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As per CaughtOffside, yet another Tottenham Hotspur player now wants to leave the club as a major update emerges on the future of midfielder Harry Winks.

The Lowdown: Spurs exit demands…

Over the summer, it’s safe to say there were a few Tottenham first team regulars linked with moves away from north London.

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Indeed, the most high-profile of them all in Harry Kane informed Spurs of his desire to leave and compete for trophies on the biggest stages in world football (Sky Sports). As well as the England captain, club record signing Tanguy Ndombele also told the Lilywhites that he would like an N17 exit (The Telegraph).

While both failed to get their wish, news has now emerged on yet another Tottenham player in Winks wanting to depart north London.

The Lowdown: Winks update emerges…

As per CaughtOffside’s information, the Spurs midfielder is now ‘keen to move on due to a continued lack of playing time’.

They added that Spurs are now ‘set to offload’ the 25-year-old when the January transfer window opens, with club chiefs now willing to part company with the ten-cap England international.

Despite no club making a formal approach, CaughtOffside expect ‘several sides’ to enter the race for Winks in three months’ time when the winter market opens for business.

The Latest: Time to go?

It has been quite a long while since Spurs supporters have seen the best of Winks. Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once branded the player as ‘amazing’, but in the last year, he has arguably failed to make much of an impact on the field.

Jose Mourinho’s bit-part use of the midfielder last season is largely to blame but it seems that Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t that big of a fan either, having started him in just one Premier League game this season (WhoScored).

While he is still fairly young and commands a somewhat respectable market value (£18m on Transfermarkt), we believe that it’s time Tottenham look for buyers, with the 25-year-old eager to leave and unable to break into a team whose form has collapsed over the last three weeks.

In other news: Levy plan to offload big name Spurs player emerges as source leaks damning Hotspur Way behaviour, find out more here.

The contracts of Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss and his assistant Paul Farbrace have been extended until the next World Cup in 2011, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) authorities announced on Sunday

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2009The contracts of Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss and his assistant Paul Farbrace have been extended until the next World Cup in 2011, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) authorities announced on Sunday.”We have decided to extend the contracts of the coaches,” Nishanta Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, said. “We did an evaluation on their performance and the feedback we got was fairly good. They are doing a good job and we want them to continue.”Bayliss, the 46-year-old former New South Wales batsman, was appointed in June 2007 and became the fifth coach from Australia to take charge of Sri Lanka since 1995. Dav Whatmore had two stints with the national side. and was followed by Bruce Yardley, John Dyson and then Tom Moody.His British assistant Farbrace, 41, who was appointed in July 2007, was among those injured when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan bus in Lahore earlier this month.

Two touches are all it took for Odsonne Edouard to score his first goal for his new club after packing his bags and leaving Celtic behind.

The Parkhead hero was a dominative figure inside the penalty area for the Hoops and after finally earning his move south of the border, the former Bhoys striker has continued his career in ruthless fashion.

Edouard was a late substitute as Crystal Palace defeated Tottenham last weekend and in the process of taking just five touches of the ball in a ten minute period, he found the net twice.

Coincidentally, the forward isn’t the first Frenchman to flee the nest and go onto greater things.

Moussa Dembele left Celtic on a permanent basis in the same summer that Edouard became a proper part of the furniture in Glasgow.

His subsequent rise is something that Edouard will look to for hope but Dembele’s chance of returning to Glasgow has been robbed.

He was set to play for Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night when they take on Rangers but he has been ruled out of the clash with an injury.

It’s fortunate news for the Gers because Dembele has been in wonderful form this season, scoring four goals in five outings.

This comes after his time at Lyon looked in doubt. He was loaned out to Atletico Madrid last term but scored just once in all competitions for his parent and loan club.

More often than not, Dembele has been in the goals though. New teammate Xherdan Shaqiri described him as “one of the best” in Europe this week and it’s evident why.

The 25-year-old has beaten the goalkeeper on 49 occasions in 113 appearances for the French club and in the process, has seen his value increase rapidly since leaving Celtic.

During the 2019/20 season, his market valued per Transfermarkt soared to an eye-catching £45m, a rise of £25.3m for the £55k-per-week earner. That came as he hit the back of the net 24 times in 46 outings.

However, his price has rapidly decreased to below what Celtic sold him for in 2018. Lyon pounced to acquire his services for £19.7m but after a dismal 2020/21 campaign, he is now rated at £18m.

