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Liverpool are "actively working" on bringing Romeo Lavia to Anfield despite there being "nothing advanced" between the Reds and Southampton at present, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Lavia joining Liverpool?

Jurgen Klopp has barely had a moment to catch his breath this summer. Alongside sporting director and compatriot Jorg Schmadtke, the Reds boss has been busy in the transfer window already and his hectic schedule shows no signs of slowing down as the beginning of the season edges closer.

Liverpool have already signed Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai having lost Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Roberto Firmino on free transfers.

The Reds have also been busy finalising loan deals for a number of the club's young prospects including Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Calvin Ramsay.

But Klopp has already made it clear that he is far from done in the market as his squad still looks some way from being able to rediscover the blistering form exhibited in previous seasons.

With Jordan Henderson having all but left for Al Ettifaq and Fabinho potentially on his way to Saudi Arabia too, Klopp will need to bolster his midfield even further in the transfer window.

Therefore, Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia could materialise into a transfer this summer, with the 19-year-old Southampton midfielder destined for a return to the Premier League off the back of a wonderful season on the south coast.

According to transfer expert Romano, Liverpool are still working on a deal to bring the Belgian to Anfield but there are is nothing concrete in place between the Reds and Southampton.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Mentioning Liverpool, let me say again that nothing is advanced in terms of bids and club to club negotiation, but Liverpool keep working on Romeo Lavia deal.

"Liverpool are keeping contacts with his agent, are still discussing to understand the final price tag. Southampton always wanted around £50m but Liverpool are still hoping for a different fee at the end of the story. So, Liverpool are still there for Romeo Lavia. He's not the only target but for sure he's a target and is a concrete one."

He added: "Liverpool actively working on that on player side. Let's see what happens on that one."

Links with Lavia had gone somewhat quiet in recent days but this will come as positive news to Liverpool fans hopeful of securing the teenager's signature this summer.

Lavia would be an obvious replacement for Fabinho should he leave the club and at 19-years-old could be a starter for the Reds for years and years to come, but Klopp may have to fend off interest from Chelsea and Arsenal to land his target.

How good is Lavia?

Lavia made 29 Premier League appearances for Southampton last season following his arrival from Manchester City and continually shone in an often pitiful Saints side.

A defensive midfielder with a great reading of the game, Lavia averaged 2.43 tackles, 1.9 blocks and 1.34 interceptions per 90 minutes in the league last season, despite often being left woefully exposed by those around him.

At times he was required to be one-man midfield and performed admirably in such a role, especially given it was his debut season in the Premier League, and the one-cap international averaged a 6.8 Sofascore rating last campaign.

At 19-years-old he may not be ready to start 40+ games for Liverpool next season, which is one dilemma Klopp faces if he brings the inexperienced prodigy to Merseyside, but his potential makes him a tantalising prospect at a relatively low price point.

At this stage of the year, there seems to be more interest in transfers than there is in actual football. Indeed, it seems some fans would rather ‘win the transfer market’ than actually win a genuine bit of silverware.With that being the case, one of the undisputed kings of the summer window is Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano who has built up a reputation for breaking many of the best transfer stories over the last few seasons. In an interesting twist on things, however, instead of focusing on his transfer reporting as usual, supporters have been able to actually critique his footballing ability thanks to some recent footage that was shared online.

Can Fabrizio Romano play football?

Twitter user JD Football posted a short clip on social media of the transfer guru playing a game of football in the dead of night after a hard day’s work.

The video included a caption saying: “Football game after transfer news day at 2am… Here we go!”

In the clip, Romano showed that he wasn’t too bad with the ball at his feet either. Indeed, in one instance, he rolls the ball past his defender before curling in a fine shot with the outside of his foot to score. While in another brief highlight, he controls the ball superbly before flicking it in on the bounce to score again.

Romano saw the video shared online and took to Twitter to simply reply with the eyes emoji.

Fans had some fun with the footage too, sharing their own reactions to the surprising highlights package of the Italian journalist.

Which team does Fabrizio Romano support?

It might be a bit of a surprise to see that Romano is actually any good at football. After all, he once told Bleacher Report that he prefers transfers to actual games of football.

Indeed, he explained: “I feel excited when I get a big story. For me, it’s like scoring an important goal in a big match. I remember when Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United; that was a good one for me. When you put in so much on one story, and I get the news it has finally happened, I feel excited.

“People ask me which team I support, but it is not about that. I am excited because of the way the signing will make people feel.”

