All posts by h716a5.icu

A Kevin Pietersen cameo in his last appearance for the Melbourne Stars left the Hobart Hurricanes’ semi-final hopes in the hands of other teams

The Report by Alex Malcolm27-Jan-2018Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Hobart Hurricanes had a semi-final berth in their own hands.But a Kevin Pietersen cameo, in his last appearance for the Melbourne Stars, combined with a multitude of tactical and execution errors by the Hurricanes, saw the game slip through their fingers. Their semi-final fate now rests on the result of the match between the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat.The Hurricanes did everything right with the bat, posting a formidable total without a single run contributed by star opener D’Arcy Short. Daniel Christian, George Bailey and Nathan Reardon, in his first T20 match in over 12 months, all played superb hands as the Stars’ bowling and fielding dropped to a new low.The Stars needed 115 runs from 64 balls in the chase with six wickets in hand. Pietersen, John Hastings and Evan Gulbis produced some stunning power-hitting as the Hurricanes lost the plot with the ball. The Stars got home with five balls to spare.Getty ImagesShort changedD’Arcy Short has been the most dominant player in the BBL and few bowlers, if any, have been able to contain him. So the Stars turned to their opening batsman Ben Dunk to bowl the first over the innings and his first of the tournament. Dunk, who is a wicketkeeper first and foremost, had only bowled four overs in his T20 career and had one wicket. But his part-time off spin removed Short first ball, sliding on with the arm from around the wicket and trapping him lbw. Bailey picked up the slack and struck the ball exquisitely for 32 from just 20 balls before he picked out backward point. The Hurricanes careered along at 8.5 per over for 12 overs but had lost four wickets by then, which threatened their ability to accelerate in the last eight overs.Reardon’s rearguardBefore his game against the Strikers on January 17 – in which he didn’t get to bat – Reardon’s last T20 match was for the Brisbane Heat against the Melbourne Stars in January 2017. With the exception of the Hong Kong Sixes last October he had not played any other professional cricket in that period. While he and Christian got settled the run-rate dropped below eight an over for the first time in the innings. But Reardon changed that. He cracked two sixes and two fours in seven consecutive balls faced from Daniel Worrell and Hastings. Christian accelerated to 50 from just 34 balls after a crisp strike through cover. Both fell in the last over but Hastings also conceded 16 runs to see the total rise to 7 for 185.Faulkner the Finisher bats threeJames Faulkner has had an unusual tournament with the bat. He has been known as a finisher in previous seasons but his strike-rate this year has barely hovered above 100 and despite often not losing his wicket at the end of innings he has really struggled to find the boundary. The Stars opted to bat him at first drop after Peter Handscomb’s early dismissal. He struck a four and a six in his first 10 balls, benefitting from the field being up. Dunk looked in good touch early as well. But the wheels fell off when both men holed out in the first two overs post the Powerplay. The Stars chase appeared to go from bad to worse when Rob Quiney was run out, despite significant doubt over whether Matthew Wade’s gloves or the ball broke the bails.Mills’ and Bailey’s nightmareHastings won the captaincy battle, promoting himself to pinch-hit at number six and it was a masterstroke. He launched two sixes and a four in his first four balls to bring the equation to 99 from 60 balls. Then Bailey turned to Tymal Mills who continued his nightmare tournament. He delivered lengths that were routinely dispatched before a bouncer accounted for Hastings. Mills had given up 29 in his first two overs. Pietersen and Seb Gotch were well held for the next four overs, leaving the Stars needing 53 from 30 balls. Bailey had the option not to bowl Mills again as Christian, Clive Rose and Jofra Archer had five overs left between them. But Bailey backed his overseas pro and paid a price. Pietersen launched three fours and a six in four balls. Mills claimed his wicket with a superb reflex return catch but the damage was done. The equation dropped to 34 from 24 balls. Rose gave up just five singles and picked up Gotch in the 17th. But Archer uncharacteristically lost the plot in the 18th. He delivered an above-waist-high full toss that was carved for four by Gulbis, plus the added run for the no-ball. Later in the over he was hit for six off a ball for which only three men were inside the circle. The equation dropped to 12 off 12. Mills bowled the 19th and Gulbis bombed him straight for six. Mills final figures were a calamitous 2 for 56 from four overs. Christian had three runs to play with in the last over and conceded them all off the first ball.

