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BBC pundit and former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton believes one of manager Ange Postecoglou's "reliable" players could actually join a top European side soon.

Hojbjerg and Dier expected to leave Spurs

Despite being mainstays under former Spurs boss Antonio Conte, both Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are now facing very uncertain futures.

Dier's contract is set to expire in 2024 and there are no signs that the Englishman will be offered a renewal any time soon. The centre-back has only just come back into Postecoglou's starting eleven, playing their last two matches after Micky van de Ven's serious hamstring injury and Cristian Romero's suspension.

Dier's lack of pace isn't suited to Postecoglou's high defensive line, and when Tottenham's favoured centre-back pairing return, it is likely he will be relegated to the bench again.

Hojbjerg, meanwhile, has been repeatedly linked with a move to Europe following his lack of starting opportunities under Postecoglou this season. The Denmark star has recently come back into the fold amid Spurs' current injury crisis, but is still reportedly keen to leave Tottenham for pastures new in January.

Dier is a particularly curious case, as reports in the last week have suggested that European giants Bayern Munich, the new home of Spurs legend Harry Kane, are eyeing a "shock" move for the 29-year-old.

Hutton thinks Dier could join Bayern

Other claims state that the former Sporting Lisbon star would be interested in making that move (Football Insider), with Hutton thinking Dier to Bayern is a real possibility.

The former Scotland international cites Dier's ability as an astute, ball-playing centre-back for the transfer to be realistic – with Hutton suggesting his playing style would suit manager Thomas Tuchel down to the ground.

“If I’m totally honest, I think Tottenham will want to bring someone else in,” said Hutton on Dier to Football Insider.

“With van de Ven and Romero there, who have you got there that’s going to come in? There’s a lot of players that have been there for a number of years now and it’s not quite worked out. Dier’s been there for nine years now and you would think his Tottenham career is now over considering the last few weeks.

“Would he fancy it? Probably. You’re going to a team there where you’re probably going to win more often than not. He’d have a lot of the ball, he’s good with his feet and he can play out from the back so it’s probably something that he’ll think about.

“Ultimately I think it’s time for him to move on to something different. Obviously, Ange Postecoglou will want to bring in his own signings.”

Depsite his current form, Dier has been a faithful servant for Spurs since signing from Sporting all those years ago, with Conte calling him a "reliable" player.

"What I can tell you is that Eric has improved a lot since I arrived. We are talking about a reliable player, 100 per cent focused in every game. He is not a player who alternates with a big performance then a drop."

Crawley, the 20-year-old right-hander, hit a career-best 168 in a total of 436 as Kent posted a first innings lead of 250

