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Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Benfica star Goncalo Ramos, as Eddie Howe prepares for the thrilling 2023/24 campaign at St James’ Park.

The Magpies enjoyed a blockbuster season to lead them into an expectedly busy summer, finishing in fourth with confirmation that they will play in the Champions League for the first time since 2002/03.

Despite accelerating up the rankings, Howe is hungry for further success in the North East, which he could achieve by swiftly signing the clubs’ latest target.

What’s the latest on Goncalo Ramos to Newcastle?

As reported yesterday by Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha – relayed by Sport Witness – Benfica are expecting Newcastle to ‘attack’ in their bid to sign the 22-year-old.

It’s stated that the Premier League side are aware that Benfica would only accept offers in the region of €80m (£69m), with the club reportedly ready to ‘present an offer’.

The in-demand forward who is also mentioned to be of interest to Manchester United has a bumper release clause of €120m (£103m) in a contract valid until 2025.

What could Goncalo Ramos offer to Newcastle?

Speaking back in January, Howe admitted his desire to replace the presence of Chris Wood with a player that is ‘ready to play’ for the club, via the Chronicle.

The 31-year-old traded St James’ Park for the City Ground in the winter transfer window, leaving the Magpies with just Callum Wilson as the only identifiable out-and-out centre-forward.

With 18 goals in the Premier League, the Englishman has done a stellar job at leading the line, however in signing another forward the North East club could bolster their chances of challenging for the title.

Hailed as “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Portuguese sensation Goncalo Ramos could be the perfect individual to ease some pressure from Wilson.

In 30 Liga Portugal appearances last season, the 22-year-old found the net 19 times averaging a monstrous 0.75 non-penalty goals per 90 via FBref, a stat that placed him in the top 3% of forwards in the division.

The young star could be the figure to lead Newcastle to further heights, as well as being the perfect candidate to act as Wilson’s heir with the 31-year-old theoretically nearing the latter stages of his playing career.

Ramos took to the spotlight at the World Cup when he was chosen ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line for his country, in which he wrote his name in the stars with a Round-of-16 hat-trick to send Portugal to the quarter-finals.

The 22-year-old could undoubtedly flourish in Howe’s free-flowing attacking side, based upon the fact that his numbers prove he’s a natural goal scorer with a talent difficult to find.

As per FBref, the live wire averaged an impressive 3.87 total shots per 90, with an average of 1.46 being on target, similar to Wilson who averaged a total of 3.36 shots per 90 in the Premier League.

Identified by Kulig as having strengths in his pace and off-the-ball movement, the young gem could be the perfect fit for Newcastle, and a statement signing should the Magpies claim his signature over the likes of Manchester United.

What is certain is Howe’s requirement to recruit a forward this summer, and with finances not expected to be an issue, Ramos could be the perfect suitor for the thrilling times to come at St James’ Park.

Mauricio Pochettino's appointment during the off-season ensures the Chelsea head coach has a chance to run the rule over his players – of which there are many – before the Premier League season kicks off in early August.

It is set to be another busy window at Stamford Bridge, with numerous players linked with moves away and others being touted as possible replacements or indeed upgrades.

While it is true Chelsea are in need of a prolific goalscorer, the club cannot continue to throw large sums of money around in the hope of landing the perfect fit.

With Christopher Nkunku set to officially arrive from RB Leipzig this month in a deal worth over £50m, it looks increasingly likely that the Blues will splash out a further £30m to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.

But the Blues may already have a new signing of sorts in their ranks ready to step up and play alongside Nkunku when needed.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Pochettino is ready to give Armando Broja a chance to shine during pre-season, amid previous suggestions the striker could be used in part-exchange to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion.

Is Armando Broja good enough for Chelsea?

Broja has spent 14 years on Chelsea's books, but with his 22nd birthday fast approaching, he has made just 13 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

After catching the eye on loan with Southampton in 2021-22 courtesy of a nine goal haul, Broja was finally given a run in the Chelsea side last season, only to sustain a knee injury during the winter break that curtailed his season after just 12 league games.

On the basis of those appearances, though, Broja showed he deserves another shot. He scored at a rate of 0.30 goals per 90 minutes, as per FBref, which was bettered last season by only Joao Felix (0.38) among Chelsea players.

