AB de Villiers, South Africa’s one-day captain, believes there has never been as much belief in the squad as they currently have in the midst of an 11-match ODI winning streak

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton18-Feb-2017AB de Villiers, South Africa’s one-day captain, believes there has never been as much belief in the squad as they currently have in the midst of an 11-match ODI winning streak.A win in Hamilton on Sunday will equal South Africa’s best run in ODI cricket – matching the 12 wins in a row they achieved in 2005 – and eyes are already firmly fixed on the Champions Trophy in June. Global tournaments come with a huge weight of history for South Africa, most of it bad, but de Villiers’ faith in his squad is absolute.”The belief in the squad is as high as I’ve ever experienced it,” he said. “There’s a great respect among the players and a sense of direction. It’s as simple as that. We know it can change in a matter of minutes, so there’s a deep respect for the game and the fact you can go into a dip at any time, but I really believe what we have in this team will carry us through good and bad times.”It’s definitely a build-up towards the Champions Trophy, it’s a big goal of ours to go there and win that tournament, we know there’s a long way to go but this is a great stepping stone,” he added. “The conditions are pretty similar – the ball moves around a bit when it’s new and you have to extend your partnerships when you get in, so it’s quite similar to the UK.”Pretorius available for SA

Dwaine Pretorius, the allrounder, will be available for the second ODI in Christchurch after delaying his departure for the tour to attend the birth of his child.
Pretorius, 27, made his ODI debut against Ireland last year and recently claimed five wickets in two matches against Sri Lanka.
Dane Paterson was included for the start of the tour as cover in Pretorius’ absence and played the T20 in Auckland when Kagiso Rabada was rested.

South Africa had warned themselves to be on their guard against a slow start to their tour and de Villiers was delighted with the intensity they showed in the T20 at Eden Park. He admitted a one-off match was tough to get motivated for, but that made the convincing nature of the 78-run victory even more pleasing ahead of the main portions of the tour.”It’s difficult to get yourself up for a one-game series. We chatted about that and saw it as a red flag – even though it’s not that significant, you are still representing your country,” he said. “You are away from home and you want to start a tour off on the right note. We are hoping that momentum will take us into the ODI series. I thought we played an outstanding game of cricket. It was vital for us to start well, it doesn’t guarantee us any success in the ODIs but it was a good start.”A couple of hours after completing their victory, at close to midnight, with only the cleaners, security and night owls of the media left at the ground, the full South African squad strode out to the middle of the Eden Park pitch and produced a loud rendition of their team song. De Villiers admitted it felt “a bit weird” after a one-off match but said it was important to maintain traditions.”We were hoping no one would be there,” he said with a hint of a smile. “We normally go out quite late, but it’s just a tradition after every series win. You have to appreciate the good times.”He insisted, though, that there was no extra feeling because of what had happened the last time South Africa played at Eden Park in the World Cup semi-final.”It will never disappear that we lost the semi-final, but all you can focus on is the now. That game has been played about a 1000 times on TV over the last few days, so I’ve been reliving those emotions quite a bit, but it’s all good memories really. We’ve got through all the pain and heartache. When I’ve watched the game over the last few days I just saw good things.”And with that, the next global tournament draws ever nearer.

Arsenal play host to Steve Coopers Nottingham Forest in the team's opening fixture of the new Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta's men will be hoping to get their new campaign off to a winning start should they want to mount another challenge for the league title.

Whereas Cooper's side will be looking to avoid another late-season relegation scrap.

Here is Football FanCast's official preview for the game…

When is the match, and is it on UK TV?

The match is set to be played on Saturday 12th August at 12.30pm GMT, the first early kick-off of the season.

UK viewers can watch the clash on TNT Sports, formerly known as BT Sport.

The last meeting between the sides resulted in a serious contrast in emotions between the teams.

The 1-0 victory for Forest meant they were guaranteed another year of Premier League football, whereas, for Arsenal, the loss meant that Manchester City were crowned champions without having to kick a ball.

Premier League: Every Opening Day Fixture

Who is Arsenal's key player?

The Gunners are currently blessed with an abundance of quality players, who could all be the deciding factor in a game like this.

However, it's their young captain, Martin Odegaard, who will be the deciding factor against Nottingham Forest.

