Tottenham Hotspur have to target new central defenders this summer as the "fundamental" area, according to Ricky Sacks.

The club have already made three new signings this window, and are set to continue their spending in the coming weeks.

What is the latest Tottenham transfer news?

There have been some crazy transfer stories involving Tottenham in recent days.

Reports over the weekend stated that the North London side had enquired about the availability of PSG star Kylian Mbappe, who was put up for sale by the French club following the revelation that the 24-year-old would not be signing a new deal at the Parc de Princes this summer. However, the club will not be able to complete the signing by the looks of things, with Get French Football News reporting that the World Cup winner is "completely uninterested" in the switch.

Spurs have apparently identified the striker they do want to buy this summer however, with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani named as the London side's primary target according to reports. The report states that the player has huge interest in making the move and Spurs could move for the forward should club captain Harry Kane depart this summer. The fee for the young French international is expected to be around €80m(£69.1m).

As mentioned in the previous report, England international Kane would have to depart this summer, with new reports now stating that Tottenham owner Joe Lewis has informed chairman Daniel Levy that the club record goalscorer must be sold this summer should he refuse to sign a new deal as the North London club cannot afford to lose their star player for fee next summer. Bayern Munich remain interested and are preparing a third bid whilst Manchester United are reportedly the striker's first-choice landing destination.

Speaking on Sky Sports Good Morning Transfers show, presenter Sacks stated that Spurs' priority this window should be centre-backs, and the failure to do so yet is negligence from the club: "I mean that’s got to be the fundamental area, centre-backs at the moment. Many would maybe argue that if Pierre Emile-Hojberg leaves then Tottenham will need to bring in a central midfielder, but I think the priority has to be at centre-back.

This is a Spurs team that conceded 63 goals last season as a whole and ultimately to be at this point now, it’s negligent in my opinion, from the football club that we have not gone out and addressed the area that was glaring at the end of the season and that had to be improved."

What centre-backs will Spurs sign?

The club have been linked with three centre backs consistently throughout this window.

Tosin Adarabioyo is expected to be one of the defenders Spurs bid for this window according to Alasdair Gold. The defender featured as part of a Fulham side that finished in the top half for the first time in over a decade, with the 25-year-old making 29 appearances in all competitions and recording a Whoscored rating of 6.72. The former Manchester City youth product could be available for a cut-price deal due to his contract expiring at the end of next season.

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven is another reported target for the club. The Dutchman enjoyed a real breakout campaign for Wolfsburg last season, making 36 appearances and registering a Whoscored rating of 6.66, as well as enjoying a solid showing in the U21 Euros this summer. Tottenham might have to move quickly to secure the player's signature however as a number of Premier League sides are believed to be interested in the defender.

The third player is Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba. The defender enjoyed a decent campaign at Bayer Leverkusen, making 46 appearances in all competitions and recording an average Whoscored rating of 6.76. The Burkina Faso international particularly impressed on the continental level last season, with a 7.28 rating across his eight Europa League appearances. Reports state the defender could set Tottenham back around £45m.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up a wildcard option to potentially replace in-demand talisman, Harry Kane this summer, amid reports that the Lilywhites are showing an interest in Flamengo striker, Pedro.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

With under a year left to run on his current contract in north London, Kane is still facing an uncertain future at the club with the new Premier League season just a few weeks away, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich among those particularly keen to prise the 29-year-old from N17.

If the England skipper is to secure an exit in the near future, the Independent's Miguel Delaney has revealed that Ange Postecoglou's side are 'considering a move' for Pedro, with the 26-year-old among a 'range of options' on the club's radar.

The piece notes that the notion of Kane leaving is now seeing as 'more realistic', hence looking to figures like the Brazilian – who reportedly has an £87m release clause in his contract – in an attempt to try and build a new-look attack moving forward.

Who will replace Kane at Tottenham?

As Delaney suggested, Daniel Levy and co are believed view it as 'virtually impossible' to replace their record goalscorer such has been his impact over the last decade or so, hence trying to implement a more 'fluid' forward line in Postecoglou's image.

There may be those already at the club who would be hoping to emerge as the new attacking figurehead if Kane was to depart, with last summer's £60m signing, Richarlison perhaps a prime candidate having regularly been utilised as a central striker for Brazil – for whom he has 20 goals in just 44 games.

