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Fulham are reportedly looking to pip Tottenham to a deal for Leeds United forward Dan James, according to ESPN’s James Olley.

The Lowdown: Spurs rumours

The 24-year-old has been linked with a late move to Spurs, with Antonio Conte’s side thought to be confident over a deal. Talks were reportedly at an advanced stage, although the Wales international is still with Leeds in the final hours of the transfer window.

It looks as if there has been a transfer twist, though, with another London club now keen on his services.

The Latest: Transfer twist

Olley, a senior reporter for ESPN, took to Twitter on Wednesday to provide an ‘update’ on James. He claimed that Fulham are ‘ready’ to match Leeds’ £20m asking price, with Tottenham only willing to sign the forward on loan.

Phil Hay has shared what he knows, stating that James’ preference is to remain at Elland Road but Leeds haven’t ruled out an exit just yet.

Fabrizio Romano has since claimed that a deal is close, though he believes it could be a loan move, so time will tell whether Leeds get any cash for the player come the end of the day.

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The Verdict: Decision to make

It doesn’t look like PSV’s Cody Gakpo will be heading to Yorkshire, and with time running out before the 11pm deadline, Leeds may have a decision to make regarding James.

It appears as if they could be tempted to sell the 24-year-old, but it would be a major gamble to green-light a move without a replacement lined up.

Victor Orta may well be working late into the night on the hunt for a forward, so James’ future could be one to keep an eye on today with Fulham now firmly in the race for the Welshman.

Sky Sports journalist and North East reporter Keith Downie shared the latest injury news for Newcastle United on Monday.

The Lowdown: Unavailable

Jonjo Shelvey was unavailable for the Tynesiders’ 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest at St. James’ Park on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, leaving question marks over the seriousness of his injury.

Luckily, Eddie Howe’s team did not need him in the end, as goals from Fabian Schar and Callum Wilson were enough to earn them all three points and the perfect start to the new campaign.

The Latest: Three months out…

Taking to Twitter 48 hours after the Forest match, Downie shared that Shelvey has had surgery on his hamstring, which he described as a ‘real blow’ for the player and his side:

“Jonjo Shelvey had surgery on his hamstring in London on Saturday, and is set to be out for the next 3 months. On the positive side, the World Cup break will give him a chance for a second “pre-season” in Nov/Dec. A real blow for the player & team, though.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Of course, losing a player of Shelvey’s quality for up to three months will be worrying for Howe and the Toon Army – at 30, it’s tough to know if he’ll even return the same player from a hamstring surgery.

The Englishman was a key player last term, playing in almost every match he was available for under Howe, scoring two goals and supplying one assist (Transfermarkt).

He also captained the side towards the back end of the season, showing his leadership qualities both on and off of the pitch, and so he will not be an easy void to fill in the middle of the park.

Rangers summer signings Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo trained with the team on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League qualifier, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ summer signings

The Light Blues have been busy at work during the transfer window this summer, with numerous arrivals and departures to and from Ibrox.

Last month, the Gers announced the signing of 21-year-old Rabbi Matondo, who made the switch to Glasgow from Schalke 04 in a deal worth £1.8m. The Wales international joined the German outfit from Manchester City in 2019 for a staggering £11m.

Giovanni van Bronckhost’s side also recently announced the arrival of Ridvan Yilmaz at Ibrox, who joined the club in a deal worth £3.4m plus add-ons. The Turkey international made his debut for Besiktas in 2019 as an 18-year-old and has since gone on to make 62 appearances in all competitions for the Super Lig giants.

The Latest: Campbell’s team news

With Matondo having missed out on Rangers’ opening game of the Premiership season against Livingston due to injury, Campbell has shared an update on the youngster’s fitness.

Also speaking about recent arrival Yilmaz, the reliable journalist took to Twitter on Monday morning to state: “Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo trained with the team yesterday ahead of the UCL qualifier tomorrow.