The Norwegian has just had a fantastic year for the north London outfit and shows no sign of slowing down, quite the opposite in fact.

With an impressive 15 goals in the league last year, the midfield maestro will be looking to get off the mark early at home.

Who is Nottingham Forest's key player?

The end of last season saw a number of players step up for Cooper, but the man most synonymous with their uptick in form is Morgan Gibbs-White.

Notching up five goals and an impressive eight assists in the league last season proved vital in their battle against the drop.

The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man will be their key player going into next season, and an opening fixture at the Emirates Stadium is certainly a great platform to showcase his skills.

How will Arsenal line up?

The home side's lineup is likely to be quite different from the one that faced Forest in May if the rumoured transfers are to happen.

The big one looks to be the departure of Granit Xhaka and the arrival of Declan Rice.

Another player likely to feature is defender William Saliba. Arsenal were without their outstanding centre-half during the recent meeting between the two clubs due to injury, but it looks like he will be fit to return.

At this stage, the lineup for the Gunners will probably be:

Arron Ramsdale; Oleksandr Zinchenko – William Saliba – Gabriel – Ben White; Thomas Partey – Declan Rice – Martin Odegaard; Gabriel Martinelli – Gabriel Jesus – Bukayo Saka

How will Nottingham Forest line up?

Whilst there will undoubtedly be changes to the Forest lineup going into their season opener, it won't be anywhere near as drastic as the changes going into last season's opener.

The club have already announced that loanee Chris Wood has been made a permeant addition to the club, but a few players have also been released.

The most notable names to depart the club are Jesse Lingard, Jack Colback and Andre Ayew.

At this stage, the lineup for the Reds is likely to be:

Keylor Navas; Joe Worrall, Moussa Niakhate, Felipe; Serge Aurier, Ryan Yates, Danilo, Orel Mangala, Renan Lodi; Morgan Gibbs-White, Taiwo Awoniyi.

What were the last five Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest? Nottingham Forest 1 – 0 Arsenal Arsenal 5 – 0 Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest 0 – 1 Arsenal Arsenal 2 – 1 Nottingham Forest Arsenal 2 – 0 Nottingham Forest

Looking at their last five Premier League meetings paints a picture of domination for the Gunners, with their only loss coming in their most recent match away at Forest.

However, due to Forest's long absence from England's topflight, these five results are perhaps not the best way of judging how the teams have performed against one another.

Before the game at the Emirates, which Arsenal won 5-0, the sides had played two FA Cup games and a League Cup game since January 2018.

In those three games, the Midlands outfit has come out on top, beating the Gunners twice.

So with that added context, the last five games in all competitions see Forest as the most dominant.

Who is going to win?

Despite Arsenal's campaign completely falling apart towards the back end of last season and Nottingham Forest pulling off a great escape, the Gunners should have enough to claim all three points at home.

That home advantage, plus the addition of Rice, will prove to be just too much for Steve Cooper's side in their first game of the season.

It won't be a walk in the park for Arsenal, though. Expect this to be a tightly contested affair with hopefully a few goals to boot.

FFC predicts: Arsenal Win

تحدث أحمد حجازي مدافع منتخب مصر والمحترف ضمن صفوف الاتحاد السعودي، عن استضافة مصر للبطولة الودية الدولية التي تقام ضمن سلسلة فيفا، كما أكد على قدرة منتخب مصر مع الجهاز الفني الجديد بقيادة حسام حسن على التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة ودية دولية خلال الفترة من 22 حتي 26 مارس الجاري بمشاركة كرواتيا ونيوزيلندا وتونس وتقام في القاهرة.

وكان منتخب مصر واجه نيوزيلندا في مباراة نصف النهائي للبطولة وفاز بهدف دون رد، ومن المقرر أن يلتقي مع كرواتيا مساء اليوم الثلاثاء في المباراة النهائية للمسابقة الدولية الودية.

الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم كان قد أعلن عن إطلاق مشروع تجريبي لإقامة بطولات دولية خلال شهر مارس في كل توقف دولي للسنوات الزوجية، تضم سلسلة المباريات الودية الدولية أربعة منتخبات وطنية من اتحادات قارية مختلفة، على أن تقام المواجهات في دولة مضيفة واحدة.

