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With a loan deal in place and a reported medical completed for Philippe Coutinho with apparent negotiations set to begin for the potential signing of Everton left-back Lucas Digne, Aston Villa have been very busy in the 2022 January transfer window so far.

Looking ahead to the rest of the window, it seems as though Villa have their eyes on signing yet another player this month that also has experience of playing in the Premier League which some Villa fans will be pleased to hear.

What’s the news?

According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, Villa are “in talks” to sign a back-up ‘keeper during the winter window.

Speaking live on Sky Sports News on Monday, he said: “We’re told they’re in talks to sign the West Ham United goalkeeper, Darren Randolph.”

Sheth also revealed that if a deal can be struck for Randolph this month, Villa could then allow current goalkeeper Jed Steer to leave on loan so he can get regular game time.

Randolph originally joined West Ham back in the 2015 summer window from Birmingham City on a free transfer. The Hammers then sold him to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2017 before buying him back in the 2020 January window.

Smart work from Villa

Overall, the 34-year-old, who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 52 appearances for the east London club, keeping 15 clean sheets in the process.

With 34 Premier League appearances under his belt, it would be smart work from Villa to have a back-up option for Emi Martinez, who has played in all but one of their 19 league games so far this season. And when considering the experience of the top-flight that Randolph possesses, he very much fits the bill.

He’s made no appearances in any competition for David Moyes’ side so far this season with Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola ahead of him in the pecking order, but a move to Villa could give Randolph more of a chance to get some games under his belt should anything happen to Martinez.

If Villa do manage to secure a deal for the Irons stopper and then manage to get Steer, who filled in for Martinez in Villa’s 3-0 defeat against Chelsea back in September, out on loan and get some regular minutes, this could end up being a solid and fairly low-risk deal for the Midlands club to make.

In other news: Imagine him & McGinn: Gerrard could form deadly AVFC duo with “intelligent” 91 G/A ace – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sporting CP defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha during the upcoming transfer window.

The Lowdown: Palhinha profiled

Despite having faced multiple spells on the sidelines due to injuries and suspensions, the 26-year-old has made 36 appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring three goals during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The 12-time Portugal international, whose contract with the Lisbon-based outfit isn’t set to expire until 2026, is expected to draw some big attention in the summer, with a move away from the Jose Alvalade looking likely and Wolves sniffing around.

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Following a fresh update, the Lilywhites seem to have well and truly joined the race.

The Latest: Interest from Spurs

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Antonio Conte’s side ‘study the signing of a midfielder’ ahead of the new campaign, and are set to fight English rivals Wolves.

The source states that Sporting want to make €30m (£25.2m) with the sale of Palhinha, but reluctantly know ‘it will not be easy’ to get that sum, as Sport Witness claim the opportunity is there for a ‘bargain deal’.

The Verdict: Get it done

Should the 6 foot 2 maestro fail to win back his place in the Portugal squad, then the asking fee could be lowered even more come the end of May, and if this is this case, then it’s an absolute bargain of a move that Paratici should be all over.

The £24k-per-week ace is currently averaging a hugely impressive 3.1 tackles per 90 minutes in the top-flight this season – more than any Spurs player –  making him a very attractive prospect to offer protection in front of Conte’s defence.

Once described as a “special” player by his manager, Ruben Amorim, we feel Paratici and co should seriously consider a move for Palhinha, who has the potential to become a rock in the middle of the park under the Italian boss, and could help Spurs achieve that all-important place in the top four next term.

