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Chelsea could still launch a move for Aymeric Laporte this summer, with transfer reporter Rudy Galetti stating that the defender remains on the Blues' wanted list.

Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?

The Man City defender did feature for his club during their historic 2022/23 season but not as frequently as he probably would have liked. With the Premier League outfit going on to win the league, FA Cup and Champions League, the centre-back only got onto the field in the top flight on 12 occasions with eleven starts. It's the lowest amount of games he has had yet over the course of his City career.

He still impressed when he was trusted on the field though, ranking in the 99th percentile for attempted passes (86.43 per 90) and progressive carries (2.59 per 90) amongst players in his position in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. It shows that his ability hasn't waned and he is still a very capable, ball-playing and offensively driven centre-back.

It appears that a stay in England is a real possibility for Laporte now too. That's because reliable journalist Rudy Galletti has revealed that Chelsea are still keeping tabs on the defender and that despite Bayern Munich also holding an interest, he is still very much a wanted man by those at Stamford Bridge.

No official bid or offer has yet been made for the Spaniard though and he adds that the situation is "evolving" in terms of the interest around the player.

What is Laporte's transfer value?

No potential fee has been mentioned in the report but CIES Football Observatory suggest that Laporte's value could be around the 40 million Euro (or £34m) mark. It means that a deal wouldn't break the bank for the Blues and would mean they have another body in their backline.

He could be worth the fee too considering his experience in the game. Not only has he won Premier League titles and a Champions League with Man City, but has been good enough to earn time with Spain too, after changing citizienship from playing for France's youth sides.

To add to his 281 club appearances in the league over the course of his career, the national side have also given him 21 caps in total. It shows the defender's abilities in that he is trusted on the big stage – and a player like him, labelled "incredible" by Pep Guardiola, could really boost the defence at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, leading Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 21-year-old.

Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol

The highly-rated defender is high of the watchlist of a number of big European clubs, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has tipped Manchester City as the most likely to secure the signing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano hinted that the champions of England and Europe are best placed to sign the central defender who starred at the World Cup for Croatia.

"Leipzig are not even accepting €80 million as a price tag for Gvardiol, so I think it will be around €100 million [£85m] instead and I see Man City being in a better position to sign him, but only if they are willing to spend that money, otherwise the player could stay in Leipzig for one more season," he said.

Josko Gvardiol could be City's next Vincent Kompany

City have a wealth of quality at the back, and signing Gvardiol would improve their elite defence even more.

Pep Guardiola tweaked City’s system this season, opting for an unusual 3-2-4-1 formation instead of their traditional 4-3-3 formation in which full-backs were constantly overlapping.

In the defensive three were three ball-playing centre-backs.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were typically the trio, while John Stones was turned into a transitional midfielder in a hybrid holding role.

Although Dias would be considered the premier defender in this side, City have yet to match the quality of club legend and former captain, Vincent Kompany.

Gvardiol could be that very replacement, and at just 21 years-old, he could become a pivotal part of the Manchester City team for years to come.

The Croatian "monster" – as hailed by Romano back in December – is the glue of the RB Leipzig defence.

The Bundesliga outfit have won 32 of the 59 games the centre-back has played.

Similar to the no-nonsense Kompany, Gvardiol loves a tackle, registering 219 of them in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season and winning 60 aerial duels.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both put the Leipzig defender in their World Cup 2022 team of the tournament, with Ferdinand proclaiming that the City target was his favourite centre back at the tournament.

“He’s young, he’s 21 years old, so to come and perform the way he did, so mature, so calm.

“He is really good on the ball, in the early stages coming out with the ball a lot. Against Messi and Argentina he got turned quite a few times, but this is Messi, so I would put that to one side. In general, I thought he was [a] stand-out for me. I think he has got a chance to go on and become one of the best defenders in the world, if he can continue improving like this.”

Kompany was of the world’s best defenders in his time at City, and Gvardiol could become the second coming of the Belgian international for the blue half of Manchester.

He, at 22, made a similar switch from the Bundesliga, signing for the Manchester giants from Hamburger SV back in 2008.

Good teams don’t wait until the team becomes stale to begin rebuilding, they continually look to improve whether results are good or bad.