The BCB’s disciplinary committee is awaiting a report on the incident, which is said to have taken place during a National Cricket League game last week

Mohammad Isam28-Dec-2017Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman faces possible punishment after he reportedly assaulted a fan during a first-class match in Rajshahi last week. The incident is said to have taken place on the second day of Rajshahi Division’s National Cricket League game against Dhaka Metropolis.According to reports, after a supporter made a noise directed at Sabbir during one of the innings breaks, Sabbir took permission from the on-field umpires to leave the ground and then went behind the sight screen to physically abuse the young boy, who had apparently been brought into the playing area by an acquaintance of Sabbir’s.The incident was supposedly first seen by the reserve umpire who reported it to the match referee, who in turn reported it to the BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan, who then forwarded it to the board’s disciplinary committee. This was as per procedure, since Sabbir is being investigated for a level-4 offence. According to sources, Sabbir was also quite “aggressive” with match referee Showkatur Rahman, when he called him in on the third day of the game to investigate the incident.Sheikh Sohel, vice-chairman of the disciplinary committee, said that Sabbir would be subjected to heavy punishment if found guilty. In the case of level-4 offences, penalties include multiple-match bans in addition to a fine of Tk 5 lakh (US$6,000 approx).Sohel told the newspaper: “The moment I get the report, we will call him. But after seeing the report if we feel we don’t need to talk to him, we will quickly mete out the punishment.”Sabbir has faced disciplinary action a number of times in the past, the most severe case of which was in 2016 when the BCB fined him Tk 12 lakh (US$14,000 approx) for “serious off-field disciplinary breaches” during the Bangladesh Premier League.

Derby County are closing in on a Premier League forward to boost their promotion credentials before the end of the transfer window, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Derby County?

This window, the Rams have utilised the free agent market to their advantage to strengthen their squad, bringing in Curtis Nelson, Callum Elder, Joe Ward, Sonny Bradley, Josh Vickers and Martyn Waghorn alongside Conor Washington and Kane Wilson for undisclosed fees, as per Transfermarkt.

Derby County have endured a mixed start to the 2023/24 campaign, recording victories against Fleetwood Town and Burton Albion and three losses against Wigan Athletic, Blackpool and Oxford United, encompassing all competitions, as per Sky Sports.

Cited by Derbyshire Live, Rams manager Paul Warne has issued an update regarding potential incomings at Pride Park in a recent interview, stating: "I got told, and it's through nobody's fault, on Saturday after the game that everything was agreed with one player and then we got gazumped by a Championship club. He is a very good player, and we lost out on him, which was hugely disappointing. But we have two targets we have been trying to get for a while now and hopefully by 6pm tonight the fans will know who they are."

Irish defender Eiran Cashin has received multiple offers from Brighton & Hove Albion this window as the Seagulls look to bring in the 21-year-old, and Telegraph journalist John Percy took to social media platform X to explain the state of play surrounding his future at Derby County, stating: "Brighton have seen at least 4 bids rejected by DCFC this year for 21yo defender Eiran Cashin, including offers this summer, and remain interested before deadline. Derby will only consider bids of £3m+ and insist that any deal includes Cashin completing the season on loan."

Who else could Derby County sign?

According to Football Insider, Arsenal youngster Tyreece John-Jules is set to complete a loan move to Derby County and will stay at the English third-tier side until January.

Rams boss Warne has been keen to add more 'firepower' to his attack and there is optimism in the building at Derby County that John-Jules will be available for this weekend's League One clash away to Peterborough United.

John-Jules has never made his competitive senior bow for Arsenal; nevertheless, he has played out on loan at the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Lincoln City, Blackpool, Ipswich Town and Doncaster Rovers, as per Transfermarkt.

Last term, the 22-year-old was farmed out to Ipswich Town and made 21 appearances for the Tractor Boys in all competitions, registering three goals and a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Cited by Newschain, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna spoke highly of John-Jules' qualities in an interview last year, stating: "We know Tyreece can play in different roles. He’s very good between the lines but he’s also capable of playing back to goal and playing a bit higher up."

