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An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, Spurs are one of three English top-flight teams to have made an offer to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic.

The report claims that Manchester United and Chelsea are also 'at the window' with an 'important offer' for the Serbian international striker, with all three clubs keen on a deal for his signature.

It states that they have offered no less than €65m (£56m) and that the Old Lady are willing to be reasonable in negotiations as they now eye their own targets to potentially replace the former Fiorentina marksman.

Although, it remains to be seen whether or not £56m would be enough to tempt the Italian giants into parting ways with him, 18 months on from their initial £58m outlay on his services.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored for Juventus?

The 23-year-old dynamo has plundered 23 goals in 63 appearances for the Serie A side to date and his form in recent years suggests that he would come in as a big upgrade on Richarlison for Ange Postecoglou.

Vlahovic scored ten goals in 22 league starts for Juventus last season whilst the Brazil international struggled badly during his debut campaign at the club – with one goal in 27 Premier League appearances, including 12 starts.

Spurs signed the striker from Everton for a fee in the region of £60m last summer after he produced 17 strikes in 61 league outings for the Toffees over the previous two campaigns combined.

The 26-year-old dud's horrendous form in front of goal last term meant that Tottenham did not have another scorer to back up Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, as they were the only players at the club to end the season with more than five league goals.

Vlahovic, however, is a player who has the quality to provide a third reliable scoring option for Postecoglou, based on his Serie A form over the last three years.

Prior to his ten-goal haul during the 2022/23 campaign, the impressive left-footed marksman scored 45 goals in 67 league starts for Fiorentina and Juventus combined throughout 2021/22 and 2020/21.

He proved himself to be a prolific scorer in Italy as the 6 foot 3 monster found the back of the net over 20 times in both seasons, whilst Richarlison has never scored more than 13 league goals in a single term over the course of his career in Brazil or England to date.

These statistics suggest that the Serbian hotshot, who was once hailed as "incredibly prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality to offer far more than the Brazilian flop at the top end of the pitch.

Vlahovic is yet to prove himself in England but his form in the Serie A indicates that the quality is there for him to be an exceptional goalscorer for Postecoglou, which is why Spurs must push to win the race for his signature in order to land a big upgrade on Richarlison ahead of next season.

Leach felt soreness during the Royal London Cup match against Warwickshire last week and subsequent scans revealed the injury

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2018Worcestershire captain Joe Leach has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the back.Leach felt soreness during the Royal London Cup match against Warwickshire last week and subsequent scans revealed the injury.”Joe felt some soreness during the Warwickshire game and an MRI scan on Friday showed inflammation around the l5 region of the lumbar spine,” Worcestershire head of sports science and medicine, Ben Davies, said”He then had a CT scan on Tuesday which unfortunately showed a stress fracture in that region and he will miss the rest of the season. It will now be a case of resting and then rehab for Joe with the aim of making a complete recovery.”Leach has taken almost 200 Championship wickets between 2015 and 2017 and this season had claimed 23 wickets at 22.08 but Worcestershire will now have to cope without their attack leader. They face a relegation battle in the Championship and the T20 Blast starts next month alongside their quest to reach a Lord’s final in Royal London.Head coach Kevin Sharp said: “It is a big blow and Joe is gutted and quite upset at the minute. He has played such a major part for the club over the last few years.”It is life. Bowling is a very physical job. Joe has had very few injuries but very rarely do bowlers go through their career without some sort of injury.”We now have to regroup a bit. We have lost our captain for the rest of the season and we will have a think about things and sort that out over the next week.”The lads will also be gutted but there is a great spirit in this squad and they will want to do it for Joe on Sunday.”It means there will be an opening for others that might not have had an opportunity. We want the lads to stand up and be counted – and I’m sure they will.”

Liverpool are still smarting from what happened away to Tottenham over the weekend, and a fresh injury blow has sent the Reds' weekend from bad to worse.

What happened to Liverpool with VAR?

The Reds suffered one of the cruelest defeats in Premier League history on Saturday evening, in what was a crunch clash with a similarly in-form Spurs side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Liverpool ended up playing with nine men for a chunk of proceedings, following a somewhat harsh red card for Curtis Jones and a soft sending-off for Diogo Jota, and it was Joel Matip's last-gasp own goal that consigned his side to a 2-1 defeat in north London.

The worst part of the entire match was Luis Diaz's disallowed goal during the first half, however, with the Colombian finding the net but being adjudged to have been in an offside position. It turns out that he was in fact onside, but those in charge of VAR inexplicably failed to tell referee Simon Hooper that that was the case.

It was an incident that has left anyone of a Liverpool persuasion fuming, and on Sunday night, the club released an official statement, saying: "That such failings have already been categorised as 'significant human error' is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency."

