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Journalist Dean Jones has made a "very strange" Tanguy Ndombele claim after the midfielder completed his loan move to Galatasaray; sharing what he's been "told" in an update out of Tottenham.

Who has left Tottenham 2023?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou are absolutely loving life at the moment, having begun this new Premier League season in rip-roaring fashion.

The north London side, after impressive victories against the likes of Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley most recently, currently sit second in the top flight – just behind last season's imperious treble-winners Man City.

Postecoglou has steered the Tottenham ship superbly thus far; reshaping the squad in his own image whilst implementing an open, attack-minded and exciting brand of football.

Spurs have also managed to rid themselves of players deemed surplus, with Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all leaving either on loan or permanently over the summer transfer window.

While star striker Harry Kane was the only real casualty after his blockbuster move to Bayern Munich, bar the England international, all of Spurs' other departures clear deadwood and free up space in Postecoglou's squad.

Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Ndombele also managed to complete transfers to Galatasaray outside of the British transfer window, as Turkey's doesn't shut until September 15.

The latter player is only there on loan and technically remains a Tottenham player, at least for now, but chairman Daniel Levy will be happy to shave Ndombele's reported £200,000-per-week wages off the club's accounts.

Shedding some light on the Frenchman, reporter Jones has been "told" some interesting information on the former Lyon star; lifting the lid on what has been a "very strange" situation.

Indeed, he says Tottenham were absolutely "desperate" to get him out the door in the end, as the player was given yet another chance to impress but ultimately failed.

"The Ndombele situation has been very strange," Jones told GiveMeSport this week.

"He should be one of the Premier League's top midfielders, but he's never managed to grasp the opportunities. In the end, I am told that Tottenham were desperate to get him out the door.

"He was given another fresh opportunity this summer by Ange Postecoglou to prove his worth and show he could have a future at the club but he didn’t impress and they just didn't have room for passengers, so he had to be moved on."

How good is Tanguy Ndombele?

The ex-Napoli loanee possesses an abundance of talent on his day; showcasing a low centre of gravity, close ball control and a silky style of play when at his very best.

Unfortunately, those flashes of brilliance have come very rarely, and it is best for all parties for Ndombele to grab an opportunity elsewhere – hopefully on a permanent move elsewhere in the future.

Arsenal star Declan Rice was effusive in his praise for the 26-year-old last year, calling Ndombele one of the toughest opponents he's ever faced.

“The perception of him, it shouldn’t be what it is because I tell you now, he is one of the toughest I have played against," said Rice.

“He is top. Just a street footballer on the pitch. He takes the ball anywhere, little flicks and tricks. Like he doesn’t care. He does everything so confidently."

The bowlers also contributed greatly to fashion a 97-run win for Ireland in their first game of the World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Andy Balbirnie in action at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe•Getty ImagesIreland opened their World Cup qualifiers campaign with a 93-run win against Netherlands in a rain-affected game in Harare. After a fifty from Andy Balbirnie – who anchored the full 50-over innings despite being struck on the helmet by Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands fell nearly nine overs short of batting 41 overs in their hunt for a revised target of 243. Seamers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin were Ireland’s most effective bowlers.Balbirnie said he was struck fairly early in his innings – “I must have been on 30” – but continued batting and finished with 68 off 75 balls. But once he returned to the change room, things started to go wrong. “I didn’t field. I obviously got hit in the head while I was batting. Didn’t feel it that much batting. Came off. Sat down. Had a break, and then got a bit dizzy and a bit of blurred vision. So saw the doctor, did a concussion test, it was okay, but he wanted me to get a scan. Scan was clear so it’s gradually got better as the day’s gone on.”Ireland began with a series of contributions from their top order, most notably a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien. Their partnership followed stands of 59, 35 and 24 respectively for the first three wickets before Netherlands staged a comeback in the slog overs, picking up 4 for 49 in the last 7.2 overs.Netherlands, meanwhile, did not find partnerships from their top order. Inside 16 overs, they’d lost five wickets and any chance of recovery was regularly thwarted by Ireland’s bowlers. Timm van der Gugten’s 33 off 25 at No. 9 was their most significant contribution as they folded for 149.

Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan scored fifties in the same ODI for the third time in their careers, contributing to a thumping win against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur19-Jan-2018Healthy competition between himself, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim to outdo each other is contributing to Bangladesh’s batting upturn, according to Shakib Al Hasan. All three scored fifties as the home side made 320 for 7 and crushed Sri Lanka by 163 runs in the Tri-Nation Series in Dhaka.Kayes out with hand injury

Imrul Kayes is out Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the third and fourth matches of the ongoing tri-series. He suffered a hand injury during training and hasn’t recovered sufficiently enough.
The selectors haven’t name a replacement and are happy to work with a 15-member squad with only Mohammad Mithun as the back-up batsman.

This was the third time all three had made 50-plus scores in the same ODI – Bangladesh have won each time this has happened. The previous occasions were against India in the 2007 World Cup and against Scotland in the 2015 World CupFor more than 10 years now, Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiqur have formed the fulcrum of Bangladesh’s batting, and they occupy the top three positions among Bangladesh’s top run-getters in Tests and ODIs. Tamim is the team’s leading run-scorer in both formats, closing in on 4000 Test runs and 6000 ODI runs. Shakib leads the T20I run charts with Tamim within touching distance.Shakib said he is always looking over his shoulder to see what the other two are up to, and feels that the competition only adds to their hunger and makes them better batsmen.”It is too early to say if [Shakib batting at No 3] has balanced the team but I think our batting will be more solid,” Shakib said. “There’s always a healthy competition within the team. We keep looking at each other to see who is scoring how many runs. This healthy competition is quite important.”Everyone has their own expectation but it is good for the team that three of us are competing against each other. Of course we don’t wish each other bad. But [each of us trying to score more runs than the other two] is a good practice. The more we can do this it will give us more chance to score runs.”On Wednesday, it was also Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain who contributed with the ball, taking two wickets each at the start and end, respectively, of Sri Lanka’s innings. Mashrafe bowled eight overs at the top, removing Upul Tharanga and Kusal Mendis cheaply. Rubel cleaned up the tail with two full balls.Shakib bowled well too, taking three wickets for a second successive time in the tournament. He said that batting well has given him more confidence with the ball, and vice versa.”One performance always complements the other,” he said. “If I do well in the first innings, the confidence works in the second innings. If I contribute in both departments, it is always great for me.”But the two wins could be overshadowed by the quality of the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka sides, which have both been underwhelming against Bangladesh so far. Shakib, however, believes that winning itself is very important for his side, especially after it suffered so badly in South Africa in September and October.”We lost most of our matches in 2005 and 2006 against Zimbabwe. We got our winning habit from that time,” he said. “So since we didn’t do well in South Africa, it was important for us to do well in this tournament.”To be honest, every team is strong at home. I certainly want us to build on it, while at the same time improve abroad.”Shakib, however, avoided talking about Chandika Hathurusingha when he was asked about Bangladesh’s ex-coach, who is now in the Sri Lankan camp. But while answering a question on a different topic, he gave a clue as to what has changed in Bangladesh’s dressing room in the last two months.”Those who do our planning, they have had a change in their mindset,” he said. “We have had a change of coach, so the new person in charge has his own thinking. I won’t say we played without freedom in the past but now we are also playing freely. At the same time, we are also taking our own decisions.”This is a big advantage for everyone to be involved. [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon and Richard [Halsall] know what we need; they have been providing and we have been utilizing it.”

Manchester United are believed to have settled on a new leading candidate to ease their injury woes at left-back, with Erik ten Hag seemingly readying a desperate late move with the end of the window fast approaching.

Who will Man United sign on Deadline Day?

As alluded to above, the Red Devils are searching for a short-term option to plug the gap on the left side of the defence after losing both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw to injury, with Chelsea's Marc Cucurella having been noted as a possible top target in recent days.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

However, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, the Old Trafford outfit are also focusing their attention on another Spanish full-back in the form of Tottenham Hotspur outcast, Sergio Reguilon.

Writing on Twitter, the respected insider revealed: "EXCL: Man Utd seriously considering signing Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham. Cucurella still in play but complicated by Chelsea appearance last night. #MUFC to decide for football + financial reasons amid Amrabat pursuit."

How good is Sergio Reguilon?

While needs must with Ten Hag's options at left-back currently limited, there will likely be little enthusiasm at the prospect of poaching a player who has hardly set the world alight of late, with Reguilon yet to feature this season under Ange Postecoglou after falling behind Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies in the pecking order.