ECB Reporters Network19-Sep-20181:48

Warwickshire deal Sussex’s promotion hopes a blow

ScorecardKent opener Zak Crawley hit a fluent maiden first-class century to bolster his side’s promotion hopes and leave them in total command of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Division Two basement side Glamorgan.Crawley, the 20-year-old right-hander, hit a career-best 168 in a total of 436 as Kent posted a first innings lead of 250 before leaving the visitors to bat out the final hour of day two.The visitors lost both openers Nick Selman and Stephen Cook, caught in the slips off Darren Stevens’ away-swingers within six overs. Kiran Carlson toe-ended a Joe Denly long-hop onto off stump and, in the final over of the day, night watchman Kieran Bull, fended one from Matt Henry to first slip.Wobbling on 33 for 4 at the close, Glamorgan will need a further 217 to make Kent bat again, but the day had belonged to Crawley.In only his 20th first-class appearance Crawley, who honed his batting on ‘The Head’, the 1st XI ground at Tonbridge School – the alma mater of Colin Cowdrey and, more latterly, Ed Smith, England’s national selector – Crawley played a four-hour innings crammed with top-handed cover drives that would have delighted Lord Cowdrey himself.”It feels very good to be stood here tonight with a first hundred to my name,” he said. “I’ve been waiting a while for it and have got out in the 90s a couple of times along the way, so to get over the line today was nice, but I was even more pleased to kick on afterwards.”I’m not usually one for getting nervous in the 90s because I always believed 99 was as good as a hundred, but I’ll admit I was nervous today. A couple of old memories started creeping in about getting out on 93 and 96 before, but once I got the all important single I was fine.Batting in tandem with Sam Billings, Crawley helped add 132 in 29 overs for the sixth wicket as Kent set about firstly reaching Glamorgan’s first innings of 186 and building a game-defining lead thereafter.Resuming on their overnight score of 93 for 2, Kent suffered their first loss in the eighth over when Harry Podmore, their night watchman, fell for 2 – the second of four Kent players to be caught behind when leg glancing. Heino Kuhn fell in similar fashion soon after, flicking airily against Ruaidhri Smith to be caught by Cooke.Crawley reached the 90s with a hooked six off Smith and went on to post his maiden ton in a shade over three hours, having hit 15 boundaries and faced 141 balls.Daniel Bell-Drummond went soon after, pushing half forward with low hands, the England Lions batsman gloved a catch to second slip to send Kent into lunch with a slender lead of four runs.The hosts pressed on after the resumption as Crawley plundered 24 boundaries, while Billings recorded his second half-century of a run-parched summer from 74 balls and with six fours.It took a very good delivery from Bull to finally dislodge Crawley, the only casualty of the mid-session, after 304 minutes at the crease. Prodding forward to his 237th ball, Crawley was deceived by the off-spinner’s flight and dip and a delivery that turned through the gate to clip middle stump.A short, sharp shower rushed the players off for an early tea just before 3pm, after which, Ollie Robinson fell for 17 on his home debut, once again caught down the leg side when glancing.Having battled away for three hours in posting 85 for his highest score since his last championship century against Gloucestershire in Bristol in August 2016, Billings fell to the first ball of a new spell from Michael Hogan. Pushed onto the back-foot by a ‘hit-the-deck’ delivery, the Kent captain was powerless to stop a shooting Hogan off-cutter from plucking out middle stump.Having past the career milestone of 15,000 first-class runs, Stevens perished for 30 when driving a Jeremy Lawlor away-swinger to extra cover, leaving Grant Stewart and Matt Henry to take the home score beyond 400.Having scored only two batting bonus points in their six previous home games, Kent notched five and a maximum eight bonus points in a match for the first time in 2018 before Henry holed out for 31 to leave Glamorgan to bat the remaining 14 overs of the day.

He sustained a broken thumb while batting in the WACA Ground nets ahead of their opening match against Western Australia on Tuesday

Daniel Brettig18-Sep-2018New South Wales suffered a major blow on the eve of their first match of the domestic season, after the captain Peter Nevill sustained a broken thumb while batting in the notoriously speedy WACA Ground nets ahead of their opening match of the One Day Cup against Western Australia on Tuesday.Nevill has duly been ruled out of the whole tournament, with a recovery plan geared at getting him back to full fitness in time for the start of the Sheffield Shield in mid-October. Named as full-time captain of the Blues during the pre-season, Nevill now hands leadership over to the left-handed batsman Kurtis Patterson, who recently returned from the Australia A tour of India.Wicketkeeping duties will be taken over by Jay Lenton, the Sydney Thunder gloveman, who will fly across the country from NSW to play in Perth on Tuesday. “It’s obviously very disappointing to break your thumb,” Nevill said. “But we are confident there is no surgery required, it should heal well, and I am hoping to be back for the start of the Sheffield Shield season.”I want to be around the group, we have worked very hard to be in a good position. I’ll be hanging around in Perth for the first few games to help out in any way I can, and hopefully watch the boys have a successful couple of games here.”We are very fortunate to have Kurtis Patterson, it will be a seamless transition for him. Jay kept very well in our internal trial matches a few weeks ago and will come in and do a very good job for the team.”Phil Jaques, the NSW coach, was understandably frustrated to lose Nevill after the pair worked assiduously together over the off-season to reshape the Blues programme after several years of underperformance, particularly in the Shield. “It’s never ideal to lose your skipper on the eve of the tournament,” Jaques said.”Nev has put in a lot of hard work throughout the off-season and he will be sorely missed. It’s a great opportunity for Kurtis. We named him vice-captain at the start of the pre-season, and that was a well-deserved appointment for Kurtis. It will be great for him to step up and get some experience in the captaincy role. It’s a good opportunity for Jay to put his name forward and play a role in the JLT One-Day Cup. We know that Jay is a very good player and he will do a good job in Nev’s absence.”Another injury removed the South Australia swing and seam bowler Daniel Worrall from calculations early in the tournament, as the Redbacks prepare for their opening match, also against NSW in Perth on Thursday. SA’s team performance manager Tim Nielsen said that escalating back pain had forced Worrall out of the squad, his place taken by the young allrounder Luke Robins.”Daniel’s been experiencing lower back pain which escalated at training this past week, and he will now return to Adelaide for further assessment,” Nielsen said. “We are disappointed for Daniel but by returning to Adelaide the medical team can investigate the cause of the injury and the best direction for his return to play.”We now welcome Luke Robins into the squad who is an exciting allrounder and was the leading wicket-taker in the Futures League last season.”Western Australia, meanwhile, will be missing Marcus Stoinis, D’Arcy Short and Matthew Kelly for the opening game. Short suffered a freakish injury – bitten by his dog – but the other two have more conventional complaints. “All three players will be reassessed prior to Saturday’s game against South Australia, and are on track to be available for selection early in the tournament,” the WACA sports science manager, Nick Jones said.”D’Arcy had an unlucky incident two weeks ago while playing with his dog, where his hand got in the way of a dog toy and the bite caused a deep laceration to the palm of his hand. He needed a few stitches and surgical washout but has returned to batting and catching balls this week, and is on track for selection in round two.”Marcus and Matt are both very close to being cleared to play, but we would prefer not to rush anyone back at the beginning of the season and want to ensure they have fully recovered from injury before returning to play.”Simon Mackin, Will Bosisto and Sam Whiteman have taken the temporarily vacant places in the squad.

