Fulham have made an approach over a move for Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata after a transfer elsewhere fell through.

Are Fulham signing a striker?

Marco Silva’s side have endured a mixed start to the new Premier League season after a 1-0 opening weekend win over Everton was followed by a 3-0 home defeat to Brentford.

The Cottagers have been without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic after his £50m move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal, with the forward netting a header on his debut.

Fulham, as a result, appear to be on the hunt to replace Mitrovic before the September 1 deadline despite bringing in Raul Jimenez from Wolves and have been linked with a move for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.

However, the USA international appears to be edging closer to a move to AS Monaco. Another player who had been linked was Juventus’ Moise Kean, however, Silva has squashed that rumour while also laying out his concerns late in the window.

“No, Moise Kean is not a solution for us. I don’t like to talk about players that are not our players. Moise Kean is a player from Juventus. But I can confirm he is not the player we are looking for.”

“With more time it would be less difficult. Right now, at this moment in the mark, it is really difficult. This is the problem when you leave things for the last week of the market. We are not in the best position.”

The club’s search for a striker now appears to have led to interest in Zapata.

According to The Daily Mail, Fulham have been in contact over a transfer for Zapata by approaching Atalanta. The report states that the striker was set to make the move to AS Roma on loan but expressed doubts and the deal fell through at the 11th hour.

It is believed that Zapata is leaning towards staying at Atalanta, however, Fulham appear to be keen and have made their first move.

Who is Duvan Zapata?

Zapata is an out-and-out centre-forward who has plied the majority of his club career in Italy. The 32-year-old has turned out for Napoli, Udinese, Sampdoria and Atalanta over the last 10 years, making 283 appearances in Serie A, scoring 108 goals.

A Colombia international, Zapata is known for his physicality, with former teammate Papu Gomez describing the forward as a “beast” who is “like a train”.

“Zapata's shorts look like underwear, he is so big.

“Sometimes I don't even want to get close to him in a match because he's a beast and it hurts. When he is feeling good he's like a train – you throw the ball forward and 'ciao!'”

A proven and experienced goalscorer in Italy, a move for Zapata could be one to keep an eye on in the final days of the window, but with time ticking, you’d expect Fulham will be in contact with a number of targets over potential moves to Craven Cottage.

Afghanistan 333 for 5 (Rahmat 114, Najibullah 81, Ihsanullah 53) beat Zimbabwe 179 (Mire 34, Rashid 4-26) by 154 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRahmat Shah celebrates his century•Associated Press

Continuing their dominance over Zimbabwe, Afghanistan piled up their second-highest ODI total of 333 with Rahmat Shah’s 114 off 110 balls the centerpiece of a resounding victory. The 24-year old batsman had come in with a sturdy foundation in place but as the score slipped from 90 for 1 to 109 for 3, he felt the need to preserve his wicket and bat long. Rahmat was 37 from 53 balls at the end of the 30th over but picked up the pace towards the end, smashing half of his 12 boundaries in the last 10 overs. He was still no match for a red-hot Najibullah Zadran, who launched five sixes and five fours in an innings of 81 at a strike-rate of 158.82. Only the spinners Graeme Cremer (3-47) and Sikandar Raza (2-58) managed to escape the carnage.Zimbabwe’s chase began brightly enough but they lurched from 50 for 0 to 135 for 8, Rashid Khan once again the wrecker-in-chief, taking four wickets in 5.4 overs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the 16-year old offspinner playing his third ODI, opened the bowling for Afghanistan and picked up two wickets. Even Rahmat chipped in, dismissing Kyle Jarvis to hasten their 154-run victory and walked away with the Man-of-the-Match award.

The fast bowler has also been named as advisor to the chairman on cricket affairs, although the scope of his role is unclear

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2018Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been appointed to two key posts – advisor to the chairman on cricket affairs and the PCB brand ambassador – chairman Najam Sethi announced on Twitter.Akhtar, 42, has previously been critical of Najam Sethi during his time as chairman. In 2013, he said that Pakistan cricket had deteriorated under Sethi, and that he needed to understand he was now “a chairman and not a TV anchor”.In 2015, after Pakistan’s heavy defeat to West Indies in the World Cup, Akhtar laid blame on Sethi and the entire PCB management. In addition, he had several clashes with the PCB as a player during a 14-year career.

