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Newcastle United are still in with a chance of landing Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Kaveh Solhekol, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing on a recent episode of The Transfer Show that, despite Monchi recently suggesting that the Magpies’ move for the centre-back was all but over, there is actually the slim possibility of PIF managing to strike a deal for the 28-year-old this month.

Speaking about Newcastle’s interest in Diego Carlos, Solhekol said: “Sevilla [are] playing hardball. They don’t want to sell him to Newcastle for less than €45m, we’ve been told. It looked like that deal was not going to happen.

“The Sevilla sporting director, Monchi, came out yesterday and said: ‘It’s not happening. We saw their offer, it’s not enough. The player is going to stay with us. There isn’t enough time for us to sign a replacement.’

“But, I was told earlier this morning that there is still a small, small chance that this could happen. Somebody involved in the deal said: “Don’t say it’s impossible, don’t say it’s finished. The window is still open, so there is a possibility.’

“I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up because I still think it’s unlikely that it will happen, but, behind the scenes, people are still working to try and make it happen.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a defender Diego Carlos quite clearly is, should Solhekol’s latest update regarding Newcastle’s interest in the Brazil international prove to be correct, the St. James’ Park faithful will be buzzing.

Indeed, over his 21 LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £40.5m-rated centre-back has been in remarkable form for Sevilla, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets and scoring two goals, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, one tackle, 3.6 clearances, 60.3 passes and winning 63% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £40k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Julen Lopetegui’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football – a highly impressive feat considering the 28-year-old is part of a side currently sitting just four points off first place in the league table.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, should a deal remain on the table for Carlos prior to the closure of the transfer window on Monday evening, PIF must do all they can to bring the centre-back into the club – as his signing would undoubtedly provide the Magpies’ survival chances this season with a substantial boost.

In other news: Luke Edwards drops major update on late Newcastle transfers, PIF finally mean business

Manchester United haven’t been making progress during the January transfer window, with many players linked to the club but nothing materialising as of yet, and now it has been revealed there could be a big reason behind it that will be another blow to Ralf Rangnick’s short tenure in charge at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, there may be an interesting reason why Man United have not been adding players to their side this January so far that has evidently left Rangnick concerned over his influence at the club.

The report suggests that the interim manager is frustrated with the fact the club seems reluctant to back him in the transfer window by making funds available to make official bids for players during the winter transfer window, with the manager reportedly desperate to sign Amadou Haidara from RB Leipzig who he has allegedly secured a £33m verbal agreement with.

The Mirror suggests that sources in Germany say he feels he is working with one hand tied behind his back, with Rangnick speaking directly to the media about his lack of influence in the transfer window, during his pre-match press conference last week:

“We had some talks about transfers last week, with John Murtough, Ed and Richard. We spoke about it, but I am not involved in that directly, he said.

Woodward heading for one last disaster

Ed Woodward will step down as chief executive at the club, with Richard Arnold replacing him in a matter of weeks, however, Arnold is not expected to take on transfer decisions, with John Murtough taking over the responsibility of transfers, leaving Rangnick in a consultancy position in the summer, with an unclear role.

Woodward’s lack of support for the German coach in the transfer window could be the final nightmare the chief executive delivers to Manchester United, tainting his legacy further by hindering the new manager’s opportunity to sign players to improve the team.

As a result, it could cost the club a Champions League qualifying position this season, offering another setback in the club’s ability to start winning trophies again.

With the Old Trafford faithful rather restless already, it would bring down the curtain on a rather toxic reign for Woodward in the northwest.

The Red Devils find themselves struggling to tighten up the competition for top four with West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, failing to win a game in the Premier League so far this year, with fans now desperate to see signings at the club this month to help improve results and ultimately finish with Champions League football next season.