Guardiola, fresh from the treble, could send out a major statement signing one of Europe’s hottest young prospects to add to his already stout defence.

Journalist Paul Brown has been left thrilled by reports that Arsenal are targeting Man City captain and treble-chasing midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer.

Who are Arsenal looking to sign this summer?

The Premier League giants narrowly missed out on their first title in nearly 20 years last season, with Mikel Arteta being beaten to the punch by his mentor Pep Guardiola.

Despite Arsenal's position at the front of the queue for much of 2022/2023, they fell short at the final hurdle, and it's now the task of Arteta to shore up key positions of his squad for a fresh challenge next campaign.

The north Londoners are looking to sign central midfielders above all with reports suggesting they could make two key signings in that area of the pitch. West Ham's Declan Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo, among others, are apparently on their radar.

Sporting director Edu has also apparently earmarked the signing of a central defender to back up stars like William Saliba, with the Frenchman succumbing to injury at the back end of last season.

Going back to midfield, Man City star Gundogan is another target for Arsenal, according to reports, with the German really coming into a hot streak of form lately.

His latest heroics, a brace in the FA Cup final against Man United on Saturday, saw City clinch a domestic double with the Blues still well and truly on for an historic treble.

Journalist Paul Brown, speaking to GiveMeSport, says he could be a game-changing signing for Arsenal if they get it done.

"If Arsenal were to get Gundogan, I think that would be a great signing for them," said Brown in response to the links.

"He’s a really versatile player who can play in a number of different roles. He switches systems very easily in game and could be a game-changer for them really. And one that is quite fascinating to see.”

Who is Ilkay Gundogan?

The 32-year-old was Guardiola's first ever signing as City manager and hasn't looked back since – having played a key role over his seven-year stint.

This season, Gundogan has contributed with a number of important goals in sky blue, and he etched himself into club folklore with final day title-winning heroics against Aston Villa in 21/22.

However, City are in danger of losing him on a free at the end of this month, putting Arsenal and Arteta on serious alert.

His experience and quality could prove to be a major asset for the Gunners, especially at zero cost, and we believe he couild be an exceptional signing for them.

A roundup of the final day of round-robin play to decide promotion and relegation at ICC World Cricket League Division Four in Los Angeles

