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Tottenham Hotspur have made a move for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, with the Congolese forward reportedly open to a transfer.

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Spurs move for WissaFrank keen on Brentford manStriker open to moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to BBC football correspondent , Tottenham have launched an approach for Wissa and are currently weighing up the potential cost of a deal. It is claimed that the 28-year-old is open to making the switch across London.

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Frank has been eyeing up his old Brentford strikers Wissa and Mbuemo since moving to Spurs in June, with both players heavily linked to the north London club this summer. Now, with Mbuemo closer to signing for Manchester United, the Bees appear to be focusing all their attention on landing his strike partner. While neither transfer is confirmed, it's proving to be a difficult summer for the west London outfit as they struggle to hold on to their star players.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wissa had a remarkable 2024-25 season in front of goal, bagging 19 times in 35 top-flight games. Back in January, that scintillating form led to him becoming Brentford's all-time leading Premier League goal-scorer, surpassing Ivan Toney.

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WHAT NEXT FOR WISSA?

There's no doubt Wissa deserves a chance to play European football and challenge higher up the Premier League table, but whether Brentford and Spurs will be able to agree on a fee for him remains to be seen. Reports suggest Brentford value Wissa at around £50 million ($68m), although with the DR Congo striker turning 29 in September and having only a year left on his contract, it's likely that Frank will be able to secure his services for a cut price.

AC Milan are reportedly evaluating a group of six forwards as potential additions to bolster their attack ahead of the new season, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson among the names under serious consideration. Despite Chelsea maintaining a firm stance that the striker is not for sale unless a substantial offer is made, Milan are confident Jackson may be attainable, especially given the player’s recent dip in form and apparent slide down the pecking order.

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Milan eager to sign JacksonChelsea reluctant to sell forwardHave slapped a £100m valuation on himFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

New arrivals Pedro and Delap have quickly earned Enzo Maresca's trust, leapfrogging Jackson in the race for regular minutes. Moreover, his output has dropped significantly since the start of the calendar year, with only four goals to his name over that period, which makes Milan optimistic about their chances to snap him up.

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According to Chelsea are not actively looking to sell Jackson and continue to insist on a valuation in the region of £100 million ($135m). This figure may serve more as a deterrent than an actual price tag, as the Blues are reportedly in no urgent need to offload the 24-year-old.

DID YOU KNOW?

Milan’s interest comes as the Italian giants look to rebuild their forward line. Tammy Abraham, who had spent last season on loan from Roma, has since moved to Besiktas, while the club also parted ways with Luka Jovic following the expiration of his contract.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

Milan have received indications from those close to Jackson that the player may be open to a switch to Serie A should the right conditions be met. Though there is interest on both sides, the biggest obstacle remains Chelsea’s valuation.

The Rossoneri have previously done business with Chelsea, having signed players such as Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic in recent seasons. Those successful deals could smooth the path for negotiations, should the Blues entertain a formal offer.

Brook withdraws due to increased workload after being added to England’s squad for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December

Alex Malcolm15-Nov-2023The BBL has suffered a blow with England star Harry Brook withdrawing from the tournament due to his increased international commitments having been the second pick for Melbourne Stars in the overseas draft.Stars had taken Brook knowing that he would be unavailable for the back-end of the tournament due to England’s Test tour of India but he was then added to England’s T20I and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December.They had hoped he would be available for seven games in between those two commitments but Brook has withdrawn from the tournament due to the workload.Related

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“Naturally we’re disappointed that Harry has withdrawn from the BBL but we understand his decision with his increased workload,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.”Given Harry was set to miss the opening 3 matches, the club had already signed a replacement player for that period.”Currently the coaching staff and list management team are discussing options for the remainder of the tournament and we look forward to announcing those signings once they have been finalised.”It is the second straight year one of the top two picks in the overseas draft has withdrawn from the tournament after Liam Livingstone withdrew last year having been Melbourne Renegades No.1 pick in the inaugural overseas draft.Stars won’t be the only team affected by that series with Perth Scorchers pick Zak Crawley added to England’s ODI squad while Sydney Sixers pick Rehan Ahmed is in both the ODI and T20I squads with the tour running from December 4 until December 21. Both are likely to be in England’s Test squad for India in January as well.The BBL begins on December 7 and finishes on January 24.