That being said, however, the former Everton man endured a wretched debut season in the capital after netting just a solitary Premier League goal last term, having hardly proven that he can be a reliable goalscoring presence through the middle.

While pre-season is not often a fair gauge of a player's talents, the 26-year-old doesn't look to have turned a new leaf if the recent defeat to West Ham United is anything to go by, as he once again 'lacked composure in front of goal', according to 90min's Sean Walsh.

As such, the signing of his compatriot, Pedro, could then prove terrible news with regard to Richarlison's hopes of being the man to replace Kane, with the Flamengo marksman having proven far more prolific of late after netting 26 goals in just 35 outings in the current campaign.

Lauded as an "excellent finisher" by South American football expert, Tim Vickery, the 6 foot 1 hotshot boasts a standout tally of 93 goals in just 190 games in all competitions for his current side, having previously bagged 20 goals in just 58 games for Fluminense – for whom Richarlison scored 11 times in 46 games in the early stages of his career.

A truly clinical threat in the final third, Pedro notably ranks in the top 1% among his peers in the Men's next eight competitions for non-penalty goals – at an average of 0.88 per 90 – while the current Tottenham man has an average of just 0.20 per 90 for the same metric.

While it would represent something of a rogue choice if Postecoglou and Levy were to settle on Pedro as Kane's heir – with the six-cap hitman making just four appearances for Fiorentina in his only previous European adventure – it looks as if the Rio native has the finishing prowess needed to be able to thrive in north London, something Richarlison is yet to do.

Ricardo Pepi has revealed why he picked the USMNT over Mexico at senior international level after being offered opportunities by both nations.

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El Paso native boasts dual nationalityKept his options open as a teenagerNow committed to the U.S. causeWHAT HAPPENED?

The talented striker, who is now playing his club football at Eredivisie giants PSV, attended training camps for the United States and Mexico at U17 level. His potential was clear for all to see, with an MLS debut for FC Dallas taken in at just 16 years of age.

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El Paso native Pepi continued to be courted by the U.S. and El Tri before eventually choosing to represent the country of his birth – with a senior debut for the USMNT taken in against Honduras on September 8, 2021.

WHAT PEPI SAID

Explaining why he sided with the United States, Pepi has told the podcast: “It was always a difficult decision growing up, having to go with the U.S. national team or the Mexican. It was always a decision that I knew someday I was going to have to take. It was something that I always had in my head. I was always thinking about it. Then came both national teams when it was time to make that decision. I talked to my parents and was like ‘what do you guys think?’ They were like ‘no matter what team you pick, we’ll be with you and will support you 100 per cent. The day you pick the U.S. we are going to take off the Mexican jerseys and put on the USA one, or the day you pick the Mexico national team we are going to get the Mexican national team jersey and leave the USA one behind’. It was something that I was thinking about the opportunities that both national teams gave me and the path they had for me. It was just easy to be able to decide. The U.S. wanted me to join them in the World Cup qualifiers, which is something that is a big deal – qualifying for the World Cup. It’s a unique opportunity, being at a World Cup, and something that I didn’t even have to think about because Mexico wanted me to play for the U20s and eventually make my way up to the first team. I was like ‘I’m past that’, so eventually the U.S. gave me the better opportunities so it was easy to decide where I wanted to go.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PEPI?

Pepi, who is now playing Champions League football after completing a transfer to PSV in the summer of 2023, is up to 22 caps for the USMNT. He was left out of their 2022 World Cup squad, but does have 10 international goals to his name and will be hoping to figure prominently in CONCACAF Nations League and Copa America campaigns during 2024.

Argentina looked to put “Ferraris” around Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup, allowing the all-time great to produce his inspirational best.

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• Albiceleste claimed global title in the Middle East
• Talismanic captain at his inspirational best
• Had the right tools around him to work with

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The mercurial frontman was not to be denied in Qatar, with his remarkable efforts guiding the Albiceleste to a stunning global crown in the Middle East. Messi led by example throughout, netting in every knockout game – including two in the final – and held his nerve during an epic penalty shootout with France.