Being completely out of the picture at Arsenal, John-Jules will hope to gain more regular first-team experience on loan at Derby County over the next six months of his career.

The PCB’s efforts to either play against India, or at least be compensated for series that have been cancelled has reached a potentially decisive phase after the board officially sent a notice of dispute to the ICC

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-20171:04

Samiuddin: Difficult to see PCB extracting much money from BCCI

The PCB’s efforts to either play against India, or at least be compensated for series that have been cancelled has reached a potentially decisive phase after the board officially sent a notice of dispute to the ICC. In short, that triggers the start of a process whereby an independent ICC committee will sit on Pakistan’s claims that the BCCI has failed to fulfill an agreement signed in 2014 to play bilateral series.The PCB claims losses of up to $70 million from the failure of the BCCI to play two series, in November 2014 and December 2015, which were the results of an agreement the boards signed in April three years ago.Sending the notice of dispute to the ICC is the final step in a thorough process of resolving such conflicts. It is only possible once both sides have exhausted other means, including conducting good faith negotiations. The PCB initiated proceedings in May this year, when it sent a dispute notice to the BCCI.Both boards have met on a number of occasions to try and reach a resolution, but without success. In fact, one of their meetings earlier this summer in England got quite heated when PCB raised the prospect of legal action. The ICC chairman Shashank Manohar was present on that occasion.”The ICC has received a Notice of Dispute from the PCB’s lawyers, which will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Dispute Resolutions Committee next week,” an ICC spokesman said.The chairman of that committee is Michael Beloff QC, who, incidentally, was head of the ICC tribunal which banned Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for spot-fixing in 2011. A three-person panel will now be formed with Beloff potentially as the head, though he has the right to chose someone else as well. The BCCI and PCB will each pick one from a panel of independent lawyers on the committee to sit alongside the head.The original agreement between the two sides is expected to be a central plank in the PCB’s arguments. That had the sides playing six series between December 2015 and November-December 2022 and also an effort to play a short limited-overs series in Pakistan (or a neutral venue) in November 2014. The agreement was signed, and would only apply, if the Big Three resolutions to revamp cricket were signed off on in June that year.But with government relations between the two countries frosty for a number of years now, any chance of a resumption in bilateral ties has always looked distant. And that has been the BCCI’s central contention all along – that it does not have government permission to play Pakistan.The PCB had earmarked December as the time it would send in the notice, from as early as this summer. But its timing is interesting nonetheless because on December 7, chief executives of all boards will gather in Singapore to finalise details of cricket’s new international calendar.The PCB has previously said it is resigned to not playing against India in the Test and ODI leagues itself, but had pushed instead to incorporate contests in a window outside the leagues.At an ICC board meeting in Auckland in October, the PCB and other Full Members approved in principle a change to the international calendar after the 2019 World Cup. But the Pakistan board maintained that their final sign off will depend on the BCCI honouring that agreement.Ignoring the two cancelled series now in dispute, the PCB says it has 24 international matches with India which it wants to incorporate in the new cycle: nine games in December 2019, 10 in August 2020 and five in November-December 2022.

West Ham United will be keen to demand a significant fee for one of their prize assets whose situation is 'one to watch' at the London Stadium, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving West Ham United?

West Ham have endured a frustrating window up until now and didn't sign a single player until last week, with Edson Alvarez arriving at the London Stadium from Ajax for a fee in the region of £35 million, as per Sky Sports.

Upon arrival at the club, the Mexico international spoke of his delight at being able to have the opportunity to feature in the English top-flight, stating: "It's a hugely sentimental moment for me in my career. To join a club like a West Ham is a dream for me and my family. "The Premier League is a special league, the best league in the world and I think my style will suit it. I now have a responsibility to West Ham and the West Ham family and I will give absolutely everything for the shirt."

James Ward-Prowse has also arrived at the Hammers in a deal worth around £30 million, joining the club on a four-year contract following 20 years at Southampton, as per BBC Sport.

