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Sruthi Ravindranath in Wayanad06-Feb-2019Playing franchise T20 cricket has helped young batsmen to “hit the ball”, a skill that can be transferred to all other formats, according to England Lions coach Andy Flower.Flower’s views come in a week in which the senior team’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, blamed England players’ “ODI mindset” for their dismal performance in the opening two Tests against West Indies.While the senior side was receiving a thrashing at the hands of Jason Holder’s men in Barbados and Antigua, the second-string England side in Thiruvananthapuram were subjected to similar treatment against India A in the five-match ODI series, which the hosts won 4-1.Ahead of their first four-day unofficial Test in Wayanad, Flower called the shorter formats “fun” for youngsters, and also praised the ECB’s newly proposed format, The Hundred.”I think one positive aspect that comes from playing franchise cricket is that the young players are learning to pick the bat up and hit the ball,” Flower said. “And the bowlers are learning different skills. And those are transferrable skills in the all three formats.”There’s soon to be a fourth format in England. I think it’s actually a positive thing. It’s lovely seeing batsmen pick up the bat and hit the ball to the boundary. Certainly, for youngsters, it’s a fun way to play. I think it can help one develop in all formats of the game.”Flower’s opinions could not have been more encouraging for Lions’ captain Sam Billings. Billings, who has played in 15 ODIs and 18 T20Is, had chosen to prioritise the IPL over England’s first-class competition in the last few years and is yet to establish himself as a red-ball player.In a bid to prove his Test credentials, he played eight matches for Kent in Division Two last season, making 370 runs at 30.83 and captaining the side to promotion.But Billings has admitted that he would continue playing in the IPL despite being questioned for his abilities as a red-ball player, saying he would absorb the lessons from the tournament and seek to transfer them to the longer format.”In the last few years of my career I’ve played white-ball cricket, just somehow I’ve played a lot of it,” Billings said. “I’ve been a part of the ODI team for the last three years or so, but obviously haven’t found myself in the team consistently anyway. And obviously the IPL cuts into the four-day championship at home. I’ve made a decision to play in the IPL. It is opportunity I can turn down, but I stand by that decision to play again this year.”But the way the opportunity is working now, I’m getting to play more red-ball cricket. As long as my attitude and the things I control and my work ethic towards the game is right, I have no doubt I can translate these into performances in the longer format. I’m a bit immature in the terms of my development in the long format so I’m looking forward to try and progress in that.”While Flower backed Billings’ decision, he pointed out that playing county cricket would still be good enough for an overall understanding of the game.”In Sam’s case, he’s played a lot of IPL in the last few years. So that means he misses on about two months of playing first-class in England. And those two months in itself is a lovely learning experience. But like most things in life I suppose you get different benefits from various experiences.”Flower, who was appointed as Lions’ coach in 2014, has played a key role in supplying a number of players to the national side. More recently, four players – Keaton Jennings, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran and Jack Leach – who gained experience of playing in Sri Lankan conditions during Lions’ tour of 2016-17, impressed during England’s 3-0 win in the island in November.However, Flower feels the Lions set-up does not match the standards of the India A side, referring to the change-up in their programme since Rahul Dravid took over as coach in 2015.”It’s quite a contrast from how the India A team is set up,” Flower said. “It looks to me that since Dravid’s introduction to the development area, investment in terms of money and in terms of commitment has increased, be it like triangular series where you’ve sometimes have two Indian teams playing.”That is mirrored in their Under-19s as well. I think that sort of increased investment is a very positive thing. In England, we’ve moved the other way. We’ve decreased investment in this area. So it’s quite an interesting contrast.”There are always budgetary pressures. I guess the decision makers always have to decide based on priority.”

Gloucestershire wrapped up a nine-wicket victory inside eight overs, chasing just 35 runs to win on the final day and hand Glamorgan a sixth consecutive defeat

