he ECB’s proposal for a new city-based T20 competition, which had originally be slated for a launch season in 2018, may now be postponed until 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2016The ECB’s proposal for a new city-based T20 competition, which had originally been slated for a launch season in 2018, may now be postponed until 2020 to coincide with a new broadcasting deal.The go-ahead to further explore the eight-team proposal was given by a 16-3 vote at the ECB board meeting at Lord’s in September, following discussions between the 18 first-class counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and MCC.The ECB hierarchy, led by chairman Colin Graves and chief executive Tom Harrison, have been keen to push through a new T20 league to rival the success generated by the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash, despite fears from many counties that it would undermine their raison d’etre.Championship by night

A round of Championship matches will be played under floodlights in 2017 – possibly in late June, the brightest time of the year.
The matches will be played using pink Dukes balls, so keeping faith with the make of ball used in the county game. Dukes have yet to be tested under lights with all previous experiments using a Kookaburra.

Surrey, Kent and Sussex were reportedly the three counties who opposed the proposal, although several have since expressed reservations about the lack of detail.The original plan had been for the competition to be shown on Sky Sports for at least the first two seasons, with few England players likely to be involved due to an overlap with international commitments. However, the delayed start may now encourage a terrestrial broadcaster to come forward, in line with the ECB’s desire to use the competition as a vehicle to attract new audiences to the game.In a separate development, the ECB board today ratified a recommendation from the Cricket Committee that the option of allowing the visiting team to bowl first in County Championship fixtures should be retained for the 2017 season.The proposal caused some controversy when it was brought in for the start of the 2016 season. However, the stated aim of encouraging home counties to produce better four-day pitches – and improving the conditions for spin bowlers – were broadly considered to have been a success.The Cricket Committee – which included Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon, Leicestershire’s chief executive Wasim Khan and David Leatherdale, the chief executive of the PCA – studied a range of data that showed, among other factors, that a total of 10,094 overs of spin had been bowled across the season, compared to 8,643 in 2015 – the highest since 2011.Peter Wright, the chairman of the Cricket Committee, told ECB.co.uk: “In many ways the statistics merely reinforced the feeling we had been picking up around the game throughout the summer, that the experiment was working in beginning to rebalance the game.”As we stressed when we introduced the new options for visiting captains, this was not all about spin. We wanted matches to last longer, and to become more thorough preparation for international cricket.”That meant better, four-day pitches, which would mean bowlers had to work harder to take wickets, and would encourage a greater variety of bowling, whether spin in its various forms, genuine pace or reverse swing from more abrasive pitches.

Chelsea are considering submitting a bid to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to reports.

Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?

Lavia only arrived on the south coast last summer from Premier League rivals Manchester City, but having impressed during 34 appearances in his debut season, where he established himself as Ruben Selles’ second best-performing defensive player, he’s bound to attract interest now that they have been relegated to the Championship.

The Belgium U21 international still has another four years remaining on his contract at St. Mary’s, though the Sky Blues reportedly have a £40m buy-back clause available to them which they could trigger should they want him to return or to sell him on for a higher fee.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Blues and Mauricio Pochettino do “really appreciate” the 19-year-old but made it clear that nothing was “advanced or imminent”, though it sounds like they are now thinking about testing the waters in an attempt to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Are Chelsea signing Lavia?

According to Football.London, Chelsea have Lavia firmly on their "radar" and are "considering making a move" as a cheaper alternative to Moises Caicedo. Todd Boehly and his recruitment team have conducted "extensive scouting sessions" on the midfielder and clearly must have been impressed with what they have seen in order to be weighing up an offer. Southampton are "likely" to demand a fee of £50m to ponder parting ways with their prized asset in the weeks and months ahead.

Should Boehly cash out on Lavia?

Chelsea are reportedly targeting other defensive midfield candidates in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Caicedo, but should they not be successful in their attempts to land Roberto De Zerbi’s star, Lavia would be an excellent alternative having been dubbed a “monster” at the base of midfield by journalist Benjy Nurick.

The Elite Project Group Ltd client ranks in the 96th percentile for blocks and won 35 out of his 60 tackles made throughout the course of the previous term, which was the second-highest success rate out of all of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef, highlighting how strong he is at protecting the backline.