David Moyes has been trying to bring in Ward-Prowse for much of the summer window and has talked up the quality the England international will bring to east London, saying: "He's performed to a very high level in the Premier League over the last decade, constantly producing good numbers season after season. His leadership qualities are obviously another huge plus for us – he'll be a big voice for us, someone who drives the team on from the middle of the pitch."

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is also in talks with West Ham and it is believed that the Irons are growing in confidence that they can 'wrap up' an agreement to take the 30-year-old to the London Stadium after he was told that he must decide whether or not to fight for his place by Erik ten Hag, as per Telegraph Sport.

In terms of departures, West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is subject of interest from Manchester City, who have seen a whopping €101 million (£87 million) bid turned down for the Brazil international, according to Foot Mercato.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has indicated that West Ham are in a position of strength with regard to negotiations involving Paqueta and will look to maximise their potential financial reward from the situation after already losing Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million.

Jacobs stated: "This one remains one to watch right until the end of the window, because I'm told still that Paqueta is quite prepared to push and force the move.

"Then it will all come down to money and the package and what kind of value West Ham place on Paqueta. They can be quite bullish, simply due to the fact that they've already got good money in for Declan Rice.

"It also looks like they're going to get a flurry of incomings over the course of the next few days."

Should West Ham United look to keep hold of Lucas Paqueta?

Labelled as "mind-boggling" by former teammate Rice, Paqueta has began to take the fore as a real dominant presence in the engine room for West Ham that can do a little bit of everything.

In his time at the club so far, Paqueta has made 42 appearances in total, registering five goals and seven assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite his evident creative qualities, Paqueta has ranked in the first percentile in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for completed tackles across the last 365 days, averaging around 3.17 per 90 minutes, as per FBRef.

West Ham took on Bournemouth in their Premier League opener last weekend and managed a 1-1 draw, in which Paqueta gained a rating of 8/10 from Sofascore for his exploits on the pitch.

Paqueta would be a huge loss for Moyes in midfield and West Ham should be doing everything in their power to ensure he is still at the London Stadium come the end of the window.

Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt took four wickets to hurt Tripura at home, while in Cuttack, Odisha’s batsmen frustrated Tamil Nadu for more than 100 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2017Half centuries from Manisankar Murasingh and Gurinder Singh proved inadequate as Tripura conceded an 87-run first-innings advantage to Andhra on day three of the Ranji Trophy fixture in Agartala. The visitors then played out the remaining 17 overs to finish on 51 for 1 in their second innings.Tripura’s day began as badly as it ended as they lurched from their overnight score of 68 for 1 to 111 for 5. And even with the No. 7 and No. 8 batsmen Murasingh and Gurinder clobbering identical scores of 81, they fell well short of parity. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt returned figures of 4 for 93 from his 28 overs while medium-pacers David Vijaykumar and Bandaru Ayyappa took a combined four wickets for 106 runs.Andhra’s first-innings centurion DB Prasanth made 29 before he fell to Dutta in the fifth over before stumps. Srikar Bharat (21) and Hanuma Vihari (1) were the batsmen left unbeaten.A 128-run opening stand between Sandeep Pattnaik and Natraj Behera headlined Odisha’s fightback in Cuttack as the went to stumps on 286 for 4 in response to Tamil Nadu’s 530 for 8 declared.While Pattnaik peppered 11 fours in his 127-ball 66, Behera hit 13 fours and a six, falling nine short of his ninth first-class hundred. He was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Rahil Shah. Washington Sundar’s double-strike in the 62nd over accounted for Govinda Poddar and Subhranshu Senapati before Shantanu Mishra and Biplab Samantray stitched together an unbeaten 78-run stand for the fifth wicket. Odisha have now lasted more than 100 overs, but still trail Tamil Nadu by 244 runs.

Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke has reignited the club's interest in an early summer target, with manager Jurgen Klopp looking to complete his summer rebuild following a disastrous Premier League campaign.

Who are Liverpool going to sign?

According to prominent Sport Bild reporter Christian Falk, the Reds are prepared to bid £20m for Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, though the German Bundesliga champions are yet to receive a formal offer.

