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Heart of Midlothian recorded a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock in the League Cup quarter-final during the week which sent them through to the last four of the competition for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

It has been a tough start to the 2023/24 campaign for Steven Naismith as an encouraging first few weeks were then followed by a run of four straight defeats up until the international break which rocked the confidence at the club, especially after they missed out on European group stage football.

Naismith dived into the transfer market to bolster his first-team squad during the summer, eventually signing seven players and while some have had an immediate impact, such as Frankie Kent, a few have failed to really hit the ground running thus far.

This has resulted in the manager putting his faith in players who were key to former boss Robbie Neilson, asking the likes of Kye Rowles, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland to continue impressing and showing the new signings exactly what it takes in order to stand out for the club.

Shankland has been a wonderful signing for the Tynecastle outfit and is perhaps one of their finest pieces of transfer business conducted in the previous few seasons such was his impact last term.

This has led Hearts to place a big price tag on him in order to deter any potential suitors who may be willing to prise him away from the club.

How much did Hearts sign Lawrence Shankland for?

The striker played for a variety of different Scottish clubs during his formative years in his career, including Queens Park, Aberdeen, and St Mirren, but it wasn’t until he joined Ayr United in 2017 that he became the lethal machine everyone is witnessing now.

Indeed, over the next two seasons, he plundered 61 goals in just 73 matches for the club, chipping in with 24 assists too and this sealed a move to Dundee United in 2019. His goal-scoring exploits didn’t let up in Tayside either, scoring 40 in 74 games before Belgian side Beerschot V.A swooped in to sign him back in 2021.

It didn’t quite work out for the striker on the continent and Hearts shelled out £500k to bring him back to his homeland last summer as Neilson looked to get his career back on track.

Neilson managed Shankland during their time at United, and he lauded the player on his arrival, saying: “I’m really happy that we’ve been able to bring Lawrence to the club.

“He’s a player I know well from our time together at Dundee United. I know exactly what his qualities are and what he’ll bring to the team, and that’s why we really pushed hard to make him a Hearts player. I know he’ll get a great welcome and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”

He certainly went on to impress for the Gorgie side during the 2022/23 season and this attracted plenty of interest for his services.

How much is Lawrence Shankland valued at now?

During the summer transfer window, there appeared to be plenty of interest shown in the 28-year-old, despite playing just one season at Hearts.

Clubs from Saudi Arabia and England were keen on the hitman according to the Edinburgh Evening News (via the Scottish Sun), yet Hearts were having none of this reported interest.

Naismith ended up placing a £3-£4m valuation on his prized asset, and it certainly worked as he remains at the club, until January at least.

If using the top end of the valuation, it represents a staggering 700% increase from their initial £500k just 12 months prior, and it indicates that Hearts have hit the jackpot by signing Shankland.

Why is Lawrence Shankland worth this much?

The 6-foot marksman scored only five times in 28 appearances for Beerschot, yet Neilson managed to restore his confidence by making him an integral part of the side which featured in the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

Shankland ended up registering an impressive 32 goal contributions across all competitions last term – 28 goals and four assists – and although it couldn’t secure third spot in the table for the club, they would have been a lot worse off if it hadn’t been for his ruthlessness in front of goal.

Journalist Joel Sked rightfully praised him towards the end of 2022 following a wonderful first few months at the club, saying: “Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals.

"His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link player, his awareness and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

It is perhaps no surprise that the striker ranked first across the Hearts squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.11), goals and assists (28) and scoring frequency (a goal every 127 minutes) while also finishing top of the pile for shots on target per game (1.4), clearly demonstrating how effective he was in front of goal throughout the season.

Naismith has had to rely on him during the embryonic stages of 2023/24 too as the 28-year-old has scored five goals in 12 appearances, yet he may need to do more as the club are currently sitting in sixth place in the league table, eight points adrift of third spot.

It hasn’t been an easy ride so far for Naismith yet if he can secure some much-needed wins in the coming games, confidence will hopefully grow.

