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Fulham are among the clubs eyeing a move for Coventry City's Viktor Gyökeres, according to Fabrizio Romano, as the forward enters the last year of his contract at the Championship club.

What's the latest on Viktor Gyökeres to Fulham?

A whole host of Premier League clubs are interested in signing Gyökeres this summer, with the Cottagers, as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers, and West Ham United, all "ready to push" for a move, as per the Italian transfer guru.

"Coventry owner, asking for huge amount with just 1 year left on contract," Romano added.

A fee of around £20m has been touted regularly in the past few months, which is likely the very minimum that the Sky Blues would look for in order to simply start negotiations this summer.

Meanwhile, the London outfit are also looking to sign Manchester United midfielder Fred this summer, according to Jason Burt of The Telegraph.

He would also cost the Cottagers £20m, as per the report, as Marco Silva looks to build a side capable of maintaining their place in the Premier League's top half.

Could Fred and Viktor Gyökeres take Fulham up a level?

Seemingly gone are the days of Fulham fans being forced to endure disappointing summers of transfer deals that will leave them bound for yet another relegation from England's top flight.

These are better days under Silva and, with that, a summer of exciting transfer rumours about players ready to take Fulham up a level.

The fact that the London club are in a position to realistically sign both Fred and Gyökeres this summer should be celebrated. It's a sign that they have stepped things up a gear or two. It would be a statement of intent if both players ended up at the club this summer.

Just the thought of Gyökeres and Aleksandar Mitrovic's partnership should send shivers down the spine of near enough every Premier League defender hoping for a routine day at the office.

If Mitrovic wasn't enough to handle – scoring 14 league goals last season – adding the Coventry striker into the mix could result in one of the best partnerships in England's top flight.

Last season, the Swede scored 21 Championship goals as the Sky Blues shocked everyone by reaching the play-off final, before suffering Wembley heartbreak at the hands of Luton Town.

Having scored 17 goals in the season prior, it is clear that Gyökeres is ready to step into the Premier League.

Speaking about the goalscoring machine last season, Sky Blues manager Mark Robins said (via CoventryLive):

"He came in on the back of a spell at Swansea from Brighton and I knew the raw ingredients were there, and he hadn't played.

"And he came in and wasn't starting in the side and he was fuming, absolutely furious that he wasn't playing. But he wasn't ready to do that and I said to him, 'I'm waiting to see it'.

"From that moment on he's showed me. Fair play to him because he's just phenomenal."

He may well have Manchester United's Fred as a teammate, too, with the Brazilian also linked with a move.

The midfielder could become part of the supply line to the potential new Fulham strike partnership, with his 5.47 progressive passes per 90 only likely to benefit those looking to find the back of the net under Silva next season.

Signing one of the best players in the Championship, as well as an experienced Manchester United midfielder would be a significant sign of how much Fulham have improved on and off the pitch in recent times.

Craig White, the former Yorkshire and England allrounder, is to join Hampshire’s coaching set-up ahead of the new season

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2016

Craig White, the former England allrounder, has been named as Hampshire’s new head coach, following the departure of Dale Benkenstein midway through the 2016 season.White, 46, made his name at Yorkshire in an 18-year first-class career that included more than 12,000 runs and 395 wickets, and played 30 Tests and 51 ODIs for England between 1994 and 2003.He joined Hampshire as assistant and bowling coach in 2012, and was handed the reins for the final six matches of their County Championship campaign in 2016. Although he was unable to prevent their relegation, the club was handed a reprieve when the ECB sanctioned Durham for receiving financial support, and sent them down to Division Two instead.”I’m flattered and honoured,” White told BBC Radio Solent. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get started in the job.””I was thrust into the job and I really enjoyed it. It was something I didn’t think I was quite ready for. Maybe another two or three years learning the trade might have been the right time.”But when [director of cricket] Giles White mentioned would I take on the job full-time, I said I would. I think some big names applied, so to be given the job permanently is a great honour.””Craig has been an integral part of the coaching set-up for a few years now,” said Giles White. “He has experience, a great understanding of the game and is respected by everyone here at Hampshire. For all those reasons he is the ideal person to take on this important role.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:56

