All posts by h716a5.icu

Jake Weatherald followed up a first-innings score of 152 with a measured 143 to set up a five-wicket win for South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017
ScorecardJake Weatherald celebrates his second century of the match•Getty ImagesJake Weatherald’s centuries in each innings led South Australia to a remarkable comeback victory over Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground.The Redbacks won by five wickets after conceding 514 to WA in their first innings – the highest losing first-innings tally in a Shield match since SA were themselves defeated by Victoria after posting 517 in 2009-10.Following up on his rollicking first-innings 152, Weatherald played more deliberately to make 143, largely in the company of Callum Ferguson. Their third-wicket stand of 180 took the visitors most of the way to their target, before Jake Lehmann helped collect the winning runs in the final session with an unbeaten 24.SA could not have won the match without the efforts of their bowlers, who rounded up WA for 173 in the second innings on what – as Weatherald was to prove – was an excellent batting pitch.

Arsenal could be set to cap off their fine summer of spending, with one addition that would certainly have Pep Guardiola worried…

Who do Arsenal want to sign?

The purpose of this transfer window for Mikel Arteta has been to find ways to bolster his squad so he can finally usurp Manchester City. At present, he has taken great strides towards such a goal.

And yet, his wide options remain largely unchanged, likely praying on the continued fitness of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Despite this, reports from football.london have begun to suggest that they may make a move for a winger before the transfer period slams shut should they raise funds via player sales, and Brighton and Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma is one such target they have earmarked.

To give credence to these rumours, the Seagulls have reportedly opened contract discussions to ward off interest, and have a window of opportunity given the Gunners likely have to offload a few players before they can spend big again.

Football Transfers value the Japan international at €25m (£22m).

How good is Kaoru Mitoma?

With an unparalleled ability to beat a man, there are few wingers as tricky as Mitoma in world football at the moment.

Given how Arteta's whole philosophy revolves around working the ball into a position where it allows his wide men to be one-on-one with their full-back, should the 26-year-old slot into that system, he would instantly thrive.

After all, when compared to others in his position across Europe, he sits in the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90, and the top 3% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, via FBref.

Everyone has heard the story regarding his dissertation on dribbling, but it truly has had an astronomical effect on his abilities in this area. Journalist Richie Mills even suggested he was a "menace", given his devilish ability to leave defenders in his wake.

However, the skilful star has much more to his game than just a bag of tricks, as he added ten goals and eight assists across all competitions last season to bolster his reputation further. All signs point towards this being a match made in heaven, should Arteta get the deal done before his contract is signed. The scary thing is that this is just the beginning of his legacy in England.

To once again snag a star from the Amex Stadium could even see the north London outfit outdo their success from January, as they tempted Leandro Trossard to trade the south coast for the Emirates.

The Belgian took to life at his new club with ease, having enjoyed an outstanding first half of the campaign under Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi.

Across the whole season, he ended up with eight goals and 13 assists in the league alone, earning huge praise from his Spanish boss in April: "Seriously, we knew about his quality and what he could bring to the team. We are really pleased with him, he can play on the right, he can play on the left, he can play as an attacking midfielder, as a nine, a false nine.

“He’s really contributing to the team and he really takes a lot of responsibility in games to make things happen and we love that."

Whilst it might be tough to surpass such impressive form, the silkiness and slowly improving figures of Mitoma do suggest that he is capable of at least emulating everything about the £27m deal that has been so successful thus far, with an impossibly high ceiling that many expect him to soon meet.

The middle-order batsman has prescribed that Bangladesh take inspiration from their performances in away Tests earlier this year before they go into the Bloemfontein Test

