Big Picture

‘Spin it to win it’ seems to be the watchword in the Bangladesh-West Indies Test series. The Dhaka pitch for the second game is likely to be as helpful to the spinners as the Chattogram surface was, although the home side will tell you that curator Gamini Silva’s work is often unpredictable.Bangladesh’s spin attack, led by captain Shakib Al Hasan, wouldn’t mind another spin-friendly pitch after they handed Bangladesh a maiden win at home against West Indies.Taijul Islam, Shakib, Nayeem Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz formed a useful quartet in the first Test, taking all 20 West Indies wickets. Taijul was the pick of the bowlers in both innings, but it was his 6 for 33 in the decisive fourth innings that made the big difference. Shakib was at his accurate best, teasing and dragging batsmen out of their crease or getting them to go back to full balls with his variations in flight.Nayeem and Mehidy, both offspinners, were crucial too. Nayeem became the youngest ever bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut. Delivering offspin from a height is his advantage, and he is also quite accurate. Mehidy, meanwhile, snared Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies’ most aggressive batsman in Chittagong, twice.Bangladesh’s batting, however, remains a worry. Mominul Haque struck 120 in the first innings but Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t have a good Test with the bat while Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes struggled for their runs. Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun failed to apply themselves deftly on a spin-friendly wicket.The same can be said about the West Indies batsmen, in particular Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope and Roston Chase, who had double failures in Chittagong. Going back to sharply turning deliveries was their fault, a trap Hetmyer and Shane Dowrich, who made fifties in the first innings, didn’t fall into too often.Sunil Ambris showed a bit of resistance in the second innings, but unless the top order contributes, winning a Test match will be difficult. West Indies, however, will be happy with how Jomel Warrican and Devendra Bishoo bowled while Kemar Roach is likely to get Keemo Paul as his new-ball partner after Shannon Gabriel was suspended for barging into Imrul.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLLWWShane Dowrich acknowledges the applause•AFP

In the spotlight

Shane Dowrich was mostly safe behind the stumps in the first Test, while also contributing with the bat. His unbeaten 63 in the first innings was the type of resistance mixed with proactive batting that West Indies badly need in Dhaka.The spotlight is always on Shakib Al Hasan, who claimed his first Test win at home under his captaincy in the last game. He also bowled and batted well enough to be confident of a proper recovery from his finger injury.

Team news

Following Mushfiqur Rahim’s finger injury two days before the match, Bangladesh have enlisted Liton Das on stand-by, should Mushfiqur not be deemed match-ready. There is a chance Mushfiqur could play as a specialist batsman with Liton slotting in as keeper and replacing Mohammad Mithun. Shadman Islam, meanwhile, is likely to make his Test debut in place of Imrul Kayes, who has a shoulder injury.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim/Liton Das (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Nayeem Hasan, 11 Mustafizur RahmanWest Indies’ first headache would be to replace the suspended Shannon Gabriel. Fast bowlers Keemo Paul and Shermon Lewis and pace-bowling allrounder Raymon Reifer are the candidates vying for the spot.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Sunil Ambris, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jomel Warrican

Pitch and conditions

Dhaka served up a predominantly batting-friendly pitch in its previous Test but it is unlikely to go that way in the second Test. The weather remains mild.

Stats and trivia

• Mushfiqur Rahim needs eight runs to become the second Bangladesh batsman to reach 4000 Test runs. Tamim Iqbal has scored 4049 so far.
• Taijul Islam is six wickets short of becoming the third Bangladesh bowler to take 100 Test wickets. He would also be the fastest if he completes the feat in his next five matches.
• The Chattogram Test was the first time in the last 10 years that the West Indies lost all 20 wickets to spin bowling

Ipswich Town will be keeping tabs on the Saturday 3pm kick-offs with vested interest before their match at the Hawthorns gets underway, the Tractor Boys hoping that Leicester City trip up again and lose to Watford at home to then potentially leapfrog the Foxes to top spot in the Championship with a win.

