All posts by h716a5.icu

The importance of full-backs in Enzo Maresca’s system at Chelsea is key, often having to change their role based on the opposition and tactical game plan.

This has become very apparent at Stamford Bridge where Malo Gusto has seen himself popping up in all kinds of positions, overlapping to provide width, inverting into the pivot, and even finishing himself in the pockets as a number 10.

However, as good as Marc Cucurella has been – notably silencing Bukayo Saka in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal – if Maresca wants to deploy his left full-back in this role, he doesn’t get the same technical quality and creativity as he gets from Gusto on the right side, and that’s why the Blues are currently looking at a creative option for that role.

Chelsea looking at signing Premier League star

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Wolves defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri, is on the radar of Chelsea as a left-back option. Liverpool and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, which could see a bidding war for the highly rated defender who is allegedly valued at around £58m.

The Algerian has gone from strength to strength since joining Wolves from Angers back in 2021 for a fee of around £10m. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has described Ait-Nouri as “incredible”, praising his versatility and work rate.

The flying wing-back has made 13 appearances so far this season, scoring three goals, providing two assists, and totalling 1,079 minutes played.

The 23-year-old could add extra creativity from the left-hand side, as he has shown this season already with his 5 goals and assists, and creative metrics that even rank ahead of Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Ait-Nouri vs Madueke comparison

Madueke has had a brilliant start to the new campaign under Maresca, making 14 appearances in all competitions, and scoring five goals in 975 minutes. However, he is yet to register an assist, becoming much more of a direct goal threat this season, rather than a provider.

On the other hand, Ait-Nouri has been playing in his dynamic left-back role, inverting into midfield at times, finding himself in the number 10 position, providing width almost as a left-winger at times, getting himself two Premier League assists already this season, better than Madueke in this regard.

Goals

0.25

0.00

0.33

Assists

0.17

0.00

0.16

xAG

0.09

0.04

0.19

Progressive Carries

1.68

1.27

6.45

Progressive Passes

3.10

2.84

3.55

Shots Total

1.18

0.22

3.77

Key Passes

0.97

0.29

1.29

Shot-Creating Actions

2.30

1.18

2.90

Tackles + Interceptions

3.27

3.10

1.78

When you compare the creativity numbers of Ait-Nouri against Madueke, who is a natural winger, and Cucurella, who has played a host of different roles already, you can see the Wolves defender provides more quality going forward than the Spaniard.

Ait-Nouri ranks closely to Madueke in progressive passes per 90, key passes per 90, and shot-creating actions per 90, whilst having better assists per 90 metrics than the England winger.

Cucurella, on the other hand, offers much less in the way of progressive qualities and creativity but instead adds defensive intensity and leadership at the back.

By adding the Wolves star to the squad, Maresca would have real flexibility in his decision-making, using Cucurella for certain game types, and the 23-year-old Algerian for others.

This would be yet another string to the Italian’s tactical bow, and something that could make the Blues that little bit more unpredictable.

Chelsea want to sign £115m star who could make Palmer even more unplayable

Chelsea could sign an “unbelievable” striker to make Palmer even more unplayable

ByConnor Holden Nov 27, 2024

Joe Root, England’s Test captain, has welcomed ECB plans for a new-team competition in 2020, suggesting it will appeal to a “completely new audience”

George Dobell24-Apr-2018Joe Root has welcomed the ECB’s plans for its new-team competition in 2020, suggesting it will appeal to a “completely new audience”.The controversial plans, announced last week, will see teams contest 100-balls-a-side games featuring 15 six-ball overs and one ten-ball over. It also emerged the ECB was considering abandoning lbw dismissals for the format and potentially allowing more than one bowler to deliver the ten-ball over.While the announcement met mixed reactions – it was widely lampooned on social media, but England players Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad broadly welcomed it – not least due to the perception that it may further dilute the relevance of the longer formats, Root, England’s Test captain, has now thrown his support behind the concept.And while Root accepts that players and administrators will have to “find ways to look after the longer versions of the game”, he felt the opportunity of attracting a new fans to the game justified the creation of another format.”It’s going to appeal to a completely new audience, and I think that’s great,” Root told the . “The more people and kids we can get into sport, the better.”We’ve got to be very careful that we don’t measure it against the other formats. It’s something to gather a new audience and gain interest, not a threat to the other formats. As players, working with the ICC, we’ve got to make sure the other formats don’t suffer but it has a place in the game, and hopefully we’ll see that over time.