One of the best decisions the club made was signing Shankland and giving him a platform to succeed as he is currently one of the most natural finishers in the country at the moment.

More interest in the player will be inevitable across the coming months, especially if he maintains his current form and the most important thing is Hearts keep a hold of him until they have a suitable replacement lined up.

When he does depart, Shankland will rake in the Tynecastle side a major profit and this could in turn, allow the club to vastly improve their squad as they aim for success.

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.”

The breakdown of Harry Maguire’s move to West Ham United from Manchester United could be a blessing in disguise for David Moyes.

It has opened up the market and expanded the realm the opportunity, with the club now able to target younger, more dynamic, and reliable players.

In a hectic week for the Irons, they’ve had to accelerate their attempts for a new centre-back. It has been suggested that Konstantinos Mavropanos and Odilon Kossounou have the leading contenders.

However, another player is also on the shortlist…

Why did Harry Maguire's move to West Ham break down?

According to the Guardian, one of the reasons that Maguire’s move to east London broke down was because there was a feeling within the West Ham recruitment that a quicker defender would be needed.

As such, Jonathan Tah has been named as a possible option.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Since then, in a more recent update, it has been suggested that interest in the Bayer Leverkusen titan is ‘not advanced’, but he remains linked to a move.

What is Jonathan Tah good at?

Back in 2015, when the German joined Leverkusen he said: “I’d like to establish myself at Leverkusen and in the Bundesliga.”

Well, 306 appearances later, Tah has achieved what he set out to do.

Since signing, the 6 foot 5 mountain has never made fewer than 26 appearances in a single campaign and has become renowned for his reliability, durability, and physicality.

His former team-mate Christopher Kramer described him as a “real battleship”, whilst Leverkusen’s ex-sporting director Rudi Voller feels he is “quick, technically gifted but still robust.”

Last season in the Bundesliga, Tah started 28 games, managed an 89% pass accuracy, was only dribbled past 0.2 times per game, completed 88% of his dribbles, and didn't commit any errors leading to a shot or goal, as per Sofascore. That is the true definition of reliability.

Moreover, his on-the-ball competence is particularly impressive, as the £21m-rated man ranks within the top 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90, and his accomplished nature means he could seamlessly adapt to the demands of Premier League football.

West Ham look set to raid the Bundesliga and could complete a double swoop of two of the division’s most prominent defenders if they can also conclude a deal for Mavropanos.

Former Stuttgart sporting director Sven Milistant has showered the Greek in praise, saying: “In addition to his qualities as a footballer, Ata is an important part of our team as a person and as a leader. Dinos brings an enormous amount of strength and willpower to our game and has proven himself at a high level physically.”

In the last two campaigns, Mavropanos has featured in 59 of Stuttgart’s last 68 Bundesliga games and his impressive statistics are indicative as to why he is such a regular asset.

Over the past 365 days, compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the 25-year-old ranks within the best 10% for progressive passes per 90, progressive carries per 90, interceptions per 90, and aerials won per 90.

Therefore, West Ham can swiftly forget about the Maguire debacle with these two targets representing more than worthy replacements. Should they even go as far as combining the two, it would be a match made in heaven for the Hammers.