Am honored to be chosen for these positions in @TheRealPCB ,will work with same passion as i did when playing.Thank you once again!#ShoaibAkhtar #PCB #BrandAmbassador #Advisor

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) February 16, 2018

Akhtar’s job description and scope is currently unclear, but it appears that the relationship between Akhtar and Sethi has improved significantly. Akhtar announced on Twitter that he “was honoured to be chosen by the PCB”.

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman has returned to the club's training ground, and a reliable journalist has revealed the chances of him being involved in the Premier League game vs Brentford next weekend.

What's the latest injury news on Sven Botman?

Last summer, Botman arrived at St. James’ Park from Ligue 1 side Lille where he’s since gone on to make 47 appearances to date, but he’s recently been spending some time on the sidelines after being forced off the pitch with an ankle injury on 87 minutes during last month’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope soon after delivered an update on the severity of the centre-back’s problem, stating:

“Understand early indications are that Sven Botman has avoided serious damage to his ankle after injury suffered on Sunday. More news awaited ahead of [the] weekend but I’m told it’s not as bad as perhaps first feared.”

The Netherlands international has recently been left out of his nation’s squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers to focus on his recovery in the Northeast, and if the following update is to be believed, the 23-year-old could be set to stage his comeback as soon as next week.

Will Botman play against Brentford?

Taking to X on Monday, Jordan Cronin confirmed that Botman has returned to Newcastle's training ground as he works his way back to full fitness, although his availability for next weekend's visit of Brentford is a mystery.

“Sven Botman was back at #NUFC’s training ground today as continues his recovery from an ankle injury. Eddie Howe said it is "unknown" if Botman will return v Brentford but his latest social media activity offers hope of him being available.”

Just how good is Botman?

Standing at 6 foot 3, Botman has been dubbed a defensive “unit” at Newcastle by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and the physical presence that he has brought to the backline since joining is clear for all to see, so it would be a huge boost if he was edging nearer to a return.

Sponsored by Nike, Howe’s ace was averaging three clearances and two aerial wins per top-flight game prior to his absence, via WhoScored, not to mention that he’s won all five of the tackles he’s attempted this term which is the joint-best success rate throughout the whole of the squad, as per FBRef.

The Magpies’ £90k-per-week earner, who has also recorded one assist since putting pen to paper with the black and white stripes, is even capable of operating out wide at left-back alongside his usual role in the heart of the defence, so he provides the boss with some welcome versatility, albeit in case of absolute emergencies.

Aside from Botman, Howe only has Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles as his two natural options at centre-back so he will no doubt be worried that he's lacking reinforcements having failed to bolster his ranks over the summer, so hopefully for the boss, the former will soon be back at his disposal.

كشفت تقارير صحفية تعقد مسألة تجديد عقد لاعب فريق برشلونة، سيرجي روبيرتو، حيث أصبح اللاعب أقرب إلى الرحيل.

وسينتهي العقد الحالي للاعب الإسباني مع برشلونة في 30 يونيو الجاري.

وكان روبيرتو قريبًا بالفعل من التوقيع على عقد جديد رفقة برشلونة، عندما كان تشافي هيرنانديز مدربًا للفريق.

ولكن الأمر قد تغير بعد رحيل تشافي ووصول هانز فليك، حيث انتشر الغموض حول مستقبل روبيرتو وإمكانية تجديد عقده (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ووفقًا لما ذكرته صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، فإن تجديد عقد روبيرتو مع برشلونة أصبح معقدًا بشكل متزايد.

وأوضحت أنه هناك فرصة جيدة لعدم استمرار سيرجي روبرتو مع النادي الموسم المقبل.