West Bromwich Albion won't just roll over for Kieran McKenna's men to clinch a simple three points however, Carlos Corberan's Baggies have promotion hopes of their own with the playoffs in sight.

McKenna could well spring a surprise with his team selection for the match in the West Midlands to catch the home side off-guard, there's a case that Nathan Broadhead – although it's likely that he will start this one – could be dropped after a rare below-par display versus Swansea City.

Broadhead's numbers versus Swansea

Broadhead has been electric for the Tractor Boys this season – minus this Swans blip – as they aim for another promotion party come May to the Premier League, the former Everton youth prospect is a feared forward now for second-tier defenders to contain with six goals and one assist this season.

Yet, McKenna's usually reliable star man had an off-day versus the Swans with his other Ipswich teammates thankfully bailing him out in the 3-2 win.

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Broadhead struggled throughout the high-intensity contest at Portman Road, only having one shot all afternoon, as per Sofascore, before being substituted off around the hour mark – the effort trailing wide, with the ex-Toffees man unable to add another goal to his ever-growing second-tier tally.

His accuracy on the ball too wasn't up to its usual standards either, only completing 60% of his passes on the day which gave Swansea a momentary lift that they could mount a comeback whenever an interception was made.

Playing for Wales too in the round of International fixtures just finished, the 25-year-old could do with sitting out the game at the Hawthorns to just rest up.

In his place, McKenna could start Wes Burns who isn't a natural left winger – Broadhead's compatriot is often deployed down the opposite flank at right wing – but he should be able to do a job even in an unfamiliar role after recently coming back from injury.

Wes Burns as Broadhead's replacement

Burns spoke to the Ipswich press in the build-up to the West Brom game, stating that he feels "strong" again after contending with a shoulder problem over the last couple of months.

McKenna will hope that his number seven can be a difference-maker for the Tractor Boys if selected, the former Fleetwood Town winger's impressive eight goals and 14 assists were key in his side's automatic promotion exploits last season but he's yet to get up and running in the second tier this campaign.

The 29-year-old – who earns £5k-per-week, according to Capology – only has one goal and one assist to his name from 12 games played, but that nasty shoulder injury has gotten in the way.

He shone off the bench when substituted late on versus the Swans, however, replacing Omari Hutchinson and notching up three key passes for his team despite only being on the pitch 26 minutes.

There is a case to be made that both Burns and Broadhead can start alongside each other, yet equally for this matchday, the 29-year-old could well displace the left winger for the trip to the Baggies.

أكد مصدر بـ الاتحاد العربي لكرة السلة اعتذار الأهلي عن عدم المشاركة في البطولة العربية المقرر انطلاقها خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وكان فريق سلة الأهلي حصل على المركز الرابع في البطولة العربية للأندية التي أقيمت في قطر خلال العام الماضي.

طالع | بعد صراع مع الاتحاد.. الأهلي يعلن ضم إبراهيم هشام لفريق السلة

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “النادي الأهلي أبلغ الاتحاد العربي لكرة السلة الاعتذار رسمياً عن عدم المشاركة في البطولة العربية للأندية المقرر إقامتها في مدينة الإسكندرية بدون ابداء أي أسباب”.

واختتم: “الزمالك يدرس موقفه من المشاركة في البطولة خلال الفترة المقبلة كبديل لـ الأهلي”.

وبعد انسحاب الأهلي يعد نادي الاتحاد السكندري في النسخة المقبلة من البطولة العربية للأندية الأبطال، ممثل مصر الوحيد.

يذكر، أن الأهلي في الموسم الحالي فاز ببطولتي دوري المرتبط، والسوبر المصري، وخسر 4 ألقاب وهي الدوري المصري وكأس مصر والبطولة العربية وبطولة إفريقيا.

Manchester United could be given a chance to offload one of their first-team men in January after it emerged that a club has already been making tracks to try and secure his signature, according to a report.

Manchester United crash out of Champions League

On Wednesday, Manchester United suffered the fate of being knocked out of the Champions League after coming unstuck against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, with a solitary goal from Kingsley Coman enough to ensure Erik Ten Hag's men departed the competition.