On that evidence, the Hoops did quite well to get what they did for him. However, given his renewed ruthless streak this term, that value is expected to rise again.

He could also join Edouard in the Premier League soon.

Regular links with Arsenal have occurred and judging by their heritage of French strikers, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and co, he’d be an exciting signing.

AND in other news, Postecoglou must unleash Celtic’s “tricky” rarely-seen 19 y/o after big Hoops blow…

A round-up of the third day of the fourth-round matches of the regional four-day competition

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2009
Shane Shillingford’s 4 for 47 helped Windward Islands beat CCC by seven wickets © Stanford 20/20
Windward Islands got their season back on track after two heavy defeats against Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. The points gained from the seven-wicket victory over Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) in Barbados pushed them up from fifth to third on the points table. Windwards chased 91 for victory after they ended CCC’s second innings at 186 about five minutes before tea, and they got there with about five minutes left for scheduled close.CCC, comfortably placed at 101 for 1 just before lunch, completely lost the plot as the last six wickets fell for 28 runs. Nekoli Parris top scored with 57, while Omar Phillips managed 47. For Windwards, Shane Shillingford picked up 4 for 47, while Rawl Lewis and Liam Sebastien finished with two wickets apiece. Andre Fletcher, again led the way for Windwards with an unbeaten 42, putting on 47 for the fourth wicket with Lewis to take the visitors home after stumbling early during the chase.Legspinner Davendra Bishoo starred with 6 for 64 for Guyana against Leeward Islands on a tense third day in Nevis. With a slender four-run first-innings advantage, the 23-year-old Bishoo and former West Indies Under-19 left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul combined for nine wickets and tormented the Leewards’ batsmen, bowling them out for 245 in 80 overs in their second innings. Resuming on 63 for 1, Montcin Hodge, returning to the Leewards side after being omitted for the third-round match against Barbados, played well and got to his second first-class fifty, which came off 121 balls with six boundaries. His half-century partnership for the third wicket with Tonito Willett took Leewards to 137 for 2 at lunch, but he was trapped leg-before by Bishoo on 78 soon after resumption. Though the rest of the batsmen did get starts, they failed to convert them, and the last five wickets fell for 22 runs. Leewards though, landed two important late-afternoon blows to leave Guyana on 36 for 2 at stumps, still needing 206 for the win.Defending champions and table-toppers Jamaica were left to chase an easy 201 after the Barbados batsmen failed to put up a challenging total in Jamaica. They were shot out for a disappointing 221. Legspinner Odean Brown led Jamaica’s attack with 3 for 40 and Wavell Hinds supported him well with 2 for 14. Rashidi Boucher scored 48 at the top of the order while wicketkeeper Patrick Browne struck an unbeaten 57 to lead a fightback after Barbados had slipped to 150 for 7 by mid-afternoon. But despite a 66-run stand with debutant allrounder Barrington Yearwood (24), Browne received no real support from the lower order: the visitors lost their last three wickets for five runs.

Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood shared seven wickets as New Zealand Emerging Players were dismissed one short of the England Lions’ total in the drawn two-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2009
Scorecard

Liam Plunkett got four top order wickets © Getty Images
Two fast bowlers searching for a national recall, Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood, shared seven wickets as New Zealand Emerging Players were dismissed one short of the England Lions’ total in the drawn two-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.Mahmood provided the first breakthrough, getting rid of the home side captain Tim McIntosh, who stitched together 59 with Josh Brodie. Plunkett then took over, slicing through the top and middle order as the hosts slipped to 172 for 5 from 108 for 1. The top four batsmen got starts, all of them crossing 20, but only Brodie went on to make a half-century before falling for 57. A quick, unbeaten 60 from Central Districts’ Greg Hay held the lower order together but Mahmood took a couple of quick wickets and effected a run-out to end the innings on 277.England Lions lost two wickets cheaply in their second innings but Jonathan Trott and Samit Patel made attacking 40s to take their side through to the end of the match.Their captain Rob Key was pleased with the side’s performance, particularly that of Plunkett and Mahmood, neither of whom have played for England in nearly two years. “When they had played for England, neither of them had played much senior cricket and they have a lot more guile and experience now and have started very well on this tour,” he told . “They were able to adjust to the conditions nicely. The pitch was a bit flat when we bowled and required a different length so it was very encouraging for us.”The next assigment on the tour for the England Lions is the first Test against New Zealand A starting Sunday in Queenstown.

