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An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of another centre-forward before the end of the transfer window…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to Zorya Londonsk, the Black Cats have submitted an offer to sign Zorya Lugansk number nine Nazariy Rusyn as they chase a move to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claimed that the club have sent in a bid of €2m (£1.7m) plus add-ons but there is no mention of whether or not that is enough to secure his services.

It is also stated that they are facing competition from other Championship clubs, who are unnamed at this point, and that could pile the pressure on Kristjaan Speakman to get this swoop over the line as quickly as possible.

How good is Nazariy Rusyn?

The 24-year-old marksman has been in impressive form for Zorya since the start of last season and would be a terrific signing for Sunderland if he is able to translate that over to English football this term.

Rusyn has showcased his ability to score and assist goals from a centre-forward position and could, therefore, be a dream partner for current Black Cats ace Jack Clarke in the final third.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Ukrainian gem, who journalist Josh Bunting described as "random", made a significant impact on a regular basis as he plundered 13 goals and six assists across 30 league matches.

Meanwhile, Amad Diallo (14) was the only Sunderland player who scored more than ten Championship goals last term, and the Ivory Coast international has since returned to Manchester United upon the end of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light.

This suggests that Rusyn has the potential to be Tony Mowbray's biggest goal threat if he can replicate his Zorya form in England, particularly with Ross Stewart out with the Achilles injury that the Scotland international sustained in January.

Rusyn, who has scored once in two league games this season, also scored six goals in ten games for Ukraine at U21 level and could be a dream striker for Clarke to work with.

The English winger created two chances and launched five crosses into the box against Ipswich Town on the opening day but was not rewarded with an assist as Luis Hemir Semedo struggled on his senior debut as virtually the only man within the box against four defenders.

Last season, Clarke was a constant creative threat on the left flank as he ended the campaign with 12 assists and 1.7 key passes per match across 47 league appearances.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man was Mowbray's outstanding creator as the 22-year-old wizard led the club in both statistics, which shows that he is capable of slicing open the opposition's defence on a regular basis to create opportunities for his teammates at this level.

That is why Clarke and Rusyn could be perfect for each other as the reported Sunderland transfer target's form over the last 12 months indicates that he has the ability to make the most of the chances that his potential new teammate could create for him in the Championship.

The former Bangladesh captains went unopposed as nominees for the October 31 election

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2017Former Bangladesh captains Khaled Mahmud and Akram Khan will continue as BCB directors after they, and six others, went unopposed as nominees for the October 31 election. The same cannot be said about Naimur Rahman who, at this stage, is among five nominees for the two directors’ posts from the Dhaka regional and district associations.Some withdrawals, however, are likely to take place in this segment on October 29, the deadline day for withdrawals and final nominations list to be published by the election commission. There are also two nominees for the single director’s post for the Barisal region, with MA Awwal Chowdhury and Alamgir Khan pitted against each other.Mahmud was the only one to submit nomination papers in category-3, under which he is a councillor as a BCB-nominated former cricketer. Akram represents the Chittagong divisional sports association. Both were BCB directors in the 2013 to 2017 period.In fact, the six others who also submitted nomination papers from their respective regions were board directors previously. They are Sheikh Sohel and Kazi Inam Ahmed (Khulna), Shafiul Alam Chowdhury (Sylhet), Anwarul Islam (Rangpur), AJM Nasiruddin (Chittagong) and Saiful Alam Swapan (Rajshahi).Fourteen councillors have filed nominations for the 12 directors’ posts in the Dhaka metropolitan club category although it is likely that the National Sports Council will select two from this category as their picks for automatic directors’ position. It would mean the 12 other nominations in this category would also become board directors uncontested. They were all directors in the previous board.There are two vacancies from the previous board of directors: Nazmul Karim Tinku passed away earlier this year while Ahmed Iqbal Hasan is not participating in the elections this year.

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for free agent and former player Adama Traore this summer, as Unai Emery looks to identify further additions to his squad.

The Spaniard became a free agent at the expiration of his contract at Wolves, with reports linking the 27-year-old with a return to Villa Park.

What’s the latest on Adama Traore to Aston Villa?