In other news: Rangnick must make Dembele his first signing

ScorecardHashim Amla’s calm 54 helped Mark Wagh wrap up a comprehensive victory over Hampshire•Getty Images

Mark Wagh’s brutal 131 propelled Nottinghamshire to their third straightvictory in the County Championship, as they condemned Hampshire to a five-wicket defeat to continue their dismal start to the season. Wagh plundered his devastating century off just 158 balls, including 17 fours and two sixes, after Hampshire had posted a gettable target of 246 earlier in the day.Hampshire, who must to contend with the troubling statistic of six defeats in all forms of the game, began the day on 177 for 4 with veteran Nic Pothas and teenager James Vince holding together the fifth wicket. But the partnership added only a further 13 runs before Pothas (30) was trapped lbwby Pattinson.Vince (46) had looked in good touch, clipping three Pattinson deliveriesfor boundaries in one forgettable over, but he then followed as Paul Frankscaught him square on the crease. Dominic Cork (28) and Sean Ervine (45) put on 48 for the seventh wicket but once Cork became Hampshire’s third lbw victim of the morning the collapse was complete.With the tail failing to wag as Kabir Ali and Rangana Herath were bothdismissed for ducks, Ervine then prodded Samit Patel to Bilal Shafayat at short leg three overs after lunch, at which point the visitors looked in total control.Hampshire’s recovery got off to a terrible start as Ali had to be replaced by David Griffiths in the attack following a back complaint, and Nottinghamshire openers Shafayat and Neil Edwards looked to go to work. Michael Carberry’s brilliant diving catch from Griffiths dismissed Edwards for 8 but as Shafayat (12) was dropped by Chris Benham at third slip it looked set to be Nottinghamshire’s afternoon.Wagh progressed to a rapid half-century from just 42 balls as he looked toget the job done quickly and at tea Notts were well-placed at 83 for 1.Benham did eventually hold a catch to dismiss Shafayat but with Ali unable to continue bowling, Hampshire’s attack lacked the bite to claim the vital wicket of Wagh.Wagh duly brought up his century from just 123 balls amid chaotic scenes, as wicketkeeper Pothas fell awkwardly forcing Cork to replace him behind the stumps. Meanwhile at the other end the South African international HashimAmla (54) made his way to a sound half-century before being caught by the substitute fielder Benny Howell off the bowling of Griffiths.Griffiths then claimed his third wicket as Patel (1) struck abouncer straight down the throat of Benham at third man, and then chipped in with a good catch to dismiss Ally Brown (14) off a top-edge from Herath, but it was all in vain as Wagh and Chris Read (7 not out) knocked off the remaining runs with ease.

England have scored two major victories against Australia and Shane Warne believes they now have the mindset necessary to try and accomplish the hardest challenge in cricket – winning a Test series in Australia

Cricinfo staff18-May-2010England have scored two major victories against Australia in less than a year – the ICC World Twenty20 final and the Ashes in 2009 – and Shane Warne believes they now have the mindset and the team necessary to try and accomplish the hardest challenge in cricket – winning a Test series in Australia. In his column for the , Warne wrote that England took “a small psychological advantage” from beating Australia in Sunday’s final in Barbados and sent a message that “they [Australia] have to play very well to beat them [England] now in any form of the game”.”In the past, they [England] thought that if they played at their best they might nick a win. Now they think, “We can beat this lot”. That feeling of being scared of playing Australia has disappeared,” Warne wrote. “Australia were just starting to build a bit of momentum and find some consistency in the aftermath of losing last year’s Ashes. But the first time they came up against England in a final, they lost.”Warne, however, said the Ashes in Australia was the hardest series to win and England were whitewashed 5-0 on their last trip there in 2006-07. But this squad, Warne felt, had the “right tools” to succeed in Australia later this year. “In Graeme Swann they have a spinner who, when you examine every format of the game, is the best in the world right now,” Warne said. “In Kevin Pietersen, England also have, not the best, but the most destructive batsman.”Pietersen was the Player of the Tournament in the West Indies, having scored 248 runs at an average of 62. Warne said the IPL and the World Twenty20 helped Pietersen rediscover his touch which was vital because, apart from his contributions, Pietersen’s team-mates also fed off his form.”He [Pietersen] was struggling in the Test arena. When he gets into trouble he gets technical and reads too much into things. He is best when he plays on instinct and in Twenty20 there is not much time to think. You just have to go out there and hit the ball. For the last couple of months he has not had to worry about technique and building innings. He has just had to smack the ball and impose himself. To be the Player of the Tournament will be great for his ego.”It is also great for England because all the other players seem to walk a bit taller when KP is playing well. They feed off him. Also the opposition concentrates on getting KP out so much that it allows others to play with freedom.”Warne also called Swann the “most improved cricketer in the world.” “What has struck me most is that as an offspinner there are only certain ways you can get people out. But he [Swann] has more than that, he really changes his pace well. Normally when spinners bowl faster they lose their spin. But he can bowl quicker deliveries and still turn it. It is a very good gift and he can adapt it to all forms of the game. He is always trying to work out in his mind how to get wickets. That is what I like about him – he attacks.”