He added: “I prefer the transfer window to the actual football matches! Of course I love games, but there is an excitement about working on the market and how things can change so quickly.”

According to SportsKeeda, Romano is a fan of Championship outfit Watford and has been since 2013 after witnessing their remarkable comeback against Leicester City in the Championship playoffs – you remember, the one where Manuel Almunia saved the penalty and then Troy Deeney immediately scored on the counter.

Supposedly from that moment on, the Hornets – who have an Italian connection as they are owned by the Pozzo family who also own Udinese – became the club for Romano and he even chooses them when playing FIFA career mode and Football Manager.

Their bowling remains as strong and varied as ever, but their batsmen have been struggling to cope with the demands of modern-day limited-overs cricket

Umar Farooq30-May-20171:20

Babar Azam – The new face of Pakistan’s batting

Overview

Pakistan cricket has always been associated with great symbols – their unpredictability, and boldness to unleash young surprise packages to name a couple. Now, however, those associations seem more diluted. There are more challenges than ever before with the team fluctuating around the bottom three spots in the ICC ODI rankings. They were on the verge of losing a berth in the Champions Trophy and barely managed to qualify.Squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz

Pakistan have won all the major titles – World Cup, World T20, Asia Cup – but the Champions Trophy crown has eluded them. The closest they came was in 2009 when a crucial catch dropped by Younis Khan halted their progress into the final. Pakistan’s record in the 2013 edition was rather modest – knocked out losing all three games, and losing to India meant they lost their unbeaten record in the tournament against India.Pakistan are slotted in the same group as arch-rivals India, Sri Lanka and South Africa, the only Full Member they beat in the 2015 World Cup. They have already had to do away with one captain [Azhar Ali] and they go into the Champions Trophy ranked No. 8 but the next couple of weeks present them a rare opportunity. The young players coming into the squad – legspinner Shadab Khan, fast bowler Hasan Ali – and even Sarfraz Ahmed, the newly appointed captain will, once and for all, know if they can cut it with the best in the world.

Champions Trophy history

1998 – first-round exit
2000 – semi-final lost
2002- first-round exit
2004 – semi-final lost
2006 – first-round exit
2009 – semi-final lost
2013 – first-round exit

Form guide

Pakistan beat WestIndies 2-1 in their most recent ODI series, a tournament that was played with the added pressure of getting a rankings boost ahead of the September 30 deadline for direct qualification into the 2019 World Cup. Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam made match-winning hundreds and Mohammad Hafeez was the highest run-getter in the series with 201 runs at an average of 67.

Strength

“The return of my swing will make a huge difference in conditions like England,” Mohammad Amir said. Amir will lead the bowling attack, which remains the team’s biggest strength. The 18-year old legspinner Shadab had a fantastic introduction to T20Is, picking up 10 wickets in four games, and has been backed to replicate that performance in 50-overs as well. Pakistan will also look for impactful performances from Junaid Khan, who made his ODI comeback against Australia earlier this year, and Wahab Riaz, with his sheer pace.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Weakness

Pakistan’s limited-overs batting has been strewn with unbelievable collapses. To add to that, concerns regarding the strike-rates of their batsmen have also risen and cost them games recently. The team appears to be struggling to adapt to the pace of one-day cricket, where power-hitting has become a major aspect. In the period between 2012 and 2015, Pakistan’s scoring rate in the first 10 overs hovered close to the 4.5 runs per over mark, only gradually improving over the last two seasons and climbing to over 5. Their scoring rate in the last 10 overs has also shown similar improvement after a period of prolonged struggle. They have already lost their best power-hitter, Sharjeel Khan, in the wake of the PSL corruption case, while Umar Akmal was removed from the squad after failing a fitness test. With the batting unit lacking in firepower, their bowlers will be under a significant amount of pressure.

Key stats

Malik is set to feature in his sixth Champions Trophy tournament, the most among current players. He made his tournament debut in 2002, and since then has played all editions of the tournament. He has scored 326 runs and taken 10 wickets in 15 Champions Trophy games. The last time a Pakistan batsman scored a century in the Champions Trophy was in 2009 when Malik made 128 against India in Centurion. Saeed Anwar, who struck two of them in Nairobi in 2000, is the only other batsman from Pakistan to have scored a century in the tournament. Among the current Pakistan bowlers, Junaid Khan has dismissed Virat Kohli the most in ODIs – three times, all during the 2012-13 series.