The Adidas-sponsored gem, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his natural role in front of the defence, can also get involved at the opposite end of the pitch having scored one goal and provided the same number of assists in his opening campaign at Southampton, and he would only excel further under the guidance of Pochettino.

Newcastle United are in a fantastic position to cement their stature as one of Europe's elite after forging a remarkable campaign under Eddie Howe's stewardship, qualifying for the Champions League and reaching the Carabao Cup final.

It's a drastic improvement on the club's efforts in recent history, having failed to reach the top half of the Premier League across the past four seasons and last qualifying for Europe over a decade ago.

The PIF takeover in October 2021 has injected affluence unseen by all but a select few top footballing outfits, and the forthcoming summer transfer window will be imperative to bolster the ranks with first-rate additions, with Howe stating that 'elite' arrivals are imminent.

While the return of European competition will ostensibly provide greater opportunity for peripheral figures at St. James' Park, there are certain figures that will find their bit-part role in the squad only diminished with the expanding calibre of the Tyneside team, one of which being Jamal Lewis.

Should Newcastle sell Jamal Lewis?

Lewis is one ace who will likely be at the epicentre of the summer transition; with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Raphael Guerreiro targetted, it is clear that Newcastle are seeking fresh faces to fortify the defensive left flank.

Signing from Norwich City for £15m in 2020, Lewis has only made 36 appearances and clinched one assist, with 26 of those displays coming in his first term.

Described as "rusty" by Craig Hope during one of his scant opportunities to impress this season, during Newcastle's FA Cup defeat against League One Sheffield Wednesday, it is increasingly hard to believe that Howe will provide a player who has made just eight appearances under his wing.

As per Sofascore, the £38k-per-week defender recorded a dismal average rating of 6.46 in the top-flight last term, making just four starts, and 6.48 the previous campaign, where he enjoyed more frequency on the pitch and started 20 matches.

The 25-year-old was once a highly-rated prospect, emerging as an exciting, marauding full-back with the Canaries and forging 100 outings – scoring two goals and registering four assists – after rising through the club's youth academy.

He was integral in guiding his team to the Premier League and playing a central role in their 19/20 top-flight season, where he made an average of two clearances and 1.8 tackles per match and completed 79% of his passes, impressive despite suffering relegation back to the second tier.

And with Dan Burn, who is naturally a centre-back, entrusted with deployment in Lewis' position in an unorthodox role, the chances of the 30-cap Northern Ireland international flourishing at the club are indeed slight.

It simply hasn't worked out, and Lewis must be ditched this summer to end his misery on Tyneside and open up space for technical director Dan Ashworth to sign a first-rate new defender to enrich the Toon's burgeoning squad.

Newcastle United are battling Tottenham for the signing of Leicester City star James Maddison, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Has Maddison been linked with Newcastle move?

The Foxes were relegated from the Premier League last month and that will lead to a number of top players at the club moving on during the summer transfer window.

Maddison is arguably the star man at the King Power Stadium currently, having scored ten goals and registered nine assists in the league in 2022/23, and his exit is seemingly an absolute given. He has been linked with a number of clubs and Newcastle are one of them, with the Magpies viewing him as a primary summer target.

The £110,000-a-week star could like the idea of moving to St James' Park, especially as the Magpies sealed a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.

It won't be easy for Newcastle to get their man, given the level of interest in him, but a new claim suggests that they are still right in the mix to acquire his signature.

Are Newcastle going to sign Maddison?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that the Magpies and Spurs are "into the race" to snap up Maddison before the start of next season:

"Tottenham and Newcastle are into the race to sign James Maddison. He’s set to leave Leicester, negotiations will take place soon. Postecoglou asked for Maddison but Newcastle are working on this deal since last summer."

This is a really encouraging update surrounding Newcastle's potential move for Maddison, especially as Spurs are unable to promise him Champions League football in 2023/24.

That will surely play a role in the Leicester man's thinking, as he looks to test himself in Europe's best club competition, and also show England manager Gareth Southgate that he is worthy of playing a bigger role at international level moving forward.

Maddison's creative brilliance is summed up his aforementioned goal and assist return this season – he has 55 and 41 for Leicester overall respectively – and he was called "one of the best players" in the Premier League by former Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers earlier in the campaign.

At 26, the attacking midfielder should be heading into his peak years and he would add a different dimension to Newcastle's midfield, acting as a more attacking foil to the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff.

