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كشفت وكالة أعمال اللاعب الدولي التونسي محمد الضاوي كريستو المحترف ضمن صفوف فريق النادي الأهلي، تطورات رحيله عن القلعة الحمراء.

وكان كريستو الذي تم الاتفاق على رحيله عن النادي الأهلي، قد ارتبط اسمه بالعديد من الأندية، أبرزهم الصفاقسي التونسي والرجاء المغربي.

رئيس الرجاء لـ “بطولات”: اتفقنا مع الأهلي وننتظر وصول كريستو إلى المغرب

ونشرت وكالة أعمال اللاعب التونسي كريستو “أجانسي جرينتا” بيانًا مقتضبًا لتوضيح موقفه، ذكرت فيه: “نحيطكم علماً بأنه لم يتم اتخاذ أي قرار بشأن مستقبل كريستو حتى الآن”.

وأضاف البيان: “فيما يتعلق بجميع العروض، سنأخذ الوقت اللازم لتقييم جميع المعايير واتخاذ الخيار الصحيح، مع احترام جميع محاورينا”.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن كريستو صاحب الـ 21 عامًا كان قد انضم لصفوف الأهلي في يناير 2023، قادمًا من النجم الساحلي التونسي، وتُوج خلال تلك الفترة ببطولات دوري أبطال إفريقيا مرتين، وكأس مصر مرتين، والدوري المصري.

Arsenal are set to kick talks over a new contract for one of their star men into gear as Mikel Arteta continues to shape his squad at the Emirates Stadium, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Arsenal?

Premier League legend Peter Schmeichel has had his say regarding Arteta's decision to rotate goalkeepers David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale at the Emirates Stadium and has questioned the merits of doing so.

The former Manchester United stopper stated to Premier League Productions via The Mirror: "We debate this Raya-Ramsdale situation a lot, and I only get that situation if Arteta thinks Raya is a better goalkeeper. That's the only way I can find some kind of sense in it. I think having the competition between two goalkeepers, it will just create situations in the games where they will have to go and prove themselves, and that's the one thing you don't want from your goalkeepers."

Raya returned to action between the sticks at the weekend in the Gunners' 4-0 victory over Brentford following Arteta's decision to start Ramsdale away to Brentford in midweek in a 1-0 triumph in the Carabao Cup third round, which will have given the Spaniard plenty food for thought as both performed admirably when called upon.

Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard could return to action when the Gunners visit Ligue 1 outfit Lens in the Champions League on Tuesday after he appeared on the bench and was an unused substitute in his side's comfortable triumph at the Vitality Stadium, as per Football London.

Meanwhile, Sportmediaset via reports in Spain have claimed that the Gunners have entered the hunt to sign Santos striker Marcos Leonardo in the January transfer window.

Who could sign a new contract at Arsenal?

Transfer expert Romano has taken to social media platform X to offer some insight into Ben White potentially signing a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, as he stated: "Arsenal are working to extend Ben White’s contract as he’s next one in the list after Martin Ødegaard. Club very happy with his performances and attitude. New deal talks to advance soon."

Poole-born White currently has three years left to run on his deal in north London and is believed to pick up a weekly wage of around £120,000 per week at Arsenal, Capology understands.

In 2023/24, White has made ten appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, registering one goal in the process against Bournemouth last weekend, as per Transfermarkt. Providing an element of combativeness and composure in possession, White has completed an average of 2.6 clearances this term alongside maintaining a passing accuracy of 87.2% in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.

Dubbed an "underrated" presence by pundit Michael Owen, White has also been a capable threat from an offensive perspective this campaign, successfully carrying out 20 shot-creating actions across his exploits in the English top-flight and Champions League, with one directly leading to a goal, as per FBRef.

Now, it is apparent that White is a key component of Arteta's vision at the Emirates Stadium and it is understandable why the Spaniard would want to tie him down on improved terms.