A third consecutive season of European football beckons for West Ham United, who must begin shaping their squad for yet another gruelling campaign.

Last summer, the Irons splashed a whopping £179m, and they are likely to replicate a similar level of spending this summer as they're set to land a monstrous £105m from Arsenal for Declan Rice.

Jonathan Tah is a player constantly linked with West Ham and could make the switch from Germany during this transfer window.

What’s the latest Jonathan Tah to West Ham?

According to the Rheinische Post (via Sport Witness), Tah’s desire to play in the Premier League has 'long been documented' and West Ham are keenly tracking his services.

This outlet also revealed that the 27-year-old has a €18m (£15m) release clause valid until 10 July and the Hammers are described as a 'hot candidate' in the race for his signature.

It is understood that even if this isn’t triggered, it is still 'conceivable' for the German to change clubs before the window shuts, allowing David Moyes the opportunity to pounce.

Negotiations could be made easier as West Ham has recently appointed former Bayer Leverkusen sports coordinator Tim Steidten as their new technical director.

Is Jonathan Tah a good signing for West Ham?

Last season, the centre-back notched 47 appearances in all competitions and formed a magnificent defensive triumvirate with Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie.

Standing at a colossal 6 foot 5, Tah is a pillar of calmness and composure. This is supported by his rank within the best 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90.

Clearly highly competent with the ball at his feet, the £48k-per-week man is also extremely collected in defensive situations, having made no errors leading to a shot or a goal in the Bundesliga in the 2022/23 campaign from his 33 league outings, whilst also failing to concede a penalty.

Upon his arrival to Leverkusen, then-sporting director Rudi Voller described Tah as “quick, technically gifted but still robust.” Meanwhile, Christoph Kramer has labelled him as a “real battleship.”

If Tah can secure a move to the London Stadium he could form a solid defensive partnership with Nayef Aguerd, who when fit and available, has largely looked like a reliable asset, having been "playing well" in his short time at the club to date, according to teammate Kurt Zouma.

He was perhaps at his most impressive during Morocco’s history-making World Cup campaign, in which they became the first-ever African side to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

In the four games he featured in, the 6 foot 3 centre-back was part of two clean sheets, averaging three clearances, one interception and one tackle per game, whilst winning 69% of his total duels and not being dribbled past across the campaign.

From a wider perspective, Aguerd has also performed admirably for West Ham as he ranks within the best 25% for clearances and blocks per 90 across the last 365 days. After a season to acclimatise and adapt to English football, he looks ready for a campaign of consistent football if he can stay clear of injury.

Moreover, a partnership with Tah makes sense as Aguerd is left-footed whilst the Leverkusen star is right-footed. With Angelo Ogbonna no spring chicken at the age of 35 and with the worrying injury record of Zouma, there is a high chance there could be a new-look defence for Moyes next term.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have slumped at the business end of the tournament. They need to win against the rampaging Mumbai Indians for a start, and hope Kings XI’s results go in their favour

The Preview by Sreshth Shah07-May-2017Match factsSunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians
Hyderabad, May 8, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Head-to-headOverall: The two teams have faced off nine times and Mumbai Indians lead the battle 5-4.This season: Nitish Rana and Krunal Pandya shepherded Mumbai chase in a four-wicket win at the Wankhede.Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad (fourth): lost to Rising Pune Supergiant by 12 runs, lost to Delhi Daredevils by six wickets, defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 48 runs
Mumbai Indians (first): defeated Daredevils by 146 runs, defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets, defeated Gujarat Lions in the Super Over