Agarkar: Kohli relied on very low-risk shots

Virat Kohli scored his second Test double-hundred and Ajinkya Rahane made 188 before India declared their first innings at 557 for 5 and left New Zealand a tricky nine overs to bat at the end of day two. They managed to survive this period unscathed, as Tom Latham and an aggressive Martin Guptill took them to 28 for 0 at stumps.Kohli and Rahane added 365, India’s highest partnership for the fourth wicket, and subjected New Zealand to three wicketless sessions before Jeetan Patel finally broke through in the first over after tea. Going on the back foot to a quickish length ball, Kohli was lbw trying to work the ball into the leg side.Rahane played his shots as India looked to score quick runs before declaring, hitting Patel and Mitchell Santner for three fours in five overs, before falling to another aggressive shot when he was within sight of a maiden double-ton, nicking to the wicketkeeper while trying to drive Trent Boult away from his body.Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja – promoted ahead of R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha – then hustled 53 in 9.5 overs before Kohli called them in. In what turned out to be the penultimate over of their innings, umpire Bruce Oxenford penalised Jadeja for running on the danger area of the pitch, awarding New Zealand five penalty runs. Jadeja had already received a caution and a warning.The pitch, fairly benign on day one, continued to belie its appearance, the multitude of cracks on its surface causing the batsmen only the occasional bit of discomfort, usually when the ball kept low. Kohli nearly played on when he went back to defend one such ball from Patel, early in the day: it hit the toe-end of his bat, then the ground, and then bounced over the stumps. Later in the morning session, Rahane jammed his bat down hurriedly to keep out another ankle-high Patel shooter. Otherwise, there was little in either the bowling or the pitch to worry Kohli and Rahane.Kohli, who scored 200 against West Indies in July, in Antigua, became the first Indian to make two double-hundreds as captain. He also became the first Indian since Sachin Tendulkar in 2010 to score two double-tons in a year. He carried on batting with the same understated authority he had displayed on day one, flowing smoothly along and giving New Zealand no glimpse of a way past him. He hit ten of his 20 fours on day two, including a couple of gorgeous drives down the ground – one, shortly after lunch, off James Neesham, bisected the tiniest of gaps between short midwicket and mid-on – and even a delicate reverse-dab off Santner that sped to the boundary to the left of backward point.There was a sense of inevitability about Kohli’s runs. Three times this series, he has been out to ambitious shots, and in this innings stayed well within self-imposed limits of strokeplay. He only hit one boundary across the line of a full ball, when he was already past 150 and took the liberty of muscling Santner into the gap between deep square leg and long-on. He almost never lofted the ball.That option was left to Rahane, who used his feet superbly to the spinners, either to loft Santner inside-out or to give himself a bit of swinging room and flat-bat Patel back over his head. He played the chip over the covers even against the seamers, bringing up his 150 with that shot, off Neesham.Virat Kohli scored his second double-hundred•BCCI

These were the shots of a batsman enjoying himself after a hard struggle to his century. In the morning session, New Zealand’s fast bowlers, as they had done through day one, peppered Rahane with the short ball, looking to exploit the uncertain pace and bounce of the Holkar Stadium pitch to plant indecision in the batsman’s head.Rahane ducked under the first one he faced in the morning, against Henry, and pulled the next one, at the start of his next over, to the square-leg boundary, closing his eyes momentarily but rolling his wrists nicely over the head-high ball to keep it down. Then, two balls later, Henry went around the wicket. Rahane swayed away to account for the angle across him, but it jagged back in off the pitch, followed him, and hit the side of his helmet, just over his ear.The bowler and New Zealand’s fielders came to Rahane to check on his health, but that didn’t mean the bouncer barrage would end. Henry bowled another the very next ball, and Rahane top-edged a hook towards fine leg.Given the discomfort this tactic was causing Rahane, Williamson delayed the reintroduction of the left-arm spinner Santner, who had been ready to come on at the start of the 100th over. Henry bowled another instead – the fifth of his morning spell – and then gave way to Boult.By then, though, Rahane had moved to 99, and got to his hundred off Boult’s first ball, a short one down the leg side that he paddled down to fine leg. This was perhaps the least fluent of his eight Test hundreds, but perhaps also one of the most satisfying, given how much discomfort he had overcome.

