West Ham United target Alex Scott has 'huge potential' and could help to fill the void that Declan Rice will leave once he completes his move away from the London Stadium, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alex Scott and Declan Rice?

According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal have booked in a medical for Rice as they look to seal the signature of the England international for a fee in the region of £105 million.

The 24-year-old looks likely to be joined by Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and there is hope that both transfers can be officially announced by this weekend.

As per the same outlet, West Ham United are keen to add some personnel to their squad that may take the form of younger players and Bristol City playmaker Scott has been touted with a potential £22 million switch to the London Stadium.

Discussions are underway over a swoop for the player at the figure mentioned. At the same time, the likes of Denis Zakaria, Tyler Adams and James Ward-Prowse have been earmarked as David Moyes aims to strengthen his midfield.

Football London claim that Tottenham Hotspur have asked to be kept informed regarding Scott's situation this window and the race for his services continues to gather momentum.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones believes that Scott could be an exciting replacement for Rice in east London if he was to join West Ham United.

Jones said: "The saga is over and now West Ham are looking for their new Declan Rice. They will sign two midfielders with the right level of experience and quality to go straight in at the beginning of the season, but also they are interested in players that can make a big breakthrough with them. In that sense, one that really interests them is Alex Scott at Bristol City.

"He’s got huge potential. He’d be a player the fans can really get behind and watch grow, similar really to how they have with Rice on this stage. He’s only 19 and I think his £25m price tag is considered a little too high right now, but if they can find a way around that, they could have a new gem on their hands that grows into a Premier League star."

Would Alex Scott be a good addition for West Ham United?

Scott established himself as a shining star in the Sky Bet Championship last term and it is easy to see why Premier League clubs would be interested in his services.

In 2022/23, the 19-year-old amassed 49 appearances in all competitions for Bristol City, registering two goals and five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Earlier this year, Manchester City star Jack Grealish took to Twitter to praise the starlet following Bristol City's 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at home to the eventual winners of the competition, labelling him as a 'top top talent'.

As per FBRef, Scott also successfully carried out 87 shot-creating actions in the English second tier, showcasing his exciting potential as a creative midfielder.

With club captain Rice set to exit the London Stadium this summer, Scott could help to soften the blow and could become a star of the future for West Ham United.

Delhi Daredevils batsman Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out for at least a week with a bout of chickenpox. Iyer, who is recuperating at home in Mumbai, will miss Daredevils’ season-opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 8, and is also likely to sit out their second match, against Rising Pune Supergiant on April 11.Iyer’s illness adds to a growing list of unavailable Daredevils players. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been ruled out for the entire season with a finger injury, middle-order batsman JP Duminy has pulled out due to personal reasons, and the allrounder Angelo Mathews is also expected to miss a large chunk of the season while recovering from hamstring and calf injuries.Iyer, who recently earned a call-up to India’s Test squad as cover for the injured Virat Kohli, has played two IPL seasons for Daredevils. He was their top run-getter in 2015, with 439 at an average of 33.76 and a strike rate of 128.36, and endured a difficult 2016, with only 30 runs from six innings, including three ducks.

Southampton are set to seal a deal to bring in Shea Charles from Man City this summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Shea Charles?

The 19-year-old is somewhat of an unknown quantity currently at club level, with the defensive midfielder having struggled to get many league games under his belt. In fact, he has only ever appeared in the Premier League for current club Man City once – and that was in the last campaign and lasted for just 28 minutes.

Instead, the wonderkid has had to make do with action for their reserve sides but has impressed for them with 49 appearances and two goal contributions from his deep lying role.

Despite never featuring in the top flight, it hasn't stopped him from breaking onto the international stage already for his country Northern Ireland. Having initially broken into their Under-16 team, he then worked his way up to the Under-19 and Under-21 outfits. His performances for those sides eventually led to a first ever cap for their first-team just last year. Having shone on the big stage, he has gone on to bag a further five caps.