Plays of the day for day five of the second Test between Australia and South Africa

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG30-Dec-2008
Shane Watson always looks on the bright side of life © AFP
Smith’s end-of-year party
Graeme Smith will spend the next couple of days celebrating South Africa’s historic series win but he also has a personal achievement to look back on. Smith was out for 75 in the second innings and it meant he finished 2008 as the leading run-scorer in Tests, with 1656 at 72. He had nearly 200 more than his nearest rival Virender Sehwag and only Mohammad Yousuf and Viv Richards have had greater collections in any calendar year.Lee’s pain, Hill’s gain
Brett Lee bravely charged in with a serious foot injury on the fifth morning as he tried to do his bit in pulling off a miracle. It wasn’t to be, and Lee was obviously in pain each time his left foot slammed down at the bowling crease. After seven overs to add to his three on the fourth afternoon, Lee gave it away and headed down to fine-leg – an ironic name given his situation. Eventually Lee left the field and the 20-year-old Victoria batsman Michael Hill took over the fielding duties.Glass half full
It’s hard enough to convince players to speak to the media when their side is losing, let alone when the player in question has just received devastating injury news. But Shane Watson is a talkative chap and when he discovered that he had stress fractures in his back that would keep him from bowling for up to six months, he was happy to do television and radio interviews to explain the situation. “I’ve been really happy with the way things have progressed over the last ten months to a year, the way my game has been able to improve,” Watson said. “I’m happy with the things that have been evolving and it’s just another little setback but I’m going to be really excited when I’m back bowling and back playing full pelt.” Talk about looking on the bright side.$20 too much?
When it became obvious late on the fourth afternoon that the match was likely to be over soon after lunch on the fifth day, Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria announced that ticket prices would be slashed for the final day’s play. Well, cut to $20 at least. Several of the visiting South African journalists wondered why the authorities wouldn’t just open the gates and let people in for free. As it turned out only 6343 fans arrived to watch the conclusion of one of the most memorable matches seen in Australia in recent times.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that it would make sense for Crystal Palace to make a late swoop for West Ham defender Issa Diop, with reliable Irons insider ExWHUemployee claiming earlier today that the Eagles are keen.

Palace have already made two impressive defensive additions in Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen but lost a host of experienced faces at the back, including Gary Cahill and Mamadou Sakho.

Those two have featured in all four of the Eagles’ competitive games, but Cheikhou Kouyate started the season-opener at Stamford Bridge which shows how little Patrick Vieira has in reserve.

With that in mind, earlier this summer, according to French outlet FootMercato, Palace were one of three Premier League clubs chasing Diop’s services this summer.

Diop has been an unused substitute in each of the Hammers’ Premier League matches, with Kurt Zouma’s recent arrival unlikely to improve his chances of playing regularly.

Bridge told Football FanCast that it’s a deal that he would understand, but hasn’t yet been informed about it:

“They didn’t want to lose Cahill and Dann, but Palace do look slightly inexperienced at the back despite Guehi and Andersen being really good signings.

“If that one comes up today, I will investigate it. I personally haven’t heard it yet, but that would make sense.”

Matthew Hayden took six years to play his first seven Tests but he has said in the lead-up to his 100th Test that his story has been no more special than any other Australian player

