With the summer transfer window now on the horizon, Tottenham Hotspur will no doubt be looking to strengthen their squad following what has been a turbulent campaign thus far, with the Lilywhites still seeking to find a suitable successor to Antonio Conte in the dugout.

One area that any new manager may well be looking to address is the defensive ranks, with the north London outfit having been particularly porous this season after shipping 62 Premier League goals to date – the sixth-worst record in the division.

While not solely culpable for those woes, one man who has been under the microscope of late is long-serving asset, Eric Dier, with journalist Ryan Taylor having suggested that the 29-year-old is "nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve".

Although it has been revealed that the England international had been playing through an injury in recent months, there will still be concern over the £85k-per-week man's woes, with pundit Alan Hutton only recently stating that he is "not so sure" that supporters would be happy to see the centre-back handed a new contract, amid talk that an extension is on the cards.

As Hutton also noted, the struggling side "need reinforcements" as they look "poor defensively", with Dier, in particular, having 'played poorly since the World Cup', in the words of pundit Tony Cascarino.

Amid that need for fresh faces, a potential dream target for chairman Daniel Levy could have presented itself in the form of England youth star, Ronnie Edwards.

Who is Ronnie Edwards?

The 20-year-old is a promising centre-back who currently plies his trade for League One side, Peterborough United, with Football League World recently reporting that the one-time Barnet man has been watched by those at N17 for an extended period of time.

The report suggests that the 5 foot 11 ace could be among those to depart London Road this summer following the club's failure to secure promotion to the Championship, with Darren Ferguson's men having squandered a four-goal advantage to crash out in the play-off semi-finals.

While that grim defeat to Sheffield Wednesday would have been particularly disappointing for Edwards and co, the exciting youngster was something of a shining light despite the end result, having been a "one-man defensive wall" in the second leg, according to journalist Ben Jones.

That outing epitomised what has been a fine season for the £2.7k-per-week gem in the third tier, having averaged two tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game from his 42 league outings, while also keeping 15 clean sheets in that time.

Such defensive prowess from the young "Rolls Royce" – as hailed by Peterborough chairman, Barry Fry – is seemingly superior to what Dier has achieved in the top-flight this term, with the 49-cap dud having averaged just 0.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions from his 33 league appearances, keeping nine clean sheets in that time.

With the latter man having spent almost a decade in north London it could well be an opportune time for Spurs to consider acquiring a younger replacement, such as Edwards, to lead the club forward for the foreseeable future.

England’s tour of India is unlikely to be disrupted by the hurdles the BCCI face in signing a memorandum of understanding with the ECB