وقال حجازي خلال تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي لـ فيفا: “سعيد بالمشاركة في المحافل الدولية الكبرى، هدفنا دائما هو إسعاد الجماهير ورفع اسم مصر عاليًا، وتحقيق نجاحات لبلدي والمساهمة في عزف النشيد الوطني المصري في محافل بقيمة كأس العالم والألعاب الأولمبية، هذا شرف كبير لأي لاعب مصري”.

طالع | أحمد حجازي ينضم لمنتخب مصر استعدادًا لمواجهة كرواتيا بعد العودة من السعودية

وأضاف: “البطولات المجمعة التي ينظمها فيفا تكون رائعة وقوية وتشهد مشاركة مدارس كروية مختلفة، وبطولة عاصمة مصر فرصة لمواجهة منتخبات تنتمي لمدارس كروية متنوعة، فرصة للإعداد للبطولات الكبرى، كما تمثل فرصة للجماهير للاستمتاع بمشاهدة نجوم كبار، وهذا أمر يصب في صالح جميع عناصر اللعبة”.

وتابع: “استضافة مصر لأي حدث تابع لـ فيفا يمثل أمرا هاما يحظى بمتابعة الجميع، ويبرز أهمية مصر قاريًا وعالميًا وقدرتها على إنجاح أي بطولة تستضيفها، خاصة أن الجمهور المصري من الجماهير العاشقة لكرة القدم”.

وفي سياق آخر، أوضح حجازي: “عامل الحظ وقف عندك أمام منتخب مصر في التأهل إلي كأس العالم الأخير قطر 2022، بعد الخسارة بركلات الترجيح أمام السنغال، بذلنا مجهودا كبيرا خلال مشوار التصفيات والحلم كان قريبا”.

وأستطرد: “لكننا مستعدون مع الجهاز الفني الجديد بقيادة حسام حسن للتأهل لكأس العالم 2026، جاهزون للفوز بمواجهتي شهر يونيو المقبل أمام بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو لتحقيق ذلك الهدف”.

وأتم: “سلسلة فيفا الحالية لعام 2024 المقامة في مصر التي بدأها المنتخب بالفوز على نيوزيلندا، فرصة لمصالحة الجماهير واستعادة ثقتهم مع جهاز فني جديد وكبير بقيادة حسام حسن أحد أساطير الكرة المصرية الذي سبق له المشاركة في كأس العالم 1990 وتوج بكأس الأمم الإفريقية ثلاث مرات، فهو لاعب كبير ومدرب كبير ودائما يحفز اللاعبين بشكل مثالي في محاضراته”.

Manchester United are set to hold club-to-club talks with Chelsea this week over the possibility of closing in on a deal for Mason Mount.

How old is Mason Mount?

The early signs of the summer transfer window have indicated towards a potential departure for Mount from his boyhood club.

There promises to be significant changes made at Stamford Bridge this summer with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino promising a new dawn for the Blues.

However, it does seem as if the 24-year-old midfielder may not be around long enough to see how those changes develop.

Indeed, the England international has been heavily linked with a potential move away from west London this summer with Old Trafford mooted as a potential landing spot.

And it has even been suggested that the 24-year-old is keen on making the potential move to United this summer amid the links to the Premier League giants.

With other Premier League clubs like Tottenham Hotspur making moves for the likes of James Maddison already this summer, it seems United are looking to step up their attempts.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed there will soon be some fresh talks to try and complete a deal for the midfielder:

"It's important to say that they are going to have a direct contact this week and will happen very soon with Manchester United about Mason Mount.

"So the two clubs will speak, you'll remember a few days ago, Chelsea offered Manchester United the chance to discuss directly about the Mason Mount situation and now, from what I understand, Man United decided to speak to Chelsea.

"So there will be a direct club-to-club contact to decide about the story on what they want to do. Man United insist to pay £50m + £5m in add-ons. Chelsea still want £65m."

How much do Chelsea want for Mason Mount?

The Chelsea midfielder currently has just one year remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge leaving the Blues vulnerable to potentially losing him for free next summer.