Brydon Coverdale27-Nov-2008
Matthew Hayden: “I’ve pursued other passions as well, food and life around the sea, so that’s who I really am as a person. I’m a bushy at heart but love the ocean.” © Getty Images
It is hard to think of Matthew Hayden as a slow starter. He has made his name by destroying opening bowlers and quickly turning shiny new balls into lifeless chunks of worn-out leather. But when it took him six years to make his first seven Test appearances, reaching 100 Tests seemed like an unattainable goal.He will bring up the milestone at the Adelaide Oval on Friday against New Zealand, eight and a half years after regaining his position permanently. At the time he was already 29, had a mountain of state runs and wondered if his big break would ever come, but in the lead-up to the game he said his eventful career-path was not particularly special.”My story’s not any more significant than anyone else’s,” Hayden said. “Anyone that’s got into the Australian cricket team has had to have their personal challenges met, and they’ve confronted those and conquered them – that’s just what it means to play for Australia, that’s the fabric of playing for the baggy green.”Hayden will be the 11th Australian to reach a century of Tests, although questions remain over just how many matches he will add to the tally. His form since suffering an achilles tendon injury mid-year has been disappointing but he has not decided on an exit time and he said the constant speculation over his future was not a worry.”You get used to the melodramatic nature of performances, sometimes you’re okay, other times you’re not okay, so it’s just the way it goes,” he said. “And the swings and roundabouts of people’s perceptions are something I’ve taken, never to heart, but more as a motivation as to how I can get better every single game.”My commitment to the game hasn’t changed, and more than anything if I can say what I’m proud of that would be it, Matthew Hayden in 1991 worked as hard as he works in 2008. And that guarantees you at least the best result in terms of how you prepare yourself, but it doesn’t guarantee success.”The Adelaide Test presents him with an ideal opportunity to regain his best form. He will be facing an attack devoid of superstars, with the exception of Daniel Vettori, on a pitch expected to offer the seamers little help.Vettori, the New Zealand captain, recalled once having his first ball of a Gabba Test spanked back over his head by Hayden for six. He said few men had mastered the art of dominating slow bowling like Hayden over the past decade.”Him and Gilchrist were the two guys I always thought any ball I bowled could disappear out of the park,” Vettori said. “Even if I felt like it was a good one and that always makes it tough bowling against guys like that – so destructive. Most of the time they took it to spinners.”He’s the sort of guy that a lot of batsmen grow up wanting to emulate the way he played spin. And it wasn’t just an average spinner, it was guys all the way through to Muralitharan. He was aggressive against him, Harbhajan … I think he almost wrote the manual for how to be aggressive against spin bowling.”Hayden, 37, said one of the keys to his longevity in the game was having interests away from cricket. “I’ve pursued other passions as well, food and life around the sea, so that’s who I really am as a person,” he said. “I’m a bushy at heart but love the ocean.”

Everton head into their opening Premier League clash on Saturday with problems aplenty.

The Toffees haven’t had the easiest of pre-season periods, being hammered 4-0 in their most recent clash against Manchester United, but now they have to make do with a number of absentees.

As Rafa Benitez’s men face Southampton at Goodison Park this weekend, they will be without more than five first-team players.

They have a handful of their squad self-isolating but fortunately Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are fit enough to play following their respective periods on international duty.

However, with their current squad in disarray, who will Benitez select in his first competitive game at the helm?

Here’s the XI we’re predicting today…

We anticipate the Spanish manager to make two changes to the side which was hammered by Manchester United last weekend.

The first change is up front, where Calvert-Lewin comes into the team ahead of the so-called “embarrassing” £100k-per-week Alex Iwobi, who played incredibly poorly against United.

The England striker’s return will be vital to Everton’s chances this weekend after he ended the 2020/21 campaign with 21 goals to his name.

Another change is just behind him, where James Rodriguez sits out. He is one of the players self-isolating but whether he plays for the club again remains to be seen – the Colombian has been linked with the exit door on a relentless basis this summer.

With Rodriguez missing, Richarlison comes back into the fray to partner Calvert-Lewin. The Brazilian wasn’t involved in pre-season as he was busy playing for Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics.

He played in a central role up front for his country, finishing on five goals for the tournament as they claimed the gold medal. With that in mind, it would be foolish of Benitez to consider Richarlison in any other position but centrally.

Consequently, Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend are handed roles on the wing, being presented with their competitive Everton debuts.

Gray signed in a £1.7m deal from Bayer Leverkusen, while Townsend was acquired on a free transfer following his release from Crystal Palace. Both of them will be keen to assert themselves quickly in Merseyside.

AND in other news, Everton must swoop for “exceptional” 19-goal beast who Rafa said is on “another level”…

Newcastle United have got some fault lines running through their squad, but Eddie Howe has crafted something special and recent results have showcased that fact wonderfully, with Chelsea and Arsenal both defeated of late across two competitions.

Now, the climb. Newcastle’s hard-fought victory over the Gunners in the Premier League last weekend came down to willpower and sharp tactical understanding, perfect assimilation and implementation of Howe’s philosophy.

But the Magpies are still 11th in the standings, having failed to win any of their previous five top-flight contests before that one. There is much work to be done if Newcastle – backed by the Saudi PIF – are to cement their place at the front of the pack over the coming years.

Plans are being drawn up regarding where to improve, with one addition being looked at who could be perfect for Alexander Isak.