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Nov-2016England’s tour of India is unlikely to be disrupted by the hurdles the BCCI faces in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the ECB. Officials from both boards confirmed there has been no change to their preparations ahead of the series, which starts in Rajkot on November 9.The state associations hosting the five Tests – Saurashtra, Punjab, Andhra, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu – also said they did not foresee any difficulty as long as the England team’s hotel costs, airfare and the daily allowance are taken care of. A representative from one state association even said they would be happy to foot the hotel bill should it come to that.Alastair Cook’s squad had landed in Mumbai on Wednesday, but doubts emerged over whether the series would take place after email exchanges between the BCCI and the Lodha Committee revealed that an MoU had not been signed yet.According to an order passed by the Supreme Court of India on October 21, all contracts that the BCCI enters into have to be cleared by the Lodha Committee, which was appointed by the court to suggest changes to the way the board functions. Matters directly related to cricket though are beyond the Committee’s remit, which was why they had asked the BCCI for more information before giving their approval for the MoU’s signing. On Thursday evening, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke sent a copy of the blank MoU to the Lodha Committee without mentioning any specifics.To work around the problem, Shirke wrote to Phil Neale, England’s operations manager, on Thursday asking the ECB to pay for its own expenses until further updates. “We are already in India, there is no change to any plans and we are looking forward to the series against India,” an ECB spokesperson said.A top BCCI official said the board already had contracts in place with the hotels that England would be staying at and, as such, lodging expenses shouldn’t prove a problem. “The main issue is their daily allowance has to be cleared. Ultimately it is a large amount,” the official said. “The daily allowance is in the range of GBP 50-75. The England contingent strength is about 30 including the players and support staff. The BCCI will need to calculate the daily allowance for roughly 50 days for the Test series, and that amount will need to be ratified by the committee before the Indian board disburses the amount to ECB.”The BCCI official also said the MoU could be signed once the series starts. “In letter and spirit, we can’t sign it right now because it is part of the list we sent to the Lodha Committee,” the official said. “Unless and until they revert we can’t sign something that we have referred to them. (But) ultimately we hope it will get signed.”In the interim order delivered on October 21, the Supreme Court asked the BCCI to stop distributing funds to its state associations until they instituted the reforms the Lodha Committee had suggested in January.But the state associations that will host the five Tests said they have no trouble taking on routine costs in the course of the matches and can provide security and in-ground hospitality for the England team if the BCCI finds a way to take on the tourists’ hotel charges and daily allowances.Niranjan Shah, secretary of Saurashtra Cricket Association, said he saw no threat to Rajkot’s first-ever Test in under a week’s time. All the preparations, he said, were going on as scheduled, and even added that if SCA has to pay for lodging, it will.Punjab Cricket Association, that will host the third Test, in Mohali, is also going ahead with its preparations. “Will PCA do the match? Yes, PCA will,” the secretary MP Pandove said. “Will PCA pay for the expenses? Yes, PCA will pay for the expenses it is required to pay for. To get the teams here, to pay for their hotels, to pay their daily allowance, that is BCCI’s job. All ground hospitality, all local transport, traffic control, all staging costs, that is our responsibility. That has been the understanding for years now.”Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, which will host the final Test of series in Chennai, will finalise its plan at an executive meeting on November 7. “We will meet only those expenses that the states have to pay,” a TNCA official said. “Payments concerning daily allowances, airfare, hotel bills have to be met by the BCCI. We will take care of ground expenses and team security.”Mumbai Cricket Association, hosting the fourth Test of the series, has said it is ready to host the match, following its managing committee meeting on Friday. Andhra Cricket Association secretary G Ganga Raju, who is also one of the five BCCI vice-presidents, has said the association has enough funds to host England for the second Test, in Visakhapatnam.

Arsenal have allegedly agreed on personal terms with West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, with the player favouring a move to The Emirates Stadium, according to a recent report from FootballTransfers.

Who will Declan Rice sign for?

Bayern Munich fancied their chances in the race for Rice, with The Daily Mail reporting that manager Thomas Tuchel had hoped to persuade him to move over to the Bundesliga, however, he is now prepared to snub a move to the Allianz Arena.

The same report details that Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in the midfielder, but the Gunners are currently leading the race for the player thought to be valued at over £100m, as he is understood to be settled living in London, and a fee in that region would smash the current Emirates record.

Not only that, but the Gunners have now taken an important step towards securing the Englishman's signature, as Football Transfers report that the two parties have made a breakthrough by agreeing on personal terms after working on the transfer for several weeks.

Mikel Arteta has edged closer towards landing the West Ham captain, with the player himself having made a move to the Emirates Stadium his priority since back in January, however, there are still aspects of the deal that will need to be ironed out.

Arsenal are yet to reach an agreement with West Ham regarding the transfer fee required for the 24-year-old, and the player himself wants to see his current club adequately compensated if he is to leave this summer. As such, the likes of Man United, Bayern Munich or even Liverpool could still make a late attempt to hijack the move.

Should Arsenal sign Rice?

Even though the deal is by no means done yet, it is fantastic news that it has taken a step towards completion, as the England international could be a fantastic signing, given the range of different qualities that he has displayed over the past year.

With an average of 1.73 interceptions per 90, the central midfielder ranks in the 94th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he has also started to display his ability on the front foot, scoring in style after picking the ball up in his own half against Gent.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media, Rice has proven that he is ready to make the step up to the Champions League, and Arsenal may now be looking to agree a transfer fee with West Ham United at the earliest opportunity.

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade has claimed that he’s worried about Lionel Messi’s transfer to MLS as he needs to learn English just like David Beckham did when he joined LA Galaxy.

What’s the latest on Messi, Beckham and MLS?

Of course, it’s the story you’ve all seen by now. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has turned down a move to Barcelona or Saudi Arabia to join Inter Miami.

This will be the first time the Argentine has played outside of Europe for a domestic club and so it will be interesting to see how the 35-year-old adapts to a new league and a new part of the globe.

Messi has already spoken about what this next chapter in life will be like telling the press (via The Guardian): “If the Barcelona thing [return] didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family.”

He added: “If it had been a matter of money I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. It seemed like a lot of money to me and the truth is that my decision was for the other side and not for money.”