Chelsea have shown “no indication” that they will be “prioritising” Declan Rice over their other transfer targets such as Moises Caicedo, believes journalist Ben Jacobs.

The West Ham United midfielder has been heavily linked to Arsenal for much of the last six months, but the Blues have also reportedly shown interest at times.

Chelsea transfer news – Declan Rice

Following the Hammers’ Conference League final win on Wednesday night, chairman David Sullivan revealed that club captain Rice would leave over the summer.

Whilst the team primarily linked to the English international has been the Gunners, other sides have also shown interest, notably Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Tuchel reportedly has “high admiration” for the 24-year-old from his time in the Premier League, per Ben Jacobs.

However, with the player’s believed desire to remain in the country, specifically London, a move to either Mike Arteta’s side or West London seems far more likely.

For the west Londoners’ part, they have yet to show much significant interest in the 6 foot 1 midfielder, instead being heavily linked to Sporting CP’s Manuel Ugarte before he opted to sign for Paris Saint Germain, per Fabrizio Romano.

According to 90min, the club are looking at a potential double swoop for both Caicedo and Rice, but there is yet to be anything concrete linking the West Ham man to West London.

What has Ben Jacobs said about the potential transfer of Declan Rice to Chelsea?

Jacobs recognises that the Blues might be interested in the 24-year-old, but their behaviour in the market so far suggests that, unlike Arsenal, they won’t prioritise the player over their other targets.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the journalist said:

“There’s no indication at this point that Chelsea are going to prioritise Rice over, for example, Caicedo. We know that Chelsea want more than one midfielder, but the fact that they went for Ugarte and the fact that Caicedio is on the radar, perhaps suggests that Chelsea won’t come into the race, and go head-to-head with Arsenal at this point.

“But obviously, Arsenal will be wary of the Mudryk saga, and it is true that Thomas Tuchel also has high admiration for Rice as well.”

Should Chelsea sign Declan Rice?

There is a reason Rice is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League at the moment, and if the Blues have a genuine chance to pick him up, they should.

According to WhoScored, the “absolute monster”, as described by ESPN writer David Cartlidge, has an average rating of 7.01 across his 36 Premier League games this year.

The underlying numbers for the Hammers captain are just as impressive.

According to FBref, compared to players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues, he sits in the top 5% for interceptions, 15% for progressive carries, 17% for clearances, 19% for pass completion and top 20% for progressive passes all per 90.

That said, there is the small problem of his transfer fee.

Thanks to his excellent performances and the interest from clubs like Arsenal, the price for the player is expected to reach a minimum of £92m, per the Telegraph.

That kind of money might be better spent elsewhere for the two-time European champions, especially after outlaying £107m for Enzo Fernandez in January this year.

Arsenal have reportedly submitted a bid for Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Sacha Boey to Arsenal?

According to Turkish outlet Turkiye Gazetesi, Arsenal have submitted a bid in the region of €20m (£17m) for the defender, however, Galatasaray are demanding €25m (£21.5m) for one of their prized assets this summer.

According to the report, the Turkish side want to negotiate and get a deal done which matches their demands, with Arsenal ‘expected to accelerate’ in order to complete the move.

Brighton and Hove Albion are also keen on the 22-year-old, yet the lure of Champions League football next season at the Emirates will surely prove to be the main factor for Boey.

Could Sacha Boey be an upgrade on Takehiro Tomiyasu?

Ahead of Arsenal’s first foray in Europe’s premier club competition since 2016/17, Arteta will be keen to improve various areas of his squad, with the right-back area clearly one that needs to be bolstered.

Ben White was often shifted from his usual centre-back position to deputise on the right last season, whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu made 32 appearances, yet only 13 of those were starts – might Boey be an upgrade on the Japanese defender ahead of next term?

The Frenchman has underlined his importance to his team as they claimed their first league title since 2019 this season. He ranked 6th for overall rating across the whole squad (7.11), fourth for big chances created (seven), third for successful dribbles per game (1.1) and second for tackles per game (2.7), clearly playing a key role in Galatasaray’s title triumph.

Tomiyasu in comparison, ranked 18th in the Arsenal squad for overall rating (6.68), 15th for big chances created (one), 20th for successful dribbles per game (0.0) and sixth for tackles per game (1.3), clearly indicating that the 22-year-old would make for a much better option on the right side of Arteta’s defence next season.

