Crystal Palace are now expected to make a bid for Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey this summer, according to recent reports from Turkey.

Who is Sacha Boey?

Boey has caught eye with his fantastic performances for Galatasaray this season, averaging a 7.26 match WhoScored match rating in the Turkish Super Lig, which ranks the right-back as the second-best performer in his squad.

The Frenchman is coming to the end of just his second season in Turkey, and he is still contracted until June 2025, however he could be on the move this summer, with a number of teams looking to sign him in the upcoming transfer window.

According to a report from Fotomac, a whole host of clubs from across Europe are expected to make bids for the 22-year-old this summer, including Palace, Arsenal and Wolfsburg, meaning competition for his signature is going to be fierce.

Galatasaray are set to demand at least €15m (£13m) to sanction the departure of the defender, who is now set to leave the Turkish club, and they have already set their sights on potential replacements, including former Arsenal man Hector Bellerin.

Will Crystal Palace sign Boey?

It is clear that Palace will need to sign a new right-back in the summer, given that both Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward are set to be out of contract at the end of the season, with no new deal seemingly on the horizon for either player.

Given that both players are approaching the latter stages of their career, a younger option may be required even if one of them ends up staying at Selhurst Park, and Boey could prove to be an excellent signing.

Hailed as a "true warrior" by members of the media, the former Rennes man has done a stellar job defensively for Galatasaray this season, averaging 2.7 tackles per game in the Super Lig, the second-highest amount of any player in the squad.

That figure is a huge increase on the amount of tackles any Palace player has amassed in the Premier League, with Ward averaging 1.8, and Clyne just 1.2, while Boey also scores higher than both of them for interceptions.

It is no guarantee the Galatasaray ace would be a success at Selhurst Park, given that he is unproven outside of the Super Lig, but he has shown very promising signs this season, and the Eagles should at least test the waters with a bid.

Everton re-signing former player James Rodriguez in the summer transfer window would be "ridiculous", according to journalist Paul Brown.

How did Rodriguez fare at Everton?

The 31-year-old made the surprise move to Goodison Park back in 2020, coming in as arguably one of the most high-profile signings in the Blues' history. After a bright start to life on Merseyside, his influence gradually diminished, however, with a combination of injuries and inconsistent form proving to be a problem for him.

In the end, Rodriguez only made 26 appearances for Everton, scoring six goals and registering nine assists, prior to joining Qatari side Al-Rayyan in 2021. The Colombian has been linked with a shock return to Goodison in recent days, with the Toffees touching based with intermediaries.

He is currently without a club, having seen his contract at Olympiakos terminated earlier this year, so he would be available on a free transfer.

Could Rodriguez make Blues return?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown admitted that Rodriguez returning to Everton would not be a good idea, mainly because of his physical limitations:

"Now the player is even older, hasn't exactly been ripping it up in the leagues he's played in since, and doesn't suggest that his body has performed any kind of remarkable transformation, I think it would be a ridiculous idea for Everton to try and bring him back."

Brown is spot on in his assessment here, with Rodriguez someone who Everton shouldn't even consider going near once this season reaches its conclusion. There is no denying his talent as a footballer – he was once hailed as "world-class" by Alvaro Arbeloa – but his best days are long behind, hence the situation he finds himself in.

The Blues would be far better off looking to sign younger players who are more likely to possess a strong work ethic and buy into Sean Dyche's style of play, rather than a potential luxury addition who is often out injured. Not only that, but the 90-cap Colombia international would also likely demand high wages, at a time when Everton aren't exactly in the strongest financial position they have ever been in.

It is a move that simply has too many negatives to it, and while some Blues supporters may still like the idea of Rodriguez returning to the club, given his natural ability, it is a transfer that would likely end in tears for all concerned.

رد محمد أبو العلا، رئيس الجهاز الطبي لمنتخب مصر، على الانتقادات التي تعرض لها، بعد إصابة محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة.