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  WHAT MANNA SAID ABOUT MESSI

  Argentina found a way of bringing the very best out of their captain, with energy being conserved at times as other did running for him. Matias Manna, a video analyst within Lionel Scaloni’s coaching team, has told of how that was made possible: “I was always very obsessed with seeing what he needed in the team. And Messi needs good midfielders. The best squad we saw, which for me was in the 2022 World Cup or the current one, surrounds him with good midfielders, and that is one of the secrets of this team.”

  He added: “Alexis (Mac Allister), (Leandro) Paredes, Enzo (Fernandez), (Rodrigo) De Paul, Gio (Lo Celso) are all Ferraris who know how to stop and accelerate. Other more physical players do not have that quality that I think is the essence of our football.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manna added on how Messi’s input before a ball was kicked against France helped to put Argentina in a position to win the game, with another long-serving veteran playing a key role as he also hit the back of the net in normal time: “We were watching France-Morocco. There was a player, Sofiane Boufal, who constantly outplayed (Jules) Kounde, the French right back. So there, Lio tells me, if Angel [Di Maria] plays, he has to play on that side. I think it was the most important decision in the history of Argentine football.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Messi got his hands on the World Cup trophy – emulating countryman Diego Maradona in the process – and has since gone on to land his eighth Ballon d’Or. He is also in the running for the 2023 FIFA Best Men’s Player award and will be looking to chase down more major honours with MLS side Inter Miami in 2024.

Group D round-up: Bengal openers lay strong platform against Chhattisgarh while Himachal control proceedings over Goa

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017

Vidarbha’s medium pacers shot out Punjab for 161 despite Abhishek Gupta’s 89 at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Punjab were already in doldrums when Gupta arrived, at 33 for 4. But he single-handedly fought, making close to 70 percent of the runs his team during his stay. Lalit Yadav and Siddesh Neral snared three each, while Rajneesh Gurbani and the left-arm spinner Akshay Karnewar shared the rest equally. Vidarbha lost their captain Faiz Fazal for 21 in reply, before Sanjay Ramaswamy’s unbeaten half-century and Wasim Jaffer (22*) took them to 106 for 1 at stumps.Medium pacer Pankaj Jaiswal ran through the core of Goa’s batting as they were dismissed for 255 on the opening day against Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala. In reply, Himachal were 2 for no loss at stumps.Jaiswal troubled Goa early, sending back their openers, Sumiran Amonkar and Swapnil Asnodkar, before accounting for Amogh Desai and Reagan Pinto, their Nos. 4 and 5. Goa’s batsmen paid the price for throwing away starts, with as many as five of them scoring between 20 and 40. That they crossed 200 was down to an unbeaten 55 from the No. 10 Rituraj Singh. Jaiswal was supported well, with Sumeet Verma grabbing three wickets, Rishi Dhawan scalping two and Gurvinder Singh getting one.Bengal’s openers Abhishek Raman and Koushik Ghosh set the template for their dominance on the opening day against Chhattisgarh with a 159-run partnership. Bengal ended the day on 283 for 2, with Raman dismissed for 94 and Ghosh run out for 114. Sudip Chatterjee (58*), who added 98 with Ghosh for the second wicket, and Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, were unbeaten at the crease when stumps were called.

The ICC has confirmed its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has opened an investigation in Sri Lanka, less than 48 hours after 40 top cricketers petitioned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to launch an inquiry into corruption allegations.On Friday, SLC confirmed it had received a letter signed by national players, including captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, urging the board to probe the “baseless allegations” the players claim were made by former cricketer and selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe. The board, however, stopped short of stating it would launch the probe, and merely recounted the current players’ dismay at having their integrity questioned. But the ICC itself has now publicly established ACU officers have recently visited Sri Lanka in relation to an investigation.”The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so,” Alex Marshall, the ICC’s General Manager – ACU, said. “There is currently an ACU investigation underway in Sri Lanka. Naturally, as part of this, we are talking to a number of people.”There have been rumours in Sri Lanka about the nature of play in a particular international match for several weeks, but no evidence of any sort has been produced, or even pointed to.And while some present cricketers claim Wickramasinghe made wild allegations against them, Wickramasinghe himself has more recently suggested that he was only making note of allegations that were already in circulation.Nevertheless, Wickramasinghe has been cast as the source of these allegations. SLC said the players had expressed “profound shock and displeasure at a former national cricketer and selector making such serious allegations,” and that SLC should “initiate an immediate inquiry by summoning Wickramasinghe in fairness to their good names that have been slandered by such diabolic [] allegations.”Whatever the case, it is uncommon for the ICC to comment on ongoing ACU investigations as they have on this occasion.

