With Ange Postecoglou now in the door at Tottenham Hotspur, one issue that the 57-year-old will need to resolve is the future of on-loan winger, Dejan Kulusevski, with it yet to be seen if the Sweden international will remain at N17 next season.

The Juventus ace – who made the move to north London on an 18-month loan deal back in January 2022 – is yet to be snapped on a permanent deal by the Lilywhites, with the obligation to buy the 23-year-old for a fee of around £30.2m having not been triggered following the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League.

While football.london has reported that it is expected that Spurs will still seek to tie up the one-time Parma ace this summer, there have been reports in Italy that the Premier League side are only keen to secure a deal for a discounted price, opening the possibility that the wide man could return to his parent club next season if an agreement cannot be reached.

Although it could come as something of a blow to lose the 29-cap speedster, Kulusevski did struggle for consistency in the most recent campaign after scoring just twice and laying on seven assists in 30 league outings, with it perhaps an opportunity for Postecoglou to find a new option on the flanks.

According to the Sunday Mirror (11/06/2023, page 70), one exciting talent who could potentially replace the Swede next term is FC Seoul starlet, Seong-jin Kang, with Tottenham ready to rival Celtic for the South Korean's signature…

Who is Seong-jin Kang?

The 20-year-old could potentially be a dream successor to Kulusevski on the right flank, with the sparkling youngster – who has spoken of his admiration for both Neymar and Mohamed Salah in the recent past – also typically operating in that role.

The left-footed trickster may well be rather inexperienced at first-team level having made just 57 senior appearances to date for his current side, although the 5 foot 11 ace has shown his quality in that time, registering seven assists and scoring three goals in all competitions.

While the precocious gem has also thus far been restricted to just two appearances for his country at senior level, the playmaker notably scored twice in a 3-0 win over Hong Kong back in July, having also been part of the Korean side that reached the semi-final of the U20 Asian Cup earlier this year.

That run to the last four saw the reported Spurs target curl home from range in exquisite fashion in the group stage win over Jordan, with journalist Jason Lee subsequently tipping him to be the "next Korean football superstar", while fellow journalist Sungmo Lee also lauded him as "one to watch" following that stellar effort.

Although it may be something of a gamble for Postecoglou to trust Kang as a regular option at N17 next season – if a deal is to go ahead – such hefty praise is a marker of the possible jewel that the Greek-Aussie could have on his hands.

As such, rather than potentially paying over the odds for the aforementioned Kulusevski, Spurs could ditch that transfer plan by putting faith in Seoul's dazzling young wizard.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their efforts to land a replacement for Alfredo Morelos in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Haji Wright to Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues have opened talks with Turkish side Antalyaspor over a deal to sign centre-forward Haji Wright ahead of next season.

The report claims that the Gers are now attempting to negotiate a fee for the American international's signature and that he is valued at £7m by his current club.

It is stated that the Scottish giants have made the number nine their first-choice target to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, with Matija Frigin and Tasos Douvikas named as players they are also interested in.

Would Haji Wright be a success at Rangers?

The former Schalke 04 dynamo could be a huge success at Ibrox as the 25-year-old has the quality to come in as a big upgrade on Morelos, who departed on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at the start of the month.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Wright has been on fire for Antalyaspor in the Super Lig and found the back of the net 15 times in 27 appearances so far – one goal every 1.8 outings.

The American gem, who has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99, has also created four 'big chances' and showcased his ability to bring others into the game.

Morelos, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 in the Scottish Premiership and contributed with 11 goals and four 'big chances' created in 32 outings – one every 2.9 appearances.

This was after the Colombian international plundered 11 goals in 26 games in 2021/22 in the top-flight for the Light Blues, whilst the USMNT talent struck 14 goals in 32 matches in the Super Lig that season.

These statistics over the last two campaigns suggest that Wright, who was once lauded as a “dangerous striker” by former Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt, could offer more in front of goal than the free agent based on his impressive strike rate in Turkey.

The Antalyaspor star, who scored once at the World Cup in 2022, would also be able to offer more physicality at the top end of the pitch. He has averaged 5.3 duels won, including 2.2 aerial battles, per game this season and Morelos only won 1.9 battles, including 0.9 in the air, per outing in the Premiership.

This suggests that Wright puts himself about and is a nuisance to the opposition defenders by consistently challenging for balls and competing for 50/50s, whereas the ex-Rangers forward rarely engaged in physical contests.