وتعرض محمد صلاح لإصابة خلال مباراة مصر وغانا، وخرج على إثرها من اللقاء، وأصدر اتحاد الكرة بيانًا أكد فيه إن اللاعب يُعاني من شد في العضلة الخلفية، وسيسافر إلى ليفربول من أجل تلقي العلاج هناك، الأمر الذي أغضب الجماهير والإعلام، بسبب ترك قائد المنتخب للمعسكر في ظروف صعبة ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وقال أبو العلا في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “محمد صلاح أجاب عن الإصابة في المؤتمر الصحفي، نحن نعمل على أعلى مستوى، وليس من الطبيعي أن تكون المعلومات متاحة للجميع خاصة عن إصابة نجم كبير مثله”.

وأضاف: “الإصابة عبارة عن شد من الدرجة الثانية في العضلة الخلفية، وكالعادة قمنا بدورنا على أعلى مستوى وهذا عملي ولا أنتظر طبيب في نادٍ أخر يقول لي ماذا أفعل”.

وتابع: “لدينا إمكانيات جيدة جدًا، لكن نحن سنسافر بعد يومين إلى بلد آخر، والإمكانيات هناك ليست كبيرة، والمكان ليس جاهزًا”.

طالع أيضًا | فيتوريا يحسم الجدل بشأن صاحب قرار عودة محمد صلاح إلى ليفربول.. وموقف اللاعب

وبسؤاله عن إصابة محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى منتخب مصر، قال: “إن شاء الله سيجري آشعة وسنعلن في الوقت المناسب، الإصابة في الكتف وسيخضع لفحوصات وسنعلن نتيجتها”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لزميله أحمد الشناوي فهو سليم بنسبة 100% منذ فترة طويلة، ولا توجد إصابات أخرى في المنتخب”.

وأردف: “أنا (ساكت) منذ فترة، لكن أسمع اشياء غريبة، دعونا ننتظر ونرى، نحن أوقات نتابع ونقرأ، وأرى أمورا لا تعجبني، إلى متى سنظل نُشكك في بعض؟!، أنا في مكاني منذ 9 سنوات بالتأكيد أنا لست متواجدًا هنا لأنني أقوم بعمل السحر للناس”.

وبسؤاله هل إعلان كلوب عودة صلاح وضعكم في موقف حرج؟، أجاب: “بالتأكيد، لأن هذا لم يكن متفقًا عليه، وبالتأكيد هذا الأمر أحزن صلاح، صلاح يحاول أن يكون جاهزًا في أسرع وقت لكي يتواجد مع المنتخب”.

Otago Volts have appointed Rob Walter, the former South African conditioning coach, as their head coach for the next two seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2016Rob Walter has quit his job as coach of the Titans in South Africa to move to New Zealand and coach the Otago Volts instead. Walter, who was also a conditioning coach with the South African national team previously, will begin his two-year term with the New Zealand domestic side in September. He will take over from Nathan King, who had also been a member of South Africa’s support staff between 2009 and 2012.Walter is the third person South African cricket has lost to New Zealand since June. Pete de Wet, chief executive officer of the Dolphins, is going to head Central Districts, and the South African national team logistics manager Riaan Muller took the same job with the New Zealand team.”It was a very tough decision because I have had immense joy,” Walter told ESPNcricinfo. “I felt for my growth as a coach it would be good for me to experience coaching in a different environment. Like any coach, I aspire to coaching a national team and through conversations with various people I could see that in the short-term coaching the Proteas was not going to happen for me. By coaching in New Zealand maybe I can put myself in a better position to do that in the long-term. I can’t say I am leaving for lack of opportunity because I got the Titans job early in my career.”Jacques Faul, the Titans’ chief executive officer, paid glowing tribute to Walter’s work with the South African franchise. “Rob pioneered a new spirit in the Titans cricketing family,” he said. “He has transformed the franchise in many ways. It was evident in the way the franchise batting improved the past two seasons, as our top- and middle-order produced 22 centuries in two seasons. We also improved our consistency in the bowling department.”It is indeed a dark day for Titans cricket to lose a coach of Rob’s stature. We want to pay tribute to his enormous contribution. We wish him and his family well when they embark on a new chapter of his cricketing odyssey in Otago, New Zealand.”Mike Coggan, Otago Cricket’s chief executive, welcomed Walter’s appointment. “We’re thrilled to secure the services of Rob for at least the next two years,” Coggan said. “Rob is highly respected and will certainly add a competitive edge and an entirely new learning environment for the Otago Volts group and our wider staff. His experience and desire is first class.”