On this new format, what a load of bollocks.
Can’t see many bowlers lining up to bowl a 10 ball over! Just machine getting hit for 4/5 sixes in an over, then still having 5/6 balls to go hard enough as it is!! Any danger of giving something to the bowlers??? #stickwith20

— Chris Rushworth (@ChrisRush22) April 19, 2018

“There will be people that compare it to Twenty20 and worry that it might take away interest from Test cricket, but it’s important to remember that it will bring new people to the game.”It might be someone who didn’t know much about the game before, comes to a game and then goes on to watch a Test match and get immersed in that. That’s the way I’d like to look at it. But, as I say, the most important thing is that we find ways to look after the longer versions of the game, whether that’s T20 – although it’s hard to see that as a ‘longer format’ – one-day internationals or Test cricket.”Whether Root’s enthusiasm for the idea is shared by other players remains to be seen. Some county players were underwhelmed by the ECB announcing the concept before detailed discussions had taken place with the suggestion that the idea had been welcomed by the players also raising some eyebrows. Durham’s Chris Rushworth tweeted that the proposals were “a load of bollocks”.It subsequently transpired the ECB had shared its plans with only three players before the announcement: the England white-ball captains (Heather Knight and Morgan) and Daryl Mitchell, chairman of the PCA. Mitchell described himself as “open-minded” to the proposals, rather than supportive or critical.The ECB will now meet PCA county representatives at Edgbaston on May 8. Although a few county reps will be unavailable – the date clashes with some 2nd XI fixtures – there is still expected to be a player from every county at the meeting, with some counties sending two players.

Honestly can't believe this 100 ball game idea actually has gained any ground. Why try and fix a format that's not broken? T20 works and is a massively popular product which is growing worldwide! Trying to reinvent the wheel just doesn't make sense.

— Luke Wells (@luke_wells07) April 19, 2018

While the ECB has not indicated it requires a vote of approval from either the players or the counties, it is possible that a particularly strong negative reaction from the players could force a rethink. But while the initial reaction to the plans – or the way they were unveiled – was not especially positive, a full-scale rebellion remains unlikely.One entity that was consulted, according to a report in the , was the parenting website Mumsnet. Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, said at the weekend the new format was aimed at appealing to “mums and kids”.It also appears the ECB will face little opposition to the plans from the MCC. While Law 17 specifically states there should be six deliveries in an over, it is far from unusual for a competition’s playing regulations to differentiate from the Laws. For example, the County Championship currently allows visiting teams to insert their hosts without the use of a toss; in international cricket, meanwhile, the ICC outlawed the use of runners a few years ago.Instead, the ECB simply requires the approval of the ICC for “The Hundred” (as it is currently known) to be deemed “approved cricket”. And that is not thought likely to be an issue.

Amid growing interest in Alexander Isak’s signature, Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign a Champions League striker who could yet replace the Swede this summer.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies saw their momentum come to a crashing halt at The Etihad last time out as Manchester City did in 90 minutes what Arsenal failed to do across 180 by easing past Eddie Howe’s side. On a rare occasion in which many in Tyneside would have deemed Manchester City a very winnable game in their current state, they soon endured a humbling afternoon.

It’s a result that they’ll want to forget about sooner rather than later and the visit of Nottingham Forest certainly gives those at St James’ Park the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.

Meanwhile, as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast, so do the transfer rumours surrounding Isak. The in-form Swede has reportedly attracted the interest of several top Premier League sides, including both Liverpool and Arsenal to send the alarm bells ringing around Tyneside. Left with little choice but to consider their options, the Magpies have seemingly turned towards Italy.