Are Southampton signing Shea Charles?

Now, according to a report from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Championship side Southampton have clearly liked what they have seen from the youngster and want to tie up a deal for the player.

The Saints are now closing in on a £9m deal for the 19-year-old – a large fee for a teenager, especially to an EFL side – and he will have a medical this weekend ahead of a switch to the Championship outfit.

City clearly see a lot of potential in the midfielder though, as they have also included a clause that allows them to bring him back to the Etihad should they opt to, and a sell-on clause too. Romano said: "Excl: Southampton are closing in on deal to sign Man City 2003 born midfielder Shea Charles. Manchester City will receive £9m fee — it will also include buy back clause and sell on clause for MCFC. Charles will travel this weekend for medical if all goes to plan."

Charles also adds some versatility to the Southampton side. Whilst he predominantly plays in the centre of the field as a number six, he can also play across the backline. The wonderkid has featured in both centre-back positions but has also been shifted out onto the right-flank in the past. It means that, should the Saints ever be short in their defensive ranks, they can rely on Charles to slot in if needed over the course of the campaign.

Despite his age, Charles has already been praised for his impressive performances at international level. Football journalist Josh Bunting stated that the youngster has been "impressive" for Northern Ireland, and it shows his ability already despite his limited club involvement.

It means that Southampton are getting a player who is not only gaining a little bit of experience already at a high level, but has the potential to get even better.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their business in the summer transfer window as they close in on a second addition…

What's the latest on Marco Tilio to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, the Hoops are expected to complete the signing of Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Australian talent will link up with international teammate Aaron Mooy at Parkhead to become Brendan Rodgers' second fresh face, after the arrival of Odin Thiago Holm on a permanent deal from Valerenga last week.

As per the Daily Record, the Scottish giants have already agreed a fee with Melbourne to sign the attacker and personal terms have been thrashed out, which means that the confirmation of the switch is only pending a work permit and documentation.

Where would Marco Tilio fit in at Celtic?

The 21-year-old wizard is a left-footed attacker capable of being deployed on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward or attacking midfielder, and he could well become Rodgers' own version of Manchester City ace Phil Foden.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described Tilio as a "playmaker" and named the England international as a similar type of player in comparison.

Over the last three seasons, Foden racked up 29 goals and 15 assists in 88 Premier League appearances for City, which works out as a goal contribution every two matches on average.

This shows that the left-footed gem, who can play anywhere across the forward line, is capable of being a regular contributor in the final third.

Tilio is a player with the potential to have a similar level of impact for Celtic at the top end of the pitch as a versatile left-sided attacker.

The Melbourne City hotshot plundered ten goals and five assists in 29 A-League outings, which works out as a goal or assist every 1.93 games on average.

These statistics suggest that the 5 foot 7 dynamo – which is the same height as the City gem – is also similar to Foden in style and production on the pitch. Therefore, he could be Rodgers' own version of Pep Guardiola's starlet on the flank in 2023/24.

His form in the A-League also indicates that the young Aussie international could be an excellent addition to Celtic's current squad. Only Jota (11) and Kyogo Furuhashi (27) managed more than ten Scottish Premiership goals while the former was the only winger with more than five assists last term.

Tilio's form for Melbourne indicates that the marksman could come in as one of the manager's most productive forward options out wide, adding another potent goal threat to the team ahead of next season.

Manchester City have built an unbeatable squad over the last few years and it finally paid off for Pep Guardiola when his impressive side completed the treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season.

It's hard to believe that the Sky Blues would be in the market this summer but the ruthless operation at the Eithad has been a testament to their success as they continue to acquire the services of some of the best talent in the world.

Mateo Kovacic became the first signing of the summer transfer window for City and will hope he can make the desired impact on his move to the North West, but it seems like the former Chelsea star hasn't been the only midfielder that Guardiola has been chasing.

