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Tottenham Hotspur could make another two or three new signings this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, who delivered a fresh update live on air on Tuesday afternoon. He said on the Sky Sports Transfer Centre:

“I think maybe two or three more [new signings].

“Djed Spence is widely known [as a target], they want at right wing-back, they’re still negotiating a fee with Middlesbrough. The player wants to come, so Spurs and I imagine Chris Wilder and Boro want to get this done as quickly as possible.

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“Djed Spence wasn’t part of Middlesbrough’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, so I expect that to happen.

“I think they want a more attack-minded central midfielder – someone a bit more creative.

“I thought maybe at the start of the summer that might have been Christian Eriksen but hearing from a couple of people that they think Christian Eriksen is looking for maybe a new challenge. Spurs is maybe not a new challenge for him as he was there for seven, eight years.”

Conte will be buzzing

With the Lilywhites competing in the Champions League this season, it would make sense to add strength in depth to the squad, enough to make them challenge on all fronts.

It would allow manager Antonio Conte to rotate his side without losing out on quality. The toll of two matches per week, after a rigorous pre-season camp, could easily take its toll by Christmas.

Spurs have already added some key names to the side, such as Richarlison from Everton and Yves Bissouma from Brighton. Two experienced Premier League talents that only bolster already-stacked departments.

Meanwhile, the likes of Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet provide the Italian with solutions to gaps in the squad.

In total, the north Londoners have made five signings, so if Bridge’s claim turns out to be true, then sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy could well hit the seven or eight mark, for the first time in a very long time.

Spence is likely to be one of those additions, as Bridge explains, whilst a new no.10 or creative-minded midfielder wouldn’t go amiss given the struggles of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, who could both leave permanently, too.

Either way, Conte has been backed to the hill this summer and their spending spree isn’t done yet, so you have to presume that he’s absolutely buzzing with their business.

AND in other news, After Djed Spence: Journo drops exciting Spurs transfer claim…

Following talk that West Ham United manager David Moyes is plotting multiple new additions this summer – having already wrapped up deals for Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola – supporters may understandably getting excited as to who else could be coming through the door at the London Stadium.

One name who has perhaps set pulses racing more than most is Villarreal talisman Arnaut Danjuma, with Fabrizio Romano reporting earlier this week that the Hammers were in talks with the La Liga club regarding the Dutch winger.

The speedster is set to be available for a fee in the region of £40m owing to a release clause in his existing deal but a deal is now proving problematic, with negotiations thought to be off due to personal terms.

The clamour for his signature has been sparked by what can only be described as an explosive debut campaign in Spain last term, with the former Bournemouth man netting ten goals and providing three assists in the league for Unai Emery’s team.

The six-cap Netherlands international had only joined the ‘Yellow Submarine’ last summer after a two-year stint with the Cherries, having scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in the Championship during the 2020/21 campaign.

The most recent campaign saw the £25k-per-week machine – who has been dubbed a “nightmare for defenders” by pundit Kevin Phillips – particularly catch the eye in the Champions League, notably handing Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot a torrid time at Old Trafford last September.

He netted six league goals in his team’s remarkable surge to the semi-finals of the competition, scoring against both Juventus and Bayern Munich, with that tally seeing him rank among the top 11 scorers in the tournament.

One such player in that elite group was Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman having also plundered six goals in the competition prior to the Ligue 1 giants’ round of 16 exit at the hands of eventual champions Real Madrid.

Despite his lofty status in the game as a World Cup winner and highly-coveted asset, the 23-year-old seemingly shares a number of stylistic and statistical similarities to the aforementioned Danjuma, according to FBRef.

That is some comparison considering that Mbappe has scored 181 goals and provided 79 assists in 263 career games for club and country (as per WhoScored), with the former Monaco marksman arguably one of the best players in the world right now.

To think that Danjuma could even be anywhere near that level would be enough to spark wild excitement among Irons supporters; as would the player’s own recent admission that he has “unfinished business” in the Premier League, having only made six starts in the top flight during the 2019/20 season at the Vitality Stadium.

Should Moyes be able to fend off rival interest and get negotiations back on the table, the West Ham manager could well have his own Mbappe on his hands in the Villarreal star.

AND in other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Burnley centre-back Nathan Collins is still a summer transfer target for Wolves ahead of next season, journalist Alan Nixon has claimed.

The Lowdown: Collins linked with Wolves move

The 21-year-old had an impressive season for the Clarets, proving to be one of the few bright sparks in a campaign that saw them relegated from the Premier League.