Journalist Zach Lowy once described Boey as an “intriguing prospect” in 2021 before he made the move to Turkey, and it's fair to suggest that he has indeed developed into a well-rounded right-back, who can both defend and attack effectively, judging by his returns in the Galatasaray squad this term.

It’s evident that Arteta needs some major strength across his defence in order to sustain another Premier League title challenge in 2023/24 and luring Boey to the club for an aforementioned fee of £21.5m could prove to be a wise investment over the coming years.

Upul Tharanga will have to lead a side shorn of many of its heavyweights. Zimbabwe are exactly the sort of banana skin he won’t want to slip up on

Liam Brickhill in Harare13-Nov-2016Match factsNovember 14, 2016, Harare
Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)Zimbabwe would welcome the change of format after giving a poor account of themselves in the Test series•Associated PressBig PictureThe summer rains have arrived in Zimbabwe. Scattered showers have cooled the countryside after October’s oven, and there is a palpable sense of relief in a country where many depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Zimbabwe’s national cricket team doesn’t include quite as many farmers (chicken or otherwise) as it once did, but they will also be somewhat relieved to be out of the unfamiliar cauldron of Test cricket and in the more forgiving climes of the limited-overs game.The scorecards from their Test matches against Sri Lanka will show a pair of huge wins for the visitors, but Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer was happy to own the cliché and take some positives out of that series: his own Test hundred, the unearthing of a new talent in Carl Mumba, and a little more grit.Despite their successes in the Tests, Sri Lanka still have a few concerns. The middle order was a perennial worry in the home series against Australia, which Sri Lanka lost 1-4. Stand-in captain Upul Tharanga only played in one of those games against Australia, but he will now have to lead a side shorn of many of its heavyweights. Zimbabwe are exactly the sort of banana skin he won’t want to slip up on.Zimbabwe might look to Australia’s performance in those one-dayers for some tips: whenever pressure was built, Sri Lanka lost wickets in clusters. While Zimbabwe don’t have bowlers of Australia’s calibre, several times during the Tests they were able to string together disciplined spells, with Chris Mpofu opening the fourth morning of the second Test with six maidens on the trot.Test matches allow the time and space to ease that sort of pressure, but ODIs don’t and Cremer suggested before the tri-series that Zimbabwe’s bowlers would aim to nullify Sri Lanka’s scoring options wherever possible. Or at least, that’s the plan. Despite the inexperience of their squad, Sri Lanka will be fancied as favourites in the opener and this tri-series will allow them to feel out some combinations before their rather more testing assignment against South Africa in similar conditions in the new year.Form guideZimbabwe LLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLWLIn the spotlightPeter Moor’s batting talent and commitment to the national cricket side are beyond doubt, but multiple errors behind the stumps during the two Tests against Sri Lanka mean his glovework will be in the spotlight on Monday. Zimbabwe have not picked another frontline wicketkeeper in their squad, though Brian Chari might be available to fill in if need arises. So Moor will be under some pressure to put in a cleaner performance.Upul Tharanga is closing in on 200 ODIs for Sri Lanka, but he has never captained the country in any format. He made runs in both Tests against Zimbabwe, cracking an unbeaten 110 in the first match, and he will look to continue to lead from the front in the ODIs, both for the benefit of the team and to solidify his own position in the XI.Team newsSeamer Tinashe Panyangara’s return from injury will lend a little more experience to Zimbabwe’s bowling line-up, while at the other end of the spectrum, the hosts have included uncapped 22-year-old batsman Tarisai Musakanda in their squad. Musakanda was also with the team for the Tests, though he did not debut. Now, his chance may come at the expense of an underperforming Hamilton Masakadza. Given his workload in the Tests, Zimbabwe may rest seamer Chris Mpofu ahead of the games at his home ground in Bulawayo.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Hamilton Masakadza/Tarisai Musakanda, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 PJ Moor (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer (c), 9 Tendai Chisoro, 10 Carl Mumba, 11 Tinashe PanyangaraVeteran seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, who last played an ODI at the beginning of this year, has been recalled to Sri Lanka’s squad, having also played in the final game of Sri Lanka A’s limited overs series against West Indies A at the end of October, taking 2 for 65. Kulasekara will bring a wealth of experience to Sri Lanka’s attack. Sri Lanka have multiple wicketkeeping and spin options to sift through, with Jeffrey Vandersay returning from a finger injury and in good form after his six-for in the series win against West Indies A last month.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dhananjaya de Silva, 2 Niroshan Dickwella, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga (c), 5 Kusal Perera (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Shehan Jayasuriya, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Nuwan PradeepPitch and conditionsHarare Sports Club’s trend of producing somewhat lifeless pitches means that, while the ball may not be going round corners, batsmen will still have to toil for their runs, and it may not be easy to force the pace first up. There is plenty of rain about at the moment, particularly in the late afternoon, and scattered thunderstorms are expected around Harare on Monday.Stats and trivia This will be Kulasekara’s fourth tour of Zimbabwe. The seaming allrounder has previously visited in 2004, 2008 and 2010, when he was part of the Sri Lankan side that won a tri-series, also featuring India. Sri Lanka have played 47 ODIs against Zimbabwe, winning 39. Zimbabwe’s last win against Sri Lanka came six years ago at Harare Sports Club. Six of the members of that playing XI are part of their current squad.Quotes”We learned a lot about the conditions here and the wickets during the Tests , very different to Sri Lanka! I don’t think the toss is going to make a huge difference. The wicket isn’t going to change that much.”
doesn’t expect the toss to play an important role in the limited-overs matches.”Playing at home, we know these conditions. If we play well on the day, I don’t think we will be an underdog. We also play a lot more white ball cricket than we do red ball cricket.”