As reported by Football Insider last month, the Villans have set their sights on Traore, in what could be a ‘surprise move’.

While little progress in that front has been covered, journalist Rudy Galetti gave an update to GIVEMESPORT regarding the Midlands side’s potential approach to the player.

“They have real interest in the former Wolves winger Traore, who is now a free-agent and is still looking for a new club. Villa are exploring the opportunity to sign him.”

Should Aston Villa sign Adama Traore?

While the winger is well known for his strength and powerful exploits on the flank, his actual success rate in such threat is rather inconclusive.

Speaking on talkSPORT, pundit Jason Cundy asked if the Spaniard could be considered as the “most frustrating player a manager could have”, adding that his final moves in attack are “really poor”.

The concern over the former Wolves gem’s final product is supported by his lack of goal contributions throughout his stay in the Premier League, amounting to only 10 goals in 194 appearances so far.

While Villa could snatch the winger in a free deal, the 27-year-old would take up a space in the squad that could be occupied by a figure more hungry and efficient in attack than the former dud.

The Villans are blessed with an academy bustling with talent, which could become of use to Emery in instances like this where a youngster could break into the first team as opposed to burning wage money for a player with a below par track record.

One starlet that could benefit from the club avoiding a move for Traore is Omari Kellyman, who has already captured the eye of Emery in joining first-team training.

An equally versatile player in attack as the Spaniard, the 17-year-old gem was signed last year from Derby County’s academy, and has since impressed at Bodymoor Heath.

Once hailed as a “star in the making” by journalist Ashley Preece, the dynamic youngster netted three goals and registered two assists in 10 Premier League 2 appearances in claret and blue last campaign.

The teenager is highly regarded by Emery, as communicated by his inclusion in the first team’s pre-season festivities in the United States, having also featured in the squad for recent friendlies against Lazio and Valencia.

There’s an argument over the gamble in trusting rising talents to succeed in the top-flight, however, such risk is applicable to the recruitment of individuals with a history of absent form.

In swerving a move for Traore, the Spaniard could explore the talents in the academy, in a decision that could pay off more positively for the club than exerting finances and trust in a player that has already failed to impress consistently in the Premier League.

Debate heats up after both West Indies and Zimbabwe were denied crucial wickets because of lack of reviews in Bulawayo Test

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo02-Nov-2017The Decision Review System came in for some criticism from both camps after the second Test in Bulawayo. This wasn’t the first time that the DRS has been used in Zimbabwe – it was first used during the second Test against Sri Lanka last year – but neither team seemed to get the best out of the system.Zimbabwe may have removed eventual centurion Jason Holder for 11, if they still had a review available, while West Indies’ push for victory on the final day was stalled when Graeme Cremer was given not out after gloving a sharp bouncer to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off the first ball he faced. Without any reviews to fall back on, West Indies could not reverse the decision.That wasn’t it, however. Late in the afternoon they had two lbw decisions turned down despite the ball tracker returning three reds. “I probably can’t comment on that because I’ll get into big trouble,” said Stuart Law, the West Indies coach when asked about the DRS. “It costs a lot of money to set up the cameras and have the technology available to us. To only be able to use it for two incorrect appeals, I think, is ludicrous considering that you had $400,000 worth of machinery around and you can’t use it. To me that doesn’t quite make sense. But we’ve got to be smarter and understand that we do only have two reviews.”From my understanding, the technology has been incorporated to stop the absolute howler. Umpires are human and they make mistakes, we all do. But it’s there to stop the howler and if there are decisions where you feel you’ve been hard done by and you’re not able to use it, I think it’s something that must be looked at.”Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe coach, also resonated Law’s thoughts. “You pay a lot of money to have those systems in place,” he said. “I think that people watching on the telly could see that incorrect decisions were made. So I think it’s something that will have to be discussed going forward as to how we can best utilise what is effectively a very expensive system to have more correct decisions out there, so that the result is a reflection of the game and what’s really happened, rather than one or two guys getting away with a decision because the other team has lost reviews.”Graeme Cremer, the Zimbabwe captain, admitted that both teams used the system poorly. Zimbabwe had used their last review on the third day attempting to reverse a decision against Kieran Powell. Sikandar Raza subsequently couldn’t review an lbw appeal off Holder, which cost them plenty.”The Test match could have been a lot different if Holder had got out [with that review],” Cremer said. “We could have knocked off the tail a lot quicker, and got a long way ahead in the game. Then we definitely would have bowled again and it would have been an exciting finish to the Test match. It’s one of those things. It can happen.”Like Law, Streak also questioned the limitation of two incorrect reviews per team per innings. “If you’re going to spend that much money I think four or five reviews should be necessary to get the correct decisions. I don’t see any reason why they should limit it to only two.”Law also questioned the consistency of the results being provided by the technology in use, such as Snicko, which is used to graphically analyse sounds made by, for example, an edged shot.”I’ve found it a little inconsistent these two Tests,” Law said. “On the Snicko there have been a lot of waves or spikes, some days there were plenty, some days there were none when someone is smashing the inside edge onto their pad. It doesn’t provide an exact result, but it gives you an idea I suppose. We’ve just got to use it better.”

