Warwickshire have confirmed that Varun Chopra is to leave the club at the end of the season

George Dobell05-Jul-2016Warwickshire have confirmed that Varun Chopra is to leave the club at the end of the season.Chopra was captain of the club until January and has a good long-term record as a batsman. He has been Warwickshire’s top run-scorer (if all competitions are combined) in four of the five previous seasons and, after a modest 2015, has rediscovered his consistency this year. Only Samit Patel has reached 50 more often of Division One batsmen and, in his only T20 appearance of the season, he hit a match-winning 97 not out.But, as ESPNcricinfo revealed last week, somewhere along the way, the relationship between Chopra and the club management has soured. His desire to have more time off at the end of the season – the club want all players to report back for training in early November – and his reluctance to commit himself to a long-term future at the club have been perceived as not buying into the team culture and setting a less than perfect example to younger players.The club, mindful of the number of senior players on the staff, are also keen to provide opportunities to younger men and make room in the budget for acquisitions.But Chopra is just 29 – significantly younger than the likes of Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Rikki Clarke, Tim Ambrose and Jeetan Patel – and could have his best years ahead of him. He retains England aspirations and is known to be of interest to several clubs. He comes across as a most unlikely rebel – he was widely praised for his calm leadership as he led the club to the NatWest Blast title in 2014 – and Warwickshire may come to rue the failure to manage him more effectively.”Both parties believe that now is a good time for Varun to accept a fresh challenge and he is now able to talk to other counties in order to realise his own career ambitions,” a statement released by Warwickshire says. “In the meantime, he remains fully committed to the club and will continue to perform at his best through to the end of the season.”Whilst everyone at the club is fully aware of his capabilities as a top order batsman, there is also a need to look at the development of the squad in order to be able to maintain a challenge on all fronts in the coming years.”Everyone at Edgbaston would like to thank Varun for his contribution to Warwickshire over the last seven seasons.”

يلتقي فريق ليفربول، مساء يوم الأربعاء، مع خصمه فولهام في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية، كاراباو.

ويستضيف ملعب “كرافين كوتاج” مباراة الفريقين في إياب نصف نهائي بطولة كأس الرابطة، موسم 2023/24.

كان ليفربول قد فاز في مباراة الذهاب على ملعب “الأنفيلد” بهدفين مقابل هدف.

ويلتقي المتأهل من تلك المواجهة مع تشيلسي في نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية (لمطالعة الموعد من هنا)، مع العلم أن النادي اللندني تأهل بعدما اكتسح ميدلزبره بنتيجة 6-2. موعد مباراة ليفربول وفولهام اليوم في نصف نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية.

مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة ليفربول وفولهام في كأس الرابطة الإنجليزية القناة الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول وفولهام اليوم في نصف نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 1. معلق مباراة ليفربول وفولهام اليوم في نصف نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية

سيعلق أحمد البلوشي على أحداث المباراة اليوم.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur should undoubtedly make a move for Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte at the end of the season, according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have been linked with a number of new options at centre-back for the summer, with it recently being reported that Villarreal defender Pau Torres would welcome a new offer, two years after rejecting a move to north London.

Spurs are also set to approach Eintracht Frankfurt's Evan Ndicka, who will be available to sign on a free transfer in the upcoming window, however, they will have to fend off reported competition from Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp also interested in the Frenchman.

At the beginning of April, transfer insider Graeme Bailey claimed Laporte's representatives were letting clubs across Europe know he's available, with the Lilywhites emerging as one of the interested clubs.

In an interview with Football Insider, Agbonlahor instructed Tottenham to sign the Man City defender in the summer, claiming that he would slot straight into the club's starting XI.

The pundit said: “If I was Spurs, I’d go straight in for him.

“He’s so strong, good on the ball, quick – and can score goals from set pieces.

“He’s a very good centre-half who would probably start for most teams in the top six. He walks into a lot of those sides.

“He has been very unlucky to lose his place at Man City.

“Spurs need to upgrade their centre-backs, for sure. Laporte would be a no-brainer.

“Get him in alongside Jordan Pickford, and that would be a good start to their transfer window.”

Should Tottenham sign Aymeric Laporte?

Tottenham have a very poor defensive record, conceding more Premier League goals than the likes of Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, two clubs that have been involved in the relegation battle this season.

As such, they definitely need to bring in at least one new centre-back this summer, and the £120k-per-week ace, who has been hailed as "fantastic" by members of the media, would be a very good option.

Although City's strength in depth has meant he's struggled for game time this season, the 28-year-old averaged a 7.12 match rating from Sofascore last term, far higher than any Tottenham defender this term.