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles 05-Nov-20162:12

‘Confident we will give it back to the US’ – Lalcheta

Khawar Ali produced a brilliant all-round performance, top-scoring with 74 in Oman’s total of 189 before taking 5 for 37 to help his side beat Denmark by 43 runs in a de facto semi-final at Severn Cricket Field. The win helped Oman finish at the top of the WCL Division Four round-robin points table and secure promotion to WCL Division Three while the loss kept Denmark out of the top two, finishing third behind USA due to the net run rate tiebreaker despite being level on points.Denmark were on top early after sending Oman in to bat, reducing them to 62 for 5 as medium pacer Basit Raja ripped through Khawar’s batting partners at the top of the order, taking three wickets in his opening spell. Khawar stuck out the early danger period though and found a willing ally in captain Ajay Lalcheta. The pair put on 97 for the sixth wicket to keep Oman afloat. Lalcheta eventually finished with 62 as the pair accounted for 72 percent of Oman’s runs.Just as he did against USA, Aftab Ahmed had a major impact with a late spell, taking three of his four wickets from the 37th over on beginning with Khawar. Aftab claimed the key scalp of Amir Ali next to work into Oman’s tail and finished off his spell claiming Lalcheta as the ninth wicket before Raja came back to wrap up the innings in 46.4 overs by removing Munis Ansari.Aftab got Denmark’s chase off to a dashing start, striking three fours and two sixes in his 27 off 14 balls picking out opening swing bowler Rajeshkumar Ranpura for special punishment. When he fell to Lalcheta’s spin in the fourth over Denmark had reached 37 in just 21 balls.Saif Ahmad continued the assault on Ranpura, who conceded 51 in four overs opening the bowling, as he made 31 off 21 balls including six fours and by the second ball of the ninth over Denmark reached 68 for 1. Amir, who had replaced Ranpura to start the ninth, swung momentum Oman’s way with a double-strike, bowling Saif and then claiming Freddie Klokker edged behind first ball.With the exception of the final over, Lalcheta then used spin exclusively throughout the rest of the match to near perfection. Denmark reached 91 for 3 in 18 overs when drinks were taken and on resumption, Khawar was brought on to bowl his part-time legspin. The move proved to be a masterstroke as Khawar struck with his first two balls, trapping Zameer Khan for 8 before Yasir Iqbal was caught behind.The wickets brought Amjad Khan to the crease and Denmark’s stand-in captain played a valiant knock, eventually finishing unbeaten on 32. But he could not find a partner to see him through as Khawar continued to whittle away at the other end. Hamid Shah fell in the 23rd for 19 before Anders Bulow was bowled for 10.Zeeshan Maqsood bowled a miserly spell of left-arm spin opposite Khawar, conceding just 14 runs in his first nine overs while bowling four maidens. He was finally rewarded off the first ball of his final over in the 32nd, winning a leg before appeal to dismiss Raja for 7 to make it 137 for 8. Khawar then struck off the last ball of the 33rd to complete his five-for, having Omar Hayat caught by Maqsood. Strike bowler Munis Ansari, who usually opens with the new ball, was then brought on for his first over of the day in the 34th and bowled Bashir Shah to end the match as Denmark ended all out for 146 in 34 overs.Khawar Ali’s 5 for 37 helped Oman to a tense win over Denmark, securing promotion to Division Three•ICC/Ian JacobsJersey defeated USA by one run at Wong Cricket Field, though the Americans gained promotion ahead of Denmark thanks to a superior net run rate while Jersey was relegated to Division Five in spite of the win. Jersey elected to bat first and raced away behind Nat Watkins, who recorded a half-century in 33 balls, to reach 94 for 0 in 17 overs.Ambidextrous spinner Prashanth Nair, brought into the USA lineup for his first match of the tournament, struck with his very first ball in the 18th as Jersey captain Peter Gough pulled a half-tracker straight to Steven Taylor at short midwicket. It was the first of three wickets in consecutive overs for Nair as he followed Gough’s dismissal with a sharp return catch to remove Luke Gallichan in the 20th before he teased Watkins into a false drive to cover, falling for 69 to make it 109 for 3.Jersey slipped further to 124 for 4 before Jonty Jenner and Anthony Hawkins-Kay rebuilt their innings with an 82-run stand as Jersey appeared on their way to a 300-plus score at 205 for 4 in 38 overs with Jenner well set on 57. However, Jenner fell in controversial circumstances off the first legal ball of the 38th when he pulled a full toss off Timroy Allen to mid-on for a simple catch by Abdullah Syed. The ball appeared to be over waist height, but square leg umpire Kathy Cross deemed it a legal delivery giving USA a much-needed break. Jersey struggled to recover thereafter, only hitting one boundary across the next ten overs before being bowled out in the 49th over for 249.USA had chased a target of 250 or higher only three times in history, but of higher priority was staying above Denmark on net run rate. USA made a cautious start to their chase and eventually slipped to 60 for 3 after Watkins spun out the top order to claim 3 for 35. Akeem Dodson and Alex Amsterdam continued the go slow approach as word filtered to the USA camp of Denmark’s loss, altering USA’s required target for promotion to 131. It was finally achieved in the 36th over and USA made it to the last drinks break at 136 for 3 in 37.With promotion secured, USA accelerated to go for the outright win. Dodson was caught on the boundary for 16 but Amsterdam carried on to bring up his maiden century off 95 balls and put on a rapid 52-run stand with Allen. Amsterdam fell on the final ball of the 46th, leaving USA to get 50 off the last four overs. They took 17 in the 47th and another 19 off the 49th as Elmore Hutchinson hit two straight sixes off Rhys Palmer through the wind to take the equation from 18 off eight to six off the final six balls.Charles Perchard bowled a brilliant final over, though USA opted for wild slogs instead of calmly pinching singles with five men still on the boundary, and four runs were left to get off the last ball. Hutchinson scuffed a drive into the ground to long-off for two, securing the win for Jersey. Perchard ended with 3 for 56, with all three wickets coming in the 48th and 50th overs.Italy scored a consolation win over Bermuda by 25 runs at Wright Cricket Field, though the margin of defeat was small enough to allow Bermuda to stay in Division Four above Jersey on the net run rate tiebreaker. Italy made 228 for 8 after being sent in with all of their top eight crossing double-figures but none reaching 50 as opener Manpreet Singh top-scored with 45. Italy were 153 for 6 in 41 overs before Joy Perera and Fida Hussain added 60 for the seventh wicket in the next seven overs to get Italy to a defendable total.Bermuda needed to chase the target in 14.4 overs to pass USA on net run rate. Openers Dean Minors and Kamau Leverock attacked briefly at the start of the chase but both fell to Carl Sandri’s offspin to make it 35 for 2 in seven overs and from there Bermuda batted to ensure they stayed above Jersey on net run rate, regardless of the match result.The net runs margin between a Jersey win and a Bermuda loss could be no more than 149 runs. Once Bermuda passed 79, they were safe from relegation assuming a Jersey one-run win. Bermuda eventually finished on 203 for 9 as Tre Manders top-scored with 37 while medium pacer Charanjeet Singh took 4 for 24.