Therefore, the 25-year-old marksman could be a big upgrade on Morelos as he has the potential to offer Michael Beale's side more of a goal threat and a greater presence on the pitch.

Darren Sammy struck an unbeaten 27-ball 55 to complete a heist and lead Rajshahi Kings to the second qualifier by beating Chittagong Vikings by three wickets in the eliminator

The Report by Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDarren Sammy hammered an unbeaten 55 to complete Rajshahi’s come-from-behind win•Raton Gomes/BCBDarren Sammy blitzed a 27-ball 55 to lead Rajshahi Kings to the second qualifier after they beat Chittagong Vikings by three wickets in Mirpur. Rajshahi recovered from 57 for 6 to chase down 143 in 18.3 overs after Sammy put on 37 and 49 with Mehedi Hasan and Farhad Reza respectively. Chittagong were knocked out of the competition.Sammy cracked Mohammad Nabi for three fours in the 12th over to get the chase rolling again. Mehedi’s needless run-out in the 15th over dented their progress, but Sammy smashed three fours past point in the next over, bowled by Subhasis Roy. Sammy reached his second fifty of the tournament with a straight six off Nabi, before Farhad struck two fours to seal the chase.Sammy was unbeaten on 55 with seven fours and two sixes, while Farhad struck three fours in his 11-ball 19. As soon as he struck the winning runs, the Rajshahi players celebrated in their unique style of pretending to take group photos and selfies.Chittagong, though, lost their way towards the end of their innings where they lost 30 runs in the last 5.1 overs. The top order had set a strong platform and a strengthened batting line-up was unable to capitalise. Chittagong included Dwayne Smith as an opener, pushing Chris Gayle to No. 3, just the sixth time he has not opened a T20 innings.After fast bowler Kesrick Williams had Smith caught at slip in the third over, Gayle launched five sixes, four over the straight boundary. However, Gayle chipped a full toss off James Franklin to long-on, which began Rajshahi’s comeback. His 44 came off 30 balls.Shoaib Malik and Tamim Iqbal, who made a record equalling sixth fifty in the BPL, lofted catches into the cover region before Mohammad Nabi was brilliantly run out by a Sabbir Rahman throw from the deep midwicket boundary in the penultimate over.In the same over, Williams removed Abdur Razzak and Taskin Ahmed to complete his second four-wicket haul in T20s.

A round-up of the first day of Group C matches in the sixth round of the 2016-17 Ranji

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2016

Bhavin Thakkar and Rohan Prem scored centuries as Kerala ended the first day on 290 for 2 against Goa at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.Goa’s decision to bowl first might have felt justified when opener Vishnu Vinod was removed in the seventh over with the score on 12. But their bowlers had no success for the next 70 overs, as Thakkar and Prem put on 234 for the second wicket. Thakkar scored 117 off 200 balls, with 14 boundaries, before he was bowled by Shadab Jakati.Prem then took his team to stumps unbeaten on 120 – his fourth consecutive score above 60 – with Sanju Samson at the other end on 28.Nineties from Nitin Saini and Rajat Paliwal helped Haryana reach 295 for 5 at stumps against Jammu & Kashmir in Cuttack.J&K captain Parvez Rasool elected to field and took two early wickets in a first session where three fell. But opener Nitin Saini followed up an unbeaten 152 in his last innings with a 90 in this match, while putting on 94 for the fourth wicket with Paliwal. After his dismissal, Paliwal joined hands with Rohit Sharma (51), and the pair put on 109 for the fifth wicket, before Rasool removed Sharma off the last ball of the day. Paliwal was unbeaten on 99.Half-centuries from B Sandeep (83*) and Mehdi Hasan (61) helped Hyderabad overcome a middle-order collapse to end the day on 303 for 7 against Services at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.A 105-run second-wicket stand between Akshath Reddy (64) and B Anirudh (49) had taken Hyderabad to 136 for 1 before a spell from medium-pacer Raushan Raj saw them lose 5 wickets between the 47th and 51st overs, to be reduced to 141 for 6. Raushan took four of those wickets, while Services captain Anshul Gupta accounted for his counterpart S Badrinath with a run-out.But the effects of this collapse were negated when Sandeep and Hasan put on 135 for a seventh-wicket stand that took them into the final session without further damage, till Hasan was run out in the 80th over.Andhra’s opening bowlers took seven wickets between them as Tripura were bowled out for 171 on the first day in Valsad.DP Vijaykumar (4-56) and CV Stephen (3-47) struck regularly after Andhra had elected to field, taking seven of the first eight wickets, to leave Tripura struggling at 107 for 8.Nine Tripura batsmen got into double figures, but the top scorer was Bunti Roy, who came in at No. 10 and put 34 for the ninth wicket with Gurinder Singh (13) and 30 for the last wicket with Rajib Dutta (16*), before he was the last one dismissed for 34.Andhra lost KS Bharat early in their response, but DB Prasanth (19*) and Hanuma Vihari (18*) took them to stumps on 47 for 1.Chhattisgarh lost quick wickets on either side of two half-century stands, to finish the day on 212 for 7 against Himachal Pradesh in Kanpur.Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma, who took over the captaincy from Rishi Dhawan, was responsible for the second of those collapses. He took the last three wickets to fall on the day, including that of top-scorer Amandeep Khare (85) who had put on 51 for the fourth wicket with Ashutosh Singh (16) and 76 for the fifth with Avnish Dhaliwal (39) to lift Chhattisgarh out of trouble at 39 for 3. Bipul removed Dhaliwal shortly after, and bowled wicketkeeper Manoj Singh (21) in the 88th over to finish with 3 for 37.