The one-time Real Madrid man also endured a frustrating spell out on loan at Atletico Madrid last season where he made just 12 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga giants, albeit with that lack of action having been partly due to the 26-year-old's injury struggles.

The one-time Sevilla asset had been shipped out on loan by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte due to his woes at N17, with the £53k-per-week defender having notably been dubbed "average" by United legend Roy Keane back in 2021.

"Average" was also the word that Spurs insider John Wenham used to describe the Madrid native last year, with the respected source also going on to state that the player is simply "just not that good".

That assessment will hardly fill United fans with confidence as the club closes in on what could be yet another loan panic signing, having previously been stung by their capture of towering dud Wout Weghorst at the tail-end of the January window.

The 6 foot 6 Dutchman had been snapped up to help bolster the Red Devils' centre-forward options following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo back in November 2022, although the experienced striker hardly made an impact at the Theatre of Dreams, scoring just twice in 31 outings in all competitions.

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Blasted as "not good enough" for the club by compatriot Ruud Gullit, it was rather bizarre that Ten Hag had turned to a player who had rather underwhelmed in English football prior to that, after scoring just two top-flight goals for parent club Burnley in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

It looks then as if history could be repeating itself if a deal for Reguilon is to be agreed, with the Spaniard mirroring Weghorst in having not exactly dazzled in the Premier League in recent times, to say the least.

Perhaps, as the signing of Weghorst looked, it is a sign of where Man United are at present that they have been forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel for new additions – something which could come back to bite them.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison completely lost his head after tripping over himself and then lashing out to pick up a silly yellow card in his club's most recent game.

What's the latest on Spurs vs Bournemouth?

Having made a bright start to life in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou – with one draw and one win in their opening two games – Spurs travelled down to the south coast this weekend.

Playing in the lunchtime kick-off, Tottenham took on Bournemouth and managed to grab a first-half lead thanks to James Maddison, who netted his first goal for his new side. Dejan Kulusevski then added another in the second half to seal the three points.

No doubt, those goalscoring moments would have helped ease the pain left by Harry Kane after the Englishman joined Bayern Munich this summer, but fans would have been hoping for more of an attacking contribution from main striker Richarlison.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, the forward completely failed to deliver on that front – as evidenced by one embarrassing moment in particular.

Footage shared on Twitter caught the incident and it really doesn't look very smart at all from the Spurs ace. Indeed, he trips over without even being challenged and then picks up a yellow card for senselessly lashing out at his opponent.

How bad was Richarlison vs Bournemouth?

To make things worse, Richarlison was subbed off just minutes later, meaning he is still yet to score a goal for Spurs so far this season in three starts. In fact, having now played 38 times for the club in all competitions, the 26-year-old only has three goals to his name.

Journalist Charlie Eccleshare summed things up well for the Tottenham man, as he wrote on Twitter: "Another frustrating game for Richarlison. He had a couple of chances but made a few bad decisions and was booked after losing the ball."

As per Sofascore, he finished the game with just 77% passing, losing the ball 12 times and having had fewer touches than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario – showing just how ineffective he was.

Journalist Rob Guest also described the player's woes well in his player ratings for football.london as he gave the striker a 6/10 and wrote: "Led the line for Spurs once again and should have done better ten minutes before half-time after Maddison had slipped him in with a fine pass, before hitting the side netting with a header moments later.

"Impressed with his build-up play in the first half, including a flicked header to Kulusevski, but his performance after the break was frustrating as he picked up a needless yellow card and lost the ball when Spurs looked to hit Bournemouth on the break. Desperately needs a goal to come his way. 6

Perhaps it's poor finishing as seen in one moment in the first half – referenced by Guest above – that explains why he's struggled to get his name on the scoresheet with any regularity since moving to north London last summer.

Indeed, in the key moment, the striker was through on goal but chopped back onto his left foot, stumbled over the ball and was tackled just when it looked as though he may have finally sorted his feet out.

All in all, it was another bad day at the office for Richarlison; even if his side picked up an impressive victory.