“Another session in store today but Van Bronckhorst says a couple of players are still doubts.”

The Verdict: Big boost

The inclusion of Matondo and Yilmaz in the Gers’ squad for their Champions League qualifier against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday will come as a big boost to Van Brockhorst’s side.

With it being Rangers’ first continental clash since the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt in May, the Light Blues will be desperate to progress in the Champions League this season.

However, with Saint-Gilloise narrowly missing out on the Belgian title last year, this will be no easy fixture for Van Bronckhorst’s men.

Therefore, the possible inclusion of the two new signings will come as a boost to Rangers, providing them with alternative options in the latter stages of the match in Belgium if needed.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Matheus Nunes this summer, and there has been a new update on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha (via Paisley Gates), there is a strong possibility that the 23-year-old will make the move to England, with the Reds remaining interested.

As per the report, Sporting Lisbon are now only interested in doing business in the transfer market to sell players at this point, and the midfielder seems one of the most likely outgoings for the Portuguese club.

Big Keita upgrade

The Reds are reportedly prioritising the midfield as key area to improve and strengthen after completing the club-record signing of Darwin Nunez this summer, and Nunes could be the perfect Naby Keita upgrade if FSG can secure a deal for the 23-year-old in the coming weeks.

The Guinea international will be out of contract in less than 12 months’ time, and although Liverpool are speculated to be in talks to negotiate a new deal for the midfielder, they may not need to if they can sign the Sporting star this summer.

According to FBRef, both Nunes and Keita matched up for goal contributions, scoring three goals and delivering one assist each, although there are many attributes where Nunes outperforms his positional peer on Merseyside.

The 23-year-old has a better shot on target accuracy (27.3%), created more big chances (six), made more tackles (two) and won more duels (6.5) on average per game, while also being more successful in completing his dribble attempts (70%) compared to Keita (63%).

The £42.2m-valued dynamo has been the recipient of high praise, with his former team-mate Goncalo Santos hailing him previously (via Liverpool Echo).

Santos said of Nunes: “It’s unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet. Nobody can catch him; it’s impossible because he’s too fast.

“If you are in the defensive phase and he gets the ball, he can run with it and fire the team 30 yards up the pitch because he is so good in possession.”

With that in mind, the powerbrokers at Anfield should carefully consider whether they ought to offer a new contract to Keita or sign an upgrade in Nunes this summer to replace the Guinea midfielder.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano drops Liverpool transfer update that’ll frustrate supporters

Leeds United have been tipped to launch a bid to secure a permanent move for Manchester City midfielder James McAtee.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ryan Taylor had this to say on the matter.

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He said: “I think McAtee is one that Leeds will look at permanently. They’re partial to that kind of deal. We saw them sign Lewis Bate from Chelsea, that kind of high potential youngster that they’re willing to invest in, although it hasn’t quite worked out yet.”

As a product of City’s youth academy, which has produced players such as Phil Foden, McAtee has made 93 appearances for the club across their senior and youth sides.

Over those appearances, the 19-year-old has scored 44 goals and delivered 27 assists in the process.

His latest campaign saw the midfielder score 18 goals and provide seven assists in 23 league appearances for City’s U23s.

He also made six senior appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, showing that he is on the fringes of breaking into the first team.

Leeds supporters will be buzzing

Should the Manchester club not be able to guarantee regular senior minutes for the teenager next season, perhaps a move away from the Etihad Stadium could be the best next step for him and his development.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to suggest that the Englishman would be an exciting signing for the Yorkshire club and have a lot of Leeds supporters buzzing to have such a promising young player in their ranks.

As Taylor also mentioned, the Whites have not been shy when it comes to signing young players from clubs across England.

In addition to Bate, figures such as Joe Gelhardt and Sean McGurk have made moves to Elland Road in recent years, highlighting just how eager the club can be when it comes to securing deals for young talents and developing them for the future.