And considering the player is believed to be open to a possible departure this summer, the west London side have set their asking price for their homegrown talent.

Indeed, Romano has reported the Blues are now looking for a fee in the region of £60m/£65m for the 24-year-old.

This comes on the back of Mount enduring a fairly underwhelming campaign with the Blues which saw him provide a return of just three goals and two assists in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

Perhaps in comparison to the £40m which Tottenham are believed to be paying for Maddison this week, Chelsea's asking price does seem slightly inflated.

The Leicester City man enjoyed a stunning return last season in what was a hugely underperforming side.

Yet, United could be set to pay considerably more for Mount this summer despite the Englishman having a season to forget.

Maybe United missed a trick in not pursing Maddison this summer, however, it seems they are keen to secure a deal for Mount this week.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters are set to face an anxious summer amid the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of talisman, Harry Kane, with it yet to be seen if the England skipper will be spearheading Ange Postecoglou's side next season.

While Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be adamant that the 29-year-old will not be sold to a domestic rival before the September deadline, an exit could well still be on the cards with just 12 months left to run on the striker's contract, with German giants Bayern Munich currently circling.

The hope will be that the long-serving marksman opts to stay put in north London for next season and beyond, although Postecoglou and co may need to consider potential striking targets who could attempt to fill Kane's void if he is to move on this summer.

According to recent reports in Spain, the Lilywhites have been contacted by the agents of Udinese forward, Beto, regarding the prospect of a possible summer move, with the Portuguese hotshot potentially set to be up for grabs for a fee of around €30m (£26m).

The 6 foot 4 striker – who originally joined the Serie A side on loan from Portimonense back in 2021 – has caught the eye after scoring 21 goals in just 63 games for his current side to date, ensuring he could potentially be the man to bolster Postecoglou's attacking ranks this summer.

Who is Udinese striker Beto?

While perhaps not a household name, the towering machine is seemingly a "quality player" – according to journalist Josh Bunting – having particularly impressed with the manner in which he simply "spooks defenders" when running in behind, in the words of writer Sam Tighe.

An "intelligent" number nine who possesses "good hold up play", in the words of Bunting, the 25-year-old could evidently offer more to Postecoglou than merely his finishing prowess, helping to provide a focal point that Tottenham's other attacking talents can work around.

Although the Lisbon native is yet to be tested at Premier League level, he is said to share a statistical likeness to current Newcastle United star, Alexander Isak – according to Opta's Player Radars – with the latter man having flourished in his debut season at St James' Park.

Despite being hampered by injury in the early throes of 2022/23, Isak – who was named by Alasdair Gold as a player of interest to Spurs last summer – went on to score ten goals in just 22 league games, helping to propel the Magpies to Champions League qualification in the process.

To then find their own version of the 23-year-old in the form of Beto could allow Tottenham to realise their own top four ambitions next season, with the pair notably alike due to their predatory penalty box instincts, as they rank in the top 13% among their European peers for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Equally, the duo are also alike with regard to their ability to defend from the front, with Beto ranking in the top 40% for defensive actions, while Isak ranks in the top 36% in that regard following his fine early impact on Tyneside.

With the latter man destined to be "worth £100m" in the future – according to talkSPORT's Jason Cundy – perhaps the Udinese ace could enjoy a similarly meteoric rise if he is to link up with Postecoglou this summer.

Australia’s batting coach Graeme Hick spoke about their disappointing day as they were bowled out for 137 to come close to losing the series on Tuesday