In other news, Tottenham officials are on the move today to watch a Conte target in action…

West Indies expect opener Chris Gayle to be at his destructive best in the World Cup

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Colombo16-Feb-2011West Indies expect opener Chris Gayle to be at his destructive best in the World Cup after he gave glimpses of returning to top form in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.Gayle raced to 58 off 38 balls, crashing eight fours and a six to set up West Indies’ total of 281.”As I have said it before and I say it again this year it’s going to be Chris Gayle’s World Cup,” West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. “We know how destructive he could be and how tough he could be at the top of the order. We just saw a glimpse of that today. I am sure he will come good in this World Cup.”Despite running up an impressive total, West Indies failed to defend it successfully under lights due to some poor fielding and catching.”Obviously catches win matches and we all know that. We are working hard towards making the best of the opportunities in the field. We all know how crucial it would be in the World Cup, so we are trying hard on improving ourselves when it comes to catching,” Sammy said.West Indies have been in Sri Lanka for nearly a month getting used to the subcontinent pitches and conditions in preparation for the World Cup. Prior to the warm-ups, they played a three-match ODI series here. “The conditions here have been very good. We got to play two practice games and our preparations have been very useful. Now it’s up to us to put the preparations into play,” Sammy said.”I have been maintaining that this tournament is the best possible opportunity for everyone in the squad. I am sure by the time the World Cup starts, we will have our best possible combination in place.”West Indies open their World Cup campaign, taking on South Africa on February 24 in Delhi.

The United Arab Emirates won a close low-scoring contest against Afghanistan in the first one-day game

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2011 by 15 runs
Scorecard
The United Arab Emirates won a close, low-scoring contest against Afghanistan in the first one-day game. Three wicket-hauls from Karim Sadiq and Dawlat Zadran, part of a collective bowling display, helped bowl out UAE for a gettable 198. The pair helped trigger a collapse in which UAE lost eight wickets for 67 runs after being comfortably placed at 131 for 2 in the 24th over. Captain Khurram Khan scored a half-century, supported by Faiman Anwar at No.3, who made 42. But the middle and lower orders fell apart.Khurram, however, starred in an all-round effort. Five of Afghanistan’s middle-order batsmen got starts after the openers had been dismissed cheaply – the highest score among them was Gulbodin Naib’s 43 – but weren’t able to push on. From 146 for 5, they slipped to 166 for 9. Hamid Hassan took them closer with a spunky 22 but he was the last wicket to fall, trapped in front by Khurram, who finished with four wickets, to end the game with nine balls to spare and Afghanistan 15 runs short.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with the Elland Road outfit believed to have named their price for the Englishman.

What’s the word?

According to the Mail, Steven Gerrard and co are ‘monitoring’ the situation regarding the player, with the 26-year-old potentially set to demand an improved contract, with just two years left to run on his existing deal.

The report suggests that the 19-cap international could command upwards of £100k-per-week due to his displays for both club and country, with Jesse Marsch’s side potentially set to cash in should they be unable to afford that figure – with a fee of around £60m possibly tempting them into a sale.

Villa have also received a boost as the report outlines that the Leeds academy graduate is set to reject a move to Manchester United, despite the Red Devils’ interest, owing to the intense rivalry between those two clubs making such a switch highly controversial.

Barry 2.0

Should the Midlands-based side manage to get their man this summer, he could well prove to be a particularly astute purchase, with the club currently crying out for more midfield additions.

While the likes of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have impressed in the centre of the park, there is little depth beyond that trio, with former Marseille man Morgan Sanson having struggled to adjust to the rigours of English football.

Equally, while Luiz usually slots in as the deepest of the three, the Brazilian is perhaps not an ideal fit as a holding midfielder, with Phillips – who has been dubbed “immense” by compatriot Marcus Rashford – offering a more defensive-minded presence in front of the back four.

Despite missing a large portion of the campaign through injury, the 5 foot 10 gem has still managed to showcase his talents for the Yorkshire outfit, registering 1.2 interceptions and 2.6 tackles per game thus far, while he also ranks in the top 2% for blocks and the top 1% for pressures made among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

The £45m-rated midfield “destroyer” – as he was labelled by former Three Lions boss Steve McClaren – seemingly offers a neat comparison to former Villa and England star Gareth Barry, with the Premier League’s all-time appearance maker having forged a career as a defensive midfielder who could do a bit of everything, much like Phillips.

The 41-year-old spent the first 11 years of his senior career at Villa Park, making 436 appearances in all competitions and earning the club captaincy towards the latter end of his spell, before he was swept up among the wave of new signings during the early Sheik Mansour era at Manchester City.

