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Arsenal are in advanced talks to offload midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to Burnley on loan, and the transfer deal could include a mandatory buy option.

Who is leaving Arsenal this summer?

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta have spent north of £200 million as we enter the final month of this summer's transfer window – sealing deals for Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and club-record transfer Declan Rice.

Havertz signed for £65m from Chelsea, while Timber completed a £37m switch from Ajax, but it is Rice's move which stands out as the real headline-grabber.

In a serious statement of intent, Arsenal signed the 24-year-old from West Ham in a £105 million deal, which now makes Rice the most expensive English player of all time – ahead of both Man City's Jack Grealish and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham.

“Declan is a player with fantastic ability and a proven record at both club and international levels," said Arsenal transfer chief and sporting director Edu.

"The process of this transfer has been a big team effort with a clear plan, and we are so happy that Declan is joining us.

“Declan is a high-quality, young international player who will add great strength to our squad, fitting so well into our strategy of competing with young talented players at the centre of our club."

Arsenal are showing a further ambition heading into August, as reports now claim they could strengthen their goalkeeping department by making a move for Brentford star David Raya.

Having invested significantly, Arteta's side may need to balance the books by offloading certain fringe members of the squad. Both defender Pablo Mari and long-serving midfield general Granit Xhaka have both left the club, with Lokonga now apparently edging closer to following them out the door.

According to Belgian transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Red Devils international is subject to serious interest from Burnley, with "advanced talks" ongoing over a loan deal.

The temporary move could also become a permanent one, depending on certain conditions, as Tavolieri claims Arsenal are plotting to include a buy clause.

The option to buy will become mandatory if the 23-year-old plays a certain number of games for Vincent Kompany's side.

"Infos Sambi Lokonga," wrote the reporter on Twitter.

"Talks advanced on their way between #ArsenalFC and #BurnleyFC to find an agreement with a loan including an option to buy.

"That could be mandatory in case the Belgian midfielder plays a certain number of matches. First idea of the Belgian Red Devils was to try a journey in Spain but Vincent Kompany’s team was the most concrete solution at the moment and that would allow him to show and proof he’s ready for the #PL."

How good is Albert Sambi Lokonga?

The young midfield ace has struggled to work his way into Arteta's plans in the last two seasons, having spent the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace.

Another loan move could be on the horizon for Lokonga, but by Arteta's own admission, he is a player of real "quality" and may strengthen Burnley's ranks.

“Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development. He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht,” Arteta told Arsenal’s official website (via The Standard).

“I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons.

“We’re confident Albert’s ready for the next stage in his development and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad with his quality and presence.”

It's "very unlikely" that Sunderland target Amad Diallo will still be at Manchester United come the end of the transfer window as there are "a lot of clubs on standby" who want to sign him, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Amad Diallo joining Sunderland this summer?

It was a brilliant first season back in the Championship for Sunderland last year. Granted, they couldn't make it past Luton Town in the play-off semi-final, but considering most fans and pundits didn't even think they'd finish in the top six, it was a miraculous achievement even to get there.

Since getting agonisingly close to making it back to the Premier League, the club have been recruiting to help get them over the line if they get the chance again next year.

So far, they have welcomed four new faces to the club, with one of their signings getting a lot of media attention, Jobe Bellingham. The 17-year-old is the younger brother of new Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, but the Black Cats only had to pay an estimated £3m to secure his signature from Birmingham City.

However, the one player many fans would likely love to see back at the Stadium of Light is United youngster Diallo, who spent last season on loan with the club, playing a massive part in their charge up the table.

Unfortunately for the Roker Men, the Northern Echo reported last week that their chances of signing the 21-year-old are hanging in the balance as Leicester City have emerged as a potential rival for his signature following their sale of Harvey Barnes.

Worse still is that, alongside the Foxes, West Ham United, Sheffield United, and Everton are all interested in signing the Ivorian, and with their status as Premier League sides, they certainly have an advantage over Sunderland.