The Premier League champions made an attempt to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, as reported by David Ornstein they made a massive bid to rival Arsenal earlier this week:

However, the Gunners upped their bid which quickly led to Man City pulling out of the race and now the England star is set to complete his move to the Emirates imminently.

Whilst Guardiola is unfamiliar with missing out on transfer targets, he could now be set to seek out a cheaper alternative this summer and recently linked Marcelo Brozovic could be the perfect short-term solution at the Etihad next season.

Should Man City sign Marcelo Brozovic?

The Inter Milan midfielder's future has been up in the air for the last few weeks with not only a move to the blue side of Manchester speculated, but has also earned interest from Barcelona and Saudi Arabian clubs.

Brozovic is now 30 years old and whilst he can't provide the longevity that Rice could have given to City, he could provide a great output in the centre of the pitch that would be valuable at the Etihad next season.

Over 28 Serie A appearances last season, the Croatian star – hailed "unbelievable" by journalist Dean Jones – scored three goals, registered five assists and successfully completed 63% of his dribbles, displaying solid attacking attributes in his versatile role.

When comparing Brozovic's output with Rice in league football over the latest campaign, the pair shared many similarities including their pass completion rate (87.7% v 86.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.95 v 2.75) and take-on success rate (59.3% v 55.6%), proving that the Inter Milan midfielder could be a worthy cheaper alternative for Guardiola.

With that being said, if reports are to be believed it would only cost €25m (£22m) to secure the services of Brozovic for next season which would be a steal in comparison to Rice and could make him one to watch for City this summer.

So far, Liverpool’s midfield rebuild is taking a wondrous shape.

The club has completed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, who is seen as a dual replacement for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst Dominik Szoboszlai is finally the attacking threat that mirrors Philippe Coutinho’s midfield creativity, whilst also possessing the attributes to play on the wing.

The Reds are also been heavily linked with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, as the youngster operates from a deep-lying, defensive pivot berth and would be projected to take over from Fabinho in the future.

The next player tipped to be the latest part of this extraordinary revamp is Federico Valverde.

What’s the latest on Federico Valverde to Liverpool?

According to reports in Spain, the 24-year-old was tempted to depart Los Blancos last summer and Jurgen Klopp became 'obsessed' with this addition and did 'everything possible' to get the deal over the line, even tabling an offer of €80 (£77m).

However, that was never considered by Florentino Perez and was immediately rejected, without even the possibility to negotiate.

The player himself also shunned the move, stating that he didn’t want to leave the Santiago Bernabeu and was “comfortable with life” in the Spanish capital.

Nevertheless, 12 months later, a very different backdrop has reportedly formed as Liverpool is 'convinced' that a move could materialise.

Klopp firmly believes that the Uruguayan would 'fit perfectly' into his style of play and has tipped him to become the star of the team, alongside Mohamed Salah.

Therefore, the six-time European Champions are supposedly readying a new and improved bid to retest the waters.

Why would Federico Valverde be a good signing for Liverpool?

The 49-cap international made a mammoth 56 appearances in all competitions last season, recording 19 goal contributions.

He has established himself as one of Carlo Ancelotti’s most popular, trusted, and influential assets, proving to be an offensive threat and a formidable athlete. This is portrayed by his rank within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90, total shots per 90, and non-penalty goals per 90.

Chelsea legend Joe Cole feels that Valverde is an elite footballer and said: “He's standing right at the top of the tree with Bellingham in the young players, and he's on the verge of becoming the best.

“He's box-to-box, he scores goals, he's a technician.

“His stats this year are unbelievable, his goals, assists, goal involvements, incredible player and we talk a lot about Bellingham in this country, but this kid is every bit as good as Bellingham.”

The pundit also highlighted the South American as the “unsung hero” of the 2022 Champions League final, in which he provided the tournament-winning assist for Vinicius Jr against Klopp's side.

Valverde possesses an expertly curated profile that is capable of succeeding Jordan Henderson in the future. The 33-year-old skipper has been at Anfield since 2011 and has appeared on a mind-boggling 492 occasions for the Merseyside outfit.

