All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a mixed campaign so far as their form has been up and down with various injury and suspension issues to deal with throughout the season so far.

Ange Postecoglou was brought in from Scottish giants Celtic last summer and enjoyed a terrific start to life in England with eight wins and two draws from his first ten Premier League matches.

However, they then lost the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to injury and failed to win any of their next five league matches – including four losses and one draw.

Since then, Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games and appear to be back on the right track ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The January transfer window opened at the start of last week and it has provided Postecoglou with an opportunity to add further depth and quality to his squad.

Spurs transfer news – Hayden Hackney

Tottenham have already been busy in the market this month and have now been linked with interest in Middlesbrough central midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Standard claim that Spurs are lining up a move to land the Championship midfielder, who is also being eyed by other Premier League sides, as they prepare to join the race for his services.

Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in a deal to sign the impressive young dynamo following his superb form under Michael Carrick in the second tier.

The report adds that Boro are braced for offers for his services in the summer and have told teams that it will take a 'sensational' offer to convince them to part ways with him this month.

However, The Standard do not mention what sort of fee would constitute as sensational, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not a move is realistic for Spurs this month.

The outlet goes on to mention that Tottenham are particularly keen on a deal for the England U21 international as another homegrown player would help them to meet the quota for UEFA competitions, should they secure a place in the Champions League, Europa League, or Europa Conference League.

Spurs got a glimpse of his quality against Premier League opposition when he faced Chelsea in the first-leg of the League Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.

Hackney, as you can watch in the video above, scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for Middlesbrough, whilst he also created one chance and made two tackles throughout the 90 minutes.

His performance showed that he does have the quality to make an impact against the top-flight sides, which is why Spurs should take a gamble on him this month.

He is a progressive central midfielder who could help Postecoglou to unlock the best of Timo Werner, who recently joined on loan from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Timo Werner's goal record

The Germany international is set to be at Tottenham until the end of the current campaign and they have an option to make it permanent for €17m (£14.6m).

Spurs will be hoping to get him back to his best after a difficult first half of the season in his home country, which ended with two goals and zero assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.

Last season, Werner plundered a respectable 16 goals and six assists in 40 matches for Leipzig – including nine goals and four assists in 29 Bundesliga outings.

His second spell at Leipzig came after a two-year stint in England with Chelsea. The German forward produced 23 goals and 21 assists in 89 games and helped the Blues to win the Champions League in 2021.

Werner's best goalscoring form, however, came during the 2019/20 campaign for Leipzig, which led to his transfer to England in the summer of 2020.

The now-27-year-old marksman racked up a staggering 34 goals and 13 assists in 45 games in all competitions – including 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches.

It is now up to Spurs and Postecoglou to unlock Werner's top form between now and the end of the season, which the signing of Hackney could help with.

The statistics that show why Spurs should sign Hackney

The Boro star is all-round central midfielder who can make an impact in and out of possession but his qualities on the ball are why he could help the German striker.

Hackney, firstly, is a solid contributor off the ball. He has made 2.2 tackles and interceptions combined and 7.7 ball recoveries per match across 16 Championship outings this season.

Meanwhile, Pape Matar Sarr (5.1) and Yves Bissouma (4.8) have not retrieved possession as frequently each game in the Premier League as the English dynamo.

This suggests that the potential is there for the Boro ace to create more opportunities for Spurs to attack by recovering the ball more often than Postecoglou's current options, if he can translate his form to the top-flight.

His presence in the middle of the park could, therefore, provide the team with more chances to counter and make the most of Werner's impressive pace and movement in transition.

Hackney, who was described as a "sensational" young midfielder by journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers podcast, also has the progressive passing to consistently find Werner, and other attackers, in dangerous positions.

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old starlet is an exceptional passer who constantly looks to progress play through passes or carries to push his team into advanced positions in the opposition third.

Bissouma, as a point of reference, has averaged 6.56 progressive passes and 2.31 shot-creating actions from 78.74 attempted passes in the Premier League this season.

This suggests that, if Postecoglou can help Hackney to translate his current performances over to the top-flight, the 5 foot 10 dynamo could enhance the quality of Tottenham's build-up play.