Worcestershire have gambled on a win-at-all-costs pitch at Worcester – but Glamorgan’s Will Bragg stood in their way with a sparkling unbeaten half-century on a 15-wicket day

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2016
ScorecardSteve Rhodes, seen here alongside former England coach Andy Flower, wants three wins in five [file picture]•Getty ImagesA sparkling half-century by Will Bragg steadied Glamorgan as 15 wickets went down on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship meeting with promotion contenders Worcestershire at New Road.The hard-hitting left hander ended a recent run of single-figure scores by making 75 not out as the Welsh county reached 118 for 5 after dismissing the home side for 163 by tea.On a cloudy, sultry morning, Jacques Rudolph backed his seamers by choosing to bowl first and they were soon on a roll as Worcestershire collapsed to 37 for 5. A subsequent partnership of 66 by Ross Whiteley (40) and Joe Leach (43) seemed to be no more than damage limitation but grew in value when Glamorgan began to lose wickets.Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, has targeted three wins in the last five matches to put his team in “a really good position” in the promotion race. So far this one has been tougher than may have been anticipated against a side who were propping up the Division Two table.Bragg suggested that swing played a large part. “The pitch is quite slow, slower than normal, but the ball was swinging nicely for our bowlers once the lacquer had gone off it after 10 overs. It was the same when they bowled but we could have been in a stronger position but for a couple of sloppy shots.”Rhodes also played down too many pitch discussions. “At 37 for five we were in all sorts of trouble and it was not necessarily down to the pitch. We played a few shots we’d like to rewind and play again but the way we fought back was good. It was a wholehearted effort by the bowlers.”Kettleborough moves on

Glamorgan have released James Kettleborough, although they have yet to admit it in the hope that it will help him find a new county, .
As for Kettleborough, he has no qualms about telling it how it is. “Formerly of Northants and Glamorgan,” is the message already available – for confirmed followers only – on his Twitter feed.

Swing was Glamorgan’s big asset, as Brett D’Oliveira discovered when he was bowled, playing no shot, in teenager Lukas Carey’s second over. This was a big comedown for the opener after making a career-best 202 not out when the teams met at Cardiff in May.Wicketkeeper Mark Wallace was one who benefited from the movement, whether in the air or off the pitch. He took three catches in the morning and two more later.Graham Wagg bowled an excellent spell with the new ball, taking the outside edge to dismiss Daryl Mitchell in his fifth over, and Michael Hogan started with two wickets without conceding a run in 10 deliveries.Tom Fell (16) drove to cover, where Wagg held a smart catch, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore was quickly added to Wallace’s list of victims.It was five down when Joe Clarke followed a ball from Craig Meschede but Ben Cox held up the Welsh charge for a while until he was caught at first slip off Wagg after lunch.Glamorgan were only checked when Whiteley played responsibly for more than two hours and found buccaneering support from Leach.Whiteley was eventually caught at mid-on when cramped up by a ball from Meschede and Hogan (four for 44) landed a double blow in the space of three balls.Ed Barnard was caught by Wallace and Leach drove hard to Meschede at mid-on. The last pair hung around for half-an-hour before Wallace had the final word when holding Jack Shantry’s edge off Carey.With the sun shining, Glamorgan’s reply began badly with Nick Selman bowled, second ball, by Leach but Bragg got things moving with four boundaries in an over from Barnard.Rudolph helped put on 54 until driving a ball from Charlie Morris to mid-off and Bragg completed 50 from 54 balls before David Lloyd was taken at second slip off Shantry.Further wickets saw Aneurin Donald playing on to Leach and Meschede pulling Barnard to mid-on.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League