What has Dean Jones said about Sunderland and Amad Diallo?

Jones explained that the chance of Diallo remaining at United come the end of the summer is low, but Sunderland will have a lot of other clubs to compete against should they wish to take him back on loan in the Championship.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Diallo would be amazing. I think we've all seen what he's capable of.

"Now, as it stands, it's very unlikely he'll be playing for Man United regularly. So, I wouldn't expect him to be there by the end of the transfer window.

"We'll have to see if this particular move is possible. There are a lot of clubs on standby waiting to put an offer in front of him."

How good was Amad Diallo last season?

With the Black Cats' desire to re-sign the Ivorian winger on loan again this year, it should be no surprise that he was excellent during his last campaign in the Northeast.

According to WhoScored, in his 29 games for Tony Mowbray's side, he scored 14 goals, provided three assists, won four Man-of-the-Match awards and maintained a season rating of 7.06 – the third-best in the squad.

In what shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, his underlying numbers are just as brilliant as his output, suggesting that his outstanding form wasn't fortunate at all, but just a true reflection of his ability.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across what they define as the next eight competitions, Diallo sits in the top 2% for pass completion, the top 6% for interceptions, the top 15% for non-penalty goals, the top 18% for attempted passes, the top 21% for touched in the oppositions penalty area, and the top 25% for progressive passes and successful take-ons, all per 90.

His efforts were certainly appreciated by manager Mowbray who, at the back end of 2022, said:

"He's an amazing footballer. Somebody said he cost £37m from Atalanta when he joined Manchester United, so I find it difficult to think how he is at Sunderland, but probably the pressure of playing in front of a big crowd, and he relishes it.

"He can run all day and he has the ball stuck to his foot, he runs past people and he can score goals like that. We're delighted he's here with us."

While it may be a step too far for the Black Cats this summer, if they can convince Diallo to join them for one more season, they could be a Premier League team once again come the start of the 2024/25 season.

Jofra Archer recorded his career best Twenty20 figures to help Sussex end Hampshire’s unbeaten start to the Natwest T20 Blast

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2017
ScorecardJofra Archer continued an excellent season•Getty ImagesJofra Archer recorded his career best Twenty20 figures to help Sussex end Hampshire’s unbeaten start to the Natwest T20 Blast.West Indian-born fast bowler Archer posted figures of 4 for 18 from his four overs to restrict Hampshire to a below par 126.And Sussex eased to their first victory of the tournament as Chris Nash and Ben Brown crashed an 82-run stand before Chris Jordan hit the winning runs to complete the six-wicket thrashing with 16 balls to spare.James Vince won the toss for Hampshire and decided to bat on a grubby looking track as they attempting to celebrate a fourth successive Blast win – but scoring never looked easy for the hosts.David Wiese hinted at what was to come as he had Rilee Rossouw caught by a diving Jofra at mid-off with the match’s fifth ball.Tom Alsop was the only batsman to appear comfortable for the hosts as he made his first appearance in the competition, and his first-team appearance for Hampshire since May.He uppercut back to back sixes off the returning Tymal Mills – who was also making his maiden outing this season after IPL commitments and a hamstring problem.As former England Lions star Alsop appeared in control, wickets fell at the other end.James Vince swiped across the line to be caught at cover before George Bailey departed to a stunning David Wiese grab while running back at backward square.Sean Ervine was next to enter and exit when he miscued a pull to square leg as Archer celebrated his first scalp of the evening – Sussex restricting the hosts to 30 for four.Alsop enjoyed his greatest partnership with fellow academy graduate Lewis McManus as they added 48.The left-hander moved to his second Blast fifty in 30 deliveries with a crashed pull to the boundary.Former Hampshire spinner Danny Briggs impressed as he yorked McManus and had Shahid Afridi lbw on the sweep – as he recorded figures of 2 for 17.But Archer stood out when he finally saw the back of Alsop for 64, caught at short fine leg attempting to scoop an over after being dropped, before he bowled Kyle Abbott.Reece Topley was the last wicket to fall as the home side could only post 126.Sussex’s reply got off to a poor start as left-armer Topley pinned Luke Wright leg before with an in-swinger.Runs seemed to flow more quickly in the second innings with Chris Nash and Ben Brown constantly picking the gaps – although the latter was spilled by Bailey on 18.The carried Sussex to within 42 runs of the win before Brown was lbw for 43 to Afridi.Nash was caught at mid-wicket for 32 to hand Mason Crane a wicket and Ross Taylor was run out by a Vince direct hit – but Sussex cantered to victory.