Collins looks likely to remain in the top flight and join another club this summer, considering his current level is arguably too good for the Championship, ranking as Burnley’s fourth-best player in top-flight action last season.

Wolves have been linked with a move for the defender and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

The Latest: Journalist provides fresh update

According to Nixon on his Patreon [via The Lancashire Telegraph], Wolves remains keen on bringing Collins to Molineux this summer.

It is claimed that Burnley are asking for a sizeable £40million for the Republic of Ireland international’s services, however, with Newcastle United and Leeds United also interested.

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The Verdict: Great option for Wanderers

While Collins’ transfer fee is admittedly high, he is someone Wolves should definitely be looking at this summer if they can bring that number down a touch, as Bruno Lage looks to replace the departed Romain Saiss.

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Sean Dyche described the youngster as ‘excellent’ last season and he made an average of 4.3 clearances per game in the league, as well as winning 3.1 aerial duels per match. In Wolves’ current squad, only Saiss made more clearances per game and only Toti won more headers.

At 21, Collins would be a long-term acquisition who could potentially be Max Kilman’s long-term partner at the back, assuming the latter stays put at Wolves.

In other news, a Premier League side are keeping tabs on one Wolves player. Find out who it is here.

A claim has emerged regarding Leeds United and their current situation surrounding Kalvin Phillips’ future at the Yorkshire club.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook had this to say on the matter.

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He said: “I think there is, behind the scenes, a sort of resignation that Kalvin Phillips will probably leave this summer, and actually, it might not be a bad thing for Leeds because it will give them a lot of money then to be able to revamp the squad and sign the players Jesse Marsch wants.”

In recent weeks, the midfielder has been linked with a move away from Elland Road with fellow Premier League clubs Manchester City and Liverpool rumoured to be circling around the player.

Awful news for Leeds fans

As one of Leeds’ youth products, the 26-year-old has gone on to become a crucial figure for the team.

With 234 senior appearances under his belt for the club, Phillips has seen his side go from being in the Championship to securing their place in the Premier League for a third successive season.

To highlight how important the England international is to the Whites, out of the nine league games he missed last season, Leeds lost seven of them and conceded 17 goals in total.

It was the same case this season as the Elland Road outfit lost 12 of the 18 games he didn’t feature in, once again how vulnerable the team are defensively when they don’t have Phillips on the pitch.

With that in mind, it would be an awful thing for the Leeds fans to potentially see their midfield star wave goodbye to Elland Road this summer.

However, as Crook mentioned, should the Yorkshire club end up selling the midfielder in the coming weeks for a substantial transfer fee, this could give Marsch a big pot of cash to spend on the team and make sure that Phillips’ potential absence won’t be as much of a problem as it could be.

If the people behind the scenes at Leeds are resigned to seeing the 26-year-old leave the club, then they need to make sure that they get the best deal possible in terms of the finances.

In other news: “Leeds are..“: Romano drops big transfer update that’ll leave supporters buzzing

Liverpool could make a swoop for Dutch winger Cody Gakpo after he has recently been talking about his future.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old is ready to assess his future this summer as he looks increasingly likely to leave PSV Eindhoven for pastures new.

Gakpo told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf that “anything can happen this summer”, putting Liverpool on standby alongside other suitors.

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Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with the winger, and the Reds could face a battle for his signature.

Imagine him and Salah

Liverpool have had a remarkable season, and it could get even better. They are in the Champions League final and could snatch the Premier League title away from Manchester City on the last day of the season.

Jurgen Klopp is seemingly keen on adding to his squad and planning for the future despite that success. His diligent transfer business over the last couple of years, such as bringing in Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, has rejuvenated the title-winning team from 2019/20.

Gakpo, who could be available for just £42m this summer, would be an excellent addition to the squad. Journalist Valentijn Driessen described the winger as “constantly threatening” after he scored the winner in the KNVB Cup final against Ajax last month.

With 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season, it’s hard to think that he wouldn’t add something to the Liverpool side. Although Diaz also plays in Gakpo’s preferred left-wing position, the Dutchman can operate on the right or even as a centre-forward if necessary.

This versatility will only please Klopp further and added competition isn’t a bad thing, especially when the German wants the team to challenge for every competition they enter.

Liverpool fans will surely be excited to think of a wide comprising of serial goalscorer Mohamed Salah and Gakpo, and it may just become a reality this summer.

