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Arsenal have "almost" completed a deal to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, in a move that could end up totalling €46m (£40m), according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now claimed that Arsenal are still interested in bringing in "another creative outlet" as a back-up for Bukayo Saka, however that is likely to wait until the end of the window, as they have more pressing matters to deal with.

Declan Rice is finally on the verge of agreeing a move to the Emirates Stadium, but Gunners insider Teamnewsandtix has suggested another midfielder could come in with a "slightly different profile", amid recent links to Aurelien Tchouameni.

Mikel Arteta is also keen to bring in a new centre-back, and with talks having progressed well over a deal to sign Timber, and the move finally appears to be close to completion.

In a new update on Twitter, Plettenberg has claimed that it is "almost a done deal", with the "last details" on the verge of being clarified, and a "total agreement" is expected within the next 48 hours.

A fee is agreed – the total package could amount to €46m (£40m) including bonus payments, in what is a "big deal for all parties".

What position does Jurrien Timber play?

The 22-year-old has made 166 appearances at centre-back throughout his career so far, however he is also capable of playing on the right of the defence, having featured in that area on 49 occasions, showcasing his versatility in a similar manner to current right-back Ben White.

That indicates the Ajax starlet could be a competent competition for the likes of both White and Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back, with the latter still Arsenal's only natural option currently playing in the first team.

However, the Gunners' pursuit of Joao Cancelo hints that Timber is mainly being brought in to play at centre-back, and there are plenty of indications he could go on to be a top player there in the next few years.

Journalist Karan Tejwani has lauded the Dutchman as a "fine ball player and carrier", while also describing him as "underrated", and he has done a stellar job for Ajax over the past year.

Remarkably, the £50k-per-week defender ranks in the 99th percentile for a total of five different metrics, including his pass-completion rate, indicating he would be a fantastic fit in an Arteta system, with Arsenal making the fifth-highest number of passes in the Premier League last season.

England allrounder Ben Stokes was bought for INR 14.5 crore ($2.16 million approx) by Rising Pune Supergiants at the tenth IPL player auction in Bangalore on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-20171:56

How the bidding war for Stokes progressed

England allrounder Ben Stokes has become the most expensive overseas player ever bought at an IPL auction, going for INR 14.5 crore (USD 2.16 million approx) to Rising Pune Supergiants. He is also the second highest paid player among those currently active in the IPL, behind Virat Kohli, who is paid Rs 15 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore per season.England fast bowler Tymal Mills also set a new record price for a specialist bowler: he was the second most expensive sale at the tenth player auction, in Bangalore on Monday, and bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 12 crore (USD 1.8 million approx). Allrounder Chris Woakes was the third England player to get a hefty payday; he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 4.2 crore (USD 625,000 approx).Three other England players bought – all at base price – were: batsman Eoin Morgan for INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx) to Kings XI Punjab, batsman Jason Roy for INR 1 crore (USD 150,000) to Gujarat Lions, and allrounder Chris Jordan for INR 50 lakhs (USD 74,000) to Sunrisers Hyderabad.While demand for England players was expected, Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi, 18-year-old legspinner Rashid Khan, and UAE batsman Chirag Suri became the first Associate players after Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate to get an IPL bid. The Afghanistan players were bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad – Rashid for INR 4 crore (USD 595,000 approx) and Nabi for INR 30 lakh (USD 44,000 approx) – while Suri went to Gujarat for INR 10 lakh (USD 14,000).Delhi Daredevils were the most active team in the early bidding. Their purchases of Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews for INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx), New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson for INR 1 crore (USD 150,000 approx), South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) and Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins for INR 4.5 crore, (USD 670,000 approx) exhausted their quota of nine overseas players in the first 90 minutes of the auction.6:07

IPL auction trends – ‘Left-arm quicks in high demand’