This would, in turn, lead to more opportunities for Werner to use his pace and direct play to make things happen at the top end of the pitch, which is why this potential signing could help to unlock the German whiz.

Out-of-favour Andre Onana could yet depart Manchester United this month after reports emerged of a shock offer from Turkish side Trabzonspor.

• Onana could leave United after PL deadline

• Trabzonspor lodge offer

• 29-year-old has not featured in league this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to reports by in Turkey, Trabzonspor have made a loan offer for Onana. The Turkish Super Lig transfer window remains open until September 12, meaning there is still time to complete a move before the deadline. Onana is reportedly a 'flash name' target for the Turkish giants after goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir was sold to Galatasaray earlier this summer for €36 million (£31m/$42m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Onana is yet to feature for United in the Premier League in the new season, only seeing action in the Red Devils' shocking penalty shootout defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup second round. While a recent return from injury for Onana may be pointed to as the reason for Altay Bayindir beginning the season in goal, the Cameroon international's future was put further into jeopardy when 23-year-old Senne Lammens arrived from Royal Antwerp for £18m ($24m) on deadline day.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With the majority of Europe's top leagues seeing their transfer windows close on September 1 along with the Premier League, there are few remaining options for Onana if he does want to start a new chapter away from Old Trafford. A move to Turkey may, therefore, be seen as an attractive prospect for the 29-year-old.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

  The future of Onana will be one to keep a keen eye on over the next nine days. While there is no guarantee Lammens is instantly ready to start in the Premier League and Bayindir has also come under intense scrutiny, the Cameroon international may view his position at Old Trafford as untenable and seek to begin a new challenge elsewhere. Onana has previously expressed a desire to stay and fight for a starting place at United, however.

Newcastle United have made contact with a highly-rated young defender who has been tipped as "one of the most exciting" players in Europe in his position.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies' poor season continued with a 4-2 defeat away to Liverpool on Monday evening, again showing why new signings could be needed in the January transfer window. Newcastle have been linked with various players who could come in and give them a much-needed new lease of life, with a recent report claiming that they could make a move for Roma and Argentina star Paulo Dybala, who could leave the Serie A giants in the near future.

Four goals shipped at Anfield highlighted the need to strengthen the spine of the team rather than add flair players however, and Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi has emerged as a potential target for the Magpies, as has Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah.

Sven Botman may be back in the side, but it feels like the right time to find a new centre-back partner for him in the long-term, as Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles head into the latter part of their careers.

Newcastle make contact with Ousmane Diomande

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Newcastle have contacted Sporting CB centre-back Ousmane Diomande over a move to St James' Park.

"Newcastle United have made contact with the entourage of Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande ahead of a potential summer deal, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed the Magpies are ready to battle Arsenal for the 20-year-old’s signature this year.

"It is believed Diomande has a release clause worth around £70million in his contract at Sporting – which is set to run until June 2027. Both Arsenal and Newcastle will find it hard to sanction a deal of that size in January – and a well-placed source has told Football Insider that the two sides are instead looking at a possible summer deal."

At just 20 years of age, Diomande is already a highly impressive central defender, becoming a key man for Sporting and starting 15 Primeira Liga games this season, as well as four in the Europa League. He has partnered fellow Newcastle transfer target Goncalo Inacio, with the pair an extremely talented duo.

Diomande is still a maturing player, so expecting him to come straight into Eddie Howe's side and make a big difference would be unfair, but he could act as an upgrade on Schar at the end of the season. The mooted £70m release clause in his contract is a lot of money, but Newcastle should be in a healthier financial situation in the summer, and if they believe he can be a long-term star at St James', he could be a great option.

Newcastle plotting formal bid for hugely exciting teenager

The player in question is seen as a future star in the game.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 2, 2024

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled Diomande as "one of the most exciting CB prospects in Europe", which says a lot about his long-term ceiling as a player, so Newcastle would be wise to swoop in as soon as possible.