ScorecardDropped catches proved expensive for Durham after the visitors chose to bowl first on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.Paul Collingwood, captaining Durham for the last time away from their Chester-le-Street home, put down both Harry Dearden and Neil Dexter, both times at first slip, though Dexter should already have been dismissed first ball, Michael Richardson shelling a relatively straightforward chance at third slip.Had Richardson held the chance, off Matt Salisbury, Leicestershire would have been 139 for 5 and struggling. As it was Dexter and Dearden went on to compile a partnership of 77 for the fifth wicket in just 17 overs before Leicestershire’s lower order and tail took their score past 300.In the absence of captain Paul Horton, unavailable due to personal reasons, Ateeq Javid was promoted to open. He and academy graduate Sam Evans put together a partnership of 31 for Leicestershire’s first wicket before Evans was leg before to a delivery from Chris Rushworth which seamed back in to the young right-hander.With the bowlers struggling to cope with the strong southerly wind, Colin Ackermann hit Barry McCarthy for successive boundaries before the Ireland international had his revenge with a delivery that moved away just enough to find the edge.Javid was dismissed shortly after reaching his half-century, his highest score for Leicestershire, leg before to a Rushworth delivery which seamed back, and though Mark Cosgrove showed signs of finding some sort of form in going to 37, he was also beaten on numerous occasions, particularly by Rushworth, before being bowled pushing across the line at a delivery from Salisbury.Dexter’s good fortune enable he and Dearden to repair the innings before Dexter eventually went leg before on the front foot to Gareth Harte with the score on 216 shortly before tea, and when Dearden edged a loose drive at Mark Wood without further addition to the score, Durham might have hoped to have their opponents all out for around 260.But Lewis Hill, in company with Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson and Gavin Griffiths, guided Leicestershire to a third batting bonus point.

In the post-2000-era, Manchester United's unrelenting dominance of the Premier League was built on a squad of superstars as Sir Alex Ferguson nurtured some of the best young prospects to grace the beautiful game.

Of course, prising Cristiano Ronaldo away from Sporting Lisbon for £12m in 2003 will go down as arguably the greatest piece of business the club has ever done, but the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney arrived as young prospects for big money and departed the club as legends.

While the pillars of their success were built on their eye for talented youngsters that they developed into superstars, Ferguson also did some underrated business in the transfer market, capturing Nemanja Vidic for £7m from Spartak Moscow in 2006 – who became a colossus at the back alongside Ferdinand – Patrice Evra for £5.5m from AS Monaco and PSV Eindhoven's Ji-sung Park for £4m.

It is fair to say the 2005/06 season was a hugely successful one in the transfer window as that trio played a huge role in helping United dominate on the domestic and European front.

Similarly, luring Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic in 2009 was another time when the Red Devils struck gold in the transfer market, as the Ecuador international became an integral cog in Fergie's winning machine.

How much did Man United pay for Antonio Valencia?