Rohit Sharma’s record 118 against Sri Lanka in Indore on Friday – the joint-fastest T20I hundred – included 10 sixes, the most by an India batsman in a T20I game. That took his tally of sixes across formats in 2017 to 64, the highest by a batsman in any calendar year. While a look at the numbers alone may suggest Rohit is a six-clobbering automaton, the reality is that the big hits aren’t so much a product of brute force as they are of stunning timing, one example being the six that he clipped over midwicket off Dushmantha Chameera in the 13th over.Rohit admitted after the match that his game wasn’t a power-dominated one, and he instead relied on timing and picking gaps. In Indore, he was also focused on relentlessly targeting the short square boundaries.”I definitely don’t have so much power. I rely a lot on timing the ball more than anything else,” he said. “I know my strengths and my weakness. I try and play with the field a lot. When the field is spread after six overs, I try and see where I can find my boundary options. I want to score all around the park and not just one area. It’s important that I try and explore the fielding the opposition keeps for me.”In all formats, I try and do that. You can’t just hit in one area. You become predictable then. It’s always important to score runs all over the field and that’s my strength.”Rohit’s second T20I hundred was largely made up of conventional strokes. His 43-ball 118 had 108 runs come off boundaries, giving him a boundary-percentage of 91.52, the highest for any T20I innings of 30 balls or more.”I didn’t play any of those flamboyant shots. I was just trying to hit the balls in the areas that I was looking to hit,” he said. “All the shots which I played pleased me because it takes a lot of effort to pull it off. Even when you defend it, you should like it as well. It’s not only about hitting boundaries and sixes. The ball that you hit in the gap should also make you happy.”I was thinking of scoring runs, not any particular target. In all the formats, I don’t look to get to a particular milestone. My job is to go out there and score as many as possible. Not just 100s or 200s or 300s. I go out there to make sure I get my team into a good position. My job is to do that. There are times when you don’t get runs. There are times when you get runs. Never do I ever walk out thinking that I want to score a century or a double-century. I just want to give my best and get the team a victory.”BCCI

In his first full series as stand-in captain, Rohit led from the front with a double-hundred in Mohali as India went on to win the ODI series 2-1. With the T20I series, too, already in the bag, he was asked if his batting had remained immune to the pressures of captaincy. He disagreed, and said the defeat in the first ODI in Dharamsala, where India collapsed to 112 batting first, had put him under a lot of pressure.”In Dharamsala, we were in a position where the team could have folded for the lowest score possible,” he said. “After that game, I was thinking quite a bit about my captaincy and my team. I was thinking that I was leading for the first time and I had been put in such a difficult situation.”There’s a lot of pressure on you always. Wherever you play, or any opposition you play, there’s always pressure. We’ve won the series but each and every match is important. It’s crucial to use each and every opportunity. When you captain for the first time, there is obviously pressure. I don’t know when I’ll lead India again so, for me, every match, every series and every moment on the field is important.”Rohit felt India’s successful showing against Sri Lanka would help the team’s momentum ahead of the South Africa tour.”When you travel overseas, the last series does have an impact,” he said. “The momentum you create, the winning rhythm of the team does give a lot of confidence. But once you go there, how you adapt yourself – technically and to their conditions – remains important. Even their fast bowlers will be much different than Sri Lanka’s.”When you travel overseas, the skills and mindset need to be changed, nothing else. You can carry the confidence you have generated from the recent success in the Test, ODI and T20 series, so as a team we are on a high and the confidence will help us in South Africa.”

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Em menos de um semana, a vida de Gustavo Mosquito mudou completamente. Emprestado pelo Corinthians ao Paraná, ele disputava a Série B do Brasileirão e nem poderia imaginar que pouco tempo depois ele marcaria um gol pelo Timão, na Arena. Não à toa ele se emocionou na saída de campo, na última quarta-feira, contra o Coxa. Mas tudo isso só aconteceu porque a comissão técnica de Tiago Nunes apostou no retorno do jogador, que correspondeu.

Na última sexta-feira, o jovem de 22 anos foi reintegrado ao elenco do Corinthians, clube ao qual chegou em 2019, mas não conseguiu ter uma sequência, sendo emprestado para Vila Nova, Oeste e Paraná em apenas um ano. Até que, buscando um jogador de velocidade pelo lado do campo, Tiago Nunes quis buscar um nome que vinha acompanha há algum tempo.

-Eu conheço o Gustavo desde a base do Coritiba, sempre foi um jogador diferente. Ele passou praticamente um ano parado no Coritiba por conta de uma divergência lá, o que atrapalhou o início dele. Vou oportunizar que ele tenha chance de entrar nos jogos. Ele é jovem, tem 22 anos, não podemos descartar simplesmente por uma primeira impressão não foi melhor – disse o treinador do Alvinegro em entrevista coletiva na última terça-feira.

