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Kepler Wessels, South Africa’s batting consultant, was satisfied with what his team achieved during the two-day game against Board President’s XI, their only warm-up match on the tour. “The good thing is our top six had valuable time in the middle so they got enough time against the seamers and some good practice against the spinners as well, which is ideal for us,” Wessels said. “On the whole we’re very happy with the outcome.”Over the last two days, South Africa’s fast bowlers and top-order batsmen impressed, but their spinners struggled and they lost late wickets to the Board President’s XI slow bowlers. Wessels didn’t read too much into losing seven wickets to Piyush Chawla and R Ashwin. “In this particular instance two of our guys [Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla] retired when they probably would have just carried on batting – they were in no trouble at all. The only real problems they caused was right at the end with the tail, which can happen. You never want anyone to do well against you, but clearly it’s not as big an issue as it could have been had they taken out the top order.”Wessels did admit, though, that Johan Botha would push Paul Harris, who looked ineffective with the ball. What compounds the problem for them is that Botha didn’t look far better either. “Well Johan Botha for us is always an option – as a package he’s a good player,” Wessels said. “We haven’t got round to sitting down and thinking about final selection at all. A lot of that will be depending on the conditions.”The big positive for South Africa was both Ashwell Prince and JP Duminy, who had a pretty lukewarm series against England, got a few runs (42 and 39 respectively) under their belts. “Ashwell looked good,” Wessels said. “Pretty solid in his technique, and also his focus in the last couple of weeks has been good. He did well in the domestic stuff and carried that on today so that’s good. The thing with JP was that he came in when the spinners were on – which he’ll probably do in the Tests – with a close-in field and he handled it pretty well. So that was the biggest plus out of the day.”This is yet another cramped tour, which is increasingly becoming the norm rather than the exception. Wessels said much of it would be offset by the fact that South Africa are coming off a pretty tough series, which will have them tuned in. “It (the recent series) flows into it,” he said. “I don’t feel so concerned after the practice we had on Monday, the two days we’ve had here and the two days we’ve got coming up. I think that by the time the first Test starts it will be enough, given that they came out of a tough series so it’s just really a case of adapting to conditions and it’s going to be enough.”

Liverpool are interested in making a move for Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to reports in Spain.

The Lowdown: De Jong is a huge talent

The 24-year-old has stood out as possibly one of Europe’s most gifted young central midfielders in recent years, having emerged from Ajax’s youth system.

While Barca are struggling badly as a club, exiting the Champions League in midweek, De Jong has been a silver lining in the squad, starting 11 La Liga games this season and averaging a remarkable 91.7 pass completion rate in the competition.

Xavi has hailed De Jong as an ‘extraordinary’ player in the past but it could be that the Dutchman feels his future lies away from Barca if these reports are to be believed.

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The Latest: Liverpool linked with move

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], both Liverpool and Bayern Munich are eyeing up the midfielder, with the report stating that they are ‘crazy to sign him’.

There are concerns at Barca that De Jong isn’t happy and there are ‘important offers on the table’ for his services, even though it is not known whether the Reds have made a concrete bid.

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The Verdict: Magnificent summer signing

De Jong is an outstanding footballer and he could be the perfect summer addition at Liverpool next year, at a point where some fresh blood will be needed in the middle of the park.

The likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago are all in their 30s – Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are 28, too – so De Jong could be a brilliant young option to address the long-term future in the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Not only is he a class act on the ball, averaging 1.5 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game, but also works hard off it, making 1.7 tackles per match – more than Thiago (1.6), Milner (1.5), Fabinho (1.4) and Henderson (1.1).

In other news, Liverpool are still believed to be monitoring a rumoured signing. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur could land themselves a new Jan Vertonghen-like colossus this January after Antonio Conte’s transfer demands emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the 52-year-old boss has requested defensive reinforcements, with two key targets in mind in Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt and his former Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.

Conte managed the latter during his Serie A title-winning campaign last season but it remains to be seen how much it would command to bring him to north London.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £54m.

Shades of Vertonghen

Bastoni played 33 times for the Italian in the league last season, featuring alongside Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij in his famed three-at-the-back system.

The trio contributed towards Inter recording the best defensive record in the division, so it’s no surprise that Conte would be keen to have him in his squad once again.

Unlike much of his current options at Spurs, Bastoni is a natural left-footer, so he would be of huge use in 2022, especially as the manager has had to turn to left-back Ben Davies to fill that left-sided role due to the lack of options.

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Interestingly, the 22-year-old defender started life out as a full-back but as his career has gone on, he has developed into a solid central option, with his ball-playing ability and control two major strengths to his game.