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, did not bid for any of the first 22 players up for sale despite having a squad of only 13 available players before the auction. They were successful in the first player they bid for, buying New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult for INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx).Of the first 108 players that went on sale in the main draw of the auction, only 33 were bought and among them only two from Australia: Mitchell Johnson to Mumbai Indians at his base price of INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx), and Cummins to Delhi. More Australians – Nathan Coulter-Nile, Billy Stanlake, Dan Christian and Ben Laughlin – were bought in the second round of bidding after lunch. Coulter-Nile was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 3.5 crore (USD 520,00 approx.) while Stanlake, Christian and Laughlin went at base prices.The trend among Indians was for the more experienced players to get no bids – Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Parvez Rasool and RP Singh were unsold – while several uncapped players were picked up at high prices.Fast bowler Mohammad Siraj was bought by Sunrisers for INR 2.6 crore (USD 390,000 approx), left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary by RCB for INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx.), K Gowtham by Mumbai for INR 2 crore ($300,000), T Natarajan by Kings XI for INR 3 crore (USD 445,000 approx), Basil Thampi by Gujarat for INR 85 lakh (USD 125,000 approx), Karn Sharma by Mumbai for INR 3.2 crore (USD 475 approx), Eklavya Dwivedi by Sunrisers for INR 75 lakh ($110,000), Varun Aaron by Kings XI for INR 2.8 crore (USD 415,000) and M Ashwin by Delhi for INR 1 crore (USD 150,000).India allrounder Pawan Negi, who was bought for INR 8.5 crore last year and then released by Delhi, was bought by RCB for INR 1 crore (USD 150,000 approx).

Pundit Alan Hutton has been giving his thoughts on Celtic’s interest in Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio.

Are Celtic signing Marco Tilio?

Brendan Rodgers appears to have been given the green light to go on a summer spending spree following his Parkhead return, with club officials budgeting the Northern Irishman £30m for transfers.

Odin Thiago Holm, who can play in a range of midfield roles, has been confirmed as the first summer arrival, signing a five-year deal from Valerenga, and it looks as if Tilio could be next.

According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Celtic have agreed terms with Tilio. Paperwork is reportedly being finalised and the Hoops hope to complete the transfer at some point this week.

Talking to Football Insider about the player and a possible move to Celtic Park, Hutton, who contributes to various media outlets including Sky Sports, labelled Tilio as “very versatile” who would “ticks a lot of boxes” in Glasgow.

“From what I have seen of him I would bring him in. For someone so young, he is very versatile.

“It is somebody that the Celtic fans would probably really enjoy watching. We do not know what is happening with Abada, will he move? So there could be a free space there.”

Who is Marco Tilio?

Tilio is primarily a right-winger but can also play on the left or as an attacking midfielder, so as Hutton claims, would offer a versatile attacking option for Rodgers heading into the new season.

Aged 21, the Australian has contributed to 39 goals in 82 appearances for Melbourne, and he even shares the agency as Ange Postecoglou, so could have been on the former Hoops boss’ radar before leaving for Tottenham, as Hutton states.

It will be interesting to see if his arrival means someone like Liel Abada moves on over the coming months, amid reports earlier this year the Celtic ace had rejected a new deal and wanted to leave Parkhead, with Tilio then potentially looking to establish himself as first choice on the right-hand side.

A round-up of the Bangladesh Cricket League matches that concluded on February 14, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2017Hundreds from Afif Hossain and Yasir Ali for East Zone and from Naeem Islam for North Zone saw both teams settle for a draw in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Both teams batted over 150 overs in their respective first innings as East Zone took three points – compared to North Zone’s one – courtesy an 86-run lead.Afif, who scored 105, and Imtiaz Hossain (81) batted for over 52 overs on the first day in a first-wicket stand of 197 runs. Yasir came in to bat at three-down and remained not out on 110, before East Zone were all out in the 170th over for 490. Yasin Arafat and Sunzamul Islam shared three wickets each.In response, North Zone fell from 61 for 0 to 66 for 3, before Naeem struck a 284-ball 100. Useful contributions from Dhiman Ghosh (40), Suhrawadi Shuvo (59) and Sunzamul (54*) towards the end took North Zone to 404 before they were all out in the 152nd over.With 21 overs of play left on the final day, East Zone extended their lead to 178, as they finished on 92 for 1 before play ended. Imtiaz struck another 44 runs to remain not out with Tasamul Haque (32*).Shuvagata Hom’s all-round performances helped Central Zone eke out a draw against South Zone in Fatullah. Hom finished with a maiden ten-wicket haul, and contributed with the bat, too, scoring a crucial hundred in the first innings followed by a half-century in the second after his side were set a target of 279.Hom took six wickets in the first innings after Central Zone put the opposition in to bat. He prised out South Zone’s top three and then returned to take three quick wickets in the lower order after two fifty-plus stands. Tushar Imran anchored South Zone with a knock of 81 off 168 balls and shared two partnerships that helped the side recover from the poor start – 61 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Mithun and 91 for the fifth wicket with Al-Amin. Sohag Gazi’s brisk 47-ball 43 also helped lift the score past 250 as South Zone folded ten runs later.Central Zone took a first-innings lead of 39 runs after they were all out for 299. Hom’s 100 – off 125 deliveries – came after they were reduced to 132 for 6. Abdur Razzak’s four wickets ensured a small deficit for South Zone. Razzak then returned with the bat to top-score for South Zone with 76 after they were struggling at 195 for 7. Along with Shahriar Nafees, who struck 72 runs at the top, he helped South Zone to 317 with Hom collecting another four wickets, thereby setting a target of 279.Central had to settle for a draw, after they could manage only 190 for 5 in 79 overs with Hom top scoring with 52.