Mark Williams, CEO of a financial services company, has been appointed CEO of Eastern Province Cricket, where the Warriors franchise is based

Firdose Moonda26-Aug-2016

Mark Williams, CEO of a financial services company, has been appointed CEO of Eastern Province (EP) Cricket, where the Warriors franchise is based. Williams takes over from Jesse Chellan, who will be the ICC’s regional director for cricket in Africa, from September. Chellan spent 17 months with Eastern Province, during which time they secured new sponsorships and underwent stadium upgrades.Williams has been involved in cricket in the region in the past. He was the lead independent director on the EP Cricket Board when they were placed under administration by Cricket South Africa. As a result, he is familiar with the turbulence at the union, which resulted in former president Graeme Sauls being ousted after allegedly making several decisions without board approval. Since then, cricket in the province has stabilised and under Chellan’s tenure, EP won the most improved affiliate prize CSA’s annual awards in 2016.Williams is a Port Elizabeth local who attended the Bethelsdorp High School and studied at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He holds an MBA and has worked in banking for 24 years. In 2008, he was awarded the Young Global Leader Award by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.Among the challenges facing Williams will be to ensure St George’s Park continues to remain among South Africa’s premier Test grounds. It will host the Boxing Day Test match against Sri Lanka later this year as proof of its prestige. More pressingly, he will want to ensure the franchise, Warriors, add to their trophy cabinet after several seasons without success. Warriors have not won a title in six seasons since the 2009-10 season when Russell Domingo was in charge. In their quest to end the drought, they have some new additions to their squad, most notably international fast bowler Kyle Abbott, who moved from the Durban-based Dolphins.The Dolphins are now the only franchise without a CEO. Pete de Wet had resigned in June to take up a post at New Zealand’s Central Districts and has yet to be replaced.

Reporter Dean Jones has described Sheikh Jassim’s Manchester United transfer plans to target moves for Kylian Mbappe, Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga as “outrageous”.

What’s Jassim got planned for Man United in the transfer market?

Jassim is still in the running to complete an Old Trafford takeover from the Glazers, however, Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to be leading the race as things stand. Reports have suggested that the Qatari group, fronted by Jassim, could make an 11th-hour bid for the Red Devils.

Previous speculation from Christian Falk claimed that Jassim wants to look at moves for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe as well as Bayern Munich winger Coman and Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga, should he take charge in Manchester.

Talking to GiveMeSport regarding those rumours, Jones labelled the “leaks” as “outrageous” but admitted they tend to have an “element of truth”.

“It sounds pretty outrageous and far-fetched. But most leaks do have an element of truth to them.

“Even if this is just a pipe dream, I'm sure this has been mentioned somewhere along the line.”

Hugely expensive…

Jassim first needs to somehow pip Ratcliffe to a deal for United, something which appears to be difficult at this moment in time with the British businessman leading the takeover race at this stage.

However, if he is able to do so with an 11th-hour bid, Jassim seemingly has huge plans for the Red Devils, something which could be music to Erik ten Hag’s ears. Previous reports suggested that Jassim wanted 'things done quickly' so they could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, with Jude Bellingham also mooted as a former target.