West Ham United appear to be closing in on a midfield replacement for Declan Rice, with their list of targets now reportedly whittled down to four.

Who are West Ham United signing?

According to transfer insider ExWHUEmployee, via Patreon, Conor Gallagher, Scott McTominay, Amadou Onana and Youssouf Fofana are the four men David Moyes has been running the rule over.

All four can bring different qualities to the London Stadium, but it is Onana who appears to be Moyes' top choice to replace Rice, having been constantly linked with the Irons over the past few months.

Indeed, the Belgium international came close to joining the Irons 12 months ago when a £33.5m agreement was reached with Lille, only for Premier League rivals Everton to get his signature first.

Transfer insider Alan Nixon has previously reported that it would take a bid of up to £50m to prise the 21-year-old away from Goodison Park this summer – a valuation West Ham could realistically match, given they will receive £105m through the sale of Rice to Arsenal

Is Amadou Onana a good option for West Ham?

West Ham's loss was very much Everton's gain last season as Onana took no time at all to settle into his new surroundings in the Premier League. The Senegal-born ace ranked in the top 7% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90 (2.17), as per FBref.

Onana is also in the top 23% for tackles per 90 (2.60) and the top 26% for both interceptions per 90 (1.34) and clearances per 90 (1.41). For comparison, Rice is only among the top 45% for tackles (2.17), but he ranks higher than Onana for interceptions (top 5%) and clearances (top 17%).

While the two men have strengths and weaknesses in various areas, there is no doubt that Onana would be a good fit for West Ham, especially if it is alongside a more attack-minded player in a pivot.

Moyes certainly has a good record when it comes to nurturing Belgian players in the past, most notably Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj.

Moyes was Everton manager when Fellaini joined for a then-club record £15m from Standard Liege, before making him his first signing as Manchester United boss.

Fellaini was far more successful at Everton than he was at United, but even then he still did the job that was asked of him by Moyes at Old Trafford and lasted five-and-a-half seasons before heading to China, where he is still plying his trade now with Shandong Taishan.

Like Onana, he boasted that bullish midfield presence, acting as a nightmare for those on the opposition.

Januzaj is another example of Moyes getting the most out of a Belgian talent, given he was the manager who handed the youngster his senior United debut in August 2013 – the first of 63 appearances he made for the Red Devils, with his career never truly taking off – before reuniting at Sunderland.

Described as a "colossus" by Daily Mail reporter Dominic King, it may well be that Onana is the next Fellaini-esque player that shines under Moyes. Should that be the case, Rice's drawn-out transfer saga really will be a thing of the past.

Usman Khawaja will captain Australia A’s four-day team and Travis Head will lead the one-day side for a series of matches in South Africa in July and August