Newcastle want "incredible" 25 y/o who can be their right-sided Gordon

His team won at St James’ Park earlier this season.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 17, 2025

According to GiveMeSport, Newcastle are now battling to sign Dusan Vlahovic ahead of Tottenham Hotspur this summer amid concerns over Isak’s future. The Serbia international has fallen down the pecking order since Randal Kolo Muani’s arrival on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January and has seen his valuation fall to £50m as a result.

Whilst their spending power has been a problem in the past, the sale of Isak would likely turn a £50m deal into a routine transfer for all involved at Newcastle. Still just 25 years old too, Vlahovic could quickly prove to be a bargain buy.

"Important" Vlahovic could replace Isak

Replacing Isak will undoubtedly be a near-impossible task whenever Newcastle are forced to do so, but the potential availability of Vlahovic should ease their concerns this summer. Whilst the forward hasn’t endured an easy time at Juventus, he has shown in glimpses just how clinical he can be in front of goal at a time in which the Old Lady’s powers are waning in Serie A.

Starts

16

23

Goals

8

17

Assists

1

5

Expected Goals

10

14.2

The alarm bell that will be ringing for Newcastle when looking at the numbers is that Vlahovic has underperformed when it comes to expected goals, which is where Isak has thrived. In that department, the Serb would need to enjoy instant improvement if he is to be among the top candidates to arrive this summer.

Meanwhile, Thiago Motta may not be keen to show the door to his forward, having told reporters at the end of January when asked about Vlahovic: “How did he react? Very good, very positive guy, very positive leader for the team.

“He came back from a small injury. When he participated, he helped the team a lot. He knows that he can also be an important choice in the second half to have a different profile, a different characteristic and maintain or raise our level to play a full game of 95 minutes.”

M Vijay, Mohammed Shami and Wriddhiman Saha will play for India A in their third and final four-day match to prepare for the first Test against England

Shashank Kishore08-May-2018India A squads

Tri-series: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Shubhman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Vijay Shankar, K. Gowtham, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur
Four-day matches: Karun Nair (capt), R Samarth, Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Ankit Bawne, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat (wk), Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem, Ankit Rajpoot, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Rajneesh Gurbani

Under-19 World Cup winners Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill have broken into the India A squad that will tour England in June-July. The selectors also decided, in consultation with India coach Ravi Shastri, that M Vijay, Mohammed Shami and Wriddhiman Saha would play for India A in their third and final four-day match to prepare for the first Test against England at Edgbaston, which begins on August 1.Shaw, 18, already has five hundreds in ten first-class matches and a pair of fifties for Delhi Daredevils in the ongoing IPL season. He has found a place in both the 50-overs and four-day squads while Gill is only part of the limited-overs leg of the tour. Shreyas Iyer will lead the 50-overs squad in a tri-series that also involves England Lions and West Indies A, while Karun Nair will lead India A’s four-day squad.Shaw aside, Mayank Agarwal and Vijay Shankar feature in both squads. Agarwal’s selection comes on the back of a breakout 2017-18 domestic season, in which he made 2141 runs across formats, the most by an Indian batsman in a single season. Shankar, meanwhile, is being groomed as a back-up for Hardik Pandya as a seam-bowling allrounder. A BCCI official confirmed that the team management was keen to see how Shankar would perform with the ball in seaming conditions.Rajneesh Gurbani was the only member of Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning team find a place in the India A squads. Gurbani picked up successive five-wicket hauls in a thrilling semi-final win against Karnataka and in the final against Delhi, a performance that included a hat-trick.Sanju Samson was picked as a specialist batsman for the 50-over squad, but MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, didn’t rule out the possibility that the wicketkeepers would be rotated. Rishabh Pant and KS Bharat are the designated one-day and four-day keepers on the tour.The 50-overs squad had three allrounders in Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham and Axar Patel. Gowtham was dropped from the India A squad that played New Zealand A last year for “insulting the Duleep Trophy”, but has forced his way back in after impressing for Karnataka and Rajasthan Royals. Axar, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to press home his case for India’s home season, having been left out of India’s limited-overs squads for their tour of England. After his India A commitments, he will play six County Championship fixtures for Durham.India A’s tour kicks off with the tri-series followed by three four-day fixtures (two against West Indies A from July 4 to 7 and July 10 to 13, and one against England Lions from July 16 to 19).