Rather tellingly, though, Broja's figure of 0.30 came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.24, compared to 0.47 for Joao Felix, suggesting he converted more times than expected based on the quality of his chances, whereas the opposite was true for the latter.

That is further reflected in the shots on target metric, with Broja – on as little as £40k-a-week, according to Capology – doing so from 83.3% of his attempts. The next-best Chelsea player in that regard was Noni Madueke with 50%.

When you also factor in the Albania international's team-high 0.61 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which considers passes, take-ons and fouls directly prior to a goal, plus his 2.73 aerial duels won per 90 – only two others fared better – it is hard to argue against Pochettino not using Broja.

As Albanian coach Sergio Porrini said last season: "With the necessary comparisons, he's somewhat reminiscent of [Rafael] Leao in how unstoppable he becomes if he stretches the ball into space On the other hand, he is less good with his back to goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces he is devastating."

That is not to say Jackson is not a great striker himself – 12 goals in 26 LaLiga appearances last season tells you all you need to know – but Chelsea may well have an answer to their problems already raring to go without the need to waste more money.

A round-up of the Group B matches from the Vijay Hazare Trophy played on March 4, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2017Akshdeep Nath’s 109, his second List A hundred in three matches, carried Uttar Pradesh to a six-wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in Bhubaneswar. Nath struck 17 fours and two sixes during his 90-ball 109 as Uttar Pradesh chased down 256 in 40.4 overs. Nath’s 119-run partnership with opener Shivam Chaudhary, who hit 75 off 74 balls, formed the crux of the chase. Nath went onto bring up his century, then fell with his team 31 away from the target. Rinku Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, however, sealed a handsome victory.Having opted to bat, Himachal Pradesh fell to 68 for 4 in 19 overs. Debutant Ekant Sen and Ankit Kaushik then rallied their team with a 78-run stand. Both batsmen went onto score fifties and Mayank Dagar contributed with a 33-ball 46 to lift Himachal Pradesh to 255. Seamer Mohd Israr returned 4 for 33 while his senior partner Praveen Kumar claimed 2 for 40.Maharashtra limited Tripura to 188 and completed the chase with four wickets and nearly 100 balls to spare in Cuttack. This meant Maharashtra consolidated their position at the top of the Group B table with their fifth win in six matches. It was set up by new-ball bowlers Nikit Dhumal and Shrikant Mundhe who took a combined 7 for 58. They carved up the top and middle order, reducing Tripura to 30 for 5 in 12.2 overs. Gurinder Singh, coming in at No.7, lent some respectability to the score with 91 off 121 balls, including six fours and five sixes. His contribution accounted for nearly half of Tripura’s total of 188.Maharashtra lost Ankit Bawne and Naushad Shaikh early to Ajoy Sarkar but Ruturaj Gaikwad and captain Kedar Jadhav propped up their team with forty-somethings each. Wicketkeeper Nikhil Naik also made a forty – 46 not out off 34 balls – as Maharashtra got home in the 35th over.Batsman Unmukt Chand and left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal – belated additions to the Delhi squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy – helped the team to a consolation win over Kerala in Tangi. After Suyal took took wickets, Chand steered Delhi’s chase of 232 with 64 off 85 balls, including five fours and a six. Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir had laid the platform for Chand with a 60-run opening stand. Milind Kumar complemented Chand with 40 off 37 balls and hastened Delhi’s win.Earlier, Kerala put up 231, thanks largely to Salman Nizar’s 59 and Sanju Samson’s 41 after twenty-somethings from the top three. Navdeep Saini too picked up two wickets while Milind chipped in with one.

Josh Hazlewood has been rested for the first of five ODIs against Pakistan at the Gabba on Friday to help “freshen” him up after a long haul playing Test cricket.Hazlewood has bowled more than 40 overs in five out of six matches since the Australian summer began. Only three weeks ago, in Brisbane, he got through 42 overs in a single innings, the heaviest workload for an Australian quick in over a decade. His ability to maintain a strict line and length around the off stump has been vital to the success of his team, and has also resulted in tangible personal gains as well. On Sunday, Hazlewood became the top-ranked fast bowler in Test cricket. He has a week off to celebrate.Australia’s head coach Darren Lehmann said Hazlewood would be linking up with the squad in Melbourne for the second ODI on Sunday and “if one of our other fast bowlers picks up an injury in the run-up to Friday’s first game at The Gabba then he could be called up to slot in.”With one of the first-choice quicks on the bench, Billy Stanlake, the 22-year old fast bowler, might contemplate an ODI debut having played only four 50-over matches in domestic cricket. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he confessed “shock” at how quickly he has broken into the national squad and even admitted to a little gaffe.”I got a phone call, I think, Friday morning. I actually missed the first one so I had to give him a call back,” Stanlake said. “I saw it was Trevor Hohns, the head of selectors, but I wasn’t too sure what he’d be calling about so I gave him a quick call back and he told me the news which was very nice news. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I think it’ll sink in more when we get into the camp on Tuesday.”Billy Stanlake felt his height could make him an X-factor player•Getty Images