Moving forward, if the Whites see an opportunity to potentially secure a loan, or even a permanent deal for the City starlet, this is definitely something that they should look to explore, as the possible long-term benefits could be huge for the club.

AND in other news: Marsch could seal the next £142m talent in Leeds bid for “magnificent” £16k-p/w target

Bundesliga reporter Stefan Bienkowski has revealed the latest transfer news that he’s ‘been told’ on reported Newcastle United target Moussa Diaby.

The Lowdown: Interest

It has been reported for some time that the St. James’ Park outfit hold an ‘interest’ in signing Diaby this summer, and he is ‘not unsellable’ for Bayer Leverkusen.

However, he could cost up to ‘€70m’ (£60.3m), which would smash the club-record £40m fee that they paid for Joelinton back in 2019.

The Latest: Offer made

Taking to Twitter, Bienkowski has revealed that the North East club are the only English side to have made an ‘offer’ for Diaby, although the winger is not interested in a move to Tyneside and is not pushing to leave Leverkusen:

“As I understand it, Newcastle are the only English team to have made an offer for Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby.

“However, I’ve also been told the player isn’t interested in a move to St James Park and isn’t pushing for an exit from Leverkusen either.”

The Verdict: Big blow

It is certainly a big blow to hear that Diaby is not interested in a move to the Magpies.

He scored no fewer than 17 goals and made a further 14 assists in total over all competitions last season (Transfermarkt), impressive numbers indeed for a winger.

The Frenchman has been praised by German media for his ‘amazing’ dribbling, ‘irresistible’ pace and ‘astonishing’ speed of thought, and he was even dubbed ‘unstoppable’ after scoring one goal and setting up another in a thumping 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach last term (Bundesliga).

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Toon will now have to look at other targets if they want to strengthen out wide this window.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has now revealed some significant news involving Everton.

The Lowdown: Leeds and Burnley compensation

As shared by iNews, both Leeds United and Burnley are now seeking £200m in compensation in order to try and offset the advantage that the Goodison Park outfit have received through alleged overspending.

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It is understood that representatives from the two clubs have formally requested that the Premier League order them not to delete any relevant information with regards to their accounts.

The Latest: Maguire shares latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has revealed that both Leeds and Burnley have decided to pursue a compensation claim regardless of which team were to get relegated to the Championship:

“There are some precedents which need to be considered.

“There was the Carlos Tevez case in 2005. West Ham agreed an out-of-court settlement with Sheffield United. That was nothing to do with FFP because it didn’t exist then.

“But we have recently had a settlement between the owners of Derby County and Middlesbrough with regards to FFP breaches.

“You can understand why Burnley and Leeds are doing this. My understanding is that they have decided to pursue this regardless of who got relegated.”

The Verdict: Significant

The fact that Leeds and Burnley are pursuing this, despite the Clarets going down and Leeds and the Toffees staying up, is significant.

The claim could have easily been thought of in bitter taste, but it looks as if the Blues could still have a potential problem on their hands given Leeds’ involvement even after staying up.

If the claim is successful, then this may alter their transfer plans significantly for the summer, and they will not want to be restricted spending-wise again, after only spending a mere £1.7m last summer.

Nonetheless, the Merseyside club will still be confident that they have not broken any rules, and will continue with their plans as normal for now.

In other news, find out which ‘reckless’ flop EFC could now sell this summer here!

Liverpool are long-term admirers of Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo and could make a move for him this summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Zaniolo, 22, is predominantly a right winger but he’s also played 17 matches this season in a second striker role. That means he could provide cover and competition for Mohamed Salah, but may also be able to operate as a false nine in the manner of Roberto Firmino, for example.

Liverpool, of course, signed both Salah and Alisson from Roma in 2017 and 2018 for fees of £34million and £67million respectively.

And it seems Julian Ward, taking over as sporting director from Michael Edwards, could look to find more success by shopping in the Italian capital.

Zaniolo has just over two years remaining on his deal at the Stadio Olimpico, though his current focus may be on preparations for the Europa Conference League final against Feyenoord on 25 May.