Mohammad Isam03-Oct-2017Bangladesh’s batsmen should take inspiration from their performances in away Tests earlier this year before they go into the Bloemfontein Test against South Africa. This is Mahmudullah’s prescription for his team to bounce back after their 333-run defeat in the first Test in Potchefstroom, where they were bowled out for 90 in the second innings.Mahmudullah was one of Bangladesh’s few bright spots with the bat, marking his comeback with a first-innings half-century. He said their collapse in the second innings was down to a number of “silly mistakes”.”We are disappointed,” Mahmudullah said.”The pitch was good but we couldn’t bat the way we wanted to. We made a lot of silly mistakes. But I am very confident that we will bat better in the second Test, whatever the wicket is. I am sure we can make a comeback.”It is only natural that conditions will be in the home side’s favour. We are here after a long time. But if we look at the New Zealand tour. where Shakib [Al Hasan] got the double-hundred and Mushfiqur [Rahim] made 150-plus, we should get confidence from it. We believe that our skills are good enough if we can execute it.”Mahmudullah, who played on to South Africa’s fast bowlers in both innings, defended the approach of Bangladesh’s batsmen, even the ones who went for their shots early in their innings, but said their application had to improve in Bloemfontein.”Everyone has a different batting approach,” he said. “Some feel that by playing some strokes early, they can settle down. Some feel comfortable by middling a defensive push. At the end of the day, application is everything.”It is not wrong to play shots. Why not hit bad balls for boundaries, if it gives a batsman confidence? He should play his own game. Conditions should be considered but it was good batting conditions. We couldn’t execute our skills. We were very poor.”Rain arrived in Potchefstroom a few hours after Bangladesh were bowled out on the fifth day, but Mahmudullah said their batsmen hadn’t made any specific plans with an eye on the weather.”We were thinking of saving the match,” he said. “We weren’t really thinking about the rain. Our target was to draw out the game. But we couldn’t cope in the first session.”

Burnley are thought to be closing in on a deal to sign Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

The Clarets and Vincent Kompany have been busy so far this summer, making nine signings ahead of their Premier League return which gets underway on Friday against treble winners Manchester City.

Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Dara O'Shea, Michael Obafemi and Luca Koleosho have all joined the club in deals which required a transfer fee, whereas Nathan Redmond and Lawrence Vigouroux have both arrived on free transfers and Jacob Bruun Larsen has signed on loan.

More could be yet to come though at Turf Moor before the September 1 deadline, with previous reports claiming that the club were set to sign Andros Townsend following a successful pre-season stint.

Ajax winger Mohamed Daramy is another final third target and it has been suggested that a loan deal with an option to buy was close.

Berge has also been heavily linked with a move to Burnley, with Mike McGrath taking to X on Monday to say that talks have been held with the Blades over a move to Turf Moor for the midfielder.

“Burnley have held discussions with Sheffield United over a deal for Norway midfielder Sander Berge. The 25yr-old has one year left on contract and there has been interest in previous windows without a deal progressing.”

It looks as if a transfer is moving along quickly, though, with Romano sharing a further development on X. The transfer expert relayed talks claimed by McGrath and added that a verbal agreement is almost complete between the two clubs.

“Burnley are closing in on deal to sign Sander Berge from Sheffield United — verbal agreement almost completed between clubs.

“Sources guarantee medical could take place already today. Burnley started talks earlier for Berge as Mike McGrath called.”

Who is Sander Berge?

Berge, sponsored by Adidas, is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also play slightly further forward in a central midfield role if required.

The 25-year-old is valued at €20m by Transfermarkt and is into the final 12 months of his £33,000-a-week Sheffield United contract after joining the club from Genk back in 2020.

A Norway international, Berge spent time with Valerenga before joining Genk and making 113 appearances for the club. In England, Berge has turned out on 109 occasions for the Blades, scoring 15 times and registering 12 assists. He helped the club back into the top flight last season, finishing second behind the Clarets in the Championship, and was hailed by teammate John Egan, who said:

“In the second half our qualities showed. This big man here (Sander) was unbelievable. One of the best players to ever play in this division.”

Berge contributed to 11 second-tier goals in 37 appearances last season, making more progressive carries than any of his teammates and the second most progressive passes, as per FBref. Therefore, signing a top midfielder from a league rival could turn out to be a wise move by Burnley, and by the looks of things, a deal is close to being completed.

Everton seem to be closing on their first big outlay of the summer window, as one for both the present and the future…

Who is Youssef Chermiti?

That's according to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), who suggest that the Toffees have now sent a second, more 'enticing' offer to Sporting CP striker Youssef Chermiti in an effort to tempt his exit.

Despite encountering difficulties with personal terms, a fee rising to €15m (£13M) had been agreed that suggested that the deal was imminent.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

His absence from the two sides meeting yesterday is a clear indicator of this for the report, who suggest that it is 'certain' that he will be playing in Royal Blue next season.

The 19-year-old gem is expected to at last offer a physical alternative to the perennially-injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

How good is Youssef Chermiti?

However, the English striker did just enjoy another 45-minute spell in yesterday's clash, scoring the winner from 12 yards just four days after he had played the same amount against Italian side AC Monza behind closed doors.

