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According to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor, Southampton are one of the clubs tracking Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic this summer.

The Lowdown: Sought-after talent

The Austrian has just under 12 months remaining on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit, meaning that a decision on his future needs to be made during this window.

As per The Athletic, the 25-year-old is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe after enjoying a hugely successful season with the German giants, and it looks like Ralph Hasenhuttl has identified him as a player who he’s keen to bring to the Premier League.

The Latest: Saints tracking Kalajdzic

Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Southampton, alongside many other English clubs, are monitoring Kalajdzic’s transfer situation. He wrote:

“In addition to Manchester United; West Ham, Brighton, Southampton & Ajax are among the clubs tracking Sasa Kalajdzic. Stuttgart looking for £16m-£20m. There have been loose discussions with his agent Sascha Empacher but no concrete proposals at this stage.”

The Verdict: Broja’s successor

Now that Armando Broja has returned to parent club Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell at St. Mary’s, Hasenhuttl will be looking for a direct replacement, and Kalajdzic can add a totally different dimension up top.

Standing at a staggering 6 foot 7, the forward, who’s been likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Peter Crouch, would bring a major physical threat in the box, as well as clocking up goal contributions, having made eight in 15 league appearances for Stuttgart last season, via Transfermarkt.

Gaining his compatriot’s services would be a massive coup for the Austrian boss if the Saints managed to fend off their strong competitors and bring their target to the south coast ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Nicolas Tagliafico to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Leeds Live, who claimed that, with Junior Firpo looking set to miss the start of the upcoming Premier League campaign due to injury, Victor Orta could now make a late move for the Ajax left-back.

The report added that, with the 29-year-old believed to be eager to secure a move away from the Johan Cruijff ArenA ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and Ajax apparently willing to part with the Argentina international, the Whites’ director of football could seal something of a bargain for the defender.

However, it is also claimed that Leeds will have to fight off a number of top-tier European clubs in order to bring the left-back to Elland Road, with Tagliafico being linked with the likes of Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Barcelona in the summer window.

Furthermore, Ligue 1 outfit Lyon are reported to have already reached an agreement in principle with Ajax regarding a €4m (£3.4m) deal for the 40-cap international, although the 29-year-old is thought to be waiting for a more lucrative offer.

“Top signing”

While it is true that Tagliafico had fallen down Erik ten Hag’s left-back pecking order in Amsterdam last season – starting just nine league games in 2021/22 – the defender has more than proven in previous years that, when given the opportunity, he can pose a major threat from full-back.

Indeed, over his 24 Eredivisie appearances in 2019/20, the £9.9m-rated talent highly impressed, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his team-mates, in addition to taking 1.6 shots, making one key pass and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

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The full-back also impressed in a defensive capacity in that campaign, helping Ajax to keep eight clean sheets, along with making 2.5 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 2.1 clearances and winning 6.8 duels (at a success rate of 57%) per match.

These returns saw the 29-year-old average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the 25th-best player in the Eredivisie that season.

The £44k-per-week Argentine was also in breathtaking form over his six Champions League outings in 2019/20, scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his team-mates. He also made 4.5 tackles, three interceptions and 2.7 clearances and won 9.2 duels (at a success rate of 59%) per match.

These metrics saw the player who Golazo dubbed a “top signing” and previously labelled “fierce” average a quite incredible SofaScore match rating of 7.50, ranking him as the joint 23rd-best performer in Europe’s most prestigious club competition that year.

As such, it is clear to see that, should Tagliafico be able to rediscover this level of form following a potential move to Elland Road for a fee as meagre as £3.4m, the defender would undoubtedly prove to be one of the bargains of the summer.

Therefore, we believe that, after being given the green light by both the player and Ajax, Orta must seal a deal for the 29-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “superb” £15m “playmaker”, he’s the “king of assists”

Celtic have signed a lot of players from abroad over recent years either on loan or permanent deals.

However, the Hoops have also taken players away from their fellow Scottish clubs such as Greg Taylor and Scott Bain among others.

Another fairly recent recruit that didn’t travel too far to get to Parkhead is David Turnbull.

Signed from Motherwell back in August 2020 in a deal worth £3.25m, 14 months after a previous move for the player collapsed, the midfielder has since made 77 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The 22-year-old has shown in those appearances why the Bhoys were so keen to add him to their ranks as he has found the net 19 times and delivered 16 assists.

This shows just how successful and beneficial it can be for the club to sign some of Scotland’s young talents and embed them into their side.