Signed in the summer of 2009, Man United captured the signature of highly-rated Wigan winger Valencia for £16m.

Valencia became Ferguson's first signing since Ronaldo departed for £80m in the same summer, and although he was never going to be a direct replacement for the outgoing superstar, he was a player that the Scot was chasing for a while.

Upon the completion of the transfer, Ferguson said: "Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier League with Wigan, I am sure his pace and ability will make a significant contribution to the team."

Possessing the raw pace and power that was a staple in Ferguson's well-oiled machine, Valencia arrived at the club after producing 17 goal contributions in 89 appearances for the Latics – whilst that record is nothing to write home about – a move to Man United would be the catalyst for the 24-year-old's development.

How good was Antonio Valencia at Man United?

Valencia was built in the mould of an old-fashioned winger; difficult to defend against in one vs one's, utilising his fast, powerful and direct attributes to fashion a space for a cross and flash a ball into the danger zone.

Although defenders knew what was coming, Valencia was excellent at crafting a yard of space to send a telling and often quality delivery into the box, a movement that saw him record an impressive seven goals and 13 assists in his first season at Old Trafford.

United went on to lose out on the Premier League title by a single point to Chelsea, preventing them from lifting a fourth consecutive title and while they would return to the top of the tree in the following season, Valencia's campaign was hampered by a dislocated and fractured ankle, though he did return in time to help the Red Devils lift their 19th league title.

In the following season, the explosive winger began his transition into becoming a dependable right back and the switch to a more defensive role allowed him to thrive from a deeper position, chalking up an incredible 14 assists in 27 appearances in the top flight as he scooped the United’s Fans and Players’ Player of the Season awards.

Rewarded with the number 7 jersey that was donned by Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Ronaldo previously, Valencia's form subsequently dipped, contributing to half the number of goals and a quarter of assists in Ferguson's final campaign.

During the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal eras that followed, Valencia's output declined – as did United's powers in English football – and it wasn't untill Jose Mourinho arrived in 2016 that the 5 foot 11 "beast", as dubbed by former teammate Juan Mata, was allowed to flourish once more.

Valencia was someone who the Special One had admired since his days managing Real Madrid and although Mourinho didn't turn him into the flying fullback, the process began long before his arrival.

“I tried to sign Antonio when I was at Madrid,” Mourinho said. "Even though he was not playing right-back at the time, I thought he could be phenomenal in that position.”

Mourinho showcased his love for Valencia even further by labelling him as the "best right back in the world" in 2017, paying an ode to the longevity and consistent quality that he produced.

After tallying up 87 goal contributions in 339 appearances, current manager Erik ten Hag can only dream of having a right-back capable of producing that level of output in the final third with Diogo Dalot, for instance, only contributing to nine goals in 115 appearances for the club so far.

Remembered fondly by supporters for being a winger turned world-class right back, who was adored by Ferguson and Mourinho, Valencia was one of several unsung heroes at Manchester United during their glittering period at the top and is now retired following stints in Ecuador and Mexico.

Leeds United have been a club renowned for its questionable transfer moves in recent years, with former Sporting Director Victor Orta having been at the heart of the bulk of them.

The Spaniard had a huge hand in decisions made regarding managerial switches and incoming players, which ultimately doomed them to the drop last year, and allowed the bulk of their squad to easily depart soon after

No less than 15 of their first-team stars have departed, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Max Wober all jumping ship despite having signed within the last year.

To see such new faces rush to exit Elland Road only compounded Orta’s failures, who even saw his contract terminated in May in order to usher in the new era.

It took 16 years for them to return to the Premier League after their 2004 relegation, and the hope will be that Daniel Farke can ensure that their current stay in the second tier is not nearly as long.

Given the emphatic summer of spending the German enjoyed, as he sought to offset these exits, the club are certainly in a strong enough position to dream of an instant promotion this year.

In what was their first window in a while without the disgraced sporting director, it was largely a positive one as they fought to quell the tide of outgoings spurred on by various clauses that facilitated an easy exit.

Shrewd signings like Glen Kamara, Joe Rodon and Djed Spence brought top-flight experience to Elland Road, whilst the likes of Jaidon Anthony and Joel Piroe boast numerous years starring within the Championship between them.

However, when viewing both the pedigree they brought and their recent performances, Ethan Ampadu must stand out as their marquee addition.

How has Ampadu performed at Leeds?