Meanwhile, Foot Mercato report that Manchester United are set to rival Liverpool for the Dutchman's services, even claiming that the 21-year-old would prefer a move to Old Trafford.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

With no assurances over his play-time in Bavaria, Gravenberch could be on the move over the next few weeks, and the Anfield outfit, who have endured a mass midfield exodus this summer, could provide him with the platform he craves.

How good is Ryan Gravenberch?

The resurfacing of interest in Gravenberch, which has indeed been confirmed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, comes amid the Reds' pursuit of Stuttgart anchor Wataru Endo, who is expected to complete a £16m transfer to the club imminently.

While Liverpool have added creative midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to the ranks, the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Fabio Carvalho (on loan), underscore the importance of making another signing to increase the midfield depth.

While Gravenberch is not quite a natural No. 6, he does boast a varied skill set and could bolster the overall fluidity and structure of Klopp's midfield, having been hailed as a "monster who's extremely comfortable on the ball" by Born 'n Red contributor Asim.

As per FBref, the former Ajax prodigy ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 21% for progressive passes and successful take-ons, the top 22% for tackles and the top 23% for clearances per 90.

While not exactly groundbreaking metrics – though his top-notch creativity is showcased – Gravenberch does offer a robust, all-encompassing midfield skill set and he looks to have the technicality and intensity to thrive under Klopp's wing, especially considering he only started five times for Bayern last season, hardly able to demonstrate the full scale of his quality.

With Liverpool, the £153k-per-week talent could be moulded into a first-rate phenom, and he could rise to prominence and complement those around him with his robustness, perhaps forging a dynamic partnership with Szoboszlai, who joined from RB Leipzig for £60m in July.

Once hailed as a "magician" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Hungarian captain posted ten goals and 13 assists from 46 matches for his German Bundesliga side last term, winning his second successive DFB Pokal.

An unrelenting creative force, the 23-year-old ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 5% for blocks and the top 14% for clearances per 90.

Yes, this highlights Szoboszlai's playmaking prowess, but it also displays his tenacity from a defensive standpoint, capable of contributing not just effectively but instrumentally to the overall physicality and protection of the backline, and it is this kind of skill set that could bounce off Gravenberch's, providing him with the cover and support needed to grow into his skin.

Schmadtke now needs to get this one done, and while some supporters have their reservations, Gravenberch could yet be moulded into a world-class star – and who better to orchestrate such a rise than Klopp?

Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla blitzed a century each, became South Africa’s most prolific ODI pair of all-time and scripted their biggest win by 10 wickets in ODI history