It seems that manager Sean Dyche has geared this pre-season towards solving the injury woes of the 26-year-old, who made just 15 starts in the Premier League last term, and a further 15 the year prior.

In his absence, a lack of viable alternatives often left them with Neal Maupay or even Demarai Gray featuring in his place, leading the line without half the physicality that the former Sheffield United striker offers.

However, that is set to change with the acquisition of Chermiti, who despite remaining raw and far from the finished product, stands at a lofty 6 foot 3.

Not to mention he has boasted fine link-up play across his limited period within the first team, of which he has made just 22 appearances.

Last campaign marked a breakthrough one for the teenage finisher, as he would make nine starts in the Primeira Liga, scoring three and assisting two whilst averaging just 52 minutes per game.

Such form even led scout Jacek Kulig to laud his exploits, noting him as: "Another superb prospect from Alcochete."

The Portuguese youngster remains largely a penalty-box striker though, with his limited focus on causing havoc up top and scoring goals.

As such, when compared to other strikers across Europe, he ranks in the top 6% for non-penalty expected goals per 90, and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, via FBref.

He will not drop deep and unleash scything through balls, nor will he track back relentlessly to halt opposition attacks. He will always be up front ready to spearhead a quick counter-attack, with his physical assets perfect for such a job.

Calvert-Lewin, if fit, will likely start as often as his body allows him to. After all, his most recent fully fit campaign saw him notch 16 times in the league, announcing himself as one of the division's most effective centre forwards in his mould.

At least the presence of Chermiti will allow Dyche to alleviate some of the burden from his main man, resting him when necessary, and if the worst should happen and injuries once again rear their ugly head, the system would change little should such a hulking forward replace his 6 foot 2 soon-to-be teammate.

Chris Read’s last match at Trent Bridge ended with a first defeat of the season, by eight wickets against Worcestershire, to throw the Division Two promotion race wide open

David Hopps at Trent Bridge08-Sep-20171:35

Highlights from the final day of the Specsavers Championship

Worcestershire 243 (Barnard 55, Mullaney 4-31) and 229 for 2 (Mitchell 139*) beat Nottinghamshire 193 (Barnard 4-71) and 275 (Wessels 60, Leach 5-69) by eight wickets
There was to be no perfect send-off for Chris Read in his final Championship match at Trent Bridge. Instead, after two decades of distinguished service, it all ended with a first defeat of the season, by eight wickets against Worcestershire, which has thrown the Division Two promotion race wide open. Read knows his real retirement is three weeks away, with work still to be done.Daryl Mitchell’s measured, unbeaten century – 139 from 212 balls – has ensured that Nottinghamshire, runaway leaders all season, no longer look quite so impregnable. They follow this loss against Worcestershire with tricky away games against Northants and Sussex, two more sides with Division One ambitions.Remarkably, victory completed an outstanding treble for Worcestershire who have beaten Notts this season in all three formats of the game – this against a side that have won both limited-overs trophies and, even with this defeat, remain on course for the Division Two title.In early season, Nottinghamshire blew away opponents with the pace bowling of James Pattinson and Stuart Broad. The contest is more even now and they will need to address it with greater composure than they managed against a highly-professional Worcestershire side which left their coach, Steve Rhodes, bursting with pride.Worcestershire were strong favourites when they resumed on 123 for 2, in search of 226, but few expected them to complete their task with such utter certainty. Mitchell, who conceded the captaincy with some reluctance last September, must regard the decision with more equanimity now, with six Championship hundreds to his name: only Kumar Sangakkara, for Surrey, has made as many.”It’s nice to be in good company because Kumar’s not a bad player – but he got there in about eight games,” Mitchell wryly observed.Along the way, he became only the second player to reach 1,000 first-class (and Championship) runs for the season, something else which only Sangakkara had achieved. As England know to their cost, it has not been a summer when county batsmen have been thrusting themselves into prominence by scoring heavily.Daryl Mitchell led Worcestershire to victory with an unbeaten hundred•Getty ImagesJoe Clarke, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck in Worcestershire’s first innings, provided support in an unbroken partnership of 106, by making 28 not out. Brett Hutton was exasperated by several early play-and-misses, including an appeal for a catch at the wicket that was turned down, but then conceded 14 off an over and the job was as good as done.Notts’ recognition that their chances were slim was encapsulated by the decision to start to the day, if only briefly, with the left-arm slows of Samit Patel. Patel, of course, had dismissed Shahid Afridi first ball in the NatWest Blast semi-final and perhaps felt some magic dust remained, but more relevant was memories of his central part in a cramping-up a Worcestershire run chase two years earlier.There was to be no repeat. By the time Patel returned to the attack, Worcestershire’s victory was beckoning. Mitchell marked his hundred by lofting him to the short boundary for extra-cover sixes and then beat some lackadaisical off-side fielding by Cheteshwar Pujara and Alex Hales to seal the victory.”It’s certainly my best hundred of the summer, possibly my best ever in those tough circumstances,” Mitchell said. “They have a really good attack, on a spicy wicket and the state of the game as well. It was a massive game for us so to get us over the line is very pleasing.”We had a good chat beforehand, this morning, and we felt that we’d earned the right to be a bit more positive, having done the hard work yesterday. Obviously, at the start the ball was 40 overs old, so it was get in and play some shots, because we were also aware there might be a bit of weather around later.”Worcestershire have closed the gap on Nottinghamshire to 15 points with both counties having two matches remaining. With Notts out of action next week, Worcestershire could conceivably go top if they beat bottom club Leicestershire at New Road. They are still awaiting confirmation that R Ashwin, the India spinner who did not take a wicket here in seam-orientated conditions, will be available to bowl on something more to his liking.

