Reece Topley, the England and Hampshire left-arm seamer, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the back for the fourth time in his career

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2017

Reece Topley, the England and Hampshire left-arm seamer, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the back for the fourth time in his career.Topley, 23, will undergo further assessment on the severity of the latest injury before a timescale for his layoff is confirmed. It continues a string of injuries for him which included a broken hand during his first appearance for Hampshire last season and a shoulder problem which required surgery in January.He had previously suffered two back stress fractures while at Essex before another one cut short his 2016 season with Hampshire.Topley had made a return to action this season across all formats, playing two Championship matches, seven T20s and five matches in the Royal London Cup. He has made 10 ODI and six T20I appearances, the most recent of which came against South Africa in the 2016 World T20.

Rangers could finally get a deal done to bring in Jose Cifuentes this summer, with Football Insider reporting that a transfer is nearly complete after a “breakthrough in talks”.

How many games has Jose Cifuentes played?

The 24-year-old currently plays in the USA for Los Angeles FC, and it is with the American side where he has really begun to make a name for himself. Despite being a midfielder, he has hit a double-digit amount of goal contributions in his last two campaigns and has also bagged several already in 2023 despite starting only 13 times for the side so far this season.

Playing 19 times in the league this year, he has managed one goal and three assists. It means that he now has over 100 games for the club during his stint there and has a return of 14 goals and 16 assists in the MLS for them.

He didn’t break onto the scene with the American outfit though. He instead was given his league debut by Universidad Catolica del Ecuador as a 16-year-old in his native country. Despite being extremely young, he played five times that season, before managing a further three appearances in the Ecuadorian Serie A a campaign later. After building on his experience and managing 17 more appearances in 2019 for the club, he was duly snapped up by his current team.

Are Rangers signing Jose Cifuentes?

Now, having continued to shine in the USA, he could now be given a chance to test himself in Europe for the first time. That’s because Rangers have been keen to sign Cifuentes this summer, with the Scottish Premiership side still tracking the midfielder despite a lull in news regarding a potential signing. The Premiership club have been tracking him for most of the summer but, as yet, have been unable to get a transfer done.

Now, there is some positive news for Rangers fans. According to a report from Football Insider, the 5 foot 8 talent is close to agreeing a permanent switch to the Gers. It states that work has been done to try and get a move completed for the 24-year-old and after a long time of pursuing the player, he could soon complete a switch to Ibrox Stadium.

It’s unclear yet how much a deal is costing the club in terms of the fee and wages, or even how long a contract for the Ecuadorian talent may be, but it does appear as though a transfer is finally close to completion.

Cifuentes is somewhat of a versatile midfielder too. The 24-year-old is in a unique position of being able to feature both further forward and deeper as either a number eight or six.

Rangers would benefit from having such a flexible option in their ranks, with Glen Kamara now heavily linked with an exit. The Finland star is wanted by Leeds United in the English Championship as they seek a midfield partner for another new signing in Ethan Ampadu, so perhaps the capture of Cifuentes could kick start a bit of a midfielder merry-go-round.

Chelsea’s midfield has undergone a significant amount of change this calendar year.

The Blues have lost Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Conor Gallagher is now targeted by West Ham, who have just had a £40m bid rejected for the Englishman.

Chelsea aren't in the best position to lose Gallagher, as Enzo Fernandez and Carney Chukwuemeka are the only other two central midfielders in the squad.

Their pursuit of Moises Caicedo has been frustrating and unfruitful, with their latest bid of £70m instantly rejected by Brighton, who are demanding around £100m for the Ecuadorian.

The west Londoners may be forced to resort to different targets, and they still retain an interest in Romeo Lavia.

Who is signing Romeo Lavia?

According to Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are trying to close in on a £45m deal for Lavia, but Chelsea may attempt an “ultimate approach” thanks to Joe Shields’ "pressing".

It was previously reported by The Athletic that the Reds are set to make an improved offer for the Southampton gem, after having an opening offer of £37m be shunned by the Saints, who are holding out for around £50m.

However, the report says that Chelsea retain a firm interest and could have an advantage in the deal due to Shields’ connection to the player.

The 36-year-old was recruited from the south-coast outfit last summer as the club’s co-director of recruitment and was a leading figure in Lavia’s move from Manchester City to Southampton.

What position does Romeo Lavia play?

Despite Southampton’s abysmal season, in which their 11-year stay in the top-flight ended, the youngster emerged from the rubble with a prestigious reputation.

Lavia, who has been described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, has showcased he is a phenomenal ball player and a tenacious asset in central midfield.

Indeed, in 29 Premier League appearances, the Belgian averaged 2.1 tackles, an 86% pass accuracy, and completed 68% of his dribbles. Such stats are impressive, particularly considering only Enzo Fernandez (2.5) and N'Golo Kante (2.3) made more tackles per game of Chelsea's midfield players last season.

Arguably winning back the ball is his standout trait, as Lavia was one of only three U21 players who won possession in the midfield third 100+ times (114) to display how he excels in his age group.

Nevertheless, he is still extremely comfortable on the ball and holds supreme technical quality. This has been echoed by Jean Kindermans, Anderlecht's head of Academy, who said: “He’s always calm on the ball. You can give him it under pressure and he will solve the problem.

Paul Scholes has also recognised his all-round profile, adding: “He is a young player who can do both sides of the game, equally good defensively but also once he is on the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass it.”

Another player that Chelsea are linked with, who also exudes on-the-ball competence and eye-catching dynamism, is Mohammed Kudus.

In The Athletic’s Profiling of 50 exciting players under the age of 23, it is stated that the Ghanaian sees his best position in midfield and as a result, he could form an exciting partnership with Lavia if played slightly in front.

Last season, the 22-year-old recorded 100+ successful take-ons (104), 100+ ball recoveries (134), and scored 16 goals, ranking him as the highest for each metric in the Ajax squad.

This potentially new-look Chelsea midfield would also include Fernandez, who sits within the best 14% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the highest 3% for progressive passes per 90.

These three players can do both sides of the game excellently and could propel Chelsea back into European contention.

West Ham United have yet to make a signing so far during the summer transfer window, but with the sale of Declan Rice giving David Moyes a war chest of £105m, this will surely change in the coming weeks.

The Irons are already close to securing the signature of Manchester City youngster Carlos Borges, and he could be Moyes first summer deal.

Are West Ham United close to signing Carlos Borges?

Last week, The Manchester Evening News claimed that West Ham were working on a deal to sign the teenage prospect this summer, with Moyes paying £14m to secure his signature.

A recent update on the move has been delivered by ExWHUemployee on The West Ham Way Patreon (via The West Ham Way), saying: “The Carlos Borges transfer is very close to being agreed with Manchester City now and hopefully can all be finalised soon.

“The main stumbling block appeared to be the buy back clause.

“Manchester City have inserted these clauses into contracts of previous youngsters they have sold such as Romeo Lavia to Southampton. Other clubs have also used these strategies too such as Chelsea with Tino Livramento again to Southampton and Tammy Abraham to Roma.

“It is thought that Borges buy back clause will be around £40m which is a decent figure considering we are due to sign him for around £14m.”

What could Carlos Borges offer West Ham?

The left-winger has scored an impressive total of 55 goals in just 79 matches during his spell in the City youth teams, displaying his keen eye for goal and this could give West Ham a goal-scoring boost from a wide position.

Across three appearances in the Football League Trophy last term, Borges was outstanding. He scored four times, averaged 1.7 key passes per game while grabbing an assist and created one big chance. This suggests that not only does he have a clear ruthless nature in front of goal, but the youngster can create chances for others.

Journalist Tom Young waxed lyrical about Borges last year, saying: “Carlos Borges is the real deal. Get this man training with Erling and Julian as soon as possible. The sky is the limit.”

On the surface, Moyes looks like he has a player who could go straight into the first team judging by his recent statistics; however he could well be an ideal heir for Said Benrahma.

The Algerian winger enjoyed a mixed campaign during 2022/23, ranking third for goals scored (six) in the Premier League and second for big chances created (five), however he ranked eighth for overall Sofascore match rating (6.86) and if Borges arrived, there could be a battle for the left-wing spot.

Despite not playing a senior game for City, Borges clearly did enough last term for the U21 side to warrant game time in the top flight, registering a staggering 32 goal contributions – 21 goals and 11 assists – across just 24 matches in the Premier League 2.

Although the 27-year-old has three years left on his current West Ham deal, the imminent arrival of Borges will have him looking over his shoulder and there is no reason why the Portuguese sensation cant be an ideal long-term heir for Benrahma.

Tottenham Hotspur are making positive steps towards a permanent deal to bring Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet back to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Clement Lenglet leaving Barcelona?

The French centre-back still has another three years to run on his contract at Camp Nou, but having been sent out on a season-long loan to N17 during the previous campaign, that would suggest he’s not in Xavi’s long-term plans moving forward and could therefore be on the move this window, potentially going back to Spurs.

Speaking during a recent public interview, Ange Postecoglou was asked whether the club would be looking to sign a new central defender before September 1, to which he replied:

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely. We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible. I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen.”

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE…

The Lilywhites could well be aiming to secure the 28-year-old’s services for good after it was reported that he’s already agreed personal terms and a three-year contract to stage his comeback, and the following update would suggest that a deal is moving in the right direction.

Are Tottenham signing Clement Lenglet?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs are taking "decisive steps" with Barcelona to reach a full agreement for the permanent sale of Lenglet. The Blaugrana want to finalise the defender's future "next week" and are getting "closer" to sanctioning his move to the top flight, though it's worth noting that a loan with a buy option has "not been ruled out".

The two clubs have "good relations" and the positive relationship is helping during negotiations, but the only "stumbling block" so far is the player's €15m (£12m) price tag.

During his 35 appearances at Tottenham, Lenglet was praised for his “strong” performances by Hugo Lloris and he was certainly a rock at the heart of the backline having averaged 2.6 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.5 tackles per top-flight game, via WhoScored, so it would be a huge boost should chiefs be able to secure his services once again.

The 6 foot 1 titan, who’s naturally left-footed, also ranked in the 94th percentile for progressive carries so loved to come out from the defence and push the team as high up the pitch as possible which resulted in him providing two assists and even netting a goal himself.

Furthermore, the Beauvais native has the ability to operate out at left-back alongside his usual role at centre-back so he would provide some welcome versatility should any unexpected injuries occur, making him a great option for the manager to have available.

Postecoglou hasn’t yet had the chance to personally work with Lenglet himself, but there’s no doubt that he would have taken a close look at his displays from last season and he must have been impressed to be pursuing a deal which sounds like it could be coming to fruition very soon, so this is definitely one to watch in the weeks ahead.

“I scored in Under-19. I am 24, no 23. So some four-five years back, I scored my hundred. Actually I don’t remember when I scored the hundred.”You might imagine Hardik Pandya was so intoxicated by his first Test hundred that he just started blurting things out. In actual fact, though, this was just a straightforward response to a question: “Do you remember your last hundred in any format at any level?”The question was not out of line. On Sunday, Pandya scored not only his first Test hundred but also his first official one. He came into the Pallekele Test with none in any first-class, List A or Twenty20 cricket. Test cricket can seem easy as such times, when you score your first fifty one Test, maiden hundred in the next, and fetch your team crucial breakthroughs with the ball as well.”Obviously not,” Pandya said, when asked if he was finding it easy at the moment. “But I am pretty glad. God has been pretty kind to me. I got things. I am pretty lucky I got things pretty quickly in life. I am just happy in that way. I have worked hard enough and I am getting whatever I have worked hard for. It is not easy but I don’t mind it as well.”Pandya might not have scored many centuries, but he experienced something new when he was constructing his 96-ball innings, or neared the hundred. “First time in my life I have not had the 90s butterfly,” he said. “Otherwise – I don’t remember previous centuries but – I used to have butterflies from how much I can remember. In today’s game – I have said earlier as well – that when I bat, I am in a different zone. When I bat, I don’t think about my personal scores and achievements. It has helped me enough. One thing I learned from Mahi is that you always put your team ahead, see the scoreboard and play accordingly. That has helped me throughout.”During his maiden Test century, Pandya also broke the record for most runs, 26, in a single over by an India batsman. “It just happened, honestly I didn’t want to go all out in that over, but I don’t know what happened,” Pandya said. “Maybe I was connecting pretty well, let me try this over and scored 26 runs. [It] feels obviously good. From there I saw the scoreboard, and I was batting on 80 and I was like, “Wow.” Then I noticed I was in the zone, I don’t usually look at the scoreboard, I don’t want to know what’s happening around. I just focus on how I can help the innings progress.”The clarity of thought became apparent when he was asked if trying to hit over all nine men on the fence was a challenge. “Could there have been a bigger opportunity than that?” Nine wickets were already down and I knew if I stay in the crease and connect the ball well, it would go for six,” Pandya said. “Even if I were to mis-hit, I had to. I had no choice. It was an ideal opportunity, and obviously there was a team’s goal and which was to get to 400. We scored close to 490.”

Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels blitzed fifties to lead St. Lucia Stars to 173, but couldn’t prevent Jamaica Tallawahs from completing the fourth-highest successful chase in CPL history

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndre Fletcher struck seven fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 84•Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / GettyFor the first 37 overs of the game, St Lucia Stars were ahead and cruising. Then came that one over everyone talks about in this format. With the Tallawahs requiring 40 off three overs in their chase of 174, Mitchell McClenaghan conceded 20 runs, and the Stars’ hopes of their first win of the tournament faded into their sixth successive loss. It was also the fourth-highest successful chase in tournament history.Andre McCarthy recovered quickly from a run-out that led to Rovman Powell leaving the field like he was ready for a locker showdown, and struck a match-winning unbeaten 61 off 37 balls to lead the Tallawahs to a five-wicket win with two balls to spare. It wouldn’t be much solace for the Stars, but they put on a much-improved performance with the bat. Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels blitzed fifties to lead them to 173, their highest score of the tournament.Pace off the ballThe Darren Sammy National Stadium was hit by passing showers just before the start. On a slow surface, that moisture may have just done enough to negate the penetration of seam-up deliveries – a burst of rain will only quicken a pitch up slightly, not change its nature. That should have been an indication for the Tallawahs’ bowlers to take pace off the ball.It took a few heaves and punches for the bowlers to switch to offcutters. It worked right away, an offcutter from Mohammad Sami took the inside edge of Johnson Charles and uprooted leg stump. The mode of operation didn’t change much thereafter.The unmatched utility of boundaries in T20sFletcher isn’t known for his ability to find gaps for singles. He is, however, an efficient boundary-hitter. The value of boundaries in T20s is high, but the utility of boundaries without consuming too many dot balls is significantly higher. In his 53-ball innings, he struck 24 singles and played 13 dots, effectively 24 runs off 37 balls.He also hammered 11 boundaries, seven fours and a six, almost as many as the number of dot balls he faced. That meant he finished with 84 off 53 balls with a strike-rate of 158.49. A T20 masterclass beckoned if he could convert a few more of those dots into singles.Keep calm and bat onWhen McCarthy stabbed a ball towards extra cover, called for two and didn’t respond, the Tallawahs were reeling. They needed 81 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand, and Powell was fuming all the way off the field. For McCarthy, that could have been a scarring emotional blow.Instead, he bided his time, found the boundary when he had to and delivered under duress. Imad Wasim also brought his experience and ability to a 45-run sixth-wicket stand that carried Tallawahs home. A few moments later, Powell was leaping onto McCarthy in joy.

Everton have been in hot pursuit of Wilfried Gnonto this summer and now a fresh update has emerged on the club's progress of completing a deal for the player.

Is Wilfried Gnonto joining Everton?

According to Italian news outlet Sports Italia (via Sport Witness), Everton are now close to completing a deal to sign the Leeds United winger.

As per the report, Gnonto's agent, Claudio Vigorelli, is working on a move to Goodison Park for his player and it is expected there will be progress in the coming days.

The publication notes that whilst the most recent reports from Italy haven't confirmed the transfer fee involved, previous reports from the Italian media have suggested that Everton had made an initial bid of €18m (£16m), plus €6m (£5m) in bonuses.

How good is Wilfried Gnonto?

If the reports from Italy are to be believed, Sean Dyche is now wasting no time in assembling an improved attacking threat for next season as Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma is also heading to Goodison Park.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Danjuma is set to complete a season-long loan move to the blue side of Merseyside, and if Gnonto follows the Netherlands international it would provide the Everton boss with great options to rely on in the final third.

Despite only joining Leeds last summer and falling out of favour in the second half of the season, Gnonto – hailed as a "special player" by his former coach Michael Skubala – has been attracting a lot of attention for his performance in west Yorkshire over his short time in English football and would be a much better option than fellow Everton target Anthony Elanga.

When comparing the two young players in their outputs over last season, Gnonto has comfortably outperformed the Manchester United talent in a number of attacking attributes including assists per 90 (0.27 v 0.16), progressive carries per 90 (4.39 v 3.20) and tackles per 90 (1.79 v 0.96).

Not only that, Elanga failed to score a single Premier League goal and registered just one assist over his 16 appearances last season, whilst Gnonto scored two goals and delivered four assists over his 24 league appearances.

In fact, in all competitions, Alexi Iwobi (10) and Dwight McNeil (10) were the only two Everton players in the entire squad who delivered more goal contributions than the Italy international last season (8), proving that he could significantly improve the goal-scoring opportunities in the team next season.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has heaped praise on Gnonto in the past, claiming that the player has "electric pace, stature, low centre of gravity, mobility, bravery and a powerful finish" – all attributes that could see him excel in the attacking threat at Goodison Park.

With that being said, the signing of Gnonto would be a great piece of business for Everton in their pursuit of strengthening the quality in the final third and if he could continue his development with Dyche's guidance he would no doubt become a valuable asset to the club for years to come.

So far in the transfer window, there has been a deafening silence in terms of incomings for West Ham.

At this stage in last summer’s window, the Irons had already acquired Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Flynn Downes, and Gianluca Scamacca. A further four players followed as David Moyes splashed over £179m, with only Manchester United and Chelsea spending more money.

Although the club won the Europa Conference League, they endured an extremely underwhelming domestic season. To ensure a more comfortable campaign and settled signings, Tim Steidten was appointed as the technical director to facilitate a more aligned transfer strategy.

Who could replace Declan Rice at West Ham?

The German’s most pressing concern is to pinpoint the right candidate the replicate Declan Rice’s monumental influence and Youssouf Fofana is one of the names in the shortlist.

According to 90min, the Hammers have identified the Monaco midfielder, Fofana, alongside Conor Gallagher, Denis Zakaria, Joao Palhinha, and Edson Alvarez as a possible signing.

Fofana’s current contract expires in 2024, but the club has an option of extending it by a year.

How good is Youssouf Fofana?

The Frenchman has been at Monaco since 2020 and has accumulated 140 appearances for the club.

Recently, he has become an indispensable component of this Monaco outfit, featuring in 104 of its last 114 Ligue 1 outings.

Fofana has amassed a formidable reputation for his commendable tenacity merged with technical mastery.

Indeed, according to Opta Analyst, the 24-year-old ranks in the best 10% for possession won among midfielders who have played at least 1350 minutes in Europe’s top five leagues.

He has combined this trait with impressive vision, as he sits within the best 14% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90. Of these passes and carries, 5.36 and 2.75 respectively were made into the final third to indicate that Fofana has incisive forward-thinking and can be a key cog in offensive sequences.

A player of this rounded nature could be a far more attractive option than Tomas Soucek, who endured a troubling decline last season.

The Czech’s most appealing attribute was his threat from set pieces, however, he just endured his lowest-scoring season since joining the Hammers as this tactic looks to have been combated by the opposition.

Furthermore, whilst playing next to Rice he was never expected to constantly orchestrate play and spray the ball around, his passing statistics have reached dismal levels in comparison to Fofana.

The Monaco livewire outranks Soucek for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.4 vs 1.66), pass completion per 90 (81.4% vs 71.3%), progressive passes per 90 (7.24 vs 2.81), and progressive carries per 90 (2.54 vs 0.35).

The 6 foot 4 man's numbers for these categories places him within the lowest 21% in Europe’s big leagues among his positional peers.

Therefore, the £5k-per-week titan has shown he can perform both sides of the game and can take advantage of Soucek’s wavering influence by unleashing his multi-talented profile.

Described as “magnificent” by Jacek Kulig, the signing of 6 foot 1 Fofana could kill two birds with one stone by upgrading on Soucek and softening the blow of losing Rice.

Shadab Khan spun a web while Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro’s bruising half-centuries helped seal a dominating nine-wicket win for Trinbago Knight Riders

The Report by Peter Della Penna05-Aug-2017Brendon McCullum blasted seven sixes in his unbeaten 27-ball 58•CPL

St Lucia Stars, formerly known as Zouks, received a baptism by fire at the hands of the Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL 2017 opener in Gros Islet. Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro blasted half-centuries in an unbroken second-wicket century stand as Knight Riders razed down the 133-target with 56 balls to spare.The Daren Sammy-led outfit were ousted by Knight Riders by five wickets in the first elimination playoff last year. Any hopes of avenging that season-ending defeat were dashed by Shadab Khan, the Pakistan legspinner, on CPL debut. He picked 2 for 15 – the effort earned him the Player of the Match award – as Stars limped to 132 for 9. On a true surface with even bounce, it was far from enough. Shadab spins web Andre Fletcher triggered a pulsating start, hitting Khary Pierre, the left-arm spinner, for three successive fours in the second over, but Shadab’s introduction brought the runs under check. Fletcher, looking to whip one by walking across, only to see Shadab cleverly fire the ball in, was trapped plumb in front for 26, which would be the highest score of the innings.Two overs earlier, Jesse Ryder, returning to competitive cricket for the first time since March, struggled for timing and holed out to deep square leg in a desperate attempt to bring out the big hit. It left a lengthy tail with plenty of work to do at 81 for 5. Watson injury exposes brittle middle order A thin middle-order left the St Lucia franchise vulnerable on a number of occasions last year. Shane Watson played a key role in propping them out of trouble. On a day when they needed him, he was forced to sit out after a calf injury flared up on the long flight across the Pacific.Watson’s absence exposed the lower order to Dwayne Bravo’s slower variations – including the dipping full toss. A slower ball foxed Rahkeem Cornwall to make it 95 for 6 in the 16th over. He struck again in the final over to claim Jerome Taylor. A failure from Sammy left Kyle Mayers with the unenviable task of marshalling the lower order. He blasted two late sixes to make 15-ball 23 to lift them past 130. Zesty New Zealanders McCullum didn’t cross 50 once last season. Here, he did so but not without luck – his first scoring shot was a boundary off an inside edge that flew past leg stump. Then there was a close lbw shout off Mitchell McClenaghan as an inswinger appeared to have pinned him on the toe. Replays indicated he got the faint bottom edge.After the double-dose of good fortune, McCullum pounded the leg side for a series of sixes. The first came off Obed McCoy, with a casual flick over square leg. Cornwall was next in line, muscled over long-on for another in the fifth over. An attempted bouncer from McClenaghan in the sixth over landed beyond the square leg boundary; Knight Riders had raced to 57 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay.Munro showed he wasn’t here to just watch the McCullum show, balancing out the wagon wheel by peppering the off side boundary. Then he followed McCullum’s lead by taking Sammy over midwicket twice in three balls for a pair of sixes in the seventh over.Sammy nearly nabbed him for 48, but saw Mayers make a mess of a straightforward chance at long-on, the ball cannoning off his stomach onto the ground. It perfectly summed up a bumbling performance for Stars on the night.