Arsenal transfer target Moises Caicedo has sent an apologetic message on social media after injuring Gabriel Martinelli.

What did Caicedo say in his apology?

Mikel Arteta and co were dealt what is likely to be the final blow in the Premier League dream as they lost 3-0 at home to Brighton.

Indeed, having just seen title rivals Manchester City win away at Everton, the Gunners then looked out of sorts as goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav, and Pervis Estupinan blew them away at the Emirates.

Their chances of getting anything against the Seagulls suffered a big setback early on in the game when Caicedo flew into a bad challenge with Martinelli.

Not long after, the Brazilian limped off with an injury having lasted just 20 minutes. Now there is a line of thinking that suggests he was fouled as retribution having made a poor challenge earlier on in the game.

Indeed, Martinelli was somewhat fortunate to avoid red after he charged into Kaoru Mitoma’s head with his shoulder, smashing the winger in mid-air.

Amid talk on Twitter that he’d made the resulting foul as a way of getting revenge on the Arsenal man, Caicedo has since then claimed that this wasn’t at all the case.

Indeed, on his social media account, the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder said: “If I could turn back time I wouldn’t have made that bad tackle.”

What did Caicedo do to Martinelli?

This whole exchange is made all the more interesting by the fact that Arsenal have been heavily linked with the 21-year-old of late.

Indeed, the Gunners reportedly saw multiple bids in the region of £70m rejected for Caicedo in the winter and are understood to still be keen on landing the £60k-p/w midfielder now.

As reported by football.london, the Brighton star did hug Marinelli and appeared to apologise to the winger as he left the pitch on Sunday afternoon. And this latest social media post certainly suggests he’s keen to keep his relationship with the north London club on good terms.

And it seems as though he might need to calm things down somewhat as Arsenal team doctor Gary O’Driscoll was heard talking after the game making some pretty brutal comments about the tackle.

Indeed, he said: “Terrible foul, disgraceful, disgraceful foul.”

Tom Kohler-Cadmore continued a remarkable run of scores at New Road as Worcestershire escaped from a dire position on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two fixture at New Road

ECB Reporters Network29-May-2016
ScorecardTom Kohler-Cadmore lifted Worcestershire out of a dire position•Getty Images

Tom Kohler-Cadmore continued a remarkable run of scores at New Road as Worcestershire escaped from a dire position on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two fixture at New Road.In leading a beleaguered side from 34 for 5 to 341 for 8, the 21-year-old batsman made 153 not out, his fourth century in his last five innings on his home ground for an aggregate of 580 with only two dismissals.The sequence began last September with 130 not out against Middlesex and this season he has followed up with 119 not out against Essex and 127 from 54 balls in a NatWest T20 Blast match against Durham. In his only other knock, he scored 51 against Sussex.Until Kohler-Cadmore went to work, in particular peppering the midwicket boundary for many of his 23 fours from 262 balls, Gloucestershire were celebrating their decision to bowl first on a dry, greenish pitch.David Payne was the spearhead, exploiting swing and seam movement with 3 for 11 in seven overs. There were also wickets for Liam Norwell, on his return after a month’s lay-off, and Josh Shaw before Ben Cox, with 75 from 108 balls, turned things round in a partnership of 155 with Kohler-Cadmore.This equalled the county’s sixth-wicket record against Gloucestershire which Cox himself had set when batting with Joe Clarke at Bristol in April.Apart from a difficult caught-and-bowled chance to Norwell on 52, wicketkeeper Cox looked at ease in making the highest of his seven fifties since he scored 109 against Somerset in May last year.When he was dislodged by Craig Miles, giving Chris Dent his third catch in the innings at second slip, Worcestershire briefly faltered as Joe Leach also fell to Miles, slicing to point with the total on 205 for 7.However, Kohler-Cadmore powered on to a new career-best mark with an edged boundary off Jack Taylor, and in Ed Barnard he found another strong partner in putting on 92 in 27 overs. The former England Under-19 allrounder played well for 50 from 80 balls, a maiden first-class half-century, before he was lbw to Norwell.Jack Shantry, unbeaten with 26, then added to Gloucestershire’s frustration on a day that had begun so well. Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell was lbw to Payne from the third ball of the match and Clarke edged Norwell to Dent in the second over.Alexei Kervezee was also snapped up by Dent – a second success for Payne – and in his next over the left-arm seamer had Brett D’Oliveira leg-before. When Shaw bowled Ross Whiteley with his fourth ball, half the side had gone inside 12 overs in the first hour.