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2018
ScorecardGlamorgan suffered a sixth consecutive defeat in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship as Gloucestershire wrapped up a nine-wicket victory inside eight overs, chasing just 35 runs to win on the final day.Despite their position rooted to the bottom of the table, Glamorgan’s head coach Robert Croft said a young squad had to remain positive about their ability to improve results.”These boys are working their butts off, they honestly are,” Croft said. “We’ve got to continue doing that. Two games left to put massive technical changes in would be a big challenge. We’re continually examining them and working with them on how they’re playing and quite clearly, we haven’t quite got the hang of it as far as performances on the field.”A disappointing performance, but we are continually working hard. There’s some players who have been asked a hell of a lot of this season. Every player on our staff, at some stage or another, has been in our first team through injuries and form, etc. What we’ve got to do is keep talking about the belief, about when they have played well and reinforcing that because it’s very easy to slip into that negative mindset.”At 150 for 8 in their second innings, it was a match which Glamorgan should have lost on the third day, only for Timm van der Gugten and Kieran Bull to help them into a slender lead. They began the final day 18 runs ahead, with van der Gugten on a career-best 58 not out.The Australian-born Dutchman looked on as his captain Michael Hogan showed attacking intent from the outset, doubling his tally of runs in the first over of the day as he dispatched Matt Taylor for two well-struck boundaries. However, he was eventually bowled by the left-arm seamer, who claimed his fifth wicket of the innings and his seventh of the match as Glamorgan were dismissed for 251.Exchanging bat for ball, van der Gugten’s resistance continued in the first over of the visitors’ second innings when he trapped Miles Hammond lbw for nought to claim his fifth wicket of the match.However, Gloucestershire’s chase got going when skipper Chris Dent guided a Hogan delivery down to the third man boundary and then in the following over, drove van der Gugten through backward point for four before James Bracey flicked off his pads to add a boundary of his own. Victory came when Dent struck Hogan back over his head.”It’s pretty hard to sugarcoat it, to be honest with you,” Hogan said. “I think the second innings, eight, nine, ten showed the top order what can be done if you invest some time and effort into your innings. To say the least, very disappointed.”I think it’s a confidence issue at the moment. We’ve played a lot of second eleven cricket against that exact Gloucestershire attack and there’s six or seven boys in there that scored hundreds against them on tough wickets. Whether it’s the case of playing in the first team and putting pressure on themselves, I don’t know. They’ve done it as individuals before in tougher conditions.”We’ve been crying out for a decent wicket like that, finally got one and still couldn’t put a decent score on the board.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostebet： Alisson deixou o gramado da Ligga Arena com dores na coxa esquerda, durante o empate por 1 a 1 do São Paulo com o Athletico-PR. Segundo o Lance! apurou, o jogador sofreu uma pancada na região ainda no primeiro tempo. A substituição do atleta, por sua vez, aconteceu na segunda etapa.

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da prosport bet： Mas, ao que tudo indica, não parece ser nada que preocupe. Como de costume nestes casos, Alisson deve ser avaliado na segunda-feira (30), durante a reapresentação da equipe.

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A principal dúvida é sobre como ficaria para o próximo desafio da equipe, durante a semana, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Na quinta-feira (2), o Tricolor enfrenta o Cruzeiro, no estádio do Morumbi. Dependendo da avaliação de Alisson, o meio de campo de Dorival Júnior pode sofrer com algumas mudanças.

+Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

Com 47 jogos na temporada, desde quando ajustado como um segundo volante nas escalações do treinador, Alisson se tornou uma importante peça do elenco. Agora, é questão de compreender o desenrolar dos próximos dias e avaliações para ter uma dimensão real de qual será o caminho.

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory away from home against Crystal Palace. The Red Devils struggled in the first half and went into the break a goal down, but an energetic performance in the second 45 minutes, combined with two smart goals, ensured they got all three points.

Indeed, it was a penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta which gave the Eagles a lead. Leny Yoro made a clumsy tackle in the penalty area, with the Palace striker eventually slotting home from 12 yards. He was asked to retake his initial kick after striking the ball against his standing foot.

United came out with far more energy in the second half, and it only took them nine minutes before they managed to equalise. Joshua Zirkzee scored his first Premier League goal in almost a year to pull things level.

United’s winner came from Mason Mount, who bagged his second goal of the season. It was a good effort, with Bruno Fernandes laying a free kick into his path and Mount slotting home through a disjointed Palace wall.

The Englishman’s strike was enough to win United the game. There were some standout performances, with Zirkzee someone who played particularly well.

How Zirkzee downed Crystal Palace

It has not been the easiest season for Netherlands international Zirkzee. Saturday lunchtime at Selhurst Park felt like a big moment, and, after a first half where he struggled to get into the game, he certainly took his chance.

The goal from the attacker was simply sensational. He also got on the end of a Fernandes freekick, bringing the ball down on his chest before smashing a volley across goal into the far corner. It was a sublime strike from a man who needed a goal.

However, it was not just the goal from Zirkzee which stood out. His second-half showing was described as “amazing” by Alice Talks Footy over on X, with the United number 11 constantly linking up play, showing off his exceptional technical ability with clever touches.

Indeed, his numbers at full-time show just how well he played. Zirkzee had 50 touches of the ball, completing 14 passes in the opposition half and creating one chance. He also won eight duels and made three ball recoveries.

It was a brilliant second-half showing from the United striker, who will now be hoping to kick on. As well as he played, one of his Red Devils teammates was arguably better.

Man Utd star outshines Zirkzee vs Palace

One of the real standouts for United against the Eagles was Luke Shaw. Making his 300th appearance for the Red Devils, Shaw continued his good form this season on the left of Amorim’s back three.

The United number 23 made some key defensive contributions, including a crunching tackle to stop Eddie Nketiah from getting a shot off in the first half. He also made three interceptions, ball recoveries and clearances in a strong performance.

Touches

78

Pass accuracy

87%

Duels won

3/6

Clearances

3

Interceptions

3

Ball recoveries

3

Blocks

1

Indeed, one person who rated Shaw’s efforts in South London was Goal journalist Calum Preston Kelly. He gave the Englishman a 7/10 for his afternoon’s work and praised him for the fact that he “defended strongly” against Oliver Glasner’s men.

Just last game, Gary Neville said Shaw is a “waste of time” in a United squad. Yet, after a statement showing at Selhurst Park, it is easy to see that the defender could be considered an undroppable member of the squad.

There is plenty of competition for places in that left centre-back role, too. Shaw was replaced with minutes remaining in the game by Lisandro Martinez, and his return could perhaps have signalled the end of the Englishman’s run in the starting lineup.

Yet, after a performance like that, it is hard to see Amorim dropping one of his most experienced players. Shaw was crucial in United keeping Palace at bay from open play, and looks undroppable ahead of a busy festive period.

Shades of Pogba: INEOS have signed star who can end Mainoo’s Man Utd stay

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2025

Stats highlights from the fourth day in Kanpur where India inched closer to victory against New Zealand as R Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets

Bharath Seervi25-Sep-20161 Bowlers who reached 200 Test wickets in fewer matches than R Ashwin, who achieved it in his 37th Test. Clarrie Grimmett, the fastest, got there in 36 Tests. The previous quickest India bowler to achieve this was Harbhajan Singh in 46 Tests. Ashwin was also the fastest from India to reach the milestones of 50, 100 and 150 wickets.51.4 Ashwin’s strike rate, the best among all 19 spinners who have taken 200 or more Test wickets. The next best is Stuart MacGill who struck every 54 balls.21.03 Ashwin’s average in Tests in India, easily the best among the ten bowlers who have taken 100-plus wickets. Bishen Singh Bedi comes next with an average of 23.99.2 India players who have achieved the double of making a score of 50 or more and taking a five-wicket haul in the same Test against New Zealand. Before Ravindra Jadeja in this Test, who picked 5 for 73 in the first innings and then made an unbeaten 50 in the second innings, Javagal Srinath had done this in Auckland in 1999.1 Number of higher targets set by India against New Zealand, than the 434 in this match. They had set a target of 617 in Wellington in 2009 and New Zealand had managed to draw that with two wickets remaining.5.40 Run rate of the partnership between Rohit Sharma and Jadeja – second-highest for a century stand for India against New Zealand for any wicket (where ball-by-ball details are known). The pair added 50 runs in 56 balls and completed 100 runs in 111 balls before India declared.10 Wickets taken by the New Zealand spinners in this Test – third-most for them against India. Their spinners had taken 19 wickets in Nagpur in 1969 and 12 wickets in Ahmedabad in 2010.593 First-class runs accumulated by Cheteshwar Pujara this month, in just five innings. Before making 62 and 78 in this match, he had scored 166, 31 and 256* for India Blue in the Duleep Trophy.7 Innings without a fifty for Rohit before his unbeaten 68 in the second innings of this Test. He had scored only 111 runs in those innings at average of 15.85. His last fifty came against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year.6 Number of scores between 50 and 80 by the top three batsmen in this Test – joint-most in any Test. There were six such scores in Brisbane Ashes Test in 1962-63 and between India and Australia in Chennai in 1997-98.

da leao： It’s been a tough week in what has proven to be a tough campaign for Arsenal.

da marjack bet： Mikel Arteta’s side came into the week on cloud nine following their comprehensive win against Manchester City, but since then, the club failed to sign anyone on deadline day, and then the team collapsed away to Newcastle United in the League Cup.

What’s worse is that Gabriel Martinelli picked up a muscle injury in the first half and could be out for some time now, and while he hasn’t been particularly effective this year, the team do not have the numbers to lose another attacker.

In his absence, Leandro Trossard will have to play even more football, and like the Brazilian, he’s been out of form all season.

The situation the Gunners find themselves in is far from ideal and would be easier to navigate if they still had a Premier League ace sold by Unai Emery, who’s been outperforming both Trossard and Martinelli.

Martinelli & Trossard's form this season

It’s been more of the same from last season for Martinelli, as while he’s certainly looked a little more lively, he’s still been frustratingly ineffective in front of goal.

For example, in 35 appearances, the former Ituano gem has scored seven goals and provided four assists, which comes to a not-terrible but somewhat underwhelming average of a goal involvement every 3.18 games.

For his part, Trossard has found the back of the net on five occasions in 36 appearances and provided six assists for good measure, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.72 games.

Martinelli vs Trossard in 2024/25

Stat (per 90 mins)

Martinelli

Trossard

Goals

0.37

0.25

Assists

0.19

0.25

Shots

1.67

2.24

Shot-creating actions

2.41

3.48

Touches

39

44

Successful take-ons

1.48

1.43

Progressive carries

4.81

3.23

Key passes

1.54

1.49

Progressive passes

1.73

3.79

Stats via FBref.

Now, it should be said that the team have looked less threatening as a whole since the talismanic Bukayo Saka went down with a hamstring injury in December, but if the North Londoners are going to genuinely push Liverpool all the way this year, they cannot be relying on the 23-year-old to carry the burden of creating and scoring goals.

In short, Martinelli and Trossard have been underwhelming this season, and to make matters worse, one of the club’s former academy gems, sold years ago, is outperforming both.

The former Arsenal star outperforming Trossard and Martinelli

Several ex-Arsenal players are enjoying stellar campaigns this season, from the young Mika Biereth at AS Monaco to Donyell Malen, who just joined Aston Villa.

However, in this instance, the former Hale Ender, who has been tearing things up in the Premier League, has been doing so across the capital, in West London, for Fulham.

The player in question is, of course, Alex Iwobi, who came up through the North Londoners’ academy and went on to make 149 appearances for the first team before being sold to Everton for £35m in August 2019.

Four years and 140 appearances later, the Nigerian international made his way to Craven Cottage, where he has since become a key player for Marco Silva.

So far this season, the “terrific” winger, as dubbed by former professional turned pundit Gary Lineker, has scored seven goals and provided three assists for the West Londoners.

Iwobi vs Martinelli vs Trossard

Player

Iwobi

Martinelli

Trossard

Appearances

27

35

36

Goals

7

7

5

Assists

3

4

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.37

0.31

0.30

All Stats via Transfermarkt

While that is one less goal involvement than Marteinlli and Trossard have produced, he’s racked up his tally in just 27 appearances.

That means the 28-year-old dynamo has maintained a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.7 games, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Fulham are a solidly mid-table side.

Ultimately, we aren’t saying Iwobi would start every game over Arsenal’s current left-wing options, but given how well he has fared in a weaker team this year, we bet Arteta would love to have him in his squad.

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Chelsea are looking rather light in the midfield department, with Roméo Lavia continuing to suffer from injuries, both Cesare Casadei and Renato Veiga leaving in the January window and multiple other midfielders out on loan.

This has seen Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández starting almost every game, with many beginning to question their workload, scared of the pair becoming jaded and picking up an injury.

Luckily, on deadline day, Enzo Maresca’s side did manage to make one midfield signing, with Mathis Amougou joining from St Etienne for a fee of around £12.5m.

But this late scramble could’ve been avoided had Chelsea recalled one of their two central midfielders out on loan, both of whom have shown signs of capability in a similar role.

Lesley Ugochukwu is one of them but he’s not the only one. Stay tuned…

How Lesley Ugochukwu is doing at Southampton

Ugochukwu is one of the Chelsea midfielders out on loan this season. Having joined Southampton on a temporary basis in the summer, the 20-year-old has made 18 appearances in all competitions, providing two assists, contributing to three clean sheets and totalling 1,029 minutes played.

Impressively, the French midfielder has been compared to Aurelien Tchouameni’s level of potential, by Liam Twomey from The Athletic, standing at 6 foot 3, covering ground in central areas really well, making high numbers of defensive actions – 3.86 tackles per 90 – and being technically astute on the ball to receive in tight spaces.

