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BBC journalist Shamoon Hafez has shared an update on former Wolves and Barcelona winger Adama Traore's potential move to Fulham.

Who will Fulham sign?

Manager Marco Silva has seen two major signings come through the door this summer, with defender Calvin Bassey and striker Raul Jimenez joining the club this summer.

Bassey, after a standout season with Ajax in the Eredivisie last term, signed for around £18.2 million while Jimenez opted to swap Wolves for west London.

However, Fulham's manager has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the club's transfer business overall, candidly admitting they still need to strengthen in a number of key areas.

Silva says they're short on full-backs and options out wide, and with the new season starting today with a trip away to Everton, Fulham are running out of time to reinforce their squad.

“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” he said last week.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

Ex-Fulham transfer target Fred has completed a move to Turkey, dealing a blow to their hopes of signing a midfielder before deadline day, but they have been linked with many wide players recently.

The likes of Everton winger Demarai Gray and Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi stand out as just some of the high profile names, with ex-Wolves star Traore now firmly on their radar.

That is according to The BBC and Hafez, who claim Traore is now considering an offer to join Fulham. The 27-year-old, who spent a portion of 2021/2022 on loan at Barca, left Wolves upon the expiry of his contract in June.

Traore is now a free agent and readily-available for hire, but Fulham are not the only competitors for a Bosman deal, as clubs in Saudi Arabia are also circling.

How good is Adama Traore?

The winger, who former Spurs boss Antonio Conte was once desperate to sign for Tottenham, could now move to Fulham for nothing.

Traore was once highly sought-after with some reports claiming Wolves valued him at around £50 million. The attacker, during his arguably best season at Molineux, was a seriously exciting dribbler.

According to WhoScored, Traore averaged a very impressive five successful take-ons per 90 in the final third over 2019/2020 – a season which also saw him bag four goals and nine assists.

These numbers indicate there is a real player to be had, when Traore is at his best, with former Leeds striker Noel Whelan calling him a "match-winner" to Football Insider.

"When you’re talking about signing game-changers and match-winners from the bench, wow, Traore is the perfect fit,” said Whelan.

He can produce something from nothing. That’s the excitement about him – the unknown, the power, the way he can drive past players and brush them off.

“He’s proven in the last few years now that he’s not just a one-trick pony. There never used to be any end product to his game, but now he’s improved that. He picks the best pass a lot more often now."

What the numbers say about Old Trafford

S Rajesh10-Aug-2005

Shane Warne: ready to add to his tally of 17 wickets from two Tests at Old Trafford © Getty Images
At Edgbaston, Ricky Ponting’s decision to insert England after winning the toss might have been influenced by the recent trend at that venue – teams fielding first had won nine of the 14 previous Tests – but he is unlikely to make that mistake at Old Trafford should the coin roll his way on the morning of the third Test. In 69 Tests at Manchester since 1884, only eight times has the captain won the toss and opted to field first. Seven of those matches were drawn; the only decisive result in those games was in 1993, when Graham Gooch bravely put Australia in to bat and suffered the consequences, as England went down by 179 runs. Considering that no team has won a Test here after putting the opposition in to bat, and given all the pre-match talk about another turner at Manchester, the decision at the toss should be a no-brainer. Old Trafford also has a high propensity for drawn games – 33 out of 69 (48%) have ended in a stalemate. Of the remaining 36 Tests which did produce a result, 25 went in favour of the team batting first, another reason for the captain to do just that after winning the toss. England have a 21-14 win-loss record here, and while Australia’s is only a modest 7-7 against England, they have won the last three matches, and haven’t lost a Test here since 1981. (Click here for all England-Australia Tests at Old Trafford.) You’d expect the pitch to get far more difficult for batting as the game goes on, but that isn’t necessarily so, as the table below indicates. Since 1995, the average runs per wicket is highest in the third innings, while the fourth-innings figure is a respectable 32.7. (Click here for the Test records – highest and lowest totals, best batting and bowling performances etc – at this ground.)

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings

36.032.337.732.7 The track for Thursday’s match is expected to assist the spinners, but over the last ten years, fast bowlers have done pretty well here, as the table below suggests. The last time a spinner turned a match around here was in 2001, when Saqlain Mushtaq, aided by umpire David Shepherd’s generosity in ignoring no-balls, took four wickets as England slumped to 261 all out in their second innings.