While there is no doubt a great deal of excitement about the deal, when speaking on Fox News (via The Recount), host Kilmeade expressed concern about how the World Cup winner might adapt to life in Miami.

“The only thing I worry about, he [Messi] doesn’t speak English, and I want to see him sit down and talk,” he said.

As if that wasn’t a silly enough thing to say in the first place, it then got even worse from the TV presenter.

Incredibly, while speaking about the former England national team captain, he added: “One thing about David Beckham, he learned to speak English for us, with an accent, when he came at 32 years old.”

It’s safe to say people simply couldn’t believe what Kilmeade had said and they quickly flocked to social media to express their bafflement.

The video has since gone viral and now has over 4.5 million views. Here are the best reactions on Twitter…

At least people were able to see the funny side – albeit with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

علّق ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي، على خسارتهم في نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية أمام ليفربول، مساء اليوم.

واستضاف ملعب “ويمبلي” مباراة الفريقين في نهائي كأس كاراباو، حيث خسر تشيلسي بهدف دون رد.

وقال بوتشيتينو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “صنعنا أربع أو خمس أو ست فرص كبيرة ولم نسجل، في مباراة مثل اليوم تكون ميزة كبيرة عندما تسجل أولًا”.

وأضاف: “لم نسجل وهذه مشكلة، استقبلنا هدفا في الدقيقة الأخيرة وكان من الصعب الرد، لاعبو تشيلسي محترفون، وهم بحاجة إلى الشعور بالألم، لقد لعبنا من أجل لقب لم نحصل عليه، إنهم بحاجة إلى الشعور بالألم مثلنا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أبو تريكة يوجه نصيحة لـ محمد صلاح بعد غيابه عن ليفربول أمام تشيلسي

وواصل: “يشعر اللاعبون بخيبة الأمل لأننا كنا قريبين جدًا من الفوز بالمباراة بعد مرور 90 دقيقة، نحن بحاجة إلى استخلاص الأشياء الإيجابية، نحتاج إلى المضي قدمًا، واستخدام هذا النوع من المباريات للتعلم وأن نكون أفضل”.

وأردف: “أعتقد أننا تنافسنا حقًا، إذا لم نسجل من خلال الفرص التي أتيحت لنا، فمن الصعب الفوز بالنهائي، لهذا السبب خسرنا”.

واستمر: “نحتاج إلى أن نكون حاسمين أمام المرمى، نهنئ ليفربول ونواصل المضي قدمًا، الطريقة التي خسرنا بها مؤلمة للغاية لكن علينا الآن أن نواصل التقدم، لقد سجلوا ونحن لم نسجل”.

Manchester United are admirers of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka as Erik Ten Hag looks to bolster his midfield with some quality additions this summer, journalist Dean Jones has suggested.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manchester United and Leon Goretzka?

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United are monitoring Goretzka as a potential alternative to Declan Rice, who has also been a target for the Red Devils this window.

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg stated: "News Goretzka: Man Utd is monitoring his situation! MUFC is aware of the fact that his future his uncertain because of Rice. But no concrete talks or negotiations yet. Goretzka is staying calm and his position is clear: He definitely wants to stay as he identifies 100 % with FC Bayern! And: Rummenigge supports him."

As per The Daily Mail, Bayern Munich are also keen suitors in the hunt for West Ham United midfielder Rice, potentially creating a transfer domino effect; however, The Guardian have since revealed that the 24-year-old could be en route to Arsenal in a deal worth a fee in the region of £100 million.

In 2022/23, Goretzka, who has been hailed as a "chameleon" by Bundesliga and an "incredible goal threat", made 40 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions and managed to notch six goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Salary Sport understand that the Germany international earns around £231k-a-week on a contract that runs until the summer of 2026.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has indicated that Goretzka is definitely a player that is liked by chiefs at Old Trafford.

Jones suggested: They also need to sort the midfield, where Marcel Sabitzer was on loan last season and Fred and Scott McTominay prepare to have their partnership broken up once and for all. We have seen them make early strides for Mason Mount but look out for the likes of Romeo Lavia. Other players they admire are £230,000-a-week star Leon Goretzka – described as being an "extraordinary" player – Declan Rice and Adrien Rabiot but top target Frenkie De Jong is off limits.

Who else have Manchester United been linked with?

Manchester United have been linked with several players this summer as their hunt for signings gets underway and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has emerged as a key target, with a bid expected to be formalised for the England international, as per Sky Sports.

