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Tottenham Hotspur are not interested in a deal to bring Memphis Depay to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet SOS Fanta (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite a number of reports linking Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici with a move for the FC Barcelona centre-forward this summer, Tottenham are not currently interested in a deal for the 28-year-old attacker.

The report goes on to state that the Netherlands international now appears to be closing in on a switch to Juventus, with the Serie A side said to have offered the Dutchman a two-year deal with a salary of around €7m (£100k-per-week).

Big mistake

While it is true that Conte does have a wealth of options in attack, something that Paratici has already boosted with the £60m addition of Richarlison, considering just how impressive Depay was for Barcelona last season, in addition to the fact that the striker is reportedly available to sign on a free, the argument that it would be a mistake not to launch a move for the 28-year-old this summer is a relatively easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 28 LaLiga appearances in 2021/22, the £31.5m-rated forward scored 12 goals, registered two assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

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These returns saw the £158k-per-week talent average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.26, not only ranking him as Xavi’s joint fourth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 10th-best player in the Spanish top flight as a whole last time out.

For comparison, over Lucas Moura’s 34 Premier League appearances last season, the £18m-rated forward scored two goals, provided six assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.6 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £80k-per-week talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Conte’s 10th-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

As such, while it is true that Moura created more goalscoring opportunities than Depay last time out, with the 28-year-old scoring more goals, taking more shots and completing more key passes than the 30-year-old, it is clear to see that the Dutchman is a much more rounded attacker than the Brazil international.

And, with Moura having been linked with a move away from the club this summer, it would appear as if Paratici could have moved the former Paris Saint-Germain winger on before launching a move for Depay as his replacement in Conte’s side.

However, with it now looking as if the 28-year-old who Liam Canning dubbed “unreal” is set for a move to Juventus, the Spurs sporting director seems to have missed a perfect opportunity to secure a big upgrade upon Moura – a mistake the Italian could very easily come to regret over the course of the club’s 2022/23 campaign.

A big update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers as they have been dealt a potential blow in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has claimed that the Gers, alongside a host of other clubs, are missing out on a deal to sign Doron Leidner ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Israel international is moving to Greek giants Olympiacos, days after the Light Blues secured the services of Ridvan Yilmaz from Besiktas.

Thomas tweeted: “#HapoelTelAviv LB Doron Leidner is set to move to #Olympiacos. A #Rangers and #Celtic target earlier in the summer and on the lists at #Bologna and #Sassuolo too, but he is moving to Greece in an initial £1.7m (€2m) deal. Already on #NottinghamForest radar for the future #nffc.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be deflated

This claim will leave the Ibrox head coach deflated, as Leidner had the potential to be an excellent addition to the squad heading into next season.

Whilst Yilmaz has come in to offset Calvin Bassey’s departure to Ajax, the left-back situation in Glasgow may not be as simple as it currently looks on paper.

Borna Barisic has been attracting interest from Turkey and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at the club beyond the end of August. Journalist Fraser Fletcher recently confirmed that “Trabzonspor are really keen on him” as they eye up the full-back.

The Croatia international’s exit would leave Yilmaz without any competition, and Leidner could have provided that for the Gers.

By the age of 20, he has racked up 57 first-team appearances for Hapoel Tel-Aviv and chipped in with one goal and five assists. He has also been capped three times by Israel at international level and set up two goals in those Nations League clashes.

The gem has shown great promise in his short career to date, and that is proven by the significant interest in his signature from a host of European clubs. He is seemingly an attack-minded full-back and, at the age of 20, he still has plenty of years left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player over time.

This means that he could have been the perfect replacement for Barisic, if the Croatian full-back ends up joining Trabzonspor, as he is a young player with potential who could have put pressure on Yilmaz whilst being an asset for the future.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be deflated by this news and will now be hoping that the club are able to keep hold of Barisic.

AND in other news, Wilson could form a “massive” duo after Rangers given green light for £3.1k-p/w target…

Liverpool have already made three signings this summer with Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay all joining the Anfield outfit ahead of next season, but there could be room for more new faces in Jurgen Klopp’s trophy-chasing squad.

The Reds have now had nine departures in total during the current transfer window, with Sadio Mane, Taki Minamino, Neco Williams and Divock Origi to name a few of the players that have been making moves away from Merseyside over the past few weeks.

As a result, there is surely an opportunity to bring in new players and add further depth to the squad as Liverpool will be wanting to repeat their success of last season by competing across all competitions to win as many trophies as they can.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to the six-time Champions League winners is Martin Terrier, who has been in impressive form for Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.