The surprise package of the group Copenhagen were able to see off Galatasaray in Group A's other fixture on the night, meaning that the Danes qualified for the Round of 16. At the same time, their Turkish opponents progressed to the Europa League's next phase at the expense of the Red Devils, capping an extremely disappointing European campaign for the Premier League giants.

As per TNT Sports via The Guardian, Ten Hag urged his squad to use the experience as a platform to learn from heading into future continental campaigns, as he said post-match: "Not regret, no. We didn’t make it, but we have to accept it. We have to learn from it. We played some good football in the Champions League. We have to take belief into the Premier League because we want to qualify again for the Champions League."

Now, focus at Old Trafford will turn to fixing their erratic form in the Premier League alongside planning potential incomings and outgoings to take place in the January transfer window. According to a fresh report, one Red Devils man could be offered a route out of the North West, which could potentially clear the way for arrivals to come in and revitalise Ten Hag's squad.

Eintracht Frankfurt make move for Donny van de Beek

According to 90min, Eintracht Frankfurt have moved early to try and sign Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, who is free to leave Old Trafford after being deemed surplus to requirements by Ten Hag. The outlet claim that the Bundesliga outfit would be willing to take the Netherlands international on a loan basis; meanwhile, further interest in his services is also present from Real Sociedad, Girona, Ajax, Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Donny van de Beek's main strengths – (via WhoScored)

Likes to shoot from distance

Likes to play short passes

Likes to tackle

In any temporary loan deal, the Red Devils would be keen to include an obligatory purchase option as they look to get the 26-year-old off the books; nevertheless, he is likely to complete a move away in January after a frustrating spell in England.

Since arriving in Manchester, Van de Beek, who has previously been hailed a "top-level player" while at Everton under Frank Lampard, has been a fringe player under Ole Gunner Solskjaer and now Ten Hag, making 62 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, registering just two goals and two assists (Van de Beek statistics – Transfermarkt).

Frequent injury issues have been a major thorn in Van de Beek's quest to become an important player at Manchester United and it comes as no surprise that both parties are now seemingly in the process of cutting ties.

Manchester United could go after outgoing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, who is keen on replacing Erik ten Hag.

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• Tuchel could replace Ten Hag at Old Trafford
• Dutch manager could leave in summer
• Bayern coach keen on Premier League return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Although United reached their second straight FA Cup final on Sunday, their performance against Championship side Coventry City in the semi-final was far from convincing. There have been reports of manager Erik ten Hag quitting the club at the end of the 2023-24 season due to the club's unsatisfactory performances in the current campaign.

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  Now 's Christian Falk reports that the Red Devils could consider appointing Tuchel in case the Dutch coach leaves Old Trafford in the summer. He further claimed that the German manager is keen on returning to the Premier League and is interested in taking the United job.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ten Hag could return to his former club Ajax ahead of the 2024-25 season if he leaves the Premier League giants as the Dutch club have reportedly included the United boss on their summer shortlist.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ten Hag's side will be next seen in action in the Premier League on Wednesday as they take on rock-bottom side Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

MatériaMais Notícias

A temporada de Diego Alves, que começou com os títulos da Supercopa do Brasil, Recopa Sul-Americana e Carioca, também já está marcada por problemas físicos que o afastaram de, ao menos, metade dos jogos do Flamengo. O camisa 1 deixou o jogo contra o Sport, nesta segunda, com dores na coxa direita e será reavaliado no Ninho do Urubu na reapresentação do elenco. A depender do resultado dos exames e avaliação do departamento médico, o goleiro tem a sua participação na reta final do Brasileirão ameaçada.

O time principal do Flamengo entrou em campo 61 vezes em 2020/21, e Diego Alves chegou ao 29º jogo contra o Sport, nesta segunda-feira. Com dores na coxa direita, o camisa 1 foi substituído na etapa final e será reavaliado pelo DM nesta terça, na reapresentação do elenco no Ninho do Urubu. Além de ter sido infectado pela Covid-19, o goleiro teve problema no joelho esquerdo, no ombro esquerdo e lesão muscular na coxa direita – relembre os momentos abaixo.