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is also on the radar at Old Trafford and has been earmarked as a priority target this off-season, according to Foot Mercato via ESPN.

Sky Sports also claim that Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is someone who has been identified to spearhead Manchester United's attack, though a bid for Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane is unlikely.

Ten Hag will be keen to see if he can build a side capable of challenging for the Premier League title next season and Manchester United fans will be pleased to see that their club are taking a proactive approach in the transfer market.

Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson could seal a quickfire exit from Elland Road in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

How has Aaronson performed for Leeds?

The 22-year-old joined the Whites last summer, coming in from RB Salzburg and being considered an exciting signing, with Jesse Marsch knowing him well from their time together at the Austrian club.

As it turns out, Aaronson has endured a really tough first season in a Leeds shirt, though, never really coming close to matching to expectation levels of him. In 36 Premier League appearances, 28 of which were starts, he scored just one goal, with a further three assists coming his way.

The £45,000-a-week American has seemingly struggled with the pace of English football and he ended up being powerless to prevent the Whites from being relegated to the Championship last weekend, after the 4-1 loss at home to Tottenham.

While the deal he signed last year runs until the summer of 2027, the idea of playing second-tier football is unlikely to appeal to him ahead of next season, leading to serious doubts surrounding his future at Elland Road.

Could Aaronson quit Whites this summer?

That certainly seems to be the case, with Football Insider reporting that Aaronson is "set to quit the club this summer", and that a "move to Germany could be an avenue available to the 22-year-old following his impressive spell at Red Bull Salzburg in neighbouring Austria."

He is thought to be "highly regarded" by a number of Bundesliga teams, with a return to the Premier League with a different club not looking likely, following just one year in the division.

It is hard to see Aaronson still being a Leeds player when the 2023/24 campaign gets underway in August, in what has ultimately been a hugely underwhelming transfer.

Despite being called "impressive" on his debut by Steve Nicol, he hasn't had anywhere close to the impact so many hoped he would, having registered 28 goal contributions (13 goals and 15 assists) in 66 appearances for Salzburg, and he should shoulder some of the blame for the Whites' relegation.

The key now is to ensure that Leeds earn as much as possible for the 29-cap USA international's signature – his contract situation does at least put them in a strong bargaining position – in order to use the funds for new signings in the summer, boosting their chances of returning to the top flight in the process.

Centuries from Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper put South Australia in a dominant position as they ended the second day of their day-night Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia with a lead of 203

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2016
ScorecardTom Cooper headlined South Australia’s day of dominance with a rapid century•Getty Images

Callum Ferguson marked his 100th first-class match with a century to help South Australia establish a first-innings lead of 203 on the second day of their day-night Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA.Ferguson was left with the unenviable task of pulling South Australia out of a spot, after they had been reduced to 2 for 16 at stumps on the opening day. South Australia ended the day on 8 for 474, after Western Australia had declared on 9 for 271, courtesy a half-century from Shaun Marsh, who returned from a hamstring injury. While Ferguson took the team close to the 200-mark, it was Tom Cooper who helped them surge ahead, scoring a century of his own and putting on 198 for the seventh wicket with wicketkeeper Alex Carey to frustrate Western Australia.Ferguson collected his runs at 79.52 per 100 balls, while Cooper was even more severe, striking at 89.61 as South Australia slammed 458 runs in 93 overs on the day. Ferguson added 60 more for the third wicket with overnight partner and nightwatchman Joe Mennie, who struck 32. Ferguson was then joined by South Australia captain Travis Head, and the duo added 122 for the fourth wicket at nearly a run a ball. Ferguson was dismissed by left-arm paceman Jason Behrendorff, who had rocked the visiting team late on the opening day. He had faced 127 balls for his 101 and struck 18 fours. Head fell three overs later for a 61-ball 66, 52 of which came through fours.Cooper started off by adding 55 for the sixth wicket with Jake Lehmann. After Lehmann’s dismissal for 29 – his strike rate of 59.18 was the lowest among all South Australia batsmen to record double figures – Cooper and Carey took charge and punished the home team’s bowlers for 38.5 overs, going at nearly five an over during their stand. The carnage ended with Cooper’s dismissal, bowled by Agar, for 138 off 154 balls, a knock that featured 10 fours and a six. Carey was dismissed by the same bowler, caught behind in his next over, for a more sedate 121-ball 79. A rare slow passage followed thereafter, with Kane Richardson and Chadd Sayers adding 12 unbeaten runs off 26 balls for the ninth wicket, before stumps were drawn.Benrendorff was the most successful bowler, with 3 for 70, and also the most economical of the main Western Australia bowlers. Marsh and Agar took two wickets each, but were both expensive, as was David Moody, the right-arm pacer, who accounted for Head.

