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Liverpool could accelerate their interest in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia if Fabinho leaves the club for Saudi Arabia in this window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Romeo Lavia going to Liverpool?

Football Insider report that Liverpool are preparing a formal bid for Southampton midfielder Lavia and Jurgen Klopp is said to be 'extremely keen' to bring the Belgium international to Anfield.

The outlet adds that any offer may be contingent on finalising the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson amid interest in their services from Saudi Arabia. Fabinho has a £40 million offer on the table from Al Ittihad; meanwhile, former Liverpool man Steven Gerrard is keen to take Henderson to the Gulf region and the 33-year-old is keen to reunite with his ex-teammate.

talkSPORT understand that the Reds have moved ahead of Chelsea in their pursuit of Lavia, who is valued at around £50 million by Southampton despite their drop into the Sky Bet Championship.

Chelsea recruitment co-director Joe Shields thinks highly of Lavia and has recommended him to Mauricio Pochettino as a player that has a lot of potential to develop into a Premier League star.

Renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on Twitter earlier this year that Manchester City have a buyback clause worth £40 million that will activate in 2024, stating: "Romeo Lavia will be one to watch in the summer. Man City £40m buy back clause, valid in 2024. Chelsea [wanted him last summer] and Arsenal [still keen on Caicedo too] among clubs interested – Southampton hope to keep him."

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Liverpool could accelerate their efforts to land Lavia if Fabinho jets off to Saudi Arabia between now and the close of play.

Jacobs told FFC: "Liverpool have always been interested in Lavia; they've explored the deal seriously. We should mention Arsenal and Chelsea because they could still enter the race, but at the moment, it looks like Liverpool are slightly more active because Arsenal have been focused on getting Rice over the line. Chelsea have focused on Caicedo, so it's not to say that other suitors couldn't enter the race, but Liverpool have looked at the deal and could well move on the deal if Fabinho ends up going to Saudi Arabia."

Would Romeo Lavia be a good replacement for Fabinho or Jordan Henderson?

Liverpool look set to have a completely different midfield this campaign compared to years gone by and the notion of both Fabinho and Henderson being absent from the engine room would be a strange sight at Anfield.

Nevertheless, Lavia, who has been hailed as an "absolute monster", is a youngster with supreme potential and could form part of an exciting trio behind Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Last term, the Belgian enforcer made 34 appearances in all competitions with Southampton, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

The 19-year-old is no stranger to getting stuck in for his side and managed to amass 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.

FBRef show that Lavia is adept at driving his team forward from the middle of the park, evidenced by the fact he successfully carried out 41 shot-creating actions over the course of the season.

If a couple of experienced Liverpool midfielders do leave the club, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Klopp replenish that area of the field with some younger reinforcements such as Lavia.

Tendai Chatara’s third five-wicket haul in List A matches ensured Netherlands were skittled out for 142, a total that Zimbabwe had no trouble chasing

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2017Zimbabwe 144 for 4 (Ervine 44) beat Netherlands 142 (van Beek 64*, Chatara 5-34, Mpofu 3-30) by six wickets
ScorecardFile photo – Tendai Chatara removed five of the top six Netherlands batsmen•AFPZimbabwe eased to a six-wicket win in Amstelveen after their pacers, led by Tendai Chatara who took his third List A five-wicket haul, skittled Netherlands out for 142 in under 38 overs. That total looked rather unlikely when Chatara and Chris Mpofu – who finished with three wickets – had Netherlands reeling at 40 for 8, but an unbeaten 64 from Logan van Beek saved the hosts some blushes. Still, Zimbabwe got to their target with 19.4 overs to spare as Craig Ervine top-scored with 44.Netherlands openers Wesley Barresi and Stephan Myburgh were the first to go, falling in Chatara’s second and third overs respectively. The score was 22 for 2 then but four overs and six runs later, Chatara struck again, this time twice in two balls to send back both Michael Rippon and Roelof van der for ducks. When Mpofu took out Ben Cooper for 6, Netherlands had lost five batsmen inside 10 overs, and had to wait till the ninth-wicket pair for some semblance of a partnership. Van Beek combined with No. 10 Timm van der Gugten (34) to put on 86 runs to delay the inevitable and remained unbeaten on 64 off 83 balls with six fours and one six.