With Mane joining Bayern Munich and Roberto Firmino in the last year of his contract currently, the £34m-valued Frenchman could be the perfect replacement for the Brazilian forward going forward if the club decides to part ways with their player next summer.

Over 37 league appearances last season, Terrier scored 21 goals, delivered three assists and created five big chances. The striker also made 1.1 key passes, 1.5 tackles and managed 1.6 shots on target per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (53%), proving he has the complete package and a consistent goal threat.

Terrier who was hailed “high-level” by Bruno Genesio also ranked second for the most shots on target (47) just behind Kylian Mbappe and ranked sixth for big chances created in the entirety of Ligue 1 last term, proving that he is not just a stand-out in his team but also in his league.

Klopp could quite literally land the second coming of Mane as according to FBref the Senegalese winner was the second most comparable player to Terrier throughout the last 365 days.

Although Mane completed more passes (819) and had a better success rate for pressures (31.6%), the French attacker had more league goal contributions (24), had a better shot-on-target accuracy (50.6%) and produced more shot-creating actions (99) than the former Liverpool star.

With that being said, not only could Klopp deploy a player who can recover the loss of Mane’s attacking threat by signing Terrier, he could even be an upgrade in Liverpool’s forward line next season.

AND in other news: In talks: FSG preparing £60m Liverpool bid for “top player”, imagine him & Nunez

Tottenham ‘have asked’ Barcelona about the possibility of signing Memphis Depay, according to Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

The two clubs have recently been negotiating over a season-long loan deal for centre-back Clement Lenglet.

It was only last summer that the Catalan giants signed Depay on a free transfer after he reached the end of his Lyon contract, but it’s worth noting that they are in dire straits financially, operating under €1.3bn (£1.12bn) of debt.

Depay has previously had a stint in English football, of course, making a £25m move to Manchester United back in 2015.

However, it didn’t go to plan for the forward at Old Trafford, who left to join Lyon for an initial £16m two years later after scoring just seven goals in 53 appearances.

The latest

The report from Sport (via Sport Witness) states that the possibility of a move for Depay has arisen in the course of the talks over Lenglet.

Tottenham’s enquiry was met with a valuation of €20m (£17.1m) from Barcelona, where the 28-year-old would ideally like to stay, but his representatives have been told that they can find him a new club.

If the Dutchman were to leave Camp Nou, he’d want a move a Champions League outfit such as Spurs.

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The verdict

It seems that Barcelona may be selling Depay out of necessity, rather than dissatisfaction with his performances. Indeed, he bagged 12 La Liga goals last season, having only started 20 games – on average, he was netting one every 152 minutes.

No Barcelona player scored more goals in 2021/22, with Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finishing level at the top of the club’s standings.

Depay offers Conte versatility, able to operate as both a centre-forward and a winger. As a number nine, he is stylistically similar to Karim Benzema and Alexander Isak; while out wide, he’s closely matched in style with Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz.

Compatriot and former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has previously raved about the ‘conviction’ and ‘desire’ which make Depay ‘beautiful to watch’.

The 28-year-old could be a shrewd pick-up by Spurs for what looks like a reasonable price.

Celtic have seen some prominent midfielders wave goodbye to Parkhead in recent memory, such as Scott Brown and Tom Rogic.

The club also announced that they have released young midfield talent Luca Connell after his recent loan spell with Queen’s Park.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open, this will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to potentially replace some of these recent departures and strengthen his squad in other areas as well.

One fresh-faced midfielder with whom the Hoops have been linked recently is Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron.

A product of the Pittodrie youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, 13 of which came during the second half of this latest Premiership season.

This highlights just how much faith Jim Goodwin has in the youngster and how highly he is rated at the club.

In fact, Goodwin said about the teenager in March: “He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.”

In terms of what sort of player he is, Jacek Kulig described the £68k-rated starlet as being similar to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The Twitter football scout also listed Barron’s pace, passing, tackling, positioning, work rate, energy, pressing and tenacity as the youngster’s main strengths.

Taking into account how successful Kante has been for club and country in terms of the trophies he’s lifted and individual awards he’s won, the prospect of having their own version of the Frenchman in the shape of the Aberdeen starlet is one that Celtic should not let slip.

While the Dons would presumably be keen to retain their teenage talent and give him the chance to develop his game at Pittodrie, the chance to join the reigning Scottish champions and potentially lift silverware and play in Europe with the Hoops would surely be tempting for Barron.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

A major Sunderland update has emerged regarding their interest in Nathan Broadhead heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman has confirmed that the Wearsiders will be holding talks with the 24-year-old’s parent club Everton with a view to bringing him back for another spell at the Stadium of Light, after spending the 2021/22 campaign on loan from the Premier League outfit.