Pace – wicketsAverageSpin – wicketsAverage

18632.695140.22 The most famous bowling performance at this ground is of course Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in 1956, but in their current squad the Australians have one spinner who has been tormenting England for a while now. He answers to the name Shane Warne, and he has especially enjoyed the conditions at Old Trafford, taking 17 wickets in two Tests at less than 15 apiece. Only one short of reaching the 600-wicket milestone, chances are he’ll go well beyond that figure by the time this Test is done. Add a batting average of 35.50, and Australia have an outstanding allrounder in their midst, at least at this ground.

Warne at each venue
in EnglandTestsBowling averageBatting average

Old Trafford214.5935.50Trent Bridge

318.1418.33Lord’s419.588.75Edgbaston

421.7624.50The Oval323.3021.50Headingley

389.330.00 Among England’s current lot of players, only Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles have played more than one Test at Old Trafford. The first three have done pretty well (click on the player names for Vaughan, Trescothick and Hoggard stats at this ground), but Giles’s nine wickets have cost him more than 38 apiece.

Chelsea captain Mille Bright continued her rehabilitation from injury as she sat out the Lionesses first game of the year.

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Bright continues rehab in mud and rainChelsea skipper missing since NovemberMisses Lionesses first fixture of 2024Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The defender has missed the Lionesses winter camp in sunny southern Spain and will be absent when her colleagues take on Austria in Andalusia on Friday evening. But Bright shared some news on social media of her working hard on her recovery in soggy Surrey.

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"Silently grafting, fun in the sun and mud today," posted Bright on her Instagram account alongside a photo of herself at Chelsea's training complex.

Instagram @mbrighty04

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Bright has been on the sidelines since suffering the recurrence of a knee injury in November. The skipper is not the only high-profile casualty for the Blues as star forward Sam Kerr suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January. Mia Fishel was recently struck down with the affliction on international duty too.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MILLIE BRIGHT?

An exact return date for Bright remains unknown but the 30-year-old will be hoping to be back in action for the business end of the season as Chelsea chase silverware in four different competitions with the Emma Hayes era drawing to a conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

South Africa’s last four wickets added 189 to shore up an already strong total before Australia’s new look batting line-up went on a freefall

The Report by Brydon Coverdale31-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:57

Voges: Nothing has gone right for Australia

It was a difficult day for Australia’s new-look batting order. Of course, not the kind of difficult day their old-look batting order has been having this week. But if much has changed since the Cape Town Test, South Africa’s dominance has remained the constant them. The only negative thing that could be said of South Africa on the second day was the inability of the lower order to help get Temba Bavuma his second Test ton. As low points go, that is stratospheric.The day began with South Africa on 313 for 6. They batted on, and on, and on, and posted 488, the highest total made in a Test at the Wanderers since 2003. The day finished with Australia on 110 for 6 in reply, after Vernon Philander led a strong bowling display with three wickets. Only two Australians had reached double figures and at stumps they were relying on new captain Tim Paine, who was on 5, and Pat Cummins, on 7, and avoiding the follow-on was still 179 runs away.Australia’s top order was almost unrecognisable from the corresponding group in Cape Town. Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw opened, the first time Australia had switched both openers from the previous Test since the start of the 2013 Ashes, when Chris Rogers and Shane Watson walked out first. The tour of India earlier that year had ended with David Warner and Ed Cowan as the opening pair, but Cowan had been demoted to No.3 and Warner had been suspended due to his pub fracas with Joe Root.Back then, neither Rogers nor Watson made it to 20 in the first innings; here, neither Burns nor Renshaw made double figures. On four, Burns prodded outside off to Kagiso Rabada and his edge was sharply snapped up at second slip by Faf du Plessis. Renshaw made eight before he wafted at Philander and edged behind. Both Burns and Renshaw had been batting in Brisbane on Tuesday, rushed to South Africa, and were in the Test team by Friday, and if that was perfect preparation for a Test then everyone would do it.The other batting inclusion, Peter Handscomb, has waited all series for a chance to face up in a Test, and when his opportunity finally arrived it ended quickly and with much frustration. Handscomb shaped to leave his first ball from Philander but could not get his bat out of the way, and the ball ricocheted off it and back onto his stumps for a golden duck. Handscomb simply shook his head in disbelief.Philander missed the chance of a hat-trick – Geoff Griffin in 1960 remains the only South African to have taken a Test hat-trick – but plenty more wickets were to fall. Only a 52-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh looked like giving Australia any sort of platform. Khawaja, rounding out an all-Queensland top three, looked in good touch, but Marsh’s strokeplay seemed about as fluent as his Xhosa.Khawaja brought up his second fifty of the series from his 77th ball but lasted only a few more, brilliantly caught down the leg side by Quinton de Kock, standing up to the stumps to Philander. Marsh, who had played and missed and been struck on the pads numerous times, was put out of his misery when he edged Keshav Maharaj to slip on 16 from 74 balls. And in his final Test, Morne Morkel capped off the day by having Mitchell Marsh bowled, playing on, for four.Earlier, Morkel had been the last man out to leave Bavuma stranded on 95 as Cummins finished the South Africa innings with two wickets in two balls. Cummins ended up with 5 for 83, remarkably just his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, the other having also come at the Wanderers when he made his Test debut in 2011. Cummins wrapped up the innings by having Keshav Maharaj caught behind, slashing loosely for a career-best 45, and Morkel taken at slip for a golden duck.Bavuma and de Kock had started the day at the crease and put on 85 for the seventh wicket, moving the score along steadily for much of the morning. But on 39, de Kock tried to force one from Nathan Lyon through the leg side with a cross-bat stroke, checking his shot when the ball turned sharply, and he skied a catch to mid-on. Bavuma struck 13 boundaries and played all the shots, sweeping, reverse-sweeping, driving and cutting, and he showed his adventurous side by lofting Cummins over extra cover for a boundary.His 76-run ninth-wicket stand with Maharaj frustrated the Australians, though its end must have frustrated Bavuma. Maharaj’s innings was typically aggressive but ended in typically reckless style, and Bavuma was soon stranded. Still, compared to Australia’s long list of issues, it was a good problem to have.