Laporte is composed in possession, averaging a 92.7% pass completion rate per 90 over the past year, placing him in the upper second percentile compared to other centre-backs, while he is also strong in the air, averaging more aerials won than Eric Dier and Cristian Romero in that time period.

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are considering Mainz boss Bo Svensson for the job, according to broadcast giant ESPN.

Who could replace Conte at Spurs?

There has been no shortage of managerial candidates who could replace Conte at Spurs, with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Arne Slot and even Brendan Rodgers mentioned in the last few days.

Levy is still well and truly searching for a new manager candidate to take the reins at Tottenham as interim boss Ryan Mason becomes tasked with leading them to the end of this Premier League season.

Spurs are outliers in the race for a top four finish after a series of dampening results, including an abysmal 6-1 loss to Newcastle United which cost former temporary head coach Cristian Stellini his job.

The Lilywhites will have one eye on next campaign and whoever Levy appoints to take over from Conte will be crucial, both for reinstalling positivity as well as attracting world football's brightest stars.

Alongside the likes of Nagelsmann and Slot, it is believed that a new name has entered contention for the role, with one source telling ESPN that Mainz boss Svensson is now being considered.

He joins the likes of Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou alongside the usual suspects to be linked with the Tottenham job.

What could Svensson bring to Spurs?

While the 43-year-old arguably comes as a lesser known name compared to the likes of Nagelsmann, he could still be a brilliant candidate for Spurs, especially going by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's glowing recommendation.

Commenting on the 3-4-2-1 tactician two years ago, Klopp has given his thumbs up in regards to Svensson's work in the Bundesliga with his former club, stating to Bild (via Bundesliga):

“We spoke on the phone Thursday,""I only saw him as a player for a year. As a guy, he was a grenade even then. As a coach, he's a great, great talent and has done an outstanding job so far."And he has a heart for Mainz 05, that's important. He brings the right mood to the club again. I'm very optimistic that things are going in the right direction with him now."

Svensson could be an outside contender and less well-known name to help build a project at Tottenham, with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino's time at the club showcasing that a trophy-laden star coach isn't always the best solution.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe’s managerial calibre has melded nicely with technical director Dan Ashworth’s diligence on the transfer front.

Since the completion of the £300m Saudi-backed takeover in October 2021, the Magpies have taken flight and need two victories from their final three Premier League matches of the term to clinch Champions League football for the first time in two decades.

This is a remarkable feat considering relegation looked likely before the midpoint of the 21/22 season, and while money has been spent across the past three transfer windows, business has been conducted astutely and the club now look towards a future brighter than most outfits could dare to dream.

Enriching the ranks with further quality is paramount, especially vis-à-vis the Champions League, and Nottingham Forest flanker Brennan Johnson is one player being looked at by Dan Ashworth and co.

That’s according to Football Transfers, who state that ‘a number of Premier League clubs have registered an interest’ in the 21-year-old winger, though Forest will rebuff any advances for the ace on the transfer market this summer.

Should Newcastle sign Brennan Johnson?

Last summer, the precocious Welshman penned a new deal at the City Ground until 2026, having played an instrumental and prolific role in the club’s triumphant return to the top flight after more than two decades away, scoring 19 goals and supplying a further nine assists.

The 18-cap Wales international has continued his fine form into the current season, landing ten goals and three assists from 42 matches across all competitions, with eight goals and all three assists in the Premier League,

A dynamic attacking outlet, the £30k-per-week gem ranks among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 16% for rate of tackles and the top 19% for rate of blocks per 90, as per FBref.

With the signing of the £36m-rated machine, Newcastle’s £45m winger Anthony Gordon, who arrived from Everton in the winter transfer window, could find opportunities even harder to come by after flattering to deceive thus far.

A fleet-footed and nimble wide-man, Gordon has a wealth of potential but has failed to exhibit the full scope of his skill set on Tyneside, yet to register a goal or an assist from 13 appearances under Howe’s wing.

With the “fastest player in the Premier League” – as dubbed Sheldon Miller – Johnson proving his worth with his cutting edge and dynamism in his first top-flight season, the next step in his development could put him in stellar stead to dominate the flanks and leave the former Evertonian cutting a forlorn figure indeed.

While Football Transfers states that Forest’s resolve will be unwavering when considering the future of their prized asset, a plummet back into the second tier would leave a tenuous grip on their bargaining power.

While Steve Cooper’s men are in relative comfort ahead of their final two league fixtures of the campaign, three points and two places above 18th-placed Leeds United, defeat across the forthcoming fixtures – at home against Arsenal before a trip to Crystal Palace – would spell danger, should the lower-placed teams clinch a coveted victory.