Southampton could lose an “exciting young talent” in January, with one Premier League club showing an interest.

Who left Southampton this summer?

The Saints and new manager Russell Martin lost a number of players in the summer, bringing in just under £160m through sales.

Big money was brought in for Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Tella, with Mohammed Salisu, Moussa Djenepo and Mislav Orsic also bringing in fees.

The club are currently going through an extremely tricky period back in the Championship following a relatively solid opening few weeks. Three wins from the opening four games gave plenty of belief around St Mary’s, however, the Saints have now lost their last four, leaving them in 15th place.

One player who began the campaign as a regular was Carlos Alcaraz, starting three of the first four, but he has been limited to appearances from the bench in recent weeks and was an unused substitute last time out against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Newcastle United made an enquiry for the Argentine in the summer and are keeping tabs on his situation ahead of the January window.

BBC pundit Carlton Palmer, talking to Football League World, addressed the rumours regarding Alcaraz and Newcastle, suggesting he could leave Southampton in the New Year.

"Newcastle United have made an enquiry about Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz in the summer transfer window and have continued to keep tabs on the player.

"Alcaraz could leave Southampton in the January transfer window – certainly in the summer – if Southampton are not promoted and he's not getting game time.

"Alcaraz scored four goals in 18 Premier League games last season after his £12m move from Racing Club, he's certainly an exciting young talent and he's got a lot of praise from former-managers, one being Harry Redknapp – who knows a player or two – who said 'he's got a really bright future ahead of him'".

How good is Southampton’s Carlos Alcaraz?

Alcaraz, a central midfielder who can also play out wide if needed, appears to be a player who could make a big impact in the Championship. Over the past 12 months, as per FBref, Alcaraz has ranked in the top 1% for midfielders when it comes to shot-creating actions, xG, total shot and successful take-ons.

He’s also ranked highly for key passes, passes into the area and progressive passes, showing how he can make an impact on the ball, with plenty of the data recorded during last season's Premier League campaign.

Therefore, statistically, it isn’t a surprise that a team like Newcastle appear to see plenty of potential in the 20-year-old, so a move to St James’ Park from St Mary’s could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, and it'll be interesting to see if he soon returns to Martin's starting XI.

On the eve of the tournament’s opener against Mumbai Indians, the Chennai Super Kings coach ruled out any jitters among players owing to the team’s two-year suspension

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai06-Apr-2018

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming is not worried about his team returning to the IPL after a long gap or about the reason behind the team’s suspension having any kind of effect on the players. On the eve of the tournament’s opener against Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Fleming spoke lucidly about the team having the usual “nerves” because of the two-year gap and stated that the players would not carry any kind of “scars” because they didn’t have anything to do with the events that led to the team’s suspension two years ago.The Harbhajan crossover

With all the attention on Saturday’s IPL opener being on Chennai Super Kings returning after a two-year suspension, they will have the services of the experienced Harbhajan Singh who will turn out for a side other than Mumbai Indians for the first time in the IPL. Harbhajan was bought by Super Kings for INR 2 crore this year and will have more experience than anyone in that side when playing at Wankhede Stadium.
“It’ll be a game filled with emotions for me given that this was my home ground for the first 10 seasons,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the Super Kings website. “It wasn’t one season but 10 years and obviously I know the kind of cricket that they (Mumbai) play, but then it’s no secret because with every team playing each other over the years, each knows how they approach their game, the brand of cricket that they play. Obviosuly having been a part of the think-tank, I guess I know more than most about how MI play.”