Tottenham Hotspur have recently made an enquiry about the availability of Evan Ferguson, and a new report has detailed whether Brighton & Hove Albion would be willing to sell the striker.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

After Harry Kane's £100m move to Bayern Munich, Ange Postecoglou will now have to work on signing a replacement during the latter stages of the summer transfer window, and contact has already been made with Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.

Although he would prefer to move abroad, a deal for Lukaku is a real possibility, with the Blues said to be holding out for a fee of €45m (£39m), amid interest from Italian giants Juventus.

In a recent report from TEAMtalk, it is detailed that Elye Wahi, Gift Orban and Jonathan David have all been linked in recent days, with Totttenham clearly keen on bringing in a young forward, and they have now made their first move for Ferguson.

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

TEAMtalk sources claim that Spurs have made an enquiry to see whether Brighton would be willing to sell the Irish striker this summer, with intermediaries making contact over his potential availability.

However, it will seemingly be a very difficult deal to orchestrate, as the Seagulls have no interest in selling the 18-year-old, who penned a long-term contract to commit his future to the club back in April.

The Lilywhites are doing their "due dilligence" on options, with just two weeks remaining to bring in a replacement for Kane, and their enquiry follows up a post from Gary Lineker on X, with the Match of the Day host urging his former club to make a move for Ferguson:

"Evan Ferguson scores in Fergie time. He’s a born goalscorer. If I was in charge of recruitment at @SpursOfficial I’d take a punt on him as Kane’s replacement. Apologies to @OfficialBHAFC fans."

How good is Evan Ferguson?

As highlighted by Lineker, the starlet is already off the mark in the Premier League this season, scoring Brighton's final goal in their comfortable 4-1 victory against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon.

The Republic of Ireland international burst onto the scene with the Seagulls last season, scoring ten goals in all competitions, despite being just 18-years-old, indicating he could go on to be a top Premier League player.

Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy has labelled the youngster a "potential £100m phenom", while Roberto De Zerbi clearly believes he has what it takes to go right to the very top, saying:

"He's already a great player, I think he will become one of the best players, the best strikers in the Premier League."

However, the Brighton forward is currently tied down to a £20k-per-week contract, which is not due to expire until June 2028, meaning his current club are under no pressure to sell him, and it appears as though Tottenham will miss out.

Ferguson could be a perfect replacement for Kane, having likened himself to the England captain because of the way he is able to drop into midfield, but Tottenham may have to turn their attentions to other options this summer.

Naik Cricketers cruise in middling chase

05-Nov-2017Batting first, the Scorpions had a flying start, scoring 17 runs in 2 overs. The openers gave a start but couldn’t capitalize on the situation, by the end of 4th over, they were down to 36 runs for 3 wickets. Wickets kept falling in regular intervals due to aerial shots and run outs due to miscommunication between batsmen.Naik Cricketers controlled the runs from the 6th over, making the batsmen play defensive shots and hold their wickets. They ended their innings at 50 for the loss of 8 wickets.Chasing a gettable target of 51, Naik batsmen ensured to finish the match as early as possible, the opening batsmen played aggressive to reach 30 runs in 3 overs for the loss of 1 wicket.Dhanuka & Mandar ensured the runs kept ticking on the board. Usman who was the only bowler to take two wickets from Scorpions managed to take the partners out in the 5th over but by then the game was already over, a four hit by Imran ended the match and Naik winning comfortably.