In the newsSunrisers, who have lost their previous two games, will go back to being without Ashish Nehra. Team mentor VVS Laxman, confirmed on Saturday that the bowler – who left the field after bowling 1.1 overs on Saturday – is injured. Laxman said the hamstring pull Nehra suffered was not on the same leg he had had operated last year. It will be assessed on Monday. Mohammed Siraj will likely be Nehra’s replacement.For Mumbai Indians, Jos Buttler is set to leave for national duty. Lendl Simmons has made himself the obvious choice in his place. Mumbai will miss Krunal Pandya once more. The allrounder hasn’t recovered and is not travelling with the team. Karn Sharma is expected to keep his place.Qualification scenarioWith Kings XI’s loss on Sunday, the most they can get to is 16 points. Sunrisers, currently on 13 points, can push past them and into the playoffs if they win both their remaining matches.Mumbai Indians are through to the playoffs. For a guaranteed top-two finish, Mumbai need to win two of their last three games. If Mumbai win one, their net run rate may still be good enough to get them two goes at the final. If they lose on Monday, Delhi Daredevils will be out of the IPL. But if they win, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiant will be through.The likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Moises Henriques, 6 Naman Ojha (wk), 7 Bipul Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Siddarth Kaul
Mumbai Indians 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Karn Sharma, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Strategy puntExpect Mumbai Indians to give the new ball to Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan has gone at less than six in the Powerplay this, and he has dismissed Warner thrice in the IPL. Malinga has removed Dhawan four times.Stats that matterMumbai’s win-loss ratio of 4.5 is their best in any IPL season. Harbhajan Singh has taken only eight wickets in nine games but has an economy of 5.82 this season. He has not gone at an economy of more than 6.75 in any match this season. Harbhajan’s economy in the Powerplay (5.12) is the best among all bowlers (minimum four overs). Shikhar Dhawan has picked up pace and form as the tournament has progressed. In his first five games, Dhawan scored 135 runs at a strike-rate of 112.50. Over the last six games, Dhawan has hit 253 runs at a strike-rate of 136.02. In their last five games, Sunrisers’ opening pair of Warner and Dhawan average 75.80 runs for the first wicket. The duo have scored four 50+ partnerships. Two of them have been partnerships of more than a hundred. Parthiv Patel has been dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar five times. Yuvraj Singh struggles against Harbhajan; he has scored 45 runs off 58 balls against him.

Australia and Bangladesh are at odds over the timing and format of the tour tentatively scheduled for later this year after the previously planned visit by Steven Smiths’ team was scuppered due to security concerns

Daniel Brettig03-Apr-2017Australia and Bangladesh are at odds over the timing and format of the tour tentatively scheduled for later this year after the previously planned visit by Steven Smiths’ team was scuppered due to security concerns.While the Future Tours Programme has Australia visiting Bangladesh in July for two Test matches as per the original 2015 plan, it has been reported that Cricket Australia (CA) suggested changing the tour to an ODI-based visit ahead of the limited-overs tour of India scheduled for October before the home Ashes summer.However the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is believed to have relayed to CA its preference for the tour to remain as originally mapped out, partly because the national team is presently in arguably the richest vein of Test-match form in its history, having registered wins over England and Sri Lanka in recent months.Among Bangladesh’s other reasons for maintaining the tour’s current place is that they have other proposed tours that clash with CA’s plan. Bangladesh are set to play Pakistan in July and August, before touring South Africa from mid-September to late October.The Australian proposal would by contrast maintain consistency for Smith’s team in the wake of the Champions Trophy in England. It would also allow for the selection of a limited overs-specific squad that would in turn offer the opportunity for numerous Test players to play a full Sheffield Shield schedule at home leading into the Ashes.CA and the players also need to consider rolling security assessments for Australian nationals in Bangladesh; previously, the Australian government’s travel-advice website had warned that Australians were subject to a specific threat in Bangladesh, leading to the cancellation of the 2015 tour. The current travel advice for Australians visiting the region is to “reconsider your need to travel” in light of “reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Western interests in Bangladesh”. A CA spokesperson said security remained a primary concern.”We are still hopeful of touring Bangladesh in the near future but the safety of players and officials will always come first,” he said. “We will continue to monitor advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our own security advisors about the security risk for any future tours of the Australian team in Bangladesh and make a decision based on this advice closer to any potential tour.”Discussions between CA and the BCB are ongoing.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has decided to remain in north London and is excited by the prospect of working with Ange Postecoglou.

Who is leaving Spurs?

The Lilywhites have moved quickly to confirm a few major additions for Postecoglou, perhaps most notably Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison.

The latter duo in particular represent great coups for Spurs, especially given Vicario cost just £17.4 million to prise away from Empoli, while Maddison's signing only set Tottenham back £40 million.

Speaking after the signings of both men, Postecoglou drew particular attention to their attitudes and elite mentalities, with the Austrailian explaining they are exactly what the club needs.

“It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers," said the former Celtic boss.

"It’s what they bring as people as well because we are going to play football that requires a certain type of personality and character.

“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room."

However, to make room for these players, certain squad members may be deemed surplus. Indeed, it is believed that Hugo Lloris, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele are nominations to follow Harry Winks out the door.

Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma left north London too, with Dier being one of the names linked to potentially leaving this summer. However, a new report has shed light on the Englishman's situation, and it's other contrary to reports.

Sharing an update on the 29-year-old and his future, reliable Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed he wants to remain at N17, all while being excited by the prospect of working with Postecoglou.

Gold wrote for football.london:

"Eric Dier, who has 12 months left on his contract and returned to training at Hotspur Way this week following his groin surgery at the end of last season, is understood to have no intention of departing the club this summer and is excited about the coming season under Postecoglou."

What's been said about Eric Dier?

The defender has endured his fair share of criticism over the last 12 months, with members of the media calling him "very poor" and "nowhere near the required level" for Spurs to succeed.

However, when at his best, the former Sporting Lisbon star can be a useful asset to Postecoglou. Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, speaking after a 2020 draw with Burnley, heaped praise on Dier for his versatility and attitude.

"I think it’s a question of self-esteem and self-confidence," said Mourinho.

“To be playing so well as a centre-back, to raise the levels of confidence and he goes to midfield and was very, very good. Very, very good.

“When people were asking about his frame of mind I think they don’t need to ask again because I think he was very, very good.”

Australia’s win in Pune was so special, captain Steven Smith knew to a day how long it had been since they won a Test in India

Brydon Coverdale25-Feb-2017If you thought for a moment that this was like any other win for Australia, think again. It was so special, so rare, that Steven Smith knew the length of the drought his men had broken. “We haven’t won a game here for 4502 days,” he said after Australia’s triumph in Pune. The number rolled easily off his tongue in every interview. It might be imprinted in his brain forever.When Australia last won a Test in India – in late 2004 – Smith was 15 years old, Matt Renshaw was an eight-year-old English boy living in New Zealand, Mitchell Starc was a 14-year-old wicketkeeper, and Steve O’Keefe was a 19-year-old yet to make his first-class debut.Here, Smith made a century he will remember for the rest of his life, Renshaw scored more runs than any Indian batsman, Starc scored more runs than any Indian batsman (to go with a couple of important wickets), and O’Keefe gained better figures than any visiting spinner had ever before achieved in a Test in India.And all of this on a pitch that should have suited India. “It was one of the most difficult wickets you’ll bat on,” Smith told ABC radio after the win. “This was, from day one, the driest surface and most inconsistent sort of spinning surface that I’ve ever seen. It’ll be interesting to see what they’ll come up with [for the second Test].”Yet for all of that, Australia outperformed India in every facet of the game, more than doubling India’s total in each innings. Their batsmen found ways to score, their bowlers created more chances, their fielders snapped them up. Australia’s frontline spinner, Nathan Lyon, took five wickets for the match, but the stand-out was O’Keefe, who claimed 12.Compare this to India’s two lead spinners: R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja managed “only” 12 wickets between them. Smith said the result was credit both to the way O’Keefe adjusted his bowling to suit the Indian conditions, and to the way Australia’s batsmen resisted the urge to chase deliveries that might turn away.”A lot of our right-handers – and left-handers – got beaten on the outside edge of the bat,” Smith said. “Those guys are big spinners of the ball, and generally it’s the one that goes straight that gets you in a bit of trouble. It’s great the guys are learning and actually playing for that straight one and allowing the other one to spin past the bat. That has been a big learning curve for us as a team for a while.”It’s great that we were able to implement the things that we’ve practised and talked about in the game. In regards to our spinners, I think SOK [O’Keefe], compared to Jadeja, probably goes a little bit wider of the crease and a little bit more side-arm, so potentially doesn’t have to get the ball to straighten quite as much to find the outside edge. It’s really smart bowling and you reap the rewards for that.”In the first innings, O’Keefe picked up three of his wickets through outside edges and one from a stumping that beat the edge; in the second, five of his six wickets came from attacking the stumps for lbw or bowled dismissals. His match haul of 12 for 70 was second only to Ian Botham’s 13-wicket bag in Mumbai in 1980 for a visiting bowler in India.”I love SOK’s willingness to learn, and try different things and adapt to different conditions,” Smith said. “He’s able to bowl differently to what he does back home. Back home he gets over the top of the ball a lot more, and here he comes around it and changes his seam positions and gets the most natural variation out of the wicket – very similar to Jadeja.”O’Keefe was Man of the Match, but Smith’s contribution was also significant. In the second innings, he came to the crease at 10 for 1 and soon Australia were 23 for 2; they had a healthy lead already, but a collapse could have handed the momentum back to India. Smith had some fortune, dropped three times, but went on to make 109. Among Australians, only Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn had previously made second-innings hundreds in India.”I obviously rode my luck throughout the innings and had a few lives, but you need a bit of luck on a wicket like that,” he said. “I was pleased with myself to score a second-innings hundred here in India and formulate some different sort of plans than how I normally play and problem-solve on the spot. From that aspect I’m pleased with myself and it was great we were able to get such a big lead.”That Australia emerged with a win in India for the first time in 4502 days was a remarkable achievement, and Smith was understandably proud of his men. But he was also at pains to note that much work remained in order to win the series – although as the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy one more victory would be enough for Australia to retain it.”It’s only one game,” Smith said. “It’s a four-match series, and we’d like to win the series. For us it’s about taking it one day at a time.”