Glasgow Rangers have agreed a deal to bring Jose Cifuentes to the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.

Is Jose Cifuentes leaving Los Angeles FC?

The Los Angeles FC midfielder has made 115 appearances for Steve Cherundolo’s side since joining back in 2020, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the calendar year, there’s a strong chance that he’s already looking to find his next destination.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Fabrizio Romano had name-checked the Light Blues as a potential suitor and claimed that conversations regarding a move were “going well”, and the journalist’s remark was soon backed up by a big development.

The Herald recently reported that the 24-year-old was poised to quit the Major League Soccer to fly over to Glasgow and complete a medical to finalise his move to Ibrox, a formality which sounds like it may have since been wrapped up if the following update is to be believed.

Are Rangers signing Cifuentes?

According to Football Insider, Rangers are “set to announce” the arrival of Cifuentes on a pre-contract agreement “soon”. The Ecuador international and the Teddy Bears have made a “breakthrough in talks” and the club are therefore “close” to publicly unveiling him as Michael Beale’s latest signing.

Cifuentes is naturally a central midfielder but is much stronger in the offensive aspect of his game, and having been dubbed the “beating heart” of a team by South American expert Tim Vickery, he would be a top-class recruit should he put pen to paper at Rangers.

The World Cup participant, who pockets £5k-per-week, ranks in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons by players in his position and has recorded a total of 49 shot-creating actions so far this season which is the second-highest in his squad, as per FBRef, with this desire to drive forward resulting in him having three assists to his name in 13 MLS appearances.

The Esmeraldas native, who’s sponsored by Nike, would also provide Beale with wonderful versatility having operated in seven different positions since first bursting onto the scene, including four in the midfield and even all across the frontline, so is a great option for the manager to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.

Rangers have already completed the signings of Norwich City’s Kieran Dowell, Chelsea’s Dujon Sterling and Crystal Palace’s Jack Butland, and it would appear that Cifuentes is set to follow in their footsteps to become the fourth summer arrival walking through the doors at Ibrox.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to replace Ange Postecoglou ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Brendan Rodgers to Celtic?

According to the Daily Record, former Hoops head coach Brendan Rodgers has not ruled out a sensational return to Parkhead this summer.

The report claims that the Northern Irishman is one of the top contenders to take over as majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is a 'huge admirer' of the tactician.

It states that Rodgers will not rule anything out after he left Leicester prior to their relegation from the Premier League earlier this year, which leaves the club with hope that they can get a deal done in the coming weeks.

Which Celtic player would thrive under Brendan Rodgers?

Desmond bringing the ex-Liverpool boss back to Paradise could be a dream come true for current Hoops forward Liel Abada as the 50-year-old would be perfect for him.

The manager typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 system and enjoyed great success with James Forrest during his previous spell with Celtic as a right winger.

Forrest, who only played 16 league games in 22/23 under Postecoglou, produced an impressive 38 goals and 41 assists in 148 matches in all competitions under Rodgers, including 22 goals and 23 assists in 82 outings in the Scottish Premiership.

The Northern Irish coach departed for Leicester in 2019 and since then, the Scottish winger has only plundered 14 goals and eight assists in 72 matches across all competitions, which shows that his production has diminished under the subsequent managers.

This proves that Rodgers, who was once lauded as a "genius" by journalist Sid Lowe, was able to get the best out of the electric right-winger and he could do the same with Abada, who plays a similar position.

The Israel international, like Forrest, is a right-footed forward who plays on his strong foot and is capable of producing goals and assists on a regular basis.

He racked up ten goals and created ten 'big chances' in 34 Premiership appearances in 22/23, despite only starting 13 times, with that coming after the whiz scored ten and produced 13 'big chances' in 24 starts and 36 outings in the previous campaign in the division.

These statistics suggest that Abada, who has played the vast majority of the games in his career as a right winger, would slot in perfectly for Rodgers on the right in his 4-2-3-1 system in the same way that Forrest did.

He would be able to stay high and push forward to score and create goals week-in-week-out as a regular starter which could lead to his numbers rocketing, as the Isreal ace would be playing more than Postecoglou allowed him to.