Preying on Chelsea’s desperation to offload the bulk of a heavily bloated squad, the Wales international had got lost amongst the talent they boasted. At one point last season Graham Potter was forced to play two matches in training due to the sheer number of players they had at Cobham, so for the 23-year-old returning from a largely uneventful loan spell in Italy, he was unlikely to break through.

Dropping down a division offered plenty to both parties, and given his start to life in Yorkshire, it is already working out well.

Although their start to the season has been somewhat patchy, Ampadu has stood out as one of their shining lights, with his 7.28 average rating in the league the fifth-best within the squad. Such a fine figure is buoyed by his 85% pass accuracy alongside one key pass, 2.3 tackles and 2.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Farke would rush to laud the man who has already lit up the Championship: “I'm pretty pleased with the signing of Ethan Ampadu. I think today he has showed some glimpses and in the many periods why wanted him so much. He's a young player with much potential, also more to come, but already an experienced player so he was quite crucial in the first half.”

It seems that a run of games could help the versatile star finally grow into his once-promised potential, as former Northern Ireland international Paul McVeigh once lauded: “Footballing world, take note of this young player. Ethan Ampadu. He's going to be very special."

How much did Leeds pay for Ethan Ampadu?

As if his performances alone did not vouch for the coup the Whites earned by signing Ampadu, it is worth outlining just how cheap the deal for the 6-foot maestro was.

After all, with the aforementioned issues in west London, their desperation to sell clearly fed into the cut-price nature of the deal.

Either unaware or uninterested in his future, it was astonishing to see the Stamford Bridge outfit sanction his exit at a mere £7m.

How much was Ethan Ampadu worth at Chelsea?

Given he spent six years in London, it should be no surprise that the value of the former Spezia loanee fluctuated throughout his time there.

Sat at a mere €800k (£689k) in 2017 when he made the move from Exeter City to the Premier League side, leaving the club that handed him a senior debut at just 15 years old, immediately expectations were astronomically high.

Reaching a peak of €17m (£14.6m) in 2022, as per Football Transfers, such a figure has slowly declined as chances have become scarcer. Fortunately, the former England U16s international is already on his way back to such a level since moving to Leeds.

What is Ethan Ampadu’s market value now?

Football Transfers help to outline the growth of such an integral figure for Farke across the three months that the midfielder has been at the club, with their month-by-month expected Transfer Value tracker.

Given that it has once again started on an upward trajectory, the €15.6m (£13.4m) level he has now reached is one only certain to continue soaring with each passing month.

To compare that figure with the initial sum spent to sign Ampadu, and across just two months already his value has risen by a whopping 91%. Come the end of the campaign, it is a truly enthralling prospect to imagine just how high it will have risen.

Why is Ethan Ampadu worth that much?

All the aforementioned glowing testimonies help to emphasise why the Welshman is valued so highly, alongside the figures that showcased a truly bright start to the league season.

However, what has not been noted is his versatility, with the ability to easily slot into centre-back a hugely important factor that will surely aid Farke throughout what promises to be a gruelling year.

Ethan Ampadu

23

89

6

Glen Kamara

27

150

36

Patrick Bamford

30

102

0

Daniel James

25

106

15

In fact, during his most recent loan spell in Serie A, Leeds’ number four would feature predominantly at the back, with his 6.91 average rating the highest in the entire squad. Although they would fall to relegation, the supplementary figures of 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and three clearances per game (via Sofascore) help suggest that it had nothing to do with the performances of Ampadu.

The hope will be that the fine start to life at Elland Road is one which can be maintained throughout a season where promotion is a must, helping skyrocket that value to new heights.

Crystal Palace have unearthed some mighty talent over the years, nurturing some stellar academy stars as well as assisting new arrivals on their path to greatness at Selhurst Park.

Not many talents stick out in south London as prolifically as Wilfried Zaha, who graduated from the academy to go on to make 458 senior appearances for Palace over his 18-year connection to the club.

Now that the Ivorian has bid farewell, it’s time for the new wave of starlets to take centre stage for the Eagles, with Roy Hodgson left with an abundance of talent at his disposal thanks to some smart signings in recent years.

Three years ago, Steve Parish welcomed one bright spark in particular to Selhurst, in a move that has proven to be a huge hit in south London. Step forward Eberechi Eze.

How much was Eberechi Eze worth at QPR?