Aston Villa are reportedly in "advanced talks" with Liverpool's soon-to-be-out-of-contract midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Is Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving Liverpool?

The 29-year-old has spent six up-and-down years at Anfield, winning almost all there is to win in the game, including the Champions League, but also struggling to consistently be a key man.

A serious knee injury back in 2018 arguably took Oxlade-Chamberlain down in his prime, and while he still contributed positively to Liverpool overall – he scored 18 goals and registered 15 assists in 146 appearances – it has become increasingly clear that his future lies away from the club.

The £120,000-a-week former Arsenal man is out of contract with the Reds at the end of this month, and with no extension coming his way, he will then be able to join a new club on a free transfer from July onwards.

With Villa looking to make numerous key reinforcements during the summer transfer window, a fresh report suggests that Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a primary target.

Are Villa eyeing move for Oxlade-Chamberlain?

According to Football Insider, the Villans are in "advanced talks" with the Englishman over a summer move to Villa Park, with the club working on a deal to bring him in, having already locked up Youri Tielemans from Leicester City on a free.

Villa are believed to see Oxlade-Chamberlain as a "key target who is proven in the Premier League and capable of slotting straight into their team", while Unai Emery admires his "versatility, dynamism and ability to create and score goals".

The 35-cap and seven-goal England international could be a really shrewd signing by the Villans this summer, coming in as someone with a wealth of experience at the top level, and who can thrive in various positions, from central midfield to out wide.

Granted, his injury problems down the years are far from ideal, so Emery would have to accept that he is a risky signing, but the free element of the deal would make it less of an issue, should he spend too much time on the treatment table.

When fully fit and in-form, Oxlade-Chamberlain can be a real handful, with Jurgen Klopp once describing him as "spectacular", and he could bolster Villa's squad great with his versatility, especially at a time when they are preparing to play in the Premier League, UEFA Europa Conference League, FA Cup and EFL Cup next season.

West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo will need surgery to repair damage to his left hamstring, meaning he will play no further part in the Melbourne Renegades’ Big Bash League (BBL) campaign. He was stretchered off during the Renegades’ match against the Perth Scorchers on Thursday night, and subsequent scans revealed the injury would sideline him for an extended period.”I’ll now have surgery and the rehabilitation to get me fit and playing at my best again,” Bravo said, according to the BBL site.Bravo was stationed on the off-side boundary, and picked up the injury when he ran across and lowered himself to field a ball. He clutched at his hamstring as soon as he went down, and had to be taken off on a MediCab. This is Bravo’s fourth season with the Renegades. No replacement has been named as yet.The injury puts Bravo in doubt for the Pakistan Super League, where he was retained by Lahore Qalandars. That T20 tournament begins from February 9.The Renegades’ captain, Aaron Finch, said Bravo’s exit would have a big impact on his team: “It’s a huge blow, he’s one of the best allrounders in the world. It’s an unbelievably damaging blow for us, but also for him because we know how much he loves coming out here.”The Adelaide Strikers also suffered an injury blow, with fast bowler Kane Richardson ruled out for up to a month with a back injury. Left-arm spinner Tom Andrews was called into the Strikers’ squad in his place.