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> Confira a classificação e simule as rodadas finais do Brasileirão!

Em 31 de agosto, na partida contra o Santos, pelo Brasileirão, sofreu uma lesão no tendão do ombro esquerdo. Dias depois, em 3 de setembro, testou positivo para Covid-19. Ainda durante este período de recuperação, o camisa 1 e capitão do Flamengo torceu o joelho esquerdo durante um treino no CT, em 14 de outubro, e, com dores e edema no ligamento colateral, precisou de tratamento.

A recuperação foi longa, e o goleiro só voltou a atuar na ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, contra o São Paulo, no dia 11 de novembro. Por conta do período de inatividade, acabou sentindo cãibras e deixou o jogo aos 11 minutos da etapa final, e Hugo Souza, seu substituto, acabou falhando em lance que deu ao Tricolor Paulista a vitória por 2 a 1 no Maracanã. Na volta, no Morumbi, Diego Alves atuou os 90 minutos, mas o Flamengo acabou eliminado: 3 a 0.

Diego Alves disputou mais seis jogos consecutivos até 20 de dezembro, contra o Bahia. No dia 25, o clube informou nova lesão muscular na coxa direita do goleiro, que foi ausência em mais sete rodadas do Brasileirão até retornar ao time contra o Sport. Agora, novamente com dores na coxa direita, o camisa 1 tem sua participação na reta final do Campeonato Brasileiro ser ameaçada.

A situação vivida por Diego Alves na temporada é semelhante a de Rodrigo Caio, que já desfalcou o time 29 vezes por conta de lesões ao longo de 2020/21. Tanto o goleiro quanto o zagueiro foram – e ainda são, quando estão em campo – nomes importantes para a defesa do Flamengo, e suas frequentes ausências ajudam a explicar a fragilidade do setor defensivo durante toda a temporada.

Rain and bad light, meanwhile, forced the encounter between Dolphins and Knights into a draw