Newcastle United are still interested in bringing in Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney this summer, according to a new report.

What’s the latest transfer news on Kieran Tierney?

The Magpies and Eddie Howe have been busy so far this summer, making three new signings ahead of the 2023/24 season as they prepare for Champions League action.

First to arrive was winger Yankuba Minteh from Danish side Odense, however, the teenager has since been sent out on loan to Feyenoord for the upcoming campaign.

Midfielder Sandro Tonali was the first big-money signing from AC Milan, and the Italian has recently been joined by winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester City. In total, Newcastle have spent just under £100m (€116m), but it looks as if further additions could be on the cards.

At full-back, Southampton’s Tino Livramento has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, however, the Saints are looking to receive £50m for his services, whereas Newcastle made an approach worth around £30m.

Another defender who is thought to be on the radar is Tierney, however, since reports earlier in the window claimed Newcastle were in pole position to sign the Scot, speculation has gone relatively quiet.

The Evening Standard shared a story on Tierney in the last 48 hours, though, claiming he is attracting interest from a number of clubs but only naming Newcastle, and by extension owners PIF, as one of the sides who are still keen.

However, the full-back isn’t desperate to leave the Emirates Stadium and has admitted he would leave any decision to the Gunners.

"It’s not really up to me. I’m happy, I’m working hard every day and getting minutes. I’m just trying to do as well as I can.

"You can’t play every single game, every single season, every single year. I don’t expect that and I still made a lot of appearances last year."

How much could Kieran Tierney cost?

At the beginning of the summer, it was believed that Arsenal would look for a figure in excess of £30m for the left-back, so he could be viewed as a slightly cheaper alternative to Livramento.

Described as a "top-level" player by Stan Collymore, Tierney picks up a weekly wage of £120,000-a-week and actually shares the same agent as Nick Pope, something which could help in any potential transfer talks.

He could bring more of an attacking threat to Howe’s side, with Dan Burn cementing himself as Newcastle’s first-choice left-back last season. However, the 31-year-old has mainly plied his trade as a centre-back throughout his career and has contributed to 23 goals in 432 appearances during his career, whereas Tierney boasts 64 goal contributions in 295 games, with plenty of those coming for Celtic.

Tierney also has an impressive record against Newcastle, winning all three meetings he has featured in against the Magpies, and by the looks of things, a move for the Arsenal defender could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks. Who knows, it may well be a deal that gathers pace later in the window, especially if Newcastle continue to struggle to sign Livramento.

Two years into the job, Steven Smith is already thinking of the 2021 Test tour of India, which he craves to lead in and win