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O jovem nem bem chegou e já foi relacionado para viajar para Porto Alegre, onde o Corinthians enfrentaria o Grêmio, no último sábado. Apesar da oportunidade de estar com o elenco novamente, ele acabou não sendo utilizado no empate em 0 a 0, mas a nova chance não demoraria a acontecer e ela veio quatro dias depois, diante do Coritiba, após o intervalo.

Em uma partida difícil, em que o Timão não conseguia aproveitar a vantagem de ter um homem a mais em campo, o auxiliar técnico Evandro Fornari, que substituiu o suspenso Tiago Nunes, optou por colocar Gustavo no lugar de Ramiro, logo na volta do intervalo. O atacante não só ajudou a mudar o panorama da partida, como também marcou o terceiro gol, que selou a vitória.

O assistente corintiano elogiou atuação relevante do jovem de 22 anos no triunfo por 3 a 1 na última quarta-feira e explicou as características que fazem dele uma peça interessante para o elenco do Alvinegro neste momento, especialmente pela maratona de jogos que virá pela frente na temporada 2020.

-O Gustavo já vem sendo acompanhado, como outros atletas que estão emprestados pelo clube. Ele fez bons jogos pelo Paraná e tem uma característica como todos nós vimos: um jogador de velocidade, de drible, que tenta um desequilíbrio. Então a gente fica feliz, porque é um jogador a mais que vem para nos ajudar, a gente sabe da temporada que vai ter uma sequência de jogos, a gente fica contente de ele ter entrado no intervalo e ter nos ajudado a conquistar o resultado positivo – declarou Evandro.

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O jogador, por sua vez, não conteve a emoção de marcar seu primeiro gol pelo Corinthians e agradeceu a todos que estão proporcionando essa oportunidade a ele, mas aproveitando o bom momento, Mosquito projetou a conquista de objetivos ainda maiores com o clube nesta temporada.

-Feliz pelo primeiro gol com essa camisa, só agradecer primeiramente a Deus mesmo, e aos meus companheiros, que estão trabalhando forte no dia a dia, e me receberam muito bem. E é isso aí, vamos em busca de grandes coisas neste ano. Vai Corinthians – concluiu o atacante corintiano.

Glamorgan bowler Don Shepherd, who took 2218 wickets in a first-class career spanning 22 years, has died at the age of 90