The batsman’s availability for the Nagico Super50 will depend on his meeting with the WICB, which has been pending

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2017Darren Bravo has been omitted by the defending champions Trinidad & Tobago from their squad for the Nagico Super50 tournament starting on January 24. He was served notice by the WICB to meet with them following a breach of contract last November and the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board has said they would rule on Bravo only after he sat down with the WICB.”In furtherance to the team for the Super 50 do note that Darren Bravo’s availability is dependent on the outcome of his pending meeting with the WICB,” TTCB chief executive Suraj Ragoonath said.Bravo’s exclusion from the T&T squad has come after he made “disparaging” comments about board president Dave Cameron on Twitter last year. His match contract was cancelled and he was pulled out of the West Indies ODI team which had been in Zimbabwe at the time for a tri-series with the hosts and Sri Lanka.In November, Cameron told Sports Max TV, a Caribbean television network, that Bravo was offered a grade C contract (the lowest of five grades) because of his declining averages over the last two years. He also questioned how a player would be motivated if he continued getting a grade A contract despite a slip in performances.Bravo responded by tweeting: “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot @davec51.”In December, the WICB invited Bravo for a meeting to determine the way ahead. However, sources close to Bravo at the time indicated he did not oblige and instead served a legal notice to the WICB for dropping him from the Zimbabwe tour. Neither the WICB nor Bravo have revealed anything on subsequent developments.T&T had won the title in 2015-16 with considerable help from Bravo, who was the top-scorer of the tournament with 274 runs in three matches, including a 97 in the final. His contributions offset the fact that big players like Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons were unavailable last season and remain so in 2016-17 as well.Squad: Denesh Ramdin, Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Kjorn Ottley, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Alexis, Roshon Primus, Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel, Khary Pierre, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Imran Khan, Sheldon Cottrell, Rayad Emrit.

Arsenal have been linked with one of the Premier League’s top performers ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta sets his sights on bolstering his squad this summer.

The Spaniard enjoyed a strong title charge with his side this season and despite falling short of Manchester City on the final straight, can take many positives from the campaign.

The Gunners will play Champions League football again for the first time since 2016, and with an additional competition comes added need for squad depth, something that tainted Arsenal’s title charge this term.

As reported ahead of the summer, the Emirates may become home for a player that could significantly improve the side.

What’s the latest on Ilkay Gundogan to Arsenal?

As first reported by The Athletic at the end of last month, Manchester City ace Ilkay Gundogan is on Arsenal’s radar.

The 32-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the campaign should he fail to strike a new deal with the Citizens, which has become an appealing prospect for the Gunners.

Most recently, the Evening Standard claimed that Arteta’s relationship with the German could provide vital in the north Londoners’ pursuit of the midfielder, a player whom he worked with in Manchester.

What could Ilkay Gundogan offer to Arsenal?

As the season progresses, the experience and quality of the midfielder becomes more and more evident, as seen last weekend when he single-handedly fired City to complete the double, scoring two outside-the-box volleys at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

The Gelsenkirchen-born ace could provide so much to Arteta’s budding Arsenal side, and would most prominently provide as a perfect partner for Martin Odegaard.

The Spaniard could replicate the success of the 32-year-old in Guardiola’s midfield, just as he has done with Oleksandr Zinchenko’s role in the defence since making the switch from the Etihad to the Emirates.

Alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan has one of the best creators in the Premier League, with the Belgian acting as the pacemaker for creative midfielders to follow year after year.

The German could replicate the success in his play with Odegaard, who himself has been lauded as a “playmaking genius” by scout Antonio Mango.

The £140k-per-week City gem averages 63 attempted passes per 90, as well as maintaining a completion rate of 87.7% as per FBref, showing he could be a second creator in Arsenal’s midfield, giving Odegaard more to work with in the number 10 role.

De Bruyne reaps the positive vibrations from the 32-year-old, with the duo described by the Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan as being ‘masters of slowing games down when City lead’, something that could be integral to Odegaard.

Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that the Arsenal skipper is just 24 years old, however, the Gunners have suffered recently in holding their leads, as shown in drawing consecutive games in the run in this season with Southampton, West Ham and Liverpool.

The “exceptional” gem, as lauded by his manager, could not only support the Norwiegan’s progression in an offensive light but also defensively and through experience, in his ability to conduct the tempo of a game.