Newcastle United continue to be linked with Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney, who has admitted he remains unsure where his future lies beyond the end of this summer's transfer window.

Is Kieran Tierney leaving Arsenal?

Tierney, a £25m signing from Celtic in August 2019, lost his place in the Arsenal side last season following the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

The Scotland international has been linked with a move away in the past two transfer windows, with Newcastle widely considered to be the favourites for his signature.

According to The Evening Standard, Newcastle remain interested in Tierney, despite spending close to £100m already this summer on Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali.

Asked about his future during Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States, Tierney, who is set to fetch around £35m for his services, said: "It's not really up to me. I'm happy, I'm working hard every day and getting minutes. I'm just trying to do as well as I can."

How good is Kieran Tierney?

Newcastle do not have many weaknesses in their squad, but left-back is certainly an area that Eddie Howe could do with strengthening. Dan Burn, a centre-back by trade, played there 32 times in the Premier League last season and did a good job on the whole.

However, if the Toon are to push on from last season's fourth-place finish and make an impact in the Champions League, they need a top-class player in that position.

While Tierney may have been restricted to just six league starts last season, on top of 21 appearances from the substitutes' bench, he still showed what he is capable of when called upon.

Ironically, Tierney – who can himself also play centre-back – recorded very similar figures to Zinchenko last season in a number of key metrics. According to FBref's comparison tool, Zinchenko was the player ninth-most like Tierney across Europe's top five leagues.

Comparing Tierney and Burn's figures from last season must first be prefaced by the fact that both played in a couple of different positions, but the numbers still provide an indication of the two players' quality.

Tierney outperformed Burn in terms of tackles won per 90 minutes (1.25 v 1.10), interceptions per 90 (1.25 v 0.92) and recoveries per 90 (4.89 v 4.80) though the Newcastle fan favourite was stronger when it came to blocks per 90 (1.21 v 0.91) and aerial duels won percentage (69.4 v 25).

Ultimately, Howe must decide what type of player he wants playing down the left-hand side. In Burn, he has a player who is defensively solid and can offer the occasional attacking threat – albeit in a rather awkward manner – while Tierney is attack-minded but can also do a solid job defensively.

The fact Tierney has been restricted largely to substitute appearances of late means his stock has undoubtedly fallen, but it would be unfair to write him off just yet.

Tierney's versatility in particular, being able to play at full-back, wing-back or in central defence, could come in particularly handy for Howe. Just do not ask him to play as an inverted full-back, which is the reason he is not fancied by Mikel Arteta.

As former Scotland international Billy Dodds put it after watching Tierney play in a couple of different positions in the same game against Israel, the defender – on a reported £110k-a-week, according to Capology – remains an "outstanding" talent.

A move away from the Emirates Stadium may do Tierney's career a lot of good, though it is a transfer that could ultimately come back to haunt Arsenal should he shine at top-four rivals Newcastle.

England’s efforts to turn a strong position in the first Test into a decisive one were led by rousing all-round contributions from Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali

The Report by Alan Gardner07-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s efforts to turn a strong position in the first Test into a decisive one were led by rousing all-round contributions from Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali on a sweltering day of hard-fought cricket at Lord’s. South Africa’s manful resistance came chiefly via a half-century from the captain, Dean Elgar, as well as an unbeaten 48 from Temba Bavuma but they still trailed by almost 250 runs at the close.Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn, in only his second Test, hauled South Africa away from peril after they had been reduced to 104 for 4 shortly after tea, Broad and Moeen sharing the wickets between them, but James Anderson broke the 99-run fifth-wicket stand as the shadows lengthened. Joe Root, whose maiden innings as Test captain had been ended on 190, spent his first day in the field shuffling a six-man attack to good effect; there was further slog in store but his bowlers could enjoy the afterglow of satisfaction having reacquainted themselves with the demands of Test cricket.After a frantic morning session in which England lost their last five wickets while adding 101 to their overnight total – Broad and Moeen scoring 83 of them – the pace slackened in the heat of the afternoon. Elgar followed his England counterpart in leading the way with the bat but Broad and Moeen winkled out a wicket apiece during the middle session.Moeen had missed out on his first Lord’s hundred but passed 2000 Test runs during his innings of 87. He then broke the game open with the dismissals of Hashim Amla and Elgar either side of tea, reaching 100 Test wickets in the process – and becoming the fifth-fastest to the twin landmark in history.Broad’s morning beano with the bat saw him record a first Test fifty in four years and he then claimed a wicket in his opening over after lunch. Heino Kuhn, making his debut at the age of 33, could do little about a textbook delivery that swung a touch and left him off the seam before taking the edge on its way to Alastair Cook at first slip. Moeen then trapped Amla lbw, playing back to a ball that spun in to hit him in line with off stump, to end a 72-run stand with Elgar.Elgar had described his own game as nuggety before the Test – despite professing not to know what it meant – but he provided a workable definition with an innings of 54 that begin shortly before lunch and was ended in the second over after tea when he squeezed an inside-edge to bat-pad. Moeen may have come into the match regarded as England’s second spinner but he was first to make his presence felt on a pitch that was already betraying puffs of dust.With Spidercam, on its UK Test debut, hovering above the ground, Moeen had begun to weave a web. England might have thought they had spied a route to victory, though Liam Dawson was less successful in his role as holding spinner. Elgar attacked him early on, forcing him out of the attack after four overs for 29, although an exploratory second spell later in the day was marginally more successful.When JP Duminy fell to Broad, pinned by a ball that veered into him late, South Africa had lost 3 for 22 and looked to be wilting but de Bruyn, playing in this Test as cover for Faf du Plessis, and Bavuma slowly wrested the initiative back. Bavuma, who became the first black South African to score a Test hundred during England’s visit in 2015-16, was quietly impressive during a chanceless innings.His partner enjoyed a little more fortune, seeing Moeen spin a ball behind his legs but over the stumps on 2 and surviving a review against Mark Wood on 31, when the ball was shown to be only clipping leg stump. But as de Bruyn approached what would have been a maiden Test fifty, Anderson produced a curving delivery with the old ball that drew a thin edge to send him on his way.Moeen Ali reached two notable milestones with bat and ball•Getty ImagesEngland’s innings of 458 appeared a solid enough foundation for Root on his captaincy debut. Only once has a team lost a Lord’s Test after passing 400 in the first innings and Percy Chapman’s England team of 1930 had the excuse of Don Bradman being in the opposition. It took a pair of ticklish stands featuring Broad to get them there, however, as South Africa surged back into contention with the second new ball.Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada both struck twice in three balls, either side of Moeen and Broad adding 46 for the eighth wicket. Broad then combined with Anderson for an even livelier partnership of 45 in less than five overs to further check South Africa’s momentum. Morkel was hooked into the Grand Stand from consecutive balls as Broad raised a 45-ball fifty, while Anderson did the same to Rabada, much to the enjoyment of another capacity crowd.Having batted for most of the first day, Root did not last long second time around, drawn into pushing at a delivery of perfect length from Morkel, which seamed a fraction to take the outside edge. Dawson was then struck in front second ball and, although he reviewed the lbw decision straight away, ball-tracking showed it to be clipping the leg bail.Broad could also have been given out lbw on 4, but South Africa chose not to review, and he later saw Amla fail to hold a difficult slip catch off the top edge. Unperturbed, he summoned the elan he was once known for as a lower-order batsman, pulling and driving with abandon on the way to his highest score since the second-innings 65 that (controversially) helped to dig England out of trouble at Trent Bridge during the 2013 Ashes.England careened past 400 as Broad flashed and dashed with all the control of a man trying to bat on a skateboard. At the other end, Moeen looked to be continuing unflappably towards a hundred but Rabada beat an expansive drive with a delivery that moved in appreciably to clip off stump, leaving him 13 short of getting his name on the honours board.Rabada’s day, however, and South Africa’s as a whole, would be marred at the close of play, when he was served with a suspension for next week’s second Test after picking up his fourth ICC demerit point, following an altercation with Ben Stokes on the opening day.

Darwin Nunez is always an interesting player to watch, for better or worse, as his unorthodox technique can result in both moments of madness and incredible goals.

During his first season at Liverpool, the forward got off to a nightmare start after receiving a red card on his Anfield debut against Crystal Palace. He, and the rest of Jurgen Klopp’s side, struggled to gain consistency from there dropping out of the Champions League places, leaving many hopeful that things will return to their best for the Reds in the coming campaign.

When it comes to pre-season, too, Nunez is certainly showing more signs of life than last season, netting three goals in two games, including one in the 4-2 win over Karlsruher before grabbing a brace against their most-recent opponents Greuther Furth.

Both of the striker’s goals proved the potential that he has to burst into life in the coming months. Now, it could just be about consistency.

Darwin Nunez scores pre-season brace

Up against the 2. Bundesliga side, Nunez initially put Liverpool back in front after the break following Luis Diaz’s opener, making an excellent run, which was picked out by Mohamed Salah, before rounding the keeper and finding the back of the net with all the composure in the world – as you can see in the footage above.

His second to make it 3-1 was even more impressive. Left one-on-one with the final man, Nunez dropped the shoulder, before expertly firing home. The two goals showed a player with the coolness that last season’s version lacked in front of goal at times.

Greuther Furth turned the game around to lead 4-3 with quickfire goals, before Salah struck late on to end things level at 4-4.

Liverpool’s attention now turns to their friendly with Leicester City, where Nunez will look to find the back of the net once more, and the Reds will look to get back to winning ways, even if it is just a pre-season friendly.

Full of praise for the forward, The Athletic’s James Pearce took to Twitter to praise him following his second strike, saying: “Nunez scores his second of the game. Looking really sharp”

What is the market value of Darwin Nunez?

Initially arriving at Liverpool for a reported £85m last summer, Nunez’s inconsistent season has seen his valuation decrease. According to Transfermarkt, the former Benfica man is now worth €65m (£56.16m), which is more than £30m less than what the Reds initially splashed out to secure his signature a year ago.

Klopp will be hoping to see his side’s investment prove worthwhile next season, however, as he attempts to guide Liverpool back into the Premier League’s top four, and much more in the coming campaign.

Last season was the first time that the Merseyside club have failed to qualify for the Champions League in a full season under the German. And they won’t want to experience that feeling again.

With Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai adding to Klopp’s midfield options, Liverpool should be primed and ready to get back to their best form come August.

Starting with their opening game of the season against Chelsea, the manager may well have a big decision to make regarding his forward line. As Nunez continues to find the back of the net in pre-season, Klopp could be left with no choice but to hand him the starting role.

It’ll certainly be an interesting season for both Nunez and Liverpool.

Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach, has backed Joe Root to bring the same positive intent to his captaincy that he has always brought to his batting

Andrew Miller29-Jun-20172:05

Bayliss tips Root and Cook to flourish in new roles

Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach, has backed Joe Root to bring the same positive intent to his captaincy that he has always brought to his batting, as he prepares to take charge of the Test team for the first time against South Africa at Lord’s next week.Root inherited the Test role from Alastair Cook, who stepped down after last year’s tour of India, but has been waiting in the wings for the past seven months during a prolonged period of white-ball cricket under the leadership of Eoin Morgan.However, he has been a pivotal figure throughout England’s rise up the one-day rankings, and speaking at the Investec Test series launch in London, Bayliss said that he would provide Root with whatever backing he needs to shape the team however he sees fit in the coming weeks.Possible England squad

