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Everton have completed their first signing of the summer with ex-Aston Villa full-back Ashley Young securing a move to Goodison Park this week, and now Sean Dyche will be fully focused on strengthening his attacking threat.

The Toffees escaped the drop into the Championship with just two points to spare last season and only a goal from Abdoulaye Doucoure on the final day saved their Premier League status.

It is no secret that Everton have struggled to kill games in the final third with the forward line significantly weakened by both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon's departures, alongside ongoing injury issues that have left Dominic Calvert-Lewin unable to provide consistent performances in the centre-forward role.

Not only that, newcomer Neal Maupay failed to make the desired impact upon his £15m move from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer, delivering just one goal in all competitions over the campaign.

As a result, the signing of a prolific and confident goal-scorer will be imperative if the Mersey outfit don't want to find themselves struggling in their third-consecutive relegation scrap at the bottom of the table next season.

One player who has been linked with a move to Merseyside this week is Werder Bremen striker Niclas Fullkrug, with the Germany international a significant improvement upon the current options and could even make an impact similar to that of Romelu Lukaku.

Who is Niclas Fullkrug?

The 30-year-old titan has enjoyed a great career in German football rising through the ranks of the Werder Bremen youth set-up to become a goal-machine for the Bundesliga club and eventually earning a much deserved spot in his national team.

Over 371 club appearances so far, Fullkrug has tallied up a whopping 143 goals and 43 assists, with a goal contribution every 127 minutes played which is a fantastic output that would be highly valuable if he could emulate that goal-scoring rate at Goodison Park.

Not only that, the German native – who was once hailed as "very complete" by Bremen coach Ole Werner – has scored seven goals in nine senior appearances for his national team, which again only demonstrates further Fullkrug's keen eye for goal.

In fact, when comparing his league output to that of Demarai Gray, Neal Maupay and Dominic Calvert-Lewin last season, the Werder Bremen powerhouse outperformed his Everton position competitors comfortably in a number of attracking attributes including goal contributions (21), shots on goal per 90 (2.69), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.36) and aerial duels won (54.1%), as per FBref.

The Merseysiders have had huge success with strikers who use their towering stature to dominate the ball in the air and cause chaos for defenders with their strength, both Calvert-Lewin and Lukaku have been the most popular and prolific strikers in front of goal with the latter tallying up 116 goal contributions during his tenure at Everton.

Now, standing at 6 foot 2, Fullkrug – who has a reported €20m (£17m) price tag – could be the second coming of Lukaku if he can follow in the footsteps of the Belgian by finally providing the supporters, the club and the squad a striker they can rely on in the final third next season.

After being on the fortunate end of a washout in their first group game, Australia were denied victory at The Oval, where it began to rain after 16 overs of the chase

The Report by Mohammad Isam05-Jun-2017Match abandoned

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:34

Fleming: Frustrating for everyone but Bangladesh

After being on the fortunate end of a washout in their first group game, Australia were denied victory against Bangladesh at The Oval, where they were firmly in control of a small chase when it began to rain after 16 overs. They needed to play four more overs to ensure a result but the London weather did not allow it.The last action on the field, before the players went off at 6.43 pm, involved Steven Smith simply blocking five deliveries from Mashrafe Mortaza without attempting to score, in the hope of speeding up proceedings to get to 20 overs. Australia would have been well ahead of the par score. The match was eventually called off at 9.18 pm.With two points from two washouts, Australia now have to beat England in their final group game to have a chance of making the semi-finals. Bangladesh, who have only one point after two games, are not yet out of contention either.It had drizzled towards the end of Bangladesh’s innings and there was a small delay in the start of the chase. Australia began it confidently. Aaron Finch and David Warner clubbed a couple of boundaries each and the pace did not flag even after Finch fell lbw to Rubel Hossain. Warner became the fastest Australia to 4000 ODI runs.Bangladesh bowled only one over of spin, not hurrying the over-rate along by using their quicks for 15 overs. As Smith and Warner began a fluent partnership, their race was not against the bowling but the weather, and ultimately it was futile.The weather was fair for much of the first innings but Bangladesh’s batting was not, with the exception of Tamim Iqbal, who waged a lone battle against Australia’s pace battery.His 95 came off 114 balls, and included six fours and three sixes, but Tamim had little support from his team-mates and had to readjust his tempo every time a wicket fell. The first three went in the space of 11 overs – Mushfiqur Rahim did not review his lbw through he had got an inside edge – and Tamim began to rebuild the innings with Shakib. Their partnership had grown to 69 before Shakib was given out lbw to Travis Head; Nigel Llong’s decision appeared spot on despite the batsmen being well down the track.Legspinner Adam Zampa debunked any doubt about his inclusion by taking two wickets in consecutive overs, though Smith brought him into the attack in the 35th over.Mitchell Starc then ripped out the last four Bangladesh wickets in the space of nine balls, including three in one over – Tamim was caught pulling to fine-leg, before Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain were bowled by full and fast deliveries. Mustafizur Rahman narrowly survived Starc’s hat-trick ball but Mehedi was clean bowled in the next over.The weather had begun to worsen, though, and the players spent the best part of the evening indoors.