The Black Cats chief told The Northern Echo: “We will have a conversation with Everton this week, to see where they are at with it and where we are at with it, and see if that’s aligned.

“We have to respect the fact that he is an Everton player. We have seen him as our player for the year, because we had to get the best out of him but now that the season is finished he unfortunately goes back to being an Everton player.”

Alex Neil will be excited

The Sunderland head coach will surely be left feeling excited by these quotes from Speakman, as Broadhead returning next season would be a huge boost for the 40-year-old.

The Welsh attacker was lethal in front of goal in the 2021/22 League One campaign as he produced an eye-catching 10 goals in 15 starts for the club. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91, remaining consistent with his performances whenever he was available during an injury-hit time on Wearside, which illustrates the big impact he had when he was on the pitch.

The youngster has also been backed to step up to the mark in the second tier as Speakman said: “Look, he’s had some incredible moments and he’s been an inspiration in many respects in terms of some of the goals he’s scored. It has been harder for him of late because of injury but you can’t take away from the fact that he has got all the attributes to go and play at Championship level.”

Neil will therefore be excited by the prospect of working with the 24-year-old next season, as he is a talented player with the potential to improve even further. He has the scope to develop into an excellent option for the club in 2022/23, as suggested by Speakman’s comments and his form in League One, and the Sunderland manager would surely enjoy attempting to get the best out of him if the Black Cats can obtain him for another season.

This is why the ex-Norwich and Preston manager will be thrilled by the club’s efforts to bring Broadhead back to the Stadium of Light, and he will now be hoping that a deal can be agreed for the Welshman.

AND in other news, Speakman confirms exciting Sunderland news that will leave supporters delighted…

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur target Idrissa Gueye could be the perfect ‘upgrade’ on midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Lowdown: PSG open to Gueye exit

The 32-year-old currently plays his football with Paris Saint-Germain, having made a total of 110 senior appearances for the club since joining in a £29m move from Premier League side Everton.

However, French outlet Jeunes Footeux recently reported that the French giants would be open to letting the defensive midfielder leave the club at the end of the season, which may well have caught the eye of the Lilywhites.

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The Latest: Jones makes Hojbjerg ‘upgrade’ claim

Jones says that he very much likes the thought of Gueye making the switch to Spurs and believes that the maestro would be an ‘upgrade’ on current first-team star Hojbjerg. He told GiveMeSport:

“With Idrissa Gueye being linked, I can understand why he might be a fit because he wears his heart on his sleeve and he’s a great midfielder. He would seem to fit, and you would imagine they’re looking for an upgrade on Hojbjerg.”

The Verdict: A welcome new addition

With Antonio Conte reportedly wanting to add two new midfielders to his ranks as he starts to rebuild his squad ahead of the start of the new season, Gueye would be a welcome signing in the middle of the park, whether that’s as a Hojbjerg replacement or playing alongside him.

The 5 foot 7 beast, who was once hailed as an “amazing” player by Chelsea stalwart Thiago Silva, already has plenty of experience in the top-flight, having made 108 outings for the Toffees, so will know exactly what is required of him.

Gueye will be out of contract at the Parc des Princes next summer so there’s no doubt that PSG will want to try and complete a deal in the upcoming window to get some kind of fee for him, but if his price tag is affordable for Paratici and co, Spurs should do everything they can to get it over the line.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit is thrilled by some transfer news he’s heard coming out of N17.

Allrounder thanks Virat Kohli for helping him get over a disappointing IPL stint with RCB