As noted by his former teammate Ian Taylor, Barry was “Mr Reliable” both at Villa and throughout his playing career, with the current crop seemingly in need of a steady, calming presence at the base of the midfield.

That composed figure could well be that of the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’, with sporting director Johan Lange needing to get his chequebook out to snap him up in the upcoming transfer window.

In other news, “Gerrard really keen..“: Preece drops exciting Villa transfer claim, Lange must pounce

Celtic saw a massive amount of transfer activity take place during the previous summer window in terms of the number of players that moved in and out of the club.

One player that ended up waving goodbye to the Parkhead club is midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

Having joined the Hoops back in the 2017 summer transfer window from Manchester City for a fee of £4.5m, the Frenchman ended up making 147 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 26-year-old found the back of the net 24 times and delivered 13 assists.

After spending a short loan spell with Marseille between February and June last year, the midfielder finally found himself leaving Celtic on a permanent basis as he join Championship club Swansea City on a free transfer.

Since then, the former City youngster has made 33 appearances for the Welsh club in the Championship, prior to their match against Reading.

Despite scoring four goals and providing three assists in those appearances, the midfielder’s overall performances have not been particularly impressive.

Even though he has the second-highest number of shots this season in Swansea’s squad with 55, only 19 of them have been on target.

From a defensive point of view, the £14k-per-week former Hoops gem has only managed to make 12 interceptions and eight tackles in addition to committing 14 tackles and picking up three yellow cards.

His overall performances have earned Ntcham a rather underwhelming season rating of 6.55/10 according to WhoScored, which would put him among some of the lowest-rated players in Ange Postecoglou’s squad to start more than one league game by the same metric.

Having been labelled as a “disgrace” in the past for his performances for Celtic by Noel Whelan, there isn’t much in his time at Swansea that will have made many people at the Parkhead club wish they had kept hold of him.

As well as this, Alan Hutton claimed that the midfielder “downed tools” during the latter stages of his spell with the Bhoys, which also makes it easy to see why the club got rid of him and why they will now be having the last laugh.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though it was a masterclass from Postecoglou to sanction this move for Ntcham to join Swansea.

With the Hoops boasting the best attacking and defensive record in the SPFL, it’s hard to imagine many supporters wishing they still had the Frenchman in their ranks.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £10.5k-p/w Celtic disaster with “unbelievable” £5m “terrier”

There appears to be a conflict of interest in N Srinivasan being allowed to hold the office of BCCI treasurer while bidding for an IPL franchise, India’s Supreme Court has observed