If Stanlake felt stunned, the rest of the world was even more so. He made his Queensland debut as recently as October 2015, but injuries have meant he has managed only two first-class and four List A matches since then. A back complaint had ruled him out of last year’s Matador Cup but he has been putting in impressive performances – six wickets at 17.83 – for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.”It’s funny how quickly things can happen,” Stanlake said. “It was only a couple of months ago that I was returning from injury in club cricket.” He hoped to make the best use of his opportunity to spend time with the likes of Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and work on becoming a better bowler. “I feel I’d like to feed off of everyone as best I can. They’ve all got a wealth of knowledge and being a young guy, I’ll probably get around to most of them and learn as much as I can.”The selectors felt Stanlake’s height, which helps him extract disconcerting bounce, coupled with the ability to bowl at 140 kph could be assets and he agreed. “I think that’s probably what makes me a bit of an X-factor and probably a little bit of an unknown for the Pakistan side, they probably wouldn’t have seen me at all so that’s an upside as well.”Chris Lynn is another man who has found his way into international cricket via the BBL. Two shoulder injuries in 2014 and 2015 forced him out of the Matador Cup both times and has therefore not played a 50-over domestic game in three years. He has represented Australia A in List A matches during this period and has been in excellent form for Brisbane Heat, with 309 runs in five matches including a top-score of 98 not out. He came into the Australian set-up with a slight issue with his neck that might hamper him while throwing the ball, but was looking forward to giving it his all.”Just relying on my body to get me through a 50-over game and the selectors are happy where I’m at. I’m over the moon and hopefully if I get the chance to debut in my hometown at the Gabba, it would be a pretty special moment,” Lynn said, “It’s my neck that’s giving me a bit of grief. It’s more of a nerve issue, but it won’t stop me putting on the green and gold, that’s for sure.””It’s not giving me an issue while batting, that’s probably the most important thing. In cricket, you can always hide one or two blokes on the field, even though that’s a bit of baggage. I do feel a little bit uncomfortable with that but they’re happy to carry me around. Push comes to shove, I’ll be diving, throwing my body around and doing everything I can to contribute for Australia.”

The outfields at Kingsmead and Queen’s Park Oval have been rated poor by the ICC match referees who oversaw the washed out Tests between South Africa and New Zealand in Durban, and West Indies and India in Trinidad.The ICC said the officials – Andy Pycroft in Durban and Ranjan Madugalle in Trinidad – had expressed concerns in accordance with clause three of the Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. The match referees’ reports have been forwarded to the concerned home boards, the WICB and Cricket South Africa, which now have 14 days to respond. CSA’s response, the ICC said, will be reviewed by ICC general manager, cricket, Geoff Allardice, while match referee David Boon will assess the WICB’s reply.Then, as per the rules, the grounds will either receive a warning or a fine not exceeding USD 15,000, along with “a directive for appropriate corrective action”. A repeat offence over the next five years would draw a fine not exceeding USD 30,000.In all, 11 sessions out of 15 were lost to a wet and soft outfield at Kingsmead, while in Port of Spain West Indies and India were able to play only one session across five days.It was the first Test played in Trinidad in August, which is the wet season there, and rain had hampered preparations in the days leading up to the match but during the game itself there was largely sunshine. However, with there not being enough covers at the ground to protect the bowlers’ run-ups or the outfield, and no super sopper available either, the outfield did not recover enough to allow play. The draw meant that India, who needed to win the Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking, lost the top spot to Pakistan. The Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board had already said it would investigate the reasons behind the washout.The Durban Test was also scheduled in what is traditionally the off season in South Africa, during the winter. Rain forced the players off the field around lunch on day two, and the big damage was done to the outfield that night, when the ground took 65mm of water. Here, too, the covers did not protect large parts of the field, and the super sopper was made to stop operating for fear it would do further damage to the soft patches that persisted into day five despite no more rain falling.There were concerns over the Kingsmead outfield being underprepared even before the match began, as it had been relaid in June following complaints from South Africa and New Zealand that the surface was too hard during the limited-overs games played there last year. Similar comments were levelled at Centurion, the venue of the upcoming second Test, but the SuperSport Park outfield was relaid in April once the season ended; work could not get underway at Kingsmead till the Comrades Marathon – for which it is the ending point – was completed on May 29.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in making a move for Southampton talisman, James Ward-Prowse this summer, with the Englishman facing an uncertain future at St Mary's following the club's recent relegation.