Liam Brickhill17-Jan-2019Results summaryThe race for the 2018-19 4-Day Franchise Series title was thrown wide open after Warriors stunned Cape Cobras at Newlands, winning by six wickets. A pair of first-innings 70s from Colin Ackermann and Sinethemba Qeshile gave Warriors a vital 104-run lead, after which Simon Harmer’s 7 for 89, his 24th career five-for, set up a tight finish, with Warriors set a target of 206 to win.Dane Piedt struck four times with his offspin, but Warriors raced to victory through a blistering 91-run unbroken partnership between captain JJ Smuts and the 19-year-old Qeshile. They compiled their stand at 6.42 per over, with Smuts hitting 10 fours and a six in his 70 and Qeshile reaching fifty for the second time in the match, from 49 deliveries. With two rounds remaining, the Cobras’ defeat, coupled with Lions’ win, narrowed the gap at the top of the table to just over 1.6 points. The result also kept alive the Warriors’ slim title hopes – they are now just over 27 points behind the leaders.ALSO READ: South Africa’s Rory Kleinveldt calls time on first-class careerNandre Burger ended with a career-best five-for as the Lions defeated defending champions Titans to win their derby clash in record fashion at Willowmoore Park, in Benoni, on Thursday. Burger took 5 for 36 in in 14.4 overs to complete an emphatic innings-and-239-run victory that was not only the biggest one ever for the Lions in their history and third-biggest ever since the inception of franchise cricket in 2004/05, but also saw the gap at the competition summit reduced significantly.Burger’s match-sealing effort came after mammoth innings from Nicky van den Bergh and Dominic Hendricks had given Lions complete control of the game. Van den Bergh recorded the first double-century of the season, reaching an unbeaten unbeaten 217 – a fixture record individual score and career-best – as the hosts amassed 593 for 5 declared.Hendricks also reached a career-best score, batting ten-and-a-half hours for his 453-ball 197. The pair put on a stand of 390 for the fifth wicket, another fixture record but not a competition best after it fell three runs short of the unbroken 393 shared by JP Duminy and Dane Vilas for the Cape Cobras against the Lions in Potchefstroom back in 2014-15. Their stand left the Titans staring at a likely defeat, particularly after Chris Morris, who had scored 97 out of their first-innings 229, had to sit out the second innings due to a finger injury. Titans folded for 125.Rain and bad light ultimately proved to be the main winner as the encounter between Dolphins and Knights ended in a draw at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg. The inclement weather, which led to no play on day two and just over 50 overs squeezed in on day three, again briefly returned on the final day, allowing for only 72 overs to be sent down. To their credit, both teams tried to effect a result, with three declarations before the visitors finished the game on 181 for 3 in pursuit of a target of 295. Heading into the final day, only one innings had been completed, and after Knights declared their innings at 206 for 9, Dolphins went after quick runs. Sarel Erwee and captain Khaya Zondo both reached fifty, with Zondo striking 10 fours in his 45-ball 59 before declaring the innings at 146 for 3. That left Knights with a target of 295 to win, with Raynard van Tonder reaching 60 and Keegan Petersen striking an unbeaten 71 before the captains shook hands on a draw.On the national radarChris Morris was somewhat surprisingly left out of South Africa’s squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan, and the allrounder appeared to have been further set back when he suffered a laceration to his finger in the field for Titans. The injury did not stop Morris from bowling on the third day, although he did not come out to bat in Titans’ second innings.Morris’ fitness has been one of the main factors in his limited chances for South Africa in recent times: he picked up a back injury at last year’s IPL, and, more, recently struggled with a strained hamstring. South Africa coach Ottis Gibson has suggested that the Proteas’ search for an allrounder at No. 7 to balance out their side is still open, and Morris could yet be drafted into the ODI squad for the final three games against Pakistan – but time is running short for Morris to force his way back into contention for a spot in South Africa’s World Cup squad.Top performerWhile Keegan Petersen maintained his place at the top of the competition batting charts, and Nicky van den Bergh and Dominic Hendricks deserve a mention for sheer weight of runs in their career-best knocks, it was a pair of innings from teenager Sinethemba Qeshile that turned heads in the latest round of the 4-day Series. Qeshile turned 19 in October last year, the day after he had scored back to back fifties against a strong Lions attack containing three Sout Africa players. Since then, Qeshile has bounced back from a pair to fall one run short of his maiden first-class hundred against a Knights attack spearheaded by Duanne Olivier. In his first full franchise season for Warriors, he has now scored 500 runs at an average of 50, and looks a very promising prospect, especially after his latest knocks to help beat Cobras.

Sunderland will be eager to win away at Plymouth Argyle this Saturday in Championship action, a potentially pivotal three points for the Black Cats could be secured at the expense of Carlos Corberan's West Bromwich Albion if the Baggies slip up versus Ipswich Town in the evening.

West Brom are directly below Tony Mowbray's playoff chasers at the moment in seventh spot, only behind Sunderland on goal difference at this moment in time with the Black Cats' potency in front of goal giving them a slight edge in this early season butting of heads for the final playoff position.

6th – Sunderland: 26 points, GD: +10

7th – West Brom: 26 points, GD +9

8th – Hull City: 26 points, GD +3

Plymouth are an opponent Sunderland cannot take lightly this weekend, however, especially with the Pilgrims hosting the contest at Home Park – Steven Schumacher's men picking up four wins from eight home games in the Championship so far after lifting the League One title at the end of last campaign.

A selection conundrum that Mowbray will contend with prior to this game in Devon will be who starts in the centre-back positions, with young defender Jenson Seelt underwhelming in the 3-1 home win over Birmingham City despite the positive result.

Jenson Seelt's numbers vs Birmingham

The 20-year-old, who was a summer buy from PSV Eindhoven to add some more bodies defensively, has shown signs of nerves when fielded by Mowbray in the starting line-up this season.

This was particularly evident against Birmingham, but his poor showing didn't derail his side at all to the relief of the die-hard Stadium of Light faithful watching on.