Adam Collins in Mirpur26-Aug-20171:04

Gambhir: Australia will start favourites in Bangladesh

Occasionally, selection is just as much a pointer to the coming months and years as it is for the five days ahead. That is the case with Steven Smith’s side for the first Test in Mirpur. They will be making two changes to the XI that lost their previous Test, in Dharamsala against India in March.Ashton Agar returns after four years away, while Usman Khawaja is principally back to get into the Test groove again before the Ashes opener in November. Smith’s explanation of Steve O’Keefe’s omission from the squad, in favour of Agar, is instructive of his longer-term leadership goals. Namely, that he plans to be around for a long time.Since Allan Border, no Australian leader has spent more than Ricky Ponting’s seven years in the job, the rest staying for somewhere short of five. With two candles nearly on the cake for Smith, he is already thinking four years ahead to the next time Australia is due for a Test series in India, one he craves to lead in and win.While O’Keefe’s numerical return at Test and first-class level is top class, at 32 he is nine years Agar’s senior. The younger man has far from bashed the door down on conventional measures, claiming his first-class wickets at more than 40 apiece. Despite his two Ashes Tests in 2013 (for just two wickets) he remains, to a certain extent, a project player. But that project aligns neatly with Smith’s own: the aforementioned Indian return bout in 2021.”He’s come a long way,” Smith said of Agar’s inclusion. “For us it’s more looking to the future. Ashton has obviously been on the radar for a long time and someone we see as having a pretty bright future. Four years’ time back in India it’s something I want to achieve while I’m captain. I want to win in India, that’s big on my bucket list.”Similar logic applies to Khawaja. Aside from a dismal run in Sri Lanka last year where he lost his subcontinental spot, he has a body of work to dream of since returning to the side two Australian summers ago. But Smith made a more basic point about why Khawaja has nudged ahead of Shaun Marsh in the pecking order.”Usman obviously hasn’t played any cricket since the Sydney Test match, that was his last game and that was a long time ago,” he said. “We need to get him back into the fold and get him playing cricket again.” Before the home Ashes, Smith means, where the stylish left-hand batsman remains a lock.The series presents an opportunity for both Glenn Maxwell and Usman Khawaja•AFPIt isn’t just the fortunes of Khawaja that have changed since that Sri Lankan shocker. Whitewashed three-zip after going in favourites, expectations for India were measured, to say the least. But there, they stopped the rot and put on a better than commendable show, not least by breaking a nine-game losing snap in the region. It governs a far healthier mindset.”Something I learned a lot about in India as a captain in particular was knowing the different tempos of the game and when to attack a little bit more,” Smith said. “It’s been a good learning experience for me. I think the key to winning overseas is to ensure that you’re adapting consistently and putting those performances on the board consistently.”This confidence translates to relying on four bowlers alone to capture 20 wickets. Smith has been reluctant to use Glenn Maxwell’s spin since his return to the Test side in Ranchi, and seldom bowls himself now despite earning his national debut as a bowler first.”I know I copped a little bit of criticism for not using him [Maxwell] as much in the India series but again, you’ve got two quality spinners and they’re there to do a job,” Smith said. “In an ideal world, someone in the top six could bowl some good medium pace or good pace, it’d be ideal, but at the moment we’ve got to go with what we’ve got.”The tacit message to Maxwell came in response to the next question put to Smith, about England’s allrounder penchant. May it necessitate a seaming allrounder for Brisbane in November? “Yeah it could,” the Australian captain said. “They’ve got a very deep line-up.”With Smith also detailing a scenario where five specialist bowlers could be included for that series opener – a fit fab four of Australian quicks (Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson) alongside Nathan Lyon – it’s doubly important for Maxwell to use these Tests to make himself indispensable at six. “He does have an opportunity,” Smith continued. “He played pretty well in India, a lot better than other guys in that last Test. He certainly has the opportunity to nail down that spot, that’s for sure.”For all the inevitable Ashes chat, Smith was quick to clarify that Bangladesh won’t be underestimated, given they bossed over England inside three days the last time they played a Test here. Bangladesh also beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka to level a three-Test series in March. “We’re going to have to be at our best here,” he said.A slightly dry surface has been chosen in Mirpur among the two shortlisted, but Smith was reluctant to enter the encounter worrying too much about that. “There’s a ‘no whingeing’ policy about anything here in the subcontinent, wickets certainly fall under that,” he said. “They’ve put some grass clippings down to make it look a bit greener than what it is but it’s pretty dry underneath. I dare say it’ll be pretty slow.”Off-field, it is the first time an Australian team of any variety has played since the conclusion of the bitter pay war earlier this month, finally striking an agreement that made this tour possible. As a consequence, Smith acknowledged the importance of now rebuilding the brand of the game and national team after a torrent of bad blood was shed between players and administrators.”The pay dispute went on longer than we all would have liked but thankfully it’s all dealt with now,” he said. “We can move on with playing and trying to win back a few fans that we perhaps may have lost along the way. I think we’ll do that by playing good, hard fought cricket and winning games of cricket.”Bangladesh is good a place to start as any. Smith’s predecessor Michael Clarke put a premium on winning away and had middling success in doing so. For Smith, he managed it at the first time of asking in New Zealand, but came away without a trophy in the next two attempts. So drawing from the qualified-success of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there is no better time or place to square the ledger and begin charting the course to his long-term Indian summit.