“I think we’ve prepared well. Just a lot of nerves around but no more than normal,” he said. “Players want to get into it and we’ve had the best part of 12 days leading into the competition, so the feeling is one of we’re ready to play. We’ve done all we can, but there’s still the element of getting into the tournament and getting the team selections right. The general feeling is we’re just ready to go.”It (the suspension) doesn’t have an influence on the players. Players didn’t do anything to be scarred from, so there’s no scars there.”When Super Kings returned to the auction table after two years, the average age of their side after the first day was 33. They made up for it on the second day of the auction by purchasing eight uncapped players, and Fleming explained why he was banking on experience.”The notion that we bought an old side on day one of the auction was right,” he stated. “Day two was filled with a lot of young players. I value experience, we always have and if the professional player is in shape and performing well, I think they’re a valuable asset. Not often do you see young players come out and make a mark. People talk a lot about it but very rarely do young players shoot the lights out.”I’m not sure when a young player came out and was the top run-scorer. Rashid Khan – you get some exceptions, Washington Sundar, but there’s only a handful whereas experienced players play major parts in the whole tournament so that’s why I value experience. There’s also about the quality of player, like [Dwayne] Bravo is still competing well, [Shane] Watson’s competing well, Harbhajan [Singh] has a great skillset, [MS] Dhoni is a fine leader. So, the players we’ve picked, I don’t think they’re spent by any means. It’s a year-by-year proposition, and this year I think they look very good.”On Saturday night, Super Kings will return by taking on the same opponents they last played in the tournament, and finished runners-up to in 2015. Three year ago it was at Eden Gardens where they faced off and this time they play in Mumbai’s fortress, the Wankhede Stadium, where the pitch has a little extra pace and bounce compared to the average Indian pitch.The visitors, however, have a fairly inexperienced seam-bowling attack apart from Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo. Lungi Ngidi and Mark Wood joined the squad on Thursday night and only one of them is likely to make it to the XI. What Super Kings have in plenty is spin options in Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir and Karn Sharma. Fleming conceded that the pitch wouldn’t help the spinners much but wasn’t too concerned about it.”Lungi Ngidi and Mark Wood are both good. Shane Watson is still very good with the new ball, Dwayne Bravo is very canny,” he said. “And the other guys can still bowl even if there’s not excessive turn. So, we’re just looking for smarter technique and stack up in all different scenarios. It’s not just being spin-friendly as indicated, we’ve also got seam bowlers who we also think can do a pretty good job.”Just trying to read the conditions is always a challenge here. I guess looking at their team, they’ve no standout spin options. I say this with the greatest of respect for them. In terms of the name, Krunal Pandya is there, as we’ve got three or four. But we’ve also got the pace options that can accommodate this kind of a challenge.”Mumbai may face the opposite problem when they visit Chennai but that is still three weeks away. For now, Super Kings need to shake off those nerves, get their yellow jersey back on, and take on familiar opponents who are also the defending champions.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola "may be tempted" to leave the club and manage England, journalist Ben Jacobs has now suggested.

When does Pep Guardiola's contract expire?

Guardiola signed a new contract with Man City in November 2022, which is not due to expire until 2025, but there are doubts over his future, with The Guardian reporting he is "firmly minded" to leave the club when his current deal comes to an end.

The Spaniard is said to have "all but decided" to leave the Sky Blues in the summer of 2025, after what will have been a nine-year stint in charge at the Etihad Stadium, and the report states that "one option may be to coach an international team."

That is where England come into the mix, with it being reported that Gareth Southgate is set to leave his role as manager after Euro 2024, and some of the FA's officials are dreaming of bringing the City boss in to replace him.

Speaking to CaughtOffside about Southgate's future as England boss, Jacobs has now said: “Gareth Southgate has come under some criticism of late, although I thought England were excellent in the 3-1 win over Scotland. The 1-1 draw against Ukraine was drab, though.

“The FA are already considering options. This is normal, since international jobs (and the recruitment for them) work differently than in club football with a bit more forward planning. But obviously things can be entirely influenced by how England perform at Euro 2024, which is why it’s a bit early to be making predictions."

Before later adding: “Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is an interesting one to watch. The FA would love to have him. If Manchester City again dominate, could Pep be tempted by a fresh challenge?

