his technique. He is a guy that can bat for long periods of time, he can hit the bad ball for four,” Domingo said. “Maybe, at this stage in his one-day career, he is probably not suited coming in at 5 or 6 and trying to hit fours and sixes at the back end. This allows him a nice start in international one-day cricket because he can just pay normally. If he hits a good cricket shot in the first five or six overs, it will go for four, whereas if he hits a good cricket shot in the last ten overs, it might go for one. It’s a nice spot for him to try and find a niche in one-day cricket. I am very excited to see what he can offer.”Bavuma, allrounder Dwaine Pretorius, and bowler Andile Phelukwayo are all looking to make their debuts against Ireland, with only Phelukwayo being retained for the Australia matches.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will look to sign either Andre Onana or David Raya in the summer but will face competition for Chelsea.

Who will Spurs sign as a goalkeeper?

It's no secret that Spurs are in the market for a new goalkeeper with club captain and World Cup winner Hugo Lloris expected to depart.

Indeed, this was recently reported by The Times which went on to say that Brentford shot-stopper Raya is a prime candidate to arrive in north London.

Inter goalkeeper Onana has also been linked with a move to Spurs but Premier League rivals are said to be in the race for the former Ajax man too.

While discussing the possible transfer situation between these English clubs on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones claimed that if Tottenham ends up signing Onana, then Raya will join the other club and vice versa.

He explained (31:09): “I mean, at the moment the links are Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United.

"I mean, I was speaking to someone today about this and we were trying to figure out both what we'd heard and where we thought he [Raya] might go.

"And we were like, basically what we think is going to happen here is Onana is wanted by all these teams too – mainly to be fair, Tottenham and Chelsea because [David] De Gea will probably end up staying.

“So it's like, whoever gets Onana, Raya ends up going to the other club.”

Will Raya join Tottenham or Chelsea?

It remains to be seen who Spurs will prefer to chase but with Onana keeping a clean sheet in two Champions League semi-final legs against AC Milan to send Inter to the final, it's safe to say he's got a slightly higher profile right now.

However, Raya has proven himself as a pretty impressive goalkeeper in England, keeping an impressive 19 clean sheets from 60 games during Brentford's first-ever two seasons in the Premier League.

Seeing as Tottenham are certain to finish higher in the divisions than Chelsea, they might seem like the most attractive option in some sense.

However, both teams are currently not in great shape and Daniel Levy might struggle to make any major transfer advances while his side fails to have either a manager or a sporting director.

In west London, however, Mauricio Pochettino is set to take charge so the Blues may be able to swoop in and have their pick of Onana or Raya first, leaving the unwanted goalkeeper to arrive at Spurs.