Now that the latest season has ended with Ange Postecoglou guiding his side to the SPFL title, it seems as though the Hoops have the chance to secure what could be their next version of Turnbull as a young starlet making a name for himself in the top division.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Celtic have been watching Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron throughout the season at club and international level.

As a product of Aberdeen’s youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, eight of which came during the final weeks of the season.

In those appearances, the teenager managed to make 15 interceptions, 15 successful tackles and 15 shots at goal in addition to delivering 59 crosses, highlighting how much of a capable midfield figure he is on and off the ball.

Back in February, Barry Robson said that Barron “has a heart the size of a lion’s,” as well as describing him as an “aggressive” player on the pitch who “reads the game well” and “will go into any challenge.”

Thus, if Celtic are looking to continue their track record of signing talented young players from their fellow top-flight compatriots this summer, then securing a deal for the Aberdeen prodigy should be at the top of their to-do list before the season kicks off again.

In other news: Celtic can replicate Starfelt masterclass as Ange eyes “versatile” £900k-rated brute

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of striker Nathan Broadhead in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Northern Echo reporter Scott Wilson has claimed that the Black Cats have made contact with Everton as Kristjaan Speakman plots a deal for the attacker.

However, the journalist has also revealed that his parent club will not make a decision in the imminent future as they weigh up what they want to do with the forward.

He Tweeted: “TRANSFER UPDATE: SAFC have held talks to try to re-sign Jack Clarke and Nathan Broadhead – but a final decision on both players is unlikely until later in the summer. Both are entering the final year of their current deals with Spurs and Everton…”

Alex Neil will love it

The Black Cats head coach will love this update as he will surely be keen to be reunited with the Welsh centre-forward this summer.

Broadhead was sublime on loan at the Stadium of Light last term and showcased his quality on a regular basis, playing under the Scot and Lee Johnson.

He ended the campaign with an impressive ten League One goals in 15 starts, along with two goals in three League Cup outings. This shows that he was lethal in front of goal when he was available to play, which is one of the reasons Neil will be buzzing with the club’s attempts to sign him.

Speakman recently hailed the youngster as he said: “Look, he’s had some incredible moments and he’s been an inspiration in many respects in terms of some of the goals he’s scored. It has been harder for him of late because of injury but you can’t take away from the fact that he has got all the attributes to go and play at Championship level.”

This shows that the club believe Broadhead has the quality to make the step up to the second division. Sunderland will be looking to avoid the drop at the first time of asking and will need as many Championship standard players as possible to do so.

Neil will want players with the potential to thrive in the second tier and, at 24, the Everton man falls into that category. Therefore, he will be eager to get the Welshman in the door and will surely be pushing Speakman to do everything in his power to get a deal over the line.

AND in other news, Speakman can find SAFC’s own Kane in swoop for “incredible” £7k-p/w gem who’s “flying”…

Leeds United forward Raphinha is keen on joining Barcelona during the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports. 

The lowdown: Hot property

Having previously been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool and West Ham United, the 25-year-old is once again expected to be much sought-after in the transfer market.

Barcelona have recently emerged as the main contenders to sign the Brazil winger, and a big-money offer has been mooted for some time now.

Despite just avoiding relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season, with Raphinha himself on the scoresheet before joining in the post-match celebrations, it seems as though the writing could be on the wall for his time at Leeds…

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The latest: Sky Sports drop Raphinha news

Speaking live on Sky Sports, it was reported that Barcelona are set to make their interest ‘formal’ very soon.

Presenter Hayley McQueen said on air: “Barcelona are expected to make formal their interest in Leeds United forward Raphinha in the coming days. He’s actually got two years left still on his contract, he’s not expected to sign a new deal.

“One source has told us at Sky Sports News that he would like to join Barcelona. Here’s the link, he’s represented by Deco, friend and former team-mate of Barcelona boss Xavi.

“West Ham were also one of a number of Premier League clubs who tried to sign Raphinha in the last transfer window. He stayed at Leeds, they have stayed in the Premier League but they might not be able to keep hold of him.”

The verdict: Mega offer needed

Having retained their top-flight status, the onus is now on Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta to ensure that any summer departures recoup the maximum value in the market so that Jesse Marsch can adequately replenish the playing ranks.

In an ideal world, the likes of Raphinha would remain with the Whites and look to spearhead a wholly different campaign in 2022/23, but it already appears as though that ship might have sailed after another stellar season in which he directly contributed to 14 goals in 36 league outings.

Instead, it may already be on the club’s mind to concentrate on extracting every possible penny from any deal for the £40.5m-valued ace and immediately adding the funds to Marsch’s transfer budget in order to avoid a repeat of their brush with relegation from this season.