Everton could potentially complete the signing of Leeds United striker Rodrigo this summer, according to an update from journalist Paul Brown.

Have Everton been linked with Rodrigo move?

The Blues remained in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth last season, staying up on the final day after a nerve-shredding 1-0 victory at home to Bournemouth.

After two poor years in the top flight, it is essential that Everton now kick on and look to finish higher up the table, but new signings will be required in order for that to happen, with quality too often lacking all over the pitch of late.

Rodrigo is one player who has been linked with a summer move to Elland Road, having suffered relegation with Leeds United last month. It is highly unlikely that he will stay on and play in the Championship in 2023/24, so a new challenge will appeal to him instead, with his current deal expiring next summer.

Are Everton being backed to sign Rodrigo?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown talked up the idea of Everton making a move for Rodrigo during the summer transfer window, saying they would be able to fund his services:

"Rodrigo, clearly, is the kind of signing that Everton could currently fund. Until new investment comes in and the board is properly reshuffled, it's difficult for Everton to commit huge funding to any kind of transfer at the moment.

"That is an interesting one. He does have a pretty good goalscoring record in the Premier League, particularly if you compare him to Everton's current strikers."

Rodrigo could be a strong short-term signing for Everton, providing Sean Dyche with the extra firepower that is needed, considering they only scored 34 goals in 38 Premier League games last season, highlighting the importance of bringing in more natural goalscorers.

At 32, the £100,000-a-week Leeds man isn't getting any younger, but eight goals in 28 caps for Spain outlines his pedigree as a footballer, and he is still at a level where he can be a key man for the Blues for a couple of years. He was also described as "absolutely sensational" by Gary Neville last season.

Of course, the hope is that Everton become more financially strong this summer if the ownership issue changes, but for now, players of Rodrigo's ilk are ideal, with his experience and eye for goal both weapons that can aid Dyche's side and help them pull away from the relegation zone.

Arsenal's constantly-increasing stature in the game is already paying dividends this summer, as they seem set to secure yet another deal…

What's the latest on Jurrien Timber to Arsenal?

Having already reportedly tempted Kai Havertz to join their revolution, with it well reported that he "only wanted to join Arsenal", Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has now detailed another star who is reportedly desperate to mimic such a move.

Writing on his Twitter, he outlined the Gunners' interest in Ajax star Jurrien Timber and the reciprocal feeling of the Dutchman: "J. #Timber wants to join Arsenal as his move was prepared in detail in the last weeks. #Ajax in negotiations with Arsenal now. Agreement expected between €40-45m. ManUtd no topic as they have a similar profile with Martinez."

With the apex of his price tag settling at this €45m (£39m) fee, this seems one of the more affordable deals given the figures being touted for some of their other potential deals. Given he could strike up a fine partnership with Bukayo Saka down that right flank too, it truly is a tantalising option.

How good is Jurrien Timber?

Although predominantly a centre-back, his immense versatility means that the 22-year-old is just as comfortable as a central midfielder, and therefore also as an inverting full-back.

Such qualities have understandably drawn comparisons with another of the Gunners' technically-proficient defenders, with journalist Sam Dean suggesting he was a "Zinchenko-type player".

When delving into his underlying statistics, it is clear that he is comfortably one of the best ball-playing central defenders in Europe. This aids in the notion that his true potential lies in a more advanced role, perhaps just behind Saka to form a truly potent right side.

FBref details what makes Timber so special, by pitting him against others in that centre-back role across the continent. The youngster still manages to rank in the top 1% for passes attempted, pass completion rate, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

Football writer Anthony Onifade even outlined why the defender would be ideal for Mikel Arteta's fluid system in particular, taking to Twitter: "Jurrien Timber would be EXCEPTIONAL for Mikel Arteta, just as he would be for Erik ten Hag. He’s an elite-level footballer, incredible tactical smarts and intelligence who’d fit into any possession-based side like a glove. A masterstroke if AFC pull this off."