Jassim clearly wants the best players on the books at Old Trafford, and signing the French trio could help take United back to the top. Mbappe holds a whopping €180m Transfermarkt valuation, whereas Coman’s stands at €65m and Camavinga a respected €60m.

Moves for the three could therefore be extremely expensive but would surely appeal to the majority of United supporters, especially Mbappe. The forward ‘has the club stature to become the top player in the world’ and could eventually become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, so it would certainly be a statement signing, but as Jones says, they do seem ‘pretty outrageous and far-fetched’.

They could be ones to keep an eye on if Jassim manages to get his way and take control in Manchester, however, they could be drams in the past if it is Ratcliffe who gets the nod from the Glazers.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make an official proposal for Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte in the summer transfer window, according to a recent report.

Will Tottenham sign Manuel Ugarte this summer?

Tottenham have been targeting Ugarte for quite some time, with it being reported they made contact with Sporting about signing the midfielder back in September, although Leicester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid were also named as potential suitors.

Interest in the 21-year-old is growing, as Aston Villa have recently joined the race for his signature, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke, while Newcastle United, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also eyeing the youngster.

As such, it may be difficult to win the race for the Uruguayan in the summer, particularly if Newcastle pip Spurs to fourth place, however he still remains a target, according to a recent report from Record. (via Sport Witness)

Spurs are reportedly set to make an official proposal for the defensive midfielder, having promised to submit a bid in the summer transfer window, and Sporting are now believed to be considering a sale.

The Portuguese side need to raise funds before bringing in new signings of their own, and the starlet has a release clause of €60m, (£53m), making him one of their most prized assets.

Having previously dealt with Tottenham in negotiations for Pedro Porro, which dragged out across the whole January window, Sporting would want to avoid a similar situation in the summer.

Would Manuel Ugarte be a good signing for Tottenham?

The Uruguayan is excelling in the Portuguese league, particularly in a defensive sense, ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles completed per 90 in the past year, while he is also in the 99th percentile for his pass-completion rate.

Hailed as an "animal" by members of the media, the maestro was remarkable for Sporting in their Europa League triumph against Arsenal last month, winning a total of 13 ground duels, seven more than any of his teammates, also completing four successful dribbles.

A performance of that standard against the Premier League leaders highlights that the eight-time Uruguay international is more than ready to make the step up to the English top flight, and Spurs should undoubtedly make an offer this summer.

Given his age, Ugarte could run the Tottenham midfield for a decade to come, and while he is already putting in some top-level performances, he is only going to improve.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez could be sold in the summer with the Colombian defender open to an exit from north London.

Why did Spurs fans boos Sanchez?

It was another disappointing outing from the Lilywhites on the weekend as their push for a spot inside the top four received another blow after Bournemouth came to town.

Despite playing yet another relegation-battling side and yet again taking the lead, Spurs crumbled and the visitors were able to take all three points.

And Gary O'Neil's side did so in dramatic fashion with Dango Ouattara scoring a last-minute goal to seal all three points for the Cherries.

However, amid the disappointment for Spurs, there was one player who had an afternoon even worse than the rest of his teammates and that was Sanchez.

The Colombian replaced the injured Clement Lenglet and was almost immediately involved in the first goal for the visitors.

Having then failed to deal with his man in the second half in the lead up to Bournemouth's second of the afternoon, the home crowd turned and let their frustrations be heard.

Sanchez was booed by his own fans every time he touched the ball and was removed by Cristain Stellini after just 23 minutes of action on the pitch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the Colombian has been open to leaving Spurs for a while now with the summer window on the horizon:

(37:20) "Sanchez, from what I understand, for the last few summers especially has been absolutely open to leaving. Because he wants regular game time. He does. But I just think no club has ever offered the sum of money that would get Spurs' interest."

Did Sanchez deserve to be booed by his own fans?

There will be a debate as to whether fans should boo a player on their own them regardless of the situation and there will be divided opinions in this case.