In other news, Leeds are eyeing up a second signing after Aaronson. Find out who it is here

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Manchester City have been one of the most successful teams in the Premier League over the past decade or so in terms of the number of trophies they’ve won.

Since the 2010/11 season, the Etihad Stadium outfit have won six League cups, two FA Cups and five Premier League titles.

One figure in their current squad who has been a big part of that success over recent years is Fernandinho.

Since arriving at the Etihad back in the summer of 2013, the soon-to-be 37-year-old has gone on to make 378 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions. In that time, the Brazilian has scored 26 goals and provided 33 assists along the way.

With 28 appearances to his name this season, the midfielder has only started 14 times, as he looks to run down the final two months of his current contract.

Having claimed that this could be his last season with City, the club could have a big challenge on their hands to try and find a suitable replacement for the Brazil veteran.

However, there is one player with whom the Manchester club have been linked recently who could be a dream heir for Fernandinho – West Ham United’s Declan Rice.

Labelled a “freak” in terms of his physicality, the 23-year-old has also been described by former Irons team-mate Jack Wilshere as a player that “can do anything” on a technical level on the pitch.

From a defensive point of view, the England international has racked up a combined total of 585 tackles and interceptions in the Premier League since the 2017/18 season.

By comparison, Fernandinho has 313 tackles and interceptions to his name during the same period of time, highlighting just how tough the West Ham star is to play against.

With that in mind, and only two other midfielders in the Premier League having a higher pass completion percentage than Rice this season, he could well be the perfect long-term replacement for City’s long-serving stalwart.

Even though it could cost Pep Guardiola’s side a hefty fee of £100m for the 23-year-old’s services, shelling out this sort of money could be a wise investment for the club as they prepare for the future without Fernandinho.

In other news: Man City plot bid for “unbelievable” £60m ace who’s “one of the best”, Pep would love him

A wrist injury had left the India seamer “very worried” before the South Africa tour, but she overcame that to become the first woman to 200 ODI wickets

Annesha Ghosh07-Feb-2018Going into the South Africa tour, Jhulan Goswami was only five wickets away from 200 ODI scalps in women’s cricket. But a wrist injury sustained a day before the start of the senior women’s domestic season, on December 6 last year, briefly cast a doubt over the feat. After bagging 4 for 24 in the first ODI in Kimberley though, Goswami accomplished a task her personal coach and mentor had set her when she last visited him in Kolkata prior to the tour.”The one last thing I want of you is your name to be the first and the only one for a while on the list of women’s players to have taken 200 wickets,” Swapan Sadhu, who has been coaching Goswami since she first took up formal training as a teenager, recalls telling the seamer as he speaks to ESPNcricinfo from Kolkata. “That’s one request – if you can call it so – I had made to Jhulan before she left. And I told she should get this done in South Africa. Hereafter, I will not have much left to ask of her.”The injury, Mithu Mukherjee, the women’s chairman of selectors of the Cricket Association of Bengal, said, had left Goswami “very worried”. Although it was the left wrist that had borne the impact after she slipped on the stairs, the injury had sidelined her from a large part of the domestic season, forcing Tanusree Sarkar to fill in as Bengal’s stand-in captain for the major part of the inter-state one-day tournament, barring the semi-final and final. In the subsequent Challenger Trophy, the three-team, domestic 50-over tournament that took place in the build-up to the international series, Goswami had bowled only 12 overs in two matches.Sadhu, however, insisted there was a “sense of inevitability” about Goswami getting to the milestone on this tour as she had been working “doubly hard” on her fitness in its lead-up. “The diligence she’s put in to preserving herself at 34-35 years is unparalleled,” he said. “She’s massively cut down on food, takes care of her body like a temple, considering the injuries she’s had in the past one year [including a shoulder strain in February last year, which ruled her out of the World Cup Qualifiers subsequently]. And the fitness, with that tall frame, she’s works at it like a student early into their career.”But you could sense the quiet confidence in her voice when she told me, ‘Yes, it’s likely to happen in South Africa’. And when I learnt of it [the record], the first thing that flashed before my eyes was her high-arm action when she first came to me in 1996-97. [Gosh, it drives me crazy when I come to think of it even to this day.] After all these years, you see her action, it’s as effective and as good, even though she may have lost a bit of pace. That’s because it’s Jhulan – diligent and putting in the hard yards as ever.”A few airwaves interior to Kolkata, Goswami’s youngest brother, Kunal, had been following the match on his smartphone. While the pride in the immensity of the elder sister’s achievement was unmistakable in his voice, the lack of a broadcast or livestream, he said, somewhat “tarnished” the joys of the feat.”Despite India’s World Cup campaign, it’s disappointing we couldn’t see her get to the record live on TV or the internet [via live-stream]. I had to switch between checking scores on my phone and pestering my colleagues at work [for updates]. It’s as big an achievement for [elder sister] as it is for the family, and I think for women’s cricket in general. The first to 200 wickets – it was imminent, [but still feels it’s a dream].”

Reactions and tributes on the passing of Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2016The cricket world paid tribute to Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad, who died aged 81 in Karachi.

They found captains after Kardar, they found bowlers after Fazal. Never found another Hanif. RIP Little Master

— Osman Samiuddin (@OsmanSamiuddin) August 11, 2016

Saddened by the passing of Hanif Muhammad. he was the first of the great Pakistani batsmen and came from the most talented cricketing family

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 11, 2016

Rest In Peace Little Master. The Legendary batsmen Hanif Mohammad will be missed but never forgotten.My Love to Shoaib & family at this time

— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) August 11, 2016

Devastated on losing Hanif Mohammed saab. The art of batting today lost its top craftsman. RIP Sir

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 11, 2016

The cricketing legend #HanifMohammad was always positive and supportive. Have fond memories of meeting him in 2005. RIP

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 11, 2016

Hanif Mohammad .. an icon & an institution .. here with JM at Hall of Fame induction on 1 Mar 2009 #HanifMohammad pic.twitter.com/nnrS5y825V

— Sami Ul Hasan (@Samiburney) August 11, 2016

Sad to hear our legend M.Hanif Sb has left this https://t.co/yGPwUVZy6f will be always remembered sir. May your soul rest is peace.

— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) August 11, 2016

Rest In Peace !!The Legendary "Hanif Mohammed"will be missed but never forgotten.My condolences to Shoaib & family at this time of grief!!

— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) August 11, 2016

Sad to hear about the death of sir Hanif Mohammad. He was a true inspiration for us. Prayers for him and his family.

— Nasir Jamshaid (@nasirjamshaid77) August 11, 2016

And the legend Sir Hanif Mohammad has left us for his eternal abode. May Allah shower mercy on his beautiful soul, Ameen. #Respect #Prayers

— Mohammad Irfan (@M_IrfanOfficial) August 11, 2016

One of my earliest memories is of Hanif getting stuck into Aus at MCG, 1964. No Asian batsman has scored more on Aus debut than his 104 & 93

— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) August 11, 2016

RIP Hanif Mohammed. The original little master. Small man with a big appetite for runs.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 11, 2016

My condolences on passing away of one of d icons of d game Hanif Mohammad.
You will continue to live in many hearts. pic.twitter.com/zSchL7DwJ5

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 11, 2016

Of the great Hanif Mohammed it was said: when he played forward defence at Brabourne, the sound was heard at Churchgate RIP

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 11, 2016

Plays of the Day from the second Qualifier between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore

Abhishek Purohit22-May-2015Hussey still has it
Five days short of his 40th birthday, Michael Hussey showed he was still an asset in the field. Mandeep Singh swept R Ashwin hard but could not keep it down. As the ball looped over square leg, Hussey sprinted in from the deep, hurled himself forward, grabbed the ball inches from the ground and went sprawling face-down on to the turf.Nehra in a dilemma
Sarfaraz Khan tried to make room against Mohit Sharma but could only push the ball towards extra cover. The non-striker Harshal Patel rushed for the single, but seeing Ashish Nehra nearing the ball, Sarfaraz stopped. Harshal was so far out, Nehra thought he had enough time to trot over to the non-striker’s end and remove the bails. Midway, he realized there actually wasn’t so much time. He decided lob the ball at the stumps, and missed.Faf fluffs, Bravo doesn’t
David Wiese tried to scoop Dwayne Bravo and ended up top-edging it high over short fine leg. Faf du Plessis circled under it for a while and took a few late uncertain steps, the ball slipping through his grasp in the end. Bravo was gutted but ensured the miss did not cost much. Two balls later, Wiese mishit Mohit down the ground. Bravo came in from long-on, took it safely, and then calmly threw the ball towards the pitch.Smith’s pull-edged four
Mitchell Starc banged it short and Dwayne Smith revved up for a big pull. All he managed was a thick edge. It kept both wicketkeeper and lone slip interested as it looped towards them, but then fell just short of a diving Dinesh Karthik and raced past Chris Gayle’s hands for four.

After years of improvement and investment, an ageing England side produced a medley of the bad old days at the WACA

George Dobell15-Dec-20130:00

#PoliteEnquiries: Is Matt Prior’s career over?

Like an ageing entertainer on a farewell tour, England produced a medley of the bad old days of English cricket on the third day at the WACA.They gave us a classic batting collapse, an insipid display of bowling, a couple of dropped catches, a comic missed stumping and that old standard, an injury to a key player, during a performance that underlined the sense that the belief has long since drained from this side.It seemed that all the years of improvement, the investment into central contracts and academies, the input of high-profile coaches and the attention to detail that saw such initiatives as the production of an 80-page cookbook and the appointment of an army of support staff so vast it now comprises a spot welder and a woman who makes balloon animals, had never happened. It could have been 1994-95.It is hard to pinpoint England’s lowest moment on a day so full of them that you could go pot-holing in the ignominy. Might it have been the sight of England’s No 6 flashing at a ball outside the off stump in the manner of a tail-ender? Might it have been the sight of Stuart Broad on crutches? Or might it have been the sight of Matt Prior, for so long a beacon of excellence in this side, flailing around behind the stumps like a drowning man? Or perhaps it was simply the sight of Tim Bresnan taking the new ball. Whatever the plan was when England named three giant fast bowlers in their squad for this series, it surely wasn’t Bresnan taking the new ball at the WACA.But the sight of Graeme Swann and James Anderson carted around Perth by David Warner and co might be considered most dispiriting of all from an England perspective. Both men have long been fine servants of this team and both men are in the top six Test wicket takers in England history. But it is becoming increasingly hard to avoid the conclusion that they are players in decline. Their series averages – seven wickets at 48.85 for Anderson and seven wickets at 74.14 for Swann – are far from the levels required if England were going to win this series.There is no obvious drop in pace from Anderson. There have been times in this match when he has hit 90mph on the speed gun and his control has remained admirable. He is the only member of the England attack to concede fewer than three runs in a series throughout the series to date.But whereas in 2010-11 – the series in which he claimed 24 wickets at an average of 26.04 – he was able to generate lateral movement, here he has struggled to find the seam or swing to trouble batsmen on such good pitches. More worryingly, he has failed to gain the movement found by his Australian counterparts.It may be that England have simply asked too much of Anderson. There was a time when the side were uncomfortable reliant upon him – remember that 14-over spell that sealed the Trent Bridge Test. Certainly the vision of him bowling in Australia’s second innings, with the game long gone and the temperature well over 40 degrees, was like using a sports car to carry scaffolding.It is a similar tale with Swann. On pitches offering him little, he was always likely to struggle for bite. But the fact is, he has been out-bowled by his opposite number, Nathan Lyon and, in conceding nearly four-an-over, has been unable to give his captain the control required to build pressure.It is not just that he has struggled to gain any turn; that must be expected on these wickets. He has also struggled for the dip that used to make him such a dangerous bowler and he has failed to gain the bounce that has, at times, rendered Lyon the more dangerous operator.But the bowlers are not the primary reason for England’s imminent Ashes defeat. It is not the bowlers who have dropped chances or bowlers that have batted so feebly. It is not the bowlers’ fault that they have, in three successive matches, been forced back into the field for the second innings without adequate rest and with the Australian batsmen enjoying an enviable match position. England have hardly given their bowlers a chance.Matt Prior’s missed stumping against David Warner was just one of many blemishes for England•PA PhotosNo, the main reason for England’s defeat will have been their batsmen. First innings totals of 136, 172 and 251 are simply inadequate. At times when England should have showed patience and application, they have tried to hit themselves out of trouble like novices.So it was entirely typical that, of the three remaining top-order batsmen at the start of day three here, two should lose their wickets in the morning session to reckless attacking strokes. Prior and Stokes followed Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen in departing to unnecessary shots that spoke volumes for the pressure built up by Australia’s disciplined attack and the desperation of a batting line-up that have lost faith in their ability to grind out totals from tough positions.The last time – 22 innings and 10 months ago – that England scored 400, against New Zealand at Wellington, England had two centurions: Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott. In the aftermath of the game, there were suggestions that such a pairing in the top three might result in England scoring too slowly. That England might need to score quicker to win games. That England needed to be more positive.At Leeds, in May, England beat New Zealand by 247 runs only to be bombarded by criticism for their slow rate of scoring. Compton was dropped and Trott was described as one-paced and even selfish by some.Right now, such a view looks more than a little foolish.