Leeds United are open to selling one of their regular first-team players in January alongside Marc Roca, and a new report has revealed the price that the club have valued him at should he leave Elland Road.

Who have Leeds United just signed?

Over the summer, Daniel Farke brought nine new players to the club in the form of Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Glen Kamara and Karl Darlow on a permanent basis, whilst recruiting Djed Spence, Jaidon Anthony and Joe Rodon on loan, alongside Sam Byram on a free transfer.

At Elland Road, Tyler Adams and Rodrigo were the only two to depart for good, with the likes of Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra and Marc Roca being sent out temporarily, the latter sealing a switch to Real Betis, as per Transfermarkt, and it’s been reported that his move is likely to become permanent.

Despite the deadline having passed, Illan Meslier is another player that could be heading for the exit door in the new year having attracted significant interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid over the course of the past few months.

Chief executive Angus Kinnear recently confirmed that the French goalkeeper did have opportunities to leave, but the 23-year-old has himself admitted that he wanted to stay at the club because he felt responsible following relegation to the Championship.

Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds?

According to Football Insider, Leeds are "relaxed about the prospect" of selling Meslier in January because they signed Darlow from Newcastle United over the summer with the view of him being their first-choice between the sticks.

The LS11 outfit had a "willingness" to move on the former before the September 1st deadline, but they failed to receive a suitable offer.

Previously, the shot-stopper had a £40m price tag placed on his head, though it's unknown whether this is the fee that would be demanded at the start of the new year.

How many clean sheets has Illan Meslier kept?

During his time at Leeds, Meslier has kept 31 clean sheets from 131 appearances which doesn’t sound like a lot, but having previously been praised for making some “unreal” saves by journalist Graham Smyth, there’s so much more that he brings to the side.

The Lorient native, who is naturally left-footed, ranks in the 98th percentile for most defensive actions outside of his penalty area, showing that he’s not afraid to come out of his net and clear the danger away, but he’s also impressive with the ball at his feet.

The YPFC client has a 100% pass success rate for both his short and medium dispatches since the start of the current season, via FBRef, which highlights his calmness and composure when playing out from the back to his outfield teammates.

Furthermore, Meslier helped the club to achieve promotion to the Premier League back in 2019/20 so he knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level, therefore, it would be a huge blow to lose him in January.

Sikandar Raza overcame a slower-than-usual Harare pitch to rally Zimbabwe from 139 for 7 to 211 for 9, and put them on top of the Super Sixes table