Mohammad Isam11-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.Umpiring standards have been repeatedly questioned by all quarters during this year’s league. At a crucial stage in the Abahani Limited-Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club match, umpire Rezwan Parvez gave Taskin Ahmed not out although he was at least 12 inches outside the crease when Farhad Reza broke the stumps. Abahani needed 10 runs off three balls before that incident and went on to win the match. In the Abahani-Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi match, a questionable no-ball call was not made despite the full-toss going above the batsman’s waist in the last over of the chase.In the Kalabagan Krira Chakra-Legends of Rupganj match, Rupganj were not awarded six runs despite an overthrow following the completion of two runs. Rupganj also alleged that the umpires called off that game soon after rain stopped and did not wait too long for the Fatullah ground to dry, with Kalabagan winning through the D/L method. Two days later, the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the tournament, suspended Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Mithun for arguing with the umpires during the same game.Allegations of favouritism were also leveled towards the CCDM, after Gazi Group Cricketers’ last-round match against Victoria Sporting Club was deferred by a day. The CCDM, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, broke the pattern in which three matches were held on every match day.Gazi Group were on ten points before that match while Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Prime Bank Cricket Club were on 12 points each. The one-day delay gave Gazi Group the advantage of knowing the equation to qualify to the Super League, but they ultimately lost to Victoria and failed to make it to the next phase. Kalabagan Krira Chakra lodged an official complaint by saying that the CCDM favoured Gazi Group because the club’s owner Gazi Golam Murtoza is also the chairman of CCDM.BCB chief Hassan said that he will ask the CCDM to furnish an answer about the change in the match date as well as the wet pitch in BKSP. He announced that such problems would not arise in the Super League phase.”We will officially ask for what happened with the Gazi match timing change,” Hassan said. “They will have to provide an answer. But the result wasn’t in their favour. No team went into the Super League with the benefit from umpires. Kalabagan Krira Chakra’s [Nazmul Karim] Tinku is the head of the umpiring committee but his team didn’t go to the Super League.”I will take action if there’s a specific instance where a certain team benefited by an umpiring decision. But the Super League is yet to start so we are still in discussion to ensure these things aren’t repeated. These are all abnormal incidents. I have no doubt that these are motivated. Otherwise why would they complain to the ICC that cricket in Bangladesh is getting destroyed, and that matches are fixed here? They are trying hard to suspend Bangladesh from international cricket, it seems.”Even though Hassan didn’t specify who he was referring to as “they”, the ICC denied receiving any complaint regarding the Dhaka Premier League, saying that it doesn’t have the jurisdiction to interfere in domestic matters of a member country.Hassan said that the Abahani run-out incident had no bearing on the result of the game, because Mosaddek Hossain struck Farhad for a six and a four off the next two balls. He also said that Abahani don’t get the support of the umpires.”The second one is the one where the wicket was wet, so we will investigate that game,” he said. “Allegations have come about umpiring in Abahani matches. Since it went up to the ICC with photos being sent to them, we need to take it seriously. I saw that a run-out was not given. But there was no relation between that run-out and the result. It would have been seven [sic] wickets instead of six [sic].”They won with a six and four off the last two balls. Abahani in fact lost two games off the last ball. So if they got support of the umpires, they wouldn’t have lost those matches. They were on the brink of relegation two seasons ago.”

Newcastle United will 'wait in the wings' as they attempt to pull off an ambitious move to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Ousmane Dembele?

As per 90min, Newcastle United are keen on signing Dembele this summer and club officials have recently met with the player's entourage during a visit to England.