The draft resolution was sent to the state associations, including the Associate BCCI member units, on Sunday, and requires them to affirm that they will implement the Lodha Committee recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-2017Anticipating appeals for funds for the ongoing domestic and international season in India, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has asked the various state associations to fulfil a draft resolution, wherein they must affirm that they will comply with the Supreme Court order to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

The draft resolution

Resolved the Name of the Association is agreeable to undertake, implement and support the reforms as proposed by the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee and accepted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide judgment dated 18 July 2016 in letter and spirit.
Resolved further that in the event the Hon’ble Supreme Court passes any further orders in relation to the recommendations of the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee and/or the judgment dated 18 July 2016, such orders shall also be accepted and implemented within one month thereof.

The CoA sent the draft resolution to the state associations, including the Associate BCCI member units, on Sunday. With India’s home season having got underway earlier in September, many states have already approached the BCCI, as well as the court, asking for funds to pay for cricket operations for hosting matches. In addition to the various domestic tournaments, India’s international commitments at home comprise a total of 11 ODIs, nine T20s and three Tests as they host Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka before departing for South Africa at the end of December.On Monday, the court rejected the appeals of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) and the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), both of whom had approached the BCCI funds for separate reasons. While the SCA wanted about INR 83 lakhs for cricket expenses, MCA wanted funds to the tune of INR 4 crores, to pay off the installment against a longstanding bank loan.Barring the Vidarbha Cricket Association, which approved the Lodha recommendations without any protest, no other BCCI member has complied with the court order so far. The CoA said despite the resistance, the BCCI had put forth, and will continue to make payments for the “conduct” of the cricket matches. The CoA also said it was “regrettable” that state associations continued to defy the court orders despite such a move having the “potential” to “prejudicially affect cricketing activity.”While the BCCI would continue to take care of the payments concerning cricket operations to third-party vendors, the CoA has said that going forward the state associations need to adopt the draft resolution. “In the hope that the defaulting State Associations would come around and comply with the orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, a draft of the resolution that should be passed by the General Body (or an equivalent forum) of the State Association is enclosed,” the CoA said in its e-mail. “By adopting this resolution, the State Associations will enable BCCI to release additional funds to them in a manner compliant with the orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

He has bowled 334.5 overs across formats in 2017, playing all four of Australia’s most recent Tests and acting head coach David Saker was not averse to the possibility of rotating him out of the XI during the limited-overs series in India

Daniel Brettig14-Sep-2017In 2013, Australia played India in an ODI series before a home Ashes encounter – same again in 2017. In 2013, Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann skipped the tour in order to prepare for the England challenge – same again in 2017. In 2013, Mitchell Johnson played a key role as the ODI spearhead before flying home early to prepare for England – Pat Cummins is in that boat in 2017.Further strengthening the case for Cummins to be spared from full duty in India is the fact that both Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are currently recovering from injury in the hope that they will be fit to take part in a trio of Sheffield Shield matches that prelude the Ashes. Given his high pace and steep bounce, Cummins stands some chance of having the sort of impact Johnson did four years ago, provided he is well looked after. He has bowled 334.5 overs across formats in 2017, playing all four of Australia’s most recent Tests, and the IPL as well.David Saker, the assistant coach responsible for the pacemen who is deputising for Lehmann in India, did not shy away from the prospect of Cummins being rested at some point during the limited-overs series due to begin on September 17.”At this stage we’re planning for him to play all the games,” Saker said. “We’ll look at [resting him], it’s obviously been brought up between all of us. We know that his workloads are up there, but we know it’s an important series. It’s Australia v India, you don’t get any bigger than that. He’s really determined to play well over here. It’ll be game-by-game basis, we’ll play it by ear.”In discussing Hazlewood and Starc, Saker revealed there was uncertainty about exactly when the pair would be ready to play for New South Wales, with the former recuperating from a side strain while the latter is in the final stages of his own recovery from a foot problem that reared its head during the India Tests earlier this year.”We’re hoping they’ll be ready before the first Shield game or second Shield game and that will give them good preparation,” Saker said. “We’ve probably got a bit of a blessing that we’ve got three Shield games before the first Test of the Ashes and it’s probably as good a build-up as you’d want for an Ashes.”So in that sense as long as they’re ready to go by the first Test in Brisbane [on November 23] and ready to play and perform, I’ll be really happy. This time last year, we were in South Africa and it was the same thing, Hazlewood and Starc were rested for that tour. And they got through a really heavy workload in the summer, got through all the Tests. It’s not such a bad thing that they’re not here, as long as they’re ready to go for that first Test in Brisbane.”The bowlers subbing in during the ODI series in India are Nathan Coulter-Nile – himself an unused Ashes squad member in 2013-14 – and Kane Richardson. Other pace bowling options are provided by the allrounders James Faulkner and Marcus Stoinis, who are among the players in contention to occupy the No. 6 spot in the batting order during the Ashes.