Greaves made a fifty on debut and Carter followed his cameo up with world-class fielding as St Lucia Zouks went down by 71 runs

The Report by Peter Della Penna21-Sep-2019
Justin Greaves ensured that Barbados Tridents didn’t miss a beat without prized opener Alex Hales around, as the former West Indies Under-19 star belted a half-century at the top of the order to lay the platform for a resounding 71-run over St Lucia Zouks on Friday night at Gros Islet.Greaves was one of two CPL debutants to play a significant role on the night, as left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop took 2 for 33 bowling with the new ball to rattle the hosts early in their failed chase.About the Greavesy trainWith Hales having gone back to Nottinghamshire for the Vitality Blast T20 Finals Day, Greaves was tapped on the shoulder to fill his place opening the batting and he filled in more than admirably by striking 57 off 45 balls. He was so keen to impress that he hogged the majority of the strike in his 81-run opening stand with Johnson Charles.Charles was more aggressive early, creaming Kesrick Williams for a pair of sixes in the third over, but after Greaves edged just over Andre Fletcher behind the stumps off Williams, he began to hit his stride, especially against Kavem Hodge in the fourth over, driving a pair of boundaries through the off side. His confidence grew further when he struck sixes off Hardus Viljoen and Fawad Ahmed at the end of the sixth and early part of the seventh over. Shortly after Charles got out in the ninth, Greaves brought up his fifty off 36 balls. He fell in the 12th to Rahkeem Cornwall but had set his side up well for a defendable total.Get CarterBajan star Jonathan Carter upstaged Greaves in the Man-of-the-Match stakes with a tremendous all-round showing. It began with a brisk cameo following up Greaves, as he smashed three sixes in the space of five balls off Ahmed and Cornwall in the 15th and 16th to keep the Tridents innings humming. A fourth six off Obed McCoy finished off his scoring in the 17th as McCoy dismissed him next ball leaving the score at 140 for 3 with 20 balls remaining. Another 32 were added the rest of the way, which was more than plenty when Carter’s fielding heroics were taken into consideration.After Bishop and Jason Holder had decimated the Zouks with four wickets in the Powerplay, Carter came to the fore in the field with a spectacular diving catch off Raymon Reifer to start the eighth over. Reprising the backward point exploits of team-mate Hayden Walsh Jr. from earlier in the tournament, Carter dove full stretch to his left to foil Darren Sammy’s attempted glide behind point for a thrilling one-handed catch.Jonathan Carter reacts in a deadpan manner after taking a sensational catch•CPL T20

Colin de Grandhomme was then run out by Carter with a direct hit as he continued to make his presence felt at backward point. The New Zealand allrounder was turned back by Christopher Barnwell after trying to squeeze a run through the off side off legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, and Carter made him pay the price for straying too far out of his crease for a desperate run that was never there to leave the Zouks reeling at 62 for 6 in the ninth.Debutant part deuxBishop had earlier bounced back after a shaky start – he leaked a pair of boundaries off his first two balls – to snare Cornwall off the third ball of the chase. Holder held one over back for the 11th and it resulted in his second wicket of the night. Barnwell tried to heave the 19-year-old over the leg side and skied a catch to JP Duminy, giving Bishop his second wicket on a night in which he became the third youngest West Indies player to debut in the CPL.The debutant duo of Greaves and Bishop helped the Tridents to their second win, moving them two points clear of both the Zouks and the Tallawahs for sole possession of fourth place on the CPL table.

Sunderland can save millions by delving into their Academy of Light, the place that produced Champions League winner, Jordan Henderson.

The Black Cats have another promising central midfielder on their hands in 19-year-old starlet, Harrison Sohna, though it is worth noting that he has not come through all steps of the youth set-up, having switched last year from Aston Villa U23s.

Having featured in just two goals and three assists along the way – this, despite functioning as a defensive midfielder for seven games.

His performances for the Black Cats’ reserve side have paved the way for opportunities to play in the first team. Though his three appearances for the senior side have all come under former boss Lee Johnson in the EFL Trophy, so he is yet to make his professional league debut, and yet to impress Alex Neil who will surely be looking to embed the youngster into the first team come next season.

Over the last year, Sohna has registered some stats that demonstrate why he deserves a chance to play a higher level of football.

His average of 58.7 touches, 44 accurate passes and 0.7 key passes better that of Corry Evans who averages 45.5 touches, 28.3 accurate passes and 0.3 key passes per game – with the 31-year-old featuring 33 times for the Black Cats in the standard League One season, including two additional appearances in the League One play-offs.