Away from the VAR farce, the Reds have now also been handed an injury blow, following a new update that has emerged.

Which Liverpool player is now injured?

Taking to X, Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink claimed that Cody Gakpo could now be missing for Liverpool for "several weeks", having limped off after scoring the equaliser against Spurs:

"Cody Gakpo is expected to be out for several weeks at Liverpool. If all goes well, a few weeks. The Dutch matches in October do not seem feasible for the former PSV player at the moment."

Gakpo took his goal at Spurs brilliantly on Saturday, but as soon as he looked in pain after finding the net, it was clear that he was in serious discomfort, having been down injured shortly before scoring as well.

In truth, the fact that the Dutchman was seen in a knee brace after the game means that several weeks on the sidelines could actually be deemed semi-good news for Jurgen Klopp, considering there is the risk that he could be out for months of action instead. However, there is no question that Gakpo will be a big miss, with his manager saying he is someone who "eats football", in terms of his dedication and intelligence as a player.

The 24-year-old has often been trusted as Liverpool's first-choice option down the middle of the attack, linking with others in Roberto Firmino-esque fashion, and that ability to knit things together will make him a big loss in the coming weeks, even though the likes of Darwin Nunez and Jota bring different attributes to the team.

Hopefully, Gakpo is only out of action until the October international break has finished later this month, but that could be wishful thinking, following this latest update on his fitness.

The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians are about to make a shocking bit of history.

The two longtime foes were both founding members of the American League in 1901, and have shared a division since 1969. The Guardians and Tigers have played more than 2,300 times. Neither team has faced an opponent more often. Yet, somehow, they have never played each other in the postseason. That's remarkable.

That will obviously change this weekend as the AL Central-winning Guardians will host the Tigers in the AL division series beginning on Saturday.

Cleveland won the season series between the two teams 7-6, but they haven't played since July 25. The Tigers have been on a roll since, as they went 17-11 in August and 17-8 in September to snag the American League's final wild card spot. They swept the AL West-winning Houston Astros in the wild card round and enter the ALDS against their longtime rivals on a roll.

The first ever postseason series between the franchises should be a fun one. It will open on Saturday in Cleveland at 1:08 p.m. ET.

MLS side LAFC are in advanced talks to sign AC Milan star Olivier Giroud on a free transfer this summer.

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Giroud linked with MLS moveAC Milan man in talks with LAFCOut of contract in summerWHAT HAPPENED?

The 37-year-old forward could link up with ex-international teammate Hugo Lloris in Hollywood, with the 2022 MLS champions looking to bolster their attack, according to The Athletic. Despite his age, Giroud is still scoring at a prolific rate in Europe, with 12 goals and eight assists across 26 matches in Serie A this season.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

LAFC have made the past two MLS Cup championship games, winning in 2022 and falling just short in 2023. With Giroud in their ranks, alongside reigning Golden Boot-winner Denis Bouanga, their attack would be one of the most prolific across the league.

Giroud helped France reach the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup finals, winning the former against Croatia, and falling just short against Lionel Messi and Argentina in Qatar.

However, nothing is set in stone at the moment, with the report claiming that the Rossoneri themselves could still look to extend Giroud's stay in Milan beyond the 2024 campaign. If he doesn't reach an agreement with LAFC, options in the Middle East are available – along with other European teams, too.

DID YOU KNOW?

Giroud has 56 goals in 129 caps for France – making him Les Bleus' all-time record scorer. Across his entire career he's netted 332 times for club and country since 2005.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GIROUD?

Currently with the France national team during the international window, Giroud is lining up to participate in a pair of friendlies against Germany and Chile. At club level, he will return to the pitch with Milan on March 30 against Fiorentina.

It will precede Australia’s three-T20I series against Pakistan starting October 24

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2018UAE will play their first T20I against Australia, by hosting them in Abu Dhabi on October 22. It precedes Australia’s three-T20I series against Pakistan in the UAE that starts from October 24.The game was handed T20I status after both Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board sanctioned the move. It will start at 2pm local time at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium (Oval 1) ground, with free entry to the ground.”We are delighted to be in a position to announce this fixture and we are extremely grateful to the ICC for their support in accrediting the Abu Dhabi Oval for T20 international cricket at such short notice,” Zayed Abbas, Emirates Cricket Board spokesperson said. “Our thanks also goes out to to Cricket Australia for approaching this opportunity so positively, and especially to the Pakistan Cricket Board for permitting this match during their home tour in the UAE with Australia. It has been an incredible effort from all parties to bring this match to fruition.”Waleed Bukhatir, UAE chief selector, said: “This match will provide an exceptionally good test for our players. We need them to be put under pressure and for them to focus more intently by being challenged by higher ranked, leading teams within our game. To do so it is vitally important for the Full member countries, and the ICC to support and provide the Associates with such opportunities.”UAE have played 26 T20 internationals with nine wins and 17 losses. Their last T20I assignment was against PNG at home in April 2017, when they swept the series 3-0.