Glasgow Rangers face a crucial summer transfer window if they aim to become the dominant force in Scottish football yet again, with plenty of ins and outs looking likely.

In truth, the exodus has already begun, with Michael Beale not offering Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield, Allan McGregor, or Filip Helander extended contracts, freeing up a good chunk of the wage budget.

There could be more to go, with Scott Wright and Jon McLaughlin also set to be departing the Ibrox side this summer, while Glen Kamara has been recently linked with newly promoted Sheffield United, and it appears as though Beale is displaying a ruthless nature when it comes to moving out the deadwood in order to strengthen.

Another player who should be making an exit at the Light Blues is defender Ben Davies, who hasn’t quite settled since arriving from Liverpool last summer for a fee of £4m.

Does Ben Davies have a future at Rangers?

With Filip Helander leaving the club, Beale has Connor Goldson, John Souttar, Leon King and Davies as his centre-back options, however, with Souttar’s improved performances come the end of the season, averaging a stellar Sofascore rating of 7.45/10 from his final four games, it appears he and Goldson could form the main partnership at the heart of defence.

Davies made 38 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, yet missed chunks at the beginning and the end of the season due to injury issues, averaging a rating of 6.94/10 as per Sofascore.

The £27k-per-week defender ranked 16th in the squad for tackles made, seventh for interceptions per game and 14th for overall rating, suggesting his league performances weren’t exactly up to scratch.

Against Celtic in a decisive league encounter back in April, Davies endured probably his worst performance in a Gers shirt, failing to clear a simple ball in the box which eventually resulted in the Parkhead outfit scoring the second goal of the match, and he was criticised after the game by former Rangers' striker Kenny Miller.

He said: “It’s a wonderful finish. Again he’s alert, alive, ruthless when the chance drops.

“But it’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”

The club appears to be open to offers for the 27-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window and with the poor season he has had, it might be time for the Gers to cut their losses and move him on ahead of 2023/24.