Forest Green Rovers and Reflo have come together to produce the world's first fully certified vegan kit ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Forest Green Rovers release world's first vegan kitReveal bold leopard print design for 2025-26 seasonPlayers will wear green at home and pink awayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The National League side have revealed new home and away strips for the 2025-26 season and have produced "the world’s first fully certified vegan kit." The club have worked with Reflo, the sportwear brand co-owned by England and Bayern star Harry Kane, to come up with an eye-catching collection. Forest Green Rovers will wear a bold design that features a leopard print pattern which is inspired by nature. The players will wear a bright green version at home and a shocking pink jersey on their travels.

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The team will wear the new home kit for the next two seasons as part of a commitment to "reduce waste and lower the burden on fans to purchase a new design every year." The kit is also designed to be completely recyclable. Forest Green Rovers will play in the National League in the 2025-26 campaign after missing out on promotion through the play-offs last season. Savage has arrived as manager this season and has vowed to get the club back into the English Football League.

WHAT FOREST GREEN SAID

The Chairman of Forest Green Rovers, Dale Vince, told the club's website: “We like to push the boundaries on sustainability issues, including what our shirts are made from because the materials we use to make things really matters. In pursuit of the most sustainable football kit we’ve experimented in previous seasons with both bamboo and with coffee grounds.

"This season our new strip pushes the boundary again – we’ve created the world’s first fully certified vegan football kit, by making sure the dyes we use, which are an often overlooked ingredient, are plant-based. Our new shirt is also fully recyclable and will be turned back into future items by Reflo. I’m really pleased to unveil our bold, bright new kit that’s inspired by nature and helping nature – that’s pretty fabulous.”

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The next kit is now available to buy from the club's official website. Forest Green Rovers kick off their National League campaign on August 9 against Solihull Moors.

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

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Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

Novak Djokovic is part of a team of famous investors who have bought a stake in French Ligue 2 club Le Mans, along with two former F1 drivers.

Djokovic and ex-F1 stars invest in Le MansSecond-tier club could follow Wrexham & Birmingham examplesClub only founded 40 years agoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Djokovic and former drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen have bought a stake in the second-tier club. Le Mans were promoted to Ligue 2 last season and have shown their ambition to continue a rapid rise up French football with this new investment from elite-level sporting figures such as Djokovic. No financial figures have been revealed by the club.

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High-profile investment has become more commonplace in football in recent years, with Hollywood-backed Wrexham and Tom Brady-affiliated Birmingham City key examples of investment working in the English game. Overseas, David Beckham famously co-owns Inter Miami in the MLS.

WHAT LE MANS SAID

Le Mans president Thierry Gomez said in a statement: "The uniqueness of this fund lies in its contribution from high-level athletes. Novak Djokovic, Felipe Massa, and Kevin Magnussen will be part of the adventure."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR DJOKOVIC AND LE MANS?

It will be interesting to see the level of investment which is given to Le Mans by Djokovic and Co. as they prepare for life back in the second tier. The club have spent time in Ligue 1 previously in their short 40-year history, but have not been in the top tier since 2010 amidst significant financial issues in the years which followed. It appears the time may be now for the club to take strides forward as they aim to take their place amongst French football's elite.

Russell praises fast bowler for not shying away from the responsibility of bowling the last over

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20242:24

Last over ‘huge’ for Harshit Rana’s confidence

Harshit Rana, with just 12 T20s to his name before Saturday night, found himself with the unenviable task of defending 12 runs off the final over in Kolkata Knight Riders’ first game of IPL 2024. On strike was a marauding Heinrich Klaasen, batting on 56 off 26 deliveries. The previous over, bowled by the IPL’s most expensive player Mitchell Starc, had just gone for 26 runs. Klaasen’s partner, Shahbaz Ahmed, had faced just four balls but had already hit 16. And when Klaasen pulled Harshit’s first ball of the over for six, it looked like Sunrisers Hyderabad were going to pull off an incredible heist.Sunrisers’ win probability, according to ESPNcricinfo, was 0.35% when their No. 6 Abdul Samad fell off the penultimate delivery of the 17th over. Then with five balls to go, they were 97.2% favourites at Eden Gardens. But Harshit held his nerve to dismiss both Shahbaz and Klaasen and deliver a win in front of a delirious home crowd.”To be honest, in the last over I thought anything could happen,” KKR captain Shreyas Iyer said after the match. “They needed 13 runs and we probably didn’t have the most experienced bowler bowling at that particular time.”But I had that belief in him. I knew that something [good] would happen.”Harshit, understandably, went into that last over with butterflies in his stomach, and at that point Iyer told him to just back himself. “This is the time where he could become a hero. That’s what I told him. ‘Back yourself. No matter what happens in this situation, we’re going to back you’.”To be honest, Harshit was a bit nervous when he was coming to bowl [the 20th over]. I looked into his eyes and I told him ‘this is your moment, buddy. You need to make the best use of it and don’t think much about it’.”I told him ‘Even if we lose, it’s fine. You just back yourself and you see to it that you execute whatever I say and what messages we got from inside’. It was a big cluster [of players] in between, but I tried to calm him down as much as possible and then the rest is history.”Andre Russell, who blazed an unbeaten 64 off 25 to take KKR to 208 after walking in at 119 for 6, praised Harshit’s attitude.”I think his body language was on point in the last over; he wanted the ball,” Russell said. “That is the body language we all need as professionals. If he was shying away from it, it could have gone their way.”He told me that he wanted the last over. So he claimed it and he did deliver for us. With the first ball gone for six, still there was some doubt there, but you know he came back strong and he got the job done.”Harshit finished the game with career-best T20 figures of 3 for 33.With Klaasen clearing the boundary at will against spinners and fast bowlers alike, the KKR dressing sent out a clear message – take the pace off the ball.”Well, the plan from the outside was that Klaasen was really hitting the pace balls. So let’s bowl it pace off and it worked really well,” batter Ramandeep Singh, who scored 35 in the first innings, told the broadcaster after the game.And it worked to perfection, with Harshit outdoing Klaasen with a slower ball in a key moment, when Sunrisers needed five runs off two balls.

Manchester City have been dealt another Rodri injury blow after he suffered a setback at the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

Spanish midfielder faces absenceHas battled back from ACL injuryRodri to be out until SeptemberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The midfielder battled back from an ACL injury to play at the Club World Cup but Guardiola has now confirmed the Spain international has suffered another setback and isn't expected to be fully fit again until September.

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Without Rodri available, City struggled throughout the 2024-25 campaign, ultimately finishing third and failing to win a trophy in a remarkably low-key season by their immense standards. Now, they face beginning the season without him once more.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

Guardiola told reporters: "Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al Hilal. He has trained better in the last few days, hopefully after the international break is when he will be really fit.

"Hopefully in these games he can play some minutes but what is important is he doesn't have pain because we don't want this Rodri coming back injured.

"We try desperately to avoid that. He has been training the last two sessions with us and that's good."

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gettyWHAT NEXT?

City play Wolves in their first game of the season next weekend. Tijjani Reijnders is likely to play, with Rodri in the treatment room. 

Parag, after enjoying a breakout IPL season, said his statement exuded belief in himself and not arrogance

PTI29-May-2024Riyan Parag is confident of representing India at some point in the future. The 22-year-old is coming off a superb season with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, where he struck 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike-rate of 149.21.”At some point, you’ll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I’m going to play for India,” Parag was quoted as saying by . “I don’t really care when. [Even] when I was not scoring runs – I said this in an [earlier] interview as well that I am going to play for India.”That is me believing in myself. That is not me being arrogant. That is what my plan was with my dad [former Railways and Assam player Parag Das], when I started playing cricket when I was like 10-years old. We were going to play for India regardless of anything.”Related

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India will travel to Zimbabwe after their T20 World Cup campaign to play five T20Is, and Parag could be among the players to find a place in the side. His focus, currently, is on getting there.”Whether it’s the next tour, whether it’s a tour in six months, whether it’s a tour in one year… I don’t really put my thought behind when I should play,” Parag said. “That is the selector’s job, that is other people’s job.”Parag came into this IPL after failing to reach 200 runs in any of the five previous seasons. But his promotion from the lower-middle order to No.4, the spot in which he bats for his state, Assam, provided the point of familiarity from where he could lift off.