Melinda Farrell in Dharamsala27-Mar-2017The Australian players may have enough time to reflect on the missed opportunities that – barring a miraculous performance on Tuesday morning- will likely cost them a series victory.The game seemed finely balanced when Australia began their second innings, trailing India by 32 runs, but the batting line-up crumbled under a sustained assault of both short-pitched bowling and spin. Steven Smith’s dismissal – he misjudged the length of a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery and was bowled – was the catalyst for a collapse that gave Australia a meagre lead of 105 to defend.There was hope when Glenn Maxwell counter-attacked to score 45, but Australia lost five for 31, including his dismissal, with Matthew Wade running out of partners. By stumps, India had all 10 wickets in hand and now require a mere 87 runs to clinch the series and regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”Just stating the obvious, you could hear a pin drop in the dressing room,” Australia batting coach Graeme Hick said. “A very disappointing day. There is always a chance until the final ball is bowled. But yeah, a hard day today. The boys are pretty down but they will give it a good crack in the morning and you never know. But it is a tough ask.”You know when you come here, there is the danger of losing wickets in clumps. The hardest part is getting yourself in, getting that first half hour out of the way and then making sure you do the job. I think if I look back over this game and one or two others in the series, I will say we missed an opportunity and left some runs there in the first innings.”From a 130 for 1 on the first day to only put 300 on the board… if we had another 100 runs, 150 runs in that first innings, then we are in the game tomorrow. So while today was very disappointing, it’s not the only reason why we find ourselves in this position.”Australia stuttered right at the start in their second innings when David Warner, after being dropped for the second time in the match by Karun Nair at third slip, drove hard at Umesh Yadav in the fourth over and edged to Wriddhiman Saha. It capped off a disappointing tour for the opener – he has averaged 24.12 for the series, compared to his overall average of 47.42. He did little to change a growing perception that he struggles away from home.”Obviously David will be very disappointed with his aggregate on tour,” Hick said. “He is a very aggressive player, that’s the way he likes to play and the way we like to him play. He was desperate to have a very big tour and to have a very big influence here.”Whether he put himself under a bit too much pressure to do so, only he can answer that. He will reflect on it, as champions do, and feel and assess it himself. But without a doubt, he is one of our major players and you would have hoped for a little bit more from him but he was challenged.”It is tough up front, [Ravindra] Jadeja into the rough, [R] Ashwin bowls really well at him. [They] certainly questioned him. That’s the beauty of the game, it puts these challenges up between great players and makes it very interesting to watch. David will obviously be very disappointed with the way things have gone.”But the critical blow was the loss of Smith’s wicket. The Australian captain has accumulated 499 runs in the series – more than anyone else – and his outstanding form has arguably papered over any weaknesses in Australia’s relatively new-look top six. He had just dispatched consecutive Bhuvneshwar deliveries to the boundary before his dismissal and there was no middle-order stand to provide a Ranchi-style rearguard action.”You’ll look back, and in hindsight in this series, and say that we have been a bit reliant on him, but there again, you’ve had some great contributions and performances,” Hick said. “Saving the game in the last Test, with [Peter] Handscomb and [Shaun] Marsh was as good as any hundred that Steve Smith scored, in those conditions and that pressure. Yeah, the scorecards will show that Steve Smith has had an amazing series and it has looked that way.”He’s just playing wonderful cricket at the moment. He asked me in the dressing room and I just said I think you’re just playing too well. You’re seeing the ball like a football and hitting it to all parts of the grounds. He’s just playing beautifully.”Steve Smith is a huge wicket for us, especially in the form he’s in. Yeah, he’ll be disappointed, as would anyone else. But yeah, very unfortunate for us because he’s had a very good series. He’s got seven hundreds in the last eight Tests against India. He’s got a lot of runs against them. In some respect, you think they haven’t worked out how to bowl to him yet. So that was a bit unfortunate.”

Ross Taylor has suffered a low grade tear of the right calf but will bat if required in the Dunedin Test against South Africa. There is no word on whether he will be able to take any further part in the series.Taylor underwent a scan on Friday morning and had a short net session, after limping off the field in the 43rd over in the second day when he was 8. He received treatment overnight, which included icing on the area, and remains restricted in his movements.He can resume his first innings at any time, but will only be able to bat at five down – or when the time he has spent off the field as elapsed – in the second.After the second day’s play, Taylor’s team-mate Trent Boult admitted the team were concerned about his injury, his second in the same area in less than three years. Taylor missed a three-match ODI series against South Africa in 2014 for the same reason. “It’s a shame for us. He is a big player,” Boult said. “He is obviously disappointed. The way he walked off, it doesn’t look too good. We will see tomorrow.”Taylor is New Zealand’s second-highest Test century-maker on 16, one behind his mentor Martin Crowe. Earlier this season he became their leading century-marker in ODIs, but has lost his place in the T20 side.If this Test goes the duration there are only three days before the second Test starts in Wellington on March 16, which gives New Zealand six days to name a replacement if necessary. One man they cannot turn to is Martin Guptill, who will need six weeks of rehabilitation on his hamstrings ahead of the Champions Trophy. Colin Munro, Neil Broom and Dean Brownlie are believed to be in contention for a call-up if needed.