AND in other news, Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah

Everton are struggling for survival in the Premier League this season and following another defeat last weekend, Frank Lampard’s side has fallen into the relegation zone and now his future is coming into question.

What’s the latest?

Journalist Paul Brown has dropped a huge claim on the Toffees boss surrounding his future at Goodison Park depending on the outcome of the current season.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT:

“It feels like Lampard can’t be there next season because he’s failed to do his job, that’s definitely a possibility, although the only way I see a new manager coming to Everton is if they go down and the owner goes, ‘you failed, off you go, on your bike’.”

Supporters will be worried

The thought of falling into the Championship for the first time since the Premier League began back 30 years ago is already a worrying prospect enough for supporters, without the thought of losing players and the manager in the process.

The inconsistency and constant upheaval at Goodison Park since Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club six years ago has ultimately put them in the position that they have now found themselves, and sacking the sixth permanent manager appointed in six years is not necessarily in the best interests of the club.

Not only is the speculation surrounding the manager a concern, but the future of key players also hangs in the balance with both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison linked with moves away from Everton this summer which will only further impact the team if they do leave so minimising disruption is essential.

The Toffees boss has managed 15 games for the club losing nine, winning five and drawing one so far, and although this run of results isn’t making a big enough impact to secure safety for the side at this point, there is still opportunity in the next six games which a one-game advantage on their relegation rivals around them.

Ultimately, if Lampard does make the great escape from relegation this season it would be a fantastic achievement considering the inconsistency in performances this season but Everton need to get to the end of the season before they make any reckless decisions on the future of people at the club.

AND in other news: Everton now plotting bid for £13.5m-rated “revelation”, he’s miles better than Iwobi

And how often have Sri Lanka been whitewashed at home in a Test series?

Steven Lynch27-Nov-2018How often have Sri Lanka been whitewashed at home in a Test series? asked Chandra de Silva from Sri Lanka

England’s 3-0 victory, which they completed yesterday by winning at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, was only the third time Sri Lanka had been on the wrong end of a whitewash at home.The first such setback was in March 2004, when Australia won 3-0 even though Sri Lanka claimed a first-innings lead in all three matches. Then India repeated the dose in 2017, winning 3-0 on a tour in which they won all nine international matches played.Sri Lanka have pulled off four whitewashes at home themselves. They beat West Indies 3-0 in 2001-02, despite Brian Lara piling up 688 runs, and had similar results against Zimbabwe shortly afterwards, also in 2001-02, Bangladesh in 2007 (three innings victories), and most impressively, against Australia in 2016, again despite conceding first-innings leads in two of the Tests.Kieran Powell was stumped first ball against Bangladesh. Was this a first for an opener in a Test? asked Mike Walker from England

Kieran Powell’s dismissal in the second innings in Chittagong last week was indeed a first for a Test. There had been three other instances of an opener being stumped for a duck, but none of them went first ball. Remarkably, two of those involved the same man, South Africa’s Louis Tancred, who was stumped for 0 on his 16th ball against England at Headingley in 1907, and repeated the feat – fourth ball this time – at The Oval in 1912.The first opener to be stumped for a duck in a Test was the England captain AN “Monkey” Hornby, against Australia at Old Trafford in 1884. He fell to the third ball he received, which was the 15th delivery of the match: this remains the earliest stumping in any Test.Two other openers have been dismissed in the first over, though not in the first innings of the match. England’s Archie MacLaren was stumped for 1 in Sydney in 1894-95, while Alastair Cook fell, also for 1, to the fifth ball of England’s second innings in Kolkata in 2012-13 (he had scored 190 in the first, and England needed only 41 to win).Was Nayeem Hasan the youngest man to take a five-for in a Test? asked Mithun Ahmed from Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s new offspinner Nayeem Hasan, who turns 18 next week, became the youngest from his country to take five wickets in an innings in a Test, in the course of claiming 5 for 61 against West Indies in Chittagong a few days ago. Nayeem beat, by about a month, the record of Enamul Haque Jr, who was just past 18 when he took 6 for 45 against Zimbabwe in Bangladesh’s first Test victory, at a different ground in Chittagong in 2004-05.But there are two Pakistanis on the list who took five-fors at a younger age. Mohammad Amir was 17 when he took 5 for 79 against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 2009-10, but Nasim-ul-Ghani was just 16 when he claimed 5 for 116 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1957-58. A slow left-armer, Nasim took 6 for 67 a fortnight later in Port-of-Spain – and never managed another five-for in a Test career that stretched to 1972-73.Nayeem Hasan bagged five wickets in an innings on his debut, becoming the youngest Bangladeshi to take a five-for in a Test•Getty ImagesI noticed that six England bowlers took wickets in both innings of the final Test against India at The Oval. Has this happened before? asked Kurshid Patel from India