“Sources do indicate he likes the idea of managing at a World Cup, but he could also miss the day to day of club football at this stage of his career. Pep, a bit like Jose Mourinho has said in the past, may wait until slightly later in his career for an opportunity in international football.”

Is Pep Guardiola leaving Man City?

Of course, it is natural for managers and players alike to relish a fresh challenge, with former City captain Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona for that reason, despite leading the club to a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign.

However, at 52-years-old, Guardiola is still relatively young for a manager, and it seems quite early for him to venture into international football.

If the Sky Blues continue to dominate in the Premier League and Europe, the former Barcelona boss may be tempted to stay, as it would be a risk to move elsewhere and start a completely new project from scratch.

For now, Man City fans can rest easy knowing their manager remains contracted until 2025, and they will be hoping he can win his sixth league title this season, having made a perfect start to the campaign.

Jos Buttler’s stunning century and a composed all-round effort with the ball helped England clinch the ODI series with two matches to play

The Report by Melinda Farrell21-Jan-2018

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJos Buttler’s stunning century and a composed all-round effort with the ball helped England clinch the ODI series with two matches to play. Although Marcus Stoinis kept Australia in the hunt until the final over, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes closed the game out with another smart display of death bowling.England had been struggling on 6 for 189 when Buttler and Woakes came together but they put on an unbroken 113-run stand to take the total beyond 300. Buttler reached his fifth one-day hundred from the last ball of the innings as England made far more than had looked likely. He then took a contentious catch to dismiss Steven Smith at a key point in the chase as England held on to go 3-0 up.Buttler started steadily but dismantled Australia’s pace attack in the final overs, at one point effortlessly heaving back-to-back sixes off Pat Cummins before following up with consecutive boundaries later in the over. Such was the Midas nature of his touch that even when he dug out a Mitchell Starc yorker it yielded four runs.Buttler, on 97, was almost denied a century when umpire Chris Gaffaney raised his finger for an lbw shout from Starc but the replay left no doubt the ball had ricocheted off the bat before hitting the pad. In an eventful final over, Woakes brought up his half-century with a pull for six before Buttler reached his century with a hard run two off the final delivery of the innings.Australia hit by over-rate fine

Australia have been fined for a slow over-rate after being ruled two overs behind at the SCG. It leaves captain Steven Smith one repeat offence away from a suspension.
Smith has been fined 40% of his match fee, while his players have received 20% fines.
Australia took 27 minutes more than allocated to bowl their 50 overs as England made 302 for 6, but were not judged to be as far behind as may have been feared after the umpires took time allowances into account.