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2017Usman Khawaja will captain Australia A’s four-day team and Travis Head will lead the one-day side for a series of matches in South Africa in July and August. Glenn Maxwell, who scored his maiden Test century on the recent tour of India, will be vice-captain to Khawaja in the first-class games and will have the chance to push his case for retention in the Test side when Australia next play.Moises Henriques was initially named in the one-day squad but the selectors later stated that the allrounder will continue his county stint with Surrey, instead of playing the tri-series.* CA said the selection panel had “considered both Henriques’ experience along with future Australian tours in making this decision”, and that a replacement player will be named in due course.South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has been chosen in both squads after a remarkable summer in which he broke the record for most dismissals in a Shield season, while also scoring nearly 600 Shield runs. Queensland allrounder Jack Wildermuth has als been named in both squads, his first call-up for Australia A, while New South Wales batsman Daniel Hughes has the chance to debut for Australia A in the one-day format.The selectors decided against choosing the experienced batsmen Ed Cowan and George Bailey, who were two of the top three Shield run scorers last summer, as well as Cameron White, who topped the Ryobi Cup run tally. However, national selector Trevor Hohns said that while some senior players had missed out, it would “certainly not detract from their chances of representing Australia in the future”.Also absent from the squads were the opener Marcus Harris, who had a prolific Shield season for Victoria and finished fourth on the run tally with 808 runs, and the spinner Jon Holland, whose 50 Shield wickets placed him second only to swing bowler Chadd Sayers on the competition list. Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson, both of whom toured India with the Test squad this year, were preferred as spin options in both formats.”We have opted for a well-balanced squad featuring some experience blended with younger players, with an emphasis on building our depth for the future,” Hohns said. “This is a great chance for these players to experience foreign conditions against a quality international sides and really test their skills.”With an upcoming Test Series in South Africa early next year it is also an opportunity to impress with their performances and put their names forward for consideration. Khawaja is a proven leader and has captained Australia A before, he will gel nicely with Glenn who recently had some captaincy experience in the IPL and we believe will respond well to this extra responsibility.”Australia A will play two four-day games against South Africa A from July 12 to 22, and then a one-day tri-series involving South Africa A and India A from July 26 to August 8.Four-day squad Usman Khawaja (capt), Glenn Maxwell (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.One-day squad Travis Head (capt), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett, Daniel Hughes, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.*Friday, May 19 0759 GMT. This copy was updated to reflect a change to Australia A’s one-day squad

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa is open to a move to Newcastle United this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness.

The Magpies have already raided the Serie A once this summer, signing Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. Now, they could be set to return for Chiesa.

What's the news on Newcastle United and Federico Chiesa?

After struggling to regain the form that initially got people talking at Euro 2020, with injuries playing a part in that, Chiesa wouldn't be opposed to a fresh start away from Juventus according to this update, as the player himself would "gladly listen" to offers.

With that said, the Italian giants are reportedly looking for €55m (£47m) if they are to sell the winger this summer. Despite the hefty fee, Newcastle are reportedly interested in making their move for Chiesa, and potentially his Juventus teammate Dusan Vlahovic too, who has struggled to replicate his Fiorentina form since making the switch.

As of right now, the Magpies have only signed Tonali this summer. And, with Champions League football to think about next season, Eddie Howe may well need more than one reinforcement, potentially leading Newcastle to turn to the Serie A once again this summer. Newcastle will certainly have the funds available, it just remains to be seen how they spend them in the coming months.

Should Newcastle United sign Federico Chiesa?

Newcastle have an array of attacking talent, with Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson leading the way going forward. And, with Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reporting that the Magpies are looking to sell Allan Saint-Maximin this summer to fund a move for Harvey Barnes, a move for Chiesa seems like it would be unnecessary this summer.

Perhaps though if Newcastle fail in their pursuit of Barnes, they can turn their attention to Chiesa. Speaking after Chiesa's ACL injury, journalist Josh Bunting said: "Horrible news for Juventus and Italy that they have confirmed that Federico Chiesa has suffered an ACL injury, expected to be out for six months so that’s the season over. Will miss Italy’s World Cup playoff he’s a real difference maker. One of the most exciting players around."

He's an extremely exciting talent with a high ceiling – when Saint-Maximin, Barnes, and Chiesa are compared statistically, it is the Leicester winger and Juventus man who stand out above Saint-Maximin when it comes to end product.