This could, therefore, draw some similarities to Vertonghen, who was a crucial and influential defender in N17 for many, many years. He too was a ball-playing left-footer that could be deployed in the middle or out wide.

“He controls the opponent, space and with a refinement that has rarely been seen, reminds me of a young [Leonardo] Bonucci,” once claimed Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti.

The praise for Bastoni doesn’t just stop there, though.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once lauded him as a “complete, dominant and elegant” centre-back, as well as being “Conte’s talisman” at the San Siro, whilst tactical analysts Top Bins Talk dubbed him a “Rolls-Royce defender”.

In Bastoni, Paratici could well discover Spurs’ new Vertonghen and he’s the sort of player that Conte could really do with right now on the left side of defence.

AND in other news, Spurs reportedly make “the biggest offer” to sign £31.5m-rated “animal”…

With Ange Postecoglou not appearing to be a manager who is afraid to give a number of Celtic’s most promising young talents a shot, with 18-year-old Dane Murray, 19-year-old Adam Montgomery, 20-year-old Liel Abada and 21-year-old Stephen Welsh all playing a considerable amount of football under the 56-year-old Bhoys boss this season, the future at Parkhead would appear to be incredibly exciting.

Indeed, Celtic currently have an extremely promising crop of young talents on the verge of breaking into the first-team setup, with the likes of 18-year-old Owen Moffat, 20-year-old Liam Shaw, 20-year-old Scott Robertson, 21-year-old Ewan Henderson and 21-year-old Osaze Urhoghide having all featured in Postecoglou’s matchday squads this term, albeit without making it onto the pitch.

However, one player who does not feature on either of these lists is that of 17-year-old Frankie Deane, despite the attacking midfielder arguably being one of the most talented young footballers of the current Celtic litter.

Indeed, the teenager has been highly impressing for the Celtic B side this season, none more so than in the club’s 4-2 win over Broomhill on Saturday afternoon, with the Daily Record’s Gabriel McKay reporting of the youngster’s display: “Diminutive playmaker Frankie Deane [is] standing head and shoulders above the fray in the first half, figuratively if not literally.

“Constantly demanding the ball – his anguished cries of ‘Still! Still! Still!’ ring around the near-empty stadium – the midfielder is always on the move, his eyes scanning from side to side as he looks to turn into the most dangerous spaces that appear. It’s he who opens the scoring, rolling his man, shuffling past another and firing low past Jamie Smith from the edge of the box.

“Deane only turned 17 in October, but his intelligent passing and movement speak of a player who could have a big future, and if you’re Team Colts you might question whether a player so small and slight would thrive on loan to a part-time team in League One or Two.”

Furthermore, McKay has also likened Deane’s style to that of Paul Scholes, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi, in that the 17-year-old is continuously scanning his options throughout the duration of a fixture in order to gain the best possible idea of what his next pass or move is going to be.

As such, it would certainly appear as if the young midfielder boasts an incredible amount of potential, and, if given the chance by Postecoglou, could well go on to save the 56-year-old millions of pounds in transfer fees in the future.

In other news: Get it done: “Outstanding” £8.4k-p/w ace drops big transfer claim, Celtic must act

Ex-Feyenoord head coach Gio van Bronckhorst is reportedly closing in on a deal to take over at Rangers to replace Steven Gerrard.

Aston Villa poached the ex-Liverpool man from the Gers last week and Ross Wilson is now moving swiftly to get a new man in the dugout for the clash with Hibernian next weekend.

Upon his arrival, van Bronckhorst will have a number of key decisions to make, regarding team selections, formations and transfers.

Time’s up

One decision he will need to make is whether or not to extend Scott Arfield’s contract at Ibrox. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and van Bronckhorst will need to decide on what to do with his future, whether he will allow him to leave as a free agent or keep him at the club for another year.

Based on his performances in the Premiership for the Gers this term, Arfield should be let go by the club. He has not shown enough on the pitch this season to prove that he is deserving of a new contract and the Dutchman must wield his axe and make a call that could make him an instant hit in Glasgow.

Gerrard handed Arfield six appearances in the Premiership this season and two in the Europa League. Whilst he has not been a regular in the side, eight appearances in the two main competitions for Rangers by this point in the campaign suggests that the former Anfield hero saw value in him.

However, he has not shown enough back in his displays to warrant his inclusion. Per SofaScore, he has lost a whopping 71% of his duels on the pitch in the league and averaged a rating of 6.66. He has also only created two chances, whilst scoring one goal and missing two big chances.

The £1.8m-rated Canadian international averaged a rating of 6.85 and lost 63% of his duels in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst only averaging 0.4 key passes per game. This suggests that his performances have been declining over the past 18 months and now could be the perfect time for the club to part ways with him.