Coach Chandrakant Pandit has taken Vidarbha to the final of the Ranji Trophy for the very first time, in his first season in charge

Akshay Gopalakrishnan in Kolkata21-Dec-20170:53

Quickinfo: Vidarbha’s Ranji season 2017/18

“You’re asking him in front of me? Obviously he’s going to say good. No choice.”Ever the hard taskmaster, Chandrakant Pandit butting in on Faiz Fazal was the source of no little mirth for the horde of reporters gathered at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. In his first season with them, Pandit has taken Vidarbha to the final of the Ranji Trophy for the very first time.It was the latest achievement in a hugely successful coaching career that has seen him thrive with several different teams. Pandit coached Mumbai to successive Ranji Trophy wins in 2002-03 and 2003-04. In his second stint with them, Mumbai under Pandit lifted the Ranji Trophy for the 41st time in 2015-16 and made the final the following year. Pandit has likewise had success as player-cum-coach with Madhya Pradesh, and more recently as director of the Kerala Cricket Academy, where he was responsible for bringing up new players such as Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi.

When the ball left (Aravind’s) the bat, it took me back to the shot Mahi [MS Dhoni] played in the 2011 World Cup and the silence that ensued until it crossed the boundaryFaiz Fazal

Coming from a team known for its players, Pandit inculcated the values of a good hard fight into this Vidarbha side. The lessons came through in a nail-biting finish to their semi-final against Karnataka. “I belong to a culture and a state that has a different mindset, which I wanted to inculcate in this team. And they have accepted it well,” he said. “More than anything, I think I always strived to lift the team and made sure that we enjoyed each other’s performances and stayed together for every activity the team does. I was probably instigating them to win matches. To bring in that self-belief was very important.”From day one, we were dreaming of this, and thanks to God and the players’ efforts, we are there. Cricket is not played from inside, from the boundary lines. Whatever we spoke and planned, they were keen to execute it. The courage they showed to fight, I think that was very important. Every individual has understood that. We are not celebrating; we are just expressing our joy at the way the team is playing. My team has played the toughest cricket in the entire season.”Vidarbha had taken out seven Karnataka wickets on the fourth evening. But Karnataka bat deep. Vinay Kumar has over 2500 runs and two first-class centuries. Shreyas Gopal averages 36 and struck his career-best score of 150 not out in the quarter-final against Mumbai. Even S Aravind, Karnataka’s least proficient batsman, has two half-centuries in first-class cricket.”It was a 50-50 game,” Pandit said. “In such a game, whoever shows desperation is going to lose and whoever shows patience is going to win. Making each individual understand his role is very important in such a situation. The kind of spirit they showed was tremendous. Making history at this ground, of course, will always be remembered.”When Aravind played into the hands of gully to finally settle a topsy-turvy clash – by a margin of five runs – there was to an outpouring of unadulterated joy from the Vidarbha camp.Just moments earlier, they had been bracing themselves for the eventuality of a semi-final exit. This could so easily have been a story of so close yet so far. “When the ball left (Aravind’s) the bat, it took me back to the shot Mahi [MS Dhoni] played in the 2011 World Cup and the silence that ensued until it crossed the boundary,” Fazal, their captain, said. “I felt that silence when the edge was drawn. In such high-pressure situations, performing simple tasks becomes very difficult.”Fazal has been an inspirational leader through this remarkable journey. A cursory glance at his first-class career will show you an average of 41.58 after 97 games. But what it doesn’t tell you is the quality of his runs; he scores them in tough, sometimes unplayable conditions. It is this ability that made the selectors turn to him to take over from S Badrinath as Vidarbha captain in 2016-17. Now, with 843 runs, Fazal is three short of making this his most productive Ranji season ever.Trailing him, and quite closely at that, is Sanjay Ramaswamy, his younger and very promising opening partner. The 22-year old had a solid season in 2016-17, but this year, he has racked up 735 runs at close to 67. He and Fazal are responsible for eight of Vidarbha’s 12 centuries and have been the most prolific opening combination in 2017-18.Both batsmen are excellent in defence, and pride themselves on being technically correct. But the similarities end there. “We’re absolute opposites, to be honest,” Fazal said with a laugh. “Like they say, opposites attract, and that’s going on in the middle. I’m enjoying his company and he is enjoying mine. Our minds have changed and our thinking has become very clear this season.”This clarity of thought has been one of the biggest takeaways from Pandit’s stint. Understanding why each player is in the side has given them a greater sense of purpose. Vidarbha opened with an innings-and-117-run win over Punjab. In all, they have won six out of eight matches this season, and barring the semi-final, each of the victories has been by a hefty margin. It is the sort of ruthlessness that hasn’t been associated with this team before.”It’s not just about being mentally tough, but also mentally clear,” Fazal said. “People were mentally tough earlier also, but it’s made a difference now because we’re clear in our heads. Sometimes, you need someone to run behind you with a stick, but the results are there for you to see now.”