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu16-Mar-2018
Sikandar Raza has become Zimbabwe’s MVP in recent years: he is their middle-order enforcer, provides insurance with the ball, and even pulls off electric catches in the field. On Friday, Raza enhanced his reputation as Zimbabwe’s MVP with a punchy 69 not out on a slower-than-usual Harare pitch where every other batsman struggled. His 13th ODI half-century – and 12th in the last three years – rallied Zimbabwe from 139 for 7 to 211 for 9. The spinners, led by Tendai Chisoro, then made the score look bigger and ensured the hosts maintained their unbeaten run in the World Cup qualifier.On a dry Harare surface, Ireland had only one specialist spinner in Andy McBrine, who returned 2 for 42. In contrast, Zimbabwe had two frontline spinners in Chisoro and captain Graeme Cremer in addition to Raza’s offbreaks and Sean Williams’ left-arm spin. Chisoro, who had taken the new ball, alone struck three times in the first 12 overs. He had captain William Porterfield miscuing a quick fizzer to short midwicket. The left-arm spinner proceeded to remove Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien before Cremer and Williams took care of the middle order and the tail.Opener Paul Stirling stood alone for Ireland, making 41 off 70 balls, before falling to a muddled mix-up, which encapsulated their batting effort. Ireland were ultimately rolled over for 104 in 34.2 overs.Earlier, Raza had displayed great clarity: he manipulated the fields expertly in the middle overs before providing a finishing kick. However, Raza endured a painful start to his innings after coming in to bat in the 21st over with the score on 87 for 5. Boyd Rankin – six feet, seven inches tall – found extra bounce from a back of a length and struck him on the right glove. Raza shook it off and settled into his shot-making stride when he hit seamer Barry McCarthy for back-to-back boundaries in the 30th over. He first tugged a short ball over midwicket for a six before jabbing an outside edge for four. At the other end, Chisoro defended competently and belted three fours in a 42-run partnership for the eighth wicket – the highest of the match.Once Murtagh removed Chisoro and Kyle Jarvis in the 45th and 47th overs, Raza farmed the strike and ensured that Zimbabwe would not only bat out their full quota but also post a score above 200. He raised his fifty off 73 deliveries. Then he went on to hit two sixes and a four off the last eight balls of the innings, the pick of them a flat-batted smash over long-on. Raza received a rousing reception from a passionate Harare crowd while Ireland were left with a teasing thought: what might have been.Barry McCarthy roars after taking a wicket•Getty ImagesZimbabwe’s innings had begun in a mood of revelry too. Opener Cephas Zhuwao had Harare’s Castle Corner buzzing with a brace of sixes off Tim Murtagh, including one that soared over midwicket, roughly in the direction of the rugby ground.McCarthy then understood the need of the hour better and went straight to plan B: knuckle balls. Taking the pace off worked almost immediately, although it was the offcutter which had Zhuwao holing out to long-on for 20 off 18 balls. Solomon Mire, the other opener, ran past a non-turning offbreak from McBrine to be stumped in emphatic fashion. Five balls later, Rankin’s extra bounce forced Hamilton Masakadza to nick behind and Zimbabwe were 50 for 3 in 9.4 overs.Taylor showed promise when he forayed down the track and nonchalantly launched McBrine over his head and out of the attack. The offspinner would, however, return and strike in the first over of his second spell to trap Taylor lbw for 25 (although the ball did seem as if it would miss leg stump).Raza watched Williams, Craig Ervine – a tight run-out call from TV umpire Michael Gough – and Cremer fall around him, but he held the innings together brilliantly along with the tail to have the crowd grooving to his tunes. Raza had a big say in the final celebrations, too, setting off on a lap of honour and taking a selfie with the crowd.

Mahmudullah has identified the abundance of dot balls in Bangladesh’s innings, and the lack of singles and twos, as the reason behind their fifth straight T20 defeat

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the Premadasa09-Mar-2018On the boundary tally, the teams were neck and neck. Bangladesh hit 12 fours to go with their three sixes; India 13 fours and three sixes. Where Bangladesh let themselves down, however, was when it came to picking the gaps – their 43 singles put in the shade by India’s 58. All told, 56% of the deliveries Bangladesh faced were dot balls, as batsmen repeatedly attempted to hit boundaries, and routinely collected nothing but fresh air. India’s dot-ball percentage was only 32%, and there, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah felt, was where the game was decided.”We probably played more than 50 dot balls today [68, to be exact], and when that happens you create pressure on individual batsmen,” he said. “I played seven dot balls and got out cheaply. It’s hard to get going if you’re relying so much on boundaries. If you can rotate the strike and score boundaries at the same time, it will release the pressure on the batsmen.”Of particular concern were the middle overs. Bangladesh were not terribly placed after the Powerplay, having hit 44 for 2 from the first six overs. But between overs 7 and 12 – while top order batsmen were still at the crease – they scored four runs or fewer in four separate overs, and the innings lost steam. There would be a brief upsurge while Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman batted together, but with so much ground to make up they were forced to attempt high-risk strokes.”We often lose our rhythm when batting in the middle overs,” Mahmudullah said. “When boundaries weren’t coming, we struggled to take ones and twos. Then we gave away our wickets. I think the blame goes to our batsmen, particularly on this wicket. especially when you’re playing with five bowlers and six batters, obviously you need to do something. Someone has to step up.”This six-wicket loss to India is Bangladesh’s fifth consecutive defeat in T20s, and their 13th in their last 14 matches. They have been consistently woeful in this format since mid-2016, for all their gains in Tests and ODI cricket. In these last five matches, Bangladesh have failed to breach 150 three times.”We need to be fearless – not thinking about our doubts,” Mahmudullah said. “Otherwise no point playing these games. We’ve been discussing that we need to express ourselves, whatever happens. T20 is about taking those calculated risks.”