Saurabh Somani24-Oct-2019Shivam Dube was at the indoor nets at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru when an official with the Karnataka team stopped him with a friendly greeting. It ended with the official saying, “You owe the BCCI lots of money still!” A bout of laughter later, Dube continued on his way.The manager’s reference was to Dube’s incredible innings of 118 against Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20 just over a week ago. Dube had hit a century off 58 balls, going from fifty to hundred in a mere 17 deliveries, an innings he describes as one he felt “fabulous” in. He hit ten sixes during his knock, and the ball had to be replaced a fair few times – hence the joke about owing money to the BCCI.With his maiden call-up to the Indian squad, for the upcoming T20Is against Bangladesh, Dube might have a comeback line along the lines of “take it from my match fees”.The first person Dube will speak to after receiving the call-up is his father Rajesh. “He’s my whole and soul, everything. He’s always behind me, and he’s my backbone also,” Dube told ESPNcricinfo during the Hazare Trophy. “He has done everything for me. So the first thing I’ll do is call my dad and tell him, ‘I’ve got selected for India’.”My dream has been to play for India, but even ahead of that, it’s that my dad should be happy seeing me play for India.”ALSO READ: The Shivam Dube journey – from school cricket to the Indian teamDube, who bats left-handed and is a right-arm medium pacer, has been chosen for his ability to hit big and bowl seam-up at a brisk pace, a readymade replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya.Dube’s preferred area of big-hitting is “straight back over the bowler’s head”, and though his bowling is still in the medium-fast category, he is keen to get his pace higher. It’s his big-hitting, though, that has had people sit up and take notice, and it’s an aspect he works assiduously on.”I think I have good power and I use that for hitting big,” he said. “I practice a lot for big-hitting too. I have a separate session for it. I always go for two-three sessions and the last session is power hitting. I work a lot on it because that’s my strength and I always back my strength. I have the power, so I use it.”True to his words, Dube spent a whole lot of time in that net session batting normally first, and then had a separate slot where the focus was on blasting the leather off the ball. It’s something he has been doing in the middle a lot lately. He smacked 155 at a strike rate of 144.85 in four List A matches against South Africa A – and was out just once. In the Hazare Trophy, where Mumbai were done in by the weather, he scored 177 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 from five innings – and was out just twice.Shivam Dube in the last 12 months•ESPNcricinfo LtdDube has shaken off a disappointing IPL 2019 – where he hardly got opportunities with Royal Challengers Bangalore after being bought for INR 5 crore – to roar back into contention with the impact he has had.”I don’t think anything went wrong as such,” Dube said about his IPL stint. “But every player, even good players, have times where they are not doing as well, and that was the time for me. I thought I learned a lot from that phase, and I’m showing my skills and aptitude now.”I think I’m a capable player, which is why I’ve gone for that money. Virat [Kohli] helped me a lot. He told me, ‘Don’t worry, it’s up and down always. Even I had a bad IPL once, but I worked hard and came back stronger, and I know you will come back stronger.'”Dube grew up in a household where his father had a private net built for him at a nearby ground, but he’s had his share of struggles too. Fitness was an issue, but it’s improved significantly, and he has continued to work at it. He also had a period from the age of 14 to 19, where he didn’t play cricket at all.Dube doesn’t like to revisit that phase, saying simply, “It was a personal issue with my family”, but he’s happy to speak about his battles with fitness.”As an allrounder, you need to have the best fitness. I had struggled with that but I’ve gone to a good level now and I think I’m doing really well,” he said. “I had to do everything – build strength, lose weight, get endurance… I feel stronger and lighter now.”I talked with Virat about fitness and he told me there’s no issue with my fitness. He also said he looked at me as a batsman who could finish the game and told me that I should finish the game every time, that I should have that capacity in my game.”When he had given up the game, Dube admits he “never thought” that the day would come when he could be playing for India. Now 26, he has left the dark days behind and can see glory beckoning. “I want to be the player that the Indian team needs, and to perform over there. I want to be the player that the team wants to have because he’s a game-changer.”

The Indian captain also surpassed Suresh Raina to become India’s highest run-getter in T20s

Bharath Seervi06-Sep-2017 1016 – Runs accrued by Virat Kohli in T20I chases – the most by any batsman. He went past Brendon McCullum’s tally of 1006 runs. With 1830 runs, Kohli is now the third-highest run-getter in T20Is behind McCullum and Tillakaratne Dilshan. 99.66 – Kohli’s average in last 10 successful T20I chases. He has scored 598 runs in those chases and has been dismissed just four times. He’s crossed fifty of more in eight of those innings. Overall, he averages 84.66 when chasing and 117 in successful chases. 9-0 – India’s record on tour in Sri Lanka across formats. This is the joint-biggest margin for a whitewash in a series. Australia blanked Pakistan at home in 2009-10. 6907 – Runs made by Kohli in T20s – the most by an Indian. He went past Suresh Raina’s tally of 6872 runs. Kohli is now the eighth highest run-getter in T20s. 9 – Number of century partnerships for India in T20Is; Kohli has been involved in five of those. The 119-run stand between Kohli and Manish Pandey was India’s second century stand for the third wicket. 4- Number of fifties for Kohli against Sri Lanka – the most by any batsman. He’s done this in just four innings. Shahid Afridi’s three fifties were the previous best. Kohli’s four fifties are also the joint-most half-centuries against a side in T20Is. 2-12 – Sri Lanka’s win-loss record in T20Is at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Their win-loss ratio is the third-worst for teams playing five or more games at a home venue. India, though, have a 6-1 record at the same venue.