Nevertheless, the Englishman is slowly declining, as in the 2021/22 season in the top flight he averaged more tackles (1.0 vs 0.9), interceptions (0.7 vs 0.6), key passes (1.1 vs 0.9) per game than in the most recent campaign, as his dynamism and energy are beginning to dwindle.

Whilst Henderson undoubtedly remains an essential component of the dressing room, it would be smart to gradually reduce his involvement in the side and pave the way for the dazzlingly exciting Valverde.

A selection camp featuring 50 players has been scheduled for March 16 to 19 to pick a 14-man squad for the WCL Division Three in Uganda

Peter Della Penna14-Mar-2017Former Hyderabad wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel is one of three former first-class players to be invited to a USA selection camp from March 16 to 19 in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the camp is to pick a 14-man squad to tour Uganda in May for WCL Division Three matches.Khaleel, 34, last represented Hyderabad in January 2015, having played 57 first-class matches in the Ranji Trophy since his debut in 2002. He has been playing league cricket in Chicago for the past several summers and was identified by selectors at an ICC Regional Combine held in Chicago last May.It was understood that Khaleel has not yet met the eligibility threshold – a non-citizen can represent his resident country provided he has spent a minimum of 183 days per year over four consecutive years prior to a tournament – but would be immediately eligible if he were to secure a US passport. According to a source, Khaleel currently has US permanent residency status and was in the latter stages of obtaining US citizenship.Roy Silva, the Sri Lankan batsman who played 87 first-class matches, and Camilus Alexander, the former Windward Islands legspinner, were also called up to the selection camp.Silva, 36, played his last first-class match for Colombo CC in March 2013 and has been a heavy scorer in the Georgia and Florida leagues since moving to the USA. Alexander, 35, was the leading wicket-taker at the USACA T20 National Championship in 2014 while playing for the South East Region. Both would be eligible to play for USA under the ICC’s four-year deemed national rule.The 19 players from the camp are expected to link up with a training squad of 31, which had been assembled prior to USA’s title-winning run at WCL Division Four.The other talking point was the potential returns of offspinner Abhimanyu Rajp, batsman Charan Singh and left-arm spinning allrounder Mrunal Patel. Rajp and Charan last played for USA during the Auty Cup tours to Canada in 2013 and 2011 respectively while Mrunal had been part of the team that went to Ireland in 2015 for the World T20 qualifier.Four recent USA Under-19 representatives will be part of the camp as well. New York batsman Randall Wilson is a strong contender for a batting spot after solid performances at the ICC’s Regional Combine in New York last June and a half-century against a touring MCC side in September. Batsmen Gauranshu Sharma, Sagar Patel and Tohidul Islam were the other former U-19 players up for selection.Danial Ahmed (left) was unavailable while Timroy Allen (right) has issues over taking time off work•Peter Della Penna”When considering players to add to the trial, the [selection] panel wanted to predominantly focus on youth players, young guys who stood out at Combines last year or in previous USA U-19 teams,” selection chairman Ricardo Powell said in a press release. “It will be good to give them some additional exposure in this environment. Those young players are accompanied by a couple more experienced players who have been consistent performers in the US and abroad.”The large number of invitees was partly because seven of the most recent USA squad members were unavailable, including four who were a part of either the Division Four squad or the one for their previous assignment, the Auty Cup. Fast bowlers Hammad Shahid and David Pieters, and allrounder Srini Santhanam have been ruled out due to injury while seamer Aman Lobana and left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed were unavailable.Shahid’s absence was the biggest blow. He had taken three wickets in two matches, with an exemplary economy rate of 3.55 in the Auty Cup last October. He had a strong chance of being among the final 14 to play in Uganda but sustained a torn posterior cruciate knee ligament (PCL) during a recent training session and was expected to be out for up to three months.Santhanam had surgery on his right shoulder in December and cannot play cricket at least until the second half of 2017. Pieters, who has yet to debut for USA, tore a meniscus at a trial match in Florida last August ahead of Division Four. Subsequent tests revealed cartilage damage in his right knee. After going under the knife for a second time last week, he has been ruled out of action indefinitely.There were doubts over batsman Alex Amsterdam and allrounder Timroy Allen attending the camp as well. Both spent a month in Barbados with the ICC Americas squad at the WICB Regional Super50 in January and February, making it difficult for them to take more time off work again, especially considering the team would be away from home for up to three weeks for the Division Three tour. Allen, one of USA’s most valuable assets, was recently retained by Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL draft.A six-day pre-tour to South Africa has been organised for USA before they land in Uganda for the start of the matches on May 23. In addition to the hosts, USA will be competing against Canada, Malaysia, Oman and Singapore in the next phase of the qualification process for the 2019 World Cup. The top two finishers at Division Three advance to Division Two, expected to be held in late 2017 or early 2018. It is the last step prior to the 2018 World Cup Qualifier, currently slated for Bangladesh in April 2018.