وأشارت إلى أن الإدارة الرياضية لنادي برشلونة، التي قد تواجه مشاكل مالية محتملة فيما يتعلق باللعب النظيف هذا الصيف، تفضل رحيل روبيرتو، وقد أخبرت اللاعب بالفعل.

من جانب فليك، فإن استمرارية روبيرتو في برشلونة ليست أولوية بالنسبة للألماني.

وأفادت أنه لا يمكن للمدرب الجديد أن يضمن دقائق قليلة لـ روبيرتو، كما أن اللاعب لن يحظى بأهمية كبيرة إذا استمر تحت قيادته.

وذكرت أنه بالرغم من ذلك، فإن فليك أخبر خوان لابورتا، خلال اجتماعهما سويًا، بأنه لن يعترض على استمرارية روبيرتو في حال موافقة النادي على تجديد عقده.

Sam Northeast, who was given permission to speak to other counties last month by Kent, has joined Hampshire on a long-term contract

Ivo Tennant17-Feb-2018

Sam Northeast, who was given permission to speak to other counties last month by Kent, has joined Hampshire on a long-term contract. At least eight clubs were keen to sign him – a greater number, it is believed, than have sought any English cricketer in the past. Northeast almost moved to the Ageas Bowl three years ago and, having been replaced as Kent captain after signalling he would not sign a new contract, now believes he has to play in the first division in order to be in contention for selection by England.At the age of 28, Northeast is approaching his peak years. A batsman in England, according to another former Kent captain, Colin Cowdrey, does not reach his prime until he is 30. So Hampshire are acquiring a proven run-scorer, one who will not be absent through Test cricket or the IPL for the time being and an individual whose family are close friends with Liam Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder, and his family. Northeast is likely to bat at No. 4, coming in after James Vince, England’s most-recent Test No. 3.Geographically, Northeast is better suited to joining Hampshire than Lancashire or Nottinghamshire, although Southampton is too far to commute from the home he bought recently in Canterbury. Essex, the county champions, were keen to sign him as well, but he was unsure where he would fit into their batting order. Joining Sussex, the closest club, and Jason Gillespie – who believed Northeast should have gone to Australia with the full Test party – would have meant remaining in the second division.So for Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, this is a fillip after the disappointment of not being granted an Ashes Test in 2023. His plans to continue developing the club and the Ageas Bowl will continue apace, also, with a proposed second hotel, possibly a boutique one, owing to the high demand on space at the Hilton. Hampshire will have to pay compensation to buy Northeast out of the remaining year of his contract, but it will not be the equivalent of his salary. An official announcement is expected next week.Kent maintain that they offered Northeast one of the best contracts in their history to stay with them beyond this season. Although the captaincy is an annual appointment, they were not prepared to allow him to remain as captain for this year unless he signed an extension. “We wanted to plan for the future and spoke to Sam for several months, but he did not want to stay,” said a spokesman.Northeast, who grew up on the Kent coast at Deal and first played for Kent when still at school, was told last year by Matt Walker, the head coach, that he was not their preferred choice of captain. Their relationship broke down irretrievably – to the extent that Northeast stayed away from the St Lawrence ground and practised instead at Beckenham. He has also been frustrated by the club’s shortage of finance – largely caused by poor management in the past – and, despite a number of talented young players on the staff, not gaining promotion.He sought a meeting last month with Simon Philip, the new chairman, but discovered that only Jamie Clifford, the chief executive who was on the cusp of leaving to join MCC, and Graham Johnson, the chairman of the cricket committee who is not standing for re-election to the main committee at the annual meeting this spring, would be present. In that Kent have to start the new season without Sam Billings, their new captain, who will be tied up with the IPL, quite apart from not having Northeast’s runs to play with, this change appears to make little sense. Billings will miss the first five or six Championship matches of the summer.In terms of the breakdown of communication and lack of information to the club’s supporters and members, this sorry episode is uncannily reminiscent of the departure of Mike Denness, the most successful captain in Kent’s history, and who had captained England, in 1976. What Kent would give now for the two trophies he won that season.

Manchester United have struggled in front of goal this season, scoring just five times across four matches while securing only two wins from these Premier League ties, and it’s evident that Erik ten Hag has to change things up if he wants his team to contend for the title.