It certainly was an afternoon to forget for Sanchez who was making his 15th league appearance of the campaign (via Transfermarkt).

There is a lot of frustration among the fans in N17 currently and a lot of that is being directed at Daniel Levy with sections of the fanbase letting their anger be known.

And perhaps some of that anger spilt over onto Sanchez in the heat of the moment on the weekend.

After all, this is a player who is now nearly six years deep into life in north London and has proven a significant amount of money invested for a player who has failed to nail down a spot in the starting XI.

Perhaps the biggest frustration surrounding the £65k-per-week defender is his evident struggle to enter a game and provide immediate cover in defence.

It was seen on Saturday and in the game against Everton where his arrival on the pitch caused major concerns for what is already a shaky Spurs defence.

Manchester United's talks with Marcus Rashford over a new-and-improved contract are still "ongoing", according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Has Rashford ever played better?

The 25-year-old is enjoying a season to treasure currently, standing out as not only United's star man, but also one of the best players in the Premier League in 2022/23. After a solid but unspectacular start to the campaign, he has come alive ever since the 2022 World Cup, scoring 27 goals in all competitions and also netting three times for England in Qatar.

Rashford's contract is slowly continuing to wind down, however – it expires at the end of next season – and no agreement has been reached over an extension. It is clearly something that United are desperate to sort, although the player himself is holding out for an improved offer, having become such an indispensable figure of late.

It does seem likely that he will end up extending his stay at Old Trafford, especially given his lifelong affiliation with the club, although a new deal needs to be sooner rather than later.

Will Rashford sign new United deal?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided an update on the situation, claiming that tying down Rashford's future is one of United's biggest "priorities":

"Ten Hag on Rashford contract talks: 'It's an internal process. We are focused on winning games, of course also planning for the future so in the back we're working on that'.

"Talks are ongoing, not at final stages or advanced yet. But it’s one of #MUFC priorities."

It is simply imperative that Rashford is handed a whopping new deal in the coming weeks and months, with the 51-cap England international someone who can grow into a genuine club legend over time. Despite still only being 25, he has already scored 120 goals and registered 66 assists in 347 appearances for the club and he still has so many years ahead of him to improve further.

Should United snap up a world-class striker such as Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen this summer, Rashford could become an even greater force, linking with them to devastating effect and using their quality to find more space in behind. Wout Weghorst is doing an adequate job currently, but defenders aren't fearful of him and therefore don't pay too much attention to him, which wouldn't be the case with Kane or Osimhen.

It would be a huge shock if Rashford didn't sign a new deal at this point, and if and when the news of an extension is announced, it could feel as significant as any new signing this summer.

Chelsea’s appointment of Graham Potter in the managerial role has not gone to plan, with the west London outfit currently tenth in the Premier League, level on points with Aston Villa, and facing a dizzying task in mounting a late charge toward Champions League qualification.

Indeed, Chelsea’s most recent match in the Premier League, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of heated rivals Tottenham Hotspur, left the Lilywhites perched a remarkable 13 points above their neighbours in fourth place, and given Potter’s record in charge of the Blues leaves him with a points-per-match (PPM) average of just 1.31, it certainly does not seem likely that a late surge will materialise, subsequently narrowing the currently towering gulf.

Bearing this in mind, there might just be fruit for owner Todd Boehly in his reported interest in signing a new man to lead from the dugout, with former Spain and FC Barcelona boss Luis Enrique earmarked as a replacement.

According to reports from Spain earlier this month, Enrique is indeed attracting attention from the Blues hierarchy, with the 52-year-old currently unemployed after resigning from his post as the head of the Spanish national team after falling to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

What impact would Enrique’s appointment have on Reece James?

Enrique enjoyed heaps of success with Barcelona, and given his pedigree, the “headstrong” – as hailed by ESPN’s David Cartlidge – boss could be the perfect remedy to cure Chelsea’s current woes.