Summer signing Jurrien Timber sustained a serious injury on his home Arsenal debut and is set to spend a significant spell out on the sidelines and now the Gunners must work out how to replace him – we've got some ideas.

Is Jurrien Timber injured?

Indeed, the Dutch right-back, who arrived from Ajax, was signed in a deal reported to be in the region of £38m but lasted just 50 minutes into his first Premier League appearance – a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest – before coming off with a knee issue.

Sadly, the North London club have since confirmed the severity of the injury, releasing a statement saying: "Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien Timber has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"Jurrien will undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out of action for a period of time."

With that in mind, Football Fancast has decided to figure out who will be best suited to take his spot in the team.

Of course, though, it won't just be as simple as trying to find depth at left-back, as Timber was able to cover centre-back and right-back as well; meaning William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White will hope to stay fit or else Rob Holding could soon be straight back into the starting team.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko is obviously the first name that comes to mind as he played left-back for the Gunners 27 times in the league last season.

Still, he had some fitness struggles too and has carried that into the new season, having not been fit enough to be involved against Forest or Manchester City in the Community Shield before that.

The good news, however, is that Zinchenko has been spotted in training this week on Arsenal.com, so he could be nearing a return to full fitness shortly.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

With Zinchenko recently out, Tomiyasu was the player asked to come on off the bench for Timber against Nottingham Forest last Saturday and may well start there this Monday away at Crystal Palace.

Still, the Japan international has also had some fitness issues in recent times. Having missed 107 days of action last term, he too can't be fully trusted to remain healthy for a full campaign.

What's more, Tomiyasu isn't a natural left-back either, having only played there nine times in his career (via Transfermarkt), as he tends to play right-back or centre-back more frequently.

Of course, the same can be said about Timber – who wasn't signed to be a left-back, having spent very little time (eight games before joining) in that position before – so the Japanese defender may need to cover multiple areas of the pitch, leaving a gap on the left side of the defence.

Jakub Kiwior

The Polish defender arrived last January and while his first three starts in the Premier League saw him play at centre-back, Arteta moved him to left-back for the final two games of the season.

Such versatility may come in handy now, especially as Kiwior is left-footed and so may be a more natural fit than the right-footed Tomiyasu.

It's interesting to note that Kiwior was trusted to finish the season at left-back last term, despite Kieran Tierney being available – who we'll come onto now.

Kieran Tierney

The Scottish left-back would be a first name on the team sheet for many teams across Europe but he just doesn't seem to fit into Mikel Arteta's plans.

After all, having started 22 league games in the 2021/22 season, Tierney started just six last term as he well and truly lost his spot in the team to Zinchenko.

As a result, it seems quite likely that he will be sold this summer. And what's more, as per a report in the Daily Mail, the expectation, despite Timber's injury, is for Tierney to be sold – provided the Gunners receive a suitable fee.

However, if Arsenal don't receive an acceptable offer, perhaps it will make more sense to hang on to the Scot for the time being.

Transfer targets

In that same report, Manchester City's Joao Cancelo is named as a known target – although reports in Spain have strongly linked Barcelona with the fullback as well.

In less glamorous news, according to the Daily Express, Arsenal could turn to Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters or Leicester City's Timothy Castagne before the summer transfer window shuts.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

While Tom Canton of football.london has mooted Mohamed Simakan and Benjamin Henrichs, who both play in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig and have been linked with the English club in the past.

There is certainly plenty to consider for Arteta and with the transfer window closing in just a matter of weeks, he may have to make a big decision soon.

