Napoli coach Rudi Garcia says Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has found his confidence again and is back to his best for the Serie A champions.
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Liverpool will not pursue a summer deal to sign Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
Is Benjamin Pavard leaving Bayern Munich?
The France international will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that this transfer window will provide Thomas Tuchel with his final big opportunity to cash in, should he not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and being his second top-performing defensive player, he won’t be short of suitors.
Whilst FSG and Jurgen Klopp are known to be prioritising the midfield area having already confirmed the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister, the backline is believed to be another position that they are looking to strengthen and the 27-year-old had been mentioned as a target.
Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, SportBILD journalist Christian Falk revealed that the right-back has “informed” the Bundesliga outfit that he wants to leave and name-checked the Reds as a “hot candidate” after his agent held talks with the hierarchy, but an update has now emerged contrary to those reports.
Are Liverpool signing Pavard?
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are “not in the running” to sign Pavard this summer despite multiple outlets stating otherwise. The Premier League side have been the “most strongly linked” with a swoop for the defender, but it’s stated that there is “no truth” to the rumours that they are set to make an approach in the weeks ahead.
The Merseyside outfit are maintaining their “focus” on additions in the midfield, with Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Gabri Veiga and Romeo Lavia all on the boss’ shortlist, where he will then turn his attention to increasing numbers in the backline.
Are FSG right not to chase Pavard?
During Liverpool’s final few games of last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold was deployed in the midfield and appeared to flourish in his new role, so Klopp could do with another right-back to take his place should his regular starter be set to change positions, and Pavard could have been the perfect candidate.
The 2022 World Cup runner-up, who pockets £82k-per-week, averaged 2.5 clearances, 2.3 tackles and 2.1 aerial wins per game in the Bundesliga during the previous term, via WhoScored, so was a real rock out wide, but he also got more than involved at the opposite end of the field.
Bayern’s “wonderful character”, as described by one of their club chiefs Uli Hoeness, ranked in the 99th percentile for three different statistics, including progressive passes, and this attacking mindset resulted in him clocking up eight goal contributions (seven goals and one assist) across all competitions. The Reds could be making a big mistake by deciding not to chase Pavard.
Inter Miami have delivered another injury update on Lionel Messi ahead of the U.S. Open Cup final, with Tata Martino trying not to “make a mistake”.
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Argentine picked up knock on international dutyHas sat out two MLS fixtures as a resultRace against time to get another shot at silverwareWHAT HAPPENED?
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner picked up an untimely knock while away on 2026 World Cup qualifying duty with Argentina. He has managed just 37 minutes of game time since then – having been forced off in a MLS clash with Toronto FC – and has sat out fixtures against Atlanta United and Orlando City.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami’s next game is a big one, with major silverware set to be up for grabs against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, but Martino remains unsure as to whether Messi will come into contention for that clash.
WHAT THEY SAID
Martino told reporters when asked for a pre-cup final update on Messi: “It’s very difficult to give him a percentage because we have to take it day by day. We’ll continue to evaluate him and, as I always say, I will listen to him first and see how he’s feeling. Then we’ll also need to evaluate future risks. It’s not an easy decision, but we’re going to take the right amount of time to try to not make a mistake.”
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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Inter Miami have a crunch clash with New York City to come on the back of their midweek meeting with Houston, with the side from the Big Apple currently occupying the final play-off spot in the MLS Eastern Conference that Martino, Messi and co. have their eye on – with a five-point gap to the post-season still needing to be bridged.
ESPNcricinfo is set to start the County Championship Cricket season with a bang as it sets off on a cross-country road trip which aims to take in action from every match on the opening day of the season
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2017ESPNcricinfo is set to start the County Championship Cricket season with a bang as it sets off on a cross-country road trip which aims to take in action from every match on the opening day of the season.Dan Norcross and Ebony Rainford-Brent will be taking on the ESPN #CountyCricketLive Road Trip as they try to see a ball of cricket at each match on Friday, April 7. The pair will attempt to visit six grounds, witnessing cricket in three Division One matches and three Division Two contests on the day.To mark their arrival at each venue, the pair will reprise their familiar roles as radio broadcasters by attempting to commentate on at least one delivery of the BBC’s local radio coverage.The challenge starts at 11am in Leeds at Headingley with Yorkshire v Hampshire, then Norcross and Rainford-Brent will travel down the M1 to Grace Road for Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire, followed by Northampton where Northamptonshire host Glamorgan at the County Ground.After navigating the M25, Chelmsford will be their next stop, for Essex v Lancashire at the County Ground, before they head down the M2 to visit the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury as Kent face Gloucestershire. The final leg of the journey will see the duo race down to London and The Oval, where Surrey are playing Warwickshire, trying to catch some action before play ends at around 6pm.The journey will see