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some transfer news that has emerged on Allan.

As per Il Messaggero, Lazio are now interested in signing the central midfield player in the January transfer window, as he has been made available for loan.

It seems very strange that the Merseyside club would let him go in the middle of the season, especially on loan, given that he has been a mainstay in the team under Rafa Benitez.

Allan has been a key player for the Toffees this term, averaging the most tackles (2.8) per game in the Premier League out of his teammates, while he also ranks highly in terms of average dribbles (0.9) and passes (36.9), and has supplied two assists (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, it is no surprise to see so many Blues raging after they read the news, especially considering they may already be unhappy about the departure of Lucas Digne, who is expected to agree personal terms with Aston Villa today (Sky Sports).

Everton fans on Allan transfer news

These EFC supporters fumed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian even going as far as to claim that it is ‘bizarre’:

“You cannot be serious”

Credit: @_Alxstxir_

“We really are preparing for life in the Championship”

Credit: @O__Damn

“Really? Sounds bizarre to me”

Credit: @trueblue265

“This can’t be true surely?”

Credit: @Gwyn_HughesEFC

“Whaaaat? This is insane”

Credit: @andyat80

“Has to be a joke”

Credit: @danield9898

In other news, find out who Everton are now eyeing as James Rodriguez’s replacement here!

Ricky Ponting knows the winning feeling better than any other player in thehistory of Test cricket. But on a day when he broke the records for the mostwins by any Test player and the mostvictories for any Test captain, Ponting called the 170-run triumphover Pakistan one of the team’s best in a long while, and praised his young attackfor as good a bowling effort as the side had displayed in the last two years.When he came in to the team as a young man in the mid 1990s, Australia werejust embarking on a decade of dominance. The list of men to have played inthe mostTest victories is revealing, as the top eight are all Australians ofthat brilliant era. The win over Pakistan took Ponting to 93, passing ShaneWarne’s mark of 92.It also gave Ponting his 42nd success as a Test captain, surpassing SteveWaugh’s world record. But since the retirements of Warne, GlennMcGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and various othergolden-era colleagues, things have become much tougher for Ponting. He haslost the Ashes for a second time, succumbed at home to South Africa and seenhis team slip as low as fourth on the ICC Test rankings.If nothing else, the dizzying highs and gut-wrenching lows have given himperspective. And so, after his developing side dominated Pakistan for fivedays at the MCG, with career-defining efforts from Shane Watson and NathanHauritz, Ponting was full of praise for his men. He was especially pleasedwith the performance of his bowlers, who have for three years struggled inthe shadows of Warne and McGrath, and are finally becoming their own men.”The bowling through the game has been as good as it’s been in our team forthe last couple of years,” Ponting said. “The way we bowled in the firstinnings in particular was just outstanding. The way we used the new balland we were able to maintain our discipline and execute our skills over sucha long period of time at the start of their first batting innings was a realfactor in the game.”It’s been a great game for us. It’s one of our best Test wins in quite awhile, starting right from the start of the game from the Katich and Watsonpartnership which really set the platform and set the foundation for a verygood Test match for us.”The highlights were many. Watson scored his first Test century on top of93 in the first innings; Ponting, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Hauritzall scored half-centuries; Hauritz collected his maiden five-wicket haul;and Mitchell Johnson continued to regain some of the spark he lost duringthe Ashes.Coming after a tightly-contested series against West Indies, the dominantdisplay was well-timed. There’s also a bigger future to consider: Australiahave only six more Tests before they attempt to regain the Ashes at homenext summer. Until then every win, every positive that can be taken froma match, will be seen as a stepping stone.”We are building a squad of players right at the moment that in a coupleof years time are going to be a very dominant team again,” Ponting said.”At the moment it is my job to keep the group together and keep challengingthem and keep helping the younger guys out and keep winning as many gamesof cricket as we can.”Ponting was keen to celebrate the individual efforts from several of hisnewer team-mates at the MCG, but less effusive about his own record-breakingachievements. He said he was proud of the milestones but was unlikely toreally appreciate them until he stopped playing.”They’re things I’ll probably be most of proud of when I’m done,” he said.”We all play to win games of cricket and be involved in a team that is winninggames of cricket. They’re things I’m very proud of, hopefully there are alot more wins around the corner and if we play the cricket that we’ve playedover these five days then we will definitely win a lot more games.”