Seelt was weak when it came to asserting himself up against the Blues attackers, only winning half of his overall duels, as per Sofascore.

Whereas, his defensive colleague Trai Hume won six of his nine ground duels on the day to make up for Seelt's below-par display.

It led to Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson giving Seelt a 5/10 rating in an article after the game, saying the pace of the game was 'too much' for the 20-year-old to cope with.

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The former PSV youngster could well be dropped from Mowbray's first team for the trip down to Devon as a result, especially with the news that senior centre-back option Luke O'Nien will be back and ready for action after serving a suspension.

Luke O'Nien as Seelt's replacement

Predominantly playing as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder throughout his career, O'Nien has excelled under Mowbray this campaign featuring even further back in the heart of defence.

O'Nien's own hot-headedness can be his undoing – picking up his fifth yellow card of the season already against Swansea meant he was unavailable for the Birmingham win – but the commitment and determination shown by Sunderland's number 13 on a regular basis when picked is a trait the Black Cats masses can't help but love.

Winning four out of his five aerial duels in that Swansea 0-0 draw, O'Nien's ability on the ball – which has seen him play centrally under Mowbray – also shone even from the back.

Sunderland's captain was accurate with both of his crosses into the Swans area on the day, attempting to unlock a dogged defence all afternoon, even whilst carrying out his standard defensive duties.

For a tough test away at the Pilgrims, Mowbray could well opt to start the former Wycombe Wanderers man over his promising Dutch defender to give Seelt a breather and to ensure Sunderland are rock solid up against Schumacher's Argyle.

Arsenal have reportedly shown interest in signing Palmeiras wonderkid, Estevao Willian, after Chelsea had tabled a €60m bid for the 'Little Messi'.

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Chelsea want to sign 16-year-oldBarcelona are also in the mixArsenal become the latest team to join the raceWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Arsenal has thrown their hat into the ring for Willian, amidst stiff competition from other elite clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Real Madrid and fellow London rivals Chelsea. The Blues are keeping no stone unturned to beat their rivals in the pursuit of the teenager and have reportedly offered €40m (£34/$42m) plus €20m (£17m/$21m) in add-ons.

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Despite only ten senior appearances to his name, Willian has already showcased glimpses of his immense potential during his time in Palmeiras' youth setup, earning rave reviews and attracting attention from across the footballing world. However, uncertainties loom over Palmeiras' willingness to entertain offers for the young winger, as they weigh the potential benefits of cashing in against the prospect of retaining a burgeoning talent whose value could soar in the coming years. The possibility of offering Willian a new contract further complicates the transfer dynamics for its suitors.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the swirling speculation and interest from a multitude of clubs, Willian harbours a personal aspiration to don the colours of Barcelona, inspired by the exploits of iconic figures such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar. His admiration for the Catalan giants and dreams of gracing the hallowed turf of Camp Nou underscore the emotional dimension intertwined with his professional ambitions.

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WHAT WILLIAN SAID

When asked about his future, Messinho had reportedly said previously: “To play for Barcelona, which is one of the best clubs in the world. I was born watching Neymar, Messi and Suarez play for Barcelona and that’s the dream I have. I watch almost every Barca match, I’m a fan of the club. I have great admiration for the players who play there and I hope to be there too.”

Same old Tottenham Hotspur. That was the hackneyed phrase that was thrown about when managerless Spurs concluded a 2022/23 campaign that had resulted in the dismissal of Antonio Conte in March – the fourth sacking in as many years – and presaged the summer sale of Harry Kane.

An eighth-placed Premier League finish meant that the current campaign would be spent on English shores, but Ange Postecoglou was appointed from Celtic to pump life back into a proud outfit searching for success.

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Kane was sold but Tottenham spent wisely during the summer transfer market to plant the seeds for an exciting campaign, and while a five-match winless run has halted the revolution, Postecoglou is building something in London and will now look to sign a new talisman to continue the rebuild.