David Hopps19-Aug-2017

Don Shepherd, a giant of Glamorgan cricket and widely regarded as one of the best county cricketers never to play for England, has died, aged 90.Shepherd was one of the great servants of county cricket, a source of huge pride for all cricket-lovers in Wales, as he totted up 668 first-class matches between 1950 and 1972. Born in Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula, he began life as a fast-medium bowler but in his vintage years was highly respected for his slow-medium offcutters.He died only a week after celebrating his 90th birthday after complications set in following a heart operation.John Arlott, the great broadcaster and cricket writer, termed it “inexplicable” that Shepherd never played for England, and, especially on responsive pitches, he would doubtless have made the grade. But he was never seriously considered and was up against some fine practitioners – the Surrey pair of Jim Laker and Tony Lock in the fifties, and by the likes of Raymond Illingworth and Fred Titmus later in his career.At the end of it all, he had 2218 first-class wickets, all of them genially claimed, and the most ever taken by a player who failed to represent England. It left him 22nd on the all-time list. He was a shrewd analyst of a batsman, with deceptive changes of pace and flight and his contentment in his work made him a captain’s dream.The lack of England recognition did not overly bother him. In a BBC interview to mark his 90th birthday, Shepherd recalled: “It never worried me. There were so many terrific offspinners around towards the end – Fred Titmus, David Allen, John Mortimore, Ray Illingworth – and they could bat, while I was a bit of a slogger. I was happy enough doing what I did and what happened to me through my life.”Glamorgan endured many lean years during his career, but there was achievement, too, in the winning of the 1969 county championship, which they finished unbeaten. Shepherd took the final wicket, and, to add to the happy coincidence, had taken his 2,000th first-class wicket earlier in the game. He took five or more wickets in an innings on 123 occasions.Victory against the 1964 Australians at Swansea, when he took 9 for 93 in the match, was quite a turn-up for the tourists who had only lost to one county side, Surrey, since 1912. To swell the outpouring of Welsh pride, the national Eisteddfod – a traditional Welsh festival of music, literature and performance arts – was being held a mile down the road and both teams accepted an invitation to attend one evening. Shepherd and Jim Pressdee, who between them had bowled out the Australians in the first innings on a rain-freshened pitch, were given a huge ovation.Shepherd later recalled: “After going up on the stage, we were so full of that there was no way we were going to lose that match.”Glamorgan followed up with another defeat of the tourists in 1968, this time with Shepherd standing in as skipper for Tony Lewis. Some put the victory down to Shep’s “guile and cunning”, a tribute he would treat with characteristic modesty. No wonder Australia always regarded him highly.He had few pretensions as a batsman, and called himself “a walking wicket”, although his rustic hitting brought much pleasure, and said he was able to empty “bar and beer tent in five seconds flat”. There was nothing better than his 51 in 11 scoring shots against Australia at Swansea in 1961.Glamorgan had collapsed to 94 for 8, undone by the legspin of Richie Benaud and left-arm wristspinner Lindsay Kline, who both benefited from a dry and dusty surface, tailor-made for Shepherd. His 50 came in 15 minutes and off 21 balls, equalling the world record. Famously, Benaud termed it “the greatest bit of sustained hitting that I have ever seen in my life”.Shepherd would often reflect: “Most things used to happen at Swansea”, and, as his home town, that made things all the more pleasurable.As a fast-medium bowler, he took 155 wickets in 1952, winning his county cap, but he lost his form in the mid-1950s, and, after advice from senior players including wicketkeeper Haydn Davies, converted to bowling offcutters as a result. In the first season of this change – 1956 – he took 168 wickets, and he exceeded 100 wickets 12 times in all. Lean and crinkly-haired, canny and persevering, he became one of the county game’s most reliable figures.The nearest he got to an England call-up was a match for MCC against the West Indians at Lord’s in 1957 and a tour of Ceylon and Far East with MCC in 1969-70. He was named one of ‘s Cricketers of the Year in 1970, a tribute he marked by taking 106 first-class wickets that summer, more than any other player in first-class cricket.He was a hugely popular figure on Glamorgan grounds after his retirement, a shrewd and respected bowling coach who acted as a mentor for many years for Robert Croft, a Glamorgan offspinner who go on to play for England.He was also a genial commentator on BBC Radio Wales, where his melodious and affable judgments were much prized, and where his double act with fellow commentator Eddie Bevan was the very essence of cricket in Wales. After the broadcast was over, he would generally lean against the bar and chat about the game some more, in generous and forgiving tones which made him a wonderful representative of the game he cherished.

A move to Tottenham Hotspur is something Manchester United's Harry Maguire would "consider", even without the lure of Champions League football, claims journalist Paul Brown.

Is Harry Maguire joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer?

In a shock to absolutely nobody, Spurs' summer window has once again been dominated by another Harry Kane transfer saga, with links to German giants Bayern Munich refusing to disperse and, if anything, getting stronger as the Bavarians become more bullish in their attempts to sign the England captain.

With only a year left on his £200,000-a-week deal, this saga will continue dominating the narrative around the Lilywhites until a decision is made.

However, this isn't necessarily the worst thing, as it might mean that the club can go about making their own signings with less scrutiny, and so far, they have added real quality to both the first team and squad.

The marquee signing is undeniably James Maddison, but Guglimlo Vicario and Manor Solomon look like shrewd acquisitions in a market increasingly losing any touch it once had with reality.

However, for as good as the recruitment has been thus far, the one area of the team that needs the most attention is centre-back, as the club managed to ship a staggering 63 goals across their 38 Premier League games last season.

The two names linked to the club the most over the last few weeks have been Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen and Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg. However, another name has recently entered the rumour mill, former United captain Maguire.