The report states that 'brief contact' was made between the two parties during a meeting. At the same time, Dembele was also a surprise visitor at the Stadium of Light to watch Sunderland take on Sheffield United, as he is friends with their former chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

Spanish outlet Sport have claimed that although Barcelona want the £204k-a-week star to stay at the Spotify Camp Nou, negotiations are believed to have stopped over a new deal, which could see the France international depart La Blaugrana for free when his contract expires in the summer of 2024.

Last month, Calciomercato, signalled that Barcelona are looking to sell both Dembele and his teammate Ferran Torres to bankroll a potential swoop for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones is unsure whether Newcastle United would be able to entice Dembele to St. James' Park in the forthcoming transfer window.

Jones told FFC when asked about whether Dembele would come to Newcastle United: "I'm not sure Ousmane Dembele will, to be honest. I understand why the interest is there, I understand why the stories are there around it and they definitely would have interest in signing him if he was available.

"Barcelona need to raise cash as well and it checks out, but whenever I do check out this story recently on the player's side or the club's side, I'm just never convinced that it's actually going to be something that turns into a transfer. All Newcastle can do really is wait in the wings and hope he arrives on the market. I'm not hopeful from their point of view that actually ends up happening."

How has Ousmane Dembele performed for Barcelona this season?

Dembele has enjoyed a decent season for Barcelona all things considered, notching eight goals and seven assists from 29 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that Dembele has earned an average rating of 7.23/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking him as the joint-third most consistent performer at Spotify Camp Nou.

His ability to be a constant menace for defenders has shone through this campaign, as Dembele has also successfully performed 62 shot-creating actions in total this season, as shown on FBRef.

It promises to be an intriguing summer for Dembele as uncertainty lingers over his long-term future at Barcelona. Would he be tempted by the possibility of swapping La Liga for the Premier League and more specifically Newcastle United? Only time will tell on that front.

With Everton having been surprisingly inactive in the January transfer window, new boss Sean Dyche has been forced to try and get the best out of those already at the club in order to help steer the Toffees away from danger.

While Premier League survival is still no guarantee, a run of four games without defeat has raised hopes regarding the Merseysiders' ability to avoid relegation, with the former Burnley head coach clearly working his magic in his new home.

Among those to have benefitted from the Englishman's arrival is midfield maestro, Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the 30-year-old having been "reborn" since the change in the dugout, according to writer Peter Guy, after previously falling out of favour under Frank Lampard.

Although the former Watford man did somewhat spoil his recent upturn in fortunes by picking up a needless red card against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, prior to that the Frenchman had provided four goal involvements in just four top-flight games, having played "very well" of late, according to his manager.

The experienced ace is not alone in having enjoyed a real renaissance in recent months, however, with Michael Keane – who worked under Dyche at Turf Moor – having also undergone a "significant glow up" following the appointment of his former boss, according to the Echo's Chris Beesley.

Who has Dyche improved at Everton?

Much like Doucoure, the 30-year-old had also been cast out during Lampard's tenure, having made just a solitary, 22-minute appearance in the league prior to eventually returning to the starting lineup in the defeat to Arsenal last month.

Despite being on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the Emirates, Keane's return from out in the cold has coincided with Everton's recent unbeaten run, having now started each of the last five top-flight games, alongside ex-Clarets colleague, James Tarkowski.

As the player himself only recently admitted, he had found the lack of game time under Lampard "hard to swallow" having received no real guidance from the Chelsea icon on how to force his way back into the team, with that leading to reports regarding a possible loan exit ahead of the January window.

Thankfully, as far as the Toffees are concerned, that departure never came to pass, with the one-time Manchester United man now looking likely to be a key figure in the end-of-season run-in, having been hailed for being "on fire in training" by Dyche.

That praise had come following the £80k-per-week machine's thunderous late strike to secure a draw at home to Spurs on Monday night, with that surprise stunner having capped an eventful night for the centre-back, after earlier giving away a penalty.

While that error may be of concern to Toffees supporters, the manner in which the Stockport native was able to swiftly atone for his mistake was impressive indeed, with that seemingly an indication of Keane's renewed confidence at Goodison Park.

As the 6 foot 3 man admitted, he has been rather "lucky" to see his former manager walk through the door, although the player himself deserves credit for more than taking his chance to impress.