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2010There appears to have been a conflict of interest in N Srinivasan holding the office of BCCI treasurer while bidding for an IPL franchise, India’s Supreme Court has observed, while suggesting that he resign his board position and retain his status as the owner of the Chennai Super Kings.The court’s observations – which included several stinging remarks – came while hearing a petition, filed by former BCCI president AC Muthiah, against the BCCI’s constitution amendment that permitted Srinivasan to bid for the team in 2008. However, it reiterated through the course of the day-long hearing that these were observations and not a judgement.Srinivasan, now the board secretary, is also vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, the franchise owners.”An amendment has been brought and there seems to be a conflict of interest. Can a person be a judge of his own case?” Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra asked the attorney-general, GE Vahanvati, who appeared for the BCCI. “I am hearing the matter relating to the controversy. But can I participate in the bidding of IPL teams tomorrow?”You introduce an amendment where the IPL will be an exception. You are a prominent industrialist holding a key position in the board and have a stake in the bidding. In order to avoid suspicion and be above board, you should have got your membership suspended.”Our nagging question is: can you continue in a dual capacity? That is the core issue. We are proceeding on the footing that you had a bar on any dual status before your blanket amendment was brought.”We want to know what grave prejudice will be caused to you if we pass an order that you can either continue as the owner of the IPL team or contest the BCCI election,” Justice Mishra said.The court disagreed with the contention of Mukul Rohtagi, Srinivasan’s senior counsel, that there was nothing wrong in his occupying both roles. “Then resign from BCCI and bid for the IPL,” Justice Mishra said. “This can be equated with the office of profit. It is a crude explanation.”We will give you a choice between the two, whether you want to continue in the BCCI or involve yourself with the IPL and India Cements.”The court dismissed Vahanvati’s argument that Muthiah, as a former BCCI president, had no locus standi in challenging the amendment. The Bench, quoting BCCI rules, said it was under an obligation to inquire into any complaints made against its members.”It is your duty to look into the complaint. Otherwise, why should Muthiah have to come to the court? One of your own rules says there should be no conflict of interest. The BCCI clause provides that in the event of any complaint of violation of rules, you should conduct an inquiry. Why did you not do it?”, the Bench asked.The BCCI’s constitution was amended in 2008 to allow Srinivasan to buy the Chennai franchise. Before the amendment, clause 6.2.4 of the Regulations for Players, Team officials, Umpires and Administrators, read: “No administrator shall have, directly or indirectly, any commercial interest in the matches and events conducted by the board.”The amendment excluded Twenty20 cricket from the purview of the clause, which now reads: “No administrator shall have directly or indirectly any commercial interest in any of the events of the BCCI, excluding IPL, Champions League and Twenty20.”Muthiah’s petition alleged that the amendment was made specifically to favour Srinivasan, and asserted that the decision to exclude IPL and Twenty20 tournaments was “illegal and opposed to public policy.”He appealed to the Supreme Court in April after the Madras high court refused to entertain his petition challenging the BCCI’s decision to amend its constitution, saying there was “absolutely no merit to interfere”. Muthiah had originally written to the BCCI to say that allowing India Cements to buy Chennai created a conflict of interest. When the board failed to respond to his complaint, Muthiah took his fight to the courts.

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, said that although they lost the Twenty20 series to South Africa 2-1, he was pleased with the way his young team responded after the drubbing in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2012Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, has said that although they lost the Twenty20 series to South Africa 2-1, he was pleased with the way his young team responded after the drubbing in Durban. McCullum pointed out to the progression of the young players in the squad as one of the big positives from the series.”The introduction of the new guys, playing in front of big crowds, is a positive,” McCullum said. “We have seen some good performances from the new guys, especially Mitchell McClenaghan, and it is encouraging.”Although, we didn’t get the results, we took significant strides in the series. The key thing is to continue to build the team inside out. We saw some guys step up, and they would now know what’s required in international cricket. Progression of where we were a couple of weeks ago and where we are now, it’s good.”New Zealand started the tour in a disastrous manner when they collapsed to 86 batting first in Durban and lost by eight wickets. But they turned the tables on South Africa in East London, mainly due to an unbeaten century by Martin Guptill. The deciding match in Port Elizabeth was expected to be an even contest, but it didn’t turn out that way.”We came into this game with high hopes,” McCullum said. “We built up some good momentum after the East London game. For few moments today, we competed well, but South Africa grabbed the bigger moments and we were found wanting.”New Zealand, after being asked to field, kept a tight leash on the South African scoring till the 14th over, but gave away 80 runs in the last six overs to cede the advantage. Chasing a big total, they lost Rob Nicol early and though Guptill and McCullum shone for a while, their wickets ended New Zealand’s challenge.Some of the members of the T20 team are headed back to New Zealand and McCullum said that for the rest, the focus quickly needs to change to Test cricket now. “The Test guys that have joined us two days ago, we need to channel our focus towards Tests, to the challenge of taking on the No. 1 Test side in the world.”

Giovani van Bronckhorst’s Glasgow Rangers side have the chance to secure a place in the final of the Scottish Cup this afternoon, with Celtic being the only thing standing between the Ibrox side and a spot in the last two.

The Gers head into today’s clash full of confidence after beating Braga 3-1 on Thursday at Ibrox to make it through to the semi-finals of the Europa League.

However, having played 120 minutes of football in order to do so, this could put Van Bronckhorst’s outfit at a disadvantage in terms of the fitness and freshness of his players, especially given how Celtic haven’t played since last weekend.