To place such creativity behind Saka could help the England international take his game to another level, despite enjoying a true standout campaign last term. The 21-year-old found the net on 15 occasions, offering up 11 assists too in all competitions whilst featuring in every single league game.

He did all this with the defensively solid but creatively-lacking exploits of Ben White behind him, further emphasising the attacking quality of their young trickster.

After all, the 25-year-old could only muster 0.7 key passes per game in the league. Swapping that out for Timber could prove revolutionary, and might be the catalyst to make Arteta's team true Premier League challengers.

Round-up of the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals on December 26, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Shahbaz Nadeem finished with 11 wickets in the match, his second haul of more than 10 wickets in this season•KCA/Ranjith PeralamShahbaz Nadeem’s four-for and a rapid 86 from Ishan Kishan helped Jharkhand cruise into the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. Jharkhand’s previous appearance in the semi-final came in the 2004-05 plate league, and this is the first time they will play at this stage of the competition since the tournament was restructured.Haryana had ended the fourth day with an overall lead of 59 and eight wickets in hand with the top four making important contributions. Their innings, however, unraveled quickly against Jharkhand’s spinners, Nadeem and legspinner Samar Quadri, as Haryana went from 178 for 2 to 193 for 7 within 10 overs. Nadeem, who had taken seven wickets in the first innings, took his match haul to 11 wickets with 4 for 78 in the second innings and Quadri took 3 for 75. This was the second time Nadeem finished with more than 10 wickets in a match in this season.Haryana’s dismissal for 262 left Jharkhand with a target of 176. Kishan stepped up with a 61-ball 86 which included nine fours and six sixes. His partnerships with opener Anand Singh and Virat Singh both came at more than five runs an over and by the time he was dismissed in the 24th over, Jharkhand had raced to 139. They took only another seven overs to complete the chase.
ScorecardFile photo – Aditya Tare scored his 14th first-class fifty•AFPThree wickets in the last half hour of the day from left-arm spinner Vijay Gohil took Mumbai close to a win against Hyderabad who were seven wickets down and 111 away from their target of 232. Even though Mohammed Siraj’s five-for kept Mumbai to 217 and Hyderabad got off to a decent start in the first 15 overs of the chase, Gohil’s second five-for in as many matches made Hyderabad slide in what could have been a memorable win in a quarter-final against the defending champions.Hyderabad opener Akshath Reddy fell early when he was caught behind off Abhishek Nayar for 1 in the fourth over. Tanmay Agarwal and No. 3 Balchander Anirudh could bat for just over 11 overs together when two quick wickets from Gohil dented the chase. Agarwal handed a return catch and captain S Badrinath fell for 1, leaving them at 45 for 3. Anirudh and Bavanaka Sandeep brought the innings back on track with a stand of 44, but Abhiesh Nayak bowled Sandeep for 25 to help Mumbai bounce back. Soon after Hyderabad crossed 100 with four wickets down, Gohil troubled the lower order with the wickets of K Sumanth (14), Mehdi Hassan (4) and Akash Bhandari (4) to slim Hyderabad’s chances of winning.Earlier, Mumbai resumed the day on 102 for 3 and extended their lead with the help of Aditya Tare’s 57 and Siddhesh Lad’s 46. That they could add only 115 for seven wickets was because of Siraj. Once Praful Waghela fell for 28, Siraj dismissed Tare, and Mumbai lost their last six wickets for 70 runs. Siraj finished with 5 for 52, his maiden five-for in first-class matches.
ScorecardFile photo – Samit Gohel’s previous best was 104 in first-class cricket•ESPNcricinfoOvernight batsman Samit Gohel batted all day with a string of partners to take Gujarat to 514 for 8 against Odisha. Gohel, who started the day on 110, added another 151 runs on the fourth day to increase their lead to a massive 578 runs.Gohel, whose previous highest score in first-class cricket was 104, reached his double-century just before tea, after Manpreet Juneja fell for 24. Gohel added 78 runs for the fifth wicket with Parthiv Patel (40) and followed that up with small partnerships with Chirag Gandhi, Rush Kalaria and Mehul Patel to take Gujarat to 453 for 8, before an unbeaten 61-run partnership with No. 10 Hardik Patel saw him move past 250 and Gujarat past 500. Left-arm spinner Dhiraj Singh, who removed Parthiv, Gandhi and Kalaria, finished the day on 5 for 139, his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has achieved a top-five ranking in all three formats, after his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh in the T20I series that concluded on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2017New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has broken into the top-five rankings for batsmen across formats, climbing to no. 4 on the T20I list after his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh. Williamson is ranked fourth in Tests and fifth in ODIs. Virat Kohli is the only other batsmen to occupy positions in the top-five rankings across formats.With 145 runs in the three matches, Williamson was the highest scorer from either side. His 57-ball 60 on Sunday helped his side recover to 194 after a slow start, before the bowlers snuffed out Bangladesh’s fight during the chase to win by 27 runs. With the 3-0 win, the team retained their No. 1 ranking in the format.”Really pleased with the series as a whole,” coach Mike Hesson said. “We were put under pressure at times during all three games with both bat and ball, and different players stood up and that’s critical for us as a developing side even though we are ranked number one in the world.”It shows our consistency over the last 18 months to two years. We’ve been the most consistent side in Twenty20 cricket around the world, and in different conditions, having played in India and other places around the world. It’s a nice mantle to hold, although it doesn’t drive us so much. But it is nice to reflect on.”Hesson was especially pleased with the manner in which a young team put its hand up. New Zealand handed out debut caps to four players during the series, and most players in the squad were in their 20s. “The nature of Twenty20 is that you need guys who can turn the game on its head. You need that with both bat and ball, and we’re fortunate enough that we’ve got some really talented players,” he said.”Sure, they might be a little bit inexperienced, but they’ve certainly got the ability to change a game on their day, and that’s what T20 is about. Some of our match winners are quite young and raw, but there’s some really good signs there.”Colin Munro, who slammed a 52-ball century in the second T20, leaped up 20 places to 19th position, while Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi achieved career-best rankings. New Zealand also succeeded in discovering young talent from the domestic circuit in the form of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Wheeler and Tom Bruce.”It’s a nice sign for us moving forward that we can bring players in from domestic cricket in the Super Smash and they can do well, which is great,” Hesson said.Among other big gainers, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman broke into the top ten among T20I bowlers, displacing Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh’s highest-ranked bowler.