When Queens Park Rangers signed youngster Eberechi Eze on a free transfer from Millwall in 2016, the R’s couldn’t have expected what the future would hold for both club and player thanks to his talents.

Two years after his arrival, the attacking midfielder broke into the first-team squad sporadically, making 16 Championship appearances in the 2017/18 campaign.

As a result, his expected transfer value (xTV) rose to €3m (£2.5m), as calculated by Football Transfers, telling of the path he would lead going forward.

How much did Crystal Palace sign Eberechi Eze for?

It wasn’t long before the Englishman made it to the big time, sealing a move to Crystal Palace in 2020 for a fee in the region of £20m, £4m of which were to be made up of add-ons.

At the time his xTV sat around the €17.8m (£15.2m) mark, suggesting that Palace overpaid for his services, however, the Eagles would go on to have the last laugh by capturing his signature.

What is Eberechi Eze’s market value now?

After three years and 98 appearances, it’s come to light that Parish struck gold by signing Eze, whose xTV has since rocketed to €35.1m (£30m), showing a mightily impressive £10m rise from the price he was purchased for back in 2020.

At just 25 years old, the growth that the versatile attacker has shown during his rise in the Premier League has earned him praise from beyond the comforts of Selhurst, with him earning two caps for England this year.

Why is Eze worth that much?

Lauded as having the “potential to become a star” by U23 scout Antonio Mango amid his move to Palace, Eze has quickly become one of the best talents in Hodgson’s team.

Last season, the Londoner scored ten goals as well as registering four assists in the Premier League, showcasing his importance to the attack on show in the south of the capital.

The 25-year-old was previously dubbed to be a “different class” by former Palace boss and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, which was supported by Eze registering as the highest-performing player in the Premier League in one decimal.

Indeed, as per FBref, Eze topped the charts in terms of his average of successful take-ons in comparison to other midfielders in the top flight, averaging 2.42 per 90 to show just how much of a menace he is on the ball.

From £20m to being valued at £30m in three years, Parish truly struck gold by signing Eze from QPR, with the future looking bright for both Palace and the England international.

It is fair to say that it has proven a tricky return to the Premier League as far as Burnley are concerned, with one particular worry having been the shortage of goals for Vincent Kompany's side, after scoring just four times in four league games thus far.

Oh, how the Clarets wish they had a prolific presence to lead the line this season, with summer signing Zeki Amdouni – who arrived from Swiss side Basel – representing something of a gamble due to his lack of prior experience in English football.

In another world, the Turf Moor outfit may have been lining up with an almost guaranteed supply of goals through the middle, however, with the club having agonisingly missed out on the chance to sign England skipper, Harry Kane in the not-too-distant past…

Why didn't Burnley sign Harry Kane?

While it may appear fanciful to imagine, there was a time in which the former Tottenham Hotspur man could have ended up in Lancashire, having struggled to force his way into the first-team reckoning in north London.

Following a string of mixed loan spells in the lower leagues – notably scoring just twice in 15 games for Leicester City in 2013 – there were likely to have been doubts over Kane's suitability to life at the elite level, with then-boss Tim Sherwood even suggesting that chairman Daniel Levy was willing to sanction the sale of the academy graduate to the Foxes for just £600k.

It was then a year later that the Turf Moor hierarchy were also believed to be sniffing around for the promising striker, with Sean Dyche – who was in the dugout at the time – revealing that he had enquired about signing the youngster in 2014.

Despite that interest from the current Everton boss, the Clarets were said to have been quoted a figure of around £7m to be able to prise the Walthamstow native from N17, with that a rather hefty asking price for a player that was relatively "unproven" – in the words of Dyche.

With Burnley looking to splash out closer to just £3m – the fee that was subsequently spent on George Boyd – the deal ultimately never came to fruition, leaving the Lancashire side to ponder what might have been had the 6 foot 2 sensation ended up on their books.

How much is Kane worth now?

That failure to sign the emerging goal machine immediately stung as Dyche's side were relegated from the top flight at the end of the 2014/15 campaign, the same season in which Kane truly announced himself to the wider world with a stellar haul of 21 league goals for Spurs.

Despite a belief at the time from some that he would simply be a 'one-season wonder', the ruthless marksman has made those doubters look rather silly such has been his success since then, as he is now the leading scorer for both his country and for Spurs as a marker of his individual brilliance.