West Ham United could be set to reward three players with brand-new contracts in the very near future, with an update coming out of east London this week.

Latest West Ham news

David Moyes has guided the Irons to three wins out of their opening four Premier League matches so far this season; building upon their exceptional UEFA Europa Conference League triumph last term.

Despite losing some superstar players over the transfer window, most notably midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal to the tune of £105 million, West Ham haven't looked back.

Impressive victories over the likes of in-form Brighton and big-spending Chelsea have showcased the real potential of this new-look Moyes side, with the east Londoners seriously reshaping their team.

Summer signings Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have excelled in Claret and Blue. The former has been lavished with praise by members of the media for some of his performances, while the latter was desperately unlucky not to be selected for Gareth Southgate's England squad.

It's an exciting time to be a Hammer, as reports even suggest they could bolster their ranks further by re-signing free agent Jesse Lingard on a short-term deal.

West Ham also managed to keep hold of star defender Nayef Aguerd, despite some serious interest from Al-Ittihad just before the Saudi transfer window shut at 10pm on Thursday night.

Moyes, in more good news for the club, brought in a host of promising new additions to his backroom staff this week; appointing John Heitinga, Mark Robson and Henry Newman.

I would like to welcome John to West Ham United and also welcome Mark and Henry into the first-team group," said Moyes to the club's official website.

“John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team.

"Mark and Henry are both already familiar to everyone here at the Club and have deserved the opportunity to step up within our structure.

“John, Mark and Henry will each bring experience in different areas and complement the strengths we already have in the coaching team."

Who could leave West Ham?

The London Stadium side have displayed signs of real promise ahead of a long and congested 2023/2024 season, where they will also be competing in the UEFA Europa League.

West Ham's next goal is apparently to tie some of their key squad members down with new and improved contracts, with O'Rourke sharing three stars could now be offered fresh terms.

Indeed, writing for Football Insider, he claims that Pablo Fornals, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek are the the trio in question; as all of their contracts are set to expire in 2024 as things stand.

All three "will now start sitting down with the West Ham hierarchy about potential renewals", O'Rourke says. Meanwhile, initial contract talks have already been held with Coufal in particular.

Following a successful transfer window, where they also put pen to paper on deals for Ghana star Mohammed Kudus and ex-Arsenal ace Konstantinos Mavropanos, West Ham "are now set to turn attentions" to renewals.

While Newcastle United appear to be done and dusted during the 2023 transfer window, Eddie Howe is still mulling over fresh faces to bolster his thriving outfit in the future.

Having qualified for the Champions League with a fourth-placed Premier League finish last term, the Magpies have worked diligently on the transfer front this summer to ensure that the squad is ready for European football and a challenge to emulate last year's feats.

Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have all been added to the first team, and while the spending is ostensibly complete, one exciting star remains of a vested interest.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

According to i news, Newcastle are plotting their next move and have identified Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, with the 21-year-old 'under consideration' for a swoop when Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations permit.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Believed to hold a £42m release clause in his contract, Williams is now in the final year of his contract, and Howe could soon land his man on a cut-price deal.

How good is Nico Williams?

Although Williams is only young, he has already captured the awe of the masses in Basque Country and has been praised for his "daring" approach on the pitch by former manager Marcelinho.