Liverpool are winning the race to sign Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga ahead of Real Madrid, but the player has yet to decide on his future.

As Jurgen Klopp continues his search for new midfield talent, the 20-year-old has been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield after a very impressive season in La Liga.

Will Liverpool sign Gabri Veiga?

According to AS reporter Manu Sainz, Veiga is "closer to Liverpool" than to Real Madrid. This is in spite of the fact that he confirms it's true that Los Blancos "were bidding for Veiga."

The reporter says a move to the Premier League is likelier in his opinion, although he added that the ball is now in the player's court and it's up to him to make a decision.

Sainz added that Celta will be powerless if a club pay the release clause (via Sport Witness): “Newcastle is a club that were the first to travel to Vigo to monitor him and you know they are willing to pay the €40m of his release clause. Liverpool are as well (ready to pay).

"Now the ball is in Veiga’s court. He is going to decide which option he wants because once the club is willing to pay the €40m clause, there is practically no negotiation possible. He can pick what he likes the most.”

Would Veiga make a good addition to Liverpool?

Liverpool are in desperate need of technical ability in the middle of the park. This season has been characterised by the Reds' midfielders giving the ball away in dangerous areas due to a lack of confidence or technical ability.

While Veiga would be a good fit, the 20-year-old isn't exactly what is needed at Anfield. As a pure attacking midfielder, we feel his chances of thriving in this Liverpool system are pretty slim. It's a pity, because Veiga has scored nine goals and assisted four in all competitions for Celta Vigo this season.

Klopp has historically operated without an attacking midfielder due to his reliance on his fullbacks and false nine to create space and chances for the rest of the side – just look at how Fabio Carvalho has struggled to make an impact this term. Veiga, who has predominantly operated in a central attacking midfield role, would be at odds to not only break into the starting XI but also to sway Klopp into abandoning his most trusted tactics.

The German manager has recently switched up his tactical system to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield whenever his side has possession with great success. Whether that means the Scouser will play in midfield next season is unclear but even with his move further upfield, it remains to be seen whether he will be combining with an attack-minded midfielder after the summer.

Mauricio Pochettino looks increasingly likely to be the man to take over as Chelsea's new manager this summer, with the Blues in need of a significant rebuild after a woeful 2022/23 campaign.

Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and now Frank Lampard have all fallen short at Stamford Bridge, and the Argentine will have to somehow get the best out of a bloated squad in west London if he wants to be a success.

How did Walker play under Pochettino?

The 51-year-old's best spell in management arguably came at Tottenham Hotspur, where he helped to develop one of the best full-backs in world football in Kyle Walker.

The England international would make 95 appearances under the Argentine at Spurs, contributing one goal and eight assists, which saw him earn a £45m move to Manchester City in the summer of 2017.

There, he has gone on to make 244 appearances for the Citizens under Pep Guardiola, winning four Premier League titles thus far, with more trophies likely to come the 32-year-old's way given they are still on to win the treble this season.

While Reece James might be seen as a natural heir to Walker in both Pochettino's and England's thinking, the promising right-back has spent far too long on the sidelines through injury in recent seasons and has become something of a liability when it comes to staying fit.