While also now just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer's Premier League record tally, the 30-year-old opted to depart England in order to join Bayern Munich this summer, with the £412k-per-week gem still seeking a first piece of major silverware to add to his numerous individual honours.

As an indication of just how far he has come since those links to the Clarets almost a decade ago, Kane was snapped up by the Bundesliga giants for a reported fee of around £100m, with that figure likely to have been higher had the forward's contract not been nearing its expiry at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With five goals in just six games already under his belt in Germany, the 86-cap international is already making an immediate impact in his new surroundings as further proof of just what a "world-class" talent he is – as per pundit Graeme Souness.

In truth, that transfer failure represents a painful case of 'one that got away' for the Clarets…

يتطلع آرني سلوت المدير الفني الجديد لليفربول الإنجليزي، إلى تعزيز الفريق ببعض الصفقات للعب تحت قيادته.

ويتولى سلوت تدريب ليفربول خلفًا للمدرب الألماني يورجن كلوب الذي غادر منصبه بعد تسع سنوات مدربًا في “آنفيلد”.

وأشارت تقارير صحفية إلى أن سلوت يريد من ليفربول التعاقد مع حارس مرمى فينورد الهولندي، جاستن بيلو.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، آرسنال على استعداد لمنافسة ليفربول، حيث يرغب وصيف الدوري الإنجليزي في التعاقد مع حارس مرمى ويرى أن بيلو صفقة مناسبة له.

ومن المنتظر أن يغادر حارس المرمى آرون رامسديل صفوف آرسنال في سوق الانتقالات الصيفي، لكن نظرًا لأنه لم يتبق له سوى ثلاث سنوات في عقده، فقد يتم إعارته لموسم واحد، على الرغم من أن كلا الطرفين يفضلان الانفصال.

وسيوقع آرسنال بشكل دائم مع حارس المرمى ديفيد رايا الذي يلعب له معارًا من برينتفورد، وقد تألق مع الجانرز وتوج بالقفاز الذهبي هذا الموسم.

ويريد آرسنال تعزيز مركز حراسة المرمى بحارس آخر مع رحيل رامسديل المرتقب، وقد وضع عينه على بيلو.

ولعب بيلو تحت قيادة سلوت في صفوف فينورد، قبل أن يتولى المدرب الهولندي مهمة تدريب ليفربول.

Uncapped Otago batsman Anaru Kitchen has been named in New Zealand’s squad for the three T20s against West Indies, while Martin Guptill has made his return following an injury layoff.

New Zealand squad

Tim Southee (capt. for first T20), Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Anaru Kitchen, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor (1st T20 only), Kane Williamson (capt. in 2nd and 3rd T20), Trent Boult (3rd T20 only)

Also in the squad wer batsmen Tom Bruce and Glenn Phillips, each of whom made their T20 international debuts earlier in the year, and seam bowler Seth Rance, who has played two ODIs but no T20s. Ish Sodhi has been preferred to Todd Astle in the spin department, though left-arm spinning allrounder Mitchell Santner is also present in the squad.More players will be rested through this series. Kane Williamson – who is currently on a break – will not return until the second T20, with Tim Southee set to lead in his stead. Trent Boult will also miss the first two T20s, and Ross Taylor will only be available for the first.Colin de Grandhomme will also slot into this squad when he returns to the country following the death of his father. The date of his return is not known, however.Kitchen, 33, has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket, and has been in decent form through the start of New Zealand’s domestic season. He bowls left-arm spin in addition to batting in the middle order for Otago’s T20 side.”When you add Anaru Kitchen to the likes of Colin Munro, Martin Guptill, Glenn Phillips and Tom Bruce, there’s a lot of threats throughout the batting line-up – there are more explosive batting options than ever before,” said selector Gavin Larsen. “Anaru has performed superbly for Otago the past couple of seasons and with his ability to bowl as well, he brings a lot to the side.”Guptill missed the ODI series with a hamstring injury, but will likely take up his usual position atop the order in the T20s. The series begins in Nelson on December 29, before moving to Mt. Maunganui for games on January 1 and 3.Though they have lost all matches on tour so far, West Indies are world champions in the shortest format.New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (capt. for first T20), Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Anaru Kitchen, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor (1st T20 only), Kane Williamson (capt. in 2nd and 3rd T20), Trent Boult (3rd T20 only)