Newcastle United may soon make a move for Goncalo Inacio this summer, according to a fresh report from AS, via Sport Witness.

What is the latest Newcastle United transfer news?

The Toon will be competing in the Champions League next season and that means that they have work to do in order to ensure their squad is capable of competing in Europe and in the Premier League.

That has already led to the Magpies being linked to a number of players in multiple positions this summer transfer window. One of their newer targets is believed to be Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli, with PIF now placing the right-back on their transfer wishlist. No official bid has been made for the defender though.

Defence seems to be a priority for Newcastle too at the moment, with Joachim Andersen another player linked with a switch. The Crystal Palace star's teammate Marc Guehi is also a target, although he is considered less of a "realistic" proposition than Andersen.

Are Newcastle United signing Goncalo Inacio?

Now, according to a report from AS via Sport Witness, there is yet another player that they are interested in that could slot into their backline. That man is Sporting CP's Inacio, with Newcastle stated to be battling both Arsenal and Liverpool for the 21-year-old this summer.

It adds that they do already have faith in their central defenders but that boss Eddie Howe wants to ensure his side are strong enough to compete in every competition – and that will involve bringing in a player like Inacio. No bid has yet been lodged for the player, but Sporting could be williing to cash in for 45 million Euros (or £38.8m).

He's already caught the eye with his impressive displays for Sporting CP, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously calling him a "brilliant CB" despite his age.

The youth football writer also praised the club's academy for producing a player like Inacio, and it shows the potential that the defender has to receive such acclaim. If Newcastle want to bolster their defence – and have someone who can help keep it solid for a good few years to come – then Inacio could be their man if they can get a deal sorted.

Queensland’s stand-in captain, Chris Hartley, set Tasmania a hefty target of 352 for victory on the third day at the Gabba, after he earlier broke the all-time record for Sheffield Shield wicketkeeping dismissals

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Chris Hartley now holds the record for most wicketkeeping dismissals in Sheffield Shield history•Getty ImagesQueensland’s stand-in captain, Chris Hartley, set Tasmania a hefty target of 352 for victory on the third day at the Gabba, after he earlier broke the all-time record for Sheffield Shield wicketkeeping dismissals. At stumps, the Tigers had survived five overs without damage and were 0 for 10, with Jake Hancock on 5 and Jordan Silk yet to score.The day began with the Tigers on 4 for 113 in their first innings, but the dismissal of captain George Bailey for 55 to Mark Steketee (3 for 73) allowed Queensland a look at the Tasmania lower order. However, it was an unexpected bowler who claimed the next wicket – bowling offspin, Joe Burns picked up his maiden first-class wicket when he had Jake Doran caught at short leg.Then came Hartley’s record-breaking catch, when he gloved Simon Milenko’s edge off the bowling of Michael Neser. It took Hartley clear of Darren Berry’s record of 546 Sheffield Shield dismissals, and into the outright lead. Tasmania were all out for 200, and Queensland added 6 for 146 in reply before declaring to set the Tigers a target.

Newcastle United hold a summer interest in the AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali as they look to bolster Eddie Howe's squad.

How old is Sandro Tonali?

The Toon now have Champions League football to plan for this summer and it seems as if PIF are keen to make the most of their European status.

Indeed, the Magpies have already been linked with a potentially sensational deal for the Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.

However, reports since the story broke have casted some doubt over a potential deal for the Italian with his asking price believed to be well above the reported £50m offered.

But it seems as if Dan Ashworth may have turned his attention to the other side of Milan with another midfielder who plays his football at the San Siro.