Georgia Stanway has warned that the Lionesses risk being burned out this summer as they confront yet another busy period – even without the Olympics.

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Stanway hit out at England's busy summerWiegman echoed the same sentiment Players and manager unhappy with summer international windowsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite failing to secure qualification for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB, the Lionesses are slated for international camps in June and July due to Euro 2025 qualifying commitments. This demanding schedule, coupled with potential Champions League qualifiers for some clubs in early September, means that many players will miss out on a much-needed break.

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Numerous members of the England squad have endured a gruelling sequence of tournaments, having participated in three consecutive competitions – the 2021 Olympics, Euro 2022, and last summer's World Cup. Additionally, some players were involved in youth tournaments prior to these major events.

WHAT STANWAY SAID

Stanway expressed her disappointment, stating, "When we didn't qualify for the Olympics we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have the summer off, maybe travel a bit further. We realise it's not quite as simple as that but the best thing we can do is work with countries and clubs to find the best solution.

"Hopefully the best solution is giving us a good enough time of rest but also the most important thing is we want to qualify for Euro 2025 – we will do anything to put ourselves in the best possible position to go to that tournament. It is a potential burnout but Football is our life. Everything we do is to be successful on the pitch."

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GettySARINA WIEGMAN AGREES WITH STANWAY

England manager Sarina Wiegman echoed Stanway's concerns, revealing that they have appealed to FIFA and UEFA to reconsider the international calendar. However, she conceded that significant changes may not be feasible until 2026.

"There's no tournament so that should be an opportunity to get some rest, but because of the window in June and the window in July how are you going to take some time off?' Wiegman said.

"Then after that, there is some time off, in England the WSL starts later, but then round one of the Champions League starts in early September, which takes away the summer from the players. That's what we need to take care of and we've asked FIFA and UEFA to look at that and change that in the future so players can have some rest. It's great that we have players that love football, but we have to take care of them too so we have to do something about the calendar.

"We can't change it so you're trying to do the best to take care of the players and at the same time perform to the highest level and take out the highest risks of getting injured, in collaboration with clubs. The clubs and we as the FA don't have any control over the calendar."