The Report by Firdose Moonda15-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details AFPQuinton de Kock and Hashim Amla blitzed a century each, became South Africa’s most prolific ODI pair of all-time and scripted their biggest win by 10 wickets in ODI history. South Africa’s mockery of a 279-run target followed Bangladesh’s own record-setting after they chose to bat in the first ODI. Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a century against South Africa in any format and led his team to their highest total against this opposition. But those efforts barely challenged the hosts.On a flat track in Kimberley, where anything under 300 was considered sub-par, Bangladesh were at least 50 runs short. Mushfiqur did his bit, but found scant assistance. Imrul Kayes was the only other player to score more than 30 against a weakened South African attack.The home pack were already plagued by absentees through injury and lost a further 65 caps when Wayne Parnell could not be considered for selection after picking up a groin strain. Dane Paterson was handed a debut. It was a baptism of fire for Paterson, who conceded at 7.66 to the over and went wicketless after being tasked with sharing the new ball with Kagiso Rabada.As the most experienced quick, Rabada took on the task of leading the attack. He produced an aggressive six-over new-ball spell, in which he took 1 for 11 and then returned to take 3 for 25 in three overs at the end.In between that, South Africa’s second-string seamers operated around Imran Tahir, but did not present much of a challenge. Paterson and Andile Phehlukwayo did not have the pace threaten Bangladesh while Dwaine Pretorius fared decently when replicating Rabada’s short-ball tactics – though he leaned more towards slower bouncers.While Bangladesh cashed in on the scoring opportunities Paterson and Phehlukwayo presented, they had too few substantial partnerships. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur (59 runs) and Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah (69) sharing in stands of over 50. Even though South Africa did not apply sustained pressure, the incisions they made counted.After Shakib became the fastest player to the double of 5000 ODI runs and 200 wickets, he fell to crafty captaincy. Faf du Plessis kept a slip in place when Tahir was bowling and Shakib edged a googly into Hashim Amla’s hands. Tahir was effective in the middle overs and made a nuisance of himself to the Bangladesh batsmen.He had an lbw appeal against Mushfiqur when he was on 41 and tried to run a googly down to third man. Mushfiqur was hit on the back pad flap outside the line and South Africa did not review. In Tahir’s next over, Mahmudullah missed a sweep and was hit on the pad. South Africa reviewed but the impact was outside the line.Mahmudullah provided one of the highlights of the innings when he charged Rabada and tonked him back over his head for six but the bullishness did not last long. He top-edged a pull off Pretorius and David Miller took the catch to put the brakes on Bangladesh.Mushfiqur was on 79 at the time and pushed on with Sabbir Rahman at the other end. A six over square leg off Paterson took him past 80, and twin reverse-sweeps off Tahir into the 90s. His century came up with a push through the covers, off the 108th ball he faced. Cameos from the tail-enders took Bangladesh over 270 but not as far as 300, though even that may not have been enough.De Kock and Amla treated the chase like batting practice and denied their team-mates the chance to experience the same. Bangladesh’s bowlers also seemed to have bought into that mindset, with neither swing nor spin on offer and simply fed deliveries to the opening pair to hit.Rubel Hossain’s first ball was overpitched and swinging in to Quinton de Kock. He clipped it for four and didn’t stop at all from there. De Kock’s runs came mostly through the leg side at first and then shifted all around the wicket. His fifty came up off 56 balls with an inventive flick over his shoulder. He had been scoring at a similar rate to Amla up to that point but then took more of the strike and accelerated past him. His century came up off 100 balls.Amla’s fifty was off 48 balls but he was happy to let de Kock take centrestage thereafter. A hallmark of Amla’s innings was his ability to rotate strike and prevent dot balls from accumulating. Amla only scored four boundaries in his first fifty runs, and eight in his century. By the time Amla got to his hundred, de Kock was eight away from 150, and had already registered his second-highest ODI score. Had Bangladesh set a higher target, de Kock may have gone on to surpass his 178 against Australia.To rub salt in Bangladesh’s wounds, they only created two chances and fluffed both. At the start of the 38th over, when Amla, on 94, drove a ball back to Taskin Ahmed, the bowler could not hold on in his follow-through. Then, with the match all but gone in the 43rd over, de Kock smashed one to Nasir Hossain at long-on. Nasir had to jump to take the catch over his head and could not hold on.South Africa had no problems, other than the fact that the rest of their line-up, which included AB de Villiers on his international comeback and David Miller in his 100th ODI, did not bat.

As new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou walked in the door earlier this summer, rumours were rife that the ex-Celtic boss was plotting something of a mass squad exodus in order to spark a rapid improvement on last season's collective woes.

Fast forward a few months, however, and the only notable sale has been that of Harry Winks to Championship side Leicester City, with that expected clearout having yet to take shape despite the raft of incomings that have arrived at N17.

One man who does look likely to be on his way before the close of the window is usual everpresent, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with 90min having suggested back in June that the Lilywhites were open to offers for the 27-year-old.

Will Tottenham sell Hojbjerg?

At present, it looks as if the Danish maestro – who has missed just five Premier League games across the last three seasons – is set to be on his way to La Liga side Atletico Madrid, with Football Insider claiming that such a sale could recoup a fee of around £25m.

The belief is, however, that a departure for the former Southampton man – who made the move to the capital on a £15m deal back in 2020 – won't be sanctioned unless a replacement is found, with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Douglas Luiz having been mooted as potential options of late.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Rather than splashing the cash on those figures – with Gallagher, in particular, reportedly set to fetch £50m – Postecoglou could save the club millions by looking to the academy ranks instead, with young Matthew Craig one such talent who could be deserving of a more prominent role in the first team.

Who is Matthew Craig?

It is fair to say that promoting from within was not too high on the agenda during Antonio Conte's time in charge, with reports indicating that staff at Tottenham had been left 'disillusioned' by the Italian's approach with regard to the academy – among other issues.