Marcus Rashford led the way last season, scoring 30 goals across all competitions, yet he has yet to catch fire this term, netting only once in four league outings, indicating that perhaps he needs more time to get back into his stride.

Bruno Fernandes also proved to be a key attacking outlet for the Red Devils last season, netting 14 times, but like Rashford, he has failed to really get going thus far and Ten Hag will require others to step up and begin contributing.

The Dutchman went all out to sign Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund in the summer transfer window, spending £72m to secure one of the most highly-rated talents on the continent.

Having missed the start of the season due to injury, the youngster will need to hit the ground running and prove to the United faithful why this sort of money was splashed out on him.

How good is Rasmus Hojlund?

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Dane scored 16 goals in all competitions, which included nine for Serie A side Atalanta, having made the move to Italy from Sturm Graz last summer.

He only started 20 league matches for the club, yet ranked third for goals and assists (11), second for shots per game (1.7) and eighth for successful dribbles per game (0.9), indicating that he settled into life well in Serie A, despite his tender years.

Despite these encouraging statistics, when compared to positional peers, Hojlund only ranks in the top 30% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.42), while also ranking in the top 33% for total shots per 90 (2.81), demonstrating that he isn’t quite the finished article yet and there is still some developing to do.

The striker has only scored 27 senior club career goals and Ten Hag is perhaps expecting too much with regard to the youngster leading the line for the Old Trafford side, thus putting a heap of pressure on his shoulders already.

Given their struggles in the final third, what the former Ajax boss would give to have a former United sensation as his main striker right now. The likes of Andy Cole is one such player. He had everything to thrive under the Dutchman, certainly proving to be a bigger talent than Hojlund is currently.

How much did Manchester United sign Andy Cole for?

Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at signing players who were either just about to hit their peak years or had proven that they could thrive in the Premier League.

Andy Cole fits into both of these categories, having spent the previous two and half seasons scoring for fun at Newcastle United.

The Englishman netted 12 goals in the old First Division as the Magpies gained promotion to the Premier League and during the 1993/94 campaign, he exploded into life, making the top flight his stage.

Cole scored a staggering 34 goals across 40 matches as Newcastle finished the season in a wonderful third spot under Kevin Keegan and the good times finally looked to be coming back to St James’ Park.

Ferguson needed another goalscorer and earmarked Cole as the player who could spearhead the United attack for the foreseeable future.

The wily Scot eventually secured his signature for a fee of £7m in January 1995 and although his signing couldn’t help United win a third consecutive league crown, the future was bright.

How many goals did Andy Cole score for Manchester United?

His first two full seasons saw Cole hit just 11 and six league goals respectively as he struggled to live up to the vast hype, numbers indicative of Hojlund's embryonic years in football. Yet, the former finally hit the ground running during the 1997/98 campaign, scoring 25 goals across all competitions.

Having lost the league to Arsenal, Ferguson made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat of this by luring striker Dwight Yorke to the club, and it proved to be a stroke of genius, with him and Cole forming a deadly partnership when deployed up front together.

Their stunning link-up play against Barcelona in the Champions League during their first season together was a joy to behold, and the duo received praise from a variety of figures, including Ferguson himself.

He said: “Andy Cole had a great time with us. He and Dwight Yorke had that fantastic season in 1999 that year they were the best partnership in Europe.”

Commentator Clive Tyldesley even lauded the pair, saying “They are out of this world,” as they led United to a stunning treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup during the 1998/99 season.

Cole would remain at Old Trafford for the next two and half years before making the move to Blackburn Rovers in 2002, where he won the League Cup just a few weeks after his arrival.

Overall, the 15-cap Englishman made 275 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 121 times in the process while winning five league titles and the coveted Champions League in what was a golden era for the club.

Can you imagine a player like this in the current United team? With creative talents such as Fernandes and Mason Mount producing chance after chance for the striker, and Rashford linking up well from a wide position, it would be a match made in heaven.