It is now believed the Toon hold a strong interest in Tonali this summer with a new midfielder seemingly on the radar for Howe.

There have also been links to the likes of Scott McTominay ahead of the summer transfer window, however, it seems as if Newcastle are looking to some of Europe's biggest names.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Tyneside club are keen on bringing the 23-year-old Italian to St. James' Park:

"What we can say guys is, is that it's a reality. Newcastle like Sandro Tonali, Newcastle have Sandro Tonali in their list."

"To convince Sandro Tonali is going to be absolutely difficult, same as it was for Nicolo Barella. So this is the situation, let's see how the conversation will go. But for sure, this is a situation around Newcastle and Tonali. Interest, yes. Intention to bid too but the reality is that the player's side is absolutely crucial for Barella and for Tonali."

How much does Sandro Tonali earn?

The Italian has only just turned 23 years old but has become one of Milan's most-used players at the San Siro having made 30 starts in Serie A alone last season (via Transfermarkt).

On top of that, the Italian midfielder made 12 starts in their Champions League campaign as Milan made their way to the semi-finals.

Despite being still so young, Tonali has already racked up 130 appearances for Milan in total which only indicates how important he has become to this side.

And this may not bode well for the Toon if they are looking to land Tonali this summer for a reasonable fee given he still has four years remaining on his current deal at the San Siro.

Reports have suggested the Toon are looking to lodge a bid worth in the region of £50m, however, as Romano has claimed, that will be nowhere near enough.

And with that in mind, it will be intriguing to see how much it could potentially take to see the £76k-per-week midfielder prised away from the San Siro.

Alastair Cook is expected to meet Andrew Strauss imminently – perhaps as early as this Friday – to discuss his future with an announcement expected to follow shortly afterwards

George Dobell05-Jan-20170:35

Archive: Cook spoke about his future as captain after the series loss to India

Alastair Cook’s future as England captain could be resolved over the next few days.Cook is expected to meet Andrew Strauss imminently – perhaps as early as this Friday – to discuss his future with an announcement expected to follow shortly afterwards.Cook cut a somewhat beleaguered figure at times in India. As well as a run of losses – England have lost six of their most recent eight Tests – Cook looked jaded by the demands of the job and the time away from his family. He briefly returned from the tour of Bangladesh to witness the birth of his second child, but was able to spend no more than a few hours with his family before he was obliged to fly back to work.It may be that a period of rest and reflection has proved enough to revive his enthusiasm for the job. Or it may be that the relative speed with which he appears to have reached a decision is a sign that his mind was resolved to step down long before the end of the tour. Either way, Strauss – who is expected to arrive in the UK overnight on Thursday after a Christmas break in Australia – is expected to meet Cook upon his return to discuss the situation and, realistically, to learn of his decision.It remains unlikely that Strauss will sack Cook. While there might be legitimate concerns over the apparent divide of methods between Cook and the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, Cook retains a huge amount of respect from his team and there is no sign of any willingness for change from either the players or the coaches. The coaching staff have been at pains to state they prefer the no-change option and express the hope that Cook continues until the end of the Ashes.There should be no middle course. Cook must know that he either has to go now or continue, come what may, until the end of the Ashes. Anything else would be unfair on his replacement, who will have had very little captaincy experience and needs time to grow into the role. So, unless he is sure he can take defeat, or loss of personal form, or the media pressure, or all the rest of it, he has to go now. There is no scope for another England captain to resign midway through a series against South Africa and for a new man to be plunged into the role without time to plan or adapt.That replacement would be Joe Root. While Root has plenty on his plate already – his partner is due to give birth to their first child this week and he is, arguably, England’s most important batsman in all three formats of the game – his peers in other nations (the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, in particular) have shown that the burden of captaincy need not dilute their effectiveness as players.If Cook does decide to step down – again, it seems unlikely that Strauss will sack him – he will leave with a proud record. To have won Test series in India and South Africa, as well as two home Ashes series, is remarkable. And, while there have been setbacks, too – most notably the 5-0 Ashes whitewash and his determination to continue as ODI captain long after it had become apparent that it was time to depart – the cheers with which he is greeted at grounds around the world suggest he remains hugely popular with the majority of England’s supporters.He may never have been the most astute tactician or eloquent orator, but he has been decent and hard-working and, for a couple of years, presided over a period of chaos (some of which may well have been of his own making) in his team and around the ECB with a calm determination that helped some talented young players find their feet in Test cricket. You will not hear a word against him from many of his team-mates past or present; though, yes, there are one or two notable exceptions.Either way, this will not be the end of the Cook story. There is no indication that he intends to step down as a player – quite the contrary; he is expected to relish a return to the ranks freed from the burden of leadership – and, aged 32, there is no reason he cannot add substantially to that tally of 11,057 Test runs.