According to reports from Spain (via Football 365), the England international is emerging as a critical target for the Lilywhites as his time at Old Trafford looks to have finally come to an end.

What has Paul Brown said about Harry Maguire and Tottenham Hotspur?

Brown explained that even without the lure of Champions League football, Spurs is a club that Maguire would consider, primarily due to its size and stature.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I think Maguire at Spurs is quite an interesting one. It might be a club he'd consider. I know obviously, they finished well off the Champions League pace last season, so I don't have that to offer him but I think you know, the size of the club and the reputation of it.

"I think it's something, I think it's a move he would consider."

Should Tottenham sign Harry Maguire?

One thing the club should be prepared for if they do pull the trigger on this signing is the fan backlash. The image Maguire has cultivated over the last few years is one of a walking disaster, and fans might fear the worst should he join.

However, as with many opinions in football, it's not entirely true, and the former Foxes man could certainly be useful to Ange Postecoglou in his new-look Spurs side.

His underlying numbers, for example, are actually quite impressive and suggest that in the right system, he could well get back to his best form, the form that saw him earn that £80m move to the Red Devils in the first place.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "unbelievable" 6 foot 4 sits in the top 11% for blocks, the top 12% for aerial duals won, the top 13% for touches in the oppositions penalty area, the top17% for attempted passes, the top 19% progressive carries, and the top 26% for progressive passes received, all per 90.

It should also be noted that in the last World Cup, he was voted into Sky Sports' Team of the Tournament, and in Euro 2020 – when England almost won it all – he was named in the official Team of the Tournament.

Ultimately, if Spurs can get this deal done for a relatively low price and weather the stick and attention they'll surely get, this could end up being a great piece of business.

Newcastle United have already completed their first summer signing with Sandro Tonali joining the club ahead of next season and now a new update has emerged on the club's next potential transfer target.

Will Newcastle sign Goncalo Inacio?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle remain keen on signing Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer.

As per the report, the Magpies are hoping they can seal the deal for a cut-price fee instead of paying the talented centre-back's €60m (£51m) release clause.

It is claimed that Eddie Howe is keen to bolster key areas of his squad this summer to ensure Newcastle can compete in Europe and it is believed that Inacio is seen as a long-term investment for the club.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

There is no doubt that Howe will be wanting to strengthen his squad ahead of the club's long-awaited return to Champions League football, and the acquisition of Tonali is a testament to the coach's desire to add some much-needed European experience.

Indeed, the likes of Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have all earned opportunities to play on the elite European stage before their time at St James' Park, however, it would be advantageous to add more experience in key roles.

As a result, the signing of Inacio could not only be a great chance to add another player with Champions League experience but also offers Howe a youthful prospect he can develop and polish to become his next defensive prodigy.

Fabian Schar is now 31 years old and potentially reaching the latter stages of his career, so identifying a worthy successor in his role and a player who can form a successful centre-back partnership with Botman will be a priority for Howe in the not-so-distant future.

As per FBref, Inacio – hailed a "sensation" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the men's next eight leagues for shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, progressive carries, progressive passes, pass completion and assists, demonstrating that he is a confident ball-winner with no trouble providing attacking opportunities to his teammates.

Despite being only 21 years old, the Portuguese youngster has already tallied up 122 appearances for Sporting as a first-team regular and due to his impressive development has more recently earned a spot in his national team, with Roberto Martinez handing his debut to the defender in the UEFA Euro qualifying fixtures back in March 2023.

The left-footed Sporting star boasts several similarities to Botman in his style of play and when comparing their output last season the pair came close in a number of key attributes including aerial duels won (60.2% v 65.2%), tackles won (23 v 24), successful take-ons (85% v 100%) and pass completion (89.6% v 86.5%).

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Howe to bolster his defensive options this summer and bringing in a player like Inacio who has similar qualities to Botman could double up their threatening presence when playing out from the back and ultimately make the side unstoppable in their pursuit for success.

Leeds United are keen on bringing in West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby this summer as the Yorkshire club try to supplement potential midfield departures, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Jayson Molumby?