On current evidence, however, it looks as if Postecoglou could be a different kettle of fish, with football.london's Alasdair Gold writing only recently that the 57-year-old 'likes working with young players', hence bringing in the likes of Micky van de Ven (22) and Alejo Veliz (19).

As far as Craig is concerned, the 20-year-old midfielder will be hoping he can be a real beneficiary of that change in the dugout, with the Scotland youth international having already enjoyed a brief taste of senior action last term after making his top-flight debut on the final day against Leeds United.

Having signed a new deal last month that runs until 2026, the Barnet-born maestro is evidently a player that the north Londoners are excited about, with the aforementioned Gold hailing him for his versatility, as he can feature as a defensive midfielder or at centre-back and full-back if required.

Of course, the loss of an experienced figure like Hojbjerg – who has been described as a 'fantastic leader' by former youth coach John Ranum – would leave something of a void in the centre of the park, although having also dubbed himself a "leader", Craig may be ready to step up to the plate.

One notable strength that the youngster possesses is his creative quality as he recorded five assists in 26 Premier League 2 games last term, with that same number as what Hojbjerg racked up in the top flight from 35 outings.

Equally, while the latter man showcased his ball-winning strength in 2022/23 after averaging 1.5 tackles per game, young Craig recorded the same average from his two EFL Trophy appearances last term, thus illustrating that he is on track to emulate the one-time Bayern Munich man.

Although it would be a gamble for Postecoglou to put his faith in the £900-per-week playmaker, the Greek-Aussie should well be keen to showcase that his tenure will be different to the last, with the academy not merely something of an afterthought…

Former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere has shared a great Instagram post after meeting up with the club's iconic manager Arsene Wenger for the first time in five years.

Did Jack Wilshere recently meet up with Arsene Wenger?

In many ways, the pair are a perfect representation of the latter Wenger days in north London. All the talent and potential to achieve great things, but in the end, things just didn't work out as so many would have hoped.

After all, Wilshere burst onto the scene as a youngster with Arsenal and looked set to reach the top. Indeed, while still a teenager, "Super Jack" made the step up from the Hale End academy to the first team as he made 35 Premier League appearances in 2010/11 and won the division's Young Player of the Year award.

And with Wenger as his guide, many expected glory to follow as the English midfielder developed over the next few years. Sadly, though, as we all know, a number of major injuries prevented Wilshere from fulfilling his potential.

Even so, the pair are still fondly remembered by the Arsenal faithful for both representing the beautiful football played at The Arsenal when each were at their best.

And Wenger has been back at the club of late, as the Gunners recently erected a statue in his honour outside the Emirates. With the Frenchman back in town, Wilshere and his former coach were pictured together as they spoke in person for the first time in years.

The 31-year-old, who now coaches Arsenal's U18s, shared an Instagram post from his official account, saying: "First time seeing the Boss since 2018. His Love and Passion for our club is still just as strong. Also not a bad brain to pick about developing young players."

What has Jack Wilshere said about his injuries?

As alluded to before, fitness struggles were a key reason why Wilshere and Wenger never achieved greater things together in north London, and the midfielder recently detailed just how bad it was for him.

Speaking to Ben Foster on The Fozcast (via Daily Mail), the 31-year-old explained: "My first injury was my worst and I paid a lot for that. It was my right ankle, it was like the talus, which is basically you have your fib and then this little bone that sits on top of your fib and your ankle joint and I fractured that.

"I went to see the specialist surgeon and he was like 'I've never seen that. We've seen it in one person.' It was a snowboarder, you could imagine their ankles are locked in and they can bend it like that.

"So they got in another guy, a specialist to do the surgery, and I didn't know this until a few years later, so I then went back, it must have been about six years later I was 25 and went back to see the surgeon and he was like 'oh, you're still playing?'."

Despite his injury issues, Wilshere still managed to win the FA Cup twice under Wenger, while also scoring one of the most pleasing Premier League goals of all time – you know the one – so it's fair to say he didn't have a bad career while with the club.

Unfortunately, though, it promised so much and ultimately never quite scaled those heights.