Set 303 for victory, Australia were stifled by an England bowling attack that rallied after Liam Plunkett was struck down with an injury.Plunkett left the field with a hamstring problem that caused him to pull up just before his delivery stride in the 12th over of Australia’s innings. His departure from the field in his second over left England’s attack a bowler short and forced Eoin Morgan to turn to Joe Root’s part-time spin to make up the overs.But Australia’s chase had stuttered early on with the loss of David Warner, out chipping Woakes to extra cover, and Cameron White, who feathered a Wood delivery to Buttler.That left the responsibility of steering the initial chase to Aaron Finch, who top-scored for Australia with 62 off 53 balls but was unable to reach his third century of the series. Finch pre-meditated a sweep shot to an Adil Rashid delivery that deceived with its extra pace and rapped the pads and after his departure the run rate required gradually increased.As was the case with England earlier, the Australian batsmen made starts but found it difficult to convert those to big totals or to score quickly on a slowish pitch. Stoinis attempted to lift the run-rate in the latter stage of the innings with a brisk half-century but he fell heaving Woakes to deep square leg in the final over.The match wasn’t without controversial moments, particularly when Wood claimed the coveted wicket of Smith. Smith edged the ball low and to the right of Buttler, who took a one-handed grab. But the decision was sent to the third umpire, Kumar Dharmasena, to judge whether or not the catch was taken cleanly. After a lengthy period examining the replays, Dharmasena was unable to find conclusive evidence to overturn the soft signal of out and the on-field decision was upheld. Smith, clearly unhappy with the decision, walked back to the pavilion amid a loud chorus of booing from the crowd.During the match, television footage was also widely shared on social media that showed Smith shining the ball after touching his lips but the umpires did not appear to have any issue with the condition of the ball. After the match Smith said he was not wearing any lip balm.England had won the first two matches chasing down Australia’s totals and perhaps that was on Smith’s mind when he elected to bowl after winning the toss.First-choice quicks Cummins and Josh Hazlewood returned in place of Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye and, despite toiling on a slowish pitch and bowling several wide deliveries early on, their impact was evident in the opening stages of the innings.England finished the first ten overs with 47 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets, by far their worst Powerplay figures of the series – they were 2 for 87 and 1 for 60 at the same point in the first and second ODIs, respectively. After losing early wickets, Jonny Bairstow and Root batted for more than ten overs without scoring a boundary as Australia’s fast bowlers applied consistent pressure.Cummins’ first over was a maiden that pinned Jason Roy to the crease and in his next over Cummins got his reward when Roy slashed a full delivery outside off stump to Finch at extra cover. Alex Hales’ time in the middle was brief and ended with a similarly soft dismissal, a mistimed drive off Stoinis lobbed directly to Adam Zampa at mid-on.Australia had gone into the second ODI in Brisbane without a specialist spinner and, while a growing number of commentators and former players have questioned the absence of Nathan Lyon in the 50-over format, Zampa returned to the team in place of Travis Head and claimed the wicket of Bairstow with a well-executed googly.Apart from Hales, England’s top order made starts but Australia’s bowlers were patient and struck regularly just as the batsmen seemed set. Root, who was presented with his 100th ODI cap by England and South Sydney rugby league player Sam Burgess, played on against Hazlewood for 29, while Morgan departed for 41, edging the same bowler behind just as he had started to accelerate the run rate.Morgan was given a life on 19 when he was dropped by Smith, who put down a difficult chance while diving to his left at midwicket. But the dubious honour of the biggest howler of the innings went to White, who watched a skied ball from Moeen Ali off Mitchell Marsh drop between his hands and chest. Moeen had been dropped in a strikingly similar fashion by Hazlewood at the SCG during the fifth Ashes Test but, as in that match and throughout a disappointing tour, he was unable to capitalise and was out dragging a Marsh delivery on to his stumps soon after.But England’s much-lauded depth in batting gave them a late surge, with Buttler and Woakes combining brilliantly as the shadows lengthened for a rollicking partnership that lifted England to a total that had seemed well out of reach.

Everton are interested in signing a new talisman before the transfer window closes next week, with the side's start to the Premier League season and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fresh setback exacerbating the issue.

What's the latest on Mama Balde to Everton?

According to respected journalist Alan Myers, Everton are considering a move for Bissau-Guinean striker Mama Balde, though he did stress that the interest is currently not advanced.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Toffees are closing in on the signing of Che Adams from Southampton for £15m, though Calvert-Lewin's unreliability and Neal Maupay's woeful efforts on the pitch – scoring just once from 31 games for Everton – could force the hand of director of football Kevin Thelwell.

Balde, who plies his trade for French Ligue 2 side Troyes, would be available for just £7m following ESTAC's relegation from Ligue 1 last term.

How good is Mama Balde?

While some might feel that Troyes' plummet from the French top-flight last year should dissuade Thelwell and co from furthering their interest in Balde, aged 27, he did plunder 12 goals and supply four assists from 30 league starts.

As per FBref, the £13k-per-week ace also ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles, the top 13% for interceptions and the top 12% for blocks per 90, which highlights his robustness and physicality, as well as his tenacity and defensive application.

Such attributes are paramount to Everton in their current situation, having lost their opening two matches of the 2023/24 campaign and looking particularly discordant and wayward against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, where Sean Dyche watched his side slump to a 4-0 defeat.