According to The Sun's Alan Nixon on Patreon, Molumby has been identified as a target for Leeds this summer as they prepare for life in the Championship.

Former England international Carlton Palmer has tipped the £17k-a-week earner to be a success at the Whites if he does swap the Hawthorns for Elland Road in the off-season, stating in an interview with Football League World:

“Jayson Molumby would be a fantastic signing for Leeds. He’s still only 23 years of age, already capped for the Republic of Ireland 20 times. He will provide energy and tenacity to the Leeds midfield. [He’s a] genuine box-to-box midfield player, who also will chip in with goals, eight goals from midfield last season. Would be a very, very good signing for Leeds United.”

Molumby was a crucial component of Carlos Corberan's West Brom outfit in 2022/23, registering four goals and four assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

There is a possibility that Corberan and the £17k-per-week Molumby both pitch up at Leeds United, with the latter in contention for the managerial post at Elland Road, as per Football Insider.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Molumby would be a solid addition for Leeds United as they look towards competing in the English second tier.

Jones told FFC: "I think he also has the nous to be good enough for what they need straight away from the off in the Championship. I think that'll be really interesting, especially at a time when they're looking to move on from McKennie and probably Aaronson and, unfortunately for Leeds, probably Tyler Adams as well."

What midfielders could Leeds United part ways with this summer?

In light of their relegation from the Premier League, several individuals in midfield could leave Leeds United this summer, which may have prompted their interest in Molumby.

According to The Daily Mail, Leeds United enforcer Tyler Adams could be set to depart Elland Road, with Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton and Nottingham Forest all keen to offer the American a return to the top-flight.

90min also understand that Brenden Aaronson has a release clause of £25 million in his contract at Leeds United and may be another casualty this window.

FootballTransfers report that Jack Harrison is attracting interest from Everton and could fall by the wayside due to having a relegation release clause worth around £16 million.

It is apparent there could be some major changes made in the Leeds midfield this summer which could certainly lead to a number of new faces being forced to come through the doors over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur target David Raya may hold out on the Lilywhites' interest to see if any offers from a club in the Champions League arise for him, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving David Raya?

According to Football Insider, Manchester United may rival Tottenham in their pursuit of Raya this summer as they look to find a replacement for veteran stopper David de Gea.

The report states that both clubs are courting the £25k-a-week ace and he is said to have impressed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag due to his ability to play out with the ball at his feet.

90min have claimed that Spurs could walk away from the deal amid concerns over Brentford's asking price, which is believed to be around £40 million.

Raya is said to be keen on moving across London to join Tottenham; however, the north Londoners could be forced to turn their attention towards alternatives, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Gregor Kobel, Robert Sanchez and Guglielmo Vicario all in their thoughts as Ange Postecoglou aims to get a long-term number one goalkeeper into the building.

Brentford have already added to their goalkeeping ranks by bringing in former Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken on a long-term contract at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown wouldn't be surprised if Raya was to hold off on joining Spurs to see if offers come in from clubs that will feature in the Champions League in 2023/24.

Brown told FFC: "I don't think personal terms will be an issue between Spurs and Raya, but I also don't think he's in a massive hurry to get this done. I think it suits him really to wait and see if a Champions League team comes in for him; there is a possibility that might happen."

How did David Raya fare for Brentford during the 2022/23 season?

Raya fared well for Brentford during the campaign just gone and it is unsurprising that he has attracted interest from high-level sides such as Tottenham and Manchester United due to his performances.

In 2022/23, the Spain international made 39 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and managed to keep 12 clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Raya also achieved a save percentage rate of 77.7% in the Premier League, demonstrating his presence as a reliable figure between the sticks.

WhoScored show that Raya was Brentford's fifth-most consistent performer over the course of the term behind Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo, Ethan Pinnock and Ivan Toney, gaining an average match rating of 6.92/10.

Spurs could do with someone of Raya's ilk as their last line of defence; however, it remains to be seen whether they can close a deal to sign the Brentford goalkeeper this window.