That’s a good spot, because that achievement by England’s bowlers at The Oval in September – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid all took at least one wicket in both innings – is unique in Test history.Overall there have been more than 100 Test innings in which six bowlers took at least one wicket – but only four cases of seven. These were by England against Australia in Melbourne in 1897-98; by South Africa against England in Durban in 1922-23 (six of them took a wicket in the second innings as well); by Australia against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1966-67 (a regular bowler, offspinner Tom Veivers, also bowled 18 wicketless overs); and by New Zealand against South Africa in Centurion in 2005-06.Is it true that in an official ODI, a batsman was given out lbw by his own father, who was the umpire? (Must have led to an awkward conversation at dinner that evening!) asked Taimur Mirza from Australia

Yes, rather surprisingly it is true. The umpire in question was Kenya’s Subhash Modi, who stood in 22 one-day internationals between 2001 and 2010. Three of those featured his son, Hitesh Modi, an obdurate left-hander who had a spell as Kenya’s captain. Against Bangladesh in Nairobi in August 2006, Hitesh was rapped on the pad by Mashrafe Mortaza – but having his father at the other end didn’t save him: Modi Sr raised the finger to end his son’s innings (and, as it happened, his ODI career, after 63 matches). Subhash proudly admitted: “Yes, I gave my son out – and I gave him out in the first match too, bat and pad.”

Stats highlights from Australia’s seven-wicket win in Adelaide

S Rajesh27-Nov-20162 Instances, in Test history, of two debutants staying unbeaten in the fourth innings of a Test win. The only previous such occurrence was in 1880, in the fourth Test ever, when England beat Australia by five wickets at The Oval.9 Instances of Australia successfully chasing down targets between 100 and 150 out of ten, in Tests since 2000. The only time they failed was on treacherous Wankhede pitch in Mumbai in 2004, when they were bowled out for 93 chasing 107 for victory. In ten previous instances before 2000, Australia had lost four out of ten such chases.

Score Result Opposition Ground Year127/3 won South Africa Adelaide 2016130/6 won India Brisbane 2014141/5 won Sri Lanka Sydney 2013106/0 won New Zealand Wellington 2010135/1 won New Zealand Christchurch 2005127/1 won Pakistan Melbourne 200493 lost India Mumbai 2004147/1 won West Indies Georgetown 2003107/5 won England Melbourne 2002130/5 won West Indies Adelaide 20005 Wins for Australia in their last six Tests in Adelaide – they have beaten India (twice), England, New Zealand and South Africa, and drawn against South Africa in November 2012.23.08 Mitchell Starc’s bowling average in Tests since the start of 2015. Among fast bowlers with 50-plus wickets during this period, only James Anderson has a better average. In 17 Tests since the start of 2015, Starc has taken 84 wickets; in 14 Tests before 2015, he had 45 wickets at 36.22.24.04 Matt Renshaw’s strike rate in his debut Test – he scored 44 runs off 183 balls over the two innings. Among Australians who have faced 150-plus balls in their debut Test, only four players have had a lower scoring rate; the last such batsman with a slower rate was John Dyson, when he scored 57 off 239 balls (strike rate 23.84) in his debut Test against India in Perth in 1977.6 South African openers who have scored a Test hundred in Australia – Billy Zulch, Eddie Barlow, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Smith, Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook. Cook’s was the 11th century here by these openers, but eight of those have been scores of less than 130.4 Instances of Cook scoring more than 25 in his ten Test innings. He has converted two of those into hundreds.1 Number of times David Warner had been run out in 100 Test innings before the start of this series; in this series he has been dismissed in this manner twice – in the second innings in Perth and in Adelaide. His only previous run out in Tests was against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2012.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2015Chamu Chibhabha held one end up with a 44-ball 42, until he was stumped off a Sodhi delivery in the 18th over•AFPSikandar Raza then began the repair work, getting involved in partnerships with Sean Williams and Tinashe Panyangara on his way to a third ODI ton that helped Zimbabwe to 235 for 9 – a target that seemed quite beyond them at one point•AFP

Bangladesh picked a lone specialist seamer for the first time in a Test, but their choice of Al-Amin Hossain over the more experienced Robiul was puzzling. The focus seemed more on containing runs