As per FBref, out of the three, Chiesa had more goal involvements per 90 last season, though unsurprisingly falls behind Saint-Maximin when it comes to progressive passes and progressive carries.

In the end, it all comes down to what Howe wants from his wingers. Whilst the trickery of his current option can be admired, the Newcastle manager may opt for output over fancy footwork – therefore preferring either Barnes or Chiesa.

With a long summer ahead, and plenty of money to spend, Newcastle must choose wisely when it comes to reinforcements before the Premier League season gets underway. Whilst they'll need added depth due to their Champions League commitments, they must ensure that the right type of players are welcomed.

The 18-year old legspinner had only 212 to defend and he did so in style, picking up 7 for 18, the fourth-best figures in ODI history

The Report by Shashank Kishore09-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:16

Agarkar: No doubting Rashid’s quality

Afghanistan had won on four previous occasions when Rashid Khan had picked up four wickets or more. But Friday brought him one of his tougher challenges: he had only 212 to defend on a sluggish St Lucia surface but that only seemed to spur him on. The 18-year old legspinner finished with 7 for 18 – the fourth-best haul in ODI history – and West Indies were bowled out for 149.The 63-run victory for Afghanistan, their first in this format over a Full Member other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, exposed the ineptness of a West Indies unit struggling in their quest to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup.Rashid, introduced in the 23rd over with West Indies seemingly steady at 68 for 2, broke open the game by picking up wickets off his first two deliveries. And if that isn’t impressive enough, he struck on consecutive balls in the 25th as well to be on a hat-trick twice during the course of his first two overs, opening his spell with figures of 4 for 1. The lone run conceded came courtesy of a dubious wide call in which a googly spun in from outside leg stump to strike Jonathan Carter’s back leg after a missed sweep before ricocheting to fine leg.Jason Mohammed played for a straight ball when there was turn, debutant Roston Chase fell for a golden duck, completely deceived by a googly, Shai Hope was snaffled courtesy Mohammad Nabi’s brilliance at slip and Jason Holder’s defence was breached by a ripping wrong ‘un. At 70 for 6, West Indies were railroaded, having to switch back to survival mode.That didn’t prevent Ashley Nurse from trying ungainly slogs and was quickly shown his place by a skiddy googly that gave Rashid his second five-for in ODIs. The upset was sealed in the 45th over, fittingly with another Rashid googly, as Afghanistan added to the shockwaves that rocked the cricket world this night. After all, it was only a few hours previously that another underdog, Bangladesh, had stunned New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.While Rashid walked away with the plaudits – among bowlers with at least 50 wickets, he has the best bowling average (15.05) and strike-rate (22.3) – it was opener Javed Ahmadi quietly worked his way through to make 81, his highest ODI score, to set the game up. He showed the resolve to fight through testing spells from Shannon Gabriel and Miguel Cummins and, given he had to face a lot of short-pitched bowling, he also showed that he was particularly strong square of the wicket. Forty of his runs, including four fours and a six, came behind point.Ahmadi built the platform in a slow, but assured, second-wicket stand of 55 with Rahmat Shah, before West Indies hit back with two quick strikes. They went into a shell against Nurse, who used the strong breeze to drift the ball away from the right-handers. He took out Asghar Stanikzai, who played for turn when there was none, and Samiullah Shenwari, who was unfortunately given out as the ball lobbed to slip off his forearm while trying to reverse sweep.With Afghanistan at 131 for 5 in the 38th over, and Ahmadi back in the pavilion as well, West Indies had a firm grip over the contest. But Gulbadin Naib used his muscle to pepper the legside boundary and take apart Jason Holder, who conceded 36 off his last three overs. Naib would hammer three fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 41. The 58-run stand for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, who quietly finished 27 not out, would signal the change in momentum for Afghanistan.West Indies would have hoped for a brisk start from their batsmen but it was not to be and by being diffident and overcautious, they played themselves into a situation where one costly lapse could trigger an alarming slide. And slide they did.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to make further changes to their attacking options during the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest Rangers striker transfer news?