A heavy downpour just before the start of Bangladesh’s chase of 312 abandoned the second ODI in Dambulla

The Report by Mohammad Isam28-Mar-2017 Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKusal Mendis overcame a scratchy start to hit nine fours and two sixes in his 107-ball 102•AFPThe second ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was called off due to incessant rain in Dambulla. Play was called off at 8.45pm, an hour and 15 minutes before the cut-off time.It was an anti-climax after the game was shaping up to be an intense contest. Kusal Mendis’ maiden ODI hundred took Sri Lanka to a formidable 311, but Taskin Ahmed’s hat-trick in the last over capped off a fine last 10 overs for Bangladesh.Taskin first had Asela Gunaratne caught at mid-off off the third ball of the final over. Suranga Lakmal was the next to go when he holed out to midwicket. Nuwan Pradeep, having the unenviable task of keeping out the hat-trick, was bowled off an inswinging yorker.That meant Taskin was the fifth Bangladeshi after Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain and Taijul Islam to reach this milestone, which he celebrated with his typical spread-eagle celebration.A win for Bangladesh would have given them their first bilateral ODI series win over Sri Lanka, but that was always going to be tough given no side had ever chased down over 300 to win in Sri Lanka.That Bangladesh got into the game was thanks largely to a lower-order collapse from the hosts – they lost their last six wickets for 40 to end up at least 20 short of what they looked set to get. Mendis built the platform through two vital stands: 111 for the second wicket with Upul Tharanga and 83 for the third wicket with Dinesh Chandimal before the collapse.Tharanga, playing in his 200th ODI, steadied Sri Lanka after they lost Danushka Gunathilaka in the third over. He struck Mehedi Hasan, the offspinner, for two fours in the eighth over before leaning into a beautiful cover drive off Mustafizur Rahman in the 10th over.Mendis was scratchy to begin with, a healthy edge flying between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at a wide slip position to reprieve him early on. Having scored just seven off his first 25 deliveries up until then, the boundary released the pressure. From there on, though, he was a different batsman.The control with which he was batting resulted in Tharanga slipping into the role of an accumulator. The pair raised the century stand and looked good for more, but Bangladesh had a breakthrough in bizarre circumstances. Tharanga, trying to steal a run after Mushfiqur half-stopped a Mustafizur beamer, was run-out for 65 at the bowler’s end through a direct hit from Mahmudullah at short fine leg in the 25th over.Mendis hammered the next ball, a free-hit, for a six and then reached his fifty with a boundary off the fifth delivery. Mustafizur conceded 20 off the over, with Sri Lanka showing no signs of slowing down. He reached his century in the 36th over, thereby raising the possibility of hauling his side close to 330. But the dismissals of Chandimal and Mendis in successive overs set them back.Mendis’ dismissal – taken off the rebound by Taskin on his followthrough – left Sri Lanka at 216 for 4 in the 38th over. Milinda Siriwardana and Asela Gunaratne then patched things together with a 55-run stand for the fifth wicket.Mehedi who dropped Siriwardana on 24 at midwicket had the last laugh when he bowled him in the next over. Gunaratne though continued to bring out his paddles and the big heaves to hit a 29-ball 39 to take Sri Lanka past 300 before Taskin took centrestage in the final over. However, rain had the final say.

Aston Villa are interested in Roma defender Roger Ibanez, if reports regarding Unai Emery’s defensive master plan are to be believed.

The Spaniard is down to the small print in his pursuit of bringing former player Pau Torres to Villa Park, with news last week reporting that a fee had been agreed between the club and the defender.

Emery’s ploy to bolster his defence could be far from over, with reports earlier this week claiming that the Villans may opt to make a move for Roma centre-back Ibanez.

The Brazilian is said to be a wanted man in the Midlands, with Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport – relayed by TEAMtalk – claiming last weekend that the club are ‘ready’ to present an opening offer to the Serie A side for the defender who is said to be valued between €25m and €30m (£21m and £26m).