Stats highlights from the two Ranji Trophy semi-finals; Mumbai and Saurashtra set to do battle in what will be a repeat of the 2012-13 finale

Bharath Seervi17-Feb-20162 Instances of Saurashtra reaching the Ranji Trophy final. Their first appearance came in 2012-13, when they were beaten by an innings and 125 runsby Mumbai. Saurashtra have reached two finals in the last four seasons, after not making it to any in their first 62.45 Number of appearances in the final for Mumbai in 82 Ranji Trophy seasons. In the previous 44, they finished runners-up only on four occasions. Their last final was also against Saurashtra in 2012-13. They haven’t lost any of their last 10 finals since 1990-91.10 Number of scores of 50 or more for Shreyas Iyer – the second most in a Ranji Trophy season. Only Vijay Bharadwaj in 1998-99 for Karnataka and Abhishek Nayar in 2012-13 for Mumbai had more – 11 each. With two more innings left potentially, Iyer has an opportunity to equal or perhaps even go past the record. He has scored fifties in his last three innings: 81 in the second-innings of the quarter-final against Jharkhand and 90 and 58 in the two innings of the semi-final against Madhya Pradesh.4 Batsmen who have aggregated 1200 or more runs in a Ranji Trophy season, before this. Shreyas Iyer became the fifth to do so with aggregate of 1204 runs at the end of the semi-finals. The previous four were: VVS Laxman (1415) in 1999-00, Bharadwaj (1280) in 1998-99, Wasim Jaffer (1260) in 2008-09, Kedar Jadhav (1223) in 2013-14. Only Jaffer’s 1260 is more than Iyer among Mumbai batsmen in a Ranji Trophy season.571 Target set by Mumbai against Madhya Pradesh, which is the biggest in Ranji Trophy semi-finals since Uttar Pradesh were set 615 to win against Karnataka in 2009-10. Last time Mumbai set a bigger target than this in Ranji Trophy was 670 runs against Baroda at Wankhede 2012-13. In the quarter-final of this season, Madhya Pradesh themselves had set a target of 788 runs against Bengal. These are the only two targets of 500 or more set in this season.2 Bowlers who have taken 50 or more wickets this season. Assam’s Krishna Das became the second to get there after Jharkhand’s Shahbaz Nadeem, who had completed 50 wickets in the quarter-finals. Incidentally, in the last 15 Ranji Trophy seasons, there was only one bowler who took 50 or more wickets in a season – Ranadeb Bose (57) for Bengal in 2006-07. Three bowlers ended up with 49 wickets this season: Kerala’s K Monish, Vidarbha’s Akshay Wakhare and Madhya Pradesh’s Jalaj Saxena. In the first 81 Ranji Trophy seasons, there were only three bowlers who ended up with exactly 49 wickets: Padmakar Shivalkar for Bombay in 1972-73, Bharati Vij for Punjab in 1992-93 and Rishi Dhawan for Himachal Pradesh in 2013-14.0 Number of centuries for Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper Naman Ojha in this Ranji Trophy season, before this match. He got to his first century of the season against Mumbai after having made six fifties with a highest of 88. He has made four scores of 50 or more in his last four innings of the season including the 113 in the second innings. He made 64 and 52 in the quarter-finals against Bengal and 79 in the first innings of the semi-final.502 Runs by Amit Verma this season for Assam – the most without a century. He made 98 and 16 in the semi-final to complete 500 runs in the season. Before scoring the century, Ojha had 633 runs without a century. The record for most runs in a Ranji Trophy season without scoring a century is 647 by Harshad Khadiwale for Maharashtra last season.41 Dismissals by Mumbai wicketkeeper Aditya Tare in the season. Only three wicketkeepers have effected more dismissals than Tare in a season: 46 by Srikar Bharat for Andhra in 2014-15, 43 by CM Gautam for Karnataka in 2013-14 and 42 by Rohit Motwani for Maharashtra in 2014-15. No other wicketkeeper has effected more than 35 dismissals in this season.6 Number of catches by Ojha in Mumbai’s second innings – the joint highest this season. Only Vidarbha’s Amol Ubarhande and Saurashtra’s Sagar Jogiyani have taken six catches in an innings in this season. Ojha also made a century. Interestingly, Ojha was the last batsman to score a century and take five or more catches in an innings – against Assam in 2008-09. Click here for most wicketkeeping dismissals in an innings in this season.20 Wickets for Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat in the knockout matches of this season. He took 5 for 70 and 4 for 35 in the quarter-finals and 6 for 77 and 5 for 45 in the semifinals. These are the most combined wickets by a bowler in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of a Ranji Trophy season in last ten seasons.13 Innings without a century for Cheteshwar Pujara before scoring 126 in Saurashtra’s first innings in the semi-final against Assam. His last hundred was 145 not out against Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC) in the Test in 2015.