And with St. James’ Park boasting the tools to prise him away, a move could certainly be forthcoming, spelling misfortune for Forest and potentially Gordon too.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has enjoyed a fantastic first season with the club and remains in contention to secure a place in Europe by the end of the month.

The Villans are currently eighth in the table and only behind Tottenham Hotspur in seventh on goal difference with two matches left to play.

Emery has won 14 of his 23 Premier League games in charge of the club since arriving from Villarreal to take over from Steven Gerrard with the Spaniard having engineered a seriously impressive revival.

One of his biggest achievements so far has been the wonders he has worked with centre-forward Ollie Watkins, who has been in phenomenal form.

Prior to Emery coming in, the England international had scored two goals and provided two assists in 14 matches in all competitions for Villa. Since then, the 27-year-old has racked up 13 goals and four assists in 24 appearances – more than one goal contribution every other game.

Watkins' terrific turn in form shows that the Villans head coach knows how to get the best out of a mobile striker who enjoys getting in behind by using his pace on the shoulder of the last defender.

Who could be Emery's next Villa striker?

Emery could now unearth his next version of the former Brentford man by securing a deal to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.

Football Insider recently reported that the club are interested in a deal to sign the Serbian at the end of the season as they attempt to bolster their forward department.

The £220k-per-week centre-forward has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 21 Serie A starts for the Old Lady in the 2022/23 campaign.

This comes after the 23-year-old plundered 24 goals and three assists in 33 starts in the Italian top-flight for Fiorentina and Juventus combined last term.

FBref coincidentally lists Watkins as the most similar player in world football to Vlahovic based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days. Both strikers accumulate between 0.40 and 0.42 non-penalty expected goals and between 0.11 and 0.12 expected assisted goals per 90.

These statistics show that both attackers offer a similar level of threat in their positioning to create chances for themselves and their creativity for their teammates in the final third. Like the Villa star, the Serbian marksman has proven himself in front of goal and could be a prolific frontman for the club in the years to come, using Emery's expertise in offensive play to better his and Villa's attack.

Vlahovic, who journalist Carlo Garganese described as "scary" and a "monster", has showcased his potential to be a lethal goalscorer at the top level, with his 24 strikes in 2021/22, and Emery's coaching – given his work with Watkins – could get him back to that standard next season.

ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC annual conference, has until December 15 to ratify a constitution that gives representation to the entire US cricket community and is compliant with US Olympic Committee statutory requirements.The December deadline is an indication that USACA has been given every opportunity to have its suspension lifted before the end of the year rather than facing expulsion at the ICC annual conference later this month in Edinburgh.A new constitution is one of 39 terms and conditions laid out by the ICC for USACA to satisfy in order to be reinstated. Establishing a revised governance structure was former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley’s primary task when he took over the role in February 2013, but he could not gain enough support at the USACA AGM that November and resigned in March 2014. USACA has failed to ratify a constitution at three subsequent AGMs, including the most recent one on April 9 in Florida.In an email sent to USA cricket’s stakeholders on Thursday, Anderson said there was progress in framing the new constitution during meetings with the a 10-person advisory group in Colorado Springs on June 4 and 5. ICC chief executive David Richardson and ICC chief counsel Iain Higgins were also in attendance along with Anderson and ICC Americas regional development manager Ben Kavenagh.”Many different governance structures were considered during the two-day workshop, and significant progress was made towards reaching agreement for a number of fundamental principles which will best serve the primary objective of unifying the USA cricket community,” Anderson wrote in the email. “Further work will be required in order to complete this exercise over the coming weeks/months, and further updates will be provided as the proposed model and supporting documents are prepared.”The ICC delegation was also given a welcome reception by local dignitaries in Colorado Springs to celebrate the relocation of the ICC Americas office from Toronto. Among those in attendance were current USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun and former USOC president Bill Hybl. The reception was held by the El Pomar Foundation at Penrose House.Interviews were also held for several staff positions at the new Colorado Springs office, which is set to open next month. According to Anderson, ten candidates were shortlisted for in-person interviews from over 100 applications received for the positions of USA project manager and USA project officer.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their attacking line following another unstable Premier League season, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target ahead of the summer.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Largie Ramazani?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Everton are 'looking to sign' Almeria forward Largie Ramazani this summer.

As per the report, the Merseyside outfit are keen to add new additions to their forward line with Ramazani identified as a potential option.

However, Everton are presented with a hurdle due to his €40m (£35m) price tag and will only pursue the young winger should they retain their Premier League status.