Joe Root (capt), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Mark Wood, Toby Roland-Jones

“Certainly the way Rooty goes about his cricket, he’s nice and positive the way he bats, I suspect the way he will captain the team will be similar,” Bayliss said. “We’ve had a few short chats over the last month or so, about the way Rooty wants to attack the game. I suspect we will go a bit deeper into the South African side over the next couple of days.”My way of operating is the captain’s the one in charge. It’s a bit old-school, but that’s what I believe,” Bayliss added. “They are the ones playing the game. They are the ones who’ve got to have a say in how the game moves forward.”To all the captains who’ve captained England since I’ve been here, I’ll give them 100 percent backing, if they have got a good argument for what they want do, whether it’s selection, field placement, bowling changes. If they haven’t got a good argument for something, that’s where I might come up with a few ideas myself.”While England’s one-day performances have caught the eye since Bayliss and his assistant Paul Farbrace took the helm in 2015, the Test team has fallen short of its usual standards. They lost a record eight fixtures in 2016, including two at home to Pakistan in a drawn series last summer, as well five out of seven on their most recent assignments against Bangladesh and India in the subcontinent. The first Test squad of the summer is due to be announced on Saturday morning, and the selectors know that there are plenty of places up for grabs.”We are perhaps not as settled as we could be,” Farbrace said. “Obviously the selectors this week are going to have a tough decision in terms of looking at the balance and make-up of the side. I think we’ve still got some way to go in terms of being balanced, being organised as a team and probably knowing what our best team is. In one-day cricket, we’re a bit more settled. In Test cricket, we’ve still got a way to go.”One player who could scarcely seem more settled, however, is Root’s predecessor. Cook had looked careworn at the end of the India tour, after five years and a record 59 Tests in charge, but he has returned to his Essex roots with alacrity this summer, racking up six hundreds in all formats, including 193 in the ongoing contest against the champions, Middlesex, to cement his side’s place at the top of the County Championship standings. It appears that he is in the ideal form and frame of mind to provide Root with a valuable source of wisdom from the corner of the dressing-room.Trevor Bayliss will take a back seat to allow Joe Root to mould his team as he sees fit•Getty Images”It’s great that, after giving away the captaincy, he’s still got that hunger to score runs,” Bayliss said. “As an ex-England captain, it will be a bit of a juggling act, but he and Rooty get on very well. Cooky is very well respected in the team and if he thinks something needs to be said, I’m sure he will say it.”The identity of Cook’s opening partner is less assured, however. Prior to suffering a hand injury in India last year, Haseeb Hameed looked to have made the role his own following an eye-catching debut, but he has struggled for runs for Lancashire this season, and is likely to have to wait his turn for a recall. Keaton Jennings, captaining the Lions against South Africa in Worcester, is a ready-made stand-in, although the claims of Surrey’s Mark Stoneman, thriving at The Oval since his move from Durham last year, cannot be ignored either.”It’s a surprise to all of us that he’s had the tough time he’s had,” Farbrace said of Hameed’s struggles this season. “The thing that stood out in India was not only the way he practised and played the game, but the nous, the confidence, without being cocky or arrogant, to look completely at home. That was the thing that excited all of us.”He’s probably trying to work his game out, but he’s definitely got an unbelievable future ahead of him in international cricket,” Farbrace added. “Everything about him suggests he will be a major success, it reminds me of Root, he will go through [bad] periods, and he will