What's the latest on Ward-Prowse to Spurs?

According to the Daily Mail, the Lilywhites – as well as the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham United – are said to be admirers of the 28-year-old, with the Saints already said to be preparing themselves for offers from Premier League clubs after their drop into the second tier was confirmed at the weekend.

As per the report, the influential midfielder's current deal – which is set to run until 2026 – does not contain a relegation clause, with the south coast unsurprisingly still keen on keeping hold of the long-serving asset despite the prospect of life in the Championship.

That being said, however, the piece goes on to add that the playmaker's reported £100k-per-week salary could prove rather 'pricy' for the newly-relegated side next season, with that potentially opening the door for the likes of Spurs to pounce.

Should Spurs sign Ward-Prowse?

Aside from the search for a new permanent manager at N17, the major concern for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be the uncertainty surrounding Harry Kane's future at the club, with the 29-year-old the subject of interest from Manchester United with just a year left on his existing contract.

The hope will be that the club's record goalscorer will opt to stay put in north London beyond the end of this season, with the signing of Ward-Prowse, in particular, potentially set to be a key factor in tempting the England captain to remain in the capital.

The additon of his compatriot could well represent a dream signing for Kane such is the midfielder's ability to provide quality service, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose going as far as to suggest that if "you sign James Ward-Prowse, Harry Kane stays".

As Ambrose claimed, the arrival of the "set piece master" – as hailed by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – could give Spurs' talisman "an extra ten goals a season" due to his deliveries, with that likely to be a mouthwatering prospect as far as Kane is concerned.

Lauded as the "perfect player that Spurs need that goes from defence to attack" – according to Ambrose – Ward-Prowse would be a real asset to his Three Lions colleague as he arguably has the "best delivery in the league", in the words of teammate Jan Bednarek.

The Portsmouth-born gem – who is valued at around £17m by CIES Football Observatory – has notably created nine big chances this season as a marker of his devastating, creative brilliance, with that a better record than what the current midfield pairing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (five big chances) and Oliver Skipp (zero big chances) have achieved combined for Spurs this term.

As such, it is clear to see that the 5 foot 8 sensation would represent a "great fit" for the club – as per journalist Pete O'Rourke – and potentially for Kane, with Levy needing to ensure that a deal is wrapped up sooner rather than later for the "unbelievable" talent, as hailed by ex-Saints man, Oriol Romeu.

Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2016Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action. Taylor was previously reported in 2013 and had to remodel his action.The news comes less than 24 hours after Taylor scored an unbeaten hundred to help Gloucestershire to a remarkable Championship victory over Worcestershire at New Road. He underwent independent testing last week and was found to have a bowling action that exceeds the permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension.He has therefore been suspended from bowling in county cricket with immediate effect, as per ECB regulations, until his action has been re-tested and found within the limits.Taylor has taken 53 wickets at 39.39 in first-class cricket – where he also has four hundreds – but his all-round ability was important for Gloucestershire in limited-overs cricket. In the club’s 2015 Royal London Cup success, Taylor was named Man of the Match after scoring 35 from 26 balls and taking 3 for 43 in the final against Surrey.After being called in 2013, and missing the rest of the season to undergo remedial work with Gloucestershire and at the ECB’s national academy in Loughborough, he was cleared to resume bowling in February 2014.He has been an ever-present in the Championship this season, taking 14 wickets and averaging 52.40 with the bat, as well as featuring in Gloucestershire’s one NatWest T20 Blast game to date.