Tottenham transfer news – Ivan Toney

According to a report from the Mirror last week, Tottenham are interested in signing a wealth of players this winter, with Brentford striker Ivan Toney among the options for transfer.

Toney, a one-cap England international, has been suspended since May after breaching FA betting rules and remains ineligible for selection until January 23rd, 2024.

The Mirror reveal that while Postecoglou is desperate to strengthen his backline, Tottenham remain in the running for Toney, with London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal also eager to complete a deal after the new year.

While sources suggest that Toney will remain at the Gtech Community Stadium until the end of the season, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is actually open for discussions, however, he has given the 27-year-old a staggering £100m price tag as per Sky Sports.

Ivan Toney's style of play

Kane might have been sold to Bayern Munich in August but Heung-min Son – appointed club captain this year – has excelled in an unnatural striker's role, scoring ten goals and supplying four assists across 16 appearances this term, mostly as the focal frontman.

But he is a left winger, and while Son's dynamism allows him to find success wherever he is placed across the frontline, Postecoglou will need to sign an out-and-out forward, and Toney could be the man, having been said to be "like Harry Kane" by England teammate Declan Rice.

Ivan Toney: Key Characteristics

Strengths

Weaknesses

Finishing

Offside awareness

Through balls

Passing

Direct free-kicks

Aerial duels

*Sourced via WhoScored

Not just a goalscorer, the £36k-per-week star ranks among the top 22% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes, the top 6% for interceptions and the top 17% for aerial duels per 90, as per FBref.

Said to have the "mindset of a lion" by his manager, who has also called him a "monster" of a player, Toney is tenacious and indeed ravenous for goals, something that has certainly been reflected in his exploits over the past several years, having emerged as a deadly option for Brentford as they have risen to the fore of English football under Frank's guidance.

Ivan Toney's Premier League stats

Toney has been immense for Brentford over the past years, and after scoring 31 times in the 2021/22 campaign to send his side to the top tier of English football, he bagged 12 goals from 32 outings in his Premier League term.

Last season, Toney was utterly sensational as he led the line for the buzzing Bees, plundering 20 goals from 33 Premier League matches and creating 12 big chances for his teammates.

Perhaps it would be wise to put that in perspective: last term, Kane created 14 big chances in the Premier League – he pips Toney, sure, but how many strikers can go punch for punch with Kane's creativity?

While he only completed 62% of his passes (which is admittedly not great) this was largely due to his unyielding urge to influence the play and make things happen.

How Ivan Toney could help Richarlison

Having been noted for his "unique" style by Frank – who appears to have a constant stream of superlatives when discussing his star striker – Toney offers something different and could be the perfect player to serve as the arrowhead in Postecoglou's system.

The confluence of style with Son could be something wonderful, with the South Korean boasting the whole gamut of attacking skills that would allow him to supplement the prospective recruit with constancy, and vice versa.

But perhaps the acquisition of Toney could also bring the very best out of Richarlison, who has been struggling to make his mark down the N17 but did leave an impression one week ago against Newcastle, scoring either side of half-time to play a pivotal role in his outfit's return to the win column.

Signing for the Lilywhites from Everton for £60m in 2022, the Brazilian forward failed to impress and only netted one league goal all season, though he has improved since the summer and has posted four goals and three assists from just nine starts in the Premier League this year.

While Richarlison is displaying signs of improvement, he could take his game to the next level with a partner such as Toney beside him, a counterweight of sorts, providing a multi-faceted approach that would leave the 26-year-old well-placed to start building that goal tally.

The Brazilian ranks among the top 8% of positional peers for assists, the top 21% for progressive carries, the top 5% for tackles and the top 5% for interceptions per 90, showcasing the creative spark and defensive application that has prompted Postecoglou to keep the faith in him thus far.

Described as a "fighter" by former Spurs director Fabio Paratici, Richarlison's shown himself to be a pretty reliable source of supplementation this season; the hope is that he now builds on his recent performances and finally starts living up to that lofty price tag.

With Toney alongside him and providing him with competition for a starting berth, Richarlison will receive the fuel he needs to take his game to the next level.