His hat-trick against Bodo/Glimt last month helped steer Jose Mourinho’s side into the semifinals.

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The latest

The Italian press claim Zaniolo has been a Liverpool target for some time, so this is seemingly an Edwards target being carried over into Ward’s new role.

If the player is to extend his stay at Roma, he wants a contract worth €4million per year, which equates to about £65,000 per week, says the report. But if he’s to leave, he won’t be short of suitors, either domestically or abroad.

Juventus and AC Milan are waiting in the wings, and the player’s first instinct is apparently to remain in Italy.

He would apparently find it difficult to turn down a ‘super offer’ from overseas though, as Liverpool and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur ‘have continued to monitor him for some time’.

It’s thought that he would cost somewhere between €65million and €70million (£55.3million-£59.5million).

The verdict

Is Zaniolo good enough for Liverpool? His goals/assists record this season is good without being spectacular – seven scored, eight assisted in 39 appearances across all competitions.

But it’s important to remember that he’s still a young player and that his development has badly affected by injury. The Italian suffered two anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the space of a year, so patience may be required.

What’s more, some of Zaniolo’s underlying numbers are strong. He records a high volume of dribbles (81st percentile), touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received (both 80th), highlighting his technical proficiency and intelligent movement.

This is the former Serie A Young Player of the Year, and Klopp may believe he can unlock his potential.

In other news, Liverpool may have found a Jordan Henderson replacement.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Leicester City’s James Maddison ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies will continue to keep tabs on the English midfielder and his situation at the King Power, although they face a battle to land him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “They’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it, but Leicester’s situation will determine whether he becomes available.

“It’s hard to imagine that they’re going to let anyone leave halfway through a season when they’re fighting for their Premier League status.

“They’ve already had players ripped out and they’re struggling to bounce back from that.”

Howe’s next Guimaraes

At the halfway point in the 2021/22 campaign, Newcastle were 19th in the Premier League table and in desperate need of a magic touch on the pitch.

The signing of Bruno Guimaraes, with help from the likes of Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, provided that spark as he hit the ground running in England.

He averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.25 in the top-flight – higher than any other Toon player with 10+ appearances – and scored five goals in 11 starts as he led the club to an 11th-placed finish – 14 points clear of 18th.

Whilst Newcastle may not be sitting in such a precarious position come January this time around, Maddison could come in and push the team further up the table by injecting more quality into Howe’s attack.

The gem, who is valued at £60m by his current club, has proven that he can score and assist goals at an impressive rate in the Premier League and would be a major upgrade on the Magpies’ current options.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Maddison has scored 22 goals and provided 16 assists in the top-flight for Leicester – including 12 goals and eight assists last term.

Meanwhile, no Newcastle player managed more than eight goals or five assists in 2021/22, with Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin leading the way.

These statistics suggest that Maddison, who was once dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave, would improve Eddie Howe’s options both in terms of scoring goals and creating them.

Therefore, he could come in and hit the ground running – given he has already proven himself in the Premier League – just like Guimaraes did in January 2021. He could make an instant impact on the side, by elevating the attack, and give them a lift in the second half of the season – if the club can convince Leicester to part ways with him.

All you need to know about the side behind the latest shock result in international cricket