The team begins it’s World Cup campaign on January 13, with a game against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2017Pakistan have selected a 15-member squad for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand which begins in January 2018. The squad, which also includes five reserve players, will be captained by Hasan Khan. A left-arm spin bowler, Hasan was one of Pakistan’s brightest young prospects in last year’s Pakistan Super League, playing for Quetta Gladiators.Before the World Cup, the team will play a three-match ODI series against Australia, with the games to be played on December 27, 29, and 31. After that, they will also play two ODIs against New Zealand in January – on the 3rd and 5th. The squad was selected by the PCB’s junior selection committee, headed by Basit Ali, and will depart for Australia on December 21. Their World Cup campaign begins on January 13 with a game against Afghanistan.Squad: Mohsin Khan, Imran Shah, Zaid Alam, Rohail Nazir (wk), Muhammad Taha, Emmad Alam, Ali Zaryab, Saad Khan, Hassan Khan (capt), Musa Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Munir Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali, Suleiman Shafqat
Reserve players: Muhammad Junaid, Haider Ali, Muhammad Ilyas, Azam Khan, Mukhtar Ahmed

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to bolster their defensive options before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Villans are exploring a deal to sign left-back Nuno Tavares from fellow Premier League side Arsenal, as Unai Emery eyes a move for the defender.

The reporter has claimed that Nottingham Forest's swoop for his services has now collapsed, which has opened the door for another team to snap him up.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Romano also added that personal terms are yet to be agreed between Villa and the Portuguese full-back as it is up to the clubs to agree on a fee first.

It was recently reported that the Gunners would demand a fee within the region of a staggering £22m to sell him on a permanent basis this summer, amid interest from West Ham and Galatasaray.

How good is Nuno Tavares?

The 23-year-old dud's performances in recent years suggest that he would not be a very good option for Emery this season and that means that the club could land Lucas Digne 2.0 by signing him.

Villa signed the France international from Everton for £25m in January of last year and he struggled badly throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The 30-year-old flop averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 28 Premier League appearances, which placed him 16th within the squad. This shows that he was far from being one of the club's top performers despite his big-money switch from Goodison Park.

He failed to provide a threat in possession from left-back as the season ended with one goal and zero assists for the former FC Barcelona defender, whilst his 0.6 key passes per outing was the seventh-best in the team.

Emery could now sign Digne 2.0 in a move for Tavares as his poor form for Marseille is a huge cause for concern, particularly if it would cost £22m to secure his signature this summer.

The Portugal U21 international spent last season on loan in France and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 31 Ligue 1 appearances, which shows that he was as disappointing as the French dud was for the Villans.

Tavares was beaten far too easily by attackers as he was dribbled past 0.9 times per game and Alex Moreno (1.2) was the only Villa defender who was dribbled past more per match in the Premier League last term.

The ex-Benfica prospect also lost 58% of his duels and failed with 58% of his attempted dribbles, which shows that the opposition found it too easy to outmuscle him in physical contests and were able to stop him moving forward the majority of the time.

This also came after he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.63 over 22 Premier League clashes for Arsenal during the 2021/22 campaign.

Tavares, who was described as "catastrophic" by Casa Sports director of development Cherif Sadio during his time at Marseille, also failed to register a single assist in Ligue 1, although he did rack up six goals from left-back.

Therefore, Emery must now avoid a deal to sign the Arsenal dud as his performances over the last two years suggest that it would be another expensive flop at left-back for the club.

Shakib Al Hasan continues to be sidelined after sustaining an injury during the recently-concluded tri-series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2018Bangladesh have included middle-order batsman Sabbir Rahman in their squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka, while off-loading Sunzamul Islam and Rubel Hossain. Bangladesh will remain without the services of Shakib Al Hasan for the Test, which begins from February 8. The allrounder hasn’t recovered from a finger injury sustained in the final of the recently-concluded tri-series.Rubel didn’t play in the Chittagong Test but Sunzamul did and finished with unflattering figures of 1-153 from 45 overs. Sabbir returns to the squad, having played last played a Test on Bangaldesh’s 2017 tour of South Africa without much success.Mahmudullah will remain captain in Shakib’s absence as Bangladesh look to plug the top allrounder’s gap with extra batsmen and spinners.Squad for the second Test: Mahmudullah (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das (wk), Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Kamrul Islam, Mehidy Hassan, Nayeem Hasan, Tanbir Hayder, Abdur Razzak, Sabbir Rahman.