There are many ways that a player of the calibre of Gundogan could influence Arteta’s budding Arsenal squad, though his influence on Odegaard could unlock another level to the Gunners’ ace.

تمكن فريق الهلال من الفوز على نظيره الرياض بنتيجة 3-1، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

الهلال واجه الرياض، ضمن منافسات الأسبوع الـ23 من عمر الدوري السعودي (دوري روشن) للموسم الحالي 2023-2024.

وسجل علي البليهي هدف الرياض الأول في الدقيقة 53 بالخطأ في مرماه بعد عرضية حاول تشتيتها لكنها سكنت شباك فريقه.

طالع أيضاً.. ترتيب الدوري السعودي بعد فوز الهلال على الرياض

وأدرك الهلال التعادل في الدقيقة 67، عن طريق روبن نيفيز من ركلة جزاء بتسديدة سكنت الشباك في الزاوية اليسرى للمرمى.

وتقدم الهلال بالهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 75 عن طريق ميشيل ديلجادو، بعد عرضية بقدم روبن نيفيز إلى داخل منطقة الجزاء استقبلها ديلجادو برأسية سكنت الشباك.

وأحرز أليكساندر ميتروفيتش هدف الهلال الثالث في الدقيقة 90+3، من ركلة جزاء.

بهذا الفوز يحتل الهلال صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 65 نقطة، بينما يتواجد الرياض بالمركز الخامس عشر ولديه 23 نقطة. أهداف مباراة الهلال والرياض في الدوري السعودي

Wolverhampton Wanderers have got their eye on a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window, as Julen Lopetegui prepares for his first summer in charge at Molineux.

While the break is set to be busy for the Spaniard, it’s also projected to be far from easy considering the recent revelations of Wolves’ FFP woes.

The former Real Madrid boss may not be able to spend lavishly this summer, however, with a number of departures forecast, players are still expected to arrive at Molineux, with the latest link being one of ‘the best’.

What’s the latest on James Ward-Prowse to Wolves?

As reported by SunSport at the start of the month, Wolves have been linked with Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

More recently, journalist Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that the Midlands club are ‘interested’ in the Englishman, who he believes would be a “really good fit” for Lopetegui’s side.

SunSport claimed that the newly relegated side are expected to demand a fee in the region of £40m for their captain.

What could James Ward-Prowse offer Wolves?

Hailed as “phenomenal” by former teammate Charlie Austin via talkSPORT, the 28-year-old has enjoyed a fruitful career in the Premier League at St Mary’s.

Following Southampton’s relegation, rumours have sparked regarding their captain’s future at the club, and with Wolves a potential suitor, Lopetegui could build a devilish midfield around the Englishman.

With an average Sofascore match rating of 7.23, the Portsmouth-born ace has been the Saints’ shining light in a dreary campaign, registering himself as the club’s top performer this term.

Despite ending the season rock-bottom of the table, Ward-Prowse was influential in the final third as he was the year prior, scoring nine goals and assisting four starring in every Premier League game.

The £100k-per-week ace could add an additional threat in the goal department, which is essential for Lopetegui with his side ending the campaign as the league’s lowest scorers.

Playing in central-midfield, the Spaniard could inject his side with added talent going forward from the engine room, in a partnership with Mario Lemina who has been an anchor for Wolves.

The duo played together previously at St Mary’s, making the possible transition from the south coast to the Midlands easier for the Saints captain, with a familiar face beside him in the middle of the park.

Having a pivot in midfield between a creative spark and a defensive-minded ace is the recipe for unlocking oppositions, as well as maintaining a strong ability to transition from defence to attack.

As per FBref, the Gabon international provides defensively for Wolves in the heart of the pitch, averaging a monstrous 2.95 tackles per 90, as well as 1.64 blocks and 1.85 clearances, winning 59% of his total duels per game.

Having such defensive assurance could allow Ward-Prowse freedom in midfield to exercise his strengths offensively, where he averages 5.05 progressive passes and 3.39 shot-creating actions per 90, via FBref.

The Englishman fairs better than Lopetegui’s current midfield set-up with Ruben Neves contributing 2.38 shot-creating actions, suggesting he could be more useful in the final third than the departing Portuguese.

With Lemina acting as a sweeper protecting the defence, and having Ward-Prowse as an option to unleash going forward, Molineux could see an exciting duo reconnect next season.