Despite having Ugochukwu as one option to bring back from loan, Southampton’s change in manager (Ivan Juric) saw the French midfielder given more minutes, meaning the Blues decided to keep him at Southampton for the remainder of the season in order to aid his development.

But there was another midfield option out on loan who could have returned to have a huge impact at Chelsea.

How Andrey Santos compares to Mathis Amougou

Perhaps the crown jewel of young talents acquired by Chelsea and sent out on loan for multiple seasons, is Brazilian midfielder, Andrey Santos. He’s not played a single minute for the Blues yet, consequently spending the past year at Strasbourg on loan.

Ligue 1 stats only.

Across all competitions, the 20-year-old star has been “immense” in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson. He has made 20 appearances so far this season for the French outfit, scoring eight goals, providing two assists, contributing to four clean sheets and featuring for a total of 1,764 minutes.

When comparing Santos’s underlying numbers with Chelsea’s new midfield signing – interestingly both playing in Ligue 1 this season – you can see how far ahead Santos currently is with his game, being more comfortable on the ball, making more passes, more progressive actions and completing more defensive actions per 90 too.

Goals + Assists

0.46

0.00

Progressive Carries

1.02

0.84

Progressive Passes

4.87

3.79

Passes Attempted

48.6

31.7

Pass Completion %

87.2%

77.1%

Key Passes

0.91

0.74

Passes into Pen Area

0.32

0.42

Tackles

3.74

2.21

Interceptions

0.92

1.26

Ball Recoveries

6.42

3.89

Santos has been described as a “one-man war machine” by Jacek Kulig in the past, being well known for being an all-action midfielder, who contributes in all phases, can drop deep to link play, protect the backline in defensive transition, get stuck in to win duels, but also arrive in the box and add goals for the team.

Whilst Ugochukwu and Santos would have been more ready to contribute now, Chelsea have clearly taken the route of allowing them to complete their loan cycles, continue their development with consistent minutes, before rejoining the squad next season, when Amougou will likely receive a loan to aid his development in a similar way.

After Amougou: Maresca must now give "pointless" Chelsea star the boot

Chelsea rounded off deadline day with the signing of Mathis Amougou

ByRobbie Walls Feb 4, 2025

Former goalkeeper Ben Foster believes that Ruud van Nistelrooy would have done a better job at Manchester United than Ruben Amorim.

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Van Nistelrooy oversees Leicester relegationAmorim's United in bottom half of Premier LeagueFoster makes bold claimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Van Nistelrooy has overseen a truly terrible spell at Leicester since his appointment in November. The former United striker has seen the Foxes relegated, with the club taking just 18 points from 33 games across his reign and that of Steve Cooper. United have also had a torrid time under Amorim, who was similarly appointed in November, as the club lie in 14th in the Premier League table.

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Now, former United goalkeeper Foster has claimed that the Dutchman would have been a superior option for United than Amorim. Of course, van Nistelrooy did manage the Red Devils for four games as interim boss after the departure of Erik ten Hag, and he oversaw three wins and a draw. Ironically, two of those victories came over Leicester, winning 3-0 in the league and 5-2 in the Carabao Cup, and Foster believes he should have been allowed to stay in the Old Trafford dugout.

WHAT BEN FOSTER SAID

Speaking on the Fozcast, Foster said: "Would Ruud van Nistelrooy have done a better job than Ruben Amorim at Man United, if he'd have stayed on? I think it's 'probably' because he had that respect, and I just don't think that you could do much worse than Amorim has done."

Challenged on the take, with his co-host claiming that van Nistelrooy might not have worked long-term, he replied: "I don't think Amorim is [a long term fix] either, to be honest with you. Amorim set his stall out last week when they won that game against Lyon and then he said he was basically going to play the kids for the rest of the season.

"It just signals that the Premier League doesn't matter so subconsciously, all of those players will take their foot off the gas a little bit."

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Leicester are reported to be looking elsewhere following van Nistelrooy's reign and have been linked with Lee Carsley. Amorim, meanwhile, will hope to guide United beyond Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-finals.

Tottenham Hotspur have been approached and offered the chance to sign a player who’s unsettled at his current club, with agents reaching out to Spurs as they work to find their client a new home.

Tottenham missing 10 first-team players for Liverpool clash

The Lilywhites take on Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tonight, and manager Ange Postecoglou is yet again forced to contend with very limited options.