Hojlund is still young and relatively experienced at senior level, playing just 88 matches over the previous three seasons but will need to start scoring before the pressure hits unbearable levels. He could well use Cole's example as inspiration.

The latter had everything to be a top-level centre-forward. He was pacy, and could outmanoeuvre even the best of defenders while having a ruthless streak which enabled him to be the main man at Old Trafford for over half a decade.

Hojlund is a wonderful talent and has already shown glimpses of his ability in Italy, but the pressure is greater in Manchester and in order to build on his solid start to life in senior football, he could certainly learn a thing from the success Cole enjoyed at the club.

Plenty of strikers have already tried to crawl out of Cole's shadow and failed; it's now time for the Norwegian to show he won't have the same difficulties. Over to you, Rasmus.

Former Arsenal star Ian Wright has been left thrilled after an "amazing" gesture by Tottenham Hotspur supporters for their Spurs side.

Latest Tottenham news

Spurs are absolutely flying under new manager Ange Postecoglou and the feeling around north London is one of real excitement.

The north Londoners, just six months after Antonio Conte's infamous rant attacking Tottenham, have put the Italian's tenure to bed with some rip-roaring displays this season.

Spurs have tasted victory in four out out of their opening four Premier League games so far; remaining unbeaten while standing out as the division's third-highest goalscorers.

Postecoglous brand of exciting, attack-minded football has been on full display for all to see, with Tottenham sealing impressive wins over Man United, Bournemouth, Burnley and Sheffield United.

The Lilywhites were forced to really dig deep for their latest victory against the latter side, and it took two very late goals to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

Gustavo Hamer's strike against the run of play was later overturned courtesy of dramatic, last-gasp strikes from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski – with Postecoglou later hailing his side's elite mentality.

The signs of promise are very, very evident and Tottenham's manager believes supporters shouldn't lower their expectations atoll.

“No, no, no, let them go, let them go and enjoy it," said Postecoglou to the media.

"My role is not to burst people's bubbles. Let them get excited, let them get ahead of themselves. That's the beauty of being a supporter.

"They go through enough pain mate, you want to let them enjoy it. If they think we're going to be world beaters then great, that's up to us to match that expectation. Our supporters deserve to have some happiness and enjoy it any way they want to.”

What Ian Wright has said about Tottenham

Speaking to Premier League productions [18/09/23 at 2:10 pm], Wright has reacted to Tottenham's latest win while holding special praise for supporters.

Taking aim at the "celebration police", the former Arsenal star turned pundit claimed Spurs supporters shouldn't be criticised for their incredible celebrations after Kulusevski's last second winner – praising their gesture of real excitement.

“This one? This is the latest ever? Wow,” said Wright (as transcribed by HITC).

“Look at the crowd. What I was pleased to see there is the rapturous applause and the celebrations of Spurs.

“At the latter stage of a game and you snatch it. Fans should be enjoying it. People say ‘oh, the celebration police come out’. They say ‘why are they celebrating, it’s only five games?’. It’s amazing.”

It was a match full of emotion and perhaps exemplifies the stunning job Postecoglou, his Spurs staff and players have done to reinstill much-needed positivity at the club.

Tottenham lost star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich over the summer; a transfer which seriously worried sections of the fanbase given just how crucial he was for many, many years.

However, despite his departure, the club have come on leaps and bounds under Postecoglou – and it will be interesting to see if they can challenge for top four/silverware.

Leeds United haven’t exactly had the greatest of openings to the 2023/24 campaign following their relegation from the Premier League.

Daniel Farke will be aiming to guide the club straight back to the promised land, yet with only one win from four Championship ties, plus a woeful penalty shootout defeat to Salford City in the League Cup, the pressure is on the former Norwich City boss.

Summer arrivals include Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu, and Glen Kamara, indicating that there is no shortage of quality in the team, yet Farke must ditch a few players who have underperformed of late, with one being defender Luke Ayling.

Why hasn't Luke Ayling been playing well?

Having joined the Elland Road outfit in the summer of 2016, the 32-year-old has made over 250 appearances while playing a key part in the team which secured promotion to the Premier League during the 2019/20 season.