Shadab Jakati rescued Goa with a career-best 8 for 53 to dismiss Andhra for 159 in Dhanbad and restrict Goa’s first-innings deficit to 44. The left-arm spinner’s performance on what both sides termed a “grassy surface” came after Goa were all out for 115 after Andhra spinner Bhargav Bhatt took 6 for 36 on a day when 20 wickets fell.Defending a slender first innings total, Jakati opened the bowling and dismissed opener Prasanth Kumar in his second over. Srikar Bharat (68) and Ravi Teja (17) added 54 for the second wicket. That was the only substantial partnership as Jakati dismissed Teja and four other Andhra batsmen to leave them tottering at 118 for 7 after they had been 62 for 1. Bhatt hit a 23-ball 25, but Jakati cleaned up the tail.Earlier in the day, Goa openers Sumiran Amonkar and Swapnil Asnodkar saw off the new ball with a 33-run partnership that lasted 21.2 overs before Bhatt’s legspin had the latter caught for 15. Bhatt dismissed five others – all six caught off his bowling – as Goa crumbled from 74 for 3 to 115 all out.Kerala‘s Sandeep Warrier and Jalaj Saxena shared three wickets each as Tripura were all out for 213 in Cuttack. In reply, Kerala finished the day on 11 without loss.Tripura suffered a middle-order collapse, from 76 for 2 to 124 for 7. Warrier took three of those wickets, as Tripura’s Udiyan Bose (36) and Smit Patel (26) fell as soon as a partnership seemed to be developing. Yashpal Singh scored a 99-ball 50, stitching together a 69-run partnership with captain Manisankar Murasingh (42) to take them past 200, before Saxena dismissed the last two batsmen within the next 13 runs.Haryana‘s Guntashveer Singh scored a first-class ton on debut as they finished on 237 for 3 after day one, against Himachal Pradesh in Valsad.Himachal were made to toil after choosing to field as Singh and opener Nitin Saini (39) helped Haryana put on 91 before the loss of a wicket. They had, however, lost opener Shubham Rohilla, who had to retire hurt after scoring 2 off 21. Singh went on to add significant partnerships with Chaitanya Bishnoi (26) and Rajat Paliwal (25) before seeing out the day unbeaten on 110, with captain Mohit Sharma (20*) at the other end. Kanwar Abhinay picked up all the three wickets of the day.In Mumbai, Services were all out late in the day for 225 after Chhattisgarh‘s left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar picked up his third five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Opener Nakul Verma (54) and No. 7 Vikas Hathwala (50) top-scored for Services but, with no concrete partnerships for the team, they were unable to build a big total. Ruikar was aided by Abhimanyu Chauhan’s 2 for 24, as Services were all out in the 86th over.Openers Sahil Gupta and Chauhan saw out the day as Chhattisgarh finished on 8 for no loss.Tanmay Agarwal scored his fifth first-class ton and remained not out on 106 as Hyderabad finished the day on 234 for 3 against Jammu & Kashmir in Vadodara.Opener Akshath Reddy was dismissed for 18 by Samiullah Beigh with Hyderabad on 36 but Agarwal and S Badrinath (47) added 105 for the second wicket before Pervez Rasool dismissed the latter. Rasool also got B Anirudh (46) late in the day, but by then he had added 93 runs with Agarwal for Hyderabad to finish the day on top.

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison wouldn't suit playing for Liverpool, according to The RedMenTv's Ste Hoare.

The England international has been linked with a move away from the Foxes, having suffered relegation to the Championship. And, according to Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are in the race for his signature.

Are Liverpool interested in James Maddison?

Even though Liverpool are in the race to sign Maddison this summer, as per Jacobs, they are not alone in the pursuit of is signature.

According to John Cross of The Mirror, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are also among the sides looking to sign Maddison this summer, who is valued at £40m, as per Cross.

Having scored 10 goals and assisted a further nine in the Premier League last season, Maddison's transfer links to big six clubs comes as little surprise.

The Englishman has more than proven that he is Premier League quality, and was one of the few bright sparks at the King Power Stadium last season, even as Leicester went down.

What did Ste Hoare say about James Maddison and Liverpool?

Speaking to Football FanCast, when asked about Maddison, The RedMenTV's Hoare said: "A lot of the other players don’t really fit the bill, system-wise, style-wise, profile-wise. I like Tyler Adams, I just don’t see it happening.

"The Maddison thing, he’s a number 10 and we just don’t play with number 10s. We’re going to sell [Fabio] Carvalho probably or loan him because he is a number 10. We don’t suit them. Again, I think Maddison’s a good player, but not a good Liverpool player."

How much does James Maddison earn?

With a number of clubs setting their sights on Maddison this summer, the question comes to the fore about just how much these clubs can expect to pay in wages for the midfielder.

According to Salary Sport, Maddison's current Leicester City contract sees him earn a staggering £110k-per-week.

Given that only Curtis Jones, Stefan Bajcetic, and Harvey Elliott earn less than that in Liverpool's midfield, this is a deal that would not really disrupt the Reds' wage bill.

Having just spent a reported £35m on Alexis Mac Allister, however, the Merseyside club may be hesitant to splash out even further for another player in a similar role this summer.

Wherever Maddison does end up, he certainly has the quality to improve a side, despite failing to keep Leicester afloat even after 19 Premier League goal involvements last season.