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The 59-year-old is minus around 10 first-team players for their face-off against Arne Slot’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening, with Guglielmo Vicario, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr all unavailable through either injury or suspension.

Tottenham’s injury crisis has exposed Postecoglou’s lack of depth in recent months, seriously threatening their chances of a strong 2024/2025 Premier League campaign, and it has prompted the club to enter the January transfer market in search of reinforcements.

Arsenal (away)

January 15

Everton (away)

January 19

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

Spurs have already sealed a £12.5 million deal for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who’s now took part in full first-team training, but the Czech won’t be their only new addition this month.

Tottenham are believed to be pursuing PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, after the France international was deemed surplus by Luis Enrique and allowed to find a new club before deadline day on February 3.

There are also suggestions that Spurs could sign a new centre-back, given van de Ven, Romero and Davies’ absences have left Postecoglou with just Rady Dragusin as his only natural senior central defensive option right now.

“Look, we are still trying to help the squad and help the players,” said Postecoglou on January transfers at Spurs.

“We are still down significant numbers. We will have roughly 10 first team players missing tomorrow. That’s not easy so we are still looking to try to help the playing group. The club is working hard in a number of areas.”

According to some media sources, Tottenham could even bolster their midfield options before the clock runs out, and they’ve now been handed an opening to potentially negotiate a deal for one Serie A star.

Tottenham offered chance to sign Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi is “frustrated” at the San Siro, and he could leave the Italian champions as early as January – despite only just joining on a permanent deal from Sassuolo in the summer.

The Italy international has made 22 appearances in all competitions, but the majority of his cameos have come from the bench. Frattesi appears dissatisfied with this, and his camp are scouring the market for a new club to join.

One of them could be Postecoglou’s side, as TBR report that Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Frattesi by intermediaries after they made contact with the north Londoners.

His rumoured price tag stands at around £33 million, so this could be a doable deal for Spurs, and he is a player of real quality – even if the 25-year-old hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best time at Inter this season.

“He reminds me of Barella,” said renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano to Empire of the Kop.

“Liverpool had long-term interest in Nicolo Barella but he just extended his contract with Inter so it’s going to be more than complicated to sign him. Frattesi seems to be the next Barella. He’s this kind of player, super talented, very interesting, and Sassuolo are prepared to sell their players if top clubs pay.”

da bet7： Ipswich Town are set for a busy month in January, with the club looking at bringing in as many as five new players inm the transfer market, according to a new report.

Ipswich on the up heading into January

da doce： Ipswich pulled off one of the scalps of the season earlier this week by beating high-flying Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road. It was striker Liam Delap, who is reportedly a target for the Blues, who was the star on the day, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, and then teeing up former Chelsea star Omari Hutchinson for the second after the break.

Speaking after the victory, which was Ipswich’s first at home this season, head coach Kieran McKenna said: “It was a special night. It’s the first Premier League win at Portman Road for 22 years and to do it against a team like Chelsea under the lights, during the Christmas period, makes it pretty special.

“The performance was what it needed to be to compete with a team like Chelsea who have world class players and substitutes.”

Delap said: “It’s a terrific performance from everyone that played. That win has been coming for a long time. It was good to finally get it. I think the performances that we’ve been putting in deserve it. We’ve probably been conceding late goals and not finishing our chances as well as we should’ve.”

Ipswich set for busy January

The manager will no doubt be looking to kick on from his side’s win over Chelsea, and to do that, the Northern Irishman is reportedly preparing to dip his hands into the transfer market. According to a report from Sky Sports, McKenna wants no less than five players in a range of different positions to strengthen his squad for the second half of the season.

Sky claim that the Tractor Boys “are looking at strengthening down the right-hand side of the team, as well as looking at new strikers and midfielders”. Among those players they are said to be interested in are Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, whom they tried and failed to land in the summer.

Latte Lath scored 18 goals in all competitions for Michael Carrick’s side last season, and has nine to his name this term. West Ham United are also understood to be interested in the Ivory Coast international, 26.

While Ipswich may sign a host of new players in January, there could also be a fair few departures. According to Sky Sports, Cameron Burgess, Luke Woolfenden and Massimo Luongo could all leave Portman Road over the next few weeks. All three players’ contracts expire at the end of the season, meaning they are free to talk to new clubs this month.

The future of Delap is also in question. Not only are Chelsea said to be interested in the former Manchester City star, Manchester United and their new manager Ruben Amorim are now looking at signing him in the summer.