FBref also lists West Ham United talisman Michail Antonio as a comparable player to the 20-cap international, and if Balde could possibly emulate the veteran Hammer's role at Goodison Park, Dyche could have his hands on a trustworthy and reliable threat in the central attacking position.

Signing for West Ham from Nottingham Forest for roughly £7m in 2015, Antonio has scored 76 goals and supplied 43 assists from 278 appearances, notably instrumental in gleaning the Europa Conference League last term, scoring six goals from nine games.

At 33 years of age, Antonio ranks among the top 14% of forwards for progressive carries and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90, with his physicality and driving force in the West Ham attack integral to his success, having also been hailed as a "complete monster" by journalist Paul Brown.

Balde has earned praise to confirm the similarities between his game and Antonio's, with teammate Tristan Dingomé saying:

"In training, he's difficult to handle. He's really strong and is the archetype of the modern striker" – very much a similar description to what you'd read about Antonio.

Ostensibly in his prime, the 5 foot 9 striker might prove to be an astute piece of business for Dyche's side; while he is not the salient name Everton supporters might crave, he could bolster the attack and provide a consistent goal threat when called upon, and therefore, the Goodison Park side would benefit from his arrival.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo perdeu por 3 a 0 para o Atlético-MG na noite desta quinta-feira, mas dominou o jogo nos primeiros 30 minutos, criou diversas oportunidades e ainda teve um gol anulado pelo VAR de forma polêmica. Para o técnico Fernando Diniz, estes podem ter sido os melhores momentos do Tricolor desde que ele foi contratado, há quase um ano.

– Estou contente com o desenvolvimento do time. A gente tem que conseguir replicar o que fizemos hoje nos 35 minutos iniciais, que talvez tenham sido os melhores que a gente fez desde que cheguei aqui – elogiou o treinador, que soma 39 partidas desde que chegou, incluindo duas em que esteve suspenso e não ficou no banco.

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– A gente teve dois tempos distintos. No primeiro, o nosso plano de jogo encaixou quase perfeitamente. Tivemos quatro ou cinco chances muito claras, mais o erro, pelo que vi na televisão, do VAR. O gol mudaria completamente a história do jogo, ainda mais pelo momento que a gente estava vivendo. A gente tomou um gol que estava mapeado. Até pela maneira que a gente está jogando, com as linhas mais altas, era um lance em que deveríamos saber nos proteger mais. E o segundo gol foi em uma bola longa do goleiro, perdemos a primeira, a segunda, e o Atlético acabou fazendo o gol – emendou.

Em meio aos elogios, Diniz fez algumas críticas ao time: os alvos foram o mau aproveitamento das oportunidades criadas, o desencaixe na marcação no primeiro gol do Galo e a saída de bola deficiente da equipe no segundo tempo. Embora tenha reconhecido mérito na marcação avançada do adversário, Diniz disse que seu time também cometeu erros, possivelmente gerados por fatores psicológicos.

– O São Paulo teve uma predominância, mas não fez o gol. Na primeira bola deles, eles fizeram. Na segunda também. Isso acabou determinando o desenvolvimento da partida. Muita a parte anímica, a confiança. Até tomar o gol, tivemos cada vez mais confiança, cada vez mais controle da partida. A partir do momento do gol, houve uma inversão.

O próximo jogo do São Paulo será às 16h de domingo, contra o Fluminense, no Morumbi. O time segue em segundo lugar, com três pontos a menos que o líder Internacional.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could now look to appoint Gary O'Neil to replace Julen Lopetegui, with the manager's future at Molineux hanging in the balance, according to a recent report from The Guardian.

Is Julen Lopetegui leaving Wolves?

The Guardian have now reported that Wolves have started to prepare for life after Lopetegui, with the manager's future in extreme doubt just days before the start of the new Premier League season.