Srinath Sripath30-Sep-2019Double-take, but did you say Singapore’s men’s senior team beat Zimbabwe’s men’s senior team on Sunday?Yes, that’s right.At cricket?That’s why we’re talking about it.The Zimbabwe of the Flowers, Taibus, Taylors and Streaks?The same.An exhibition game right, that doesn’t count towards anything?Nope, it very much is official and it very much does count. Zimbabwe are playing a T20I tri-series in Singapore, where Nepal are the third side. And since April 2018, when the ICC granted T20 status to all its members, each and every 20-over game between any of the 104 member nations counts towards official records.Wow. But it must’ve been a fluke?Not so much. Singapore are among the fastest rising member nations around the globe. Just last month, they beat Nepal and made it to the qualifiers for the T20 World Cup, as one of 14 teams. Six of those will actually make it to the 16-team World Cup next year.ALSO READ: Singapore create history by clinching T20I victory over ZimbabweZimbabwe were probably not at their strongest…They certainly haven’t fielded their full-strength side for this series, with a number of big names like Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine*, Chris Mpofu and Sikandar Raza missing for varying reasons. Instead, they’re looking at this tri-series to give an opportunity to some of their younger and upcoming players, but none of that is to take away any credit away from Singapore. To put things in perspective, Singapore were playing a Test nation for the first time, and their players had a combined experience of 43 T20Is, compared to Zimbabwe’s 136.And Zimbabwe are still a Test nation right?Yes, they’re still among the ICC’s 12 Full Members, the elite sides who play all three formats. But they have been hit by one crisis after another. They are currently under suspension because of government interference in their cricket administration, and barred from competing in ICC competitions, which has ruled them out of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. And they have also been hit by the retirement of former captain Hamilton Masakadza, one of their longest-serving players and leading batsman.Singapore are ranked just six places below Zimbabwe in the men’s T20I rankings•ESPNcricinfo LtdThat’s sad. Where has all this left them?As low as 15th on the ICC men’s T20I rankings, which means they are only six places above Singapore who, at 21, are at their highest-ever ranking. They’re above the likes of Kenya and Canada. You might remember that Zimbabwe (with Masakadza’s help) beat seventh-ranked Afghanistan just a couple of weeks ago.SEVENTH-RANKED Afghanistan lost to FIFTEENTH-RANKED Zimbabwe? Is that what you just said?Yes, but let’s focus on Singapore.Sure. Tell me more about their side. Aren’t the players all just South Asian expats living there?Singapore have been lurking as a solid team in 50-over cricket for a long time in the World Cricket League era, the second-tier one-day competition for Associates, with a mix of players comprised primarily of south Asian expats. But their fortunes took a dramatic shift this year with the arrival of Tim David, a Perth-based hard-hitting batsman who has been a member of the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.The 23-year-old David qualifies for Singapore by virtue of being born there and has played a massive role in Singapore’s recent success in all formats. He made 77 off 43 balls against Nepal in July in a win that sealed Singapore’s place in the upcoming T20 World Cup Qualifiers, top-scored with 41 off 24 balls in the win over Zimbabwe and was the tournament’s leading scorer with four half-centuries in five innings in the recent opening round of the new Cricket World Cup Challenge League one-day tournament (which has replaced the World Cricket League) held in Malaysia, where Singapore went 4-1 a week before this tri-series with Nepal and Zimbabwe.Are Singapore the smallest ever nation to beat a Test team like Zimbabwe?Hong Kong come close. They’ve beaten Bangladesh in the past. But Singapore probably are the smallest nation to beat a Test side in an official international game. They have less than a third of Zimbabwe’s population, and roughly 3% of geographical size. Sure, New Zealand and Ireland have fewer people, but they aren’t tiny city-states, are they?Singapore beat Nepal to make it to the World T20 Qualifiers•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen are Singapore playing in this World T20 Qualifier? And how can I follow their progress?They are competing less than a month from now, and need to qualify out of a group featuring Scotland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Namibia, all ranked above them. The tournament runs from October 18 to November 2 in the UAE.Anything else I should know?Singapore only played their first T20 international three months ago, and have since won four of their five games. After Afghanistan, Nepal and Oman, they could be the next big success story from South Asia. While Afghanistan and Nepal’s rise are more widely known, Oman, who famously beat Ireland in the 2016 T20 World Cup, will go into the T20 World Cup Qualifiers as one of the favourites.*Oct 1, 09.25GMT: The piece was amended to reflect the fact that it was Craig Ervine missing in action for Zimbabwe, not his brother Sean