the pair competing against traffic as well as the clock, and they will keep cricket fans up to date using ESPNcricinfo’s #CountyCricketLive, sharing live updates, pictures and video throughout the day. The hashtag is an extension of the site’s comprehensive county coverage and live county cricket blog, which in October 2016 won “Online Publication of the Year” for the fifth year running in the ECB’s County Journalism Awards.”The first day of the county cricket season is one of the great days in the British sporting calendar,” said Andrew Miller, ESPNcricinfo’s UK editor. “We’re very excited to start the campaign with this celebration of the game. Dan and Ebony are a great pairing and they are looking forward to the challenge. It’s the perfect complement to ESPNcricinfo’s in-depth coverage of the day, which includes writers covering the matches at all three of the Division One venues.”You can track our progress throughout the day on ESPNcricinfo’s social media channels across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
India began the Super Sixes stage of the Women’s World Cup Qualifier with a comfortable 49-run win against South Africa in Colombo. Mithali Raj and Mona Meshram struck fifties to propel India’s score to 205. In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 156 as fast bowler Shikha Pandey and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht combined for seven wickets.After India were inserted, opener Deepti Sharma was dismissed in the 12th over for 9 off 38 balls. Meshram and Raj then shared a 96-run stand to set a platform for the end overs. South Africa ensured they kept India in control by picking up regular wickets. India managed to score just 93 runs in the final 20 overs. South Africa were quickly reduced to 8 for 2 in the fifth over, and were always behind the asking rate thereon. Trisha Chetty top-scored with an 81-ball 52. Pandey returned figures of 4 for 34.Eshani Lokusuriyage’s 65 and contributions from the top order ensured Sri Lanka cruised past the target of 213 against Pakistan with five wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare. Nipuni Hansika (37) and Chamari Atapattu (35) set the tone with a 75-run opening stand, before Pakistan hit back with three wickets in the space of eight overs. Prasadani Weerakkody struck 45 off 71 balls and shared an 88-run partnership with Lokusuriyage.Pakistan were helped along to 212 with fifties from Nahida Khan (64) and Javeria Khan (63). The pair shared a 119-run stand off 171 balls. Pakistan, too, lost a cluster of wickets in the end overs, stalling the momentum from the innings. Inoka Ranaweera and Chamari Polgampola added two wickets apiece.File photo – Sharmin Akhter struck five fours during her fifty•IDI/Getty Images
Bangladesh Women skittled Ireland Women for 144 and cruised to a seven-wicket win in their first Super Six match at the Colombo Cricket Ground.Jahanara Alam led the way with figures of 3 for 21 after Bangladesh inserted Ireland. She removed Cecelia Joyce and Kim Garth in successive overs to reduce Ireland to 15 for 2 inside nine overs. Panna Ghosh, Rumana Ahmed, Khadija Tul Kubra proceeded to make further inroads into the Ireland line-up. Salma Khatun was also among the wickets as Ireland were bowled out in 47.1 overs. Their major source of resistance came from Clare Shillington and captain Laura Delany, who struck 37 each. Apart from them, only Isobel Joyce passed 20.The Sharmins – Sultana and Akhter – gave Bangladesh a solid start in their chase with a 40-run partnership. The stand ended when Gaby Lewis got rid of Sultana for 22 at the end of the 15th over. Sanjida Islam then fell cheaply, but Akhter ate into target with a half-century before exiting in the 30th over. Fargana Hoque and Rumana eventually sealed the win in the 40th over with an unbroken 39-run stand.
Tottenham Hotspur could be set to keep hold of Harry Kane as Manchester United are "prepared to explore other options" in the summer, per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Harry Kane
Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer has been linked with moves away from N17 before, but the recent links to United, coupled with his contract running down, felt different.
As dubbed by fellow striker Chris Wood (via Eurosport), the 'monster' has scored a ridiculous 280 goals in his 435 career appearances for Spurs, with 64 assists to boot.
This consistent output from the 6 foot 2 forward has led other clubs to monitor his situation, notably European royalty, Real Madrid.
The Spanish side have been reportedly interested in Kane since the departure of their own legendary striker, Karim Benzema.
The vacant number nine shirt at Los Blancos looked like the perfect opportunity for both Kane to move onto bigger things and for Spurs to avoid selling to a rival.
However, it appears like the Spanish club have pulled out of a potential deal because of the costs involved.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs are looking for a fee of close to £100m for their number nine in the summer.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Harry Kane to Manchester United?
Romano gave the update that United fans were dreading, and Spurs fans were hoping for this morning, the news that the Red Devils were prepared to cool their interest in Harry Kane.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Harry Kane is considered the perfect striker by Erik ten Hag. He is a big fan of Harry Kane. He considers Harry Kane as the perfect kind of number nine for the idea of football that he has, but we always said it's not going to be easy to negotiate with Tottenham.
"And today [Wednesday], we can confirm that Manchester United, after internal meetings, are prepared to explore other options for a new striker because they believe that Harry Kane is a really difficult target."
Romano goes on to explain the two major roadblocks that United see with this deal: "They believe that Tottenham have no intention of negotiating with Man United, they don't want to sell the player to Manchester United, and so the feeling at the club is that it's better to maybe look at some other option."
The second issue is price, with Romano adding: "The price, because they feel in any case, even if Tottenham would open the door for the exit of Harry Kane, it's too expensive."
How good has Harry Kane been for Tottenham this year?
England's captain and all-time leading goalscorer has had a frankly ridiculous individual season this year.