Right now is a tricky time to hand an inexperienced youngster a league debut in what is such an important game in the season-defining play-off final on the 21st May. Though, it would not hurt to let Sohna train with the first team from now and across pre-season to see how he fairs in the level above.

His stats are certainly promising and his playstyle is what has got him noticed, with his forward-thinking approach and ability to make something happen echoed by Josh Bunting: “Harrison Sohna against his former club with the goal, really like when he gets on the ball, always thinking forward and opens up trying to make something happen.”

With that in mind, he’s certainly one to watch in the northeast.

In other news: Sunderland make “an enquiry” to sign highly-rated journeyman, Neil surely ecstatic

Shaun Pearson, who was Wrexham captain when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over, hopes the Red Dragons reach “the very top”.

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• Takeover completed in 2021
• Enjoyed back-to-back promotions
• Famous faces calling the shots

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Two Hollywood superstars stunned the football world when acquiring the non-league team from North Wales in 2021. Few knew what to expect at that stage, but a remarkable journey has been enjoyed across three-and-a-half years.

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  Back-to-back promotions have carried Phil Parkinson’s side from the National League to League One, with emotional events – on and off the field – being caught on camera for the award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.

• WHAT PEARSON SAID

  Pearson briefly figured in that production and has told of why he will always back Reynolds and McElhenney, despite seeing them limit his time on screen before returning to Grimsby: “I could not speak more highly of them. What you see is what you get. I don’t think it’s a charade. They are really good people. I was one of the people who was right behind it from the start. They would film us walking the kids to school, days out with the family. When I was on an overnight trip, they would go and film with my family. They weren’t pushy, but we were open to that.

  “They never actually used much of the stuff from the first year for the series in the end. The guy who produced it sent me a message apologising for the amount of our time they had taken up. It was fine. I would have been more nervous if it had been used! But I had a wonderful time there. My little boy was born in Wrexham. The one thing I like to think that I have done is immerse myself in the community at both of my full-time clubs. I think supporters appreciated that. I hope they end up getting to the very top.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Wrexham are back in the UK after taking in a second pre-season tour of North America. They have completed more transfer business this summer and are counting down the days to a 2024-25 opener against Wycombe on August 10.

The part-time offspinner was reported for a suspect action after the Jamaica Test against India, for the second time in his career

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2019West Indies opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite, who bowls part-time offspin, has been reported for a suspect bowling action after the second Test against India in Jamaica. This is the second time Brathwaite has been reported for a suspect action – the first instance was in August 2017, during West Indies’ tour of England, and Brathwaite was cleared to bowl a month later.Brathwaite will be required to submit to further testing by September 14, although he can continue to bowl in international cricket until the results of his tests are known. In the series against India, Brathwaite bowled only nine overs – two in Jamaica – taking the wicket of Ishant Sharma. Overall, Brathwaite has 18 Test wickets, including a six-for, after having bowled in 37 innings.West Indies’ next international assignment is a tour of India in December, where they will play matches against Afghanistan and the home side. West Indies are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test against Afghanistan, before taking on India in ODI and T20I series.

An exciting Rangers hint has been dropped ahead of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first summer window at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

Van Bronckhrost will be able to target a higher calibre of talent ahead of the 2022/23 campaign according to insider Pete O’Rourke.

When asked whether or not Champions League qualification will impact Rangers’ dealings, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “Yeah, without a doubt, he’ll be looking at maybe better players.

“Obviously, it gives them more money to work with in the transfer window if they do get into the Champions League with the riches that are on offer there.”

Ibrox will be rocking

The supporters will surely be delighted by this claim from O’Rourke as it suggests that they are in for an exciting summer of transfers if the club are able to win the Europa League on Wednesday night.

Van Bronckhorst’s side clash with Frankfurt in Seville and will be slotting straight into the Champions League group stages if they lift the trophy later this week. Although, they will also have the chance to qualify through the play-off rounds if they fail to do so, for finishing second in the Premiership.

This cash boost for the Gers will be massive, as O’Rourke states, and playing in the top European competition can attract a different level of player.