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has made a promising claim on Spurs and their remaining transfer business of the window this summer.

Who will Spurs sign?

Ange Postecoglou has seemingly reinvigorated sections of the Lilywhites fanbase with his brand of outright attacking football, and Spurs are starting the new season very well.

It's early days but they remain unbeaten over their first two league matches, having sealed a 2-2 draw away to Brentford on the opening weekend and exceptional 2-0 win at home to Man United last Saturday.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr bossed the midfield with their displays against Erik ten Hag's side, now looking transformed under Postecoglou so far, but there is still work to be done this transfer window.

Tottenham have already sealed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz, but Postecoglou has previously hinted at the possibility of another defender.

“It's not done yet," said Postecoglou earlier this month.

"We need bolstering in that central defensive area. We need defenders who can work in an aggressive formation, defend well & behind them. We'll be looking to bring in a couple in that area in the coming days."

Postecoglou later said that outgoings need to happen first before bringing in more players, though, so exits will be crucial over this final stage of the window.

"We've to see what happens with outgoings," explained Postecoglou thereafter.

"But, the potential is there to bring in one more centre back after van de Ven."

It appears Spurs will be prioritizing outgoings first, but that isn't to say they aren't making some transfer plans behind-the-scenes, as reliable reporter Gold of football.london explains on his YouTube channel.

The Tottenham correspondent, making a promising claim, has suggested that the club have deals "lined up" and "ready to go" once they shift certain squad members.

Gold said (via The Boot Room):

“Postecoglou said that himself in his press conference on Friday he pretty much said how there’s areas in defence, midfield and attack that they can upgrade on as well.

“I would keep an eye on what happens.

“I kind of get the feeling that Spurs have got a number of deals lined up ready to go if they can get the players out of the squad first.”

Who should Tottenham sign?

We believe the defensive area needs more reinforcement, especially after last season, where they shipped a pretty poor 63 league goals.

Torino centre-back Perr Schuurs is the star defender to have been most recently linked with a move to north London, and the player may well be available for an attainable £28 million.

The colossal ace made 30 Serie A appearances under Torino boss Ivan Juric last season, all while making more successful tackles and clearances per 90 than any other player in their squad (WhoScored).

Journalist Josh Bunting, taking to X in 2022, was effusive in his praise for Schuurs – who he called a "mountain" at the back for Torino.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

If Spurs move forward on their alleged interest, he could be excellent back up to the likes of Cristian Romero and van de Ven.

Dwayne Bravo picked up his 400th T20 wicket to restrict Hobart Hurricanes to 164, and Cameron White went past 5000 T20 runs as he chased the target down with ease

Alex Malcolm21-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Melbourne Renegades recruited spree-turned heads during the off-season but it was some familiar faces that orchestrated a comprehensive first-up win over the Hobart Hurricanes. Dwayne Bravo became the first man to 400 T20 wickets and showed how valuable a commodity he is with his second five-wicket haul in T20 cricket to restrict the Hurricanes to a sub-par 164.Then Cameron White wound back the clock with a vintage unbeaten 79 to guide his side home with nine balls to spare. He was ably supported by Marcus Harris (50 off 34) and Renegade-turned-Striker-turned-Renegade Brad Hodge (22* off 14).It was Bravo who set the game up after the Renegades elected to bowl at the toss. He bowled four one over spells, all of which dragged the Hurricanes back after they threatened to post an enormous total on an excellent batting surface.Cameron White cuts one during his match-winning 79 off 59 balls•Getty ImagesThe new opening pairing of D’Arcy Short and Alex Doolan raced to 48 after five overs before Bravo’s mix of slower balls firstly yielded three dots to Doolan and then took him out, caught at short third man while trying a big shot down the ground. Short’s troubles against spin compared to his class against pace was evident when Brad Hogg slid one into his front pad as he tried awkwardly to sweep off an ill-advised length.Ben McDermott and George Bailey then ripped into Hogg, taking 22 from the 11th over of the innings to move the total to a healthy 2 for 102.Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi delivered an excellent over of offspin in the 12th conceding just four runs. The Hurricanes went 17 balls without a boundary before McDermott was caught off a Bravo slower ball.The Hurricanes spluttered from there with Nabi bowling four overs for just 25 and picking up Bailey. Matthew Wade was the only one to hit Bravo over the rope before he became the seamer’s fifth victim off the final ball of the innings.Jofra Archer in his delivery stride•Getty ImagesThe Renegades chase started horribly with Aaron Finch falling in the first over. White and Harris then combined for a 113-run stand, weathering the Hurricanes battery of express pace bowlers with some sound scoring plans and a touch of good fortune. They used the pace and waited for loose deliveries rather than trying to fight fire with fire.Jofra Archer was only Hurricanes bowler not to concede more than nine an over. He took 2 for 17 from four overs including a rare gem of a double-wicket maiden in the 14th to give the Renegades chase the speed wobbles.But Hodge, fresh from facing military mediums on synthetic pitches in sub-district cricket in Melbourne, launched the second ball he faced, a 140-plus kph rocket from Aaron Summers, onto the hill to ease the pressure.White went about his work with a minimum of fuss, as he has done so often in his career. On another day he would have been a worthy Man of the Match, but that honour went to Bravo.