Mohammad Isam04-Feb-2014

Seam will play a role – Chandimal

Dinesh Chandimal suggested Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers would have a vital role to play on the slow, low surface in Chittagong. Bangladesh chose only one frontline seam option for the match, but Al-Amin Hossain had the best economy rate of bowlers who delivered more than five overs on the first day.
“As a player, I feel that it’s hard to get runs off the seamers,” Chandimal said. “So we’re looking forward to doing the basics with the ball. It’s similar conditions to Galle, so we have these kinds of pitches back home.”
Chandimal and Angelo Mathews had been dismissed late in the day, and putting his own form down to the fluctuations international cricketers must endure, he suggested Sri Lanka aimed to bat out most of day two.
“Bit disappointed because I played a rash shot and Mathews also got out. But still we have Kithuruwan [Vithanage] and Dilruwan [Perera], so they are going to get more runs tomorrow. It’s difficult to bat in these conditions, but we’ll hope for 200 runs – that might be a good total.”

On many occasions, the short-term in a five-day game is given more priority. Presented with a situation where his bowling attack hemorrhaged 730 runs in the Mirpur Test, the Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim cut down on attacking options in the Chittagong game, thereby underselling his team’s ability.Even on the opening day, it was apparent that wickets were going to be hard to come by. Al-Amin Hossain was the only pace bowler in the attack, the first time Bangladesh were playing a Test match with a single front-line seamer. Spinners Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah were included in place of Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain to keep the runs down, probably string together dot balls and hope the batsmen make mistakes.It was strange to see Robiul serve drinks on a ground where he has taken 16 wickets at an average of 20.87. He was the Player of the Series in Zimbabwe three Tests ago and in the Mirpur Test before this he had created enough opportunities to remain an automatic choice.By only including Al-Amin, Mushfiqur has confused the status quo among the pace bowlers. Here is an understudy, without the full physical and technical build-up, being asked to bowl long spells and do a holding job, when he should have had the support of another hardworking pace bowler at the other end.The explanation, through Mahmudullah’s press conference, was that the lack of swing or bounce in the Chittagong wicket encouraged that decision. But Al-Amin, to his credit, did what was expected of him. He made few attempts to drag Kumar Sangakkara out of his driving area, but swerved some deliveries away from the left-handers. He had the openers on a leash by varying his length quite regularly.Nevertheless, it was quite difficult to understand why Robiul wasn’t picked as the team’s leading seamer when his record and form says enough. But a less experienced, more vulnerable pace bowler was chosen ahead of him, because the team management wanted Al-Amin’s control rather than Robiul’s wicket-taking ability.When Razzak walked off with a strained left hamstring after just four overs, Mushfiqur was a bowler short against the might of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. They duly put on a sizable stand of 178. Mahmudullah, as expected, was insipid. He bowled short to Sangakkara and got punished, but later accounted for Jayawardene against the run of play. To be fair to a middle-order batsman who bowls spin, it is quite harsh to expect him to do a specialist spinner’s job despite taking 12 wickets in his last game, a first-class Bangladesh Cricket League match.He said the new ball spun more than the older one, but he didn’t hold an opinion on the pitch just yet.”It is a little tough to make predictions about this wicket,” Mahmudullah said. “We have to see what happens tomorrow. We hope that there will be spin. This morning it spun for a while with the new ball while it didn’t during the middle period and then later with the new ball. We have to work hard tomorrow so we have to start well. If we can take two early wickets, we can capitalise on that.”On the second day, Bangladesh will depend on Shakib Al Hasan’s dipping flight and ability to extract turn. Sohag Gazi too will have to bowl a less flat trajectory.Mahmudullah said it was the team’s tactic to bowl to cut out runs. “It is not defensive, just a different tactic. They are good players of spin, so it becomes necessary to contain the runs. Then you wait for them to make a mistake.”There were times when we did miss the length. Sometimes when the ball doesn’t turn, spinners get frustrated. We did bowl a few bad balls but when we regrouped, the discussion was to contain the runs. We came back well at the end of the day,” he said.Sri Lanka’s vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal said they too were surprised that Bangladesh picked only one seamer. But unlike Angelo Mathews, Mushfiqur doesn’t boast of fast bowlers topping the speed guns and moving the ball in barren conditions, or spinners who can regularly break partnerships. There could be an attempt to keep Robiul’s axing within the same mindset but it was far too defensive to drop your best fast bowler.