Alexander Isak is finding his feet

Isak is scoring once again, coming up trumps and leaving the Toon faithful cavorting after crucial goals against two of London’s finest outfits. He was always going to find his feet, and now Howe’s side can kick on and make headway in the Premier League.

Newcastle signed Real Sociedad’s talented striker in a deal worth £63m, a club record, in 2022, but he suffered an injury-hit debut year that provided him with only 17 starts in the top flight, albeit posting a respectable ten-goal haul.

Last term, however, Isak came alive. Featuring 40 times across all competitions, he scored 25 goals and put in performances that led pundit Harry Redknapp to declare last year: “I’m not sure if there’s a better player in the country right now.”

There was some noise around the 25-year-old’s future at St. James’ Park across the summer months, but he is still plying his trade under Howe’s wing and there are tentative hopes that he will pen a new contract.

Goals in recent matches have spoken once more of the player’s irreplaceable quality in black and white, with his slow start to the campaign swiftly shaped into something bearing a respectable return of four goals and an assist across ten matches in all competitions.

Moreover, he’s hardly just a target man. As per FBref, Isak ranks among the top 18% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90. Such metrics emphasise his dynamic and athletic style of play.

Signing a player like Jarrod Bowen really would complete Newcastle’s frontline, not only balancing the left flank, where Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes reside, with a player of high-class quality but finally completing the fluency that could see Isak reach monstrous new heights.

Bowen can be that signing.

Newcastle transfer news

As per TEAMtalk, Newcastle remain hot on the trail of the West Ham United captain, having been keeping tabs on the 27-year-old for a while.

The report suggests that the Magpies could make a blockbuster move and are ‘considering a bid’ for the former Hull City man.

West Ham are toiling under Julen Lopetegui and Bowen has not yet hit his stride, though the winger is proven in the Premier League and was the focal point of David Moyes’ illustrious tenure in east London.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Getting this one over the line won’t be easy. West Ham value Bowen at £100m – as per previous reports from the summer – and given that he signed a long-term contract last year, it is likely that it will take a ‘huge bid’ from PIF and co for the Hammers to even entertain a sale.

That would ensure it would likely prove a record move for those at St James’, surpassing the £63m that was spent on that man Isak back in 2022.

Bowen really would be the perfect signing for Newcastle in 2025, not least because he might blend with the club’s number nine, and restore Newcastle’s attack to its maximum level.

Imagine Jarrod Bowen & Isak

Miguel Almiron has played for Newcastle for a long time, and Jacob Murphy is certainly an underrated option within Howe’s squad, but neither carries that potent threat that the Hammers skipper would bring to the table.

Bowen’s West Ham career is a thing to behold. The east Londoners signed Hull City’s prized forward in January 2020 for a fee totalling £22m, and he has since gone on to score 64 goals and supply 41 assists across 214 appearances, instrumental in winning the Conference League and thriving across multiple continental campaigns.

Last year, despite Moyes’ system malfunctioning,

1.

Jarrod Bowen

44

20

2.

Mohammed Kudus

45

14

3.

Tomas Soucek

52

10

4.

Lucas Paqueta

53

8

5.

Michail Antonio

32

7

6.

James Ward-Prowse

51

7

His dual-wielded positional value has even seen him be gushed over by opponents, with Brentford manager Thomas Frank describing the England star as “unplayable” after he thumped a hat-trick past the Bees in the Premier League last year.

Could it be that Bowen would bring to Newcastle the kind of goalscoring quality that would unburden Isak with the weight of his responsibility? The Sweden international is a brilliant player, but Gordon aside, there is a distinct lack of prolificness.

Barnes is a terrific goalscorer, but he too is best on the left flank. Bowen, a right winger, would obviously earn regular match action for Howe’s side and has the requisite experience in Europe to actually make all the difference across the coming years.

Who knows, he might even convince Isak to stay on, for a frontline consisting of Gordon, Isak and he would surely hold the properties required to have a significant impact on the narrative at the top of the table and across cup competitions, year in, year out.

With a sharp playmaking edge too, creating 16 big chances in the Premier League since the start of last season, Bowen really could be the perfect partner for a machine-like centre-forward in Isak.

Shearer 2.0: Newcastle may have their biggest teen star since Miley

Newcastle could unleash a young striker who’s outscoring Isak this season

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 6, 2024