Arsenal have been linked to a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad this summer.

After narrowly missing out on their first league title since 2004 to Manchester City, the Spaniard will aim to bridge the gap on the champions ahead of the new campaign, which they could do so in signing this star.

What’s the latest on Kai Havertz to Arsenal?

As reported by journalist Alex Goldberg via AFCStuff, Arsenal are eyeing Chelsea forward Kai Havertz this summer.

The German is reportedly a player the Gunners “really want” the ace, who is expected to depart Stamford Bridge as per The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.

Steinberg’s report claims that Chelsea could demand a fee in the region of £75m for Havertz, who was linked to Real Madrid earlier this summer.

What could Kai Havertz bring to Arsenal?

Lauded as “incredibly talented” by former boss Graham Potter, the German has been one of Chelsea’s star performers since joining the side in 2020.

The 23-year-old has contributed to 47 goals in 139 appearances in all competitions for the Blues as per Transfermarkt, and could be a revolutionary signing for Arsenal should rumours be believed.

While Arteta has sculpted a dominant attack at the Emirates, unlocking the best out of captain Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian could be taken to the next level in playing with Havertz.

The Spaniard could capture the essence of a former 'dynamic duo' that the German international was once part of if the Arsenal boss opted to equip him as a central attacking midfielder rather than an out-and-out forward.

When playing at Bayer Leverkusen, the Chelsea gem was deployed in the middle of the park in a 4-3-3 formation, identical to what’s on show in Arteta’s system in north London.

During this time, Havertz formed a dynamic partnership with Julian Brandt, with him identified as the goalscorer of the two, while the now Borussia Dortmund ace acted as the creator.

In the 2018/19 season, the duo contributed to 38 of Leverkusen’s 69 goals, with Havertz scoring 17 and assisting three, and Brandt scoring seven and assisting 11, as per WhoScored.

Unleashing Havertz in midfield alongside Odegaard could replicate the success the German had in the Bundesliga alongside his national teammate.

Hailed as being Arsenal’s ‘magical conductor’ by journalist Charles Watts via GOAL, the 24-year-old averages 2.1 key passes per game in the Premier League this season, similar to Brandt’s 2.6 in the Bundesliga when playing alongside Havertz.

Such numbers signify that Arsenal’s number eight could be a perfect outlet for the Chelsea whiz to thrive alongside, and form a potential marriage as strong as his previous one with Brandt in Germany.