A round-up of Group C matches in the 2016-17 Vijay Hazare on February 28, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2017

At Chepauk, 17-year old medium pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti took the first-ever List A hat-trick for Rajasthan that helped them defend 183 for a 14-run win against Gujarat. Gujarat were 152 for 5 – just 32 short of the target – when Nagarkoti made his first strike. They were eventually bowled out for 169, with Nagarkoti having taken 3 for 30 in seven overs. Bhargav Merai (51) and Rujul Bhatt (49) made contributions for Gujarat and shared a fourth-wicket partnership on 90. Apart from Nagarkoti, captain Pankaj Singh took three wickets, while Nathu Singh finished with two scalps.Nagarkoti also came good with the bat as his unbeaten half-century lifted Rajasthan from 54 for 6. Along with Arijit Gupta (69), he helped add 86 for the seventh wicket and finished not out on 56.Manoj Tiwary’s unbeaten century steered Bengal to an eight-wicket win in a chase of 214 against Goa. Tiwary slammed 116 off 94 balls with 13 fours and three sixes as Bengal win with 85 balls to spare. Tiwary’s knock rescued Bengal from early losses, after they were reduced to 45 for 2. Tiwary dominated an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 169 with opening batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran to see his team through. Abhimanyu finished not out on 68.Bengal could have been chasing more had Goa’s batsmen converted their starts. Amogh Desai top-scored with 49, but his dismissal triggered a slide as Goa went from 150 for 2 to finish on 213 for 9. Kanshik Seth, the debutant medium pacer, took 3 for 50 in 10 overs.Seamer Chandrakant Sakure’s maiden List A five-for helped Madhya Pradesh dismiss Mumbai for 134 and canter to an 80-run win. Sakure took 5 for 25 in eight overs and was supported by Saransh Jain, who took 3 for 30 in nine overs. Ishwar Pandey and Ankit Sharma took one wicket each.MP’s innings was driven by Ankit Dane in the first half. Dane struck 46 off 76 balls and held up his end even as wickets fell around him. He was dismissed in the 28th over, after which Sohraab Dhaliwal propelled the score past 200 with his 41-ball 51. Dhaliwal was the last man dismissed as MP were bowled out for 214 in 45.1 overs. Mumbai’s bowlers shared the wickets around, with Shardul Thakur’s 3 for 27 the best figures.

نجح منتخب تونس في تحقيق فوز صعب على نظيره منتخب نيوزيلندا في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء الثلاثاء، بركلات الحظ الترجيحية.

واحتضن ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي مباراة منتخبي تونس ونيوزيلندا لتحديد المركز الثالث في الدورة الدولية الودية (كأس عاصمة مصر).

تشكيل تونس أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس عاصمة مصر.. موقف الجزيري والمثلوثي

واستضافت مصر بطولة كأس العاصمة الدولية الودية بحضور منتخبات مصر وكرواتيا وتونس ونيوزيلندا.