Chelsea's number-one transfer target Moises Caicedo feels that he has a "gentlemen's agreement" with Brighton & Hove Albion that he'll be allowed to leave should they receive the right fee, claims Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Is Moises Caicedo joining Chelsea?

There's no such thing as a quiet transfer window at Stamford Bridge, and the last month or so has once again borne that out.

The Blues started the summer not by buying any shiny new stars to add to their squad, but by selling what could almost be a full XI of first-team quality players.

The start of the window saw the likes of N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, among others, decide to swap west London for the Middle East and join the unfathomably wealthy Saudi Pro League.

Others like Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic instead opted to remain in England and join Premier League rivals.

All of this selling has seemingly given the Blues the freedom to start adding new names to their squad once again, with the signings of Nicolas Jackson, Diego Moreira and Kendry Paez all confirmed already.

However, the biggest deal that the club have been linked to all summer is undoubtedly their attempt to secure the signature of Brighton's Ecuadorian superstar, Caicedo.

The Seagulls star has been the focus of Chelsea's attention for over a month at this point, and the two sides have been in constant dialogue over the potential move, despite the south coast club rejecting the Blues' most recent offer of £70m, according to Sky Sports.

Mauricio Pochettino's side will have to significantly increase their next offer, as The Athletic has reported that "La Joya" is valued at around £100m by Brighton – a valuation that has been influenced by the recent sale of the positionally similar Declan Rice to Arsenal.

The one advantage that Chelsea have in negotiations, however, is that the 21-year-old wants to make the move and feels like he has a gentlemen's agreement with his club dictating that he'll be allowed to leave should an offer close to their valuation be made, per Sky Sports News reporter Sheth.

He explained the situation live on air, which was posted on the Sky Sports YouTube channel:

"One source has told me earlier on today [Thursday] that Caicedo feels he's got some sort of gentlemen's agreement with Brighton to be able to leave in this transfer window, provided the price is right for Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton are not commenting on that.

"But look, it should be said, Brighton are very tough negotiators, and they will never stop any of their players leaving provided their valuation is met. So I think there is quite a big gap in that valuation between what Chelsea are prepared to pay and what Brighton want, but talks are going to continue to see if they can bridge that gap.

"He is Chelsea's number-one target – of that there is no question – and we believe that Chelsea are getting that encouragement that Caicedo does want to make the move."

How much does Moises Caicedo earn?

For such a sought-after player, Caicedo was on a relatively small wage for a Premier League footballer just seven months ago.

When Arsenal were first interested in signing the mercurial midfielder in the January transfer window, he was on a contract that saw him earn 'just' £15,000 a week – around £45,000 a week less than the average Premier League player.

Perhaps realising that would make it harder to keep their star, Brighton then upped the wages of their Santo Domingo-born gem to the league average of around £60,000 a week.

Should he make the move to Chelsea, he can probably expect to earn similar wages to their other stars like Enzo Fernandez, who is on £315,000 a week.

Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga will face a disciplinary inquiry from Sri Lanka Cricket for “repeated breach” of the terms of his contract

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2017Fast bowler Lasith Malinga will face a disciplinary inquiry from Sri Lanka Cricket for “repeated breach” of the terms of his contract.The inquiry was precipitated by Malinga’s response to sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, who had alleged Sri Lanka’s poor fielding standards were owed to players’ inadequate fitness – in particular their “big bellies”. Malinga had not taken direct aim at Jayasekara in a stinging response, but nevertheless had implied in an interview that the sports minister was no more than an armchair critic, and had not played cricket at a sufficiently high level for his criticism to be taken seriously.A release from SLC said the fast bowler had twice acted in “contravention of the terms of agreement,” which bar him from making any statements to the media without the prior consent of the board’s Chief Executive Officer.SLC said it had decided to take disciplinary action after Malinga’s first violation around June 19, before a subsequent breach around June 21 prompted the board’s executive committee to expedite the inquiry, which will be conducted by a three-member panel. The findings of the hearing will be forwarded to the executive committee for disciplinary action.SLC also called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address several issues, which include the resignation of coach Graham Ford, interim appointment of a head coach, and the inquiry against Malinga.