According to The Scottish Sun, a host of clubs are keen on a deal to sign Light Blues centre-forward Antonio Colak ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that Serie B clubs Pisa and Parma are in the race for his signature, whilst German outfit Werder Bremen are plotting a £2m swoop for the Croatia international.

It states that Michael Beale has decided to part ways with the former PAOK marksman in order to free up room for another addition in that area of the pitch.

The Sun adds that the club are eyeing up Feyenoord number nine Danilo, who has been the subject of two rejected bids already, and they are hopeful of striking a deal for the Brazilian ace in further talks with the Eredivisie outfit.

How good is Feyenoord’s Danilo?

Whilst he is yet to play in Scottish football, the 24-year-old striker's form in recent seasons suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent player for Beale.

The £8.3k-per-week marksman could be the dream heir to Colak's place in the squad, with the 42-year-old head coach seemingly eyeing him up as a replacement for the 29-year-old finisher.

Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper described him as an "amazing instinctive" finisher in an interview with Rangers Review and that is backed up by his impressive return of ten goals in 14 league starts for Feyenoord during the 2022/23 campaign.

No Rangers player with fewer than 15 Scottish Premiership starts hit double figures for goals, which highlights how impressive the Brazilian hotshot's return was.

This was not a one-off year for Danilo, either, as the talented youngster plundered an impressive 17 goals in 31 Eredivisie starts on loan at FC Twente throughout the 2020/21 season, which is one more than any of Beale's stars managed last term.

The £5m-valued sensation has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer in the Netherlands, which bodes well ahead of a potential move to Ibrox when you consider that Giorgos Giakoumakis plundered 19 goals in 15 Premiership starts for Celtic after a return of 26 strikes in 30 Eredivisie matches for VVV-Venlo.

There is a precedent for a player being able to translate their Dutch top-flight form over to Scotland and the Glasgow giants will be hoping to repeat that success.

Therefore, Danilo could be an excellent replacement for Colak after the Croatian striker struggled to make his mark following Giovanni van Bronckhorst's dismissal during the World Cup break in 2022.

The former Malmo ace only scored four goals in 15 appearances in all competitions under Beale last term, which came after an impressive 14 goals in 24 outings under the Dutch manager.

Rangers' current boss reportedly believes that his style of play does not suit Colak and the ex-Chelsea youth coach's interest in Danilo suggests that the 42-year-old tactician views him as being compatible with the system he intends to deploy.

Therefore, the Feyenoord star's eye-catching goal return in recent seasons could make him an upgrade on the current Gers number nine, due to his struggles with Beale's tactics, which is why he would be the dream replacement for the £2.5m attacker this summer.

Led by their bowlers who exploited a pitch with just enough moisture to make driving on the up difficult, Steven Smith and his men booked a place in the playoffs

The Report by Alagappan Muthu14-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:35