وانتهى الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بالتعادل السلبي بدون أهداف ليلجأ الفريقان إلى ركلات الحظ الترجيحية، التي حسمت كفة تونس بنتيجة 4-2.

وأهدر منتخب نيوزيلندا ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 34 سددها سارببريت سين، أضاع بها فرصة التقدم لمنتخب بلاده.

وكان منتخب نيوزيلندا قد خسر مباراة الافتتاح أمام مصر بهدف نظيف سجله مصطفى محمد.

وفي الوقت ذاته واجه منتخب تونس منافسه نيوزيلندا، بعد الخسارة في المباراة الأولى أمام كرواتيا بركلات الترجيح.

Aston Villa aren’t giving up hope just yet in their pursuit to sign Ferran Torres, as new revelations claim the Villans could strike late to score the Spaniard.

Unai Emery and Monchi are planning to take the Midlands club to the next level, as highlighted by their rumoured targets this summer.

With a reported £150m in the bank and European football confirmed, may now be the prime time for the Spanish duo to seek star names to adorn the claret and blue ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Could Aston Villa sign Ferran Torres?

Late last month, reports in Spain claimed that Villa could seek a loan move for Ferran Torres with an option to buy, as Barcelona face critical financial woes that could see them offload talent in abundance.

However, news this week via transfer insider Dean Jones explained that Villa could present an offer to the Catalan giants later this window in the bid to secure the 23-year-old.

Talking to Football FanCast, Jones said:

"I think the Ferran Torres one could still become interesting. He obviously doesn't want to leave Barcelona, and it seems like he's made that pretty clear. But the deeper we get into this transfer window, the more I wonder if he might actually end up leaving.

I mean, if we get to a situation whereby the season in Spain begins in August, and he's not in the picture, and you get him towards the back end of the transfer window. I wonder if that's when Villa might be able to activate a deal like that."

Valued by FootballTransfers at €40m (£34m), Monchi could pull off a marquee deal for the Spaniard if a loan deal with a reported €25m (£21.5m) option to buy is struck.

How good is Ferran Torres?

Hailed as “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 23-year-old could arrive at Villa Park already equipped with Premier League experience, after making 28 league appearances for Manchester City.

In that time, the Foios-born whiz secured two Premier League medals, as well as winning the Carabao Cup with the Citizens in a trophy-laden spell in Manchester.

The one thing that was missing from his time under Pep Guardiola was consistent game time, making just 15 starts in his first season at the Etihad where he averaged a goal every 186 minutes.

Scoring seven and assisting three in his first term in England was an impressive feat, however, with the talent on show at City, the timing wasn’t right for the Spaniard to exercise and develop his talents.

Similar has happened at Barcelona, where the 23-year-old started just 14 La Liga games due to competition in the squad, however patterns have also continued in his scoring, averaging 0.39 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, via FBref.

His numbers with reference to his playing minutes show for pleasant viewing, and indicate the calibre of player Emery could sign this summer, with him being statistically similar to a Premier League star.

As per FBref, Torres is comparable to Manchester United's Player of the Year Marcus Rashford, who scored 17 goals in the league last season.

In the Premier League, the Englishman averaged an impressive 3.38 total shots per 90, as well as recording 1.69 successful take-ons per 90 to express his devastating quality in the final third.

Similar numbers were hit by Torres in La Liga last campaign, who averaged 2.39 total shots and 1.94 successful take-ons per 90, as well as averaging 0.27 xAG (expected assisted goals) to Rashfords 0.11 per 90, via FBref.

An area of his game that could be beneficial to Emery’s side’s progressive approach is his positioning to receive a pass to turn into a threat, with the Spaniard averaging a huge 11.64 progressive passes received, in comparison to Rashford’s 7.66 per 90.

If given sufficient game time and a licence to develop, Villa could have a leading young talent in Europe in Torres, should a deal be struck this summer.