Therefore, one of van Bronckhorst’s first tasks as Rangers manager, should the appointment be made official, is to axe Arfield from the squad and sell him in the January window.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid instant stitch up for GVB over Rangers gem with “terrific quality”…

Taking to Twitter, South Korean football reporter Steve Han of Goal has shared news on Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min and his international tour of duty.

The Lowdown: International scares…

Spurs fans will look back to the torrid internationals of September hopeful of avoiding another repeat of the consistent blows.

During that particular break in the Premier League season, many Lilywhites players came back to Hotspur Way having sustained knocks on their tours of duty.

Indeed, the likes of Son, Steven Bergwijn, Oliver Skipp and Ryan Sessegnon returned to Tottenham injured from representing their countries over what was seen as the club’s worst international break ever (The Sun).

Meanwhile, South American trio Davinson Sanchez, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were subject to intense quarantine rules which forced them to spend a 10-day training camp in Croatia before flying back to north London (The Evening Standard).

The Latest: Son sustains ‘knock’…

As new Tottenham boss Antonio Conte potentially sweats on the fitness of his key players while they’re away with their countries, Han has shared news on Son’s condition as he flies out with South Korea.

The 29-year-old helped his country to a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over United Arab Emirates on Thursday as they remain undefeated in their group, with Son proving a constant threat and hitting the woodwork twice (Yonhap News Agency).

However, sharing an update, Goal reporter Han has said that the player was forced to miss training on Saturday and will now be monitored.

“Korea to fly to Doha today for a 3-day camp to face Iraq in #AsianQualifiers,” he explained on Twitter.

“Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-sung didn’t train with the team on Saturday with minor knocks, and they’ll be monitored. Son and Kim so far have trained only once with the team in this camp.”

The Verdict: Spurs sweating?

Depending on the outcome of the ‘minor knock’, Spurs fans will be hopeful that it won’t impact Son’s Premier League return as new boss Conte aims to kickstart their season back into life.

Losing the winger would certainly be a setback considering that he was easily their second best player of 2020/21 behind Harry Kane. Only the Englishman racked up more goals and assists combined than Son and both men featured in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Former Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo lauded the Korean as ‘amazing’ during his brief tenure in charge, and Conte will most likely have one worried eye on Son’s condition.

In other news: Spurs now close to signing ‘monster’ as Conte seeks to solve severe problem, find out more here.

Adrien Rabiot is reportedly now ‘close’ to a move to Newcastle United in January.

The Lowdown: Moving quickly

Tuttosport reported earlier this week (via Sport Witness) that Juventus ‘hope’ the Tyneside club can turn their interest in Rabiot into a ‘concrete proposal’ for the midfielder.

The Old Lady would reportedly be happy to get him off their books, with no signals that they want to extend his current deal in Italy, which expires in 2023.

However, if the St James’ Park club wish to strike a deal, they would have to go through Rabiot’s agent and mother Veronique first, who has been described as a ‘volcanic’ character.

Nonetheless, if they can reach an agreement with her, then it should be a relatively easy deal to complete, given Juve’s willingness to sell him.

The Latest: Deal ‘close’

As per Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Rabiot is now ‘close’ to moving to Tyneside, adding that his agent ‘doesn’t hold him back’.

It is also claimed that an offer of just €15m (£12.9m) or less would be ‘enough to sell him’.

The Verdict: Bargain

Considering that Rabiot’s market value is currently rated at £27m by Transfermarkt, to sign him for a fraction of that price would represent a real bargain.

While £175,000-per-week wages may be too high for where Newcastle are at in their project right now, with their highest earner Allan Saint-Maximin only being given £93,000 per week in comparison, that can always be negotiated down. Indeed, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium have the money at their disposal anyway to pay him whatever contract they see fit.

In terms of his playing style, he would offer more flair in the middle of the park, as France national team manager Didier Deschamps described the 26-year-old as a player who ‘has always had technical qualities’.

Rabiot has averaged more shots, dribbles and passing success per match than Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored), so if they can get him in January, he promises to be a smart signing.

In other news, find out some insight into Eddie Howe’s brutal regime here!

Adama Traore’s Wolves future is potentially up in the air at the moment with talks going on behind the scenes, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Traore falling out of favour

The 25-year-old has been a solid servant for Wolves, providing incredible pace out wide and contributing to 28 goals in 143 appearances for the club.

Traore has fallen out of favour of late, though, finding himself on the substitutes’ bench in the 2-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace last weekend and not appearing at all in the win over Everton at the start of the month.