Newcastle United are reportedly now willing to pay big money in order to sign Ronald Araujo.

The Lowdown: Destined for greatness

Despite the trouble in which Barcelona have found themselves in recent times, having to let Lionel Messi go to Paris Saint-Germain and potentially not being able to qualify from their Champions League group, the emergence of Araujo is at least one shining light at Camp Nou.

Recently described as a ‘spectacular’ player by his new manager Xavi, the 22-year-old looks destined for great things, and his teammate Gerard Pique already thinks that he ‘has everything’ for a central defender despite his tender age.

One of the most notable qualities about Araujo is his physique, as he stands at 6 foot 2, and he is in ‘exuberant physical condition’ according to former Uruguay centre-back and fellow countryman Andres Scotti, making him a bit of a beast.

The Latest: Wanted

As per El Nacional, Newcastle now want Araujo and are ‘one of the most interested’ clubs from the Premier League in the race for his signature, along with Chelsea.

They would reportedly be ‘willing’ to put an offer of £60m on the table, comfortably surpassing the club-record £40m that they spent on Joelinton, as well as giving the 22-year-old a ‘big’ contract.

Ideally, Barcceloa do not want to sell, but the report claimed that they would ‘have to study’ a prospective offer of that magnitude.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

It does seem too unrealistic that a player of Araujo’s quality and promise would move to Newcastle this early in the project, especially as they are currently in a relegation scrap.

Eddie Howe’s preference for high possession and attacking football would certainly suit Araujo more than some of the other centre-half options in the Magpies’ squad, given that the Uruguay international has averaged more passes at a higher success rate per game than Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and Jamaal Lascelles in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

However, despite the kind of money that the Tynesiders now have at their disposal, it seems likely that Araujo would look elsewhere for now, perhaps to reigning Champions League holders Chelsea, until the long-term project at St James’ Park has developed further.

In other news, NUFC are also eyeing this ‘incredible’ beast

On-loan Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan has ‘caught the eye’ of Manchester City, according to The Mirror’s chief sports reporter Tom Hopkinson.

The lowdown

The 25-year-old is on loan at Molineux from RB Leipzig, and Bruno Lage’s side have the option to sign permanently for £13m at the end of that spell (via Sky Sports).

The South Korea international has begun the campaign in fine form, netting four goals in his first six starts for the club. By contrast, while City are second in the table, their top scorers are Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden with three each.

Hwang may have first caught the attention of English audiences when Salzburg faced Liverpool in the group stages of the 2019/20 Champions League. He scored in a 4-3 defeat at Anfield, having sent Virgil van Dijk ‘out for a hot dog’, as per a Telegraph report from John Percy.

The latest

As per The Mirror, City and title rivals Liverpool are both said to be interested in Hwang, with Pep Guardiola ‘keen to add more firepower up top’.

Wolves are trying to fend them off by sealing a permanent deal for the forward in January rather than waiting until the end of the season when his loan expires.

The verdict

Hwang isn’t just a goalscorer. According to WhoScored, he also excels at dribbling, passing and defensive contributions, indicating that he is a very well-rounded forward player who’s not averse to doing some of the dirty work for the good of his team.

He is also a versatile player, having operated as a winger 36 times during his career. That could well please Guardiola, who has utilised the likes of Foden, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres in wide attacking roles as well as at centre-forward.

You can see why the Korean an attractive option for elite clubs, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if there is a sharp hike in his relatively modest price tag if he were to join Wolves on a permanent basis.

In other news, fans loved these KDB comments.

Flocking to Twitter, many Sunderland fans were left unimpressed by another lacklustre display from midfielder Lynden Gooch despite their victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Black Cats ran out 2-0 victors as they finally returned to winning ways, coming off their barren run of six consecutive matches without a victory in normal time (BBC).

Sunderland’s win keeps them well in contention for automatic promotion as they fight among one of the closest races England’s third tier has seen in recent years.