be a better player for it.”Gary Ballance, another player in stellar form this season, is proof of that point. He was cast aside last winter, after mustering 24 runs in four innings against Bangladesh’s spinners, but has been in irresistible form in his maiden season as Yorkshire captain. Against Hampshire in April he scored 108 and 203 not out to lay out his stall for the campaign, and Bayliss expects him to feature heavily in the selectors’ thinking.”It’s great to see him scoring runs,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll be spoken about in tomorrow’s selection meeting, quite heavily. One thing Gary’s always had in his favour is he’s mentally tough, which is why he’s been able to come back after being dropped a couple of times and score a lot of runs for Yorkshire. There’s no reason why someone like that can’t come back and make a success of international cricket. But somewhere along the line, the selection panel will have to make a decision on whether it’s time to look at someone new.”In the two years I’ve been here it will be the toughest selection meeting that I’ve had,” Bayliss added. “It’s a good problem to have when you’re struggling to know which guys to put in. I liked the look of [Dawid] Malan in the one-day series. Stoneman scored a lot of runs with Surrey this season and a lot of tough runs the last couple of seasons at Durham. [Sam] Robson has been scoring some runs. They’re up for discussion and we’ll come up with an answer tomorrow. We’ll work our way down the order.”Ballance’s Yorkshire team-mate, Jonny Bairstow, will be among the first names on the team-sheet for Lord’s – in stark contrast to his frustrating time as a fringe member of the white-ball set-up – following a record-breaking run of form in Test cricket in 2016, in which he set new records for runs and catches by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year.”His batting has been unbelievable,” Bayliss said. “To score the runs that he did, most of the season batting at seven, was outstanding, and he’s certainly becoming one of the better players in the team.”He has that confidence now that he’s in the team and feels a part of it, because one of the jumps when you go up a level [in professional cricket] is feeling comfortable and feeling a part of that new environment,” Bayliss added. “He’s gone from being a Yorkshire player who occasionally plays for England to becoming an England player who occasionally plays for Yorkshire.”Bayliss indicated that Bairstow was likely to retain the gloves for the first Test, despite being worthy of selection for his batting alone. With Jos Buttler and Sam Billings already in the England set-up, and Surrey’s Ben Foakes making a very strong case for recognition, alternatives are not thin on the ground, especially if his standards dip at any stage behind the stumps.”Not just at the moment,” Bayliss said. “I think Jonny deserves the chance to start this year as the keeper.”On the bowling front, England will face a few anxious moments over the weekend, seeing how Stuart Broad’s heel holds up if, as expected, he is passed fit to play in the Royal London Cup final against Surrey on Saturday. With Chris Woakes (side) and Jake Ball (knee) both ruled out, and James Anderson on the mend after a groin problem earlier in the season, there is a definite fragility to England’s fast-bowling stocks.”We’ll know tonight before our selection meeting in the morning,” Bayliss said of Broad’s fitness. “He’s been training the last couple of days when we’ve been putting him through more of a test and, if he comes through that, he’ll play in the one-day final as a test for the Test match.”You have to accept seam bowlers are going to get injured, but I think the good thing is there are enough quality bowlers in the England set-up,” he added. “You always want to have more than you need, you always want to have quality, but I think the last time that Anderson, Broad, Wood and Stokes were together was the Dubai Test against Pakistan [in 2015].”Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace were speaking at the launch of the Investec Test summer