Would Ramazani be a good signing for Everton?

The Toffees have found themselves struggling to compete in the top flight yet again this season, with another relegation scrap putting a dark cloud over Goodison Park in recent months.

It has been a difficult challenge for Sean Dyche since his arrival in January, especially due to the lack of attacking options he inherited with Richarlison and Anthony Gordon both making exits from the club prior, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin has continued to battle with several injury issues.

In fact, only already relegated Southampton have scored fewer goals (31) than Everton this season (32) in the entire Premier League, so there is no doubt that snapping up the services of at least one high-quality forward this summer will need to be the biggest priority for the Merseysiders.

Ramazani is no stranger to the English top flight, having polished his skills in the Manchester United youth academy for three years before making the permanent move to Almeria, where he has continued to thrive.

The 22-year-old – hailed as a "massive talent" by journalist Casey Evans – has scored three goals, delivered one assist and created two big chances, despite only making 13 La Liga starts and averaging just 45 minutes per performance this season.

With such exciting attacking attributes in mind, the youngster could be the perfect replacement for Gordon at Goodison.

When comparing the two wingers this season, they share several similar attributes in their output, including goals scored (3 v 3), shot-creating actions (38 v 38), progressive passes (29 v 34), tackles on dribblers completed (32% v 39%) and shots on target (17 v 17), as per FBref.

With that being said, the signing of Ramazani could be a great opportunity for Dyche to secure the services of a player who could replicate Gordon's previous impact on the team and ultimately improve the lacklustre attacking performances next season.

حدد نادي تشيلسي الإنجليزي، سعر بيع حارس مرماه كيبا أريزابالاجا، المعار إلى ريال مدريد الإسباني.

وانتقل كيبا إلى ريال مدريد على سبيل الإعارة لنهاية الموسم الجاري، بعد إصابة حارس المرمى البلجيكي تيبو كورتوا بقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

ويفاضل كارلو أنشيلوتي مدرب ريال مدريد بين كيبا ولونين في مركز حراسة المرمى، حيث يتناوب الحارسان على المشاركة بالتشكيل الأساسي.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية، حدد تشيلسي سعر بيع كيبا، حيث يرغب النادي الإنجليزي في التخلص من أجر الحارس الإسباني الدولي.

وبحسب التقرير، تشيلسي على استعداد لبيع كيبا مقابل 20 مليون جنيه إسترليني، أي أقل بمبلغ 50 مليون جنيه إسترليني من ثمن التعاقد معه.

اقرأ أيضًا | رسميًا | لاعب مانشستر سيتي ينتقل إلى وست هام هربًا من “دكة” جوارديولا

وكان تشيلسي تعاقد مع كيبا مقابل 71.6 مليون جنيه إسترليني في عام 2018، ليصبح الحارس الأغلى في العالم.

لم يُثبت كيبا نفسه كواحد من أفضل حراس المرمى في الوقت الحالي، وأخطائه جعلته محل انتقاد من حين لآخر.

ولا يرغب ريال مدريد في التسرع بخطوة شراء كيبا من تشيلسي، حيث يأمل النادي الإسباني في تعافي كورتوا وعودته من الإصابة بنهاية الموسم.

Legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Colin Munro have returned to New Zealand’s roster of centrally-contracted players for 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2016Legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Colin Munro have returned to New Zealand’s roster of centrally-contracted players for 2016-17, the first season after the retirement of Brendon McCullum.Alongside his brother Nathan McCullum, Brendon retired from all forms of international cricket last season, while Grant Elliott dropped off the contract list, having retired from ODIs in April. He now plays only Twenty20 internationals.Sodhi and Munro were joined by first-timers Henry Nicholls, the left-hand batsman, and George Worker, the allrounder, as inclusions in a list that has been expanded from 20 to 21 this year. Having made their international debuts over the past 12 months, Nicholls and Worker are now formally part of the international squad.”We’ve built a strong group of core players over the past couple of years and that’s been a key factor to the consistency of the team’s performance,” Gavin Larsen, the selector, said.”When we’ve brought new players into the group, we’ve been really happy with how they’ve adapted and performed on the international stage. Henry and George have made bright starts to their careers and we look forward to watching their ongoing development.”After missing out last year, Ish and Colin have both worked extremely hard on their game, as we saw with their performances for us in the shorter formats this summer. They thoroughly deserve their contracts. It’s also exciting to see Ish make his way back into the Test squad for the upcoming series in Africa.”New Zealand’s cricketers are ranked across each format. Test matches gain twice the weighting of ODIs and T20s.Contracted players for 2016-17: Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker