All posts by h716a5.icu

Hampshire bat out final day before declaring to deny visitors full bowling bonus points

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Hampshire 424 for 8 dec (Prest 156, Albert 124, Brown 54, Critchley 5-96) drew with Essex 438 for 8 dec (Cox 141, Elgar 136, Westley 64) Centuries from Toby Albert and Tom Prest gave a glimpse of Hampshire’s batting future as their Vitality County Championship clash with Essex petered into a draw.Both homegrown batters in their early 20s, they each scored exceptional hundreds filling in – with Albert playing in place of the injured Ali Orr, and Prest elevated up the order with James Vince unable to bat in his usual position.The duo made sure Essex’s low chances of forcing 19 wickets needed for victory became non-existent, with career-best scores of 124 and 156 respectively. Matt Critchley claimed a late 5 for 96 as both teams took away 14 points – a haul that is unlikely to worry table-toppers Surrey in the fight for the title.Hampshire began the day on 40 for 1, and 398 runs in arrears, with the initial plan to avoid the follow-on, and then hunt for batting bonus points. It turned out the quest was a simple one.Albert, with Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins, dead batted a way through the new ball the previous evening, on a pitch which offered zero help for the bowlers.The morning saw 106 runs for only the loss of Gubbins, for 30, after he tamely diverted to a catching midwicket following a 61-run stand with Albert.Albert, 21, has largely made the most of his chances at the top of the batting order, having replaced Orr – the former Sussex batter suffering a back injury and then a broken arm to curtail his season.He began with a maiden Championship century against Surrey in May, before impressing in the Vitality Blast – his batting styles vastly different between the formats.Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, reached his century in 199 balls, having cranked through the gears as the day progressed. He found a like-minded partner in Prest – who was initially due to bat at No. 7 before Vince suffered a niggle in the field, and due to his time off the pitch, wasn’t allowed to bat any higher.If Hampshire wanted a Vince doppelganger, they got it – both very watchable batters, who pace their innings seemingly for the enjoyment of the crowd.Prest had fully announced himself, after a couple of promising T20 campaigns, with a century against Essex at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford towards the end of last season. The 21-year-old missed the previous three Championship fixtures with a shoulder injury, but reached his third career ton in 141 deliveries – although only after he was dropped on 92 by Simon Harmer.Albert fell when reverse sweeping Critchley to deep point, which ended a 177-run partnership. But Ben Brown and Prest passed the follow-on target just before tea, before Prest began to eye up 450 – and full batting bonus points.At one point he had taken 52 runs, with Brown, in four overs – in which time he had hit Harmer for 14 and 19 in an over, brought up the century stand and reached a maiden 150.Prest fell for 156 when he advanced and holed out to long-off and Brown was bowled by Shane Snater for a 59-ball 54. Critchley then picked up Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Vince in the space of four balls to claim a five-wicket haul.On his departure, Vince decided to declare the innings, reckoning 450 runs was now above them, while preventing Essex gaining from maximum bowling points.

Newcastle United supporters are starting to get excited ahead of next season.

On Friday, Anthony Elanga was unveiled as the Magpies’ first summer signing, arriving from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £55m.

Now, will Eddie Howe add more attacking firepower to his front line?

Newcastle's search for a new striker

Elanga’s arrival makes him the second-most expensive signing in Newcastle United history, behind only compatriot Alexander Isak.

Alexander Isak

2022

Real Sociedad

£63m

Anthony Elanga

2025

Nottingham Forest

£55m

Sandro Tonali

2023

AC Milan

£55m

Anthony Gordon

2023

Everton

£45m

Joelinton

2019

Hoffenheim

£40m

Harvey Banres

2023

Leicester City

£38m

Sven Botman

2022

LOSC Lille

£35m

Bruno Guimarães

2022

Olympique Lyonnais

£33.5m

Tino Livramento

2023

Southampton

£32m

Now though, the Toon Army could be about to spend big again because, as reported by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Newcastle are exploring a move to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international is also reportedly a target for Tottenham, with Sam Tabuteau and Dom Smith of the Evening Standard noting that the Bees value him at around £50m.

The other striker on the Magpies’ list is Hugo Ekitiké but, as documented by Luke Edwards of the Telegraph, Eintracht Frankfurt are only prepared to sell the Frenchman for his £86m release clause, so could Wissa become Newcastle’s primary target?

Why Yoane Wissa would improve Newcastle

Wissa joined Brentford from Lorient in the summer of 2021, following the Bees’ promotion to the Premier League, for a reported fee of £8.5m and, fair to say, this has proved to be money well spent.

He has scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the West London-based club, bagging 19 in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Haaland, Chris Wood and teammate Bryan Mbeumo.

Then-Brentford manager Thomas Frank described Wissa as a “super player”, adding “he’s got that nose for goals”.

Meantime, Mark Bruce of Breaking the Lines believes he is the most underrated forward in the Premier League, outlining his threat as a penalty box poacher.

So, let’s take a deeper dive into his statistics.

Minutes

2,919

53rd

Goals

19

6th

Non-penalty goals

19

=2nd

Expected goals

18.5

4th

Shots

90

10th

Shots on target

41

5th

Touches in the box

163

14th

As the table outlines, Wissa is a top-level penalty-box striker, ranked joint-second in the Premier League for non-penalty goals last season, despite being down in tenth in terms of shots, underlining his clinical edge.

This would make him a dream signing for new man Elanga, given his proficiency when it comes to chance-creation, as documented in the table below.

Assists

11

3rd

Completed crosses

8

52nd

Shot-creating actions

102

30th

Goal-creating actions

18

6th

Big chances created

9

38th

Progressive carries

102

25th

As emphasised by the numbers, only two players, namely Salah and new teammate Jacob Murphy, registered more assists than Elanga in the Premier League last season, while the Swede also ranked very highly when it comes to chances created and progressive carries.

He formed an exceptional partnership with a former Magpie, the aforementioned Wood, firing Nottingham Forest into Europe, so he could do the same with Wissa in the North East.

Thus, should Newcastle get a deal over the line to sign the DR Congo international striker, he and fellow new recruit Elanga could form an unstoppable partnership.

Agent of £70m+ striker contacts Newcastle, scored 50+ more goals than Ekitike

The Magpies could face an intriguing proposal.

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 13, 2025

Nottingham Forest are now “ready” to submit a new offer for a “fantastic” forward, who is keen on a move to the City Ground, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Forest keen on new forward after securing Gibbs-White's future

In perhaps one of the most surprising twists of the summer transfer window, Morgan Gibbs-White has now committed his long-term future to Forest, signing a new contract which will keep him at the club for the next three years.

Gibbs-White had been expected to join Tottenham Hotspur, with the north Londoners controversially triggering the £60m release clause in his contract, but the attacking midfielder is now set to remain at the City Ground.

In a recent statement, the 25-year-old revealed that Evangelos Marinakis’ ambition was one of the main reasons he decided to extend his deal.

Consequently, Nuno Espirito Santo will no longer be faced with the difficult task of finding a replacement for the England international, but he remains keen on a new forward, and there has now been an update on Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Bologna’s Dan Ndoye.

Taking to X, Romano has revealed that Forest “will bid again” for Ndoye, with a new proposal “ready”, having had their initial offer knocked back by the Italian club.

Nottingham Forest make contact to bring World Cup winner to the City Ground

The Tricky Trees want defensive reinforcements and have a World Cup winner in sight…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 24, 2025

The Tricky Trees are “ready to push” for the 24-year-old starting next week, having already struck an agreement on personal terms, with the Bolgona star keen on a move to the City Ground.

However, Nuno’s side may have to stump up a lot of money to get a deal over the line, with Bologna set to hold out for around £39m, and there could be competition for his signature from Napoli.

"Fantastic" Ndoye could excel at the City Ground

With Anthony Elanga moving to Newcastle United, it is clear that Nuno will need to bring in a new right-winger this summer, and the Bologna forward could be an excellent replacement for the Sweden international.

Last season, the former FC Basel man proved himself as a reliable source of goals and assists in the Serie A, picking up eight goals and four assists in 30 matches, while he has also impressed at international level.

Indeed, the Swiss forward received high praise from manager Murat Yakin after impressing at Euro 2024, with the Switzerland boss saying: “His development is fantastic, I can see it day after day,”

“He’s young, I like having him in the team a lot with his unpredictability and his clear head.”

Gibbs-White committing his future to Forest came as welcome news, and it would be an added bonus if they were able to get a deal for Ndoye over the line too.

Surgery is among a number of options being discussed to solve his back injury as his chances of playing against India fade rapidly

Alex Malcolm10-Oct-2024Australia allrounder Cameron Green’s chances of playing any part in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have all but disappeared with back surgery emerging as a possibility following his latest injury.Surgery is a legitimate option but it is among a host of recovery plans that are still being worked out by Cricket Australia’s medical and high performance team following Green’s injury on the UK limited-overs tour.Green flew home from the UK after complaining of back soreness following the third ODI against England at Chester-le-Street. He had a scan in England and in Australia on return but CA’s medical team have taken their time in assessing how to move forward with no formal plan yet released.Related

If not Steven Smith, then who? Australia's opening debate

Australia sweat on Green as selection for India becomes complicated

Cameron Green out of remainder of England ODIs with back injury

Green, 25, has had four previous stress fractures but none since 2019 and has been managed very carefully through his first four years in international cricket.If surgery is decided as the option, it would rule him out of the entire summer. If a non-surgical recovery plan is taken there is a possibility he could still play cricket this summer as a batter only, but the timeframe on when he would be available is still to be determined.Green’s absence from the series would pave the way for Australia to reshuffle the batting order and allow Steven Smith to move back to No.4. An indication of his batting position for the series is set to come when he returns to Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales on Sunday October against Victoria at the MCG.If Green is unavailable, and Smith moves to four, it opens the door for an opener to be picked from Shield cricket with Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw all in the running as they were last summer before Smith put his hand up to open.Harris made the perfect start to the Shield season scoring 143 for Victoria against Tasmania, but it has come on a very placid pitch at the Junction Oval where in-from Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster has also scored a century. Bancroft and Renshaw both made low scores in the first innings of the match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA ground.

Bittersweet emotions in victory and defeat ahead of conversion to county competition in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2024Kate Coppack, Sunrisers’ matchwinner in the last-ever staging of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, paid tribute to the resilience within the squad, as they capped the competition’s short history with victory over South East Stars in a rain-affected final at Grace Road.Coppack chose the perfect moment to produce career-best figures of 4 for 27, as South East Stars stumbled early in the powerplay then lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter, with only Alice Davidson-Richards’ superb 93 from 105 balls providing any lasting resistance.In pursuit of a sub-par 213, Sunrisers got themselves ahead of the rate early thanks to Cordelia Griffiths’ boundary-studded 57, and though they shipped three wickets in the first half of their innings, Grace Scrivens had the chase firmly under control with her unbeaten 39 from 47 balls, before a thunderstorm forced an early end to the contest.The victory, albeit via DLS, completed one of the more remarkable turnarounds in the short history of women’s professional cricket, given that Sunrisers did not win a single contest in each of the first three stagings of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.”There have been a lot of highs and lows as the Sunrisers so to end like that is really special,” Coppack, 30, told the ECB Reporters Network, having been a regular in their squad since 2021.”I wasn’t involved in the first year but Danni [Warren] and people have been building a team over the years. It was always going to take a while.”I think you have to give credit to Scrivens coming in as captain. She is still really young but has learned quickly and is good at balancing people and when to bowl them. Having the same group around for the last few years, and people having trust in us has really helped as we could have tried to start again when things weren’t going well.”Away from cricket, Coppack is a lawyer, while her family also run an alpaca farm. “I’ve always been a pay-to-play player and try to balance work as well,” she said. “There have been a couple of us who have been doing that, but it is nice to see the game go more professional.”For Warren, Sunrisers’ director of cricket, the victory was vindication for the team’s perseverance, even when the going was particularly tough in the early years of the competition. It also provides the squad with a fillip ahead of next year’s switch to a county format, with Essex taking over the management of the Tier 1 team that will represent the region.”It is the culmination of a lot of hard work for a lot of people, for players and backroom staff,” Warren said. “We started this era with a group of players who were untested and untried at this level and we have identified some gems.”They have done it as an exciting group of young players who are probably come together slightly more than the sum of their part. We are the underdogs – and we like that term.”There have been a lot of tears and a lot of soul-searching from a lot of people. The lowest point was the four overthrows off the final ball against Storm in 2022. The story of that time was that we found a way to lose, now we have found a way to win – and that’s a brilliant thing.”With this group of girls you don’t know who the hero is going to be, any of them can put in a performance. There will be a happy person sat in the corner later looking around the room and seeing how far we have come. But I don’t see this as the end of an era, I just see it as momentum into the next one.”Alice Davidson-Richards held the Stars top order together•Getty Images for Surrey CCCEmma Calvert, South East Stars’ director of cricket, was understandably disconsolate as her team finished on the losing side in two finals this summer, following their defeat to The Blaze in the Charlotte Edwards Cup in June.”It is gutting,” she said. “It is the end of an era and a sad way to end that era. We wanted to go out there, put on a performance and win the trophy but we have no control over the weather.”DLS is a funny thing. I backed us to take those wickets and see it through to the end. But what happened, happened and congratulations to Sunrisers. I have seen how much effort has gone in to building that program and it is an incredible end to that journey.”Alice Davidson-Richards is an incredible player, we all know that. She is disappointed more than anyone because although she put on that performance her team didn’t win and that is what means the most to her.”South East Stars are set to be absorbed into Surrey’s all-conquering set-up from 2025 onwards, but Warren admitted it was a bittersweet moment as this initial domestic era comes to an end.”We are incredibly excited to become Surrey but in this moment it feels quite hard,” she added. “The girls are so excited to start the journey with the three feathers on our chest.”We have been on a journey and to get to two finals this year is an incredible end. November 1 is the official day we go live as Surrey, but before then we’ll have words tonight and have our awards and really celebrate what we have achieved.”Although we haven’t lifted a trophy today, we have achieved a lot and I think it is worth celebrating that.”

Glasgow Rangers are set to be in action at Ibrox on Tuesday night in the first leg of their second round Champions League qualifier.

It will be Russell Martin’s first game in charge of the Scottish Premiership giants, having arrived this summer, and he will be hoping for a positive result to take back to Greece next week.

Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin have both been named in the squad for the match and both look set to feature in the middle of the park for the Gers.

However, both players have also been linked with moves away from Ibrox. Real Betis have reportedly been offered a move for Raskin, whilst the Light Blues are bracing themselves for a bid from Besiktas for Diomande.

This means that it remains to be seen whether or not they will still be at Rangers by the time that the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of September.

Losing one or both of them would be a big blow for Martin because they were both impressive performers in the Premiership for the club last season.

Why losing Diomande and Raskin would be a big blow for Rangers

Diomande is an incredibly versatile midfield option who can play as a defensive, box-to-box, or attacking midfielder, due to the wide range of attributes he possesses.

The Ivorian talent won 55% of his duels and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game, to go along with his haul of four goals and seven assists for the Scottish giants in the Premiership. This shows that he can contribute to the team in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

Raskin is a similar player in the sense that the Belgium international is another central midfielder who can be used in a multitude of midfield roles due to his qualities on and off the ball, as the former Standard Liege man also caught the eye with his performances in the league.

Appearances

33

36

Goals

4

4

Big chances created

9

11

Assists

10

7

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.4

1.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

48%

As you can see in the table above, both Raskin and Diomande provided quality defensively and offensively in midfield for Rangers, making tackles and interceptions on a regular basis, whilst also providing a threat at the top end of the pitch.

This is why it would be such a blow for Martin to lose either or both of them before the end of the summer transfer window, because they are proven performers who contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Possibly with their futures in mind, Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for another midfielder to come in and bolster their options in that position.

Rangers lodge enquiry for teen talent

According to Cukaricki sporting director Vladimir Matijašević, Rangers are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign teenage midfielder Andrej Bacanin this summer.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “There’s significant interest in our young players, and right now the spotlight is on Andrej Bačanin’s transfer. His performances last season for both our team and the Serbian national side at youth level have drawn attention from numerous clubs.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

“We’ve had enquiries from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, and clubs like Ajax and Udinese are also interested, among others. It’s possible more options will emerge, but I expect the transfer to be completed within the next ten days.”

This is as close as a confirmation of genuine interest as you can get in a transfer ‘rumour’, as the sporting director himself has confirmed that the Gers have enquired about a possible deal for the 18-year-old star.

With Rangers seemingly pursuing a move for the Serbian youngster, Martin could have his own version of Glen Kamara on his hands next season.

Why Bacanin could be the next Kamara for Rangers

Whilst the 18-year-old talent, due to his age and inexperience, may not be the ideal signing to come in and replace Raskin or Diomande in the short-term, he could be an excellent signing for the future.

The Cukaricki maestro is also a different type of central midfielder to both of those stars, as he is more of a tempo-setting player who likes to break up play and dictate matches with his passing ability. Whereas, as aforementioned, Diomande and Raskin thrive more as all-action box-to-box players who can make an impact defensively and offensively.

Serbian Football Scout, who is a professional scout for MLS side Colorado Rapids, described Bacanin as a “true midfield controller” and one of the “most intriguing young midfield talents” around, which speaks to both his style of play and his potential.

The Serbia U19 international made his first-team breakthrough in the 2024/25 campaign and caught the eye with his promising displays in the middle of the park.

Appearances

17

33

Goals

1

1

Assists

2

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

2.0

Duels won per game

3.9

4.1

Accurate long passes per game

2.2

2.1

Pass accuracy

80%

91%

As you can see in the table above, if you take Kamara’s title-winning form from the 2020/21 Premiership and compare it to Bacanin’s breakthrough season in Serbia, there are a lot of similarities.

At the age of 18, the Serbian youngster is far from the finished article, as shown by his pass accuracy, but he is similar to Kamara in the sense that the teenage talent likes to sit at the base of the midfield and break up attacks whilst also spraying long passes.

As the Colorado Rapids scout put it, Bacanin is a controller in the middle of the park and has the potential to develop into Martin’s own version of the former Rangers star, who now plays for Rennes in Ligue 1.

Whilst he would not be the perfect like-for-like replacement for Diomande or Raskin, the 18-year-old starlet appears to be a worthwhile signing as a young talent with the potential to be a Kamara-esque star in the future.

As dispensable as Nsiala: Teams have major interest in Rangers flop

There are teams eyeing up moves for this flop and Clinton Nsiala from Rangers this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 21, 2025

Continuing their chase for a shot-stopper, West Ham United are now reportedly plotting a move to sign an alternative option to Botafogo’s John Victor this summer.

Callum Wilson: West Ham move a "great opportunity"

Of course, before the Hammers have got the chance to solve their goalkeeper problem, they’ve welcomed a much-needed attacking reinforcement in the form of Callum Wilson. The experienced Premier League striker has arrived in a bargain deal after leaving Newcastle United as a free agent earlier this summer.

Delighted to have completed a move to the London Stadium, Wilson told West Ham’s official website: “I’ve spoken with Michail, and he only mentioned positive things about the Club, said it’s a great opportunity, and yeah I think I’m looking forward to meeting the other players.

“I’ve been in the England squad with James Ward-Prowse before and you play against these guys week in week out, so I’m guessing they’ll have a different opinion of me when they meet me in the dressing room as opposed to when you come up against an opposition player.

“On the pitch, you obviously have to put away the smile and be a little bit more serious, a little bit more aggressive, so yeah it’d be nice to actually be friends with the guys rather than in opposition!”

Whilst there will be some concerns about his injury record, West Ham will be more aware than most just how clinical the 33-year-old can be in front of goal, given that he’s scored 12 goals against them throughout his career.

Now set to benefit from his goalscoring prowess, the Hammers can tick one of their top priorities off the list and turn towards a man to prevent the goals at the other end. And although they’ve already reportedly submitted an offer to sign Botafogo’s Victor, those at the London Stadium still seemingly have one other option in mind.

West Ham considering Viktor Johansson move

According to Swedish newspaper Sportsbladet, as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are now plotting a move to sign Viktor Johansson from Stoke City this summer. The Championship side reportedly value their shot-stopper at more than €8m (£7m) as they aim to at least make some profit from one of their key players.

Starts

46

25

Save Percentage

71.8%

64.3%

Saves per 90

3.28

3.07

Clean Sheets

14

5

In terms of being good enough to compete with Areola and potentially take his place, there should be no concerns about Johansson’s ability. Simply put, if West Ham fail in their pursuit of Victor, then signing the Stoke City goalkeeper would be their next best option.

Described as “ambitious” by former Stoke boss Narcis Pelach, Johansson could realise that ambition with a move to West Ham this summer. As the Hammers continue to chase a fresh shot-stopper, the Swede could find himself in a battle to join the London club against Victor.

Squads for Bangladesh’s tour to the West Indies in November are yet to be announced

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2024The BCB had named Najmul Hossain Shanto as the Bangladesh captain for the three ODIs against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week. The announcement follows the discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening after the Chattogram Test, as Shanto had informed the board of his reluctance to continue as Bangladesh’s all-format captain. BCB however hasn’t announced the squads for the West Indies tour later in November where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.Faruque told the media on Thursday that Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Shanto’s deputy for the Afghanistan series, and Taskin Ahmed are “front-runners” in the BCB’s captaincy discussion.All three are in the Bangladesh ODI squad. Nahid Rana, the 22-year-old tearaway quick, is only uncapped player in the side. Rana has played five Tests so far, impressing with his pace and bounce. He has taken 26 wickets at 16.46 in ten List-A matches.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe selectors have also recalled opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. The left-handed Zakir has played just a single ODI last year to go along with 12 Tests. Nasum, meanwhile, played the last of his 15 ODIs in the World Cup in India last year.There was no room for Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam and Hasan Mahmud. Mahmud is out due to a shoulder injury he picked up in the ongoing National Cricket League.Bangladesh are also without Shakib Al Hasan, who Faruque said voluntarily pulled out of reckoning for this ODI series. Litton Das is also missing due to fever which kept him out of the Chattogram Test against South Africa.The Bangladesh team, which will depart for Dubai in two groups on Saturday and Sunday, will play the three ODIs on November 6, 9 and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.Bangladesh’s ODI squadSoumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Inter’s Denzel Dumfries says he is open to a Premier League switch, with Manchester City reportedly interested in signing the right-back.

Dumfries is open to a move to the Premier LeagueCity and Barcelona are interested in a move for himHe has a contract with Inter until 2028Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dumfries, who is contracted with Italian club Inter until 2028, reportedly attracted interest from the Premier League side in the summer while Barcelona had also been eyeing him before they wrapped up Jules Kounde's contract extension. 

While the Netherlands international ended up staying at San Siro, he has admitted that he would be open to offers from the English top-flight in the near future.

AdvertisementWHAT DUMFRIES SAID

"I'm happy at Inter, but I'd like to play in the Premier League. I could see myself in England," he said. "The Premier League is a fantastic league, and I think I could perform at my best there too. If a professional opportunity arose, I'd be interested."

AFPTHE BIG PICTURE

Inter signed Dumfries from PSV in 2021 as a replacement for Achraf Hakimi who departed to join Paris Saint-Germain. In four seasons in Italy, Dumfries has scored 23 goals and provided 26 assists making him a key player for Inter. City had expressed an interest for the player while his €25 million (£21m/$29m) release clause was in effect but did not make the decisive move.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR DUMFRIES?

Inter suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Udinese, and Dumfries will aim to bring his best form to this weekend’s Derby d’Italia clash against Juventus.

Captain Nathan Ellis’ all-round effort not enough for Hurricanes, who folded for their lowest BBL total

AAP19-Dec-2024Hobart Hurricanes crumbled to their lowest BBL total, and lost Matthew Wade to a calf injury, in a shambolic six-wicket loss against Melbourne Renegades in Geelong.After being asked to bat first, Hurricanes’ innings at GMHBA Stadium lasted less than 13 overs on Thursday night as they were skittled for 74. They fell well short of their previous low benchmark – 91 against Sydney Sixers in 2015.New Zealander Tim Seifert, who pulled off a remarkable catch behind the stumps, belted an unbeaten 37 as Renegades chased down 75 in only nine overs.Captain Nathan Ellis saved Hurricanes from worse embarrassment, smashing 35 after coming to the crease at 32 for 6. Ellis then bowled superbly, taking 2 for 12 from his three overs, to clearly be Hurricanes’ best player.In a further blow for Hurricanes’ hopes of breaking through for their first title, Wade was assessed for a calf injury after pulling up sore behind the stumps. Wade, who was on the player microphone for Fox Cricket, expressed his frustration via the commentary when there was a long delay in being able to get off the field.Ben McDermott eventually replaced Wade as Hurricanes’ wicketkeeper after two overs of chaotic communication. The former Australia player didn’t return to the field for the rest of the match, sitting on the bench with a compression bandage on his calf.After conceding boundaries from his first two balls, Renegades seamer Tom Rogers struck back to take 3 for 25, including being on a hat-trick. Fellow opening bowler Fergus O’Neill also claimed wickets in consecutive deliveries. Captain Will Sutherland joined Renegades’ wicket party, finishing with career-best T20 figures of 3 for 14.It was the first BBL match in Geelong since last year’s match between Renegades and Perth Scorchers was abandoned due to an unplayable pitch.Renegades move to 1-1 after losing their opening game of the tournament on Monday night against Sixers. Hurricanes will attempt to put a disastrous start to the season behind them when they host Scorchers on Saturday.