And with his prospective appointment, he could start to nurture and develop Chelsea’s expansive pool of talent to a new level, with thriving right-back Reece James perhaps benefitting more than most.

Hailed as ‘the complete full-back’ by one tactical analysis, James has become an integral component to his outfit over the past several seasons, scoring 11 goals and providing 20 assists from 139 appearances for Chelsea, notably winning the 2020/21 Champions League; the profound impact on his squad has been illuminated by recent reports that he is being prepared for the future captaincy role at the club, donning the armband against Tottenham on Sunday after Thiago Silva went off injured.

And considering James ranks among the top 9% of full-backs in Europe’s top divisions for goals, 7% for assists, 4% for progressive passes, 7% for successful take-ons and 7% for shot-creating actions per 90, he clearly boasts the acumen to solidify himself as one of Europe’s superlative forces in his position.

That said, he boasts just two goal involvements in the top flight this term from 11 matches, a far cry from the five goals and nine assists he managed last season.

Thus, the £250k-per-week phenom is far from his best but he could be re-born under Enrique, potentially even growing into a player of the illustrious Dani Alves’ mould, who the Spaniard managed over several seasons for La Blaugrana.

Indeed, Alves made 94 displays under the manager, recording an impressive 20 direct contributions and playing a starring role in the momentous and historic treble of 2014/15.

Lauded as one of the most renowned and revered full-backs of his generation, Alves’ offensive impetus and winning mentality are arresting elements to his game that could quite easily be attributed to James’ own, and as he continues to grow into his skin there is no reason why he cannot emulate an icon who played some of his best years thanks to Enrique’s winning formula.

Even Potter’s most stout supporters could not be incredulous if the former Seagulls boss was to be relinquished from his duties at the helm of the Chelsea ship, with no respite in sight from the woes that pile ever heavier with each passing match week.

With a manager of Enrique’s ilk waiting in the wings, Boehly might just swallow his pride and appoint a man who would be the club’s third permanent boss of the term.

West Ham United manager David Moyes already has one eye on the summer transfer market as he lines up a swoop for Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou.

What’s the latest on Odilon Kossounou to West Ham?

According to The Sun, West Ham are lining up a summer move for the Bundesliga defender having failed in a bid to bring him to the Premier League in January on a loan deal.

Moyes will face competition from Leicester City and Nottingham Forest for the player and it could cost £25m for any club to prise him away from Germany during the summer.

Could Kossounou replace Angelo Ogbonna at West Ham?

The Italian defender is approaching the final few months of his current contract and having played just 20 times this season, it could well be his final campaign with the club.

He has featured over 200 times for the Hammers since joining back in 2015, however, with Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer arriving last summer, plus youngsters like Luizao and Levi Laing getting closer to the first team, his impact could be even smaller next term if he stayed.

Signing Kossounou could add some further depth to Moyes’ defensive options and despite falling slightly out of favour at the German side this term, starting only nine Bundesliga matches, his form for Club Brugge suggests he is an excellent talent.

In the 2020/2021 campaign, the Ivorian played 33 league matches and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96/10, keeping 12 clean sheets and losing possession on average just 7.7 times per game.

He made 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, and 1.9 clearances per match while winning 56% of his total duels, proving he was a reliable and solid option at the heart of the Brugge defence.

The defender was equally impressive in the Champions League the season before, particularly against Paris Saint-Germain and his agent Patrick Mork praised him for his display against the French side, saying: “He is a special player. For me, he is a complete defender, very fast as he showed last year in the Champions League against a certain (Kylian) Mbappe.”

Pace is clearly a major strength and this is a huge advantage in the Premier League, playing against some of the fastest players in the world such as Erling Haaland.

There is no doubt he could be the ideal player to fill the likely Ogbonna-shaped void in the team next season, and for £25m, it represents a fee that may prove to be a bargain in the near future, especially if he can recapture his form from 2020.