Despite being a solid performer for I Giallorossi, the 24-year-old could be sold to ensure that the club meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, with Ibanez seen as the ‘primary source of revenue’, via RomaPress.

Villa aren’t the only Premier League club eyeing the talent, with Tottenham also heavily linked to signing the defender this summer.

Where could Roger Ibanez fit in at Aston Villa?

Once lauded as “untouchable” by Roma boss Jose Mourinho, the 24-year-old has received high praise from a figure that has coached some of the world’s most prolific talents.

Villa are planning a revolution under the guidance of Emery after confirming European football for next season with a seventh place Premier League finish.

Signing long-term target Torres has added significant star power to the Spaniard’s back line, with himself and Monchi hoping to bring big-name talents to the Midlands in the bid to take the club to the next step.

Described by members of the media with tactical and analytic knowledge as “aggressive and proactive”, Ibanez could be not just the perfect partner for Torres, but the ideal heir to Tyrone Mings, who could see his time in the squad fizzle out during the revamp.

The Englishman has been rejuvenated under Emery, however, links to Ibanez could spell a nearing of the end of the road for the 30-year-old, who as supported by numbers, has not performed to the level of the Villa target over the last season.

When comparing the two centre-backs on their respective 2022/23 campaigns, it’s clear to see why the Villans are interested in Ibanez, who would be an upgrade to the back line at Villa Park.

As per FBref comparisons, the Brazilian averaged 2.12 interceptions and 2.16 tackles per 90 in Serie A with the Englishman falling short with an average of 1.54 interceptions and 0.43 tackles per 90 for Villa in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old’s defensive strengths are elevated in comparison to Mings, who fell short to his 1.03 average of dribblers tackled per 90, scoring just 0.43 per 90 in this area, displaying the Roma ace’s inquisitive nature.

Acting as a reliable figure in the back line, Ibanez averaged an impressive 7.02 ball recoveries per 90 to the Villa defender’s 4.97, once more showing his prowess over the 30-year-old, via FBref.

Emery could strike gold this summer by upgrading his defence with the likes of Torres and Ibanez, who have acted as two warriors in their respective leagues. As such, they are deals that could show the progressive direction of Villa’s plans going forward.

Newcastle United are more likely to sign James Maddison over Dominik Szoboszlai this summer, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Is Maddison a primary target for Newcastle?

The Magpies are expected to have a busy summer ahead of them, ensuring they continue to build their squad and not rest on their laurels after an excellent season that saw them qualify for the Champions League.

New signings are expected all over the pitch and Maddison has arguably emerged as one of Newcastle's primary transfer targets. He is certain to leave Leicester City, following their relegation from the Premier League, and rumours linking him with a switch to St James' Park refuse to go away.

Szoboszlai is another player who is seemingly being eyed up, however, and it is a case of Newcastle bringing in the best possible option to make Eddie Howe's team even more of a force in 2023/24.

Could Maddison join Magpies over Szoboszlai?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones gave an update on Newcastle's current situation, admitting that Maddison's experience in the Premier League gives him the edge over Szoboszlai:

"I’ve said for a while that I expect Saint-Maximin to leave and to be honest, exits like that are necessary for Newcastle to keep upgrading this team. It would mean the door opens to a Szoboszlai or Maddison.

"They admire both players for sure, but Maddison has that edge whereby there would be little settling in time and almost no risk in terms of him being successful. Szoboszlai probably has a higher ceiling in my opinion and he’s so good and can be one of the very best in the game in his role."

Supporters are likely to be split over who they would prefer out of Maddison and Szoboszlai, assuming only one comes in, but there is certainly logic in signing the former over the latter.

As Jones alludes to, the fact that the £110,000-a-week Englishman, who has been hailed as "100 times" smarter than any coach, has already proven himself in the Premier League is vital – he has 43 goals and 34 assists in the competition – allowing him to hit the ground running from the off and immediately make Newcastle stronger.

Liverpool legend and former Magpies manager Graeme Souness believes Maddison is "destined for the biggest stage", speaking volumes about his quality as a footballer, and while Szoboszlai could be a greater long-term talent, the Leicester man looks like the perfect option for the here and now.