Chelsea hadn't messed around this summer. With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, a world-class manager, and a whole host of talent acquired to their squad, it felt like the Blues were heading back to their former best.

Yet, after breaking the bank on the likes of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, to name a few, they currently find themselves in an unsatisfactory mid-table position with three defeats from their opening eight matches.

While Pochettino will be given time to mould the squad how he wants it, patience on their current stars could wear thin if significant ground hasn't been made on the Champions League places come January, which could lead to more mass spending.

Unsurprisingly, a whole host of stars have already been touted with a winter move to Stamford Bridge, and one of Europe's brightest young talents, Jamal Musiala, is the latest name to be linked.

Are Chelsea interested in Jamal Musiala?

A graduate of Chelsea's youth academy, who departed the club for Bayern Munich aged 16, would make a huge U-turn on his career if he was to return to Stamford Bridge.

According to 90min, Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Musiala, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

The report details that Bayern remain confident of tying the 20-year-old down to a long-term contract, however, with several clubs enquiring about his availability, a potential bidding war could ensue.

Currently valued at €92.3m (£80m) according to Football Transfers and with another three years left on his contract, the Blues will need to splash the cash in order to lure him to west London, either in January or next summer.

What would Jamal Musiala bring to Chelsea?

One of Chelsea's most fateful mistakes was allowing Musiala to depart for Bayern in 2019 after failing to convince the youngster to commit his future to the London club.

All will be forgiven, however, if the Blues manage to pull off a sensational move to prise the youngster away from Germany and back to England.

The attacking midfield sensation, who has been nominated for the prestigious Golden Boy Award, is the shining light of a German side crying out for a rebuild and an unwavering cog of Bayern's merciless winning machine.

Combining his electric pace and remarkable dribbling to a devastating effect, the youngster has been compared to the great Lionel Messi for how he carries the ball in perpetual motion, breezing past defenders like the ball is stuck to his feet and supplying a relentless end product to match.

With an astonishing 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 Bundesliga matches last term, Musiala showcased why the footballing world is salivating over his talents, seamlessly slotting into pockets of space and appearing to be the perfect heir to Muller's throne.

Lauded as a "future Ballon d'Or" winner by teammate Alphonso Davies for how he's dominated on the world stage at just 20-years-old, Musiala has shown that his potential is limitless.

The youngster's former coach, Andre Martin, reinforced the above back in 2021, saying: "Technically outstanding, very skillful, and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. And he's a great dribbler and likes to take players on, as he did against Schalke. He later became a No.10 and has become as much of a creator as a goalscorer."

The description of his qualities suggests that Chelsea must reverse the mistake they made four years ago and go all out to sign one of the best young talents on the planet.

CSA general manager of cricket Corrie van Zyl says tournament will feature established South Africa stars despite clash with Abu Dhabi T20 League

Liam Brickhill12-Oct-2018Cricket South Africa has unveiled the name of its new T20 league. The inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) will take place from 16 November to 16 December.”Mzansi” is an isiXhosa word that translates literally to “south”, but in colloquial usage refers to the country of South Africa. The local spin on the league has been central to CSA’s re-strategising after the failed first launch last year.The six MSL teams will be owned locally, by CSA, and the league will be city-based, with CSA having announced the hosting stadiums on Thursday.”I would like to thank everyone involved in putting this milestone project together,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. “We look forward to welcoming, and being entertained by, some of the world’s best cricketers. We are also confident that the MSL will serve the dual objective of becoming a launchpad for our next generation of T20 talent.”The event tagline is ‘FUN. FAST. FOR ALL’, which speaks volumes about the competition’s concept.”CSA has also aimed to maximise local viewership on the games on television, and the matches are set to be broadcast exclusively live by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) – South Africa’s public broadcaster – on its television and radio platforms.”Our plans are well under way to make the MSL T20 the hottest sport spectacle this summer,” SABC chief operations officer Chris Maroleng said. “South African audiences deserve the best sport content and this partnership with CSA is at the heart of our commitment to deliver this promise. We are putting together a world-class production that will showcase the expertise of the SABC to the rest of the world.”The names of the six participating sides, the marquee South African players and the international signings will all form part of the competition Player Draft Matrix that will be held on October 15.South Africa’s tour of Australia in November concludes with a T20I at the Carrara Oval on 17 November, the day after the MSL is due to begin, and the MSL will clash with the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which runs from 23 November to 2 December, but CSA general manager of cricket and MSL playing affairs director Corrie van Zyl insisted that established names would be part of the event.”We can assure fans that the talent set to participate in the MSL T20 will be top-class, featuring our established Proteas alongside their international counterparts, while also showcasing our up-and-coming local talent,” van Zyl said.