Celtic are reportedly showing an interest in Wolves winger Daniel Podence, and a new update has shared how much the player could cost.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops have so far brought in six new players at a total cost of £12m this summer, but it looks as if further additions will be made at Parkhead before the deadline. A pending arrival is believed to be Elfsborg defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, with the player flying into Glasgow after a fee was agreed between the two clubs.

After securing the services of Lagerbielke, Celtic and Brendan Rodgers could well turn their attention to targets further forward, with Manchester City midfielder James McAtee just one player who has recently been linked with a move north.

However, it appears as if the Hoops have their eyes on Podence from Wolves, with the player missing from the opening game of the season against Manchester United on Monday evening.

Sky Sports reporter Antony Joseph took to X on Tuesday evening to share an update on Podence, claiming the Hoops are keen on his services. He added that Wolves value the player at £12m, although Celtic seemingly feel that figure can be lowered through talks.

“Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night.

“Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach.”

Celtic’s current transfer record is under £10m for Odsonne Edouard, so even if Celtic manage to reduce a potential fee, it could still be the club’s most expensive signing of all time.

Who is Daniel Podence?

Podence is 27 years of age and is primarily a left-winger who can also turn out as a second striker or right-winger. A Portugal international, the attacker progressed through the academy at Sporting Lisbon and made 40 senior appearances for the club before joining Olympiacos in 2018.

He then turned out on 68 occasions for the Greek side, contributing to 27 goals, which resulted in a move to Wolves in 2020 in a deal worth €19.60m. In England, Podence, on £52,000-a-week, has made more than 100 appearances in the Midlands and as Joseph claims, is into the final 12 months of his deal.

Podence was hailed by former Wolves winger Michael Kightly back in 2020, who said:

“I thought he was really, really good. I was surprised that he never came on in the Sheffield United game. Fair play to Nuno [Espirito Santo], he probably realised that he made a mistake and he’s stuck him in against Everton.

“[There was] no better way for Podence to show Nuno what he’s been missing, if you like. I thought his performance was really good. He looked sharp, he looked strong. Every time we got the ball, he looked like he was going to make something of it. He’s exactly what Wolves need.”

It could well be a transfer to keep an eye on, and it will be interesting to see if Celtic firm up their interest in the player with an approach or a formal opening offer.

Tom Blundell is in line for a Test debut after BJ Watling was unable to prove his fitness to keep wicket in the opening match of New Zealand’s season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2017New Zealand will need a new wicketkeeper for the opening Test against West Indies in Wellington after BJ Watling was forced to relinquish the gloves due to his ongoing hip problem.The uncapped Tom Blundell is favourite to take the role although the decision won’t be confirmed until after the New Zealand A match against West Indies.Watling, who has not kept wicket in the last four Plunket Shield matches for Northern District, will remain part of the squad and could be considered as a specialist batsman. If he misses out completely it will be the first Test he is absent from since England at Headingley in 2013.The New Zealand A squad for the warm-up match has also been hit by injury and illness with Martin Guptill (hamstring), Colin Munro (ill), Adam Milne (back) and Scott Kuggeleijn (ill) all withdrawing.