Last season, the eight-cap Spain star scored nine goals and supplied six assists from 43 matches across all competitions as he dazzled in his wide attacking role, receiving praise for his ability in 1v1 situations, pace, and progressive nature.

This is showcased through his ranking among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, and, as such, Howe could have his hands on the next version of Allan Saint-Maximin by securing the winger's signature.

Saint-Maximin departed St. James' Park for £23m in July after forging 124 appearances for the Magpies, posting just 13 goals and 21 assists.

The 26-year-old ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for assists, and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, and has also been dubbed a "wizard" by journalist Graeme Bailey for his brilliant, fleet-footed displays on the pitch.

Alas, the 26-year-old never quite ignited the kind of cutting edge that Howe covets, which is evidenced through his Tyneside exit and the subsequent £39m signing of Harvey Barnes, who scored 13 Premier League goals last term and ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for goals per 90.

However, given Williams' youthful age and inexperience, Howe will likely feel he can craft a refined version of the Magpie fan favourite by nurturing the whiz to the fore, maintaining his blistering pace and dribbling skills while adding goals and assists with regularity.

Described as a "sensation" by journalist Shina Oludare, Howe is wise to get in on the action, and while this is a transfer that likely will not occur over the next week, the winter transfer market could prove to be a tantalising time indeed as the burgeoning Premier League side assess their next move.

Emmanuel Stewart, the West Indies captain, appealed for obstructing the field after a South Africa batsman picked up the ball close to off stump, even though it was stationary

Shashank Kishore in Mount Maunganui17-Jan-2018West Indies have once again ignited the spirit-of-cricket debate at the Under-19 World Cup, when they appealed against South Africa opener Jiveshan Pillay for obstructing the field in their Group A fixture in Mount Maunganui.Emmanuel Stewart, the West Indies captain and wicketkeeper, made the appeal after Pillay picked up the ball close to off stump, even though it was stationary after rolling off an inside edge. The third umpire Ranmore Martinesz was called in and the decision went in West Indies’ favour after a long wait and a number of replays. The incident occurred in the 17th over of South Africa’s innings, when they were 77 for 2.

Maybe you should stop doing it. Whether we like or not, it’s law in the game. As for spirit of the game, the players didn’t do anything wrong right? #healthydebate

— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) January 17, 2018

Once the decision was referred to the TV umpire, it was going to be difficult to give the batsman not out unless Stewart and West Indies withdrew the appeal. Law 37.4, which deals with ‘returning the ball to a fielder’, states: “Either batsman is out obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder.”South Africa Under-19 coach Laurence Mahatlane was measured in his reaction during the innings break. “Our take is very simple: we play to the laws of the game and it’s part of the laws,” he said. “It’s happened and hopefully we’ll learn for a long time from it.”West Indies captain Emmanuel Stewart appeals•International Cricket CouncilWest Indies’ actions in this game are likely to be debated widely, as they were at the 2016 World Cup when their bowler Keemo Paul effected a mankad to dismiss Zimbabwe’s last wicket – Richard Ngarava – to win a must-win group game. They eventually went on to win the tournament. West Indies were in a must-win position against South Africa in this game too, having lost their tournament opener against New Zealand.In 2016, former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop had defended the U-19 side against criticism for the mankad, but he was less supportive of this obstructing-the-field dismissal.”This is an unfortunate issue,” Bishop, one of the commentators at the game, told Fox Sports. “The batsman isn’t trying to gain an advantage. He is not trying to being unfair. The umpires have done what they need to do. The ball has stopped. It’s not threatening the stumps. I don’t really necessarily feel as if that’s a good law. It could take a re-look.”The batsman is not trying to gain an unfair advantage. All he is trying to do is help out the fielding team. I would have to have a deeper look at myself if I was the fielding captain. Can I use some discretion here for the sake of the game and whatever the spirit of the game means? I wouldn’t have gone that way. He’s obviously a bright kid and he understands the letter of the law. On this occasion it’s slightly different for me compared to the last World Cup.”