The Old Gold come kick off the campaign away against Manchester United on Monday night, and their preparations for such a tough game are likely to have been significantly hindered by the uncertainty surrounding their manager's future.

It is now being reported that the Spaniard is expected to reach a settlement with the club for his departure, having repeatedly voiced his unhappiness about the lack of his investment this summer, due to the financial fair play constraints in place.

As such, the Wolves hierarchy have now sounded out potential successors to the 56-year-old, and they held positive talks with O'Neil last week, meaning he is now the club's number one target to replace their outgoing manager.

The 40-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by AFC Bournemouth in the summer, but he could be set to have another crack at Premier League football, if Lopetegui's departure is finalised.

The current Wolves boss is set to take training this afternoon, but he is now poised to leave the club in the very near future.

Is Gary O'Neil taking over at Wolves?

At the moment, the former Bournemouth boss appears to be the sole contender to replace Lopetegui, with no other managers being linked with the job, and the Old Gold hierarchy will undoubtedly be keen to resolve the current turmoil before the new season.

As such, it would not be a surprise to see O'Neil in the dugout for the game against Man United next Monday night, and there are indications that he could be a solid appointment, given the impact he made at Bournemouth last season.

After taking over from Scott Parker following a 9-0 loss away against Liverpool, the Beckenham-born manager went on a run of seven wins from nine games during the latter stages of the season, which ultimately kept them up, very much against the odds.

As a result of the remarkable turnaround in form the former Liverpool coach instigated, Jamie Carragher suggested he was in the running for manager of the season, lauding him as a "brave" and "proactive" coach, who is not scared to make changes to his side.

Carragher also highlights that Bournemouth were tied with Arsenal for most wins after being behind at half-time in the Premier League last season, as a result of the tactical changes and substitutions the Englishman decided to make.

Of course, the situation surrounding Lopetegui is not ideal just days before the new season is set to begin, and there may be some concerns over O'Neil's lack of experience, but he could end up being a very shrewd appointment for Wolves.

The format, player movements, where the teams stand, and everything else you need to know ahead of the fifth season of the Caribbean Premier League

Peter Della Penna04-Aug-20172:02

Four reasons you should watch CPL 2017

What is the CPL?
The Caribbean Premier League is a six-team franchise T20 competition that’s perhaps better than England’s T20 Blast but not quite as big as the IPL. From a quality and entertainment perspective, it’s about on par with Australia’s Big Bash League.More than anything, what makes the CPL unique from other T20 competitions is Caribbean flair. It’s not just Dwayne Bravo who is dancing after each wicket. The league is filled with crowd-pleasing entertainers, and that infectious energy spreads into the stands where the support is reinforced by soca, reggae, calypso and other island beats.Each of the six teams plays each other twice, five games each home and away (with the exception of the four neutral-venue games in Florida). The top four teams qualify for the playoffs in Trinidad & Tobago.CPL Draft v IPL Auction
Unlike the IPL auction, where players go to the highest-bidding franchise, the CPL uses a player-draft system modelled on American sports franchises. Each draft slot has a fixed salary; players taken in the first round get US $160,000, fifth-round picks make $70,000, all the way down to $4000 for the final selections in the 15th round.Squads have the choice to retain players from previous seasons or release them back into the draft pool. They also must pick an ICC Americas player from either USA or Canada, who are not considered overseas players, as well as an Under-19 West Indies player to round out their 17-man squads.As teams are only allowed a maximum of four overseas players in the XI, most franchises carry no more than five overseas players in their squad. So, unlike in the IPL, where overseas stars can be picked at will to boost the bench, CPL franchises are much more judicious in their overseas draft picks. If you get a dud, it’s far more difficult to swap them because there may only be one overseas player waiting on the bench and one who is not necessarily a like-for-like skillset swap.Where do the teams stand?
Jamaica Tallawahs
The defending champions are relying more on brain than brawn, after a major revamp in the offseason. Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton, their openers and two leading scorers, are gone, while Andre Russell, the 2016 CPL Player of the Tournament, is still serving his one-year ban for a doping-code violation.Lendl Simmons was tipped to fill part of the opening void after coming over from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Kumar Sangakkara was retained to provide stability in the top order and behind the stumps. Coach Paul Nixon places high value on players with a winning mentality, and few fit that description more heading into this season than Imad Wasim, who was part of the victorious Pakistan side in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year.Imad forms a three-man left-arm spin attack, along with Shakib Al Hasan and Garey Mathurin, as they focus on building pressure by choking the scoring rate. Kesrick Williams was taken in the 13th round in the 2016 draft for just $5,000, but after topping his team’s bowling charts with 17 wickets, has earned a pay rise to $30,000. Another good season should attract the attention of other overseas leagues.Guyana Amazon Warriors
Three times a bridesmaid, but never the bride. Guyana topped the table at the end of the league stage last year, but with Martin Guptill leaving for New Zealand duty, they were walloped in the final by Jamaica to fall short of the title for the third time in four years.Guyana were dealt a major blow on the eve of the tournament when the leading scorer of CPL 2016, Chris Lynn, was ruled out of the season due to upcoming shoulder surgery. He has been replaced by the up-and-coming Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, while the batting order has been injected with fresh blood in the form of Chadwick Walton and USA captain Steven Taylor, who is expected to take on a bigger role after limited opportunities in his two years with Barbados Tridents.Imad Wasim will form a part of a potent spin attack for the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs•PSL