“I’m still dealing with it. I got back home and I was super sad. The night after the game, it didn’t really sink in. But then the day after the match and before the final, it was tough.”Parag on RR’s loss in the Eliminator

“What you saw this year in the IPL is how I play domestic cricket,” Parag said. “I take the onus up to myself, I take the expectations, I take the burden upon myself to deliver and that is why I play the best.”I was not doing that in the IPL. I was taking way too much pressure, keeping my expectations way too high and not doing the basic things right. That is what I figured I had to do this year; of playing at my favourite position as well, No 4. I was like, okay, ‘I do this at domestic cricket, this is the same thing I’m going to do in IPL and let’s see how it goes’. It worked out perfectly.”I had a lot of rough seasons, more than nice ones and I feel having that constant belief in yourself, that you actually belong in this level, that you can actually do things that you [had] dreamt of, has been a constant and that will stay throughout.”RR won eight out of their first nine games this season but then lost four games in a row and finished their campaign with a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, one that Parag acknowledges was disappointing.”I’m still dealing with it. I got back home and I was super sad,” he said. “The night after the game, it didn’t really sink in. But then the day after the match and before the final, it was tough.”It’s tough, but then that’s how cricket goes. There are world-class sides that are playing the tournament, world-class players that are playing the tournament [and you can’t always win].”

Club pays tribute to popularity and “infectious spirit” of young left-arm spinner

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2024English cricket has been left stunned by the news of the death of Josh Baker, the Worcestershire left-arm spinner, at the age of 20.In a club statement, Worcestershire declined to comment on the nature of Baker’s death and asked for “the respect of privacy” on behalf of his family. Ashley Giles, their chief executive, said that the club were “all devastated” by his passing.”The news of Josh’s passing has left us all devastated,” Giles said. “Josh was much more than a team-mate; he was an integral part of our cricket family. We will all miss him terribly. All our love and prayers go out to Josh’s family and friends.”Baker, who signed his first contract with the club at the age of 17 in 2021, claimed 43 wickets in 22 first-class matches, and a further 27 in 25 white-ball appearances.He was also a burgeoning allrounder, as demonstrated by two half-centuries including a career-best 75 against Gloucestershire in July 2023. Later that same season, while batting against Yorkshire at Headingley in Worcestershire’s final match, he scored the all-important run that secured a second batting point and therefore the club’s promotion to the top flight, prompting celebrations on the visitors’ balcony.Born in Redditch and educated at Malvern College, Baker came through the age-group levels at New Road, and also played for England at under-19 level. Last season, he signed a new three-year deal, and had spent the winter just gone in Sydney, playing grade cricket for Northern District CC in the New South Wales Premier League.Only on Wednesday, he had taken 3 for 66 in the first innings of Worcestershire’s four-day 2nd XI Championship match against Somerset at Bromsgrove School. The match was called off early on the final day.Worcestershire are not due to play in the round of County Championship fixtures starting on Friday, and do not play again until May 10 when they face Kent. The five scheduled Championship matches this weekend are expected to go ahead, with players wearing black armbands to pay him tribute.Baker’s most notable moment came against Durham at New Road in May 2022, when – as an 18-year-old in his ninth first-class match – he came up against Ben Stokes, newly unveiled as England captain, and in a mood to produce a statement innings.Baker was duly struck for 34 in an over – five sixes and a one-bounce four – but after finishing on 161 from 88 balls, Stokes sought Baker out on WhatsApp, sending a message imploring him not to “let today define the rest of your season”.”You’ve got serious potential and [I] think you’ll go a long way,” Stokes added. “Most important opinion is from the lads in your changing-room and they will always have your back. This coming from someone who got meeeeeeeelted in a T20 World Cup final.”Baker walks out to field at Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesA statement from Worcestershire recalled Baker’s popularity within the squad. “More than his skills as a spin bowler, it was his vibrant spirit and infectious enthusiasm that endeared him to everyone he met. His warmth, kindness, and professionalism were remarkable, making him a true credit to his family and a loved member of our team.”During this profoundly difficult time, the club is dedicated to supporting Josh’s family, friends, and colleagues. We are united in our grief and committed to honouring his memory in a manner befitting the remarkable person he was.”Plans to pay tribute to Josh will be made in consultation with his family and will remain private at this time. The club, along with Josh’s family, requests the respect of privacy as we mourn this immense loss. No further comments will be provided during this sensitive period.”The ECB said it was “desperately sad to learn” of Baker’s passing, adding: “This is devastating news. We extend our best wishes to Josh’s family and friends, to everyone who knew and loved him, and to everyone at Worcestershire CCC.”Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “This is absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to all of Josh’s family.”Rob Lynch, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, said: “Everybody at the PCA is heartbroken to hear of Josh’s passing and we offer our sincere condolences to all his family, friends and teammates.”Josh was a cricketer with his full career and life ahead of him and this news is impossible to comprehend. The PCA and the Professional Cricketers’ Trust are working to support Josh’s family, his teammates and all PCA members who are affected. Rest in peace, Josh.”