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain aggravated a back injury during Sunday’s ODI against India in Pallekele

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2017Stand-in captain Chamara Kapugedera’s has been ruled out of the remainder of ODI series after a medical examination. Kapugedera aggravated a back injury during the third ODI on Sunday. He had been nursing a stiff back before the third ODI, but had batted and fielded in that game. In his absence, Lasith Malinga will assume the captaincy, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has said.The stiffness in Kapugedera’s back had been mild in the approach to the third game, and had not prompted much concern. “He did have the issue in Kandy, but I think when he went into bat, it got worse,” manager Asanka Gurusinha said.Kapugedara becomes the fifth Sri Lanka batsman to become unavailable. Danushka Gunathilaka was ruled out with a shoulder strain (though there remains a small possibility he could recover in time for the next match), and Upul Tharanga had been suspended due to a slow over rate. Dinesh Chandimal, who was brought into the squad ahead of the third ODI, was ruled out with a fractured finger. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera, and batting allrounder Asela Gunaratne had earlier also been ruled out of the series with injuries.Malinga has previously captained Sri Lanka’s T20 side, including in the final stages of the World T20 triumph in 2014.

Chelsea’s midfield has undergone a significant amount of change this calendar year.

The Blues have lost Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Conor Gallagher is now targeted by West Ham, who have just had a £40m bid rejected for the Englishman.

Chelsea aren't in the best position to lose Gallagher, as Enzo Fernandez and Carney Chukwuemeka are the only other two central midfielders in the squad.

Their pursuit of Moises Caicedo has been frustrating and unfruitful, with their latest bid of £70m instantly rejected by Brighton, who are demanding around £100m for the Ecuadorian.

The west Londoners may be forced to resort to different targets, and they still retain an interest in Romeo Lavia.

Who is signing Romeo Lavia?

According to Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are trying to close in on a £45m deal for Lavia, but Chelsea may attempt an “ultimate approach” thanks to Joe Shields’ "pressing".

It was previously reported by The Athletic that the Reds are set to make an improved offer for the Southampton gem, after having an opening offer of £37m be shunned by the Saints, who are holding out for around £50m.

However, the report says that Chelsea retain a firm interest and could have an advantage in the deal due to Shields’ connection to the player.

The 36-year-old was recruited from the south-coast outfit last summer as the club’s co-director of recruitment and was a leading figure in Lavia’s move from Manchester City to Southampton.

What position does Romeo Lavia play?

Despite Southampton’s abysmal season, in which their 11-year stay in the top-flight ended, the youngster emerged from the rubble with a prestigious reputation.

Lavia, who has been described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, has showcased he is a phenomenal ball player and a tenacious asset in central midfield.

Indeed, in 29 Premier League appearances, the Belgian averaged 2.1 tackles, an 86% pass accuracy, and completed 68% of his dribbles. Such stats are impressive, particularly considering only Enzo Fernandez (2.5) and N'Golo Kante (2.3) made more tackles per game of Chelsea's midfield players last season.

Arguably winning back the ball is his standout trait, as Lavia was one of only three U21 players who won possession in the midfield third 100+ times (114) to display how he excels in his age group.

Nevertheless, he is still extremely comfortable on the ball and holds supreme technical quality. This has been echoed by Jean Kindermans, Anderlecht's head of Academy, who said: “He’s always calm on the ball. You can give him it under pressure and he will solve the problem.

Paul Scholes has also recognised his all-round profile, adding: “He is a young player who can do both sides of the game, equally good defensively but also once he is on the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass it.”

Another player that Chelsea are linked with, who also exudes on-the-ball competence and eye-catching dynamism, is Mohammed Kudus.

In The Athletic’s Profiling of 50 exciting players under the age of 23, it is stated that the Ghanaian sees his best position in midfield and as a result, he could form an exciting partnership with Lavia if played slightly in front.

Last season, the 22-year-old recorded 100+ successful take-ons (104), 100+ ball recoveries (134), and scored 16 goals, ranking him as the highest for each metric in the Ajax squad.

This potentially new-look Chelsea midfield would also include Fernandez, who sits within the best 14% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the highest 3% for progressive passes per 90.

These three players can do both sides of the game excellently and could propel Chelsea back into European contention.