However, Pochettino will have another right-back to choose from at Stamford Bridge next season, and he could potentially unearth his next Walker in January signing, Malo Gusto.

How good is Malo Gusto?

Chelsea confirmed the signing of Gusto from Lyon in January in a deal worth £35.1m before sending him back to the French side on loan for the rest of the campaign.

So far this season, the "very dangerous" teenage defender – as dubbed by journalist Bobby Vincent – has made 18 appearances in Ligue 1, contributing one assist and averaging a strong 6.94 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Walker cultivated a reputation as an extremely dangerous defender in both an attacking and defensive sense at Spurs because of his pace, as well as one who is comfortable in possession at City, and Gusto could certainly emulate that at Chelsea.

FBref rates him in the top 10% of defenders across Europe for passes completed, progressive carries and progressive passes received per 90 minutes, which highlights his attacking abilities, while WhoScored suggests that he excels at tackling, interceptions and holding onto the ball.

If the Frenchman can live up to his potential at Stamford Bridge, there seems no reason why he couldn't oust James from the starting side and potentially become Pochettino's next Walker in the process.

Chhattisgarh have named Sulakshan Kulkarni, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, as their coach for the next three seasons. Kulkarni will begin work with a camp in Raipur, attended by 30 probables.”I’m happy to be back in the Ranji Trophy again as a coach. I will enjoy helping develop a team like Chhattisgarh, which would play in the Ranji Trophy for the first time,” Kulkarni told the .”We had received applications from many coaches, some of whom are former players,” Rajesh Dave, the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh secretary, said. “Kulkarni has a good track record with Vidarbha and Mumbai, and our committee felt he would be the ideal man to coach our boys, who’re talented but need his guidance and polishing since they lack experience at the Ranji level. We want to do well in our maiden Ranji appearance.”The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, which was an associate member of the BCCI, was elevated to full-member status after a special general meeting in February this year, paving the way for their Ranji Trophy debut in the forthcoming season.Kulkarni previously coached Vidarbha between 2009 and 2011, before serving in the same capacity with the Mumbai team from 2011 to 2014. He was in charge when Mumbai lifted their 40th Ranji Trophy title in 2012-13.

Newcastle United have the chance to extend the gap to fifth place to six points with a win in the early kick-off against Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Magpies are currently three points ahead of Liverpool in the table and have a game in hand over the Reds, whilst also boasting a better goal difference.

Eddie Howe's side are in the hunt for Champions League qualification and three points against Sam Allardyce's Leeds would go a long way to helping them secure it.

They head into the game off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at St. James' Park last weekend and the head coach could make changes to his XI for this match at Elland Road.

Will Allan Saint-Maximin start against Leeds?

Howe must finally unleash Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin from the start against the Whites to offer a direct threat out on the left flank.

The manager opted to deploy two of his traditional number nines against the Gunners by playing Alexander Isak on the left and Callum Wilson through the middle but they did not combine to cause the opposition many problems throughout the game.

Wilson, in particular, put in a disappointing display and the head coach could now ditch the England international from the starting line up. As per Sofascore, the striker completed 38% of his attempted passes, failed in his only dribble attempt, did not register a single shot on goal, and lost five of his six individual duels.

Isak, who has scored ten goals in 13 Premier League starts, could move back into a central position to accommodate bringing Saint-Maximin into the XI.

The exciting Frenchman, who was once hailed as "breathtaking" in a previous clash with Leeds by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, started games against Manchester United and West Ham at the beginning of April and registered assists in both outings.

He has racked up one goal and five assists, whilst creating seven 'big chances' for his teammates, in just 11 Premier League starts for the Magpies and this shows that the gem has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third at this level.

The £70k-per-week "wizard" – as he was once dubbed by journalist Graeme Bailey – has also completed 61% of his attempted dribbles, on 2.1 efforts per game, and has the ability to drive the team up the pitch by taking on opposition defenders and opening up space for others to work in.

Therefore, Howe must unleash Saint-Maximin against Leeds at Elland Road this afternoon and should ditch Wilson from the XI in order to do so.