Tasmania lost 6 for 17 in 11 overs to give South Australia a shot at a comeback in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2018
ScorecardA huge batting collapse by Tasmania gave South Australia the chance to pull off a stunning comeback in their Sheffield Shield clash in Hobart.The Tigers began their second innings 166 runs in front after bowling out the Redbacks for 227 early on day three. Tom Rogers picked up the last wicket to finish with four for the innings.Tasmania cruised to 1 for 83 with Jordan Silk making a swift half-century. They looked poised to take the game beyond the Redbacks reach but they lost 6 for 17 in 11 frantic overs. Joe Mennie removed Silk before Daniel Worrall and Nick Winter ripped through the middle order. A late fightback from Simon Milenko pushed the lead to 331. Worrall finished with 4 for 17.The Redbacks moved to 1 for 49 at stumps, having only lost debutant Conor McInerney.

Manchester City are now keen on signing a record-breaking striker, but they will have to do battle for his signature with some of Europe's top clubs, according to a report.

What's the latest Man City transfer news?

Man City will be in the market for a new left-back in the January transfer window, considering Sergio Gomez is their only natural option in that area of the pitch, and Football Insider has revealed they are now confident about signing Boca Juniors' Valentin Barco.

Although the Boca defender has a release clause of around £10m included in his contract, the Sky Blues may have to stump up a fee of £15m, as there is considerable interest in his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion also being named as potential suitors.

Barco is not the only young left-back that City have been credited with an interest in, as it has been reported they are also keen on signing Chelsea's Ian Maatsen, amid the uncertainty surrounding the 21-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge.

The vast majority of the Citizens' transfer targets are under 21, having also been linked with a move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, and there have now been reports they could make a move for another young striker.

According to a report from CalcioMercato, Man City are now interested in signing 15-year-old AC Milan striker Francesco Camarda, who is attracting the attention of several top European clubs, as they are "convinced" he has a great future ahead of him.

The Milan starlet continues to break "record after record", recently netting a brace against Newcastle United on his debut in the UEFA Youth League, which meant he became the youngest Italian ever to score in the competition.

In light of the impression the youngster has made for AC Milan, there are a number of clubs vying for his signature, with Borussia Dortmund also being named as potential suitors, but there is an indication he may not be on the move anytime soon.

The Italian club are currently in the process of handing Camarda his first professional contract, and he "dreams" of making his debut for the Rossoneri in the Serie A.

Who is Francesco Camarda?

The Milan-born forward has started to make a name for himself at youth level, having scored one goal in three Primavera 1 games this season, while he recorded three goal contributions in his first-ever UEFA Youth League outing, bagging two goals and an assist.

The Italian has also made his breakthrough on the international scene, having found the back of the net three times in three appearances for the U17s, during which time he has also recorded one assist.

It is no wonder some of Europe's top clubs are queuing up for Camarda, as he clearly has a lot of potential, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as an "unbelievable" talent just a few days ago.

However, the Milan academy graduate does not seem to have much interest in leaving his hometown club at the moment, so Man City should keep him shortlisted for the future.

A weak batting display from the Indians left South Africa with a target of 211. They have the advantage, but history indicates that it might not be a cakewalk. Cricinfo looks at the stat highlights of the fourth day

George Binoy05-Jan-2007

Would you have bet on Sourav Ganguly scoring the most runs in the series for India? © AFP
331 – Is the highest target successfully chased at Cape Town; by Australia in 2002. However, the second-highest target chased is only 179, also by Australia in 1967.175 for 6 – The highest target South Africa have chased at Cape Town. However, they scored 335 in the fourth innings against New Zealand in 1962 and 224 against England in 1927 but lost both games.This is only Rahul Dravid’s third series (at least two Tests) in which he has failed to score a half-century. The previous two instances were in Australia in 1999-00 and against South Africa at home in 2000.214 – Sourav Ganguly, averaging 42.80, is the highest run-scorer for India in this series. Sachin Tendulkar is second highest with 199 at 33.16.15.1 overs – The amount of time Dravid and Tendulkar took to add 24 runs for the fourth wicket. The innings run-rate before Tendulkar and Dravid began their partnership was 2.84.4 – The number of innings out of five at Cape Town that Tendulkar has batted at No.5. It’s a remarkably high percentage considering he’s played only 20 of his 216 innings in that position.25.71 – Tendulkar’s strike-rate against debutant Paul Harris against whom he scored 9 off 35 balls. He didn’t score a run against ten balls from Shaun Pollock.69.7 – The number of overs South Africa took to dismiss India for 169. Munaf Patel was the last man out off the seventh legitimate ball of Dale Steyn’s over.16.00 – Pollock’s bowling average in this series. His haul of 13 wickets is second to Makhaya Ntini for South Africa. He’s also scored 150 runs at 37.50, the third highest tally and average for South Africa after Ashwell Prince and Graeme Smith.