Fulham could return with another attempt to try and land Manchester United midfielder Fred later in the window, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Which clubs are interested in Fred?

According to Corriere dello Sport via Man Utd News, Manchester United will ask for around €10-15 million for Fred this summer and Turkish Super Lig outfit Galatasaray lead the race to sign the Brazil international.

Galatasaray are in negotiations with Manchester United regarding a possible deal for Fred, though no official bid from them has been submitted for the £120k-a-week ace. Lazio president Claudio Lotito holds an attraction towards Fred in addition; nevertheless, Maurizio Sarri isn't keen to bring the midfielder to the Stadio Olimpico this off-season.

The Daily Mail report that Fulham alongside clubs in Saudi Arabia retain an interest in Fred. Marco Silva is believed to be a huge fan of his abilities and would like to bring him to Craven Cottage if possible.

Nevertheless, the outlet claim that Manchester United will in fact demand £20 million for Fred before sanctioning his departure from Old Trafford. Fred has changed his agency and is unlikely to have a long-term future at Manchester United under Erik Ten Hag.

Last term, the 30-year-old made a whopping 56 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United, notching six goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Sheth doesn't think the door is completely closed on Fulham returning to the table for Fred later this window.

Sheth stated: “There has been interest from Fulham. They couldn't agree on a fee simply because United were asking for too much money.

“Don't rule that one out, though, just yet. I think the later you go in the window and the more that United might think, ‘We want to bring in another midfielder’, Fulham might spot that as an opportunity to be able to do a deal on their terms rather than on what Manchester United would want at this stage of the transfer window.”

Who else could Fulham bring in this summer?

Fulham boss Silva will be desperate to bring in some extra bodies this summer to join new additions Raul Jimenez and Calvin Bassey at Craven Cottage to prepare his side for a second successive campaign back in the English top flight, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, uncertainty continues to rear its ugly head in west London as Aleksandar Mitrovic ploughs on with his attempts to force through a lucrative move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, as per The Daily Mail.

In terms of prospective incomings, Fulham are keen on Everton forward Demarai Gray and are willing to pay £7 million to offer the Jamaica international an escape route from Goodison Park, though the Toffees are seeking to recoup £10 million for his services, according to The Sun.

Chelsea outcast Callum Hudson-Odoi could be set to move to Fulham despite further interest from Lazio and Nottingham Forest, with the Cottagers believed to be in the box seat to convince the 22-year-old to sign on the dotted line in the final month of the window, as per Football Insider.

Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2017Club cricket in the Western Cape could be cut by up to 50% as the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) tries to heed the city’s call to reduce water consumption in the face of the region’s worst drought in over a century.In an urgent meeting on Wednesday, WPCA cricket and local league committees discussed ideas on how to save water, and discussed a reduction of club fixtures, but did not agree on a specific number. A final decision will be made in the coming weeks.Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels following a second winter with scant rainfall. Water rationing is on the horizon and all organisations have been asked to reduce water consumption as much as possible.”The WPCA has already implemented practical steps to save water. One example was the grey-water usage by curators and all the club players at Blue Downs every week to maintain the oval, a practical, proactive measure,” Nabeal Dien, WPCA CEO said. “Obviously we will consider reducing the club fixtures without knockout matches being impacted or players’ need for recreational activities being adversely affected significantly.”The club cricket season has already begun but a revision to the fixtures may yet take place.