One gem the club are reportedly eyeing up is Chelsea central midfielder Billy Gilmour and Champions League qualification could tempt the Scotland international into making the switch.

He has played 24 Premier League matches on loan at Norwich this season and this means that a loan to a team in the Scottish top-flight not playing in the premier tournament on the continent may not be too appealing to him. Whereas, Rangers winning the Europa League and going straight into the group stages would be a statement to potential targets that they are a club that is worth joining.

The fans would be buzzing if it allows them to secure a deal for a player like Gilmour. He has caught the eye for Scotland on international duty, averaging an impressive SofaScore of 7.13 in seven World Cup qualifiers as he has shown that he can perform on a regular basis for his country.

Therefore, supporters will be excited to see what kind of gems the club attempt to bring in if they have a boosted budget and a higher standard of football on offer.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers bid for “top notch” 16 G/A “master”, GVB needs him badly…

Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Georgina Rodriguez on a luxury private yacht, with the Portuguese continuing to unwind during the Saudi off-season.

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• Disappointment at Euro 2024
• Questions asked of future
• All-time great enjoying the present

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had plenty to contend with when linking up with his country for Euro 2024 duty in Germany. That campaign came to an end at the quarter-final stage, with a few tears shed along the way, and with questions being asked of his ongoing presence on an international stage.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite being 39 years of age, Ronaldo has offered no indication that he is preparing to bring the curtain down on any part of his distinguished career. There has been talk of him continuing to the 2026 World Cup, with 130 goals already being recorded through 212 appearances for Portugal.

• THE GOSSIP

  For now, Ronaldo is making the most of an opportunity to relax alongside his family. He is back in the Middle East enjoying some sunshine, with time being spent onboard a luxurious sea cruiser. The Ronaldo clan, including Cristiano Jr, were all involved in that trip out on open water.

• WHAT NEXT?

  CR7 has also been unwinding in a sauna and spending time on the beach. Having found the target on 50 occasions for Al-Nassr last season, he will be hoping to hit the ground running in 2024-25 while moving ever closer to 1,000 total goals.

The Zimbabwe opener suffered the injury during a practice game against South Africa in Arundel and might be out for four to six weeks

Firdose Moonda05-Jun-2025Ben Curran suffered a fracture to his right hand on the second day of Zimbabwe’s warm-up game against South Africa at Arundel. Curran was hit by a Kagiso Rabada delivery in the fifth over of Zimbabwe’s innings and retired hurt on 4. He was treated at the ground and taken for an x-ray which confirmed the fracture.ESPNcricinfo understands that the injury is unlikely to require surgery but that Curran could still spend around four to six weeks out of action, which would rule him out of Zimbabwe’s home Tests against South Africa later this month. South Africa will play two matches in Bulawayo starting on June 28.Curran, the middle brother in a trio that includes England internationals Sam and Tom, made his debut for Zimbabwe in December last year and has played six Tests, including their most recent one against England, and six ODIs as well. He is yet to be capped in the T20I format. He has opened the batting in all his Tests, as he did in the match at Arundel, which does not have first-class status. Zimbabwe spent 79 overs in the field before South Africa declared on 313 for 2, and gave themselves an hour to bowl at Zimbabwe at the end of the day. Rabada and Marco Jansen shared the new ball and bowled with good pace and discipline.After Rabada hit Curran, he had Brian Bennett caught at gully to give South Africa their first wicket on the tour. Rabada was replaced by Lungi Ngidi, who broke Nick Welch’s bat in the closing exchanges of play.There has only been one day of play possible in the fixture so far after the opening day was washed out and the third day appears likely to go the same way. With rain around Arundel, it was confirmed that there will be no play until at least the second session on Thursday. Friday’s forecast also appears grim, which may mean South Africa head to London for the World Test Championship final against Australia with minimal match practice. They will have three days of training at Lord’s the final starts on June 11.Zimbabwe return home after the Arundel match to prepare to host South Africa for two Tests and a T20I tri-series, which also includes New Zealand. They will then play two Tests against New Zealand, the T20 World Cup Qualifiers and two Tests against Afghanistan later in the year.