It has been massively overshadowed by the inhuman exploits of Erling Haaland at Manchester City and by the generally poor showing by Spurs as a whole, but as an individual, he has been unreal.
According to WhoScored, the Walthamstow-born striker has averaged a seriously impressive rating of 7.51 across his 38 appearances in the league this year.
His underlying statistics are fantastic as well.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Kane ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for expected goals, all per 90.
It's easy to understand why the club don't want to lose him this year, even if it means he leaves for free next summer.
Manchester United could be set to acquire another Scandinavian striker in the form of Rasmus Hojlund, who will surely seek to follow in the footsteps of a former Old Trafford great.
What's the latest on Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United?
Having been linked for the bulk of the summer, the latest to come out of this saga is an updated price tag. The Daily Mail suggested that Atalanta will demand a fee of around €100m (£86m), which whilst mouth-watering is still lower than what Tottenham Hotspur wanted for Harry Kane.
The England captain was expected to fetch a £100m fee, and as such Erik ten Hag has cooled his interest in the 29-year-old. He will look elsewhere, and that search could land on this young finisher.
Transfer insider Dean Jones even suggested that it might not be such a bad move, and he told Football FanCast: "I mean Solskjær was just such a good fit for Man United in terms of he had all the ability and none of the ego that you needed for a player that was coming into a strike force of such a high level.
"So they would love a player like Hojlund who could have that Solskjær effect on this team, but also not throw their toys out of the pram were they left on the bench."
Would Rasmus Hojlund be a success at Manchester United?
Although the free-scoring Kane would likely be atop everyone's list, his age profile would make this a deal for the present rather than the future.
So often this club have prioritised instant success over long-term growth, and it has left them light years away from their rivals. For once they must show some foresight to invest in youth and admit that silverware might have to take a back seat in pursuit of the creation of a dynasty.
Should Hojlund join and develop like he very well can, Ten Hag could secure his perfect number nine for the next decade.
After all, the 20-year-old is coming off the back of a term where he scored 16 goals and assisted a further seven in all competitions.
This is a far cry from the 32 that Kane notched or the double figures he has hit every year in the league since 2014, but turning 30 next month, his presence at the top of the game has a time limit.
Meanwhile, the Denmark international has only recently been branded a "monster in the making" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, suggesting he is far from his final form despite already tearing up Italian football.
Should he have that same lethal finishing touch as Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who recorded 176 goal contributions in 366 games for the Manchester club and won nine major honours, then it would be an investment worth making.
After all, his tireless work rate, proficiency in front of goal and patency for a one-touch strike all emphasise these comparisons.
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.
The PCB has formed a three-man tribunal to hear the cases of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, the two players provisionally suspended as part of an investigation into alleged corruption during the PSL
Umar Farooq06-Mar-2017The PCB has formed a three-man tribunal to hear the cases of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, the two players provisionally suspended as part of an investigation into alleged corruption during the Pakistan Super League (PSL).The pair responded to the official charges laid against them on Saturday, and denied some of the alleged code-of-conduct breaches they were accused of by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit. The pair was provisionally suspended last month after what the board said was an organisation’s attempts to corrupt the second season of the PSL.Sharjeel and Latif, who played for Islamabad United, were handed official charge sheets of their alleged misdemeanours on February 18, and were given two weeks to respond. They were charged for breaching various articles of Clause 2 of the code of conduct, which pertains to corruption. The charges covered specific ones to attempt to corrupt a game, but also misdemeanours such as failing to disclose suspect approaches.Both players, it is believed, admitted to at least one of the more minor charges but denied the other more serious allegations, which prompted the PCB to appoint Justice (retired) Asghar Haider (head of the tribunal and a former legal advisor to the board), former PCB chairman Tauqir Zia, and former wicketkeeper Wasim Bari. The tribunal must have its first hearing within 90 days of the players’ provisional suspensions.The PCB’s anti-corruption department believes it has built a strong case against the players, who, if found guilty, could face sanctions ranging from suspension of a few years to a lifetime ban. Had the pair admitted to all the breaches in the charge sheet, the PCB would have formed a one-man disciplinary panel to decide on an appropriate sanction on the players.The charges emanate from the opening game of this year’s PSL in Dubai. Islamabad won the game, against eventual champions Peshawar Zalmi, in which Sharjeel was dismissed for 1 off four balls and Latif did not play.The pair, along with team-mate Mohammad Irfan, was first questioned by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit right after that game. No action was taken againstIrfan, who stayed on for the team’s campaign until their loss in the knockouts. In the immediate aftermath of those developments, Zulfiqar Babar from Quetta Gladiators and Shahzaib Hasan of Karachi Kings were also questioned. Both were cleared and continued to play for their respective franchises.The investigation into the alleged attempts to corrupt the PSL also led to the arrests of former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed, and one other man in the UK. Both men are currently free on bail. Jamshed was also provisionally suspended by the PCB, days after the board took the same decision against Sharjeel and Latif.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous ‘Siuuuu’ celebration has got an airing at Spurs, but from Buffalo Bills star Stefon Diggs during the NFL London Games.
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