The winger has been linked with a move away from Wolves in January, with Liverpool seen as possible suitors.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Traore claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield admits that he believes things are happening away from the pitch with regards to Traore’s future at Molineux

He outlined: “Some fans were saying Crystal Palace was more a game for Adama Traore. But, with his contract situation at the moment, I think there’s things going on behind the scenes with him not playing as much.”

The Verdict: Coming to the end?

Traore is a hugely entertaining player to watch when he is in full flow, mainly due to his unrivalled speed and dribbling ability, but it could be time to part ways with him in January.

His record of 10 goals for Wolves is poor given his position – he has also only registered 18 assists in three years at the club – and he looks to be falling out of favour somewhat under Bruno Lage.

The £27m-rated Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, so January or next summer has to be the time to cash in on him if Wolves want to reap money from a sale.

In other news, some Wolves fans are happy with a contract update that has emerged. Read more here.

Stuart Clark’s plans for a pre-Ashes stint with Gloucestershire havebeen dashed after delays in obtaining a UK visa. Clark had hoped toplay two four-day matches for Gloucestershire in a bid to boost hisfitness ahead of the Ashes, but will now head to Cricket Australia’scentre of excellence for extra training sessions.Clark created a major stir earlier in the summer when he signed ashort-term contract with Kent. That deal was scuppered when the fastbowler was called into the Australian squad for the limited-oversseries against Pakistan in the UAE, but a subsequent opportunity toplay county cricket arose when Gloucestershire’s James Franklin waschosen in New Zealand’s World Twenty20 squad.But those plans were also terminated after Clark on Monday informedGloucestershire of the visa delay. He will now enter the Ashes serieshaving played no first-class cricket since undergoing elbow surgery inDecember.”This didn’t have anything to do with [the ECB] not wanting me there,it’s just that the visa is taking too long,” Clark told Cricinfo. “Itwould have been preferable to play a few county games, so in thatsense it’s a bit disappointing. But it’s not to be, so I’ll just headup to the centre of excellence to get a bit more bowling in.”Gloucestershire’s chief executive, Tom Richardson, admitted last month that he was risking a club versus country row in trying to bring Clark to Bristol. “You wrestle with your conscience on these things but we want to win things,” he told BBC Radio. “Yes we want England to win the Ashes too, but we have to focus on getting a really good cricketer in here. If he didn’t come to us he’d go to someone else.”Richardson was less bullish when discussing the Clark situation on Monday. “Fundamentally we have said all along that we would cross that bridge if we came to it, but now we have not come to it, it is all a lot of hot air,” he told Cricinfo.Clark is due to join the Australian squad in England on June 17. The ECB offered no comment on his change of plan.

Tottenham Hotspur’s shocking run of form in the Premier League continued on Sunday afternoon after they were well-beaten in the north London derby by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

It was a third straight defeat and also the third successive time that Nuno Santo has seen his side leak three goals – a vast contrast to the opening three games of the season, in which Spurs kept three clean sheets.

There are now plenty of problems facing the Portuguese head coach.

Spurs were amongst the worst attacking sides in the division as they went into the weekend having recorded the lowest total expected goals (4.42 xG) of any top-flight team but now they’re leaking goals at an alarming rate, meaning they cannot even grind out draws.

Davinson Sanchez has seemingly reverted back to his calamitous self following the most recent international break. Ahead of kick-off, Football FanCast explained why the £42m flop should’ve been axed for this encounter and Nuno was severely punished for trusting him to start.

Once dubbed a “real liability to his team” by ex-Wimbledon defender Kenny Cunningham, the Colombian international put in an absolutely disgraceful showing against their arch-rivals.

SofaScore graded him among Nuno’s worst performers (6.3) and it’s easy to see why.

He was weak in his battles up against the goalscoring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, having won just one of six battles (16%), whilst he also lost possession seven times and committed two fouls.

Sanchez was caught napping for Emile Smith Rowe’s early opener – as the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick claimed, he was “all at sea on his return to the side.”

In addition, the 25-year-old, who earns a reported £75k-per-week, failed to register a single tackle, interception or block as the Gunners ran him ragged throughout the 90 minutes.

Time and time again, Sanchez has let Spurs down, perhaps it’s time to get rid for good, especially when there’s summer signing Cristian Romero sat waiting on the bench.

Plenty of supporters seems to be aggrieved with players like vice-captain Harry Kane, venting their frustrations on social media, but the England talisman had very little service throughout and he was not at fault for Arsenal’s dominance in their own penalty box.

Nuno must think twice before trusting Sanchez again.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Lloris: £27m-rated Spurs passenger badly betrayed Nuno vs Arsenal…