The Australian Adam Zampa, last season’s leading CPL spinner, is no longer with the side. In most cases, any replacement would be considered a downgrade, but the arrival of Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan may be what this side needs to clear the final hurdle and claim their first title.St Lucia Stars
Formerly called the Zouks, the Stars received a double-blow ahead of their first match when their top two picks, David Miller and Lasith Malinga, withdrew. In their places is a pair of New Zealanders, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jesse Ryder.In the past, Ryder was as capable of imploding as he was of exploding on the opposition. If he can rediscover his peak form, it will go a long way toward ensuring the Stars return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher formed the most consistently destructive opening combination of CPL 2016, but with the exception of Shane Watson, Stars struggled to find support down the order. That will need to change for sustained success.Trinbago Knight Riders
The 2015 champions are the most settled of the six squads, with the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Dwayne Bravo, supported by fellow returnees Kevon Cooper and Sunil Narine. Outside of Rashid, Knight Riders may have plucked the best acquisition of the offseason by drafting Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan in the eighth round for $30,000.On the batting front, Knight Riders will have to endure the early-season absence of Hashim Amla, their leading scorer from 2016, while South Africa’s Test series continues in England. Brendon McCullum will have to pick up the slack in Amla’s absence and will be keen to bounce back after a subpar 2016 season.Barbados Tridents
After winning the title in 2014 and losing in the final in 2015, Tridents missed the playoffs for the first time in 2016. AB de Villiers finished as their second-highest scorer despite playing just six games, and they have addressed the top-order deficiency by revamping the batting.Dwayne Smith was brought over from Amazon Warriors, while the CPL’s most high-profile batting newcomer, Kane Williamson, was snapped up in the second round for $130,000. Twin legspinners Imran Khan and Damion Jacobs provide captain Kieron Pollard with attacking options in the field.St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
This side has undergone the biggest facelift during the offseason in a bid to change their fortunes, having finished with at least a share of last place in every season. Gayle was the most high-profile acquisition, and despite a poor IPL, he still possesses the intimidation factor that Patriots lacked in the past. If he clicks, Gayle and Evin Lewis may give Patriots a lethal opening combination.The bigger changes, though, were made in the bowling, which was the weakest of any side last year despite having one of the top T20 bowlers in the world in Samuel Badree. Hasan Ali, the Man of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy, and Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi are new additions, while the $130,000 big ticket item Chris Morris will enhance the bowling further when he arrives after the end of South Africa’s tour of England.