Karn Sharma took his second five-for in as many matches for India Red, who are now through to the final

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2017
ScorecardGetty ImagesA century from Deepak Hooda, and lower-order fireworks from Jaydev Unadkat and Bharghav Bhatt, ensured India Blue took first-innings points from a drawn match against India Red in Kanpur. Hooda’s 174-ball 133 was the seventh hundred of his first-class career.India Red, who took one point from this game to add to the six they picked up by beating India Green, are through to the final. India Blue and India Green will meet in the last of the round-robin matches, which begins on Tuesday.A rain-hit third day, on which only 4.4 overs had been possible, had diminished any chance of a decisive result, but the question of which team would get three points remained to be resolved when Saturday dawned. Responding to India Red’s 383, India Blue were 151 behind with seven wickets in hand, with Hanuma Vihari at the crease on 88 and Hooda on 37.Vihari fell soon after reaching his hundred, bowled by Basil Thampi, and Chama Milind had Ishan Kishan caught behind 3.3 overs later to leave India Blue 300 for 5. Hooda needed help from the lower order, and it arrived in the form of Unadkat, who smashed 57 off 53 balls (10×4, 1×6), the pair putting on 96 off 101 balls to take India Blue into the lead.Both fell in the space of five balls, but India Blue weren’t quite done yet, as Bhatt (33 off 26 balls, with four sixes) went after the bowling and stretched their total to an eventual 444. The legspinner Karn Sharma took the last four wickets to finish with figures of 5 for 94 and take his tournament tally to 15 wickets in two matches.There wasn’t a whole lot of time left in the match, and India Red made 133 for 5 in 35 overs in that time, Rishabh Pant top-scoring with a 23-ball 46.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be showing a strong interest in Rosario Central star, Alejo Veliz, with the Lilywhites seemingly casting a wide net in their bid to find a replacement for Harry Kane.

How much would Alejo Veliz cost?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the north London outfit have already made an approach to sign the 19-year-old striker, with negotiations said to be underway regarding the prospect of bringing the young Argentine to N17.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "Tottenham have approached Rosario Central for 2003 born talented striker Alejo Véliz. Talks are ongoing. There’s no agreement in place between all parties but negotiations are concrete, as @CLMerlo reported.

"Decision to be made in few days."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

While Romano did not state the kind of fee that would be needed for chairman Daniel Levy to be able to prise the teenager from his homeland, separate reports have indicated that the 6 foot 1 ace could have a price tag of around $15m (£12m).

The transfer guru also went on to reveal that personal terms have been agreed with Veliz, albeit with Rosario hoping to keep the player at the club on loan for the foreseeable future.

Who is Alejo Veliz?

With the aforementioned Kane seemingly on his way to Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will have to find a way to try and ease the loss of the England skipper, with the 30-year-old having been a shining light last season after netting 30 Premier League goals.

While unlikely to be an immediate, direct replacement for the long-serving talisman due to his relative youth, Veliz could well emerge as a real superstar in the years to come, having been hailed as the "complete forward" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The Argentina U20 international boasts a solid record thus far of 19 goals in 62 appearances in all competitions for his current side, although he has particularly come alive in 2023, having netted 11 times in just 23 league appearances in the current campaign.

A figure noted for his "finishing" and "instinct" by Kulig, Veliz may well be hoping to replicate the impact that his compatriot, Sergio Aguero enjoyed in English football, with the now-retired ace having established himself as a truly lethal and clinical presence during his time at Manchester City.

While at just 5 foot 8 Aguero offered less of a physical presence in attack than his fellow Argentine, the 35-year-old was also a real machine in front of goal in his pomp, having scored 184 league goals in his ten-year stint at the Etihad – a record that places him fourth on the all-time list in the competition.

Despite having joined City from La Liga side Atletico Madrid in 2011, the Buenos Aires native did also begin his career in his homeland, like Veliz, having enjoyed a similar record after scoring 23 goals in 56 outings for Independiente.

Such was his later success for the Cityzens, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand dubbed the prolific poacher as the "hardest" opponent of his career, having notably praised the one-time Barcelona man for his "fantastic movement".

That trait appears to be shared by young Veliz with Kulig having also noted the marksman's "movement" as one of his key strengths, ensuring he could emulate Aguero by proving a real handful for Premier League defenders over the coming years.

With Levy currently facing the prospect of losing Kane before the September deadline, to be able to acquire an Aguero-esque figure to help fill the void could be a dream scenario.