Only five points separate sixth place from the summit of League One and Lee Johnson’s side are right in the mix, helped in no small part by their victory over The Tractor Boys.

However, it was anything but routine as Sunderland left it late and secured the win in dramatic fashion with two goals in the last five minutes. Indeed, Luke O’Nien opened the scoring in the 85th minute before Aiden McGeady sealed all three points with an injury time penalty.

Sunderland fans slam Gooch

Despite this precious win, one man who failed to impress was Gooch, as numerous fans were quick to point out on social media.

This isn’t the first time he has been criticised by many Black Cats supporters this season, either, with the 25-year-old’s recent performance against Bradford also coming under fire.

It’s little wonder they felt the same way against Ipswich judging by Gooch’s SofaScore numbers, with the American ranking as Sunderland’s lowest-rated player on the day with 6.1. He also picked up another booking, his sixth of the season, whilst succeeding with none of his crosses, completing zero dribbles and winning just 33% of his duels (SofaScore).

Taking these numbers into account, you can understand why supporters felt his performance was “shocking” – check out some of their verdicts from Twitter below.

“Madness how Gooch still has the audacity to put a Sunderland kit on”

Credit: @drew1aws

“Evans, Embelton & Gooch off please, Mr Johnson.”

Credit: @JakeStappard_

“Gooch and O’Nien need hooking and never allowed to play for this club again…”

Credit: @safcftm2015

“Sub off Gooch, never play him again, recall Diamond & Hawkes.”

Credit: @Camer0nJohnson

“I thought Embleton second half especially was awful and could’ve been off 10 minutes earlier. Was typical Gooch too I thought, loads of effort and the ball but so wasteful and frustrating”

Credit: @JHerra18

“Not the best performance but the fight was there. Don’t think either team done enough to win the game so that’s a positive. Hopefully the end of Gooch, shocking footballer”

Credit: @1996SAR_

“Still don’t know how Gooch is a professional footballer”

Credit: @DomZvirblys

David Hemp has been named Bermuda captain for this month’s series against Uganda. He was widely expected to take over from Irving Romaine, who led the side during the dismal campaign in the World Cup qualifiers in April. Steven Outerbridge, 26, was made vice-captain of the 13-man squad announced on Sunday.The side was missing several key players; left-arm batsman Glenn Blakeney was ruled out after injuring his knee ligaments, and medium-pacer Stefan Kelly was also not considered. Delyone Borden was not selected due to personal family reasons while work commitments kept Kyle Hodsoll out.Besides a four-day Intercontinental Shield match, Bermuda will host Uganda for two 50-over matches and a Twenty20.Bermuda squad: David Hemp (capt), Steven Outerbridge (vice-capt), Irving Romaine, Chris Douglas, Terryn Fray, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Jekon Edness, Fiqre Crockwell, Justin Pitcher, Malachi Jones, Jordan de Silva, Kevon Fubler***Irving Romaine has “no regrets” about his time as captain after he was sacked as skipper, three years into a reign that has seen Bermuda lose their ODI status as well qualification to the next World Cup.”I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time as ¬captain – I did my best and I have no regrets,” he told . “I’m still in decent shape and I’m looking to play for another year or two as a batsman and ¬enjoy my cricket for a while ¬without having to worry about all the other stuff that goes with ¬being captain.”The man to replace him in the short-term is Hemp, the former Glamorgan captain, but aged 38 he hardly represents the cutting edge of youth. Nevertheless, Hemp remains Bermuda’s best batsman by a country mile, and will at least offer a steady hand as the team try to claw their way back into the international fold.Bermuda lost their one-day status during the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa earlier this year, a calamitous tournament for them which prompted the coach, Gus Logie, to announce that he wouldn’t be continuing after his contract expires in September. Logie angered his players by venting his fury at their lack of desire in an interview with Cricinfo.It is understood that Logie has recommended Hemp to be captain in the interim, and the batsman himself was keenly aware that he is far from a long-term candidate.”I was fortunate enough to ¬captain at county level in ¬England and to step it up and do it internationally for Bermuda would be a great honour,” Hemp said. “It would need someone who is a bit younger than me that could be an understudy for a few years and hopefully learn from my experience.”Batsman Lionel Cann, allrounder Janeiro Tucker and Dwayne Leverock have all retired in recent months, as Bermuda face an uphill challenge to regain international status.