Celtic's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has reportedly agreed terms with 50-year-old manager Brendan Rodgers to take on the vacant post at Parkhead this week.

The Northern Irish tactician is set to be officially announced as the successor to Ange Postecoglou, who joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week, at some point today.

Sky Sports recently claimed that the former Leicester City boss will be backed by the board in the summer transfer window with a view to making the team competitive on the European stage.

Who is Kwadwo Opoku?

It was recently reported that Celtic are one of the clubs interested in signing promising Los Angeles FC winger Kwadwo Opoku, who could be available for a fee of up to €4.8m (£4.1m) this summer.

He is a left-footed attacker who mainly operates down the right flank and that could make the talented youngster Rodgers' next version of former Hoops forward Patrick Roberts.

During the ex-Liverpool manager's first spell in Scotland, the Englishman spent two seasons on loan from Manchester City and racked up 12 goals and 24 assists in 65 outings for the club across all competitions under his management.

The now-Sunderland ace was a creative outlet who started on the right and used his preferred left foot to cut inside in order to make things happen in the final third.

Opoku could follow in his footsteps based on his impressive form in the MLS for LAFC throughout 2022.

The 21-year-old dynamo, whose performances last year were hailed as "magnificent" by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, scored eight goals and provided three assists in 20 starts for his side, with all eight strikes coming on his favoured foot.

However, his assist total did not tell the full story as the Ghanaian maestro created an eye-catching 11 'big chances' for his teammates and this suggests, given that Celtic's Jota registered 11 assists from 13 'big chances' created, that his fellow attackers let him down.

The MLS Cup winner, who has produced two goals and two assists across 11 MLS starts this year, has been compared to Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also listed the gem's "flair" as one of his strengths.

Opoku is an exciting young talent who could be an excellent long-term addition to Celtic's squad, whilst also being able to provide quality in the final third as immediately as next season if he can replicate his MLS form from 2022.

Therefore, Rodgers could land his next version of the left-footed wizard that was Roberts at Parkhead by working with Desmond to secure a deal for the £4.1m wide man this summer.

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced it will invest heavily in club teams, and improve the facilities available to them, to beef up the talent available to the national team

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Nov-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has announced it will invest heavily in the existing club-based domestic structure, although a provincial first-class tournament is also in the works. The board has promised a grant of 11 million Sri Lankan rupees (USD $74,000 approx) for each of the 14 clubs in the first-class tournament, and has also said it will beef up facilities by providing bowling machines, mechanised rollers and other groundskeeping equipment. Ten “Tier B” clubs will get a grant of nine million rupees as well.”We have identified our clubs as the places that we promote, sustain and develop cricket in our country, and we will invest as much as possible in this area,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “For Sri Lanka to make an indelible mark on the world arena we need to focus on strengthening and developing our domestic cricket – this will provide us with a world-class pool of players to select from. Our focus is on the quality of cricket and not just the quantity.”The announcement of these grants comes weeks after SLC had reinstated domestic contracts, handing out 85 of them to cricketers from a variety of clubs. This was a repudiation of the pay-model devised by 2015’s SLC interim committee, who sought to better incentivise players by paying out substantial match fees for games played, instead of handing out contracts that guarantee income through the season.The present board also rejected the 2015 interim committee’s vision for Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket, having canned the provincial tournament devised by Mahela Jayawardene.Moreover, these latest grants suggest the board does not want to move away from a club-based domestic structure, despite growing criticism of the competition. Several former players have suggested the current first-class format does not encourage high-quality cricket, and have also voiced concerns that senior cricket has not meaningfully spread beyond Basnahira (western province) and Ruhuna (southern province).SLC is expected to announce the details of a new provincial tournament over the next few weeks. However, this tournament is expected to be much shorter than the club tournament, and is likely to feature just four teams.The Premier League Tournament – for now the main first-class competition in Sri Lanka – will be unchanged from the previous season’s format. Fourteen teams will be split into two groups, before the top sides progress to a Super Eight round-robin.