New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2018
New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin. They threatened to break the 500-run barrier when they were 471 for 4 in 49 overs. Seventeen-year-old Amelia Kerr – the fourth New Zealand batsman to cross 50 – drove the first two balls of the last over through extra cover for fours. She followed it with another four to the long-on boundary, but could manage only seven off the last three balls.In response, Ireland folded for 144 in 35.3 overs as New Zealand secured the fourth-biggest win in women’s ODIs – by 346 runs. They achieved the biggest win – by 408 runs – when they ran up 455 for 5, the previous highest total in ODIs, in Christchurch in 1997.Ireland will also be concerned about Isobel Joyce, who did not bat in the chase after bumping her head on the ground while fielding. She had bowled just one over in the first innings.It was captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Maddy Green who set the tone for New Zealand’s mammoth score with quickfire centuries – 151 off 94 balls and 121 off 77 balls respectively. Bates and debutant Jess Watkin started with a blistering 172-run opening partnership off 18.5 overs at a run rate of 9.13. The stand ended when Rachel Delaney, a substitute fielder, pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at deep square leg to dismiss Watkin for 62 off 59 balls.Bates, who was on 89 off 59 balls then, went on to score her 10th ODI hundred, off only 71 balls. Only Australia captain Meg Lanning (11) has more ODI centuries than Bates. She reached the landmark when she tucked legspinner Gaby Lewis to the leg side for a single and got a hug from team-mate Green in the middle.In the next over, Bates was reprieved on 113 when Louise Little dropped a return catch that went high. Bates further added 38 to her tally before 17-year-old legspinner Cara Murray, also making her ODI debut, drew Bates out of her crease and had her stumped in the 30th over, and New Zealand were 288 for 2. Murray also dismissed Amy Satterthwaite, but ended up conceding 119 runs – the worst figures in all ODIs.Three other bowlers – Lewis, Little, and Lara Maritz – gave away 92 runs each while new-ball bowler Amy Kenealy went for 81 in nine overs.The loss of Bates did not slow down New Zealand. Green, whose previous best ODI score was 46, smoked her maiden international century off 62 balls, while Kerr scored an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. Kerr added 76 for the fifth wicket in 38 balls to bring her side to within 10 runs of 500.Notably, this match was played on the same pitch where New Zealand had chased down 137 in 11 overs without losing a wicket on Wednesday.Seamer Hannah Rowe made light work of Ireland’s openers before offspinner Leigh Kasperek ran through the middle and lower order with career-best figures of 4 for 17. She had dismissed captain Laura Delany (37) and Jennifer Gray (35) – the only two Ireland batsmen to pass 20. The entire Ireland side managed only 18 boundaries while Bates alone hit 26.

Sixteen years after he steered India to the historic tri-series final win at Lord’s, the former India batsman called time on his playing career

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2018Mohammad Kaif, 37, retired from all forms of cricket on Friday, 16 years after he steered India to one of their most memorable victories in ODI history – beating England by chasing down 325 at Lord’s in the NatWest Series final.Kaif ended a two-decade long first-class career that began in 1997-98. He played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs in an international career that spanned six years (2000-2006), his last game for India coming more than 12 years ago, during the tour of South Africa in 2006. He also captained India to their first Under-19 World Cup win, in 2000.”I am retiring today as it’s been 16 years since the historic Natwest Trophy win in which I was glad to play my part, and I’d like to remember that as I bow out,” he wrote in a letter to the BCCI. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worn the India cap, and to have gone on to play 125 ODIs and 13 Tests for India, and for several other moments.”A domestic stalwart who played for three sides, Kaif’s association with his home state Uttar Pradesh was the most prominent, having led them to a maiden Ranji Trophy title by beating Bengal in 2005-06. Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif finished with 10,229 runs in 186 first-class matches at an average of 38.60.Kaif quit Uttar Pradesh in 2014-15 and moved to Andhra as a professional for two seasons. In 2016-17, he led new entrants Chhattisgarh in their maiden Ranji Trophy season. He continued to play a key role as a member of their support staff the following season, even though his appearances as a player were sporadic.Post-retirement, Kaif hoped to be involved in a coaching or mentoring role. He was assistant coach of the now erstwhile Gujarat Lions in the IPL and wants to play a similar role in domestic cricket. Apart from short-term coaching assignments, Kaif is also keen to pursue media interests and hindi cricket commentary.