Manchester United have finally seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move to acquire a 25 percent stake at Old Trafford approved by the Premier League and the FA.

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Ratcliffe agrees deal in DecemberPremier League approve it on TuesdayFA follow suit on WednesdayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at the club was approved on Tuesday following an independent review, as the Manchester-born billionaire now looks set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the team moving forward. The Football Association also approved the deal on Wednesday.

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A statement released by the Premier League read: "'Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300 million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

"The Board agreed to the change of the club's ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.

"The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed. This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion."

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Ratcliffe completed the initial deal to acquire the share of the club back in December and has now passed the Premier League's Directors' and Owners' test. The 71-year-old is set to gain complete control over footballing operations, despite only owning a minority share at Old Trafford. Completion of the deal is expected by the end of the week when Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of Class A shares.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

For now, United themselves will look to continue to impress on the pitch following their late winner against Aston Villa last weekend. Erik ten Hag's men are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions and face Luton Town in their next fixture.

Southampton's quest to bounce straight back up to the Premier League has got off to a flying start.

Under the stewardship of new manager Russell Martin, the Saints have scored ten goals and registered three wins from a possible four on the board.

Martin's possession-heavy style has worked a treat so far and to ensure their standards don't slip, the club have recently dipped into the loan market, acquiring Newcastle's Ryan Fraser, Everton's Mason Holgate and West Ham's Flynn Downes.

The quality Southampton have been able to add, particularly in the loan market, is a remarkable feat for a club in the second tier and this is demonstrated by the top-flight experience accumulated between the aforementioned trio.

What is the Southampton team news vs Sunderland?

When Southampton travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland this afternoon, Martin virtually has a fully fit squad to choose from, and that is a frightening prospect for the Black Cats.

While centre-back Jack Stephens is their only current casualty after suffering an injury last weekend, Holgate is a fine replacement, and he is likely to make his debut alongside Jan Bednarek.

Further forward, Downes could be handed his first start for the club, but he faces strong competition from central midfielders Carlos Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong and Shea Charles.

The most exciting of the Saints inclusions could be the lightning-quick Fraser, who would offer an injection of urgency and experience to make way for 17-year-old starlet Samuel Amo-Ameyaw.

How good is Ryan Fraser?

Fraser's rapid rise to stardom began in 2012, joining Bournemouth at the start of their ascendancy up the football league pyramid, ending with a fairytale promotion to the Premier League in 2015.

The "electric" winger, as lauded by journalist Sean McCormick, would go on to spend eight years at the Cherries, appearing for the club on 208 occasions and registering 57 goal contributions.

His most impressive season came in 2018/19, registering an extraordinary seven goals and 14 assists in the top flight, alerting the likes of Arsenal to a potential transfer.

The following season saw his stock take a dramatic tumble as the Scotland international only managed five goal contributions in 28 appearances during the 2019/20 season.

Having joined Newcastle in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer, Fraser has been unable to replicate the highs of his time at Bournemouth, scoring only three goals in 59 appearances for the Magpies.

While his time in the North East hasn't worked out as he would have liked, moving back down south can see Fraser resurrect his career and become a key piece to Martin's promotion puzzle.

The 31-year-old has the telling attributes to become a difference-maker for this Saints side, utilising his electric pace and low centre of gravity to help unlock opposition defences.

Not only would his pace and dribbling provide Martin with an ace in his pack when trying to break down low blocks, but Fraser is also capable of matching, if not, bettering the statistical output of most wingers at Championship level.

During Fraser's most productive season in 2018/19, the 5 foot 4 ace produced monstrous numbers that saw him stand out when comparing his per 90 stats to his positional peers in the Premier League.

He ranked in the top 1% for assists (0.40), top 2% for crosses (7.70), top 3% for key passes (2.62), top 7% for progressive passes recorded (7.93) and top 15% for non-penalty goals (0.20), as per FBref.

If Fraser can roll back the years and start to produce a similar level of attacking output at Championship level, Martin will have a player on their hands who is capable of firing them to promotion. That begins by unleashing him against Sunderland today for his full debut, in a game that could see him get his career back on track.