Rain, snow, sleet and even a dead pigeon prevented a positive result at The Oval as Chris Rogers was left to hail the continuing influence of Marcus Trescothick

Vithushan Ehantharajah at The Oval27-Apr-2016
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara drives on his way to another half-century•Getty Images

When the start of play was delayed to remove a pigeon’s dirty protest to the side of the pitch, you wondered if that was a sign of things to come. In the end, both Surrey and Somerset played some impressive cricket even if it was to no avail. Had rain, snow, sleet and avian intervention not taken time out of this game, both teams would have been able to state their cases for a win.The match went as far as 5.45pm, at which point hands were shaken and a draw was officially called. That option was available to Gareth Batty from 5pm but, with Somerset 54 for 3 and no intention of chasing their target of 292, the Surrey captain sensed a collapse might be forthcoming. Only one more wicket would fall as composed knocks from James Hildreth and Peter Trego saw Somerset through to safety.The evening session and Somerset’s chase had started with Ravi Rampaul dismissing Tom Abell at the end of the second over, with no run scored, for the West Indian’s 14th wicket of the season. Zafar Ansari then accounted for the other three to fall. Along with his wicket in Somerset’s first innings and 67 runs in the match, Ansari put in a tidy shift in the field which was capped off with a stunning catch to remove Craig Overton off Rampaul on day three. It was a quietly impressive return to first-team action.Earlier on, both sides had shown a willingness to move the game along but it was the timing of wickets that prevented both from following through.

Trescothick ‘inspiring’ – Rogers

• On Marcus Trescothick’s three hundreds in six innings: “I thought Marcus’ innings in the first innings was world class. It’s kind of great to play with a guy and see that kind of innings at his age. That’s quite inspiring.”

• On Somerset’s display: “I thought we reacted really well to losing the toss. I’d say we created 30 chances with the ball and put down 12. That’s where we let ourselves down and we need to improve on that.”

• On captaining Somerset: “It’s different from Middlesex. There’s an interesting mix of senior players and young players who could be very special. A lot is to do with the development of those younger players. It’s been challenging but I’ve really enjoyed it. They’re a great bunch of guys and that’s a good recipe.”

For Surrey, any impetus for quick runs was curtailed at regular intervals. The loss of Rory Burns and Arun Harinath in the space of six balls, caught behind off Overton and Lewis Gregory respectively, meant Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies had to rebuild. After one run in his first 21 balls, Davies hit three fours in his next six before his wings were clipped for 26 – stumped off Jack Leach.Even Jason Roy, whose default is to press fast-forward, was unable to get going. Chris Rogers took a smart low catch at cover to give Leach a second wicket to remove him and it was only when Sangakkara fell for 71 – his fifty coming off 86 balls – that others tried to get the scoreboard moving along. With Batty’s dismissal came the declaration, which asked Somerset to get 292 in 42 overs.At stumps, Batty ceded that their original plan had been quashed by a disciplined Somerset bowling effort. “The perfect scenario would have been that we would have got into a better position quicker,” he said. “Somerset put up a real fight this morning, making it real tough for us to score.”He was also mindful of leaving Somerset too much time, referencing Surrey’s match with Leicestershire in May of last season. On that occasion the hosts, on a pitch not too dissimilar to this one, which took a bit of turn and was away to the side of the square nearest the Archbishop Tenison’s School, chased down 216 inside 22 overs to snatch the game at the death. With Somerset possessing big hitters such as first-innings centurion Marcus Trescothick, Peter Trego, Gregory and Overton, he didn’t want to risk it.”It was respect to them more than anything,” Batty said. “We were always very confident but we felt like we played a lot of good cricket in the game and we didn’t want to put ourselves in a compromising position against some very dangerous players.”Somerset, on the other hand, couldn’t quite get enough wickets at a rate that would have provided them with an appropriate target and ample time to chase. Gregory and Overton shared three wickets each – the former in particular exhibiting good control while the latter tested outside off stump, then ripped out middle when he yorked Tom Curran.While Somerset’s nerves were tested in the final session, they survived to register a second draw on the road this season.”It was pretty tough out there, actually,” said Rogers, who was impressed with his side’s scrapping throughout the match. It was his decision to call for the toss in the hope that Somerset would benefit from batting first and bowling last on what turned out to be a decent wicket for both disciplines. From the point they had lost the toss, Somerset were always behind in the game but performed admirably to not crumble in the face of Surrey’s first-innings 463 and then hold their own at the end.He did, however, deride his side’s inability to take their chances, particularly against Sangakkara, who he believed benefited from “four chances over two innings”. That really hurt us and I think he was the difference.” He highlighted that lack of ruthlessness in the field as something that needed to be addressed.Both sides, after two matches, are winless.