Former Spain star Luis Garcia has backed Luis Enrique to replace Antonio Conte as Tottenham Hotspur manager.

What's going on with Conte and Spurs?

There is a growing expectation that the Italian is to be dismissed from his role as Spurs manager, after a disappointing season and an explosive rant in a press conference.

Julian Nagelsmann has been touted as a possible replacement, with the German now available following his sacking at Bayern Munich, whilst Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with return to the club.

However, Garcia has suggested that former Spain and Barcelona coach Enrique has the experience needed to succeed at Spurs.

Enrique, a Champions League winner with the Blaugrana, was fired from his role at Spain following the World Cup, but has plenty of knowhow under his belt, and would be another big-name appointment at the club.

Speaking on ESPN FC (1.00), Garcia backed the Spaniard to succeed in North London.

"I think it's a fantastic club and Luis Enrique's got everything to be successful there," he stated.

"He's got that energy, he's got that attitude, he is ready to fight. I think he's got the experience to build something very unique there at Tottenham, so it could be a fantastic choice."

What kind of manager should Spurs go for?

The likes of Conte and Jose Mourinho have been appointed by Daniel Levy in recent years as proven winners with excellent track records, but neither succeeded at the club.

It has been suggested that the problems at Spurs lie in recruitment, rather than with the coaches they hire, and this indicates that Enrique could follow the same path as a big-name appointment who could ultimately fail to deliver on expectations.

Spurs need to rediscover their identity, and a long-term appointment could suit them more than another short-term hire, and perhaps the club need to explore a different route than Enrique.

Vincent Kompany and Michael Carrick have both impressed in the Championship, and a gamble on a younger, promising manager such as one of these two, with a long-term rebuild plan could work better than chasing short-term success with a big-name coach.

With Harry Kane's future up in the air, the job on offer is not an easy one, and it may take a long time for a new coach to rebuild the squad to compete for major honours. Spurs need to show patience with their next appointment, no matter who they choose as Conte's successor.

A number of Manchester United supporters have been left unimpressed at a transfer update involving young winger Facundo Pellistri.

The Lowdown: Possible loan move

Pellistri is just 21 years of age and has been on the books at Old Trafford since 2020 after joining from Uruguayan side Penarol in an €8.5m deal.

The right winger has 10 senior caps to his name for Uruguay but has had to remain patient for his chance for the Red Devils. He was sent out on loan to Spanish side Alaves, where he made 35 appearances but has featured just six times under Erik ten Hag this season, playing just over 100 minutes of action.

Pellistri seemed to impress in a brief cameo appearance against Real Betis last week, with both Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves praising the youngster, however, Samuel Luckhurst has reported that those at Old Trafford are prepared to send the winger out on loan in the summer.

The Latest: Fans react

Luckhurst’s update regarding Pellistri had a number of United supporters talking on Twitter. Many were not happy at the news, with one even labelling it as ’embarrassing’.

“Please no he’s phenomenal” – @Arctic_GB

“Wasting his career, just sell him with a 2 year option to buy if he performs. Embarrassing” – @UTDJolloF

“This would be one of the worst decisions ever made if true!!” – @melophile_me

“Stupid decision if true, Pellestri and Garnacho offered more than Anthony and Sancho. We need competition for places especially on that right side not less competition.” – @manutdirishreds

“That would be a big mistake…” – @1Thecoach

“A silly decision if true. We need all different qualities and effectiveness we can muster to bring variety into our play. Couldn’t they just cancel Phil Jones contract to release extra funds A good servant of the Club, but no point occupying a place and all that salary.” – @juriprudence201

The Verdict: Wise move?

Scholes believes that Pellistri deserves more minutes at Old Trafford, however, his age and lack of first-team experience could mean that another loan would be the right idea in regards to his development.

He has registered just one assist in his last 41 senior appearances for Alaves and United, so you could say that he needs to produce more goals or assists over the next 12 months to make it at the top level.

It’ll be interesting to see where the South American may go on a temporary transfer in the summer in what could be a make-or-break season.

Should he star, then there may well be a real chance for Pellistri to make it at Old Trafford under Ten Hag, who currently has the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Elanga as options out wide, showing that it is an area of the pitch that is already well stocked.