Hogg: Wretched show but Kings XI were also unlucky

Rising Pune Supergiant stormed into the playoffs, earning at least two more matches, and the opportunity for an IPL title before signing out of franchise cricket. They demolished Kings XI Punjab in a knockout match at home to book a spot in the first qualifier against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday. Kolkata Knight Riders will take on defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator in Bengaluru on Wednesday.The Kings Paupers XI
Steven Smith made a mention of the moisture in the Pune pitch, and his bowlers made excellent use of it with cross-seamers that tempted the on-the-up drive. On a bare surface, those deliveries come on nicely and batsmen can hit through the line. On this one, offering more purchase, such shots were ill-advised. The ball zipped through or bounced extra, and Kings XI were 32 for 5 in the Powerplay. They were then all out for their lowest total in the IPL – 73.The surprise strike-force
Jaydev Unadkat started it all, having the big-hitting Martin Guptill caught at short cover off the first ball of the game. He ran out Eoin Morgan with a direct hit from mid-on. A little later, he pulled off a smart, diving catch at short fine leg. Finally, he finished with 2 for 12, only four wickets behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the most successful bowler in IPL 2017, having played three fewer matches. Unadkat’s strike-rate of 10.8 is the second-highest among anyone that has taken 10 wickets in the tournament.The partner-in-crime
“My palms were sweating when I was in the bus,” Shardul Thakur admitted in a mid-innings interview. But once he took a look at his workplace, he quickly perked up. “When we started, it [the ball] was sticking [in the pitch] a bit, and the cross-seamers worked.”He had Shaun Marsh spooning a drive to mid-off in his second over, forced Rahul Tewatia to top-edge a pull to the wicketkeeper, and finally had Glenn Maxwell flicking a leg-stump half-volley into the hands of long leg. The Kings XI captain, who had pushed himself down to No. 6, finished IPL 2017 having played only 18 balls in the Powerplay and lost his wicket thrice.A little batting practice
Prior to Sunday, Ajinkya Rahane averaged 19.07, his lowest in a season since 2008, when he played only two matches. A target of 74, whilst being too little for a batsman to sink his teeth into, can still give him the opportunity to spend time at the crease. Rahane made sure to last the entirety of the chase, and hit the winning runs too, a six over long-on. Pune will want as many of their gun players in form to fill the hole that will be left by Ben Stokes – 316 runs and 12 wickets in 12 matches – who leaves for England tonight.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy personally favours Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as a potential replacement for Spurs star Harry Kane.

Will Harry Kane leave Spurs?

Kane, with his contract expiring in just 12 months, is rumoured to be attracting very serious interest from Bayern Munich as their manager, Thomas Tuchel, pushes for a move.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a Spurs exit before, namely two years ago, when treble-winners Man City were actively pursuing Kane to solve their past striker problem.

Pep Guardiola's side, according to Sky Sports at the time, placed bids in excess of £100 million on the table but Levy refused to budge – despite a "gentleman's agreement" with Kane that he could leave that summer.

Fast forward two seasons later, with City eventually signing superstar Erling Haaland in arguably the transfer of this decade, Kane appears closer and closer to leaving Spurs on a free transfer.

Tottenham have apparently offered the England international a "huge" new deal to remain in north London, though Kane is in no rush to sign it while the transfer window is still open.

Amid Bayern's interest, it is not seen as likely that Spurs will crumble and opt to offload their prized asset, but on the off-chance they do, there have been suggestions that they have their eyes on one player to succeed him.

According to Sport Bild, Napoli's star forward Osimhen is on Levy's personal radar to potentially step into Kane's shoes, but they may face an issue in persuading the Nigerian to join.

The 24-year-old is named as Levy's "favourite replacement" for Kane, but this report states that Osimhen may not opt to sign him for them given the conditions to win trophies aren't quite there yet.

As such, this could make matters even more difficult for Bayern, who really want to back Tuchel with Kane's signing this summer.

How many goals did Victor Osimhen score last season?

The African superstar has lit up Serie A with Napoli since his move from Lille in 2020.

Osimhen bagged 26 goals and four assists in 32 Italian top flight outings last season, standing out as Napoli's best-performing player by average match rating, as well as Serie A's best-performer overall (WhoScored).

In that time, he averaged a very impressive and threatening 4.2 attempts at goal per 90 – again the highest number of any player in Serie A (WhoScored).

The forward has been praised by members of the media for his excellent form over the past 12 months, with ESPN reporter Colin Udoh calling him a "monster" player.

"Such a monster of a player, Victor Osimhen," said Udoh.

"The technique to haul the ball in, the strength and close control to to shake off the first defender, the speed and technique to smoke the second. Such a complete player."

However, if Spurs are to mount a serious bid for Osimhen and convince the player to join, in the event of Kane's departure, they will have to pay a marquee fee for him.

Indeed, reports suggest Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis could demand as much as €120 million (£103m) for his services.