The Hoops’ previous outing saw them beat St. Johnstone 7-0 in the Scottish Premiership, meaning that they too will be heading into this afternoon’s clash full of confidence.

In terms of what the Dutchman’s starting XI could look like on this occasion, here’s how we feel Rangers could line up to take on their Old Firm rivals.

Predicted XI

In goal, having featured in all three of Rangers’ previous Scottish Cup games this season, we think Van Bronckhorst will stay loyal to Jon McLaughlin and keep him in the team to try and prevent Celtic from scoring.

For the back four, it seems likely that club captain James Tavernier will lead his team from the right-back position once again, with Connor Goldson next to him at centre-back.

Having admitted to suffering from cramp in midweek, rather than a serious injury, Borna Barisic is our pick to start at left-back.

Then, for the final centre-back spot, we predict that Van Bronckhorst will take out Calvin Bassey, who had been described as looking “exhausted” on international duty last month, while bringing in Rangers’ “superhuman” Leon Balogun – in the words of journalist Paul Kendrick – in his place.

Moving onto the midfield, we can see the Rangers boss making another big change, this time with Ryan Jack dropping out and being replaced by Glen Kamara, in order to give his side a bit more defensive solidity, while John Lundstram retains his starting berth.

Then, we think the trio of Aaron Ramsey, Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent will line up once again after starting in midweek.

Finally, with Alfredo Morelos out injured for the rest of the season, it seems likely that Kemar Roofe will again lead the line to try and fire the Gers to the Scottish Cup final.

Rangers team to face Celtic: McLaughlin (GK), Barisic (LB), Balogun (CB), Goldson (CB), Tavernier (RB), Lundstram (CM), Kamara (CM), Kent (LW), Aribo (CAM), Ramsey (RW), Roofe (CF)

AND in other news: Rangers handed huge boost as early Old Firm team news emerges, it’s great news for GvB 

Kent face an uphill battle on the final day of their County Championship clash with Lancashire at Canterbury

20-Aug-2010
ScorecardKent face an uphill battle on the final day of their County Championship clash with Lancashire at Canterbury. The hosts need a further 255 runs to record a victory, with eight second wickets standing, after closing today on 84 for 2.After finally dismissing Lancashire for 321 in their second innings, Kent set off after tea in pursuit of an unlikely target of 339 with four sessions of the game remaining. However, their victory hopes were hit by the loss of both opening batsmen in today’s final throws. With 38 on the board Joe Denly (12) was squared up and skittled by an excellent delivery from Glen Chapple. Then, having posted 30, home captain Rob Key dragged his back foot when pushing defensively at Gary Keedy and was stumped by Luke Sutton.The first two sessions of the third day had belonged pretty much exclusively to Lancashire’s overseas star and former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul whose 120 – the only century of the match – proved the difference between the sides. Fresh from a golden duck in the first innings, Chanderpaul reached a patient 50 from 113 balls and churned on for almost five hours before recording his first ever century against Kent.Resuming on their overnight score of 103 for 3, Lancashire’s only casualty of the morning session came after nine overs when Steven Croft (43) aimed an ambitious cut at Simon Cook and was caught behind. Kent skipper Key rang the bowling changes but with little success as Chanderpaul and Gareth Cross added 89 in 29 overs for the fifth wicket.The stand ended 10 overs after lunch when Cross, two deliveries after posting his 92-ball half-century, drove over a delivery from Matt Coles and lost middle and off stumps. Lancashire’s resistance crumbled thereafter as Coles had Sutton caught at third slip for nine, then Chapple ran past a James Tredwell ball and was stumped by Geraint Jones.Averaging 12.8 against the hosts coming into this game, Chanderpaul reached three figures by pulling a short ball from Coles to the ropes at deep midwicket – prompting Kent to take the second new ball.It paid dividends for them when Chanderpaul, pushing defensively inside the line of a Cook off-cutter, went leg before to end his 234-ball vigil. Three balls later Cook, who finished with impressive figures of four for 62, yorked Kyle Hogg for a duck, then last man Keedy holed out off a slog sweep against Tredwell to leave Kent facing a tough four-session pursuit.