Arnaut Danjuma is hoping for a move back to the Premier League this summer, with Crystal Palace among his potential suitors, according to Jack Rosser of The Sun.

The London club will need to find a way to replace the impact of Michael Olise after the winger suffered an injury blow that will see him miss the start of the Premier League season.

Crystal Palace transfer news – will they sign Arnaut Danjuma?

With Danjuma keen on a move back to the Premier League, a move to Crystal Palace could be on the cards this summer.

The Villarreal winger spent the second half of last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, but struggled to ever really gain an influential role in a struggling side, playing just 162 minutes in the league – the equivalent of just under two games.

As per Rosser, Villarreal want £25m for Danjuma this summer, but are open to another loan move in which could be positive news for Palace.

Would Arnaut Danjuma replicate Olise's quality?

Without Olise, Palace are undoubtedly a worse side. Last season, the Frenchman was involved in 13 goals for the London side, with 11 assists to his name.

Replacing that quality will be no easy task at the start of the season, but Palace will be left with no choice after his recent injury. And that's where Danjuma could come in.

Although he struggled to make the desired impact at Spurs, the 26-year-old has previously shone in England for Bournemouth, where he scored 15 times in the Championship, earning a move to Villarreal.

It was his debut season in Spain when Danjuma really burst into life, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, including six in the Champions League as the Yellow Submarine reached the semi-final stage.

So, the quality is certainly there, it's just about unlocking it. It could be said that around more unorthodox players such as Eberechi Eze, the winger could rediscover his best form.

When compared, both Danjuma and Olise are glaringly similar at their best when it comes to output. The reported Palace target completed more take-ons per 90 at his best for Villarreal in his debut season, whilst also enjoying a better take-on success percentage.

So, the ability to take players out of games in one-on-one situations that Roy Hodgson would lose without Olise can be gained by bringing Danjuma to Selhurst Park this summer.

In the Netherlands winger, you wouldn't be getting a player who assists as often as his French counterpart, but you would be getting a more natural goalscorer. And, given that Palace's top scorer last season was Eze with ten goals, another player who knows where the back of the net is wouldn't go amiss.

Speaking on Danjuma's quality, Kevin Phillips told Football Insider back in 2022: "On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.

“I know it was in the Championship but he’s proved he can perform in this country. I think he’d be available for reasonable money as well. I don’t think he’d cost the world.

“He is a player who can hurt any defence on his day. He’s shown that countless times. Players like him are a rarity in this day and age.”

With that said, it is clear that, if Palace do sign Danjuma, they'd be getting themselves a solution to their enforced Olise absence.

Jason Behrendorff finished with 9 for 37, the fifth-best Sheffield Shield figures, to help Western Australia gain control against Victoria

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Jason Behrendorff returned the second-best figures by a Western Australia bowler in first-class cricket•Getty ImagesIn his first domestic match on return from injury, Jason Behrendorff produced the fifth-best figures in Sheffield Shield history, a sensational 9 for 37, to help Western Australia bowl out Victoria for 117. In reply, Western Australia closed the first day in control at 178 for 4.Behrendorff began Victoria’s slide from the third ball of the match, having Marcus Harris pinned in front for a first-ball duck. In his next over, he had Marcus Stoinis caught behind before Victoria put on a temporary fightback. In the 12th over, Aaron Finch was caught off David Moody for 34, the only batsman not dismissed by Behrendorff. Daniel Christian top-scored with a quick 39.Opener Jon Wells carried Western Australia through with an unbeaten 70 off 164 balls. Along with a 59-ball 43 from Michael Klinger, Western Australia went to stumps with a lead of 61.