With a hefty price tag above his head, only time will tell if the Gunners will be willing to pay the fee to their rivals for the £150k-per-week star, however, there’s little doubt over the impact he could have in Arteta’s system.

تحدث الحكم الدولي المصري محمود عاشور، عقب مباراة كوت ديفوار ونيجيريا، التي أقيمت أمس الأحد ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وتمكن منتخب كوت ديفوار من الفوز على نيجيريا بهدفين مقابل هدف، وذلك على أرضية استاد الحسن واتارا في العاصمة الإيفوارية أبيدجان، في المباراة النهائية من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا

وقال محمود عاشور في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “هذا تتويج لكل الحكام المصريين الذين شاركوا في البطولة، قدمنا أداءً جيدًا ونشكر كل من ساندنا”.

طالع أيضاً.. هالر: الفوز بـ كأس أمم إفريقيا استثنائي.. ولا بد أن نؤمن بأنفسنا

وأضاف: “شرف لي وشرف للحكام المصريين كلهم، وهذه الميدالية لكل الحكام الذين شاركوا في البطولة وليست ميدالية لي شخصيًا”.

وأتم: “كرم ربنا ظهورنا بشكل جيد في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا والقادم أفضل بإذن الله”.

جدير بالذكر أن الدولي المصري محمود عاشور كان حكمًا لتقنية الفيديو “VAR” في مباراة نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا بين كوت ديفوار ونيجيريا.  

Leeds United will do all they can to ensure that key attackers Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford are fit to face Tottenham this weekend, with the former training on Friday, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

What is the situation this weekend?

The Whites have experienced a difficult season in the Premier League, not learning from last year's lessons and again battling relegation throughout the campaign. Both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia have been and gone as manager, and it is now up to Sam Allardyce to perform a miracle escape act.

Ahead of the final day on Sunday, Leeds know that they simply have to beat Spurs at Elland Road, and also hope that Everton and Leicester City slip up, against Bournemouth and West Ham respectively.

In truth, it looks like an extremely tall order for the Whites, and with injury doubts over both Rodrigo and Bamford, their task could get even more tricky.

Will Rodrigo be fit for visit of Tottenham?

However, taking to Twitter, Hay claimed that Leeds will do all they can to get both Rodrigo and Bamford on the pitch, with the former training on Friday in a positive update.

"Allardyce on injuries – Rodrigo trained today. Bamford will be given as long as possible. Decision to be made on him tomorrow, when Allardyce picks his XI.

"'I'll gamble on anyone's fitness if they want to play, if I think they can make a contribution to help us win.'"

Having Rodrigo and Bamford available this weekend is absolutely essential for Leeds, even if they aren't 100% fit, given their experience and quality. The former, who earn £100,000 per week, has been hailed as "sensational" by Gary Neville in the recent past and he has the ability to produce a match-winning moment from nowhere.

His stunning strike away to West Ham last weekend was proof of his class, even though it ultimately didn't affect the result in the end, and to have both him and Bamford sidelined would be cruel luck ahead of an absolute must-win encounter from Spurs, even if the latter has struggled for form recently.

You wonder if this could be Rodrigo's final game in a Leeds shirt, should relegation come their way, with the 32-year-old surely not wanting to be playing Championship football next season. The hope is that he can go out with a bang, scoring a goal that at least gives the White some hope of survival.

The final day can do crazy things, however, and if Rodrigo and Bamford both played a part in an incredible survival mission, they would further etch their name into Leeds folklore.

Anurag Thakur, 41, is set to become one of the youngest BCCI presidents on Sunday afternoon. Thakur, currently the BCCI secretary, will officially take up the most high-profile position in Indian cricket administration at the board’s special general meeting in Mumbai and his tenure will extend until September 2017.The president’s post had been vacated when Shashank Manohar had stepped down a week ago. Thakur, as a result of the support he has gained since he was appointed joint secretary in September 2011, appeared to be the automatic choice to replace Manohar, who has since been elected the ICC’s first independent chairman.As per the BCCI constitution, its president is elected by a rotational system where each of the five zones is given the chance to put a candidate forward at the special general meeting.It was the East zone’s turn this time and if there had been more than one nomination, an election would have been held. However, at the deadline to file nominations on Saturday, there was only one name doing the rounds. Thakur was formally endorsed by all six units of the East zone – Cricket Association of Bengal, National Cricket Club, Odisha Cricket Association, Tripura Cricket Association, Assam Cricket Association and Jharkhand Cricket Association.ESPNcricinfo understands Ajay Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, is likely to become the BCCI’s new secretary.