Despite his service to the club, it’s clear that the £20k-per-week liability hasn’t been at his best recently, especially during the 2022/23 campaign which saw the club relegated from the top flight.

The right-back ranked in a lowly 20th position across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (6.6), while ranking 11th for accurate passes (20.8), sixth for tackles (2.3) and 11th for interceptions (0.9) per game as Leeds conceded 78 goals, the highest total in the Premier League.

Journalist Tomi Oladipo even claimed that “Ayling has been awful for a long time but…sentiment.” as recently as March, indicating just how poor he had been in the months prior.

With Farke signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence on a season-long loan deal, could Ayling’s time at the club be coming to an end sooner rather than later?

What could Djed Spence offer Leeds United?

The 23-year-old joined Spurs for £20m last summer following an excellent spell at Nottingham Forest, helping them reach the top flight for the first time this century, yet his spell in London was a disaster.

He started zero matches for the club, coming on as a substitute just six times and was swiftly sent on loan to French side Rennes in January, where he played only ten games, and it’s evident that the move to Leeds could revitalise him.

He showcased his excellent attacking abilities during his spell at Forest, ranking in the top ten across the squad for goals and assists (eight), fifth for big chances created (five), sixth for key passes per game (one) and third for successful dribbles per game (1.8), and these attributes could give Farke an added attacking option from defence.

In comparison, Ayling ranked seventh for goals and assists (four), fifth for big chances created (four), 14th for key passes per game (0.5) and third for successful dribbles per game (0.9) during that same campaign, indicating that Spence would be an upgrade, certainly from an attacking viewpoint anyway.

Farke should be making Spence his first-choice right-back and although Ayling has started the season well, scoring once and grabbing an assist, some fresh talent could ensure the manager finally gives his ageing full-back the boot.

Newcastle United have been backed to sign an exciting player by TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, who believes the player would rather join the northeast outfit over several other high-profile clubs in the Premier League.

How have Newcastle started the season?

Eddie Howe’s side have had a mixed start to the new campaign having secured two wins but also suffered three defeats from their opening five games, meaning that having taken six points from a possible 15 and they find themselves 12th in the table, as per the division’s official website.

The Magpies, however, did enjoy their first game in the Champions League, securing a hard-fought 0-0 draw against AC Milan at San Siro Stadium on Tuesday night, and the opportunity to play under the lights at the highest level is something that could appeal to one of the club’s targets in particular.

According to Spanish reports, PIF are plotting a swoop for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta in January following his failed £80m move to Manchester City over the summer, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that chiefs wanted him back in May, but at the time, decided to instead prioritise a deal for Sandro Tonali.

Are Newcastle signing Lucas Paqueta?

Speaking to Football Insider, TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor was asked whether Paqueta would choose to join Newcastle over some of their biggest rivals in the Premier League should he leave David Moyes' side in 2024, to which he replied:

“Of course. They’ve got a project now, and they’ve got the richest owners in the world. The ambition is to play Champions League football every season, and that will attract Paqueta – playing in the big boy competition.

“The Man City move might not have happened but I think he’d choose Newcastle. He knows there is a good Brazilian contingent at the club already in Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes. I think it’s a move he would seriously look at.”

What age is Lucas Paqueta?

Paqueta is currently 26 years of age so is in the real prime years of his career, and with the positive impact that he has at both ends of the pitch, he has been dubbed a “mind-boggling” player by his former teammate Declan Rice at West Ham.

The Brazil international, who is naturally an attacking midfielder, has posted 14 contributions (eight assists and six goals) in 46 appearances at the London Stadium, but he is also a rock in defence, where he currently ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles and the 97th percentile for clearances by midfielders, via FBRef (prior to the game vs TSC on Thursday).

Moyes’ left-footed ace, who pockets £150k-per-week, has even already had a taste of success having been crowned Europa Conference League winner during the 2022/23 season, but he would have the perfect chance to step up to the next level and really test himself should he decide to put pen to paper at Newcastle.