Liverpool are still working on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Ornstein’s update

The England international isn’t out of contract at the Signal Iduna Park until 2025, but being Edin Terzic’s top-performing player, is one of the hottest prospects in football.

The Reds are known to be long-term admirers of the 19-year-old whilst there are several other Premier League clubs also keeping a close eye on his situation.

TEAMtalk reported in February that the Bundesliga star would be open to making the move to Anfield should he be guaranteed that Jurgen Klopp remains in charge.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein then claimed on Monday however that a summer move is looking currently unlikely due to the price tag involved with other potential suitors therefore moving ahead in the race.

The Latest: Deal in the works

According to Football Insider, Bellingham remains very much an ‘active target’ for FSG with a deal ‘still being worked on’.

The Merseysiders are ‘in the hunt’ for the midfielder’s signature but aren’t alone in their pursuit, with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all targeting him.

Dortmund are expected to demand a club-record fee of more than €144m (£126m) to sanction his sale due to the fact that he has no release clause included in his contract.

His closeness to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson is one of the main ‘selling points’ in trying to convince him to join.

The Verdict: Huge coup

Bellingham has already shown what he is capable of at the highest level and has much more potential to give, so it would be a huge coup for Liverpool should they be able to get a deal over the line.

The Adidas-sponsored star has racked up 16 goal contributions in 34 appearances across all competitions so far this season, which has seen him bag an impressive six man-of-the-match awards in the Bundesliga.

The Stourbridge-born talent currently ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and the 97th percentile for most touches in the attacking penalty area, highlighting the constant threat he is able to provide in the final third (FBRef).

Birmingham City’s academy graduate also has the versatility to operate in all five positions across the midfield, which will be an extremely attractive attribute to Klopp, alongside his leadership qualities having already captained his side on multiple occasions.

Fulham and manager Marco Silva appear to be pursuing a late move for Arsenal defender Rob Holding as news emerges before deadline day.

Who will Fulham sign?

The west Londoners have undergone a fairly solid start to this new Premier League campaign, having sealed a win, draw and loss over their trio of opening league games.

Their most impressive results have come most recently, though, with Fulham sealing a dramatic late draw away to title contenders Arsenal courtesy of a last gasp equaliser from midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Fulham have also just knocked high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup second round, as Tete's decisive spot-kick sealed a penalty shoot out win and their place in the draw's third-round on Tuesday night.

There is clearly momentum to build upon with these results as Silva's side attempt to improve on last year's mid-table finish, and they have been tipped to be one of the busier clubs over these last few days of the transfer window

Indeed, having already sealed deals for Calvin Bassey, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne, Fulham are believed to also be chasing late deals for Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi.

Speaking late last month, Silva highlighted the need for further additions, with former star striker Alexandar Mitrovic since joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

"Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers."

According to a report this week, Fulham also want to bolster their central defensive ranks once more after the signing of Bassey, coming as Tosin Adarabioyo remains linked with a late exit.

Holding, who will be allowed to leave Arsenal amid "significant" interest across Europe, is one player being targeted by Fulham for this role.

This information comes courtesy of 90min, who claim that Fulham have already approached Arsenal over signing Holding in the form of an enquiry.

As well as Fulham, clubs from La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.are also eyeing a late move before September 1, with Holding now entering the final year of his Arsenal deal which expires in 2024.

The Englishman's contract, though, contains an optional clause to extend it by a further 12 months.

How good is Rob Holding?

Holding has struggled to fight his way into Arteta's plans this season, with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Ben White all ahead of him.

However, the 27-year-old has been praised for his influence and value behind-the-scenes. Journalist Charles Watts, speaking after Holding stepped in for the injured Saliba last term, called him a "very valuable" member of the dressing room.

"Clearly, people who were there [at the Emirates] said he played well," said Watts last season.

"And he's no Saliba, there's no doubt about it, but as a squad player, I think he's a very valuable, and really, really influential figure behind the scenes. Everyone loves him at Arsenal.”

Perhaps a second chance to assert himself on the pitch at Fulham is needed.